cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Remodelling of spared proprioceptive circuit involving a small number of neurons supports functional recovery

Studies show that limited functional recovery can be achieved by plasticity and adaptation of the remaining circuitry in partial injuries in the central nervous system, although the new circuits that arise in these contexts have not been clearly identified or characterized. We show here that synaptic contacts from dorsal root ganglions to a small number of dorsal column neurons, a caudal extension of nucleus gracilis, whose connections to the thalamus are spared in a precise cervical level 1 lesion, underwent remodeling over time. These connections support proprioceptive functional recovery in a conditioning lesion paradigm, as silencing or eliminating the remodelled circuit completely abolishes the recovered proprioceptive function of the hindlimb. Furthermore, we show that blocking repulsive Wnt signalling increases axon plasticity and synaptic connections that drive greater functional recovery.
Using 5-Fluorouracil With Glaucoma Filtering Surgery

N EYES WITH glaucoma, failure of filtering I surgery may be related to internal and external events. In the former situation, intraocular tissue, including iris, ciliary body, lens, or vitreous, may become incarcerated in the scleral fistula. Further, a pigmented or nonpigmented membrane may develop on occasion and may occlude the internal sclerostomy opening. However, the most common mechanism of filtration failure is extraocular episcleral fibrocellular proliferation.’,’ In eyes with otherwise poor surgical prognosis, subconjunctival injections of 5-fluorouracil during the first two postoperative weeks appear to inhibit fibroproliferation and increase the likelihood of successful filtration.3” However, this antimetabolite has the potential to inhibit other actively replicating cells during this period, particularly corneal and conjunctival epitheli~m.~.’ We have found it beneficial to modify our surgical technique when using this potent antimetabolite to minimize potential complications. PREOPERATIVE EVALUATION Preoperatively, proper case selection plays an important part in the avoidance of possible complications. Reported severe corneal complications associated with the use of 5-fluorouracil, ie, sterile, herpetic, bacterial, and fungal ulceration, have occurred in the setting of nonresolving persistent epithelial defects, particularly when topical steroids were being administe~ed.~.’ Problems with epithelial healing usually have occurred within the first few weeks of surgery, although microbial keratitis has occurred in some patients several months after surgery. In these cases, it has been our experience that there is a preponderance of eyes with abnormal lid function, lid apposition, or corneal and conjunctival disease. A thorough evaluation
A Sensitive, Rapid Radioimmunoassay for Morphine and Immunologically Related Substances in Urine and Serum

A rapid, simple radioimmunoassay for morphine and immunologically related compounds is described and evaluated. The 2-h assay requires as little as 0.1 ml of urine or serum and provides a quantitative estimate of serum or urinary morphine. Individuals known not to be receiving heroin or other narcotics had apparent urinary morphine concentrations of less than 25 µg/liter and apparent serum concentrations of less than 10 µg/liter. Patients receiving as much as 100 mg of methadone gave results (expressed as morphine) of less than 25 or 10 µg/liter, respectively, for their serum and urine. Fifty-eight of 59 urines from known heroin users, sampled up to 48 h after self-administered heroin, contained more than 25 µg of morphine per liter; 32 of 37 sera obtained up to 12 h after heroin contained more than 10 µg/liter. Samples obtained from individuals receiving substances that may cross-react in the assay were tested and the results are discussed. We conclude that this radioimmunoassay may be suitable for routine screening of urine or serum for morphine.
The argon laser-jet initiated, multiple-photon (reluctant), electrocyclic ring opening of 10,10-diphenyl-9-(10H)-phenanthrenone : A carbene and biradical modeling study

Abstract While 10,10-diphenyl-9-(10H)-phenanthrenone (1) is inert under conventional irradiation conditions, it undergoes decarbonylation under high-intensity argon laser-jet conditions to form 9,9-diphenylfuorene (3) and the cycloheptatriene 4. Molecular modeling studies indicate that 3 arises from collapse of the singlet carbene 15 and the triene 4 from the triplet carbene 35.
Electrostatic Excitation of a Conducting Toroid: Exact Solution and Thin-Wire Approximation

Abstract Laplace's equation is solved via separation of variables in toroidal coordinates for the electrostatic potential external to a conducting torus placed in a uniform electric field and excited by an arbitrarily located point charge. The accuracy of the static thin-wire kernel approximation in an integral equation applied to the circular loop is verified using the exact results in the limit as the toroid shrinks to a ring. An equivalent lineal charge density from the exact solution agrees remarkably well with the integral equation solution for the conducting ring. Since the singularity in the Helmholtz Green's function for the electrodynamic problem is the static singularity considered herein, the results confirm the applicability of the thin-wire kernel to the scattering and radiation problems of the circular loop.
Nested radiations and the pulse of angiosperm diversification: increased diversification rates often follow whole genome duplications

Summary Our growing understanding of the plant tree of life provides a novel opportunity to uncover the major drivers of angiosperm diversity. Using a time-calibrated phylogeny, we characterized hot and cold spots of lineage diversification across the angiosperm tree of life by modeling evolutionary diversification using stepwise AIC (MEDUSA). We also tested the whole-genome duplication (WGD) radiation lag-time model, which postulates that increases in diversification tend to lag behind established WGD events. Diversification rates have been incredibly heterogeneous throughout the evolutionary history of angiosperms and reveal a pattern of ‘nested radiations’ – increases in net diversification nested within other radiations. This pattern in turn generates a negative relationship between clade age and diversity across both families and orders. We suggest that stochastically changing diversification rates across the phylogeny explain these patterns. Finally, we demonstrate significant statistical support for the WGD radiation lag-time model. Across angiosperms, nested shifts in diversification led to an overall increasing rate of net diversification and declining relative extinction rates through time. These diversification shifts are only rarely perfectly associated with WGD events, but commonly follow them after a lag period.
Polymerase Slippage at Vesicular Stomatitis Virus Gene Junctions To Generate Poly(A) Is Regulated by the Upstream 3′-AUAC-5′ Tetranucleotide: Implications for the Mechanism of Transcription Termination

Termination of mRNA synthesis in vesicular stomatitis virus (VSV), the prototypic rhabdovirus, is controlled by a 13-nucleotide gene end sequence which comprises the conserved tetranucleotide 3′-AUAC-5′, the U7 tract and the intergenic dinucleotide. mRNAs terminated at this sequence possess 100- to 300-nucleotide-long 3′ poly(A) tails which are thought to result from polymerase slippage (reiterative transcription) by the VSV polymerase on the U7 tract. Previously we determined that in addition to the AUAC tetranucleotide, the U7 tract was an essential signal in the termination process. Shortening or interrupting the U7 tract abolished termination. These altered U tracts also prevented the polymerase from performing reiterative transcription necessary for generation of the mRNA poly(A) tail and thus established seven residues as the minimum length of U tract that allowed reiterative transcription to occur. In this study we investigated whether sequences other than the essential U7 tract are involved in controlling polymerase slippage. We investigated whether the AUAC tetranucleotide affected the process of reiterative transcription by analyzing the nucleotide sequence of RNAs transcribed from altered subgenomic templates and infectious VSV variants. The tetranucleotide was found to regulate reiterative transcription on the U7 tract. The extent of polymerase slippage was governed not by specific tetranucleotide sequences but rather by nucleotide composition such that slippage occurred when the tetranucleotide was composed of A or U residues but not when it was composed of G or C residues. This suggested that polymerase slippage was controlled, at least in part, by the strength of base pairing between the template and nascent strands. Further data presented here indicate that the tetranucleotide contains both a signal that directs the VSV polymerase to slip on the downstream U7 tract and also a signal that directs a slipping polymerase to terminate mRNA synthesis.
Labeling the Zona Pellucida of the Mouse Oocyte

Young adult 101 x C3H female mice, 8 weeks old, were given two injections of 50 MCi of N(acetyl-#{176}H)D-glucosamine 24 h apart and killed 4 days, I week, and at weekly intervals thereafter up to 10 weeks after injection. The appearance of labeling in late stage 3 of follicular development coincided both in time and place with the first visible evidence of zona formation. Follicle stages 4-8 all were heavily labeled. As these older oocytes were either ovulated or underwent atresia, they were replaced by oocytes with unlabeled zonae. This progression allowed an estimate of about 5 weeks for development of a stage 3 follicle (and oocyte) into a mature Graafian follicle. With this technique it is likely that some new insights may be obtained on the dynamics of follicular growth, atresia, and ovulation. Most attempts to study the dynamics of follicular growth have been made by enumerating the different follicular types at different stages of the estrous cycle. However, classification and enumeration of the follicle stages (Engle, 1927; Brambell, 1928; Desaive, 1947, 1948; Green et a!., 1951; Burkl and Kellner, 1956) does not provide precise information on the duration of the process. It has been possible to conclude that the numbers of small and medium follicles are in a steady state, and that variation in number of large follicles occurs during the estrous cycle (Pedersen, 1970). A study of mitotic indices (Lane and Davis, 1939; Bullough, 1942; Pedersen, 1970) also indicates that the cells in the largest follicles divide at a faster rate than do those in the small- and medium-sized ones. Using the correlation between age of the animal and stage of follicular development in the interval from birth to maturity as a timing method is questionable, owing to extensive degeneration of the oldest follicles. Growth following elimination of certain follicle stages by irradiation or hormone treatments may not be normal, and is, therefore, also suspect as an estimate for the timing of regular maturation. ‘Research sponsored by the U. S. Atomic Energy Commission under contract with the Union Carbide
Deaf Education Services in Southern Regions of Vietnam: A Survey of Teacher Perceptions and Recommendations

AbstractPurposeThis survey study explored teacher perceptions regarding services for children who are deaf or hard of hearing in southern regions of Vietnam, including educational successes and challenges, the availability and use of hearing technology, and teacher recommendations for improving child outcomes.MethodUsing a cross-sectional survey design, hard-copy surveys were sent to professionals who provided services to children with hearing loss ages 3–9. Ninety-eight surveys were distributed and seventy seven surveys were returned, resulting in a return rate of 79 per cent. Simple statistics were used to describe the quantitative survey results; content analysis was completed on open-ended survey comments.ResultsAccess to hearing aids and hearing aid repairs are substantial barriers for many families. Survey respondents expressed desire for more training in hearing technology and effective teaching strategies. Twenty-six per cent of children in preschool and kindergarten used listening and spoken lang...
On the relationship between water vapor over the oceans and sea surface temperature

Monthly mean precipitable water data obtained from passive microwave radiometry were correlated with the National Meteorological Center (NMC) blended sea surface temperature data. It is shown that the monthly mean water vapor content of the atmosphere above the oceans can generally be prescribed from the sea surface temperature with a standard deviation of 0.36 g/sq cm. The form of the relationship between precipitable water and sea surface temperature in the range T(sub s) greater than 18 C also resembles that predicted from simple arguments based on the Clausius-Clapeyron relationship. The annual cycle of the globally integrated mass of Scanning Multichannel Microwave Radiometer (SMMR) water vapor is shown to differ from analyses of other water vapor data in both phase and amplitude and these differences point to a significant influence of the continents on water vapor. Regional scale analyses of water vapor demonstrate that monthly averaged water vapor data, when contrasted with the bulk sea surface temperature relationship developed in this study, reflect various known characteristics of the time mean large-scale circulation over the oceans. A water vapor parameter is introduced to highlight the effects of large-scale motion on atmospheric water vapor. Based on the magnitude of this parameter, it is shown that the effects of large-scale flow on precipitable water vapor are regionally dependent, but for the most part, the influence of circulation is generally less than about + or - 20 percent of the seasonal mean.
The Puzzle of Non-Qualified Retirement Pay

Pay arrangements for managers of public corporations typically include substantial amounts of compensation deferred through non-qualified retirement plans. As a departure from the familiar baseline of current payment for current services, this presents a longstanding puzzle. The corporate-governance literature offers two explanations for the practice. The “optimal-contracting account” argues that non-qualified retirement pay represents “inside debt” that aligns the interests of managers with the interests of the corporation’s unsecured general creditors. The “managerial-power account” argues that non-qualified retirement pay represents “stealth compensation” that facilitates managers’ extraction of rents from corporate assets. In this paper, I set out a different explanation based on tax considerations. Specifically, I argue that corporations and managers use non-qualified retirement pay to supplement the benefits under tax-qualified retirement plans, to substitute lower corporate marginal tax rates for higher individual marginal tax rates on certain types of investment income, to avoid the $1 million limitation on corporate compensation deductions, and to avoid state income taxes. The tax account is at least as strong as the other two accounts in explaining the motivation for the basic decision to defer manager compensation and is superior to the other two accounts in explaining the contractual terms of non-qualified retirement plans.
Pregnant rats are refractory to the natriuretic actions of atrial natriuretic peptide

Normal pregnant women and rats undergo a volume expansion. Atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) is involved in volume homeostasis and is stimulated in response to volume expansion in nonpregnant animals, resulting in natriuresis and diuresis. The conscious, chronically catheterized rat was used to measure mean arterial blood pressure (MABP) and renal responses to administered ANP (160 ng.kg-1.min-1 i.v.) to determine if the actions of ANP are altered by pregnancy. These experiments examined virgin (n = 7) and pregnant rats, studied on gestational days 7-9 (n = 9) and 15-17 (n = 7). Renal clearance studies (with inulin and p-aminohippurate) were conducted in control conditions and during 60 min of ANP infusion. After the ANP infusion, plasma ANP concentrations were measured in virgin and pregnant rats. MABP fell with ANP infusion to similar absolute values in virgins (112 +/- 2 to 80 +/- 6 mmHg), 7- to 9-day pregnant (114 +/- 2 to 91 +/- 3 mmHg), and 15- to 17-day pregnant (107 +/- 2 to 88 +/- 4 mmHg) rats although the percent decline in MABP in 15- to 17-day pregnant rats was less than in virgins. Plasma ANP concentrations were similar in all groups. ANP had no effect on glomerular filtration rate, renal plasma flow, or renal vascular resistance in virgin or pregnant rats. ANP increased sodium excretion in virgins and in 7- to 9-day pregnant rats (+102 +/- 27 and +135 +/- 47%, respectively) but not in 15- to 17-day pregnant animals (+23 +/- 22%).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Flexible thiophene polymers: a concerted macromolecular architecture for dielectrics

The design of novel dielectric polymers currently employs approaches on capitalizing main-chain and side-chain architectures respectively. This paper reports a concerted macromolecular architecture synergistically tuning both the polymeric backbone and side chain. Our approach relies on an oligomer thiophene side chain and a norbornene backbone. This architecture results in highly flexible and transparent dielectric polymers, superior to methacrylate polymer counterparts. A facile hydrogenation of the polynorbornene backbone results in more than two fold increase in the electric field breakdown strength with the conservation of low dielectric loss.
Qualitative and Quantitative Analysis of Carboxylic Acids

Ester-bound carboxylic acids, which give lipophilic, nonpolar character to certain natural products, may be analyzed qualitatively in gas-liquid chromatography or quantitatively by the hydroxylamine procedure. Glycerides, phosphatides, and simple esters can be hydrolyzed with acid or alkali and the liberated carboxylic acids can be measured by different chemical procedures. The alkaline hydroxylamine procedure of Snyder and Stephens (1959) may be directly applied to some classes of lipids for the quantitative determination of ester groups. Such an exercise (Exercise No. 63) is described in this manual. In the case of more complex glycolipids, such as bacterial polysaccharides, the alkaline hydroxylamine procedure does not give reproducible results, while total hydrolysis and liberation of the carboxylic acid content of these materials usually results in lose of some of the acids. Boron trifluoride in methanol was successfully used by Netcalfe and Schmitz (1961) for the esterification of free fatty acids. It has been shown by Duron and Nowotny (1963) that boron trifluoride in methanol or boron trichloride in methanol are able not only to esterify free fatty acids but also to transesterify certain complex lipids, yielding methyl esters of all bound carboxylic acids.
Managing a Smart City's Resilience to Ebola: An Ontological Framework

Managing information is central to a smart city's capability to resile. Novel threats, such as the fear of an Ebola epidemic in a city like Dallas, USA pose unique challenges to managing information. The city's approach has to be systemic and systematic -- it cannot be fragmented and incremental. However, the recent responses of cities like Dallas, New York, and Chicago show the difficulty of marshaling an effective response. The combinatorial complexity of managing information is a major source of the difficulty. We present an ontological framework to logically deconstruct the complexity of a smart city's resilience when it encounters such novel threats. We illustrate the application of the framework to planning and assessment with examples from a US county's recent response to Ebola.
Seasonal habitat use of brook trout and juvenile steelhead in a Lake Ontario tributary

Brook trout (Salvelinus fontinalis) are generally restricted to headwaters in New York tributaries of Lake Ontario. In only a few streams are brook trout abundant in lower stream reaches that are accessible to adult Pacific salmonids migrating from the lake. Consequently, because of the rarity of native brook trout populations in these lower stream reaches it is important to understand how they use stream habitat in sympatry with juvenile Pacific salmonids which are now naturalized in several Lake Ontario tributaries. In this study, we examined the seasonal (spring, summer, and fall) habitat use of brook trout and juvenile steelhead (Oncorhynchus mykiss) in Hart Brook, a tributary of eastern Lake Ontario. We found interspecific, intraspecific, and seasonal variation in habitat use. Subyearling steelhead were associated with faster water velocities than subyearling brook trout and, overall, had the least habitat similarity to the other salmonid groups examined. Overyearling brook trout and yearling steelhe...
Improved Techniques for Rearing the Smaller European Elm Bark Beetle on Artificial Media

Wheat germ media have proven suitable for rearing 10 complete generations of the smaller European elm bark beetle, Scolytus multistriatus (Marsham). The artificial media and some techniques for rearing have been reported (Galford 1969). Improvements in the techniques are presented herein and they include heat treatment of the ovipositional media and mechanical extraction of the beetle eggs from the media. Although these artificial techniques are time consuming, research can be conducted using beetles divorced from their natural host.
H2 reactions on palladium clusters.

Adsorption of an H2 molecule on PdN clusters (N = 2–4, 7, 13, 19, and 55) is investigated using density functional theory with the hybrid PBE0 functional. Low-energy PdN isomers, taken from a large pool of candidate structures for all cluster sizes (except N = 55), are used in systematic searches for the most stable PdNH2 (molecular) and PdN2H (dissociative) adsorption complexes. Molecular adsorption of H2 is found to occur strictly at atop sites, with the strongest binding typically occurring at the site with the smallest coordination. Binding of dissociated H atoms occurs preferentially on 3-fold faces and on certain favorable edge sites, while binding at atop sites is unstable. Dissociative adsorption is energetically preferred to molecular adsorption for all cluster sizes. The dissociative adsorption energy decreases with cluster size, with pronounced variations due to cluster size effects for the smallest clusters. Adsorption reaction pathways are computed for cluster sizes up to N = 13. Molecular ad...
Rapid evaluation of candidate materials preliminary to in vivo testing for systemic control of northern fowl mites, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Acari: Macronyssidae).

Use of a simple in vitro feeding apparatus is described for testing acaricidal properties of substances when ingested by northern fowl mites, Ornithonyssus sylviarum (Canestrini & Fanzago). Of the compounds tested, three were highly toxic to northern fowl mites, cythioate, pirimiphos-methyl, and dimethoate, in that order of decreasing effectivenes.
Who Are the Severely Handicapped?: A Problem in Definition:

The need for adequate definitions for the severely handicapped as well as some of the problems involved in developing a suitable definition are discussed in this paper. Both practical and philosophical problems are considered. A tentative definition is proposed to generate further discussion.
In defence of the neighbourhood: understanding micro-business entrepreneurship, embeddedness and social capital as a means to community well-being

The research here examines the relationship between embeddedness, social capital, and micro-business entrepreneurship in a somewhat worn, yet still active urban neighbourhood of Northern New Jersey. Drawing on observations and in-depth interviews with micro-business owners, we focus on the ways in which connectedness to the neighbourhood shapes business opportunities, decision-making, and longevity. Our findings challenge individual-level explanations of business behaviour and contribute to a growing body of literature concerned with embeddedness and social capital in three ways: we elaborate on the concepts over-embedded and under-embedded to better specify the positions from which owners may be operating. We elaborate on the significance of integrated networks, where there is embeddedness, complemented by external, or arms-length ties. And in a context where the success of micro-businesses is vital to the well-being of the existing community, we conclude with a set of recommendations that call on policy makers, universities and other stakeholders to engage in bolstering the connectedness and social capital of current owners, especially those who are vulnerable to ongoing neighbourhood changes.
Risk Factors for Death and Major Morbidity in Guatemalan Children with Acute Bacterial Meningitis.

BACKGROUND Acute bacterial meningitis (ABM) remains a significant cause of pediatric illness and death in low and middle income countries. Identifying severity risk factors and predictive scores may guide interventions to reduce poor outcomes. METHODS Data from a prospective surveillance study for ABM in children aged 0-59 months admitted to 3 referral hospitals in Guatemala City from 2000 to 2007 were analyzed. ABM was defined as positive cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) culture, positive latex agglutination or CSF white blood cell greater than 100 cells/mL. Univariate and multivariate analyses of risk factors at hospital admission that predicted major morbidity or death during hospitalization were performed, along with validation of the predictive Herson-Todd score (HTS). RESULTS Of 809 children with ABM episodes, 221 (27.3%) survived with major morbidity and 192 (23.7%) died. Among 383 children with nonmissing data, the most significant multivariate predictors for death or major morbidity were seizure [odds ratio (OR), 101.5; P < 0.001], CSF glucose less than 20 mg/dL (OR, 5.3; P = 0.0004), symptom duration more than 3 days (OR, 3.7; P = 0.003) and coma (OR, 6.3; P = 0.004). Of 221 children with a HTS greater than 5, 204 (92%) died or suffered major morbidity (OR, 10.3; P < 0.0001). CONCLUSION ABM is a cause of considerable morbidity and mortality in Guatemala. Several clinical risk factors and the composite HTS predicted death or major morbidity. These predictors could help clinicians in low and middle income country guide medical care for ABM and could contribute to the public health impact assessment in preventing meningitis with vaccines.
Comparison of tissue-interface pressure in healthy subjects lying on two trauma splinting devices: The vacuum mattress splint and long spine board.

Abstract Background Most emergency transport protocols in the United States currently call for the use of a spine board (SB) to help immobilize the trauma patient. However, there are concerns that their use is associated with a risk of pressure ulcer development. An alternative device, the vacuum mattress splint (VMS) has been shown by previous investigations to be a viable alternative to the SB, but no single study has explicated the tissue-interface pressure in depth. Methods To determine if the VMS will exert less pressure on areas of the body susceptible to pressure ulcers than a SB we enrolled healthy subjects to lie on the devices in random order while pressure measurements were recorded. Sensors were placed underneath the occiput, scapulae, sacrum, and heels of each subject lying on each device. Three parameters were used to analyze differences between the two devices: 1) mean pressure of all active cells, 2) number of cells exceeding 9.3 kPa, and 3) maximal pressure (Pmax). Results In all regions, there was significant reduction in the mean pressure of all active cells in the VMS. In the number of cells exceeding 9.3 kPa, we saw a significant reduction in the sacrum and scapulae in the VMS, no difference in the occiput, and significantly more cells above this value in the heels of subjects on the VMS. Pmax was significantly reduced in all regions, and was less than half when examining the sacrum (104.3 vs. 41.8 kPa, p Conclusion This study does not exclude the possibility of pressure ulcer development in the VMS although there was a significant reduction in pressure in the parameters we measured in most areas. These results indicate that the VMS may reduce the incidence and severity of pressure ulcer development compared to the SB. Further prospective trials are needed to determine if these results will translate into better clinical outcomes.
Reasons for Replacement of Long-Term Urethral Catheters: Implications for Randomized Trials

AbstractOn any given day more than 100,000 nursing home patients have indwelling urethral catheters in place. We prospectively followed 47 such patients for almost 18 patient-years and observed 249 catheter replacements. The mean number of replacements per 100 days of catheterization was 3.1 (71% of the catheters were replaced within 30 days of insertion). Nonprescribed removal by the patient or nursing staff was the most frequent cause of replacement (43%), followed by leakage (33%) and obstruction (24%). Catheter replacements followed patient-specific patterns, with each reason for replacement being associated significantly with the reason for the prior replacement (p less than 0.001). To minimize the effect of patient-specific replacement patterns, studies of complications of catheterization that may be affected by catheter obstruction or replacement should use cross-over designs.
Making meaning in qualitative research with conversational partnerships: a methodological discussion

Rubin and Rubin's responsive interviewing method is based on the conversational partnership formed between researcher and participant. This method allows the researcher to understand experiences through the participant's words and stories to create meaning. In this article, the reader is guided through a 3-part interview series with a person living with traumatic spinal cord injury. The example focuses on how interview guides were developed and tailored to the participant, and how field notations were created. Findings include the importance of establishing trust and rapport in conversational partnerships for meaning making to occur.
Transcriptional Regulation of the SHP-1, a Candidate Tumor Suppressor Gene in Hematological Malignancies.

Abstract The SH2-Containing Protein-Tyrosine Phosphatase-1 (SHP-1) is a hematopoietic cell specific protein-tyrosine phosphatase and a candidate tumor suppressor. It has been shown that expression of SHP-1 is repressed in HTLV-1 transformed lymphocyte cell lines, Adult T-cell Leukemia and other hematological malignancies. However, the mechanisms that regulate SHP-1 expression remain unclear. We previously identified that the −120 to +157 of the SHP-1 P2 promoter (core promoter) exhibits similar levels of activity as the wild type promoter. Here we report the involvement of NF-kB and Oct-1 in the transcriptional regulation of the SHP-1 P2 promoter. To elucidate the mechanisms by which SHP-1 promoter is regulated, in vitro DNase I footprinting experiments were performed. Incubation of nuclear extracts from Jurkat cells with the SHP-1 P2 promoter probes revealed two DNase I protected regions between −100 and −90 and between −80 and −55 in the SHP-1 P2 promoter. Elk-1, Ik-1, NF-kB and Oct-1 were identified through database search as likely candidate factors binding to these regions. Electrophoretic Mobility Shift Assay (EMSA) was carried out using a double strand DNA probe that covers the previous DNase I footprinting area (−120 to −19) and Jurkat nuclear extract. Transcription factors NF-kB and Oct-1 were confirmed as binding to the SHP-1 P2 promoter through antibody supershift, probe competition, and/or site directed mutagenesis. Results from in vivo Chromatin Immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay with anti-NF-kB and anti-Oct-1 antibody also strongly suggested that Oct-1 and NF-kB bound the SHP-1 P2 promoter in Jurkat cells. In transient transfection experiments using luciferase as a reporter, mutations at Oct-1 binding sites and NF-kB binding sites showed significant reduction in SHP-1 promoter activity compared to wild type core promoter, further indicating the involvement of these factors in the SHP-1 P2 promoter transcription regulation. In summary, this is the first report demonstrating that Oct-1 and NF-kB are involved in the regulation of SHP-1 P2 promoter. Modulation of these transcription factors could provide new targets for treatment of hematological malignancies.
Theoretical study of resonances and recombination in low-energy collisions of three identical bosons

Resonances and three-body recombination in low-energy collisions of three identical bosons are studied theoretically using hyperspherical coordinates. Two different methods are used and compared calculating positions and widths of three-body resonances: the complex absorbing potential and the eigenchannel R-matrix approaches. Good agreement between results of the two approaches is found. Cross section and rate coefficient for dimer formation in three-body recombination are obtained.
Introduction to Probability Models of the Real World

There are situations so complex—you might even think chaotic—that any analysis would seem impossible. But often such situations yield to the techniques of statistics. With proper data and with proper analysis of that data, you may be able to say a lot. As this course proceeds, it will be interesting for you to see exactly how statistics is able to deal with these seemingly impossible situations. But it won’t be at all what you expect. The answers provided by statistics are never exact; there’s always error. Statistics does not eliminate error; rather, it controls it. In short, statistics allows you to be precise about imprecision! It’s the precise control of statistical error that’s at the heart of every statistical technique.
Headache in Neuromyelitis Optica.

Purpose of Review Neuromyelitis optica (NMO) classically features a clinical presentation that includes longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis and optic neuritis. However, many other pathognomonic phenomena have more recently been described in patients diagnosed with NMO, including intractable hiccups, vomiting, and painful tonic spasms, but less has been reported regarding the relationship between NMO and headache. Though headache is well established as both a symptom and comorbidity of multiple sclerosis (MS), it has been much less described thus far in the NMO literature and warrants more careful evaluation. Many questions remain unanswered about the relationship between NMO and headache, including headache prevalence in certain groups, distribution of primary and symptomatic headache disorders that are seen most frequently and the specific neuroimaging findings that are associated with an increased risk of headache.
A Collaborative DDoS Defence Framework Using Network Function Virtualization

High-profile and often destructive distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks continue to be one of the top security concerns as the DDoS attacks volumes are increasing constantly. Among them, the SYN Flood attack is the most common type. Conventional DDoS defense solutions may not be preferable, since they demand highly capable hardware resources, which induce high cost and long deployment cycle. The emerging of network function virtualization (NFV) technology introduces new opportunities to decrease the amount of proprietary hardware that is needed to launch and operate network services. In this paper, we propose a DDoS defense mechanism named CoFence, which facilitates a “domain-helps-domain” collaboration network among NFV-based domain networks. CoFence allows domain networks to help each other in handling large volume of DDoS attacks through resource sharing. Specifically, we design a dynamic resource allocation mechanism for domains so that the resource allocation is fair, efficient, and incentive-compatible. The resource sharing mechanism is modeled as a multi-leader-follower Stackelberg game. In this game, all domains have a degree of control to maximize their own utility. The resource supplier domains determine the amount of resource to each requesting peer based on optimizing a reciprocal-based utility function. On the other hand, the resource requesting domains decide the level of demand to send to the resource supplier domains in order to reach sufficient support. Our simulation results demonstrate that the designed resource allocation game is effective, incentive compatible, fair, and reciprocal under its Nash equilibrium.
On the effective cone of M‾g,n

Abstract For every g ≥ 2 and n ≥ g + 1 we exhibit infinitely many extremal effective divisors in M ‾ g , n coming from the strata of abelian differentials.
Pylephlebitis presenting as spontaneous coronary sinus thrombosis: a case report

Coronary sinus thrombosis is a rare phenomenon. When identified, it most often is a complication of infective endocarditis or procedural intervention. We present an unusual and unreported case of spontaneous coronary sinus thrombosis as embolic sequela of an intra-abdominal infectious process. We report a case of a 61-year-old white woman with a history of end-stage renal disease on hemodialysis, paroxysmal atrial fibrillation not on long-term systemic anticoagulation, and history of recurrent diverticulitis that presented with acute onset abdominal pain and nausea. Computed tomography of her abdomen and pelvis with intravenous contrast was negative for acute intra-abdominal pathology, but incidentally identified an oval-shaped filling defect at the ostium of the coronary sinus suspicious for thrombus or mass which was confirmed on subsequent transesophageal echocardiogram. In light of her concomitant transaminitis but otherwise negative workup, the mass was believed to be thromboembolic in nature, originating within the hepatic venous system as a manifestation of recurrent diverticulitis with associated pylephlebitis and ultimately lodging into the coronary sinus. With the newly detected thrombus and history of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation, she was started on warfarin for therapeutic systemic anticoagulation that resolved her clot by 3-month follow up. Although coronary sinus thrombosis is rare, a high index of suspicion and close scrutiny of the venous system in patients with intra-abdominal infectious processes would prevent delay in management of this potentially serious complication. The discussion of this case highlights the anatomy of the cardiac venous system, the pathophysiology of thrombus formation, and the utility of transesophageal echocardiography in confirming a diagnosis and assessing treatment efficacy.
Brown Adipose Tissue

Brown adipose tissue shows accumulation of FDG in normal fat tissue on PET/MR imaging that can be confusing to the inexperienced reader. Comparison of the fused PET/MR images with non-fused MR images helps differentiate brown fat from true lesions.
Structural deficits and the politics of balancing the budget: the case of missouri fy 2004 budget

This paper uses the Missouri Fiscal Year (FY) 2004 budget as a case study to illustrate two aspects of the recent state budgetary problems: its structural budget deficits and the politics involved in balancing a budget. The paper also highlights the dilemma that government faces in meeting constant public demand for services while revenue sources are restrained.
The Sylow Theorems

The order of a group G has consequences for its structure. A rough rule of thumb is that the more complicated the prime factorization of |G|, the more complicated the group. In particular, the fewer the number of distinct prime factors in |G|, the more tractible it is. We now study the “local” case when only one prime divides |G|.
21-gene recurrence score testing in the older population with estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer.

Abstract Introduction The 21-gene recurrence score (RS) (Oncotype Dx, Genomic Health, Redwood City Ca) has not been validated in an older cohort with estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancer. The objective of this study was to evaluate RS validity in a group of older women with ER-positive breast cancer. Methods Utilizing the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results Program (SEER) database with available RS, we evaluated women with ER-positive breast cancer aged 18–69 and those 70 years of age and older from 2004 to 2014. We utilized multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate factors associated with RS testing as well as a high-risk categorization for those who underwent testing. Survival was analyzed using Kaplan Meier curves and Cox proportional hazard models. Results We identified 363,876 women aged 18–69 years and 147,107 women aged 70 years and older. A smaller proportion of patients in the older group (8%) underwent RS testing than in the younger group (18%). Of the patients who underwent testing, distribution of RS was similar between groups. High-risk categorization independently predicted a higher likelihood of death for older patients (hazard ratio 1.47, 95% confidence interval 1.15–1.90). Among patients with high-risk RS, chemotherapy was associated with a decreased risk of death in the younger group, but not in the older group. Conclusion Older women are less likely to receive RS testing, but when tested, older patients have a similar distribution of RS as compared to younger patients. While high-risk categorization in the older cohort was prognostic, chemotherapy was not associated with improved survival.
Monocyte and Alveolar Macrophage Skewing Is Associated with the Development of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension in a Primate Model of HIV Infection.

Abstract We investigated the relationship of monocytes, alveolar, and tissue-resident macrophage populations and the development of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) in a nonhuman primate model...
Depression as a moderator in the relation between mothers' and daughters' ethnic identity commitment.

Objectives This study examined whether maternal depressive symptoms moderated the association between mothers' and daughters' ethnic identity commitment. Method The sample included 165 (69% Latina, 26% African American/Black, and 5% Asian, Native American, or Middle Eastern) mother-adolescent daughter dyads. Mothers' self-reported on their ethnic identity commitment and depressive symptoms, and adolescent daughters self-reported on their ethnic identity commitment. Results After controlling for adolescent age and language, results revealed no association between mothers' and daughters' ethnic identity commitment. However, a 2-way interaction was found. Mothers' and daughters' ethnic identity commitment were positively related when mothers reported low depressive symptoms, and negatively related when mothers reported high depressive symptoms. Conclusions Family clinicians who work to strengthen positive self-concepts in girls of color should consider promoting their mothers' attachment to their ethnic group and treating existing maternal depressive symptoms. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).
Religion as resistance: negotiating authority in Italian Libya 1911–1931: by Eileen Ryan, Oxford, Oxford University Press, 2018, 264 pp., $74 cloth, ISBN 9780190673796

Religion as Resistance: Negotiating Authority in Italian Libya 1911–1931 is a welcome addition to the literature on modern Libya. It sheds much-needed new light on Libya’s Sanusiyya in their strugg...
Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome

Hermansky–Pudlak syndrome (HPS) is a group of rare autosomal recessive disorders characterized by albinism and platelet dysfunction. A subset of HPS patients also develop highly penetrant pulmonary fibrosis, and some patients have a granulomatous colitis that shares features with Crohn’s disease. There are at least eight genetic loci associated with HPS in humans; mutations in each HPS gene result in defects in the biogenesis of lysosomes and lysosome-related intracellular organelles including melanosomes, platelet dense granules, and lamellar bodies. Pulmonary disease manifests as a restrictive disorder with insidious dyspnea on exertion, cough, and interstitial infiltrates and can progress to respiratory insufficiency and death by the fourth or fifth decade. Radiographically, HPS lung disease shares many features with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF). Pulmonary fibrosis in HPS has a histologic appearance resembling usual interstitial pneumonia in several respects, but is also accompanied by hyperplastic, hypertrophic alveolar type II cells containing enlarged lamellar bodies, and lipid-filled, activated alveolar macrophages. Pigment deficiencies can be quite subtle. All pulmonary fibrosis patients with albinism and a bruising or bleeding diathesis should be screened for HPS. All patients with HPS should be screened for pulmonary involvement with pulmonary function tests and chest imaging. When indicated, bronchoscopy performed by the oral route should be considered to avoid nasal bleeding. Lung biopsy is frequently contraindicated because of bleeding complications and because diagnosis and prognosis can be determined without the procedure. Currently available approaches to treatment of HPS are limited, but include smoking cessation, vaccination against pulmonary infections, and prevention and management of bleeding complications. Pirfenidone and other targeted anti-inflammatory and antifibrotic agents warrant further study. Lung transplantation is an option for HPS patients with advanced pulmonary disease. The Hermansky–Pudlak Syndrome Network, Inc. (http://www.hpsnetwork.org), is a support organization available for patients with HPS.
Risk of appendiceal cancer in patients undergoing appendectomy for appendicitis in the era of increasing nonoperative management

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Management practices for acute appendicitis are changing. In cases of nonoperative treatment, the risk of missed or delayed diagnosis of malignancy should be considered. We aimed to identify predictors associated with appendiceal cancer diagnosis after appendectomy for acute appendicitis. MATERIALS AND METHODS This retrospective cohort study was performed using the National Surgical Quality Improvement Program (NSQIP) appendectomy-targeted data set from 2016 to 2017. A total of 21 069 patients with imaging-confirmed or imaging indeterminate appendicitis who underwent appendectomy were included. Logistic regression was used to identify predictors of cancer diagnosis. RESULTS Increasing age had an increasing monotonic relationship with the odds of pathologic cancer diagnosis after appendectomy (age 50-59 odds ratio [OR], 2.08, 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28-3.39, P = .003; age 60-69 OR, 2.89, 95% CI, 1.72-4.83, P 80 OR, 5.32, 95% CI, 2.38-11.9, P < .001). Other significant predictors included obesity, morbid obesity, normal preoperative white blood cell count, and imaging indeterminate for appendicitis. CONCLUSIONS When counseling patients regarding operative vs nonoperative treatment options for management of acute appendicitis, the rising risk of a delayed or missed cancer diagnosis with increasing age must be discussed.
Sliced Designs for Multi-Platform Online Experiments

Multivariate testing is a popular method to improve websites, mobile apps, and email campaigns. A unique aspect of testing in the online space is that it needs to be conducted across multiple platf...