cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Activating killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors 3DS1 and 2DS1 protect against developing the severe form of recurrent respiratory papillomatosis

Abstract The polymorphic killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIR) control natural killer (NK) cell response against viral infection and tumor transformation. Here we investigated if select K IR genes are associated with recurrent respiratory papillomatosis (RRP), a rare disease of the larynx and upper airway caused by human papillomaviruses (HPV)-6/11. DNA from 66 RRP patients and 195 healthy controls were characterized for K IR and HLA gene polymorphism. Patients lacking activating K IR genes 3DS1 and 2DS1 were more common in severe RRP compared with mild–moderate RRP (78.8% vs 48.5%, p = 0.019). Further, patients carrying any of the known susceptible HLA-DRB1/DQB1 alleles were more frequently negative for KIR3DS1 ( p = 0.006), KIR2DS1 ( p = 0.003) or KIR2DS5 ( p = 0.004) compared with controls carrying any of these HLA allotypes. Nearly 80% of the patients with severe disease were missing the protective HLA-DQB1*0602 allele as well as both KIR3DS1 and KIR2DS1 genes. Phenotyping of papilloma-infiltrating mononuclear-cells revealed an elevated numbers of NK cells and CD57 + CD4 + T cells in KIR3DS1 − KIR2DS1 − patients compared with patients carrying either one or both of these KIR s. Our data suggest that NK cells expressing activating receptors KIR3DS1 and KIR2DS1 may be necessary to trigger an effective early immune response against HPV-infected targets to establish resistance to RRP development.
Experimental Investigations of the Mitigation of Paraffin Wax Deposition in Crude Oil Using Chemical Additives

Abstract Wax deposition from crude oil is a very expensive problem for oil producers around the world. The objective of this study is to understand the characteristics of paraffin wax deposition and to test the effectiveness of solvents in the inhibition of the crystallization and subsequent precipitation of the paraffin wax and to test the most effective concentration of the solvent used. The oil used here is from the Dakota formation from the Fourteen Mile Field in the Big Horn Basin of Wyoming. Two paraffin inhibitors were tested for this crude oil on a horizontal flow system. The inhibitors are mixtures of solvents, pour point depressants, and wax crystal modifiers. These inhibitors were tested at different concentrations and temperatures and the deposition rates were obtained for each. One inhibitor especially designed for this crude oil was relatively successful, reducing the deposition by up to 59% depending on the temperature.
Spectroscopic studies of the conformations of n-decamethyltetrasilane

Abstract The conformational properties of n-decamethyltetrasilane, n-Si4(CH3)10, have been studied by variable temperature NMR (1H and 13C) and vibrational (IR and Raman) spectroscopy. As in related alkane systems, the anti conformer is more stable than the gauche conformer. Values of △H0 and △S0 for the anti → gauche reaction are 2.26 ± 0.15 kJ mol-1 and △S0 = 7.82± 0.86 J K-1mol-1, respectively. Thus, the two conformers are present in comparable quantities at room temperature. At very low temperatures, broadening of the two proton resonances (SiMe2, SiMe3) occurs, but phase changes precluded the observation of decoalescence. By approximate lineshape anaylysis, the free energy of activation, △G‡, for rotation about the central SiSi bond is estimated to be ∼25 kJ mol-1.
A rose by any other name: eponyms and neurosurgery.

n this issue of WORLD NEUROSURGERY, Agarwal et al. describe the life and work of the neurologist and anatomist I Gerard Percheron. Although the author of numerous publications on basal ganglia and thalamic anatomy, Percheron is most widely remembered for the artery that bears his name. The artery of Percheron, a unique anatomic variant in which a single, midline arterial branch from the basilar terminuseposterior cerebral artery complex supplies both paramedian thalami, was first described in detail in 1973 by Percheron as a culmination of extensive human and animal anatomic dissections. Thromboembolic disease involving the artery of Percheron is now recognized as an important cause of bilateral thalamic stroke in a subset of patients presenting with acute-onset diencephalic symptoms. The article by Agarwal and colleagues reminds us of the tradition of eponymous celebration of the individual physician-scientist in important medical discoveries and the individual labor and exhaustive commitment required to make significant progress in medicine.
Collaborative Test Taking: Benefits for Learning and Retention

Abstract The results of a two-year study indicate that collaborative testing is a valuable pedagogical strategy that can both assess and enhance student learning. After finishing their first attempt at each exam, students were given a second attempt either working collaboratively in small groups or individually with open books and notes. Collaborative testing consistently produced significantly higher test scores. In addition, students' retention of course content is shown to be improved when collaborative testing is used. Concerns about grade inflation are alleviated through the use of proportionally weighted grading.
Building 21st-Century Teachers: An Intentional Pedagogy of Media Literacy Education

High-quality teacher education requires a complex body of knowledge, skills, and dispositions. This article identifies media literacy education as an intentional and essential framework in which to catalyze essential knowledge, skills, and dispositions for 21st-century teacher preparation. The multidimensional nature of media literacy education renders it a meaningful framework with which to contextualize the pursuit of technological proficiency, promote pedagogical excellence, and to magnify the democratic ideals and purposes of public education in the United States. This article aligns the National Educational Technology Standards for Teachers, principles of democratic education, and provides sample pedagogical skills essential to media literacy education.
Synthesis, doping, and electrical conductivity of high molecular weight poly(p-phenylene vinylene)

Abstract High molecular weight poly( p -phenylene vinylene) (PPV) has been synthesized starting from the monomer p -xylylene- bis (dimethylsulphonium chloride). The latter was polymerized to yield a water-soluble sulphonium salt polyelectrolyte, which was converted to PPV by the thermal elimination of (CH 3 ) 2 S and HCl from films cast from aqueous solution. The elimination reaction was studied by elemental analysis and by thermogravimetric analysis and mass spectrometry. The PPV films had good mechanical properties and could be n- and p-doped to yield material with electrical conductivities approaching those of highly doped polyacetylene. The degree of conversion of the intermediate polyelectrolyte to PPV could be controlled and the conductivities of these doped films could be related to the average conjugation length.
Petiole and Soil Nitrogen Concentrations during the Growing Season of Two Potato Cultivars as Influenced by Different Nitrogen‐Management Practices

Abstract Fine‐tuning potato nitrogen (N) management for irrigated sandy soils is a desirable goal to optimize the production and minimize negative impacts on the environment. Effects of different rates of preplant N (PP‐N) applications and different rates and frequencies of in‐season N (IS‐N) for two potato cultivars were evaluated for 2 years (2001 and 2002) in a Quincy fine sand (mixed, mesic, Xeric Torripsamments) in the Pacific Northwest (PNW). In the 2001 experiment, the petiole nitrate (NO3‐N) concentrations in both the cultivars were in the optimum range in the samples taken 22 days after emergence (DAE). In the subsequent sampling, the petiole NO3‐N concentrations showed a wide range proportional to the rates of IS‐N. In the 2002 experiment, the petiole NO3‐N concentrations were in the excess range in most treatments until about 51 DAE in both the cultivars, followed by a decline in concentrations to the low range. The petiole phosphorus (P) and potassium (K) concentrations were mostly above the e...
A computational study of lithio azaallylic systems

Abstract Ab initio and semiempirical PM3 calculations were performed on lithioimines as a model system for molecules in which lithium is 3η bound to the aza-π-allytic system, such as the growing poly (2-vinylpyridine) chain end. Comparison to the ab initio calculations and published x-ray crystal data showed that the semiempirical calculations performed reasonably well for these systems. The PM3 calculations overestimate the lithium bond distances to the atoms in the allytic system by about 0.1 A, and underestimate the dimerization energies of lithioimines by about 7 kcal/mole, compared to the ab initio results. The solution structure of these molecules is largely determined by steric hindrance and the solvation state. Lithioimines have been found to aggregate into dimers, and in some cases two or more aggregated species coexist in equilibrium with the monomer.
Self-renewal and expansion of single transplanted muscle stem cells

Adult muscle satellite cells have a principal role in postnatal skeletal muscle growth and regeneration. Satellite cells reside as quiescent cells underneath the basal lamina that surrounds muscle fibres and respond to damage by giving rise to transient amplifying cells (progenitors) and myoblasts that fuse with myofibres. Recent experiments showed that, in contrast to cultured myoblasts, satellite cells freshly isolated or satellite cells derived from the transplantation of one intact myofibre contribute robustly to muscle repair. However, because satellite cells are known to be heterogeneous, clonal analysis is required to demonstrate stem cell function. Here we show that when a single luciferase-expressing muscle stem cell is transplanted into the muscle of mice it is capable of extensive proliferation, contributes to muscle fibres, and Pax7(+)luciferase(+) mononucleated cells can be readily re-isolated, providing evidence of muscle stem cell self-renewal. In addition, we show using in vivo bioluminescence imaging that the dynamics of muscle stem cell behaviour during muscle repair can be followed in a manner not possible using traditional retrospective histological analyses. By imaging luciferase activity, real-time quantitative and kinetic analyses show that donor-derived muscle stem cells proliferate and engraft rapidly after injection until homeostasis is reached. On injury, donor-derived mononucleated cells generate massive waves of cell proliferation. Together, these results show that the progeny of a single luciferase-expressing muscle stem cell can both self-renew and differentiate after transplantation in mice, providing new evidence at the clonal level that self-renewal is an autonomous property of a single adult muscle stem cell.
Shared identity helps partially distributed teams, but distance still matters

Previous research on partially distributed teams has revealed a cluster of problems, including difficulty coordinating, 'ingroup' formation among members in different locations, and lower trust in teammates across distance. But these prior studies involved groups of strangers; would pre-existing groups have the same problems? We recruited groups from the same fraternity or sorority to test groups with a pre-existing shared identity. We found that these groups did indeed coordinate work better, cooperated more, and were more willing and able to take on larger scale projects. However, even within these high-performing shared identity groups, there were significant differences between collocated and remote members in performance, group efficacy, and sense of group identity.
Promoting Caribbean science and technology-intensive development through brain circulation: The case of biotechnology in Jamaica

This article addresses the role of skilled migrants in Caribbean science, technology and innovation policy. It asks: how can Caribbean countries that experience high levels of skilled out-migration capture the benefits of their diasporas through brain circulation? What policies and institutions are required to allow Caribbean countries to harness the knowledge and skills that exist within their diasporas so as to boost development efforts at home? How can the strong trade and diplomatic relations that exist between Canada and the Caribbean be harnessed towards achieving mutually beneficial immigration and economic goals? The article applies experience from South Korea and Taiwan to the Jamaican biotechnology sector to show how highly skilled diasporas can act as conduits of knowledge and technology and thus serve as a crucial pillar in the development of a technology-intensive Caribbean economy. What is required is the creation of appropriate institutional mechanisms to facilitate strategic interactions b...
Relationship between the Structure/Composition of Co-Mo Catalysts and Their Ability to Produce Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes by CO Disproportionation

A series of analytical techniques have been employed to fully characterize the structure and chemical state of Co–Mo/SiO2 catalysts used for the production of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNT) by CO disproportionation at 700–850°C. The state of Co and Mo on a series of silica-supported catalysts was investigated using extended X-ray absorption fine structure, X-ray absorption near-edge spectroscopy, ultraviolet–visible diffuse reflectance spectroscopy, H2 temperature-programmed reduction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and diffuse reflectance Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy of adsorbed NO after two sequential pretreatments and after the production of SWNT under pure CO. It was found that the selectivity of the Co–Mo catalysts toward SWNT strongly depends on the stabilization of Co species in a nonmetallic state before exposure to CO, which results from an interaction with Mo. The extent of this interaction is a function of the Co:Mo ratio and has different forms during the different stages of the catalyst life. From the detailed characterization conducted over the catalyst series it is concluded that after calcination, Mo is in the form of a well-dispersed Mo(6+) oxide while Co is either interacting with Mo in a superficial Co molybdatelike structure (at low Co:Mo ratios) or as a noninteracting Co3O4 phase (at high Co:Mo ratios). After a subsequent treatment in hydrogen, the noninteracting phase is reduced to metallic Co, while the Co molybdate-like species remain as well-dispersed Co2+ ions. During the production of SWNT under pure CO, the Mo oxide species are converted into Mo carbide. This conversion disrupts the interaction between Co and Mo and results in the release of metallic Co in the form of extremely small clusters, which are responsible for the production of SWNT. By contrast, large Co clusters that are formed from the noninteracting Co phase produce the nonselective forms of carbon (mult iwalled nanotubes, filaments, graphite, etc.).
Human immune deficiency virus (HIV) infection and the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis

The hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is the most common of the endocrine lines/axis’ to be affected by HIV infection. There are multiple factors that contribute to this HPA axis dysregulation. Direct invasion of the various organs in the axis can be either by opportunistic infections or infiltrative diseases. The soluble factors or cytokines released during viral infection and the chronic inflammatory state that follows, also contribute to these alterations. The actions of these cytokines released by the immune response can both activate the HPA axis and cause a glucocorticoid resistant state. Further, many of the anti-retroviral and other medications used to treat HIV infection can contribute to HPA axis dysfunction. While the diagnosis and treatment of endocrine dysfunction is the same as in any other patient, management pathways may be quite different. While some may be adaptive responses, life threatening adrenal insufficiency can also be present. It is important the latter be picked up expeditiously and treated promptly to avoid mortality.
Endogenous games and equilibrium adoption of social norms and ethical constraints

Abstract We consider a situation in which games are formed endogenously in two senses: (1) there is a pregame in which agents choose to learn a subset of all feasible strategies and can then employ only these strategies in subsequent play, and (2) agents choose their game partners through a costly search process. We show that at any subgame perfect equilibrium, agents will constrain their action sets in the pregame in such a way that a single social norm prevails. Thus, all agents in a society will abide by the same ethical standard, although what standard this will be cannot be predicted. We also show that these are essentially the only SPE outcomes. We suggest that this provides at least a partial explanation for experimental observations that agents apparently choose strategies that do not maximize their payoffs.
Numerically induced phase shift in the KdV soliton

Abstract When using a finite difference scheme to study the motion of a KdV solition, a shift in the position of the solition from the exact solution is detected. In this paper we retain the lowest order terms in the truncation error and treat them analytically as a perturbation of the KdV equation. It is found that perturbation theory can be used to determine the numerically induced shift.
Insurance Coverage for Erectile Dysfunction Drugs

Where Cost, Medical Necessity, and Morality Meet: Should US Government Insurance Programs Pay for Erectile Dysfunction Drugs? J. M. Polinski and A. S. Kesselheim Division of Pharmacoepidemiology and Pharmacoeconomics, Department of Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts Clin Pharmacol Ther 2011; 89: 17–19. Spending for the three most popular phosphodiesterase (PDE) inhibitor drugs to treat erectile dysfunction (ED) tops $1 billion worldwide annually. Using Medicaid and Medicare Part D as examples, we explore here whether US government insurance programs with limited budgets should reimburse for this class of ED drugs and review the common bases for justifying and denying reimbursement. We conclude that the clinical usefulness and costs of such drugs should be the primary drivers of coverage decisions, not moral attitudes toward sexual performance.
Adaptive Observer Design for a Li-Ion Cell Based on Coupled Electrochemical-Thermal Model

Accurate real-time knowledge of battery internal states and physical parameters is of the utmost importance for intelligent battery management. Electrochemical models are arguably more accurate in capturing physical phenomena inside the cells compared to their data-driven or equivalent circuit based counterparts. Moreover, consideration of the coupling between electrochemical and thermal dynamics can be potentially beneficial for accurate estimation. In this paper, a nonlinear adaptive observer design is presented based on a coupled electrochemical-thermal model for a Li-ion cell. The proposed adaptive observer estimates distributed Li-ion concentrations, lumped temperature and some electrochemical parameters simultaneously. The observer design is split into two separate parts to simplify the design procedure and gain tuning. These separate parts are designed based on Lyapunov’s stability analysis guaranteeing the convergence of the combined state-parameter estimates. Simulation studies are provided to demonstrate the effectiveness of the scheme.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Semiconductor lasers stabilized to spectral holes in rare-earth crystals

ABSTRACT Single-frequency diode lasers have been frequency stabilized to 200 Hz at 1.5 microns and to 20 Hz at 793 nm with 10-100 ms integration times using narrow spectral holes in the absorption lines of Er 3+ and Tm doped cryogenic crystals. The narrow spectral holes are used as frequency references, and this laser performance was obtained without requiring vibrational isolation of either the laser or frequency reference. Kilohertz frequency stability for 100 s integration times is provided by these techniques, and that performance should be improved to the Hertz level and should be extended to longer integration times with further development. Miniaturized external cavity diode lasers and 5 mm-sized reference crystals will provide compact portable packages with a closed cycle cryocooler. The achieved frequency stabilization provides lasers that are ideal for interferometry, high-resolution spectroscopy such as photon echoes, real time optical signal processing based on spectral holography, and other applications requiring ultranarrow-band light sources or coherent detection. Keywords: Laser stabilization, frequency standard, diode laser, rare earth, 1.5 micron wavelength, Er
Growth of 1-2 μm thick biaxially textured Bi-2212 films on (100) LaAlO3 single crystal substrates by electrodeposition

Abstract High quality Bi 2 Sr 2 Ca 1 Cu 2 O x (Bi-2212) films with thickness around 1–2 μm have been grown on (1 0 0) LaAlO 3 single crystal substrates using an electrodeposition technique, followed by a melt quench and annealing process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements of the final films indicated that the films were almost pure biaxially textured Bi-2212 films. The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of omega and phi scans were about 1.7° and 1.1°, respectively. In magnetization measurements, T c of 79 K and J c of 0.58 MA/cm 2 (4.2 K, 0 T) and 44 kA/cm 2 (50 K, 0 T) were observed. The mechanism of the convention of Bi-2201 phase to Bi-2212 phase during the annealing process was discussed, the length scale for the current flow in Bi-2212 film was calculated from the differential susceptibility d m /d H during re-penetration of magnetic field, and the residual stress in the films were estimated from XRD θ –2 θ scans.
Heat shock protein 12A shows reduced expression in the prefrontal cortex of subjects with schizophrenia.

Background Deoxyribonucleic acid microarray analyses of dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) area 9 from 10 matched pairs of schizophrenic and control subjects revealed a consistent and significant decrease ( p = .001; mean log2 signal difference = −.58) in transcript expression for a gene clone KIAA0417. This database entry has been recently annotated as two highly homologous members of a heat-shock protein family (HSPA12A and HSPA12B). Methods We followed up our initial results by in situ hybridization in subjects with schizophrenia, major depression, and a chronic haloperidol-treated nonhuman primate model. Furthermore, we investigated the distribution of HSPA12A and HSPA12B transcripts across the human and nonhuman primate brain. Results We found that HSPA12A (but not HSPA12B) is highly expressed in the human brain and shows a neuron- and region-specific transcript distribution, with strongest expression in the frontal and occipital cortical regions. HSPA12A messenger ribonucleic acid was significantly reduced ( p Conclusions The data are consistent with metabolic alterations in schizophrenia, reflected in selective changes in the expression of certain genes encoding proteins involved in cellular metabolism or metabolic responsiveness.
Blunted ventilatory response to hypoxia/hypercapnia in mice with cigarette smoke-induced emphysema.

Abstract It has been reported that the degree of emphysema induced by chronic cigarette smoke (CS) is greater in female C3H/HeN mice as compared to other mouse strains. We hypothesized that these mice would develop the similar major characteristics seen in hypercapnic patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), including emphysema, pulmonary inflammation, hypercapnia/hypoxemia, rapid breathing, and attenuated ventilatory response (AVR). Mice were exposed either to CS or filtered air (FA) for 16 weeks. After exposure, arterial blood gases and minute ventilation were measured before and during chemical challenges in anesthetized and spontaneously breathing mice. We found that as compared to FA, CS exposure caused emphysema and pulmonary inflammation associated with: (1) hypercapnia and hypoxemia, (2) rapid breathing, and (3) AVR to 25 breaths of pure N2, 5% CO2 alone, and 5% CO2 coupled with 10% O2. The similarity of these pathophysiological characteristics between our mouse model and COPD patients suggests that this model could be effectively applied to study COPD pathophysiology, especially central mechanisms of the AVR genesis.
Tennessee meets the challenge of dyslexia.

In 1993, the Tennessee General Assembly voted funds to establish a model unit of integrated services and research to address the full scope of issues associated with dyslexia. Dyslexia is characterized as significant difficulty in reading and spelling individual words. In the Tennessee Center for the Study and Treatment of Dyslexia, these problems are presumed to be the consequence of a phonological core deficit. When compared to typical readers, matched for age or reading level, dyslexic readers evidence average listening comprehension, a relative strength in reading comprehension, deficits in word recognition and spelling, and severe deficits in word analysis as well as in awareness and manipulation of phonemes. Integration of this information yields a diagnostic profile that may be applied in the differential diagnosis of dyslexia both in clinical and school settings. This paper presents an overview of the Tennessee Center for Dyslexia and the services it provides as well as its guidelines for interpreting the results of norm-referenced tests and criterion-referenced measures to diagnose dyslexia and plan appropriate intervention. Frith’s (1985, 1986) developmental framework for reading acquisition is integrated with the assessment data to outline an instructional plan that addresses mastery of skills within and across the hierarchical phases—logographic, alphabetic, and orthographic—of reading development.
Changing the face of hepatitis C management – the design and development of sofosbuvir

The availability of direct-acting antiviral (DAA) therapy has launched a new era in the management of chronic hepatitis C. Sofosbuvir, a uridine nucleotide analog that inhibits the hepatitis C RNA-dependent RNA polymerase, is the backbone of chronic hepatitis C therapy. Acting at the catalytic site of the polymerase, sofosbuvir is highly potent in suppressing viral replication and has a high genetic barrier to resistance. Sofosbuvir is effective across all hepatitis C genotypes, and is a mainstay of interferon-free combination therapy. In Phase II and III studies, genotype 1 patients who took sofosbuvir in combination with another DAA such as the NS3-4A protease inhibitor, simeprevir, or the NS5A replication complex inhibitors, ledipasvir or daclatasvir, achieved a sustained virologic response rate of over 90%. Harvoni®, a combination tablet of sofosbuvir and ledipasvir, dosed once daily is recommended for 24 weeks for treatment-experienced genotype 1 patients with cirrhosis, but 12 weeks of therapy is sufficient for all other populations. While genotype 2 (12 weeks or 16 weeks) and treatment-naive genotype 3 patients (24 weeks) have excellent response rates with sofosbuvir and ribavirin, treatment-experienced cirrhotic genotype 3 patients may need the addition of another DAA such as daclatasvir. Sofosbuvir is efficacious in special populations such as HIV–hepatitis C virus-coinfected patients and liver transplant recipients and has already made a profound impact in these groups. Since it is renally eliminated, patients with advanced kidney disease or on dialysis must await dosing recommendations. Sofosbuvir-based regimens appear to be well tolerated with headache and fatigue being the most common side effects. The opportunity to cure patients with hepatitis C with sofosbuvir combination therapy is likely to change the future for our patients, particularly if the emphasis shifts to identifying those patients unaware that they are infected and providing affordable access to treatment.
Charting a course for collaboration: a multiteam perspective

The translation of medical research from bench-to-bedside often requires integrated input from multiple expert teams. These collectives can best be understood through the lens of multiteam systems theory. Team charters are a practical tool thought to facilitate team performance through the creation of explicit shared norms for behavior. We extend the current literature on team charters to the multiteam context and make three practical recommendations for multiteam charter content that could facilitate effective communication and leadership processes between teams.
Elemental and configural associations, the hippocampus and development

Two views of the stimulus controlling learned behavior are contrasted. On the elemental view, the organism fractionates its environment into isolatable features or elements, and experience alters how it responds by strengthening or weakening associations among the elements. On the configural view, it is the representation of the pattern or conjunction of stimulus elements acting on the organism that acquires control over behavior. This paper addresses the issue of how to describe the stimulus from a comparative/organismic perspective and argues that separate neural systems are available that support both elemental and configural associations. Normal adult rats and rats with hippocampalformation damage, and different-aged rats and children were compared on tasks that permit a solution based only on elemental associations and tasks that only can be solved if the organism can acquire configural associations. Subjects in all comparison conditions were able to solve tasks that permit an elemental solution, but animals with hippocampal-formation damage, preweanling rats, and children less than 55 months of age were signficantly impaired on tasks that required solving configural associations. Some implications of this data pattern are discussed.
Perfectly calibrated internal ports in EM analysis of planar circuits

Perfectly calibrated internal ports have recently been developed for high frequency electromagnetic analysis of planar circuits. This capability has never before been available. As such, microwave designers are only just now learning the value of such ports. This overview paper describes new and extremely efficient design methodologies that are now practical. For example, if properly prepared, an entire circuit can be EM (electromagnetically) analyzed once and the precise analysis of all subsequent modifications (tuning, tweaking) of the circuit provided essentially instantly. Another capability enabled by perfectly calibrated ports is compact model synthesis. These capabilities are illustrated with examples.
Prevention of Lower Extremity Ischemia During Cardiopulmonary Bypass via Femoral Cannulation

Prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass requiring femoral arterial cannulation may lead to ipsilateral leg ischemia. A technique described of femoral cannulation via an end-to-side femoral artery graft allows distal femoral perfusion and eliminates the complication of leg ischemia.
Nutrient Deficiencies in Tube-fed Children

The charts of children with gastrostomy or jejunostomy tubes followed in the Tube Feeding Clinic at the Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin from January 1999 to June 2002 were reviewed. Prevalence of selected nutrient deficiencies were determined and their association with growth and caloric intake was measured. One hundred fifty patients (60% male) met the inclusion criteria. The mean age of children was 7 years 6 months (SD ± 5 years 4 months). As a proportion of total caloric intake, the mean percentage of calories from formula was 92% (± 15). No deficiencies of vitamins D or E were found. Ferritin concentration below lower limits of the age-appropriate range of normal (LLN) was found in 30 of 122 (25%) and hemoglobin was below LLN in 12 of 139 (9%). One patient each had vitamin A, calcium, phosphorus, and magnesium serum concentrations below LLN. Below normal serum zinc was found in 43 of 142 (30%). Ninety-one of 134 patients (68%) had below normal selenium levels, and 29 of 126 (23%) had both zinc and s...
Integrity’s Identity

“Integrity” has a good reputation of longstanding. But integrity means different things to different people and whether its reputation is deserved depends on the particular conception (and practice) of the attribute under consideration. While we are critical of some of the specifics in John Covaleskie’s conception, we find it enormously thought provoking, and for that we are grateful. So where does this conception seem unhelpful or otherwise problematic to us?
Associations between race, lifecourse socioeconomic position and prevalence of diabetes among US women and men: results from a population-based panel study

Background Few studies have examined the degree to which racial disparities in the development of diabetes are accounted by differences in lifecourse socioeconomic position (SEP). We assessed the association between race, lifecourse SEP measures and prevalence of diabetes in a representative US sample of black and white adults. Methods A generalised estimating equations approach was used with a sample of 3497 adults from the Americans’ Changing Lives study. Sex-specific models were calculated to compute prevalence ratios (PR) for associations of race and SEP with self-reported diagnoses of diabetes. Results For men, childhood and adult SEP were unrelated to diabetes, and adjustment for lifecourse SEP had little effect on the excess diabetes in blacks (PR=1.56, 95% CI 1.11 to 2.21). Adjustment for measures of lifecourse SEP reduced the PR for the association between race and diabetes in women from 1.96 (95% CI 1.52 to 2.54) to 1.40 (95% CI 1.04 to 1.87) with the respondent9s education responsible for most of the reduction in the association. However, diabetes was also inversely associated with father9s education, and low SEP throughout the lifecourse was associated with a nearly threefold increase in diabetes (PR=2.89, 95% CI 2.10 to 3.99). Conclusions Racial disparities in diabetes existed among both men and women, but lifecourse SEP was related to diabetes only among women. The pathway and cumulative hypotheses for lifecourse SEP effects on diabetes may be especially salient for women.
Effects of DNA charge and length on the electrophoretic mobility of intercalated DNA.

DNA molecules ranging in size from 1 to 630 kilobase pair and intercalated with either ethidium bromide (EtBr) or propidium iodide (PI) were electrophoresed in 1% agarose at four different electric field strengths. The extent of intercalation of EtBr under the conditions of our electrophoresis experiments was determined by a spectroscopic technique, whereas the extent of intercalation of PI was inferred from previous studies. The effects of the increase in DNA contour length and the concomitant decrease of linear charge density were separated based on our analysis of the mobility data. We conclude that the main factor responsible for the reduced electrophoretic mobility of intercalated DNA is the diminished linear charge density and not the increased contour length. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
White Like Them: Asian Refugees in a White Christian Congregation

This article examines the impact of the introduction of Lao refugees on previously polarized (black/white) ethnic relations in a working-class evangelical congregation in St. Louis. Church members maintain idealized concepts of Lao economic success, youth, gender roles, and academic performance, which they contrast to concepts of blacks whom they perceive to fail where the Lao succeed. Minimizing differences between the Lao and white church members creates a sense of unity which facilitates restructuring Hie ethnic order into a black/non-black dichotomy that perpetuates racism and sexism, and appears to "prove" the theory that the poor are responsible for their plight, [sexism, racism, ethnicity, Lao, refugees]
Compositional and Environmental Characteristics of Tsuga Canadensis (L.) Carr. Forests in the Southern Appalachian Mountains, USA1

Abstract The acquisition of baseline data on Tsuga canadensis forests in the southern Appalachian Mountains has become increasingly important as these forests face imminent climatic changes and alterations induced by an exotic-invasive insect pest, the hemlock woolly adelgid (Adelges tsugae). While general forest patterns in the southern Appalachian Mountains are well documented, there is a dearth of research that specifically examines the characteristics of Tsuga canadensis forests in this region. To examine the compositional and environmental characteristics of these forests, I established 50 plots within mature Tsuga canadensis stands of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park (GSMNP), USA. I used cluster analysis to identify forest types; differences among types were assessed using analysis of variance (ANOVA) with Bonferroni multiple comparison tests. Detrended correspondence analysis (DCA) was used to relate Tsuga canadensis forest patterns to environmental variation. Four Tsuga canadensis forest ty...
Melting and Cavity Growth in the Vicinity of Crack Tips Subjected to Short-Duration Current Pulses

The current-carrying conductors in an electromagnetic launcher are exposed to high currents that last for a few milliseconds. Surface cracks on the rails can generate large gradients in current in their vicinity and may result, in some instances, in localized melting and expulsion of rail material. Here, we report the results of a study in which the mechanical and electrical parameters of the process were monitored as a function of time and the evolution of melting and ejection was examined through high-speed photography.
A Guided-Inquiry Lab for the Analysis of the Balmer Series of the Hydrogen Atomic Spectrum

A guided-inquiry lab was developed to analyze the Balmer series of the hydrogen atomic spectrum. The emission spectrum of hydrogen was recorded with a homemade benchtop spectrophotometer. By drawing graphs and a trial-and-error approach, students discover the linear relationship presented in the Rydberg formula and connect it with the Bohr model of the hydrogen atom. The construction of the homemade spectrophotometer, the analysis of data, and the comparison between experimental and published data are discussed. The possibility of determining the Rydberg constant for deuterium as a possible extension of this lab is also discussed.
Determination of octanol/water partition coefficients of certain organophosphorus compounds using high-performance liquid chromatography

Octanol/water partition coefficients (log P) for a series of dialkyl alkylphosphonates, dialkyl alkylphosphonothionates, and an alkyl alkylphosphinate have been estimated using reversed-phase high-performance liquid chromatography. The test compounds proved to be readily amenable to the chromatographic procedures employed, although the more lipophilic compounds appeared to be more tolerant to variations in the chromatographic conditions and methods of data handling than were the less lipophilic compounds with regard to the precision and accuracy of the log P values obtained from the retention data. The methodology was validated by carrying out shake-flask experiments with two of the test samples. The rank order of log P values obtained was reasonably predictable, based on the sizes of the alkyl substituents present. The enhancement of lipophilic character attributable to replacement of oxygen by sulfur in the PO group is also evident from the results. The data for the phosphonates permit the calculation of a value for the hydrophobic fragmental constant for the OPO2 group (f = −2.79).
Spatio‐temporal transitions in Paleozoic Bivalvia: A field comparison of upper Ordovician and upper Paleozoic bivalve‐dominated fossil assemblages

Because of the uncertain relationship between relative abundance and taxonomic richness, abundance data are potentially critical components in any analysis of faunal dominance within fossil assemblages. However, such data are often not available in the literature. In this paper, relative abundance data collected during field work at 25 Upper Ordovician and 22 Upper Pennsylvanian to mid‐Permian localities are used to evaluate Paleozoic transitions in the environmental distributions of bivalve molluscs. On the basis of multivariate analyses of these data, it is shown that even early in their history, during the Ordovician, bivalves were generally not restricted in abundance to just marginal environments. They apparently thrived in terrigenous—dominated regions, both nearshore and offshore, but were less abundant in carbonate settings. However, by the late Paleozoic, bivalve abundances had increased in some carbonate environments, in part because of the growing abundances of free‐burrowing suspension‐feeders...
ACT Scores Predict Success on the Pre-Professional Skills Test.

A study of 521 students who took the Pre-Professional Skills Test (PPST) from 1988–1990 revealed that students with American College Test (ACT) composite scores of 21 or higher had a high probability of passing all three parts of the PPST on the first attempt at a cutoff score of 169. That is, they had demonstrated their mastery of the basic skills tested by the PPST. High correlations (.473 to .816) between the ACT and PPST support the notion that they are testing similar skills. As a result of the findings, the state board of education approved a change to the university's program that exempts students who have an ACT composite score of 21 or higher from taking the PPST.
"Public benefits from public choice": producing decentralization in metropolitan Los Angeles, 1954-1973

Emergent public choice theory and innovations in suburban local government worked together to create and justify greater inequality among metropolitan places in postwar Los Angeles County. This art...
A peripheral circulating compartment of natural naive CD4+ Tregs

CD4CD25 Tregs play a central role in the maintenance of peripheral self tolerance by keeping autoreactive T cells in check. Whereas the thymic origin of CD4CD25 Tregs, as a distinct lineage, has been inferred, understanding of their developmental pathways has remained elusive. In both mice and humans, peripheral CD4CD25 Treg populations have been described as composed of antigen-experienced T cells that fail to significantly proliferate following TCR stimulation but suppress proliferation and effector functions of CD25 T cells. Here we show that analysis of CD25 expression in human circulating CD4 T lymphocytes with respect to their in vivo differentiation stages identifies a distinct subset of CD25CCR7CD62LCTLA-4FOXP3 cells contained in the CD45RA/RO naive fraction. The subset, which we have named natural naive Tregs (NnTregs), is prominent in young adults and decreases with age together with the total naive CD4 population. NnTregs are anergic following stimulation in the absence of IL-2 and exert ex vivo cell-cell contact-mediated suppressor functions. In addition, they proliferate in response to stimulation with autologous APCs, which indicates a high enrichment in T cells bearing self-reactive TCRs. The definition of this subset has important implications for the analysis of human naturally occurring Tregs and for their targeting in therapeutic immune interventions.
†Raaschiidae1(Grylloblattida: †Protoperlina), A New Insect Family from the Lower Permian Wellington Formation of Noble County, Oklahoma

Abstract A new fossil insect is described and figured from a specimen of a nearly complete forewing taken from the Lower Permian of Noble County, Oklahoma. †Raaschia oklahomensis Beckemeyer, n. gen. et n. sp., is assigned to †Raaschiidae, n. fam., which appears most closely allied with the families †Chelopteridae, †Aliculidae, and †Phenopteridae of the Grylloblattida: †Protoperlina.
Evaluating a CRT Map Predictor for Airborne Use

Six airline pilots participated in a fixed-base simulator experiment designed to study the advantages and disadvantages of incorporating a simple horizontal flight path predictor on both fixed and rotating electronic CRT map displays. The pilots were asked to fly a modified ``figure eight'' ground track (similar to right and left procedure turns in sequence) while attempting to maintain constant altitude. The dynamics were representative of a transport aircraft. All flight information was displayed on one 17-in (43-cm) CRT monitor. The controlled variables were 1) map orientation, 2) pilots, 3) presence or absence of crosswinds, 4) presence or absence of wind gusts, and 5) presence or absence of predictor. Error scores were recorded as deviations from the commanded ground track and altitude. Pilot comments and ratings were also obtained. No interaction in performance scores was found between the predictor and the two different map display orientations. It was found that the predictor reduced deviations from the commanded ground track, narrowed performance differences among pilots, narrowed the error differences found with and without crosswinds, and decreased pilot workload.
An in vitro comparison of an adjustable bone fixation system

Purpose The purpose of this study was to biomechanically compare an adjustable plating system and several variations with an inverted-L pattern of 3 bicortical screws to fix a bilateral sagittal split osteotomy. Materials and Methods Sixty polyurethane mandible replicas (Synbone, Laudquart, Switzerland) were used in this study. Ten uncut mandibular replicas served as control models. Fifty experimental synthetic mandibles had bilateral sagittal split osteotomies created with a 7-mm advancement. Fixation modalities included 3 bicortical screws in an inverted-L pattern, a 4-hole sagittal split plate with adjustable slider (slide 0), an adjustable plate with an additional bicortical screw (slide 1), an adjustable plate with 2 additional bicortical screws (slide 2), and an adjustable plate with 3 additional bicortical screws (slide 3). The alloplastic mandibles were secured in a custom fabricated jig and subjected to vertical loads at the incisal edge and torsional loading at the molar region by an Instron 1331 (Instron, Canton, MA) servohydraulic mechanical testing unit. Mechanical deformation data within a 0- to 900-N range were recorded. Yield load, yield displacement, and stiffness were determined. Means and standard deviations were derived and compared for statistical significance using a Fisher’s Protected Least Significant Differences Test with a confidence level of 95% ( P Results For incisal edge loading, the control was significantly greater for yield load than the experimental models. No significant difference was noted between slide 0, slide 1, and slide 2, but significant differences were seen with slide 3 and the inverted-L. There were no significant differences between slide 1, slide 2, slide 3, and inverted-L. For molar load, the control was significantly different than the experimental models. However, there was no significant difference between the experimental models. Conclusions Mandibular advancements of 7 mm in a synthetic mandible fixed with a 4-hole sagittal split plate with adjustable slider alone is resistant to torsional forces and comparable to that seen with 3 bicortical screws placed in an inverted-L fashion. However, when loading at the incisal edge, additional bicortical screws are necessary to achieve the similar resistance to vertical load as that seen with 3 bicortical screws.