cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preparing for Performance Analysis at Exascale

Performance tools for forthcoming heterogeneous exascale platforms must address two principal challenges when analyzing execution measurements. First, measurement of extreme-scale executions generates large volumes of performance data. Second, performance metrics for heterogeneous applications are significantly sparse across code regions. To address these challenges, we developed a novel "streaming aggregation" approach to post-mortem analysis that employs both shared and distributed memory parallelism to aggregate sparse performance measurements from every rank, thread and GPU stream of a large-scale application execution. Analysis results are stored in a pair of sparse formats designed for efficient access to related data elements, supporting responsive interactive presentation and scalable data analytics. Empirical analysis shows that our implementation of this approach in HPCToolkit effectively processes measurement data from thousands of threads using a fraction of the compute resources employed by the application itself. Our approach is able to perform analysis up to 9.4 times faster and store analysis results 23 times smaller than HPCToolkit, providing a key building block for scalable exascale performance tools.
Effect of agronomic practices on sudden death syndrome of soybean in Iowa

Sudden death syndrome (SDS) caused by the pathogen Fusarium virguliforme is a disease in Iowa causing significant yield reductions in soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]. Research in the southern United States has demonstrated that early-planted soybean exhibits more severe SDS symptoms than late-planted soybean. The objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of planting date on SDS foliar symptom incidence, severity and yield in Iowa. In 2008 and 2009, a SDS-susceptible and SDS-resistant cultivar were planted at two Iowa locations at three different planting dates in plots inoculated with and without the pathogen. Beginning at first demonstration of foliar symptoms, plots were visually assessed every ten days for disease incidence and severity. Weather conditions varied across years, resulting in inconsistent and low disease levels. Planting date had an effect on SDS disease expression with early-planted soybean demonstrating higher occurrence of SDS than lateplanted soybean. Despite higher levels of disease with early-planted soybean, yield was not less than late-planted soybean. The SDS-susceptible cultivar yielded higher than the SDSresistant cultivar in both years, despite higher levels of disease, particularly in 2009. Although disease expression was greater in early-planted versus late-planted soybean it is
Evaluation of selected pharmaceuticals as potential herbicides: bridging the gap between agrochemicals and pharmaceuticals

Much has been written in the field of agrochemicals about the application of phenoxy compounds as herbicidal agents. The illustrious history of these agents includes their accelerated development by the Allies for use during World War II. Among the most famous of these agents are 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and its congener, 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4,5-T). Because of their high specific activities, these compounds became templates for the production of a number of plant growth regulators such as Fruitone and Tomato Bloom. Interestingly, the pharmaceutical industry was developing a group of phenoxy derivatives which proved to be useful in the treatment of type III hyperlipoprotenemia, a condition where triglycerides and total cholesterol levels are elevated. The most recognized agent in this pharmaceutical class is clofibrate which inhibits sn-glyceryl-3 phosphate acyltransferase, the enzyme responsible for the conversion of acetate to mevalonate. Furthermore, its mechanism of action also includes inhibition of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-CoA (HMGCoA) reductase. In addition, the aftermath of World War II served as a catalyst in the development of the benzodiazepines, a well recognized pharmaceutical class possessing sedative/hypnotic and tranquilizing properties. It is of interest to note that these agents are actually allelopathic natural products whose chemical structures were ignored until the development of Valium as a pharmaceutical agent. Had these natural product chemical templates not been relegated to library book shelves, they may have served a useful purpose in their development as medicinals. Recently, some benzodiazepines have been shown to possess agrochemical properties including inhibition against Phytophthora infestans, late blight of potato. The separate, but distinct, agrochemical and pharmaceutical development of various classes of agents will be discussed.
Enzymic and immunochemical properties of lysozyme. IX. Conformation and immunochemistry of derivatives succinylated at certain lysine residues.

Abstract Succinylation of lysozyme in the presence of 7 molar excess of [1,4-14C2]-succinic anhydride gave a reaction product which showed at least six components by disc electrophoresis. Chromatography on CM-cellulose enabled the isolation of six homogeneous derivatives. The derivatives were succinylated at the following locations: derivative I, lysines-1 (α- and e-NH2), -13, -97 and -116 and the OH group at position 43 (or 36 or 40); derivative II, lysines-1 (α- and e-NH2), -13, -96, -116; derivative III, lysines-1 (α- and e-NH2), -13, -97 and -116; derivative IV, lysines-1 (α-NH2), -33, -96 and -116; derivative V, lysines-1 (α-NH2), -33 and -96; derivative VI, lysines-33 and -116. Conformational changes were detectable in derivative I by ORD and CD measurements and by accessibility of the disulfide bonds to reduction. On the other hand, the other five succinyl derivatives showed no conformational changes by ORD and CD measurements. However, their disulfide bonds were slightly more accessible to reduction than lysozyme, with the increase being somewhat higher in derivatives I, II and III. Enzymic activity measurements showed that only derivative VI possessed some (10%) enzymic activity. Immunochemical studies with antisera to lysozyme showed that the reactivity of each of the derivatives was lower than the homologous reaction. Correlation of the extent of decrease in immunochemical reaction with the locations of modification and with the results of conformational analysis, led to the conclusion that lysines 33, 96 and 116 are part of antigenic reactive regions in lysozyme. The modification results are also discussed in relation to the three-dimensional structure of lysozyme in solution.
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis: Paradigm or Paradox for Autoimmunity

Primary biliary cirrhosis has been classified as a model autoimmune disease based on striking defects in immune regulation and the presence of autoantibodies to mitochondria. Until recently the significance and definition of mitochondrial autoreactivity was unknown. Since 1987, there has been a vast improvement in the understanding and definition of the biochemical and molecular target autoantigens. The cloning of complementary DNAs for mitochondrial antigens has led to the identification of three enzymes of the 2-oxo-acid dehydrogenase family as the targets of the autoantibodies to mitochondria in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. The major reactive autoantigen is the E2 subunit of pyruvate dehydrogenase. Immunodominant sites on pyruvate dehydrogenase E2 (autoepitopes) have been mapped and have been shown to be the site of attachment of the functionally important lipoic acid prosthetic group. The autoepitope for the other enzymes probably occupies an equivalent site on the enzyme. The availability and definition of these mitochondrial autoepitopes have allowed specific questions to be addressed relating to the processing and targeting of these autoantigens as well as further studies on mechanisms of immunopathology. Similarly, the availability of well-defined autoantigens could contribute to the development of valid animal models in addition to the already described reproduction of the biliary ductular lesions by transfer of peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with primary biliary cirrhosis into severe combined immunodeficient mice. Such models will facilitate specific study of the role of major histocompatibility complex expression and the characterization of T-cell reactivity. Thus, primary biliary cirrhosis is a key example of significant progress in autoimmunity being made by use of recombinant DNA technology.
Worst pattern analysis for Markov reliability models

This paper proposes a new approach to computing the reliability of a system. Worst pattern analysis finds the component misbehavior pattern that produces the greatest system unreliability. The motivation is that it is difficult and expensive to obtain information about the behavior of faulty components. It is also difficult and expensive to obtain information about a system's response to faulty components. For these reasons, this approach is based on minimum information about faulty components, and minimum requirements for system response. There are two minimum requirements. First, quantitative reliability requires that the failure rate of the components be known. Second, long term reliability requires that the system recognize when a redundant unit is misbehaving. In the worst pattern approach all other information is replaced by a computational effort. The procedure is illustrated by an example.
Utility of glypican-3 in differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma from other primary and metastatic lesions in FNA of the liver: an immunocytochemical study

We evaluated the immunocytochemical expression of GPC3 in archival material obtained from fine needle aspiration of hepatic lesions to assess the sensitivity and specificity of this marker in cytological material and its potential diagnostic utility in differentiating hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) from other primary benign or malignant hepatic tumors and from metastatic lesions in the liver. Forty-nine FNAs of the liver obtained between January 2000 and June 2006 were identified from our cytology files. Cytological diagnoses (confirmed by tissue diagnosis and/or clinical follow-up) included: 7 adenomas, 1 focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), 24 HCCs, and 17 metastatic tumors. On the basis of the histological, clinical and/or radiological follow-up, 20 of 24 (83.3%) FNAs confirmed positive for HCC-expressed GPC3. All the seven adenomas and the only FNH were negative for GPC3. Sixteen out of seventeen metastatic malignancies were negative for GPC3. The only case expressing GPC3 was an anaplastic carcinoma with neuroendocrine features of unknown origin. In this study, the sensitivity of GPC3 in the diagnosis of HCC in the cytological material was 83.3%, the specificity 96%, the positive predictive value (PPV) 95% and negative predictive value (NPV) was 85.7%. Immunocytochemical staining for GPC3 in alcohol-fixed FNA material is a highly sensitive and specific method capable of distinguishing HCC from other benign and malignant hepatic lesions and from the great majority of metastatic lesions.
Simple models for solvation effects on electronic transition energies: Formaldehyde and water

Department of Chemistry, Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey, New Brunswick, NJ 08903, USAReceived 10 November1988We have calculated the vertical So-÷S~ transition energy for formaldehyde in vacuo and formaldehyde complexed by one or twowater molecules using a combination of molecular orbital (ab initio) and molecular mechanics (SPC model) type methods.Excellent agreement between the computed ( 33750 cm-~ ) and observed ( 34000 cm- ~ ) transition energy is obtained for formal-dehyde with augmented split-valence plus polarization basis sets and configuration interaction including single and double exci-tations. The increase in the transition energy measured in water relative to the gas phase (blue-shift) is reproduced using a fewwater molecules (ab initio or SPC) to solvate the formaldehyde in idealized cluster configurations. The role of solvent hydrogenbonding in the observed blue-shift and the need for simulating bulk water properties are discussed.
Dislocation studies in 3-inch diameter liquid encapsulated Czochralski GaAs

Abstract We have characterized the density and distribution of dislocations in 3-inch diameter, undoped GaAs crystals grown by the liquid encapsulated Czochralski technique. The radial distribution across wafers follows a “W”-shaped profile indicating excessive thermal gradient-induced stress as the primary cause of dislocations. The density along the body of each crystal increases continuously from front to tail. In contrast, the longitudinal distribution in the cone region is inverted, first increasing, and then decreasing as the crystal expands from the neck to full diameter. Growth parameters favoring reduced dislocation densities include good diameter control, the use of thick B 2 O 3 encapsulating layers, slightly As-rich melts, and low ambient pressures. The dislocation density in the body of the crystal is practically independent of cone angle Θ for 20° Θ Θ 5000 cm -2 ) are used. Dislocation densities below 1X10 4 cm -2 can be achieved routinely in the large annulus region at the front of a crystal through proper control of these parameters. The lowest measured dislocation density was 6000 cm -2 . Further, we show that convective heat transfer from the crystal to the high pressure ambient plays a dominant role in controlling the dislocation density.
The requirement of varicella zoster virus glycoprotein E (gE) for viral replication and effects of glycoprotein I on gE in melanoma cells.

The glycoprotein E (gE) of varicella zoster virus (VZV), encoded by ORF68, is the most abundant viral glycoprotein. In the current experiments, we demonstrated that ORF68 deletion was incompatible with recovery of infectious virus from VZV cosmids. Replacing ORF68 at a nonnative AvrII site in the genome restored infectivity. Further, we found that VZV gE could be expressed under the control of the Tet-On promoter in stably transfected melanoma cell lines (Met-gE cells) without evidence of toxicity. In these Met-gE cells, gE colocalized with gamma-adaptin, a trans Golgi network marker, in perinuclear sites, but did not reach plasma membranes. In order to investigate how infection altered gE localization, we made a recombinant virus, vOka-MSPgE, with ORF68 from the VZV MSP strain. VZV MSP encodes a mutant gE protein (D150N) that lacks the mAb epitope, 3B3 (Santos et al., Virology 275, 306-317, 2000), whereas Met-gE protein binds mAb 3B3. Within 48 h after Met-gE cells were infected with vOka-MSPgE, the steady-state distribution of Met-gE protein extended beyond the perinuclear areas to other cytoplasmic sites and to plasma membranes. A second recombinant, vOka-MSPgE without gI (vOka-MSPgEdeltagI), was constructed to investigate Met-gE protein distribution in the absence of gI. The redistribution of Met-gE protein which was observed by 48 h after vOka-MSPgE infection did not occur until 5 days (140 h) within vOka-MSPgEdeltagI infected cells. After vOka-MSPgE infection of Met-gE cells, most Met-gE protein was in the final 94K mature form by 72 h. However, progression to predominance of mature gE was delayed in Met-gE cells infected with vOka-MSPgEdeltagI. These observations confirm our hypothesis that VZV gE is essential, based upon the demonstration of restored infectivity after replacing ORF68 in a nonnative site in the genome, and provide further evidence of the role of gI in facilitating the maturation and intracellular distribution of this critical VZV glycoprotein.
Dual-Team Model for International Service Learning in Engineering: Remote Solar Water Pumping in Guatemala

Provision of clean water can improve the lives of many people around the world. In addition, engineering skills are required to conceive, design, and construct water systems. Therefore, an international engineering service-learning project using solar-powered water pumping for the Santa Maria de Guadalupe Orphanage in Guatemala was performed. Project tasks were distributed between two student teams, a design team and an implementation team. By relying on a dual-team model, work was distributed among more participants and enabled students who could not travel to participate. Project objectives were to broaden social, cultural, and international experience of engineering students while serving others as well as to reinforce learning objectives specified by ABET Inc. (formally known as Accreditation Board for Engineering and Technology). Students engaged in readings, discussions, and journaling that helped them gain a better understanding of cultural, economic, and historical realities in rural Guatemala. In...
From presentation to representation in E. B. Wilson's The Cell

Diagrams make it possible to present scientific facts in more abstract and generalized form. While some detail is lost, simplified and accessible knowledge is gained. E. B. Wilson's work in cytology provides a case study of changing uses of diagrams and accompanying abstraction. In his early work, Wilson presented his data in photographs, which he saw as coming closest to “fact.” As he gained confidence in his interpretations, and as he sought to provide a generalized textbook account of cell development, he relied on increasingly abstract diagrams. In addition, he came to see that highly abstract and even schematic drawings could provide more than pictures directly from life.
The effects of acetic acid and pepsin on the crosslinkages and ultrastructure of corneal collagen

Abstract Corneal collagen is shown to contain several of the well known lysine-derived crosslinks. NaBH4 reduction of acid-soluble corneal collagen revealed the reduced aldol-condensation product of two residues of allysine and an unknown component referred to as the pre-hydroxylysine component. The reconstituted fibrils contain hydroxylysinonorleucine and histidinohydroxymerodesmosine. Pepsin treatment of insoluble corneal tissue at 4 °C in 0.5 M acetic acid results in 60–70% solubilization of collagen; however, data obtained suggest the solubilized collagen has been altered in the non-helical terminal regions. Abnormal ribbon-like segment long spacing monomers are formed rather than normal segment long spacing fibrils and chemical reduction reveals complete loss of the pre-hydroxylysine component and hydroxylysinonorleucine. Significant losses of aldol-condensation product and histidinohydroxymerodesmosine occur with increasing duration of pepsin treatment. As demonstrated by electron microscopy the insoluble corneal collagen remaining after acetic acid extraction has no fibrous structure. In addition lysine-derived crosslinks are not detected by NaBH4 reduction. After dialysis of the insoluble residue against 0.15 M NaCl (pH 7.5) normal collagen fibers together with intermolecular crosslinks appear.
On Ideal Stability of Cylindrical Localized Interchange Modes

Stability of cylindrical localized ideal pressure-driven interchange plasma modes is revisited. Converting the underlying eigenvalue problem into the form of the Schroedinger equation gives a new simple way of deriving the Suydam stability criterion and calculating the growth rates of unstable modes. Near the marginal stability limit the growth rate is exponentially small and the mode has a double-peak structure.
Comparison of Inviscid Flow Methods for Lift and Drag Calculations Over Thin-Sail Geometries

Solutions obtained from lifting-line, vortex-lattice, and the Euler equations are presented for a series of rigid, thin wing and sail geometries. Initial calculations were performed for an untwisted, rectangular wing. For this case, lifting line theory, vortex lattice, and Euler solutions were all in reasonable agreement. However, the lifting-line theory was the only method to predict a constant ratio of induced drag coefficient to lift coefficient squared. Similar results were found for a forward-swept, tapered wing. Additional results are presented in terms of lift and drag coefficients for an isolated mainsail, and mainsail/jib combinations with sails representative of both a standard and tall rig Catalina 27. Although experimental data is lacking, overall conclusions are that the accuracy realized from lifting-line solutions is as good as or better than that obtained from vortex-lattice solutions and inviscid CFD solutions, but at a fraction of the computational cost. The linear lifting-line results compared quite well with the nonlinear lifting-line results, with the exception of the downstream mainsail when considering jib/mainsail combinations.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Frequency Reliability-Based Robust Design of the Random Dynamic Structural Systems

The frequency reliability.method of avoiding resonance is proposed by the mechanical dynamics, stochastic finite element method, the reliability theory in the paper. Furthermore, the frequency reliability sensitivity method is presented based on the frequency reliability research, and the frequency reliability-based robust method is obtained by the robust and the optimization technology on the basis of frequency reliability and sensitivity design, which help designers to establish acceptable parameter values and to determine the fluctuations of the parameters for the safe operations. Moreover a numerical example is provided, the frequency reliability robust numerical results are obtained, which are in agreement with practice and demonstrate the effectiveness and accuracy of the proposed method.
High Content of Hyaluronic Acid in Normal Human Heart Valves

DURING the course of investigations of the effect of age on acid mucopolysaccharide content of the human heart valves, we found hyaluronic acid to be a major component. In all it represented about 60 per cent of the acid mucopolysaccharide present in the tissue. This observation is in striking contrast with reports from other laboratories1,2 which have shown hyaluronic acid to be a minor component of both bovine and pig heart valves. This communication reports the distribution of the acid mucopolysaccharide fractions of the normal human heart valves.
Comparison of Wound Management Methods After Removal of Maxillofacial Osseous Lesions

Purpose To evaluate outcomes associated with choice of wound management, ie, primary closure or healing by secondary intention, of osseous defects after excision of maxillofacial bone lesions as a guide to clinical practice. Patients and Methods Using a retrospective cohort study design, we enrolled a sample composed of subjects treated for jaw lesions between 1995 and 2003. The primary predictor variable was the wound management choice of the residual jaw defect, classified as primary closure or healing by secondary intention. The primary outcome variable was postoperative inflammatory complications. Other study variables were grouped as demographic, medical/dental history, lesion information, preoperative complications, operative treatment, and follow-up information. Appropriate uni-, bi-, and multivariate statistics were computed. Results The sample was composed of 93 subjects with 126 jaw lesions, of which 90 (71.4%) were managed by primary closure. In the bivariate analyses, tobacco use was statistically associated (P Conclusions Our results suggest that the choice of managing the osseous wound, ie, primary closure versus secondary intention, was not associated with increased risk of postoperative inflammatory complications. The implications of these findings are discussed below.
An effective multi-loop control system to improve control performance of CO 2 capture

A multi-loop feedback control system is proposed to operate CO2 capture with amine solvent efficiently over wide ranges of power plant operation. This work examines potential plant-wide control structures in operating CO2 capture in a process flow sheet of a fully integrated dynamic model. This study illustrated that controlling the reboiler temperature and solvent circulation rate is an effective strategy in set point tracking and disturbance rejection in response to possible dynamic scenarios. Power plant load reduction and reboiler steam load reduction are the scenarios simulated for control configuration validation.
Juveniles Evaluated Incompetence to Proceed: Characteristics and Quality of Mental Health Professionals’ Evaluations

The authors studied quality of evaluations of juveniles whose competence to proceed was at issue before the court and characteristics of mental health professionals completing these reports. Many evaluators failed to address important legal issues and offered incomplete descriptions of the youths, their capacities, and the evaluation techniques used. Evaluators commented on legal competency factors in most reports, as required by law, but often failed to identify the cause of the noted incapacity or whether children met commitment criteria (also required by law). Although core competence-related abilities identified in Florida law were addressed in the majority of evaluations, assessments were less than optimal in other psycholegal and clinical domains. Seven recommendations are offered for conducting juvenile competency evaluations that are professionally sound and meet legal requirements.
The daily deals marketplace: empirical observations and managerial implications

The emergence of the daily deals online marketplace has been an e-commerce phenomenon that has engendered remarkable stories of rapid growth, exemplified by firms such as Groupon and Living Social. At the same time, critics have accumulated considerable evidence, largely anecdotal in nature, of incipient failure of this marketplace. Our recent empirical work has attempted to reconcile these divergent viewpoints through quantitative evaluation, in an effort to understand the sustainability and long-term outlook of the daily deals business model. Our methods draw from a rich tradition in marketing and econometrics to study the interplay between promotional offers, word-of-mouth engagement, and consumer satisfaction. Leveraging datasets we collected encompassing tens of thousands of daily deals offers and millions of Yelp reviews, we have quantified the significant extent to which daily deals users express dissatisfaction with today's offers, and elaborated the root causes underlying this behavior. We discuss the broader implications of our methodology and the managerial implications that follow from our root cause analysis, both for daily deals merchants and daily deals services, that could lead to a viable marketplace and improved consumer satisfaction.
Phase diagrams of sparsely connected networks of excitatory and inhibitory spiking neurons

Abstract The dynamics of networks of sparsely connected excitatory and inhibitory integrate-and-fire neurons is studied analytically. The ‘phase diagrams’ of such systems include: synchronous states in which neurons fire regularly; Asynchronous states with stationary global activity and very irregular individual cell activity; synchronous states in which the global activity oscillates but individual cells fire irregularly, typically at frequencies lower than the global oscillation frequency. The network can switch between these states, provided the external frequency, or the balance between excitation and inhibition, is varied.
Loss of association between activated Gαq and Gβγ disrupts receptor-dependent and receptor-independent signaling

The G protein subunit, betagamma, plays an important role in targeting alpha subunits to the plasma membrane and is essential for binding and activation of the heterotrimer by heptahelical receptors. Mutation of residues in the N-terminal alpha-helix of alpha s and alpha q that contact betagamma in the crystal structure of alpha i reduces binding between alpha and betagamma, inhibits plasma membrane targeting and palmitoylation of the alpha subunit, and results in G proteins that fail to couple receptor activation to stimulation of effector. Overexpression of betagamma can recover this loss of signaling through Gs but not Gq. In fact, a single mutation (I25A) in alpha q can block alpha q-mediated generation of inositol phosphates. Function is not recovered by betagamma overexpression nor myristoylation directed plasma membrane localization. Introduction of a Q209L activating mutation with I25A results in a constitutively active alpha q as expected, but surprisingly a R183C activating mutation does not result in constitutive activity when present with I25A. Examination of binding between alpha and betagamma via a pull down assay shows that the N-terminal betagamma-binding mutations inhibit alpha-betagamma binding significantly more than the R183C or Q209L activating mutations do. Moreover, introduction of the I25A mutation into alpha q RC disrupts co-immunoprecipitation with PLCbeta1. Taken together, results presented here suggest that alpha-betagamma binding is necessary at a point downstream from receptor activation of the heterotrimeric G protein for signal transduction by alpha q.
Intratumoral T cell subset ratios and Fas ligand expression on brain tumor endothelium

Introduction: T cell presence in TIL, and the ratio of CD8+ and CD4+ T cell subsets in particular, can correlate with tumor prognosis in some tumors, although the significance of such infiltration into glioma is controversial. However, gliomas represent a lower extreme in their extent of T cell infiltration, and are thus useful in assessing factors that can decrease T cell presence within tumor tissue. Fas ligand, a pro-apoptotic cell surface protein, may play a key role in reduction of T cells in tumor tissue. Objective: To assess the level of FasL expression on brain tumor endothelium and to correlate this with relative levels of CD4+ and CD8+ T cell subsets in TIL from brain tumors. Methods: CD3+, CD4+, and CD8+ cells were quantified in fresh TIL by flow cytometry. Paraffin embedded sections of tumors, including meningiomas and gliomas as well as extracranial malignancies, underwent immunohistochemical staining for FasL and Von-Willebrand’s factor (Factor VIII) to determine expression levels of endothelial FasL. Results: FasL expression was high in aggressive intracranial malignancies compared to more indolent neoplasms, and correlated inversely with CD8+/CD4+ TIL ratios in all tumor classes combined (ANOVA,p<0.05). Conclusion: Low levels of T cells within TIL, as well as low CD8+/CD4+ TIL ratios appear to be a property of parenchymal tumor presence. Together with the inverse correlation seen between FasL expression and CD8+/CD4+ TIL ratios, the high levels of endothelial FasL expression in gliomas suggests that FasL decreases T cell presence in brain tumors in a subset-selective manner, thus contributing to glioma immune privilege.
Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on glycaemic control in Type 2 diabetes: a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind controlled trials.

Aims The aim of this study was to assess the evidence on the effect of oral magnesium supplementation on glycaemic control in patients with Type 2 diabetes. Methods We searched the electronic databases of medline, embase and the Cochrane Controlled Trials Register up to January 2005. We identified nine randomized double-blind controlled trials with a total of 370 patients with Type 2 diabetes and of duration 4–16 weeks. The median dose of oral magnesium supplementation was 15 mmol/day (360 mg/day) in the treatment groups. The primary outcome was glycaemic control, as measured by glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c) or fasting blood glucose levels; the secondary outcomes included body mass index, blood pressure (BP) and lipids. Using a random-effects model, we calculated the weighted mean differences (WMD) and 95% confidence interval (CI). Results After a median duration of 12 weeks, the weighted mean post-intervention fasting glucose was significantly lower in the treatment groups compared with the placebo groups [−0.56 mmol/l (95% CI, −1.10 to −0.01); P for heterogeneity = 0.02]. The difference in post-intervention HbA1c between magnesium supplementation groups and control groups was not significant [−0.31% (95% CI, −0.81 to 0.19); P for heterogeneity = 0.10]. Neither systolic nor diastolic BP was significantly changed. Magnesium supplementation increased on high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels [0.08 mmol/l (95% CI, 0.03 to 0.14); P for heterogeneity = 0.36] but had no effect on total cholesterol, low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol and triglyceride. Conclusions Oral magnesium supplementation for 4–16 weeks may be effective in reducing plasma fasting glucose levels and raising HDL cholesterol in patients with Type 2 diabetes, although the long-term benefits and safety of magnesium treatment on glycaemic control remain to be determined.
Structural implications of the 115In nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum of CH3 InI2

Abstract Based on its vibrational spectrum, CH3InI2 has been proposed to contain linear In(CH3)+2 ions rather than being a bridged halogen dimer as is found for most other compounds of this type. The 115In nuclear quadrupole resonance spectrum observed here for CH3InI2 yields a coupling constant of 1270.6 MHz and an asymmetry parameter of 0.051 ± 0.006. The small asymmetry parameter is additional evidence of an axially symmetric environment for indium, such as In(CH3)+2, and by comparison to In2I6 strongly suggests that the dimeric structure is not present.
Incorporation of single-wall carbon nanotubes into an organic polymer monolithic stationary phase for μ-HPLC and capillary electrochromatography

Single-wall carbon nanotubes (SWNT) were incorporated into an organic polymer monolith containing vinylbenzyl chloride (VBC) and ethylene dimethacrylate (EDMA) to form a novel monolithic stationary phase for high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) and capillary electrochromatography (CEC). The retention behavior of neutral compounds on this poly(VBC-EDMA-SWNT) monolith was examined by separating a mixture of small organic molecules using micro-HPLC. The result indicated that incorporation of SWNT enhanced chromatographic retention of small neutral molecules in reversed-phase HPLC presumably because of their strongly hydrophobic characteristics. The stationary phase was formed inside a fused-silica capillary whose lumen was coated with covalently bound polyethyleneimine (PEI). The annular electroosmotic flow (EOF) generated by the PEI coating allowed peptide separation by CEC in the counterdirectional mode. Comparison of peptide separations on poly(VBC-EDMA-SWNT) and on poly(VBC-EDMA) with annular EO...
ST-segment elevation and minimally reactive pupils.

A 71-year-old woman with multiple sclerosis and hypertension lost consciousness in bed. Paramedics noted she was breathing spontaneously but had a Glasgow coma scale score of 3. An electrocardiogram (ECG) revealed new ST segment elevations in V2-V6 (Fig. 1). Her lab tests were significant for a troponin of 0.09 micrograms/liter (normal laboratory value is less than 0.05). The patient’s pupils were anisocoric, fixed and non-reactive. Computerized tomography of the brain revealed a large left-sided fronto-temporal subarachnoid and intraventricular hemorrhage with right sub-falcine shift and early hydrocephalus (Fig. 2). After emergent consultation, neurosurgical and cardiac interventions were deferred, and she died six hours later.
Intracellular trafficking of recycling apolipoprotein E in Chinese hamster ovary cells

We have investigated apolipoprotein E (apoE) recycling in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells, a peripheral cell that does not produce lipoproteins or express apoE. Using a pulse-chase protocol in which cells were pulsed with 125I-apoE-VLDL and chased for different periods, approximately 30% of the apoE internalized during the pulse was resecreted within a 4 h chase in a relatively lipid-free state. The addition of lysosomotropic agents or brefeldin A had no effect on apoE recycling. Unlike previous results with hepatocytes and macrophages, neither apoA-I nor upregulation of ABCA1 stimulated apoE recycling. However, cyclodextrin, which extracts cholesterol from plasma membrane lipid rafts, increased recycling. Confocal studies revealed that apoE, internalized during a 1 h pulse, colocalizes with early endosomal antigen-1, Rab5, Rab11a, and lysobisphosphatidic acid but not with lysosomal-associated membrane protein-1. Colocalization of apoE and Rab11a persisted even after cells had been chased for 1 h, suggesting a pool of apoE within the endosomal recycling compartment (ERC). Our data suggest that apoE recycling in CHO cells is linked to cellular cholesterol removal via the ERC and phospholipid-containing acceptors in a pathway alternative to the ABCA1-apoA-I axis.
Building bridges between faculty and library staff with OCLC FirstSearch

Describes how the library and biology disciplines of St Norbert College, Wisconsin, implemented First‐Search training of the BasicBiosis file for upper‐divisional biology students. Explains how the investment in FirstSearch affected payment on the paper Biological Abstracts and how the library and biology disciplines networked “like never before” to come to this agreement. The deal was made in Fall 1994.
Discovery learning, creativity, and the inductive teaching program.

A pedagogical innovation, the Inductive Teaching Program (ITP), is presented. The ITP contains a set of facts about a specific problem, situation or academic subject, stored on individual cards, analogous to the memory storage banks utilized by computers. The student is charged with the responsibility of getting these facts by the “inquiry” method: asking questions that will solicit these pieces of information. The applications of the ITP in education and educational research are examined, and its linking role between discovery learning and creativity investigations reviewed.
Environmental Life Cycle Analysis of Distributed Three-Dimensional Printing and Conventional Manufacturing of Polymer Products

With the recent development of the RepRap, an open-source self-replicating rapid prototyper, low-cost three-dimensional (3D) printing is now a technically viable form of distributed manufacturing o...
Chemical Vapor Deposition of Organosilicon Thin Films from Methylmethoxysilanes

Plasma enbanced chemical vapor deposition was used to deposit organosilicate glass (OSG) thin films from trimethylmethoxysilane, dimethyldimethoxysilane, and methyltrimethoxysilane. Depositions were performed from the pure OSG precursor, as well as from mixtures where the deposition of OSG thin films from methylmethoxysilanes with oxygen are not selective and lead to the undesirable loss of tmethyl functionality. Reducing chemistry achieved with hydrogen addition is selective, with hydrogen atoms reacting preferentially with the methoxy groups creating silanol or siloxyl radicals. This selectively forms bonds networking through condensation reactions without sacrificing the films from methylmethoxysilanes and hydrogen were deposited via a low power, W/FM from 10.0 to 10.5 J/g dependent upon OSG precursor, PECVD process resulting in material dielectric constants ranging from 2.84 to 3.18.
Early opacification of silicone intraocular lenses: Laboratory analyses of 6 explants.

Purpose To report laboratory analyses of 6 intraocular lenses (IOLs) explanted from patients who had visual disturbances caused by early postoperative opacification of the lens optic. Setting John A. Moran Eye Center, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, Utah, USA. Methods Six patients with 3-piece silicone lenses presented with optic cloudiness as early as a few hours after implantation. The lenses were implanted in 4 locations in Brazil and in France. The lenses in Brazil were stored at the same location before implantation. Gross and microscopic analyses were performed (dry and hydrated states). One half of each specimen underwent gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) analysis and/or extraction by isopropyl alcohol or acetonitrile. One lens also underwent scanning electron microscopy (SEM) with energy dispersive x-ray spectroscopy (EDS). The IOLs were examined for the presence of contaminants or deposits that could cause fast optic opacification. Results The IOLs showed a white optic discoloration in the hydrated state but became transparent on complete dehydration. Suspect exogenous chemical compounds were identified in GC/MS analyses; general classes included terpenes and ketones, typically found in industrial cleaning agents and fumigants. Surface analysis (SEM and EDS) did not show any significant deposits on the external surfaces and sagittal cut in 1 of the specimens. Conclusions Most IOLs are enclosed in semipermeable packages to allow sterilization by ethylene oxide gas. During cleaning or disinfection of storage rooms, aerosolized solutions may introduce chemicals through the package and onto the IOLs. This may cause surface changes in the IOL, promoting opacification by water ingress in the aqueous environment. Cleaning and disinfection procedures of IOL storage areas should be monitored carefully.
Changing activity patterns to improve social networks: A descriptive analysis

Five individuals who live in community residences and have moderate to severe intellectual disabilities participated in a descriptive study examining the covariation of community activities with social interactions. The purpose of the study was to determine if manipulation of activity patterns could be a viable strategy for improving social networks and social integration. A descriptive comparison of pre- and postmeasures indicated that an intervention focused on social activity patterns was associated with increases in community activities, and that increases in the frequency of community activities was correlated with increases in the size of social network and the frequency with which participants experienced social integration with people other than staff and fellow program participants.
Gender Differences in Condom Use Behavior? The Role of Power and Partner-Type

The primary goal of this study was to experimentally investigate the theory of gender and power (Wingood and DiClemente, Health Education and Behavior 27:539–565, 2000) in order to better understand gender differences in condom use behavior. The influence of relationship power (equal or low), partner-type (serious or casual), and gender on difficulty implementing condom use was explored using experimental vignettes. Heterosexual, sexually active, undergraduate students from a private university in the United States (N = 203) indicated how “difficult” it would be to implement condom use in a variety of situations. Results revealed a significant main effect for power and partner-type, qualified by a significant three-way interaction. The consistency of these findings with the predictions of the theory and methodological limitations are discussed.
Early education, intellectual development, and school performance: A reply to Arthur Jensen and J. McVicker Hunt

Abstract In this response to the critiques by Arthur Jensen and J. McVicker Hunt, we focus on three issues that clarity the results and conclusions of our original paper. These issues include the meaning of g , the permanence of effects produced by early education, and the educational significance of IQ gains produced by early education programs. In addition, since the nature of longitudinal studies insures the accumulation of new data to test and refine conclusions drawn from earlier data, we begin by briefly summarizing new data from our study pertinent to these three issues.
Synergistic Activation of Dynamin GTPase by Grb2 and Phosphoinositides

Abstract Hydrolysis of GTP by dynamin is essential for budding clathrin-coated vesicles from the plasma membrane. Two distinct domains of dynamin are implicated in the interactions with dynamin GTPase activators. Microtubules and Grb2 bind to the carboxyl-terminal proline/arginine-rich domain (PRD), whereas phosphoinositides bind to the pleckstrin homology (PH) domain. In this study we tested the effect of different phosphoinositides on dynamin GTPase activity and found that the best activator is phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate followed by 1-O-(1,2-di-O-palmitoyl-sn-glycerol-3-benzyloxyphosphoryl)-d-myo-inositol 3,4,5-triphosphate. Phosphatidylinositol 4-phosphate was a weak activator and phosphatidylinositol 3,4-bisphosphate did not activate GTPase at all. We then addressed the question of whether both domains of dynamin, PRD and PH, can be engaged simultaneously, and determined the effects of dual occupancy on dynamin GTPase activity. We found that Grb2 and phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate together increased the dynamin GTPase activity up to 4-fold higher than that obtained by these activators tested separately, and also reduced the dynamin concentration required for half-maximal activities by 3-fold. These results indicate that both stimulators can bind to dynamin simultaneously resulting in superactivation of dynamin GTPase activity. We propose that SH3-containing proteins such as Grb2 bind to the dynamin PRD to target it to clathrin-coated pits and prime it for superactivation by phosphoinositides.
The effect of mutant SOD1 dismutase activity on non-cell autonomous degeneration in familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Abstract Mutant superoxide dismutase type 1 (MTSOD1), the most common known cause of familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (FALS), is believed to cause FALS as a result of a toxicity of the protein. MTSOD1s with full dismutase enzymatic activity (e.g., G37R) and without any enzymatic activity (e.g., G85R) cause FALS, demonstrating that the ability of MTSOD1 to cause FALS is not dependent on the dismutase activity; however, it remains unclear whether MTSOD1 dismutase activity can influence disease phenotype. In the present study, we selectively knocked down G85R expression in particular cell types of G85R mice. Results following knockdown of G85R in motor neurons (MNs)/interneurons of G85R mice were similar to results from a published study involving knockdown of G37R in G37R mice; however, G85R knockdown in microglia/macrophages induced a prolonged early and late disease phase while G37R knockdown in the same cells only affected late phase. These results show that: (i) MN as well as non-MN expression of G85R, like G37R, has a significant effect on disease in transgenic mice — indicating the role of non-cell autonomous degeneration in both dismutase-active and inactive MTSOD1s. (ii) The effect of MTSOD1 expression in microglia/macrophages varies with different mutants, and may be influenced by the MTSOD1's dismutase activity.
Vizinhos Difíceis: maroons e índios no Suriname

Este artigo apresenta a historia das relacoes entre os maroons saamaka e os amerindios no Suriname, que variaram entre a amizade e a solidariedade limitadas e a ferrenha inimizade. Durante o seculo XVII, a medida que os escravos africanos fugiram em direcao as florestas, os indios serviram como seus mentores e, em certos casos, como seus conjuges. Durante as decadas de guerra entre o nascente povo Saamaka e o governo colonial, os indios foram utilizados pelo governo como eficientes batedores nas florestas e como cacadores de recompensa dos Saamaka. A epoca da paz de 1762, uma aldeia saamaka contava com uma duzia de indios Akuriyo e varios cativos Arawak; outro povoado incluia os famosos indios “Tufinga”. Este trabalho termina com uma discussao sobre o papel antimaroon desempenhado pelos indios durante a Guerra Civil do Suriname (1986-1992) e da luta por direitos territoriais, em que maroons e indios estao, finalmente, a colaborar.
Transformative Sustainability Learning: Cultivating a Tree-Planting Ethos in Western Kenya

Given the fundamental objective of ESD—perspective change—it is increasingly being aligned with the theoretical foundation of Mezirow’s Transformative Learning. In 2008, Sipos et al. built upon thi...