cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
e-Government online forms: design guidelines for older adults in Europe

This paper reports on the findings of Delivering Inclusive Access to Disabled and Elderly Members of the community (DIADEM), a 3-year project, funded by the European Commission’s Sixth Framework Programme, to assist older adults when accessing, completing, and submitting online forms, by developing web-based assistive technologies that adapt the online form according to users’ needs. A user-centred approach is adopted to gain insights into the challenges faced by 80 older adults in three European countries as they interact with a representative sample of public service-based online forms. A thematic analysis is then carried out on the data, which revealed five over-arching themes that relate to the challenges faced by users: assistance, trust, layout, the technology paradigm, and language. From these themes, 23 online form design guidelines are derived, which provide valuable guidance for the development of the DIADEM application and for e-Government online form design for an ageing population in general.
Factors influencing the efficiency of fixed wing aerial hunting for coyotes in the western United States

Abstract Aerial hunting is an effective tool for the removal of problem coyotes ( Canis latrans ). However, factors that predict hunt success remain largely obscure. To address this issue, we asked USDA-APHIS-Wildlife Services pilots in five western states to record meteorological data, ground conditions, and flight circumstances (e.g., purpose of flight, whether or not a ground crew was used) between December 1998 and August 1999. We obtained 426 flight records and evaluated them in relation to coyotes seen/h and coyotes killed/h of aerial hunting, with pilot as a covariate. Air temperature, resource to be protected, use of ground crew, degree of preventative control, cloud cover, snow cover, vegetative cover, wind direction, season, and lunar phase were significantly ( p ⩽0.05) related to coyotes killed/h of aerial hunting. Variables that were not significantly ( p ⩾0.05) related to coyotes killed/h were wind speed, steepness of terrain, barometric pressure and shotgun cartridge type. Our findings may have practical implications for increasing the efficiency of both aerial survey and aerial hunting operations important for coyote damage management.
Studies on latent infections of tissue cultures with dengue virus. I. Characteristics of the system.

Upon primary infection of KB cells, dengue virus proliferated without concomitant cell destruction. Such cultures exhibited an increased resistance to poliovirus and became persistently infected with dengue. The chronically infected cultures were characterized by enhanced interference with polio virus, inability to be cured by prolonged treatment with dengue immune serum, continued lack of cytopathogenic changes, decreasedin vitro growth rates and decreased capacity to produce tumors upon transplantation to the brains of rats. The amount of infectious virus as demonstrated by inoculation of suckling mice was relatively low, usually on the order of less than one infectious unit per cell.
Stability of a fluid-saturated porous medium heated from below by forced convection

Abstract A linear stability analysis determining the onset of convection in a bounded rectangular cavity containing a fluid-saturated porous medium is performed for insulated sidewalls, isothermal top wall, and bottom wall heated by forced convection. The nature of the bottom wall heating necessarily involves the Biot number, Bi . Numerical calculations of the critical Rayleigh number, R c made over the range of Biot numbers 10 −4 ⩽ Bi ⩽10 4 for cavity aspect ratios 0⩽( a , b )⩽5 cover all effective bottom heating conditions from the constant heat flux global limit, R c =27.096 found as Bi →0 to the isothermal global limit, R c =4 π 2 found as Bi →∞. Marginal stability boundaries, preferred cellular modes and disturbance temperature contours are displayed graphically.
Sex, kinship, and the evolution of social manipulation

Abstract In recent years kin selection has been widely used to explain social systems and the evolution of complex social traits. However, because a knowledge of kin is a prerequisite of kin selection theory, and because a male has less certainty of kin and, in many cases, few or none available to him within a social group, he will be unable to favor kin or benefit from them as reliably as will a female. It is predicted, therefore, that social strategies involving unrelated individuals will be more common among males than females and suggested that the greater encephalization among higher mammals, particularly primates, allowed complex nonkin strategies of social manipulation to evolve, realizing its greatest sophistication in human political systems. Finally, the question whether selection for certain types of social strategies in males may not have led to differences from females in assessment and manipulation skills is considered.
The use of radiation therapy in gynecologic malignancy.

(1967). OBG: The use of Radiation Therapy in Gynecologic Malignancy. Hospital Topics: Vol. 45, No. 9, pp. 103-108.
Evaluating auditory contexts and their impacts on hearing aid outcomes with mobile phones

This paper evaluates the relationship between auditory contexts, hearing aid features, and hearing outcomes based on real-world measurements. We use a mobile phone application to concurrently evaluate the auditory contexts and hearing aid outcomes using Ecological Momentary Assessments. The collected dataset includes 3437 surveys collected from nineteen patients over ten months. Our analysis indicates that the most frequent listening activities were conversations (32.7% of the time) and listening to media (30.7% of the time), commonly occurring at home, in predominantly quiet environments. Subjects do not attribute equal importance to hearing well in all auditory contexts: it is more important to hear well in contexts that involve social interactions. We show that hearing aid outcomes measures are moderately correlated. By leveraging on these correlations, we propose a method of combining measurements of hearing aid outcomes into a single score to reduce measurement error. Finally, we show that it is possible to discriminate between poor and good hearing aid outcomes with an accuracy of 78% solely based on auditory contexts and hearing aid features. This shows the central role that auditory contexts play in understanding hearing aid outcomes in situ.
Colorectal cancer screening attitudes and practices preferences for decision making.

Background The availability of several effective screening options for colorectal cancer (CRC) screening calls for involving patients in decision making about CRC screening. The current study examined (1) participant characteristics associated with their preferences for participation in CRC screening decision making, (2) correspondence between participant preferences for decision making and their usual participation in decision making, and (3) associations between participant decision-making preferences and CRC screening practices and attitudes. Methods Data were obtained using a random, population-based telephone survey, conducted during August 2001 and April 2002, of 2119 community-living adults aged 50 to 75 years (56% female) residing in Long Island, NY. Results Overall, 77% reported that preferences for CRC screening decision making matched how screening decisions were usually made (simple kappa coefficient=0.67 [0.64–0.69]). Fifteen percent preferred to make screening decisions themselves, while 25% preferred to make decisions after considering their physician’s opinion; nearly 50% preferred to share decision making, and 16% preferred that their physician make all screening decisions. Less education was associated with preferring that the physician make all screening decisions. Preferring physician involvement in screening decision making was associated with greater odds of citing no physician recommendation as a barrier to CRC screening, when compared to those who preferred no physician involvement. Preferring no physician involvement in decision making was associated with lower odds of reporting a recent CRC screening exam, as well as lower odds of endorsing positive attitudes and greater odds of endorsing negative attitudes toward CRC screening, when compared to participants who preferred physician involvement in decision making. Their attitudes also reflected intentions not to screen for CRC if they were asymptomatic, as well as the perception that they were not at personal risk for CRC. Conclusions Several factors were identified as significantly associated with preferences for decision making and deserve further exploration for their application to clinical practice.
The effect of laminate configuration on characteristic lengths and rail shear strength

Tests were performed measuring the characteristic lengths in tension and in com pression and the rail shear strength of Fiberite T300/1034-C graphite epoxy com posites. The results show the effects...
Development of learning-disabled and normally achieving children's causal attributions.

The causal attributions of learning-disabled (LD) and normally achieving (NA) children in grades 3 through 8 were compared. Attributions were measured by two scales that asked children to attribute hypothetical academic failure situations to factors that were either within (e.g., insufficient effort) or beyond (e.g., insufficient ability, blaming others) their control. Consistent with a learned helplessness hypothesis. LD girls, regardless of age, were more likely than NA children to attribute their failures to factors beyond their control. In contrast, LD boys' explanations for their failures paralleled those of NA children. That is, with increasing age the LD boys were more likely to attribute their failures to insufficient effort. Explanations and implications of sex differences in developmental patterns of LD children's causal attributions are discussed.
Endoscopic dacryocystorhinostomy in children.

Abstract Background: Persistent nasolacrimal duct obstruction (NLDO) often requires treatment by probing, intubation, or balloon dacryoplasty. Refractory cases have been managed by external dacryocystorhinostomy (DCR), which leaves a scar; however, this procedure is generally avoided in young children. Endoscopic DCR has been successfully performed in adults and described in children. We report the success of this procedure in a series of pediatric patients. Methods: A retrospective review of all endoscopic lacrimal procedures performed in a 3-year period was undertaken. Seventeen children (22 ducts) with persistent NLDO after at least one failed probing, with or without silicone tube placement, underwent endoscopic DCR. Follow-up ranged from 6 to 36 months, and success was defined as resolution of tearing and discharge by follow-up clinical evaluation and by parental history. Results: All but 2 patients (88%) with NLDO showed complete resolution of tearing and discharge. These 2 patients had recurrent symptoms after the Crawford tubes were removed and required revision endoscopic DCR. No complications from this procedure were noted. Conclusions: Endoscopic DCR is a safe and effective means of treating persistent NLDO in infants and young children when simple probing, intubation, or balloon procedures have failed. The team ophthalmology-otolaryngology endoscopic approach provides a highly successful alternative for patients with a persistent distal obstruction that might otherwise require an external procedure. (J AAPOS 2001;5:143-7)
Resonator Memories And Optical Novelty Filters

Optical resonators having holographic elements are potential candidates for storing information that can be accessed through content-addressable or associative recall. Closely related to the resonator memory is the optical novelty filter, which can detect the differences between a test object and a set of reference objects. We discuss implementations of these devices using continuous optical media such as photorefractive ma-terials. The discussion is framed in the context of neural network models. There are both formal and qualitative similarities between the resonator memory and optical novelty filter and network models. Mode competition arises in the theory of the resonator memory, much as it does in some network models. We show that the role of the phenomena of "daydream-ing" in the real-time programmable optical resonator is very much akin to the role of "unlearning" in neural network memories. The theory of programming the real-time memory for a single mode is given in detail. This leads to a discussion of the optical novelty filter. Experimental results for the resonator memory, the real-time programmable memory, and the optical tracking novelty filter are reviewed. We also point to several issues that need to be addressed in order to implement more formal models of neural networks.
Generalized Restricted Isometry Property for alpha-stable random projections

The Restricted Isometry Property (RIP) is an important concept in compressed sensing. It is well known that many random matrices satisfy the RIP with high probability, whenever the entries of the random matrix have finite second order moment. Recent work in compressed sensing has shown that it is possible to do dimensionality reduction and signal reconstruction using Cauchy random projections. This suggests that the l 1 distance is preserved when one projects a set of data points from a high-dimensional space, to one of lower dimension with a random matrix which does not have finite variance. This paper generalizes this concept where it is shown that α-stable projections, which preserve the l α distance, also satisfy a generalized RIP property and consequently reconstruction from α-stable projections is feasible.
Retrospective review of 99 patients with secondary alveolar cleft repair.

Purpose The purpose of the present review was to evaluate the protocol and technique used in a large population of patients with cleft lip and palate when secondary grafting is performed during the early mixed dentition stage, as determined by eruption of the central incisor. In the United States, most investigators have recommended alveolar grafting at the 9- to 11-year age range or before eruption of the permanent canines. Materials and Methods An institutional review board-approved chart review of 99 patients undergoing alveolar cleft bone grafting during a 7-year period at a single institution was performed. Data were collected regarding demographics, operative time, length of hospitalization, follow-up time, complications, and additional procedures performed. The cases were divided by patient age into 2 groups: group 1, aged 6 to 8 years (n = 61); and group 2, aged 9 years and older (n = 38). Statistical analysis was performed for various comparisons in the study. Results The average operative time for groups 1 and 2 was 86 and 103 minutes, respectively. The complication rate, length of stay, and follow-up time between the 2 groups was not statistically significant at the P = .05 significance level. Conclusions We recommend earlier bone grafting at or before the eruption of the central incisor, rather than delaying until the cuspid tooth root is 25% formed. We believe this will provide better bone support for the dentition, a decreased burden of treatment for the patient, and improved quality of life. Performing the procedure at this time can lead to decreased operative times, with comparable postoperative outcomes.
Method for Forensic Analysis of Residential Floor-Elevation Data

An analysis of the levelness of three residential floor slabs constructed on-grade in the Phoenix, Arizona, metropolitan area is presented. The slabs were built using typical methods by a trade sub...
Transcriptional Regulation of Vascular Development

Formation of the vascular system is a landmark event during development. Normal development and function of virtually all organs rely on the feeding and gas exchanges mediated by the vascular system. Although the establishment of the vascular system requires a complex developmental process involving multiple cell types, the initial formation of the rudimentary vascular network is primarily accomplished by a single cell type, endothelial cells. Endothelial cells originate from an embryonic mesoderm during the initial phase of the vascular development.1 However, very little is known regarding the control mechanisms underlying the specification of endothelial cells. The overview of the endothelial cell specification during development is shown in the Figure⇓. A subset of mesodermal cells differentiates to a bipotential stem cell called a hemangioblast, which differentiates to either hematopoietic or endothelial cell lineages. Endothelial cells then assemble together to form a rudimentary vascular network, referred to as the primary capillary plexus.1 The primary capillary plexus is characterized by its uniform and relatively simple network pattern consisting of a honeycomb-like vessel branching pattern. However, it has recently become evident that the primary capillary plexus is made of at least two distinct types of endothelial cells: arterial and venous …
Using a Digital Fuel Control System and Digital Engine Controller for U.S. Navy LM2500 Engines

All United States Navy LM2500 gas turbine engines use a hydromechanical Main Fuel Control to meter the amount of fuel and air introduced into the engine based upon power demand and ambient conditions. The Main Fuel Control is one of the highest failure items on the LM2500 engine and is frequently the cause of costly high-speed engine stalls resulting from mis-rigged throttle or stator vane positioning linkages. Efforts are underway to upgrade the LM2500 with Woodward Governor Company’s state-of-the-art Digital Fuel Control system, subsequent to successful integration testing. The system consists of an off-engine fuel metering valve/actuator, a hydraulic pump/servo valve, and Variable Stator Vane hydraulic actuators equipped with electronic positioning feedback devices. The system will be controlled via one of two engine controllers; the Woodward MicroNet for CG-47 class ships and the Lockheed Martin Universal Engine Controller (UEC) “Plus” for DDG-51 class ships. This paper covers the development, land-based testing, shipboard testing, and fleet implementation of the Digital Fuel Control system in addition to associated engine controllers on the LM2500 engine.Copyright © 2002 by ASME
Dissociation of the renin-aldosterone system and refractoriness to the sodium-retaining action of mineralocorticoid during starvation in man.

ABSTRACT The patterns of sodium excretion during starvation and refeeding and their relation to the renin-aldosterone system were examined in a group of healthy volunteers. Subjects in sodium balance experience a brisk natriuresis during the first week of fasting (the natriuretic phase of early starvation) which is followed by a sodium conservation phase if fasting is prolonged. Refeeding with carbohydrate induces an antinatriuretic period. During the natriuretic phase of starvation the aldosterone secretory rate (ASR) rises while plasma renin activity (PRA) falls. In contrast during the anti-natriuretic phase of refeeding ASR falls while PRA increases. In addition early starvation is characterized by a resistance to the sodium-retaining actions of mineralocorticoid. As fasting is continued the sodium-retaining effects of mineralocorticoid are restored. These studies suggest that the metabolic set influences the renin-aldosterone system and the responsiveness of the renal tubule to the sodium-retaining ac...
Navajo Uranium Education Programs: The Search for Environmental Justice

Uranium mining and milling in the Four Corners' area of the American Southwest has had serious negative impacts on American Indian workers, their families, and their communities. In this article, we will examine Navajo education programs which inform citizens about risks and health impacts associated with radiation exposures. Because the Navajo initially had no vocabulary to understand the nature of uranium and its risks, culturally-sensitive programs were developed both to educate and to empower Navajo citizens. These education programs, which were integrated with research, policy implementation, and reclamation, can serve as models for other groups seeking environmental justice.
Head and gaze dynamics in visual attention and context learning

Future intelligent environments and systems may need to interact with humans while simultaneously analyzing events and critical situations. Assistive living, advanced driver assistance systems, and intelligent command-and-control centers are just a few of these cases where human interactions play a critical role in situation analysis. In particular, the behavior or body language of the human subject may be a strong indicator of the context of the situation. In this paper we demonstrate how the interaction of a human observer's head pose and eye gaze behaviors can provide significant insight into the context of the event. Such semantic data derived from human behaviors can be used to help interpret and recognize an ongoing event. We present examples from driving and intelligent meeting rooms to support these conclusions, and demonstrate how to use these techniques to improve contextual learning.
Alignment trends of velocity gradients and subgrid-scale fluxes in the turbulent atmospheric boundary layer

Field experimental data in the atmospheric surface layer are analyzed using toolsfrom statistical geometry. The data consist of velocity measurements from sonicanemometer arrays. In the context of large eddy simulations (LES), these arrayspermit the spatial filtering needed to separate large from small scales. Time seriesof various quantities relevant to LES are evaluated from the data. Results show thatthe preferred filtered fluid deformation is axisymmetric extension and the preferredsubgrid stress state is axisymmetric contraction. The filtered fluctuating vorticityshows preferred alignments with the mean vorticity, with the streamwise direction,and with the intermediate strain-rate eigenvector. The alignment between eigenvectorsof the subgrid-scale stress and filtered strain rate is used to test eddy viscosity andmixed model formulations. In qualitative agreement with prior laboratory measurements at much lower Reynolds numbers, a bimodal distribution is observed, which can be reduced to good alignment with eddy viscosity closure using the mixed model.
Career Maturity and College Student Persistence

The study examined the role of career maturity on the college persistence of traditional-aged college freshmen enrolled at a public four-year institution. Results indicate that the My Vocational Situation instrument (Holland et al., 1980), while reliable, is also valid. Theoretical formulations need to be revisited, since results indicate that Goal Commitment and Career Maturity are distinct constructs. Career Maturity was found to be positively associated with a number of variables important to college persistence (e.g., GPA, Academic Integration, Faculty Contact, Encouragement). This variable also contributed to explain variance in Intent to Persist. However, Career Maturity exerted no direct effects on Persistence. The results of this study have implications for theory and research.
The effectiveness of creativity training: A quantitative review

Abstract: Over the course of the last half century, numerous training programs intended to develop creativity capacities have been proposed. In this study, a quantitative meta‐analysis of program evaluation efforts was conducted. Based on 70 prior studies, it was found that well‐designed creativity training programs typically induce gains in performance with these effects generalizing across criteria, settings, and target populations. Moreover, these effects held when internal validity considerations were taken into account. An examination of the factors contributing to the relative effectiveness of these training programs indicated that more successful programs were likely to focus on development of cognitive skills and the heuristics involved in skill application, using realistic exercises appropriate to the domain at hand. The implications of these observations for the development of creativity through educational and training interventions are discussed along with directions for future research.
Hyperoxia causes decreased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor and endothelial cell apoptosis in adult retina

Mice or humans with photoreceptor degenerations experience permeability and dropout of retinal capillaries. Loss of photoreceptors results in decreased oxygen usage and thinning of the retina with increased oxygen delivery to the inner retina. To investigate the possibility that increased tissue oxygen plays a role in the vascular damage, we exposed adult mice to hyperoxia, which also increases oxygen in the retina. After 1, 2, or 3 weeks of hyperoxia, there was a statistically significant decrease in retinal vascular density that was not reversible, and endothelial cell apoptosis was demonstrated by TUNEL staining. Mice exposed to hyperoxia and mice with photoreceptor degeneration both showed decreased expression of VEGF in the retina. After complete or near-complete degeneration of photoreceptors, there was increased expression of VEGF in RPE cells, which may explain the association of photoreceptor degeneration and neovascularization in or around the RPE. Increased expression of VEGF in photoreceptors of transgenic mice failed to prevent hyperoxia-induced retinal capillary dropout. These data suggest that increased oxygen in the retina, either by increased inspired oxygen or by photoreceptor degeneration, results in endothelial cell death and dropout of capillaries. Decreased expression of VEGF may be a contributing factor, but the situation may be more complicated for mature retinal vessels than it is for immature vessels, because VEGF replacement does not rescue mature retinal vessels, suggesting that other factors may also be involved. J. Cell. Physiol. 179:149–156, 1999. © 1999 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Off-resonance saturation as a means of generating contrast with superparamagnetic nanoparticles.

This work demonstrates an alternative approach, termed off-resonance saturation (ORS), for generating contrast that is sensitive to superparamagnetic particles. This method leads to a calculated contrast that increases with superparamagnetic nanoparticle concentration. Experimental data demonstrate that in the presence of superparamagnetic particles, an off-resonance effect exists that is distinct from the magnetization transfer (MT) effect and is highly dependent on diffusion. Data show that the dependence on water diffusion becomes most significant at rates of 0.5 × 10–9 m2/s and slower. We investigated the dependence of the off-resonance effect on off-resonance frequency and particle concentration. The data suggest a useful frequency offset range of 500 Hz < |Δω| < 1500 Hz at 3T. This approach may be especially useful in organs and diseases in which diffusion may be altered by pathologies. Magn Reson Med, 2006. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Translaminar Differentiation of Visually Guided Behaviors Revealed by Restricted Cerebral Cooling Deactivation

The purpose of the present study was to test the hypothesis that superficial and deep layers within a single cerebral region influence cerebral functions and behaviors in different ways. For this test, we selected posterior middle suprasylvian (pMS) sulcal cortex of the cat, a suspected homolog of the area V5 complex of primates, because the region has been implicated in several visually guided behaviors. Cats were trained on three tasks: (1) discrimination of direction of motion; (2) discrimination of static patterns partially obscured by static or moving masks; and (3) visual detection and orienting. Cooling of cryoloops in contact with pMS sulcal cortex to 8+/-1 degrees C selectively and completely impaired performance on the two motion discrimination tasks (1 and 2), while leaving the detection and orienting task (task 3) unimpaired. Further cooling to 3 degrees C resulted in an additional complete impairment of task 3. The 8 degrees C temperature resulted in silencing of neuronal activity in the supragranular layers (I-III) and the 3 degrees C temperature silenced activity throughout the thickness of pMS sulcal cortex. The variation in behavioral performance with covariation of cryoloop temperature and vertical, but not lateral, spread of deactivation shows that deactivation of superficial cerebral layers alone was sufficient to completely impair performance on the two motion discrimination tasks, whereas additional deactivation of the deep layers was essential to block performance on the detection and orienting task. Thus, these results show a functional bipartite division of labor between upper and lower cortical layers that is supported by efferent connectional anatomy. Similar bipartite division into upper and lower layers may be a general feature of cerebral cortical architecture, signal processing and guidance of behavior.
Absence of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs

In order to confirm the presence and determine the frequency of human immunodeficiency virus, type 1 (HIV-1) infection prior to antibody production, 23 healthy women with histories of repeated unprotected sexual exposure to HIV-1 infected hemophiliacs were tested for evidence of HIV-1 infection. Female subjects were tested for HIV-1 antibody (enzyme immunoassay [EIA] and Western blot), HIV-1 serum antigen, HIV-1 DNA gag sequences by the polymerase chain reaction, and HIV-1 virus isolation from peripheral mononuclear cells. Twenty-two of 23 (96%) women were negative by all HIV-1 assays. One woman was positive by all the HIV-1 assays including an EIA screening test for HIV-1 antibody. These preliminary results suggest that the frequency of HIV-1 infection in antibody-negative sexual partners of HIV-1 infected individuals is probably very low.
Transcript analysis of nrrF, a Fur repressed sRNA of Neisseria gonorrhoeae.

Like most microorganisms, Neisseria gonorrhoeae alters gene expression in response to iron availability. The ferric uptake regulator Fur has been shown to be involved in controlling this response, but the extent of this involvement remains unknown. It is known that in addition to working directly to repress gene expression, Fur may also work indirectly by controlling additional regulatory elements. Using in silico analysis, we identified a putative small RNA (sRNA) homolog of the meningococcal nrrF locus, and demonstrate that this sRNA is iron-repressible, suggesting that this is the gonococcal analog of the rhyB locus in Escherichia coli. Quantitative real-time RT-PCR analysis indicates that this transcript may also be temporally regulated. Transcript analysis identified the 5′ start of the transcript, using a single reaction, fluorescent-based, primer extension assay. This protocol allows for the rapid identification of transcriptional start sites of RNA transcripts, and could be used for high-throughput transcript mapping.
Supra‐elevated CA 19‐9 in a benign hepatic cystadenoma

Background Elevated CA 19‐9 may be found in both cystadenomas and cystadenocarcinomas of the liver. Case outline A 59‐year‐old woman presented with right upper quadrant abdominal pain, malaise and weight loss. Physical examination and laboratory evaluation revealed a mass in the right upper quadrant and a CA 19‐9 level of 68 661 U/ml. CT scan demonstrated a cystic liver mass. She underwent a right hepatectomy, and her CA 19‐9 returned to normal. Pathologic analysis revealed no malignancy. Discussion In hepatic cystic neoplasms, an elevated CA 19‐9 should not be used to establish the diagnosis of malignancy nor should it preclude resection.
FcγRIII Mediates Immunoglobulin G-Induced Interleukin-10 and Is Required for Chronic Leishmania mexicana Lesions

FcRgamma and interleukin-10 (IL-10) are both required for chronic disease in C57BL/6 mice with Leishmania mexicana parasite infection. FcRgamma is a component of several different FcRs and may be a component of some T-cell receptors. The initial antibody response to L. mexicana is an immunoglobulin G1 (IgG1) response, and IgG1 preferentially binds to FcgammaRIII in other systems. To begin to dissect the mechanisms by which FcgammaRs contribute to chronic disease, we infected FcgammaRIII knockout (KO) mice with L. mexicana. We show that FcgammaRIII KO mice are resistant to L. mexicana infection, resolving lesions in association with a stronger gamma interferon response, similar to IL-10 KO mice, with parasite control by 12 weeks. We found that the Leishmania-specific IgG response is unaltered in FcgammaRIII KO mice compared with that in wild-type controls. The frequencies of IL-10 production from lymph node CD25(+) CD4(+) T cells are the same in KO and wild-type mice, and depletion of CD25(+) cells did not alter the course of infection, implying that T(reg) cells may not be the mechanism for susceptibility to L. mexicana infection, unlike for L. major infection. However, IL-10 mRNA was greatly diminished in the lesions of FcgammaRIII KO mice compared to that of B6 controls. Furthermore, macrophages from FcgammaRIII KO and FcRgamma KO mice have the same profound defect in IL-10 production induced by IgG-opsonized amastigotes. We also found IL-10-dependent (major) and -independent (minor) inhibition of IL-12 mediated by FcgammaRIII, as well as parasite-mediated inhibition of IL-12 and induction of IL-10, independent of FcgammaR. Our data demonstrate a specific role for FcgammaRIII in suppressing protective immunity in L. mexicana infection, likely through macrophage IL-10 production in the lesion.
PreDA: Predicate Routing for DTN Architectures over MANET

We consider a Delay Tolerant Network (DTN) whose users (nodes) are connected by an underlying Mobile Ad hoc Network (MANET) substrate. Users can declaratively express high-level policy constraints on how "content" should be routed. For example, content can be directed through an intermediary DTN node for the purposes of preprocessing, authentication, etc., or content from a malicious MANET node can be dropped. To support such content routing at the DTN level, we implement Predicate Routing [1] where high-level constraints of DTN nodes are mapped into low-level routing predicates within the MANET nodes. Our testbed [2] uses a Linux system architecture with User Mode Linux [3] to emulate every DTN node with a DTN Reference Implementation code [4]. In our initial architecture prototype, we use the On Demand Distance Vector (AODV) routing protocol at the MANET level. We use the network simulator ns-2 (ns-emulation version) to simulate the wireless connectivity of both DTN and MANET nodes. Preliminary results show the efficient and correct operation of propagating routing predicates. For the application of content re-routing through an intermediary, as a side effect, results demonstrate the performance benefit of content re-routing that dynamically (on-demand) breaks the underlying end-to-end TCP connections into shorter-length TCP connections.
Dynamic scheduling parallel loops with variable iterate execution times

To improve performance of scientific applications in parallel and distributed environments, dynamic scheduling algorithms for parallel loops have been proposed. Such algorithms address performance degradations due to load imbalance caused by predictable phenomena like nonuniform data distribution or algorithmic variance, and unpredictable phenomena such as data access latency or operating system interference. In particular, algorithms such as factoring, weighted factoring, adaptive weighted factoring, and adaptive factoring have been developed based on a probabilistic analysis of parallel loop iterates with variable running times. These algorithms execute the iterates in variable size chunks, where the sizes are determined such that the chunks complete before the optimal time with a high probability. These algorithms have successfully been implemented in a number of scientific applications such as: N-Body and Monte Carlo simulations, CFD, and radar signal processing. This paper presents a comparative study of the performance of various loop scheduling algorithms in a message-passing environment. The algorithms have been integrated into a tool for executing parallel loops, and the tool applied in profiling quadrature routines that are often used in scientific computations such as finite element methods, particle physics, and multivariate statistics. Experimental results reveal the effectiveness and robustness of the latest developed scheduling algorithms over the previous ones on loops with irregular iterate execution times.
Inducing Latent Semantic Relations for Structured Distributional Semantics

Structured distributional semantic models aim to improve upon simple vector space models of semantics by hypothesizing that the meaning of a word is captured more effectively through its relational — rather than its raw distributional — signature. In accordance, they extend the vector space paradigm by structuring elements with relational information that decompose distributional signatures over discrete relation dimensions. However, the number and nature of these relations remains an open research question, with most previous work in the literature employing syntactic dependencies as surrogates for truly semantic relations. In this paper we propose a novel structured distributional semantic model with latent relation dimensions, and instantiate it using latent relational analysis. Evaluation of our model yields results that significantly outperform several other distributional approaches on two semantic tasks and performs competitively on a third relation classification task.
Transition of Neural Signals on Adaptive Cylindrical Paraboloidal Shells

Cylindrical paraboloidal shells are common structures in communication systems, precision opto-mechanical systems and high-precision modern aerospace structures. Sensing is essential to validate the high performance of these modern structures. The purpose of this study is 1) to investigate microscopic neural signal generations from infinitesimal piezoelectric sensors over a cylindrical paraboloidal shell panel with curvature changes and 2) to determine the dominant signal component resulting from longitudinal or circumferential membrane strains and longitudinal or circumferential bending strains. Mathematical models of the cylindrical paraboloidal shells are presented first, followed by definition of the transverse mode shape function. Then, the microscopic signal generations of distributed sensors laminated on a cylindrical paraboloidal shell panel with simply-supported boundary conditions are investigated for three different cases: the ratio of meridian to radial distance of parabola at 1:4 (shallow), 1:1 (baseline) and 2:1 (deep). Analyzing these three cases suggests that as the shell changes from shallow to deep, 1) the circumferential membrane neural signals dominate more lower modes before the circumferential bending signals become dominant for n m as the mode increases and 2) the neural signals become localized where the curvature is small. Due to non-constant radius of curvature, these signal transitions on the cylindrical paraboloidal shells are rather unique, which has not been observed in other shells.Copyright © 2006 by ASME
Restriction enzyme analysis of the chloroplast and nuclear 45s ribosomal DNA of Allium sections Cepa and Phyllodolon (Alliaceae).

Estimates of the phylogenetic relationships among cultivated and wildAllium species would benefit from identification of molecular characters. Restriction enzyme analysis of the chloroplast DNA (cpDNA) of the bulb onion (Allium cepa), Japanese bunching onion (A. fistulosum), wildAllium species in sect.Cepa andPhyllodolon, and the outgroupsA. ampeloprasum andA. tuberosum detected 39 polymorphisms.Allium cepa andA. vavilovii were identical for all characters. Cladistic analysis generated three most-parsimoniousWagner trees of 44 steps differing only in a zero-length branch.Allium fistulosum andA. altaicum (sect.Phyllodolon) comprised a monophyletic lineage separated from theA. cepa andA. vavilovii of sect.Cepa. The unresolved node was composed ofA. galanthum, A. roylei, and the lineage containingA. cepa, A. vavilovii, A. fistulosum, andA. altaicum. The clade containingA. altaicum, A. cepa, A. fistulosum, A. galanthum, A. roylei, andA. vavilovii remained resolved for strict consensus ofWagner trees of 48 steps or less.Allium pskemense andA. oschaninii were increasingly distant.Allium oschaninii has been proposed as the progenitor of the bulb onion, but was more closely related to the common progenitor of all species in sect.Cepa andPhyllodolon. Phylogenies estimated from cpDNA characters usingDollo parsimony resulted in a single most-parsimonious tree of 46 steps and agreed with phylogenies based onWagner parsimony. Polymorphic restriction enzyme sites in the 45s ribosomal DNA were not used to estimate phylogenies because of uncertain homologies, but are useful for identifying interspecific hybrids. The maternal phylogenies estimated in this study help to distinguish wildAllium species closely related to the bulb onion. Although not in agreement with classifications based on morphology, the phylogenies closely reflected crossability among species in sect.Cepa andPhyllodolon.
Passive Anaphylaxis in Mice with γG Antibodies. II. Release of Histamine with Heterologous γG Antibody Preparations

SummaryAnaphylactic release of histamine was induced in mouse mast cells after sensitization with mouse, rat, or rabbit antibodies. As compared with homologous antibodies, rat antibodies were quite effective, whereas, rabbit antibodies were poorly effective. Guinea pig antibodies (γG1 and γG2) were ineffective. Pepsin-digested preparations of rabbit antibodies were unable to sensitize mouse mast cells, or mouse skin, for the PCA reaction.
DISINFECTION SITUATION IN MEDICAL COSMETOLOGY OF DONGCHENG DISTRICT OF BEIJING

Objective To understand the Disinfection situation in medical cosmetology clinics of Dongcheng district of Beijing and improve the quality of disinfection work of medical cosmetology clinics. Methods Medical cosmetology clinics in this district were investigated through field inspection and sample detection. Results Among 21 medical cosmetology clinics in Dongcheng district,71.4% established isolation regimen of disinfection,only 38% operating room of consmetic surgery established reasonable arrangement. The overall eligible rate of quality detection of disinfection and sterilization was 97.54%.Problems such as deficiency of special knowledge of disinfection,unperfect system,medical sewage without disinfection,overdue disposable medical device existed with a varying degree. Conclusion Problems such as unperfect system and deficiency of special knowledge of disinfection existed in the disinfection and management work of Dongcheng district of Beijing,while the overall qualified rate of disinfection was high.
Neurogenic Fever: Review of Pathophysiology, Evaluation, and Management

Fever is a relatively common occurrence among patients in the intensive care setting. Although the most obvious and concerning etiology is sepsis, drug reactions, venous thromboembolism, and postsu...
Ambulatory Blood Pressure Monitoring Can Improve Cost-Effective Management of Hypertension

Detection and treatment of arterial hypertension is effective, as shown by clinical trials and downward trends in cardiovascular disease. This process causes expenditures that progressively have increased because of inclusion of more patients with minimally elevated pressure who incur a higher cost of treatment. Average daily pressure is a more accurate predictor of outcome and morbidity than initial screening or occasional clinic monitoring of pressure. Non-invasive ambulatory blood pressure monitoring (ABPM), as a secondary screening, reveals that 20% to 60% of those initially labeled as hypertensive have average daily pressures low enough to delay the initiation of drug therapy
Summary of Empirical Findings and Conclusions

The Soviet dissident movement from its inception was extraordinarily large, persistent, intricately organized and issue- and class-inclusive. These characteristics alone might have evoked an exceptional state response. Our analyses disclose three other reasons for resort to novel methods of direction and control. On average across administrations, political protest groups and religious societies recruited progressively younger adherents who could maintain a higher level of participation, could remain active longer, and could potentially serve as a base for exponential growth in the size of the movement. The movement was also expanding in two other dimensions: geographically, out from major cities; and substantively, across new issue areas. Issues underlying political protest began to depart from established and internationally acknowledged religious freedom and human rights concerns to venture more often into newer areas such as ecology, antinuclear activism, workplace safety and environmental contamination, and reached overtly anti-Union taboo topics such as anti-Communism and national independence for the republics, or smaller zones, even cities.
Hunting for invisibility: Characterizing and detecting malicious web infrastructures through server visibility analysis

Nowadays, cyber criminals often build web infrastructures rather than a single server to conduct their malicious activities. In order to continue their malevolent activities without being detected, cyber criminals make efforts to conceal the core servers (e.g., C&C servers, exploit servers, and drop-zone servers) in the malicious web infrastructure. Such deliberate invisibility of those concealed malicious servers, however, makes them particularly distinguishable from benign web servers that are usually promoted to be public. In this paper, we conduct the first large-scale measurement study to investigate the visibility of both malicious and benign servers. From our intensive analysis of over 100,000 benign servers, 45,000 malicious servers and 40,000 redirections, we identify a set of distinct features of malicious web infrastructures from their locations, structures, roles, and relationships perspectives, and propose a lightweight yet effective detection system called VisHunter. VisHunter identifies malicious redirections from visible servers to invisible servers at the entryway of malicious web infrastructures. We evaluate VisHunter on both online public data and large-scale enterprise network traffic, and demonstrate that VisHunter can achieve an average 96.2% detection rate with only 0.9% false positive rate on the real enterprise network traffic.