cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Abstract P231: High Fat Diet-induced Er Stress and Inflammation in the Kidney: Role of Trpv1-positive Afferent Renal Nerves

Chronic high fat diet (HFD) intake may lead to enhancement in endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress, reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, and inflammation in the kidney, but the mechanisms of HD effects are largely unknown. This study tests the hypothesis that HFD impairs afferent renal nerves expressing the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) channels, and that stimulating/preserving TRPV1-positive afferent renal nerves prevents against HFD-induced increases in ER stress, ROS production, and inflammation in the kidney. HFD decreased levels of TRPV1 in the kidney, levels of urinary calcitonin-gene related peptide (CGRP) and substance P (SP), and responses of afferent renal nerve activity (ARNA) to capsaicin, a TRPV1 agonist, perfused into the renal pelvis. HFD increased ER stress (XBP-1, CREB2, GRP78, p-JNK), ROS production (urinary 8-isoprostane), and inflammation (TNF-α, IL-1β) in the kidney. N-oleoyldopamine (OLDA, a TRPV1 agonist, 1 ng/kg, daily) or vehicle was given intrathecally (i.t.) via indwelled catheters to segments (T8-L3) supplying the kidneys of rats fed a HFD or normal fat diet (Con) for 8 weeks. OLDA prevented HFD-induced decreases in the levels of renal TRPV1, urinary CGRP and SP, and ARNA responses to capsaicin, as well as HFD-induced increases in renal ER stress, ROS production, and inflammation. OLDA-induced protection during HFD was abolished by degeneration of TRPV1-positive afferent renal nerves by topical application of resiniferatoxin (RTX, 2 μg/ml x 2 times), a potent TRPV1 agonist, on renal nerves (TNF-α, Con: 0.17±0.02, HFD: 0.41±0.03, HFD+OLDA: 0.21±0.02, HFD+OLDA+RTX: 0.46±0.04, p
Continuous Melt-Drawing of Highly Aligned Flexible and Stretchable Semiconducting Microfibers for Organic Electronics

A scalable and green approach to manufacture semiconducting microfibers from polymer melts has been demonstrated. The polymer chains are highly aligned along the microfiber's long axis direction and exhibit highly anisotropic optical properties. In addition, the polymer microfibers show good flexibility and stretchability with a yield point around 10% under a reversible stress and can be stretched up to 180% without breaking. These features are desired for future flexible, stretchable, and conformable electronics. The origin of this stretchability is studied with diketopyrrolopyrrole derivatives using different conjugation break spacers and side chains. In addition, stretchable conducting microfibers can be obtained by doping with FeCl3, which are further evaluated as organic conductors and source/drain electrodes in organic field-effect transistors.
Linear Regression With Shuffled Data: Statistical and Computational Limits of Permutation Recovery

Consider a noisy linear observation model with an unknown permutation, based on observing $y = \Pi ^{*} A x^{*} + w$ , where $x^{*} \in {\mathbb {R}} ^{d}$ is an unknown vector, $\Pi ^{*}$ is an unknown $n \times n$ permutation matrix, and $w \in {\mathbb {R}} ^{n}$ is additive Gaussian noise. We analyze the problem of permutation recovery in a random design setting in which the entries of matrix $A$ are drawn independently from a standard Gaussian distribution and establish sharp conditions on the signal-to-noise ratio, sample size $n$ , and dimension $d$ under which $\Pi ^{*}$ is exactly and approximately recoverable. On the computational front, we show that the maximum likelihood estimate of $\Pi ^{*}$ is NP-hard to compute for general $d$ , while also providing a polynomial time algorithm when $d =1$ .
Curvelet Transform-based volume fusion for correcting signal loss artifacts in Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography data

Flow fields in cerebral aneurysms can be measured in vivo with phase-contrast MRI (4D Flow MRI), providing 3D anatomical magnitude images as well as 3-directional velocities through the cardiac cycle. The low spatial resolution of the 4D Flow MRI data, however, requires the images to be co-registered with higher resolution angiographic data for better segmentation of the blood vessel geometries to adequately quantify relevant flow descriptors such as wall shear stress or flow residence time. Time-of-Flight Magnetic Resonance Angiography (TOF MRA) is a non-invasive technique for visualizing blood vessels without the need to administer contrast agent. Instead TOF uses the blood flow-related enhancement of unsaturated spins entering into an imaging slice as means to generate contrast between the stationary tissue and the moving blood. Because of the higher resolutions, TOF data are often used to assist with the segmentation process needed for the flow analysis and Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) modeling. However, presence of slow moving and recirculating blood flow such as in brain aneurysms, especially regions where the blood flow is not perpendicular to the image plane, causes signal loss in these regions. In this work a 3D Curvelet Transform-based image fusion approach is proposed for signal loss artifact reduction of TOF volume data. Experiments show the superiority of the proposed approach in comparison to other multi-resolution 3D Wavelet-based image fusion methodologies. The proposed approach can further facilitate model-based fluid analysis and pre/post-operative treatment of patients with brain aneurysms.
Perioperative Care of the Elderly Orthopedic Patient

Special considerations related to aging (homeostenosis) must be addressed when elderly patients require orthopedic surgery. Assessment of risk and surgical planning should be based on the elderly patient’s “fitness” as opposed to their chronological age. Modifications of surgical technique which take into account the lower demands of the elderly can help eliminate potential postoperative risks. An example of this would include use of constrained THR components which prevent postoperative dislocation. The elderly patient has the potential to benefit as much from orthopedic reconstruction as younger counterparts but special rehabilitation strategies should be incorporated into their treatment plans.
West Nile Virus and Drought

West Nile virus was first reported in Uganda in 1937. WNV is a zoonosis, with "spill-over" to humans, which also poses significant risks for wildlife, zoo and domestic animal populations. While it is not known how West Nile virus (WNV) entered the New World in 1999, anomalous weather conditions may have helped amplify this Flavivirus that circulates among urban mosquitoes, birds and mammals. We analyzed weather patterns coincident with a series of U.S. urban outbreaks of St. Louis encephalitis (SLE), (a disease with a similar life cycle), and four recent large outbreaks of WNV. Drought emerged as a common feature. As the potential risks from pesticides for disease control must be weighed against the health risks of the disease, an early warning system of conditions conducive to amplification of the enzootic cycle could help initiate timely preventive measures, and potentially limit chemical interventions.
The impact of infection among left ventricular assist device recipients on post‐transplantation outcomes: A retrospective review

INTRODUCTION Left ventricular assist device (LVAD) infections are common, and the consequences of LVAD infections on orthotopic heart transplantation (OHT) outcomes are not well described. AIMS The aim of this study was to describe clinical characteristics and evaluate risk factors for developing LVAD infections, and examine outcomes of LVAD-specific infections (VSI) after OHT. METHODS We retrospectively investigated the records of 74 consecutive patients at two institutions who had undergone LVAD placement and subsequent OHT between January 2007 and December 2012. RESULTS Forty-six of 74 (62%) LVAD recipients who underwent OHT had pre-transplant infections, and 18 (24%) had LVAD-specific infection (VSI), of which 71% were caused by gram-negative organisms. Of pre-transplant non-LVAD infections, Clostridium difficile infection (CDI) was the most common (26%) followed by urinary tract infection (UTI, 16%) and pneumonia (PNA 15%). Univariate analysis comparing subjects with VSI to those without VSI showed a significant association with time spent outside the hospital prior to transplantation (median 231.8 days vs 142.2 days, P < 0.03) and total time between VAD placement and OHT (244.0 days and 150.5 days, P < 0.002). Logistic regression was performed and significant predictors for VAD-related infection were age and the presence of diabetes, with type of device as an effect modifier. Six months post-OHT survival was not significantly affected by the presence of VSI prior to transplant. There was a trend toward an association between the presence of any infection and post-transplant rejection (P < 0.09). There were 10 post-transplant deaths by 6 months. Of these deaths, 4/10 (40%) were cardiopulmonary and 6/10 (60%) were related to infections. CONCLUSIONS Advanced age and presence of diabetes were predictors of VSI, as well as type of VAD device, although device choice is likely affected by many clinical factors including age and comorbidities, as well as institution-specific preferences. VSI was not associated with a decrease in 6-month post-OHT survival. However, infections remain the major causes of death by 6 months post-transplant. Certain infections are associated with an increased risk of rejection, which merits further investigation.
Natural Health Strategies for Pain Care, Part 2: A Phytomedicine Compendium.

According to the National Health Interview Survey, an estimated 126.1 million adults (55.7%) reported some level of pain in the previous 3 months, with 25.3 million adults (11.2 %) who experienced daily (chronic) pain and almost 40 million adults (17.6%) who suffered from high levels of pain.1 The s
Surgical Approach to Frontal Sinus Osteoma: A Systematic Review:

BackgroundOsteoma of the paranasal sinuses are benign bony masses most commonly found in the frontal sinus. In the past, due to the anatomical complexity of the frontal sinus, these often required ...
3D radar imaging of mm-wave compact range data using compressed sensing

Three-dimensional radar imaging is becoming increasingly important in modern warfare systems, leading to an increased need for deeper understanding of the 3D scattering behavior. Fully polarimetric, three-dimensional radar signature data have been collected using 1/16th scale models of tactical targets in several indoor compact radar ranges, corresponding to radar data at X-band. The high-range-resolution data has been collected through a 2D aperture in azimuth and elevation. This data has been processed into 3D coordinates using a standard 3D Fourier transform. The radar signatures have also been rendered into 3D coordinates using Interferometric ISAR techniques. The results of applying compressed sensing techniques to the analysis will be presented. Mathematical 3D correlation analysis has been used to compare the results of each method of 3D reconstruction.
Stellar Coronae: The Source of X-ray Emission

The temperature distribution in a star decreases monotonically from the nuclear burning core to the top of its photosphere as heat leaks out into cold space. However, the hottest region of a star can be its outermost layer, the corona with temperatures of 106 K to 107 K or even hotter. The heating mechanism responsible for hot coronae has been debated since the existence of hot coronal gas was first identified in the early 1940s.
Functionalized aliphatic P2/P2′ analogs of HIV-1 protease inhibitor DMP323

Abstract A series of analogs of HIV protease inhibitor DMP323 containing functionalized aliphatic P2/P2′ groups was prepared and evaluated for HIV protease inhibition and antiviral activity in a cell-based assay. Asymmetric compounds with a 5-hydroxypentyl substituent at P2 and a benzylic substituent at P2′ showed increased potency over the corresponding symmetrically substituted analogs.
Practices and perceptions regarding intravenous opioid infusion and cancer pain management

Background In view of the recent opioid crisis, ways to promote safe and effective opioid-related practices are needed. Faster intravenous (iv) opioid infusion rates can result in increased adverse effects and risk for nonmedical opioid use. Data on best practices regarding safe iv opioid administration for cancer pain are limited. This study examined iv opioid bolus infusion practices and perceptions about opioids in cancer pain among 4 groups of inpatient oncology nurses. Methods An anonymous cross-sectional survey was conducted among oncology nurses working in medical, surgical, intensive care unit (ICU), and emergency department (ED) settings. An iv opioid bolus infusion speed less than 120 seconds was considered too fast. Results The participant response rate was 59% (731 of 1234). Approximately 58%, 54%, and 58% of all nurses administered morphine, hydromorphone, and fentanyl, respectively, in less than 120 seconds. The median morphine infusion speeds were 55, 60, 60, and 85 seconds for ICU, surgical, ED, and medical unit nurses, respectively (P = .0002). The odds ratios for infusing too fast were 2.04 and 2.52 for ED (P = .039) and ICU nurses (P = .003), respectively, in comparison with medical unit nurses, and they were 0.27 and 0.18 with frequent (P = .003) and very frequent use of a timing device (P = .0001), respectively, in comparison with no use. Conclusions More than half the nurses working in the inpatient setting reported administering iv opioids too fast. ICU nurses administered opioids the fastest. Nurses who frequently used a timing device were less likely to infuse too fast. Further research is needed to standardize and improve the safe intermittent administration of iv opioids to patients with cancer.
Image as Insight: Visual Images in Practice-Based Research

Art practice as research casts artmaking as inquiry—as a particularly experiential and constructivist process of learning in which imaginative synthesis and creative image making are ways of constructing knowledge. This article explores how artmaking functions as research through the creation of visual images, especially images that picture concepts, to create new insights and transform perceptions. It follows a path from mental images that mediate conceptualization in the mind to visible images in the world that shape thought in the social realm. To do this, it takes an interdisciplinary approach, exploring concepts from cognitive science, metaphor theory, and the sociocultural theory of mind, and presenting relevant examples from science and art to explain those concepts.
Discovery of Stable and Selective Antibody Mimetics from Combinatorial Libraries of Polyvalent, Loop-Functionalized Peptoid Nanosheets

The ability of antibodies to bind a wide variety of analytes with high specificity and high affinity makes them ideal candidates for therapeutic and diagnostic applications. However, the poor stability and high production cost of antibodies have prompted exploration of a variety of synthetic materials capable of specific molecular recognition. Unfortunately, it remains a fundamental challenge to create a chemically diverse population of protein-like, folded synthetic nanostructures with defined molecular conformations in water. Here we report the synthesis and screening of combinatorial libraries of sequence-defined peptoid polymers engineered to fold into ordered, supramolecular nanosheets displaying a high spatial density of diverse, conformationally constrained peptoid loops on their surface. These polyvalent, loop-functionalized nanosheets were screened using a homogeneous Forster resonance energy transfer (FRET) assay for binding to a variety of protein targets. Peptoid sequences were identified that bound to the heptameric protein, anthrax protective antigen, with high avidity and selectivity. These nanosheets were shown to be resistant to proteolytic degradation, and the binding was shown to be dependent on the loop display density. This work demonstrates that key aspects of antibody structure and function-the creation of multivalent, combinatorial chemical diversity within a well-defined folded structure-can be realized with completely synthetic materials. This approach enables the rapid discovery of biomimetic affinity reagents that combine the durability of synthetic materials with the specificity of biomolecular materials.
Analysis of rapid compression machine facility effects on the auto-ignition of ethanol

Abstract Ignition delay measurements are frequently carried out in Rapid Compression Machines (RCMs), which require a means to prepare mixtures of fuel, oxidizer and diluent gases. In RCMs, the same compressed conditions can be achieved by various combinations of compression ratio, initial temperature, initial pressure, diluent gas composition, etc. Since it has been previously assumed that the value of ignition delay for a given fuel and at a given set of compressed conditions is independent of the choice of initial conditions, there have been limited studies on understanding the effect that these parameters have on low-temperature reactions and the subsequent ignition of the fuel; and any discrepancy in data is attributed to experimental uncertainties and/or facility effects. Therefore, the objective of this work is to determine the effects of different initial conditions on the measured ignition delay. Experiments and simulations were carried out at two compression ratios of 17.1 and 11.7, for stoichiometric mixtures of ethanol and air that consisted of nitrogen and argon as diluent gases. This study also examines the effect of two mixture preparation methods; (1) directly injecting the fuel in the combustion chamber and allowing it to mix before compressing it and (2) using a mixing tank in which the fuel and air is pre-mixed and then supplied to the combustion chamber for compression. With the help of optical images, in addition to the pressure traces, the effects that both of these mixture preparation methods have on the ignition delay characteristics for the above-mentioned conditions are investigated.
Gene expression identifies heterogeneity of soft tissue sarcomas

9574 Background: Soft tissue sarcomas (STS) exhibit heterogeneity in their clinical behavior, even within histological subtypes. Histological appearance is determined by gene expression. However, m...
Conspicuous interatomic bonding in chalcogenide crystals and implications on electronic, optical, and elastic properties

Chalcogenide crystals are a unique class of materials very different from semiconductors or metallic alloys. They also have many practical applications, especially in relation to their optical properties. However, the fundamental understanding of their electronic structure and physical properties is rather scattered and incomplete. We present a detailed study using first-principles calculations on the electronic structure, interatomic bonding, and optical and mechanical properties for 32 chalcogenide crystals. They consist of 22 binary (AnBm) and 10 ternary (AnA′Bm) crystals with A = Ag, As, Cu, Ge, Sb, Sn, Cd, Zn; A′ = In, Ge, Sn; and B = S, Se, Te with n = 1, 2, 4 and m = 1, 2, 3, 4, 9. We use the novel concept of total bond order density as a single quantum mechanical metric to characterize the internal cohesion of these crystals and correlate them with the calculated properties, especially the mechanical properties. Based on this large database, we are able to identify some new and conspicuous observations to reach some useful conclusions related to the chemical composition of the chalcogenide compounds and their complex interatomic interactions. Specific examples from crystals and their unique properties in relation to the elements A and A′ and chalcogenide element B (S, Se, and Te) are discussed and highlighted. Finally, generalization of the observed trends and empirical rules can be extended to much larger classes of ternary and quaternary chalcogenide crystals and glasses so far unexplored.
Frost Penetration in Flowable Fill Used in Pipe Trench Backfill

Flowable fill is being used in Canadian municipalities as a select trench backfill under urban streets subjected to heavy traffic loads. The flowable fill mixture being sold by the Canadian ready mixed concrete industry for backfilling utility trenches has been found to be a good structural fill in supporting the overlying pavement and, in some cases, has been used to physically support buried utilities. The high thermal conductivity of this material has been found by some municipalities to contribute to a deeper frost penetration when used as a trench backfill. This deeper frost penetration has caused hydrant laterals and water service lines to freeze as well as differential frost heave of the asphalt surface surrounding the trench. This paper discusses these problem, presents some results from a full-scale experiment in Edmonton, Alberta, and suggests some potential solutions.
A New Link to Primate Heart Development.

Long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are important regulators of development. In this issue of Developmental Cell, Wilson et al. utilize pluripotent stem cell models to demonstrate that a primate lncRNA, BANCR, is primarily expressed in fetal cardiomyocytes and promotes cell migration.
High frame rate video mosaicking microendoscope to image large regions of intact tissue with subcellular resolution

High-resolution microendoscopy (HRME) is a low-cost strategy to acquire images of intact tissue with subcellular resolution at frame rates ranging from 11 to 18 fps. Current HRME imaging strategies are limited by the small microendoscope field of view (∼0.5 mm2); multiple images must be acquired and reliably registered to assess large regions of clinical interest. Image mosaics have been assembled from co-registered frames of video acquired as a microendoscope is slowly moved across the tissue surface, but the slow frame rate of previous HRME systems made this approach impractical for acquiring quality mosaicked images from large regions of interest. Here, we present a novel video mosaicking microendoscope incorporating a high frame rate CMOS sensor and optical probe holder to enable high-speed, high quality interrogation of large tissue regions of interest. Microendoscopy videos acquired at >90 fps are assembled into an image mosaic. We assessed registration accuracy and image sharpness across the mosaic for images acquired with a handheld probe over a range of translational speeds. This high frame rate video mosaicking microendoscope enables in vivo probe translation at >15 millimeters per second while preserving high image quality and accurate mosaicking, increasing the size of the region of interest that can be interrogated at high resolution from 0.5 mm2 to >30 mm2. Real-time deployment of this high-frame rate system is demonstrated in vivo and source code made publicly available.
Cryogenic RF CMOS on 22nm FDSOI Platform with Record f T =495GHz and f MAX =497GHz

Cryogenic DRAM at 77K is a promising high bandwidth memory option to complement cryogenic superconducting (SC) processors at 4K [1]. CMOS mixed-signal interface circuits with ultra-high gain-bandwidth product (~THz) is needed to bridge the three-order-of-magnitude voltage gap between SC logic (~25mV) and cryo-DRAM (~0.8-1V). In this work, we demonstrate high-frequency operation of 18nm gate length (L G ) FDSOI NMOS and PMOS from 300K to 5.5K operating temperature (T). We show record unity current-gain cutoff frequency (f T ) of 495/337 GHz (35%/25% gain over 300K) and maximum oscillation frequency (f MAX ) of 497/372 GHz (30%/30% gain) for NMOS/PMOS at 5.5 K. A small-signal equivalent circuit model is developed to identify the T-dependent and T-invariant components of the extrinsic and intrinsic FET. Cryo-RF CMOS on 22 nm FDSOI platform enables access to Terahertz analog regime, while providing Giga-scale digital density at the same time.
Life Paths to Leading Systems-Level Change: Higher Education's Pitfalls and Potential

Global protests calling for accelerated climate change action, social justice, and racial equity have been shifting long-standing conversations and policies from local to national scales. Yet many ...
EVALUATING THE PERFORMANCE OF MASS TRANSIT FIRMS: A CROSS SECTION TIME SERIES ANALYSIS

This paper presents the results of an econometric analysis of the supply of transit services utilizing cross section-time series data for 18 Indiana transit systems from 1983-1999. The first section provides an introduction. The next section presents the model and data that will be used in the analysis. The third section examines the short-run model development, as well as the derived long-run characteristics. The final section discusses the policy implications of the results obtained from the analysis.
Review and Extension for the O’Brien Fleming Multiple Testing procedure

Review and Extension for the O’Brien Fleming Multiple Testing procedure by Hanan Hammouri, MS. Advisor: Dr. Roy Sabo O'Brien and Fleming (1979) proposed a straightforward and useful multiple testing procedure (group sequential testing procedure) for comparing two treatments in clinical trials where subject responses are dichotomous (e.g. success and failure). O'Brien and Fleming stated that their group sequential testing procedure has the same Type I error rate and power as that of a fixed one-stage chi-square test, but gives the opportunity to terminate the trial early when one treatment is clearly performing better than the other. We studied and tested the O'Brien and Fleming procedure specifically by correcting the originally proposed critical values. Furthermore, we updated the O’Brien Fleming Group Sequential Testing procedure to make it more flexible via three extensions. The first extension is combining the O’Brien Fleming Group Sequential Testing procedure with the Optimal allocation, where the idea is to allocate more patients to the better treatment after each interim analysis. The second extension is combining the O’Brien Fleming Group Sequential Testing procedure with the Neyman allocation which aims to minimize the variance of the difference in sample proportions. The last extension is that we can allow for different sample weights for different stages, as opposed to equal allocation for different stages. Simulation studies showed that the O’Brien Fleming Group Sequential Testing procedure is relatively robust to the added features.
Investigating the Use of Gesture-Based Passwords by the Seniors

Older adults in the US are the fastest-growing demographic group, and also the fastest-growing group of internet users [1]. Many computer related tasks, such as user authentication, could be a challenge for the seniors as their cognitive and physical capabilities decline. To date, the most commonly used authentication method is alphanumeric passwords, which have substantial challenges regarding security and usability [2]. Authentication using traditional alphanumeric passwords can be particularly problematic for the seniors because secure passwords are usually hard to remember [3]. Therefore, due to memory loss, one common problem associated with aging, the traditional alphanumeric passwords could be challenging for the seniors to recall and manage. To address this challenge, we developed a gesture-based password application as an alternative to the traditional alphanumeric passwords [4]. Preliminary studies suggest that users could learn the new password method in fairly short amount of time [5]. In this paper, we report an empirical user study to investigate how the seniors interact with the gesture password application.
Whose "Voice" is it Anyway?: Giving Voice and Qualitative Research Involving Individuals that Type to Communicate

Keywords voice, qualitative research, supported typing, disability studies, interviewing Abstract One of the critical questions facing Disability Studies is how to make central the voices of individuals with disabilities in research? In this paper, I interrogate the idea of "voice" in critical, qualitative research and its application to research involving individuals who do not use speech as their primary mode of expression. How does critical, qualitative research and theories of voice position participants whose means of expression challenge traditional notions of normative participation? I first problematize the premise of giving voice generally and then present four key issues, which include a) the question of competence for individuals who do not use speech, b) hearing silence, c) agency and voice, and d) broadening the conceptualization of voice beyond speech. I conclude with implications for qualitative researchers and others interested in facilitating voice for individuals using alternative forms of expression.
Commercial Use of the Internet: Some Pros and Cons

The U.S. Department of Defense originally designed the Internet to increase the productivity of government workers and it has now become an enormous opportunity for businesses to advertise, correspond with clients, order from suppliers, and conduct many other business functions at minimal cost. The Internet has achieved faster acceptance by Americans than any other previous technologies and businesses are already discovering that the Web is having a profound impact on how they conduct business. Conservative estimates are for Internet retail sales to reach $7 billion by the year 2000, and some respected analysts predict it to grow to $100 billion over the next five to eight years. As with any new initiative, there are costs, benefits, and risks associated with the undertaking. Anyone who wishes to maintain a Web site on the Internet can do so at a modest cost, or in some cases at no cost. One of the many benefits to be gained from placing a company on the Internet such as gaining access to the World Wide Web (WWW). The WWW gives anyone who is connected the ability to communicate with distant computers all over the world and provides the benefit of being able to send and receive electronic mail (E-mail). While there are a number of different risks incurred when a company establishes a Web site and goes on the Internet the biggest concern, by far, is security. When a company installs a Web server at their site, they open a window into their local network that the entire Internet can peer through. These substantial risks notwithstanding, the Internet provides an opportunity that business cannot afford to pass up. The number of companies that have already taken advantage of the Internet and the rapid increase in the number of Internet users has fueled a phenomenal growth in electronic commerce. The Internet provides an excellent opportunity to increase sales at a lower marginal cost than was possible before. Companies that pass up this tremendous opportunity will probably not survive in the 21 st century competitive climate.
Incidence of intracranial hemorrhage and outcomes after ground-level falls in geriatric trauma patients taking preinjury anticoagulants and antiplatelet agents

Antiplatelet and anticoagulant medication increases the risk of intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) after a fall in geriatric patients. We sought to determine whether there were differences in ICH rates and outcomes based on type of anticoagulant or antiplatelet agent after a ground-level fall (GLF). Our institutional trauma registry was used to identify patients 65 years old or older after a GLF while taking warfarin, clopidogrel, or aspirin over a 2-year period. Rates and types of ICH and patient outcomes were evaluated. Of 562 patients who met inclusion and exclusion criteria, 218 (38.8%) were on warfarin, 95 (16.9%) were on clopidogrel, and 249 (44.3%) were on aspirin. Overall ICH frequency was 15 per cent with no difference in ICH rate, type of ICH, need for craniotomy, mortality, or intensive care unit or hospital length of stay between groups. Patients with ICH were more likely to present with abnormal Glasgow Coma Score, history of hypertension, and/or loss of consciousness.
Chemokines: back to the future?

Chemokines are generally appreciated within the realm of immunology as chemoattractant cytokines that are involved in constitutive and inducible movement of white blood cells. However, evidence increasingly points to a broader function of chemokines in cellular and developmental biology, and the initially T-associated chemokine RANTES has now been shown to produce age-dependent effects on developing human astrocytes.
Improving snow albedo processes in WRF/SSiB regional climate model to assess impact of dust and black carbon in snow on surface energy balance and hydrology over western U.S.

© 2015. American Geophysical Union. All Rights Reserved. Two important factors that control snow albedo are snow grain growth and presence of light-absorbing impurities (aerosols) in snow. However, current regional climate models do not include such processes in a physically based manner in their land surface models. We improve snow albedo calculations in the Simplified Simple Biosphere (SSiB) land surface model coupled with the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) regional climate model (RCM), by incorporating the physically based SNow ICe And Radiative (SNICAR) scheme. SNICAR simulates snow albedo evolution due to snow aging and presence of aerosols in snow. The land surface model is further modified to account for deposition, movement, and removal by meltwater of such impurities in the snowpack. This paper presents model development technique, validation with in situ observations, and preliminary results from RCM simulations investigating the impact of such impurities in snow on surface energy and water budgets. By including snow-aerosol interactions, the new land surface model is able to realistically simulate observed snow albedo, snow grain size, dust in snow, and surface water and energy balances in offline simulations for a location in western U.S. Preliminary results with the fully coupled RCM show that over western U.S., realistic aerosol deposition in snow induces a springtime average radiative forcing of 16W/m2 due to a 6% albedo reduction, a regional surface warming of 0.84°C, and a snowpack reduction of 11mm.
Decay Scheme and Gamma-Gamma Angular Correlations in Ni-60 Following the Decay of 23-Min Cu-60

A new decay scheme is given for ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{60}$ which agrees with the main features of previous schemes. However, evidence was found for previously unreported feedings to levels at 4.08, 3.73, 3.39, 3.27, and 3.19 MeV. Analysis of single-crystal $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray spectra and spectra in coincidence with 1.33-MeV radiation and with annihilation radiation revealed, in addition to previously established $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays, new weaker $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays whose energies are 0.47, 0.50, 0.64, 0.95, 1.03, (1.10), 1.86, 1.94, 2.06, 2.40, 2.74, 3.19, and 3.27 MeV. No 3.52-MeV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray was found. The half-life for ${\mathrm{Cu}}^{60}$ was measured to be 22.9\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.1 min. Angular-correlation measurements for $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ rays of 0.83, 0.95, 1.03, and 1.79 MeV in coincidence with 1.33-MeV radiation have been made. Spin-2 assignments resulted for levels at 2.16 and 3.12 MeV. $\frac{E2}{M1}$ mixing ratios $\ensuremath{\delta}=\ensuremath{-}1.2\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.3 \mathrm{and} 0.21\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.04$ were found for ${{2}_{i}}^{+}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{{2}_{1}}^{+}$ transitions of 0.83 and 1.79 MeV, respectively. A spin-0 assignment for the 2.29-MeV level was made. The present $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ angular-correlation results are compared with results of a previous $\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ angular-correlation study and with results of a ${\mathrm{Ni}}^{60}(p, {p}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma})$ $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray angular-distribution study. In the case of the $\frac{E2}{M1}$ mixing ratio for the 0.83-MeV $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ ray arising from the 2.16-MeV level, the present value for $\ensuremath{\delta}$ is close to the value obtained from the ($p, {p}^{\ensuremath{'}}\ensuremath{\gamma}$) study, and disagrees with the previous radioactivity work. The negative sign of $\ensuremath{\delta}$ for this ${2}_{2}^{+}$\ensuremath{\rightarrow}${2}_{1}^{+}$ transition is discussed in the light of new theoretical estimates by Greiner. The relationship of the present experiment to other recent work is discussed.
Sol-gel processing of ionic conductors

Abstract The sol-gel process, in general, refers to the chemical synthesis of oxides starting with hydrolyzable metal alkoxides. For alkali ion conducting silicates, suitable precursors are mixed in alcohol solutions. Typically the compositions include silica, zirconia, phosphoric acid and boric acid along with alkali salts. Hydrolysis and polymerization lead to a sol-gel transition, when an oxide skeleton condenses in the presence of solvent. The gel may be deposited as a thin film, drawn into a fiber or cast as a bulk shape. After the solvent is removed, the microporous xerogel is the material of interest in terms of ionic/protonic conductivity. Since the porosity is open and interconnected, the gel can be infiltrated with alkali salts. The microporosity can be removed by sintering, at which time the gel transforms to dense glass.
Recovery from Transition Errors in Sequential Circuits

We consider the impact of one-cycle transient faults on the state behavior of sequential circuits. The resultant errors are broadly classified into non-critical output errors and critical (state) transition errors. We also study the time required for recovery (self-healing) from transition errors under random input sequences, and present some experimental data for benchmark circuits.
“The one who gathers children:” the work of Vivian Gussin Paley and current debates about how we educate young children

Abstract This essay discusses the achievements of early childhood educator, Vivian Gussin Paley, preschool and kindergarten teacher for more than 30 years, and author of 12 books portraying her work in the classroom with young children. It begins with a description of seven narrative tools she developed over the course of many years that became the means for uncovering insights about children and the nature of their learning in classroom settings: The essay then examines how her work speaks to contemporary educational debates about the education of young children including the need for intellectual and academic rigor in early childhood classrooms; the place of pretend play in achieving academic goals; the building of inclusive classrooms as communities that support diverse young children to thrive; and how schools can educate morally responsible future citizens for a democratic society.
Energy modeling of photovoltaic thermal systems with corrugated unglazed transpired solar collectors - Part 2: Performance analysis

Abstract This paper is the second of two companion papers focused on energy modeling and performance analysis of building-integrated photovoltaic thermal (PV/T) systems with corrugated unglazed transpired solar collectors (UTCs). In Part 1, energy models are presented for two configurations: UTC only and UTC with PV panels. The models predict the energy output of the system for different weather and system design conditions and are validated using measured data from an outdoor test facility. In this paper (Part 2), the system performance is evaluated based on data drawn from the literature and simulations with Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) and energy models. The analysis includes parameters that are unique for this system, such as the corrugation geometry and the collector orientation. Validated, high resolution CFD simulations are used to study the impact of plate orientation and incident turbulence intensity, based on the comparison of exterior and interior Nusselt (Nu) number and the cavity exit air temperature, as well as the PV surface temperature when UTCs are integrated with PV panels. It is found that for configurations with UTC only, both exterior and interior convective heat transfer is enhanced in the ‘vertical’ installation, while similar results were obtained for increased incident turbulence intensity levels. However, only minor influences from these two parameters are observed for UTCs with PV panels. The energy model is used to investigate the optimal geometry for both configurations. It is found that parameters such as slope length and corrugation wavelength have the most significant impact on UTC performance while the wavelength and PV panel height have the largest effect for UTCs with PV panels.
A Molecular Link between AKT Regulation and Chemotherapeutic Response

The protein kinase AKT is frequently activated in human cancers and has been implicated in resistance to chemotherapy. In this issue of Cancer Cell , Pei et al. show that FKBP51 negatively regulates AKT through the phosphatase PHLPP. This regulation appears to be a determinant of chemosensitivity in cancer cells.
Comments on Setting Criteria for Experimental Writing

In response to a call for discussion of criteria for judging ethnographic experimental writing, the author felt it necessary to address the relationship of politics and experimental writing. Given that recent experimental writing was initiated with the critique of traditional ethnographic writing in sociology and anthropology that was part of the larger criticism of the authority of Western discourse, she wanted to speculate on the future to which experimental writing points and for which it prepares ethnographers to think politically. For her, this is the primary value of experimental writing: It links ethnographers to the future of politics and to the politics of the future. It is in terms of this two-way link that experimental writing might be judged.
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptor antibody bevacizumab (avastin) induces regression of renal cell carcinoma in an adolescent resulting in residual tumorectomy

Renal cell carcinoma is a chemo- and radiation-resistant malignancy that is very rare in childhood. In advanced cases, survival is extremely poor, but cure can be achieved with complete tumorectomy. We report a 14-year-old female with left renal cell carcinoma, with regional lymphadenopathy extending up to the diaphragm. Complete tumor resection was impossible. The tumor progressed after 10 months of treatment with high-dose interleukin-2. After 7 months of outpatient vascular endothelial growth factor receptor antibody bevacizumab and no significant adverse effects, dramatic tumor shrinkage enabled complete resection. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2008;50:903–904. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A closed-form neural network for discriminatory feature extraction from high-dimensional data

We consider a new neural network for data discrimination in pattern recognition applications. We refer to this as a maximum discriminating feature (MDF) neural network. Its weights are obtained in closed-form, thereby overcoming problems associated with other nonlinear neural networks. It uses neuron activation functions that are dynamically chosen based on the application. It is theoretically shown to provide nonlinear transforms of the input data that are more general than those provided by other nonlinear multilayer perceptron neural network and support-vector machine techniques for cases involving high-dimensional (image) inputs where training data are limited and the classes are not linearly separable. We experimentally verify this on synthetic examples.
Federal court outcomes in asylum-related appeals 1980–1987: A highly ‘politicized’ process

Federal court outcomes (both district courts and courts of appeal) in asylum-related appeals during the period 1980–1987 are significantly related to three political variables: the political party affiliation of the President who appointed the judge or judges involved in an appeal, the nature of judicial constituencies, and the involvement of interest groups in the appeals. Court outcomes are not, on the other hand, significantly related to two contextual factors: geopgraphic region of the decisionmakers and the unemployment rate. The federal courts did not exhibit the bias of the immigration bureaucracy in favor of hostile-country aliens (aliens from communist, socialist, or leftist countries); nor did these courts favor aliens from European countries.
Omitting types in set theory and arithmetic

In [7] it is shown that if Σ is a type omitted in the structure = ω, +, ·, ) then Σ is omitted in models of Th( ) of all infinite powers. The proof given there extends readily to other models of P . In this paper the result is extended to models of ZFC. For pre-tidy models of ZFC, the proof is a straightforward combination of the methods in [7] and in Keisler and Morley ([9], [6]). For other models, the proof involves forcing. In particular, it uses Solovay and Cohen's original forcing proof that GB is a conservative extension of ZFC (see [2, p. 105] and [5, p. 77]). The method of proof used for pre-tidy models of set theory can be used to obtain an alternate proof of the result for This new proof yields more information. First of all, a condition is obtained which resembles the hypothesis of the “Omitting Types” theorem, and which is sufficient for a theory T to have a model omitting a type Σ and containing an infinite set of indiscernibles. The proof that this condition is sufficient is essentially contained in Morley's proof [9] that the Hanf number for omitting types is so the condition will be called Morley's condition . If T is a pre-tidy theory, Morley's condition guarantees that T will have models omitting Σ in all infinite powers.
Science museums on the Internet

Sifting for information through an ever-increasing number of science museums on the Internet is often a time-consuming and frustrating task. Yet these sites can be genuine tools for historical research and the dissemination of scientific knowledge once their navigation is mastered. The authors, both researchers at the National Museum of Science and Technology in Madrid, describe their efforts in this direction. They have participated in projects to document and publish information on historical collections of scientific instruments and have been active in developing Internet resources. Alfredo Baratas Diaz is also the editor of the Internet pages of the Real Sociedad Espanola de Historia Natural (Royal Spanish Society of Natural History) and the Sociedad Epanola de Historia de las Ciencias y de las Tecnicas (Spanish Society of the History of Science and Technology).
The threshold order of a Boolean function

Abstract The notion of a threshold function as a Boolean function for which there is a hyperplane in Rn which separates the true vectors from the false vectors of the function is generalized to the case in which more general surfaces may be needed for the separation. A Boolean function is said to be a threshold function of order m if the surface required to separate the true from the false vectors is a polynomial of degree m. We have used such functions in the problem of extrapolating partially defined Boolean functions. For each dimension n, there are exactly two threshold functions of order 0 (the constant functions), and it is shown that there are exactly two threshold functions of order n (the parity functions). It is also shown that a Boolean function is a threshold function of order at least m if some sequence of “contractions” and “projections” of it to a (generally) lower dimensional space is a threshold function of order m. This leads to a generalization of a result of threshold function theory that complete monotonicity is a necessary condition for a Boolean function to be a threshold function (of order 0 or 1). A more recent result of threshold function theory, namely that the threshold recognition problem for a general Boolean function is NP-complete is shown to hold true for the order-m recognition problem as well. Also, the characterization of threshold functions in terms of summability is generalized to a characterization of threshold functions of any order. Finally, we present the result of a calculation in which the numbers of threshold functions of all orders for dimension n ≤ 4 are determined exactly, and statistical estimates are given for n = 5, 6, and 7. This leads to the supposition that the vast majority of threshold functions have order near n/2 for n even and (n ± 1)/2 for n odd, as well as to some more precise conjectures.