cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-FF-T-408: TG21 In-Air Measurements of Elekta Gamma Knife Dose Volumes

Purpose: To implement TG21 dosimetry protocols and in‐air measurements to determine the dose rate of fields resulting from the 18mm and 14mm helmets of an Elekta Gamma Knife (GK) unit. Methods and Materials: An air ionization chamber with a collecting volume of 0.007cm3 was used to make in‐air measurements at the physical isocenter of a GK unit. The isocenter was determined and the chamber was positioned in air using a chamber holder and laser positioning system. The dose rate to water was determined using the TG21 formulism designed for use with Co‐ 60 teletherapy machines. Only a measurement taken at the isocenter of the machine is required. Certain chamber‐specific correction factors and a chamber calibration factor are also used. The clinical dose rate is determined by Elekta from measurements taken in an 8cm radius spherical phantom. For comparison this clinical dose rate can be corrected out of phantom using tissue‐air ratios. The experimentally determined dose rate is then compared with to the corrected clinical dose rate. Results: The dose rate for the 18mm and 14mm helmets determined using TG21 is within 1% of the Elekta‐provided clinical dose rate after correction out of phantom. The dose rate was also experimentally determined for the 8mm and 4mm helmets. The experimental dose rate is low for these helmets due to the field fall off within the chamber volume. Conclusion: TG21 in‐air measurements may be performed with the GK unit providing the field size is large enough to appear as a uniform field to the ionization chamber. These measurements allow GK dosimetry to be performed with an established dosimetry protocol and without complications arising from phantom material. This will allow further developments of in‐air calibration methods appropriate for the 8mm and 4mm fields of GK units to be compared to a well established standard.
How the study of children with rheumatic diseases identified interferon-α and interleukin-1 as novel therapeutic targets

Our studies in children with rheumatic diseases have led to the identification of two of the oldest cytokines, type I Interferon (IFN) and Interleukin 1 (IL-1), as important pathogenic players in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) and Systemic onset Juvenile Arthritis (SoJIA) respectively. These findings were obtained by studying the transcriptional profiles of patient blood cells and by assessing the biological and transcriptional effect(s) of active patient sera on healthy blood cells. We also identified a signature which can be used to promptly diagnose SoJIA from other febrile conditions. Finally, our pilot clinical trials using IL-1 blockers have shown remarkable clinical benefits in SoJIA patients refractory to other medications.
Identification of amino acid residues required for ferric-anguibactin transport in the outer-membrane receptor FatA of Vibrio anguillarum

Vibrio anguillarum 775 is a fish pathogen that causes a disease characterized by a fatal haemorrhagic septicaemia. It harbours the 65 kbp pJM1 plasmid, which encodes an iron sequestering system specific for the siderophore anguibactin and is essential for virulence. The genes involved in the biosynthesis of anguibactin are located on both the pJM1 plasmid and the chromosome. However, the genes for the outer-membrane receptor FatA and the other transport proteins are only carried on the plasmid. With the aim of elucidating the mechanism of ferric-anguibactin transport mediated by FatA, this work focuses on the identification of FatA amino acid residues that play a role in the transport of ferric-anguibactin, by analysing the transport kinetics of site-directed mutants. The mutations studied were located in conserved residues of the lock region, which contains a cluster of ten residues belonging to the N-terminal and barrel domains, and of the channel region of FatA, which contains conserved glycines located in the β5-β6 loop and a conserved arginine located in strand 11 of the β-barrel. In the case of the FatA lock region, it is clear that although the residues analysed in this work (R95, K130, E505 and E550) are conserved among various outer-membrane receptors, their involvement in the transport process might differ among receptors. Furthermore, it was determined that in the FatA channel region double substitutions of the conserved glycines 131 and 143 with alanine resulted in a variant receptor unable to transport ferric-anguibactin. It was also shown that the conserved arginine 428 located in strand 11 is essential for transport. The results suggest that a conformational change or partial unfolding of the plug domain occurs during ferric-anguibactin transport.
An Unwanted War: The Diplomacy of the United States and Spain Over Cuba, 1895-1898

Offner clarifies the complex relations of the United States, Spain, and Cuba leading up to the Spanish-American War and contends that the war was not wanted by any of the parties but was nonetheless unavoidable. He shows that a final round of peace negotiations failed in large part because internal political constraints limited diplomatic flexibility.
Phase characteristics of a number of U-Pu-Am-Np-Zr metallic alloys for use as fast reactor fuels

Metallic fuel alloys consisting of uranium, plutonium, and zirconium with minor additions of americium and neptunium are under evaluation for potential use to transmute long-lived transuranic actinide isotopes in fast reactors. A series of test designs for the Advanced Fuel Cycle Initiative (AFCI) have been irradiated in the Advanced Test Reactor (ATR), designated as the AFC-1 and AFC-2 designs. Metal fuel compositions in these designs have included varying amounts of U, Pu, Zr, and minor actinides (Am, Np). Investigations into the phase behavior and relationships based on the alloy constituents have been conducted using X-ray diffraction and differential thermal analysis. Results of these investigations, along with proposed relationships between observed behavior and alloy composition, are provided. In general, observed behaviors can be predicted by a ternary U–Pu–Zr phase diagram, with transition temperatures being most dependent on U content. Furthermore, the enthalpy associated with transitions is strongly dependent on the as-cast microstructural characteristics.
Methotrexate therapy leading to a rapid progression of a previously indolent prostate cancer: Is immunosuppression to blame?

Methotrexate therapy has been associated with occurrence and/or accelerated progression of malignancies. We describe a patient who developed widespread bone metastases of a previously confined to the prostate gland prostate cancer shortly after starting methotrexate therapy for rheumatoid arthritis and large granular lymphocyte leukemia. We believe an immunosuppressive milieu brought on by the methotrexate use in this case is responsible for the rapid progression of prostate cancer leading to the patient's demise. To the best of our knowledge, no association has been made to date between the therapy with methotrexate and a fulminant course of a previously indolent prostate cancer. Given its utilization in a variety of benign and malignant conditions and the ageing population, caution is advised with the use of this agent, especially in the presence of an underlying malignancy.
Different core promoters possess distinct regulatory activities in the Drosophila embryo

There are numerous examples of shared enhancers interacting with just a subset of target promoters. In some cases, specific enhancer-promoter interactions depend on promoter competition, whereby the activation of a preferred target promoter precludes expression of linked genes. Here, we employ a transgenic embryo assay to obtain evidence that promoter selection is influenced by the TATA element. Both the AE1 enhancer from the Drosophila Antennapedia gene complex (ANT-C) and the IAB5 enhancer from the Bithorax complex (BX-C) preferentially activate TATA-containing promoters when challenged with linked TATA-less promoters. In contrast, the rho neuroectoderm enhancer (NEE) does not discriminate between these two classes of promoters. Thus, certain upstream activators, such as Ftz, prefer TATA-containing promoters, whereas other activators, including Dorsal, work equally well on both classes of promoters. These results provide in vivo evidence that different core promoters possess distinct regulatory activities. We discuss the possibility that an invariant TFIID complex can adopt different conformations on the core promoter.
Spotlight: A Prototype Tool for Software Plans

Software evolution is made difficult by the need to integrate new features with all previously implemented features in the system. We present Spotlight, a prototype editor for software plans that seeks to address this problem by providing the programmer a principled way to separately develop and incrementally integrate independent features.
Radiographic hip joint phenotype of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi.

Canine hip dysplasia is recognized as one of the most common and debilitating orthopedic diseases of large- and giant-breed dogs.1, 2 It is a heritable disease of complex genetics, with defects in several currently unidentified genes. In addition to the genetic components, environmental factors, including diet, age, and body weight are known to influence the development of hip dysplasia and its clinical signs.3, 4 Distinct differences in disease prevalence and susceptibility however, have been reported even among dogs of similar body size and weight. For instance, German Shepherds are at a significantly greater risk for osteoarthritis (OA) than Golden retrievers, Labrador retrievers, and Rottweilers having similar joint laxity.1, 5, 6 Joint laxity, evident as subluxation or measured by distraction index (DI), is a well established risk factor for hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs.3, 4, 7, 8 Osteophyte formations along the femoral neck, termed caudolateral curvilinear osteophytes (CCO) are important radiographic findings associated with hip dysplasia and can be considered early signs of OA.9–12 A distinct rim, appearing as a radiopaque line encircling the junction of the femoral head and neck at the site of capsular attachment, termed circumferential femoral head osteophyte (CFHO), has also been described as a sensitive predictor for the development and progression of OA in several large-breed dogs.12, 13 This radiopaque rim was the earliest sign of hip dysplasia in a group of Labrador retrievers followed from birth until end of life.13 Both the CCO and CFHO have been associated with joint laxity and contribute to the diagnosis of hip dysplasia in large-breed dogs. A distinct difference, however, has been suggested between the CFHO in large-breed dogs and the presence of a radiopaque rim, similar in appearance and location, regularly found in adult chondrodystrophic dogs, particularly the Corgi.12, 13 In these dogs, the line represents a prominent, sharp rim encircling the femoral head13; however, its importance and relationship to joint laxity, OA, or hip dysplasia have not been elucidated in chondrodystrophic breeds. Many radiologists consider this bony rim normal for the Corgi breed. Although several small-breed dogs, as well as cats, have been reported to develop hip dysplasia, little is currently known about the genetic predisposition, risk factors, disease progression, or clinical and radiographic features in these breeds and species.2, 14–19 In one registry (Orthopedic Foundation for Animals [OFA]), the Pug is listed as having the 2nd highest prevalence of hip dysplasia (63.8%) and several other small-breed dogs seem to be commonly affected.2 Our purpose was to describe the radiographic hip joint phenotype of the Pembroke Welsh Corgi and to test 2 diametrically opposed hypotheses: that CFHO has no relationship to hip dysplasia and is therefore normal for the breed, or alternatively, that CFHO is a radiographic marker, risk factor, or osteophytic component of canine hip dysplasia in the Corgi breed just as it is in nonchondrodystrophic dogs.
RESONANCE PROBLEMS IN PHOTONICS

An important area of photonics concerns the propagation and control of light in nonhomogeneous or nonlinear media. This is an area of great importance due to the range of physical effects to be exploited in the design of devices for communication and computing, as well as in the study of fundamental phenomena. Progress has involved a rich interplay of experiment, modeling, computation and analysis, which have impact beyond the specific motivating questions. Indeed, the models and analysis that we discuss are closely related those arising in the study of Bose-Einstein condensation in the regime governed by Gross-Pitaevskii type equations. The propagation of light in a medium is governed by Maxwell’s equations with appropriate linear and nonlinear constitutive relations. We consider a setting where there is a separation of scales in the electric field; the carrier wavelength is short compared to a wave envelope width; see Figure 1. An approximate description of the field evolution, in terms of its envelope is therefore very natural and effective. In this article we discuss various resonance phenomena leading to and playing a role in the dynamics of such envelope equations. We begin with the modeling of optical pulses traveling through a nonlinear and periodic medium. At Bragg resonance, when the carrier wavelength and medium periodicity satisfy a resonance relation, the wave envelope evolves according to a system of dispersive nonlinear partial differential equations (PDEs), the nonlinear coupled mode equations (NLCME). NLCME has gap soliton solutions. These are localized states with frequencies in a photonic band gap. Theory predicts that these can travel at any speed less than the speed of light. It is of fundamental and practical interest to understand whether one can “trap” such soliton pulses. This would have potential application to optical buffers and computing. We explore strategies for soliton capture via the insertion of suitably designed localized defects. The dynamics are governed by a variant of NLCME, but now with �
Scheduling support for multicasting sessions in broadband communication networks

Multimedia applications require support from the underlying broadband network at the end-to-end communication level. Multicasting is an important paradigm of end-to-end communication. The root node of a multicasting session is responsible for controlling the session including monitoring, maintenance, and the implementation of the multicasting protocol. The job that controls the multicasting session executes as a group of tasks at the root node of a multicasting tree. The scheduling scheme at the root node should give support to a multicasting session by improving the completion time of the jobs controlling the multicasting session, hence increasing throughput and the probability of admitting new multicast sessions. We model the tasks that carry out the multicasting session monitoring and maintenance as a fork-join job executing on a multiprocessor system. We assume that an executing task blocks for device I/O as a part of the activities associated with sending and receiving data packets. We develop two analytic models for scheduling a session control job on a multiprocessor system. The first allows incoming job tasks to multiplex processors with existing tasks of another multicasting session; the other model schedules a task of the incoming job to an idle processor. We assume that the overhead of rescheduling a task to another processor is large. We compare the performance of both models and show the range of conditions under which a model outperforms the other. The results can be used in the design of an adaptive scheduler that uses both models to improve throughput and the probability of admitting new multicast sessions.
High Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Germline Mutations with Loss of Heterozygosity in a Series of Resected Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma and Other Neoplastic Lesions

Purpose: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is associated with the breast ovarian cancer syndrome ( BRCA1 / BRCA2 ) mutations. It is unknown if this association is causal. Experimental Design: This is a single-site study of patients who underwent surgical pancreatic tumor resection and self-identified as Ashkenazi Jewish. DNA from normal pancreatic tissue was genotyped for the three Ashkenazi Jewish BRCA1/2 founder mutations BRCA1 185delAG, BRCA1 5382insC, and BRCA2 6174delT, and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) was determined by sequencing DNA from microdissected tumor. When additional tumor tissue was available, p53 immunohistochemistry (IHC) was conducted. Results: Thirty-seven patients underwent surgery for PDAC, seven for intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN), and 19 for other diseases. A high prevalence of BRCA1 / 2 mutations was found in the surgical cohort (12/63; 19.0%; P P P = .01) compared with published control mutation frequency. A high prevalence of BRCA1 185delAG (8.1%; P BRCA2 6174delT (10.8%; P BRCA1 /2 LOH was found in 2 of 4 BRCA1 -associated PDACs and 3 of 4 BRCA2 -associated PDACs. Positive p53 IHC was found in 5 of 8 BRCA1 / 2 PDACs. Conclusions: We show a high prevalence of BRCA1 / 2 mutations with LOH in an Ashkenazi Jewish cohort of surgically resected PDAC and neoplastic lesions, suggesting that these germline mutations are causal in selected individuals. Clin Cancer Res; 19(13); 3396–403. ©2013 AACR .
Strong-coupling and nonlinear emission from a quantum-dot photonic-crystal-slab nanocavity

An InAs quantum dot in a photonic crystal nanocavity exhibits vacuum Rabi splitting (strong coupling); a clear anti-crossing is seen between the quantum dot transition and the nanocavity mode as the temperature is scanned.
Vertebral Angiosarcoma in a Horse

From the Animal Health Diagnostic Laboratory (Kennedy) and Department of Large Animal Clinical Sciences (Brown), College of Veterinary Medicine, Michigan State University, East Lansing, MI 48824-1316. Received for publication October 23, 1991. or angiosarcomas. This is a report of a case of vertebral angiosarcoma in a horse. An 18-year-old Quarter Horse gelding had difficulty lifting his head. Over a 2-week period, the condition progressed to ataxia and recumbency. A myelogram revealed a space-occupying lesion impinging on the spinal cord at the level of the fourth cervical vertebra (C4). The horse was euthanized, and a necropsy was performed. A 3.4x 0.5x 0.5-cm dark red and yellow mottled soft mass was free in the extradural space, ventral to the spinal cord, and within the vertebral canal of C4 (Fig. 1). In a longitudinal section of C4, the periosteum of the ventral vertebral
Spinal epidural abscess following treatment with rituximab.

Objective To describe spinal epidural abscess after treatment with rituximab. Methods Report of a new case of cervical epidural spinal abscess after treatment with rituximab and review of the literature. Results Biologic agents are associated with an increased risk of serious infections, there are only few reports of spinal epidural abscesses following immunomodulatory treatment with biologic agents, including only one other case of an epidural abscess after the use of rituximab. The risk may be greater with the use of other immunosuppressive medications, or with combined immunotherapy. Conclusion Spinal epidural abscess is a rare complication with potential severe morbidity, and continued vigilance is needed as timely intervention may prevent severe morbidity and potentially fatal outcome.
Data Structures and Algorithm Analysis in C

From the Publisher: Mark Allen Weiss provides a proven approach to algorithms and data structures using the exciting Java programming language as the implementation tool. With Java he highlights conceptual topics, focusing on ADTs and the analysis of algorithms for efficiency as well as performance and running time. Dr. Weiss also distinguishes this text with a logical organization of topics, his engaging writing style, and an extensive use of figures and examples showing the successive stages of an algorithm. Features: Contains extensive sample code using Java 1.2, which is available over the Internet. Covers the Java Collections Library in an appendix. Includes a chapter on algorithm and design techniques that covers greedy algorithms, divide-and-conquer algorithms, dynamic programming, randomized algorithms, and backtracking. Presents current topics and new data structures such as Fibonacci heaps, skew heaps, binomial queues, skip lists, and splay trees. Offers a chapter on amortized analysis that examines the advanced data structures presented earlier in the book. Provides a chapter on advanced data structures and their implementation, covering red-black trees, top-down splay trees, treaps, k-d trees, pairing heaps, and more.
A Perspective on Enzyme Catalysis

The seminal hypotheses proposed over the years for enzymatic catalysis are scrutinized. The historical record is explored from both biochemical and theoretical perspectives. Particular attention is given to the impact of molecular motions within the protein on the enzyme's catalytic properties. A case study for the enzyme dihydrofolate reductase provides evidence for coupled networks of predominantly conserved residues that influence the protein structure and motion. Such coupled networks have important implications for the origin and evolution of enzymes, as well as for protein engineering.
Tracking a nanosize magnetic particle using a magnetic force microscope

A scheme for tracking nano-sized magnetic particles using a magnetic force microscope (MFM) is introduced. The stray magnetic field of the particle induces a shift in the phase of the oscillation of the MFM tip. The magnitude of this shift depends on the distance between the tip and the particle and can be expressed as a spatial field. We present a control law which steers the tip to a level set of this field. The approach is based on the previous work of two of the authors on a novel method for mapping unknown potential fields using sensor- enabled mobile robots. Because the method involves geometric properties of the field and its domain, it is not surprising that it can be applied to problems where the characteristic length scales are small. Additionally, we introduce to the original control law an adaptive term to compensate for uncertainties in the parameter values in the model of the magnetic force. The efficacy of this approach is illustrated through simulation. This approach to tracking will provide the capability to investigate the dynamics of single molecules with a higher resolution (in both space and time) than is currently possible.
Constitutive expression of pMMO by Methylocystis strain SB2 when grown on multi-carbon substrates: implications for biodegradation of chlorinated ethenes.

Summary The particulate methane monooxygenase (pMMO) in Methylocystis strain SB2 was found to be constitu- tively expressed in the absence of methane when the strain was grown on either acetate or ethanol. Real- timequantitativepolymerasechainreaction(PCR)and reversetranscription-PCRshowedthattheexpression of pmoA decreased by one to two orders of magnitude when grown on acetate as compared with growth of strain SB2 on methane. The capability of strain SB2 to degrade a mixture of chlorinated ethenes in the absence of methane was examined to verify the pres- ence and activity of pMMO under acetate-growth con- ditions as well determine the effectiveness of such conditions for bioremediation. It was found that when strain SB2 was grown on acetate and exposed to 40 mM each of trichloroethylene (TCE), trans- dichloroethylene (t-DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), approximately 30% of VC and t-DCE was degraded but no appreciable TCE removal was measured after 216 h of incubation. The ability to degrade VC andt-DCE was lostwhenacetylenewasadded,confirmingthatpMMO was responsible for the degradation of these chlori- nated ethenes by Methylocystis strain SB2 when the strain was grown on acetate.
An Analysis of Removal of Agricultural Trade Barriers between the United States and Canada with Emphasis on the Southeast

SUMMARY A four-region, 23-commodity small world agricultural trade liberalization model within the SWOPSIM framework is used to measure the impact of tariff removal between the United States and Canada. The tariffs are simply defined as negative import subsidy equivalents in the model and are then removed from the trade prices. The model recalculates domestic supply and demand levels in all regions, rebalancing world trade, production, consumption and prices. In summary, the impacts of the Canada-U.S. Trade Agreement on selected commodity groups are significant. Canadian imports of beef and veal, poultry meat, soybean oil and fresh strawberries increase. Furthermore, the results indicate larger trade flows for selected products and declines in producer and consumer prices in Canada, U.S. and Southeast regions. Since the U.S. share of Canadian agricultural imports averaged 60% in the 1980s, the impact of trade liberalization will be greater in Canada in selected commodities than in the U. S. or the southeastern region, and Canadian dependence on the U.S. market will be increasing in the future. The tariff phaseout, together with a reduction in nontariff barriers and harmonizing of domestic agricultural policies, will create more export opportunities in selected commodities for both the United States and Canada, and will create the world's largest free trade market.
Factors Associated with General and Sexual Alcohol-Related Consequences: An Examination of College Students Studying Abroad.

This study contributes to the scarce research on U.S. college students studying abroad by documenting general and sexual negative alcohol-related risks and factors associated with such risk. The manner of drinking (quantity vs. frequency), pre-departure expectations surrounding alcohol use while abroad, culture-related social anxiety, and perceived disparity between home and host cultures, differentially predicted consequences abroad. The findings include important implications for student affairs professionals in developing study abroad-specific interventions and resources to maintain student well-being while abroad.
Mesenchymal Stem Cells from Infants Born to Obese Mothers Exhibit Greater Potential for Adipogenesis: The Healthy Start BabyBUMP Project

Maternal obesity increases the risk for pediatric obesity; however, the molecular mechanisms in human infants remain poorly understood. We hypothesized that mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) from infants born to obese mothers would demonstrate greater potential for adipogenesis and less potential for myogenesis, driven by differences in β-catenin, a regulator of MSC commitment. MSCs were cultured from the umbilical cords of infants born to normal-weight (prepregnancy [pp] BMI 21.1 ± 0.3 kg/m(2); n = 15; NW-MSCs) and obese mothers (ppBMI 34.6 ± 1.0 kg/m(2); n = 14; Ob-MSCs). Upon differentiation, Ob-MSCs exhibit evidence of greater adipogenesis (+30% Oil Red O stain [ORO], +50% peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor (PPAR)-γ protein; P < 0.05) compared with NW-MSCs. In undifferentiated cells, total β-catenin protein content was 10% lower and phosphorylated Thr41Ser45/total β-catenin was 25% higher (P < 0.05) in Ob-MSCs versus NW-MSCs (P < 0.05). Coupled with 25% lower inhibitory phosphorylation of GSK-3β in Ob-MSCs (P < 0.05), these data suggest greater β-catenin degradation in Ob-MSCs. Lithium chloride inhibition of GSK-3β increased nuclear β-catenin content and normalized nuclear PPAR-γ in Ob-MSCs. Last, ORO in adipogenic differentiating cells was positively correlated with the percent fat mass in infants (r = 0.475; P < 0.05). These results suggest that altered GSK-3β/β-catenin signaling in MSCs of infants exposed to maternal obesity may have important consequences for MSC lineage commitment, fetal fat accrual, and offspring obesity risk.
Prosocial consumer behavior

Prosocial consumer behavior refers to purchase behavior involving self-sacrifice for the good of others or of society. The research builds off both classic social psychology research on helping and research from the judgment and decision making literature on factors that distort optimal decision making. The research highlights the myriad types of motivation that induce prosocial behavior, including extrinsic rewards, reputational benefits, the pursuit of pleasure, and the avoidance of distress. In this article, we review recent findings in this area and we discuss two emerging topics: firstly, how consumers judge themselves and others who behave prosocially and secondly, how consumers respond to corporate partnerships with charity.
Examining Combinations of Social Physique Anxiety and Motivation Regulations Using Latent Profile Analysis.

ABSTRACTPrevious research has used cluster analysis to examine how social physique anxiety (SPA) combines with motivation in physical education. This study utilized a more advanced analytic approach, latent profile analysis (LPA), to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations. Students in grades 9–12 (N = 298) completed questionnaires at two time points assessing SPA and motivation regulations, psychological needs, enjoyment, effort, and characteristics of physical education peers. LPA identified four profiles representing Autonomous (13.4%), Average (39.3%), Low Autonomous (25.2%), and Autonomous and Introjected (22.1%). Profiles were replicated at a second time point, and evidence of profile measurement invariance across gender was found. A multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA) showed profile differences. The model-based analytic approach to identify profiles of SPA and motivation regulations differed from cluster analysis profiles. The profiles were not driven by SPA, rather autonomous mo...
The Route to Phosphabenzene and Beyond

This article presents the background of the author's synthesis of phosphabenzene in 1971. It also expands to tell the story behind the syntheses of the heavier group 15 heterobenzenes: arsabenzene, stibabenzene, and bismabenzene, which were prepared nearly at the same time and by a largely similar route.
Oxidative Stress and Nanomaterial-Cellular Interactions

The incorporation of nanoscale engineered materials into industrial technologies and consumer goods has rapidly escalated to the point that classical approaches for assessing the safety of new materials are not practical. Consequently, there is a critical need to understand fundamental and predictive principles that govern the biocompatibility of engineered nanomaterials, both to guide safe nano design and prioritize needs for in vivo toxicity assessments. The ability of engineered nanomaterials to initiate cellular oxidative stress has emerged as a leading predictive hypothesis in nanotoxicology. Here, we discuss the direct and indirect mechanisms by which oxidative stress is induced in biological systems by nanomaterials, and emerging knowledge of the fundamental physicochemical properties of these materials that govern these effects. Given the diverse sources of reactive oxygen species in biological systems, it is often difficult to discern whether oxidative stress is a cause, or consequence of nanotoxicity. Thus, while oxidative stress remains an important biological endpoint for toxicological screening purposes, caution should be taken in implicating it as a central mechanism of toxicity.
Interface automata

Conventional type systems specify interfaces in terms of values and domains. We present a light-weight formalism that captures the temporal aspects of software component interfaces. Specifically, we use an automata-based language to capture both input assumptions about the order in which the methods of a component are called, and output guarantees about the order in which the component calls external methods. The formalism supports automatic compatability checks between interface models, and thus constitutes a type system for component interaction. Unlike traditional uses of automata, our formalism is based on an optimistic approach to composition, and on an alternating approach to design refinement. According to the optimistic approach, two components are compatible if there is some environment that can make them work together. According to the alternating approach, one interface refines another if it has weaker input assumptions, and stronger output guarantees. We show that these notions have game-theoretic foundations that lead to efficient algorithms for checking compatibility and refinement.
Load Updating for Finite Element Models Using Reduced Number of Unknown Load Coefficients

Measurement based load updating for linear finite element models is to find the parameters or coefficients of the applied load on the structure to minimize the sum of squares of the errors between the calculated and measured response entities. In this paper, we revisit this topic by using reduced number of unknown load coefficients to suppress unexpected oscillations of the extracted loads due to insufficient measured data and ill-conditioned Least Squares problems. Examples include simply-supported stiffened and un-stiffened plates and a foam cored mattress.
Innovated Research on the Characterstics of Physical Education Curriculum of Colleges and Universities Under the View of Post-modern Knowledge——Example for outside survive curriculum in Zhejiang Ocean college

Knowledge of post-modern perspective on the characteristics of physical education studies to physical education curriculum for the new look,from access to physical education curriculum development and changes in the law,in order to build a new sports curriculum to provide a reliable theoretical basis and practical construction,for decision-making to provide constructive ideas and programs,colleges and universities to promote the development of physical education curriculum in line with local conditions and resources to improve the quality of teaching physical education in order to better accomplish the goal of college physical education.
The impact of pregnancy on women's prenatal and postpartum smoking behavior.

We report patterns of prenatal smoking cessation and postpartum relapse for a large urban population of pregnant women. We examined associations between sociodemographic factors and prepregnancy, pregnancy, and early postpartum smoking behavior. Forty-one percent of women smoking before pregnancy quit smoking during pregnancy. Sociodemographic factors important in predicting smoking cessation during pregnancy, as determined through logistic regression analyses, differed significantly for white and black women. Among white women, education, age, and parity were important predictors of cessation, whereas among black women, only intention to breastfeed was a significant predictor of smoking cessation during pregnancy. Early postpartum smoking relapse rates differed by ethnicity. Twenty-eight percent of white women and 46% of black women who had quit during pregnancy relapsed within 6–12 weeks postpartum. Using logistic regression, we found formula feeding to be the most important predictor of early postpartum smoking relapse for both white and black women.
Temporal Modulation of a Subcritical Bifurcation to Travelling Waves

The Hopf bifurcation to travelling and standing waves which arises in a variety of systems has drawn considerable attention during the past few years. Recently it has been shown that modulating a control parameter R in time has a strong influence on the selection properties of such a system if the modulation frequency is close to a resonance with the natural frequency of these waves (Riecke et al., 1988; Walgraef, 1988; Rehberg et al., 1988): if stable travelling waves bifurcate supercritically in the unmodulated system, the modulation lowers the threshold for standing waves below that for travelling waves. This can lead to stable standing waves in a parameter regime where travelling waves do not exist. However, in the system which has been studied experimentally the most (binary mixture convection) the unmodulated instability to travelling waves is subcritical. This naturally raises the question whether in such a system the modulation can still stabilize standing waves even though the travelling waves appear already below threshold. This is the topic of the present paper.
Bispecific Anti-HIV-1 Antibodies with Enhanced Breadth and Potency

Broadly neutralizing antibodies (bNAbs) against the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein (Env) suppress viremia in animal models of HIV-1 and humans. To achieve potent activity without the emergence of viral escape mutants, co-administration of different bNAbs is necessary to target distinct epitopes essential for viral fitness. Here, we report the development of bispecific anti-Env neutralizing antibodies (biNAbs) with potent activity. Synergistic activity of biNAbs was achieved by combining an engineered hinge domain of IgG3 to increase Fab domain flexibility necessary for hetero-bivalent binding to the Env trimer while retaining the functional properties of the IgG1-Fc. Compared to unmodified biNAbs, hinge domain variants exhibited substantially improved neutralization activity, with particular combinations showing evidence of synergistic neutralization potency in vitro and enhanced in vivo therapeutic activity in HIV-1-infected humanized mice. These findings suggest innovative strategies for generating biNAbs with enhanced neutralization breadth and potency, representing ideal candidate molecules for the control of HIV-1 infection.
Effects of System’s Limitations on the Accuracy of Measured Ultrasonic Correlated Signal

Within a highly attenuating material, it is often difficult to identify relevant target signals due to the system’s white noise that is elevated by high gains on a conventional ultrasonic system. Ultrasonic pulse compression technique resolves such problem. The ultrasonic pulse compression technique permits an ultrasonic system to operate with long transmitted pulses for an increased detection range, but without sacrificing the depth resolution by signal correlation. Moreover, the time integral involved in the cross-correlation further suppresses the system’s white noise, and hence it produces an improved signal-to-noise ratio (SNR).
Immigrants as Research Partners: A Review of Immigrants in Community-Based Participatory Research (CBPR)

Community-based participatory research (CBPR) is uniquely suited to engage immigrants in all aspects of research, from research question development to data collection to interpretation and dissemination of results. An increasing number of research studies have utilized the methodology for exploring complex health issues for immigrants. In the current manuscript, we present a review of peer-reviewed articles in health-related research where CBPR was conducted in partnership with immigrants. We examined the role of immigrants in the CBPR process and how immigrant involvement improved/enhanced the research rigor. A total of 161 articles met the inclusion criteria. The results of this literature review enhance our understanding of how CBPR can be used in direct collaboration with immigrants and highlights the many potential benefits for both researchers and immigrant communities.
Popular Perceptions of Soviet Politics in the 1920s: Disenchantment of the Dreamers. By Olga Velikanova. (New York, NY: Palgrave Macmillan, 2013. Pp. 251. $100.00.)

Prominent among the areas of study opened to scholars after the collapse of the Soviet Union are the vast terrains of popular perception and individual as well as mass consciousness during the Sovi...
Characterization of Tissue Thermal Conductivity During a Tissue Joining Process

Electrosurgical vessel sealing, a tissue joining process, has been widely used in surgical procedures, such as prostatectomies for bleeding control. The heat generated during the process may cause thermal damages to the surrounding tissues which can lead to detrimental postoperative problems. Having better understanding about the thermal spread helps to minimize these undesired thermal damages. The purpose of this study is to investigate the changes of tissue thermal conductivity during the joining process. We propose a hybrid method combining experimental measurement with inverse heat transfer analysis to determine thermal conductivity of thin tissue sample. Instead of self-heating the tissue by the thermistor, we apply an external cold boundary on the other side of the tissue sample to stimulate a higher temperature gradient without denaturing the tissue in comparison to the heated method. The inverse heat transfer technique was then applied to determine the tissue thermal conductivity. Tissue thermal conductivity at different levels (0%, 25%, 50%, 75%, and 100%) of the joining process was measured. The results show a decreasing trend in tissue thermal conductivity with increasing joining level. When the tissue is fully joined, an average of 60% reduction in tissue thermal conductivity was found.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
ST elevation due to hypercalcemia

Characteristic ECG changes with hypercalcemia include shortening of the QoT, QaT, and QeT intervals which are measured from the beginning of the QRS complex to the origin (O), apex (A), and end (E) of the T wave respectively. At very high serum calcium levels ECG changes include slight prolongation of the PR and QRS intervals, T wave flattening or inversion, and the appearance of a J wave at the end of the QRS complex. We present a case of a 22year-old male, who had been bedbound for 5months following a severe motor vehicle collision, presenting with shortening of the QoT and QaT intervals leading to anterior ST elevation mimicking acute myocardial infarction. Cardiac troponin testing was negative, however, laboratory testing revealed a serum calcium level of 15mg/dL (normal 7.3-10.5mg/dL). We review the published literature regarding the link between hypercalcemia and the appearance of ST elevation.
Maternal and paternal occupational exposures and hepatoblastoma: results from the HOPE study through the Children's Oncology Group.

Little is known about the etiology of hepatoblastoma. We aimed to confirm the results of a previous study evaluating the association between parental occupational exposures and hepatoblastoma. In our case–control study, we identified cases (n=383) from the Children’s Oncology Group and controls from birth certificates (n=387), which were frequency matched to cases on year and region of birth, sex, and birth weight. Occupational exposure in the year before and during the index pregnancy was collected through maternal interview and analyzed using unconditional logistic regression. The odds of both paternal and maternal “Likely” exposure to paints was elevated among cases compared with controls (paternal odds ratio (OR): 1.71, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.04, 2.81; maternal OR: 3.29, 95% CI: 0.32, 33.78) after adjustment for matching factors and the confounding factors of maternal race (maternal only) and household income. In addition, paternal exposure to other chemicals was also elevated when adjusting for matching factors only (OR: 1.53, 95% CI: 1.02, 2.30). The results of our study provide further evidence of an association between parental occupation and hepatoblastoma. These results warrant further investigation of the etiologically relevant timing of occupational exposure to fumes and chemicals related to hepatoblastoma.
A data driven method for model based diagnostics and prognostics

This article’s model based diagnostics system has four modules. Diagnosis and fault location forms physics models of the machine, measures states off the real in-service machine, generates simulated machine states and simulated sensor outputs for the machine model with loads same as the real machine, and compares simulated sensor outputs to real sensor outputs. The parameter tuning module adjusts (tunes) the parameters of the model until the simulated sensor outputs closely mimic real sensor outputs. Tuning transfers information on the system’s health from the sensor data to the model’s parameters. Parameters changed from nominal values locate faults and bad parts. For the health assessment module to assess machine health, we view a machine as a “machine channel” that organizes power and information flow through the machine. Machines focus power via an organization inherent in its components and design. Broken or degraded components disrupt this organization and the power and information flows. Shannon’s information theory for communications channels can then be applied as a health metric to this “machine channel”. Ageing of components degrades machine functional health. To prognose future health, differential equations that model ageing of the machine’s components are formulated and solved. These equations predict component degradation, and update values of parameters in the model associated with component ageing. With these future parameter values, simulations of the machine operation model can then predict “future” machine behavior, and system health. This article demonstrates these methods on motors and a pump.
Melasma: an Up-to-Date Comprehensive Review.

Melasma is a common acquired condition of symmetric hyperpigmentation, typically occurring on the face, with higher prevalence in females and darker skin types. Multiple etiologies, including light exposure, hormonal influences, and family history, have been implicated in the pathogenesis of this disorder. Overall prevalence ranges widely at 1–50%, since values are typically calculated within a specific ethnic population within a geographic region. Histologically, melasma can display increased epidermal and/or dermal pigmentation, enlarged melanocytes, increased melanosomes, solar elastosis, dermal blood vessels, and, occasionally, perivascular lymphohistiocytic infiltrates. Various topical, oral, and procedural therapies have been successfully used to treat melasma. Traditional topical therapies including hydroquinone, tretinoin, corticosteroids, and triple combination creams; however, other synthetic and natural topical compounds have also shown varying efficacies. Promising oral therapies for melasma include tranexamic acid, Polypodium leucotomos, and glutathione. Procedures, including chemical peels, microneedling, radiofrequency, and lasers, are also often used as primary or adjunctive treatments for melasma. Notably, combination therapies within or across treatment modalities generally result in better efficacies than monotherapies. This review serves as a comprehensive update on the current understanding of the epidemiology, pathogenesis, clinical and histologic features of melasma, as well as treatments for this common, yet therapeutically challenging, condition.
Core–Shell Nanofibrous Materials with High Particulate Matter Removal Efficiencies and Thermally Triggered Flame Retardant Properties

Dust filtration is a crucial process for industrial waste gas treatment. Great efforts have been devoted to improve the performance of dust filtration filters both in industrial and fundamental research. Conventional air-filtering materials are limited by three key issues: (1) Low filtration efficiency, especially for particulate matter (PM) below 1 μm; (2) large air pressure drops across the filter, which require a high energy input to overcome; and (3) safety hazards such as dust explosions and fires. Here, we have developed a “smart” multifunctional material which can capture PM with high efficiency and an extremely low pressure drop, while possessing a flame retardant design. This multifunctionality is achieved through a core–shell nanofiber design with the polar polymer Nylon-6 as the shell and the flame retardant triphenyl phosphate (TPP) as the core. At 80% optical transmittance, the multifunctional materials showed capture efficiency of 99.00% for PM2.5 and >99.50% for PM10–2.5, with a pressure dr...