cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Targeted deletion of tumor suppressor PTEN augments neutrophil function and enhances host defense in neutropenia-associated pneumonia.

Neutropenia and related infections are the most important dose-limiting toxicities in anticancer chemotherapy and radiotherapy. In this study, we explored a new strategy for augmenting host defense in neutropenia-related pneumonia. Phosphatidylinositol-3,4,5-trisphosphate (PtdIns(3,4,5)P3) signaling in neutrophils was elevated by depleting PTEN, a phosphatidylinositol 3′-phosphatase that hydrolyzes PtdIns(3,4,5)P3. In myeloid-specific PTEN knockout mice, significantly more neutrophils were recruited to the inflamed lungs during neutropenia-associated pneumonia. Using an adoptive transfer technique, we demonstrated that this enhancement could be caused directly by PTEN depletion in neutrophils. In addition, disruption of PTEN increased the recruitment of macrophages and elevated proinflammatory cytokines/chemokine levels in the inflamed lungs, which could also be responsible for the enhanced neutrophil recruitment. Depleting PTEN also significantly delayed apoptosis and enhanced the bacteria-killing capability of the recruited neutrophils. Finally, we provide direct evidence that enhancement of neutrophil function by elevating PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 signaling can alleviate pneumonia-associated lung damage and decrease pneumonia-elicited mortality. Collectively, these results not only provide insight into the mechanism of action of PTEN and PtdIns(3,4,5)P3 signaling pathway in modulating neutrophil function during lung infection and inflammation, but they also establish PTEN and related pathways as potential therapeutic targets for treating neutropenia-associated pneumonia.
Constraints on fault slip rates of the southern California plate boundary from GPS velocity and stress inversions

SUMMARY We use Global Positioning System (GPS) velocities and stress orientations inferred from seismicity to invert for the distribution of slip on faults in the southern California plate-boundary region. Of particular interest is how long-term slip rates are partitioned between the Indio segment of the San Andreas fault (SAF), the San Jacinto fault (SJF) and the San Bernardino segment of the SAF. We use two new sets of constraints to address this problem. The first is geodetic velocities from the Southern California Earthquake Center’s (SCEC) Crustal Motion Map (version 3 by Shen et al.), which includes significantly more data than previous models. The second is a regional model of stress-field orientations at seismogenic depths, as determined from earthquake focal mechanisms. While GPS data have been used in similar studies before, this is the first application of stress-field observations to this problem. We construct a simplified model of the southern California fault system, and estimate the interseismic surface velocities using a backslip approach with purely elastic strain accumulation, following Meade et al. In addition, we model the stress orientations at seismogenic depths, assuming that crustal stress results from the loading of active faults. The geodetically derived stressing rates are found to be aligned with the stress orientations from seismicity. We therefore proceed to invert simultaneously GPS and stress observations for slip rates of the faults in our network. We find that the regional patterns of crustal deformation as imaged by both data sets can be explained by our model, and that joint inversions lead to better constrained slip rates. In our preferred model, the SJF accommodates ∼15 mm yr −1 and the Indio segment of the SAF ∼23 mm yr −1 of right-lateral motion, accompanied by a low slip rate on the San Bernardino segment of the SAF. ‘Anomalous’ fault segments such as around the 1992 M w = 7.3 Landers surface rupture can be detected. There, observed stresses deviate strongly from the long-term loading as predicted by our simple model. Evaluation of model misfits together with information from palaeoseismology may provide further insights into the time dependence of strain accumulation along the San Andreas system.
Sporulation Phenotype of a Bacillus subtilis Mutant Expressing an Unprocessable but Active σE Transcription Factor

SigmaE, a sporulation-specific sigma factor of Bacillus subtilis, is formed from an inactive precursor (pro-sigmaE) by a developmentally regulated processing reaction that removes 27 amino acids from the proprotein's amino terminus. A sigE variant (sigE335) lacking 15 amino acids of the prosequence is not processed into mature sigmaE but is active without processing. In the present work, we investigated the sporulation defect in sigE335-expressing B. subtilis, asking whether it is the bypass of proprotein processing or a residual inhibition of sigmaE activity that is responsible. Fluorescence microscopy demonstrated that sigE335-expressing B. subtilis progresses further into sporulation (stage III) than do strains lacking sigmaE activity (stage II). Consistent with its stage III phenotype, and a defect in sigmaE activity rather than its timing, the sigE335 allele did not disturb early sporulation gene expression but did inhibit the expression of late sporulation genes (gerE and sspE). The Spo- phenotype of sigE335 was found to be recessive to wild-type sigE. In vivo assays of sigmaE activity in sigE, sigE335, and merodiploid strains indicate that the residual prosequence on sigmaE335, still impairs its activity to function as a transcription factor. The data suggest that the 11-amino-acid extension on sigmaE335 allows it to bind RNA polymerase and direct the resulting holoenzyme to sigmaE-dependent promoters but reduces the enzyme's ability to initiate transcription initiation and/or exit from the promoter.
Safety, immunization coverage and determinants of a new kind of hepatitis B vaccine firstly applied in Ningbo, China.

Evaluate safety and immunization coverage of a new kind of recombinant Hepatitis B vaccine (HepB) in Ningbo city, China. Two groups were carried out in 2 of 11 randomly selected countries in Ningbo in 2009. All of the infants born from July 1 to December 31, 2009 were enrolled as subjects and received 3 doses of HepB at 0, 1, 6 month. Control group (N = 3452) received current HepB derived from Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast (HepB made by recombinant DNA techniques in Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Yeast, HepB-SCY; 5 μg/0.5 ml per dose) and experimental group (N = 5104) received the new kind of HepB derived from Hansenula polymorpha Yeast (HepB made by recombinant DNA techniques in Hansenula polymorpha Yeast, HepB-HPY; 10 μg/0.5 ml per dose). 3-dose and timely birth dose (TBD) coverage were available and compared between 2 groups. Standard structured questionnaires were applied to record information from parents and hospitals for selecting determinants of coverage. The data were analyzed using stepwise multiple logistic regression models. After each dose, HepB-related adverse events (AEs) and recta-temperature were recorded for 7 days. 3-dose coverage in control group (89.98%) was higher than that in experimental group (χ2 = 575.1173, P < 0.0001). TBD coverage in control and experimental group were 98.41% and 98.53%, respectively. No statistically significant difference in TBD coverage was found between 2 groups (χ2 = 0.0623, P = 0.8029). A total of 9 local AEs were reported, 4 for control group and 5 for experimental group. The percentages of subjects reporting AEs were similar across the 2 vaccination groups. No serious or immediate reactions were found in this study. From logistic models, receiving 10 μg vaccine (odds ratio [OR]:0.38; 95% confidence interval [95%CI]: 0.34-0.44) and mother migrating from other cities (OR: 0.45; 95%CI: 0.42-0.47) were the determinants for non-acceptance of 3 doses of HepB; infants born from low grade hospitals and native mothers contributed to administrate the TBD.
Normal Coding Sequence of Insulin Gene in Pima Indians and Nauruans, Two Groups With Highest Prevalence of Type II Diabetes

The nucleotide sequence of the insulin gene was determined in American Pima Indians and Micronesian Nauruans, two populations in whom the prevalence of non-insulin-dependent (type II) diabetes mellitus is the highest in the world. The insulin gene was amplified by the polymerase chain reaction to generate single-stranded DNA suitable for direct sequencing. The nucleotide sequences of the coding and adjacent regions of the insulin gene in six Pima Indians and two Nauruans with type II diabetes were identical to previously published insulin gene sequences of nondiabetic subjects.
Characterization of optical wavefront distortions due to a boundary layer at hypersonic speeds

A MHz rate Shack-Hartmann sensor has been built which allows the measurement of wavefront phase distortion in high speed flows. It is capable of obtaining 30 frame movies at up to 500 kHz or 1 MHz with a 2 ps pause at every fifth frame. The sensor was used to obtain the distortion due to flow over a wedge at Mach 2.4 at a 7.8 kHz framing rate. It was also used at 500 kHz to measure the optical path difference due to a nitrogen free jet and due to a hypersonic boundary layer at Mach 8. Results are promising and the system is still under further development.
Dimensions of evidence.

In the J anuary-February issue of the JABFP, John Geyman introduced the subject of evidence-based medicine by presenting an overview of the gap be­ tween evidence and practice and the challenges ahead as we attempt to fill the gap.l Several parent concerns are driving the evi­ dence-based approach. First, the usual sources of clinical advice, expert opinions, have proved vari­ able and unreliable. 'When one asks a group of ex­ perts a straightforward clinical question, one is as likely as not to get a range of answers rather than a single answer based on evidence. The American Medical Association Diagnosis and Treatment Therapeutic Assessment (DATTA) program in which experts are polled always impresses by the dispersion of the responses as much as by the (un­ common) convergence of opinion. An evidence­ based approach should be able to tell us which of the options is best supported by scientific data. Second, there is tremendous geographic varia­ tion in the use of some diagnostic and therapeutic modalities without an evident basis for the varia­ tion in the prevalence or incidence of the disease. An evidence-based approach should narrow the variation to those options with the best evidence, regardless of geographic location. Third, there is a gap between practice and evidence. The gap is of at least two types: when we do not have evidence, and when we have evidence but fail to apply it. An evidence-based approach should help make clear which of these problems needs to be addressed. Fourth, costs of medical care in the United States are higher absolutely and proportionally than in any other industrialized country. An evi­ dence-based approach has potential for constrain­ ing costs because standards to accept (and pay for) a new intervention are high. An evidence-based approach could also prove an expensive interven
A neural network isolated word recognition system for moderate sized databases

A neural net-based isolated word recognition system that was tested on a moderate sized database is presented. The system includes an acoustic preprocessor, feature maps and single layer feedforward networks which are used for classification of the input from the preprocessor. The feature maps are trained using the K-means algorithm. The single layer feedforward networks are trained using the backpropagation algorithm. Several methods are studied to partition a moderate sized database into smaller groups, so as to obtain high speaker dependent recognition rates. >
Differential visual depth discrimination of hooded as compared to albino rats

Hooded and albino rats were compared with each other on the visual cliff when the deep side was varied in its distance below the glass. The two species both discriminated depth and did not differ from each other when the deep side was 10 in. below the glass. Hooded animals chose the shallow side over the deep side when the deep side was 4 in. below the glass. Albino animals had chance performance when the deep side was 4 in. or 6 in. below the glass, but they showed a significant preference for the shallow side at 8 in. of differential visual depth.
Temperature-Robust Performance Yield through Supply Voltage Selection

In nanoscale system design, increased susceptibility to variation makes robustness an important concern, along with speed and power. To consider robustness amidst variations, fixed performance parameters can be replaced with their distributions during the design process. In this paper, supply voltage selection is used to manage the trade-offs among speed, power, and temperature robustness. Optimal supply voltages are found for different performance goals by considering the variance of the design as well as the mean performance. Furthermore, overall design margins can be increased by finding the best combinations of means and variances in each design decision.
SPECT in the Year 2000: Basic Principles

Objective: SPECT has become a routine procedure in most nuclear medicine departments. SPECT provides significant technical challenges for the nuclear medicine technologist, as compared with planar imaging, in the areas of SPECT acquisition, image reconstruction, and data processing. Many new advances in SPECT methodology are becoming available, such as iterative reconstruction, multimodality fusion, and advanced gated cardiac SPECT. SPECT imaging is demanding and requires careful attention to proper acquisition protocols, whether circular or noncircular orbits, and postprocessing is becoming more complex with the addition of iterative reconstruction and attenuation correction algorithms, among others. Understanding the principles of SPECT is essential not only to produce the highest quality scans but also to identify image artifacts. After reading this article, the nuclear medicine technologist should be able to: (a) describe the historical development and benefits of SPECT imaging; (b) state the impact of image matrix size, number of projections, and arc of rotation on final SPECT image quality; (c) discuss the trade-offs between image noise content and spatial and contrast resolution in SPECT reconstruction; (d) discuss SPECT filters and their impact on image quality; (e) explain the differences between filtered backprojection and iterative reconstruction; and (f) describe the impact of attenuation and scatter in SPECT imaging and the advantages and pitfalls of attenuation correction methods.
Cognitive processing using spiking neural networks

Powerful parallel cognitive processors can be developed by studying biologically plausible models of cognitive systems in animals and extrapolating key principles to be adapted for implementation in digital computer architectures. The network described here uses basic statistical methods such as proportion sampling on a massively parallel scale to create a general purpose pattern classifier. From these principles, we can achieve auto association and self organization that provides fundamental cognitive processing. Signal preprocessing is essential to transform the signal into a scale and rotation invariant binary pattern. The network avoids the curse of dimensionality by filtering out irrelevant inputs, allowing us to combine large sensor input vectors from multiple sources. Recent hardware designs define the network structure and state in memory, and then use accelerator processor cores to modify these memory structures in parallel.
Operational rationality through compilation of anytime algorithms

An important and largely ignored aspect of real-time decision making is the capability of agents to factor the cost of deliberation into the decision making process. I have developed an efficient model that creates this capability. The model uses as basic components {\em anytime algorithms} whose quality of results improves gradually as computation time increases. The main contribution of this work is a {\em compilation} process that extends the property of gradual improvement from the level of single algorithms to the level of complex systems. In standard algorithms, the fixed quality of the output allows for composition to be implemented by a simple call-return mechanism. However, when algorithms have resource allocation as a degree of freedom, there arises the question of how to construct, for example, the optimal composition of two anytime algorithms, one of which feeds its output to the other. This scheduling problem is solved by an off-line compilation process and a run-time monitoring component that together generate a utility maximizing behavior. The crucial meta-level knowledge is kept in the {\em anytime library} in the form of {\em conditional performance profiles}. These profiles characterize the performance of each elementary anytime algorithm as a function of run-time and input quality. The compilation process therefore extends the principles of procedural abstraction and modularity to anytime computation. Its efficiency is significantly improved by using {\em local compilation} that works on a single program structure at a time. Local compilation is proved to yield global optimality for a large set of program structures. Compilation produces {\em contract} algorithms which require the determination of the total run-time when activated. Some real-time domains require {\em interruptible} algorithms whose total run-time is unknown in advance. An important result of this work is a general method by which an interruptible algorithm can be constructed once a contract algorithm is compiled. Finally, the notion of gradual improvement of quality is extended to sensing and plan execution and the application of the model is demonstrated through a simulated robot navigation system. The result is a modular approach for developing real-time agents that act by performing anytime actions and make decisions using anytime computation.
Editorial Commentary: Challenges to Estimating Norovirus Disease Burden.

cases. However, current diagnostics rely on molecular methods that are largely restricted to public health and research laboratories, and no commercial assay has been approved for use in the United States to diagnose individual norovirus cases. As a result, there is no case or clinical laboratory-based reporting system for sporadic norovirus disease. Likewise, norovirus-specific codes in administrative data, such as insurance claims, are typically used only when there is laboratory confirmation and thus are highly insensitive. Moreover, only approximately 15% of patients with AGE in the community seek medical attention, and of those who seek medical attention, diagnostic testing is requested from only 13% [5]. These healthcare use indicators can vary significantly based on patient factors (eg, age, socioeconomic status, insurance coverage) and healthcare provider practices, which further complicate attempts to extrapolate findings from inpatients and outpatients to the community. Given these challenges, national surveillance for norovirus disease in the United States is limited to outbreaks, which are reported passively and therefore are subject to tremendous variability, and vastly underestimate the overall burden of disease. In this month’s edition of the
Pain in People With Alzheimer Disease Potential Applications for Psychophysical and Neurophysiological Research

Pain management in people with dementia is a critical problem. Recently, psychophysical and neuroimaging techniques have been used to extend our understanding of pain processing in the brain as well as to identify structural and functional changes in Alzheimer disease (AD). But interpreting the complex relationship between AD pathology, brain activation, and pain reports is challenging. This review proposes a conceptual framework for designing and interpreting psychophysical and neuroimaging studies of pain processing in people with AD. Previous human studies describe the lateral (sensory) and medial (affective) pain networks. Although the majority of the literature on pain supports the lateral and medial networks, some evidence supports an additional rostral pain network, which is believed to function in the production of pain behaviors. The sensory perception of pain as assessed through verbal report and behavioral display may be altered in AD. In addition, neural circuits mediating pain perception and behavioral expression may be hyperactive or underactive, depending on the brain region involved, stage of the disease, and type of pain (acute experimental stimuli or chronic medical conditions). People with worsening AD may therefore experience pain but be unable to indicate pain through verbal or behavioral reports, leaving them at great risk of experiencing untreated pain. Psychophysical (verbal or behavioral) and neurophysiological (brain activation) approaches can potentially address gaps in our knowledge of pain processing in AD by revealing the relationship between neural processes and verbal and behavioral outcomes in the presence of acute or chronic pain.
A BEST TARGET STRATEGY: STRATEGY FOR UNMANNED SYSTEMS IN THE UNCERTAIN BATTLESPACE

Weaponized unmanned systems can be expected to search for and attack targets in a battlespace where there is a variety of targets with dierent values. An obvious goal of war fighters is to attack the most valued targets. This goal can be challenging in an uncertain battlespace where the number of detectable targets and their values are most likely not known with certainty at the time of launch. However, strategies are suggested to maximize the probability of a weaponized unmanned system attacking the most valued target within the battlespace. The strategy fits well with autonomous systems making decisions. The results of calculations and simulations show the strategies are robust to variabilities and uncertainties. The strategies are extended to multiple unmanned systems searching for targets in the same battle space. Information sharing between unmanned systems is considered as way of improving results.
Molecular organization of the desmoglein-plakoglobin complex

Different epithelial intercellular junctions contain distinct complexes incorporating plakoglobin. In adherens junctions, plakoglobin interacts with two molecules, the transmembrane adhesion protein of the cadherin family (e.g. E-cadherin) and alpha-catenin. The latter is thought to anchor the cadherin-plakoglobin complex to the cortical actin cytoskeleton. In desmosomes, plakoglobin forms a complex with desmosomal cadherins, either desmoglein (Dsg) or desmocollin (Dsc), but not with alpha-catenin. To further understand the structure and assembly of the plakoglobin-cadherin complexes we analyzed amino acid residues involved in plakoglobin-Dsg interactions using alanine scanning mutagenesis. Previously, we have shown that plakoglobin interacts with a 72 amino acid-long cytoplasmic domain (C-domain) that is conserved among desmosomal and classic cadherins. In this paper, we show that a row of the large hydrophobic residues located at the C-terminal portion of the Dsg C-domain is indispensable for interaction with plakoglobin. To study a reciprocal site we expressed plakoglobin (MPg) or its mutants tagged by 6 myc epitope in epithelial A-431 cells. Using sucrose gradient centrifugation and subsequent co-immunoprecipitation, MPg was found to be efficiently incorporated into the same type of complexes as endogenous plakoglobin. A major pool of Dsg-plakoglobin complexes sedimented at 8S and exhibited a 1:1 stoichiometry. Using alanine scanning mutagenesis and the co-immunoprecipitation assay we identified nine hydrophobic amino acids within the arm repeats 1-3 of plakoglobin, that are required for binding to Dsg and Dsc. Eight of these amino acids also participate in the interaction with alpha-catenin. No mutations were found to reduce the affinity of plakoglobin binding to E-cadherin. These data provide direct evidence that the same hydrophobic plakoglobin surface is essential for mutually exclusive interaction with distinct proteins such as alpha-catenin and desmosomal cadherins.
Graphene-Based Materials for Photoanodes in Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

This article reviews the research on the use of graphene and related materials in the photoanode of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Graphene-based materials, such as pristine graphene, graphene oxide, and reduced graphene oxide, have properties attractive for various components of the DSSC photoanode. We first provide a brief introduction to graphene properties and analyze requirements for making a high-performance photoanode. Then we introduce applications of graphene-based materials in each part of the DSSC photoanode, i.e., the transparent conducting electrode, the sensitizing material, and the semiconducting layer. Particularly, we discuss how the incorporation of graphene-based materials in those components can enhance the photoanode performance. It is clear that the outstanding properties of graphene, such as the fast electron transfer ability, high Young’s modulus, and good transparency, benefit DSSC photoanode research, and doping or surface modifications of graphene nanosheets with other materials can also improve the photoanode and thus the resulting cell performance. Finally, we present an outlook for current issues and further trends for using graphene materials in DSSC photoanodes.
Trends in PM2.5 emissions, concentrations and apportionments in Detroit and Chicago.

Abstract PM 2.5 concentrations throughout much of the U.S. have decreased over the last 15 years, but emissions and concentration trends can vary by location and source type. Such trends should be understood to inform air quality management and policies. This work examines trends in emissions, concentrations and source apportionments in two large Midwest U.S. cities, Detroit, Michigan, and Chicago, Illinois. Annual and seasonal trends were investigated using National Emission Inventory (NEI) data for 2002 to 2011, speciated ambient PM 2.5 data from 2001 to 2014, apportionments from positive matrix factorization (PMF) receptor modeling, and quantile regression. Over the study period, county-wide data suggest emissions from point sources decreased (Detroit) or held constant (Chicago), while emissions from on-road mobile sources were constant (Detroit) or increased (Chicago), however changes in methodology limit the interpretation of inventory trends. Ambient concentration data also suggest source and apportionment trends, e.g., annual median concentrations of PM 2.5 in the two cities declined by 3.2–3.6%/yr (faster than national trends), and sulfate concentrations (due to coal-fired facilities and other point source emissions) declined even faster; in contrast, organic and elemental carbon (tracers of gasoline and diesel vehicle exhaust) declined more slowly or held constant. The PMF models identified nine sources in Detroit and eight in Chicago, the most important being secondary sulfate, secondary nitrate and vehicle emissions. A minor crustal dust source, metals sources, and a biomass source also were present in both cities. These apportionments showed that the median relative contributions from secondary sulfate sources decreased by 4.2–5.5% per year in Detroit and Chicago, while contributions from metals sources, biomass sources, and vehicles increased from 1.3 to 9.2% per year. This first application of quantile regression to trend analyses of speciated PM 2.5 data reveals that source contributions to PM 2.5 varied as PM 2.5 concentrations decreased, and that the fraction of PM 2.5 due to emissions from vehicles and other local emissions has increased. Each data source has uncertainties, but emissions, monitoring and PMF data provide complementary information that can help to discern trends and identify contributing sources. Study results emphasize the need to target specific sources in policies and regulations aimed at decreasing PM 2.5 concentrations in urban areas.
Optimizing cardiovascular risk reduction during antihypertensive therapy.

The increasing understanding of the hemodynamic and metabolic effects of specific antihypertensive agents, and the recognition that not all effective blood pressure-lowering strategies have been demonstrated to have uniform or consistent benefit in reducting all forms of cardiovascular disease associated with hypertension has forced a critical reevaluation of the effects of specific antihypertensive drugs
Sorting Out GTMO

This paper considers the fate of the Guantamo (GTMO) detainees from the standpoints of rationality and intuitive justice; the Geneva Conventions; Supreme Court doctrines and decisions; and just deserts. The author proposes both hearing procedures and a final disposition which might be called "the Pitcairn Island Solution."
Laser-induced Forward Transfer of Ag Nanopaste

Over the past decade, there has been much development of non-lithographic methods1-3 for printing metallic inks or other functional materials. Many of these processes such as inkjet3 and laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT)4 have become increasingly popular as interest in printable electronics and maskless patterning has grown. These additive manufacturing processes are inexpensive, environmentally friendly, and well suited for rapid prototyping, when compared to more traditional semiconductor processing techniques. While most direct-write processes are confined to two-dimensional structures and cannot handle materials with high viscosity (particularly inkjet), LIFT can transcend both constraints if performed properly. Congruent transfer of three dimensional pixels (called voxels), also referred to as laser decal transfer (LDT)5-9, has recently been demonstrated with the LIFT technique using highly viscous Ag nanopastes to fabricate freestanding interconnects, complex voxel shapes, and high-aspect-ratio structures. In this paper, we demonstrate a simple yet versatile process for fabricating a variety of micro- and macroscale Ag structures. Structures include simple shapes for patterning electrical contacts, bridging and cantilever structures, high-aspect-ratio structures, and single-shot, large area transfers using a commercial digital micromirror device (DMD) chip.
Ifs, Ands, and Butts: Theological Reflections on Humor

Pour l'A., le comique et le tragique doivent etre envisages comme des elements congruents et non comme des elements opposes. Dans la tragedie, on fait l'experience de la contradiction a travers des choix forces; dans la comedie a travers une intuition gratuite. Le comique et le tragique mettent hors de combat l'absolutisme moral, mais permettent une strategie morale. L'humour est facteur de transformation sociale, mais pas de transgression des normes. Comme element contagieux, l'humour permet exceptionnellement la cruaute et la compassion. L'affinite entre la theologie et l'humour se fait moins a travers la foi qu'a travers l'enquete
TEMPERATURE-DEPENDENT STUDY OF THE CH3C(O)O2 + NO REACTION

The kinetics of the reaction between acetylperoxy radicals and nitric oxide have been examined both by transient IR absorption and by time-resolved UV spectroscopy. The former technique enables measurements of NO loss and NO2 formation, whereas the latter provides data on the decay of acetylperoxy radicals, the secondary formation of methylperoxy radicals, and their conversion into methylnitrite. The two methods give consistent rate constants which are fit by the expression k1 = (2. ) × 10-12e(570±140)/T cm3 s-1. The room temperature value of k1 = (1.4 ± 0.2) × 10-11 cm3 s-1 is somewhat smaller than the currently recommended value, which is based on indirect determinations of k1. Measurements of the CH3O2 and NO2 yields indicate that the reaction proceeds exclusively to the products CH3C(O)O and NO2. The negative temperature dependence suggests that the reaction proceeds via an intermediate adduct that rearranges and dissociates into the products.
Beliefs, practices, and personalities of software engineers: a survey in a large software company

In this paper we present the results from a survey about the beliefs, practices, and personalities of software engineers in a large software company. The survey received 797 responses. We report statistics about beliefs of software engineers, their work practices, as well as differences in those with respect to personality traits. For example, we observed no personality differences between developers and testers; managers were conscientious and more extraverted. We observed several differences for engineers who are listening to music and for engineers who have built a tool. We also observed that engineers who agree with the statement "Agile development is awesome" were more extroverted and less neurotic.
The kidney in health and disease: X. CNS manifestations of disordered salt and water balance.

Although the blood-brain barrier protects the CNS against excesses or deficits of sodium and water in isotonic proportions, this mechanism may fail, at least temporarily, if disordered renal functi...
A Singlet Phosphinidene Stable at Room Temperature

Summary We report the synthesis of a phosphorus analog of carbenes, namely a phosphinidene, that is stable for weeks in the solid state at room temperature. This compound, a (phosphino)phosphinidene, was prepared by irradiation-induced elimination of carbon monoxide from the corresponding (phosphino)phosphaketene. Because of the electronic properties of the substituent, this compound features a PP multiple bond, similarly to stable singlet aminocarbenes, which feature a nitrogen-carbon double bond. It undergoes a [2 + 1] cycloaddition with an electron-poor alkene and a [1 + 1] coupling reaction with isonitriles. We also show that, without steric protection, singlet phosphinidenes dimerize to give the corresponding diphosphenes.
Cognitive Mapping Techniques: Implications for Research in Engineering and Technology Education.

The primary goal of this paper is to present the theoretical basis and application of two types of cognitive maps, concept map and mind map, and explain how they can be used by educational researchers in engineering design research. Students thrive when they are afforded problem solving opportunities in ill-structured domains that embrace inquiry and design. As the frequency of these types of problem increases in high school curricula so are growing concerns that the problem solving strategies required to adequately approach and solve them may not be supported by the techniques and pedagogy used in most classrooms (Crismond, 2011; Christian & Silk, 2011). One of the approaches to enhance problem solving in ill-structured domains is cognitive mapping. Cognitive mapping techniques can also be useful to researchers as they study students’ problem solving strategies and cognitive processes.
Does Eosin Treat all P-type ATPases Equally?

A detailed chemical and molecular mechanism by which the hydrolysis of ATP is coupled to the uphill movement of ions remains to be elucidated, even though a variety of studies have provided a wealth of information about structural and kinetic aspects of P-type pump mechanisms. Identification of the amino acid residues of the ATP site would provide important information for determining this chemical mechanism. Many results are consistent with the idea that fluorescein-5-isothiocyanate (FITC) labels a lysine that is part of the ATP site of the Na+/K+-, H+/K+-, sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) Ca2+-, and plasma membrane (PM) Ca2+-pumps.
Stem Cells in Kidney Development and Regeneration

Abstract Chronic and acute renal diseases are an increasingly significant burden on the nation's health. Despite the clinical prevalence, few treatments are available for chronic renal diseases, which can progress towards end stage renal disease and ultimately require dialysis or transplantation. However, the potentials for using stem or progenitor cells for tissue engineering and renal replacement as novel therapies are slowly being realized. Beginning with the principles of developmental biology and knowledge of factors that specify renal stem cells, investigators are applying new principles to the kidney in the hopes of enhancing the regenerative capacity and improving long-term function. This chapter outlines the current understanding of kidney development, the cell lineages and factors regulating differentiation, and the role of stem or progenitor cells in regeneration. Although the future is promising, critical issues regarding the origin or presence of adult stem cells, the role of mesenchyme or bone marrow derived stem cells in regeneration, and the ability to reconstruct renal architecture remain unresolved.
Selling Costs and Cognitive Distancing

The last, and very important, component of nonprice competition that we will model is advertising — or, more broadly, selling cost activities — which we will treat as extrinsic characteristics of products. Their costs are distinguished from production and consonance costs as expenditures whose purposes are to affect demand functions for the brands rather than supply conditions.
Timing and deformation conditions of the western Idaho shear zone, West Mountain, west-central Idaho

The western Idaho shear zone is a major, lithospheric-scale structure separating accreted terranes of the Blue Mountains from continental North America. We document the occurrence of the western Idaho shear zone in West Mountain, west-central Idaho. Rocks deformed by the western Idaho shear zone at West Mountain are dominantly orthogneisses, although exposures on West Mountain containing screens of metamorphosed sedimentary rocks are also present. Steeply E-dipping, N-NNE–oriented foliations and downdip lineations characterize the fabric in the orthogneisses, consistent with dextral transpressional kinematics. The foliation orientation changes from 005° to 024° from the northern to the southern part of the field area, and this is interpreted to reflect a primary along-strike variation in the orientation of the western Idaho shear zone. The westernmost unit in West Mountain (Four Bit Creek tonalite) has a U-Pb zircon age of 101 ± 3.0 Ma, yet it is only weakly deformed. We interpret this unit to have been emplaced pretectonically, thus constraining the initiation of the western Idaho shear zone. The youngest unit at West Mountain is the undeformed Rat Creek granite (88.2 ± 3.3 Ma). U-Pb analyses of zircons from orthogneisses at West Mountain span ages of 111–91 Ma, indicating both precursory and continuous magmatism coeval with western Idaho shear zone deformation. Two Lu-Hf garnet isochron ages, 97.3 ± 0.7 Ma and 99.5 ± 1.4 Ma, are interpreted to indicate peak metamorphism during western Idaho shear zone deformation. Geochemical analyses suggest that the westernmost exposed orthogneiss units are dominantly derived from continental material in West Mountain, and yet there is also evidence for a component of accreted terrane rocks at depth east of the western Idaho shear zone.
A BVP nonexistence proof using Green's Theorem

Abstract Several recent papers investigate the boundary value problem ϕ ′ ′ ( t ) + λ ϕ ′ ( t ) + ϕ ( t ) 2 = 0 , t ≥ 0 subject to ϕ ( 0 ) = 1 , ϕ ( ∞ ) = 0 , which arises in certain situations of boundary layer flow. Previous work on the problem established the existence of a λ min ∈ [ 1 , 2 ∕ 3 ] such that solutions exist for λ ≥ λ min . It has been conjectured that for λ λ min no solution exists. We improve existing results by proving that for λ λ 1 ≈ . 96105 no solution to the boundary value problem exists. The proof employs a novel application of Green’s Theorem and is applicable to other boundary value problems.
The ultrastructure of pollen development in gymnosperms

SummaryA review of the ultrastructure of pollen development—from pre-meiosis to mature pollen—in Podoearpus and Pinus.
Sequential Heart and Autologous Stem Cell Transplantation for AL Amyloidosis.

Background: Patients with AL and congestive heart failure have a median survival of less than one year. Methods: Between 1994 and 2005, 11 patients underwent sequential heart transplant followed by autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplant (SCT) for treatment of AL. Patients had heart dominant AL with minimal/no other organ impairment and no evidence of multiple myeloma. Results: Patients ranged in age from 35 to 63 years (median 54). All had biopsy proven amyloidosis and monoclonal protein detectable in serum (73%) or urine (100%). Free light chain assay was available prior to SCT in 6 and was abnormal in all. All patients presented with NYHA Class III or IV heart failure. All but two patients had no other organ involved at the time of heart transplant. One patient had his heart transplant at another facility and had renal involvement at the time of heart transplant. One patient had peripheral nerve involvement documented prior to heart transplant. Five patients had progression of amyloid to involve other organs by the time of SCT. These included: renal (6), peripheral nerve (2), macroglossia (3), gastrointestinal (2). The median time from diagnosis to heart transplant was 3 months (range 1 to 5). The median time from heart transplant to SCT was 8 months, (range 3 to 24). Conditioning chemotherapy consisted of melphalan 200 mg /m2 (6 patients) or melphalan 140 mg/m2 (5 patients). Two patients died of complications before day +100, (TRM of 18%). Hematologic remissions were seen in 8 and organ responses in 3. Five were unable to be evaluated for organ response due to the heart transplant. Three died from progressive amyloidosis at 66, 56.7, and 55 months following SCT. The median survival is 56.7 months from SCT. Six are alive with a median follow-up of 24 months, range 9 to 90 months. Among the 6 surviving patients, one patient relapsed and one patient has failed to improve, but 4 patients are in continued remission. One patient developed secondary myelodysplastic syndrome. Conclusions: Heart transplant followed by SCT is feasible and offers durable remissions for carefully selected patients with cardiac AL.
Laser assisted hybrid additive manufacturing of thermoelectric modules

Thermoelectric generators (TEGs) are an attractive means to produce electricity, particular from waste heat applications. However, TEGs are almost exclusively manufactured as flat, rigid modules of limited size and shape, and therefore an appropriate mounting for intimate contact of TEGs modules onto arbitrary surfaces represents a significant challenge. In this study, we introduce laser assisted additive manufacturing method to produce multi-layered thermoelectric generator device directly on flat and non-flat surfaces for waste heat recovery. The laser assisted processing spans from laser scribing of thermal sprayed thin films, curing of dispensed thermoelectric inks and selective laser sintering to functionalize thermoelectric materials.
Realizing and adiabatically preparing bosonic integer and fractional quantum Hall states in optical lattices

We study the ground states of two-dimensional lattice bosons in an artificial gauge field. Using state-of-the-art density matrix renormalization group (DMRG) simulations we obtain the zero-temperature phase diagram for hard-core bosons at densities ${n}_{b}$ with flux ${n}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$ per unit cell, which determines a filling $\ensuremath{\nu}={n}_{b}/{n}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}$. We find the bosonic Jain sequence $[\ensuremath{\nu}=p/(p+1)]$ states, in particular, a bosonic integer quantum Hall phase at $\ensuremath{\nu}=2$, are fairly robust in the hard-core boson limit, In addition to identifying Hamiltonians whose ground states realize these phases, we discuss their preparation, beginning from independent chains, and ramping up interchain couplings. Using time-dependent DMRG simulations, these are shown to reliably produce states close to the ground state for experimentally relevant system sizes. Our proposal only utilizes existing experimental capabilities.
Anticoagulation Management Considerations for Mechanical Valves

All patients who receive mechanical valves should be anticoagulated with a vitamin K antagonist such as warfarin. The INR goal will be determined based on the type and location of the valve and patient-specific risk factors for thromboembolism.
Cell Death and Autophagy in Hepatic Stellate Cell Activation and Function

Hepatic fibrosis exacts a significant burden of disease worldwide, yet definitive treatment currently remains limited to liver transplant. Recently, advances in uncovering the mechanisms regulating fibrogenesis have broadened our understanding of how apoptosis and autophagy, which regulate cell survival and energy homeostasis, contribute to fibrosis and its resolution. This review illustrates key pathways of autophagy and apoptosis regulating the activation of hepatic stellate cells, the principal matrix-producing cell in liver injury. We also detail the stellate cell’s pathways that modulate both autophagy and apoptosis and identify potential cross talk between these two cellular responses. Clarification of mechanisms underlying autophagy and apoptosis in hepatic stellate cells has clear translational relevance and could unearth novel targets of antifibrotic therapies and pathways to restore normal hepatic architecture in liver injury.
Unhealthy dependency in victims and perpetrators of child maltreatment: A meta-analytic review

Objective Theoretical conceptualizations of interpersonal dependency and dependent personality disorder suggest that (a) high levels of dependency in parents may increase risk for perpetration of child abuse and neglect and (b) children who are victimized may show elevated levels of dependency later in life. This study used meta-analytic techniques to examine these hypothesized links. Method A systematic search of psychological and medical online databases revealed 14 published studies (21 effect sizes) examining the link between parental dependency and perpetration of abuse or neglect (overall N of perpetrators = 1,321), and 14 published studies (25 effect sizes) assessing dependency in victims of child abuse and neglect (overall N of victims = 38,265). Results The dependency–abuse effect size (d) for perpetrators collapsed across all moderating variables was 0.36, which is considered to be in the medium range. The dependency–victimization effect size (d) collapsed across all moderating variables was 0.29, also a medium effect size. Conclusion These results support and extend analyses of the relationship between dependency and child maltreatment, and suggest that dependency may be both a precipitant of child maltreatment and consequence of victimization. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed, with suggestions for further research outlined.
My Last Shot: Make the Economy Ours

We have reified the concept of economy. I review some illustrations of the current use of economy and argue for making the economy our concept. It is too important to leave to economists.