cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantitative analysis of corneal stromal riboflavin concentration without epithelial removal.

Purpose To compare the corneal stromal riboflavin concentration and distribution using 2 transepithelial corneal crosslinking (CXL) systems. Setting Absorption Systems, San Diego, California, USA. Design Experimental study. Methods The stromal riboflavin concentration of 2 transepithelial CXL systems was compared in rabbit eyes in vivo. The systems were the Paracel/Vibex Xtra, comprising riboflavin 0.25% solution containing TRIS and ethylenediaminetetraacetic acid and an isotonic solution of riboflavin 0.25%, (Group 1) and the CXLO system (Group 2). Manufacturers’ Instructions For Use were followed. The intensity of riboflavin fluorescence by slitlamp observation 10, 15, and 20 minutes after instillation was graded on a scale of 0 to 5. The animals were humanely killed and the corneal stromal samples analyzed with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry. Results The mean riboflavin fluorescence intensity grades in Group 1 (4 eyes) were 3.8, 4.8, and 4.8 at 10, 15, and 20 minutes, respectively. The mean grades in Group 2 (3 eyes) were 2.0, 2.3, and 2.0, respectively. The riboflavin distribution was uniform in Group 1 but not in Group 2. The mean riboflavin concentration by liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry was 27.0 μg/g stromal tissue in Group 1 and 6.7 μg/g in Group 2. A stromal riboflavin concentration theoretically adequate for CXL, 15 μg/g, was achieved in all eyes in Group 1 and no eyes in Group 2. Slitlamp grading correlated well with liquid chromatography and mass spectrometry concentration (R2 = 0.940). Conclusions The system used in Group 1 produced corneal riboflavin concentrations that were theoretically adequate for effective transepithelial CXL (≥15 μg/g), while the system in Group 2 did not. Slitlamp grading successfully estimated the corneal riboflavin concentration and can be used to ensure an adequate concentration of riboflavin in the cornea for transepithelial CXL.
Multivalued static random access memory using multivalued FET

Quaternary logic is very promising logic for multivalued logic implementation. Four state or quaternary static random access memory (SRAM) can be designed using quantum dot gate-quantum dot channel...
Title IX coordinators as street-level bureaucrats in U.S. schools: Challenges addressing sex discrimination in the #MeToo era

Sex discrimination in educational contexts is an ongoing problem despite the passage of Title IX in 1972. Many schools have not aligned their policies with new laws protecting students from bullying and harassment, and many professionals are unaware of their new obligations in regards to new state regulations. This article presents the findings from semi-structured interviews with 10 participants reporting on the roles and responsibilities of Title IX coordinators in their K-12 school districts. Title IX coordinators were difficult to locate and recruitment was a challenge in this study. However, our findings indicate a strong alignment with Lipsky’s concept of “street-level bureaucrats” (1971, 2010). We found that these school administrators had autonomy and discretion in interpreting and enacting their duties, however they lacked time, information, and other resources necessary to respond properly to the stated duties in their position. They reported spending very little time on Title IX-related duties, many felt under-supported and under-prepared, and few had comprehensive understanding of their responsibilities. We conclude with recommendations for policy and practice regarding the training and supports of Title IX coordinators and related gender equity efforts in K-12 schools.
Interplay of Desktop and Mobile Apps with Web Services in an Introductory Programming Course

This paper describes a case study of a second-semester introductory programming course for information systems (IS) students that combined desktop and mobile application development and consumption of existing web services. Our aim was to provide students with a holistic view of how different types of applications can be developed and combined to solve realworld problems, as the students learned the basics of programming. Students progressively built a desktop Java application with a graphical user interface for a local public transit system. It combined the use of basic algorithms, existing web services for geo-coding and mapping to illustrate a recommended route on the system. Students then ported this application to the Android platform re-using most of the code they had already developed. Along with fulfilling the traditional objectives of an introductory course, this course also demonstrated the possible interplay of stand-alone components and web services in desktop and mobile applications and kept the students motivated and engaged throughout the semester.
Observation in the management of localized prostate cancer.

Background: The widespread use of the prostate-specific antigen test, the availability of ultrasound, and improved techniques for prostate biopsy have led to the diagnosis of organ-confined prostate cancers at an earlier stage. An unknown number of these cancers will be incidental and will not impact the patient’s quality or length of life. Methods: The most recent published reports and decision analysis studies on observation management were reviewed. We also analyzed our own series of observed patients. Results: Three contemporary series on observation and three reports on decision analysis for treatment of early prostate cancer define a group of patients who may be treated with observation. Our own preliminary experience, however, demonstrates that a significant number undergo definitive treatment within 3 years from diagnosis. The optimal treatment for men with early prostate cancer is currently unknown. Conclusions: A subset of patients with newly diagnosed prostate cancer may be managed by observation. Standard protocols for selection and follow-up of patients on observation need to be developed.
Effects of sex on ethanol conditioned place preference, activity and variability in C57BL/6J and DBA/2J mice.

Previous studies of ethanol drinking in rodents have shown greater intake in females than in males, but the reasons behind this difference are unknown. To address one possible interpretation of the drinking difference, these studies tested the hypothesis that female and male mice differ in sensitivity to the rewarding effects of ethanol using the conditioned place preference (CPP) procedure. To increase the generalizability of the results, sex differences were examined in two inbred mouse strains known to differ in their sensitivity to ethanol reward: C57BL/6J (B6) and DBA/2J (D2). Mice were conditioned in an unbiased CPP procedure using either 1 or 2 g/kg ethanol. To detect possible differences in learning rate, they were tested once at the midpoint of conditioning and again after conditioning ended. As expected, CPP was stronger with 2 g/kg than with 1 g/kg, and D2 mice generally showed stronger CPP than B6 mice. However, there were no sex differences in the rate of CPP acquisition or in CPP magnitude, suggesting no sex difference in ethanol reward sensitivity as indexed by CPP. Nevertheless, there were sex differences in locomotor activity. B6 females were generally more active than B6 males during CPP acquisition whereas D2 females were slightly less active than D2 males during both CPP acquisition and preference testing. Unexpectedly, female mice showed more variability than males in the behavioral measures recorded in these studies, encouraging greater attention to variability in the design, analysis and interpretation of future studies of sex differences in mice.
The impact of multimedia educative curriculum materials (MECMs) on teachers’ beliefs about scientific argumentation

Recent reform efforts in science education include a focus on science practices. Teachers require support in integrating these practices into instruction. Multimedia educative curriculum materials ...
Commentary, Session 1: Deciding to Become a Dean

Deciding to become a dean is a difficult decision. How do you know when you are ready and how do you need to prepare? Mentorship, leadership skills, risk-taking, vision, and energy are just some of the attributes needed by deans in today’s law school environment.
Abstract 147: Deletion of the RNA regulator HuR in microglia/macrophages promotes an anti-tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma

Glioblastoma is a malignant brain tumor that portends a poor prognosis. Its resilience, in part, is related to a remarkable capacity for manipulating the microenvironment to promote its growth and survival. Microglia/macrophages are a prime target, being drawn into the tumor and stimulated to produce factors that support tumor growth and immune system evasion. Here we show that the RNA regulator, HuR, plays a key role in the tumor-promoting response of microglia/macrophages. Knockout of HuR in microglia/macrophages led to reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival in a murine model of glioblastoma. Analysis of tumor composition by flow cytometry showed that tumor associated macrophages were decreased, more polarized toward an M1-like phenotype, and had attenuated PD-L1 expression. There was a concomitant reduction in tumor-associated polymorphonuclear myeloid-derived suppressor cells, but an increase in Treg cells. In vitro assays showed reduced migration of HuR-/- microglia toward secreted factors derived from glioblastoma cells, and a decrease in migration of glioblastoma cells toward secreted factors derived from HuR-/- microglia. The molecular response of HuR-/- microglia was altered including reduced CXCL1, 2, MMP2, PD-L1 and VEGF expression and an increase in CXCL10 and several MMPs. There was a mixed effect on cytokines and other factors associated with both proinflammatory and alternatively activated phenotypes. In summary, HuR is a key modulator of the tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma, promoting tumor progression through its molecular regulation of factors produced by microglia/macrophages. These findings underscore the relevance of HuR as a therapeutic target in glioblastoma. Citation Format: Jiping Wang, Jianmei Leavenworth, Anita Hjelmeland, Ben Borg, Peter H. King. Deletion of the RNA regulator HuR in microglia/macrophages promotes an anti-tumor microenvironment in glioblastoma [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 147.
The hammer-and-nail phenomenon in mathematics education

"For a person with a hammer, everything looks like a nail" is a proverb that can be used to highlight the phenomenon that students tend to rely on familiar ideas as opposed to taking time to think about and analyse a problem. Presented in this theoretical paper is the usefulness of the hammer-and-nail metaphor, other related theoretical constructs, pedagogical causes of student impulsive behaviours, and pedagogical suggestions for addressing them.
Prospective rewards enhance motor skill performance and skill coding in LPFC

Abstract People are capable of rapid improvements in skill performance when they are presented with large prospective incentive cues. We investigated this phenomenon by offering prospective offers of monetary reward to human participants, contingent on their successful production of discrete motor sequences. We found that people executed cued motor sequences more quickly and accurately when they were offered large rewards. Reward offers were associated with elevated activity throughout the brain and fine-grained patterns in these regions encoded information about sequence identity. Follow-up analyses provided evidence that sequence-coding in LPFC was enhanced by reward and related to subsequence performance. This work sheds light on the neurocognitive mechanisms underlying incentive-motivated skill performance, suggesting that it may depend critically on executive-control related processes in the LPFC.
Evaluating Resilience Co-benefits of Engineering With Nature® Projects

An increasing abundance of projects demonstrate that coastal management strategies that align engineering and ecological objectives can deliver a wide range benefits. Better understanding how these strategies fare under stress is crucially important, including in comparison to traditional coastal engineering approaches, in order to inform where they might be a viable alternative or complement to conventional coastal storm risk management. In particular, the prospect that these strategies may be able to recover from disturbances and adapt to better survive future disturbances with minimal or no intervention is compelling. However, no formal accounting method exists to assess how ecosystem-based approaches contribute to the resilience of coastal systems, that is, their ability to prepare, absorb, recover, and adapt from stressors. An assessment rubric is developed and demonstrated for Engineering With Nature® projects and limitations and ways forward are discussed.
Detection of Seasonal Arctic Terrain Change Using a Small Unmanned Aircraft System (sUAS) on the Alaskan North Slope

Numerous locations across the Arctic have exhibited signs of landscape change due to permafrost thaw. However, due to the remoteness of much of the Arctic, ground-based measurements are difficult to make. Remotely sensed platforms provide promise for characterizing broad areas of the landscape. We analyzed landscape change associated with permafrost thaw (i.e., thermokarst development) near seasonal rivers and streams flowing from the Brooks Range to the Beaufort Sea on the North Slope of Alaska. This multidisciplinary project is investigating variability in arctic river chemistry, material fluxes, and thermokarst terrain change during summer season thaw. Photogrammetric topographic surveys were conducted at four selected study sites using a fixed-wing small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS). Ground control points (GCPs) were emplaced throughout the study areas and coordinates were established with post-processed Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) occupations. Digital imagery was acquired at an altitude of approximately 75 m above ground level (AGL) resulting in ground sample distances (GSDs) of around 1.3 cm. This paper presents terrain change results spanning a three-month period (June-September 2019) for one of the study sites and discusses some of the challenges of performing sUAS-based change detection in a remote arctic tundra environment.
Virtual Experiments of Particle Mixing Process with the SPH-DEM Model

Particle mixing process is critical for the design and quality control of concrete and composite production. This paper develops an algorithm to simulate the high-shear mixing process of a granular flow containing a high proportion of solid particles mixed in a liquid. DEM is employed to simulate solid particle interactions; whereas SPH is implemented to simulate the liquid particles. The two-way coupling force between SPH and DEM particles is used to evaluate the solid-liquid interaction of a multi-phase flow. Using Darcy’s Law, this paper evaluates the coupling force as a function of local mixture porosity. After the model is verified by two benchmark case studies, i.e., a solid particle moving in a liquid and fluid flowing through a porous medium, this method is applied to a high shear mixing problem of two types of solid particles mixed in a viscous liquid by a four-bladed mixer. A homogeneity metric is introduced to characterize the mixing quality of the particulate mixture. The virtual experiments with the present algorithm show that adding more liquid or increasing liquid viscosity slows down the mixing process for a high solid load mix. Although the solid particles can be mixed well eventually, the liquid distribution is not homogeneous, especially when the viscosity of liquid is low. The present SPH-DEM model is versatile and suitable for virtual experiments of particle mixing process with different blades, solid particle densities and sizes, and liquid binders, and thus can expedite the design and development of concrete materials and particulate composites.
Aesthetic preference for art can be predicted from a mixture of low- and high-level visual features

It is an open question whether preferences for visual art can be lawfully predicted from the basic constituent elements of a visual image. Here, we developed and tested a computational framework to investigate how aesthetic values are formed. We show that it is possible to explain human preferences for a visual art piece based on a mixture of low- and high-level features of the image. Subjective value ratings could be predicted not only within but also across individuals, using a regression model with a common set of interpretable features. We also show that the features predicting aesthetic preference can emerge hierarchically within a deep convolutional neural network trained only for object recognition. Our findings suggest that human preferences for art can be explained at least in part as a systematic integration over the underlying visual features of an image.
Effects of Issue Ownership, Perceived Fit, and Authenticity in Corporate Social Advocacy on Corporate Reputation

Abstract Based on the issue ownership theory and corporate reputation, this study examines the effect of corporate social advocacy (CSA) on corporate reputation, focusing on the relative impact of perceived fit between CSA and brand identity (CSA-brand fit) and CSA authenticity. To this end, this study first examined how Ben & Jerry’s advocacy of lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer (LGBTQ) rights through social media channels has influenced the assessment of issue ownership by comparing social analytics data with public survey data. Spearman’s rank-order correlation revealed a high correlation between the salience of Ben & Jerry’s LGBTQ-related social media posts and its top-of-mind ranking within the ten companies associated with the LGBTQ rights issue. Results of survey data showed the relative impacts of CSA-brand fit and authenticity on Ben & Jerry’s issue-specific corporate reputation. Consistent with the predictions, both perceived authenticity and perceived fit turned out to be positive predictors for corporate reputation. Between the two theory-driven variables, perceived authenticity was the strongest predictor for corporate reputation.
The Influence of the Availability Heuristic on Physicians in the Emergency Department.

Study objective Heuristics, or rules of thumb, are hypothesized to influence the care physicians deliver. One such heuristic is the availability heuristic, under which assessments of an event's likelihood are affected by how easily the event comes to mind. We examined whether the availability heuristic influences physician testing in a common, high-risk clinical scenario: assessing patients with shortness of breath for the risk of pulmonary embolism. Methods We performed an event study from 2011 to 2018 of emergency physicians caring for patients presenting with shortness of breath to 104 Veterans Affairs (VA) hospitals. Our measures were physician rates of pulmonary embolism testing (D-dimer and/or computed tomography scan) for subsequent patients after having a patient visit with a pulmonary embolism discharge diagnosis, hypothesizing that physician rates of pulmonary embolism testing would increase after having a recent patient visit with a pulmonary embolism diagnosis due to the availability heuristic. Results The sample included 7,370 emergency physicians who had 416,720 patient visits for shortness of breath. The mean rate of pulmonary embolism testing was 9.0%. For physicians who had a recent patient visit with a pulmonary embolism diagnosis, their rate of pulmonary embolism testing for subsequent patients increased by 1.4 percentage points (95% confidence interval 0.42 to 2.34) in the 10 days after, which is approximately 15% relative to the mean rate of pulmonary embolism testing. We failed to find statistically significant changes in rates of pulmonary embolism testing in the subsequent 50 days following these first 10 days. Conclusion After having a recent patient visit with a pulmonary embolism diagnosis, physicians increase their rates of pulmonary embolism testing for subsequent patients, but this increase does not persist. These results provide large-scale evidence that the availability heuristic may play a role in complex testing decisions.
When “Bad” Mothers Make Worse Law: A Critique of Legislative Limits on Embryo Transfer

INTRODUCTION 273 I. WHY IS EVERYONE SO MAD ABOUT THE OCTOMOM AND WHAT CAN WE DO ABOUT IT? 276 A. No Husband, No Job, No Sense 276 B. Legislatures Respond 278 II. CONSTITUTIONAL CONCERNS 279 A. Fundamental Rights At Stake 279 1. The Right to Procreate 280 2. Familial Privacy and Parental Rights 284 3. The Right to Autonomy in Medical Decision-Making 285 4. Standard of Review: Strict Scrutiny or Undue Burden? 286 B. Analyzing the Embryo Transfer Limits 288 1. Strict Scrutiny 288 2. The Undue Burden Standard 294 III. “BAD” MOTHERS LEAD TO BAD POLICY 297 A. Putting the Restrictions into Context: Another Salvo in the War on Women’s Reproductive Freedom and Medical Autonomy 298 B. Beyond Abortion: Using “Irrational” Women To Justify State Intervention 303 IV. REDUCING MULTIPLE BIRTHS WITHOUT UNDERMINING WOMEN’S AUTONOMY: CONSIDERING THE OPTIONS 307 V. CONCLUSION 312
Linatron Mi6, the X-Ray Source for Cargo Inspection

Abstract Since its inception in 2008, Linatron Mi6 has been the standard x-ray source for cargo inspection. It produces interlaced dual energy (6MV and 3.5MV) x-ray pulses that enable material discrimination scan in a single pass. Both pulse-to-pulse and longer term stability has been improved. With Linatron Mi6 as the x-ray source, it is now possible to achieve a continuous material discrimination scale, instead of only dividing materials into four classes: organic material, inorganic material, metals and high atomic metals. Other advanced material discrimination features include virtual layer peeling and trust rating. Energy sensitive imaging detectors can extend material discrimination in thin-object region. Although our Linatron Mi9 Linatron, which produces interlaced pulses of 9MV and 6MV x-ray pulses, provides even better material discrimination performance as well as better radiographic performance, it is not as widely used due to increased imaging system size and higher cost of safety shielding.
Water Use in the United states

This chapter considers two separate but closely related topics. The first one is the characteristics of water use in the United States.. For this topic, the chapter examines how much water is used for different purposes, how uses have changed over time, and the spatial patterns of uses. The copious amounts of data provide the rational for the second topic in this chapter—the use of Geographic Information Systems (GISs) for the storage and management of water data. While GIS serves an important role in the storage and display of data, its most powerful feature is its analytical capabilities. A GIS can perform simple arithmetic operations such as calculating areas or the proportion of some area underlain by different types of soil. However, one of the most powerful applications of GIS is the creation of new information. Resource analysts traditionally did this type of derivative analysis using a base map and transparent overlays of the different variables. Now, it can be done more accurately and much faster using GIS.
The projection of individual axons from the parabrachial region of the brain stem to the dorsal lateral geniculate nucleus in the cat

In mammals, the retinogeniculocortical pathway is the primary afferent route to visual cortex. The flow of information along this pathway can be modulated at the thalamic level (i.e., at the lateral geniculate nucleus) as a function of arousal, attention, and phenomena such as eye movements. Physiological studies indicate that an important source of this state-dependent influence on geniculate neuronal responsiveness is the parabrachial region of the brain stem. We used the anterograde tracer Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin to study the anatomical connections between the parabrachial region and the lateral geniculate nucleus. Labeled parabrachial axons are found throughout the thalamus, including all laminae of the lateral geniculate nucleus, the lateral posterior-pulvinar complex, the ventral lateral geniculate nucleus, the perigeniculate nucleus, and the reticular nucleus of the thalamus. Within these nuclei, the axons exhibit sporadically branched terminal arbors with boutons mostly en passant. Serial reconstructions indicate that individual parabrachial axons that innervate the lateral geniculate nucleus may terminate in other visual thalamic nuclei as well, but not in thalamic nuclei that subserve other modalities. Finally, the labeled parabrachial axons are morphologically heterogeneous; they differ in their innervation targets, terminal arbor shape, and the size spectrum of their boutons. These data suggest that this portion of the ascending parabrachial pathway, which may be functionally diverse, coordinates the responsiveness of the varied thalamic nuclei involved with vision.
A study of heavy hypernuclei using the (π+, K+) reaction

The (π+, K+) reaction was used to study lambda hypernuclear states inΛ9Be,Λ12C,Λ13C,Λ16O,Λ28Si,Λ40Ca,Λ51V andΛ89Y. The results show that the (π+, K+) reaction is ideally suited for populating lambda single-particle states in heavy nuclei.
The second‐hand clothing distribution channel: Opportunities for retail entrepreneurs in Malawi

Purpose – This preliminary study describes the Malawi second‐hand clothing market and recommends strategies for improved distribution by entrepreneurs. We explore the potential for formal retailing of second‐hand clothing in Malawi and present avenues for further research on the topic.Design/methodology/approach – A critical content analysis was conducted using data from secondary sources. Data reduction, data display, conclusion drawing, and verification allowed for organization and compression of information, and assisted in identification of research gaps.Findings – Preliminary findings suggest organizational structure and effective distribution channel relationships may lead small‐scale entrepreneurial ventures to grow in the Malawi formal market. It is apparent that second‐hand clothing retail entrepreneurs have significant location and resource advantages to leverage in the Malawi domestic market.Research limitations/implications – This analysis was based on limited literature given the undocumented...
Fine structure of ribosomal RNA. I. Conservation of homologous regions within ribosomal RNA of eukaryotes.

Abstract By molecular hybridization experiments the homologies between ribosomal RNAs from a unicellular organism ( Gyrodinium cohnii ), three invertebrates ( Drosophila hydei, Chironomus thummi, Sciara coprophila ), an amphibian ( Xenopus laevis ), and a mammal (mouse) were determined. Competition hybridization experiments demonstrated that portions of these homologous regions are the same in all the ribosomal RNAs tested, regardless of animal species. This conclusion based on hybridization data was confirmed by comparative fingerprint analysis. The ribosomal RNA sequences involved in heterologous hybridization have a higher A + T composition than the bulk ribosomal RNA. It appears from competition experiments of a heterologous hybridization that two thirds of the conserved similar regions are present in 18 S ribosomal RNA, and the remaining one third in 28 S ribosomal RNA. It is argued that these similar regions have been conserved during evolution due to their structural and/or functional role in ribosomal RNA.
In vitro sensitization of human lymphoid cells to antigens on cultured melanoma cells: II. Sensitization against melanoma-associated antigens

Abstract Peripheral blood lymphoid cells from patients with malignant melanoma can be sensitized on allogeneic or autochthonous melanoma monolayers. Peak cytotoxicity occurred after 5 days of sensitization. Sensitization appeared to be directed against melanoma-associated antigens, as judged by the pattern of cytotoxic reactivity. Sensitized cells were cytotoxic against autochthonous or allogeneic melanoma cells, but not against autochthonous fibroblasts or allogeneic tumor cells of different histologic types. Sensitization of responder lymphoid cells from melanoma patients on allogeneic melanoma cells usually resulted in more pronounced cytotoxicity against autochthonous melanoma target cells than did sensitization on autochthonous melanoma monolayers. These results indicate that cell cultures of human malignant melanoma contain tumor-associated antigens which can sensitize human peripheral blood lymphoid cells in vitro . These results also support the concept that there are cross-reactive tumor-associated antigens in human malignant melanomas.
SMALLPOX VACCINATION: WHEN AND WHOM TO VACCINATE

THERE has been a recent increase in inquiries concerning the present practice of smallpox vaccination in the United States. This can be traced in part to the excellent studies of Dr. Henry Kempe who has made many contributions to knowledge of smallpox and vaccination and has called attention to the question—Is the risk of smallpox in the United States today sufficient to warrant the risk of the complications of smallpox vaccination? It is pertinent to examine the salient facts. THE BACKGROUND Before the days of widespread vaccination, smallpox was epidemic in most parts of the world, with a morbidity rate of 25% and a case fatality rate of 20 to 80%, averaging 50% for variola major. Successful vaccination was introduced over 160 years ago, but the disease still persists. In the past 12 years, reported cases in the world have fallen from 500,000 to 100,000; but it is certain that many cases are not reported. Smallpox is gone from North America, Europe, Russia, and Oceania but may be reintroduced by air travelers from endemic areas much more easily than in the past when intercontinental travel time was usually longer than the incubation period of smallpox. For example, smallpox was introduced into 18 countries by travelers in the year 1956. In 1962 there were 24 deaths among 60 cases stemming from imported cases in the United Kingdom. In Europe in 1963 five cases were imported and caused a total of 140 secondary cases with 11 deaths in Sweden, Poland, Germany, Hungary, and Switzerland.
Nearshore circulation over transverse bar and rip morphology with oblique wave forcing

There is a paucity of field data to describe the transition in nearshore circulation between alongshore, meandering and rip current systems. A combination of in-situ current meters and surf zone drifters are used to characterize the nearshore circulation over a transverse bar and rip morphology at Pensacola Beach, Florida in the presence of relatively low energy oblique waves. Current speeds vary in response to the relative wave height ratio (Hs/h), which defines the degree and extent of breaking over the shoal. In the absence of wave breaking the nearshore circulation was dominated by an alongshore current driven by the oblique waves. As waves begin to break across the shoal (0.2 0.5), the meandering current is replaced by an unsteady rip circulation that moves offshore between the shoals before turning alongshore in the direction of wave advance outside the surf zone. The increase in wave dissipation is associated with an increase in very low frequency (VLF) variations in the current speed across the shoal and in the rip channel that caused the circulation to oscillate between an offshore and an alongshore flow. The unsteady nature of the nearshore circulation is responsible for 55% of all surf zone exits under these more dissipative conditions. In contrast, only 29% of the drifters released from the shoal exited the surf zone and bypassed the adjacent shoal with the alongshore-meandering current. While the currents had a low velocity (maximum of ~0.4 m s-1) and would not pose a significant hazard to the average swimmer, the results of this study suggest that the transverse bar and rip morphology is sufficient to create an alongshore variation in wave dissipation that forces alongshore meandering and low-energy rip circulation systems under oblique wave forcing. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Local release of masitinib alters in vivo implantable continuous glucose sensor performance

Continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) sensors are often advocated as a clinical solution to improve long-term glycemic control in the context of diabetes. Subcutaneous sensor inflammatory response, fouling and fibrous encapsulation resulting from the host foreign body response (FBR) reduce sensor sensitivity to glucose, eventually resulting in sensor performance compromise and device failure. Several combination device strategies load CGM sensors with drug payloads that release locally to tissue sites to mitigate FBR-mediated sensor failure. In this study, the mast cell-targeting tyrosine kinase inhibitor, masitinib, was released from degradable polymer microspheres delivered from the surfaces of FDA-approved human commercial CGM needle-type implanted sensors in a rodent subcutaneous test bed. By targeting the mast cell c-Kit receptor and inhibiting mast cell activation and degranulation, local masitinib penetration around the CGM to several hundred microns sought to reduce sensor fibrosis to extend CGM functional lifetimes in subcutaneous sites. Drug-releasing and control CGM implants were compared in murine percutaneous implant sites for 21 days using direct-wire continuous glucose reporting. Drug-releasing implants exhibited no significant difference in CGM fibrosis at implant sites but showed relatively stable continuous sensor responses over the study period compared to blank microsphere control CGM implants.
Pre-operative Risk Stratification Update for Cardiac and Major Vascular Surgery

Pre-operative risk stratification of patients for cardiac and major vascular procedures remains an evolving process. There are several models that generate risk scores and estimate post-operative morbidity and mortality outcomes. In addition to predicting outcomes, risk stratification can guide the need for further perioperative investigations and also assist in providing individualized therapy. An ideal model for risk stratification is one with not only good validity but is also reproducible. The risk stratification system needs to be applicable across diverse patient populations and hospital practice. In this article, we review various pre-operative risk stratification models and access their usefulness for cardiac and major vascular surgery.
Effects of garlic thioallyl derivatives on growth, glutathione concentration, and polyamine formation of human prostate carcinoma cells in culture

This study investigated whether naturally occurring garlic derivatives and synthetic S-cysteinyl compounds that resemble garlic constituents have antiproliferative effects on human prostate carcinoma (LNCaP) cells. Studies also examined whether S-allylmercaptocysteine and S-allylcysteine affect two important molecular targets, namely reduced glutathione and polyamines. Results showed that S-allylmercaptocysteine (50 mg/L) diminished LNCaP cell growth whereas the antiproliferative effect of S-allylcysteine was not as pronounced. Studies using synthetic S-cysteinyl analogues revealed that growth inhibition was most effective with compounds containing a disulfide or an active diallyl moiety. Marginal to no inhibitory effect was observed with monosulfinic analogues. Both S-allylmercaptocysteine and S-allylcysteine caused an increase in LNCaP cell reduced glutathione concentrations. Putrescine and spermine concentrations decreased and spermidine increased 3 d after S-allylmercaptocysteine treatment. At 5 d after S-allylmercaptocysteine treatment, polyamine concentrations were similar to those of saline-treated controls. Diminished cell growth and altered polyamine concentrations suggest that S-allylmercaptocysteine may impede the polyamine synthesizing enzyme, ornithine decarboxylase, either by enhancing the formation of reduced glutathione, a known inhibitor of ornithine decarboxylase, or by reacting directly with ornithine decarboxylase at its nucleophilic thiol moiety. Because S-allylcysteine also increases reduced glutathione formation but does not significantly inhibit growth, the latter mechanism may be more likely for this compound. These data provide further evidence that nonessential nutrients derived from garlic may modulate tumor growth. Further research is required on effects of garlic derivatives in vivo before information from the present studies can be used to assist in the development of effective nutritional strategies for preventing progression of prostate cancer.
Dehydration propensity of order-disorder intermediate regions in soluble proteins.

Soluble folded proteins maintain their structural integrity by properly shielding most backbone amides and carbonyls from full hydration. This structure “wrapping” entails a proper packing of the intramolecular hydrogen bonds. Thus, a poorly wrapped hydrogen bond constitutes an identifiable packing defect. Such defects are promoters of protein associations since they favor the removal of hydrating molecules. In this work we show that large clusters of packing defects generate the most significant dehydration hot spots on the protein surface, inducing a strong dielectric modulation that is reflected by a local quenching of the dielectric permittivity. The PDB-reported proteins with the largest clusters of packing defects are found to be three cancer-related transcription factors, four highly interactive proteins related to cell signaling and cytoskeleton, and a cellular prion protein. A large concentration of packing defects in a soluble protein constitutes a structural singularity that is intermediate bet...
Modulation of a complex immune system.

The immune system consists of multiple cells that interact in a manner analogous to interlocking feedback loops Antigenic stimulation leads to collaboration between an antigen presenting cell, a macrophage or related cell, and several types of lymphocytes, including helper T cells and various B cells. The result of this interaction is an immune response that encompasses antibody production, cell-mediated immunity, and priming for subsequent respones. In addition, a variety of regulatory cells and substances are produced which may tend to limit the response. These include suppressor cells, suppressor substances produced by those cells, additional suppressor substances (including macrophage products), antibody itself, and antiantibody. These suppressor mechanisms may directly suppress the immune response to the antigen or may operate through other cells in the various feedback loops. Any attempt to interfere with an ongoing immune response requires respect for the various cells that regulate the immune response as well as their feedback loops. Mere administration of an immunosuppressive drug in an attempt to suppress a specific immune response may yield the desired effect or its opposite, depending upon the details of administration. Thus, the immunosuppressive drug cyclophosphamide may actually enhance immune responses by selectively inactivating suppressor functions before interfering with other cells and functions. The treatment of Guillain-Barre syndrome presents a unique opportunity and challenge. We are now in a position to consider a variety of antigen nonspecific therapies and look forward to the introduction of specific ones. However, the world medical community will be best served if new treatments are assessed in the context of randomized trials. Controlled clinical evaluation will allow accurate determination of the relative advantages and disadvantages of a new therapy, providing the basis for continued search for increasingly better methods of helpful intervention.
BIOCLIMATE, LEAF TEMPERATURE, AND PRIMARY PRODUCTION IN RED MANGROVE CANOPIES IN SOUTH FLORIDA'

used as input data for the model. The model produced realistic leaf temperatures, leaf resistances, transpiration rates, and primary production rates and was used to indicate the relative importance of environmental variables in influencing leaf temperature, transpiration, and primary production. Maximum leaf temperatures occurred at the top of the canopy in June and the overcast day in January, but at the bottom of the canopy on the clear day in January. The model presently calculates water uptake as a constant rate to leaves and does not include a redistribution of water within the plant. The calculated transpiration was about 20% of the total water loss of the stand, the remaining loss coming directly from the moist substrate under the canopy. The inclusion in the model of stomatal movements reduced daily transpiration under conditions of mild water stress by 0.04 cm day-1. Total evapotranspiration was 0.67 cm day-', and transpirational water loss was 0.12 cm day-'. Levels in the middle of the canopy had the highest transpiration rate because of their high leaf area, but leaves at the top had the highest transpiration rate per unit leaf area. Leaf water deficits great enough to initiate stomatal closure occurred early in the morning at the top of the canopy in June on clear days, later in the morning at the top of the canopy in June on cloudy days, early in the afternoon at the top of the canopy in January on clear days, and not at all at the top of the canopy in January on cloudy days. Leaf water deficits did not develop within the canopy in either June or January. Net photosynthesis calculated with the model was 5.6 g organic matter m-2 day-' for sunny days and 3.5 for cloudy days in June. Gross photosynthesis per unit leaf area was greater at the top of the canopy than at the bottom, but the middle levels of the canopy had the greatest production. The efficiency of water utilization increased from top to bottom of the canopy. A weighted monthly estimate for production was 3.4 for June and 2.2 for January, giving an average annual net production rate of 2.8 g organic matter m-2 day-'. The model predicts that the maximum photosynthesis for mangrove stands will occur with a leaf-area index of about 2.5 if no acclimation to shade within the canopy occurs. A leaf area greater than about 2.5 may decrease production. The environmental variables with the greatest influence on primary production were air temperature and humidity. Production was decreased by increasing air temperature and increasing humidity. Increasing total solar radiation increased production up to a point, then decreased it. Increasing the diffuse fraction of the total solar radiation increased production. Increasing infrared radiation decreased production. Production and transpiration increased with increasing leaf-area index
Histamine hypersensitivity in mice induced by concanavalin A.

Abstract This study compared the responses of CFW and CFI mice to concanavalin A (con A) and the histamine-sensitizing factor (HSF) of Bordetella pertussis. There were marked similarities between these two agents with regard to systems implicated in induced histamine sensitivity. Con A, like HSF, induces the sensitivity in CFW but not in CFI mice. The sensitizing agents both require the same time for optimum sensitization, both induce cutaneous sensitivities to histamine, and the mice are protected from the induced susceptibility of both agents by epinephrine and by desensitization with serotonin. They differed in that con A did not induce the systemic susceptibility to serotonin or to combined histamine and serotonin which is produced by HSF. The major difference related to mechanisms of action was the failure of con A to induce a systemic β-adrenergic blockade, the block of which is manifested in HSF-treated CFW and CFI mice by the inhibition of an epinephrine-induced hyperglycemia. The resistance of β-blocked CFI mice to histamine, and the susceptibility to histamine of the unblocked CFW mice sensitized with con A, is inconsistent with the theory that susceptibility results from a systemic adrenergic imbalance, but does not preclude a local adrenergic effect as the common element in histamine-sensitizing agents.
Simultaneous analysis of relative DNA and glutathione content in viable cells by phase-resolved flow cytometry.

BACKGROUND Analysis of the DNA cell cycle and glutathione content cannot be performed on viable cells, because the fluorescence emissions of the DNA-specific probe Hoechst 33342 and the glutathione-specific probe monobromobimane overlap completely. We decided to explore whether the emissions could be resolved by the singlet excited state lifetimes of the probes. METHODS Viable cells were first incubated with Hoechst 33342 at 37 degrees C for 30 min and then with monobromobimane at room temperature for 10 min. Samples were excited with a sinusoidally modulated laser beam (10 MHz) in a flow cytometer. The Hoechst 33342 and monobromobimane lifetimes and fluorescence intensities were resolved by using phase-sensitive detectors. RESULTS The observed singlet excited state lifetimes were 1.5 ns for Hoechst 33342 and 12 ns for monobromobimane. The glutathione (GSH) content was shown to increase as cells (GM130, HL60, U937) progressed through the cell cycle. However, after the data were corrected for differences in cell volume, it was found that the GSH concentration was constant throughout the cell cycle of the exponentially growing cells. CONCLUSIONS Phase-resolved flow cytometry provides a means for the specific analysis of the GSH content/concentration as a function of the cell's position in the DNA cell cycle in viable cells.
Changes in self-stimulatory behaviors with treatment.

For four of six autistic children who underwent intensive behavioral treatment, the nature of their self-stimulatory behavior changed from initial “lowlevel” motor behaviors (such as rocking, spinning, twirling) to differing kinds of “higher-level” behaviors (such as lining of objects, echolalic speech, and preoccupation with spelling and numerical values). The children who changed to the highest levels of self-stimulatory behavior also showed the largest gains in treatment (as determined by IQ scores, school placement, etc.). The changes in self-stimulatory behaviors were attributed to the intense teaching of appropriate social behaviors and the explicit therapeutic suppression of low-level, self-stimulatory behaviors. The long-term therapeutic effects of changing from lower-to higher-level forms of self-stimulatory behavior were discussed.
Estimation Procedures for Pooled Cross-Sectional and Time Series Data:

In this paper we provide a didactic introduction to econometric estimation procedures for data with both cross-sectional and longitudinal variation. Several different ap proaches are discussed, and data from an earlier study by Deutsch and Alt (1977) are reanalyzed as an example.