cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Rethink Phone-Wearable Collaboration From the Networking Perspective

We routinely carry wearables such as smartwatches and smart glasses with our smartphones. In this paper, we explore the feasibility of leveraging wearables' network interfaces to provide extra benefits such as enhanced network performance and better security for smartphones. To provide the protocol support for these new use cases, we propose a novel multipath scheme called Distributed Mobile Multipath (DMM), which generalizes the multipath support to multiple hosts by allowing subflows to be established from different mobile devices. To demonstrate the potential benefits of DMM, we conduct preliminary field experiments, which show that in public locations with free WiFi, leveraging the smartwatch's WiFi interface can increase the smartphone's download throughput by 70%.
CO Poisoning and CO Hydrogenation on the Surface of Pd Hydrogen Separation Membranes

To understand how CO inhibits hydrogen transport across Pd membranes, a 25-μm-thick Pd foil membrane was monitored by infrared-reflection absorption spectroscopy (IRAS) during exposure to H2/CO gas mixtures while the rate of hydrogen permeation across the membrane was measured simultaneously in the 373–533 K temperature range. As the coverage of CO on the membrane surface increases with increasing CO concentration and decreasing temperature, the rate of hydrogen permeation across the membrane decreases. However, in addition to adsorbing on the membrane surface, CO reacts with H2 to form surface-adsorbed methylene (CH2) species and methane in the gas phase. The coverage of methylene increases with decreasing temperature and, therefore, the strong poisoning effect of CO at low temperatures may be due to both CO and methylene species blocking H2 dissociation sites on the membrane surface. The activity and selectivity of the Pd membrane for CO methanation is much higher than expected from previous studies and...
The NextGen Study: patient motivation for participation in genome sequencing for carrier status

BACKGROUND While translational genomic sequencing research is increasing, few studies have been limited to healthy individuals; most have focused on patients with a disease or a strong family history of a disorder. The limited studies that have included healthy individuals have focused on the disclosure of medically actionable secondary results, rather than carrier status, to assess reproductive risks. To address this important gap, we conducted the NextGen study, which focuses on carrier status and medically actionable secondary findings in a population of women planning a pregnancy. METHODS We assessed 310 participants' motivations for receiving genome sequencing for expanded carrier screening and experiences with familial genetic conditions that may relate to study participation. RESULTS Most participants reported that obtaining general health information from genome sequencing was their primary motivator, even though they were recruited to join a study to learn more about carrier status. Forty-two percent of enrolled women became pregnant prior to obtaining sequencing results. CONCLUSION Genomic carrier testing may need to be offered to women prior to active pregnancy efforts to be useful for reproductive planning.
Reducing Blood Glucose Testing Is Safe in Patients Receiving Parenteral Nutrition.

BACKGROUND Hyperglycemia is a common adverse event associated with parenteral nutrition (PN); however, there is no consensus on optimal glucose monitoring. Unnecessary point-of-care (POC) blood glucose (BG) testing can result in additional healthcare cost and discomfort to the patient. This study's aim was to determine whether decreasing the frequency of POC glucose testing in patients receiving PN can reduce costs without increasing the frequency of glycemic events. METHODS This study examined adult, noncritically ill patients who require PN and are managed by a nutrition support team. Guidelines were developed for the initiation and discontinuation of POC BG monitoring. Pre-intervention and post-intervention data were collected for each patient, including daily POC glucose and glucose from the basic metabolic panel (BMP). Equivalency testing was completed for each group. RESULTS Data were collected on 171 subjects (86 preguideline, 85 postguideline). The total number of POC tests per patient was significantly less in the postintervention period (median 23.0 vs 25.5; P = .011), as well as the average number of POC tests per patient per day (2.9 ± 1.4 vs 3.6 ± 1.4; P < .001). The average BMP glucose (126 mg/dL preintervention vs 129 mg/dL postintervention; P = .005) and the number of hypoglycemic and hyperglycemic events per 100 tests (both P < .001) were equivalent. CONCLUSIONS Implementation of new guidelines resulted in decreased frequency of POC BG tests by 20%, which may impact cost savings and patient comfort in hospitalized patients receiving PN without increasing average BG level or glycemic events.
Cervical Lymphadenitis in Children

Cervical lymphadenitis is a common complaint of childhood and most often indicates a local or systemic infectious etiology rather than malignancy or serious disease. Cervical lymphadenitis may present acutely (usually bacterial or viral in etiology), or follow an indolent course (for example atypical organisms, animal or vector-borne infections) leading to subacute/chronic lymphadenitis. A complete history (including exposure and dietary history) and physical examination are important to determine appropriate initial diagnostic evaluation and/or empiric therapy. High level imaging and surgical intervention may be indicated to prevent complications or achieve cure. The prognosis is excellent with most children making a complete recovery.
The Spiritual Authority of Literature in a Secular Age

This essay argues that literary studies has a vital role to play in secular studies through its analysis of literary texts, whose intricate representations of the subjective experience of secularit...
Intergenerational Succession in Small Family Businesses: Borrowing Constraints and Optimal Timing of Succession

Small family businesses differ from non-family businesses in that their functioning is not independent of the life cycle of the owner-operator, and in that other family considerations sometimes lead to sub-optimal managerial decisions from the point of view of the business. This is why a smooth intergenerational succession is essential to the profitability of the business, and to the welfare of the family as a whole. Succession within the family involves first of all the choice of a successor. The choice is affected by birth order, age differentials, and qualifications of potential successors. Choosing a successor means reaching an agreement about the timing of succession and income distribution before and after succession. This paper focuses on the decision of the business-operating family when to bring in the designated successor. A utility-maximizing time is shown to differ from the income-maximizing time only in the presence of binding borrowing constraints. Such constraints are likely to enhance an earlier succession in order to use the successor's accumulated off-business assets to ease the constraints and to increase future business income due to earlier accumulation of business-specific human capital by the successor. An additional model shows that the successor will not be willing to wait indefinitely for the formal ownership transfer of the business, because of the risk of being disinherited in some future period. The consequences of possible strategic behaviors of both the owner and potential successors on the results of these models is discussed informally.
Major Choice and the Wage Differential between Black and White Women

Black workers continue to earn lower salaries than white workers, even among those with comparable levels of education. Previous research has explored the impact that the choice of college major wi...
Un modelo analítico para la intervención social: integrando los enfoques de las capacidades, el capital social y las instituciones en el ámbito local

This document describes an approach to the analytical model of social intervention that integrates the concepts of skills, social capital and social institutions. The model is articulated in the local realities of Latin America and its implications for the sustained advance of the development processes and social inclusion is showed. Also some methodological suggestions for the social intervention are given
The Street Porter and the Philosopher: Conversations on Analytical Egalitarianism

Leading economists explore the premise that all social interactions are exchanges among inherently equal human beings.Adam Smith, asserting the common humanity of the street porter and the philosopher, articulated the classical economists' model of social interactions as exchanges among equals. This model had largely fallen out of favor until, recently, a number of scholars in the avant garde of economic thought rediscovered it and rechristened it 'analytical egalitarianism'. In this volume, Sandra J. Peart and David M. Levy bring together an impressive array of authors to explore the ramifications of this analytical ideal and to discuss the ways in which an egalitarian theory of individuality can enable economists to reconcile ideas from opposite ends of the political spectrum.
The Life, Work and Legacy of Ernest A. Lynton (1926–1998)

Learning about Ernest Lynton’s rich life has been interesting for me to uncover. Where many of us only know Ernest through his writings, I have come to learn the origins of the motivations for his work and commitments to advancing the public purpose of higher education and the scholarship of engagement. The significance of the title of the first issue of Metropolitan Universities Journal in 1990, Identity and Culture, is not lost on me as I seek to understand more fully the life, lived experiences, and identity of Ernest A. Lynton that moved him to influence cultural shifts within higher education toward increased value and legitimatization of useful, publicly engaged work. As a researcher, I am driven to understand our individual and collective motivations for our community engagement scholarly work. What are our aspirations for this work and its broader impact in society? Why do what we do and how can what we do influence the greater public good. As a steward of change (Ward and Miller, 2106), I seek ways to use our individual and collective understandings to lift up and advance institutional commitments to civic and community engagement as we help our higher education institutions hold fast to and more fully realize their responsibilities to individuals and communities beyond our walls.
The Art of Creaturely Life: A Question of Human Propriety

There appears to be a law that when creatures have reached the level of consciousness, as men have, they must become conscious of the creation; they must learn how they fit into it and what its nee...
Molecular signaling involved in immune system activation against root-knot nematodes by bio-control agents in tomato plants

Abstract The expression of key defense genes was detected in roots and leaves of tomato plants until the 12th day after treatments with a mixture of beneficial bio-control agents (BCAs), as soil-drenches. The expression of the same genes was monitored in pretreated plants at the 3rd and 7th day since the inoculation with the root-knot nematode Meloidogyne incognita. Genes dependent on SA-signaling, such as the Pathogenesis Related Genes, PR1, PR3, and PR5, were systemically over-expressed at the earliest stages of BCA-root interaction. BCA pre-treatment primed plants against root-knot nematodes. The expression of PR-genes and of the gene encoding for the enzyme 1-aminocyclopropane-1-carboxylic acid (ACC) oxidase (ACO), which catalyzes the last step of ethylene biosynthesis, was systemically enhanced after nematode inoculation in primed plants. Defense related enzyme activities, such as endochitinase and glucanase, were higher in roots of BCA-treated than in those of untreated plants, as well. On the contrary, the expression of genes dependent on JA/ET-signaling, such as Jasmonate Ethylene Response Factor 3 (JERF3), did not increase after nematode inoculation in primed plants. The antioxidant system, as indicated by catalase gene expression and ascorbate peroxidase activity, was repressed in infected colonized roots. Therefore, Systemic Acquired Resistance (SAR), and not Induced Systemic Resistance (ISR), is proposed as the molecular signaling that is activated by BCA priming at the earliest stages of root-nematode interaction. Such BCA-induced activation of the plant immune system did not directly act against nematode motile juveniles penetrating and moving inside the roots. It resulted in a drastically decreased number of sedentary individuals and, then, in an augmented ability of the plants to contrast feeding site building by invasive juveniles.
Spectrophotometry from Mars Hand Lens Imager goniometer measurements: Kimberley region, Gale crater

Abstract The light-scattering properties of surface materials on Mars are typically modeled using in situ spectrophotometric imaging sequences taken at multiple times of day to provide sufficient phase coverage. Herein, we report analyses of observations acquired at one time of day but under varying emission angles using the Mars Hand Lens Imager (MAHLI) on the robotic arm of the Mars Science Laboratory (MSL) rover as a goniometer. A multiple-viewpoint data set was acquired on Sol 544 by manipulating the arm to provide MAHLI images from 20 arm positions, all centered at the same location and from a near-constant distance of 1 m from the surface, permitting a phase angle coverage from ∼8 to 100°. From these images, we constructed a digital terrain model of the scene, and used it in combination with atmospheric scattering models to remove the diffuse components of radiance from surface units. Radiative transfer models using Hapke theory were conducted using the direct radiance components from specific rock and soil units. Despite the relatively limited number of observations, our modeled Hapke parameters were well-constrained for terrain types such as soils and certain types of rocks that were common within the scene, but the errors increased for rock types with fewer observations. Results from one-term and two-term Henyey-Greenstein phase functions show the soil units to be more backscattering than rocks, consistent with previous photometric studies of martian landing sites. Overall, we find that the MAHLI goniometer sequences can produce reasonable and consistent photometric results, providing a new and efficient means of acquiring spectrophotometric data by arm cameras on rovers such as MSL.
A Pilot Study of One-Session Treatment for Specific Phobias in Children with ASD Traits

One-Session Treatment (OST), a three-hour treatment which includes psychoeducation, exposure, participant modeling, cognitive challenges, and positive reinforcement, has been shown to be effective for the treatment of childhood phobias. Several comorbid anxiety conditions such as Generalized Anxiety Disorder and Social Anxiety Disorder have been shown to have little or no negative effects on treatment outcomes for OST whereas others such as Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder have been shown to compromise treatment outcomes. This study sought to examine the initial efficacy of OST for children with a behavioral profile demonstrating specific traits of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). We undertook this exploratory study to determine the feasibility and potential efficacy of this brief treatment with these youth. Two variations of the treatment were trialed. In the OST condition, the child alone received treatment with minimal parental involvement. In the Augmented OST condition, two clinicians were assigned to each family: one clinician worked with the child and the other with the parent. Families in both treatments returned for follow-up assessments one-week, 6-months, and 1-year later. A repeated-measures ANOVA revealed significant reductions in phobia severity as well as increases in overall functioning for both forms of treatment. These results suggest that OST may be an effective intervention for children with ASD traits who evince SPs. Future controlled studies will need to examine the efficacy of this brief intervention with carefully diagnosed youth with ASD as well as explore specific components that make it effective for these children.
Phase Ib Study of Crizotinib plus Pembrolizumab in Patients with Previously Untreated Advanced Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer with ALK Translocation.

Lessons learned This study evaluating first-line crizotinib plus pembrolizumab in patients with anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) was terminated early because increased availability of second-generation ALK inhibitors resulted in difficulty identifying and accruing eligible patients. In the small number of patients enrolled, elevated transaminases were the most common treatment-related toxicity. No other relevant toxicities were observed. Although no definitive conclusions could be drawn because of the small number of patients studied, the higher frequency of severe transaminase increases noted in this sample should be of concern if ALK inhibitor and PD-L1/PD-1 inhibitor combinations are tested in future studies. Background Previous research suggests single-agent crizotinib is efficacious for the treatment of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-rearranged advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Methods This study evaluated the safety and preliminary antitumor activity of crizotinib plus pembrolizumab as first-line therapy in patients with ALK-rearranged NSCLC. Patients were initially treated at dose level 0 (DL0) with crizotinib 250 mg twice daily and pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks (cycle duration was 3 weeks). If a dose-limiting toxicity occurred, subsequent patients were enrolled at a lower dose level (dose level -1 [DL-1]: 3 weeks of crizotinib monotherapy 250 mg twice daily, followed by crizotinib 250 mg twice daily with the addition of pembrolizumab 200 mg every 3 weeks). The primary endpoint was dose-limiting toxicity. Antitumor activity was assessed. Results Nine patients were enrolled: two at DL0, then seven at DL-1. Dose-limiting toxicities occurred in four patients (grade 3 increases in alanine aminotransferase [ALT] and aspartate aminotransferase [AST] and grade 3 fatigue at DL0; grade 3 increase in ALT and grade 3 increases in both ALT and AST at DL-1). Conclusion The maximum tolerated dose was not determined because slow accrual resulted in early study termination.
Reactor Pulse Tracking using Micro-Pocket Fission Detectors in Research Reactors

A series of experiments are reported which serve as milestones in the development of the MPFD technology. Each test involved reactor pulsing, a controlled power excursion that results from rapid removal of control rods. During a reactor pulse, the power level increases by several orders of magnitude in a fraction of a second resulting from prompt-critical neutron generation in the core. Preliminary reactor pulse testing was conducted at the Kansas State University TRIGA Mk. II nuclear reactor (KSU). The MPFD was used to track reactor pulses of $2.77 and $2.50 worth of reactivity insertion with measured Full Widths at Half Maximum (FWHM) of 13.2 and 16.1 ms compared to theoretical FWHM of 12.2 and 14.4 ms using the Fuchs-Nordheim Model. At the University of Wisconsin Madison Nuclear Reactor (UWNR), a set of 7 detectors, each with 4 independent chambers was deployed as part of the NEUP–NEAMS collaboration between UWNR and KSU. Nine of the time-synchronized chambers were able to track six reactor pulses to provide a spatial map of neutron flux. Finally, a two-chamber MPFD was deployed inside the Idaho National Laboratory Transient Reactor Test Facility (TREAT) reactor core and successfully monitored the power excursion of a 15 GW reactor pulse with an estimated neutron flux of ~1018 n/cm2/s. These preliminary tests highlight the multi-faceted capability of the MPFD as an instrument in different research and power reactors.
Multilevel Longitudinal Analysis of Shooting Performance as a Function of Stress and Cardiovascular Responses

Virtual reality (VR) systems are increasingly using physiology to improve human training. However, these systems do not account for the complex intra-individual variability in physiology and human performance across multiple timescales and psychophysiological demands. To fill this gap, we propose a theory of multilevel variability where tractable neurobiological mechanisms generate complex variability in performance over time and in response to heterogeneous sources. Based on this theory, we also present a study that examines changes in cardiovascular activity and performance during a stressful shooting task in VR. We examined physiology and performance at three important levels of analysis: task-to-task, block-to-block, session-to-session. Findings indicated joint patterns of physiology and performance that notably varied by the level of analysis. At the task level, higher task difficulty worsened performance but did not change cardiovascular activation. At the block level, there were nonlinear changes in performance and heart rate variability. At the session level, performance improved while blood pressure decreased and heart rate variability increased across days. Of all the physiological metrics, only heart rate variability was correlated with marksmanship performance. Findings are consistent with our multilevel theory and highlight the need for VR and other affective computing systems to assess physiology across multiple timescales.
Whole-exome analysis in Parkinson’s disease reveals a high burden of ultra rare variants in early onset cases

Parkinson9s disease (PD) is a complex neurodegenerative disorder with a strong genetic component. We performed a 9hypothesis-free9 exome-wide burden-based analysis of different variant frequencies, predicted functional impact and age of onset classes, in order to expand the understanding of rare variants in PD. Analyzing whole-exome data from a total of 1,425 PD cases and 596 controls, we found a significantly increased burden of ultra-rare (URV) protein altering variants (PAV) in early-onset PD cases (EOPD, 60 years old, late-onset), where more common PAVs (allele frequencies
Joint maximum likelihood estimation of emission and attenuation densities in PET

Accurate attenuation correction can be performed in PET (positron emission tomography) using transmission scanning to estimate the survival probabilities along each coincidence line. However, since these measurements are typically corrupted by Poisson counting noise, they propagate additional uncertainty into reconstructed images and kinetic parameter estimates. This can be especially true in the thorax where the attenuating medium is heterogeneous and the statistical precision of the transmission scan may be approximately the same as that of the emission data. To account for the Poisson noise in the transmission measurement, the authors have developed a sieve-constrained maximum likelihood algorithm that jointly estimates both the survival probability and the emission intensity. They present some of their initial experiences in using the joint alternate and maximize algorithm with simulated PET data. >
Photooxidation mediated by 11-cis and all-trans retinal in single isolated mouse rod photoreceptors

Retinal, the vitamin A aldehyde, is a potent photosensitizer that plays a major role in light-induced damage to vertebrate photoreceptors. 11-Cis retinal is the light-sensitive chromophore of rhodopsin, the photopigment of vertebrate rod photoreceptors. It is isomerized by light to all-trans, activating rhodopsin and beginning the process of light detection. All-trans retinal is released by activated rhodopsin, allowing its regeneration by fresh 11-cis retinal continually supplied to photoreceptors. The released all-trans retinal is reduced to all-trans retinol in a reaction using NADPH. We have examined the photooxidation mediated by 11-cis and all-trans retinal in single living rod photoreceptors isolated from mouse retinas. Photooxidation was measured with fluorescence imaging from the oxidation of internalized BODIPY C11, a fluorescent dye whose fluorescence changes upon oxidation. We found that photooxidation increased with the concentration of exogenously added 11-cis or all-trans retinal to metabolically compromised rod outer segments that lacked NADPH supply. In dark-adapted metabolically intact rod outer segments with access to NADPH, there was no significant increase in photooxidation following exposure of the cell to light, but there was significant increase following addition of exogenous 11-cis retinal. The results indicate that both 11-cis and all-trans retinal can mediate light-induced damage in rod photoreceptors. In metabolically intact cells, the removal of the all-trans retinal generated by light through its reduction to retinol minimizes all-trans retinal-mediated photooxidation. However, because the enzymatic machinery of the rod outer segment cannot remove 11-cis retinal, 11-cis-retinal-mediated photooxidation may play a significant role in light-induced damage to photoreceptor cells.
Robustness assessment of Hetero-functional graph theory based model of interdependent urban utility networks

Abstract Increasing urban population imposes a substantial and growing burden on the supporting infrastructure, such as electricity, water, heating, natural gas, road transportation. This paper presents a Hetero-functional graph theory (HFGT) based modeling framework for these integrated infrastructures followed by an analysis of network robustness. The supporting infrastructures along with the infrastructure repair facilities are considered. In contrast to conventional graph representations, a weighted HFGT model is used to capture the system processes and mutual dependencies among resources. To assess robustness of interdependent networks, impacts of complete/partial and random/targeted attacks are quantified. Specifically, various attack scenarios are simulated and the vulnerability of the network is evaluated. Additionally, several robustness metrics are used to provide a comprehensive evaluation of system robustness. The proposed weighted HFGT modeling and robustness assessment approach is tested using a synthetic interdependent network, comprising of an electrical power system, a water network, a district heating network, a natural gas system and a road transportation network. Results demonstrate that system robustness can be enhanced via securing system information and mitigating attack strength.
Watch What They Do, Not What They Say: Estimating Regulatory Costs from Revealed Preferences

We show that distortion in the size distribution of banks around regulatory thresholds can be used to identify costs of bank regulation. We build a structural model in which banks can strategically bunch their assets below regulatory thresholds to avoid regulations. The resulting distortion in the size distribution of banks reveals the magnitude of regulatory costs. Using U.S. bank data, we estimate the regulatory costs imposed by the Dodd-Frank Act. Although the estimated regulatory costs are substantial, they are significantly lower than those in self-reported estimates by banks.
FATIGUE BEHAVIOUR OF GRANULAR BAINITE STRUCTURE

The strain fatigue, impact fatigue and rotation beam fatigue behavi- our of granular bainitic structure has been studied. The results show that the strain fatigue properties and the impact fatigue properties of granular bainite are su- perior to that of tempered martensite under the condition that the ultimate tensile strength is equal. The impact fatigue life increases with increasing amount of gra- nular bainite, because the M-A islands might retard the propagation of fatigue crack. The rotation beam fatigue properties of granular bainite are similar to that of tempered martensite. The relationship between fatigue limit S_f, yield strength σ_y and fracture strength S_k may be expressed as S_f=4.651+0.1411 (σ_y+S_k)
The Effect of Gamification on Knowledge Contribution in Online Q&A Communities: A Perspective of Social Comparison

Online questioning and answering (Q&A) communities have become an essential social media platform for individuals to exchange specialized knowledge and collaboratively solve problems. Various gamified design elements (such as reputation scores, badges, levels, and leaderboards, etc.) have been applied in online Q&A communities to motivate users’ knowledge contribution on which the sustainability of such communities depends. Current studies generally assume that motivational sources originate directly from the gamified elements. From the perspective of social comparison theory, this research proposes that the motivational affordances motivating knowledge contribution in online communities can be activated from the comparison of virtual rewards offered by gamified design features. Thus, the effect of gamified elements on a user’s behavior is determined, at least partially, by the social influence of how other users in the community are rewarded by the gamification mechanism. This research contributes to theory by providing a new perspective for understanding the effect of gamification on knowledge contribution in online Q&A communities. It also provides important practical implications for the design and management of sustainable online communities.
Towards a common code for difficulty: Navigating a narrow gap is like memorizing an extra digit.

What makes a task hard or easy? The question seems easy, but answering it has been hard. The only consensus has been that, all else being equal, easy tasks can be performed by more individuals than hard tasks, and easy tasks are usually preferred over hard tasks. Feghhi and Rosenbaum (Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance, 45, 983–994, 2019) asked whether task difficulty might reflect a single amodal quantity. Based on their subjects’ two-alternative forced-choice data from tasks involving choices of tasks with graded physical and mental challenges, the authors showed that the difficulty of passing through a narrow gap rather than a wide gap was psychologically equivalent to memorizing an extra .55 digits. In the present study, we extended this approach by adding new arguments for the hypothesis that task difficulty might reflect a single amodal quantity (inspired by considerations of physics, economics, and the common code hypothesis for the study of perception and action), and we tested narrower gaps than before to see whether we would find a larger equivalent memory-digit. Consistent with our prediction, we obtained a value of .95. We suggest that our multi-modal two-alternative forced-choice procedure can pave the way toward a better understanding of task difficulty.
Intrathyroidal thymic tissue mimicking a thyroid nodule in a 4-year-old child.

A 4 year-old girl was referred for CT of her neck for suspected submental lymphadenopathy and was found to have an incidental low-attenuation thyroid mass. Subsequent thyroid ultrasound showed a heterogeneous thyroid mass with punctate areas of increased echogenicity. Cytologic examination was consistent with ectopic intrathyroidal thymic nodule. We review the presentation of ectopic thymic tissue, especially in the thyroid gland. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 41:319–320, 2013
Molecular aspects of butanol fermentation.

This chapter focuses on the regulation of solvent formation in solventogenic clostridia and in particular in Clostridium acetobutylicum ATCC 824, the most widely studied solventogenic Clostridium at a genetic level, and until recently the only sequenced one. C. beijerinckii and other clostridia are also discussed to the extent that relevant molecular details are known and pertinent to the subject matter. When grown at neutral pH under conditions of high NAD(P)H availability, the culture of C. acetobutylicum is termed alcohologenic as only butanol and ethanol are produced. The chapter focuses on these and related questions with emphasis on more-recent and genomically based work that has not been previously reviewed. The five solventogenic genes on pSOL1 are organized into three operons. Solvent and acid tolerance can be classified as a complex genetic trait, and its characterization requires not only the study of the ''key players'' but also the study of the organism response as a whole. Notable among the methodological improvements in this work were the improved performances of gene inserts from serial enrichment as opposed to a single round of enrichment in batch culture. It seems likely that one or more of the 178 pSOL1 genes is responsible for increased tolerance to butanol. Early attempts relied on the first systematic use of metabolic stoichiometry in order to calculate metabolic fluxes and carry out a large-scale metabolic flux analysis on the overall primary metabolism of C. acetobutylicum.
Basic Interactions of Light with Tissue

At its simplest, there are but two fates for light that is incident upon a material: either the light is absorbed within the material or it is not.
Estimation of Fire Danger in Hawai'i Using Limited Weather Data and Simulation

The presence of fire in Hawai'i has increased with introduction of nonnative grasses. Fire danger estimation using the National Fire Danger Rating System (NFDRS) typically requires 5 to 10 yr of data to determine percentile weather values and fire activity. The U.S. Army Pōhakuloa Training Area in Hawai'i is located in the interface zone between windward and leeward weather conditions and needed to develop fire danger values but did not have sufficient weather or fire occurrence data. Use of simulation to estimate fire danger (expressed as fire risk) for areas with limited weather data was investigated. Influence of spatial resolution of weather information on fire risk was examined by comparing fire risk calculated using one or three weather stations and gridded weather predictions from the Mesoscale Spectral Model. Predicted gridded temperature was positively correlated with observed temperature; predicted and observed relative humidity were not significantly correlated. Simulated fire risk differed between weather data percentiles and between weather data resolutions. Predicted risk estimated from gridded weather data agreed more closely with observed risk estimated from weather data observed at all three remote automated weather stations. Correlation between simulated fire risk and the NFDRS Ignition Component was statistically significant for the single weather station simulations. Correlations between risk and the Ignition Component were not statistically significant for the three station and gridded weather data scenarios, which illustrates the difference between fire danger determined at broad spatial scales and fire risk resolved at finer spatial scales. Fire spread simulation modeling to estimate fire risk in areas with limited historical weather and fire occurrence data can provide finer-scale information than the NFDRS, which is better suited to larger, homogeneous areas with more complete fire and weather data. Values for the NFDRS Burning Index were determined and incorporated into the wildland fire management plan for Pōhakuloa Training Area.
Basic Properties of Harmonic Functions

Harmonic functions, for us, live on open subsets of real Euclidean spaces. Throughout this book, n will denote a fixed positive integer greater than 1 and Ω will denote an open, non-empty subset of R n . A twice continuously differentiate, complex-valued function u defined on Ω is harmonic on Ω if $$\Delta u \equiv 0 $$ where Δ = D 1 2 + ... + D n 2 and D j 2 denotes the second partial derivative with respect to the j th coordinate variable. The operator Δ is called the Laplacian, and the equation Δu = 0 is called Laplace’s equation. We say that a function u defined on a (not necessarily open) set E ⊂ R n is harmonic on E if u can be extended to a function harmonic on an open set containing E.
Smoking cessation follow-up: A look at post-workshop behavior

Abstract While several studies have examined the personal or social factors which the individual brings to a cessation program as possible predictors of outcome, relatively little information is available about the influence of post-workshop behavior on the long-term maintenance of nonsmoking. To explore the effects of compliance with cessation program advice and post-workshop situational factors, we retrospectively surveyed all participants in nine smoking cessation workshops held over a five year period. Sixty-three percent (372) of the original participants responded. Thirty-three percent of the nonsmokers at follow-up had smoked post-workshop. When compared to smokers, nonsmokers were significantly more likely to avoid other smokers, and to cope with smoking urges by denial and thinking about personal reasons for stopping rather than by using distractions or substitute rewards. Nonsmokers were less likely, however, to change smoking related habits as a stimulus control technique. The findings suggest that certain workshop antismoking techniques may be more effective than others and encourage further investigation to improve the long-term yield of cessation programs.
A Novel RNA Transcript with Antiapoptotic Function Is Silenced in Fragile X Syndrome

Several genome-wide transcriptomics efforts have shown that a large percentage of the mammalian genome is transcribed into RNAs, however, only a small percentage (1–2%) of these RNAs is translated into proteins. Currently there is an intense interest in characterizing the function of the different classes of noncoding RNAs and their relevance to human disease. Using genomic approaches we discovered FMR4, a primate-specific noncoding RNA transcript (2.4 kb) that resides upstream and likely shares a bidirectional promoter with FMR1. FMR4 is a product of RNA polymerase II and has a similar half-life to FMR1. The CGG expansion in the 5′ UTR of FMR1 appears to affect transcription in both directions as we found FMR4, similar to FMR1, to be silenced in fragile X patients and up-regulated in premutation carriers. Knockdown of FMR4 by several siRNAs did not affect FMR1 expression, nor vice versa, suggesting that FMR4 is not a direct regulatory transcript for FMR1. However, FMR4 markedly affected human cell proliferation in vitro; siRNAs knockdown of FMR4 resulted in alterations in the cell cycle and increased apoptosis, while the overexpression of FMR4 caused an increase in cell proliferation. Collectively, our results demonstrate an antiapoptotic function of FMR4 and provide evidence that a well-studied genomic locus can show unexpected functional complexity. It cannot be excluded that altered FMR4 expression might contribute to aspects of the clinical presentation of fragile X syndrome and/or related disorders.
The Effects of Organizational Context on Teacher Expectancy

This study examines factors affecting teacher expectancy through hierarchical linear modeling of data from two large-scale surveys of teachers working in schools with highstakes accountability programs. Teacher perceptions of program fairness, student performance feedback, lack of goal conflict, and principal support, as well as school level and reward history, were found to be significant predictors of teacher expectancy.
CORNER STRESS SINGULARITY EFFECTS ON THE VIBRATION OF RHOMBIC PLATES WITH COMBINATIONS OF CLAMPED AND SIMPLY SUPPORTED EDGES

Abstract An accurate method is presented for flexural vibrations of rhombic plates having all combinations of clamped and simply supported edge conditions. A specific feature here is that the analysis explicitly considers the bending stress singularities that occur in the two opposite,clamped–hingedand/orhinged–hinged, corners having obtuse angles in rhombic plates. The strength of these singularities increases significantly as the obtuse angles at the clamped–hinged and/or hinged–hinged corners increases. Stationary condition of single-field, classical thin-plate Lagrangian functional are derived using the Ritz method. Assumed transverse displacements are constructed from a hybrid set of (i) admissible and mathematically complete algebraic polynomials, and (ii) comparison functions (termed here “corner functions”) which account for both the kinematic boundary condition and the bending stress singularities at the obtuse clamped–hinged and/or hinged–hinged corners. Extensive convergence studies demonstrate that the corner functions accelerate the convergence of solutions, and that these function are required if accurate solutions are to be obtained for highly skewed plates. Accurate non-dimensional frequencies and normalized contours of the vibratory transverse displacement are presented for rhombic plates having a large enough skew angle of 75 ° (i.e., obtuse corner angles of 165 °), so that the significant influence of the corner stress singularities may be clearly understood. Accurate solutions for isosceles triangular plates with various combinations of clamped-hinged edges are also available from the frequency and mode shape data presented. The upper bound frequency solutions derived from the presented. The upper bound frequency solutions derived from the present analysis are shown to improve upon the existing upper bound results in the published literature.
Initial characterization of viral sequences from a SHIV‐inoculated pig‐tailed macaque that developed AIDS

: In this study, we report on the derivation of a pathogenic SIV-HIV chimeric virus (SHIV) and the initial characterization of the viral sequences from the first (macaque PPc) of a series of pig-tailed macaques that developed CD4+ T cell loss and AIDS. Viral genes were amplified by PCR from the brain, lymphoid, and kidney tissues and their sequences compared to the original SHIV used to initiate passages in macaques. Our results show that the vpu gene, which was nonfunctional in the original SHIV, now coded for functional protein in macaque PPc. The tat and rev genes had no consensus changes but the nef gene had 4–5 consensus changes, depending on the tissue examined. The gp 120 gene had the highest number of nucleotide and amino acid substitution rates that varied from 0.64% to 1.44% and 1.17% to 3.71%, respectively, again depending on the tissue examined. These results suggest that a constellation of changes accumulated at the genomic level during the derivation of a SHIV that was pathogenic for pig-tailed macaques.
An Effective Communication Initiative: Using parents' experiences to improve the delivery of difficult news in the NICU

Abstract Objective Enhance the quality of communication between parents and neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) staff. Methods Parents of preterm infants and staff designed and implemented in-service training regarding the parent perspective on the impact of poor communication in the NICU. Gaps in the experience/needs of staff around delivering bad news were examined using a questionnaire and addressed by improving unit procedures. Results Most NICU staff, regardless of their role, years in healthcare, and experience/confidence with delivering difficult news to families, indicated a need for more support and training. Improvements to unit procedures included holding family meetings soon after an infant's birth, including all members of the infant's healthcare team in family meetings, providing clinical fellows with training on delivering bad news, and documenting discussions in family meetings for everyone's reference. Conclusion Incorporation of parent experiences of communication in the NICU is effective in addressing challenges associated with delivering difficult news.
Scattering of radio waves from the mesosphere—I. Theory and observations

Abstract Scattering of radio waves at VHF and UHF frequencies from thermal and nonthermal fluctuations in the mesosphere is considered. The formulation of scattering from a statistically homogeneous and stationary medium is described and is extended to the case of a locally homogeneous and locally stationary medium, to show that the scattering is affected by fluctuations in the vicinity of the Bragg scale and also by scales larger than the size of the scattering region. A dimensional model is developed for scattering from nonthermal fluctuations induced by interaction of turbulence with the existing electron-density gradients. Numerical results for incoherent scattering from thermal fluctuations are given. Observations of scattering at VHF and UHF frequencies are discussed to show that the scattering at UHF is due to thermal fluctuations, whereas the scattering at VHF is affected by nonthermal fluctuations induced by turbulence.
Abstract 5481: Antitumor activity of a novel JAK/Stat3 inhibitor, NSC-743380

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL We recently developed two compounds, NSC-741909 and NSC-743380, which were highly active against a subset of NCI-60 cancer cell lines. This study investigated the in vivo activities of NSC-743380 and NSC-741909 in human tumor xenografts in nude mice and the mechanism of NSC-743380 antitumor activity. In vitro antitumor activity was determined by sulforhodamine assay of cell viability. In vivo antitumor activity was determined in xenograft tumors established from the human renal cancer cell line A498. NSC-743380-induced apoptosis and changes in gene expression levels and signaling pathway activities were identified by Western blot analyses, flow cytometric analyses, or both. The role of Stat3 in NSC-743380-induced antitumor activity was determined by enforced expression of a constitutively active Stat3 construct in sensitive cancer cells. NSC-743380 is highly active against a subset of cancer cell lines derived from lung, colon, ovary, kidney, and breast cancers and has an antitumor spectrum similar to that of NSC-741909 in the NCI-60 cancer cell line panel. The in vivo study revealed that NSC-743380 has an improved toxicity profile and greater antitumor activity than NSC-741909. Treatment with NSC-743380 caused tumor regression at all three dose levels, and a portion of animals at all three doses were tumor free. Mechanistic studies revealed that treatment with NSC-743380 inhibited JAK/Stat3 phosphorylation and this inhibition was dependent on both dose and time. Our results demonstrate that NSC-743380 is a novel JAK/Stat3 inhibitor that has selective antitumor activity against a subset of cancer cell lines and has favorable in vivo antitumor activities. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5481. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-5481
Effect of Cycling Temperatures on Aflatoxin Production by Aspergillus parasiticus and Aspergillus flavus in Rice and Cheddar Cheese

Initiation of growth, sporulation and aflatoxin production at cycling temperatures took less time than at 15°C but more than at 18°C and 25°C. A. parasiticus produced more aflatoxins on rice under cycling temperatures than at 25°C, 18°C or 15°C, while A. flavus produced less aflatoxin under cycling temperatures. A. parasiticus produced more aflatoxins on cheese under cycling temperatures than at 18°C or 15°C, but much less than at 25°C. A. flavus produced less aflatoxins on cheese under cycling temperatures than at 18°C and 25°C. Both organisms produced trace amounts of toxins at 15°C on cheese. Preincubation at 25°C for 2 days before temperature cycling did not increase aflatoxin production on rice but increased production on cheese. The rate of aflatoxin production on cheese decreased as the temperature decreased. No growth, sporulation or aflatoxin production was observed at 5°C on either rice or cheese.