cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Ontogenetic changes in limb postures and their impact on effective limb length in baboons (Papio cynocephalus).

Objectives Digitigrade hand and foot postures and extended elbows and knees are considered adaptations to running in cursorial mammals because they increase effective limb lengths (ELLs). However, the relationship between digitigrady and ELL in primates is not well understood. We documented the ontogeny of limb postures in baboons to better understand the function of digitigrady during walking. We hypothesized that the hand and foot would become more elevated and the elbow and knee more extended, leading to increased relative ELLs throughout ontogeny. Materials and Methods Longitudinal kinematic data were collected on four infant yellow baboons (Papio cynocephalus) as they aged from two to nine months, and again at two to three years. Hand/foot postures, elbow/knee angles, relative fore/hind limb ELLs, and dimensionless velocity were measured for 404 symmetrical walking strides. Results Digitigrade hand and foot postures were preferred at all ages. The elbow extended slightly and the knee flexed slightly with age. Elevated proximal hands, extended elbows, and extended knees were associated with long relative ELLs. For a given age, relative hind limb ELL was longer than relative forelimb ELL. Discussion In the forelimb, digitigrade hand postures and extended elbows function to increase relative ELL at slow walking velocity. Increased forelimb ELL may be an attempt to equalize forelimb and hind limb ELLs in baboons with an absolutely longer hind limb. Pedal digitigrady is not a main contributing factor to hind limb ELL. Results suggest that manual and pedal digitigrady in terrestrial cercopithecoids does not function to increase velocity.
Computational modeling in design of endovascular Chemofilter device for removing toxins from blood

Intra-arterial chemotherapy delivery (IAC) for treating cancer can lead to significant cardiac toxicity due to the drainage of excess drug to the systemic circulation. A catheter-based Chemofilter device temporarily inserted into the veins downstream of the tumor can remove chemotherapy drugs out of the blood stream right after these drugs have had their effect on the tumor. In this research, computational modeling is used to design the Chemofilter and optimize its hemodynamics performance.
Doing Identity Work and Risky Endeavors? A Qualitative Research Synthesis of Predominantly White, Middle-Class Parents’ Decision Making in the Context of Urban School Choice:

The inversion hypothesis popularized by Ehrenhalt posits that recent urban migration trends in the United States constitute a reversal of the late 20th-century model of middle-class White flight to...
Database Exchange in the CAD/CAM/CIM Arena

Successful enterprise-level CIM environments share electronic information among all aspect of the organization. The process is relatively straightforward and well defined in procurement and other business related segments. However technical data sharing for CAD/CAM/CIM often require movement of complex coordinate geometry among more convoluted paths. The most common method for geometry movement, the initial graphics exchange specification (IGES), is fraught with potential problems. This paper discusses the IGES translation in mixed platform/mixed system CAD/CAM/CIM environments and suggests alternatives.
Topical Digitoxigenin for Wound Healing: A Feasibility Study

(1) Background: Cardiotonic steroids have been found to stimulate collagen synthesis and might be potential wound healing therapeutics. The objective of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of digitoxigenin and its topical formulation for wound healing; (2) Methods: In the in vitro study, the human dermal fibroblast cells were treated with digitoxigenin and collagen synthesis was assessed. In the in vivo study, digitoxigenin was applied to excisional full-thickness wounds in rats immediately after wounding and remained for three days, and wound open was evaluated over 10 days. A digitoxigenin formulation for topical administration was prepared, and the in vitro release and in vivo wound healing effect were investigated; (3) Results: The expression of procollagen in human dermal fibroblast was significantly increased with the exposure to 0.1 nM digitoxigenin. Topical application of digitoxigenin in olive oil or alginate solution for three days significantly decreased the wound open in rats. Similarly, topical administration of the developed digitoxigenin formulation for three days also significantly increased wound healing. No wound healing effects were observed at days 7 and 10 after wounding when digitoxigenin was not applied; and, (4) Conclusions: It was possible to deliver digitoxigenin using the developed formulation. However, the wound healing effect of digitoxigenin and its mechanisms need to be further investigated in future studies.
Effects of second language proficiency and working memory span on novel language learning

In this paper we examine the effects of prior language learning experience and working memory capacity on learning a novel language. Participants with a range of proficiency in a second language were trained on a third language. They were presented with 20 Turkish words (to test word-learning) and their plural counterparts (to test rule-learning). After training, participants were asked to judge whether a given label correctly matched the pictured object (comprehension) and to verbally produce the correct label for a given object (production). The comprehension test took place immediately after training and again a week later. The production test was administered after the second comprehension test. We found that performance on the initial comprehension test was predicted by working memory span but not L2 proficiency; L2 proficiency predicted learning performance only for the delayed tests. This suggests that the two variables – L2 Proficiency and Working Memory – play different roles in L3 learning.
Lyapunov Stability Theory

Stability of nonlinear systems are discussed in this chapter. Lyapunov stability, asymptotic stability, and exponential stability of an equilibrium point of a nonlinear system are defined. The Lyapunov’s direct method is introduced as an indispensable tool for analyzing stability of nonlinear systems. The Barbashin–Krasovskii theorem provides a method for global stability analysis. The LaSalle’s invariant set theorem provides a method for analyzing autonomous systems with invariant sets. Stability of non-autonomous systems involves the concepts of uniform stability, uniform boundedness, and uniform ultimate boundedness. The Barbalat’s lemma is an important mathematical tool for analyzing asymptotic stability of adaptive control systems in connection with the concept of uniform continuity of a real-valued function.
Surgical options for thyroid cancer and post-surgical management.

Introduction: Differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), which includes papillary and follicular, is the most common type of thyroid cancer and the incidence is rising. Survival rates of DTC are excellen...
Improving the Pace of Criminal Case Processing in State Trial Courts

Delay in the processing of criminal cases has long been viewed as a serious national problem. Substantial differences exist among courts in the average time it takes to resolve both felony and misd...
Improving Documentation of a Beta-Blocker Quality Measure Through an Anesthesia Information Management System and Real-Time Notification of Documentation Errors

Article-at-a-Glance Background Continuation of perioperative beta-blockers for surgical patients who are receiving beta-blockers prior to arrival for surgery is an important quality measure (SCIP-Card-2). For this measure to be considered successful, name, date, and time of the perioperative beta-blocker must be documented. Alternately, if the beta-blocker is not given, the medical reason for not administering must be documented. Methods Before the study was conducted, the institution lacked a highly reliable process to document the date and time of self-administration of beta-blockers prior to hospital admission. Because of this, compliance with the beta-blocker quality measure was poor (~65%). To improve this measure, the anesthesia care team was made responsible for documenting perioperative beta-blockade. Clear documentation guidelines were outlined, and an electronic Anesthesia Information Management System (AIMS) was configured to facilitate complete documentation of the beta-blocker quality measure. In addition, real-time electronic alerts were generated using Smart Anesthesia Messenger (SAM), an internally developed decision-support system, to notify users concerning incomplete beta-blocker documentation. Results Weekly compliance for perioperative beta-blocker documentation before the study was 65.8±16.6%, which served as the baseline value. When the anesthesia care team started documenting perioperative beta-blocker in AIMS, compliance was 60.5±8.6% (p = .677 as compared with baseline). Electronic alerts with SAM improved documentation compliance to 94.6±3.5% (p Conclusions To achieve high compliance for the beta-blocker measure, it is essential to (1) clearly assign a medical team to perform beta-blocker documentation and (2) enhance features in the electronic medical systems to alert the user concerning incomplete documentation.
Megakaryocytic Fate Specification and Maturation

Megakaryocyte maturation and polyploidization are essential for effective platelet formation. In a tightly controlled process, bipotent megakaryocyte-erythroid progenitors (MEP) differentiate into diploid megakaryoblasts; undergo a progressive increase in ploidy, resulting in very large cells with multilobated polyploid nuclei; and undergo extensive cytoplasmic maturation in preparation for proplatelet release. Recent studies have begun to unravel the complex genetic and epigenetic changes that promote megakaryocyte specification from hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells, and that control subsequent megakaryocyte polyploidization and maturation. The transcriptional regulatory network underlying specification from MEP is emerging, with data revealing that many of the same factors that regulate specification also play critical roles in the final stages of megakaryocyte maturation, whereas other factors are critical for specification, but must be then inactivated in order for cell maturation to occur. Megakaryopoiesis is disrupted in several malignant and non-malignant disorders that result in significant morbidity and mortality. Mutations are inherited or acquired, and affect megakaryocyte specification, maturation and subsequent platelet formation, or both. Novel, findings will be covered in the context of normal transcriptional regulation, potential mechanisms of megakaryocyte dysplasia in MDS, and transformation to acute megakaryoblastic leukemia. These studies build the basis for our understanding of inherited and acquired megakaryocytic abnormalities and thrombocytopenias. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Stochastic Multi-Robot Patrolling with Limited Visibility

Patrolling an environment with multiple robots is a problem with applicability to both military activities and other areas requiring security. In an adversarial environment, wireless communication between the robots may be jammed, and their sensor ranges may be limited to visibility. This increases the difficulty of the problem, but solutions will be widely applicable regardless of the environment. Robot paths that are deterministic can be observed and predicted by an adversary, permitting exploitation of known gaps in coverage. We also wish to avoid requirements for synchronization or a particular form of the environment. We, therefore, propose a method of finding patrolling policies for multiple robots that monitor any polygonal environment using limited visibility regions and non-deterministic patrolling paths. First, visibility regions are calculated for a subset of locations that cover the whole environment or a part of the environment. Then, we find distributed patrolling policies in the form of Markov chains, using convex optimization to minimize the average expected commute time for the subset of the locations permitting each robot to cover the whole environment independently. We also find centralized and Markov chain based patrolling policies that minimize the average expected commute time for the subset of locations permitting each robot to cover a part of the environment while communicating with a central base station. Finally, we evaluate the vulnerability of our patrolling policies by finding the probability of capturing an adversary and the maximum unguarded time for a location in our proposed patrolling scenarios. We present multiple simulation results and a physical implementation to show the effectiveness of our visibility-based non-deterministic patrolling method.
Cytomorphology of glioblastoma metastic to a cervical lymph node diagnosed by fine needle aspiration (FNA): A case report and review of literature

Glioblastoma is an aggressive primary central nervous system tumor with a dismal prognosis. However, extracranial metastases are extremely rare. Very few cases have been reported in the literature. We present a case of a 64-year-old male with glioblastoma metastatic to a cervical lymph node in which the diagnosis was made on fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC). The cytomorphologic features of glioblastoma are distinct, with pleomorphic cells in loosely cohesive clusters with prominent nucleoli, coarsely clumped chromatin and cellular processes. We suggest that FNAC, along with clinical history, is a cost effective, safe, and diagnostically accurate method of diagnosing glioblastoma metastases. Cell block is also helpful in establishing the diagnosis.
Water Policy Reform for Sustainable Development in the Murray-Darling Basin, Australia: Insights from Resilience Thinking

This chapter explores how insights from Resilience Thinking (RT) can better inform efforts to reform water policies in directions required for sustainable development. The focus is on the Murray-Darling Basin (MDB) in Australia, and particularly on reforms seeking to achieve environmentally sustainable water use. We find that the reform process remains dominated by a conventional, command-and-control, management approach that asserts predictability yet repeatedly delivers uncertainty in its place. In contrast, the approach favoured in the RT tradition for water policy reform in the MDB would involve adaptive co-management. This approach would avoid those surprises arising from the conventional approach’s misguided confidence in the predictability and controllability of the reform process, while being fit-for-purpose in dealing with the irreducible uncertainty of outcomes from intervening in the Basin’s complex social-ecological dynamics. An RT perspective highlights that shifting to adaptive co-management of the reform process would require transformation of existing governance arrangements that evolved in support of the conventional management approach. The MDB experience suggests that it is possible for such transformation to emerge through the cross-level dynamics associated with the resilience approach’s concept of panarchy. Local-level entrepreneurship by NGOs (as bridging organisations) in environmental water management has in this case established a foundation from which transformative governance of the Basin’s sustainability-driven water reform agenda continues to evolve. We conclude that RT can make important contributions to understanding how longstanding challenges in reforming water policy for sustainable development might effectively be overcome.
Endocrine disorders of the reproductive system

Abstract The hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis, in the addition of the adrenals, are a dynamic system that initiate, and regulate the maturation of the male and female reproductive tracts. Disruptions of this axis at any point, before, during, or after the onset of puberty may result in a number of endocrine disorders that may affect the fertility of both sexes. It is important to consider that not all defects or abnormalities in the hypothalamic-pituitary-gonadal axis result in deficiencies in the sex steroids, and that increased concentrations of various causes may be present. Causes of these disruptions include trauma to portions of the axis, tumors, as well as genetic conditions arising from non-disjunction events, or autosomal dominant, recessive, or X-linked conditions. Finally, while the cause of many disorders can be determined, there are still some for which a cause has not yet been determined.
Improving computational fluid dynamics modeling of Direct Injection Spark Ignition cold-start:

Developing a profound understanding of the combustion characteristics of the cold-start phase of a Direct Injection Spark Ignition (DISI) engine is critical to meeting increasingly stringent emissi...
A Construction for the Smallest Fischer Group F22

Publisher Summary The Fischer groups F 22 , F 23 , F 24 are closely related to the corresponding Mathieu groups, and it is natural to attempt constructions in terms of these. This chapter presents that certain difficulties with F 23 and F 24 do not arise for the smallest group F 22 .
Nutrition and maternal, neonatal, and child health

This article reviews the central role of nutrition in advancing the maternal, newborn, and child health agenda with a focus on evidence for effective interventions generated using randomized controlled trials in low- and middle-income countries (LMIC). The 1000 days spanning from conception to 2 years of life are a critical period of time when nutritional needs must be ensured; failure to do so can lead to adverse impacts on short-term survival as well as long-term health and development [corrected]. The burden of maternal mortality continues to be high in many under-resourced settings; prenatal calcium supplementation in populations with low intakes can reduce the risk of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia morbidity and mortality and is recommended, and antenatal iron-folic acid use in many countries may reduce anemia, a condition that may be an underlying factor in postpartum hemorrhage. Sufficient evidence exists to promote multiple micronutrient supplementation during pregnancy to reduce fetal growth restriction and low birth weight. Early initiation of breastfeeding (within an hour), exclusive breastfeeding in the first 6 months of life, and vitamin A supplementation in the first few days of life in Asia (but not in Africa) reduce infant mortality. Biannual large-dose vitamin A supplements to children 6-59 months of age and zinc for treatment of diarrhea continue to be important strategies for improving child health and survival. Early nutrition and micronutrient status can influence child development but should be integrated with early responsive learning interventions. Future research is needed that goes beyond the 1000 days to ensure adequate preconceptional nutrition and health, with special emphasis on adolescents who contribute to a large proportion of first births in many LMIC. Thus, we make the case for integrating proven nutrition interventions with those for health in pregnant women, and with those for health and child development in neonates, infants, and young children to help advance the global MNCH agenda.
Learning mandarin tones at sentence level through training: A pilot study

The effect of training for learning Mandarin tones on larger linguistic unit beyond the isolated tones was investigated. the participants were seven trainees and 5 control subjects. All were beginning level Mandarin learners enrolled in a second semester Chinese course in a US public university. the stimuli used for pre- and post test were three sentences. Two of the sentences were statements and one was a simple question. The mean length of the sentence was 11 characters. The training stimuli consisted 15 sentences and 48 phrases produced by four native Mandarin speakers. Individual training sessions were performed on a PC using Kay Elemetrics Sona Speech II Software. The training stimuli were blocked by speaker producing four training blocks of which consisted of 15 sentences and 48 phrases. Pearson correlation tests revealed that inter-sentence correlations ranged from 0.411 to 0.686.
Influence of Dietary Fat Concentration and Saturation on Immune Ontogeny in Mice

Dietary fat modulation of immune responsiveness was studied using a murine model subjected to prenatal and postnatal dietary manipulation. The weight of lymphoid associated organs, particularly the spleen, thymus and liver were significantly influenced by dietary fat saturation and concentration whereas other organs studied were not influenced by this manipulation. The serum immunoglobulins IgG1 and IgG2, but not IgM or IgA, increased in mice fed the polyunsaturated fat (PUF) diet as compared to the levels in those mice fed the saturated fat (SF) diet. While dietary manipulation generally did not influence the peripheral differential blood cell counts, the percentage of immunoglobulin positive splenic cells changed with dietary manipulation; the percentage of T cells, however, was not influenced by the experimental diets. In contrast, T-cell blastogenesis was influenced by both saturation and concentration of dietary fat whereas B-cell transformation was influenced by neither variable. Changes in T-cell responses were manifested through changes in the lymphocytes, and not cell numbers; PUF, particularly high levels, suppresses lymphocyte blastogenesis whereas low levels or a deficiency of PUF intensify this response. It is concluded that dietary fats influence the modulation and level of immune function.
Adenosine Triphosphate-Dependent Deoxyribonuclease from Diplococcus pneumoniae: Fate of Transforming Deoxyribonucleic Acid in a Strain Deficient in the Enzymatic Activity

The adenosine triphosphate-dependent deoxyribonuclease is required for wild-type levels of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) repair and genetic recombination. In an attempt to determine the physiological function of this enzyme in pneumococcal transformation, the fate of transforming DNA was followed in a wild-type strain and in a strain lacking the enzymatic activity. The qualitative and quantitative findings were closely comparable in the two strains through the step of physical association of a single strand of donor DNA with the recipient chromosome. These results are interpreted to mean that the enzyme may be involved in the subsequent hypothetical removal of excess polynucleotide sequences during conversion of the presumed hydrogen-bonded intermediate into a covalently linked recombinant structure.
Acute lymphoblastic leukemia: an assessment of international incidence, survival, and disease burden

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is a rare hematological malignancy. With the recent introduction of a classification system for hematopoietic and lymphoid neoplasms, more comprehensive assessment of ALL epidemiology is now possible. In this study, we describe recent international incidence of ALL and project the annual number of diagnoses to 2025. We also estimate relative survival and average potential years of life lost (AYLL) to assess the societal burden of ALL. Age-specific incidence data for ALL from select cancer registries in different geographies were obtained from the International Agency for Research on Cancer’s Cancer Incidence in Five Continents Database. Country-specific age-standardized rates were calculated to allow for direct comparisons between countries. ALL-specific mortality and relative survival data were only available from the United States (US) National Cancer Institute’s Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program; mortality rates were estimated for other countries. The age-standardized incidence rate of ALL during 2003–2007 ranged from 1.08 to 2.12 per 100,000 person-years in selected countries. Incidence was generally higher in the Americas and Oceania and lower in Asia and Eastern Europe. In most countries, the incidence rate of ALL in children was approximately four times that in adults. Survival was particularly poor among adults. In selected countries, the estimated AYLL ranged from 30 to 48 years for all ages and from 23 to 39 years for adults. Although a rare disease, ALL presents a significant public health burden given poor survival outcomes among adults, AYLL, and its importance as the most common pediatric cancer.
Performance in adaptive manipulator control

The authors explore the performance issues linked to the effective implementation of adaptive controllers for manipulators, which are nonlinear time-varying MIMO systems. Specifically, they detail issues of computational efficiency and recursive implementation, the treatment of closed chains, and minimal parameterizations. The authors also discuss extensions to interactions with mobile environments, whole-arm adaptive manipulation, adaptive impedance control, and adaptive control of spacecraft and space manipulators. The development is illustrated experimentally on a four-degree-of-freedom articulated robot arm, and suggests that the range of application of adaptive tracking controllers may extend well beyond adaptation to grasped loads. >
Homeostatic proliferation as an isolated variable reverses CD8+ T cell anergy and promotes tumor rejection.

Although recent work has suggested that lymphopenia-induced homeostatic proliferation may improve T cell-mediated tumor rejection, there is little direct evidence isolating homeostatic proliferation as an experimental variable, and the mechanism by which improved antitumor immunity occurs via homeostatic proliferation is poorly understood. An adoptive transfer model was developed in which tumor-specific 2C/RAG2 −/− TCR transgenic CD8 + T cells were introduced either into the lymphopenic environment of RAG2 −/− mice or into P14/RAG2 −/− mice containing an irrelevant CD8 + TCR transgenic population. RAG2 −/− , but not P14/RAG2 −/− recipients supported homeostatic proliferation of transferred T cells as well as tumor rejection. Despite absence of tumor rejection in P14/RAG2 −/− recipients, 2C cells did become activated, as reflected by CFSE dilution and CD44 up-regulation. However, these cells showed poor IFN-γ and IL-2 production upon restimulation, consistent with T cell anergy and similar to the hyporesponsiveness induced by administration of soluble peptide Ag. To determine whether homeostatic proliferation could uncouple T cell anergy, anergic 2C cells were transferred into RAG −/− recipients, which resulted in vigorous homeostatic proliferation, recovery of IL-2 production, and acquisition of the ability to reject tumors. Taken together, our data suggest that a major mechanism by which homeostatic proliferation supports tumor rejection is by maintaining and/or re-establishing T cell responsiveness.
Erythrocyte Incorporation of Iron Is Similar in Infants Fed Formulas Fortified with 12 mg/L or 8 mg/L of Iron

Although feeding of formulas with iron concentration of 215 mumol/L (12 mg/L) is a reliable means of preventing iron deficiency, high intakes of iron may adversely affect absorption of copper and zinc. Because data are not available to establish whether fortification at a lower level would result in equivalent iron absorption, we tested the hypothesis that iron absorption is greater by infants fed formulas with an iron concentration of 215 mumol/L (12 mg/L) than by those fed formulas with an iron concentration of 143 mumol/L (8 mg/L). Fifty-two normal infants entered the study at 112 +/- 4 d of age, and 46 of these were successfully studied until 196 d of age. Using the stable isotope 58Fe, we determined erythrocyte incorporation of iron by infants fed Formula 8 [iron approximately 143 mumol/L (8 mg/L)] and by infants fed Similac with Iron [iron approximately 215 mumol/L (12 mg/L)]. On each of three test days beginning at 154 d of age, a major portion of the formula was labeled with 58Fe. Geometric mean erythrocyte incorporation of iron adjusted for plasma ferritin concentration at 168 d of age was 4.82 mumol/d (0.269 mg/d) by infants fed Formula 8 and 5.21 mumol/d (0.291 mg/d) by infants fed Similac with Iron. Corresponding values at 196 d of age were 5.12 and 5.41 mumol/d (0.286 and 0.302 mg/d). The differences in quantity of iron incorporated into erythrocytes by infants fed Formula 8 and Similac with Iron were not statistically significant (P = 0.66 at 168 d of age, P = 0.75 at 196 d of age) and were judged to be nutritionally trivial. Because we were unable to provide support for our hypothesis that iron absorption is greater by infants fed formulas providing 215 mumol (12 mg) of iron per liter than by those fed formulas providing 143 mumol (8 mg) of iron per liter, we conclude that, pending the results of further studies, It is reasonable to decrease the iron concentration of iron-fortified infant formulas.
Differential expression of a transcription regulatory factor, the LIM domain only 4 protein Lmo4, in muscle sensory neurons

In the stretch-reflex system, proprioceptive sensory neurons make selective synaptic connections with different subsets of motoneurons, according to the peripheral muscles they supply. To examine the molecular mechanisms that may influence the selection of these synaptic targets, we constructed single-cell cDNA libraries from sensory neurons that innervate antagonist muscles. Differential screening of these libraries identified a transcription regulatory co-factor of the LIM homeodomain proteins, the LIM domain only 4 protein Lmo4, expressed in most adductor but few sartorius sensory neurons. Differential patterns of Lmo4 expression were also seen in sensory neurons supplying three other muscles. A subset of motoneurons also expresses Lmo4 but the pattern of expression is not specific for motor pools. Differential expression of Lmo4 occurs early, as neurons develop their characteristic LIM homeodomain protein expression patterns. Moreover, ablation of limb buds does not block Lmo4 expression, suggesting that an intrinsic program controls the early differential expression of Lmo4. LIM homeodomain proteins are known to regulate several aspects of sensory and motor neuronal development. Our results suggest that Lmo4 may participate in this differentiation by regulating the transcriptional activity of LIM homeodomain proteins.
Requirement of the Shigella flexneri Virulence Plasmid in the Ability To Induce Trafficking of Neutrophils across Polarized Monolayers of the Intestinal Epithelium

Attachment of an array of enteric pathogens to epithelial surfaces is accompanied by recruitment of polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMN) across the intestinal epithelium. In this report, we examine how Shigella-intestinal epithelium interactions evoke the mucosal inflammatory response. We modeled these interactions in vitro by using polarized monolayers of the human intestinal epithelial cell line, T84, isolated human PMNs, and Shigella flexneri. We show that Shigella attachment to T84-cell basolateral membranes was a necessary component in the signaling cascade for induction of basolateral-to-apical directed transepithelial PMN migration, the direction of PMN transepithelial migration in vivo. In contrast, attachment of Shigella to the T84-cell apical membrane failed to stimulate a directed PMN transepithelial migration response. Importantly, the ability of Shigella to induce PMN migration across epithelial monolayers was dependent on the presence of the 220-kb virulence plasmid. Moreover, examination of Shigella genes necessary to signal subepithelial neutrophils established the requirement of a functional type III secretion system. Our results indicate that the ability of Shigella to elicit transepithelial signaling to neutrophils from the basolateral membrane of epithelial cells represents a mechanism involved in Shigella-elicited enteritis in humans.
Glutamate and Dopamine Transmission from Midbrain Dopamine Neurons Share Similar Release Properties But Are Differentially Affected by Cocaine

Synaptic transmission between ventral tegmental area and nucleus accumbens (NAc) is critically involved in reward-motivated behaviors and thought to be altered in addiction. In addition to dopamine (DA), glutamate is packaged and released by a subset of mesolimbic DA neurons, eliciting EPSCs onto medium spiny neurons in NAc. Little is known about the properties and modulation of glutamate release from DA midbrain terminals and the effect of cocaine. Using an optogenetic approach to selectively activate midbrain DA fibers, we compared the properties and modulation of DA transients and EPSCs measured using fast-scan cyclic voltammetry and whole-cell recordings in mouse brain slices. DA transients and EPSCs were inhibited by DA receptor D2R agonist and showed a marked paired-pulse depression that required 2 min for full recovery. Cocaine depressed EPSCs amplitude by 50% but enhanced the overall DA transmission from midbrain DA neurons. AMPA and NMDA receptor-mediated EPSCs were equally inhibited by cocaine, suggesting a presynaptic mechanism of action. Pharmacological blockage and genetic deletion of D2R in DA neurons prevented the cocaine-induced inhibition of EPSCs and caused a larger increase in DA transient peak, confirming the involvement of presynaptic D2R. These findings demonstrate that acute cocaine inhibits DA and glutamate release from midbrain DA neurons via presynaptic D2R but has differential overall effects on their transmissions in the NAc. We postulate that cocaine, by blocking DA reuptake, prolongs DA transients and facilitates the feedback inhibition of DA and glutamate release from these terminals.
Thermotracttve Titanium-Nickel thin Films Formicroelectromechanical Systems and Active Composites

Thin films of thermoelastic titanium-nickel are of interest as a material basis for force-producing elements in microelectromechanical systems, and for active phases in mechanically-adaptive composite materials. The successful introduction of this material system into such application areas will depend on development of reliable thin film deposition protocols, together with the refinement of analytical models which successfully predict the response of active microstructures to a variety of dynamic thermal and mechanical stimuli. In the present paper we review some of our recent experimental and theoretical work which bear on these problems. With respect to thin film fabrication techniques we focus on problems of composition control and the manipulation of microstructure, with particular emphasis on opportunities afforded by amorphous precursor phases formed during low temperature processing, and the fine-grained, thermally stable crystalline microstructures obtainable using hot-substrate deposition. The films resulting from either approach retain the important thermomechanical response features of the well-known bulk-alloy system: shape memory and transformational superelasticity. The response can be modeled in terms of a continuum description augmented with internal variables that track fractional partitioning of the material between austenite and variants of the martensite.
Effects of processing on quality of soybean oil

The fate of major and minor components of soybean oil is examined at each stage of processing. Relationships are then drawn upon the effect on the quality of finished oil. General topics covered are (a) triglycerides and polyunsaturated fatty acids, (b) free fatty acids, (c) mono- and diglycerides, (d) phospholipids, (e) minor constituents, such as tocopherols, color bodies, and metal ions, (f) rearrangement and decomposition products, (g) foreign or toxic compounds not native to soya and (h) other additives, such as refining aids.
Signal transduction during environmental stress: InsP8 operates within highly restricted contexts.

Abstract Genetic manipulation of diphosphoinositol polyphosphate synthesis impacts many biological processes (reviewed in S.B. Shears, Biochem. J. 377, 2004, 265–280). These observations lacked a cell-signalling context, until the recent discovery that bis-diphosphoinositol tetrakisphosphate ([PP] 2 -InsP 4 or “InsP 8 ”) accumulates rapidly in mammalian cells in response to hyperosmotic stress (X. Pesesse, K. Choi, T. Zhang, and S. B. Shears J. Biol. Chem. 279, 2004, 43378–43381). We now investigate how widely applicable is this new stress-response. [PP] 2 -InsP 4 did not respond to mechanical strain or oxidative stress in mammalian cells. Furthermore, despite tight conservation of many molecular stress responses across the phylogenetic spectrum, we show that cellular [PP] 2 -InsP 4 levels do not respond significantly to osmotic imbalance, heat stress and salt toxicity in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. In contrast, we show that [PP] 2 -InsP 4 is a novel sensor of mild thermal stress in mammalian cells: [PP] 2 -InsP 4 levels increased 3–4 fold when cells were cooled from 37 to 33 °C, or heated to 42 °C. Increases in [PP] 2 -InsP 4 levels following heat-shock were evident t 1 / 2 = 7 min) once cells were returned to 37 °C. These responses were blocked by pharmacological inhibition of the ERK/MEK pathway. Additional control processes may lie upstream of [PP] 2 -InsP 4 synthesis, which was synergistically activated when heat stress and osmotic stress were combined. Our data add to the repertoire of signaling responses following thermal challenges, a topic of current interest for its possible therapeutic value.
Secondary deuterium isotope effects on olefin epoxidation by cytochrome P-450.

Abstract Secondary deuterium isotope effects have been determined for the epoxidation of p -phenylstyrene (1a) and p -methylstyrene (1b) by cytochrome P-450 of rat liver microsomes. With both substrates there is an inverse isotope effect of 7 per cent/deuterium (i.e. k H k D = 0.93 ) at C α of the olefin, but no isotope effect is observed at C β . The epoxidation of (1a) by m -chloroperbenzoic acid has previously been shown to be accompanied by an inverse secondary isotope effect of 9 if per cent/deuterium at C β , with no detectable isotope effect at C α . Thus in both the enzymatic (P-450) and non-enzymatic (peracid) epoxidation of styrene derivatives, the oxygen atom is transferred to the vinyl group in an asymmetric non-concerted fashion. However, the fact that the isotope effects for these two systems are reversed, together with previous comparisons of substituent effects on the two reactions, suggests that there is little mechanistic similarity between cytochrome P-450 enzymes and organic peracids as chemical models for these enzymes.
Wine packaging: marketing towards consumer lifestyle to build brand equity and increase revenue

The wine industry considered product quality as key to increasing competitiveness. However, when wines are perceived quality neutral, regardless of other existing differences, consumers will substitute one wine for another exposing producer to intense price competition. To differentiate wines, a determination of what values consumers place on wine packaging may be established in other dimensions such as environmental or functional benefits with current research suggesting these values go further than quality and price. Linking the techniques of revenue and brand management may provide a winery with revenue growth and customer loyalty. This study examined dimensions of wine packaging equity, benefits wine consumers seek and the motivational preferences and relationships between consumer lifestyles. Results indicated that wine packaging equity originates in four motivational factors that are strong predictors of preferences. Linking dimensions of packaging equity to consumer lifestyle, demographic and behavioural variables allow marketers to tailor communication strategies closely to markets for potential revenue enhancement.
ON THE K-THEORY OF QUARTER-PLANE TOEPLITZ ALGEBRAS

Given a C*-algebra A which is filtered by a collection of closed ideals Ai, there is a spectral sequence which relates the K-theory of A to the K-theory of the various quotient algebras Ai/Ai−1. The d1 differentials in this spectral sequence are familiar index invariants, but the higher differentials are not well-understood. Considering the case of Toeplitz C*-algebras associated with certain cones in Z2, it is shown that a d2 differential in the spectral sequence is non-trivial. This differential turns out to be an obstruction to a classical lifting problem in operator theory. Analysis of this obstruction leads to necessary and sufficient conditions for the lifting problem. It is hoped that this example will illuminate the role of higher differentials in the K-theory spectral sequence.
Range-based Dynamic Routing of Hierarchical On Chip Network Traffic

In this paper, we propose a technique for dynamically routing packets within a hierarchical network on chip (NoC). The concept of a local router range (analogous to other forms of locality awareness) determines on which hierarchy level a packet should be routed. In previous work, the degree of this locality awareness was static and uniform across the entire network. This paper shows that, using a decentralized control mechanism, a single network node can estimate the value and variation in network-wide instantaneous average throughput and delay. Utilizing this ability in a control algorithm, we evaluate the effect of dynamic locality awareness at each network node and show overall throughput:delay ratio increases up to 3.42x that of unoptimized hierarchical networks.
Longitudinal study of vaginal flora: Increasing periodontal disease (PD) burden is associated with increased risk for bacterial vaginosis (BV)

(PD) BURDEN IS ASSOCIATED WITH INCREASED RISK FOR BACTERIAL VAGINOSIS (BV) WILLIAM ANDREWS, MARJORIE JEFFCOAT, JANE SCHWEBKE, MARK KLEBANOFF, JUN ZHANG, SUZANNE CLIVER, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Obstetrics/Gynecology, Birmingham, Alabama, University of Pennsylvania, Dentistry, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Medicine, Birmingham, Alabama, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Epidemiology, Statistics and Prevention Research, Bethesda, Maryland, National Institutes of Health (NIH), Epidemiology Branch, Bethesda, Maryland OBJECTIVE: To characterize the association between PD burden and risk of BV. STUDY DESIGN: The Longitudinal Study of Vaginal Flora included nonpregnant women who underwent extensive evaluation of the vaginal flora every three months for one year. In this secondary analysis, BV was defined using both Nugent’s and Amsel’s criteria. A dental examination was performed at the first study visit. PD at any of 168 dental sites (6/tooth) was defined as clinical attachment loss (CAL) of R4 mm. RESULTS: Dental exams were performed on 3540 (98%) of 3620 study subjects. At the first visit, 41% (n=1438) had Amsel-BV and 40% (n=1438) had Nugent-BV. 25% had PD at R1 site and 5% at O25 sites. Compared to BV-negative women, the number of dental sites was significantly higher in women with Nugent-BV (Wilcoxon p=.002) and Amsel-BV (Wilcoxon p=.008). The number of sites with PD were categorized as 0 (n=2309), 1-2 (n=319), 3-25 (n=726), 26-75 (n=148), and R76 (n=38). As the number of sites with PD (R4 mm CAL) increased, so did the risk of both Nugent-BV (Mantel-Haenszel [M-H] p=.0005) and Amsel-BV (M-H p=.0009). Increasing numbers of PD sites were significantly associated with higher Mobiluncus (M-H p!.0001) and Gardnerella/Bacteroides (M-H p=.019), but not Lactobacillus Nugent scores (M-H p=.140). Increasing numbers of PD sites were significantly associated with amine odor (M-H p!.0001), homogeneous discharge (M-H p=.016), clue cells (M-H p=.019), vaginal pHO4.5 (M-H p=.0003) and T. vaginalis (M-H p=.0002). After adjusting for confounders associated with PD, high PD burden was associated with increased risk of Nugent-BV (26-75 sites: OR=1.4, 95%CI=1.0-2.0 and R76 sites: OR=2.0, 95%CI=1.04-4.0) and Amsel-BV (26-75 sites: OR=1.1, 95%CI=0.8-1.6 and R76 sites: OR=2.5, 95%CI=1.2-4.9). CONCLUSION: Increasing burden of periodontal disease is associated with a statistically significant increased risk of bacterial vaginosis.
Vibrational analysis of some trimethylalkanes

Abstract Liquid and solid-state infrared spectra were obtained for 2,2,3-trimethylbutane, 2,2,3-trimethylpentane, 2,2,4-trimethylpentane and 2,3,3-trimethylpentane, and were interpreted with the aid of normal coordinate calculations. Trimethylbutane, 2,2,3-trimethylpentane and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane each exist as only one conformer, but either two or three conformers of 2,3,3-trimethylpentane are present in the liquid state. Only one conformer is present in the crystalline solid, and it was identified as one with only four of the five chain carbons coplanar. The average error for 246 calculated frequencies assigned to observed values for the six molecules is 5.2 cm −1 , or 0.59%
Is plane strain a valid assumption in non-cylindrical fault-cored folds?

Many algorithms assume plane strain to construct, model and restore fault-cored folds. Using mechanical models that allow heterogeneous transport in three dimensions, we explore the distribution and magnitude of out-of-plane transport in plunging fault-cored anticlines and provide guidelines of where plane strain should and should not be applied. We developed a new technique of incrementing infinitesimal elastic strains to produce folds with aspect ratios similar to natural folds. Map views of displacement vectors show that in general, out-of-plane displacement is localized near the lateral fold tips. Cross-sections show that out-of-plane transport is depth dependent with out-of-plane displacement increasing toward the surface. Flexural slip surfaces compartmentalize out-of-plane transport within distinct mechanical units, with the maximum out-of-plane displacement near the tops of mechanical units. Two-dimensional models with additional frictionally slipping bed contacts suggest that freely slipping contacts can approximate the deformation of many frictionally slipping contacts. We show that out-of-plane transport is significant in the simplest non-cylindrical folds, and suggest that complex non-cylindrical structures should not be modeled using plane strain exclusively. We also show that flexural slip surfaces exert a significant control on the magnitude and structural position of out-of-plane transport in our models.
Political Party Adaptation in US Congressional Campaigns: Why Political Parties Use Coordinated Expenditures to Hire Political Consultants

We argue that political parties in the US have consciously opted to employ political consultants for their candidates’ needs in order to help cultivate competitive national elections. Thus, consultant use by political parties does not signal party decline, but party adaptation. Further, the use of political consultants by the political parties is so complete that consultants can be considered employees of the political parties; not in the traditional sense of individuals on the payroll, but in the modern corporate sense of independent contractors who are hired to complete a defined project. We investigate how national political party committees spend the money they have allocated for individual candidates in congressional races using data from the 1998 and 2000 election cycles. We examine Federal Election Commission (FEC) records of payments political parties make via coordinated expenditures.