cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The tracking of lipopolysaccharide through the feto‐maternal compartment and the involvement of maternal TLR4 in inflammation‐induced fetal brain injury

Problem Exposure to intrauterine inflammation (IUI) has been shown to induce fetal brain injury and increase the risk of acquiring a neurobehavioral disorder. The trafficking of the inflammatory mediator, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), in the pregnant female reproductive tract in the setting of IUI and the precise mechanisms by which inflammation induces fetal brain injury are not fully understood. Method of study FITC-labeled LPS was utilized to induce IUI on E15, tissues were collected, and fluorescence was visualized via the Spectrum IVIS. Embryo transfer was utilized to create divergent maternal and fetal genotypes. Wild-type (WT) embryos were transferred into TLR4-/- pseudopregnant dams (TLR4-/-mat /WTfet ). On E15, TLR4-/-mat /WTfet dams or their WT controls (WTmat /WTfet ) received an intrauterine injection of LPS or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Endotoxin and IL-6 levels were assessed in amniotic fluid, and cytokine expression was measured via QPCR. Results Lipopolysaccharide trafficked to the uterus, fetal membranes, placenta, and the fetus and was undetectable in other tissues. Endotoxin was present in the amniotic fluid of all animals exposed to LPS. However, the immune response was blunted in TLR4-/-mat /WTfet compared with WT controls. Conclusion Intrauterine administered LPS is capable of accessing the entire feto-placental unit with or without a functional maternal TLR4. Thus, bacteria or bacterial byproducts in the uterus may negatively impact fetal development regardless of the maternal genotype or endotoxin response. Despite the blunted immune response in the TLR4-deficient dams, an inflammatory response is still ignited in the amniotic cavity and may negatively impact the fetus.
Expanding the resource based view model of strategic human resource management

Strategic human resource management scholars have drawn on the resource-based view of the firm to argue that a high commitment human resource (HCHR) strategy leads to firm competitive advantage by ...
Vietoris-Rips Persistent Homology, Injective Metric Spaces, and The Filling Radius

In the applied algebraic topology community, the persistent homology induced by the Vietoris-Rips simplicial filtration is a standard method for capturing topological information from metric spaces. In this paper, we consider a different, more geometric way of generating persistent homology of metric spaces which arises by first embedding a given metric space into a larger space and then considering thickenings of the original space inside this ambient metric space. In the course of doing this, we construct an appropriate category for studying this notion of persistent homology and show that, in a category theoretic sense, the standard persistent homology of the Vietoris-Rips filtration is isomorphic to our geometric persistent homology provided that the ambient metric space satisfies a property called injectivity. As an application of this isomorphism result we are able to precisely characterize the type of intervals that appear in the persistence barcodes of the Vietoris-Rips filtration of any compact metric space and also to give succinct proofs of the characterization of the persistent homology of products and metric gluings of metric spaces. Our results also permit proving several bounds on the length of intervals in the Vietoris-Rips barcode by other metric invariants. Finally, as another application, we connect this geometric persistent homology to the notion of filling radius of manifolds introduced by Gromov \cite{G07} and show some consequences related to (1) the homotopy type of the Vietoris-Rips complexes of spheres which follow from work of M.~Katz and (2) characterization (rigidity) results for spheres in terms of their Vietoris-Rips persistence barcodes which follow from work of F.~Wilhelm.
Influence of military contraceptive policy changes on contraception use and childbirth rates among new recruits

Background Unplanned pregnancy is a common problem among United States servicewomen. Variation among service branches in contraceptive education and access during initial training is associated with differences in contraceptive use and childbirth rates despite access to a uniform health benefit including no-cost reproductive healthcare and contraception. However, it is unclear whether changes in branch-specific contraceptive policies can influence reproductive outcomes among junior enlisted women in that service branch. Objective To assess the longitudinal effect of contraceptive policy changes on contraception use and childbirth rates among military recruits. Materials and Methods Secondary analysis was performed of insurance records from 70,852 servicewomen who started basic training between October 2013 and December 2016, assessing the longitudinal impact of a Navy policy change expanding contraceptive access during basic training implemented in January 2015, and a Marine Corps policy change restricting contraceptive access during basic training implemented in January 2016 on the following: contraception use (pills, patches, rings, injectable, implantable, and intrauterine) at 6 months, long-acting reversible contraception use at 6 months, and childbirth prior to 24 months after service entry. We used logistic and Cox regression models, adjusted for age group, to compare outcomes of women in the Navy and Marine Corps who started basic training before and after their service branch’s policy change with outcomes among women in the Army and Air Force. Results Compared to the longitudinal difference observed among women attending Army or Air Force basic training, changing policies to increase contraceptive access during Navy basic training in January 2015 increased contraception use from 33.1% of sailors to 39.2% of sailors before and after the policy change (interaction term odds ratio, 1.31; 95% confidence interval, 1.22−1.41) and long-acting reversible contraception use 11.0% to 22.7% (odds ratio, 1.78; 95% confidence interval, 1.50−2.08). However, this policy change was not associated with a decline in childbirth rates among sailors (7.5% versus 6.1%) relative to the change among women in the Army and Air Force over the same time period (interaction term hazard ratio, 0.90; 95% confidence interval, 0.79−1.03). The January 2016 Marine Corps policy change decreased contraception use (29.6% to 24.4%; odds ratio, 0.78; 95% confidence interval, 0.70−0.88), long-acting reversible contraception use 14.6% to 7.3% (odds ratio, 0.39; 95% confidence interval, 0.31−0.48), and increased childbirth rates (8.0% to 9.6%; hazard ratio, 1.26; 95% confidence interval, 1.03−1.55) among Marines compared to outcomes in the Army and Air Force over the same time period. Conclusion Basic training contraceptive policy influences contraception use among junior enlisted servicewomen. Implementing best practices across the military may increase contraception use and decrease childbirth rates among junior enlisted servicewomen.
Identifying Common Errors in Distribution System Models

This paper discusses common types of errors that are frequently present in utility distribution system models and which can significantly influence distribution planning and operational assessments that rely on the model accuracy. Based on Google Earth imagery and analysis of correlation coefficients, this paper also illustrates some common error types and demonstrates methods to correct the errors. Error types include misla-beled interconnections between customers and service transformers, three-phase customers labeled as single-phase, unmarked transformers, and customers lacking coordinates. Identifying and correcting for these errors is critical for accurate distribution planning and operational assessments, such as load flow and hosting capacity analysis.
The Effect of Evidentiary Rules on Conviction Rates

In a criminal trial, a jury may observe characteristics about the defendant (or victim) and use them to form a belief on the likelihood of guilt. Many evidentiary rules attempt to limit this inference. If jury beliefs are rational, such rules may be counterproductive. Any prohibition on the use of defendant characteristics as a form of evidence will never simultaneously reduce conviction rates for the innocent and increase conviction rates for the guilty. In fact, the opposite will occur under plausible conditions. However, if juries are sufficiently biased in their beliefs about guilt rates within groups of defendants, an evidentiary rule may simultaneously reduce wrongful convictions and increase rightful convictions.
A Qualitative Analysis of Patient-Related Factors Associated With Implantable Cardioverter Defibrillator Acceptance.

Patient-related factors determining implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) use for primary prevention of sudden cardiac death in patients with cardiomyopathy have not been well explored. To assess race and sex differences regarding ICD preferences in this patient population, we sought to analyze a diverse cohort of patients with heart failure (HF) with reduced ejection fraction. We conducted qualitative interviews of 28 adults with severe HF and either (1) an ICD or (2) no ICD. Interviews were recorded, transcribed, and coded using an inductively developed codebook by independent investigators. Coding was fully adjudicated and transcripts were reviewed to identify themes. We recruited patients between 12/2015 and 06/2017, primarily from the outpatient cardiology clinic (24/28 = 86%). Half were women (50%) and 13/28 (46%) were black. Eight did not have an ICD. Neither race nor sex was associated with ICD. Four themes emerged: (1) HF requiring an ICD is profoundly disruptive to patients’ lives; (2) patients had positive, yet unrealistic opinions of ICDs; or (3) Patients had negative/ambivalent opinions of ICDs; (4) medical decision-making included aspects of shared decision-making and informed consent. Patients without ICDs perceived less benefit from ICDs and had less decision support. Participants viewed conversations with providers as insufficient. Needed interventions include the development and validation of processes for informed decisions about ICDs.
Commentary: Teleophthalmology: Opportunities and challenges

The use of purpose-built equipment in community settings by allied health personnel to capture and relay images to experts has overcome some of these limitations, but only for specific indications such as screening for retinopathy of prematurity, age-related macular degeneration, and diabetic retinopathy [ ]protocols for patient identification, informed consent, data privacy, confidentiality, documentation, triaging, billing, and prescription of specific groups of drugs have also been described [ ]teleophthalmology in the context of community screening for specific eye disorders carried out by allied health professionals using appropriate equipment is a shining example of healthcare access being expanded by advancements in technology
A simple model for closure temperature of a trace element in cooling bi-mineralic systems

Abstract Closure temperature is defined as the lower temperature limit at which the element of interest effectively ceases diffusive exchange with its surrounding medium during cooling. Here we generalize the classic equation of Dodson (1973) for cooling mono-mineralic systems to cooling bi-mineralic aggregates by considering diffusive exchange of a trace element between the two minerals in a closed system. We present a simple analytical model that includes key parameters affecting the closure temperature of a trace element in cooling bi-mineralic systems: cooling rate, temperature-dependent diffusion coefficients for the trace element in the two minerals, temperature-dependent partition coefficient of the trace element between the two minerals, effective grain sizes of the two minerals, and volume proportions of the minerals in the system. We show that closure temperatures of a trace element in cooling bi-mineralic systems are bounded by the closure temperatures of the trace element in the two mono-mineralic systems and that our generalized model reduces to Dodson’s equation when one of the mineral serves as “an effective infinite” reservoir to the other mineral. Application to closure temperatures of REE in orthopyroxene and clinopyroxene bi-mineralic systems highlights the importance of REE diffusion and partitioning in the pyroxenes as well as clinopyroxene modal abundance and grain size in the systems. Closure temperatures for REE in two-pyroxene bearing equigranular rocks are controlled primarily by diffusion in orthopyroxene unless the modal abundance of clinopyroxene is very small. This has important bearings on the interpretation of temperatures derived from the REE-in-two-pyroxene thermometer.
Effects of Sidetone Amplification on Vocal Function During Telecommunication.

Abstract Purpose Society has become increasingly dependent on telecommunication, which has been shown to negatively impact vocal function. This study explores the use of sidetone regulation during audio-visual communication as one potential technique to alleviate the effects of telecommunication on the voice. Method The speech acoustics of 18 participants with typical voices were measured during conversational tasks during three conditions of sidetone amplification: baseline (no sidetone amplification), low sidetone amplification, and high sidetone amplification. Vocal intensity, vocal quality (estimated using acoustic measures of the low-high ratio and the smoothed cepstral peak prominence), and self-perceived vocal effort were used to measure the impacts of sidetone amplification on vocal function. Results Compared to baseline, there were statistically significant decreases in vocal intensity and increases in low-high ratio in the high level of sidetone amplification condition. Changes in these measures were not significantly correlated. When asked to rank conditions based on their perceived vocal effort, participants most often ranked the high level of sidetone amplification as least effortful; however, the visual-analog ratings of vocal effort were not significantly different between conditions. The smoothed cepstral peak prominence did not change with varying levels of sidetone amplification. Conclusions Vocal intensity decreased with high levels of sidetone amplification. High levels of sidetone amplification also resulted in increases in the low-high ratio, which were shown to be more than just a byproduct of decreased vocal intensity. The impact of sidetone amplification on vocal effort was less clear, but results suggested that participants generally decreased their vocal effort with increased levels of sidetone amplification. This was a preliminary study and future work is warranted in a population of participants with voice complaints and in a more noisy, realistic environments.
Master Techniques in Ophthalmic Surgery

Anterior chamber choroid conjuctiva cornea extraocular muscles eyelids globe intraocular pressure iris and ciliary body lacrimal system lens optic nerve orbit refractive disorders retina sclera vitreous.
Nondestructive Evaluation of Composite Material Using Ultrasound

Fiber-reinforced composites are finding an increasing use in the aerospace industry. Initially the FRP components constituted only the noncritical components of the structure. Now the composites are being used in the primary load bearing members. After undergoing a certain amount of usage, the mechanical, thermal and environmental loading produces a complex damage state which includes transverse cracks, longitudinal splits, delaminations, debonding, etc. Almost all the NDT techniques are geared towards the estimation of the extent of damage to the structure. From these results it is expected that the damage modelers will be able to estimate the residual stiffness and residual strength and life of the structure. We have used ultrasonic waves to study the changes in stiffness of the structure as the damage progresses. This work will help the damage modelers in furthering their analysis.
Lattice Dynamics of Colloidal Crystals During Photopolymerization of Acrylic Monomer Matrix

The photoinitiated bulk polymerization process, which has been used recently in the manufacture of solid optical diffraction filters, is examined to understand the dynamics of both the crystalline colloidal arrays (CCA) and the host monomer species. Our analysis indicates that volume shrinkage of the monomer, changes in the dielectric properties of the monomer, and inhomogeneities of polymerization reaction rate across the dispersion during the polymerization process, are the major contributors for observed lattice compression and lattice disorder of the CCA of silica spheres in polymerized acrylic/methacrylic ester films. The effect of orientation of photocell with respect to the radiation source on Bragg diffraction of CCA indicated the presence of convective stirring in the thin fluid system during the photopolymerization that deleteriously affects the periodic array structures. To devise reproducible and more efficient optical filters, experimental methods to minimize or eliminate convective instabilities in monomeric dispersions during polymerization are suggested.
Nitrogen regulation of lignin peroxidase gene transcription.

Abstract Western blot (immunoblot) analysis with a polyclonal antibody to lignin peroxidase (LiP) isozyme H8 from the white rot basidiomycete Phanerochaete chrysosporium demonstrates that LiP protein is detectable in the extracellular media of 5- and 6-day-old nitrogen-limited, but not nitrogen-sufficient, cultures. Northern (RNA) blot analysis demonstrates that lip mRNA is detectable from 5- and 6-day old cells grown in nitrogen-limited, but not nitrogen-sufficient, cultures. These results indicate that LiP expression is regulated at the level of gene transcription by nutrient nitrogen. Since lignin degradation by P. chrysosporium is derepressed by nitrogen starvation, it appears that lignin degradation and LiP expression are coordinately regulated in this organism. These results contradict a recent report which concluded that LiP protein expression is not regulated by nutrient nitrogen (C. G. Johnston and S. D. Aust, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 200:108-112, 1994).
Gluconate Regulation of Glucose Catabolism in Pseudomonas fluorescens

Induction of Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes in Pseudomonas fluorescens was investigated to study the role of gluconate as a possible inducer. Glucose oxidase-deficient mutants were isolated and characterized. One of these mutants, gox-7, was deficient in particulate glucose oxidase; another mutant, gox-17, was deficient in particulate glucose and gluconate oxidase activities. Gluconate, but not glucose, induced synthesis of gluconokinase and 6-phosphogluconate dehydratase in both mutants. High constitutive levels of 2-keto-3-deoxy-6-phosphogluconate aldolase were found when both mutants were grown on glucose. Growth of parent and both mutant strains on glycerol also resulted in high levels of Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes. It was concluded that glucose cannot serve as an inducer molecule for derepression of Entner-Doudoroff pathway enzymes in P. fluorescens. Evidence presented provides good support for gluconate being the true inducer of this pathway in P. fluorescens. A relationship is presented for explaining distribution of the Entner-Doudoroff pathway in certain groups of bacteria.
Lashley, Karl S.

Karl S. Lashley was a major figure of twentieth-century neuropsychology, whose work on the relation between brain function and behavior, especially learning and memory, has proved seminal. Keywords: neuropsychology; Hebb; memory trace; mass action; reverberatory circuit
Retributive Sentencing, Multiple Offenders, and Bulk Discounts

This paper concerns how retributive sentencing theory would have us sentence individuals who have been convicted of multiple offenses. A purely consecutive approach to sentencing would have multiple offenders serve the sentences for their crimes one right after the other, with no "bulk discounts." A purely concurrent approach would have multiple offenders serve only the sentence for their most serious offense. This would, in effect, grant multiple offenders substantial bulk discounts. I argue that neither approach is satisfactory and defend a moderate consecutivism, according to which multiple offenders should receive bulk discounts but should have to serve longer sentences than purely concurrent approaches would require of them. I then illustrate my proposal by considering different kinds of multiple offenders.
Progressive taxation in sequential decisionmaking: Deterministic and stochastic analysis

Abstract This paper investigates the effect of progressive taxation on sequential decisionmaking. The decision is the archetypical problem of capital theory: determining the optimal cutting time for a tree that grows according to either a deterministic or stochastic process. For the deterministic model, the optimal cutting time is unaffected by proportional taxes, but decreases as taxes become more progressive. For the stochastic model, the major finding is that uncertainty can partially offset the inefficiency induced by progressive taxation; when this result holds the government benefits from increased uncertainty whereas the taxpayer is harmed. One noteworthy example of this is when the tree's growth is governed by Brownian motion.
Identity and Form

Recent controversies over identity claims have prompted questions about who should qualify for affirmative action, who counts as family, who is a man or a woman, and who is entitled to the benefits of U.S. citizenship. Commentators across the political spectrum have made calls to settle these debates with evidence of official designations on birth certificates, application forms, or other records. This move toward formalities seeks to transcend the usual divide between those who believe identities should be determined based on objective biological or social standards, and those who believe identities are a matter of individual choice. Yet legal scholars have often overlooked the role of formalities in identity determination doctrines. This Article identifies and describes the phenomenon of “formal identity,” in which the law recognizes those identities individuals claim for themselves by executing formalities. Drawing on Lon Fuller’s classic work on the benefits of formality in commercial law contexts, it offers a theory explaining the appeal of formal identity. But it concludes that reformers should be skeptical of the concept. Formal identity may set traps for the unwary, eliminate space for subversive or marginal identities, and legitimize identity-based systems of inequality. Ultimately, this Article urges critical examination not merely of formal identity, but of the functions identity categories serve in the law.
Use of VHDL to model and simulate analog-digital ICs

Demonstrates a method of modeling mixed analog and digital circuits by VHDL and simulating the circuits on a VHDL event driven simulator. Some major limitations of VHDL in analog or mixed analog-digital circuits can be modeled and simulated in VHDL through behavioral modeling to avoid the restrictions of VHDL. An oversampling sigma-delta analog-to-digital (A/D) converter is simulated using a VHDL simulator as an example of the method. The example demonstrates that analog or mixed analog-digital circuits can be modeled and simulated in VHDL through behavioral modeling to avoid the restrictions of VHDL. >
The infrared transmission spectra of four silicate glasses before and after exposure to water

The infrared transmission spectra of four silicate glasses were investigated. By using blown glass films, 1–2 μm thick, detailed infrared transmission spectra were generated over the 4000–180 cm−1 range, both before and after the films were exposed to water. The water had little effect on the spectra of the 70SiO2–20Na2O–10Al2O3 (mol %) and Pyrex compositions, but had a large effect on the spectra of the 70SiO2–30Na2O (mol %) and Corning 015 compositions. The Si–O nonbridged stretching band at ∼950 cm−1 and a largely overlooked bending band at ∼600 cm−1 were the bands most sensitive to hydration in the 70/30 and 015 compositions. Changes were also seen in the Si–O–Si bridged stretching bands at ∼1050 cm−1 and ∼770 cm−1. The water, however, had no effect on the dominant Si–O–Si bending band at 460 cm−1. It was also discovered that the 70/30 and 015 films reacted with the atmosphere to form a carbonate layer on their surface. This carbonate accounted for the 1450 cm−1 and 230 cm−1 bands seen in their infrared transmission spectra.
Health Practices and Indices of a Poor Urban Population in Indonesia Part II: Immunization, Nutrition, and Incidence of Diarrhea

This second section in a two-part study of health indices and practices among a poor urban population in Indonesia focuses on problems related to immunization, nutrition, and incidence of diarrhea. Through a survey of 690 mothers and 593 children in two slum communities in Jakarta, we found that 1) 65% of the children were mildly to severely malnourished according to Gomez criteria, with malnutrition most prevalent among the poorest; 2) 75% of the mothers reported exclusive breastfeeding of their infants during the first four months after birth, but breastfeeding decreased sharply with increasing socioeconomic status; 3) of the 19% of one- to three-year-old children who were incompletely immunized, most were likely to be missing their measles and DPT3 immunizations; and 4) 28% of the mothers reported that at least one of their under-three-year-old children had diarrhea in the last month, with frequency of reporting highest among poor mothers and those using water from vendors. We concluded that selective interventions should be accompanied by development of a comprehensive health infrastructure that permits uninterrupted service delivery and follow up of those identified as high risk. Such a comprehensive primary health care system should be part of a multisectoral development strategy.
Morphological response of human endothelial cells subjected to cyclic strain in vitro.

Abstract Endothelial cells (EC) are subjected to hemodynamic forces in vivo . However, most in vitro studies of EC biology have been performed utilizing stationary culture conditions. To study the morphology and cytoskeletal features of EC under dynamic culture conditions, we utilized a system capable of exerting repetitive strain on cells in culture. Human saphenous vein EC were plated to a subconfluent density in 25-mm wells with a thin flexible bottom and a rat collagen, Type I surface. A −20 kPascals vacuum applied to the bottoms led to a maximum deformation of 24%. EC were exposed to 0.5 sec deformation alternating with 0.5 sec relaxation (60 cycles/min) for 24 hr. EC were fixed with formalin at different time intervals and stained with crystal violet. Actin filaments were stained with rhodamine phalloidin, an F-actin marker, while β-tubulin and vimentin were visualized by immunofluorescent antibody techniques. Within 15 min after initiation of cyclic strain, actin stress fibers were aligned perpendicular to the force vector. By 12 hr of cyclic strain EC were elongated and oriented in the same direction as the actin filaments. EC elongation and alignment were inhibited by cytochalasin B. Even up to 24 hr of cyclic strain, β-tubulin and vimentin distributions were unaltered. We propose that cyclic strain of EC in vitro influences cell alignment and elongation by a mechanism dependent on the actin filament system.
Sustaining Fair Organization An Interpretive View Of Justice In Organizational Life

Most organizational justice research investigates employees’ perceptions of fairness with respect to particular policies, procedures, and/or interactions. This article proposes an alternative approach to justice concerns and describes an interpretive research project where attention focused on the verbal practices of five human resource (HR) managers during interactions involving the making, applying, or interpreting of organizational policies. In so doing, it introduces the concept of fair organization to organizational justice theory and describes two interactive verbal practices, hedging intent and demonstrating purpose, employed by HR managers as a means of sustaining fair organization for themselves and for others. The article concludes with a discussion of the opportunities that an interpretive approach to issues of organizational justice provides for management scholarship.
The method of closest approach for finding nonisolate zeros of functions

In this paper, an asymptotic analysis is presented for determining the nonisolated zeros of certain functions by the method of closest approach. The theory presented here generalizes much of the known results in this area and new asymptotic convergence rates are established.
COMPLEX STRUCTURE IN CLASS 0 PROTOSTELLAR ENVELOPES

We use archived Infrared Array Camera images from the Spitzer Space Telescope to show that many Class 0 protostars exhibit complex, irregular, and non-axisymmetric structure within their dusty envelopes. Our 8 μm extinction maps probe some of the densest regions in these protostellar envelopes. Many of the systems are observed to have highly irregular and non-axisymmetric morphologies on scales 1000 AU, with a quarter of the sample exhibiting filamentary or flattened dense structures. Complex envelope structure is observed in regions spatially distinct from outflow cavities, and the densest structures often show no systematic alignment perpendicular to the cavities. These results indicate that mass ejection is not responsible for much of the irregular morphologies we detect; rather, we suggest that the observed envelope complexity is mostly the result of collapse from protostellar cores with initially non-equilibrium structures. The striking non-axisymmetry in many envelopes could provide favorable conditions for the formation of binary systems. We also note that protostars in the sample appear to be formed preferentially near the edges of clouds or bends in filaments, suggesting formation by gravitational focusing.
Mechanism by which HLA-DR4 regulates sex-bias of arthritis in humanized mice.

HLA class II allele DRB1*0401 is associated with predisposition to Rheumatoid Arthritis in humans as well as collagen-induced arthritis in mice. Predominantly females develop arthritis in humans and DR4 transgenic mice; however the mechanism of sex-bias is still unknown. We have investigated the molecular basis by which DR4 is associated with sex-bias of arthritis. Here we show that differential antigen-specific immune mechanisms in DR4 male and female mice lead to increased susceptibility in female mice. B cells are hyperactive and present DR-restricted peptides robustly in females compared to males. Antigen-specific response showed that females produced B cell modulating cytokines like IL-13 while males produced IFNγ. Male transgenic mice have higher number of T and B regulatory cells. An exogenous supply of 17β estradiol in male mice led to enhanced expression of DR4 and antigen-specific response to DR4-restricted peptides. On the other hand, castration increased the incidence of arthritis. We propose that sex-bias in arthritis involves B cells and presentation of antigen by HLA-DR4 leading to activation of autoreactive cells and autoantibodies production in females, while regulatory B cells in males protect them from pathogenesis. The transgenic mice expressing RA susceptible haplotype simulate human RA and may be valuable to study gender differences observed in patients.
The adaptor TRAF3 restrains the lineage determination of thymic regulatory T cells by modulating signaling via the receptor for IL-2

The number of Foxp3+ regulatory T cells (Treg cells) must be tightly controlled for efficient suppression of autoimmunity with no impairment of normal immune responses. Here we found that the adaptor TRAF3 was intrinsically required for restraining the lineage determination of thymic Treg cells. T cell-specific deficiency in TRAF3 resulted in a two- to threefold greater frequency of Treg cells, due to the more efficient transition of precursors of Treg cells into Foxp3+ Treg cells. TRAF3 dampened interleukin 2 (IL-2) signaling by facilitating recruitment of the tyrosine phosphatase TCPTP to the IL-2 receptor complex, which resulted in dephosphorylation of the signaling molecules Jak1 and Jak3 and negative regulation of signaling via Jak and the transcription factor STAT5. Our results identify a role for TRAF3 as an important negative regulator of signaling via the IL-2 receptor that affects the development of Treg cells.
Limit cycle structure for dynamic bi-threshold systems

In this paper we determine the limit cycle structures of synchronous and sequential finite dynamical systems governed by dynamic bi-threshold functions over non-uniform networks. So far, work in this area has been concerned with static threshold values, and our results generalize these. In particular, this includes the celebrated result by Goles and Olivos on synchronous neural networks (1981) 5, the work by Kuhlman et al. (2012) 12 on static bi-threshold systems, and the work by Chang et al. (2014) 2 on dynamic standard threshold systems.In our work, the state of each vertex v includes the usual binary state x v ? { 0 , 1 } , the dynamic up-thresholds k v ? and down-thresholds k v ? whose values change only upon a transition of x v . We show that the projection of the periodic orbits onto the Boolean x-dynamics have maximal size 2 under the synchronous update method regardless of how the up- and down-thresholds evolve. The proof is a careful extension of the technique originally developed in the proof by Goles and Olivos (1981) 5 and which was later modified by Kuhlman et al. (2012) 12 to cover bi-threshold systems. We also derive sufficient conditions on the evolution of the up- and down-thresholds that ensures that the sequential systems only have fixed points as limit sets. The results should be relevant for modeling and analyzing a large range of social and biological systems where agent adaptation occurs and needs to be accounted for.
Clinical Use of Silicone Nipple Shields

Use of nipple shields is controversial. However, when weaning is imminent, they may enable breast-refusing infants to transfer back to the breast. A chart review of 248 clients seen during a 13-month period in a private lactation clinic revealed 32 women who received thin, silicone nipple shields. Among this group, the most common presenting problems were breast refusal (69 percent) and difficulty with latch (25 percent). Bottles had been introduced in 75 percent of these cases. Thirty-eight percent of the mothers using nipple shields weaned their infants during the initial crisis period; 56 percent continued to breastfeed for at least six weeks postpartum. Two ill infants continued to receive human milk by bottle for four and 12 months respectively. Parity appeared to correspond inversely with success of the shield intervention. The presence of flat or inverted nipples appeared to contribute to the phenomenon described as "nipple confusion."
International Industrial Buyer Behavior. An Exploration and a Proposed Model

A large proportion of world’s trade revolves around a long list of industrial products which are pruchased by industrial buyers. Although it has been suggested that the impact of culture on international markets is more predominant in the consumer goods than industrial goods (Keegan 1984), little has been done in terms of understanding other variables besides culture that effect the international industrial buyer and his/her behavior.
The gender of resistance in Communist Poland.

TWENTY-FIVE YEARS AFTER THE JUNE 1956 UPRISING IN POZNAN', Solidarity labor leaders in that city unveiled a monument to those who died in that struggle; two massive crosses, lashed together, were emblazoned with five dates of popular struggle against communism: 1956, 1968, 1970, 1976, and 1980. At least until recently, every Pole knew the meaning of this litany of dates and could connect them to the seemingly inevitable fall of communism. Indeed, the history of the Polish People's Republic is framed largely by the drama of Polish resistance. Towering over the nation both literally and figuratively, that series of monumental dates has forced postwar Polish history into a rather tight teleology. The events of those years seem to accelerate and build on one another until they culminate in the victory of a presumably informed and organized society in 1988-1989. Poland was the site of the most sustained and articulate resistance to state communism anywhere in the world. No case is better .documented or more evidently central to the fall of communism. These events of resistance are the most compelling-and hopefulmoments in the otherwise gray era of communist rule, in Poland or elsewhere. The events of the last decade have challenged many assumptions about the communist experience in Europe. While some questions-about the nature of "revolution" and "transition," or about desires for democracy and the free market-are already the focus of new academic subfields, the central question of opposition to communism remains largely unexamined. Who participated, and why? What effect did opposition have on the communist regimes? How should historians evaluate the experience of opposition? Surely it is impossible to understand either communism or its fall if we do not know what opposition in fact was. The Poznan' monument is emblematic of the difficulty of studying Polish resistance to communism. As monolithic as opposition may seem fifteen or twenty-five years later, it was not experienced the same way by all Poles, even all Polish workers. In fact, divisions in Polish society were no less than those that
Vapor expulsion and loss from a graphite furnace atomizer

Abstract The independent effects of analyte loss by diffusion, thermal expansion, and expulsion caused by gas evolution from the matrix have been studied. Experimentally isolating these phenomena is nearly impossible and models have been used to ascertain the impact of these individual processes. Under most conditions thermal expansion of the gas within the furnace volume during ramp heating contributes significantly to analyte ejection. The thermal expansion loss becomes increasingly important for volatile metals and high heating rates. Diffusion dominates for lower heating rates and elevated temperatures. Gas evolution by the matrix is significant in expelling the analyte from the furnace only when a near-coincidence in appearance times of analyte and matrix exist. Strong dependencies also are exhibited by the appearance temperature of the matrix gas and the evolution rate of the gas from the surface. Velocity profiles of gas within the furnace as well as the dependencies of these loss mechanisms on furnace geometries also are presented.
Novel plant communities limit the effects of a managed flood to restore riparian forests along a large regulated river

Dam releases used to create downstream flows that mimic historic floods in timing, peak magnitude and recession rate are touted as key tools for restoring riparian vegetation on large regulated rivers. We analysed a flood on the 5th-order Green River below Flaming Gorge Dam, Colorado, in a broad alluvial valley where Fremont cottonwood riparian forests have senesced and little recruitment has occurred since dam completion in 1962. The stable post dam flow regime triggered the development of novel riparian communities with dense herbaceous plant cover. We monitored cottonwood recruitment on landforms inundated by a managed flood equal in magnitude and timing to the average pre-dam flood. To understand the potential for using managed floods as a riparian restoration tool, we implemented a controlled and replicated experiment to test the effects of artificially modified ground layer vegetation on cottonwood seedling establishment. Treatments to remove herbaceous vegetation and create bare ground included herbicide application (H), ploughing (P), and herbicide plus ploughing (H + P). Treatment improved seedling establishment. Initial seedling densities on treated areas were as much as 1200% higher than on neighbouring control (C) areas, but varied over three orders of magnitude among the five locations where manipulations were replicated. Only two replicates showed the expected seedling density rank of (H + P) > P > H> C. Few seedlings established in control plots and none survived 1 year. Seedling density was strongly affected by seed rain density. Herbivory affected growth and survivorship of recruits, and few survived nine growing seasons. Our results suggest that the novel plant communities are ecologically and geomorphically resistant to change. Managed flooding alone, using flows equal to the pre-dam mean annual peak flood, is an ineffective riparian restoration tool where such ecosystem states are present and floods cannot create new habitat for seedling establishment. This problem significantly limits long-term river and riparian management options. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Quality of Life from the Perspective of the Elderly

In an attempt to discern the aspects of quality of life that are particularly relevant to the aged, 961 adults (age 65 or older) were interviewed and asked to assess their housing, health, social relations and activities, life satisfaction, independence, and economic conditions. The results of factor analysis procedure revealed that social and physical isolation and eco nomic achievement were the most salient factors of quality of life satisfaction. Factor Index—a composite index of quality of life indicators—showed that quality of life as perceived by the elderly varies according to geographical areas. The implication of these findings for future studies is suggested.
Explicit action of E7(7) on N=8 supergravity fields

We present an explicit, exact to all orders in gravitational coupling E7(7) symmetry transformations of on-shell N=8 supergravity fields in the gauge with 70 scalars in E7(7)SU(8) coset space, the local SU(8) symmetry being fixed. The non-linear realization of E7(7) includes a field-dependent SU(8) transformation preserving the unitary gauge. We find the conserved Noether–Gaillard–Zumino current of E7(7) symmetry, the linear part of it being a chiral SU(8) symmetry. We comment on the conformal realization of the E7(7) algebra which includes a dilatation operator. We hope that these results can be useful for studies of anomalies/absence of anomalies and the UV behavior of N=8 supergravity.
Maintenance of proliferative capacity during avian myogenesis is independent of fusion-permissive calcium ion concentration.

Abstract Skeletal muscle differentiation is normally accompanied by the permanent withdrawal of myogenic nuclei from the proliferative cycle. However, embryonic Japanese quail ( Coturnix coturnix japonica) myoblasts which have been prevented from fusing in vitro by the addition of EGTA to the culture medium retain the capacity to re-enter the cell cycle following accumulation of muscle-specific myosin [1]. We have therefore investigated the roles of Ca 2+ and fusion in the withdrawal of myogenic cells from the cell cycle. Using three defined media which differ in Ca 2+ and in the ability to promote fusion, we examined the ability of differentiation-competent myoblasts to resume proliferation with increased time in G1. Under these conditions, there is a periodic variation in the ability of the myoblasts to respond to mitogenic stimulation, irrespective of the medium employed. These results indicate that loss of proliferative capacity during myogenesis is independent of Ca 2+ .
Use of a chemical reaction for mechano-optical signal transduction

A novel reaction system for generating optical response from a mechanical stimulus is reported. The reaction system exhibits an oscillatory optical response which can be regulated by means of an external mechanical variable. Color formation is initiated by mechanical perturbation while the system undergoes a transition to a colorless state in the absence of a mechanical stimulus. The unique mechanochromic characteristics of the redox reaction between the reduced form of β-nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) and the oxidized form of the redox-active dye 2,6-dichlorophenolindophenol (DPIP) are utilized to translate a mechanical signal to an optical output for use as a simple solution-based mechano-optical signal transducer.
Cooperative Learning, Collaborative Learning, and Interaction: Three Communicative Strands in the Language Classroom

This article describes important distinctions among three strands of communication in the foreign or second language (L2) classroom: cooperative learning, collaborative learning, and interaction. These three strands have different connotations, which, when understood, can help us better comprehend language learning and teaching. Cooperative learning refers to a particular set of classroom techniques that foster learner interdependence as a route to cognitive and social development. Collaborative learning has a “social constructivist” philosophical base, which views learning as construction of knowledge within a social context and which therefore encourages acculturation of individuals into a learning community. Interaction is the broadest of the three terms and refers to personal communication, which is facilitated by an understanding of four elements: language tasks, willingness to communicate, style differences, and group dynamics.
Differentiating neural responses to emotional pictures: evidence from temporal-spatial PCA.

Consistent with the notion that emotional stimuli receive preferential attention and perceptual processing, many eventrelated potential (ERP) components appear sensitive to emotional stimuli. In an effort to differentiate components that are sensitive to emotional versus neutral stimuli, the current study utilized temporospatial principal components analysis to analyze ERPs from a large sample (N 5 82) while pleasant, neutral, and unpleasant images were passively viewed. Several factors sensitive to emotional stimuli were identifiedFcorresponding to the N1, early posterior negativity (EPN), and P3; multiple factors resembling the late positive potential (LPP) emerged. Results indicate that the N1 represents the earliest component modulated by emotional stimuli; the EPN and the LPP represent unique components; the scalp-recorded LPP appears to include a P3-like positivity as well as additional positivities at occipital and central recording sites.
Complications of left heart catheterizations using the right transthoracic approach.

Abstract We have reported the complications encountered during our series of left heart catheterizations. Of the 113 patients catheterized, hypotension developed in 3, sufficient chest pain to require analgesics was present in 19, hemoptysis appeared in 2, and routine, 24-hour chest roentgenograms revealed air or fluid in a pleural cavity in 8. In 3 instances, major complications have occurred in the form of embolic phenomena and cardiac tamponade. There have been no deaths. The incidence of complications has been significantly higher in cases in which the left atrium was not entered on the first attempt. It has been our impression, and that of other investigators, that puncturing the base of the aorta carries the greatest risk. The safety of the procedure, as carried out here, compares favorably with that of other investigators. It is our conclusion, therefore, that left heart catheterization, utilizing the right transthoracic approach to the atrium, is sufficiently safe to use in cases of diagnostic problems involving the aortic or mitral valves.
Texture and stress analysis of 120 nm copper interconnects

A scanning transmission electron microscope diffraction technique was used to determine the local orientation of copper grains in 120 nm copper interconnect (CI) lines. These grains exhibit a normal orientation while the and the type orientations are present along the length and width of the CI line, respectively. Stresses, as high as 625 MPa, are present at the copper/diffusion barrier triple junctions that in conjunction with large stress gradients may induce stress-induced void formation upon thermal cycling.