cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Texto e dialogismo no estudo da memória coletiva

Bakhtinian ideas about text and dialogism provide important tools for bringing order to the otherwise chaotic and fragmented field of collective memory studies. While the definition of collective remembering may remain unsettled at this point, some appreciation of the range of options can be derived by situating discussions in terms of the contrast between strong and distributed versions of collective remembering. Building on the notion of semiotic mediation and associated claims about a distributed version of collective remembering, Bakhtin's notion of dialogically organized text is invoked. The fact that the "language system" envisioned by Bakhtin includes the dialogical orientations of generalized collective dialogue as well as standard grammatical elements means that it introduces an essential element of dynamism into collective remembering.
RNAi-based therapeutic strategies for metabolic disease

RNA interference (RNAi) is a robust gene silencing mechanism that degrades mRNAs complementary to the antisense strands of double-stranded, short interfering RNAs (siRNAs). As a therapeutic strategy, RNAi has an advantage over small-molecule drugs, as virtually all genes are susceptible to targeting by siRNA molecules. This advantage is, however, counterbalanced by the daunting challenge of achieving safe, effective delivery of oligonucleotides to specific tissues in vivo. Lipid-based carriers of siRNA therapeutics can now target the liver in metabolic diseases and are being assessed in clinical trials for the treatment of hypercholesterolemia. For this indication, a chemically modified oligonucleotide that targets endogenous small RNA modulators of gene expression (microRNAs) is also under investigation in clinical trials. Emerging 'self-delivery' siRNAs that are covalently linked to lipophilic moieties show promise for the future development of therapies. Besides the liver, inflammation of the adipose tissue in patients with obesity and type 2 diabetes mellitus may be an attractive target for siRNA therapeutics. Administration of siRNAs encapsulated within glucan microspheres can silence genes in inflammatory phagocytic cells, as can certain lipid-based carriers of siRNA. New technologies that combine siRNA molecules with antibodies or other targeting molecules also appear encouraging. Although still at an early stage, the emergence of RNAi-based therapeutics has the potential to markedly influence our clinical future.
The relationship of breast cancer to thyroid disease

Abstract An epidemiologic study was designed to explore the nature of the association of thyroid disease in patients with breast cancer. The study population consisted of 100 women with primary operable carcinoma of the breast who were treated at the Memorial Hospital for Cancer and Allied Diseases. The four comparison groups were patients with recurrent and metastatic breast cancer, benign breast disease, cancer arising from organs other than the breast, and a group initially suspected of having a malignancy but who were later excluded from any malignant neoplastic category. Each of these comparison groups were matched by age, sex, race, parity and menstrual status. The prevalence of abnormal thyroid characteristics did not differ significantly among the study and control patients. Hyperthyroidism was not noted in either the study or control patients and the relative frequency of hypothyroidism did not differ significantly. Thus, in assessing thyroid dysfunction as an endogenous host factor, a retrospective case-control study failed to clarify the nature of any specific relationship to breast cancer. A prospective study is in progress to correlate the clinical course of breast cancer patients with changing parameters of thyroid function and antecedent characteristics of thyroid dysfunction.
TX1523-1Ru/Y a.k.a. Sierra Gold: An early maturing, yellow-fleshed russet cultivar for the specialty/gourmet market

TX1523-1Ru/Y, a unique specialty cultivar with deep-yellow flesh color and an attractive russet skin, was released in 2003 by the Texas Agricultural Experiment Station. The smaller, immature tubers are round, but take on an oval shape as they mature. Eyes are shallow and the tuber surface is smooth. Tuber size tends to be medium (113.4–283.5 g; 4–10 oz). Total and marketable yield varies with year and location, but tends to be comparable to ‘Yukon Gold’, with percent marketable yield slightly higher. Vines are semi-prostrate, with medium vigor and size, and relatively early maturity. Specific gravity is about the same or slightly less than Yukon Gold, but generally greater than ‘Russet Norkotah’. TX1523-1Ru/Y has good culinary qualities, with resistance to after-cooking-darkening, and can be chipped, boiled, baked, or microwaved. It has been reported to be excellent to superior as a microwave product. Unlike Yukon Gold, TX1523-1Ru/Y is resistant to hollow heart, brown centers, and internal discoloration. It tends to be less susceptible to tuber infection by late blight (Phytopthora infestans) than Yukon Gold, has greater resistance to common scab (Streptomyces scabies), and is less susceptible to black scurf (Rhizoctonia solani). TX1523-1Ru/Y is believed to be the first yellow-fleshed resset-skin cultivar released in the United States.
Stability of a RF sputtered ZnO solidly mounted resonator sensor in varying temperature and conductivity environments

It has been demonstrated that thickness shear mode acoustic wave devices have been extremely useful for liquid phase sensing applications, especially as biosensors. The quartz crystal microbalance is likely the strongest demonstration of this application to date. Recently, we reported a ZnO-based TSM device that is easily fabricated and operates at significantly higher frequencies than the QCM. To further validate the usefulness of the ZnO resonator as a strong candidate for biosensor applications, we report the stability of the device over varying temperature and sample conductivity. A modest thermal coefficient of resonant frequency is reported at ~25 ppm/degC. Further, it is demonstrated that the resonator exhibits reasonable stability over a range of sample conductivities (0.0 to 0.9 % wt/vol NaCl in DI H2O).
A Two Motion Duplicator for Machine Tools

The Raytheon Two Motion Duplicator for machine tools is discussed with emphasis on the vector operations performed by the electronic circuitry to accomplish constant velocity tracing of a two dimensional contour. Two low level 60 cycle voltages are obtained from the follower (an electro magnetic transducer) when its stylus is brought in contact with a templet which represents the contour to be traced. These two voltages, representing the resolved components of stylus deflection, are the input vectors to the system and are operated on to produce, eventually, two DC voltages of complementary magnitudes, which determine the speeds of two motors through thyratron power stages. The motors drive leadscrews which continuously position the machine element carrying both follower and cutting tool. The relative motor speeds are so controlled and corrected by interpreting amplitude and phase information of follower out-put signals that the path of the follower and cutting tool duplicates the templet contour.
Even in correctable search, some types of rare targets are frequently missed

Socially important visual search tasks, such as airport baggage screening and tumor detection, place observers in situations where the targets are rare and the consequences of failed detection are substantial. Recent laboratory studies have demonstrated that low target prevalence yields substantially higher miss errors than do high-prevalence conditions, in which the same targets appear frequently (Wolfe, Horowitz, & Kenner, 2005; Wolfe et al., 2007). Under some circumstances, this "prevalence effect" can be eliminated simply by allowing observers to correct their last response (Fleck & Mitroff, 2007). However, in three experiments involving search of realistic X-ray luggage images, we found that the prevalence effect is eliminated neither by giving observers the choice to correct a previous response nor by requiring observers to confirm their responses. This prevalence effect, obtained when no trial-by-trial feedback was given, was smaller than the effect obtained when observers searched through the same stimuli but were given trial-by-trial feedback about accuracy. We suggest that low prevalence puts pressure on observers in any search task, and that the diverse symptoms of that pressure manifest themselves differently in different situations. In some relatively simple search tasks, misses may result from motor or response errors. In other, more complex tasks, shifts in decision criteria appear to be an important contributor.
Social Services for Deaf and Hearing-Impaired Clients: A Review of the Literature

Emphasis on the social service needs of the deaf and hearing impaired has increased in the past decade. The literature that resulted from this attention is fragmented, however, and does not always offer the structure and direction that is needed. This review of the literature identifies issues related to effective service delivery with the objective of enhancing practitioners' understanding and awareness of the social service needs of the deaf community. A second objective is to stimulate interest and action in service delivery, program development, and direct service for the deaf.
Inhibition of TGF-beta receptor signaling in osteoblasts leads to decreased bone remodeling and increased trabecular bone mass

Transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) is abundant in bone matrix and has been shown to regulate the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts in vitro. To explore the role of endogenous TGF-(beta) in osteoblast function in vivo, we have inhibited osteoblastic responsiveness to TGF-beta in transgenic mice by expressing a cytoplasmically truncated type II TGF-beta receptor from the osteocalcin promoter. These transgenic mice develop an age-dependent increase in trabecular bone mass, which progresses up to the age of 6 months, due to an imbalance between bone formation and resorption during bone remodeling. Since the rate of osteoblastic bone formation was not altered, their increased trabecular bone mass is likely due to decreased bone resorption by osteoclasts. Accordingly, direct evidence of reduced osteoclast activity was found in transgenic mouse skulls, which had less cavitation and fewer mature osteoclasts relative to skulls of wild-type mice. These bone remodeling defects resulted in altered biomechanical properties. The femurs of transgenic mice were tougher, and their vertebral bodies were stiffer and stronger than those of wild-type mice. Lastly, osteocyte density was decreased in transgenic mice, suggesting that TGF-beta signaling in osteoblasts is required for normal osteoblast differentiation in vivo. Our results demonstrate that endogenous TGF-beta acts directly on osteoblasts to regulate bone remodeling, structure and biomechanical properties.
Argonautes Promote Male Fertility and Provide a Paternal Memory of Germline Gene Expression in C. elegans

SUMMARY During each life cycle, germ cells preserve and pass on both genetic and epigenetic information. In C. elegans, the ALG-3/4 Argonaute proteins are expressed during male gametogenesis and promote male fertility. Here, we show that the CSR-1 Argonaute functions with ALG-3/4 to positively regulate target genes required for spermiogenesis. Our findings suggest that ALG-3/4 functions during spermatogenesis to amplify a small RNA signal that represents an epigenetic memory of male-specific gene expression. CSR-1, which is abundant in mature sperm, appears to transmit this memory to offspring. Surprisingly, in addition to small RNAs targeting male-specific genes, we show that males also harbor an extensive repertoire of CSR-1 small RNAs targeting oogenesis-specific mRNAs. Together, these findings suggest that C. elegans sperm transmit not only the genome but also epigenetic binary signals in the form of Argonaute/small RNA complexes that constitute a memory of gene expression in preceding generations.
Controls on Water Levels and Salinity in a Barrier Island Mangrove, Indian River Lagoon, Florida

We examined controls on water levels and salinity in a mangrove on a carbonate barrier island along the Indian River Lagoon, east-central Florida. Piezometers were installed at 19 sites throughout the area. Groundwater was sampled at 17 of these sites seasonally for three years. Head measurements were taken at the other two sites at 15-minute intervals for one year. Water levels in the mangrove are almost always lower than lagoon water levels. Spectral analysis of water levels showed that mangrove groundwater levels are not tidally influenced. Salinities vary spatially, with values of ∼10 psu in uplands, ∼30 psu in regularly-flushed mangroves, and ∼75 psu in irregularly-flushed mangroves. Cation and anion concentrations and stable isotope compositions indicate that water salinities are largely controlled by enrichment due to evapotranspiration. A shore-perpendicular electrical resistivity survey showed that the freshwater lens is restricted to uplands and that hypersaline waters extend deeply below the mangrove. These results indicate that evapotranspiration lowers water levels in the mangrove, which causes Indian River Lagoon water to flow into the mangrove where it evapoconcentrates and descends, forming a thick layer of high-salinity water below the mangrove.
Chromosome condensation induced by geminivirus infection of mature plant cells.

Tomato golden mosaic virus (TGMV) is a geminivirus that replicates its single-stranded DNA genome through doublestranded DNA intermediates in nuclei of differentiated plant cells using host replication machinery. We analyzed the distribution of viral and plant DNA in nuclei of infected leaves using fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH). TGMV-infected nuclei showed up to a sixfold increase in total volume and displayed a variety of viral DNA accumulation patterns. The most striking viral DNA patterns were bright, discrete intranuclear compartments, but diffuse nuclear localization was also observed. Quantitative and spatial measurements of high resolution 3-dimensional image data revealed that these compartments accounted for 1-18% of the total nuclear volume or 2-45% of the total nuclear FISH signals. In contrast, plant DNA was concentrated around the nuclear periphery. In a significant number of nuclei, the peripheral chromatin was organized as condensed prophase-like fibers. A combination of FISH analysis and indirect immunofluorescence with viral coat protein antibodies revealed that TGMV virions are associated with the viral DNA compartments. However, the coat protein antibodies failed to cross react with some large viral DNA inclusions, suggesting that encapsidation may occur after significant viral DNA accumulation. Infection by a TGMV mutant with a defective coat protein open reading frame resulted in fewer and smaller viral DNA-containing compartments. Nevertheless, nuclei infected with the mutant virus increased in size and in some cases showed chromosome condensation. Together, these results established that geminivirus infection alters nuclear architecture and can induce plant chromatin condensation characteristic of cells arrested in early mitosis. SUMMARY
Thermal Characterization of Citric Acid Solid Dispersions with Benzoic Acid and Phenobarbital

The glass transition temperatures of citric acid glass were determined by differential scanning calorimetry to be 10.2 and 13.5° for in situ and bulk-prepared samples, respectively. Mechanical stress on citric acid glass induced foci for crystallization. Benzoic acid addition to citric acid glass decreased its glass transition temperature while phenobarbital addition increased its glass transition temperature, the latter forming a glass solution.
Die Kennzeichnung technischer Kolloidgraphite

Es werden mehrere Prufverfahren beschrieben, die zur Kennzeichnung technischer Kolloidgraphite verwendet werden konnen. Durch Flockung und Elektrophorese konnen Aquadag und Hydrokollag qualitativ unterschieden werden. Durch Chromatographie werden Bestandigkeit und Netzfahigkeit beurteilt. Schlieslich, bieten die Viskositatsmessungen die Moglichkeit, die Flieseigenschaften qualitativ zu erfassen.
Historical developments of current, wave, and turbulence measurements including those by MAVS

Personal knowledge of the author stretches from the Geodyne 850 current meter, predecessor of the VACM in 1969 to his own development of MAVS and its recent innovations. Housings, recording media, velocity sensors, and compasses have changed most noticeably. Applications of current measurements are next most striking about the developments in our field over the last 40 years. Where and how current meters are deployed have migrated from ship lowered or fixed moorings to bottom tripods, profilers on a mooring, and even to shore-based HF Radar antennas. Present developments address power to operate autonomous instrumentation, data communication in real time, and novel adaptations of current measurement techniques to non-traditional current measurement problems like horizontal profiles, turbulent mixing, and wave monitoring. New applications will be presented at this workshop, with perhaps greater emphasis than new developments in sensing.
Helium and neon isotopes in phenocrysts from Samoan lavas: Evidence for heterogeneity in the terrestrial high 3He/4He mantle

Abstract We report the first neon isotope measurements on phenocrysts from subaerial and submarine Samoan lavas. These new data complement existing Ne-isotope data from Samoan peridotite xenoliths (Poreda, R.J., Farley, K.A.,1992. Rare gases in Samoan xenoliths. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 113, 689 129–144). Neon isotopes were measured in magmatic phenocrysts separated from nine shield-stage lavas from 5 Samoan volcanoes, including Ofu, Ta'u, Vailulu'u, Malumalu and Savai'i. Phenocrysts from subaerial Samoan lavas have higher 20Ne/22Ne than submarine phenocrysts, which may suggest different atmospheric contamination mechanisms for these two different eruptive environments. Olivine phenocrysts from a subaerial Ta'u lava exhibit the highest 20Ne/22Ne (11.33±0.08, 1σ) value in this study. Two subaerial Samoan samples from Ofu Island with high 3He/4He ratios (Ofu-04-06 and Ofu-04-03; 34 and 24 Ra [ratio to atmosphere], respectively) also have elevated 20Ne/22Ne ratios relative to air, and in a three-isotope neon plot the Ofu samples are indistinguishable from measurements made on high 3He/4He lavas from Hawaii, Iceland and Galapagos. The similarity of helium and neon isotopes in Ofu and Hawaii–Iceland–Galapagos is remarkable given the distinctions in 87Sr/86Sr (0.70458 for Ofu vs. 0.70329–0.70368 for Hawaii–Iceland–Galapagos) and 143Nd/144Nd (Ofu's 0.51283 vs. 0.51294–0.51297 for Hawaii–Iceland–Galapagos) in high 3He/4He lavas from these localities. Thus, the occurrence of similar helium and neon isotope compositions in lavas from these 4 hotspots does not appear to be linked to their variable Sr and Nd isotope compositions, and demonstrates a complex relationship between the isotopes of noble gases and the more refractory radiogenic isotopes. Additionally, we observe strongly nucleogenic neon isotopes in one the most isotopically-enriched (87Sr/86Sr > 0.718) Samoan lavas. This observation is consistent with the presence of recycled, continentally-derived marine sediment in the mantle source of the most enriched lavas from Samoa.
Variational solution to the radiative equation by the use of a step function. II - Extension to nonlinear case by iteration method.

The use of a stepwise constant trial function for the variational method has been extended to solve the nonlinear integral equation, frequently involved with the radiative transfer and the boundary value problems in Kinetic theory: The nonlinear integral equation is represented by a series of linear integral equations with the aid of a modified successive approximation method and solved by the variational technique applied for the linear integral equation. The solutions, in terms of temperature and radiative flux, are presented numerically and are compared with the exact solution. Numerical solutions presented in this report are limited to the absorption coefficient of the Milne-Eddington type, pKv = av j$(p, T). The method is simple, straightforward and provides excellent accuracy in the solution with a minor computing time.
Cocaine addiction: relationship to seasonal affective disorder.

We report a 25 year-old patient with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) and cocaine abuse who experienced cyclical fluctuations in cocaine craving which were concomitant with seasonal alterations in mood. The temporal association of both disorders in this patient suggests that they may share a common underlying pathophysiology. Since disturbances in circadian rhythms and pineal melatonin functions may in part underlie the pathophysiology of SAD and the psychomimetic effects of cocaine are mediated in part through the pineal gland, we propose that dysfunction of circadian rhythms and pineal melatonin functions may partly mediate the association of SAD with cocaine abuse. This hypothesis may have potential clinical and therapeutic implications for a subgroup of cocaine abusers with SAD since light therapy, which is efficacious in the therapy of SAD, may also prove to be beneficial in reducing cocaine addiction. Furthermore, the report illustrates the need for investigations of environmental cues for cocaine ...
Forced Use as a Potential Cause of Gastrocnemius Tears During Neurologic Rehabilitation: A Report of 2 Cases

Broadly defined, forced-use therapy uses specific techniques designed to engage the patient with brain injury in activities that disallow overcompensation with the noninvolved or less involved body segments while forcing the use of the more involved segments. Some applications may involve placing the patient's hemiparetic extremity in a closed-chain weight-bearing activity with therapist support. We describe 2 cases of gastrocnemius muscle tears that occurred during inpatient neurologic rehabilitation that may be attributed to forced use of the hemiplegic lower extremity. Each presented with signs and symptoms indicative of deep vein thrombosis of the calf but was later confirmed with magnetic resonance imaging to be muscle tears. Some closed-chain, forced-use activities may be ill advised in the early stages of rehabilitation or if force generation of the muscle is inadequate to provide a protective response to overstretching. Gastroc-soleus tears should also be considered in the differential diagnosis of unilateral or even bilateral lower-extremity swelling and pain in neurologically impaired patients who are undergoing forced-use therapy.
QoS Management of Real-Time Data Stream Queries in Distributed Environments

Many emerging applications operate on continuous unbounded data streams and need real-time data services. Providing deadline guarantees for queries over dynamic data streams is a challenging problem due to bursty stream rates and time-varying contents. This paper presents a prediction-based QoS management scheme for real-time data stream query processing in distributed environments. The prediction-based QoS management scheme features query workload estimators, which predict the query workload using execution time profiling and input data sampling. In this paper, we apply the prediction-based technique to select the proper propagation schemes for data streams and intermediate query results in distributed environments. The performance study demonstrates that the proposed solution tolerates dramatic workload fluctuations and saves significant amounts of CPU time and network bandwidth with little overhead
Mechanism of the voltage-induced conductance change in the Na channel

A mechanism proposed for the voltage-dependent sodium channel postulates solid-state Na/sup +/ conduction through the polypeptide structure. Ion conduction is assumed to be state solid-state, through the protein subunits of the channel, rather than aqueous, through a hypothetical pore. The channel conformational change is taken to be a phase transition, with the closed state ferroelectric and the open state superionically conducting. This hypothesis is consistent with the known experimental properties of the channel, and it explains channel properties that current theories are unable to explain-in particular, the initiation of a sodium current by a membrane depolarization. The hypothesis explains channel hysteresis, heat and cold block, magnitude of surface charge, and other observed properties. >
Effect of Capacitor Configuration on Oxygen-dependent Electrical Properties of Ferroelectric Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 Thin Films

Polarization versus applied field (P-E) hysteresis loop measurements on Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) thin films were performed using a controlled-atmosphere probe station. Measurements were made using two different capacitor configurations, each producing differing results. The capacitor configurations included using either the typical arrangement of two top electrodes (planar) or an arrangement using contacts to the top and the bottom electrodes (sandwich). The films included PZT films deposited using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and commercially-available rfsputtered PZT thin films. Qualitatively similar results were obtained for both types of films. For both PLD and Ramtron PZT films, translation of ferroelectric hysteresis loops along the polarization axis was observed for sandwich capacitors. The magnitude of this voltage was strongly dependent on the partial pressure of oxygen at room temperature. Translations were not observed for the same films using the planar capacitor configuration. However, for both sandwich and planar configurations, the thin film capacitance was sensitive to changes in pO 2 .
Coaching: Addressing the Psychosocial and Executive Functioning Challenges of NVLD in K–12 and the Transition to Adulthood

The educational process that children with nonverbal learning disabilities (NVLD) experience can differ significantly from children without disabilities. Furthermore, many parents discover that the psychological, social (psychosocial), and executive functioning challenges that children with NVLD face can delay attaining typical developmental milestones (Epstein, Saltzman-Benaiah, O’Hare, Goll, & Tuck, 2008). Although individuals with NVLD may possess many strengths, such as a robust vocabulary, strong reading skills, aptitude for technology, specialized interests, atypical or unique associations, sustained attention, attention to detail, or memorization, compared to neurotypical individuals (Bedrossian & Pennamon, 2007; Price & Fisher, 2010; Stothers & Cardy, 2012), it is critical for parents and educators to understand the subtypes of NVLD and their functional impact on related domains (Davis & Broitman, 2011; Franz, 2000). This chapter will explore an emerging type of support available to individuals with NVLD referred to as “coaching.”
Doctrine of Boundary by Agreement Requires Actual Agreement

Commentary on a recent California decision dealing with a claim of agreed boundaries and criticism of the doctrine requiring that there be evidence of an actual agreement in addition to existence of the boundary itself.
Probing the geometric constraints of RNA binding via dynamic covalent chemistry

Dynamic Combinatorial Chemistry (DCC) has proven to be a reliable method for identifying hit compounds for target nucleic acid (DNA and RNA) sequences. Typically, these hit compounds are subjected to a lengthy process of optimization via traditional medicinal chemistry. Here, we examine the potential of DCC to also generate and test variations on a hit compound as a method for probing the binding site of an RNA-targeted compound. Specifically, we demonstrate that addition of linker dithiols to a disulfide library containing a known binder to the HIV-1 frameshift-stimulatory RNA (a critical regulator of the HIV life cycle) can yield a mixture of new bridged structures incorporating the dithiol, depending on dithiol structure. Equilibration of this library with the HIV FSS RNA resulted in selection of the original disulfide in preference to bridged structures, suggesting incorporation of the bridge is not compatible with this particular binding site. Application of this strategy to other RNA targets should allow for rapidly profiling the affinity of modified compounds.
Psychology and law courses: Content and materials.

During the past decade the field of psychology of law has changed considerably. Accompanying the growth of research and practice, there has been an increase in offerings of courses in this field. The courses are offered at both undergraduate and graduate levels and cover a wide spectrum of interests. The types of courses currently being offered and the student samples enrolling in the courses are examined. In addition, a review of the major textbooks used in the courses is provided.
Status of the search for the Mössbauer effect in109Ag

Our search for the Mossbauer Effect in109Ag using the self-absorption method is summarized. Measurements have been made using two different109Cd-doped single-crystal silver samples. In our method the silver Kα and Kδ x rays, as well as, the 88-keV γ rays are considered. The results are analyzed using the ratio of the number of x-ray to γ-ray counts. A positive effect is observed.
A computational analysis of exchange rate time series

International trade and its expansion with the rise of modern global economies create a need for buying, selling or borrowing a multiplicity of foreign currencies. A key aspect of currency exposures is that a company might add extra risk due to selling or buying foreign currency due to the volatile exchange rate influenced by a variety of exogenous and endogenous factors. We have conducted a fairly comprehensive computational investigation of the exchange rate using time series based on econometric analysis. We choose the exchange rate between the US dollar and the British pound because of the pounds influential position in the US economy. It is important for a manager to understand the exchange rate movement for his / her strategic decision-making. This study performs an empirical time series analysis of the exchange rate movements, and serves as a basic exploratory effort on the understanding of the exchange rate risk. We hope our empirical investigation may provide some guidance or information that is useful for further theoretical research endeavors.
Search for Remote Transfer of Vibrational Energy in Proteins

We describe the preliminary stages of an experiment designed to search for long-range transfer of vibrational energy. The experiment, motivated by theoretical interest in solitons and other modes of coherent transport, is of the pump-probe variety and is intended as a means of measuring the time of flight of a vibrational packet, whether or not it has dispersion. While no results can yet be reported, this note highlights some of the practical and fundamental problems associated with the measurement and the application of the principle of coherent transport to real biological systems.
Fulfilling outpatient medicine responsibilities during internal medicine residency: a quantitative study of housestaff participation with between visit tasks.

Internal Medicine residents experience conflict between inpatient and outpatient medicine responsibilities. Outpatient “between visit” responsibilities such as reviewing lab and imaging data, responding to medication refill requests and replying to patient inquiries compete for time and attention with inpatient duties. By examining Electronic Health Record (EHR) audits, our study quantitatively describes this balance between competing responsibilities, focusing on housestaff participation with “between visit” outpatient responsibilities. We examined EHR log-in data from 2012–2013 for 41 residents (R1 to R3) assigned to a large academic center’s continuity clinic. From the EHR log-in data, we examined housestaff compliance with “between visit” tasks, based on official clinic standards. We used generalized estimating equations to evaluate housestaff compliance with between visit tasks and amount of time spent on tasks. We examined the relationship between compliance with between visit tasks and resident year of training, rotation type (elective or required) and interest in primary care. Housestaff compliance with logging in to complete “between visit” tasks varied significantly depending on rotation, with overall compliance of 45 % during core inpatient rotations compared to 68 % during electives (p = 0.01). Compliance did not significantly vary by interest in primary care or training level. Once logged in, housestaff spent a mean 53 min per week logged in while on electives, compared to 55 min on required rotations (p = 0.90). Our study quantitatively highlights the difficulty of attending to outpatient responsibilities during busy core inpatient rotations, which comprise the bulk of residency at our institution and at others. Our results reinforce the need to continue development and study of innovative systems for coverage of “between visit” responsibilities, including shared coverage models among multiple residents and shared coverage models between residents and clinic attendings, both of which require a balance between clinic efficiency and resident ownership, autonomy and learning.
A description of suicides in the Army National Guard during 2007–2014 and associated risk factors.

Suicide, due to its increased occurrence in recent years, has been a chief concern of the U.S. military. While there have been many published studies on the topic, conspicuously absent are studies that have included reserve military personnel. To fill this gap, this study reports descriptive statistics of personnel information and events surrounding 706 Army National Guard suicides that had occurred from 2007 through 2014. Comparative personnel information for random samples of nonsuicides for similar years (8 years, 1,000 cases per year) allowed examining factors associated most with suicide. Findings were very similar to those observed in the active duty Army and civilian populations. Primary risk factors for suicide were as follows: age (young), gender (male), and race/ethnicity (White). Most suicides occurred in nonmilitary status (86%) involving personal firearms (72%). Most frequent events surrounding the suicide were as follows: poor military performance (36% of all suicides), parent-family relationship problems (28%), substance abuse (27%), past behavioral health problem (20%), current behavioral health problems (10%), income problems (22%), and full-time employment problems (18%). Implications of findings for suicide prevention are discussed.
Green tea extract and catechol-O-methyltransferase genotype modify the post-prandial serum insulin response in a randomised trial of overweight and obese post-menopausal women.

BACKGROUND: Green tea extract (GTE) may be involved in a favourable post‐prandial response to high‐carbohydrate meals. The catechol‐O‐methyltransferase (COMT) genotype may modify these effects. We examined the acute effects of GTE supplementation on the post‐prandial response to a high‐carbohydrate meal by assessing appetite‐associated hormones and glucose homeostasis marker concentrations in women who consumed 843 mg of (−)‐epigallocatechin‐3‐gallate (EGCG) or placebo capsules for 11–12 months. METHODS: Sixty Caucasian post‐menopausal women (body mass index ≥ 25.0 kg m–²) were included in a randomised, double‐blind feeding study. GTE was consumed with a breakfast meal [2784.0 kJ (665.4 kcal); 67.2% carbohydrate]. Blood samples were drawn pre‐meal, post‐meal, and every 30 min for 4 h. Participants completed six satiety questionnaires. RESULTS: Plasma leptin, ghrelin and adiponectin did not differ between GTE and placebo at any time point; COMT genotype did not modify these results. Participants randomised to GTE with the high‐activity form of COMT (GTE‐high COMT) had higher insulin concentrations at time 0, 0.5 and 1.0 h post‐meal compared to all COMT groups randomised to placebo. Insulin remained higher in the GTE‐high COMT group at 1.5, 2.0 and 2.5 h compared to Placebo‐low COMT (P < 0.02). GTE‐high COMT had higher insulin concentrations at times 0, 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 h compared to the GTE‐low COMT (P ≤ 0.04). Area under the curve measurements of satiety did not differ between GTE and placebo. CONCLUSIONS: GTE supplementation and COMT genotype did not alter acute post‐prandial responses of leptin, ghrelin, adiponectin or satiety, although it may be involved in post‐meal insulinaemic response of overweight and obese post‐menopausal women.
Will There be an AQ Khan of Nanotechnology? Probing Models to Address the Potential International Security Threats of Nanotechnology

Through the science fiction of Star Trek and other quasi-fictional works, the notion of nanotechnology - the science of the minutely small - has entered the collective public psyche. Nanotechnology's science fact is thriving in academia and in the private sector. Innovation through nanotechnology finds many proponents within the military and defense industry to increase the effectiveness and strength of traditional weapons and to provide revolutionary countermeasures. To date, three broad topics have dominated discussion regarding nanotechnology risk: health and environmental consequences, privacy and legal implications, and uncontrolled self- replication and artificial intelligence.
LINGUA FRANCA AND VERNACULAR: LANGUAGE USE AND LANGUAGE CHANGE ON SIKAIANA

In many Pacific communities, an important element in social change is the changing use of languages. This article describes language use on Sikaiana, a small isolated atoll in the Solomon Islands. Sikaiana is a multilingual community in which three main languages are used: English, Solomon Islands Pijin, and the Sikaiana language. Historical and cultural factors affect the use of different languages in different contexts and no single language is dominant. Pijin, however, is gaining frequency of use at the expense of the Sikaiana language. Pijin is used among schoolchildren, and many young people feel more comfortable speaking it rather than the Sikaiana vernacular or English. Although the Sikaiana language is not likely to be completely replaced by Pijin in the near future, it is under pressure.
Reprogramming the immunological microenvironment through radiation and targeting Axl

Increasing evidence suggests that ionizing radiation therapy (RT) in combination with checkpoint immunotherapy is highly effective in treating a subset of cancers. To better understand the limited responses to this combination we analysed the genetic, microenvironmental, and immune factors in tumours derived from a transgenic breast cancer model. We identified two tumours with similar growth characteristics but different RT responses primarily due to an antitumour immune response. The combination of RT and checkpoint immunotherapy resulted in cures in the responsive but not the unresponsive tumours. Profiling the tumours revealed that the Axl receptor tyrosine kinase is overexpressed in the unresponsive tumours, and Axl knockout resulted in slower growth and increased radiosensitivity. These changes were associated with a CD8+ T-cell response, which was improved in combination with checkpoint immunotherapy. These results suggest a novel role for Axl in suppressing antigen presentation through MHCI, and enhancing cytokine release, which promotes a suppressive myeloid microenvironment.
MODEL SIMPLIFICATION AND DIGITAL DESIGN OF MULTIVARIABLE SAMPLED-DATA CONTROL SYSTEMS VIA A DOMINANT-DATA MATCHING METHOD

Abstract A dominant-data matching method is developed for fitting the matrix coefficients of a matrix pulse-transfer function or a pulse-transfer function matrix using the frequency-response data of a multivariable sampled-data control system. If the experimental frequency response data are noise free and the degree of the original system is known, the proposed method can be used to identify the pulse-transfer function matrix of the system. When the frequency response data of a high-degree multivariable system can be evaluated and the degree of the identified pulse-transfer function matrix is less than that of the original system, the obtained pulse-transfer function matrix is the reduced degree model of the original high degree system. On the other hand, if the available dominant frequency response data are the data of the desired multivariable digital controller, the determined pulse-transfer function matrix is the desired digital controller. A mixed method combining dominant-data matching and dominant-pole technique is also derived for determining a stable reduced-degree multi-variable digital controller.
Onychomycosis in Diabetics

According to the American Diabetes Association, there are approximately 29.1 million Americans or 9.3 % of the population that suffer from diabetes [1]. Twenty-one million have already been diagnosed with the disease, and 8.1 million remain undiagnosed [1]. This number pales in comparison to the 86 million Americans who have been classified as “prediabetic,” i.e., those who are on the borderline of becoming diabetic in the future. Within this subset of patients, pedal complaints, such as painful, thickened toenails are of chief concern as onychomycosis is much more than a cosmetic issue. In the diabetic population, the diagnosis and management of the fungal toenail may be overlooked as more medically pertinent findings like concomitant renal disease, cardiovascular risk factors, retinopathy, and diabetic foot wounds usurp the practitioner’s time. However, if onychomycosis is overlooked and not properly managed in these patients, it can become a limb-threatening condition [2].
Short Polyphosphates Inhibit the Procoagulant Activities of Long-Chain Polyphosphate: A Novel Role for Platelet-Derived Pyrophosphate?.

Abstract 1140 Introduction: Inorganic polyphosphates are negatively charged, linear phosphate polymers that influence hemostasis via accelerating factor V activation, triggering the contact pathway, and enhancing fibrin polymerization. The latter two effects require long-chain polyphosphates for optimal activity (>1000mers for activating the contact pathway and >250mers for enhancing fibrin polymerization). We explored whether short polyphosphates could inhibit the procoagulant effects of long polyphosphate polymers. Methods: Polyphosphate was size-fractionated by gel electrophoresis. “Long-chain polyphosphate” (LCP) was a heterogeneous polyphosphate preparation containing polymers ranging from 400 to several thousand phosphates long. Short-chain polyphosphate preparations were narrow fractions of homogeneous size. We also tested additional phosphate-containing molecules including ADP, ATP, monophosphate, pyrophosphate (PPi), and triphosphate. Clotting assays were performed using pooled normal plasma spiked with 0–20 μM LCP and 0–500 μM small (poly)phosphate; clotting was initiated by factor Xa plus CaCl2, or by CaCl2 alone (contact pathway). Fibrin was formed by clotting 2.6 mg/ml fibrinogen with 10 nM thrombin in the presence of 0–500 μM small (poly)phosphate plus 150 μM LCP and CaCl2. Results: Small polyphosphates (size range 23–83mer) reduced the ability of LCP to trigger the contact pathway of blood clotting, while monophosphate, PPi, triphosphate, ADP, and ATP all failed to influence the procoagulant activity of LCP. None of the small (poly)phosphates antagonized the ability of LCP to enhance factor V activation. Interestingly, monophosphate, PPi and triphosphate all inhibited the ability of LCP to enhance fibrin clot structure, with PPi being the most potent. Although ADP and ATP contain di- and tri-phosphates, they did not recapitulate the potent inhibitory activity of PPi. On the other hand, PPi had no measurable effect on the turbidity of fibrin clots formed in the absence of LCP. Conclusions: Short-chain polyphosphates inhibit the ability of LCP to initiate the contact pathway of coagulation. Platelet dense granules contain abundant PPi which is secreted in response to platelet agonists, although biological roles for platelet-secreted PPi are unclear. We propose that PPi is a novel modulator of fibrin clot structure, acting to regulate the effects of longer-chain polyphosphates on fibrin fibril formation. Disclosures: Smith:University of Illinois: Patents & Royalties. Morrissey:University of Illinois: Patents & Royalties.
Updates on the treatment of gout, including a review of updated treatment guidelines and use of small molecule therapies for difficult-to-treat gout and gout flares.

ABSTRACTIntroduction: Gout is a rheumatologic condition associated with elevated serum uric acid levels and deposition of monosodium urate crystals in joints and soft tissues.Areas covered: In this article, we describe the role of currently available drug therapies for managing acute gout flares and used in reducing serum urate levels. Further, we explore the role of novel small molecular therapies and biologic agents in the treatment of refractory or severe gout symptoms. A literature search of MEDLINE and MEDLINE In-Process & Other Non-Indexed Citations Databases (1996-June 2017) was conducted utilizing the key words ‘gout’, ‘interleukin-1 inhibitors’, ‘acute gout’, ‘gout treatment’, ‘urate lowering therapies’, ‘hyperuricemia’, ‘colchicine’, ‘pegloticase’, ‘lesinurad’, ‘xanthine oxidase’, ‘xanthine oxidase inhibitors’, ‘allopurinol’, ‘febuxostat’, ‘uricosurics’, ‘probenecid’, and ‘benzbromarone’. All published articles regarding therapeutic management of gout and hyperuricemia were evaluated. References...
The Role of Cholangiocyte Cell Death in the Development of Biliary Diseases

Cholangiocytes are the targets of several liver diseases termed cholangiopathies that result in cholestasis and the development of hepatic fibrosis and carcinogenesis. There are numerous studies investigating the role of cholangiocyte death during the progression of cholangiopathies to end-stage liver disease. This chapter reviews the pathophysiology of primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cholangitis, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease, and biliary atresia. We will also discuss current animal models used to study these cholangiopathies and review the mechanisms of cell death in these disease processes, including the roles of innate immune system, apoptosis, senescence, autophagy, and lipoapoptosis. A thorough understanding of cholangiocyte death during cholestatic liver disease is critical to develop targeted therapies against these disease processes.
The global development of contemporary anti-human trafficking advocacy:

Efforts to combat human trafficking have grown in the last few decades, with states, international governmental organizations (IGOs), and nongovernmental organizations (NGOs) working around the world to address the trade of people under conditions of force, fraud or deception for the purpose of exploitation. How has contemporary anti-trafficking advocacy developed globally and why? Competing approaches in global and transnational sociology – world polity and ‘coercion’ perspectives – offer different explanations, with the first focusing on culture and the second focusing on political and economic power. Using data on 1861 anti-trafficking NGOs worldwide as well as secondary sources to qualitatively analyze the historical development of contemporary anti-trafficking advocacy as a case study, this article demonstrates a more complicated process than either perspective predicts. What is needed is an approach that considers political, economic, and cultural forces involved in globalizing movements and that av...