cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relative contribution of medullary thymic epithelial cells and dendritic cells to thymocyte central tolerance as assessed by multi-photon microscopy

Following positive selection, thymocytes migrate into the medulla where they encounter diverse tissue-restricted antigens (TRAs) that induce self-tolerance. Both medullary thymic epithelial cells (mTECs) and dendritic cells (DCs) present TRAs to induce negative selection of autoreactive thymocytes, but their relative contribution remains unresolved. Previous studies using genetic models to impair antigen presentation by mTECs or DCs demonstrated both cell types could induce negative selection. However, because interactions between thymocytes and stromal cells maintain a properly differentiated stromal compartment, these studies may not reflect physiologic interactions or relative contributions of mTECs and DCs when both are intact. Thus, we developed a 2-photon microscopy approach to directly observe interactions between thymocytes and DCs or mTECs during negative selection, while monitoring T cell receptor (TCR) activation. Despite earlier studies indicating DCs are required for negative selection to a soluble TRA, we find that mTECs and DCs contribute equivalently to TCR stimulation of CD4 and CD8 single positive (SP) thymocytes responding to membrane-bound or secreted TRAs. Interactions with mTECs and DCs generally accounted for all TCR activation events; however, a significant fraction of CD4SP activation events were not accounted for in response to a soluble TRA, suggesting presentation by other medullary stromal subsets. Initial analysis of polyclonal thymocytes also indicates equal contributions of mTECs and DCs to medullary TCR activation. In summary, mTECs and DCs contribute equivalently to presentation of soluble and membrane-bound mTEC-expressed TRAs on MHC-I and MHC-II during negative selection.
LARM: A Lifetime Aware Regression Model for Predicting YouTube Video Popularity

Online content popularity prediction provides substantial value to a broad range of applications in the end-to-end social media systems, from network resource allocation to targeted advertising. While using historical popularity can predict the near-term popularity with a reasonable accuracy, the bursty nature of online content popularity evolution makes it difficult to capture the correlation between historical data and future data in the long term. Although various existing efforts have been made toward long-term prediction, they need to accumulate a long enough historical data before the prediction and their model assumptions cannot be applied to the complex YouTube networks with inherent unpredictability. In this paper, we aim to achieve fast prediction of long-term video popularity in the complex YouTube networks. We propose LARM, a lifetime aware regression model, representing the first work that leverages content lifetime to compensate the insufficiency of historical data without assumptions of network structure. The proposed LARM is empowered by a lifetime metric that is both predictable via early-accessible features and adaptable to different observation intervals, as well as a set of specialized regression models to handle different classes of videos with different lifetime. We validate LARM on two YouTube data sets with hourly and daily observation intervals. Experimental results indicate that LARM outperforms several non-trivial baselines from the literature by up to 20% and 18% of prediction error reduction in the two data sets.
The Evolving International Investment Law and Policy Regime: Ways Forward. Synthesis of the Policy Options （演进中的国际投资法律与政策体制：未来路向）

The policy options presented in this synthesis are the result of a collective process involving all members of the E15 Task Force on Investment Policy. It draws on the active engagement of these eminent experts in discussions over multiple meetings as well as an overview paper and think pieces commissioned by the E15Initiative and authored by group members and external contributors. Karl P. Sauvant was the author of the report. While a serious attempt has been made on the part of the author to take the perspectives of all group members into account, it has not been possible to do justice to the variety of views; in fact, views within the Task Force on a number of issues discussed in the paper varied widely. The analysis and policy recommendations should therefore not be considered to represent consensus; they remain the responsibility of the author. The list of group members and E15 papers are referenced.The full volume of policy options papers covering all topics examined by the E15Initiative, jointly published by ICTSD and the World Economic Forum, and launched at the Forum’s Annual Meeting at Davos-Klosters in 2016, is complemented with a monograph that consolidates the options into overarching recommendations for the international trade and investment system for the next decade.
The Future of Biofeedback Training in the Field of Special Education

Biofeedback training has proved to be a successful tool in the treatment of many problems, emotional and physical. For the most part the treatment and research in biofeedback training has been carr...
ENZYME PROFILE OF BEEF HEART SUPERNATANT FRACTION

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on the enzyme profile that is obtained in a soluble fraction prepared from beef heart. The highest enzymatic activity of this particular type of extract is that of the triosephosphate isomerase, and the lowest enzymatic activity of this particular type of extract is that of hexokinase. Even if the measured enzymatic activity is extremely high, when the triose phosphates are measured, they never appear to be in equilibrium; instead of the equilibrium of 20:1 in favor of dihydroxyacetone phosphate over phosphoglyceraldehyde, a ratio of 4 or 5:1 is found. Appropriate controls have shown that the relatively high values of G-3-P are not because of contamination of the extracts with aldolase.
Dihydropyridine-sensitive calcium currents in freshly isolated human and monkey retinal pigment epithelial cells.

Purpose The authors previously reported that rat retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells exhibit an ionic current through voltage-operated calcium channels that is dihydropyridine sensitive. They attempted to record the same current from freshly isolated fetal or adult primate RPE cells, as well as from cultured cells. Methods The whole-cell version of the patch-clamp technique was applied to RPE cells freshly isolated by enzymatic dissociation from fetal human and adult human and monkey eyes, as well as cultured fetal and adult human RPE cells. The cells were loaded with cesium to minimize potassium-related current and were bathed in an extracellular solution containing 40 mM barium to intensify the calcium currents. Results Freshly isolated cells, both fetal and adult, showed sustained and inward-going barium current through voltage-operated calcium channels with membrane depolarizations from a high holding voltage of -60 mV. This current was affected by dihydropyridine compounds. Cultured human RPE cells showed no sign of a calcium current of this type. Conclusions Freshly isolated fetal and adult human RPE cells, as well as adult monkey, exhibit calcium current through voltage-operated, dihydropyridine-sensitive channels, similar to the neuronal L-type, just as in rat RPE cells.
Reflexivization in English

There is a phenomenon in English which yields what Lakoff (1968) calls a rule-ordering paradox between Pronominalization and Adverb Preposing.
Relationship of photosynthetic acclimation to changes of Rubisco activity in field-grown winter wheat and barley during growth in elevated carbon dioxide

The responses of photosynthesis, Rubisco activity, Rubisco protein, leaf carbohydrates and total soluble protein to three carbon dioxide treatments were studied in winter wheat [Triticum aestivum (L.)] and barley [Hordeum vulgare (L.)]. Barley and wheat plants were grown in small field plots during 1995 and 1996 in clear, acrylic chambers (1.2–2.4 m2) and were provided with continuous carbon dioxide fertilization at concentrations of 350, 525 and 700 μmol mol−1. Photosynthetic rates of barley penultimate leaves and wheat flag leaves measured at growth carbon dioxide concentrations decreased with leaf age in all three CO2 treatments during 1995 and 1996. Photosynthetic acclimation to elevated CO2 was observed on seven of eight measurement dates for barley and ten of eleven measurement dates for wheat over both years. Initial Rubisco activity, total soluble protein and Rubisco protein in barley penultimate leaves and wheat flag leaves also decreased with leaf age. Total Rubisco activity was not used because of enzyme degradation. There was a significant CO2 treatment effect on initial Rubisco activity, total soluble protein and Rubisco protein for wheat in 1995 and 1996 and for barley in 1995. Responses of barley penultimate leaf Rubisco activity and leaf protein concentrations to elevated carbon dioxide were nonsignificant in 1996. A significant CO2 treatment effect also was detected when means of Rubisco activity, soluble protein and Rubisco protein for wheat flag leaves were combined over harvests and years. These three flag leaf parameters were not significantly different in the 350 and 525 μmol mol−1 CO2 treatments but were decreased during growth in 700 μmol mol−1 CO2 relative to the other two CO2 treatments. Ratios of photosynthesis at 700 and 350 μmol mol−1 were compared to ratios of Rubisco activity at 700 and 350 μmol mol−1 using wheat flag leaf data from 1995 and 1996. Regression analysis of these data were linear [y = 0.586 + 1.103t x (r2 = 0.432)] and were significant at P ≤ 0.05. This result indicated that photosynthetic acclimation was positively correlated with changes of initial Rubisco activity in wheat flag leaves in response to CO2 enrichment. Effects of elevated CO2 on wheat leaf proteins during 1995 and 1996 and on barley during 1995 were consistent with an acceleration of senescence.
Conflict, candour and reflection.

There are many challenges to practising medicine well, not least keeping up to date with medical advances, implementing them within the time and financial restraints of ever expanding healthcare and avoiding over or under treatment while keeping the patient safe and avoiding criticism or complaints. In essence, considering the ‘whole patient’ and managing them using our knowledge, skills and experience which no longer equates to just the medical facts with increased recognition that skills like ‘openness’, ‘listening’, ‘transparency’ and enhanced communication are partly acquired by experience but can also be facilitated by training, mentoring and working in a positive and supportive environment. Multiple new areas of thinking have emerged as priorities—conflict resolution training, the duty of candour, learning from excellence, the need to reflect and active consideration of well being for ourselves, our patients and their families. These concepts need to be embraced as they will help facilitate us practising medicine better and therefore better serve the needs of our patients. Liz Forbat and Sarah Barclay report the outcome of a new conflict management framework to help staff and identify and de-escalate conflict between staff, patients and families.1 Over the last 5 years, these authors have effectively put together an evidence base for putting a strategy for conflict management in place by publishing data that recognised the problem, categorising it, recognising the predictability of escalation, recognising the factors that trigger conflict and recognising the need for training to help deal with it.2–4 They have now developed a training programme and management strategy and tested it to confirm efficacy.3 The Conflict Management Framework is a …
The bacterial siderophore enterobactin confers survival advantage to Salmonella in macrophages

Enterobactin (Ent), a prototypical bacterial siderophore known for its unparalleled affinity for iron, is widely conserved among members of the Enterobacteriaceae family of Gram-negative bacteria. ...
Generative Graph Models based on Laplacian Spectra

We present techniques for generating random graphs whose Laplacian spectrum approximately matches that of a given input graph. The motivation for matching the Laplacian spectrum is that it naturally encodes high-level connectivity information about the input graph; most existing models (e.g., variants of the Configuration Model, Stochastic Block Model, or Kronecker Graphs) focus on local structure or limited high-level partitions. Our techniques succeed in matching the spectrum of the input graph more closely than the benchmark models. We also evaluate our generative model using other global and local properties, including shortest path distances, betweenness centrality, degree distribution, and clustering coefficients. The graphs produced by our model almost always match the input graph better than those produced by the benchmark models with respect to shortest path distance and clustering coefficient distributions. The performance on betweenness centrality is comparable to the benchmarks, while a worse match on the degree distribution is a price our method pays for more global similarity. Our results suggest that focusing on spectral properties may lead to good performance for other global properties, at a modest loss in local similarity. Since global connectivity patterns are usually more important than local features for processes such as information flow, spread of epidemics, routing, etc., our main goal is to advocate for a shift in focus from graph generative models matching local properties to those matching global connectivity patterns.
Crohn’s Colitis

Crohn’s colitis affects about 15% of Crohn’s patients and is confined to any segment of the colon between the cecum and rectum. It presents with a bimodal age distribution, the first and most common between ages 15 and 30 and second between 55 and 80 years. Clinical manifestations include abdominal pain, diarrhea, weight loss, and fevers. Macroscopic features include a thickened colon wall, aphthous ulcers, cobblestone appearance of the mucosa, mesenteric fat creeping, and presence of strictures and fistulae. Microscopically they present with focal full-thickness inflammation, mucosal ulceration, and lymphocytic proliferation that can lead to granulomas. Diagnosis is established with a combination of endoscopic and radiologic findings as well as laboratory markers. Medical management consists of antibiotics, sulfa drugs, steroids, immunomodulators, or biologic therapy. Surgery is not curative and therefore should only be considered in patients who fail medical management and develop complications such as stricture, perforation or symptomatic fistulizing disease, and dysplasia or malignancy.
Recent advances in prostatectomy for benign prostatic hyperplasia

This review provides a brief overview of and commentary on currently available technology for the surgical treatment of obstructive benign prostatic hyperplasia causing lower urinary tract symptoms. This review provides references relevant to review and understand current technology that is clinically available.
Teaching Practices Game: Interactive Resources for Training Teaching Assistants

In this interactive special session, participants will learn to facilitate a workshop for training teaching assistants (TAs) based on a card game. The game invites players to respond to challenging scenarios that TAs may face in the course of their duties. Each scenario appears on a card, and players discuss how they would respond. Session participants will receive a deck of 52 of these cards created with funding from a SIGCSE Special Projects Grant. This session uses the format of two previous well attended SIGCSE special sessions that focused on bias and had a target audience of faculty. While the intended audience is those interested in TA training, everyone interested in inclusive teaching practices is welcome to join in the rich small and large group discussions that we expect to take place!
Metal-graphene nano-composites with enhanced mechanical properties

Metal-graphene nano-composites with low volume/weight fractions of graphene inclusions exhibit significantly high mechanical strength and hardness. However, manufacturing of metal-graphene nano-composites for high strength, hardness, and elastic properties is in its infancy stage. Enhancing mechanical strength of materials has been of great interest worldwide by introducing secondary phase reinforcement particles into the metal structure. Researchers across the world have applied this method to improve the mechanical properties of the composite, such as elastic modulus, tensile strength, compression strength, bending strength, toughness, and hardness. A highly desirable output was achieved by the above research effort, although the development of cost-ffective manufacturing techniques of metal composites is still an unsolved problem. In this study, we focus on searching new reinforcing materials as “nano-fillers” in composites of vital importance. To improve the role of nano-fillers as new reinforcing particles, some of the key features must be considered during the manufacturing process to further improve the mechanical strength of the material. These include surface and high aspect ratio, strong binding property with metal matrix after inclusion, and homogeneous dispersion of reinforcing particles in the matrix to further avoid agglomeration. The whole process should also be cost effective. With the above approach, many types of reinforcing nano-inclusions, such as ceramic nanoparticles, nano-fibers, metallic nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes have been highly exploited in effective materials engineering. This application of nanotechnology in manufacturing of improved metal composites with high mechanical properties is the subject of interest of this paper, which mainly needs intense research focus and has scope for further advancements in materials engineering. With the approach, ceramic nanoparticles, nanofibers, metallic nanoparticles and carbon nanotubes have been effectively exploited as reinforcing nanoscale inclusions. It was concluded that the strengthening effect of graphene reinforcement in the metal-graphene composites is much more significant than the combined effects of the nano-layered structure. Thus, the latest and very effective method to manufacture metallic materials with high strength, hardness, and Young’s modulus is to implant graphene platelets and sheets of a few layers in metallic matrices.
Environmental determinants of cardiovascular disease: lessons learned from air pollution.

Air pollution is well recognized as a major risk factor for chronic non-communicable diseases and has been estimated to contribute more to global morbidity and mortality than all other known environmental risk factors combined. Although air pollution contains a heterogeneous mixture of gases, the most robust evidence for detrimental effects on health is for fine particulate matter (particles ≤2.5 µm in diameter (PM2.5)) and ozone gas and, therefore, these species have been the main focus of environmental health research and regulatory standards. The evidence to date supports a strong link between the risk of cardiovascular events and all-cause mortality with PM2.5 across a range of exposure levels, including to levels below current regulatory standards, with no ‘safe’ lower exposure levels at the population level. In this comprehensive Review, the empirical evidence supporting the effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health are examined, potential mechanisms that lead to increased cardiovascular risk are described, and measures to reduce this risk and identify key gaps in our knowledge that could help address the increasing cardiovascular morbidity and mortality associated with air pollution are discussed. A strong relationship exists between exposure to air pollution and cardiovascular events. In this Review, Rajagopalan and colleagues summarize the evidence supporting the detrimental effects of air pollution on cardiovascular health and describe the potential mechanisms involved in air pollution-mediated cardiovascular mortality.
Translingual Youth Podcasts as Acoustic Allies: Writing and Negotiating Identities at the Intersection of Literacies, Language and Racialization

U.S. Latinx youth from immigrant backgrounds bring to schools their transnational literacies, complex lived experiences of marginalization and resistance, and politicized translanguaging practices ...
Rate-Based Modeling and Design of Chlorine Drying Using Sulfuric Acid

Rate-based absorption modeling furnishes a powerful tool for simulating and designing chlorine drying columns using sulfuric acid because it is able to provide fundamental insight and design capabi...
Toward a Robust Theory of the Chinese Constitutional State: Between Formalism and Legitimacy in Jiang Shigong’s Constitutionalism

The state of constitutional theory is in flux. What was once the preserve of those who organized the state became the expression of mass democracy and the popular will, one that has been increasing...
A Panorama of Human–Animal Interactions Research: Bibliometric Analysis of HAI Articles 1982–2018

What can we know about human–animal interactions (HAI) research by looking at information about its research articles, such as publication information, text of abstracts or author keywords, or cita...
Injuries and illnesses in performance-age bucking bulls:

Over the past 2 decades, bull riding has emerged as a growing stand alone industry of domestic and international interest. Currently no studies have evaluated commonly diagnosed injuries and diseases of bucking and rodeo bulls. The purpose of this study was to describe injuries and disease conditions diagnosed in performace bucking bulls presented to a veterinary medical teaching hospital.
Robotic Puboprostatic Fistula Repair with Holmium Laser Pubic Debridement.

Abstract INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVE: Urosymphyseal fistula (UF) with osteomyelitis most commonly occurs as a result of prostate cancer and benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) therapy. UF presentation typically includes debilitating pelvic pain exacerbated with ambulation. Traditional management required open surgical genitourinary (GU) reconstruction with pubectomy leading to significant morbidity. However, progressive utilization of robotic approaches and advances in holmium laser technology has led to a less invasive alternative. Herein, we present our series of robotic-assisted holmium laser debridement of pubic osteomyelitis in the setting of UF. METHODS: After physical exam, all patients presenting with concerns for GU fistula and osteomyelitis are evaluated with BMP, CBC, serum albumin, urine culture, and cystoscopy. Patients often present with previously obtained CT abdomen/pelvis. However, all patients presenting with concerns of pubic osteomyelitis should undergo a MRI of the pelvis to characterize the pubis. Specific indications for holmium laser debridement of the pubic bone include: 1) history of sacral insufficiency fractures which eliminate management with partial pubectomy due to risk of pelvic ring instability and 2) mild osteomyelitis which can be managed with debridement. The patient is placed in dorsal lithotomy position. After the robot is docked, the space of retzius is developed and the fistula is resected down to the pubic bone. The symphysis is debrided using the Cobra grasper followed by holmium laser debridement at 2J and 50Hz settings. Appropriate GU reconstruction versus urinary diversion is then performed per clinical judgement. Antibiotic beads are then placed in the symphyseal defect. If available, an interposition flap may be advanced between the urethra/bladder and symphysis. RESULTS: In our series of four patients, all patients underwent successful robotic pubic symphyseal debridement and were discharged without experiencing a major complication. At follow up (7-16 mo) there have been no fistula recurrence or recurrent episodes of osteomyelitis. CONCLUSIONS: Robotic assisted pubic symphyseal debridement with a holmium laser is feasible, safe, and efficacious in this small series with short follow up. This approach represents a minimally invasive alternative to open pubectomy while minimizing incisions and overall morbidity. Additional long-term data is necessary before wide spread adoption of this approach.
How to Participate in Institutional Review Board Activities

The expectations and challenges discussed in this chapter offer insights as to why the work of the IRB is so important and why persons who serve in academic medicine can contribute significantly to that work. Such persons can encourage forthright discussions of the scientific value of the research as well as the needs, values, expectations, and vulnerabilities that participants may bring to the research enterprise. Such discussions in turn ­support the sustenance of an ethically attuned research environment, one that meets both the letter and the spirit of the regulatory guidance for protecting human subjects.
WE-D-201-03: ITK and VTK- The Standard Libraries

This session is intended for researchers who need customized software tools to analyze their datasets. Publicly available software tools are designed to facilitate research by implementing many standard algorithms, but choosing one that fits a researcher’s background and project needs is a critical decision for timely and cost-effective research. Indeed while some libraries are easy to use, needing minimal investment to learn their usage, other open-source libraries are very flexible allowing development of customized algorithms but the user has to be proficient in a programing language to use its functionalities. The session will familiarize new researchers with the pros and cons of open source software libraries and applications (CERR, ITK, VTK, RTK, Plastimatch, and 3DSlicer) frequently used in talks presented at AAPM. Each speaker will give an overview of one or more of the libraries, covering its capabilities and learning curve so that listeners can choose a tool that best fits their needs. A panel discussion will be held to answer questions. Learning Objectives: 1. Familiarize the audience with the available software libraries 2. Present the pros and cons of each library in a side-by-side comparison
Frequency Domain Processing

Publisher Summary Transformation of signals to the frequency domain is widely used in signal processing. This chapter highlights the widely used frequency domain transformations, which include fast Fourier transform (FFT), short-time Fourier transform (STFT), and discrete wavelet transform (DWT). These transformations provide an effective representation and much more computationally efficient processing of signals as compared to time domain processing. In order to obtain fast and real-time implementation of Discrete Fourier transform (DFT), FFT algorithm is used, which essentially makes use of the symmetry properties of DFT. STFT is defined as a sequence of Fourier transforms of a windowed signal. It provides the time localized frequency information for situations when frequency components of a signal vary over time. DWT offers a generalization of STFT and can be viewed as the projection of a signal into a set of basic functions named wavelets. In contrast to STFT having equally-spaced time-frequency localization, wavelet transform provides high frequency resolution at low frequencies and high time resolution at high frequencies.
Persistence of reduced penetration by Colletotrichum lagenarium into cucumber leaves with induced systemic resistance and its relation to enhanced peroxidase and chitinase activities

Penetration of Colletotrichum lagenarium was reduced into leaves 2 and 3 of cucumber plants with systemic resistance induced by inoculating leaf 1 with the fungus. The reduction was evident in induced plants challenged at 7 and 14 days after induction of leaf 1 but was not observed when leaves were challenged at 21 and 28 days after induction. Germination of conidia and appressorial formation were not significantly different on the induced and non-induced plants. Removal of inducer leaf 1, 7 days after inoculation with C. lagenarium , did not significantly reduce the inhibition of penetration or persistence of inhibition as compared to plants with the inducer leaf attached. High peroxidase and chitinase activities were evident in the induced leaves 21 and 28 days after the induction, although no restriction of fungal penetration was apparent. Removal of inducer leaf 1 at 7 days after inoculation reduced the activities of peroxidase and chitinase at 14, 21 and 28 days after induction. Though peroxidase and chitinase activities increased in leaves 2 and 3 between 7 and 28 days after the induction of leaf 1, the induced resistance against the fungus decreased. The data from this investigation suggest that the reduction of fungal development in induced plants results from at least two different mechanisms. One reduces penetration into the plant and the other restricts development of the fungus once it has penetrated. The reduction of induced resistance at times when peroxidase and chitinase activities are high also suggests that the activities of these enzymes at the time of challenge are not major factors for the restriction of C. lagenarium in induced cucumber plants.
From Australia to Africa: The entre‐deux of self and other in Daniel Leuwers's travel notebooks

(2001). From Australia to Africa: The entre‐deux of self and other in Daniel Leuwers's travel notebooks. Sites: The Journal of Twentieth-Century/Contemporary French Studies revue d'etudes francais: Vol. 5, No. 1, pp. 89-102.
Chapter 23 Sustainable design engineering and science: Selected challenges and case studies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses selected challenges and case studies for sustainable design engineering and science. Environmental aspects of sustainable design are presented, although issues of corporate social responsibility and trade-offs between societal and environmental variables are mentioned. The case studies highlight specific trade-offs that arise in sustainable design applications. The first case study provides an overview of economic, environmental, and societal aspects of mobile telephone production, use, and remanufacturing. The second case study provides a quantitative methodology for the evaluation of sustainable design policies related to automotive fuel efficiency. The two case studies are starkly different in approach. While the first takes a high-level and empirical view of existing mobile phone design and remanufacturing activities, the second takes a mathematical approach toward modeling the impacts of environmental policy options on engineering design. By presenting both case studies in this chapter, the strengths and weaknesses of these approaches are presented as they apply to sustainable design.
Human evolution. We are what we ate.

A little under two million years ago there was a significant innovation in human evolution. This ‘grade shift’ betweenAustralopithecus and Homowas marked by an increase in body size and a commitment to walking on two legs. These changes were thought to be set off with the advent of hunting, but a new hypothesis contends that they were, in fact, due to systematic foraging for roots and tubers.
On generating random systems: a gramian approach

A new procedure for computer generation of random stable, linear, time invariant systems in state space form is described. Controllability and observability gramians are randomly generated according to a desired distribution. Then, a system which has the generated gramians is found. This new random system generation method is compared to several other methods using empirically observed distributions on Hankel singular values, eigenvalue magnitudes, and controllability/observability gramian condition numbers.
Starting from scratch: de novo kinetochore assembly in vertebrates.

Centromeres are epigenetically defined by the presence of the histone H3 variant, CENP‐A. Up until now, the question of how CENP‐A nucleosomes mediate kinetochore nucleation was poorly understood. In a study just published in Nature , a unique cell‐free system was used to demonstrate that in vitro assembled CENP‐A chromatin arrays recapitulate the assembly of bona fide kinetochores through the essential C‐terminal tail of CENP‐A.
A review of equine sepsis

Sepsis is defined as an exaggerated, systemic inflammatory response to infection and is a common condition in horses. Systemic inflammatory response syndrome (SIRS) associated with bacterial infection is a hallmark of sepsis. Sepsis in neonatal foals is a common sequela of failure of passive transfer and, in addition to development of SIRS, may be characterised by bacteraemia, pneumonia, enterocolitis, omphalophlebitis, meningoencephalitis or arthritis. Sepsis in mature horses is most commonly observed secondary to gastrointestinal lesions that result in disrupted mucosa and bacterial translocation into circulation (endotoxaemia). Pleuropneumonia and metritis may also cause sepsis in mature horses. Diagnosis of sepsis is based on SIRS criteria as well as suspected or confirmed infection. Due to the relatively low sensitivity of microbial culture and the subjectivity of sepsis scoring, many sepsis biomarkers are being studied for their usefulness in diagnosis and prognostication of sepsis in horses. Treatment of sepsis requires an intensive care approach that includes antimicrobial drug administration, fluid resuscitation and pressure support, and treatment for inflammation, endotoxaemia and coagulopathy. Early recognition of sepsis and prompt antimicrobial drug treatment are critical for a successful outcome. Multiple organ dysfunction syndrome may occur in severe cases of sepsis, with common manifestations including laminitis and coagulopathies. Although prognosis for septic mature horses depends highly on the primary disease process, the overall survival rate in septic neonatal foals ranges from 26 to 86%, with most studies indicating a survival rate of 45-60%.
Damage mechanisms of fatigue fracture in a metastable beta Ti-15-3 alloy

The mechanism of crack tip deformation in metastable beta Ti-15-3 alloy under fatigue loading has been examined. In spite of the small thickness of the test specimens (1 mm), the plastic zone revealed plane strain conditions which was transformed to a plane stress zone when its size became 0.25 of the crack length. Slip processes whose density increased with crack length were the dominant microscopic feature of crack tip plasticity. Microcracks emanating from the main crack appeared as a result of extensive slip damage. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray evidence indicate the absence of twinning or phase transformation and that dislocation processes constitute the microstructural origin of crack propagation resistance in the alloy. Energy calculations show that the specific energy of slip, 20 MJ m−3, exceeds that of microcracking by three orders of magnitude.
Mechanistic study of E. coli DNA topoisomerase I: cleavage of oligonucleotides

Abstract E. coli DNA topoisomerase I catalyzes DNA topoisomerization by transiently breaking and rejoining single DNA strands (1). When an enzyme-DNA incubation mixture is treated with alkaline or detergent, DNA strand cleavage occurs, and the enzyme becomes covalently linked to the 5'-phosphoryl end of the cleaved DNA (2). Using oligonucleotides of defined length and sequence composition, this cleavage reaction is utilized to study the mechanism of E. coli DNA topoisomerase I. dA7 is the shortest oligonucleotide tested that can be cleaved by the enzyme. dT8 is the shortest oligo(dT) that can be cleaved. The site of cleavage in both cases is four nucleotides from the 3' end of the oligonucleotide. No cleavage can be observed for oligo(dC) and oligo(dG) of length up to eleven bases long. dC15 and dC16 are cleaved at one tenth or less the efficiency of oligo(dA) and oligo(dT) of comparable length.
Evolutionary responses of plants to anthropogenic pollutants

There is currently great concern over the possible adverse effects of atmospheric de position and other regionally distributed pollutants on plants and plant communitics. In Europe and North America there are major research efforts to determine whether such pollutants damage plants or affect ecosystem processes. A topic of growing concern is the possibility of genetic or evolutionary effects of pollutants. Past research has demonstrated that individuals, populations and varieties of a particular species can differ in their response to pollutants. Although such differences have been documented, the importance of evolutionary responses to regional, low level but chronic pollution remains to be established. The significance of regional chronic pollution is that effects on plants may no longer be limited to heavily industrialized or populated areas, but rather may also occur in virtually all natural ecosystems.
Political space and hegemonic power in Gramsci

Antonio Gramsci’s political thought focusses on power, hegemony, and domination. This article attempts to delineate the close and intimate relationship in Gramsci between political power and political space. It argues that political space is a central ingredient in his understanding of hegemony and civil society.
Theoretical test of nonequilibrium experimental method for measuring heats of adsorption

Abstract A simple one-dimensional model is used to describe adsorption and desorption from a solid surface. The implications of a different gas and crystal temperature are discussed for both the steady state situation (determination of the equilibrium constant) and the rate of adsorption (sticking coefficient). It is shown that for large values of the heat of adsorption no serious error is introduced in the measurement of the heat of adsorption by having the gas and crystal at different temperatures in an experimental set up.
Variations of synaptotagmin I, synaptotagmin IV, and synaptophysin mRNA levels in rat hippocampus during the estrous cycle.

Periodic changes in ovarian steroid levels during fertility cycles affect learning both in humans and in rats in parallel with electrophysiological and morphological fluctuations in selective neuronal populations. In particular, during the estrous cycle of the female rat, hippocampal CA1 region undergoes cyclic modifications in synaptic density. To investigate the molecular mechanisms involved in synaptic remodeling during the estrous cycle, we analyzed the expression of three presynaptic markers, synaptotagmin I, synaptotagmin IV, and synaptophysin, in the female adult rat brain by in situ hybridization. Relative abundance in mRNA for these three markers was quantified at four phases of the estrous cycle: diestrus, proestrus (AM and PM), and estrus. mRNA levels for syt1 exhibited cyclic variations in pyramidal neurons of the CA3 region of hippocampus during the estrous cycle, while mRNA levels for syt4 and SYN were relatively invariant in this or other regions of the hippocampus. Because CA3 pyramidal neurons make synaptic contacts in CA1, modulation of syt1 expression in CA3 may participate in the changes in synaptic density observed in CA1 during the estrous cycle. Furthermore, both syt1 and SYN mRNA varied cyclically in layer II, but not in layer III of entorhinal cortex, while syt4 remained unchanged throughout the cycle. These data suggest that regular variations in steroid hormone levels during fertility cycles may alter the properties of several networks involved in information processing and learning and memory through altered levels of presynaptic proteins.
INTERSTATE AND INTERGOVERNMENTAL FACTORS AFFECTING THE CONDITIONS OF RURAL BRIDGES

Many of the Nation's rural highway bridges are structurally deficient, functionally inadequate, or both. Rural bridges are particularly likely to be in poor condition in states where the federal government plays a small role in the highway program, where local governments play a large role in highway financing, and where the chief state transportation agency is a highway department rather than a department of transportation. The assignment of responsibilities, then, appears to influence program performance.
Oxygen deficit and repayment in submaximal exercise.

Oxygen deficit and repayment ratios were investigated at various work loads, intensities and durations. An active baseline was used (walking at 60 m/min) from which deficit and repayment values were calculated. Oxygen uptake (VO2) and core temperatures were measured in 30 males at baseline and during treadmill running (140 m/min) for randomly assigned durations (0.5 ... 20 min). Measurements were also made during a 30-min recovery period at baseline work. Results indicated: 1) No difference in O2-repayment between steady-state work and work prior to steady-state (P>0.10). 2) O2-repayment was independent of work duration (P>0.10). 3) When workload and intensity were controlled, O2-deficit was not a significant factor in O2-repayment (P>0.10). 4) Work intensity (workVO2/VO2max) was the most significant factor in O2-repayment accounting for 69% of the variance (r = 0.83,P<0.001). Small increments in core temperature and ventilation were not significant factors in O2-repayment. When a working baseline is used, the magnitude of O2-repayment after exercise is independent of the work duration or the attainment of steady state. The extent of O2-repayment after exercise is mainly dependent upon the physiological intensity of the work and the absolute workload (R = 0.89,P<0.001).
Comparative Bioavailability of Four Commercial Quinidine Sulfate Tablets

Abstract A comparative bioavailability study was performed using four commercially available, chemically equivalent brands of quinidine sulfate tablets. Two 200-mg tablets were administered to 11 different subjects following a completely randomized crossover design. Serum levels, urinary excretion data, and derived pharmacokinetic parameters were compared statistically. There were no statistical differences in the extent of quinidine absorption from the four brands of tablets as evidenced by the cumulative urinary excretion values and the areas under the serum level–time curves. Significant differences in the mean serum levels at 0.5 and 1 hr and differences in the peak times and absorption rate constants indicate that there was a difference in the absorption rate between Treatments A and D and C and D. A significant difference in the peak times also was noted for Treatments B and C. When mean disintegration times for the four tablet formulations were compared with their values for k a , t max , and mean serum levels at 0.5 and 1 hr, rank-order correlations were observed. A considerable degree of variability in quinidine elimination was noted, with half-life values ranging from 2.71 to 8.12 hr (mean half-life of 5.36 hr).
Pathology of surgery after induction chemotherapy: an analysis of resectability and locoregional control.

At the Dann-Farber Cancer Institute Head and Neck Cancer Clinic, 114 previously untreated patients with advanced squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (17% stage III; 83% stage IV) were managed with induction chemotherapy using cis-platinum, bleomycin, and methotrexate, followed by definitive extirpative surgery and/or radiation therapy. The present report evaluates this group from a surgical and surgical pathology standpoint. The following aspects are evaluated: 1. predictability of, and conversion to, resectability during induction chemotherapy; 2. ease of surgical technique and intraoperative assessment; 3. patterns of pre-op and postop risks and complications; 4. gross and histopathologic observations of the extent and character of residual primary and nodal disease, particularly after a response to chemotherapy; 5. patterns of locoregional control or failure related to treatment variables. The issues subsequently addressed include: how does chemotherapy affect the operative candidacy and resectability of proposed surgical patients? Could, or should surgery be eliminated in the management of some patients treated with induction chemotherapy? Can less radical surgery be contemplated in patients significantly “downstaged” by prior chemotherapy treatment? Is increased locoregional or distant metastatic control observed in these patients? What is the role of surgery in the responder to chemotherapy?
UNCERTAINTY ANALYSIS IN SURFACE MICROMACHINED FORCE GAUGES: CONVEX MODEL APPROACH

The paper presents a general framework for analyzing uncertainties in material and geometrical properties of a microforce gauge. Since fabrication of the microgauge is surface micromachining of microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), it has inherent variations that lead to both material and geometrical uncertainties. A convex model is used as a tool for addressing uncertainties in microforce gauge analysis. Mathematical derivations of convex models are presented and advantages of the convex approach over the standard statistical and probability approach in analyzing uncertainty in MEMS devices is highlighted.
Template-Based Generation of Streaming Accelators from a High Level Presentation

The availability of a tool flow that abstracts out the FPGA hardware structures and presents a software-only front end interface to the application developer is a necessary step to precipitate the acceptance of FPGAs as SoC platforms. Such a tool can be used by a larger pool of engineers, and not necessarily experts in system architecture and hardware design. Furthermore, an architectural automation tool should combine interactive architectural exploration, automatic hardware-software partition and an efficient mapping of one or multiple kernels to the reconfigurable fabric.
A Case Report on Combination Therapy Using a Composite Allograft Containing Mesenchymal Cells With an Amnion–Chorion Barrier to Treat a Mandibular Class III Furcation

Introduction: Maintaining molars with Class III furcation invasion remains one of the greatest challenges in periodontics. Surgical treatment of these areas by any means has been disappointing. This case report describes a successful combined regenerative approach using a composite allograft with mesenchymal stem cells along with a barrier derived from human amnion–chorion to close a Class III furcation.Case Presentation: The patient was a 62-year-old white male referred for the treatment of his periodontal and dental implant needs. The mandibular left required functional crown lengthening for the two premolars along with management of the Class III furcation on the first molar. The unopposed second molar with both an advanced osseous lesion and 1+ degree mobility was to be extracted. Surgical exposure allowed the furcation to be thoroughly scaled and planed, treated with tetracycline for root modification, followed by intramarrow penetration and recombinant platelet-derived growth factor applied to the r...
Readiness to attend to visual foreground cues

Abstract Nonhuman primate genera are differentially inclined to attend to stimuli of the immediate foreground. When great apes were trained to a criterion on each of a series of two-choice visual discrimination problems and then given critical test trials with irrelevant visual cues ( 1 2 in wire mesh) positioned immediately in front of each problem's objects, accuracy of performance was significantly more disrupted in orang-utans (Pongo) than in chimpanzees (Pan) and gorillas (Gorilla). Two groups of chimpanzees known to differ profoundly in complex-learning skills did not differ in their readiness to attend to irrelevant foreground cues; hence, it is concluded that the observed differences among the three genera of great apes must be species related and associated with how arboreal/terrestial they are in their natural habitats.
Small Enclosures for Aquatic Ecology Experiments.

Controlled experiments in enclosures are a useful way to study and test hypotheses about the ecology of aquatic organisms. For my graduate research, I designed and implemented a simple, sturdy and inexpensive enclosure that can be used for a variety of small-scale experiments in lakes and ponds. The basic design can be modified for different field conditions and applications in biology, ecology, limnology, and aquatic chemistry. The enclosures can be used for class laboratory exercises, or individual or group research projects.