cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Psychology and Energy-Use Reduction Policies:

Local, state, and federal governments are continuing to design and pass programs and policies to decrease demand for energy. These programs and policies provide social, economic, and environmental benefits. Social and behavioral scientists can inform policymaking and evaluation because of their expertise in behavioral change. Specifically, policies will be more effective if they include a behavioral level analysis to help select behaviors, design behavioral change strategies that target appropriate motives and abilities, and attend to social and environmental contexts. After describing these principles, the article illustrates how they can inform the evaluation of labeling programs designed to encourage energy-efficient behaviors among consumers, manufacturers, and building owners.
In situ soft X-ray studies of ethylene oxidation mechanisms and intermediates on the Pt(111) surface.

In situ studies of ethylene oxidation on Pt(111) have been performed using a powerful combination of fluorescence yield soft X-ray methods for temperatures up to 600 K and oxygen pressures up to 0....
Acquisition of Nuclear Polyhedrosis Virus from Tree Stems by Newly Emerged Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Larvae

Newly emerged gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar L., larvae were released onto tree stems that were disinfected with sodium hypochlorite, sprayed with nuclear polyhedrosis virus (NPV), or left untreated to assess the importance of contaminated bark surfaces in transmitting NPV to newly emerged neonates after an epizootic. NPV mortality among released larvae was related to the degree of contamination of the bark surface and indicates that bark surfaces may play an important role in transmitting NPV, particularly in the year following an epizootic.
Analysis of Cognitive Dissonance and Overload through Ability-Demand Gap Models

Maintaining alternative decisions in working memory (WM) can lead to accumulating high cognitive load. Some aspects of cognitive load improve attentiveness, but adding a cognitively inconsistent (conflict) situation results in a failure in cognitive task performance. This research introduces the notion of the human ability-demand gap (discrepancy between human cognitive ability and task performance) and its association with task-evoked cognitive overload and cognitive dissonance (inconsistency). By using the ability-demand gap as a 3-D response model, cognitive dissonance and overload was proposed to understand the confluence among working memory capacity, users’ cognitive load, and task performance. The maximum gap was computed using Kolmogorov–Smirnov (K–S) statistics. The empirical studies show that the maximum ability-demand gap can be considered as the threshold between cognitive dissonance and overload. It was also observed that there was a cyclical and nonlinear relationship between working memory capacity, cognitive dissonance/lock-up, and cognitive overload.
The In-Itself-For-Consciousness: The Third Dogma

In the Introduction to the section on the Idea Hegel asserts that it possesses the most stubborn opposition.1 This stubbornness is grounded in the oppositions encountered in both the idea of the true and that of the good, that is, in theoretical and practical philosophy. These oppositions are being eternally created and eternally overcome. Human knowledge is eternally producing and overcoming an opposition between subject and object, concept and content, mind and world. The goal of philosophers from Descartes to McDowell has been to overcome this opposition once and for all. Different strategies have included God, forms of intuition and categories of the understanding, intellectual intuition, knowledge by acquaintance, second nature, coherentism, and so on. These strategies instead of overcoming the opposition have ended up producing either a loss of the world (frictionless spinning in a web of beliefs), a loss of our knowledge of the world (causal interaction without justification), or some type of dogmatism (appeal to God or to intellectual intuition). In the Introduction to the Phenomenology Hegel lays out the problematic of the idea of the true using as guiding thread the opposition between the object in itself and the object for consciousness. The “in-itself” is the content thought, what is real, undisturbed by its being thought, whereas the “for-consciousness” is what is thought about the content, the identification of it as something, determined by a particular scheme.
Energy and Resources

This chapter discusses the trends in energy consumption, the possible alternative sources, and the role of fission and fusion processes in man's future. The use of energy by a country is closely correlated with its degree of technological development and industrialization, which are in turn related to the people's standard of living. The bulk of materials used presently for energy are classified as fossil fuels—of plant and animal origin, deposited in the earth over millions of years in the form of coal, oil, and natural gas. They are classed chemically as hydrocarbons, involving the elements carbon, hydrogen, oxygen, and nitrogen. Modern man is using the resources at such a rate that their exhaustion within a very few centuries is likely. This may seem to be a long time in comparison with a generation or even a lifetime, but in the span of man's history, it is a very brief epoch. Restraint in the use of energy by individuals and organizations can have an important effect on the rate at which fuels are consumed. Examples are mandatory highway speed limits to reduce gasoline consumption and the maintenance of lower winter temperatures and higher summer temperatures in homes, offices, and manufacturing plants.
Fate of Salmonella newport and Salmonella typhimurium Inoculated into Summer Sausage 1

Various fermentation schedules and finishing temperatures used in the summer sausage industry were investigated for their ability to eliminate Salmonella newport or Salmonella typhimurium inoculated into raw ingredients during the formulation phase of production. Summer sausage was produced with and without the aid of a starter culture. Use of the starter culture, a Lactobacillus plantarum strain, provided for a more rapid fermentation and subsequent decrease in pH. Elimination of Salmonella was dependent upon the initial contamination level, serotype involved, rate of fermentation and processing temperature.
Abstract 3174: Retinoblastoma protein 1 implication in the monocytic - granulocytic transition

Alterations in the myeloipoiesis during cancer lead to production of myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC). MDSC are comprised of two subsets: monocytic MDSC (M-MDSC) and polymorphonuclear MDSC (PMN-MDSC). Both subsets contribute to the immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment. Therefore elimination of MDSC could potentially improve the clinical success of cancer immune therapy. Direct targeting of MDSC progenitors is an attractive possibility. Our laboratory has recently discovered that M-MDSC from the bone-marrow can give rise to PMN-MDSC and that this phenomenon is mediated by the loss of retinoblastoma protein 1 (Rb1) expression. However, a full phenotypic and molecular characterization of these MDSC progenitors has not been established. To identify the subpopulation able to give rise to PMN-MDSC within the M-MDSC population, we used Rb1-GFP reporter mice to track Rb1 expression in vivo. We found that Rb1 low M-MDSC express the stem cell marker c-Kit and low levels of CD115. These Rb1 low c-Kit + M-MDSC are substantially expanded in tumor-bearing mice. Interestingly, this population is also present in naive mice, albeit at very low frequency. Rb1 low c-Kit + monocytic cells from naive and tumor bearing mice can give rise to granulocytic cells in vitro. These preliminary results indicate that these cells are indeed granulocytic progenitor and are expanded during tumor development. Although this monocyte-granulocyte conversion is associated with a decrease in Rb1 expression, it seems that a minimal Rb1 level is required to ensure this process, at least in naive mice. Further characterization of the phenotype and molecular profiles of this new MDSC progenitor could lead to the development of new ways to target MDSC. Citation Format: Jerome Mastio, Thomas Condamine, Dmitry Gabrilovich. Retinoblastoma protein 1 implication in the monocytic - granulocytic transition. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 3174. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-3174
A longitudinal study of patients with hemophilia: immunologic correlates of infection with HTLV-III/LAV and other viruses

A comprehensive study was initiated to examine the immunologic status of a sample (n = 47) of the asymptomatic hemophilia A and B populations of metropolitan Atlanta and to determine if any of the abnormalities changed with time or correlated with infection by human T cell leukemia virus type III and lymphadenopathy-associated virus (HTLV-III/LAV) or other viruses either alone or in combination. Patients with hemophilia A (Hem-A) showed a defect in cellular immunity evidenced by a depressed T cell helper/suppressor ratio (P less than .0001), an increased absolute T suppressor cell number (P less than .0001), and a diminished number of T helper cells (P = .003) when compared with health professionals. Lymphocytes from these patients also showed a reduced ability to transform in response to phytohemagglutinin and pokeweed mitogen. No deterioration in immune status was seen during a median ten-month period of follow-up. Sixty-four percent of Hem-A patients had antibodies to HTLV-III/LAV and those who were seropositive had a significantly decreased helper/suppressor cell ratio (P = .018) and a diminished T helper cell number (P = .002); they were also more likely to have had exposure to cytomegalovirus than HTLV-III/LAV-negative Hem-A patients (P = .016). Heavy use of factor VIII concentrate was associated with a decreased number of T helper cells (P = .037) and seropositivity for HTLV-III/LAV (P = .011 in 1982). Hemophilia patients had higher IgG, immune complex, and beta 2-microglobulin levels than health professionals (P less than .0001). Although the most prominent abnormality observed in T cell subsets of patients with hemophilia is an increase in T suppressor cells, a finding likely to be associated with immune augmentation in response to multiple stimuli, the T cell abnormality that was predictive of exposure to HTLV-III/LAV, the putative acquired immunodeficiency syndrome agent, was a diminished number of T helper cells.
Knowledge on Demand: Knowledge and Expert Discovery

This article outlines new technologies in the areas of automated expertise finding, expert network discover, virtual place-based collaboration, and automated question answering. We illustrate each of these areas with implemented and in some cases empirically evaluated systems. Collectively, these illustrate new methods for automatic discovery of knowledge, experts, and communities in an effective and efficient manner.
‘The Thing that Really Gets Me Is the Future’: Symptomatology in Older Homeless Adults in the HOPE HOME Study

Abstract Context The homeless population is aging. Older homeless adults experience premature development of age-related conditions and an elevated symptom burden. Little is known about symptom experience among older homeless adults. Objectives To characterize the experience, understanding, and management of physical, psychological, social (e.g., loneliness), and existential (e.g., regret, loss of dignity) symptoms among older homeless adults. Methods We conducted semistructured interviews from June 2016 to March 2017 with a purposive sample of participants from the Health Outcomes of People Experiencing Homelessness in Older Middle Age cohort, a longitudinal study of homeless adults aged 50 and older. We analyzed data between June 2016 and December 2017 using thematic analysis. Results We found four main themes: 1) nonphysical symptoms are interwoven with, and as distressing as, physical symptoms; 2) individuals attribute symptoms to childhood abuse, manual labor, the conditions of homelessness, and aging; 3) symptoms interfere with daily functioning, causing negative changes in personality, energy, and motivation; and 4) individuals cope with symptoms through religion, social support, and substance use. Conclusion Homelessness causes and exacerbates physical and psychological distress. Interventions should address multiple interconnected dimensions of suffering. Health systems that care for homeless patients should adapt palliative care practices using a stepwise approach. Homeless shelters should adopt policies and modifications that increase privacy and autonomy while promoting community building. Housing interventions should promote community building. All who work with people experiencing homelessness should avoid stigmatizing language and recognize homeless individuals' sources of strength and coping.
Overcoming Challenges to Evidence-Based Policy Development in a Large, Integrated Delivery System.

OBJECTIVE To describe a new Veterans Health Administration (VHA) program to foster the learning health system paradigm by rigorously evaluating health care initiatives and to report key lessons learned in designing those evaluations. PRINCIPAL FINDINGS The VHA's Quality Enhancement Research Initiative and its Health Services Research and Development Service are cooperating on several large, randomized program evaluations aimed at improving the care veterans receive and the efficiency with which it is delivered. The evaluations we describe involve collaborative design, outcomes assessment, and implementation science through partnerships between VHA operations and researchers. We review key factors to assess before committing to an evaluation. In addition to traditional design issues (such as ensuring adequate power and availability of data), these include others that are easily overlooked: the stability of intervention financing, means of controlling and commitment to adhering to randomized roll-out, degree of buy-in from key implementation staff, and feasibility of managing multiple veto points for interventions that span several programs, among others. CONCLUSIONS Successful program implementation and rigorous evaluation require resources, specialized expertise, and careful planning. If the learning health system model is to be sustained, organizations will need dedicated programs to prioritize resources and continuously adapt evaluation designs.
ASC acts in a caspase-1-independent manner to worsen acute pneumonia caused by Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

Purpose. Pseudomonas aeruginosa expresses a type III secretion system (T3SS) that activates the host inflammasome-mediated immune response. We examined the role of inflammasome activation in severe infection outcomes. Methods. We infected C57BL/6 (B6) mice lacking inflammasome components ASC or caspase-1/11 with a highly virulent strain of P. aeruginosa, PSE9, using a mouse model of pneumonia. We evaluated inflammasome activation in vitro by infecting bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs) with PSE9 and measuring cell death and release of inflammasome-dependent cytokines IL-18 and IL-1β. A bioluminescent reporter assay was used to detect activity of caspase-1 and caspase-3/7 in BMDMs from B6 and ASC-deficient mice. Results/Key Findings. ASC−/− mice exhibited significantly improved survival relative to caspase-1/11−/− mice and B6 mice, demonstrating that ASC and caspase-1/11 play differential roles in P. aeruginosa infection. We found that ASC−/− BMDMs exhibited significantly reduced cell death relative to B6 BMDMs, while caspase-1/11−/− BMDMs were resistant to cell death. IL-18 and IL-1β were both detected from supernatants of infected B6 BMDMs, but cytokine release was abrogated in both ASC−/− and caspase-1/11−/− BMDMs. We detected a 2.5-fold increase in the activation of caspase-3/7 in PSE9-infected B6 BMDMs, but no increase in infected ASC−/− BMDMs. Cell death, cytokine release and caspase-3/7 activity were dependent on a functional T3SS. Conclusions. Collectively, these results are consistent with a model whereby the T3SS apparatus of P. aeruginosa activates the caspase-1-dependent inflammasome and caspase-3/7 through an ASC-dependent mechanism. This activation may have implications for the outcomes of P. aeruginosa infections.
Investigation of Surface Species in the Methanation of Carbon Monoxide on A Supported Nickel Catalysta)

Surface species formed during the methanation of CO on a 5.5 wt% Ni/Al 2 O 3 cataly st were investigated over a temperature range between 25deg; and 200°C with the aid of infrared and mass spectroscopy. Thus carbon and CH x species were detected and measured. Results indicated that the methanation takes place through carbon formed by the dissociation of CO. At 100°C, the rate of dissociation of CO was comparable with that of the hydrogenation of carbon: the rate-determining step could shift depending on the pressures of hydrogen and carbon monoxide in particular. Among CH x species formed in the hydrogenation steps at 100°C, the CH groups were most abundant. CH 3 and CH 2 groups detected only at high pressure of CO were found not to be involved in the direct reaction path of methanation.
Information Technology as Megaengineering: The Impact of GIS

The term megaengineering is usually applied to large, tangible projects that are concentrated in space. Information technology is today largely dispersed, and in many cases highly miniaturized, and thus fails to fit the concept of megaengineering despite the massive investments that have been made in recent years. The geospatial technologies form a subset of information technologies, and include the Global Positioning System, satellite-based remote sensing, and geographic information systems (GIS). Although similarly dispersed and often intangible, the total investment in these technologies certainly ranks with the largest megaprojects. In the future geospatial technologies are likely to evolve into sources of real-time knowledge about three-dimensional environments, and are likely to engage individual citizens both as consumers and as producers of geospatial data. Together they play a global role analogous to that of the nervous system’s relationship to the human body.
Management of Gallstone Ileus

Gallstone ileus is a disorder characterized by episodes of intermittent bowel obstruction caused by the passage of gallstones into the gastrointestinal tract via fistulization. A thorough investigation, including a computed tomography (CT) scan of the abdomen, will identify the signs needed for a diagnosis. Management will involve surgical exploration leading to an enterolithotomy to relieve the obstruction. A decision to perform a cholecystectomy at the initial surgery will be based on the patient’s history and clinical status.
An Evanescent-Mode Cavity-Backed High-Power Tunable Slot Antenna

In this paper, a new high-power and tunable cavity-backed slot antenna is introduced and experimentally investigated. The proposed antenna is composed of a frequency-tunable evanescent-mode cavity resonator loaded with an annular radiating slot on the cavity back side. Frequency tuning is performed by changing the critical gap size over the resonator’s post through a piezotuner disk. A prototype copper-machined fabricated antenna represents about 25% tuning (2–2.57 GHz) of the antenna’s 10 dB reflection coefficient when the cavity gap size is varied in the range of 17– $171~ \mu \text{m}$ . The introduced antenna depicts ≈5 dBi of gain and radiation efficiency of more than 85%. Moreover, the antenna successfully handles 80 W of input power which can also be increased using a closed loop actuating system. In addition, the proposed antenna shows a good linearity due to the mechanical tuning scheme. Hence, this antenna is promising for high-power applications, which, at the same time, can also be realized on printed circuit boards (PCBs), making it easy for integration with circuits.
HIV infection is an independent risk factor for decreased 6-minute walk test distance

Background Ambulatory function predicts morbidity and mortality and may be influenced by cardiopulmonary dysfunction. Persons living with HIV (PLWH) suffer from a high prevalence of cardiac and pulmonary comorbidities that may contribute to higher risk of ambulatory dysfunction as measured by 6-minute walk test distance (6-MWD). We investigated the effect of HIV on 6-MWD. Methods PLWH and HIV-uninfected individuals were enrolled from 2 clinical centers and completed a 6-MWD, spirometry, diffusing capacity for carbon monoxide (DLCO) and St. George’s Respiratory Questionnaire (SGRQ). Results of 6-MWD were compared between PLWH and uninfected individuals after adjusting for confounders. Multivariable linear regression analysis was used to determine predictors of 6-MWD. Results Mean 6-MWD in PLWH was 431 meters versus 462 in 130 HIV-uninfected individuals (p = 0.0001). Older age, lower forced expiratory volume (FEV1)% or lower forced vital capacity (FVC)%, and smoking were significant predictors of decreased 6-MWD in PLWH, but not HIV-uninfected individuals. Lower DLCO% and higher SGRQ were associated with lower 6-MWD in both groups. In a combined model, HIV status remained an independent predictor of decreased 6-MWD (Mean difference = -19.9 meters, p = 0.005). Conclusions HIV infection was associated with decreased ambulatory function. Airflow limitation and impaired diffusion capacity can partially explain this effect. Subjective assessments of respiratory symptoms may identify individuals at risk for impaired physical function who may benefit from early intervention.
Social, geomorphic, and climatic factors driving U.S. coastal city vulnerability to storm surge flooding

Abstract Coastal cities are increasingly vulnerable to natural disasters because of climate change. For many, this includes storm surge flooding fueled by tropical storms and hurricanes. A complex mesh of social, geomorphic, and climatic factors are driving this increase in vulnerability, such as population growth, irresponsible urban development, a decrease in essential service provision, shoreline erosion, sea level rise, and changing storm regimes. The purpose of this paper is to explore the interrelationships between these factors, highlighting the many ways in which they contribute to somewhat unexpected vulnerabilities for coastal settlements. This includes a discussion and several examples of how short-term strategic planning, which dominates political action and economic decision-making, can exacerbate coastal vulnerability.
Drone-topia as method

ABSTRACTThe figure of the civilian camera drone remains ambiguous and contested. Its promises and perils shape contemporary imaginaries of future mobilities and visualities. Donny the Drone by Mack...
Value‐at‐risk forecasting via dynamic asymmetric exponential power distributions

In the value‐at‐risk (VaR) literature, many existing works assume that the noise distribution is the same over time. To take into account the potential time‐varying dynamics of stock returns, we propose a dynamic asymmetric exponential distribution‐based framework. The new method includes a time‐varying shape parameter to control the dynamic shape of the distribution, a time‐varying probability parameter to control the dynamic proportion of positive returns, and a time‐varying scale parameter to control the dynamic volatility. We combine the generalized method of moments and the exponentially weighted moving average (EWMA) approach to derive specifications for these time‐varying parameters. Empirical applications demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed method when compared with various GARCH and EWMA approaches without time variation in the innovations.
Peripheral Experience and Epistemic Neutrality: Color at the Margins

I argue that Husserl’s account of passive synthesis can be developed into a phenomenology of peripheral experience. Peripheral experiences are not defined by their location in visual space but by their phenomenal and intentional character, by what these experiences are like and how they present things in the world. Further, I argue that peripheral experience is of a piece with our most basic background convictions about the world. As such, the periphery is epistemically neutral, but not therefore empty of meaning. It is meaningful as holding open the possibility of further activity, both practical and intellectual. I explore these ideas by focusing on peripheral color experience. Husserl’s discussions of associative synthesis, affection, and doxic and nondoxic forms of attention prove key to detailing peripheral color experience. I end by arguing that at the periphery, intentional content and phenomenal content come apart.
Evaluation of High-Rate Pulsed Vs. Continuous Charging in Lithium-Ion Batteries

Many current and future Navy systems require high power lithium-ion batteries (LIB), with recent applications including directed energy weapons and the electromagnetic railgun pushing these requirements to new extremes. LIB with extremely high discharge rate are commercially available, however, high rate charging (or "fast charging") is significantly more difficult to achieve due to complications occurring at the electrode-electrolyte interfaces as each electrode nears the edge of electrolyte stability. These problems are further exacerbated due to increased Ohmic heating with increasing current density, and can lead to potentially dangerous cell failure events. In this study, pulsed current charging was compared with continuous current charging during extended cycling of commercially available LIB with graphite anode and lithium iron phosphate cathode. Pulsed current charging has been shown in the literature to improve the efficiency and reduce the capacity loss penalties associated with continuous current charging. Charging limits at and above the manufacturers recommended operating limits were implemented. Degradation of cells was evaluated by monitoring cell temperature and impedance and accompanied by cell disassembly to analyze electrode degradation from the macro to the nanoscale using visual inspection, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction(XRD), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Preliminary results show that in addition to the expected temperature rise associated with high current operation, fast charged cells lose capacity at a faster rate than cells charged at lower rates. Furthermore, signs of an increased solid electrolyte interface (SEI) layer thickness and lithium plating were also observed from cell disassembly.
Antibiotics Approved for Marketing in Populations Specifically Excluded From Premarketing Trials, 1999-2018.

Abstract Approval by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) of a drug for a given indication is thought to reassure clinicians, other health care providers, and patients that substantial evidence of effectiveness exists for specific indicated populations (patients and diseases). This study examines whether FDA approval of certain antibiotics should be so reassuring for all patient populations identified in the FDA-approved labels. Specifically, this study compared patient populations covered by FDA-approved labels for 21 novel antibiotics approved between 1999 and 2018 to the patient exclusion and inclusion criteria of pivotal trials that supported those approvals. We found that every FDA-approved label for these antibiotics included at least one identifiable patient population that was explicitly excluded from enrolling in the supporting pivotal trials. Two antibiotics, bedaquiline and ceftazidime-avibactam, were approved for use in populations that were fully excluded from enrolling in registration trials.
SALIVARY GLAND TUMORS: Classification, Histogenesis, and General Considerations

SUMMARY The management of patients with neoplasms of the salivary glands involves a multidisciplinary approach whose basis is basic science. No longer should the surgeon and pathologist be considered independent forces in the treatment of these diseases. Instead, the establishment of close interaction between the surgeon and pathologist presents a learning experience for both and, ultimately, better care for the patient.
Molecular sexing of lake sturgeon

Abstract Demographic data including characterizations of population sex and age composition are of fundamental importance for effective management, especially for numerically depressed Great Lakes populations of imperiled species such as lake sturgeon (Acipenser fulvescens). The goal of this paper was to extend a recently reported Acipenserid-derived PCR-based genotyping test to determine sex of lake sturgeon. We demonstrate that the recently reported AllWSex2 primers amplified the female sex-specific region in lake sturgeon of known sex, consistent with a ZZ/ZW mode of inheritance. Sanger sequencing of female lake sturgeon PCR products matched published sequences from female sterlet (Acipenser ruthenus), showing 100% query cover and 98% (63/64) identity. The ability to provide a rapid, cost-effective, and unambiguous determination of sex for lake sturgeon will allow managers to determine compositional estimates of sex ratios during any season, and for individuals at any age or size, which is of great utility for species characterized by delayed sexual maturity and lacking external sexual dimorphisms.
Pilot Study of Anti-Th2 Immunotherapy for the Treatment of Breast Cancer-Related Upper Extremity Lymphedema

Recent studies suggest that Th2 cells play a key role in the pathology of secondary lymphedema by elaborating cytokines such as IL4 and IL13. The aim of this study was to test the efficacy of QBX258, a monoclonal IL4/IL13 neutralizing antibody, in women with breast cancer-related lymphedema (BCRL). We enrolled nine women with unilateral stage I/II BCRL and treated them once monthly with intravenous infusions of QBX258 for 4 months. We measured limb volumes, bioimpedance, and skin tonometry, and analyzed the quality of life (QOL) using a validated lymphedema questionnaire (Upper Limb Lymphedema 27, ULL-27) before treatment, immediately after treatment, and 4 months following treatment withdrawal. We also obtained 5 mm skin biopsies from the normal and lymphedematous limbs before and after treatment. Treatment was well-tolerated; however, one patient with a history of cellulitis developed cellulitis during the trial and was excluded from further analysis. We found no differences in limb volumes or bioimpedance measurements after drug treatment. However, QBX258 treatment improved skin stiffness (p < 0.001) and improved QOL measurements (Physical p < 0.05, Social p = 0.01). These improvements returned to baseline after treatment withdrawal. Histologically, treatment decreased epidermal thickness, the number of proliferating keratinocytes, type III collagen deposition, infiltration of mast cells, and the expression of Th2-inducing cytokines in the lymphedematous skin. Our limited study suggests that immunotherapy against Th2 cytokines may improve skin changes and QOL of women with BCRL. This treatment appears to be less effective for decreasing limb volumes; however, additional studies are needed.
The gerrymandering of cities and the politics of racial exclusion: Evidence from a spatial typology of municipal boundary changes

Municipal annexation is the most common means by which local governments in the United States redraw their jurisdictional borders. The highly contentious process often leads to the gerrymandering o...
The roles of transport and phosphorylation in nutrient uptake in cultured animal cells.

Publisher Summary Three main classes of nutrients—nucleosides, nucleobases, and hexoses (and possibly a fourth, the water-soluble vitamins)—are taken up into cultured cells as a result of the tandem action of a nonconcentrative transport system and an intracellular enzyme that introduces into the transported substrate an anionic group thus confering impermeability. For several substrates representing the first three of these nutrient classes, both members of the uptake pathway are characterized kinetically: (1) the transport systems with cells and substrates that, by virtue of enzyme deficiency, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) depletion, or chemical design, are metabolically inert and (2) the enzymes, as purified proteins, in idealized milieu. The consequences of changes in substrate concentration, in temperature, and in the effective kinetic parameters of transport and phosphorylation on rates of uptake demonstrate the complexity of this interdependence and the errors of interpretation that can accrue if the complexity is overlooked. Flux in a tandem pathway follows a biphasic time course. The first phase corresponds to the attainment of steady-state levels of free intracellular substrate. The second phase represents steady-state flux through the pathway—that is, the rate of accumulation of impermeable product.
Release from Escherichia coli of a Galactosyltransferase Complex Active in Lipopolysaccharide Synthesis

Abstract A complex containing 15 to 20% of the lipopolysaccharide, 10 to 15% of the phosphatidylethanolamine, and 10 to 15% of the UDP-galactose-lipopolysaccharide galactosyltransferase of the cell is released from Escherichia coli cells by ethylenediaminetetraacetate. It can be separated from the rest of the released material, which consists mainly of an additional 30 to 35% of the lipopolysaccharide of the cell, by sedimentation in a 10 to 30% sucrose gradient. The ratio of phosphatidylethanolamine phosphate to lipopolysaccharide glucose in the complex is 1.6:1. The enzyme complex is unstable as isolated but can be stabilized in 20% sucrose or glycerol. It has been purified 10-fold over the material released by EDTA and 20-fold over extracts obtained by sonic treatment of whole cells. Varying cell concentration during EDTA treatment does not alter the amount of complex released per cell, and labeled lipopolysaccharide or phosphatidylethanolamine added during EDTA treatment is not incorporated into the complex. These results, as well as additional evidence presented, suggest that the complex is not formed during isolation, but is the biosynthetic unit present in vivo.
Thermokarst Lakes on the Arctic Coastal Plain of Alaska: Spatial and Temporal Variability in Summer Water Temperature

In summer 2010, water temperature profile measurements were made in 12 thermokarst lakes along a 150-km long north–south transect across the Arctic Coastal Plain of northern Alaska. In shallow lakes, gradual warming of the water column to 1–4°C begins at the lake bed during decay of the ice cover in spring. Rapid warming follows ice-off, with water temperature responding synchronously to synoptic weather variations across the area. Regionally, ice-off occurs 2–4 weeks later on lakes near the coast. Inland lakes are warmer (13°C) in mid-summer than those near the coast (7°C), reflecting the regional climate gradient and the maritime effect. All lakes are well mixed and largely isothermal, with some thermal stratification (< 2°C) occurring during calm, sunny periods in deeper lakes. In deep (6–9 m) lake-bed depressions that are likely ice-wedge troughs, water cools by conduction to the colder sediments below, while concurrent warming occurs in the upper water column. A spatially dense sample of near-surface temperature measurements was collected from one lake over a short period and shows warmer (2–3°C) temperatures on the upwind, sheltered end of the lake. This study demonstrates that climatic gradients, meteorological conditions and basin characteristics impact lake temperature dynamics. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Made in Mexico: Tradition, Tourism, and Political Ferment in Oaxaca

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Chris Goertzen Year: 2010 Pages: 192 Publisher: University Press of Mississippi ISBN: 978-1-60473-796-7 (hard cover).
Nonlinear σ-model and nucleon structure

The nonlinear σ-model with the Wess-Zumino action describes the nucleon as a soliton and incorporates the non-abelian chiral anomalies. Several studies have shown that the model works well except for the nucleon mass, which comes out consistently too large. We investigate this question beginning with the more general framework of the linear σ-model, which has besides a pseudoscalar meson sector, a fermion or quark sector, a scalar field and an interaction between the fermions via the scalar field. Using a path integral formulation, we express the fermion measure of the model as the product of a Jacobian and an invariant measure. Identifying this Jacobian as exp[iΓ wz] , we find that the model breaks up into two parts, when in the pseudoscalar meson sector the scalar field is replaced by its vacuum value. The pseudoscalar part of the model becomes the nonlinear σ-model with the Wess-Zumino actionΓ wz. The other part involves chiral fermions, the scalar field and their interaction. We continue this part back to the Minkowski space to determine its ground state and energy levels. We find that for a scalar field that vanishes at smallr, but rises sharply to its vacuum value at someR, the ground state energy of the interacting quark-scalar-field system can be lower than the ground state energy of the non-interacting quark system. This means the interaction between quarks and the scalar field can lead to a condensed ground state or vacuum and can reduce the overall energy of the system (a phase transition as in superconductivity). It is, therfore, not surprising that the nonlinear σ-model predicts too large a nucleon mass, since it implicitly assumes a normal non-interacting vacuum in the quark sector. Quarks are now quasiparticles that appear as excitations of the condensed vacuum. The nucleon structure that emerges from this investigation agrees fully with the phenomenological nucleon structure found from analysis of high energy elasticpp and $$\bar p$$ p scattering at CERN ISR and SPS Collider.
Plant regeneration from Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts.

Arabidopsis thaliana protoplasts, isolated from a cell suspension, regenerated cell walls and then exhibited sustained cell divisions. Within 10 days after isolation as many as 40% of the protoplast-derived cells divided. Protoplast-derived calli exhibited a wide range of developmental responses, including apparent embryogenesis. The cell suspension has been cryopreserved.
Formation and Evolution of the Milky Way

To paint with broad brush strokes, the spectrum of Galactic formation models has as extrema what may be termed the “fast and smooth” and the “slow and lumpy” scenarios. Appropriate or not, to ascribe as champions of these views the works of, respectively, Eggen et al. (1962, ELS hereafter) and Searle & Zinn (1978, SZ hereafter) has become de rigueur—though it is prudent to bear in mind the soft focus of historical perspective, and the maxim that “no one remembers what one has said, only what others say one has said” (on this point, see Sandage 1990 and Majewski 1993, section 1).
The History of Spinal Deformity

The description and history of the treatment of spinal disorders have evolved from very early Grecian and Hindu times through to today's complex techniques. An emphasis on renowned figures from throughout the world who have contributed greatly to our understanding and care of spinal deformities is provided. Knowledge of the past provides significant input to our understanding of the current problems and enhances the development of future modalities of care.
Current management of bladder exstrophy

Bladder exstrophy is a complex anomaly involving the urinary, genital, and intestinal tracts and the musculoskeletal system. The diagnosis is made typically at the newborn examination or on fetal ultrasonography that is performed by an experienced observer. Management of bladder exstrophy presents several challenges, beginning with initial repair using the more conventional staged approach or the recently re-popularized complete primary repair technique. Major goals in the management of bladder exstrophy are preservation of normal kidney function, close observation for development of adequate bladder function including urinary continence, and provision of acceptable cosmesis and function of the external genitalia. This article provides a brief overview of bladder exstrophy and a detailed description of modern management.
Silibinin modulates UVB-induced apoptosis via mitochondrial proteins, caspases activation, and mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells.

Abstract Several recent studies by us have shown the strong chemopreventive efficacy of silibinin against both ultraviolet B (UVB) radiation and chemical carcinogen-induced tumorigenesis in mouse skin models. The molecular mechanisms underlying silibinin protective efficacy, however, are not completely known. Here, we examined the effect of silibinin on UVB-caused apoptosis in human epidermoid carcinoma A431 cells. Irradiation of cells with different doses of UVB (5–100 mJ/cm2) and different time periods (0.5–24 h) resulted in a dose- and time-dependent increase in apoptosis (P
Crystals, magnetic and electronic properties of a new ThCr2Si2-type BaMn2Bi2 and K-doped compositions

Abstract This is a report on the new 122 ternary transition-metal pnictide of BaMn 2 Bi 2 , which is crystallized from bismuth flux. BaMn 2 Bi 2 adopts ThCr 2 Si 2 -type structure ( I 4 /mmm ) with a =4.4902(3) A and c =14.687(1) A; it is antiferromagnetic with anisotropic magnetic susceptibility and semiconducting with a band gap of E g =6 meV. Heat capacity result confirms the insulating ground state in BaMn 2 Bi 2 with the electronic residual Sommerfeld coefficient of γ =0. The high temperature magnetization results show that magnetic ordering temperature is T N ∼400 K. Hole-doping in BaMn 2 Bi 2 via potassium in Ba 1− x K x Mn 2 Bi 2 results in metallic behavior for x =0.10(1), 0.32(1) and 0.36(1). With K-doping, more magnetically anisotropic behavior is observed. Although there is a downturn in electrical resistivity and low-field magnetization data below 4 K in>30%-doped crystals, there is no sign of zero resistance or diamagnetism.
Otolith record of age, growth, and ontogeny in larval and pelagic juvenile Stephanolepishispidus (Pisces: Monacanthidae)

Juveniles of the planehead filefish Stephano-lepishispidus (Pisces: Monacanthidae) (Linnaeus, 1766) are a major component of the Sargassum spp. community, yet little is known of their ecology. In this study, the otolith record of age, growth, and ontogeny in S.hispidus was examined. Juveniles caught off Beaufort Inlet, North Carolina (USA) on 30 June 1996 were marked with alizarin complexone and reared in a flow-through, outdoor tank for up to 19 days. Examination of marked otoliths at several time intervals showed that increment formation was not significantly different than one increment per day, and thus, increment number was used to estimate age. Depth-distribution, morphology, and meristics of larvae and juveniles collected (1990–1992) between Cape Romain, South Carolina, and Cape Hatteras, North Carolina, were examined to identify the timing of the larval to juvenile transition. All indicators suggested the transition occurred between 17 and 20 days. Mean otolith increment widths exhibited a marked change at about 20 days, coinciding with the timing of the larval to juvenile transition and a change in the depth distribution from bottom to surface waters. Increment width of individual juveniles, however, did not exhibit the same pattern; only 40% conformed to the pattern identified for all fish. Thus, the record of the larval to juvenile transition is clear at the population level, but unresolved at the individual level.
Metabolic Rate independent of Temperature in Mollusc Tissue

THERE is considerable controversy about the possible occurrence of temperature-insensitive regions in poikilotherm rate-temperature (R–T) curves. Newell and Northcroft1,2 reported that the metabolism of a number of marine intertidal invertebrates is essentially independent of temperature, and not influenced much by short term temperature fluctuations within the normal environmental range. This temperature-insensitive region is visible as a plateau in the R–T curve. Newell and Northcroft also presented evidence to suggest that the precise position and extent of the temperature-insensitive region on the R–T curve vary, in accord with long term variations of the environmental temperature. They suggested further that such metabolic stability is of considerable adaptive significance in intertidal animals, which live in a rapidly fluctuating thermal environment. Davies and Tribe3 disputed the existence of temperature-independent metabolism. They found no evidence of Q10 values approaching unity (except at high temperatures) in the respiration rates of intact crabs or limpets. Similarly, they could detect no regions of temperature-independence in excised limpet mantle or crab gill. They suggested that previous reports of temperature-independence may be attributable to experimental techniques. Recently, while investigating seasonal shifts of metabolism in excised tissues of the American oyster, Crassostrea virginica Gmelin, we obtained results that support the concept of temperature-independent metabolism as a tissue level homeostatic mechanism.
What Works in Program Evaluation

Abstract The query, “What works in program evaluation” can be answered on the basis of information already known to many evaluators. Documentation of procedures needed to justify evaluative conclusions in summative evaluations of the impact of large, expensive social programs has led to four propositions proffered as reflective of what works in any such outcome evaluation.
Tropical Review: Zonisamide in Pediatric Epilepsy: Review of the Japanese Experience:

Zonisamide is a novel anticonvulsant that is structurally and mechanistically unique, compared with other antiepilepsy drugs. Available in Japan and South Korea since 1989, it was approved in the United States in the year 2000 as adjunctive therapy for partial seizures in adults. There has been extensive clinical trial and clinical practice experience with zonisamide therapy in Japanese children. Open-label data from pediatric clinical trials conducted in Japan suggest that zonisamide is well tolerated and effective against partial- and generalized-onset seizures in children. Despite this wealth of open-label data, no formal pharmacokinetic studies and only one well-controlled trial of zonisamide's efficacy and safety in Japanese children have been completed to date. No controlled clinical trials of zonisamide in children have been completed in the United States or Europe. Additional controlled trials in children with partial- or generalized-onset seizures, infantile spasms, and Lennox-Gastaut syndrome ar...