cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Disciplines and Doctorates: The Relationships between Program Characteristics and the Duration of Doctoral Study.

The departmental characteristics associated with the average duration of doctoral study were studied in a national data set collected by the National Research Council. The biological, mathematical and physical sciences, and engineering had relatively short medians and narrow ranges across departments, and the humanities had larger medians and wider ranges. The pattern of results associated with the duration of doctoral study suggested the importance of departmental emphases on scholarly careers and the resources to implement those emphases. The patterns of results varied by general area, and by specific discipline, suggesting the need for detailed analysis within disciplines.
Turfgrass Root Response to Subsurface Soil Compaction

Soil compaction prevents turfgrass roots from growing deep into the soil and may limit access to water and nutrients. The objective of this study was to characterize the ability of turfgrass roots to penetrate a compacted subsurface layer. Seven turfgrasses were grown in soil columns. Each column was divided into three sections with the top and bottom packed to a bulk density of 1.6 g cm−3, and the middle (treatment) layer packed to 1.6, 1.7, 1.8, 1.9, or 2.0 g cm−3. Subsurface compaction reduced root mass for two of the species, and inhibited deep root growth in all seven species, with the greatest reduction occurring between 1.7 and 1.8 g cm−3. There appears to be little difference between species in ability to penetrate compacted soils, suggesting that soil preparation and routine management practices, rather than grass selection, is the more viable way to handle soil compaction problems in turf.
Rotational modulation of the chromospheric activity in Chi(1) Orionis (G0 V)

The age and rotation period of the solar type star Chi(1) Ori recommend it for a rotational modulation study of its strong UV emission lines. IUE observations have accordingly been made at four different phases during each of three separate rotation cycles, over a time span of 325 days. C IV, He II, and Mg II observations are consistent with a uniform spatial distribution and brightness for the Mg II emission network, and a more complex distribution of the regions producing the UV transmission region emission. Alternatively, if the area coverage of the chromospheric and transition region emission is nearly identical, the surface brightness contrast between stellar active regions and normal ones must increase by almost an order of magnitude in the higher temperature lines.
Ensuring that your dart will hit the mark: An introduction to dart contracts

This paper presents Dart Contracts, an embedded contract language for Dart with non-null annotations, whose design was inspired by the Java Modeling Language, Spec# and Microsoft's Code Contracts, among others. Dart is a dynamically typed object-oriented language with first class functions and an optional static type system. Dart is useful for engineering web apps (running in browsers) as well as server-side programs. The Dart programming language is one of Google's responses to the deficiencies of JavaScript when it comes to engineering large-scale web applications.
Fasting- and meal-stimulated peptide hormone concentrations before and after gastric surgery for morbid obesity

The influence of morbid obesity and of gastric surgery operation in circulating peptide hormone concentrations was studied in 26 patients. Plasma hormone levels were determined in the fasting state and after a standardized test meal before and six to nine months after gastric surgery. Before surgery fasting and postprandial blood glucose and hormone levels did not significantly differ in morbidly obese subjects from those in obese or normal subjects, except that in morbidly obese subjects, postprandial gastrin concentration remained at peak levels and did not return to fasting levels 120 minutes after the test meal. An average weight loss of 92 lb following the gastric surgery operation was accompanied by a decrease of fasting glucose and insulin levels and a decreased postprandial insulin response. There were no significant differences in plasma levels of pancreatic glucagon, of pancreatic polypeptide in the basal state, or of pancreatic glucagon after the test meal between the preoperative and postoperative groups. As compared to preoperative values, fasting gastrin levels decreased after surgery, the postprandial release of gastrin was virtually absent, and that of pancreatic polypeptide reduced. The significance of altered postprandial pancreatic polypeptide response and of the reversal of prolonged postprandial hypergastrinemia to a state of low circulating gastrin levels following gastric surgery on gastrointestinal secretion and mucosa remain to be determined.
Effects of sulphasalazine and its metabolites on neutrophil chemotaxis, superoxide production, degranulation and translocation of cytochrome b‐245

SUMMARY This study describes effects of sulphasalazine, 5-amino-salicylic acid (5-ASA) and sulphapyridine on polymorphonuclear neutrophils. Chemotaxis by polymorphonuclear neutrophils incubated with 5-ASA was reduced in a concentration dependent fashion (10−5-10−4 M). Degranulation and release of lysozyme and s-glucuronidase by activated polymorphonuclear neutrophils was inhibited by sulphasalazine but increased after incubation with 5-ASA (P < 0.01). Production of O2− was inhibited by sulphasalazine (IC50: 2 × 10−4 M) and to a lesser extent by 5-ASA (IC50: 10−3 M). Using a cell-free system sulphasalazine was found to be a strong scavenger and 5-ASA and sulphapyridine had only weak effects. Superoxide anion production requires translocation of a cytochrome b-245 and this translocation was reduced by sulphasalazine (P < 0.01) but not by 5-ASA or sulphapyridine. In conclusion, the intact sulphasalazine molecule has an action of its own and marked differences exist between the action of sulphasalazine and 5-ASA, which may be important for the clinical activity.
ACC/AHA Pooled Cohort Risk Equations predicted 5-y risk for CV events in adults considered for statin initiation

Source Citation Muntner P, Colantonio LD, Cushman M, et al. Validation of the atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease Pooled Cohort risk equations. JAMA. 2014;311:1406-15. 24682252
Biosynthesis of lipds in zooplankton from Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada

Lipid analyses were carried out on various species of zooplankton captured in Saanich Inlet, British Columbia, Canada, during September, 1972. The amphipod Cyphocaris challengeri had the highest level of lipid, consisting mainly of wax esters. The copepod Calanus pacificus had moderate amounts of lipid, with triglyceride as the major neutral lipid. The euphausiid Thysanoessa raschii contained mainly triglyceride in its moderate levels of neutral lipid, while wax esters and, to a lesser extent, triglycerides were present in the very small levels of neutral lipid in the chaetognath Sagitta elegans. The major fatty alcohols in wax esters of both Cyphocaris challengeri and Calanus pacificus were 20:1 and 22:1, although notable differences were found in the major fatty acids. Biosynthetic studies showed that phospholipids were labelled faster than neutral lipids in all species with both (U-14C) glucose and (1-14C) palmitic acid as precursors. Only species containing significant amounts of wax esters in their neutral lipids incorporated substantial amounts of radio-activity from (1-14C) palmitic acid into wax esters in (i) living animals, (ii) preparations containing fragments of tissue, (iii) cell-free systems. All species incorporated added fatty alcohols into wax esters in preparations containing tissue fragments and in cell-free preparations. Both the fatty acid and fatty alcohols of the wax esters of both Calanus pacificus and S. elegans were labelled from (1-14C) palmitic acid, consistent with de novo biosynthesis of the esters. (1-14C) hexadecanol was incorporated into wax esters almost entirely in the fatty alcohol moiety. It is concluded that all species examined formed was esters when presented with preformed fatty alcohols, but only those species that had wax esters as a major component of the neutral lipids were capable of de novo biosynthesis of the lipids.
Let the Caged Bird Sing: Using Literature to Teach Developmental Psychology

Reading lists of developmental psychology courses are replete with scientific theory and research. Narrative material from literature can supplement this theory and research by elucidating psychological concepts with real-life examples, while deepening students' appreciation for the complexity and diversity of development. In several courses I have used Maya Angelou's (1969) I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings, which is highly effective at illustrating many child development topics: development of self-concept and self-esteem, ego resilience, industry versus inferiority, effects of abuse, parenting styles, sibling and friendship relations, gender issues, cognitive development, puberty, and identity formation in adolescence. Students react very positively to the book and to a paper in which they analyze Angelou's development using theory and research from the course.
Global Grid for large C/sup 2//ISR aircraft with Joint STARS example

As an aid in describing the Air Force Global Grid and how it can be integrated into present and future systems, the MITRE Corporation Global Grid Project has undertaken studies of various projects/systems/platforms as they would be impacted by the Global Grid. The author reviews the basic Global Grid tenets, extends them to C/sup 2//ISR (command and control/information, surveillance reconnaissance) airborne platforms and applies them to Joint STARS showing how Joint STARS can evolve to the Global Grid.
Application of semi-active tuned mass dampers to base-excited systems

A continuously variable semi-active damper is used in a tuned mass damper (TMD) to reduce the level of vibration of a single-degree-of-freedom system subjected to harmonic base excitations. The ground hook dampers as have been used in the auto-industry are being studied here. Using these dampers a new class of tuned mass dampers, named as ground hook tuned mass dampers (GHTMD) is being introduced. In order to generalize the design properties of the GHTMDs, they are defined in terms of non-dimensional parameters. The optimum design parameters of GHTMDs for lightly damped systems are obtained based on the minimization of the steady-state displacement response of the main mass. These parameters are computed for different mass ratios and main system damping ratios. Frequency responses of the resulting systems are compared to that of equivalent TMDs using passive dampers. In addition, other characteristics of this system as compared to the passive TMDs are discussed. A design guide to obtain the optimum parameters of GHTMD using the developed diagrams in this paper based on non-dimensional values is presented. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
We are the genes we've been waiting for: rational responses to the gathering storm of personal genomics.

If knowledge can create problems, it is not through ignorance that we can solve them. —Isaac Asimov In 2008, the medical establishment told us that learning genomic information about ourselves with...
Frequency response of linear time periodic systems

A frequency response for linear time periodic (LTP) systems that exploits the one-to-one map induced by geometrically periodic signals is developed. This map is described by an integral operator, based on the GP (geometrically periodic) test input, and a generalized harmonic balance approach, based on an EMP (exponentially modulated periodic) input. The singular values or principal gains of the LTP operator are discussed, and the LTP principal gain diagram is described. Directional properties of the LTP operator are discussed, and notions of the domain and range spaces are presented. The framework of linear operators described has lead to the development of a comprehensive open-loop analysis theory for LTP systems, including a characterization of poles, transmission zeros, and their directional properties. >
Independent effects of woodland loss and fragmentation on Brown Treecreeper distribution

We examined the influence of local habitat and the surrounding landscape on the distribution of Brown Treecreepers in a matrix of woodlands and pastures. Our goals were to: (1) determine the importance and scale of the independent effects of woodland cover and fragmentation on treecreeper distribution, and (2) employ landscape variables to improve models of treecreeper distribution based on local habitat features. Woodland fragmentation was important at a large scale while both woodland cover and fragmentation were important at a smaller scale. Excluding unoccupied sites in highly fragmented landscapes improved the ability of local habitat features to explain Brown Treecreeper distribution, which appeared to be constrained by cavity density. Brown Treecreepers' response to fragmentation at the larger scale may occur because fragmentation disrupts dispersal. Alternatively, their response may be an example of a general phenomenon of fragmentation effects only arising when < 20% of woodland cover remains at a given scale. As fragmentation increases, so does the need to incorporate landscape patterns into wildlife-habitat models.
RESETTING THE OXYGEN-SENSING SET POINT

![Figure][1] A significant drawback to living in air is that there is always a risk of death from metabolic failure if oxygen levels fall too low (hypoxia), and from oxidative damage if O2 gets too high (hyperoxia). Much recent attention has focused on the cellular mechanisms that protect us
Isotopic reconstructions of habitat change surrounding the extinction of Sivapithecus, a Miocene hominoid, in the Siwalik Group of Pakistan

Abstract This research presents an isotopic study of a wide range of mammalian taxa from the Miocene Siwalik Group of Pakistan, with a focus on two time intervals—9.3–9.2 Ma, when the hominoid Sivapithecus was present, and 8.1–8.0 Ma, shortly after Sivapithecus became extinct. The purpose of this investigation is to reconstruct the vegetation mosaic at both time levels in order to determine what Sivapithecus habitat was like and what changes in habitat and climate may have taken place by the time Sivapithecus went extinct. Both carbon and oxygen stable isotopes were sampled from inorganic carbonate in tooth enamel. Results indicate a vegetation mosaic of both closed and open habitat at both time intervals, but a decrease in forest accompanied by an increase in open habitat (including C 4 grasses) during the younger interval. Individuals from many species cluster with each other with respect to both carbon and oxygen isotope values, indicating a spectrum of feeding adaptations exploiting different parts of the habitat. Isotopic values for Sivapithecus suggest that it fed in the forest upper canopy. Taxa feeding in the most closed, wet habitat become extinct by 8.1 Ma. Furthermore, higher δ 18 O values over time suggest a change in climate with a reduction in annual rainfall, perhaps accompanied by changes in precipitation sources or rainfall regime as well. These results suggest that forests became fragmented over time. While still present in the younger level, much of the forest was replaced by open habitat, including patches of C 4 grass. Forest loss and fragmentation is a likely cause of the extinction of Sivapithecus .
Safety and efficacy of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid (DMSA) in children with elevated blood lead concentrations.

Objective: To evaluate the safety and efficacy of meso-2,3-dimercaptosuccinic acid in the treatment of children with lead toxicity. Design: This was an open-label study in 59 children 12–65-months ...
Role of interleukin-6 in murine airway responses to ozone.

This study sought to examine the role of interleukin-6 (IL-6) in ozone (O3)-induced airway injury, inflammation, and hyperresponsiveness (AHR). Subacute (72 h) exposure to 0.3 ppm O3 significantly ...
An examination of police stops and youths’ attitudes toward police: Do interracial encounters matter?

ABSTRACTLittle is known about how police–youth experiences influence adolescents’ views toward police, particularly when the officer is White and the youth is African American. The contours of this association and its potential consequences are investigated. Using data on police stops culled from a previous study, we use a series of regression analyses to examine the factors that influence juvenile attitudes toward the police among youth having experienced a police stop. Findings reveal that, among other things, race impacts youths’ attitudes toward law enforcement through the interracial characteristics of the stop, a context in which youth are more likely to feel disrespected.
Vimentin in Upper Gastrointestinal Pathologies—Response

We have with interest read the letter from G. Lind and colleagues about our recent description of high levels of vimentin (VIM) exon-1 methylation in Barrett's esophagus and in cancers of the upper gastrointestinal tract ([1][1]). We agree with Lind and colleagues that, taken together with our group
Modeling the Task Environment: Act-R and the Lens Model

Human factors requires modeling techniques that capture how cognition and behavior are sensitive to environmental design. As such, techniques such as Anderson's rational analysis and Brunswik's len...
Improvements in SSRI/SNRI-induced sexual dysfunction by switching to escitalopram.

Antidepressants, especially serotonin reuptake inhibiting agents, are associated with sexual dysfunction. The newest drug of this class, escitalopram, claims greater tolerability than older alternatives. This study evaluated patient experiences with switching from one serotonin enhancing antidepressant to escitalopram in individuals who already were complaining of antidepressant-induced sexual dysfunction. We found that 68.1% of patients experienced improvement with their sexual function. The ability to obtain a satisfactory clinical response at relatively low doses may explain this finding. We performed gender, phase of sexual response,and dose analyses.This article discusses results and significance.
Rbm15-Mkl1 Interacts with the Setd1b Histone H3-Lys4 Methyltransferase via a SPOC Domain That Is Required for Cytokine-Independent Proliferation

The Rbm15-Mkl1 fusion protein is associated with acute megakaryoblastic leukemia (AMKL), although little is known regarding the molecular mechanism(s) whereby this fusion protein contributes to leukemogenesis. Here, we show that both Rbm15 and the leukemogenic Rbm15-Mkl1 fusion protein interact with the Setd1b histone H3-Lys4 methyltransferase (also known as KMT2G). This interaction is direct and requires the Rbm15 SPOC domain and the Setd1b LSD motif. Over-expression of Rbm15-Mkl1 in the 6133 megakaryoblastic leukemia cell line, previously established by expression of the Rbm15-Mkl1 fusion protein in mice (Mercher et al., [2009] J. Clin. Invest. 119, 852–864), leads to decreased levels of endogenous Rbm15 and increased levels of endogenous Mkl1. These cells exhibit enhanced proliferation and cytokine-independent cell growth, which requires an intact Rbm15 SPOC domain that mediates interaction between the Rbm15-Mkl1 fusion protein and the Setd1b methyltransferase. These results reveal altered Setd1b complex function and consequent altered epigenetic regulation as a possible molecular mechanism that mediates the leukemogenic activity of the Rbm15-Mkl1 fusion protein in AMKL.
Sirolimus: Continuing the Evolution of Transplant Immunosuppression

OBJECTIVE:To review the pharmacology, pharmacokinetics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and economic issues associated with sirolimus, the most recent immunosuppressive agent approved for kidney transplantation.DATA SOURCES:A MEDLINE search (1966–June 2000) was completed to identify primary and review articles. In addition, abstracts from recent meetings on transplantation were reviewed for information and research on sirolimus.STUDY SELECTION AND DATA EXTRACTION:Blinded, randomized, controlled studies were the goal, but, as with most newly approved immunosuppressive agents, a significant amount of information on sirolimus is not available in this optimal form. All articles were assessed and all pertinent information was incorporated in this review.DATA SYNTHESIS:Sirolimus is structurally related to the immunosuppressive agent tacrolimus, and retains a pharmacokinetic and drug interaction profile similar to that of the calcineurin inhibitors, cyclosporine and tacrolimus. However, the novel mechanism o...
Eliminating Health And Health Care Disparities Among The Growing Population Of People With Disabilities

Fifty-four million people in the United States are now living with disabilities. That number will grow substantially in the next thirty years, as the “baby-boom” generation ages and many of today’s children and young adults mature and experience complications related to overweight and obesity. This reality poses a major challenge to the health care and policy communities. People with disabilities confront disadvantages from social and environmental determinants of health, including lower educational levels, lower incomes, and higher unemployment, than people without disabilities. Those with disabilities are also much more likely to report being in fair or poor health; to use tobacco; to forgo physical activity; and to be overweight or obese. People with disabilities also experience health care disparities, such as lower rates of screening and more difficulty accessing services, compared to people without disabilities. Eliminating these multifaceted disadvantages among people with disabilities should be a ...
Validation of a thoracoscopic lobectomy simulator

OBJECTIVES: Although simulation is considered integral to general surgery training, its role has only recently been recognized in thoracic surgical education, perhaps due to a lack of widely available, validated simulators for advanced thoracic procedures. This study evaluates the construct, content and face validity of an inexpensive, easily reproducible simulator for teaching thoracoscopic lobectomy. METHODS: Construct validity (ability of the simulator to discriminate between users of different skill levels) was assessed by having surgical trainees perform a lobectomy on the simulator. Participants were divided into three groups (experienced, intermediate and novice) based on self-reported experience with minimally invasive surgery. After instruction and practice time to limit the effect of any simulator-specific learning curve, each performed a left upper lobectomy that was scored using a standardized assessment tool incorporating total time plus weighted penalty minutes assigned for errors. Content validity (simulator requires same steps and decisionmaking as a clinical lobectomy) was assessed using a Likert scale by those participants who had previously seen a thoracoscopic lobectomy in a patient. RESULTS: Thirty-one residents participated in the study (12 experienced, 6 intermediate and 13 novice). All 12 experienced participants completed the lobectomy. The other groups were less successful with 4 of 6 in the intermediate group and 5 of 13 in the novice group completing the lobectomy (P = 0.004). The mean times for lobectomy + penalty minutes were 35 + 6.8 (experienced), 50 + 13 (intermediate) and 54 + 20 (novice). Differences between groups were statistically significant for experienced vs. novice (P < 0.001) and experienced vs. intermediate (P < 0.04). Content validity was assessed by the 18 participants who had previously seen a thoracoscopic lobectomy with a mean of 9.2 of 10 possible points. CONCLUSIONS: The thoracoscopic lobectomy simulator used in this study demonstrates acceptable validity and can be a useful tool for teaching thoracoscopic lobectomy to trainees or experienced surgeons.
Intravascular detection of the vulnerable plaque.

Coronary heart disease (CHD) remains the leading cause of death in the United States, and an estimated 1.4 million Americans have a heart attack each year. Over the past 2 decades, the concept of the “vulnerable plaque” (VP) being responsible for the majority of acute coronary syndromes (ACS) has become widely accepted. Coincidentally, there has been rapid expansion of coronary imaging modalities, both invasive and noninvasive, seeking the ability to detect high-risk plaques before their disruption and formation of occlusive thrombus. Histological characteristics of the plaques that are vulnerable to rupture are thin fibrous cap (<65 μm), large lipid pool, and activated macrophages near the fibrous cap, all of which can be detected with high-resolution coronary imaging.1 Cellular mechanisms associated with plaque instability include inflammation, reduced collagen synthesis, local overexpression of collagenase, and smooth muscle cell apoptosis. These pathological processes can alter the plaque surface and its mechanical properties, which also have been targets of recent research. Noninvasive tests, such as CT and MRI are limited by low resolution and are unable to visualize most of the features of VP. At present, only intravascular modalities can potentially distinguish VP from benign types of plaques. In this review, we focus on the recent data from the various types of intravascular modalities currently available or in development and compare their advantages and limitations. Coronary plaque develops eccentrically, and increasing plaque volume induces positive remodeling of the vessel, resulting in external elastic membrane expansion and preservation of luminal area. Coronary angiography only visualizes the coronary lumen and does not provide any information about the characteristics of the arterial wall and its contents. For this reason, coronary angiography has failed as a diagnostic modality for detection of VP, which often causes only modest luminal narrowing. Various histological plaque components have been targeted as …
The influence of two agricultural biostimulants on nitrogen transformations, microbial activity, and plant growth in soil microcosms

Abstract The influence of two experimental soil treatments, Z93 and W91, on nitrogen transformations, microbial activity and plant growth was investigated in soil microcosms. These compounds are commercially marketed fermentation products (Agspectrum) that are sold to be added to field soils in small amounts to promote nitrogen and other nutrient uptake by crops in USA. In laboratory microcosm experiments, soils were amended with finely ground alfalfa-leaves or wheat straw, or left unamended, in an attempt to alter patterns of soil nitrogen mineralization and immobilization. Soils were treated in the microcosms with Z93 and W91 at rates equivalent to the recommended field application rates, that range from 0.2 to 1.1 l ha−1, (0.005–0.03 μl g−1 soil). We measured their effects on soil microbial activity (substrate-induced respiration (SIR), dehydrogenase activity (DHA) and acid phosphatase activity (PHOS)), soil nitrogen pools (microbial biomass N, mineral N, dissolved organic N), and transformations (net N mineralization and nitrification, 15N dilution of the mineral N pool, and accumulation of mineral N on ion-exchange resins), and on wheat plant germination and growth (shoot and root biomass, shoot length, N uptake and 15N enrichment of shoot tissues), for up to 56 days after treatment. To follow the movement of nitrogen from inorganic fertilizer into plant biomass we used a 15N isotopic tracer. Most of the soil and plant responses to treatment with Z93 or W91 differed according to the type of organic amendment that was used. Soil treatment with either Z93 or W91 influenced phosphatase activity strongly but did not have much effect on SIR or DHA. Both chemicals altered the rates of decomposition and mineralization of organic materials in the soil, which was evidenced by significant increases in the rates of the decomposition of buried wheat straw, and by the acceleration of net, rates of N mineralization, relative to those of the controls. Soil nitrate availability increased at the end of the experiment in response to both chemical treatments. In alfalfa-amended soils, the final plant biomass was decreased significantly by treatment with W91. Increased plant growth and N-use efficiency in straw-amended soil, resulting from treatments with Z93 or W91, was linked to increased rates of N mineralization from indigenous soil organic materials. This supports the marketing of these compounds as promoters of N uptake at these low dosage inputs.
Data cache energy minimizations through programmable tag size matching to the applications

An application-specific customization methodology for minimizing the energy dissipation in the data cache of embedded processors is presented in this paper. The data cache subsystem is one of the most power consuming microarchitectural parts of embedded processors. We target in this work particularly the data cache tag operations and show how an exceedingly small number of tag bits, if any, are needed to compute the miss/hit behavior for the vast majority of load/store instructions executed within application loops. The energy needed to perform the tag reads and comparisons can be thus dramatically reduced. We follow up this conceptual enhancement with a presentation of an efficient, reprogrammable implementation that utilizes application-specific information to apply the suggested energy minimization approach. The conducted experimental results confirm the expected significant decrease of energy dissipation for a set of important numerical kernels.
Supporting high coupling and user-interface flexibility

Collaborative systems that automate the sharing of programmer-defined user interfaces offer limited coupling flexibility, typically forcing all users of an application to share all aspects of the user interfaces. Those that automatically support high coupling flexibility are tied to a narrow set of predefined user-interfaces. We have developed a framework that provides high-level and flexible coupling support for arbitrary, programmer-defined user interfaces. The framework refines an abstract layered model of collaboration with structured application layers and automatic acquisition, transformation, and processing of updates. It has been used to easily provide flexible coupling in complex, existing single-user software and shown to support all known ways to share user-interfaces. Coupling flexibility comes at the cost of a small amount of additional programming. We have carefully crafted the framework to ensure that this overhead is proportional to the degree of coupling flexibility desired.
Dilatation of severe esophageal strictures by an inflatable balloon catheter.

Abstract Most benign strictures of the esophagus can be successfully dilated with conventional bougienage techniques. Occasionally strictures are so severe, lengthy, or irregular that these techniques fail, and surgery is required. We describe 2 patients with such severe esophageal strictures that conventional techniques were initially unsuccessful. However, esophageal dilatation of both strictures was successful using the Gruntzig balloon catheter. A torqueable guide wire was initially directed through the stricture under fluoroscopic control. The balloon catheter was then passed over the guide wire and inflated sequentially to a maximum diameter of 9 mm. Subsequent dilatations using conventional techniques were successful. The technique of negotiating severe, irregular esophageal strictures with a torqueable guide wire followed by Gruntzig balloon catheter dilatation may be valuable in the management of severe esophageal strictures.
Rejection-(dis)identification and ethnic political engagement among first-generation Latino immigrants to the United States.

Immigrants to the United States face rejection from other Americans on the basis of their ethnic group membership. Among members of ethnic minority groups who were born in the United States, rejection is tied to higher ethnic identification and less positive attitudes toward the national majority. Relatively little research has examined this relationship among first-generation immigrants (i.e., people who were born in another country but who migrated to the United States) or has considered political engagement on behalf of one’s ethnic group as an outcome. In this study we examined the relationship among ethnic-based rejection, ethnic and national identification, and ethnic political engagement among firstgeneration Latino immigrants in the northeastern United States. We found that first-generation Latino immigrants who perceived ethnic-based rejection were less likely to identify with Americans and less likely to report willingness to engage politically on behalf of their ethnic group in the United States. Perceived rejection was not significantly associated with ethnic identification, which was not related to ethnic political engagement. The study demonstrates that ethnic-based rejection has unique implications for identification and ethnic political engagement among first-generation Latino immigrants.
Discussion of a generalized quantum 1/ƒ noise process with applications

Abstract A generalized description of some quantum 1/ƒ noise processes is given that relates the relative noise spectrum of a single noise event to the noise spectrum of the total noise event involving N such elementary events. The description is applied successfully to cathode 1/ƒ noise in vacuum triodes, to generation-recombination 1/ƒ noise in n+-p diodes, and to injection-extraction 1/ƒ noise in n+-p diodes. Analogous expressions are obtained for the 1/ƒ spectrum SI(ƒ) in each case.
Classifying Gene Sentences in Biomedical Literature by Combining High-Precision Gene Identifiers

Gene name identification is a fundamental step to solve more complicated text mining problems such as gene normalization and protein-protein interactions. However, state-of-the-art name identification methods are not yet sufficient for use in a fully automated system. In this regard, a relaxed task, gene/protein sentence identification, may serve more effectively for manually searching and browsing biomedical literature. In this paper, we set up a new task, gene/protein sentence classification and propose an ensemble approach for addressing this problem. Well-known named entity tools use similar gold-standard sets for training and testing, which results in relatively poor performance for unknown sets. We here explore how to combine diverse high-precision gene identifiers for more robust performance. The experimental results show that the proposed approach outperforms BANNER as a stand-alone classifier for newly annotated sets as well as previous gold-standard sets.
Exploratory studies on batch and continuous foam separation

Foam fractionation has been employed for inorganic and organic chemical separations, for the treatment of radioactive wastes, and as a tertiary treatment method for secondary sewage effluents. Although the general effect of the basic variables of foam separation has been established, a quantitative approach to the process has not been made. In this study, a fundamental analysis of foam separation as a mass transfer operation is presented, utilizing both equilibrium and rate concepts of mass transfer. Foam separations have been carried out employing aqueous solutions of dodecyl sodium sulphate and alkyl benzene sulphonate at concentrations ranging from 0.005 to 0.14% weight. The range of surfactant concentrations which can be handled under a given set of operating conditions is established. In the batch experiments, volumes and concentrations of the foam and residual bulk phases are presented for nitrogen rates of 200 and 320 cc./min. Flow experiments were carried out using gas rates of 320, 440 and 580 cc./min. and liquid feed rates of about 70 and 100 cc./min. In general, the concentration of the drain stream was relatively insensitive to both gas and feed rates, but the total removal rate was found to be a strong function of gas rate. La fractionnation par mousse a ete utilisee pour la separation de produits chimiques, organiques et inorganiques, pour le traitement de dechets radioactifs et comme traitement subsequent au traitement secondaire des eaux-vannes. Bien que l'effet general des variables fondamentales a ete etabli, l'approche quantitative du procede n'a pas ete realisee. Dans cette etude, les concepts de transfer de masse, taux et equilibre, sont utilises pour presenter ce procede comme une operation de transfer de masse. La separation des mousses a ete entreprise en utilisant des solutions aqueuses de dodecylsulphate de sodium et d'alcoylbenzene-sulphonate pour des concentrations variant de 0.005 a 0.14%. La variation de concentrations d'agents tensio-actifs, pouvant ětre utilisee pour certaines conditions d'operation, est etablie. En procede discontinu, les volumes et concentrations de la mousse et de la phase residuelle sont presentes pour des debits d'azote de 200 et 300 cc./min. En procede continu les debits de gaz sont de 320, 440 et 580 cc./min. et les debits de liquides sont d'environ 70 et 100 cc./min. En general, la concentration du residu est peu affectee par les divers debits de gaz au liquide, mais le taux de production est fonction du debit de gaz.
A potential role for nilotinib in KIT-mutated melanoma.

Introduction: The advent of effective immunotherapy and targeted therapy, such as ipilimumab (anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody) and vemurafenib (BRAF inhibitor), are changing the treatment paradigm for metastatic melanoma. One of the most readily recognized targets in metastatic melanoma is the oncogenic ‘driver' mutations KIT, which is thought to be an important driver mutation in up to 3% of melanomas. Areas covered: We review the current state of development of KIT-targeted agents in melanoma with KIT mutations. The pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic profiles of nilotinib are presented, as well its safety clinical activity data. Finally, we present the knowledge learned from the experience of nilotinib in chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) and gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) to guide its development for melanoma. Expert opinion: Given its favorable safety and efficacy profile in CML and imatinib-resistant GISTs, nilotinib, a second-generation tyrosine kinase inhibitor with greater potency than imatin...
Consequences of Intrauterine Enrofloxacin Infusion on Mare Endometrium

Abstract Endometritis is an important cause of infertility in mares. Enrofloxacin is a broad-spectrum antibiotic to which most equine endometritis pathogens are not resistant. The objective of this study was to determine whether enrofloxacin is safe to use as a conventional intrauterine infusion treatment. Nine healthy mares received intrauterine infusions of enrofloxacin (Baytril 100, 100 mg/mL, Bayer Health Care LLC, Animal Health Division) at 2.5 mg/kg daily for 3 days. Ultrasonographic examination and vaginal examinations were performed during the study. Endometrial biopsies were performed before treatment (S0) and 24 hours after the last treatment (S1) to evaluate acute effects. For evaluating chronic effects, biopsies were performed at 14 days (S2) and 60 days posttreatment (S3). Biopsies were graded histologically by the Kenny and Doig category scale. Difference in histological biopsy grade before and after treatment was compared between biopsies by using a repeated-measures one-way analysis of variance. and significant changes in grades were used to assess treatment effects. The vaginal and ultrasonographic examination after intrauterine infusion of enrofloxacin showed that all mares had severe purulent vaginitis and uterine fluid accumulation of ≥2 cm, with ≥1.5-cm thickening of the endometrial wall which persisted in most mares until the end of the study. Histologically, there was acute endometrial ulceration, necrosis, and hemorrhage in biopsy S1 in all mares, categorized as grade III. In biopsy S2, most mares developed fibrosis and inflammation graded as IIb (four of nine mares) or III (four of nine mares). In biopsy S3, fibrosis was extensive and had variable inflammation, graded as IIb (two of nine mares) or III (five of nine mares), with some mares healing to grade IIa (two of nine mares). There was an overall worsening of endometrial biopsy grade from I to III at S3 compared with S0 ( P
Implicit Racial Attitude Measures in Black Samples: IAT, Subliminal Priming, and Implicit Black Identification

One of the shortcomings of the implicit racial attitudes literature is that it relies almost exclusively on white subjects. Arguably, there are two possible reasons for this. First, these measures were created to address issues of social desirability among whites who harbor negative racial attitudes toward blacks. Second, social desirability pressures and antiblack affect were not viewed as significant among black respondents (see Craemer 2008). This assumption is problematic because it treats black racial attitudes as a monolith. Rather than examining black racial opinion as a complicated and multivalenced set of evaluations about their own group and others, there has been an over emphasis on measures of group solidarity (e.g., linked fate). Understandably, bloc voting and cohesive policy opinions have partially justified this focus; however, the black community is more diverse than presidential election turnout suggests. Price (2009) argues that linked fate, the most common measure for black racial identity, is not adequately problematized as a potentially positive or negative measure of psychological attachment. Here, we hope to build on this literature by using an implicit black identity measure.
A century of streptococcal research.

The common occurrence of a family of speroid or ovoid bacteria growing in chains was noted in the early years of the new science of bacteriology, and they ultimately received the name “streptococci” to reflect their appearance under the microscope. Thus, the existence of streptococci has been known for well over a hundred years. The recognition of their diversity and the relationship of various members of this large family of micro- organisms to the pathogenesis of certain diseases, however, came very slowly during the ensuing decades. Those that are now given the name Streptococcus pneumonia, and through the years a variety of other names, including simply the “pneumococci”, were the first to be better defined because of their clear association with the widespread and devastating disease, lobar pneumonia. Fred Neufeld of the Koch Institute in Berlin was one of the major contributors to the knowledge of this organism in the early part of this century, having described properties such as bile solubility and the quellung or capsular swelling phenomenon, and then showed in 1910 that there was more than one capsular type of pneumococcus.
Scanning Probe Microscopy for Thermal Transport Measurements

Understanding energy transport and dissipation in nanoscale devices is of increasing importance. Novel transport and dissipation phenomena are expected to arise in these devices as the characteristic dimensions become comparable to the wavelength, coherence length, and mean free path (MFP) of charge and energy carriers—electrons and phonons. Of particular importance are irreversible processes that occur in all nanoscale devices under nonequilibrium conditions and are associated with Joule heating and resultant temperature gradients. Therefore, the ability to measure local temperatures with nanometer resolution is critical for characterizing and understanding irreversibility, heat dissipation, and transport in nanoscale devices. A novel approach for high-resolution characterization of temperature fields is scanning thermal microscopy (SThM), which leverages special scanning probes with integrated temperature sensors. This review discusses various SThM techniques and highlights recent advances in ultra-high...
Benign Tumors of the Lung in Small Lung Biopsies

Benign tumors of the lung are mostly silent and they are discovered in the course of lung imaging for other reasons. They can be divided into easily accessible ones in the main bronchial tree or peripheral ones in the lung parenchyma. This division also helps in the differential diagnosis as the anatomic structures and subsequently the histogenesis would be different between the two locations. Small biopsies from these lesions can be a challenge to differentiate from well-differentiated malignancies. Familiarity and integrating the clinical and radiologic findings are paramount to avoiding diagnostic pitfalls.
Precisely Deciding Control State Reachability in Concurrent Traces with Limited Observability

We propose a new algorithm for precisely deciding a control state reachability CSR problem in runtime verification of concurrent programs, where the trace provides only limited observability of the execution. Under the assumption of limited observability, we know only the type of each event read, write, lock, unlock, etc. and the associated shared object, but not the concrete values of these objects or the control/data dependency among these events. Our method is the first sound and complete method for deciding such CSR in traces that involve more than two threads, while handling both standard synchronization primitives and ad hoc synchronizations implemented via shared memory accesses. It relies on a new polygraph based analysis, which is provably more accurate than existing methods based on lockset analysis, acquisition history, universal causality graph, and a recently proposed method based the causally-precedes relation. We have implemented the method in an offline data-race detection tool and demonstrated its effectiveness on multithreaded C/C++ applications.
Reclassification Rules

The ultimate goal of knowledge discovery (KD) is to extract sets of patterns leading to useful knowledge for obtaining user desirable outcomes. The key characteristics of knowledge usefulness is that these patterns are actionable. In the last decade, KD algorithms such as mining for association rules, clustering, and classification rules, have made a tremendous progress and have been demonstrated to be of significant value in a variety of real-world data mining applications. However, the results of the existing methods require to be further processed in order to suggest actions that achieve the desired outcome, by giving only previously acquired data. To address this issue, we present a novel technique, called reclassification rules, to gather all facts, to understand their causes and effects, and to list all potential solutions and the responding effects. Algorithm, Strategy Generator-II, is proposed to discover a complete set of reclassification rules which meets pre-specified constraints.
Rare Case of Unileaflet Mitral Valve

Unileaflet mitral valve is the rarest of the congenital mitral valve anomalies and is usually life threatening in infancy due to severe mitral regurgitation (MR). In most asymptomatic individuals, it is mostly due to hypoplastic posterior mitral leaflet. We present a 22-year-old male with palpitations, who was found to have an echocardiogram revealing an elongated anterior mitral valve leaflet with severely hypoplastic posterior mitral valve leaflet appearing as a unileaflet mitral valve without MR. Our case is one of the 11 reported cases in the literature so far. We hereby review those cases and conclude that these patients are likely to be at risk of developing worsening MR later in their lives.
Reward, Task Motivation, Creativity and Teaching: Towards a Cross-Cultural Examination.

BackgroundExtrinsic incentives and constraints, such as the promise of a reward or the expectation of an evaluation, have long been used by educators to motivate students. Previous research has con...