cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bioaccumulation of silver nanoparticles in model wastewater biofilms

Engineered nanoparticles are increasingly incorporated into consumer products and inevitably released into wastewater. This study explored the capacity for wastewater biofilm to accumulate and release silver nanoparticles (Ag-NPs). Synthetic wastewater (SW) was used to feed wastewater biofilm in two types of reactors: a CDC biofilm reactor (CBR) and a flow cell. Using typical wastewater bacteria (Acinetobacter calcoaceticus, Comamonas testosteroni, and Delftia acidovorans) as a model consortium, biofilm functionality, structure, and viability were monitored with and without Ag-NPs exposure in the CBR. At a design concentration of 200 ppb, no significant change in biofilm viability or functionality were observed. However, significant cell stress was detected with the generation of excess reactive oxygen species. To measure Ag-NP accumulation, the flow cell experiments were performed for each species singly, in dual combinations, and mixed at the same design concentration as previous. The single species biofilms accumulated the least amount of silver, approximately 0.01 ng mm−2. The dual species, A. calcoaceticus and D. acidovorans accumulated 0.43 ng mm−2, the highest measured concentration of these combinations. This combination was then further tested for the possible release of silver. After Ag-NP exposure, biofilm detachment and total silver concentrations in influent and effluent were measured. While effluent cell counts did not significantly change (p > 0.05), the measured silver attached to the biofilm significantly decreased (p = 0.04). This shows that small concentrations of silver attached to the biofilm and was subsequently released. Given the dynamic nature of living biofilms, this study indicates that wastewater biofilm plays a small role in silver transport in wastewater networks. Further, this work could potentially apply to the fundamental understanding of biofilm – NP interactions in other systems.
Pyramid patches provide potential polynomial paradigms

Recursive schemes are central to curve and surface representation by piecewise polynomials. Many algorithms for the evaluation, conversion, subdivision, differentiation, degree raising of piecewise polynomial curves and surfaces are given in recursive form. This has the advantage of providing computational simplicity and stability while at the same time revealing the beautiful geometric and algebraic structure of these representation forms. This paper is an exploratory presentation into the varied world of pyramidal schemes for the generation of multivariate polynomial surfaces. We focus primarily on lineal polynomials, that is, polynomials formed by products of linear forms. Through the multinomial theorem we are led to dual systems of polynomials whose properties are reflections of those possessed by lineal polynomials. Connections to multilinear symmetric forms, the multiparameter multinomial distribution and the theory of permanents is made.
Comprehensive Utilisation of Liquid Fuel Constituents for Rockets

In connection with the liquidation of nuclear rocket weapons in the Ukraine a demand arose for utilisation of rocket fuel, 1,1-dimethyl hydrazine, and dinitrogen tetroxide — a rocket fuel oxidant. Suggestion is made to utilise the both components of liquid rocket propellant for obtaining stable solid derivative of 1,1-dimethyl hydrazine, which withstands long-term storage, with its further processing to usable chemicals.
Characteristics of patients with chronic pain accessing treatment with medical cannabis in Washington State

Objectives: This study was conducted to better understand the characteristics of chronic pain patients seeking treatment with medicinal cannabis (MC). Design: Retrospective chart reviews of 139 patients (87 males, median age 47 years; 52 females, median age 48 years); all were legally qualified for MC use in Washington State. Setting: Regional pain clinic staffed by university faculty. Participants: Inclusion criteria: age 18 years and older; having legally accessed MC treatment, with valid documentation in their medical records. All data were de-identified. Main Outcome Measures: Records were scored for multiple indicators, including time since initial MC authorization, qualifying condition(s), McGill Pain score, functional status, use of other analgesic modalities, including opioids, and patterns of use over time. Results: Of 139 patients, 15 (11 percent) had prior authorizations for MC before seeking care in this clinic. The sample contained 236.4 patientyears of authorized MC use. Time of authorized use ranged from 11 days to 8.31 years (median of 1.12 years). Most patients were male (63 percent) yet female patients averaged 0.18 years longer authorized use. There were no other gender-specific trends or factors. Most patients (n = 123, 88 percent) had more than one pain syndrome present. Myofascial pain syndrome was the most common diagnosis (n = 114, 82 percent), followed by neuropathic pain (n = 89, 64 percent), discogenic back pain (n = 72, 51.7 percent), and osteoarthritis (n = 37, 26.6 percent). Other diagnoses included diabetic neuropathy, central pain syndrome, phantom pain, spinal cord injury, fibromyalgia, rheumatoid arthritis, HIV neuropathy, visceral pain, and malignant pain. In 51 (37 percent) patients, there were documented instances of major hurdles related to accessing MC, including prior physicians unwilling to authorize use, legal problems related to MC use, and difficulties in finding an affordable and consistent supply of MC. Conclusions: Data indicate that males and females access MC at approximately the same rate, with similar median authorization times. Although the majority of patient records documented significant symptom alleviation with MC, major treatment access and delivery barriers remain.
External fixation for open fractures of the upper extremity

Recent advances in external fixation hardware, frame application, and pin-site care have resulted in the evolution of external fixation as a safe and versatile technique. It provides skeletal stability, access to the site of injury, and allows early mobilization. It avoids the disadvantages of additional soft-tissue stripping and the foreign body introduction associated with internal fixation of open fractures. The utility of external fixation principles in open hand and wrist fractures is well established. Indications for external fixation in open fractures of the forearm, elbow, and arm are more restricted. External fixation in these locations should probably be limited to situations of marked fracture comminution, bone loss, or extensive soft-tissue damage.
Planning-based control of software agents

The exponential growth of the Internet has produced a labyrinth of databases and services. Almost any type of information is available somewhere, but most users can’t find it, and even experts waste untold time searching for appropriate information sources. Many researchers argue that software agents will remedy the situation by acting as personal assistants and automatically accessing multiple sources, integrating information, and acting on the user’s behalf. Indeed, this vision is so widely accepted (at least in the AI community) that I won’t dwell on it further. Instead, I’ll describe some of the software robots we’ve built at the University of Washington, explain why I think planning is a crucial technology for their control, summarize the lessons we’ve learned by their construction, and suggest directions for future work in the area. Note that this paper is not intended to he a comprehensive survey of important softbot projects -.there are far too many interesting systems for me to describe them all. I focus on University of Washington projects, because I am most familiar with this body of work and because the Washington softbots have emphasized planning-based control.
Origins, Evolution and Current Activities of Sunni Salafi Jihadist Groups in Bangladesh

Despite its global recognition as a moderate Muslim country, Bangladesh has been experiencing increasing bouts of religious fundamentalism and militant activities since 2005. This phenomenon is not altogether novel to the country. During the Liberation War of 1971, Bengali freedom fighters faced staunch opposition from the Pakistani armed forces as well as Islamist militias under the control of Jamaat-e-Islami, an Islamist political party. Even after attaining its independence, Bangladesh has struggled to uphold the pillars of democracy and secularism due to political, social and religious drivers. Between January 2005 and June 2015, nearly 600 people have died in Islamic terrorist attacks in the country. These militant outfits either have close ties to or are part of Al Qaeda Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) and the Islamic State (ISIS). Despite such troubling signs and the fact that it is the fourth largest Muslim majority country in the world, Bangladesh has generally received little attention from academics of security studies. This paper aims to provide a comprehensive analysis of the drivers and trends of Sunni Salafi jihadist groups operating in Bangladesh to ascertain the implications for counterterrorism activities. Political, social and religious interventions that go beyond the hard approach must be undertaken to control the mounting threat of Islamist terrorism to the security and stability of the nation.
Fabrication of One- and Two-Dimensional Gold Nanoparticle Arrays on Computationally Designed Self-Assembled Peptide Templates

Templating methods, combined with colloidal chemistry synthesis, provide a strategy to fabricate inorganic nanomaterials with controllable architectures. Computationally designed peptide assemblies...
Towards Data-Driven Programming Problem Generation for Mastery Learning

Research into intelligent programming systems has lead to numerous means of providing help to students during programming tasks but not in generating the right problem for students to work through. My work will be in developing and analyzing a programming problem generator for mastery learning that will leverage student data and incorporate methods for instructional design for programming tasks to give students the best problem to practice and achieve proficiency
Bounds and Complexity Results for Learning Coalition-Based Interaction Functions in Networked Social Systems

Using a discrete dynamical system model for a networked social system, we consider the problem of learning a class of local interaction functions in such networks. Our focus is on learning local functions which are based on pairwise disjoint coalitions formed from the neighborhood of each node. Our work considers both active query and PAC learning models. We establish bounds on the number of queries needed to learn the local functions under both models. We also establish a complexity result regarding efficient consistent learners for such functions. Our experimental results on synthetic and real social networks demonstrate how the number of queries depends on the structure of the underlying network and number of coalitions.
Trends in opioid initiation among people who use opioids in three US cities.

Introduction and aims The increased availability of prescription opioids (PO) and non-medical prescription opioids (NMPO) has fundamentally altered drug markets and typical trajectories from initiation to high-risk use among people who use opioids (PWUO). This multi-site study explores trends in opioid initiation in three US cities and associations with sociodemographic factors, current drug use and overdose risk. Design and methods We analysed survey data from a cross-sectional study of PWUO in Baltimore, Maryland (n = 173), Boston, Massachusetts (n = 80) and Providence, Rhode Island (n = 75). Age of first exposure to PO, NMPO and heroin was used to calculate opioid of initiation, and multinomial regression was employed to explore correlates of initiating with each. Results Thirty-three percent of PWUO initiated with heroin, 24% with PO, 18% with NMPO and 24% with multiple opioids in their first year of use. We observed a reduction in heroin initiation and gradual replacement with PO/NMPO over time. Women were more likely to initiate with NMPO [relative risk ratio (RRR) 2.4; 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.1, 5.0], PO (RRR 2.2, 95% CI 1.1, 4.4) or multiple opioids (RRR 2.1, 95% CI 1.1, 4.2), than heroin. PWUO initiating with NMPO had significantly higher current benzodiazepine use, relative to those initiating with heroin (RRR 3.2, 95% CI 1.4, 7.4), and a high prevalence of current fentanyl use (30%). Discussion and conclusions Our study highlights women and PWUO initiating with NMPO as key risk groups amid the changing landscape of opioid use and overdose, and discusses implications for targeted prevention and treatment.
Engineering issues facing transmutation of actinides in Z-pinch fusion power plant

The initiation of the Global Nuclear Energy Partnership includes nuclear-based transmutation devices to recycle the spent fuel. Fusion can offer an alternative to the use of fast reactors for the transmutation of actinides. At a modest fusion power of 20 MW, a Z-Pinch driven sub-critical blanket can burn actinides and produce power. Several engineering issues have been examined: the effect of the sub-critical blanket and its internal fission neutrons on tritium breeding, radiation damage to structure, energy deposition and extraction, and chamber activation. Our initial assessment indicates the Z-Pinch could be an attractive option for burning actinides, but special attention should be paid to the challenging engineering issues.
The Impact of Ureteral Access Sheath Use on the Development of Abnormal Postoperative Upper Tract Imaging after Ureteroscopy.

Purpose:Ureteral access sheaths are commonly used during ureteroscopy to facilitate stone removal, improve visibility and maintain low intrarenal pressures. However, the use of a ureteral access sh...
Commentary on long-term surgical and patient-reported outcomes of Hirschsprung disease.

Abstract This is a commentary on the manuscript titled “Long-Term Surgical and Patient-Reported Outcomes of Hirschsprung's Disease by Davidson J, Kyrklund K, Eaton S, et al.
Dilthey’s philosophy and methodology of hermeneutics: An approach and contribution to nursing science

The purpose of this article was to examine the historical contribution of Wilhelm Dilthey's approach to the philosophy and methodology of hermeneutics in the demarcated context of nursing science. Dilthey's work made a fundamentally significant, yet ancillary, contribution to nursing science. Organically born from a need to deduce Biblical texts, hermeneutics later developed as a means to understand the truth of another's experience, in literal German language referred to as verstehen. A German-born empiricist and devout hermeneutic scholar, Dilthey extended the philosophy of hermeneutics to a methodological approach as a way to recapture expressed meaning of human experiences. His directive work paved a procedural pathway to probe the science of human nature while bound to the appropriate sociohistorical context. Hermeneutic methodology provides a phenomenological-like way to more keenly understand and interpret the whole person. This methodological approach steers a truth-seeking strategy fixed in meticulous and rigorous inquiry. Dilthey transparently recognized the humble fact that there is no true way to wholly grasp another's experience, an inherent limitation of our human abilities. The current paper posits that hermeneutical understanding verstehen can be paralleled to the concept of empathy in nursing. Understanding and empathy are foundational components to the field of nursing as a caring science. The complex yet invaluable philosophy and methodology of Wilhelm Dilthey's hermeneutics is notably relevant and applicable to nursing science as we strive to care for, treat, and heal patients as whole beings.
Types of Antenna

An optical telescope uses either a mirror or a lens to collect light. The light is then brought to a focus and magnified by an eyepiece. An antenna in some respects can be likened to an optical telescopes lens or mirror, as the antenna collects the radio signals and brings them to a focus at the dipole of the antenna. This signal is then passed along the feed cable to a receiver and amplified.
Assessing methods for geometric distortion compensation in 7 T gradient echo functional MRI data

Echo planar imaging (EPI) is widely used in functional and diffusion-weighted MRI, but suffers from significant geometric distortions in the phase encoding direction caused by inhomogeneities in the static magnetic field (B0 ). This is a particular challenge for EPI at very high field (≥7 T), as distortion increases with higher field strength. A number of techniques for distortion correction exist, including those based on B0 field mapping and acquiring EPI scans with opposite phase encoding directions. However, few quantitative comparisons of distortion compensation methods have been performed using human EPI data, especially at very high field. Here, we compared distortion compensation using B0 field maps and opposite phase encoding scans in two different software packages (FSL and AFNI) applied to 7 T gradient echo (GE) EPI data from 31 human participants. We assessed distortion compensation quality by quantifying alignment to anatomical reference scans using Dice coefficients and mutual information. Performance between FSL and AFNI was equivalent. In our whole-brain analyses, we found superior distortion compensation using GE scans with opposite phase encoding directions, versus B0 field maps or spin echo (SE) opposite phase encoding scans. However, SE performed better when analyses were limited to ventromedial prefrontal cortex, a region with substantial dropout. Matching the type of opposite phase encoding scans to the EPI data being corrected (e.g., SE-to-SE) also yielded better distortion correction. While the ideal distortion compensation approach likely varies depending on methodological differences across experiments, this study provides a framework for quantitative comparison of different distortion compensation methods.
The Prosecutor Prince: Misconduct, Accountability and a Modest Proposal

This article will undertake an ambitious agenda, composed of eight sections: (1) setting forth the proper role of prosecutors; (2) examining the prevalence and consequences of prosecutorial misconduct; (3) identifying the primary types of prosecutorial misconduct; (4) surveying the efforts of all jurisdictions in this regard; (5) dissecting the inadequacies of current practices in coping with the problem; (6) critiquing the proposals set forth by others regarding prosecutorial abuse; (7) examining the methodology and effectiveness of independent judicial commissions as a model for commissions regarding prosecutors; and (8) offering our proposal advocating independent commissions to investigate and determine whether prosecutorial misconduct has occurred and, if so, mete out appropriate sanctions.
Pressure Surges Following Sudden Air Pocket Entrapment in Stormwater Systems

Stormwater storage tunnels may undergo rapid pipe filling conditions during extreme rain events. Such conditions are relevant as adverse conditions may develop…
The Redundancy of Reasoning

It is often complained that legal reasoning occupies a more or less redundant position within systems-theoretical accounts of law. This is a position I have little trouble with. Indeed, in this paper I argue that the distance systems theory takes to justification within the legal system should be considered one of its most attractive features. A central distinction is made between the decisions or primary operations of the legal system which change its state, and observations (primarily those used in legal reasoning) which are directed at changing its state. From here, systems theory reverses the usual order of things. Rather than decisions being explained in terms of observations, which is central to the whole method of persuasion in reasoning, systems theory attempts to explain legal reasoning in relation to the process of decisionmaking within the legal system.
Teacher education with indigenous ways of knowing, being and doing as a key pillar

This paper reports on a project known as the Growing Our Own Indigenous teacher education initiative. This project involves the provision of teacher education, in situ, to Indigenous assistant teachers in remote Aboriginal communities in the Northern Territory, Australia. First, factors leading to the development of the project are provided. Second, the theoretical and conceptual frameworks for the project are explained. Third, the collaborative self-study methodology for the study is justified. Fourth, perceived successes are described: these include community engagement, cultural responsiveness in the programme, improved attendance of children at school, and the value of collaboration for lecturers. Fifth, challenges of the project are explained and the strategies for addressing them are described. Challenges include those of a physical nature, students having English as an additional language, ensuring the development of culturally appropriate assessment, and the challenge for lecturers of standing in two worlds and for students to cross boundaries. In conclusion, the significance of the project is discussed.
Enzymatic Synthesis of the Antigen Carrier Lipid

Abstract Two enzyme systems which catalyze polyprenol synthesis from Δ3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate and farnesyl pyrophosphate have been extracted from Salmonella newington. One system, which is soluble, yields products of chain length shorter than the 55-carbon isoprenoid antigen carrier lipid. The other, which is found in particulate fractions, yields a product that after acid hydrolysis is identical with the hydrolyzed antigen carrier lipid. This latter product is able to react with the sugar nucleotides UDP-galactose and TDP-rhamnose to form a disaccharide-diphosphate-polyprenol identical with disaccharide diphosphate antigen carrier lipid on diethylaminoethyl cellulose. It is proposed that the antigen carrier lipid is formed by the particulate enzyme through successive additions of Δ3-isopentenyl pyrophosphate to farnesyl pyrophosphate.
Grounded Theory: Methodology and Theory Construction

Grounded theory is introduced as an inductive, comparative methodology that provides systematic guidelines for gathering, synthesizing, analyzing, and conceptualizing qualitative data for the purpose of theory construction. The founders of grounded theory, Barney G. Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss, offered the first explicit, codified statement of how to analyze qualitative data. The intellectual traditions of each of its founders are discussed. Strauss brought Chicago School pragmatism, symbolic interactionism, and field research to grounded theory and Glaser's training in survey research gave the method its systematic approach, positivist proclivities, and procedural language. Debates between Glaser and Strauss and Corbin are noted and the distinction between objectivist and constructivist grounded theory is introduced. Objectivist grounded theory assumes the reality of an external world, takes for granted a neutral observer, views categories as derived from data, and sees representation of data and subjects as non-problematic. Constructivist grounded theory places priority on the studied phenomenon over the methods of studying it, uses grounded theory strategies as tools, not as prescriptions, and acknowledges the researcher's role in interpreting data and creating categories. Techniques involved in three major grounded theory strategies are described: coding, memomaking, and theoretical sampling. Last, a statement of current emphases and future directions is provided.
Hypervelocity wind tunnel 9 control system

The US Naval Surface Warfare Center Hypervelocity Wind Tunnel 9 operates from Mach 8 to Mach 14 with Reynolds numbers ranging from 75,000 per foot to 53,000,000 per foot. The Tunnel 9 facility control system was recently modernized. The architecture of the original and upgraded control system is described. In the upgraded system programmable logic controllers provide safety interlocking and input/output interfacing to the facility valve system. Mini computers (MicroVax II) provide an operator interface to the logic controllers, the sensors, the prerun initialization and online tunnel run command and status monitors, the displays, and tunnel condition data acquisition. >
THE PASSAGE OF RAT AND FOREIGN SPERMATOZOA THROUGH THE UTEROTUBAL JUNCTION OF THE RAT.

Abstract Various concentrations of nonmotile rat, guinea pig, or human spermatozoa were injected into the uterine horns of estrus rats in the presence or absence of cervical ligation. These spermatozoa were also introduced into uterine horns containing a silk foreign body. At various intervals after insemination, the contents of each oviduct were examined for spermatozoa. It was demonstrated that nonmotile rat and foreign spermatozoa can pass through the uterotubal junction in the presence or absence of cervical ligation and also in the presence of an intrauterine foreign body. The significance of these findings is discussed.
Mass-Weighted Symplectic Forms for the N-Body Problem

Mass-weighted symplectic forms provide a unified framework for the treatment of both finite and vanishingly small masses in the N-body problem. These forms are introduced, compared to previous approaches, and their properties are discussed. Applications to symplectic mappings, the definition of action-angle variables for the Kepler problem, and Hamiltonian perturbation theory are outlined
Intrinsic versus mutation dependent instability/flexibility: a comparative analysis of the structure and dynamics of wild-type transthyretin and its pathogenic variants

Transthyretin (TTR) is one of the about 20 known human proteins associated with amyloidosis which is characterized by the accumulation of amyloid fibrils in tissues or extracellular matrix surrounding vital organs. Unlike Alzheimer's fibrils that comprise a fragment of a large precursor protein, TTR amyloid fibrils are composed of both full-length protein and fragments of the molecule. The native state of TTR is a homotetramer with eight beta-strands organized into a beta-sandwich in each monomer. To elucidate the structural reorganization mechanisms preceding amyloid formation, it is important to characterize the dynamic features of the wild-type native state as well as to reveal the influence of disease-associated mutations on the structure and dynamics. Molecular dynamics (MD) simulations complement X-ray crystallography and D-H exchange to capture the intrinsically unstable/flexible sites of the wild-type as well as the mutation dependent unstable sites of the pathogenic variants. Our results of MD simulations have shown that the Leu55-->Pro (L55P) mutation occurs in an intrinsically unstable site, leading to substantial local and global structural changes. This observation supports the early speculation that the C-strand-loop-D-strand rearrangement leads to the formation of amyloidogenic intermediates. In addition to the D strand, the alpha-helical region and the strands at the monomer-monomer interface are also intrinsically unstable. The central channel of L55P-TTR undergoes opening and closing fluctuations, which may provide an explanation for the fact that while the mutation is far from the channel, the mutant shows a substantial low binding affinity of thyroxine.
(2S,5S)-2,5-dibenzyl-1,4-dimethylpiperazine, a novel alkaloid from zanthoxylum arborescens

Abstract The isolation and structure determination of (2S,5S)-2,5-dibenzyl-1,4-dimethylpiperazine ( 1 ), a new alkaloid biogenetically related to L-phenylalanine diketopiperazine, is described.
Validation of the Preschool Child Observation Record: Does It Pass the Test for Use in Head Start?

Research Findings: This study provides the first independent investigation of the second most widely used multidimensional assessment in Head Start—the Preschool Child Observation Record, Second Edition (COR-2). We conducted a comprehensive investigation into the validity of the COR-2 using data from all children in an urban school district's Head Start program (N = 4,071). Confirmatory factor analysis revealed a misfit between the 6 developer-defined categories and the data. Although exploratory analyses revealed a possible 4-factor solution, subsequent analyses indicated problems with this structure as well. Item response theory methods were used to determine whether there was support for the 5-point response scale of each item representing an appropriately sequenced set of skill points. Results indicated that nearly half of the COR-2 items had reversed or poorly spaced thresholds, suggesting potential problems with these items' functioning. Practice or Policy: Specific implications of the findings for ...
Synthesis, structure and optical properties of two new Perovskites: Ba2Bi2/3TeO6 and Ba3Bi2TeO9

Two new ordered Perovskite compounds, Ba2Bi2/3TeO6 and Ba3Bi2TeO9, have been synthesized and structurally characterized from neutron powder diffraction data. Ba2Bi2/3TeO6 is cubic (space group=Fm3m; a=8.4836(2) A), with a 1:1 rock salt ordering of Te6+ and Bi3+ on the octahedral sites. To maintain charge balance the bismuth site is only 2/3 occupied. Ba3Bi2TeO9 is trigonal (space group=P3c1; a=6.18313(6) A, c=14.8645(2) A), with a 2:1 ordering of Bi3+ and Te6+, and out-of phase tilting of the octahedra about all three pseudocubic axes (Glazer tilt system a-a-a-). The two structures also differ from each other in the local coordination of Bi3+. This ion is shifted toward an octahedral face in Ba3Bi2TeO9, whereas ideal octahedral coordination is observed in Ba2Bi2/3TeO6. This shift is driven by the valency requirements of oxygen and aided by the stereoactive lone electron pair on Bi3+. These structural changes lead to a distinct change in the optical band gap, from ∼2.8 eV in Ba2Bi2/3TeO6 to ∼2.3 eV in Ba3Bi2TeO9. Substitutional doping studies were carried out in the hope of increasing conductivity. Although the dopants appear to be homogeneously distributed, the resulting compositions were found in each case to be electrically insulating. Extended Huckel band structure calculations were performed in order to obtain a qualitative understanding of the optical and electrical properties.
Immunoenhancement Combined with Amphotericin B as Treatment for Experimental Visceral Leishmaniasis

To determine if stimulation of Th1-cell-associated immune responses, mediated by interleukin 12 (IL-12) and gamma interferon (IFN-γ), enhance the antileishmanial effect of amphotericin B (AMB), Leishmania donovani-infected BALB/c mice were first treated with (i) exogenous IL-12 to induce IFN-γ, (ii) agonist anti-CD40 monoclonal antibody (MAb) to maintain IL-12 and induce IFN-γ, or (iii) anti-IL-10 receptor (IL-10R) MAb to blockade suppression of IL-12 and IFN-γ. In animals with established visceral infection, low-dose AMB alone (two injections of 1 mg/kg of body weight; total dose, 2 mg/kg) killed 15 to 29% of liver parasites; by themselves, the immunointerventions induced 16 to 33% killing. When the interventions were combined, the leishmanicidal activities increased 3.4-fold (anti-CD40), 6.3-fold (anti-IL-10R), and 9-fold (IL-12) compared with the activities of AMB plus the control preparations; and overall killing (76 to 84%) approximated the 84 to 92% killing effect of 7.5-fold more AMB alone (three injections of 5 mg/kg; total dose, 15 mg/kg). These results suggest that strengthening the host Th1-cell response may be a strategy for the development of AMB-sparing regimens in visceral leishmaniasis.
A Commentary on Sexual Well-Being, Happiness and Satisfaction in Women: The Case for a New Conceptual Paradigm

I applaud Drs. Rosen and Bachmann (2008) for attempting to make a case for a conceptual paradigm for female sexuality that is affirmative rather than pathologic. They argue that there has been too ...
Determination of ecological scale

We suggest that ecological processes and physical characteristics possess an inherent scale at which the processes or characteristics occur over the landscape. We propose a conceptual spatial response model that describes the nature of this ecological scale. Based on the proposed spatial model, we suggest methods for estimating the size of study plots or transects and the distance between replicate plots needed to approach statistical independence. Using data on percent cover for Agropyron spicatum, a common arid-land bunchgrass, we demonstrated four relationships that should hold if the spatial response model is appropriate. These relationships are sample variance increases as functions of (1) transect segment length and (2) intersegment length (transect segment dispersal), and correlation decreases as functions of (3) intersegment length and (4) transect segment length. Based on evaluation of these four relationships, cover for A. spicatum is correlated over the landscape on a scale of 400 to 700 m, and a segment length of 64 to 128 m is most appropriate for measuring cover for this species.
Soft X-ray appearance potential spectroscopy study of Ni-Fe alloys

Abstract Soft X-ray appearance potential spectroscopy has been exploited to study the electronic structure of the NixFe100−x (x = 20, 33, 63, 74) alloy system. The binding energies of L3 levels of Ni and Fe exhibit negative and positive chemical shifts respectively with increasing Ni content. Also the full width at half maximum of the Fe L3-level peak increases systematically. The changes result from the charge transfer from Fe to Ni and are in agreement with the rigid-band model for the constituents of the alloys.
Structural and Conformational Dependence of Optical Rotation Angles

The ability to compute and to interpret optical rotation angles of chiral molecules is of great value in assigning relative and absolute stereochemistry. The molar rotations for an indoline and an azetidine, as well as for menthol and menthone, were calculated using ab inito methods and compared to the experimental values. In one case the calculated rotation angle allowed the assignment of the absolute configuration of a heterocycle of unknown stereochemistry. The critical importance of Boltzmann averaging of conformers for reliable prediction of the optical rotation angle was established. Comparisons between static-field and time-dependent methods were made pointing to the limits and validity of the methods as electronic resonance is approached. A protocol analogous to population analysis was used to analyze atomic contributions to the rotation angle in specific conformers. The combination of atomic contribution maps and conformational analysis may provide an indirect tool to assist in three-dimensional structure determination.
Inhibition of influenza virus haemagglutination by a brain lipid fraction.

THERE exists a rather ill-defined group of complex lipids that could be subsumed under the name of ‘mucolipids’. These substances, while possessing constituents commonly considered characteristic of the cerebrosides, share some properties with the mucoproteins. Thus, they are soluble in water and include amino-sugars and a nitrogen-containing acid which gives rise to a violet colour with Bial's reagent and to a colour reaction with p-dimethylamino-benzaldehyde without previous treatment with alkali. We shall here refer to the substance yielding a direct Ehrlich reaction as ‘direct chromogen’, since we are not in a position to decide whether we are dealing with sialic acid1, which was first isolated from submaxillary gland mucin2, or with neuraminic acid3 found in a group of lipids later designated as ganglio-sides4; nor indeed whether these two compounds differ.
Probing outer-sphere adsorption of aqueous metal complexes at the oxide-water interface with resonant anomalous x-ray reflectivity.

Resonant anomalous x-ray reflectivity near the Pt ${L}_{\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}\mathrm{I}}$ edge simultaneously revealed the geometric and spectroscopic structures of $\mathrm{P}\mathrm{t}({\mathrm{N}\mathrm{H}}_{3})_{4}{}^{2+}$ ions adsorbed at the quartz(100)-water interface. The derived Pt geometric subprofile shows two discrete ``outer-sphere'' adsorbed layers, and the interface-specific x-ray absorption edge profile exhibits a significant white-line enhancement compared to the bulk-solution species.
On the existence of optimal fixpoints

The concept of optimal fixpoint was introduced by Manna and Shamir [6, 7] in order to extract the maximum amount of “useful” information from a recursive definition. In this paper, we extend the concept of optimal fixpoint to arbitrary posets and investigate conditions which guarantee their existence. We prove that if a poset is chain-complete and has bounded joins, then every monotonic function has an optimal fixpoint. We also provide a sort of converse which generalizes a Theorem of A. Davis [2]. If a lower semilattice has bounded joins and every monotonic function has a fixpoint, then it is chain-complete.
Effects of Cagemate Gender and the Cagemate's access to ethanol on ethanol and water intake of the proximal male or the proximal female CD-1 mouse.

The effects of social stimulation on ethanol drinking in humans may depend on the gender of the drinker, the gender of the social stimulus, and the availability of ethanol provided to the social stimulus. The present study employed the Proximal Cagemate Drinking (PCD) Procedures to evaluate the effects of the gender of the social stimulus Cagemate mouse and the effects of providing ethanol to the Cagemate mouse on the drinking of ethanol and water by the male or female CD-1 Drinker mouse. Twelve groups of subjects were arranged in a 3 × 2 × 2 factorial design with 3 levels of Cagemate Gender (Male vs. Female vs. None), 2 levels of Drinker Gender (Male vs. Female), and 2 levels of Cagemate Ethanol (Ethanol vs. No Ethanol). In the 8 groups assigned to social housing conditions, each Drinker mouse was housed with a Cagemate mouse on opposite sides of a clear plastic shoebox cage equipped with a clear plastic barrier that divided the cage lengthwise into 2 equal compartments. Six groups of Drinkers and 4 groups of Cagemates were provided with continuous access to 2 bottles (ethanol vs. water), while the 4 groups of Cagemates in the No Ethanol condition were provided with 2 bottles containing water. Results revealed that providing the Cagemate with ethanol elevated ethanol intake and ethanol preference but reduced water intake in Drinkers in Other-Gender Pairings (Male Drinker-Female Cagemate or Female Drinker-Male Cagemate) relative to Drinkers in Same-Gender Pairings (Male Drinker-Male Cagemate or Female Drinker-Female Cagemate). In contrast, when the Cagemate was not provided with access to ethanol, the opposite effects were observed. These novel PCD procedures reveal that the gender of the Cagemate and the Cagemate's access to ethanol influenced ethanol drinking in proximal-housed CD-1 Drinker mice.
Effects of streptozotocin-induced diabetes on heart rate, blood pressure and cardiac autonomic nervous control

Diabetes-associated alterations in resting heart rate and blood pressure have been demonstrated in clinical studies and in animal models of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). These alterations may result from changes in the heart, vasculature or autonomic nervous system control. Using the streptozotocin- (STZ-) treated rat model of IDDM, the current study was designed to: (1) monitor changes in heart rate and blood pressure continually during a 10-week period in conscious unrestrained animals; and (2) determine if observed alterations in heart rate were mediated by changes in sympathetic and/or parasympathetic nervous control. Biotelemetry techniques were used. Heart rate and blood pressure were recorded 24 h a day at 10 min intervals before and after induction of diabetes. Diabetes was induced by i.v. administration of 50 mg/kg STZ. Resting autonomic nervous system tone was estimated by chronotropic responses to full-blocking doses of nadolol (5 mg/kg i.p.) and atropine (10 mg/kg i.p.). STZ-induced diabetes was associated with time-dependent reductions in heart rate and its circadian variation. Diastolic blood pressure and mean arterial pressure did not differ significantly when compared between control and STZ-treated animals; however, pulse pressure was diminished in diabetic rats. Chronotropic responses to both nadolol and atropine were blunted significantly in diabetic animals suggesting that resting levels of both vagal and sympathetic nervous tone to the heart were diminished. Heart rate in the presence of both nadolol and atropine was also decreased in diabetic rats. All effects observed following administration of STZ were reversed, at least in part, by insulin treatment. These results suggest that IDDM is associated with time-dependent reductions in resting heart rate and autonomic nervous control of cardiac function.
Loop quantization: a generalized loop unwinding technique

Abstract Loop unwinding is a known technique for reducing loop overhead, exposing parallelism, and increasing the efficiency of pipelining. Traditional loop unwinding is limited to the innermost loop in a group of nested loops and the amount of unwinding either is fixed or must be specified by the user, on a case by case basis. In this paper we present a general technique for automatically unwinding multiply nested loops, explain its advantages over other transformation techniques, and illustrate its practical effectiveness. Loop Quantization could be beneficial by itself or coupled with other loop transformations (e.g., Do-across).
Equilibria and vibration of a heavy pinched loop

A thin strip is bent such that the two ends are brought together and clamped (pinched) to form a teardrop shape. The clamped end is held at various angles with the loop either upright, horizontal, downward, or halfway between these positions. The length of the loop is increased, and the resulting equilibrium shapes, as well as small in-plane vibrations about equilibrium, are investigated analytically and experimentally. When the loop is held upright, in-plane buckling occurs at a critical length, and subsequent postbuckling deflections can be large. For the other orientations, except the hanging one, deflections also become large as the length is increased. In the analysis, the strip is assumed to be an inextensible elastica which is unstrained when straight, and its self-weight is included. A shooting method is applied to obtain numerical solutions to the nonlinear equilibrium boundary value problem and the linear vibration boundary value problem. Polycarbonate strips are used in the experiments, and data are acquired with a laser vibrometer. The experimental deflections, frequencies, and mode shapes exhibit excellent agreement with the analytical solutions.
Eddy currents from moving point sources of magnetic field in the Gravity Probe B experiment

Two boundary-value problems in plane geometry, modeling the field and current distribution produced by moving sources of magnetic field (fluxons) in surrounding normal metals, are solved analytically. In the first case a fluxon moves with a constant velocity in a superconducting plane separated by a vacuum gap from a half space filled with a metal having a low electrical conductivity. In the second case the half space is replaced by a thin metal layer of high conductivity. The problems are solved by perturbation techniques, the Fourier integral transform, and the Parseval identity. The latter is used to calculate the power dissipated in the metal. An estimate of the power dissipation is needed in order to calculate certain torques of magnetic origin in the Gravity Probe B project.
Overview of weather modification

Weather modification is an immature science of great potential. "Weather control" is not a foreseeable prospect. But even a very modest capacity to influence certain weather systems--which seems scientifically possible--could have enormous economic and social consequences. The subject is well disposed to benefit from the expertise represented by this IEEE group. The purpose of this paper is to provide an overview of weather modification to be filled in by several of the specialized papers to follow.
Measurement of diffusiophoresis in liquids

Abstract By formulating diffusiophoresis as a multicomponent diffusion phenomenon, diffusiophoretic velocities may be measured directly. A diaphragm cell has been used to measure diffusiophoresis of 0.198-μm polystyrene latex particles in various electrolyte solutions. The experiments have shown that both the diffusion potential and chemiphoretic contributions to the total diffusiophoretic velocity can be identified individually. Agreement between measurements and existing theories of diffusiophoresis in electrolyte solutions is excellent, demonstrating both the validity of the theories and of the experimental method.
Transcription Regulation of ompF and ompC by a Single Transcription Factor, OmpR

The ompF and ompC genes of Escherichia coli are reciprocally regulated by a single transcription factor, phosphorylated OmpR (OmpR-P), depending upon medium osmolarity. This regulation involves activation of ompF and its repression with concomitant activation of ompC. This occurs through OmpR-P binding to four (F1, F2, F3, and F4) and three (C1, C2, and C3) sites located upstream of the ompF and ompC promoters, respectively, through a novel mechanism. Here we show that there is a distinct OmpR-P binding hierarchy within F1, F2, and F3 sites as well as within C1, C2, and C3 sites. Each of these sites contains two tandem 10-bp OmpR-P-binding subsites, a-site and b-site (from 5' to 3' direction). OmpR-P has higher affinity to the downstream b-site than to the upstream a-site in each case. Six OmpR-P molecules bind to F and C sites two-by-two in a discontinuous "galloping" manner. We propose that this tight hierarchical binding of a transcription factor, OmpR, allows distinct stepwise regulation of ompF and ompC transcription, which minimizes their overlapping expression upon changes in the medium osmolarity to achieve the reciprocal expression of ompF and ompC.
CHANGE IN ELECTION CALENDARS AND TURNOUT DECLINE: A Test of Boyd's Hypothesis

Richard Boyd has argued that the proliferation of elections across the calendar is one source contributing to the decline in turnout over the past two decades. Two such election calendar reforms, the adoption of the presidential primary and the separation of the election of the governor from the election of the president, were used to test the thesis. Cross-sectional, quasi-experimental, and multiple regression tests indicate no support for the Boyd thesis.
Structural and mechanistic studies of HpxO, a novel flavin adenine dinucleotide-dependent urate oxidase from Klebsiella pneumoniae.

HpxO is a flavin-dependent urate oxidase that catalyzes the hydroxylation of uric acid to 5-hydroxyisourate and functions in a novel pathway for purine catabolism found in Klebsiella pneumoniae. We have determined the structures of HpxO with and without uric acid at 2.0 and 2.2 A, respectively. We have also determined the structure of the R204Q variant at 2.0 A resolution in the absence of uric acid. The variant structure is very similar to that of wild-type HpxO except for the conformation of Arg103, which interacts with FAD in the variant but not in the wild-type structure. Interestingly, the R204Q variant results in the uncoupling of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide oxidation from uric acid hydroxylation. This suggests that Arg204 facilitates the deprotonation of uric acid, activating it for the oxygen transfer. On the basis of these data, a mechanism for this reaction consisting of a nucleophilic attack of the urate anion on the flavin hydroperoxide resulting in the formation of 5-hydroxyisourate is ...