cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Localized increase of tissue oxygen tension by magnetic targeted drug delivery

Hypoxia is the major hindrance to successful radiation therapy of tumors. Attempts to increase the oxygen (O2) tension (PO2) of tissue by delivering more O2 have been clinically disappointing, largely due to the way O2 is transported and released by the hemoglobin (Hb) within the red blood cells (RBCs). Systemic manipulation of O2 transport increases vascular resistance due to metabolic autoregulation of blood flow to prevent over oxygenation. This study investigates a new technology to increase O2 delivery to a target tissue by decreasing the Hb-O2 affinity of the blood circulating within the targeted tissue. As the Hb-O2 affinity decreases, the tissue PO2 to satisfy tissue O2 metabolic needs increases without increasing O2 delivery or extraction. Paramagnetic nanoparticles (PMNPs), synthetized using gadolinium oxide, were coated with the cell permeable Hb allosteric effector L35 (3,5-trichlorophenylureido-phenoxy-methylpropionic acid). L35 decreases Hb affinity for O2 and favors the release of O2. The L35-coated PMNPs (L35-PMNPs) were intravenously infused (10 mg kg(-1)) to hamsters instrumented with the dorsal window chamber model. A magnetic field of 3 mT was applied to localize the effects of the L35-PMNPs to the window chamber. Systemic O2 transport characteristics and microvascular tissue oxygenation were measured after administration of L35-PMNPs with and without magnetic field. The tissue PO2 in untreated control animals was 25.2 mmHg. L35-PMNPs without magnetic field decreased tissue PO2 to 23.4 mmHg, increased blood pressure, and reduced blood flow, largely due to systemic modification of Hb-O2 affinity. L35-PMNPs with magnetic field increased tissue PO2 to 27.9 mmHg, without systemic or microhemodynamic changes. These results indicate that localized modification of Hb-O2 affinity can increase PO2 of target tissue without affecting systemic O2 delivery or triggering O2 autoregulation mechanisms. This technology can be used to treat local hypoxia and to increase O2 in tumors, enhancing the efficacy of radiation therapies.
A Comparison of Dogfish and Bovine Chymotrypsins in Relation to Protein Hydrolysis

An extracellular protease, chymotrypsin, from a low temperature-adapted poikilotherm (dogfish) was compared with the bovine enzyme against several protein substrates to determine potential advantages in the use of an enzyme adapted to functioning in a low temperature environment. In general, the dogfish enzyme showed a higher rate of reaction and hydrolyzed more peptide bonds than did the bovine enzyme whether the substrates were soluble or insoluble proteins. Dogfish chymotrypsin was slow to produce clotting of milk, but once formed the clot had good stability. The bovine enzyme was more efficient in incorporating methionine into soy protein in a piasteintype reaction.
ADP Ribosylation Factor 6 Binding to Phosphatidylinositol 4,5-Bisphosphate-Containing Vesicles Creates Defects in theBilayer Structure: An Electron Spin Resonance Study

The effects of binding of myristoylated ADP ribosylation factor 6 (myr-ARF6), an activator of phospholipase D (PLD), to a model membrane were investigated using an electron spin resonance (ESR) labeling technique. Initial studies were conducted in vesicles composed of 1-palmitoyl-2-oleoyl phosphatidylethanolamine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, phosphatidylinositol 4,5-biphosphate (PIP(2)), and cholesterol. Recombinant ARF6 binding significantly enhances defects in both the headgroup and acyl-chain regions of the membrane, which are revealed by the emergence of sharp components in the spectra from a headgroup label, 1,2-dipalmitoylphosphatidyl-2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-1-piperidinyloxy-choline (DPPTC), and a chain label, 10PC, after myr-ARF6 binding. Binding of non-myristoylated ARF6 (non-ARF6) shows markedly reduced effects. Interestingly, no change in spectra from DPPTC was observed upon myr-ARF6 binding when PIP(2) in the vesicles was replaced by other negatively charged lipids, including phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylserine, and phosphatidylglycerol, even when normalized for charge. The production of the sharp peak appears to be a specific event, because another GTP binding protein, CDC42, which binds PIP(2) and activates PLD, fails to induce changes in vesicle structure. These results suggest a previously unappreciated role for ARF in mediating a protein/lipid interaction that produces defects in lipid bilayers. This function may serve as an initial event in destabilizing membrane structure for subsequent membrane fusion or biogenesis of vesicles.
An assessment of nicotine gum as an adjunct to freedom from smoking cessation clinics

The Freedom from Smoking clinic programs offered by the American Lung Association are in widespread use. These programs were developed in the 1970s prior to the availability of nicotine gum in the United States. It was hypothesized that the addition of nicotine gum to these clinics (thereby including both behavioral and pharmacologic intervention) would boost abstinence outcome significantly. Two-hundred and seventy-three persons were randomly assigned to Freedom from Smoking clinics with or without prescription of nicotine gum. Abstinence outcomes at one week favored the nicotine gum conditions (86.3% of nicotine gum subjects were abstinent as opposed to 70.9% of comparison subjects, chi 2(1) = 9.79, p = .002). Effects for gum were no longer significant at later follow-ups, however, Overall duration and level of nicotine gum use were considerably less than optimal. In the absence of a placebo gum control group, expectancy cannot be eliminated as a possible explanation of the short-term results.
Information handling, organizational structure, and power

Les dispositions prises pour communiquer et traiter l'information sont le plus souvent concues pour la structure de prise de decision plus ou moins deleguee ou decentralisee. Cependant a l'analyse il apparait qu'a plus long terme l'inverse est egalement vrai: les structures organisationnelles et la distribution du pouvoir a l'interieur de celles-ci s'adaptent aux changements de capacite du traitement de l'information, notamment dans les communications militaires strategiques. La delegation de prise de decision est inversement proportionnelle a l'efficacite de ce traitement. La delegation et la decentralisation peuvent etre considerees comme un indicatif d'un traitement inadequat, ou une reponse a celui-ci. Un traitement ameliore de l'information peut au contraire etre tout-a-fait adapte a un pouvoir de decision centralise. (INTD)
Remotely Monitoring a Patient's Mobility: A Digital Health Application

This paper was focused on iShoe, a device used for balancing. This device was designed for patient rehabilitation that would operate safely in home of elderly or recovering patient. This device was comprise of wearable device such as force sensor, assistive device such as walker, and environmental sensor. Topics on design such as Tekscan's FlexiForce sensor, force sensor, accelerometer, PC interfacing, microcontroller, insole development, walker development,and data acquisition development were discussed.
Spontaneous Cervical Epidural Hematoma Masquerading as an Abscess on Magnetic Resonance Imaging Scan

Abstract Objective The aims of the study are to describe a case of spontaneous spinal epidural hematoma (SSEH) without any predisposing factors and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) features of epidural abscess and to highlight the importance of high clinical suspicion. Clinical Features A 75-year-old male presented to the emergency department after a severe neck pain. He progressively showed sensory and upper motor signs on the left side of the body. The MRI scans were suggestive of cervical epidural abscess with peripheral enhancement of the lesion. Interventions and Outcomes He underwent a multiple level (C3-T1) laminectomy when he was found to have an SSEH. There has been no history of trauma or other predisposing factor, and presence of arteriovenous malformation was ruled out by MR angiography. Conclusions The MRI features of SSEH may be misleading and mimic other spinal lesions such as abscess. Presence of tapering superior and inferior margins, spotty Gadolinium enhancement in the mass, along with abrupt clinical onset of pain and neurologic deficit, should raise the suspicion toward epidural hematoma. Enhancement in the hyperacute stage of the hematoma itself might indicate continued bleeding and, in the case of deteriorating neurologic status, will necessitate decompression.
Interest Profile Elevation, Big Five Personality Traits, and Secondary Constructs on the Self-Directed Search: A Replication and Extension

The study used the Self-Directed Search (SDS) and the NEO-FFI to explore profile elevation, four secondary constructs, and the Big Five personality factors in a sample of college students in a care...
Modeling the interphase of a polymer-based nanodielectric

A three-phase theoretical model is proposed that is suitable for describing the effective permittivity of polymer-matrix composites containing spherical nanoparticles. The model accounts for the presence of an interphase region, which surrounds each nanosphere, whose permittivity is allowed to be different from that of the matrix polymer. The nanoparticles themselves are approximated as hard (non-overlapping) spheres, whereas the interphase regions of neighboring nanoparticles are permitted to overlap. The volume fraction of the interphase region is computed by assuming that the nanoparticles are arranged on the nodes of a simple-cubic lattice. The effective permittivity of the composite is subsequently computed via three-phase Wiener bounds. As an example application of the model, permittivity data measured on a silicon/bisphenol E cyanate ester nanodielectric and a low-density polyethylene/alumina nanodielectric are shown to lie outside the range of the two-phase Wiener bounds yet lie within the range of the three-phase Wiener bounds with appropriate choice of interphase permittivity and thickness.
The effect of gender on the prevalence of hypertension in obstructive sleep apnea

Abstract Background Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) causes systemic hypertension. However, there is conflicting data on the effect of gender on susceptibility to hypertension in OSA. Some show no gender differences in the prevalence of hypertension while others report either female or male propensity to have hypertension in the context of OSA. The inconsistencies in the results appear to be due to lack of full range of sleep apnea severity and insufficient number of women in the studies. We examined the effect of gender on prevalent hypertension in a cohort with a large representation of females with OSA. Methods A cross-sectional study of a large cohort of subjects referred for sleep disorder evaluation. Results The cohort comprised of 736 with OSA and 315 without OSA. OSA was defined as apnea-hypopnea index (AHI) of ⩾5/h. There were 529 men and 207 women in the OSA group with mean ± SD age of 50 ± 13 and 51 ± 14 years, respectively. The control group consisted of 154 men and 161 women with mean ± SD age of 44 ± 15 and 43 ± 14 years, respectively. The AHI in the OSA group varied from 5 to 197 with a median of 24 and a mean of 36 (interquartile range: 11–53). Multiple logistic regression analyses, modeling the association between AHI and hypertension and considering other covariates, showed that odds of hypertension increased with increasing age, BMI, and AHI. There was evidence that men were at higher risk for hypertension than women OR 1.82 (95%CI 1.01, 3.20) at the highest quartile of BMI. Conclusions We have shown that the prevalence of hypertension increases with increasing age and severity of OSA, and markedly obese men may have a nearly 2-fold greater risk for hypertension than women in this clinic-based population.
T-cell-directed therapy in systemic lupus erythematosus

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a systemic autoimmune disease with significant morbidity and mortality that commonly afflicts young women. It ranges from a mild disease with a predominance of joint and skin manifestations to a severe life-threatening disease that can have serious CNS or renal involvement. While there are several immune effector mechanisms that contribute to the disease, it is clear that T lymphocytes have a central role in the immune pathogenesis of SLE. There are five broad approaches to T-cell-directed therapy in SLE that will be reviewed, including the use of monoclonal antibodies or decoy receptors directed against cytokines or cell surface costimulatory molecules; the use of synthetic peptides to selectively modulate autoantigen reactive T cells; cell-based therapies; restoration of abnormal T-cell receptor signaling events; and the correction of epigenetic abnormalities found in SLE. The current and future feasibility of each of these approaches to treatment are discussed.
Virtue Essentialism, Prototypes, and the Moral Conservative Opposition to Enhancement Technologies: A Neuroethical Critique

Moral conservatives such as the ones who served on George W. Bush's President's Councils on Bioethics are known to be cautious about if not categorically opposed to enhancement technologies. This article examines the argumentative styles of two of the best known of these scholars, Leon Kass and Michael Sandel, as gleaned from essays they authored while serving on Bush's councils. The goal of this essay is to evaluate their argumentative approach opposing enhancement, which I call “virtue essentialism.” Using a critical perspective informed by prototype theory, I argue that the “virtue essentialist” approach of Kass and Sandel, despite its popularity among moral conservatives and the electorate, is remarkably underpowered. I conclude by arguing that despite my reservations, the likelihood of virtue essentialism retaining its popularity nevertheless seems very good indeed.
UNSTEADY MECHANISMS OF FORCE GENERATION IN AQUATIC AND AERIAL LOCOMOTION

tion. First, analyses have become much more comparative, both across and within species. The great diversity of teleost fishes provides one of the best backgrounds for exploring the evolution of locomotor sys? tems at both the physiological and anatomical levels (see papers by Fish [1996], Westneat [1996], Gillis [1996], and Lauder and Jayne [1996] in this volume). By doing so, researchers are discovering new and diverse patterns of locomotory behavior. In addition to cross species comparisons, researchers are attempting to focus on the more subtle but equally important changes in swimming behavior within the ontogeny of single spe? cies (see paper by Hale [1996] in this vol? ume). The second reason for an alteration in perspective is that researchers are not simply satisfied with treating locomotion as a means of getting efficiently from one point to another, but also as a complex and flexible system of behavior required for feeding, courtship, and escape. In this new perspective, maneuverability is often con? sidered a more important design criterion than energy efficiency. And finally, the availability of powerful desktop microcomputers makes it possible to develop more sophisticated mathematical models of aquatic locomotion (see papers by Jordan [1996] and Fauci [1996] in this volume). Whether focused on juvenile salmon or
Women, the Workplace, and Unions in International Perspective

The problematic relationship between feminism and Marxism or socialism has been one of the hardiest perennials among the many flowers the women's movement has brought to bloom in recent years. Some of the theoretical and programmatic texts on the subject published in the 1970s and early 1980s have become classics of contemporary feminism; these have since been joined by studies informed by a decade of practical political struggle on the terrain they mapped, such as Anne Phillips's recent Divided Loyalties: Dilemmas of Sex and Class. The simultaneous reinvention of a history of feminism in the 1970s quickly discovered the first encounters between these ideologies of social emancipation, which together dominated progressive politics in Europe in the century before 1914. No doubt because feminist historians were curious above all about the ideas of their nineteenth-century forerunners (though probably also because of the relative accessibility of sources), ideological and organizational studies were the first to appear; German feminism and socialism yielded a particularly rich and early harvest of research. Since then, expansion in the numbers and horizons of interested historians has added a growing literature on a different but related subject: the history of women in industrial wage work. Indeed, this has been established as an indispensable part of the social and political history of labor in the nineteenth century, and is ignored by labor history in the old, male sense at its own peril. It poses new and complex questions about the relationship between experience and ideology, between gender and class as meaningful categories of representation and analysis, and between the organized movements that these concepts generated. These issues are addressed in the two excellent studies of working women in Russia and France under review here. They share many characteristics other than their common time frame and subject matter. As well as depicting in some detail women's participation in factory labor, both authors aim to link this to women's participation in the industrial and socialist culture of their period and place,
Ligand Binding and Kinetics of Folate Receptor Recycling in Vivo: Impact on Receptor-Mediated Drug Delivery

Folate receptor-targeted cancer therapies constitute a promising treatment for the approximately one third of human cancers that overexpress the folate receptor (FR). However, the potencies of all folate-receptor targeted therapies depend on 1) the rate of folate-linked drug conjugate binding to the cancer cell surface, 2) the dose of folate conjugate that will saturate tumor cell surface FR in vivo, 3) the rate of FR internalization, unloading, and recycling back to the tumor cell surface for another round of conjugate uptake, and 4) the residence time of the folate conjugate before its metabolism or release from the cell. Because little information exists on any of these processes, we have undertaken to characterize them on both cancer cells in culture and solid tumors in live mice. We quantitate here the properties of FR saturation, internalization, recycling, and unloading in several cultured cancer cell lines and murine tumor models, and we describe the conditions that should maximize both the potencies and specificities of folate receptor-targeted therapies in vivo.
Nest site fidelity and dispersal of Rio Grande wild turkey hens in Texas

Rio Grande wild turkey (Meleagris gallopavo intermedia) nests suffer high predation rates exceeding 65%, which may limit recruitment. We evaluated post-nesting movements of reproductively active female Rio Grande wild turkeys. We monitored 194 nesting attempts between 2005 and 2010 and documented 17% and 32% overall apparent nest success for the Edwards Plateau and Central Rio Grande Plains study regions, respectively. Rio Grande wild turkey hens move approximately 1.2 km (SD ¼ 0.7) between nesting attempts within a nesting season and approximately 1.4 km (SD ¼ 1.6) between initial nesting attempts among years. Rio Grande wild turkey hens selected open areas with moderate woody cover for nesting (x ¼ 37.7%; range ¼ 3.0-88.2%). Patchiness of vegetation in the nesting landscape also was borne out by typically low edge-to-area ratios (x ¼ 0.20; range ¼ 0.040-0.732). We found no clear pattern in movement distance and either landscape composition or edge-to-area ratio for within or between breeding season nest site selection for either the Edwards Plateau or Central Rio Grande Plains study region. Based on our results, movement distances post-nest failure do not seem to influence habitat selection. 2012 The Wildlife Society.
A circularly-polarized corner reflector antenna

Unidirectional, circularly-polarized radiation may be obtained by tilting a dipole in a corner reflector. Inherent advantages of this antenna are the simplicity of both the construction and adjustment. The theory of images is employed to develop the basic theory of the antenna for the cases of greatest practical interest. An experimental investigation has been made on the radiation characteristics of a practical-sized antenna as a function of its geometric parameters. From this data, an antenna producing unidirectional, circularly-polarized radiation has been designed and constructed.
Cultural Display Rules

Cultural display rules are cultural norms learned early in life that govern the regulation of expressive behaviors depending on social contexts. Keywords: emotion
Extrapolation from Animal Data

It is the premise of this chapter that there is a biological basis upon which toxicologists may be able to extrapolate from animals to humans. Its foundation lies in evolutionary theory, with the phylogenetic continuity of animal species.
Emission Spectra of LSO and LYSO Crystals Excited by UV Light, X-Ray and $\gamma$ -ray

Because of their high stopping power (Xo = 1.14 cm, RMoliere = 2.07 cm) and fast (~ 40 ns) bright (4 times of BGO) scintillation, cerium doped lutetium oxyorthosilicate (LSO) and cerium doped lutetium-yttrium oxyorthosilicate (LYSO) crystals have attracted a broad interest in the high energy physics community. This paper presents a comparative study on emission spectra measured for large size BGO, lead tungstate (PbWO4), LSO and LYSO samples excited by UV light (photo-luminescence) with and without internal absorption, X-ray (X-luminescence) and gamma-ray (radio-luminescence). A red shift was observed between the emission spectra with internal absorption as compared to that without. An additional red shift and a significant red component were observed in the radio-luminescence spectra measured for LSO samples but not LYSO samples, which were disappeared after a gamma-ray irradiation with an accumulated dose of 5 x 103 rad. This is the only significant difference observed between the large size LSO and LYSO samples. The origin of these red shifts and the consequence to their light output and applications in the high energy and nuclear physics experiments are discussed.
The Electroweak phase transition: A Status report

The possibility that the observed cosmological baryon density might be a consequence of non-perturbative dynamics at the electroweak phase transition is one of the most exciting topics at the interface of particle physics and cosmology. However, determining the viability of electroweak baryogenesis in (minimal extensions of) the standard model requires knowledge of the equilibrium behavior of the electroweak phase transition, non-equilibrium dynamics around expanding bubble walls, and non-perturbative baryon violating processes in both the high and low temperature phases [1].
Socially Responsible Mutual Funds (corrected)

Conversations about socially responsible investing are difficult because they combine facts with beliefs. Proponents of socially responsible investing believe that combining social goals with investments does good; opponents believe that such combinations are unwise or even illegitimate. In this article, I try to separate facts from beliefs. I report that the Domini Social Index, an index of socially responsible stocks, did better than the S&P 500 Index and that socially responsible mutual funds did better than conventional mutual funds over the 1990–98 period but the differences between their risk-adjusted returns are not statistically significant. Both groups of mutual funds trailed the S&P 500 Index. Errata
Enhanced Broadside Testing for Improved Transition Fault Coverage

The use of multiple scan chains was shown to improve the coverage of transition faults achieved by skewed-load tests. For broadside tests, the number of scan chains does not affect the transition fault coverage. We describe an enhanced broadside configuration under which increasing the number of scan chains helps increase the fault coverage. In the enhanced configuration, the first flip-flop of a scan chain operates in skewed-load mode while the other flip-flops operate in broadside mode. This provides flexibility in determining the value of the first flip-flop of every scan chain under the second pattern of a broadside test, thus increasing the transition fault coverage. We also describe a procedure that makes small modifications to a given scan chain configuration in order to improve the transition fault coverage.
Development and applications of a large scale fluids/structures simulation process on clusters

A modular process for efficiently solving large-scale multidisciplinary problems using single-image cluster supercomputers is presented. The process integrates disciplines with diverse physical characteristics while retaining the efficiency of individual disciplines. Computational domain independence of individual disciplines is maintained using a meta programming approach. The process integrates disciplines without affecting the combined performance. The procedure includes an efficient load balancing scheme suitable for parallel computers. Results are demonstrated for large-scale aerospace problems. The super scalability and portability of the approach is demonstrated on several parallel supercomputers.
A change in the timing of auctions with synergies and its impact on bidding behavior

We compare auctions held in simultaneous and multi-round formats, where synergies and the release of relevant information can create differential bidding effects. We find no statistically significant difference in either the bidding patterns observed or the number of bids submitted.
Use of a Surgical Template for Autologous Bone Grafting of Alveolar Defects

This article describes the fabrication of a surgical template for planning and performing the harvest and placement of autologous bone grafts for the reconstruction of alveolar defects before implant placement. A diagnostic cast is altered to replicate the anticipated bone anatomy. The ideal bony contours for implant placement are then created on the cast to form the template. This template may then be used for treatment-planning donor sites for the harvest of corticocancellous bone grafts. The template is sterilized and used by the surgeon in procuring and placing the bone graft. This template allows communication of the prosthetic requirements of the ridge augmentation, as well as ensuring adequate volume and proper positioning of the block graft for eventual implant placement.
Logical vs. physical disk shadowing

Summary form only given. Bitton and Gray (1988) have defined disk shadowing as a technique for maintaining a set of two or more identical disk images on separate disk drives. Its primary purpose is to enhance reliability and availability of secondary storage by providing multiple paths to redundant data. The current paper demonstrates how disk shadowing can be further improved if not physical page images but logical data sets are mirrored with different clustering strategies on different disks. >
Improved nuclear reactor temperature control using diagonal recurrent neural networks

A novel approach to wide-range optimal reactor temperature control using diagonal recurrent neural networks (DRNNs) with an adaptive learning rate scheme is presented. The drawback of the usual feedforward neural network (FNN) is that it is a static mapping and requires a large number of neurons and takes a long training time. The usual fixed learning rate based on an empirical trial and error scheme is slow and does not guarantee convergence. The DRNN is for dynamic mapping and requires much fewer neurons and weights, and thus converges faster than FNN. A dynamic backpropagation algorithm coupled with an adaptive learning rate guarantees even faster convergence. The DRNN controller described includes both a neurocontroller and a neuroidentifier. A reference model which incorporates an optimal control law with improved reactor temperature response is used for training of the neurocontroller and neuroidentifier. Rapid convergence of this DRNN-based control system is demonstrated when used to improve reactor temperature performance. >
A Diels–Alder crosslinkable host polymer for improved PLED performance: the impact on solution processed doped device and multilayer device performance

We report on the synthesis of a polyfluorene derivative, PFO(X), with furan pendant groups capable of Diels–Alder crosslinking with a maleimide containing small molecule passive crosslinker (PC) and a maleimide containing red emitting donor–acceptor–donor dopant molecule, bE-BTD(X). It was initially intended that a blend of these three components would afford a system where the dopant concentration could be increased to the point where complete energy transfer from the host polymer to the emissive dopant would be achieved. Because such systems often suffer from quenching and shifts in emission maxima indicative of emitter aggregation, it was hypothesized that crosslinking the emissive dopant with the host polymer would lead to de-aggregation of the dopant emitter. In thin films of PFO(X) and bE-BTD(X), a 16 nm bathochromic shift is observed in the emission maximum when the dopant concentration is increased from 1% to 8%, suggesting that the dopant is aggregating. In similar films where PC is included and the film is heated to affect crosslinking, a comparable 16 nm shift in the emission maximum is observed indicating that aggregation is still occurring and not affected by the heating step. Similar decreases in luminance are observed independent of whether the heating step is included. Not unexpectedly, however, crosslinking does afford an insoluble network that allows for the subsequent solution deposition of additional layers. When an electron transport layer (ETL) is used in PFO(X)/PC devices, increases of 190% and 490% are observed in luminance and luminous efficiency, respectively, relative to devices without an ETL indicating that this Diels–Alder crosslinkable system is amenable to multilayer deposition by solution methods. When bE-BTD(X) is included as the dopant emitter, similar increases in luminance and luminous efficiency are observed with the ETL included compared to devices where this layer is omitted.
Killing, Letting Die and Preventing People From Being Saved

The distinction between killing and letting die is too simple. A third category – preventing people from being saved – must also be recognized. Like killing, preventing a person from being saved is a species of doing harm; like killing, it infringes one of the victim's negative rights. Yet preventing a person from being saved is morally on a par with letting die, which infringes one of the victim's positive rights. It follows that we cannot explain the moral inequivalence of killing and letting die by saying, as so many have, that negative rights are more stringent than positive rights. A more promising strategy is suggested at the end of the article.
On fault deletion problem in concurrent fault simulation for synchronous sequential circuits

A method for improving the performance of concurrent fault simulators for combinational and synchronous sequential circuits is proposed. The paper identifies two causes of inefficiencies and a simple and uniform method to eliminate them. A simulator, FASTS, based on the method proposed in the paper is implemented and it is shown that FASTS outperforms the existing concurrent simulation methods proposed in literature. >
Review of Alexandra Bruce’s Book: Beyond the Bleep: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to What the Bleep Do We Know!?

The film "What the Bleep do We Know", left me a little disappointed. The claims were outlandish, and I was left somewhat skeptical. But while the film has its weak points, this little book by Alexandra Bruce shines brightly. You can find this book at Amazon: Beyond the Bleep: The Definitive Unauthorized Guide to What the Bleep Do We Know!?
Density of repelling fixed points in the Julia set of a rational or entire semigroup

We briefly survey several methods of proof that the Julia set of a rational or entire function is the closure of the repelling cycles, in particular, focusing on those methods which can be extended to the case of semigroups. We then present an elementary proof that the Julia set of either a non-elementary rational or entire semigroup is the closure of the set of repelling fixed points.
CSAR: cluster storage with adaptive redundancy

Striped file systems such as the parallel virtual file system (PVFS) deliver high-bandwidth I/O to applications running on clusters. An open problem in the design of striped file systems is how to reduce their vulnerability to disk failures with the minimum performance penalty. We describe a novel data redundancy scheme designed specifically to address the performance issue. We demonstrate the new scheme within CSAR, a proof-of-concept implementation based on PVFS. By dynamically switching between RAID1 and RAID5 redundancy based on write size, CSAR consistently achieves the best of two worlds & RAID1 performance on small writes, and RAID5 efficiency on large writes. Using the popular parallel I/O benchmark BTIO, our scheme achieves 82% of the write bandwidth of the unmodified PVFS. We describe the issues in implementing our new scheme in a popular striped file system such as PVFS on a Linux cluster
Spontaneous Breaking of Lorentz Symmetry in String Theory

The possibility of spontaneous breakdown of Lorentz symmetry in string theory is explored via covariant string field theory. A potential mechanism is suggested for the Lorentz breaking that may be generic in many string theories.
Influence of ambient temperature on efficacy of signals produced by female Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz, 1844) (Araneae: Lycosidae)

Abstract The ambient temperature of an environment has potential to influence many aspects of the behavior and physiology of small-bodied ectotherms, including brush-legged wolf spiders Schizocosa ocreata (Hentz, 1844) (Araneae: Lycosidae). Temperature varies significantly, and often unpredictably, in their habitat throughout the spring breeding season, and is known to influence male Schizocosa courtship behavior. Currently unknown is what effect fluctuations in ambient temperature alone might have on critical, non-behavioral sexual signals such as female silk and chemical cues. We collected cues from mature, virgin females and subjected each sample to one of three thermal treatments (40°C, 20°C, or -12°C), at constant humidity. We presented treated female cues to mature males and recorded male response across treatment types as a behavioral indicator of signal degradation. There were no significant differences across treatments in the frequency or duration of male behaviors, including critical courtship ...
Further Beyond the Basic Background Check: Predicting Future Unethical Behavior

In this paper, we analyze the ethical issues of using honesty and integrity tests in employment screening. Our focus will be on the United States context: legal requirements related to applicant privacy differ in other countries, but we posit that our proposed balancing test is broadly applicable. We start by discussing why companies have ethical and legal obligations, based on a stakeholder analysis, to assess the integrity of potential employees. We then move to a consideration of how companies currently use background checks as a pre-employment screening tool, noting their limitations. We then take up honesty and integrity testing, focusing particularly on the problems of false positives and due process. We offer a balancing test for the use of honesty and integrity testing that takes in three factors: (1) the potential harm posed by a dishonest employee in a particular job, (2) the linkage between the test and the assessment process, and (3) the accuracy and validity of the honesty and integrity test. We conclude with implications for practice and future research.
Light in Ashes: Browne, Sebald, and the Natural History of Religion

AbstractThis essay develops a concept of “natural history of religion” that differs from that of the only work bearing that title, viz. David Hume's. The concept is exemplified by Urn Burial (Hydriotaphia), a treatise on burial practices by Sir Thomas Browne (1605–82), which interweaves philosophical and theological reflections on time with proto-archaeological and natural historical descriptions of the materiality of commemorative and memorializing rituals and customs. In several of his singular books, which blend autobiographical travel narrative and documentary history, the German writer W.G. Sebald (1944–2001) appropriates and, it is argued, rewrites, this influential text of Browne's with respect to ancient Corsican burial practices. The natural historical element in Sebald's writing has been recognized in the growing body of secondary literature on his corpus, but no one has examined his relation to Browne or his discussions of religion. This essay attempts to identify and describe the poetics of a ...
Investigation and analysis on AIDS-related knowledge and behaviors among female sex workers in Xicheng district of Beijing from 2009-2011

[Objective] To understand the status of AIDS-related knowledge and behavior characteristics,as well as the infection rate of HIV and syphilis among female sex workers(FSWs) in Xicheng district of Beijing from 2009-2011,provide the basis for implementing behavioral intervention and health education.[Methods]An investigation about AIDS-related knowledge and behaviors was conducted in 200 FSWs with questionnaires every year.The venous blood samples were collected for HIV and syphilis detection.[Results]During 2009-2011,the awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge among FSWs was respectively 77.5%,81.0% and 99.0%,and the difference was significant(χ2=43.78,P0.01).The condom use rate in the recent commercial sexual activity was respectively 56.5%,46.0% and 93.0%(P0.01).The detection rate of syphilis was respectively 1.5%,1.0% and 1.0%.The detection rate of HIV antibody was respectively 0.5%,0 and 0.[Conclusion]From 2009 to 2011,the awareness rate of AIDS-related knowledge among FSWs in Xicheng district of Beijing has increased year by year.Compared with 2009 and 2010,the condom use rate in the recent commercial sexual activity has risen significantly in 2011,but the rate of consistent condom use is still low.It is essential to strengthen the condom promotion,as well as behavioral intervention and health education about STD and HIV among FSWs.
Observation of the curative effect of yanhuning infantile mumps and its nursing care

Objective: In order to explore the curative effect of yanhuning (potassium sodium dehydroandroandrographolide succinate ) in treating the mumps in children and its nursing measures.Methods:192 children with mumps were divided into thetreatment group (n=98) and control group (n=94).The treatment group was treated with yanhuning 10 mg/(kg·d) by intravenous drip,while the cantrol group with ribavirin 10～15 mg/(kg·d) by the same method,the course of treatment was 6 days.The nursing measures were performed according to the clinical manifestations.Results:The total effective rate was 95.5% in the treatment group and 80.9% in the control group,with significant difference between two groups (P0.05).Conclusion:Yanhuning has obvious curative effect in treating the infantile mumps.
Establishing a link between cultural evolution and sexually transmitted diseases

It is argued that archaic sexually transmitted diseases influenced cultural traditions by reducing multiple sexual partners within communities. In this article, the adverse consequences of current sexually transmitted diseases are surveyed: Such infections decrease fertility of women and increase infant mortality; those adverse consequences are especially potent when antibiotics are not readily available. Cultural (cross-generational transmission of learned) responses to the threat of widespread infertility and elevated infant mortality rates are hypothesized to include the implementation of expectations for restricted numbers of sexual partners. These expectations, formal or informal, have been instituted within the context of biological predispositions, the "certainty of paternity" model, already-established traditions, and the need for a social father to be aligned with the mother-child dyad. A case study of the contemporary United States is offered as a heuristic example of how and why cultural choices may be developed and sustained.
Secretory Pathway Calcium ATPases in Breast Cancer

Secretory Pathway Ca2+-ATPases (SPCA) are P-type pumps that localize to the Golgi and post-Golgi vesicular compartments into which they sequester Ca2+ and Mn2+ ions required for protein processing, glycosylation and sorting. There are two isoforms in human that play distinct roles in breast cancer, a leading cause of death in women worldwide. Previously, we showed that SPCA2, but not SPCA1, interacts with the Ca2+ channel Orai1 to initiate store-independent Ca2+ entry, which promotes tumorigenesis. We sought to understand the roles of SPCA1 and SPCA2 in breast cancer and how they correlate with the different subtypes and with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). SPCA2 expression is greatly amplified in luminal subtypes but has a lower expression in basal subtypes, with opposite expression patterns for SPCA1. We present analysis of patient survival and microarray data for both SPCA1 and SPCA2 expression, and evaluate isoform-specific roles in two different breast cancer cell lines, which represent epithelial (MCF7) and post-EMT (MDA-MB-231) subtypes. Using knockdown and overexpression approaches, we correlate isoform expression with cell proliferation, tumorsphere formation, and plasma membrane trafficking of a cell adhesion protein critical for tumorigenesis, E-cadherin. From these studies, we conclude that SPCA2 promotes oncogenesis by regulating E-cadherin and that SPCA2 down regulation may be critical for metastasis.
Native-Like and Denatured Cytochrome c Ions Yield Cation-to-Anion Proton Transfer Reaction Products with Similar Collision Cross-Sections

The relationship between structures of protein ions, their charge states, and their original structures prior to ionization remains challenging to decouple. Here, we use cation-to-anion proton transfer reactions (CAPTR) to reduce the charge states of cytochrome c ions in the gas phase, and ion mobility to probe their structures. Ions were formed using a new temperature-controlled nanoelectrospray ionization source at 25 °C. Characterization of this source demonstrates that the temperature of the liquid sample is decoupled from that of the atmospheric pressure interface, which is heated during CAPTR experiments. Ionization from denaturing conditions yields 18+ to 8+ ions, which were each isolated and reacted with monoanions to generate all CAPTR products with charge states of at least 3+. The highest, intermediate, and lowest charge-state products exhibit collision cross-section distributions that are unimodal, multimodal, and unimodal, respectively. These distributions depend strongly on the charge state of the product, although those for the intermediate charge-state products also depend on that of the precursor. The distributions of the 3+ products are all similar, with averages that are less than half that of the 18+ precursor ions. Ionization of cytochrome c from native-like conditions yields 7+ and 6+ ions. The 3+ CAPTR products from these precursors have slightly more compact collision cross-section distributions that are indistinguishable from those for the 3+ CAPTR products from denaturing conditions. More broadly, these results indicate that the collision cross-sections of ions of this single domain protein depend strongly on charge state for charge states greater than ~4.
Perioperative bleeding and thrombotic risks in patients with Von Willebrand disease

Von Willebrand disease (VWD) is an inherited bleeding disorder that often manifests clinically with hemorrhage after invasive procedures. We investigated the association between a diagnosis of VWD and bleeding and thrombotic outcomes following major non-cardiac surgery in a large national database from the United States. Patients age ≥45 years requiring major non-cardiac surgery were identified from Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project’s National Inpatient Sample data. Von Willebrand disease, perioperative major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), thrombotic events, and hemorrhage were defined by ICD9 diagnosis codes. From 2004 to 2013, a total of 10,581,621 hospitalizations for major non-cardiac surgery met study inclusion criteria and VWD was identified in 3765 (0.036%). In adjusted analyses, patients with VWD were significantly more likely to develop post-operative hemorrhage than patients without VWD (5.5 vs. 1.9%, p < 0.001; adjusted OR 3.49, 95% CI 3.03–4.03), but had similar odds of perioperative MACE and thrombotic events. Thus, a diagnosis of VWD was associated with increased risks of bleeding with non-cardiac surgery, without a corresponding reduction in perioperative thrombosis in comparison to patients without VWD. Perioperative management of patients with hereditary bleeding disorders and mitigation of thrombotic risks requires further study.
Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) Wind Speed Retrievals and Validation Using Dropsondes

AbstractSurface wind speed retrievals have been generated and evaluated using Hurricane Imaging Radiometer (HIRAD) measurements from flights over Hurricane Joaquin, Hurricane Patricia, Hurricane Marty, and the remnants of Tropical Storm Erika—all in 2015. Procedures are described here for producing maps of brightness temperature, which are subsequently used for retrievals of surface wind speed and rain rate across a ~50-km-wide swath for each flight leg. An iterative retrieval approach has been developed to take advantage of HIRAD’s measurement characteristics. Validation of the wind speed retrievals has been conducted, using 636 dropsondes released from the same WB-57 high-altitude aircraft carrying HIRAD during the Tropical Cyclone Intensity (TCI) experiment. The HIRAD wind speed retrievals exhibit very small bias relative to the dropsondes, for winds of tropical storm strength (17.5 m s−1) or greater. HIRAD has reduced sensitivity to winds weaker than tropical storm strength and a small positive bias (...
Undergraduate Organic Experiment: Tetrazole Formation by Microwave Heated (3 + 2) Cycloaddition in Aqueous Solution

An undergraduate experiment for the organic laboratory is described that utilizes microwave heating to prepare 5-substituted 1H-tetrazole derivatives through a (3 + 2) cycloaddition between aryl nitriles and sodium azide. The reaction mixture is analyzed by thin layer chromatography. The products are purified through an acid–base extraction and recrystallization. Characterization is accomplished using melting point, infrared, 1H NMR, and 13C NMR spectroscopy. Students are tasked with determining and confirming the structure of their product based on their assigned nitrile and characterization data.
A Review of Microzygops Champion, 1906 (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Conoderinae), with Description of a New Species

Sexual dimorphism is reported, described, and figured for Microzygops nigrofasciatus Champion, as is the species' ecology and wider geographic distribution. Microzygops flavatus Rheinheimer from Guyane [French Guiana] is considered a new synonymy of M. nigrofasciatus. Microzygops brulei Hespenheide, new species, is described from Guyane.