cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Reduced Intensity Stem Cell Transplant (RIST) as Salvage Treatment for Relapse Following Myeloablative Allogeneic Transplantation in Adult Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract Relapse of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) following myeloablative allogeneic stem cell transplantation portends a dismal prognosis. Therapy aimed at enhancing graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect, e.g., by donor leukocyte infusion, has limited success in AML, and a second ablative transplant is associated with prohibitive mortality in adults. From April 2001 to March 2006, nine patients, ranging in age from 21 to 57, with high risk myeloid malignancy (7 AML and 2 advanced myelodysplasia) and overt bone marrow relapse less than one year after ablative busulfan/cyclophosphamide conditioning have been treated with a cytoreductive regimen of fludarabine (30 mg/m2/day) and cytarabine (2g/m2/day) for 5 days (-7 through -3) and G-CSF administration (5 ug/kg daily starting day -8) with or without idarubicin (8 mg/m2 days -7, -5, and -3) (8 cases) or fludarabine 30 mg/m2 for 3 days and 200 cGy total body irradiation (1 case). G-CSF mobilized peripheral blood stem cells from their original HLA-matched donor (8 siblings, 1 unrelated) were infused. Graft versus host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was mycophenolate mofetil for 30 days and cyclosporine with a rapid taper. The mean onset of relapse after the initial ablative transplant was day 172 (range 106–271). Fludarabine-based therapy was well tolerated with no treatment related mortality. Full donor chimerism was established by day 72 (range 26–113) in 6 patients (67%). Five patients died: 2 from relapse without GVHD at day +30 and +301 after RIST (one patient with complex and one with Ph+ cytogenetic abnormalities), 3 from relapse with evidence of GVHD. Four patients survive: one has relapsed at 91 days after RIST and is receiving alternate therapy, while three patients (30%) survive in complete remission at 100+, 635+ and 1795+ days after salvage RIST. In 5 cases (56%), the duration of complete remission after RIST was longer than after the initial ablative transplant. We conclude that fludarabine-based RIST is a safe and effective salvage therapy offering a chance for increased survival with low morbidity in patients relapsing after ablative transplant. In addition, RIST therapy has resulted in long-term disease free survival in over 20% of cases in this study.
Molecular basis of β thalassemia and potential therapeutic targets

The remarkable phenotypic diversity of β thalassemia that range from severe anemia and transfusion-dependency, to a clinically asymptomatic state exemplifies how a spectrum of disease severity can be generated in single gene disorders. While the genetic basis for β thalassemia, and how severity of the anemia could be modified at different levels of its pathophysiology have been well documented, therapy remains largely supportive with bone marrow transplant being the only cure. Identification of the genetic variants modifying fetal hemoglobin (HbF) production in combination with α globin genotype provide some prediction of disease severity for β thalassemia but generation of a personalized genetic risk score to inform prognosis and guide management requires a larger panel of genetic modifiers yet to be discovered. Nonetheless, genetic studies have been successful in characterizing the key variants and pathways involved in HbF regulation, providing new therapeutic targets for HbF reactivation. BCL11A has been established as a quantitative repressor, and progress has been made in manipulating its expression using genomic and gene-editing approaches for therapeutic benefits. Recent discoveries and understanding in the mechanisms associated with ineffective and abnormal erythropoiesis have also provided additional therapeutic targets, a couple of which are currently being tested in clinical trials.
Yoad Winter’s Elements of Formal Semantics, 2016, Edinburgh Advanced Textbooks in Linguistics (Edinburgh University Press)

Elements of Formal Semantics (EFS) has already been reviewed twice (Rett in Glossa 1(1):42, 2016; Erlewine in Comput Linguist 42(4):837–839, 2017). As well, the website for the work is accompanied by evaluative quotes by noted scholars. All are very positive concerning its clarity and its utility as an introduction to formal semantics for natural language. As I agree with these evaluations my interest in reiterating them in slightly different words is limited. So my reviews of the content chapters will be accompanied by a Reflections section consisting of my own reflections on the foundations of model theoretic semantics for natural language as laid out in EFS. The issues I address—alternate ways of accomplishing the tasks Winter treats—should not be included in an introductory work but they may be helpful for those who teach classes for which EFS is an appropriate text. They might also help with queries about the content of the text by those using it. I note that a mark of a clear text is that it allows the reader to reflect on its content not its presentation.
Disciplinary Actions by State Professional Licensing Boards: Are They Fair?

This study examines 14,900 disciplinary actions by the professional licensing boards for attorneys, CPAs, and physicians in four states from 2008 through 2014. It was found that both attorneys and physicians are disciplined at a rate at least seven times that of CPAs. While the majority of disciplinary actions are for misconduct directly related to the professional practice, nearly 14% of sanctions were the result of “social crimes” such as failure to pay child support or student loans, driving under the influence, and general unprofessional conduct. The severity of licensure sanctions varied with the cause for discipline, but was inconsistent both within and between jurisdictions. These results raise important questions about the purpose and performance of state licensing boards and possible reasons for inequitable treatment. Additionally, the widespread and severe sanctions for conduct not related to the professional practice suggest that moral turpitude clauses may violate both equal protection and prohibitions on excessive fines.
History of the Study of Dreams

Dreams consist of sensory images, experienced in sleep as story-like structures. These relate to the sleepers’ waking emotional state. When this is negative (unhappy, anxious), dreams reverse this within the night. Exceptions are strongly frightening nightmares and the bland dreams of major depression; both fail to regulate negative mood. Studies of nonrapid eye movement dreams and those of brain injured patients indicate dreams are not a by-product of rapid eye movement (REM). Although REM and dreaming frequently occur simultaneously, studies indicate they have separate initiation sites and possibly separate functions.
A Critique of Rasch Residual Fit Statistics.

In test analysis involving the Rasch model, a large degree of importance is placed on the "objective" measurement of individual abilities and item difficulties. The degree to which the objectivity properties are attained, of course, depends on the degree to which the data fit the Rasch model. It is therefore important to utilize fit statistics that accurately and reliably detect the person-item response inconsistencies that threaten the measurement objectivity of persons and items. Given this argument, it is somewhat surprising that there is far more emphasis placed in the objective measurement of person and items than there is in the measurement quality of Rasch fit statistics. This paper provides a critical analysis of the residual fit statistics of the Rasch model, arguably the most often used fit statistics, in an effort to illustrate that the task of Rasch fit analysis is not as simple and straightforward as it appears to be. The faulty statistical properties of the residual fit statistics do not allow either a convenient or a straightforward approach to Rasch fit analysis. For instance, given a residual fit statistic, the use of a single minimum critical value for misfit diagnosis across different testing situations, where the situations vary in sample and test properties, leads to both the overdetection and underdetection of misfit. To improve this situation, it is argued that psychometricians need to implement residual-free Rasch fit statistics that are based on the number of Guttman response errors, or use indices that are statistically optimal in detecting measurement disturbances.
How the Border Crossed Us: Filling the Gap between Plume v. Seward and the Dispossession of Mexican Landowners in California after 1848

In 1854, the California Supreme Court concluded that although neither party to an ejectment suit could claim to be the true owner, the plaintiff, who could trace his ownership to a prior possessor, had a stronger claim than the defendant, who was in actual possession of the land. Taught to many first-year law students, Plume v. Seward is meant to illustrate the basic rule that when no legal title exists, property rights of first possessors trump the rights of those currently occupying the land. When examined in a full historical context, however, the Plume decision is evidence of the uneven treatment of California landowners based solely on race.
Adjuvant-like effects of lithium on peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Cyclic nucleotides appear to play a dynamic role in the modulation of immune responses. While an increase in lymphocyte cyclic-AMP (C-AMP) is required for the initiation of lymphocyte proliferation, a sustained elevation of cellular C-AMP levels results in a net inhibition of lymphocyte proliferation (Wang et al., 1978). Similarly, macrophage function is depressed in the presence of agents that increase cellular C-AMP (Schultz, 1978).
Resistance of Cold- and Starvation-Stressed Vibrio vulnificus to Heat and Freeze-Thaw Exposure

The effects of cold storage and starvation on the subsequent heat resistance and freeze-thaw resistance of Vibrio vulnificus were studied. Three strains of V. vulnificus were evaluated. Cold stress had no effect on freeze-thaw resistance (P > 0.05). Starvation enhanced freeze-thaw resistance for one strain compared to controls (P 0.05). Cold adaptation (holding 4 h at 15 degrees C) enhanced cold temperature (5 degrees C) tolerance. This information will be helpful in the development of methods to minimize V. vulnificus risk.
Doing Critical Policy Analysis in Education Research: An Emerging Paradigm

“The profound shifts taking place in contemporary social life require a shift in our research traditions” (Young, Am Educ Res J, 36:677–714, 1999, p. 705). The study of educational policy through a critical frame allows for a nuanced, holistic understanding of the complexities associated with education policy, from problem finding and framing to policy development, implementation, and evaluation. This chapter focuses on the practice of critical policy analysis within the field of education, including the theoretical and methodological approaches used by critical policy researchers. In addition to providing specific examples of critical policy studies, the chapter provides guidance for novice scholars who are interested in engaging in CPA and identifies a set of recommended readings.
EFab domain substitution as a solution to the light-chain pairing problem of bispecific antibodies.

Bispecific antibody therapeutics can expand the functionality of a conventional monoclonal antibody drug because they can bind multiple antigens. However, their great potential is counterbalanced by the challenges faced in their production. The classic asymmetric bispecific containing an Fc requires the expression of four unique chains - two light chains and two heavy chains; each light chain must pair with its correct heavy chain, which then must heterodimerize to form the full bispecific. The light-chain pairing problem has several solutions, some of which require engineering and optimization for each bispecific pair. Here, we introduce a technology called EFab Domain Substitution, which replaces the Ce2 of IgE for one of the CL/CH1 domains into one arm of an asymmetric bispecific to encourage the correct pairing of the light chains. EFab Domain Substitution provides very robust correct pairing while maintaining antibody function and is effective for many variable domains. We report its effect on the biophysical properties of an antibody and the crystal structure of the EFab domain substituted into the adalimumab Fab (PDB ID 6CR1).
CHOROIDAL THICKNESS AND VASCULARITY VARY WITH DISEASE SEVERITY AND SUBRETINAL DRUSENOID DEPOSIT PRESENCE IN NONADVANCED AGE-RELATED MACULAR DEGENERATION.

PURPOSE To investigate how choroidal features vary with age-related macular degeneration (AMD) severity in early-intermediate disease. METHODS One hundred fifty-one eyes of 151 participants >50 years with no to intermediate AMD were analyzed with enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography. Mean macular choroidal thickness (CT), choroidal vascular thickness (CV), and choroidal vascularity index (CVI) were determined, and statistical associations were calculated. RESULTS Decreased CT and CV were associated with increased axial length (+30 and +14 µm/mm, respectively; P < 0.0001 each), whereas decreased CVI was associated with increased age (+0.1%/year; P = 0.004). Compared with eyes with no/early AMD (Group 0), eyes with large drusen without late AMD in the fellow eye (Group 1) showed increased CV and CVI (+22 µm, P = 0.03 and +2.2%, P = 0.02, respectively). However, eyes with large drusen and late AMD in the fellow eye (Group 2) resembled Group 0. Eyes with subretinal drusenoid deposits demonstrated lower mean CT/CV/CVI than Group 0 (-57 µm, P = 0.02; -31 µm, P = 0.02; -3.6%, P = 0.007). CONCLUSION Early AMD progression seems associated with biphasic alterations in choroidal dimensions, increasing during early drusen formation but decreasing thereafter. Subretinal drusenoid deposits are independently associated with marked reductions in all choroidal parameters. Changes in choroidal vascular anatomy may drive or reflect the pathobiology of AMD progression.
Aggregate poll Web site use across the 2016 United States presidential election

This study examined citizens’ use of poll aggregation Web sites over the last nine weeks of the 2016 United States presidential campaign. The results suggested that usage frequency increases as election day approaches. Moreover, those with high levels of political interest and those that actively use media to obtain political information are most likely to access poll aggregation Web sites.
Initiative to Reduce Chest X-ray Use for Pediatric Patients with Acute Asthma Exacerbations

Background: Chest radiography is not routinely recommended for pediatric patients with a history of asthma who present with acute asthma exacerbations. However, chest x-rays (CXR) are frequently obtained on these patients, contributing to unnecessary radiation exposure and cost. Initial implementation of an asthma clinical practice guideline (CPG) reduced CXR ordering, but not to our goal. Objective: To use quality improvement methodology to decrease the percentage of CXR obtained for pediatric patients with acute asthma exacerbations from 29.5% to < 20% by December 2016. Methods: We included children ≥2 …
Using participatory action research to examine barriers and facilitators to physical activity among rural adolescents with cerebral palsy.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to use a qualitative, community-based participatory action research method – Photovoice – to identify perceived facilitators and barriers to physical activity...
The Political Lives of Victorian Animals: Liberal Creatures in Literature and Culture

During the Victorian era, animals were increasingly viewed not as property or utility, but as thinking, feeling subjects worthy of inclusion within a political community. This book re-examines the nineteenth-century British animal welfare movement and animal characters in the Victorian novel in light of liberal thought, and argues that liberalism was a decisive factor in determining the cultural, ideological, and material makeup of animal-human relationships. While the animal welfare movement often represented animals as desiring submission to the human, animal characters in the Victorian novel critiqued the liberal norms that led to the oppression of both animals and humans. Through readings of animal rights legislation, animal welfare texts, and writings by Charles Dickens, Lewis Carroll, Thomas Hardy, and Olive Schreiner, Anna Feuerstein outlines the remarkably powerful political role that animals played in the Victorian novel, as they offer ways to move beyond the exclusionary and contradictory strategies of liberal thought.
A Point of Inflection and Reflection on Systems Chemical Biology.

For the past several decades, chemical biologists have been leveraging chemical principles for understanding biology, tackling disease, and biomanufacturing, while systems biologists have holistica...
“Last Night I Dreamed of Peace”: Letters to Women Who Hold Up the Moon

This chapter presents three letters by three Asian women scholars—Vietnamese, Indonesian, and Korean—written to the intellectual and spiritual “sisters-mothers-aunties” who have influenced, empowered, motivated, and challenged how they live, move, and have being as academics, educators, ministers, and “artivists” in Asian transpacific America. Juxtaposed against the decisive print typically found in academic prose, each metaphoric cursive in these correspondences reveal the vitalities and vulnerabilities of identity and vocation, of belonging and estrangement, of timid wonderment and brazen path-blazing, of grateful remembrances and outrageous future-projections, as each letter-writer picks up her pen, closes her eyes, and dreams of peaceable worlds in which they can flourish.
MosaicFlye: Resolving Long Mosaic Repeats Using Long Reads

Although long-read sequencing technologies opened a new era in genome assembly, the problem of resolving unbridged repeats (i.e., repeats that are not spanned by any reads) such as long segmental duplications in the human genome remains largely unsolved, making it a major obstacle towards achieving the goal of complete genome assemblies.
Chapter 23 – Screen Design

Publisher Summary The term screen design usually refers to either the process of determining the visual appearance and content of a single visual frame or the end result of that process. In the days of terminals connected to remote computers, these screens were synonymous with physical screens—that is, presenting a new screen meant repainting the entire physical screen. As graphical user interface (GUI) systems have become common, screen design has taken on a somewhat different meaning. Today, in GUI applications, most people use the term “screen design” to refer to the design of a specific window or dialog box rather than the design of the entire physical screen. Consequently, the chapter focuses on the design of these individual frames of information. A variety of metrics and several systems have been developed to help in developing effective screens. These systems have grown to encompass increasingly rich definitions of the visual characteristics of interfaces as well as the tasks they are used for. They promise eventually leading to a fully-featured screen designer's workbench” in which a designer could iteratively refine screen designs automatically generated from basic interface requirements and task descriptions.
Reflections on the Post Qualitative

In this essay, I describe the possibilities afforded by initial encounters with the post qual, namely through exploring the speculative and shifting from a scholastic mode of reporting toward one o...
Making the most of what you have: managerial ability as a source of resource value creation

The current study investigates a central premise of the resource-based view of the firm—that managers are a potential source of value creation for the firm. Using data from professional sports teams, we test theory regarding the effects of managerial ability, human resource stocks, and managers' actions on resource value creation. While results indicate managerial ability affects resource productivity, this effect is less pronounced with increases in the quality of firm resources. Further, we investigate the extent to which managerial actions that synchronize resource bundles account for the influence of managerial ability and resource context on a firm's performance advantage. These results contribute to our understanding of resource management and provide empirical evidence for the importance of managerial ability in the resource-based view. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Shoulder Strength and Range of Motion in Healthy Collegiate Softball Players.

Context Shoulder range of motion (ROM) and strength are key injury evaluation components for overhead athletes. Most normative values are derived from male baseball players with limited information specific to female softball players. Objective To determine between-limb differences in shoulder ROM and strength in healthy collegiate softball players. Design Descriptive laboratory study. Setting University research laboratory and collegiate athletic training room Participants: Twenty-three healthy collegiate softball players (age=19.9 ± 1.2y; height=170.5 ± 4.3cm; mass=78.4 ± 11.3kg). Interventions Outcome measures included shoulder ROM (internal [IR] and external rotation [ER]), isometric strength (IR, ER, flexion, abduction [135 degrees], and horizontal abduction), and a measure of dynamic strength (Upper Quarter Y Balance Test [UQYBT]). Main outcome measures Paired sample t-tests were used to determine between limb differences for each outcome measure. Results Participants had significantly more ER ROM (12° more) and significantly less IR ROM (12° less) on the dominant arm, relative to the non-dominant arm. There were no significant differences between limbs for any of the isometric strength measures or for the UQYBT reach directions. Conclusions While female collegiate softball players demonstrated typical changes in ER and IR ROM in the dominant arm, they demonstrated relatively symmetrical performance across strength measures, which contrasts with previous studies using male baseball players.
Self-Reported Modifiable Risk Factors of Cardiovascular Disease among Older Adults in Malaysia: A Cross-Sectional Study of Prevalence and Clustering

The co-occurrence of multiple modifiable risk factors increases the risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) morbidity or mortality. This study examines the prevalence and clustering of self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors among older adults in Malaysia. A total of 7117 adults aged ≥50 years participated in the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2018: Elderly Health, a community-based cross-sectional survey. Data were collected using a standardized structured questionnaire. Multivariable logistic regression was used to determine the factors associated with the clustering of self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors. The prevalence of self-reported diabetes, hypertension, hypercholesterolemia, overweight/obesity, and current smoking was 23.3%, 42.2%, 35.6%, 58.4%, and 17.5%, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of clustering of ≥1, ≥2, and ≥3 modifiable CVD risk factors was 83.3%, 75.4%, and 62.6%, respectively. Multivariable logistic regression analysis showed that men, 60–69 age group, urban dwellers, having no formal education, unemployed/retirees/homemakers, and being physically inactive were independently associated with self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors clustering. There are also ethnic differences in self-reported modifiable CVD risk factors clustering. Our findings underscore the necessity of targeted interventions and integrated strategies for early detection and treatment of modifiable CVD risk factors among older adults, considering age, sex, ethnicity, and socioeconomic status.
Expanding the Scope of Research Productivity Indices: a Commentary on Dixon, Reed, Smith, Belisle, and Jackson (2015)

Dixon et al. (Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8:7-15, 2015) outlined methods to evaluate research rankings of behavior analytic graduate training programs and their graduate faculty. Publications across five behavior analytic journals were evaluated and cumulative totals were obtained for each program and its faculty members. Critchfield (Behavior Analysis in Practice, 8:3-6, 2015) noted that these measures indicated that many graduate students in behavior analysis are receiving training by faculty members with limited research productivity. This commentary offers some suggestions and refinements of the procedures used by Dixon et al. that might provide a more sensitive measure of scholarly productivity in our field. The implications of these suggestions are discussed.
Examining the global record of interannual variability in stratification and marine productivity in the low-latitude and mid-latitude ocean

[1] Strengthened stratification of the upper ocean, associated with anthropogenic or climate-driven warming, is generally expected to inhibit marine primary productivity in light-replete, nutrient-limited environments, essentially, in the low and middle latitude ocean, based on the supposition that increased water column stability will inhibit vertical mixing and consequently the upward entrainment of deep nutrients into the euphotic zone. Herein, we examine the local stratification control of productivity on interannual timescales over the global subtropical and tropical ocean by directly comparing in situ measures of stratification (from hydrographic profile data) with contemporaneous values of ocean chlorophyll (from satellite data). In the subtropical ocean, we find no evidence of a strong local correlative relationship between these properties over the observational record, a result that challenges the widely held view that stratification variability is a primary driver of interannual variability in nutrient supply and productivity in these waters. A strong negative relationship is observed, however, in the tropical Pacific, suggesting that previously reported correlations between globally averaged stratification and productivity variability are driven by strong associations in this region. An examination of the long-term changes in our profile data also reveals trends of decreasing stratification scattered across the low-latitude and mid-latitude ocean, driven by faster rates of warming in the subsurface relative to the surface. This observation seemingly undercuts a fundamental assumption of the paradigm of local stratification control, namely that increases in upper ocean heat content necessarily produce strengthened stratification.
Irrotational Flow Over Spillways of Finite Height

Potential theory is used to analyze free-surface, irrotational flow over spillways of finite height. Numerical values were obtained for free-surface coordinates, pressures on the surface of the spillway, and discharge coefficients for three separate spillway shapes. The spillways considered included (a) one corresponding to the shape of the nappe produced by flow over a ventilated, sharp-crested weir, (b) one corresponding to the shape of the nappe produced by flow over a ventilated, sharp-crested weir with nagative pressure head beneath the nappe equal to one-half the head on the weir and (c) one having vertical upstream face, a cylindrical crest, and a downstream tangent inclined 30○ from the vertical. Because flows of several heads were analyzed for each spillway, certain conclusions were drawn relative to spillway operation under high heads.
Receptor Activator of NF-κB (RANK) Cytoplasmic IVVY535–538 Motif Plays an Essential Role in Tumor Necrosis Factor-α (TNF)-mediated Osteoclastogenesis

Tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF) enhances osteoclast formation and activity leading to bone loss in various pathological conditions, but its precise role in osteoclastogenesis remains controversial. Although several groups showed that TNF can promote osteoclastogenesis independently of the receptor activator of NF-κB (RANK) ligand (RANKL), others demonstrated that TNF-mediated osteoclastogenesis needs permissive levels of RANKL. Here, we independently reveal that although TNF cannot stimulate osteoclastogenesis on bone slices, it can induce the formation of functional osteoclasts on bone slices in the presence of permissive levels of RANKL or from bone marrow macrophages (BMMs) pretreated by RANKL. TNF can still promote the formation of functional osteoclasts 2 days after transient RANKL pretreatment. These data have confirmed that TNF-mediated osteoclastogenesis requires priming of BMMs by RANKL. Moreover, we investigated the molecular mechanism underlying the dependence of TNF-mediated osteoclastogenesis on RANKL. RANK, the receptor for RANKL, contains an IVVY535–538 motif that has been shown to play a vital role in osteoclastogenesis by committing BMMs to the osteoclast lineage. We show that TNF-induced osteoclastogenesis depends on RANKL to commit BMMs to the osteoclast lineage and RANKL regulates the lineage commitment through the IVVY motif. Mechanistically, the IVVY motif controls the lineage commitment by reprogramming osteoclast genes into an inducible state in which they can be activated by TNF. Our findings not only provide important mechanistic insights into the action of RANKL in TNF-mediated osteoclastogenesis but also establish that the IVVY motif may serve as an attractive therapeutic target for bone loss in various bone disorders.
Ribosomes and ribonucleic acids of Coxiella burneti.

Abstract This report describes the direct isolation and characterization of rickettsial ribosomes. Ribosomes from the rickettsia Coxiella burneti were isolated and partially characterized. The ribosomes had a sedimentation constant of about 70S and could be dissociated into 50 and 30S subunits. Electron microscopy revealed ribosomal particles with dimensions similar to those reported for other procaryotic organisms. Ribonucleic acid (RNA) species (23 and 16S) were isolated from the ribosomal particles. The nucleotide compositions of the ribosomal RNAs were found to be similar to those reported for bacterial ribosomal RNA. In addition to the high-molecular-weight ribosomal RNA, 5S RNA was also extracted from the organism.
Infrared Spectroscopy of Molecular Ions

In this course of three one-hour lectures, I cover the three main features of molecular ion spectroscopy using tunable infrared sources and discharges, (I) production of ions, (II) spectroscopy of molecular ions, and (III) analysis of infrared ion spectra. There are four subject matters that play major roles in this course: (1) Molecular ions with its tremendous activity and challenge (2) Infrared laser spectroscopy with its high sensitivity and resolution. (3) Plasmas full of ions and mystery, and (4) Interstellar space with a high degree of ionization and inexhaustible richness.
Collisional Relaxation of a Strongly Magnetized Pure Electron Plasma (Theory and Experiment)

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the influence of the invariant on the collisional relaxation of the electron velocity distribution in a strongly magnetized pure electron plasma. The results of molecular dynamics simulations are presented that corroborate the existence of the adiabatic invariant and the value of the calculated rate. The results of recent experiments (with cryogenic pure electron plasmas) that are in agreement with the theory are also described. In a study described in the chapter, the isolated collision of two electrons in a strong magnetic field was considered and the exponentially small exchange of energy between the parallel and the perpendicular degrees of freedom was calculated. The energy exchange was used to calculate the equipartition rate for a plasma where parallel temperature and perpendicular temperature were not equal. Boltzmann-like collision operator was employed, which treated collisions and separated binary interactions.
Teaching African History in an Era of Globalization

Africa today is the most impoverished continent, a fact that impels historians and other scholars to look for the root causes of this poverty. When African history emerged as a field in the 1950s, the focus of historians lay elsewhere. As the 1970s unfolded, however, and Africa lagged further behind most other parts of the world, historians began to look at the slave trade era and the colonial period for the roots of African poverty. Historical scholarship since then has continued to demonstrate the importance of developments over the past several hundred years to explain Africa's current disadvantaged state in our globalized era. Teaching earlier African history, when Africa was in the forefront of global developments, is important for understanding contemporary Africa as well. It shows that there was nothing inherent in the African condition that produced the current distressed state.
TNF blockade: an inflammatory issue.

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF), initially discovered as a result of its antitumor activity, has now been shown to mediate tumor initiation, promotion, and metastasis. In addition, dysregulation of TNF has been implicated in a wide variety of inflammatory diseases including rheumatoid arthritis, Crohn’s disease, multiple sclerosis, psoriasis, scleroderma, atopic dermatitis, systemic lupus erythematosus, type II diabetes, atherosclerosis, myocardial infarction, osteoporosis, and autoimmune deficiency disease. TNF, however, is a critical component of effective immune surveillance and is required for proper proliferation and function of NK cells, T cells, B cells, macrophages, and dendritic cells. TNF activity can be blocked, either by using antibodies (Remicade and Humira) or soluble TNF receptor (Enbrel), for the symptoms of arthritis and Crohn’s disease to be alleviated, but at the same time, such treatment increases the risk of infections, certain type of cancers, and cardiotoxicity. Thus blockers of TNF that are safe and yet efficacious are urgently needed. Some evidence suggests that while the transmembrane form of TNF has beneficial effects, soluble TNF mediates toxicity. In most cells, TNF mediates its effects through activation of caspases, NF- k B, AP-1, c-jun N-terminal kinase, p38 MAPK, and p44/p42 MAPK. Agents that can differentially regulate TNF expression or TNF signaling can be pharmacologically safe and effective therapeutics. Our laboratory has identified numerous such agents from natural sources. These are discussed further in detail.
Carnitine and acetylcarnitine modulate mesenchymal differentiation of adult stem cells

Cellular metabolic activity, especially mitochondrial metabolism, plays a vital role in regulating cell proliferation and differentiation. Metabolism could therefore be an important factor to consider when using engineering technologies to stimulate tissue development and repair. The small metabolite carnitine and its derivative acetylcarnitine affect the activities of several pathways in mitochondrial metabolism, but their influence on cell differentiation has not yet been thoroughly studied. To elucidate the effects of these two small molecules on mesenchymal tissue engineering, we used adult stem cells as a platform in both monolayer and 3D hydrogel culture systems. We investigated the impact of these two small molecules on the differentiation of adult stem cells and analysed gene expression, cell proliferation and extracellular matrix deposition. We found that the molecules reduced adipogenesis but stimulated osteogenesis and chondrogenesis in both culture systems. Our results suggest that carnitine and acetylcarnitine could affect the differentiation rate of adult stem cells by regulating mitochondrial metabolism. The effects of these two small molecules give rise to the possibility of employing such metabolites in tissue-engineering systems to enhance cell differentiation and tissue development.
Study of antiproton-proton annihilations using the topological-cross-section differences between p-barp and pp interactions at 48. 9 GeV/c

The multiplicity-cross-section differences $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}$ between $\overline{p}p$ and $\mathrm{pp}$ interactions are determined and are compared with measured annihilations and $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}$ at other energies. To the extent that these cross-section differences measure the values of ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}^{A}$, the topological cross sections for annihilations, we present evidence for a decided break from a single-cluster-model prediction for the parameter ${f}_{2}^{{A}_{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{-}}}$. Alternatively, a picture of precocious Koba-Nielsen-Olesen scaling in $\overline{p}p$ annihilations leads to a reasonably good representation of ${f}_{2}^{{A}_{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{-}}}$ vs $〈{n}_{\ensuremath{-}}^{A}〉$ over the whole measured range. We find $〈{n}^{A}〉=7.57\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.31$, ${D}^{A}=2.77\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.10$, ${f}_{2}^{{A}_{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{-}}}=\ensuremath{-}1.86\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.20$, and $\frac{〈{n}^{A}〉}{D}=2.73\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.15$. Finally we observe a remarkable agreement with theoretical prediction for ${R}_{n}^{*}=\frac{\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}}{{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n+2}(\mathrm{pp})}$, an experimental ratio based on a strict application of the counting rules for quark duality diagrams, and we thereby find evidence that in the topological-cross-section difference $\ensuremath{\Delta}{\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{n}$ the small nonannihilation contribution becomes progressively more negligible as $n$ increases.
Propped Fracture Conductivity in Shales

The successful development of the major shale gas plays in North America hinges upon the creation of complicated fracture networks by pumping low viscosity fracturing fluid with low proppant concentrations at high flow rate. Direct laboratory measurement of hydraulic fracture conductivity created in the networks is needed for reliable well performance analysis and fracture design optimization.A series of experiments were conducted under realistic hydraulic fracturing conditions to measure the conductivity using a modified API conductivity cell. Natural fractures were preserved and fracture infill was kept for initial conductivity measurement. Fractures were also induced along the natural bedding planes to obtain fracture surface asperities. Proppants of various sizes were placed between rough fracture surfaces at realistic concentrations. The two sides of the rough fractures were either aligned or displaced with a 0.1 inch offset.Results show that the hydraulic fracture conductivity of shale samples with rough surfaces can be accurately measured in a laboratory with appropriate experimental procedures and good control on experimental errors. The unpropped offset fracture can create conductivity as much as poorly cemented natural fracture, while the conductivity of unpropped matched fracture is minor. The presence of proppants can elevate the fracture conductivity by 2 to 3 orders of magnitude. Propped fracture conductivity increases with larger proppant size and higher proppant concentration. This study also indicates that within 20 hours propped fracture conductivity can be reduced by as much as 24% as shown in the longer term fracture conductivity measurements.Copyright © 2013 by ASME
PCBs in Lake Michigan Water Revisited

PCBs were determined in water samples from 11 open water sites in Lake Michigan and compared to data from 1980. PCB concentrations declined from 1980 to 1991 with a first-order rate constant calcul...
Attention to Context: U.S. and Japanese Children's Emotional Judgments.

A growing number of studies suggest cultural differences in the attention and evaluation of information in adults (Masuda & Nisbett, 2001; Markus & Kitayama, 1991; Hedden, Ketay, Aron, Markus, & Gabrieli, 2008). One cultural comparison, between Westerners, such as Americans, and Easterners, such as the Japanese, suggest that Westerners typically focus on a central single object in a scene while Easterners often integrate their judgment of the focal object with surrounding contextual cues. There are few studies of whether such cultural differences are evident in children. This study examined 48 monolingual Japanese-speaking children residing in Japan and 48 monolingual English-speaking children residing in the U.S.A. (40 to 60 month-olds) in a task asking children to complete a picture by adding the proper emotional expression to a face. The key variable was the context and shift in context from the preceding trial for the same pictured individual. Japanese children were much more likely to shift their judgments with changes in context whereas children from the United States treated facial expression in a more trait-like manner, maintaining the same expression for the individual across contexts.
New firm formation in the USA: corporate structure, venture capital, and local environment *

New firm formation in the USA has been geographically uneven, but little analysis has been undertaken to examine this unevenness. The entrepreneurial environment or climate of places is the set of conditions which help-or hinder-new firm formation. These conditions include aspects of the business community, the cultural and social milieu, actions of government, and the availability of venture capital, which has enormous variations from place to place. A set of statistical analyses of firm formation in the USA from 1978 to 1983 suggests that branch plants inhibit the formation of new manufacturing firms, but spark new service firms. Venture capital and the technological base are part of a supporting climate for firms in high technology sectors. The bottom line is that places vary greatly in their ability to stimulate and nurture new firms.
Effect of anatomic, procedural, and dosimetric variables on urinary retention after permanent iodine-125 prostate brachytherapy.

Abstract Objectives To correlate anatomic, procedural, and dosimetric parameters with the rate of intermittent self-catheterization (ISC). Methods The records of 402 patients with a median age of 69 years treated with 125 I prostate seed implantation from 1996 to 2001 were reviewed for the use of ISC. The records were examined for the preimplant factors: prostate volume, use of androgen deprivation, and prostate length. The intraprocedural factor reviewed was the number of needles used. The following postimplant information was also collected: preimplant transrectal ultrasound-generated prostate volume/postimplant computed tomography-generated prostate volume ratio, V 100 , V 150 , V 200 , V 300 , V 400 , D 90 , and D 100 . Correlation was assessed using logistic regression analysis. Results Forty-four patients had to use ISC (10.9%). The mean and median duration of ISC was 11.9 and 6 weeks, respectively. From univariate analysis, prostate length and prostate volume were found to be statistically significant predictors of ISC after 125 I prostate seed implantation with a P value of 0.0002 and 0.0042, respectively. With multivariate analysis, only prostate length was a statistically significant predictor of ISC use after 125 I prostate seed implantation ( P = 0.0095). Conclusions Prostate length is an important predictor of ISC after 125 I prostate seed implantation.
Characterization of oxytocin receptor expression and distribution in the pregnant sheep uterus

At the end of pregnancy, the myometrium becomes extremely sensitive to oxytocin (OT) as result of a dramatic increase in the number of OT receptors (OTR), indicating an important role for OTR in the process of labor. There are no studies in sheep in which the physical properties and histological distribution of OTR are evaluated in relation to parturition. Also, no studies have been performed in any species to simultaneously examine the distribution of OTR at the messenger RNA (mRNA) as well as the protein levels in the same tissues and correlate those changes with the patterns of myometrial activity that occur at labor. In the present studies, we have used a polyclonal anti-OTR antibody and Western blot analysis to determine the apparent molecular mass of ovine OTR in late pregnant sheep myometrium and endometrium. We also examined the distribution of OTR mRNA and protein expression in the intact myometrium and endometrium and in individual cultured cells using in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry. The expression of OTR and its mRNA has been correlated with the patterns of activity observed in the pregnant sheep myometrium. Western blot analysis of myometrial and endometrial extracts revealed a major form of OTR with an approximate molecular mass of 66 kDa. Both immunocytochemistry and in situ hybridization localized OTR and its mRNA in myometrial cells and glandular cells of the endometrium. Increased OTR and its mRNA expression in the myometrium and endometrium were correlated with the occurrence of myometrial contractions. OTR was also demonstrated by immunocytochemistry in the smooth muscle of myometrial blood vessels. Localization of OTR and its mRNA in pregnant sheep myometrial cells is consistent with the hypothesis that OTR plays an important role in regulating myometrial contractility. Positive staining of OTR in endometrial glandular cells supports the view that OT is involved in PG production by the endometrium in late pregnancy. Increased expression of OTR and its mRNA in the myometrium during labor further indicates that changes in tissue OTR play a significant role in the mechanism of parturition. Increased expression of OTR and its mRNA in endometrium may relate to the role of OT in regulating PG production by the endometrium during labor.
T cells in asthma: Influences of genetics, environment, and T-cell plasticity

Asthma is classically considered the archetypal T H 2 disease, with increased circulating IgE levels and eosinophilic inflammation being caused by increased levels of T H 2-type cytokines. However, this paradigm has been challenged because of the realization that strategies designed to suppress T H 2 function are not effective for all patients. The clinical phenotype of asthma is notoriously heterogeneous and is affected by genetic and environmental exposures in addition to interactions between airway structural cells, including epithelial cells, and the immune system, as well as contributions from cells other than T H 2 cells. A combination of genetic and environmental factors is thought to influence whether inflammation resolves or progresses, and the pulmonary epithelium is increasingly recognized to play a key role in this process. This complex interplay has made it increasingly apparent that immune responses are tailored to the individual patient and determined by the weight of each influence, and thus the label of asthma as a T H 2 disease is too conservative. Indeed, an important concept that needs to be addressed, both in animal models and clinically, is that of T-cell plasticity and how lymphocytic responses are determined by environmental influences.
Oral mucosal tumor inhibition by ibuprofen.

Eighty young adult male and female golden hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus) were divided into four equal groups. The left buccal pouches of the animals in group 1 were painted three times weekly for 24 weeks with 0.1% solution of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in heavy mineral oil. The left buccal pouches of the animals in group 2 were similarly painted with DMBA for 24 weeks, but the animals also received 10 mg ibuprofen (Motrin) administered systemically by the oral route twice weekly. The animals in group 3 received only ibuprofen, and those in group 4 served as untreated controls. After 24 weeks the animals were killed in groups of 16 (two males and two females from each of the four experimental groups) per week and their left buccal pouches studied for the presence of tumors. Sizes of tumors were also recorded. Ibuprofen was found to prevent tumor formation at 25–27 weeks. Some tumors developed in the animals receiving DMBA and ibuprofen by the 28–29 week, but they were fewer in number and smaller than those of the animals receiving only DMBA and not ibuprofen.