cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Theory of Autonomy

Marxist materialism and post-structuralist philosophy offer alternatives to the rationalism Habermas proposes. But marxist materialism, while it provides a philosophic basis for economic and political democracy that seems marginalized by the rationalist perspective, easily lapses into a metaphysics of substance and of subjectivity that would be dismantled from the post-structuralist perspective. And post-structuralism, while it provides a valuable perspective on the enabling and positive power of indeterminacy and difference, is caught politically between a radical reformism that prescribes work from within existing institutions and a philosophic utopianism that denies to the oppressed access to necessary instruments of struggle — ideals of identity most importantly. I will consider the politics of post-structuralism in the next chapter. Here I will discuss the evolution of a thinker, Antonio Negri, whose theory of autonomy connects a democratic revolutionary political model to a materialist philosophy and whose work offers one of the most sustained meditations on the necessity of democratic organization to marxist politics in the contemporary experience.
Dissention and distress in a cognitive apprenticeship in reading

Abstract A qualitative case study was conducted to explore and theorize a foundering, unfriendly cognitive apprenticeship in reading between a college student and a child. Assumptions of benevolence in social constructivist pedagogical practices were explored as the following research questions were addressed: (1) Why did the cognitive apprenticeship fail? and (2) What is the relevance of the interpersonal relationship to a cognitive apprenticeship? A model incorporating relevant issues such as communication, power, trust, identities, and relevance is presented and discussed within an interpretation of this case study.
Preclinical Models of Overwhelming Sepsis Implicate the Neural System that Encodes Contextual Fear Memory

Long-term sepsis survivors sustain cryptic brain injury that leads to cognitive impairment, emotional imbalance and Increased disability burden. Suitable animal models of sepsis, such as cecal ligation and puncture (CLP), have permitted the analysis of abnormal brain circuits that underlie post-septic behavioral phenotypes. For instance, we have previously shown that CLP-exposed mice exhibit impaired spatial memory together with depleted dendritic arbors and decreased spines in the apical dendrites of pyramidal neurons in the CA1 region of the hippocampus. Here we show that contextual fear conditioning, a form of associative memory for fear, is chronically disrupted in CLP mice when compared with sham-operated animals. We also find that excitatory neurons in the basolateral nucleus of the amygdala (BLA) and granule cells in the dentate gyrus (DG) display significantly fewer dendritic spines in the CLP group relative to the sham mice, although the dendritic arbors and gross morphology of the BLA and DG are comparable between the two groups. Moreover, the basal dendrites of CA1 pyramidal neurons are unaffected in CLP mice. Taken together, our data indicate that structural damage in the amygdalar-hippocampal network represents the neural substrate for impaired contextual fear memory in long-term sepsis survivors. Further, our data suggest that brain injury caused by overwhelming sepsis alters the stability of the synaptic connections involved in associative fear. These results likely have implications for the emotional imbalance observed in human sepsis survivors.
On the road with Roger Penrose

The subtitle of Roger Penrose's new book modestly promises "a complete guide to the laws of the universe". Remarkably, it almost succeeds in delivering on this promise. Of course, no book – even one that weighs in at just under 1100 pages – can hope to encapsulate all the laws of the universe. First of all, if one includes the laws of chemistry and biology, not to mention the unwritten laws of how to get a date on Saturday night, then there are simply too many natural laws to include in such a space. Second, and more importantly, we do not yet know all these laws.
Odontoid Fracture in a Patient With Diffuse Idiopathic Skeletal Hyperostosis

Nonoperative management of fractures in the setting of diffuse idiopathic skeletal hyperostosis (DISH) or ankylosing spondylitis is often unsuccessful. The subaxial spine is a common site of hyperextension fractures in the setting of DISH. Fractures of the upper cervical spine are uncommon in DISH. We report, to our knowledge, the first case describing successful nonoperative management of a type 2 odontoid fracture in a patient with DISH. We discuss the patient's initial presentation, physical examination, imaging findings, and management. A 73-year-old male presented with neck pain to the emergency department after sustaining a ground-level fall. Computed tomography of the cervical spine demonstrated a minimally displaced type 2 odontoid fracture in the setting of extensive DISH. He was immobilized with a hard cervical collar as the definitive management of his fracture. The collar was discontinued after 3 months. At his 2-year follow-up, he had a stable fibrous nonunion at the fracture site with tolerable neck pain. Flexion-extension radiographs demonstrated a stable alignment, and nonoperative management was continued. In selected patients with odontoid fractures in the setting of DISH, there is a role for nonoperative management alongside close monitoring.
Skin, nail, and staphylococcal infections associated with the addition of pertuzumab to trastuzumab-based chemotherapy.

e11610 Background: The addition of pertuzumab, to trastuzumab-based chemotherapy is currently considered first-line therapy for locally advanced and metastatic disease HER2 positive breast cancer a...
The Nexus Between the Documentation of End-of-Life Wishes and Awareness of Dying: A Model for Research, Education and Care

The convergence of medical treatment that can extend life with written medical orders that make it possible to refuse such treatment brings the differential dynamics of contemporary end-of-life decision making into sharp focus. Communication between families and clinicians can be confusing, uncertain, and pressured when death is imminent. These situations create distress that ultimately influences the end-of-life experience for people who are dying and those who care for them. This article presents the analysis of the decisional dynamics that emerge from the intersection of the patient-family-provider awareness that death is near with the presence or absence of documentation of expressed wishes for end-of-life care. A heuristic analysis was conducted with data from three studies about urgent decision making at the end of life. Original study data included 395 surveys, in-depth interviews with 91 prehospital (paramedics and emergency medical technicians), and content analysis of 100 Medical Orders for Life Sustaining Treatment forms that led to the development of an overarching conceptual model of decision making. Four decisional contexts emerged from the intersection of awareness of dying and documentation of wishes: 1) Aware Documented, 2) Aware Undocumented, 3) Unaware Documented, and 4) Unaware Undocumented. This generalizable model, which is agnostic of setting, can help clinicians more astutely recognize the clinical situation when death is imminent, assess patients and caregivers, and intervene to help focus conversation and direct decision making. The model can also inform research, education, and care for people in some of the most vulnerable moments of life.
On the global structure of some natural fibrations of Joyce manifolds

The study of fibrations of the target manifolds of string/M/F-theories has provided many insights to the dualities among these theories or even as a tool to build up dualities since the work of Strominger, Yau, and Zaslow on the Calabi-Yau case. For M-theory compactified on a Joyce manifold M 7 , the fact that M 7 is constructed via a generalized Kummer construction on a 7-torus T 7 with a torsion-free G2-structure ϕ suggests that there are natural fibrations of M 7 by T 3 , T 4 , and K3 surfaces in a way governed by ϕ. The local picture of some of these fibrations and their roles in dualities between string/M-theory have been studied intensively in the work of Acharya. In this present work, we explain how one can understand their global and topological details in terms of bundles over orbifolds. After the essential background is provided in Sec. 1, we give general discussions in Sec. 2 about these fibrations, their generic and exceptional fibers, their monodromy, and the base orbifolds. Based on these, one obtains a 5-step-routine to understand the fibrations, which we illustrate by examples in Sec. 3. In Sec. 4, we turn to another kind of fibrations for Joyce manifolds, namely the fibrations by the Calabi-Yau threefolds constructed by Borcea and Voisin. All these fibrations arise freely and naturally from the work of Joyce. Understanding how the global structure of these fibrations may play roles in string/M-theory duality is one of the major issues for further pursuit.
Alterations in steroid-responsiveness during ontogeny of mouse mammary epithelium.

ABSTRACT Several aspects of the ontogeny of the mouse mammary gland are presented as a means of illustrating certain hormone-cell relationships. The aborted development of the mammary epithelium in the male fetus, ascribable to fetus-derived androgen, exemplifies a system in which a steroid hormone affects one cell type via another cell type. The direct target cell is responsive to androgen only on days 13-15. Insulin and glucocorticoid effect partial differentiation of mammary epithelial cells in the first half of pregnancy, and in mammary explants from both virgin and pregnant animals. Yet, such differentiation does not occur in intact virgin animals. This is apparently related, not to glucocorticoid-insensitivity, but to insulin-insensitivity of the cells in the virgin. Mammary cells become insulin-sensitive by day 2 of pregnancy, and explanted virgin cells acquire sensitivity in culture. Insulin-unresponsiveness in the virgin cells reflects a lesion distal to the receptor. Progesterone represses lactogenesis of the differentiating tissue in vivo and in vitro . By contrast, the steroid does not diminish secretory activity after the tissue attains a lactating state; lack of biological response in this instance corresponds to absence of detectable progesterone receptors. A difference in the differentiative potential of mammary cells from mature virgin and primiparous mice suggests that certain hormones may be effective only in certain phases of the cell cycle.
LABORATORY SIMULATION OF TORNADIC WIND LOADS ON A CYLINDRICAL STRUCTURE

Ward's tornado simulator has been modified to study the interaction of tornadic flowfields with structures. Measurements with and without swirl have been made of the pressure on the surface of a cylindrical model placed in the simulator. The model, similar to a nuclear reactor containment building, is a circular cylinder with a hemispherical roof. Results for the surface pressure coefficient are presented for swirl angles of 0° and 45° with the model at two positions in the simulator: 1) the convergent zone, 2) at the boundary of the convergent and convection zone. The tornado-like vortex is observed to induce a circulation about the cylinder thereby reorienting the net force away from the imposed swirl angle.
Alexa Irene Canady: the first African-American woman neurosurgeon.

Background The advances of the civil rights movement in the mid-20th century made it possible for many African Americans to have the opportunity to enter the distinguished field of neurosurgery, beginning in 1953 with Clarence S. Greene, Sr. This report details the career and exploits of the first African-American woman neurosurgeon, Alexa Irene Canady, MD. Methods A comprehensive review of pertinent modern and historical records spanning the past century was performed. Results Born on November 7, 1950, in Lansing, MI, Canady received her MD from the University of Michigan in 1975, graduating with distinction and being elected into the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society. Training in neurosurgery under Dr. Shelley Chou from 1976-1981 at the University of Minnesota, she became the program's first female graduate. Following residency, she trained as a pediatric neurosurgery fellow at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. In 1984, Canady became the first African-American woman certified by the American Board of Neurological Surgery. She subsequently continued a long, distinguished career in pediatric neurosurgery, first at Henry Ford and later as chief of neurosurgery at Children's Hospital of Michigan before retiring in 2001. Among her many accolades, she was named 1993 Woman of the Year by the American Woman's Medical Association. Conclusion Canady's diligence, perseverance and commitment enabled her to overcome tremendous odds to become the first African-American woman neurosurgeon, trained at the University of Minnesota. A true pioneer, her achievements have inspired many, opening the door for subsequent women and African Americans to enhance the field of neurosurgery.
Physiological effect of the alterations of plasmids derived from Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Transfer of plasmid DNA from penicillinase-producingNeisseria gonorrhoeae toEscherichia coli produced relatively small colonies that became pigmented in the presence of the dye, congo red. Mutations to large, non-pigmented colonies were frequent, and were the result of a variety of alterations in these plasmids. Miniplasmid formation was the major alteration that led to non-pigmented colonies. However, deletions in any of three putative replication regions resulted in non-pigmented colonies. These altered plasmids mediated significantly less β-lactamase production than that of the parent plasmid. A new origin of replication was discovered and mapped within the miniplasmid. This origin was responsible for: 1) high plasmid copy number, 2) stability of inheritance, and 3) the majority of β-lactamase produced in culture. The evolution of gonococcal plasmids may be followed inE. coli, since less defective plasmids produce nonpigmented colonies on congo red agar medium.
Off the Record: The National Security Council, Drone Killings & Historical Accountability

The central and expanding role of the National Security Council (NSC) in drone and other extrajudicial killings of both U.S. citizens and citizens of other nations highlights the troubling and largely overlooked fact that, since the mid-1990s, the U.S. government has taken the categorical position that the NSC is exempt from both the documentation requirements of the Federal Records Act (FRA) and the disclosure requirements of the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA). Instead, the U.S. government treats all NSC records pursuant to the much less stringent, and nearly unenforceable, Presidential Records Act (PRA). The current situation undermines the ability to assess, evaluate, and, where appropriate, hold accountable the U.S. government for the extrajudicial killing of U.S. citizens and citizens of other nations. This obstacle to accountability obtains before a court adjudicating a wrongful death suit by the family members of people killed; it impedes deliberations by current and future government officials deciding whether to continue the program; it hinders Congress’s role in evaluating whether to impose limits on the program; and it largely prevents future historians from meaningfully studying the extraordinary period in U.S. history when senior officials personally marked for death individuals beyond the borders. This article describes the NSC’s expanding role in the drone killing program; the history of the NSC’s relationship to the FRA, the PRA, and the FOIA; and the consequences of limited documentation requirements governing the NSC’s involvement in the program, including implications of the lack of transparency and accountability for the expansion of executive power. The article argues for greater documentation and disclosure requirements for the NSC to ensure accountability to Congress, the public, and history regarding the current program of extrajudicial killings of U.S. citizens and citizens of other nations.
The poor generalization of deep convolutional networks to aerial imagery from new geographic locations: an empirical study with solar array detection

Convolutional neural networks (CNNs) have recently achieved unprecedented performance for the automatic recognition of objects (e.g., buildings, roads, or vehicles) in color aerial imagery. Although these results are promising, questions remain about their practical applicability. This is because there is a wide variability in the visual characteristics of remote sensing imagery across different geographic locations, and CNNs are often trained and tested on imagery from nearby (or the same) geographic locations. It is therefore unclear whether trained CNNs will perform well on new, previously unseen, geographic locations, which is an important practical consideration. In this work we investigate this problem when applying CNNs for solar array detection on a large aerial imagery dataset comprised of two nearby US cities. We compare the performance of CNNs under two conditions: training and testing on the same city vs training on one city and testing on another city. We discuss several subtle difficulties with these experiments and make recommendations. We show that there can be substantial performance loss in second case, when compared to the first. We also investigate how much training data is required from the unseen city in order to fine-tune the CNN so that it performs well. We investigate several different fine-tuning strategies, yielding a clear winner.
Generating bricks

A brick is a 3-connected graph such that the graph obtained from it by deleting any two distinct vertices has a perfect matching. The importance of bricks stems from the fact that they are building blocks of the matching decomposition procedure of Kotzig, and Lovasz and Plummer. We prove a ''splitter theorem'' for bricks. More precisely, we show that if a brick H is a ''matching minor'' of a brick G, then, except for a few well-described exceptions, a graph isomorphic to H can be obtained from G by repeatedly applying a certain operation in such a way that all the intermediate graphs are bricks and have no parallel edges. The operation is as follows: first delete an edge, and for every vertex of degree two that results contract both edges incident with it. This strengthens a recent result of de Carvalho, Lucchesi and Murty.
Family History of Breast Cancer Associated with Breast Cancer in Survivors of Hodgkin Lymphoma.

Introduction Advances in treatments for Hodgkin Lymphoma (HL) have significantly increased survival of childhood and adult patients; however, the leading cause of death in HL survivors is due to secondary malignancy following HL treatment [1,2]. Among women treated for HL, breast cancer (BC) is the most common secondary malignancy [3]. We explored if an association exists between HL and BC exists within families. Methods Utilizing the Utah Population Database and the Utah Cancer Registry, we identified 988 women with HL, and no history of BC prior to HL, diagnosed in Utah from 1966-2014. We examined if women with HL were at greater risk of developing BC based on the presence or absence of family history of BC. We also examined the familial recurrence risk of BC among female FDRs of women with HL and BC using Cox regression methods. Result Among 988 female HL patients, 42 (4.3%) were diagnosed with subsequent BC while among 9,876 matched controls, 280 controls (2.8%) were diagnosed with BC from 1966-2014 (P < 0.05). We observed a significant 3-fold increased risk of BC in the first-degree relatives (parent, full sibling, or child of patient) of female HL patients with subsequent BC, compared to FDR in controls (HR = 2.8, 95%CI 1.4-5.6; P = 0.005). Female HL patients who had a family history of BC were significantly more likely to develop BC, compared to HL patients with no history of BC among relatives (HR = 3.3, 95%CI 1.6-7.1; P = 0.002). Conclusion Women with HL and a family history of BC are at even higher than anticipated risk of BC, as are their female relatives. Obtaining a thorough family history for a woman preparing to undergo therapy for HL is important for treatment decisions for HL and maintaining an up to date family history over time is also important for the management of a woman's ongoing cancer risks and her surveillance strategy following survival of HL.
Glutaminergic signaling in the caudate nucleus is required for behavioral sensitization to methylphenidate.

Abstract Methylphenidate (MPD) is a widely prescribed psychostimulant for the treatment of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, and is growing in use as a recreational drug and academic enhancer. MPD acts on the reward/motive and motor circuits of the CNS to produce its effects on behavior. The caudate nucleus (CN) is known to be a part of these circuits, so a lesion study was designed to elucidate the role of the CN in response to acute and chronic MPD exposure. Five groups of n = 8 rats were used: control, sham CN lesions, non-specific electrolytic CN lesions, dopaminergic-specific (6-OHDA toxin) CN lesion, and glutaminergic-specific (ibotenic acid toxin) CN lesions. On experimental day (ED) 1, all groups received saline injections. On ED 2, surgeries took place, followed by a 5-day recovery period (ED 3–7). Groups then received six daily MPD 2.5 mg/kg injections (ED 9–14), then three days of washout with no injection (ED 15–17), followed by a re-challenge with the previous 2.5 mg/kg MPD dose (ED 18). Locomotive activity was recorded for 60 min after each injection by a computerized animal activity monitor. The electrolytic CN lesion group responded to the MPD acute and chronic exposures similarly to the control and sham groups, showing an increase in locomotive activity, i.e. sensitization. The dopaminergic-specific CN lesion group failed to respond to MPD exposure both acute and chronically. The glutaminergic-specific CN lesion group responded to MPD exposure acutely but failed to manifest chronic effects. This confirms the CN's dopaminergic system is necessary for MPD to manifest its acute and chronic effects on behavior, and demonstrates that the CN's glutaminergic system is necessary for the chronic effects of MPD such as sensitization. Thus, the dopaminergic and glutaminergic components of the CN play a significant role in differentially modulating the acute and chronic effects of MPD respectively.
Orientational Disorder in Epitaxially Connected Quantum Dot Solids.

Periodic arrays of strongly coupled colloidal quantum dots (QDs) may enable unprecedented control of electronic band structure through manipulation of QD size, shape, composition, spacing, and asse...
Response to Jan Burzlaff’s Review of Steven T. Katz, The Holocaust and New World Slavery

In responding to Jan Burzlaff’s lengthy review of my The Holocaust and New World Slavery, I would begin by calling attention to three significant characteristics of the review. First, and most impo...
A large-scale analysis of racial disparities in police stops across the United States.

We assessed racial disparities in policing in the United States by compiling and analysing a dataset detailing nearly 100 million traffic stops conducted across the country. We found that black drivers were less likely to be stopped after sunset, when a ‘veil of darkness’ masks one’s race, suggesting bias in stop decisions. Furthermore, by examining the rate at which stopped drivers were searched and the likelihood that searches turned up contraband, we found evidence that the bar for searching black and Hispanic drivers was lower than that for searching white drivers. Finally, we found that legalization of recreational marijuana reduced the number of searches of white, black and Hispanic drivers—but the bar for searching black and Hispanic drivers was still lower than that for white drivers post-legalization. Our results indicate that police stops and search decisions suffer from persistent racial bias and point to the value of policy interventions to mitigate these disparities. Pierson et al. compiled and analysed a dataset detailing nearly 100 million traffic stops conducted across the United States, finding evidence of persistent racial bias against black and Hispanic drivers in police stops and search decisions.
Refractory acquired angioedema in chronic lymphocytic leukemia.

Angioedema resulting in oral and facial swelling with possible airway compromise can be either hereditary or acquired. Hereditary angioedema is an autosomal dominant disease and results from an inh...
Abstract 1543: Development of a novel ECAD-EmGFP reporter line for pancreatic cancer MET study and drug discovery

World-wide, metastasis continues to be the leading cause of death in cancer patients1. Although epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and mesenchymal-to-epithelial transition (MET) have been implicated in the progression of cancer metastasis and drug resistance, their mechanistic pathway and specific role in disease progression is not fully understood2. As such, the development of a reporter line that enables the real-time monitoring of the changing status of cells will not only aid in dissecting the EMT/MET pathway in the research field, but could also become a robust platform for new cancer drug development. E-cadherin, an adhesion protein expressed in epithelial cells, is upregulated in pancreatic cancer cells during MET and is associated with an increase in tight junctions and apico-basal polarity, as well as a change in morphology3,4. Here, we developed a novel PANC-1 ECAD-EmGFP reporter line using CRISPR/Cas9 genome-editing technology. In this cell line, the emerald green fluorescent protein (EmGFP) reporter was incorporated into the last exon of the endogenous E-cadherin gene, enabling real-time monitoring of MET status in live cells. The ECAD-EmGFP knock-in allele was confirmed at genomic, transcriptional, and translational levels. Functional data revealed that miRNA-200 treatment induced the increased expression of ECAD-EmGFP, and decreased expression of Snail, a transcription factor associated with mesenchymal traits. These changes in marker gene expression, as well as the decrease in invasive capacity upon induction, suggest that cells have undergone MET. This cell line is a valuable tool for dissecting the molecular mechanisms underlying EMT and MET and for evaluating or screening compounds targeting EMT and MET in pancreatic cancer. 1. Dizon DS, et al. Clinical Cancer Advances 2016: Annual Report on Progress Against Cancer from the American Society of Clinical Oncology. J Clin Oncol 34: 987-1011, 2016. 2. Nieto MA, et al. EMT: 2016. Cell 166: 21-45, 2016. 3. Polireddy K, et al, Targeting Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition for Identification of Inhibitors for Pancreatic Cancer Cell Invasion and Tumor Spheres Formation. PLOS ONE 11(10): e0164811, 2016 4. Wong S, et al. E-cadherin: Its dysregulation in carcinogenesis and clinical implications. Critical Reviews in Oncology / Hematology 121: 11- 22, 2018 Citation Format: Diana Douglas, Sangeeta Kumari, Jarkko Huuskonen, Weiguo Shu. Development of a novel ECAD-EmGFP reporter line for pancreatic cancer MET study and drug discovery [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research 2020; 2020 Apr 27-28 and Jun 22-24. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2020;80(16 Suppl):Abstract nr 1543.
Preparing for postpartum: health care provider discussions and predictors of patient satisfaction.

Women’s health care providers are trusted sources of patient education during pregnancy and postpartum; however, little is known about discussion prevalence or patient satisfaction. The purposes of...
The Changing Culture of Statistics and Data Science: A Vision for the Profession

Do you want to improve the professional climate, environment, or culture of your workplace? Here are some basic concepts—diversity, equity, inclusion, inclusive leadership, and culture change—that will help you and other statisticians, data scientists, or STEMM colleagues to plan for inclusive excellence.
Analyzing Twitter Users' Behavior Before and After Contact by the Russia's Internet Research Agency

Social media platforms have been exploited to conduct election interference in recent years. In particular, the Russian-backed Internet Research Agency (IRA) has been identified as a key source of misinformation spread on Twitter prior to the 2016 U.S. presidential election. The goal of this research is to understand whether general Twitter users changed their behavior in the year following first contact from an IRA account. We compare the before and after behavior of contacted users to determine whether there were differences in their mean tweet count, the sentiment of their tweets, and the frequency and sentiment of tweets mentioning @realDonaldTrump or @HillaryClinton. Our results indicate that users overall exhibited statistically significant changes in behavior across most of these metrics, and that those users that engaged with the IRA generally showed greater changes in behavior.
IgG Surface Mobility Promotes Antibody Dependent Cellular Phagocytosis by Syk and Arp2/3 Mediated Reorganization of Macrophage FcγRs

Antibody dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP) removes malignant, immunologically aberrant, and infected cells in response to therapeutic antibodies and vaccines by recognition of cell surface antigens. Using lattice light sheet and TIRF microscopies we show that the phagocyte overcomes target cell restrictions on antigen mobility and drives microclustering of FcγR-IgG-antigen complexes and then reorganizes them into large patches that recruit Syk kinase, promote phosphorylation and trigger engulfment. Increased mobility of CD20-Rituximab in actin-disrupted B lymphoma cells enhanced microcluster reorganization, Syk recruitment and ADCP. Conversely, immobilization of CD20-Rituximab by chemical fixation had the opposite effects. Polarized-TIRF analysis revealed dynamic membrane topography between leading edge and podosome-like structures when IgG was presented fluid bilayers versus flat surfaces on immobile bilayers. The microcluster organization and engulfment depended on Syk and Arp2/3, indicating previously unrecognized complexity for the clearance of cells displaying surface-mobile antigens.
Elevated Levels of the Escherichia coli nrdAB-Encoded Ribonucleotide Reductase Counteract the Toxicity Caused by an Increased Abundance of the β Clamp.

Expression of the Escherichia coli dnaN-encoded β clamp at ≥10-fold higher than chromosomally expressed levels impedes growth by interfering with DNA replication. A mutant clamp (βE202K bearing a glutamic acid-to-lysine substitution at residue 202) binds to DNA polymerase III (Pol III) with higher affinity than the wild-type clamp, suggesting that its failure to impede growth is independent of its ability to sequester Pol III away from the replication fork. Our results demonstrate that the dnaNE202K strain underinitiates DNA replication due to insufficient levels of DnaA-ATP and expresses several DnaA-regulated genes at altered levels, including nrdAB, that encode the class 1a ribonucleotide reductase (RNR). Elevated expression of nrdAB was dependent on hda function. As the β clamp-Hda complex regulates the activity of DnaA by stimulating its intrinsic ATPase activity, this finding suggests that the dnaNE202K allele supports an elevated level of Hda activity in vivo compared with the wild-type strain. In contrast, using an in vitro assay reconstituted with purified components the βE202K and wild-type clamp proteins supported comparable levels of Hda activity. Nevertheless, co-overexpression of the nrdAB-encoded RNR relieved the growth defect caused by elevated levels of the β clamp. These results support a model in which increased cellular levels of DNA precursors relieve the ability of elevated β clamp levels to impede growth and suggest either that multiple effects stemming from the dnaNE202K mutation contribute to elevated nrdAB levels or that Hda plays a noncatalytic role in regulating DnaA-ATP by sequestering it to reduce its availability. IMPORTANCE DnaA bound to ATP acts in initiation of DNA replication and regulates the expression of several genes whose products act in DNA metabolism. The state of the ATP bound to DnaA is regulated in part by the β clamp-Hda complex. The dnaNE202K allele was identified by virtue of its inability to impede growth when expressed ≥10-fold higher than chromosomally expressed levels. While the dnaNE202K strain exhibits several phenotypes consistent with heightened Hda activity, the wild-type and βE202K clamp proteins support equivalent levels of Hda activity in vitro. Taken together, these results suggest that βE202K-Hda plays a noncatalytic role in regulating DnaA-ATP. This, as well as alternative models, is discussed.
IRE1α-driven inflammation promotes clearance of Citrobacter rodentium infection.

Endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress is intimately linked with inflammation in response to pathogenic infections. ER stress occurs when cells experience a buildup of misfolded or unfolded protein during times of perturbation, such as infections, which facilitates the unfolded protein response (UPR). The UPR involves multiple host pathways in an attempt to re-establish homeostasis, which oftentimes leads to inflammation and cell death if unresolved. The UPR is activated to help resolve some bacterial infections, and the IRE1α pathway is especially critical in mediating inflammation. To understand the role of the IRE1α pathway of the UPR during enteric bacterial infection, we employed Citrobacter rodentium to study host-pathogen interactions in intestinal epithelial cells and the murine gastrointestinal (GI) tract. C. rodentium is an enteric mouse pathogen that is similar to the human pathogens enteropathogenic and enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EPEC and EHEC, respectively), which have limited small animal models. Here, we demonstrate that both C. rodentium and EPEC induced the UPR in intestinal epithelial cells. UPR induction during C. rodentium infection correlated with the onset of inflammation in bone marrow-derived macrophages (BMDMs). Our previous work implicated IRE1α and NOD1/2 in ER stress-induced inflammation, which we observed were also required for pro-inflammatory gene induction during C. rodentium infection. C. rodentium induced IRE1α-dependent inflammation in mice, and inhibiting IRE1α led to a dysregulated inflammatory response and delayed clearance of C. rodentium. This study demonstrates that ER stress aids inflammation and clearance of C. rodentium through a mechanism involving the IRE1α-NOD1/2 axis.
More than a prayer: Pastors' perception and practice of mental health services

MORE THAN A PRAYER: PASTORS‟ PERCEPTION AND PRACTICE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES By Jessica Janee Young, B.A. A thesis submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Science at Virginia Commonwealth University. Virginia Commonwealth University, 2010 Major Director: Micah L. McCreary, PhD. Associate Professor, Department of Psychology While African Americans show similar rates of mental health concerns, they seek and obtain significantly fewer traditional mental health services (MHS) as compared to other groups. One alternative to traditional forms of MHS is the use of church-based resources, such as pastoral counseling. Pastors frequently report counseling as a large part of their duties. Therefore, their perceptions about mental health have a major impact on services that parishioners receive. This online survey assessed 40 pastors' perceptions about mental health services, as well as perceived needs for information or training. Attitudes about mental health were significantly related to variety of counseling provided and frequency of counseling. Attitudes toward mental health, church size, and pastoral education did not significantly predict counseling or referral. Topics discussed in counseling and desires for more training were evaluated and areas for future intervention are discussed in light of results from this study.
Capacity of CDMA with random spreading and multiuser detection

Information theoretic aspects of code division multiple access (CDMA) random direct-sequence spread-spectrum (DSSS) are investigated. The CDMA-DSSS channel with randomly and independently chosen spreading sequences accurately models the situation where pseudo-noise sequences span many symbol periods. Its information theoretic analysis provides a comparison baseline for CDMA channels with carefully designed signature waveforms that span one bit period on one hand and optimal multiple-user coded systems on the other. We analyze the spectral efficiency (total capacity per chip) as a function of the number of users, spreading gain and signal-to-noise ratio, and we quantify the loss in efficiency relative to an optimally chosen set of signature sequences and to an optimal multiaccess system without spreading. White Gaussian background noise and equal-power synchronous users are assumed. The analysis comprises the following receivers: (a) optimal joint processing, (b) single-user matched filtering; (c) decorrelation and (d) minimum mean square error linear processing. Some implications due to fading are also addressed.
Species–area relationship within benthic habitat patches of a tropical floodplain river: An experimental test

The curvilinear relationship between species richness and habitat area (species-area relationship (SAR)) is a fundamental ecological pattern. The relationship is often viewed from a long-term perspective across relatively large spatial scales, reflecting a balance between immigration and extinction dynamics. We explored whether predictions of SAR also manifest over short time periods (days) in benthic habitat patches of a dynamic floodplain river where littoral faunal assemblages are continuously assembled and disassembled with changing water levels. We examined the relationship of patch size with faunal abundance (i.e. fish and aquatic inverte- brates), taxonomic richness, trophic group richness and overall assemblage composition. Strong taxa-area rela- tionships emerged despite the relatively short experimental time period (21 days); larger patches had more taxa and trophic groups. For the smallest patches, taxonomic richness was especially sensitive to abundance of individuals; abundance of individuals was a less important predictor of taxonomic and trophic group richness for the largest patches. Despite the relatively short time frame for study within this temporally dynamic ecosystem, our findings indicate a strong SAR for fishes and macroinvertebrates inhabiting patchy habitats in the littoral zone of this tropical river.
Milk Production, Nitrogen Utilization and Glucose Synthesis in Lactating Cows Infused Postruminally with Sodium Caseinate and Glucose

Four lactating Holstein cows were used in a 4 X 4 Latin Square design to determine the effects of postruminally administering sodium caseinate and/or glucose on milk production, milk composition, nitrogen utilization, amino acid utilization by the lactating mammary gland and glucose turnover rate. An 8.5% increase in milk yield and a 13.3% increase in milk protein production were obtained during infusion of sodium caseinate. No significant production responses were attributed to abomasal infusion of glucose. Arterial concentrations of most essential amino acids were increased during infusion of sodium caseinate. Uptake of phenylalanine, methionine and lysine by the mammary gland most closely paralleled their output in milk. The relative concentrations of methionine, lysine and phenylalanine in arterial plasma were considerably less than their concentrations in milk which resulted in a large percentage extraction of these amino acids by the mammary gland. If the availability of essential amino acids to the mammary gland, per se, was limiting the synthesis of milk protein, methionine, lysine and phenylalanine may have been the three amino acids most limiting. Measurements of glucose entry rate showed a trend toward increased glucose flux when either glucose, sodium caseinate or glucose plus sodium caseinate were infused abomasally. The similarity in glucose entry rates obtained during infusion of glucose and sodium caseinate suggest that the increase in milk production was not due totally to increased glucose flux resulting from sodium caseinate infusion.
Osteogenesis imperfecta type I : molecular heterogeneity for COL1A1 null alleles of type I collagen

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) type I is the mildest form of inherited brittle-bone disease. Dermal fibroblasts from most affected individuals produce about half the usual amount of type I procollagen, as a result of a COL1A1 "null" allele. Using PCR amplification of genomic DNA from affected individuals, followed by denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and SSCP, we identified seven different COL1A1 gene mutations in eight unrelated families with OI type I. Three families have single nucleotide substitutions that alter 5' donor splice sites; two of these unrelated families have the same mutation. One family has a point mutation, in an exon, that creates a premature termination codon, and four have small deletions or insertions, within exons, that create translational frameshifts and new termination codons downstream of the mutation sites. Each mutation leads to both marked reduction in steady-state levels of mRNA from the mutant allele and a quantitative decrease in type I procollagen production. Our data demonstrate that different molecular mechanisms that have the same effect on type I collagen production result in the same clinical phenotype.
Non-rigid registration of medical images: purpose and methods, a short survey

Non-rigid registration is an important topic in the medical imaging community and a variety of methods have been proposed to solve this problem. This manuscript serves as an introduction to a special session dedicated to non-rigid registration. Its intent is to provide the reader with a sense for the type of problems to be solved and the range of solutions that have been proposed. Each of the speakers in the session has years of experience in the field and has been instrumental in developing an approach that fits into one of the categories discussed herein.
Development of Compact Excimer Lasers for Remote Sensing

Active laser remote sensing is an emerging technique which has the unique capability of providing range-resolved measurements of gaseous and particulate species without day-night restrictions as is the case with certain passive sensing methods. The coherent output of a laser source can be used to interogate small areas, even from orbital altitudes, and pulsed lasers can be used to obtain high spatial resolution for concentration profiles by range gating the return signal. Laser measurements of chemical species can be made using differential absorption, DIAL, laser induced fluorescence, LIF, and by a new highly sensitive in-situ method resonance ionization spectroscopy, RIS. All these measurement techniques require tunable, narrow spectral bandwidth laser sources. Important atmospheric species suitable for ultraviolet or visible laser detection are: O3 SO2, and NO2, by DIAL methods, OH, NO, Na, K, Li, Ca and Ca+ by LIF, and the RIS method in conjunction with a mass spectrometer may prove to be a general point monitoring method for a wide variety of trace atmospheric molecules.
The GO Model

Abstract A goal-oriented (GO) problem solving model is introduced as pedagogical process to teach content and content application. The GO model blends previous theoretical work in family science and family economics. Its application in the classroom is based on pedagogical theories. Field testing of the use of the GO model in undergraduate classrooms is provided. Preliminary findings suggest that students who understood the GO model are able to make applications from the GO model to real life problems. Additional teaching methodologies are suggested.
Polyamine Requirements of a Conditional Polyamine Auxotroph of Escherichia coli

Escherichia coli MA-159 is deficient in agmatine ureohydrolase. After addition of exogenous arginine, the cellular putrescine content declines immediately and exponentially; however, the spermidine content remains normal for 3 h. The growth rate of such cultures, measured turbidometrically, slows gradually over many hours. Putrescine-depleted cultures grow especially slowly in media of low osmolarity, whereas nondepleted cultures grow at similar and rapid rates in media of either normal or low osmolarity. External osmolarity also affects the ability of various exogenous polyamines to stimulate growth of putrescine-depleted cultures. In medium of normal osmolarity, putrescine and spermidine both allow sustained rapid growth for many hours. In low osmolarity medium, putrescine allows sustained rapid growth, whereas cultures containing spermidine grow more slowly; this result cannot be explained by conversion of putrescine to spermidine, for cultures grown with exogenous putrescine contain smaller spermidine pools than do cultures grown with exogenous spermidine. Spermine greatly stimulates growth in medium of normal osmolarity; however, in medium of low osmolarity, spermine is much less effective and can block the action of putrescine. Several other polyamines have been studied in this system. These results confirm and expand previous reports that polyamines are necessary for growth of E. coli and suggest that putrescine may have a specific function during growth in media of low osmolarity.
Interpolation and Curve fitting

Often one is presented with numerical values of a function f(x) at specified values of x. Experimental results are often presented in a table as a set of discrete data points. When data is presented in this way, the values of the function at points not given in the table must be found by some numerical technique.
Procedures for enhancing the utility of the metallothionein promoter for the regulated expression of downstream open reading frames

Abstract Procedures which enhance the inducibility of the mouse metallothionein I (mMT-I) transcriptional promoter in mouse C127 cells transformed by bovine papilloma virus have been investigated. These include: (i) induction with Zn2+ at low serum concentration, and (ii) use of a ‘superinduction’ protocol (presence of 1 μg/ml of cycloheximide during induction with Zn2+, followed by 2 μg/ml of actinomycin D). Use of procedure (i) alone gave a 15- to 20-fold induction of expression of a downstream open reading frame (ORF), which is comparable to the maximum inducibility achieved with mMT-I in other systems. Use of procedures (i) and (ii) in combination allowed a 50-fold induction. Three different reporter ORFs (rabbit ferritin L subunit, human chorionic gonadotropin α subunit, and human lutropin β subunit), in three different chromosomal contexts, responded to these procedures. The maximum rate of expression achieved was estimated at over 109 molecules per cell per day, which is 20 % of the transformed cell's protein synthetic capacity. At these extremely high levels some of the induced products were cytotoxic.
Open source initiatives for simulation software: a web-ready HiMASS: facilitating collaborative, reusable, and distributed modeling and execution of simulation models with XML

We investigate the use of XML as an open, cross-platform, and extendable file format for the description of hierarchical simulation models, including their graphical representations, initial model conditions, and model execution algorithms. We present HiMASS-x, an XML-centered suite of software applications that allows for cross-platform, distributed modeling and execution of hierarchical, componentized, and reusable simulation models.
Monochaetum Talamancense (Melastomataceae): A new species endemic to Costa Rica

Monochaetum talamancense is described from the Cordillera de Talamanca, Costa Rica. It is compared toM. macrantherum Gleason, a species to which the few previous collections have been attributed. Its diffuse, sprawling habit, smooth appressed cauline and hypanthial trichomes, and tightly cochleate, smooth seeds markM. talamancense as unique among Mexican and Central American species.