cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mature microglia resemble immature antigen‐presenting cells

Owing to the difficulties of isolating adequate numbers of microglia from adult tissue, much of our understanding of their function is based on characterizations of microglia that develop in mixed glial cultures. To learn more about the nature of these cells in vivo, we have compared the phenotypes of murine microglia isolated from adults, neonates, and from mixed glial cultures with spleen cells from fetuses, neonates, and adults. In the adult CNS, the only resident population of cells that express CD45, a protein tyrosine phosphatase, are the F4/80+ and FcR+ cells: the microglia. In contrast to all other differentiated cells of hemopoietic origin, microglial CD45 levels fail to increase from the neonatal period through adulthood. Rather, their levels are indistinguishable from the low levels found on a small population of embryonic day 16 liver cells. Conversely, we find that the F4/80 values of microglia are elevated as compared to splenic macrophages. Strikingly, microglia that develop in mixed glial cultures display a more activated phenotype, with low F4/80 values, weak MHC class II expression, and the appearance of a subset of cells positive for the dendritic cell marker, NLDC145. Additionally, CD45 values are elevated to a level intermediate between that of adult microglia and adult spleen, a level similar to that found on microglia activated in vivo. Consistent with this activated phenotype, indomethacin revealed the ability of mixed glial culture microglia to present a peptide antigen to naive T-cells expressing a defined T-cell receptor. Although adult microglia did express costimulatory molecules, B7.2, ICAM-1, and CD40, and could be induced to express MHC class II, they failed to present antigen in the same assay. Interestingly, these same cells could stimulate T-cell proliferation in a mixed lymphocyte reaction but not in an allogeneic specific manner. Taken together these data suggest that adult microglia remain in a relatively immature and unactivated state of differentiation as compared to other tissue macrophages.
Arctic climate characteristics and recent trends revealed by the AVHRR Polar Pathfinder data set

The newly available Advanced Very High Resolution (AVHRR) Polar Pathfinder (APP) data set was used to retrieve cloud amount, cloud optical depth, cloud particle phase and size, cloud temperature, surface temperature, surface broadband albedo, radiation fluxes and cloud forcing in the Arctic for the period 1982-1999. The spatial and temporal distributions of those retrieved Arctic climate parameters together with an analysis of their seasonal and interannual variability, especially surface and cloud properties are presented here. The present study indicates that the Arctic has been warming in spring, summer and autumn, the decadal rates are 1.1°C degree, 0.68°C degree and 0.70°C degree, respectively. While in winter the Arctic has been cooling at the decadal rate of -0.34°C degree. The Arctic surface broadband albedo also signals the warming trend of the Arctic at the decadal rate of -3.0% at the confidence level of 98.8% in autumn, indicating a longer melt period and later freeze-up. Results also show that the Arctic has become cloudier in spring and summer, but less cloudy in winter.
Significant predictors of information technology innovation adoption

Organisations need to constantly adopt new technological innovations, in one way or another, in order to improve or keep their efficiencies or competitive advantages in business. The present study examines asynchronous transfer mode (ATM) technology adoption in universities to investigate if there is a significant relationship between ATM technology adoption and university size, type, finance and information processing maturity. The results provided significant evidence that there is a statistically significant relationship between each of these variables and ATM technology adoption in universities. Correspondingly, these organisational variables can serve as predictors of other IT adoptions in other settings, such as in firms or financial institutions.
Outcomes After Primary Transcatheter Therapy in Infants and Young Children With Severe Bilateral Peripheral Pulmonary Artery Stenosis

Background—Angioplasty and stent implantation have become accepted therapies for isolated peripheral pulmonary stenosis, and have been shown to increase vessel diameter and reduce right ventricular (RV) pressure acutely in patients with pulmonary artery (PA) stenosis. The purpose of this study was to assess long-term outcomes after primary transcatheter therapy for peripheral pulmonary stenosis. Methods and Results—We studied 69 patients who underwent primary transcatheter intervention for severe isolated peripheral pulmonary stenosis at ≤5 years of age. Genetic/syndromic diagnoses included Williams syndrome (n=23), non-Williams familial arteriopathy (n=12), and Alagille syndrome (n=3). At the initial PA intervention, median RV:aortic pressure ratio decreased from 1.00 to 0.88 (median decrease, 0.18; P<0.001). Patients with a higher preintervention RV:aortic pressure ratio had a greater reduction (P<0.001). During follow-up (median, 8.5 years), 10 patients died, 5 from complications of PA catheterization ...
Failure modes of single resistance spot welded joints subjected to combined fatigue loading

Combined loading fatigue tests were conducted on spot welded coupons of a galvanized sheet steel for proportional, constant amplitude loading conditions. The factors that influence the failure modes of the coupons are described and photographs of typical failure modes are presented in addition to the fatigue life results of the tests. The fatigue crack initiation sites for all of the tests were at the edge of the spot weld nugget at the sheet interface. The applied load amplitude and nugget diameter had the most significant effect on the final fatigue life of the coupons. The main factors that determine the final failure mode of the fatigue specimens are the ratio of shear and normal force (i.e. the applied loading angle), the applied mean load, and nugget diameter. The observations are related to common spot weld fatigue damage parameters.
NK Cell Response to Vaccinia Virus Is Regulated by Myeloid-Derived Suppressor Cells

NK cells are critical for the innate immune control of poxviral infections. Previous studies have shown that NK cells are efficiently activated in response to infection with vaccinia virus (VV), the most studied member of the poxvirus family. However, it remains unknown whether the activation of NK cells in response to VV infection is tightly regulated. In this study, we showed that myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSCs) rapidly accumulated at the site of VV infection. In vivo depletion of MDSCs led to enhanced NK cell proliferation, activation, and function in response to VV infection. This was accompanied by an increase in mortality and systemic IFN-γ production. We further demonstrated that the granulocytic-MDSC (G-MDSC) subset was responsible for the suppression on NK cells and that this suppression was mediated by reactive oxygen species. These results indicate that G-MDSCs can negatively regulate NK cell activation and function in response to VV infection and suggest that manipulation of G-MDSCs could represent an attractive strategy for regulating NK cell activities for potential therapeutic benefits.
Interdisciplinary innovations are key to effective use of quantitative biological information

This volume marks the second special issue of MBoC devoted to Quantitative Cell Biology (QCB). QCB is a rapidly expanding field within cell biology that draws on new technologies to quantify cellular processes. Whether using advanced microscopes to track molecules as they diffuse within cells, sensitive probes to measure cellular forces, or next-generation sequencing technologies to compare genomes, QCB is yielding an astounding amount of new cell biological information. This, in turn, is profoundly transforming the world within which cell biology is practiced. It is also posing new challenges. Jennifer Lippincott-Schwartz Perhaps the most serious challenge is that, as technology generates data at unprecedented volumes and speeds, researchers are increasingly becoming “data rich but discovery poor.” The biological information collected is proving more complicated to assess than initially assumed, and researchers are finding they are gathering more information than they can analyze in a meaningful way. Overcoming this problem is not easy. However, innovative approaches are being developed, particularly with the help of computer scientists, physicists, and mathematicians, for extracting meaning from this data deluge (Dolinski and Troyanskaya, 2015 ). Interdisciplinary collaborations are providing attractive solutions for integrating and analyzing quantitative data and offering new strategies for effectively sharing and archiving information. For example, the use of distributed file systems, cloud computing, and algorithms for efficient data-intensive computation across multiple machines is proving valuable in overcoming many critical bottlenecks in distributing data across the biological community and overcoming the growing problem of data sets too big to download. To continue making progress in coping with the abundance of new data, we need to recognize the contribution of experts in a variety of fields. That is one of the principal goals of the current issue of MBoC, along with the dissemination of some of the successes to date. At the same time, as cell biologists, we have the responsibility to decide which of these technologies and methods are best equipped to address the questions unique to cell biology. As can be seen in the various Perspectives and Research Articles in this MBoC volume, there will be much to choose from, making QCB a powerful and compelling approach to understanding cell biology.
Soft X-ray induced chemical modification of polysaccharides in vascular plant cell walls

Abstract Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and micro carbon X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (C-XANES) can provide quantitative information regarding the distribution of the biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in vascular plant cell walls. In the case of angiosperms, flowering plants, C-XANES may also be able to distinguish variations in lignin monomer distributions throughout the cell wall. Polysaccharides are susceptible to soft X-ray irradiation induced chemical transformations that may complicate spectral analysis. The stability of a model polysaccharide, cellulose acetate, to variable doses of soft X-rays under conditions optimized for high quality C-XANES spectroscopy was investigated. The primary chemical effect of soft X-ray irradiation on cellulose acetate involves mass loss coincident with de-acetylation. A lesser amount of vinyl ketone formation also occurs. Reduction in irradiation dose via defocusing does enable high quality pristine spectra to be obtained. Radiation induced chemical modification studies of oak cell wall reveals that cellulose and hemicellulose are less labile to chemical modification than cellulose acetate. Strategies for obtaining pristine C-XANES spectra of polysaccharides are presented.
Performance limits of greedy maximal matching in multi-hop wireless networks

In this paper, we characterize the performance limits of an important class of scheduling schemes, called greedy maximal matching (GMM), for multi-hop wireless networks. For simplicity, we focus on the well-established node-exclusive interference model, although many of the stated results can be readily extended to more general interference models. The study of the performance of GMM is intriguing because although a lower bound on its performance is well known, empirical observations suggest that this bound is quite loose, and that the performance of GMM is often close to optimal. In fact, recent results have shown that GMM achieves optimal performance under certain conditions. In this paper, we provide new analytic results that characterize the performance of GMM through the topological properties of the underlying graphs. To that end, we generalize a recently developed topological notion called the local pooling condition to a far weaker condition called the sigma-local pooling. We then define the local-pooling factor on a graph, as the supremum of all sigma such that the graph satisfies sigma-local pooling. We show that for a given graph, the efficiency ratio of GMM (i.e., the worst-case ratio of the throughput of GMM to that of the optimal) is equal to its local-pooling factor. Further, we provide results on how to estimate the local-pooling factor for arbitrary graphs and show that the efficiency ratio of GMM is no smaller than d*/(2d*-1) in a network topology of maximum node-degree d*. We also identify a specific network topology for which the efficiency ratio of GMM is strictly less than 1.
Harnessing Genomic Approaches for Infectious Disease Diagnosis in Emergency Medicine: Getting Closer to Prime Time

[Ann Emerg Med. 2012;60:621-623.]When clinicians are concerned about a serious potentiallylife-threatening condition, such as meningitis or sepsis,fundamental questions to quickly address while the patient is inthe emergency department (ED) include whether there is apathogenic organism causing this condition and what theinfectious organism(s) is. Unfortunately, the diagnostic tools weprincipally rely on are century-old culture-based microbiologicmethods, which, though invaluable, fail to address all the needsrequired for rapid decisionmaking required in acute caresettings. Considering the revolutionary advances made duringthe past decade in genomic-based technology, one wonders whythere have not been more signiﬁcant translations of thesedevelopments to improve evaluation and care of our EDpatients. In this issue of
MRI, Quantitative MRI, SPECT, and neuropsychological findings following carbon monoxide poisoning

Carbon monoxide (CO) poisoning has been shown to result in neuropathologic changes and cognitive impairments due to anoxia and other related biochemical mechanisms. The present study investigated brain-behaviour relationships between neuropsychological outcome and SPECT, MRI, and Quantitative magnetic resonance imaging (QMRI) in 21 patients with CO poisoning. Ninety-three per cent of the patients exhibited a variety of cognitive impairments, including impaired attention, memory, executive function, and mental processing speed. Ninety-five per cent of the patients experienced affective changes including depression and anxiety. The results from the imaging studies revealed that 38% of the patients had abnormal clinical MRI scans, 67% had abnormal SPECT scans, and 67% had QMRI findings including hippocampal atrophy and/or diffuse cortical atrophy evidenced by an enlarged ventricle-to-brain ratio (VBR). Hippocampal atrophy was also found on QMRI. SPECT and QMRI appear to be sensitive tools which can be used to identify the neuropathological changes and cerebral perfusion defects which occur following CO poisoning. Cerebral perfusion defects include frontal and temporal lobe hypoperfusion. Significant relationships existed between the various imaging techniques and neuropsychological impairments. The data from this study indicate that a multi-faceted approach to clinical evaluation of the neuropathological and neurobehavioural changes following CO poisoning may provide comprehensive information regarding the neuroanatomical and neurobehavioural effects of CO poisoning.
Automorphic vector bundles on connected Shimura varieties

Introduction 0. Review of terminology concerning Shimura varieties 1. The Taniyama group, the period torsor, and conjugates of Shimura varieties 2. The compact dual symmetric Hermitian space and its conjugates 3. The principal bundle Y~ X); statement of the first main theorem 4. Automorphic vector bundles 5. Conjugates of automorphic vector bundles 6. Proof of Theorem 3.10 for the symplectic group 7. Proof of Theorem 3.10 for connected Shimura varieties of abelian type 8. First completion of the proof of Theorem 3.10 9. Second completion of the proof of Theorem 3.10 Appendix: Pairs defining connected and nonconnected Shimura varieties Bibliography 91 93 95 101 105 112 115 118 121 123 124 126 128
Pharmacokinetic mAb–mAb Interaction: Anti-VEGF mAb Decreases the Distribution of Anti-CEA mAb into Colorectal Tumor Xenografts

To date, there has been little investigation of the risk for drug–drug interactions involving monoclonal antibodies. The present work examined the effects of an anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) antibody on the plasma, tissue, and tumor disposition of T84.66, an anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) antibody, in mice. SCID mice bearing CEA-expressing human colorectal cancer (LS174T) xenografts were divided into control and anti-VEGF-treated groups. When tumors reached 200–300 mm3 in size, 125I-T84.66 was administered intravenously at 10 mg/kg (400 μCi/kg). Radioactivity in plasma and tissue samples was counted, and T84.66 concentrations were determined. Areas under the concentration vs. time curves (AUC) were calculated. In separate groups of mice, Evans Blue Dye was administered to evaluate the effect of anti-VEGF on tumor vascular permeability. The investigations did not demonstrate significant effects of anti-VEGF therapy on T84.66 pharmacokinetics in plasma or in non-tumor tissues. T84.66 plasma AUC(0–10 days) values were 2.37 × 103 ± 1.54 × 102 and 2.56 × 103 ± 1.01 × 102 nM × day, for the control and treated groups (p = 0.148). Conversely, anti-VEGF treatment significantly reduced tumor vascular permeability to Evans Blue Dye by 45.0 % (p = 0.0012), and anti-VEGF therapy decreased T84.66 tumor AUC(0–10 days) by more than 60 % (7.27 × 102 ± 51.4 vs. 1.98 × 103 ± 90.1 nM × day, p < 0.0001). Our findings suggest that anti-VEGF therapies may lead to a substantial reduction in the delivery of monoclonal antibodies to tumor tissues. It is interesting and important to note that this pharmacokinetic interaction occurs at the target site, and that no alterations in T84.66 disposition were visible based on assessment of plasma pharmacokinetics alone.
Bone marrow for cardiac repair: the importance of characterizing the phenotype and function of injected cells

Administration of adult stem cells for cardiac repair after myocardial infarction (MI) is a revolutionary new strategy that could become clinically feasible in the near term, appears to be safe and relatively cost-effective, and offers tremendous potential to improve prognosis.1 Using diverse cell populations and strategies, several relatively small clinical studies have reported encouraging outcomes, with improvement in various measures of myocardial perfusion and left ventricular (LV) function.2 However, negative data have also emerged, generating controversy regarding the overall efficacy of cell therapy.2 This controversy persists even after the recent publication of the three largest randomized studies to date of cell therapy for cardiac repair.3–5 In the largest of these trials, the multicentre REPAIR-AMI study,3 204 patients received an intracoronary infusion of autologous mononuclear bone marrow cells (BMCs) or placebo (medium) at 3–7 days after a reperfused acute MI. After 4 months, the absolute improvement in global LV ejection fraction (EF) was greater in patients treated with BMCs compared with control patients. After 1 year, BMC treatment was associated with a significant reduction in the combined endpoints of death, recurrent MI, and revascularization and death, recurrent MI, and re-hospitalization for heart failure.3,6 An improvement in LV function and clinical outcome after BMC treatment was also noted in the TOPCARE-CHD trial among patients with an old MI.4 However, no benefit was reported in the other trial of acute MI (the ASTAMI trial),5 in which 100 patients with reperfused acute anterior MI received either intracoronary infusion of BMCs or no intervention at a median of 6 days after MI. After 6 months, there was no difference in LVEF, infarct size, … *Corresponding author. Tel: +1 502 8521837; fax: +1 502 852 6474. E-mail address : rbolli{at}louisville.edu
A mechanics-based strain gage methodology for solder joint reliability assessment

It is essential to understand solder joint strains to improve package reliability. However, it is often difficult to measure the true solder joint strains directly. Strain gages have been increasingly used to indicate package mechanical stress levels. One of the most used strain gage locations is on the component side, right next to the package corner. A concern with this location alone is that the strain gages mounted close to the package pick up the local stress concentration near the package edges or corners. In this paper, appropriate strain gage locations are suggested based on mechanics principles and finite element simulation results. The solder joint deformations are determined from strain gage readings at various locations. This paper also proposes a new strain matching criterion. Most original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) have been using maximum principal strain to match stress levels and define strain limits. A problem with maximum principal strain is that it does not indicate the direction along which the maximum bending occurs. Experimental data demonstrates that the new strain criterion has much better correlation to solder joint failure than maximum principal strains in various bend modes. The conclusions apply to any strain gage mounting metrology on packages attached to printed circuit boards (PCBs).
FM-CW SAR and phased array spatial-velocity imaging

The paper presents two applications of continuous-wave large-band width signaling, also known as FM-CW signaling, in imaging problems that involve moving targets or moving transmitting/receiving data acquisition systems. The first imaging system that is discussed is FM-CW synthetic aperture radar (SAR) imaging. In this imaging system, the echoed signal, that is recorded via a quasi-monostatic radar, is partitioned in its Fourier domain into bandpass regions (Doppler data) centered around the harmonics of the FM-CW signal, and then processed in the spatial Doppler-based inversion of pulsed SAR. The second imaging problem involves a quasi-monostatic or bistatic phased array system that utilizes FM-CW signaling for spatial-velocity imaging of a nonrigid moving target. the authors show that this phased array imaging system provides information regarding targets that are moving with a specific velocity vector on a specific contour of data in the spectral distribution of FM-CW phased array Doppler data. >
A book and a movie walk into a bar

This essay asks what we joke about when we joke about adaptation – the practice of turning novels into films, in the most repeated ratio. Jokes about adaptation drawn from television and the Internet tell us much about the perception of adaptations in popular culture. They also suggest that the practice of adaptation hews closely to the practice of joking itself, raising the related question of how comedy studies could expand the field of adaptation studies (and vice versa).
AB0720 Performance of Referral Parameters of Patients with Chronic Back Pain Included in the Spondyloarthritis Caught Early Cohort (SPACE)

Background A recent study in Dutch primary care shows that axial spondyloarthritis (axSpA) is underdiagnosed1. A possible reason is that the effectiveness of referral parameters recommended by Dutch GP guidelines is not known. Objectives To examine the referral parameters to the rheumatologist of patients included in the SPondyloArthritis Caught Early (SPACE) cohort and the extent to which they are associated with axSpA. Methods Referral letters to rheumatologists for patients with chronic back pain (≥3 months, ≤2 years, onset ≤45 years) included in the SPACE cohort were used. Referral parameters analysed were the red-flags mentioned in the current back pain guideline from the Dutch GP association (NHG), features from the Assessment of Spondyloarthritis international Society (ASAS) inflammatory back pain (IBP) criteria, and the SpA features in the ASAS axSpA criteria. Arthralgia and myalgia were mentioned often and were added as referral parameters. AxSpA was defined as meeting ASAS classification criteria for axSpA Results Clinical and referral data was available for 204 patients, 75 patients had axSpA (36.8%) and 129 patients had no axSpA (63.2%). 155 patients (75.9%) were referred by GPs, 15 patients (7.4%) by orthopaedist and 34 patients (16.7%) by other specialists. Mentioning in the referral letter of Improvement with exercise (OR 3.0; 95%CI 1.1-8.1), family history of SpA (OR 5.1; 95%CI 1.9-13.9) and a positive HLA-B27 (OR 12.2; 95%CI 3.9-37.1) were associated with axSpA. Arthralgia was negatively associated with axSpA (OR 0.4; 95%C I0.2-0.8). All ASAS axSpA features available at baseline in the SPACE cohort were found more often than in the referral letter see table. Conclusions Most of the parameters mentioned in referral letters were not associated with axSpA. AxSpA features present in patients were often not mentioned in referral letters. To improve efficiency of referrals, physicians should be made more aware of SpA features. References Weel A AC&R 2013 Sep 19 Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.3367
On the Connected Sum of Projective Planes, Tori, and Klein Bottles

(1971). On the Connected Sum of Projective Planes, Tori, and Klein Bottles. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 78, No. 2, pp. 185-187.
Radioactive 198Au-Doped Nanostructures with Different Shapes for In Vivo Analyses of Their Biodistribution, Tumor Uptake, and Intratumoral Distribution

With Au nanocages as an example, we recently demonstrated that radioactive 198Au could be incorporated into the crystal lattice of Au nanostructures for simple and reliable quantification of their in vivo biodistribution by measuring the γ radiation from 198Au decay and for optical imaging by detecting the Cerenkov radiation. Here we extend the capability of this strategy to synthesize radioactive 198Au nanostructures with a similar size but different shapes and then compare their biodistribution, tumor uptake, and intratumoral distribution using a murine EMT6 breast cancer model. Specifically, we investigated Au nanospheres, nanodisks, nanorods, and cubic nanocages. After PEGylation, an aqueous suspension of the radioactive Au nanostructures was injected into a tumor-bearing mouse intravenously, and their biodistribution was measured from the γ radiation while their tumor uptake was directly imaged using the Cerenkov radiation. Significantly higher tumor uptake was observed for the Au nanospheres and nan...
Intramitochondrial loci for the hormonal regulation of hepatic gluconeogenesis.

When the mechanisms by which hormones acutely stimulate hepatic gluconeogenesis began to be studied intensely about 20 years ago, the earliest hypotheses of action centred on the mitochondria1 segment of the gluconeogenic pathway. I t was proposed that hormones may accelerate the pyruvate carboxylase reaction by an activation of the carboxylase enzyme through an increase in intramitochondrial acetyl coenzyme A o r by a decrease in mitochondrial Ca”. Considerable research has continued on the control of gluconeogenesis at the level of the mitochondria. Much of this has involved treatment of the intact organism (generally the rat) with hormones or treatment of hepatocyte preparations with hormones followed by isolation of mitochondria and study of these organelles in v i m . A number of mitochondrial functions have been found t o be appreciably stimulated in hepatic mitochondria isolated after hormone treatment, perhaps most notably pyruvate carboxylation and oxidative phosphorylation. The stimulation of enhanced mitochondrial activities is evident 3--4min after hormone treatment and is sensitive t o the same concentrations of hormones that activate gluconeogenesis. Furthermore, after treatment of hepatocytes with hormones, stimulation of pyruvate carboxylation is demonstrable in the cells permeabilized by filipin (Allen et al., 1983). The effects of hormone treatment on mitochondrial function are also demonstrable in crude homogenates of treated liver (Jensen et al., 1983). In spite of these observations, this type of experiment cannot provide entirely convincing evidence that the effects found in isolated mitochondria accurately reflect the events occurring in intact cells, and in recent years there have been several papers in the literature questioning the physiological relevance of studies of mitochondria isolated subsequent t o hormone treatment. Siess et al. (1981) suggested that some or all of the effects found in mitochondria may be artefacts of their preparation. LaNoue and her colleagues reported they were able t o demonstrate neither increases in ‘maximal’ rates of respiration of hepatocytes treated with glucagon nor evidence of an increased ApH across mitochondria1 membranes in situ (LaNoue) e t al., 1984; Strzelecki e t al., 1984). Finally, Groen e t al. (1983) concluded from a study with perifused rat hepatocytes that the stimulation of gluconeogenesis by glucagon can be accounted for almost entirely by inhibition of flux through the pyruvate kmase reaction and that glucagon causes little or n o stimulation of carboxylation of pyruvate.
Scattered-wave-packet formalism with applications to barrier scattering and quantum transistors

The scattered wave formalism developed for a quantum subsystem interacting with reservoirs through open boundaries is applied to one- or two-dimensional barrier scattering and quantum transistors. The total wave function is divided into incident and scattered components. Markovian outgoing wave boundary conditions are imposed on the scattered or total wave function by either the ratio or polynomial methods. For barrier scattering problems, accurate time-dependent transmission probabilities are obtained through the integration of the modified time-dependent Schr\"odinger equations for the scattered wave function. For quantum transistors, the time-dependent transport is studied for a quantum wave packet propagating through the conduction channel of a field effect transistor. This study shows that the scattered wave formalism significantly reduces computational effort relative to other open boundary methods and demonstrates wide applications to quantum dynamical processes.
Five Decades of Canadian and Québec Content in French Textbooks in the United States

This study investigates the evolution of Canadian and Quebec content in a sample of 65 first-year university French textbooks in the United States from the 1960s through 2010. Overall indicators of Canadian and Quebec contexts and cultural notes were tabulated for each decade in addition to particular content such as Canadian history, Quebec identity, and Canadian French language. The chronological analysis challenges the popular notion that teachers and textbooks authors are inherently uninterested in Canada. Instead, the analysis finds Canadian and Quebec content increasing over the five-decade period reaching an all-time high point in the most recent decade. Results are explained by dynamic Quebec-based factors of language politics and foreign relations initiatives rather than static US-based attitudes toward Canadian French. The analysis offers optimism for the role of Canadian and Quebec Studies as a source of content for the teaching of French in the United States.
Influence of Hemagglutinating Viruses on Tumor Cell Suspensions: II. Newcastle Disease Virus and Ehrlich Carcinoma.

Summary1. When NDV and Ehrlich were mixed at 4°, 25° and 37° and inoculated immediately, a much smaller percentage of tumors grew than in the NAF control mixtures. When the same mixtures were held at 25° or transferred from 4° to 25° for one to 3 hours, inoculation resulted in tumor growth. 2. When virus and tumor were mixed in vivo no tumor inhibitory effect was noted unless the virus was given intraperitoneally first and the tumor suspensions by the same route immediately thereafter. The course of development of ascites in mice was not affected by daily inoculations of NDV. 3. No evidence could be found for multiplication of the virus in the tumor cells either in the animal or tissue culture.
Thirty Reflection Questions to Help Each Student Find Meaningful Employment and Develop an Integrated Professional Identity (Professional Formation)

Law schools must now define learning outcomes for their programs of legal education. Many law schools (and many professors in individual courses) are defining learning outcomes that include values beyond just minimal compliance with the law of lawyering – called here professional-formation learning outcomes. This article, drawing on and synthesizing scholarship from law and other disciplines, will focus on the design of a curriculum with thirty reflection questions to help each student’s step-by-step development toward professional-formation learning outcomes beyond mere compliance with the law of lawyering. Section I of this article will describe the present context in which law schools must develop learning outcomes, and will highlight the number of law schools that have embraced one or both of the elements of a professional-formation learning outcome where a law school or a professor in an individual course requires that each student demonstrate an understanding and integration of: 1. proactive professional development toward excellence at all the competencies needed to serve clients and the legal system well; 2. an internalized deep responsibility to clients and the legal system. Section II of the article analyzes the principles that should inform the design of an effective curriculum for these two professional-formation learning outcomes. Section III of the article will suggest thirty reflection questions that help each student: 1) reflect on the story, experiences and passions that brought her to law school and that she develops during law school as a means of both (a) identifying what she wants to do with her law degree and (b) proactively taking ownership over her growth toward meaningful post-graduate employment; and 2) make progress moving through developmental stages regarding these two professional formation learning outcomes; so that 3) she can begin to define and to live out who she wants to be as a lawyer in the context of what clients and the legal system expect of her.
Application of problem-based learning (PBL) in clinical cardiovascular teaching

Application of PBL in clinical cardiovascular teaching has many advantages.It can combine better with the practice of medicine,promote retention and application of knowledge and improve students' ability to absorb knowledge by autonomous learning.It is good for students to master more knowledge in less time.
Liver Enzymes as Alcohol Biomarkers

Liver enzymes are elevated in individuals who consume excessive amounts of alcohol because alcohol has a direct toxic effect on the liver. Alanine transaminase and aspartate transaminase are found inside hepatocytes and are released when the liver is damaged. Alkaline phosphatase, another enzyme found in the cell lining of the biliary duct of the liver, is also elevated during liver injury, but it may not be significantly elevated after heavy alcohol consumption. γ-Glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) is another marker of liver injury, and this enzyme is also elevated in people who consume alcohol. Of all liver enzymes, GGT is considered to be the most sensitive biomarker of alcohol consumption. The limitations of liver enzymes as biomarkers are discussed.
Makerspaces: A Practical Guide for Librarians: edited by John J. Burke, Lanham, MD, Rowman & Littlefield (Practical Guides for Librarians; no. 8), 2015, 183 pp., $65.00 (paperback), ISBN-13: 9781442229679.

This book is all about makerspaces, one of the hot topics and services in librarianship right now. Makerspaces are experimental and innovative spaces within libraries that bring together people, to...
Literature and the Young Child: Engagement, Enactment, and Agency From a Sociocultural Perspective

ABSTRACTAuthors and illustrators of children’s literature bring to life characters and contexts that provide demonstrations of agency as well as resources upon which to build agency. Agency is considered here as making one’s identity and perceptions visible and actively acknowledged by others to enhance and empower the personal, cultural, and social aspects of one’s life. This study examines the responses of one child, age 3 ½ years, to picture books of various genres. Using a case study frame and ethnographic techniques, the data revealed that the child’s responses were embedded in his play and interactions with family and friends. The data were coded into three potential categories representing ways that literature nurtures agency in preschool literacy learners: (1) agency through the discovery of the familiar in stories; (2) agency in the actual engagement of reading—telling a story using the images and inquiring about concepts, events, and vocabulary with an experienced reader; and (3) agency through ...
The Makar-Limanov and Derksen Invariants

In 1994, a meeting entitled “Workshop on Open Algebraic Varieties” was held at McGill University. This meeting was organized by Peter Russell, who at the time was working with Mariusz Koras to solve the Linearization Problem for \(\mathbb{C}^{{\ast}}\)-actions on \(\mathbb{C}^{3}\). A key remaining piece of their work was to decide whether certain hypersurfaces in \(\mathbb{C}^{4}\) were algebraically isomorphic to \(\mathbb{C}^{3}\).
Enumeration and Characterization of Clostridium perfringens Spores in the Feces of Food Poisoning Patients and Normal Controls.

The fecal spore enumeration method for confirming Clostridium perfringens as the cause of food poisoning was evaluated using strains implicated in nine outbreaks in the United States. Confirmed spore counts from 66 stool specimens were made on tryptose-sulfite-cycloserine (TSC) without egg yolk and trypticase soy-sheep blood (TSB) agars. Counts from outbreak stools on TSC agar ranged from 2.0 × 104 to 3.5 × 108 (mean ≥ 1.4 × 106/g) as compared with <103 to 5.0 × 105/g (overall mean 9.5 × 103/g) from normal stools. Similar results were obtained with TSB agar. Isolates from seven of the nine outbreaks were nonhemolytic and produced ≥100 ng enterotoxin/ml in spore broth, as measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Spores in stools from six of the outbreaks were heat-resistant and survived heating for 30 to 60 min at 100°C in cooked meat medium. Strains from the three remaining outbreaks were heat-sensitive and survived heating for only 15 min at 100°C. Enterotoxigenic isolates from all but one of the outbreaks were serotyped. In all instances, the predominant strain in specimens from an outbreak was of the same serotype, indicating that it was the causative strain. Reexamination of five specimens from each of three outbreaks after storage at -20°C for 6 months showed only a minimal reduction in the spore counts.
Symbos cavifrons (Artiodactyla: Bovidae) from Delta County, Colorado

A partial cranium belonging to the extinct woodland musk - ox, Symbos cavifrons, is reported from the headwaters of Oak Creek, Delta County, Colorado. This is the first cranium of the genus Symbos to be described from the Colorado Plateau, and it helps to define the southwest boundary of the known range of the genus.
Single Dose of Pegfilgrastim (Neulasta™) Is Effective in Mobilizing CD34+ Stem Cells in Patients Undergoing Autologous Stem Cell Transplant.

Introduction: Numerous methods of stem cell mobilization for autologous donors are utilized. These strategies include the use of chemotherapy with growth factor support or growth factors alone. All strategies involve multiple injections, lab draws, and patient discomfort and inconvenience. The addition of the PEG molecule to the N-terminus of filgrastim (G-CSF) increases its serum half-life, thereby requiring less frequent dosing. Pegfilgrastim has been found to be safe and effective for patients with chemotherapy-induced neutropenia. Pegfilgrastim in healthy donors mobilizes stem cells in a dose-dependent fashion. A previous study has shown that 12mg of pegfilgrastim given after chemomobilization with cyclophosphamide mobilized sufficient stem cells for auto-grafting. In this study, we evaluated whether a single 12mg injection of pegfilgrastim could mobilize a sufficient number of CD34+ stem cells in autologous donors who did not receive chemomobilization. Methods: Six patients intending to undergo high-dose chemotherapy with stem cell transplant were enrolled onto the study. Four of the subjects had multiple myeloma and had received prior treatment. Two of these patients had previously undergone HDC/ASCT. One patient had mantle cell lymphoma and another had AL amyloidosis. All participants received a 12mg injection of pegfilgrastim. Four days after pegfilgrastim administration, a CD34 level was checked. If this level was greater than 10 cells per uL, stem cell apheresis was initiatiated. Results: Results are presented in the table below. Five of the six participants achieved a day four CD34+ level greater that 10 cells per uL and underwent successful stem cell apheresis. The one participant that failed to mobilize had been heavily pre-treated to include a prior autologous stem cell transplant. This patient underwent a repeat stem cell transplant with cells stored from a previous collection. All of the patients with multiple myeloma or amyloidosis proceeded onto high dose chemotherapy with melphalan and autologous stem cell rescue. The patient with mantle cell lymphoma received high-dose chemotherapy with cyclophosphamide, busulfan and vincristine followed autologous stem cell rescue. The most commonly reported side effect from the pegfilgrastim was bone pain. No serious side effects were noted. Conclusions: A single, 12mg injection of pegfilgrastim is capable of mobilizing sufficient numbers of stem cells in autologous donors. This regimen is convenient to both the patient and institution. Hematologic reconstitution is similar to other stem cell mobilization regimens. Alternative mobilization strategies should be considered in patients who have been heavily pretreated.
Hawkmoths use nectar sugar to reduce oxidative damage from flight

Nectar-feeding animals have among the highest recorded metabolic rates. High aerobic performance is linked to oxidative damage in muscles. Antioxidants in nectar are scarce to nonexistent. We propose that nectarivores use nectar sugar to mitigate the oxidative damage caused by the muscular demands of flight. We found that sugar-fed moths had lower oxidative damage to their flight muscle membranes than unfed moths. Using respirometry coupled with δ13C analyses, we showed that moths generate antioxidant potential by shunting nectar glucose to the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP), resulting in a reduction in oxidative damage to the flight muscles. We suggest that nectar feeding, the use of PPP, and intense exercise are causally linked and have allowed the evolution of powerful fliers that feed on nectar.
Evidence for the transfer of a soil-borne contaminant from plants to ants via an aphid mediator

1. Uptake of environmental contaminants by lower trophic groups can have negative effects on higher trophic groups. This study tested the ability of selenium, an environmental contaminant found in high concentrations throughout the tissues of certain accumulating plants, to be transferred to ants via aphid tissue and honeydew. 2. Plants of the selenium accumulator, Raphanus sativus (wild radish), were watered with three different selenium treatments (0, 0.25 or 0.5 µg Se ml−1). Aphids, Myzus persicae, and Argentine ant colonies, Linepithema humile, were added to each caged plant and allowed to interact freely. Ant colonies were supplemented with one of three different food options to encourage the consumption of aphids, aphid honeydew, or aphids and honeydew. 3. The accumulation of selenium by each trophic group and a trophic transfer factor (TTF) was calculated. The TTF for plants to aphids was > 1, indicating biomagnification, whereas the TTF for aphids to worker ants was < 1, indicating only biotransfer. Accumulated levels by worker ants did not statistically differ as a result of diet. 4. The amounts of selenium acquired by ants as a factor of diet and caste were compared. Plants, aphids and worker ants accumulated selenium in a dose-dependent manner. Ant queens did not contain detectable amounts of selenium. Honeydew contained comparable amounts of selenium to plant selenium levels. 5. Access to toxic compounds via honeydew and insect protein may have negative effects on the range expansion of invasive species, such as the Argentine ant.
Renal effects of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors that result in cost savings and improved patient outcomes.

BACKGROUND: In some patients with renal disease, use of angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors is thought to improve renal function, whereas in others their use leads to worsening. Many questions remain about the categories of patients that benefit from ACE inhibitor use. OBJECTIVE: To clarify the use of ACE inhibitors in patients with renal disease. STUDY DESIGN: A literature review focusing on various renal diseases, ACE inhibitors, and criteria of cost effectiveness was performed. RESULTS: Almost 100 clinical studies were reviewed. Treatment with ACE inhibitors seems to have beneficial effects in type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus with nephropathy, AIDS nephropathy, and other nondiabetic renal diseases. Use of these agents in these diseases decreases the progression of renal disease and the need for dialysis, resulting in potential cost savings and improved quality of life. Data supporting goal blood pressures indicate the need to aggressively decrease this risk factor. Use of ACE inhibitors is hazardous in bilateral renal artery stenosis, particularly with volume depletion, but may be valuable in patients with unilateral stenosis. In African Americans, ACE inhibitor treatment is likely to be of benefit, although required doses may be higher than for whites, and caution must be exercised in certain situations. The potential efficacy of angiotensin receptor blockers and other new drugs that affect the renin-angiotensin system is assessed. CONCLUSIONS: Use of ACE inhibitors has benefit in renal disease states characterized by increased glomerular perfusion pressure, their use in other renal disease states, particularly those characterized by reduced glomerular perfusion pressure, may be risky. The benefits conferred by ACE inhibitor therapy are so dramatic in terms of cost savings and improved quality of life that their use in certain clinical situations should be strongly encouraged in managed care and other practice settings.