cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Differentiation between left bundle branch block and left ventricular hypertrophy: Implications for cardiac resynchronization therapy

Recent clinical trials have demonstrated that cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) reduces heart failure hospitalizations and mortality in patients with complete left bundle branch block (LBBB), but potentially not those with right bundle branch block or nonspecific LV conduction delay, such as that due to LV hypertrophy (LVH). Furthermore, endocardial mapping and simulation studies have suggested that one-third of patients diagnosed with LBBB by conventional electrocardiographic criteria are misdiagnosed, and these patients likely have a combination of LVH, LV chamber dilatation and delayed initiation of LV activation (incomplete LBBB). Increase in LV size due to hypertrophy/dilatation and slowed intramyocardial conduction velocity prolong QRS duration in patients with LVH, which can frequently go above the QRS duration threshold of 120 ms conventionally used to diagnose LBBB. New strict criteria for diagnosing complete LBBB have been proposed that utilize longer QRS duration thresholds (130 ms in women and 140 ms in men) and require the presence of mid-QRS notching/slurring in at least 2 of the leads I, aVL, V1, V2, V5 or V6. The emergence of CRT has led to an increased need to differentiate complete LBBB from LVH and other types of intraventricular conduction delay, which should be further studied.
Bloomfield and Historical Linguistics

SUMMARYBloomfield worked in both historical and synchronic linguistics. To the former, he contributed: (1) a large amount of work in specific fields; (2) scrutiny of the nature of historical linguistic investigation; and (3) an analysis of the phenomenon of linguistic change. In his Language (1933), he did not narrate the procedures involved in synchronic investigation, nor did he set forth the steps to be followed in analysis. In his exposition of the results of diachronic linguistics, his approach was one of respect and admiration for the achievements of nineteenth-century historical linguistics. Since he accepted the (often disputed) postulate of the regularity of sound-change, he defended it by indirect persuasion in setting forth the arguments by which it is confirmed. His view of the causation of phonological and morphological change is interpreted as an anticipation of later sociolinguistics. In so doing, he restated his predecessors' and his own insights, thereby rescuing them from the ministrations of their would-be defenders.RESUMEBloomfield travailla dans la linguistique historique et dans la linguisti-que synchronique. A la premiere, il contribua: (1) une grande quantite de materiaux dans des champs specifiques; (2) l'examen de la nature des etudes historiques du langage; (3) une analyse du phenomene du changement linguistique. Dans son livre Language (1933), il n'enumera pas les procedes de l'investigation linguistique, ni les etapes a suivre dans l'analyse. En pre-sentant les resultats de la linguistique diachronique, l'approche de Bloom-field fut du a son respect et a son admiration pour les accomplissements de la linguistique historique du dix-neuvieme siecle. Puisqu'il acceptait le post-ulat (souvent dispute) de la regularity des changements phonetiques, il le defendit moyennant la persuasion indirecte, en presentant l'argumentation par laquelle il est confirme. L'auteur interprete les vues de Bloomfield sur les causes des changements phonologiques et morphologiques comme une anticipation de la sociolinguistique. En faisant ceci, Bloomfield reformula les aperCus de ses predecesseurs et de lui-meme, de sorte qu'il les sauva des plaidoyers de ceux qui voulaient les defendre d'une faCon maladroite.
Advanced Developments in Computerized Design and Manufacturing of Spiral Bevel and Hypoid Gear Drives

Design and manufacturing of spiral bevel and hypoid gears is highly complicated and has to be based on the employment of computerized tools. This paper comprehensively describes the latest developments in computerized modeling of tooth surface generation, flank form error correction, ease-off calculation, and tooth contact analysis for spiral bevel and hypoid gears. Accordingly, advanced software programs for computerized design and manufacturing of hypoid gears are developed.
Three-dimensional computer graphics for archaeological data exploration: An example from Saxon Southampton

Abstract This paper describes the use of a relational database and three-dimensional graphics system to investigate the contents of a mid-Saxon rubbish pit at Southampton, England. The aim of the project was to answer questions about rubbish disposal and site formation. Both databases and graphics are useful tools for the archaeologist. The combination permits a loop which involves problem posing, data extraction, graphic display and interpretation. The interpretation refines the archaeologist's knowledge of the data. This leads to a new or revised problem and an iteration of the loop.
The Employee Health Service and Infection Control in US Hospitals, 1976-1977: II. Managing Employee Illness

To assess the methods being used in US hospitals to prevent the spread of contagious illnesses from hospital employees to patients, we analyzed information obtained in the SENIC Project (Study on the Efficacy of Nosocomial Infection Control) from interviews with hospital officials and staff nurses. In general, staff nurses and their first-line supervisors appeared to be unfamiliar with some published recommendations outlining when an illness or exposure should exclude them temporarily from patient contact. The infection control nurse had authority to exclude employees in fewer than half of the hospitals. Although employees would be financially penalized in less than 10% of hospitals for missing work on account of a contagious illness, staff nurses in larger hospitals were more reluctant to consult the employee health service if they believed they would lose pay. (JAMA1981;246:962-966)
Cultured epidermal autografts: A life-saving and skin-saving technique in children

The recent more widespread availability of cultured keratinocytes has increased their clinical applicability in pediatric surgical problems. In life threatening burns (3 patients) and in elective procedures (3 patients) we have used sheets of cultured epithelial autografts. Body surface area affected ranged from fifteen to 85%. Five patients were successfully treated in one grafting session and one required four sessions. Take of the cultured keratinocytes ranged from 75% to 95%. Follow-up as long as 30 months has shown the skin to be comparable to if not superior to conventional split thickness grafts. The use of cultured keratinocytes allows wound coverage without expansion of the affected body surface area seen with conventional split-thickness skin grafting. Although there is an initial delay in the preparation of the grafts, the overall results have been excellent and suggest the more frequent use of this method.
Counting tritangent planes of space curves

LET C be a smooth simple closed curve in Iw3. A tritangent plane of C is a plane in W3 which is tangent to C at exactly three points. A stall x of C is a point of C at which the torsion of C is zero. We will say that a stall x is transoerse if the curvature of C is non-zero at x, the derivative of the torsion of C is non-zero at x, and the osculating plane P of C at x is transverse to C away from x. If x is a transverse stall of C then an interval of C about x lies on one side of the osculating plane P of C at x, so P intersects Cat an even number 2n of points other than x. The integer n = n(x, C) is the index of the transverse stall x of C. Let Coc(S’, rW3) be the space of C” maps ~1: S’ -+ W3 with the Whitney topology.
The body's own bioweapons

The next biothreat could come from chemicals derived from the human body that can incapacitate and kill—and which skirt existing arms controls.
Syringaldazine, an effective reagent for detecting laccase and peroxidase in fungi

Das Syringaaldehyd-azin ist eine hellgelbe, kristalline und leicht zu synthetisierende Verbindung, die in verdunnter alkoholischer Losung von Laccase + Luftsauerstoff bzw. von Peroxydase + H2O2 unter Bildung eines intensiv purpurnen Pigments rasch oxydiert wird. Diese hochempfindliche Reaktion ist als Tupfelprobe leicht anzuwenden und ergibt einen sehr spezifischen Nachweis dieser Phenoloxydasen in Pilzkulturen: Tragt man einige Tropfen verdunnter Azinlosung auf eine Pilzkultur auf, bildet sich an der Luft bei Anwesenheit von Laccase ein purpurner Fleck. Ist nur wenig Laccase vorhanden, wird die Probe nur rosa bis rot; bleibt sie farblos, ist keine Laccase vorhanden. Im letzteren Fall kann man verdunnte H2O2-Losung an derselben Stelle auftropfen, um Peroxydase nachzuweisen. Farbt sich der Fleck dann lila rot, ist eine Peroxydase vorhanden. Der Nachweis von Peroxydase ist bei Anwesenheit von Laccase nicht moglich. Ist keine Laccase vorhanden, kann man eine Furoguajacin-Losung (bzw. frisch hergestellte Guajaktinktur) an einer anderen Stelle der Kultur auftragen, um Tyrosinase nachzuweisen. Die Tyrosinase oxydiert das Azin uberhaupt nicht. Mit Hilfe dieser eindeutigen und schnellen Nachweismethoden wird man den Zusammenhang zwischen der Bildung der verschiedenen Phenoloxydasen durch holz-zerstorende Pilze und deren Abbau von Holz und von Lignin besser untersuchen konnen.
Respiratory-cardiac relationships in children.

The effects of breathing on heart rate and heart rate variability were assessed in 6-, 8-, and 10-year-old boys. Rate of breathing affected only heart rate variability, with faster breathing producing more stable heart rate. Replicating previous findings with adults, depth of breathing affected both heart rate and heart rate variability, with deep breathing producing the fastest, most variable heart rate. The absolute effects of the respiratory manipulations on heart rate variability were found to be greater for children than for adults, and there was also a developmental trend of both decreasing heart rate and variability. Implications of these findings for developmental studies using heart rate as a dependent measure are discussed.
Wikipedia Neuroscience Stub Editing in an Introductory Undergraduate Neuroscience Course

In response to the Society for Neuroscience initiative to help improve the neuroscience related content in Wikipedia, I implemented Wikipedia article construction and revision in my Introduction to Neuroscience course at Boston College as a writing intensive and neuroscience related outreach activity. My students worked in small groups to revise neuroscience “stubs” of their choice, many of which had little or no useful content. The exercise resulted in the successful development of well-written Wikipedia neuroscience articles, and was received well by my students, receiving positive marks in our course evaluations. Much of the student guidance and assessment was done by student peer groups as well as other Wikipedia editors outside of our course, reducing the instructor involvement to below that of a typical term paper.
Rearrangement of partially ordered stacked conformations contributes to the rugged energy landscape of a small RNA hairpin.

We have studied the fast relaxation kinetics of a small RNA hairpin tetraloop using time- resolved infrared spectroscopy. A laser-induced temperature jump initiated the relaxation by rapidly perturbing the thermal equilibrium of the sample. We probed the relaxation kinetics at two different wavenumbers, 1574 and 1669 cm -1 . The latter is due to the C6dO6 carbonyl stretch of the base guanine and is a direct measure of guanine base pairing. The former is assigned to a ring vibration of guanine and tracks structure by sensing base stacking interactions. Overall, the kinetics at 1574 cm -1 are faster than those observed at 1669 cm -1 . When relaxation occurs at the melting temperature, the kinetics at both wavenumbers are biexponential. When relaxation occurs at a temperature that is higher than the melting temperature, the data at 1669 cm -1 are still biexponential while only a single fast phase is resolved in the data at 1574 cm -1 . The fast phases are in the range of microseconds, while the slower phases are in the range of tens of microseconds. At both wavenumbers, a portion of the relaxation is not resolved, indicating the existence of a very fast, sub-100 ns phase. Our results provide additional evidence that small, fast folding hairpin loops are characterized by a rugged energy landscape. Furthermore, our data suggest that single-strand stacking interactions and stacking interactions in the loop contribute significantly to the ruggedness of the energy landscape. This work also demonstrates the utility of time-resolved infrared spectroscopy in studying RNA folding.
The −256T>C Polymorphism in the Apolipoprotein A-II Gene Promoter Is Associated with Body Mass Index and Food Intake in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network Study

Background: Apolipoprotein A-II (APOA2) plays an ambiguous role in lipid metabolism, obesity, and atherosclerosis. Methods: We studied the association between a functional APOA2 promoter polymorphism (−265T>C) and plasma lipids (fasting and postprandial), anthropometric variables, and food intake in 514 men and 564 women who participated in the Genetics of Lipid Lowering Drugs and Diet Network (GOLDN) study. We obtained fasting and postprandial (after consuming a high-fat meal) measures. We measured lipoprotein particle concentrations by proton nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy and estimated dietary intake by use of a validated questionnaire. Results: We observed recessive effects for this polymorphism that were homogeneous by sex. Individuals homozygous for the −265C allele had statistically higher body mass index (BMI) than did carriers of the T allele. Consistently, after multivariate adjustment, the odds ratio for obesity in CC individuals compared with T allele carriers was 1.70 (95% CI 1.02–2.80, P = 0.039). Interestingly, total energy intake in CC individuals was statistically higher [mean (SE) 9371 (497) vs 8456 (413) kJ/d, P = 0.005] than in T allele carriers. Likewise, total fat and protein intakes (expressed in grams per day) were statistically higher in CC individuals ( P = 0.002 and P = 0.005, respectively). After adjustment for energy, percentage of carbohydrate intake was statistically lower in CC individuals. These associations remained statistically significant even after adjustment for BMI. We found no associations with fasting lipids and only some associations with HDL subfraction distribution in the postprandial state. Conclusions: The −265T>C polymorphism is consistently associated with food consumption and obesity, suggesting a new role for APOA2 in regulating dietary intake.
Examining massification policies and their consequences for equality in Chinese higher education: A cultural perspective

This study extends the theoretical perspectives in policy studies on the issue of educational equality by analyzing the influence of cultural values on policies and policy processes. The present paper first teases out the key cultural values regarding education and equality, and then explores how these values shape the institution and policy making in the Chinese context. The policies of expansion, reform in governance and finance, differentiation of provision, and their consequences on equality in Chinese higher education are examined through the lens of culture. The context of close family bonds and strong commitment to education in the Chinese society has bolstered the policies of cost-sharing, privatization and concentrating resources in selected universities. Confucian bureaucracy and hierarchy shaped the strong state and top-down policy process; collectivism and elitism coupled with utilitarianism legitimized the paramount goal of development and strengthened the hierarchy of the higher education system; meritocratic tradition mediated the public demands and state’s policies on provision, and buffered the debates about inequality. The idea of minben (people are essence of a nation) in Chinese tradition served as a counter force to balance the pursuit of development and equality.
A group of processes related to the Poisson process

A group of stochastic processes akin to the Poisson process is defined in terms of rules of interactions between two types of interacting entities and in terms of a parameter corresponding to the initial relative numbers of the two types of interacting entities. One limiting value of this parameter corresponds to the Poisson process and the exponential distribution function, and the other limiting value of the parameter corresponds to a special case among the group of stochastic processes defined and a statistical distribution function used previously for incomes and fracture toughness. The related processes in between, which correspond to the intermediate values of the parameter, correspond to an intermediate statistical distribution function. The transition between the limiting cases is smooth as evinced by the change of the mean and median with change in the parameter. The scale-invariant behaviour of the fields of stress and strain at the tips of cracks is used to support the introduction of a shape parameter into the special-case function. All the distribution functions considered are found to be stable extreme-value functions, either in the sense of multiplying probabilities or in the sense of summing the variable or in a mixture of both senses.
Analysis of privacy preserving random perturbation techniques: further explorations

Privacy is becoming an increasingly important issue in many data mining applications, particularly in the security and defense area. This has triggered the development of many privacy-preserving data mining techniques. A large fraction of them uses randomized data distortion techniques to mask the data for preserving the privacy. They attempt to hide the sensitive data by randomly modifying the data values using additive noise. This paper questions the utility of such randomized data distortion technique for preserving privacy in many cases and urges caution. It notes that random objects (particularly random matrices) have "predictable" structures in the spectral domain and then offers a random matrix-based spectral filtering technique to retrieve original data from the data-set distorted by adding random values. It extends our earlier work questioning the efficacy of random perturbation techniques using additive noise for privacy-preserving data mining in continuous valued domain and presents new results in the discrete domain. It shows that the growing collection of random perturbation-based "privacy-preserving" data mining techniques may need a careful scrutiny in order to prevent privacy breaches through linear transformations. The paper also presents extensive experimental results in order to support this claim.
Inverted GaInP / (In)GaAs / InGaAs triple-junction solar cells with low-stress metamorphic bottom junctions

We demonstrate high efficiency performance in two ultra-thin, Ge-free III–V semiconductor triple-junction solar cell device designs grown in an inverted configuration. Low-stress metamorphic junctions were engineered to achieve excellent photovoltaic performance with less than 3 × 106 cm−2 threading dislocations. The first design with band gaps of 1.83/1.40/1.00 eV, containing a single metamorphic junction, achieved 33.8% and 39.2% efficiencies under the standard one-sun global spectrum and concentrated direct spectrum at 131 suns, respectively. The second design with band gaps of 1.83/1.34/0.89 eV, containing two metamorphic junctions achieved 33.2% and 40.1% efficiencies under the standard one-sun global spectrum and concentrated direct spectrum at 143 suns, respectively.
Evolutionary origins of invasive populations

What factors shape the evolution of invasive populations? Recent theoretical and empirical studies suggest that an evolutionary history of disturbance might be an important factor. This perspective presents hypotheses regarding the impact of disturbance on the evolution of invasive populations, based on a synthesis of the existing literature. Disturbance might select for life-history traits that are favorable for colonizing novel habitats, such as rapid population growth and persistence. Theoretical results suggest that disturbance in the form of fluctuating environments might select for organismal flexibility, or alternatively, the evolution of evolvability. Rapidly fluctuating environments might favor organismal flexibility, such as broad tolerance or plasticity. Alternatively, longer fluctuations or environmental stress might lead to the evolution of evolvability by acting on features of the mutation matrix. Once genetic variance is generated via mutations, temporally fluctuating selection across generations might promote the accumulation and maintenance of genetic variation. Deeper insights into how disturbance in native habitats affects evolutionary and physiological responses of populations would give us greater capacity to predict the populations that are most likely to tolerate or adapt to novel environments during habitat invasions. Moreover, we would gain fundamental insights into the evolutionary origins of invasive populations.
Jasmonates as Signals in the Wound Response

Plant responses to wounding and herbivore attack are orchestrated by complex signaling pathways that link the production of chemical and physical signals at the wound site to activation of gene expression and other cellular processes. The systemic nature of many wound-induced responses provides an attractive opportunity to study intercellular signaling pathways that operate over long distances within the plant. Genetic dissection of the wound-response pathway in tomato indicates that (1) systemin and its precursor protein, prosystemin, are upstream components of an intercellular signaling cascade that requires the biosynthesis and action of jasmonic acid (JA); and (2) physiological processes regulated by this pathway confer host resistance to a broad spectrum of plant invaders. Grafting experiments conducted with mutants defective in systemic wound signaling indicate that systemin functions at or near the wound site to trigger the production of JA, which in turn acts non-cell autonomously to promote systemic defense responses. The location of JA biosynthetic enzymes within the companion cell-sieve element complex of vascular bundles, together with the accumulation of JA in vascular tissues, support a role for jasmonates as phloem-mobile signals. The recent discovery of enzymes involved in the metabolism of JA to volatile methyl-JA and bioactive JA-amino acid conjugates has potential implications for the mechanism by which JA promotes wound signaling. Species-specific differences in the mechanism of wound signaling appear to reflect the way in which the wound-induced jasmonate pathway is regulated by other signals including systemin, cell wall-derived oligosaccharides, ethylene, and insect-derived elicitors. Adding to the complexity of the wound-induced jasmonate cascade are wound-signaling pathways that operate independently of JA.
Comparison of serum progesterone, 20 alpha -dihydroprogesterone and estradiol-17 beta in pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits: evidence for postimplantation recognition of pregnancy.

Progesterone, 205-dihydroprogcsterone, and estradiol-17�t were measured in serum of pregnant and pseudopregnant New Zealand White rabbits. Neither progesterone concentrations nor progesterone gradients on consecutive days differed between these two reproductive states until several days after implantation. No differences in concentrations of 2Ocs-dihydroprogesterone were found between pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits during the 28 days following mating. Estradiol-1 7�3 profiles were similar in pregnant and pseudopregnant rabbits during Days 1-6 and Days 12-17 following mating, with the exception of an apparent rise in estradiol-17j3 concentration in pseudopregnant does during luteal regression. These data support the concept that an alteration in ovarian function in response to the presence of embryos does not occur until several days after implantation in the rabbit. Furthermore, the available data clearly indicate that regression of the corpus luteum at the end of pseudopregnancy is not caused by withdrawal of estradiol, the luteotropic hormone. Rather, the corpus luteum regresses in the presence of increasing estradiol concentrations accompanying the return to estrus.
Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 CmaL (PSPTO4723), a DUF1330 Family Member, Is Needed To Produce l-allo-Isoleucine, a Precursor for the Phytotoxin Coronatine

Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 produces the phytotoxin coronatine, a major determinant of the leaf chlorosis associated with DC3000 pathogenesis. The DC3000 PSPTO4723 (cmaL) gene is located in a genomic region encoding type III effectors; however, it promotes chlorosis in the model plant Nicotiana benthamiana in a manner independent of type III secretion. Coronatine is produced by the ligation of two moieties, coronafacic acid (CFA) and coronamic acid (CMA), which are produced by biosynthetic pathways encoded in separate operons. Cross-feeding experiments, performed in N. benthamiana with cfa, cma, and cmaL mutants, implicate CmaL in CMA production. Furthermore, analysis of bacterial supernatants under coronatine-inducing conditions revealed that mutants lacking either the cma operon or cmaL accumulate CFA rather than coronatine, supporting a role for CmaL in the regulation or biosynthesis of CMA. CmaL does not appear to regulate CMA production, since the expression of proteins with known roles in CMA production is unaltered in cmaL mutants. Rather, CmaL is needed for the first step in CMA synthesis, as evidenced by the fact that wild-type levels of coronatine production are restored to a ΔcmaL mutant when it is supplemented with 50 μg/ml l-allo-isoleucine, the starting unit for CMA production. cmaL is found in all other sequenced P. syringae strains with coronatine biosynthesis genes. This characterization of CmaL identifies a critical missing factor in coronatine production and provides a foundation for further investigation of a member of the widespread DUF1330 protein family.
Micromechanical accelerometer integrated with MOS detection circuitry

A cantilever beam accelerometer is described in which the small cantilever sensing element is integrated with and fabricated alongside MOS detection circuitry. The total area of the detector/circuit combination is about 15000 µm2(24 mil2). Fully compatible and conventional materials and processing steps are employed throughout the fabrication schedule. Accelerations of the chip normal to its surface induce motions in the cantilever beam. These motions result in capacitance variations which drive the simple MOS detection circuit. Sensitivities of about 2.2 mV/g of acceleration were measured, corresponding to beam motions of about 68 nm/g, with a beam mechanical resonant frequency of 2.2 kHz. These results were in close agreement with detailed mechanical calculations and circuit modeling.
Gender, Islam, And Assisted Reproductive Technologies

As academics and Muslim thinkers begin to explore and formulate Islamic bioethics, it seems that the vital dimension of gender has so far received short shrift. This may appear all the more surprising in light of a growing body of literature on gender and Islam generally, though in many ways it mirrors the development of bioethics in the North American context. In that instance, too, new theories and cases involving gender were ignored for some time, but once given serious attention, had a significant impact on the field at all levels. One area of Islamic bioethics in which gender plays a central role is assisted reproductive technologies (ART). Yet even there, the implications of gender in the theory and practice of Islamic bioethics have not been sufficiently examined. Though some medical anthropologists in particular have addressed facets of gender in ART, more needs to be done to integrate this into the wider pursuit of Islamic bioethics. This paper attempts to call more attention to the issue of gender as a necessary consideration in the development of Islamic bioethics. What is similar and what is different in the relationship of gender and bioethics in the North American and Islamic contexts? What pitfalls can be avoided in the articulation of Islamic bioethics in light of the North American experience of gender and bioethics? This paper looks at Islamic bioethical thought and practice in the realm of ART — particularly in Iran — and presents some of the ways in which gender comes into play. It then suggests other dimensions in the development of Islamic bioethics wherein considerations of gender ought to play a core role.
Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology

Geographical Information Systems in Archaeology. By James Conolly and Mark Lake. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge. 2006. ISBN-13 978-0-521-79744-3 (Paperback GB £26.99; US $45), 338 pp, 188 fi...
Restricted dendritic cell and monocyte progenitors in human cord blood and bone marrow

In mice, two restricted dendritic cell (DC) progenitors, macrophage/dendritic progenitors (MDPs) and common dendritic progenitors (CDPs), demonstrate increasing commitment to the DC lineage, as they sequentially lose granulocyte and monocyte potential, respectively. Identifying these progenitors has enabled us to understand the role of DCs and monocytes in immunity and tolerance in mice. In humans, however, restricted monocyte and DC progenitors remain unknown. Progress in studying human DC development has been hampered by lack of an in vitro culture system that recapitulates in vivo DC hematopoiesis. Here we report a culture system that supports development of CD34+ hematopoietic stem cell progenitors into the three major human DC subsets, monocytes, granulocytes, and NK and B cells. Using this culture system, we defined the pathway for human DC development and revealed the sequential origin of human DCs from increasingly restricted progenitors: a human granulocyte-monocyte-DC progenitor (hGMDP) that develops into a human monocyte-dendritic progenitor (hMDP), which in turn develops into monocytes, and a human CDP (hCDP) that is restricted to produce the three major DC subsets. The phenotype of the DC progenitors partially overlaps with granulocyte-macrophage progenitors (GMPs). These progenitors reside in human cord blood and bone marrow but not in the blood or lymphoid tissues.
Reconstruction off preglacial topography using a postglacial flooding surface; Upper Paleozoic deposits, Central Transantarctic Mountains, Antarctica

ABSTRACT Upper Paleozoic glacial deposits in the central Transantarctic Mountains are the basal deposits within a late Paleozoic to early Mesozoic basin that formed along the margin of the East Antarctic Craton. This basin was a foreland basin throughout much of its history, and was part of a larger-scale basin that stretched across the paleo-Pacific margin of Gondwanaland. Our reconstruction of the preglacial topography in the central Transantarctic Mountains suggests that deposition began within two topographic depressions located on top of eroded rocks of the lower Paleozoic Ross Orogenic Belt. Isopach, paleocurrent, and lithofacies data support such a hypothesis. This interpretation implies that tectonic activity was not a factor in the formation of the depositional basin, and that little r no tectonic activity was occurring along the adjacent continental margin during glacial deposition. Although glacial deposits are present all along the paleo-Pacific continental margin of Antarctica and Gondwanaland, our findings suggest that initial sedimentation began within a series of discontinuous depocenters. A flooding surface that separates upper Paleozoic glacial deposits from overlying postglacial black shales in the central Transantarctic Mountains is used as a datum for reconstructing the preglacial topography. The postglacial flooding surface resulted from flooding of the depositional basin following collapse of the Gondwanide ice sheet. Results using this approach aided us in reevaluating the factors that controlled the formation of the depositional basin in Antarctica and in determining the tectonic setting of the paleo-Pacific margin of Antarctica during deposition of the upper Paleozoic glacial rocks. The use of a flooding surface as a datum is a technique that may be useful for reconstructing paleotopography in other settings.
Number of visits to a state in a random walk, before absorption, and related topics.

Abstract Equations are derived for the probability of n visits to a given state during the course of a random walk on a finite diagram that starts from a specified state and ends with absorption. By deriving the mean number of visits in two different ways, certain conjectures or theorems are encountered that connect properties of different but related diagrams in an interesting way. Other subjects included are (i) number of one-way transitions between two states before absorption; (ii) time dependence of the rate of cycle completions before absorption; and (iii) the relation of this work to the "return process" of Karlin and Taylor.
User experiences with activity-based navigation on mobile devices

We introduce activity-based navigation, which uses human activities derived from sensor data to help people navigate, in particular to retrace a "trail" previously taken by that person or another person. Such trails may include step counts, walking up/down stairs or taking elevators, compass directions, and photos taken along a user's path, in addition to absolute positioning (GPS and maps) when available. To explore the user experience of activity-based navigation, we built Greenfield, a mobile device interface for finding a car. We conducted a ten participant user study comparing users' ability to find cars across three different presentations of activity-based information as well as verbal instructions. Our results show that activity-based navigation can be used for car finding and suggest its promise more generally for supporting navigation tasks. We present lessons for future activity-based navigation interfaces, and motivate further work in this space, particularly in the area of robust activity inference.
Comments on “A Demonstration of Measurement Error and Reliability”

Buck's "Demonstration Measurement Error and Reliability" contains errors that mislead students about true scores and the calculation of reliability coefficients.
A fluid connection: Cholesterol and Aβ

Alzheimer's disease (AD) has long been in the public eye because of its prevalence in the geriatric population, and the fear that the cognitive haze of dementia will strike us. The pathophysiology of AD is thought to derive from a small peptide, termed Aβ, which accumulates in the brain causing neurotoxicity and neurodegeneration. There is accumulating evidence pointing toward a potentially important link between cholesterol, Aβ, and AD. Recent epidemiological studies indicate that the prevalence of AD is reduced among people taking a class of cholesterol lowering medicines, termed HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors (also known as statins), such as simvastatin and lovastatin (1, 2). This work is supported by studies in transgenic mice overexpressing amyloid precursor protein (APP), which is the precursor to Aβ (Fig. 1A). These studies show that cholesterol levels inversely regulate Aβ production and Alzheimer pathology (3). Transgenic APP mice fed high cholesterol diets have more neuritic plaques and higher levels of insoluble Aβ, which is the main component of neuritic plaques. Now, two articles in the current issue of PNAS (4, 5) provide data suggesting how cholesterol might modulate Alzheimer pathology. Both papers study the affects of cholesterol reduction on APP processing and Aβ production. Fassbender et al. (5) use both cell culture and in vivo studies to show that inhibiting cholesterol production reduces Aβ production, and Kojro et al. (4) provide corroborative evidence by showing that inhibiting cholesterol production increases trafficking of APP through the non-amyloidogenic APPsα pathway. Together these papers suggest that inhibiting cholesterol production in the brain might inhibit Aβ production, and reduce the accumulation of Aβ that causes AD.
Entertaining the Trinity Unawares: Genesis xviii in Western Christian Interpretation

Abraham's encounter at Mamre (Genesis xviii.1–16) captivated the Christian imagination from the tradition's very origins. The story hints at God's self-disclosure in a triad of visitors – a theophany that evoked the presence of the Logos or even the Trinity. This article examines late antique exegetical trajectories, focusing upon the interaction between text and expositor in light of the latter's socio-historical context. For patristic exegetes, the Mamre account contained profound spiritual truth if read through the correct doctrinal lens, while presenting a foothold for heresy to the unwary. Changing visions of Trinitarian orthodoxy thus gave rise to new strategies of reading.
Statistical Control of Assessment Uniformity

In most states constitutional provisions exist that there shall be uniformity in the assessment of properties real estates in a taxing district. Since property tax rate is applied to the assessed values of properties, it is believed that the equity of taxation will be preserved if their assessed values bear a uniform proportion to their respective fair cash values. But fair cash values are unobservable, because each parcel of real estate is unique and is usually infrequently transacted in a market far from being perfect. Consequently, the relationship between the fair cash value of a parcel and its sale price is difficult to specify. The problem therefore arises as to how one can detect departure from assessment uniformity by using market data of unique properties generated in a taxing district. A review of the opinions of state tax courts in several important tax abatement cases and an examination of a few key studies dealing with property tax administration reveal a state of confusion as ubiquitous as the property taxation itself. In this paper, several models are proposed in an attempt to bring some measure of order to property tax administration. One of the models that utilizes the lognormal transformation of sales and assessment data appears most promising. Preliminary empirical investigation appears to confirm its usefulness in extracting essential information for the purpose of monitoring the quality of property tax systems.
One-pot synthesis and recovery of fatty acid methyl esters (FAMEs) from microalgae biomass

We report a scalable method for recovery of cellular lipids and subsequent conversion to products. When in situ transesterification was performed at high solid loadings (>20%(w/w)) by reacting microalgal biomass in acidified methanol (containing 5%(v/v) H2SO4), the released FAMEs were produced at sufficiently high concentrations such that their solubility limit in the reaction medium was exceeded. As a result, the FAMEs spontaneously formed a separate phase lighter than methanol that could be directly recovered without solvent extraction. Further, FAME production rates were easily predicted, even in concentrated biomass slurries, by models derived from fundamental reaction kinetics. Our results also suggest that un-reacted methanol and catalyst, when recovered, could be reused in subsequent reactions. Thus, this “one-pot” process represents a viable method for production of biodiesel from algal biomass since this approach (1) eliminates costs associated with co-solvent (e.g., hexane) use, recovery and storage, (2) is easily scalable by virtue of the reaction not being constrained by mass transport limitations, and (3) facilitates processing of concentrated biomass slurries that would reduce reactor volumes and minimize reactor and handling costs.
Re-exploring Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha as a Target for Therapy in Intracerebral Hemorrhage

Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a perplexing condition with high mortality and no treatment beyond supportive care. A major portion of the injurious process is takes place during the hours following the development of hematoma. This so-called secondary injury is characterized by an inflammatory cascade that involves a variety of cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α. Several studies in the rodent model of ICH have shown a rapid increase in brain concentrations of TNF-α following hematoma induction. There is a reasonable body of evidence from experimental models of ICH suggesting that upregulation of TNF-α adjacent to the hematoma is associated with increased peri-hematomal edema, and that inhibition of TNF-α attenuates the formation and progression of this edema and ultimately improves outcomes. Unfortunately, efforts to expand upon these findings have interminably stalled at the pre-clinical phase. A robust clinical study to validate serum TNF-α as a marker for secondary injury in ICH patients is yet to materialize.
Process Improvement for Aerodynamic Model Development

A comprehensive, six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) flight simulation is an indispensable tool for designing a missile’s guidance and control systems, as well as for developing flight test plans and analyzing its flight performance. A critical component of any such simulation is the aerodynamic definition of the missile or the aerodynamic (aero) model. The Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory has had a long history of developing aero models for interceptor missiles. This experience has led to the codification of effective processes for collecting missile aerodynamic data and generating accurate, full-featured aero models for use in 6-DOF missile simulations. Process improvements such as remotely actuated wind tunnel models; software applications that organize, analyze, and process aerodynamic data; and rapid missile model fabrication methods that use advanced techniques and materials have evolved over this history as well. These improvements have compressed the time and cost of collecting and processing aero data. This paper focuses on recent work that addresses improvements to the final step of the aero model development process: developing the aero model computer code. A history of the major advances in the overall aero model development process is briefly discussed, as well as a general aero model methodology. This background provides the foundation for a more detailed discussion of the advancements in the process of building aero model computer code. The shortcomings of legacy aero model codes are examined, as well as how these shortcomings can be addressed with modern coding practices and techniques. New tools and techniques for processing aero model data are highlighted, as well as advanced tools for automating the process of aero model generation and validation.
A Qualitative Examination of the Gendered and Racialized Lives of Latina College Students

In order to fill a gap identified in the literature (Cole in Am Psychol 64:170–180, 2009), the current study sought to explore how Latina college students experience their social identities and whether they would identify intersections of those identities. Data from in-person semi-structured interviews addressing ethnic background, gender, discrimination, and intersectionality with 12 Latina traditional age college students (M = 19.83 years, SD = 1.34 years) attending a Hispanic Serving Institution in Southern California were analyzed and coded using consensual qualitative research (CQR) (Hill et al. in Couns Psychol 25:517–572, 1997, in J Couns Psychol 52(2):196–205, 2005) methodology. Though intersectionality did not emerge as a central aspect of their experiences, CQR analysis revealed the following six domains: (a) gender role socialization; (b) stereotypes; (c) current gender role ideology; (d) ethnic discrimination; (e) sexism; (f) coping with discrimination. Cross-analyses of core ideas yielded categories that were labeled general, typical, or variant. Results are discussed in the context of culture and economic factors.
On Centrifugal Pump Selection of Filter and the Matters Needing Attention

Through the lean carbonate solution booster pump in the normal operation of 10 min,pump flow fell sharply decreased and the pump can't had the normal operation was anslyzed,and pump suction filter's problems.In considering pump suction filter effective filtration area and the factors,the relevant precautions of reasonable selection of filter were put forward,by replacing the entrance of the filter chemical centrifugal pump,the operation was stable.
Microbial Communities of the Male Urethra

Traditionally, the male urethra in healthy men was believed to be sterile or only transiently colonized by microorganisms. This view reflected technical limitations in studying this site that were not easily surmounted until methods for cultivation-independent bacterial identification became available. First, while the obvious analogous compartment to the male urethra may be the female urinary tract, given the function of the penis, the male urethral compartment is most often compared to the vaginal microenvironment. A simple Gram stain of these two body sites demonstrates substantial differences. Vaginal samples from healthy women typically contain significant numbers of epithelial cells and a large number of microorganisms including Lactobacillus and Candida species among others (see chapter 12). In contrast, it is unusual to identify similar numbers of microorganisms by simple Gram stain of urethral smears obtained from healthy men. An unintended consequence has been that far less effort has gone into characterizing the relatively sparse microorganisms that are routinely observed, and ignored, in urethral specimens from healthy men. As described later in this chapter, recent cultivation-independent surveys of male urethral swab, urine, and semen specimens have confirmed that the male urethra harbors smaller absolute numbers of microorganisms than the vagina but have also identified a surprisingly diverse array of bacterial taxa, many of which correspond to pathogens and commensal organisms found in the vagina. This has led to the reemerging idea that the microbiology of the male urethra may be more complex than is appreciated and that the composition of urethral microbial communities, collectively the urethral microbiome, might play a role in male urethral health and disease analogous to the role of the vaginal microbiome.
Evidence for Title IX Redress

While Title IX has contributed to significant increases in female athletic participation, there continue to be claims of gender inequality, such as in the case described in this article, McCully v. Stephenville Independent School District.
MicroRNAs in model and complex organisms

Non-coding RNAs such as microRNAs (miRNAs) are very tiny ribonucleotides having an essential role in gene regulation at both post-transcriptional and translational levels. They are very conserved and expressed in worms, flies, plants, and mammals in a sequence-specific manner. Furthermore, it is now possible to clone miRNAs using the new genome editing tool CRISPR/cas9, which shows benefit in control of untargeted effect. In this special issue, we tried to cover researches associated with functional roles of miRNAs accross model and complex organisms.