cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Preformed and de novo DSA are associated with T-cell-mediated rejection in pediatric liver transplant recipients requiring clinically indicated liver biopsy.

Despite growing interest about the impact of donor-specific HLA antibodies (DSA) in LT limited data are available for pediatric recipients. Our aim was to perform a retrospective single-center chart review of children (0-16 years) having undergone LT between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2017, to characterize DSA, to identify factors associated with the development of de novo DSA, and to analyze potential associations with the diagnosis of TCMR. Information on patient- and donor-characteristics and LB reports were analyzed retrospectively. Serum obtained before LT and at LB was analyzed for presence of recipient HLA antibody using Luminex® technology. MFI > 1000 was considered positive. In 63 pediatric LT recipients with a median follow-up of 72 months, the overall prevalence of de novo DSA was 60.3%. Most were directed against class II antigens (33/38, 86.8%). Preformed DSA were present in 30% of patients. Twenty-eight (28/63) patients (44.4%) presented at least one episode of TCMR, mostly (12/28, 43%) moderate (Banff 6-7). De novo DSA were significantly more frequent in patients with TCMR than in patients without (75% vs 48.6%, P = .03), and patients with preformed and de novo DSA had a significantly higher rate of TCMR than patients without any DSA (66.7% vs 20%, P = .02). Neither preformed DSA nor de novo DSA were associated with frequency or severity of TCMR. Recipients with lower weight at LT developed de novo DSA more frequently (P = .04). De novo DSA were highly prevalent in pediatric LT recipients. Although associated with the development of TCMR, they did not appear to impact the frequency or severity of TCMR or graft survival. Instead, de novo DSA may suggest a state of insufficient IS.
Comparing Standard Performance and Outcome Measures in Hospitalized Pituitary Tumor Patients with Secretory versus Nonsecretory Tumors.

Background Patient safety indicators (PSIs) and hospital-acquired conditions (HACs) are reported quality measures. We compared their prevalence in patients with secretory and nonsecretory pituitary adenoma using the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample (NIS), Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project, Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Methods The NIS was queried for hospitalizations 2002–2014 involving pituitary adenomas. Prevalence of PSI, HAC, and 9 pituitary-related complications was determined using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision codes. Patient risk factors were evaluated through multivariate analysis. Results A total of 20,743 patients with nonsecretory tumor and 3385 patients with secretory tumor were identified. Among patients with nonsecretory tumor, 3.79% experienced any PSI or HAC. Of patients with secretory tumor, 2.54% had any PSI or HAC. Before adjusting for covariation, secretory patients were less likely to have any PSI or HAC (odds ratio [OR], 0.652; P = 0.0002), experience any pituitary-related complication (OR, 0.804; P Conclusions Lack of significant difference in outcome measures after controlling for covariation is consistent with our finding that patients with nonsecretory tumor have more comorbidities on presentation for treatment. PSIs and HACs have limited ability to measure complications specific to pituitary tumors.
The subcutaneous implantable cardioverter-defibrillator: when less is more

Led by a tremendous effort by Mirowski et al. [(1)][1], the implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) was first successfully implanted in humans 35 years ago via an epicardial approach at the Johns Hopkins Hospital (Baltimore, Maryland). Subsequently, the development of transvenous leads and
CHAPTER 11:Controlling a Quantum Gas of Polar Molecules in an Optical Lattice

The production of molecules from dual-species atomic quantum gases has enabled experiments that employ molecules at nanokelvin temperatures. As a result, every degree of freedom of these molecules is in a well-defined quantum state and exquisitely controlled. These ultracold molecules open a new world of precision quantum chemistry in which quantum statistics, quantum partial waves, and even many-body correlations can play important roles. Moreover, to investigate the strongly correlated physics of many interacting molecular dipoles, we can mitigate chemical reactions, which would otherwise lead to loss of molecules from the desired quantum state, by controlling the dimensionality of the system using optical lattices formed by interfering laser fields. In a full three-dimensional optical lattice, chemical processes can be turned on or off by tuning the lattice depth, which allows us to configure an array of long-range interacting quantum systems with rich internal structure. Such a system represents an excellent platform for gaining fundamental insights to complex materials based on quantum simulations and also for quantum information processing in the future.
Droplet shape relaxation in a four-channel microfluidic hydrodynamic trap

Droplet dynamics in microconfined environments influence the behavior of liquid-liquid emulsions and multiphase flows. Here, a microfluidic hydrodynamic trap is used to study the shape relaxation of confined droplets following a perturbation of their spherical shape, to better understand droplet deformation events with varying viscosity ratios and droplet sizes.
Celia Sánchez Manduley: The Life and Legacy of a Cuban Revolutionary

Tiffany A. Sippial’s book is an intriguing expedition into the life of a woman who was a significant contributor to the Cuban insurrection and a principal architect of the first two decades of the ...
Multimodal Monitoring of Human Brain Organoids Implanted in Mice Using Transparent Microelectrodes

We present an in vivo platform merging stem cell technology, two-photon imaging, and electrophysiology with transparent graphene microelectrodes for longitudinal interrogation of human brain organoids implanted in the cortex of immunodeficient mice.
Osteosarcoma mechanobiology and therapeutic targets.

Osteosarcoma (OS) is the one of the most common primary tumors of bone with less than a 20% 5-year survival rate after the development of metastases. OS is highly predisposed in Paget's disease (PD) of bone, and both have common characteristic skeletal features due to rapid bone remodeling. OS prognosis is location dependent which further emphasizes the likely contribution of the bone microenvironment in its pathogenesis. Mechanobiology is the phenomenon when mechanical cues from the changing physical microenvironment of bone are transduced to biological pathways through mechanosensitive cellular components. Mechanobiology-driven therapies have been used for curbing tumor progression by direct alteration of the physical microenvironment or inhibition of metastasis-associated mechanosensitive proteins. This review emphasizes the contribution of mechanobiology to OS progression, and sheds light on current mechanobiology-based therapies and potential new targets for improving disease management. Additionally, the variety of 3D models currently used to study OS mechanobiology are summarized.
Recurring Spatiotemporal Patterns of COVID-19 in the United States (preprint)

We analyzed the waxing and waning patterns ('surges') of reported SARS-CoV-2 cases from January 1, 2020 through Oct 31, 2021 in all states and provinces (n = 93) in the USA, Mexico, and Canada, and across all counties (N = 3142) in the USA. A correlation matrix of the 576 x 576 daily case incidence rates in the 50 US states generates a distinctive 'checkerboard' pattern showing that the epidemic has consisted of seven distinct internally coherent spatiotemporal wave patterns, four in the first year of the epidemic, and three thus far in the second year. Geoclustering of state case rate trajectories reveals three dominant co-varying spatial clusters of similar case rate trajectories, in the northeastern, southeastern and central/western regions of the USA. The spatiotemporal patterns of epidemic year 1 have thus far been repeated (p<.001) in epidemic year 2. The 'checkerboard' pattern of the correlation matrix of case trajectories can be closely simulated as three sets of interacting sine waves with annual frequencies of 1:1:2 major cycles per year, corresponding to the northeastern, central/western, and southeastern state clusters. Case incidence patterns in Mexico and Canada have been similar to nearby regions in the southern US and the northern US, respectively. Time lapse videos allow visualization of the wave patterns. These highly structured geographical and temporal patterns, coupled with emerging evidence of annual repetition of these same patterns, show that SARS-CoV-2 case rates are driven at least in part by predictable seasonal factors.
Transurethral vesicovaginal extraction of stone: Nonoperative approach for intramural ureteral calculi in women

Herein we describe a new technique for the removal of an impacted intramural ureteral calculus in a female patient. The stone was extracted by digital manipulation with the index finger of one hand in the bladder and the index and middle fingers of the other hand in the vagina. The relative ease of performing the procedure and the absence of any immediate and long-term postoperative morbidity and complications warrant further use of this technique.
Gene Therapy for Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Neurodevelopmental disorders (NDDs) are a heterogeneous group of devastating conditions characterised by impairments of the central nervous system early during course of development and maturation. Although common NDDs tend to have complex aetiology, other major NDDs are inherited disorders with a known single-gene or chromosomal abnormality. Effective treatments are rare for these diseases. The most critical challenges in therapeutic development are the broad, complex neuropathology and circumventing the blood–brain barrier. Gene therapy has been a promising approach for treating NDDs, especially monogenic disorders. With recent progress in understanding the disease mechanisms, and improvements to gene delivery vectors and strategies, the clinical potential of gene therapy for NDDs is being realised. This is particularly true for the neuropathic lysosomal storage diseases, in which multiple promising vector administration approaches are under development. Key Concepts: Gene therapy provides therapeutics by delivery of targeted genes. Monogenic NDDs are good candidates for gene therapies that target the root causes. Neuropathology of NDDs is usually broad or global in the CNS. The blood–brain barrier poses a major challenge for CNS gene delivery. Adeno-associated virus serotype 9 vector has the ability to cross the blood–brain barrier. Keywords: neurodevelopmental diseases (NDDs); CNS gene delivery; viral vectors; adeno-associated virus; blood–brain barrier (BBB)
Improved pairwise alignment of proteins in the Twilight Zone using local structure predictions

Recent advances in the ability to discriminate between homologous and non-homologous proteins in the "Twilight Zone" of sequence similarity, must be accompanied by accurate alignments if they are to be of value to molecular modelers. Pairwise alignments require a measure of evolutionary distance, traditionally modeled using global amino acid substitution matrices. But real differences in the likelihood of substitutions may exist for different structural contexts within proteins, since structure contributes to the selective pressure. HMMSUM (HMMSTR-based SUbstitution Matrices) is a new model for structure-dependent amino acid substitution probabilities consisting of a set of 281 matrices, one for each of the sequence-structure contexts defined in HMMSTR (a Hidden Markov Model for protein STRucture). HMMSUM does not require the structure of the protein to be known, using HMMSTR predictions instead. Alignments using the HMMSUM compare favorably BLOSUM50 alignments when validated against curated remote homolog alignments from BAIiBASE.
Atmospheric and Oceanic Computational Science

The first workshop on Atmospheric and Oceanic Computational Science brings together computational and domain scientists who develop computational tools for the study of the atmosphere and oceans. These tools are essential for understanding and prediciting weather, air and water pollution, and the evolution of the planet's climate. The dynamics of the atmosphere and of the oceans is driven by a multitude of physical processes and is characterized by a multiple spatial and temporal scales. Moreover, the computations are very large scale: present day models track the time evolution of tens of millions to tens of billions variables. These factors make atmospheric and oceanic simulations a challenging, vibrant research field with a tremendous impact on society at large. Topics covered in this symposium include new methods for spatial and temporal discretization, parallel and high performance computing, advances with existing models, and data assimilation and observation targeting algorithms.
Octave-spanning supercontinuum generation in in situ tapered As₂S₃ fiber pumped by a thulium-doped fiber laser.

We report a supercontinuum spanning well over an octave of measurable bandwidth from about 1 to 3.7 μm in a 2.1 mm long As2S3 fiber taper using the in situ tapering method. A sub-100-fs mode-locked thulium-doped fiber laser system with ∼300 pJ of pulse energy was used as the pump source. Third-harmonic generation was observed and currently limits the pump pulse energy and achievable spectral bandwidth.
Alterations of the human electroencephalogram induced by stressful verbal activity

Abstract Certain auto- and cross-spectral components of the EEG appear to be characteristic of responses to verbal stimuli. Employing a discriminant-analysis procedure applied to spectral parameters, it proved possible to separate subjectively stressful from non-stressful verbal stimuli, and to determine distinctive EEG responses to verbal stimuli of similar stress value differing only in semantic content. The EEG components characteristic of these response states were consistent over small populations, and the criteria developed for their identification proved valid over several different subjects without requiring individual calibration. Other, individual-specific characteristics of the EEG were observed consistently to parallel the cyclical occurrence of several constituent epochs in a twenty-item question-answer sequence.
Refractory radicals generated by pick-up molecular beam techniques

Abstract A new method of the generation of “cold” molecular beam samples of high temperature refractory compounds is described. The method combines the simplicity of an electron bombardment effusive oven for the generation of refractory compounds with the advantage of supersonic expansion. The applicability of the technique is de monstrated by recording the high-resolution laser-induced fluorescence (LIF) spectra of the (0, 0) B 2Σ+−X 2Σ+ (ν00=16855.14 cm−1) band system of CaCl. A comparison with the LIF spectra for a molecular beam sample of CaCl generated by conventional effusive oven techniques is made.
Effect of Early Referral to an Endocrinologist on Efficiency and Cost of Evaluation and Development of Treatment Plan in Patients with Thyroid Nodules

Radionuclide uptake and scan and sonogram, frequently ordered before referral to an endocrinologist, are expensive and poor predictors of thyroid nodule malignancy. We estimated costs of excessive imaging and other studies by reviewing the records of all patients (n = 70) referred to a single, consulting endocrinologist, for thyroid nodule evaluation in a 2-yr interval and subsequently, presenting only pertinent histories and results of physical examinations, thyroid function tests, and thyroid autoantibodies, to a second, reviewing endocrinologist (RE) who was blinded to diagnosis and management. Concordance in diagnosis and management between consulting endocrinologist and RE was 87.1% and 93.4%, respectively. Accuracy of diagnosis, loss of patient’s time (8.7 h, average), and cost of unnecessary testing, defined as tests not required by the RE for diagnosis and management according to published guidelines, were determined. Unnecessary testing included 153 physician’s office or diagnostic laboratory vis...
Cellular mechanism of ischemic acute renal failure: role of Ca2+ and calcium entry blockers.

This presentation briefly reviews the cellular mechanism of ischemic acute renal failure (ARF) with particular emphasis on the role of Ca2+ and calcium entry blockers (CEB). Vascular consequences of an ischemic renal insult including vasoconstriction, diminished glomerular permeability, loss of autoregulation, and hypersensitivity to renal nerve stimulation may relate to increased cellular Ca2+ concentration in the renal afferent arteriole and glomerular mesangial cells. Evidence is also presented that the ischemic injury to tubular plasma membranes is associated with increased Ca2+ uptake. With an ischemic insult of a short duration, the renal mitochondria are able to buffer the increased cellular Ca2+. However, after an ischemic insult of long duration, the Ca2+ overloaded mitochondria deteriorate, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis decreases, and cell death follows. If a sufficient number of renal tubular cells undergo this cell death, tubular obstruction, i.e. the maintenance phase of ARF, occurs.
Observations on Creaming of Cottage Cheese

Abstract A method of measuring the amount of free dressing or free liquid in a carton of creamed Cottage Cheese was devised by standardizing size of draining surface, time, temperature, and other conditions having possible effects on such an empirical test. Increases in the following factors increased the amount of dressing retained per 100 g. of curd and decreased curd firmness: holding time after creaming, curd breakage, pH, and fat in the finished cheese—providing the increase in fat was attained by adding more dressing with the same fat content. Higher temperature of holding creamed cheese decreased firmness of curd but had little effect on amount of dressing retained. Adding stabilizers to thicken the dressing or increasing pressures used for homogenizing dressing caused more retention of dressing. Increasing salt from 0 to 2% increased the amount of dressing retained and decreased firmness of curd, but adding higher percentages reversed these effects. This study indicated the probable functioning of two separate mechanisms affecting the retention of dressing by curd: one was the absorption of serum from the dressing by the curd, and the other was adsorption of dressing on the surface of the curd.
Small-signal modulation and differential gain of red-emitting (λ = 630 nm) InGaN/GaN quantum dot lasers

We report small-signal modulation bandwidth and differential gain measurements of a ridge waveguide In0.4Ga0.6N/GaN quantum dot laser grown by molecular beam epitaxy. The laser peak emission is at λ = 630 nm. The −3 dB bandwidth of an 800 μm long device was measured to be 2.4 GHz at 250 mA under pulsed biasing, demonstrating the possibility of high-speed operation of these devices. The differential gain was measured to be 5.3 × 10−17 cm2, and a gain compression factor of 2.87 × 10−17 cm3 is also derived from the small-signal modulation response.
Bootstrap Elasticity III: Minimal Nonlinear Constitutive Representation for Cubic Materials

A constitutive representation is presented for nonlinear elastic materials with cubic symmetry. This representation is expressed by means of six polynomial tensor generators, and therefore is a minimal representation. In the limit of small strains this representation reduces to linear elasticity.
Evaluation of coagulation during cardiopulmonary bypass with a heparinase-modified thromboelastographic assay

Thromboelastography (TEG) is a useful method of assessing perioperative coagulation function in patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The presence of significant amounts of heparin in blood samples, however, prevents determination of changes in coagulation function by TEG or introduces artifactual error if samples contain heparin that is not present in vivo. For these reasons, whole blood coagulation function monitoring with TEG has not been feasible during cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) with heparin anticoagulation. In this study, data obtained from 42 volunteers are presented to describe the effects of heparinase on TEG variables in the presence and absence of heparin. These data indicate that heparinase does not affect TEG parameters of whole blood not containing heparin and reverses the TEG effects of low levels of heparin contamination. Subsequently, 51 patients undergoing coronary artery surgery were studied using a modified TEG assay that incorporates in vitro application of heparinase to allow measurement of TEG parameters before, during, and after CPB. Heparinase-modified TEG assays facilitated diagnosis of heparin contamination in preoperative blood samples and permitted baseline TEG evaluation in patients receiving preoperative heparin infusions. Heparinase-modified TEG assays revealed declines in alpha and MA values during CPB, which persisted and significantly correlated with values after protamine infusion (alpha: r = 0.77, P = 0.001; MA: r = 0.78, P = 0.001).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Energy-efficient flow aggregation for IPTV program delivery in optical backbone networks with multiple line rates

Considering energy efficiency for IPTV program delivery in optical backbone networks with multiple available line rates, we propose energy-efficient flow aggregation to guarantee that the total energy consumption to deliver the programs is minimized.
Abnormal regulation of hepatic glucocorticoid receptor mRNA and receptor protein distribution in the obese Zucker rat.

This study examines the cellular distribution of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) protein and transcriptional activity of the GR gene in the liver of Zucker obese (fa/fa) rats. Immunoabsorption and Western blotting showed an increase in nuclear GR protein level but a decrease in cytosolic GR levels in the liver of 5-week old male obese rats (fa/fa) compared to their lean littermates (Fa/-). These changes were confirmed by receptor-ligand binding assays with [3H]-dexamethasone which showed a sixfold increase in average obese nuclear GR binding and a twofold reduction in cytosolic GR binding. HSP90, but not HSP70, levels were reduced in hepatic cytosol and increased in hepatic nuclei prepared from obese rats. Using Northern blot analysis of hepatic RNA, we demonstrated a twofold increase in hepatic mRNAs for GR, malic enzyme (ME), tyrosine aminotransferase (TAT), and glyceraldehyde 3-P04-dehydroge-nase in the obese rat. Increased transcription of GR and ME mRNAs in obese nuclei was indicated in nuclear run-on assays. These data suggest that there is increased nuclear localization of GR in the liver of obese rats and suggests that increased transcription of the GR gene may contribute to this effect. The described changes may contribute to the abnormal regulation by glucocorticoids of some hepatic genes in the Zucker fa/fa rat.
Administrative Systems and Metropolitan Regions

In recent years the two-tier model of metropolitan government has declined in importance as metropolitan authorities have been circumscribed, weakened, or abolished. At the same time, however, new urban patterns and changing political and economic circumstances are creating needs that point to the continued validity of the two-tier model. In particular, economic pressures resulting from global competition, and societal pressures associated with the need for sustainable development, are providing a basis for new responsibilities and new expectations with regard to metropolitan governance, and there continues to be a case for two scales of response. A major point of difference from the past is that the metropolitan scale is now much larger in spatial terms, and as a result it is useful to consider the upper tier in terms of regional or mesolevel government, and the concept of city-region, adapted to present-day circumstances, may provide a useful framework for future development. Recent proposals for Toront...
Adjoint of a parameterized moisture convection model

Adjoint models have found use as “dynamical tracers”, helping to track a feature or phenomenon back to its origin. Their application to the study of atmospheric convection, however, is challenged by the complexity and nonlinearity of diabatic processes. Herein, the adjoint of a significantly simpler parameterized moisture (PM) model is described and tested. The PM model eliminates explicit moisture by making latent heating conditionally proportional to updraft velocity and providing a lower tropospheric heat sink mimicking rainwater evaporation. The PM adjoint, of course, is useful only if the parameterization can produce realistic results. Earlier work suggested that the PM framework possessed a fundamental flaw that made its storms have an excessive impact on their upstream environments. In fact, the adjoint was used to identify the origin of the discrepancies between PM and traditional cloud model storms, thereby leading to the parameterization improvements and dynamical insights recently discussed in Fovell (2002). The present paper is a companion to that study, describing how the adjoint model was constructed, tested and utilized. In addition, an even more realistic adjoint framework is described.
Sensory thresholds and the antinociceptive effects of GABA receptor agonists in mice lacking the β3 subunit of the GABAA receptor

Abstract A line of mice was recently created in which the gabrb3 gene, which encodes the β3 subunit of the GABAA receptor, was inactivated by gene-targeting. The existence of mice with a significantly reduced population of GABAA receptors in the CNS enabled an investigation of the role of GABA and GABAA receptors in nociception. The present study examined the sensory thresholds of these mice, as well as the antinociceptive effects of subcutaneously or intrathecally administered GABAA and GABAB receptor agonists. Homozygous null (β3−/−) mice displayed enhanced responsiveness to low-intensity thermal stimuli in the tail-flick and hot-plate test compared to C57BL/6J and 129/SvJ progenitor strain mice, and their wild-type (β3+/+) and heterozygous (β3+/−) littermates. The β3−/− mice also exhibited enhanced responsiveness to innocuous tactile stimuli compared to C57BL/6J, 129/SvJ and to their β3+/+ littermates as assessed by von Frey filaments. The presence of thermal hyperalgesia and tactile allodynia in β3−/− mice is consistent with a loss of inhibition mediated by presynaptic and postsynaptic GABAA receptors in the spinal cord. As expected, subcutaneous administration of the GABAA receptor agonist 4,5,6,7-tetrahydroisoxazolo-(5,4-c)pyridin-3-ol did not produce antinociception in β3−/− mice, whereas it produced a dose-dependent increase in hot-plate latency in C57BL/6J, 129/SvJ, β3+/+ and β3+/− mice. However, the antinociceptive effect of the GABAB receptor agonist baclofen in the tail-flick and hot-plate tests was also reduced in β3−/− mice compared to the progenitor strains, β3+/+ or β3+/− mice after either subcutaneous or intrathecal administration. This finding was unexpected and suggests that a reduction in GABAA receptors can affect the production of antinociception by other analgesic drugs as well.
Synthesis of a pyrimido[4,5-b]azepine analog of 5,10-dideaza-5,6,7,8-tetrahydrofolic acid (DDATHF)

Abstract The synthesis and biological evaluation of a pyrimido[4,5- b ]azepine-based analog of DDATHF, a potential chemotherapeutic agent, are described.
Avaliação do estado nutricional de bananeiras do subgrupo Cavendish no estado de São Paulo: normas dris e níveis críticos de nutrientes

Preliminary DRIS norms and leaf nutrient critical levels (NCL) for Cavendish bananas growing in plantations of Sao Paulo State (Brazil) are presented. DRIS norms and NCL were established from a data bank of leaf nutrient concentration (N, P, K, Ca, Mg, B, Cu, Fe, Mn and Zn) and yield of banana with 188 samples. Data bank comprises information from plants of Grand Naine and Giant Cavendish growing in irrigated and non-irrigated areas, with different sources and rates of fertilizers during five crop cycles. Despite of the great diversity of cropping conditions, the regression between nutrient balance index and fruit yield was significant (R2=0.60; p<0.0001). The NCLs were derived using multiple linear regressions relating to the foliar nutrient concentration with DRIS indices of all nutrients. These values were similar to those presented in the literature, except the NCL for K which the value for local conditions was lower.
Eutrophication and Land Use: Lake Dillon, Colorado

How and why a body of water responds to nutrient enrichment have been major questions facing aquatic ecologists for the past several decades. This book presents a 2-year case study of Lake Dillon, a mesotrophic reservoir in Colorado which is likely to receive higher nutrient input in the future. The authors claim three goals for the study: (1) to provide a comprehensive set of limnological data on the lake, (2) to detail present nutrient sources of the lake and how they relate to land use, and (3) to construct a model capable of predicting the trophic status of the lake given likely changes in land use. The authors are successful in accomplishing the first goal, do moderately in accomplishing the second, but leave the reader wondering about the third.
Mechanical determinants of nectar feeding strategy in hummingbirds: energetics, tongue morphology, and licking behavior

To explore the mechanical determinants of feeding strategies for nectar feeders, we develop a fluid dynamical and behavioral model describing the mechanics and energetics of capillary feeding in hummingbirds. Behavioral and morphological data for Calypte and Archilochus are used to test and illustrate this model. We emphasize the important differences between capillary and suction mechanisms of fluid feeding. Model predictions of nectar intake rates and nectar volumes per lick are consistent with observed values for Calypte anna. The optimal nectar concentration maximizing rate of energy intake depends on tongue morphology and licking behavior. For hummingbirds exhibiting optimal licking behavior, the optimal nectar concentration is 35–40% sucrose for feeding on large nectar volumes. For small nectar volumes, the optimal concentration is 20–25%. The model also identifies certain tongue morphologies and licking frequencies maximizing energy intake, that are consistent with available observations on licking behavior and tongue design in nectar feeding birds. These predictions differ qualitatively from previous results for suction feeding in butterflies. The model predicts that there is a critical food canal radius above which suction feeding is superior to capillary feeding in maximizing the rate of energy intake; the tongues of most hummingbirds and sunbirds fall above this critical radius. The development of suction feeding by nectarivorous birds may be constrained by the elastic properties of their flexible tongues. Our results show that, in terms of morphology, scaling, and energetics, different mechanisms of feeding on the same food resource can lead to qualitatively different predictions about optimal design and feeding strategies.
Ideas and Consequences: Richard Weaver, Sharon Crowley, and Rhetorical Politics

Although it has been ten years since Sharon Crowley called for Richard M. Weaver's exclusion from the canon of rhetorical history, Weaver's rhetorical positions have never been stronger, utilized in movements such as the Tea Party and current conservative rhetoric. While Crowley (2001) argued that Weaver's Platonism came from his reaction to Roosevelt's politics, this archival study suggests that Weaver was much more pragmatic than his political pronouncements have led scholars, such as Crowley, to believe. Before Weaver wrote polemical works such as “To Write the Truth,” he operated within the constraints of the philosophically rigid institutional culture of neo-Aristotelianism, and the archival record demonstrates his attenuation to this rhetorical situation. The implications for these findings diminish the effectiveness of his appropriation by political movements that are based in foundationalistic rhetoric. These implications also demonstrate how rhetorical scholarship has utilized the polemical natur...
Insights into structure and function of ionotropic glutamate receptor channels: Starting from channel block

Ionotropic glutamate receptors (iGluRs) are modular proteins that contain ion channel permeable to different cations including calcium. The physiological role of iGluRs is mainly defined by the fact that currents conducted by their channels underlie communication between neurons in the majority of synapses in our brain. Knowing the structure and function of iGluR channel will not only give us a clue to how our brain works but also may help us to develop drugs for the treatment of multiple neurological disorders. Here I give a brief historical overview of the progress made in studies of iGluR channel structure and function that started more than two decades ago with studies of ion channel block.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy following treatment with bendamustine and rituximab

A 66-year-old female developed progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) 17 months after treatment with bendamustine and rituximab chemoimmunotherapy. During her evaluation for PML, she was found to have a CD4 count of 176 cells/μL (reference range 492–1740). The patient demonstrated spontaneous recovery of symptoms that occurred in parallel with recovery of the CD4 counts. While PML is associated with rituximab therapy, the timing and patients’ clinical course are atypical, raising the possibility of a previously unreported association with bendamustine therapy.
On chiral bosonization

Abstract We examine the bosonization of chiral fermions in a gravitational background, using a path integral approach. The bosonic model is given by an action proposed some time ago by Floreanini and Jackiw, suitably coupled to gravity. We use a regulator for the path integral measure obtained from the general construction of Diaz, Hatsuda, Troost, van Nieuwenhuizen and Van Proeyen. We show that the effective actions are identical.
Finding Prototypes For Nearest Neighbor Classifiers

A nearest neighbor classifier is one which assigns a pattern to the class of the nearest prototype. An algorithm is given to find prototypes for a nearest neighbor classifier. The idea is to start with every sample in a training set as a prototype, and then successively merge any two nearest prototypes of the same class so long as the recognition rate is not downgraded. The algorithm is very effective. For example, when it was applied to a training set of 514 cases of liver disease, only 34 prototypes were found necessary to achieve the same recognition rate as the one using the 514 samples of the training set as prototypes. Furthermore, the number of prototypes in the algorithm need not be specified beforehand.
A note on endogenous growth and scale effects

Abstract This paper reconciles the recent vs. very long-run evidence on scale effects in endogenous growth models by extending Howitt's (1999) model to include a subsistence constraint in consumption. Scale effects will be present only when this constraint is binding.
Twenty‐eight retinas but only twelve eyes: An anatomical analysis of the larval visual system of the diving beetle Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae)

The larvae of the sunburst diving beetle, Thermonectus marmoratus (Coleoptera: Dytiscidae), are highly efficient visually guided predators. Their visual system consists of a cluster of six stemmata and one eye patch on each side of the head capsule. Histological investigations show that the organization of individual stemmata differs strongly from any eye that has previously been described. Based on general morphology, ultrastructural data, and the presence of actin-rich areas that are typical for rhabdoms, we find that each eye is characterized by several retinas. The most dorsal eye on each side is relatively long and tubular, and we have identified three spatially distinct areas with retinula cells: 1) a band of two rows of rhabdoms along the medial side of the eye tube; 2) a flattened cone-shaped region towards the bottom of the tube that is formed by the rhabdoms of retinula cells that are oriented perpendicular to the light path; and 3) two horizontal rows of long rhabdoms parallel to the light path at the base of the tube. A second large eye is organized similarly but lacks the medial band. The remaining four eyes are nearly spherical and each has two distinct retinas. The 12 eyes hence account for a total of 26 retinas, and two further retinas are present in eye patches lacking lenses. Our anatomical findings suggest that this is an example of a visual system in which specific visual tasks are distributed among the eyes, and which relies on a variety of highly specialized retinas. J. Comp. Neurol. 497:166–181, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A “Chiral Aldehyde” Equivalent as a Building Block Towards Biologically Active Targets

Chiral gamma-aryloxybutenolides, readily accessible through dynamic kinetic asymmetric transformation (DYKAT) of racemic acyloxybutenolides, were utilized as "chiral aldehyde" building blocks for intermolecular cycloadditions and Michael reactions. Unprecedented selectivity in trimethylenemethane cycloadditions with this building block allowed an efficient synthesis of a novel metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 antagonist in development by the Bayer corporation. These studies further inspired work that culminated in the total synthesis of (+)-brefeldin A, a natural product with a range of significant biological properties. All of the stereochemistry in this target molecule was derived from two palladium-catalyzed asymmetric allylic alkylation reactions. The trans-alkenes were synthesized by a Julia olefination and a ruthenium-catalyzed trans-hydrosilylation-protodesilylation protocol. The route to (+)-brefeldin A lends itself to analogue syntheses and was completed in 18 steps in 6 % overall yield.
An improved plaque assay for viruses infecting poikilothermic cells; use of ultralow-gelling-temperature agarose.

Abstract The conventional plaque assay for viruses infecting poikilothermic cells is difficult because the cells are easily damaged at temperatures needed to keep the agarose overlay from solidifying prematurely. A modification of the assay in which these problems were solved by use of a new type of agarose (SeaPrep 15 45 ) that remains liquid above 15°C, was developed. Use of this agarose made it easy to obtain smooth agar overlays without the risk of thermal damage to the cells.
Would a rising yen mean global turmoil

Since 1995, Japan has had low interest rates and a depreciating value of the yen against the U.S. dollar. So global investors have borrowed funds in Japan to invest in other global markets. But any indication of change in fundamentals can cause severe global financial turmoil, warn the authors of this article. They explain what signs investors need to watch to avert disaster, and how investors should protect themselves. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Fiber-optics coupled detector arrays using thin film cadmium sulfide Schottky diodes

Epitaxial films of cadmium sulfide grown on silicon and on germanium are used as the basis for Pt-CdS photovoltaic Schottky diodes. The CdS films are vacuum deposited using a resistance heated source and an alumina crucible. The rate of deposition is approximately 300 Angstroms per minute, and the substrate temperature during deposition is 275°C. The platinum films are deposited from a second, tungsten, resistance heated source at a rate of about 7 Angstroms per minute. The thicknesses of the CdS and Pt films are typically 1 micron and 40 Angstroms, respectively. Electrical contact to the platinum electrode is made by thermocompression bonding gold wire to an aluminum pad deposited on the platinum.
IMT as a risk marker: the plot thickens.

Atherosclerotic cardiovascular diseases (myocardial infarction, stroke, peripheral arterial disease) remain the leading causes of morbidity, mortality and disability in industrialized countries. The pathogenesis and progression of atherosclerosis involve complex interactions between the arterial wall and inflammatory, dietary, hemodynamic, genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors. From a primary prevention standpoint, there is heightened interest in the ability to identify individuals without clinically manifest atherosclerosis who are at increased risk for adverse events. The hope is that these individuals could be targeted for more aggressive intervention strategies that would mitigate the adverse clinical outcomes associated with atherosclerotic diseases. Atherosclerosis is a systemic disease involving the deposition of lipids in the arterial intima (initially) and the infiltration of inflammatory cells, predominantly in large and medium sized arteries. Whereas catheter-based angiographic techniques are diagnostically very useful in the advanced stages of atherosclerosis, they are of limited utility in the early stages of disease. This is because angiography is unable to detect (or underestimates the burden of) atherosclerotic plaques that have limited encroachment into the vascular lumen, due, in part, to the compensatory Glagov remodeling of the arteries. Thus, the cornerstone of imaging early atherosclerosis has relied on modalities that assess structural properties of the arterial wall.
Fractures and other injuries from falls after an ice storm.

This is a retrospective review of all patients seen at an urban emergency department for 9 days after an ice storm because of a fall on ice. Date of presentation, age, sex, and anatomic location and type of injury were tabulated. Risk factors for fractures were identified. A total of 327 injuries were identified in 259 patients. Back injury was most common (19.3%). Ninety-one patients sustained 93 fractures. Ankle fractures were most common (24.7%), followed by fractures of wrist (19.4%) and hip (14.0%). Ankle fractures were more common than other studies of falls after a snow storm. Fracture was significantly related to age (P = .0001). There was a trend for women to sustain fractures (P = .07). Unlike other mass casualty events, fractures and injuries peaked on the 5th and 6th day after the storm, allowing adequate time for mobilizing resources to care for the injured.
Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus encoded viral FLICE inhibitory protein K13 activates NF-κB pathway independent of TRAF6, TAK1 and LUBAC.

BACKGROUND: Kaposi's sarcoma associated herpesvirus encoded viral FLICE inhibitory protein (vFLIP) K13 activates the NF-κB pathway by binding to the NEMO/IKKγ subunit of the IκB kinase (IKK) complex. However, it has remained enigmatic how K13-NEMO interaction results in the activation of the IKK complex. Recent studies have implicated TRAF6, TAK1 and linear ubiquitin chains assembled by a linear ubiquitin chain assembly complex (LUBAC) consisting of HOIL-1, HOIP and SHARPIN in IKK activation by proinflammatory cytokines. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: Here we demonstrate that K13-induced NF-κB DNA binding and transcriptional activities are not impaired in cells derived from mice with targeted disruption of TRAF6, TAK1 and HOIL-1 genes and in cells derived from mice with chronic proliferative dermatitis (cpdm), which have mutation in the Sharpin gene (Sharpin(cpdm/cpdm)). Furthermore, reconstitution of NEMO-deficient murine embryonic fibroblast cells with NEMO mutants that are incapable of binding to linear ubiquitin chains supported K13-induced NF-κB activity. K13-induced NF-κB activity was not blocked by CYLD, a deubiquitylating enzyme that can cleave linear and Lys63-linked ubiquitin chains. On the other hand, NEMO was required for interaction of K13 with IKK1/IKKα and IKK2/IKKβ, which resulted in their activation by "T Loop" phosphorylation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: Our results demonstrate that K13 activates the NF-κB pathway by binding to NEMO which results in the recruitment of IKK1/IKKα and IKK2/IKKβ and their subsequent activation by phosphorylation. Thus, K13 activates NF-κB via a mechanism distinct from that utilized by inflammatory cytokines. These results have important implications for the development of therapeutic agents targeting K13-induced NF-κB for the treatment of KSHV-associated malignancies.
Building accurate geometric models from abundant range imaging information

The authors define two simple metrics for accuracy of models built from range imaging information. They apply the metric to a model built from a recent range image taken at the Laser Radar Development and Evaluation Facility (LDERF), Eglin AFB, using a Scannerless Range Imager (SRI) from Sandia National Laboratories. They also present graphical displays of the residual information produced as a byproduct of this measurement, and discuss mechanisms that these data suggest for further improvement in the performance of this already impressive SRI.
Analytic continuation of real-time correlation functions to obtain thermal rate constants for chemical reaction

Abstract It is shown how a particular correlation function, computed quantum mechanically or semiclassically as a function of real-time, can be analytically continued to obtain thermal rate constants (or other thermally averaged quantities) over a wide range of temperature. The correlation function is first evaluated at a reference temperature, and then analytically continued to obtain information at other desired temperatures. The method is applied to the calculation of the thermal rate constant for the Cl+H2→HCl+H (J=0) reaction using the flux correlation function formalism, and it is seen to be capable of obtaining accurate rate constants over a broad temperature range.
Infominer: mining surprising periodic patterns

In this paper, we focus on mining surprising periodic patterns in a sequence of events. In many applications, e.g., computational biology, an infrequent pattern is still considered very significant if its actual occurrence frequency exceeds the prior expectation by a large margin. The traditional metric, such as support, is not necessarily the ideal model to measure this kind of surprising patterns because it treats all patterns equally in the sense that every occurrence carries the same weight towards the assessment of the significance of a pattern regardless of the probability of occurrence. A more suitable measurement, information, is introduced to naturally value the degree of surprise of each occurrence of a pattern as a continuous and monotonically decreasing function of its probability of occurrence. This would allow patterns with vastly different occurrence probabilities to be handled seamlessly. As the accumulated degree of surprise of all repetitions of a pattern, the concept of information gain is proposed to measure the overall degree of surprise of the pattern within a data sequence. The bounded information gain property is identified to tackle the predicament caused by the violation of the downward closure property by the information gain measure and in turn provides an efficient solution to this problem. Empirical tests demonstrate the efficiency and the usefulness of the proposed model.