cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunological response and ovarian histology of squirrel monkeys (Saimiri sciureus) immunized with porcine zona pellucida ZP3 (Mr = 55,000) macromolecules.

ZP3 (M, = 55,000) is the major electrophoretic component of the porcine zona pellucida (ZP). In a continuing assessment of ZP3 as a candidate antigen for contraceptive vaccine development, female squirrel monkeys were immunized with 200 μg ZP3 using either Freund's adjuvant (FA) or muramyl dipeptide (MDP) and the effect of such immunization on ovarian histology examined. Two experimental and three control groups were immunized: Group 1 (n = 4), ZP3 plus FA; Group 2 (n = 4),ZP3 plus MDP; and controls-Group 3 (n = 2), ZP3 alone; Group 4 (n = 4), FA alone; and Group 5 (n = 4), saline. High antibody response to ZP3 was detected in the ZP3/FA and ZP3/MDP groups, and a very low response, in the ZP3-alone group. Immune profiles for the ZP3iFA and ZP3/MDP groups were comparable, but titers in the MDP group were consistently lower and decreased more rapidly after 300 days post-immunization (PI) than in the FA group. At 6 months PI, all ovaries from the ZP3/FA group revealed a deficiency of zona-encased oocytes and a reduction in secondary and tertiary follicles compared to controls. At 18-24 months PI, normal ovarian histology in one ZP3/FA injected monkey and the presence of zona-encased oocytes in a second monkey suggested ovarian recovery. Normal ovarian histology was present in all monkeys in the ZP3/MDP group as well as in all controls. These findings indicate that while immunization with ZP3/FA does initially perturb normal ovarian histology, such adverse effects appear to be reversible. Furthermore, immunization using ZP3 with MDP has no adverse effect on the ovary, indicating the importance of proper adjuvant selection in immunocontraceptive (IC) studies. These data encourage continued investigation of the zona IC approach using well-characterized zona immunogens with non-Freund's adjuvants.
TU‐A‐213CD‐02: Contrast‐To‐Noise Ratio (CNR) Enhancement and Lag Correction in Cone Beam CT (CBCT) Using a Synchronized‐MOving‐Grid (SMOG) System

Purpose: To develop a synchronized moving grid (SMOG) system to enhance the contrast‐to‐noise ratio (CNR) and correct image lag in cone‐beam CT(CBCT).Methods: The SMOG system uses a rapidly oscillating, synchronized moving grid attached to the kV source. Multiple exposures are taken at each gantry angle with the grid offset by a distance equal to the grid interspace width after each exposure, before the gantry moves to the next position during a scan. In each projection image, patient image data are acquired within the grid interspace area and scatter is measured under the area blocked by the grid for post‐scan scatter correction. The grid provides direct scatter reduction by blocking part of the beam, which enhances CNR in the reconstructedCBCTimages.Image lag was also estimated from the blocked area and used for lag correction in the image area since both areas have similar radiation history during SMOG acquisition. Experimental studies were performed to evaluate the CNR enhancement for different numbers of exposures (1, 2, and 4) taken at each gantry angle using an enlarged CATphan. Simulation studies were performed to evaluate the lag correction using a lag model. Results: Experimental results showed that SMOG enhanced the CNR by 16% and 13% when increasing exposure number from 1 to 2 and from 2 to 4, respectively. This enhancement was more dramatic for large phantoms. The gain in CNR by increasing the exposure number gradually diminished as the exposure number became large. The CNR values from 4‐exposure SMOG were similar to those from the quasi‐fan beam scan. Simulation results showed that image lag was reduced from 19% to 0.6% using 4‐exposure SMOG.Conclusions:SMOG has the advantages of substantially enhancing the CNR and correcting image lag while removing the scatter artifacts in CBCT with similar scanning time and imaging dose as conventional CBCT.
Changing Old Habits: Dress of Women Religious and Its Relationship to Personal and Social Identity

Dress has played a critical and visible role in constructing social and personal identities of Roman Catholic nuns, or as those in noncloistered orders prefer to be called, women religious. This research utilizes symbolic interaction theory to examine how social identity, symbolized by the religious habit, communicated an image that was incompatible with the personal identities of the women religious who wore habits. To explore this issue, the author uses the concepts of identity distancing and embracing. During the 1960s and 1970s, following the mandates of Vatican II in 1962, the process of identity distancing was evidenced by relinquishing the habit. Identity embracing was at first symbolized by the ambivalence expressed in wearing the modified habit and more clearly conveyed through secular dress.
Perioperative Management of Oral Antihyperglycemic Agents: Special Consideration for Metformin

Summary Diabetes mellitus is the most common endocrine metabolic abnormality, with eight million patients known to have the disease in the United States and an estimated equal number of people with diabetes who are as yet unidentified. Surgery is more common in patients with diabetes than in the general population. The metabolic consequences of surgery result not only from the underlying disease but also from the drugs used to treat diabetes. The available options for treatment of type 2 diabetes have increased significantly in recent years. In addition to the sulfonylureas, three other classes of antihyperglycemic agents (metformin, acarbose, and troglitazone) are available for use. The two most significant adverse effects of these drugs in the perioperative setting are hypoglycemia and lactic acidosis. Each of these serious side effects can be avoided or mitigated by proper attention to patient selection and careful patient monitoring during the perioperative period. Hypoglycemia occurs only with sulfonylurea, use, but hypoglycemia may be worsened by combined use of a sulfonylurea with a drug of another class. Lactic acidosis is associated with metformin use in the setting of renal failure or hypoperfusion (eg, congestive heart failure) and, although rare, has a high fatality rate. To decrease the risk of lactic acidosis, metformin must be discontinued before surgery and at the time of radiologic procedures in which intravenous contrast, which puts patients at risk for acute renal dysfunction, is used. Metformin may be reinstituted 48 hours after surgery or radiologic procedures if renal function is found to be normal and stable.
A Reflective Teaching Journal: An Instructional Improvement Tool for Academic Librarians

This article explores the practice of keeping a reflective teaching journal to improve classroom instruction. Reflective practice and journaling have a rich tradition in the teacher education field. Accordingly, the teacher education literature provides the starting point for this case study of keeping a reflective teaching journal for library sessions given to first-semester freshmen enrolled in a learning community. The journaling process proved useful by helping to improve instruction while also providing a mechanism to link theory with practice.
Comparison of P2 Receptor Subtypes Producing Dilation in Rat Intracerebral Arterioles

Background and Purpose— P 2 receptors are important regulators of cerebrovascular tone. However, there is functional heterogeneity of P 2Y receptors along the vascular tree, and the functionality of P 2Y receptors in small arterioles has not been studied in detail. We investigated the effects of activating P 2Y1 and P 2Y2 receptors and their underlying dilator mechanisms in rat intracerebral arterioles. Methods— We used computer-aided videomicroscopy to measure diameter responses from isolated and pressurized rat penetrating arterioles (39.9±1.2 μm) to the natural P 2 receptor agonist ATP in addition to ADP-β-S (P 2Y1 -selective) and ATP-γ-S (P 2Y2 -selective) and inhibitors of signaling pathways. Results— Extraluminal application of ATP-γ-S and ADP-β-S initiated a biphasic response (initial constriction followed by the secondary dilation) similar to ATP-induced responses. Pyridoxal phosphate-6-azophenyl-2′,4′-disulphonic acid (0.1 mmol/L; a P 2Y1 receptor antagonist) blocked ADP-β-S- but not ATP-γ-S-induced dilation and affected the ATP-mediated dilation at low concentrations. N ω -Monomethyl-l-arginine partially inhibited the dilation of ATP and ADP-β-S but not ATP-γ-S. High K + saline suppressed the dilation of all agonists. Indomethacin had no effect. Conclusions— Both P 2Y1 and P 2Y2 receptors are functionally present in cerebral arterioles. ATP stimulates P 2Y1 receptors at low concentrations, while high concentrations of ATP activate P 2Y2 in addition to P 2Y1 receptors. Nitric oxide is involved in P 2Y1 but not P 2Y2 receptor activation. Potassium channels play an important role in the regulation of P 2Y receptor-mediated dilation.
Multipass algorithms for mining association rules in text databases

In this paper, we propose two new algorithms for mining association rules between words in text databases. The characteristics of text databases are quite different from those of retail transaction databases, and existing mining algorithms cannot handle text databases efficiently because of the large number of itemsets (i.e., words) that need to be counted. Two well-known mining algorithms, Apriori algorithm and Direct Hashing and Pruning (DHP) algorithm, are evaluated in the context of mining text databases, and are compared with the new proposed algorithms named Multipass-Apriori (M-Apriori) and Multipass-DHP (M-DHP). It has been shown that the proposed algorithms have better performance for large text databases.
Estimation of contiguity for a monodispersed system of spherical particles

A new stereological method for the estimation of the contiguity (the degree of contact) for the monodispersed system of spherical particles is reported. Since this method is applicable to point-like contacts, the contiguity of ceramic particles can be evaluated in a metal matrix composite in which the contact is assumed to be point. The contiguity is derived from the geometrical calculation of centre-to-centre distance between particles, evaluation of contact, and consideration of the geometrical probability that two particles in contact are cut simultaneously by a test plane. The contiguity can be expressed by either the number of contacts per unit volume or the number of contacts per particle. Applying this method to a model material (Shirasu-balloon/aluminium alloy composite), the interrelations between the change in the contiguity and some physical properties of the material can be accurately explained.
The anxiety-depression syndrome.

"Tt'mp)l's and altars arl' placl's of rduge for Ihe persecul· ..d hUI wh"n' all oll\l'rs find dl'liVl'rance from their f,-ars. II...r.. this wrl'tcl\l'd man must most fear and tn·mblt-. Aslt-..p or awakl' Ill' is hauntt>d alike by the sp,-ctnof his anxiety. Awakl' hI' makes no uS(' of his rl'ason. and asl.·.·p h.· .-njoys no respite from his alarms. His n'ason always slumhers: his fears an' alway,.. awake. NowI......· can he find an ,'scap" from his imaginary "·rrors."1 Similarly during the era of descriptive psychiatry it was noted by Emile Kraepelin that anxiety was consistently present in the depressed patient. However, descriptive psychiatry gave ground to the growing prominence of the dynamic psychiatry of Sigmund Freud, which led to the separation of these formerly inter-related phenomena. Freud postulated anxiety as a response to the danger of losing an object and depreSSion as the response to real or fantasied loss of the object. Anxiety retains a central position in the psychoanalytic approach as primary to the formation of psychoneurotic disorders through the action of repression to protect the ego. \Vhen the repressive effort proves to be unequal to the task of subduing anxiety, formation of the symptoms of psychoneurosis may result. In contrast, depression results from a regressive reaction. The distinction between repression which occurs in the face of anticipated loss and regression which occurs in the face of actual loss gives rise to the diagnostic classification which separates "anxiety neurosis" from "depressive neurosis." Bibring has offered an alternative interpreta. tion in which anxiety and depreSSion are end products of disturbed ego function. Issuing from a unitary pSy('hic structure. they can thus be seen as intimately related.:!
Why China is the new intellectual centre of the world

As it grows in intellectual strength and influence, we need to change the way that we think about China, argues Mark Leonard, who looks here at three aspects of China's ideas revolution.
Studies of biologic parameters for denture design. Part II: Comparison of masseter muscle activity, masticatory performance, and salivary secretion rates between denture and natural dentition groups☆☆☆

Bilateral masseter muscle activities exerted during masticatory and salivary secretion rate tests of a group of 18 denture wearers were compared with a group of eight persons with 26 or more natural teeth. Denture wearers applied 22% to 39% of the muscle force applied by the ND group to chew peanuts or carrots and showed markedly lower masticatory performances. The average muscle activity was higher for chewing peanuts than carrots in the ND group but was similar for both test foods in the AD group. Motor discrimination seems to be intact in denture wearers, but their inability to tolerate high masticatory pressures may prevent them from exerting discriminatory forces comparable to those applied by persons with natural dentition when chewing relatively tough foods of varying hardness. The results indicate that the reduced muscle force applied by denture wearers is another important factor that contributes to their diminished chewing ability. Even though the denture wearers were older and applied less muscle activity during chewing, they produced slightly higher rates of stimulated parotid saliva than the ND group. This supports our previous findings and further indicates that the mucosal stimulation of dentures compensates for decreased muscle activity and absence of periodontal receptor stimulation for producing saliva in healthy denture wearers.
Interference of ATP with the fluorescent probes YOYO-1 and YOYO-3 modifies the mechanical properties of intercalator-stained DNA confined in nanochannels

Intercalating fluorescent probes are widely used to visualize DNA in studies on DNA-protein interactions. Some require the presence of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). We have investigated the mechanical properties of DNA stained with the fluorescent intercalating dyes YOYO-1 and YOYO-3 as a function of ATP concentrations (up to 2 mM) by stretching single molecules in nanofluidic channels with a channel cross-section as small as roughly 100 × 100 nm2. The presence of ATP reduces the length of the DNA by up to 11 %. On the other hand, negligible effects are found if DNA is visualized with the minor groove-binding probe 4′,6-diamidino-2-phenylindole. The apparent drop in extension under nanoconfinement is attributed to an interaction of the dye and ATP, and the resulting expulsion of YOYO-1 from the double helix.
Ambient Commons: Attention in the Age of Embodied Information / Ambient Rhetoric: The Attunements of Rhetorical Being

A few years ago, The Onion, America's finest (satirical) news source, issued a warning: “Report: 90% of Waking Hours Spent Staring at Glowing Rectangles.” The article enumerated the ways that human...
Recent CDF results

Preliminary results form the CDF detector, based on analysis of data collected in Run 1a and Run 1b at the Tevatron, totaling 110 pb{sup - 1} integrated luminosity, place new limits on the masses and couplings of new particles including charged Higgs bosons, supersymmetric gauge particles and quarks, and new vector bosons. One of the observed events, having an {ital e}{sup +}{ital e}{sup -} pair, two photons, and large missing energy would not occur with significant rate in the Standard Model, leading to speculation regarding its origin and the possible existence of related events.
Theory of p-adic closed strings.

We discuss the N-particle amplitude for p-adic closed bosonic strings; an effective field theory is derived and then it is shown how the space-time field equations follow from a generalized scaling property in a p-adic \ensuremath{\sigma} model. The closed superstring is discussed p-adically at the four-particle level, and finally a speculation is made about how nonperturbative supersymmetry breaking in the superstring might be approached using p-adics.
The influence of calcium on growth of selected vegetable species in the presence of ammonium nitrogen

Abstract Growth of cabbage (Brasslca oleracea L.), cantaloupe (Cucumis melo L.), squash (Cucurbita pepo L.), chile pepper (Capsicum annuum L.), tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill)., radish (Raphanus sativus L.), and Swiss chard (Beta vulgaris L.) was enhanced when supplied with additional Ca in the presence of NH4‐N over those with normal Ca. Ammonium uptake as measured by residual NH4 in soil leachate was lowered indicating possible increased uptake in the presence of additional Ca.
Soluble Factors Guide Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Axonal Targeting to the Median Eminence1

Axons of GnRH neurons terminate at the median eminence in the medial basal hypothalamus (MBH) of the brain early in development. Similarly, GnRH neurons in grafts of preoptic area (POA) tissue within the third ventricle of hypogonadal mice preferentially innervate the median eminence. Organotypic cocultures of POA explants with other neural tissues suggest that a soluble substance(s) derived from the MBH may be directing this targeting. To begin to identify diffusable chemoattractants, we used preincubated heparin-coated acrylic beads to present specific solutes to POA explants on collagen- and laminin-coated membranes in insert chambers. GnRH axons grew on the membrane in greater number and with longer axons toward conditioned medium from MBH cultures than on the side away from the beads (P < 0.01). In contrast, GnRH axons showed no preferential outgrowth when incubated with beads soaked in control, defined medium. The attraction of MBH-conditioned medium was not generalizable to all neuroendocrine neuro...
Taking an aesthetic risk in management education: Reflections on an artistic-aesthetic approach:

This article responds to calls from the field of organizational aesthetics to study and represent sensible-aesthetic knowledge with artistic-aesthetic approaches. An artistic-aesthetic touchstone a...
Science Education and the Commonplaces of Science

In this paper, we describe science as a set of “commonplaces,” similar to Schwab's commonplaces of teaching, for framing the nature of science and science education (Schwab, J. J. [1978]. Science Curriculum, and Liberal Education. Chicago: University of Chicago Press). Framed thoughtfully, these commonplaces have the potential to incorporate insights from a variety of perspectives. We propose four formulations of the commonplaces of science, based on distinct views of the nature of science, and explore the consequences of each. We argue that, although there are strengths to each formulation, some commonplaces prove more comprehensive than others in capturing the essence of science for the purposes of developing curriculum, educating science teachers, and conducting science education research.
Effects of Medication Management and Discharge Planning on Early Readmission of Psychiatrically Hospitalized Adolescents

This study examines the effect of clinical stabilization strategies—medication management and discharge planning—on early readmission of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents. Controlling for demographic and clinical factors, results showed the risk of readmission was higher for youths who had medications added to an existing medication regimen, were placed in group homes, or discharged to partial hospitalization programs. Overall, findings indicate that stabilization strategies developed collaboratively between psychiatrists and social workers can reduce early readmission. However, improved medication monitoring upon discharge is needed, and the study results raise questions about the use of partial hospitalization to compensate for premature discharge.
Genome-Wide Effects of Selenium and Translational Uncoupling on Transcription in the Termite Gut Symbiont Treponema primitia

When prokaryotic cells acquire mutations, encounter translation-inhibiting substances, or experience adverse environmental conditions that limit their ability to synthesize proteins, transcription can become uncoupled from translation. Such uncoupling is known to suppress transcription of protein-encoding genes in bacteria. Here we show that the trace element selenium controls transcription of the gene for the selenocysteine-utilizing enzyme formate dehydrogenase (fdhF_Sec) through a translation-coupled mechanism in the termite gut symbiont Treponema primitia, a member of the bacterial phylum Spirochaetes. We also evaluated changes in genome-wide transcriptional patterns caused by selenium limitation and by generally uncoupling translation from transcription via antibiotic-mediated inhibition of protein synthesis. We observed that inhibiting protein synthesis in T. primitia influences transcriptional patterns in unexpected ways. In addition to suppressing transcription of certain genes, the expected consequence of inhibiting protein synthesis, we found numerous examples in which transcription of genes and operons is truncated far downstream from putative promoters, is unchanged, or is even stimulated overall. These results indicate that gene regulation in bacteria allows for specific post-initiation transcriptional responses during periods of limited protein synthesis, which may depend both on translational coupling and on unclassified intrinsic elements of protein-encoding genes. A large body of literature demonstrates that the coupling of transcription and translation is a general and essential method by which bacteria regulate gene expression levels. However, the potential role of noncanonical amino acids in regulating transcriptional output via translational control remains, for the most part, undefined. Furthermore, the genome-wide transcriptional state in response to translational decoupling is not well quantified. The results presented here suggest that the noncanonical amino acid selenocysteine is able to tune transcription of an important metabolic gene via translational coupling. Furthermore, a genome-wide analysis reveals that transcriptional decoupling produces a wide-ranging effect and that this effect is not uniform. These results exemplify how growth conditions that impact translational processivity can rapidly feed back on transcriptional productivity of prespecified groups of genes, providing bacteria with an efficient response to environmental changes.
Deferral strategies for a dynamic communications network

This paper deals with the problem of minimizing the present worth of expenditures for the expanding the capacity of a communications network in the face of an increasing demand for service. It is assumed that any economy of scale effects are dominated by savings due to expenditure deferral. A strategy is proposed that defers new construction of facilities by heuristic routing around exhausted facilities. Network solutions obtained by the deferral heuristic applied to a small prototype network compare favorably with exact solutions obtained by solving the underlying mixed integer LP.
Perspectives on formaldehyde toxicity: Separating fact from fantasy☆

Formaldehyde (IUPAC name, methanal) is one of the simplest, most ubiquitous molecules in our environment and troposphere. Exposure to large amounts of formaldehyde can produce a variety of respiratory and dermatologic problems in humans, in both the home and the workplace. However, in spite of anecdotal reports on formaldehyde-induced illness over the past 20 years there is a paucity of data regarding its potential as either an allergen or an antigen in humans. In addition, many of our current impressions about formaldehyde are based on studies of dubious scientific validity. In this review, we discuss the biological and chemical properties of formaldehyde and its presence in materials which we come in contact with, and finally attempt to put in perspective our current understanding of the detrimental effects of formaldehyde on our health, or lack thereof. There is no evidence at present that formaldehyde causes immunological diseases. Finally, and unfortunately, many of the studies have drawn invalid conclusions and are based on poorly controlled anecdotal observations.
The Education and Training of Women in Clinical and Counseling Psychology Programs: Then and Now–1960 to 2013

This article identifies eight changes or developments occurring in the past 50 years in the education and training of women in graduate psychology programs—specifically, in clinical and counseling psychology: gender composition; feminist perspectives and women's rights—expanded freedoms; appreciation of diversity and multiculturalism; theoretical developments and advancements; expanded scope of training—models, curricula, and treatment approaches; technological and communication advances; work-world and marketplace developments; and financial resources. These eight changes are discussed in the context of their impact on women graduate students as well as on women faculty.
Inter- and intra-observer variability in the measurement of length at endoscopy: implications for the measurement of Barrett's esophagus

Abstract Background Endoscopic measurements are frequently used to determine the length of Barrett's epithelium. Decreases in measured length also are used to assess response to pharmacotherapy. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of the endoscopic measurement of length under standardized conditions. Methods A life-size model of the esophagus was built by using an opaque polyvinyl tube. Transparent plastic inserts designed to resemble Barrett's epithelium were created. Ten different insert lengths were randomly studied. Trained endoscopists and fellows in training blinded to the lengths of the inserts performed measurements twice in random order. Results A total of 240 measurements were made by 12 endoscopists. The mean difference (1 standard deviation) between the measured and correct length was 1.10 (1.7) cm. Overestimation of the length occurred in 47% and underestimation in 37%. The kappa statistic for the first and second measurement (within 0.5 cm) performed by the same individual (intra-observer) was 0.40, suggesting only fair agreement. There was considerable variability between endoscopists. Conclusions Accurate measurement of length at endoscopy is difficult even under ideal conditions. Intra-observer agreement is fair, but results obtained by different endoscopists are widely divergent. Small improvements in the length of Barrett's epithelium observed in some clinical trials could be because of chance instead of therapeutic effect.
An experimental simulation of an internation truel.

A simple experimental simulation was conducted of a three-sided internation conflict situation (i.e., a “truel”), in which each nation was represented by one subject. On each of up to 50 trials, each subject made a trichotomous decision not to attack, to attack the first of the others, or to attack the second of the others. To be attacked was to be eliminated, but a victim had the opportunity to make one more decision after being attacked. A 2 × 2 × 2 orthogonal design was employed in which the independent variables were (a) knowledge of source of attack, (b) knowledge of maximum number of trials, and (c) sex of subjects. Three groups were run in each of the eight conditions, making 24 groups and 72 subjects. The following results were among those worthy of note: 1. Attacks occurred in 75 percent of the groups. There was a trend, approaching statistical significance, for no-attack groups to occur more frequently in the Source Known conditions. Conversely, almost twice as many individual attacks occurred in the Source Unknown condition. 2. An initial attack was invariably followed by at least one, and often two or three, additional attacks on the next trial or two. Closely related to this “chain reaction” effect is the fact that there were no groups with two survivors. Either there was a single victor, or-much more commonly-all group members experienced a common fate. 3. Fully 90 percent of all initial attacks occurred during the first five trials, and almost half occurred on the second trial alone. Out of 21 initial attacks, only one came after the seventh trial. 4. There was a pronounced and highly significant interaction between experimental conditions and strategies adopted by individual subjects as these jointly determined the chances of survival. Although a strategy of aggression always failed, a nonaggressive strategy had varying chances of success depending upon the experimental condition. In the maximally structured condition (Source Known, Trials Known), nonaggression succeeded half the time , while in the minimally structured condition (Source Unknown, Trials Unknown), it invariably failed. Results are discussed in terms of hypotheses suggested concerning the outcomes of inter-person, intergroup, or internation truels.
Laminar flow in the inlet section of parallel plates

Velocity distributions, pressure gradients, and overall pressure drops are presented. A definite concavity was found in the velocity profile near the entrance for case I. In case II, which is more realistic physically, very definite effects are transmitted upstream, and the velocity distributions downstream show little concavity.
Multiple Chemokine Receptors, Including CCR6 and CXCR3, Regulate Antigen-Induced T Cell Homing to the Human Asthmatic Airway

Human allergic asthma is a chronic inflammatory disease of the airways thought to be driven by allergen-specific Th2 cells, which are recruited into the lung in response to inhaled allergen. To identify chemoattractant receptors that control this homing pattern, we used endobronchial segmental allergen challenge in human atopic asthmatics to define the pattern of chemoattractant receptor expression on recruited T cells as well as the numbers of recruited CD1d-restricted NKT cells and levels of chemokines in the bronchoalveolar (BAL) fluid. CD1d-restricted NKT cells comprised only a small minority of BAL T cells before or after Ag challenge. BAL T cells were enriched in their expression of specific chemoattractant receptors compared with peripheral blood T cells prechallenge, including CCR5, CCR6, CXCR3, CXCR4, and BLT1. Surprisingly, following segmental allergen challenge, no chemoattractant receptor was specifically increased. However, CCR6 and CXCR3, which were expressed on virtually all CD4(+) BAL T cells prechallenge, were markedly decreased on all recruited BAL T cells following Ag challenge, suggesting that these receptors were internalized following encounter with ligand in the airway. Our data therefore suggests a role for CCR6 and CXCR3, in conjunction with other chemoattractant receptors, in the recruitment of inflammatory T cells into the BAL during the allergic asthmatic response.
Synchronization-induced persistence versus selection for habitats in spatially coupled ecosystems

Critical population phase transitions, in which a persistent population becomes extinction-prone owing to environmental changes, are fundamentally important in ecology, and their determination is a key factor in successful ecosystem management. To persist, a species requires a suitable environment in a sufficiently large spatial region. However, even if this condition is met, the species does not necessarily persist, owing to stochastic fluctuations. Here, we develop a model that allows simultaneous investigation of extinction due to either stochastic or deterministic reasons. We find that even classic birth–death processes in spatially extended ecosystems exhibit phase transitions between extinction-prone and persistent populations. Sometimes these are first-order transitions, which means that environmental changes may result in irreversible population collapse. Moreover, we find that higher migration rates not only lead to higher robustness to stochastic fluctuations, but also result in lower sustainability in heterogeneous environments by preventing efficient selection for suitable habitats. This demonstrates that intermediate migration rates are optimal for survival. At low migration rates, the dynamics are reduced to metapopulation dynamics, whereas at high migration rates, the dynamics are reduced to a multi-type branching process. We focus on species persistence, but our results suggest a unique method for finding phase transitions in spatially extended stochastic systems in general.
Thermal and chemical identification of materials prior to combustion

The ability to identify, via remote sensing, the identity of materials prior to self-ignition is important for fire safety. We have developed a system to monitor, in real time, the thermal and chemical properties of specific materials under well controlled heating conditions. Our goal is to develop a library of the pre-combustion “signature” of materials commonly present in buildings. These signatures focus on the gases produced by combustion: CO, CO 2 and total hydrocarbons; as well as oxygen, an essential reactant. An infrared furnace is used to rapidly (few seconds) heat (up to 800 °C) a small sample of combustible material, while output gases are monitored, with 1 s resolution, using a multi-component gas analyzer. Systematic measurements of PMMA, a thermoplastic, are presented. Ultimately these results will be used to provide first responders with remote knowledge of the type of fire prior to entering a site.
Capacitive Techniques to Monitor of Anchoring Energy for Liquid Crystal Sensors

Using the orientation order of the liquid crystal molecules in chemical and biological sensors has been widely investigated. In this paper, a capacitive technique to monitor the functionality of anchoring energy in liquid crystal alignment layers is presented. Sensing changes in the anchoring energy of a liquid crystal film can significantly improve sensitivity of liquid crystal based sensors. The method and theory is presented. Preliminary experimental results are provided using UV irradiation and the concentration dependence of cetyltrimethyl-ammonium bromide (CTAB) self-assembled monolayer to alter the anchoring energy of known alignment structures.
Single-phase lattice Boltzmann simulations of pore-scale flow in fractured permeable media

The objective of this work is to investigate fracture flow characteristics at the pore-scale, and evaluate the influence of the adjacent permeable matrix on the fracture’s permeability. We use X-ray computed microtomography to produce three-dimensional images of a fracture in a permeable medium. These images are processed and directly translated into lattices for single-phase lattice Boltzmann simulations. Three flow simulations are presented for the imaged volume, a simulation of the pore space, the fracture alone and the matrix alone. We show that the fracture permeability increases by a factor of 15.1 due to bypassing of fracture choke points through the matrix pore space. In addition, pore-scale matrix velocities were found to follow a logarithmic function of the distance from the fracture. Finally, our results are compared against previously proposed methods of estimating fracture permeability from fracture roughness, tortuosity, aperture distribution and matrix permeability.
Staging the neoaortoiliac system: feasibility and short-term outcomes.

Background The neoaortoiliac system (NAIS) has gained popularity as a durable procedure for treating aortic graft infections. However, one of the disadvantages has been a long operation that can take up to 10 hours. The goal of this study was to assess the feasibility of staging the NAIS procedure with deep vein harvest a day before the aortofemoral bypass and evaluate if staging had any effect on graft patency or morbidity and mortality, or both. Methods We reviewed data for all the NAIS procedures performed for aortic graft infections at a tertiary care university hospital. The femoral popliteal veins of patients undergoing the staged NAIS were harvested a day in advance and left in situ. The next day patients underwent the prosthetic graft excision with reconstruction using the femoral popliteal veins. Patients with aortic occlusion on presentation were not candidates for vein harvest in advance and underwent a unilateral bypass with a subsequent femorofemoral bypass as a second stage. Results In the last 8 years, 26 patients (17 men, 9 women; mean age, 62.6 ± 8.3 years) underwent the NAIS procedure for aortic graft infections. Mean follow-up was 15.7 months. Primary assisted graft patency was 100%. There were 11 patients in the staged group and 10 patients in the nonstaged group. All the staged patients underwent vein mobilization a day before excision of aortic prosthesis. Despite undergoing a separate procedure for vein harvesting at a different time, there was no difference in total operative time (12.0 ± 1.8 vs 11.9 ± 2.2 hours), operative blood loss (2.6 ± 1.2 vs 3.4 ± 2.4 L), and requirements for transfusion for blood products (6.7 ± 3.7 vs 6.0 ± 5.4 U) or crystalloid (11.3 ± 3.1 vs 10.9 ± 2.4 L) between the staged group and nonstaged groups. One amputation occurred in each group. The perioperative mortality was 18% for the staged group and 20% for nonstaged group. The 12-month survival was 72% for staged and 70% for nonstaged NAIS. No graft-related complications were observed from the preoperative vein harvest. Conclusion The NAIS can be staged without compromising the efficacy of the procedure as evident by excellent long-term patency and control of the infection. By reducing the duration of the primary procedure, staging may be beneficial to both the patient and the surgeon.
Host Alloreactive Memory T Cells Influence Tolerance to Kidney Allografts in Nonhuman Primates

Transplant tolerance, defined as indefinite allograft survival without immunosuppression, has been regularly achieved in laboratory mice but not in nonhuman primates or humans. In contrast to laboratory mice, primates regularly have high frequencies of alloreactive memory T cells (TMEMs) before transplantation. These TMEMs are poorly sensitive to conventional immunosuppression and costimulation blockade, and the presence of donor-reactive TMEMs in primates may account for their resistance to transplant tolerance protocols that have proven consistently effective in mice. We measured the frequencies of anti-donor TMEMs before and after transplantation in a series of rejecting and tolerant monkeys that underwent nonmyeloablative conditioning, short-term immunosuppression, and combined allogeneic kidney/cell transplantation. Transplants were acutely rejected in all the monkeys with high numbers of donor-specific TMEMs before transplantation. In contrast, long-term survival was observed in the recipients harboring lower frequencies of anti-donor TMEMs before transplantation. Similar amounts of TMEM homeostatic expansion were recorded in all transplanted monkeys upon hematopoietic reconstitution; however, only the tolerant monkeys had no expansion or activation of donor-reactive TMEMs after transplantation. These results indicate that the presence of high frequencies of host donor-reactive TMEMs before transplantation impairs tolerance induction to kidney allografts in this nonhuman primate model. Indeed, recipients harboring a low anamnestic reactivity to their donor before transplantation were successfully rendered tolerant via infusion of donor cells and short-term immunosuppression. This suggests that selection of allogeneic donors with low memory responses in recipients may be essential to successful transplant tolerance induction in patients.
Estimation of the average power density in the vicinity of cellular base-station collinear array antennas

This paper investigates the character of the average power density in the close proximity of base-station antennas, where human exposure to electromagnetic fields radiated from such radiofrequency (RF) sources is the highest. The concept of average power density is used since, in proximity of a large array antenna, the direction of the power flow at a given point is not readily predictable because of the substantially diverging path lengths and direction of propagation of the energy arriving from different array elements. This quantity Is shown to have a marked cylindrical decay near the antennas, which converts to spherical in the far field. On this basis, a set of simple prediction formulas is derived to allow the estimation of the average power density with good precision. The latest IEEE C95.1-1999 Standard for RF safety calls for spatially averaged measurements of incident power density to verify compliance to maximum permissible exposure limits. The advantage of using the concept of average power density and the resulting prediction formulas is that the evaluation of the exposure of humans near cellular base-station antennas becomes extremely simple during surveys when large computerized scanning equipment may not be available.
Increased synthesis of specific eicosanoids in rejected corneal grafts

Purpose. Corneal injury stimulates the formation of both pros-taglandins (PG) and 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (12(S)-HETE), the major lipoxygenase metabolite. The purpose of this study was to investigate the metabolism of arachi-donic acid (AA) in a model of corneal graft rejection.Methods. Corneal tissue from Dutch belted rabbits was transplanted to vascularized corneas of New Zealand white rabbits. Rejected corneas were removed at the endstage of allograft failure. The allograft, the host corneal rim, the contralateral control corneal rim of equal size and normal Dutch belted cornea from the same site as the allograft were incubated with 0.25 μCi [3H]AA and the released eicosanoids were analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography.Results. The host corneal rims, adjacent to the failed allografts, produced up to five times as much 12(S)-hydroxyeicosatet-raenoic acid (12(S)-HETE) as contralateral control corneal rims. Additionally, prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) formation in the host rims increased ...
Ovarian cancer immunotherapy: opportunities, progresses and challenges

Due to the low survival rates from invasive ovarian cancer, new effective treatment modalities are urgently needed. Compelling evidence indicates that the immune response against ovarian cancer may play an important role in controlling this disease. We herein summarize multiple immune-based strategies that have been proposed and tested for potential therapeutic benefit against advanced stage ovarian cancer. We will examine the evidence for the premise that an effective therapeutic vaccine against ovarian cancer is useful not only for inducing remission of the disease but also for preventing disease relapse. We will also highlight the questions and challenges in the development of ovarian cancer vaccines, and critically discuss the limitations of some of the existing immunotherapeutic strategies. Finally, we will summarize our own experience on the use of patient-specific tumor-derived heat shock protein-peptide complex for the treatment of advanced ovarian cancer.
Corneal topography classification in myopic eyes based on axial, instantaneous, refractive, and profile difference maps.

Abstract Purpose To refine and develop systems for classifying the topography of myopic corneas using axial, instantaneous, refractive, and profile difference maps. Setting Baylor College of Medicine, Cullen Eye Institute Houston, Texas, USA. Methods Using the EyeSys Corneal Analysis System™, computerized videokeratographs of 153 corneas of 78 myopic patients were retrospectively analyzed. Patterns were defined with respect to the mid-dioptric green color. Relationships among pattern types, refractive power, corneal power, corneal uniformity index (CU index), and predicted corneal visual acuity (PC acuity) were calculated. Results Six types of patterns for axial, instantaneous, and refractive maps and 3 types of patterns for the profile difference map were defined. For a given cornea, there was a weak correlation among the patterns in the axial, instantaneous, and profile difference maps. The circular with central irregularity pattern in auto-scale refractive maps and the irregular pattern in profile difference maps and axial maps were correlated with lower CU index and PC acuity values. Clinical classification of instantaneous maps did not contribute substantially to the information provided by axial maps. Conclusion Patterns of computerized videokeratographs varied according to the type of topographic map. The classification systems used provide a baseline for analyzing the response of the cornea to various interventions.
Playing with Modernity: The Decolonization of Indian Cricket

For the former colony, decolonization is a dialogue with the colonial past, and not a simple dismantling of colonial habits and modes of life. Nowhere are the complexities and ambiguities of this dialogue more evident than in the vicissitudes of cricket in those countries that were once part of the British Empire. In the Indian case, the cultural aspects of decolonization deeply affect every domain of public life, from language and the arts to ideas about political representation and economic justice. ln every major public debate in contemporary India, one underlying strand is always the question of what to do with the shreds and patches of the Colonial heritage. Some of these patches are institutional; others are ideological and aesthetic.
Feminism and Nationalism in Cold War East Pakistan

Every independent nation is paying special attention to the progress of women. It is not possible for a country that does not have a women’s movement to undergo extensive improvement. […] The women of our country are lagging behind those of other countries. […] There are many reasons for this, of which the lack of education is one. East Bengal is an agricultural land. […] The climate of organisation that prevails in the cities is lacking in the countryside. For this reason, the majority of the people of our country cannot become immediately familiar with the changes of the times. Women are further oppressed because they are at the back of the group […]. Pakistan needs a women’s movement. Poverty, poor health, illiteracy, and unemployment, these are the root problems of our country. Alongside our men, we too must work tirelessly to solve these problems. (Begum 2006: 925-6) This excerpt is taken from an editorial in the Bengali women’s magazine Begum, published on 23 March 1952. The piece goes on to cite examples of women’s groups and women’s meetings in the Arab world and in London as sources of inspiration for working “to improve women’s rights, rural education, and social moral standards” (Begum 2006: 926). The timing and the content of this statement raise several interesting points. Just a month earlier, women’s and human rights activist and former US First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt had arrived in Karachi, Pakistan, for a seven-day visit as a guest of the All-Pakistan Women’s Association (APWA). At the airport, Roosevelt was greeted by “thousands of cheering Pakistanis, many of them riding elaborately decorated camel carts” that were, according to the New York Times, “something of a Karachi trademark” (James 1952a: 2).