cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Olfactory deprivation and mating behavior in sexually experienced male cats

The effects of bilateral olfactory bulbectomy (sodium pentobarbital anesthesia) upon mating behavior was studied in sexually experienced adult male cats. In the first experiment preoperative and postoperative behavior of eight animals were compared. After bulbectomy there were no decrements in mating behavior; rather, small but significant increases in sexual activity occurred, e.g., increased frequency and duration of intromission, decreased initial and intromissive mount latencies. A second experiment was designed to test the hypothesis that this increase in sexual activity resulted from a decrease in the amount of test time that the desensitized animals spent in related activities, especially sniffing. Here sniffing, grooming and scratching were measured in five bulbectomized and four sham operates. They were tested preoperatively, postoperatively in the usual test room and later in a strange test room. The same increase in sexual behavior appeared in the bulbectomized animals as in the first experiment. Additionally, there were significant decreases in frequency and duration of sniffing the room and sniffing the female. The sham operates remained unchanged. When tested in a strange room the shams reacted with a decrease in frequency of intromission and an increase in initial mount and intromissive mount latencies. Sniffing the room rose to well above preoperative levels. Under similar conditions the bulbectomized males showed some increase in frequency of intromission, increased latencies and an increase in sniffing of the room, but not to preoperative levels. The probability that complete anosmia was achieved in these experiments is supported by detailed histological examination of the brains which demonstrated that the glomeruli in remaining bulbar fragments were all markedly degenerate. Other important histological changes are described. The results are discussed in relation to the pronounced decrements following bulbectomy in several species of rodents.
`I Love You Too Much to Ever Start Liking You': Redefining Romantic Relationships

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors affecting the likelihood that a disengaged romantic relationship will be redefined as a friendship rather than completely terminated. College students were surveyed about a recalled romantic relationship that either broke up or evolved into a friendship. Respondents answered questions regarding characteristics of the relationship prior to its decline, strategies used to disengage the relationship, and feelings during the disengaging period. Results indicated that being friends prior to romantic involvement was a significant predictor of friendship, both for people who initiated the disengagement and for those who were recipients of partner's desire for disengagement. In addition, for those who initiated disengagement, withdrawal strategies and feelings of being taken advantage of in the relationship were negatively related to post-disengagement friendship. For persons who were recipients of partner's desire for disengagement, positive tone strategies ...
On the stability of time delay systems

In this paper, the conditions of the stability independent of delays for a class of time delay systems having two different multiple delays are obtained in terms of two dimensional stability criterion. An illustrative example is included.
Opposing effects of nasal epithelial NAD(P)H dehydrogenase quinine 1 and heme oxygenase 1 expression on upper and lower airway symptoms in adolescents with asthma.

NQO1 and HO-1 expression in nasal epithelium are inversely correlated indicating that non-NRF2 mechanisms may play an important role in regulation of these genes. Further, NQO1 and HO-1 expression have opposing relationships with upper and lower airways symptoms, suggesting that induction of phase II enzymes could result in pleiotropic clinical effects.
Solving and analyzing side-chain positioning problems using linear and integer programming

Motivation: Side-chain positioning is a central component of homology modeling and protein design. In a common formulation of the problem, the backbone is fixed, side-chain conformations come from a rotamer library, and a pairwise energy function is optimized. It is NP-complete to find even a reasonable approximate solution to this problem. We seek to put this hardness result into practical context. Results: We present an integer linear programming (ILP) formulation of side-chain positioning that allows us to tackle large problem sizes. We relax the integrality constraint to give a polynomial-time linear programming (LP) heuristic. We apply LP to position side chains on native and homologous backbones and to choose side chains for protein design. Surprisingly, when positioning side chains on native and homologous backbones, optimal solutions using a simple, biologically relevant energy function can usually be found using LP. On the other hand, the design problem often cannot be solved using LP directly; however, optimal solutions for large instances can still be found using the computationally more expensive ILP procedure. While different energy functions also affect the difficulty of the problem, the LP/ILP approach is able to find optimal solutions. Our analysis is the first large-scale demonstration that LP-based approaches are highly effective in finding optimal (and successive near-optimal) solutions for the side-chain positioning problem. Availability: The source code for generating the ILP given a file of pairwise energies between rotamers is available online at http://compbio.cs.princeton.edu/scplp Contact: msingh@cs.princeton.edu
An Adaptive Algorithm for Information Dissemination in Self-Organizing Grids

Effective scheduling in large-scale computational grids is challenging because it requires tracking the dynamic state of the large number of distributed resources that comprise the grid. Classical distributed information dissemination approaches such as push, pull, and their combinations, are not well suited to the problem of resource tracking, where resources are redundant and full information about all resources everywhere is neither necessary nor desirable. Aggregated, partial, or probabilistic forwarding protocols result in more efficient (but incomplete) dissemination, while maintaining sufficient information to enable effective scheduling. However, a static approach to dissemination in which all information is treated identically, is ineffective in the presence of spatial and temporal non-uniformity of resources and demands. For example, a single forwarding probability for gossipping-based dissemination may result in unnecessarily high overhead in some areas of the grid. Moreover, the right forwarding probability values can change over time, with changes in offered load and node utilization. Adaptive protocols can adjust the aggressiveness with which information is disseminated, based on current grid conditions, and can in turn increase query satisfaction rates, reduce overhead, or both. This paper explores the characteristics and behavior of adaptive probabilistic and change-sensitive information forwarding protocols, identifying and addressing several issues and problems, and introducing dissemination protocols that are better able to reduce overhead and increase query satisfaction rates for a variety of grid conditions.
Efficient Wait-Free Implementation of Multiword LL/SC Variables

Since the design of lock-free data structures often poses a formidable intellectual challenge, researchers are constantly in search of abstractions and primitives that simplify this design. The multiword LL/SC object is such a primitive: many existing algorithms are based on this primitive, including the nonblocking and wait-free universal constructions (Anderson et. al., 1995), the closed objects construction (Chandra et. al., 1998) and the snap-shot algorithms (Jayanti, 2005, 2002). In this paper, the authors considered the problem of implementing a W-word LL/SC object shared by N processes. The previous best algorithm, due to Anderson and Moir, is time optimal (LL and SC operations run in O(W) time), but has a space complexity of O(N2 W). An algorithm that uses novel buffer management ideas to cut down the space complexity by a factor of N to O(NW), while still being time optimal was presented
Thorndike, Thurstone, and Rasch: A Comparison of Their Methods of Scaling Psychological and Educational Tests:

The purpose of this study is to describe and com pare the methods used by Thorndike, Thurstone, and Rasch for calibrating test items. Thorndike and Thur stone represent a traditional psychometric a...
Transparency and Stability Robustness in Two-Channel Bilateral Telemanipulation

This paper presents a two-channel architecture and design approach that enables a simultaneous increase in the transparency and stability robustness of a bilateral teleoperation system, and additionally provides a high degree of transparency robustness to uncertainty in the operator and environment dynamics. The former is provided by the use of a loop-shaping filter incorporated on the master-to-slave motion command, and the latter by local feedback loops around both the master and slave manipulators. The proposed architecture and design approach are illustrated on a single-degree-of-freedom example with and without a communication channel time delay. Finally, the implications of scaling on the stability of the teleoperator loop are discussed. @DOI: 10.1115/1.1387018#
Composing lineage metadata with XML for custom satellite-derived data products

As peer-to-peer dissemination of custom data products evolves among Earth science research groups, investigators and data managers must consider how to compose appropriate metadata for their research computing activities. Because workflows may span multiple groups, it is critical that lineage (provenance) metadata also be assembled to document and preserve the origins and processing history of constituent data products and transformations for future data consumers. To demonstrate methods for composing lineage metadata for custom processing, we introduce our terminology for workflow and employ a case study for the creation of satellite-derived ocean color data products. Our example contributes to a general metadata model for workflow that incorporates lineage. We then discuss metadata requirements for remote sensing-related data products. We propose two techniques for composing lineage metadata, both based on accessory XML metadata documents that are paired with the data products and versioned data transformations they describe. The first technique, implemented as a prototype, features a dedicated lineage server that introduces the indirection and flexibility necessary for Web-based lineage navigation. The second, more promising technique involves defining a simple Resource Description Framework (RDF) vocabulary for lineage metadata, and using extant RDF/XML tools for query and navigation. These methods provide guidelines for composing lineage metadata that are applicable to other domains.
Expert System based Dynamic Load Shedding Scheme for Shipboard Power Systems

This paper presents a new expert system based dynamic load shedding scheme for Navy Shipboard Power Systems (SPS). In this load shedding scheme analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is utilized for dynamically prioritizing the loads in SPS. The novelty of the proposed load shedding scheme lies in the fact that this scheme takes into account the various system critical natures of each load. This load shedding scheme tries to maximize the various system benefits and minimize load curtailment. The developed methodology was implemented on a test system in a simulation environment that employs a commercial real-time digital simulator allowing real time simulations of large scale power systems. An illustration of the developed load shedding scheme is presented.
Clinical psychiatric pharmacist involvement in an outpatient buprenorphine program

Background: Approximately nineteen million individuals in the United States are diagnosed with a substance use disorder (SUD), including many veterans enrolled in the Veterans Health Administration...
A Poor Man's System of Justice: the London Police Courts in the Second Half of the Nineteenth Century

Of the three major innovations in law enforcement in nineteenth-century England, the penitentiaries, the new police and the stipendiary magistracy, the stipendiary magistracy came first. Three years before Patrick Colquhoun published his influential Treatise on the police of the metropolis, urging the foundation of a centralized preventative police force, the Middlesex Justices Act of 1792 established a system of paid magistrates for metropolitan London. The stipendiary magistracy sitting in police offices was further reformed in the 1820s and 1830s, the same decades which saw the organization of the metropolitan police. By 1838 the police courts had taken their final shape, remaining largely unaltered into the twentieth century. Side by side with the new police, stipendiary magistrates were the primary instruments of public order in Victorian London.
Crime Mapping: Spatial and Temporal Challenges

Crime opportunities are neither uniformly nor randomly organized in space and time. As a result, crime mappers can unlock these spatial patterns and strive for a better theoretical understanding of the role of geography and opportunity, as well as enabling practical crime prevention solutions that are tailored to specific places. The evolution of crime mapping has heralded a new era in spatial criminology, and a re-emergence of the importance of place as one of the cornerstones essential to an understanding of crime and criminality. While early criminological inquiry in France and Britain had a spatial component, much of mainstream criminology for the last century has labored to explain criminality from a dispositional perspective, trying to explain why a particular offender or group has a propensity to commit crime. This traditional perspective resulted in criminologists focusing on individuals or on communities where the community extended from the neighborhood to larger aggregations (Weisburd et al. 2004). Even when the results lacked ambiguity, the findings often lacked policy relevance. However, crime mapping has revived interest and reshaped many criminologists appreciation for the importance of local geography as a determinant of crime that may be as important as criminal motivation. Between the individual and large urban areas (such as cities and regions) lies a spatial scale where crime varies considerably and does so at a frame of reference that is often amenable to localized crime prevention techniques. For example, without the opportunity afforded by enabling environmental weaknesses, such as poorly lit streets, lack of protective surveillance, or obvious victims (such as overtly wealthy tourists or unsecured vehicles), many offenders would not be as encouraged to commit crime.
Traumatic Eye Injuries From Collapsible Wire Laundry Hampers

Two patients presented to the University of Illinois at Chicago Eye and Ear Infirmary within 1 year with penetrating eye injuries caused by similar collapsible cloth and wire laundry hampers. Penetrating eye injuries in children are relatively rare but can result in poor visual outcomes and multiple vision-threatening complications. Both injuries at the University of Illinois resulted in an eye laceration as well as retinal complications similar to those reported with a high velocity injury. This now represents a significant pattern of eye injury and suggests that there exists a nontrivial risk for all children in households with this type of collapsible laundry hamper. Parents should receive a warning of the risks of these hampers.
Variational approach to the QCD wave functional: Dynamical mass generation and confinement.

We perform a variational calculation in the SU(N) Yang-Mills theory in 3+1 dimensions. Our trial variational states are explicitly gauge invariant, and reduce to simple Gaussian states in the zero coupling limit. Our main result is that the energy is minimized for the value of the variational parameter away from the perturbative value. The best variational state is therefore characterized by a dynamically generated mass scale M. This scale is related to the perturbative scale ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{\mathrm{QCD}}$ by the relation ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\alpha}}}_{\mathrm{QCD}}$(M)=(\ensuremath{\pi}/4)N. Taking the one-loop QCD \ensuremath{\beta} function and ${\mathrm{\ensuremath{\Lambda}}}_{\mathrm{QCD}}$=150 MeV we find (for N=3) the vacuum condensate (\ensuremath{\alpha}/\ensuremath{\pi})〈${\mathit{F}}^{2}$〉=0.008 ${\mathrm{GeV}}^{4}$.
Modulo scheduling for highly customized datapaths to increase hardware reusability

In the embedded domain, custom hardware in the form of ASICs is often used to implement critical parts of applications when performance and energy efficiency goals cannot be met with software implementations on a general purpose processor or DSP. The downsides of using ASICs include high non-recurring engineering costs, inability to accommodate changes in the application after production, and inability to reuse hardware for new applications. However, by allowing a degree of post-programmability, the hardware can retain high performance and energy efficiency while increasing flexibility and reusability. The difficulty with programmable custom hardware lies in mapping new applications onto an existing datapath that is both sparse and irregular. This paper proposes a constraint-driven modulo scheduler that maps software-pipelineable loops onto programmable loop accelerator hardware. The scheduler is able to target accelerators with widely varying levels of datapath functional capability and connectivity, and thus, varying degrees of programmability. The paper investigates the ability of the scheduler to map new loops onto existing hardware, which depends on both the degree of programmability of the hardware as well as the similarity of the new loop to the original loop for which the hardware was designed.
Facial measurement differences between patients with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls

Abstract Objective Several previous reports suggest that facial measurements in patients with schizophrenia differ from those of non-psychiatric controls. Because the face and brain develop in concert from the same ectodermal tissue, the study of quantitative craniofacial abnormalities may give clues to genetic and/or environmental factors predisposing to schizophrenia. Using a predominantly African American sample, the present research question was two-fold: (1) Do patients differ from controls in terms of a number of specific facial measurements?, and (2) Does cluster analysis based on these facial measurements reveal distinct facial morphologies that significantly discriminate patients from controls? Method Facial dimensions were measured in 73 patients with schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders (42 males and 31 females) and 69 non-psychiatric controls (35 males and 34 females) using a 25-cm head and neck caliper. Due to differences in facial dimensions by gender, separate independent samples Student's t-tests and logistic regression analyses were employed to discern differences in facial measures between the patient and control groups in women and men. Findings were further explored using cluster analysis. Given an association between age and some facial dimensions, the effect of age was controlled. Results In unadjusted bivariate tests, female patients differed from female controls on several facial dimensions, though male patients did not differ significantly from male controls for any facial measure. Controlling for age using logistic regression, female patients had a greater mid-facial depth (tragus–subnasale) compared to female controls; male patients had lesser upper facial (trichion–glabella) and lower facial (subnasale–gnathion) heights compared to male controls. Among females, cluster analysis revealed two facial morphologies that significantly discriminated patients from controls, though this finding was not evident when employing further cluster analyses using secondary distance measures. When the sample was restricted to African Americans, results were similar and consistent. Conclusions These findings indicate that, in a predominantly African American sample, some facial measurements differ between patients with schizophrenia and non-psychiatric controls, and these differences appear to be gender-specific. Further research on gender-specific quantitative craniofacial measurement differences between cases and controls could suggest gender-specific differences in embryologic/fetal neurodevelopmental processes underpinning schizophrenia.
The Crosstalk Hypothesis: Why Language Interferes With Driving

Performing two cognitive tasks at the same time can degrade performance for either domain-general reasons (e.g., both tasks require attention) or domain-specific reasons (e.g., both tasks require visual working memory). We tested predictions of these two accounts of interference on the task of driving while using language, a naturally occurring dual task. Using language and driving a vehicle use different perceptual and motor skills. As a consequence, a domain-general explanation for interference in this dual task appears most plausible. However, recent evidence from the language processing literature suggests that when people use language with motor content (e.g., language about actions) or visual content (e.g., language about visible objects and events), they engage their motor and perceptual systems in ways specifically reflecting the actions and percepts that the language is about. This raises the possibility that language might interfere with driving for domain-specific reasons when the language has visual or motor content. To test this, we had participants drive a simulated vehicle while simultaneously answering true-false statements that had motor, visual, or abstract content. A domain-general explanation for interference would predict greater distraction in each of these three conditions compared with control, while a domain-specific explanation would predict greater interference in the motor and visual conditions. Both of these predictions were borne out but on different measures of distraction, suggesting that language-driven distraction during driving and dual tasks involving language in general may be the result not only of domain-general causes but also specific interference caused by linguistic content.
Engaged Ethnography and the Story(ies) of the Anti-Sweatshop Movement:

The purpose of the present study is to conceptualize engagement as both theoretical and methodological in relation to social movements. Theoretically, engagement is seen as central to activism and ...
Experience with the Arndt paediatric bronchial blocker.

Previously reported techniques for single lung ventilation in children have failed to provide consistent, single lung ventilation with relative ease and reliability. We report our experience with the use of a new device, the Arndt 5 French (Fr) paediatric endobronchial blocker, for single lung ventilation in a series of 24 children. We were able to achieve single lung ventilation in 23 of the 24 patients (aged 2–16 yr). Placement required approximately 5–15 min. Attempts at placement were aborted in one patient who was unable to tolerate even short periods of apnoea because of lung pathology. Although it has some limitations, our experience suggests that the paediatric bronchial blocker can be used as a consistent, safe method of single lung ventilation in most young children.
The relationship of race and gender to managers' ratings of promotion potential

The purpose of this paper was to examine the relationship of race and gender to managers' ratings of promotion potential for a sample of 1268 managerial and professional employees. Hierarchial regression analysis showed that controlling for age, education, tenure, salary grade, functional area, and satisfaction with career support, both race and gender were significantly related to promotion potential. Females were rated lower than males, and Blacks and Asians were rated lower than Whites. There were no interaction effects between race and gender.
Literacy metaphors of pre‐service teachers: do they change after instruction? Which metaphors are stable? How do they connect to theories?

This paper reports on a study of pre‐service elementary teachers’ metaphors of ‘literacy’ and ‘teaching literacy’ at the commencement and conclusion of a year‐long literacy methods course at a Midwestern American university. Over a three‐year period, a total of 47 participants enrolled in the two‐semester literacy methods course with an embedded practicum. Data were entered in NVivio 7 and analysed for qualitative themes. Results identified six themes of teaching literacy, five of which connect to literacy theories. The majority of the pre‐service teachers maintained their metaphorical belief after a year‐long methods/practicum course. Four metaphors appeared to be stable across time and population. The article provides implications for linking the research reported with contemporary ideas for teaching in teacher preparation programmes.
Multifilament Nb 3 Sn conductors: Progress and prospects

Multifilament Nb 3 Sn conductors are now at the stage where several coils have been constructed and various types of material are available commercially from several suppliers. Even so, some questions remain with regard to the reliable use of this material, particularly in large-scale systems. The initial portion of this paper covers the main features of past work as they relate to the present situation. In the latter part, those areas where major uncertainties remain are described along with current projected work in these areas.
Rural Economic Development—Some Lessons from the Past

This article reviews some early rural planning experience in the United States. Aspects of the county planning program of 1938–42, relevant to current rural development efforts are discussed. It is suggested that some features of the county planning program which led to its failure have been carried over into current efforts. The use of the volunteer local committee device is a principal example. Both past and present planning activities have largely ignored the farm unit as a crucial rural development decision center. The experience with the test-demonstration farm program in the Tennessee Valley is reviewed in this context.
Evaluation of the Negative Liquid Lens for Photoacoustic Tomography

This paper presents the demonstration of a liquid acoustic diverging lens, which can enlarge the acceptance angle of an ultrasound transducer. This lens has been applied to photoacoustic tomography to achieve a better performance.
Vikings and Tigers: Finland, Sweden, and adoption of environmental technologies in Southeast Asia's pulpand paper industries

This paper examines structural dimensions of the influence of core-per iphery relations on adoption of environmental technologies in newly industrializing countries (NICs), using Nordic involvement in development of Southeast Asian pulp manufacturing in the late 1980s and early 1990s as a case study. Contrary to conventional wisdom, Southeast Asia was one of the first places in the world to employ new cleaner technologies in pulp and paper manufacturing. How did this happen? This paper argues that adoption of these technologies was influenced by dynamics within the world-system combined with the intentional actions of firms, states, and social movements over a 30-year period. The paper concludes that diffusion of the new environmental technologies is resulting in cleaner production in the periphery even while being part of a trend toward increased polarization between core and peripheral states, economies, and firms. Data were gathered from fieldwork in Southeast Asia from 1993-96; correspondence with Nordic firms, organizations and individuals in attendance and interviews at industry trade shows; and use of available data. Portions of the paper are derived from a larger study of adoption of environmental technologies in the pulp and paper industries of Southeast Asia and Australia.
Effect of AFT Rotor on the Inter-Rotor Flow of an Open Rotor Propulsion System

The effects of the aft rotor on the inter-rotor flow field of an open rotor propulsion rig were examined. A Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) dataset that was acquired phase locked to the front rotor position has been phase averaged based on the relative phase angle between the forward and aft rotors. The aft rotor phase was determined by feature tracking in raw PIV images through an image processing algorithm. The effect of the aft rotor potential field on the inter-rotor flow were analyzed and shown to be in good agreement with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) simulations. It was shown that the aft rotor had no substantial effect on the position of the forward rotor tip vortex but did have a small effect on the circulation strength of the vortex when the rotors were highly loaded.
Isolated internal iliac artery aneurysms and their urological manifestations.

AbstractThree cases of isolated hypogastric artery aneurysms are presented, making the total reported 27. Of these 3 patients 2 had urinary tract involvement. The association of hypogastric artery aneurysms and the urinary tract occurs in 54 per cent of such patients. Of all patients 42 per cent had ureteral involvement and a similar percentage presented with urologic symptoms. In 38 per cent of the patients bladder pathology was associated with the aneurysm. Although hypogastric artery aneurysms are uncommon their timely recognition is important to the urologist.
Automated Analysis of Muscle X-ray Diffraction Imaging with MCMC

High-speed X-ray diffraction is the state-of-the-art approach to understanding protein structure and dynamics in living tissues, especially muscles. Existing analytic approaches, however, require expert hand-digitization to extract parameters of interest. This produces repeatable measurements, but remains subjective and does not offer information on the precision of the measured parameters or strict reproducibility of analyzed data. We developed a processing tool chain, which first segments the diffraction image into regions of interest using highly conserved features and then samples the possible parameter values with a Markov chain Monte Carlo approach. Our approach produces an automated, reproducible, objective estimate of relevant image parameters.
Graphene-based neutron detectors

We are developing detector architectures and devices based on the novel carbon nanomaterial graphene, which has been shown to exhibit unusual electrical properties of potential use for next-generation radiation detectors. Of particular interest is the use of this technology to develop novel neutron detectors. To this end, we are studying architectures based on a neutron-absorbing converter material in conjunction with a graphene field-effect transistor (GFET). As an intermediate step towards the demonstration of GFET neutron detectors we utilize an alphasource to systematically study the effect of charge deposition on the device response. As an added benefit, this experiment helps us elucidate the important systematics of response to other types of radiation, including the dependence of the magnitude of graphene resistance modulation on the deposited energy and the dependence of device speed on the morphology of energy deposition.
A Critical Role for STAT-3 Dependent Induction of Indoleamine 2, 3 Dioxygenase in Histone Deacetylase Inhibitors Mediated the Regulation of GVHD.

Abstract Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors reduce experimental acute graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and recent work by us and others suggest that HDAC inhibitors regulate dendritic cell (DC) function. However, the critical cellular and molecular mechanisms underpinning these observations are not known. We investigated the mechanisms by utilizing two HDAC inhibitors, suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA) and ITF 2357. Pretreatment of murine bone marrow (BM) and human peripheral blood mononuclear cell derived DCs with either HDAC inhibtors and stimulated with TLR ligands such as LPS caused a significant reduction in the secretion of TNF-α compared to the untreated controls (P
Acute Fetal Demise with First Trimester Maternal Infection Resulting from Listeria monocytogenes in a Nonhuman Primate Model.

Infection with Listeria monocytogenes during pregnancy is associated with miscarriage, preterm birth, and neonatal complications, including sepsis and meningitis. While the risk of these conditions is thought to be greatest during the third trimester of pregnancy, the determinants of fetoplacental susceptibility to infection, the contribution of gestational age, and the in vivo progression of disease at the maternal-fetal interface are poorly understood. We developed a nonhuman primate model of listeriosis to better understand antecedents of adverse pregnancy outcomes in early pregnancy. Four pregnant cynomolgus macaques (Macaca fascicularis) received a single intragastric inoculation between days 36 and 46 of gestation with 107 CFU of an L. monocytogenes strain isolated from a previous cluster of human listeriosis cases that resulted in adverse pregnancy outcomes. Fecal shedding, maternal bacteremia, and fetal demise were consistently noted within 7 to 13 days. Biopsy specimens of maternal liver, spleen, and lymph node displayed variable inflammation and relatively low bacterial burden. In comparison, we observed greater bacterial burden in the decidua and placenta and the highest burden in fetal tissues. Histopathology indicated vasculitis, fibrinoid necrosis, and thrombosis of the decidual spiral arteries, acute chorioamnionitis and villitis in the placenta, and hematogenous infection of the fetus. Vascular pathology suggests early impact of L. monocytogenes infection on spiral arteries in the decidua, which we hypothesize precipitates subsequent placentitis and fetal demise. These results demonstrate that L. monocytogenes tropism for the maternal reproductive tract results in infection of the decidua, placenta, and the fetus itself during the first trimester of pregnancy.IMPORTANCE Although listeriosis is known to cause significant fetal morbidity and mortality, it is typically recognized in the third trimester of human pregnancy. Its impact on early pregnancy is poorly defined. Here we provide evidence that exposure to L. monocytogenes in the first trimester poses a greater risk of fetal loss than currently appreciated. Similarities in human and nonhuman primate placentation, physiology, and reproductive immunology make this work highly relevant to human pregnancy. We highlight the concept that the maternal immune response that protects the mother from serious disease is unable to protect the fetus, a concept relevant to classic TORCH ( t oxoplasmosis, o ther, r ubella, c ytomegalovirus, and h erpes) infections and newly illuminated by current Zika virus outbreaks. Studies with this model, using the well-understood organism L. monocytogenes, will permit precise analysis of host-pathogen interactions at the maternal-fetal interface and have broad significance to both recognized and emerging infections in the setting of pregnancy.
Flow Field and Scalar Measurements in a Series of Turbulent Partially-Premixed Dimethyl Ether/Air Jet Flames

Abstract We present a series of benchmark flames consisting of six partially-premixed piloted dimethyl ether (DME)/air jet flames. These flames provide an opportunity to understand turbulence-flame interactions for oxygenated fuels and to develop predictive models for these interactions using a canonical burner geometry. The development of accurate models for DME/air flames would establish a foundation for studies of more complex oxygenated fuels. The flames are stabilized on a piloted jet burner similar to that of the partially-premixed methane/air jet flames that have been studied extensively within the context of the TNF Workshop. This series of six jet flames spans jet exit Reynolds numbers, Re D , from 29,300 to 73,300 and stoichiometric mixture fractions, ξ st , from 0.35 to 0.60. Flame conditions range from very low probability of localized extinction to a high probability of localized extinction and subsequent re-ignition. Measurements in the flames are compared at downstream locations from 5 to 25 diameters above the nozzle exit. Mean and fluctuating velocity components are measured using stereo particle image velocimetry (SPIV). Simultaneous laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) imaging of OH and CH 2 O provides insights into the distribution of these intermediate species in partially-premixed DME/air flames. OH LIF imaging is also combined with SPIV to investigate the strain rate field across the reaction zone.
Video reflectometry to specify optical properties of tissue in vivo

The measurement of tissue optical properties is often required for proper design of therapeutic or diagnostic uses of light in medicine. The ability of light to spread into a tissue and the rate of light absorption by the tissue are two related but distinct processes. The two independent optical parameters which affect these processes are absorption and scattering. To understand light propagation, two independent optical measurements must be made. In this paper, we discuss the measurements of total diffuse reflectance and lateral spread of light in response to a point source of irradiance. In this paper, we call this technique 'video reflectometry'. The video reflectometry technique is a noncontact measurement. Therefore, it can be used with living tissues with their in situ water balance and blood content. The technique includes two measurements: (1) a photodiode measurement of total diffuse reflectance, R_d, and (2) a video camera measurement of the lateral spread of light in the tissue which is expressed as the local diffuse reflectance, R(r). Although it is possible to obtain the value of R_d from the integration of the video R(r) data, the independent photodiode measurement of R_d is more reliable and more easily calibrated. Therefore, we employ the two methods in video reflectometry.
Experimental Determination of the Ionization Energies of MoSe2, WS2, and MoS2 on SiO2 Using Photoemission Electron Microscopy

The values of the ionization energies of transition metal dichalcogenides (TMDs) are needed to assess their potential usefulness in semiconductor heterojunctions for high-performance optoelectronics. Here, we report on the systematic determination of ionization energies for three prototypical TMD monolayers (MoSe2, WS2, and MoS2) on SiO2 using photoemission electron microscopy with deep ultraviolet illumination. The ionization energy displays a progressive decrease from MoS2, to WS2, to MoSe2, in agreement with predictions of density functional theory calculations. Combined with the measured energy positions of the valence band edge at the Brillouin zone center, we deduce that, in the absence of interlayer coupling, a vertical heterojunction comprising any of the three TMD monolayers would form a staggered (type-II) band alignment. This band alignment could give rise to long-lived interlayer excitons that are potentially useful for valleytronics or efficient electron–hole separation in photovoltaics.
Providers' Perspectives on Barriers and Facilitators to Connecting Women Veterans to Alcohol-Related Care From Primary Care.

ABSTRACT Background: Unhealthy drinking is relatively common among women U.S. military Veterans. Primary care is often the setting where patients first come into contact with the health care system, and providers in this setting play a critical role in connecting unhealthy drinkers to appropriate care. Little is known about primary care providers' perspectives on factors that affect whether women Veterans presenting to primary care with unhealthy drinking connect to alcohol-related care. Understanding factors that affect whether patients connect to alcohol-related care may improve providers' ability to support women Veterans with unhealthy drinking get needed care. Methods: This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with 14 providers from two Veterans Administration Women's Health primary care clinics, including nurses, nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants, and physicians, and colocated mental health providers. The interviews were transcribed, and themes pertaining to providers' perspec...
Layered LiTiO2 for the protection of Li2S cathodes against dissolution: mechanisms of the remarkable performance boost

Lithium sulfide (Li2S) cathodes have been viewed as very promising candidates for next-generation lightweight Li and Li-ion batteries. Prior work on the deposition of carbon shells around Li2S particles showed reduced dissolution of polysulfides and improved cathode stability. However, due to the substantial volume changes during cycling and the low chemical binding energy between carbon and sulfides, defects almost inevitably forming in the carbon shell during battery operation commonly lead to premature cell failure. In this study, we show that conformal coatings of layered LiTiO2 may offer better protection against polysulfide dissolution and the shuttle effects. Density functional theory (DFT) calculations revealed that LiTiO2 exhibits a strong affinity for sulfur species (Li2Sx) and, most importantly, induces a rapid conversion of longer (highly soluble) polysulfides to short polysulfides, which exhibit minimum solubility in electrolytes. Quite remarkably, even the mere presence of the electronically conductive layered oxides (LiMO2, M = metal) such as LiTiO2 in the cathodes (e.g., as a component of the mix with Li2S) enhanced the cell rate and cycling stability dramatically. Advanced material characterization in combination with quantum chemistry calculations provided unique insights into the mechanisms of the incredible performance boost, such as interactions between Li2Sx and the LiTiO2 surface, leading to breakage of S–S bonds.
CD73 expression in primary and metastatic renal cell carcinoma (RCC).

643Background: Agents targeting the PD-1 pathway have improved outcomes in RCC. CD73 may be an additional mechanism which tumors can exploit for immune evasion. It is regulated by hypoxia inducible...
3 – Simple Crystal Structures

Nothing happens in nature which can be attributed to the vice of nature, for she is always the same and everywhere one. Her virtue is the same, and her powers of acting; that is to say her laws and rules, according to which all things are and are changed from form to form, are everywhere and always the same; …
Equations F(x,y,αx) = 0

We consider equations F(x,y,α x ) = 0 in integer unknowns x and y, where F(X,Y,Z) ∈ℂ[X, Y, Z]is an irreducible polynomial with degree 2 in Z and α ∈ ℂ x is not a root of unity. We prove (under an additional hypothesis) that if such an equation has solutions with arbitrarily large values of |x|, then F and α must be of a particularly simple form.
Expression of antioxidant protective proteins in the rat retina during prenatal and postnatal development.

PURPOSE. In retinopathy of prematurity, capillary growth in the retina is attenuated. Subsequent cyclic elevation of oxygen levels leads to renewed capillary growth that may eventually result in retinal detachment. It is hypothesized that the sensitivity of the premature retina to oxidative shock results from the absence of antioxidant protective proteins. METHODS. The expression of heme oxygenase-1, metallothionein, superoxide dismutase, and catalase mRNAs was measured in retinas of rats from 6 days before birth to 4 days after birth using in situ hybridization and Semiquantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction with Southern blot analysis. RESULTS. Superoxide dismutase mRNA was expressed to a similar extent at all time points. Metallothionein mRNA expression, which was high at embryonic days (E) 16 and 18, decreased to low levels by the time of birth and remained low at least until 4 days after birth. Catalase mRNA expression was low until birth and increased until at least postnatal day 4. Heme oxygenase-1 mRNA showed low expression at E16 and E18, increased before birth, and then diminished. CONCLUSIONS. Four antioxidant protein mRNAs showed very different patterns of expression in the rat retina. Two of these proteins, heme oxygenase-1 and catalase, were expressed at relatively low levels until approximately the time of birth. The former is important in protection against heme-mediated generation of reactive oxygen species, whereas the latter protects against hydrogen peroxide- generated damage. As a result of the low expression of these mRNAs, and presumably the proteins encoded by them, the premature rat (and probably the premature human) is likely to be born without a full complement of antioxidant defenses.
Impact of the Root Canal Taper on the Apical Adaptability of Sealers used in a Single-cone Technique: A Micro-computed Tomography Study.

Aim The purpose of this study was to assess the influence of root canal taper on the apical adaptability of three root canal sealers used in a single-cone technique by measuring void's volume. Materials and methods Thirty-six maxillary premolar root canals were divided into two groups. Eighteen root canals were shaped with iRace/FKG 0.3 to 0.04 instrument and 18 with 0.3 to 0.06 iRace/FKG instrument. Roots were then scanned using micro-computed tomography (CT). Each group was divided into three subgroups, containing six samples each, filled respectively, with AHPlus® (AH), TotalFill® (TF), and a novel bioceramic (NB) sealers. The roots were rescanned using micro-CT in order to superimpose the two scans and calculate the voids volume in the apical third. Statistical analyses were done using analysis of variance (ANOVA) test with a level of significance (p Results Regarding void's volume measurements, all groups filled with AH and TF sealers showed similar results for both tapers with no statistical differences (p > 0.05); 4% AH: 0.0354 ± 0.0354; 4% TF: 0.0370 ± 0.0245; 6% AH: 0.0447 ± 0.0348; 6% TF: 0.0588 ± 0.0150 (p > 0.05), whereas 6% tapered preparations showed significantly less voids compared with 4%, specifically for the NB sealer tested. 4%: 0.123 ± 0.130; 6%: 0.068 ± 0.035 (p Conclusion Bioceramic (BC) sealers showed good all-round performance demonstrating good adaptability, and reduced voids while maintaining similar characteristics when compared with conventional resin sealer. Clinical significance The conservative preparations in AH4 and TF4 did not induce less voids compared with more enlarged tapers (6%) in AH6 and TF4 groups.
Grain boundary segregation and intermetallic precipitation in coarsening resistant nanocrystalline aluminum alloys

Abstract In-spite of all of the unique properties of nanocrystalline materials, they are notorious when it comes to their susceptibility to thermally induced grain coarsening, thus imposing an upper limit to their application temperature. In this study, we demonstrate a coupled Monte Carlo-molecular dynamics simulation-guided experimental approach of improving the resistance to thermally induced grain coarsening in light-weight nanocrystalline Al-Mg alloys. The structure, grain boundary segregation of Mg, and extent of grain coarsening of the Al-Mg alloys were characterized using plan view and cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy and atom probe tomography. Coarsening resistance is attributed to a combination of thermodynamic stabilization of grain boundaries by controlled Mg segregation, and kinetic stabilization through pinning of the boundaries with nanoscale intermetallic precipitates. Thus, we highlight the opportunities in extending the upper limit of application temperature for nanocrystalline alloys by using a complementary thermodynamic and kinetic stabilization approach.