cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
CD4+ T Cell Lines Reactive with Acute Myeloid Leukemia (AML) Cells Generated by Competitive Limiting Dilution Culture of AML Mononulear Cells (MNC) Eliminate Autologous AML by Apoptosis Induction.

Traditionally, the focus of anti-tumor immunity has been on CD8+ CTL responses. It is now realized that CD4+ T cells play a relevant role in protective anti-tumor responses. HLA Class II molecules are expressed on AML blasts, predicting that AML cells may stimulate CD4+ T cells. Based on our studies of inducing AML dendritic cell (AMLDC) differentiation and priming in situ AML-reactive T cells, we developed a novel method of generating multiple autologous AML reactive T cell lines by competitive limiting dilution (LD) AML MNC culture. Most autologous AML reactive T cell lines generated from this culture were CD4+. These CD4+ T cell lines with high IFN-gamma secretion in response to autologous AML cells showed low to moderate specific lysis of autologous AML cells in 4-hour 51 Cr release assays. However, co-culture assays demonstrated that these CD4+ AML reactive T cell lines exerted intense cytotoxicity toward autologous AML cells, depleting more than 95% of autologous AML line cells in 2 days, and more than 99% in 7 days, with no or weak toxicity to allogeneic AML cells and cell lines, HL60, NB4, U937 KG1a and ak LCL cell line. Anti-HLA class II, Dr, Dp, Dq mAb (67±16% inhibition) and anti-HLA-Dr mAb (69±11% inhibition) but not anti-HLA class I mAb significantly inhibited IFN-gamma secretion of six CD4+ T cell lines stimulated by autologous AML cells confirmed the HLA class II restriction of reactivity of these CD4+ T cell lines. Flow cytometry analysis showed that these CD4+ T cell lines induced significant Annexin-V expression on autologous AML cells. The induction of Annexin-V+ on AML cells by CD4+ T cell lines correlated significantly with IFN-gamma secretion in response to autologous AML cells (n=11; r=0.84). This result suggested that the most important mechanism of autologous AML cell elimination by CD4+ AML reactive T cells generated from LD-AML-MNC cultures was apoptosis induction related to IFN-gamma secretion.
The Arts Contribution to the Process of ‘Coming into the World’

This chapter provides important insights into arts education in the Netherlands with a particular focus on adolescents and their learning. The significant role of the arts will be investigated and how they are utilized with young people as part of a process to help them learn about and negotiate their place in society. Important initiatives such as art-based learning and cultural and artistic learning will be explored through the context of existentialism and its focus on the individual and their responsibility in giving meaning to life.
Models of Depression

Although the bidirectional connection between epilepsy and depression has been well established, a majority of animal studies of comorbidity focus on depressive impairments stemming from a primary epileptogenic insult. The present chapter analyzes whether and how preexisting depression affects the susceptibility of animals to epilepsy. First, approaches to model depression in rodents are reviewed. Next, documented epilepsy-related findings associated with the respective depression models are summarized. In a majority of cases, depression appears to increase the predisposition to, and the severity of, epilepsy in experimental animals. At the same time, depressive state alone apparently is not sufficient to induce epilepsy; instead, depression-related perturbations prime the brain for, and facilitate the development of, epilepsy upon the occurrence a secondary epileptogenic event. Conversely, several models of depression are characterized by the increased resistance to seizures, and many models have no documented seizure phenotype.
Nd:YAG laser therapy for rectal and vaginal venous malformations

Limited therapeutic options exist for rectal and vaginal venous malformations (VM). We describe our center’s experience using Nd:YAG laser for targeted ablation of abnormal veins to treat mucosally involved pelvic VM. Records of patients undergoing non-contact Nd:YAG laser therapy of pelvic VM at a tertiary children’s hospital were reviewed. Symptoms, operative findings and details, complications, and outcomes were evaluated. Nine patients (age 0–24) underwent Nd:YAG laser therapy of rectal and/or vaginal VM. Rectal bleeding was present in all patients and vaginal bleeding in all females (n = 5). 5/7 patients had extensive pelvic involvement on MRI. Typical settings were 30 (rectum) and 20–25 W (vagina), with 0.5–1.0 s pulse duration. Patients underwent the same-day discharge. Treatment intervals ranged from 14 to 180 (average = 56) weeks, with 6.1-year mean follow-up. Five patients experienced symptom relief with a single treatment. Serial treatments managed recurrent bleeding successfully in all patients, with complete resolution of vaginal lesions in 40% of cases. No complications occurred. Nd:YAG laser treatment of rectal and vaginal VM results in substantial improvement and symptom control, with low complication risk. Given the high morbidity of surgical resection, Nd:YAG laser treatment of pelvic VM should be considered as first line therapy.
Of Cockroaches and Wolves: Framing Animal Behavior

Behavior includes movement, social interaction, cognition, and learning. At its core, behavior provides animals with adaptive mechanisms for adjusting to changes in their environment and for manipulating the world around them. This chapter illustrates that using the four central questions of animal behavior—causation, development, survival value, and evolution—a testable hypotheses can be formed and much deeper understanding of behavior can be achieved. The discussion expands these questions and analyzes how they can be applied. Two animals are discussed in particular—the wolf and the cockroach—that have contributed greatly to the understanding of animal behavior. The chapter concludes with an overview of the history of the study of animal behavior. The discussion appreciates that contemporary studies of animal behavior are rooted in ethology, comparative psychology, sociobiology, and behavioral ecology.
Taking the Long View of the Longshot: Obligations to Patients and Families Extend Beyond Rubrics

The emotions and challenges encountered when shepherding parents through the realization that their child will die cannot be overstated. This is made all the more difficult when legitimate hope off...
Detection and Characterization of Endogenous Benzodiazepine Activity in Both Animal Models and Humans with Hepatic Encephalopathy

The search for endogenous ligands for central nervous system benzodiazepine(BZ) receptors and the definition of the fundamental mechanism responsible for the mediation of hepatic encephalopathy(HE) have had parallel courses in futility until very recently.1 These apparently disparate fields of interest have converged because of experimental observations made in animal models of HE. The catalyst for this joining of forces was the development of BZ receptor antagonists. These drugs e.g. Ro 15–1788 (Flumazenil) and CGS-8216 largely devoid of effect in controls reverse the sedative effects of synthetic agonist BZ compounds. Administration of these agents to animal models of HE resulted in considerable amelioration in the manifestations of HE2,3 which has been corroborated to some degree in isolated human reports. While the response in HE was not as complete as that seen with administration of the drug to controls treated with agonist BZ drugs it was of sufficient magnitude to suggest a significant neurological event was taking place which required further study.
Orienting Access in Our Business and Professional Communication Classrooms

A hallmark of business and professional communication is an emphasis on pragmatic but theoretically grounded work. Thus, business and professional communication scholars are ideally suited to turn ...
How a Bureaucrat Would Think About Treating Psychosis as a Metaphor

This article outlines steps and challenges in making metaphorical approaches to psychosis much more common than they are currently today, especially in the public mental health sector. Whether meta...
Neuroblastoma: Clinical and Biological Approach to Risk Stratification and Treatment

Neuroblastoma is the most common extra-cranial solid tumor of childhood and the most common in the first year of life. It is a unique malignancy in that infants often present with either localized or metastatic disease that can spontaneously regress without intervention while older children can succumb to the disease after months to years of arduous therapy. Given this wide range of outcomes, the International Neuroblastoma Risk Group was created to stratify patients based on presenting characteristics and tumor biology in order to guide intensity of treatment strategies. The goal has been to decrease therapy for low-risk patients to avoid long-term complications while augmenting and targeting therapies for high-risk patients to improve overall survival. The international risk stratification depends on age, stage, histology, MYCN gene amplification status, tumor cell ploidy and segmental chromosomal abnormalities. Treatment for asymptomatic low-risk patients with an estimated survival of > 98% is often observation or surgical resection alone, whereas intermediate-risk patients with an estimated survival of > 90% require moderate doses of response-adjusted chemotherapy along with resection. High-risk patients undergo multiple cycles of combination chemotherapy before surgery, followed by consolidation with myeloablative autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and local radiation and finally immunotherapy with differentiation therapy as maintenance phase. With this approach, outcome for patients with neuroblastoma has improved, as the field continues to expand efforts in more targeted therapies for high-risk patients.
The impact of high-frequency haptic device behavior on perception

Haptic rendering is typically done through either impedance or admittance devices, which exist at opposite ends of a spectrum from light direct-drive to non-backdrivable highly geared. The device hardware necessarily influences what the user will feel, particularly at high frequencies. While human motion is generally limited to 10Hz, virtual environments with contact transitions have the potential to excite a wider frequency spectrum. We employ the effective impedance decomposition to discuss the effects of hardware and controller selection outside of the rendering bandwidth. We also introduce an analysis of the admittance and impedance controllers with respect to sensitivity to load cell noise. Using a reconfigurable admittance/impedance device and a perceptual experiment, we explore these effects. We find that higher effective mass outside the rendering bandwidth leads to more confusion in discriminating springs in an admittance device than an impedance device.
Effect of Kinesio taping therapy on waist circumferences in postpartum women

Objective The study was designed to examine the effect of Kinesio taping (KT) on abdominal circumferences in postpartum women with or without diastasis of rectus abdominus muscles (DRAM). Participants and methods A total of 26 women at 8 weeks postpartum, their age ranged from 25 to 35 years, their BMI was between 26.6 and 38.2 kg/m2, suffering from increasing abdominal circumferences with or without DRAM, were referred from the outpatient clinic of the Gynecological Department of Shibeen El-Kom Teaching Hospital, All women received KT therapy on the abdomen. The treatment was applied for 4 consecutive weeks. Evaluation was done for all women before the start of the study, every week, and after 4 weeks of KT to evaluate their waist circumferences. Results There was a highly significant decrease in waist circumferences for the studied group, which was more apparent in younger women (age Conclusion The results of this study testified that KT is an effective method in reducing abdominal circumferences in postpartum women with or without DRAM.
Secure chip odometers using intentional controlled aging

Electronics counterfeiting is a significant and growing problem for electronics manufacturers, system integrators, and end customers. The widespread prevalence of counterfeit electronics in the manufacturing supply chain raises significant security concerns in both the defense and civilian sectors. The threat ranges from relatively simple IC remarking, in order to sell parts at a higher price or to recycle parts from discarded equipment, to wholesale reverse-engineering/copying of designs and manufacturing of cloned ICs and systems. To combat IC counterfeiting, we propose secure chip odometers to provide ICs with both a secure gauge of use/age and an authentication of provenance to enable simple, secure, robust differentiation between genuine and counterfeit parts. The secure chip odometers have chained binary aging elements (BAE) to measure use and age of the chip. In our proposed design, BAEs that use hot carrier injection (HCI) to measure age/use are designed and taped-out in a 65 nm bulk CMOS process. For characterization purposes, the taped-out chips have an array of 500 modular BAEs and a self-aging system with 16 modular BAEs. The modularity of the design provides 693 possible combinations for different stress current and current density values. The test chip dimensions are 1.2mm by 1.7mm with 78 pads, and each modular BAE has an area of 52.5μm2. They can be stressed with currents ranging from 40μA to 1.3mA at the 2.5V nominal stress voltage.
In Vitro and In Vivo Biomethylation of Nicotine Enantiomers

Both S-(-)-nicotine and R-(+)-nicotine are reported to be constituents of tobacco smoke condensate. Although numerous studies have been published on the metabolic fate of the S-(-)-enantiomer, little is known about the biotransformation of the unnatural R-(+)-isomer. In this study, the comparative metabolic fates of both optical isomers of nicotine are examined.
Tissue Damage Caused by the Direct and Indirect Action of Complement

The ability of a host to survive the invasion of microorganisms and other foreign particles resides mainly with the immune system. It is generally accepted today that the immune response is composed of humoral and cellular arms which act either individually or in concert to eliminate the foreign material. The humoral arm of the immune response includes antibodies, complement, and various soluble lymphocyte products (lymphokines), while the cellular arm is comprised of the various cell types of the reticuloendothelial system. The effector functions of the cellular and humoral arms of the immune response are generally beneficial to the host, although some localized tissue damage may result in addition to or as a consequence of the destruction and elimination of foreign materials. In certain autoimmune disorders, the immune system fails to distinguish between self and non-self and directs its activity against the host.
Diagnosis and Treatment of Basal Cell and Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Family physicians are regularly faced with identifying, treating, and counseling patients with skin cancers. Nonmelanoma skin cancer, which encompasses basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma, is the most common cancer in the United States. Ultraviolet B exposure is a significant factor in the development of basal cell and squamous cell carcinoma. The use of tanning beds is associated with a 1.5-fold increase in the risk of basal cell carcinoma and a 2.5-fold increase in the risk of squamous cell carcinoma. Routine screening for skin cancer is controversial. The U.S. Preventive Services Task Force cites insufficient evidence to recommend for or against routine whole-body skin examination to screen for skin cancer. Basal cell carcinoma most commonly appears as a pearly white, dome-shaped papule with prominent telangiectatic surface vessels. Squamous cell carcinoma most commonly appears as a firm, smooth, or hyperkeratotic papule or plaque, often with central ulceration. Initial tissue sampling for diagnosis involves a shave technique if the lesion is raised, or a 2- to 4-mm punch biopsy of the most abnormal-appearing area of skin. Mohs micrographic surgery has the lowest recurrence rate among treatments, but is best considered for large, high-risk tumors. Smaller, lower-risk tumors may be treated with surgical excision, electrodesiccation and curettage, or cryotherapy. Topical imiquimod and fluorouracil are also potential, but less supported, treatments. Although there are no clear guidelines for follow-up after an index nonmelanoma skin cancer, monitoring for recurrence is prudent because the risk of subsequent skin cancer is 35 percent at three years and 50 percent at five years.
Sequential Monte Carlo: Enabling Real-time and High-fidelity Prognostics

Uncertainty quantification and propagation form the foundation of a prognostics and health management (PHM) system. Particle filters have proven to be a valuable tool for this reason but are generally restricted to state-space damage models and lack a natural approach for quantifying model parameter uncertainty. Both of these issues tend to inhibit the real-world application of PHM. While Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) sampling methods avoid some of these restrictions, they are also inherently serial, and, thus, MCMC can become intractable as model fidelity increases. Over the past two decades, sequential Monte Carlo (SMC) methods, of which the particle filter is a special case, have been adapted to sample from a single, static posterior distribution, eliminating the state-space requirement and providing an alternative to MCMC. Additionally, SMC samplers of this type can be run in parallel, resulting in drastic reductions in computation time. In this work, a potential path toward real-time, highfidelity prognostics using a combination of surrogate modeling and a parallel SMC sampler is explored. The use of SMC samplers to enable tractable parameter estimation for full-fidelity (i.e., non-surrogate-assisted) damage models is also discussed. Both of these topics are studied in the context of fatigue crack growth in a geometrically complex, metallic specimen subjected to variable amplitude loading.
The First World War, the End of the Ottoman Empire, and Question of Kurdish Statehood: A ‘Missed’ Opportunity?

Historians who have examined the ‘failure’ of the Kurds to obtain statehood in the immediate aftermath of the First World War have, understandable, closely examined the lobbying efforts engaged in ...
Variation in ecophysiological traits might contribute to ecogeographic isolation and divergence between parapatric ecotypes of Mimulus aurantiacus

Many forms of reproductive isolation contribute to speciation, and early-acting barriers may be especially important, because they have the first opportunity to limit gene flow. Ecogeographic isolation occurs when intrinsic traits of taxa contribute to disjunct geographic distributions, reducing the frequency of intertaxon mating. Characterizing this form of isolation requires knowledge of both the geographic arrangement of suitable habitats in nature and the identification of phenotypes involved in shaping geographic distributions. In Mimulus aurantiacus, red- and yellow-flowered ecotypes are incompletely isolated by divergent selection exerted by different pollinators. However, these emerging taxa are largely isolated spatially, with a hybrid zone occurring along a narrow region of contact. In order to assess whether responses to abiotic conditions contribute to the parapatric distribution of ecotypes, we measured a series of ecophysiological traits from populations along a transect, including drought sensitivity, leaf area and the concentrations of vegetative flavonoids. In contrast to the abrupt transitions in floral phenotypes, we found that ecophysiological traits exhibited a continuous geographic transition that largely mirrors variation in climatological variables. These traits may impede gene flow across a continuous environmental gradient, but they would be unlikely to result in ecotypic divergence alone. Nevertheless, we found a genetic correlation between vegetative and floral traits, providing a potential link between the two forms of isolation. Although neither barrier appears sufficient to cause divergence on its own, the combined impacts of local adaptation to abiotic conditions and regional adaptation to pollinators may interact to drive discontinuous variation in the face of gene flow in this system.
Are We Treating Similar Patients? Hospital Volume and the Difference in Patient Populations for Total Knee Arthroplasty.

Abstract Background Early findings of superior total knee arthroplasty (TKA) outcomes at high volume centers have been thought to have led to distinct referral patterns. However, the effect of these selective referral processes has not been well assessed. Therefore, this study compared the characteristics of primary TKA patients at high, intermediate, and low volume hospitals. Methods A total of 12,541 primary TKA patients were stratified into risk groups based on age (>65 years), body mass index (>40), and Charlson Comorbidity Index (≥4). Hospitals were classified as low, intermediate, or high volume based on mean annual TKA volumes ( 500). Multivariate logistic regression models evaluated the relationship between baseline patient characteristics and hospital volume. Results There was a greater percentage of high risk patients at high volume (19%, n = 853) compared to those at intermediate (16%, n = 899) or low volume (17%, n = 444) hospitals (P 40 were more likely to be treated at high compared to intermediate (odds ratio [OR] 1.4, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.2-1.6, P Conclusion This study found that TKA patients at high volume centers have significantly different baseline characteristics compared to those at lower volume centers. This study highlights the importance of considering hospital volume status and the associated disparity in the preoperative risk of patients when comparing primary TKA outcomes between centers.
A reflection on lithium-ion battery cathode chemistry

Lithium-ion batteries have aided the portable electronics revolution for nearly three decades. They are now enabling vehicle electrification and beginning to enter the utility industry. The emergence and dominance of lithium-ion batteries are due to their higher energy density compared to other rechargeable battery systems, enabled by the design and development of high-energy density electrode materials. Basic science research, involving solid-state chemistry and physics, has been at the center of this endeavor, particularly during the 1970s and 1980s. With the award of the 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry to the development of lithium-ion batteries, it is enlightening to look back at the evolution of the cathode chemistry that made the modern lithium-ion technology feasible. This review article provides a reflection on how fundamental studies have facilitated the discovery, optimization, and rational design of three major categories of oxide cathodes for lithium-ion batteries, and a personal perspective on the future of this important area. The 2019 Nobel Prize in Chemistry has been awarded to a trio of pioneers of the modern lithium-ion battery. Here, Professor Arumugam Manthiram looks back at the evolution of cathode chemistry, discussing the three major categories of oxide cathode materials with an emphasis on the fundamental solid-state chemistry that has enabled these advances.
Abstract TMP68: Mortality in Stroke Patients Transferred for Higher Levels of Care

Introduction: We previously reported that age and race disparities exist in transfer for a higher level of care among acute ischemic stroke (AIS) patients. This study examined the association of tr...
Fat Mass Regain in Middle-Aged Mice after Sleeve Gastrectomy is divergent from plasma leptin levels

BackgroundSome degree of weight regain is typically observed in human patients who undergo Sleeve Gastrectomy (SG), even if the majority of them do not return to their presurgical body weight. Although the majority of bariatric surgery patients are middle aged, most preclinical models of bariatric surgery utilize juvenile male mice. A long-term characterization of the response of mature, wild type, obese male mice to SG has not been performed. MethodsEight-month old C57bl/6J obese male mice were randomized to undergo SG, sham surgery without caloric restriction (SH) or sham surgery with caloric restriction to match body weight to the SG group (SWM). Body weight, body composition and glucose tolerance were matched at baseline. Mice were followed for 60 days following their respective surgeries. ResultsSG mice had a more pronounced percent weight loss than the SH group in the first post-operative month (p 0.05). SWM group had a significantly lower cumulative food intake throughout the study, except for week 1 (p 0.05). There was also no change in fecal lipid content among the groups (p>0.05). ConclusionsSG in obese, middle aged male mice leads is accompanied by fat mass regain in the second post-operative month, while plasma leptin levels continue to be significantly lower. This raises the question of whether the observed fat mass regain consists mostly of visceral adipose tissue.
An In Vitro Model to Study the Colonization and Tubular Invasion of Enterococcus faecalis.

Abstract Introduction The purpose of this study was to examine the colonization and tubular invasion of Enterococcus faecalis in minimally altered canal walls. We hypothesized that age, axial directions (buccolingual or mesiodistal), regions (apical, midroot, or cervical), and disinfection treatment (sodium hypochlorite or autoclave) would impact bacterial colonization and invasion patterns. Methods Single roots of extracted teeth from 2 age groups (≤30 years old and ≥60 years old) were challenged with bacteria for 2 weeks. Colonization on the canal walls in 3 regions was evaluated with scanning electron microscopy. The prevalence of tubular invasion in the axial directions in 3 regions was examined with confocal laser scanning microscopy. The data were analyzed using the GLIMMIX procedure in SAS software (SAS Institute Inc, Cary, NC) with a Tukey adjustment for comparisons. Results Bacteria successfully colonized and invaded tubules in 2 weeks. The apical region in the ≥60-year age group was the least infected. A significantly higher invasion prevalence in a buccolingual (B/L) than a mesiodistal (M/D) direction was detected in both age groups and in all 3 regions. The ≤30-year age group had a significantly higher prevalence of tubular invasion than the ≥60-year age group in the B/L and M/D direction, respectively. Sodium hypochlorite treatment significantly impacted bacterial colonization and invasion in more calcified areas. Conclusions Our data support a more conservative enlargement of the apical region of older teeth. An emphasis in a B/L direction rather than an M/D direction is recommended for debridement.
Highly-efficient GRIN Lens Optimization Through Differential Ray Tracing

A new differential ray tracing (DRT) formulation for optical lenses with gradient-index (GRIN) properties is presented. The metric function gradient required during lens optimization is obtained by DRT, which requires very few function evaluations when compared to the finite difference (FD) approach. Numerical results validating the accuracy of the proposed method are presented.
Hearing the Other Side: Deliberative versus Participatory Democracy

'Religion and politics', as the old saying goes, 'should never be discussed in mixed company.'And yet fostering discussions that cross lines of political difference has long been a central concern of political theorists. More recently, it has also become a cause celebre for pundits and civic-minded citizens wanting to improve the health of American democracy. But only recently have scholars begun empirical investigations of where and with what consequences people interact with those whose political views differ from their own. Hearing the Other Side examines this theme in the context of the contemporary United States. It is unique in its effort to link political theory with empirical research. Drawing on her empirical work, Mutz suggests that it is doubtful that an extremely activist political culture can also be a heavily deliberative one.
Pharmacometric Applications in Inflammation

The vast area of inflammatory conditions has witnessed numerous successful and ongoing pharmacometric endeavors. Semi-mechanistic models such as direct inhibitory, indirect response, target-mediated, and transduction models have been used to understand the pharmacometric and pharmacodynamic properties of small and large molecules. Small systems models describing bone formation and resorption using biomarkers as well as clinical outcomes, such as bone mineral density, as do large-scale systems biology models that provide unique perspectives on the underlying disease processes (inflammation, erosion of joints, bone homeostasis), have been developed. This chapter provides a focused review of a few applications with documented impact on optimizing clinical development strategy and/or regulatory approval. The use of model-based meta-analysis to drive decisions on compound progression in early clinical development, the industrialization of model-based design, and analysis of dose–exposure response studies using latent variable indirect response models to select optimal doses for confirmatory studies instead of inefficient pairwise designs, the use of relatively simple PK/PD models in pediatric development to optimize and register interpolated doses after collecting efficacy and safety data in children, and the combined use of trial (i.e., dropout) and PK/PD models to generate hypotheses and efficiently prosecute proof-of-concept trials arguably define the core pharmacometric activities in inflammatory conditions. This disease area is ideally suited to embrace the next frontiers of model-based development, such as characterization of drug target properties, better translation of drug attributes from preclinical to clinical space, and pharmacoeconomics.
Moving target indication with non-linear radar

A new approach for detecting a particular class of moving targets is presented. This method exploits characteristics of specific non-linear targets to both eliminate moving objects that are not of interest and suppress stationary clutter. Details of the underlying physical phenomena are discussed, and the signal processing procedures leveraged by the non-linear radar system are outlined in detail.
Situation, Meaning, and Improvisation: An Aesthetics of Existence in Dewey and Foucault

This essay explores important intersections between the thought of John Dewey and Michel Foucault, with special attention to the distinction between emancipation versus “practices of freedom.” The complex relationship between these thinkers is, at once, complementary, divergent, and overlapping. The author however stresses the way in which both Dewey and Foucault portray situated subjects as improvisational actors implicated in unique situations, the meaning of which turns on the extemporaneous exertions of these implicated agents.
Mostly about Quality of Life

A welcome development in health-care research is the increasing attention being paid to the quality of life issues in epidemiological studies and when evaluating competing therapies. A key aspect is the measurement of the effects of symptoms of illness, as well as of the treatment of these symptoms, on well-being, which is a subjective and relative state. Therefore, it is quite appropriate that measurement of improvement or deterioration in quality of life be based on the patient’s perception and self-report. A person who has had severe and disabling angina may perceive improved well-being as a result of treatment if he can walk without pain, whereas a young ski enthusiast may experience marked deterioration if he is unable to ski. For that reason, in studies on this issue, the individual often serves as his or her own control, and the measures used are change scores in some quality of life dimensions from before to after treatment. However, it remains important to have an appropriate control group to compare the changes, because people show changes in these dimensions over time that may be unrelated to the particular treatment being evaluated.
Pilot Assessment and Survey of Syrian Refugees' Psychological Stress and Openness to Referral for Telepsychiatry (PASSPORT Study)

Abstract Background: Given the scarcity of mental health resources available for refugees in areas of conflict, it is imperative to investigate interventions that would be accepted by the refugees. Materials and Methods: In this study we surveyed 354 Syrian refugees using the HADStress screening tool and asked about their openness to referral to psychiatry and telepsychiatry. Results: Of the surveyed sample, 41.8% had scores on HADStress that correlate to posttraumatic stress disorder. However, only 34% of the whole sample reported a perceived need to see a psychiatrist, and of those only 45% were open to telepsychiatry. Conclusions: Women, those who were bilingual, and those with positive HADStress status were less likely to accept telepsychiatry; however, this finding did not reach statistical significance. This study reports a partial acceptance of Syrian refugees for telepsychiatric services despite the high prevalence of psychological stress.
Effect of LH on steroidogenesis and cyclic AMP accumulation in rat Leydig cell preparations and mouse tumor Leydig cells.

The effect of LH and FSH on mouse tumor Leydig cells as well as Leydig cell preparations obtained from rat testes by digestion with collagenase were investigated. LH but not FSH increased the cyclic AMP content of both cell preparations. The amounts of LH required to stimulate cyclic AMP synthesis maximally were at least an order of magnitude greater than that required for maximal stimulation of steroidogenesis. LH failed to stimulate cyclic AMP synthesis in tubule preparations. A simple dilution procedure was sufficient to terminate the stimulatory effect of LH on cyclic AMP synthesis in Leydig cells, whereas the same procedure failed to affect the steroidogenic response to LH. (Endocrinology 93: 127, 1973)
Direct detection of inflationary gravitational waves

Abstract Beyond the B-modes of cosmic microwave background polarization, space-based laser interferometers can also be used to probe the inflationary gravitational wave background at frequencies below 0.001 Hz. There is a significant confusion with such observations related to the removal of merging neutron star binaries at cosmological distances. Given the low merger rate and the rapid evolution of the gravitational wave frequency across this band, reliable removal techniques can be constructed. We discuss the science case and the results related to inflation obtainable with direct detection experiments using space-based interferometers such as the Big Bang Observer.
Development of a novel enzyme immunoassay for the measurement of in vitro GnRH release from rat and bullfrog hypothalamic explants

Abstract Gonadotropin-releasing hormone (GnRH) is critical for the initiation and maintenance of reproduction in vertebrates. Information regarding GnRH release is abundant in mammals, but absent in poikilothermic tetrapods. In this study, we established a novel GnRH enzyme immunoassay (EIA) to measure GnRH release over time from hypothalamic explants isolated from mature field-caught and commercially-acquired male bullfrogs, Rana catesbeiana . Hypothalamic explants from rats were used as a positive control to test the sensitivity and accuracy of our EIA and to ensure our in vitro system could detect GnRH pulses. Prominent GnRH pulses were present in the majority (9/10) of rat hypothalamic explants, but absent in all (17/17) of the commercial bullfrogs and the majority (5/8) of field-caught bullfrogs. In three cases where GnRH pulses were observed in field-caught bullfrogs, there was only one pulse during the 2-h incubation period; high-frequency pulses similar to those observed in rats were not observed. Veratridine, which opens voltage-gated sodium channels, stimulated GnRH release in all explants cultured in the presence of Ca 2+ , demonstrating explant viability. The levels of both spontaneous and veratridine-induced GnRH release were significantly higher in field-caught than commercial bullfrogs. This study demonstrated, for the first time, the temporal pattern of GnRH release in a poikilothermic tetrapod. Further, our results suggest the levels and patterns of GnRH output in bullfrogs are subject to the dynamic regulation by physiological and environmental cues.
The bearing of phase equilibria in simple and complex systems on the origin and evolution of some well-documented garnet-websterites

The temperatures and pressures of subsolidus equilibration of garnet-websterites (garnet+clinopyroxene+orthopyroxene) can be determined to within 3 kilobars from alumina solubility properties of clinopyroxene (Herzberg, 1978) and orthopyroxene (Wood, 1974, 1975). These calculations require knowledge of the oxidation state of iron and the effect of alumina on the mutual solubility of the two pyroxenes. The conditions of total dissolution of exsolved garnet and orthopyroxene required to yield single-phase subcalcic clinopyroxenites from Salt Lake Crater and the French Pyrenees have been determined. Many of these clinopyroxenites were transported 20 to 60 km up the mantle column before exsolution was terminated. Such transport was probably accomplished by convective upwelling of hot mantle peridotite and its contained anatectic products, rather than by precipitation from ascending magmas.
CD11b Expression on circulating leukocytes increases in preparation for parturition.

Problem: Initiation of parturition is associated with migration of leukocytes to the reproductive tract. This migration is controlled in part by expression of adhesion molecules on the surface of leukocytes and vascular endothelial cells. Within the reproductive tract, certain endothelial adhesion molecules, including intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), are up-regulated at the end of gestation. ICAM-1 binds to the β2 integrin CD11b on the leukocytes. In this study, we wanted to investigate whether complementary changes occur in expression of adhesion molecules on maternal leukocytes in preparation for parturition. Method of study: We used flow cytometry to ascertain changes in adhesion molecules expression on leukocytes throughout third trimester and labor. Results: We found a significant increase in the expression of CD11b on monocytes and granulocytes in women at >37 weeks of gestation. Conclusions: CD11b may be a key molecule for leukocyte trafficking to the reproductive tract at the end of pregnancy.
An MOS/LSI Course as an Integral Part of Microprocessor Education

Even though microprocessor use can be taught without reference to any of the electronics inherent in its operation, that approach leaves much to be desired, especially from the viewpoint of the electrical engineer. A course is described which addresses this short-coming and illustrates how the details of the internal circuits and the system design may be presented in a coherent manner thus appealing to those who are majoring in computer engineering as well as those who are majoring in electronics.
Exact time correlation function for a nonlinearly coupled vibrational system

The time correlation function\(\dot \chi\)(t)=Re , which is related to the dipole spectrum and is the main focus of quantum molecular time scale generalized Langevin equation theory, is calculated for the Hamiltonian system in which a single oscillator is coupled by a nonlinear Davydov term to a chain of oscillators comprising a phonon heat bath. An exact expression for\(\dot \chi\)(t) is obtained. At long times we find that the time correlation function decays as a small power law atT=0K, but switches to exponential decay at higher temperature. This is a new result and bears on the long-standing issue of the existence of long-time tails.
Molecular modulation study of the reaction of Hg(63P0) with Cl2

Abstract The rate of the reactive quenching of metastable Hg(6 3P0) atoms by molecular chlorine was determined by phase-sensitive modulation spectroscopy to be (1.0 ± 0.2) × 10−10 cm3 molecule−1 s−1, corresponding to a quenching cross section of 28 A2. Mechanistic studies showed that HgCl in the (B2Σ+ 1 2 ) state is one of the products of this reaction, being formed in 0.9 ± 0.3% of the reactive collisions.
Relation of electro-optical characteristics to materials properties and morphology in polymer-dispersed liquid crystal holographic gratings

Switchable holograms in polymer-dispersed liquid crystals are now being considered for a variety of applications in which transmission loss, cross-talk, and on/off dynamic range are important issues, particularly as devices are stacked in tandem. Switching voltage and speed also remain as important considerations. All of these characteristics are related to the properties of materials comprising the switchable grating as well as the microscopic morphology. In this paper we explore these material-structure-property relations and examine trade-offs in device parameters. It appears that low optical scattering and wide dynamic range approximately 40 dB are achievable while retaining microsecond switching times. Further reductions in switching voltage will require research in the interfacial anchoring and order parameter of the liquid crystal droplets.© (1997) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Impact of polyunsaturated fatty acids on cytoskeletal linkage of L-selectin.

Polyunsaturated fatty acid [omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (ω-3PUFAs)] incorporation into cell membranes has been shown to have potent anti-inflammatory activity, though the mechanisms involved are only partially characterized. Here, we show that PUFA enrichment of T cell membranes decreased the overall expression of L-selectin as well as a highly conserved epitope on L-selectin that may serve as a marker for optimal protein function. Additionally, PUFA enrichment inhibited L-selectin cytoskeletal association, which is thought to be important for optimal functional activity. In support of this, PUFA enrichment of γδ T cell membranes reduced L-selectin-dependent rolling interactions under conditions mimicking physiological flow. Taken together, these data suggest that the anti-inflammatory activity of ω-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids may be due, in part, to a novel effect on L-selectin, namely PUFA reduction or prevention of cytoskeletal association of L-selectin.
Performance Specifications From The Radiologist's Perspective

There are few jobs in the lives of radiologists which equal the frustrations encountered in the purchase of new equipment. The objectives of the purchase from the radiologist's point of view are quite simple; that is to produce radiographs of excellent image quality with great efficiency and reliability built into the machine at the lowest possible cost. Unfortunately, most of these objectives are diametrically opposed to one another. While most salesmen would have us believe that image quality is directly proportional to cost, I am not convinced that this is true, since radiographic image quality seems to have changed very little over the decades, while the cost has continuously and steeply increased. I realize of course that the fluoroscopic image has improved considerably with image amplification. Efficiency and convenience of operation certainly are inversely proportional to the reliability of any piece of equipment. I cannot ever remember anything going wrong with the bracket on the wall which held up the 14 x 17 cassette for a chest x ray, while the transport mechanisms in the automated chest units periodically strike, because the humidity in the room makes the films too sticky, or, if the film is alright, the microswitches stick. On the other hand, the number of patients which can be accommodated per unit time with an automated chest unit is truly astronomical. This example of course is an absurd one, and I use it only to emphasize the incompatibility of objectives, which we attempt to meet in purchasing equipment.© (1976) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Purification and characterization of taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene synthase from Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) that catalyzes the first committed step of taxol biosynthesis.

Abstract The first step in the biosynthesis of taxol in Pacific yew (Taxus brevifolia) is the cyclization of the universal diterpene precursor geranylgeranyl pyrophosphate to taxa-4(5),11(12)-diene. This parent olefin of the taxane diterpenoids is then elaborated to taxol and related compounds by a complex series of reactions involving oxidations and side-chain acylations. Cyclization activity is located principally in yew stem bark and adhering cambium. The operationally soluble cyclization enzyme was partially purified (∼600-fold) by combination of anion exchange, hydrophobic interaction, and dye-ligand chromatography. Nondenaturing, followed by denaturing, polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, in combination with gel permeation chromatography, allowed the identification of taxadiene synthase as a monomeric protein of molecular weight 79,000. In general properties (divalent metal ion requirement, kinetic constants, molecular weight), the taxadiene synthase of Pacific yew is similar to the diterpene cyclase abietadiene synthase involved in resin acid biosynthesis in other gymnosperms. However, in pH optimum and response to inhibitors, these two diterpene cyclases are distinctly different. The activity (and enzyme protein) levels of Pacific yew taxadiene synthase are much lower than those for abietadiene synthase of lodgepole pine stem (constitutive) or of grand fir stem (wound-inducible) and the enzyme is not inducible to higher levels by stem wounding or elicitor treatment.
Rate constants for the reaction OH+NO2+M → HNO3+M under atmospheric conditions

Abstract We present rate constants for the title reaction, k 1 , measured using a pulsed photolysis–laser induced fluorescence technique between 220 and 250 K in 20–250 Torr of N 2 and 20–50 Torr of O 2 . Our measured k 1 agree with literature values at low temperatures but show that the current recommendations for atmospheric modeling overestimate k 1 by 10–30% in the falloff region below 250 K. The revised values of k 1 help to better define the role of NO 2 in the stratosphere.
Molecular dynamics simulations of hot, dense hydrogen

Quantum mechanical molecular dynamics simulations have been performed in order to understand the structure and dynamics of hot, dense hydrogen. Both density functional and tight-binding methods were employed to represent the interatomic forces. Pair-correlation functions and self-diffusion coefficients are compared with other models over a range of temperatures (1--5 eV) and densities (0.1--3 g/${\mathrm{cm}}^{3}$). We find that quantum mechanical many-body interactions are crucial to modeling this regime. In addition, we examine transient phenomena and find evidence for short-lived complexes even at high temperatures.
Mesoscale simulation of molecular resists: The effect of PAG distribution homogeneity on LER

In order to better understand the effects of PAG distribution homogeneity on LER, a mesoscale kinetic Monte Carlo simulation of molecular resists was developed. PAG distribution was controlled by creating random aggregates of PAGs with different sizes. Many common experimentally found defects were recreated in the model simply by increasing the amount of PAG aggregation. LER increases with increasing PAG aggregation for resists with short photoacid diffusion lengths. Increasing the diffusion length helps to smooth out the initial PAG distribution inhomogeneity, but still induces LER through the effect of random diffusion of photoacid outside of the patterned region. PAG aggregation was found to play an important role in LER formation, and affirms that efforts to reduce PAG aggregation and increase PAG distribution homogeneity will likely be critical to meet edge roughness requirements for future ITRS roadmap patterning nodes.