cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
ON KOLM'S USE OF EPISTEMIC COUNTERFACTUALS IN SOCIAL CHOICE THEORY

In a series of writings, Serge Kolm has examined the conceptual foundations of Arrovian social choice theory (see Kolm, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997). In its choice-theoretic formulation, an Arrovian social choice correspondence specifies the socially best alternatives from each admissible feasible set of alternatives as a function of the individual preferences over the universal set of alternatives. An issue that needs to be addressed when constructing a social choice correspondence is: For what feasible sets of alternatives and for what preference profiles are social decisions required? The rationale for the choice of this domain is one of the issues that Kolm discusses at some length. When considering resource allocation problems, social alternatives are meant to be complete descriptions of all the features of a social state relevant to choice, including future allocations of resources. It would then seem to follow that there is only one choice situation for which a social choice is required, the situation characterized by the actual feasible set and the actual preference profile. However, Arrow’s famous impossibility theorem (see Arrow 1951, 1963) requires the domain of a social choice correspondence to be reasonably rich. Indeed, many of Arrow’s axioms are vacuous if there is only one feasible set and one preference profile. Arrow (1951, p.24) appeals to uncertainty about what the actual choice environment is at the time social decisions are being made to justify having a non-singleton domain. Kolm (1996), however, believes that it is difficult to reconcile this rationale for the choice of domain with the adoption of the axioms Arrow proposes for relating choices in different choice environments.
Interleukin-6 gene expression in multiple myeloma: a characteristic of immature tumor cells

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) has been suggested to play a major role in multiple myeloma. To investigate the source and target cells of IL-6 activity in multiple myeloma, expression of the cytokine and its receptor genes by myeloma plasma cells was studied. Tumor cells were sorted from bone marrow aspirates of myeloma patients using 4-parameter gating. Myeloma cells were identified as CD38high CD45negative- intermediate and by their light-scatter characteristics. Sorted cells contained only myeloma plasma cells. No contaminating cells were present as determined morphologically, by monoclonal cytoplasmic Ig analysis, and by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of marker genes. Myeloma cells from 45% of patients expressed IL-6. IL-6 receptor transcripts were found in 68% of the specimens. IL-6 gene expression correlated with expression of the IL-6 receptor gene (P
A chaotic secure communication scheme with extended Kalman filter based parameter estimation

A novel chaotic digital communication scheme is presented. The noise-like signals generated by chaotic systems with different parameters are used to represent the binary digital signals on the transmitter side in secure digital communication systems. On the receiver side, the digital message is recovered by employing an Extended Kalman Filter-based parameter estimator. This scheme provides a methodology of chaotic spread spectrum communication. One major advantage of the proposed chaotic communication scheme is that the receiver does not need the knowledge of the initial condition of the chaotic system state used in modulation and the signals transmitted through the channel is broadband and noise-like. Single and double bit implementations of this scheme are discussed. The single-bit scheme is compared to an earlier proposed one. The Bit Error Rate performances under different ambient noise levels are evaluated to demonstrate the feasibility of this scheme.
Global analysis of piecewise linear systems using impact maps and quadratic surface Lyapunov functions

In this paper we develop an entirely new constructive global analysis methodology for a class of hybrid systems known as Piecewise Linear Systems (PLS). This methodology consists in inferring global properties of PLS solely by studying their behavior at switching surfaces associated with PLS. The main idea is to analyze impact maps, i.e., maps from one switching surface to the next switching surface, by constructing quadratic Lyapunov functions on switching surfaces. We found that an impact map induced by an LTI flow between two switching surfaces can be represented as a linear transformation analytically parameterized by a scalar function of the state. This representation of impact maps allows the search for quadratic surface Lyapunov functions to be done by simply solving a set of LMIs. Global asymptotic stability, robustness, and performance of limit cycles and equilibrium points of PLS can this way be efficiently checked. These new results were successfully applied to certain classes of PLS. Although this analysis methodology yields only sufficient criteria of stability, it has shown to be very successful in globally analyzing a large number of examples with a locally stable limit cycle or equilibrium point. In fact, it is still an open problem whether there exists an example with a globally stable limit cycle or equilibrium point that cannot be successfully analyzed with this new methodology. Examples analyzed include systems of relative degree larger than one and of high dimension, for which no other analysis methodology could be applied.
Incorporating MATLAB® modules in reinforced concrete design instruction

The Civil Engineering Department at George Mason University offered a structural design course that combines reinforced concrete and structural steel prior to Fall 2009. With recent re-designing of course offerings, the course is split into two separate design courses: reinforced concrete design and structural steel design. The new teaching format allows instructors to incorporate additional instruction methods in design classes that supplement traditional teaching. This article discusses the development and implementation of computational MATLAB design modules that are incorporated in the first and second offering of the new reinforced concrete design course. The main objective of the modules is to improve students' computational skills for solving routine design calculations without compromising the theoretical understanding of the subject matter. The graphical user interface driven modules are designed to include program descriptions, user-friendly field inputs, and a detailed results summary with step-by-step design verifications. A classroom survey was conducted on the use of the design modules and results of the survey are presented. © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Comput Appl Eng Educ 22:209–215, 2014; View this article online at wileyonlinelibrary.com/journal/cae; DOI 10.1002/cae.20547
Relationship of the Frequency of Isolation of Salmonellae to Their Resistance to Drying and Freezing

The resistance of different Salmonella serotypes to drying and freezing has been shown to be related to their incidence in salmonellosis.
Collective dynamics of processive cytoskeletal motors

Major cellular processes are supported by various biomolecular motors that usually operate together as teams. We present an overview of the collective dynamics of processive cytokeletal motor proteins based on recent experimental and theoretical investigations. Experimental studies show that multiple motors function with different degrees of cooperativity, ranging from negative to positive. This effect depends on the mechanical properties of individual motors, the geometry of their connections, and the surrounding cellular environment. Theoretical models based on stochastic approaches underline the importance of intermolecular interactions, the properties of single motors, and couplings with cellular medium in predicting the collective dynamics. We discuss several features that specify the cooperativity in motor proteins. Based on this approach a general picture of collective dynamics of motor proteins is formulated, and the future directions and challenges are discussed.
MyD88-dependent signals are essential for the host immune response in experimental brain abscess.

Brain abscesses form in response to a parenchymal infection by pyogenic bacteria, with Staphylococcus aureus representing a common etiologic agent of human disease. Numerous receptors that participate in immune responses to bacteria, including the majority of TLRs, the IL-1R, and the IL-18R, use a common adaptor molecule, MyD88, for transducing activation signals leading to proinflammatory mediator expression and immune effector functions. To delineate the importance of MyD88-dependent signals in brain abscesses, we compared disease pathogenesis using MyD88 knockout (KO) and wild-type (WT) mice. Mortality rates were significantly higher in MyD88 KO mice, which correlated with a significant reduction in the expression of several proinflammatory mediators, including but not limited to IL-1β, TNF-α, and MIP-2/CXCL2. These changes were associated with a significant reduction in neutrophil and macrophage recruitment into brain abscesses of MyD88 KO animals. In addition, microglia, macrophages, and neutrophils isolated from the brain abscesses of MyD88 KO mice produced significantly less TNF-α, IL-6, MIP-1α/CCL3, and IFN-γ-induced protein 10/CXCL10 compared with WT cells. The lack of MyD88-dependent signals had a dramatic effect on the extent of tissue injury, with significantly larger brain abscesses typified by exaggerated edema and necrosis in MyD88 KO animals. Interestingly, despite these striking changes in MyD88 KO mice, bacterial burdens did not significantly differ between the two strains at the early time points examined. Collectively, these findings indicate that MyD88 plays an essential role in establishing a protective CNS host response during the early stages of brain abscess development, whereas MyD88-independent pathway(s) are responsible for pathogen containment.
Transcriptional Control of the Yeast Pdr5 Gene By the Pdr3 Gene-product

Saccharomyces cerevisiae cells possess the ability to simultaneously acquire resistance to an array of drugs with different cytotoxic activities. The genes involved in this acquisition are referred to as pleiotropic drug resistant (PDR) genes. Several semidominant, drug resistance-encoding PDR mutations have been found that map near the centromere on chromosome II, including PDR3-1 and PDR4-1. DNA sequencing of chromosome II identified a potential open reading frame, designated YBL03-23, that has the potential to encode a protein with strong sequence similarity to the product of the PDR1 gene, a zinc finger-containing transcription factor. Here,ve show that YBL03-23 is allelic with PDR3. The presence of a functional copy of either PDR1 or PDR3 is essential for drug resistance and expression of a putative membrane transporter-encoding gene, PDR5. Deletion mapping of the PDR5 promoter identified a region from -360 to -112 that is essential for expression of this gene. DNase I footprinting analysis using bacterially expressed Pdr3p showed specific recognition by this protein of at least one site in the -360/-112 interval in the PDR5 promoter. A high-copy-number plasmid carrying the PDR3 gene elevated resistance to both oligomycin and cycloheximide. Increasing the number of PDR3 gene copies in a Delta pdr5 strain increased oligomycin resistance but was not able to correct the cycloheximide hypersensitivity that results from loss of PDR5. These data are consistent with the notion that PDR3 acts to increase cycloheximide resistance by elevating the level of PDR5 transcription, while PDR3-mediated oligomycin resistance acts through some other target gene.
Virtual Patching Containment Strategy of Internet Worm Modeling and Analysis

Worms can spread quickly through the network and infect large number of vulnerable hosts in the initial stage causing great loss. The worms are tested and revised for many times aiming at avoiding being detected and eliminated by the security products, and the security software cant be updated immediately for the reason that it costs time to build the new patching before the patching is released. However, the virtual patching strategy can protect the vulnerable hosts from the attacks of the worms before the security products release the new real patching. A new propagation model of worms with virtual patching strategy is thus proposed in this paper for the first time. Through the analysis of the corresponding worm propagation model, its stability condition of worm-free equilibrium point is obtained. And through the numerical analysis, the effectiveness of the virtual patching strategy is shown. This model is more consistent with the actual situation of the worm propagation, and the virtual patching strategy will provide a new insight into the modeling of computer virus propagation.
Fibrolase: Trials and Tribulations

Fibrolase is the fibrinolytic enzyme isolated from Agkistrodon contortrix contortrix (southern copperhead snake) venom. The enzyme was purified by a three-step HPLC procedure and was shown to be homogeneous by standard criteria including reverse phase HPLC, molecular sieve chromatography and SDS-PAGE. The purified enzyme is a zinc metalloproteinase containing one mole of zinc. It is composed of 203 amino acids with a blocked amino-terminus due to cyclization of the terminal Gln residue. Fibrolase shares a significant degree of homology with enzymes of the reprolysin sub-family of metalloproteinases including an active site homology of close to 100%; it is rapidly inhibited by chelating agents such as EDTA, and by alpha2-macroglobulin (α2Μ). The enzyme is a direct-acting thrombolytic agent and does not rely on plasminogen for clot dissolution. Fibrolase rapidly cleaves the A(α)-chain of fibrinogen and the B(β)-chain at a slower rate; it has no activity on the γ-chain. The enzyme exhibits the same specificity with fibrin, cleaving the α-chain more rapidly than the β-chain. Fibrolase was shown to have very effective thrombolytic activity in a reoccluding carotid arterial thrombosis model in the canine. A recombinant version of the enzyme was made in yeast by Amgen, Inc. (Thousand Oaks, CA, USA) and called alfimeprase. Alfimeprase is identical to fibrolase except for a two amino acid truncation at the amino-terminus and the insertion of a new amino-terminal amino acid in the truncated protein; these changes lead to a more stable enzyme for prolonged storage. Alfimeprase was taken into clinical trials by Nuvelo, Inc. (San Carlos, CA), which licensed the enzyme from Amgen. Alfimeprase was successful in Phase I and II clinical trials for peripheral arterial occlusion (PAO) and central venous access device (CVAD) occlusion. However, in Phase III trials alfimeprase did not meet the expected end points in either PAO or CVAD occlusion and in a Phaase II stroke trial, and Nuvelo dropped further development in 2008.
Effect of Temperature and Moisture Content on the Kinetics of Trypsin Inhibitor Activity, Protein in vitro Digestibility and Nitrogen Solubility of Cowpea Flour

Samples of finely ground cowpea flour containing 7.5%, 19.4% and 25.5% moisture were heated in sealed tubes at 100° 125° and 150°C for periods of 0.5 to 120 min. First order rate constants for losses of trypsin inhibitor activity and nitrogen solubility ranged from 1 × 10−2 to 18 min−1 and from 4 × 10−2 to 8 min−1 respectively. In vitro protein digestibility (IVD) increased, then decreased with heating as described by sequential first order kinetics. Rate constants for increase of IVD varied from 0.13 to 12 min−1, while for decrease in IVD the range was 5 × 10−5 to 3 × 10−2 min−1. Activation energies and relationships between In k and water activity were computed.
Reflections on collectivity

As a f i r s t step, l e t us attempt to put the problem of co l l ec t i ve bands, and of c o l l e c t i v i t y , in nuclei in the framework of the goals of modern physics. Among the many contr ibut ions nuclear physics has made, perhaps the most s ign i f i can t has been the discovery of the weak and the strong in teract ions, which when added to the grav i ta t iona l (Newton, Einstein) and electromagnetic (Maxwell-Dirac) f i e l ds , made up the quartet of forces which are the bases of our understanding of the structure of matter and the h is tory of our universe. But as important as the discovery of the strong in teract ions, upon which we shall focus in the course of th is discussion, has been the discovery and development of techniques both experimental and theoret i ca l for invest igat ing the strong in teract ions, as the perturbat ive methods developed in atomic physics could not be immediately applied. I should emphasize that th is was both a theoret ical and experimental problem. Indeed the act ive and int imate interact ion between both experimental ists and theor is ts was essent ia l , an in teract ion which continues to the present day. What are the resul ts of th is e f for t? Of course a great deal of knowledge regarding indiv idual nuclei and nuclear reactions. But of greatest importance was the discovery of co l l ec t i ve motion that is motion in which a great many nucleons in the nucleus take part. The f i r s t , and most obvious, and yet the most subtle is the fact that the nucleus hangs together and moves as a whole, the indiv idual nucleon moving in a single par t i c le o rb i t in the mean f i e l d generated by the other nucleons. Nevertheless there is a strong corre lat ion since a l l the nucleons are near the center of mass of the nucleus and not spread out a l l over space. The second co l lec t i ve motion is that of the rotat ing nucleus in i t s simplest form the r i g i d rotor whose charge d is t r i bu t ion as seen by electron scatter ing was shown to us by Frank Stevens. Other co l lec t i ve motions include the isobar analog resonances, the giant resonances, the El, EO and E2 as well as t he i r ax ia l analogs, the Gamow-Teller resonances.
Comparison of the Hemodynamic Effects of Mercurial Diuretics and Digitalis in Congestive Heart Failure

The non-xanthine-containing mercurial diuretic mercaptomerin (Thiomerin), a noncardiotonic agent, was given repeatedly to 14 patients with congestive heart failure until all edema fluid had been eliminated. There resulted relief of subjective symptoms and removal of the characteristic physical signs of circulatory congestion to the point where subjects were considered in "cardiac compensation"; reduction of the elevated intracardiac pressures, in the right atrium, right ventricle, and pulmonary artery; variable changes in cardiac function (cardiac output) and cardiocirculatory (arterial-mixed venous oxygen difference) function, with improvement toward normal in half of the patients and no change in the other half. In subjects in whom full mercurial diuresis alone improved the cardiac and cardiocirculatory functions, subsequent digitalization produced no further improvement in these functions. These patients were in a first or second episode of cardiac decompensation. In subjects in whom full diuresis alon...
New results on the reaction of Si{111} with Mg

Abstract The reaction of Si{111}7 × 7 with Mg is studied with low-energy electron diffraction (LEED) and Auger-electron spectroscopy (AES). In contrast to Vandre, Incoccia and Kaindl [Surf. Sci. 225 (1990) 233], who reported the formation of a √3 × √3−30° superstructure for deposition on the room-temperature substrate and the formation of a 3 × 3 superstructure upon thermal annealing, we observe the formation of a 2 3 √3 × 2 3 √3−30° superstructure for slow-rate deposition on the room-temperature substrate and the formation of a 3 × 1 superstructure upon thermal annealing of the Mg/Si 1 × 1 phase. The 2 3 √3 × 2 3 √3−30° phase is probably SiMg2 with about 2% strain, while the 3 × 1 phase is equal to the 3 × 1 phases produced by adsorption of Li, Na or Ag on Si{111}7 × 7 as reported by Fan and Ignatiev [Phys. Rev. B 41 (1990) 3592].
Human identification using correlation metrics of iris images

Biometric identification relies on information that is difficult to misplace or duplicate, making it a very useful tool when properly implemented. One biometric feature of considerable interest is the iris. Since most people rely heavily on their vision, they are protective of their eyes. This means there is less likelihood of change due to environmental factors. In addition, since the iris is created in a random morphogenetic process, there is a large amount of complexity suitable for use as a discriminator. There are currently several powerful methods available for using the human iris as a biometric for identification. One drawback inherent in the existing methods, however, is their computational complexity. Adopting stochastic models can provide an approach to reducing the extensive computing burden. To this end, we have presented two methods that rely on a wide-sense stationary approximation to the texture and gray scale information in the iris; one uses auto- and cross-correlations while the other employs second order statistics of co-occurrence matrices. Our experiments indicate that cross- and auto-correlations and co-occurrence matrix features are likely to be prominent iris discriminators for correct identification. Future tests will be conducted on larger sample sets to further verify the findings presented here. Two main methods for feature generation will also be compared and combined to produce an optimal classification strategy for an embedded hardware realization of the method. The addition of more features for discrimination is a likely necessity for classifying larger numbers of irises.
Complement-Fixation in Human Pneumonitis with Group-Reactive Virus Antigens.

SummaryComplement fixation tests were done with sera from cases of pneumonitis and acute upper respiratory disease and antigens from the viruses of lymphogranuloma ven-ereum, meningopneumonitis, and the mouse pneumonia virus of Nigg.4 Positive reactions of a group-specific character were obtained in 10 to 15% of cases of pneumonitis and in about 2% of cases of upper respiratory disease.
Effect of excision repair by diploid human fibroblasts on the kinds and locations of mutations induced by (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene in the coding region of the HPRT gene.

Abstract (+/-)-7 beta,8 alpha-Dihydroxy-9 alpha,10 alpha-epoxy-7,8,9,10- tetrahydrobenzo[a]pyrene (BPDE) is a direct-acting carcinogen that forms DNA adducts only with purines, predominantly (greater than 95%) with guanine. To investigate the effect of nucleotide excision repair on the kinds and locations (spectra) of mutations induced in diploid human fibroblasts by BPDE, we synchronized cells and exposed them to BPDE either at the beginning of S phase just when the target gene hypoxanthine (guanine) phosphoribosyltransferase (HPRT) is replicated or 12 hr prior to the beginning of S phase (early G1 phase). Clones resistant to 6-thioguanine were isolated, and the mRNA in lysates of 100-500 cells from each mutant clone was used to synthesize cDNA. HPRT cDNA was amplified 10(11)-fold by the polymerase chain reaction and then sequenced directly. The mutants derived from the two populations did not differ in the kinds of mutations; 19/20 of the base substitutions in cells taken from S phase and 19/19 of those from G1 phase involved G.C base pairs, predominantly G.C----T.A. However, they differed significantly in the distribution of the mutations in the coding region of the gene. In the cells from G1 phase, 29% of the mutations were clustered within a unique run of six guanine bases; in the S-phase cells, only 4% were located there. Assuming that the premutagenic BPDE-induced lesions involved purines, in the cells treated at the beginning of S phase, 24% of these lesions were located in the transcribed strand, whereas in the G1-treated cells, none were. This suggests that in the HPRT gene of diploid human cells excision repair of BPDE adducts occurs preferentially on the transcribed strand.
The Effects of Prostaglandins on ACTH Secretion

We have tested several prostaglandins for stimulatory effects on ACTH secretion by injecting them into the anterior pituitary, the hypothalamic median eminence, or a tail vein of female rats. Plasma corticosterone levels were used as an index of ACTH secretion. In dexamethasone-pretreated rats, PGs E1, F1a and F2a (1.0, 0.5 and 0.5 jig, respectively) increased ACTH secretion to similar levels when injected into the median eminence. These doses were ineffective when injected into nearby regions of the basal hypothalamus, the anterior pituitary, or a tail vein. The responses were abolished by pretreatment with morphine, and partially inhibited by a higher dose of the dexamethasone. In contrast, upon iv administration to rats not pretreated with dexamethasone, PGEX was more than 30 times as potent as PGF1a in stimulating ACTH secretion. The responses to these PGs given intravenously were equally suppressible by dexamethasone and were absent in hypophysectomized rats. The stimulatory effect of PGF1a when inje...
New monoclonal anti-mouse DC-SIGN antibodies reactive with acetone-fixed cells

Mouse DC-SIGN CD209a is a type II transmembrane protein, one of a family of C-type lectin genes syntenic and homologous to human DC-SIGN. Current anti-mouse DC-SIGN monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) are unable to react with DC-SIGN in acetone-fixed cells, limiting the chance to visualize DC-SIGN in tissue sections. We first produced rabbit polyclonal PAb-DSCYT14 against a 14-aa peptide in the cytosolic domain of mouse DC-SIGN, and it specifically detected DC-SIGN and not the related lectins, SIGN-R1 and SIGN-R3 expressed in transfected CHO cells. MAbs were generated by immunizing rats and DC-SIGN knockout mice with the extracellular region of mouse DC-SIGN. Five rat IgG2a or IgM MAbs, named BMD10, 11, 24, 25, and 30, were selected and each MAb specifically detected DC-SIGN by FACS and Western blots, although BMD25 was cross-reactive to SIGN-R1. Two mouse IgG2c MAbs MMD2 and MMD3 interestingly bound mouse DC-SIGN but at 10 fold higher levels than the rat MAbs. When the binding epitopes of the new BMD and two other commercial rat anti-DC-SIGN MAbs, 5H10 and LWC06, were examined by competition assays, the epitopes of BMD11, 24, and LWC06 were identical or closely overlapping while BMD10, 30, and 5H10 were shown to bind different epitopes. MMD2 and MMD3 epitopes were on a 3rd noncompeting region of mouse DC-SIGN. DC-SIGN expressed on the cell surface was sensitive to collagenase treatment, as monitored by polyclonal and MAb. These new reagents should be helpful to probe the biology of DC-SIGN in vivo.
Do Dairy Products Improve Bone Density in Adolescent Girls

Previous studies have shown that when calcium is supplemented in adolescents who normally consume less than 1000 mg calcium, bone mineral accretion improves between 1 and 5%. This increment in bone accretion is improved up to 10% when dairy products are used as a source of supplemental calcium in adolescent girls. Because the addition of dairy foods is a simple, inexpensive intervention that carries no risk and because it substantially increases bone accretion with potential long-term benefits, adolescents should be encouraged to include dairy products in their diet.
Direct immunofluorescence microscopy in the diagnosis of autoimmune bullous dermatoses.

Immunofluorescence (IF) studies are an important part of the laboratory evaluation of immunologically mediated bullous dermatoses and have become standard procedures for accurately diagnosing patients with these disorders.1,2 In general there are three main parameters that should be considered in establishing a diagnosis in this group of diseases: (1) the clinical findings, (2) the histologic features, and (3) the direct and indirect IF studies. Correlation of these three parameters allows the most accurate diagnosis of the immunobullous diseases, and lack of any one of these elements decreases the chance of arriving at a correct diagnosis, which is the cornerstone of optimal therapy. Although IF studies are only one part of the evaluation, they remain an essential part of the laboratory workup in the immunobullous disorders. In deciding when to consider obtaining IF studies, it is helpful to remember that immunobullous diseases can have a variety of presentations. In addition to the more expected findings of bullae, which are characteristically tense in the subepidermal blistering diseases and flaccid in pemphigus, these patients can also present with cutaneous or mucosal erosions alone if all blisters are broken, which is fairly common in the pemphigus group of diseases. Additionally, pruritus without lesions or a purely urticarial eruption for an extended period may be the presenting findings, particularly in bullous pemphigoid. Immunobullous disorders can have exclusively mucosal findings, showing simply oral erythema or desquamative gingivitis, or may have multiple mucous membranes involved with erythema and/or erosions. Individuals with persistent inflammatory mucous membrane disease often will benefit from immunofluorescent studies, since such a presentation can occur in pemphigus, pemphigoid, lichen planus, or lupus erythematosus.3 The persistent nature of the lesions in these disorders helps clinically distinguish them from the typically recurrent nature of oral erosions occurring in aphthae and erythema multiforme. This review summarizes the key IF findings of the major immunobullous diseases and follows an approach based on patterns of IF findings associated with various diseases. While some IF findings are characteristic or diagnostic, others have a differential diagnosis and require thoughtful clinical-pathologic correlation or further testing to establish a correct diagnosis. This approach should help provide a basis for understanding the significance of IF findings and improve meaningful correlation with clinical and histologic findings. A summary of the typical direct IF findings in autoimmune bullous dermatoses is found in Table 1.
Analysis of Threshold Current Behavior for Bulk and Quantum-Well Germanium Laser Structures

We analyze the optical gain of tensile-strained, n-germanium (n-Ge) material taking bandgap narrowing (BGN) for heavily doped Ge into account. Both the direct bandgap and indirect bandgap are narrowed by 60 meV. Our new modeling explains the wide lasing spectrum of 1520-1700 nm in electrically pumped Ge lasers. The calculated materials gain can reach 1000 cm-1 when the injected carrier density is ~mid-1019 cm-3 with a combination of 0.25% tensile strain and 4.5×1019 cm-3 n-type doping. The threshold current density is estimated to be 0.53 kA/cm2 for an optimized edge-emitting double-heterojunction Ge device, comparable to bulk III-V lasers. We also review current progress on Ge quantum-well (QW) structures. The threshold current density of most Ge QW structures is similar to bulk Ge. Only tensile-strained QWs show reduced threshold currents.
Food and Drug Administration ultrasound device regulation: The output display standard, the “mechanical index,” and ultrasound safety

The Food and Drug Administration has recently revised its guidelines regarding acoustic output on diagnostic ultrasound equipment to allow a new track for manufacturers to achieve approval to market diagnostic ultrasound equipment. It would move for the first time toward regulating instrumental output based on scientific bioeffect data. It would allow increased instrumental output in certain modes and at the same time mandate on-screen labeling of a "thermal index" or "mechanical index," coupled with a user education program on the significance of these indexes. The increased instrumental output allowed by these new guidelines may benefit adult echocardiography by allowing slightly more penetration and higher frequency/better resolution. However, a tradeoff is that echocardiographers need to understand more about how to perform an examination to decrease unnecessary patient exposure to ultrasound and more about ultrasound bioeffects, such as the theoretical potential for cavitation-related adverse effects in certain circumstances.
Synthesis of a tetrasaccharide donor corresponding to the O-specific polysaccharide of Shigella dysenteriae type 1

Abstract O -(2,4-Di- O -chloroacetyl-α- l -rhamnopyranosyl)-(1 → 2)- O -(3,4,6-tri- O -benzoyl-α- d -galactopyranosyl)-(1 → 3)- O -(2-acetamido-4,6-di- O -acetyl-2-deoxy-α- d -glycopyranosyl)-(1 → 3)-2,4-di- O -benzoyl-α- l -rhamnopyranosyl trichloroacetimidate ( 1 ) was synthesized in a stepwise manner, using the following monosaccharide units: 2-(trimethylsilyl)ethyl 2,4-di- O -benzoyl-α- l -rhamnopyranoside, 2-azido-4,6- O -benzylidene-3- O -chloroacetyl-2-deoxy-β- d -glycopyranosyl chloride, methyl 3,4,6-tri- O -benzoyl-2- O -(4-methoxybenzyl)-1-thio-β- d -galactopyranoside, and 2,4-di- O -benzoyl-3- O -chloroacetyl-α- l -rhamnopyranosyl chloride. Compound 1 corresponds to a complete tetrasaccharide repeating unit of the O-specific polysaccharide of the lipopolysaccharide of Shigella dysenteriae type 1.
L.V. Shcherba and the concept of linguistic experimental phonetics

A distinguished phonetician and historian of phonetics, G. Panconcelli-Calzia (1878-1966), ended a sketch of the history of phonetics with the dictum that instead of being an ancillary part of linguistics, "The facts are rather (1) that phonetics takes its origin from the magic-mystical and partly religious mental world of mankind in a time, moreover, when there were neither grammarians nor linguists, and (2) that it owes its development chiefly to scientists and physicians" (1). One must distinguish here between at least two possible claims. First is the paradoxical straw-man claim rejected by Panconcelli-Calzia, that the study of speech production and speech acoustics, a field with strong bases in the biological and physical sciences, is necessarily a subdepartment of linguistics, a diffuse discipline with connections extending from anthropology to mathematical logic. Second is the more modest observation that important perspectives, limiting and defining the questions proposed to the physical and biological sciences by specialists in the study of human speech, stem from specific observations of the existing nature of human speech rather than from the more general perspectives of biology and physics. This discussion considers the question of the relations between the study of sound patterns in language and speech science/experimental phonetics by following one thread of their development during this century. Thus the objec-
Preservation of primary stable isotope signals in dinosaur remains, and environmental gradients of the Late Cretaceous of Montana and Alberta

Abstract Although the use of stable isotope data from vertebrate remains is becoming common for the Cenozoic, their application to Mesozoic environments has been rare, in part due to the perception that diagenesis has obfuscated all potential primary signal. In this paper, we illustrate how stable isotope data collected from dinosaur and other vertebrate remains can in fact be used to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions during the Mesozoic. Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios were measured from tooth enamel of hadrosaur dinosaurs and from scales of freshwater fish that were collected from sites in the Two Medicine, Judith River, and Dinosaur Park Formations of Montana and Alberta. These formations represent a coastal to upland gradient along the western margin of the Late Cretaceous inland seaway. Isotopic comparisons among skeletal components and among taxa are used as evidence that primary paleoenvironmental information, as recorded by isotope data, is preserved in tooth enamel and freshwater fish scales. A comparison of carbon isotope ratios between hadrosaur tooth enamel and sedimentary organic matter indicates that these animals had a larger isotopic offset compared to bulk diet than modern mammals, and that all hadrosaurian isotope data are consistent with the existence of C3-only ecosystems. Higher and more variable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios from animals occupying the coastal Judith River region are interpreted to reflect a range of freshwater to brackish water conditions and plants that were undergoing water stress. Lower and less variable carbon and oxygen isotope ratios from the upland Two Medicine and intermediate Dinosaur Park areas are interpreted to reflect a gradual rainout of moisture from air masses moving inland and more uniform environmental conditions. Overall, these results indicate that stable isotopes from dinosaur and other vertebrate remains have the potential to expand our understanding of terrestrial environments and ecosystems during the Mesozoic.
Electric-field-coupled resonators for negative permittivity metamaterials

A lithographically patterned inductive-capacitive resonator is described that has a strong electric response. This resonator can be used to construct metamaterials with desired positive or negative permittivity. Such materials provide an alternative to wire media, and have the benefit of not requiring continuous current paths between unit cells. A planar medium composed of these resonators was simulated, fabricated, and measured in the microwave frequency range.
Activation status of Wnt/ß-catenin signaling in normal and neoplastic breast tissues: relationship to HER2/neu expression in human and mouse.

Wnt/s-catenin signaling is strongly implicated in neoplasia, but the role of this pathway in human breast cancer has been controversial. Here, we examined Wnt/s-catenin pathway activation as a function of breast cancer progression, and tested for a relationship with HER2/neu expression, using a human tissue microarray comprising benign breast tissues, ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS), and invasive carcinomas. Cores were scored for membranous s-catenin, a key functional component of adherens junctions, and for nucleocytoplasmic s-catenin, a hallmark of Wnt/s-catenin pathway activation. Only 82% of benign samples exhibited membrane-associated s-catenin, indicating a finite frequency of false-negative staining. The frequency of membrane positivity was similar in DCIS samples, but was significantly reduced in carcinomas (45%, P<0.001), consistent with loss of adherens junctions during acquisition of invasiveness. Negative membrane status in cancers correlated with higher grade (P = 0.04) and estrogen receptor-negative status (P = 0.03), both indices of poor prognosis. Unexpectedly, a substantial frequency of nucleocytoplasmic s-catenin was observed in benign breast tissues (36%), similar to that in carcinomas (35%). Positive-staining basal nuclei observed in benign breast may identify putative stem cells. An increased frequency of nucleocytoplasmic s-catenin was observed in DCIS tumors (56%), suggesting that pathway activation may be an early event in human breast neoplasia. A correlation was observed between HER2/neu expression and nucleocytoplasmic s-catenin in node-positive carcinomas (P = 0.02). Furthermore, cytoplasmic s-catenin was detected in HER2/neu-induced mouse mammary tumors. The Axin2NLSlacZ mouse strain, a previously validated reporter of mammary Wnt/s-catenin signaling, was utilized to define in vivo transcriptional consequences of HER2/neu-induced s-catenin accumulation. Discrete hyperplastic foci observed in mammary glands from bigenic MMTV/neu, Axin2NLSlacZ mice, highlighted by robust s-catenin/TCF signaling, likely represent the earliest stage of mammary intraepithelial neoplasia in MMTV/neu mice. Our study thus provides provocative evidence for Wnt/s-catenin signaling as an early, HER2/neu-inducible event in breast neoplasia.
Teal Amber Visible Focal Plane Technology

Deep-space surveillance missions have imposed severe demands on existing technology and simulated the search for new, advanced technology developments to provide higher performance. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) sponsored Teal Amber as a visible charge-coupled device (CCD) and associated focal plane signal processing technology development and demonstration program. This paper describes this large-scale, staring-array-sensor concept. The current state of art in the resulting visibled CCD imagers is specified, along with the focal plane signal processor implementation in low power-weight-volume large-scale integrated (LSI) circuitry. Performance requirements and analytic predictions are compared to demonstration system results from an electro-optical test site in White Sands, New Mexico.
Roosevelt: The Party Leader, 1932-1945

FDR -- the wily political opportunist glowing with charismatic charm, a leader venerated and hated with equal vigor -- such is one common notion of a president elected to an unprecedented four terms. But in this first comprehensive study of Roosevelt's leadership of the Democratic party, Sean Savage reveals a different man. He contends that, far from being a mere opportunist, Roosevelt brought to the party a conscious agenda, a longterm strategy of creating a liberal Democracy that would be an enduring majority force in American politics.The roots of Roosevelt's plan for the party ran back to his experiences with New York politics in the 1920s. It was here, Savage argues, that Roosevelt first began to perceive that a pluralistic voting base and a liberal philosophy offered the best way for Democrats to contend with the established Republican organization. With the collapse of the economy in 1929 and the discrediting of Republican fiscal policy, Roosevelt was ready to carry his views to the national scene when elected president in 1932.Through his analysis of the New Deal, Savage shows how Roosevelt made use of these programs to develop a policy agenda for the Democratic party, to establish a liberal ideology, and, most important, to create a coalition of interest groups and voting blocs that would continue to sustain the party long after his death. A significant aspect of Roosevelt's leadership was his reform of the Democratic National Committee, which was designed to make the party's organization more open and participatory in setting electoral platforms and in raising financial support.Savage's exploration of Roosevelt's party leadership offers a new perspective on the New Deal era and on one of America's great presidents that will be valuable for historians and political scientists alike.
Vulnerability: a needed moral safeguard.

If one is looking for enlightenment on the meaning of vulnerability in research ethics, it won't be found in the provocative article by Levine et al. (2004). The authors' initial complaint about th...
Particle and field environment of Uranus

In 1985 the spin axis of Uranus points within 10 degrees of the sun and the planet's position is very near the solar apex direction. A Uranus mission with an encounter near 1985 might expect to measure the unusual particle and field configuration of a 'pole-on' magnetosphere and also properties of the interstellar medium. Estimates are given of the particle and field environment of Uranus based on extrapolation of solar-wind data from 1 AU and on scaling relations for an earth-type magnetosphere. Since the magnetic moment of Uranus is unknown, all magnetospheric parameters are derived as a function of the dipole strength. The onsets of special magnetospheric properties are identified as the dipole moment increases from small to large values. A fairly complete set of magnetospheric parameters is given for a specific dipole moment to illustrate the case of a large moment.
Fluorescence lifetime measurements to determine the core–shell nanostructure of FITC-doped silica nanoparticles: An optical approach to evaluate nanoparticle photostability

Abstract In this paper, we described a novel fluorescence lifetime-based approach to determine the core–shell nanostructure of FITC-(fluorescein isothiocyanate, isomer I) doped fluorescent silica nanoparticles (FSNPs). Because of phase homogeneity between the core and the shell, electron microscopic technique could not be used to characterize such core–shell nanostructure. Our optical approach not only revealed the core–shell nanostructure of FSNPs but also evaluated photobleaching of FSNPs both in the solvated and non-solvated (dry) states. The FSNPs were produced via Stober's method by hydrolysis and co-condensation reaction of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) and fluorescein linked (3-aminopropyl)triethoxysilane (FITC–APTS conjugate) in the presence of ammonium hydroxide catalyst. To obtain a pure silica surface coating, FSNPs were then post-coated with TEOS. The average particle size was 135 nm as determined by TEM (transmission electron microscope) measurements. Fluorescence excitation and emission spectral data demonstrated successful doping of FITC dye molecules in FSNPs. Fluorescence lifetime data revealed that approximately 62% of dye molecules remained in the solvated silica shell, while 38% of dye molecules remained in the non-solvated (dry) silica core. Photobleaching experiments of FSNPs were conducted both in DI water (solution state) and in air (dry state). Severe photobleaching of FSNPs was observed in air. However, FSNPs were moderately photostable in the solution state. Photostability of FSNPs in both solution and dry states was explained on the basis of fluorescence lifetime data.
Home‐based Education in the United States: demographics, motivations and educational implications

In the USA the parents in the typical home‐education family are well educated, reside in rural and small town communities and the employment undertaken is in professional and skilled occupations. Unlike the case in the UK, the largest group is motivated by religion. One smaller group is motivated by concern about the quality of socialization found in schools whilst another has a concern for academic success. A fourth group is committed to an alternative lifestyle. Gradually more cooperative attitudes and policies between home‐based educators and school authorities are developing and the desire for a more flexible education provision in the future is in prospect.
Prediction of early relapse and shortened survival in patients with breast cancer by proliferating cell nuclear antigen score.

Background. Cell cycle kinetic measures have been shown to have prognostic significance in breast cancer. Methods that have been used to assess the proliferating fraction of tumors include measurements of DNA content with S-phase calculation by flow cytometric analysis, radioisotope-labeled nucleotide incorporation, and cell cycle–associated protein expression. The recent discovery of the S-phase-specific nuclear protein proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) opens the door for a novel approach to cell kinetic measurement with an immunocytochemical assay. Methods. A quantitative immunocytochemical assay for PCNA was performed on 82 primary invasive breast carcinomas fixed in formaldehyde solution and embedded in paraffin and 18 corresponding axillary metastases. The percentage of tumor cells with strong nuclear staining was determined by visual count. This PCNA score was correlated with histologic parameters, age, relapse intervals, and long-term survival. Results. PCNA scores were distributed normally among primary carcinomas (range, 5–54; mean, 22.5). Carcinomas had much higher scores than adjacent normal epithelium (means, 22.5 and 4.1, respectively; P < 0.0001), and axillary node metastases had slightly higher scores than corresponding primary breast tumors (means, 26.4 and 22.5, respectively; P = 0.05). The PCNA score did not correlate with age, tumor size, axillary node status, intramammary lymphatic–vascular invasion, or estrogen and progesterone binding capacities. Further-more, its variability could not be explained by grade. PCNA values increased as the mitotic rate increased. Cancers with high PCNA scores (≥ 25) were associated with shorter disease-free (P = 0.007) and overall survival times (P = 0.01) than tumors with low PCNA scores (< 25) (median follow-up, 166 months). Conclusions. PCNA score has potential value as a prognostic indicator in breast cancer. This method of assessing the proliferating pool offers advantages over other assays in terms of relative simplicity of the method, applicability to paraffin-embedded fixed tissue, and low cost.