cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Penile Sensitivity Ratio: A Novel Application of Biothesiometry to Assess Changes in Penile Sensitivity.

Abstract Introduction Biothesiometry allows for evaluation of penile vibratory sensitivity and can be used as a non-invasive and rapid surrogate test of penile sexual sensitivity. However, no standardized measurement methodology currently exists. Aim To describe and optimize a novel, standardized biothesiometry parameter—the penile sensitivity ratio (PSR). Methods We reviewed all biothesiometry data from men presenting to our institution from July 2013–May 2017. 3 iterations of the PSR were evaluated using the threshold for vibratory detection from a combination of different input variables including the penile glans, penile shaft, index finger, and thigh. Numerator values for the PSR included the penile glans and penile shaft, whereas denominator inputs included the index finger and thigh. PSR is inversely correlated with penile sensitivity. Main Outcome Measure The primary outcome measure was the association between reported diminished penile sensitivity and PSR value. Secondary outcome measures were the association between PSR and age, diabetes, ejaculatory dysfunction, and Peyronie’s disease (PD). Results Biothesiometry data were evaluated from 1,239 men. Mean age was 53.2 years (SD 14.0 years). Diabetes was present in 7.4% (n = 92); 52.0% (n = 644) had PD. Ejaculatory dysfunction was identified in 15.8% (n = 196), with 12.2% (n = 151) having premature ejaculation and 3.6% (n = 45) reporting delayed ejaculation. Decreased penile sensitivity was reported in 20.3% (n = 252). 3 PSR iterations were analyzed to identify associations with decreased penile sensation. On univariate and multivariate analysis controlling for age, diabetes, ejaculatory dysfunction, and PD, only the PSR iteration, which included data from the penile glans and finger (PSRG/F), was significantly different between patients reporting diminished penile sensitivity and those without reported diminished sensitivity (univariate P Clinical Implications The PSR may be used as a standardized biothesiometry parameter to evaluate penile sensitivity. Strength & Limitations This study included a large cohort of men undergoing biothesiometry (n = 1,239); however, it is limited by the multifactorial nature of perceived diminished penile sensitivity. Conclusion The PSR using penile glans and index finger input variables is a non-invasive, painless, office-based, standardized biothesiometry parameter that is a clinically useful tool for measuring penile sexual sensitivity. Wiggins A, Farrell MR, Tsambarlis P, et al. The Penile Sensitivity Ratio: A Novel Application of Biothesiometry to Assess Changes in Penile Sensitivity. J Sex Med 2019;16:447–451.
Deep level defects in Ge-doped (010) β-Ga2O3 layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Deep level defects were characterized in Ge-doped (010) β-Ga2O3 layers grown by plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (PAMBE) using deep level optical spectroscopy (DLOS) and deep level transient (thermal) spectroscopy (DLTS) applied to Ni/β-Ga2O3:Ge (010) Schottky diodes that displayed Schottky barrier heights of 1.50 eV. DLOS revealed states at EC − 2.00 eV, EC − 3.25 eV, and EC − 4.37 eV with concentrations on the order of 1016 cm−3, and a lower concentration level at EC − 1.27 eV. In contrast to these states within the middle and lower parts of the bandgap probed by DLOS, DLTS measurements revealed much lower concentrations of states within the upper bandgap region at EC − 0.1 – 0.2 eV and EC − 0.98 eV. There was no evidence of the commonly observed trap state at ∼EC − 0.82 eV that has been reported to dominate the DLTS spectrum in substrate materials synthesized by melt-based growth methods such as edge defined film fed growth (EFG) and Czochralski methods [Zhang et al., Appl. Phys. Lett. 108, 052105 (2016) and Irmscher et al., J. Appl. Phys. 110, 063720 (2011)]. This strong sensitivity of defect incorporation on crystal growth method and conditions is unsurprising, which for PAMBE-grown β-Ga2O3:Ge manifests as a relatively “clean” upper part of the bandgap. However, the states at ∼EC − 0.98 eV, EC − 2.00 eV, and EC − 4.37 eV are reminiscent of similar findings from these earlier results on EFG-grown materials, suggesting that possible common sources might also be present irrespective of growth method.
Complexity of Blocking Bivalent Protein-Protein Interactions: Development of a Highly Potent Inhibitor of the Menin-Mixed-Lineage Leukemia Interaction.

The protein-protein interaction between menin and Mixed Lineage Leukemia 1 (MLL1) plays an important role in development of acute leukemia with translocations of the MLL1 gene and in solid tumors. Here, we report the development of a new generation of menin-MLL1 inhibitors identified by structure-based optimization of the thienopyrimidine class of compounds. This work resulted in compound 28 (MI-1481), which showed very potent inhibition of the menin-MLL1 interaction (IC50 = 3.6 nM), representing the most potent reversible menin-MLL1 inhibitor reported to date. The crystal structure of the menin-28 complex revealed a hydrogen bond with Glu366 and hydrophobic interactions, which contributed to strong inhibitory activity of 28. Compound 28 also demonstrates pronounced activity in MLL leukemia cells and in vivo in MLL leukemia models. Thus, 28 is a valuable menin-MLL1 inhibitor that can be used for potential therapeutic applications and in further studies regarding the role of menin in cancer.
US international schools overseas and the Common Core

AbstractThis qualitative study of U.S. international schools overseas explores the implementation of the Common Core State Standards in six U.S. international schools overseas (The Netherlands, Sau...
Acute Periacetabular Osteotomy for Recurrent Posttraumatic Dislocation of the Hip: A Case Report.

Case A 23-year-old woman with injury-induced acetabular dysplasia developed subacute recurrent dislocation of the right hip following closed reduction of a traumatic dislocation. The initial dislocation had been associated with small posterior wall and femoral head fractures. The recurrent dislocation was addressed with an acute periacetabular osteotomy (PAO) for hip stabilization and femoral head fragment excision. Conclusion An acute PAO is an unusual yet viable treatment strategy for addressing recurrent dislocation following traumatic fracture-dislocation in patients with posterior wall deficiency and injury-induced hip dysplasia. In the patient described herein, the procedure resulted in early stability, but she developed posttraumatic osteoarthritis at 1 year and 4 months after the injury.
Microstructural Refinement Of Bulk Nb And Ta by Severe Plastic Deformation for Composite Superconductor Applications

Fine grained and homogeneous recrystallized microstructures in precursor Nb and Ta are necessary to avoid filament sausaging and layer fracturing during the production of Nb3Sn superconductor wires. In this study, the effectiveness of multi-pass equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) to break up large as-cast microstructures ( >5mm diameter columnar grains) in vacuum arc remelted Ta and electron beam remelted Nb is discussed. Extrusions were performed at room temperature in 90° tooling via ECAE with routes C, Bc, and E. Results show significant refinement to average grain sizes of less than 30μm after four extrusions. Four passes via routes E and Bc showed the best potential for refinement due to deformation of the as-cast microstructure on orthogonal planes.
An Entropy Index for Multitasking Behavior

This study conceptualizes multitasking in a tri-dimensional framework consisting of task, time and technology, and proposes an entropy measure called the Multitasking Entropy Index (MEI) to study multitasking behavior. Entropy indicates the level of disorder or heterogeneity in a system. In natural and social sciences, entropy measures have been used to study the dispersion of objects of interest. However, to date, these measures have not been applied to study human multitasking behavior. Multitasking is defined in terms of the focus shifts that occur when a person changes attention between ongoing tasks. MEI calculates the diversity of focus shifts that take place in a period of time. The index can also be applied to measure focus shifts across different technology devices. The results of an empirical test show the potential of the proposed index. The framework and index presented in this paper are poised to seed a new stream of research.
Chemistry, Function, and Fate of Acrylamide-Based Polymers

Acrylamide-based polymers are used widely in water and wastewater treatment to enhance flocculation processes. It is often assumed that a polymer’s molecular weight and its type and amount of electrical charge are the crucial parameters governing its performance. Yet it is clear that the actual chemical structure of a polymer plays a key role in both process performance and in the subsequent fate of the substance. This paper relates specific aspects of polymer chemistry, such as ionizable sites, degree of cross-linkage, and hydrolyzable pendant groups, to effectiveness in flocculation. The degree of biodegradability of cationic polyacrylamides - and their ultimate environmental fate - are also related to chemical structure, and this should be taken into account in order to minimize undesirable performance and effects when using these polymers.
“The prayers of others helped”: Intercessory prayer as a source of coping and resilience in Christian African American families

Married African American families are perceived as highly religious; however, they are often underrepresented in research studies involving prayer. This study used qualitative interviews to examine...
Assessing Sex Steroid Influence on Kisspeptin Responsiveness in Idiopathic Hypogonadotropic Hypogonadism

Context Individuals with idiopathic hypogonadotropic hypogonadism (IHH), even those with evidence of some hypothalamic reproductive endocrine activity, fail to complete puberty and fail to respond to physiologic doses of kisspeptin. Objective This case series examined whether treatment with sex steroids could stimulate kisspeptin responsiveness in patients with IHH. Design This was a case series. Setting This study was conducted at an academic medical center. Participants Seven patients with IHH were studied. Interventions Participants, both on and off sex steroid therapy, underwent frequent blood sampling to measure LH at baseline, in response to kisspeptin and GnRH. Main outcome measures The main outcome measure was LH responses to kisspeptin on and off sex steroids. Results All participants responded to exogenous GnRH, but no participant responded to exogenous kisspeptin. Sex steroid treatment did not modify responsiveness to kisspeptin. Conclusions The functional impairment of the GnRH neuronal network in patients with IHH, as evidenced by their inability to respond to a physiologic dose of kisspeptin, is observed in both sex steroid- deficient and sex steroid-replete states. In this case series, a normalized sex steroid milieu does not appear capable of overcoming the kisspeptin resistance of these patients.
Amazon and the New World of Publishing

In 2012 the Department of Justice sued Apple and the major book publishers for their role in a conspiracy to raise the prices of eBooks. The publishers settled while the Apple case proceeded to trial in which the company was found liable for violating the Sherman Act. Chris Sagers’s upcoming book, Apple, Antitrust, and Irony (Harvard University Press) explores the conspiracy and the events that led Apple to orchestrate it. Through the Apple conspiracy, Sagers examines developments in antitrust law and competition policy in recent decades. This essay offers several observations concerning Sagers’s comprehensive account, the Apple conspiracy, and mainly its aftermath. Analyzing that aftermath means focusing on the entity that was left in control of the market once the dust settled: Amazon. The essay argues that Amazon’s dominance in the book and eBook markets is troubling and that shielding it from legal scrutiny is problematic. Nevertheless, it explains that while Amazon’s actions gradually push the major publishers out of the market, their potential demise is not necessarily bad. Technological changes reduced the value of many of the major publishers’ services to the point in which the publishers and Amazon are two types of intermediaries in a market that might need only one. As such, the conflict between Amazon and the major publishers is partly unavoidable as it is just another example of the tension between vested short-term interests and socially desirable long-term disruptive reforms. The essay then focuses on books’ authors by making a rather radical claim: as Amazon gains market power it puts itself in a position of determining the overall reward for the authors’ creativity. As such, Amazon’s policies might be replacing parts of copyright law itself as the source of creativity’s incentives structure.
"From a Distant Witness" in Rome and London: Black Atlantic Temporalities in William Demby's Beetlecreek and George Lamming's In the Castle of My Skin

This comparative analysis explores the formal methods with which two young black expatriate authors fictionalized their youth spent in segregated homelands in the Global South. Focusing on two modernist works of Cold War-era Black Atlantic fiction, William Demby’s Beetlecreek (1950) and George Lamming’s In the Castle of My Skin (1953), the article examines the authors’ respective exilic positions in Rome and London and their choice to pen debut, semi-autobiographical coming-of-age novels set in the 1930s with existential undertones—Demby’s in a small segregated town in the US South and Lamming’s in a small colonial village in the Caribbean. Demby and Lamming use aesthetic modes of defamiliarization as a liberatory strategy, adopting modernist formal and temporal strategies to estrange structures of oppression. The essay argues for reading the authors’ novels beyond national and canonical boundaries as part of a larger body of Black Atlantic literature that deconstructs racialized regimes in the Global South. I conclude with a brief reading of each writer’s intersections with Langston Hughes and Richard Wright in New York and in Paris in 1956, positing mobile networks of black diasporic affiliation forged in a period of global flux and transformation.
Mud-to-cement conversion of non-aqueous drilling fluids using alkali-activated fly ash

Abstract Driven by the needs for reduced waste disposal and a sustainable environment, many efforts have been made to recycle coal combustion products. Fly ash, for instance, has been well-researched and successfully re-used in various industries and fields. Despite the potential for various applications, only 1% of the recycled fly ash has been directed to the oil and gas industry. The present study evaluated the feasibility of using alkali-activated fly ash (AAF) as an alternative cementitious material in well cementing applications. The key finding of this study is that AAF slurries provide improved compatibility with oil-based and synthetic-based drilling muds (OBM/SBM) in comparison to Portland cement slurries. Benefits of using AAF go beyond mere OBM/SBM compatibility: it is in fact possible to incorporate large amount of non-aqueous drilling fluids (NAF) such as SBM and OBM into AAF formulations while maintaining necessary well cement characteristics. This also means that NAF-associated waste can be disposed of in a more cost-effective way, which presents a viable option for environmentally acceptable on-site or off-site disposal of drilling muds and cuttings. In the present work, a novel mud-to-cement conversion method was achieved by blending varied amounts of AAF and SBM. The consolidated AAF/mud mixture was named “AAF hybrid cement”. In an effort to develop the AAF hybrid system as a novel well cementing material, fresh state properties, such as slurry rheology and thickening time, and hardened state mechanical properties, such as compressive strength, were comprehensively studied. The laboratory evaluations showed that the AAF hybrid cement could meet the typical characteristics and requirements of a well cementing slurry. By changing the relative amount of AAF and SBM in the slurry, the AAF hybrid can be deliberately designed with high compressive strength for primary cementation, or with lower compressive strength for lost circulation control.
Evaluation of Wind Speed Retrieval from Continuous-Wave Lidar Measurements of a Wind Turbine Wake Using Virtual Lidar Techniques

Wind lidar technology is being extensively used in utility-scale wind turbine wake measurements because of its capabilities to capture the dominant structures of interest in the near-wake region. However, wind lidar devices provide only line-of-sight (LOS) measurements, and retrieval of horizontal wind speed from the LOS measurements of a single lidar in the wind turbine wake could introduce errors due to the assumptions used in the retrieval process. With that in mind, the goals of this paper are to estimate the errors associated with the retrieval processes and provide guidelines for best practices. To achieve these goals, virtual lidar samples are obtained with large-eddy simulations (LES) by sampling the flow field with a model of the Technical University of Denmark (DTU) SpinnerLidar. LES is chosen to simulate the neutral and unstable atmospheric boundary layer (ABL), a benchmark case of the International Energy Agency Wind Technology Collaboration Programme (IEA Wind TCP) Task 31. The precursor ABL simulation is validated with the reference data provided by the IEA Wind Task 31 benchmark case. The data from the precursor simulation is used to drive a simulation of a wind turbine submerged in the ABL. A weighting function is applied to the LES data to mimic the real DTU SpinnerLidar measurements. In the end, the virtual lidar data are processed and compared with the original LES data to estimate the errors. Results show that lidar captures mean ABL profile without any noticeable error, whereas turbulence intensity is underpredicted ≈ 15% at hub height for the neutral case. Volume averaging by the lidar technology has a significant effect in the shear layer of a wind turbine wake.
Rsp1 Is Indispensable for mRNA Stability during Erythroid Terminal Differentiation

Mouse models have proven invaluable for understanding erythropoiesis. Here, we describe an autosomal recessive inherited anemia in the mouse mutant hem6. Hematologic and transplantation analyses revealed a mild, congenital, hypochromic, microcytic anemia intrinsic to the hematopoietic system that is associated with a decreased red blood cell zinc protoporphyrin to heme ratio, indicative of porphyrin insufficiency. Iron uptake experiments showed that hem6 reticulocytes are defective in heme production, but not cellular iron uptake defects. Male hem6 mice are infertile due to defects in sperm structure and motility. Through positional cloning and BAC complementation, we identified the gene responsible for the hem6 anemia to be Rsp1 ( R NA S tability P rotein1 ) on Chr.3. The anemia phenotype was reproduced by injecting zebrafish embryos with morpholinos specifically targeting the Rsp1 transcript. Multi-tissue, real-time PCR shows that Rsp1 is abundantly expressed in bone marrow and testis, which correlates with the anemia and infertility defects in the hem6 mutant. To further study the function of Rsp1, we conducted yeast two hybrid analysis, employing a human bone marrow library. We found that Rsp1 interacts with the poly (A)-binding protein cytoplasmic 1(PABPC1) and, using microarray analysis, showed that many abundant erythroid specific transcripts, including Hbb-b1, Hba-a1, Alas2, and Mitoferrin1 , were significantly down regulated in hem6 reticulocytes. Since PABPC1 is responsible for stabilizing the Hba-a1 transcript [Wang et al. (1999) Mol Cell Biol19:4552–60 and Wang and Kiledjian (2000) Mol Cell Biol20:6334–41], we hypothesized that the relative deficiency in erythroid-specific mRNAs in hem6 reticulocytes might be due to decreased mRNA stability. Indeed, serial microarray analysis of reticulocytes aged in vitro showed that numerous, abundantly expressed erythroid-specific transcripts decayed at faster rates in hem6 reticulocytes compared to control reticulocytes. Furthermore, these mRNAs also have progressively shorter poly (A) tails, suggesting a mechanism for the increased rate of decay. In sum, the evidence supports the conclusion that Rsp1 is a regulator of mRNA stability and gene expression during the terminal differentiation of erythroid cells.
Relationship between Adverse Childhood Experiences, Social-Emotional Competencies, and Problem Behaviors among Elementary-Aged Children

Adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) impact both physical and emotional health throughout the lifespan and contribute to negative effects in childhood such as learning difficulties, internalizing a...
Intraspecific Genetic Variation and Species Interactions Contribute to Community Evolution

Evolution has been viewed as occurring primarily through selection among individuals. We present a framework based on multilevel selection for evaluating evolutionary change from individuals to com...
The Theological Hermeneutic of Amos Yong, In the Prime of His Theological Career

There is no more influential Pentecostal theologian in the academic world today than Amos Yong. The breadth of his influence is now in full bloom, and the depth of his contributions have left a wake in which many have only begun to swim. This article identifies and explains central aspects of his theological approach to interpreting human life and all of reality, that is, his theological hermeneutic, at a moment where Yong continues to produce his theological work in the prime of his career. While doing so, the essay adds a comparative twist by relating Yong’s project to two of the most influential thinkers in the Catholic theological tradition, the twentieth century German Jesuit theologian Karl Rahner, and the great doctor, the thirteenth century Dominican Thomas Aquinas. The breadth of Yong’s contribution to global Pentecostal theology now deserves to be treated analogously to those who have made orienting contributions to other Christian traditions. While it is entirely premature to make long-term historic judgments on Yong’s influence, as that is in the midst of becoming and the future unknowable, this comparison might be considered more along the lines of a midterm assessment of that influence, while he remains in the prime of his theological career.
Model Testing for Future Reintroductions of Desert Bighorn Sheep at Capitol Reef National Park

The objective of the 1989 fieldwork was the testing of a model developed in 1988. The main project objectives are to: (1) evaluate the success of the transplant operations; (2) investigate habitat selection behavior of desert bighorn sheep (Ovis canadensis); and (3) develop a model which classifies areas suitable for sheep use. This model will then be incorporated into a Geographic Information System (G.I.S.) to examine macrohabitat use patterns. Software to be used includes: SAGIS, MAP, DBIII, and HOMER.
Entrainment of a slow neuronal oscillator by a fast one

Networks of neurons that produce rhythmic activity often need to operate in a coordinated way. Although there is extensive theory of coupled oscillators that are close in period, much less is known on the interplay of oscillators with considerably different time scale periods.
Think tanks, free market academics, and the triumph of the right

These two books address different dimensions of the triumphal rise of free market ideas. Thomas Medvetz analyzes the emergence of think tanks as a new organizational form in the United States and explains why they have effectively reduced the influence of most academic intellectuals on policy making. Angus Burgin analyzes the emergence and history of the Mont Pelerin Society—the free market group that was founded by Friedrich Hayek—which had a decisive influence on conservative thought.
NUTRITIONAL REQUIREMENTS OF BACILLUS POPILLIAE

Sylvester, Charles J. (Michigan State University, East Lansing), and Ralph N. Costilow. Nutritional requirements of Bacillus popilliae. J. Bacteriol. 87:114-119. 1964.-Bacillus popilliae grew consistently well in a semisynthetic medium containing a "vitamin-free," salt-free, acid hydrolysate of casein supplemented with dextrose, dl-tryptophan, and thiamine. However, when the casein hydrolysate was replaced with a complete array of amino acids, no growth occurred. The addition of barbituric acid to this synthetic medium resulted in consistent growth. A number of purines, pyrimidines, and other nitrogen-containing compounds were tested, but none was found that would replace barbituric acid. In synthetic media, B. popilliae was found to require biotin, thiamine, and 11 amino acids for growth. Three additional amino acids were stimulatory. Preliminary studies indicated that the nutritional requirements of B. lentimorbus, another species known to be pathogenic for Japanese beetle (Popillia japonica) larvae, were similar to those for B. popilliae.
Sports Publicity: A Practical Approach

Effective communications are essential for all sport organizations. In this fully revised and updated third edition of his ground-breaking guide to communications in sports, Joe Favorito introduces the skills, knowledge and techniques needed to become a successful communicator. Favorito outlines the history of sports communications, explores the most important professional themes, topics and issues, and highlights exciting opportunities for future development. With a strong emphasis on professional practice and the day-to-day realities of working in sports and entertainment, the book covers all the core functional areas such as: · Digital and social media strategy · Crisis management · Creative writing · The value of audio storytelling · The role of communications in business. This new edition includes more international cases and data, interviews, best practices, and expanded coverage of social media, gaming, eSports and technological developments in communications; discussion of key contemporary issues such as multicultural media relations and ‘athletes as brands’; and an emphasis on the importance of strategic planning. No other book offers such a valuable insider’s view of the sports communications industry or the importance of PR and media relations in building successful sports organizations. Sports Publicity: A Practical Approach is essential reading for all students working in sport business, marketing or communications, and any PR practitioner looking to improve their professional skills. The author maintains a podcast of updated best practices, The CUSP Show, which is widely available, as well as a blog of best practices at joefavorito.com. Both of these resources make the perfect companion to this book.
Anti‐drug public service announcements targeting parents: An analysis and evaluation

This study examined televised anti‐drug public service announcements (PSAs) that direct parents to prevent their children from using drugs. A content analysis of 17 PSAs, televised from 1989 to 1998, was conducted to determine (a) the prevention strategies most frequently recommended to parents, (b) the presentation of these messages, and (c) whether PSA content reflected persuasion theories typically used in the design of health‐related messages. Most PSAs encouraged parents to communicate directly with their children about the consequences of using drugs, not to over‐look everyday opportunities to communicate with their children about drug‐related consequences, were affectively neutral, and featured information conveyed by an off‐camera narrator. About half the messages reflected theories commonly used to create health messages. Future anti‐drug PSAs directed at parents should employ theory to model parent‐child communication behaviors, emphasize the importance of monitoring children's activities, and e...
Interleukin 18 gene transfer expands the repertoire of antitumor Th1-type immunity elicited by dendritic cell-based vaccines in association with enhanced therapeutic efficacy.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells that can prime and boost systemic antitumor immunity. Here, we have evaluated the ability of DCs transfected to secrete the potent Th1-biasing cytokine interleukin (IL)-18 to promote enhanced antitumor immunity in a mouse sarcoma model. DCs infected with a recombinant adenovirus encoding IL-18 (AdIL18DC) expressed higher levels of MHC and costimulatory molecules and were better stimulators than control DCs in mixed leukocyte reactions in vitro. Immunization of BALB/c mice bearing established day 7 CMS4 tumors with tumor peptide-pulsed control Adpsi5-transfected DCs or nontransduced DCs significantly inhibited the growth of established tumors but did not lead to complete regression of established tumors. Importantly, immunization with antigen-loaded AdIL18DC resulted in tumor rejection or further suppression of tumor growth when compared with controls. The repertoire of naturally presented tumor peptides recognized by splenocytes (as deduced in IFN-gamma ELISA assays) from AdIL18DC-treated animals was far more diverse and of greater magnitude than that of all other groups, in association with improved therapeutic outcome. These results support the ability of IL-18 gene transfer to enhance the capacity of DCs to drive broadly reactive Th1-type therapeutic immunity prompted by single peptide epitope-based vaccines (i.e., epitope spreading).
QoS Based Predictive Admission Control for Multi-Media Traffic

In this work, we develop a distributed predictive admission control algorithm which provides appropriate throughput to the system while maintaining a fixed call dropping probability defined by the user. This algorithm is then extended to include multi-media traffic where the QoS criteria are the respective call dropping probabilities of the different traffic classes. The traffic classes are completely defined in terms of their individual call service time, handoff, and bandwidth parameters. This work is based on simple Markov analysis and traffic prediction. Using this algorithm, it is possible to combine any number of traffic classes in a network flexibly while maintaining the unique QoS criterion of each class. For the sake of simplicity, the algorithm is developed for a single dimensional wireless network. However, we show how it may be easily extended to multi-dimensional wireless networks.
Fractional carbon dioxide laser ablation for the treatment of microcystic lymphatic malformations (lymphangioma circumscriptum) in an adult patient with Klippel-Trenaunay syndrome.

Background Lymphangioma circumscriptum (LC) is a rare, benign, vascular malformation of dilated superficial lymphatic channels. Treatment is typically undertaken for cosmetic reasons or complications such as fluid drainage, pain, and infection risk that can negatively impact quality of life. Management of LC remains challenging because of high recurrence rates, regardless of the treatment modality chosen. Objective Treatment of LC with the fully-ablative carbon dioxide (CO2) laser has been reported widely, however, treatment with the fractionated CO2 laser has been limited to one case in the pediatric population. Our objective was to test the usefulness of the fractionated 10,600-nm CO2 laser in the management of symptomatic LC in an adult. Results We report a case of a 27-year-old female with Klippel-Trenaunay Syndrome (KTS) who presented with a 5-year history of well-circumscribed lesions on the right lateral and anterior thigh that drained clear lymphatic and serosanguineous fluid, respectively. These lesions caused her significant emotional distress because of extensive drainage. After only one treatment utilizing the fractionated 10,600-nm CO2 laser, the patient had improvement with cessation of fluid drainage, and the lesions are still asymptomatic 6 months since initial treatment. Conclusion The favorable results observed in our patient suggest that fractionated CO2 laser may be an additional well-tolerated, low downtime option for palliation of symptoms in patients with LC. We recognize that short-term follow-up cannot conclusively demonstrate effectiveness and durability of this treatment and that, given the high risk of recurrence, a longer-term observation is needed before making definite conclusions. Lasers Surg. Med. 47:539–541, 2015. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
SPORTS MEDICINE IN THE SEVENTIES1

One question which is frequently asked of me is "What is Sports Medicine?" A somewhat facetious friend has replied "It's a lurk designed to get a good parking spot at the football finals and a seat in the stand for the test match. There's even the bait of a free trip to the Olympic Games," he adds jealously. But whilst admitting that these statements can be true, there are many mundane tasks to be accomplished, usually in your own time, or that which, by rights, belongs to your family; many lectures to prepare and deliver, and much criticism to endure, when you fail to cure overnight, the football star's ruptured cruciate ligament or neurotic, spoilt temperament or both.
Nonmedical use of ultrasound: greater harm than good?

The use of diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy is well established. Although the patterns of use vary from country to country and region to region, the regular use of ultrasound in pregnancy has become commonplace. Whetherultrasound should be a routine part of obstetric care is still controversial among several major professional organizations. With the advent of 3- and 4-dimensional sonography, new controversies regarding the nonmedical use of ultrasound are being raised. Although some suggest that there may be benefits to this new phenomenon of ultrasound for entertainment, speculation has taken place regarding benefits versus risks. We present a case that illustrates the potential harm that "keepsake ultrasound photographs" may cause.
Baby--and toddler--steps toward immunotherapy for food allergy.

Cite this as: C. A. Keet and R. A. Wood, Clinical & Experimental Allergy, 2011 (41) 1175–1176.
Sedimentation equilibrium studies of some turtle chymotrypsins.

Abstract Solutions of three turtle pancreatic chymotrypsinogens and their corresponding free enzymes were each examined by a sedimentation equilibrium method to determine the molecular weights of the protein species present, as a function of protein concentration. Two of these zymogens are very susceptible to apparent auto-activation, and specific inhibition of the chymotrypsin product was found to be essential for such measurements. All six proteins have a monomeric molecular weight in the region of 25 000, but the accuracy of this determination varied with the protein, due to reversible dimerizations which were observed both in the enzymes and in their zymogens. For the chymotrypsin II from Chelydra serpentina and for the chymotrypsin I from Pseudemys elegans the data were consistent with the inference drawn from other studies, that very little or no material is released from the zymogen in the activation process. For the chymotrypsin II from Pseudemys elegans , these and gel-filtration data are compatible with the previously deduced liberation, in the activation, of fragments containing 18 amino acid residues.
Statistical mechanical model of boron coordination

Abstract A statistical mechanical model is used for calculating the fraction of boron atoms in tetrahedral coordination in alkali aluminoborosilicate glasses. The results are compared with nuclear magnetic resonance measurements. The calculated structure of certain glasses as a function of temperature is correlated with physical properties. A model for the calculation of halogen solubility is also proposed. The calculated changes of halogen solubility accompanying changes of temperature are correlated with observed changes in nickel color and certain characteristics of photochromic glasses. Phase separation in alkali borates is predicted at low temperatures but not at high ones.
NMR Study of Proton Sites in Group I Salts of 12-Tungstophosphoric Acid

The Group I salts of 12-tungstophosphoric acid were studied in their limiting hydration state with use of both1H and 31P solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). The bulk proton structures of the Li, Na, and Rb salts consist of both lone protons and water molecule protons. The K and Cs salts contain similar proton structures that reside in surface sites. Nonspinning 1H NMR results indicate that all protons in the limiting hydration state in each of the Group I salts are highly mobile at room temperature. 1H spin−lattice relaxation times obtained as a function of temperature indicate that the dominant mechanism responsible for proton relaxation in the Li, Na, and Rb salts is restricted rotation of water molecules while the K and Cs salts have proton spin−lattice relaxation that is dominated by translation of protons through surface sites of the material. Two stable Rb salt phases are crystallized when a stoichiometric amount of RbCl is added to aqueous 12-tungstophosphoric acid at room temperature.
Viral diseases of marine invertebrates

Approximately 40 viruses are known from marine sponges; turbellarian and monogenetic flatworms; cephalopod, bivalve, and gastropod mollusks; nereid polychaetes; and isopod and decapod crustaceans. Most of the viruses can be tentatively assigned to the Herpesviridae, Baculoviridae, Iridoviridae, Adenoviridae, Papovaviridae, Reoviridae, “Birnaviridae”, Bunyaviridae, Rhabdoviridae, and Picornaviridae. Viruslike particles found in oysters might be representatives of the Togaviridae and Retroviridae. Enveloped single-stranded RNA viruses from crustaceans have developmental and morphological characteristics intermediate between families, and some show evidence of relationships to the Paramyxoviridae as well as the Bunyaviridae or Rhabdoviridae. Certain small viruses of shrimp cannot be assigned, even tentatively, to a particular family. Some viruses cause disease in wild and captive hosts, others are associated with disease states but may not be primary instigators, and many occur in apparently normal animals. The frequency of viral disease in natural populations of marine invertebrates is unknown. Several viruses that cause disease in captive animals, with or without experimental intervention, have also been found in diseased wild hosts, including herpeslike viruses of crabs and oysters, iridovirus of octopus, and reolike and bunyalike viruses of crabs. Iridolike viruses have been implicated in massive mortalities of cultured oysters. Baculoviruses, and IHHN virus, which is of uncertain affinities, cause economically damaging diseases in cultured penaeid shrimp. Double or multiple viral infection is common in crabs. For example, a reolike virus and associated rhabdolike virus act synergistically to cause paralytic and fatal disease inCallinectes sapidus. Information on host range, most susceptible stage, and viral latency is available only for viruses of shrimp. One baculovirus attacks five species of New World penaeid shrimp. IHHN virus infects three species ofPenaeus and causes catastrophic mortalities inP. stylirostris, but usually exhibits only inapparent infection inP. vannamei. Some shrimp viruses apparently are latent in larvae, causing disease only when shrimp have reached the postlarval or juvenile stages. Others are equally or more pathogenic in larvae. Studies of shrimp viruses and iridovirus-associated disease in cultured oysters point up the need for rapid and accurate diagnostic methods. Until appropriate cell cultures from marine invertebrates are devised, the viral identifications necessary for understanding of epizootiology, rapid containment of epizootics in cultured animals, and decisions regarding introductions of exotic species will be difficult or impossible.
Investigation of the constraints on twisted and untwisted Yang-Mills theories in a slab

BRST is used to investigate the consistency of the quantum constraints for Yang–Mills theories based on twisted and untwisted SU(N) in a slab with periodic boundary conditions in one dimension.
In Vitro Optimization of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer Activity with Troxacitabine, L-1,3-Dioxolane-cytidine, Prodrugs

l-1,3-Dioxolane-cytidine, a potent anticancer agent against leukemia, has limited efficacy against solid tumors, perhaps due to its hydrophilicity. Herein, a library of prodrugs were synthesized to optimize in vitro antitumor activity against non-small cell lung cancer. N4-Substituted fatty acid amide prodrugs of 10−16 carbon chain length demonstrated significantly improved antitumor activity over l-1,3-dioxolane-cytidine. These in vitro results suggest that the in vivo therapeutic efficacy of l-1,3-dioxolane-cytidine against solid tumors may be improved with prodrug strategies.
A computational algorithm to determine cracks from electrostatic boundary measurements

Abstract We consider the problem of determining the location and the size of a linear crack in an electrically conducting two dimensional medium. The probing device consists of a single pair of electrodes through which current is passed. Certain integrals of the corresponding boundary voltage potential constitute our measured data. The computational algorithm is based on a variation of Newton's method. The algorithm iteratively updates the location of the electrodes to achieve maximal sensitivity. In addition to a detailed account of its derivation we present computational results for this algorithm.
Variations in lipids in different layers of porcine epidermis.

Abstract Frozen cryosections, 8 μm thick, were cut parallel to the surface of porcine skin so as to provide separate samples representing various epidermal layers. These samples were dried, extracted with chloroform-methanol mixtures, and the lipids chromatographed on silica gel plates in different solvent systems. After spraying with sulfuric acid and charring, lipids were quantified using a scanning densitometer. It was thus possible to determine lipid concentrations in 12 consecutive epidermal layers, extending 96 μm into the skin. The phospholipids that were characterized all decreased in concentration toward the surface, whereas the neutral lipids and ceramides all increased. Glucosylceramide and acylglucosylceramide reached a peak concentration in the stratum granulosum and then decreased in the surface layers. Cholesterol sulfate reached a maximum concentration in the deeper stratum corneum and then abruptly decreased in the surface layer. These changes in patterns of lipid concentration are consistent with current theories regarding the formation of a water barrier in the stratum corneum that is composed mainly of neutral lipids, and with a possible function of cholesterol sulfate in cellular adhesion in the stratum corneum.
High throughput adjustable 96-well plate assay for androgen receptor binding: A practical approach for EDC screening using the chimpanzee AR

The issue as to whether natural and man-made chemicals interfere with endocrine function has raised concerns. This interference could be biologically significant even at very low doses if the chemicals interact deleteriously with hormone receptors at low concentrations. Therefore, the United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA) Office of Coordination and Policy (OSCP) requested that a nonhuman mammalian androgen receptor binding assay be developed for possible use in their Endocrine Disruptor Screening Program (EDSP). Ideally, this assay would be high throughput, not use animals as a source of receptor protein, easily deployed throughout the scientific community, utilize reagents available to both the public and private sector, and have the potential for future automation. We developed a highly modified 96-well plate assay which meets these criteria. It employs a baculovirus expressed recombinant primate androgen receptor which is publically available and exploits the unique ability of some mammalian androgen receptors to remain biologically active after guanidine hydrochloride (GdnHCl) solubilization. This GdnHCl treated receptor remains soluble and requires no additional purification prior to use. We provide a very detailed description of the assay protocol itself, and similarly detailed method for producing and solublizing the receptor.
Infertility and the Search for Family

This article tells the story of one woman’s search for a family through having a child. This personal journey through infertility, assisted reproductive technology (ART), other efforts to overcome infertility, and the delivery of a child includes the woman’s trials, joys, relationships, and experiences with ART, as well as the doctors delivering it.
The role of leadership in shared mental model convergence and team performance improvement: An agent-based computational model

Abstract Research in shared mental models has immeasurably aided our understanding of effective teamwork and taskwork. However, little research has focused on the role that leaders play, if any, in influencing, developing and/or fostering shared mental models and thereby improving team performance. We developed an agent-based computational model based on McComb's theory of three-phase mental model development, where agents repeatedly share individual opinions (orientation phase), evaluate and respond to the opinions expressed by others (differentiation phase), and modify their understanding of the team based on the responses (integration phase). Leadership and team properties are represented in three experimental parameters: social network structure, heterogeneity of agents' domains of expertise, and level of their mutual interest. Participative leadership is represented by a fully connected network, while Leader–Member eXchange (LMX) is represented by a fully connected network of in-group members and several out-group members connected only to the leader. Our simulation results show that, in general, participative leadership promotes mental model convergence better than LMX. In the meantime, the team performance improvement is achieved by participative leadership only when members have both heterogeneous domains of expertise and strong mutual interest. In all other conditions, participative leadership causes the worst degradation of team performance through team development processes, while LMX is the best to minimize such team degradation. Implications and suggestions for future research are provided.