cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Strolling through Temporary Temples: Buddhism and Installation Art in Modern Thailand

AbstractThai installation art provides a view into modern, non-monastic experiences of Buddhism. Buddhist practice and scholarship often depend on centuries-old ritual practices and texts, and designated religious sites and persons. However, installation art illumines a fluxing and organic Buddhism – and one that is increasingly globalised and public. An evolving artistic zeitgeist is fused with classical tenets of Buddhism and diverse spiritualties. Each with a unique flair and multi-media repertoire, artists such as Jakkai Siributr, Montien Boonma, Sarawut Duangjampa, Chalermchai Kositpipat and others are offering creative contemplations on Buddhism today. Their works are often experienced in a leisurely fashion by the attending public, amidst social outings or intellectual excursions. People are encouraged to react however they wish to installations, which are themselves fundamentally transient – lasting usually between three and six months. Buddhism is thus asserted as an on-going project: a continual...
IS THERE A POST ACTIVATION POTENTIATION EFFECT ON SUBMAXIMAL BENCH AND HEX-BAR DEADLIFT TESTS?

Post Activation Potentiation (PAP) is an acute enhancement of muscle function following a conditioning activity of high intensity. The majority of research regarding PAP has focused on the effects on maximal intensity movements, such as a vertical jump. There is limited information regarding the effects of PAP with the intent of improving submaximal muscular endurance performance. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine if a PAP warm-up (conditioning activity) would have a positive effect on the maximum number of repetitions one is able to successfully perform in the hex-bar deadlift (HDL) and barbell bench press (BP) at a submaximal intensity. It was hypothesized that the addition of a PAP conditioning activity to a dynamic warm up (DYN WU + PAP) would result in a greater number of repetitions performed compared to a DYN WU. Methods: Utilizing a repeated measures crossover design, eleven female NCAA track athletes participated in the six-session study. During the first session, participants were randomly separated into one of two groups and a 1-3 repetition maximum (1-3RM) for the deadlift (DL) was determined. During the second session, researchers determined the participant’s 1-3RM for the bench press (BP). During sessions three through six, participants performed either a DYN WU or DYN WU + PAP prior to performing three sets of maximal repetitions of either the DL or BP at 65% 1-RM. All participants performed all trials in random order. The total number repetitions at 65% 1-RM over the three sets was compared between conditions (DYN WU or DYN WU + PAP) with a dependent t-test for both the BP and DL. Results: DYN WU+ PAP did not appear to have a significant or practical effect on the number of repetitions able to be performed when compared to DYN WU for BP (47.9±4.8 vs. 47.9±5.0) or DL (61.8±11.0 vs. 64.5±13.5), respectively. Conclusion: Within the parameters of this study, a DYN WU + PAP provided no improvement in submaximal performance in the BP or DL.
A Direct Algorithm for Optimization Problems With the Huber Penalty

We present a direct (noniterative) algorithm for 1-D quadratic data fitting with neighboring intensity differences penalized by the Huber function. Applications of such an algorithm include 1-D processing of medical signals, such as smoothing of tissue time concentration curves in kinetic data analysis or sinogram preprocessing, and using it as a subproblem solver for 2-D or 3-D image restoration and reconstruction. dynamic programming was used to develop the direct algorithm. The problem was reformulated as a sequence of univariate optimization problems, for ${k} =\textsf {1}, \ldots , {N}$ , where ${N}$ is the number of data points. The solution to the univariate problem at index ${k}$ is parameterized by the solution at ${k}+\textsf {1}$ , except at ${k}={N}$ . Solving the univariate optimization problem at ${k}={N}$ yields the solution to each problem in the sequence using back-tracking. Computational issues and memory cost are discussed in detail. Two numerical studies, tissue concentration curve smoothing and sinogram preprocessing for image reconstruction, are used to validate the direct algorithm and illustrate its practical applications. In the example of 1-D curve smoothing, the efficiency of the direct algorithm is compared with four iterative methods: the iterative coordinate descent, Nesterov’s accelerated gradient descent algorithm, FISTA, and an off-the-shelf second order method. The first two methods were applied to the primal problem, the others to the dual problem. The comparisons show that the direct algorithm outperforms all other methods by a significant factor, which rapidly grows with the curvature of the Huber function. The second example, sinogram preprocessing, showed that robustness and speed of the direct algorithm are maintained over a wide range of signal variations, and that noise and streaking artifacts could be reduced with almost no increase in computation time. We also outline how the proposed 1-D solver can be used for imaging applications.
Exception Taken: How France has Defied Hollywood's New World Order

A truism of cultural policy research is that while countries frequently debate whether to have a cultural policy, France debates what goals its cultural policy should emphasize. While so-called U.S...
Cognitive Flexibility Deficits Following 6-OHDA Lesions of the Rat Dorsomedial Striatum

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neurodegenerative disorder marked by severe motor deficits and reduced striatal dopamine levels. PD patients also commonly exhibit cognitive flexibility impairments, e.g., probabilistic reversal learning deficits that limit daily living. However, less is known about how decreased striatal dopamine signaling affects cognitive flexibility. Past studies indicate that the rat dorsomedial striatum is a striatal subregion that supports cognitive flexibility. Because PD patients exhibit probabilistic reversal learning deficits, the present experiment investigated whether the neurotoxin 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) injected into the dorsomedial striatum of male Long-Evans rats affects the acquisition and/or reversal learning of a spatial discrimination using a probabilistic learning procedure (80/20). Behavioral testing was conducted in a cross maze that occurred across two consecutive days. Rats with 6-OHDA lesions were not impaired on acquisition, but were impaired in reversal learning compared to that of sham controls. In reversal learning, dorsomedial striatal dopamine depletion led to initial perseveration of the previously correct choice pattern, as well as an impairment in maintaining the new choice pattern after initially selected (regressive errors). A 6-OHDA lesion in the dorsomedial striatum also significantly increased 'lose-shift' probabilities in reversal learning suggesting that reduced dopamine signaling in this striatal area increased sensitivity to negative feedback ultimately impairing the maintenance of a new response pattern. Overall, the findings suggest that dopamine reduction in this striatal subregion can serve as a useful model to test novel treatments for ameliorating cognitive flexibility deficits in PD.
Condensing Deep Fisher Vectors: To Choose or to Compress?

Feature selection and dimensionality reduction are the two popular off-the-shelf techniques in practice for reducing data’s high dimensional memory footprint and thus making it amenable for large scale visual retrieval and classification. In this paper, we show that feature compression is a better choice than feature selection when dealing with large scale retrieval of high dimensional Fisher vectors derived from deep or shallow stochastic models such as restricted Boltzmann machine (RBM). The dimensionality of the Fisher vectors is proportional to the size of the architecture from which they are drawn. As the number of hidden units in RBM increases, the dimensionality of the Fisher vectors also scales accordingly, thus increasing storage requirements as well as causing overfitting during classification. In order to tackle these challenges, we compare the performance of feature compression and feature selection techniques and suggest the use of compression methods on available Fisher encodings. We have based our diagnostics on multi-collinearity evaluation metrics and justify the use of the proposed feature condensation method using feature visualisations and classification accuracy on benchmark data set.
Visual Half-Field Studies of Developmental Reading Disability

Reading disabilities were first proposed to be related to deficiencies in hemispheric specialization by Orton in 1937. He utilized hand and eye preference to determine the degree of cerebral lateralization because of the prevailing belief that this preference indicated hemispheric dominance, and that a large proportion of the reading disabled are left handed or ambidextrous. Benton and Kemble (1980) suggested that handedness is an unreliable indicant of cerebral dominance, which has been confirmed by numerous empirical studies. Therefore, it is necessary to find a valid measure of differential hemispheric processing.
Bayes Inference in Life Tests When Samples Sizes are Fixed or Random

This paper predicts the order statistics in the future sample in terms of order statistics in the earlier sample in a life test based on the exponential model. The sizes of the samples are either fixed or random variables, having the Poisson distribution. For the prediction purpose, predictive distributions are obtained. Three situations are considered such as (a) both the sample sizes are random (b) size of one sample is fixed while that of the other is a random variable (c) both sizes are fixed. For each of these three cases, Bayesian Prediction Regions (BPR) are obtained, and also, the variance of these predictive distributions for all these three situations, is put in closed forms.
Symmetry and Molecular Orbitals

In this chapter the rudiments of molecular orbital theory are reviewed in the light of their importance for the understanding of the resonances which dominate molecular X-ray absorption spectra. Particular emphasis is given to the symmetry classification of orbitals and how it relates to the polarization dependent dipole selection rule that governs X-ray absorption.
Challenges of Real-Time Decision Support

Real-time computerised decision support is providing timely support to business decision makers. Real-time decision support systems (DSS) can support operational and tactical decisions, and may enhance strategic decision making in some situations. Current systems can deliver needed data, results, and communications with essentially no processing delay. When evaluating implementation of these systems, managers need to consider and respond to three categories of continuing challenges: (1) technical, (2) organisational and (3) social/psychological. Potential benefits include faster response, improved efficiency, reduced risk, and reduced operating costs. Real-time technological can be disruptive and likely threatens the competitive position and success of many organisations.
Delay Test Generation: A Hardware Perspective

An important problem one faces during design of a built-in self-test (BIST) based delay test is the selection of a proper generator to apply the test vectors. This problem is due to the need of applying a pair of patterns to detect any given delay fault. The second vector has to be launched against the logic immediately following the first vector. This timing requirement places severe restrictions on the kind of hardware suitable for the task, especially in built-in self-test applications where the generator must reside on chip. This paper studies the various options one has in designing the delay test vector generator. Both scan and non-scan designs are addressed. The different options are measured based on their performance, cost, and flexibility.
Affect and Imagination in Play and Fantasy

Many of the data for the early and highly influential formulations in personality and psychodynamic psychology came from the study of neurotic and psychotic individuals. The analysis of the conflicts and defenses of these troubled people was almost always cast in terms of negative affects. One long-standing result of this strong precedent has been the neglect of theory and research on positive emotions. Although this volume focuses on conflict and defense, which specifically call for consideration of negative emotions, Singer’s chapter demonstrates convincingly that the positive emotions or the cognitive processes with which they are associated must be included in any comprehensive consideration of the adaptive resources of the individual.
Study of Photochromic Strontium Titanate by Mossbauer Effect

Strontium titanate crystals, lightly doped with transition metal ions, show very interesting optical properties. Kiss and Faughnan discovered the photochromic properties of these crystals [1,2]. Blanc and Staebler [3] observed the electrochromic properties, that is, the color changes under the influence of electric fields. Also color changes can be produced by heat treatment [4]. Mossbauer studies reported here were conducted to understand the relationship between color changes and valance state of added impurities (Fe in our studies) in these crystals.
Creating and Sustaining Library Video Tours

Abstract In the fall of 2013, Kimbel Library created a video tour to introduce first-year students to its resources and services. The video, which lasts five minutes and thirty-eight seconds, took approximately 40 hours to produce, including time spent on storyboarding, scripting, casting, recording, editing, and captioning. Topics covered include reserve items, technology, books, study spaces, reference services, and credit courses. Although the video provides useful information, much of the content has become outdated. The format of the original video tour does not lend itself to easy editing; therefore, efforts are underway to recreate the tour to make it more sustainable in future.
Boon for the Injured and the Elderly - “Design Optimization Using DOE Techniques”

It has been concluded through studies that pure titanium and Ti-6Al-4V are well-tolerated materials under in vivo conditions. With an aging population, war, and sports-related injuries, there is an ever-increasing demand for hard tissue replacements, such as bone. In fact, there has been a fourfold increase in the number of hip replacement procedures within the U.S since mid-2009. Ti-6Al-4V is a heat treatable and weldable alloy that exhibits high chemical stability and mechanical behavior. Recently, however, there has been great concern on the dissolution of aluminum and vanadium ions into the body fluid and the possibility of a toxic result, which is caused by poor integration with the human environment. Without the ability to attach and surround the biomaterials with osteoblast cells, the surrounding tissue will recede from the material, release ions or debris, and thereby require immediate revision surgery. In order to reduce this effect it is necessary to nullify factors, such as inferior corrosion and wear resistance that can be linked with poor osseointegration. Laser surface processing, is an innovative method that creates a physical texture on Ti-6Al-4V alloys and has been hypothesized to improve bone integration and tissue growth on metallic implants. This form of engineering will be used in this study whose goal is to find the optimal laser processing parameters, based upon laser fluence values, to improve Ti- 6Al-4V alloy's biocompatibility. Contact angle, surface energy, and roughness measurements were taken. Through Taguchi method-based response surface analysis, the optimal parameter of 2250W by 1000mm/s was concluded.
An Efficient EM Simulation Model for ENIG Plated Metal Finishes Including Conductor Side-Wall Plating Verified With Physical Measurement from 1 to 50 GHz

A test setup is developed, measured, and modeled to examine the insertion loss effects of Electroless-Nickel Immersion-Gold (ENIG) plating on various PCB topologies from 1 to 50 GHz. ENIG plating is observed to increase insertion loss compared with unplated samples nonlinearly in a manner that generally increases with frequency. Three main topolgies are analyzed; a 0.005" (0.127 mm) thick microstrip circuit using RT/duroid® 6002 laminate, a 0.008" (0.203 mm) thick microstrip using RO4003C™ laminate, and a 0.008" (0.203 mm) thick Grounded Co-Planar Waveguide (GCPW) using RO4003C™ laminate.
Toward Automated Multiparty Privacy Conflict Detection

In an effort to support users' decision making process in regards to shared and co-managed online images, in this paper we present a novel model to early detect images which may be subject to possible conflicting access control decisions. We present a group-based stochastic model able to identify potential privacy conflicts among multiple stakeholders of an image. We discuss experiments on a dataset of over 3000 online images, and compare our results with several baselines. Our approach outperforms all baselines, even the strong ones based on a Convolutional Neural Network architecture.
The Unique Challenge of Articulating the Behavior Analysts' Ethical Obligations and the Case of Punishment.

There is a long-standing debate about the place for technical versus colloquial language in applied behavior analysis; however, this debate has yet to be considered within the context of a professional code of ethics for applied behavior analysts. In this article we discuss the limitations of technical language in articulating the applied behavior analyst’s ethical commitments, illustrating this point by considering the use of the term punishment in the Professional and Ethical Compliance Code for Behavior Analysts (Behavior Analyst Certification Board, 2016). The ethical concerns regarding the use of punishment may be more accurately stated in terms of the need to avoid techniques that cause pain or discomfort rather than techniques that meet the technical definition of punishment. In summary, more consideration should be given to the use of subjective terminology in behavior analysts’ ethical discussions.
Effect of Corrosion Inhibitor Alkyl Tail Length on the Electrochemical Process Governing CO2 Corrosion of Mild Steel

Four different model compounds were synthesized and utilized in this research to relate inhibitor alkyl tail length to changes in the activation energy of the electrochemical process associated wit...
Results of the 2010 AORN Salary and Compensation Survey

AORN conducted its eighth annual compensation survey for perioperative nurses in June and July 2010. A multiple regression model was used to examine how a number of variables, including job title, education level, certification, experience, and geographic region, affect nurse compensation. Comparisons between the 2010 data and data from previous years are presented. The effects of other forms of compensation, such as on-call compensation, overtime, bonuses, and shift differentials, on base compensation rates are also examined. Additional analyses explore the effect of the current economic downturn on the perioperative work environment.
The Red Eye

The “red eye” is a common finding in ophthalmological practice. In fact, one study looking at the etiology of visits to an ophthalmic emergency department found that the vast majority of visits were secondary to ocular surface issues causing “red eye,” including conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and dry eye. The “red” or “pink eye” is really a wastebasket term for a myriad of eye conditions, many of which are benign and self-resolving. However, there are a few sight-threatening and even health-threatening conditions associated with “red eye.” Understanding how these conditions present and are treated is critical to preventing complications.
“Theresa! Don’t pull her hair! You’ll hurt her!”: Peer intervention and embodiment in U.S. preschools

Abstract Using videotaped interaction of U.S. preschool classrooms, this study investigates how children learn to manage peer conflict. Whether conflict occurs vocally or non-vocally affects socialization of children's behaviors. Negotiation of arguments by teachers somewhat depend on whether children sustain conflict in a vocal or embodied modality. Teachers use directive/response sequences to engage with children's vocalized disputes. Moving conflict to a non-vocal channel by embodying a dispute thus enables children to exercise agency often without teacher intervention, or with minimal intervention. Embodied conflicts provide children with a way to sustain their disputes often without notice from teachers. Children learn how to employ eye-gaze and body positioning to engage in these disputes. Thus, children learn about the values of vocalized and non-vocalized behavior for enacting peer conflict as a student in an American teacher-gated preschool classroom where sound achieves primacy over non-vocalized behaviors.
The Education Agency as Research Intermediary

Since the late 1970s, researchers and policy makers have debated the role of research in policy making. Since the passage of the Every Student Succeeds Act (ESSA) in 2015, education policy has experienced a renewed interest in this topic. ESSA presents a rigorous framework and set of requirements for research use in educational decision making. This paper presents an evidence-informed model that education agencies (EAs) can follow to support schools in the implementation of ESSA’s evidence-based practice provisions. The model includes three key activities that EAs should engage in to become effective research intermediaries: (1) model effective research use, (2) build capacity in educators, and (3) promote action research.
"Staying Home"-Early Changes in Patterns of Neurotrauma in New York City During the COVID-19 Pandemic.

Objective New York City is the epicenter of the novel coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic in the United States. Traumatic brain injury accounts for a significant proportion of admissions to our trauma center. We sought to characterize the effect of the pandemic on neurotraumas, given the cancellation of nonessential activities during the crisis. Methods Retrospective and prospective reviews were performed from November 2019 to April 2020. General demographics, clinical status, mechanism of trauma, diagnosis, and treatment instituted were recorded. We dichotomized the data between pre−COVID-19 (before 1 March) and COVID-19 periods and compared the differences between the 2 groups. We present the timeline of events since the beginning of the crisis in relation to the number of neurotraumas. Results A total of 150 patients composed our cohort with a mean age of 66.2 years (standard deviation ±18.9), and 66% were male. More males sustained neurotrauma in the COVID-19 period compared with the pre−COVID-19 (60.4% vs. 77.6%, P = 0.03). The most common mechanism of trauma was mechanical fall, but it was observed less frequently compared with the pre−COVID-19 period (61.4% vs. 40.8; P = 0.03). Subdural hematoma, traumatic subarachnoid hemorrhage, and intracerebral contusion accounted for the most common pathologies in both periods. Nonoperative management was selected for most patients (79.2 vs. 87.8%, P = 0.201) in both periods. Conclusions A decrease in the frequency of neurotraumas was observed during the COVID-19 crisis concomitant with the increase in COVID-19 patients in the city. This trend began after the cancellation of nonessential activities and implementation of social distancing recommendations.
Interpretative SOL modeling throughout multiple ELM cycles in DIII-D

Abstract Coupling between the UEDGE (edge fluid model), GINGRED (grid generation) and CAKE (equilibrium reconstruction) codes opens the door for automated interpretative scrape-off-layer (SOL) analysis over entire discharges, providing information that is essential in efforts to couple the SOL to core transport codes. In this work, we utilize new developments in the autoUEDGE code (Izacard et al. 2018) to investigate the behavior of the DIII-D SOL during the temporal evolution of an edge-localized mode (ELM) cycle. Modeled temperature and density profiles in UEDGE are automatically matched to experimental measurements by iteratively and self-consistently adjusting transport coefficient profiles in the plasma edge. This analysis is completed over multiple ELM cycles of a well-diagnosed discharge with long ( ∼ 100 ms ) inter-ELM periods. Directly after the ELM crash, a short period of high-density, low-temperature conditions is observed in Langmuir probe measurements at the outer divertor. This regime is associated with enhanced D α emission and incident particle flux, suggesting that the divertor enters a period of high recycling after an ELM crash. After about ∼ 25 ms , divertor conditions return to their pre-ELM conditions and remain there for several tens of milliseconds. Using the autoUEDGE code, the SOL is modeled as a function of ELM cycle using upstream profiles as input. The 2D modeling successfully reproduces both divertor Thomson scattering measurements and the experimentally observed divertor dynamics. Though the recycling is kept fixed throughout the modeling, changes in particle fluxes are consistent with local experimental recycling changes induced by ELMs. Agreement between modeling and observation suggests a strong link between upstream profiles and the high-recycling divertor conditions directly following large type-I ELMs.
Lightweight Approximate Selection

Given a relative rank r ∈ (0,1) (e.g., r = 1/2 refers to the median), we show how to efficiently sample with high probability an element with rank very close to r from any probability distribution that supports efficient sampling (e.g., elements stored in an array). A primary feature of our methods is their elegance and ease of implementation – they can be coded in less space than is occupied by this abstract, and their lightweight footprint makes them ideally suited for highly resource-constrained computing environments. We demonstrate through empirical testing that these methods perform well in practice, and provide a complete theoretical analysis for our methods that offers valuable insight into the performance of a natural class of approximate selection algorithms based on hierarchical random sampling.
Laboratory demonstration of the vertical transmission of Rift Valley fever virus by Culex tarsalis mosquitoes.

Rift Valley fever virus (RVFV) is a mosquito-transmitted virus with proven ability to emerge into naive geographic areas. Limited field evidence suggests that RVFV is transmitted vertically from parent mosquito to offspring, but until now this mechanism has not been confirmed in the laboratory. Furthermore, this transmission mechanism has allowed for the prediction of RVFV epizootics based on rainfall patterns collected from satellite information. However, in spite of the relevance to the initiation of epizootic events, laboratory confirmation of vertical transmission has remained an elusive research aim for thirty-five years. Herein we present preliminary evidence of the vertical transmission of RVFV by Culex tarsalis mosquitoes after oral exposure to RVFV. Progeny from three successive gonotrophic cycles were reared to adults, with infectious RVFV confirmed in each developmental stage. Virus was detected in ovarian tissues of parental mosquitoes 7 days after imbibing an infectious bloodmeal. Infection was confirmed in progeny as early as the first gonotrophic cycle, with infection rates ranging from 2.0–10.0%. Virus titers among progeny were low, which may indicate a host mechanism suppressing replication.
Additive Manufacturing of Miniaturized Peak Temperature Monitors for In-Pile Applications

Passive monitoring techniques have been used for peak temperature measurements during irradiation tests by exploiting the melting point of well-characterized materials. Recent efforts to expand the capabilities of such peak temperature detection instrumentation include the development and testing of additively manufactured (AM) melt wires. In an effort to demonstrate and benchmark the performance and reliability of AM melt wires, we conducted a study to compare prototypical standard melt wires to an AM melt wire capsule, composed of printed aluminum, zinc, and tin melt wires. The lowest melting-point material used was Sn, with a melting point of approximately 230 °C, Zn melts at approximately 420 °C, and the high melting-point material was aluminum, with an approximate melting point of 660 °C. Through differential scanning calorimetry and furnace testing we show that the performance of our AM melt wire capsule was consistent with that of the standard melt-wire capsule, highlighting a path towards miniaturized peak-temperature sensors for in-pile sensor applications.
WSXL: A Web Services Language for Integrating End-User Experience

WSXL (Web Services Experience Language) is a web services centric component model for interactive web applications. WSXL is designed to achieve two main goals: enable businesses to distribute web applications through multiple revenue channels, and enable new services or applications to be created by leveraging existing applications across the Web. To accomplish these goals, WSXL components can be built out of three basic web service types for data, presentation, and control, the last of which is used to “wire together” the others using declarative language based on XLink and XML Events. WSXL also introduces a new description language for adapting services to new distribution channels. WSXL is built on widely accepted established and emerging open standards, and is designed to be independent of execution platform, browser, and presentation markup.
High antigen levels do not preclude B-cell tolerance induction to alpha1,3-Gal via mixed chimerism.

BACKGROUND Studies of bone marrow transplantation (BMT) from wild-type mice or rats to alpha1,3-galactosyltransferase (GalT) knockout mice have demonstrated that induction of mixed chimerism tolerizes not only T cells, but also natural antibody-producing B cells, even across xenogeneic barriers. Given that rodent cells express lower levels of the alphaGal epitope than the more clinically relevant porcine species, the consequences of exposure to cells expressing high levels of alphaGal on the ability to induce B-cell tolerance are unknown. METHODS The effects on chimerism and anti-alphaGal B-cell tolerance of an i.p. injection of 10(9) porcine RBC were evaluated in GalT knockout mice receiving wild-type allogeneic BMT after non-myeloablative conditioning with T-cell depleting monoclonal antibodies, thymic irradiation, and low-dose total body irradiation. RESULTS Achievement of mixed chimerism and tolerance of anti-alphaGal-producing B cells was not affected by exposure to high-density alphaGal at the time of BMT. The absence of induced anti-alphaGal or anti-pig antibody responses in conditioned control mice suggested that the B-cell xeno-response to pig is T-cell-dependent. CONCLUSION High alphaGal density on pig cells might not preclude the ability to achieve tolerance of pre-existing alphaGal-reactive human B cells via induction of mixed chimerism. This strategy has the potential to induce B-cell tolerance to non-alphaGal epitopes, against which natural antibodies have been found in the sera of healthy humans.
Role of Acinus in regulating retinoic acid-responsive gene pre-mRNA splicing.

Acinus-S’ is a corepressor for retinoic acid receptor (RAR)-dependent gene transcription and has been suggested to be involved in RNA processing. In this study, the role of Acinus isoforms in regulating pre-mRNA splicing was explored using in vivo splicing assays. Both Acinus-L and Acinus-S’, with the activity of Acinus-L higher than that of Acinus-S’, increase the splicing of a retinoic acid (RA)-responsive minigene containing a weak 5′ splice site but not a RA-responsive minigene containing a strong 5′ splice site. RA treatment further enhances the splicing of the weak 5′ splice site by Acinus in a dose- and time-dependent manner, suggesting a RA-dependent activity in addition to a RA-independent activity of Acinus. The RA-independent effect of Acinus occurs to varying degrees using minigene constructs containing several different promoters, while the RA-dependent splicing activity of Acinus is specific for transcripts derived from the minigene driven by a RA response element (RARE)-containing promoter. This suggests that the ligand-dependent splicing activity of Acinus is related to the RA-activated RAR bound to the RARE. The RRM domain is necessary for the RA-dependent splicing activity of Acinus and the RA-independent splicing activity of Acinus is repressed by RNPS1. Importantly, measurement of the splicing of endogenous human RARβ and Bcl-x in vivo demonstrates that Acinus stimulates the use of the weaker alternative 5′ splice site of these two genes in a RA-dependent manner for RARβ and a RA-independent manner for Bcl-x. Taken together, these studies demonstrate that Acinus functions in both RAR-dependent splicing and RAR-dependent transcription. J. Cell. Physiol. 230: 791–801, 2015. © 2014 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Institutional Corruption: From Purpose to Function

In "Institutional Corruption: A Fiduciary Theory," Marie Newhouse argues that the distinctive value of the IC concept attaches only to a proper subset of the uses that we now find in the literature, and that many of these uses are not about institutional corruption (IC) at all. She suggests that we limit IC talk to analyses of fiduciary relationships, and use other concepts and approaches to examine institutional failures that do not involve fiduciary duties. This plea for theoretical parsimony is valuable in its execution and laudable in its intent, but it needlessly sets aside common intuitions about what "institutional corruption" is, and it needlessly constrains the scope of the theoretical and political work that IC analyses can do. I will argue that a small refinement in IC theory — focusing not just on institutional purposes but also on social functions — will allow us to save these intuitions while also clarifying the political stakes of anti-corruption work.
The Monoclonal Antibody CHO-131 Identifies a Subset of Cutaneous Lymphocyte-Associated Antigen T Cells Enriched in P-Selectin-Binding Cells

T cells use the vascular adhesion molecules E- and P-selectin to enter inflamed skin. Previous studies have indicated the possibility for diversity in the synthesis of E- and P-selectin glycan ligands by activated T cells due to their different requirements for the O-glycan branching enzyme core 2 beta1,6-N-acetylglucosaminyltransferase I and its independent regulation. It is known that T cell staining by the mAb HECA-452 (referred to as cutaneous lymphocyte-associated Ag (CLA) T cells) correlates with E-selectin binding, yet whether these cells uniformly bind P-selectin is less clear. The mAb CHO-131 and P-selectin binding require a glycan moiety consisting of a sialylated and fucosylated oligosaccharide properly positioned on a core-2 O-glycan. Interestingly, CHO-131 stains a subset of CLA(+) T cells. A direct comparison of the selectin binding capacity of CHO-131(+) and CHO-131(-) CLA(+) T cells revealed a significantly greater P-selectin, but not E-selectin, binding activity by the former subset. Based on the expression of homing and central and effector memory cell markers, CHO-131(+) and CHO-131(-) CLA(+) T cells have an overlapping skin-tropic and memory phenotype. CHO-131(+) T cells were considerably enriched in psoriatic skin, yet, unlike the peripheral blood of healthy individuals, HECA-452 and CHO-131 stained a similar proportion of T cells in the cutaneous lesions, indicating an accumulation advantage by CHO-131(+) T cells. We conclude that the CHO-131(+)CLA(+) T cell subset is enriched in P-selectin binding cells. These findings should provide new insights into the regulation and function of skin homing T cells.
Physical and Genetic Characterization of Deletion Mutants of Simian Virus 40 Constructed In Vitro

Abstract Mutants of simian virus 40 (SV40), with deletions ranging in size from fewer than 3 to 750 base pairs located throughout the SV40 genome, were obtained by infecting CV-1P cells with linear SV40 DNA and DNA of an appropriate helper virus. The linear DNA was obtained by complete cleavage of closed circular DNA with Hae II or Bam HI endonuclease or partial cleavage with either Hae III endonuclease or nuclease S1, followed, in some cases, by mild digestion with phage λ 5′ -exonuclease. The following mutants with deletions in the late region of the SV40 genome were obtained and characterized. Ten, containing deletions at the Hae II endonuclease site (map location 0.83), define a new genetic complementation group, E, grow extremely slowly without helper virus, and cause alterations only in VP2. Two mutants with deletions in the region 0.92 to 0.945 affect both VP2 and VP3, demonstrating that VP3 shares sequences with the C-terminal portion of VP2. The mutant with a deletion at 0.93 is the first deletion mutant in the D complementation group and is also temperature sensitive; the mutant with a deletion at 0.94 is viable and grows normally. Three mutants with deletions at the EcoRI endonuclease site (0/1.0) and eleven with deletions at the BamHI endonuclease site (0.15) fall into the B/C complementation group. Six additional mutants with deletions at the BamHI endonuclease site are viable, growing more slowly than wild type. VP1 is the only polypeptide affected by mutants in the B/C group. A mutant with a deletion of the region 0.72 to 0.80 has a polar effect, failing to express the E, D, and B/C genes. Mutants with deletions in the early region (0.67 counterclockwise to 0.17) at 0.66 to 0.59, 0.48, 0.47, 0.33, and 0.285 to 0.205 are all members of the A complementation group. Thus, the A gene is the only viral gene in the early region whose expression is necessary for productive infection of permissive cells. Since mutants with deletions in the region 0.59 to 0.54 are viable, two separate regions are essential for expression of the gene A function: 0.66 to 0.59 and 0.54 to 0.21. Mutants with deletions at 0.21 and 0.18 are viable. Approximate map locations of SV40 genes and possible models for their regulation are discussed.
Abstract 813: A combination of cisplatin, irinotecan, and paclitaxel (CIP) as frontline treatment of patients with metastatic esophageal cancer (mEC)

Proceedings: AACR Annual Meeting 2014; April 5-9, 2014; San Diego, CA Introduction: Median survival associated with mEC is 9-12 months. While systemic therapy is the mainstay of treatment for mEC, there is no consensus regarding the best frontline chemotherapy combination. We evaluated the efficacy of CIP (Cisplatin 30 mg/m2, Irinotecan 50 mg/m2 and Paclitaxel 50 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8 of a 21 day cycle) in patients with mEC. Methods: We performed a retrospective review to identify mEC patients at the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW) who were treated with frontline CIP between January 1, 2005 and December 31, 2010. Relevant clinical information was collected through a review of the electronic medical record. This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board at MCW. Results: We identified 13 patients who were treated with CIP as frontline therapy for mEC. The median age at diagnosis was 59 years (range 48-71 years), 12 (92%) patients were male, and 9 patients (69%) had adenocarcinoma with the remaining being squamous cell carcinoma. Eleven patients (85%) presented with metastatic disease, while 2 patients (15%) were diagnosed with metastatic disease after having undergone initial surgical resection with disease free intervals of 39 and 14 months respectively. The most common sites of metastases were lymph nodes (11 patients), liver (6 patients), lung (4 patients), bone (3 patients), and peritoneum (2 patients); 77% of patients had at least 2 sites of metastases. The median number of chemotherapy cycles administered was 7 (range 1-14). Four patients (31%) developed grade 3/4 toxicities including neutropenia in 3 patients, nausea in 1 patient, and anemia in 1 patient. One patient (8%) had a complete response (CR), 7 patients (54%) had a partial response (PR), 2 patients (15%) had stable disease (SD), and 3 patients (23%) developed progressive disease (PD). The median progression free survival (PFS) was 5 months (range 0-29 months) and the median overall survival (OS) was 10 months (range 3-36 months). Conclusion: CIP is an active and well tolerated regimen in patients with mEC that merits prospective evaluation. Citation Format: Thomas A. Giever, Paul S. Ritch, James P. Thomas, Lauren A. Wiebe, George B. Haasler, Mario G. Gasparri, David Johnstone, Candice A. Johnstone, Elizabeth M. Gore, Ben George. A combination of cisplatin, irinotecan, and paclitaxel (CIP) as frontline treatment of patients with metastatic esophageal cancer (mEC). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 813. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-813
Step Response Characteristics of Polymer/Ceramic Pressure-Sensitive Paint.

Experiments and numerical simulations have been used in this work to understand the step response characteristics of Polymer/Ceramic Pressure-Sensitive Paint (PC-PSP). A recently developed analytical model describing the essential physics in PC-PSP quenching kinetics is used, which includes the effect of both diffusion time scale and luminescent lifetime on the net response of PC-PSP. Step response simulations using this model enables an understanding of the effects of parameters, such as the diffusion coefficient of O2 in the polymer/ceramic coating, attenuation of excitation light, ambient luminescent lifetime, sensitivity, and the magnitude and direction of pressure change on the observed response time scales of PC-PSP. It was found that higher diffusion coefficient and greater light attenuation lead to faster response, whereas longer ambient lifetime and larger sensitivity lead to slower response characteristics. Due to the inherent non-linearity of the Stern-Volmer equation, response functions also change with magnitude and direction of the pressure change. Experimental results from a shock tube are presented where the effects of varying the roughness, pressure jump magnitude and luminophore probe have been studied. Model parameters have been varied to obtain a good fit to experimental results and this optimized model is then used to obtain the response time for a step decrease in pressure, an estimate of which is currently not obtainable from experiments.
Tumor Suppressor Protein p53 mRNA and Subcellular Localization Are Altered by Changes in Cellular Copper in Human Hep G2 Cells

Copper toxicity causes hepatic damage that can lead to the development of hepatocarcinoma. Similarly, copper deficiency has been reported to increase hepatocyte tumorigenesis. Thus, the objective of this work was to explore the role of copper toxicity and deficiency in the regulation of the tumor suppressor protein p53. Using Northern analysis, Western analysis, immunocytochemistry and the human hepatoma cell line Hep G2, this work showed that elevations in hepatocyte copper consistent with Wilson's disease (5.7-fold increase) induced p53 mRNA and confirmed that copper toxicity is correlated with apoptotic cell death. However, Western analysis and immunocytochemistry showed that post-transcriptional mechanisms are a significant part of the process, with p53 translocation from the cytosol into the nucleus of copper-treated cells. Treatment of Hep G2 cells with increasing concentrations of the copper chelator tetraethylenepentamine (TEPA, 0-50 micromol/L, 48 h) reduced cellular copper and increased mean p53 mRNA abundance by over fourfold with nuclear translocation of the wild-type protein. However, TEPA treatment did not result in a loss of cell viability or appear to induce apoptosis.
2.5‐D fluid simulations of the solar wind interacting with multiple dipoles on the surface of the Moon

[1] Initial two-dimensional (2-D) MHD simulations indicated that mini-magnetospheres can form around magnetic anomalies on the surface of the Moon but required magnetic field strengths at 100 km above the surface an order of magnitude larger than in situ measurements. Modeling the lunar magnetic anomalies with multiple dipoles in 2.5-D MPD simulations inflates the size of the mini-magnetospheres for only small increases in the magnitude of the total magnetic field. Multiple dipoles increase the lateral distance over which solar wind plasma is held off the surface. This extended magnetic field geometry inflates the mini-magnetosphere by inhibiting fluid flow within the shock region. With multiple dipoles, a mini-magnetosphere will form with magnetic field magnitudes smaller than the lower limit for a single dipole. These results indicate that the higher order moments of the anomalous magnetic fields play a significant role in deflecting the solar wind and determining the size and shape of the mini-magnetosphere.
The response of suprachiasmatic neurons of the rat hypothalamus to photic and serotonergic stimulation

Single-unit activity of the rat suprachiasmatic nucleus and surrounding regions was recorded in vivo. Photically responsive neurons were typically inhibited by low intravenous doses of the serotonin (5-HT) agonist quipazine. The 5-HT antagonist, metergoline, administered in a low intravenous dose, reversed the effects of quipazine. The subsequent response to photic stimulation was essentially identical to the initial photic response. Thus the photic response of neurons in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and adjacent regions is relatively uninfluenced by 5-HT blockade.
Coal facies studies in the eastern United States

Coals in the eastern United States (east of the Mississippi River) have been the subject of a number of coal facies studies, going back to the 19th century. Such studies would not necessarily fall within a strict modern classification of coal facies studies, but if a study encompassed some aspects of paleobotany, palynology, petrology, geochemistry, or sedimentology, we assumed that some data and interpretations may be of use in evaluations of the facies. References are presented, as a guide for further research, with annotation in the tables.
Improved survival in patients with diabetic nephropathy

The effect of early antihypertensive treatment on survival of patients with diabetic nephropathy was evaluated by studying two cohorts of Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic patients developing persistent proteinuria in I: 1957–1973 (late treatment group n=49) and II: 1979–1983 (early treatment groupn=71). At onset of nephropathy, the two cohorts were comparable with regard to age (29(8) vs 30(8) years, mean (SD)), duration of diabetes (16(6) vs 18(7) years), blood pressure (132(16)/85(11) vs 134(16)/86(8) mm Hg), proteinuria (0.8 (0.5–1.2) vs 0.8 (0.6–1.2) g × 24 h−1, median (quartiles)) and serum creatinine (87(14) vs 85(16) μmol×1−1). The patients were followed frequently at the outpatients’ clinic until death or for a median duration of 8 years. In the first cohort antihypertensive treatment was seldom used, whereas, in the second cohort antihypertensive treatment was started when blood pressure reached 144(18)/93(7) mm Hg. The probability of survival with a functioning kidney for more than 8 years was 48% in the first cohort and 87% in the second cohort, p<0.001. The improvement of survival was due mainly to a decreased mortality from uraemia. Early antihypertensive treatment is the most likely explanation for this improvement.