cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Congenital giant hydroureteronephrosis

Four patients with giant hydroureteronephrosis are reported to emphasize the massive proportions attained by a dilated ureter. Ureteral obstruction was congenital in each case; duplication with ectopic insertion was present in three of the four patients. In three patients the massively dilated ureter caused partial obstruction of the contralateral ureter. If ultrasound and/or computed tomography demonstrate a huge, septate, cystic structure crossing the midline, massive megaureter should be suspected. Antegrade puncture can be used to confirm the diagnosis.
The impact of the BCS theory of superconductivity

The BCS theory of superconductivity revolutionized an entire field of research. It provided for the first time a framework of understanding, into which past and subsequent observations could be fitted. It also motivated much of the research on superconductivity that followed. The background and content of the theory are described here briefly, and an attempt is made to assess the theory's impact.
Effect of Chronic Administration of Antidepressants on α2-Adrenoceptors in the Locus Coeruleus and Its Projection Fields in Rat Brain Determined by Quantitative Autoradiography

The density of alpha 2-adrenoceptors, using 3H-idazoxan as the radioligand, was determined by quantitative autoradiography in the locus coeruleus and in 13 noradrenergic projection fields following chronic administration of drugs acting on noradrenergic and/or serotonergic neurons. Protriptyline, an inhibitor of the uptake or norepinephrine, and mianserin, an alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, reduced the binding of 3H-idazoxan only in the locus coeruleus. Phenelzine, an inhibitor of both type A and type B monoamine oxidase (MAO), reduced the binding of 3H-idazoxan in the locus coeruleus and in several areas with noradrenergic innervation from tegmental cell bodies. Clorgyline, a selective inhibitor of type A MAO, had no effect. Of the two selective inhibitors of serotonin uptake, citalopram caused a modest increase in binding only in one terminal field area, whereas sertraline had no effect. Although these antidepressants did not produce consistent effects on alpha 2-adrenoceptors, protriptyline, mianserin, and phenelzine were similar in that they all decreased the binding of 3H-idazoxan in the locus coeruleus without widely affecting its binding in the coerulean terminal fields. Deprenyl, a selective inhibitor of type B MAO, the only drug in this study without proven antidepressant efficacy, differed from all other drugs in that it decreased the binding of 3H-idazoxan both in the locus coeruleus as well as in most terminal fields with primarily coerulean noradrenergic innervation.
Design of a Molecular Transport Laboratory for Undergraduate Biomedical Engineering Students

The project goal is to design a laboratory experience for undergraduate biomedical engineering students capable of demonstrating molecular transport mechanisms. The two transport methods of interest are diffusion and osmosis. To relate these methods to physiological processes, the proposed laboratory apparatus will be a model for both capillary filtration and cell membrane diffusion.
Heritable forms of hypertension

Among the causes of secondary hypertension are a group of disorders with a Mendelian inheritance pattern. Recent advances in molecular biology have unveiled the pathogenesis of hypertension in many of these conditions. Remarkably, the mechanism in every case has proved to be upregulation of sodium (Na) reabsorption in the distal nephron, with accompanying expansion of extracellular volume. In one group, the mutations involve the Na-transport machinery in distal tubule cells themselves: the distal convoluted tubule (DCT) cell and the principal cell of the collecting duct. Examples include Liddle’s syndrome, with an activating mutation of epithelial Na channel (ENaC); two types of Gordon’s syndrome, with mutations in two regulatory kinases [with no lysine (K) serine/threonine protein kinases (WNK)1 or WNK4]; and apparent mineralocorticoid excess (AME), with an inactivating mutation in the glucocorticoid-metabolizing 11β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 2 enzyme (11HD2). In another group, abnormal adrenal steroid production leads to inappropriate stimulation of the mineralocorticoid receptor (MR) in the distal nephron. The pathophysiology may involve inappropriate production of aldosterone [in glucocorticoid-remediable aldosteronism (GRA) and familial hyperaldosteronism type II (FH II)], of cortisol (in familial glucocorticoid resistance), or of other steroid metabolites (in congenital adrenal hyperplasia and GRA). In contrast to earlier beliefs, hypertension in many of the inherited disorders may be mild, and electrolyte and acid-base abnormalities are often not present. Monogenic hypertension should therefore enter the differential diagnosis of any child or adolescent with hypertension. Plasma renin activity (PRA) is the appropriate screening tool for all types of inherited hypertension.
Ultrasound diagnosis of malaria: examination of the spleen, liver, and optic nerve sheath diameter.

METHODS: In this study we investigated the effectiveness of measurements of spleen, liver, and optic nerve sheath diameter (ONSD) in identifying patients with malaria or severe malaria through the use of hand-held ultrasound devices. We recruited 40 adult patients with malaria and 16 adult control subjects at two hospitals in Mwanza, Tanzania. Ultrasonographic diagnosis was compared with rapid antigen diagnostic test and peripheral blood smear as the gold standards. An receiver operating characteristic curve test was performed to determine the most optimal diagnostic threshold for malaria and severe malaria, using each of the measurements for liver size, spleen size, and ONSD. The thresholds were determined to be >12 cm for spleen length and >15.1 cm for liver length, whereas ONSD was not signifi cant in this study. RESULTS: The sensitivities for malaria diagnosis were 66.7% and 58.3% for liver and spleen length respectively, suggesting that these measurements may not be suitable for identifying patients with severe malaria. However, the high specificity of 90.9% for spleen length and the acceptable specifi city of 75.0% for liver length suggest that these measurements can be used as a method to eliminate false-positive diagnoses (i.e. patients who do not have severe malaria but are classifi ed as having it by a test with a high sensitivity), giving a high positive predictive value. CONCLUSIONS: We report a high specifi city for spleen size and a moderate specifi city for liver size in the ultrasonographic diagnosis of severe malaria. Thus when paired with a highly sensitive method of malaria diagnosis, ultrasonographic measurement of spleen and liver size is promising as part of a diagnostic algorithm for malaria. It could be used to stratify risk in patients diagnosed with malaria and assist in their triage. If no sensitive tests are available, ultrasound might be useful to suggest malaria as a cause of a patient's constellation of clinical symptoms.
Treatment of al amyloidosis with melphalan, prednisone, and colchicine

Seven patients with immunoglobulin type (AL) amyloidosis were treated with combination chemotherapy, including melphalan, prednisone, and colchicine. Two patients died within 5 months of the beginning of therapy. Both had amyloid cardiomyopathy. Five patients were alive 17-60 months after the start of therapy, and none had shown progression of disease. The most significant findings were the resolution of the nephrotic syndrome in 2 patients, and improvement of liver function, as demonstrated by excretion of indocyanine green, in 2 patients. These results are encouraging and support the need for further studies of this regimen of combination chemotherapy for patients with AL amyloidosis.
Bandwidth-Based Prefetching for Constant-Stride Arrays

We describe a new algorithm for prefetching arrays that are accessed with a compile-time known constant stride. We demonstrate a hardware limitation that has not previously been dealt with (limited off-chip bandwidth) and show its effect on prefetching. Our new algorithm is designed to cope with this hardware limitation. The new algorithm generates prefetches that are more efficient than the standard algorithm because it avoids cache conflicts and issues prefetches based on the machine’s ability to process memory transactions in parallel. As a bonus, the new algorithm is independent of the time to execute an iteration. This allows the compiler to perform prefetch analysis early, before good estimates of execution time are available. The result is that we prefetch as far ahead as is profitable given machine resources, but no farther. We show the performance gained by prefetching for our algorithm and for the traditional algorithm on the SPEC CPU2000 floating-point benchmarks. The new algorithm is demonstrably faster for this set of programs.
Flexible configuration and concurrent upgrade for the IBM eServer z900

Flexible, nondisruptive upgrade capabilities and self-healing characteristics in IBM eServer systems are currently being addressed. The IBM eServer z900 and preceding S/390® servers have been delivering leading-edge self-configuring, self-optimizing, self-protecting, self-managing, and self-healing capabilities that provide a solid foundation for those efforts. Current processors, memory, and input/output (I/O) cards are produced with dense physical packaging at high volumes without requiring fine configuration granularity. The granularity is provided under the control of Licensed Internal Code (LIC), which enables hardware entities to fulfill specific requirements based on encrypted product data. Disabled hardware entities are "dormant" and are reserved for capacity upgrades or self-healing. Concurrent capacity upgrade functions enable dormant hardware entities to reflect the new configuration. In case of hardware failure, healthy dormant hardware can be enabled, without disruption, to replace failing hardware. This paper describes the high level of concurrent configuration-change flexibility provided in the IBM eServer z900 and the asset protection approach on which it is based.
3-D Structure of Nanosized Catalysts by High-Energy X-ray Diffraction and Reverse Monte Carlo Simulations: Study of Ru

Ruthenium exhibits a high catalytic activity that is further enhanced when the material is used as nanosized particles. The origin of the enhanced performance lies in the highly increased surface to volume ratio and, often, to the surface/environment-driven structural relaxation taking place at the nanoscale. In this paper, we show how high-energy X-ray diffraction, atomic pair distribution function analysis, and reverse Monte Carlo simulations may be used to determine the 3-D structure of nanoparticle catalysts such as Ru with sizes less than 5 nm. Ruthenium particles that are 4 nm in size are found to possess a hexagonal close packed-type structure, similar to that found in bulk Ru. Particles that are only 2 nm in size are heavily disordered and consist of a Ru core and a Ru−S skin due to the usage of thiol-based capping agents. This work is the first application of an approach for determining the atomic-scale structure of nanosized catalysts based entirely on experimental diffraction data. The new stru...
Induction and Autocrine Receptor Binding of Transforming Growth Factor-β2 during Terminal Differentiation of Primary Mouse Keratinocytes

Primary cultures of mouse keratinocytes maintain a basal cell phenotype in 0.05 mm Ca2+ medium, while culture in 1.4 mm Ca2+ results in terminal differentiation and inhibition of DNA synthesis. Induction of differentiation by Ca2+ results in a 10- to 20-fold increase in the expression of transforming growth factor-β2 (TGF-β2) mRNA and peptide, but a decrease in the expression of TGF-β1. In contrast, binding and cross-linking analyses show that the number of available surface 80 kilodalton (kDa) and 65 kDa TGF-β receptor types decrease during differentiation. However, a mild acid wash significantly increases the number of available receptor sites on the differentiated keratinocytes, indicating that the TGF-β receptors are unavailable for binding due to masking by endogenous ligand. A significant level of TGF-β2 secretion and receptor binding occur before the decrease in DNA synthesis, suggesting that the inhibition of DNA synthesis associated with differentiation of keratinocytes is mediated through the pr...
Experimental assessment of fractal scale-similarity in turbulent flows. Part 1. One-dimensional intersections

Results are presented from an assessment of the applicability of fractal scale-similarity in the spatio-temporal structure of Sc + 1 conserved scalar fields {(x, t> and scalar energy dissipation rate fields V{. V<(x, t) in turbulent flows. Over 2 million spatial and temporal intersections were analysed from fully resolved three-dimensional (2563) spatial measurements as well as fully resolved four-dimensional spatio-temporal measurements containing up to 3 million points. Statistical criteria were used to assess both deterministic and stochastic fractal scale-similarity and to differentiate between fractal and random sets. Results span the range of spatio-temporal scales from the scalar diffusion scales (A,,, T,) to the viscous diffusion scales (A,,, T,) and to the outer scales (8, T,J. Over this entire range of scales, slightly over 99.0% of all intersections with the scalar dissipation support geometry showed scale-similarity as fractal as stochastically self-similar fBni sets having the same record length. Dissipation values above the mean were found to have support dimension D = 0.66. The dissipation support dimension decreased sharply with increasing dissipation values. Virtually no intersections showed scaling as random as a random set with the same relative cover. In contrast, intersections with scalar isosurfaces showed scaling only approximately as fractal as a corresponding fBm set and only over the range of spatio-temporal scales between (Af). q,) and (A,,, r,). On these inner scales the isosurface dimension was D = 0.48 and was largely independent of the isoscalar value. At larger scales, scalar isosurfaces showed no fractal scale-similarity. In contrast, isoscalar level crossing sets showed no fractal scale-similarity over any range of scales, even though the scalar dissipation support geometry for the same data is clearly fractal. These results were found to be unaffected by noise.
Decreased Affinity of Blood for Oxygen in Patients with Low-Output Heart Failure

Oxygen affinity of blood was measured in 16 patients (nonsmokers) without anemia and with clinical evidence of low cardiac output. Of these patients, 12 were catheterized and showed an arteriovenous oxygen concentration difference across the lungs greater than 5 ml/100 ml. The partial pressure of oxygen required to half-saturate their blood with oxygen (P50) averaged 29.4 mm Hg (SD ± 1.9). Blood from normal subjects (nonsmokers) had an average P50 of 27.3 mm Hg (SD ± 0.9). The decreased oxygen affinity found in blood of patients with low levels of cardiac output is considered as a compensatory adjustment to poor tissue blood flow, promoting the diffusion of oxygen from blood in tissue capillaries to intracellular sites of utilizaton.
Modulation of Blood Pressure in the Dahl SS/jr Rat by Embryo Transfer

Gestational hypertension and malnutrition are associated with hypertension and ischemic heart disease in the adult human. The impact of the gestational environment on the adult blood pressure in two well-characterized genetically homogeneous rat strains, the hypertensive SS/jr and normotensive SR/jr, was studied by cross-fostering within 6 hours of birth and by embryo transplantation with the recipient dam nursing the transplanted pups. Systolic blood pressure (BP) was measured by tail-cuff plethysmography twice a week after the age of 7 weeks. The lactational environment (cross-fostering) had no effect on blood pressure. Embryo transfer between like strains had no effect on the development of hypertension, nor did the BP of R transferred to S (RetS) differ from that of normal R or RetR. At 7 weeks of age, the BP of SetR was significantly lower than that of S or SetS (P<.01) and was similar to that of RetR and R. With age, the blood pressures of the S, SetS and SetR increased at approximately the same rate but from a significantly different baseline. Salt-sensitivity in the S and resistance in the R were not altered. The protective effect of the R gestational environment on SetR female BP was abrogated during whelping and lactation. Embryo transfer and cross-fostering did not alter the weight of rats older than 7 weeks. Because the BP of the R dams were significantly lower than that of the S dams, these studies do not distinguish between the effects of the R dams' lower blood pressure per se and hormonal influences of the R uterus on the S blood pressure phenotype.
Why Pirates Are Back

At the dawn of the twenty-first century, we are witnessing the birth of a new pirate age both in international waters, where fights over oil and fish extraction echo colonial wars over silver and slaves, and in the “high seas” of a global information society. This article reviews these fast-growing phenomena and shows how they relate to one another and to a broader proliferation in types of sovereignty, as well as the rebels they engender. Piracy forces open the cracks of legal sovereignties, revealing an intensifying contradiction in what ought to be called neoliberal mercantilism.
Optimal Path Planning of UAVs Using Direct Collocation with Nonlinear Programming

A trajectory generation algorithm using direct collocation with nonlinear programming is successfully demonstrated in simulation. Direct collocation, which approximates the states and controls with piecewise polynomials, has been widely used in space and manned aircraft applications, but has only seen limited use in UAV applications. The algorithm is successfully applied to the generation of a UAV trajectory that provides maximum viewing time for a camera mounted on the UAV. The target can be stationary or moving. Multiple UAVs are considered. In this case, the objective is to provide maximum sensor coverage time using a combination of the UAVs. No specific initial guesses are required to ensure the algorithm is successful.
Analog and Digital Functionalities of Composite-Resonator Vertical-Cavity Lasers

Different modulation approaches for the composite-resonator vertical-cavity laser are described, with an emphasis on direct modulation using either one or both cavities. It is also observed that the unique properties of this device form the basis for analog and digital functionalities. Experimental demonstrations are also shown of multilevel amplitude modulation, preemphasis for direct modulation, microwave signal mixing, and synchronous electrical and optical signaling, none of which can be achieved using a conventional vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser.
Work hours, weight status, and weight-related behaviors: a study of metro transit workers

Associations between hours worked per week and Body Mass Index (BMI), food intake, physical activity, and perceptions of eating healthy at work were examined in a sample of transit workers. Survey data were collected from 1086 transit workers. Participants reported hours worked per week, food choices, leisure-time physical activity and perceptions of the work environment with regard to healthy eating. Height and weight were measured for each participant. Multivariate linear and logistic regressions were conducted to examine associations between work hours and behavioral variables. Associations were examined in the full sample and stratified by gender. Transit workers working in the highest work hour categories had higher BMI and poorer dietary habits, with results differing by gender. Working 50 or more hours per week was associated with higher BMI among men but not women. Additionally, working 50 or more hours per week was significantly associated with higher frequency of accessing cold beverage, cold food, and snack vending machines among men. Working 40 or more hours per week was associated with higher frequency of accessing cold food vending machines among women. Reported frequency of fruit and vegetable intake was highest among women working 50 or more hours per week. Intake of sweets, sugar sweetened beverages, and fast food did not vary with work hours in men or women. Physical activity and perception of ease of eating healthy at work were not associated with work hours in men or women. Long work hours were associated with more frequent use of garage vending machines and higher BMI in transit workers, with associations found primarily among men. Long work hours may increase dependence upon food availability at the worksite, which highlights the importance of availability of healthy food choices.
International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification for the Pulmonary, Critical Care, and Sleep Physician

After a patient encounter, the physician uses two coding systems to bill for the service rendered to the patient. The Current Procedural Terminology (CPT) code is used to describe the encounter or procedure. The International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) code is used to describe the diagnosis(es) of the patient. On October 1, 2015, ICD-9-CM coding will end, and all physicians will be required to use a new diagnostic coding system, the International Classification of Diseases, Tenth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-10-CM). This article describes the new diagnostic coding system and how it differs from the old system. There are resources and costs involved for physicians and physician practices to prepare properly for ICD-10-CM. Similar to other important events, the more thorough the preparation, the more likely a positive outcome will occur. Resource use is very important in preparation for the transition from ICD-9-CM to ICD-10-CM. Greater familiarity with ICD-10-CM plus a thorough, effective preparation will lead to reduced costs and a smooth transition. Coding descriptor changes and additional codes occur in ICD-10-CM for chronic bronchitis and emphysema, asthma, and respiratory failure. These changes will affect the coding of these diseases and disorders by physicians. Because the number of codes will increase more than fivefold, the complexity of documentation to support ICD-10-CM will increase substantially. The documentation in the patient's chart to support the ICD-10-CM codes used will need to be enhanced. The requirement for accurate and comprehensive documentation cannot be emphasized enough. All of the coding and documentation changes will be a challenge to pulmonary, critical care, and sleep physicians. They must be prepared fully when ICD-10-CM coding begins and ICD-9-CM coding stops abruptly on October 1, 2015.
Recovery of block sparse signals using the framework of block sparse Bayesian learning

In this paper we study the recovery of block sparse signals and extend conventional approaches in two important directions; one is learning and exploiting intra-block correlation, and the other is generalizing signals' block structure such that the block partition is not needed to be known for recovery. We propose two algorithms based on the framework of block sparse Bayesian learning (bSBL). One algorithm, directly derived from the framework, requires a priori knowledge of the block partition. Another algorithm, derived from an expanded bSBL framework using the generalization method, can be used when the block partition is unknown. Experiments show that they have superior performance to state-of-the-art algorithms.
BASIC REASONS AND FIRST PHILOSOPHY: A COHERENTIST VIEW OF REASONS

This paper develops and defends a coherentist account of reasons. I develop three core ideas for this defense: a distinction between basic reasons and noninferential justification, the plausibility of the neglected argument against first philosophy, and an emergent account of reasons. These three ideas form the backbone for a credible coherentist view of reasons. I work toward this account by formulating and explaining the basic reasons dilemma. This dilemma reveals a wavering attitude that coherentists have had toward basic reasons. More importantly, the basic reasons dilemma focuses our attention on the central problems that afflict coherentist views of basic beliefs. By reflecting on the basic reasons dilemma, I formulate three desiderata that any viable coherentist account of basic beliefs must satisfy. I argue that the account on offer satisfies these desiderata.
Predictors of relationship satisfaction in adoptive mothers

Relationship satisfaction has been widely studied among biological parents; however, concomitant research on adoptive parents is relatively lacking. The current study reports on a survey completed by 251 mothers who had adopted a child in the past 24 months. Participants completed measures of several aspects of the vulnerability–stress–adaptation model of marital satisfaction. Results indicated that satisfaction, as measured by a short form of the Dyadic Adjustment Scale (DAS-7), was related to several enduring vulnerabilities, adaptive processes, and stressors. Significant individual predictors of relationship satisfaction included: socioeconomic status, partner support, enthusiasm of partner for being a parent, and feelings of rest. Findings suggest that the relationship satisfaction of adoptive mothers is not affected by infertility or factors related to the adoption process, but rather by aspects of mental health, well-being, and support that are common to the parenting experience.
Field dependence and interpersonal distance

Undergraduates were tested for field dependence on the rod-and-frame apparatus (Experiment 1) or the embedded-figures test (Experiment 2). Thirty-one field-dependent (12 male, 19 female) subjects and 35 field-independent (21 male, 14 female) subjects had the distance between themselves and a male or female confederate of the experimenter measured on an interpersonal distance mat. Although results of both experiments did not yield significant results, when data were combined, results supported the hypothesis that field-dependent persons stood closer to the confederate than did field-independent persons. Results were explained in terms of different cognitive styles relying on different information in the environment.
Seizure prediction using cost-sensitive support vector machine

Approximately 300,000 Americans suffer from epilepsy but no treatment currently exists. A device that could predict a seizure and notify the patient of the impending event or trigger an antiepileptic device would dramatically increase the quality of life for those patients. A patient-specific classification algorithm is proposed to distinguish between preictal and interictal features extracted from EEG recordings. It demonstrates that the classifier based on a Cost-Sensitive Support Vector Machine (CSVM) can distinguish preictal from interictal with a high degree of sensitivity and specificity, when applied to linear features of power spectrum in 9 different frequency bands. The proposed algorithm was applied to EEG recordings of 9 patients in the Freiburg EEG database, totaling 45 seizures and 219-hour-long interictal, and it produced sensitivity of 77.8% (35 of 45 seizures) and the zero false positive rate using 5-minute-long window of preictal via double-cross validation. This approach is advantageous, for it can help an implantable device for seizure prediction consume less power by real-time analysis based on extraction of linear features and by offline optimization, which may be computationally intensive and by real-time analysis.
iPad Tablet Use for General Surgery Residency: Education, Clinical Workflow and Patient Communication

METHODS: iPad Minis were distributed to all general surgery residents at a single institution based on a resident-initiated effort to enhance hospital-based workflow. An educational program before tablet distribution highlighted resident-endorsed applications. Technical assistance was provided to establish EMR access. After 18 months (6 months for interns), residents’ use and attitudes toward the tablet were collected via a 31-item paper survey.
Of Waterbanks, Piggybanks, and Bankruptcy: Changing Directions in Water Law

This Foreword was written for the University of Texas School of Law Symposium, Of Waterbanks, Piggybanks, and Bankruptcy: Changing Directions in Water Law.
Non-Identical Twins: The Illinois and Federal Rules of Evidence

Illinois has a new set of evidence rules (IRE), effective January 1, 2011. These rules follow the format and numbering scheme of the Federal Rules of Evidence (FRE). While similar in many respects, there are some key differences. This brief article highlights certain variations. First, the roles of Illinois and federal legislators in future evidence lawmaking differ. In Illinois, rule proposals will not be submitted for General Assembly review.Second, there is no express prohibition in Illinois, as under 28 USC 2072(b), on rules modifying substantive rights. Such rules often involve privileges and their waivers. Unlike Congress, the Illinois General Assembly has often spoken directly on privileges and their waivers, at least outside attorney-client settings. So some evidence lawmaking by the General Assembly will likely continue.Third, even when the IRE and FRE are similar or identical, differences can still arise. Attorney-corporate client communication privileges already differ though IRE 501 significantly follows FRE 501. Future differences will likely arise as FRE cases are not “persuasive,” though they are “instructive.”
California Employment Discrimination Law and its Enforcement: The Fair Employment and Housing Act at 50

This study provides an empirical evaluation of the operation of employment discrimination law in California, with emphasis on the Fair Employment and Housing Act, which was enacted 50 years ago last year. We rely on large administrative datasets from the California Department of Fair Employment and Housing (DFEH) and the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), decisions of the Fair Employment and Housing Commission (FEHC), trial court records, jury verdict reports, interviews, surveys, and other census and survey data. We utilize sequential logistic regression techniques to examine the factors that determine whether complainants obtain a lawyer, and the course of employment discrimination complaints through the DFEH administrative process when they do not. We compare outcomes in the DFEH system with those obtained through the EEOC. We analyze jury verdicts reported in 2007-2008, and compare them to verdicts collected by other researchers in 1998-1999. We analyze the issues and outcomes in all FEHC decisions since 1997. We are aided in interpreting this data through information obtained in semi-structured interviews with DFEH staff and management, attorneys representing both employers and employees, insurance company officials, and others. We make numerous findings and, where these findings and common sense compel them, recommendations to improve how California responds to employment discrimination in the future.
Beam-bending in spatially variant photonic crystals at telecommunications wavelengths

This work reports the fabrication of micron-scale spatially variant photonic crystals (SVPCs) and their use for steering light beams through turns with bending radius Rbend on the order of ten times the optical wavelength λ0. Devices based on conventional photonic crystals, metamaterials, plasmonics and transformation optics have all been explored for controlling light beams and steering them through tight turns. These devices offer promise for photonic interconnects, but they are based on exotic materials, including metals, that make them impractically lossy or difficult to fabricate. Waveguides can also be used to steer light using total internal reflection; however, Rbend of a waveguide must be hundreds of times λ0 to guide light efficiently, which limits their use in optical circuits. SVPCs are spatially variant 3D lattices which can be created in transparent, low-refractive-index media and used to control the propagation of light through the self-collimation effect. SVPCs were fabricated by multi-photon lithography using the commercially available photo-polymer IP-DIP. The SVPCs were structurally and optically characterized and found to be capable of bending light having λ0 = 1.55 μm through a 90-degree turn with Rbend = 10 μm. Curved waveguides with Rbend = 15 μm and 35 μm were also fabricated using IP-DIP and optically characterized. The SVPCs were able to steer the light beams through tighter turns than either waveguide and with higher efficiency.
Neisseria elongata endocarditis of a native aortic valve

Neisseria elongata is a part of the common bacterial flora of the oropharynx but has caused sepsis, osteomyelitis and infective endocarditis on rare occasions. We report the case of a 56-year-old Caucasian woman who was admitted to hospital with a 5-week history of fever, malaise and fatigue. Two blood cultures grew Gram-negative rods which were confirmed to be N. elongata subspecies nitroreducens via bacterial DNA sequence analysis. An echocardiogram showed a large mobile vegetation on the right and non-coronary cusps of the aortic valve. The patient underwent aortic valve replacement and antibiotic therapy for 6 weeks. We suggest that clinicians should consider extended antibiotic treatment and early surgical evaluation based on the nature and aggressiveness of N. elongata.
In-Vivo Degradation of a Poly(Propylene-Fumarate) Biodegradable, Particulate Composite Bone Cement

We have developed a biodegradable particulate composite bone cement consisting of a poly(propylene glycol-fumarate)-(methylmethacrylate) matrix mixed with calcium carbonate and tricalcium phosphate particulates. Previous ex-vivo studies suggest that this system provides sufficient strength for a number of potential clinical applications including structural reinforcement of osseous defects, supplementation of internal fixation of age-related fractures, and delivery of antibiotics to treat osteomyelitis. Ex-vivo degradation assays have also shown that the cement approximates physiologic conditions of bone remodeling as it degrades. In order to evaluate the in-vivo responses to this material, we implanted cement specimens subcutaneously in rats for up to 84 days. Compressive strength of the subcutaneous implants increased linearly through day 21 to 4.91 MPa, then decreased linearly by day 84 to less than 1 MPa. We conclude that this PPFMMA system is biocompatible and biodegradable, and has the potential for use as an orthopedic bone cement. Future studies will be directed toward characterizing the intraosseous histological response and at coordinating the rate of cement degradation with bony ingrowth.
Gross Anatomy of the Larva of the Wasp Polistes Gallicus (L.) (Hymenoptera, Vespidae)

The larva of Polistes gallicus (L.) (fig. 1) is composed of the head, 3 thoracic segments, and 10 abdominal segments, although a protrusion below the anal opening gives the appearance of 11 abdominal segments. It is somewhat spindle-shaped, with the last 5 segments bent slightly dorsad. The body is whitish and the head brown. There are lateral lobes on abdominal segments 1 to 9, inclusive.
Humidity Control and Dew Point Management

Humidity control in buildings is important for several reasons ranging from ensuring comfort of the occupants to mold control. While the optimum humidity range can be different depending on the function of a particular facility, data centers require especially tight control of humidity and dew point. For example, at low humidity (electro-static discharge) ESD might impose a significant risk to the computing equipment while at high humidity levels hardware failures are more probable due to the growth of conductive filaments or corrosion of circuit boards. In this paper we present a detailed comparison of data centers from several geographical locations, where we have measured humidity and temperature distributions over extended periods of time. The data are analyzed in terms of spatial and temporal dew point variations. We derive detailed dew point “maps” of the respective data center and the impact on reliability and energy efficiency is being discussed.© 2011 ASME
A hybrid probe-tip calibration for multiport vector network analyzers

This paper details the first commercial implementation [1] of a hybrid multiport vector network analyzer (VNA) calibration method suited to a probing environment. The new calibration method implements the enhanced Line-Reflect-Reflect-Match with automatic determination of load inductance [2]-[5] for a number of straight thru paths to fully determine all directivity, reflection tracking, and source and load match terms as well as the associated transmission tracking terms. The remaining transmission tracking terms are found from the use of an unknown but reciprocal thru structure using a process similar to that of the SOLR [6]-[7] calibration algorithm. Combining the LRRM and SOLR algorithms creates a robust, hybrid calibration method that is insensitive to the normal variation in one-port standard behavior associated with normal probe-placement variability [8]-[9]. The hybrid calibration is also insensitive to the inherently non-ideal thru behavior of coplanar waveguide bends or loop-back structures [10].
The evolution of cranial display structure in hadrosaurian dinosaurs

A theory is presented that cranial crests of hadrosaurs were visual and acoustical display organs. Facial morphology and phylogeny of the Hadrosauridae and earlier theories of crest function are reviewed. The following hypothesis is presented: cranial crests, whether hollow or solid, served as visual signal structures, and hollow lambeosaur crests were also vocal resonators; all crests promoted successful matings within species, i.e., they served as premating genetic isolating mechanisms. The following predictions are tested and found to support the hypothesis: (1) hadrosaurs had well-developed eyes and ears; (2) external features of crests varied independently of internal structure; (3) crest variations were species-specific and sexually-dimorphic; (4) crest distinctiveness correlates with species diversity; (5) crest size tended to increase through time. The circumnarial depression on the side of the face in hadrosaurines housed an inflatable diverticulum of the nasal passage which served as a visual display organ. Primitive hadrosaurs (kritosaurs) possessed a small nasal horn used as a butting weapon in intraspecific combat. Because the weapon was also used in intimidative displays, narial diverticula evolved to draw attention to it. In the kritosaur Brachylophosaurus fighting was modified to ritualized head-pushing using the flat nasal “shield”. Saurolophines expanded the diverticula on to the elongated nasal horn, converting the weapon to a dominance rank symbol. In non-crested edmontosaurs, enlarged diverticula assumed a vocalization function. Lambeosaurs created resonators by enclosing the diverticula in bone; they further enhanced the resonator function of the nose by forming elongated “organ pipes” in the premaxillae. This “pushed” the olfactory region above the eyes as a conspicuous dome which then was modified to form species-specific visual display organs.
Stroke patients and their attitudes toward mHealth monitoring to support blood pressure control and medication adherence.

Background: Mobile health, or mHealth, has increasingly been signaled as an effective means to expedite communication and improve medical regimen adherence, especially for patients with chronic health conditions such as stroke. However, there is a lack of data on attitudes of stroke patients toward mHealth. Such information will aid in identifying key indicators for feasibility and optimal implementation of mHealth to prevent and/or decrease rates of secondary stroke. Our objective was to ascertain stroke patients’ attitudes toward using mobile phone enabled blood pressure (BP) monitoring and medication adherence and identify factors that modulate these attitudes. Methods: Sixty stroke patients received a brief demonstration of mHealth devices to assist with BP control and medication adherence and a survey to evaluate willingness to use this technology. Results: The 60 participants had a mean age of 57 years, were 43.3% male, and 53.3% were White. With respect to telecommunication prevalence, 93.3% owned a cellular device and 25% owned a smartphone. About 70% owned a working computer. Regarding attitudes, 85% felt comfortable with a doctor or nurse using mHealth technologies to monitor personal health information, 78.3% believed mHealth would help remind them to follow doctor’s directions, and 83.3% were confident that technology could effectively be used to communicate with health care providers for medical needs. Conclusions: Mobile device use is high in stroke patients and they are amenable to mHealth for communication and assistance in adhering to their medical regimens. More research is needed to explore usefulness of this technology in larger stroke populations.
Validation of a measure of social entrepreneurship

We first discuss the notion of social entrepreneurship and how it extends beyond its geopolitical confines. This includes the various definitions of being a social entrepreneur, mission, opportunities and challenges. While the field of social entrepreneurship is moving forward globally, there still lacks a measure of social entrepreneurship. We test an 11-item measure of social entrepreneurship using a sample of social entrepreneurs and general entrepreneurs in order to examine the reliability and validity of a new measure of social entrepreneurship. We find support for the convergent and divergent validity of the instrument as well as differences between social entrepreneurs and general entrepreneurs. We also find very good levels of internal consistency for the scale. Implications for future research are discussed.
RAS and BRAF in metastatic colorectal cancer management

The treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) has been further refined with the development of monoclonal antibodies, cetuximab and panitumumab, towards the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Anti-EGFR therapy has afforded improved survival in those with wild-type RAS mCRC but provides no benefit and even harm in those with RAS-mutant tumors. BRAF mutations have also been shown to predict lack of clinically meaningful benefit to anti-EGFR therapy in mCRC. Mechanisms of resistance to EGFR blockade in wild-type RAS or BRAF metastatic colorectal tumors appear to converge on the mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway. Clinical trials involving combined BRAF, EGFR, and/or MAPK kinase (MEK) inhibition have shown promising activity in BRAF-mutant mCRC. Here, we review pivotal clinical trials that have redefined our treatment approach in mCRC with respect to anti-EGFR therapy based on RAS and BRAF mutation status. Future studies will likely focus on improving efficacy of anti-EGFR-based therapy in mCRC through sustained MAPK pathway inhibition.
Optimal robust control for constrained nonlinear hybrid systems with application to bipedal locomotion

Recent work on control Lyapunov functions and control Barrier functions has enabled addressing stability of nonlinear and underactuated hybrid systems while simultaneously enforcing input / state constraints and safety-critical constraints. However, under model uncertainty, these controllers break down and violate constraints. This paper presents a novel method of optimal robust control through quadratic programs that can handle stability, input / state dependent constraints, as well as safety-critical constraints, in the presence of high level of model uncertainty. Under the assumption of bounded uncertainty, the proposed controller strictly guarantees constraints without violating them. We evaluate our proposed control design for achieving dynamic bipedal locomotion that involves orbital stability of an underactuated nonlinear hybrid system subject to (a) torque saturation constraints (input constraints), (b) contact force constraints (state constraints), and (c) precise footstep placements (safety-critical constraints). We present numerical results on RABBIT, a five-link planar bipedal robot, subject to a large unknown load on its torso. Our proposed controller is able to demonstrate walking while strictly enforcing the above constraints with an unknown load of up to 15 Kg (47% of the robot mass.)
Broadening Participation in the Life Sciences: Current Landscape and Future Directions

This lead editorial for the CBE—Life Sciences Education special issue on broadening participation defines terms, marks progress, and calls on the community to consider specific approaches going forward.
MyoDrive: A new way of interacting with mobile devices

This paper describes a real time gesture recognition system that can be used in an automobile environment to control mobile devices while driving. By using this, the requirement of the driver's attention towards his mobile phone decreases considerably. The gestures from the user are captured using MYO sensors from Thalmic Labs. An android application is installed in the user mobile to communicate with the MYO sensor through Bluetooth. Various functions in mobile phones can be performed such as, music control, call controls and navigation using the sensor. Tests and studies were conducted to monitor the feasibility of the MYO to capture gestures inside vehicles while driving.
Perylene Diimide as a Precise Graphene-like Superoxide Dismutase Mimetic

Here we show that the active portion of a graphitic nanoparticle can be mimicked by a perylene diimide (PDI) to explain the otherwise elusive biological and electrocatalytic activity of the nanoparticle construct. Development of molecular analogues that mimic the antioxidant properties of oxidized graphenes, in this case the poly(ethylene glycolated) hydrophilic carbon clusters (PEG–HCCs), will afford important insights into the highly efficient activity of PEG–HCCs and their graphitic analogues. PEGylated perylene diimides (PEGn–PDI) serve as well-defined molecular analogues of PEG–HCCs and oxidized graphenes in general, and their antioxidant and superoxide dismutase-like (SOD-like) properties were studied. PEGn–PDIs have two reversible reduction peaks, which are more positive than the oxidation peak of superoxide (O2•–). This is similar to the reduction peak of the HCCs. Thus, as with PEG–HCCs, PEGn–PDIs are also strong single-electron oxidants of O2•–. Furthermore, reduced PEGn–PDI, PEGn–PDI•–, in the ...
Sex Differences in Pain

Women are affected by chronic pain and painful conditions of the musculoskeletal system in overwhelmingly greater numbers than are men [1, 2]. Those occurring with higher incidence in women include migraine headache, fibromyalgia, temporomandibular joint disorder, irritable bowel syndrome, chronic pelvic pain, interstitial cystitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, patellofemoral pain syndrome, deQuervain’s tenosynovitis, and rheumatoid arthritis [3]. Women are also at greater risk of joint pain due to arthritis [4] and of developing pain-related disability [5]. However, when surveying all types of pain, there does not appear to be a clear female predominance in either the prevalence or severity of chronic pain [6]. Despite these findings, women have been reported to experience more recurrent and widespread pain or pain at multiple body regions [7]. These findings suggest that the differences in pain modulation observed between the sexes may be more qualitative than strictly quantitative.
Raising the bar for chronic GVHD trials.

In this issue of Blood , Martin et al propose a new primary endpoint for clinical studies on chronic graft-versus-host disease (GVHD). Their results from a prospective multicenter observational study are helpful for designing future clinical trials in the treatment of chronic GVHD because the endpoint was shown to be associated with clinical benefit for the patient. 1