cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cell-Associated Flagella Enhance the Protection Conferred by Mucosally-Administered Attenuated Salmonella Paratyphi A Vaccines

Background Antibiotic-resistant Salmonella enterica serovar Paratyphi A, the agent of paratyphoid A fever, poses an emerging public health dilemma in endemic areas of Asia and among travelers, as there is no licensed vaccine. Integral to our efforts to develop a S. Paratyphi A vaccine, we addressed the role of flagella as a potential protective antigen by comparing cell-associated flagella with exported flagellin subunits expressed by attenuated strains. Methodology S. Paratyphi A strain ATCC 9150 was first deleted for the chromosomal guaBA locus, creating CVD 1901. Further chromosomal deletions in fliD (CVD 1901D) or flgK (CVD 1901K) were then engineered, resulting in the export of unpolymerized FliC, without impairing its overall expression. The virulence of the resulting isogenic strains was examined using a novel mouse LD(50) model to accommodate the human-host restricted S. Paratyphi A. The immunogenicity of the attenuated strains was then tested using a mouse intranasal model, followed by intraperitoneal challenge with wildtype ATCC 9150. Results Mucosal (intranasal) immunization of mice with strain CVD 1901 expressing cell-associated flagella conferred superior protection (vaccine efficacy [VE], 90%) against a lethal intraperitoneal challenge, compared with the flagellin monomer-exporting mutants CVD 1901K (30% VE) or CVD 1901D (47% VE). The superior protection induced by CVD 1901 with its cell-attached flagella was associated with an increased IgG2a:IgG1 ratio of FliC-specific antibodies with enhanced opsonophagocytic capacity. Conclusions Our results clearly suggest that enhanced anti-FliC antibody-mediated clearance of S. Paratyphi A by phagocytic cells, induced by vaccines expressing cell-associated rather than exported FliC, might be contributing to the vaccine-induced protection from S. Paratyphi A challenge in vivo. We speculate that an excess of IgG1 anti-FliC antibodies induced by the exported FliC may compete with the IgG2a subtype and block binding to specific phagocyte Fc receptors that are critical for clearing an S. Paratyphi A infection.
Examination of the influence of environmental factors on contaminant vapor concentration attenuation factors using the U.S. EPA's vapor intrusion database.

Those charged with the responsibility of estimating the risk posed by vapor intrusion (VI) processes have often looked to information contained in the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)’s V...
Economic displacement and local attitude towards protected area establishment in the Peruvian Amazon

Abstract This article examines socioeconomic factors linked to different local attitudes towards the establishment in 2004 of the Allpahuayo-Mishana National Reserve, Peruvian Amazon. Semistructured interviews were conducted in 2006 and 2007 with leaders ( N = 16) and household heads ( N = 102) of smallholder communities in the reserve and its buffer zone. Complementary qualitative and quantitative analyses of interview data reveal that household head attitude towards the reserve is primarily associated with loss or gain of resource use rights; there is a significant difference in attitude between the household heads interviewed in the reserve and those in the buffer zone. Communities in the region used to share certain lands and floodplains, especially for the extraction of fish, poletimber, and thatch palm. With the reserve’s establishment, only those who lived within the reserve were allowed to continue using previously shared resources, while the access of neighboring communities, now in the buffer zone, was banned from most of the reserve. A linear predictive model reveals that attitude towards the reserve also relates to location and household demographic variables, hypothesized to influence the household’s capacity to respond to losses in income sources and subsistence means. Comparisons of leaders’ and residents’ responses suggest that although involuntary economic displacement has affected many locals, government authorities have not addressed the issue satisfactorily, at least from the perspective of those displaced, thus obscuring the conservation-related exclusion that occurred.
Developing drugs for parasitic diseases.

The initiative described by Dennis Normile in his article “Norvartis kicks off institute for neglected diseases” (News Focus, 7 Feb., p. [811][1]) is a welcome development, but it is a drop in the bucket compared with the huge burden of parasitic diseases confronting the developing world.
Spectrum of the HD- and D 2 -Molecules

WE have photographed the molecular spectrum of hydrogen under high dispersion and obtained a series of photographs of samples with increasing amounts of the heavy isotope ranging from pure H2 to practically pure D2. We are indebted to Prof. H. S. Taylor, of Princeton, for the heavy hydrogen. In this way it was possible to decide unambiguously whether a line is due to H2, HD or D2. It is well known that a considerable part of the H2-spectrum was analysed chiefly through the efforts of O. W. Richardson and his co-workers, but there remains a great number of problems concerned with the analysis and interpretation of this complicated spectrum. The main purpose of the present investigation is to obtain additional material which can be used for a further analysis of the molecular spectrum of hydrogen and to help to clear up doubtful points in its interpretation. We are confident that in this way our knowledge of the structure of the hydrogen molecule can be greatly increased.
Health motivation: a determinant of older adults' attendance at health promotion programs.

The primary purpose of conducting this study¹ was to determine if there is a significant relation between health motivation and participation in health promotion programs in a sample of community-dwelling older adults (n = 106). Health motivation was measured using Cox's (1985) Health Self-Determinism Index, and participation in health promotion programs was measured by tallying the self-reported number of programs attended within the past year by each individual. The effects of selected demographic variables on these two variables were also examined. The conceptual framework guiding the study was the Health-Promoting Self-Care System Model (Simmons, 1990). Intrinsically motivated older persons attended fewer programs (p < .01) than those who were more extrinsically motivated. Higher educa-tional level (p < .001) and fewer health problems (p < .01) emerged as significant predictor variables for intrinsic health motivation, and those with less formal education attended more health promotion programs (p < .05).
Enhanced Euler's Method to a Free Boundary Porous Media Flow Problem

We study an ODE-based iterative method, the residual velocity method, for steady state free boundary problems. The convergence analysis of the method, as well as the numerical implementation based on Euler’s method were provided by Donaldson and Wetton (J Appl Math 71 (2006), 877–897). In this article, we develop an enhanced Euler’s method which is nearly as simple as the modified Euler’s method but can achieve a rapid convergence rate similar to the fourth-order Runge-Kutta method. Numerical results are also provided to verify the validity of our method. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Numer Methods Partial Differential Eq 000: 000–000, 2011
Proliferation and differentiation of mouse embryonic stem cells lacking all lamins.

Lamins are the major components of the nuclear lamina (NL), which is located underneath the inner nuclear membrane1. Diverse array of functions have been assigned to lamins, and alterations of lamins are associated with a number of human diseases2. Of the three lamin genes in mammals, Lmna expresses all isoforms of A-type lamins, referred to as lamin-A/C, through alternative splicing, while Lmnb1 and Lmnb2 express B-type lamins. Despite subtype-specific sequence variations and different expression patterns, lamin proteins exhibit overall sequence similarity. Therefore, a potential functional redundancy among different lamin proteins has made it difficult to precisely address the role of lamins in mammals.
Concussion Induced Electrocardiogram Changes

A middle aged male presented to the Emergency room with pre-syncope following a hockey induced concussion. Abnormal electrocardiogram changes combined with a strong family history resulted in a cardiac catheterization which was normal. Nearly 2 years later, flattening of the T waves persisted with symptoms. Three years later, the patient developed ALS with predominant upper motor neuron findings. doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.4021/jmc1338w
Long-Term Creep and Creep Rupture Behavior of Woven Ceramic Matrix Composites at Elevated Temperatures

The strong interest in ceramic matrix composite for high temperature application arises primarily from their ability to retain good creep behavior. The objective of this work is to investigate the creep behavior of quasi-isotropic woven silicon carbide fabric reinforced silicon-nitrogen-carbon (SiC/SiNC) ceramic composite at stress levels which are above and below the monotonic proportional limit strength. Constant-load tensile creep-rupture tests were performed on SiC/SiNC ceramic matrix composite on an Instron 8502 material test system. The creep behavior of SiC/SiNC matrix composites were investigated at various temperatures (700°C and 1000°C) and stress levels (55%, 65% of ultimate strength, σult ). The strain vs. time curves consisted of primary and secondary (steady state) creep regions were established. The stress exponent and activation energy of SiC/SiNC ceramic matrix composite were also determined at these temperatures. The creep data followed the traditional power law exhibiting an exponential relationship between creep rate and stress.© 2004 ASME
Recent Scholarship in American Universalism: A Bibliographical Essay

Church historians have generally tended to ignore American Universalism. This was not because Universalists were unmindful of their past. Several works were produced in the nineteenth century trying to prove through Scripture and history the fact that the idea of universal salvation was always a part of the mesage of Christianity from the days of the apostles through the Reformation down to the modern era. It was an important argument in their voluminous debates and an essential ingredient of their theology. They were rather proud of this heritage. It cannot be said, therefore, that Universalism failed to produce its own historians. The problem for scholars of all disciplines has been that until recently there were no reliable sources available which dealt with American Universalism. Yet Universalism needs to be understood, for it helped to humanize the church through its teachings that God was a God of love and that he cared to save each and everyone of his children.
Designing chromonic mesogens for the fabrication of anisotropic optical materials

Perylene monoimides and diimides have applications as luminescent materials and in organic photovoltaic devices as chromophores and conducting materials. Materials in which these compounds are oriented in a preferred direction will possess useful anisotropic properties that are not attainable from materials in which the compounds are randomly oriented. Anisotropic materials of these compounds can be prepared by taking advantage of the unique properties of chromonic liquid crystals. In this paper we describe the principles for designing perylene monoimides and diimides with desired optical properties and chromonic liquid-crystalline properties. In addition, we demonstrate the fabrication of anisotropic optical materials via organization of these compounds into a lyotropic chromonic liquidcrystalline phase.
The effect of l-tryptophan on the sleep-dream cycle in man

The effect of l-tryptophan (120 mg/kg at bedtime) on sleep was investigated on eight normal human Ss over 91 recorded laboratory nights. Subjectively, tryptophan was seen as a sleeping medication. Total sleep was not significantly increased. Total D-time was significantly increased, as was D-time percent for the second half of the night but not for the nights as a whole.
Mitotic inhibition and chromosome displacement induced by estradiol in chinese hamster cells

We tested diethylstilbestrol (DES) and 17 beta-estradiol as mitotic arrestants to determine their effects on chromosome distribution, spindle microtubules, and the cytoplasmic microtubule complex (CMTC) in the Chinese hamster strain Don. Cytological experiments assessed micronuclei induction, chromosome displacement, and anaphase recovery. Indirect immunofluorescence microscopy with antibody to tubulin and electron microscopy were used to illustrate effects on microtubules. Both DES and estradiol were potent inhibitors of mitosis when applied to cells in vitro. Estradiol induced micronuclei at a greater frequency than did DES. Estradiol-arrested metaphases often contained misaligned chromosomes despite the presence of a bipolar spindle and an equatorial plate. Equatorial plates were not observed in DES-arrested cells. Cells recovered quickly from estradiol exposure upon removal of the steroid. The frequency of abnormal metaphases and abnormal anaphases declined as the recovery period increased. Microtubule experiments showed that DES inhibited spindle assembly and disassembled the CMTC, whereas estradiol, at similar concentrations, arrested mitosis in a manner that allowed spindle assembly. A definite effect on the CMTC by estradiol could not be determined. However, changes in cell morphology were observed. In the presence of estradiol, centrosomes organized microtubules that joined with kinetochores of chromosomes at the equatorial plate as well as with those of misaligned chromosomes. Misaligned chromosomes appeared predominantly at polar regions of mitotic cells. Following drug removal, the pole-oriented chromosomes reoriented at the equatorial plate. The unique arresting properties of estradiol may prove useful in studies of chromosome migration and segregation during mitosis.
Undescended Ovaries: A Clinical Review

Undescended ovaries are frequently seen in conjunction with uterine malformations and are typically found during the course of an infertility evaluation. Other important clinical signs may prompt evaluation in an adolescent patient, though this may also be an incidental finding. An understanding of embryologic features is critical for management. It is additionally important to explain to patients and families that this is a normal developmental variant of the ovary that does not require removal in the absence of concerning pathology.
Frame synchronization for optical overlapping pulse-position modulation systems

The maximum-likelihood rules for locating data frames in direct-detection optical communication systems utilizing overlapping pulse-position modulation (OPPM) are derived under two distinct assumptions of symbol and chip synchronization, respectively. Various approximations to the optimal rules are identified, as well as upper and lower bounds on the probability of correct synchronization. Further, the problem of sequence design based on a maximum peak-to-sidelobe distance criterion is studied, and upper bounds on peak-to-sidelobe distance for sequences of OPPM symbols are derived. Some good sequences are obtained through a computer search. >
Power Allocation for Multi-Access Two-Way Relaying

We consider a multi-access two-way relay network where multiple pairs of users exchange information with their pre-assigned partners with the assistance of an intermediate relay node. Each pair is assumed to have a shared channel which is orthogonal to the channels used by the remaining pairs. We investigate the relay power allocation problem for two-way relaying protocols that allow a variety of forwarding mechanisms, such as decode-and-superposition-forward (DSF), decode-and-XOR-forward (DXF), amplify-and-forward (AF) and compress-and-forward (CF). Different from one-way communications, in two-way relaying, the rates of the two communication directions between a pair of partners constrain each other, and the relay power allocated to one user pair simultaneously affects the rates of both directions. For each relaying scheme, we solve the problem of optimally allocating relay's power among the user pairs such that an arbitrary weighted sum rate of all users is maximized. Simulation results are presented to demonstrate performance of optimum relay power allocation, as well as the comparison among different two-way relaying schemes.
Characterizing MHC-associated peptides by mass spectrometry.

This issue’s Pillars of Immunology article ([1][1]) describes the characterization by mass spectrometry of endogenous peptides eluted from the class I MHC molecule HLA-A2.1 (A*0201). This was the first contribution from the collaboration between Don Hunt and Vic Engelhard on the identification of
Face as an Index: Knowing Who Is Who Using a PDA

In this article, we present a PDA-based system for extending human memory or/and information retrieval using a human face as the lookup index. The system can help a user to remember names of people whom he/she has met before and find useful infor- mation, such as names and research interests, about people whom he/she is interested in talking to. The system uses a captured face image as the lookup index to retrieve information from some available resource such as departmental directory, web sites, personal homepages, etc. We describe the development of a PDA-based face recognition system and introduce algorithms for image preprocessing to enhance the quality of the image by sharpening focus and normal- izing both lighting condition and head rotation. We use a unified LDA/PCA algorithm for face recognition. We address design issues of the interface to assist in visualization and comprehension of retrieved information. We present user study and experiment results to dem- onstrate the feasibility of the proposed system. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals,
From the Land of the Silk Dragon: An Ancient and Exquisite Art Tradition of Textiles and Silver Adornment at the Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art.

From the Land of the Silk Dragon: An Ancient and Exquisite Art Tradition of Textiles and Silver Adornment. Guizhou Province, Peoples' Republic of China. Mingei International Museum of World Folk Art, La Jolla, CA. (September. December, 1992)
The reconstruction of groundwater parameters from head data in an unconfined aquifer

The estimation of groundwater flow parameters from head measurements and other ancillary data is fundamental to the process of modelling a groundwater system. In an unconfined aquifer, the problem is more complex because the governing equation for the well heads, the Boussinesq equation, is non-linear. We consider here a new method that allows for the simultaneous computation of the unconfined groundwater parameters as the unique minimum of a convex functional.
A Probabilistic Constraints Approach to Language Acquisition and Processing

This article provides an overview of a probabilistic constraints framework for thinking about language acquisition and processing. The generative approach attempts to characterize knowledge of language (i.e., competence grammar) and then asks how this knowledge is acquired and used. Our approach is performance oriented: the goal is to explain how people comprehend and produce utterances and how children acquire this skill. Use of language involves exploiting multiple probabilistic constraints over various types of linguistic and nonlinguistic information. Acquisition is the process of accumulating this information, which begins in infancy. The constraint satisfaction processes that are central to language use are the same as the bootstrapping processes that provide entry to language for the child. Framing questions about acquisition in terms of models of adult performance unifies the two topics under a set of common principles and has important consequences for arguments concerning language learnability.
Executive dysfunction in poor readers born prematurely at high risk

This study examined the relation between a preterm birth and reading ability and whether children born preterm with poorer reading were more likely to show lower cognitive and executive functioning skills compared to children born at term with poor reading ability. Participants born at term (N = 97) and preterm (n = 156) were studied using the Woodcock-Johnson Test of Achievement Word Attack subtest (WJWA), Stanford-Binet Intelligence Scale, Comprehensive Evaluation of Language Fundamentals, and executive function tasks during the 3rd, 5th, and 7th grades. Children born prematurely were divided into low (N = 94) and high (N = 62) risk groups based on severity of neonatal complications. Growth in WJWA scores was used to cluster the sample into three reading ability groups. Contrary to predictions, children born preterm were not more likely to be in the poor reading group. Poorer reading ability was associated with lower language and cognitive scores. The effect of premature birth demonstrated fewer and wea...
Probabilistic Thermal-Shock Strength Testing Using Infrared Imaging

A thermal-shock strength-testing technique has been developed that uses a high-resolution, high-temperature infrared camera to capture a specimen's surface temperature distribution at fracture. Aluminum nitride (AlN) substrates are thermally shocked to fracture to demonstrate the technique. The surface temperature distribution for each test and AlN's thermal expansion are used as input in a finite-element model to determine the thermal-shock strength for each specimen. An uncensored thermal-shock strength Weibull distribution is then determined. The test and analysis algorithm show promise as a means to characterize thermal shock strength of ceramic materials.
Mining your Ps and Qs: detection of widespread weak keys in network devices

RSA and DSA can fail catastrophically when used with malfunctioning random number generators, but the extent to which these problems arise in practice has never been comprehensively studied at Internet scale. We perform the largest ever network survey of TLS and SSH servers and present evidence that vulnerable keys are surprisingly widespread. We find that 0.75% of TLS certificates share keys due to insufficient entropy during key generation, and we suspect that another 1.70% come from the same faulty implementations and may be susceptible to compromise. Even more alarmingly, we are able to obtain RSA private keys for 0.50% of TLS hosts and 0.03% of SSH hosts, because their public keys shared nontrivial common factors due to entropy problems, and DSA private keys for 1.03% of SSH hosts, because of insufficient signature randomness. We cluster and investigate the vulnerable hosts, finding that the vast majority appear to be headless or embedded devices. In experiments with three software components commonly used by these devices, we are able to reproduce the vulnerabilities and identify specific software behaviors that induce them, including a boot-time entropy hole in the Linux random number generator. Finally, we suggest defenses and draw lessons for developers, users, and the security community.
Why does the jumping ciliate Mesodinium rubrum possess an equatorially located propulsive ciliary belt

Author Posting. © The Author, 2011. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Oxford University Press for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Plankton Research 33 (2011): 998-1011, doi:10.1093/plankt/fbr007.
Smooth Muscle Progenitor Cells in Human Blood

Background— Recent animal data suggest that vascular smooth muscle cells within the neointima of the vessel wall may originate from bone marrow, providing indirect evidence for circulating smooth muscle progenitor cells (SPCs). Evidence for circulating SPCs in human subjects does not exist, and the mechanism whereby such putative SPCs may home to sites of plaque formation is presently not understood but is likely to involve expression of specific surface adhesion molecules, such as integrins. In this study, we aimed to culture smooth muscle outgrowth cells (SOCs) from SPCs in human peripheral blood and characterize surface integrin expression on these cells. Methods and Results— Human mononuclear cells isolated from buffy coat were seeded on collagen type 1 matrix and outgrowth cells selected in endothelial growth medium (EGM-2) or EGM-2 and platelet-derived growth factor BB. Selection in platelet-derived growth factor BB–enriched medium caused rapid outgrowth and expansion of SOC to >40 population doubli...
Confounding by indication affects antimicrobial risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus but not vancomycin-resistant enterococci acquisition.

Background: Observational studies rarely account for confounding by indication, whereby empiric antibiotics initiated for signs and symptoms of infection prior to the diagnosis of infection are then viewed as risk factors for infection. We evaluated whether confounding by indication impacts antimicrobial risk factors for methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) and vancomycin-resistant enterococci (VRE) acquisition. Findings: We previously reported several predictors of MRSA and VRE acquisition in 967 intensive care unit (ICU) patients with no prior history of MRSA or VRE who had an initial negative screening culture followed by either a subsequent negative screening culture (controls) or positive screening or clinical culture (cases). Within and prior to this acquisition interval, we collected demographic, comorbidity, daily device and antibiotic utilization data. We now re-evaluate all antibiotics by medical record review for evidence of treatment for signs and symptoms ultimately attributable to MRSA or VRE. Generalized linear mixed models are used to assess variables associated with MRSA or VRE acquisition, accounting for clustering by ward. We find that exclusion of empiric antibiotics given for suspected infection affects 17% (113/661) of antibiotic prescriptions in 25% (60/244) of MRSA-positive patients but only 1% (5/491) of antibiotic prescriptions in 1% (3/227) of VRE-positive patients. In multivariate testing, fluoroquinolones are no longer associated with MRSA acquisition, and aminoglycosides are significantly protective (OR =0.3, CI:0.1-0.7). Conclusions: Neglecting treatment indication may cause common empiric antibiotics to appear spuriously associated with MRSA acquisition. This effect is absent for VRE, likely because empiric therapy is infrequent given the low prevalence of VRE.
Cell lysis and DNA extraction of gram-positive and gram-negative bacteria from whole blood in a disposable microfluidic chip

Sepsis caused by gram positive and gram negative bacteria is the leading cause of death in noncoronary ICUs and the tenth leading cause of death in the United States. We have developed a microfluidic sample preparation platform for rapid on-chip detection of infectious organisms for point-of-care diagnostics. The microfluidic chips are made of a robust thermoplastic and can be easily multiplexed for high throughput applications. Bacteria are lysed on-chip via hybrid chemical/mechanical method. Once lysed, the bacterial DNA is isolated using a microscale silica bead/polymer composite solid-phase-extraction (SPE) column. Lysis was confirmed using off-chip real time PCR. We isolated and detected both gram-negative (Escherichia coli) and gram-positive (Bacillussubtilis and Enterococcus faecalis) bacterial genomic DNA from microliter scale spiked whole human blood samples. The system performs better for gram-negative bacteria than it does for gram-positive bacteria, with limits of detection at 102CFU/ml and 103–104CFU/ml, respectively. Total extraction times are less than one hour and can be further decreased by altering the channel geometry and pumping configuration.
City, empire and flow: Osaka and the Philippines in Oda Sakunosuke's Waga machi

Abstract Cosmopolitanism, and the relation of the city, the state and networks that exceed state borders, has garnered significant recent commentary. This article examines that relation as imagined at a fraught historical moment in a uniquely positioned city. Writing at the height of colonial expansion, Oda Sakunosuke presented Japan's merchant capital Osaka as an off-centre to the imperial capital Tokyo. His 1942 novel Waga machi engages with a notion fundamental to discourses of empire: that of a transcendent unity to which all locales are subordinated. Waga machi dramatizes the powerful allure of this imperial transcendence for its protagonist. At the same time, it imagines an alternative, local cosmopolitanism rooted in Osaka, which it links to the Philippines through images of flow. This article examines the flows that define that local city – flows of water, traffic, language and migrant labour. It argues that attention to the novel's emphatic locality clarifies not only Osaka's significance to the ...
Polymer optical waveguide vertically coupled to high-Q whispering gallery resonators

We report on a novel implementation of a polymer optical waveguide vertically coupled to the whispering gallery modes of a fused silica resonator disc. This is the first step in bringing high-Q silica discs close to the integrated optics technology. We obtained near-critical coupling and a loaded Q/spl ap/3.4/spl times/10/sup 6/.
EVOLUTIONARY RELATIONSHIPS AMONG GENERA OF PHALANGERIDAE (METATHERIA: DIPROTODONTIA) INFERRED FROM MITOCHONDRIAL DNA

We sequenced the 12S rRNA gene of 2 elusive and morphologically plesiomorphic species of phalanger: the small Sulawesi cuscus (Strigocuscus celebensis—Gray, 1858) and the Sulawesi bear cuscus (Ailurops ursinus— Temminck, 1824). The sequences were integrated with previously existing data on the same gene in other species of phalangerids, as well as newly derived data from Wyulda Alexander, 1918. In contrast to current wisdom, we resolve S. celebensis not as a member of the tribe Trichosurini, but rather as a taxon sister to Ailurops in a reconstituted Ailuropinae in turn successively sister to Phalangerinae. Examination of our data supports an evolutionary origin for the family approximately 34 million years ago (mya), in the northwestern region of the Sahul Shelf, the continental mass underlying Australia and New Guinea. The radiation of the most plesiomorphic genera in the family, Trichosurus and Wyulda, is restricted to that region. S. celebensis, resolved as sister to A. ursinus in a clade ingroup to trichosurines, diverged from remaining ingroup lineages between 21.1 and 23.3 mya, a time when Sulawesi was available for colonization and sea currents would have enhanced the colonization potential from the east of Sulawesi and neighboring islands. We recommend Trichosurinae as a subfamilial level entity on par with Ailuropinae and Phalangerinae, circumscription of Trichosurinae to Trichosurus and Wyulda, and removal of Strigocuscus into Ailuropinae, leaving only Phalanger and Spilocuscus in Phalangerinae.
A real distinct poles Exponential Time Differencing scheme for reaction-diffusion systems

A second order Exponential Time Differencing (ETD) method for reaction-diffusion systems which uses a real distinct poles discretization method for the underlying matrix exponentials is developed. The method is established to be stable and second order convergent. It is demonstrated to be robust for problems involving non-smooth initial and boundary conditions and steep solution gradients. We discuss several advantages over competing second order ETD schemes.
Shame on You: The Virtuous Use of Shame in the Aristotle's Nicomachean Ethics

Aristotle presents shame as a non-virtue, but through a careful analysis of his definition and discussion the reader can conclude that there is an appropriate type of shame; a prospective as opposed to retrospective feeling of shame. This prospective shame is one of the best ways a well-bred youth can be led to the acquisition of virtuous character. This paper will explore Aristotle’s understanding of shame as explained in both the Nicomachean Ethics and in his broader corpus, and will examine who can possess shame, how it can be used to teach virtue, and the impact of polis upon this process.
Cucumber pollen germination and tube elongation inhibited or reduced by pesticides and adjuvants

Commercial formulations of 5 insecticides: diazinon, dicofol, endosulfan, malathion, and Pyrenone* (6% pyrethrins and 60% piperomyl butoxide); 2 fungicides: captan and Manzate* (zinc and manganese ethylene bisdithiocarbamate); and 9 adjuvants: Fomex*, Multi-Film X-77*, Nu-Trex*, Dupont Spreader Sticker*, Bio-88*, Target-E*, Bio-Film*, Dupont Surfactant F*, and Regutaid* severely reduced germination of cucumber pollen on an artificial medium. A lesser degree of reduction in germination was caused by the insecticides carbaryl and methoxychlor, the fungicide benomyl, and the adjuvants Regulaid*, Triton B-1956* and Chevron Spreader Sticker*. Carbaryl, methoxychlor and benomyl were used at spray concentrations of active ingredients recommended on the labels in 100 gal (378.5 liters) of water. The remainder of the pesticides was used at concentrations below label recommendations. Diazinon applied under controlled conditions to hand-pollinated pistillate flowers of cucumbers in greenhouse caused parthenocarpy and fruit abortion.
Coupled Thermo-Poro-Mechanical Finite Element Analysis of an Energy Foundation Centrifuge Experiment in Partially Saturated Silt

This paper presents an axisymmetric fully coupled thermo-poromechanical (TPM) finite element analysis (FEA) of a single energy foundation centrifuge experiment in partially saturated silt conducted at the University of Colorado, Boulder (UCB). The motivation is to explore thermo-mechanical effects on the foundation performance, and thermally-induced liquid and gas flow inside the surrounding soil. The paper compares modeling outcomes and experimental observations regarding thermal strains and displacements of foundations due to heating. The coupled FE model predicts solid skeleton deformation, suction, and volumetric water contents of the soil, and analyzes the thermally-induced pore water vapor flow and liquid water flow.
THREE NEW NOCTUIDS FROM BRITISH NORTH AMERICA

To the courtesy of some of my correspondents from British North America I owe a series of specimens, some of which proved undescribed. The species sent by Dr. Fletcher is of some economic importance, and its prompt description seems desirable. The other species have been in MSS. for sonle time, and were intended to form part of a lengthy deescriptive paper. Their publication together at this time gives this contribution a somewhat faunal character.
Inequalities for tails of adapted processes with an application to Wald's lemma

In this paper we introduce a new tail probability version of Wald's lemma for expectations of randomly stopped sums of independent random variables. We also make a connection between the works of Klass(18, 19) and Gundy(11) on Wald's lemma. In making the connection, we develop new Lenglart and Good Lambda inequalities comparing the tails of various types of adapted processes. As a consequence of our Good Lambda inequalities we include the following result. Let {d i }, {e i } be two sequences of variables adapted to the same increasing sequence of σ-fields ℱ n ↗ℱ, (e.g., ℱ n =σ({d i } =1 , {E i } =1 ), and letN⩽∞ be a stopping time adapted to {ℱ n }. Then for allp>0, there exists a constant 0<C p <∞ depending onp only, such that $$\mathop {\overline {\lim } }\limits_\lambda \lambda ^p P\left( {\mathop {\sup }\limits_{1 \leqslant n \leqslant N} \left\| {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {d_i } } \right\| > \lambda } \right) \leqslant C_p \mathop {\overline {\lim } }\limits_\lambda \lambda ^p P\left( {\mathop {\sup }\limits_{1 \leqslant n \leqslant N} \left\| {\sum\limits_{i = 1}^n {e_i } } \right\| > \lambda } \right)$$ This result holds when the sequences are real, tangent, and either conditionally symmetric or nonnegative, or alternatively, if {d i } is a sequence of independent random variables and {e i } is an independent copy of {d i }, withN a stopping time adapted to the filtration generated by {d i } only. Other examples include Hilbert space valued differentially subordinate conditionally symmetric martingale differences. The result is true for more general operators applied to sequences as shown by an example comparing the square function of a conditionally symmetric sequence to the maximum of its absolute partial sums.
Some Effects of Predaceous Ants on Western Spruce Budworm Pupae in North Central Washington

Predators killed about 95% of the western spruce budworm, Choristoneura ocddentalis Freeman, pupae placed in one site in north central Washington. We infer that most of this mortality was caused by foraging ants.
Application of a Telecolposcopy Program in Rural Settings

Abstract Background: Individuals in rural areas are often restricted by the amount of physicians' availability, thus limiting access to healthcare in those settings. Introduction: While Pap smear screening has increased across the United States, the rural South still reports high rates of cervical cancer and mortality. One solution to improve patient outcomes related to cervical cancer in rural settings is telecolposcopy. Materials and Methods: Women with abnormal Pap results or an abnormal visual examination needing an evaluation by colposcopy were referred to a hospital-based telecolposcopy program. Descriptive data are provided that include patients' access to care based on travel time and transportation costs. Results: Over a 15-month time period, 940 unique patients were seen using telecolposcopy. Telecolposcopy was done at eight spoke sites across Arkansas representing patients from 72 of the 75 counties. Data for risk factors that include smoking, first sexual experience, and number of sexual partn...
Academic Engagement: An Overview of Its Definitions, Dimensions, and Major Conceptualisations

Engagement is a prominent theoretical orientation that has received great attention from educators and researchers. This article provides a literature overview of the engagement construct pertaining to its various definitions, dimensions, and major conceptualisations. In addition, the review sheds light on two major approaches to engagement in the current literature: one entails students’ cognitive, behavioural, and emotional engagement (Fredricks, Blumenfeld, & Paris, 2004), and the other approach is characterised by vigor, dedication, and absorption (Schaufeli, Salanova, Gonzalez-Rom, & Bakker, 2002). Further, the association between these two models and students’ performance is discussed.
Can the pattern of vertebral marrow oedema differentiate intervertebral disc infection from degenerative changes

Aim To evaluate whether various patterns of bone marrow oedema could be used to discriminate between infection and degenerative change. Materials and methods Seventy patients with imaging features suspicious for discitis and available clinical follow-up were blindly reviewed for vertebral marrow oedema on sagittal short-tau inversion recovery (STIR) images according to the following patterns: I, vertebra oedema is adjacent to the intervertebral space and sharply-marginated; II, vertebral oedema is adjacent to the intervertebral space but not sharply marginated from normal marrow or involves the entire vertebral body; and III, vertebral oedema is distant from the endplate with intervening hypointense marrow signal. Results Of 45 patients with a clinical diagnosis of discitis, pattern II was the most common oedema pattern (64%). Approximately 20% and 9% of discitis patients showed patterns I and III, respectively. In patients with degenerative changes, 44% patients showed pattern I, 32% showed pattern II, and 24% showed pattern III. Pattern II had a sensitivity, specificity, and positive predictive value of 0.64, 0.68, and 0.78 for diagnosing spine infection, respectively. Conclusions Although bone marrow oedema in infective discitis most often extends from the disc space and has indistinct margins, the oedema may also have sharp margins or be remote from the involved intervertebral space. Bone marrow oedema patterns of infective discitis overlap with those of degenerative disease and are not sufficiently reliable to exclude infection in cases with magnetic resonance imaging findings suggestive of discitis.
Analyzing differences between teachers when learning object affordances via guided exploration

Our work focuses on robots deployed in human environments. These robots, which will need specialized object manipulation skills, should leverage end-users to efficiently learn the affordances of ob...
Haematological cancer: Staging and restaging patients with lymphoma-a better approach?

Response criteria for disease assessment have important therapeutic and prognostic implications in clinical trials and in routine clinical practice. The Lugano classification has been used widely for evaluation of the response of patients with lymphoma to treatment, although the alternative Response Evaluation Criteria In Lymphoma 2017 (RECIL 2017) classification was recently proposed; these criteria are compared herein.
Elucidating Substrate Promiscuity within the FabI Enzyme Family

The rapidly growing appreciation of enzymes’ catalytic and substrate promiscuity may lead to their expanded use in the fields of chemical synthesis and industrial biotechnology. Here, we explore the substrate promiscuity of enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductases (commonly known as FabI) and how that promiscuity is a function of inherent reactivity and the geometric demands of the enzyme’s active site. We demonstrate that these enzymes catalyze the reduction of a wide range of substrates, particularly α,β-unsaturated aldehydes. In addition, we demonstrate that a combination of quantum mechanical hydride affinity calculations and molecular docking can be used to rapidly categorize compounds that FabI can use as substrates. The results here provide new insight into the determinants of catalysis for FabI and set the stage for the development of a new assay for drug discovery, organic synthesis, and novel biocatalysts.
Fatty acid transporter expression and regulation is impaired in placental macrovascular endothelial cells in obese women

Objective: Fetal fatty acid (FA) delivery is ultimately controlled by placental transport. Focus has been the maternal-placental interface, but regulation at the feto-placental interface is unknown...
Doing vegetarianism to destabilize the meat-masculinity nexus in La Plata, Argentina*

AbstractIn patriarchal societies where hegemonic masculinity implies an imperative to eat meat, vegetarianism disrupts food culture, raising questions about how vegetarians do, re-do, and rework gender. Analyzing 23 interviews in La Plata, Argentina, I find that the narratives of conversion and social pushback reported by women and men expose gender enactment and social reinforcement of the binary. At times, vegetarians compensate by drawing on scripts of femininities and masculinities that uphold difference, e.g. women cook meat and reassure meat-eaters; men make rationality-based claims and demonstrate strength. Yet in other moments, vegetarians defy attempts to hold them accountable to gendered social expectations. Women, for example, assert authority over their diets; men embody rejection of the meat-masculinity nexus by adopting a worldview that also rejects sexism and racism. I contend that in such a context, we cannot separate the ways people ‘do vegetarianism’ from how they ‘do gender.’ Doing vege...
Intraperitoneal chloroprocaine is a useful adjunct to neuraxial block during cesarean delivery: a case series

Abstract Background Use of intraperitoneal local anesthetic to treat intraoperative pain during cesarean delivery has not been described previously. The aim of this study was to determine if intraperitoneal chloroprocaine may be useful as an adjunct to neuraxial block in reducing the proportion of patients with severe intraoperative pain that requires conversion to general anesthesia. Intraperitoneal chloroprocaine was administered during cesarean delivery as a potential alternative, when the anesthesiologist considered performing a general anesthetic due to severe intraoperative pain. Methods A keyword search for “chloroprocaine” was performed for patients on labor and delivery between November 2013 and March 2017. Patients were included if cesarean delivery was initiated with neuraxial anesthesia and there was documented intraoperative intraperitoneal instillation of chloroprocaine. Results Among 2479 patients who had cesarean delivery with neuraxial anesthesia, 32 received intraperitoneal chloroprocaine (mean dose 11.8 mg/kg). No patients exhibited signs of local anesthetic systemic toxicity or required conversion to general anesthesia. Among the 32 patients who received chloroprocaine, 17 had improved pain scores documented after instillation. Conclusion Intraperitoneal chloroprocaine may be useful as part of a multimodal approach to managing intraoperative pain during cesarean delivery.
Asbestos standards: Impact of currently uncounted chrysotile asbestos fibers on lifetime lung cancer risk.

BACKGROUND Current regulations require that asbestos fibers are collected and examined using a light microscope. This method fails to enumerate fibers that are too short or thin to reliably count using a light microscope under normal conditions. METHODS A cohort of 3054 workers employed at an asbestos textile plant was followed to ascertain causes of death. Exposure was almost entirely chrysotile. Fiber counts were quantified using light microscopy and electron microscopy. The g-formula was used to estimate impacts on lung cancer of policies defined in terms of fiber counts quantified using light and electron microscopy. RESULTS Given exposure at the current standard, the estimated lung cancer risk was 7.33%, comparable to the risk expected under a standard of 1 fiber/mL counted using electron microscopy (7.30%). The lifetime risk of lung cancer under a standard of 0.1 fiber/mL counted by electron microscopy was estimated to be 7.10%. CONCLUSIONS We identify policies defined in terms of electron microscopy-based asbestos exposure metrics that yield comparable, or lower, lung cancer mortality than that expected under the current standard.
Proxy cryptography revisted

In this work we revisit and formally study the notion of proxy cryptography. Intuitively, various proxy functions allow two cooperating parties F (the “FBI”) and P (the “proxy”) to duplicate the functionality available to the third party U (the “user”), without being able to perform this functionality on their own (without cooperation). The concept is closely related to the notion of threshold cryptography, except we deal with only two parties P and F , and place very strict restrictions on the way the operations are performed (which is done for the sake of efficiency, usability and scalability). For example, for decryption (resp. signature) P (F ) sends a single message to F (P ), after which the latter can decrypt (sign) the message. Our formal modeling of proxy cryptography significantly generalizes, simplifies and simultaneously clarifies the model of “atomic proxy” suggested by Blaze and Strauss [4]. In particular, we define bidirectional and unidirectional variants of our model1, and show extremely simple generic solutions for proxy signature and encryption in these models. We also give more efficient solutions for several specific schemes. We conclude that proxy cryptography is a relatively simple concept to satisfy when looked from the correct and formal standpoint.
A framework for analyzing and practicing Integrative Governance: The case of global animal and conservation governance:

This article presents a framework to analyze and practice Integrative Governance, defined as the theories and practices that focus on the relationships between governance instruments and/or systems...