cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunogenicity of In Vitro Maintained and Matured Populations: Potential Barriers to Engraftment of Human Pluripotent Stem Cell Derivatives

The potential to develop into any cell type makes human pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) one of the most promising sources for regenerative treatments. Hurdles to their clinical applications include (1) formation of heterogeneously differentiated cultures, (2) the risk of teratoma formation from residual undifferentiated cells, and (3) immune rejection of engrafted cells. The recent production of human isogenic (genetically identical) induced PSCs (hiPSCs) has been proposed as a "solution" to the histocompatibility barrier. In theory, differentiated cells derived from patient-specific hiPSC lines should be histocompatible to their donor/recipient. However, propagation, maintenance, and non-physiologic differentiation of hPSCs in vitro may produce other, likely less powerful, immune responses. In light of recent progress towards the clinical application of hPSCs, this review focuses on two antigen presentation phenomena that may lead to rejection of isogenic hPSC derivates: namely, the expression of aberrant antigens as a result of long-term in vitro maintenance conditions or incomplete somatic cell reprogramming, and the unbalanced presentation of receptors and ligands involved in immune recognition due to accelerated differentiation. Finally, we discuss immunosuppressive approaches that could potentially address these immunological concerns.
By the numbers: ratings and utilization of behavioral health mobile applications.

Although >10,000 behavioral health applications (“apps”) are currently available on the Apple and Google Play marketplaces, they have been minimally evaluated or regulated and little is known about “real world” usage patterns. This investigation combined data from online behavioral health app rating frameworks and a mobile health market research firm to identify the most downloaded apps as well as determine rating and ranking concordance between frameworks. Findings demonstrated that the most commonly downloaded apps focus on relaxation, mindfulness, and meditation skills and that they often have notably discordant reviews across rating frameworks. Our results suggest that there is a growing need for: (1) standardized behavioral health app quality and effectiveness measures, (2) up-to-date behavioral health app guidance for clinicians and consumers, and (3) evidence-based apps that incorporate revealed consumer preferences.
The effectiveness of using 3D reconstruction software for surgery to augment surgical education.

Abstract Background Assimilating diagnostic radiology education into undergraduate medical education remains a challenge. This challenge places a greater emphasis in surgical residency to ensure this education occurs. The objective of this study is to determine whether a 3D-reconstruction may improve surgical residents’ assessment of resectability of pancreatic lesions. Methods Four cases were identified of patients with a pancreatic lesion; high-quality, triphasic abdominal CT scans were obtained and evaluated to ensure sufficient resolution and slice thickness. The images then were used for 3D-reconstruction of the cases. Results PGY3-5 residents had a statistically-significant higher percentage of correct answers on objective questionnaire items using CT in conjunction with 3D-reconstruction software versus CT only. PGY1-2 residents had a higher percentage of correct answers using 3D-reconstruction software, but the difference was not statistically significant. Conclusions 3D-reconstruction software could be a viable tool to augment radiology education within a surgery residency, especially in CT interpretation, but there appears to be a minimum threshold of knowledge needed for meaningful improvement; therefore, this software may be more useful for PGY3-5 residents than PGY1-2 residents.
Abstract 115: Surgical Bilateral Stellate Ganglionectomy Reduces Mitochondrial Reactive Oxygen Species (mROS) and Prevents Sudden Cardiac Death (SCD) in Non-ischemic Heart Failure (HF)

Introduction: Current therapies for SCD are limited. Bilateral sympathetic stellate ganglionectomy (BSG) is a promising new adjunctive therapy in patients with ischemic HF who have incessant ventri...
A new tool for automatic calibration of the Storm Water Management Model (SWMM)

Abstract The USEPA (United States Environmental Protection Agency) Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) is one of the most widely used numerical models to simulate urban runoff and drainage. A typical SWMM project has hundreds or thousands of sub-catchments and more than 20 parameters associated with six different physical processes for each sub-catchment. Consequently, model calibration is a challenging task. In this study, SWMM was integrated with the Optimization Software Tool for Research Involving Computational Heuristics (OSTRICH) to perform single- and multi-objective automatic calibration. The newly developed OSTRICH-SWMM is an open-source tool with dozens of parallelized optimization algorithms. A catchment in Buffalo, NY was selected as a case study and was calibrated according to two competing criteria: (1) minimizing errors in simulated peak flow, and (2) minimizing errors in total flow volume. The Pareto front for the case study was obtained using a multi-objective calibration algorithm and this allowed for evaluating tradeoffs between the peak flow and total volume criteria. The results demonstrate that OSTRICH-SWMM is a promising tool for automatic calibration of SWMM models.
Reliability and Inter-rater Reliability in Qualitative Research: Norms and Guidelines for CSCW and HCI Practice

What does reliability mean for building a grounded theory? What about when writing an auto-ethnography? When is it appropriate to use measures like inter-rater reliability (IRR)? Reliability is a familiar concept in traditional scientific practice, but how, and even whether to establish reliability in qualitative research is an oft-debated question. For researchers in highly interdisciplinary fields like computer-supported cooperative work (CSCW) and human-computer interaction (HCI), the question is particularly complex as collaborators bring diverse epistemologies and training to their research. In this article, we use two approaches to understand reliability in qualitative research. We first investigate and describe local norms in the CSCW and HCI literature, then we combine examples from these findings with guidelines from methods literature to help researchers answer questions like: "should I calculate IRR?" Drawing on a meta-analysis of a representative sample of CSCW and HCI papers from 2016-2018, we find that authors use a variety of approaches to communicate reliability; notably, IRR is rare, occurring in around 1/9 of qualitative papers. We reflect on current practices and propose guidelines for reporting on reliability in qualitative research using IRR as a central example of a form of agreement. The guidelines are designed to generate discussion and orient new CSCW and HCI scholars and reviewers to reliability in qualitative research.
Chapter 90 – Respiratory Acidosis

: Most causes of respiratory acidosis are due to hypoventilation, not increased CO2 production. Respiratory insufficiency causes hypoxemia, which can lead to a secondary metabolic acidosis. The early phase of respiratory acidosis is associated with severe acidemia in acute respiratory failure. Renal compensation for respiratory acidosis involves enhanced bicarbonate generation and urinary proton excretion. The respiratory compensation for metabolic acidosis is usually faster and more complete than the renal compensation for respiratory acidosis. Respiratory acid-base disorders generally evoke parallel changes in the pH of CSF and blood. Protons have difficulty crossing the blood-brain-barrier and the blood-CSF barrier.
Standards for Charitable Disaster Relief In the Time of Pandemic

This short piece explains how exempt organizations currently face uncertainty about the standards for determining need for disaster relief, particularly in the time of a crisis, such as the current pandemic. The available IRS guidance is not any official document published in the Internal Revenue Bulletin, but only a Publication 3833, “Disaster Relief: Providing Assistance through Charitable Organizations.” This IRS publication states that organizations must make an individualized, specific determination of need before giving such assistance. This piece argues that the IRS should issue official guidance for the COVID-19 crisis, modeled on that given in connection with the September 11 terrorist attacks. After 9/11, the IRS issued a notice permitting charities to distribute funds so long as payments were made in good faith using objective standards. The IRS should do the same now. If it does not, Congress should act, as it also did after 9/11.
MEDIUM TERM NEUROLOGICAL OUTCOME IN A GROUP OF PRETERM INFANTS SURGICALLY TREATED FOR POSTHAEMORRHAGIC VENTRICULAR DILATATION (PHVD)

Objective To investigate the outcome of a group of preterm infants with PHVD treated with external ventricular drainage (EVD) and/or ventriculoperitoneal shunt (VPS). Methods Study group comprised 29 preterm infants (24–36 wks of gestation), born between 2003–2007, diagnosed as having a grade III–IV IVH and who developed PHVD; twenty six of them were referred to our hospital for treatment. Neurological assessment was performed at 12 and 24 months corrected age (CA). Results Mean gestational age (GA) was 29 wks (DS 3), mean birth weight 1277 g (DS 510); 24 newborns were Conclusions PHVD is a serious illness complicating grade III–IV IVH, that mainly affects newborn infants
Protocol for Probing Regulated Lysosomal Activity and Function in Living Cells.

Lysosomes are the catabolic center of the cell. Limitations of many lysosomal tracers include low specificity and lack of reliable physiological readouts for changes in growth factor-regulated lysosomal activity. The imaging-based protocols described here provide insights at the cellular level to quantify functions essential to lysosomal biology, including β-glucosidase enzymatic cleavage, active Cathepsin D, and pH regulation in real time. These optimized protocols, applied in different cell types and pathophysiologic contexts, provide useful tools to study lysosome function in cultured living cells. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Albrecht et al. (2020).
Abstract 15010: Myocardial Injury in Sepsis With Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Introduction: Sepsis is common and associated with high morbidity and mortality; novel prognostic biomarkers are needed. The association of myocardial injury with mortality in sepsis has not been f...
Direct and Fast Detection of Trace Selenium in Water by Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectroscopy and by Laser-Ablation-Assisted Laser-Induced Fluorescence

Direct and fast detection of trace selenium in water, without any form of pre-concentration, is demonstrated. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy and laser-ablation-assisted laser-induced fluorescence are used, achieving limits-of-detection down to 56 ppm and 315 ppb, respectively.
Interplay of Trypanosome Lytic Factor and innate immune cells in the resolution of cutaneous Leishmania infection.

Trypanosome Lytic Factor (TLF) is a primate-specific high-density lipoprotein (HDL) complex that, through the cation channel-forming protein apolipoprotein L-1 (APOL1), provides innate immunity to a select kinetoplastid parasites. The immunoprotective effects of TLF have been extensively investigated in the context of its interaction with the extracellular protozoan Trypanosoma brucei brucei, to which it confers sterile immunity. We previously showed that TLF could act against intracellular pathogen Leishmania, and here we dissected the role of TLF and its synergy with host-immune cells. Leishmania major is transmitted by Phlebotomine sand flies, which deposit the parasite intradermally into mammalian hosts, where neutrophils are the predominant phagocytes recruited to the site of infection. Once in the host, the parasites are phagocytosed and shed their surface glycoconjugates during differentiation to the mammalian-resident amastigote stage. Our data show that mice producing TLF have reduced parasite burdens when infected intradermally with metacyclic promastigotes of L. major, the infective, fly-transmitted stage. This TLF-mediated reduction in parasite burden was lost in neutrophil-depleted mice, suggesting that early recruitment of neutrophils is required for TLF-mediated killing of L. major. In vitro we find that only metacyclic promastigotes co-incubated with TLF in an acidic milieu were lysed. However, amastigotes were not killed by TLF at any pH. These findings correlated with binding experiments, revealing that labeled TLF binds specifically to the surface of metacyclic promastigotes, but not to amastigotes. Metacyclic promastigotes of L. major deficient in the synthesis of surface glycoconjugates LPG and/or PPG (lpg1- and lpg5A-/lpg5B- respectively whose absence mimics the amastigote surface, were resistant to TLF-mediated lysis. We propose that TLF binds to the outer surface glycoconjugates of metacyclic promastigotes, whereupon it kills the parasite in acidic phagosome of phagocytes. We hypothesize that resistance to TLF requires shedding of the surface glycoconjugates, which occurs several hours after phagocytosis by immune cells, creating a relatively short-lived but effective window for TLF to act against Leishmania.
Enabling Energy-Efficient IoT via Learning Assisted Header-Free Communication

With millions of connected devices expected to proliferate across multiple application domains, energy efficiency is a critical factor in IoT solutions. This paper aims to enhance the energy efficiency of networked IoT sensors by transitioning to a header-free communication framework. Novel enhancements to the reception technique based on the stochastic expectation maximization algorithm are proposed. Specifically, in contrast to prior efforts, a combination of compressive sensing principles along with deep learning methodologies are used to improve the performance of header-free sensor communications. Using simulation results, performance & complexity gains relative to the classic approach of up to 95% and 99%, respectively, are achieved.
Adoption and Intensification of Agriculture in the North American Southwest: Notes toward a Quantitative Approach

Qualitative models are unable to explain the known variability in the adoption and intensification of agriculture in the prehistoric North American Southwest. Adoption of a quantitative approach (specifically, a model based on marginal costs and benefits) better accounts for that variability.
Recommendations on Famine — Dealing with Nutrition and Relief Operations in Times of Disaster

Bacteriological warfare has been renounced through international conventions as a legitimate instrument of war. One strong argument leading to this action is that bacteriological warfare is indiscriminate and may kill or harm civilian bystanders as much as armed enemies. Starvation should similarly be outlawed as a means of waging war on the ground that it is worse than indiscriminate. It preferentially affects children, pregnant women and nursing mothers, and the elderly.
Implant damage and gate-oxide-edge effects on product reliability

This work investigated the effects of thin-gate oxide edge damage on logic product reliability. For this, we used different poly profiles to quantify the thin-gate oxide edge damage. Device/Process simulation was also conducted to explain the interaction of implant and poly shape with the gate oxide reliability. Poly with foot showed degraded oxide reliability, because it allows high-energy implant to penetrate through the edge of the gate oxide causing oxide damage and hence failures during product burn-in. The problem is more pronounced on nMOST due to its stronger sensitivity to the voltage stress and the specific implant species as compared to pMOST. Circuit simulation was also conducted to characterize the circuit sensitivity on oxide leakage and to explain the observed product burn-in fallout.
Dielectric strength of liquid helium in millimeter gaps

In a previous paper,1 a program underway at Oak Ridge National Laboratory to investigate the high voltage electrical properties of fluids and solids for cryogenic systems was described. As the first result of these investigations, we report here on measurements of the breakdown strength of liquid helium boiling at atmospheric pressure, under voltages up to ± 130 kV de, and in gaps of up to 2. 5 mm. Preliminary results with ac voltage have also been obtained.
Incorporation of iodine into apatite structure: a crystal chemistry approach using Artificial Neural Network

Materials with apatite crystal structure provide a great potential for incorporating the long-lived radioactive iodine isotope (129I) in the form of iodide (I-) from nuclear waste streams. Because of its durability and potentially high iodine content, the apatite waste form can reduce iodine release rate and minimize the waste volume. Crystal structure and composition of apatite was investigated for iodide incorporation into the channel of the structure using Artificial Neural Network. A total of 86 experimentally determined apatite crystal structures of different compositions were compiled from literature, and 46 of them were used to train the networks and 42 were used to test the performance of the trained networks. The results show that the performances of the networks are satisfactory for predictions of unit cell parameters a and c and channel size of the structure. The trained and tested networks were then used to predict unknown compositions of apatite that incorporates iodide. With a crystal chemistry consideration, chemical compositions that lead to matching the size of the structural channel to the size of iodide were then predicted to be able to incorporate iodide in the structural channel. The calculations suggest that combinations of A site cations of Ag+, K+, Sr2+, Pb2+, Ba2+, and Cs+, and X site cations, mostly formed tetrahedron, of Mn5+, As5+, Cr5+, V5+, Mo5+, Si4+, Ge4+, and Re7+ are possible apatite compositions that are able to incorporate iodide. The charge balance of different apatite compositions can be achieved by multiple substitutions at a single site or coupled substitutions at both A and X sites. The results give important clues for designing experiments to synthesize new apatite compositions and also provide a fundamental understanding how iodide is incorporated in the apatite structure. This understanding can provide important insights for apatite waste forms design by optimizing the chemical composition and synthesis procedure.
More Evidence on the Quality-Quantity Trade-off in Medical Care

This paper investigates the impact of the regulation prohibiting physicians from prescribing drugs without a prior physical examination on health outcomes. This requirement should improve health by reducing illegal access to prescription drugs. On the other hand, it hampers the practice of physician-patient telemedicine, a service evaluated by most previous studies to be of somewhat lower quality but effective in improving access to care. The empirical results suggest that this regulation leads to an increase of approximately 0.2 in the expected monthly number of days lost to illness and 0.4 percent increase in mortality rates the equivalent of 33 more deaths per 1 million people. The magnitude of the impact is larger in rural areas, and in areas with low physician density.
Evidence for Three Tumor Suppressor Gene Loci on Chromosome 8p in Human Prostate Cancer

Allelic loss of human chromosome sequences is often equated with inactivation of putative tumor suppressor genes. Loss of sequences on the short arm of chromosome 8 (8p) has been observed in human cancers, especially of 8p22 in prostate tumors. By using PCR analysis of highly polymorphic microsatellite repeat markers at nine 8p loci in 135 tumors, we observed deletion of sequences at 8p22 and at two other proximal deletion domains. These novel deletion domains encompass the NEFL locus and D8S87-ANK1 loci, respectively. These data suggest that three 8p tumor suppressor gene loci may be independently deleted in human prostate cancers.
Imagery and Allegory in Philosophy

Let me begin by offering three texts for comparison. The first is Macbeth’s soliloquy: “Tomorrow, and tomorrow, and tomorrow ...”. The second is Plato’s Myth of the Cave. And the third is a passage of straight philosophic prose (which I shall recite momentarily). The shared theme that runs through all three texts is the illusoriness of so-called “reality”, and the consequent failure in most of our efforts to lay hold of the truth. Consider Macbeth’s words, “Life’s but a walking shadow, a poor player ...”, and let us set this notion alongside Plato’s description of the shadow-play on the far wall of the cave, and how the prisoners mistake those shadows for the truth.
13C-N.M.R.-spectral study of the binding of Gd3+ to glycophorin.

Abstract Natural-abundance, 13 C-n.m.r. spectroscopy was used to study the binding of Gd 3+ to glycophorin, and also to the tetrasaccharides isolated from glycophorin after treatment of the glycoprotein with NaOH-NaBH 4 . Gd 3+ binds to the tetrasaccharide (both in the isolated, reduced form and when still attached to the native glycoprotein), and, especially, to the α-NeuAc residues. In order to cause severe line-broadening of the 13 C resonances of α-NeuAc, the ratios of the α-NeuAc residues of glycophorin, and of the isolated, reduced tetrasaccharide, to Gd 3+ were much higher than that needed for causing similar broadening for 2- O -methyl-α-NeuAc-Gd 3+ solutions. These results indicate that the other carbohydrate residues of the tetrasaccharide may be involved in the binding of Gd 3+ , producing a stronger metal-ion-binding effect.
Brief Cognitive-Behavioral Depression Prevention Program for High-Risk Adolescents Outperforms Two Alternative Interventions: A Randomized Efficacy Trial

In this depression prevention trial, 341 high-risk adolescents (mean age = 15.6 years, SD = 1.2) with elevated depressive symptoms were randomized to a brief group cognitive-behavioral (CB) intervention, group supportive-expressive intervention, bibliotherapy, or assessment-only control condition. CB participants showed significantly greater reductions in depressive symptoms than did supportive-expressive, bibliotherapy, and assessment-only participants at posttest, though only the difference compared with assessment controls was significant at 6-month follow-up. CB participants showed significantly greater improvements in social adjustment and reductions in substance use at posttest and 6-month follow-up than did participants in all 3 other conditions. Supportive-expressive and bibliotherapy participants showed greater reductions in depressive symptoms than did assessment-only controls at certain follow-up assessments but produced no effects for social adjustment and substance use. CB, supportive-expressive, and bibliotherapy participants showed a significantly lower risk for major depression onset over the 6-month follow-up than did assessment-only controls. The evidence that this brief CB intervention reduced risk for future depression onset and outperformed alternative interventions for certain ecologically important outcomes suggests that this intervention may have clinical utility.
Studies on the regulation of growth hormone release from the proximal pars distalis of male tilapia, Oreochromis mossambicus, in vitro.

Abstract The in vitro effects of several factors, including cortisol, somatostatin (SRIF), and medium osmotic pressure, on growth hormone (GH) release from the tilapia pituitary were examined in relation to fish size. Spontaneous GH release from the proximal pars distalis (PPD) of ∼60-g fish was significantly less than that from tissue of fish weighing either ∼120 or ∼280 g when incubated in 340mOsmolal medium. While GH content of the PPD cultures (tissue + medium measured by densitometry) increased consistently with fish size, GH concentration (per microgram of tissue protein) was variable, being highest in 120-g fish and lowest in 280-g fish. Moreover, GH concentration was not related to GH release. Fish size also appeared to be important in the responsiveness of GH cells to stimulation by cortisol (Nishioka et al. , 1985) and by increased osmotic pressure. In cultures of PPD from ∼60-g fish, in which spontaneous release was relatively low, cortisol and increased medium osmotic pressure significantly enhanced release. Cortisol and hyperosmotic medium were without significant effect, however, on GH release from PPD of ∼120-g fish, which showed high spontaneous release. In contrast, SRIF, a potent inhibitor of GH secretion, was effective in lowering GH release regardless of fish size. Nevertheless, SRIF was apparently more effective in inhibiting GH release from tissue of 60-g fish than from tissue of 120-g fish. Our data suggest that GH secretion may be augmented when smaller tilapia (∼60 g) are transferred to seawater, a situation in which blood cortisol and osmotic pressure would presumably be elevated.
Achiral Counterion Control of Enantioselectivity in a Brønsted Acid-Catalyzed Iodolactonization

Highly enantioselective halolactonizations have been developed using a chiral proton catalyst NIS reagent system in which the Bronsted acid is used at catalyst loadings as low as 1 mol%. An approach that modulates the achiral counterion (equimolar to the neutral chiral ligand proton complex present at low catalyst loadings) to optimize enantioselection is documented for the first time in this transformation. In this way, unsaturated carboxylic acids are converted to γ-lactones in high yield (up to 98% ee) using commercially available N-iodosuccinimide (NIS).
Ferlinghetti's Constantly Risking Absurdity

(2001). Ferlinghetti's Constantly Risking Absurdity. The Explicator: Vol. 59, No. 2, pp. 106-108.
Evolving concepts of heart failure: cooling furnace, malfunctioning pump, enlarging muscle. Part II: Hypertrophy and dilatation of the failing heart.

During the eighteenth century, the focus of attempts to understand the causes of heart failure began to shift to the architecture of the failing heart. As noted in Part I (Journal of Cardiac Failure Vol. 3 No. 4), the functional importance of the valvular abnormalities that were then so common became apparent within a century after Harvey's description of the circulation. Because rheumatic heart disease was the major cause of heart failure until the middle of the twentieth century, deformities of the heart valves were noted in a large proportion of patients dying of heart failure. Also apparent were changes in the size and shape of the heart, especially the enlargement that we now recognize as cardiac hypertrophy. Architectural abnormalities in failing hearts that were seen at autopsy and carefully recorded from the seventeenth to the nineteenth centuries led to a number of interesting speculations as to the role of myocardial changes in these patients. This generally forgotten chapter in the history of cardiology was stimulated by reliance on the postmortem examination, which, until recently, had been the gold standard in clinical research to define mechanistic connections between pathological anatomy, clinical signs and symptoms, and hemodynamic abnormalities. The value of these early autopsy studies was enhanced by the fact that they were generally performed in efforts to discover the causes of the fatal outcome by the same physicians who cared for these patients. In seeking to understand prognosis and to de-
Sustained induction of neuronal addition to the adult rat neostriatum by AAV4-delivered noggin and BDNF

Intraventricular ependymal infection by adenoviruses expressing brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and noggin is sufficient to induce the heterotopic recruitment of new medium spiny neurons to the adult neostriatum, from endogenous subependymal neural progenitor cells. This approach was found to slow disease progression and extend survival in an R6/2 mouse model of Huntington's disease (HD). However, the practical therapeutic value of this strategy is limited by the transient expression and immunogenicity of adenoviral vectors. In addition, it has been unclear whether sustained overexpression of BDNF and noggin would yield similarly sustained neuronal production and striatal recruitment, or whether progenitor depletion or tachyphylaxis might supervene to limit the therapeutic potential of this approach. To address these issues, we used adeno-associated virus serotype 4 (AAV4), an ependymotrophic vector that is neither immunogenic nor neurotoxic, to achieve sustained BDNF and noggin expression. Using AAV4, we found that BDNF and noggin achieved levels sufficient to initiate and maintain, for at least 4 months, ongoing neuronal addition to the neostriatum and olfactory bulb. Over this period, we noted no diminution of treatment-associated neuronal recruitment from resident progenitors. AAV4:BDNF and noggin-induced neuronal addition may thus provide a means to provide longlasting and persistent striatal neuronal replacement in conditions of striatal neuronal loss, such as HD.
Dispirations, disclinations, dislocations, and chain twist in polyethylene crystals

Abstract It is proposed that the twist in polyethylene chains that can result from crystallization and subsequent deformation aggregates at boundaries and becomes a template for further reorganization that results in the long period observed in polyethylene fibres. The observed lower density at the boundaries requires the transport of free volume to the twist boundaries. Dispirations, disclinations and dislocations are crystallographic defects that are involved in the necessary transport mechanism. Twist and bend, derived from the Eulerian angles which are computed from the sets of chain internal coordinates, relate the orientation of different segments of a chain. Twist and bend are useful for the characterization of both crystallographic defects and arbitrary conformations of polymer chains. Defects, along with folds, chain ends, and ordinary edge and screw dislocations provide a basis for interpretation of structure-property relationships in solid polyethylene.
Selective early elimination of luteal support in assisted reproduction cycles using a gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist during ovarian stimulation

Objective: To determine if women undergoing GnRH agonist-hMG stimulated IVF cycles can undergo successful discontinuation of luteal phase support. Design: A protocol for selective discontinuation of luteal phase support was evaluated prospectively in women undergoing assisted reproduction cycles. Setting: A tertiary care institutional-based assisted reproduction program. Patient(s): One hundred eighty-eight women who conceived after an IVF or zygote intrafallopian transfer cycle including a GnRH agonist between January 1994 and June 1997. Intervention(s): Women with serum progesterone levels of ≥60 ng/mL at 4 weeks’ gestation were selected for discontinuation of their luteal phase support. Main Outcome Measure(s): Delivery rate. Result(s): Sixty-three women (62.4%) met the criteria for discontinuation of luteal phase support. There were no differences in the mean age, peak E2 levels, number of follicles, number of embryos transferred, or delivery rates (85.7% versus 78.9%) between the women who did and those who did not have discontinuation of their progesterone supplementation. Conclusion(s): These data reveal that luteal phase support can be discontinued successfully for selective women undergoing IVF who are receiving a GnRH agonist.
Phospholipid-sensitive calcium-dependent protein kinase: inhibition by antipsychotic drugs.

Abstract Phospholipid-sensitive Ca 2+ -dependent protein kinases partially purified from the rat cerebral cortex, pig spleen, and bovine heart were shown to be inhibited, to varying degrees, by several antipsychotic drugs including trifluoperazine, chlorpromazine, fluphenazine, haloperidol, and chlorprothixene and by the local anesthetic dibucaine. None of these drugs were found to have any significant effect on cyclic AMP-dependent and cyclic GMP-dependent protein kinases. Kinetic analysis suggests that the primary effect of the drugs is mediated through a competitive inhibition of enzyme activation by interacting with phosphlipid.
Endocarditis with perforation of a bicuspid aortic valve as shown by cardiac-gated multidetector computed tomography.

A previously healthy 35-year-old man sought treatment or fatigue, malaise, and persistent low-grade fevers. Blood ultures obtained were positive for Streptococcus viridans. eports from transthoracic (TTE) and transesophageal chocardiography (TEE) performed at an outside institution howed a bicuspid aortic valve with 1-cm vegetations on ne of the valve cusps and severe aortic insufficiency. He as referred to our institution for aortic valve replacement, nd a cardiac-gated computed tomography angiography CTA) was performed to assess for coronary artery disease.
Keyframe-Based Scenegraph Animation API for Virtual Reality Applications

Virtual reality (VR) applications are used in many areas of academic and industrial research areas including engineering, bio-medical & geo-sciences, among others. These applications generally focus on creating a VR environment to enhance user experience. One of the main challenges VR application developers face is to make objects within the environment move in a natural, realistic manner. Many commercial packages and programming libraries exist to help generate complex animations, including physics engines, game engines and modeling software such as Autodesk Maya. All of these tools are very useful, but have many disadvantages when applied to VR applications, as they were not designed for VR development. To address these issues, a VR application programming interface (API) was developed to help VR developers create and visualize natural, complex animations for VR-based systems utilizing OpenSceneGraph. This API, called the Animation Engine 2.0, was built in a manner animators and developers are already familiar with by integrating control points and keyframes for controlling animations. The system is time-based to scale to any size of VR system, which enabled the ability to support different time interpolations as well to incorporate acceleration into animations to create behavioral events such as a boing, bounce, or surge. In this paper, the Animation Engine API is presented along with its integration into a VR aircraft carrier application.Copyright © 2010 by ASME
Evaluation of a traditional birth attendant training programme in Bangladesh.

Background and context: the 1997 Safe Motherhood Initiative effectively eliminated support for training traditional birth attendants (TBAs) in safe childbirth. Despite this, TBAs are still active in many countries such as Bangladesh, where 88% of deliveries occur at home. Renewed interest in community-based approaches and the urgent need to improve birth care has necessitated a re-examination of how provider training should be conducted and evaluated. Objective: to demonstrate how a simple evaluation tool can provide a quantitative measure of knowledge acquisition and intended behaviour following a TBA training program. Design: background data were collected from 45 TBAs attending two separate training sessions conducted by Bangladeshi non-governmental organization (NGO) Gonoshasthaya Kendra (GK). A semistructured survey was conducted before and after each training session to assess the TBAs’ knowledge and reported practices related to home-based management of childbirth. Setting: two training sessions conducted in Vatshala and Sreepur in rural Bangladesh. Participants: 45 active TBAs were recruited for this training evaluation. Findings: there were significant improvements following the training sessions regarding how TBAs reported they would: (a) measure blood loss, (b) handle an apneic newborn, (c) refer women with convulsions and (d) refer women who are bleeding heavily. A greater degree of improvement, and higher scores overall, were observed among TBAs with no prior training and with less birth experience. Key conclusions and recommendations for practice: as the Safe Motherhood community strives to improve safe childbirth care, the quality of care in pregnancy and childbirth for women who rely on less-skilled providers should not be ignored. These communities need assistance from governments and NGOs to help improve the knowledge and skill levels of the providers upon which they depend. Gonoshasthaya Kendra’s extensive efforts to train and involve TBAs, with the aim of improving the quality of care provided to Bangladeshi women, is a good example of how to effectively integrate TBAs into safe motherhood efforts in resource-poor settings. The evaluation methodology described in this paper demonstrates how trainees’ prior experiences and beliefs may affect knowledge acquisition, and highlights the need for more attention to course content and pedagogic style.
Adenosine A2A Receptor Agonist Improves Cardiac Dysfunction From Pulmonary Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

Background Ischemia-reperfusion (IR) injury negatively impacts patient outcome in lung transplantation. Clinically, we observed that lung transplant patients with ischemia-reperfusion injury tend to have cardiac dysfunction. Previous studies have shown that ATL-146e (4-{3-[6-amino-9-(5-ethylcarbamoyl-3,4-dihydroxy-tetrahydro-furan-2-yl)-9H-purin-2-yl]-prop-2-ynyl}-cyclohexanecarboxylic acid methyl ester), a selective adenosine A2A receptor agonist, reduces lung inflammation after ischemia-reperfusion. We hypothesized that pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion causes secondary heart dysfunction and ATL-146e will improve this dysfunction. Methods We utilized an in vivo rabbit lung ischemia-reperfusion model. The Sham group underwent 120 minutes single lung ventilation. The IR and ATL groups underwent 90 minutes right lung ischemia with 30 minutes right lung reperfusion. The ATL-146e was given intravenously to the ATL group during reperfusion. Cardiac output and arterial blood gases were monitored, and neutrophil sequestration was measured by myeloperoxidase activity. Results Upon reperfusion, cardiac output (mL/min) significantly dropped in the IR and ATL groups. By 15 minutes reperfusion, cardiac output in the ATL group improved significantly over the IR group and remained significant thereafter. Lung myeloperoxidase activity was significantly reduced by ATL-146e. Although never hypoxemic, arterial oxygenation was lower in the IR and ATL groups while central venous pressures and mean arterial pressures were similar among groups. A separate experiment demonstrated that reperfusion with the antioxidant N-(2-mercaptopropionyl)glycine prevented cardiac dysfunction. Conclusions Pulmonary ischemia-reperfusion causes cardiac dysfunction independent of preload, afterload, and oxygenation. The ATL-146e improves this dysfunction presumably by the antiinflammatory effects of adenosine A2A receptor activation on neutrophils. One likely mechanism involves the release of oxidants from the ischemic lung upon reperfusion, which has immediate negative effects on the heart.
The Attitudes of English Majors to Literary Study

In an Introduction to Literary Studies course for English majors, students begin the semester with an essay about their experiences of reading and studying literature. An examination of a group of these essays indicates that success in the course was significantly influenced by students' attitudes and histories. Those who never had serious difficulties with assigned reading or literary study—or who overcame their difficulties before the course began—fared measurably better than those who reported at the beginning of the course that they still had such problems. Students in all categories mention inhibitions about speaking up in their literature classes, and doubt about ‘hidden meaning’ is common. A significant number resist analytical thinking because of the loss of reading pleasure that they believe such thinking entails.
IL-2 Immunotherapy to Recently HIV-1 Infected Adults Maintains the Numbers of IL-17 Expressing CD4+ T (TH17) Cells in the Periphery

Little is known about the manipulation of IL-17 producing CD4+ T cells (TH17) on a per-cell basis in humans in vivo. Previous studies on the effects of IL-2 on IL-17 secretion in non-HIV models have shown divergent results. We hypothesized that IL-2 would mediate changes in IL-17 levels among recently HIV-1-infected adults receiving anti-retroviral therapy. We measured cytokine T cell responses to CD3/CD28, HIV-1 Gag, and CMV pp65 stimulation, and changes in multiple CD4+ T cell subsets. Those who received IL-2 showed a robust expansion of naive and total CD4+ T cell counts and T-reg counts. However, after IL-2 treatment, the frequency of TH17 cells declined, while counts of TH17 cells did not change due to an expansion of the CD4+ naive T cell population (CD27+CD45RA+). Counts of HIV-1 Gag-specific T cells declined modestly, but CMV pp65 and CD3/CD28 stimulated populations did not change. Hence, in contrast with recent studies, our results suggest IL-2 is not a potent in vivo regulator of TH17 cell populations in HIV-1 disease. However, IL-2-mediated T-reg expansions may selectively reduce responses to certain antigen-specific populations, such as HIV-1 Gag.
A flexible programming language for generating stimulus lists for cognitive psychology experiments

Listmaker, a programming language developed to simplify the production of stimulus lists for cognitive psychology experiments, is described. The user writes a description of the experiment in the language, and the computer program then generates stimulus lists for the experiment from files of materials. The language allows the user to manipulate easily a wide variety of stimulus materials (e.g., single words, sentences, or multiline stories). The language also provides simple commands that allow even very complex randomized and counterbalanced designs to be implemented. Two examples of programs written in the language are provided and explained in detail. Finally, an interface to a real-time experimental system is described.
Annual and seasonal trends in mercury deposition in Maryland

Abstract Wet deposition collections for total mercury (Hg) and methylmercury (MMHg) have been made at four sites in Maryland. The Chesapeake Biological Laboratory (CBL) site has been in operation since May 1995; the other sites (the Science Center (SC) in urban Baltimore; Stillpond (STP) on the eastern shore of the Chesapeake Bay; and Frostburg (FRB) in western Maryland) have been operation since 1996 or 1997. Annual depositional fluxes for Hg at CBL over the period were variable but a large fraction of the variability could be accounted for by variability in annual and seasonal rainfall. Fluxes were higher for the regional Maryland sites (CBL, STP and FRB) than those in the mid-west USA. The results for CBL do not show a measurable annual trend in Hg deposition with time over this period. Seasonal variation is apparent with higher fluxes in summer, and the lowest fluxes in winter at all sites. The seasonal signal apparent in the total Hg data is not reflected in the MMHg record. Wet depositional fluxes at the urban SC site were 2–3 times higher than the rural sites. This difference was comparable to differences in particulate and reactive gaseous Hg between SC and CBL. The rural sites, two on the Chesapeake Bay shoreline (CBL and STP) and one in western Maryland (FRB), have similar annual fluxes suggesting that these sites represent the average regional Hg depositional signal. The SC site clearly shows the urban influence for Hg deposition.
Periosteal remodeling at the femoral neck in nonhuman primates

Periosteal bone turnover is poorly understood. We documented intramembranous periosteal bone turnover in the femoral neck in intact nonhuman primates and an increase in osteoclast numbers at the periosteal surface in sex steroid–deficient animals. Our studies are the first to systematically document periosteal turnover at the femoral neck. Introduction: Bone size is an important determinant of bone strength, and cellular events at the periosteal surface could alter bone dimensions. We characterized periosteal cellular activity with dynamic histomorphometric studies of nonhuman primate femoral neck and shaft. Materials and Methods: Femur specimens from 16 intact adult male and female nonhuman primates (Rhesus [Macaca mulatta, n = 9] and Japanese Macaque [Macaca fuscata, n = 7]) were analyzed. Animals were double-labeled with tetracycline, and necropsy was performed 2–7 days after the last dose. We characterized periosteal resorptive activity in an additional group of five intact and four castrate female animals. Multiple group comparisons in intact animals were performed by one-way ANOVA followed by a Fisher PLSD posthoc test. In gonadectomized animals, Fisher's exact test was used for dichotomous and Mann-Whitney U-test for continuous variables. Results: Bone turnover in the periosteum of the femoral neck in intact animals was more rapid than at the femoral shaft but slower than in femoral neck cancellous bone. Similarly, in these intact animals, the eroded surface of cortical bone at the femoral neck periosteal surface was significantly greater than in the cancellous bone compartment (p < 0.0001) or on the femoral shaft (p < 0.0001). Gonadectomized female animals showed an increase in osteoclast number on the periosteal surface compared with intact controls (p < 0.01). Conclusions: We documented intramembranous periosteal bone turnover in the femoral neck by histomorphometric analyses. The tissue level bone formation rate was sufficient to add substantively to femoral neck size over time. Periosteal osteoclastic activity was not the result of the emergence of intracortical tunneling at the bone surface. Sex steroid deficiency produced an increase in osteoclast numbers at the periosteal surface. This is the first systematic documentation of periosteal turnover at the femoral neck.
Placement disruption: A review of research

The authors define “placement disruption” as repeated moves among foster care placements, which reflect a pattern of reciprocal alienation and rejection between a child and successive caregivers. Child welfare researchers have not studied placement disruption as the authors have defined it, but there are numerous studies of moves in care. The authors review the research on moves in care and assess its applicability to the problem of placement disruption. The article summarizes what is known concerning frequency of moves, effects of repeated moves, and correlates of moving. Among correlates of moving, only the child's length of time in care and presence of emotional and behavioral problems in the child have appeared and reappeared in convincing fashion. The article concludes with a brief discussion of whether time in care is artifactual as an explanatory variable and suggestions for future research on placement disruption.
What is the intrinsic geometry of two-dimensional quantum gravity?

Abstract The intrinsic geometry of 2D quantum gravity is discussed within the framework of the semi-classical Liouville Theory. We show how to define local reparametrization-invariant correlation functions in terms of the geodesic distance. Such observables exhibit strong non-logarithmic short-distance divergences. If one regularizes these divergences by a finite-part prescription, there are no corrections to KPZ scaling, the intrinsic fractal dimension of space-time is two, and no cascade of baby universes occurs. However we show that these divergences can be regularized in a covariant way and have a physical interpretation in terms of “pinning” of geodesics by regions where the metric is singular. This raises issues related to the physics of disordered systems (in particular of the 2D random field Ising model), such as the possible occurence of replica symmetry breaking, which make the interpretation of numerical and analytical results a subtle and difficult problem.