cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Frequency Selective Surface Network for In-Phase Ground Plane Reflections in Tightly Coupled Dipole Arrays

There is strong interest in improving the performance of Perfectly Electric Conductor (PEC) backed arrays to achieve wider bandwidths and near theoretical gain. This is challenging due to the well-known size-gain-bandwidth compromise. Indeed, the presence of a ground plane has limited antenna bandwidth until the development of Tightly Coupled Dipole Arrays (TCDA). TCDAs have allowed optimal bandwidth by reducing the Bode-Fano limits. In this paper, we introduce an approach to further increase the bandwidth using Frequency Selective Surfaces (FSS). The integration of such FSS network within a dual-polarized TCDA led to a 29:1 impedance bandwidth and scanning up to 60° at $\text{VSWR} \ (E-Plane) with an average efficiency of 80%. This large bandwidth was achieved by suppressing ground plane resonances.
Seek Fact From Texts: Saudi Media on China Amid the COVID-19 Pandemic

Have Saudi relations with China changed amid the COVID-19 pandemic? Commentary focussed on the international relations of the Persian Gulf has speculated that China’s successful containment of the ...
MPN-274: Mpl is Activated by Dimers of MPN-Linked Calreticulin Mutants Stabilized by Disulfide Bonds and Ionic Interactions

Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are frequently driven by insertions and deletions within the gene encoding calreticulin (CRT) that alter the sequence and change the net charge of the C-terminal domain. CRTDel52 (type-I) and CRTIns5 (type-II) are recurrent mutations. Although oncogenic transformation requires both mutated CRT and the myeloproliferative leukemia protein (Mpl), the molecular mechanism of CRT-mediated constitutive activation of Mpl is unknown. Our studies reveal that the novel C-terminal domain of CRTDel52 encodes specificity both for Mpl binding and for disulfide-mediated CRT dimerization. Disulfide-stabilized CRT dimers and multimers are observed in MPN patient-derived platelet lysates and in transfected mammalian cells. Cysteine mutations within both the C-terminal domain (C400A and C404A) and the N-terminal domain (C163A) of CRTDel52 diminish disulfide-mediated dimers and multimers of CRTDel52. Based on these data and published structures of crystalized CRT oligomers, we propose a structural model of the Mpl-activating CRTDel52 unit as a covalently linked dimer that is stabilized by disulfides and ionic interactions at both the C-terminal and N-terminal domains. In support of this model, we found that elimination of intermolecular disulfides and disruption of ionic interactions at the proposed dimerization interfaces are required to abrogate the ability of CRTDel52 to induce cytokine-independent proliferation of Ba/F3 cells via Mpl. Based on docking studies, we hypothesize that productive CRTDel52 dimers bind and activate Mpl dimers by inserting their C-terminal tails onto the ligand-binding pocket of Mpl and by engaging immature Mpl N-linked glycans via their conventional N-terminal glycan-binding site. Funding: This work was funded by NIH grant (R01 AI123957 to MR) and the University of Michigan Fast Forward Protein Folding Diseases Initiative. I.D.P. was supported by the NSF Division of Biological Infrastructure (award 1855425).
Digital phantoms for breast imaging

Due to the complexity of clinical breast cancer imaging systems, their validation and optimization are challenging tasks, which require both preclinical and clinical studies. This is particularly true for systems used in breast cancer screening due to the low prevalence of disease in a screening population. Validation for screening requires clinical trials involving very large numbers of volunteers and repeated imaging using different acquisition conditions. This results in delayed dissemination of new technology due to the prohibitive duration and cost of such trials, increased radiation risk in the case of imaging systems utilizing ionizing radiation, and strict limitations on the number of test conditions.
Protocol for analyzing and visualizing antiviral immune responses after acute infection of the murine oral mucosa.

Summary The oral mucosa is an important site for virus infection and transmission, yet few animal models exist to examine the virology, pathology, and immunology of acute oral mucosal viral infection. Here, we provide a protocol for infecting and imaging the inner lip (labial mucosa) of mice with the poxvirus vaccinia virus (VACV). Inoculation of the labial mucosa with a bifurcated needle results in viral replication and priming of an adaptive antiviral response that can be imaged using intravital microscopy. For complete details on the use and execution of this protocol, please refer to Shannon et al. (2021) .
A Pilot Study of Self-Regulation and Behavior Problems in Preschoolers with ASD: Parent Broader Autism Phenotype Traits Relate to Child Emotion Regulation and Inhibitory Control.

Little is known about the development of self-regulation processes during the preschool period in autism spectrum disorder (ASD). How parental characteristics such as the broader autism phenotype (BAP) relate to children’s self-regulation is not well understood. Preschool-aged children with (n = 24) and without ASD (n = 21) completed an inhibitory control task and mothers reported on child emotion regulation and their own BAP traits. Children with ASD had lower emotion regulation, and emotion regulation was a protective factor in the association between ASD and internalizing behavioral concerns. Lability/negativity was highly overlapping with externalizing. Maternal BAP characteristics were differentially associated with all self-regulation outcomes across groups. Parental factors should be considered in emotion regulation interventions for young children with ASD.
Using Latent Semantic Analysis to Identify Themes in IS Healthcare Research

Latent Semantic Analysis (LSA) is a new text mining approach that is increasingly being adopted by IS scholars. In this paper, we provide an overview of various research contexts in which IS and other business scholars have applied this research method. We first identity the diverse body of scholarly and field-based contexts in which LSA has been applied. Next, we propose an empirical analysis of published research on healthcare information technology (HIT) research, to identify different themes in the IS literature from 1990 to the present date. Our empirical analysis will identify key research trends in IS journals topics for three time periods, based on an analysis of papers published in 15 leading IS journals. In addition to providing more awareness of this research approach, we seek to identify important trends in healthcare IT research over times.
Forest Sustainability and Social Policy: The Role of Ecosystem Services

Ecosystem services are considered as a foundation for the integration of environmental and social policies to provide certain economic incentives and alternatives to tackle existing environmental and social problems. This chapter specifically addresses the potential of integrated social and environmental policies to provide benefits from sustainable land use and management – forestry in particular. A brief assessment of existing global policy frameworks on sustainable forest management is presented focusing on how well they integrate ecosystem services to promote environmentally and socially sound policy development and practices. We reflect on problems occurring from the lack of integrated policies and incentives to promote sustainable land use and management, highlighting such negative outcomes as forest degradation, causing various social and economic problems, such as overexploitation of natural resources, starvation, migration, and unemployment. Insights are shared from an examination of how current practices and case studies such as REDD and PES address the issues of sustainability and sustainable development.
The effects of sympathectomy on the motility of the human gastrointestinal and biliary tracts.

Summary Several methods were used to study the effects of sympathectomy on the motility of the gastrointestinal and biliary tracts of patients who were subjected to preganglionic sympathectomy for the treatment of hypertension. Balloon-kymograph recordings of small intestinal motility were obtained before and after operation in each of 19 patients. In the early post-operative period, motility was clearly decreased; later a slight increase was apparent. In 6 patients, roentgenologic observations after a. barium meal showed no difference between the pre- and post-operative studies except for a slight delay in the transit time in the small intestine. Three hundred patients who had undergone sympathectomy up to 10 years previously were interviewed. About 5 of these patients noted that their bowel movements became more frequent following operation. Graham-Cole tests carried out in 11 patients who had undergone sympathectomy revealed no obvious abnormalities in gall-bladder emptying after a fatty meal. In 2 patients who underwent both choledochostomy and bilateral sympathectomy, the resistance of the sphincter of Oddi and the duodenum to perfusion through the common duct was not decreased after sympathectomy. On the basis of these observations, it is suggested that gastrointestinal and biliary motility in man are not significantly changed by pre-ganglionic sympathectomy. The early post-operative inhibition may be caused by non-specific factors, or by sensitization of the gut to circulating epinephrine, or to spontaneous activity in decentralized ganglia. These studies do not exclude the possibility that the sympathetic nerves exert a significant influence on gastrointestinal and biliary motility when man is subjected to stress.
Abstract 1856: DNA damage and repair markers (H2AX and RAD51) improve accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis and improve identification of aggressive disease

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Background: Prostate biopsy is the gold standard test for diagnosing prostate cancer. However, due to the sampling error involved, it has low accuracy. Using markers associated with DNA damage and the concept of field effect, this study attempts to improve the diagnostic accuracy of prostate biopsies in men at high risk for this disease. Methods: Data were obtained from men participating in the Negative Biopsy Trial, a randomized multicenter phase 3 chemoprevention trial designed to investigate the effects of selenium supplementation on prostate cancer incidence in men who were at high risk for prostate cancer (PSA (prostate specific antigen) > 4ng/ml &/or PSA velocity (rate of PSA change over time) > 0.75ng/ml/yr &/or positive digital rectal examination) and had a negative prostate biopsy. 699 men were randomized to three treatment arms (placebo, 200ug Se/d, 400ug Se/d) and were followed every 6 months for up to five years. During the course of the study, 73 subjects were diagnosed with prostate cancer on repeat biopsy. For the current study, prostate biopsy samples from 73 subjects and 144 matched controls were stained for RAD51 and H2AX, markers of DNA repair, using immunohistochemistry techniques. Image analysis was conducted using ScanScope and Spectrum software from Aperio Technologies (Vista, California), which provided percentage of positive nuclei. Statistical analysis was conducted using Stata12 statistical software (Statacorp, College station, Texas). Results: Subjects diagnosed with prostate cancer, as compared to controls, demonstrated higher expression levels of both H2AX (mean(SD), 33.8(17.7) and 19.4(14.5)) as well as RAD51 (55.8(24.1) and (44.7(26.5)). As compared to the model containing baseline PSA, age and race (k1), the model containing RAD51 and H2AX data in addition to the data included in k1 showed improved positive predictive value, negative predictive value and area under the curve (70%, 78.9%, 0.77 and 80%, 87.06%, 0.90 respectively, p= 0.025). The above also holds true when data from subjects diagnosed with low grade disease are compared with those having high grade disease (100%, 80%, 0.72 and 100%, 85%, 0.82, p=0.07). Conclusions: Results of this study indicate that DNA damage markers may improve diagnostic accuracy for prostate cancer and also for aggressive disease in both men at high risk, and men diagnosed with prostate cancer. Citation Format: Amit M. Algotar, Anne E. Cress, Raymond B. Nagle, Dan Drinkwitz, Naran S. Lodhia, Patricia A. Thompson, Steven P. Stratton. DNA damage and repair markers (H2AX and RAD51) improve accuracy of prostate cancer diagnosis and improve identification of aggressive disease. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 1856. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-1856
Symposium on William Julius Wilson’s More Than Just Race: Being Black and Poor in the Inner City

For more than 30 years, William Julius Wilson has engaged social scientists and public policymakers in an analysis of urban poverty and persistent racial inequality. Wilson's fundamental question over the long course of his career is why poverty persists for so many African Americans (2009:3). He has forcefully argued that social structural transformations and historical changes in the political economy are the primary basis for racial inequality and its interaction with class (Wilson 1973, 1978, 1987, 1996, 1999). In Wilson's argument, it is the persistent power of social structure (including the disappearance of work, the decimation of inner cities, and the abandonment of progressive social policies) not attitudes or values that results in urban poverty and its concomitant social problems. His comprehensive and lucid analyses of urban inequality, based on both his rich Chicago study and detailed secondary analysis, have informed the academy and, importantly, also major public figures, including presidents, mayors, governors, and the educated lay public. Indeed, there is probably no other sociologist who has so consistently had the attention of key policymakers, even at times when public policy has turned away from the progressive programs and policies that Wilson would endorse. Thus, when William Julius Wilson says now that we should be paying attention to culture, people listen. Implicit in Wilson's earlier work, although never as directly addressed before, is an argument with cultural determinists who ignore the structural causes of disadvantage in favor of arguments that posit values and attitudes as fundamental to the life chances of the urban, minority poor. In More Than Just Race, Wilson now directly engages the question of structure versus culture, arguing that we cannot ignore cultural influences if we are to understand urban poverty, the disadvantaged plight of poor, urban black men, and the black family (each topic detailed in a chapter). He criticizes his own earlier work for implicitly assuming that culture is merely a "by-product" of structural forces, arguing here for some influence of culture in its own right.
Has Faith in Health Care Ethics Consultants Gone Too Far? Risks of an Unregulated Practice and Model Act to Contain Them

Twenty five years ago, in the widely publicized Karen Ann Quinlan case, the New Jersey Supreme Court endorsed the use of hospital ethics committees to consult with physicians and families in decision making about life sustaining medical treatment. The court's delegation of decision making authority was an act of faith, made before health care ethics consultation had been experienced by many health care organizations, patients, or families, before any evidence of the efficacy of ethics consultation existed, and before ethics consultants had even considered developing professional standards. What the New Jersey court set in motion by promoting this unproven practice was controversial from the outset. Today, the practice of health care ethics consultation is widespread, performed by committees, subcommittees, and individuals of various backgrounds, levels of skill, and ideologies. Although ethics consultation is still controversial, its power to affect patients' rights continues to grow. Part I of this article examines the legal status of ethics consultation, describing the first delegation of power to consultants and the powers they have subsequently acquired. Part II focuses on the risks that lawmakers' faith in ethics consultation has created, analyzing ethics consultants' conflicts of interest, the lack of a well-defined scope of practice in relation to law, and misuses of consultants' power that have resulted. Because ethics consultants often compare their practice to mediation, Part III compares standards in mediation to developing standards in ethics consultation. It then draws upon both to provide a model act to guide lawmakers in developing minimal regulation of health care ethics consultation.
Labor heterogeneity, inequality and institutional change

US earnings inequality has increased dramatically since the 1970s, and the prospect of a reversal depends on what caused the trend. The standard explanation emphasizes skill-biased technical change. This paper briefly considers some aggregation issues and then proceeds to outline two alternative perspectives .power biased technical change and the effects of induced mismatch in the labor market .and their implications. JEL Categories: J31, J41, O33
Quantitative Structure-Activity Relationships (QSARs)

Quantitative structure activity relationships (QSARs) have historically been used in the design and evaluation of new pharmaceutical products. With the rapid increase in modern computing power, the use of QSAR methods in the field of drug development has seen an explosive range of applications in the late 1990s. QSAR approaches have also been used in environmental risk assessment to predict the carcinogenicity or genotoxicity of toxic agents, and thus reduce the costs of conducting long-term animal studies. The application of QSAR methods has traditionally encompassed two different approaches: the extrathermodynamic approach proposed by Hansch and Fujita, and the ‘substructural’ or ‘connectivity’ approach of Free and Wilson. Keywords: risk assessment; factor analysis; discriminant analysis; cross validating; artificial intelligence; developmental toxicity
Sensory Transduction in Bacteria

Bacterial signal transduction network is a complex array of numerous interacting components. It includes at least eight classes of sensor proteins that monitor various environmental and intracellular parameters and elicit cellular responses to changes in these parameters. Bacterial responses to environmental challenges can occur on several levels: the level of individual genes and proteins (changes in gene expression, post-translational regulation of enzyme activity), the whole-cell level (chemotaxis, phototaxis, and sporulation), and the level of multicellular communication (cellular aggregation and biofilm formation). Most signaling proteins have modular structure, formed by various combinations of a limited number of conserved protein domains.
Control of lymphocyte function.

During an immune response, small subpopulations of lymphocytes are stimulated selectively by antigen to divide and differentiate. This effect results in a marked increase in sensitized cells and le...
Boundary conditions, fusion rules and the Verlinde formula

Boundary operators is conformal field theory are considered as arising from the juxtaposition of different types of boundary conditions. From this point of view, the operator content of the theory in an annulus may be related to the fusion rules. By considering the partition function in such a geometry, we give a simple derivation of the Verlinde formula.
Toward the establishment of optimal computed tomographic parameters for the assessment of lumbar spinal fusion

Abstract Background context The accurate detection of the extent of bony fusion after attempted lumbar arthrodesis is important given that subsequent efforts—such as decisions regarding need for continued external bracing, use of enhancing modalities (electrical stimulation and pulsed ultrasound), recommended activity levels, return to employment, early surgical intervention, and others—may be needed to reduce the risk of late failure, especially in light of the fact that late revisions for failed fusions often result in poor outcomes and significant costs. Thin-cut computed tomography (CT) has emerged as the study of choice for this purpose. Purpose To delineate the optimal CT parameters for determining fusion versus pseudarthosis after attempted lumbar fusion. Study design Blinded CT assessment with cadaveric specimen as a gold standard. Methods A human cadaveric spine specimen with a T10 to S1 thoracolumbar posterolateral fusion augmented by instrumentation and anterior lumbar interbody fusions was used as a gold standard. Two experienced spine surgeons and one musculoskeletal radiologist—all blinded to the pathology results—assessed a series of CT scans of the specimen, each CT using one of six predefined sets of parameters. Results Predictive values and sensitivity generally improved with decreasing slice thickness and slice spacing, but only modestly. All sets of parameters had higher negative predictive value (NPV) than positive predictive value (PPV). Computed tomographic parameters of 0.9-mm thick sections with 50% overlap showed the highest PPV and NPV, where NPV was 90, but PPV was only 59. Conclusions In this study, using the best widely available CT technologies and the ideal gold standard, thin-cut CT remained less than ideal for the assessment of lumbar arthrodesis/pseudarthrosis. Tuning slice thickness and slice spacing down generally improves detail, but marginally. We have successfully defined “optimal” as “best available,” but “optimal” as “nearly perfect” awaits further technological advances.
Human interleukin 1 mediates cartilage matrix degradation.

Abstract Human monocyte factors mediate cartilage matrix degradation by activation of the resident chondrocytes. In the present work, the cartilage matrix-degrading activity of partially purified human monocyte-derived interleukin 1 has been investigated. Human monocyte or blood mononuclear cell culture supernatants were sequentially purified by phenyl-Sepharose and gel filtration chromatography, or by gel filtration chromatography, isoelectric focusing, or chromatofocusing. Column fractions were simultaneously tested by the standard method that defines interleukin 1 activity—costimulation of mouse thymocyte proliferation—and for matrix macromolecule release from living bovine cartilage expiants in organ culture. The two activities showed identical profiles in purification steps that would discriminate according to molecular size, hydrophobicity, and net charge. Moreover, the thermal denaturation profiles of the material purified by chromatofocusing could not distinguish between thymocyte proliferating and matrix degrading activities. These results suggest that interleukin 1 which is present in inflammatory synovial fluids may play an important role in the mediation of cartilage damage in chronic inflammatory arthritides.
Building a Scientific Comparative Judicial Politics and Arousing the Dragons of Antiscientism

America. Indeed, because our bloom grew outside the well-cultivated plots of the industrialized democracies, we thought it might be of still greater interest to the horticultural community of sociolegal studies. Thus we urged the members of that community to try their own hands at growing this rare blossom. Where we saw a flower, however, Howard Gillman saw a weed, one at least as irritating as ragweed, and possibly as dangerous as poison ivy. To call attention to this dangerous breed and to warn against its further cultivation, he has written a critique nearly as long as the original article and intricate in its argu-
Poisoning American Politics: The Colonization of the State by the Polluter-Industrial Complex

Acting on the perception that strong environmental regulations are detrimental to the competitiveness of US industry in the global economy, capital has unleashed a wide-ranging assault on the ecolo...
Diffeomorphisms of a Product of Spheres

O. Introduction Much progress has been made recently on the manifold classification problem in the case of highly connected manifolds, notably by Wall [16] and [17]. In terms of the methods involved, a natural next step is to consider manifolds whose homology is free and (except for the top and bottom groups) is concentrated in two separated dimensions. We say a manifold M is of type (n, k, r) ifM is a simply connected smooth n-manifold with 3<2k+l<n and Hk(M)~-Hn_k(M)~--7Z r the only non-trivial homology groups. In w 1 we represent such manifolds as the union of two handlebodies along their boundaries; the case of interest is stated as: 1.7. Corollary. Let M be of type (n,k, 1) with k-3, 5,6, 7 (mod 8). Then M'~S k  D n-k U Sk X O n-k for some heDiff(S k x S"-k-1). h 2 and 3 are devoted to an analysis of the group 7zo(Diff(S k  St)) of isotopy classes of diffeomorphisms of S k  S t. Let Diff + (S k  S ~) denote those elements of Diff(S k  S ~) which induce the identity on all homology groups. Our main result is:
Statistical tolerance analysis using FRPDF and numerical convolution

Computer-aided statistical tolerancing methods have helped to improve the quality of products while reducing their manufacturing costs. The Monte-Carlo simulation is the most popular statistical tolerancing technique currently in use. However, simulation has a severe drawback in terms of speed. Other tolerancing methods such as moment methods have limited capabilities in tackling many manufacturing problems. The objective of this paper is to demonstrate the feasibility of a new methodology for statistical tolerance analysis. The proposed method makes use of a new probability distribution function to model non-normal manufacturing data and a numerical method to perform statistical tolerance stack-up analysis. Comparative studies show that this new method has better accuracy than existing moment based techniques and is faster than simulation. It appears that it can be used in future computer-aided tolerancing systems.
In vitro synergism between hybrid immunotoxins and chemotherapeutic drugs: relevance to immunotherapy of prostate carcinoma

Cultured prostate carcinoma cells incubated in the presence of a novel hybrid immunotoxin and ricin A chain exhibited synergy with the chemotherapeutic drugs vinblastine, methotrexate, and bleomycin. No cooperative effect was noted with adriamycin. Under conditions where individual components of immunotoxin or chemotherapeutic drug mixtures were nontoxic or minimally toxic the immunotoxin-drug mixture exhibited marked impact on 14C amino acid incorporation into prostate carcinoma cells. Analysis of drug-treated cells by flow cytometry indicated that cells exposed to vinblastine and bleomycin bound hybrid immunotoxin antibody to a greater extent than cells not exposed to these drugs. Adriamycin did not exhibit synergistic cytotoxicity with hybrid immunotoxin. Also, adriamycin did not enhance antibody binding as evaluated by flow cytometry. The fact that hybrid monoclonal antibody-ricin A chain (HIT-RAC) conjugates inhibited uptake of 14C amino acids 3 to 10-fold within 48 h of incubation with target cells and that this inhibition was further increased 2 to 3-fold in conjunction with three out of four chemotherapeutic drugs tested may be attributed to the unique cytotoxicity imposed by the hybrid immunotoxins. The RAC moiety is not chemically coupled to antibody but instead occupies one of the antigen-combining sites of the molecule. In this manner, RAC is closely juxtaposed to the cell membrane of the target cell and is anchored in this position via binding of the remaining antigen-combining site to p40 prostate restricted antigen.
The role of self-recognition in receptor repertoire development

The role of self-antigen recognition in the development of T and B cells of the adaptive immune system has been studied in several different ways. We have shown that CD4 T cells are selected on selfpeptide:self-MHC class II ligands, and in the periphery, they are sustained by contact with the same or similar ligands. We have also observed that B cells are positively selected on unknown and presumed self-ligands. We have used this information to explore autoimmune diseases as well. Finally, we have recently identified the innate immune system as playing a crucial role in regulating expression of costimulatory molecules that are required for induction of adaptive immune responses.
The body and being of God in Ezekiel

Understanding the way Ezekiel conceives of God as an embodied deity helps us see how he understands God as a “self.” In his visions of the kebod YHWH (“Glory of YHWH”), Ezekiel describes the divine body in anthropomorphic and non-anthropomorphic ways, using language and imagery from both the Priestly (P) and Zion-Sabaoth (Z-S) traditions. As a result, Ezekiel blends two different ways of understanding God’s nature. Like P, God in Ezekiel is unified in body, but like Z-S, Ezekiel understands God to be capable of being radically present with different groups of Israelites simultaneously—that is, fluid in nature. This has implications for the way Ezekiel understands sacred space: he looks forward to a time when the sacred center is stable, but depicts a present reality in which no sacred center exists at all.
Professional Preparation in Health Promotion

(1992). Professional Preparation in Health Promotion. Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance: Vol. 63, Buyer's Guide Issue, pp. 58-62.
Differential Paramagnetic Effect in Superconductors

The magnetic moment and the differential magnetic susceptibility of two spherical samples of tin and tantalum have been measured as a function of magnetic field and temperature. The differential paramagnetic effect (DPE) is observed in both ac and dc mutual inductance measurements provided the sample exhibits a good Meissner effect. For a superconducting sample in which the infinite conductivity behavior dominates the Meissner effect, the DPE does not appear in the ac measurements but does, under certain conditions, show up in dc measurements. The results of the dc mutual inductance measurements are used to classify the DPE as reproducible or nonreproducible. The former is characteristic of ideal Meissner-type superconductors while the latter is more characteristic of superconductors whose macroscopic magnetic properties are dominated by the classical infinite electrical conductivity behavior. The superconducting-to-normal transitions obtained by the three techniques are compared and the data discussed in view of (a) occurrence of the DPE; (b) magnitude of the DPE; (c) ability of these data to give information about the volume participation of the sample; and (d) relation of the "characteristic magnetic fields" determined by these transitions and the bulk critical field of the sample.
Sporadic-E classification from rocket measurements

Sporadic E phenomena classified on basis of rocket ionograms, noting ionization irregularities and peak electron density
Activation of PAD4 in NET formation

Peptidylarginine deiminases, or PADs, convert arginine residues to the non-ribosomally encoded amino acid citrulline in a variety of protein substrates. PAD4 is expressed in granulocytes and is essential for the formation of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs) via PAD4-mediated histone citrullination. Citrullination of histones is thought to promote NET formation by inducing chromatin decondensation and facilitating the expulsion of chromosomal DNA that is coated with antimicrobial molecules. Numerous stimuli have been reported to lead to PAD4 activation and NET formation. However, how this signaling process proceeds and how PAD4 becomes activated in cells is largely unknown. Herein, we describe the various stimuli and signaling pathways that have been implicated in PAD4 activation and NET formation, including the role of reactive oxygen species generation. To provide a foundation for the above discussion, we first describe PAD4 structure and function, and how these studies led to the development of PAD-specific inhibitors. A comprehensive survey of the receptors and signaling pathways that regulate PAD4 activation will be important for our understanding of innate immunity, and the identification of signaling intermediates in PAD4 activation may also lead to the generation of pharmaceuticals to target NET-related pathogenesis.
Epigenetics and the environment: in search of the "toleroasome" vital to execution of ischemic preconditioning.

Activation and repression of gene expression are key features of ischemic tolerance. Converging lines of inquiry from several groups suggests that epigenetic proteins may transduce sublethal stresses, including bioenergetic or oxidative stress into durable (2–3 days) changes in gene expression that mediate ischemic tolerance. Here we discuss the potential mechanisms by which changes in cell state (e.g., ATP, NAD+, and oxygen) can modify specific targets including polycomb complexes, jumonji domain histone demethylases, and zinc and NAD-dependent histone decetylases and thus trigger an adaptive program. A major unanswered question is whether these proteins work in parallel or convergently as part of a “tolerosome” (tolero is the Latin word for tolerance), a multiprotein complex recruited to promoters or enhancers of specific genes, to mediate preconditioning. Whatever the case may be, epigenetic proteins are fertile targets for the treatment of stroke.
Food restriction, ionizing radiation, and natural selection

It is proposed that the allocation of energy in the animal body is modulated automatically by the endocrine system which through one or more centers responds directly to the oxygen radical flux (or an appropriate surrogate) derived from the metabolism of the ingested food. It is also proposed that energy to maintain temperature as well as reproduction and the reproductive capacity are the main sources of oxygen radicals that may be the direct cause of aging. Energy used for gathering food, resisting predators, play (i.e., most voluntary muscle action), contributes little to aging. The diversion of energy from basal metabolism and reproduction to muscular work when demanded by reduced food supply should, therefore, lead to an increased lifespan potential and an increased variance in the lifespan of a population. The change in variance favors production of offspring with longer lifespans, lower reproductive and basal metabolic rates and larger size potential. The reverse process occurs when food becomes abundant. The introduction into the body of oxyradicals, as by whole body irradiation with X or gamma rays should, therefore, mimic the ingestion of extra food and result in similar changes. At low radiation exposures the results are seen as seemingly beneficial (hormetic) effects in animals. It is shown here that some human populations seem to show evidence of the described adaptation to differences in food supply.
Biomembrane disruption by silica-core nanoparticles: effect of surface functional group measured using a tethered bilayer lipid membrane.

Abstract Engineered nanomaterials (ENM) have desirable properties that make them well suited for many commercial applications. However, a limited understanding of how ENM's properties influence their molecular interactions with biomembranes hampers efforts to design ENM that are both safe and effective. This paper describes the use of a tethered bilayer lipid membrane (tBLM) to characterize biomembrane disruption by functionalized silica-core nanoparticles. Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy was used to measure the time trajectory of tBLM resistance following nanoparticle exposure. Statistical analysis of parameters from an exponential resistance decay model was then used to quantify and analyze differences between the impedance profiles of nanoparticles that were unfunctionalized, amine-functionalized, or carboxyl-functionalized. All of the nanoparticles triggered a decrease in membrane resistance, indicating nanoparticle-induced disruption of the tBLM. Hierarchical clustering allowed the potency of nanoparticles for reducing tBLM resistance to be ranked in the order amine > carboxyl ~ bare silica. Dynamic light scattering analysis revealed that tBLM exposure triggered minor coalescence for bare and amine-functionalized silica nanoparticles but not for carboxyl-functionalized silica nanoparticles. These results indicate that the tBLM method can reproducibly characterize ENM-induced biomembrane disruption and can distinguish the BLM-disruption patterns of nanoparticles that are identical except for their surface functional groups. The method provides insight into mechanisms of molecular interaction involving biomembranes and is suitable for miniaturization and automation for high-throughput applications to help assess the health risk of nanomaterial exposure or identify ENM having a desired mode of interaction with biomembranes.
Conformally flat manifolds, Kleinian groups and scalar curvature

On trouve une classe extensive de varietes localement conformement plates dont les applications developpantes sont injectives
Advancement opportunity issues for persons with disabilities.

Abstract This article discusses issues affecting the advancement opportunities of persons with disabilities and strategies for overcoming barriers to advancement. Specifically, two major sources of treatment discrimination are identified: (1) individual factors (i.e., nature of the disability, stereotypes and stigma, multiple stigma and self-limiting behaviors) and (2) organizational factors (i.e., token status, outgroup status, perceptions of limited job-fit, lack of role models, lack of mentors, and lack of critical feedback). Strategies for overcoming these barriers and implications for human resource managers are discussed and include: diversity training, training for persons with disabilities, dealing with coworker resentment, accommodations, supervisor training, and mentoring/sponsorship programs. Implications for research on issues related to the advancement of persons with disabilities are also addressed.
Elevated coronary vascular resistance in the presence of reduced resting blood flow distal to a severe coronary stenosis.

Vascular reserve in underperfused myocardium has recently been described. This seemingly paradoxical observation conflicts with older concepts of the coronary circulation which hold that flow deficits do not develop until reserve is fully exhausted. To examine this phenomenon in greater detail in an animal model mimicking a fixed human coronary artery stenosis, we analysed the records of 25 carefully selected, sedated pigs all instrumented with a rigid intralumenal coronary stenosis (82% lumenal diameter reduction). Each animal satisfied the following criteria: 1) perfused myocardial mass beyond the stenosis was within a narrow weight range (16 to 24 g); and 2) post stenosis (distal) epicardial (Epi) and endocardial (endo) flows were ≤ 90% of respective flows in a region perfused by the non-stenosed circumflex (CX) coronary artery. Accordingly, distal flow was reduced compared to circumflex zone flow (p<0.01) in the Epi (173 ± 51 to 113 ± 32 ml·100g−1·min−1), Endo (146 ± 39 to 116 ± 27) and transmural (Tm) regions (164 ± 45 to 124 ± 31). Despite a flow deficit and constant severity of stenosis, distal zone Tm resistance (0.55 ± 0.21 mmHg/ml·100 g−1·min−1) exceeded the minimum level achievable with intravenous infusion of adenosine (0.25 ± 0.07) in a separate group of eight animals without a stenosis. Distal transmural resistance also varied over a five fold range (0.27 to 1.33) and in 20/25 animals exceeded the highest level (0.37) seen in non-stenosis animals during adenosine infusion. Additional evidence suggesting that the distal vascular bed was not fully dilated was the lack of strong correlation between distal flow and aortic pressure. Further support for this concept was the close correlation between distal Tm, Epi and to a lesser degree, Endo flows (p<0.01) with myocardial oxygen demand as reflected in respective flows in the Cx zone (r = 0.84, 0.93 and 0.54). Finally, the range of flow deficits as measured by the dista1: CX flow ratio varied widely (Endo 0.22 to 0.87; Epi 0.64 to 0.90; Tm 0.45 to 0.88) and did not correlate with the rate-pressure product. Thus, since arteriolar resistance was greater than an achievable minimum, residual vasodilatory reserve was present in the majority of animals studied despite reduced resting blood flow distal to the stenosis. The degree of reserve and range of flow deficits was found to vary widely. In clinical terms, these findings suggest that the variable severity of clinical symptoms in patients with seemingly similar coronary stenoses may reflect, at least in part, individual differences in residual vasodilatory reserve even under circumstances in which flow is reduced at rest.
HOE For Holography

The use of holographic optical elements (HOE) in myriad of technical applications is now well-known. Herein we wish to discuss a number of specific applications in holography itself.
Irradiation-enhanced binding of carboplatin to DNA.

Carboplatin (3·6 mm) and salmon sperm DNA (3 µg), either double-stranded (dsDNA) or denatured single-stranded (ssDNA), were irradiated (100 Gy) under hypoxic or oxic conditions. The drug and DNA were mixed either before, during, or after irradiation, and platinum binding to DNA was measured using atomic absorption spectrometry. Irradiation significantly increased the binding of carboplatin to dsDNA under hypoxic conditions, but did not increase the binding of carboplatin to ssDNA under similar hypoxic conditions. Irradiation did not result in an increased dsDNA–platinum binding under oxic conditions. When carboplatin was added to dsDNA immediately following irradiation of dsDNA, no increase in platinum binding was observed. When carboplatin and dsDNA were irradiated simultaneously but separately and then mixed there appears to be a slight increase in platinum binding, but it was not significant. Tetra-ammineplatinum (II) chloride, a non-cytotoxic platinum compound, did not show an increase in platinum–DNA...
Adenovirus DNA polymerase is recognized by human CD8+ T cells.

Donor lymphocytes have potential as a treatment for adenovirus (Ad) disease in haematopoietic stem cell transplant (SCT) recipients, but better understanding of Ad-specific T-cell responses is required. Most healthy adults exhibit memory T-cell responses to hexon, a capsid protein synthesized late after infection. However, since the Ad E3-19k downregulates major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules, cytotoxic T cells (CTLs) targeted to early viral proteins may be more effective in eliminating Ad-infected cells in vivo. Here we show that Ad-specific CTLs recognize the early region 2 proteins DNA polymerase (Pol) and DNA-binding protein (DBP). Firstly, memory Ad-specific CD8+ T cells were amplified from healthy donors by in vitro stimulation with Ad-infected dendritic cells and found to exhibit MHC-restricted cytotoxicity to targets expressing Pol and DBP. Secondly, gamma interferon responses to HLA A2-binding motif peptides from Pol and DBP were directly detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a recently infected normal donor. Peptide-specific CTLs generated to Pol and DBP epitopes were confirmed to exhibit HLA A2-restricted killing of targets expressing Pol or DBP. Lastly, Pol-epitope-specific T cells were detected at similar or higher frequencies than hexon and DBP in three of three SCT recipients recovering from invasive Ad disease. Pol epitopes were well conserved among different Ad serotypes. Therefore, Pol is a promising target for immunotherapy of Ad disease.
AN INVESTIGATION OF THE VARIABILITY IN REPEATED IN PSYCHOPHYSIOLOGICAL MEASUREMENTS IN TRANQUILIZED MENTAL PATIENTS

This study was undertaken to determine those changes which take place in a number of psychophysiological measures as a function of time and repetition of experimental sessions. Eight male chronic schizophrenic patients served as subjects. They were seen twice weekly for a total of 12 30-min sessions, during which continuous polygraph recordings and blood pressures at 3-min intervals were obtained. Variables analyzed for this study were blood pressure, heart and respiration rates, skin conductance, finger pulse volume, and muscle tension. The data were treated by analysis of variance for between-session (days) and within-session (intervals) effects. The hypothesis of decreasing activation was sustained only for heart rate. No other variable showed systematic changes associated with successive test sessions. Auxiliary data suggests that the variables which reflect adaptation effects depend upon the laboratory, subject population, and frequency of measurement. It is concluded that except for the particular variable which shows a session-to-session adaptation effect, individual variability and measurement error remain as the major sources of test-retest unreliability in the variables and population studied.
A Look at Optical Fiber CATV

When will optical fiber CATV replace coaxial CATV? A study of current literature shows that the time is not yet, although optical fibers have been used for supertrunks and other special purposes. The purpose of the author is to examine some of the calculations which can be used on optical CATV systems as well as some of the improvements necessary for widespread use of optical CATV systems.
Homolytic alkylation of quinaldine and quinoxaline with 18-crown-6

Homolytic alkylation of protonated quinoxaline with 18-crown-6, initiated by the system pivalic acid-iron(II) sulfate at 20–25‡C, gives (quinoxalin-2-yl)-18-crown-6 in 85% yield. Under analogous conditions, the reaction with quinoline affords two isomers: (quinolin-4-yl)-18-crown-6 and (quinolin-2-yl)-18-crown-6, in yields of 20 and 30% respectively.
An experimental study of transcallosal connections between the proreus gyri of the cat

Abstract Contralateral projections of the frontal granular cortex in the cat were studied with a modified Nauta-Gygax method. Fibers arising in the gyrus proreus of one side joine the forcep minor and pass caudally toward the rostal edge of the corpus callosum. Those destined for the contralateral hemisphere turn medially and join the rostrum, while the remaining fibers take a caudal and lateral course to join the ipsilateral internation capsule. The callosal fibers continue medially through the rostrum to the contralateral hemisphere, then turn dorsally and rostally toward the frontal pole, where the most of them end in areas homotic to the lesion. A few scattered fibers are found to terminate as well in non-homotopic cortex, namely gyri cingulus, rectus and parolfactorius. We have no evidence for a callosal contribution to subcortical structures. Preterminal and terminal degeneration can be found in all cortical laminae; those subjects with short survival periods (4–5 days) exhibit a much greater density of terminal degeneration in the outer 3 layers. Transection of the dorsal aspect of the genu and rostal edge of the body of the corpus callosum results in bilateral terminal and preterminal degeneration in the anterior sylvian, ectosylvian and suprasylvian gyri. The gyrus proreus remains free of degeneration of following lesions of this type, thus confirming the observation that transcallosal axons from the gyrus proreus are confined to the rostal levels of the corpus callosum. The results are discussed with reference to the area and depth of termination of callosal axons in the cortex, and localization of connections within the corpus callosum.
A method for study of the conditioned pinna response in the albino rabbit

A technique was developed for conditioning the pinna reflex in the albino rabbit. The harness, animal preparation, method of sensing and recording pinna movement, and testing procedure were described.