cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Surface flashover hall effect

When a solid insulator in vacuum is subjected to a high-voltage pulse with short rise time, a low-resistance flashover path may be formed in a few nanoseconds across several centimeters of insulator surface.1,2 Although the details of the breakdown mechanism remain obscure, it is generally accepted that field emission of electrons at the cathode-insulator-vacuum junction and insulator surface charging are involved. Experimental measurements of properties of the flashover during its development across the insulator surface, reported here, provide strong evidence that positive surface charging by secondary electron emission (SEE) plays a major role in the formation of the flashover path.
Abstract 330: Ethnic Variability in the Association of Pulse Pressure with Adhesion Pathway Proteins: The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) Study

Pulse pressure (PP), defined as the difference between systolic and diastolic blood pressure, is considered a marker of large artery stiffness and has been shown to independently predict cardiovascular disease. Differences among ethnicities with regard to PP have been previously described, yet the underlying biological mechanisms are poorly understood. In addition, biomarkers of inflammation and matrix remodeling have been shown to be involved in the development of arterial stiffness. The aim of this study was to investigate the role of adhesion pathway components in the development of arterial stiffness measured by PP among four ethnicities. E-cadherin, HGF, L-selectin, P-selectin, 6-Ckine, MMP1, MMP2, RANTES, SDF1, SLPI, TGFβ1, TIMP2 and VCAM were measured in a random sample of 2402 participants (579 African Americans, 619 Caucasians, 600 Chinese and 604 Hispanics) in the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) study at Exam 2. PP was measured concurrently and its association with each adhesion protein level was assessed via linear regression in each ethnicity. All analyses were adjusted for age, sex, and traditional cardiovascular risk factors. Mean PP was significantly different among ethnicities: 55.9±18.0 mmHg in African Americans, 52.1± 16.1 mmHg in Caucasians, 51.4±16.4 mmHg in Chinese, and 55.0±17.5 in Hispanics, p
Study on restricting factors of practical k1 limit in 0.33NA EUV lithography

As we presented in the last conference, it is much difficult to get down the k1 limit of EUV lithography compared to that of optical lithography especially recent immersion lithography. Even though current 0.33NA NXE3300 tool has enhanced aberration characteristics and variable illumination mode than its predecessor, ADT and NXE3100, still there are limitations related with resolution capability of EUV lithography. First of all, photon shot noise and immature resist performances play an important role in patterning of very fine patterns. As already known, low sensitivity resists have been widely used to reduce shot noise. However, when considering productivity in EUV lithography, high sensitivity resists are inevitable, so it is necessary to increase image contrast by reducing scanner blur like aberration, M3D, stray light et al. We have investigated the impact of aberration and limitation in illumination pupil fill ratio in EUV. In particular, the aberration sensitivity is different by the illumination conditions, this was intensified when using the particular pupil. Because the lens calibration is conducted with standard illumination condition in NXE3300, it is necessary to consider different aberration sensitivity in accordance with pattern and used pupil condition in EUV lithography. To ensure the process margin of tech node close to limit, a flexpupil with low pupil fill ratio (PFR) than 0.2 were required. Hence in order to avoid through-put loss at this condition, the new concept of the illuminator design is required without light loss. Contamination of collector mirror can affect the patterning also. We will also report about the patterning effect of pupil deformation by degraded collector in low PFR condition.
Word Reading in L1 and L2 Learners of Chinese: Similarities and Differences in the Functioning of Component Processes

This study examined the similarities and differences in the functioning of component processes underlying first language (L1) and second language (L2) word reading in Chinese. Fourth-grade Chinese children in Singapore were divided into L1 and L2 reader groups based on whether they used Mandarin or English as their home language. Both groups were administered a battery of tasks that assessed their orthographic processing skill (OP), phonological awareness (PA), morphological awareness (MA), oral vocabulary knowledge, as well as the ability to decode characters and multi-character compound words. Separate Structural Equation Modeling (SEM) analyses showed that in the L1 group, over and above all other variables, both OP and MA, as opposed to PA, were significant predictors of word reading, whereas in the L2 group, OP and PA, as opposed to MA, predicted word reading. Multiple-group SEM analysis further revealed that the effects of OP and MA were significantly larger in the L1 than in the L2 group, whereas a converse pattern was found for PA. These findings are discussed in light of the linguistic and language-to-print mapping properties of Chinese as well as the influence of L1 and L2 learners' differential experience on how they learn to read in Chinese. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
An Evaluation of the NVIDIA TX1 for Supporting Real-Time Computer-Vision Workloads

Autonomous vehicles are an exemplar for forward-looking safety-critical real-time systems where significant computing capacity must be provided within strict size, weight, and power (SWaP) limits. A promising way forward in meeting these needs is to leverage multicore platforms augmented with graphics processing units (GPUs) as accelerators. Such an approach is being strongly advocated by NVIDIA, whose Jetson TX1 board is currently a leading multicore+GPU solution marketed for autonomous systems. Unfortunately, no study has ever been published that expressly evaluates the effectiveness of the TX1, or any other comparable platform, in hosting safety-critical real-time workloads. In this paper, such a study is presented. Specifically, the TX1 is evaluated via benchmarking efforts, blackbox evaluations of GPU behavior, and case-study evaluations involving computer-vision workloads inspired by autonomousdriving use cases. Autonomous vehicles are an exemplar for forward-looking safety-critical real-time systems where significant computing capacity must be provided within strict size, weight, and power (SWaP) limits. A promising way forward in meeting these needs is to leverage multicore platforms augmented with graphics processing units (GPUs) as accelerators. Such an approach is being strongly advocated by NVIDIA, whose Jetson TX1 board is currently a leading multicore+GPU solution marketed for autonomous systems. Unfortunately, no study has ever been published that expressly evaluates the effectiveness of the TX1, or any other comparable platform, in hosting safety-critical real-time workloads. In this paper, such a study is presented. Specifically, the TX1 is evaluated via benchmarking efforts, blackbox evaluations of GPU behavior, and case-study evaluations involving computer-vision workloads inspired by autonomousdriving use cases.
Sexuality, ideology and the bible: antipodean engagements

This anthology, written by Bible scholars from Australia and New Zealand, includes nine splendid essays, an introductory chapter, and a response on the study of selected Hebrew Bible and New Testam...
Antibiotic Modification of Bacterial Susceptibility to Host Immunity

It is axiomatic that antibiotics influence microorganisms directly. However, recent evidence from a number of laboratories, including ours, has focused attention on the influence of antibiotics on host immune mechanisms and alteration of susceptibility of the microorganism to the immune response system (1–9,12,15). For example, studies in this laboratory have shown that the semisynthetic penicillins such as cyclacillin or ampicillin may modify susceptible bacteria, such as Escherichia coli, to increased vulnerability to antibody mediated complement dependent bacterial lysis as well as increased susceptibility to phagocytosis by macrophages. Pretreatment of E. coli with subinhibitory concentrations of such semisynthetic penicillins but not Penicillin G itself markedly increased the susceptibility of the bacteria to host immune factors, even after repeated washing of the bacteria in vitro (2–8). The pretreated bacteria showed markedly increased susceptibility to bacteriolysis by antibody and complement. They were also phagocytized much more rapidly by blood or spleen monocytes, as well as peritoneal macrophages or adherent splenocytes. In addition, macrophages from adjuvant stimulated animals, including those given either Bacillus Calmette Guerin (BCG) or muramyl dipeptide (MDP), the small molecular adjuvant of mycobacteria and other bacteria, showed even greater activity against antibiotic treated E. coli (7). Macrophages which had ingested these E. coli also showed higher levels of immunogenic cell surface components of the bacteria as compared to phagocytes which had ingested untreated bacteria. The macrophages from mice which phagocytized antibiotic-pretreated and washed bacteria contained increased immunogenic moities of the bacteria as shown by subsequent injection of cell free extracts of the cells into recipient animals (4).
Parental Conflict and College Student Functioning: Impact of Child Involvement in Conflict

Parental conflict is associated with negative effects on children, and child feelings of involvement in conflict might exacerbate negative outcomes. Research has yet to explore the long-term impact of both parental conflict and caught feelings. In a sample of college students, linear regressions (N = 800) indicated that regardless of parent marital status, children’s feelings of involvement in parental conflict were important predictors of academic and psychological functioning, and in some cases mediated the relationship between conflict and adult child outcomes. Given that parental conflict is common, it appears important to minimize children’s involvement in conflict, as it can have lasting impacts.
Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook

An introduction to the world of bioinformatics Massive increases in computing power and the ability to routinely sequence whole genomes of living organisms have begun to fundamentally alter our understanding of biology, medicine, and agriculture. At the intersection of the growing information and genomics revolutions sits bioinformatics, which uses modern computational power to reveal patterns in biological data sets, especially DNA, RNA, and protein sequences. Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook, by Scott Kelley and Dennis Didulo, provides a wonderful introduction for anyone who wants to learn the basics of bioinformatics. This book is more than a textbook because of the wealth of online ancillary materials and how the print and electronic components are integrated to form a complete educational resource. Aspects that make Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook a unique and valuable tool for teaching and learning bioinformatics include Clear explanations of the basic biology of DNA, RNA, and proteins and how the related bioinformatics algorithms work Extensive exercises that enable students to practice with the same bioinformatics applications that are used by scientists worldwide Tutorials, sample data sets, and interactive learning tools developed with teachers in mind and field-tested by hundreds of students Online tutorials and curated web links that are accurate (instead of frustrating!) and won’t lead to dead ends Online resources that work on multiple platforms and electronic devices Computational Biology: A Hypertextbook is written in an accessible voice, punctuated with humor, and designed to significantly increase computational competencies. Biology and computer science undergraduate and graduate students will thoroughly enjoy learning from this unique hypertextbook, as will anyone with an interest in exploring this burgeoning topic. Paperback, 210 pages, full-color illustrations, index. Interested in purchasing the digital version of this title? Click here to buy the book via RedShelf! Click here to buy the book via VitalSource!
Ictal connectivity in childhood absence epilepsy: Associations with outcome.

OBJECTIVE The understanding of childhood absence epilepsy (CAE) has been revolutionized over the past decade, but the biological mechanisms responsible for variable treatment outcomes are unknown. Our purpose in this prospective observational study was to determine how pretreatment ictal network pathways, defined using a combined electroencephalography (EEG)-functional magnetic resonance imaging (EEG-fMRI) and magnetoencephalography (MEG) effective connectivity analysis, were related to treatment response. METHODS Sixteen children with newly diagnosed and drug-naive CAE had 31 typical absence seizures during EEG-fMRI and 74 during MEG. The spatial extent of the pretreatment ictal network was defined using fMRI hemodynamic response with an event-related independent component analysis (eICA). This spatially defined pretreatment ictal network supplied prior information for MEG-effective connectivity analysis calculated using phase slope index (PSI). Treatment outcome was assessed 2 years following diagnosis and dichotomized to ethosuximide (ETX)-treatment responders (N = 11) or nonresponders (N = 5). Effective connectivity of the pretreatment ictal network was compared to the treatment response. RESULTS Patterns of pretreatment connectivity demonstrated strongest connections in the thalamus and posterior brain regions (parietal, posterior cingulate, angular gyrus, precuneus, and occipital) at delta frequencies and the frontal cortices at gamma frequencies (P < .05). ETX treatment nonresponders had pretreatment connectivity, which was decreased in the precuneus region and increased in the frontal cortex compared to ETX responders (P < .05). SIGNIFICANCE Pretreatment ictal connectivity differences in children with CAE were associated with response to antiepileptic treatment. This is a possible mechanism for the variable treatment response seen in patients sharing the same epilepsy syndrome.
Intersubband Absorption in N - type Si and Ge Quantum Wells

Intersubband absorption of infrared light of n-type quantum wells was formulated within the framework of effective mass tensors, and normal incidence absorption was observed in the conduction bands of Si and Ge quantum wells on Si (110) and Si (001) substrates, respectively, grown by a Si molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system. Normal incidence electron transitions are allowed due to the coupling of normally incident light and the off-diagonal terms of the inverse effective mass tensor, which are caused by the tilted energy ellipsoids. The quantum wells were formed by the band offset in the SiGe heterostructure and/or by Sb δ — doping. An absorption coefficient of 17,000 cm-1 was obtained as measured by a Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectrometer. Absorption peaks ranging 5–10 μm were obtained for a variety of samples studied. The detection range can be easily tuned by changing either the doping concentration, the band offset or both. The polarization angle dependencies of the absorption spectra were also obtained from waveguide structures. These results offer the opportunity for the application of focal plane arrays and of integration with Si integrated circuits built on Si substrates.
Early and late effects of imprisonment in Nazi concentration camps

This paper explores some of the disagreements in the literature on prisoner behavior in the Nazi concentration camps. It also cites wide differences in the findings of early observers of imprisonment effects. Conflicting views of psychoanalysts on the “symptom-free interval” are noted. A high degree of agreement on the pattern of late effects known as the “CC syndrome”, is indicated. The paper reports that there is apparent acceptance of the limited evidence available that clinical records of survivors of Nazi persecution who lived in hiding but were not in camps also fit the “CC syndrome”. Studies are reviewed which suggest that a narrowly psychodynamic or neurobiological emphasis leads to defective interpretations. In this connection disagreements over the importance of the guilt factor (“existential”, “survival”, or “survivor guilt”) are examined. Finally, the paper considers some probable relationships between duration of CC experience, the factor of stress, and early and late sequelae of NCC experience.
A retrospective study of double-hit lymphomas in elderly patients (> 70 years): Overall outcomes.

e19530Background: Double-hit lymphomas (DHLs) are high-grade diffuse large B-cell lymphomas with concurrent translocations involving myc and bcl-2 and/or bcl-6. A patient with DHL often has advance...
Colonial Ideologies and the Emergence of Two Spaces: The Nigerian Experience

This chapter examines the politico-historical emergence of two spaces in colonial Nigeria and how this historical configuration affected colonial and postcolonial Nigerian politics. It contends that the emergence and characteristics of the two spaces owe their origins to two bourgeois groups, namely the British colonial administrators on ground and the select few indigenous elite borne out of the colonial experience. Ideologies were formulated around these two groups and used to legitimate British rule as the ordinary man became the target of the intellectual workmanship of the two groups. The chapter concludes that the postcolonial challenges of Nigeria are due to the dialectical relationship between the two spaces which emerged out of the need to execute the imperial ideologies of Britain in colonial Nigeria.
Amateurism revisited: how U.S. college athletic recruitment favors middle-class athletes

This study uses Bourdieusian (1977, 1978, 2011) approaches to reproduction to position athletic bureaucracies as legitimating institutions that convert capital. I examine how the cultural productio...
Suspicious Suicides and Homicides Staged as Suicides

In this chapter, the Foul Play Project (FPP) results are used to investigate the incident patterns, risk factors, and consequences of suspicious suicides and possible homicides staged as suicides (HSASs), which take place in closed institutions, such as correctional and military facilities, and in local communities. The traumatic and stigmatizing impact of these suspicious suicides and HSASs are evaluated. Data from the FPP are based on a random sample of 5,366 cases involving possible foul play that were reported in the media.
Exploring Microenvironment Acidity Inside the Solvent-FilledPores of Mesoporous Silica Thin Films via Single-Molecule Spectroscopy

Single-molecule (SM) spectroscopy was used to study the local acidity inside solution-filled silica mesopores. The dual emission, pH-sensitive dye C-SNARF-1 was used as the fluorescent probe. Mesoporous materials were prepared as thin films supported on glass substrates. A microfluidic device was used to seal the upper surface of the films and to allow for their exposure to flowing aqueous solutions of the dye under different pH and ionic strength conditions. Single-molecule data were collected by two-color wide-field fluorescence imaging in the pseudototal internal reflection fluorescence mode. Pairs of fluorescence images were acquired simultaneously in bands centered around 580 and 640 nm, each having a 40 nm bandwidth. The ratio of C-SNARF-1 emission in these two bands (I580/I640) is highly sensitive to pH in bulk solution. The SM data show that C-SNARF-1 remains sensitive to pH in mesoporous materials, but that the emission ratios obtained are often larger than in bulk solution. Results obtained as a...
A Gravity Model for Country of Origin Consumer Evaluations

This paper tests the gravity model for country of origin consumer evaluations. The analysis, based on about 2500 country pairs, indicates that consumer evaluations in one country (rating country) of products made in another country (rated country) are directly related to GDP of rated country and inversely to GDP of rating country and distances between them. Country pairs with common languages, rated country being an island, and political stability in rated countries are found to have a strong positive influence on the country evaluations. Rated country being a colony of the rating country in the past, rated country being a landlocked country, and country pair being in at least one active preferential trade agreement covering goods have negative influence on the country of origin evaluations. Contiguity between country pairs is found to have no influence on the country of origin consumer evaluations.
Wildfire alters the disturbance impacts of an emerging forest disease via changes to host occurrence and demographic structure

Anthropogenic activities have altered historical disturbance regimes, and understanding the mechanisms by which these shifting perturbations interact is essential to predicting where they may erode ecosystem resilience. Emerging infectious plant diseases, caused by human translocation of nonnative pathogens, can generate ecologically damaging forms of novel biotic disturbance. Further, abiotic disturbances, such as wildfire, may influence the severity and extent of disease‐related perturbations via their effects on the occurrence of hosts, pathogens and microclimates; however, these interactions have rarely been examined. The disease ‘sudden oak death’ (SOD), associated with the introduced pathogen Phytophthora ramorum, causes acute, landscape‐scale tree mortality in California's fire‐prone coastal forests. Here, we examined interactions between wildfire and the biotic disturbance impacts of this emerging infectious disease. Leveraging long‐term datasets that describe wildfire occurrence and P. ramorum dynamics across the Big Sur region, we modelled the influence of recent and historical fires on epidemiological parameters, including pathogen presence, infestation intensity, reinvasion, and host mortality. Past wildfire altered disease dynamics and reduced SOD‐related mortality, indicating a negative interaction between these abiotic and biotic disturbances. Frequently burned forests were less likely to be invaded by P. ramorum, had lower incidence of host infection, and exhibited decreased disease‐related biotic disturbance, which was associated with reduced occurrence and density of epidemiologically significant hosts. Following a recent wildfire, survival of mature bay laurel, a key sporulating host, was the primary driver of P. ramorum infestation and reinvasion, but younger, rapidly regenerating host vegetation capable of sporulation did not measurably influence disease dynamics. Notably, the effect of P. ramorum infection on host mortality was reduced in recently burned areas, indicating that the loss of tall, mature host canopies may temporarily dampen pathogen transmission and ‘release’ susceptible species from significant inoculum pressure. Synthesis. Cumulatively, our findings indicate that fire history has contributed to heterogeneous patterns of biotic disturbance and disease‐related decline across this landscape, via changes to the both the occurrence of available hosts and the demography of epidemiologically important host populations. These results highlight that human‐altered abiotic disturbances may play a foundational role in structuring infectious disease dynamics, contributing to future outbreak emergence and driving biotic disturbance regimes.
The Geography of Employment Outcomes for Radiation Oncology Graduates in 2019.

Purpose The geographic distribution of practicing radiation oncologists is of concern for multiple stakeholders within the field. Employment outcomes of graduating residents can affect that distribution, and they are of major concern to current residents. Data investigating employment outcomes of recent graduates are sparse. We aimed to analyze the employment outcomes of the radiation oncology residency class of 2019. Methods and Materials Using publicly available information, we identified the employment of 179 of 183 graduating residents in the class of 2019. For each, the place of employment, residency program, and medical school were geocoded using Google Maps. We used the rural-urban continuum code (RUCC) published by the United States Department of Agriculture to determine the rurality of each location and compared employment outcomes by RUCC and program size. Results Two thirds of graduates (66%) took a position in a county within a metropolitan area with a population greater than 1,000,000 people; only 3.4% took a position in a county outside of a metropolitan area. Graduates of smaller programs (≤6 residents) and those in smaller metropolitan areas were more likely to take positions in smaller metropolitan areas or nonmetropolitan areas. The geographic distance between location of employment and residency program did not significantly vary by program size or size of metropolitan area where a residency program was located. Conclusions Among the class of 2019, a small proportion took positions in nonmetropolitan areas. Smaller programs and those in smaller metropolitan areas may be more likely to produce graduates that practice in similar settings, but those graduates might not do so locally. We advocate for a centralized, prospective data collection of employment outcomes for graduating residents to refine these analyses and to reduce employment prospect information asymmetry for trainees.
Linear Convergence of Distributed Mirror Descent with Integral Feedback for Strongly Convex Problems.

Distributed optimization often requires finding the minimum of a global objective function written as a sum of local functions. A group of agents work collectively to minimize the global function. We study a continuous-time decentralized mirror descent algorithm that uses purely local gradient information to converge to the global optimal solution. The algorithm enforces consensus among agents using the idea of integral feedback. Recently, Sun and Shahrampour (2020) studied the asymptotic convergence of this algorithm for when the global function is strongly convex but local functions are convex. Using control theory tools, in this work, we prove that the algorithm indeed achieves (local) exponential convergence. We also provide a numerical experiment on a real data-set as a validation of the convergence speed of our algorithm.
Photoredox Asymmetric Nucleophilic Dearomatization of Indoles with Neutral Radicals

The dearomatization of indoles represents the most efficient approach for accessing highly valued indolines. The inherent nucleophilic reactivity of indoles has dictated indole dearomatization deve...
An examination of how alcohol enforcement strategies by sheriff and police agencies are associated with alcohol-impaired-driving fatal traffic crashes.

Objective: Over 10,000 people die in alcohol-impaired-driving traffic crashes every year in the U.S. Approximately half of alcohol-impaired drivers report their last drink was at a bar or restauran...
Surgical Management of Intestinal Volvulus

Volvulus refers to the torsion or twisting of a viscera and mainly involves organs of the intestinal track. Organs may twist along two directions: organo-axial (longitudinally along the mesenteric axis) or mesentero-axial (perpendicular to the mesenteric axis). Organo-axial volvulus is the most common type in the adult population. Volvulus involves either the sigmoid colon or cecum in >95% of the cases that occur in the adult population.
Humanoid Robots and Spoken Dialog Systems for Brief Health Interventions

We combined a spoken dialog system that we developed to deliver brief health interventions with the fully autonomous humanoid robot (NAO). The dialog system is based on a framework facilitating Markov decision processes (MDP). It is optimized using reinforcement learning (RL) algorithms with data we collected from real user interactions. The system begins to learn optimal dialog strategies for initiative selection and for the type of confirmations that it uses during theinteraction. The health intervention, delivered by a 3D character instead of the NAO, has already been evaluated, with positive results in terms of task completion, ease of use, and future intention to use the system. The current spoken dialog system for the humanoid robot is a novelty and exists so far as a proof ofconcept.
Nevirapine induced opioid withdrawal in a patient previously stable on Levo-Alpha-Acetyl-Methadol (LAAM)

Abstract Nevirapine (Viramune) is a non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor that is an inducer of the cytochrome P-450 enzymes 2D6 and 3A4. There are several reports that it can increase the metabolism of methadone leading to decreased methadone levels and the precipitation of opioid withdrawal in patients previously maintained on a stable methadone dose. There are no reports of its effects on the metabolism of LAAM. A case is presented in which a patient previously on a stable dose of LAAM experienced opioid withdrawal shortly after beginning an anti retroviral regimen that included nevirapine. Nevirapine appears to induce opioid withdrawal in patients previously stable on LAAM. Some potential differences in the time course and management of nevirapine-induced withdrawal from LAAM, as compared to methadone, are discussed.
Indications of Short Periodicity in the FeXIV 503.3nm Emission Line at the 2008 Solar Eclipse

Observations at the 1 August 2008 total solar eclipse in western China were obtained through a narrow band interference filter centered on the 530.3 nm FeXIV emission line at a cadence of 30 frames/second. A simplified analysis indicates that in a position near the base of a coronal streamer a short period intensity periodicity is found. The analysis and results are presented.
Prostaglandin E2 Promotes Colorectal Cancer Stem Cell Expansion and Metastasis in Mice

Background & Aims Inflammation may contribute to the formation, maintenance, and expansion of cancer stem cells (CSCs), which have the capacity for self-renewal, differentiation, and resistance to cytotoxic agents. We investigated the effects of the inflammatory mediator prostaglandin E 2 (PGE 2 ) on colorectal CSC development and metastasis in mice and the correlation between levels of PGE 2 and CSC markers in human colorectal cancer (CRC) specimens. Methods Colorectal carcinoma specimens and matched normal tissues were collected from patients at the Mayo Clinic (Scottsdale, AZ) and analyzed by mass spectrometry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction. Human primary CRC cells and mouse tumor cells were isolated using microbeads or flow cytometry and analyzed for sphere-formation and by flow cytometry assays. LS-174T cells were sorted by flow cytometry (for CD133 + CD44 + and CD133 - CD44 - cells) and also used in these assays. NOD-scid IL-2Rγ -/- (NSG) mice were given cecal or subcutaneous injections of LS-174T or human primary CRC cells. Apc Min/+ mice and NSG mice with orthotopic cecal tumors were given vehicle (controls), PGE 2 , celecoxib, and/or Ono-AE3-208. PGE 2 downstream signaling pathways were knocked down with small hairpin RNAs, expressed from lentiviral vectors in LS-174T cells, or blocked with inhibitors in human primary CRC cells. Results Levels of PGE 2 correlated with colonic CSC markers ( CD133 , CD44 , LRG5 , and SOX2 messenger RNAs) in human colorectal carcinoma samples. Administration of PGE 2 to Apc Min/+ mice increased tumor stem cells and tumor burden, compared with controls. NSG mice given PGE 2 had increased numbers of cecal CSCs and liver metastases compared with controls after intracecal injection of LS-174T or human primary CRC cells. Alternatively, celecoxib, an inhibitor of prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2, reduced polyp numbers in Apc Min/+ mice, liver metastasis in NSG mice with orthotopic tumors, and numbers of CSCs in Apc Min/+ and NSG mice. Inhibitors or knockdown of PGE 2 receptor 4 (EP4), phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) p85α, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1 (ERK1), or nuclear factor (NF)-κB reduced PGE 2 -induced sphere formation and expansion of LS-174T and/or human primary CRC cells. Knockdown of ERK1 or PI3K p85α also attenuated PGE 2 -induced activation of NF-κB in LS-174T cells. An EP4 antagonist reduced the ability of PGE 2 to induce CSC expansion in orthotopic tumors and to accelerate the formation of liver metastases. Knockdown experiments showed that NF-κB was required for PGE 2 induction of CSCs and metastasis in mice. Conclusions PGE 2 induces CSC expansion by activating NF-κB, via EP4–PI3K and EP4–mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling, and promotes the formation of liver metastases in mice. The PGE 2 signaling pathway therefore might be targeted therapeutically to slow CSC expansion and colorectal cancer progression.
A Reply to Scarr and Ernhart

In Reply.— We appreciate Dr Auerbach9s comments regarding our study (Pediatrics. 1992;90:233-237). We will respond to the questions in the same order in which they were raised. 1. Since the purpose of the study was to determine the effect of discharge samples on the duration of breast-feeding, all mothers ho initiated breast-feeding in the hospital were eligible for inclusion in the follow-up study. As mentioned under "Methods," the American Academy of Pediatric9s definition of exclusive breast-feeding was used to assign women to the exclusive breast-feeding group.
The Role of Needs Assessment in the Design of Employee Assistance Programs

This paper describes the value of a multimethod needs assessment in developing and tailoring an employee assistance program (EAP) to the particular characteristics, problems, and resources of an organization and then provides an illustration of an EAP needs assessment conducted for a city municipality. Unique concerns of city employees, and the specific EAP programs designed to address these concerns, are highlighted.
Cardiovascular response to exercise as influenced by training of various intensities.

Abstract Forty college men were randomly divided into three training groups and one control group in a study of selected cardiovascular adaptations to 4 weeks of training bouts eliciting either 120–130, 140–150, or 160–170 heart rates. Training consisted of bench stepping until the assigned heart rate was elicited, 5 days per week. Significant differences were found in the analysis of pre–post 180 work capacity test (PWC-180). Analysis of group differences revealed that the 140–150 and 160–170 training groups' improvement was significantly different from other groups. No other differences were statistically significant. No changes were noted in recovery heart rate. The study supported the hypothesis that when training to improve one's physical capacity to do work, the severity of the training effort is related to, but not proportional to, intensity of the training.
A wrist for needle-sized surgical robots

The needle-sized surgical tools used in arthroscopy, otolaryngology, and other surgical fields could become even more valuable to surgeons if endowed with the ability to navigate around sharp corners to manipulate or visualize tissue. We present a needle-sized wrist design that grants this ability. It can be easily interfaced with manual tools or concentric tube robots and is straightforward and inexpensive to manufacture. The wrist consists of a nitinol tube with several asymmetric cutouts, actuated by a tendon. Perhaps counter-intuitively, within this seemingly simple design concept, design optimization is challenging due to the number of parameters available and nonlinearities in material properties. In this paper, we examine a subset of possible geometries and derive kinematic and static models. Experimental results with a 1.16 mm diameter prototype validate the models. Lastly, we provide a discussion summarizing the lessons learned in our early experience designing and fabricating wrists of this type.
Sodium-Potassium-activated Adenosine Triphosphatase of Electrophorus Electric Organ III. AN ASSOCIATED POTASSIUM-ACTIVATED NEUTRAL PHOSPHATASE

Abstract A magnesium-potassium-activated hydrolysis of p-nitrophenyl phosphate is catalyzed by a microsomal preparation from Electrophorus electric organs. The properties of this reaction are compared with those of the magnesium-sodium-potassium-activated hydrolysis of adenosine triphosphate which is catalyzed by the same preparations. Although superficially similar, a detailed comparison of the alkali metal activation of the two reactions indicates that they are catalyzed by distinct enzymes.
The Economics of Happiness and Anger in North Africa

Economics has rediscovered happiness even though the discipline has always been about human wellbeing. A growing evidence suggests that happier people can be more productive and innovative, which leads to profitability and economic growth. Thus, there are
The Medieval March of Wales: The Creation and Perception of a Frontier, 1066–1283 – By Max Lieberman

One of the most complex fields in medieval Welsh and English history is the history of the March of Wales, usually defined by modern scholars as the English‐held lordships in south Wales. Occasiona...
Regulation of phage λ development with the growth rate of host cells: A homeostatic mechanism

Abstract We have studied some of the parameters of lysogenic and lytic development by phage λ in cells grown on carbon sources that produce widely different generation times. We find a nearly constant frequency of lysogeny and in most cases a very similar phage burst. This is apparently achieved by a compensatory regulatory mechanism in which a delay in the late stage of lytic development is coupled with lower production of λ cI protein.
Full Depth Reclamation of Asphalt Pavements Using Coal Combustion Byproducts

The objective of this study was to demonstrate the use of Class F coal fly ash in combination with lime or lime kiln dust (LKD) in full depth reclamation (FDR) of failing asphalt pavements. Full-scale test sections (about 4 miles in length) of two structurally deficient asphalt pavements were reclaimed using Class F fly ash in combination with lime and LKD. In addition, control sections were constructed using cement, cement and emulsion, LKD and emulsion, and simple recompaction. The service performance and structural behavior of the reclaimed pavement test sections were monitored to determine how the fly ash sections compared with other admixtures. Service performance and structural behavior were determined through a program of falling weight deflectometer (FWD) tests and embedded sensors installed at the time of construction. Monitoring results of the FWD tests conducted up to 3 yr after reclamation show that the cement, fly ash and LKD, and fly ash and lime sections exhibited resilient modulus values comparable to soil cement. The cement treatment resulted in a significant increase in resilient modulus within three weeks of the end of construction but beyond this curing time stiffness increase was slow. Tests on fly ash and LKD and fly ash and lime test sections indicated a slower short-term increase in stiffness, but the two fly ash stabilized sections 3 yr after construction exhibit average resilient modulus values of 400–1,300 ksi.
A new approach to solution-phase gold seeding for SERS substrates.

Surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) vastly improves signal-to-noise ratios compared to traditional Raman scattering, making sensitive assays based upon Raman scattering a reality. However, to date, preparation of highly stable SERS-active gold substrates requires complicated and expensive methodologies and instrumentation. Here, we introduce a general and completely solution phase, seed-based approach, capable of producing gold films for surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) applications on a variety of substrates, not requiring surface modification or functionalization. SERS enhancement factors of ∼107 were observed. Moreover, solution-phase gold film deposition on highly complex surfaces, such as protein-coated bioassays, is demonstrated for the first time. Protein bioassays coated with such SERS-active gold films were combined with bioconjugated single-walled carbon nanotube Raman labels, affording high sensitivity detection of the cancer biomarker, carcinoembryonic antigen in serum, with a limit of detection of ∼5 fM (1 pg / mL).
Effects of hormones on the electrical activity of the brain in the rat and rabbit

Abstract A study has been made of the effects of various hormones on the electrical activity (EEG and background activity) of the brain in the rat and rabbit. In the rat under weak urethane or ether anesthesia the intravenous injection of vasopressin, epinephrine or progesterone induced EEG synchronization and a concomitant decrease in diencephalic background activity. These electrical changes were invariably associated with a rise in blood pressure and were probably the result of activation of baroceptors. In rabbits under urethane, injections of these hormones also elevated the blood pressure but in this species the rise was associated with EEG activation and an increase in background activity. These effects were apparently due to direct excitation of the reticular activating system by the sudden rise in blood pressure.
A Fundamental Limitation of DC-Free Quantization Noise With Respect To Nonlinearity-Induced Spurious Tones

Fractional-N phase-locked loops (PLLs) are widely used to synthesize local oscillator signals for modulation and demodulation in communication systems. Such PLLs generate and subsequently lowpass filter DC-free quantization noise as part of their normal operation. Unfortunately, the quantization noise and its running sum inevitably are subjected to nonlinear distortion from analog circuit imperfections which causes spurious tones in the PLL output signal that can degrade communication system performance. This paper presents the first general mathematical analysis of this phenomenon. It proves that if the running sum of the quantization noise, t[n], satisfies tlow <; t[n] ≤ thigh for all n, where tlow and thigh are integers, then subjecting t[n] to kth-order distortion for at least one k ∈ {1, 2, 3..., thigh - tlow} will result in spurious tones for most fractional-N PLL output frequencies regardless of how the quantization is performed. It also shows that quantizers exist which are optimal in the sense that subjecting the running sum of their quantization noise to th-order distortion for any k ∈ {1, 2, 3..., thigh - tlow - 1} does not result in any spurious tones. In a typical fractional-N PLL, the larger the range of t[n] the greater the power of the PLL's phase noise, so these results imply a fundamental tradeoff between phase noise power and spurious tones in PLLs.
Problems in Defining Cross-Cultural “Kinds of Homosexuality” —and a Solution

Cross-cultural typologies of male homosexuality categorize widely different cultural expressions of same-sex behavior and orientation, but often without a deeper consideration of what it means for there to be kinds of homosexuality, or what the existence of separate kinds means for the category "homosexuality." In this paper the methods and results of these typologies are described and criticized, and a new interpretation of cultural expressions of homosexuality is offered in their place. The kinds of homosexuality are seen in terms of an activity of male consciousness, whereby male consciousness becomes progressively more oriented toward itself through each general kind. Finally a plan for a future systematic study of homosexuality is suggested, into which the reorganized typologies and other cultural material may be integrated.
Emerging drugs for the treatment of uveitis

Introduction: Uveitis is a potentially visually debilitating disease when untreated or poorly controlled. Chronic intermediate, posterior, or panuveitis often requires systemic immunosuppressive therapy to prevent such visual loss. Areas covered: This review discusses existing treatments for ocular inflammation including corticosteroids, antimetabolites, alkylating agents, T-cell inhibitors, and biologic agents. Potential drugs being studied in clinical trials are introducing new routes for local corticosteroid delivery, and novel immunomodulators are exploring new targets of the inflammatory cascade. Expert opinion: Treatment options for uveitis have expanded from even a decade ago. However, more clinical trials and research are needed to further our understanding of the mechanisms of ocular inflammation and the safety and efficacy of novel therapies.
The virtual cinematographer: a paradigm for automatic real-time camera control and directing

This paper presents a paradigm for automatically generating complete camera specifications for capturing events in virtual 3D environments in real-time. We describe a fully implemented system, called the Virtual Cinematographer, and demonstrate its application in a virtual “party” setting. Cinematographic expertise, in the form of film idioms, is encoded as a set of small hierarchically organized finite state machines. Each idiom is responsible for capturing a particular type of scene, such as three virtual actors conversing or one actor moving across the environment. The idiom selects shot types and the timing of transitions between shots to best communicate events as they unfold. A set of camera modules, shared by the idioms, is responsible for the low-level geometric placement of specific cameras for each shot. The camera modules are also responsible for making subtle changes in the virtual actors’ positions to best frame each shot. In this paper, we discuss some basic heuristics of filmmaking and show how these ideas are encoded in the Virtual Cinematographer. CR
Understanding and Facilitating the Usage of Nutritional Labels by Low-Literate Consumers:

Abstract This research examines how low-literate consumers use nutritional labels on packages and the ways such usage can be facilitated. Using research on nutritional labeling and on low-literate consumers as bases, the authors design an experiment to test specific hypotheses about the effects of graphic versus nongraphic formats on usage of nutrition information by consumers with different levels of literacy. The authors discuss implications of the findings for further research and for public policy.
The prevalence of incidental findings on abdominal computed tomography scans of trauma patients.

Abstract Background: Abdominal computed tomography scanning (AbdCTS) is the standard of care in the evaluation of blunt trauma patients. The liberal use of AbdCTS coupled with advancing imaging technology often results in the detection of incidental findings. Objectives: We sought to characterize the incidence and prevalence of such findings, describe the lesions most frequently seen on AbdCTS performed on patients admitted to a Level I trauma center, and develop a plan for follow-up through our performance improvement process. Methods: AbdCTS reports of all admissions to a Level I trauma center between January 2000 and December 2002 were reviewed. Incidental findings identified were classified into benign anatomic variants, benign pathologic lesions, and pathologic lesions requiring further work-up. Results: A total of 3113 patients were evaluated by AbdCTS during this time period. There were 1474 incidental findings in 1103 patients. Seventy-five percent of patients with incidental lesions had no traumatic findings. Benign anatomic variants were present in 1.8%, benign pathologic findings in 27.5%, and pathologic findings requiring work-up in 6.1%. Congenital renal anomalies and duplicate inferior vena cava were the most common benign anatomical findings. Renal and hepatic cysts were the most frequent benign lesions and non-calcified pulmonary nodules and adrenal masses were the pathologic lesions most commonly seen. Conclusions: Incidental findings are seen in up to 35% of trauma AbdCTS. No concomitant traumatic injuries are present in up to 75% of these patients. Protocols for appropriate intervention or arrangements for follow-up care need to be incorporated into the care of the trauma patients.