cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Fulminant but Not Fatal.

PRESENTATION Myocarditis is an inflammatory disease of the myocardium that can present in myriad ways, ranging from an insidious course to a fulminant form resulting in cardiogenic shock. The diagnosis of this disease is challenging and relies heavily on clinical suspicion, as diagnostic studies have relatively low sensitivity and specificity. A 23-year-old Caucasian woman with no past medical history first noted palpitations during chemistry class. The following morning she felt substernal pressure. Later that day she developed pleuritic chest pain and had several episodes of nonbloody, nonbilious emesis. She also began to experience dyspnea with minimal activity and bilateral lower extremity swelling; therefore, she presented to the Emergency Department. She denied paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, orthopnea, lightheadedness, or dizziness. The patient was a social drinker and an occasional marijuana smoker. She had no history of pregnancy, sexually transmitted infections, and was monogamous with one male partner. She had vacationed in Mexico 1 month previously and had hiked in Northern California 5 days prior to presentation. Her family medical history was unremarkable. A review of systems was negative for arthralgias, syncope, cough, rash, or photosensitivity.
A Load Shedding Control Method for Improving Long-term Voltage Stability

a load shedding control method to enhance long-term voltage stability is proposed based on model predicting control principle and dynamic load model.A quasi-steady-state model for long-term voltage is built and simulated by considering the slow dynamic characteristics of long-term voltage stability.Test results on WSCC 3 generators 9 buses system verify the effectiveness of the proposed load shedding control method.
How a Nanostructure’s Shape Affects its Lifetime in the Environment: Comparing a Silver Nanocube to a Nanoparticle When Dispersed in Aqueous Media

Herein, we detail how the morphology of a nanomaterial affects its environmental lifetime in aquatic ecosystems. In particular, we focus on the cube and particle nanostructures of Ag and age them in various aquatic mediums including synthetic hard water, pond water, and seawater. Our results show that in the synthetic hard water and pond water cases, there was little difference in the rate of morphological changes as determined by UV-vis spectroscopy. However, when these samples were analyzed with transmission electron microscopy, radically different mechanisms in the loss of their original nanostructures were observed. Specifically, for the nanocube we observed that the corners of the cubes had become more rounded, whereas the aged nanoparticles formed large aggregates. Most interestingly, when the seawater samples were analyzed, the nanocubes showed a substantially higher stability in maintaining the nano length scale in comparison to nanoparticles overtime. Moreover, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy analysis allowed us to determine that Ag+ ions diffused away from both the edge and from the faces of the cube, whereas the nanoparticle rapidly aggregated under the harsh seawater conditions.
Mortgage Restructurings and Regulatory Arbitrage: Evidence from the JOBS Act

Banks may be unwilling to restructure troubled mortgages after a crisis because such restructurings immediately reduce earnings and regulatory capital. To test this, I use a provision of the Jumpstart Our Business Startups (JOBS) Act of 2012 that allows some banks to deregister from the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC). In the first stage, I show that banks deregister primarily to reduce accounting oversight. Further, deregistration leads to lower audit fees and provisions for loan losses, which helps earnings. Finally, deregistration causes banks to double their troubled mortgage restructurings. These results suggest that regulatory constraints may hamper restructurings.
Crash course in pallidus-habenula signaling

During cocaine withdrawal, a shift in the balance between excitatory and inhibitory inputs from globus pallidus to lateral habenula may activate habenula and contribute to the aversive 'crash' state.
Differences in the Ingredients, Qualities, and Characteristics of the Products

At the Toronto Toy Fair of 1990 a new children’s play product was introduced by its creator, Toni McKee. She got the idea from her university class in which she studied different types of chemical suspensions. One such suspension had molecules that would bind to a certain extent yet come apart easily, melting into a liquid when it was handled. “I got the idea of making it into a children’s toy,” McKee stated (BC Woman, October, 1990, p. 13). McKee soon found business partners, consulted with chemists, and came up with a toy which she named GUK. Later McKee assigned her rights for GUK to Pyewacket Enterprises, Inc. of Canada, which registered it with the US Patent and Trademark Office on February 5, 1991 as a powdered mixture, which, when mixed with water, becomes a tactile substance for entertaining and educating children.
Social Norms and Egalitarian Values Mitigate Authoritarian Intolerance Toward Sexual Minorities

In the United States, acceptance of sexual minorities (e.g., gay men and lesbians) has increased substantially since the early 1990s. This study examined whether authoritarians' attitudes have been influenced by the societal shift toward greater acceptance of sexual minorities. Using data from the American National Election Studies (ANES) collected between 1992 and 2012, we tested a model in which authoritarianism, endorsement of egalitarian values, and social norms shifting in the direction of tolerance predict individual attitudes toward sexual minorities and LGBT rights issues. Results indicated that (1) there was a subset of authoritarians who endorsed egalitarian values, (2) authoritarians in general became more tolerant (i.e., held less negative attitudes) toward sexual minorities between 1992 and 2012, and (3) “egalitarian authoritarians” held more positive attitudes toward sexual minorities than other authoritarians. The findings contribute to contemporary theory and research on authoritarianism, which is moving from a monolithic view of authoritarianism to one in which culture and core values activate and shape manifestations of authoritarian tendencies.
Enhancing executive functioning among toddlers in foster care with an attachment-based intervention.

Young children in foster care often experience adversity, such as maltreatment and lack of stability in early caregiving relationships. As a result, these children are at risk for a range of problems, including deficits in executive functioning. The Attachment and Biobehavioral Catch-up for Toddlers (ABC-T) intervention was designed to help foster parents behave in ways that promote the development of young children's emerging self-regulatory capabilities. Participants included 173 parent–toddler dyads in three groups: foster families that were randomly assigned to receive either the ABC-T intervention (n = 63) or a control intervention (n = 58), as well as low-risk parent–toddler dyads from intact families (n = 52). At a follow-up conducted when children were approximately 48 months old, children's executive functioning abilities were assessed with the attention problems scale of the Child Behavior Checklist (Achenbach & Rescorla, 2000) and a graded version of the Dimensional Change Card Sort developed for preschoolers (Beck, Schaefer, Pang, & Carlson, 2011). Results showed that foster children whose parents received the ABC-T intervention and low-risk children never placed in foster care had fewer parent-reported attention problems and demonstrated greater cognitive flexibility during the Dimensional Change Card Sort than foster children whose parents received the control intervention. These results indicate that an attachment-based intervention implemented among toddlers in foster care is effective in enhancing children's executive functioning capabilities.
MODELS OF IMMUNOLOGIC DISEASES

Publisher Summary This chapter focuses on a few models of immunologic diseases. In general, two kinds of experimental models have been developed. The first kind of models are those in which animals are intentionally immunized with and challenged by certain antigens to produce lesions resembling those of specific human disorders. The second kind of models are animal models with spontaneous immunologic abnormalities. These conditions have been recognized with increasing frequency in the past decade, and their similarities to some human immunologic disorders are often remarkable close. Examples of these are the lupus-like diseases of NZ mice and certain dogs, the thymic deficiencies of nude mice, the complement deficiencies of mice, guinea pigs and rabbits, and the immune complex diseases associated with chronic viral infections in most if not all species. The immunized model has allowed quantitation of the pathogenic potential of a variety of antibodies such as IgG, anaphylactic, secretory IgA, and macroglobulin IgM. One of the first such demonstrations was the use of heterologous antikidney serum to produce nephritis, an experiment that fixed the attention of immunologists on the antitissue antibody type of immunologic injury. Another model of immunologic disease is serum sickness, which has been studied both experimentally in animals and as an iatrogenic disease in man.
Prudence and past selves

An important platitude about prudential rationality is that I should not refuse to sacrifice a smaller amount of present welfare for the sake of larger future benefits. I ought, in other words, to treat my present and future as of equal prudential significance. The demands of prudence are less clear, however, when it comes to one’s past selves. In this paper, I argue that past benefits are possible in (at least) two ways, and that this fact cannot be easily accommodated by traditional approaches to prudential rationality. Against univocal accounts of prudential rationality, I hold that the possibility of past benefits suggests that a bias toward the present and future is defensible when it comes to some welfare goods, but that prudential reasons are temporally neutral between when it comes to the success or failure of one’s long-term projects.
Feasibility of testing a coaching training intervention for CNAs in nursing homes

The study aim was to describe the feasibility of conducting a coaching training intervention on use of level of assistance strategies for Certified Nursing Assistants (CNAs) in nursing homes. CNAs received either traditional or coaching training. Feasibility of coaching training was evaluated by determining: acceptability, through use of a Post-Intervention Evaluation Form; fidelity, by adherence to protocol; recruitment and retention, by ease of obtaining the sample and retention rates; and ability to randomize within each home without contamination. CNAs' mean satisfaction score of the coach training was high (4.5 out of 5). Eighteen of 22 comments on the evaluation form were positive. At least six dyads were recruited within the 60-day benchmark in each home. CNA and resident retention rates were 89.47% and 85%, respectively. Eighty-nine percent of intervention group CNAs shared study information, demonstrating contamination. The coaching training intervention is feasible. Findings revealed areas to improve the intervention.
Emergency Response Systems: The Utility Y2k Experience

This paper describes Emergency Information Systems (EIS) used by a utility during the Year 2000 rollover. The systems are analyzed with respect to the literature and lessons learned are discussed. Several factors are identified that impact the design and effectiveness of these systems. These factors are generalized to the overall design and management of current Emergency Systems. Of particular interest are the findings related to integration of EIS from different organizations and the difficulties that were encountered. Additional findings with respect to training, common nomenclature, and organizational turf needs are also discussed.
CHAPTER 26 – Rickets Due to Renal Tubular Abnormalities

This chapter discusses bone diseases of renal tubular disorders. Osteomalacia, with or without rickets, as well as osteopenia are the characteristic bone lesions of numerous renal tubular disorders. The renal proximal and distal tubules are responsible for the reabsorption of the divalent minerals calcium, magnesium, and phosphate. Total body phosphate homeostasis is regulated at the level of the renal tubules, especially the proximal tubule. The renal proximal tubule is also the tissue location for the enzymatic synthesis of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D or calcitriol. Of the many regulators of calcitriol synthesis, normal renal proximal cell structure and function are critical to the production of this mineral hormone. The renal proximal tubule and distal tubule are the respective sites for the phosphaturic and calcium reabsorptive actions of parathyroid hormone (PTH). Thus, renal tubular injury and fibrosis and inherited defects of tubular transporter action significantly impact the regulation of bone formation and resorption. Bone disease is a key feature of many renal tubular disorders in terms of both clinical presentation and disease morbidity.
Absorbing sets of codes from finite geometries

We examine the presence of absorbing sets, fully absorbing sets, and elementary absorbing sets in low-density parity-check (LDPC) codes arising from certain classes of finite geometries. In particular, we prove the parameters of the smallest absorbing sets for finite geometry codes using a tree-based argument. Moreover, we obtain the parameters of the smallest absorbing sets for a special class of codes whose graphs are d-left-regular with girth g = 6 or g = 8.
Dual Hopfield Methods for Large-Scale Mixed-Integer Programming

We present a novel heuristic first order method for large-scale mixed-integer programs, more specifically we focus on mixed-integer quadratically constrained quadratic programs. Our method builds on Lagrangian relaxation techniques and Hopfield Neural Networks. For illustration, we apply this method to an economic load dispatch problem and compare with two convex approximation techniques.
Abstract TP115: Cellular and Molecular Characterization of Microglia in Secondary Thalamic Injury After Ischemic Stroke

Introduction: Secondary thalamic injury develops progressively after cortical ischemic stroke. This secondary injury associates with somatosensory dysfunctions and hinders recovery. However, the un...
A Novel Chimeric Poxvirus Encoding hNIS Is Tumor-Tropic, Imageable, and Synergistic with Radioiodine to Sustain Colon Cancer Regression

Colon cancer has a high rate of recurrence even with good response to modern therapies. Novel curative adjuncts are needed. Oncolytic viral therapy has shown preclinical promise against colon cancer but lacks robust efficacy in clinical trials and raises regulatory concerns without real-time tracking of viral replication. Novel potent vectors are needed with adjunctive features to enhance clinical efficacy. We have thus used homologous recombination and high-throughput screening to create a novel chimeric poxvirus encoding a human sodium iodide symporter (hNIS) at a redundant tk locus. The resulting virus (CF33-hNIS) consistently expresses hNIS and demonstrates replication efficiency and immunogenic cell death in colon cancer cells in vitro. Tumor-specific CF33-hNIS efficacy against colon cancer results in tumor regression in vivo in colon cancer xenograft models. Early expression of hNIS by infected cells makes viral replication reliably imageable via positron emission tomography (PET) of I-124 uptake. The intensity of I-124 uptake mirrors viral replication and tumor regression. Finally, systemic delivery of radiotherapeutic I-131 isotope following CF33-hNIS infection of colon cancer xenografts enhances and sustains tumor regression compared with virus treatment alone in HCT116 xenografts, demonstrating synergy of oncolytic viral therapy with radioablation in vivo.
“…Not Having the Real Support That We Need”: Patients’ Experiences With Ambiguity of Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Erosion of Social Support

Objective The patient-specific experience of living with SLE is underreported, particularly when studying factors associated with health-related quality of life (HRQOL). Recent work has suggested that biomedical interventions are only partially predictive of HRQOL measures. A qualitative analysis of patient-specific experiences can uncover additional root causes of impaired HRQOL in SLE populations beyond the scope of quantitative questionnaires. Methods Consented adult patients with American College of Rheumatology- or Systemic Lupus International Collaborating Clinics-classified SLE were recruited. Ten semi-structured interviews were conducted across six participants. Interviews were audio recorded, transcribed, and analyzed using an iterative process. Findings were presented to an interactive public forum with SLE patients family members and friends of patients, and health care professionals to assess accuracy. Results Four themes emerged from the interviews: 1) ambiguity, inconsistency, and lack of symptom predictability due to SLE disease courses, 2) poor communication with family/friends/partners, and poor bi-directional communication between health care providers and patients (informational support), 3) lack of validation for patients' experiences (appraisal support), and 4) problematic aspects of social support including negative support and patients' inability to reciprocate support due to role changes. Data also indicate a reciprocal association between appraisal and informational sources of support. Conclusion Findings indicate that inadequate appraisal and informational support from informal and formal sources are salient factors influencing HRQOL among SLE patients. Findings also point to the necessity of integrating community organizations, physicians, and friends and family of SLE patients into capacity building interventions aimed at enhancing these sources of social support.
Circadian regulation of light-evoked attraction/avoidance in day- vs. night-biting mosquitoes

Abstract Mosquitoes pose widespread threats to humans and other animals as disease vectors. Day- vs. night-biting mosquitoes occupy distinct time-of-day niches and exhibit very different innate temporal attraction/avoidance behavioral responses to light, yet little is known about their circuit or molecular mechanisms. Day-biting diurnal mosquitoes Aedes aegypti are attracted to light during the day regardless of spectra. In contrast, night-biting nocturnal mosquitoes Anopheles coluzzii avoid short, but not long wavelength light. Attraction/avoidance behavioral responses to light in both species change with time-of-day and show distinct sex and circuit differences. The basis of diurnal versus nocturnal behavior is driven by clock timing, which cycle anti-phase between day-biting versus night-biting mosquito species. Disruption of the circadian molecular clock severely interferes with light-evoked attraction/avoidance behavior in mosquitoes. In summary, attraction/avoidance mosquito behaviors are circadian and light regulated, which may be applied towards species specific control of harmful mosquitoes.
High Dimensional Linear Regression using Lattice Basis Reduction

We consider a high dimensional linear regression problem where the goal is to efficiently recover an unknown vector \beta^* from n noisy linear observations Y=X \beta^*+W in R^n, for known X in R^{n \times p} and unknown W in R^n. Unlike most of the literature on this model we make no sparsity assumption on \beta^*. Instead we adopt a regularization based on assuming that the underlying vectors \beta^* have rational entries with the same denominator Q. We call this Q-rationality assumption. We propose a new polynomial-time algorithm for this task which is based on the seminal Lenstra-Lenstra-Lovasz (LLL) lattice basis reduction algorithm. We establish that under the Q-rationality assumption, our algorithm recovers exactly the vector \beta^* for a large class of distributions for the iid entries of X and non-zero noise W. We prove that it is successful under small noise, even when the learner has access to only one observation (n=1). Furthermore, we prove that in the case of the Gaussian white noise for W, n=o(p/\log p) and Q sufficiently large, our algorithm tolerates a nearly optimal information-theoretic level of the noise.
Guanidinium-Functionalized Photodynamic Antibacterial Oligo(Thiophene)s

We synthesized precision oligomers of thiophene with cationic and hydrophobic side chains to mimic the charge, hydrophobicity, and molecular size of antibacterial host defense peptides (HDPs). In this study, the source of cationic charge was a guanidinium salt moiety intended to reflect the structure of arginine-rich HDPs. Due to the pi-conjugated oligo(thiophene) backbone structure, these compounds absorb visible light in aqueous solution and react with dissolved oxygen to produce highly biocidal reactive oxygen species (ROS). Thus, the compounds exert bactericidal activity in the dark with dramatically enhanced potency upon visible light illumination. We find that guanylation of primary amine groups enhanced the activity of the oligomers in the dark but also mitigated their light-induced activity enhancement. In addition, we also quantified their toxicity to mammalian cell membranes using a hemolysis assay with red blood cells, in the light and dark conditions.
On the Determination of the Gap Density of States in Amorphous Semiconductors from Investigations on Doping Superstructures

A new approach for determining the gap density of states in amorphous semiconductors is discussed. It is expected that the results of this method are neither influenced by any surface or interface effect. Also the method has the advantage that measurements are made in thermal equilibrium.
Fields, patterns and information: R.L. Brahmachary's contributions during the infancy of molecular embryology.

The contribution of Professor Ratan Lal Brahmachary’s research during the early years of molecular embryology, its theoretical underpinnings, and its connection with those of other contemporary research efforts, are traced in this article as a part of the history of developmental biology research in India.
Supporting the Educational Interests of Adult Patrons through College-bound Programming

Public libraries are information centers for communities, serving the needs of children and their families, seniors, veterans, and small businesses. Content analysis of rural public libraries shows...
Detection of High Frequency Conducted Emission using Radiated Fields

The increasing popularity of inverter based Distributed Energy Resources (DERs) and single-phase power electronics based consumer load in North America, has resulted in an increase in emission in the frequency range 2 to 150 kHz, also known as ‘supraharmonics’. Despite increased awareness, measurement of such emission is beyond the capability of existing Power Quality (PQ) monitoring infrastructure for most American utilities. Further, upgrading existing PQ measurement infrastructure to extend its capabilities is a costly and time intensive endeavor. This paper proposes to overcome this problem by detecting the magnetic field radiated by sources of supraharmonics using cheap ‘off the shelf’ sensors, rather than the conducted emission. It was found that by sensing magnetic fields, the spectrum of supraharmonic emission can be easily determined, while determining the magnitude of the emission using this method may require careful calibration. This paper describes the theory behind this method, the details of its implementation and measurement results from low power rooftop solar inverters. The paper also shows the use of this method to characterize the radiated emission from solar PV plants, by mounting electromagnetic sensors on a mobile robotic platform. Finally, the paper closes with a discussion of the conclusions and the expected future work in this field.
Interlimb asymmetry in collegiate American football players: Effects on combine-related performance

The assessment of interlimb asymmetry has been of interest to researchers and practitioners who desire to maximize sport performance. The aim of this study was to explore the relationships between interlimb asymmetry and Combine-related performance testing in collegiate American football players. Twenty-four skill position players (e.g., running backs, defensive backs, and wide receivers) from a Division II university completed all study-related procedures including unilateral countermovement (CMJ) and drop jumps on a force plate, 3-repetition maximum Bulgarian split squats with bar movement tracked by a 3D motion capture system, and their annual spring performance tests (L-drill, pro-agility, 40-yard dash, broad jump, and vertical jump). Using an alpha-level of .05, significant, positive Spearman’s correlations between performance in the L-drill test (Change of Direction test; CoD) and asymmetries in mean peak velocity ( r s = .491, p = .015), mean peak power ( r s = .467, p = .021), and mean average power ( r s = .455, p = .026) were observed. A significant, negative Pearson correlation between unilateral CMJ height asymmetry and vertical jump performance was observed ( r = .578, p = .003). Asymmetry in mean peak velocity, mean peak power, and mean average power may negatively influence CoD ability within collegiate American football players.
Substrate Stiffness and Stretch Regulate Profibrotic Mechanosignaling in Pulmonary Arterial Adventitial Fibroblasts

Pulmonary arterial adventitial fibroblasts (PAAFs) are important regulators of fibrotic vascular remodeling during the progression of pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), a disease that currently has no effective anti-fibrotic treatments. We conducted in-vitro experiments in PAAFs cultured on hydrogels attached to custom-made equibiaxial stretchers at 10% stretch and substrate stiffnesses representing the mechanical conditions of mild and severe stages of PAH. The expression of collagens α(1)I and α(1)III and elastin messenger RNAs (Col1a1, Col3a1, Eln) were upregulated by increased stretch and substrate stiffness, while lysyl oxidase-like 1 and α-smooth muscle actin messenger RNAs (Loxl1, Acta2) were only significantly upregulated when the cells were grown on matrices with an elevated stiffness representative of mild PAH but not on a stiffness representative of severe PAH. Fibronectin messenger RNA (Fn1) levels were significantly induced by increased substrate stiffness and transiently upregulated by stretch at 4 h, but was not significantly altered by stretch at 24 h. We modified our published computational network model of the signaling pathways that regulate profibrotic gene expression in PAAFs to allow for differential regulation of mechanically-sensitive nodes by stretch and stiffness. When the model was modified so that stiffness activated integrin β3, the Macrophage Stimulating 1 or 2 (MST1\2) kinases, angiotensin II (Ang II), transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β), and syndecan-4, and stretch-regulated integrin β3, MST1\2, Ang II, and the transient receptor potential (TRP) channel, the model correctly predicted the upregulation of all six genes by increased stiffness and the observed responses to stretch in five out of six genes, although it could not replicate the non-monotonic effects of stiffness on Loxl1 and Acta2 expression. Blocking Ang II Receptor Type 1 (AT1R) with losartan in-vitro uncovered an interaction between the effects of stretch and stiffness and angiotensin-independent activation of Fn1 expression by stretch in PAAFs grown on 3-kPa matrices. This novel combination of in-vitro and in-silico models of PAAF profibrotic cell signaling in response to altered mechanical conditions may help identify regulators of vascular adventitial remodeling due to changes in stretch and matrix stiffness that occur during the progression of PAH in-vivo.
Predictive Offloading in Fog Manufacturing for Computational Pipelines using Multi-task Learning

In smart manufacturing, it is significant to integrate the computation service with the manufacturing process to support real-time process controls and data analytics. A suitable computing architecture to handle the influx of data generated from the manufacturing process is Fog manufacturing. In Fog manufacturing, the Fog-cloud collaborative architecture is enabled through a distributed computing platform to facilitate responsive, scalable, and reliable data analysis in manufacturing networks. However, effective utilization of the Fog-cloud computing service requires optimal offloading strategies due to limited computational and bandwidth resources in Fog manufacturing. Therefore, a predictive offloading method that can properly deploy each computation task based on the predicted run-time metrics (e.g., time-latency) is desired. However, the run-time metrics collected in Fog manufacturing are heterogeneous in nature and cannot be modeled through conventional predictive analysis. This is because the computational flow and the data sources vary among different Fog nodes. To overcome this issue, in this paper, a multi-task learning model based predictive offloading method is proposed to assign the computation tasks based on their predicted run-time metrics in Fog manufacturing. The proposed method is evaluated on a Fog manufacturing testbed. The results show that the predictive offloading method can adequately predict the run-time metrics, and further effectively offload the computation tasks to maximize the run-time performance of the computation service.
Universal Deformations

QFTs with local topological operators feature unusual sectors called "universes," which are separated by infinite-tension domain walls. We show that such systems have relevant deformations with exactly-calculable effects. These deformations allow one to dial the vacuum energy densities of the universes. We describe applications of these deformations to confinement in 2d gauge theories, as well as a curious violation of the effective field theory naturalness principle.
In Vitro Infection Dynamics of Japanese Encephalitis Virus in Established Porcine Cell Lines

Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV) is a zoonotic mosquito-borne pathogen that regularly causes severe neurological disease in humans in Southeast Asia and the Western Pacific region. Pigs are one of the main amplifying hosts of JEV and play a central role in the virus transmission cycle. The objective of this study was to identify in vitro cell systems to investigate early effects of JEV infection including viral replication and host cell death. Here, we demonstrate the susceptibility of several porcine cell lines to the attenuated genotype III JEV strain SA14-14-2. Monolayers of porcine nasal turbinate (PT-K75), kidney (SK-RST), testis (ST), and monocyte-derived macrophage (CΔ2+) cells were infected with SA14-14-2 for up to five days at a multiplicity of infection (MOI) of 0.1. The hamster kidney cell line BHK-21, previously shown to be susceptible to SA14-14-2, was used as a positive control. Culture supernatants and cells were collected between 0 and 120 h post infection (hpi), and monolayers were observed for cytopathic effect (CPE) using brightfield microscopy. The number of infectious virus particles was quantified by plaque assay and cell viability was determined using trypan blue staining. An indirect immunofluorescence assay was used to detect the presence of JEV NS1 antigens in cells infected at 1 MOI. All four porcine cell lines demonstrated susceptibility to SA14-14-2 and produced infectious virus by 12 hpi. Virus titers peaked at 48 hpi in CΔ2+, BHK-21, and SK-RST cells, at 72 hpi in PT-K75, and at 120 hpi in ST cells. CPE was visible in infected CΔ2+ and BHK-21 cells, but not the other three cell lines. The proportion of viable cells, as measured by trypan blue exclusion, declined after 24 hpi in BHK-21 and 48 hpi in CΔ2+ cells, but did not substantially decline in SK-RST, PT-K75 or ST cells. At 48 hpi, JEV NS1 was detected in all infected cell lines by fluorescence microscopy. These findings demonstrate several porcine cell lines which have the potential to serve as useful research tools for investigating JEV infection dynamics and host cell mechanisms in a natural amplifying host species, such as pigs, in vitro.
Detecting Traffic Snooping in Anonymity Networks Using Decoys

Anonymous communication networks like Tor partially protect the confidentiality of their users’ traffic by encrypting all intraoverlay communication. However, when the relayed traffic reaches the boundaries of the overlay network towards its actual destination, the original user traffic is inevitably exposed. At this point, unless end-toend encryption is used, sensitive user data can be snooped by a malicious or compromised exit node, or by any other rogue network entity on the path towards the actual destination. We explore the use of decoy traffic for the detection of traffic interception on anonymous proxying systems. Our approach is based on the injection of traffic that exposes bait credentials for decoy services that require user authentication. Our aim is to entice prospective eavesdroppers to access decoy accounts on servers under our control using the intercepted credentials. We have deployed our prototype implementation in the Tor network using decoy IMAP and SMTP servers. During the course of six months, our system detected eight cases of traffic interception that involved eight different Tor exit nodes. We provide a detailed analysis of the detected incidents, discuss potential improvements to our system, and outline how our approach can be extended for the detection of HTTP session hijacking attacks.
Computed tomography imaging of lung infection in the oncologic setting: typical features and potential pitfalls.

Introduction Hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a treatment used in a variety of diseases, including leukemia, lymphoma, aplastic anemia, multiple myeloma, congenital immune defects, and certain solid tumors. The use of HSCT has expanded rapidly over the last decade with more than 40,000 stem cell transplantations (SCTs) performed annually worldwide. This technique consists of the use of high-dose myelosuppressive chemotherapy or high-dose total body irradiation to achieve greater response rates, followed by replacement of the bonemarrow elements after chemotherapy. Engraftment usually occurs over a period of 2-4 weeks, during which time the patient is wholly dependent on blood products and antibiotic, antifungal, and antiviral therapy. This is followed by slow reconstitution of the immune system, which takes at least 1 year to completely recover. A wide variety of pulmonary complications, including both infectious and noninfectious etiologies, can occur following HSCT. Different complications tend to predominate at specific phases following transplantation as a reflection of changes in patients ' immune status. Imaging, particularly computed tomography (CT), plays a pivotal role in the detection and management of pulmonary complications. It is more effective than chest radiography at identifying specific infections in immunocompromised hosts, allowing early treatment with significantly improved survival, especially in cases of invasive fungal pneumonia (IFP). Appropriate image interpretation requires a combination of pattern recognition, knowledge of the clinical setting, and awareness of the spectrum of potential pitfalls in imaging of the
Perspectives on English Education in the Japanese Public School System: The Views of Foreign Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs)

Public school students in Japan must take English as a required subject for three years in junior high school and for three more years in senior high school. In spite of the amount of classroom time invested, and in spite of the available learning support services, the foreign Assistant Language Teacher (ALT) system included, the English proficiency level of Japanese students un fortunately continues to rank low in the world. The motivation for this study is to address the problem of low English performance in Japanese schools by soliciting the opinions of ALTs who have unique perspectives based on their experiences in both Japanese and foreign school situations. One of the issues that arises in consulting ALTs is that, in many cases, the level of oral English proficiency among staff English teachers in Japanese schools appears to be very low. This may contribute to what many ALTs consider a tendency among staff English teachers to rely excessively on Japanese when teaching English lessons, which can lead to a situation in which students as well neglect what should be an emphasis on developing speaking and listening skills in English. Speaking and listening skills are essential for Japanese students’ social integration in a variety of international settings. This study examines the strengths and weaknesses of English education, and of staff English teachers in Japan, from the third-person perspectives of ALTs. The 282 ALTs who responded to this survey came from 14 different countries. They offer valuable insight as to how the English education system might be improved in Japan. In our global age, English education should be evaluated by global standards.
Depression, Suicidal Ideation, and Substance Use among Continuation High School Students.

This study examines the structural relationships among depression, suicidal ideation, “gateway” substance use (including cigarettes, alcohol, and marijuana), and “hard” substance use (including cocaine, stimulants, and inhalants) in a sample of continuation high school students at high risk for drug abuse. When the model was examined separately by ethnic group (Latino and Caucasian) and gender, significant differences among the factor correlations emerged. Compared to Latinos and females, Caucasians and males, respectively, demonstrated a greater number of significant relationships among the factors. For Latinos and females, only the depression and suicidal ideation factors were significantly correlated with each other, as were the gateway and hard substance use factors. For Caucasians and males, four of the six factors were significantly intercorrelated. One implication is that mood enhancement may be a particularly important reason for hard substance use among Caucasian and male adolescents.
Protein Degradation and Protease Activity During the Life Cycle of Blastocladiella emersonii

Analysis of protein degradation during the life cycle of Blastocladiella emersonii showed that (i) protein degradation is especially high during two phases of differentiation (sporulation, 12%/h and germination, 5%/h) in contrast with a much smaller degradation rate in the other phases (growth and zoospores, less than 1%/hr); (ii) protein degradation during germination in growth medium, as well as most of the germination process, is quantitatively unaffected by cycloheximide; (iii) a caseinolytic protease (pH optimum 5.5, apparent molecular weight 55,000 to 60,000) is present in extracts of zoospores and germinating cells; (iv) this protease activity is very low (perhaps absent) in extracts of late growth phase cells, but reappears during induced sporulation; (v) a different class of caseinolytic protease activity (pH optima 7 and 10; apparent molecular weight 25,000 to 30,000) is found in cellular extracts of late growth phase and early phases of sporulation; (vi) the latter class of enzyme activity is released into the medium during later phases of sporulation and is replaced in the cells by the former class. Speculations as to the roles of protein degradation in cell differentiation are discussed.
Combination Therapy in Type 2 Diabetes

Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a chronic metabolic disorder that results from defects in both insulin secretion and insulin action. Five classes of oral agents, each of which works through a different mechanism of action, are currently available to improve glycemic control in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. The United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study (UKPDS) has shown that type 2 diabetes mellitus is a progressive disorder that can be treated initially with oral agent monotherapy but will eventually require the addition of other oral agents, and that in many patients, insulin therapy will be needed to achieve targeted glycemic levels. This chapter examines the goals of antihyperglycemic therapy and reviews the mechanism of action, efficacy, nonglycemic benefits, and safety profile of each of the five approved classes of oral agents. A rationale for the use of these oral agents, as monotherapy, in combination with each other, and in combination with insulin, is provided. Keywords: monotherapy; combination therapy; type 2 diabetes; oral agents; insulin
Sequence and transcripts of the bacteriophage T4 DNA repair gene uvsY.

We have cloned, sequenced and analyzed transcription of the phage T4 uvsY gene. This gene is transcribed from a single gp MotA-dependent middle promoter to give a major transcript of approximately 930 nucleotides and a minor transcript of approximately 620 nucleotides. All in vivo and in vitro uvsY transcripts show anomalous migration in agarose gels. The uvsY transcript contains an open reading frame coding for an 137 amino acid [15.8 kilodaltons (kD)] UvsY protein and two unidentified open reading frames, ORF UvsY.-1 (9.0 kD) and ORF UvsY.-2 (6.0 kD). Our DNA sequence differs in only three places from that published by Takahashi et al. However, one of these changes alters the predicted carboxy terminus of the UvsY protein. Marker rescue experiments map gene 25 to the region upstream of uvsY. Gene 25 is likely, although not certain, to correspond to an ORF that is found upstream from uvsY and is translated in the same direction.
Quaternary Climate Change was Not an Engine of Diversification in New World Bats (Chiroptera)

Quaternary climate change has been hypothesized to have played a significant role in driving diversification rates in a variety of taxa. We test the hypothesis of increased rates of diversification during the Quaternary in nine groups of New World bats (Chiroptera). The fit of six models of diversification was determined for each group. None experienced an increase in net diversification, rejecting the Quaternary hypothesis. Instead, four groups experienced constant net diversification rates, suggesting no Quaternary climate change impact. Five groups are evolving under a density-dependent model of diversification, suggesting climate cycles may have reduced rates initiated during the Pliocene or late Miocene. The distribution of divergences between sister taxa is consistent with results obtained from avian lineages experiencing declining rates of Quaternary diversification, further discrediting this often invoked hypothesis. Our results suggest that Quaternary climate change did not increase diversification rates in New World bats.
Novel H.264/AVC entropy coding mode decision

Abstract In this work, we propose a novel entropy coding mode decision algorithm to balance the tradeoff between the rate-distortion (R-D) performance and the entropy decoding complexity for the H.264/AVC video coding standard. Context-based adaptive binary arithmetic coding (CABAC), context-based adaptive variable length coding (CAVLC), and universal variable length coding (UVLC) are three entropy coding tools adopted by H.264/AVC. CABAC can be used to encode the texture and the header data while CAVLC and UVLC are employed to encode the texture and the header data, respectively. Although CABAC can provide better R-D performance than CAVLC/UVLC, its decoding complexity is higher. Thus, by taking the entropy decoding complexity into account, CABAC may not be the best tool, which motivates us to examine the entropy coding mode decision problem in depth. It will be shown experimentally that the proposed mode decision algorithm can help the encoder generate the bit streams that can be decoded at much lower complexity with little R-D performance loss.
Direct fluorometric analysis of benzo(a)pyrene metabolite formation by mouse liver microsomes

Abstract We have examined the metabolites produced by in vitro incubation of benzo(a)pyrene with 3-methylcholanthrene-induced mice liver microsomes. Our objective was to observe directly a possible difference in microsomal enzyme systems of animal models having different susceptibility to chemical carcinogens. The metabolites produced by the two animal models, C57BL 6J and DBA 2 mice, were analyzed by a highly sensitive, “three-dimensional” fluorescence plotting technique. The fluorescence spectra of the total ethyl acetate-soluble metabolites clearly indicate that the metabolites produced by DBA 2 enzymes were predominantly monohydroxylated benzo(a)pyrene while those produced by the liver microsomes of C57BL 6J were highly enriched with the 7,8-dihydrodihydroxybenzo(a)pyrene type.
Reinventing the MBA the European way

T he business school credential has begun to lose its luster. While enrollments remain healthy, American business and management schools appear frozen in time with anachronistic theory and programs. Questions of value and relevance are being raised with renewed generousness. Many business leaders c la im-some new techniques as ide-that today's business students receive much the same education they themselves received, despite vast changes in all aspects of the business environment. A number of educators reluctantly agree with such assessments, some adding their own stinging indictments. Noel Tichy of the University of Michigan pulls no punches in contending that business education is a disaster and needs radical transformation. He further notes that his colleagues' research is becoming so specialized and reductionistic that most finance professors can't hold an intelligent conversation with a vice president of finance. Ross Webber of the Wharton School warns that as the international climate increases in complexity, graduate schools of management have to rethink strategies to address America's weaknesses in product design, manufacturing, human resources management , and strategic vision. The recent major study of business education, commissioned by the American Assembly of Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB), also produced disquieting conclusions. A key finding was that rapid growth and market success caused complacency among business educators about the traditional business school model; it was clear that this model is ill-suited to the needs of the next century. The authors state that "if any single element of organizational culture ideally should characterize the U.S. business school in the next decade, it should be an ingrained, embedded, and pervasive spirit of innovation" (Porter and McKibben 1988). In the 1990s we are, after all, in discontinuous transition and living through a massive restructuring of power relationships. Alvin Toffler (1990) notes that we are at the dawn of the "Powershift Era": "Power is shifting at so astonishing a rate that world ' leaders are being swept along by events, rather than American business schools must change the way they teach to regain their reputation and help U.S. business.
Wet etching of deep trenches on silicon with three-dimensional (3D) controllability

Trenches on silicon have found important applications in microelectromechanic system, microfluidic devices, photonic devices, capacitor memory devices and etc. Etching trenches with controllability of 3D geometry receives growing interests from academia as well as industry. In this paper we introduce a novel wet etching method, named metal assisted chemical etching, as a promising trench etching technology with 3D geometry variation. Both vertical and tapered etching results are presented. Slanted trenches from few-micron scale to sub-micron scale are also demonstrated with complex 3D features. Etchant composition, temperature and catalyst type are identified as key parameters in tuning 3D geometry of trenches by MaCE. Compared to currently available etching technology such as wet etching and reactive ion etching, the presented data in this paper demonstrate the merit of flexible 3D geometry capability, high-aspect ratio capability and low cost, which uniquely belongs to MaCE.