cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
IT-18GLIOBLASTOMA STAT3 AND PD-L1 EXPRESSION DRIVES ACCUMULATION OF IMMUNOSUPPRESSIVE LEUKOCYTES

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma (GBM) is a devastating disease with a median survival of 14 months. Immunotherapies hold promise but are compromised by tumor-mediated immunosuppression including accumulation of regulatory T-cells (TREG's) and myeloid-derived suppressor cells (MDSC's). Mechanisms leading to TREG and MDSC expansion in GBM patients are unclear. Tumor-derived STAT3 and PD-L1 have been implicated in direct GBM-mediated immunosuppression. We hypothesized that they might also be critical for accumulation of TREG's and MDSC's. METHODS: STAT3 and PD-L1 expression was knocked down (KD) in primary human GBM cell cultures using lentiviral constructs expressing shRNA and confirmed by western blot. Wild type, PD-L1-KD, or STAT3-KD GBM cells were co-cultured with healthy donor human CD4+ lymphocytes or CD14+ monocytes. TREG (CD4 + /CD25 + /FoxP3+), monocytic MDSC's (CD14 + /HLA-DR-), and granulocytic MDSC's (CD11b + /CD14-/CD15+/-/CD33+) frequencies were measured by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Lentiviral shRNA produced efficient STAT3 and PD-L1 KD in primary human GBM cell cultures. STAT3-KD did not alter PD-L1 expression, suggesting they are independently regulated. GBM co-culture produced TREG expansion from naive CD4+ cells (2.01% + /-1,03% vs. 0.77% + /-0.10% of CD4+) but this was markedly reduced with GBM cell STAT3-KD and PD-L1-KD (1.15% + /-0.04%, 1.35% + /-0.04%; P < 0.05). Monocytic MDSC's were 1.24% of naive CD14+. This increased with GBM co-culture (7.61% + /-1.87%) but decreased to 0.48% + /-0.34% with STAT3-KD and 4.43% + /-0.64% with PD-L1-KD (P< 0.05). Similar results were seen for granulocytic MDSC's. CONCLUSION: These findings provide clear evidence that expression of STAT3 and PD-L1, two important immunosuppressive signals, are independently regulated in human GBM cells. Furthermore, GBM cell STAT3 and PD-L1 expression are critical drivers of immunosuppressive leukocyte (TREG and MDSC) accumulation from naive CD4+ and CD14+ cells in addition to their more widely appreciated direct immunosuppressive effects on activated T cells. These findings suggest that targeting both STAT3 and PD-L1 may have synergistic immunomodulatory effects of potential benefit to GBM patients.
Integration of electroplating process design and operation for simultaneous productivity maximization, energy saving, and freshwater minimization

Abstract Electroplating industry annually produces numerous plated workpieces for U.S. pillar industries. However, it is also a major environment polluter in forms of wastewater, sludge, and spent solution. Thus, waste source reduction for the electroplating industry is a must. In practice, when productivity and energy use efficiency are also taken into account, the design and operation of an electroplating process become very complicated and need an in-depth study. In this paper, productivity maximization, energy saving, and freshwater/wastewater minimization are simultaneously addressed for the optimal design and operation of electroplating processes, which generates a triple-objective mixed-integer dynamic optimization (MIDO) model. The MIDO model is iteratively solved by a developed methodology to obtain the 3D Pareto frontier of the optimization problem, which provides important technical supports for the design and operation of electroplating processes. The efficacy has been demonstrated with a case study on an electroplating process.
ELECTRICAL STIMULATION OF THE UPPER AIRWAY FOR OBSTRUCTIVE SLEEP APNEA

Electrical stimulation of the tongue musculature and the hypoglossal nerve can improve inspiratory airflow in patients with obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) without arousal from sleep. This article describes the authors investigations of electrical stimulation of the upper airway as potential therapy for OSA. In addition, the use of an implantable electrical pacing system for the treatment of OSA is presented. The electrical stimulation system consisting of a pulse generator with a microprocessor, a respiratory pressure sensor, and a tripolar nerve electrode placed on the hypoglossal nerve branch to the genioglossus muscle designed for OSA therapy is described. This nerve stimulation system has been well tolerated in patients with OSA and there have been no long-term complications related to chronic hypoglossal nerve stimulation with this system. Electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve with this system can result in an effective reduction of the Apnea-Hypopnea Index in a majority of patients studied and its feasibility for therapy of OSA has been shown. From our investigations, we have concluded that electrical stimulation of the hypoglossal nerve appears to be safe and effective therapy for OSA in selected patients.
Computerized analysis of mammographic parenchymal patterns for assessing breast cancer risk: Effect of ROI size and location

The long-term goal of our research is to develop computerized radiographic markers for assessing breast density and parenchymal patterns that may be used together with clinical measures for determining the risk of breast cancer and assessing the response to preventive treatment. In our earlier studies, we found that women at high risk tended to have dense breasts with mammographic patterns that were coarse and low in contrast. With our method, computerized texture analysis is performed on a region of interest (ROI) within the mammographic image. In our current study, we investigate the effect of ROI size and ROI location on the computerized texture features obtained from 90 subjects (30 BRCA1/BRCA2 gene-mutation carriers and 60 age-matched women deemed to be at low risk for breast cancer). Mammograms were digitized at 0.1 mm pixel size and various ROI sizes were extracted from different breast regions in the craniocaudal (CC) view. Seventeen features, which characterize the density and texture of the parenchymal patterns, were extracted from the ROIs on these digitized mammograms. Stepwise feature selection and linear discriminant analysis were applied to identify features that differentiate between the low-risk women and the BRCA1/BRCA2 gene-mutation carriers. ROC analysis was used to assess the performance of the features in the task of distinguishing between these two groups. Our results show that there was a statistically significant decrease in the performance of the computerized texture features, as the ROI location was varied from the central region behind the nipple. However, we failed to show a statistically significant decrease in the performance of the computerized texture features with decreasing ROI size for the range studied.
Is Gaining Work Experience While Going to School Helping or Hindering Hospitality Management Students

Hospitality recruiters and industry professionals have encouraged hospitality students to gain work experience prior to graduation. Hospitality educators are committed to working with students to h...
The Emergence of Premenstrual Syndrome as a Social Problem

This paper focuses on published discourse as an element in the emergence of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) as a social problem in the early 1980s. A content analysis shows that PMS was defined in part as a social problem through the interaction of medical, popular, and feminist literature after the dramatic events of the British trials in which two women charged with manslaughter used PMS as a defense. The published discussions were shaped not only by these dramatic events but also by the cultural context in which women's roles and assumptions about the influence of women's biology were being redefined. The paper thus offers a way to understand social problems by tracing their emergence in the literature that shapes the definition of the problem and by identifying the influences of cultural context and dramatic events.
Spinal Cord Dynorphin Precursor Intermediates Decline During Late Gestation

This laboratory has previously reported that the maternal opioid analgesia associated with pregnancy and parturition is mediated, at least in part, by a maternal spinal cord dynorphin/kappa opioid system. This analgesia is accompanied by an increase in dynorphin peptides (1-17 and 1-8) in the lumbar spinal cord. Levels of trypsin-generated arginine6-leucine-enkephalin (Leu-Enk-Arg)-immunoreactive determinants were also determined and used to reflect the content of dynorphin precursor intermediates. In spinal tissue, the amount of dynorphin A (1-17) contained in the form of precursor is, at a minimum, 10-fold higher than the content of mature dynorphin A (1-17) or dynorphin (1-8). During gestational day 22, the content of dynorphin precursor is reduced significantly (approximately 50%). The decline in the magnitude of dynorphin precursor intermediates in the spinal cord of pregnant rats vastly exceeds the magnitude of increase in the content of dynorphin peptides (1-17 and 1-8). This difference can best be explained by postulating a corresponding increase in the rate of release of spinal cord dynorphin (1-17). It is suggested that enhanced processing of dynorphin precursor intermediates represents the initial biochemical level of adaptation of spinal dynorphin neurons to increased demands of pregnancy.
The spatio-temporal pattern of Wallerian degeneration in mammalian peripheral nerves

Abstract The purpose of the paper was to re-examine the spatio-temporal pattern of Wallerian degeneration. The sciatic nerve of 6 rabbits and 5 cats was transected in the thigh. At intervals from 12 to 144 h the animals were perfused, and material obtained at measured distances (0.5–20.0 cm) distal to the lesion was prepared for light and electron microscopy. The degree of degeneration was determined by light microscopic examinations of axoplasmic disorganization, organelle accumulation and widening of the nodal gap. The electron microscope was used to study the ultrastructure of organelle accumulations and to perform a statistical analysis of neurotubules and neurofilament destruction. The results of this study showed that the pattern of Wallerian degeneration is not a uniform process, and that the histologic picture varies with the distance from the point of lesion. No differences in nodal gap were detected along the length of the nerve. Statistical analysis of the distribution of changes in tubules and filaments revealed no evidence for a centrifugal progression of Wallerian degeneration, and in fact, in a few instances just the reverse was true.
Isothermal calorimetric measurement of polymer cure kinetics: The mangelsdorf method of analysis

Abstract A useful calorimetric method for determining cure kinetics of polymers is demonstrated. The technique is an isothermal one in which ·Q , the rate of thermal energy release (exothermic power), is monitored as a function of time. The time-dependence of heat released, Q ( t ), can, in principle, be determined by integration of the power data; however, experimental considerations often make it difficult to evaluate ·Q for short times. Nevertheless, the use of a simple mathematical device advocated by Mangelsdorf makes it possible to obtain both cure rate constants and total heat release, even if initial values of ·Q are unknown. The only assumption of the method is that heat release be an exponential function of time. The method is illustrated by following the cure of a polyol/isocyanate system at several temperatures. The kinetics are shown to obey an Arrhenius relation, with an activation energy of 10.0±0.1 kcal mol −1 .
Cant a Sen Vargonya: Portuguese Creole Verse in Sri Lanka

This study analyzes the oral traditions of Sri Lanka Creole Portuguese as a syncretism of European, African, and Asian sources, evidenced in literary themes, linguistic practice, and cultural traditions. Resulting musical, dramatic, and textual practices play a central role in defining tradition and maintaining group identity in the creole communities. Both the co-existence and the interrelationship of oral texts establish traditions which contribute to a system of creole culture that spread throughout Asia. References are primarily to Sri Lankan and Indian materials collected by scholars in the late nineteenth century and during my field work in the 1970s and 1980s. Sri Lankan verses refer to the east coast Burghers of Bat-ticaloa and Trincomalee and to the Kaffirs of Puttalam. This study also presents for the first time a unique source for data and comparative analysis from the H. Nevill collection at the British Library, which is an extensive manuscript of Sri Lankan Creole texts from the 1870s or 1880s written in Dutch orthography and including material subsequently published by Schuchardt, Dalgado, and others. The theoretical focus concerns the translation of European, African, and Asian materials into a Eurasian discourse that displaces the originals, creating a new textual system of Portuguese Creole oral materials in Asia. The texts that give definition to creole culture have proved remarkably persistent, surviving in Sri Lanka from the seventeenth century to the present.
Recent USEPA actions related to dioxins

Abstract Events over the past 15 years led to USEPA's development of a Dioxin Strategy, which is being implemented under the National Dioxin Study. This work, as well as recent regulatory actions, are reviewed.
On the Nature of the Eye Gnat Attractant Chemical Contained in Ground-up Eye Gnats, Hippelates collusor

Homogenates of Hippelates collusor (Townsend) were tested for chemical attractants to Hippelates . Freshly prepared homogenates tested at a neutral pH showed only slight attractancy. The attractancy increased up to 15-fold upon aging for a period of 1 to 2 days. Further aging decreased the activity. When the pH of the preparations was increased to 11 before testing very little attractancy resulted. Homogenates of female eye gnats showed slightly more attractancy than homogenates of males. Live gnats contained in screen-top glass dishes failed to show any attractancy. These observations are consistent with the hypothesis that most if not all the attractancy of eye gnat homogenates is due to protein breakdown products.
Testing the Structure of the Child Behavior Checklist/4-18 Using Confirmatory Factor Analysis:

Confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was used to evaluate the factor structure of T. M. Achenbach's eight cross-informant syndrome scales of the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCIJ4-18) using data genera...
Geometric distortion correction of high-resolution 3 T diffusion tensor brain images.

Diffusion-weighted images based on echo planar sequences suffer from distortions due to field inhomogeneities from susceptibility differences as well as from eddy currents arising from diffusion gradients. In this paper, a novel approach using nonlinear warping based on optic flow to correct distortions of baseline and diffusion weighted echo planar images (EPI) acquired at 3 T is presented. The distortion correction was estimated by warping the echo planar images to the anatomically correct T2-weighted fast spin echo images (T2-FSE). A global histogram intensity matching of the T2-FSE precedes the base line EPI image distortion correction. A local intensity-matching algorithm was used to transform labeled T2-FSE regions to match intensities of diffusion-weighted EPI images prior to distortion correction of these images. Evaluation was performed using three methods: (i) visual comparison of overlaid contours, (ii) a global mutual information index, and (iii) a local distance measure between homologous points. Visual assessment and the global index demonstrated a decrease in geometrical distortion and the distance measure showed that distortions are reduced to a subvoxel level. In conclusion, the warping algorithm is effective in reducing geometric distortions, enabling generation of anatomically correct diffusion tensor images at 3 T. Magn Reson Med, 2005. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Murder of the Elderly: An Analysis of Increased Vulnerability

The vulnerability of older persons to murder is investigated. Data on all homicide victims sixty years of age or older in North Carolina during two time frames, 1972–1973 and 1976–1977, form the basis for the analysis.Available evidence for the U.S. indicates that the elderly are considerably less prone to criminal victimization than are younger persons. This is particularly the case for aggravated assault. Dussich and Eichman have posited that the relative low visibility of the elderly, due to social isolation and lack of mobility, make them less vulnerable to crimes against the person [1].However this study finds that: 1) in the U.S. murder among the aged is rising faster than any other age group, 2) in North Carolina the sole rise in homicide is among the elderly, and 3) sharpest increases are noted among older black women, white women and white men. An exception to this trend are black men, previously the highest risk group of older adults, who showed a decline in homicide victimization.
Guayule resin in amine—epoxy strippable coatings

Abstract The use of guayule coproducts as plasticizer/ adhesive modifiers in high-performance epoxy resin coatings was investigated. An amine curing agent, Jeffamine D-400, was employed to affect crosslinking. Epoxy resin coatings with and without guayule modification were applied to treated and untreated steel and aluminum panels for performance evaluation. The film properties of both modified and unmodified coatings were comparable on aluminum and steel substrates which had been specifically treated to optimize adhesion. In contrast, the films from the guayule modified coatings cast onto untreated panels exhibit less adhesion and are strippable. The thermal properties and surface morphology of free films were studied. Scanning electron microscopy has confirmed incompatibility of the guayule and epoxy resins. Incompatibility increases with increasing amounts of guayule resin. As a result, the degree of adhesion can be controlled by judicious use of guayule resin.
A distance based rule for removing population members in genetic algorithms

In this paper we propose a new rule for removal of population members. We tested the new approach for solving the Quadratic Assignment Problem with excellent results.
Green chemistry in situ phosphatizing coatings

Abstract The current organic coating on metals for aerospace applications involves a multi-step process and considerable energy, labor and control, and it generates toxic wastes such as chlorinated solvents, cyanide, cadmium, lead and carcinogenic chromates. The green chemistry technology of in situ phosphatizing coatings (ISPCs) developed in our laboratory is a one-step self-phosphating process, in which the deposition of metal phosphate layer on the substrate surface and the curing of polymer paint film take place independently, but simultaneously. The formation of a metal phosphate layer in situ will essentially eliminate the metal surface pre-treatment step of employing a phosphating line/bath. The use of chemical bonds linked to the paint polymers to seal the pores of metal phosphate in situ should enhance coating adhesion and suppress metal corrosion without a post-treatment of final rinses containing chromium (Cr 6+ ). The successful applications of ISPCs in three types of commercial paints (solvent-borne high-solids, water-reducible and VOC-free latex) on bare and pre-treated cold-rolled steel and 2024 aluminum coupons is presented. The protective performance (coating adhesion and corrosion inhibition) of ISPCs is shown to be superior over that of the current multi-step coating practice.
Selective Laser Epitaxy Of GaAs On GaAs Substrates

Selective epitaxy by direct writing of thin films GaAs using laser chemical vapor deposition on GaAs substrates has been achieved. Careful control of the deposition parameters for the epitaxial growth is is necessary. The deposited materials are comparable to those grown with conventional metalorganic vapor deposition techniques. We report a model on the growth conditions that can be used without the occurrence of plastic deformation in the epitaxial films. The model considers the thermal stresses that induce lattice distortion in GaAs substrates. This lattice distortion is caused by heating with laser beam which has a Gaussian power density distribution. Experimental results are compared with the model.
Regulation of a Cytosolic and Nuclear O-GlcNAc Transferase ROLE OF THE TETRATRICOPEPTIDE REPEATS

The O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT) is a unique nuclear and cytosolic glycosyltransferase that contains multiple tetratricopeptide repeats. We have begun to characterize the mechanisms regulating OGT using a combination of deletion analysis and kinetic studies. Here we show that the p110 subunit of the enzyme forms both homo- and heterotrimers that appear to have different binding affinities for UDP-GlcNAc. The multimerization domain of OGT lies within the tetratricopeptide repeat domain and is not necessary for activity. Kinetic analyses of the full-length trimer and the truncated monomer forms of OGT suggest that both forms function through a random bi-bi kinetic mechanism. Both the monomer and trimer have similar specific activities and similar Km values for peptide substrates. However, they differ in their binding affinities for UDP-GlcNAc, indicating that subunit interactions affect enzyme activity. The findings that recombinant OGT has three distinctKm values for UDP-GlcNAc and that UDP-GlcNAc concentrations modulates the affinity of OGT for peptides suggest that OGT is exquisitely regulated by the levels of UDP-GlcNAc within the nucleus and cytoplasm.
An Empirically Based Classification of Personality Pathology: Where We Are Now and Where Do We Go

The review of Sheets and Craighead (2007) affirms the lack of discriminant validity of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders personality disorders, focusing in particular on the three clusters. They call for an empirically based, dimensional classification of personality disorder. Quite a bit of progress toward such an approach has occurred. This commentary emphasizes in particular the importance of having a dimensional model of personality disorder be integrated with general personality structure.
Effects of methoxyfenozide-treated surfaces on the attractiveness and responsiveness of adult leafrollers

The attractiveness and responsiveness of the adult redbanded leafroller, Argyrotaenia velutinana (Walker), and obliquebanded leafroller, Choristoneura rosaceana (Harris), exposed to surfaces treated with the ecdysteroid agonist methoxyfenozide were investigated in wind tunnel and orientation tube assays. For both species, when males were exposed to water-treated surfaces for 48 h, and regardless of what treatment surfaces the females had been exposed to, the mean percentage recaptures of such treated males in the wind tunnel assays were always significantly greater than the recaptures of males that had been exposed to methoxyfenozide. However, exposure to surfaces treated with surfactant (Latron B-1956) also negatively affected the responsiveness (or attractiveness) of both moth species. In the orientation tube assays, males exposed to methoxyfenozide-treated surfaces always had significantly lower mean levels of individuals exhibiting sexual excitability, and the mean distances traveled upwind, regardless of females' exposure. In addition, exposure to surfactant-treated surfaces did not affect mean levels of sexual excitibility and distances traveled upwind. The two bioassays demonstrated that male A. velutinana and C. rosaceana exposed to methoxyfenozide-treated surfaces were not as responsive to calling females (treated and non-treated) as were the non-treated males. Conversely, females exposed to methoxyfenozide-treated surfaces were just as attractive to non-treated males as water-treated females. It appears that a male's ability to respond to a calling female is more negatively affected by the ecdysone agonist than a female's ability to call and attract males.
Endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2 are partial agonists at the human μ-opioid receptor

Abstract Recently two tetrapeptide ligands that bind preferentially to the μ-opioid receptor were identified and named endomorphin-1 and endomorphin-2. We examined the ability of these peptides to stimulate G protein activation in human μ-opioid receptor transfected B82 fibroblasts as measured by [ 35 S ] GTPγS binding to cell membranes. Both endomorphin-1 and -2 act as partial agonists in this assay system compared with the μ-selective agonist [ d -Ala2,N-Me-Phe4, Gly-ol5]enkephalin (DAMGO). In addition, endomorphins demonstrate efficacy similar to morphine. These findings demonstrate that endomorphin peptides have similar activity at the μ-opioid receptor as morphine and suggest that these peptides have the potential to modulate neuronal activity in vivo.
The extended Fourier transform for 2D spectral estimation.

We present a linear algebraic method, named the eXtended Fourier Transform (XFT), for spectral estimation from truncated time signals. The method is a hybrid of the discrete Fourier transform (DFT) and the regularized resolvent transform (RRT) (J. Chen et al., J. Magn. Reson. 147, 129-137 (2000)). Namely, it estimates the remainder of a finite DFT by RRT. The RRT estimation corresponds to solution of an ill-conditioned problem, which requires regularization. The regularization depends on a parameter, q, that essentially controls the resolution. By varying q from 0 to infinity one can "tune" the spectrum between a high-resolution spectral estimate and the finite DFT. The optimal value of q is chosen according to how well the data fits the form of a sum of complex sinusoids and, in particular, the signal-to-noise ratio. Both 1D and 2D XFT are presented with applications to experimental NMR signals.
Miniaturized fiber inline Fabry-Pérot interferometer for chemical sensing

This paper demonstrates the chemical sensing capability of a miniaturized fiber inline Fabry-Perot sensor fabricated by femtosecond laser. Its accessible cavity enables the device to measure the refractive index within the cavity. The refractive index change introduced by changing the acetone solution concentration was experimentally detected with an error less than 4.2×10-5.
Retrospective Analysis of Implant Overdenture Treatment in the Advanced Prosthodontic Clinic at the University of Illinois at Chicago

The aim of the present retrospective study was to evaluate the clinical outcomes of implant-supported overdenture treatment provided by prosthodontic specialty residents. Twenty-three patients with...
Superconductivity and phonon softening. III. Relation between electron bands and phonons in Nb, Mo, and their alloys

Calculations are presented by ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{1}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{Q}})$ and ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{2}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{Q}},\ensuremath{\omega})$ for Nb, Mo, and alloys in the rigid-band model. The matrix elements are set to 1. The results for Nb agree with a previous calculation by Cooke, Davis, and Mostoller. An empirical linear relation is found between ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{1}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{Q}})$ and $\frac{d{\ensuremath{\chi}}_{2}(\stackrel{\ensuremath{\rightarrow}}{\mathrm{Q}},0)}{d\ensuremath{\omega}}$. This relation leads to a simple formula relating the superconducting coupling constant ($\ensuremath{\lambda}$) to the phonon frequencies. However, we are unable to evaluate the terms in this formula with sufficient accuracy to calculate $\ensuremath{\lambda}$.
Detecting Overcontrol for a Continuous Variable from a Graph Diagnostic

[This abstract is based on the author's abstract.] Overcontrol has been shown to increase variability in the output variable being measured. In a continuous flow process in which the output variable is affected by overcontrol, a particular pattern ..
Transient scattering of elastic waves by three dimensional non‐axisymmetric dipping layers

Scattering of elastic plane waves by three dimensional non-axisymmetric multiple dipping layers embedded in an elastic half-space is investigated by using a boundary method. The dipping layer is subjected to incident Rayleigh waves and oblique incident SH, SV and P waves. For the steady state problem, spherical wave functions are used to express the unkown scattered field. These functions satisfy the equation of motion and radiation conditions at infinity but they do not satisfy the stress free boundary conditions on the surface of the half-space. The boundary and continuity conditions are imposed locally in the least-square sense at points on the layer interfaces and on the surface of the half-space. The transient response is constructed from the steady state solution by using Fourier synthesis. Numerical results are presented for both steady state and transient problems. Steady state problems include solutions for two non-axisymmetric dipping layers in the form of a prolate. Transient responses are presented for one and two dipping layer models subjected to incident wave signals in the shape of a Ricker wavelet. It is shown that change in azimuthal orientation of the incident wave may significantly change the surface response of the dipping layer. For the transient problem, response comparison of one and two dipping layers indicates that the addition of an extra layer may also completely change the response characteristics of the alluvium. In particular, the delay in arrival of much larger amplitude surface waves by two dipping layers in comparison with other geometrically compatible models demonstrates the importance of the detailed three dimensional modelling of layered irregularities.
Infinitesimal Perturbation Analysis: A Tool for Simulation

Perturbation analysis is a technique that expedites the process of performing experiments on discrete-event simulation models. This makes it possible to derive sensitivity estimates from one computer execution of a simulation model. Infinitesimal perturbation analysis (IPA) is one class of algorithms used in perturbation analysis. In this paper, the techniques and algorithms used in simulation to perform infinitesimal perturbation analysis are examined. Each algorithm is discussed in detail, with comments concerning implementation problems and examples with experimental results for serial transfer lines. The results of this paper show that for simple systems, IPA can be easily implemented in a general-purpose simulation language such as SIMAN. Unfortunately, for any given system, parameter or performance measure, the algorithm used to generate the gradient may vary. Additionally, algorithms for more complex classes of problems do not yet exist. This problem hampers the current possibility of incorporating IPA into general-purpose simulation languages.
Load Flow in Plain Woven Composites

The increase in computational power has made performing virtual experiments of various textile architectures using detailed three-dimensional finite element analyses practical. Interpretation of the results remains a challenge. The wealth of raw numerical information provided by the typical finite element analysis provides less basis for developing an intuitive understanding than simpler models. A non-standard technique was developed to understand the mechanics of load flow in plain woven composites. This helped not only highlight the important details, but also transform the massive amount of output data into comprehensible modes of behavior, for example, how the load flows in the tow. Using this technique, the behavior of a plain weave was analyzed extensively. This study showed that in the warp tow of a plain weave, the maximum axial and transverse stress resultants occur at the maximum undulation region. An explanation of this behavior was proposed. The variation in transverse stress resultants was ex...
Philosophical issues in Edelman's neural Darwinism

Abstract Gerald Edelman's Neural Darwinism advances an hypothesis that the brain develops epigenetically in the individual according to principles of natural selection operating over populations of neuronal groups. The central idea is that the organism does not adapt to a pre-categorized world, but generates categories (for instance for visual recognition) that have survival value. Hence, it is argued, brain process-development can not be modeled by instructionist - program-driven sequential processes - methods. AI must therefore fail in principle in attempting to explain cognitive processes. The alternative is the parallel, distributed processing model, which must be subject to evolutional change and devoid of precategorization or based on assumptions of a ‘pre-labelled’ world. In the present paper I argue that computational models are not limited to sequential programs, but that embodied algorithms as are realized in hardware and probably in neural circuits do afford adequate models. Thus there is no pr...
Survey of sterile technique used by dermatologic surgeons

A survey was made of the sterile technique practices of dermatologists interested in dermatologic surgery. The steam autoclave is the most popular method for sterilizing surgical instruments. Dry heat sterilization is often used, as is cold, chemical sterilization. The most popular agent for chemical sterilization continues to be quaternary ammonium compounds despite warnings to the contrary. Gas sterilization is rarely used. Alcohol is the most popular agent for prepping the skin and iodophors are also quite popular. Dermatologists are now wearing gloves for most procedures. Prophylactic antibiotics are used minimally in surgical cases, as is recommended by established standards.
Stable adhesion of phospholipid vesicles to modified gold surfaces.

Phospholipid vesicles are well-studied biomembrane mimics that are of increasing interest in drug delivery, immunoassays, and sensor chips. In a number of biosensor applications it is desirable to be able to adhere vesicles to a surface in a manner which does not result in their rupture or fusion. Such behavior should, in principle, be achievable by controlling the vesicle-surface and vesicle-vesicle interactions. We have varied vesicle composition and charge (phosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylcholine-phosphatidic acid 18 mol%) and solution ionic strength, to study the adhesion of fluorescent vesicles to glass, gold, and gold modified with chemisorbed acetyl-cysteine. The extent of chemisorption was characterized with angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (ARXPS), and vesicle integrity and behavior was studied using entrapped and lipophilic fluorescent markers, together and in separate measurements. Vesicle fusion (by energy transfer), adhesion of intact vesicles (with entrapped calcein) and diffusion coefficients (by photobleaching recovery) were monitored using confocal fluorescence microscopy. Acetyl-cysteine modified gold surfaces were shown to be appropriate substrates for adhesion of intact vesicles. Finally, as a 'proof of principle' for fluorescence amplification, release of a self-quenching entrapped reporter dye (calcein) by the detergent Triton X-100 was followed in real time.
Helper T cells recognise antigen and macrophage surface components simultaneously.

ALTHOUGH the T-cell antigen receptor has been shown to be as highly specific for antigen as the immunoglobulin receptor of B cells, considerable evidence suggests that genes other than those which code for immunoglobulins are involved in the recognition of antigen by T cells. Research in this area has centred on the role of gene products of the major histocompatibility complex (MHC), in particular of the I region of the H–2 complex of mice, in the antigen-specific receptor of T cells1–3. Other evidence has suggested that the specificity of T cells is determined by the simultaneous recognition of antigen and MHC cell-surface components. The best evidence for this comes from experiments with mice in which T-cell cytotoxic effectors specifically raised to the H–Y (ref. 4) or other minor histocompatibility antigens5, viral antigens6 or the hapten trinitrophenol (TNP)7 were shown to recognise simultaneously both the antigen and the products of the D or K locus of H–2 expressed on the target cells. Investigations of the role of MHC gene products in the antigen–mediated interaction of T cells with B cells or macrophages (MΦ) can be interpreted similarly1,8–15. We present here evidence that in the mouse, helper T cells primed with the antigen, keyhole limpet haemocyanin (KLH), bound to the surface of MΦ, simultaneously recognise KLH and genetically controlled surface components of the MΦ. The rationale for our approch was as follows. In F1 animals whose parents differ at loci controlling surface components (for example, H–2, Mls), if T cells could be primed with antigen bound to MΦ from one or the other parent, they should then cooperate preferentially with parental B cells and MΦ of the type used for priming.
Age regression with unexpected reappearance of a repressed childhood language.

Abstract This paper describes the case of a 26-year-old, third-generation Japanese-American born in California 5 days before Pearl Harbor, who thought he knew no Japanese. When hypnotically age-regressed to levels below age 4, he spontaneously and unexpectedly spoke Japanese, while he spoke only English at the adult as well as at age-regression levels above 4 years. The psychodynamics of the patient's repression of the childhood language and questions pertaining to the nature and theory of age regression are discussed.
A geophysical perspective of value of information: examples of spatial decisions for groundwater sustainability

The value of information (VOI) can be used to determine what kind of spatial information maybe relevant and useful for groundwater sustainability decisions. In this paper, the unique challenges for applying VoI to spatial information from geophysical data are described. The uncertainty regarding the spatial structure or continuity of the subsurface properties can be described with geostatistical sample models. Using these models, one can quantify the prior value given our present state of uncertainty and a set of decision alternatives and outcomes. Because geophysical techniques are a type of remote-sensing data, assuming “perfect” information is not realistic since the techniques usually are indirectly sampling the aquifer properties. Therefore, the focus of this paper is describing how the data reliability (the measure of imperfectness) can be quantified. One of the foremost considerations is the non-unique relationship between geological parameters (which determine groundwater flow) and geophysical observables (what determines the response of the technique). Another is to have the information in a form such that it is useful for spatial decisions. This will often require inversion and interpretation of the geophysical data. Inversion reconstructs an image of the subsurface from the raw geophysical data. How closely the image reproduces the true subsurface structure or property of interest depends on the particular technique’s resolution, depth of investigation and sensor locations. Lastly, in some cases, interpretation of the geophysical data or inversion will be necessary to link the data to the variables that determine the outcome of the decision. Three examples are provided that illustrate different approaches and methods for addressing these challenges. In the examples, time-domain electromagnetic and electrical resistivity techniques are evaluated for their ability to assist in spatial decisions for aquifer management. The examples considered address these three situations: aquifer vulnerability to surface–borne contaminants, managed aquifer recharge and CO2/brine leakage (related to CO2 geologic sequestration activities). The methods presented here are transferable to other subsurface sciences and decisions that involve risk. Recent work has been applied to geothermal well-siting using electromagnetic techniques. These approaches can also be applied for oil and mining spatial decisions, and they offer advantages over previous VOI work done for oil applications: they explicitly include the geologic uncertainty modeling and simulate the physics of the considered geophysical technique.
Review Essay: The Telling of Kent State.

I stood on the Commons. I was watching the Guards and thinking they are telling us to leave, but this is our campus, we belong here and they don't. That is why I stayed mostly. Barbara Knapp, a Kent State undergraduate at the Scranton Commission hearings.
Selbstorganisation eines supramolekularen tetraedrischen M4L6-Clusters

Nicht zu gros und nicht zu klein sollte der Gast im Hohlraum sein: Der homochirale tetraedrische Cluster [Ga4L6]12− weist eine hohe Selektivitat fur den Einschlus von Et4N+ gegenuber Pr4N+ auf, das seinerseits eingeschlossenes Me4N+ verdrangt (L=zweifach zweizahniger Ligand); dieser sukzessive Austausch von R4N+-Ionen verlauft 1H-NMR-spektroskopischen Untersuchungen zufolge schnell und quantitativ (siehe unten). Der Einschlus von Et4N+ wurde auch im Festkorper nachgewiesen.
Beyond customer loyalty

Research suggests that while customer satisfaction and loyalty provide a foundation for high levels of customer lifetime value, they support a range of customer behaviors with widely varying values, characterized by mere loyalty (repeat purchase), commitment (willingness to refer others to a product or service), apostle‐like behavior (willingness to convince others to use a product or service), and ownership (willingness to recommend product or service improvements). As a result of these findings, it is of increasing importance that the small number of apostles and owners in a customer portfolio that can drive all of the profits should be identified and cultivated.
Career and/or Children: Do Female Academic Librarians Pay a Price for Motherhood?

Although women have made significant progress in traditionally male-dominated occupations such as law, medicine, business, and science, those who have children are unlikely to advance to the top positions in their fields. This study examines academic librarianship, a “feminized profession” in which women represent close to 70 percent of the work force, to determine if women in the highest-level job, the directorship, have been able to both succeed in their careers and become mothers.
Brachial Plexus Injury Following Median Sternotomy Incision

Abstract The median sternotomy approach to intracardiac operations may be associated with damage to the brachial plexus similar to that reported with other types of operations. In 5 patients treated at the University of Michigan Hospital, varying degrees of upper extremity paralysis resulted from excessive spread of the retractors in an attempt to improve exposure of the heart.
Analytical R&M Methods Applied to Forecasting Engine Logistics Requirements

Spare parts shortages for engine programs in the late 1970’s, together with significant tightening of military spare parts budgets, prompted the development of a sophisticated forecasting system at General Electric Company, Aircraft Engine Business Group, Lynn, Massachusetts. GE’s system revolves around a generic simulation program containing the reliability, durability, maintainability and availability characteristics of an engine and its component parts in the data set. Subroutines of the program include the logic associated with particular types of maintenance policy such as on-condition maintenance, opportunistic maintenance, or scheduled part replacement.Copyright © 1987 by ASME
Biting the silver bullet: toward a brighter future for system development

The author responds to two discouraging position papers by F.B. Brooks, Jr. (see ibid., vol.20, no.4, p 10-19, 1987) and D.L. Parnas (see Commun. ACM, vol.28, no.12, p.1326-35, 1985) regarding the potential of software engineering. While agreeing with most of the specific points made in both papers, he illuminates the brighter side of the coin, emphasizing developments in the field that were too recent or immature to have influenced Brooks and Parnas when they wrote their manuscripts. He reviews their arguments, and then considers a class of systems that has been termed reactive, which are widely considered to be particularly problematic. He reviews a number of developments that have taken place in the past several years and submits that they combine to form the kernel of a solid general-purpose approach to the development of complex reactive systems. >
Treatment with antithymocyte globulin ameliorates intestinal ischemia and reperfusion injury in mice

Background Antithymocyte therapy, specifically antithymocyte globulin (ATG; Thymoglobulin), is increasingly being used in organ transplantation to reduce allograft rejection. The T-lymphocyte has been purported to also play a role in ischemia and reperfusion injury (IRI); however, it has not been well studied. Our aim is to determine if ATG treatment impacts murine intestinal IRI. Methods Under anesthesia, male C57BL6 mice underwent 100 minutes of warm intestinal IRI by clamping the superior mesenteric artery. The treatment group received rabbit anti-murine ATG (10 mg/kg) intraperitoneally 6 hours before IRI. Separate survival and analysis groups were performed. Intestinal tissue was procured at 4 and 24 hours after IRI. Tissue analysis included hematoxylin–eosin staining, CD3, CD4, and CD8 immunostaining, myeloperoxidase assay (MPO), quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction studies, and Western blot. Results ATG treatment led to marked improvement in 7-day survival and a reduction in tissue injury by histology. MPO was also reduced, and immunostaining confirmed a significant reduction in CD3 + , CD4 + , and CD8 + infiltrating cells in the treatment group. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analysis revealed the decreased expression of tumor necrosis factor–α, interferon-inducible protein 10, monocyte chemotactic protein-1, interferon-γ, interleukin-2, and increased production of interleukins -13 and -10 in the treatment group. Western blot analysis revealed decreased caspase-3 and increased signal transducer and activator of transcription 6 levels in the ATG-treated group. Conclusion This study is the first to show that ATG treatment ameliorates intestinal IRI. Treatment with ATG leads to reduced local infiltration by T-lymphocytes, with fewer inflammatory and chemotactic programs and less apoptosis. Treatment also is associated with a T H 2-type cytokine switch. These novel findings suggest that T-lymphocytes represent important mediators of intestinal IRI and that ATG therapies may be beneficial in the prevention of IRI.
Who Are We Studying? Sample Diversity in Teaching of Psychology Research

The purpose of the current study was to examine the sample diversity of empirical articles published in four premier teaching of psychology journals from 2008 to 2013. We investigated which demogra...
How do singularities move in potential flow

Abstract The equations of motion of point vortices embedded in incompressible flow go back to Kirchhoff. They are a paradigm of reduction of an infinite-dimensional dynamical system, namely the incompressible Euler equation, to a finite-dimensional system, and have been called a “classical applied mathematical playground”. The equation of motion for a point vortex can be viewed as the statement that the translational velocity of the point vortex is obtained by removing the leading-order singularity due to the point vortex when computing its velocity. The approaches used to obtain this result are reviewed, along with their history and limitations. A formulation that can be extended to study the motion of higher singularities (e.g. dipoles) is then presented. Extensions to more complex physical situations are also discussed.
How Much Can Informational Outreach Programs Increase Food Stamp Program Participation

Data from the Panel Survey of Income Dynamics (PSID) indicate that one-fourth of the households eligible for the Food Stamp Program (FSP) do not know they are eligible. Using an FSP participation equation that incorporates a household's perceived FSP eligibility, it was estimated that informational outreach programs directed at these households have the potential of increasing the overall FSP participation rate by a maximum of 18% and benefit payments by 12.6%. These results can be useful in establishing realistic goals for FSP informational outreach programs.