cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Antigen-presenting cells that induce anti-H-2K T-cell responses: Differences in stimulator-cell requirements for induction of proliferation and cell-mediated lympholysis

Splenic T or B cells, which have been depleted of adherent cells by passage through Sephadex G10 columns, fail to stimulate allogeneic lymph-node cells (LN) in primary mixed lymphocyte reactions (MLR) both when the stimulating antigens are H-2 plus Ia and H-2K only. This failure cannot be ascribed to lack of viability of G10-passed cells, since by dye exclusion they are 95 percent viable and can be induced to proliferate in vitro by exposure to LPS or allogeneic cells. Stimulation of MLR activity could be restored by addition of small numbers of plastic-adherent spleen cells (SAC) which had to be syngeneic with the G10-passed stimulator cells. Further, SAC alone without G10-passed cells induced MLR activity which was, on a cell-for-cell basis, 40 times more effective than that induced by unfractionated spleen cells. If the SAC were first depleted of Ia+ cells, no stimulation was obtained. This result was observed both in cases where responder and stimulator strains differed across the entireH-2-gene complex and in a mutant-wild type combination (CBA and H-2km1) in which the difference between the two strains has been mapped to theK region only. These results indicate that Ia+ SAC contain a subset(s) of cells which are responsible for stimulation in MLR, regardless of whether the alloantigenic differences involve either Ia or H-2K. In contrast to the inability of G10-passed splenic cells to stimulate MLR activity, these cells were able to stimulate CTL from cytotoxic T lymphocyte precursors (CTL.P) in combinations where the antigenic differences between responder and stimulator were at the entireH-2 complex or atH-2K only. However, SAC were more potent stimulators of cell-mediated lympholysis (CML) activity on a cell-for-cell basis. Thus, either CTL.P can be stimulated by nonadherent spleen cells or they are specifically sensitive to a small subpopulation of contaminating cells that cannot readily be removed by G10 passage.
Family history of diabetes and its effect on treatment outcome in type II diabetes

This study was designed to determine whether family history of diabetes affects the response to a therapeutic intervention in obese Type II diabetic patients. Seventy-seven Type II diabetics were treated in a 12–16 week behavioral weight control program with follow-up one year later. No significant differences in weight loss or glycemic responses were observed between patients with and without a first degree relative with diabetes, or between patients with 0, 1, or 2 diabetic parents. Although family history of Type II diabetes affects the chances of developing the disease, these data suggest that family history does not affect the response to treatment.
Intergrain contact density indices for granular mixes-I: Framework

Mechanical behavior such as stress-strain response, shear strength, resistance to liquefaction, modulus, and shear wave velocity of granular mixes containing coarse and fine grains is dependent on intergrain contact density of the soil. The global void ratio e is a poor index of contact density for such soils. The contact density depends on void ratio, fine grain content (C F), size disparity between particles, and gradation among other factors. A simple analysis of a two-sized particle system with large size disparity is used to develop an understanding of the effects of C F, e, and gradation of coarse and fine grained soils in the soil mix on intergrain contact density. An equivalent intergranular void ratio (e)c)eq is introduced as a useful intergrain contact density for soils at fines content of less than a threshold value C Fth. Beyond this value, an equivalent interfine void ratio (e f)eq is introduced as a primary intergrain contact density index. At higher values of C F beyond a limiting value of fine grains content C FL, an interfine void ratio e f is introduced as the primary contact density index. Relevant equivalent relative density indices (D rc)eq and (D rf)eq are also presented. Experimental data show that these new indices correlate well with steady state strength, liquefaction resistance, and shear wave velocities of sands, silty sands, sandy silts, and gravelly sand mixes.
IL-4 signaling, gene transcription regulation, and the control of effector T cells.

The central goal of our laboratory is to understand the regulation of lymphoid cells through molecular mechanisms of signal transduction and transcriptional control. A long-standing focus has been on changes that influence the effector function of mature lymphocytes. Work in the laboratory is oriented toward the identification of new regulatory mechanisms using cell lines and primary cells, and the validation of these in vitro findings in mouse models of immune responses and diseases. In this review, we summarize key insights into the regulation of T helper cell function during the phase of immunity where effector responses arise de novo. Particular interest has been centered on cytokine gene regulation as part of T cell differentiation into the Th1 and Th2 subsets. Information on IL-4 receptor signaling and the role of NF-κB transcription factors is reviewed. Our more recent work is designed to understand how regulation at the Th 1/2 effector stages is related to the control of memory T cell survival, immune recall responses, and the role of these responses in immune-mediated disease.
Maximum entropy imaging of polarization in very long baseline interferometry

Simultaneous deconvolution of the Stokes parameter images I, Q, and U from a shift invariant point spread function is achieved by extending the maximum entropy algorithm of Cornwell and Evans1 to deal with linear polarization. This algorithm is used to image very long baseline interferometer (VLBI) total intensity and linear polarization data. Unresolved features can be removed from the data via other methods prior to maximum entropy deconvolution, or the data can be tapered with a Gaussian beam to smooth any point sources.
Editorial: Editorials--A Communication Tool

This PDF file contains the editorial “Editorial: Editorials--A Communication Tool” for OE Vol. 33 Issue 12
Uniqueness and Stability of Slowly Oscillating Periodic Solutions of Delay Equations with Unbounded Nonlinearity

Abstract We study uniqueness and stability problems of slowly oscillating periodic solutions of delay equations with small parameters. If the nonlinearity decays to a negative number at − ∞ and blows up at + ∞ or vice versa, we show that, for sufficiently small parameters, the slowly oscillating periodic solutions are unique and asymptotically stable provided that the decay rate can dominate the growth rate in an appropriate sense. This result particularly implies that Wright′s equation has a unique and asymptotically stable slowly oscillating periodic solution for large parameter α.
The staphylococcal scalded-skin syndrome versus erythema multiforme

This article reports a case of scalded-skin syndrome in a young child. Characterized by a generalized exfoliative dermatitis resembling scalded skin, the disease may involve the oral mucosa and must be differentiated from Stevens-Johnson syndrome (erythema multiforme). Since the etiology is specific, the disease can be treated with antibiotics with dramatic results.
Green Synthesis of a Fluorescent Natural Product

Synthesis of 4-methylumbelliferone via the acid-catalyzed Pechmann condensation introduces students to several types of organic reactions: transesterification, electrophilic aromatic substitution, and alcohol dehydration. Performed with a recyclable, solid catalyst and under solvent-free conditions, the experiment illustrates many of the principles of green chemistry and additionally illustrates the potential of green chemistry to yield not only safety and environmental benefits, but positive economic impacts as well. With high regioselectivity, complex yet interpretable IR and 1H NMR spectra, and unusual pH-dependent fluorescence, the synthesis of 4-methylumbelliferone provides a rich learning platform.
Detection of native-state nonadditivity in double mutant cycles via hydrogen exchange.

Proteins have evolved to exploit long-range structural and dynamic effects as a means of regulating function. Understanding communication between sites in proteins is therefore vital to our comprehension of such phenomena as allostery, catalysis, and ligand binding/ejection. Double mutant cycle analysis has long been used to determine the existence of communication between pairs of sites, proximal or distal, in proteins. Typically, nonadditivity (or “thermodynamic coupling”) is measured from global transitions in concert with a single probe. Here, we have applied the atomic resolution of NMR in tandem with native-state hydrogen exchange (HX) to probe the structure/energy landscape for information transduction between a large number of distal sites in a protein. Considering the event of amide proton exchange as an energetically quantifiable structural perturbation, m n-dimensional cycles can be constructed from mutation of n − 1 residues, where m is the number of residues for which HX data is available. Th...
Risk of bleeding after native renal biopsy as a function of preprocedural systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Abstract Purpose To determine the risk of bleeding complications after native renal biopsy as a function of preprocedural blood pressure (BP). Materials and Methods A total of 293 patients (163 men; mean age, 59.1 y) who underwent ultrasound-guided native kidney biopsy at a single institution over a 10-year period were retrospectively identified. Demographic and clinical data were collected, including systolic BP (SBP) and diastolic BP (DBP) at the time of the biopsy and presence and severity of complications. Differences in clinical and demographic data among patients with and without complications were analyzed. Results Of 293 patients, nine (3.1%) experienced major complications (required transfusion or intervention) and 10 (3.4%) experienced minor complications (pain, hematoma, or hematuria). Patients with SBP greater than 140 mm Hg or DBP greater than 90 mm Hg were 10 times more likely to experience major complications ( P Conclusions Patients undergoing native renal biopsy who have an SBP greater than 140 mm Hg or DBP greater than 90 mm Hg are at higher risk for bleeding complications. Further research is needed to determine whether medically lowering these patients' BP before kidney biopsy decreases complications.
Visual acuity and fatty acid status of term infants fed human milk and formulas with and without docosahexaenoate and arachidonate from egg yolk lecithin

Preterm infants fed formulas with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA, 22:6n-3) during the interval equivalent to the last intrauterine trimester and beyond have higher circulating DHA and transiently higher visual acuity compared with infants fed formulas containing linolenic acid. In term infants several nonrandomized studies of infants receiving DHA from human milk suggest a relationship between DHA status and acuity, but the evidence for a cause-and-effect relationship is mixed. In the present study, term infants were randomly assigned to a standard term formula (n = 20) or the same formula with egg yolk lecithin to provide DHA (0.1%) and arachidonic acid (AA, 20:4n-6, 0.43%) (n = 19) at levels reported in milk of American women. A third group of infants was breast fed for > or = 3 mo (n = 19). Grating visual acuity (Teller Acuity Card procedure) and plasma and red blood cell (RBC) phosphatidylcholine (PC) and phosphatidylethanolamine (PE) DHA and AA were determined at corrected ages of 2, 4, 6, 9 (acuity only), and 12 mo past term = 40 wk postmenstrual age (PMA). At 2 mo breast-fed infants and infants fed the supplemented formula had higher grating acuity than term infants fed standard formula. As in preterm infants, the increase was transient. Plasma PC DHA and AA and RBC PE AA increased by 2 mo in supplemented infants, but RBC PE DHA in supplemented infants was not higher than in controls until 4 mo and beyond. Despite normal intrauterine accumulation of DHA and AA, infants fed formula with 2% linolenic acid and 0.1% DHA had better 2-mo visual acuity than infants fed formula with 2% linolenic acid.
The effects of social and moral integration on ethical standards: A comparison of American and Ukrainian business students

This paper examines levels of similarity in ethical outlooks in countries where economic and sociocultural values may differ markedly. We compared students from a capitalist country, the United States, with students from Ukraine, a country experiencing dramatic ideological confusion and economic change. We tested the hypothesis that greater social and moral integration, as operationalized by a lack of alienation and by religiousness, will directly affect one's willingness to engage in unethical business practices.
«Solitarios refugios de efemérides viejas». Monumentos y ciudades históricas como símbolos nacionales en la prensa gráfica (1918-1930)

Continuing a tradition that started in the middle XIXth Century, the Spanish illustrated press of the first third of the XXth Century extensively circulated representations of historical cities and monuments. Taking the works of Benedict Anderson on the role of the press in building the imaginaries of national communities, and of George L. Mosse on the nationalization of the masses through monuments as a starting point, this paper analyzes the way in which this representations constructed a cultural idea of the nation for the middle classes to whom the illustrated press was addresed.
Progressive dialysis encephalopathy

The clinical features of 42 patients with the only recently recognized and generally fatal neurological syndrome of progressive dialysis encephalopathy are reviewed and the electroencephalographic and neuropathological findings are summarized. Despite apparently successful hemodialysis, these patients develop a wide spectrum of neurological abnormalities. Of these, sudden onset of hesitant, nonfluent speech is the most characteristic and usually the earliest sign. Both dysphasic and dysarthritic elements are found, though the former predominate. Myoclonus, dementia, seizures, and gait difficulty are also seen in the majority of these patients. EEGs are more abnormal than would be expected for the clinical severity, with some type of high-voltage spike-wave pattern intermixed with abundant slow activity. The combination of clinical and EEG features in the appropriate setting is virtually diagnostic. Transient episodes with variable periods of complete or partial remission have been recognized. Neuropathological changes are surprisingly mild and nonspecific. The cause is uncertain; current speculation focuses on aluminum as the offending neurotoxin. Treatment remains unsatisfactory.
Does the Y chromosome make a difference? Gender differences in attempts to change cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if gender differences exist in attempts to change cardiovascular disease (CVD) risk factor behaviors, specifically cigarette smoking, sedentary lifestyle, and overweight, and if the success of these attempted behavior changes also differs by gender in the Pawtucket Heart Health Program (PHHP). Methods: The risk factors were considered in reference to individuals who needed to change a particular risk factor behavior. Data were gathered from three different sources within the PHHP (the contact card registry of participants and both cross-sectional and cohort household surveys). Results: Women were much more likely than men to participate in PHHP risk factor programs related to smoking, exercise, or weight loss. Women were also more likely than men to self-report making attempts to change these risk factor behaviors. Men self-reported to have a greater percentage of long-term smoking cessation success than women, although men and women had similar success ...
Cultural Socialization in Families With Adopted Korean Adolescents A Mixed-Method, Multi-informant Study

Transracial, transnational families understand and transmit cultural socialization messages in ways that differ from same-race families. This study explored the ways in which transracial, transnational adoptive families discuss race and ethnicity and how these family discussions compared to self-reports from adoptive parents and adolescents regarding the level of parental engagement in cultural socialization. Of the thirty families with at least one adolescent-aged child (60% female, average age 17.8 years) who was adopted from South Korea, nine families acknowledged racial and ethnic differences, six families rejected racial and ethnic differences, and fifteen families held a discrepancy of views. Parents also reported significantly greater engagement in cultural socialization than adolescents' reports of parental engagement. However, only adolescent self-reports of parental engagement in cultural socialization matched the qualitative coding of family conversations.
The Tlo Proteins Are Stoichiometric Components of Candida albicans Mediator Anchored via the Med3 Subunit

The amplification of the TLO (for telomere-associated) genes in Candida albicans, compared to its less pathogenic, close relative Candida dubliniensis, suggests a role in virulence. Little, however, is known about the function of the Tlo proteins. We have purified the Mediator coactivator complex from C. albicans (caMediator) and found that Tlo proteins are a stoichiometric component of caMediator. Many members of the Tlo family are expressed, and each is a unique member of caMediator. Protein expression analysis of individual Tlo proteins, as well as the purification of tagged Tlo proteins, demonstrate that there is a large free population of Tlo proteins in addition to the Mediator-associated population. Coexpression and copurification of Tloα12 and caMed3 in Escherichia coli established a direct physical interaction between the two proteins. We have also made a C. albicans med3Δ/Δ strain and purified an intact Mediator from this strain. The analysis of the composition of the med3Δ Mediator shows that it lacks a Tlo subunit. Regarding Mediator function, the med3Δ/Δ strain serves as a substitute for the difficult-to-make tloΔ/Δ C. albicans strain. A potential role of the TLO and MED3 genes in virulence is supported by the inability of the med3Δ/Δ strain to form normal germ tubes. This study of caMediator structure provides initial clues to the mechanism of action of the Tlo genes and a platform for further mechanistic studies of caMediator's involvement in gene regulatory patterns that underlie pathogenesis.
Association of a fasting glucose genetic risk score with subclinical atherosclerosis: The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study

OBJECTIVE Elevated fasting glucose level is associated with increased carotid intima-media thickness (IMT), a measure of subclinical atherosclerosis. It is unclear if this association is causal. Using the principle of Mendelian randomization, we sought to explore the causal association between circulating glucose and IMT by examining the association of a genetic risk score with IMT. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS The sample was drawn from the Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) study and included 7,260 nondiabetic Caucasian individuals with IMT measurements and relevant genotyping. Components of the fasting glucose genetic risk score (FGGRS) were selected from a fasting glucose genome-wide association study in ARIC. The score was created by combining five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs780094 [ GCKR ], rs560887 [ G6PC2 ], rs4607517 [ GCK ], rs13266634 [ SLC30A8 ], and rs10830963 [ MTNR1B ]) and weighting each SNP by its strength of association with fasting glucose. IMT was measured through bilateral carotid ultrasound. Mean IMT was regressed on the FGGRS and on the component SNPs, individually. RESULTS The FGGRS was significantly associated ( P = 0.009) with mean IMT. The difference in IMT predicted by a 1 SD increment in the FGGRS (0.0048 mm) was not clinically relevant but was larger than would have been predicted based on observed associations between the FFGRS, fasting glucose, and IMT. Additional adjustment for baseline measured glucose in regression models attenuated the association by about one third. CONCLUSIONS The significant association of the FGGRS with IMT suggests a possible causal association of elevated fasting glucose with atherosclerosis, although it may be that these loci influence IMT through nonglucose pathways.
On the determination of climate feedbacks from ERBE data

[1] Climate feedbacks are estimated from fluctuations in the outgoing radiation budget from the latest version of Earth Radiation Budget Experiment (ERBE) nonscanner data. It appears, for the entire tropics, the observed outgoing radiation fluxes increase with the increase in sea surface temperatures (SSTs). The observed behavior of radiation fluxes implies negative feedback processes associated with relatively low climate sensitivity. This is the opposite of the behavior of 11 atmospheric models forced by the same SSTs. Therefore, the models display much higher climate sensitivity than is inferred from ERBE, though it is difficult to pin down such high sensitivities with any precision. Results also show, the feedback in ERBE is mostly from shortwave radiation while the feedback in the models is mostly from longwave radiation. Although such a test does not distinguish the mechanisms, this is important since the inconsistency of climate feedbacks constitutes a very fundamental problem in climate prediction.
Addressing tobacco smoke exposure: Passive and active

Many smoking parents are receptive to receiving smoking counseling messages and pediatric health care providers need to increase their efforts to address ETS exposure. Efforts to prevent smoking acquisition should continue by parents, doctors, schools, and the community. Start early in childhood to promote positive family communication and role modeling. Screen for tobacco use or intention and provide counseling to teen without the parent in room. Brief tobacco-dependence interventions are effective. Every patient/parent that uses tobacco should be identified, urged to quit, and offered treatment. Those willing to quit should be provided effective treatments using the "5 A's". Those unwilling to quit should be motivated using "5 R's". Quitting smoking is a major challenge but it is one that many people successfully achieve every day. Even a small increase in smoking cessation can be significant impact from a public health perspective and pediatric providers can play a significant role.
The Human Papillomavirus Type 16 E5 Oncoprotein Translocates Calpactin I to the Perinuclear Region

The human papillomavirus type 16 (HPV-16) E5 oncoprotein is embedded in membranes of the endoplasmic reticulum and nuclear envelope with its C terminus exposed to the cytoplasm. Among other activities, E5 cooperates with the HPV E6 oncoprotein to induce koilocytosis in human cervical cells and keratinocytes in vitro. The effect of E5 on infected cells may rely on its interactions with various cellular proteins. In this study we identify calpactin I, a heterotetrameric, Ca2+- and phospholipid-binding protein complex that regulates membrane fusion, as a new cellular target for E5. Both the annexin A2 and p11 subunits of calpactin I coimmunoprecipitate with E5 in COS cells and in human epithelial cell lines, and an intact E5 C terminus is required for binding. Moreover, E5-expressing cells exhibit a perinuclear redistribution of annexin A2 and p11 and show increased fusion of perinuclear membrane vesicles. The C terminus of E5 is required for both the perinuclear redistribution of calpactin I and increased formation of perinuclear vacuoles. These results support the hypothesis that the E5-induced relocalization of calpactin I to the perinuclear region promotes perinuclear membrane fusion, which may underlie the development of koilocytotic vacuoles.
Cell morphology and migration linked to substrate rigidity

A mathematical model, based on thermodynamics, was developed to demonstrate how substrate rigidity influences cell morphology and migration. The mechanisms by which substrate rigidity are translated into cell-morphological changes and cell movement are described. The model takes into account the competition between the elastic energies in the cell–substrate system and work of adhesion at the cell periphery. The cell morphology and migration are dictated by the minimum of the total free energy of the cell–substrate system. By using this model, reported experimental observations on cell morphological changes and migration can be better understood with a theoretical basis. In addition, these observations can be more accurately correlated with the variation of substrate rigidity. This study indicates that the activity of the adherent cell is dependent not only on the substrate rigidity but also is correlated with the relative rigidity between the cell and substrate. Moreover, the study suggests that the cell stiffness can be estimated based on the substrate stiffness corresponding to the change of trend in morphological stability.
Towards a formalization of UML class structures in Z

There is much interest in developing a firm semantic base for object-oriented modeling concepts. By providing precise characterizations of object-oriented (OO) modeling concepts one gains the ability to build a precise OO model of behavior and structure that can be rigorously analyzed. We present the current results of our ongoing formalization of the Unified Modeling Language (UML). UML is a proposed common OO modeling language, thus it is important that it has a formally defined semantic base. The focus of this paper is the formalization of the primary UML constructs used to build class structures. We use the Z notation to precisely express the meaning of UML class structures.
Acute and Chronic Social Defeat Suppresses Humoral Immunity of Male Syrian Hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus)

Stressors, both physical and psychological, can activate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, leading to a wide range of physiological responses including increased glucocorticoid release and suppression of immune function. The majority of studies published to date have focused on the effects of physical stressors (e.g., cold exposure, electric shock) on immunity. The present study examined the role of a stressor, social defeat, on humoral immune function of Syrian hamsters (Mesocricetus auratus). Specifically, adult male Syrian hamsters experienced social defeat (i.e., exposure to a dominant animal in that animal's home cage) that was either acute (i.e., a single exposure) or chronic (i.e., daily exposures across 5 days). A control group of animals was placed in a resident's home cage without the resident animal present and did not experience defeat. After the last encounter, blood samples were drawn and animals were subsequently injected with keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH). Blood samples were again taken 5 and 10 days postimmunization and serum was analyzed to determine serum cortisol and anti-KLH immunoglobulin G (IgG) concentrations. Cortisol concentrations were elevated in both acutely and chronically defeated hamsters compared with control animals. In contrast, serum IgG concentrations were significantly reduced in both groups of defeated hamsters compared with control animals. Collectively, these results demonstrate that both acute social defeat and chronic social defeat lead to activation of the HPA axis and suppression of humoral immune function. These data suggest that social defeat is an important, ecologically relevant model with which to examine stress-induced immune suppression in rodents.
A tree-structured query interface for querying semi-structured data

XML is a semistructured data format that is quickly becoming the standard means of communication across the Internet. We introduce a simple, powerful, unambiguous tree-structured user-interface for querying semistructured data. It emphasizes ease-of-use and provides generic access to XML repositories. An implementation of this interface called the Pathways Explorer has been built in the context of biological pathways. The implementation illustrates some basic capabilities, such as selection, projection, equijoins, and self-joins. It builds efficient queries using SQL, and it has been shown that XQuery's performance would be comparable. Future implementations might allow semantic client-side caching, aggregation and grouping, recursion, and set operations.
Population viability management: ecological standards to guide adaptive management for rare species

Many approaches to rare species management formulated by academics lack practicality and meaning for managers. Here, we propose an approach, which we refer to as population viability management (PVM), that is based on linking monitoring and management models with population models. By closely coordinating biological analyses with the range of decisions and actions considered by managers, the PVM approach ensures that population models reflect realistic management options and risk tolerances, and that adaptive conservation systems remain focused on population viability rather than statistical targets indirectly tied to population persistence. We summarize our use of PVM to formulate draft recovery criteria for the endangered island fox and to generate specific guidance for conserving this species. We argue that PVM can be widely adapted to provide more biologically justified and focused management and monitoring recommendations than those typically emerging from conventional population viability analyses. ...
Coherence gradients in adaptive risk estimation

Many sensing scenarios involve tradeoff between diverse sets of constraints that involve measuring and parameterizing some high dimensional sensing environment trade-space to give minimal estimation risk. Integrating and simplifying these tradeoffs is a daunting task, particularly in the context where the underlying assumptions of signal and noise distributions can result from complex statistical models and these models can evolve in time. Thus we need a strategy to reduce the complexity of the measurement process, parameterize the tradeoff space, and adapt to dynamic changes as the sensing scenarios evolve. We propose using coherence of the measurement process as a means of characterizing both the resource trade-space and the estimation process. We will use gradients in the coherence resource trade space to find the minimum estimator risk over some local sensing space and show how this process can adapt the process to global changes when they occur.
Precise permittivty and permeability measurement of absorbers over broadband microwave frequency range

This paper presents complex permittivity and permeability measurements and reflection analysis of a selection of iron-loaded absorbing materials. A precise transmission-reflection based waveguide measurement technique was used to accurately characterize the materials in the 2 to 40 GHz frequency range. Based on the individual absorption spectra the materials were combined to form a composite structure that showed good absorption properties over a wide range of frequencies.
Human Tear Fluid Protects against Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis in a Murine Experimental Model

Pseudomonas aeruginosa keratitis is an acute sight-threatening infection. We previously reported that human tear fluid could protect individual human corneal epithelial cells in vitro against invasion by and cytotoxicity due to clinical and laboratory isolates of P. aeruginosa and that the protective mechanism was independent of bacteriostatic activity. In the present study, we examined the effects of human tear fluid in vivo. Tears were collected from healthy human volunteers and were studied in vivo in mice. The effects on the virulence of both invasive and cytotoxic clinical isolates of P. aeruginosa were examined. Tear fluid was found to reduce the severity of disease when corneas were challenged with cytotoxic bacteria immediately after scratch injury, and it completely protected against susceptibility to infection by a cytotoxic strain in a model in which corneas were infected during the healing process 6 h after scratching. Visible protection correlated with the inhibition of bacterial colonization 1, 4, and 48 h postinoculation. Tear fluid also significantly reduced the severity of infections caused by invasive P. aeruginosa in the 6-h-healing model. This result also coincided with significantly reduced bacterial colonization at 48 h. In vitro, human tear fluid significantly reduced the ability of invasive and cytotoxic bacteria to translocate across corneal epithelia and increased transepithelial resistance with or without bacterial inoculation. These data show that human tear fluid can protect against P. aeruginosa corneal infection in vivo and that the mechanism likely involves enhanced epithelial barrier function in addition to protection of individual epithelial cells against bacterial internalization and cytotoxicity.
Thyroid autoantibodies are not associated with recurrent pregnancy loss.

Abstract Objective: Approximately 1% of all women have recurrent pregnancy loss, defined as ≥3 spontaneous losses of pregnancy; however, a cause is determined in only 50% of cases. Recent studies have associated the presence of thyroid autoantibodies during the first trimester of pregnancy with spontaneous abortion in the current pregnancy among women without a history of recurrent abortion. The objective of this study was to determine whether circulating thyroid autoantibodies were associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. Study Design: Sera from 74 nonpregnant women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss and from 75 healthy, fertile control subjects of similar gravidity were tested for thyroglobulin and thyroid peroxidase antibodies by means of radioimmunoassay kits. All women had a third-generation thyroid-stimulating hormone assay performed. Samples were obtained ≥6 months after a pregnancy. Results: Twenty-two of the women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss (29.3%) and twenty-eight of the control subjects (37%) had positive results for either one or both of the thyroid autoantibodies ( P > .05). Mean thyroid-stimulating hormone levels and the proportion of women with abnormal thyroid-stimulating hormone values did not differ between the 2 groups. Conclusion: Women with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss are no more likely than are fertile control subjects to have circulating thyroid autoantibodies. Testing for antithyroid antibodies is not clinically useful in the evaluation of patients with a history of recurrent pregnancy loss. (Am J Obstet Gynecol 1998;179:1583-6.)
Bilateral art: facilitating systemic integration and balance

Art therapy has typically focused on issues associated with the human need for creative experience— art as therapy—and the power of art as a form of expression—art in therapy (Cane, 1951; Rubin, 2001). Marriage and family therapists argue that many of the difficulties that present in therapy are best treated systemically, i.e., from the perspective of or in the presence of the family as a whole. More recently, family therapists have extended their systemic perspective in the opposite direction with the introduction of the self in the system (Nichols, 1987) and internal family systems models (Breunlin, Schwartz, & Mac Kune-Karrer, 1997). The field of mental health is placing increased emphasis on the relationship between the biology of neuroscience and various treatment modalities. This paper represents an effort to integrate elements of these diverse viewpoints by describing a neurologically-based art therapy modality—bilateral art. It describes both neurological and family therapy systemic perspectives that argue for the use of bilateral art. A specific protocol for bilateral art therapy and a case study describing experiences with the use of this protocol are presented. Background Gazzaniga (1998a, 1998b) has written extensively on the structure and function of the brain, particularly the functions of the two hemispheres of the cerebral cortex—the left hemisphere associated with language and speech and the right hemisphere associated with visual-motor activities. Much of Gazzaniga’s work was based upon studies of patients whose corpus callosum had been severed to prevent commu
Recent developments in the modeling of heterogeneous propellant combustion

A numerical description of heterogeneous propellant combustion enables us to examine the spatial and temporal fluctuations in the flow field arising from the heterogeneity. Particular focus is placed on the fluctuations in a zone intermediate between the combustion field (where reaction is important) and the chamber flow domain, for these define boundary conditions for simulations of the turbulent chamber flow. The statistics of the temperature field and the normal velocity field are described, and characteristic length scales and time scales are identified. The length scales are small compared to any relevant length scale of the chamber flow, and so the boundary conditions for this flow at any mesh point are statistically independent of those at any other mesh point. But the temporal correlations at a fixed point are significant, and affect the nature of the chamber flow in a variety of ways. We describe the fluctuations in the head-end pressure that arise because of them, and contrast these results with those calculated using a white-noise assumption. 1
Temporal dispersal patterns of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ascospores during canola flowering

Abstract The temporal patterns of Sclerotinia sclerotiorum ascospore dispersal in canola fields were studied at two North Dakota locations between 2005 and 2007. Seven-day volumetric spore samplers were used to monitor airborne ascospore populations while electronic data loggers recorded hourly information on air temperature, relative humidity, soil moisture and soil temperature under the canola canopy. Ascospore dispersal occurred during single periods that lasted 4 to 6 hours. In 2005 and 2007, most ascospores were collected between 10 am and 1 pm; however, in 2006, a drier than normal year, most were collected between 2 am and 7 am. In 2005 and 2007, the first sharp increase in ascospore dispersal was preceded by a 10-unit drop in relative humidity from close to saturation, and an increase in air temperature of 5 °C. In 2006, however, no significant changes in relative humidity, which remained around 90%, or air temperature, which hovered around 15 °C, were recorded prior to the start of the discharges...
Texas Instruments' 4 Mb DRAM-a new, faster generation of DRAM

A 4-Mb DRAM (dynamic random access memory) family which improves upon the performance of the 1 Mb DRAM family is described. While increasing storage density and reducing memory access times, overall chip size is minimally affected. Development of 0.9- mu m CMOS technology for use on the 4-Mb DRAM allowed immediate speed and size improvements over the 1-Mb DRAM. Continual review of lessons learned on previous design insures that each successive DRAM generation is both more efficient in terms of architecture and more reliable in system use. In the case of the 4-Mb DRAM, this dedication to improvement has resulted tin a 20% speed enhancement, moderate size increase (1.6X), and improved reliability results. >
Load shedding based resource management techniques for RFID data

RFID based systems are enjoying widespread adoption in a variety of application scenarios. Item tracking in a supply chain environment is one such application. From an application perspective, there are two challenges: (a) the data rates for large deployments are growing significantly; (b) the demands placed on the system for query processing in real time are also on the rise. Meeting these challenges in large-scale deployments is non trivial. The hardware base for RFID based systems compound these challenges due to the fact that RFID readers are error-prone and reliable reading of RFID tags is hampered by a number of physical limitations such as environmental conditions, and contents of the items carrying the tags. Naturally, the reliability of these systems become even more questionable when both the data rates increase and the need for real time processing of queries increases. We propose load shedding mechanisms that use the spatial and temporal properties of RFID deployments to combat the challenges due to increased demands for tag and query processing in real time. These mechanisms are piggy-backed on top of a middleware Reliable Framework for Radio Frequency IDentification (RF2ID)that uses redundancy to improve the reliability of RFID deployment. The basic idea in RF2ID is to use the spatial notion of a path taken by items flowing from source to destination. By cumulatively aggregating the tags collected by entities called Virtual Readers (VR) that are placed along the path, the total reliability of the system is enhanced. The VRs cooperatively shed the load under heavy load conditions. The built-in redundancy in the RF2ID system allows the VRs to shed load with reasonable system performance thus enhancing the overall reliability of the deployment. Two different load shedding strategies are proposed in the literature: space based approach and time based approach. These strategies have been implemented in the RF2ID middleware and performance results show the efficacy of these mechanisms for dealing with increased data rates.
The Role Of Gender in Biased Technical Change: U.S. Manufacturing, 1850-1919

Differential treatment of men and women in nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century labor markets casts doubt on the common practice of adding male and female labor to create a single â€œlaborâ€ variable in the production function. This article shows that men and women must be disaggregated in the production function, and investigates the effects of inappropriate aggregation on the debate over the Habakkuk-Rothbarth labor scarcity hypothesis. With disaggregation, a female-using bias and an overall labor-using bias is found for the period 1850 through 1919. Technical change was male-neutral through 1900 and male-using thereafter.
Managerial Competencies: Fact or Fiction?

Good managers have always been recognised for their skills. Now, no manager can afford to be without “competencies”. This article assesses the validity of different approaches to this new management magic. Its conclusion for practitioners is: Watch Out! There can be more fiction than fact in this lucrative obsession.
Phylogenetic Relationships and the Evolution of Gender Dimorphism in Lycium (Solanaceae)

Abstract Lycium (Solanaceae) is a genus of ∼ 75 species found worldwide inhabiting arid to semi-arid environments. Phylogenetic relationships were inferred for 25 species of Lycium and three closely-related Grabowskia species using sequences of the internal transcribed spacer (nr-ITS) regions of nuclear ribosomal DNA and 27 morphological characters. The nr-ITS and morphological data sets were congruent and a combined analysis showed strong support for a clade containing several North American species that have distinctive floral and fruit morphologies. In addition, there was strong support for a single origin of gender dimorphism among North American Lycium species. Inclusion of a dimorphic species from South Africa suggests that gender dimorphism has evolved independently among African Lycium. Results strongly suggest that Lycium is not monophyletic, but includes the genus Grabowskia. Further, North American Lycium are paraphyletic and current sectional circumscriptions for the American species are inade...
EQUIVALENCE PRINCIPLE FOR MASSIVE BODIES. II. THEORY.

The acceleration of a massive body in an external field for general space-time geometrical gravitational theories is obtained. The condition on the metric is such that mgmi=1 is obtained, and we reobtain the result that mgmi=1 in Einstein's theory for massive objects with time-independent internal structure. But it is shown that a measurement of mgmi for astronomical bodies would measure space-time metric components which have not been measured in other gravitational experiments. In the scalar-tensor gravitational theory due to Brans and Dicke, it is shown that mgmi differs from 1 by a term of the order of the massive body's gravitational self-energy divided by its total energy.
A Review of Concussion Management in the Young Adult; the Importance of Baseline Testing and Caregiver Education.

Abstract : Despite the increase in studies and media coverage, concussion continues to threaten the futures of young athletes and cause a great deal of concern among parents and practitioners. Questions continue regarding the management and return to play for injured adolescents and young adults, and regarding the long term consequences of repeated concussion in our youth. There appears to be a huge disparity between what health care professionals know and understand about concussion and what the average athlete and parent understands about what concussion is and the real risks involved. A review of current literature reveals a persistent lag between our knowledge and practice. This literature survey takes the athlete from the pre-participation sports physical, to the sidelines, to the doctor’s office, to return to play and provides a comprehensive assessment of current recommendations. There is a significant need, especially in urban areas, for education and access to cheap and simple baseline functional assessments of adolescents and young adults. We recommend athletes be assessed at their yearly physical in order to properly determine their baseline function and readiness to return to play after concussion. Additionally, we recommend providing anticipatory guidance and a simple concussion evaluation tool to be used by parents and guardians to also annually assess a young person’s baseline functional status and subsequent alterations. The goal of this review is to create an evidence-based, simple, cost-effective parental survey; increase awareness, understanding and diagnosis of concussion; and finally, expedited proper treatment and facilitate return to play. Publication indices PubMed, lib.wayne.edu
Terminating pregnancy after first-trimester rubella.

Abortion for first-trimester rubella soon will no longer be considered. Why? Because the live attenuated virus vaccines now available will provide long-term immunity against rubella. Even now such abortions should be rare. Only 10 to 15 percent of pregnant women are susceptible to rubella. If a patient has demonstrable antibody on a hemagglutination inhibition test, there is no risk of maternal or fetal infection.
A Problem in Hilbert Space Theory Arising from the Quantum Theory of Measurement

(1979). A Problem in Hilbert Space Theory Arising from the Quantum Theory of Measurement. The American Mathematical Monthly: Vol. 86, No. 4, pp. 292-293.
The RFP process at the university of memphis : A work in progress

McDonald reported on the process the Memphis area library consortium is following in order to develop an RFP (Request for Proposal) to choose a new integrated library system. The consortium is required by state law to write an RFP for major purchases. The workshop focused on the basic organization needed to achieve their goals and concluded with a question and discussion period.
Effect of thiols on mercurial diuresis.

SummaryThe diuretic action of organic mercurials or inorganic mercury compounds is prevented or abolished by certain thiols. Of the compounds tested? Bal was the most effective, followed by thioglycolic acid, glutathione, and methylene blue in decreasing order of activity. Cysteine had very little effect.