cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Role of Eosinophils and Tumor Necrosis Factor Alpha in Interleukin-25-Mediated Protection from Amebic Colitis.

The parasite Entamoeba histolytica is a cause of diarrhea in infants in low-income countries. Previously, it was shown that tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) production was associated with increased risk of E. histolytica diarrhea in children. Interleukin-25 (IL-25) is a cytokine that is produced by intestinal epithelial cells that has a role in maintenance of gut barrier function and inhibition of TNF-α production. IL-25 expression was decreased in humans and in the mouse model of amebic colitis. Repletion of IL-25 blocked E. histolytica infection and barrier disruption in mice, increased gut eosinophils, and suppressed colonic TNF-α. Depletion of eosinophils with anti-Siglec-F antibody prevented IL-25-mediated protection. In contrast, depletion of TNF-α resulted in resistance to amebic infection. We concluded that IL-25 provides protection from amebiasis, which is dependent upon intestinal eosinophils and suppression of TNF-α.IMPORTANCE The intestinal epithelial barrier is important for protection from intestinal amebiasis. We discovered that the intestinal epithelial cytokine IL-25 was suppressed during amebic colitis in humans and that protection could be restored in the mouse model by IL-25 administration. IL-25 acted via eosinophils and suppressed TNF-α. This work illustrates a previously unrecognized pathway of innate mucosal immune response.
Food allergy: A review and update on epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, prevention, and management.

This review provides general information to serve as a primer for those embarking on understanding food allergy and also details advances and updates in epidemiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and treatment that have occurred over the 4 years since our last comprehensive review. Although firm prevalence data are lacking, there is a strong impression that food allergy has increased, and rates as high as approximately 10% have been documented. Genetic, epigenetic, and environmental risk factors are being elucidated increasingly, creating potential for improved prevention and treatment strategies targeted to those at risk. Insights on pathophysiology reveal a complex interplay of the epithelial barrier, mucosal and systemic immune response, route of exposure, and microbiome among other influences resulting in allergy or tolerance. The diagnosis of food allergy is largely reliant on medical history, tests for sensitization, and oral food challenges, but emerging use of component-resolved diagnostics is improving diagnostic accuracy. Additional novel diagnostics, such as basophil activation tests, determination of epitope binding, DNA methylation signatures, and bioinformatics approaches, will further change the landscape. A number of prevention strategies are under investigation, but early introduction of peanut has been advised as a public health measure based on existing data. Management remains largely based on allergen avoidance, but a panoply of promising treatment strategies are in phase 2 and 3 studies, providing immense hope that better treatment will be imminently and widely available, whereas numerous additional promising treatments are in the preclinical and clinical pipeline.
Public Chemical Databases

Abstract The rapid increase in publicly available chemical data in recent years has led to the establishment of many chemical databases that collect, curate, and disseminate these data. This paper provides a brief overview of important public chemical databases useful for cheminformatics and bioinformatics research community, including PubChem, ChemSpider, ChEMBL, BindingDB, PDBbind, Binding MOAD, DrugBank, Guide to PHARMACOLOGY, Pharmacogenomics Knowledge Base (PharmGKB), Side Effect Resource (SIDER), Comparative Toxicogenomics Database (CTD), Hazardous Substances Data Bank (HSDB), Human Metabolome Database (HMDB), Chemical Entities of Biological Interest (ChEBI), and UniChem.
A Cross-Architectural Quantitative Evaluation of Mobility Approaches

Future Internet Architectures must support the rapid growth of traffic generated by mobile endpoints in a manner that is scalable and ensures low latency. We present a quantitative evaluation of three distinct approaches towards handling endpoint mobility: name-based forwarding, indirection and a global name service (GNS). Using a range of parameterized mobility distributions and real ISP topologies, we describe representative instantiations of each approach and evaluate their performance using four key metrics: update cost and update propagation cost in the control plane; and forwarding traffic cost and time-to-connect (TTC) in the data plane. (1) We show that by leveraging the fact that realistic endpoint mobility distributions show a high probability of being at a small subset of visited locations, name-based forwarding strategies can provide up to 60% improvement in control costs over simple best-port forwarding. (2) We show that the TTC in these name-based forwarding strategies is comparable to the TTC in the GNS. (3) Finally we show that a GNS-based approach offers the most suitable balance of total (combined data and control) cost to TTC across all approaches, all endpoint mobility distributions, and all ISP topologies considered.
Kooperationen beim Betrachtungsteilfeld Automatenbanking

Das Automatenbanking umfast die Kundenselbstbedienung an Geldausgabeautomaten, Kontoauszugsdruckern, Uberweisungsterminals, Multifunktionsterminals sowie ferner an Informationsterminals, Sparbuchautomaten, Vordruckautomaten, Einzahlungsautomaten und Sortenwechslern.
Laboratory practices for reporting bacterial susceptibility tests that affect antibiotic therapy.

Objective.-To evaluate a laboratory-based process for integrating antimicrobial susceptibility, pharmacy, and clinical data with rapid physician notification to improve the care and outcome of patients with bacterial infections. Design.-Randomized case control study comparing standard microbiology reporting method with a targeted notification procedure. Results.-Of 254 cases studied, a discordance between antimicrobial susceptibility test results and antibiotic therapy was detected in 140 (55%) patients and confirmed after clinical review in 49 (19%). Appropriate changes in antibiotic therapy were made significantly sooner and in a significantly higher proportion of cases with targeted notification than with standard reporting procedures. Conclusions.-Utilization of antimicrobial susceptibility results is improved by integrating clinical and therapeutic information to identify cases that require physician notification, as measured by the timeliness and appropriateness of antibiotic treatment.
Computational Experience with Hypergraph-Based Methods for Automatic Decomposition in Discrete Optimization

Branch-and-price (BAP) algorithms based on Dantzig-Wolfe decomposition have shown great success in solving mixed integer linear optimization problems (MILPs) with specific identifiable structure. Only recently has there been investigation into the development of a “generic” version of BAP for unstructured MILPs. One of the most important elements required for such a generic BAP algorithm is an automatic method of decomposition. In this paper, we report on preliminary experiments using hypergraph partitioning as a means of performing such automatic decomposition.
The New York Times Paywall

On March 28, 2011, The New York Times website became a restricted site where most of the content was protected behind a "paywall." Users who exceeded the limit of 20 free articles per month were required to pay for either a digital or print subscription. The newspaper industry had been suffering from revenue declines over the past decade, and the transition to digital media was difficult to navigate. Revenues from online advertising were not sufficient to replace the loss of print revenue, and many publishers had explored charging readers for content, with mixed success, where specialized sources like The Wall Street Journal successfully using the model, but several other general news sites had failed. Newspapers and content creators in general were very interested in understanding whether transitioning to the paywall at the most popular news website would succeed, and whether it could become a blueprint for future success as a sustainable business model. There were several difficult issues to examine in determining the digital strategy for The Times. Would consumers remain as engaged with a site protected by a paywall? Would advertisers react positively to such a move that walled off readers? Would readers value both the print and digital versions of the content, or would it become necessary to create new content? The Times had several choices in designing the paywall, including determining the digital content, pricing, as well as how to interface with readers of secondary news websites like blogs that posted links to news articles. Should they design a "leaky" paywall where determined users could easily slip through, or a "bulletproof" paywall like the Financial Times had done, where users had to pay before they could access any content? What choices would provide the foundation for a successful business model?Learning Objective:The purpose of this case is to help understand the key issues in transitioning a content business from the current print medium to the future digital medium. It will involve a deep exploration of how managers must understand product strategy to align the value creation process with the characteristics of the medium or channel, while keeping in mind the landscape of collaborators and competitors has been altered significantly by digital technology. How should a manager determine the content across multiple media? Should they design the product for complementary value creation across media, or are they best thought of as substitutes? Should the company accelerate the transition to digital or try and bolster the value for both media? This case has been taught in the Digital Marketing elective course at Harvard Business School. It would also fit well in elective courses on Product Strategy or Technology Strategy.
Chapter 41 – The Clinical Researcher and the Media

As the US government's primary biomedical research agency, an important part of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) mission is to communicate health information and research discoveries to the public. The chapter reflects the NIH's approaches to clinical researchers dealing with the media. Many concepts are generalizable. You will learn about what triggers media interest in clinical research, how to prepare to engage reporters, and some tips on how to increase the chances that your work will be covered accurately and in a timely way. This chapter offers reasons why certain areas of research may become the subject of news stories and covers topics such as social media, embargoes, and the world of investigative reporting. In addition, this chapter will provide you with questions that you should ask a reporter before agreeing to an interview, as well as potential responses to unexpected questions that you may receive. Science and health reporters are usually very knowledgeable about specific science and health issues. They also want to write an interesting news story, and they know how to ask the “tough” questions. Since the media are able to disseminate information quickly and broadly to the public, we encourage you to talk to the media about your research and hope that this chapter helps you prepare for media attention, and, as a result, you become more comfortable interacting with the press.
Northeast Pacific benthic shelled sea slugs

A compendium of the northeast Pacific benthic shelled sea slugs formerly classified in the paraphyletic group “Opisthobranchia” is provided. These include organisms with internal and/or reduced shells. Shell-less groups such as Nudibranchia or closely related benthic shelled clades such as the Pyramidelloidea and the Siphonarioidea are excluded. The Sacoglossa is not represented by any shelled forms in the northeast Pacific and therefore is also excluded. Descriptions include diagnostic characteristics, species abundance information, geographic and bathymetric ranges, and ecological data (if available). Short remarks for most species and higher taxa provide additional information published elsewhere and/or address outstanding taxonomic or nomenclatural issues. Illustrations of the shells and — in some cases — the live animals are provided. Species are arranged based on current classification schemes and a full list of primary synonyms, location of type material (if known), and type localities of all synonyms are provided for each species. Three new species are described in this paper: Microglyphis michelleae new species, Microglyphis sabrinae new species and Bogasonia jennyae new species. Oscaniella purpurea Bergh, 1897 is here designated the type species of Oscaniella Bergh, 1897
Structure-Activity Relationship among Hallucinogenic Agents

The active site or sites of hallucinogenic compounds are as unknown as the basic mechanisms of hallucinations. Although nature has used hallucinogens as deterrents against ‘being eaten’for many millenia and although plant materials with hallucinogenic properties have been used by man for many centuries, the first chemically known hallucinogen, mescaline, has been recognized only 50 years ago [116]. Since the accidental detection of LSD-25 and clarification of its structure in 1943 [120,121] hallucinogens were described at an accelerated pace: a systematic search in preparation for this paper yielded the claim of hallucinogenic properties for nearly 150 substances.
Concepts for the plastic surgeon from art and sculpture

The concepts gleaned from the world of artists and sculptors can be profitably used by the plastic surgeon in both aesthetic and reconstructive surgery. Judgment and taste are learned skills; talent is important but not primary.
Conceptualization of a Knowledge Management Framework for Governments: A case of Devolved County Governments in Kenya

Devolved governments such as the county and regional governments around the world have a constitutional responsibility to find sustainable ways through which they can meet material, social, and economic responsibilities of improving the quality of the lives of their citizens by providing high-quality services and decent work for their employees. The 2014-2017 Kenya’s Council of Governors strategic plan postulated enactment of a knowledge management strategy where good practices and lessons learnt within any county government should be documented and disseminated in appropriate forums to other counties. However, the 2017-2022 strategic plan indicates that there is lack of a structured mechanism for systematic knowledge sharing and organizational learning among the county governments despite the council’s effort to share information through statutory annual reports, devolution conferences and quarterly sectoral committee meetings. But, the 2017-2022 strategic plan envisions a systematic mechanism for sharing experiences among the county governments. The intention of this study was to assess the current knowledge management practices among the county governments in Kenya; to identify, and articulate knowledge management concepts that are useful to the public services sector among devolved governments in developing countries; and to model these practices into a framework that can support continuous sharing of experiences, lessons and innovations within and among the county governments in Kenya. Theoretical frameworks and models of knowledge management in governance, governments and e-governments were considered and a conceptual framework for successful knowledge management initiatives among county and regional governments was formulated. The proposed conceptual framework was evaluated using a focus group discussion with participants drawn from the Council of Governors’ Maarifa Center employees. The study proposes a framework to facilitate effective sharing of experiences among county employees, between different county governments and to manage and enhance knowledge management initiatives among the devolved governments. The study results indicate some sporadic nascent knowledge management practices rather than well planned initiatives within the counties. The study provides recommendations for the Council of Governors and other policy makers on how to manage knowledge management initiatives, while suggestions for future research directions for researchers with similar interests are given.
Ab interno trabeculectomy with the dual blade in juvenile open-angle glaucoma:

Purpose:To introduce the use of the Kahook Dual Blade in the treatment of juvenile open-angle glaucoma.Patients and methods:A 14-year-old male was presented with juvenile open-angle glaucoma in the...
Pharmacist Interventions to Improve Specialty Medication Adherence: Study Protocol for a Randomized Controlled Trial.

The effectiveness of specialty medications in complicated clinical conditions depends on adherence to therapy. However, specialty medications pose unique barriers to adherence. This study aims to determine whether pharmacist interventions improve specialty medication adherence. This is a single-center, pragmatic, randomized controlled trial ongoing since 10 May 2019 at an integrated health system specialty pharmacy. This study evaluates usual care compared with usual care plus patient-tailored adherence interventions. Study design and procedures were informed by focus groups with patients and specialty pharmacists. Patients at Vanderbilt Specialty Pharmacy with a proportion of days covered (PDC) < 90% in the previous 4 months are identified by a daily query of the electronic pharmacy database. A pharmacist reviews these patients’ electronic health records to identify and exclude ineligible patients. Eligible patients are randomized evenly to the control or intervention arm and stratified by historical clinic nonadherence rates. Patients randomized to the intervention arm undergo a baseline assessment to clarify reasons for nonadherence and subsequently receive patient-tailored interventions based on their specific reasons. Interventions and follow-up are provided at the discretion of the intervening pharmacist. The primary outcome is PDC calculated at 8 months post-enrollment. Enrollment of 438 participants will provide 90% power to detect a 5% difference in PDC between the two arms within each nonadherence risk stratum. This trial will evaluate the effect of patient-tailored interventions on specialty medication adherence and will inform how often and why patients are misidentified as nonadherent. The trial was deemed a quality improvement initiative by the Vanderbilt University Institutional Review Board. It was registered in ClinicalTrials.gov (NCT03709277) on 17 October 2018.
The Water in Which We Are Swimming: Introduction to the Special Issue: Developing a Common Understanding of Networks of Care.

A famous parable tells of two young fish swimming along. An older fish, swimming the other way, nods at them and says, “Good morning, boys. How’s the water?” The two young fish swim on for a bit, a...
Exercise Performance in Adolescents With Fontan Physiology (from the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan Public Data Set)

In the pediatric population, exercise capacity differs between females and males and the gap widens through adolescence. However, specific age- and sex-based changes in adolescents with congenital heart disease and Fontan palliation have not been reported. The purpose of the current study is to identify age- and sex-specific changes in exercise performance at peak and ventilatory anaerobic threshold (AT) for adolescents with Fontan physiology. Retrospective review of the Pediatric Heart Network Fontan cross sectional study (Fontan 1) public use dataset. Comparisons were made for peak and AT exercise parameters for females and males at 2-year age intervals. In addition, normative values were generated by sex and age at 2-year intervals. χ2 test was used for comparison for categorical variables. Changes in exercise parameters between age groups by sex were compared by ANOVA with post-hoc analysis. Exercise testing was performed in 411 patients. AT was reached in 317 subjects (40% female), of whom, 166 (43% female) reached peak exercise. Peak oxygen consumption decreased 32% through adolescence in females and did not have the typical increase through adolescence for males. Oxygen consumption at AT also decreased with age in both sexes. In conclusion, age- and sex-based exercise performance for adolescents with Fontan physiology are predictably low, but there are additional significant decreases through adolescence for this population, especially in females. We have established normative exercise values for several parameters for this population which will better identify at risk patients and allow for earlier intervention.
Neural regions underlying object and action naming: complementary evidence from acute stroke and primary progressive aphasia

Background: Naming impairment is commonly noted in individuals with aphasia. However, object naming receives more attention than action naming. Furthermore, most studies include participants with a...
The Relationships between HIV-1 Infection, History of Methamphetamine Use Disorder, and Soluble Biomarkers in Blood and Cerebrospinal Fluid

Methamphetamine (METH) use disorder is highly prevalent among people with HIV (PWH) and is a significant public health problem. HIV and METH use are each associated with immune system dysfunction; however, the combined effects on the immune system are poorly understood. This cross-sectional project measured soluble immune biomarkers in plasma and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) collected from a control group, people with a history of a METH use disorder (METH+), PWH with no history of METH use disorder (HIV+), and PWH with a history of METH use disorder (HIV+/METH+). HIV, METH, and immune dysfunction can also be associated with affective and cognitive deficits, so we characterized mood and cognition in our participants. Two factor analyses were performed for the plasma and CSF biomarkers. Plasma IL-8, Ccl2, VEGF, and 8-isoprostane loaded onto one factor that was highest in the HIV+/METH+ group (p < 0.047) reflecting worse inflammation, vascular injury, and oxidative stress. This plasma factor was also negatively correlated with delayed recall (R = -0.49, p = 0.010), which was worst in the HIV+/METH+ group (p = 0.030 compared to the control group). Overall, these data implicate that combined HIV-1 infection and METH use may exacerbate inflammation, leading to worse cognition.
A Longitudinal Study of the Prevalence, Incidence and Duration of Fecal Shedding of Escherichia coli 0157:H7 by Feedlot Cattle

Escherichia coli O157:H7 appears ubiquitous to pens of feedlot cattle; however, the percentage of cattle shedding the organism within different feedlot pens has been observed to vary widely over time and space.1 The objective of this study was to describe the variability of E. coli O157:H7 fecal shedding within contiguous pens of cattle over the course of the feeding period.
Drug and alcohol dependence acute effects of pod-style e-cigarettes in vaping-naïve smokers.

Abstract Background This study investigated the acute effects of exposure to pod-style e-cigarettes on subjective, behavioral, and physiological outcomes indicative of the potential to encourage vaping-naive smokers to switch to e-cigarettes. Methods In a within-subject experiment, never-vaping adult smokers interested in trying e-cigarettes (n = 24) completed 4 laboratory visits following 16-hr tobacco abstinence. Visits involved controlled puffing from preferred brand cigarettes (OwnCig) or a standardized pod-style e-cigarette with either no nicotine (NoNic), nicotine freebase (NicFreebase; 0.5% nicotine concentration), or nicotine salt (NicSalt E-Cig; 2.8% concentration) solutions. Outcomes included smoking urge, mood, user experience, plasma nicotine, and a behavioral task assessing ability to delay smoking. Results NoNic, NicFreebase, and NicSalt pod-style e-cigarettes were significantly less effective than OwnCig at reducing smoking urge and increasing plasma nicotine, positive affect, satisfying user experience ratings, and ability to delay smoking on the behavioral task. Differences among pod-style e-cigarette conditions were limited to: (a) NicFreebase (vs. NoNic) preferentially suppressed participants’ urge to smoke to alleviate negative mood, (b) NicFreebase (vs. NicSalt) slightly preferentially increased plasma nicotine; and (c) NicFreebase and NicSalt (vs. NoNic) produced higher aversive user experience ratings. Conclusions In tobacco deprived smokers’ initial vaping experience, controlled administration of certain pod-style e-cigarettes with 0.5% NicFreebase or 2.8% NicSalt may be deficient comparators to cigarettes in terms of their capacity to acutely improve mood, deliver nicotine, suppress smoking motivation, and offer a satisfying user experience. Future research is needed to test pod-style e-cigarettes with higher nicotine doses and confirm whether NicFreebase vs. NicSalt enhances nicotine absorption.
SAVI SCOUT® localization of metastatic axillary lymph node prior to neoadjuvant chemotherapy for targeted axillary dissection: a pilot study

In clinically node-positive breast cancer, axillary staging after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is optimized with targeted axillary dissection (TAD), which includes removal of the biopsy-proven metastatic lymph node (LN) in addition to sentinel lymph nodes (SLN). Localization of the clipped node is currently performed post-NAC; however, technical limitations can make detection and localization of the treated LN challenging. We prospectively evaluated the feasibility of localizing the metastatic LN with a SAVI SCOUT® reflector (SAVI) prior to NAC for targeted removal at surgery. Twenty-five patients with stage 2/3 breast cancer underwent ultrasound-guided localization of the biopsy-proven LN with SAVI prior to NAC. After NAC, patients with clinical response underwent TAD. Primary outcome measures were rate of successful localization, days between insertion of SAVI and axillary surgery, frequency of retrieval of clipped node, and frequency of SAVI-LN as SLN. After NAC, 23/25 (92%) had clinical axillary down-staging and underwent TAD. Two patients with persistent palpable axillary disease underwent ALND for initial staging. Axillary surgery was performed at an average of 141 days post-SAVI insertion and the SAVI was successfully retrieved in all cases. Among 23 patients undergoing TAD, the SAVI was retrieved within a LN in all patients, whereas clip migration was observed in two patients. The median SLN removed was 4, and SAVI-LN was SLN in 22/23 patients. Axillary pCR rate was 44%. Localizing a metastatic LN with SAVI reflector prior to NAC for targeted removal at surgery is feasible and may provide technical and logistical advantages over axillary localization post-NAC. Clinical trials.gov identifier: NCT03411070
John Huston's Filmmaking

John Huston's Filmmaking offers an analysis of the life and work of one of the greatest American independent filmmakers. Always visually exciting, Huston's films sensitively portray humankind in all its incarnations, chronicling the attempts by protagonists to conceive and articulate their identities. Fundamental questions of selfhood, happiness and love are intimately connected to the idea of home, which for the filmmaker also signified a congenial place among other people in the world. In this study, Lesley Brill shows Huston's films to be far more than formulaic adventures of masculine failure, arguing instead that they demonstrate the close connection between humanity, the natural world, and divinity.
49 Year Old White Female with Pigmented Lesions on Chest

A 49-year-old female presented with brownish-red lesions on her chest that had been morphologically changing over the past 4 months. She also requested that several skin growths be removed as they had been bothersome over the past 5 years. The patient was taking the following medications at time of service: Mupirocin 2 % topical cream, Cephalexin 500 mg oral capsule.
Polychronic Behavior: Conceptually Where are We and What are the Marketing and Consumer Behavior Implications

The concept of polychronic behavior relates to an individuals' ability to carry out multiple simultaneous activities. Products and services in the current marketplace have been developed in reaction to this phenomenon. Yet polychronic behavior has not been studied to any great extent. The authors present a discussion of the concept, after Brinberg and McGrath, pointing out the areas requiring further clarification. This is followed by a series of implications tied to the marketing mix and consumer behavior theories and then implications for future research are presented
Environmental Applications of Mass Spectrometry: Toxaphene Analysis

Several methods for the elucidation of unknown structures are available in organic chemistry. In environmental trace analysis mass spectrometry is the most suitable technique due to its specificity and unsurpassed sensitivity. However there are problems due to the fact that analyte concentrations in environmental samples are usually small, and there are many other contaminants and naturally-occurring chemicals in such samples. The identification and quantitative analysis of contaminants requires a large range of sampling, pretreatment, and selective and sensitive instrumental analytical procedures. An illustration of the various techniques available is provided using the pesticide toxaphene as an example. The intention is not to review the environmental chemistry and ecological effects of toxaphene exhaustively, but to give an overview and to discuss certain aspects of its analysis.
A Nonparametric Estimation Problem From Indirect Observations

This paper deals with a nonparametric estimation problem of an integral-type functional from indirect observations where the observation Y e(t) is a sum of a known function of an unobservable process X e(t) and a Gaussian white noise, and X e(t) is a sum of an unknown function a(t) and a Gaussian process. The minimax lower bound on the quality of nonparametric estimation is derived and an asymptotically efficient estimator is proposed. The paper concludes with some examples including one about reduction to parameter estimation.
Pluralism after liberalism

John Gray argues that the doctrine of value pluralism poses a serious challenge for liberalisms of the Rawlsian and Millian kind. The only proper political doctrine that is compatible with value pl...
Spectra of ions with 9d electrons—I: Spectra of copper (II) and silver (II) in perchloric, nitric, sulfuric, and phosphoric acid media

Abstract The spectra of solutions of CuCO 3 in HClO 4 , H 2 SO 4 , HNO 3 and H 3 PO 4 and of AgO in HNO 3 and H 3 PO 4 were resolved into component Gaussian curves. In HClO 4 , H 2 SO 4 and HNO 3 for Cu, peaks were found at about 8000, 10,000 and 13,000 cm −1 . Better resolution was often obtained by splitting the highest energy transition into a doublet separated by about 800 cm −1 . The bands were assigned to the transitions d z 2 → d x 2 − y 2 , d xy → d x 2 − y 2 (Δ o ), and d zy , d xy → d x 2 − y 2 . Reasons for the assignments were discussed and the ratio of the wave numbers of the 13,000 cm −2 to the 10,000 cm −1 band was proposed as a measure of tetragonal distortion, 1.70 being the limiting value for a square complex. Average values were 1.37 in HNO 3 , 1.26 in HClO 4 , and 1.22 in H 2 SO 4 . In H 3 PO 4 , bands were found at 8500 cm −1 , 12,000 cm −1 , and 13,250 cm −1 . Results were explained on the basis of increased tetragonal distortion (ratio = 1.48) by assigning the 8500 cm −1 band the transition d xy → d z 2 . Resolution of the spectra of solutions of AgO in HNO 3 and H 3 PO 4 showed lowest energy transitions at 16,250 cm −1 in HNO 3 and 16,700 cm −1 . These transitions were probably due to the d-d transition d xy → d x 2 − y 2 (Δ 0 ). All other transitions were at least 21,000 cm −1 and were either charge transfer or d-d transitions. These assignments were in good agreement with the observation that Δ 0 is about 50% higher for the second transition series than for the first series.
A switch in time saves nine: Institutions, strategic actors, and FDR's court-packing plan *

President Roosevelt's attempt to add asmany as six additional justices to theSupreme Court through his infamous``court-packing plan'' of 1937 has long beenheralded as a misuse of presidential powerthat nearly undermined the integrity of ourconstitutional system. Using an analyticnarrative framework, we offer analternative theoretical account of theevents and argue that Roosevelt used theproposal to obtain his immediate goal: ashift in policy direction of the Court. Our framework is supported with historicalevidence, suggesting that all of the actorswere acting rationally by attempting tomaximize their payoffs.
Nano-precipitation in hot-pressed silicon carbide

Heat treatments at 1300 degrees C, 1400 degrees C, 1500 degrees C, and 1600 degrees C in Ar were found to produce nanoscale precipitates in hot-pressed silicon carbide containing aluminum, boron, and carbon sintering additives (ABC-SiC). The precipitates were studied by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and nano-probe energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (nEDS). The precipitates were plate-like in shape, with a thickness, length and separation of only a few nanometers, and their size coarsened with increasing annealing temperature, accompanied by reduced number density. The distribution of the precipitates was uniform inside the SiC grains, but depleted zones were observed in the vicinity of the SiC grain boundaries. A coherent orientation relationship between the precipitates and the SiC matrix was found. Combined high-resolution electron microscopy, computer simulation, and nEDS identified an Al4C3-based structure and composition for the nano-precipitates. Most Al ions in SiC lattice exsolved as precipitates during the annealing at 1400 to 1500 degrees C. Formation mechanism and possible influences of the nanoscale precipitates on mechanical properties are discussed.
Studies in the tetraarylborates: Part 8. The synthesis and reagent properties of tetrathienylborates

Abstract The following cesium tetrathienylborates were synthesized and screened for gravimetric reagent properties: tetrakis(2-thienyl), tetrakis(3-thienyl), tetrakis(5-bromo-2-thienyl), tetrakis(5-chloro-2-thienyl),tetrakis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl), tetrakis(5-ethyl-2-thienyl), tetrakis(5-methyl-2-thienyl), and tetrakis(5-t-butyl-2-thienyl). Of these, the tetrakis(5- alkyl-2-thienyl) borates were not sufficiently stable for complete characterization. The following are possible reagents for cesium and quaternary ammonium cations: sodium tetrakis(2-thienyl), tetrakis(3-thienyl), and tetrakis(2,5-dimethyl-3-thienyl)borates.
Central Neuropathy in a Patient with Waldenstrom’s Macroglobulinemia: Should You Suspect Bing-Neel Syndrome Even in the Absence of Abnormal Brain Imaging? (P7.265)

OBJECTIVE: We present a rare case of Waldenstrom9s Macroglobulinemia (WM) with central neurological symptoms and normal brain MRI where CSF flow-cytometry and immunoelectrophoresis clinched the diagnosis of Bing-Neel syndrome (BNS). BACKGROUND: WM can sometimes present with CNS symptoms, either as a result of serum hyperviscosity or direct tumor infiltration of CNS. Latter phenomenon is known as BNS. BNS is usually suspected in patients with WM who exhibit CNS symptoms and abnormal brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), which can be further confirmed with cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis and/or biopsy. DESIGN/METHODS: 67 year old female with WM showed minimal residual disease in post-chemotherapy bone marrow. She presented with rapidly progressive cognitive decline. RESULTS: Blood work showed elevated serum IgM. Computed tomography (CT) torso revealed diffuse lymphadenopathy and brain MRI was normal. CSF cell count showed predominant lymphocytosis and flow-cytometry detected CD45, CD19 consistent with B-cell infiltration. CSF immunoelectrophoresis showed IgM monoclonal protein. Diagnosis of BNS was made and she was treated with intrathecal chemotherapy along with salvage intravenous chemotherapy. CSF cleared and cognitive deficit improved significantly. Positron emission CT scan showed complete metabolic response and resolution of lymphadenopathy. A bone marrow biopsy then revealed resolution of marrow involvement and she underwent autologous stem cell transplant. CONCLUSIONS: Our report suggests that BNS can coexist in patients with normal brain imaging. Additionally, this case illustrates the importance of performing CSF studies including flow-cytometry and immunoelectrophoresis in WM patients who have persistent CNS symptoms, despite normal brain imaging. Diagnosis of BNS may be missed if ongoing CNS symptoms are not pursued with comprehensive CSF studies. It is crucial to appropriately diagnose BNS, as these patients require intrathecal chemotherapy in addition to systemic treatment. Failure to identify and treat BNS with intrathecal chemotherapy will inevitably result in disease relapse and may be fatal. Disclosure: Dr. Gupta has nothing to disclose.
Magnetosheath Fluctuations, Ionospheric Convection and Dayside Ionospheric Transients

We discuss, in order, the following topics: (1) A brief history of auroral transients; (2) Perspective on the importance of such transients; (3) An alternative explanation for the transients; (4) A caution about reference frames and the Siscoe-Huang convection model; (5) A critique of the Cowley-Lockwood convection model; (6) The staircase cusp and bursty merging; and finally (7) A Weltanshauung summary of what is and isn’t established.
EVALUATION OF ANTI-RENOTOXIC RESPONSES IN FLOWERS OF INDIAN LOTUS (NELUMBO NUCIFERA GAERTN.)

Objective: The present study was formulated in order to evaluate anti-renotoxic responses in flowers of an Indian lotus ( Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn.) Methods: Gentamicin at a dose of 100 mg/kg/day was used intra-peritonealy for 14 days in rats to induce renotoxicity. Experiment was conducted for 14 days comprising four groups with six animals in each group. Different doses (200 and 400 mg/kg body weight) of Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Flower petal extract (NNFPE) were given orally along with Gentamicin for 14 days. Study parameters include Body wt changes, Urine output, Serum Creatinine and Urea, oxidative stress parameters and histological study of the kidney. Results were given as mean±Standard Error of Mean (SEM). Data was analyzed using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Tukey’s multiple comparison tests. Results: Administration of NNFPE significantly decreases Kidney weight, Serum Creatinine, urea levels in treated groups in a dose dependent manner when comparing to toxic group. Body weight and urine output were significantly increased in NNFPE, treated groups when compared to the toxic group. Significantly increased activities were seen in SOD, CAT, and GPx in NNFPE dose dependent treated rats when comparing to toxic group. Remarkably, decreased MDA and increased renal GSH levels were seen in dose dependently treated NNFPE. Histological reports show extensive destructions were seen toxic group, very less damage were noted in the graded doses of NNFPE treated rats when comparing to toxic group. Conclusions: The present study reveals that the hydroethanolic Nelumbo nucifera Gaertn. Flower Petal extract has renoprotective activity.
Chronic dietary exposure to pesticide residues in the United States

Discussions as to the extent of pesticide residue contamination in the food supply often rely on results of government residue monitoring programs focusing primarily upon the percentages of samples containing pesticide residues and the number of violative residues identified. Such an approach does not adequately convey the likelihood of pesticide residues posing consumer risks since residue regulatory limits are not safety standards and violative pesticide residues rarely constitute residues of health concern. It is more appropriate to develop estimates of actual dietary exposure to pesticides and to compare such estimates to established toxicological criteria such as the Chronic Reference Dose (RfD). The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Total Diet Study (TDS) previously provided such information but last published its findings in 1995 to estimate dietary exposure to pesticides detected between 1986 and 1991. This paper provides updated estimates of dietary exposure to pesticides in the United States using the most recent TDS findings on pesticide residues. A total of 77 specific pesticides were detected from market basket samples of 2240 TDS food items analyzed by FDA in 2004 and 2005. All estimated exposures to the 77 pesticides for the General US population were well below chronic RfD levels. Only 3 of the 77 pesticides showed exposures greater than 1 % of chronic RfDs, while 14 showed exposures between 0.1 and 1 % of chronic RfDs and 19 had exposures between 0.01 and 0.1 % of chronic RfDs. The remaining 41 pesticides had exposures below 0.01 % of chronic RfDs. Compared with 1986–1991 findings, dietary exposure to six environmentally persistent chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides were reduced by factors of 47 to 96 % in 2004–2005. Exposures to 15 different population subgroups were estimated and indicated that children, particularly two year-olds, frequently receive higher exposures to pesticide residues in their diets than do adults. Chronic dietary exposure to pesticides in the diet, according to results of the FDA’s 2004–2005 TDS, continue to be at levels far below those of health concern. Consumers should be encouraged to eat fruits, vegetables, and grains and should not fear the low levels of pesticide residues found in such foods.
Managing high-density commercial scale wine fermentations.

Aims: To investigate the effects of grape juice dilution and different temperature/nitrogen addition regimes on commercial-scale, high-density Shiraz and Chardonnay fermentations. Methods and Results: Duplicated fermentations (30 hl) were conducted at two temperatures for Shiraz and for Chardonnay. Two additional tanks of Chardonnay and Shiraz were diluted. Nitrogen was added once at inoculation or in aliquots over several days. Yeast concentration and viability was determined by flow cytometry. Fermentation chemistry was monitored by Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy. Fermentations arrested in both of the undiluted, higher temperature duplicate tanks of Shiraz. Different fermentation temperature resulted in sensorially different Shiraz, but not Chardonnay, wines made from undiluted musts. The converse was observed for wines made from diluted musts. Conclusions: High-density musts can be fermented completely using reduced fermentation temperature coupled with incremental nitrogen addition. Significance and Impact of the Study: This is the first study in duplicated, commercial-scale, high-density grape juice fermentations to address temperature, nitrogen addition, and juice dilution effects on stuck fermentation potential and wine sensory properties.
Species-specific factors mediate extensive heterogeneity of mRNA 3′ ends in yeasts

Most eukaryotic genes express mRNAs with alternative polyadenylation sites at their 3′ ends. Here we show that polyadenylated 3′ termini in three yeast species (Saccharomyces cerevisiae, Kluyveromyces lactis, and Debaryomyces hansenii) are remarkably heterogeneous. Instead of a few discrete 3′ ends, the average yeast gene has an “end zone,” a >200 bp window with >60 distinct poly(A) sites, the most used of which represents only 20% of the mRNA molecules. The pattern of polyadenylation within this zone varies across species, with D. hansenii possessing a higher focus on a single dominant point closer to the ORF terminus. Some polyadenylation occurs within mRNA coding regions with a strong bias toward the promoter. The polyadenylation pattern is determined by a highly degenerate sequence over a broad region and by a local sequence that relies on A residues after the cleavage point. Many dominant poly(A) sites are predicted to adopt a common secondary structure that may be recognized by the cleavage/polyadenylation machinery. We suggest that the end zone reflects a region permissive for polyadenylation, within which cleavage occurs preferentially at the A-rich sequence. In S. cerevisiae strains, D. hansenii genes adopt the S. cerevisiae polyadenylation profile, indicating that the polyadenylation pattern is mediated primarily by species-specific factors.
Status of the CDF silicon detector

CDF is a collider experiment that is running at the Tevatron. The core of the CDF detector is an 8 layer silicon micro strip tracker. There are 722,432 active strips with pitches that range from 25 to 140 μ m. This device is an essential part of the heavy flavor tagging and forward tracking capabilities of the experiment and it is one of the largest silicon detectors in present use by an HEP experiment. A summary of the experience in commissioning and operating this double-sided detector during the first 2 years of Run II is presented. A description of the encountered failure modes follows a general view of the design. After more than 2 years of data taking, we report on the performance of the tracker and its effect on physics analyses. A short description of the SVT, the level 2 Silicon Vertex Trigger, will be given as well. PACS: 29.40.GX Tracking and position sensitive detectors – 29.40.Wk Solid-state detectors
Effect of growth hormone therapy on caloric intake in children with growth hormone deficiency

Abstract Children with growth hormone (GH) deficiency experience catch-up growth when given GH replacement therapy, but the effect of GH therapy on caloric intake in these children has not been studied. Parents of 7 children with documented GH deficiency were instructed on the recording of food intake at home, and one to two sets of 3–4 day records were obtained both prior to and 2–4 months after initiation of GH treatment. Prior to treatment 4 of 7 children had mean caloric intakes which were below normal for age. The increase in caloric intake during GH therapy averaged 21% (P
Farmlink: promoting conservation buffers farmer-to-farmer.

Farmer-to-farmer outreach was used within a targeted watershed to promote the installation of conservation buffers. In this program called “FarmLink”, four farmers/landowners were employed part-time as “advisors” and trained by University of Nebraska-Lincoln Extension, Natural Resources Conservation Service, and Natural Resources District personnel. Topics included basic buffer design and benefits, availability of incentive programs, and sales techniques. These individuals then contacted their neighbors to explain the need for and benefits of buffers and other conservation practices. In early 2003, 42 landowners were contacted, leading to contracts for the establishment of 16 separate conservation practices on 24.8 ha (61.3 acres) of farmland. These included just over 8 ha (20 acres) of grassed waterways or similar plantings and 14 ha (35 acres) of streamside buffers. In addition, because of information received in the training sessions, one of the advisors installed 1.7 ha (4.3 acres) of streamside buffers, 0.45 ha (1.1 acres) of grassed waterways, and 2.0 ha (5.0 acres) of grasses and forbs on his own land. During these contacts, it became apparent that: (1) many farmers and landowners were not familiar with the multitude of programs available to assist with the installation and maintenance of conservation practices; and (2) landowners generally appreciated the personal touch of someone coming out to talk directly to them, pointing out specific areas on their land where conservation practices could best be implemented, discussing available compensation programs, and describing management needed to help ensure practice success. Although one-to-one contacts cannot be used in all cases, it was demonstrated to be effective in this watershed.