cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Secondary chronic venous disease progresses faster than primary.

Purpose To compare the progression rate of primary with secondary chronic venous disease (CVD). Methods Patients with a first episode of proximal deep vein thrombosis (DVT), diagnosed by duplex ultrasound (DU) were included in group A - secondary CVD (41 patients, 46 limbs). DU was performed at least once, 1 year after the diagnosis, and repeated at 5 years. Group B - primary CVD (41 patients, 50 limbs) included age- and sex-matched patients with primary CVD and duration of 5 to 10 years to be comparable with that of group A. They had no history of DVT and were referred for reflux evaluation. All their veins were free of postthrombotic signs upon DU examination. Group C (15 patients, 30 limbs) had no signs and symptoms of CVD and were examined at baseline and 5 years later. This group of patients was also matched for age and sex. Clinic examinations were performed at 3, 6, and 12 months and yearly thereafter. The CEAP system was used to grade disease severity. The proximal veins were divided in the CFV, FV, and POPV segments for analysis. Thrombosed veins were subsequently graded as complete, partial, and fully recanalized. Recurrent DVT cases were also recorded. Results At 5-year follow-up, the prevalence of skin damage was significantly higher in group A (11/46 vs group B 3/50, P = .019 and vs group C 0/30, P P = 0.014) compared with the two other groups. In group A, 22 limbs had reflux, three had obstruction, 19 had combine reflux and obstruction, and two were normal. In group B, superficial, deep, and perforator vein reflux were seen in 50, 4, and 15 limbs, respectively. In group C, five limbs in four patients developed superficial reflux in which only two had symptoms. The CEAP class in this group was C0N=25, C1=3, and C2=2. In group A, skin damage was significantly higher in limbs with combined proximal and distal obstruction as well as in limbs with combined reflux and obstruction ( P = .012 and P = 0.013, respectively). DVT was found in 108 segments (25 CFV, 40 FV, and in 43 POPV), 82 at the first episode and 26 as an ipsilateral recurrence. Ipsilateral and contralateral recurrences were seen in 21.9% and 9.8% of patients, respectively. Complete recanalization occurred in 43 segments, partial in 55, and none in 10. Reflux occurred in 85.5% and 60.5% of the partially and completely recanalized segments, respectively ( P = .006). Conclusions The progression of CVD is more rapid in postthrombotic limbs when compared with those with primary CVD. The incidence of CVD in normal individuals is small and its progression is slow. Poor prognostic factors for progression to advanced CVD include the combination of reflux and obstruction, ipsilateral recurrent DVT, and multi-segmental involvement.
Runtime Performance of Parallel Array Assignment: An Empirical Study

Generating code for the array assignment statement of High Performance Fortran (HPF) in the presence of block-cyclic distributions of data arrays is considered difficult, and several algorithms have been published to solve this problem. We present a comprehensive study of the run-time performance of the code these algorithms generate. We classify these algorithms into several families, identify several issues of interest in the generated code, and present experimental performance data for the various algorithms. We demonstrate that the code generated for block-cyclic distributions runs almost as efficiently as that generated for block or cyclic distributions.
Spatial Attention Modulates Initial Afferent Activity in Human Primary Visual Cortex

It is well established that spatially directed attention enhances visual perceptual processing. However, the earliest level at which processing can be affected remains unknown. To date, there has been no report of modulation of the earliest visual event-related potential component “C1” in humans, which indexes initial afference in primary visual cortex (V1). Thus it has been suggested that initial V1 activity is impenetrable, and that the earliest modulations occur in extrastriate cortex. However, the C1 is highly variable across individuals, to the extent that uniform measurement across a group may poorly reflect the dynamics of V1 activity. In the present study we employed an individualized mapping procedure to control for such variability. Parameters for optimal C1 measurement were determined in an independent, preliminary “probe” session and later applied in a follow-up session involving a spatial cueing task. In the spatial task, subjects were cued on each trial to direct attention toward 1 of 2 locations in anticipation of an imperative Gabor stimulus and were required to detect a region of lower luminance appearing within the Gabor pattern 30% of the time at the cued location only. Our data show robust spatial attentional enhancement of the C1, beginning as early as its point of onset (57 ms). Source analysis of the attentional modulations points to generation in striate cortex. This finding demonstrates that at the very moment that visual information first arrives in cortex, it is already being shaped by the brain's attentional biases.
Don’t Tell Me Who I Can’t Love: A Multimethod Investigation of Social Network and Reactance Effects on Romantic Relationships

In three studies, we examined the influence of social network reactions on feelings toward a romantic partner. Study 1 was a large survey (N = 858), Study 2 was a vignette design in which social network reactions were manipulated, and Study 3 was a laboratory-based, dating game experiment. We found extensive support for the social network effect, whereby relationship approval from family and friends leads individuals to feel more love, more committed, and more positive about a partner. We also examined whether psychological reactance moderated social network influence. Analyses revealed two types of reactance: defiant reactance (doing the opposite of that urged by others) and independent reactance (a desire to make free and independent decisions). Independent reactance but not defiant reactance interacted with network effects and buffered the effects of social adversity. Independent individuals appear capable of ignoring disapproving network opinions. Findings demonstrate a noteworthy interaction between ...
EXAMINING HIGHER EDUCATION-COMMUNITY PARTNERSHIPS THROUGH HUMAN RESOURCE DEVELOPMENT: IMPLICATIONS FOR INNOVATION AND TECHNOLOGY MANAGEMENT

Higher education and community partnerships have transitioned from casual relationships to more of a mandate with the advancements in technology and globalization. The result of this large-scale change has led to an increase in these efforts, but the relationships are still emerging. Using survey research and the human resource development (HRD) perspective, we explore higher education and community partnerships, assesses their challenges, and discusses potential contributions of such partnerships in community development. This article contributes to our understanding of how these partnerships interact and what strategies the field of HRD may offer to advance such collaborative efforts.
Edge emitting sensors for accurate quantification of hydrogen composition above 0.5

An edge-emitting waveguide laser with an integrated palladium thin film for hydrogen sensing is presented. This device exhibits a 15% increase in the laser output power and 50pm peak wavelength redshift per percent hydrogen.
Vesicles and mixed micelles in hypothyroid rat bile before and after thyroid hormone treatment: evidence for a vesicle transport system for biliary cholesterol secretion

Hypothyroid rats show reduced secretion of biliary lipids, especially cholesterol. Secretion of biliary cholesterol is markedly augmented to levels above euthryroid beginning 12-24 h after administration of thyroid hormone. In the current studies, bile from hypothyroid and triiodothyronine-treated chronic bile-fistula rats was analyzed for vesicles and mixed micelles by metrizamide gradient ultracentrifugation. For euthryoid and hypothyroid animals, less than 12% of biliary cholesterol was in a vesicle gradient fraction. After treatment with triiodothyronine, biliary cholesterol increased markedly, and 50% of total cholesterol, 60% of excess cholesterol secreted, appeared in the vesicle fraction. Triiodothyronine stimulation of vesicle secretion resulted in cholesterol-rich vesicles (cholesterol:phospholipid ratio rose from less than 0.1 to 0.56), but no change in the distinct fatty acid composition of vesicle phospholipids. The microtubule inhibitor colchicine, given 12 h after triiodothyronine, prevented subsequent increase in cholesterol secretion in the form of vesicles. These studies, in a model that allows rapid changes in biliary lipid secretion, support the hypothesis that an important component of cholesterol and phospholipid secretion into bile involves microtubules and may involve a vesicle pathway.
Intracerebral hematoma: beyond the mass lesion.

See related article, pages 2457–2462. The signs and symptoms of acute intracranial hemorrhage are those of a rapidly developing mass lesion, compounded over time by surrounding edema, and sometimes by brain herniation. These are dramatic, debilitating, and often fatal events, but does the pathophysiology of intracranial hemorrhage extend beyond that of mass effect? Blood contains several factors that are potentially, and in some cases definitively, neurotoxic. Chief among these are hemoglobin and its breakdown products, heme and iron, which exhibit neurotoxicity at low micromolar concentrations through mechanisms involving iron-catalyzed production of reactive oxygen species.1,2 Brain has …
So, What Did You Do Last Night? The Economics of Infidelity

SUMMARY This paper develops an economic analysis of infidelity concentrating on the question of how cheating behavior differs between men and women. We develop an expected utility model that borrows from evolutionary biology to form expectations regarding behavior towards infidelity. We use U.S. data from the General Social Survey (GSS) and a Probit model to assess some characteristics of the respondent and his or her spouse that determine the probability of having an extramarital affair. While biology may form basic preferences, some of our results are consistent with the view that people are able to act on more than their base biological instincts alone. Hence, economic theory has a role to play in the understanding of behavior relating to infidelity. More specifically, this study identifies age, social class, individual's own education and the spouse's educational attainment as underlying factors affecting infidelity behavior depending on gender. In general, we find that men and women respond differently to the costs and benefits of having an affair.
NUCLEAR PORE ANCHOR, the Arabidopsis Homolog of Tpr/Mlp1/Mlp2/Megator, Is Involved in mRNA Export and SUMO Homeostasis and Affects Diverse Aspects of Plant Development

Vertebrate Tpr and its yeast homologs Mlp1/Mlp2, long coiled-coil proteins of nuclear pore inner basket filaments, are involved in mRNA export, telomere organization, spindle pole assembly, and unspliced RNA retention. We identified Arabidopsis thaliana NUCLEAR PORE ANCHOR (NUA) encoding a 237-kD protein with similarity to Tpr. NUA is located at the inner surface of the nuclear envelope in interphase and in the vicinity of the spindle in prometaphase. Four T-DNA insertion lines were characterized, which comprise an allelic series of increasing severity for several correlating phenotypes, such as early flowering under short days and long days, increased abundance of SUMO conjugates, altered expression of several flowering regulators, and nuclear accumulation of poly(A)+ RNA. nua mutants phenocopy mutants of EARLY IN SHORT DAYS4 (ESD4), an Arabidopsis SUMO protease concentrated at the nuclear periphery. nua esd4 double mutants resemble nua and esd4 single mutants, suggesting that the two proteins act in the same pathway or complex, supported by yeast two-hybrid interaction. Our data indicate that NUA is a component of nuclear pore-associated steps of sumoylation and mRNA export in plants and that defects in these processes affect the signaling events of flowering time regulation and additional developmental processes.
Lateral displacement sensor placement and forward velocity effects on stability of lateral control of vehicles

This paper presents both a simulation and experimental look at lateral vehicle dynamics for automatic steering control. Simulation work shown is based upon the well known "bicycle model". Experimental work is completed on a small-scale vehicle run on the Illinois Roadway Simulator (IRS). Frequency and time domain methods are used to model the vehicle for various sensor locations and forward speeds. The resulting model is a polynomial transfer function from front steer angle input to lateral displacement output. The trends of the bicycle model appear in the experimental vehicle both in pole and zero mapping. In addition, the steering actuator of the vehicle is shown to be a significant factor for model reference and PI based control design.
Design and Hardware Construction of a High Speed and Memory Efficient Huffman Decoding

Hardware design of a high speed and memory efficient Huffman decoder, introduced in(l), is presented. The algorithm developed is based on a specific Huffman tree structure using a code-bit clustering scheme. The method is shown to be extremely efficient in memory requirement, and fast in searching for symbols. For an experimental video data with code-words extended up to 13 bits, the entire memory space needed is shown to be 122 words in size, compared with normally 213 = 8196 words memory space re- quirement. The design of the decoder is carried out using silicon- gate CMOS process.
pSTAT1, pSTAT3, and T-bet as markers of disease activity in chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy

Chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyradiculoneuropathy (CIDP) is considered an auto-immune disorder. We evaluated expression of pSTAT1, T-bet, and pSTAT3 in circulating T-cells, B-cells, and monocytes and spontaneous production of interleukin-17 (IL17), interferon-gamma (IFN gamma), and interleukin-10 (IL10) by peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from 14 active CIDP patients compared with 6 patients with long-lasting remission and 20 controls. Active disease patients showed higher pSTAT1, T-bet, and pSTAT3 in CD4(+) T-cells than controls (p < 0.001, p = 0.0002, p = 0.0097, respectively) and remission patients (p < 0.001, p = 0.0036, p = 0.0008, respectively). pSTAT1, T-bet, and pSTAT3 were also higher in monocytes from active CIDP patients than controls (p = 0.0011, p = 0.0041, p = 0.0413, respectively) and remission patients (p = 0.0073, p = 0.0274, p = 0.0251, respectively). Moreover in CD8(+) T-cells, pSTAT3 expression was higher in active CIDP patients than in remission patients (p = 0.0345) and in controls (p = 0.0023). IL17 and IFN gamma production were significantly higher in active CIDP patients than in controls (p < 0.0395, p = 0.0010, respectively); IFN gamma levels were higher also in remission CIDP patients (p = 0.0073). IL10 levels were higher in active phase patients than in controls (p = 0.0334). Our data suggest that pSTAT1, T-bet, and pSTAT3 can be considered putative markers of disease activity and potential targets for specific therapies.
Lattice contribution to charm photoproduction momentum distributions

Using the lattice Hamiltonian QCD theory of Drell and his collaborators, we compute the lattice contribution to the momentum distributions for charmed hadrons produced in γ+p→c\(\bar c\)+X. When this lattice effect is added to the usual perturbative photon-gluon fusion results for γ+p→c\(\bar c\)+X, there is no obvious disagreement between the corresponding theoretical predictions and the limited observation which now exists.
New light on the nomenclature, taxonomy, and biology of Hemipholis species (Echinodermata: Ophiuroidea: Ophiactidae)

Hemipholis cordifera is the correct name for the only known Western Atlantic species of Hemipholis. Hemipholis elongata, a name which has been used in place of H. cordifera, is a nomen dubium that cannot unambiguously be assigned to any known species of brittle star. Evidence is presented that the genus Hemipholis presently comprises only H. cordifera and its geminate Eastern Pacific congener Hemipholis gracilis, and it is shown that the latter name has priority over Hemipholis affinis. Hemipholis gracilis and H. cordifera are illustrated and compared to show how mature individuals can be distinguished. However, small individuals of both species are extremely similar. The latitudinal distributions of H. cordifera and H. gracilis appear to be causally related to coastal water temperature, possibly in conjunction with divergent ocean currents, and the relatively broad range of H. cordifera compared to H. gracilis is attributed to its cold tolerance and to the influence of widespread warm-water boundary currents in the central Western Atlantic. As regards the two other congeners that have been described, Hemipholis wallichii is revealed to be a juvenile ophiuroid incertae sedis, and Hemipholis microdiscus was previously transferred to the Amphiuridae and assigned the nomen novum, Amphiura microdiscoida.
Interactive effects of food deprivation and exercise on reproductive function in female hamsters

Two experiments evaluated the combined effects of food deprivation and runningwheel access on estrous cycles and estrous behavior of female hamsters. In experiment 1, food deprivation on days 1 and 2 of the estrous cycle disrupted the next expected ovulation, and this effect was more, rather than less, robust in females allowed to exercise in running wheels while they were deprived. In experiment 2, a similar protocol was used except the females were ovariectomized and received sequential injections of estradiol benzoate (EB; 5 micrograms) and progesterone (P; 200 micrograms) separated by 48 h to induce lordosis, which was tested 4-5 after P. Food deprivation concomitant with hormonal treatment diminished lordosis durations, but this effect was significant only among the females that were permitted to run in activity wheels. Previous findings demonstrated that access to running wheels attenuated the inhibitory effects of short photoperiod exposure on hamster estrous cycles. In contrast, the present results indicate that this same manipulation exaggerates rather than diminishes the inhibitory effects of food deprivation on estrous cycles and hormone-induced behavioral estrus.
Activation of the Fluorescence of Chlorophyll Solutions

CHLOROPHYLL dissolved in pure dry hydrocarbons is (practically) non-fluorescent1–3. The addition of traces of water, alcohols or amines to solutions of chlorophyll restores their fluorescent intensity to that observed in solvents such as methanol, ether, etc. It was demonstrated by Livingston, Watson and McArdle1 that this increase in the fluorescent yield is the result of the formation of an addition compound between a molecule of chlorophyll and one of the ‘activator’. These authors postulated that the addition compound was formed by the establishment of hydrogen bonds between labile hydrogens of the activator and the keto oxygens of ring V4 of the chlorophyll molecule. Afterwards, Evstigneev, Gavriola, and Krasnovskii3 presented evidence supporting the view that the activator adds to the central magnesium atom rather than to ring V. They claimed that the fluorescence of pheophytin is as intense in dry as it is in wet toluene, but that the fluorescence of toluene solutions of the magnesium complex of phthalocyanine is increased by the addition of water.
State Estimation for International Space Station Centrifuge Rotor

This paper describes the design of a state estimator to generate absolute centrifuge rotor state information from relative measurements, between the rotor and the International Space Station structure, in the absence of disturba nce input knowledge. A Kalman filter is designed for a plant model augmented with internal disturbance states. The internal disturbance states are used to model unknown thruster firing induced disturbances. This paper first reviews the design issues, then presents the design methodology, and concludes with simulation results which verify the design. Simulation results show that an increase in operational bandwidth can be achieved by expanding the dimensionality of the internal disturbance filter model. In addition, Monte Carlo analysis results indicate robustness against plant and disturbance uncertainty.
Abstract B60: Enhancing the chemopreventive effect by combining arctigenin and green tea polyphenol with curcumin in prostate and breast cancer cell

The incidence and mortality rates of both prostate and breast cancer are much higher in African-American population compared to other races. Both cancers are typically diagnosed at a later age and subject to dietary factors and obesity. Therefore natural products may be an ideal option for chemoprevention to reduce cancer incidence particularly in the high-risk populations. However, the low bioavailability of most flavonoids limits their application as anti-carcinogenic agents in humans. A novel approach of treatment with a mixture of bioactive compounds in low physiologically achievable concentrations may resolve the limitations of reduced bioavailability. We therefore investigate whether a combination of three natural products arctigenin (Arc), a novel anti-inflammatory lignan from the seeds of Arctium lappa, green tea polyphenol (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and curcumin (Cur) increases the chemopreventive potency at low concentrations of individual compounds. LNCaP prostate cancer cells and MCF-7 breast cancer cells were treated with 2μg/mL Cur, 1μM Arc and 40μM EGCG alone or in combination for 48h. In both cell lines treatment with the mixture of Cur, Arc and EGCG increased the antiproliferative effect by 40% compared to Cur alone. In LNCaP cells both Arc and EGCG increased the pro-apoptotic effect of curcumin. Whereas in MCF-7 cells Arc increased the cell apoptosis of Cur while EGCG enhanced cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase. The strongest effects on cell cycle arrest and apoptosis in both cell lines were achieved by combining all three bioactive compounds. The combination treatments significantly increased the ratio of Bax to Bcl-2 proteins, decreased the activation of NFkB, PI3K/Akt and Stat3 pathways and cell migration compared to individual treatments. This study is anticipated to provide a novel, culturally acceptable, and cost-effective regimen to enhance chemoprevention of both prostate and breast cancer particularly in minority populations. Citation Format: Piwen Wang, Bin Wang, Yanyuan Wu, Seyung Chung, Susanne M. Henning, Jaydutt V. Vadgama. Enhancing the chemopreventive effect by combining arctigenin and green tea polyphenol with curcumin in prostate and breast cancer cell. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the Sixth AACR Conference: The Science of Cancer Health Disparities; Dec 6–9, 2013; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2014;23(11 Suppl):Abstract nr B60. doi:10.1158/1538-7755.DISP13-B60
Models for Multiscale Interactions. Part II: Madden–Julian Oscillation, Moisture, and Convective Momentum Transport

AbstractIt is well known that the envelope of the Madden–Julian oscillation (MJO) consists of smaller-scale convective systems, including mesoscale convective systems (MCS), tropical cyclones, and synoptic-scale waves called “convectively coupled equatorial waves” (CCW). In fact, recent results suggest that the fundamental mechanisms of the MJO involve interactions between the synoptic-scale CCW and their larger-scale environment (Majda and Stechmann). In light of this, this chapter reviews recent and past work on two-way interactions between convective systems—both MCSs and CCW—and their larger-scale environment, with a particular focus given to recent work on MJO–CCW interactions.
Ammonia-complement interaction in the pathogenesis of progressive renal injury.

Toute diminution de la masse renale s'associe a une baisse du taux d'excretion de l'ammonium, alors que la production par nephron restant est augmentee. Ceci a pour but de continuer a eliminer la charge acide due aux proteines alimentaires. Cette augmentation de l'excretion d'ammonium par nephron induit une reaction avec le C3 circulant dans les capillaires peritubulaires, a l'origine d'inflammation interstielle et tubulaire, facteur de progression de la maladie. Le meme mecanisme pourrait etre a l'origine des depots de fractions du complement constates dans les nephropathies diabetiques et hypertensives
Epigenetics and Development

The term epigenetics was originally coined to understand how genes control phenotypic outcomes. In today’s definition of the term, it refers to any mechanism beyond genes that can be inherited through cell divisions. Proper development of the embryo involves a multilayer regulation of gene expression to ensure proper temporal and spatial control of expression of genes. This precise control of gene expression translates to initiation and maintenance of cell-type-specific developmental programs and proper formation of tissue types. In order to achieve the robustness in developmental programming, not only do cells in the embryo need to be able to turn on and off genes precisely, they also need to have mechanisms to dynamically respond and adapt to the environment that provides signals for fine-tuning the developmental processes. Taken together, there is an inherent need for both robustness and plasticity in the cells to give rise to proper tissues in the embryo. The key features mentioned above are imparted by epigenetic mechanisms that exist in the embryo. There are three major epigenetic mechanisms that cells use to establish and maintain their epigenetic states, namely, a specific structure and chemically modified forms of their chromatin via histone proteins, modifications of the histone proteins, methylation states of their promoters, and lastly expression levels of genes regulated by noncoding RNA-based mechanisms. Given the need for highly precise regulation, in many cases, there is a cross talk between the different mechanisms, leading to a very tightly controlled regulation. Genetic analyses in model organisms as well as occurrence of human diseases shine light toward the importance of these mechanisms both in the specification and morphogenetic events in the embryo. Having realized the potential of epigenetic mechanisms in regulating developmental processes, recent efforts have been revealing the distinct epigenetic states that exist and change during developmental transitions, and a whole field has evolved around that to try and harness the potential of altering epigenetic mechanisms to regulate cell lineages. Taken together, understanding epigenetic mechanisms of development will allow for a better understanding of how they may contribute to human disease.
Pole residue equivalent system solver (PRESS)

Frequency-domain modeling and simulation of systems is performed widely today; however, time-domain transient simulation of systems often requires synthesis of network S/Y/Z-Parameters as lumped equivalent circuits. In turn, circuit synthesis requires determination of the set of poles and residues implied by the network parameters. This paper presents a novel iterative method for finding an equivalent set of poles and residues of a system from its discrete frequency domain response. Each iteration chooses up to 3 consecutive samples from the given response to find a local fit; such iterations are repeated until the sum of all local fits matches the given response within a specified target error, across the entire designated bandwidth. The proposed method is demonstrated for two test cases: 1) microstrip and 2) power planes. PRESS has extensive applications in the modeling and simulation of signal and power integrity structures; such as, high-speed signal and power delivery interconnect networks of electronic packages and printed circuit boards.
Community health aspects of water pollution problems.

Expanding industrial, agricultural, and recreational activities have accentuated a built-in paradox where more and more water is needed but less becomes available at the required quality. It is not only quality that has to be preserved and ameliorated but quantity. Because a certain level of quality can be assured in a technologically advanced era and because proper quantities for the same community activities are reckoned with does not mean that the total water needs of an area have been satisfied. We must also be concerned about equality and this cannot be achieved until water in the proper quality and quantity is available to meet every segment of community need, industrial, domestic, and recreational. While many of the waterborne diseases have been laid to rest, physicians and other enlightened professional and lay groups have become increasingly concerned about viruses and the wide spectrum of chemicals now reaching the water contact cycle. At the present level of exposure, water pollutants do not se...
The African Crisis and the Ideology of Structural Adjustment

During the 1970s and 1980s average incomes declined in sub-Saharan Africa.1 This two decade decline represented perhaps the longest sustained contraction in per capita living standards for a major region of the world in the twentieth century. Due to lack of information on the plight of the common people of the region, one can only speculate on the human impact of this decline, but consequences must have been appalling. No doubt people will look back in fifty years and be amazed that such a massive catastrophe could have occurred and that intervention to prevent it was so slight. Further, little consensus existed at the beginning of the 1990s that the decline had been reversed.
Deploying/destroying the primitivist body in hurston and brecht

In April 1928, several months into her second folklore-collecting expedition, Zora Neale Hurston wrote to Langston Hughes:
Liquid gallium and the eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) alloy: Dielectric functions from 1.24 to 3.1 eV by electrochemical reduction of surface oxides

Liquid metals based on gallium are promising materials for soft, stretchable, and shape reconfigurable electromagnetic devices. The behavior of these metals relates directly to the thicknesses of their surface oxide layers, which can be determined nondestructively by ellipsometry if their dielectric functions e are known. This paper reports on the dielectric functions of liquid gallium and the eutectic gallium indium (EGaIn) alloy from 1.24 to 3.1 eV at room temperature, measured by spectroscopic ellipsometry. Overlayer-induced artifacts, a continuing problem in optical measurements of these highly reactive metals, are eliminated by applying an electrochemically reductive potential to the surface of the metal immersed in an electrolyte. This technique enables measurements at ambient conditions while avoiding the complications associated with removing overlayers in a vacuum environment. The dielectric responses of both metals are closely represented by the Drude model. The EGaIn data suggest that in the ab...
New metrics for static variable ordering in decision diagrams

We investigate a new class of metrics to find good variable orders for decision diagrams in symbolic state-space generation. Most of the previous work on static ordering is centered around the concept of minimum variable span, which can also be found in the literature under several other names. We use a similar concept, but applied to event span, and generalize it to a family of metrics parameterized by a moment, where the metric of moment 0 is the combined event span. Finding a good variable order is then reduced to optimizing one of these metrics, and we design extensive experiments to evaluate them. First, we investigate how the actual optimal order performs in state-space generation, when it can be computed by evaluating all possible permutations. Then, we study the performance of these metrics on selected models and compare their impact on two different state-space generation algorithms: classic breadth-first and our own saturation strategy. We conclude that the new metric of moment 1 is the best choice. In particular, the saturation algorithm seems to benefit the most from using it, as it achieves the better performance in nearly 80% of the cases.
Neuro-dynamic programming for fractionated radiotherapy planning

We investigate an on-line planning strategy for the fractionated radiotherapy planning problem, which incorporates the effects of day-to-day patient motion. On-line planning demonstrates significant improvement over off-line strategies in terms of reducing registration error, but it requires extra work in the replanning procedures, such as in the CT scans and the re-computation of a deliverable dose profile. We formulate the problem in a dynamic programming framework and solve it based on the approximate policy iteration techniques of neuro-dynamic programming. In initial limited testing, the solutions we obtain outperform existing solutions and offer an improved dose profile for each fraction of the treatment.
High performance solar cells: It's all about the optics(Conference Presentation)

For solar cells at 25%, good electron-hole transport is already a given. Further improvements of efficiency above 25% are all about the photon management! Our mantra is: “A good solar cell has to be a good LED; A great solar cell has to be a great LED! It has been found that thin-film cells are more efficient than the best wafer cells. Even more counter-intuitively, solar cells perform best when some of the solar photons are returned as external fluorescence. That is, the external luminescence yield ext, should be maximized. Good external fluorescence produces record output voltage.
Planar avalanche photodiodes with edge breakdown suppression using a novel selective area growth based process

Abstract We propose and demonstrate a novel process to fabricate planar avalanche photodiodes using selective area growth (SAG) followed by a single Zn diffusion through the SAG material using the same dielectric mask. The tapered surface profile of the SAG epitaxy due to the enhancement of the growth rate in the vicinity of the mask edge modifies the diffusion profile, resulting in a gradual reduction of the diffusion depth towards the outer edge of the active area. The associated reduction of the electric field counteracts the edge curvature effect sufficiently to suppress edge breakdown. For undoped InP SAG epitaxy, small areas of higher electric field occur where the mask edge is along the [1 0 0] or [0 1 0] directions, associated with the formation of enhanced ridges in the SAG material in these locations. Similar ridges are observed for Si-doped InP and InP/InGaAs/InP SAG structures, but the enhancement of the electric field in these locations is significantly lower.
Prevention, Recognition and Treatment of Common Recess Injuries

Recess is a key component within comprehensive school physical activity programs. While it is a period during the school day when children may engage in physical activity, it is also a time when many injuries occur. Carefully considering a school's recess framework and enacting proactive strategies may help reduce the likelihood of these injuries. While not all injuries can be prevented, it is important for school staff to be prepared to handle incidents as they occur. The purpose of this article is to present proactive strategies forminimizing recess injuries, tips for recognizing and treating common injuries, and necessary components of a recess emergency action plan.
Exploring Perceptions about and Behaviors Related to Mental Illness and Mental Health Service Utilization among College Students Using the Health Belief Model (HBM)

ABSTRACTBackground: Mental health service is underutilized in the United States. Adolescent and young adults, including college students, are especially unlikely to seek professional help for mental illness. This issue presents a concern, because signs and symptoms commonly appear during this part of growth and development. Purpose: The Health Belief Model (HBM) was used to explore perceptions about mental illness and mental health service utilization and self-medication among college students who may or may not have a history of mental illness. Methods: A survey exploring HBM constructs and self-medicating behaviors was distributed to a population of university undergraduate students ages 18–24. A concurrent focus group of mental health care providers investigated practitioner perceptions of mental health care utilization. Results of both were analyzed for common themes. Results: Sociocultural concerns and challenges navigating through the system were the primary perceived barriers to accessing mental he...
MARKOVIAN TRANSITION RATES MODELS OF MACRO SOCIAL CHANGE

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses Markovian transition rates models of macro social change. Data limitations often constrain the extent to which age- and social-state-specific detail can be incorporated into the population projection matrices and state-distribution vectors utilized by the Markovian transition rates models. The focus on the dynamics of population-level transition regimes, provided by the Markovian rates models, provides a useful complement to the various well-known proportional hazards and Markov chain parametrizations that are available for the study of the differential effects of individual variability on life course trajectories. The chapter explains the way in which the Markov specifications on the transition rates in two models differ from each other and presents some suggestions for implementation in the study of specific instances of social change and for additional development of the models. The traditional approach, to the formulation of a model of population dynamics and social mobility out of an accounting scheme, is to fix certain elements of the equation at constant values.
Improving Student Understanding of Complex Spatial Arrangements with Virtual Reality

AbstractThis study investigates the use of virtual reality tools to aid student comprehension of complex spatial arrangements in structural engineering. The research focuses specifically on structu...
Homogenization and Renormalization of Multiple-Scattering Expansions for Green Functions in Turbulent Transport

The purpose of this article is to report on a method for averaging equations with rapidly varying characteristics, based on the asymptotic analysis of the perturbation expansions for the corresponding Green functions. While such methodology is relevant to many problems in homogenization, we shall discuss it primarily in the context of advection-diffusion equations describing passive turbulence transport.
In Utero Hematopoietic Cell Transplantation: Past Clinical Experience and Future Clinical Trials

In utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is an evolving therapy with possible implications for the treatment of many fetal disorders. Here, we present the past clinical experience and current clinical trials and discuss future directions for in utero therapy. Barriers to clinically meaningful in utero hematopoietic stem cell transplantation have been identified including maternal T cell-mediated graft rejection, achieving adequate space within the fetal bone marrow niche, and delivering adequate stem cells intravascularly. In a canine model of hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, high chimerism levels were achieved with maternal stem cells delivered intravascularly. Chimerism remained stable over a 2-year period without any evidence of graft-versus-host disease. Current clinical trials such as one for alpha thalassemia seek to apply these results in human diseases. The field of in utero stem cell transplantation continues to improve and expand on the possible diseases that can be treated. The reasons for limited success in previous trials have been identified and current trials utilizing maternally derived stem cells at high doses are underway.
Infection and Autoimmunity in Antibiotic-Refractory Lyme Arthritis

Abstract Lyme arthritis is a late manifestation of infection with the tick-borne spirochete Borrelia burgdorferi. In the United States, some patients with Lyme arthritis have persistent, proliferative synovitis for months or years after apparent spirochetal killing with antibiotics, called antibiotic-refractory Lyme arthritis. Using discovery-based proteomics and translational research, we recently identified endothelial cell growth factor as the first autoantigen known to be a target of T- and B-cell responses in Lyme disease. This autoimmune response generally begins early in the illness, before the onset of arthritis; it occurs in ~ 30% of patients with antibiotic-refractory arthritis, and it is associated with obliterative microvascular lesions in synovial tissue. We are continuing to use discovery-based proteomics and translational research in an effort to identify additional pathogenic autoantigens in Lyme disease. Furthermore, this method is applicable for the identification of novel disease-relevant autoantigens in other diseases.
Clean intermittent catheterization in the management of the neurogenic bladder in children.

Clean intermittent catheterization has been successful in the management of urinary incontinence and upper tract changes associated with a neurogenic bladder. The results of clean intermittent catheterization controlling urinary incontinence, ureteral reflux, upper tract dilatation and urinary infection in 84 children with a neurogenic bladder were evaluated for up to 3 years of followup. Of the children 41 (49 per cent) were totally incontinent and 14 (17 per cent) were slightly damp. Preexisting ureteral reflux deteriorated in 25 per cent of the patients, ceased in 35 per cent and was unchanged in 40 per cent, while pre-existing upper tract dilatation improved in 12.5 per cent and was unchanged in 87.5 per cent. On clean intermittent catheterization and antibacterial medication 90 per cent of the children had sterile urine and 7.5 per cent had 10(5) or more colonies per ml. Complications occurred on 54 occasions but were minor in nature and were corrected easily. Half of the parents, schools and children found clean intermittent catheterization very acceptable or acceptable but a quarter of the parents and patients found it unacceptable or slightly unacceptable, or were undecided. Initial management of urinary complications associated with neurogenic bladder in children has changed to the clean intermittent catheterization program, with greatly improved results compared to Crede's expression of the bladder, an indwelling urethral catheter or urinary diversion. However, the clean intermittent catheterization regimen was not effective completely, not without complications and not accepted completely by parents, schools and children.
THERMOMETRY AND BAROMETRY OF MAFIC GRANULITES BASED ON GARNET-CLINOPYROXENE-PLAGIOCLASE-QUARTZ ASSEMBLAGES

There are many versions of geothermometers based on coexisting garnet-clinopyroxene, and of geobarometers based on coexisting garnet-clinopyroxene-plagioclase-quartz. Thermometry and barometry using these assemblages is, however, much more complicated than thought previously. Many of the earlier thermometers and barometers were based on incomplete experimental studies or speculative thermodynamic models, and appear to give incorrect pressures and temperatures. Some of the problems can be eliminated by applying thermometers and barometers using an iterative technique, but discrepancies still remain. It appears that garnet-clinopyroxene-plagioclase-quartz has a poor memory for peak metamorphic conditions and may be more useful for documenting retrograde P-T paths or for estimating cooling rates. The present results are consistent with a nearly isobaric cooling path for many granulite terranes. There are still, however, many uncertainties associated with Gt-Cpx-Pl-Qtz thermobarometry and calculated P’s and T’s should be viewed with caution.
Applications and Methods for the Minimization of Functionals

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the applications and methods for the minimization of functional. Many problems of pure and applied mathematics either arise or can be formulated as variational problems, that is, as problems of locating a minimizing point for some (non-linear) real-valued functional over a certain set. Such a setting is often beneficial from the analytic viewpoint of determining the existence and uniqueness of such points. The chapter focuses on the computational aspects of this approach, that is, the way by which it can be used to compute a solution to the problem by actually minimizing the appropriate functional. The chapter also illustrates that there are immense problems of minimization out of which some typical are discussed here.
DIRECT EVIDENCE FOR THE INVOLVEMENT OF NATURAL KILLER CELLS IN BONE MARROW TRANSPLANTATION

Publisher Summary This chapter presents direct evidence for the involvement of natural killer (NK) cells in bone marrow (BM) transplantation. It presents data demonstrating abrogation of resistance to BM grafts by antiserum directed against a NK-cell-specific cell surface antigen, NK 1.1. The female mice used were 11–16 weeks of age and included (C57BL/6 × DBA/2)F1 (B6D2F1), C57BL/6 (B6), C3H/Anf (C3H), and BALB/c. Anti-NK 1.1 serum was raised. The NK 1.1 antiserum killed fewer than 5% of B6 or B6D2F1 splenocytes in complement dependent assays in vitro. NK cell activity was assessed on YAC-1 target cells labeled with 51Cr. Recipient mice were exposed to total body irradiation from a 60Co source; B6 mice received 875R, C3H mice 950R, and B6D2F1 mice 1100R. Twenty-four hours after irradiation, the mice were transplanted with 106 BM cells of various donors. The growth of transplanted BM cells was evaluated 9 days after transplantation by 125IUdR technique or spleen colony-forming technique. The data obtained demonstrate involvement of NK cells in BM transplantation.
Reverse Molecular Remodeling of the Failing Human Heart Following Support with a Left Ventricular Assist Device

Accumulating evidence suggests that mechanical circulatory support with a left ventricular assist device (LVAD) can reverse some of the structural abnormalities associated with end-stage heart failure. Recent work from our laboratory and other investigators indicate that LVAD support may also reverse some of the subcellular abnormalities contributing to impaired excitation-contraction coupling in the failing heart. This chapter reviews data regarding LVAD-induced changes in the expression of genes and the proteins for which they encode, and relates these changes to functional aspects of myocyte calcium cycling and muscle strip contraction.
Quantum Key Distribution (QKD) Using Full Laguerre-Gauss Encoding

We describe progress in developing a free-space QKD system that encodes information in both the radial and azimuthal degrees of freedom. Such a system makes optimum use of the sizes of sending and receiving telescopes.