cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Humanized Mouse Model: The Study of the Human Alloimmune Response: A Dissertation

The transplantation of allogeneic cells and tissues for the treatment of human disease has been a life-saving procedure for many thousands of patients worldwide. However, to date, neither solid organ transplantation nor bone marrow transplantation have reached their full clinical potential. Significant limitations to the advancement of clinical transplantation stem from our current inability to prevent the rejection of allogeneic tissues by the immune system of the host. Similarly, in patients that receive allogeneic bone marrow transplants, we cannot permanently prevent the engrafted immune system from mounting a response against the patient. This problem, termed graft versus host disease is the most prevalent cause of morbidity and mortality in recipients of allogeneic bone marrow transplants. Clinically, we rely on lifelong immunosuppression to prolong survival of allogeneic tissues within the host. Our currently available therapeutics burden patients with side-effects that range from being unpleasant to life-threatening, while in most cases offering only a temporary solution to the problem of alloimmunity. Efforts are underway to develop protocols and therapeutics that more effectively prevent the pathology associated with alloimmunity. To minimize patient risk, extensive pre-clinical studies in laboratory animals are conducted to predict clinical responses. In the case of immunologic studies, many of these pre-clinical studies are carried out in murine models. Unfortunately, studies of murine immunity often do not predict outcomes in the clinic. One approach to overcome this limitation is the development of a small animal model of the human immune system. In this dissertation, we hypothesized that NOD- scid IL2rγ null mice engrafted with human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC), termed the hu-PBMC-NOD- scid IL2rγ null model, would provide a model that more accurately reflects human immunity in vivo than other models currently available. To investigate this possibility, we first investigated whether NOD- scid IL2rγ null mice were able to support the engraftment of human PBMC. We found that NOD- scid IL2rγ null mice engraft with human PBMC at much higher levels then the previous gold standard model, the NOD- scid mouse. We then investigated the kinetics of human cell engraftment, determined the optimal cell dose, and defined the influence of injection route on engraftment levels. Even at low PBMC input, NOD- scid IL2rγ null mice reproducibly support high levels of human PBMC engraftment. In contrast to previous stocks of immunodeficient mice, we observed low intra- and interdonor variability of engraftment. We next hypothesized that the human PBMC engrafted in NOD- scid IL2rγ null mice were functional and would reject transplanted allogeneic human tissues. To test this, human islets were transplanted into the spleen of chemically diabetic NOD- scid…
Abstract 131: Neutrophil extracellular trap mediate mitochondrial biogenesis in cancer cells to promote growth of metastases

Neutrophils through the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) in response to surgical stress were shown to be able to capture circulating cancer cells, and in doing so, support the development of metastatic disease. In addition, NETs persist within the tumor microenvironment long after the surgical stress happens. The exact nature of the NETs-tumor interaction and the role that NETs play in dictating the tumor microenvironment is unclear. In vivo, subcutaneous and liver metastasis models of colorectal and hepatocellular cancer were performed in wild type and PAD4 KO mice that lack the ability to form NETs. In vitro, bioenergetics profiles of both HCC and CRC cancer cells were studied after co-culture with NETs, isolated from human and murine neutrophils. We found a 3-fold decrease in the tumor volume of PAD4 KO mice compared to control mice 3 weeks after tumor injection in both subcutaneous and liver metastatic models. PAD4 KO tumors showed significantly decreased neutrophil infiltration and no NET formation within the tumor compared to WT mice. PAD4 KO tumors had decreased proliferation rates and increased apoptosis. In vitro, stressed cancer cells release stress signals such as cytokines, chemokines, and DAMPs (HMGB1 and histones), that enhanced neutrophil migration towards them and subsequently triggered NET formation. In turn, NETs resulted in a 2-fold increase in the expression of mitochondrial biogenesis regulators in cancer cells. Increase mitochondrial mass was observed when treated cancer cells with NETs. A significant increase mitochondrial oxygen consumption rate (OCR) and ATP levels were observed when compared with DNase treatment. Taken together, we suggest that cancer cells help in recruiting NETs which in turn regulates mitochondrial bioenergetics for tumor growth and metastasis. Citation Format: Hamza Yazdani, Samer Tohme, Eva Roy, Patricia Loughran, Dirk Vander Windth, Hai Huang, Allan Tsung. Neutrophil extracellular trap mediate mitochondrial biogenesis in cancer cells to promote growth of metastases [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 131.
Volume and Pressure in Heart Failure: Complementary but not Two Sides of the Same Coin

Objectives Assess the relationship of measured intravascular volume to resting right heart catheterization hemodynamics in patients with chronic heart failure (HF). Background The hemodynamic assessment of cardiac filling pressures (CVP, PCWP) has played a prominent role in evaluating volume status in patients with HF. And more recently implantable ambulatory hemodynamic monitoring devices (CIEDs) have been employed to guide out-patient volume management. But does pressure tell us about intravascular volume? Methods Total blood volume (TBV) was prospectively measured in patients with chronic HF (NYHA Class III-IV) using a standardized radiolabeled albumin indicator-dilution blood volume technique (BVA). These patients also underwent clinically indicated right heart catheterization (RHC) within 24 hours of BVA to assess cardiac and pulmonary hemodynamics most commonly as part of a pre-transplant/LVAD candidacy evaluation. Linear regression analyses were used to assess associations between variables. Results Sixty-three patients were evaluated (age 60±11 yrs., 73% male, LVEF 33±16%, mRAP 11±6mm Hg, PCWP 18±7mm Hg, dPAP 19±7mm Hg, C.I. 2.3±0.6, TBV 6.5±1.8L). Average BV was expanded above normal by +21% with range of −17% to +116% of normal. CVP (mRAP) and left-sided filling pressure (PCWP) were shown to have only limited association with quantitated TBV ( Fig. 1–2 ). Diastolic PAP was also weakly associated with volume status ( Fig 3 ). Conclusions Cardiac filling pressures have been used clinically as surrogate indicators of volume expansion and overload in patients with HF. However, the findings of this analysis reveal that neither CVP, PCWP, nor dPAP accurately reflect intravascular volume status. Patients with low filling pressures can have marked expansion of intravascular volume while patients with elevated filling pressures can have normal or even contracted volumes. Elevated central pressures may, therefore, reflect hemodynamic congestion but not necessarily clinical volume overload-related congestion. Thus, quantitative BV and cardiac hemodynamics provide complementary but different information - Pressure is not volume and volume is not pressure . This has implications for the approach to volume management and potentially patient outcomes.
Grounding the normative: a problem for structured non-naturalism

Many non-naturalists about the normative want to endorse the view that some normative facts hold in virtue of both non-normative facts and normative principles. In this paper, I argue that non-naturalism is inconsistent with this thesis, due to the nature of normative principles and their grounds. I then consider two ways in which the nonnaturalist position could be modified or expanded to solve this problem. No solution, it turns out, is without its problems. I end by considering how the non-naturalist can deny that normative facts obtain partially in virtue of principles.
An Activity Analysis Model for Enhancing User Experiences in Affect Aware Systems

Human users of future smart ubiquitous systems will be immersed in a technology-laden environment; thus, it is important to understand how users interact effectively with these systems. This paper proposes an activity analysis model to study different affective states associated with different user interactions while performing the sentiment analysis of the user. A typical scene in the context of a smart home has been analyzed. The results of the analysis show that this model can be suitably applied by designers to identify and enhance different interface designs for improving user experiences and enhancing human-computer interactions in different contexts.
Gender Differences in Self-Compassion: Examining the Role of Gender Role Orientation

Meta-analytic research suggests that women have slightly lower levels of self-compassion than men, but the contribution of gender role orientation has not been carefully explored. The current study examines the joint associations of self-identified gender and gender role orientation with self-compassion in undergraduate (N = 504) and community adult (N = 968) samples, using two measures of gender role orientation. The Bem Sex Role Inventory (BSRI) and the Personal Attributes Questionnaire (PAQ) were used to classify each participant into a single gender role orientation category based on relative scores on the masculinity and femininity subscales, with respect to the sample, and average scores for each continuous subscale were also retained. The categorical gender role orientation classifications were used in mean comparisons of self-compassion across groups, and the average masculinity and femininity subscale scores were used in regression modeling. Results replicated the small effect size for gender differences in self-compassion for both samples, with self-identified men having significantly higher levels of self-compassion than self-identified women. Results also consistently showed that the impact of self-identified gender on self-compassion was smaller than the impact of masculine gender role orientation, suggesting that socialization plays a strong role, and that those high in both femininity and masculinity tended to have the highest levels of self-compassion. Effect sizes and specific findings differed by gender, sample, and gender role orientation measure. Therefore, a nuanced understanding of differences in self-compassion based on gender and gender role orientation is needed.
To Scrutinise and Protect: Question Time as a Window into Institutional and Electoral Incentives at Holyrood and Westminster

Question Time is subject to problems of collective action and coordination. Individual parliamentarians seeking to build a personal vote are not incentivised to participate, despite the fact that the collective party brand affecting re-election is at risk during these highly publicised weekly spectacles. We analyse questions asked at First Minister’s Question Time during the first four sessions of the Scottish Parliament to examine the factors predicting whether and how parliamentarians chose to participate in oversight of the government. Despite the varied incentives provided by the Scottish Parliament’s electoral system, the total number of questions asked and the tone of those questions is largely a function of whether the Member of Scottish Parliament (MSP) is serving in the governing party or not.
Reliability Comparison and Evaluation of MMC Based HVDC Systems

Modular Multilevel Converters (MMC) based High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC) systems utilize a large number of submodules (SMs). Failure of any SM may lead to shut-down of the entire system or seriously affect the converter performance. The fault-tolerant design approach can dominate faults and improve the system performance and reliability. The $N+1$ redundancy design is a well-known technique to improve the MMC reliability. However, this approach requires additional SMs, and accordingly higher cost. The reliability of an MMC can be improved using the MMC scale-up control method, which a large number of SMs can be predicated by a smaller cumulative set of SMs. In this paper, the reliability analysis is performed to compare the reliability performance of the MMC based conventional and scale-up control methods with and without redundant designs. The MMC control designs are presented and assessed using Markov reliability model for $\pm 320 kV$ and 1000 MVA MMC system. The comparative evaluation shows that the reliability of an MMC with the scale-up approach is higher than that of the $N+1$ redundancy design.
British imperialism and portfolio choice in the currency boards of Palestine, East Africa, and West Africa

Abstract. Did British colonial policy primarily benefit Britain, or its colonies? Wadan Narsey, in British Imperialism and the Makings of Colonial Currency Systems (2016),claims that Britain established currency boards to help itself at the expense of the colonies. Examining the history of several currency boards and their assets for select years, Narsey finds that under British influence, they held lower-yielding, shorter-maturity British assets than they need have done, costing colonial governments revenue. We explore this idea by analyzing full annual data on the securities and assets of the currency boards of Palestine, East Africa, and West Africa. An accompanying spreadsheet workbook shows the details of the analysis. Keywords. British colonialism, British imperialism, Palestine Currency Board, East African Currency Board, West African Currency Board. JEL. E10, E13, E40.
Left Thoracotomy Upper Hemisternotomy Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD) Implantation Offers Safe, Durable Option for Patients with Prior Sternotomy Undergoing LVAD Implantation

Purpose Increasingly, patients undergoing LVAD implantation have had previous cardiac surgery, and re-operative sternotomy LVAD implantation can pose certain technical challenges. The approval of the thoracotomy approach for LVAD implantation potentially offers increased flexibility of access and may mitigate some of these technical challenges. Thus we reviewed our series of patients with previous sternotomy and who underwent left thoracotomy and upper hemisternotomy LVAD implantation. Methods Data were compiled on all patients who had consented to be included in the Advanced Heart Failure Registry, at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, between January 2013 and October 2018. Patients who had had previous sternotomy and thoracotomy HeartWareTM HVAD LVAD implantation were included in the analysis. Patients who had undergone thoracotomy HeartMate II (N=3), or off-pump thoracotomy HVAD implantation (N = 9) were excluded from the analysis. The operative technique for all patients involved a limited left anterolateral thoracotomy with an upper hemi-sternotomy anastomosis to the ascending aorta . Preoperative, Intra-operative and post-operative clinical and VAD specific variables were reported. Data regarding clinical end points were analyzed at 30 days and one year following implant. Results 19 patients satisfied the inclusion criteria, and their characteristics are described in Table 1. One patient died 11 days post LVAD implantation due to multi-system organ failure . This patient was INTERMACS 1 at implant with multi-organ failure pre-operatively. All other patients were either transplanted or still on LVAD support one year following implant. Conclusion The use of the left thoracotomy upper hemisternotomy approach for LVAD implantation in patients with previous sternotomy is a safe alternative to re-operative sternotomy.
Real‐Time Monitoring of Bacteria Clearance From Blood in a Murine Model

Bloodstream infections, especially those that are antibiotic resistant, pose a significant challenge to health care leading to increased hospitalization time and patient mortality. There are different facets to this problem that make these diseases difficult to treat, such as the difficulty to detect bacteria in the blood and the poorly understood mechanism of bacterial invasion into and out of the circulatory system. However, little progress has been made in developing techniques to study bacteria dynamics in the bloodstream. Here, we present a new approach using an in vivo flow cytometry platform for real-time, noninvasive, label-free, and quantitative monitoring of the lifespan of green fluorescent protein-expressing Staphylococcus aureus and Pseudomonas aeruginosa in a murine model. We report a relatively fast average rate of clearance for S. aureus (k = 0.37 ± 0.09 min-1 , half-life ~1.9 min) and a slower rate for P. aeruginosa (k = 0.07 ± 0.02 min-1 , half-life ~9.6 min). We also observed what appears to be two stages of clearance for S. aureus, while P. aeruginosa appeared only to have a single stage of clearance. Our results demonstrate that an advanced research tool can be used for studying the dynamics of bacteria cells directly in the bloodstream, providing insight into the progression of infectious diseases in circulation. © 2019 International Society for Advancement of Cytometry.
Does a Bias in FOMC Directives Help Predict Inter-Meeting Policy Changes?

Since 1984, the FOMC has often issued directives for monetary policy that indicate a bias toward easing or tightening. This paper investigates the information content of these asymmetric directives for the likelihood of inter-meeting changes in policy during the Greenspan chairmanship. If policy is measured by the change in the average daily federal funds rate after a directive is issued, the results indicate that a bias to ease predicts a significantly lower average funds rate and a bias to tighten forecasts a significantly higher average funds rate. If policy is measured qualitatively by whether the target for the federal funds rate changed, a bias to tighten significantly raises the probability that the target will be raised, and a bias to ease significantly raises the probability that the target will be lowered.
Smart-Redundancy: An Alternative SEU/SET Mitigation Method for FPGAs

Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs) reconfigurability is a key asset for many critical applications. State- of-the-art Radiation-Hardening (Rad-Hard) methods for FPGAs consist of triplicating the logic, reinforcing the memories, and bitstream scrubbing with partial reconfiguration. These methods involve a 3× reduction of Maximal Design Capacity (MDC) and an average Time-In-Error (TIE) proportional to design sizes. In this paper, we propose an alternative: Smart-Redundancy (SR), a new method based on the detection of possible events via process and hardware modifications. Thanks to integrated particle sensors, only dual redundancy is required. Results show up to 33.33% improvement in MDC over actual Rad-Hard methods, and an average TIE decrease of at least 10,000× compared to bitstream's scrubbing, at a cost of 41.08% in area using a commercial 40nm technology node.
Peritoneal metastases from endometrial cancer treated with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy: a 13-case series and systematic literature review

Objectives: Endometrial cancer with peritoneal metastases may have similar biology to other cancers that respond to treatment with cytoreductive surgery and hyperthermic intraperitoneal chemotherapy (CRS/HIPEC). We present our experience and provide an extensive literature review of endometrial cancer treated with CRS/HIPEC. Methods: A review of a single-institution prospective database of 949 CRS/HIPEC patients and the English literature in PubMed was performed to identify cases of peritoneal metastases from endometrial origin treated with CRS/HIPEC. Perioperative variables and outcomes were analyzed. Patients at our center were selected for CRS/HIPEC based on feasibility of obtaining a complete cytoreduction (CC) (residual disease Results: Endometrial cancer was identified in 16 patients from 1994-2020. Three cases (19%) were aborted due to inability to achieve a CC. Of the 13 patients treated with CRS/HIPEC, histopathologic subtypes included 6 (46%) endometrioid adenocarcinomas, 4 (31%) endometrial carcinosarcomas, 2 (15%) mixed endometrioid/serous adenocarcinomas, and 1 (8%) clear cell carcinoma. Median age at CRS/HIPEC was 63 years (IQR: 53-66; range: 44-72). Seven (54%) underwent CRS/HIPEC as initial treatment and 6 (46%) underwent CRS/HIPEC for recurrence. Median PCI was 15 (IQR: 6-24; range: 3-36) with CC achieved in 12 (92%). Median hospital stay was 10 days (IQR: 8-11; range: 6-15). Only 1 (7%) grade III complication and no grade IV/V complications occurred. Adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 5 (38%) patients. After median follow-up of 56.4 months (CI95% 49.0-63.8; range: 18.7-85.2), median overall (OS) and progression-free survival (PFS) were 33.9 and 14.4 months, respectively. Literature review revealed 8 reports with 107 cases of endometrial cancer treated with CRS/HIPEC, including 50% endometrioid adenocarcinomas, 14% serous carcinomas, 3% clear cell carcinomas, 3% carcinosarcomas, 2% mixed endometrioid/serous adenocarcinomas, 1% mesonephric, 1% squamous carcinomas, and 26% unspecified non-endometrioid adenocarcinomas. Age at HIPEC ranged from 26-73 years. Overall, 76% were treated for disease recurrence and 24% were newly diagnosed. CC was achieved in 92%. Length of hospital stay ranged from 6-90 days and 70% received adjuvant chemotherapy. Median OS and PFS ranged from 19.4-33.1 and 11.4-18 months, respectively. Conclusions: CRS/HIPEC seems to be a reasonable strategy to treat these challenging patients with PM from endometrial origin and may offer recurrence-free time off treatment in select patients whose alternative is continuous systemic therapy. Multicenter trials are indicated to evaluate survival and optimal patient selection criteria.
Moravian soundscapes: a sonic history of the Moravian missions in early Pennsylvania: by Sarah Justina Eyerly, Bloomington, IN, Indiana University Press, 2020, 290 pp., $20.00 (paper), ISBN 9780253047694

Moravian Soundscapes: A Sonic History of the Moravian Missions in Early Pennsylvania was inspired by musicologist Sarah Justina Eyerly’s reading of the diary of her Moravian missionary ancestor Joh...
Service department cost allocations using the net services model and the MDTERM function in Excel

Abstract A teaching note on the reformulation of service cost formulas is presented as a way to add value to the process of Reciprocal Costing by facilitating the tracing of cost between service departments, thereby increasing the accuracy of cost estimations for outsourcing decisions. Emphasis is placed on a solution method using the Excel MDETERM function and Cramer's rule that facilitates the tracing of costs between service departments.
YidC: A Protein with Multiple Functions in Bacterial Membrane Biogenesis

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the role of YidC in membrane protein biogenesis, emphasizing the current knowledge of the bacterial system. YidC1/Oxa1/Alb3 family members play an important role in the membrane biogenesis of proteins. YidC performs dual functions in the process of membrane protein insertion. It can promote the insertion of a subset of proteins that do not require the Sec translocase, as well as functioning in conjunction with the core Sec translocase to assist in the insertion of proteins into the membrane. For Sec-dependent proteins, YidC possibly helps in folding membrane proteins during the insertion/assembly process. However, the exact mechanism of YidC functions in the insertion of proteins is not yet known. YidC may be a membrane chaperone assisting in the insertion and folding of proteins as they assemble into the membrane. Such a membrane chaperone may be involved in the folding of transmembrane helices to promote the helix–helix interactions within polytopic membrane proteins. Factors that determine whether a substrate goes by YidC or the Sec pathway are not clear, and to understand the way YidC works at a molecular level in membrane protein biogenesis, it is absolutely essential to solve its structure.
Abstract W MP33: Brain and Aortic Aneurysm Screening - Cost-Effectiveness of Screening for Intracranial Aneurysms

Introduction: Intracranial aneurysm (IA) and abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) rupture carry high mortality (40% and 75% respectively) and substantial morbidity in survivors. Recent research suggests that IA and AAA share genetic risk in addition to environmental factors. Retrospective data from our institution identified a population harboring both IA and AAA and showed a high rupture rate for IA (44.2%). We previously demonstrated that screening for AAA in patients with IA is cost-effective based on estimated and published data. We hypothesize that screening for IA in patients with AAA is also cost-effective. Method: We developed a decision-making model using TreeAge Pro 2013 software assuming a hypothetical population with known AAA and truncated screening versus no screening for IA using magnetic resonance angiography. Based on IA size and location, patients were either treated endovascularly or placed on surveillance. Proportions, risks, utilities, and costs for each decision arm were derived from lite...
Wealth redistributions or changes in firm value

Abstract Past studies indicate that stock prices are affected by announcements of unexpected dividend changes, i.e., unexpectedly large dividends are associated with positive stock price response. Two explanations of this empirical regularity, ‘the information content hypothesis’ and the ‘wealth redistribution hypothesis’, imply different bond price behavior around dividend announcements. The information content hypothesis predicts a positive bond price response to unexpectedly large dividends, while the wealth redistribution hypothesis predicts the opposite. This paper distinguishes between the relative importance of the two hypotheses by empirically investigating bond price behavior around dividend announcements. The evidence presented is consistent with the information content hypothesis. However, the gains associated with positive information are captured by the stockholders, while the losses are shared with the bondholders.
The Amino Acid Sequence in the Vicinity of the Covalently Bound Adenylic Acid in Glutamine Synthetase from Escherichia coli

Abstract A single tryptic peptide containing adenylic acid has been isolated from Escherichia coli glutamine synthetase. The amino acid sequence of the peptide is [see PDF for sequence] The radioactivity of the 14C-AMP moiety was released from the peptide during the first Edman degradative cycle, and this was shown to be due to cleavage of the 14C-adenine-ribose bond by trifluoroacetic acid.
E-selectin mediates leukocyte rolling in interleukin-1-treated rabbit mesentery venules

The selectins are lectin-like cell surface glycoproteins that have been implicated in playing a crucial role in the initiation of leukocyte adhesion to endothelial cells (ECs) during inflammation. Binding of selectins under conditions of flow mediates leukocyte rolling, which in vivo is almost exclusively observed in venular microvessels. We have shown in previous experiments that intraperitoneal treatment of rabbits with interleukin-1 beta (IL-1) increases leukocyte rolling in exteriorized mesenteries. In the present study, we used immunohistochemistry of mesenteries and found that IL-1 induced a marked E-selectin immunoreactivity, preferentially in venules. We therefore hypothesized that the increased rolling in response to IL-1 may be related to the induction of E-selectin on venular ECs. Intravital microscopy was used to investigate interactions between leukocytes and ECs after intraperitoneal application of IL-1. The rabbit E-selectin monoclonal antibody (MoAb) 9H9 significantly reduced rolling of leukocytes by approximately 40%. Vehicle alone, class-matched control MoAb or the nonblocking anti-E-selectin MoAb 14G2 had no effect on rolling. These results indicate that leukocytes roll on inflamed venular ECs partly through interactions with E-selectin. Furthermore, we propose that the restricted E-selectin immunoreactivity by venular ECs contributes to the remarkable difference seen between arterioles and venules in exhibiting leukocyte rolling in vivo.
A statistical model of proteolytic digestion

We present a stochastic model of proteolytic digestion of a proteome, assuming the distribution of parent protein lengths in the proteome, the relative abundances of the 20 amino acids in the proteome, and the digestion "rules" of the enzyme used in the digestion. We derived a closed form expression for the fragment mass distribution for a large class of enzymes including the widely used trypsin. The expression uses the distribution of lengths in a mixture of proteins taken from a proteome, as well as the relative abundances of the 20 amino acids in the proteome. The agreement between theory and the in silica digest is excellent.
Electronic structure of E 1 ′ centers in Si O 2

A linear combination of localized orbitals-molecular orbital (LCLO-MO) cluster method is applied to calculate the electronic structure of ${{E}_{1}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ centers in the $\ensuremath{\alpha}$-quartz structure of Si${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$. An ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ vacancy model, implying a net charge of $|e|$, is used. This corresponds to the ${F}^{+}$ center in simpler oxides. Calculations on the intrinsic ${{E}_{1}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ center predict a highly asymmetric relaxation of the two silicons adjacent to the ${\mathrm{O}}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ vacancy. Detailed calculations of hyperfine parameters are carried out, and reasonable agreement with experiment is obtained. The asymmetric relaxation of the two silicons is an example of a pseudo-Jahn-Teller effect; parameters associated with this description are obtained and appear to be reasonable. Calculations on the extrinsic ${{E}_{1}}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ (Ge) center in Si${\mathrm{O}}_{2}$ also give satisfactory results.
Anthropogenic heating of the urban environment due to air conditioning

This article investigates the effect of air conditioning (AC) systems on air temperature and examines their electricity consumption for a semiarid urban environment. We simulate a 10 day extreme heat period over the Phoenix metropolitan area (U.S.) with the Weather Research and Forecasting model coupled to a multilayer building energy scheme. The performance of the modeling system is evaluated against 10 Arizona Meteorological Network weather stations and one weather station maintained by the National Weather Service for air temperature, wind speed, and wind direction. We show that explicit representation of waste heat from air conditioning systems improved the 2 m air temperature correspondence to observations. Waste heat release from AC systems was maximum during the day, but the mean effect was negligible near the surface. However, during the night, heat emitted from AC systems increased the mean 2 m air temperature by more than 1°C for some urban locations. The AC systems modified the thermal stratification of the urban boundary layer, promoting vertical mixing during nighttime hours. The anthropogenic processes examined here (i.e., explicit representation of urban energy consumption processes due to AC systems) require incorporation in future meteorological and climate investigations to improve weather and climate predictability. Our results demonstrate that releasing waste heat into the ambient environment exacerbates the nocturnal urban heat island and increases cooling demands.
Wave Propagation and Inversion

One of three volumes on topics that arose from a September 1989 conference in Houston on mathematical and computational issues in geophysical fluid and solid mechanics. The nine papers include discussions of waves in partially saturated porous media, wave propagation by step marching, and optimal fi
Lipids and addiction: how sex steroids, prostaglandins, and cannabinoids interact with drugs of abuse

Lipidomics aims to identify and characterize all endogenous species of lipids and understand their roles in cellular signaling and, ultimately, the functioning of the organism. We are on the cusp of fully understanding the functions of many of the lipid signaling systems that have been identified for decades (e.g., steroids, prostaglandins), whereas our understanding of newer lipid signaling systems (e.g., endocannabinoids, N-acyl amides) still lags considerably behind. With an emphasis on their roles in the neurophysiology of addiction, we will examine three classes of lipids--sex steroids, prostaglandins, and cannabinoids--and how they work synergistically in the neurocircuitry of motivation. We will first give a brief overview of the biosynthesis for each class of lipid and its receptors, and then summarize what is known about the collective roles of the lipids in cocaine and alcohol abuse. This approach provides a novel view of lipid signaling as a class of molecules and their synergistic roles in addiction.
Experiments on Winter‐site Attachment in Young Dark‐eyed Juncos

Site attachment in young birds has sometimes been considered to take place during a sensitive phase as the result of an imprinting-like process. We conducted two four-year-long experiments on winter-site attachment in young migratory dark-eyed juncos (Junco hyemalis). In both, we caught birds over a range of dates, displaced them to large outdoor enclosures, and released them near the end of winter. In the first experiment, release was at the capture site and all returns next winter were to that site. The return rate did not vary with date of capture and confinement; therefore attachment could have been completed either before capture or after release. The absence of returns to the confinement site suggests that attachment to a place requires that the individual live free there. In the second experiment, release was at the confinement site, and many subjects remained there, probably until they migrated northward. Returns next winter were to both the capture site (the majority) and the confinement-release site. The fact that a few juncos formed a bond to the confinement-release site in this experiment reinforces the view that living free is necessary for site attachment. Individuals caught and confined earlier in winter tended to be less likely to return than those caught later. The distribution of returns according to date of capture indicates that attachment was completed at different dates in different subjects, which is not consistent with imprinting during a clearly defined sensitive period. However, young juncos hatch and migrate at various dates. Therefore our experiment does not rule out the existence of a brief sensitive phase for site attachment, its dates varying among individuals because age and/or timing of migration vary.
Phase behavior of multicomponent fluids

The phase behavior of a system of five or more components cannot be totally represented in three dimensional space. The most common method of projection representing the phase behavior of such systems employs a smaller number of ’’pseudocomponents.’’ Such a representation must be chosen with care because the multiphase region is less well defined than that of the corresponding true component system. Several examples are discussed in which ambiguous results are obtained when a system is treated as if it consisted of an incomplete set of pseudocomponents. The ordinary lever rule has been generalized to apply to three‐phase systems, making it possible to calculate the mass fractions of three phases from their compositions. For true ternary systems this lever rule can be inverted to yield the compositions of the three phases in terms of the mass fractions at three observation points. For more than three observations on pseudoternary systems the deviations from true component behavior can be estimated from the spread in the calculated phase compositions obtained from different triplets. The method is illustrated for a true ternary system and two pseudoternary systems. The lever rule and its inverse may also facilitate an approach to a tricritical point where three fluid phases become identical.
BRIDGE RATING AND RELIABILITY CORRELATION: COMPREHENSIVE STUDY FOR DIFFERENT BRIDGE TYPES

Accumulation of research in the field of bridge evaluation based on structural reliability justifies the consideration of reliability index as the primary measure of safety for bridges. Furthermore, the lifetime bridge evaluation techniques are being mostly based on reliability methods. Currently, bridge safety is measured in terms of the rating factor, which reflects the live load capacity of the structure. In order to investigate the reliability index of an existing bridge and to consider its relation to the rating factor, an in-depth investigation of the interaction between these two safety measures for different limit states of different bridge types is desirable. This paper presents the results of a study in which the interaction between rating and reliability of a group of 14 bridges in an existing bridge network was investigated. This investigation is based on advanced methods to evaluate the reliability of each bridge in the network. Rating factors for different bridge groups are identified based on bridge type, and bridge groups are compared based on mean group rating factor. Bridge rating and reliability are quantified when each bridge starts its service life. The bridge rating factor and the reliability index are evaluated for various limit states belonging to different member types within the bridge network. A correlation study between bridge rating factor and reliability index of different bridge types in an existing network reveals interesting results.
Equilibration temperatures in enstatite chondrites

Equilibration temperatures for enstatite chondrites are calculated using a method suggested by Larimer (1968). The temperatures range from 640 to 840 C. The method yields temperatures which, in principle, are correct on a relative scale, but the absolute error may be as large as 150 C. There is a good correlation between the calculated temperatures and petrologic type as well as other mineralogic characteristics and bulk composition. Partial pressures of sulfur and oxygen at the time of equilibration ranged from about 10 to the minus 8th to 10 to the minus 12th atm and from about 10 to the minus 28th to 10 to the minus 37th atm, respectively.
Combinatorial Auction-Based Dynamic VM Provisioning and Allocation in Clouds

Efficient Virtual Machine (VM) provisioning and allocation allows the cloud providers to effectively utilize their available resources and obtain higher profits. Existing combinatorial auction-based mechanisms assume that the VM instances are already provisioned, that is they assume static VM provisioning. A better solution would be to take into account the users' demand when provisioning VM instances. We design an auction-based mechanism for dynamic VM provisioning and allocation that takes into account the user demand for VMs when making VM provisioning decisions. We perform extensive simulation experiments using real workload traces and show that the proposed mechanism can improve the utilization, increase the efficiency of allocation, and yield higher revenue for the cloud provider.
Angiotensin II and Basic Fibroblast Growth Factor Induce Neonatal Bladder Stromal Cell Mitogenesis

AbstractPurpose: Our aims were to establish primary stromal cell cultures from the neonatal rabbit bladder and investigate the potential mitogenic effects of angiotensin II and basic fibroblast growth factor on these cells.Materials and Methods: Primary bladder stromal cell cultures were obtained from 3-day-old rabbits, plated at a density of 3 × 104 cells per ml. and allowed to grow for 24 hours. Subconfluent cells were growth arrested in serum deficient (0.25 percent newborn calf serum) or serum-free media for 24 hours and then stimulated with 10 sup -7 M. angiotensin II or 10 ng./ml. basic fibroblast growth factor for an additional 48 hours. Cell counts and [sup 3 H] thymidine incorporation were done to measure cellular proliferation and deoxyribonucleic acid synthesis.Results: Angiotensin II and basic fibroblast growth factor each stimulated neonatal bladder stromal cell proliferation and [sup 3 H] thymidine incorporation under serum deficient conditions. Angiotensin II provoked an average 26 percent ...
Expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and β2 in rat glomeruli

Expression of transforming growth factor-β1 and β2 in rat glomeruli. The transforming growth factors-β are potent modulators of cell growth and extracellular matrix metabolism in most types of cultured cells. The distribution and functions of TGF-β in vivo are less well known. We utilized several different techniques including northern blots, a CC1-64 cell growth inhibition assay, and sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (SELISA) to examine the expression of TGF-β1 and TGF-β2 in rat glomeruli. High levels of TGF-β1 mRNA and protein were found in glomeruli (56 ± 22 ng TGF-β1/g tissue). These levels were several-fold higher than those present in whole kidney (10 ± 5 ng/g). TGF-β2 mRNA was present in glomeruli but was not detected in whole kidney. TGF-β2 concentrations by SELISA were 19 ± 8 ng TGF-β2/g in glomeruli and less than 5 ng/g in whole kidney. Since TGF-β has such marked effects on cell growth, we also examined whether alterations in TGF-β expression were associated with the renal hypertrophy which follows unilateral nephrectomy. Expression of TGF-β1 mRNA decreased in glomeruli following nephrectomy. However, this was not associated with a significant fall in glomerular TGF-βl protein concentration. Whole kidney levels of TGF-β1 and its mRNA were unchanged following nephrectomy. Similar results were obtained for TGF-β2. Our data document the presence of high concentrations of TGF-β1 and β2 and their corresponding mRNAs in normal rat glomeruli. These results suggest that TGF-β may play important regulatory roles in the normal glomerulus.
Biochemical Abnormalities in Fibromyalgia Syndrome

Objectives: To describe new findings regarding metabolic and nociceptive processes in fibromyalgia [FS] patients. Findings: The earlier observation of elevated substance P in the cerebrospinal fluid [CSF] of FS patients has been confirmed with the documentation of levels which approach correlation with the painful symptoms. Newly recognized biochemical abnormalities include elevated CFS kynurenine, low serum serotonin, and low red cell NADP, NADH, and ATP. Conclusions: These findings support the hypothesis that FS is a metabolic disorder with demonstrable biochemical abnormalities potentially capable of explaining the clinical symptoms. It is hoped that the recognition of these abnormalities will facilitate the development of more specific and more effective therapies.
The SAS Education Value-Added Assessment System (SAS® EVAAS®) in the Houston Independent School District (HISD): Intended and Unintended Consequences

The SAS Educational Value-Added Assessment System (SAS® EVAAS®) is the most widely used value-added system in the country. It is also self-proclaimed as “the most robust and reliable” system available, with its greatest benefit to help educators improve their teaching practices. This study critically examined the effects of SAS® EVAAS® as experienced by teachers, in one of the largest, high-needs urban school districts in the nation – the Houston Independent School District (HISD). Using a multiple methods approach, this study critically analyzed retrospective quantitative and qualitative data to better comprehend and understand the evidence collected from four teachers whose contracts were not renewed in the summer of 2011, in part given their low SAS® EVAAS® scores. This study also suggests some intended and unintended effects that seem to be occurring as a result of SAS® EVAAS® implementation in HISD. In addition to issues with reliability, bias, teacher attribution, and validity, high-stakes use of SAS® EVAAS® in this district seems to be exacerbating unintended effects.
The dilated ureter in children

Abstract Dilatation of the ureter is a frequent condition in children and results most often from congenital obstruction. Yet neuromuscular dysfunction or long-standing urinary infection with inflammatory involvement of the ureteral musculature is sometimes etiologic. The ureterectasis is usually discovered at the time of urologic examination prompted by chronic pyuria. In some instances, however, persistent pain in the loin is the only symptom. The indications for urologie examination in a child have been briefly given. The diagnosis is easily and readily made by careful, complete urologic examination with miniature instruments, and similar in all details to that employed in adults. It is notable that children withstand such investigations far better than their elders; reactions consequent to the examination are only half as common in the young and are much less severe. Fear of an untoward reaction should never be considered a sole contraindication to complete urologic investigation in a child . The treatment of the dilated ureter is based upon etiology. In most instances the obstruction can be removed by simple instrumental methods. Infection and a neurologic basis for the condition seriously complicate therapy. With proper attention to technical surgical detail and with adequate care not only at the operating table, but in the patient's room pre-opera lively and post-operatively, children withstand major urosurgical procedures equally as well as adults. As to surgical risk for major operations on the upper urinary tract, I would almost always prefer a child.
Glassiness and exotic entropy scaling induced by quantum fluctuations in a disorder-free frustrated magnet

Spin liquids and spin ices arise when spins arranged on a lattice have several states that are close in energy, a phenomenon referred to as frustration. Here, Klich et al. show that quantum fluctuations can induce a spin liquid to freeze into a glassy state.
Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon analysis with the Mars organic analyzer microchip capillary electrophoresis system.

The Mars Organic Analyzer (MOA), a portable microchip capillary electrophoresis (CE) instrument developed for sensitive amino acid analysis on Mars, is used to analyze laboratory standards and real-world samples for polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). The microfabricated CE separation and analysis method for these hydrophobic analytes is optimized, resulting in a separation buffer consisting of 10 mM sulfobutylether-β-cyclodextrin, 40 mM methyl-β-cyclodextrin, 5 mM carbonate buffer at pH 10, 5 °C. A PAH standard consisting of seven PAHs found in extraterrestrial matter and two terrestrial PAHs is successfully baseline separated. Limits of detection for the components of the standard ranged from 2000 ppm to 6 ppb. Analysis of an environmental contamination standard from Lake Erie and of a hydrothermal vent chimney sample from the Guaymas Basin agreed with published composition. A Martian analogue sample from the Yungay Hills region of the Atacama Desert was analyzed and found to contain 9,10-diphenyla...
The Politics of Gentrification in Ernesto Quiñonez's Novels

ABSTRACT This article draws on scholarship from urban and Latina/o studies to demonstrate how Ernesto Quinonez's novels Bodega Dreams (2000) and Chango's Fire (2004) intervene in debates about gentrification, especially the gentrification of Spanish Harlem. Ultimately, Moiles argues that the presentation of Spanglish and Santeria in the novels, rather than promoting a feel-good multicultural politics, figuratively embodies the politics of Quinonez's fiction, which accepts the inevitability of neighborhood, cultural, and political change while simultaneously rejecting a particular version of gentrification and contemporary politics as inevitable and natural.