cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Designing liquid crystalline nonlinear optical meta-materials with large birefringence and sub-unity refractive index

We describe here two types of liquid crystalline meta-materials which exhibit large birefringence and sub-unity or negative refractive index. The conditions on the constituents' complex permittivity and permeability for producing effective refractive indices in this unconventional range are explicitly illustrated with two exemplary liquid crystalline meta-materials: (i) core-shell nano-spheres randomly dispersed in a nematic liquid crystal and (ii) planar nano-structures juxtaposed with a layer of liquid crystal. Both systems also exhibit enhanced electro-optical and nonlinear optical responses. These meta-materials may find applications in the next generation reflective, transmissive, modulation and switching elements and devices in the visible–infrared–Terahertz and microwave regimes.
Gel Precipitation with ECHO 4 and other Enteroviruses.

SummaryDouble diffusion gel precipitation was used to detect antibodies in sera of patients suffering from ECHO infections. Two lines of precipitation were observed. One of them was apparently group specific and represented an antigen shared by human enteroviruses. The other line was serotype specific. The pattern of reactions with patient sera as well as animal immune sera confirmed the previous observation on serologic difference between prototype and Shropshire strains of ECHO 4.
Effects of seismic stress on the vegetative growth of Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Wells II

Abstract. Vegetative plants of soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr. cv. Wells II] grown in a greenhouse and agitated periodically on a gyratory shaker had shorter stems, less leaf area, and lower leaf and plant dry weight than did undisturbed greenhouse-grown (GG) plants after 16 d of treatment. Outdoor-grown (OG) plants, which were subjected to additional environmental stresses including ultraviolet radiation, wind loading, and uncontrolled temperature and humidity fluctuations, were smaller and had less dry weight than GG controls, but growth was not inhibited further by gyratory shaking. Periodic shaking of GG soybeans resulted in the same plant and leaf dry weight as for OG soybeans. Response of GG plants to mechanical stress depended on light intensity, with minimum growth reduction occurring under full light (FL) level, and maximum growth reduction occurring under lower light levels (24–45% FL). Reduction in dry weight gain due to mechanical stress corresponded to a decrease in relative growth rate (RGR). Decreases in net assimilation rate and leaf area ratio contributed equally to the lower RGR of shaken plants, indicating that seismic stress inhibits dry weight accumulation by decreasing both the photosynthetic efficiency and the assimilatory surface of soybean.
Aggregation of Ontology Matchers in Lieu of a Reference Ontology

Ontologies are widely used to represent knowledge in different domains. As a result, numerous methods have been put forth to match ontologies. No technique has been shown to be robust across all domains. Furthermore, ontology matchers typically make use of a reference ontology. However, this is not guaranteed to exist. In this article, the fuzzy integral is used to aggregate multiple ontology matchers in lieu of a reference ontology. Specifically, we present a way to derive the fuzzy measure based on ideas from crowd sourcing when the worth of individuals is not known. Preliminary results are presented to show the robustness of our approach across different domains.
Pregnancy rates among women infected with human immunodeficiency virus

Objective To examine pregnancy rates among women infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Methods We used data from an ongoing survey of medical records of 3915 women who were 15–44 years of age, infected with HIV, and who received care between January 1990 and August 1994 in more than 90 clinics, hospitals, and private practices in 11 United States cities. Results At enrollment, 570 (14%) of these women were pregnant Pregnancy rates at entry varied significantly (P Conclusions High rates of pregnancy at entry to medical care among HIV-infected women stress the importance of counseling and voluntary testing as routine obstetricgynecologic practice. In some groups, rates of new pregnancies remain high; standard HIV care for women should include family planning services and asrance that if a woman chooses to practice contraception, contraceptives will be available and affordable.
Enhanced Drag by Radiation for Runaway Electrons

Relativistic particle simulations of the beam-plasma interaction show that a dc electric field intensifies the interaction and amplifies radiation; radiation in turn clamps the runaway momentum. When the dc field exceeds a critical value, the runaways are detached from collective interactions. The effect of enhanced radiation and clamping may be of significance for devices such as traveling-wave tubes and free-electron lasers and for tokamak experiments.
Characteristics of Anger Expression in Depressed Children

ABSTRACT Objective To examine anger expression styles in depressed and nondepressed children and to investigate whether the relation between depression and anger expression was mediated by family variables. Method From a sample of 100 psychiatric inpatient children, 11 depressed children and 11 matched nondepressed psychiatric controls were compared on two self-report measures, the Pediatric Anger Expression Style and the Family Adaptability and Cohesion Evaluation Scales-III-K. Results Depressed children reported significantly more difficulty maintaining cognitive control of their anger than did nondepressed children who were psychiatric inpatients. Family cohesion and adaptability were not found to have an effect on this relationship. No significant differences were found with respect to the tendency to deny or suppress anger or the tendency to express anger aggressively. Conclusions Depressed children experienced more difficulties expressing their anger using a controlled/cognitive style than nondepressed (externalizing) children. The lack of a mediating role of family variables suggests that anger expression styles may be more related to the characteristics of depression in children, a finding that has clinical implications for addressing treatment of depressed children.
A money management-based substance use treatment increases valuation of future rewards

Abstract Objective A positive association between delay discounting and substance use has been documented; substance users tend to discount future rewards more than non-users. However, studies detailing the responsiveness of delay discounting to interventions are lacking, and few have examined how any behavioral intervention affects delay discounting and whether these effects moderate changes in substance abuse. This study assesses the effectiveness of a money management intervention, Advisor-Teller Money Manager (ATM), in reducing delay discounting over time and the relationship of these effects to changes in cocaine use. Method Ninety psychiatric patients with histories of cocaine and/or alcohol use were randomly assigned to 36-weeks of ATM treatment or to a minimal-attention control condition. Delay discounting and cocaine use were measured throughout the intervention with a 52-week follow up measure of cocaine use. Analyses were conducted of (a) the effect of ATM on slopes of delay discounting and cocaine abstinence and (b) the relationship between change in delay discounting and change in cocaine abstinence. Results The ATM intervention was associated with significantly less delay discounting and less cocaine use over time relative to controls. Increases in delay discounting were associated with decreased abstinence from cocaine. Conclusions ATM treatment decreased delay discounting rates and these effects extended to cocaine use. Concrete conceptualizations of future events, as occur in financial planning, with higher perceived probability may account for higher valuation of future rewards in counseled patients.
Optimism versus pessimism predicts the quality of women's adjustment to early stage breast cancer.

Background. Recent studies indicate that breast cancer patients do not usually experience the devastating psychological consequences once viewed as inevitable. However, some adjust to the disease more poorly than others. This study examined the personality trait of optimism versus pessimism as a predictor of adjustment over the first year, postsurgery. Methods. Seventy women with early stage breast cancer reported on their general optimism-pessimism at diagnosis. One day before surgery, and at 3-month, 6-month, and 12-month follow-ups, they reported their subjective well-being (mood scales and a measure of satisfaction with life). At follow-ups, they also rated their sex lives, indicated how much physical discomfort was interfering with their daily activities, and reported on thought intrusion. Results. Pessimism displayed poorer adjustment at each time point by all measures except interference from pain. Even controlling for previous well-being, pessimism predicted poorer subsequent well-being, suggesting that pessimism represents a vulnerability to a negative change in adjustment. In contrast, effects of pessimism on quality of sex life and thought intrusion were not incremental over time. Additional analyses indicated that effects of the optimism-pessimism measure were captured relatively well by a single item from the scale. Conclusions. A sense of pessimism about one's life enhances a woman's risk for adverse psychological reactions to the diagnosis of, and treatment for, breast cancer. This finding suggests the potential desirability of assessing this quality informally in patients, to serve as a warning sign regarding the patient's well-being during the period surrounding and following surgery. Cancer 1994; 73:1213–20.
Finding Data Sets for Patrons

With the advent of the open access and open data movement, the preservation and availability of data has multiplied exponentially. This increased distribution and sharing of data has energized numerous fields of research. In such an environment, librarians are increasingly tasked with finding actual data related to specific subjects in addition to the traditional task of locating relevant scholarly articles. This article provides a valuable resource for reference and science librarians as they meet the needs of their patrons in an increasingly data-centric world.
The production, purification, and properties of Newcastle disease virus labeled with radiophosphorus.

Abstract Tissue culture techniques were used to prepare high titers of Newcastle disease virus labeled with P 32 . Techniques for purifying this radioactive virus are presented, and criteria for purity are described. The purified virus was fractionated by the Schmidt-Thannhauser procedure to determine the chemical distribution of P 32 . The chemical components were investigated in some detail and the results indicate that while some of the small molecular phosphorus containing material in the TCA soluble fraction may not be essential to the virus, the phospholipid fraction is essential. P 32 was consistently found in the Schmidt-Thannhauser ribonucleic acid (RNA) fraction, while very little appeared in the deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) fraction, suggesting that the virus contains little or no DNA.
3D Holographic Technology and Its Educational Potential

This article discusses a number of significant developments in 3D holographic technology, its potential to revolutionize aspects of teaching and learning, and challenges of implementing the technology in educational settings.
Response of Thymoma to Steroids

The response of the thymus to steroids has been of use for diagnosis and therapy. However, the results have been somewhat variable. The subject of this report is a patient with a thymoma who was observed for 20 months and exhibited complete disappearance of the mass on low dosage of prednisone. The tumor recurred when steroid therapy was withdrawn. Response to the administration of steroids is of no help in separating, with certainty, normal thymus from thymoma, or benign thymoma from the malignant variety.
Mitigation of Sn Whisker Growth by Composite Ni/Sn Plating

This paper considers the influence of composite pulse electroplated nickel/tin (Ni/Sn) layering on the mitigation of Sn whisker growth. The performance of the composite pulsed plating method in the mitigation of Sn whisker growth is also compared with two other plating procedures. The results indicate that, after a period of 6 months, the composite pulsed plating technique demonstrates much better resistance to Sn whisker growth than other plating techniques such as pure Sn plating and Sn plating with a Ni underlayer onto a brass substrate subjected to various environmental conditions. The primary conclusions are based on the analysis of microstructural characteristics, the average residual stress distribution in the film over different time periods computed by x-ray diffraction, the formation of intermetallic compounds, and the amount of Sn whisker growth in each case.
Phase I and pharmacokinetic study of preirradiation chemotherapy with BCNU, cisplatin, etoposide, and accelerated radiation therapy in patients with high-grade glioma

Abstract Purpose: We conducted a Phase I study of bischloroethylnitrosourea (BCNU), cisplatin, and oral etoposide administered prior to and during accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy in newly diagnosed high-grade glioma. Pharmacokinetic studies of oral etoposide were also done. Methods and Materials: Patients started chemotherapy after surgery but prior to definitive radiation therapy (160 cGy twice daily × 15 days; 4800 cGy total). Initial chemotherapy consisted of BCNU 40 mg/m 2 days 1–3, cisplatin 30 mg/m 2 days 1–3 and 29–31, and etoposide 50 mg orally days 1–14 and 29–42, repeated in 8 weeks concurrent with radiation therapy. BCNU 200 mg/m 2 every 8 weeks × 4 cycles was given after radiation therapy. Results: Sixteen patients, 5 with grade 3 anaplastic astrocytoma and 11 with glioblastoma were studied. Grade 3–4 leukopenia (38%) and thrombocytopenia (31%) were dose-limiting. Other toxicities were anorexia (81%), nausea (94%), emesis (56%), alopecia (88%), and ototoxicity (38%). The maximum tolerated dose was BCNU 40 mg/m 2 days 1–3, cisplatin 20 mg/m 2 days 1–3 and 29–31, and oral etoposide 50 mg days 1–21 and 29–49 prior to radiation therapy and repeated in 8 weeks with the start of radiation therapy followed by BCNU 200 mg/m 2 every 8 weeks for 4 cycles. Median time to progression and survival were 13 and 14 months respectively. Responses occurred in 2 of 9 (22%) patients with evaluable disease. In pharmacokinetic studies, all patients achieved plasma concentrations of >0.1 μg/ml etoposide (the in vitro radiosensitizing threshold), following a 50 mg oral dose. The mean ± SD 2 hr and 6 hr plasma concentrations were 0.92 ± 0.43 μg/ml and 0.36 ± 0.12 μg/ml, respectively. Estimated duration of exposure to >0.1 μg/ml etoposide was 10–17 hr. Conclusions: Preirradiation chemotherapy with BCNU, cisplatin, and oral etoposide with accelerated hyperfractionated radiation therapy in high-grade gliomas is feasible and merits further investigation. Sustained radiosensitizing concentrations can be achieved with low oral doses of etoposide.
Single-step synthesis and stabilization of metal nanoparticles in aqueous pluronic block copolymer solutions at ambient temperature

A single-step synthesis of gold nanoparticles with an average diameter of ∼10 nm from hydrogen tetrachloroaureate(III) hydrate (HAuCl4·3H2O) has been achieved in air-saturated aqueous solutions that contain poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(propylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) (PEO−PPO−PEO) block copolymers but not any other reducing agent. These amphiphilic block copolymers act as both reductants and colloidal stabilizers and prove very efficient in both functions. The formation of gold nanoparticles is controlled by the overall molecular weight and relative block length of the block copolymer. The synthesis procedure reported here is environmentally benign and economic, as it involves the minimum possible number of components: it uses water as the solvent, it uses commercially available polymers, it proceeds fast to completion, and it results in a “ready-to-use” product.
On or Coming to your Campus Soon: Drones

What do I know about drones? Very little, but I am curious about their current and future use. The official name, as I understand, is “unmanned aerial vehicles” (UAVs). Why not call them “unwomanned” aerial vehicles? I guess it is an example of the holdover of terms like “manpower” instead of “workforce” for labor analyses. Even the automatic spell checker does not recognize unwomanned. I digress, but language matters and words influence our thinking and are used to share our thoughts. The most extensive use to-date of drones has been by the military for combat and surveillance. A primary advantage is the ability to perform high level, high-risk tasks by remote control, either via distant operators or pre-programming. Daily, national, and international news stories feature stories of governmental and military use, a topic I will avoid. Rather, I am interested in the reports of academic and civilian uses (or potential uses) for these high-tech devices. In 2011 and 2012, journalism programs at the University of Nebraska and the University of Missouri were tapping into the adaptability of drones for civilian uses; and the institutions were designing courses to prepare students to use drones in reporting on natural disasters and other events. Imagine how this technology could be used to cover marathons, hurricanes, traffic patterns, and large outdoor events. In 2013, the FAA sent cease and desist letters to the aforementioned institutions saying that they must apply as a public entity for a certificate of authorization (COA). Evidently, the programs had operated under the regulations for model aircraft, which require staying below 400 feet, using a sight line, along with other guidelines. So, both journalism programs were put on hold in order to pursue COA certificates from the FAA to incorporate drones into their reporting programs. See . The FAA regulations are too complicated to review here, but the development of regulations and plans for integration of non-governmental drones into public airspace continues (see Federal Aviation Administration website). In 2014, the FAA picked six test sites for UAVs including three universities – Texas A&M at Corpus Christi, Virginia Tech, and the University of Alaska. Each claim a large number of additional partners, and all are excited about the pipeline to federal research dollars and associated economic development for their regions. Innov High Educ (2015) 40:187–188 DOI 10.1007/s10755-015-9323-x
An Overview of the Diagnosis and Pharmacologie Treatment of Migraine

Migraine, an episodic headache disorder, is one of the most common complaints encountered by primary-care physicians and neurologists. Nevertheless, it remains underdiagnosed and undertreated. Rational migraine treatment necessitates an accurate diagnosis, identification and removal of potential triggering factors, and, frequently, pharmacologie intervention. Effective management also includes establishing realistic expectations, patient reassurance, and education. The choice of medication (abortive, symptomatic) for an acute attack depends on such factors as the severity of the attack, presence or absence of vomiting, time of onset to peak pain, rate of bioavailability of the drug, comorbid medical conditions, and side-effect profile. Effective agents for acute attacks include simple or combination analgesics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, ergot derivatives, selective serotonin agonists, and antiemetics. Opioid analgesics are unnecessary for most patients. The choice of preventive (prophylactic, interval) medication depends primarily on comorbid medical conditions and side-effect profile. Useful preventive agents include s-adrenergic blockers, calcium channel blockers, tricyclic antide-pressants, anticonvulsant medications, and serotonin antagonists.
Identification of Tat-SF1 cellular targets by exon array analysis reveals dual roles in transcription and splicing

Tat specific factor 1 (Tat-SF1) interacts with components of both the transcription and splicing machineries and has been classified as a transcription-splicing factor. Although its function as an HIV-1 dependency factor has been investigated, relatively little is known about the cellular functions of Tat-SF1. To identify target genes of Tat-SF1, we utilized a combination of RNAi and exon-specific microarrays. These arrays, which survey genome-wide changes in transcript and individual exon levels, revealed 450 genes with transcript level changes upon Tat-SF1 depletion. Strikingly, 98% of these target genes were down-regulated upon depletion, indicating that Tat-SF1 generally activates gene expression. We also identified 89 genes that showed differential exon level changes after Tat-SF1 depletion. The 89 genes showed evidence of many different types of alternative exon use consistent with the regulation of transcription initiation sites and RNA processing. Minimal overlap between genes with transcript-level and exon-level changes suggests that Tat-SF1 does not functionally couple transcription and splicing. Biological processes significantly enriched with transcript- and exon-level targets include the cell cycle and nucleic acid metabolism; the insulin signaling pathway was enriched with Tat-SF1 transcript-level targets but not exon-level targets. Additionally, a hexamer, ATGCCG, was overrepresented in the promoter region of genes showing changes in transcription initiation upon Tat-SF1 depletion. This may represent a novel motif that Tat-SF1 recognizes during transcription. Together, these findings suggest that Tat-SF1 functions independently in transcription and splicing of cellular genes.
Thinking Straight and Writing That Way: Publishing in the Gifted Child Quarterly

3 In general, sessions on publishing “how-to’s” rarely get beyond the obligatory lecture on the importance of the idea. We are told that if the idea is good, we should carry out the research study and proceed to submit the work for publication. If the how-to-get-published session gets past the point of explaining that a good study is one that asks an important question, then we are told that a publishable study is one that is reasonably free of design flaws. It seems to me that these two points ought to be considered givens. Although it is not always easy to think of a good idea, translate it into a researchable question, and design a competent study, most of us already understand the importance of these things. What we want to know now is how to increase our chances of getting competent work published.
Ferroelectric plasma thruster operation under different piezoelectric resonance modes

Ferroelectric plasma thrusters (FEPTs) are being developed for several space applications, including micro-spacecraft propulsion, large scale structure vibration damping, and proximity operations. In operation, the FEPT uses electron and ion emission aided by plasma creation at the surface of a ferroelectric material to produce thrust and provide propulsion for the micro-spacecraft. The utilization of piezoelectric resonance has been found to reduce the applied voltage necessary to generate plasma in the ferroelectric plasma source. Two different resonance modes of vibration have been identified in the operation of a ferroelectric plasma source. These piezoelectric resonance modes are investigated in relation to the performance of a FEPT.
LP Rounding Approximation Algorithms for Stochastic Network Design

We study the Steiner tree problem and the single-cable single-sink network design problem under a two-stage stochastic model with recourse and finitely many scenarios. In these models, some edges are purchased in a first stage when only probabilistic information about the second stage is available. In the second stage, one of a finite number of specified scenarios is realized, which results in the set of terminals becoming known and the opportunity to purchase additional edges (under an inflated cost function) to augment the first-stage solution. We provide constant factor approximation algorithms for these problems by rounding the linear relaxation of IP formulations of the problems. Our algorithms involve solving the linear relaxation first, followed by a primal-dual routine that is guided by the LP solution. We also show that because our bounds are local (the cost of each component is bounded by its cost in the LP solution), we are able to obtain bounds that guard against a form of downside risk.
Sliding mode control of remotely operated vehicles for horizontal plane motions

The dynamic equations of remotely operated vehicle (ROV) motions in deep water exhibit a highly nonlinear nature. Some of these nonlinearities are simplified for the ease of modelling and only motion in the horizontal plane is considered. A variable structure system (VSS)/sliding mode control (SMC) application is pursued as the control strategy. A variety of parametric selections are made to form this VSS/SMC strategy. An insight is provided into making these choices using a sliding stability argument. A set of digital simulation results are also presented to demonstrate the system behaviour in terms of the parameters of the SMC selected.
Utility of Fungal Blood Cultures for Patients with AIDS

This study was designed to define the clinical utility of fungal blood cultures for human immunodeficiency virus type 1-infected individuals. A retrospective chart review was performed for all patients admitted to an inpatient AIDS unit who had evidence of an invasive fungal infection. During a 25-month period, 1,162 fungal blood cultures were performed for 322 patients. These cultures, along with bacterial blood cultures, resulted in the isolation of fungi from 26 patients; 15 of these isolates were considered true pathogens. Routine blood cultures were positive for the fungal isolates in all 15 cases: Candida species and Candida glabrata (6 cases), Cryptococcus neoformans (7), Coccidioides immitis (1), and Histoplasma capsulatum (1). All invasive fungal infections were diagnosed by other means before fungal blood cultures were reported as positive. The results of this study suggest that the routine performance of such cultures in clinical practice should be reevaluated.
Discrete event simulation modeling of resource planning and service order execution for service businesses

In this paper, we present a framework for developing discrete-event simulation models for resource-intensive service businesses. The models simulate interactions of activities of demand planning of service engagements, supply planning of human resources, attrition of resources, termination of resources and execution of service orders to estimate business performance of resource-intensive service businesses. The models estimate serviceability, costs, revenue, profit and quality of service businesses. The models are also used in evaluating effectiveness of various resource management analytics and policies. The framework is aided by an information meta-model, which componentizes modeling objects of service businesses and allows effective integration of the components.
Recent developments in the design of receptor specific opioid peptides.

Article de synthese sur la specificite des peptides opioides pour les recepteurs opiaces mu, delta et kappa
The ethics of promulgating principles of research ethics: the problem of diversion effects

There is an important distinction between ethical standards for the conduct of research with human subjects and the ethics of promulgating principles of research ethics. Those who promulgate ethical standards for the conduct of research have an ethical responsibility to consider the consequences to which those promulgations give rise. In particular, they must consider whether their promulgations will give researchers incentives not to conduct research or not to conduct research in locales in which participants would benefit from participation. I first show how such ‘diversion effects’ are possible and then examine four principles of research ethics in that light. I then consider several objections to the argument that those who promulgate principles of research ethics should consider diversion effects.
NOrMAL: accurate nucleosome positioning using a modified Gaussian mixture model

Motivation: Nucleosomes are the basic elements of chromatin structure. They control the packaging of DNA and play a critical role in gene regulation by allowing physical access to transcription factors. The advent of second-generation sequencing has enabled landmark genome-wide studies of nucleosome positions for several model organisms. Current methods to determine nucleosome positioning first compute an occupancy coverage profile by mapping nucleosome-enriched sequenced reads to a reference genome; then, nucleosomes are placed according to the peaks of the coverage profile. These methods are quite accurate on placing isolated nucleosomes, but they do not properly handle more complex configurations. Also, they can only provide the positions of nucleosomes and their occupancy level, whereas it is very beneficial to supply molecular biologists additional information about nucleosomes like the probability of placement, the size of DNA fragments enriched for nucleosomes and/or whether nucleosomes are well positioned or ‘fuzzy’ in the sequenced cell sample. Results: We address these issues by providing a novel method based on a parametric probabilistic model. An expectation maximization algorithm is used to infer the parameters of the mixture of distributions. We compare the performance of our method on two real datasets against Template Filtering, which is considered the current state-of-the-art. On synthetic data, we show that our method can resolve more accurately complex configurations of nucleosomes, and it is more robust to user-defined parameters. On real data, we show that our method detects a significantly higher number of nucleosomes.
Enabling Reputation and Trust in Privacy-Preserving Mobile Sensing

Mobile sensing is becoming a popular paradigm to collect information from and outsource tasks to mobile users. These applications deal with lot of personal information, e.g., identity and location. Therefore, we need to pay a deeper attention to privacy and anonymity. However, the knowledge of the data source is desired to evaluate the trustworthiness of the sensing data. Anonymity and trust become two conflicting objectives in mobile sensing. In this paper, we propose ARTSense , a framework to solve the problem of “trust without identity” in mobile sensing. Our solution consists of a privacy-preserving provenance model, a data trust assessment scheme and an anonymous reputation management protocol. In contrast to other recent solutions, our scheme does not require a trusted third party and both positive and negative reputation updates can be enforced. In the trust assessment, we consider contextual factors that dynamically affects the trustworthiness of the sensing data as well as the mutual support and conflict among data from difference sources. Security analysis shows that ARTSense achieves our desired anonymity and security goals. Our prototype implementation on Android demonstrates that ARTSense incurs minimal computation overhead on mobile devices, and simulation results justify that ARTSense captures the trust of information and reputation of participants accurately.
Cisplatin-induced increases in spontaneous neural activity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus and associated outer hair cell loss.

Tinnitus is one of the consequences of cisplatin chemotherapy, but its underlying mechanisms are not well understood. Since it has been shown that cisplatin causes outer hair cell loss, it is possible that loss of these cells might induce tinnitus by increasing spontaneous activity in the central auditory system. To test this possibility, the present study examined the effects of cisplatin treatment on cochlear hair cells and on spontaneous neural activity in the dorsal cochlear nucleus of hamsters. Recordings, carried out approximately 1 month after cisplatin treatment, demonstrated significant increases in spontaneous activity across broad regions of the dorsal cochlear nucleus relative to levels in saline-treated controls. Histological results showed that cisplatin-treated animals also displayed dramatic loss of outer hair cells over most of the basal turn of the cochlea. Inner hair cells remained intact, although some evidence of damage to their stereocilia was evident. These findings indicate that ci...
Insights into organ-specific pathogen defense responses in plants: RNA-seq analysis of potato tuber- Phytophthora infestans interactions

The late blight pathogen Phytophthora infestans can attack both potato foliage and tubers. Although interaction transcriptome dynamics between potato foliage and various pathogens have been reported, no transcriptome study has focused specifically upon how potato tubers respond to pathogen infection. When inoculated with P. infestans, tubers of nontransformed ‘Russet Burbank’ (WT) potato develop late blight disease while those of transgenic ‘Russet Burbank’ line SP2211 (+RB), which expresses the potato late blight resistance gene RB (Rpi-blb1), do not. We compared transcriptome responses to P. infestans inoculation in tubers of these two lines. We demonstrated the practicality of RNA-seq to study tetraploid potato and present the first RNA-seq study of potato tuber diseases. A total of 483 million paired end Illumina RNA-seq reads were generated, representing the transcription of around 30,000 potato genes. Differentially expressed genes, gene groups and ontology bins that exhibited differences between the WT and +RB lines were identified. P. infestans transcripts, including those of known effectors, were also identified. Faster and stronger activation of defense related genes, gene groups and ontology bins correlate with successful tuber resistance against P. infestans. Our results suggest that the hypersensitive response is likely a general form of resistance against the hemibiotrophic P. infestans—even in potato tubers, organs that develop below ground.
The Challenge of Fire Prediction

ABSTRACT Fire, the oldest combustion problem, is a major cause of human suffering and material loss, and yet our capabilities to predict its behavior for prevention and control is very limited. Efforts to improve fire safety have often concentrated on improving fire protection systems and extending fire service rather than on fire research. However, we see that fire periodically overruns the traditional fire suppression methods, particularly when there are natural disasters as wildland fires affecting urban areas, or earthquakes, or even when human errors or arson take place in complex facilities, such as petro-chemical industries, large buildings, or fuel transport. What is needed is a better fundamental understanding of fire initiation and development, which can then be applied during the design stage to minimize fire occurrence, rather than relying primarily on fire detection and suppression. The goal is to bring our predictive capabilities to a point where fire models could be developed for use by the...
Intravenous physostigmine increases cerebrospinal fluid neuropeptide-Y.

Abstract The ability to measure directly central nervous system (CNS) neurotransmitter changes after an acute pharmacological challenge would be a useful clinical tool in psychiatric research. As one approach to this possibility, we attempted to measure cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) neuropeptide changes produced by an intravenous infusion of the indirect cholinergic agonist physostigmine. Six rhesus monkeys, with indwelling CSF catheters, had serial CSF samples removed before and after a 15 μg/kg physostigmine infusion. Five of six monkeys studied showed at least a 50% increase in CSF neuropeptide-Y (NPY) levels. Normal human subjects (n = 27) had CSF sampled before and 15, 30, and 45 min after an acute intravenous infusion of physostigmine (either 0, 5, or 15 μg/kg). An Analysis of Variance revealed a significant ( p = 0.04) dose-time interaction, suggesting that physostigmine increased CSF NPY at the 15 μg/kg dose. CSF levels of seven other neuropeptides remained unchanged. These results suggest that the pharmacological challenge paradigm can be adapted to CSF neuropeptides, providing new measures of CNS stimulus-induced response beyond the peripheral plasma determinations usually employed .
Ramucirumab for Colon Cancer and the Problem of Rising Prices Independent of Benefits

The discussion of value has moved from the philosophical, in which “value” was held out as an amorphous “eye of the beholder” concept, to an operationalized construct that is now directly affecting prescribing decisions. This is appropriate, given the large differences in price that seem disassociated from value.
Institutional Ownership Differences and International Diversification: The Effects of Boards of Directors and Technological Opportunity

We examined the roles of institutional investors, boards of directors, and technological opportunity in relation to international diversification. Our research contributes to both agency and foreign direct investment theories. In data on 197 large U.S. firms, we found significant relationships between institutional ownership and international diversification. International diversification was favored by (1) professional investment funds along with outside board members and (2) pension funds along with inside board members. Also, pension funds' long-term orientation facilitated internationalization in industries with high technological opportunities. The results suggest that different institutional owners have different stakes in firms' international strategies, and the effects of boards of directors and technological opportunity accentuate these differences.
Code-modulated path-sharing multi-antenna receivers: theory and analysis

Conventional multi-antenna receiver front-ends require multiple RF/baseband chains and analog-to-digital converters (ADC). This increases power consumption and chip area substantially. In this letter, we introduce a new Code-Modulated Path-Sharing Multi-Antenna (CPMA) receiver architecture suitable for any multi-antenna scheme including spatial multiplexing, spatial diversity, and beamforming. The receiver uses code modulation to distinguish the antenna signals before combining them in the analog domain. The combined signal propagates through shared-path blocks and all the original signals are later recovered in the digital domain for further processing. Due to the spread spectrum nature of code modulation, a larger bandwidth is needed for the blocks in the shared path. To alleviate this effect, the use of non-orthogonal coding is examined. An effective channel matrix is derived and the system capacity is evaluated in terms of the cross-correlation between signature codes. Implementation and code selection issues are discussed. Analysis and simulation results indicate that by properly selecting non-orthogonal code sets, the spreading factor, and therefore, the overall analog signal bandwidth is reduced while incurring minimal performance degradation.
Unchained Tales: Women Prose Writers from the Hispanic Caribbean in the 1990s

In 1991, looking back on the literary production of Caribbean women in the preceding two decades as I drafted the introduction to Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam: Short Stories by Caribbean Women, I was struck above all by the 'veritable explosion' in women's writing that had marked the 1970s and 1980s, a development that Carmen Esteves and I had sought to showcase in that collection. It had been our aim, above all, to chronicle how women's voices had moved into the mainstream of literary activity in the region after decades of silence and neglect. In selecting the stories that would form part of that anthology, we had been most concerned with how women writers sought to articulate their gendered position in Caribbean societies through narratives that told of their search for 'agency' in their personal and social lives. A decade has elapsed since Green Cane and Juicy Flotsam was published, and during the intervening period women's wTiting in the Hispanic Caribbean has undergone a transformation. In this essay, therefore, I am seeking to trace recent trends in prose writings by Hispanic Caribbean women, looking at new thematic and stylistic directions as writers move away from the almost strictly gender focused (feminist or proto-feminist) approaches that characterized the 1980s and begin to break new ground in fields that were traditionally considered the province of male writers. After a brief survey of literary production by women in the Hispanic Caribbean from roughly 1988 to 2001, this article looks at the four principal areas into which women's writings have moved: religion (particularly African-derived religious systems), the erotic, popular culture, and the environment. In this survey, two very different writers - Zo? Vald?s and Mayra Montero - emerge as dominant figures, in part because of their impressive productivity and international fame, but particularly because they set new parameters for women's fiction in the region, anchoring two distinct possibilities of being Caribbean writers for a new century.
Treating diabetic ulcers.

Introduction: Diabetic foot ulceration is a serious secondary complication of diabetes mellitus and the most common cause of hospitalization in diabetic patients. The etiology of diabetic foot ulcerations is complex due to their multifactorial nature. Thus, addressing all of the factors involved remains instrumental in wound healing. Areas covered: The first part of this review focuses on the pathophysiology of diabetic foot ulceration and wound-healing impairment. The second part reviews the standard treatments, including advanced wound-care products and new therapeutic approaches currently under investigation. The reader will understand the most up-to-date research regarding the unique pathophysiology of diabetic foot ulceration along with the basic cornerstones of current recommended standard therapy. Expert opinion: Diabetic foot ulceration is a serious complication that can lead – potentially – to devastating lower-extremity amputations. Proper adherence to standard treatment strategies can potential...
MRI-guided robotics at the U of houston: EvolvingMethodologies for interventions and surgeries

Currently, we witness the rapid evolution of minimally invasive surgeries (MIS) and image guided interventions (IGI) for offering improved patient management and cost effectiveness. It is well recognized that sustaining and expand this paradigm shift would require new computational methodology that integrates sensing with multimodal imaging, actively controlled robotic manipulators, the patient and the operator. Such approach would include (1) assessing in real-time tissue deformation secondary to the procedure and physiologic motion, (2) monitoring the tool(s) in 3D, and (3) on-the-fly update information about the pathophysiology of the targeted tissue. With those capabilities, real time image guidance may facilitate a paradigm shift and methodological leap from “keyhole” visualization (i.e. endoscopy or laparoscopy) to one that uses a volumetric and informational rich perception of the Area of Operation (AoO). This capability may eventually enable a wider range and level of complexity IGI and MIS.
Prognosis of gastric adenocarcinoma patients with various burdens of peritoneal metastases.

Background Peritoneal metastases (PM) in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma (GAC) may be identified by diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) or imaging (I). Although prognosis is poor, some patients have excellent outcome. We compared the overall survival (OS) of patients in 3 groups: those with positive cytology (CY+) by DL (DL-CY+), those with gross PM (GPM) by DL (DL-GPM+) and with GPM obvious on I (I-GPM+). Methods 146 GAC patients were identified. The Kaplan–Meier analysis, univariate, and multivariate Cox proportional hazards regression models were employed. Results Patients were primarily men (67%), with good ECOG scores (0–1; 89%), had DL (84%), had poorly differentiated GAC (92%), and had received chemotherapy (89%). The median OS for all patients was 15 months (5%CI, 12.9–18.2 months). The DL-CY+ group had median OS of 22.5 months (95%CI, 15–29.3 months). Patients with I-GPM+ had four times the risk of death than those with DL-CY+ (P < 0.001) and patients with DL-GPM+ had two times the risk of death than those with DL-CY+ (P = 0.001). At 36 months, all DL-GPM+ and I-GPM+ had died but 8 patients with DL-CY+ remained alive. Conclusions Some GAC patients with DL-CY+ have long OS; therefore, novel strategies to further prolong their OS are needed. J. Surg. Oncol. 2016;113:29–35. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Recent Advances in Kawasaki Disease

Kawasaki disease (KD) is characterized with acute systemic vasculitis, occurs predominantly in children between 6 months to 5 years of age. Patients with this disease recover well and the disease is self-limited in most cases. Since it can lead to devastating cardiovascular complications, KD needs special attention. Recent reports show steady increases in the prevalence of KD in both Japan and Korea. However, specific pathogens have yet to be found. Recent advances in research on KD include searches for genetic susceptibility related to KD and research on immunopathogenesis based on innate and acquired immunity. Also, search for etiopathogenesis and treatment of KD has been actively sought after using animal models. In this paper, the recent progress of research on KD was discussed.