cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular Genetics of Phaseolotoxin Production and Immunity in PseudomonasSyringae Pv. Phaseolicola

The molecular genetics of phaseolotoxin production and immunity in Pseudomonas syringae pv. phaseolicola (Psp) were investigated by Tn5 mutagenesis and cosmid cloning procedures. Approximately 0.1% of the kanamycin resistant survivors in suicide mutagenesis experiments were deficient in phaseolotoxin production (Tox-). All six mutants were prototrophic, contained independent Tn5 insertions in five different EcoRl fragments and produced low residual ornithine carbamoyl-transferase (OCTase)-specific toxin activity as determined by a microbiological assay. The mutants contained Tn5 in a similar-sized KpnI fragment of approximately 28 kb. A total genomic library of Sau3A partially digested DNA fragments from wild-type Psp (NPS3121) was constructed in the wide host range cosmid vector pLAFR3 and maintained in Escherichia coli HB101. An 8.3 kb EcoR1 fragment containing Tn5 and flanking chromosomal sequences from one mutant was cloned and used to probe the genomic library by colony hybridization. Recombinant plasmids showing homology to this probe were subsequently transferred individually from HB101 by pRK2013-assisted mobilization to the six Tox- mutants. Each mutant was restored in OCTase-specific toxin production by one or more recombinant plasmids. Plasmids pRCP4, pRCPl6 and pRCPl7 restored toxin production to 4, 5 and 4 of the mutants, respectively. Two of the plasmids, pRCP4 and pRCPl7, also complemented an OCTase-deficient mutant of E. coli. Taken together, the data suggest that at least some of the genes involved in phaseolotoxin production by NPS3121 and an OCTase structural gene(s) may be clustered.
A Direct Force Probe for Measuring Mechanical Integration Between the Nucleus and the Cytoskeleton

The mechanical properties of the nucleus determine its response to mechanical forces generated in cells. Because the nucleus is molecularly continuous with the cytoskeleton, methods are needed to probe its mechanical behavior in adherent cells. Here, we discuss the direct force probe (DFP) as a tool to apply force directly to the nucleus in a living adherent cell. We attach a narrow micropipette to the nuclear surface with suction. The micropipette is translated away from the nucleus, which causes the nucleus to deform and translate. When the restoring force is equal to the suction force, the nucleus detaches and elastically relaxes. Because the suction pressure is precisely known, the force on the nuclear surface is known. This method has revealed that nano-scale forces are sufficient to deform and translate the nucleus in adherent cells, and identified cytoskeletal elements that enable the nucleus to resist forces. The DFP can be used to dissect the contributions of cellular and nuclear components to nuclear mechanical properties in living cells.
Observational study evaluating obstetric anesthesiologist residents' well-being, anxiety and stress in a North American academic program.

Abstract Background The obstetric work environment has a unique set of stressors that may be associated with burnout. We investigated how well-being during the obstetric anesthesia (ObA) rotation compared to other rotations; which workplace environment characteristics precipitated the greatest stress; and whether anxiety and stress levels changed in trainees before and after an ObA rotation. Methods Using a survey, anesthesia residents (n=36) ranked their well-being on each anesthesia rotation and answered questions about their work environment. A separate survey measured anxiety and stress before and after an ObA rotation. Friedman’s test was used to compare ranking data and Likert responses. T-tests were used to compare stress and anxiety scores. Results Residents’ ranking of well-being on ObA was higher than that on another high demand rotation (cardiothoracic anesthesia, P=0.007). Work environment stress scores were significantly higher among community and fairness domains than for workload (P=0.002 and P=0.0001, respectively). While stress and anxiety scores did not significantly differ before and after the ObA rotation, they were higher than the reference population scores. Conclusions We provide the first example of tools for assessing work environment stressors in ObA. Our study illustrates that beyond excessive workload, lack of fairness and community values are areas that impact physician well-being. Use of these tools can guide initiatives to address work environment concerns, and presents a need for a validated well-being instrument to gauge physician well-being, in order to create a cultural shift from burnout to one of well-being.
Association of Time to Therapeutic Calcineurin Inhibitor (CNI) Levels to Biopsy-Proven Acute Rejection (BPAR) after Heart Transplantation

Purpose The optimal timing for CNI initiation in patients receiving rabbit anti-thymocyte globulin (rATG) induction in heart transplant has not been established. This study explored the association of time to therapeutic CNI levels and outcomes in order to evaluate the safety and efficacy of an early versus delayed strategy in this patient population. Methods This single-center, observational, retrospective review included 83 adult patients who underwent heart transplantation between January 2012 - October 2017 and received induction therapy with rATG at the time of transplant. Patients were stratified into four groups by time to therapeutic CNI levels post-transplant: ≤ 7 days (Group 1), 8 - 30 days (Group 2), 31 - 60 days (Group 3), and > 60 days (Group 4). Patients who did not receive a CNI as maintenance immunosuppression during initial hospitalization, or received a multi-organ transplant, alemtuzumab or basiliximab as part of induction therapy, a CNI minimization strategy using everolimus or sirolimus , or no induction therapy were excluded. The primary objective was freedom from BPAR at 1, 3, 6 and 12 months. Secondary objectives included time to first rejection; renal function via serum creatinine (SCr) pre-transplant, pre- and post-CNI initiation, and at discharge; and one-year survival. Results BPAR rates at 12 months were statistically lower in Groups 1 and 4 at 25% and 13%, respectively (p = 0.02). Time to first rejection and SCr were not significantly different, however, trended towards an increase in SCr post-CNI initiation (1.3 mg/dL) in Group 1. One-year survival favored Groups 2 and 3 at 93% and 100%, respectively (p = 0.12). Risk of infection was highest in Group 1 (79%, p = 0.005). Conclusion While a strategy of early time to therapeutic CNI levels had an associated risk of renal injury and infection , delayed time to therapeutic CNI levels (> 30 days post-transplant) was not associated with an increased risk of BPAR.
Depressive symptoms in asymptomatic stage B heart failure with Type II diabetic mellitus.

Author(s): Mills, Paul J; Taub, Pam R; Lunde, Ottar; Pung, Meredith A; Wilson, Kathleen; Pruitt, Christopher; Rutledge, Thomas; Maisel, Alan; Greenberg, Barry H | Abstract: BackgroundThe presence of concomitant Type II diabetic mellitus (T2DM) and depressive symptoms adversely affects individuals with symptomatic heart failure (HF).HypothesisIn presymptomatic stage B HF, this study hypothesized the presence of greater inflammation and depressive symptoms in T2DM as compared to non-T2DM Stage B patients.MethodsThis cross-sectional study examined clinical parameters, inflammatory biomarkers, and depressive symptoms in 349 T2DM and non-T2DM men with asymptomatic stage B HF (mean age 66.4 years ±10.1; range 30-91).ResultsFewer diabetic HF patients had left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction (P l .05) although more had LV diastolic dysfunction (P l .001). A higher percentage of T2DM HF patients were taking ACE-inhibitors, beta-blockers, calcium channel blockers, statins, and diuretics (P values l .05). T2DM HF patients had higher circulating levels of interleukin-6 (IL-6) (P l .01), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (P l .01), and soluble ST2 (sST2) (P l .01) and reported more somatic/affective depressive symptoms (Beck Depression Inventory II) (P l .05) but not cognitive/affective depressive symptoms (P = .20). Among all patients, in a multiple regression analysis predicting presence of somatic/affective depressive symptoms, sST2 (P = .026), IL-6 (P = .010), B-type natriuretic peptide (P = .016), and sleep (Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index [P l .001]) were significant predictors (overall model F = 15.39, P l .001, adjusted R2 = .207).ConclusionsSomatic/affective but not cognitive/affective depressive symptoms are elevated in asymptomatic HF patients with T2DM patients. Linkages with elevated inflammatory and cardiac relevant biomarkers suggest shared pathophysiological mechanisms among T2DM HF patients with somatic depression, and these conditions are responsive to routine interventions, including behavioral. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley a Sons, Ltd.
Investigation of Line Crossing in a Circle.

V/ ne of the prime aims of education should be to help children learn how to solve problems. Mathematics is a field that provides the teacher with endless opportunities to help the child learn methods of attacking and solving problems. The following problem demonstrates how, when one approach fails, we should restudy the problem and perhaps try a completely different approach. The problem involves an examination of the pattern in the number of regions formed by line segments joining points on a circle. The circle itself forms one region. Start with two points, A and B, on the circle and draw a line segment joining these, forming two nonoverlapping regions (see fig. 1). Add a third point, C, and draw AC and ВС (fig. 2).
The Liberation Hypothesis Perspective and Juvenile Court Outcomes: Implications for an Understanding of the Interplay Between Offender and Offense Characteristics:

Extensive empirical support demonstrates the importance of legal (e.g., crime severity, prior record) and extralegal factors (e.g., race/ethnicity, gender) in predicting juvenile court outcomes. An...
Analysis of the PICU critically ill children with pediatric critical score and pediatric death risk score and their value

Objective To investigate the pediatric intensive care unit (PICU) in critically ill children with pediatric critical score (PCIS) and pediatric death risk score (PRISM),comparing its value.Methods A total of 100 cases of matching children with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) to stay in our hospital during 2007.07 ～2012.07 was retrospectively analyzed.Check PICU most serious disease in this group of children,living PICU most severely ill when diagnosed with acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS),when it was suffering from ARDS most serious line PCIS with PRISM score,and then using the Logistic multiple regression to analyze the scores of the two scoring ability as predicting the ARDS death in children with risk factors,and using two-factor analysis of variance of the two scoring methods by judging linear correlation existence.Results (1)PCIS with PRISM score showed a negative correlation (r=-0.6031,P ＜0.01),the linear regression equation y =-0.2389x +74.816 (P＜0.01).(2) There was no statistical difference between the ARDS death group and survival group (P ＞ 0.05) ; By PCIS PRISM score LOGISTIC regression analysis of the risk of death in children,there was no statistical difference (P ＞ 0.05).Conclusions PCIS and PRISM score cannot be the standards to forecast the death of the ARDS patients,but can provide an objective referring standard of ARDS's treatment. Key words: Intensive care units; Critical illness ; Respiratory distress Syndrome, adult; Child mortality
Artificially intelligent chatbots for health professions education

Abstract Chatbots are computer software designed to have conversations with humans. Chatbots are widely used in the customer service industry, where frequently asked questions or basic information is answered by the computer. Chatbots may serve useful functions for supporting health professions trainees across geographically distributed sites, as well as reducing faculty burnout. This chapter explores the potential roles of chatbots to help with scaling faculty and student time within fast-moving health professions programs. The possibilities for chatbots are organized with Bloom’s taxonomy to gain an appreciation for the simple through advanced applications. Building upon these ideas, the chapter also introduces the VoxScholar project to address how artificially intelligent chatbots might coach to teach expertise or academic success.
An Alternative Explanation for the Resource Curse: The Income Effect Channel

The paper provides an alternative explanation for the "resource curse" based on the income effect resulting from high government current spending in resource rich economies. Using a simple life cycle framework, we show that private investment in the non-resource sector is adversely affected if private agents expect extra government current spending financed through resource sector revenues in the future. This income channel of the resource curse is stronger for countries with lower degrees of openness and forward altruism. We empirically validate these findings by estimating non-hydrocarbon sector growth regressions using a panel of 25 oil-exporting countries over 1992-2005.
Reconceptualizing teacher professional learning about technology integration as intra-active entanglements

Since the 1980s, research about technological integration in education has relied on models that position teachers as inherently anxious and/or resistant. These models posit that the key to success...
AlphaBuilding ResCommunity: A multi-agent virtual testbed for community-level load coordination

Abstract Training and validating algorithms in a simulation testbed can accelerate research and applications of optimal control of residential loads to improve energy flexibility and grid resilience. We developed an open-source simulation environment, AlphaBuilding ResCommunity, that can be used to train and validate algorithms to control a single thermostatically controlled load (TCL) or coordinate a group of TCLs. We used reduced-order models to simulate the thermodynamics of TCLs, and the parameter values were determined from the connected smart thermostat data of real households. The environment was built upon the standardized OpenAI Gym interface. Ancillary functions, such as retrieving the parameters and weather forecasts, are provided to facilitate control strategies that require predictive information. Compared with existing efforts, AlphaBuilding ResCommunity has three advantages: (1) more realistic model settings because the parameter values are identified from actual household operating data, and modelling and measurement uncertainty are considered; (2) passive thermal storage control; and (3) ease of use due to a simple software dependency and standardized interface. We demonstrated the applications of the environment by implementing a Kalman Filter and Model Predictive Control on a single TCL and a Priority-Stack-Based Control and Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers to coordinate multiple TCLs for load tracking.
The Power to Explain Variability in Intervention Effectiveness in Single-Case Research Using Hierarchical Linear Modeling

This study investigated the power of two-level hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) to explain variability in intervention effectiveness between participants in context of single-case experimental design (SCED) research. HLM is a flexible technique that allows the inclusion of participant characteristics (e.g., age, gender, and disability types) as moderators, and as such supplements visual analysis findings. First, this study empirically investigated the power to estimate intervention and moderator effects using Monte Carlo simulation techniques. The results indicate that larger values for the true effects and the number of participants resulted in a higher power. The more moderators added to the model, the more participants needed to detect the effects with sufficient power (i.e., power ≥.80). When a model includes three moderators, at least 20 participants are required to capture the intervention effect and moderator effects with sufficient power. For that same condition, but only including one moderator, seven participants are sufficient. Specific recommendations for designing a SCED study with sufficient power to estimate intervention and moderator effects were provided. Second, this study introduced a newly developed user-friendly point and click Shiny tool, PowerSCED. This tool assists applied SCED researchers in designing a SCED study that has sufficient power to detect intervention and moderator effects. To end, the use of HLM with the inclusion of moderators was demonstrated using two previously published SCED studies in the journal School Psychology Quarterly.
Ultrafast Infrared Vibrational Spectroscopy

Vibrational Echo Chemical Exchange Spectroscopy Michael D. Fayer Ultrafast Vibrational Dynamics of Hydrogen-Bonded Dimers and Base Pairs Thomas Elsaesser Water Reorientation and Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy Damien Laage and James T. Hynes Femtosecond Vibrational Spectroscopy of Aqueous Systems H. J. Bakker and M. Bonn Solvation Dynamics of Vibrational State in Hydrogen-Bonding Solvents: Vibrational Frequency Fluctuation Studied by Three-Pulse Infrared Photon Echo Method Kaoru Ohta, Jumpei Tayama, Shinji Saito, and Keisuke Tominaga Polarization Anisotropy Effects for Degenerate Vibrational Levels Daniel G. Kuroda and Robin M. Hochstrasser Polarization-Controlled Chiroptical and 2D Optical Spectroscopy Kyung-Won Kwak, Kwang-Hee Park, and Minhaeng Cho Ultrafast Infrared Probes of Electronic Processes in Materials John B. Asbury Vibrational Energy and Molecular Thermometers in Liquids: Ultrafast IR-Raman Spectroscopy Brandt C. Pein and Dana D. Dlott Ultrafast Processes at Liquid Interfaces Investigated with Time-Resolved Sum Frequency Generation Yi Rao, Benjamin Doughty, Nicholas J. Turro, and Kenneth B. Eisenthal Energy Transport in Molecules Studied by Relaxation-Assisted 2D IR Spectroscopy Igor V. Rubtsov An Introduction to Protein 2D IR Spectroscopy Carlos R. Baiz, Mike Reppert, and Andrei Tokmakoff Quasi-Particle Approach to 2D IR Spectra of Vibrational Excitons in Biomolecules: Molecular Dynamics versus Stochastic Simulation Protocols Cyril Falvo, Frantisek Sanda, and Shaul Mukamel Ultrafast Infrared Spectroscopy of Amylin Solution and Fibrils L. Wang, L. E. Buchanan, E. B. Dunkelberger, J. J. de Pablo, M. T. Zanni, and J. L. Skinner
Allowing privacy protection algorithms to jump out of local optimums: an ordered greed framework

As more and more person-specific data like health information becomes available, increasing attention is paid to confidentiality and privacy protection. One proposed model of privacy protection is k- Anonymity, where a dataset is k-anonymous if each record is identical to at least (k-1) others in the dataset. Our goal is to minimize information loss while transforming a collection of records to satisfy the k-Anonymity model. The downside to current greedy anonymization algorithms is their potential to get stuck at poor local optimums. In this paper, we propose an Ordered Greed Framework for k-Anonymity. Using our framework, designers can avoid the poor-local-optimum problem by adding stochastic elements to their greedy algorithms. Our preliminary experimental results indicate improvements in both runtime and solution quality. We also discover a surprising result concerning at least two widely-accepted greedy optimization algorithms in the literature. More specifically, for anonymization algorithms that process datasets in column-wise order, we show that a random column ordering can lead to significantly higher quality solutions than orderings determined by known greedy heuristics.
Sensitivity of a bomb to wind turbulence

This paper presents results of numerical investigations into the bomb release in a turbulent wind field. Short descriptions of mathematical models of both the bomb dynamics and the stochastic wind are shown. The effect of parameters of the turbulent wind field on a random distribution of points of the impact is investigated.
The Cambridge Guide to the Solar System

Preface Principal units Part I. Changing Views and Fundamental Concepts: 1. Evolving perspectives - a historical prologue 2. The new, close-up view from space 3. The invisible buffer zone with space - atmospheres, magnetospheres and the solar wind Part II. The Inner System - Rocky Worlds: 4. Third rock from the Sun - restless Earth 5. The Moon: stepping stone to the planets 6. Mercury: a dense battered world 7. Venus: the veiled planet 8. Mars: the red planet Part III. The Giant Planets, Their Satellites and Their Rings - Worlds of Liquid, Ice and Gas: 9. Jupiter: a giant primitive planet 10. Saturn: lord of the rings 11. Uranus and Neptune Part IV. Remnants of Creation - Small Worlds in the Solar System: 12. Comets 13. Asteroids and meteorites 14. Colliding worlds Appendix 1. Further reading Appendix 2. Directory of web sites Index.
Fluorescent dye incorporation causes weakened gene association and intracellular aggregate formation in nonviral carriers.

Background The successful application of nonviral gene transfer technologies requires both improved understanding and control with respect to intracellular trafficking and release. However, the intracellular space is highly complex and hence well-defined, stable structures are necessary to probe the stages of the delivery pathway. Fluorescent labeling is a regularly used approach to monitor nonviral delivery and release, yet few studies investigate the effects of label incorporation on the structure and activity of gene-containing vehicles. Methods In the present study, the impacts of label incorporation on the assembly and gene transfer capacity of DNA polyplexes were determined through the utilization of a model DNA-polyethylenimine (PEI) delivery system. PEI was fluorescently labeled with the Oregon Green® dye prior to polyplex formation and delivery to CHO-K1 cells. Results The present study provides evidence showing that routine labeling strategies for polyplexes weakened DNA binding affinity, produced large quantities of extracellular structures and significantly increased intracellular polyplex aggregation. Additionally, cellular internalization studies showed that increased labeling fractions led to reductions in polyplex uptake as a result of weakened complexation. Conclusions These results not only provide insight into the assembly of these structures, but also help to identify labeling strategies sufficient to preserve activity at the same time as enabling detailed studies of trafficking and disassembly. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Inheritance of low-density lipoprotein subclass patterns: results of complex segregation analysis.

Heterogeneity in the size of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) particles was used to identify two distinct patterns based on gradient gel electrophoresis analysis. These two phenotypes, LDL subclass pattern A and pattern B, were characterized by a predominance of large, buoyant LDL particles and small, dense LDL particles, respectively. The inheritance of these LDL subclass patterns was investigated in a sample of 61 healthy families including 301 individuals. LDL subclass pattern B was present in 31% of the subjects, with the prevalence varying by gender, age, and (in women) menopausal status. Complex segregation analysis suggested a major locus controlling LDL subclass patterns. The model providing the best fit to the data included a dominant mode of inheritance with a frequency of .25 for the allele determining LDL subclass pattern B and reduced penetrance for men under age 20 and for premenopausal women. Thus, the allele for the LDL subclass pattern characterized by a predominance of small, dense LDL particles appears to be very common in the population, although not usually expressed until adulthood in men and until after menopause in women. The presence of a major gene controlling LDL subclass could explain much of the familial aggregation of lipid and apolipoprotein levels and may be involved in increased risk of coronary heart disease.
Enhancing web search in the medical domain via query clarification

The majority of Internet users search for medical information online; however, many do not have an adequate medical vocabulary. Users might have difficulties finding the most authoritative and useful information because they are unfamiliar with the appropriate medical expressions describing their condition; consequently, they are unable to adequately satisfy their information need. We investigate the utility of bridging the gap between layperson and expert vocabularies; our approach adds the most appropriate expert expression to queries submitted by users, a task we call query clarification. We evaluated the impact of query clarification. Using three different synonym mappings and conducting two task-based retrieval studies, users were asked to answer medically-related questions using interleaved results from a major search engine. Our results show that the proposed system was preferred by users and helped them answer medical concerns correctly more often, with up to a 7 % increase in correct answers over an unmodified query. Finally, we introduce a supervised classifier to select the most appropriate synonym mapping for each query, which further increased the fraction of correct answers (12 %).
Correlation induced insulator to metal transitions.

We study a spinless two-band model at half-filling in the limit of infinite dimensions. The ground state of this model in the noninteracting limit is a band insulator. We identify transitions to a metal and to a charge Mott insulator, using a combination of analytical, quantum Monte Carlo, and zero temperature recursion methods. The metallic phase is a non-Fermi-liquid state with algebraic local correlation functions with universal exponents over a range of parameters.
Investigating the influence of hydrogeomorphic setting on the response of lake sedimentation to climatic changes in the Uinta Mountains, Utah, USA

Reader Lake and Elbow Lake, two high-altitude lakes in the Uinta Mountains of Utah, are located approximately 2 km apart, at similar elevations, and within identical vegetation communities. Loss on ignition, carbon to nitrogen ratios, biogenic silica, and sediment grain size were analyzed throughout percussion cores retrieved from both lakes to construct continuous time series spanning 14 to ca. 2 ka BP. Given the proximity of the lakes, it is assumed that both were subjected to the same climatic forcing over this time. Accordingly, the first goal of this study was to consider these two multiproxy datasets in concert to yield an integrated paleoclimate record for this region. Close inspection of the records identified discrepancies indicating that the lakes responded to climate changes in different ways despite their proximity and similar setting. Clarifying these differences and understanding why the two lakes behaved differently at certain times was the second goal of this study. Overall, the paleoclimatic records document lake formation in the latest Pleistocene following glacier retreat. Buried glacier ice at the location of Reader Lake may have persisted through the Younger Dryas. Both lakes became biologically productive ca. 11.5 ka BP, and the first appearance of conifer needles indicates that trees had replaced alpine tundra in these watersheds by 10.5 ka BP. The interval from 10 to 6 ka BP was marked by a dramatic increase in precipitation, perhaps related to enhanced monsoonal circulation driven by the insolation maximum. The two lakes recorded this event in notably contrasting ways given their differing hydrogeomorphic settings. Precipitation decreased from 6 to 4 ka BP, and low water levels and drought conditions marked the interval from 4.0 to 2.7 ka BP. The integrated paleoclimate record developed from these cores provides a useful point of comparison with other records from the region. The differences between the records from these closely spaced lakes underscore the need to consider hydrogeomorphic setting when evaluating the suitability of a lake for a paleolimnological study.
Pharmacologic Inhibition of COX-1 and COX-2 in Influenza A Viral Infection in Mice

Background We previously demonstrated that cyclooxygenase (COX)-1 deficiency results in greater morbidity and inflammation, whereas COX-2 deficiency leads to reduced morbidity, inflammation and mortality in influenza infected mice. Methodology/Principal Findings We investigated the effects of COX-1 and COX-2 inhibitors in influenza A viral infection. Mice were given a COX-1 inhibitor (SC-560), a COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib) or no inhibitor beginning 2 weeks prior to influenza A viral infection (200 PFU) and throughout the course of the experiment. Body weight and temperature were measured daily as indicators of morbidity. Animals were sacrificed on days 1 and 4 post-infection and bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid was collected or daily mortality was recorded up to 2 weeks post-infection. Treatment with SC-560 significantly increased mortality and was associated with profound hypothermia and greater weight loss compared to celecoxib or control groups. On day 4 of infection, BAL fluid cells were modestly elevated in celecoxib treated mice compared to SC-560 or control groups. Viral titres were similar between treatment groups. Levels of TNF-α and G-CSF were significantly attenuated in the SC-560 and celecoxib groups versus control and IL-6 levels were significantly lower in BAL fluid of celecoxib treated mice versus control and versus the SC-560 group. The chemokine KC was significantly lower in SC-560 group versus control. Conclusions/Significance Treatment with a COX-1 inhibitor during influenza A viral infection is detrimental to the host whereas inhibition of COX-2 does not significantly modulate disease severity. COX-1 plays a critical role in controlling the thermoregulatory response to influenza A viral infection in mice.
Photoinduced Carrier Generation in P3HT/PCBM Bulk Heterojunction Materials

Using ultrafast spectroscopy, we have investigated the generation of mobile carriers in bulk heterojunction (BHJ) blends of regioregular poly(3-hexylthiophene), rrP3HT and the [6,6]-phenyl-C61 butyric acid methyl ester fullerene derivative, PCBM. Mobile carriers are generated via a two-step process: initial ultrafast charge separation to an intermediate charge transfer (CT) bound state, followed by the transfer of carriers onto the bicontinuous networks. The yield of mobile carriers is decreased by recombination during the time spent in the CT bound state. After annealing the BHJ blends, the recombination loss of mobile carriers is reduced by a factor of 2.5, consistent with the observed increase in photovoltaic conversion efficiency.
ITSPOKE: an intelligent tutoring spoken dialogue system

ITSPOKE is a spoken dialogue system that uses the Why2-Atlas text-based tutoring system as its "back-end". A student first types a natural language answer to a qualitative physics problem. ITSPOKE then engages the student in a spoken dialogue to provide feedback and correct misconceptions, and to elicit more complete explanations. We are using ITSPOKE to generate an empirically-based understanding of the ramifications of adding spoken language capabilities to text-based dialogue tutors.
Fear, Sublimity, Transcendence: Notes for a History of Emotions in Olivier Messiaen

SummaryMusic intended to evoke awe-inspiring fear in the presence of transcendence may be found throughout the work of Olivier Messiaen (1908–1992). The emotion's genealogy extends back through Hebrew and Christian scriptures (‘Fear of the Lord’), the Romantic period (‘sublime’), and the early twentieth century (the creature feeling response to the ‘numinous’ and ‘wholly other’). Messiaen's understanding of this emotion particularly derived from distinctions made by the French Catholic spiritual writer Ernest Hello (1828–1885). Hello distinguished between simple fear (la peur) that makes us cower and the fear of ‘awe’ or ‘wonder’ (la crainte) that opens up possibilities of adoration and self-transcendence. This essay surveys several instances of Messiaen's evocations of fear in works dating from the 1940s through the 1970s. It then concludes with a brief consideration of Apparition of the Eternal Church (2008), a documentary film that records auditors’ reactions as they listen through headphones to Messia...
High-Throughput RNA Interference Screening: Tricks of the Trade

The process of validating an assay for high-throughput screening (HTS) involves identifying sources of variability and developing procedures that minimize the variability at each step in the protocol. The goal is to produce a robust and reproducible assay with good metrics. In all good cell-based assays, this means coefficient of variation (CV) values of less than 10% and a signal window of fivefold or greater. HTS assays are usually evaluated using Z' factor, which incorporates both standard deviation and signal window. A Z' factor value of 0.5 or higher is acceptable for HTS. We used a standard HTS validation procedure in developing small interfering RNA (siRNA) screening technology at the HTS center at Southern Research. Initially, our assay performance was similar to published screens, with CV values greater than 10% and Z' factor values of 0.51 ± 0.16 (average ± standard deviation). After optimizing the siRNA assay, we got CV values averaging 7.2% and a robust Z' factor value of 0.78 ± 0.06 (average ± standard deviation). We present an overview of the problems encountered in developing this whole-genome siRNA screening program at Southern Research and how equipment optimization led to improved data quality.
Application of image registration to measurement of intervertebral rotation in the lumbar spine

In this study, the precision and accuracy of a new method for measuring axial rotations of the lumbar vertebrae, which are thought to be increased in patients with degenerative spinal instability, were estimated. A standard image registration algorithm involving a user-selected center of rotation was adapted for this purpose. Accuracy was tested on a phantom containing a rotating lumbar vertebra. Calculated rotations were compared to the known values. Images were also obtained in subjects, using a tilting table that provided rotation between thorax and hips. For these measurements precision was estimated by varying the center of rotation. In the phantom the method had an accuracy of 0.2 degrees. In the human subject measurements the precision was 0.60-1.5 degrees. The method measured rotations of lumbar vertebrae with sufficient accuracy and precision to detect clinically significant differences in patients with back pain.
Bald thigh syndrome of Greyhound dogs: gross and microscopic findings

Bald thigh syndrome (BTS) is a disease limited to Greyhound dogs. It is characterized clinically and grossly by bilateral hair loss on the lateral and caudal thighs. The cause of BTS is unknown but may be associated with hypothyroidism or hyperadrenocorticism. Samples of skin, thyroid glands, and adrenal glands from 43 Greyhound dogs with BTS were examined microscopically. Microscopic changes were characterized by dilatation of follicular infundibula, presence of catagen follicles and epidermal hyperplasia. Changes in the skin from these Greyhound dogs suggest an endocrinopathy as the cause; however, we were unable to confirm which one.
Economics of Depletable Resources: Market Forces and Intertemporal Bias

A theoretical model is developed of the extraction patterns of a non-renewable resource in order to examine the effects of various market forces caused by intertemporal allocations of known reserves. The extent of the original reserve limits the total quantity of the resource that can be extracted over time. The model is conducted with all parties cognizant of the quantities they control, the related costs of extraction, future price trends, and future government actions. A purely competitive market is found to support optimal allocations, while percentage depletion allowances are found to encourage over-extraction. The direction of bias as a result of price controls requires further data. Monopolies can lead to current under-use or over-use, which will determine future availability. Over-use can also result from insecure imported sources unless appropriate tariffs are imposed. A market imperfection function concept is used to derive these results. 16 references. (DCK)
Failure of normal osteoclasts to resorb calcified cartilage from osteosclerotic (oc/oc) mice in vitro.

Abstract Osteosclerosis is an osteopetrotic mutation in the mouse characterized by reduced bone resorption, numerous small osteoclasts lacking elaborate ruffled borders, and resistance to cure by bone marrow transplants from normal littermates. The failure of osteosclerotic mice to be cured by bone marrow transplants could be due to the production of bone that is not resorbable by normal osteoclasts. We tested this hypothesis using a modification of the metatarsal organ culture system of Burger et al. (1982), in which metatarsals are cultured with various tissues that act as sources of osteoclast precursors. Metatarsals from neonatal mutants were isolated, and live bone rudiments were cultured with small cubes of liver or spleen from normal littermates for 7 days. Controls included normal and mutant metatarsals cultured alone or with spleen or liver from littermates of the same or different genotype. Mutant metatarsals cultured alone or with mutant tissue had small osteoclasts, no marrow spaces, and no evidence of bone resorption. Mutant metatarsals cultured with normal liver or spleen had larger osteoclasts, evidence of resorption of bone but not cartilage, and no marrow spaces because the calcified cartilage cores of metaphyseal trabeculae persisted. Normal metatarsals cultured with normal liver had large osteoclasts, bone resorption, and marrow spaces. By transmission EM, mutant trabeculae contained a layer of amorphous material between the central core of calcified cartilage and the surrounding bone matrix. This material was not present in normal metatarsals. These data are interpreted to mean that the calcified cartilage from osteosclerotic mice is not resorbed by normal osteoclasts, that this may be due to the failure of normal osteoclasts to be activated by this tissue, and that this phenomenon may be related to the presence of an unusually thick layer of amorphous material surrounding calcified cartilage in these mutants.
High Resolution Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Patellar Retinaculum: Normal anatomy, common injury patterns and pathologies.

The medial patellar retinaculum (MPR) and the lateral patellar retinaculum (LPR) are vital structures for the stability of the patella. Failure to identify or treat injury to the patellar retinaculum is associated with recurrent patellar instability and contributes to significant morbidity. High-resolution magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) readily depicts the detailed anatomy of various components (layers) of the retinacula. In this review article, we discuss normal anatomy, important landmarks, common injury patterns, and other pathologies encountered in patellar retinacula. High field strength MRI is an excellent noninvasive tool for evaluation of patellar retinaculum anatomy and pathology. This article will help the reader become familiar with normal imaging findings and the most commonly occurring injuries/pathologies in MPR and LPR.
Employment during pregnancy: Influences on women's health and social support

(1987). Employment during pregnancy: Influences on women's health and social support. Health Care for Women International: Vol. 8, No. 2-3, pp. 151-167.
Data Collection Methods for Evaluating Museum Programs and Exhibitions

Museums often evaluate various aspects of their audiences' experiences, be it what they learn from a program or how they react to an exhibition. Each museum program or exhibition has its own set of goals, which can drive what an evaluator studies and how an evaluation evolves. When designing an evaluation, data collection methods are purposefully selected to provide the data needed to measure those goals and answer the evaluation questions at hand. This article provides an overview of the data collection methods commonly used in museum-related evaluations, informed by the work of the Building Informal Science Education (BISE) project.
Helping millennials find US Supreme Court cases online

Purpose – The purpose of this article is to provide non‐law librarians with two strategies for quickly helping millennials with online US Supreme Court research. The first strategy is to locate law‐librarian authored online research guides on the topic. The second strategy is to jump straight into one of the many free online databases that contain US Supreme Court opinions.Design/methodology/approach – The article demonstrates the abundance of academic law‐librarian authored legal research guides available on the internet and explains how to evaluate them. Additionally, the article provides examples of many free online databases that allow searching, browsing and retrieval of full‐text US Supreme Court opinions.Findings – Millennials looking for US Supreme Court opinions expect to be provided with digital research resources. Online legal research guides can help librarians find the latest online databases with full‐text US Supreme Court opinions. Widespread internet access to the entire run of US Supreme ...
Additive toughening effects on new bio-based thermosetting resins from plant oils

Abstract The aim of this work was to find a suitable toughening agent for triglyceride-based thermosetting resins suited for high performance composite applications. Rigid polymers with high stiffness have been developed from triglyceride oils. The highly cross-linked structure gives these polymers high yield and fracture stress, but the reduced molecular mobility makes these polymers very brittle with poor resistance to crack initiation and propagation. Three methods have been used to increase toughness of triglyceride-based thermoset resins: (1) liquid rubber, (2) plasticizer, and (3) inorganic nano-filler. The following results were obtained: (1) The liquid rubbers, carboxyl terminated poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) (CTBN) and vinyl terminated poly(butadiene-co-acrylonitrile) (VTBN), form a secondary elastomeric phase dispersed in the continuous polymer matrix but only provide a small increase in toughness. (2) Epoxidized soybean liquid rubber (ESR), a prepolymer of epoxidized soybean oil with triethylene tetramine, forms a one phase structure when added to the triglyceride-based resins. The K1C value of the resulting materials doubled at 15 wt% ESR content, and the G1C value increased more than four times. (3) Organo-treated clay was added as a nano-filler. The G1C value is doubled at 2.6 vol% clay loading. Among these three toughening methods, the nano-filler was the best as there is no trade off with other mechanical or thermal properties.
Interfacial Uncompensated Antiferromagnetic Spins: Role in Unidirectional Anisotropy in Polycrystalline Ni 81 Fe 19 / CoO Bilayers

The uncompensated spins on the surfaces of antiferromagnetic CoO films exhibit a thermoremanent magnetization after field cooling from ${T}_{N}$ that has the same temperature dependence as the exchange field of $\mathrm{Ni}{}_{81}\mathrm{Fe}{}_{19}/\mathrm{Co}\mathrm{O}$ bilayers after field cooling. This suggests that these interfacial uncompensated spins are responsible for unidirectional anisotropy. A model based on a calculation of the density of these interfacial uncompensated spins predicts the correct magnitude of the exchange field, as well as the observed inverse dependence on interfacial grain size.
Strong consistency of least squares estimates in multiple regression II

Abstract The strong consistency of least squares estimates in multiple regression models is established under minimal assumptions on the design and weak dependence and moment restrictions on the errors.
Improvement of the electric conductivity of the material of anode in a fuel cell by the cyclic redox thermal treatment

We propose a procedure of cyclic thermal treatment of ScCeSZ–NiO ceramics each separate cycle of which includes the reduction of the material in high-purity hydrogen (99.99 vol.% under an excess pressure of 0.12 MPa) for 4 h at 600°C with subsequent oxidation in air (without excess pressure) under the same conditions. This enables us to obtain a material with stabilized and enhanced electric conductivity after the third cycle of treatment, despite the decreased content of nickel oxide.
A technique for the dry preservation of functioning orthopaedic specimens

A method is presented by which fresh anatomical material may be preserved in a dry state while maintaining joint function and motion. This method could be likened to the tanning of the tendons and ligaments directly on the bones. Mastery of this technique has allowed the preservation of not only the tendinoskeletal system, but also the nervous, vascular, and endotracheal systems as well. While some skill in dissection is necessary, a large amount of the dissection can be done by chemical methods. The actual processing of the specimen is easily done with materials that are readily available. When finished, the specimen is dry, flexible, essentially odorless, and extremely durable. This method can be utilized for material ranging from simple osseous specimens to highly sophisticated dissections. These specimens have been found to be of exceptional advantage in teaching by demonstrating function as well as spatial relationships.
Intersensory Redundancy Accelerates Preverbal Numerical Competence

Intersensory redundancy can facilitate animal and human behavior in areas as diverse as rhythm discrimination, signal detection, orienting responses, maternal call learning, and associative learning. In the realm of numerical development, infants show similar sensitivity to numerical differences in both the visual and auditory modalities. Using a habituation-dishabituation paradigm, we ask here, whether providing redundant, multisensory numerical information allows six-month-old infants to make more precise numerical discriminations. Results indicate that perceptually redundant information improved preverbal numerical precision to a level of discrimination previously thought attainable only after additional months of development. Multimodal stimuli may thus boost abstract cognitive abilities such as numerical competence.
Laser-excited atomic fluorescence in a pulsed glow discharge

Abstract A pulsed demountable glow discharge has been used as an atom cell for laser excited atomic fluorescence. Lead atoms are sputtered from the surface of copper and graphite cathodes and are excited by a pulsed frequency-doubled dye laser after the discharge is switched off. The combination of a “dark” atom cell with non-resonance atomic fluorescence leads to a very low background signal. The detection limit for lead in copper is 0.1 μg g and for lead in aqueous solutions (5 μl) deposited on graphite electrodes is 20 pg.
Mechanisms of Cu Columns Growth

The Cu columns, which are formed during magnetron sputtering deposition, are faceted on the top and zigzag on sides. Our numerical results of large facet-facet diffusion barriers offer an explanation of the facet dimension. Based on the stacking fault formation energies of various face-centered-cubic metals, we suggest that the zigzag shape of Cu columns is a result of deposition twins. Our molecular dynamics simulations indeed confirm this suggestion. Further, the dynamics simulations reveal the transient role of {100} facets, which facilitate the formation of {111} facets and disappear afterwards.