cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Geographical and Historical Descriptions of Northern Asia

Northern Asia as used in this treatise comprises Siberia, Turkestan, Mongolia and Manchuria, and amounts to almost one-half of the whole continent of Asia, although its population is only a fraction of Asia’s total.1
3CoFramework: A Component-based Framework for Distributed Applications ⁄

The software engineering community has introduced component and connector concepts to support architecture-based software descriptions. However, there still exists a gap in transitioning component and connector concepts from the design level to the implementation level. This paper proposes a framework which can implement components and connectors based on the separation of three types of meta-information of a component: interface information, composition information, and instance information. With the proposed framework, architects and developers can get a clear architectural view of a component-based distributed application, and flexibly implement and maintain it. The National Agricultural Decision Support System (NADSS), a component-based distributed decision support system, is discussed as a case study to illustrate the framework.
TCT-480 Cellular-resolution intravascular optical coherence tomography for human coronary artery imaging

Coronary artery disease is the most common cause of death in the United States. Conventional intravascular optical coherence tomography (OCT) with a lateral resolution of 30 μm and an axial resolution of 10 μm has become a main stream high-resolution imaging technique for coronary artery imaging
Association of blood donation with iron deficiency among adolescent and adult females in the United States: a nationally representative study

BACKGROUND Blood donation results in a loss of iron stores, which is particularly concerning for young female blood donors. This study examines the association of blood donation and iron deficiency among adolescent and adult females in the United States. STUDY DESIGN AND METHODS A cross-sectional analysis was performed using data from the 1999-2010 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES). Females who reported their blood donation history in the preceding year and had serum ferritin (SF) measurements were included. Analyses were weighted and stratified by adolescents (16-19 years; n = 2419) and adults (20-49 years; n = 7228). Adjusted prevalence ratios (aPRs) were estimated by multivariable Poisson regression. Standard errors were estimated by Taylor series linearization. RESULTS Geometric mean SF levels (ng/mL) were lower in blood donors compared to nondonors among adolescents (21.2 vs. 31.4; p < 0.001) and among adults (26.2 vs. 43.7; p < 0.001). The prevalence of absent iron stores (SF < 12 ng/mL) was higher in blood donors compared to nondonors among adolescents (22.6% vs. 12.2%; aPR = 2.03 [95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.45-2.85]) and among adults (18.3% vs. 9.8%; aPR = 2.06 [95% CI = 1.48-2.88]). Additionally, the prevalence of iron deficiency anemia (SF < 26 ng/mL and hemoglobin < 12.0 g/dL) was also higher in blood donors compared to nondonors among adolescents (9.5% vs. 6.1%; aPR = 2.10 [95% CI = 1.13-3.90]) and among adults (7.9% vs. 6.1%; aPR = 1.74 [95% CI = 1.06-2.85]). Similar results were observed in a sensitivity analysis restricted to adolescents aged 16 to 18 years. CONCLUSIONS Blood donation is associated with iron deficiency among adolescent and adult females in the United States. These national data call for further development and implementation of blood donation practices aimed toward mitigating iron deficiency.
“Opting Out”: A Case Study of Smallholder Rejection of Research in Western Kenya

Biophysical soil fertility management research, however good the knowledge it generates, has to contend with social processes among smallholders if that research is to help alleviate poverty. This chapter traces the reasons why smallholder farmers in western Kenya “opted out” of the processes of a participatory, community-based soil fertility management research project that was intended to improve their livelihoods. Critical case sampling was used to investigate 16 notable “dissidents” of the action-research processes. In-depth interviews, informal interviews, and participant observation were undertaken among these informants and four focus group discussions were used for follow up and further data collection. Results showed that smallholders’ participation in soil fertility management research was shaped by many factors, including: perceptions of long-term vs. short-term benefits; personalities and the local “politics of research”; contradictory policies or practices of research institutions; and the nature of soil fertility technologies that were being researched. These factors had similar influences across gender and age. This chapter suggests that meaningful researcher–smallholder partnerships can be achieved if policies and practices of collaborating institutions are harmonised and research is objectively guided and reviewed against smallholder objectives.
Audiometric findings in children with unilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct.

Abstract Objective To evaluate the prevalence of bilateral hearing loss in children with unilateral enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA) at a single institution. Methods A retrospective case review was performed at a tertiary care pediatric referral center involving children with radiologic findings of unilateral EVA and normal labyrinthine anatomy of the contralateral ear diagnosed via CT and/or MRI. The main outcome measure of interest is the number of patients with unilateral EVA who were diagnosed with bilateral hearing loss. Results Sixty-one pediatric patients were identified. The mean audiometric follow-up was 48.2 months (0–150). Three (4.9%) patients with unilateral EVA were noted to have bilateral hearing loss, and this rate was not significantly different (p = 1.0) from the rate reported in a comparison group of patients with contralateral hearing loss (6.0%) without an EVA. The pure-tone average (defined as the average dB HL at 500, 1000, 2000, and 4000 Hz) in the group with bilateral hearing loss was 31.3 dB HL in the better hearing ear and 79.6 dB HL in the worse hearing ear, with the difference being statistically significant (p = 0.02). In the unilateral EVA patients without contralateral hearing loss (n = 56, 91.8%), the PTA was 9.4 dB HL in the better hearing ear and 51.9 dB HL in the worse hearing ear, with the difference being statistically significant (p Conclusion The prevalence of bilateral hearing loss in children with unilateral EVA appears to be low. Specifically, it may be no different than the rate of contralateral hearing loss in children with unilateral hearing loss without an EVA. The present report is somewhat different than the previously described prevalence in the literature. This difference could be related to the imaging type and diagnostic criteria used, the patients included, the source of the identified patents, and the overall population of patients studied.
The Four Major Factors Impacting on the Future of Work

Automation, as manifested in modern technological innovation, is expected to lead to fundamental changes in the future of work. The impact on jobs, however, is uncertain. Several people expect to lose their jobs, while others are placing their faith in history and trust that new and better jobs will be created. To understand the future of work, we believe it is essential to explore four major factors that will impact on the future of work: (1) Technological progress, IT platforms, the sharing and knowledge economy; (2) Demographic, social and environmental changes; (3) Globalisation and glocalisation; and (4) Labour flexibility. Our aim is to gain a better understanding of the dynamics of the future of work by examining these four key factors that influence today’s labour market, because this market is agile, since people can work anywhere at any time. In summary, seeing automation as synonymous with job losses is not correct. We contend that it is a mistake to believe that globalisation and technological advances lead to a reduction in the demand for human employees. However, it is possible that the opposing viewpoints of those who agree and those who disagree with this opinion are causing a polarisation of the workforce. Changes in our society, such as the constantly evolving demography, as well as environmental issues and ICT, have an influence on the way we work, and when, how and where we work.
Pursuing Shared Civic Purposes amidst Division and Diversity in Modern America

AbstractThe severe political polarization that besets contemporary America cannot be successfully diminished unless Americans advance narratives of common identity, stories of peoplehood, in which ...
Genome-Wide RNAi Screen Identifies Regulators of Cardiomyocyte Necrosis

Regulation of cellular death is central to nearly all physiological routines and is dysregulated in virtually all diseases. Cell death occurs by two major processes, necrosis which culminates in a pervasive inflammatory response and apoptosis which is largely immunologically inert. As necrosis has long been considered an accidental, unregulated form of cellular death that occurred in response to a harsh environmental stimulus, it was largely ignored as a clinical target. However, recent elegant studies suggest that certain forms of necrosis can be reprogrammed. However, scant little is known about the molecules and pathways that orchestrate calcium-overload-induced necrosis, a main mediator of ischemia/reperfusion (IR)-induced cardiomyocyte cell death. To rectify this critical gap in our knowledge, we performed a novel genome-wide siRNA screen to identify modulators of calcium-induced necrosis in human muscle cells. Our screen identified multiple molecular circuitries that either enhance or inhibit this process, including lysosomal calcium channel TPCN1, mitophagy mediatorTOMM7, Ran-binding protein RanBP9, Histone deacetylase HDAC2, chemokine CCL11, and the Arp2/3 complex regulator glia maturation factor-γ (GMFG). Notably, a number of druggable enzymes were identified, including the proteasome β5 subunit (encoded by PSMB5 gene), which controls the proteasomal chymotrypsin-like peptidase activity. Such findings open up the possibility for the discovery of pharmacological interventions that could provide therapeutic benefits to patients affected by myriad disorders characterized by excessive (or too little) necrotic cell loss, including but not limited to IR injury in the heart and kidney, chronic neurodegenerative disorders, muscular dystrophies, sepsis, and cancers.
Interaction of magnesia-carbon refractory with metallic iron under flash ironmaking conditions

Abstract The interaction of a magnesia-carbon refractory with iron under flash ironmaking conditions has been investigated in this work. Oxidation of carbon from the magnesia-carbon refractory took place and the formation of magnesiowustite (MgxFe1-xO) solid solution occurred as a result of the interaction between magnesia (MgO) in the refractory with iron (Fe). A kinetics model for the growth of magnesiowustite (MgxFe1-xO) was developed based on the counterdiffusion of Fe2+ and Mg2+ cations through it. Experiments were conducted with iron powder and magnesia-carbon refractory in the temperature range 1200–1400 °C under gas atmospheres relevant to flash ironmaking and analyses of reacted samples using SEM-EDX and EPMA techniques confirmed the formation of magnesiowustite (MgxFe1-xO). Using the kinetics model and the composition profiles determined with EPMA, the values of interdiffusion coefficient ( D ¯ F e - M g ), averaged over the composition range, were calculated. The activation energy ( E a ) for the solid-state diffusion process was determined to be 377 kJ/mol.
Binder jet printed WC infiltrated with pre-made melt of WC and Co

Abstract WC-Co was made via binder jet additive manufacturing of tungsten carbide followed by melt infiltration with a Co-WC infiltrant. The goal of the study was to achieve fully densified parts in near-net shape with minimal shrinkage while keeping the Co content low. The exact amount of infiltrant was determined in order to fully densify with minimum shrinkage based on the actual volume taken up by WC powder in the preform based on theoretical density, the bounding volume of prints after shrinkage, and the volume from the infiltrant. The eutectic nature of the infiltrant enabled melting at much lower temperature compared to the melting temperature of pure Co. The density, microstructure, grain size, hardness, and fracture toughness were characterized. The shrinkage and net shaping were assessed with light scans. A detailed look at the fracture mechanics was assessed. This approach achieved highly dense WC-Co parts in net-shape with Co vol% of near 29 (Co wt% ~19), density of 96.2% theoretical, hardness of 8.34 GPa, grain size of 7.7 μm, magnetic saturation of 0.5 T, room temperature thermal conductivity of 125 W/mK, and fracture toughness of 24.7 MPa·m1/2.
The Calibration and Stability Analysis of the JPL Ultra-Wide P/L-Band Radiometer

A new ultra-wide P/L-band radiometer instrument has been developed at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory for polar ocean salinity and seasonal sea-ice thickness measurements. The Arctic field campaign performed with the instrument deployed on the US Coast Guard Cutter Healy from September 13, 2018 to October 20, 2018. A new calibration strategy is developed for the ultra-wide band instrument to minimize the mismatch related effects. A noise-wave model is built to analyze and validate the instrument behavior for the calibration. The calibration strategy is analyzed using the results from the cruise campaign. Sea-ice thickness and sea surface salinity are presented in two other companion papers.
Prevention of premature death and seizures in a Depdc5 mouse epilepsy model through inhibition of mTORC1.

Mutations in DEP domain containing 5 (DEPDC5) are increasingly appreciated as one of the most common causes of inherited focal epilepsy. Epilepsies due to DEPDC5 mutations are often associated with brain malformations, tend to be drug-resistant, and have been linked to an increased risk of sudden unexplained death in epilepsy (SUDEP). Generation of epilepsy models to define mechanisms of epileptogenesis remains vital for future therapies. Here, we describe a novel mouse model of Depdc5 deficiency with a severe epilepsy phenotype, generated by conditional deletion of Depdc5 in dorsal telencephalic neuroprogenitor cells. In contrast to control and heterozygous mice, Depdc5-Emx1-Cre conditional knockout (CKO) mice demonstrated macrocephaly, spontaneous seizures and premature death. Consistent with increased mTORC1 activation, targeted neurons were enlarged and both neurons and astrocytes demonstrated increased S6 phosphorylation. Electrophysiologic characterization of miniature inhibitory post-synaptic currents in excitatory neurons was consistent with impaired post-synaptic response to GABAergic input, suggesting a potential mechanism for neuronal hyperexcitability. mTORC1 inhibition with rapamycin significantly improved survival of CKO animals and prevented observed seizures, including for up to 40 days following rapamycin withdrawal. These data not only support a primary role for mTORC1 hyperactivation in epilepsy following homozygous loss of Depdc5, but also suggest a developmental window for treatment which may have a durable benefit for some time even after withdrawal.
Does Sexism Mediate the Gender and Rape Myth Acceptance Relationship

Compared with women, men tend to blame assault victims, exonerate perpetrators, and report higher levels of sexism and rape myths. The goal of the present study was to determine whether sexist beliefs mediate the established relationship between gender and rape myth acceptance in a sample of 626 college students. Results demonstrated that hostile sexism, complementary gender differentiation, and heterosexual intimacy mediated the relationship between gender and rape myth acceptance, suggesting that these attitudes play a role in victim blaming and have potential to inform the development of sexual assault prevention programs.
Differences in Health Care Utilization, Process of Diabetes Care, Care Satisfaction, and Health Status in Patients With Diabetes in Medicare Advantage Versus Traditional Medicare.

Objective The objective of this study was to determine differences in health care utilization, process of diabetes care, care satisfaction, and health status for Medicare Advantage (MA) and traditional Medicare (TM) beneficiaries with and without diabetes. Methods Using the 2010-2016 Medicare Current Beneficiary Survey, we identified MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. To address the endogenous plan choice between MA and TM, we used an instrumental variable approach. Using marginal effects, we estimated differences in the outcomes between MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. Results Our instrumental variable analysis showed that compared with TM beneficiaries with diabetes, MA beneficiaries with diabetes had less annual health care utilization, including -22.4 medical provider visits [95% confidence interval (CI): -23.6 to -21.1] and -3.4 outpatient hospital visits (95% CI: -3.8 to -3.0). A significant difference between MA and TM beneficiaries without diabetes was only observed in medical provider visits and the difference was greater among beneficiaries with diabetes than beneficiaries without diabetes (-12.5 medical provider visits; 95% CI: -15.9 to -9.2). While we did not detect significant differences in 5 measures of the process of diabetes care between MA and TM beneficiaries with diabetes, there were inconsistent results in the other 3 measures. There were no or marginal differences in care satisfaction and health status between MA and TM beneficiaries with and without diabetes. Conclusions MA enrollment was associated with lower health care utilization without compromising care satisfaction and health status, particularly for beneficiaries with diabetes. MA may have a more efficient care delivery system for beneficiaries with diabetes.
Variability in Hourly Activity Levels: Statistical Noise or Insight Into Older Adult Frailty?

Background Frailty is associated with lower mean activity; however, hourly activity is highly variable among older individuals. We aimed to relate frailty to hourly activity variance beyond frailty's association with mean activity. Method Using the 2010-2011 National Social Life, Health and Aging Project wrist accelerometry data (n = 647), we employed a mixed-effects location scale model to simultaneously determine whether an adapted phenotypic frailty scale (0-4) was associated with the log10-mean hourly counts per minute (cpm) and between-and within-subject hourly activity variability, adjusting for demographics, health characteristics, season, day-of-week, and time-of-day. We tested the significance of a Frailty × Time-of-day interaction and whether adjusting for sleep time altered relationships. Results Each additional frailty point was associated with a 7.6% (10-0.0343, β = -0.0343; 95% CI: -0.05, -0.02) lower mean hourly cpm in the morning, mid-day, and late afternoon but not evening. Each frailty point was also associated with a 24.5% (e0.219, β = 0.219; 95% CI: 0.09, 0.34) greater between-subject hourly activity variance across the day; a 7% (e0.07, β = 0.07; 95% CI: 0.01¸ 0.13), 6% (e0.06, β = 0.06; 95% CI: 0, 0.12), and 10% (e0.091, β = 0.091; 95% CI: 0.03, 0.15) greater within-subject hourly activity variance in the morning, mid-day, and late afternoon, respectively; and a 6% (e-0.06, β = -0.06; 95% CI: -0.12, -0.003) lower within-subject hourly activity variance in the evening. Adjusting for sleep time did not alter results. Conclusions Frail adults have more variable hourly activity levels than robust adults, a potential novel marker of vulnerability. These findings suggest a need for more precise activity assessment in older adults.
DNA methylation biomarker for cumulative lead exposure is associated with Parkinson's disease

Lead, a known neurotoxicant, has previously received attention in Parkinson’s disease (PD) research, but epidemiologic studies have been limited in sample size and findings are equivocal. We generated two methylation-based biomarkers for cumulative tibia and patella bone-measured lead exposure in 1528 PD patients and 1169 controls. PD status was associated with increased levels of the DNAm biomarker for tibia-lead levels. We estimated a meta-OR for PD of 1.89 per unit DNAm tibia-lead increase (95% CI 1.59, 2.24; p = 8.1E−13). The current study supports the notion that chronic and long-term lead exposure tracked via DNAm may contribute to PD pathogenesis.
The Cores of Strategic Management

Main topics 1. Prologue 2. What is strategy? *3Cs * Strategy is about strengths * Trade-off Mini-case McDonald's 3. External Environment Analysis * Industry * Five-force Analysis * Switching Costs 4. Internal Environment Analysis * Tangible vs. Intangible Resources * Economies of Scale * Vertical Integration vs. Outsourcing Mini-case Southwest Airlines 5. Business-Level Strategy * Cost Strategy * Vale Strategy * First Mover Advantages vs. Disadvantages * Recap Mini-Case Starbucks Coffee 6. Corporate-Level Strategy * Why Diversification? * Diversification and Synergy * Risks of Synergy Mini-Case Gateway 7. M&A, Alliances, and International Strategy * M&A and Alliances * International Strategy Mini-Case Daimler-Chrysler 8. Leadership and Decision Making * Courage * Decision Making and Biases * Decision Change 9. Strategy Implementation * Strategy Implementation
Chapter 23 [Ca2+]i Modulation of Membrane Sodium Conductance in Rod Outer Segments

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the data that are relevant to the hypothesis for the transduction process and presents the results of an experiment designed to test this hypothesis. Measurements of the membrane current associated with the rod outer segment (ROS) have shown that an intense stimulus is able to completely suppress the dark current, most likely by blocking all the Na + channels in the outer segment. Thus, lowering [Ca 2+ ]i in ROSs primarily increases the sodium conductance of the plasma membrane. This finding is consistent with the calcium hypothesis of visual transduction. Experiments are needed to investigate the specific conductance changes associated with the injection of cyclic nucleotides as well as the specific conductance changes that result from increased [Ca 2+ ]i.
Experiences with the Application of Symbolic Model Checking to the Analysis of Software Specifications

Symbolic model checking is a powerful formal-verification technique which has been used to analyze many hardware systems. In this paper we present our experiences in applying symbolic model checking to software specifications of reactive systems. We have conducted two in depth case studies: one, using the specification of TCAS II (Traffic Alert and Collision Avoidance System II), and the other using a model of an aircraft electrical system. Based on these case studies, we have gained significant experience in how model checking can be used in to analyze software specifications, and have also overcome a number of performance bottlenecks to make the analysis tractable. The emphasis of this paper is the uses of model checking in the analysis of specifications. We will discuss the types of properties which we were able to evaluate in our case studies. These include specific errors we were able to identify, as well as general properties we were able to establish for the systems. We will also discuss, in more general terms, the potential uses of symbolic model checking in the development process of software specifications.
A study of cefoxitin, moxalactam, and ceftazidime kinetics in pregnancy.

Abstract In 27 women with fetuses affected by β-thalassemia major, termination of gestation between 19 and 21 weeks was induced by amniocentesis and intrauterine instillation of prostaglandin F 2α . Pharmacokinetics in maternal blood and amniotic fluid were studied after at least three doses of one of the following antibiotics and before prostaglandin F 2α infusion: (1) cefoxitin, 2 gm, intravenously, ½-hour infusion, three times per day; (2) moxalactam, 2 gm, intravenously, ½-hour infusion, three times per day; and (3) ceftazidime, 1 gm, intramuscularly, three times per day. Successful amniotic fluid levels effective against various pathogens implicated in maternal-fetal infections appeared at least 3 hours beyond administration of the drug and ranged between 2.3 and 6.7 μg/ml, 1.56 and 15 μg/ml, and 1.5 and 5 μg/ml for cefoxitin, moxalactam, and ceftazidime, respectively. Beyond the third-hour after infusion a percentage ratio of amniotic fluid to simultaneous maternal serum level of almost ≥50 was constantly observed for all studied antibiotics. Cefoxitin serum levels were about the same as those in nonpregnant women, while moxalactam and ceftazidime serum levels were 50% lower than the expected level in normal individuals.
Dominance testing via model checking

Dominance testing, the problem of determining whether an outcome is preferred over another, is of fundamental importance in many applications. Hence, there is a need for algorithms and tools for dominance testing. CP-nets and TCP-nets are some of the widely studied languages for representing and reasoning with preferences. We reduce dominance testing in TCP-nets to reachability analysis in a graph of outcomes. We provide an encoding of TCP-nets in the form of a Kripke structure for CTL. We show how to compute dominance using NuSMV, a model checker for CTL. We present results of experiments that demonstrate the feasibility of our approach to dominance testing.
No variation and low synonymous substitution rates in coral mtDNA despite high nuclear variation.

The mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) of most animals evolves more rapidly than nuclear DNA, and often shows higher levels of intraspecific polymorphism and population subdivision. The mtDNA of anthozoans (corals, sea fans, and their kin), by contrast, appears to evolve slowly. Slow mtDNA evolution has been reported for several anthozoans, however this slow pace has been difficult to put in phylogenetic context without parallel surveys of nuclear variation or calibrated rates of synonymous substitution that could permit quantitative rate comparisons across taxa. Here, I survey variation in the coding region of a mitochondrial gene from a coral species (Balanophyllia elegans) known to possess high levels of nuclear gene variation, and estimate synonymous rates of mtDNA substitution by comparison to another coral (Tubastrea coccinea). The mtDNA surveyed (630 bp of cytochrome oxidase subunit I) was invariant among individuals sampled from 18 populations spanning 3000 km of the range of B. elegans, despite high levels of variation and population subdivision for allozymes over these same populations. The synonymous substitution rate between B. elegans and T. coccinea (0.05%/site/106 years) is similar to that in most plants, but 50–100 times lower than rates typical for most animals. In addition, while substitutions to mtDNA in most animals exhibit a strong bias toward transitions, mtDNA from these corals does not. Slow rates of mitochondrial nucleotide substitution result in low levels of intraspecific mtDNA variation in corals, even when nuclear loci vary. Slow mtDNA evolution appears to be the basal condition among eukaryotes. mtDNA substitution rates switch from slow to fast abruptly and unidirectionally. This switch may stem from the loss of just one or a few mitochondrion-specific DNA repair or replication genes.
AN ANALYTICAL OVERVIEW ON THE VIRTUAL ENVIRONMENTAL CRIME

Informational society represents a new stage of human civilization, a new way of life, that involves intensive use of information in all the aspects of human existence and activities, with a significant economic and social impact. Although the idea of cybercrime is not new, the national legislator still faces serious regulatory issues of legislative instruments, able to assist in the prevention, detection and prosecution of those who commit crimes in the ‘Virtual’ environment. In this article, we have tried to outline the issues of criminality in the virtual environment, hightlighting the need for a legislative framework in complete agreement with the extent of the criminal phenomenon on the Internet, the technological development and the social requirements concerning the protection of citizens against racism, xenophobia and anti-Semitism favored by the use of online information transmission.
Regional climate variability in the western subtropical North Atlantic during the past two millennia

[1] Western subtropical North Atlantic oceanic and atmospheric circulations connect tropical and subpolar climates. Variations in these circulations can generate regional climate anomalies that are not reflected in Northern Hemisphere averages. Assessing the significance of anthropogenic climate change at regional scales requires proxy records that allow recent trends to be interpreted in the context of long‐term regional variability. We present reconstructions of Gulf Stream sea surface temperature (SST) and hydrographic variability during the past two millennia based on the magnesium/calcium ratio and oxygen isotopic composition of planktic foraminifera preserved in two western subtropical North Atlantic sediment cores. Reconstructed SST suggests low‐frequency variability of ∼1°C during an interval that includes the Medieval Climate Anomaly (MCA) and the Little Ice Age (LIA). A warm interval near 1250 A.D. is distinct from regional and hemispheric temperature, possibly reflecting regional variations in ocean‐atmosphere heat flux associated with changes in atmospheric circulation (e.g., the North Atlantic Oscillation) or the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. Seawater d 18 O, which is marked by a fresher MCA and a more saline LIA, covaries with meridional migrations of the Atlantic Intertropical Convergence Zone. The northward advection of tropical salinity anomalies by mean surface currents provides a plausible mechanism linking Carolina Slope and tropical Atlantic hydrology.
Risk factors and outcomes of hepatitis B virus reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen negative patients with hematological malignancies

Aim Current guidelines recommend all patients scheduled to receive chemotherapy should be screened for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) and antibodies to hepatitis B virus core antigen (anti-HBc) status. However, still, more research is needed to identify the risk factors for hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation. We retrospectively investigated the incidence, risk factors and outcome of HBV reactivation in HBsAg negative patients with hematological malignancies. Methods Seven hundred and thirty-eight HBsAg negative patients with hematological malignancies were included in the study. HBV reactivation was defined as reverse seroconversion of HBsAg (HBsAg reappearance). Risk factors, cumulative incidence and overall survival of HBV reactivation were analyzed. Results Reactivation occurred in 23 of the 738 (3.1%) enrolled patients. As expected, the reactivation rate of the anti-HBc positive group was significantly higher than that of the anti-HBc negative group (5.4% vs 0.8%). Multivariate analysis indicated that loss of antibody to the hepatitis B surface antigen (anti-HBs) was an independent risk factor. Patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and multiple myeloma showed significantly higher reactivation rate than those with other diseases. The cumulative incidence of HBV reactivation after starting chemotherapy in the anti-HBc positive subgroup was 0.3% at 1 year, 1.7% at 2 years and 10.5% at 3 years. Conclusion Close monitoring of HBV markers, including anti-HBs, should be performed for longer than 24 months. Further study is needed to establish a strategy to prevent HBV reactivation after chemotherapy in HBsAg negative patients with hematological malignancies.
Commercially Available Angiotensin II At2 Receptor Antibodies Are Nonspecific

Commercially available angiotensin II AT2 receptor antibodies are widely employed for receptor localization and quantification, but they have not been adequately validated. In this study, we characterized three commercially available AT2 receptor antibodies: 2818-1 from Epitomics, sc-9040 from Santa Cruz Biotechnology, Inc., and AAR-012 from Alomone Labs. Using western blot analysis the immunostaining patterns observed were different for every antibody tested, and in most cases consisted of multiple immunoreactive bands. Identical immunoreactive patterns were present in wild-type and AT2 receptor knockout mice not expressing the target protein. In the mouse brain, immunocytochemical studies revealed very different cellular immunoreactivity for each antibody tested. While the 2818-1 antibody reacted only with endothelial cells in small parenchymal arteries, the sc-9040 antibody reacted only with ependymal cells lining the cerebral ventricles, and the AAR-012 antibody reacted only with multiple neuronal cell bodies in the cerebral cortex. Moreover, the immunoreactivities were identical in brain tissue from wild-type or AT2 receptor knockout mice. Furthermore, in both mice and rat tissue extracts, there was no correlation between the observed immunoreactivity and the presence or absence of AT2 receptor binding or gene expression. We conclude that none of these commercially available AT2 receptor antibodies tested met the criteria for specificity. In the absence of full antibody characterization, competitive radioligand binding and determination of mRNA expression remain the only reliable approaches to study AT2 receptor expression.
Nonlinear least squares and super resolution

Digital super resolution is a term used to describe the inverse problem of reconstructing a high resolution image from a set of known low resolution images, each of which is shifted by subpixel displacements. Simple models assume the subpixel displacements are known, but if the displacements are not known then nonlinear approaches must be used to jointly find the displacements and the reconstructed high resolution image. Furthermore, regularization is needed to stabilize the inversion process. This paper describes a separable nonlinear least squares formulation and a solution scheme based on the Gauss-Newton method. In addition, an approach is proposed to choose appropriate regularization parameters at each Gauss-Newton iteration.
Measurement of Neutron Yields From ${\rm UF}_{4}$

We have performed measurements of neutron production from UF4 samples using liquid scintillator as the detector material. Neutrons and gamma rays were separated by a multichannel digital pulse shape discriminator, and the neutron pulse-height spectra were unfolded using sequential least-squares optimization with an active set strategy. The unfolded spectra were compared to estimates calculated with the SOURCES 4C code.
Are there edge effects on forest fungi and if so do they matter

Abstract Fungi are vital within forest ecosystems through their mycorrhizal relationships with trees, and as the main agents of wood decomposition and thus carbon and nutrient cycling. Globally, forests are becoming increasingly fragmented, creating forest patches that are isolated, reduced in area, and exposed at edges. Edges are often ecologically distinct from the forest interior due to their exposure to the matrix habitat. This exposure can result in altered microclimatic conditions and flows of biotic and abiotic materials such as spores or inorganic nitrogen, respectively. Although fungi are known to be affected by microclimate and nitrogen deposition, knowledge of forest edge effects on fungi is extremely limited; however, a consideration of the factors known to regulate fungal activity in combination with known biotic and abiotic edge effects implies that forest edges are likely to strongly influence fungi. These include responses of fungi to the altered microclimate and nitrogen levels at forest edges, at both the individual and community level; interactions with plants and animals that have been influenced by edges; above–belowground feedback between mycorrhizal fungi and host trees. The small body of existing research focuses on fruit body presence and distribution; fungal biomass and community composition in soil have been touched upon. Positive, negative and neutral edge responses have been found, the majority of studies finding a significant effect on some of the parameters measured. Generally, abundance of fruit bodies and biomass in the soil is lower at the forest edge. Understanding how fungi respond to edges is essential to a more complete knowledge of carbon and nitrogen cycling in forest edges, influence of mycorrhizal species on vegetation, and conservation of rare fungi. As edges become increasingly dominant landscape features it is vital to investigate processes within them, to understand ecosystem function at a landscape scale.
Enhanced myocardial protection by systemic deep hypothermia in children undergoing total correction of tetralogy of Fallot.

Abstract The effectiveness of systemic deep hypothermia for myocardial protection was evaluated retrospectively in 36 consecutive children who underwent total correction of tetralogy of Fallot in the four-year period 1980 to 1984. Moderate hypothermia combined with potassium-induced cold cardioplegia and topical cardiac cooling was employed in 16 patients (Group A), and deep hypothermia together with cold cardioplegia and topical cooling was used in 20 patients (Group B). A higher incidence of spontaneous defibrillation, a higher postoperative right ventricular cardiac index, a significant decrease in the maximal requirement of isoproterenol hydrochloride, a significant increase in the mean urinary output, and much better operative results were obtained in Group B compared with Group A. Postmortem histopathological examination of the heart in 3 patients in Group A disclosed various degrees of hypoxic change in the myocardium, which were more pronounced in the right ventricle than in the left ventricle. It is concluded that the myocardial protection obtained with cold cardioplegia and topical cooling under moderate hypothermia may well be insufficient for repair of tetralogy of Fallot, a condition characterized by increased noncoronary blood flow to the myocardium and abundant collateral bronchial flow. However, when combined with systemic deep hypothermia, such myocardial protection is quite safe and effective.
Approximating Tukey's Depth

Abstract Tukey (Tukey, J. W. (1974). T6: Order statistics. In mimeographed notes for Statistics, 411, Princeton University; Tukey, J. W. (1975). Mathematics and the picturing of data. In: Proceedings of the International Congress of Mathematicians, 2:523–531.) introduced a notion of the depth of a point in a multivariate dataset that plays a role in a variety of methods derived in recent years. When sampling from a p-variate distribution, Tukey's depth can be computed exactly when p = 2 or 3, but as p increases, currently execution time can be very high. Rousseeuw and Struyf (Rousseeuw, P. J., Struyf, A. (1998). Computing location depth and regressiondepth in higher dimensions. Statistics and Computing 8:193–203.) examined four approximations of Tukey's depth and recommended one over the other three. This note compares their recommended approximation to two alternative approximations, including situations where p>3 and the sample size is large. Comparisons based on the exact depth of points, when p = 2 or...
Pertussis toxin normalizes enhanced renovascular responses to angiotensin II in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract Previous studies indicate that spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) have an exaggerated renal vascular response to angiotensin II (Ang II). Inasmuch as angiotensin receptors are coupled to diverse signalling mechanisms via G-proteins, the purpose of this study was to determine whether the enhanced renal vascular response to Ang II in SHR is due to signalling pathways that involve G i and/or G o . Age-matched SHR and normotensive Wistar-Kyoto rats were administered an intravenous injection of either pertussis toxin (10 μg/kg) or vehicle, and 6 days later were prepared for study. Renal vascular responses to Ang II were determined by infusing Ang II into the aorta just above the left renal artery while monitoring renal blood flow and arterial blood pressure. Inhibition of the bradycardic response to N 6 -cyclopentyladenosine (an adenosine A 1 receptor agonist) verified that pertussis toxin interrupted G i coupled pathways. Renovascular responses to Ang II were significantly greater (p=0.0009) in vehicle-treated hypertensive rats when compared with vehicle-treated normotensive rats. Pertussis toxin significantly decreased renovascular responses to Ang II in both hypertensive (p i and/or G o contributes importantly to the signalling mechanism through which Ang II affects renal vascular resistance; and, 2) An alteration in the G i and/or G o -mediated signalling pathway in the renal vasculature appears to mediate the enhanced renal vascular response to Ang II in SHR.
Utilizing verification and validation certificates to estimate software defect density

In industry, information on defect density of a product tends to become available too late in the software development process to affordably guide corrective actions. Our research objective is to build a parametric model which utilizes a persistent record of the validation and verification (V&V) practices used with a program to estimate the defect density of that program. The persistent record of the V&V practices are recorded as certificates which are automatically recorded and maintained with the code.PhD Advisor: Dr. Laurie Williams, williams@csc.ncsu.edu
Coronary heart disease in the elderly: Review of current knowledge and research recommendations

The Working Conference on the Recognition and Management of Coronary Heart Disease in the Elderly, sponsored by the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute, was designed to review the cumnt state of knowledge about coronary disease as a basis for formulating research goals. Scientists with expertise and interest in coronary heart disease in the elderly, yet with diverse subspecialties and approaches, were invited to present, discuss, and assess what is known about this problem and what can be extrapolated from data collected from younger age populations; and to identify critical gaps in our knowledge that should be considered in establishing future research priorities. Considerable progress has been made since the time when being age 65 years or older constituted a bamer to coronary care unit admission. More recently, however, and more unfortunate, is that the elderly have been systematically excluded from, or at least underrepresented in, most clinical trials of cardiovascular therapies. Although the emphasis of the Conference was recognition and management of coronary heart disease (CHD), perspectives were provided on the pathophysiology and epidemiology essential for understanding the etiology and development of coronary heart disease in the elderly, the magnitude and severity of the problem, and the potential for preventing or ameliorating the course of the disease by modifying constitutional and environmental risk characteristics.
SH2B3: a new leukemia predisposition gene

In this issue of Blood , Perez-Garcia et al report the important discovery of an inherited germline mutation in the gene encoding the SH2B adaptor protein 3 ( SH2B3 ) in a consanguineous family affected with autoimmune disorders and acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL).[1][1] ![Figure][2] Top
Elective mapping and surgical division of the bundle of kent in a patient with Ebstein's anomaly who required tricuspid valve replacement

A 14 year old girl with Ebstein's anomaly and Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome without supraventricular tachycardia underwent closure of an atrial septal defect and tricuspid valve commissurotomy. Her postoperative course was complicated by her first episodes of recurrent debilitating paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia. Severe tricuspid insufficiency with low cardiac output necessitated a repeat intracardiac operation. At reoperation the patient underwent successful tricuspid valve replacement with concomitent cardiac mapping and division of the bundle of Kent. In patients with heart disease requiring intracardiac repair who also have Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, elective surgical division of the anomalous bundle is recommended whether or not preoperative attacks of tachycardia have occurred.
The Private Rod : Marital Violence, Sensation, and the Law in Victorian Britain

Sensation novels, a genre characterized by scandalous narratives, and emotionally and socially provocative dialogue and plots, had their heyday in England in the 1860s and 1870s, in the midst of growing concern about codes of behaviour in marriage. Largely excluded from the academic canon of the late 20th century, sensation novels had an impact on Victorian culture that we have only recently begun to evaluate. Exploring the central metaphor of marital violence in these novels, Marlene Tromp uncovers the relationship between the representations of such violence in fiction and in the law. Her investigation demonstates that sensational constructions of gender, marriage, "brutal" relationships and even murder were gradually incorporated into legal debates and realist fiction as the Victorian understanding of what was "real" changed. Sensation fiction's reconfiguration of literary and social norms, evident in works by Charles Dickens, Wilkie Collins and Mary Elizabeth Braddon, is also explicitly evoked in the "realist" representations of domestic violence in novels by Margaret Oliphant and George Eliot. Despite the apparent gulf between fiction and the law, Tromp explores these texts as mutually constitutive forms through which a major shift in the understanding of domesticity took place. The Victorians responded to marital violence by debating its terms in both Parliament and the circulating libraries, incorporating the language of each realm into the other. By the end of the century, this cross-pollinating conversation threatened the tenuous legal and social fiction of peace and safety in the middle-class home, and new readings of the relationship between domesticity and violence emerged.
Versatile Apparatus for Automatic Recording of Absolute Fluorescent Spectra

An optical system is described in which ultraviolet light from a suitable source is dispersed by a grating monochromator and focused on a specimen. Fluorescent light from the specimen passes through a second grating monochromator and is detected by a photomulitplier tube. The specimen is placed in a stand which rests on a kinematic trolley, by means of which the specimen is brought into focus and which allows stands with reference markings, an MgO surface, or a cold cell to be used.The optical system is calibrated photometrically by means of a standarized tungsten-quartz lamp. The spectral sensitivity characteristics of the detecting photomultiplier, together with its associated monochromator and mirrors, are corrected by means of a cam driven in synchronism with the wavelenght drive drive of the detecting monochromator.In order to cancel fluctuations in the exciting light source a fraction of the light emerging from the source monochromator is focused on to a second photomultiplier, whose output is used to operate a servo system. The recorded spectrum is thus a measure of the ratio of fluorescent to exciting light. The currents from the photomultipliers are amplified by dc amplifiers with silicon diode modulators, which are described.