cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A novel approach to study markers of dopamine signaling in peripheral immune cells

Human monocytes express known markers of dopamine synthesis, storage and clearance, including dopamine transporter (DAT), tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), all subtypes of dopamine receptors and vesicular monoamine transporter 2 (VMAT2). Immunohistochemical and immunofluorescent methodologies have traditionally been employed to determine DAT and TH expression in the CNS, their detection in the blood and specifically in the peripheral monocytes has not been studied by flow cytometry. Flow cytometry assays are widely used in medicine and in basic, preclinical or clinical research to quantify physical and chemical characteristics of target cell populations. Here, we have established a highly sensitive and reproducible flow cytometry panel to detect and quantify DAT and TH expression in freshly isolated or cryopreserved human peripheral monocytes. In healthy humans (n = 41 biological replicates), we show baseline DAT and TH expressing monocytes constitute ~12% of the peripheral blood mononuclear cell (PBMC) fraction when examined in fresh isolation from whole blood. Using an identical flow cytometry panel, we found that cryopreservation of PBMCs using multiple techniques resulted in altered PBMC populations as compared to fresh isolation and relative to one another. Among these, we identified an optimum cryopreservation method for detecting TH and DAT in cryopreserved PBMCs. Our data provide a sensitive and reproducible approach to examine dopamine signaling in peripheral human immune cells. This approach can be applied to study peripheral dopamine signaling under healthy and potentially under disease conditions. The use of dopamine signaling could also be explored as a technique to monitor therapeutic interventions particularly those targeting DAT and TH in the periphery.
Lead in drinking water at North Carolina childcare centers: Piloting a citizen science-based testing strategy

Abstract Background Drinking water is a lingering hazard in the effort to eliminate childhood exposure to lead (Pb), a neurotoxin that affects cognitive and behavioral development. This study characterized Pb in municipal drinking water at North Carolina, US, childcare centers. The study also demonstrates a scalable, citizen science-based drinking water testing strategy for Pb at childcare centers. Methods Licensed childcare centers in four North Carolina counties were recruited. One administrator per center completed a survey and was trained to collect first-draw drinking water samples in their center. Samples were shipped with pre-paid labels for laboratory analysis using inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry. Multilevel logistic regression and Bayesian network analysis were used to identify factors associated with a risk of exceeding the 1 μg/L American Academy of Pediatrics reference level and the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) 15 μg/L treatment-based action level. Results were provided to centers along with risk mitigation recommendations. Results Of 103 enrolled centers, 86 completed the study, submitting 1,266 drinking water samples in total. Approximately 77% of drinking water samples contained detectable Pb (≥0.1 μg/L), and 97% of centers had at least one drinking water sample with detectable Pb. More than 63% of centers had at least one drinking water sample with >1 μg/L Pb, and 17% of centers had at least one drinking water sample with Pb above 15 μg/L. There was high variability in Pb concentrations at water points within the same center. Discussion This study demonstrated a high prevalence and variability of Pb in first-draw samples of drinking water at childcare centers in North Carolina, US. Results underscore the importance of testing for Pb at every tap used for drinking and cooking in childcare centers. The use of employees as citizen scientists is a feasible strategy to identify Pb in specific drinking water taps.
Keynes Had No ‘Hidden Method’ in the A Treatise on Probability (1921): Keynes's Method Is an Explicit Inductive Logic Built on Inexact Measurement and Approximation, Which Was Openly Based on Boole’s Non Linear, Non Additive Approach Using Interval Values Probability

J M Keynes’s method was explicitly introduced and used in the A Treatise on Probability in Parts II, III and V. Keynes’s method is an inductive logic built on the mathematical logic and algebra of George Boole. Boole introduced non linearity and non additivity into his approach using interval valued probability that used lower and upper bounds. Boole’s approach, like Keynes’s, deals explicitly with problems like non comparability, non measurability and incommensurability that can’t be dealt with by additive and linear probability representations. Keynes initially introduced a brief discussion of these problems in chapter III of the A Treatise on Probability and Chapter 4 of the General Theory. Keynes called this method inexact measurement and approximation in chapter 15 of the A Treatise on Probability. It is impossible for Keynes to be anti-mathematical,anti-formalist, anti logicist, or a rationalist, given that, building on Boole, he created an inductive logic. Rationalists, by definition, do not accept the concept of induction, which is why they are called deductivists and not inductivists. Keynes, of course, took certain elements of the rationalist perspective and combined these elements (a priori thought, intuition, etc.) with certain elements of empiricism to create an early version of logical empiricism. Similarly, it is impossible for Keynes to have been anti logicist, anti formalist and anti mathematical because his work in Parts II and V of the A Treatise on Probability is logical,formal,and mathematical analysis built directly on the mathematical logic and algebra of George Boole. The belief that Keynes was a rationalist and/or anti logicist, anti formalist and anti mathematical is maintained by economists, such as A. Carabelli and R. O’Donnell, who never read or understood Parts II, III and V of the A Treatise on Probability or chapters 16-21 of G Boole’s 1854 The Laws of Thought. It is impossible for Keynes to be a rationalist and proclaim at the end of chapter 26 of the A Treatise on Probability that probability is the guide to life since all rationalists reject inductive logic.
Cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies in Arctic and alpine lakes: implications of global change for remote lakes

Environmental change is continuing to affect the flow of nutrients, material and organisms across ecosystem boundaries. These cross-system flows are termed ecosystem subsidies. Here, we synthesize current knowledge of cross-ecosystem nutrient subsidies between remote lakes and their surrounding terrain, cryosphere, and atmosphere. Remote Arctic and alpine lakes are ideal systems to study the effects of cross ecosystem subsidies because (a) they are positioned in locations experiencing rapid environmental changes, (b) they are ecologically sensitive to even small subsidy changes, (c) they have easily defined ecosystem boundaries, and (d) a variety of standard methods exist that allow for quantification of lake subsidies and their impacts on ecological communities and ecosystem functions. We highlight similarities and differences between Arctic and alpine systems and identify current knowledge gaps to be addressed with future work. It is important to understand the dynamics of nutrient and material flows between lakes and their environments in order to improve our ability to predict ecosystem responses to continued environmental change.
Rare Presentation of a Rare Tumor: Histiocytic Sarcoma.

An 84-year-old male, with a large gouty tophus over the left elbow for 20 years, developed a new left elbow area mass about three months ago and presented to the emergency department (ED) with complaints of bleeding from that left elbow area mass after a small blunt injury. Initially diagnosed as olecranon bursitis, it had the worsening size and atypical growth associated with persistent leukocytosis. After being evaluated by multiple specialties, including infectious diseases, orthopedic surgery, and rheumatology, it was decided to do a biopsy, which resulted in the diagnosis of histiocytic sarcoma.
Detection of Degraded/Aged Cell in a Li-ion Battery Pack using Spread Spectrum Time Domain Reflectometry (SSTDR)

This paper presents a cell-level state of health (SOH) measurement technique based on spread spectrum time domain reflectometry (SSTDR). This arrangement can identify the location and amount of aging associated to the degraded cell in a large battery pack. Variations in SOH of the lithium-ion (Li-ion) cells in a series-parallel connected battery pack is unavoidable because of the manufacturing tolerances and non-uniform operating conditions. As a result, uneven SOH in series-parallel connected cells can lead to affect the performance of the entire battery pack. Therefore, cell level SOH along with the respective cell location is a crucial metric for the battery management system (BMS) to predict the remaining useful life of the entire battery pack. Today's BMS considers the SOH of the entire battery pack/cell string as a single SOH and therefore, cannot monitor the SOH at the cell level. A healthy battery string has a specific impedance between the two terminals, and any aged cell in that string will change the impedance value. Since SSTDR can characterize the impedance change in its propagation path along with its location, it can successfully locate the degraded cell in a large battery pack.
Diagnostics for Multivariate Imputations

We consider three sorts of diagnostics for random imputations: (a) displays of the completed data, intended to reveal unusual patterns that might suggest problems with the imputations, (b) comparisons of the distributions of observed and imputed data values, and (c) checks of the fit of observed data to the model used to create the imputations. We formulate these methods in terms of sequential regression multivariate imputation [Van Buuren and Oudshoom 2000, and Raghunathan, Van Hoewyk, and Solenberger 2001], an iterative procedure in which the missing values of each variable are randomly imputed conditional on all the other variables in the completed data matrix. We also consider a recalibration procedure for sequential regression imputations. We apply these methods to the 2002 Environmental Sustainability Index (ESI), a linear aggregation of 64 environmental variables on 142 countries.
Durable Response to PD-1 Blockade in a Patient With Metastatic Pancreatic Undifferentiated Carcinoma With Osteoclast-Like Giant Cells

Undifferentiated carcinoma with osteoclast-like giant cells (UCOGC) of the pancreas is a rare and potentially aggressive variant of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma. Data on this disease are sparse, and despite genetic similarities to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, UCOGC clinical outcomes can be markedly different. We report on a female patient aged 62 years who presented with UCOGC with pulmonary metastases initially treated with 2 lines of cytotoxic chemotherapy. After rapid disease progression with both cytotoxic treatments, the patient's tissue was sent for next-generation sequencing, which revealed a high tumor mutation burden (32 mutations per megabase), as well as somatic mutations in BRAF, NF1, PIK3CA, CDKN2A, TERT, and TP53. Pancreatic cancers have previously demonstrated suboptimal responses to immunotherapeutic approaches. However, given the high tumor mutation burden and distinctiveness of the tumor class, the patient began third-line pembrolizumab monotherapy after palliative radiation to the rapidly progressing and painful abdominal mass from her primary tumor. She had a marked response in her primary UCOGC tumor and metastatic sites, and she remains on pembrolizumab monotherapy with ongoing response after 32 months of therapy. Recent evidence showing significant PD-L1 enrichment on neoplastic cells of undifferentiated carcinomas (including UCOGC) may indicate a role for immunotherapeutic approaches in these patients. Rare cancers such as UCOGC and other undifferentiated carcinomas may benefit from next-generation sequencing to inform treatment decisions when standards of care are absent, as in this report.
First examination of sterols in the marine dinoflagellate genus Vulcanodinium.

Vulcanodinium is an ecologically relevant dinoflagellate genus due to its production of neurotoxins known as pinnatoxins. We present here the first examination of the sterols of a Vulcanodinium rugosum isolate. Sterols are ringed lipids that assist in maintaining rigidity of cellular membranes, and the Dinophyceae are well-studied for their ability to produce a diverse array of sterols, many of which have chemotaxonomic utility. We have determined that V. rugosum produces a set of major sterols, namely cholesterol, dinosterol, 4α,24-dimethyl-5α-cholest-22E-en-3β-ol, and 4α,24-dimethyl-5α-cholestan-3β-ol, common to the Dinophyceae. However, this displayed marked differences from those studied members of the genera Scrippsiella and Peridinium, the closest phylogenetic relatives. Included in these differences is production by V. rugosum of a much lower percentage of dinostanol, a saturated form of dinosterol.
Remotely Productive: The Efficacy of Remote Work for Executives

We study the efficacy of remote working arrangements between CEOs and firms. Long-distance CEOs underperform according to operating performance, firm valuation, insider reviews, and announcement returns to CEO departures. These effects are stronger when the CEO lives further away and crosses multiple time zones. Using the private costs from uprooting the CEO’s spouse as an instrument for the CEO’s decision to work remotely, we verify the robustness of performance outcomes. The underperformance of long-distance CEOs is related to short-termism, loss of information, and consumption of leisure, such as recreational boats and beach homes.
I Am Myself and My Circumstance: Aristide R. Zolberg's Games of Identity

Concluding address to the conference on “Escaping Violence: New Approaches to Forced Migration,” Zolberg Institute on Migration and Mobility, The New School, NYC, April 12, 2019. The conference was held on the sixth anniversary of the death of Aristide R. Zolberg, and focuses on his unpublished memoir “Games of Identity: How I Dodged the Nazis and Became an Ivy Leaguer,” particularly on the dramatic core of his narrative, which spans the war years of 1940 to 1944, when he was between ages 8 and 13. What he experienced as a Jewish child in Nazi-occupied Belgium during World War II shaped his emotional and intellectual development, and his subsequent work as a world-renowned scholar of international migration, refugee movements, exile, and identity. As he reflects in his narrative, he owed his survival first to those adults who acted to move the family underground, entailing risks which ultimately led his father to Auschwitz; and to his own skill at playing “games of identity” — notably, in passing himself off as a Belgian of Flemish Catholic origin. Those war-time experiences and the risky games of identity that he played formed and informed his subsequent professional interests in how societies manage differences of language, religion, and ancestry among their population, both as a historical legacy of state-formation and as a consequence of immigration.
Evidence-Based Phenomenology and Certainty-Based Phenomenology. Moritz Geiger’s Reaction to Idealism in Ideas I

At first glance, Moritz Geiger’s reaction to Husserl’s Ideas I appears to be neither systematically articulated nor particularly original. Geiger talks about Husserl’s idealism in Ideas I in just a few passages from his book Die Wirklickheit der Wissenschaften und die Metaphysik (1930), and in a short essay in praise of Alexander Pfander, Alexander Pfanders Methodische Stellung (1933). There, Geiger seems to follow a general line of criticism shared by several so-called early phenomenologists, and most fully articulated by Jean Hering, Roman Ingarden, Theodor Celms and Max Scheler. In this paper I argue that Geiger’s reaction to Ideas I contains some well-developed and original contributions to phenomenological thought. In particular, I defend three theses. First, Geiger’s criticism of Husserl’s idealism is much more original and sophisticated than it at first appears, because it rests on a complex phenomenology of “attitudes” [Einstellungen]. Second, Geiger offers a unique account of phenomenology as a variation of “stance” [Haltung], rather than a variation of attitude. Third, Geiger points to an alternative kind of phenomenology, which I call certainty-based phenomenology as opposed to an evidence-based phenomenology. Elements of this certainty-based phenomenology can be found in thinkers such as Merleau-Ponty and Ricoeur, but many of their views are significantly anticipated by Geiger.
BAG3 regulation of Rab35 mediates the Endosomal Sorting Complexes Required for Transport /endolysosome pathway and tau clearance

Abstract Background Declining proteostasis with aging contributes to increased susceptibility to neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer’s disease (AD). Emerging studies implicate impairment of the endosome-lysosome pathway as a significant factor in the pathogenesis of these diseases. Previously we demonstrated that BAG3 regulates phosphorylated tau clearance. However, we did not fully define how BAG3 regulates endogenous tau proteostasis, especially in the early stages of disease progression. Methods Mass spectrometric analyses were performed to identify neuronal BAG3 interactors. Multiple biochemical assays were used to investigate the BAG3-HSP70-TBC1D10B (EPI64B)-Rab35-Hrs regulatory networks. Live-cell imaging was used to study the dynamic of endosomal pathway. Immunohistochemistry and immunoblotting were performed in human AD brains and BAG3 overexpressed P301S tau transgenic mice. Results The primary group of neuronal BAG3 interactors identified are involved in the endocytic pathway. Among them were key regulators of small GTPases, such as the Rab35 GTPase activating protein, TBC1D10B. We demonstrated that a BAG3-HSP70-TBC1D10B complex attenuates the ability of TBC1D10B to inactivate Rab35. Thus, BAG3 interacts with TBC1D10B to support the activation of Rab35 and recruitment of Hrs, initiating ESCRT-mediated endosomal tau clearance. Further, TBC1D10B shows significantly less co-localization with BAG3 in AD brains than in age-matched controls. Overexpression of BAG3 in P301S tau transgenic mice increased the co-localization of phospho-tau with the ESCRT III protein CHMP2B and reduced the levels of the mutant human tau. Conclusion We identified a novel BAG3-TBC1D10B-Rab35 regulatory axis that modulates ESCRT-dependent protein degradation machinery and tau clearance. Dysregulation of BAG3 could contribute to the pathogenesis of AD.
Freshwater ecosystem services supporting humans: Pivoting from water crisis to water solutions

A new global scale water indicator, the freshwater provisioning index for humans (FPIh), maps the capacity of upstream source areas to provide water for human populations downstream. The freshwater provisioning index for humans combined with estimates of threats to water source areas assesses the compounded impacts on freshwater provisions at their point-of-service and the humans they support downstream. Nearly the entire world is serviced by freshwater sources compromised to a moderate extent through human activities, with 82% of the world’s population served by upstream areas exposed to high levels of threat. Globally, 75% of the world’s population benefits from engineered remediation of highly impaired source areas. Despite these gains, more than 80% of the global population still experiences moderate levels of threat impacting their freshwater provisions. Industrialized nations greatly limit their exposure to threats via infrastructure investments whereas regions in the developing world with moderate threat and little means of mitigation are viewed as the most vulnerable. Populations served by water source areas in industrialized countries receive highest threat reductions overall (50–70%) while those served by provision areas in the least developed countries receive <20% threat decrease. Better management of upstream source areas in poorer countries represents an opportunity to reduce threat lessening reliance on costly engineering solutions. Viewing the world in terms of the threats imposed on freshwater provisions combined with regional capacity to abate these impairments through infrastructure investments yields a spatial typology of freshwater resource development states reflecting region-specific challenges with unique management implications. Global mapping of threat development states provides a synoptic-scale diagnosis of key water resource challenges we link with state-specific water service management strategies including service area conservation, threat reduction, and green and gray infrastructure investments to more sustainably manage upstream freshwater provisions. This study provides a functional architecture to assess potential investment strategies to sustainably protect and manage critical upstream freshwater provisions addressing unique challenges faced by different regions of the world.
Understanding structural and electronic properties of dithienyl benzothiadiazole and its complex with C70

Abstract Understanding the bulk heterojunction (BHJ) morphology of dithienyl benzothiadiazole (DTBT)-based conjugated polymers, the most widely used third-generation electron-donors in BHJ-based Organic photovoltaic (OPV) devices, is the current focus of the OPV community. However, there are still debates [ J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2013, 135, 1806–1815 and J. Am. Chem. Soc. 2012, 134, 3498–3507] on the most stable conformation of DTBT and is the main focus of the present study. Herein, we report the conformational and electronic properties of DTBT performing detailed first-principle calculations at the molecular level. We found that the energy difference between the two debated DTBT conformations is about 1.3 kT, regardless of methyl or hexyl substituted thiophenes. This energy difference is mainly due to the extent of intramolecular hydrogen bonding. We further report that the low-energy DTBT conformation has a low energy gap, low equilibrium separation (∼3.2 A) with C70 and proper orbital energy offset, thereby suggesting DTBT-based polymers to be efficient electron donors for OPV devices.
Sex, Health Behaviors and Social Support: Functional Decline among Older Diabetics.

Problem statement: Men and women experience pronounced differences in functional decline as they age. The mechanisms behind these differences remain unclear, particularly among chronically ill populations. Drawing on the theory of the disablement process, this research examines sex differences in functional decline, focusing on two mechanisms suggested by the literature to partially mediate these disparities: health behaviors and social support. Approach: Data from diabetics aged 50 and older from the Health and Retirement Study (n = 2,493) were examined for change in functional status over a 10-year period. Multivariate longitudinal multi-level models were conducted to analyze (1) health behavior (2) social support; and (3) a full model with health behavior and social support together, followed by a separate analysis using sex interaction terms. Results: Women and men both experienced functional decline over time. In the models that examined health behaviors and social support separately, women experienced steeper rates of decline. In the full model (which included health behaviors and social support together), men experienced a steeper rate of decline relative to women. The analyses suggest that it is the combination of health and social characteristics (largely through engagement in socially supportive activities that promote health) that are protective against functional decline. Conclusion/Recommendations: As diabetic men experienced a steeper rate of functional decline than diabetic women once health behaviors and social support were both held constant, future research must examine (a) how these protective factors operate in tandem to protect against disablement of women with diabetes; and (b) how clinical and social policy can promote multi-pronged interventions to improve health behaviors in supportive contexts. Such research will benefit from multi-disciplinary collaborations.
Determination of Campesterol, Stigmasterol, and Beta-Sitosterol in Saw Palmetto Raw Materials and Dietary Supplements by Gas Chromatography: Collaborative Study

An interlaboratory study was conducted to evaluate a method for the determination of campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol in saw palmetto raw materials and dietary supplements at levels >1.00 mg/100 g based on a 2-3 g sample. Test samples were saponified at high temperature with ethanolic KOH solution. The unsaponifiable fraction containing phytosterols (campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol) was extracted with toluene. Phytosterols were derivatized to trimethylsilyl ethers and then quantified by gas chromatography with hydrogen flame ionization detection. Twelve blind duplicates, one of which was fortified, were successfully analyzed by 10 collaborators. Recoveries were obtained for the sample that was fortified. The results were 99.8, 111, and 111% for campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol, respectively. For repeatability, the relative standard deviation (RSDr) ranged from 3.93 to 17.3% for campesterol, 3.56 to 22.7% for stigmasterol, and 3.70 to 43.9% for beta-sitosterol. For reproducibility, the RSDR ranged from 7.97 to 22.6%, 0 to 26.7%, and 5.27 to 43.9% for campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol, respectively. Overall, the Study Director approved 5 materials with acceptable HorRat values for campesterol, stigmasterol, and beta-sitosterol ranging from 1.02 to 2.16.
Trends in groundwater levels in wells in the active management areas of Arizona, USA

In 1980, the Arizona legislature passed the Groundwater Management Act (GMA), creating the active management areas (AMAs) to protect shared groundwater resources and to control severe overdrafts occurring in many parts of the state. With the 30-year anniversary of the GMA approaching, this article addresses the question: Have there been notable changes in the trends in observed groundwater levels in the AMAs from before enactment of the GMA until present? New tools developed for the US Geological Survey’s National Water Availability and Use Pilot Program are used to analyze and present trends in observed groundwater level data. Trends in groundwater levels in the AMAs were investigated for 10-year time periods from 1970 through 1999 and an 9-year period from 2000–2008. Results indicate that the number of wells with rising trends in water levels increased and the number of wells with falling trends in water levels decreased during the early decades after passage of the GMA in the most-populated Phoenix and heavily agricultural Pinal AMAs. However, these trends in water levels are reversed during the 1995–2004 time period. The value of trend analyses would be improved by consistent groundwater-level monitoring in both developed and undeveloped areas of the region.
Two theoretical potential models and the elastic scattering of /sup 16/O from /sup 63,65/Cu at 40--46 MeV

Experimental differential cross sections for the elastic scattering of $^{16}\mathrm{O}$ from $^{63}\mathrm{Cu}$ at ${E}_{\mathrm{lab}}=40, 42, \mathrm{and} 46$ MeV and $^{65}\mathrm{Cu}$ at ${E}_{\mathrm{lab}}=41 \mathrm{and} 46$ MeV are presented. The data are analyzed using a four parameter Woods-Saxon optical potential. Optical parameters are presented and it is verified that the experimental data are sensitive to the value of the real nuclear optical potential [$\mathrm{Re}{U}_{\mathrm{opt}}^{N}(r)$] and its slope near the strong absorption radius (${D}_{\frac{1}{2}}$). Fits to the data are also obtained using the real nuclear potentials given by two theoretical models\char22{}the adiabatic model of Nix and collaborators and a $G$-matrix double folding model. The potentials from the $G$-matrix model give a better description of the data than the potentials from the adiabatic model. The latter have too small a slope. A possible explanation for this deficiency is suggested.
Mineralogy of lunar norite 78235 - Second lunar occurrence of P2 sub 1 ca pyroxene from Apollo 17 soils

A thin section of lunar rock 78235 is examined optically as well as with an electron microprobe and is shown to be a highly-shocked coarse norite. The rock is found to consist of approximately 30% low-Ca pyroxene, 55% Ca-rich plagioclase, and 15% glass veins. The composition of the glass veins is analyzed, and it is suggested that they resulted from shock melting of the norite. Comparisons with other noritic rocks indicate that the pyroxene in rock 78235 has P2 sub 1 ca symmetry. Based on this symmetry plus the coarse grain size, it is concluded that rock 78235 was formed under plutonic conditions. The origin of the minor phases in this rock is briefly considered.
Broadband-CDMA overlay

A broadband code division multiple access (B-CDMA) scheme is presented that will overlay the existing cellular telephone spectrum (825/spl sim/894 MHz). The overlay will provide additional capacity to the network while allowing high-quality voice and high spread data services to coexist with cellular services. The advantages of using B-CDMA in the fading environment are analyzed. The absence of mutual interference to and from the B-CDMA overlay is shown.
The Pentagon Papers Case and the Wikileaks Controversy: National Security and the First Amendment

This Essay focuses on two clashes between national security and the First Amendment - the Pentagon Papers case and the WikiLeaks controversy. The two cases are hardly exact parallels. In the Pentagon Papers case the government was seeking to enjoin publications, asking for the imposition of a prior restraint. In that context, the press received the benefit of the "heavy presumption" against prior restraints. In the WikiLeaks controversy, because the discussion centers on the possibility of a criminal prosecution against Julian Assange, there is no equivalent "heavy presumption" against such a prosecution. In each case, the actual leaker was arrested, but, in the Pentagon Papers case, the publishers were not prosecuted. Assange has not yet been the subject of a U.S. criminal prosecution, but it may happen. The newspaper press is obviously an addressee of the First Amendment, but an issue remains as to whether a website such as WikiLeaks is part of that press. Furthermore, Assange and WikiLeaks seek to challenge the very idea and practice of government secrets altogether. Such a claim is unlikely to receive full First Amendment protection.
Citrate Cycle and Related Metabolism of Listeria monocytogenes

The growth response of Listeria monocytogenes strains A4413 and 9037-7 to carbohydrates was determined in a defined medium. Neither pyruvate, acetate, citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, nor malate supported growth. Furthermore, inclusion of any of these carbohydrates in the growth medium with glucose did not increase the growth of Listeria over that observed on glucose alone. Resting cell suspensions of strain A4413 oxidized pyruvate but not acetate, citrate, isocitrate, α-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate, or malate. Cell-free extracts of strain A4413 contained active citrate synthase, aconitate hydratase, isocitrate dehydrogenase, malate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, fumarate reductase, pyruvate dehydrogenase system, and oxidases for reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. The α-ketoglutarate oxidation system, succinate dehydrogenase, isocitrate lyase, and malate synthase were not detected. Cytochromes were not detected. The data suggest that strain A4413, under these conditions, utilizes a split noncyclic citrate pathway which has an oxidative portion (citrate synthase, aconitate hydratase, and isocitrate dehydrogenase) and a reductive portion (malate dehydrogenase, fumarate hydratase, and fumarate reductase). This pathway is probably important in biosynthesis but not for a net gain in energy.
A matched-pairs study of interactive computer laboratory activities in a liberal arts math course

This paper details the culmination of a large, multi-year study on the effects of an interactive computer laboratory component in a large liberal arts math course at a state university. After several semesters of piloting these laboratory activities in the course, one of two sections, taught by the same senior instructor, was randomly selected to devote approximately one-third of class time to these activities. The other section was used as a control, with the students receiving a lecture on the same material as was explored in the lab activities. Both sections had approximately 220 students. Of these, 42 students from each section of the course were matched on cumulative GPA, math SAT subscore, year in college, and college math background. The pairs were compared via performance on various course components, and on a pre to post assessment designed to measure problem solving abilities. The two course sections were also compared on an inventory of attitudes toward mathematics. The study found that the interactive laboratory activities may provide some benefits to the students, in terms of learning goals and attitudes toward mathematics.
Sensitivity of in vivo MRS of the N-δ proton in proximal histidine of deoxymyoglobin

The sensitivity of in vivo MRS of the N-delta proton of the proximal histidine of deoxymyoglobin in human skeletal muscles is discussed. Longitudinal relaxation time T1 of this deoxymyoglobin signal was measured in cuffed human forearms at 1.5 T and found to be 9.9 ms. Deoxymyoglobin spectra can be obtained from a forearm in seconds. The detection sensitivity of deoxymyoglobin in fully ischemic skeletal muscles and that of 31P MRS of PCr in normal resting muscles are compared.
Monocyte receptors for immunoglobulin and complement in immunologic deficiency diseases.

Summary Semiquantitative assessment of the human monocyte IgG receptor in normal subjects and patients with acquired agammaglobulinemia, chronic granulomatous disease chronic mucocutaneous candidiasis and the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome revealed no detectable differences. The monocyte C3 receptor was found to be normal in cells from patients with the Wiskott-Aldrich syndrome. Monocyte receptors should be further investigated in patients with various forms of immunologic deficiency.
Complement dependence of histamine release in chronic urticaria

Abstract Background: IgG autoantibodies directed to the α-subunit of the IgE receptor have been identified in 30% to 45% of patients with chronic urticaria. However, the exact mechanism by which histamine secretion is initiated is uncertain. Objective: Histamine release from cutaneous mast cells may occur by cross-linking the IgE receptor or by activation of complement. Our goal is to distinguish these 2 possibilities. Methods: We incubated human cutaneous mast cells with patient sera, decomplemented sera, or purified patient IgG. The IgG was also added to pooled normal serum or to sera deficient in either C2 or C5, and its ability to activate mast cells was assessed. Mast cells were incubated with human IgE myeloma to saturate α-subunits to determine the effect on histamine release. Results: Patient sera released histamine (18.26% ± 4.39%), but purified IgG from patients (5.5% ± 4.3%) did not. Addition of the patient IgG to normal sera rendered the sera positive for histamine-releasing activity (18.4% ± 4.3%), whereas control IgG or patient IgG added to C2- or C5-deficient sera did not release histamine. Histamine release with decomplemented patient sera was also diminished (8.34% ± 4.3%). Preincubation of mast cells with a C5-blocking peptide decreased histamine release but was not statistically significant; there was a significant decrease after preincubating mast cells with IgE myeloma. Conclusion: The degranulation of mast cells by IgG autoantibodies in patients with chronic urticaria requires binding to the IgE receptor and activation of the classical complement cascade. Saturation of the IgE receptor with IgE inhibits such degranulation, presumably by preventing binding of the requisite IgG. (J Allergy Clin Immunol 1999;104:169-72.)
Influence of estrogen on brain activation during stimulation with painful heat.

Purpose Several studies have shown that women express higher pain sensitivity during periods of low estrogen than during periods of high estrogen. The aim of this study was to show whether the difference in pain sensitivity could be visualized as a function of brain activity by means of functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Methods Nine healthy, pain-free women (mean age, 26.2 ± 6.9 years) with a natural, regular menstrual cycle participated in the study. Whole-brain fMRI data were acquired during a period of high and during a period of low estrogen at 1.5 T using echo-planar imaging with near-isotropic spatial resolution and a temporal resolution of 4 seconds. Heat pain thresholds were obtained before the scans, and pain ratings were obtained before and after each scan. Blood samples were taken after each scan to verify the appropriate level of estrogen. Results The heat pain thresholds during the low (46.4° ± 3.5°C) and high (46.4° ± 3.8°C) estrogen conditions were not significantly different. The pain ratings before (4.6 ± 2.2 low versus 3.6 ± 2.1 high) and during the scans (4.4 ± 2.4 low versus 4.7 ± 2.3 high) also did not differ between the 2 conditions. Generally, similar patterns of activation were observed for both estrogen conditions. However, significant differences were found in the magnitude of activation of the anterior part of the anterior cingulate (BA 24/32), the cerebellum, and the precuneus. Furthermore, activations in the anterior part of the anterior cingulate, left cerebellum, and precuneus were unique to the low-estrogen phase. These regions have been linked with attention to or anticipation of pain. Conclusions The results of this study suggest that the affective component of pain may be enhanced during the low-estrogen phase of the menstrual cycle in healthy women.
A comparison of FinFET based FPGA LUT designs

The FinFET device has gained much traction in recent VLSI designs. In the FinFET device, the conduction channel is vertical, unlike a traditional bulk MOSFET, in which the conduction channel is planar. This yields several benefits, and as a consequence, it is expected that most VLSI designs will utilize FinFETs from the 20nm node and beyond. Despite the fact that several research papers have reported FinFET based circuit and layout realizations for popular circuit blocks, there has been no reported work on the use of FinFETs for Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) designs. The key circuit in the FPGA that enables programmability is the n-input Look-up Table (LUT). An n-input LUT can implement any logic function of up to n inputs. In this paper, we present an evaluation of several FPGA LUT designs. We compare these designs from a performance (delay, power, energy) as well as an area perspective. Comparisons are conducted with respect to a bulk based LUT as well. Our results demonstrate that all the FinFET based LUTs exhibit better delays and energy than the bulk based LUT. Based on our comparisons, we have two winning candidate LUTs, one for high performance designs (3X faster than a bulk based LUT) and another for low energy, area constrained designs (83% energy and 58% area compared to a bulk based LUT).
Electrospray ionization on a high‐performance magnetic‐sector mass spectrometer

The feasibility of interfacing an electrospray ion source to a high-performance magnetic-sector mass spectrometer is demonstrated. Spectra of peptides and small proteins are obtained with good sensitivity, resolution and mass accuracy. The advantages of using a high-performance mass spectrometer in conjunction with electrospray ionization are discussed.
In vivo and in vitro biosynthesis and metabolism of methyl farnesoate, juvenile hormone III, and juvenile hormone III acid in the mosquito Aedes aegypti.

Biosynthesis and metabolism of juvenile hormone (JH) III in vivo and in vitro were studied in female Aedes aegypti (L.). [12-3H]Methyl farnesoate was used to follow the synthesis and [12-3H]-(10R)-JH III to study metabolism. The rate of biosynthesis of [12-3H]JH III in vivo after adult eclosion increased from 9 fmol/h per female at 1 h to 22 fmol/h per female at day 6. The rate of biosynthesis by exposed corpora allata (CA) in vitro was 23 fmol/h per CA during the 1st d after adult eclosion, then dropped to 4.8 fmol/h per CA on day 3, then increased again to a constant level of synthesis (12 fmol/h per CA) at days 4–6. Immediately after blood feeding, the rate of synthesis of [12-3H]JH III in vivo and in vitro increased to 27 fmol/h per female and to 23 fmol/h per CA, respectively. The rate of synthesis then decreased in vivo to 12 fmol/h per female at 4 h and in vitro to 6 fmol/h per CA 10 h after the blood meal. After this decrease, the rate of synthesis of [12-3H]JH III increased again reaching a peak of 25 fmol/h per female at 48–96 h in vivo and 12 fmol/h per CA at 72 h in vitro. These results indicated that the CA of sugar-fed and blood-fed female A. aegypti synthesized JH III in vivo and in vitro from [12-3H]methyl farnesoate. When [12-3H]-(10R)-JH III metabolism was followed in vivo in female A. aegypti, the ratio between JH III diol acid:JH III acid:JH III diol was 17:4:1, indicating that JH III was first hydrolyzed by JH III esterase to the acid form, then hydrated to the diol acid by JH III epoxide hydrase. Females treated with [12-3H]JH HI acid converted 46% of the JH III acid in 60 min to the diol acid. These results indicated that the enzyme epoxide hydrase acted on JH III acid 17 times faster than JH III.
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome in children and young people

Abstract Chronic Fatigue Syndrome/myalgic encephalomyopathy (CFS/ME) is a relatively common and serious condition in children and young people, having a significant impact on their physical, emotional and cognitive well being. Although some progress has been made in understanding this perplexing condition there is still a long way to go and controversies persist about terminology, aetiology and treatment. However, there is a general agreement that CFS is a heterogeneous condition and good evidence regarding management. This review explores the best practice approach to assessment, diagnosis and management of CFS/ME in children and young people. Early diagnosis and appropriate multi-disciplinary intervention facilitate recovery. There remains a pressing need for research to improve understanding of the condition and thereby ensure all children and young people with CFS/ME are understood and receive effective treatment.
Dangerous liaisons: polyglutamine meets HMGB.

Nine inherited neurodegenerative disorders are caused by polyglutamine (polyQ) expansions in diverse proteins. A study now suggests that polyQ-mediated depletion of nonhistone chromatin proteins enhances genotoxic stress induced by the disease protein.
Patient-Centered Outcomes in Dermatology

Health outcomes can be captured and reported from a number of perspectives, and the patient’s perspective is central to successful healthcare delivery and optimizing health outcomes. A patient-centered approach is important in dermatology. We discussed the meaning and application of “patient centeredness,” “patient-centered outcome measures (PCOM),” and “patient-reported outcomes (PROs)” in dermatology. We highlighted the important roles that organizations such as the Patient-Centered Outcomes Research Institute (PCORI) and the International Dermatology Outcome Measures (IDEOM) play in advancing patient centeredness in skin diseases. We examined classic patient-reported outcome measures such as the Dermatology Life Quality Index (DLQI) and the Skindex. We also explored patient-centered outcomes in dermatologic surgery. With the development of patient-centered outcome measures, patients are able to express how their skin disease affects their lives in a systematic and valid fashion. These responses are highly valuable in guiding clinical decision-making and improving all aspects of patients’ well-being.
Insecticide and metal contamination of a mixed cover agricultural watershed

Although pesticides used to control detrimental insects have changed since the wide spread use of highly persistent organochlorine insecticides in the 1940s through the 1970s, pesticides still present environmental problems. Random sampling of major watershed features of Otoucalofa Creek was conducted to study the distribution and concentration of residual and current use insecticides and metals in a mixed cover agricultural watershed. Samples of water, soil, sediment and fishes were taken from Otoucalofa Creek watershed and tested for 23 contaminants, including persistent organochlorine and current-use insecticides, PCBs and metals. Otoucalofa Creek watershed was chosen because of its location in the loess hills of northern Mississippi, USA, and the fact that its drainage includes 10,100 hectares of forest, 6,100 hectares of rowcrops, 4,900 hectares of pasture, and the small town of Water Valley (pop. 4,147). The greatest concentrations of insecticides were found in fish, but the highest concentrations of metals were found in soil and sediments. Six of 7 metals and 11 of 15 insecticides tested were present in fish samples. Arsenic and mercury averaged 0.67 μg/g and 0.31 μg/g, respectively, in soil samples and 0.25 μg/g and 0.03 μg/g in sediment samples, but were in lower concentrations in fish tissue. Relatively high concentrations of zinc were found in soil and sediment. DDT and its metabolites averaged 118 ng/g in fish, averaged only 1.90 ng/g in sediments and were undetectable in soil. Contamination of water was dependent upon storm related discharge and is therefore a transient phenomenon. Water samples taken during normal flow had the lowest concentrations of both metals and insecticides. Storm flow (High Stage) samples had significantly higher concentrations of insecticides and metals than did normal flow. Since arsenic is the only persistent contaminant still being applied to agricultural land, concentrations of residual insecticides should steadily decline. Current use insecticides were only detected seasonally and in extremely low concentrations, however, this transient, short term exposure, which may not have been as detrimental with less toxic organochlorine pesticides, is more significant with acutely toxic current use compounds.
Texas Children's Hospital makes leadership development a core business strategy

Even an admirable culture can have its dark side, and convincing current leaders that leadership is the problem is a task best not taken lightly. Texas Children's Hospital rose to the challenge with creative ways for building an enduring commitment to change, and for infusing leadership development into leaders' psyches and practices. Guiding principles and success profiles now link mission and values with the day-to-day expectations for employees, and are fully integrated into measurement, performance management, and selection systems. Powerful new tools and resources are helping build leadership competencies at all levels. Lower turnover and greater employee satisfaction are just the first indicators of the success of the initiative. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.