cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
177: Maintenance of memory regulatory T cells in peripheral tissues

The skin has unique immunological characteristics and is especially plagued by T cell mediated inflammatory disorders. To study CD4+ T cell responses to epidermal self-antigen, which are largely undefined, we established a mouse model that features tetracycline-inducible expression of chicken ovalbumin (Ova) in the epidermis under the control of the keratin K5 promoter. Expression of antigen in the skin elicits a T cell (DO11.10) dependent inflammatory dermatitis, which is associated with IFN-γ and IL-17 production by DO11 T cells. This disease develops despite the presence of high starting numbers of natural DO11 Foxp3-expressing regulatory T cells (Tregs), and, in fact, these Tregs proliferate in response to skin-Ag recognition. Tregs are activated by peripheral self-antigen to increase their suppressive function, and a fraction of these cells survive as memory regulatory T cells (mTregs). mTregs persist in nonlymphoid tissue after cessation of Ag expression and have enhanced capacity to suppress tissue-specific autoimmunity. These mTregs express specific effector memory T cell markers and localize preferentially to hair follicles in skin. Memory Tregs express high levels of both IL-2Rα and IL-7Rα. Using a genetic-deletion approach, we show that IL-2 is required to generate mTregs from naive CD4+ T cell precursors in vivo. However, IL-2 is not required to maintain these cells in the skin and skin-draining lymph nodes. Conversely, IL-7 is essential for maintaining mTregs in skin in the steady state. These results elucidate the fundamental biology of mTregs and show that IL-7 plays an important role in their survival in skin. Support: Erwin Schroedinger Fellowship from the Austrian Science Fund to I.K.G. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Grant 1K08AR062064-01, Burroughs Wellcome Career Award for Medical Scientists, and Scleroderma Research Foundation to M.D.R. NIH Grants P01 AI35297, R01 AI73656, and U19 AI56388 to A.K.A.
Evaluation and Modeling of Bioethanol Yield Efficiency from Sweet Sorghum Juice

One of the challenges with using sweet sorghum as an energy crop is that although fermentation of the juice to ethanol does not require enzymes, the juice can easily spoil. One strategy to avoid spoilage is to harvest the juice in the field, place it into a tanker for transport, and add the yeast immediately to initiate the fermentation process to begin during transport. Hence, it is also important to understand how the fermentation process is influenced by pH, temperature, and dissolved oxygen, since these parameters would not be “controlled” during transport. A full factorial design was applied to examine and optimize yield efficiency of ethanol production for the fermentation of sweet sorghum juice. Bioethanol yield efficiency was modeled using a linear equation. Under optimal pH (5.5), temperature (28 °C), and dissolved oxygen (0%) conditions, a maximum theoretical yield efficiency of 0.75 was achieved for bioethanol produced from M81E variety of sweet sorghum.
Delegations guided by trust and autonomy

This paper explores delegation decisions predicated on models of trust and autonomy among agents. In socially rich environments, trust and autonomy of artificial agents are key attributes for rational delegation decisions. Social agents are affected by many social attributes such as benevolence, social exchanges, power, and norms. We present cognitively inspired working models of trust and autonomy for delegation among agents that accounts for these social attributes. These models are validated in a simulation of a group of agents who delegate tasks in order to locate the most socially well-suited individuals for performing that task. We define autonomy in such an objective manner that agents who have the highest autonomy with respect to a task will generally be the most socially well suited. Benevolence, social reciprocation, and norms most directly contribute to autonomy and proportionally to social suitability. Derived social power directly contributes to social suitability, whereas independently assigned social power ranking overrides the suitability. We show that trust and autonomy in an agent group changes under various social settings.
Applying Artificial Immune System for Intrusion Detection

This paper investigates the approaches of using an analogy of the Human Immune System (HIS) to create an Artificial Immune System (AIS) based Intrusion Detection System (IDS). The two most popular AIS generating algorithms, Negative and Clonal Selection were explored and tested on the NSL-KDD dataset with different sets of features and different numbers of detectors. The experiments show that the Negative Selection Algorithm (NSA) and the Clonal Selection Algorithm (CSA) show a severe scaling issue when handling real network traffic.
Therapeutic Interferon Interchange in Relapsing Multiple Sclerosis Lowers Health Care and Pharmacy Expenditures with Comparable Safety.

INTRODUCTION For patients with a less-active (fewer relapses or complete recovery from relapses, less radiologic burden of disease, or no or limited disease-related disability) relapsing form of multiple sclerosis (MS), interferon (IFN) beta-1b subcutaneous is similar in efficacy to IFN beta-1a intramuscular and subcutaneous. The purpose of this study was to assess the impact of patient interchange from an IFN beta-1a to IFN beta-1b. METHODS This was a retrospective, pre-post study of adult patients with relapsing MS who underwent interchange from an IFN beta-1a to IFN beta-1b between April 15, 2014, and April 30, 2015. Health care financial and utilization outcomes between the 6 months before and after interchange were compared, and safety outcomes after interchange were assessed. RESULTS A total of 36 primarily white, middle-age, and female patients underwent interchange. Monthly total health care and pharmacy expenditures decreased by approximately 40% and 44%, respectively, from pre-to-post interchange (p < 0.001). Health care utilization was unchanged (p < 0.05). Seven (43.8%) patients underwent interchange back to IFN beta-1a intramuscular. No patients underwent interchange back to IFN beta-1a subcutaneous. The most common adverse effect reported after interchange was injection-site reaction. CONCLUSION Health care expenditures decreased and adverse effects were limited among patients with MS who underwent an interchange from an IFN beta-1a to IFN beta-1b. These findings suggest that a therapeutic interchange between IFNs for patients with less-active MS disease is well tolerated. Further research is needed to determine the impact of such an interchange on disease progression.
Experiences of Older Adults who Stopped Driving Because of their Visual Impairments: Part 1:

The experiences of 162 adults over the age of 60 who had to stop driving due to a visual impairment are explored in this article. The participants, 50% of whom had macular degeneration, primarily s...
Solder-reflowable single-mode fiber array photonics assembly in high-throughput manufacturing facilities

Single-mode integrated photonics assembly is challenging due to the tight alignment required for optical connections. To address this, we have developed a parallelized fiber assembly process using self-alignment of fiber arrays in V-grooves defined on the photonic chip. This approach is compatible with standard automated high-throughput pick and place tools, thus improving the scalability and cost-efficiency of photonic packaging. We describe our efforts toward increasing the assembly throughput as well as making the photonic connections compatible with high temperatures from downstream microelectronic assembly processes, such as lead-free solder reflows. The ability to survive these higher temperatures allows the pretesting of optical engines and paves the way for true co-integration of photonics and electronics. We have shown that attaching fibers to chips using multiple adhesives with partitioning of their function provides substantial gains in both throughput and reliability at a relatively small cost of dispense complexity. The fibers are tacked in place with lengthy adhesive cures performed in a batch process outside of the placement tool so as not to impact the placement tool’s throughput. This approach allows for strong long term structural integrity along with optimized optical index matching between the fiber and the waveguide coupler of the photonic dies. Not only did we observe the same peak optical performance that we previously reported, but we have also demonstrated no experimentally significant optical penalty after 5x lead-free solder reflows, in operational temperature between -15°C and 150°C and, after aggressive microelectronic environmental stressing going beyond the parameters traditionally used in optics. The ability to embed single mode optics in the first level package is a disruptive capability contributing to enable the high-density interconnects needed to meet the ever-increasing bandwidth demands for data communication. We discuss the benefits of such configurations, as well as the challenges for thermal management and system yields.
SOX10 Is a Sensitive Marker for Breast and Salivary Gland Adenoid Cystic Carcinoma: Immunohistochemical Characterization of Adenoid Cystic Carcinomas.

Breast adenoid cystic carcinomas (AdCCs) can pose diagnostic difficulty due to their rarity, particularly on limited biopsy material. Given that these tumors are triple-negative breast cancers with...
OXYGEN TENSION PROFILES AND OXYGEN CONSUMPTION INHOMOGENEITIES IN THE ARTERIAL WALL: IMPLICATIONS FOR ATHEROGENESIS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the oxygen tension profiles and oxygen consumption in homogeneities in the arterial wall, which includes implications for atherogenesis. The vasa vasorum, which supply blood to the outer wall of all large arteries, penetrates only to within about 0. 5 mm of the lumen, thus, leaving a thick avascular layer of oxygen consuming tissue next to the lumen. The thickness of this layer may be just at the limit that can be supplied with oxygen by diffusion from both sources, the capillaries of the vasa vasorum on the outside and the luminal blood on the inside. It can easily be shown that the PO 2 is actually the local ratio of the oxygen consumption rate to the oxygen transmissibility (Dk).
Mechanical Thrombectomy for Basilar Artery Occlusion Compared with Anterior Circulation Stroke.

Objective To investigate the clinical effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) for basilar artery occlusion (BAO) and to ascertain whether outcomes for patients with BAO were comparable to those with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (ACS). Methods A total of 345 patients who underwent MT between 2011 and 2018 were grouped by occlusion site (295 patients with ACS and 50 patients with BAO). Patients' baseline characteristics, procedural times, complications, symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage, modified Rankin Scale score, and mortality at 90 days were analyzed. Results Male preponderance (66.0% vs. 48.8%; P = 0.0316), younger age (72.5 years [interquartile range (IQR), 64.75–78.5 years] vs. 77 years [IQR 69–84 years]; P = 0.0297), higher National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale score (24.5 [IQR, 13–32] vs. 18 [IQR 13–22]; P = 0.0015) and higher reperfusion rate (100% vs. 84.7%; P = 0.0010) were observed in patients with BAO. We found no significant difference in favorable outcomes (modified Rankin Scale score ≤2) between patients with BAO and patients with ACS (64.3% vs. 49.3%; P = 0.0914). In multivariate analysis, Alberta Stroke Program Early Computed Tomography Score (odds ratio [OR], 1.282; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.090–1.524; P = 0.0024), time from onset to reperfusion (OTR) (OR, 0.9950; 95% CI, 0.992–0.998; P = 0.0008), successful reperfusion (OR, 6.953; 95% CI, 1.576–48.729; P = 0.0092), and hemorrhagic complication (OR, 0.352; 95% CI, 0.151–0.797; P = 0.0122) were associated with a favorable outcome at 90 days in patients with ACS. In patients with BAO, only OTR (OR, 0.9879; 95% CI, 0.974–0.999; P = 0.0314) was associated with a favorable outcome at 90 days. Conclusions MT may be considered the standard care for patients with BAO. OTR was the only common significant predictor for favorable outcomes in both patient cohorts.
In bone and joint infection, oral antibiotic therapy was noninferior to IV therapy and reduced costs

Source Citation Scarborough M, Li HK, Rombach I, et al. Oral versus intravenous antibiotics for bone and joint infections: the OVIVA non-inferiority RCT. Health Technol Assess. 2019;23:1-92. 31373271
Place Defined by Time and Light

Dak Eldred Place D e f i n e d b y Time a n d L i g h t In the legends of nearly all cultures, the process of creation is inextricably tied to the dawning of light. Worship of light is woven through the whole of human existence. Receptivity' to impressions of light and place are fundamental manifestations of human intelligence. All things that are, wrote Ezra Pound, are light. I f the earth can be regarded as the body of the world we share, then light is surely this world's spirit. My art works with the concept of time marked by light and shadow in the urban landscape. M y work is about the cycle of relationships among humans, earth and sun. The sculptures I build acknowledge that there is a pattern in nature and so in our lives. Sunrise, high noon, sunset. The work responds to light: Broad planes whose sur­ faces are covered widi diffraction gratings chart the sun's daily passage in ever-changing spectra. Massive mirror fields cast reflected light onto shadowed walls, illuminating the dark surfaces with vast jewel-like patterns that shift east as the sun arcs to the west. Though my work has appeared in a variety of locations—from an open field adja­ cent to a highway in Denmark, to Helsinki's busy shopping district, to the facade of Boston's fortress-like City Hall—I have approached each place with a single aim: to cre­ ate a circumstance whereby time is linked to light. This circumstance might—by way of drama, beauty and grandness of scale—jar loose the temporal geocentrist illusions of those who pass by, and rekindle instead an awareness of the larger realm of action by which our lives are profoundly affected. It is in this extended understanding of place, I think, that a true sense of com­ Brush Creek Solar Field. Nelson-Atkins M u s e u m o f A r t ; Kansas City, M i s s o u r i ; 1979. Five h u n d r e d 1 6 - f o o t h i g h d i f f r a c t i o n - s u r f a c e d poles m a d e a virtual forest o f light in t h e m e d i a n s t r i p o f Brush Creek Boulevard—a main traffic a r t e r y t h a t b o r d e r s t h e muse­ u m ' s s o u t h l a w n . The eastern, m o r n i n g sun illuminated t h e field f o r traffic entering the city; t h e w e s t e r n , a f t e r n o o n s u n illuminated the field f o r traffic l e a v i n g t h e city. munity is found. We grasp, if only for a moment, some truth in the bigger picture. In my initial visits to a site, I look for the common, shared places. A lake in a city park in Ankara, Turkey; heavily trafficked bridges in the center of Savonlinna, Finland; the median of a major boulevard in Kansas City. I look for ways to bring to the most casual observer an intimate awareness of light's passage across all surfaces and the par­ allel passing of time. When I have chosen a specific site, I collect whatever information about it that is available. I photograph the environment and any significant structures; obtain construc­ tion blueprints, aerial photographs, topographical maps and any architectural or struc- P L A C E S
Partial DP-Coloring

In 1980 Albertson and Berman introduced partial coloring and then in 2000, Albertson, Grossman, and Haas introduced partial list coloring. Here we initiate the study of partial coloring for DP-coloring (aka, correspondence coloring), a recent insightful generalization of list coloring introduced in 2015 by Dvořak and Postle. The partial $t$-chromatic number of a graph $G$, denoted $\alpha_t(G)$, is the maximum number of vertices that can be colored with $t$ colors. Clearly, $\alpha_t(G) \geq t|V(G)|/\chi(G)$ for each $t \in \{1, \ldots, \chi(G) \}$. Given a list assignment $L$ for graph $G$ -- meaning that each vertex $v \in V(G)$ is assigned a list $L(v)$ of available "colors"-- let $\alpha_L(G)$ be the maximum number of vertices that can be colored from those lists. The partial $t$-choice number of a graph $G$, denoted $\alpha_t^\ell(G)$, is the minimum of $\alpha_L(G)$ taken over all assignments $L$ for which $|L(v)|=t$ for each $v \in V(G)$. The Partial List Coloring Conjecture states that for any graph $G$, $\alpha_t^\ell(G) \geq t|V(G)|/\chi_\ell(G)$ whenever $t \in \{1, \ldots, \chi_\ell(G)\}$ where $\chi_\ell(G)$ is the list chromatic number of $G$. We show that while the DP-coloring analogue of the Partial List Coloring Conjecture does not hold, several results on partial list coloring can be extended to the DP-coloring context. We also study partial DP-coloring of the join of a graph with a complete graph, and we present several interesting open questions.
Evaluating the Impact of Adaptive Parsons Problems on Students in Introductory Computer Science Courses

It's no surprise that students in introductory computer science courses face numerous challenges: for many, it's their first time ever programming, and computer science courses tend to be difficult and time-consuming. Parsons problems, problems where students piece together given code to write programs, solve some of these student issues: they have been shown to be more time efficient, yet just as effective for learning as traditional programming problems. However, in introductory computer science courses, students come in with varying skill sets and backgrounds. In response, some researchers have explored the space of adaptive Parsons problems, problems that provide varying levels of scaffolding based on students' abilities, continuing to adapt in difficulty based on students' progress. This paper will extend the work done on adaptive Parsons problems in two ways: by applying it to block-based programming languages, which are often used in introductory computer science courses, and by assessing its impacts on student confidence and attitudes towards the material. This study will use both intra-problem adaptive Parsons problems, where the difficulty of the existing question can be adjusted, and inter-problem adaptive Parsons problems, where the difficulty changes across problems based on student progress.
Treatment engagement and effectiveness of an internet-delivered cognitive behavioral therapy program at a university counseling center

Objective: Technology can provide affordable, accessible mental health care and some research suggests internet-delivered Cognitive Behavior Therapy (iCBT) can be an effective treatment for various...
Vertical Integration and Zero-Rating Interplay: An Economic Analysis of Ad-Supported and Ad-Free Digital Content

We discuss the economic impacts of the interplay between vertical integration and zero-rating for digital content. To this end, we develop a game-theoretic model that involves an Internet Service P...
Time Will Tell: Intercellular Communication in the Plant Clock

Multicellular organisms have evolved local and long-distance signaling mechanisms to synchronize development and response to stimuli among a complex network of cells, tissues, and organs. Biological timekeeping is one such activity that is suggested to be coordinated within an organism to anticipate and respond to daily and seasonal patterns in the environment. New research into the plant clock suggests circadian rhythms are communicated between cells and across long distances. However, further clarity is required on the nature of the signaling molecules and the mechanisms underlying signal translocation. Here we summarize the roles and properties of tissue-specific circadian rhythms, discuss the evidence for local and long-distance clock communication, and evaluate the potential signaling molecules and transport mechanisms involved in this system.
Simulating the thermal impact of substrate temperature on ecological restoration in shallow urban rivers.

Abstract Managing river temperature in highly urbanized stream systems is critical for maintaining aquatic ecosystems and associated beneficial uses. In this work, we updated and utilized a mechanistic river temperature model, i-Tree Cool River, to evaluate the cooling impacts of two ecological restoration scenarios: (1) an alternative streambed material limecrete and (2) shading effects of tree planting in riparian areas. The i-Tree Cool River model was modified to account for diurnal fluctuations of streambed temperature, which is relevant in shallow urban streams where lack of natural shading combined with low heat capacity of the water column can make diurnal fluctuations relatively extreme. The model was calibrated and validated on a 4.2 km reach of Compton Creek in the Los Angeles River watershed, California. Two native fish, arroyo chub (Gila orcuttii) and unarmored threespine stickleback (Gasterosteus aculeatus williamsoni), were considered the target species for assessing thermal habitat suitability. Key findings include: (1) model performance was improved when accounting for diurnal fluctuations in bed temperature (R2 increased from 0.43 to 0.68); and (2) substrate rehabilitation and tree planting can potentially reduce summertime temperatures to within the documented spawning temperature thresholds for the focal fish species. Using limecrete as an alternative material for the concrete bottom decreased the median river temperature metrics: maximum weekly maximum, maximum weekly average, and minimum weekly minimum temperatures by an average of 3 °C (13%) to 20.4 °C, 19.7 °C, and 17.8 °C, respectively. Tree planting in the riparian corridor decreased the average river temperature metrics by an average of 0.9 °C (4%) to 22.7 °C, 22 °C, and 19 °C, respectively. Combining the two scenarios decreased the river temperature metrics by an average of 4 °C (18%) to 18.2 °C. Therefore, water temperature would not be a limiting factor in potential reintroduction of the focal fish species to Compton Creek if restoration were implemented. Implications of this work could be used by urban forest and water managers for restoring thermally polluted rivers in other urban areas.
A Long, Fulfilling Career in Human Genetics.

I have been fortunate and privileged to have participated in amazing breakthroughs in human genetics since the 1960s. I was lucky to have trained in medical school at Dartmouth and Johns Hopkins, i...
Small Nucleic Acid-Based Drugs: Successes and Pitfalls

Since the discovery of the application of small nucleic acid molecules as inhibitors of gene expression, literally thousands of new research papers have used this technique for functional genomics or to test these molecules as potential therapeutic agents. During this time, the field has evolved from simple phosphodiester oligonucleotide (ODN) binding to complementary mRNA in vitro, to the development of hundreds of chemically modified ODNs with improved properties and mechanisms of action. RNA-based gene inhibitors have also powerfully merged onto the scene with first ribozymes, and now siRNA, providing new approaches to gene inhibition. This chapter will review the area of small nucleic acid drugs in terms of their design, delivery, and application.
Surface amino acids as sites of temperature-sensitive folding mutations in the P22 tailspike protein

Temperature-sensitive folding (tsf) mutations in the gene for the thermostable P22 tailspike interfere with the polypeptide chain folding and association pathway at restrictive temperature without altering the thermostability of the protein once correctly folded and assembled at permissive temperature. Though the native proteins matured at permissive temperature are biologically active, many of them display alterations in electrophoretic mobility. The native forms of 15 of these tsf mutant proteins have been purified and characterized. The purified proteins differed in electrophoretic mobility and isoelectric point from wild type but did not show evidence of major conformational alterations. The results suggest that the electrophoretic variations conferred by the 15 tsf amino acid substitutions are due to changes in the net charge at solvent-accessible sites in the native form of the mutant protein. During the maturation of the chains at restrictive temperature, these sites influence the conformation of intermediates in chain folding and association. The amino acid sequences at these sites resemble those found at turns in polypeptide chains. The isolation of tsf mutations requires that the mature structure of the tailspike accommodates the mutant amino acid substitution without loss of function. The solvent-accessible sites are probably at the surface of this structural protein. This would explain how bulky mutant substitutions, such as arginines for glycines, are accommodated in the native tailspike structure. Such sites, stabilizing intermediates in the folding pathway and located on the surface of the mature protein, probably represent a general class of conformational substrates for tsf mutations.
EAGENTS: AN APPROACH FOR MODELING AND SIMULATING MULTI-AGENT SYSTEMS

The shift from traditional store-and-catalogue business transactions to internet-enabled e-commerce promises to change the way businesses interact with each other and with their customers in several fundamental ways. It has also been claimed that e-commerce has the potential to create an environment where companies will be at their most agile and marketplaces will approach perfect efficiency. Hence it is worthwhile to investigate how useful e-commerce would truly be. In other words, we would need to ask (and obtain answers for) questions such as: how to prevent decision-makers from being overwhelmed with too much information, how to efficiently build and manage certain kinds of e-commerce environments, etc. Many researchers are turning to architectures of collaborating agents to provide answers to these and other questions, since agents and multiagent systems seem to be highly promising technologies for e-commerce applications. However, before we build and deploy multi-agent systems on a large scale, we need to be sure that they deliver as promised, and we need to determine this at minimal cost. Hence there is a need for modeling and simulating such systems. In this paper, we first present a lifecycle-based approach to simulating multi-agent systems borrowing from ideas developed in Software Process Modeling research. We then present a reference architecture for multiagent systems called eAgents. Using the eAgent architecture as a building block, we show how large multiagent systems can be simulated, and their behavior observed and measured for different e-commerce models and situations.
PADS: a policy architecture for distributed storage systems

This paper presents PADS, a policy architecture for building distributed storage systems. A policy architecture has two aspects. First, a common set of mechanisms that allow new systems to be implemented simply by defining new policies. Second, a structure for how policies, themselves, should be specified. In the case of distributed storage systems, PADS defines a data plane that provides a fixed set of mechanisms for storing and transmitting data and maintaining consistency information. PADS requires a designer to define a control plane policy that specifies the system-specific policy for orchestrating flows of data among nodes. PADS then divides control plane policy into two parts: routing policy and blocking policy. The PADS prototype defines a concise interface between the data and control planes, it provides a declarative language for specifying routing policy, and it defines a simple interface for specifying blocking policy. We find that PADS greatly reduces the effort to design, implement, and modify distributed storage systems. In particular, by using PADS we were able to quickly construct a dozen significant distributed storage systems spanning a large portion of the design space using just a few dozen policy rules to define each system.
Potential mechanisms by which a single drink of alcohol can increase transdermal absorption of topically applied chemicals.

Abstract Background Both chronic and acute ethanol consumption increase transdermal penetration of topically applied xenobiotics. The mechanisms by which this enhancement occurs are unknown. We hypothesized that either the vasodilatory effects of ethanol or its ability to disrupt the lipid bilayer via lipid peroxidation, may be contributing to the increased transdermal absorption observed in alcohol consuming animals. Methods Male Wistar rats were gavaged with 1.5, 3, 4.3, 6 or 10 g/kg ethanol or saline control or were treated with either the vasoconstrictor epinephrine or with the vasodilator prilocaine. Dermal blood flow, transepidermal water loss (TEWL), and skin moisture were non-invasively measured. Transdermal penetration was then determined for four xenobiotics (paraquat, dimethyl formamide (DMF), 2,4-dichlorophenoxyacetic acid (2,4-D) and N , N -diethyl- m -toluamide (DEET)). Lipid peroxidation was also determined by monitoring the formation of malondialdehyde. Results Dermal blood flow increased by approximately 27% ( p p p Conclusions Vasodilation triggered by a single episode of ethanol ingestion is not responsible for the observed increase in transdermal absorption. Ethanol induced changes in lipid peroxidation and TEWL demonstrate that drinking alcohol induces transdermal absorption of xenobiotics.
Elemental sulfur in the gills of three species of clams containing chemoautotrophic symbiotic bacteria: a possible inorganic energy storage compound

Sulfur content and fine structure were studied for tissues of three species of clams, Lucinoma annulata, Calyptogena elongata and Lucina floridana, which inhabit sulfide-rich environments and whose gills harbor symbiotic sulfur bacteria. Lucinoma annulata and C. elongata were dredged from the Santa Barbara basin, California, USA, at a depth of 480 to 490 m, and Lucina floridana were dug from below the roots of seagrasses in Saint Joseph Bay, Florida, at a depth of 0.25 to 2m. Foot tissue of Lucinoma annulata, without symbionts, had a total sulfur content of 1.4±0.1 (SD) mg 100 mg-1 dry weight of tissue (%DW). The symbiont-containing gill tissue of different individuals of L. annulata varied in color from dark red to pale yellow, and the total sulfur content was 2.5±0.4% DW in red gills and was 5.6±3.3 % DW in the yellowest gills. Maintenance of L. annulata in the laboratory for 21 d in the absence of sulfide resulted in the loss from the gill of yellow deposits which were elemental sulfur in the form of liquid-crystalline sulfur globules rather than solid orthorhombic sulfur crystals. The foot tissue did not contain elemental sulfur. When examined by freeze-etch microscopy, sulfur globules were found only within bacteria and not in the animal host cytoplasm. Sulfur globules were confined to the periplasmic space of the bacteria. C. elongata and Lucina floridana resembled Lucinoma annulata in the physical form and distribution of elemental sulfur. The absence of elemental sulfur in the animal cytoplasm suggests that its formation from sulfide is not a detoxification scheme to protect animal tissue from sulfide toxicity. The sulfur deposits probably represent inorganic energy reserves that permit the symbiotic bacteria to function even during the temporary absence of external sulfide.
The role of tongue reduction

Macroglossia may occur as a congenital or acquired condition. The enlarged tongue has both functional and cosmetic deformity, which may affect the oral airway, speech, and the development of the jaws. We discuss the various tongue-reduction procedures and present cases to illustrate the uses of this procedure, its potential complications, and the results.
The effects ofl-DOPA on in vitro dopamine release from striatum

Abstract We have examined the effects of l -dihydroxyphenylalanine ( l -DOPA) on endogenous dopamine (DA) and dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC) efflux from superfused striatal slices prepared from adult male rats. Superfusion with l -DOPA (10 μM) caused a modest elevation in the tissue levels of DA and greatly increased the basal efflux and stimulation-evoked overflow of DA. Stimulation of slices under Ca2+-free conditions abolished DA overflow occurring in the absence of l -DOPA, but reduced DA overflow in the presence of l -DOPA by only 56%. Ca2+-independent DA release was not reduced by nomifensine. Destruction of DA terminals by pretreatment with 6-hydroxydopamine did not alter the capacity of l -DOPA to elevate tissue DA content. However, it attenuated the impact of l -DOPA on DA efflux, although this effect was somewhat smaller than was the apparent loss of DA terminals. These results suggest the following conclusions: (1) l -DOPA increases both the spontaneous and depolarization-induced release of DA; (2) some of the DA formed from l -DOPA can be released in response to depolarization by a process that does not involve either Ca2+-dependent exocytosis or reverse transport; and (3) most but not all of the DA efflux occurring in the presence of l -DOPA represents DA released from DA terminals. Furthermore, the observations suggest that the loss of DA terminals due to the progression of Parkinson's disease may be importantly involved in the gradual loss of clinical efficacy of the drug during chronic treatment.
DOWNTOWN ORIENTATIONS: AN URBAN IDENTIFICATION APPROACH

An urban identification approach suggests that urban research and downtown revitalization efforts may benefit by considering cognitive and affective responses to place. Data collected from 735 metropolitan residents are used to explore responses to downtown Atlanta. Findings include: (1) social background, lifestyle, and familiarity variables exert modest influences on images of downtown Atlanta as a place, its people, and typical interactions; (2) downtown images and understanding the role of stranger directly and powerfully influence a sense of belonging and fear of downtown crime; and (3) a sense of belonging to downtown and fear of crime are among the strongest factors which influence evaluations of the downtown area. The findings are interpreted as strongly supporting an urban identification approach.
Schottky Barrier Betavoltaic Battery

A new nuclear betavotaic battety is described. It uses a Schottky barrier in place of the more standard p-n junction diode, along with 147Pm metal film rather than Pm2O3 oxide as in the commercially available Betacel. Design details of the battery including measurement of absorption, conversion efficiency, thickness etc. as functions of & resistivity and other cell parameters are described. A prototype design is discussed and its performance assessed.
Institutional quality as a barrier to trade

Improvement of institutional quality abroad encourages new domestic firms to export to these countries, but has no effect on the volume of exports from incumbent firms. Thus, poor institutional quality acts as a barrier to the extensive margin of trade. As a result, policies that encourage the strengthening of foreign institutions coincide with national export initiatives such as the one launched by President Obama in 2010.
The mechanical stress–strain properties of single electrospun collagen type I nanofibers

Abstract Knowledge of the mechanical properties of electrospun fibers is important for their successful application in tissue engineering, material composites, filtration and drug delivery. In particular, electrospun collagen has great potential for biomedical applications due to its biocompatibility and promotion of cell growth and adhesion. Using a combined atomic force microscopy (AFM)/optical microscopy technique, the single fiber mechanical properties of dry, electrospun collagen type I were determined. The fibers were electrospun from a 80 mg ml −1 collagen solution in 1,1,1,3,3,3-hexafluro-2-propanol and collected on a striated surface suitable for lateral force manipulation by AFM. The small strain modulus, calculated from three-point bending analysis, was 2.82 GPa. The modulus showed significant softening as the strain increased. The average extensibility of the fibers was 33% of their initial length, and the average maximum stress (rupture stress) was 25 MPa. The fibers displayed significant energy loss and permanent deformations above 2% strain.
Description of chemical ordering in amorphous alloys

Abstract Partial coordination numbers Z ij ∗ for a chemically disordered binary amorphous alloy A X A B X B are obtained in terms of total coordination numbers Z i and average coordination numbers 〈 Z 〉 Z ij ∗ =x j Z i Z j /〈Z〉 . Departures from complete chemical disorder are characterized by a short-range order coefficient with η AB max = x B Z B / x A Z A for X B Z B x A Z A and η AB max = x A Z A / x B Z B for x B Z B > x A Z A . For complete chemical disorder ν AB 0 = 0; for complete chemical order, i.e. with chemical preference for AB nearest neighbor pairs, ν AB 0 = 1. For departures from chemical disorder associated with clustering, i.e. chemical preference against AB nearest neighbor pairs, ν AB 0 η AB max is necessary to compare the degree of ordering in the metal-metalloid and metal-metal alloys.
Enhancement of direct brain infusion with focused ultrasound and microbubbles

Direct infusion to the brain is a frequently used technique in pre-clinical neuroscience research as well as several clinical applications. The relatively high intracranial pressure is one of the limiting factors that hinder efficient diffusion from the cannula tip. In this study, we utilized focused ultrasound (FUS) and microbubbles to condition the brain prior to performing the direct infusion. The acoustic parameters used for sonications were: 0.45 MPa peak rarefactional pressure, 6.7 ms pulse length, 5 Hz pulse repetition frequency, and a duration of 60 s. A 9.4 T magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) system was used to monitor the diffusion of an albumin-tagged MR contrast agent up to two hours. In addition, the diffusion of a commonly used gene therapy vector - adeno-associated virus (AAV) was evaluated via fluorescence imaging. Our results revealed that Pre-treatment with FUS and microbubbles significantly enhanced the total volume (P<0.001) and volume increase (P<0.05) of MR contrast agent in vivo.
Kinetics and modeling of L-6-[18F]fluoro-dopa in human positron emission tomographic studies.

Kinetics of l-3,4-dihydroxy-6-[18F]fluorophenylalanine (FDOPA) in striatum and cerebellum were measured in 10 normal human subjects with positron emission tomography (PET) from 0 to 120 min after a...
The reliability of respiratory quotient measurements

A graphical analysis is presented which allows the assessment of confidence in the measurement of the respiratory quotient in an open-circuit metabolic chamber as a function of an organism's metabolic rate, the chamber ventilation, the magnitude of the respiratory quotient and the sensitivity of the gas analyzers.
Synthesis of Robust Gain Matrices for Adaptive Rotor Vibration Control

Experimental results have recently demonstrated that an adaptive open-loop control strategy can be highly effective in the suppression of the unbalance induced vibration of rotors supported in active magnetic bearings. A synthesis method is presented for determining the adaptive law's gain matrix such that the adaptation's stability and steady-state performance are robust with respect to structured uncertainty.
Role of thermal, mechanical and oxidising treatment on structure and chemistry of carbon black and its impact on wear and friction: Part 2 – Boundary lubrication condition

AbstractMineral oil formulations with zinc dialkyl dithiophosphate (ZDDP) and dispersant (poly isobutylene succinimide ashless dispersant or ‘PIBSA’) and fully formulated oils with and without carbon black were subjected to thermal and mechanical treatment and tribologically tested on TE 77 (high frequency reciprocating rig or ‘HFRR’) machine to examine the frictional performance during the test. These results were compared to oils without carbon black and oils with diesel soot. Results indicate that oils with just ZDDP and dispersant had the highest friction that remains constant for the duration of the test while oils with carbon black in the milled and oxidised condition had the lowest coefficient of friction and the smallest surface roughness in the tribofilm. The mechanism of wear with treated carbon black and diesel soot was found to be polishing wear as evidenced by the scanning probe microscopy images of the tribofilms. Tribofilms were analysed with X-ray absorption near edge structure (XANES) and...
The Effect of Cold Ischemia Time and/or Formalin Fixation on Estrogen Receptor, Progesterone Receptor, and Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 Results in Breast Carcinoma

Aims. To compare the results of estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER, PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) expression status on biopsy and excision specimens and to evaluate the effect of cold ischemia time and/or formalin fixation on these biomarkers. Methods. Breast carcinomas that were diagnosed between 2007 and 2009 by core needle biopsy, and subsequently excised in our institution, were included in the study. Data regarding the tumor morphology, grade, and ER, PR, and HER2 status were retrospectively collected from the pathology reports. Results. Five out of 149 (3.4%) cases with ER-positive receptor status in the biopsy specimen became ER-negative in the subsequent excision specimen. Nine out of 126 (7.1%) cases with PR-positive receptor status in the biopsy specimen became PR-negative in the excision specimen. Receptor status change was predominantly seen in tumors with low ER and PR receptor expression. HER2 results were consistent between biopsy and excision specimens in all cases tested. Conclusions. Cold ischemia time and/or formalin fixation affect mainly ER and PR testing with low Allred scores and support the implementation of the ASCO/CAP guidelines. HER2 results, however, were not affected in our limited number of patients.
Skeletal versus moraic representations in Slovak

It is argued that compensatory vowel vocalization and the rule of Depalatalization in Slovak crucially require reference to a representation at the skeletal tier. In the former case, a consonant deletes, and simultaneously a floating melodic segment is vocalized as a short vowel. In the latter case, adacency must be established between consonants across a floating segment. Both of these facts can be straightforwardly accounted for in the X-skeletal theory but not in the moraic framework, regardless of the variant of the moraic theory.
Ideological analytics: A study of evolving world values

Abstract This study analyses ideologies in a comparative perspective. It does so by treating ideologies as normative mental systems interacting with environmental physical realities and following their evolution in the contemporary world. As a result, it exemplifies a systematic method of undertaking a diagnosis, anagnosis, and prognosis of the global ideological situation. The study introduces a relevance tree reflecting the conceptual framework of ideological analytics. On this basis, it presents three levels of generality which contain the outline of a substantive analysis. The examples given therein illustrate the model and could serve as prototypes for more detailed studies. Finally, the study draws the main conclusions from the above generalizations by identifying the dialectical process of ideological dynamics. This process together with the non‐linear development of social systems produce the macrohistorical cycles of world evolution. Thus, the proposed hypothesis of dialectichaos can contribute t...
The Lion King's Mythic Narrative: Disney as Moral Educator

(1996). The Lion King's Mythic Narrative: Disney as Moral Educator. Journal of Popular Film and Television: Vol. 23, No. 4, pp. 171-178.
Structural analysis of smooth muscle tropomyosin α and β isoforms.

A large number of tropomyosin (Tm) isoforms function as gatekeepers of the actin filament, controlling the spatiotemporal access of actin-binding proteins to specialized actin networks. Residues ∼40–80 vary significantly among Tm isoforms, but the impact of sequence variation on Tm structure and interactions with actin is poorly understood, because structural studies have focused on skeletal muscle Tmα. We describe structures of N-terminal fragments of smooth muscle Tmα and Tmβ (sm-Tmα and sm-Tmβ). The 2.0-Å structure of sm-Tmα81 (81-aa) resembles that of skeletal Tmα, displaying a similar super-helical twist matching the contours of the actin filament. The 1.8-Å structure of sm-Tmα98 (98-aa) unexpectedly reveals an antiparallel coiled coil, with the two chains staggered by only 4 amino acids and displaying hydrophobic core interactions similar to those of the parallel dimer. In contrast, the 2.5-Å structure of sm-Tmβ98, containing Gly-Ala-Ser at the N terminus to mimic acetylation, reveals a parallel coiled coil. None of the structures contains coiled-coil stabilizing elements, favoring the formation of head-to-tail overlap complexes in four of five crystallographically independent parallel dimers. These complexes show similarly arranged 4-helix bundles stabilized by hydrophobic interactions, but the extent of the overlap varies between sm-Tmβ98 and sm-Tmα81 from 2 to 3 helical turns. The formation of overlap complexes thus appears to be an intrinsic property of the Tm coiled coil, with the specific nature of hydrophobic contacts determining the extent of the overlap. Overall, the results suggest that sequence variation among Tm isoforms has a limited effect on actin binding but could determine its gatekeeper function.
Effects of conservation tillage on hydraulic properties of a Griswold silt loam soil

Abstract The effects of conservation tillage (CT) systems on crop production and erosion control have been well documented, but limited information is available concerning the effects of different CT systems on the hydraulic properties of layered soils. The effects of three CT treatments: chisel (CH), no-tillage (NT) and till-plant (TP) as compared with conventional modlboard plowing (CN) were investigated on a Griswold silt loam soil (Typic Argiudoll), formed in loess overlaying glacial till. Hydraulic properties were determined in situ. In addition, hydraulic conductivity was determined in the laboratory where more detailed hydraulic conductivity changes were monitored for the lower soil moisture tension range near soil saturation. At or near saturation, there was no difference in hydraulic properties for all four tillage treatments. For example, mean saturated hydraulic conductivities (from laboratory determination) were 25.5, 25.1, 24.2 and 22.8 cm day −1 for CN, CH, TP and NT, respectively. However under unsaturated conditions, tillage treatments and soil layering (discontinuity between surface loess and glacial till beneath) affected hydraulic properties. In situ hydraulic conductivity ( K ) ranked CH>CN = NT = TP for the 0.32–0.33 m 3 m −3 moisture content range. There were no differences in K for all treatments at other moisture ranges considered and at moisture contents ⩽0.31 m 3 m −3 , in situ specific moisture capacity was, however, significantly lower in NT than in the other three treatments. Throughout the 20-day free drainage period for in situ K determination, the effect of layering is exhibited by the mean K values at the 50-cm depth being higher than those at 25 cm. There were negligible treatment-block interaction effects on the hydraulic properties as the soil became drier. Spatial variability in hydraulic properties was also noted for all treatments and soil depths considered.