cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
(Solid + liquid) phase equilibria for (N,N-dimethylacetamide + tetrachloromethane): enthalpies of melting of pure components and enthalpies for formation of molecular addition compounds from phase equilibria

Abstract (Solid + liquid) phase equilibria for N,N -dimethylacetamide + tetrachloromethane) have been obtained from time-against-temperature warming curves. Standard enthalpies of melting of three pure components and standard molar enthalpies of formation of 14 solid intermolecular compounds have been calculated from the corresponding (solid + liquid) equilibria reported in this paper and from previous results obtained in our laboratory.
Computers are social actors

This paper presents a new experimental paradigm for the study of human-computer interaction, Five experiments provide evidence that individuals’ interactions with computers are fundamentally social. The studies show that social responses to computers are not the result of conscious beliefs that computers are human or human-like. Moreover, such behaviors do not result from users’ ignorance or from psychological or social dysfunctions, nor from a belief that subjects are interacting with programmers. Rather, social responses to computers are commonplace and easy to generate. The results reported here present numerous and unprecedented hypotheses, unexpected implications for design, new approaches to usability testing, and direct methods for verii3cation.
TSC: Trustworthy and Scalable Cytometry

Accurate flow cytometry analyses for disease diagnosis purposes requires powerful computational and storage resources that are rarely available in clinical settings. The emerging high-performance cloud computing technologies could potentially address the above-mentioned scalability challenge, however, potentially untrusted cloud infrastructures increases the security and privacy concerns significantly as the attackers may gain knowledge about the patient identity and medical information and affect the consequent course of treatment. In this paper, we present TSC, a trustworthy scalable Cloud-based solution to provide remote cytometry analysis capabilities. TSC enables the medical laboratories to upload the acquired high-frequency raw measurements to the cloud for remote cytometry analysis with high-confidence data security guarantees. In particular, using fundamental cryptographic security solutions, such as the trusted platform module framework, TSC eliminates any possibility of unauthorized sensitive patient data exfiltration to untrusted parties, e.g., malicious or compromised cloud providers. Our evaluation results show that TSC effectively facilitates scalable and efficient disease diagnoses while preserving the patient privacy and treatment correctness.
Tiagabine-induced non-convulsive status epilepticus in a patient without history of epilepsy.

Cases of non-convulsive status epilepticus (NCSE) induced by tiagabine (TGB) were occasionally reported. Almost all had a prior history of epilepsy. We describe here, the clinical and EEG findings in a patient, without history of seizures, who after the start of TGB developed NCSE. A 53-year-old man with history of paranoid schizophrenia, presented with “alteration of his mental state.” Three weeks early, TGB was added to his psychiatric regimen. On the second day of admission, he became unresponsive with a blank stare. Concomitant EEG showed abundant sharp and slow wave complexes. The episode lasted for 4 hours and was aborted by the intravenous administration of lorazepam. The TGB was discontinued without recurrence of subsequent seizure activity. This case supports the contention that TGB can induce NCSE in subjects not previously known to have seizures.
Platinum-Catalyzed Reduction of DMF by 1,1,3,3-Tetramethyldisiloxane, HMeSi2OSiMe2H: New Intermediates HSiMe2OSiMe2OCH2NMe2 and HSiMe2(OSiMe2)3OCH2NMe2 and Their Further Chemical Reactivity

The use of Karstedt’s catalyst to study the reduction of Me2NCHO (DMF) by the popular “dual SiH”-containing tetramethyldisiloxane, HMe2SiOSiMe2H (1), has revealed that the first step in the process involves an initial single hydrosilylation to form HSiMe2OSiMe2OCH2NMe2 (3). This intermediate is readily isolated and purified via distillation. In the continued presence of the catalyst, 3 transforms to the transient tetrasiloxane HMe2SiOSiMe2OSiMe2OSiMe2OCH2NMe2 (4), along with the formation of Me3N. The tetrasiloxane 4 itself transforms to Me3N and (Me2SiO)n (n = 4–6). Despite the demonstrated reactivity of 3, it can also be used to perform the expected metal-catalyzed hydrosilylation chemistry of the SiH group as well as reactions of the SiOCH2NMe2 functionality involving siloxane chain extension and is thus an important new reagent for siloxane chemistry.
Coupled Dynamics of Electrons and Nuclei in a Molecule Interacting with Ultrashort, Ultra-Intense Laser Pulses

We have developed a technique for treating the coupled dynamics of electrons and nuclei in a molecule which is subjected to ultrashort and ultra-intense laser pulses. This technique has been employed in quantitatively accurate simulations for H+2. Many interesting phenomena have been observed, including photodissociation, bond softening, above-threshold dissociation, ion-population trapping, electron-population trapping, sudden electronic transitions, Rabi flopping, and harmonic generation. Some representative results are shown here.
The Many Faces of B Cells: From Generation of Antibodies to Immune Regulation

B lineage lymphocytes (B cells) produce exquisitely specific and long-lasting antibodies that recognize a broad and ever-changing array of foreign antigens and microbial pathogens. Perturbations in B-cell development maturation lead to specific immune disturbances. Certain features intrinsic to fetal and neonatal B cells contribute to what has been called the relative immunodeficiency of infancy. Although the primary function of B lineage cells is to produce antibodies for host defense, emerging data show that B cells are key activators and regulators of the immune response.
Investigating prior probabilities in a multiple hypothesis test for use in space domain awareness

The goal of this research eﬀort is to improve Space Domain Awareness (SDA) capabilities of current telescope systems through improved detection algorithms. Ground-based optical SDA telescopes are often spatially under-sampled, or aliased. This fact negatively impacts the detection performance of traditionally proposed binary and correlation-based detection algorithms. A Multiple Hypothesis Test (MHT) algorithm has been previously developed to mitigate the eﬀects of spatial aliasing. This is done by testing potential Resident Space Objects (RSOs) against several sub-pixel shifted Point Spread Functions (PSFs). A MHT has been shown to increase detection performance for the same false alarm rate. In this paper, the assumption of a priori probability used in a MHT algorithm is investigated. First, an analysis of the pixel decision space is completed to determine alternate hypothesis prior probabilities. These probabilities are then implemented into a MHT algorithm, and the algorithm is then tested against previous MHT algorithms using simulated RSO data. Results are reported with Receiver Operating Characteristic (ROC) curves and probability of detection, P d , analysis.
Intermittent Catheterization: Evaluation of Complete Dryness and Independence in Children with Myelomeningocele

AbstractWe studied 46 children in active followup who have been managed by nonsterile intermittent catheterization to achieve continence. All patients were given maximum therapeutic doses of supplemental medication to improve dryness. Of the patients 33 per cent were noncompliant and, therefore, wet, 30 per cent were wet despite full compliance with the program, and only 24 per cent were completely dry and wearing regular underclothing. Nine children experienced side effects from the supplemental medications that were severe enough to warrant discontinuation of the drug. Of the 46 patients 19 have been removed from the catheterization program and currently are being managed by other modalities. Only 11 of the remaining 27 patients currently managed by catheterization perform the procedure independently. Results suggest that intermittent catheterization does not provide independence or social continence in many patients.
The collection of sperm in men unable to ejaculate

Electro-ejaculation and surgical collection of sperm by vasotomy enable to obtain sperm in men unable to ejaculate because of a neurological spinal disorder. A multicenter study of electro-ejaculation is currently in process in the USA, but as these are limited experiments, the preliminary results do not permit to draw any conclusion.
Effects of sire and dam on late-pregnancy conceptus and hormone traits in beef cattle.

Forty-six primiparous F1 heifers produced from mating Brahman (B), Charolais (C), Jersey (J), Longhorn (L), or Shorthorn (S) sires to crossbred cows were bred by AI to one of two Angus sires selected to produce high (H) or moderate (M) fetal growth. Dams were slaughtered at an average of 231 d of gestation. Daily blood samples were obtained from the dam on d 228 to 231 to determine serum estradiol, progesterone, and testosterone concentrations. Pelvic height was greatest (P .10). Dams with greater hip height had larger pelvic areas (r = .45; P < .01). Intact fetuses from C and S dams were heaviest (P < .05), those from S dams had the greatest (P < .05) head width, and heart girth was greatest (P < .05) in fetuses from L dams. Fetuses from H sires were greater in weight (P < .01), body length (P < .01), and cannon circumference (P < .01). Dam differences were found in fetal heart weight (P < .01), trimmed placental membrane weight (P < .01), and average placentome weight (P < .05). Weights of eviscerated fetuses were greatest from C dams (P < .05). Placentome number was lowest (P < .05) in J dams, but J dams had the highest (P < .05) average placentome weight. Interactions between fetal genotype and breed of maternal environment were found for weight of eviscerated fetus (P < .05), body length, and heart weight (P < .01) and resulted from both magnitude and direction of change in the sire effect. The H sire increase in fetal weight was greatest in J dams, whereas B dams allowed expression of the fetal growth potential but at a lower level. Fetal trait interactions were also found for breed x sex and sex x sire (P < .05 to P < .01) and were due to the magnitude of differences expressed between the M and H sires. Serum testosterone concentrations were highest (P < .05) in B and L dams, dams gestating fetuses sired by the H sire (P = .08), and those with male fetuses (P < .01). We interpret these results to indicate that some maternal environments can suppress fetal growth, whereas others seem to complement the growth and allow maximum expression of the fetal genetic growth potential.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
Menu Design in Cell Phones: Use of 3D Menus

The number of mobile phone users has been steadily increasing due to the development of microtechnology and human needs for ubiquitous communication. Menu design features play a significant role in cell phone design from the perspective of customer satisfaction. Moreover, small screens of the type used on mobile phones are limited in the amount of available space. Therefore, it is important to obtain good menu design. Review of previous menu design studies for human-computer interaction suggests that design guidelines for mobile phones need to be reappraised, especially 3D display features. We propose a conceptual model for cell phone menu design with 3D displays. The three main factors included in the model are: the number of items, task complexity, and task type.
Hypertension control in a rural community. An assessment of community-oriented primary care.

To determine the effectiveness of a community-oriented primary care approach for the detection, treatment, and control of hypertension, data were analyzed from a survey of all 3094 adults living in a geographically well-defined rural community. Among the 2939 (96.1%) persons who completed the survey, 587 (20%) were found to meet study criteria for the diagnosis of hypertension. Hypertensive adults who identified a neighborhood health center with a community-oriented primary care philosophy as their source of care were more likely to have their disease detected, treated, and controlled than were hypertensive adults who identified other sources of care. The improved control was most evident for men and for blacks, but in every race-sex stratum, hypertensive patients of the neighborhood health center were more likely to be under control. Even when controlling in logistic models for age, race, and sex, identification of the neighborhood health center was associated with better control of hypertension (beta = 0.591, P = .004). In this rural community, community-oriented primary care delivered through a neighborhood health center appears to be associated with increased likelihood of detection, treatment, and control of hypertension.
Marriage and Motherhood

While marriage was consistently viewed as the normal condition of the American adult, the magazines offer abundant evidence that marriage was at the same time a Problem—a relationship fraught with difficulties that it was primarily the task of the woman to negotiate and overcome. Long before the divorce rate skyrocketed in the 1970s, marriages were perceived as being in constant danger of dissolving, and it is a rare issue of a magazine that does not offer advice on how to patch up, rejuvenate, or rescue the marital relationship. Two of the most popular series in the Ladies’ Home Journal were “Making Marriage Work” (1947–63) and “Can This Marriage Be Saved?” (which began in the early 1940s and is still running). In 1937, fiction writer Mary Roberts Rinehart defended women in the pages of the Journal from the charge that marital failure was their fault, but hers was a minority view in the decades that followed. By 1940, Good Housekeeping was conducting a School for Brides, and a report of it in the February issue included advice on grooming and behavior so that the young wife could “play [her] role beautifully.” The magazines offered quizzes women could take to predict their success as wives, and a 1948 Woman’s Home Companion article even offered a checklist for parents to determine whether their children would be well suited for marriage.
System Noise Revisited: Enabling Application Scalability and Reproducibility with SMT

Despite significant advances in reducing system noise, the scalability and performance of scientific applications running on production commodity clusters today continue to suffer from the effects of noise. Unlike custom and expensive leadership systems, the Linux ecosystem provides a rich set of services that application developers utilize to increase productivity and to ease porting. The cost is the overhead that these services impose on a running application, negatively impacting its scalability and performance reproducibility. In this work, we propose and evaluate a simple yet effective way to isolate an application from system processes by leveraging Simultaneous Multi-Threading (SMT), a pervasive architectural feature on current systems. Our method requires no changes to the operating system or to the application. We quantify its effectiveness on a diverse set of scientific applications of interest to the U. S. Department of Energy showing performance improvements of up to 2.4 times at 16,384 tasks for a high-order finite elements shock hydrodynamics application. Finally, we provide guidance to system and application developers on how to best leverage SMT under different application characteristics and scales.
Undergraduate Special Topics Courses: What's on the Menu?

As faculty and curriculum developers, we were interested in how other schools utilize undergraduate special topics courses in Information Systems (IS). A review of the literature identified no articles that specifically addressed the issue. To gather data, a survey of the IS programs at colleges and universities in the United States was conducted. It was found that 30% of the respondents offered one or more undergraduate special topics course. The most popular categories of courses were: E-commerce, Security, and Data Warehouses. Fifteen courses were grouped into a category called Other Courses. Somewhat surprising was that not one school reported offering a special topics course on Web 2.0 and its related technologies. Conclusions and future research are discussed.
High-Dose Methotrexate, Rituximab, and Temozolomide (MRT) for Patients with Primary CNS Lymphoma (PCNSL).

Abstract Abstract 1672 Poster Board I-698 Introduction PCNSL is a rare form of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. High-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) is the backbone of therapy but uncertainty remains about what additional chemotherapies should be added to HD-MTX to improve response rates. Methods After receiving IRB consent, we retrospectively evaluated patients with PCNSL treated at our hospital with combination M/R/T at initial diagnosis or at relapse. Patients were treated in 28-day induction cycles as follows: HD-MTX (8g/m2- dose adjusted based on creatinine clearance) on days 1 and 15; rituximab (375 mg/m2) on days 3, 10, 17, and 24; and temozolomide (150-200 mg/m2) on days 7-11. HD-MTX was given every 2 weeks until complete response (CR) and for 2 additional treatments followed by monthly maintenance treatments for 11 months. Rituximab was given weekly for a total of 8 weeks. Temozolomide was continued for 6 months after CR. Brain MRI was done after every other methotrexate treatment to assess response. Results Sixteen patients were treated between February 2006 and August 2009. Ten patients received MRT as first-line therapy at the time of initial diagnosis and 6 received MRT as salvage therapy at first or second recurrence. The median age of newly diagnosed patients was 58 (range 47-76) and of relapsed patients was 60 (range 46-76). CSF cytology was atypical in 5/15 patients who underwent lumbar puncture (4 first-line, 1 relapse). After first-line therapy, there were 9 CRs (median cycles to CR = 3) and 1 PR (patient still receiving induction treatment). After salvage therapy, there were 4 CRs (median cycles to CR = 4) and 2 PRs (both patients died while receiving treatment- 1 from an unrelated myocardial infarction). With a median follow-up of 10.3 months in the first-line group and 7.2 months in the relapse group, only 3 patients have progressed; one of whom had clinical progression after a PR and a second who relapsed in the skin. Treatment was well tolerated with reversible grade 4 transammonitis in 1 patient and grade 3 hematological toxicities in 8 patients. One patient experienced grade 4 thrombocytopenia related to temozolomide requiring dose reduction for subsequent cycles. Conclusions Combination MRT is well tolerated and resulted in a promising early response rate. The median number of cycles needed to achieve a CR for patients with newly diagnosed PCNSL was less than the 6 cycles we have previously reported for HD-MTX monotherapy suggesting that adding rituximab and temozolomide is beneficial to patients. This combination warrants further evaluation in larger scale, prospective studies. Disclosures Off Label Use: temozolomide and rituximab for PCNSL..
Are There Two Distinct Mechanistic Pathways That Explain the Varying Clinical Presentations, Laboratory Findings, and Outcomes of Thienopyridine-Associated Thrombotic Thrombocytopenic Purpura (TTP)?.

Introduction: The antiplatelet agents ticlopidine and clopidogrel are thienopyridine derivatives that are commonly used for secondary prevention of cerebrovascular events, prevention of coronary artery stent thrombosis, and for treatment of acute coronary syndrome. While these chemically related agents are the first and third most common causes of drug-associated TTP respectively, clinical presentations, laboratory findings, and outcomes suggest that there may be two distinct mechanistic pathways. Methods: Clinical and laboratory data for 60 cases of ticlopidine-associated TTP and 35 cases of clopidogrel associated TTP were reviewed. Results: Type 1 thienopyridine-associated TTP, characterized by onset of disease > 5 days after drug initiation, occurred in 98% of the ticlopidine patients versus 63% of the clopidogrel patients. Laboratory studies identified severe deficiency of ADAMTS13 activity and the presence of IgG inhibitors in 7 ticlopidine (Tsai, et al.; Annals of Internal Medicine, 2000) and 2 clopidogrel (Bennett, et al.; NEJM, 2000) patients. Survival was 68% in the ticlopidine patients versus 91% in the clopidogrel patients. Type 2 thienopyridine-associated TTP, consisting of TTP onset within 5 days of drug initiation, occurred in 2% of the ticlopidine patients versus 37% of the clopidogrel patients. Laboratory studies failed to identify deficient ADAMTS13 activity or the presence of IgG inhibitors in 1 clopidogrel patient (Zheng, et al.; Blood, 2004). Survival was 0% in the ticlopidine patients versus 38% in the clopidogrel patients. Conclusion: The proposed type 1 and type 2 thienopyridine-associated TTP may be distinguished on the basis of clinical presentation, ADAMTS13 levels, and outcome. Type 1 thienopyridine-associated TTP—characterized as occurring after > 5 days of thienopyridine treatment, severely deficient ADAMTS13 activity and presence of IgG inhibitors, and high survival rates with plasmapheresis—is more likely to occur in patients receiving ticlopidine. Type 2 thienopyridine-associated TTP—characterized as occurring within 5 days of thienopyridine therapy initiation, normal ADAMTS13 activity and undetectable IgG inhibitors, and poor survival rates despite plasmapheresis—is more likely to occur in patients receiving clopidogrel. Additional confirmatory studies on larger numbers of patients are needed.
AMPA receptor-mediated rapid EPSCs in vestibular calyx afferents.

In vestibular calyx terminals of mature cristae we find that the majority of excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) are rapid monophasic events mediated by AMPA receptors. Spontaneous EPSCs are r...
An integrated model for evaluating investments in cultural heritage tourism in the Dominican Republic

In the Dominican Republic, tourism represents a significant share of growth domestic product. Improving and increasing cultural heritage tourism opportunities offer potential for tourism product di...
Atmospheric Dynamics: Fundamentals of wave dynamics

This chapter is concerned with the dynamics of atmospheric motions that characteristically have cyclical structure in space and periodic fluctuations in time. Such type of motion is what we call waves . As far as weather disturbances are concerned, the two most important types of waves in the atmosphere are known as internal gravity waves and Rossby waves . Following some brief preliminary remarks in Section 5.1, we discuss the physical nature and the restoring mechanisms responsible for the existence of these waves in Sections 5.2, 5.5 and 5.6. We formulate the simplest possible models for them and deduce the intrinsic properties of the free wave modes in Sections 5.3, 5.4 and 5.7. We also delineate their structures arising from a given external forcing in Section 5.8. A brief discussion of the observed statistical properties of Rossby waves in the atmosphere is given in Section 5.9. The chapter ends in Section 5.10 with a discussion of the fundamental dynamics of a unique subclass of wave motions known as edge waves that turns out to have wide ramifications. Preliminary remarks Wave is a generic term for vibrations in a physical medium, whether it is a string, a membrane, a three-dimensional structure, water in an ocean or air in the atmosphere. A wave has cyclic structure in space and/or periodic fluctuations in time. A localized disturbance in the atmosphere may be thought of as an ensemble of constituent waves. There are distinctly different types of waves in the atmosphere and oceans.
Disability Law Issues for High Risk Students: Addressing Violence and Disruption

The article addresses the disability discrimination laws that apply to how individuals with mental health problems are treated in various contexts where concerns about campus violence or disruption are at issue. It discusses what educators are required to do (legal requirements), what they should do (what ethically should be considered in balancing the interests of the individual with mental health challenges and others that might be affected by conduct that relates to those challenges), and what they can do (considering resources to assist educators responsible for providing a safe and positive learning environment for other students, faculty, and staff, and for assuring that the interests of others are approviately balanced).
Quantum Monte Carlo Simulation: Algorithm and Applications

The algorithm of the diffusion quantum Monte Carlo simulation method and some of its applications are presented. The emphasis is on the actual calculations of electronic structures of small systems, including a hydrogen molecule confined in a spheroidal box and the ionic hydrogen clusters H+2n+1 with n=1,2,3,4. The Monte Carlo calculations on the molecular energies and structures of these systems reported here are the best theoretical calculations to date. Equilibrium geometric structures of some clusters are searched through optimizing their molecular energies and good agreement is found with the previous configuration interaction calculations. The electronic structures of the H+ 2n+1 clusters are analyzed based on the bonding formation in the systems. Estimate on the dissociation energy of each cluster is made and compared with the available experimental measurements.
Women have enhanced bone loss associated with phosphaturia and CD4+ cell restoration during initial antiretroviral therapy

OBJECTIVE We compared bone mineral density (BMD) changes and their correlates, between men and women participating in two randomized trials of initial [antiretroviral therapy (ART)] regimens, with or without tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF). METHODS Covariates in linear regression models of 48-week hip and spine %BMD changes, by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry, included baseline and 48-week changes in plasma viral load, CD4 cells, plasma C-terminal telopeptide, procollagen 1 N-terminal propeptide and glomerular filtration rates, and the 48-week area under the curve of fractional excretion of phosphate. RESULTS Despite overall hip and spine BMD declines of 2.8 and 2.9%, respectively, plasma viral load suppression to less than 50 vs. at least 50 copies/ml was associated 1.0% (P = 0.02) and 0.8% (P = 0.01) less BMD decline. Women had lower baseline spine (P = 0.04; n = 59 women, 418 men) and hip BMD (P = 0.01) in adjusted models, with 1.7% more hip decline on ART than men (P = 0.001). Serum phosphate was positively associated with baseline spine BMD in women (P = 0.03) but not men, and area under the curve of fractional excretion of phosphate was negatively associated with spine BMD changes, particularly in women randomized to TDF regimens (P = 0.03 and 0.054 for interactions by sex, and randomization to TDF vs. non-TDF regimens, respectively; n = 44 women, 326 men). Women also had 0.6% (P = 0.004) more hip BMD decline than men associated with each 100 CD4 cells/μl increase on ART (P = 0.02; n = 49 women, 379 men). CONCLUSION Women randomized to TDF-containing ART had accentuated spine loss associated with phosphaturia, and accentuated hip loss associated with CD4 restoration, regardless of TDF exposure. Viral load suppression reduced bone loss.
Polarized Families, Polarized Parties: Contesting Values and Economics in American Politics

We tend to associate conservative movements and the modern Republican Party with “family values” and traditional gender roles, acknowledging the centrality of family in the politics of the Right. B...
Improving the efficiency index in enclosing a root of an equation

Recently several algorithms have been developed which achieve high efficiency index in enclosing a root of the equationf(x)=0 in an interval [a, b] over whichf(x) is continuous andf(a)f(b)<0. The highest efficiency index, 1.6686 ..., was achieved in [4] using the inverse cubic interpolation. This paper studies the possibility of improving efficiency index by using high order inverse interpolations. A class of algorithms are presented and the optimal one of the class has achieved the efficiency index 1.7282 ... With a user-given accurary ɛ and starting with the initial interval [a 1,b 1]=[a, b], these algorithms guarantee to find in finitely many iterations an enclosing interval [a n ,b n ] that contains a root of the equation and whose lengthb n –a n is smaller than ɛ. Numerical experiments indicate that the new algorithm performs very well in practice.
Overexpression of PD-1 on T cells promotes tolerance in cardiac transplantation via an ICOS-dependent mechanism.

The PD-1: PD-L1 is a potent inhibitory pathway involved in immune regulation and a potential therapeutic target in transplantation. In this study, we show that overexpression of PD-1 (PD-1 Tg) on T cells promotes allograft tolerance in a fully MHC-mismatched cardiac transplant model when combined with costimulation blockade (CTLA-4-Ig). PD-1 overexpression on T cells also protected against chronic rejection in a single MHC II mismatched cardiac transplant model, while it still allowed the generation of an effective immune response against an Influenza A virus. Notably, Treg cells from PD-1 Tg mice were required for tolerance induction and presented higher ICOS expression than those from wild-type mice. Survival benefit of PD-1 Tg recipients required ICOS signaling and donor PD-L1 expression. These results indicate that modulation of PD-1 expression, in combination with a costimulation blockade, is a promising therapeutic target to promote transplant tolerance.
Towards Empirical Sandwich Bounds on the Rate-Distortion Function

Rate-distortion (R-D) function, a key quantity in information theory, characterizes the fundamental limit of how much a data source can be compressed subject to a fidelity criterion, by any compression algorithm. As researchers push for ever-improving compression performance, establishing the R-D function of a given data source is not only of scientific interest, but also sheds light on the possible room for improving compression algorithms. Previous work on this problem relied on distributional assumptions on the data source (Gibson, 2017) or only applied to discrete data. By contrast, this paper makes the first attempt at an algorithm for sandwiching the R-D function of a general (not necessarily discrete) source requiring only i.i.d. data samples. We estimate R-D sandwich bounds on Gaussian and high-dimension banana-shaped sources, as well as GAN-generated images. Our R-D upper bound on natural images indicates room for improving the performance of state-of-the-art image compression methods by 1 dB in PSNR at various bitrates.
Can an old dog be taught new tricks?: Teaching cultural diversity to police officers

One of the most consistent complaints from the leaders in minority communities is that police officers are not sufficiently sensitive to differing cultures. In response to this criticism police trainers and administrators are requiring that police officers attend “Cultural Diversity Training.” This research suggests that police officers are somewhat divided in their views of the necessity for cultural diversity training. New recruits, for the most part, tend to be more accepting of the training while experienced officers tend more often to see the training as a waste of time or, worse yet, as an informal form of punishment.
Real-time distributed configuration discovery of modular self-reconfigurable robots

We consider the problem of discovering and representing the topology of a modular self-reconfigurable robot (MSR) in which modules do not have a priori information about other modules that belong to the same configuration. We propose a solution that combines two main features of modules - their geometric shape and their inter-connection with other modules, represented as a connectivity graph. We describe a distributed algorithm that can be used by each module to construct the connectivity graph by discovering other modules in four steps - sharing IDs, creating a local configuration structure (LCS) or list of local neighbors, sharing a matrix with LCSs to adjacent modules, and building an adjacency matrix by combining LCSs. Data is exchanged between modules using infra-red (IR) communication. Our proposed technique can operate within limited computational resources available on a module and is robust to module failures. We have tested and demonstrated the successful operation of our proposed technique on the ModRED (Modular Robot for Exploration and Discovery) platform and shown that modules are able to discover both linear and branched configurations using our algorithm.
Promoting Health Among Childbearing Adolescents and Their Infants

Jane S. Grassley, PhD, RN, IBCLC, is an associate professor in the Department of Nursing, Boise State University, Boise, ID. Adolescent pregnancy and parenting continue to be a reality in the United States, and our teen pregnancy rate is the highest among industrialized nations. These young women and their children experience increased health and psychosocial risks, such as inadequate weight gain during pregnancy, premature birth, low birth weight, poverty, and abuse or neglect. Nurses have numerous opportunities to promote the health of adolescents as they negotiate the phases of childbearing and early parenting. This In Focus series provides strategies that nurses can use to promote health among childbearing adolescents and their infants.
The Big Picture at Hollywood: Geophysical and Archaeological Investigations at a Mississippian Mound Centre

Hollywood Mounds is a late Mississippian mound centre located in northwestern Mississippi, USA. Although only four mounds are visible today topographically, prospection techniques have revealed additional mounds and other buried features that extend well beyond the site core. These features were burned, which allows them to produce high-contrast magnetic gradient anomalies. By augmenting this data with an efficient excavation strategy, the sequence of this unique cultural landscape has been reconstructed. These findings provide insight into the development of a Mississippian mound centre in this area – results that would not be possible without archaeological prospection. Copyright © 2014 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Association of maternal smoking with overweight at age 3 y in American Indian children.

BACKGROUND Prevalence rates of overweight are higher among American Indian children than among any other ethnic group, but little research has explored contributing influences. OBJECTIVE The objective was to determine the prevalence and predictors of body mass index (BMI; in kg/m2) > or = 85th percentile in American Indian children in Wisconsin. DESIGN A retrospective analysis was conducted with linked pediatric and pregnancy nutrition surveillance systems and birth records from 1997 through 2001. Participants were American Indian mothers and children (aged 0-3 y) who were participating in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children in Wisconsin. Outcome measurements included indicators of BMI > or = 85th percentile identified by using binary logistic regression. RESULTS Of the 3-y-olds, 22.2% were overweight and 18.7% were at risk of overweight. Of their mothers, 42.5% had smoked during pregnancy. Smoking at the initial prenatal visit significantly predicted overweight and risk of overweight in children at age 3 y (odds ratio: 2.16; 95% CI: 1.05, 4.47). Despite being smaller at birth, the children of smoking mothers had a significantly (P < 0.05) greater increase in weight-for-length z score between birth and age 3 y than did children of nonsmokers. This greater increase was due to a significantly (P < 0.02) greater increase in weight in children of smokers than in those of nonsmokers and not to a relatively slower increase in height. CONCLUSIONS Our findings suggest the early influence of maternal smoking on the prevalence of overweight at age 3 y in a high-risk American Indian population and provide evidence that interventions to reduce smoking in pregnant women may be warranted.
Somatosensory properties of neurons of thalamic nucleus ventralis lateralis.

Abstract There is an apparent discrepancy between anatomical and neurophysiological observations concerning thalamocortical projections to pericruciate cerebral cortex in the cat. Anatomical studies report that thalamic nucleus ventralis posterior lateralis (VPL) projects to postcruciate cortex and thalamic nucleus ventralis lateralis (VL) to precruciate cortex. Neurons responding to natural and electrical cutaneous stimulation have been recorded previously in VPL and in precruciate and postcruciate cerebral cortex of the chloralose-anesthetized cat. This study reports that only 6% of the recorded VL sample respond to cutaneous stimulation and suggests that the somatosensory neurons of precruciate cortex receive thalamic input from other than thalamic nucleus VL. The VL neurons recorded from in this study are influenced synaptically from precruciate cortex and from cerebellar cortex in various short latency (
Interactions of the major metabolite of the cancer chemopreventive drug oltipraz with cytochrome c: a novel pathway for cancer chemoprevention.

Abstract The major metabolite of the cancer chemopreventive agent oltipraz, a pyrrolopyrazine thione (PPD), has been shown to be a phase 2 enzyme inducer, an activity thought to be key to the cancer chemopreventive action of the parent compound. In cells, mitochondria are the major source of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and cytochrome c (cyt c ) is known to participate in mitochondrial electron transport and confer antioxidant and peroxidase activities. To understand possible mechanisms by which PPD acts as a phase 2 enzyme inducer, a study of its interaction with cyt c was undertaken. UV–visible spectroscopic results demonstrate that PPD is capable of reducing oxidized cyt c. The reduced cyt c is stable for a long period of time in the absence of an oxidizing agent. In the presence of ferricyanide, the reduced cyt c is rapidly oxidized back to its oxidized form. Further, UV–visible spectroscopic studies show that during the reduction process the coordination environment and redox state of iron in cyt c are changed. Low-temperature EPR studies show that during the reduction process, the heme iron changes from a low-spin state of s = 1/2 to a low-spin state of s = 0. Room-temperature EPR studies demonstrate that PPD inhibits the peroxidase activity of cyt c. EPR spin trapping experiments using DMPO show that PPD inhibits the superoxide radical scavenging activity of oxidized cyt c. From these results, we propose that PPD interacts with cyt c , binding to and then reducing the heme, and this may enhance ROS levels in mitochondria. This in turn could contribute to the mechanism by which the parent compound, oltipraz, might trigger the cancer chemopreventive increase in transcription of phase 2 enzymes. The modifications of cyt c function by the oltipraz metabolite may have implications for the regulation of apoptotic cell death.
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease—Can We Do Better?

Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is extremely common; all primary care physicians should be able to manage this disorder. Probably 30 million Americans are afflicted with some stage of the disease. Assessment of COPD is based on symptoms and simple spirometric measurements that primary care physicians can perform in their offices. Early identification and intervention are vital to controlling COPD. Smoking cessation is most important. Aggressive pharmacologic therapy is also required. Bronchoactive drugs are more successful in improving airflow in patients in early stages of the disease than those with more advanced stages. The National Mucolytic Study Investigators' Meeting, focusing on the usage of iodinated glycerol (Organidin) in patients with moderate-to-advanced airflow obstruction from chronic bronchitis, has concluded that symptoms of the disease were improved in treated patients compared with patients receiving placebo. These results, based on a major double-blind, controlled clinical trial, will usher in a new approach to the treatment of patients with mucus clearance problems. It is now time to develop a nationwide strategy for involving all primary care physicians in the identification and treatment of patients with COPD.
Extractives of Geijera parviflora

Abstract 7-Geranyloxycoumarin, marmin, 6′-dehydromarmin, geiparvarin, 2′,3′-dihydrogeiparvarin and flindersine have been found in the extracts of the fruit of Geijera parviflora Lindl. (Rutaceae). The acetone ketal of marmin was also obtained and is regarded as an artifact of the isolation procedure. Peracid oxidation of 7-geranyloxycoumarin gave exclusively its 6′,7′-epoxide.
Sports and physical training injury hospitalizations in the army.

Abstract Introduction: Injuries are the leading health problem in the military services. Sports and physical training activities are an area in which a substantial number of injuries can occur. Although athletic injuries are not often investigated in military populations, the Armed Forces database provides a unique opportunity to investigate sports injuries. Methods: An Army database of all hospital admissions for active duty Army personnel in the 1989–1994 period was used to study injuries resulting from sports and Army physical training. Results: For the 6-year time period reviewed, there were 13,861 hospital admissions for injuries resulting from sports or Army physical training: 94% (13,020) of these admissions were men and 6% (841) were women. The rates of sports injuries were 38 and 18 per 10,000 person-years for men and women, respectively. Sports injuries accounted for an average of 29,435 lost duty days each year: Men lost an average of 13 days per injury and women lost an average of 11 days per injury. Acute musculoskeletal injuries in the categories of fractures, sprains/strains, and dislocations accounted for 82% of all injuries. The knee was the most often injured body area in both genders, with the anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) identified as the most frequently injured body part overall. The top seven injuries were virtually identical for men and women, with only slight variations in order. Although the rates of all hospitalized sports injuries were higher for men than women, women had a higher proportion of ACL injuries from basketball and softball, ankle fractures from softball and head injuries from basketball. For men, football and basketball contributed to the highest rates of injuries. The highest injury rates for women were from Army physical training and basketball. For both men and women, Army physical training was the leading cause of lumbosacral strains. Conclusions: Sports and Army physical training injuries account for a significant amount of lost duty time and impact military readiness.
Rectus femoris myocutaneous flap for vulvoperineal reconstruction.

Abstract Background. Many reconstructive procedures for large vulvoperineal defects have been described. The present report describes the use of the rectus femoris myocutaneous flap, which has not previously been described for this purpose. Case. A 52-year-old woman suffered a local recurrence of a Bartholin's gland carcinoma after anterior exenteration and pubectomy. A palliative resection was performed which resulted in a large vulvoperineal defect with transpelvic herniation of the peritoneal contents. This was immediately reconstructed with a rectus femoris myocutaneous flap. Her postoperative course and healing were uneventful. Conclusion. This technique is an alternative method for vulvar reconstruction. It is especially useful for large defects when a gracilis or rectus abdominis flap is not available.
HuR-SIRT: the hairy world of posttranscriptional control

In this issue of Molecular Cell, Abdelmohsen et al. (2007) demonstrate that the RNA binding protein HuR selectively up- or downregulates the stability of the SIRT1 mRNA (which encodes an important regulatory deacetylase) depending upon phosphorylation by Chk2.
Health Care Is For the Literate: Improving Health One Step at a Time

The health care system favors the literate. People who know how to gain access, complete myriad and formidable forms, and understand the information they are given have a much higher probability of receiving quality health care, following self-care regimens accurately, and maintaining their health. Improving health literacy has become a national imperative, as evidenced by recent major health policy changes and reforms. A cultural shift involving administrators, clinicians, and consumers is necessary for equalizing health care for all citizens and can be facilitated through the numerous informational and educational sites now available on the Internet.
A Trifocal Model of Nursing Diagnosis: Wellness Reinforced

As nurses have identified the phenomena of concern to nursing and developed diagnostic language, there has been a persistent omission of diagnostic labels that reflect health and a wellness orientation. The fact that the term "diagnosis" has been identified with problems and deficits has impeded work on wellness diagnoses. Further, lack of consensus regarding a definition of health further complicates work in this area. The authors propose a model that incorporates a category of "opportunity to enhance," in addition to the categories of "problem" and "high risk" to derive a trifocal model of nursing diagnoses. Examples from nursing practice are given.
Psychometric Support for an Abbreviated Version of the California School Climate and Safety Survey

The California School Climate and Safety Survey–Short Form (CSCSS–SF) was developed as a streamlined version (54 items) of the original CSCSS (102 items) for school safety teams to gather information regarding student perceptions of campus climate, safety, and experience of victimization. Using a longitudinal dataset, this study implemented confirmatory factor analysis to further examine the underlying structure of the CSCSS–SF to identify the highest loading items of its 3 previously identified factors: danger on campus, perceptions of school climate, and perceptions of school safety. Measurement invariance was assessed using Multiple Indicators, Multiple Causes across genders. Internal consistency and stability across factors were also measured. In addition, predictive validity was assessed using student responses to the Strengths and Difficulties Questionnaire. Results supported previous findings of a 3-factor solution (with loadings>.40) and suggested adequate psychometric evidence (factor reliability...
Processing, Functional, and Nutritional Properties of Okra Seed Products

Okra full-fat flour, defatted flour, protein concentrate, and protein isolate were prepared from whole okra seeds (Spineless Green Velvet variety). Results of proximate analysis, amino acid profiles, in vitro protein digestibility, and calculated protein efficiency ratios (C-PER) indicated that okra products have significant potential as a viable new protein source. C-PER of okra products ranged from 2.16–2.22. Protein solubility indicated that these okra products were generally more soluble than commercial soy products. Emulsion capacity and viscosity of okra products were significantly lower than those for soy products. Overall, foam stability of soy products was consistently higher than that for okra products.