cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of the Lau effect and generalized grating imaging

The images formed under incoherent illumination by two gratings in tandem are analyzed using the theory of grating imaging. The images are categorized on the basis of various integer parameters that arise in the analysis. A transfer function is introduced for describing the imaging process. The image positions are related to the foci of a Fresnel zone plate.
Breakthrough behavior of 17.5 mol% water in methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and t‐butanol vapors passed over corn grits

Ground corn is now used in industry as an adsorbent to remove water from ethanol vapors. It is stable and inexpensive at 10 cents/lb (22 cents/kg). For regeneration it requires less than 2000 Btu/gal of 190 proof ethanol processed. If necessary, it could be readily saccharified and fermented into ethanol after use. This renewable resource has further exciting potential as an inexpensive adsorbent for water removal from other alcohols, including methanol, isopropanol, and t-butanol. Water sorption capacity in a fixed bed, nonisothermal adsorption column appears to be a function of the heat capacity of the non-adsorbed alcohol vapor, relative to the heat capacity of the corn adsorbent. Methanol, ethanol, isopropanol, and t-butanol containing 17.5 mol% water gave 105,151, 284, and 358 g anhydrous product/kg adsorbent, respectively, per adsorption cycle. This adsorbent, having operational temperature ranges between 80 and 100 degrees C, is indicated to be of potential utility in solvent recycle processes using these industrially important alcohols. Observed adsorption characteristics are discussed in terms of the alcohol properties of molecular size, heat capacity, and diffusivity. The adsorption mechanism is hypothesized to include transport of water molecules into the structure of adjacent starch molecules present in small spherical bodies (diameter of several microns) immobilized on the surface of the corn grit particles.
Oil Speculation: The Impact On Prices, Inflation, Interest Rates And The Economy

The vector autoregression process is used to estimate a reformulated model of the equation of exchange developed from the quantity theory of money. In describing the effect of oil speculation, represented by spot oil price, on general price level and the overall economy, new variables are incorporated to take into account current global economic conditions and realities. A variable, which was introduced in Ajuzie et al, 2008 paper, import of goods and services, is included and impulse-response function is used to forecast future economy and determine policy scenarios. Results show that an increase in spot oil price last period has a highly statistically significant positive effect on CPI inflation. This effect is strong enough to eliminate the negative significant impact of import of goods and services on CPI inflation found in the paper of May 2008. Based on this finding, it is highly recommended that oil speculation should be discouraged and trade relations be bases purely on the principles of comparative advantage.
MEASUREMENT OF DOSE PERTURBATION AROUND SHIELDED OVOIDS IN HIGH-DOSE-RATE BRACHYTHERAPY

Abstract Purpose To analyze the effect of tungsten shields present in a Fletcher-Suit-Delclos ovoid by comparing the dose distribution computed by a treatment planning system (TPS) to the delivered dose distribution measured by radiochromic film dosimetry. Methods and Materials Gafchromic/EBT films were carefully wrapped around the caps (diameter 20–25 mm) of shielded as well as unshielded ovoids, including their anterior and posterior ends. The ovoids were irradiated to a dose of 300 cGy using a high–dose rate remote afterloading unit. The films were scanned using Vidar VXR-16 Scanner. The dose distribution in the planes above, below, and on the sides of the ovoid were compared with the dose distribution computed by TPS, which does not account for the presence of shields. Results The dose distributions obtained about the unshielded ovoid from film dosimetry was in order of what is computed by TPS (90% measurements ± 5%, maximum 8%). The dose reduction in the anterior part of the shielded ovoid affects maximally the dose to the bladder where a reduction up to 20% was noted. The reduction of dose in the posterior part of the ovoid, which is designed to shield rectum was as high as 23%. Where the shields are not present, insignificant difference in the measured and computed dose values was noticed. Conclusions The TPS may substantially overestimate the dose to the bladder and rectum, including regions that lie in the shadow of the solid angle subtended by the shields if it does not account for the presence of tungsten shields.
Partitioning a graph into alliance free sets

A strong defensive alliance in a graph G=(V,E) is a set of vertices [email protected]?V, for which every vertex [email protected]?A has at least as many neighbors in A as in V-A. We call a partition A,B of vertices to be an alliance-free partition, if neither A nor B contains a strong defensive alliance as a subset. We prove that a connected graph G has an alliance-free partition exactly when G has a block that is other than an odd clique or an odd cycle.
Test architecture of the Motorola 68040

The 68040 is a third generation 32-bit microprocessor that implements the 68000 family instruction set. The philosophy for the design for test (DFT) effort on the 68040 is to address each class of logic in a different manner. In it there is the typical breakdown of data paths, ROM/PLA structures, embedded RAMs, random logic (sequential and nonsequential), and finite state machines. In each of these areas a different DFT style is used. The test logic architecture that is implemented to allow more thorough test coverage is discussed. The different test modes of the chip are detailed. In order to assist the customer in board-level testing, the 68040 implements the IEEE 1149.1 (JTAG) interface. Also discussed are the Motorola additions to the JTAG interface. >
Protocol for an experimental investigation of the roles of oxytocin and social support in neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and subjective responses to stress across age and gender

Background: Substantial empirical evidence has demonstrated that individuals who are socially isolated or have few positive social connections seem to age at a faster rate and have more chronic diseases. Oxytocin is a neurohypophyseal hormone hypothesized to coordinate both the causes and effects of positive social interactions, and may be involved in positive physiological adaptations such as buffering the deleterious effects of stress and promoting resilience. The proposed research will examine whether and how oxytocin influences responses to stress in humans and will consider effects in relation to those of social support. Methods/Design: Experimental research will be used to determine whether exogenously administered oxytocin (intranasal) influences psychological and physiological outcomes under conditions of stress across gender and age in adulthood. Hypotheses to be tested are: 1) Oxytocin ameliorates the deleterious neuroendocrine, cardiovascular, and subjective effects of stress; 2) Oxytocin and social support have similar and additive stressbuffering effects; 3) Oxytocin effects are stronger in women versus men; and 4) Oxytocin effects are similar across a range of adult ages. Hypotheses will be tested with a placebo-controlled, double-blind study using a sample of healthy men and women recruited from the community. Participants are randomly assigned to receive either oxytocin or placebo. They undergo a social stress manipulation with and without social support (randomly assigned), and outcome measures are obtained at multiple times during the procedure. Discussion: Understanding the determinants of healthy aging is a major public health priority and identifying effective measures to prevent or delay the onset of chronic diseases is an important goal. Experimental research on oxytocin, social relationships, and health in adulthood will contribute to the scientific knowledge base for maximizing active life and health expectancy. At conclusion of the study we will have solid evidence concerning the effects of oxytocin on stress response and whether it has similar effects across age and gender groups. A neurobiological understanding of resilience can inform efforts for both prevention and intervention of diseases or problems common in later life.
Housing Discrimination in Metropolitan America: Explaining Changes between 1989 and 2000

African Americans and Hispanics traditionally have faced many barriers that limit their access to and choice of housing. During summer and fall 2000, local fair housing organizations conducted 4,600 paired tests across 20 major metropolitan areas nationwide. These surveys directly compared real estate or rental offices' treatment of African Americans and Hispanics to that of whites. The 2000 study replicates a 1989 national paired testing study, providing the most complete information available about the persistence of housing market discrimination against African American and Hispanic home seekers. The study finds that disparate treatment discrimination in rental and owner-occupied housing markets persists, but has declined substantially in magnitude over the last decade. Key exceptions to this general decline are discrimination against Hispanics in access to rental housing, racial steering of African Americans, and less assistance to Hispanics in obtaining financing provided.
Species-specific cloned DNA probes for the identification of Campylobacter hyointestinalis.

Conventional microbiological methods for isolating and identifying Campylobacter species are laborious, tedious, and subjective. Because of the increasing importance of Campylobacter species in human and animal diseases and the recent emergence of many new species and atypical strains, we are developing chromosomal DNA probes for rapid and simple identification of Campylobacter species, especially those of veterinary importance. We report the cloning and characterization of chromosomal DNA fragments from Campylobacter hyointestinalis, an organism isolated from pigs with proliferative enteritis. To obtain C. hyointestinalis-specific probes, chromosomal DNA fragments from C. hyointestinalis were cloned into plasmid vector pGEM-3Z. Recombinant plasmids were screened for C. hyointestinalis-specific inserts by DNA hybridization, using chromosomal DNA from either C. hyointestinalis or C. fetus which had been 32P labeled. Recombinants which hybridized to C. hyointestinalis, but not C. fetus, DNA were 32P labeled and screened further for sensitivity and specificity. Three probes were identified that were species specific and capable of detecting 10(4) C. hyointestinalis organisms by bacterial spot blotting in 48 h. We anticipate that these probes will be useful for routine species identification and for epidemiological studies. Images
Morphology-dependent resonances of a dielectric sphere on a conducting plane

A theoretical treatment of the morphology-dependent resonances of a dielectric sphere on or near a plane surface of infinite conductivity is presented. The scattering theory for this problem is reviewed, and computational procedures are described. Resonance peaks are identified and correlated with the corresponding resonances in the isolated sphere. The study examines how the locations and widths of the resonances change as the particle approaches the surface. The locations of the TE resonances (expressed as size parameter) shift to higher values, the locations of the TM resonances shift to a lower values, and the widths are broadened. As the particle approaches the surface, 90% of the change in location occurs within a distance of ∼ 0.1 of a particle radius from the surface. The reason for this behavior is discussed. An example case is presented that shows how a narrow resonance that is completely suppressed by internal losses in an isolated sphere can become an active and strong resonance when the sphere is brought near a conducting surface.
Ureteroscopic Treatment of Upper Tract Neoplasms

Ureteroscopy is an esential step in the diagnosis and treatment of upper tract neoplasms. Most filling defects in the upper tract require endoscopic visualization and biopsy to direct treatment. Ureteroscopic treatment has had excellent success and a high recurrence rate and persistence of good renal function. Endoscopic surveillance is necessary to detect recurrences when they are small. Ureteroscopic tumor treatment includes mechanical removal, fulguration, and laser coagulation and resection. Large, extensive, and high-grade neoplasms may not be amenable to ureteroscopic treatment and can require percutaneous treatment or nephroureterectomy.
Whole Grain and Legume Acceptability Among Youths With Type 1 Diabetes

PurposeThis pilot study investigated the acceptability of whole grain and legume foods in youths with type 1 diabetes and determined demographic and behavioral factors associated with their acceptability.MethodsYouths with type 1 diabetes (7.0 to 16.9 years) were recruited during a diabetes camp and completed self-report measures of food acceptability, eating behaviors, and demographics. An overall acceptability score for whole grains and for legumes was calculated as the sum of foods in each category rated as either “tried and liked” or “not tried and willing to try.” Correlations of whole grain and legume acceptability with demographic characteristics were examined.ResultsOne hundred twenty-eight youths participated (70% females, mean age 11.6 ± 2.3 years). Whole grain foods with the highest acceptability were corn bread (85% tried/ liked and 11% willing to try) and whole wheat bread (72% tried/liked and 3% willing to try). Total whole grain acceptability was negatively associated with days per week of ...
Influence of vegetation structure on the small mammal community in a shortgrass prairie ecosystem

The structure of vegetation, and how this structure varies across a landscape, is crucial to under- standing the distribution of wildlife species. Between 2002 and 2004, we sampled small mammal communi- ties and measured vegetation structure at 185 locations across a range of disturbance regimes in a shortgrass prairie ecosystem in southeastern Colorado, USA. At each sampling location, the local disturbance regime was some combination of varying intensity of livestock grazing, military training activity, and fire. Vegetation structural characteristics measured included percent bare ground, basal cover, litter, shrub density, and mean grass and shrub height. Rodent communities were de- scribed by richness, diversity, total and per capita bio- mass, and species abundances. Northern grasshopper mice (Onychomys leucogaster), Ord's kangaroo rats (Dipodomys ordii), silky pocket mice (Perognathus fla- vus), western harvest mice (Reithrodontomys megalotis), white-footed mice (Peromyscus leucopus), southern plains wood rats (Neotoma micropus), thirteen-lined ground squirrels (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus), deer mice (Peromyscus maniculatus), and spotted ground squirrels (Spermophilus spilosoma )a ccounted for >99 %o f all captures. Canonical correlation analysis was used to assess the relationshipbetween small mammals and vegetationstruc- ture. The first two canonical variates explained over 50 % of the variation in vegetation structure and were related to the ratio of bare ground to basal coverage and litter accumulation. Rodent community indices were most strongly related to litter accumulation and shrub density, though the models had low explanatorypower. Ourresultsagreedwithpublished findings regarding microhabitat associations and indicated small mam- mal communities benefited from a system of interacting dis- turbances and the resulting landscape mosaic.
Kaleidoscopes Made with Big Mirrors.

The familiar kaleidoscope toy was developed by the Scottish physicist David Brewster (1781–1868) in 1816, patented by him in 1817, and described in his 1819 book, A Treatise on the Kaleidoscope. Generations of elementary students have made their own kaleidoscopes by assembling three microscope slides inside a tube and looking through it at a series of randomly colored objects drawn on a piece of transparent plastic placed across the far end of the tube.
Probabilistic Explicit Topic Modeling Using Wikipedia

Despite popular use of Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) for automatic discovery of latent topics in document corpora, such topics lack connections with relevant knowledge sources such as Wikipedia, and they can be difficult to interpret due to the lack of meaningful topic labels. Furthermore, the topic analysis suffers from a lack of identifiability between topics across independently analyzed corpora but also across distinct runs of the algorithm on the same corpus. This paper introduces two methods for probabilistic explicit topic modeling that address these issues: Latent Dirichlet Allocation with Static Topic-Word Distributions (LDA-STWD), and Explicit Dirichlet Allocation (EDA). Both of these methods estimate topic-word distributions a priori from Wikipedia articles, with each article corresponding to one topic and the article title serving as a topic label. LDA-STWD and EDA overcome the nonidentifiability, isolation, and unintepretability of LDA output. We assess their effectiveness by means of crowd-sourced user studies on two tasks: topic label generation and document label generation. We find that LDA-STWD improves substantially upon the performance of the state-of-the-art on the document labeling task, and that both methods otherwise perform on par with a state-of-the-art post hoc method.
Novel psychoactive substance use by US adolescents: Characteristics associated with use of synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones

Introduction and Aims The current study documents the characteristics associated with the use of two novel psychoactive substances: synthetic cannabinoids and synthetic cathinones.
Diurnal activity, floral visitation and pollen deposition by honey bees and bumble bees on field-grown cucumber and watermelon

SUMMARYHoney bees (Apis mellifera) and bumble bees (Bombus impatiens) were compared for three aspects of pollinating behaviour on field-grown cucumber (Cucumis sativus) and watermelon (Citrullus lanatus). We measured: (1), diurnal foraging activity periods (as related to anthesis); (2), floral visitation rates (number of flowers visited per min by individual foragers); and (3), stigmatic pollen deposition (number of pollen grains deposited on stigmas after single bee visits to female flowers). B. impatiens was more effective than A. mellifera for all three parameters on both crops. B. impatiens initiated foraging activity 15–40 min before A. mellifera; both species continued foraging until flowers closed in early afternoon. B. impatiens consistently visited more flowers per min (P < 0.001) and deposited equal or greater amounts of pollen (P < 0.001) than A. mellifera, particularly during the initial hours of floral anthesis which is when these crops are most receptive to pollination. The data additionally...
Abstract 191: Neurorestorative Therapy For Stroke In Type 2 Diabetic Rats Using Bone Marrow Stromal Cells

Objective: Treatment of stroke may differ between the diabetic (DM) and non-DM stroke populations. Cell therapy with bone-marrow-stromal cells (BMSC) initiated at 24h after stroke improves functional recovery in non-DM rats, but not in type one DM rats. However, the effect of BMSC treatment of stroke in type two DM (T2DM) is unknown and is the subject of this investigation. Methods: T2DM was induced with high fat diet and low dose of streptozotocin. T2DM rats were subjected to 2h of middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAo), then treated with either BMSC (5X106) or vehicle (n=8/group) initiated at 3 days after MCAo and monitored for 28 days. A battery functional tests, and vascular and white matter changes and protein expression were measured in the ischemic brain. Results: BMSC treatment significantly improved functional outcome at 14 and 21 days after MCAo in T2DM rats. However, the functional benefit was lost at 28 days after MCAo. BMSC significantly increased vascular and white matter remodeling identified by an increase of vascular density (vWF: 403±35/mm2 vs 303±17/mm2), cerebral arteriole number (aSMA 65.0±6.9/mm2 vs 38.6±4.4/mm2), Bielschowsky silver (axon marker, 26±2.4% vs 18±1.8%) and Lucifer fast blue (myelin marker, 39±3.1% vs 25±3.5%) expression in the ischemic boundary zone (IBZ). To test the mechanisms underlying the BMSC induced neurorestorative effects, decreased RAGE and Angiogenin expression were observed in the IBZ (RAGE: 3.1±0.4% vs 13.2±3%; Angiogenin: 9.5±2.2% vs 27.7±5.2%) of BMSC treated rats. However, BMSC treatment significantly increased internal carotid wall thickness (23.4±1.5μm vs 17.9±0.6μm), artery intimae thickness (11.1±0.6μm vs 7.6±0.5μm), and cerebral artery wall thickness (10.5±0.8μm vs 6.4±0.2μm); and significantly decreased cerebral artery diameter (26.5±1.7μm vs 36.3±2.8μm) compared to vehicle control. Conclusion: BMSC therapy in T2DM-MCAo significantly improved early functional outcome, but did not improve long term functional outcome. BMSC promote vascular and white matter remodeling, but increase cerebral artery neointimal hyperplasia. The increased cerebral artery neointimal hyperplasia may contribute to the failed improvement long term functional outcome after stroke in T2DM rats.
Changes in Enzyme Levels in the Testis and Liver of the 13-Lined Ground Squirrel (Spermophilus tridecemlineatus): At the time of Arousal from Hibernation

Male 13-lined ground squirrels induced to emerge from hibernation resumed feeding and gained weight. The weight gain was supported by increases in the levels of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase, L-alanine aminotransferase and carnitine acetyltransferase in the liver. Maturation of the testis occurred in a period of about 16 days spanning the time of induced arousal. The testes of hibernating males were characterized by higher levels of L-alanine aminotransferase, glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase and 3-hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase than the testes of aroused males. Hexokinase, carnitine acetyltransferase and citrate synthase levels were similar in the testes of hibernating and aroused males. 3-Hydroxyacyl-CoA dehydrogenase was more active and L-alanine aminotransferase less active in ground squirrel sperm than in rat sperm.
Comparative Metagenomics of Viral Assemblages Inhabiting Four Phyla of Marine Invertebrates

Viruses are the most abundant biological entities on Earth, killing 10-20% of oceanic biomass each day. However, despite their ecological importance, viruses inhabiting many echinoderms, cnidarians, urochordates, and marine arthropods have not been investigated with significant breadth. We conducted a broad survey of the viral assemblages inhabiting these hosts through viral metagenomics and phylogenetic analysis. Results indicate that different invertebrate groups harbor distinct viral assemblages. Interestingly, however, no significant difference is observed between the viral assemblages of echinoderms and arthropods. These similarities and differences may be due to cellular, immunological, geographical, and ecological differences amongst host phyla, although mechanistic determination is beyond the purview of this work. Additionally, we present evidence of the detection of several viral families that have not yet been observed in these hosts. Finally, we confirm the result of previous investigation that method of library construction significantly biases metagenomic results by altering the representation of of ssDNA and dsDNA viral genomes.
Optically Detected Magnetic Resonance of Copper Doped Gallium Phosphide

A deep photoluminescence (PL) band peaking at 1.08 eV in Cu-doped GaP has been studied by means of optically detected magnetic resonance (ODMR). We report an intense S=l ODMR spectrum arising from this PL band. The signal is strongly anisotropic and consistent with a center of triclinic symmetry. Some of the ODMR transitions show a well resolved hyperfine structure in agreement with the nuclear spin I=3/2 of Cu, thus suggesting the presence of Cu in the defect.
Abstract 614: ErbB-2 Suppresses Notch-1 Signaling by Regulating Jagged-1 Localization in ErbB-2 positive breast cancer

ErbB-2 is amplified and overexpressed in 20-30% of breast tumors. Today, ErbB-2 positive breast cancers are treated with trastuzumab plus chemotherapy. In spite of dramatic improvements in survival for women with ErbB-2+ breast tumors, resistance remains a major problem in metastatic disease. We have recently published that ErbB-2 suppresses Notch-1 activity and this is reversed by trastuzumab or a dual EGFR/ErbB-2 tyrosine kinase inhibitor similar to lapatinb. Furthermore, we demonstrated that trastuzumab resistance is reversed with a Notch-1 siRNA or a gamma-secretase inhibitor (GSI). Coincidentally, co-overexpression of Notch-1 and its ligand, Jagged-1, in breast cancer have been associated with the poorest overall survival. We know that activated Notch-1 plays an important role in ErbB-2 positive breast cancer and trastuzumab resistance; however, the precise mechanism by which Notch-1 is activated is not yet known. Thus, we hypothesized that overexpression of ErbB-2 inhibited expression and/or cell surface localization of Jagged-1 to suppress Notch-1 activity. This would be reversed in response to anti-ErbB-2 treatment. The results demonstrated that trastuzumab or lapatinib treatment of SKBr3 cells increased protein expression of Jagged-1 by Flow Cytometry. Notch-1 and Jagged-1 co-localized with early endosome antigen-1 (EEA-1) to submembraneous endosomes in ErbB-2 positive breast cancer cells as measured by confocal immunofluorescence. However upon trastuzumab treatment, Notch-1 and Jagged-1 exited EEA-1 positive vesicles and Notch-1 accumulated in the nucleus while Jagged-1 localized to the cell membrane. Cell surface biotinylation assays showed that Jagged-1 was enriched on the cell surface in response to trastuzumab treatment and this was mimicked by expression of K44A Dynamin. Cell surface accumulation of Jagged-1 was associated with an increase in Notch-1 transcriptional activity as measured by an increase in Deltex1 mRNA by real-time PCR. Conversely, knockdown of Jagged-1 by siRNA in SKbr3 and BT474 cells prevented the trastuzumab-induced increase in Deltex1 mRNA. Co-culture studies confirmed that culturing SKBr3 cells with fibroblast-expressing Jagged-1 or DLL4 increased Notch activity as measured by a CBF-1/Notch reporter assay. Taken together, these results suggest that ErbB-2 suppresses Notch-1 activity by retention of Jagged-1 or possibly other Notch ligands within early endosomes, which may be reversed by trastuzumab or lapatinib treatment. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 614.
14 CASE REPORT OF COCAINE-INDUCED PSEUDOVASCULITIS: A COMMONLY OVERLOOKED MIMICKER OF VASCULITIC SYNDROMES.

Introduction Cocaine use can present with a number of rheumatic manifestations. The diagnosis is often missed or delayed, as the history of abuse is denied, there are no specific signs of abuse, and available serological tests cannot establish this diagnosis. We hereby report a patient with cocaine use presenting with a vasculopathic syndrome. Case Report A 35-year-old AA female with history of CHF due to mitral stenosis and previous DVT presented with a 2-day history of skin rash on both legs. History and review of systems was otherwise unremarkable. She specifically denied use of new medications, recent infections, alcohol or drug abuse. Examination revealed diffuse palpable purpura in a reticular pattern on lower extremities, buttocks, elbows, and forearms, with blisters and desquamation. Systemic examination had no other pertinent findings. Laboratories revealed normal CBC, chemistry, urinalysis, complements, elevated LFTs, ESR of 3, and CRP of 4.7. Detailed work-up including hepatitis panel, HIV, ANA, ANCAs, APL antibodies, lupus anticoagulant, cryoglobulins, multiple blood and urine cultures, and hypercoagulability work-up was negative. Echocardiogram showed no evidence of vegetations. Urine drug screen was positive for cocaine and she admitted to its recent use when confronted. She was treated with prednisone 60 mg/day with improvement in rash and LFTs. The skin biopsy showed fibrin thrombi occluding vessels, extensive hemorrhage, and mild leukocytoclasis. The final report was vasculopathic reaction pattern with cocaine use in differential diagnosis. She was discharged on tapering doses of prednisone and counseled to abstain from cocaine. The final diagnosis was cocaine-associated pseudovasculitis. Discussion and Conclusion Cases with varied rheumatic manifestations associated with cocaine use have been described including ANCA +ve vasculitis-like syndromes mimicking Wegener9s, p-ANCA +ve necrotizing granulomatous vasculitis, HSP with necrotizing vasculitis, Churg-Strauss and urticarial vasculitis. Cases with +ve p- and c-ANCAs but with disparity to anti-MPO or PR3 specificities have been reported. In our patient, all the work-up including ANCAs was negative. A correct diagnosis is essential as some cases treated with steroids and immunosuppressives had a fatal outcome or persistent symptoms, but abstinence from cocaine resolved the symptoms. This case highlights the fact that there are no specific tests to correctly diagnose cocaine-induced vasculitis and only a high clinical suspicion and urine/serum drug screens can be helpful in such presentations.
Time synchronization and reach-back communications with pulse-coupled oscillators for UWB wireless ad hoc networks

Time synchronization has been an extremely difficult issue for wireless ad hoc networks due to its decentralized nature. Interestingly, synchrony have often been observed in swarms of biological systems such as that of synchronous flashing fireflies or spiking of neurons. In this paper, we utilize the narrow pulse characteristics of UWB systems to emulate the pulse-coupled integrate-and-fire (IF) model embedded in biological swarms in order to achieve distributed synchronization. The method is based on a simple transmission strategy where nodes integrate the coupling caused by the signal pulses received from other nodes, and fire a pulse after reaching a designated threshold. With time synchronization, many cooperative strategies can be applied to the network of distributed nodes. In particular, we show that synchronization can lead to coherent superposition of the signal pulses and it would allow to utilize the network as a distributed antenna array capable of reaching far receivers, solving the so called reach-back problem.
p21-Activated Kinase 1 Regulates Hyperproliferation of Nf1 Haploinsufficient Mast Cells In Vitro and In Vivo Via Activation of the MAPK Pathway.

p21-activated kinases (Paks) are downstream mediators of Rho GTPase proteins and have been implicated in yeast and immortalized cells as positive regulators of MAPK pathway members in modulating cell growth and cytoskeletal functions. However, their role in primary mammalian cells has not been described. NF1 encodes neurofibromin, which negatively regulates p21Ras activity by stimulating its intrinsic GTPase activity, and accelerating hydrolysis of Ras from the GTP to the GDP confirmation. Disruption of the NF1 locus results in neurofibromatosis type I (NF1), an inherited disorder characterized by the development of neurofibromas that contain large numbers of degranulating mast cells that have been implicated in tumor progression. Utilizing a genetic intercross of Pak 1−/− mice with mice haploinsufficient at the Nf1 locus, we studied the role of Pak1 in the context of normal and hyperactivated Ras-MAPK signaling in primary inflammatory mast cells. Pak1 was found to directly contribute to Ras-dependent signaling by modulating both Raf-1, Mek-1 and ERK1/2 activation. Loss of Pak1 fully corrects the hyperphosphorylation of ERK1/2 found in Nf1+/− mast cells to that of wild type controls. Deletion of Pak1 in Nf1+/− mast cells is associated with a correction of Kit ligand mediated proliferation to wild type levels in vitro. Further, after subcutaneous administration of Kit ligand via micro osmotic pumps, which is an established model that stimulates local proliferation of mast cells in vivo (Ingram, JEM 2001), we confirmed that genetic disruption of Pak1 corrects the proliferation of Nf1+/− mast cells in vivo to that of wild type controls. These data provide direct genetic evidence that Pak1 modulates the Ras-Raf-Mek-Erk pathway and identifies a specific molecular target within the inflammatory tumor microenvironment for the treatment or prevention of neurofibromas.
Success in Reducing Female Genital Cutting: A Multilevel Framework of Social Change

Female genital cutting (FGC) practices, which affect nearly 100 million girls and women worldwide (Yoder PS, Wang S, and Johansen E, Stud Family Plann 44(2):189–204, 2013), cause immediate and long-term suffering. Fortunately, there has been a dramatic reduction in FGC in recent decades, and the downward trend is continuing, alleviating pain and negative health consequences for future generations of girls. The lessons learned from the successful case of FGC reduction have implications for reducing other types of suffering. We begin this essay with some background on FGC: what it is, where it occurs, its health consequences, why and how it is perpetuated, and changes in its prevalence over time. We then elaborate how reductions in FGC became possible, first, in terms of social policies adopted at the international level and, second, in terms of health, development, and education programs at the community level. Finally, we outline the ways in which the characteristics of FGC overlap with the characteristics of many forms of suffering, making FGC change a promising model for successful reforms in other areas.
Suboptimal H∞ Filtering via Linear Matrix Inequalities

Abstract Necessary and sufficient conditions are derived for the existence of a solution to the continuous-time and discrete-time reduced-order suboptimal H∞ filtering problems. These conditions are expressed in terms of Linear Matrix Inequalities (LMIs) and a coupling non-convex matrix rank constraint set. In addition, an explicit parametrization of all reduced-order filters that correspond to a feasible solution are provided in terms of a contractive matrix. Computational issues are discussed and an iterative procedure is proposed to solve the reduced-order H∞ filtering problem using alternating projections, although global convergence of the algorithm is not guaranteed.
Russia and the Use of Trade Policy: Concentration with Soviet Successor States

Economic policy has often been an integral part of foreign policy usage by governments. Many states will use trade, aid, and investment as instruments to attain other objectives deemed to be in the...
The shell thickness and surface passivation dependence of fluorescence decay kinetics in CdSe/ZnS core-shell and CdSe core colloidal quantum dots

Abstract Femtoseconds, ultrafast, time-resolved, fluorescence upconversion spectroscopy was utilized to investigate the photo-induced emission decay dynamics of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS colloidal quantum dots whose surfaces were stabilized with octadecyl amine (ODA). The studies focused on understanding the influence of the surface stabilizing group on the fluorescence decay dynamics of CdSe and CdSe/ZnS and the effect of shell thickness on the photo-physical properties of core-shell quantum dots. The Core-shell materials showed excellent photostability, longer rise times, and lengthy decay times.
High-Throughput Approaches to Pinpoint Function within the Noncoding Genome

The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-Cas nuclease system is a powerful tool for genome editing, and its simple programmability has enabled high-throughput genetic and epigenetic studies. These high-throughput approaches offer investigators a toolkit for functional interrogation of not only protein-coding genes but also noncoding DNA. Historically, noncoding DNA has lacked the detailed characterization that has been applied to protein-coding genes in large part because there has not been a robust set of methodologies for perturbing these regions. Although the majority of high-throughput CRISPR screens have focused on the coding genome to date, an increasing number of CRISPR screens targeting noncoding genomic regions continue to emerge. Here, we review high-throughput CRISPR-based approaches to uncover and understand functional elements within the noncoding genome and discuss practical aspects of noncoding library design and screen analysis.
Mitochondrial Membrane Sidedness Dependent Effects of ROS Generation in the Complex-II Microdomain using Optogenetics

Mitochondrial reactive oxygen species (mtROS) are associated with disease but also required for redox signaling and maintaining cellular homoeostasis. Whether mtROS have beneficial or deleterious effects may depend on the subcellular microdomain. However, to date, the tools available to investigate ROS-specific effects in vivo lack the precise spatial and temporal control. To address this, we expressed the optogenetic tool supernova, a genetically encoded light-activated ROS generating protein, in C. elegans using CRISPR/Cas9. Supernova was fused to mitochondrial complex-II subunits such that it produced ROS in the matrix (SDHB-1::SN) or the intermembrane space (SDHC-1::SN). Localization was confirmed via confocal microscopy and proteinase-K protection assays. To assess redox signaling responses to ROS in these microdomains, we used a GFP transcriptional reporter strain for SKN-1/Nrf-2. Worms were pre-treated with light (5 hrs, 540-590 nm, 2 mW/mm2), then 16 hrs later GFP expression was assessed. GFP increased in SDHC-1::SN but not in SDHB-1::SN worms (p In conclusion, localized matrix ROS generation may lead to oxidative damage, whereas intermembrane space ROS generation induces redox signaling. This suggests that the physiologic output of an ROS microdomain depends on membrane barriers and the compartmentalization of redox sensitive targets.
Bowlics: history, advances and applications

There are three types of liquid crystals (LCs) in the world: rodics, discotics and bowlics, corresponding to one-, two- and three-dimensional molecules, respectively. The rodics were discovered by ...
Spirituality, Religious Diversity, and Social Work Practice:

Christian, existentialist, Jewish, shamanist, and Zen Buddhist perspectives on social work practice are compared in a review of practice literature and analysis of interviews with various scholar/p...
On the Relevance of Behavioral Decision Research for Decision Analysis

In 1954 and 1961 Ward Edwards published two seminal articles that created behavioral decision research as a new field of study in psychology (Edwards, 1954, 1961). The topics of this research include how people make decisions and how these decisions can be improved with tools and training. Behavioral decision research has been conducted in two distinct paradigms: the cognitive illusions paradigm and the engineering psychology paradigm. Both are, in different ways, relevant to decision analysis.
Some Children with Growing Pains May Actually Have Restless Legs Syndrome

Study objectives Growing pains may be an important clue to the diagnosis of childhood restless legs syndrome (RLS). However, there are no previous studies to determine whether a subpopulation of children with growing pains meet the diagnostic criteria for RLS. The purpose of this study is to determine if some children with growing pains meet diagnostic criteria for RLS and to compare the polysomnographic characteristics of these children to controls. DESIGN/PARTICIPANTS/MEASUREMENTS: Eleven children from a pediatric neurology clinic with an emphasis on attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and with a diagnosis of growing pains were referred. They were interviewed with the parent to determine if their symptoms of growing pains met criteria for definite RLS. Those who met clinical criteria for RLS underwent polysomnography, and the results of their polysomnographic studies were compared to those of a control group (10 children, mean age 9.7 years). Setting Academic medical center. Results Ten (mean age 10.4 years) of the 11 children with growing pains met clinical criteria for RLS. In 4 of 8 families of these 10 children, 1 parent had RLS. Six of the 10 children had ADHD. There were no differences in the polysomnographic findings between the growing-pain and control groups, and none of the children with RLS had what is considered to be a clinically significant number of periodic limb movements of sleep. There were no differences in the polysomnographic findings between the "growing-pain ADHD" and "growing-pain non-ADHD" subgroups. The growing pains were severe enough for the patients and family to ask for treatment in 4 cases, and carbidopa/levodopa was utilized. Conclusions Some children diagnosed with growing pains meet diagnostic criteria for RLS, and a family history of RLS is common in these children. In some cases symptoms are severe enough to warrant treatment.
Relative Doses in Mammography: The Future Development of Film/Screen Mammography Systems

Relative radiation doses in film/screen mammography are discussed below from three points of view. First, system speed is discussed in terms of its interdependence on the various parameters of diagnostic image quality. It is pointed out that the image quality necessary for accurate diagnosis is the ultimate limitation on reduction in radiation dose. Next, radiation doses in film/screen mammography are quantified in a historical context and in a way that is consistent with the latest recommendations for measuring mean glandular dose. Finally, it is speculated what the ultimate low radiation dose might be for future film/screen systems without compromising the excellent diagnostic image quality we have become accustomed to over the last few years.
Informal Financing of Chinese Entrepreneurs in a Western Environment

This chapter discusses the impact of guanxi on the capacity of small- and medium-sized businesses accessing informal financial resources. Entrepreneurs starting a business outside their country of origin can face barriers in accessing capital, customers, or suppliers. Guanxi facilitates interaction between companies and people in Confucianist societies, including when they emigrate to other nations. Does this type of social construct still play the key role, when Confucian entrepreneurs live in Western societies? Based on interviews with Chinese entrepreneurs active in the principal business center of Brazil and nonparametric test data, our results suggest that different levels of guanxi allow SME businesses to access informal financial resources; the entrepreneur’s different levels of guanxi, in terms of parental and nonfamily ties, influence the types of informal financing that might be available; unlike the Western literature on the financial cycles of start-ups, this type of informal financing can extend beyond the initial stage of the business; and finally, an entrepreneur’s lack of speaking the local language presents a barrier for Chinese entrepreneurs to access formal bank loans.
Ending Sexual Harassment in Academic Medicine.

Ending Sexual Harassment in Academic Medicine A National Academies report shows that sexual harassment is more likely to occur in environments that are male-dominated and where sexually harassing behaviors are tolerated, hierarchical relationships are enforced, and training environments may be isolating.
Estrogen-Dependent Disruption of Adiponectin-Connexin43 Signaling Underlies Exacerbated Myocardial Dysfunction in Diabetic Female Rats

The reasons for the higher severity of type 2 diabetes (T2DM)-associated cardiomyopathy in women, despite their inherent estrogen (E2)-dependent cardioprotection, remain unknown. We hypothesized that the reliance of the healthy females' hearts on augmented adiponectin (APN)-connexin 43 (Cx43) signaling becomes paradoxically detrimental when disrupted by T2DM in an E2-dependent manner. We tested this hypothesis in high-fat, low- dose streptozotocin diabetic rats and their controls with the following designations: 1) sham-operated (SO), 2) ovariectomized (OVX), 3) ovariectomized with E2 supplementation (OVX + E2), and 4) male. E2-replete (SO or OVX + E2) diabetic rats exhibited higher mortality and greater increases in left ventricular (LV) mass and reduced LV developed pressure, LV contractility, and fractional shortening but preserved ejection fraction. Further, compared with respective nondiabetic counterparts, the hearts of these E2-replete diabetic rats exhibited greater upregulation of cardiac estrogen receptor α and reductions in Cx43 expression and in the phosphorylation levels of the survival molecules extracellular regulating kinases 1/2 and phosphorylated AKT (pAKT). Whereas serum APN was reduced, independent of sex and ovarian hormone status in all DM rats, cardiac APN was most drastically reduced in DM SO rats. The present translational findings are the first to implicate ovarian hormones/E2 in the exacerbated myocardial dysfunction in female diabetic subjects and to suggest a pivotal role for malfunctioning cardiac APN-Cx43 signaling in this sex/E2-specific clinical problem.
Consistency of Learning Styles of Undergraduate Athletic Training Students in the Traditional Classroom versus the Clinical Setting.

OBJECTIVE To examine the learning styles of undergraduate athletic training students to determine their consistency in traditional classroom versus clinical settings. DESIGN AND SETTING Subjects completed the Learning Styles Inventory twice, once focusing on learning new information in the classroom and the other focusing on learning new information in the clinical setting. The order of focus regarding setting (classroom or clinical) was counterbalanced across subjects. SUBJECTS A total of 26 undergraduate athletic training students from a Committee on the Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs accredited athletic training education program (16 women and 10 men; mean age, 24.42 +/- 6.44 years) who were currently assigned to a clinical practicum as part of their academic program served as subjects. MEASUREMENTS I performed 4 paired t tests, 1 for each learning mode, to determine if differences existed between the classroom and clinical settings. The percentage of respondents whose learning styles changed across settings was also calculated. RESULTS The paired t tests revealed a significant difference between the Reflective Observation and Active Experimentation modes across settings. In addition, 58% of respondents' learning styles changed according to setting focus. CONCLUSIONS It appears that learning styles do indeed shift, depending on the domain through which an individual is learning. Consequently, teaching strategies incorporated in 1 setting may not be equally effective in the other setting. Each learning setting should, therefore, be treated separately in order to accommodate individual learning styles and maximize learning achievement. Furthermore, if learning styles are to be considered when designing athletic training education, these findings indicate that in order to ensure the validity of the resulting learning style profile, it may be necessary to provide the respondent with a specific focus, either that of a classroom or clinical setting, before completing the Learning Styles Inventory.