cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transformation or Substitution? The Workers’ Party and the Right in Northeast Brazil

One of the most significant recent changes in Brazilian politics is the inroads made by the Workers’ Party (Partido dos Trabalhadores, PT) and other leftist parties into state and municipal governments in the country’s most conservative region, the Northeast. An important strand of literature argues that this is due to a transformative strategy anchored in institutional growth, which is based on opening local party directorates. In contrast, this analysis shows that the PT has made gains in the region by segmenting its strategy – that is, by focusing on two well-established political practices. First, the PT has leveraged executive office at higher levels of government (e.g., federal and state) in order to advance at lower levels (e.g., state and municipal). Second, it has constructed pragmatic alliances with opportunistic parties, thus revealing how the migration of opportunist politicians into allied parties allowed entrenched elites to remain in power. This suggests that the Left’s subnational advances are less transformative than they seem and could potentially harm democratic consolidation.
The ALEXIS Point Source Detection Effort

Los Alamos National Laboratory’s A LEXIS satellite (a wide area EUV monitoring instrument) was launched April 25, 1993. Due to the damage sustained at launch by the satellite, the ALEXIS project team has had to spend over a year devising new methods to determine spacecraft attitude knowledge, essential for putting photons back on the sky correctly. These efforts have been successful and currently the ALEXIS attitude solutions are precise to better than 0.5 degree close to the original 0.25 degree pre-flight specification. This paper will discuss the number and types of point sources that have been revealed in the ALEXIS data, to date. We will also discuss ALEXIS observations of the June, 1994 super outburst of the Cataclysmic Variable VW Hyi, a program to look for simultaneous EUV emission from Gamma Ray Bursts, as well as an effort to detect EUV transients with a 12 – 24 hour response time.
Limitations to field application of Rhizobium inoculants.

Extensive data from methods of inoculation to introduce selected strains of Rhizobium japonicum into established soybean areas have indicated that the applied strains do not occupy the majority of nodules. Nor do they influence seed yields. Exceptions to these results have occurred sporadically under environmental stress or at locations where low populations of indigenous Rhizobium japonicum have been assayed or where exceptionally large numbers of Rhizobium and inoculant material have been employed. No limitations appear to be imposed at sites where Rhizobium japonicum are absent or low in numbers. Strains selected for evaluation of nodulation and nitrogen fixation capacity on varieties are limited only by the specificity of the host cultivar and relative symbiotic nitrogen fixation efficiency. Considerable variation is recorded between Rhizobium strains and their relative effectiveness on soybean varieties. The most critical problem to the practical use of naturally selected or genetically altered superior nitrogen fixing Rhizobium strains isthe methodology to enhance the competition for nodule sites of the applied strains with those in the soil. Until this is achieved the more efficient symbiosis between Rhizobium and host varieties found in the laboratories and greenhouses will do nothing to increase the world’s protein production.
Sensitive Topics: Suicidality, Child Abuse, Sexuality, Substance Abuse

Kenneth Cooper, MD, the father of aerobics, tells a story about a distraught, suicidal young man. This man decides to run until he falls dead of exhaustion. One day he goes for a long run. He does not stop until he collapses into a heap in New York City’s Central Park. The only thing is that he doesn’t die. He analyzes the situation and concludes that he just did not run hard enough. So, he tries again the next day. He runs harder. Again, he drops at the end of his running effort, but he does not die. Not discouraged, he tries again the third day. He experiences the same results. When he awakens the fourth day, he is amazed to discover he feels better. A runner is born.
Heat stress decreases metabolic flexibility in skeletal muscle of growing pigs.

Heat-stressed pigs experience metabolic alterations, including altered insulin profiles, reduced lipid mobilization, and compromised intestinal integrity. This is bioenergetically distinct from the...
ZEB1 suppression sensitizes KRAS mutant cancers to MEK inhibition by an IL17RD-dependent mechanism

Mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) kinase (MEK) inhibitors have failed to show clinical benefit in Kirsten rat sarcoma (KRAS) mutant lung cancer due to various resistance mechanisms. To identify differential therapeutic sensitivities between epithelial and mesenchymal lung tumors, we performed in vivo small hairpin RNA screens, proteomic profiling, and analysis of patient tumor datasets, which revealed an inverse correlation between mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling dependency and a zinc finger E-box binding homeobox 1 (ZEB1)-regulated epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition. Mechanistic studies determined that MAPK signaling dependency in epithelial lung cancer cells is due to the scaffold protein interleukin-17 receptor D (IL17RD), which is directly repressed by ZEB1. Lung tumors in multiple Kras mutant murine models with increased ZEB1 displayed low IL17RD expression, accompanied by MAPK-independent tumor growth and therapeutic resistance to MEK inhibition. Suppression of ZEB1 function with miR-200 expression or the histone deacetylase inhibitor mocetinostat sensitized resistant cancer cells to MEK inhibition and markedly reduced in vivo tumor growth, showing a promising combinatorial treatment strategy for KRAS mutant cancers. In human lung tumor samples, high ZEB1 and low IL17RD expression correlated with low MAPK signaling, presenting potential markers that predict patient response to MEK inhibitors.
INDRA-IPM: interactive pathway modeling using natural language with automated assembly

SUMMARY INDRA-IPM (Interactive Pathway Map) is a web-based pathway map modeling tool that combines natural language processing with automated model assembly and visualization. INDRA-IPM contextualizes models with expression data and exports them to standard formats. AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION INDRA-IPM is available at: http://pathwaymap.indra.bio. Source code is available at http://github.com/sorgerlab/indra_pathway_map. The underlying web service API is available at http://api.indra.bio:8000. SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION Supplementary data are available at Bioinformatics online.
Functional workspace and patient-reported outcomes improve after reverse and total shoulder arthroplasty.

Background Low-cost motion analysis systems (LCMASs) have emerged as easy and practical methods to measure the functional workspace (FWS). Thus, we ventured to apply an LCMAS, the Kinect2 gaming camera, to evaluate the FWS in patients with shoulder osteoarthritis (OA) and patients who underwent total shoulder arthroplasty (TSA) or reverse total shoulder arthroplasty (RTSA). Methods A cross-sectional study of participants with OA (n = 53), TSA (n = 70), and RTSA (n = 34) was performed. The FWS as measured by an LCMAS, the American Shoulder and Elbow Surgeons (ASES) Standardized Shoulder Assessment Form score, and the Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) score were collected. For participants who underwent TSA or RTSA, the FWS was evaluated at 6, 12, and 24 months postoperatively. The correlation of the FWS with the ASES score and PROMIS score was determined. Significance was set at P Results Patients who underwent TSA or RTSA had a significantly higher FWS than patients with shoulder OA at almost all time points. Patients who underwent TSA had a significantly higher FWS than patients who underwent RTSA at 24 months after surgery. PROMIS and ASES scores showed strong correlations with the FWS in patients who underwent TSA ( R = 0.75 [ P R = 0.83 [ P R = 0.84 [ P R = 0.73 [ P Conclusion The FWS measured by an LCMAS is an easy and low-cost method to quantify the reachable space of the hand in patients and shows strong correlations with patient-reported outcome measures. This may be a useful tool to assess upper-extremity range of motion before and after shoulder arthroplasty.
Cell Therapy in a Mouse Model of Immune-Mediated Bone Marrow Failure.

Immune-mediated bone marrow (BM) failure has been modeled in the mouse by infusion of lymph node cells from allogeneic C57BL/6 (B6) donors into major or minor histocompatibility antigen-mismatched recipients (Chen et al., Blood 2004; Bloom et al., Exp Hematol 2004, Chen et al., J Immunol 2007). Co-infusion of limited numbers of CD4 + CD25 + regulatory T lymphocytes (Tregs) can alleviate clinical manifestations by suppressing the expansion of pathogenic T cells (Chen et al., J Immunol 2007). In the current study, we investigated the effectiveness of Tregs and suppressor cells contained in BM stroma in this fatal disease. Infusion of fewer than 3 × 10 3 Tregs to each recipient mouse had only a minor effect in preserving BM cells and did not prevent pancytopenia. Fifteen-50 × 10 3 thymic Tregs was moderately protective: blood WBC, RBC, platelet and BM cell counts at three weeks after cell infusion were 197%, 116%, 155% and 158% of those of control animals that did not receive Treg infusion; 5–10 × 10 3 B6 splenic Tregs produced the largest effect as WBC, RBC, platelet and BM cell counts were 275%, 143%, 276%, and 198% of controls. Overall, Treg therapy was helpful but its effectiveness was limited and variable among individual recipients as no antigen-specific Tregs can be identified for the treatment of BM failure. Learned about the immunosuppressive effects of mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), we went on to test the effectiveness of stromal cells as another therapeutic modality for BM failure, since stromal cells contain MSCs. These cells were derived from B6 BM by culture in α-modified Eagle medium at 33°C with 5% CO 2 for two weeks. After separating the non-adherent cells, we detached the adherent stromal cells and infused them into TBI + B6 LN-infused C.B10 mice. Injection of 10 6 stromal cells at the time of LN cell infusion effectively preserved WBCs (3.09 ± 0.51 vs 0.61 ± 0.18), RBCs (8.72 ± 0.14 vs 3.52 ± 0.46), platelets (924 ± 93 vs 147 ± 25) and BM cells (186.6 ± 8.7 vs 52.7 ± 7.8) when compared to LN-cell-infused mice without stromal cell addition. Delayed stromal cell injection at day 9 after LN cell infusion had only a mild effect on the preservation of RBCs (147%), platelets (276%) and BM cells (223%) and no effect on WBCs (64%), and infusion of non-adherent cells from the same stromal cell culture had no therapeutic effect. Stromal cell-infused mice had higher proportion of FoxP3 + CD4 + cells in the peripheral blood (59.7 ± 10.7% vs 29.8 ± 5.4%) and more Lin − CD117 + CD34 − hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the BM (591 ± 95 vs 60 ± 43, thousand) in comparison to LN cell infused mice without stromal cell treatment. Mitigation of pathogenic T cells, including both CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes, is the potential mechanism for the effectiveness of Treg and stromal cell therapies that helped to protect hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells in the BM of affected animals.
The Past, Present and Future of Health Care Reform: Can it Happen?

This article discusses the background of attempts to reform the American health care system, dating back to the early 20th century, and the major current problems, including very high costs, cost increases that greatly exceed the overall inflation rate, inadequate coverage, and high out of pocket expenses that threaten many with bankruptcy and deter others from seeking needed care. The article describes the tax benefits associated with health insurance coverage, particularly when provided by an employer, and notes that these benefits flow mainly to upper income individuals. The article notes that ERISA preemption forestalls many state and local reform efforts. Finally, the article discusses current reform proposals at both the state and federal levels.
Kurios: A Web App for Saving and Sharing Audio Memories with Physical Objects

Kurios is a smartphone web application for saving and sharing audio stories embedded in physical objects. People can use Kurios to preserve their memories sparked by family photos, heirlooms, travel souvenirs, and trophies into the objects themselves. By creating this easily accessed semantic platform, the project seeks to not only preserve past stories but also promote the bonds and sense of community that come with storytelling itself.
Bradyarrhythmias in patients with COVID-19: Marker of poor prognosis?

BACKGROUND: Despite descriptions of various cardiovascular manifestations in patients with coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), there is a paucity of reports of new onset bradyarrhythmias, and the clinical implications of these events are unknown. METHODS: Seven patients presented with or developed severe bradyarrhythmias requiring pacing support during the course of their COVID-19 illness over a 6-week period of peak COVID-19 incidence. A retrospective review of their presentations and clinical course was performed. RESULTS: Symptomatic high-degree heart block was present on initial presentation in three of seven patients (43%), and four patients developed sinus arrest or paroxysmal high-degree atrioventricular block. No patients in this series demonstrated left ventricular systolic dysfunction or acute cardiac injury, whereas all patients had elevated inflammatory markers. In some patients, bradyarrhythmias occurred prior to the onset of respiratory symptoms. Death from complications of COVID-19 infection occurred in 57% (4/7) patients during the initial hospitalization and in 71% (5/7) patients within 3 months of presentation. CONCLUSIONS: Despite management of bradycardia with temporary (3/7) or permanent leadless pacemakers (4/7), there was a high rate of short-term morbidity and death due to complications of COVID-19. The association between new-onset bradyarrhythmias and poor outcomes may influence management strategies for acutely ill patients with COVID-19.
Socio-Ecologically Constituted Types of Sexual Assault:

Despite the burden of sexual assault on college campuses, few effective prevention programs exist. Understanding the socio-ecological context in which sexual assaults occur may illuminate novel pat...
Word Order Predicts Cross-Linguistic Differences in the Production of Redundant Color and Number Modifiers.

When asked to identify objects having unique shapes and colors among other objects, English speakers often produce redundant color modifiers ("the red circle") while Spanish speakers produce them less often ("el circulo (rojo)"). This cross-linguistic difference has been attributed to a difference in word order between the two languages, under the incremental efficiency hypothesis (Rubio-Fernandez, Mollica, & Jara-Ettinger, 2020). However, previous studies leave open the possibility that broad language differences between English and Spanish may explain this cross-linguistic difference such that English speakers may generally produce more modifiers than Spanish speakers, including redundant ones, irrespective of word order. Here, we test the incremental efficiency hypothesis in a language production task crossing language (English, Spanish) with modifier type (color, number). Critically, number words occur on the same side of the noun in both English and Spanish. If broad language differences are responsible for the higher rate of color word production in English compared to Spanish, then the same effect should hold for number words. In contrast, the incremental efficiency hypothesis predicts an interaction between language and modifier type, due to different ordering for color words but identical ordering for number words. Our pre-registered analyses offer strong support for the incremental efficiency hypothesis, demonstrating how seemingly small differences in language can cause us to describe the world in surprisingly different ways.
SiglecF(HI) Marks Late-Stage Neutrophils of the Infarcted Heart: A Single-Cell Transcriptomic Analysis of Neutrophil Diversification

Background Neutrophils are thought to be short‐lived first responders to tissue injuries such as myocardial infarction (MI), but little is known about their diversification or dynamics. Methods and...
Radiographic imaging with a linear x-ray source and multi-row detector

A tetrahedron beam CT (TBCT) benchtop system has been developed with linear array x-ray source with 48 focal spots in 4 mm spacing and a photon counting detector (PCD). The generated x-ray beams are collimated to fan beams by a multi-slot collimator and converge to the 6 mm wide multi-row photon counting detector. Due to its scatter rejection geometry, the scatter-to-primary ratio (SPR) is significantly reduced to 17% for fan beam comparing to 120% for cone beam in presence of a head phantom. We performed both 2D and 3D imaging study with the TBCT system. 2D radiography images have been obtained using shift-and-add method. Both analytical and iterative reconstruction methods were used in 3D image reconstruction. Head phantom and animal cadaver were scanned.
The Influence of Health Mindset on Perceptions of Illness and Behaviors Among Adolescents

Health mindsets can be viewed on a continuum of malleability from fixed (health cannot be altered) to growth (health can be affected by behavior). We propose that mindsets may influence the health perceptions of healthy adolescents as well as the health behaviors of adolescents with a chronic illness. In Study 1, we surveyed healthy adolescents about their health mindsets and their judgments of illness in response to vignettes of fictional others. In Study 2, we measured the health mindsets and health behaviors of adolescents with type 1 diabetes In Study 1, healthy adolescents with a fixed health mindset were more likely to rate fictional others as being less healthy, less likely to recover, and more vulnerable to additional diseases. In Study 2, a growth mindset was associated with a greater frequency of glucose monitoring among younger, but not older, adolescents with type 1 diabetes. Further, growth mindset was associated with lower HbA1c levels for younger adolescents. Health mindsets may shape views of the implications of illness or injury for overall health and, in adolescents with a chronic condition, may interact with age to influence health behaviors and outcomes.
Primary Cutaneous CD4+ Small/Medium Pleomorphic T-Cell Lymphoma

Primary cutaneous CD4+ small/medium pleomorphic T-cell lymphoma (pcSMPTCL) is an extremely rare lymphoma with an overall excellent prognosis. It is a provisional entity in the World Health Organization–European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (WHO/EORTC) guidelines and is considered to have both indolent and aggressive forms. pcSMPTCL typically presents with a persistent, asymptomatic, solitary erythematous nodule or pink plaque on the head, neck, or trunk. Given the generally benign clinical course of this disease, some advocate the use of alternative terms, including T-cell pseudolymphoma, cutaneous nodular proliferation of pleomorphic T lymphocytes of undetermined significance, or clonal T-cell lymphoproliferative disease with indolent behavior [1, 2]. Given the dramatic difference in prognosis between the indolent and aggressive forms, it is possible that this entity, as currently defined, encompasses two distinct diseases. This chapter discusses the clinical presentation, prognosis, treatment, histopathology, immunohistochemistry, molecular characteristics, and differential diagnosis of pcSMPTCL. It closes with a clinical case.
Cell Adhesion Molecules during Inner Ear and Hair Cell Development, Including Notch and Its Ligands

The vertebrate inner ear develops from a population of placodally derived epithelial cells that initially invaginate to form the otocyst. As development continues, subsets of cells within this population become specified to develop as specific structures within the ear. Subsequently, individual cells undergo morphogenetic and differentiative changes related to the development of specific regions of the ear. The factors that regulate the different developmental events that are required for formation of a complete inner ear are still not completely understood. However, there is growing evidence to suggest that cell–cell adhesion and cell adhesion molecules may play key roles in several aspects of inner ear development. This chapter summarizes the molecular attributes of the known families of cell adhesion molecules and reviews the existing knowledge about the role of cell adhesion in inner ear development. The roles of cell adhesion in regionalization of the otocyst, cellular differentiation, and neurite extension are reviewed. In addition, the recently demonstrated role of a subset of adhesion molecules, although not necessarily cell–cell adhesion itself, in the development and orientation of hair cell stereociliary bundles is discussed. The role of adhesion molecules in stereociliary bundle development is even more intriguing in light of the fact that many of these molecules were identified as genetic mutations that lead to non-syndromic forms of deafness. These results highlight the importance of adhesion molecules in inner ear development and suggest that the developmental challenges that exist within the inner ear may have resulted in the development of novel functions for adhesion molecules.
Quantificational Sharpening of Commonsense Knowledge

The KNEXT system produces a large volume of factoids from text, expressing possibilistic general claims such as that ‘A PERSON MAY HAVE A HEAD’ or ‘PEOPLE MAY SAY SOMETHING’. We present a rule-based method to sharpen certain classes of factoids into stronger, quantified claims such as ‘ALL OR MOST PERSONS HAVE A HEAD’ or ‘ALL OR MOST PERSONS AT LEAST OCCASIONALLY SAY SOMETHING’ ‐ statements strong enough to be used for inference. The judgement of whether and how to sharpen a factoid depends on the semantic categories of the terms involved and the strength of the quantifier depends on how strongly the subject is associated with what is what is predicated of it. We provide an initial assessment of the quality of such automatic strengthening of knowledge and examples of reasoning with multiple sharpened premises.
Chapter 21 – Implementing Applications with FPGAs

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses how field-programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) are compared to other digital devices, outlines the considerations that help designers to determine when FPGAs are appropriate for a specific application, and presents implementation strategies that exploit features specific to FPGAs. It discusses the strengths and weaknesses of FPGAs, relative to other available devices. It suggests when FPGA devices are suitable choices for specific applications/algorithms, based on their I/O and computation requirements. This study discusses general implementation strategies appropriate for FPGA devices and FPGA-specific arithmetic design techniques. FPGAs provide a flexible, high-performance, and reprogrammable means for implementing a variety of electronic applications. On the positive side, they can provide high performance that is achievable only with custom hardware, are reprogrammable, and can be purchased in volume as a fully tested, standard product. On the negative side, they remain largely inaccessible to the software community; moreover, high-performance application development requires hardware design and the use of standard synthesis tools and Verilog.
Degradation of lnosinic Acid in Chicken Muscle During Aseptic Storage and Its Possible Use as an Index of Quality.

SUMMARY— Analysis of chicken breast and leg muscle stored under aseptic conditions at 0, 5, and 10°C showed that the breakdown of inosinic acid and formation of hypoxanthine depended on storage temperature and time. Over 75% loss of inosinic acid content of both breast and leg muscle occurred in 3–5 weeks at 0°, in 2–3 weeks at 5O and in about 1 week at 10°C. These storage periods correspond to the lengths of time after which quality deterioration has been detected by sensory evaluation. During the same periods of storage, the hypoxanthine content of these muscles increased gradually to a value of 200–400 fig/g of muscle. Since the level of inosinic acid in fresh muscle is fairly constant and related to flavor, the results indicate that an objective method of quality assessment of chicken meat based on inosinic acid content is feasible. A similar test based on the hypoxanthine content is also possible, but not likely to be as satisfactory, because losses occurring as a result of “weeping” and leaching in hypoxanthine content would show an apparent quality that is higher than it should be. On the other hand, an index based on inosinic acid would reflect similar losses by lowering of quality.
Accuracy of Doppler ultrasound in evaluating changes of left ventricular diastolic properties.

In order to evaluate the effect of an increase in preload caused by contrast medium (Renografin-75) on Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular diastolic properties, left ventricular pressure using a catheter tip micromanometer and pulsed-Doppler measurement of transmitral flow signals were measured simultaneously in 15 patients with coronary artery disease pre- and post-left ventricular angiography. After left ventricular angiography, changes in indices determined from left ventricular pressure were significant: left ventricular end-diastolic pressure increased from 17 ± 2 mmHg to 24 ± 2 mmHg (mean ± SE) (P < 0.001), maximum -dP/dt increased from 1,129 ± 63 to 1,307 ± 90 mmHg/sec (P < 0.005), and time constant decreased from 73 ± 2 to 67 ± 1 msec (P < 0.01). Changes in Doppler-derived indices were also significant: A/E ratio decreased from 0.99 ± 0.08 to 0.81 ± 0.07 (P < 0.01), peak velocity of early diastolic filling increased from 0.61 ± 0.03 to 0.79 ± 0.03 M/sec (P < 0.01), and deceleration rate increased from 3.1 ± 0.2 to 4.6 ± 0.2 M/sec2 (P < 0.01). Changes in Doppler echocardiographic indices (DR, acceleration half time, deceleration half time, and A/E ratio) were accompanied by changes in time constant and maximum -dP/dt after left ventricular angiography. However, the correlations between changes in hemodynamic indices and changes in Doppler echocardiographic indices were poor (r = 0.06 to 0.67). We conclude that changes in Doppler indices of left ventricular diastolic properties are not satisfactory for evaluating changes in left ventricular end-diastolic pressure, time constant, and maximum -dP/dt which reflects the limitation of these presently available parameters to assess diastolic function.
Measurements of the color of the sea and sky

On a recent voyage we went from Norfolk southward along the 75th meridian around the east end of Cuba and across the Caribbean Sea to Panama, and returned by approximately the same route. We had along the abridged edition of the Munsell Book of Color. This is a scientifically prepared collection of little colored rectangles of a series of colors throughout the spectrum, a series of different brightnesses of these colors and of saturation (or admixture of white light) with the colors. By holding the colors up against the sea or the sky it was a simple matter to find the rectangle which matched the sea or the sky in color, brightness, and saturation. Thus a record was made of these natural phenomena. It came out roughly that on clear cloudless days the sky near the horizon was about five times as bright as the sea near the horizon, and the sky 50° from the horizon was about twice as bright as the sea near the horizon. No difference in the color of the sea was observed as we entered the Gulf Stream in deep water.
Aligned nanowire structures on silicon and flexible substrates and their applications

This paper reports on device fabrication and applications using vertically aligned nanowires (VANW) grown on silicon and flexible polyimide substrates. For bio hazards sensing applications, a tin oxide thin film was coated on the surface of nanowires to utilize high surface area density of nanostructured platform. Device fabrication processes include current silicon technology including lithography, plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), and sol-gel process. The crystalline structure and sensing characteristics of tin oxide after annealing process were investigated with X-ray diffraction (XRD) and resistance monitoring at different concentration of isopropyl alcohol at part per million (ppm) levels. In addition, gold nanowires grown on flexible polyimide substrates were demonstrated, which can be used for a wide variety of applications including biomedical, display, and communication devices based on flexibility and transparency.
Origin of mono- and binucleate cells with heterochromatic chromosomes in the malpighian tubules of the european elm scale, Gossyparia spuria (Coccoidea: Homoptera).

Males of the European elm scale, Gossyparia spuria (Erioccoccidae) have two Malphigian tubules, each made up of mononucleate and binucleate cells. Both types of cells may contain heterochromatic (H) chromosomes which form an H body. The cells with H bodies (H cells) usually appeared singly anywhere along the tubule. However, when two or more H cells were present they tended to be closer to each other than would be expected by chance. The possible origin of this tendency is discussed. Following squashing, the nuclei of the binucleate cells were much larger than those of most other somatic cells, suggesting that they were highly endopolyploid. However, the H bodies of the cells of the tubules were of about the same size as those of the other cells. These observations suggested that the H chromosomes of the binucleate cells did not replicate while the euchromatic chromosomes of these cells replicated several times. The great majority of the nuclei of the H cells contained a single H body per nucleus. An analysis of the number of H bodies in binucleate cells indicated that when two H bodies were present in the same nucleus they usually did not fuse. Thus, they were believed also not to fuse in the mononucleate cells. Since almost all the mononucleate H cells had only a single H body (rather than 2) it was concluded that they did not originate from binucleate cells by nuclear fusion.
MHC Disparate Resting B Cells Are Tolerogenic in the Absence of Alloantigen-Expressing Dendritic Cells

Resting B cell (rB) populations have been shown to tolerize to soluble proteins and to minor-H but not to MHC alloantigens. We speculated that the reason for failing to tolerize to MHC alloantigen is that the few remaining dendritic cells (DCs) contaminating purified rB cell populations efficiently activate MHC allospecific T cells which are present at a higher frequency than T cells specific for minor-H alloantigen and soluble proteins. We established that MHC disparate rB cells are indeed tolerogenic when devoid of DC populations, as parental strain mice showed delayed skin graft rejection when infused with rB cells from mice in which MHC class I alloantigen was specifically targeted to T and B cells (CD2- transgenic mice). In contrast, treatment of parental strain mice with allogeneic rB cells purified from MHC- transgenic mice, in which is ubiquitously expressed, including DCs, induced accelerated graft rejection. We also showed that adding only 5,000 expressing DCs to CD2- rB cells abrogated the tolerogenic effect. Surprisingly, allogeneic rB cells prolonged graft survival in -primed mice. Thus, MHC disparate rB cells are tolerogenic and their failure to delay graft rejection can be explained by contaminating allogeneic DCs.
Observational studies often make clinical practice recommendations: an empirical evaluation of authors' attitudes

Abstract Objectives Although observational studies provide useful descriptive and correlative information, their role in the evaluation of medical interventions remains contentious. There has been no systematic evaluation of authors' attitudes toward their own nonrandomized studies and how often they recommend specific medical practices. Study Design and Setting We reviewed all original articles of nonrandomized studies published in 2010 in New England Journal of Medicine , Lancet , Journal of the American Medical Association , and Annals of Internal Medicine . We classified articles based on whether authors recommend a medical practice and whether they state that a randomized trial is needed to support their recommendation. We also examined the types of logical extrapolations used by authors who did advance recommendations. Results Of the 631 original articles published in 2010, 298 (47%) articles were eligible observational studies. In 167 (56%) of 298 studies, authors recommended a medical practice based on their results. Only 24 (14%) of 167 studies stated that a randomized controlled trial (RCT) should be done to validate the recommendation, whereas the other 143 articles made a total of 149 logical extrapolations to recommend specific medical practices. Recommendations without a call for a randomized trial were most common in studies of modifiable factors (59%), but they were also common in studies reporting incidence or prevalence (51%), studies examining novel tests (41%), and association studies of nonmodifiable factors (32%). Conclusion The authors of observational studies often extrapolate their results to make recommendations concerning a medical practice, typically without first calling for a RCT.
Flow through very porous inclined screens

The steady, inviscid flow through and around a screen inclined at a uniform angle to the incoming flow was investigated. For a screen placed in an infinite flow field, an asymptotic analysis for small resistance coefficients was performed, and the effects of inclination were determined. The velocity at first order in the asymptotic expansion was nonuniform along the screen. This nonuniformity caused the wake behind the screen to contain distributed vorticity at second order. These effects therefore occurred at one order lower than for normal screens.
X-ray-induced color centers in MgO

Abstract An analysis is presented of the optical absorption spectrum induced in MgO crystals by heat treatment in oxygen; the analysis gives Gaussian bands near quantum energies of 5.7, 4.8 and 4.3 eV for the region investigated, which extends to 6 eV. A similar analysis of the absorption spectrum induced by X-irradiation at room temperature gives Gaussian bands near 5.7, 4.8, 4.3 and 2.3 eV, plus absorption in the region below 4 eV. Results concerning the growth and thermal decay of the optical absorption induced by X-irradiation at room temperature and at 600°C are presented. A study has also been made of the spectrum induced by X-irradiation of crystals previously colored by heat treatment in oxygen. The results are discussed in terms of a model which assumes the presence of ions of variable valence.
Genomic selection in admixed and crossbred populations.

In livestock, genomic selection (GS) has primarily been investigated by simulation of purebred populations. Traits of interest are, however, often measured in crossbred or mixed populations with uncertain breed composition. If such data are used as the training data for GS without accounting for breed composition, estimates of marker effects may be biased due to population stratification and admixture. To investigate this, a genome of 100 cM was simulated with varying marker densities (5 to 40 segregating markers per cM). After 1,000 generations of random mating in a population of effective size 500, 4 lines with effective size 100 were isolated and mated for another 50 generations to create 4 pure breeds. These breeds were used to generate combined, F 1 , F 2 , 3- and 4-way crosses, and admixed training data sets of 1,000 individuals with phenotypes for an additive trait controlled by 100 segregating QTL and heritability of 0.30. The validation data set was a sample of 1,000 genotyped individuals from one pure breed. Method Bayes-B was used to simultaneously estimate the effects of all markers for breeding value estimation. With 5 (40) markers per cM, the correlation of true with estimated breeding value of selection candidates (accuracy) was greatest, 0.79 (0.85), when data from the same pure breed were used for training. When the training data set consisted of crossbreds, the accuracy ranged from 0.66 (0.79) to 0.74 (0.83) for the 2 marker densities, respectively. The admixed training data set resulted in nearly the same accuracies as when training was in the breed to which selection candidates belonged. However, accuracy was greatly reduced when genes from the target pure breed were not included in the admixed or crossbred population. This implies that, with high-density markers, admixed and crossbred populations can be used to develop GS prediction equations for all pure breeds that contributed to the population, without a substantial loss of accuracy compared with training on purebred data, even if breed origin has not been explicitly taken into account. In addition, using GS based on high-density marker data, purebreds can be accurately selected for crossbred performance without the need for pedigree or breed information. Results also showed that haplotype segments with strong linkage disequilibrium are shorter in crossbred and admixed populations than in purebreds, providing opportunities for QTL fine mapping.
Method for recoating fiber Bragg gratings with polyimide

A new technique for recoating optical fiber with a polyimide jacket is demonstrated. Single layer coatings of 7 micrometers , and double layers of 15 micrometers have been applied to 125 micrometers fiber. The coatings are uniform and concentric, and can be applied with no loss of original fiber strength. The technique accommodates multiple fiber diameters without the need for interchanging parts.
NIS tunnel junction as an x-ray photon sensor

This work presents the first results of our development of normal-insulating-superconducting tunnel junctions used as energy dispersive detectors for low energy particles. The device described here is a Ag/Al2O3/Al tunnel junction of area 1.5 multiplied by 104 micrometer squared with thicknesses of 200 nm for the normal Ag strip and 100 nm for the superconducting Al film. Two different high-speed SQUID systems manufactured by quantum magnetics and HYPRES, respectively, were used for the readout of this device. At 80 mK bath temperature we obtained an energy resolution DeltaEFWHM equals 250 eV for 5.89 keV x rays absorbed directly in the normal metal. This energy resolution appears to be limited in large part by the observed strong position dependence of the device response.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Iridium oxide-based chemical sensor for in situ pH measurement of oilfield-produced water under subsurface conditions

The objective of this study was to develop a pH sensor for monitoring hydrogen ion activity in situ in oilfield-produced water under subsurface conditions. An iridium oxide film was prepared, and the performance of the iridium oxide film was evaluated in produced water using a series of high salinities, temperatures, and pressures. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) were employed to assess the morphology and oxidation state of the iridium oxide film. A series of open-circuit potential (OCP) measurements were performed to access the sensitivity and stability of the iridium oxide film electrode in produced water. Research results indicated that the pH sensor exhibits a very high sensitivity in the environment with varied interference ions, including Na+, Mg2+, Ca2+, Cl−, and SO4 2−, and the existence of sodium chloride in produced water made a slight positive shift of potential. The iridium oxide film-based pH sensor exhibited a near-Nernstian response at −57.9 mV/pH in produced water. An increase in temperature from 24 to 80 °C decreased the pH potential. Compared with the theoretical Nernst equation, the iridium oxide sensor showed fair Nernstian behavior at high temperatures. The iridium oxide pH sensor was accurately investigated under high pressure; the sensor seems independent of pressure, and the slope is the same at different potentials under a wide range of pressures.
Environmental Changes, Coextinction, and Patterns in the Fossil Record

We introduce a new model for large scale evolution and extinction in which species are organized into food webs. The system evolves by two processes: origination/speciation and extinction. In the model, extinction of a given species can be due to an externally induced change in the environment or due to the extinction of all preys of that species (coextinction). The model is able to reproduce the empirical observations without defining a fitness function or invoking competition between species.
American Dance Therapy Association 44th Annual Conference 2009 Research Poster Session

This theoretical paper, the author’s master’s thesis, identified the paradox at the foundation of female sexuality as operationally defined by the field of sex therapy and Western culture. In response, this thesis weaved together the fields of dance/movement therapy and sacred sexuality to create a new perspective on female sexuality and female sexual dysfunction. The result was the establishment of a more inclusive definition of sexuality and the redefinition of sexual dysfunction. The author reframed sexuality as a creative, life-promoting source of vitality located within one’s body. It serves as an interface between one’s inner and outer environment, enabling the experience of pleasure and acting as a catalyst for biological, physiological, emotional, and/or spiritual growth or change. The author renamed sexual dysfunction, sexuality incognizance, which she argues is a lack of perceptual awareness towards recognizing, attuning to, and appreciating the full range of sexual expressions and pleasurable experiences of the body. This thesis proposed a new model for working with sexuality, which the researcher named Kinetic-Embodied Sexuality Therapy (K-EST). The model empowers women, supports them in the cultivation of an intimate relationship with and acceptance of their bodies, and supports them in the expansion of their sexuality expression through the development of sexuality cognizance by way of movement exploration, creative dance, creative projects, and integrative discussion. This thesis proposed a 6-week outcome research study measuring the efficacy of the K-EST model in working with women diagnosed with female sexual dysfunction. In the proposed outcome study pretest and posttest measures of Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) and Quality of Life Inventory (QOLI) would be taken by the 6 participants in the treatment group and the 6 participants in the wait-listed control group, and then compared. The author hypothesizes that the K-EST model will alleviate symptoms of female sexual dysfunction and will improve participants’ overall life satisfaction. Author: Melissa Walker graduated from Naropa University in May 2009, with a Master’s degree in Somatic Counseling Psychology, emphasis on Dance/Movement Therapy. She completed a 12-month counseling internship at the Colorado AIDS Project in July 2009. She plans to establish groups based on her Kinetic-Embodied Sexuality Therapy model, measuring its benefit for women. She can be reached at nadirahsdance@yahoo.com
Laparoscopic lymph node dissection in clinically node-negative patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy for renal carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES Accurate staging of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is important when risk-stratifying patients for clinical trials and identifying patients most likely to benefit from adjuvant therapy. We investigated the feasibility and potential role of laparoscopic lymph node dissection (LND) in patients undergoing radical nephrectomy with clinically node-negative RCC. METHODS We retrospectively compared 50 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic nephrectomy without LND (Nx group) with 50 consecutive patients undergoing combined laparoscopic nephrectomy and retroperitoneal LND (LND group). RESULTS The two groups had similar clinical and pathological characteristics; the only difference was a higher proportion of non-clear cell histology in the LND group. In the Nx group, no patient was identified as having node-positive RCC; 5 of 50 patients (10%) in the LND group had nodal disease (P = 0.0155). Among a subgroup of patients with clinically localized RCC, 3 of 46 (6.5%) patients had node-positive disease identified by LND. All patients with positive nodes had primary tumors that were at least 7 cm in diameter, pT3 or pT4, and high grade. With increased surgeon experience, extent of the LND was incrementally increased. The mean number of nodes recovered was 7.8; however, a mean of 12.1 nodes were recovered using an extended LND. The mean numbers of nodes recovered from the paraaortic, interaortocaval, paracaval, and retrocaval regions were 9.8, 4.2, 2.4, and 5.0, respectively. The overall risk of intraoperative and postoperative complications was similar between groups. CONCLUSIONS Laparoscopic LND in patients undergoing nephrectomy for RCC is safe and feasible, and may improve staging accuracy.
Area-efficiency in CMP core design: co-optimization of microarchitecture and physical design

In this paper, we examine the area-performance design space of a processing core for a chip multiprocessor (CMP), considering both the architectural design space and the tradeoffs of the physical design on which the architecture relies. We first propose a methodology for performing an integrated optimization of both the micro-architecture and the physical circuit design of a microprocessor. In our approach, we use statistical and convex fitting methods to capture a large micro-architectural design space. We then characterize the area-delay tradeoffs of the underlying circuits through RTL synthesis. Finally, we establish the relationship between the architecture and the circuits in an integrative model, which we use to optimize the processor. As a case study, we apply this methodology to explore the performance-area tradeoffs in a highly parallel accelerator architecture for visual computing applications. Based on some early circuit tradeoff data, our results indicate that two separate designs are performance/area optimal for our set of benchmarks: a simpler single-issue, 2-way multithreaded core running at high-frequency, and a more aggressively tuned dual-issue 4-way multithreaded design running at a lower frequency.
Two-dimensional dynamic simulation of hydrogen storage in metal hydride tanks

As proton exchange membrane fuel cell technology advances, the need for hydrogen storage intensifies. Metal hydride alloys offer one potential solution. However, for metal hydride tanks to become a viable hydrogen storage option, the dynamic performance of different tank geometries and configurations must be evaluated. In an effort to relate tank performance to geometry and operating conditions, a dynamic, two-dimensional, multi-nodal metal hydride tank model has been created in Matlab-Simulink®. Following the original work of Mayer, Groll, and Supper1 and the more recent paper from Aldas, Mat, and Kaplan2, this model employs first principle heat transfer and fluid flow mechanisms together with empirically derived reaction kinetics. Energy and mass balances are solved in cylindrical polar coordinates for a cylindrically shaped tank. The model tank temperature, heat release, and storage volume have been correlated to an actual metal hydride tank for static and transient adsorption and desorption processes. The dynamic model is found to accurately predict observed hardware performance characteristics portending a capability to well simulate the dynamic performance of more complex tank geometries and configurations. As an example, a cylindrical tank filled via an internal concentric axial tube is considered. Copyright © 2006 by ASME.