cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mycoplasma gallisepticum requires ATP to activate the canonical inflammasome in vitro.

Mycoplasma gallisepticum (MG) is a bacteria which lacks a cells wall and colonizes mucosal epithelial cells. This colonization commonly occurs in the respiratory tracts of chickens and turkeys, leading to chronic respiratory disease. MG is an economically significant pathogen in poultry and can cause large economic losses on poultry farms because of decreased egg laying. Although the importance of MG as an economically relevant pathogen is understood, there is a paucity of knowledge in regards to its pathogenesis. One possible mechanism is via the activation of the inflammasome, a multi-protein complex leading to the maturation of IL-1β and IL-18 as well as the inflammatory form of cell death called pyroptosis. Interestingly, Mycoplasma hyorhinis (MH) was shown to activate the NLRP3 inflammasome in THP-1 and mouse bone marrow derived dendritic cells (BMDCs). In addition, HD-11 cells co-cultured with tracheal epithelial cells that were exposed to MG, show increased levels of IL-1β. In this study, we aimed to determine if MG activated the inflammasome in murine and chicken macrophages. We found that MG activates the canonical inflammasome in primary murine macrophages via the induction of IL-1b release. However, we determined that this MG-mediated activation of the canonical inflammasome requires the addition of ATP in vitro . In addition, we also found that MG alone is not sufficient to activate pyroptosis in vitro . Interestingly, MG also initiated the production of IL-6 in these cells, suggesting potential activation of the NF-κB pathway. We are currently working with the HD-11 chicken cell line to determine if MG activates the inflammasome in these cells as well.
CHALLENGES IN THE MANAGEMENT OF A LARGE AORTIC THROMBUS

Management of large aortic thrombus in a patient with high surgical risk remains a challenge and is associated with high morbidity and mortality. A 44-year-old man presented with acute stroke and NSTEMI. Physical exam demonstrated focal neurological deficits. CT scan of head is normal. Brain MRI
Emerging Adults Riding With Marijuana-, Alcohol-, or Illicit Drug-Impaired Peer and Older Drivers.

Objective:The purpose of this study was to examine the prevalence and covariates among emerging adults of riding with an impaired peer or older adult driver (RWI) because of marijuana (MJ), alcohol...
Error Control in Eighteenth-Century German and French Acting Theory

This chapter analyzes how the most important eighteenth-century theories of performance raise concerns about the reliability of the body as a natural sign. Attempts to control error in acting treatises by Francois Riccoboni, Remond de Sainte-Albine, Jean Georges Noverre, August Wilhelm Iffland, Johann Jakob Engel, and Johann Wolfgang von Goethe echo central questions regarding moral control of hamartia in tragedy. Addressing such aspects of performance as oratory, declamation, dance, and the grammar of acting, the chapter proposes that in conversation with philosophical materialism, changes in theatrical practice initiate a turn to the body as an alternative location of error, previously seen as located in the soul or spirit.
Generation of Ultrashort Nd:YLF Pulses by cw Passive Mode Locking with a Nonlinear External Cavity

We present experimental results on the cw passive mode-locking operation of a flashlamp-pumped Nd:YLF laser with a nonlinear external cavity. We have obtained nearly transform-limited pulses which are as short as 3.2 ps at usable output power levels of up to 10 W. Cavity length detuning characteristics are also discussed.
File Toolkit for Selective Analysis & Reconstruction (FileTSAR) for Large-Scale Networks

There are many challenges in digital forensic investigations involving large-scale computer networks; these include large volume of data, the limited scope of tools, the financial burdens of purchasing and licensing those tools, and identifying salient evidence from the vast amounts of network data. We have implemented a collection of open-source tools and code wrappers to provide a tool for network forensic investigators to capture, selectively analyze, and reconstruct files from network traffic. The main functions of this tool (FileTSAR) are capturing data flows and providing a mechanism to selectively reconstruct documents, images, email, and VoIP conversations. To validate the large-scale capabilities of the toolkit, we conducted a "stress test" of the system using approximately 123,500,000 packets from a collection of packet capture files totaling nearly 100GB. Additionally, sixteen (16) digital forensic examiners participated in a 3-day law enforcement training workshop for FileTSAR from across the United States; the examiners expressed substantial support for FileTSAR with large-scale investigations as well as an interest in a scaled-down version for smaller agencies with storage, budget, and back-end support limitations.
Evaluation of Foliar Insecticides for the Control of Tipworm in Cranberry, 2014

The objective of this experiment was to assess the efficacy of insecticides currently labeled for use in cranberry (Fanfare, Altacor, Diazinon, Belay, Knack, Assail, Delegate, Imidan, Rimon, Lorsban, Venom, Intrepid, Closer), softer chemistry insecticides labeled on cranberry (Grandevo and Venerate), and insecticides not currently labeled on cranberry (Movento and Exirel) on cranberry tipworm. This experiment was conducted in a mature cranberry planting on a commercial farm near Warrens, Wisconsin. The trial consisted of 18 main effect treatments …
235) Homeostatic Regulation of Intrinsic Plasticity in Peripheral Nociceptors

Stabilization of neuronal activity is crucial for normal nervous system regulation. When changes in the environment chronically alter neuronal activity, homeostatic plasticity creates compensatory shifts (i.e., regulation of intrinsic excitability) to return the system to a physiological level. This plasticity helps prevent circuits from becoming either hyper- or hypoexcitable. Despite this protective mechanism, evidence suggests that the development and maintenance of many chronic pain conditions depend on chronically altered sensory afferent activity. This led us to consider the possibility that malfunction of homeostatic mechanisms may contribute to chronic pain. Since homeostatic plasticity has been primarily studied in the central nervous system, we first tested whether this plasticity also occurs in peripheral nociceptors [i.e., small diameter dorsal root ganglia (DRG) sensory afferent neurons]. We hypothesized that mouse and human primary sensory afferents undergo homeostatic regulation of intrinsic plasticity, evidenced by compensatory changes in neuronal excitability in response to chronic stimuli. Using a combination of pharmacologic and optogenetic approaches with whole-cell electrophysiology, we previously presented that sustained, 24-hour KCl depolarization of dissociated mouse and human DRG neurons led to a compensatory decrease in excitability of small diameter cells. This suggested that putative nociceptors undergo homeostatic regulation of intrinsic excitability. In an effort to demonstrate bidirectionality of this homeostatic plasticity, in this study we used a 24-hour incubation with lidocaine and TTX. We found no change in excitability, likely due to the already quiescent nature of DRG neurons in vitro. Ongoing experiments are being performed to determine whether mechanisms of this plasticity are altered in vivo and during chronic pain. This work was supported by grants R01 NS042595 (RG) and T32DA007261 (LM).
Mifepristone and misoprostol compared to osmotic dilators for cervical preparation prior to surgical abortion at 15–18 weeks' gestation: a randomised controlled non-inferiority trial

Objective Cervical preparation is recommended prior to second-trimester surgical abortion. Osmotic dilators are an effective means to prepare the cervix, but require an additional procedure and may cause discomfort. We compared cervical preparation with mifepristone and misoprostol to preparation with osmotic dilators. Study design A randomised, controlled, non-inferiority trial was performed to compare cervical preparation with mifepristone and misoprostol to preparation with osmotic dilators in women undergoing surgical abortion between 15 and 18 weeks gestation. The medication group (n=29) received mifepristone 200 mg orally 24 hours prior to uterine evacuation and misoprostol 400 μg buccally 2 hours before the procedure. The dilator group (n=20) underwent osmotic dilator insertion 24 hours prior to the procedure. The primary outcome was total procedure time, from insertion to removal of the speculum. Secondary outcomes included operative time (from intrauterine instrumentation to speculum removal), initial cervical dilation, nausea, pain, ease of procedure, and whether participants would choose the same modality in the future. Results For mean total procedure time, medication preparation (14.0 min, 95% CI 12.0–16.1) was not inferior to dilators (14.3 min, 95% CI 11.7 to 16.8, p Conclusion Prior to surgical abortion at 15–18 weeks, use of mifepristone and misoprostol did not result in longer procedure times than overnight osmotic dilators. Trial registration number NCT01462.
Promoting Optimal Development: Identifying Infants and Young Children With Developmental Disorders Through Developmental Surveillance and Screening

Early identification and intervention for developmental disorders are critical to the well-being of children and are the responsibility of pediatric professionals as an integral function of the medical home. This report models a universal system of developmental surveillance and screening for the early identification of conditions that affect children's early and long-term development and achievement, followed by ongoing care. These conditions include autism, deafness/hard-of-hearing, intellectual and motor disabilities, behavioral conditions, and those seen in other medical conditions. Developmental surveillance is supported at every health supervision visit, as is as the administration of standardized screening tests at the 9-, 18-, and 30-month visits. Developmental concerns elicited on surveillance at any visit should be followed by standardized developmental screening testing or direct referral to intervention and specialty medical care. Special attention to surveillance is recommended at the 4- to 5-year well-child visit, prior to entry into elementary education, with screening completed if there are any concerns. Developmental surveillance includes bidirectional communication with early childhood professionals in child care, preschools, Head Start, and other programs, including home visitation and parenting, particularly around developmental screening. The identification of problems should lead to developmental and medical evaluations, diagnosis, counseling, and treatment, in addition to early developmental intervention. Children with diagnosed developmental disorders are identified as having special health care needs, with initiation of chronic condition management in the pediatric medical home.
Controlling the morphology of copper-silica nanocomposites from laser ablation in liquid

Abstract Synthesis of copper-silica nanocomposites with controllable morphology and composition were produced with a one-step femtosecond reactive laser ablation in liquid (fs-RLAL) technique. The composite nanomaterials were generated by focusing femtosecond near-IR laser pulses onto a silicon wafer immersed in an aqueous copper(II) nitrate solution, with the solution pH adjusted using nitric acid or potassium hydroxide. Under acidic conditions (pH 3.0 and 5.4), little copper was incorporated in the predominantly silica product (1.4 and 1.5 wt.%). These acidic conditions yielded large ~ 30–80 nm silica particles, with some particles consisting of copper core/silica shell. In contrast, increasing the solution pH to 10.4 resulted in extremely high Cu loading of 31.5 wt.% and a composite product consisting of 1.5 nm copper clusters distributed throughout a matrix of amorphous silica and copper phyllosilicate. The relationship between the precursor solution pH and the product morphology and copper loading is attributed to the point of zero charge (PZC) of silica, in which the high solution pH allows for electrostatic adsorption to occur between the deprotonated silica clusters from the ablated silicon wafer and the copper hydroxide dimer formed in solution.
Measurement of sub-2 nm stable clusters during silane pyrolysis in a furnace aerosol reactor

The initial stages of particle formation are important in several industrial and environmental systems; however, the phenomenon is not completely understood due to the inability to measure cluster size distributions. A high resolution differential mobility analyzer with an electrometer was used to map out the early stages of Si particle formation from pyrolysis of SiH4 in a furnace aerosol reactor. We detected for the first time subnanometer stable clusters from silane pyrolysis, and the diameter was measured to be about 0.7 nm. This diameter is within the range of probable sizes that the reported families of critical silane clusters could have based on their actual molecular structure. The size distributions of negative clusters are also mapped out. In addition, gas chromatography mass spectrometry, and transmission electron microscopy characterizations of the clusters and primary particles are used to assess their mechanistic roles in aerosol dynamics of the initial stages of particle formation.
Remote Therapy to Improve Outcomes in Lung Transplant Recipients: Design of the INSPIRE-III Randomized Clinical Trial.

Background Impaired functional capacity and emotional distress are associated with lower quality of life (QoL) and worse clinical outcomes in post lung transplant patients. Strategies to increase physical activity and reduce distress are needed. Methods The Investigational Study of Psychological Interventions in Recipients of Lung Transplant-III study is a single site, parallel group randomized clinical trial in which 150 lung transplant recipients will be randomly assigned to 3 months of telephone-delivered coping skills training combined with aerobic exercise (CSTEX) or to a Standard of Care plus Education control group. The primary endpoints are a global measure of distress and distance walked on the 6-Minute Walk Test. Secondary outcomes include measures of transplant-specific QoL, frailty, health behaviors, and chronic lung allograft dysfunction-free survival. Results Participants will be evaluated at baseline, at the conclusion of 3 months of weekly treatment, at 1-year follow-up, and followed annually thereafter for clinical events for up to 4 years (median = 2 y). We also will determine whether functional capacity, distress, and health behaviors (eg, physical activity, medication adherence, and volume of air forcefully exhaled in 1 second (FEV1), mediate the effects of the CSTEX intervention on clinical outcomes. Conclusions Should the CSTEX intervention result in better outcomes compared with the standard of care plus post-transplant education, the remotely delivered CSTEX intervention can be made available to all lung transplant recipients as a way of enhancing their QoL and improving clinical outcomes.
Dockless E-scooter usage patterns and urban built environments: a comparison study of Austin, TX, and Minneapolis, MN

Abstract In recent years, the popularization of dockless shared electric scooters (e-scooters) across many American cities has provided a great opportunity to reduce short-distance automobile trips. However, there is not enough research that examines e-scooter usage patterns and their association with the urban environment. Moreover, the question of whether this association would vary across different cities also remains unanswered. To bridge these gaps, this study investigated e-scooter ridership in Austin and Minneapolis using GIS hotspot spatial analysis and negative binomial regression models. The spatial analysis results showed that the densest e-scooter usage happened in downtown areas and university campuses in both cities. However, the temporal characteristics of the two cities’ e-scooter usage patterns turned out to be different: in Austin, afternoons, and weekends experienced greater e-scooter traffic, whereas Minneapolis showed larger evening ridership and stable daily vehicle miles traveled throughout the week. Finally, regression results showed that proximity to the city center, better access to transit, and greater land-use diversity positively correlated with higher e-scooter ridership in both cities. Compared to single-family residential areas, office and institutional land use were more likely to relate to higher ridership in both cities. Curiously, the statistically positive relationship with commercial areas and parks only existed in Austin. This study contributes to transportation literature and practice by providing empirical evidence on e-scooter trips in the U.S. cities and by highlighting the importance of local uniqueness by comparing two cities.
Comparison of long-term outcomes in a 10-year experience of robotic cystectomy vs. open cystectomy.

To compare the outcomes of robotic-assisted (RARC) vs. open radical cystectomy (ORC) at a single academic institution. We retrospectively identified patients undergoing radical cystectomy for urothelial carcinoma of the bladder at our institution from 2007 to 2017. Data collected included age, sex, Body Mass Index (BMI), Charlson Age-Adjusted Comorbidity Index (CCI), final pathologic stage, surgical margins, lymph-node yield, estimated blood loss (EBL), 90-day complication rate, and length of stay (LOS). We evaluated overall survival (OS) and recurrence-free survival (RFS). Multivariable Cox proportional hazard models were used to adjust for covariates. We identified 232 patients (73 RARC, 159 ORC) who underwent radical cystectomy. Patients who underwent RARC were older (71.8 vs. 67.5, p < 0.05) and had higher CCI scores (6.2 vs. 5.3, p < 0.05). In comparing perioperative outcomes, RARC patients had lower EBL (500 vs. 850, p < 0.01), lower blood transfusion rate (p < 0.01), and lower lymph-node yield (12 vs. 20, p < 0.01), and higher ICU admission rate (29% vs. 16% p < 0.01). There was no difference in BMI (p = 0.93), sex (p = 0.28), final pathological stage (p = 0.35), positive surgical margins (p = 0.47), complications (p = 0.58), or LOS (p = 0.34). Kaplan–Meier analysis showed no difference in OS (p = 0.26) or RFS (p = 0.86). There was no difference in restricted mean survival time for OS (53 vs. 56 months, p = 0.81) or for RFS (65 vs. 64 months, p = 0.90). Cox multivariate regression models showed that surgical approach does not have a significant impact on OS (p = 0.46) or RFS (p = 0.35). Our study indicates that in our 10-year experience, patients undergoing there was no difference between RARC and ORC patients with respect to OS and RFS despite being older and having more comorbidities. Our work supports the importance of patient selection to optimize outcomes.
Special Session Investigates Online Learning [Women in Engineering]

This year, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the IEEE Power Electronics Society (PELS) Women in Engineering (WiE) committee supported a special session at the IEEE Energy Convergence Congress & Expo (ECCE2020), which was held virtually. Titled “Dealing with Public Health Emergence: Online Life and Advanced Technologies in Remote Education,” this special ECCE session was presented on Thursday 15 October 2020.
Genome-Wide Variants Associated With Longitudinal Survival Outcomes Among Individuals With Coronary Artery Disease.

Objective. Coronary artery disease (CAD) is an age-associated condition that greatly increases the risk of mortality. The purpose of this study was to identify gene variants associated with all-cause mortality among individuals with clinically phenotyped CAD using a genome-wide screening approach. Approach and Results. We performed discovery (n = 1,099), replication (n = 404), and meta-analyses (N = 1,503) for association of genomic variants with survival outcome using secondary data from White participants with CAD from two GWAS sub-studies of the Duke Catheterization Genetics Biorepository. We modeled time from catheterization to death or last follow-up (median 7.1 years, max 12 years) using Cox multivariable regression analysis. Target statistical screening thresholds were p < 10-8 for the discovery phase and Bonferroni-calculated p-values for the replication (p < 5.3x10-4) and meta-analysis (p < 1.6x10-3) phases. Genome-wide analysis of 785,945 autosomal SNPs revealed two SNPs (rs13007553 and rs587936) that had the same direction of effect and significant findings across all three phases of the analysis in models adjusted for clinical covariates. The rs13007553 SNP variant, LINC01250, which resides between MYTIL and EIPR1, conferred significantly increased risk for all-cause mortality even after controlling for clinical covariates (HR 1.47, 95% CI 1.17–1.86, p(adj) = 1.07x10-3 [discovery], p(adj) = 0.03 [replication], p(adj) = 9.53x10-5 [meta-analysis]). MYT1L is involved in neuronal differentiation. TSSC1 is involved in endosomal recycling and is implicated in breast cancer. The rs587936 variant annotated to DAB2IP was associated with increased survival time (HR .65, 95% CI .51–.83, p(adj) = 4.79x10-4 [discovery], p(adj) = .02 [replication], p(adj) = 2.25x10-5 [meta-analysis]). DAB2IP is a ras/GAP tumor suppressor gene which is highly expressed in vascular tissue. DAB2IP has multiple lines of evidence for protection against atherosclerosis. Conclusions. Replicated findings identified two candidate genes for further study regarding association with survival in high-risk CAD patients: novel loci LINC01250 (rs13007553) and biologically relevant candidate DAB2IP (rs587936). These candidates did not overlap with validated longevity candidate genes. Future research could further define the role of common variants in survival outcomes for people with CAD and, ultimately, improve longitudinal outcomes for these patients.
Introduction: Memory, History, and the Shaping of the Irish American Present

The introduction lays out the historical and theoretical groundwork for this study. It includes a brief survey of Irish American history, with a special focus on the formative years for the novelists included. Immigration trends, World War I, the Great Depression, anti-communism, and the changing Catholic Church, all factor into their worldview. Theories of memory and postcolonialism are used to ground an understanding of the fictional works to be covered in later chapters.
Intestinal Phosphate Absorption in Normal and Uremic Man: Effects of 1,25(OH)2-Vitamin D3 and 1α(OH)-Vitamin D3

The action of vitamin D on the intestinal absorption of phosphorus has not been studied extensively in man. Limitations in the use of 32P labeled phosphate have restricted observations in large part to those of net absorption derived from metabolic balance techniques. Using such methods, Stanbury and Lumb (1) and Stanbury (2) reported that pharmacologic doses of vitamin D promoted equimolar increments in the net absorption of calcium and phosphorus in patients with advanced renal failure and severe bone disease. Such a relationship between the absorption of calcium and that of phosphorus supports the viewpoint that phosphate transport across the intestine is dependent upon that of calcium. Recent studies in the rat and chick indicate that vitamin D or its active forms stimulates intestinal transport of phosphorus independent of an effect on calcium (3, 4). In the present study, we have evaluated the effect of treatment with 1,25-dihydroxy-vitamin D3 (1,25 (OH)2D3) or 1α-hydroxy-vitamin D3 (1α(OH)D3) on net absorption of phosphorus in patients with advanced renal failure and normal volunteers. The results in man indicate that both analogs of vitamin D enhance the intestinal net absorption of phosphorus.
Crystallization and Structural Determination of NRas

NRas is a member of the Ras protein family that is composed of H- K-, and NRas. These small GTPases are involved in signal transduction pathways that control cellular proliferation, apoptosis, moti...
Learning narrative structure from annotated folktales

Narrative structure is an ubiquitous and intriguing phenomenon. By virtue of structure we recognize the presence of Villainy or Revenge in a story, even if that word is not actually present in the text. Narrative structure is an anvil for forging new artificial intelligence and machine learning techniques, and is a window into abstraction and conceptual learning as well as into culture and its influence on cognition. I advance our understanding of narrative structure by describing Analogical Story-Merging (ASM), a new machine learning algorithm that can extract culturally-relevant plot patterns from sets of folktales. I demonstrate that ASM can learn a substantive portion of Vladimir Propp's influential theory of the structure of folktale plots. The challenge was to take descriptions at one semantic level, namely, an event timeline as described in folktales, and abstract to the next higher level: structures such as Villainy, Struggle-Victory, and Reward. ASM is based on Bayesian Model Merging, a technique for learning regular grammars. I demonstrate that, despite ASM's large search space, a carefully-tuned prior allows the algorithm to converge, and furthermore it reproduces Propp's categories with a chance-adjusted Rand index of 0.511 to 0.714. Three important categories are identified with F-measures above 0.8. The data are 15 Russian folktales, comprising 18,862 words. a. subset of Propp's original tales. This subset was annotated for 18 aspects of meaning by 12 annotators using the Story Workbench, a general text-annotation tool I developed for this work. Each aspect was doubly-annotated and adjudicated at inter-annotator F-measures that cluster around 0.7 to 0.8. It is the largest, most deeply-annotated narrative corpus assembled to date. The work has significance far beyond folktales. First, it points the way toward important applications in many domains, including information retrieval, persuasion and negotiation, natural language understanding and generation, and computational creativity. Second, abstraction from natural language semantics is a skill that underlies many cognitive tasks, and so this work provides insight into those processes. Finally, the work opens the door to a computational understanding of cultural influences on cognition and understanding cultural differences as captured in stories.
Characterization of the Binding of Serum Amyloid P to Laminin

Serum amyloid P (SAP) is a member of the pentraxin family. These are evolutionarily conserved proteins made up of five noncovalently bound identical subunits that are arranged in a flat pentameric disc. Although a variety of activities have been attributed to SAP and other pentraxins, their biological functions remain unclear. In humans SAP is a constitutive serum protein that is synthesized by hepatocytes. It is encoded by a single copy gene on chromosome 1. SAP is a component of all amyloid plaques and is also a normal component of a number of basement membranes including the glomerular basement membrane. The association and distribution of SAP within the glomerular basement membrane are altered or completely disrupted in a number of nephritides (e.g. Alport's Syndrome, type II membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and membranous glomerulonephritis). In the present study the binding of SAP to laminin was characterized. SAP binds to human laminin and merosin as well as mouse and rat laminins. The binding of SAP to mouse laminin is saturable and calcium-dependent. The Kd of this interaction is 2. 74 x 10(-7) M, with a SAP/laminin molar ratio of 1:7.1. Competition binding assays indicate that the binding of SAP to laminin is inhibited by both SAP and its analog, C-reactive protein, as well as phosphatidylethanolamine. In turbidity assays SAP enhanced the polymerization of laminin in a concentration-dependent manner. However, SAP did not alter the ability of laminin to serve as a cell adhesion substrate. Previous observations indicating that SAP binds to extracellular matrix components such as type IV collagen, proteoglycans, and fibronectin in concert with the data presented here suggest that SAP may play an important role in determining the structure of those basement membranes with which it is associated.
Ishmael as Evolving Character in Melville’s Redburn, White-Jacket, Mardi, and Moby-Dick

Most contemporary treatments of Herman Melville focus on issues related to cultural studies, biography, textual issues, performance, and New Media. Close textual readings, including those grounded in the study of character, have been largely out of vogue since the advent of Post-colonial studies and French theory. However, these contemporary treatments may fail to capture the evolution of character and theme that is prevalent across many of the author’s early novels. Ishmael in particular, who is notoriously hard to grasp, may be usefully understood as developing across Redburn, White-Jacket, and Mardi, before he emerges in the opening line of Moby-Dick. Redburn uses language that clearly connects him to Ishmael, a young man going to sea in search of his father’s wisdom but instead discovering a cosmopolitan world of madness and deprivation, while in White-Jacket, the title character attempts to shield himself from the horrors of a life aboard a ‘Man-of-War’ by insulating his ‘soul’ within the confines of a handmade white jacket. Failing in his attempt to isolate himself, he falls from the mainmast into the sea, his jacket caught in the arms of the rigging. Finally, in Mardi, Melville’s allegorical circumnavigation of the South Pacific, Babbalanja philosophizes in the same vein as Ishmael, trying to grasp some meaning out of the complexities of his experience. This article will analyze the characters of Redburn, White-Jacket, Babbalanja, and Ishmael as representing the working out of the issues facing a single, evolving character, a character who adopts multiple perceptions in order to attempt integrating the many aspects of his self with the jarring and disassociating realities of the world he faces. Understood thus, Ishmael’s apparent strangeness within the narrative of Moby-Dick may be more usefully understood as the ultimate manifestation of a complex, purposeful, and long-running evolution.
Monte Carlo Techniques for Estimating the Fiedler Vector in Graph Applications

Determiningthe Fiedler vector of the Laplacian or adjacency matrices of graphs is the most computationally intensive component of several applications, such as graph partitioning, graph coloring, envelope reduction, and seriation. Often an approximation of the Fiedler vector is sufficient.We discuss issues involved in the use of Monte Carlo techniques for this purpose.
Creation of a T7 autogene: Cloning and expression of the gene for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase under control of its cognate promoter

Abstract The coding sequence for bacteriophage T7 RNA polymerase has been cloned and expressed under control of a cognate T7 promoter, a configuration referred to as an autogene. Cloning a T7 autogene in a derivative of plasmid pBR322 in Escherichia coli was achieved by a combination of blocking initiation at the T7 promoter with bound lac repressor and inhibiting the polymerase itself by T7 lysozyme. Neither type of inhibition by itself was sufficient to control the autogene. Upon unblocking the T7 promoter with added inducer, T7 RNA polymerase produced its own mRNA, leading to autocatalytic production of polymerase protein. T7 autogenes may be useful for developing high-level gene expression systems in a variety of cell types, with little if any need for the host cell RNA polymerase.
Mechanical transmission of plant viruses.

Publisher Summary This chapter summarizes information concerning the relative efficiency of different mechanical methods in use and the factors affecting the success of mechanical inoculations. The concern of this review is primarily with the initiation of the infection process rather than with the later invasiveness of the virus. The development of the local lesion method of virus assay by Holmes in 1929 has greatly aided many subsequent investigations. Among improvements in mechanical transmission of plant viruses since then have been the use of abrasives, the use of bean and cucumber as assay hosts, preinoculation treatment of suscept plants to increase their susceptibility, the addition of phosphate, sulfite, and other chemicals to the inoculum, quick drying of inoculated leaves, the leaf disk method of inoculation, and the use of rust-infected suscept tissues. These methods have made possible the transmission of many viruses not previously transmitted mechanically, but the absolute efficiency of the best of present methods is still very low in comparison with the transmission of certain viruses parasitizing bacteria or animal tissues.
IJTMB at the 3.5-Year Mark: Aggregate Statistics on Journal Performance.

Three previous IJTMB editorials(1–3) have documented the Journal’s progress from its inaugural issue in August 2008 to August 2011. In each of those earlier efforts, statistics were provided based primarily on journal performance in one-year time periods. As a reminder, the two major data sources were and still are (a) the IJTMB’s Google Analytics web statistics site and (b) the Statistics sector of the Journal’s own website.
Culture & state in Chinese history : conventions, accommodations, and critiques

Introduction: shifting paradigms of political and social order R. Bin Wong, Theodore Huters and Pauline Yu Part I. Elite Education and Cultural Conventions: 1. Examinations and orthodoxies: 1070 and 1313 compared Peter K. Bol 2. The formation of 'Dao learning' as imperial ideology during the early Ming dynasty Benjamin A. Elman 3. Canon formation in late imperial China Pauline Yu 4. Salvaging poetry: The 'poetic' in the Quing Stephen Owen Part II. The Power of Faith: 5. Ajiao is aJiao is a? Thoughts on the meaning of a ritual Robert Hymes: 6. At the margin of public authority: the Ming state and Buddhism Timothy Brook 7. Power, gender and pluralism in the cult of the goddess of Taishan Kenneth Pomeranz Part III. Accommodations and Critiques: 8. Style and suffering in two stories by 'Lanzxian' Katherine Carlitz 9. Ming-Qing women poets and the notions of 'talent' and 'morality' Kang-i Sun Chang 10. The scorpion in the scholar's cap: ritual, memory and desire in Rulin waishi Marston Anderson 11. The shattered mirror: Wu Jianren and the reflection of strange events Theodore Huters Part IV. Visions of Community and Social Order: 12. Confucian agendas for material and ideological control in modern China R. Bin Wong 13. Community, society and history in Sun Yat-sen's Sanmin zhuyi David Strand 4. Constructing the civilized community Ann Anagnost Notes Index.
Esophageal Peristaltic Defects in Adults with Functional Dysphagia

Functional dysphagia (FD) is characterized by the presence of dysphagia without evidence of mechanical esophageal obstruction, GERD, and histopathology-based esophageal motor disorders. Dysphagia is common in older patients; however, there is a paucity of information regarding the type and frequency of peristaltic abnormalities compared to younger patients. Based on recently validated criteria for classification of weak peristalsis using high-resolution manometry (HRM), we hypothesized that older patients with FD would have more peristaltic defects detected by HRM compared to younger FD patients. A retrospective review of our motility database yielded 65 patients that met inclusion criteria. Patients were divided into two groups based on age (younger: 5 cm) (p < 0.001). The mean contraction amplitude was also lower in the older group (p < 0.05). These data support the hypothesis that older patients with FD have a higher frequency of peristaltic abnormalities on HRM compared to younger patients. Older age was associated with increased frequency of weak peristalsis with small and large peristaltic defects.
A new constructive root bound for algebraic expressions

Computing effective root bounds for constant algebraic expressions is a critical problem in the Exact Geometric Computation approach to robust geometric programs. Classical root bounds are often non-constructive. Recently, various authors have proposed bounding methods which might be called constructive root bounds. For the important class of radical expressions, Burnikel et al (BFMS) have provided a constructive root bound which, in the division-free case, is an improvement over previously known bounds and is essentially tight. In the presence of division, their bound requires a quadratic blowup in root bit-bound compared to the division-free case. We present a new constructive root bound that avoids this quadratic blowup and which is applicable to a more general class of algebraic expressions. This leads to dramatically better performance in some computations. We also give an improved version of the degree-measure bound from Mignotte and BFMS. We describe our implementation in the context of the Core Library, and report on some experimental results.
Human Factors Design Principles for the Driver-Vehicle Interface (DVI)

The purpose of the Human Factors Design Principles for the Driver-Vehicle Interface (DVI) is to provide a set of principles, based on the best-available research and established concepts, for DVI designers, developers, manufacturers, and any other individuals that have responsibilities related to DVI design. The design principles cover a range of topics including auditory, visual, and haptic interfaces, design of controls, driver information needs, system integration, and performance metrics. This workshop will provide an overview of the process used to develop the design principles, the format and content of the design principles, and give workshop participants opportunity to provide feedback on the design principles.
A Preliminary Analysis of the Decrescendo Call in Female Mallards (Anas Pla Tyrhynchos L.)

[The decrescendo is a conspicuous, species typical call characteristic of females of most Anas species. The conditions necessary for the elicitation of this call were studied in captive, paired female Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, in both outdoor and indoor pens. Paired females gave significantly more calls when visually isolated from their mates than when their mates were present. The response was specific to separation from the mates and not to separation from familiar but non-mated males. Females did not give decrescendos when they were auditorially as well as visually isolated from their mates. The relationship between the decrescendo call of the females and the slow rahb call of the males is discussed., The decrescendo is a conspicuous, species typical call characteristic of females of most Anas species. The conditions necessary for the elicitation of this call were studied in captive, paired female Mallards, Anas platyrhynchos, in both outdoor and indoor pens. Paired females gave significantly more calls when visually isolated from their mates than when their mates were present. The response was specific to separation from the mates and not to separation from familiar but non-mated males. Females did not give decrescendos when they were auditorially as well as visually isolated from their mates. The relationship between the decrescendo call of the females and the slow rahb call of the males is discussed.]
Non-Aspergillus Fungal Pneumonia in Transplant Recipients

Although species of Aspergillus and Candida account for most deeply invasive and life-threatening fungal infections, the past decades have seen a rise in the immunocompromised population. With this increase, additional fungi have emerged as important agents of morbidity and mortality. These opportunistic fungi are characterized by their ubiquitous presence in the environment, their ability to cause disease in immunosuppressed patients, and their diminished susceptibility to the currently available antifungal agents. Pneumonia, one aspect of a myriad of clinical manifestations caused by these fungal pathogens, is discussed in this article.
Lateralization effects in reaction time to simple sentences.

Summary Sentences containing adverbial locutions were presented to either the left or the right ear in a dichotic listening task, and Ss were timed as to how long it took them to judge the sentences as true or false. Responses were faster to sentences presented to the right ear than to the left ear, thus showing a lateralization effect with sentences as stimuli. No interaction was found between ear attended to and the type of adverb (time or place).
Photoassociation of Ultracold Atoms: A New Spectroscopic Technique.

Abstract The new spectroscopic technique of photoassociation of ultracold atoms is reviewed, with an emphasis on connecting this area to traditional bound-state molecular spectroscopy. In particular, in contrast to photoassociative spectra at thermal energies, which are broad and of low information content, photoassociative spectra of ultracold atoms are high resolution, permitting observation of small vibrational and rotational spacings of long-range molecular levels near dissociation (typically with outer classical turning points >20 A). The types of detection and theoretical analysis employed are illustrated, primarily using the example of 39 K 2 . Future directions and applications of this field (e.g., to ultracold molecular formation) are also discussed.
Improvement in Healing With Aggressive Edema Reduction After Debridement of Foot Infection in Persons With Diabetes

Background Infected foot wounds in patients with diabetes are the most common reason for diabetes-related hospital admission in the United States. Nonhealing foot wounds are the major precipitant of lower-extremity amputation in the diabetic population. Hypothesis The null hypothesis was that there would be no difference in proportion of healing with or without use of a foot-level mechanical compression device. Design Twelve-week, double-blind, randomized, controlled trial. Setting A university teaching hospital and related clinics. Patients One hundred fifteen patients with diabetes, 74% male, with foot infections requiring incision and debridement. Intervention All patients received either a functioning or placebo (nonfunctioning) foot compression device (Kinetic Concepts Inc, San Antonio, Tex). Patients and investigators were blinded to the functionality of the device. Primary Outcome Measure Proportion of wound healing in each group. Results There was a significantly higher proportion of healing in the active group than in the placebo group (39 [75%] of 52 patients vs 23 [51%] of 45; χ 2 = 6.0; P P = .10). In patients receiving active units, more patients in the compliant subgroup experienced wound healing ( P 2 trend = 8.3; P Conclusions Edema reduction achieved in this study by way of a pump and wrap system may increase the proportion of wound healing in patients after debridement of foot infections in patients with diabetes. Furthermore, the data suggest a potential association between increased compliance with use of the device and an increased trend toward wound healing.
Investigation of traps producing current collapse in AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors

Current collapse in AlGaN/GaN HEMTs has been investigated using photo-ionisation spectroscopy techniques to probe the spatial origins of the traps producing this effect. The results indicate that the responsible traps reside in the high-resistivity GaN buffer layer and are identical to those traps causing current collapse in GaN MESFETs.
Source Credibility and Physiological Arousal: An Important Variable in the Credibility-Information Retention Relationship.

This study provides evidence for a positive relationship between trustworthiness and physiological arousal. The importance of this relationship lies in previous research firmly establishing the relationship between physiological arousal and differential performance on long‐term and short‐term memory tasks. Previous studies that have failed to find a relationship between credibility and retention of information have also failed to differentiate between short‐and long‐term memory tasks and varying levels of arousal due to differential trust of sources. The data of this study suggest it is necessary to consider the arousal‐retention relationship as influenced by source trustworthiness in studies of credibility and information retention.
Discussing Controversial Issues: Four Perspectives on the Teacher's Role.

Abstract Much debate exists over the role teachers should assume in the discussion of controversial issues. This paper presents and critiques four perspectives on that debate. The-perspectives are characterized as exclusive neutrality, exclusive partiality, neutral impartiality and committed impartiality. Synthesizing research and scholarship from a number of fields, the paper proposes committed impartiality as the most defensible teacher role.
Cytogenetic analysis of tissues from patients with familial paragangliomas of the head and neck.

Background. Paragangliomas of the head and neck are slow-growing tumors that originate from neural crest cells. Between 7% and 9% of these tumors have a familial occurrence. The suspected gene for familial paragangliomas (FP) is transmitted with an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance with incomplete penetrance, and appears to exhibit genomic imprinting. It has been demonstrated by family studies that individuals who inherit the gene(s) from their father will develop the disease. Through linkage analysis, the gene(s) for FP has been postulated to be located on the long arm of chromosome 11. The discovery of many different genes has been elucidated through the cytogenetic analysis of affected individuals who carry specific chromosome aberrations. This proiect was designed to look for chromosome abnormalities in several second-generation family members to further assist in the localization of the gene(s) for FP. Methods. This study involved the cytogenetic evaluation of lymphocytes, fibroblasts, and tumor cells of several second-generation family members from a three-generation family with FP of the head and neck to look for chromosome abnormalities generally, and for abnormalities of chromosome 11 specifically. Standard cytogenetic techniques were used for lymphocyte and fibroblast cultures. Tumor cells were cultured in a collagen matrix with F12 medium supplemented with 3% L-glutamine and 10% fetal calf serum. Results. There were no detectable abnormalities of chromosome 11 in any of the cells. However, nonrandom abnormalities of chromosomes 5 and 7 were seen in some of the tumor cells of one FP patient. To our knowledge, this is the first article which demonstrated the ability to successfully culture FP of the head and neck