cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Care of Neurologic Conditions in an Observation Unit

As a group, neurologic conditions represent a substantial portion of emergency department (ED) visits. Cerebrovascular disease, headache, vertigo and seizures are all common reasons for patients to seek care in the ED. Patients being treated for each of these conditions are amenable to care in an ED observation unit (EDOU) if they require further diagnostic or therapeutic interventions beyond their ED stay. EDOUs are the ideal setting for patients who require advanced imaging such as MRIs, frequent neuro checks or specialist consultation in order to determine if they require admission or can be discharged home.
Single-Base Resolution Mapping of 5-Hydroxymethylcytosine Modifications in Hippocampus of Alzheimer's Disease Subjects.

Epigenetic modifications to cytosine have been shown to regulate transcription in cancer, embryonic development, and recently neurodegeneration. While cytosine methylation studies are now common in neurodegenerative research, hydroxymethylation studies are rare, particularly genome-wide mapping studies. As an initial study to analyze 5-hydroxymethylcytosine (5-hmC) in the Alzheimer’s disease (AD) genome, reduced representation hydroxymethylation profiling (RRHP) was used to analyze more than 2 million sites of possible modification in hippocampal DNA of sporadic AD and normal control subjects. Genes with differentially hydroxymethylated regions were filtered based on previously published microarray data for altered gene expression in hippocampal DNA of AD subjects. Our data show significant pathways for altered levels of 5-hmC in the hippocampus of AD subjects compared to age-matched normal controls involved in signaling, energy metabolism, cell function, gene expression, protein degradation, and cell structure and stabilization. Overall, our data suggest a possible role for the dysregulation of epigenetic modifications to cytosine in late stage AD.
Implications of diabetes in pregnancy for developmental biology

Normal pregnancy modifies every aspect of maternal intermediary metabolism. The realignments of the fasted State may be characterized as “accelerated starvation” and the changes in the fed State may “facilitate anabolism”. These alterations in fuel economy contribute to the post-receptor insulin resistance of normal pregnancy and must be appreciated in any approaches to the management of pregnancies complicated by diabetes. Recent attention has focused on the implications of maternal fuel metabolism for intrauterine development in so far as maternal fuels delimit the “tissue culture medium” in which the new cells of the conceptus are formed and undergo Organization, differentiation and functional maturation. Neonatal characteristics of the off spring have been clearly linked to the antepartum metabolism of the mother and the exquisitely sensitive relationships to maternal insulinization have now been documented. Mounting evidence is also identifying the potentiality for more long-range effects of maternal metabolism. These appear to be mediated via fuel-related modifications of genetic expression during organogenesis in the embryo and during the development of terminally-differentiated cells in the fetus (i.e. “fuel-mediated teratogenesis”). As a consequence, permanent alterations may occur in behavioral, intellectual, metabolic, anthropometric and other phenotypic characteristics of the offspring. The long-range possibilities provide even more compelling reasons for attempts to normalize maternal metabolism during pregnancies complicated by diabetes or other perturbations of fuel homeostasis. They also underscore that diabetes in pregnancy may serve as a paradigm of the relationships that obtain between maternal fuel economy and developmental biology in all pregnancies.
SEM Imaging Checklist

A conducting or semiconducting specimen must maintain good contact with electrical ground to dissipate the injected beam current. Without such an electrical path, even a highly conducting specimen such as a metal will show charging artifacts, in the extreme case acting as an electron mirror and reflecting the beam off the specimen. A typical strategy is to use an adhesive such as double-sided conducting tape to both grip the specimen to a support, for example, a stub or a planchet, as well as to make the necessary electrical path connection. Note that some adhesives may only be suitable for low magnification (scanned field dimensions greater than 100 × 100 μm, nominally less than 1,000× magnification) and intermediate magnification (scanned field dimensions between 100 μm x 100 μm, nominally less than 1,000X magnification and 10 μm × 10 μm, nominally less than 10,000× magnification) due to dimensional changes which may occur as the adhesive outgases in the SEM leading to image instability such as drift. Good practice is to adequately outgas the mounted specimen in the SEM airlock or a separate vacuum system to minimize contamination in the SEM as well as to minimize further dimensional shrinkage. Note that some adhesive media are also subject to dimensional change due to electron radiation damage during imaging, which can also lead to image drift.
Borges y la escritura de la historia. Tres tesis en torno a 'Tema del traidor y del héroe'

Fundado sobre principios de la hermeneutica critica (Ricoeur), este analisis del cuento de Jorge L. Borges, ‘Tema del traidor y del heroe’ (1944), se concentra en la relacion de la ficcion con el pasado y sus implicaciones para la historia. La contribucion de la ficcion se hace visible en uno de los pasos de la operacion historiografica, a saber, la narracion o puesta en relato de la investigacion. Contrariamente a una lectura esceptica de la obra de Borges se subraya aqui la contribucion de la trama narrativa en la articulacion de los regimenes de temporalidad y la redefinicion de modos de causalidad que resultan operativos en el saber historico. A la vez, si bien de manera marginal, se destaca la relevancia que adquieren la memoria y el olvido dentro de esta discusion.
Effects of a one-shot growth mindset intervention on beliefs about intelligence and achievement goals

This investigation employed a longitudinal design to examine the influence of a one-shot growth mindset intervention on ninth-graders’ implicit beliefs about intelligence and related achievement go...
A numerical treatment for partial slip flow and heat transfer of non-Newtonian Reiner-Rivlin fluid due to rotating disk

Abstract In this article, partial slip flow of Reiner-Rivlin fluid induced by a rough rotating disk is modeled. Heat transfer is also addressed by assuming more general temperature jump condition. The constitutive relations in Reiner-Rivlin fluid lead to a coupled and strongly non-linear differential system. A convenient numerical treatment is invoked to solve the resulting similarity equations for broad ranges of non-Newtonian fluid parameter and slip coefficients. Our main interest is to predict the behaviors of fluid elasticity and wall slip coefficients on the von-Karman flow problem. Expressions of wall skin friction and surface heat transfer are calculated and deliberated for broad parameter values. Different from radial and axial velocities, tangential velocity appears to increase as Reiner-Rivlin fluid parameter ( K ) increases. Reduction in surface drag coefficient, which is vital in some applications, can be accomplished by increasing the parameter K . Volumetric flow rate is also inversely proportional to the parameter K . However, heat transfer rate diminishes when parameter K enlarges. We also conclude that larger torque would be required to keep steady rotation of the disk for higher values of wall slip coefficients.
Pressure-Induced Phase Transformation and Band-Gap Engineering of Formamidinium Lead Iodide Perovskite Nanocrystals.

Formamidinium lead halide (FAPbX3, X = Cl, Br, I) perovskite materials have recently drawn an increased amount of attention owing to their superior optoelectronic properties and enhanced material stability as compared with their methylammonium-based (MA-based) analogues. Herein, we report a study of the pressure-induced structural and optical evolutions of FAPbI3 hybrid organic–inorganic perovskite nanocrystals (NCs) using a synchrotron-based X-ray scattering technique coupled to in situ absorption and photoluminescence spectroscopies. As a result of their unique structural stability and soft nature, FAPbI3 NCs exhibit a wide range of band-gap tunability (1.44–2.17 eV) as a function of pressure (0–13.4 GPa). The study presented here not only provides an efficient and chemically orthogonal means to controllably engineer the band gap of FAPbI3 NCs using pressure but more importantly sheds light on how to strategically design the band gaps of FA-based hybrid organic–inorganic perovskites for various optoelec...
Three Systems of Biomineralization in Plants with Comments on the Associated Organic Matrix

Three systems of biomineralization are common in higher plants. The formation of intracellular deposits of crystalline calcium oxalate takes place in a crystal vacuole. The individual crystal (one to many) develops within a crystal chamber bounded by a membrane and is often associated with tubules and membranes in the crystal vacuole. Other than the presence of polysaccharide and protein, the chemical nature of these elements is not well established. Exactly which elements constitute an organic matrix is not clear. In the formation of calcium carbonate in cystoliths, however, the structure that constitutes the organic matrix is clear. The carbonate is deposited in association with a siliconized cellulose and callose framework. Demineralized cystoliths clearly show this organic “skeleton.” The third system is the formation of hydrated silicon dioxide as deposits of silica gel or opal. Silicon may impregnate primary walls where it is associated with the hemicellulose-pectic fraction of the wall; it may form as intercellular bodies, or it may form internal casts of various cell types. The organic matrix associated with mineralization in higher plants is not well defined.
Case Study: MUSE

In this chapter we present MUSE (MUltimedia SEarch and Retrieval Using Relevance Feedback), a CBVIR system with relevance feedback and learning capabilities developed by the authors over the past two years. MUSE is an ongoing project within the Department of Computer Science and Engineering at Florida Atlantic University. The ultimate goal of this project is to build an intelligent system for searching and retrieving visual information in large repositories1.
Open Access for Scholars Left Behind: The Issue of Limited Access to Data and Scholarship

This column discusses information literacy instruction through the lens of open access (OA) to better serve researchers who have limited access to scholarship due to cost. After providing a definit...
Concurrent source iteration in the solution of three-dimensional, multigroup discrete ordinates neutron transport equations

A strategy for implementing source iteration on massively parallel computers for use in solving multigroup discrete ordinates neutron transport equations on three-dimensional Cartesian grids is proposed and analyzed. Based on an analysis of the memory requirement and floating-point complexity of the formal matrix-vector multiplication effected by a single source iteration, a data decomposition and communication strategy is presented that is designed to achieve good scalability with respect to all phase-space variables, i.e., neutron position, energy, and direction. A performance model is developed to analyze the scalability properties of the algorithm and to provide computational and heuristic strategies for determining a data decomposition that minimizes wall clock execution time. Numerical results are presented to demonstrate the performance of a specific implementation of this approach on a 1,024-node nCUBE/2.
Quantitative Aspects of the Problem of Shape in Biology

In studies on the interrelationships of form and function in biology, an important role is played by the notion of shape and its determination. Although several notions of shape are used in mathematics, it is not a trivial problem to find a shape concept, expressed in mathematical language, which could serve as a base for a quantitative treatment of biological questions involving structures and patterns.
The Contribution of B Cells in Autoimmune Liver Diseases

Autoreactive B cells can promote autoimmunity through antigen presentation to autoreactive T cells, production of autoantibodies, generation of cytokines promoting T cell activation and differentiation, and inhibition of regulatory T cells and B cells. Here, the authors highlight studies pertaining to B cell mechanisms associated with disease pathogenesis and outcomes in autoimmune hepatitis and the immune-mediated cholangiopathies (primary biliary cholangitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and biliary atresia). The vast majority of investigations focus on autoantibodies and future research endeavors should include deciphering the role of the B cell in T cell activation (through antigen presentation, cytokine/chemokine production, and inhibition of regulation). Targeting B cell mechanisms in the treatment of autoimmune liver diseases is also highlighted.
A comparison of stemming techniques in tracing

We examine the effects of stemming on the tracing of software engineering artifacts. We compare two common stemming algorithms to each other as well as to a baseline of no stemming. We evaluate the algorithms on eight tracing datasets. We run the experiment using the TraceLab experimental framework to allow for ease of repeatability and knowledge sharing among the tracing community. We compare the algorithms on precision at recall levels of [0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0], as well as on mean average precision values. The experiment indicated that neither the Porter stemmer nor the Krovetz stemmer outperformed the other on all datasets tested.
Antibacterial, ester-free monomers: Polymerization kinetics, mechanical properties, biocompatibility and anti-biofilm activity.

Abstract Objectives Quaternary ammonium (QA) methacrylate monomers have been extensively investigated and demonstrate excellent antibacterial properties. However, the presence of ester bonds makes them prone to degradation in the oral cavity. In this study, ester-free QA monomers based on meth-acrylamides were synthesized and screened for polymerization kinetics, mechanical properties and antibacterial effects. Materials and methods Tertiary quaternary ammonium acrylamides (AM) and methacrylamides (MAM) with alkyl side chain lengths of 9 and 14 carbons (C9 and C14) were synthesized and incorporated at 10 wt% into experimental composites based on BisGMA:TEGDMA (1:1), camphorquinone/ethyl-4-dimethylaminobenzoate (0.2/0.8 wt%) and 70 wt% barium glass fillers. Analogous methacrylate versions (MA) were used as controls. Degree of conversion (DC) and rate of polymerization (RP) during photoactivation (800 mW/cm2) were followed in real-time with near-IR. Flexural Strength (FS) and Modulus (E) were measured on 2 × 2 × 25 mm bars in 3-point bending after 24 h dry storage and 7-day storage in water at 37 °C. Antimicrobial properties and biofilm adhesion (fouling) were evaluated by bioluminescence (Luciferase Assay) and biofilm removal by water spray microjet impingement test, respectively. Cytotoxicity was assessed by MTT assay on dental pulp stem cells (DPSC). Data were analyzed with one-way ANOVA/Tukey's test (α = 0.05). Results DC was similar for all groups tested (∼70%). Both MAMs and C14-AM presented significantly lower RP. Under dry conditions, FS (110–120 MPa) and E (8–9 GPa) were similar for all groups. After water storage, all materials presented FS/E similar to the control, except for C14-AM (for FS) and C14-MAM (for E), which were lower. All C14 versions were strongly antibacterial, decreasing the titer counts of biofilm by more than two orders of magnitude in comparison to the control. C9 monomers did not present significant antibacterial nor antifouling properties. And biofilms had approximately equivalent adhesion on the C9 composites as on the control. Cytotoxicity did not show significant differences between the MA and AM versions and the control group. Conclusions C14-QA monomers based on methacrylates and meth-acrylamides present strong antibacterial properties, and in general, similar conversion/mechanical properties compared to the methacrylate control. Statement of Significance This work demonstrates the viability of methacrylamides and acrylamides as potential components in dental restorative materials with antimicrobial properties. The use of ester-free polymerizable functionalities has the potential of improving the degradation resistance of these materials long-term. The use of (meth)acrylamides did not interfere with the antimicrobial potential of quaternary ammonium-based materials.
Should 68 Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT be Performed Routinely in Patients with Neuroendocrine Tumors Before Surgical Resection?

The only potential cure for neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) is operative resection, which may also offer a survival benefit for advanced disease. We aimed to assess the role of 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in preoperative planning and compared its performance to CT with IV contrast and MRI with Eovist®, for abdominal NETs. Records of patients who underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT in addition to MRI with Eovist® and/or CT with IV contrast were retrospectively evaluated. The effect of imaging findings on surgical management and characteristics of detected lesions were analyzed. Descriptive statistics were used. Of 21 patients who underwent 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT prior to surgical resection, five (24%) had a change in surgical management due to findings. In three patients, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT identified the primary tumor. In two patients, 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT helped clarify equivocal hepatic lesions seen on MRI with Eovist®. MRI with Eovist® had the highest number of lesions found (median 13, versus 9 on CT and 9.5 on 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT). DOTATATE-avid lesions were on average larger than lesions seen only on MRI with Eovist® (1.6 cm versus 0.6 cm, p = 0.0002). The optimal cutoff point for detection by 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT was a size of 0.95 cm, with a sensitivity of 56% and specificity of 98%. Preoperative 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT is useful only in a subset of patients undergoing surgical resection for NETs. MRI with Eovist® is superior at identifying liver metastases when compared to 68Ga-DOTATATE PET/CT and should therefore be used routinely before hepatic cytoreduction of NETs.
Metabolomic Profiles Associated with BMI, Waist Circumference, and Diabetes and Inflammation Biomarkers in Women.

Objective This study was undertaken to identify metabolites associated with BMI and waist circumference (WC) in women and to determine whether these metabolites are associated with biomarkers of metabolic health. Methods Untargeted metabolomic analysis was done on serum from 1,534 women. Metabolites associated with BMI and WC were identified using linear regression with a Bonferroni-corrected P value. Clustered blocks of these metabolites were then defined whose association with the anthropometric measures could be represented by a single metabolite. The association of these representative metabolites with biomarkers for diabetes and inflammation was then determined. Results About one-third of 781 metabolites included in the analyses were associated with BMI and/or WC. Associations were found for some novel metabolites, including several sphingolipids, nucleotides, and modified fatty acids. Among metabolites most strongly inversely associated with BMI, the choline-containing plasmalogen (O-16:0/18:1) (β = -0.30, P = 6.62 × 10-32 ) was also inversely associated with c-peptide and positively associated with adiponectin. Adjustment for BMI attenuated the metabolite-biomarker associations more for hemoglobin A1c (> 100%) and c-peptide (58.8% to > 100%) than for C-reactive protein (10.5%-40.0%) and adiponectin (7.0%-30.4%). Conclusions These results add to the list of metabolites associated with adiposity and indicate that some may influence processes that contribute to the development of obesity-related diseases.
Giant Leaps for the Liberal Arts at Purdue

• Both majors and course enrollments in the liberal arts have been in decline since the recession of 2007.• The College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University has sought to reverse this by offering a...
COVID-19 Research Communications (Editorial)

The goal of the series is to provide a platform for rapid communication and exchange of ideas concerning the COVID-19 epidemic. It is new and unlike the known virus-induced diseases. There is a significant research effort, including mathematical modelling, to understand the characteristics of the virus SARS-CoV-2 (severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2) and the epidemiological dynamics of COVID-19, the disease caused by it. Due to their novelty, the research is often likely to produce results only on specific aspects of the disease, provide just partial answers to research questions, or collect evidence for formulating hypothesis yet to be tested. We believe, however, that the significance of the pandemic for the human population makes it essential to share even such partial results as soon as they are available to facilitate the advancement of the research on this disease. While eventually, a more comprehensive picture of both the virus and the disease will emerge, even incomplete but timely and scientifically-based information will help the authorities to make sound decisions on the course of action during the epidemic. For the series, we invite publications on any aspect of the COVID-19 epidemic. Specifically, the series aims to cover (i) the biological research, providing an understanding of the relevant structures and causal relationships in the epidemiological environment, which can facilitate mathematical or statistical modelling; (ii) mathematical models of the structures, causal interactions and epidemiological data, and their analysis; (iii) mathematical models and analysis of the socio-economic aspects of the pandemic; (iv) any new mathematical methods, applicable to the study of any of the mentioned topics. All submissions to the series will be prioritised for a fast peer-review.
Membrane potential regulates Hedgehog signaling and compartment boundary maintenance in the Drosophila wing disc

The Drosophila wing imaginal disc is composed of two lineage-restricted populations of cells separated by a smooth boundary. Hedgehog (Hh) from posterior cells activates a signaling pathway in anterior cells near the boundary which is necessary for boundary maintenance. Here, we show that membrane potential is patterned in the wing disc. Anterior cells near the boundary, where Hh signaling is most active, are more depolarized than posterior cells across the boundary. Elevated expression of the ENaC channel Ripped Pocket (Rpk), observed in these anterior cells, requires Hh. Antagonizing Rpk reduces depolarization and disrupts the compartment boundary. Using genetic and optogenetic manipulations, we show that membrane depolarization promotes membrane localization of Smoothened and augments Hh signaling. Thus, membrane depolarization and Hh-dependent signaling mutually reinforce each other in this region. Finally, clones of depolarized cells survive preferentially in the anterior compartment and clones of hyperpolarized cells survive preferentially in the posterior compartment.
“It's Not Just About a Paycheck”: Perspectives on Employment Preparation of Students With Intellectual Disability in Federally Funded Higher Education Programs

Students with intellectual disability (ID) are increasingly attending postsecondary education institutions and acquiring work experiences while completing their studies. One of the main motivations for students with ID to seek higher education is to broaden and increase their chance for finding fulfilling, paid employment in their communities. Findings from a qualitative study on staff perspectives regarding career development and employment supports and services provided to students attending Transition and Postsecondary Education Programs for Students With Intellectual Disability (TPSID) model demonstration programs in the United States are presented. Results reflect consensus across program staff regarding the goals and expectations for employment of TPSID students. Programs vary considerably in their institutional context, their partnership with other entities, and the structure of employment services, as well as the emphasis placed on paid versus unpaid employment. Some of the key strategies shared by staff regarding successful student employment practices involved outreach and engagement, visibility on campus, improving access to career services, and cultivating partnerships. As higher education continues to expand its offerings to students with ID, postsecondary education programs need to continue to emphasize and honor the importance of paid employment, and continue to seek the best methods to achieve this outcome for students with ID.
Gender as a Primary Equalizer in Plural Societies: A Theory of Cross-Ethnic Solidarity within Consociation

Methods of Conflict Resolution and peace building need to appreciate the intersectionality of issues in divided societies. This paper points out three issues (the Multicultural Trilogy) that are intersected and common to plural societies, and therefore need to be the focus of models for reconciliation. A new revised model is offered as a system that attempts to resolve the three identified bases impeding resolution in divided societies.
COMPASS: Unsupervised and online clustering of complex human activities from smartphone sensors

Abstract Modern mobile devices are able to provide context-aware and personalized services to the users, by leveraging on their sensing capabilities to infer the activity and situation in which a person is currently involved. Current solutions for context-recognition rely on annotated data and experts’ knowledge to predict the user context. In addition, their prediction ability is strongly limited to the set of situations considered during the model training or definition. However, in a mobile environment, the user context continuously evolves, and it cannot be merely restricted to a set of predefined classes. To overcome these limitations, we propose COMPASS , a novel unsupervised and online clustering algorithm aimed at identifying the user context in mobile environments based on the stream of high-dimensional data generated by smartphone sensors. COMPASS can distinguish an arbitrary number of user’s contexts from the sensors’ data, without defining a priori the collection of expected situations. This key feature makes it a general-purpose solution to provide context-aware features to mobile devices, supporting a broad set of applications. Experimental results on 18 synthetic and 2 real-world datasets show that COMPASS correctly identifies the user context from the sensors’ data stream, and outperforms the state-of-the-art solutions in terms of both clusters configuration and purity. Eventually, we evaluate its performances in terms of execution time and the results show that COMPASS can process 1000 high-dimensional samples in less than 20 s, while the reference solutions require about 60 min to evaluate the entire dataset.
Combined user-driven treadmill control and functional electrical stimulation increases walking speeds poststroke.

Abstract The variety of poststroke impairments and compensatory mechanisms necessitate adaptive and subject-specific approaches to locomotor rehabilitation. To implement subject-specific, adaptive training to treadmill-based gait training, we developed a user-driven treadmill (UDTM) control algorithm that adjusts the user’s speed in real-time. This study examines the response of individuals poststroke to the combination of UDTM control and electrical stimulation of the paretic ankle musculature to augment forward propulsion during walking. Sixteen individuals poststroke performed a randomized series of walking tasks on an instrumented split-belt treadmill at their self-selected speeds 1) with fixed speed treadmill (FSTM) control only, 2) FSTM control and paretic limb functional electrical stimulation (FES), 3) UDTM control only, and 4) UDTM control and FES. With UDTM control and FES, participants selected speeds that were 0.13 m/s faster than their speeds with fixed speed control only. This instantaneous increase is comparable to the gains in SS speed seen after 12 weeks of training with FES and fast walking with fixed speed treadmill control by Kesar and colleagues (Δ = 0.18 m/s). However, we saw no significant differences in the corresponding push-off forces or trailing limb position. Since individuals can use a variety of strategies to change their walking speeds, it is likely that the differences among individual responses obscured trends in the group average changes in mechanics. Ultimately, the combination of UDTM control and functional electrical stimulation (FES) allows individuals to increase speeds after a short exposure and may be a beneficial addition to poststroke gait training programs.
Pricing Patents through Citations

This paper provides formal treatment to the idea of patenting as a form of market stealing between R&D firms. It extends the creative destruction literature by allowing innovations to build off each other forming a network of ideas. Patent citations keep track of this network. The theory maps the distribution of productivities in the development of new ideas onto the distribution of patent values through patent citations. If productivities are drawn from a Pareto-Levy distribution then the distribution of patent values also falls within this class. The theory is then applied to data on US patent citations. Model-based valuations support the assumption of Pareto-distributed productivities. As an added feature, model-based valuations outperform citation counts (the traditional measure) as a proxy for patent values
Acute toxicity of the UV filter oxybenzone to the coral Galaxea fascicularis

Coral reefs are impacted by a variety of anthropogenic stressors including inputs of chemical contaminants. Although data is currently limited, sunscreens containing ultraviolet (UV) filters have recently been suggested as an emerging class of chemical contaminants. To provide further data on the toxicity of the UV filter oxybenzone (benzophenone-3 or BP-3) to corals, we conducted three independent acute toxicity tests exposing the colonial stony coral Galaxea fascicularis to BP-3 (0.31 to 10 mg/L nominal concentrations). Assessments included daily analytical verification of the exposure concentrations, calculation of the lethal concentration to result in 50% mortality (LC50) and numerous biological endpoints to further investigate the potential impact to both the coral and symbiont. LC50s for the three tests were similar and averaged 6.53 ± 0.47 mg/L nominal concentration BP-3 (4.45 mg/L measured dissolved BP-3). BP-3 did not initiate coral bleaching or show a significant loss of symbionts from the coral tissue in this species as reductions in measurements used for bleaching (i.e. visual color, color saturation and photosynthetic pigment concentrations) were only seen concurrently with tissue loss (i.e. at ≥2.5 mg/L nominal concentration BP-3). Polyp retraction, the most sensitive endpoint of this test, was seen to be a sub-lethal behavioral response to BP-3 exposure. Using the calculated LC50 with measured concentrations from a high-quality UV filter monitoring study in Hawaii, a preliminary, conservative risk quotient for BP-3 was calculated at 0.032. These results suggest that BP-3 likely does not pose an acute risk of mortality to G. fascicularis and additional testing is required to determine sublethal impacts of BP-3 under environmentally relevant concentrations and longer-term chronic exposures. This study highlights complications in conducting toxicity tests with organic UV filters including under-estimations of exposure concentrations and provides recommendations to improve these methods for better comparisons between studies.
Xanthogranulomatous salpingo-oophoritis associated with diverticular perforation

Abstract Xanthogranulomatous inflammation of the female genital tract is a rare entity with less than thirty cases being previously reported in the literature. It is characterized by destruction of the normal tissue followed by replacement with inflammatory cells and lipid- laden macrophages. In this report, we present a 55-year-old African American female with history of diverticulosis and use of intrauterine device, who presented with xanthogranulomatous inflammation extensively involving the fallopian tubes and ovaries, and concomitant diverticular perforation.
Hemeoxygenase and its metabolites in regulation of vascular endothelial health

Abstract The evolutionarily conserved heme oxygenases (HO) play a crucial role in cytoprotection by antioxidative, antiinflammatory, and proliferative mechanisms. Within two isoforms (HO-1 and HO-2), HO-1 is inducible, and is of greater interest because it being the major sensor of cellular stress is adaptive to gain expression so as to mediate suppression of stress-related injury. The canonical function of HO-1 in heme degradation releases equimolar amounts of the metabolites, carbon monoxide (CO), free iron (Fe2+), and biliverdin (BD), the latter is further reduced to bilirubin (BR) by biliverdin reductase. Each of these metabolites has distinct function in the adaptation of cellular and immune homeostasis, in general, and in vasculogenesis in particular. CO is particularly recognized in mediating activation of vascular endothelial-derived growth factor, an important player in vasculogenesis and angiogenesis, and the two most important processes for the development of vascular system and repair mechanism. CO by promoting synthesis of interleukin-10 (IL-10), the antiinflammatory cytokine, is pivotal in immune homeostasis. The BD/BR system by activating ligand-sensitive aryl hydrocarbon receptor also plays a role in transcription of IL-10 and antiinflammatory mechanism. Whereas recycling of free iron (Fe2+) generates the pool of various ferroproteins including heme. This chapter in the following sections will explain these mechanisms in great detail particularly in vascular health.
Adolescent dietary vitamin D and sun exposure in relation to benign breast disease

Vitamin D may reduce cell proliferation and tumor growth in breast tissue, and exposure may be most important during adolescence when breast tissue is developing. In the Nurses’ Health Study II, higher recalled adolescent vitamin D intake was associated with a lower risk of benign breast disease (BBD). Our study aimed to assess adolescent vitamin D exposure in relation to BBD in young women. Vitamin D was assessed in 6,593 adolescent girls (9–15 years of age at baseline) in the prospective Growing Up Today Study cohort using the mean energy-adjusted intakes from food frequency questionnaires in 1996, 1997, and 1998. In 1999, 5,286 girls reported skin color, sunscreen use, tanning bed use, and number of sunburns in the past year, and we used state of residence to assess low versus high ultraviolet index. Biopsy-confirmed BBD was reported on questionnaires in 2005, 2007, and 2010 (n = 122). Dietary vitamin D, tanning behaviors, and other sun exposure variables were not significantly associated with BBD in logistic regression models adjusted for age, family history of breast cancer or BBD, age at menarche, nulliparity, alcohol intake, body mass index, and physical activity. The relative risk for the top (>467 IU/day) versus bottom (<243 IU/day) quartile of vitamin D intake was 0.76 (95 % CI 0.47, 1.23). Sun exposure was not significantly associated with BBD in this prospective cohort. However, a suggestive inverse association between dietary vitamin D and BBD was observed that merits further study.
Revisiting Multiculturalism in Social Work

This article examines multiculturalism as an organizing concept about human diversity in social work education in terms of the groups to be included and the significance of multiple cultural identities. The author reformulates the goals of multiculturalism in relation to the attachments people have to their cultural groups and to mainstream U.S. American culture. Attention is given to the future of a multicultural society in light of demographic trends beyond 2000 and the continuing significance of race and racism in the United States. The author concludes by describing four principles for multiculturalism and their application in the social work curriculum.
The Impact of Practice Guidelines on Prescribing Patterns of Nondepolarizing Neuromuscular Blocking Agents

Guidelines for selecting nondepolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents (NNMBAs) were developed and implemented by an interdisciplinary team for use in our intensive care units. They suggest pancuronium as the drug of choice if the patient does not have renal insufficiency and is hemodynamically stable. If either of these criteria is not met and hepatic function is normal, vecuronium is recommended. Atracurium is reserved for patients not meeting either criterion. A 12-month retrospective chart review was performed for 24 patients 18 years of age or older who received continuous infusion of an NNMBA beginning 7 months after the guidelines were implemented. Before the guidelines, atracurium, vecuronium, and pancuronium were prescribed for 68% (17), 24% (6), and 8% (2) of patients, respectively. Their use was inappropriate based on organ function and hemodynamic stability in 88% (15), 83% (5), and 0% of patients, respectively. After guideline implementation, atracurium, vecuronium, and pancuronium were prescribed for 33% (8), 21% (5), and 46% (11) of patients, respectively, and use was inappropriate in 38% (3), 60% (3), and 0% of patients, respectively. Overall, the prevalence of inappropriate NNMBA selection decreased from 80% (20) to 25% (6). Further analysis is necessary to determine the associated pharmacoeconomic impact of decreased inappropriate NNMBA prescribing.
Chapter 3 The Creation of Sexual Dimorphism in the Drosophila Soma

Abstract Animals have evolved a fascinating array of mechanisms for conducting sexual reproduction. These include producing the sex-specific gametes, as well as mechanisms for attracting a mate, courting a mate, and getting the gametes together. These processes require that males and females take on dramatically different forms (sexual dimorphism). Here, we will explore the problem of how sex is determined in Drosophila , and pay particular attention to how information about sexual identity is used to instruct males and females to develop differently. Along the way, we will highlight new work that challenges some of the traditional views about sex determination. In Drosophila , it is commonly thought that every cell decides its own sex based on its sex chromosome constitution (XX vs. XY). However, we now know that many cell types undergo nonautonomous sex determination, where they are told what sex to be through signals from surrounding cells, independent of their own chromosomal content. Further, it now appears that not all cells even “know” their sex, since key members of the sex determination pathway are not expressed in all cells. Thus, our understanding of how sex is determined, and how sexual identity is used to create sexual dimorphism, has changed considerably.
LNG Sloshing: Characteristics And Scaling Laws

Understanding of local behavior of sloshing pressure is essential for design of LNG containment systems, particularly for operations in offshore environments. Extensive sloshing experiments revealed that local pressures at temporal resolution on the order of 20 kHz and spatial resolution of 5mm for scaled models up to 1:20 are stochastic; peak pressure varies dramatically from cycle to cycle even under a simple harmonic excitation in one degree of freedom. In addition, such pressures are strong functions of local geometry such as corrugations and raised invar edges, as well as physical and thermal conditions of the ullage. As such, the phenomenon is very challenging for predictions using existing numerical algorithms. To obtain proper design values for the containment system, scaled model tests must address the above parameters and appropriate scaling laws identified. In this paper, we assimilate fundamental aspects of sloshing from first principles to identify relevant dimensionless numbers necessary for dynamic similarity of scaled model tests involving local pressures. Various experiments were carried out to support relevance of such dimensionless numbers; experimental results and their implication in scaling will be discussed in the paper.
Balance of Payments Constraints on the Conduct of Independent Monetary Policies in a Globalized World : The NAFTA Experience

(2003). Balance of Payments Constraints on the Conduct of Independent Monetary Policies in a Globalized World : The NAFTA Experience. International Journal of Political Economy: Vol. 33, No. 3, pp. 72-89.
Boundary‐Scan Testing

The sections in this article are 1 Problems in Board Test 2 Basic Principles of Boundary-Scan 3 Applying Boundary-Scan to Board Test 4 Issues in Applying Boundary-Scan 5 Extensions to The 1149.1 Boundary-Scan Standard Keywords: boundary-scan; ieee 1149.1; jtag; board test; test generation; fault diagnosis; interconnect test; design-for-testability; scan path; built-in self test
Microcomputer manipulation and graphic display of molecular strctures—I introduction

Abstract A description of a microcomputer based software system to manipulate and display three dimensional structural data is presented. Graphic display is obtained on an X-Y plotter. Various considerations concerning the creation and maintenance of a molecular structure data base ared discussed. An evaluation of the performance of the system is also presented.
Seeds for random number generators

Techniques for choosing seeds for social and scientific applications of random number generators.
Model-Based Vision Using Relational Summaries

A CAD-to-vision system is a computer system that inputs a CAD model of an object and outputs a vision model and matching procedure by which that object can be recognized and/or its position and orientation determined. CAD-model-based systems are extremely useful for industrial vision tasks where a number of different manufactured parts must be automatically manipulated and/or inspected. Another area where vision systems based on CAD models is becoming important is in the United States space program. Since the space station and space vehicles are recent or even current designs, we can expect to have CAD models of these objects to work with. Vision tasks in space such as docking and tracking of vehicles, guided assembly tasks, and inspection of the space station itself for cracks and other problems can rely on model-directed vision techniques.
Growth retardation as well as spleen and thymus involution in latent TGF-β binding protein (Ltbp)-3 null mice

The latent TGF-β binding protein (LTBP)-3 is an extracellular matrix (ECM) protein that binds the small latent complex (SLC) of TGF-β. Disruption of the Ltbp-3 gene by homologous recombination in mice yields mutant animals that display multiple skeletal abnormalities. In addition, these mice have retarded growth. On an inbred 129 SvEv background, half of the Ltbp-3 mutant mice die between 3 and 4 weeks after birth. These mice show severe involution of the thymus and spleen and a sharp reduction in the numbers of CD4/CD8 double positive T-cells in the thymus. The thymus and spleen defect is caused by elevated corticosterone levels in the serum and can be reversed by injection of aminoglutethimide (AMG), an inhibitor of steroid synthesis. This result indicates that the thymus and spleen defect is a secondary defect due to high corticosterone levels probably induced by stress of unknown etiology. J. Cell. Physiol. 196: 319–325, 2003. © 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Polymer Coating of Carbon Nanotube Fibers for Electric Microcables

Carbon nanotubes (CNTs) are considered the most promising candidates to replace Cu and Al in a large number of electrical, mechanical and thermal applications. Although most CNT industrial applications require macro and micro size CNT fiber assemblies, several techniques to make conducting CNT fibers, threads, yarns and ropes have been reported to this day, and improvement of their electrical and mechanical conductivity continues. Some electrical applications of these CNT conducting fibers require an insulating layer for electrical insulation and protection against mechanical tearing. Ideally, a flexible insulator such as hydrogenated nitrile butadiene rubber (HNBR) on the CNT fiber can allow fabrication of CNT coils that can be assembled into lightweight, corrosion resistant electrical motors and transformers. HNBR is a largely used commercial polymer that unlike other cable-coating polymers such as polyvinyl chloride (PVC), it provides unique continuous and uniform coating on the CNT fibers. The polymer coated/insulated CNT fibers have a 26.54 μm average diameter-which is approximately four times the diameter of a red blood cell-is produced by a simple dip-coating process. Our results confirm that HNBR in solution creates a few microns uniform insulation and mechanical protection over a CNT fiber that is used as the electrically conducting core.
Lumbar but not cervical intrathecal DAMGO suppresses extrasegmental nociception in awake rats

he effect of intrathecally administered [D-Ala2,N-Me-Phe4,Gly5-ol]-enkephalin (DAMGO) on withdrawal latencies evoked by noxious heat applied to either cervical or lumbar dermatomes was studied in awake rats. Administration of DAMGO to the lumbar intrathecal space produces a dose-dependent suppression of withdrawals evoked by noxious thermal stimulation in either lumbar or cervical dermatomes. Administration of the same doses of DAMGO to the cervical spinal cord produces a suppression of withdrawals evoked by stimulation in cervical but not lumbar dermatomes. Control experiments provide evidence that the drugs administered intrathecally to either enlargement do not spread to the other enlargement.
Ion heating and acceleration by strong magnetosonic waves

Large-amplitude magnetosonic waves (kperpendicularB) with ..omega../sub ci/<..omega..<..omega../sub lh/ (..omega../sub ci/ and ..omega../sub lh/ are the ion-cyclotron and lower-hybrid frequencies) are investigated by particle simulation. Some ions are accelerated and trapped in the potential troughs of the waves; the v x B/c force accelerates these particles parallel to the phase fronts. Ultimately, the v x B/c force detraps the ions but only when v is much larger than the Alfven velocity; the wave is strongly damped by this effect.
Excitation of the 1s5 and 1s4 levels of neon by low-energy electrons

Excitation coefficients for production of 1${s}_{5}$ and 1${s}_{4}$ levels (Paschen notation) of neon in collisions with low-energy electrons have been measured using a drift-tube technique combined with laser absorption and laser-induced fluorescence techniques. The absorption and fluorescence signals have been analyzed using coupled rate equations which include the effects of population mixing among these levels in collisions with neon atoms. The excitation coefficients for the metastable and resonance levels ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{M}$/N and ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{R}$/N have been obtained as functions of the electric field to gas density ratio E/N. The measured values of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{M}$/N vary from 1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}24}$ ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ at E/N=1.6\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}21}$ V ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ to 6.5\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}22}$ ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$ at 3.0\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}${10}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}19}$ V ${\mathrm{m}}^{2}$. The values of ${\ensuremath{\alpha}}_{R}$/N are comparable in the experimental E/N range. The experimental excitation coefficients are in agreement with values calculated from a Boltzmann analysis using a recommended set of electron excitation cross sections derived from published experimental electron beam data.