cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nitric oxide alters GABAergic synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons.

Nitric oxide (NO) production increases during hypoxia/ischemia-reperfusion in the immature brain and is associated with neurotoxicity. NO at physiologic concentrations has been shown to modulate GABAergic (gamma-aminobutyric acid) synaptic transmission in the adult brain. However, the effects of neurotoxic concentrations of NO (relevant to hypoxia-ischemia) on GABAergic synaptic transmission remain unknown. The present study tests the hypothesis that nNOS is expressed at GABAergic synapses and that exposure to neurotoxic concentrations of NO results in enhanced GABAergic synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons (days-in-vitro 10-14) prepared from fetal rats. Using double immunocytochemistry techniques, we were able to demonstrate that nNOS is co-localized to both presynaptic and postsynaptic markers of GABAergic synapses. The effects of NO on GABAergic synaptic transmission were then studied using whole cell patch-clamp electrophysiology. Spontaneous and miniature inhibitory postsynaptic currents (sIPSCS and mIPSCs) were recorded prior to and after exposure to 250 μM of the NO donor diethyleneamine/nitric oxide adduct (DETA-NO). Exposure to DETA-NO resulted in increased sIPSCs and mIPSCs frequency, indicating that neurotoxic concentrations of NO enhance GABAergic synaptic transmission in cultured hippocampal neurons. Because GABA synapses appear to be excitatory in the immature brain, this effect may contribute to overall enhanced synaptic transmission and hyperexcitability. We speculate that NO represents one of the mechanisms by which hypoxia-ischemia increases seizure susceptibility in the immature brain.
Airfoil pitch-and-plunge bifurcation behavior with Fourier chaos expansions

A stochastic projection method is employed to obtain the probability distribution of pitch angle of an airfoil in pitch and plunge subject to probabilistic uncertainty in both the initial pitch angle and the cubic spring coefficient of the restoring pitch force. Historically, the selected basis for the stochastic projection method has been orthogonal polynomials, referred to as the polynomial chaos. Such polynomials, however, result in unacceptable computational expense for applications involving oscillatory motion, and a new basis, the Fourier chaos, is introduced for computing limit-cycle oscillations. Unlike the polynomial chaos expansions, which cannot predict limit-cycle oscillations, the Fourier chaos expansions predict both subcritical and supercritical responses even with low-order expansions and high-order nonlinearities. Bifurcation diagrams generated with this new approximate method compare well to Monte Carlo simulations.
Stability results for in-phase and splay-phase states of solid-state laser arrays

We present a theoretical study of synchronization in N-element solid-state laser arrays. We carry out the linear stability analysis for three types of solution: the nonlasing state, the in-phase periodic state, and the splayphase state. Both nearest-neighbor (on a ring) coupling and global (all-to-all) coupling are treated; the system symmetries enable us to solve the linear stability problem for arbitrary N. We consider the general case in which the coupling coefficient iκ is complex and find that stability depends crucially on the sign of the imaginary part of κ. In the case of global coupling, we discover a surprising result: the existence of an N − 2 parameter family of frequency-locked neutrally stable states. These states should display substantial phase diffusion in the presence of noise.
Magnetospheric resonance, auroral structure and multipoint measurements

Abstract Multipoint “satellite” diagnostics from a magnetically incompressible, two-fluid simulation model for resonant, dispersive Alfven waves standing on auroral field lines suggest a causal link between shear Alfven resonances, usually identified on the basis of ground-based and equatorial magnetospheric signatures, and some of the large-amplitude, kilometer-scale electric fields, typically measured by polar-orbiting satellites in the lower magnetosphere. It is also shown that one documented DE 1 electric field event exhibits the waveform, impedance, and phase signatures of a dispersive field line resonance.
Serum ethanol levels: predictor of survival after severe traumatic brain injury.

Background:Recent studies have suggested that moderate doses of ethanol (ETOH) before traumatic brain injury (TBI) may have a neuroprotective role.Objective:The objective of this study is to investigate the effects of serum ETOH levels on outcomes after TBI. Our hypothesis was that ETOH exposure is
Probing young massive clusters with laser guide star adaptive optics

We use laser guide star adaptive optics (LGS/AO) on the 10 m Keck II telescope to obtain high spatial resolution images of young massive clusters (YMCs) in NGC1569 and M82. These data probe YMC structure and the relation of the YMCs to the ambient field star population. The higher resolution of Keck LGS/AO relative to Hubble Space Telescope/NICMOS in the near-infrared enables us to examine whether YMCs are monolithic or hierarchical assemblies. The new integral-field spectrometer OSIRIS operating behind LGS/AO can trace the distribution of massive evolved stars within a cluster and reveal the nature of mass segregation.
Establishing Standard Performance Measures in Adult Traumatic Brain Injury Patients.

BACKGROUND: The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality patient safety indicators (PSIs) and Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are publicly reported metrics that illustrate the overall quality of care provided at an institution. The national incidences of PSIs and HACs in traumatic brain injury (TBI) patients were estimated using the Nationwide Inpatient Sample database. OBJECTIVE: To establish baseline incidences of PSIs and HACs among surgical TBI patients treated at nonfederal hospitals in the United States, and to identify patient factors contributing to these adverse events. METHODS: The Nationwide Inpatient Sample database was queried for patients admitted with International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnosis codes consistent with TBI between 2002 and 2011. The incidences of PSIs and HACs were estimated for TBI patients and evaluated for correlation with multiple factors, including comorbidity score, teaching hospital status, and insurance status. RESULTS: There were 15403 total PSIs among 24012 TBI patients. There were only 165 HACs among 24012 TBI patients. Only sepsis, deep vein thrombosis, and pressure ulcers occurred in more than 1% of patients. Patient age, sex, comorbidity score, and teaching hospital status were all found to significantly impact PSI incidence. Comorbidity score was found to significantly impact HAC incidence. Compared with private insurance, Medicaid patients developed significantly more HACs. CONCLUSION: These data may be used as reference values for hospitals reporting their own rates and seeking to improve the quality of care they provide for TBI patients. ABBREVIATIONS: AHRQ, Healthcare Research and QualityHAC, hospital-acquired conditionICP, intracranial pressureLOS, length of stayMS-DRG, Medicare Severity Diagnosis Related GroupNIS, Nationwide Inpatient SamplePSI, patient safety indicatorTBI, traumatic brain injury. Language: en
Improving the Quantum Yields of Semiconductor Quantum Dots through Photoenhancement Assisted by Reducing Agents

Surface modification of semiconductor quantum dots (QDs) often causes a drastic reduction of photoluminescence quantum yield (QY). Here, we report an efficient way to improve photoluminescence (PL) characteristics of silica-coated QDs using the combination of light-induced PL enhancement (photoenhancement) and the small molecule reducing agent, dithiothreitol (DTT). The photoenhancement process in the absence of a reducing agent is usually accompanied by a blue shift and broadening of the PL spectrum as well as a subsequent rapid PL quenching due to the competitive photo-oxidation process. The addition of DTT augments the degree of photoenhancement and inhibits the spectral shift and broadening. The photoenhancement assisted by DTT reported here should provide a simple and useful means of preparing stable, highly luminescent water-soluble silica-coated QDs that have PL QYs comparable to those exhibited by organic-soluble QDs.
On output feedback stabilizability of linear systems

A sufficient condition for a linear time-invariant system to be stabilizable by output feedback control is obtained by using a geometric approach.
Effect of Hypophysectomy and Hormone Replacement on Hormone Receptor Levels and the Growth of 7,12 Dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-Induced Mammary Tumors in the Rat*

17β-Estradiol (E2) and PRL were administered after hypophysectomy (hypox), either alone or in combination, to rats bearing 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene-induced mammary tumors in order to clarify the individual role of these hormones on tumor growth and estrogen (ER), progesterone (PgR), and PRL (PRLR) receptor content. Of 180 tumors, 150 (83%) regressed, 5 (3%) remained stable, and 25 (14%) continued to grow after hypox. The administration of ovine PRL (oPRL) after hypox, reactivated the growth of regressing mammary tumors, whereas E2 did not. No synergism between E2 and oPRL on tumor growth was observed. These hormones had no discernible effect on the growth rate of stable and growing tumors. PgR in hormone-dependent tumors declined from 69.9 ± 15.9 to 15 ± 8.4 fmol/mg (P < 0.005) 6 days after hypox and to 4.5 ± 4.2 fmol/mg cytosol protein (P < 0.005) 16 days after hypox. E2 administration (5 μg/day), begun 6 days after hypox and continued for 9 days, restored PgR to control levels. oPRL administration...
General Education Assessment and Fulfilling the Mercy Mission at the University of Saint Joseph

This article describes the processes and procedures the University of Saint Joseph used to conduct a systematic assessment of mission-related student learning outcomes found in the General Education curriculum, and thus assess how well the institution was fulfi lling its Mercy mission. The assessment showed student learning strengths and gaps and led to faculty development workshops and curricular revision.
Correlation between insulator surface and DC flashover characteristics in vacuum

The high-voltage DC flashover characteristics of a large number of solid insulating materials were investigated. These materials included high-density aluminas from different manufacturers varying in bulk composition and surface microstructure, coated aluminas to reduce surface charging, steatite, and forsterite. The results show a strong correlation between the first and conditioned breakdown strengths, the rapidity of conditioning, and the surface microstructure. Specifically, it is shown that 'generic alumina' has widely varying voltage withstand strengths depending on the bulk composition, surface microstructure, and chemical surface state. Materials with a finely granular, closely packed structure exhibited the best voltage hold-off performance. Also, nonporous materials exhibit rapid conditioning to its final value. >
2′-O-(2-Methoxy)ethyl-modified Anti-intercellular Adhesion Molecule 1 (ICAM-1) Oligonucleotides Selectively Increase the ICAM-1 mRNA Level and Inhibit Formation of the ICAM-1 Translation Initiation Complex in Human Umbilical Vein Endothelial Cells

Little is known about the mechanisms that account for inhibition of gene expression by antisense oligonucleotides at the level of molecular cell biology. For this purpose, we have selected potent 2'-O-(2-methoxy)ethyl antisense oligonucleotides (IC50 = 2 and 6 nM) that target the 5' cap region of the human intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) transcript to determine their effects upon individual processes of mRNA metabolism in HUVECs. Given the functions of the 5' cap structure throughout mRNA metabolism, antisense oligonucleotides that target the 5' cap region of a target transcript have the potential to modulate one or more metabolic stages of the message inside the cell. In this study we found that inhibition of protein expression by these RNase H independent antisense oligonucleotides was not due to effects on splicing or transport of the ICAM-1 transcript, but due instead to selective interference with the formation of the 80 S translation initiation complex. Interestingly, these antisense oligonucleotides also caused an increase in ICAM-1 mRNA abundance in the cytoplasm. These results imply that ICAM-1 mRNA turnover is coupled in part to translation.
Role of machine learning in configuration management of ad hoc wireless networks

In this work, we show that machine learning, e.g., graphical models, plays an important role for the self-configuration of ad hoc wireless network. The role of such a learning approach includes a simple representation of complex dependencies in the network and a distributed algorithm which can adaptively find a nearly optimal configuration.
The Linker Histone Plays a Dual Role during Gametogenesis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The differentiation of gametes involves dramatic changes to chromatin, affecting transcription, meiosis, and cell morphology. Sporulation in Saccharomyces cerevisiae shares many chromatin features with spermatogenesis, including a 10-fold compaction of the nucleus. To identify new proteins involved in spore nuclear organization, we purified chromatin from mature spores and discovered a significant enrichment of the linker histone (Hho1). The function of Hho1 has proven to be elusive during vegetative growth, but here we demonstrate its requirement for efficient sporulation and full compaction of the spore genome. Hho1 chromatin immunoprecipitation followed by sequencing (ChIP-seq) revealed increased genome-wide binding in mature spores and provides novel in vivo evidence of the linker histone binding to nucleosomal linker DNA. We also link Hho1 function to the transcription factor Ume6, the master repressor of early meiotic genes. Hho1 and Ume6 are depleted during meiosis, and analysis of published ChIP-chip data obtained during vegetative growth reveals a high binding correlation of both proteins at promoters of early meiotic genes. Moreover, Ume6 promotes binding of Hho1 to meiotic gene promoters. Thus, Hho1 may play a dual role during sporulation: Hho1 and Ume6 depletion facilitates the onset of meiosis via activation of Ume6-repressed early meiotic genes, whereas Hho1 enrichment in mature spores contributes to spore genome compaction.
Substrate and strain alter the muscle-derived mesenchymal stem cell secretome to promote myogenesis.

Introduction: Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) reside in a variety of tissues and provide a stromal role in regulating progenitor cell function. Current studies focus on identifying the specific factors in the niche that can alter the MSC secretome, ultimately determining the effectiveness and timing of tissue repair. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the extent to which substrate and mechanical strain simultaneously regulate MSC quantity, gene expression, and secretome. Methods: MSCs (Sca-1 + CD45 � ) isolated from murine skeletal muscle (muscle-derived MSCs, or mMSCs) via fluorescence-activated cell sorting were seeded onto laminin (LAM)- or collagen type 1 (COL)-coated membranes and exposed to a single bout of mechanical strain (10%, 1 Hz, 5 hours). Results: mMSC proliferation was not directly affected by substrate or strain; however, gene expression of growth and inflammatory factors and extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins was downregulated in mMSCs grown on COL in a manner independent of strain. Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) may be involved in substrate regulation of mMSC secretome as FAK phosphorylation was significantly elevated 24 hours post-strain in mMSCs plated on LAM but not COL (P <0.05). Conditioned media (CM) from mMSCs exposed to both LAM and strain increased myoblast quantity 5.6-fold 24 hours post-treatment compared with myoblasts treated with serum-free media (P <0.05). This response was delayed in myoblasts treated with CM from mMSCs grown on COL. Conclusions: Here, we demonstrate that exposure to COL, the primary ECM component associated with tissue fibrosis, downregulates genes associated with growth and inflammation in mMSCs and delays the ability for mMSCs to stimulate myoblast proliferation.
Stem Cell Repair of Infarcted Myocardium An Overview for Clinicians

Under appropriate cell culture conditions, stem cells are capable of differentiating into cardiac myocytes and endothelial cells (Table 1). If these results can be reproduced in vivo, it may be possible to use stem cells to impede progressive deterioration into heart failure or even to restore cardiac function in patients with acutely or chronically damaged myocardium. In this article, we will provide for the clinical cardiologist a brief overview of the conceptual basis for stem cell therapy and review the current laboratory evidence supporting its potential value. We will describe the clinical options in stem cell treatment of damaged myocardium and the potential limitations that need to be assessed in randomized clinical trials. View this table: TABLE 1. Glossary of Terms Used in This Article ### The Conceptual Basis of Stem Cell Therapy Stem cells share the following two defining characteristics: the capacity to differentiate into a spectrum of different cell types and the capacity to renew themselves.1 The biological principle that underlies stem cell therapy is tissue-directed differentiation. For example, adult stem cells isolated from liver tissue and reinjected into liver become hepatocytes, whereas the same cells injected into myocardium become myocytes.2 Stem cells have been engrafted into a broad spectrum of tissues, including regenerating bone, neural tissue, dystrophic skeletal muscle, and injured skeletal muscle.3 The classification of stem cells, based on a large number of cell markers, is still in evolution, and interested readers are referred to excellent reviews in the basic science literature.4,5 The primary distinction is between embryonic and adult stem cells. Most cardiovascular research has used adult stem cells derived from the bone marrow. Within the bone marrow, a simplified distinction is between CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells, which are precursors of blood and endothelial cells, and CD34− mesenchymal stem cells, which are precursors of stromal cells, including fibroblasts and osteocytes. …
Structural Basis for Corest-Dependent Demethylation of Nucleosomes by the Human Lsd1 Histone Demethylase

Histone methylation regulates diverse chromatin-templated processes, including transcription. Many transcriptional corepressor complexes contain lysine-specific demethylase 1 (LSD1) and CoREST that collaborate to demethylate mono- and dimethylated H3-K4 of nucleosomes. Here, we report the crystal structure of the LSD1-CoREST complex. LSD1-CoREST forms an elongated structure with a long stalk connecting the catalytic domain of LSD1 and the CoREST SANT2 domain. LSD1 recognizes a large segment of the H3 tail through a deep, negatively charged pocket at the active site and possibly a shallow groove on its surface. CoREST SANT2 interacts with DNA. Disruption of the SANT2-DNA interaction diminishes CoREST-dependent demethylation of nucleosomes by LSD1. The shape and dimension of LSD1-CoREST suggest its bivalent binding to nucleosomes, allowing efficient H3-K4 demethylation. This spatially separated, multivalent nucleosome binding mode may apply to other chromatin-modifying enzymes that generally contain multiple nucleosome binding modules.
The Cartel of Good Intentions: Bureaucracy versus markets in foreign aid

The tragedy of foreign aid is not that it didn’t work; it was never really tried. A group of wellmeaning national and international bureaucracies dispensed foreign aid under conditions in which bureaucracy does not work well. The hostile environment under which such aid agencies functioned induced them to organize a cartel that increased inefficiency and reduced effective supply of development services, frustrating the good intentions and dedication of development professionals. The cartel of good intentions allows rich country politicians to feel that they are doing all in their power to help the world’s poor, supports rich nations’ foreign policy goals, preserves a panoply of large national and international institutions, and provides resources to poor country politicians with which to buy political support. In short, foreign aid works for everyone except for those whom it was intended to help, with results such as the aid agencies’ calculation that it takes $3521 in aid to raise a poor person’s income by $3.65 a year. The environment that created aid bureaucracies led those organizations to (a) define their output as money disbursed rather than service delivered, (b) produce many low-return observable outputs like glossy reports and “frameworks” and few high-return less observable activities like ex-post evaluation, (c) engage in obfuscation, spin control, and amnesia (like always describing aid efforts as “new and improved”) so that there is little learning from the past, (d) put enormous demands on scarce administrative skills in poor countries. Now rich countries have used their past lack of effort at assuring effective aid as an excuse to keep aid at paltry levels. Instead, to change this unhappy equilibrium, policymakers in rich and poor countries should experiment with decentralized markets to match those who want to help the poor with the poor themselves freely expressing their needs and aspirations.
Yukawa scalar self-mass on a conformally flat background

We compute the one loop self-mass-squared of a massless, minimally coupled scalar which is Yukawa-coupled to a massless Dirac fermion in a general conformally flat background. Dimensional regularization is employed and a fully renormalized result is obtained. For the special case of a locally de Sitter background our result is manifestly de Sitter invariant. By solving the effective field equations we show that the scalar mode functions acquire no significant one loop corrections. In particular, the phenomenon of superadiabatic amplification is not affected. One consequence is that the scalar-catalyzed production of fermions during inflation should not be reduced by changes in the scalar sector before it has time to go to completion.
Optical Interactions and Photoluminescence Properties of Wide-Bandgap Nanocrystallites

The UV-photoluminescence (PL) properties of GaN and ZnO nanocrystallites and nanocrystallite ensembles were studied utilizing micro-photoluminescence. We address the origin of the light emissions of the nanocrystallite as to whether it is due a bandgap or excitonic recombination process. The other topic presented here focuses on the interaction of the laser with a collective of crystallites; we address the phenomena of intensity saturation at a high density of laser excitations as well as the impact of the vacuum state on the PL characteristics. Our analysis indicates that the PL of both GaN and ZnO nanocrysallites is excitonic-like and very similar to the behavior of the free exciton in bulk materials. Additionally, we attribute the intensity saturation of GaN and ZnO to the laser heating and heat trapping which takes place in the enclosure of the nanocrystallite ensemble. In vacuum the PL energy was found to exhibit a strong PL energy redshift relative to the PL in air. We attribute the observed shift to a thermal effect and analyze it in terms of the conditions enabling a convective cooling in the ensemble: the mean free path of air in atmospheric pressure and in vacuum relative to the interparticle separation inside the ensemble.
Distributed simulation using the virtual test bed and its real-time extension

Distributed simulation is desirable at many levels of system design. Modeling and simulation of large complex systems, remote monitoring and control, and nondestructive remote testing of devices are three examples of the many applications in which both distributed and realtime distributed simulation are advantageous. Distributed simulation reduces simulation complexity by allowing the partitioning of a large complex system into two or more smaller subsystems. In addition, distributed simulation permits computational resource sharing and enables teamwork. The Virtual Test Bed (VTB) and its real-time extension, VTB-RT, have been adapted to deal with distributed simulation in both non-real-time and real-time. Efforts at Mississippi State University and the University of South Carolina have made possible the addition of models for distributed simulation to the VTB model library to handle both natural and signal coupling at the decoupling point. The focus of these efforts has been on the algorithms used to enforce simulation stability and energy conservation in a distributed environment. Implementation issues related to the different communication architectures used in distributed simulation environments are only briefly discussed in this paper. The models for distributed simulation described in this paper are implemented using a simple remote procedure call communication scheme, which is sufficient to demonstrate the proposed algorithms. Several examples presented in this paper demonstrate the applicability and accuracy of the developed VTB models.
Ultra-High Resolution LYSO PQS-SSS Heptahedron Blocks for Low-Cost MuPET

We developed and built a solid detector ring for a new murine positron emission tomography (MuPET) system. We use cerium-doped lutetium yttrium orthosilicate (LYSO) crystals and regular round 19 mm photomultipliers (PMTs) arranged in a quadrant-sharing (PQS) configuration. The detector system comprised 180 PQS-SSS heptahedron-shaped blocks distributed in 6 subrings. Each block comprised a 13 × 13 crystal array with nominal dimensions of 19 × 19 × 10 mm3. To form a zero-gap solid ring, the rectangular blocks were ground into heptahedron-shaped blocks with a taper angle of 6° on the edge crystals and optical surfaces. The two edge crystals were 1.76 mm wide, and the inner crystals were 1.32 mm wide. We explored the possibility of increasing the detector's performance by implementing new design, materials, and production techniques; testing the detector's performance; and measuring the detector's timing resolution. List-mode data were acquired using a Ga-68 source, in-house high-yield pileup-event recovery electronics, and data-acquisition software. Four randomly selected blocks were used to evaluate the quality of the detector and our mass-production method. The four blocks' performances were quite similar. A typical block had a packing fraction of 95%, a peak-to-valley ratio of 2.4, a light collection efficiency of 78%, and an energy resolution of 14% at 511 keV, and all 169 of the block's crystal detectors were clearly decoded. Using a single crystal in coincidence with a block, the average coincidence timing resolution was found to be 430 ps (full width at half maximum). A block-to-block coincidence timing resolution of 530 ps is expected. Our PQS-SSS heptahedron block design indicates that it is feasible to construct a high resolution (~1.2 mm) MuPET detector ring using round 19 mm PMTs instead of the more expensive position-sensitive PMTs or solid-state detectors.
Method for purification of large cyanogen bromide peptides by carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography in 8 m urea: Application to the purification of cyanogen bromide peptides from staphylcoccal enterotoxin A, phosphoglycerate kinase, and glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase

Abstract A method for purification of large cyanogen bromide peptides from proteins by means of carboxymethyl cellulose chromatography in the presence of 8 m urea is described. Chromatography of a number of large cyanogen bromide peptides which could not be separated by gel filtration showed that the resolution of the system was sufficient to enable large cyanogen bromide peptides to be separated from one another. The use of this method to purify cyanogen bromide peptides of a protein as a first step is also discussed.
Online facility location

We consider the online variant of facility location, in which demand points arrive one at a time and we must maintain a set of facilities to service these points. We provide a randomized online O(1)-competitive algorithm in the case where points arrive in random order. If points are ordered adversarially, we show that no algorithm can be constant-competitive, and provide an O(log n)-competitive algorithm. Our algorithms are randomized and the analysis depends heavily on the concept of expected waiting time. We also combine our techniques with those of M. Charikar and S. Guha (1999) to provide a linear-time constant approximation for the offline facility location problem.
Oropharyngeal Shedding of Epstein-Barr Virus in the Absence of Circulating B Cells

Infection with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) results in lifelong infection of B cells in the peripheral blood and in episodic shedding of virus from the oropharynx. We monitored patients treated with rituximab (anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody) and found that several had both no detectable B cells and no EBV in the blood but shed EBV from the throat. Although some models postulate that EBV traffics from the B cells in the blood to the throat, where it is subsequently shed, our findings indicate that circulating EBV in B cells is not necessary for the virus to persist in, and to be shed from, the oropharynx.
An Open-Field Efficacy Trial Using AquaDuet™ via an Ultra-Low Volume Cold Aerosol Sprayer Against Caged Aedes albopictus1

Abstract We conducted an open-field ultra-low volume efficacy bioassay using a water-based formulation AquaDuet™ (prallethrin [1%], sumithrin [5%], and piperonly butoxide [5%]) applied from a truck-mounted cold aerosol sprayer. The adulticide was applied at 90.6 ml/ha (1.23 oz/acre) and 3 replicated treatments were performed using caged Aedes albopictus collected from local wild populations. Rotating impingers and mosquito cages were placed in 3 rows stationed at 30.5 m (100 ft), 61.0 (200 ft), and 91.4 (300 ft) downwind of the spray vehicle. Initial knockdown was 95.6%, with overall mortality >99% across all distances, despite low wind conditions. Volume median diameter (Dv0.5) and droplet density were 17.4 µm and 110.5 mm2, respectively. Our open-field studies against caged Ae. albopictus demonstrate that a water-based adulticide formulation is just as efficacious as traditional oil-based formulations.
Inter-examiner Reliability in Caries Trials:

A statistical model is given for representing the several components of variability present in measurements (e.g., DMFS scores) given by examiners to patients. Methods for making inferences about the intraclass correlation coefficient of reliability are presented and illustrated on a real set of data. The proper analysis of data from a reliability study is shown to depend on the planned design and analysis of the clinical or field trial to be conducted following the reliability trial.
Male Reproductive Function and the Composition of Semen: General Considerations

The modern era of the physiology of reproduction in the male is commonly, and rightly so, accepted as having been ushered in by Leeuwenhoek’s sensational letter to the Royal Society, dated November 1677, reporting the first-ever demonstration in semen of motile spermatozoa. From another of his famous communications, cited above and submitted 8 years later, it is evident that Leeuwenhoek intuitively associated the existence of spermatozoa with male fertilizing ability, by recognizing that even though a man may be keenly interested in the opposite sex, this alone is not enough to guarantee the birth of offspring. He anticipated, moreover, yet another basic concept of male reproductive biology, by proclaiming that for the act of procreation to be fulfilled, the spermatozoa, as well as being motile, must also be sufficiently energetic to survive in the female tract for a certain period, presumably to attain their full potential. The precise duration of that critical timespan he was, of course, unable to back up with experimental evidence.
Guiding automatic segmentation with multiple manual segmentations

Most image segmentation algorithms are designed to estimate a single segmentation for each image, where the gold standard segmentation is often labeled by a human expert. However, it is common that multiple manual segmentations are available for some images, e.g. independently labeled by different experts. For efficient usages of manual segmentations, we propose to simultaneously produce automatic estimations for each expert. The key advantage of this proposal is that it allows to incorporate the correlations between different experts to improve the accuracy of automatic segmentation. In a brain image segmentation problem, where for each image six manual segmentations are available, we show that jointly estimating several manual segmentations produces significant improvement over independently estimating each of them.
Titrating the dose of bromocriptine when treating hyperprolactinemic infertile women

We have shown that a smaller dose of bromocriptine is effective in lowering the PRL level to the normal range in some hyperprolactinemic women. Based on these findings, we recommend that when treating hyperprolactinemic women who desire conception, the dose of bromocriptine should be titrated according to the response of circulating PRL levels. This will minimize the dose, reduce cost, probably reduce side effects, and possibly avoid undesirable functional effects such as corpus luteum dysfunction.
Synchronized Estrus and Subsequent Conception in Dairy Heifers Treated with Prostaglandin Fα. I. Influence of Stage of Cycle at Treatment

When prostaglandin F2 alpha (PGF2 alpha) was injected (im) at three different stages of the cycle, estrus was synchronized within an 80-h period in a progressively, but nonsignificantly, higher percentage of heifers with each advancing stage: 86.0% at d 7, 90.0% at d 11 and 98.0% at d 15. Estrus was exhibited within a 48-h period for heifers treated on d 7, but extended over a 72-h period for heifers treated on either d 11 or 15. Stage of cycle when PGF2 alpha was injected not only influenced the degree of estrous synchrony, but also influenced (P less than .001) the time of estrous onsets. Within the 24-h interval from 32 to 56 h postinjection, the percentage of heifers exhibiting estrus from treatment on d 7, 11 or 15 varied widely: 88.4, 13.3 and 73.5, respectively. Induction of estrus was complete, or nearly so, by 72 h postinjection for heifers treated during the early (d 7 = 100.0%) or late (d 15 = 95.5%) stage of the cycle, but reached only midpoint for midcycle injections (d 11 = 48.9%), with the remaining one-half (51.1%) occurring 72 to 104 h later. Pregnancies arising from the first through the fifth services among the 150 PGF2 alpha-treated heifers were as follows: 76.0, 10.0, 6.7, 4.0 and .7%, plus failure of pregnancy in 2.7%. These percentages were not different (P greater than .50) from those among the 50 control heifers.
Geology and biology of the “Sticky Grounds”, shelf-margin carbonate mounds, and mesophotic ecosystem in the eastern Gulf of Mexico

Abstract Shelf-margin carbonate mounds in water depths of 116–135 m in the eastern Gulf of Mexico along the central west Florida shelf were investigated using swath bathymetry, side-scan sonar, sub-bottom imaging, rock dredging, and submersible dives. These enigmatic structures, known to fisherman as the “Sticky Grounds”, trend along slope, are 5–15 m in relief with base diameters of 5–30 m, and suggest widespread potential for mesophotic reef habitat along the west Florida outer continental shelf. Possible origins are sea-level lowstand coral patch reefs, oyster reefs, or perhaps more recent post-lowstand biohermal development. Rock dredging recovered bioeroded carbonate-rock facies comprised of bored and cemented bioclastics. Rock sample components included calcified worm tubes, pelagic sediment, and oysters normally restricted to brackish nearshore areas. Several reef sites were surveyed at the Sticky Grounds during a cruise in August 2010 with the R/V Seward Johnson using the Johnson-Sea-Link II submersible to ground truth the swath-sonar maps and to quantify and characterize the benthic habitats, benthic macrofauna, fish populations, and coral/sponge cover. This study characterizes for the first time this mesophotic reef ecosystem and associated fish populations, and analyzes the interrelationships of the fish assemblages, benthic habitats and invertebrate biota. These highly eroded rock mounds provide extensive hard-bottom habitat for reef invertebrate species as well as essential fish habitat for reef fish and commercially/recreationally important fish species. The extent and significance of associated living resources with these bottom types is particularly important in light of the 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the northeastern Gulf and the proximity of the Loop Current. Mapping the distribution of these mesophotic-depth ecosystems is important for quantifying essential fish habitat and describing benthic resources. These activities can improve ecosystem management and planning of future oil and gas activities in this outer continental shelf region.
Integrating Current Thinking on Peripheral B-Cell Tolerance in Lupus

While there is some knowledge about the mechanisms that might contribute to an increase in both circulating chromatin as a source of antigen and chromatin containing immune complexes in lupus subjects, less is understood regarding how B-cell tolerance is broken in this disease. The role of inherited genetic variants and accumulating chromatin immune complexes in enhancing type I interferon levels in patients is well appreciated. It has been postulated that the increased levels of type I interferons may in turn contribute to a break in B-cell tolerance, but the exact mechanism by which this occurs remains somewhat unclear.
Utilization of Care Outside the Veterans Affairs Health Care System by US Veterans With Rheumatoid Arthritis.

OBJECTIVE Many veterans enrolled in Veterans Affairs (VA) health care systems also receive care through other health care systems. Both VA and non-VA health care use must therefore be considered when conducting research in this population. This study characterized dual-care utilization in veterans with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and explored associations with RA disease activity. METHODS Through a questionnaire mailed to RA patients at 3 VA sites, veterans reported medical services by non-VA primary care and subspecialty providers, comorbidities, non-VA medications, and hospitalizations. Disease Activity Score in 28 joints (DAS28) and Multidimensional Health Assessment Questionnaire (MD-HAQ) scores were recorded during VA clinic visits, and respondent groups were compared. RESULTS Of the 510 participants surveyed, 318 (62%) responded. Respondents were older (ages 69 versus 66 years; P = 0.006), more likely nonsmokers (80% versus 67%; P = 0.001), and had lower disease activity (DAS28 3.3 versus 3.8; P < 0.001, MD-HAQ 0.8 versus 0.9; P = 0.01) than nonrespondents (n = 192 [38%]). The respondents with a non-VA provider (n = 130 [41%]) were older (71 versus 68 years; P = 0.001) and had more education (14 versus 13 years; P = 0.021) than nondual-care users. Only 6% of respondents reported having a non-VA rheumatologist, with 2% receiving a non-VA prescribed biologic agent or disease-modifying antirheumatic drug. CONCLUSION In this study, VA beneficiaries with RA had lower dual-care utilization than previously reported for the general VA population, with few patients receiving dual rheumatology care or non-VA RA medications. This survey suggests that most US veterans with RA who access VA care use the VA as their primary source of arthritis care.
Growth and characterization of zinc oxide thin films on flexible substrates at low temperature using pulsed laser deposition

Abstract The emerging technological demand of light weight, transparent and flexible electronic devices has raised the exploration of new semiconductor materials beyond silicon. ZnO has the potential to be integrated into flexible electronics matrix due to its excellent electrical and optical properties. Here, we have fabricated ZnO thin films on flexible polymer substrates, polyimide (Kapton) and polyethylene naphthalate (PEN), at room temperature and at 100 °C using PLD. These films grew along (002) axis of the hexagonal wurtzite lattice and show n-type semiconducting nature. Crystallinity of films on Kapton is better than that on PEN. Films grown at 100 °C show improved optical transmittance and lower thermal activation energy. Film deposited on Kapton at 100 °C shows highest Hall mobility and lowest resistivity values. UV photoconductivity measurements show good opto-electronic properties for these films. Films on Kapton show higher photocurrent value and faster response and decay time (∼1 s). Seebeck coefficient measurement shows higher thermopower values of 82 μV/K for films on PEN. These characteristics make the low temperature pulse laser deposited ZnO films on Kapton and PEN attracting for electronic devices with various opto- and thermo-electrical applications.
Law and Practice in the Age of Reform: The Legatine Work of Hugh of Die (1073–1106). By Kriston R. Rennie. Medieval Church Studies 17. Turnhout: Brepols, 2010. xiv + 250 pp. $87.00 cloth.

(ProQuest: ... denotes non-US-ASCII text omitted.)Hugh of Die was bishop of Die (1073-1081) and later archbishop of Lyon (1081-1106). Pope Gregory VII demonstrated his appreciation for Hugh's reforming vigor and enthusiasm by appointing him as his legate (1074-1085). Pope Victor III (Desiderius of Montecassino) took his legatine commission away, but Pope Urban II reinstated him to a geographically smaller commission in 1094. During the pontificate of Gregory VII he participated in almost all the important church councils and deposed many simoniacal prelates. He made a pilgrimage to Santiago del Compostello in 1095 and to Jerusalem in 1103. In other words, his life was filled with politics, power, ambition, and the burning conviction of a reformer.There are two main sources for Hugh's life: Gregory VII's papal registers and Hugh of Flavigny's chronicle. There are a few other sources such as Hugh's letter to the Countess Matilda explaining his opposition to the election of Pope Victor III. For the most part we see Hugh through the eyes of others. As his subtitle indicates Kriston Rennie has concentrated his efforts on Hugh's work as a legate. He argues that Gregory's Lenten synod of 1074 in which Gregory appointed Hugh legate was an important moment for Hugh where he embraced Gregory's program for reform. If so, he became more Gregorian than Gregory. In January of 1075 Gregory admonished Hugh that he would rather censure him for mercy than chastise him for being too severe. Someone had appealed to Gregory on behalf of ignorant and unlearned clerics (rudes et indocti ) whom Hugh had treated badly. Gregory's concerns and Hugh's behavior became a leitmotif of their relationship. In March 1078 Gregory wrote to Hugh again about how his legate had handled six court cases in which Hugh had rigorously followed the black letter of the law but had failed to exercise the proper moderation of discretion (temperantia discretionis). Hugh had suspended, interdicted, and condemned the bishops of Reims, Sens, Chartres, Bourges, and Tours, mainly on the grounds that all had failed to obey his summons. One wonders from which ineffable delusions of grandeur Hugh suffered. The case of Ralph, archbishop of Tours, is especially interesting. Hugh had rendered an unspecified judgment against Ralph, but Gregory pointed out that he did so without any plaintiffs' making a complaint. Presumably Hugh acted on the basis of fame or rumor. However, according to the norms of procedure--which Hugh seemed unaware--no one can be condemned without an accuser. This was a fundamental norm in the administration of ecclesiastical justice until the second half of the twelfth century when inquisitorial procedure began to enter episcopal courtrooms. …
Framework for Mitigating Human Bias in Selection of Explanatory Variables for Bridge Deterioration Modeling

AbstractThis paper presents a procedure to select explanatory variables, without the influence of human bias, for deterioration model development using publicly available data for bridges in Wyomin...
A IMPORTÂNCIA DAS CIÊNCIAS HUMANAS, LETRAS E ARTES NA SOCIEDADE TECNOLÓGICA CONTEMPORÂNEA

O presente texto apresenta a versao revisada da Conferencia proferida por ocasiao da Aula Magna do ICHLA/FEEVALE em abril de 2017. O texto trata de explorar a problematica da importância das humanidades, letras e artes para a cultura atual, notadamente marcada pela presenca macica das tecnologias e suas consequencias psicossociais. Ao modo de um ensaio teorico, divide-se em duas partes: a) o lugar das Ciencias Humanas na atualidade e; b) desafios politico-cognitivos do presente. Desenvolve a tese segundo a qual a funcao social das humanidades, letras e artes na atualidade depende da afirmacao de novas condicoes internas da propria ciencia, quais sejam: capacidade de relativismo esclarecido e dialogo transdisciplinar. Alem disso, sustenta a necessidade de colocar em acao atitudes politico-cognitivas bastante escassas entre nos em tempos de tamanha aceleracao e competitividade: reanimar o futuro, exercer memorias e amar o presente, com toda a concentracao e o cuidado que ele merece. Palavras-chave: Ciencias humanas. Letras. Artes. Cultura. Contemporaneidade. ABSTRACT This text presents the revised version of the lecture given at the ICHLA/FEEVALE Aula Magna in April 2017. The text tries to explore the problematic of the importance of the humanities, letters and arts to the current culture, especially marked by the massive presence of technologies and their psychosocial consequences. In the manner of a theoretical essay, it is divided into two parts: a) the place of the Human Sciences in the present and; b) political-cognitive challenges of the present. It develops the thesis according to which the social function of the humanities, letters and arts in the present time depends on the affirmation of new internal conditions of the science itself, which are: capacity of enlightened relativism and transdisciplinary dialogue. In addition, it supports the need to put into action rather scarce political-cognitive attitudes among us in times of such acceleration and competitiveness: to reanimate the future, to exercise memories and to love the present, with all the concentration and care that it deserves. Keywords: Human sciences. Letters. Arts. Culture. Contemporaneity.