cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A NONDESTRUCTIVE METHOD TO MEASURE RESIDUAL ADSORPTION CAPACITY OF CHARCOAL FILTERS

High surface area charcoal bed filters have been used for over a half a century to adsorb undesirable vapors from gas streams. One problem encountered when using these niter beds is that there is presently no simple, reliable, nondestructive method to measure their Residual Adsorption Capacity, RAC. This is particularly critical in situations where harmful vapors are being adsorbed. An investigation has been underway to use pulses of weakly adsorbed gases such as ethane and/or methane to measure RAC. The hypothesis being that these weakly adsorbed gases will “count” unoccupied adsorption sites. In the present study, dimethyl methylphosphonate (DMMP) was used to “irreversibly” occupy available siles to various extents on different niters. The Reduced Retention Time. θ, (the ratio of the adjusted retention time to the space time) and the Resolution (R) between peaks of methane and ethane were found to correlate to RAC under dry and wet (humid) conditions.
Health Literacy as a Social Determinant of Health in Asian American Immigrants: Findings from a Population-Based Survey in California

Background Asian American immigrants have a lower level of health literacy than non-Latino whites, but their level of health literacy and its impact on health outcomes may differ among subgroups.
Cuffed endotracheal tubes in infants and children: should we routinely measure the cuff pressure?

Abstract Objective Over the past 5 years, there has been a change in the clinical practice of pediatric anesthesiology with a transition to the use of cuffed instead of uncuffed endotracheal tubes in infants and children. However, there are few studies evaluating the current practices of inflation of these cuffs and the intracuff pressures. Method There was no change dictated in clinical practice for these patients. During the first 30 min of the case, the pressure in the cuff was measured using a hand held manometer. Additional data collected included the patient's demographic data (age, weight, and gender), the size of the ETT, whether nitrous oxide was in use, whether the patient was breathing spontaneously or undergoing positive pressure ventilation, and the type of anesthesia provider (resident, fellow, CRNA or SRNA). Results The cohort for the study included 200 patients ranging in age from 1 month to 17 years and in weight from 3.5 to 99.1 kg. The average cuff pressure was 23 ± 22 cmH 2 O in the total cohort of 200 patients. The cuff pressure was ≥30 cmH 2 O in 47 of the 200 patients (23.5%). The average cuff pressure was significantly higher in patients who were 8 years of age or greater compared to younger patients. Additionally, there were significantly more patients with a cuff pressure ≥30 cmH 2 O in the ≥8 year old age group. Although no difference in the mean cuff pressure was noted when comparing staff anesthesia providers (pediatric anesthesiologist or CRNA) versus trainees (SRNA, anesthesiology resident, medical student or pediatric anesthesiology fellow), the incidence of significantly excessive cuff pressures (≥60 cmH 2 O) was higher in the trainee group versus the faculty group (12 of 99 versus 2 of 101, p Conclusions Using current clinical practice to inflate the cuff, a significant percentage of pediatric patients have an intracuff pressure greater than the generally recommended upper limit of 30 cmH 2 O.
Rapid Semi-Quantitative Surface Mapping of Airborne-Dispersed Chemicals Using Mass Spectrometry

Chemicals are dispersed accidentally, deliberately, or by weather-related events. Rapid mapping of contaminant distributions is necessary to assess exposure risks and to plan remediation. Powdered aspirin or caffeine was dispersed across a concrete driveway using the exhaust port of a shop vacuum cleaner. Water-soaked, cotton-swab, wipe samples were collected to map the dispersant distribution. An autosampler/direct analysis in real time (DART [IonSense, Saugus, MA])/time-of-flight mass spectrometer was used to acquire an ion chromatogram for the most abundant ion. A semi-quantitation map for several levels of caffeine was plotted to demonstrate the feasibility of applying this technology to contaminated sites.
Part VI: How Should Reputations be Managed in Good Times and Bad Times?: Dow Corning's breast implant controversy: Managing reputation in the face of ‘junk science’

Reputations rise and fall. In this Part of the Corporate Reputation Review attention focusses on companies whose star is waning. The presentations made at the Stern School of Business conference and now published below comprise a distillation of the insights gained by a senior crisis-management practitioner, as well as three case studies and three more empirically-oriented crisis communication studies. Included in panelists' presenta- tions are theoretical frameworks which seek to explain the behavior of managers and opponents during crisis situations.
Sex Differences in Right Ventricular-Vascular Coupling and Pulmonary Artery Impedance in Response to Chronic Hypoxia and Recovery

Pulmonary artery hypertension (PAH) is a female dominant disease (the female-to-male ratio is 4:1), characterized by small distal pulmonary arterial narrowing and large proximal arterial stiffening, which increase right ventricle (RV) afterload and ultimately lead to RV failure [1,2]. Our recent studies have shown that collagen accumulation induced by chronic hypoxia increases the stiffness of the large extralobar pulmonary arteries (PAs) [3], and affects pulmonary vascular impedance (PVZ) [4]. The role of collagen in the female predominance in developing PAH has not been explored to date.Copyright © 2012 by ASME
Kaposi's sarcoma of the parotid gland in acquired immunodeficiency syndrome

A patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome complained of a dry mouth and bilateral swelling of the parotid glands. Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) was found within the tissue of the parotid gland. Although KS is a common manifestation of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the presence of KS in the salivary glands is very rare. The human immunodeficiency virus I (HIV-I) genome was not identified in parotid glandular cells or in KS cells in this case, although the virus was detected in infiltrating lymphocytes and in tissue macrophages.
Effect of variability in lighting and temperature environments for mature gilts housed in gestation crates on measures of reproduction and animal well-being

The effects of room temperature and light intensity before breeding and into early gestation were evaluated on the reproductive performance and well-being of gilts housed individually in crates. In eight replicates, estrus was synchronized in mature gilts (n = 198) and after last feeding of Matrix were randomly assigned to a room temperature of 15°C (COLD), 21°C (NEUTRAL), or 30°C (HOT) and a light intensity of 11 (DIM) or 433 (BRIGHT) lx. Estrous detection was performed daily and gilts inseminated twice. Blood samples were collected before and after breeding for determination of immune measures and cortisol concentrations. Gilt ADFI, BW, and body temperature were measured. On d 30 postbreeding, gilts were slaughtered to recover reproductive tracts to evaluate pregnancy and litter characteristics. There were no temperature × light intensity interactions for any response variable. Reproductive measures of follicle development, expression of estrus, ovulation rate, pregnancy rate (83.2%), litter size (14.3 ± 0.5), and fetal measures were not affected by temperature or lighting (P > 0.10). Gilts in COLD (37.6°C) had a lower (P 0.10) of light or interaction with temperature on other immune cells or measures. These results indicate that temperatures in the range of 15 to 30°C or light intensity at 11 to 433 lx do not impact reproduction during the follicular phase and into early gestation for mature gilts housed in gestation crates. However, room temperature does impact physiological, behavioral, and immune responses of mature gilts and should be considered as a potential factor that may influence gilt well-being during the first 30 d postbreeding.
Driving the lane: a clearer view of facet joint cyst intervention.

COMMENTARY ON: Martha JF, Swaim B, Wand DA, et al. Outcome of percutaneous rupture of lumbar synovial cysts: a case series of 101 patients. Spine J 2009;9:899–904 (in this issue)
Small intestinal obstruction by remnants of the omphalomesenteric duct: findings on contrast enema.

Objective. We reviewed the contrast enema examinations and medical records of six patients with small intestinal obstruction due to omphalomesenteric duct remnant to evaluate for characteristic imaging findings.
Step-up and step-down methods for testing multiple hypotheses in sequential experiments

Abstract Sequential methods are developed for testing multiple hypotheses, resulting in a statistical decision for each individual test and controlling the familywise error rate and the familywise power in the strong sense. Extending the ideas of step-up and step-down methods for multiple comparisons to sequential designs, the new techniques improve over the Bonferroni and closed testing methods proposed earlier by a substantial reduction of the expected sample size.
The air quality and human health effects of integrating utility-scale batteries into the New York State electricity grid

In a restructured electricity market, utility-scale energy storage technologies such as advanced batteries can generate revenue by charging at low electricity prices and discharging at high prices. This strategy changes the magnitude and distribution of air quality emissions and the total carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. We evaluate the social costs associated with these changes using a case study of 500 MW sodium–sulfur battery installations with 80% round-trip efficiency. The batteries displace peaking generators in New York City and charge using off-peak generation in the New York Independent System Operator (NYISO) electricity grid during the summer. We identify and map charging and displaced plant types to generators in the NYISO. We then convert the emissions into ambient concentrations with a chemical transport model, the Particulate Matter Comprehensive Air Quality Model with extensions (PMCAMx). Finally, we transform the concentrations into their equivalent human health effects and social benefits and costs. Reductions in premature mortality from fine particulate matter (PM2.5) result in a benefit of 4.5 ¢ kWh−1 and 17 ¢ kWh−1 from displacing a natural gas and distillate fuel oil fueled peaking plant, respectively, in New York City. Ozone (O3) concentrations increase due to decreases in nitrogen oxide (NOx) emissions, although the magnitude of the social cost is less certain. Adding the costs from charging, displacing a distillate fuel oil plant yields a net social benefit, while displacing the natural gas plant has a net social cost. With the existing base-load capacity, the upstate population experiences an increase in adverse health effects. If wind generation is charging the battery, both the upstate charging location and New York City benefit. At $20 per tonne of CO2, the costs from CO2 are small compared to those from air quality. We conclude that storage could be added to existing electricity grids as part of an integrated strategy from a human health standpoint.
Syntheses of Nucleosides Designed for Combinatorial DNA Sequencing

Fluorescent and photolabile nucleotide analogues 1 and 2 were prepared to test an unconventional approach to DNA sequencing that, ideally, would not involve gel electrophoresis. These particular compounds were not incorporated, but modeling studies indicate how further refinements to their structures could facilitate the proposed sequencing scheme. B = adenine, thymine; TP = triphosphate,
Characterization of selective-emitter solar cells consists of laser opened window and subsequently screen-printed electrodes

Selective emitter technique is still an interesting research subject and attracts many attentions in photovoltaic industry. A selective emitter is a doping layer that is heavily doped underneath the electrode while lightly doped in between the electrode grids. It offers good short-wavelength response due to low surface doping concentration and in the mean time maintains low contact resistance. To successfully incorporate the selective-emitter technique into production, one of the requirements for a cost-effective selective emitter is that the efficiency should be increased significantly compare to those conventional solar cells with uniform doped emitter. However, the developments of commercial Ag-pastes, which are suitable for high sheet-resistance silicon, make uniform lightly-doped solar cell possible. In other words, the successfully developed Ag-pastes may limit the demand of selective-emitter techniques. In this study, we try to demonstrate that the selective-emitter is still an attractive technique even in light/light sheet-resistance combination. In comparison to solar cells with uniform lightly-doped 65 Ohm/sq emitter, the results show an efficiency improvement of more than 0.5% absolute can be achieved for selective-emitter solar cells. The process sequence of the selective emitters in this work includes a laser opening through the oxide mask. It was followed by conventional POCl3 diffusion and a subsequent electrode screen printing.
An improved synthesis of 5-amino-3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ANTA), a useful intermediate for the preparation of insensitive high explosives

Abstract Treatment of the ammonium salt of 3,5-dinitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ADNT) with hydrazine hydrate gives 5-amino-3-nitro-1H-1,2,4-triazole (ANTA) in greater than 90% yields. In addition to its potential use as an insensitive high explosive, ANTA has been shown to be a useful intermediate for the preparation of other explosives.
Predictive Factors of Readiness for Change During Inpatient Treatment

Recovery blesses those it rescues from addiction; however, alcoholics/addicts must be ready for recovery before it can claim them. Inpatient treatment therefore can be effective if it increases addicts' readiness for change. However, research is needed on factors associated with an alcoholic/addict becoming ready for change. Hope, resiliency, family functioning, and craving are important factors of addiction and recovery included in this study in a logistic regression that assesses their relationship to an addict's readiness for change. Along with baseline treatment levels of readiness, increases in hope and decreases in craving significantly associated with increased readiness for change posttreatment.
Gene-environment Interaction in Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: An Update

The authors provide a detailed review of the extant gene-environment interaction (GxE) research in the etiology of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). They begin with a discussion of why PTSD is uniquely fitting for the innovative framework of GxE methodology, followed by a review of the heritability and main effect molecular genetics studies of PTSD. Next, they discuss the six GxE investigations to date on PTSD. They end with a discussion of future directions and significance of this research, with an emphasis on the expansion of psychosocial factors that may be fitting environmental variables for inclusion in this new research area. The authors posit that GxE research is vital to elucidating risk and resilience following exposure to a potentially traumatic event.
Multiple Disease Resistance in Interspecific Hybrids of Potato.

ABSTRACT Wild species of Solanum are excellent sources of disease resistance genes that may be incorporated into S. tuberosum through breeding. This study was initiated to determine whether multiple forms of disease resistance could be identified in interspecific Solanum hybrids. Thirty-two clones were evaluated for resistance to soft rot, common scab, black scurf, Verticillium wilt, and early blight. Most of the clones originated from populations that were not initially selected for disease resistance traits. Comparisons with the cultivars Atlantic, Russet Norkotah, and Russet Burbank indicated that all clones were more resistant than at least one cultivar for at least one disease resistance trait. Clone C545, which exhibited improved resistance to soft rot, scab, pitted scab, early dying disease, and early blight, appears to be an especially valuable source of disease resistance. The use of interspecific hybridization at the diploid level, combined with sexual polyploidization to return to the tetraploi...
Systemic lupus erythematosus in childhood: Correlations between changes in disease activity and serum complement levels**

Serial complement component (C3 and C4) determinations were performed in 26 children with systemic lupus erythematosus. Twenty-one children with SLE had 52 episodes of C3 depression (mean duration 25 weeks); only 11 of these children had active nephritis when serum concentrations of complement were depressed. Fourteen children had active rash associated with low C3; in seven of these children rash was the only clinical evidence of disease activity. Ten children had active CNS disease; in seven children the CNS involvement correlated with low C3. In general, variations in serum concentrations of C4 did not reflect changes in SLE activity which were not reflected by changes in serum concentrations of C3. Serum C4 occasionally remained depressed longer than C3, perhaps reflecting continuing subclinical disease activity. Increased C3 occurred in 18 of 26 children as doses of corticosteroid were increased, in six of 14 when cyclophosphamide was added, and in two children when hydroxychloroquine was added. Our findings suggest that a wide variety of manifestations of childhood SLE may produce hypocomplementemia. In addition to renal disease, variations in serum concentrations of C3 and C4 can reflect, or occasionally predict, changes in rash and CNS disease.
Crystal chemistry of epitaxial ZnO on (111) MgAl2O4 produced by hydrothermal synthesis

Abstract ZnO powders and epitaxial thin films were synthesized hydrothermally in aqueous solutions of zinc nitrate and ammonia at 150°C. Powder yield and particle size varied with changes in pH from 7 to 10.5. The films grew with a c -axis orientation on (1 1 1) MgAl 2 O 4 substrates, with an out-of-plane orientation given by (1 1 1) s ||(0 0 0 1) Zn , and an in-plane orientation given by ( 11 2) s || (11 2 0) Zn . Based on etching studies, the polarity of the films was determined to be zinc faced (0 0 0 1). The in-plane orientation relation corresponds to a 30° rotation of the close packed oxygen directions of the two respective structures. This rotation produces periodic, tetrahedrally coordinated Zn sites at the spinel/ZnO interface and facilitates the epitaxy of ZnO with only a small lattice strain. The crystal chemistry of the interfacial atomic layer that lies between the spinel and wurtzite is discussed in relation to cation coordination and charge balance.
Valence anions of 9-methylguanine-1-methylcytosine complexes. Computational and photoelectron spectroscopy studies.

The photoelectron spectrum for the radical anion of 9-methylguanine−1-methylcytosine, MGMC−, was recorded for the first time. To interpret the experimental results, B3LYP/6-31++G(d,p) level computational studies were carried out for the neutral and anionic complexes of MGMC/MGMC− stabilized by three hydrogen bonds and comprising canonical or low-energy tautomeric forms of the methylated nucleobases. The visualization of singly occupied molecular orbitals for the MGMC− anions indicates that they are valence-bound species since the excess electron is localized on a π* orbital of cytosine. All but one of the studied anionic complexes are adiabatically stable at the applied B3LYP level of theory. The intensity maximum of the broad band in the photoelectron spectrum was measured at 2.1 eV. This value is very well reproduced by the calculated vertical detachment energy of the calculated global minimum geometry of the MGMC− anion. This structure is the Watson−Crick base pair anion with proton transferred from th...
Epidemiologic Observations on Diarrhea Developing in U.S. and Mexican Students Living in Guadalajara, Mexico

Background: A previous study suggested that U.S. students who lived in Mexico for 1 year had a risk of diarrhea intermediate between the rate for newly arrived U.S. students and Mexican students; however, the study was not controlled for changes of risky behavior over time. Methods: An analysis of acute diarrhea occurring among U.S. and Mexican student groups living in Guadalajara, Mexico was conducted to explore the association of diarrhea developing during selected 28-day periods with length of residence, season, and risk factors such as locations of food consumption, consumption of tap water, unsafe ice, alcohol, and antibiotics. Results: Compared to U.S. and Mexican student groups, newly arrived U.S. college students in July had the highest rate of diarrhea (55%), highest enteropathogen isolation rate (46%), and most consumption of alcohol and antibiotics; they also ate most frequently at restaurants and in Mexican family homes. Compared to a 34% rate of diarrhea among newly arrived U.S. medical students in August, the rate was only 6% among established medical students in January. This drop in attack rate was attended by less tap water and unsafe ice consumption by established students in January compared to the habits of newly arrived students in January or August when risky behavior was otherwise similar among these groups. The role of tap water and unsafe ice in the acquisition of wintertime diarrhea is further supported by the relatively high 29% rate of diarrhea among U.S. medical students newly arrived in January, who also consumed more tap water and ice than established students in January. Enterotoxigenic E. coli disease was observed only during the summer months; whereas, Campylobacter jejuni disease and disease associated with no detected pathogen were more common in winter. Conclusions: These data imply that wintertime diarrhea in Guadalajara is more likely than summertime diarrhea to be waterborne and to be caused by agents such as viruses or previously unrecognized enteropathogens that were not assessed in this study. Among Mexican students who had the highest frequency of tap water consumption and eating from vendors, the low rates of diarrhea in summer (3%) and winter (5%) imply that they enjoy a substantial degree of immunity. Further study will be necessary to understand the role that immunity (or its loss during summer vacation back in the United States) might play in additionally accounting for observed differences in attack rates between newly arrived students and those who had lived for a period of time in Mexico. (J Travel Med 2:6-10, 1995)
Interleukin-1β Reduces Daily Activity Level in Male Lizards,Sceloporus occidentalis

Abstract In mammals, interleukin-1 (IL-1) mediates many of the behavioral consequences of pathogen infection. Other vertebrates show behavioral changes when infected, but the neuroendocrine bases of these changes are seldom known. Here we report that IL-1β alters the daily activity cycle of lizards ( Sceloporus occidentalis ) similar to that seen in lizards infected with malaria. To our knowledge, this is the first report of behavioral effects of interleukin in lower vertebrates. Male lizards were injected with human IL-1β (10 ng/g animal), saline, or nothing (control) and the activity level (proportion of lizards above ground) was monitored for 48 h. IL-1β-injected lizards showed a decrease in activity compared to saline-injected and control lizards within 2 h after treatment. Activity levels were equivalent among treatment groups during the middle of the day (1200–1600 h), but IL-1-treated animals were significantly less active in the morning (0800–1200 h) and evening (1600–2200 h). This decrease in activity is similar that seen in free-ranging lizards infected with malaria, supporting the hypothesis that IL-1 mediates the pathogen-induced alterations to activity behavior under natural conditions.
The medium chains of the mammalian clathrin‐associated proteins have a homolog in yeast

We have cloned and sequenced mouse brain AP47, the medium chain of the trans-Golgi network clathrin-associated protein complex AP-1. The predicted protein sequence of AP47 is closely related to rat and calf brain AP50, the corresponding medium chain of the plasma-membrane clathrin-associated protein complex AP-2. We have also identified in the yeast genome an open reading frame encoding a protein of previously unknown function. Referred to here as YAP54, its predicted protein sequence displays a striking homology to AP47. We therefore propose that Yap54 is the medium chain subunit of a putative AP-1 complex in yeast. From the analyses of the optimized sequence alignments of AP47, AP50 and Yap54p, we suggest a model for the domain organization of the medium chains.
Mucosal vaccination by adenoviruses displaying reovirus sigma 1

We developed adenovirus serotype 5 (Ad5) vectors displaying the sigma 1 protein from reovirus as mucosal vaccines. Ad5-sigma retargets to JAM-1 and sialic acid, but has 40-fold reduced gene delivery when compared to Ad5. While weaker at transduction, Ad5-sigma generates stronger T cell responses than Ad5 when used for mucosal immunization. In this work, new Ad5-fiber-sigma vectors were generated by varying the number of fiber β-spiral shaft repeats (R) between the fiber tail and sigma. Increasing chimera length led to decreasing insertion of these proteinsAd5 virions. Ad-R3 and R14 vectors effectively targeted JAM-1 in vitro while R20 did not. When wereused to immunize mice by the intranasal route, Ad5-R3-sigma produced higher serum and vaginal antibody responses than Ad5. These data suggest optimized Ad-sigma vectors may be useful vectors for mucosal vaccination.
The Scholastic Fallacy, Habitus, and Symbolic Violence: Pierre Bourdieu and the Prospects of Ideology Criticism

One disturbing feature of academic discussions of ideology or hegemony is a lack of reflexivity. In other words, there is an implicit but unjustified assumption that the academic has somehow escape...
Ligation of Subclavian-to-Pulmonary Artery Shunt: Simplified Technique

Abstract Two methods are described which reduce the technical hazards attending the ligation of subclavian artery-to-pulmonary artery shunts at the time of definitive repair of cyanotic congenital heart lesions.
Rapid-cycling dipole using block-coil geometry and bronze-process Nb 3 Sn superconductor

The block coil geometry utilized in recent high-field dipole development has significant benefit for applications requiring rapid cycling, since it intrinsically suppresses coupling currents between strands. A conceptual design for a 6 Tesla dipole has been studied for such applications, in which the intra-strand losses are minimized by using bronze-process Nb3Sn superconducting wire developed for ITER. That conductor provides isolated fine filaments and optimum matrix resistance between filaments. The block-coil geometry further accommodates placement of He cooling channels inside the coil, so that heat from radiation and from AC losses can be removed with minimum temperature rise in the coil. The design could be operated with supercritical helium cooling, and should make it possible to operate with a continuous ramp rate of 5-10 T/s.
Controlling void formation in WSi 2 polycides

Polycides, composite wiring/electrode films formed by depositing a refractory metal silicide such as WSi 2 , MoSi 2 , or TaSi 2 atop a polysilicon film [1]-[4], are finding their way into IC technologies as low-resistivity electrodes/interconnects. One of the desirable features of polycide composite films is their ability for self-passivation through thermal oxidation. In some cases, however, oxidation of the two-layer materials results in the formation of large "voids" in the polysilicon film (bottom layer in the polycide) [5], [6]. A method for preventing this void formation has been found. The solution involves deposition of a thin silicon layer onto the existing two-layer material. The additional layer is designed to provide some of the silicon required for oxidation during the initial stages of self-passivation. In cases where over 200 nm of SiO 2 were grown atop a WSi 2 polycide, a silicon layer as thin as 15-nm prevented void formation.
CD44 Reciprocally Regulates the Differentiation of Encephalitogenic Th1/Th17 and Th2/Regulatory T Cells through Epigenetic Modulation Involving DNA Methylation of Cytokine Gene Promoters, Thereby Controlling the Development of Experimental Autoimmune Encephalomyelitis

CD44 is expressed by a variety of cells, including glial and T cells. Furthermore, in the demyelinating lesions of multiple sclerosis, CD44 expression is chronically elevated. In this study, we demonstrate that targeted deletion of CD44 attenuated myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide-induced experimental autoimmune encephalitomyelitis (EAE) through novel regulatory mechanisms affecting Th differentiation. Specifically, by developing chimeras and using adoptive transfer experiments, we noted that CD44 deficiency on CD4(+) T cells, but not other cells, conferred protection against EAE induction. CD44 expression played a crucial role in Th differentiation, inasmuch as deletion of CD44 inhibited Th1/Th17 differentiation while simultaneously enhancing Th2/regulatory T cell differentiation. In contrast, expression of CD44 promoted Th1/Th17 differentiation. When osteopontin and hyaluronic acid, the two major ligands of CD44, were tested for their role in Th differentiation, osteopontin, but not hyaluronic acid, promoted Th1/Th17 differentiation. Furthermore, activation of CD44(+) encephalitogenic T cells with myelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein peptide led to demethylation at the ifnγ/il17a promoter region while displaying hypermethylation at the il4/foxp3 gene promoter. Interestingly, similar activation of CD44-deficient encephalitogenic T cells led to increased hypermethylation of ifnγ/il17a gene and marked demethylation of il4/foxp3 gene promoter. Together, these data suggested that signaling through CD44, in encephalitogenic T cells, plays a crucial role in the differentiation of Th cells through epigenetic regulation, specifically DNA methylation of Th1/Th17 and Th2 cytokine genes. The current study also suggests that molecular targeting of CD44 receptor to promote a switch from Th1/Th17 to Th2/regulatory T cell differentiation may provide a novel treatment modality against EAE.
Peculiar magnetic aftereffect of highly diluted frozen magnetic fluids

Abstract A very stably dispersed magnetic fluid (mother MF) and its 1000-times diluted solution were independently zero-field-cooled from room temperature to 5 K followed by application of a magnetic field of 2.86 MA/m for 300 s. After the field was removed ( t = 0 ) , its residual magnetization M was measured as a function of time t for 80 000 s. After measurement, the MF sample was heated to room temperature, and the experiment was repeated after cooling to 5 K and again applying and removing the 2.86 MA/m field. We performed the same experiment several times, and obtained a different M vs t curve each time. With each cycle, the average M increased and the M vs t curve converged to a universal curve. In the initial few cycles, the value of M is very small, fluctuates and surprisingly increases with t in some time region. These characteristics are common in both the mother MF and diluted MF. We consequently propose the following physical model. When the MF is cooled, the isolated surfactant molecules in the solvent trigger the generation of magnetic colloid micelles. In other words, there occurs a phase transition from the magnetic colloids’ monodispersed phase to a micelle phase. The magnetic dipoles of the micelle's colloids make a closed magnetic flux loop. That is the origin of the anomalously small value of the residual magnetization in the early cycles. After a certain time elapses the micelles spontaneously break due to their residual stress, and a finite magnetic moment of the individual micelle develops. Consequently, M increases with t during this period.
A statistical and schema independent approach to identify equivalent properties on linked data

Linked Open Data (LOD) cloud has gained significant attention in the Semantic Web community recently. Currently it consists of approximately 295 interlinked datasets with over 50 billion triples including 500 million links, and continues to expand in size. This vast source of structured information has the potential to have a significant impact on knowledge-based applications. However, a key impediment to the use of LOD cloud is limited support for data integration tasks over concepts, instances, and properties. Efforts to address this limitation over properties have focused on matching data-type properties across datasets; however, matching of object-type properties has not received similar attention. We present an approach that can automatically match object-type properties across linked datasets, primarily exploiting and bootstrapping from entity co-reference links such as owl:sameAs. Our evaluation, using sample instance sets taken from Freebase, DBpedia, LinkedMDB, and DBLP datasets covering multiple domains shows that our approach matches properties with high precision and recall (on average, F measure gain of 57% - 78%).
Short term synaptic depression with stochastic vesicle dynamics imposes a high-pass filter on presynaptic information

The filtering properties of synapses are modulated by a form of short term depression arising from the depletion of neurotransmitter vesicles. The uptake and release of these vesicles is stochastic in nature, but a widely used model of synaptic depression does not take this stochasticity into account. While this model of synaptic depression accurately captures the trial-averaged synaptic response to a presynaptic spike train [1], it fails to capture variability introduced by stochastic vesicle dynamics [2]. Our goal is to understand the impact of stochastic vesicle dynamics on filtering and information transfer in depressing synapses. We derive compact, closed-form expressions for the synaptic filter induced by short term synaptic depression when stochastic vesicle dynamics are taken into account and when they are not. We find that stochasticity in vesicle uptake and release fundamentally alters the way in which a synapse filters presynaptic information. Predictably, the variability introduced by this stochasticity reduces the rate at which information is transmitted through a synapse. Additionally, this variability introduces frequency-dependence to the transfer of information through a synapse: a model that ignores synaptic variability transmits slowly varying signals with the same fidelity as faster varying signals [3,4], but a model that takes this variability into account transmits faster varying signals with higher fidelity than slower signals (Figure ​(Figure1).1). Differences between the models persist even when the presynaptic cell makes many contacts onto the postsynaptic cell. We extend our analysis to the population level and conclude that a slowly varying signal must be encoded by a large presynaptic population if it is to be reliably transmitted through depressing synapses, but faster varying signals can be reliably encoded by smaller populations. Our results provide useful analytical tools for understanding the filtering properties of depressing synapses and have important consequences for neural coding in the presence of short term synaptic depression. Figure 1 The linear information rate, IL(g;s), which represents the information per unit time available to an optimal linear decoder that estimates a rate-coded presynaptic signal, s(t), by observing a postsynaptic conductance, g(t). The linear information rate ...
Thermally Adjustable Microlenses for Biological Imaging

A simple and efficient tunable microlens capable of thermally adjusting its focal length is presented. The polymeric solid-state lens is created by exposing a droplet of SU-8 to UV-light. Then by altering the temperature of the microlens through a heating scheme on the substrate, we actively control the material through the curvature and magnification of the lens without the need for complicated mechanical components. Furthermore, we demonstrate the ability to use the microlens in a variety of applications including real-time biological imaging in both aqueous and non-aqueous environments. This method has potential applications in fields including biomaterials, tunable laser systems, functional biomimetics, and endoscopy.
Near infrared fluorescence imaging after intravenous indocyanine green: initial clinical experience with open partial nephrectomy for renal cortical tumors.

Objective To evaluate the safety of near infrared fluorescence (NIRF) of intravenously injected indocyanine green (ICG) during open partial nephrectomy, and to demonstrate the feasibility of this technology to identify the renal vasculature and distinguish renal cortical tumors from normal parenchyma. Methods Patients undergoing open partial nephrectomy provided written informed consent for inclusion in this institutional review board-approved study. Perirenal fat was removed to allow visualization of the renal parenchyma and lesions to be excised. The patients received intravenous injections of ICG, and NIRF imaging was performed using the SPY system. Intraoperative NIRF video images were evaluated for differentiation of tumor from normal parenchyma and for renal vasculature identification. Results A total of 15 patients underwent 16 open partial nephrectomies. The mean cold ischemia time was 26.6 minutes (range 20-33). All 14 malignant lesions were afluorescent or hypofluorescent compared with the surrounding normal renal parenchyma. NIRF imaging of intravenously injected ICG clearly identified the renal hilar vessels and guided selective arterial clamping in 3 patients. No adverse reactions to ICG were noted, and all surgical margins were negative on final pathologic examination. Conclusion The intravenous use of ICG combined with NIRF is safe during open renal surgery. This technology allows the surgeon to distinguish renal cortical tumors from normal tissue and highlights the renal vasculature, with the potential to maximize oncologic control and nephron sparing during open partial nephrectomy. Additional study is needed to determine whether this imaging technique will help improve the outcomes during open partial nephrectomy.
Input/output control of asynchronous sequential machines

The problem of controlling a finite-state asynchronous sequential machine is examined. Main consideration is given to input/output control, where access to the state of the machine is not available. The objective is to use output feedback to control the machine so as to match a prescribed model. It is shown that necessary and sufficient conditions for the existence of appropriate controllers can be stated in terms of a simple comparison of two numerical matrices. Whenever controllers exist, algorithms for their design are outlined.
Comparison of Migrant Songbird Stopover Ecology on Two Islands in the Gulf of Maine

Abstract We compared migrant bird recapture rate, stopover time, mass gain, and fat class between Star Island, New Hampshire and Appledore Island, Maine during spring and fall migration in relation to differences in relative species abundance between the islands; and examined potential movement of migrants between the islands. The average recapture rate in spring was 5.7% on Star Island and 3.6% on Appledore Island. Five species were recaptured more frequently on Star Island and one species more frequently on Appledore Island. There was no difference in mean minimum stopover time during spring (2.4 days on Star Island; 2.5 days on Appledore Island) and fall (2.9 days on Star Island; 3.2 days on Appledore Island). Three species had a longer mean stopover time on Appledore Island than Star Island. The island with the greater percentage of recaptures and longer stopover had more captures for a given species. Mass gains were significant for six species during spring (27.3%) and 10 during fall (38.5%) on Star ...
Role of Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent kinases in skeletal muscle plasticity

In skeletal muscle, the increase in intracellular Ca2+ resulting from motor activation plays a key role in both contractile activity-dependent and fiber type-specific gene expression. These motor a...
Food mechanical properties in three sympatric species of Hapalemur in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar.

We investigated mechanical dietary properties of sympatric bamboo lemurs, Hapalemur g. griseus, H. aureus, and H. (Prolemur) simus, in Ranomafana National Park, Madagascar. Each lemur species relies on bamboo, though previous behavioral observations found that they specialize on different parts of a common resource (Tan: Int J Primatol 20 1999 547–566; Tan: PhD dissertation 2000 State University of New York, Stony Brook). On the basis of these earlier behavioral ecology studies, we hypothesized that specialization on bamboo is related to differences in mechanical properties of specific parts. We quantified mechanical properties of individual plant parts from the diets of the bamboo lemur species using a portable tester. The diets of the Hapalemur spp. exhibited high levels of mechanical heterogeneity. The lemurs, however, could be segregated based on the most challenging (i.e., mechanically demanding) foods. Giant bamboo culm pith was the toughest and stiffest food eaten, and its sole lemur consumer, H. simus, had the most challenging diet. However, the mechanical dietary properties of H. simus and H. aureus overlapped considerably. In the cases where lemur species converged on the same bamboo part, the size of the part eaten increased with body size. Plant parts that were harvested orally but not necessarily masticated were the most demanding, indicating that food preparation may place significant loads on the masticatory apparatus. Finally, we describe how mechanical properties can influence feeding behavior. The elaborate procurement processes of H. simus feeding on culm pith and H. griseus and H. aureus feeding on young leaf bases are related to the toughnesses of protective coverings and the lemurs' exploitation of mechanical vulnerabilities in these plants. Am J Phys Anthropol, 2009. © 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The Alternative Minimum Tax: A Better System?

Some people have hailed the alternative minimum tax (AMT) as a flat, low-rate, broad-based tax that would be a good replacement for the regular income tax. A closer look at the AMT dispels this rosy view.
Misleading and unfair advertising

This paper reviews the legal framework for regulating unfair and deceptive advertising in the United States, Europe, and several other countries.
EXAMINING CHANGES IN LONG‐TERM NEIGHBORHOOD HOUSING VACANCY DURING THE 2011 TO 2014 U.S. NATIONAL RECOVERY

High levels of neighborhood housing vacancy—especially periods exceeding more than several months—have long been a concern to community developers and policymakers in the United States. During the ...
The internal wavefield generated by a towed sphere at low Froude number

In highly stratified atmospheric and oceanic environments, a large fraction of energy input by various sources can be manifest as internal waves (IWs). The propagating nature of IWs results in the distribution of the energy over a large fraction of the air/water column. Wakes of translating bodies are one source of input energy that has been of continued interest. To further the understanding of wakes in strongly stratified environments, and particularly the near-field regime where strong coupling to the internal wavefield is evident, an extensive series of experiments on the internal wavefield generated by a towed sphere was performed, wherein the internal wavefield was measured over a Froude number range (where , is the tow speed, the sphere diameter and the Brunt–Vaisala (BV) frequency). In a second series of experiments, the temporal wavefield evolution was studied over two BV periods. These measurements show that the body generation (lee wave) mechanism dominates at , while the random eddies in the turbulent wake become the dominant source at . In the low- regime, , there is a resonant peak in the coupling of the input wake energy to the internal wavefield at a Froude number of , and at its maximum 70 % of the input energy is coupled into IW potential energy. In this regime it was also found that the spreading angle of the evolving wavefield was considerably broader than predicted by the classical point-source models for the wavefield further downstream, owing to the existence in the near field of a significant energy content in the higher-IW modes that deteriorate at later times. In the low- regime, it was found that, while the IW potential energy increases , the fraction of the total energy input is a weak function of , varying as .
Endocrine Control of Feniale Receptivity in Leucophaea maderae (Blattaria)

Allatectomized females of Leucophaea maderae (F.) do not accept courting males as readily as do normal females. It is concluded that normally the female's receptivity to courting males is influenced by the corpora allata.
The Topological Association of Hα Structures and Magnetic Fields

The topological associations between Hα structures and magnetic fields are examined for an active region observed on two different dates. The structures seen in the on and off band of Hα filtergrams are compared with the contour maps of magnetic fields at the level of magnetogram observations. Similar comparisons are made also with the configurations of force-free magnetic lines of force at various heights evaluated with the use of formulations developed previously by Nakagawa and Raadu (1972).
Circuit oscillations in odor perception and memory.

Olfactory system neural oscillations as seen in the local field potential have been studied for many decades. Recent research has shown that there is a functional role for the most studied gamma oscillations (40–100 Hz in rats and mice, and 20 Hz in insects), without which fine odor discrimination is poor. When these oscillations are increased artificially, fine discrimination is increased, and when rats learn difficult and highly overlapping odor discriminations, gamma is increased in power. Because of the depth of study on this oscillation, it is possible to point to specific changes in neural firing patterns as represented by the increase in gamma oscillation amplitude. However, we know far less about the mechanisms governing beta oscillations (15–30 Hz in rats and mice), which are best associated with associative learning of responses to odor stimuli. These oscillations engage every part of the olfactory system that has so far been tested, plus the hippocampus, and the beta oscillation frequency band is the one that is most reliably coherent with other regions during odor processing. Respiratory oscillations overlapping with the theta frequency band (2–12 Hz) are associated with odor sniffing and normal breathing in rats. They also show coupling in some circumstances between olfactory areas and rare coupling between the hippocampus and olfactory bulb. The latter occur in specific learning conditions in which coherence strength is negatively or positively correlated with performance, depending on the task. There is still much to learn about the role of neural oscillations in learning and memory, but techniques that have been brought to bear on gamma oscillations (current source density, computational modeling, slice physiology, behavioral studies) should deliver much needed knowledge of these events.
Back Injuries in Dancers

Back injuries may occur at any age or level of skill and are slightly more prevalent in male dancers. The risk factors that may be involved in a given injury include training errors, musculotendinous imbalance, anatomic malalignment of the lower extremity, shoe wear, and floor surface. Assessment of these risk factors provides guides for management and prevention.
None of that

A museum night guard discovers an intruder, a tiny nun who goes on a rampage censoring all nude artwork as the guard tries to catch her. When she finally reaches the statue of David, the guard strips down naked in order to distract her and save David. The nun, outraged by the guard's behavior, attacks him just as the police arrive. The naked guard is arrested on obscenity charges.