cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lymphatic pump treatment enhances the clearance of pneumonia

Abstract Background Osteopathic lymphatic pump treatments (LPT) are thought to aid in the removal of metabolic wastes, toxins, exudates, and cellular debris that occur during infection or oedema. In elderly patients with pneumonia LPT decreased hospital stay, length of intravenous antibiotics, and incidence of death when compared to conventional care. In animals, LPT has been reported to enhance the lymphatic and immune systems and facilitate the clearance pneumonia caused by Streptoccocus pneumoniae . The purpose of this study was to determine the number of LPT necessary to enhance the clearance of S. pneumoniae from the lungs and explore the mechanisms associated with this protection. Methods Rats were nasally infected with S. pneumoniae . Twenty-four hours after infection, rats were divided into control sham and LPT groups. For four consecutive days, the control group received no treatment or anaesthesia, the sham group received four min of light touch (under anaesthesia), and the LPT group received four min of LPT (under anaesthesia). On days 1, 3 and 4 post-infection, lungs were removed and measured for S. pneumoniae bacteria and the number of pulmonary leukocytes. Bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) was collected at day 4 post-infection and analysed for inflammatory mediators, antibacterial factors and alveolar macrophage function. Results Three applications of LPT were able to significantly ( p Conclusions We have shown that three daily LPT enhance the clearance of pneumococcal bacteria, and the concentration of SP-D, IL-6, IL-12 and IL-17 in the BALF. During pneumococcal pneumonia, IL-12 and IL-17 enhance the entry of neutrophils into the lungs, SP-D enhances phagocytosis by neutrophils, and IL-6 delays neutrophil apoptosis and enhances neutrophil cytotoxic function. Alveolar macrophages from LPT treated rats produced more nitric oxide and IL-6 in vitro. Therefore, by enhancing the concentration of immune factors, LPT may preserve neutrophil-mediated clearance of pneumococcus. Collectively, our study supports the clinical use of LPT to treat pneumonia.
A theory of superconductivity in ternary rare-earth compounds. II

In an earlier paper a theory of superconductivity in ternary rare-earth compounds which examined the effects of elastic scattering of conduction electrons by localized 4f electrons was presented. In this paper the theory is extended by treating both elastic and inelastic scattering. Expressions for the phase diagram and the upper critical field are derived and compared with expressions from other theories.
Primary Synovial Sarcoma of the Lung

We describe a case of primary pulmonary synovial sarcoma. A 19-year-old man presented with low-grade fever, dyspnea, chest pain and left arm numbness. Chest radiographs revealed a large, well-circumscribed left perihilar mass and a small ipsilateral pleural effusion. Chest computed tomography (CT) revealed a large well-defined, heterogeneous lung mass. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) demonstrated a mass of heterogeneous signal intensity on T1-weighted and proton density images, and high signal intensity on short tau inversion recovery (STIR) images. Whole-body bone scintigraphy showed no evidence of skeletal involvement. Abdominal and pelvic CT showed no intra-abominal or pelvic metastases. A CT-guided biopsy provided the diagnosis of monophasic synovial sarcoma. Following four cycles of chemotherapy, integrated F-18 fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography-computed tomography (18F FDG PET/CT) was performed, which demonstrated interval decrease in the size of the lesion and no significant metabolic activity. Surgical resection was then undertaken. Microscopically, the lesion was a high-grade spindle cell sarcoma consistent with monophasic synovial sarcoma. A variant X;18 translocation was identified by cytogenetic analysis and confirmed with metaphase in situ hybridization. The imaging and pathological features of this rare lesion are reviewed.
Comment on "Dislocations and melting in two dimensions: The critical region"

The scaling form for the correlation length for two-dimensional melting contains an important numerical factor which has been overlooked in previous work. As a result, the estimates of Greif, Goodstein, and Silva-Moreira on the sizes of the critical region, and of the corresponding correlation length, are modified. In an independent analysis we show that approximate scaling holds for reduced temperatures $t\ensuremath{\lesssim}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}2}$. However, the corresponding correlation lengths are still large, of the order of ${10}^{8}$ lattice spacings.
Influence of ionization energy on charge-transfer ionization in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry

Abstract In this study, non-polar matrices are used in matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOFMS) to analyze selected non-polar analytes. Our hypothesis is that gas-phase charge-transfer reactions between matrix and analyte are responsible for the generation of analyte radical molecular ions. Following this hypothesis, the ionization energies of the matrices and analytes should have a direct influence on the production of radical molecular cations of the analytes. Several non-polar analytes, including ferrocene and ferrocene derivatives, trans-stilbene, triphenylphosphine, 2,2′-methylenebis(6-tert-butyl-4-methylphenol), biphenyl and 1,4-bis(methylthio)benzene were studied using positive-ion mode MALDI-TOFMS. The results of these studies demonstrate that formation of the radical molecular cation depends on the difference in ionization energies between the matrix and the analyte. The propensity for charge-transfer ionization, as opposed to proton-transfer ionization, for these analytes, was confirmed using atmospheric pressure chemical ionization mass spectrometry. Charge-transfer ionization using non-polar matrices in MALDI-MS is a suitable method for the characterization of a number of non-polar, thermally labile analytes.
Cytoskeletal disorganization induced by local application of β,β'-iminodipropionitrile and 2,5-hexanedione

Beta, beta'-Iminodipropionitrile and 2,5-hexanedione are neurotoxins that produce neurofilamentous axonal swellings. The swellings produced experimentally with these agents are similar in structure but different in distribution. Neither the relationships between these agents nor the mechanisms of action are known. In this study local effects on nerve fibers were compared following injection of beta, beta'-iminodipropionitrile and 2,5-hexanedione beneath the perineurium of rat sciatic nerves. Soon after injection, 2,5-hexanedione reproduced the distinctive cytoskeletal disorganization previously described with beta, beta'-iminodipropionitrile: microtubules collected into a central channel, with neurofilaments segregated in a surrounding subaxolemmal ring. Later, the beta, beta'-iminodipropionitrile-injected nerves developed local neurofilaments accumulations, reproducing the neurofilamentous axonal swellings characteristic of systemic intoxication with these agents. The results indicate that both these agents have direct local effects on the axonal cytoskeleton and probably are similar in mechanism of action. Both these agents appear to segregate neurofilaments from the rest of the axonal cytoskeleton. This segregation may prevent the normal proximal-to-distal transport of neurofilaments, resulting in the formation of neurofilamentous axonal swellings.
Beliefs about depression and depression treatment among depressed veterans.

INTRODUCTION Because of the misunderstanding and stigmatization of mental health disorders and treatment, health beliefs may be important in treatment seeking for depression. It is important to understand patients' beliefs about mental health disorders and mental health treatment to improve systems of care. METHODS We studied beliefs about depression and depression treatment among patients in a randomized trial of a chronic care intervention to improve depression treatment in the Veterans Administration healthcare system (n = 395). The Depression Beliefs Inventory was used to assess beliefs regarding: (1) perceived need for depression treatment, (2) the efficacy of depression treatment, and (3) treatment barriers, including stigma, at baseline and 6 months. We calculated descriptive statistics on patients' baseline beliefs, and used multiple regression to investigate the extent to which beliefs changed in intervention and treatment as usual patients between baseline and 6-month assessments. We used logistic regression to investigate the relationship between beliefs and antidepressant initiation, adherence and clinical response. RESULTS At baseline, 73% of our sample believed that they had depression, and 66% believed that taking antidepressants would be helpful for their depression. However, the depression intervention had few effects on beliefs, and individual beliefs were generally not associated with taking medication or clinical response. However, a summary measure of beliefs was found to have predictive validity with respect to initiating and adhering to antidepressant treatment. DISCUSSION Our results highlight the potential difficulty in modifying individuals' attitudes regarding depression and depression treatment in chronic care models for depression interventions.
Synthesis of Stereochemically and Skeletally Diverse Fused Ring Systems from Functionalized C-Glycosides

A diversity-oriented synthesis (DOS) strategy was developed for the synthesis of stereochemically diverse fused-ring systems containing a pyran moiety. Each scaffold contains an amine and methyl ester for further diversification via amine capping and amide coupling. Scaffold diversity was evaluated in comparison to previously prepared scaffolds by a shape-based principal moments of inertia (PMI) analysis.
Nail-biting in twins.

SUMMARY Nail-biting was practised by almost a third of the children of 338 twin pairs in this series. It was one and a half times as frequent in girls as in boys. About two-thirds of the monozygotic twin pairs were concordant for nail-biting compared with about one-third of the dizygotic pairs. Finger-sucking after the third birthday was as frequent in twins who bite their nails as those who do not. The findings in twins point to a genetic basis for nail-biting. RESUME Le fait de se ronger les ongles est observe chez presque un tiers des jumeaux de la serie etudiee. La frequence chez les filles est une fois et demi superieure par rapport aux garcons. Environ deux tiers des paires de jumeaux monozygotes sont concordants contre un tiers des jumeaux dizygotes. La succion du pouce au dela de trois ans est aussi frequente chez les jumeaux qui rongent leurs ongles que chez ceux qui ne le font pas. Ces faits chez les jumeaux, sont en faveur d'une base genetique des ongles ronges. ZUSAMMENFASSUNG In dieser Untersuchungsreihe wurde von fast einem Drittel der untersuchten Zwillinge Nagel gekaut. Madchen hatten diese Eigenschaft 1 1/2 mal haufiger als Knaben. Von den monozygoten Zwillingen hatten ungefahr zwei Drittel die Eigenschaft gemeinsam, bei den dizygoten ein Drittel. Fingerlutschen war nach dem dritten Geburtstag bei den Zwillingen gleich verbreitet, ob sie Nagel kauten oder nicht. Diese Befunde bei Zwillingen weisen auf eine genetische Grundlage des Nagelkauens hin. RESUMEN La mordedura de unas era practicado por casi la tercera parte de los gemelos en estas series. Era la mitad mas frecuente en ninas que en ninos. Alrededor de los dos tercios de los gemelos monozigotos eran concordantes en lo que respecta a la mordedura de unas en comparacion de un tercio en gemelos dizigotos. El chuparse el dedo depues de los tres anos de edad en gemelos, era tan frecuente en los que se mordian las unas como en los que no. Los hallazgos realizados en gemelos apuntan hacia una base genetica de la mordedura de unas.
Cascade Defects Beyond the Primary Damage State

Atomic scale computer simulations are used to investigate the intracascade evolution of the defect distributions of cascades in copper over macroscopic times. Starting with cascades generated using molecular dynamics, the diffusive transport and interactions of the defects are followed for hundreds of seconds in stochastic annealing simulations. The temperature and energy dependencies of annihilation, clustering and free defect production are determined for individual cascades. The simulation results illustrate the strong influence on intracascade evolution of the defect configuration existing in the primary damage state. Other significant factors affecting the evolution of the defect distribution are the large differences in mobility and stability of vacancy and interstitial defects and the rapid one-dimensional diffusion of small, glissile interstitial loops produced directly in cascades. The latter factor introduces a cascade energy dependence of defect evolution that is apparent only beyond the primary damage state, amplifying the need for performing many more cascade simulations at higher energies.
Design and development of a novel compact soft-surface structure for the front-to-back ratio improvement and size reduction of microstrip yagi antenna arrays

A new soft surface (SS) configuration is proposed that can improve the front-to-back (F/B) ratio significantly while maintaining a high gain for any planar antenna array. In addition, the size of this array-including the finite substrate dimensions - has been reduced in comparison to the non-SS design's size. As a benchmark, the proposed SS structure is implemented to the printed microstrip Yagi array design proposed in to achieve a new design with a higher gain and a compact size, that was analyzed for different ground sizes around 5.8 GHz. It is observed that an improvement of at least 3 dB in the F/B ratio and of at least 1 dBi in gain are obtained. Experimental results verify the claims presented in this paper.
Chromatographic behavior of humic materials extracted from Barberton sludge

Humic and fulvic acids extracted from alkali treated municipal sludge contain more higher molecular weight materials than from secondary wastewater effluents. This suggests that higher molecular weight materials (greater than 30 000)' are more easily entrapped on the proteinaceous surface of the biomass. About 28% of the sludge COD is humic material. The humic acid fraction is of a higher molecular weight than the fulvic acid fraction. The value of theE 4:E 6 ratio indicates that humic materials of raw sludges are of recent origin.
Stable field emission from nanoporous silicon carbide

We report on a new type of cold cathode field emission electron source capable of extremely high emission, producing current densities at levels comparable to thermal sources. Record stable emission in excess of 6 A/cm2 at 7.5 V/μm and a maximum current density of 11 A/cm2 at 9.0 V/μm are demonstrated. The emitter is a unique structure, comprised of a monolithic and rigid nanostructured foam with homogenously distributed emission sites. The fabrication process is simple and scalable, as it consists of wet chemistry and ion etching and does not require high temperature gas phase synthesis. Electric field enhancement is tunable and is set by a two-level hierarchy consisting of local nanostructure morphology and the macroscopic shape.
Distributed inference over regression and classification models

We study the distributed inference task over regression and classification models where the likelihood function is strongly log-concave. We show that diffusion strategies allow the KL divergence between two likelihood functions to converge to zero at the rate 1/Ni on average and with high probability, where N is the number of nodes in the network and i is the number of iterations. We derive asymptotic expressions for the expected regularized KL divergence and show that the diffusion strategy can outperform both non-cooperative and conventional centralized strategies, since diffusion implementations can weigh a node's contribution in proportion to its noise level.
Oligodendrocyte development and the natural history of multiple sclerosis. A new hypothesis for the pathogenesis of the disease.

• The cause of multiple sclerosis (MS) is not known. This article presents a review of recent studies concerned with the development of oligodendrocytes and suggests that the primary lesion in MS could be related to damage to oligodendroglial progenitor cells. Loss of the capacity to generate oligodendrocytes could alter the course of normal development such that insufficient cells are produced to support growth and replace cells lost through attrition, and as a result, regions of demyelination appear. The site and extent of the primary loss of oligodendroglial precursors would then predetermine the time of onset, site, and severity of the neurologic manifestations of MS. It is suggested that MS is a single, continuous process and that clinical, pathologic, and immunologic findings may be understood as the consequences of the acquired inability to generate sufficient oligodendrocytes to maintain myelin.
An application of real-time error compensation on a turning center

A real-time error compensation (RTEC) system is developed to correct thermally-induced and geometric errors on a four-axis dual-spindle turning center. These errors vary with different cutting tool positions as well as different thermal conditions, thus real-time correction is required. Two problems in the current RTEC approach are addressed: (1) the difficulty in the actual measurement of error components according to the defined coordinates and (2) the selection of a small set of appropriate temperature variables from numerous candidate thermal sensors on a machine structure. A flexible error measurement method and an optimal temperature variable selection process are proposed to overcome these difficulties. After machine errors were characterized and modeled, the effectiveness of the developed RTEC system was evaluated by using laser inspection and an actual cutting test. The maximal diagonal displacement error is corrected from 75.0 to 7.5 μm. In the cutting test, the part diameter error of a car steering joint is reduced from 60 to 10 μm.
The Range of 18-Mev Protons in Aluminum

The circulating beam of protons in the cyclotron was multiply scattered upward by a strip of Th suspended vertically inside the dee. The energy of the scattered beam was defined by the Th strip and two slits in the magnetic field of the cyclotron. From a plot of the magnetic field along the path of the scattered protons, the mean energy was determined to be 18.00\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.02 Mev. By determining the thickness of Al that stopped half the incident beam, the mean range was found to be 447.0\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.5 mg/${\mathrm{cm}}^{2}$.
Dynamics of Streptococcus Histone Retention by Mouse Kidneys

To study the interaction of streptococcal histone-like protein with renal tissue, 2 groups of 12 mice were injected intravenously with either radioiodinated histone or bovine serum albumin. At intervals over 48 hr, 2 mice from each group were anesthetized and perfused with tissue culture medium and the amounts of radioactivity were measured in blood, urine, and kidneys. The streptococcal protein rapidly disappeared from the blood and accumulated in renal tissue. Kidney radioactivity was maximal at 2 hr and then declined steadily over the ensuing 46 hr. Retention of streptococcal protein in renal tissue was 2 orders higher than that of BSA throughout the experiment. Immunofluorescence staining of kidney sections showed that the histone protein was adsorbed to the basement membranes of the glomeruli and collecting tubules. There were similar rates of excretion of radioactivity in urine by the two groups of mice. Injection of preformed complexes of streptococcal histone and rabbit antibodies into a third group of mice resulted in deposits of immune complexes in glomeruli but did not change the overall rate at which the radiolabeled streptococcal protein was distributed. The accumulation of streptococcal histone in renal tissue, independently of antibodies or while contained in circulating immune complexes, makes it a potential virulence factor in the pathogenesis of poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis. Its pathogenic properties remain to be studied in an appropriate animal model.
Acute relief or future prevention: is urology ready for preventive health care?☆

The approach to clinical medicine has evolved over the last 20 years to incorporate therapeutic strategies to prevent long-term negative outcomes rather than simply treat acute events. As a result, new treatment paradigms have been developed in various disease areas. These paradigms arise from clinical trials that show a correlation between risk reduction and decreases in painful, traumatic, or fatal events. The field of urology has been relatively slow to adopt the concept of disease prevention. Several areas of clinical urology do employ prophylactic or metaphylactic therapies, although these are generally for secondary prevention after a primary event (e.g., secondary prevention of recurrent bladder cancer or recurrent kidney stones). There is, however, growing interest in the primary prevention of prostate cancer with a variety of interventions, ranging from dietary modifications to selenium and finasteride. Traditionally, clinical trials of agents for the treatment of symptomatic benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) have studied improvements in lower urinary tract symptoms, urinary flow rate, and reduction in prostate volume over relatively short periods of 6 weeks to 1 year. More recently, with the availability of long-term data from community-based studies of the natural history of BPH and placebo-controlled clinical trials, interest is shifting beyond short-term effects on symptoms to reducing the risk of long-term negative outcomes and disease progression. This signals an important reorientation of clinical investigation in BPH.
Thoracotomy in the Patient with Dorsal Scoliosis

Twenty-four patients with dorsal scoliosis underwent 26 thoracotomies for various reasons. Two operative deaths (7.6 per cent) occurred, among ten patients in whom the convexity of scoliosis was directed away from the side of election. No mortality or significant complication was encountered when thoracotomy was performed on the side of scoliotic convexity. We consider the concavity of scoliotic configuration to delineate the pleural cavity of major proportion and function. Difficulties in anesthetic and postoperative management may be encountered when the pleural cavity so designated is opened. Two patients with severe deformity underwent pneumonectomy, and the most severely scoliotic patient underwent hiatal herniorrhaphy through the minor pleural cavity without complication.
Mobile location tracking in metro areas: malnets and others

Digital wireless radios broadcast identification numbers that uniquely identify them. As has been previously observed, given the ubiquity with which people carry smartphones with their embedded WiFi radios powered on, comes the ability to track individuals' movements. The ability to use wireless radios for positioning has been previously observed and developed in to useful products. In these systems a user willingly geolocates themselves by providing identifiers to infrastructure hardware. In this paper we consider the converse question: what rates of monitoring by smartphones devices in a given metropolitan area are necessary to achieve different levels of involuntary geolocation. While previous work has looked at countermeasure that attempt to maintain privacy, no work has attempted to quantify the problem and risks. Using appropriate simulations we give the first quantitative support for the number and conditions of tracking devices necessary to track the locations of non-participant individuals in urban environments. We provide evidence that a small, but not insignificant, number of mobile devices can be used to track a majority of users during a significant fraction of their travel with current devices. We conclude that in the immediate future, malnets would require relatively high infection rates to pose a significant threat, but that voluntary networks, with perceived benefit can probably achieve the usage rates necessary to track individual movements of non-subscribed users to a high-degree of accuracy. Our results also suggest ubiquitous deployment of 802.11n in smartphones would make geolocation feasible by malnets
Communication of Mitral Valve with Both Ventricles Associated with Double Outlet Right Ventricle

A rare case of an infant with "double inlet right ventricle" (straddling mitral valve) and double outlet right ventricle is described. Coarctation of the aorta was associated. A left-to-right shunt resulted from part of the mitral valve opening into the right ventricle and also from the presence of a ventricular septal defect. The infant9s clinical features reflected the shunt, although the valvular abnormality had not been suspected clinically. It is anticipated that left atriography might have identified this rare type of straddling atrioventricular valve.
Dissolution and mobilization of uranium in a reduced sediment by natural humic substances under anaerobic conditions.

Biological reduction and precipitation of uranium (U) has been proposed as a remedial option for immobilizing uranium at contaminated sites, but the long-term stability and mobility of uranium remain a concern because it is neither removed nor destroyed. In this study, the dissolution and mobilization of reduced and oxidized forms of uranium [U(IV) and U(VI)] by natural humic substances were investigated in batch and column flow systems using a bioreduced sediment containing both U(IV) and U(VI). The addition of humic substances significantly increased the dissolution of U(IV) under anaerobic conditions. Humic acid (HA) was found to be more effective than fulvic acid (FA) in dissolving U(IV) in either 1 mM KCl or KHCO3 background solution. However, more U(VI) was dissolved in 1 mM KHCO3 than in 1 mM KCl background electrolytes. The HA also was found to be more effective than FA in mobilizing uranium under reducing and column flow conditions, although an accumulative amount of eluted U(VI) and U(IV) was relatively low (<60 g) after leaching with ~97 pore volumes of the humic solution in 1 mM KHCO3. These observations suggest that natural humic substances could potentially influence the long-term stability of bioreduced U(IV) even under strong reducing environments.
Further Evidence on the Relationship Between Ownership and Performance

The objective of this paper is to extend prior research into the relationship between ownership and performance while controlling for the known market anomalies of firm size and earnings to price. The empirical results do support recent works indicating a positive relationship between the degree of insider ownership and performance. Using a piecewise regression model, both size and ownership are found to be significant. An additional finding of the paper supplements several recent works questioning the earlier works of Basu [6, 7].
Evaluation of acute and short-term administration of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate with respect to renal proximal tubular transport.

Abstract Previous studies in rats demonstrated that a single dose (45–90 mg/kg) of 2,4,5-trichlorophenoxyacetate (2,4,5-T) reduced the transport of organic acids and bases in slices of renal cortex taken from the treated animals. Upon repeated daily administration of 2,4,5-T to rats, the daily rate of excretion of this herbicide increased after initial retention until 100% of the daily dose administered was excreted within 24 hr. However, the ability of renal slices to transport organic ions was not facilitated during this period of increased excretion; in fact, a significant depression in transport was still measured. Additionally, the high degree of binding of 2,4,5-T by renal cortical homogenates from untreated rats was not altered by pretreatment of the rats with 90 mg 2,4,5-T/kg. Single or repeated administration of the herbicide at the lower dose of 20 mg/kg did not alter the transport of organic ions significantly. From these data and others, it appears that the susceptibility of rats to the toxicity of 2,4,5-T is directly related to the ability of the animals to excrete high doses of this herbicide.
Light-driven circular plasmon current in a silver nanoring

A circular plasmon current in a silver nanoring is demonstrated and investigated with electrodynamics theory. The circular current is driven by the incident plane electromagnetic wave. For a silver ring with a thickness of 50 nm and inner and outer diameters of 200 and 300 nm, the circular current can be obtained when the incident wavelength is at 650 nm, which is about twice the diameter of the ring. The circular current can be observed only when the incident wave and the polarization directions are both parallel to the ring plane. The resonance wavelength shifts to red with the expansion of the ring diameter and the drop in the ring thickness. The discovery holds promise for the design of artificial materials with negative refractive index in the visible wavelengths and might stimulate new ideas for the development of nanoelectronic devices.
An exploration of child welfare investigation disparity differences between states

This article explores state differences in child welfare investigation disparities using the National Child Abuse and Neglect Data System and data from the U.S. Census Bureau. Descriptive statistics and mapped spatial distribution suggest a regional pattern across the country. Bivariate analyses found that investigation disparities were lower in states that were more racially diverse, had more people of any race living in poverty, and responded to more of the community's referrals for investigation. Despite research suggesting that disparities in poverty may contribute to African American disparities in child welfare, this was not a significant correlate in this study.
Transmission in autonomic ganglia

The activity of airway smooth muscle, glands and vasculature is under tonic control by the autonomic nervous system. Information regarding the function and state of the airway (e.g. blood flow, temperature, oxygen levels, movement, irritants, inflammation, etc.) is relayed to the central nervous system (CNS) in the form of action potentials carried by sensory nerves. This input is integrated at many levels in the CNS and this information is ultimately transformed into coded action potentials carried by various preganglionic nerve pathways from the CNS to peripheral clusters of neurons referred to as autonomic ganglia. In the autonomic ganglia the CNS-derived action potentials cause the release of neurotransmitter(s) at a synapse between the preganglionic nerve terminal and the principal ganglion neuron. The fact that synaptic transmission exists makes the ganglion neuron the final site of integration in this complex reflex pathway. Whether this transmission of information from the CNS occurs, by activating the autonomic ganglion neuron and consequently the effector organ, depends on neurochemical, anatomical, and electrophysiological factors within the ganglion that is the subject of this review.
Rational design of a peptide analog of the L3T4 CDR3-like region

The CD4 glycoprotein functions in synergy with the T cell receptor complex to generate the signals involved in T cell activation. The exact role CD4 plays in this process is not fully understood. In an attempt to further define the role of CD4 in T helper activation, we developed a structural model of the mouse CD4 (L3T4) based on the X-ray crystal structure of human CD4. From this model a synthetic peptide analog was designed to mimic the surface of the CDR3-like region of L3T4. In general, the inherent flexibility and consequent solution behavior of linear synthetic peptides have limited their application in investigating receptor-ligand interactions. We attempted to overcome these obstacles by limiting the potential peptide conformers using the rigidity of a novel turn motif and a covalent cyclization. The use of small synthetic analogs that mimic the activity of the parent protein allows the dissection of complex proteins into biologically relevant substructures. In this study we have designed an L3T4 CDR3 analog exhibiting highly specific inhibition of L3T4-dependent responses. Since the activity of the peptide maps directly to the T cell, it appears that the analog acts by uncoupling a CD4 association, and suggests a direct involvement of the CDR3-like region in cis-type interaction critical to the transduction of activation signals.
Flight Experiments on the Effects of Contamination on Electron Emission of Materials

We report on a study of the effects of prolonged exposure to the space environment and of chargeenhanced contamination on the electron emission and resistivity of spacecraft materials. The State of Utah Space Environment & Contamination Study (SUSpECS) was deployed on the International Space Station (ISS) in March 2008 onboard the MISSE-6 payload during STS-123. The Materials International Space Station Experiment (MISSE-6) program is designed to characterize the performance of candidate new space materials over the course of its ~17 month exposure to the LEO environment, with a target return date of August 2009 on STS-127. Approximately 165 samples are mounted on three separate SUSpECS panels in the ram and wake sides on the ISS. They have been carefully chosen to provide needed information for different ongoing studies and a broad cross-section of prototypical materials used on the exteriors of spacecrafts. Design of the sample panels are detailed, including a three tiered configuration intended to provide variable atomic oxygen and ultraviolet radiation exposure. The methods used to simulate charge enhanced contamination by actively biasing samples to low positive and negative voltages are also described. A primary emphasis of SUSpECS is the study of modifications to the electron emission resulting from exposure to the space plasma environment and to environmental contamination. There is presently little available data related to the effects of sample deterioration and contamination on emission properties for materials actually flown in space. Electron emission and transport properties of materials are key in determining the amount of charge build-up and the time for the charge to dissipate, as well as the likelihood of deleterious spacecraft charging effects. Such materials properties are essential parameters in modeling spacecraft charging with engineering tools like NASCAP-2K code. SUSpECS studies will test the validity of our predictions from ground-based studies that very thin layers of contamination can lead to severe charging effects under certain circumstance. Electron-, ion-, and photon-induced electron emission yield curves, crossover energies and emission spectra, as well as resistivity and dielectric strength, have been tested for most SUSpECS samples in their pristine conditions before flight. These measurements will be compared with post-flight measurements. Additional pre- and post-flight characterization measurements include optical and electron microscopy, reflection spectroscopy, emissivity and Auger electron spectroscopy.
Rational design of MMP degradable peptide-based supramolecular filaments.

One-dimensional nanostructures formed by self-assembly of small molecule peptides have been extensively explored for use as biomaterials in various biomedical contexts. However, unlike individual peptides that can be designed to be specifically degradable by enzymes/proteases of interest, their self-assembled nanostructures, particularly those rich in β-sheets, are generally resistant to enzymatic degradation because the specific cleavage sites are often embedded inside the nanostructures. We report here on the rational design of β-sheet rich supramolecular filaments that can specifically dissociate into less stable micellar assemblies and monomers upon treatment with matrix metalloproteases-2 (MMP-2). Through linkage of an oligoproline segment to an amyloid-derived peptide sequence, we first synthesized an amphiphilic peptide that can undergo a rapid morphological transition in response to pH variations. We then used MMP-2 specific peptide substrates as multivalent cross-linkers to covalently fix the amy...
In vivo exposure vs cognitive restructuring in the treatment of scriptophobia.

Abstract The relative efficacy of in vivo exposure and cognitive restructuring in the treatment of scriptophobia (fear of writing in the presence of people) was examined using a multiple baseline design across subjects. Three females with long-standing phobic avoidance behavior of any situation involving writing in public served as subjects. Following baseline assessments, two subjects received five sessions of cognitive restructuring followed by five sessions of in vivo exposure. The third subject completed the exposure treatment immediately after three baseline assessments. In vivo exposure was found to be superior to cognitive restructuring in enhancing approach behavior both on the behavioral posttest and in daily-life situations. This improvement was maintained at 1- and 9-month follow-ups. Self-reports of fear were desynchronous with the behavioral measures; an increase in subjective fear at the 9-month follow-up was not accompanied by a decline in behavioral performance.
Pickles and purity: Discourses of food, empire and work in turn-of-the-century USA

For the most part, American imperialism in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries was characterized by an expansive search to secure markets for its industrial products, not to establish colonies of subjects and/or citizens. In this article, I analyse the story of Heinz Corporation, the first international American food manufacturing company, in order to begin to understand some of the ideological underpinnings of this form of imperialism. I show how and why gendered and racialized discourses of food production and consumption were integral to the successful marketing of manufactured food within the USA and beyond its national borders.
A survey of model reduction by balanced truncation and some new results

Balanced truncation is one of the most common model reduction schemes. In this note, we present a survey of balancing related model reduction methods and their corresponding error norms, and also introduce some new results. Five balancing methods are studied: (1) Lyapunov balancing, (2) stochastic balancing, (3) bounded real balancing, (4) positive real balancing and (5) frequency weighted balancing. For positive real balancing, we introduce a multiplicative-type error bound. Moreover, for a certain subclass of positive real systems, a modified positive-real balancing scheme with an absolute error bound is proposed. We also develop a new frequency-weighted balanced reduction method with a simple bound on the error system based on the frequency domain representations of the system gramians. Two numerical examples are illustrated to verify the efficiency of the proposed methods.
Structural study of GaSb/AlSb strained-layer superlattice

Owing to the lattice mismatch between GaSb and AlSb, a superlattice consisting of alternating layers of these materials will be strained. We have carried out ion-channeling measurements by backscattering of 1.76-MeV He ions, and present an experimental procedure and a data-analysis technique to measure the difference in strain between the two individual layers of the superlattice. The data analysis is based on computer simulations of channeling, the accuracy of which is supported by the many fine details of the experiments reproduced in the simulations. X-ray rocking-curve analysis yielded detailed profiles of strains in directions perpendicular and parallel to the surface. The x-ray value for the strain present at an unirradiated spot on the crystal is in excellent agreement with the value calculated by elasticity theory. In the bombarded region, the values of strain are less than the value calculated by elasticity theory. It appears that bombardment by the He ions reduced the strain by 50% and created lateral inhomogeneities in the crystal structure.
Quantified reduction of wall material influx during Hohlraum experiments

Heating the gold walls of a Hohlraum with intense laser beams produces a rapidly expanding gold plasma. Eventually, the wall material will converge on the axis of the Hohlraum with a density sufficient to be opaque to any standard radiography source. The gold expansion makes radiography of the back wall through the laser entrance hole of a Hohlraum driven from one side difficult. This experiment demonstrates a reduction of Au influx when the Hohlraum walls are coated with 0.44 μm of parylene-N. The reduction is quantified, using an x-ray framing camera, in a cylindrical Hohlraum driven by 6.8 kJ of laser light.
A Visual Sensory Evaluation of the Results of Two Pattern Grading Methods

Current apparel production methods grounded in a tradition of master-apprentice training and intuition are being challenged by the introduction of Artificial Intelligence. Much of the expert knowle...
Origins of crossed and uncrossed retinal projections in pigmented and albino mice

The extent of the binocular cortical field in albino mice, as revealed by recording from single cells, was almost normal; although the input from the ipsilateral eye was weaker than normal, most cells were driven from both eyes. By backfilling retinal ganglion cells from one optic tract with horseradish peroxidase we examined the origins of the retinofugal projections. Filled cells ipsilateral to the injected tract were concentrated in a crescent-shaped area bordering the inferior temporal retina. In black mice this area constituted 20% of the total retinal area, in albinos 17%. In black mice we counted nearly 1,000 labeled cell in the ipsilateral retina, or 2.6% of all cells filled in both eyes. Albinos had about one-third fewer filled cells ipsilaterally than black mice. Four percent of all ipsilaterally filled cells in black mice and 8% in albinnos were scattered outside of the crescent region. The density of ipsilaterally projecting cells was uniform throughout the crescent region in black mice, but decreased toward the central retina in albinos. In retinas contralateral to the injection up to 39,000 cells were filled—about two-thirds of the cells in the ganglion-cell layer whose cytoplasm contained conspicuous Nissl substance. Depending on classification of unfilled cells as ganglion cells or interneurons, we estimated a total 48,000 to 65,000 ganglion cells to exist in the retina. The size distribution of ipsilateraly projecting ganglion cells was similar in albinos and normals. Ipsilaterally projecting ganglion cells were on average 1.8–3 times larger in volume than contralaterally projecting ones in both types of mice. Displaced ganglion cells were relatively more common in ipsilateral retinofugal projections: 21% of all ipsilateral ganglion cells were displaced versus less than 1% of all the contralateral ganglion cells in black mice. In albinos only 13% of the ganglion cells in the ipsilateral retina were displaced. The overall reduction in ipsilaterally projecting cells in albinos was reflected twice as much in displaced ganglion cells as in normally placed ones.
Mass Needle Stick Injury in Children from the Western Cape

Illegal dumping of contaminated medical waste occurs commonly in South Africa. There is little information on the management and outcome of the children exposed to and injured by medical waste. On 15 September 1999, 54 children where involved in a mass exposure incident. 44 presented the same evening and 10 following day. Used needles and syringes were discarded on their soccer field. Children gave one another injections and played darts with the discarded needles. Parents were counselled and blood was drawn for HIV and Hepatitis B virus (HBV) serology. All were given HBV vaccination (HBVV). Stat doses of zidovudine (ZDV) and lamivudine (LMV) were given to all with visible wounds or history of percutaneous injury. Younger children were given prophylaxis as we considered their histories unreliable. Further visits were conducted at the community clinic for patient convenience. Children were reviewed at weeks 1 and 3 for drug adherence and side effects. At week 4, the second HBVV was given. At 3 months and 6 months HIV and HBV serology were repeated. 18/44 (40 per cent) had entry wounds. 44/54 (81 per cent) were given antiretroviral treatment (ART). Initial screening for HIV was negative in all, 6 had antibodies to HBV surface antigen, and 2 were HBV surface antigen positive. At week 1 all patients on ART were seen but at week 3 only 30 (55 per cent) attended. 41 (75 per cent) attended at 4 weeks, 8 non-attendees being located by primary healthcare workers. At 3 months, none of the 35 (64 per cent) children had seroconverted for either virus. 44 (81 per cent) attended at 6 months and all serology was negative. All were also Hepatitis C negative. The exposure incident sensitized the community to HIV. Follow up of patients after mass exposure is difficult and time-consuming. Adherence to ART was poor and should be carefully monitored. ZDV was probably adequate for this incident. In a non-mobile community a 3 month visit unnecessary.
Consumption smoothing in Russia

This paper uses panel data from rounds V–IX of the Russian Longitudinal Monitoring Survey (RLMS) to examine the extent to which households are able to protect their consumption from fluctuations in their income. It is found that consumption is only partially protected from idiosyncratic shocks to income with food consumption being better protected than non-food consumption expenditures. This suggests that adjustments in non-food expenditures may be an important component of the risk management tools of Russian households. The analysis also provides evidence on the extent and nature of the coping strategies adopted by households. It is demonstrated that households complement their self-insurance strategies, of borrowing, adjusting their labour supply, and selling assets, with informal risk sharing arrangements with households within their community. An examination of the role of sample selection confirmed that these findings are quite robust to this potential source of bias. Furthermore, accounting for the role of measurement and imputation errors in the measure of household income revealed that OLS estimates may yield a misleading picture about the extent to which urban and rural households are insured from idiosyncratic income shocks. JEL classification: D1, R2, P5.
Lung Surfactant Peptide-Mimic KL4 Improves Reversibility of Synthetic Model Lung Surfactant Collapse Behavior

We have investigated the origin of the effect of the peptide KL4 on lung surfactant lipid monolayers containing DPPC and POPG. Using surface balance techniques, fluorescence microscopy and atomic force microscopy we have observed that KL4 containing monolayers demonstrate an increased tolerance to repeated compression and expansion due to a softening in folding collapse behavior caused by direct interactions with POPG. This change in folding dynamics leads to increased monolayer reversibility due to almost complete reincorporation of folds upon expansion. We will discuss the potential role of KL4 in lowering the resistance to in-plane shear in POPG containing monolayers in the context of the overall importance of collapse mode in establishing robust and reversible synthetic model lung surfactant.