cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Interaction ofAspergillus FumigatusSpores and Pulmonary Alveolar Macrophages of Rabbits

The in vitro and in vivo interaction of rabbit pulmonary alveolar macrophages (PAM) and Aspergillus fumigatus spores was studied. In vitro experiments showed that PAM from normal rabbits failed to appreciably kill A. fumigatus spores in 4 hours, while A. flavus and A. niger spores were destroyed effectively. Prior opsonization of the spores with normal rabbit serum, rabbit anti-A. fumigatus serum, complement or lung lavage fluid has no profound enhancing effect on the phagocytosis or killing of the spores. Activated macrophages, however, killed slightly more spores than normal macrophages. When A. fumigatus spores were injected intratracheally into rabbits, no dissemination to organs other than the lungs was detected during the first hour, while dissemination to the liver, spleen and kidneys was observed one hour after the inoculation. Free spores in the bronchoalveolar washings and ingested spores in macrophages diminished in 4 hours, while spores in the lung homogenate increased considerably.
Electrochemically activated carbon micro-electrode arrays for electrochemical micro-capacitors

Abstract Interdigitated carbon micro-electrode arrays for micro-capacitors are fabricated through the carbon microelectromechanical systems (C-MEMS) technique which is based on the carbonization of patterned photoresist. To improve the capacitive behavior, electrochemical activation is performed on carbon micro-electrode arrays. Cyclic voltammetry (CV) and galvanostatic charge–discharge results demonstrate that the electrochemical activation effectively increases the capacitance of the micro-electrode arrays by three orders of magnitude. Although the charge–discharge experiments show the non-ideal behavior of micro-capacitors, the specific geometric capacitance reaches as high as 75 mF cm−2 at a scan rate of 5 mV s−1 after electrochemical activation for 30 min. The capacitance loss is less than 13% after 1000 CV cycles. These results indicate that electrochemically activated C-MEMS micro-electrode arrays are promising candidates for on-chip electrochemical micro-capacitor application.
Should all oocyte donors receive prophylactic antibiotics for retrieval

In a retrospective study comparing 526 oocyte donors who received prophylactic antibiotics for oocyte retrieval with a comparable group of 625 who did not, the incidence of infection after retrieval was reduced from 0.4% to 0 in the group receiving antibiotics. Donors take risks but have no medical indication for the procedures that they undergo; our data suggest that prophylactic antibiotics at retrieval should be considered to minimize the risk of infection.
Improving immunotherapy by conditionally enhancing MHC class I presentation of tumor antigen-derived peptide epitopes

Tumors represent an "altered" self cell type that can be recognized by both the host humoral (B cells, antibodies) and cellular (T cells) adaptive immune systems. "Because most known tumor-associated antigens (TAA) recognized by T cells represent overexpressed or aberrantly expressed proteins, which are not mutated and to which tolerance has been developed, the anti-TAA T-cell repertoire available to the cancer patient is of moderate-to-low avidity. Specific vaccinations typically amplify the absolute number of such T cells, but may have little consequence on improving their functional avidity, which may fall below a critical threshold required for effective recognition of tumor cells in situ. This review will discuss methods to improve low-avidity T-cell recognition of cancer cells by manipulating the tumor cells themselves to conditionally express higher levels of TAA-derived peptide epitopes presented in major histocompatibility (MHC) complexes. This may facilitate the design and performance of novel combinational therapies for the effective treatment of a broad range of cancer types.
Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungal communities change among three stages of primary sand dune succession but do not alter plant growth

Plant interactions with soil biota could have a significant impact on plant successional trajectory by benefiting plants in a particular successional stage over others. The influence of soil mutualists such as mycorrhizal fungi is thought to be an important feedback component, yet they have shown benefits to both early and late successional plants that could either retard or accelerate succession. Here we first determine if arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi differ among three stages of primary sand dune succession and then if they alter growth of plants from particular successional stages. We isolated AM fungal inoculum from early, intermediate or late stages of a primary dune succession and compared them using cloning and sequencing. We then grew eight plant species that dominate within each of these successional stages with each AM fungal inoculum. We measured fungal growth to assess potential AM functional differences and plant growth to determine if AM fungi positively or negatively affect plants. AM fungi isolated from early succession were more phylogenetically diverse relative to intermediate and late succession while late successional fungi consistently produced more soil hyphae and arbuscules. Despite these differences, inocula from different successional stages had similar effects on the growth of all plant species. Host plant biomass was not affected by mycorrhizal inoculation relative to un-inoculated controls. Although mycorrhizal communities differ among primary dune successional stages and formed different fungal structures, these differences did not directly affect the growth of plants from different dune successional stages in our experiment and therefore may be less likely to directly contribute to plant succession in sand dunes.
An unusual example of a 1,1-cycloaddition reaction of a diazoalkane

Abstract Thermolysis of the sodium salt of E-1,4-diphenyl-3-buten-1-one N-tosylhydrazone gave rise to the corresponding diazoalkane which undergoes a subsequent 1,1-cycloaddition reaction to produce 3,6-diphenyl-1,2-diazabicyclo[3.1.0]hex-2-ene.
Diffusion in Polyethylene Blends: Constraint Release and Entanglement Dilution

We have used the 1H pulsed-gradient NMR method to augment our earlier diffusion measurements in n-alkane and polyethylene (PE) melts and blends with measurements in 12 additional melts and in three series of blends at T = 150 °C across the full concentration (c) range. Blends were based on M = 33 kDa PE and contained either n-C50 alkane, M = 1.8 kDa PE, or M = 6.7 kDa PE. The results again agree with our theoretical synthesis involving a smooth transition from Rouse to reptational behavior including constraint release and free volume host effects which depend on T, M, and c. Tube dilation is assumed contained in the constraint-release mechanism; contour length fluctuations are not considered to affect center-of-mass diffusion. The generalized constraint-release term not only reproduces the c and M dependences of both D in fully entangled blends but also mimics or supplants entanglement dilution in blends of PE with (unentangled) n-alkanes n-C50 and n-C12. This approach provides a superior alternative in t...
Scattering theory of current and intensity noise correlations in conductors and wave guides.

The low-frequency current-fluctuation spectra of phase-coherent electron conductors are related to the scattering matrix of the conductor. Each contact of the conductor is connected to a thermal equilibrium electron reservoir. The current-current correlations of the conductor are compared with the intensity-intensity correlations of a photon wave guide with all its ports connected to blackbody radiation sources. Only two sources of noise are considered: (a) Fluctuations in the occupation numbers of the incident channels that reflect the thermal equilibrium fluctuations of the reservoir states and (b) a shot noise (or partition noise) that originates if a carrier can be scattered into more than one final state and is present even at zero temperature. The theory uses single-particle scattering states to build up multiparticle states with the proper symmetry. Second quantization provides an elegant treatment of this problem if annihilation and creation operators for both the input and output channels of the wave guide are introduced. At equilibrium, in the absence of transport, the correlations of flux fluctuations measured at two different contacts are negative for both fermions and bosons. Away from equilibrium, in the presence of a net flux, the fluctuations are related to transport coefficients which invoke products of four scattering matrices.The transport portion of the correlation of the flux fluctuations at two different contacts is negative for fermions but is positive for bosons. The transport portion (shot noise) is very sensitive to the transmission behavior of the wave guide. Both for fermions and for bosons completely open transmission channels give no contribution. In addition to two-terminal conductors, we consider four-probe conductors in high magnetic fields which have the property that carriers transmitted and reflected at a barrier reach separate contacts. We discuss a four-terminal experiment which explicitly shows that the correlation function in the presence of two particle sources is not an incoherent sum of correlations generated by particles originating in one of the sources but contains exchange terms due to the indistinguishability of identical particles. We discuss the conditions for such exchange terms to be sensitive to a quantum-mechanical phase and the possibility to tune this phase with the help of an Aharonov-Bohm flux.
Whodunit? Ghost surgery and ethical billing

A senior vascular surgery resident started an autogenous radical-cephalic arteriovenous fistula procedure on a comatose patient in the surgical intensive care unit (SICU), expecting you to arrive momentarily. You were nevertheless unexpectedly detained establishing hemostasis in the main operating suite. You arrived in the SICU as the dressing was being applied. Fistula flows were excellent and there were no operative complications. The resident who began and finally completed the case was highly skilled and in the final month of his vascular training; you had supervised his satisfactory performance of many procedures like this one during the last 2 years. The patient's elderly wife had consented to the procedure, which she was told you would be directly supervising while the resident performed the surgery. When the operation was over you met with her to explain your emergency conflict and assure her that you checked the resident's work and found it entirely satisfactory. She accepted your explanation and was relieved that the operation went well. The patient's multiple comorbidities nevertheless necessitated an extended postoperative stay in the SICU, where you personally cared for him. The resident had dictated routinely that you attended the procedure, and your billing clerk had no reason to doubt the operative report's accuracy when she submitted your surgical fees to Medicare and the patient's private insurer, which paid to their contractual limits without challenge. On many occasions you have had your billings shorted by both. The resident since has graduated. What should you do?
Exciton-lattice polaritons in multiple-quantum-well-based photonic crystals

However, when the emitters are not only periodically arranged as in refs 2 to 4, but are also placed in a periodically modulated dielectric environment, the interaction between them is carried by the electromagnetic Bloch waves of the photonic crystal 7,8 . Here we report the first observation of this effect using a periodic arrangement of GaAs/AlGaAs quantum wells. The formation of coherently coupled photonic-crystal excitonic-lattice polaritons manifests in our experiments through enhanced reflectivity and reconstruction of the photonic bandgap in the vicinity of the excitons. Experimental evidence of hybrid light hole–heavy hole excitonic-lattice polaritons is also presented. Coherent coupling between excitons and Bloch waves is established through comparisons of the experimental results with theory. Finally, we demonstrate the tuning of these polariton states by an electric field. Modification of the optical properties of emitters by confining their electromagnetic field in structures such as microcavities and photonic crystals have been studied extensively. Another method of manipulation of optical properties is based on the possibility of coherent radiative coupling between a collection of emissive species. R. H. Dicke showed 1 that if the spacing between the emitters was much smaller than their emission wavelength, the emitters became coherently coupled by the common radiative field. As a result, new collective states are formed, with one of them exhibiting the effect of superradiance. A similar phenomenon can also be realized when the emitters are arranged periodically in a uniform dielectric background or vacuum with the period equal to half of the emission wavelength 2 .
Penalty/modified barrier function method for diagnostic imaging using area and point illumination geometries in fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography

A novel imaging technique is developed for (i) area illumination and area collection and (ii) point illumination and point collection geometries in 3D fluorescence-enhanced optical tomography. The target reconstruction problem was formulated as a solution to a nonlinear least-squares-type simple bounds constrained optimization problem. The numerical technique for target reconstruction is based on the penalty/modified barrier function method and the parameter estimates were minimized by the gradient based constrained truncated Newton with trust region method. Three dimensional targets were reconstructed from experimental data under two different experimental conditions of (i) perfect uptake (1:0, target to background ratio) and (ii) imperfect uptake (100:1, target to background ratio).
Coaching Literacy Teachers as They Design Critical Literacy Practices.

Literacy specialists and coaches are called upon for literacy leadership in schools and often wrestle with the tensions of implementing top-down reforms and making room for teacher- and student-led practices, such as critical literacy. Critical literacy education holds the promise of engaging learners to use literacy practices in ways that matter in the world. Yet researchers know very little about how teachers gain the pedagogical knowledge to practice critical literacy education. During 1 semester, I invited teachers in my course to join me in studying their teaching and learning practices. The questions at the heart of my research were as follows: When teachers are given the opportunity to construct critical literacy education, what practices emerge? How did I, as a course instructor and literacy coach, support teachers as they designed critical literacy practices? As I demonstrate, each teacher took a different pathway in designing critical literacy education. Through critique and designing new educat...
Geometric height inequalities and the Kodaira-Spencer map

We extend a result of Vojta on height inequalities for algebraic points oncurves over function fields to include the case of positivecharacteristic. The main tool used is the Kodaira--Spencer map anddestabilizing flags for vector bundles on curves.
Approximation algorithms for grammar-based compression

Several recently-proposed data compression algorithms are based on the idea of representing a string by a context-free grammar. Most of these algorithms are known to be asymptotically optimal with respect to a stationary ergodic source and to achieve a low redundancy rate. However, such results do not reveal how effectively these algorithms exploit the grammar-model itself; that is, are the compressed strings produced as small as possible? We address this issue by analyzing the approximation ratio of several algorithms, that is, the maximum ratio between the size of the generated grammar and the smallest possible grammar over all inputs. On the negative side, we show that every polynomial-time grammar-compression algorithm has approximation ratio at least 8569/8568 unless P = NP. Moreover, achieving an approximation ratio of o(log n/log log n) would require progress on an algebraic problem in a well-studied area. We then upper and lower bound approximation ratios for the following four previously-proposed grammar-based compression algorithms: SEQUENTIAL, BISECTION, GREEDY, and LZ78, each of which employs a distinct approach to compression. These results seem to indicate that there is much room to improve grammar-based compression algorithms.
Follicular fluid vascular endothelial growth factor concentrations are elevated in women of advanced reproductive age undergoing ovulation induction

Abstract Objective(s) : To determine whether follicular fluid (FF) from women of advanced reproductive age had a relative deficiency of the angiogenic cytokine vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor. Furthermore, we sought to determine whether luteinized granulosa cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor in response to hypoxia. Design : Retrospective cohort study. Setting : University teaching hospital. Patients : Women undergoing follicular aspiration after superovulation in preparation for IVF-ET. Women of advanced reproductive age consisted of 21 women ≥38 years old (range, 38 to 46 years); 15 subjects ≤30 years served as the control population. Intervention(s) : Granulosa cells and FF were collected by transvaginal aspiration 35 hours after hCG. Granulosa cells from two women were cultured for 24 and 48 hours in M199 + 10% fetal bovine serum in 1% O 2 -5% CO 2 -94% N 2 (hypoxic) or 95% air-5% CO 2 (normoxic) without or with 0.1 mol/L cobalt chloride. Main Outcome Measure(s) : Pooled FF vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor concentrations and media vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor accumulation at 24 and 48 hours were determined. Result(s) : Follicular fluid vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor concentrations were higher in advanced reproductive age women compared with younger women (3,735 ± 2,155 versus 2,205 ± 952 pg/mL, mean ± SD). Accumulation of vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor at 24 and 48 hours was 391 ± 54 and 744 ± 2 pg/ mL in media maintained in 5% CO 2 and air. Cobalt chloride induced a marked increase in vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (2,008 ± 52 pg/mL at 24 hours and 3,630 ± 519 pg/mL at 48 hours). An intermediate but significant increase in vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor (733 ± 35 pg/mL at 24 hours and 2,675 ± 864 pg/mL at 48 hours) was observed with 1% O 2 compared with normoxic controls. Conclusion(s) : After hMG and hCG administration the FF from women of advanced reproductive age showed increased vascular endothelial growth factor/vascular permeability factor concentrations compared with younger women. Increased vascular endothelial growth factor/ vascular permeability factor concentrations could be consistent with a hypoxic environment within follicles of older women.
Cultural Studies in the Age of Disciplinary Democracy

A review of Gary Hall and Clare Birchell (eds), New Cultural Studies: Adventures in Theory (Edinburgh University Press, Edinburgh, 2007).
Characterization of copper etching process on micro leadless land grid array (ゼLLGA) via design of experiments approach

In the fast-paced semiconductor industry, the need for innovative package solutions arises in order to cope with emerging miniaturization trend. Micro leadless land grid array (μLLGA) surpasses other plastic encapsulated packages with remarkable profile of 0.38mm. As one of the thinnest packages available in the market up to date, the unique structure of μLLGA is illustrated in this paper. As we know, there are many limitations in thin die advancement from the point of wafer manufacturing, machine capability and assembly challenges. In view of that, copper etching process has come to play an essential role in μLLGA assembly. This report discusses the mandatory Copper etching process using alkaline etchant that contributes to the thin package profile. Prior to the characterization of machine parameters, it is crucial to understand the chemical equilibrium of echant chemical. A full factorial DOE was conducted to characterize the factors that affect Copper etching efficiency. The four main factors included in this study are Bath Temperature, Conveyor Speed, Nozzle Pressure and Bath Specific Gravity. The etching efficiency is determined by many observations after etching process. Compound discoloration is being observed to ensure no cosmetic defect due to chemical spraying. This report also addresses the package robustness through SAT observation. Special lead frame design contributes to the passing of reliability test at MSL 1. Solderability test for this fine pitch package is also being studied in this paper, comparing the typical dip-and-look and surface mount solderability test method. From the experiment, key parameters that affect etching efficiency have been identified to be Bath Temperature and Conveyor Speed. With optimized parameters and good chemical maintenance, an effective copper etching process can be realized.
Molecular dynamics simulation of water in cytochrome c oxidase reveals two water exit pathways and the mechanism of transport

We have examined the network of connected internal cavities in cytochrome c oxidase along which water produced at the catalytic center is removed from the enzyme. Using combination of structural analysis, molecular dynamics simulations, and free energy calculations we have identified two exit pathways that connect the Mg2+ ion cavity to the outside of the enzyme. Each pathway has a well-defined bottleneck, which determines the overall rate of water traffic along the exit pathway, and a specific cooperative mechanism of passing it. One of the pathways is going via Arg438/439 (in bovine numbering) toward the CuA center, approaching closely its His204B ligand and Lys171B residue; and the other is going toward Asp364 and Thr294. Comparison of the pathways among different aa3-type enzymes shows that they are well conserved. Possible connections of the finding to redox-coupled proton pumping mechanism are discussed. We propose specific mutations near the bottlenecks of the exit pathways that can test some of our hypotheses.
LEDGF/p75 Determines Cellular Trafficking of Diverse Lentiviral but Not Murine Oncoretroviral Integrase Proteins and Is a Component of Functional Lentiviral Preintegration Complexes

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), and Moloney murine leukemia virus (MoMLV) integrases were stably expressed to determine their intracellular trafficking. Each lentiviral integrase localized to cell nuclei in close association with chromatin while the murine oncoretroviral integrase was cytoplasmic. Fusions of pyruvate kinase to the lentiviral integrases did not reveal transferable nuclear localization signals. The intracellular trafficking of each was determined instead by the transcriptional coactivator LEDGF/p75, which was required for nuclear localization. Stable small interfering RNA expression eliminated detectable LEDGF/p75 expression and caused dramatic, stable redistribution of each lentiviral integrase from nucleus to cytoplasm while the distribution of MoMLV integrase was unaffected. In addition, endogenous LEDGF/p75 coimmunoprecipitated specifically with each lentiviral integrase. In vitro integration assays with preintegration complexes (PICs) showed that endogenous LEDGF/p75 is a component of functional HIV-1 and FIV PICs. However, HIV-1 and FIV infection and replication in LEDGF/p75-deficient cells was equivalent to that in control cells, whether cells were dividing or growth arrested. Two-long terminal repeat circle accumulation in nondividing cell nuclei was also equivalent to that of LEDGF/p75 wild-type cells. Virions produced in LEDGF/p75-deficient cells had normal infectivity. We conclude that LEDGF/p75 fully accounts for cellular trafficking of diverse lentiviral, but not oncoretroviral, integrases and is the main lentiviral integrase-to-chromatin tethering factor. While lentiviral PIC nuclear import is unaffected by LEDGF/p75 knockdown, this protein is a component of functional lentiviral PICs. A role in HIV-1 integration site distribution merits investigation.
A fluid analysis of a utility-based wireless scheduling policy

In this paper, we consider packet scheduling for the downlink in a wireless network, where each packet's service preferences are captured by a utility function that depends on the total delay incurred. The goal is to schedule packet transmissions to maximize the total utility. In this setting, we examine a simple gradient-based scheduling algorithm called the U/spl dot/R-rule, which is a type of generalized c/spl mu/-rule (Gc/spl mu/) that takes into account both a user's channel condition and derived utility when making scheduling decisions. We study the performance of this scheduling rule for a draining problem, where there is a given set of initial packets and no further arrivals. We formulate a "large system" fluid model for this draining problem where the number of packets becomes large while the packet-size decreases to zero, and give a complete characterization of the behavior of the U/spl dot/R scheduling rule in this limiting regime. Comparison with simulation results show that the fluid limit accurately predicts the corresponding behavior of finite systems of interest. We then give an optimal control formulation for finding the optimal scheduling policy for the fluid draining model. Using Pontryagin's minimum principle, we show that, when the user rates are chosen from a TDM-type of capacity region, the U/spl dot/R rule is in fact optimal in many cases. Sufficient conditions for optimality are also given. Finally, we consider a general capacity region and show that the U/spl dot/R rule is optimal only in special cases.
A univariate model of calcium release in the dyadic cleft of cardiac myocytes

Local calcium sparks in the dyadic cleft of cardiac myocytes are triggered by calcium influxes via L-type calcium channels (LCCs) located on the transverse tubule (TT) membrane, and subsequently controlled by the regeneration of ryanodine receptors (RyRs) on the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR). Calcium released from SR channels is known to be responsible for the sparks. Therefore, the activities of RyRs provide straightforward indication to the calcium concentration alteration. A method to study calcium signaling by analyzing RyR-gating statistics is described in the present study. Here we propose a univariate model with a simplified geometry of the dyadic cleft, which specifies the spatial localization of LCCs and RyRs to monitor the activity changes of RyRs. This model is used to explore two crucial aspects of local calcium signaling: the first is to disclose the tight control of calcium influxes via LCCs, and the second is to reveal the interactional impact of the self-regenerative RyRs. Patterns of active RyRs are rendered through numerous computational simulation experiments, manipulating the state initialization and the spatial localization of LCCs and RyRs to observe gating transition of RyRs.
Modeling the Probability of Fuel Desulfurization

As fuel prices continue to rise, fuel cells become an increasingly attractive alternative to the usual power generation technologies. Fuel cells offer increased fuel efficiency and the possibility of distributed power systems in an environmentally friendly package. The desulfurization of fuel of fuels has been identified as a non-trivial obstacle to making fuel cells a viable alternative on the large scale. In this paper, we address one aspect of the problem of the desulphurization of fuel. We model the probability that a molecule of fuel will have its sulfur removed as it travels through the substrate. We develop a coarse, working model which can easily be tailored, focusing on the geometry of the system. Then we develop a more sophisticated model based on the initial geometry and the rates at which the sites will be used.
Uteroplacental carbon substrate metabolism and O2 consumption after long-term hypoglycemia in pregnant sheep

Chronic maternal hypoglycemia leads to fetal growth restriction, but the effects on placental metabolism and its contribution to reduced fetal growth have not been determined. To study these factors, experiments were conducted in seven normal control (C) and six chronically insulin-infused hypoglycemic (H) pregnant sheep over the second half of gestation to measure effects of maternal and fetal hypoglycemia [maternal: 2.0 +/- 0.2 (H) vs. 3.6 +/- 0.1 mM (C); fetal: 0.7 +/- 0.1 (H) vs. 1.1 +/- 0.1 mM (C)] on placental metabolism of glucose, other carbon substrates, and O2. Placental and fetal weight were proportionately reduced in the H group [placental wt: 258 +/- 18 (H) vs. 376 +/- 18 g (C), -31%; fetal wt: 2,540 +/- 190 (H) vs. 3,558 +/- 230 g (C), -29%]. Glucose uptake by the uterus was reduced in the H group [0.10 +/- 0.01 (H) vs. 0.19 +/- 0.02 mmol/min (C)]; it was partitioned more to uteroplacental consumption (UPGC) and less to transfer to the fetus (PGT) [UPGC-to-PGT ratio: 20.0 +/- 2.1 (H) and 13.5 +/- 1.2 (C), P < 0.05 for both]. Metabolism of glucose by nonoxidative and oxidative pathways (as estimated by uteroplacental lactate production-to-UPGC ratio and normal rates of placental O2 consumption) was not significantly changed in the H group. Acetoacetate and beta-hydroxybutyrate net uptake and fructose production rates were significantly reduced in the H group, and there was no change in free fatty acid or amino acid uptake rates. With acute return of maternal and fetal glucose concentrations to normal, UPGC and PGT exceeded normal rates by approximately 25%. Thus chronic reduced glucose supply to the uteroplacenta produces a smaller placenta that uses glucose normally and in preference to transfer to the fetus, demonstrating placental metabolic autonomy at the expense of the fetus.
Transformations of Belief

Today, religious and secular belief are commonly set apart, but it was not so when modern epistemology was taking shape in Europe; by offering new, life-threatening religious choices, the Reformation gave anew sort of practical importance to “Credo”, and, with it, to meaning and truth (a propos of “Hoc est corpus meum ”. Here is a famous 16th century statement of the problem and its skeptical solution.
Wealth, Officeholding, and Elite Ideology in Antebellum Georgia

Does personal wealth translate into political power, and does it influence the ideology of officeholders? This paper investigates the role of personal wealth in politics using the 1805 Georgia land lottery as a natural experiment. Matching lottery records to a roster of officeholders and roll call votes, I estimate the effects of winning a land lot prize on ex-post officeholding, and on votes in favor of slavery legislation and state banking policy for participants who served in the state legislature. I find that lottery wealth significantly reduces legislators' support for slavery legislation, and find no evidence that wealth effects officeholding nor legislators' support for banking policy. I use property tax records to show that the treatment effect on support for slavery legislation varies systematically according legislators' pretreatment wealth. The results demonstrate that wealth can influence policy, but not in the direction anticipated by economic elite theories of American politics.
Inter-organelle ER-endolysosomal contact sites in metabolism and disease across evolution

Since their initial observation, contact sites formed between different organelles have transitioned from ignored curiosities to recognized centers for the exchange of metabolites and lipids. Contact formed between the ER and endomembrane system (eg. the plasma membrane, endosomes, and lysosomes) is of particular biomedical interest, as it governs aspects of lipid metabolism, organelle identity, and cell signaling. Here, we review the field of ER-endolysosomal communication from the perspective of three model systems: budding yeast, the fruit fly D. melanogaster, and mammals. From this broad perspective, inter-organelle communication displays a consistent role in metabolic regulation that was differentially tuned during the development of complex metazoan life. We also examine the current state of understanding of lipid exchange between organelles, and discuss molecular mechanisms by which this occurs.
Concussion Increases Odds of Sustaining a Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Injury After Return to Play Among Collegiate Athletes

Background:Previous studies have identified abnormalities in brain and motor functioning after concussion that persist well beyond observed clinical recovery. Recent work suggests subtle deficits in neurocognition may impair neuromuscular control and thus potentially increase risk of lower extremity musculoskeletal injury after concussion.Purpose:To determine the odds of sustaining an acute lower extremity musculoskeletal injury during the 90-day period after return to play from concussion in a cohort of National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division I collegiate athletes.Study Design:Cohort study; Level of evidence, 3.Methods:Included in this study were 87 cases of concussion among 75 athletes (58 men; 17 women) participating in NCAA Division I football, soccer, hockey, softball, basketball, wrestling, or volleyball at a single institution from 2011 to 2014. The 90-day period after return to play for each case of concussion was reviewed for acute noncontact lower extremity musculoskeletal injur...
The Constitution of Latvia

Following the lead of other recently created nations of Europe, Latvia has promulgated a constitution. This new republic came into the world of nations on November 18,1918, when it proclaimed its independence, although its government was not formally recognized by the United States until July 27, 1922. One year previous to this, on September 22, 1921, Latvia became a member of the League of Nations. After the independence of Latvia had been proclaimed, a constituent assembly was convened, and it was this body which drew up the new constitution. It was adopted February 15, 1922, and became law on June 30. Elections under the new organic law were held October 7 and 8, and the newly elected parliament met November 7 of the same year.
Congo Red-Sirius Red Technique For Amyloid

A staining technique combining Congo red and Sirius red is described for demonstrating amyloid in plastic-embedded tissue using high-resolution light microscopy. With this combination stain, amyloid stains brighter and with better contrast than is seen with methods that employ Congo red as the only dye. The positive green birefringence characteristic of amyloid in Congo red-stained sections viewed under polarized light can still be observed with this combination stain.
The effects of chilling in the dark and in the light on photosynthesis of tomato: electron transfer reactions

Exposure of tomato plants (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Floramerica) to chilling temperatures in the dark for as little as 12 h resulted in a sizable inhibition in the rate of light- and CO2-saturated photosynthesis. However, when photosynthesis was measured at low light intensity, the inhibition disappeared and the quantum yield of CO2 reduction was diminished only slightly. Chilling the tomato plants under strong illumination caused an even more rapid and severe decline in the rate of light- and CO2-saturated photosynthesis, accompanied by a large decline in the quantum efficiency. Sizeable inhibition of photosystem II activity was observed only after dark exposures to low temperature of grater than 16 h. No inhibition of photosystem I electron transfer capacity was observed even after 40 h of dark chilling. Chilling under high light resulted in a rapid decline in both photosystem I and photosystem II electron transfer capacity as well as in significant reaction center inactivation.Regardless of whether the chilling exposure was in the presence or absence of illumination and regardless of its duration, the electron transfer capacity of thylakoid membranes isolated from the treated plants was always in excess of that necessary to support light- and CO2-saturated photosynthesis. Thus, in neither case of chilling inhibition of photosynthesis does it appear that impaired electron transfer capacity represents a significant rate limitation to whole plant photosynthesis.
The direct and inverse scattering problems for an arbitrary cylinder: Dirichlet boundary conditions †

The exterior Dirichlet problem for the Helmholtz equation in two dimensions is reduced to a boundary integral equation which is soluble by iteration. A standard application of Green's theorem leads to boundary integral equations which are not uniquely soluble because the operator has an eigenvalue. The present approach modifies the operator in such a way that the former eigenvalue is in the resolvent spectrum for low frequencies. The results are applied to the inverse scattering problem wherein the far field is known for a limited frequency range and one seeks the curve on which a plane wave is incident and a Dirichlet boundary condition is assumed. The first iterate in the solution of the boundary integral equation is used to obtain a sequence of moment problems relating the Fourier coefficients of the far field to the coefficients of the Laurent expansion of the conformai transformation which maps the exterior of a circle onto the exterior of the unknown curve. These moment problems are soluble in terms of the mapping radius which in turn may be determined from scattered far field data for an incident plane wave from a second direction.
Optical Properties of Dispersed Aerosols in the Near Ultraviolet (355 nm): Measurement Approach and Initial Data

An aerosol albedometer combining cavity ring-down spectroscopy (CRDS) with integrating sphere nephelometry was developed for use at λ = 355 nm. The instrument measures extinction and scattering coefficients of dispersed particulate matter in the near ultraviolet (UV) spectral region. Several samples have been analyzed, including: ammonium sulfate, secondary organic aerosols (SOA) resulting from the ozonolysis of α-pinene and photooxidation of toluene, redispersed soil dust samples, biomass burning aerosols, and ambient aerosols. When particle size and number density were experimentally controlled, extinction coefficients and scattering coefficients were found to have a linear relationship with particle number concentration, in good agreement with light scattering theory. For ammonium sulfate and pinene samples, extinction cross sections for size-selected (Dp = 300 nm) samples were within the range of 1.65–2.60 × 10–9 cm2 with the largest value corresponding to ammonium sulfate and the lowest value for pin...
Gonadal hormones affect diameter of male rat cerebral arteries through endothelium-dependent mechanisms.

Gender is known to influence the incidence and severity of cerebrovascular disease. In the present study, luminal diameter was measured in vitro in pressurized middle cerebral artery segments from ...
When Less Can Be More: Dual Task Effects on Speech Fluency.

Minimizing cognitive resources while executing wellpracticed motor tasks has been shown to increase automaticity and enhance performance (e.g., Beilock, Carr, Macmahon, & Starkes, 2002). Based on this principle, we examined whether more fluent speech production could be induced through a dual task paradigm that engaged working memory (WM) while speech was produced. We also considered whether effects varied for speakers who differed in their habitual degree of attentional control during speech production. Twenty fluent adults and 19 adults who stutter performed (1) a baseline speaking task, (2) a baseline WM task with manipulations of domain, load, and inter-stimulus interval (ISI), and (3) a series of dual tasks in which the speaking task was combined with each unique set of WM conditions. Results indicated a fluency benefit under dual task conditions, which was specific to atypical forms of disfluency but comparable across speaker types and manipulations of the WM task. Findings suggest that WM is associated with atypical forms of disfluency and that suppressing these resources enhances speech fluency, although further research is needed to specify the cognitive mechanism involved in this effect and clarify the nature of this association.
Citizenship And Immigration Law, 1800–1924: Resolutions Of Membership And Territory

The paradigmatic function of a national immigration regime is to defend a territorial inside from a territorial outside. Access to and presence within this territorial inside are determined on the basis of whether one is a “citizen” or an “alien,” where both terms are understood in their formal legal sense. All of the activities we associate with the contemporary U.S. immigration regime – exclusion and deportation, entry checkpoints, border patrols, detention centers, and the like – make sense in these terms. Liberal American theorists have provided powerful moral justifications for this defense of the territorial inside from the territorial outside on the ground that it is only in this way that the coherence of a national community on the inside can be preserved and fostered. In this rendering, the coherence of the national community may not take the form of an oppressive Blut und Boden nationalism. Rather, the territorial inside must be a homogeneous space of rights enjoyed by all insiders. Although most of these insiders will be citizens, resident immigrants will be treated fairly and given a reasonable opportunity to become citizens. The very coherence of the territorial inside as a homogeneous space of rights justifies immigration restriction. Outsiders – who are imagined as citizens of other countries – have no morally binding claim to be admitted to the inside. This theoretical rendering of the activities of the national immigration regime is the product of recent history. For the first century of the United States’ existence as a nation (from the American Revolution until the 1870s), a national immigration regime that regulated individuals’ access to, and presence within, national territory on the basis of their national citizenship simply did not exist.
Construction of a safe and efficient retrovirus packaging cell line.

Ecotropic and amphotropic retrovirus packaging Cell lines have been constructed in which the helper virus genome have been separated onto two plasmids, and the ψ packaging signal and 3’ LTR have been removed. The gag and pol genes on one plasmid and the env gene on another plasmid were transfected into NIH 3T3 Cells. Packaging Cell lines produced by these transfected genes released titers of replication-defective retroviral vectors which were comparable to titers produced by packaging Cell lines containing the helper virus genome on one plasmid. There has been no evidence of recombination events between the ecotropic helper virus plasmids and the vector virus plasmid that would result in the generation of intact replication-competent virus. These results suggest that a packaging Cell line containing gag, pol and env on different plasmids is efficient and safe for use in retroviral gene gransfer.
Infertility associated with the absence of endometrial progesterone receptors in a bitch.

Contents A three-year-old intact female Old English sheepdog was presented for evaluation of infertility. A uterine biopsy was performed during dioestrus, and the microscopic appearance was inconsistent with progesterone stimulation; the glands were sparse, simple and failed to show coiling, while the glandular epithelium was cuboidal instead of columnar. There was very little evidence of glandular activity. Due to the inappropriate appearance of the glands for the stage of the cycle, immunohistochemistry for progesterone receptors was performed. No progesterone receptor-positive immunoreactivity was identified in the endometrial luminal epithelium, glandular epithelium or stroma. Weak intranuclear immunoreactivity was identified within the smooth muscle cells of the myometrium. The absence of progesterone receptors within the endometrial glands is the most likely explanation for the abnormal appearance of the endometrium and for this bitch's infertility. To our knowledge, this is the first report of endometrial progesterone receptor absence in a bitch.
Preliminary study of a novel transfection modality for in vivo siRNA delivery to vocal fold fibroblasts

Objective An obstacle to clinical use of RNA-based gene suppression is instability and inefficiency of current delivery modalities. Nanoparticle delivery likely holds great promise, but the kinetics and transfection conditions must be optimized prior to in vivo utility. We investigated a RNA nanoparticle complex incorporating a lipitoid transfection reagent in comparison to a commercially available reagent. Study Design In vitro. Methods We investigated which variables influence transfection efficiency of lipitoid oligomers and a commercially available reagent across species, in vitro. These variables included duration, dose, and number of administrations, as well as serum and media conditions. The target gene was Smad3, a signaling protein in the transforming growth factor-β cascade implicated in fibroplasia in the vocal folds and other tissues. Results The two reagents suppressed Smad3 mRNA for up to 96 hours; lipitoid performed favorably and comparably. Both compounds yielded 60% to 80% mRNA knockdown in rat, rabbit, and human vocal fold fibroblasts (P < 0.05 relative to control). Dose and number of administrations played a significant role in gene suppression (P < 0.05). Suppression was more dose-sensitive with lipitoid. At a constant siRNA concentration, a 50% decrease in gene expression was observed in response to a five-fold increase in lipitoid concentration. Increased number of administrations enhanced gene suppression, ∼45% decrease between one and four administrations. Neither serum nor media type altered efficiency. Conclusion Lipitoid effectively knocked down Smad3 expression across multiple transfection conditions. These preliminary data are encouraging, and lipitoid warrants further investigation with the goal of clinical utility. Level of Evidence NA. Laryngoscope, 127:E231–E237, 2017
The use of nested desirability functions and quality indices for multi-response robust parameter design problems

A multi-response robust parameter design (RPD) problem-solving technique based on desirability functions is presented in which the means and variances of all responses are placed on a level playing...
Evaluation of Amphiphilic Peptide Modified Antisense Morpholino Oligonucleotides In Vitro and in Dystrophic mdx Mice

A series of amphiphilic peptides modified PMO (Pt-PMO) were prepared, and their antisense effect and toxicity were evaluated both in vitro and in mdx mice. The results showed that the exon-skipping performance of Pt-PMO are relative to the structure of the conjugated peptide: the Pt3/Pt4 composed of six/seven arginines and one myristoylation modified PMO showed more efficacy and with less toxicity as compared to others, confirming that appropriate hydrophilic-lipophilic balance (HLB) and cationic sequence numbers play a crucial role in improving cell uptake and corresponding exon-skipping efficiency. This was observed particularly in enhanced delivery efficiency of PMO comparable to B-PMO in vitro, while 6-fold improved exon-skipping was achieved against naked PMO in vivo. The multi-PMO modified Pt8-PMO also showed improved exon-skipping both in vitro and in vivo, though there is lower efficiency in systemic delivery as compared to Pt4-PMO. These data suggest that with optimization of peptide in component, charge density has clear potential for exploration towards achieving higher efficiency of antisense oligonucleotide systemic delivery, and thus is more applicable for clinical application.