cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Possible Early Pennsylvanian Ancestor of the Cycadales

A specimen of Lesleya, previously known only as isolated sterile foliage, has been found with two rows of ovule-bearing receptacles on opposite sides of the petiole. This specimen is from the Lower Pennsylvanian (Namurian B or C) of western Illinois. The fertile portion of this specimen is similar to Phasmatocycas kansana Mamay from the Lower Permian of Kansas and Texas, which Mamay interpreted as an ancestral form to cycads. Phasmatocycas was found attached to the base of Taeniopteris by Gillespie and Pfefferkorn. The foliar portions, Lesleya and Taeniopteris, have many features in common; the major morphologic difference is curvature of the veins. Lesleya and its attached fertile petiole are proposed as ancestors of Taeniopteris and Phasmatocycas, and ultimately, the ancestors of modern cycads. This extends the age of known precursors of cycads back from the Early Permian to Early Pennsylvanian (about 320 million years ago), approximately 35 million years earlier.
Effect of overconsolidation ratio on dynamic properties of binary mixtures of silica particles

Abstract Overconsolidated soils are ubiquitous in nature due to multiple mechanisms; however, the stress-history-based studies of small strain stiffness on binary mixtures, such as silty sand, are limited even though natural sand deposits are commonly mixtures of sand particles with varying amounts of fines. Consequently, this study quantified the stress-history-based dynamic properties of binary mixtures, such as sand-sand mixtures with different size small particles, and silty sand mixtures with small amounts of non-plastic fines, up to the critical fines content. By performing bender element tests on those mixtures according to fines content, size ratio, and overconsolidation ratio, the stress-history-based Gmax of binary mixtures was evaluated. For the relevant data analysis, the OCR (overconsolidation ratio) exponent in the Gmax formulation was expressed in terms of stress exponents during loading and unloading. It was found that the effect of OCR on the estimation of Gmax increased with a decrease in size ratio (or increase in size difference), since the stress exponents during loading increased more significantly with a decrease in size ratio due to the pronounced change in interparticle coordination between large grains. However, the variation of stress exponents during unloading of different mixtures was relatively small due to the prevalent elastic deformation. It was demonstrated that the maximum stress history effect of tested mixed soils was observed at a fines content of approximately 5%, which was smaller than critical fines content of silty sand. This behavior was attributable to the delay in critical fines content observed during unloading, when compared to that observed during loading.
Pediatric Liver Transplantation History, Recent Innovations, and Outlook for the Future

Pediatric liver transplantation has advanced remarkably over the past three decades. One-year survival has progressively increased to nearly 90% in patients transplanted for most forms of liver disease. Parallel advances in organ procurement, operative technique, immunosuppression, and infection control are responsible for improved patient survival. Among the most important advances are use of the University of Wisconsin (UW) organ preservation solution, the employment of venovenous bypass and/or "piggyback" operative technique, the development of cyclosporine A (CyA) and FK506, and the emergence of acyclovir, ganciclovir, foscarnet, and alpha interferon to combat life-threatening viral infections. The current organ shortage is being addressed by "cutdown" liver transplantation, "split liver" transplantation, and living-related donations. The next decade is likely to see advances in multi-visceral transplantation, induction of chimerism by simultaneous bone marrow-solid organ transplantation, and performance of cross-species xenografting.
Partial least-squares modeling of continuous nodes in Bayesian networks

In Bayesian networks it is necessary to compute relationships between continuous nodes. The standard Bayesian network methodology represents this dependency with a linear regression model whose parameters are estimated by a maximum likelihood (ML) calculation. Partial least-squares (PLS) is proposed as an alternative method for computing the model parameters. This new hybrid method is termed PLS-Bayes, as it uses PLS to calculate regression vectors for a Bayesian network. This alternative approach requires storing the raw data matrix rather than sequentially updating sufficient statistics, but results in a regression matrix that predicts with higher accuracy, requires less training data, and performs well in large networks.
Analysis and design of class E zero-current-switching rectifier

The analysis, design equations, and experimental results are presented for a class-E zero-current switching (low di/dt) rectifier. Equations governing circuit operation are derived, assuming an ideal sinusoidal input current source. The diode turns on at zero di/dt and low absolute value of dv/dt, and turns off at low absolute value of di/dt, reducing switching losses, switching noise, and reverse recovery effect. The diode junction capacitance is not included in the rectifier topology and causes ringing after turn-off. The experimental results of 0.5 MHz agreed with the design calculations. The rectifier can be used in high-frequency, high-power-density switching power supplies. >
The opportunity cost of low power design: a case study in circuit tuning

The time-to-market pressures combined with the immense power reduction design space of VLSI design call for an evaluation of power savings opportunities prior to the investment in design effort. This paper presents an estimation methodology for predicting the power savings of circuit tuning for an industrial chip design project. A comparison between the estimated and actual power savings realized through tuning over 100 macros on the chip validates the accuracy of this estimation methodology.
Alternative splicing attenuates transgenic expression directed by the apolipoprotein E promoter-enhancer based expression vector pLIV11.

The plasmid vector pLIV11 is used commonly to achieve liver-specific expression of genes of interest in transgenic mice and rabbits. Expression is driven by the human apolipoprotein (apo)E 5′ proximal promoter, which includes 5 kb of upstream sequence, exon 1, intron 1, and 5 bp of exon 2. A 3.8 kb 3′ hepatic control region, derived from a region ∼18 kb downstream of the apoE gene, enhances liver-specific expression. Here, we report that cDNA sequences inserted into the multiple cloning site (MCS) of pLIV11, which is positioned just downstream of truncated exon 2, can cause exon 2 skipping. Hence, splicing is displaced to downstream cryptic 3′ splice acceptor sites causing deletion of cloned 5′ untranslated mRNA sequences and, in some cases, deletion of the 5′ end of an open reading frame. To prevent use of cryptic splice sites, the pLIV11 vector was modified with an engineered 3′ splice acceptor site inserted immediately downstream of truncated apoE exon 2. Presence of this sequence fully shifted splicing of exon 1 from the native intron 1–exon 2 splice acceptor site to the engineered site. This finding confirmed that sequences inserted into the MCS of the vector pLIV11 can affect exon 2 recognition and provides a strategy to protect cloned sequences from alternative splicing and possible attenuation of transgenic expression.
Focal denervation alters cellular phenotypes and survival in the developing rat olfactory bulb

Several studies have demonstrated that contact between the olfactory nerve and the forebrain is critical for normal olfactory bulb development. Removal of the embryonic olfactory placode results in a failure of the olfactory bulb to form, as well as causing other forebrain malformations. The current study introduces a technique that permits removal of contact between specific regions of the olfactory nerve and the bulb early in development, without causing damage to other brain regions, and without removing the peripheral olfactory organ. The manipulation, which involves insertion of a small Teflon chip between the cribriform plate and the bulb, prohibits growth of new axons into the "shadow" region behind the implant. Focal denervation of the olfactory bulb causes a decrease in bulb and layer sizes, a reduction in mitral cell number, and changes to bulb architecture. Using a battery of antibodies (OMP, MAP2, TuJ1, calretinin, calbindin, parvalbumin, TH, and GAD), we further demonstrated that 1) focal denervation alters the relationship between the olfactory nerve and the bulb, 2) the fine structure of cells in denervated regions is disrupted, and 3) cellular phenotypes change in response to loss of afferent contact. These results suggest that contact between the olfactory nerve and the bulb is important for maintaining bulb architecture and cell survival, structure, and phenotype. They also point to focal denervation as a useful technique for examining the role of neural contact in olfactory development and maintenance of the central nervous system.
RANDOM EVOLUTIONS IN DISCRETE AND CONTINUOUS TIME

Abstract This paper points out a connection between random evolutions and products of random matrices. This connection is useful in predicting the long-run growth rate of a single-type, continuously changing population in randomly varying environments using only observations at discrete points in time. A scalar Markov random evolution is specified by the n × n irreducible intensity matrix or infinitesimal generator Q = ( q ij ) of a time-homogeneous Markov chain and by n finite real growth rates (scalars) s i . The scalar Markov random evolution is the quantity M C ( t ) = exp( Σ n j =1 s j g C j ( t )), where g C j ( t ) is the occupancy times in state j up to time t . The scalar Markov product of random matrices induced by this scalar Markov random evolution is the quantity M D ( t ) = exp( Σ n j =1 s j g D j ( t )), where g D j ( t ) is the occupancy time in state j up to and including t of the discrete -time Markov chain with stochastic one-step transition matrix P = e Q . We show that lim t →∞ (1/ t ) E (log M D ( t ))=lim t →∞ (1/ t ) E (log M C ( t )) but that in general lim t →∞ (1/ t )log E ( M C ( t )) ≠ lim t →∞ (1/ t )log E ( M D ( t )). Thus the mean Malthusian parameter of population biologists is invariant with respect to the choice of continuous or discrete time, but the rate of growth of average population size is not. By contrast with a single-type population, in multitype populations whose growth is governed by non-commuting operators, the mean Malthusian parameter may be destined for a less prominent role as a measure of long-run growth.
In situ Heating Studies of Flux Grown Barium Titanate Thin Films

To investigate the effects of BBO addition, ex situ studies were performed by depositing BaTiO3 (0% and 5% BBO) via pulsed laser deposition onto sapphire substrates. The thin films were annealed for 1 hr. at 900° C and then thinned mechanically (cross section view) to electron transparency. Materials with 5% BBO addition exhibited highly dense films with moderately sized (121 nm), well-formed grains, as shown in figure 2a. This was contrasted by materials with 0% flux addition, shown in figure 1a, which had smaller grains (56 nm) than the material with 5% BBO and more significant porosity.
Does It Matter that Madagascar is an Island

Being an island has been important for Madagascar's archaeology in two ways. First, its insularity was probably responsible for the lateness and some features of its first human colonizers, as well as for its highly endemic flora and fauna. The earliest coastal communities continued to interact with the Indian Ocean trade network, but the latterly settled interior eventually saw the greatest population increases, eclipsing the coastal communities in power. Second, it may be that as an island, archaeologists have unconsciously been predisposed to interpret Malagasy prehistory in terms of a tree-like model of evolution from a single ancestral culture. Yet if, as seems probable, Malagasy culture has seen contributions from many others, such a single “proto-culture” may never have existed.
Process characterization and optimization based on censored data from highly fractionated experiments

Censored data resulting from life-test of durable products, coupled with complicated structures of screening experiments, makes process characterization very difficult. Existing methods can be inadequate for modeling such data because important effects and factor levels might be identified wrongly. This article presents an expectation-modeling-maximization (EMM) algorithm, where censored data are imputed as pseudo-complete samples and a forward regression is used to compare all main effects and 2-factor interactions for process characterization. Then, the best combination of controllable variables is determined in order to optimize predictions from the final model. A sensitivity study of the selected models, with changes of imputation and parameter estimation methods, shows the importance of using appropriate models and estimation methods in EMM. The author's analysis of the Specht (1985) heat-exchanger life-test data indicates that E, EG, EH in the wall data and A, K, D, DJ in the corner data are the dominating factors. However, in finding the best process recipe, one might use a model with a few additional terms, which leads to more accurate predictions for better process optimization. >
Relaxin: a novel agent for the treatment of acute heart failure.

Acute heart failure (AHF) is defined by a constellation of signs and symptoms that manifest when new or decompensated ventricular dysfunction is triggered by an acute precipitant such as excessive preload, afterload, or myocardial ischemia. Despite being one of the most frequent causes of hospitalization and cardiovascular mortality, little to no progress has been made over the last few decades to advance the treatment of AHF. Current mainstays of pharmacotherapy for AHF including diuretics, vasodilators, and inotropes can improve symptoms; however, no currently approved agent has been shown to provide lasting outcome benefit for patients with AHF. First discovered in pregnant women where it is known to help with growth of the cervix and assist with the maternal cardiovascular and renovascular responses to pregnancy, relaxin is an endogenous neurohormone that has novel vasoactive properties. In particular, relaxin is a potent vasodilator with a number of pleiotropic effects that may affect cardiac remodeling, making relaxin an attractive compound for use in the management of AHF. Indeed, in two randomized controlled trials, a single 48-hour infusion of relaxin relieved symptoms of AHF with no evidence of major adverse effects. A signal of mortality benefit at 180 days was noted in both trials, prompting a third trial of relaxin powered for 180-day mortality that is currently under way. The pharmacology that underscores the potential benefit of relaxin is discussed and insight is provided into future clinical application of this novel drug should it prove to be the first therapy capable of reducing mortality in AHF.
Antiviral RNA Silencing Initiated in the Absence of RDE-4, a Double-Stranded RNA Binding Protein, in Caenorhabditis elegans

Small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) processed from double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) of virus origins mediate potent antiviral defense through a process referred to as RNA interference (RNAi) or RNA silencing in diverse organisms. In the simple invertebrate Caenorhabditis elegans, the RNAi process is initiated by a single Dicer, which partners with the dsRNA binding protein RDE-4 to process dsRNA into viral siRNAs (viRNAs). Notably, in C. elegans this RNA-directed viral immunity (RDVI) also requires a number of worm-specific genes for its full antiviral potential. One such gene is rsd-2 (RNAi spreading defective 2), which was implicated in RDVI in our previous studies. In the current study, we first established an antiviral role by showing that rsd-2 null mutants permitted higher levels of viral RNA accumulation, and that this enhanced viral susceptibility was reversed by ectopic expression of RSD-2. We then examined the relationship of rsd-2 with other known components of RNAi pathways and established that rsd-2 functions in a novel pathway that is independent of rde-4 but likely requires the RNA-dependent RNA polymerase RRF-1, suggesting a critical role for RSD-2 in secondary viRNA biogenesis, likely through coordinated action with RRF-1. Together, these results suggest that RDVI in the single-Dicer organism C. elegans depends on the collective actions of both RDE-4-dependent and RDE-4-independent mechanisms to produce RNAi-inducing viRNAs. Our study reveals, for the first time, a novel siRNA-producing mechanism in C. elegans that bypasses the need for a dsRNA-binding protein.
Assessment of LD matrix measures for the analysis of biological pathway association.

Complex diseases will have multiple functional sites, and it will be invaluable to understand the cross-locus interaction in terms of linkage disequilibrium (LD) between those sites (epistasis) in addition to the haplotype-LD effects. We investigated the statistical properties of a class of matrix-based statistics to assess this epistasis. These statistical methods include two LD contrast tests (Zaykin et al., 2006) and partial least squares regression (Wang et al., 2008). To estimate Type 1 error rates and power, we simulated multiple two-variant disease models using the SIMLA software package. SIMLA allows for the joint action of up to two disease genes in the simulated data with all possible multiplicative interaction effects between them. Our goal was to detect an interaction between multiple disease-causing variants by means of their linkage disequilibrium (LD) patterns with other markers. We measured the effects of marginal disease effect size, haplotype LD, disease prevalence and minor allele frequency have on cross-locus interaction (epistasis). In the setting of strong allele effects and strong interaction, the correlation between the two disease genes was weak (r = 0.2). In a complex system with multiple correlations (both marginal and interaction), it was difficult to determine the source of a significant result. Despite these complications, the partial least squares and modified LD contrast methods maintained adequate power to detect the epistatic effects; however, for many of the analyses we often could not separate interaction from a strong marginal effect. While we did not exhaust the entire parameter space of possible models, we do provide guidance on the effects that population parameters have on cross-locus interaction.
Antimicrobial resistance trends of Escherichia coli bloodstream isolates: a population-based study, 1998–2007

Background: There have been contradictory results regarding temporal changes in the antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli from tertiary care centres. Therefore, we performed a population-based investigation to examine in vitro antimicrobial resistance trends of E. coli bloodstream isolates. Methods: In this retrospective population-based incidence study, we identified 461 unique patients with first episodes of E. coli bloodstream infection (BSI) from 1 January 1998 to 31 December 2007 through microbiology records at the two laboratories in Olmsted County, Minnesota. Logistic regression was used to examine temporal changes in antimicrobial resistance and Poisson regression for changes in incidence rates. Results: The median age of patients with E. coli BSI was 69 years; 306 (66.4%) were female. The age-adjusted incidence rate of E. coli BSI per 100000 person-years was 48.0 (95% CI: 42.5―53.4) in females and 34.0 (95% CI: 28.6―39.6) in males. The urinary tract was the most common primary source of infection (79.8%). During the study period, resistance rates of E. coli bloodstream isolates increased from 32% to 53% for ampicillin, from 23% to 45% for ampicillin/sulbactam, from 9% to 28% for trimethoprim/ sulfamethoxazole and from 0% to 12% for ciprofloxacin. Resistance rates to carbapenems, cephalosporins and piperacillin/tazobactam remained low and stable. Conclusions: To our knowledge, this is the first population-based study on antimicrobial resistance trends of E. coli bloodstream isolates in the USA. We demonstrated linear trends of increasing resistance among these isolates to three different classes of antimicrobial over the past decade.
Impact of Liquid Density Omission in Chen's Two-Phase Heat Transfer Correlation

In 1966, John Chen published a superposition model for the boiling heat transfer coefficient of saturated fluids in convective flow. The model, optimized using water and hydrocarbon test data, proved very successful, but has been shown to be less successful for hydrogen. The theoretical analysis described in this paper shows that, under certain thermohydraulic conditions, several assumptions Chen used to develop the suppression factor loses validity for cryogens, particularly parahydrogen. A method is presented to quantify the impact of these assumptions as a function of various flow conditions and is then used to calculate a modified microscopic heat transfer coefficient that may offer improvement in certain conditions. Theoretical analysis shows that this modification can result in up to a 17% increase in calculated heat transfer coefficient for the thermohydraulic conditions considered: mass fluxes between 20 - 1000 kg/m 2 -sec, mass qualities between 0.01 - 0.65, wall superheats of 1K and 5K, and bulk fluid temperatures of 14K - 27K.
Das Krebsrisiko unter den Überlebenden der Atombombenabwürfe auf Grund der „alten“ und „neuen“ Dosimetrieberechnungen

Die statistische Erfassung der Uberlebenden der Atombombenabwurfe auf Hiroshima und Nagasaki liefert die grundlegenden Daten zur Abschatzung des Krebsrisikos nach Bestrahlung von Personen mit ionisierender Strahlung. Insbesondere die Strahlenkommissionen wie UNSCEAR, ICRP und BEIR haben sich bei ihren Empfehlungen beinahe ausschlieslich auf die japanische Studie berufen. Die statistischen Daten werden von der “Radiation Effects Research Foundation” (RERF) in Hiroshima registriert und analysiert. Diese Organisation wird gemeinsam vom “U.S. Department of Energy” (DOE) uber die “National Academy of Sciences” (NAS) und vom japanischen Ministerium fur Gesundheit und Soziales finanziert. Im Jahr 1980, also 35 Jahre nach Beginn dieser Forschungsarbeit uber Strahlenschaden, hat das DOE mit einer umwalzenden Uberarbeitung der den Uberlebenden zugewiesenen Strahlendosiswerte begonnen. Die ersten Ergebnisse dieser Revision aller primaren Daten wurden im September 1987 veroffentlicht.
Cataract surgery in the small eye.

The surgical management of cataract in the small eye presents the ophthalmic surgeon with numerous challenges. An understanding of the anatomic classification in addition to a thorough preoperative assessment will help individualize each case and enable the surgeon to better prepare for the obstacles that might be encountered during surgery. Small eyes are especially challenging in terms of intraocular lens (IOL) calculations and possible current limitations of available IOL powers, which could necessitate alternative means of achieving emmetropia. Surgical strategies for minimizing complications and maximizing good outcomes can be developed from knowledge of the anatomic differences between various small-eye conditions and the pathologies that may be associated with each. A thorough understanding of the challenges inherent in these cases and the management of intraoperative and postoperative complications will ensure that surgeons approaching the correction of these eyes will achieve the best possible surgical results. Financial Disclosure No author has a financial or proprietary interest in any material or method mentioned.
Foot and ankle survey in adults with diabetes mellitus.

The purpose of this study was to examine the foot and ankle care patterns and shoe wear habits in patients with clinically proven diabetes mellitus who were attending diabetes education classes for...
Against the Cult(ure) of the Entrepreneur for the Nonprofit Sector

The increasing marketization of the nonprofit sector is well documented. Scholars have explored its effects on nonprofit management and discussed its potentially harmful implications, especially as regards the sector’s traditional roles as service provider and advocate, facilitator of democratic discourses, and preserver of civil society. However, this scholarship has not fully explored the implications of a central figure in the discourses of the market—the Entrepreneur—and of entrepreneurialism generally, for the increasing marketization of the nonprofit sector. This article seeks to remedy this by drawing on critical scholarship to examine how the Entrepreneur, and entrepreneurialism in general, has come to dominate the discourses of the nonprofit sector in recent years and discusses the potential long-term implications of this trend.
Inflammatory aneurysms of the abdominal aorta.

Unexpected anatomical or pathological variants can create technical problems which increase the usually low surgical morbidity and mortality rates of abdominal aortic aneurysms. One such variant is inJIammatory aneurysm, so-called because of the densejbrosis which characteristically envelopes the aortic wall and adjacent viscera. Ten such cases are described. Although inzammatory aneurysms were larger (average diameter, IO. 0 cm vs. 7.8 cm) and more often symptomatic (80% vs. 31%), there were no clinical or laboratory data which, before operation, could distingui?h them from ordinary atherosclerotic aneurysms. However, each had a characteristic gross appearance-an unusually thick wall with a d@se, shiny, white fibrotic reaction in the retroperitoneum that was continuous with the aortic wall. The fourth portion of the duodenum invariably was incorporated into the inJlammatory mass which in some cases also involved the sigmoid colon, small bowel, or ureter. Four of the IO patients were operated on emergent& because of severe abdominal pain, but or+ one had in fact ruptured. The single ,death was due to sepsis porn duodenal breakdown. Blood replacement averaged 8.2 units as compared with 4.7 units for other abdominal aneurysms. Pathologicc$ examination of the aortic wall revealed atherosclerosis with markedjbrous thickening and active chronic injammation of the media and adventitia. These 10 cases represent an uncommon but distinct pathological entity whose sigm$cance is that it can be identified at operation by its characteristic gross appearance. Once recognized, the initial operative maneuvers of aneurysmorrhaphy should be modified in that no e$ort should be made to mobilize the adherent duodenum from the aorta.
The Effect of Film Thickness and Pulse Duration Variation in Excimer Laser Crystallization of Thin Si Films

Recognizing that the processing window in conventional excimer laser crystallization corresponds mainly to the partial melting regime, and that this can be properly simulated using a one-dimensional model, we investigate numerically the melting and solidification of thin silicon films on SiO2. Here a portion of the silicon film is melted and subsequent vertical solidification is initiated from the lower interface bounding the unmelted region. Upper and lower energy density limits for this regime are calculated for crystal silicon films of thickness 10 to 300 nm, and for pulse duration ranging from 10 to 200 ns. These calculations show that increasing pulse duration requires proportionally more incident energy density to partially melt the film, while decreasing film thickness reduces the range of energy densities over which partial melting can occur. The results are explained in terms of characteristic thermal diffusion distances and the enthalpy change associated with melting. In view of the results we discuss optimization of the conventional excimer laser crystallization and the avoidance of complete melting during the process.
Experimental and computed absolute redox potentials of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are highly linearly correlated over a wide range of structures and potentials.

A more rigorous theoretical treatment of methods previously used to correlate computed energy values with experimental redox potentials, combined with the availability of well-developed computational solvation methods, results in a shift away from computing ionization potentials/electron affinities in favor of computing absolute reduction potentials. Seventy-nine literature redox potentials measured under comparable conditions from 51 alternant and nonalternant polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons are linearly correlated with their absolute reduction potentials computed by density functional theory (B3LYP/6-31+G(d)) with SMD/IEF-PCM solvation. The resulting correlation is very strong (R2 = 0.9981, MAD = 0.056 eV). When extrapolated to the x-intercept, the correlation results in an estimate of 5.17 ± 0.01 eV for the absolute potential of the ferrocene−ferrocenium redox couple in acetonitrile at 25 °C, indicating that this simple method can be used reliably for both calculating absolute redox potentials and for...
An Introduction to Small-Bore Columns

On examine en particulier l'interet de ces colonnes par rapport a la sensibilite massique, et a l'economie de solvant. L'accent est aussi mis sur la notion de diametre optimal pour un systeme chromatographique donne
Turkmen v. Hasty : The Second Circuit Holds Highest Ranking Law Enforcement Officials Accountable for Post-9/11 Policies Infringing on Constitutional Rights

On June 17, 2015, in Turkmen v. Hasty, the Second Circuit of the U.S. Court of Appeals affirmed in part the order of the U.S. District Court for the District of New York. This order denied motions to dismiss due process and equal protection claims for damages against federal officials, a cause of action created by the U.S. Supreme Court in Bivens v. Six Unknown Named Agents of the Federal Bureau of Narcotics (“Bivens”). The claims in Turkmen arose from the detainment and treatment of men perceived to be “Arab or Muslim” after 9/11. This Comment argues that the Second Circuit properly decided this case per the Bivens test without extending Bivens into a new context. This Comment also asserts that national security does not justify limitations on the constitutional obligations of federal officials toward those in their care. Last, this Comment argues that qualified immunity should be limited for Bivens claims regarding national security actions.
Diphoton resonance from a new strong force

We explore a ``partial unification'' model that a new strong gauge group is combined with the ordinary color and hypercharge gauge groups. The VEV responsible for the combination is of the order of the $SU(2)\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}U(1)$ breaking scale, but the coupling of the new physics to standard model particles is suppressed by the strong interaction of the new gauge group. This simple extension of the standard model has a rich phenomenology, including composite particles of the new confining gauge interaction, a coloron and a ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ which are rather weakly coupled to standard model particles, and massive vector bosons charged under both the ordinary color and hypercharge gauge groups and the new strong gauge group. The new scalar glueball could be produced by gluon fusion and decay into two photons, both through loops of the new massive vector bosons. The simplest version of the model has some issues: the massive vector bosons are stable and the coloron and the ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ are strongly constrained by search data. An extension of the model to include additional fermions with the new gauge coupling, though not as simple and elegant, can address both issues and more. It allows the massive vector boson to decay into a colorless, neutral state that could be a candidate of the dark matter. And the coloron and ${Z}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ can decay dominantly into the new fermions, completely changing the search bounds. If the massive vector bosons are still long lived, they could form new bound states, ``vector bosoniums'' with additional interesting phenomenology. The model is an explicit example of how new physics at small scales could be hidden by strong interactions.
Evaluation of rigid body motion compensation in cardiac perfusion SPECT employing polar map quantification

We have recently been successful in the development and testing of rigid-body motion tracking, estimation and compensation for cardiac perfusion SPECT based on a visual tracking system (VTS). The goal of this study was to evaluate in patients the effectiveness of our rigid-body motion compensation strategy. Sixty-four patient volunteers were asked to remain motionless or execute some predefined body motion during an additional second stress perfusion acquisition. Acquisitions were performed using the standard clinical protocol with 64 projections acquired through 180 degrees. All data were reconstructed with an ordered-subsets expectation-maximization (OSEM) algorithm using 4 projections per subset and 5 iterations. All physical degradation factors were addressed (attenuation, scatter, and distance dependent resolution), while a 3-dimensional Gaussian rotator was used during reconstruction to correct for six-degree-of-freedom (6-DOF) rigid-body motion estimated by the VTS. Polar map quantification was employed to evaluate compensation techniques. In 54.7% of the uncorrected second stress studies there was a statistically significant difference in the polar maps, and in 45.3% this made a difference in the interpretation of segmental perfusion. Motion correction reduced the impact of motion such that with it 32.8% of the polar maps were statistically significantly different, and in 14.1% this difference changed the interpretation of segmental perfusion. The improvement shown in polar map quantitation translated to visually improved uniformity of the SPECT slices.
‘A wretched image bound’: Neo-Stoicism, Trauma, and the Dangers of the Bounded Self in The Rape of Lucrece

In Gabriel Harvey’s famous note on Shakespeare’s two Roman poems, he writes, ‘The younger sort takes much delight in Shakespeares Venus, & Adonis: but his Lucrece, & his tragedie of Hamlet, Prince of Denmarke, have it in them, to please the wiser sort.’ Tellingly, Harvey punctuates his marginal comment, written in 1603 (or earlier) on his manuscript of Speght’s 1598 edition of Chaucer, with the same quotation from Ovid’s Amores that heads what he judges to be the more frivolous poem, Shakespeare’s Venus and Adonis: Vilia miretur vulgus; mihi flavus Apollo Pocula Castalia plena ministret aqua.
Factoring Large Numbers of Items: Wherry—Winer Method

Although the various methods of factoring can theoretically handle any number of variables, there are certain practical considerations that rather severely limit the number of variables that can be analyzed. For example, the requirement that sample size should be considerably larger than the number of variables and the problems of storage connected with computer solutions both limit the size of problems. The usual computer program handles only about 100 variables. This limitation will seldom, if ever, be of consequence when the variables are tests, scales, or criterion or background data. However, if the variables are single items, it is not unusual that the researcher will want to select the final items from a much larger pool consisting of several hundred items, at least in the tryout stage during construction. This chapter reviews a method devised by Wherry and Winer, based upon a refinement of the Wherry–Gay lord, 1943 method dealing with item analysis, that was designed specifically for cases in which a researcher may have up to 500 or more items consisting of several subsets intended to measure a smaller set of related or unrelated constructs or attributes. The solution is made possible by avoiding the calculation and manipulation of the entire intercorrelation table. The method is based on an analogy with the multiple-group centroid approach in which subtest intercorrelations are substituted for intercluster correlations and item-subtest correlations are substituted for the oblique reference vector loadings of the variables on each cluster.
Goodness of fit between prenatal maternal sleep and infant sleep: Associations with maternal depression and attachment security

The current study prospectively examined the ways in which goodness of fit between maternal and infant sleep contributes to maternal depressive symptoms and the mother-child relationship across the first years of life. In a sample of 173 mother-child dyads, maternal prenatal sleep, infant sleep, maternal depressive symptoms, and mother-child attachment security were assessed via self-report, actigraphy, and observational measures. Results suggested that a poor fit between mothers' prenatal sleep and infants' sleep at 8 months (measured by sleep diary and actigraphy) was associated with maternal depressive symptoms at 15 months. Additionally, maternal depression mediated the association between the interplay of mother and infant sleep (measured by sleep diary) and mother-child attachment security at 30 months. Findings emphasize the importance of the match between mother and infant sleep on maternal wellbeing and mother-child relationships and highlight the role of mothers' perceptions of infant sleep.
The Staines Era: Renaissance and Reformation

It is tempting to see the decade 1976–86, spanning as it does the end of the conversion and the privatisation of British Gas, as something of a coda to earlier developments. The great themes of the past, Algerian natural gas, oil gasification, conversion, and the decline of manufacturing, had all come and gone. Now with the Staines headquarters, with tasks clarified and confined under the umbrella of British Gas, and with the Regions seemingly in the role of pawns to British Gas’s Chairman Rooke, the scope for individuality among Regions was obviously diminished.
The Anterior Temporal Electrode in the EEG of the Adult: Utility and Optimal Placement

ABSTRACT.The anterior temporal cerebral region is not well covered, electroencephalographically, by the usual EEG electrodes. Numerous attempts have been made to add anterior temporal electrodes. There has been discussion regarding the amount of additional information actually attributable to those electrodes. We systematically evaluated the abnormalities revealed by one such noninvasive set of anterior temporal electrodes, D. Silverman's T1 and T2. We reviewed 624 consecutive EEGs and concluded that, in the adult, anterior temporal electrodes can add significantly to the information contained in the routine interictal EEG.
Internet Protocols and Formats

This chapter provides an overview of standard protocols and formats used for data communication on the Internet.
On data recovery in distributed databases

We present an approach for data encoding and recovery of lost information in a distributed database system. The dependencies between the informational redundancy of the database and its recovery rate are investigated, and fast recovery algorithms are developed.
Variation in the SSUrDNA of the Genus Protostelium Leads to a New Phylogenetic Understanding of the Genus and of the Species Concept for Protostelium mycophaga (Protosteliida, Amoebozoa).

Members of the genus Protostelium (including P. mycophaga, P. nocturnum, and P. okumukumu) are protosteloid amoebae commonly found in terrestrial habitats on dead plant matter. They, along with the closely allied nominal genus Planoprotostelium, containing the single species Pl. aurantium, all have an amoeboid trophic stage with acutely pointed subpseudopodia and orange lipid droplets in the granuloplasm. These amoebae form stalked fruiting bodies topped with a single, usually deciduous spore. The species are identified based on their fruiting body morphologies except for Pl. aurantium which looks similar to P. mycophaga in fruiting morphology, but has amoebae that can make flagella in liquid medium. We built phylogenetic trees using nuclear small subunit ribosomal DNA sequences of 35 isolates from the genera Protostelium and Planoprotostelium and found that (1) the nonflagellated P. nocturnum and P. okumukumu branch basally in the genus Protostelium, (2) the flagellate, Pl. aurantium falls within the genus Protostelium in a monophyletic clade with the nominal variety, P. mycophaga var. crassipes, (3) the cultures initially identified as Protostelium mycophaga can be divided into at least three morphologically recognizable taxa, P. aurantium n. comb., P. apiculatum n. sp., and P. m. rodmani n. subsp., as well as a paraphyletic assemblage that includes the remainder of the P. mycophaga morphotype. These findings have implications for understanding the ecology, evolution, and diversity of these amoeboid organisms and for using these amoebae as models for other amoeboid groups.
PedsQL Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Module for children, adolescents and young adults: feasibility, reliability, and validity

The objective of the present study was to report on the measurement properties of the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) Neurofibromatosis Type 1 Module for pediatric patients ages 5–25 from the perspectives of patients and parents. The 104-item PedsQL NF1 Module and 23-item PedsQL Generic Core Scales were completed in a multi-site national study by 323 patients and 335 parents (343 families). Patients were diagnosed with NF1 using the National Institutes of Health diagnostic criteria. In addition to a Total Scale Score, 18 unidimensional scales were derived measuring skin itch bother, skin sensations, pain, pain impact, pain management, cognitive functioning, speech, fine motor, balance, vision, perceived physical appearance, communication, worry, treatment anxiety, medicines, stomach discomfort, constipation, and diarrhea. The PedsQL NF1 Module Scales evidenced excellent feasibility, excellent reliability for the Total Scale Scores (patient self-report α = 0.98; parent proxy-report α = 0.98), and good to excellent reliability for the 18 individual scales (patient self-report α = 0.71–0.96; parent proxy-report α = 0.73–0.98). Intercorrelations with the Generic Core Scales supported construct validity. Factor analysis supported the unidimensionality of the 18 individual scales. The PedsQL NF1 Module Scales demonstrated acceptable to excellent measurement properties, and may be utilized as standardized metrics to assess NF1-specific symptoms and problems in clinical research and practice in children, adolescents, and young adults.
30 – Mapping Gene Expression by MRI

This chapter describes the use of magnetic resonance (MR) techniques for imaging gene expression. Magnetic resonance contrast agents are typically composed of chelated paramagnetic ions. A paramagnetic ion in solution can act as a transceiver of radiation. The unpaired electrons residing on the ion form a permanent magnetic dipole with a magnitude dependent on the number of unpaired spins. Several contrast agents are developed that are sensitive to a number of biologically relevant targets such as pH, Ca 2+ concentration, and enzyme activity. Unlike existing contrast agents that constantly enhance signal, these agents behave in a conditional fashion and do not act until cleaved by the product of the lacZ gene, the enzyme β-galactosidase. These MR contrast agents are based on the framework of a clinical contrast agent, Gd(HP-DO3A), that has been modified with a carbohydrate “cap” that blocks access of water to the gadolinium. The introduction of exogenous genes (transgenes) for gene therapy or for generating transgenic animals requires expression at high levels and is a better candidate for detection by magnetic resonance imaging.
Top Ten Things to Know About Space Solar Power

This is the frequently asked questions (FAQ) chapter, the place you can go for answers to the top ten questions asked about space-based solar power—questions such as, “Why are solar power satellites needed, are they feasible and when will we see them?”
A Unique Case of a Sublingual-Space Schwannoma Arising from the Mylohyoid Nerve:

We describe a unique case of a sublingual-space schwannoma presenting as a painless, 3 x 2-cm enlarging mass in the oral cavity of a 63-year-old man. Computed tomography demonstrated a distinct, well-encapsulated mass in the right side of the floor of the mouth. Findings on fine-needle aspiration cytology were consistent with a pleomorphic adenoma. Transoral excision was performed. Intraoperatively, the mass appeared to involve the nerve to the mylohyoid muscle. Upon removal, the gross tumor measured 4.4 x 3.5 x 2.5 cm. On microscopic examination, the spindle-cell neoplasm was found to be consistent with a schwannoma. Schwannomas of the sublingual space are exceedingly rare. Moreover, to the best of our knowledge, this case represents the first published occurrence of a schwannoma that arose from the mylohyoid nerve.
Do Jokes Have to Be Funny: Analysis of 50 “Theoretically Jokes”

This talk will analyze responses to funniness of five versions of 10 different jokes. The responses of one of them will then be compared to theoretical analysis and representation of the same joke based on Script-based Semantics Theory of Humor, General Theory of Verbal Humor, and Ontological Semantic Theory of Humor.
Evaluation of nonwoven fabrics for nasal wipe sampling for influenza A virus in swine.

Influenza A virus (IAV) is a zoonotic pathogen threatening animal and public health; therefore, detection and monitoring of IAV in animal populations are critical components of a surveillance progr...
Genetic analysis of quantitative trait loci with the early generations of an elite, single-cross maize population

The first objective of this study was to detect QTLs affecting agronomically important traits in the Fa plants of an elite, single-cross of maize (Zea mays L). The second objective was to compare QTL detection in the F2 and Fz s generations. The third objective was to compare QTL detection in two samples of Fa a lines derived from the same F2 population. Thirty-eight QTLs affecting five traits were identified in the F2 plants. The QTLs were associated with 6 to 43 % of the phenotypic variation. QTLs explaining more than 40 % of the variation were observed for plant height and ear height. Most plant height and ear height QTLs with large effects had additive gene actions. Gene actions for flowering traits included additive, partial dominance, dominance, and overdominance. The parental effects were usually in accordance with the phenotypes of the inbred parents. Ten digenic interactions were observed, 2 for plant height and 8 for anthesis. One dominant x additive interaction affected a plant height QTL. Eighty-six QTLs were detected across F2 and F2:3 generations. More QTLs were unique in the F2:3 than in the F2 generation. Evidence of consistent detection was observed at 22 of the 86 QTLs. Most QTLs that were common in the F2 and F2;3 generations had intermediate to strong association with phenotypic variation. Most parental effects were conserved across generations, but the magnitude of effects was usually smaller in the F2:3.
Iodine quantification and detectability thresholds among major dual-energy CT platforms

Objectives:To estimate the minimum detectable iodine concentration on multiple dual-energy CT (DECT) platforms.Methods and materials:A phantom containing iodine concentrations ranging from 0 to 10 ...