cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous repression of multiple bacterial genes using nonrepetitive extra-long sgRNA arrays.

Engineering cellular phenotypes often requires the regulation of many genes. When using CRISPR interference, coexpressing many single-guide RNAs (sgRNAs) triggers genetic instability and phenotype loss, due to the presence of repetitive DNA sequences. We stably coexpressed 22 sgRNAs within nonrepetitive extra-long sgRNA arrays (ELSAs) to simultaneously repress up to 13 genes by up to 3,500-fold. We applied biophysical modeling, biochemical characterization and machine learning to develop toolboxes of nonrepetitive genetic parts, including 28 sgRNA handles that bind Cas9. We designed ELSAs by combining nonrepetitive genetic parts according to algorithmic rules quantifying DNA synthesis complexity, sgRNA expression, sgRNA targeting and genetic stability. Using ELSAs, we created three highly selective phenotypes in Escherichia coli, including redirecting metabolism to increase succinic acid production by 150-fold, knocking down amino acid biosynthesis to create a multi-auxotrophic strain and repressing stress responses to reduce persister cell formation by 21-fold. ELSAs enable simultaneous and stable regulation of many genes for metabolic engineering and synthetic biology applications. Stable multi-gene CRISPR interference using nonrepetitive genetic parts and system design.
Does Atrial Fibrillation Increase the Risk of Developing End-stage Renal Disease in Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease?

Patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) have elevated risks of developing stroke, heart failure, and myocardial infarction. However, the impact of AF on the progression of chronic kidney disease (CKD) is uncertain. Our review objective is to investigate whether AF increases the risk of developing end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with CKD. On 31 January 2019, a systemic search was performed on the MEDLINE database using the predefined search criteria. Limits included human participants and English-language publications. Studies that evaluated an association of AF and the risk of CKD progression to ESRD were selected. A total of 751 articles were identified. One prospective cohort study was included after screening abstracts from overall retrieved studies based on our inclusion/exclusion criteria, with a total of 3,091 CKD patients and a mean follow-up of 5.9 years. A total of 172 CKD patients developed AF, of which 43 patients later developed ESRD. Of 2,919 CKD patients with no incident AF, 581 patients progressed to ESRD. The rate of ESRD after the development of AF was 11.8/100 person-years compared with 3.4/100 person-years in CKD patients without AF. In conclusion, AF is an independent risk factor for developing ESRD in CKD patients, but more evidence is needed to support this result.
Generation of Multiple Interfaces for Hybrid Online Laboratory Experiments based on Smart Laboratory Learning Objects

Online laboratories provide educational institutions the opportunity to offer experimentation experiences for both online and face to face courses. The lack of online laboratories have made it a challenge to offer online engineering courses that require a laboratory, such as Electronic Circuits, Control Systems, Physics, Logic Design among others. An online laboratory station could be used by different users for multiple purposes if there was a mechanism to easily vary the problem, the context, and the activities of the lab. Smart Laboratory Learning Objects (SLLOs) allow developers to connect different user interfaces to control the same online laboratory by including information on connections, lab station controls, and lab activities. This paper presents the concept of a Smart Adaptive Remote Laboratory System that complies with the recently approved standard IEEE 1876 Networked Smart Learning for Online Laboratories [1] and a set of demonstration online laboratories that have been developed in the context of digital electronics and support smart adaptability provided by the system or manually defined by the lab administrators.
Evaluation and management of insomnia in women with breast cancer.

Insomnia is a common issue among patients with breast cancer with a potentially devastating impact on quality of life. It can be caused or exacerbated by multiple disease and treatment-related factors. Despite the prevalence and impact of insomnia, it is rarely addressed systematically in the oncology clinic. We conducted a comprehensive review of insomnia to guide clinical care of patient’s with breast cancer and insomnia. This manuscript reviews the prevalence, etiology, emerging science and both non-pharmacologic and pharmacologic options for treatment of insomnia among patients with breast cancer. Multiple factors contribute to insomnia among patients with breast cancer including endocrine therapy and hotflashes, pain and discomfort from local therapy, and fear of recurrence. If we do identify insomnia, there are treatment options and strategies available to help patients. In particular, there is now a considerable body of evidence supporting the use of psychosocial interventions and behavioral treatments, such as cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), yoga, and mind-body programs. It is also important for oncology providers to be educated regarding available pharmacologic therapies and emerging data for cannabis-based therapy. This manuscript provides an up-to-date and comprehensive review of the prevalence, etiology, and treatment approaches available for insomnia for clinicians treating patients with breast cancer. We also address strategies and goals for cancer care delivery and future research.
Physical characterization and in vitro evaluation of 3D printed hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, zirconia, alumina, and SiAlON structures made by lithographic ceramic manufacturing

In this study, lithographic ceramic manufacturing was used to create solid chips out of hydroxyapatite, tricalcium phosphate, zirconia, alumina, and SiAlON ceramic. X-ray powder diffraction of each material confirmed that the chips were crystalline, with little amorphous character that could result from remaining polymeric binder, and were composed entirely out of the ceramic feedstock. Surface morphologies and roughnesses were characterized using atomic force microscopy. Human bone marrow stem cells cultured with osteogenic supplements on each material type expressed alkaline phosphatase levels, an early marker of osteogenic differentiation, on par with cells cultured on a glass control. However, cells cultured on the tricalcium phosphate-containing material expressed lower levels of ALP suggesting that osteoinduction was impaired on this material. Further analyses should be conducted with these materials to identify underlying issues of the combination of material and analysis method.
Patient-Centered Medical Homes and Pediatric Preventive Counseling.

A bstract Objective To measure pediatric preventive counseling at patient-centered medical homes (PCMHs) compared with practices that reported undertaking some or no quality-related activities. Methods We analyzed 4814 children and adolescents ages 0 to 17 who visited their usual sources of care in the nationally representative Medical Expenditure Panel Survey Medical Organizations Survey (MEPS-MOS), a household survey combined with a survey of household members’ usual sources of care. We identified PCMHs using lists from certifying or accrediting organizations. For other practices in the MEPS-MOS, 2 quality-related activities were 1) reports to physicians about their clinical quality of care, and 2) electronic health record system reminders to physicians. Regressions controlled for practice, child, and family characteristics. Results Compared with other practices, PCMHs were generally associated with greater likelihood of receiving preventive counseling. Estimates varied with the quality-related activities of the comparison practices. Counseling against smoking in the home was 10.4 to 18.7 percentage points (both P Conclusions PCMHs were associated with substantially greater receipt of pediatric preventive counseling. Evaluations of PCMHs need to account for the quality-related activities of comparison practices.
Vulvar Elastosis: A Novel Diagnostic Entity.

ABSTRACT In vulvar biopsies, we have observed histopathologic abnormalities of elastic fibers identical to solar elastosis, with thick, curled, and irregular pale grey fibers in the dermis. In severe cases, changes resemble nodular solar elastosis. We retrospectively evaluated 238 vulvar biopsies with the goal of defining and characterizing changes of vulvar elastosis. Of 238 vulvar biopsies reviewed, 107 (45%) exhibited vulvar elastosis. Patients with vulvar elastosis were older (mean = 65 years old) compared to those without (mean = 44 years old). Sixty-six (62%) were graded as mild, 27 (25%) moderate, and 14 (13%) severe. Vulvar elastosis was significantly more common in women ≥45 years old (P-value < 0.001). There was moderate correlation between age and severity (correlation coefficient = 0.55, P-value < 0.001). Vulvar elastosis was observed in a variety of inflammatory and non-inflammatory pathologies. In 5 cases, the sole pathology was vulvar elastosis presenting clinically as either a pruritic or painful white to white-yellow papule or plaque, or vulvar pain or burning without a clinical lesion. Vulvar elastosis is a novel diagnostic entity occurring in a sun-protected site and its pathogenesis may be a degenerative phenomenon possibly related to advancing age and/or hormonal changes.
AI and the Healthcare sector: Industry, legal and ethical issues

Στη σύγχρονη eποχή, τα συστήματα Τeχνητής Νοημοσύνης, η ρομποτική και κάθe eίδους τeχνολογική καινοτομία έχουν eπικρατήσeι σχeδόν σe κάθe βιομηχανία, που υπάρχeι. Αν και παρέχουν αρκeτά προτeρήματα και προνόμια, τέτοιου eίδους νeωτeρισμοί, λόγω της νέο-eυρeθeίσας δυνατότητας τους, αποτeλούν και ένα σίγουρο μη αμφισβητήσιμο ρίσκο για τις σύγχρονeς κοινωνίeς, μη eξοικeιωμένeς ακόμα μe το πλήρeς eύρος των κινδύνων, που ακολουθούν αυτού του eίδους τις καινοτομίeς. Αυτό το άρθρο eξeτάζeι μία από τις βιομηχανίeς που αλλάζουν και eπηρeάζονται σημαντικά από την τeχνολογία της Τeχνητής Νοημοσύνης, την βιομηχανία υγeιονομικής πeρίθαλψης, καθώς κατέχeι και το μeγαλύτeρο βιοηθικό eνδιαφέρον. Το άρθρο, συνeπώς, eίναι χωρισμένο σe τέσσeρις τομeίς. Ο πρώτος eίναι αφιeρωμένος στις νέeς προηγμένeς τeχνολογίeς στον τομέα παροχής υπηρeσιών υγeιονομικής και ιατρικής πeρίθαλψης, που πeριλαμβάνουν την eισαγωγή και/ή την πλήρη αξιοποίηση της μηχανικής μάθησης και της ρομποτικής. Δeύτeρον, όπως προαναφέρθηκe λόγω του ότι αυτές οι τeχνολογίeς συνοδeύονται και από νομικές ανησυχίeς, ιδίως σe σχέση μe την ιδιωτικότητα, γίνeται προσπάθeια μιας νομικής ανάλυσης των πιο σχeτικών και eξeχόντων ανησυχιών. Έμφαση δίνeται στην προσέγγιση της Eυρωπαϊκής Ένωσης στο ζήτημα της Τeχνητής Νοημοσύνης και της σχeτικής τeχνολογίας. Και οι δύο βασικές δομές της αναφέρονται, το Eυρωπαϊκό Κοινοβούλιο και Eυρωπαϊκή Eπιτροπή, που προμηθeύουν μe έγγραφα σχeτικά μe τις νέeς αυτές τeχνολογίeς. Eπιπρόσθeτα, κατόπιν της ανάλυσης του νομικού πλαισίου και της πιο νομικά δeσμeυτικής φύσeως νομοθeτικής προσπάθeιας, το άρθρο προχωρά στην παρουσίαση των μη δeσμeυτικών κανόνων δικαίου, σχeτικών μe τον τeχνολογικό τομέα της Τeχνητής Νοημοσύνης, των ηθικών αρχών και των κατeυθυντήριων γραμμών, που αναπτύχθηκαν για να μeτριάσουν τα ρίσκα και τα ζητήματα αυτών των τeχνολογιών. Τέλος, η παρακάτω ανάλυση λήγeι μe ένα συμπέρασμα βάσeι eνός συνδυασμού παρατηρήσeων και διαπιστώσeων, προeρχόμeνων από τους προαναφeρθέντeς τομeίς του άρθρου.
Report on the 49th Annual USA Mathematical Olympiad

The American Mathematics Competitions (AMC) program of the Mathematical Association of America consists of a series of examinations for middle school, high school, and college students, designed to...
Globalization; Today and Tomorrow

Part One 1. Introduction 2. Globalization: A View across Time and Space 3. The Process of Global Integration Part Two 4. Theory of International Trade and Globalization 5. The New Economic Geography: A Global Perspective 6. A Globalized World Part Three 7. Globalization and World Commodity Markets 8. Globalization and Economic Growth and Stability 9. Globalization of World Financial Markets 10. Migration and Remittances 11. Knowledge and Intellectual Property Rights 12. The Atmosphere: A Global Commons. The Challenges of Global Warming 13. Who Gains? Who Loses? Part Four 14. Politics and Culture: Institutions for a Global Economy 15. Policy for a Global Economy Part Five 16. The Future of Globalization
Defensive chemicals in grass-fungal endophyte associations.

The ability of organisms to form long term intimate and diverse relationships with each other (symbiosis) is now recognized as a common ecological phenomenon. Symbiosis, as a general term, does not imply detriment or benefit, but rather that the outcome (net effect) of species interaction exists within a symbiotic continuum or “species interaction grid” that includes agonism (predation and disease) and mutualism (benefits for both species).1,2 The continuum also includes pleotropic symbiosis, where net effects of species interaction vary spatially or temporally in relative agonism or mutualism.3 Grasses systematically infected with specific clavicipitaceous fungi are examples of species interactions that span the symbiotic continuum, profoundly affecting the ecological fitness of the hosts.4–8
Engineering education using resources in digital libraries

Digital libraries have been and are been created in a number of countries. In the USA, the National Science Foundation has created a National Science, Mathematics, Engineering and Technology Digital Library (NSDL). One of the digital libraries within NSDL is the Geotechnical, Rock and Water Resources (GROW), which is Phase 1 of a National Civil Engineering Educational Resources Library. GROW and NSDL have links to high quality learning materials that can be used to develop courses for different audiences ranging from middle school to graduates and professionals. Moreover, these digital libraries provide a new environment for individual and collaborative learning. This paper deals with the use of educational materials within digital libraries to create engineering courses and training materials, and delivering them via the Web.
Archiving Techniques for Temporal Databases

This paper describes archiving strategies for append-only temporal databases. We present a storage architecture where optical disks work in tandem with magnetic disks. Magnetic disks are used for storing current versions and recent past versions, whereas optical disks are dedicated for archiving older past versions. Similarly, temporal access structures are stored on both magnetic and optical disks. is limited. Another reason is that unlike current data, historical data is less likely to be referenced, and therefore a relatively slower medium such as optical disks is suitable for on-line archiving of historical data. Our migration techniques: (1) allow temporal data and access structures to span magnetic disks and optical disks; (2) minimize the overhead of the migration process by taking advantage of append-only nature of temporal databases; (3) gracefully handle object versions with very long time intervals so that the delay in the migration process is kept to minimum; and (4) ensure that no false magnetic or optical disk address lookup is performed during search operations by duplicating some closed versions on both magnetic and optical disks. Write-Once Read Many (WORM) optical disks provide a cost-effective, efficient solution for organizations requiring permanent storage for large amounts of temporal data. They offer the ability to store massive quantities of data in a relatively small amount of space because of lower cost of storage per byte. They have the advantage of not suffering from deterioration unlike magnetic media; a 100 year lifespan has been predicted for WORM disks. Although the access time of optical disks is higher than that of magnetic disks, WORM disks are still considered on-line random access devices, and they offer the best choice for archiving immutable data. To validate our claims for the efficiency of migration techniques, we analyze the performance of temporal access structures partitioned between magnetic and optical disks. We show that the migration process has a minimal effect on the search time. Our simulation identifies important parameters, and shows how they affect the performance of the temporal access structures. These include mean of version lifespan, block size, query time interval length, and total number of versions. Database systems take periodic backups to provide recovery from disk failures. These backups reflect some past state of the application. Whenever a failure occurs, the backups together with the log are used to restore the database to a consistent state. In temporal databases, past states of the application are kept to provide on-line access. Although this capability can be achieved by keeping full backups of the application, the performance of the resulting system will definitely be very poor. To overcome this deficiency, the issues of automatic archiving and searching of both object versions and temporal access structures must be successfully addressed, which is the topic of this paper.
2. Grazing-Incidence Monochromators for Third-Generation Synchrotron Radiation Sources

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the foundations of modern vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) and soft x-ray (SXR) monochromator design based on the well-established theories of geometrical aberrations in grazing-incidence optical systems and grating diffraction efficiency. The discussion is limited to the construction of optical systems for third-generation synchrotron radiation sources. These design considerations are illustrated in the chapter by examples from the Advanced Light Source (ALS), which show clearly the way monochromator design is evolving, both for undulator and bending magnet sources and for several different applications in spectroscopy and microscopy. The first type of focusing grating to be analyzed theoretically was that formed by the intersection of a substrate surface with a set of parallel equispaced planes—the so-called Rowland grating. The chapter discusses the grating theory up to the sixth order in optical path, which is applicable to any substrate shape and any groove pattern that can be produced by holography or by ruling straight grooves with (possibly) variable spacing. The grating aberration theory could be applied to a fixed-deviation-angle spherical-grating monochromator (SGM) to extract information on focusing, aberrations, and line shapes. The same approach can also be applied to other monochromators where there is a single focusing element, including the case where a movable plane mirror is used to vary the included angle at the grating. One starting point for a monochromator design is to know the maximum diffraction efficiency that can be obtained at a particular photon energy under optimum conditions.
Postembryonic alteration of transmitter phenotype in individually identified peptidergic neurons

Many neurons are now known to undergo dramatic morphological or biochemical changes long after they have completed differentiation and maturation. The ability of fully mature neurons to alter their transmitter phenotype has been amply demonstrated in culture, but direct in vivo data on single neurons have been difficult to obtain. Here we show that a set of 4 individually identified neurosecretory neurons in the moth Manduca sexta, previously demonstrated to contain the peptide hormone bursicon, also stain with a monoclonal antibody directed against 2 insect cardioacceleratory peptides (CAPs). These lateral cells exhibit CAP-like immunoreactivity in larvae but not in pupae or adults, in contrast to other CAP-containing neurons which are strongly immunoreactive in all postembryonic stages. Biochemical analyses using high-pressure liquid chromatography confirm that the lateral neurons in larvae contain CAP2, one of the CAPs. CAP measurements of cell clusters containing these cells indicate high levels only in caterpillars. When the same neurosecretory cells are individually dissected and assayed for CAP bioactivity, high CAP levels are again found in larvae, whereas the same neurons in pupae show no such CAP bioactivity. Simultaneous determinations of both bursicon and CAP levels in single lateral cells indicate that these cells express high levels of CAP activity and low amounts of bursicon in larvae yet are solely bursicon-containing in pupae and adults. Thus, by demonstrating that these cells alter their secretory profile in vivo during metamorphosis, our results confirm the notion that functionally mature neurons are capable of altering their transmitter expression after the completion of embryonic development.
Factoring Polynomials over Local Fields II

We present an algorithm for factoring polynomials over local fields, in which the Montes algorithm is combined with elements from Zassenhaus Round Four algorithm. This algorithm avoids the computation of characteristic polynomials and the resulting precision problems that occur in the Round Four algorithm.
Production of Extracellular and Cell-Associated Glucosyltransferase Activity by Streptococcus mutans During Growth on Various Carbon Sources

The production of extracellular and cell-associated glucosyltransferase activity by Streptococcus mutans strain GS-5 was examined during growth on various carbon sources in a chemically defined medium. S. mutans cells produced glucosyltransferase activity only during logarithmic growth when glucose, fructose, mannitol, or sorbitol was the sole carbon source. Cells growing on mannitol or sorbitol produced approximately half as much extracellular glucosyltransferase activity as cells growing on glucose, although the proportions of the glucosyltransferase activity capable of synthesizing insoluble glucans were similar. Cells growing on fructose produced slightly more extracellular glucosyltransferase activity than cells grown on glucose, yet the proportion of the glucosyltransferase activity capable of synthesizing insoluble glucans was again similar to glucose cultures. S. mutans cells growing in the presence of both glucose and mannitol displayed diauxic growth and initial preferential utilization of glucose. Glucosyltransferase enzyme production occurred only during the phases of cell growth in the presence of the two carbon sources. The cell-associated glucosyltransferase activities of glucose-, fructose-, mannitol-, and sorbitol-grown cells were relatively low, yet all the cells were capable of adherence to glass in the presence of sucrose. When glucose-containing cultures of S. mutans were supplemented with sucrose, extracellular glucosyltransferase activity first became cell associated and then appeared to become inactivated, presumably due to the accumulation of insoluble glucans.
Dietary Omega-3 Fatty Acid Supplementation Reduces Inflammation in Obese Pregnant Women: A Randomized Double-Blind Controlled Clinical Trial.

Objective Long-chain omega 3 fatty acids, eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA, 20:5n-3) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) exert potent anti-inflammatory properties in humans. This study characterized the effects of omega-3 ω-3 fatty acids supplements (ω-3 FA) on the inflammatory status in the placenta and adipose tissue of overweight/obese pregnant women. Study Design A randomized, double-masked controlled trial was conducted in overweight/obese pregnant women that were randomly assigned to receive DHA plus EPA (2g/day) or the equivalent of a placebo twice a day from week 10–16 to term. Inflammatory pathways were characterized in: 1) adipose tissue and placenta of treated vs. untreated women; and 2) adipose and trophoblast cells cultured with long chain FAs. Results The sum of plasma DHA and EPA increased by 5.8 fold and ω-3 FA/ ω-6 FA ratio was 1.5 in treated vs. untreated women (p< 0.005). Plasma CRP concentrations were reduced (p<0.001). The adipose tissue and placenta of treated women exhibited a significant decrease in TLR4 adipose and placental expression as well as IL6, IL8, and TNFα In vitro, EPA and DHA suppressed the activation of TLR4, IL6, IL8 induced by palmitate in culture of adipose and trophoblast cells. Conclusion Supplementation of overweight/obese pregnant women with dietary ω-3 FAs for >25 weeks reduced inflammation in maternal adipose and the placental tissue. TLR4 appears as a central target of the anti-inflammatory effects at the cellular level. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00957476
The Hedge Algorithm on a Continuum

We consider an online optimization problem on a compact subset S ⊂ Rn (not necessarily convex), in which a decision maker chooses, at each iteration t, a probability distribution x(t) over S, and seeks to minimize a cumulative expected loss, Σt=1T Es∼x(t) [l(t)(s)], where l(t) is a Lipschitz loss function revealed at the end of iteration t. Building on previous work, we propose a generalized Hedge algorithm and show a O(√tlogt) bound on the regret when the losses are uniformly Lipschitz and S is uniformly fat (a weaker condition than convexity). Finally, we propose a generalization to the dual averaging method on the set of Lebesgue-continuous distributions over S.
LSC 2013 abstract - The role of alveolar macrophages during the resolution of house dust mite induced allergic airways disease

In spite of sharing common risk factors, in particular cigarette smoking, and aetiological substratum like low-grade systemic inflammation, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and chronic heart failure (CHF) have been studied mostly separately. We investigated the coexistence of left ventricular dysfunction in COPD patients and of airway obstruction in CHF patients. Patients aged ≥50 years and with ≥10 pack/years of cigarette smoking presenting with a diagnosis of stable COPD (n=70) or stable CHF (n=124) were recruited. All COPD patients underwent routine echocardiographic assessment and Nt-pro brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) measurements, and all CHF patients underwent routine spirometry. Also, plasma levels of high sensitivity C reactive protein (hs-CRP), interleukin (IL)-6, IL-1β and its decoy receptor (IL-1RII), and pentraxin 3 (PTX3) were determined by using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in all patients and in 24 healthy smokers. We did not detect ventricular dysfunction in COPD patients, whereas the occurrence of airway obstruction among CHF patients was 34%. COPD patients had higher plasma levels of hs-CRP and IL-1β as compared with CHF and healthy subjects (p COPD coexists frequently in CHF patients; routine spirometry therefore seems to be worth in CHF subjects. COPD outpatients showed a low-grade systemic inflammation, but not left ventricular dysfunction. Supported by the Ministry of Health and CFR.
Combination wire--composite resin intracoronal splinting rationale and technique.

P r i m a r y occlusal t raumatism occurs when there are excessive occlusal forces on a tooth or teeth with adequate attachment apparatus. W h e n this situation occurs, in the absence of marginal inf lammat ion , a reversible pathologic situation exists. 1 Examples o f pr imary occlusal t raumatism would be in patients manifesting the fol lowing: 1. Brux ing or grinding. 2. C lench ing . 3. L i p , cheek or nai l b i t ing. 4. T o o t h to foreign object habits. 5. Per iodontal t rauma from i l l f i t t ing part ial dentures with resultant torquing o f abutment teeth. It must be remembered that because adequate sup­ port exists, removal of the parafunctional habits or their control w i l l result in the el iminat ion o f the mobi l i ty patterns. Therefore splint ing is not indicated in pr imary occlusal t raumatism i f the habit is control led. In marginal ly inflamed tissue, slight mobi l i ty patterns may be present. Th i s mobi l i ty w i l l disappear after the loca l etiology is el iminated and proper o ra l physio­ therapy is instituted. These mobi l i ty patterns due to marginal inf lammat ion are not to be considered as pr imary occlusal t raumat ism.
Direct metal transfer between periplasmic proteins identifies a bacterial copper chaperone.

Transition metals require exquisite handling within cells to ensure that cells are not harmed by an excess of free metal species. In Gram-negative bacteria, copper is required in only small amounts in the periplasm, not in the cytoplasm, so a key aspect of protection under excess metal conditions is to export copper from the periplasm. Additional protection could be conferred by a periplasmic chaperone to limit the free metal species prior to export. Using isothermal titration calorimetry, we have demonstrated that two periplasmic proteins, CusF and CusB, of the Escherichia coli Cu(I)/Ag(I) efflux system undergo a metal-dependent interaction. Through the development of a novel X-ray absorption spectroscopy approach using selenomethionine labeling to distinguish the metal sites of the two proteins, we have demonstrated transfer of Cu(I) occurs between CusF and CusB. The interaction between these proteins is highly specific, as a homologue of CusF with a 51% identical sequence and a similar affinity for metal, did not function in metal transfer. These experiments establish a metallochaperone activity for CusF in the periplasm of Gram-negative bacteria, serving to protect the periplasm from metal-mediated damage.
Invasive Plant ( Microstegium vimineum ) Reduces Abundance and Richness of Insect Communities

Plant invasions are known to have negative impacts on native plant communities, yet their effects on higher trophic levels have not been well documented. Past studies investigating the effects of invasive plants on herbivores and carnivores have been largely observational in nature and thus lack the ability to tease apart whether differences are a cause or consequence of the invasion. In addition, understanding how plant traits and plant species compositions change in invaded habitats may increase our ability to predict when and where invasive plants will have effects that cascade to animals. We experimentally introduced a non-native plant (Microstegium vimineum, Japanese stiltgrass) to evaluate impacts on arthropods. We also investigated possible mechanisms through which the invader could affect associated arthropods, including changes in native plant species richness, aboveground plant biomass, light availability, and vegetation height. In experimentally invaded plots, arthropod abundance was reduced by 39%, and species richness declined by 19%. Carnivores experienced greater reductions in abundance than herbivores (61% versus 31% reduction). Arthropod composition significantly diverged between experimentally invaded and control plots, and particular species belonging to the families Aphididae (aphids), Formicidae (ants) and Phalacridae (shining flower beetles) contributed the most to compositional differences. Among the mechanisms we investigated, only the reduction in native plant species richness caused by invasion was strongly correlated with total arthropod abundance and richness. In sum, our results demonstrate negative impacts of M. vimineum invasion on higher trophic levels and suggest that these effects occur, in part, indirectly through invader-mediated reductions in the richness of the native plant community. The particularly strong response of carnivores suggests that plant invasion could reduce top-down control of herbivorous species for native plants. The cascading effects of plant invasion on arthropods reported here reinforce motivation to control M. vimineum spread.
The effects of water vapor in glow discharge mass spectrometry

Abstract Glow discharge mass spectrometry is used to determine various effects of water vapor on glow discharge plasma processes. The detrimental effects that water can have on both atomization and ionization in the plasma are presented. Mass spectra taken with water concentrations up to 5% show that the primary species in the plasma arise from ion molecule reactions and water dissociation that occur in the plasma. A liquid nitrogen coil is used to aid in the removal and control of the water vapor content in the ion source. Different sample cathodes are investigated and shown to exhibit varying effects in the presence of water vapor. Sputtering reactive metals, such as getters, may minimize the extent of the water problems.
Monte Carlo Simulations of Asymmetric Diblock Copolymer Thin Films Confined between Two Homogeneous Surfaces

We report the first Monte Carlo simulations of the morphology of asymmetric diblock copolymer thin films confined between two homogeneous and identical surfaces. The copolymers form a cylindrical morphology in the bulk. Exploratory bulk simulations have been conducted with judicious choices of the simulation box dimensions to find the characteristic periodicity of the cylinders. The morphological dependence of the thin films on the surface−block interactions and the film thickness has then been systematically investigated. Our results are in good agreement with experimental observations.
Identification of ovotransferrin as a heme-, colony- and burst-stimulating factor in chick erythroid cell cultures.

Abstract Clonal growth of erythroid cells from bone marrow of 2-day-old chicks in fibrin clots under different culture conditions has been used as independent assays for heme-, colony- and burst-stimulating activities found in anemic chicken plasma. The properties of the heme-stimulating activity analyzed by gel filtration, isoelectrofocusing, resistance to heat denaturation, ammonium sulfate precipitation, DEAE-chromatography or HAP-chromatography, suggested serum transferrin as the heme-stimulating factor(s). Heme-, colony- and burst-stimulating factor(s) from anemic chicken plasma did not separate from each other by gel filtration or isoelectrofocusing. Ovotransferrin from egg white also showed heme-, colony- and burst-stimulating activities by the assay employed even after further purification by limited trypsin digestion, electrophoresis, hydroxylapatite chromatography or fractionation by ConA-Sepharose chromatography.
Early Embryo Development in the Siberian Hamster ( Phodopus sungorus )

Development of preimplantation embryos of the Siberian hamster (Phodopus sungorus) in vivo and in vitro was examined. The timing of early development in vivo was found to be slower than that reported for the golden hamster. Progression through the cleavage stages, cavitation, and hatching from the zona pellucida occurred later, with blastocyst formation beginning on the afternoon of day 4 and uterine attachment occurring early on day 5. In vitro, morulae, and early blastocysts collected on day 4 and cultured in serum-containing medium formed expanded blastocysts and some began to hatch from the zona pellucida. With extended culture, blastocysts attached and formed trophoblast outgrowths. Outgrowth was characterized by an initial migration of small cells from the blastocyst, followed by formation of a sheet of trophoblast giant cells. Differences in the morphology of outgrowth between the hamster and mouse suggest that further comparative studies with the Siberian hamster may be useful.
Efficacy of patient letter reminders on cervical cancer screening: a meta-analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To perform a meta-analysis on existing randomized controlled trials to investigate the efficacy of patient letter reminders on increasing cervical cancer screening using Pap smears.
Parametric Weight Comparison of Current and Proposed Thermal Protection System (TPS) Concepts

A parametric weight assessment of advanced metallic panel, ceramic blanket, and ceramic tile thermal protection systems (TPS) was conducted using an implicit, one-dimensional (1-D) thermal finite element sizing code. This sizing code contained models to account for coatings, fasteners, adhesives, and strain isolation pads. Atmosperhic entry heating profiles for two vehicles, the Access to Space (ATS) rocket-powered single-stage-to-orbit (SSTO) vehicle and a proposed Reusable Launch Vehicle (RLV), were used to ensure that the trends were not unique to a particular trajectory. Eight TPS concepts were compared for a range of applied heat loads and substructural heat capacities to identify general trends. This study found the blanket TPS concepts have the lightest weights over the majority of their applicable ranges, and current technology ceramic tiles and metallic TPS concepts have similar weights. A proposed, state-of-the-art metallic system which uses a higher temperature alloy and efficient multilayer insulation was predicted to be significantly lighter than the ceramic tile systems and approaches blanket TPS weights for higher integrated heat loads.
Detection of plasmapheresis-induced platelet activation using monoclonal antibodies

Twelve volunteer plasma donors were studied so as to determine the extent and duration of in vivo platelet activation caused by automated plasmapheresis. Samples obtained immediately before and after donation were mixed with murine monoclonal antibodies PAC-1 and S12, which bind specifically to activated platelets. Antibody binding on platelets was quantitated by flow cytometry. The change in the mean fluorescence intensity (MFI) (MFI after donation minus MFI before donation) was 61 +/- 23 (confidence interval [CI], 48-75) for PAC-1 and 56 +/- 64 (CI, 19-92) for S12 in plasmapheresis donors, as compared to 0.3 +/- 0.8 (PAC-1; CI, -0.2-0.8) and 0.3 +/- 0.9 (S12: CI, -0.3-0.9) in whole blood donors (p less than 0.05). Additional studies showed circulating activated platelets up to 48 hours after plasmapheresis. In contrast to other data, significant platelet activation was demonstrated following plasmapheresis on an automated machine. None of the donors had clinical complications. Nevertheless, it may be appropriate to delay subsequent plasmapheresis and platelet procurement from such donors until evidence of platelet activation has disappeared.
Adapting Techniques of Studio Critique for Arts Management Pedagogy

Many students in the field of arts management have a background as practicing artists. In that light, it seems promising to explore fine arts pedagogies for the delivery of elements of arts management curricula. Studio critiques are a central pedagogic tool in arts education, allowing for systemic self-reflexivity that emerges from a shared interest in the terms of the conversation itself—critique as a creative technique. Since 2009, the Department of Arts Administration and Policy at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago has integrated critique. Feedback from the first generations of students is assessed in this article.
University of Colorado dialog systems for travel and navigation

This paper presents recent improvements in the development of the University of Colorado "CU Communicator" and "CU-Move" spoken dialog systems. First, we describe the CU Communicator system that integrates speech recognition, synthesis and natural language understanding technologies using the DARPA Hub Architecture. Users are able to converse with an automated travel agent over the phone to retrieve up-to-date travel information such as flight schedules, pricing, along with hotel and rental car availability. The CU Communicator has been under development since April of 1999 and represents our test-bed system for developing robust human-computer interactions where reusability and dialogue system portability serve as two main goals of our work. Next, we describe our more recent work on the CU Move dialog system for in-vehicle route planning and guidance. This work is in joint collaboration with HRL and is sponsored as part of the DARPA Communicator program. Specifically, we will provide an overview of the task, describe the data collection environment for in-vehicle systems development, and describe our initial dialog system constructed for route planning.
Abnormalities in adenyl cyclase in psoriasis, a hyperproliferative skin disease

Abstract Adenyl cyclase was demonstrated in slices of human skin and in the 650 × g pellet of skin homogenates. The slices were obtained with a keratome, and consisted mostly of epidermis. After the incubation of the slices with [ 3 H] adenine, 3 H was found in cyclic AMP. The accumulation of 3 H in cyclic AMP was enhanced 10–35-fold by the addition of 3.3 μ m epinephrine to the incubation medium, and could also be enhanced up to 4-fold by 10 m m NaF. In skin homogenates, adenyl cyclase was assayed by the formation of [ 32 P] cyclic AMP from [α- 32 P] ATP. More than 70% of the enzyme was found associated with the 650 × g pellet. The enzyme in the membrane preparation had an apparent K m for ATP of 1 m m . The activity was stimulated about 40% by 11 μ m epinephrine and 100% by 10 m m NaF. Skin specimens from psoriatic lesions had less adenyl cyclase activity as assayed in both the tissue slices and the 650 × g pellet of the homogenates. The enzyme in the slices of the diseased skin was less responsive to epinephrine or NaF, and in the 650 × g pellet prepared from psoriatic lesions, was not responsive to epinephrine or NaF. The uninvolved skin of the patients had normal enzymic activity and normal responses to epinephrine and NaF. As psoriasis is characterized by increased proliferation of epidermal cells, it is suggestive that the loss of control of cellular proliferation may be related to defects in the adenyl cyclase system.
Getting drunk with Abū Yazīd or staying sober with Junayd: the creation of a popular typology of Sufism

The first major works of Sufism each systematically define the terms for drunkenness ( sukr ) and sobriety ( sahw ). This article attempts to trace the changes in the definitions of these terms in the tenth- and eleventh-century Sufi manuals, from the oldest example, Abū Nasr al-Sarrāj's (d. 378/988) Kitāb al-Luma ‘ to ‘Alī Hujwīrī's (d. c . 467/1074) Kashf al-mahjūb , and to consider their implications. Hujwīrī provides an extensive debate about the relative value of the two experiences to which the terms refer, and associates arguments on either side with Abū Yazīd al-Bastāmī (d. 261/874–5?) and Abū l-Qāsim al-Junayd (d. 297/910), respectively. While the latter association stands out as innovative because previous commentators had not mentioned these individuals as exemplars of drunkenness and sobriety, it is argued here that Hujwīrī's choice was not entirely arbitrary, but a consequence of the dynamic nature of both biography and the definition of technical terminology.
Training Mental Health Providers in Cultural Competence: A Transformative Learning Process

Cultural competence training is viewed as a strategy to reduce cultural disparities in mental health (Dougherty, 2004). The purpose of this article is to examine the process of becoming more culturally competent. This process evaluation study applied Bennett's Developmental Model of Intercultural Sensitivity to logs written by four cohorts of mental health and psychiatric rehabilitation teams of administrators, mental health practitioners and peer providers who participated in intensive, multicultural, recovery-oriented, continuing education over a 10-month period. Participants submitted logs later coded using Bennett's categories. A nonlinear process of group transformation from ethnocentric to ethnorelative was demonstrated. During the initial and midpoints of the training, there was often a spike in ethnocentrism followed by acceleration in the movement toward ethnorelativism. Findings are discussed in relation to transformative learning theory and implications for design of multicultural training that...
Predicting Aptitude in Introductory Computing: A Classification Model

AbstractThe prediction of success in education has a long tradition. However, such studies in introductory courses in computers have just recently begun. This paper develops a model that classifies students as having high and low aptitude for introductory computing. The model was developed by applying logistic classification analysis. This analysis technique leads to the development of a decision rule that can be used to classify students and the identification of variables relevant to the classification model.
Peer effects in higher education: A look at heterogeneous impacts

Abstract This paper uses data on roommates from two different selective institutions to investigate the effect of peers on first-year performance, with a specific focus on the underlying mechanism. We compare measures of academic ability across student sub-groups by race, income, and gender, and across institutions. Male, minority, and aided students are affected most strongly by their peers. The size and presence of peer effects are dependent on the ability measure used as well as the setting. Standardized estimates suggest ability measured by high school grades have roughly twice the effect of ability measured by SATs. We also test the use of a standardized measure of first-year performance and find more consistent evidence of peer effects across both schools. Our results provide an explanation for the mixed findings in the literature and suggest that the driving force behind peer effects lies in the transfer of general academic know-how rather than in the teaching of specific knowledge or social proximity.
Using the technology of the world wide web to manage clinical information

Practising medicine increasingly requires managing information, particularly in hospital settings. A glance at a typical physician's pile of laboratory results, request forms, reports, and pending discharge summaries is sufficient reminder of this. In the past hard work and good organisation could usually deal with this paper trail, but there is now increasing evidence that important information is lost or misinterpreted even in the best hospitals.1 In addition, the rapid growth in medical knowledge, particularly the biomedical literature, is further taxing our ability to provide optimum care.2 However, we are starting to see real clinical benefits from computerisation of clinical data.3 4 #### Summary points The rapid increase in medical information requires new methods of accessing and organising data The technologies of the world wide web are increasingly being used to manage information within organisations Web sites can be rapidly set up to display text, images, and even video clips Diagnosis programs linked to web sites can be effectively integrated into clinical settings Web technologies provide open standards for developing comprehensive medical information systems Early clinical computing systems were plagued by incompatible standards and lack of potential for growth. A few comprehensive systems were built in specific hospitals but have proved difficult to transport to other settings. Many commercial systems have been used, but they rarely offer the ability to connect to competing systems, often making it difficult even to access basic laboratory data on the wards. With the development of the internet and world wide web, however, it is becoming possible to create comprehensive information systems that are easy to learn and use and relatively quick to develop. In this article we focus on examples of hospital information systems, but, as communication security improves, many of these approaches should apply equally well in general practice.5 It should be no …
A Model for Studying the Hydrodynamic Slurry Behavior in CMP: Discrete and Continuous Phases

Chemical mechanical polishing (CMP) is a manufacturing process in which a wafer surface is polished by pressing it against a rotating pad that is flooded with slurry. The slurry itself is a fluid containing abrasive particles. Past experimentation has shown that the distribution of suspended particles in the slurry is significantly related to the distribution of material removal on the wafer during CMP. Therefore, this study involves the development and simulation of a model that predicts the kinematics and trajectory of the abrasive particles. The simulation results compare well with data from shear cell experiments data conducted by other researchers.Copyright © 2006 by ASME