cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Performance of compressed inverted list caching in search engines

Due to the rapid growth in the size of the web, web search engines are facing enormous performance challenges. The larger engines in particular have to be able to process tens of thousands of queries per second on tens of billions of documents, making query throughput a critical issue. To satisfy this heavy workload, search engines use a variety of performance optimizations including index compression, caching, and early termination.We focus on two techniques, inverted index compression and index caching, which play a crucial rule in web search engines as well as other high-performance information retrieval systems. We perform a comparison and evaluation of several inverted list compression algorithms, including new variants of existing algorithms that have not been studied before. We then evaluate different inverted list caching policies on large query traces, and finally study the possible performance benefits of combining compression and caching. The overall goal of this paper is to provide an updated discussion and evaluation of these two techniques, and to show how to select the best set of approaches and settings depending on parameter such as disk speed and main memory cache size.
Lifting the facets of zero---one polytopes

We discuss a procedure to obtain facets and valid inequalities for the convex hull of the set of solutions to a general zero---one programming problem. Basically, facets and valid inequalities defined on lower dimensional subpolytopes are lifted into the space of the original problem. The procedure generalizes the previously known techniques for lifting facets in two respects. First, the general zero---one programming problem is considered rather than various special cases. Second, the procedure is exhaustive in the sense that it accounts for all the facets (valid inequalities) which are liftings of a given lower dimensional facet (valid inequality).
Divergent roles of interferon-gamma in CD4 t cell-mediated graft-versus-host disease (Gvhd) Contigent on the conditioning of the recipient

Abstract Cytokines have been demonstrated to play a pivotal role in graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), at times being both protective and deleterious. Interferon gamma (IFNγ) as been shown to play a protective role in acute GVHD following lethal total body irradiation (TBI) and bone marrow transplant in full MHC mismatched murine models of the disease. In this report, we show that CD4+ T cells from interferon-gamma knockout (KO) mice accelerate GVHD in a single MHC II mismatched murine model (C57BL/6 into bm12) following lethal TBI and bone marrow transplant. In marked contrast, use of these same CD4+ T cells results in protection from GVHD associated anemia and bone marrow aplasia following infusion into sublethally irradiated mice using the same strain combination. Bone marrow cellularities and hematopoietic progenitor cell content were markedly decreased in recipients of wild type CD4+ enriched lymph node cells following sublethal irradiation. Bone marrow cellularities and CFU-GM in recipients of IFNγ-deficient CD4+ T cells were not significantly different from mice that received only sublethal irradiation. These results demonstrate the requirement of interferon-gamma for CD4+ T cell-mediated destruction of allogeneic hematopoietic cells which is primary manifested in sublethal conditioning whereas in lethal conditioning tissue damage affecting solid organs (skin, gut, liver) occurs and interferon is protective.
History and the German Revolution of 1848

THE Revolution of I848 was the last and, measured by the numbers and areas involved, the greatest of the middle-class revolutions which had convulsed Europe periodically since 1789. Inspired by an optimistic faith in human capacity for self-government, it released a flood of popular energies and passions which overwhelmed the existing political order. The system of conservative restoration, erected with such painstaking care in I8I5 at Vienna, collapsed, and with its collapse an era came to an end. It must have been exciting to be alive in the spring of I848, that "springtime of nations," when God smiled with favor upon every parliamentary subcommittee and the liberal millennium was just around the corner. Barricades were mushrooming in the capitals of Europe from the Seine to the Danube; angry mobs were stoning royal palaces; unpopular ministers were hastily signing resignations and hurrying into exile; exiled revolutionaries were hurrying home to a hero's welcome. To liberals witnessing these events it appeared as if a new world were about to be born, as if a new reign of liberty and justice were beginning. The sense of participation in the creation of a better society seemed to intoxicate them.' But the brave dream of a European polity of free individuals organized in free nations turned into a nightmare. The Revolution, greeted as the opening act of a process of cosmic liberation, degenerated before long into a war of all against all, of proletarian against bourgeois, Dane against Prussian, Pole against German, German against Czech. Like the sorcerer's apprentice, liberalism could not control the forces it had unleashed and was defeated by the Revolution it had created. By I849 its strength was exhausted, and conservatives returned to the seats of power which liberals had occupied a year earlier. The effect of I848 was to discredit political ideals and ideologies and to prepare the way for "strong" men, men who at least got what they wanted, even if what they wanted was not always morally justifiable.
Renormalization of spectral widths by screening interactions

Abstract In some of the rare earth compounds the width of the 4 f electron spectral density is dominated by processes which involve the transfer of electrons between the f shell and the conduction band. We examine the effects that screening of the 4 f shell's charge density by the conduction electrons have on these hybridization widths. The screening interaction is treated by low-order perturbation theory. We conclude that the screening of the excess charge on the 4 f ion may result in a reduction of this hybridization width, in a manner analagous to the enhancement of the effective mass of the small polaron.
Inhibition of Poly(ADP-Ribose) Polymerase Enhances the Effect of Chemotherapy in an Animal Model of Regional Therapy for the Treatment of Advanced Extremity Malignant Melanoma

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) is an important regulator of programmed cell death in response to alkylating agents such as temozolomide (TMZ). The goal of this study was to determine if a systemically administered PARP-inhibitor (INO-1001) could augment the efficacy of TMZ in a rat model of extremity malignant melanoma. PARP activity was measured in vitro across a panel of 5 human malignant melanoma-derived cell lines. To evaluate tumor response to PARP inhibition in combination with regional isolated limb infusion (ILI) therapy with TMZ, two TMZ-resistant malignant melanoma cell lines were grown as xenografts in the hind limb of rats. INO-1001 (400 mg/kg) was injected intraperitoneally 7 times every 8 hours prior to ILI. Tumor volume was measured for up to 40 days. In vitro inhibition of PARP activity by INO-1001 ranged from 25.5% to 65.6%. In a mismatch repair (MMR)-deficient xenograft, treatment with INO-1001 prior to ILI significantly (P < .04) increased the efficacy of TMZ. The increase in tumor volume at day 40 following TMZ-ILI with INO-1001 was only 22.6% compared with 322.8% with TMZ-ILI alone. In a xenograft that was MMR-proficient and had high levels of O6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) activity, there was little improvement in TMZ efficacy with INO-1001 treatment. The PARP-inhibitor, INO-1001, can enhance the response of TMZ-resistant, MMR-deficient, malignant melanoma xenografts to intra-arterially administered TMZ in a regional treatment model of advanced extremity malignant melanoma.
Insights into Aging Vessels

Reactive oxygen species such as superoxide anion (O–) and hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) are both a blessing and a curse. When in balance, these radicals engage in biological functions such as signal transduction. However, an increase in cellular oxidative stress leading to an increase in these reactive oxygen species has been associated with numerous chronic diseases. Now, a new research study by Paneni and colleagues adds to our understanding of how oxidative stress is connected to vascular health. Earlier findings identified JunD, a transcription factor in the AP-1 (activated protein-1) family, as a key player in this connection. Using mice with a genetic deletion of JunD (JunD–/– mice), the researchers found that the impairment of endothelium-dependent vasorelaxation in young JunD–/– mice (6 months of age) was similar to that in old control mice (22 months of age). This endothelial dysfunction was even more pronounced in old JunD–/– mice as compared with age-matched control animals. Scavenging reactive oxygen species in these experiments restored normal vascular function in the young JunD–/– mice and old control mice, suggesting that JunD function strikes a balance with free radicals to ensure endothelial health. In support of this notion, the researchers showed that oxidative stress in the mitochondria of tissue slices from the aorta of young JunD–/– mice was as high as that in the old control mice; an even greater increase was evident in old JunD–/– mice. Age seemed to be driving the decrease in JunD function, with the methylation of its promotor as a likely mechanism. The loss in endothelial cell function in older mice was rescued by overexpression of JunD. Deletion of JunD in endothelial cells of the aorta or JunD down-regulation by small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) disturbed the balance between pro- and antioxidant activities, resulting in accelerated vascular aging as indicated by reduced telomerase activity. Two further experiments support the role of JunD in human vascular homeostasis. First, siRNA-silenced JunD expression in human aortic endothelial cells resulted in excess production of free radicals. Second, JunD gene and protein expression was much lower in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from 60-year-olds as compared with volunteers in their 20s. Taken together, these data suggest that JunD function might mechanistically link oxidative stress and vascular aging. But as the authors note, it remains to be seen whether JunD can be developed into a pharmacological opportunity to mitigate cardiovascular risk. F. Paneni et al ., Deletion of the AP-1 transcription factor JunD induces oxidative stress and accelerates age-related endothelial dysfunction. Circulation , published online 14 February 2013 (10.1161/​CIRCULATIONAHA.112.000826) [[Abstract]][1] [1]: http://circ.ahajournals.org/content/early/2013/02/14/CIRCULATIONAHA.112.000826.abstract
Iced gastric lavage for treatment of heatstroke: Efficacy in a canine model

This study was undertaken to evaluate a central cooling technique for heatstroke, gastric lavage with iced tap water, for speed of cooling and efficacy of treatment in an anesthetized canine heatstroke model. Eleven mongrel dogs were anesthetized, shaved, and externally heated until core temperature reached 43.0 C (109.4 F). Control animals (n = 6) were cooled passively in room air. Treatment animals (n = 5) were cooled with the addition of gastric lavage with iced tap water through a large-bore orogastric tube. Temperatures were monitored using thermocouples in the brain, pulmonary artery, rectum, and subcutaneous tissue of the chest wall. Serial enzymatic and hematologic laboratory studies and hemodynamic parameters were measured prior to heating, at the end of heating, and at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, and 12 hours after heating. Animals were sacrificed 12 hours after heatstroke induction and gross and microscopic pathologic examination was performed. Central cooling rates of achieved in the lavage group were five to six times faster than in the control group, ( P P
Power, Meaning and Identity: critical sociology of education in the United States

Abstract The sociology of education in the US is extremely varied in its theoretical and methodological tendencies, its visions of what research is for, and its political sensibilities. This article describes a number of the most interesting recent developments within critically‐oriented sociology of education in the US. It pays particular attention to work on the politics of meaning. It discusses representative examples within the sociology of curriculum. It then takes up ‘critical’ and ‘postmodern/poststructural’ work on critical discourse analysis, identity politics, political economy and the labor process, and racial formation. Finally, it concludes with a discussion of the continuing tensions between the critical and postmodern/poststructural communities methodologically, conceptually, and politically.
Loss of Extension Following Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction: Analysis of Incidence and Etiology Using IKDC Criteria

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine the incidence of and factors associated with loss of extension (LOE) 4 weeks after anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction using the new IKDC Knee Ligament Evaluation Form criteria for loss of motion. Methods: A retrospective review of patients who had undergone arthroscopic ACL reconstruction between 1995 and 2000 was performed. An endoscopic single tunnel technique with autograft or allograft was used in all cases. A standardized physical therapy program was prescribed to all patients. Subjects with revision ACL reconstruction, concomitant ligament surgery, meniscal transplantation, or any articular cartilage surgery were excluded. LOE was defined as greater than a 5° side-to-side difference in passive knee extension 4 weeks after surgery, the need for repeat arthroscopy to restore extension, or use of a drop-out cast to restore extension. Results: Fifty-eight of 229 (25.3%) patients developed LOE 4 weeks after ACL reconstruction. LOE was not associated with age, sex, presence of nerve block, concomitant meniscal procedures, specific graft type, or tourniquet time ( P > .05). LOE was significantly associated with preoperative extension, time from injury to surgery, and use of autograft ( P Conclusions: Preoperative range of motion and time to surgery are intimately related to a patient's postoperative extension. While 48% of patients that lacked full extension by 4 weeks eventually required arthroscopic debridement to achieve satisfactory extension, our treatment algorithm led to an overall incidence of LOE greater than 5° at final follow-up of 1.7%. Level of Evidence: Level III, therapeutic, retrospective, comparative study.
Wind-blown volcanic ash in forest and agricultural locations as related to meteorological conditions

Abstract During the spring and summer of 1981, airborne ash previously deposited from the 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens volcano was monitored at several field locations near the major axis of the depositional pattern in Washington State. Airborne ash was collected daily with standard high-volume samplers and other equipment that sampled the ash at selected windspeeds. Analysis of high-volume filtered deposits showed poor linear correlations to local meteorological conditions. At Moses Lake, weights of windspeed-selected samples indicated an exponential increase in suspended material with increasing windspeed. Wind tunnel tests with ash from two locations varying in distance from the volcano showed that the finer ash fractions from both locations became airborne at similar windspeeds. Threshold wind velocity was about 12 km h −1 for newly deposited ash, compared to more than 69 km h −1 for ash consolidated by wetting and drying.
Determination of a Local Magnitude Scale: A Generalized Inverse Solution

Current techniques for the development of a local magnitude scale involve the simultaneous determination of the following: the magnitudes of a number of earthquakes, site-specific correction terms for each of the recording stations, and the two constants in the equation used to represent the variation of amplitude as a function of distance. The relation between these parameters and wave amplitudes is linear, and solving the corresponding system of equations can be achieved in one step when the number of events and stations is relatively small. When the number is so large that this approach is not practical, the solution is obtained iteratively, which requires initial estimates for the values of the parameters, but as shown here, it is possible to solve the system in two noniterative steps without starting values. To achieve this simplification the method of separation of parameters, introduced in the context of the joint hypocentral determination, is used. Manuscript received 27 February 2003.
Parallelizable restarted iterative methods for nonsymmetric linear systems. II: parallel implementation

In Part I we defined several new algorithms which gave the same iterates as the standard GMRES algorithm but require less computational expense when implemented on scalar and vector computers. In this paper, we demonstrate that the new algorithms are even more economical than the standard algorithms when applied to several other computer architectures: machines with distributed memory, machine which use local cache memory, and machines for which it is desired to use disk memory or solid state disk memory to solve the given problem. The increased efficiency is due to a reduction in the number of memory transfers required by the algorithms. In this paper we describe how these algorithms are implemented in order to obtain the improved performance. Numerical comparisons of the algorithms are given on several representative computers.
Expression and Purification of Goat Lactoferrin from Pichia pastoris Expression System

The recombinant goat lactoferrin (rGLF) was expressed in the methylotropic yeast Pichia pastoris using pGAPZalphaC vector, GAP as promoter, and Zeocin as the selective marker. After transformation of the GLF-pGAPZalphaC into Pichia pastoris X-33 expression host, the GLF-pGAPZalphaC vector was integrated into the GAP promoter locus of Pichia pastoris X-33 chromosome. The rGLF was expressed and secreted into the broth using alpha-factor preprosequence. SDS-PAGE and PAS staining analysis indicated that the rGLF could be purified to electrophoretic homogeneity by heparin-Sepharose 6 Fast Flow affinity chromatography and glycosylated by the expression host. The yield of purified rGLF was approximately 2.0 mg/L of culture broth. The N-terminal sequence was identical to the native goat lactoferrin (nGLF). The iron-binding behavior, papain-inhibiting property, and thermal stability of the purified rGLF were comparable to nGLF. This is the 1st report of intact goat lactoferrin expression using the P. pastoris system.
Symbolic Appropriation of the Internet: Modernity, Peasant Bodies, and the Image of Familial Intimacy in China's Nongjiale Tourism Online Advertisements

The peasantry is probably the last social category that researchers of technology and society readily associate with the use of high technologies such as the Internet. But in China recently, tens of thousands of peasant entrepreneurs, engaged in a unique form of rural tourism popularly called nongjiale (delights in farm guesthouses), have adopted the Internet as a medium for advertising their farm guesthouses. This paper is an anthropological study of how Chinese peasant entrepreneurs’ adoption of the Internet is engrained in the broader material and symbolic orders of contemporary Chinese society. By exploring the way in which the Chinese peasants are idiosyncratically involved with the Internet, it also questions whether STS (Science, Technology, and Society) concepts such as users and non-users, developed essentially within Euro-American contexts, are adequate to explain the symbolic appropriations of high-tech in pursuit of modernity in China today.
Effect of parietal lobe lesions on saccade targeting and spatial memory in a naturalistic visual search task

The eye movements of two patients with parietal lobe lesions and four normal observers were measured while they performed a visual search task with naturalistic objects. Patients were slower to perform the task than the normal observers, and the patients had more fixations per trial, longer latencies for the first saccade during the visual search, and less accurate first and second saccades to the target locations during the visual search. The increases in response times for the patients compared to the normal observers were best predicted by increases in the number of fixations. In order to investigate the effects of spatial memory on search performance, in some trials observers saw a preview of the search display. The patients appeared to have difficulty using previously viewed information, unlike normal observers who benefit from the preview. This suggests a spatial memory deficit. The patients’ deficits are consistent with the hypothesis that the parietal cortex has a role in the selection of targets for saccades, in memory for target location. © 2003 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Lean mass is the strongest predictor of bone mineral content in type-2 diabetes and normal individuals: an eastern India perspective

Impact of body fat distribution on bone mineral content (BMC) and density (BMD) at different sites has not been studied in type-2 diabetes (T2DM). This study aimed to compare BMC and BMD in normal (BMI < 25 kg/m2) and increased BMI (BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2) T2DM patients with age and BMI matched normal controls, and evaluate the impact of lean mass and body fat distribution parameters on them. Seventy-six T2DM patients and 56 normal controls underwent anthropometric assessment, blood sampling and estimation of BMC, BMD, body fat and lean mass distribution by dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA). Increased BMI individuals (n = 63) had significantly higher BMD, BMC, fat mass and significantly lower 25-hydroxy-vitamin-D (25OHD), as compared to normal BMI individuals (n = 69). Lean mass had stronger positive correlation with BMC and BMD, compared to fat mass. BMI, sagittal abdominal diameter (SAD) and Android/Gynoid (A/G) ratio had positive correlation with BMC and BMD. Percent body fat had negative correlation with BMC and BMD. T2DM patients had higher central obesity (A/G ratio). WC was the best predictor of A/G ratio. Regression analysis revealed lean mass to be the strongest predictor of BMC after adjusting for age, sex, BMI and 25OHD, in normal individuals and patients with diabetes, followed by fat mass. BMD right femur, BMC, lean mass and A/G ratios were significantly higher in males (n = 74). Fat mass and percent body fat were significantly higher in females (n = 58). Fat mass was the best predictor of BMC in males where as lean mass was the best predictor of BMC in females. Increased BMI and T2DM are associated with increased BMC and BMD at different sites, with lean mass having the strongest impact on BMC in normal individuals and patients with diabetes. Males have higher BMC and BMD as compared to females, likely due to a greater lean mass, A/G ratio, along with lesser fat mass and percent body fat.
Random mutagenesis by recombinational capture of PCR products in Bacillus subtilis and Acinetobacter calcoaceticus

We describe a general method for random mutagenesis of cloned genes by error-prone PCR or DNA shuffling that eliminates the need for post-amplification subcloning following each cycle of mutagenesis. This method exploits the highly efficient and recombinogenic nature of DNA uptake during natural transformation in the Gram-positive bacterium Bacillus subtilis and the Gram-negative bacterium Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. Plasmid systems were designed that allow capture of PCR-amplified DNA fragments by marker-replacement recombination with a structurally similar helper plasmid resident in the transformation recipient. This recombination event simultaneously transfers the amplified sequences into the helper plasmid and restores the integrity of a drug resistance gene, thereby affording a direct selection for fragment capture. Although this strategy was sufficiently effective to permit recovery in B. subtilis of up to 10(3) transformants/microgram of PCR product, equivalent plasmid systems were approximately 100 times more efficient in A.calcoaceticus. Acinetobacter calcoaceticus also offers the advantage of essentially constitutive transformation competence in ordinary complex broth, such as LB, in contrast to two-step growth in semi-synthetic media required for optimal transformation of B.subtilis.
Sources and migration of volatile organic compounds in mixed-use buildings.

We examined concentrations and migration of volatile organic compounds (VOCs) in ten mixed-use buildings in southeast Michigan, USA. In an office and work zone in each building, air exchange rates (AERs) were measured using perfluorocarbon tracers, and over 96 VOC species were measured by GC/MS over a 7-day period. VOCs were then apportioned to sources in offices, work zones, and outdoors using a two-zone mass balance model. AERs averaged 3.9 h (0.2-14.2 h) in offices and 1.9 h (0.4-3.5 h) in work zones. The dominant VOCs included aromatics, terpenes and alkanes. VOC concentrations were uniform in the smaller spaces, and more variable in some of the very large spaces. Apportionments depended on the VOC and building, but emissions in industrial zones of buildings often migrated to office areas where they frequently accounted for the bulk of VOC concentrations. Outdoor sources accounted for most benzene and carbon tetrachloride, and a small fraction of aromatic and aliphatic compounds. This study shows that pollutant migration can be a significant and not uncommon problem in mixed-use buildings, and it demonstrates the need for better control of emissions and pollutant migration.
A Vibrational Spectroscopic Study of the Fate of Oxygen-Containing Functional Groups and Trapped CO2 in Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes During Thermal Treatment

The oxygen-containing functional groups, introduced by common purification procedures, on single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWNTs) made by both the HiPco and laser-ablation (Rice Tubes) techniques are studied by Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy from 90 to 1400 K under vacuum. The fate of the functional groups under heating and the physically trapped CO2 generated from the decomposition of these functional groups are investigated. Vacuum heating to ∼1300 K removes most of the oxygen-containing functionalities in the purified samples. The similarities in the infrared spectra of the Rice Tubes after a 1400 K treatment with spectra for the as-received and air/HCl treated HiPco nanotubes suggests the observation of intrinsic SWNT IR bands. Vacuum heating of nitric acid treated HiPco samples leads to the formation of a new feature, tentatively assigned to cyclic anhydride groups, in the 1850 cm-1 region. The cyclic anhydride groups decompose and ultimately disappear after thermal annealing to 600 K....
White Women Preparing to Teach in Urban Schools: Looking for Similarity and Finding Difference

Research points to particular problems in the experiences of White teachers teaching students of color (Cochran-Smith et al., 2004). Despite good intentions, teaching students of diverse backgrounds and experiences can be challenging for teachers who are unfamiliar with their students’ backgrounds and communities. The purpose of this paper is to describe the development of notions about “good urban teaching” for three women in a preservice teacher preparation program. Reporting on two years of data, we show how the three women negotiated their beliefs and identities in light of program demands and classroom realities. The lack of synchronicity within the women’s experiences highlights that the traditional (white, female, middle class) students in preservice teacher education programs are not homogeneous. The significance of this difference is highlighted through the concept of heterogeneity. We define heterogeneity as the differences that exist among traditional students in preservice teacher preparation programs. Our research suggests that heterogeneity is complicit in the progress or lack of progress of preservice teachers developing professional identities.
LIST OF SPECIES DESCRIBED IN THE EGG STAGE OF TRIBE AEDINI (DIPTERA: CULICIDAE) WITH THEIR LITERATURE CITATIONS

Species of Aedini with published morphological descriptions and/or illustrations of eggs are listed with their literature citations. Each species has a notation indicating descriptions are written, illustrated or both. Only approximately 16% of aedine species currently have morphological descriptions published for the egg stage. The new classification of tribe Aedini proposed by Reinert et al. (2004) is utilized.
Bullwhip Effect Measurement and Its Implications

The bullwhip effect, or demand information distortion, has been a subject of both theoretical and empirical studies in the operations management literature. In this paper, we develop a simple set of formulas that describe the traditional bullwhip measure as a combined outcome of several important drivers, such as finite capacity, batch-ordering, and seasonality. Our modeling framework is descriptive in nature as it features certain plausible approximations that are commonly employed in practical inventory systems. The results are nonetheless compelling and can be used to explain various conflicting observations in previous empirical studies. Building on the theoretical framework, we discuss the managerial implications of the bullwhip measurement. We show that the measurement can be completely noninformative about the underlying supply chain cost performance if it is not linked to the operational details (such as decision intervals and leadtimes). Specifically, we show that an aggregated measurement over relatively long time periods can mask the operational-level bullwhip. In addition, we show that masking also exists under product or location aggregation in some illustrative cases.
Genes associate with abnormal bone cell activity in bone metastasis

Bone is one of the most frequent sites of metastasis in patients with malignancies. Up to 90 % of patients with multiple myeloma, and 60 % to 75 % patients with prostate cancer and breast cancer develop bone metastasis at the later stages of their diseases. Bone metastases are responsible for tremendous morbidity in patients with cancer, including severe bone pain, pathologic fractures, spinal cord and nerve compression syndromes, life-threatening hypercalcemia, and increased mortality. Multiple factors produced by tumor cells or produced by the bone marrow microenvironment in response to tumor cells play important roles in activation of osteoclastic bone resorption and modulation of osteoblastic activity in patients with bone metastasis. In this chapter, we will review the genes that play important roles in bone destruction, tumor growth, and osteoblast activity in bone metastasis and discuss the potential therapies targeting the products of these genes to block both bone destruction and tumor growth.
Near-field, mutual coupling degradation on antenna bandwidth for an airborne ice-penetrating and imaging radar

Airborne remote sensing systems utilized for imaging ice sheets in Antarctica and Greenland have distinct advantages over ground and satellite systems, but strict structural limitations impose antenna performance-degrading objects near the antennas. These metallic objects required for the aircraft degrade the antenna bandwidth which is critical for accurate imaging of the internal layers and basal conditions of the ice. To improve the bandwidth of the system, a bow-tie antenna modified with parasitic elements has been developed for use with an airborne ice-penetrating and imaging radar. A controlled measurement study took place to examine and minimize the effects of antenna integration with these metallic objects providing valuable information on improving antenna integration when external aircraft mounting is required.
The accuracy and precision of two non-invasive, magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound-based thermal diffusivity estimation methods

AbstractPurpose: The use of correct tissue thermal diffusivity values is necessary for making accurate thermal modelling predictions during magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) treatment planning. This study evaluates the accuracy and precision of two non-invasive thermal diffusivity estimation methods, a Gaussian temperature method and a Gaussian specific absorption rate (SAR) method. Materials and methods: Both methods utilise MRgFUS temperature data obtained during cooling following a short (<25 s) heating pulse. The Gaussian SAR method can also use temperatures obtained during heating. Experiments were performed at low heating levels (ΔT∼10 °C) in ex vivo pork muscle and in vivo rabbit back muscle. The non-invasive MRgFUS thermal diffusivity estimates were compared with measurements from two standard invasive methods. Results: Both non-invasive methods accurately estimated thermal diffusivity when using MR temperature cooling data (overall ex vivo error <6%, in vivo <12%). Including h...
Bound-state signatures in quenched Bose-Einstein condensates

We investigate the dynamics of a homogenous Bose-Einstein condensate (BEC) following a sudden quench of the scattering length. Our focus is the time evolution of short-range correlations via the dynamical contact. We compute the dynamics using a combination of two- and many-body models and we propose an intuitive connection between them that unifies their short-time, short-range predictions. Our two-body models are exactly solvable and, when properly calibrated, lead to analytic formulas for the contact dynamics. Immediately after the quench, the contact exhibits strong oscillations at the frequency of the two-body bound state. These oscillations are large in amplitude and their time average is typically much larger than the Bogoliubov prediction. The condensate fraction shows similar oscillations, whose amplitude we are able to estimate. These results demonstrate the importance of including the bound state in descriptions of diabatically quenched BEC experiments.
Phase II and Pharmacodynamic Study of Autophagy Inhibition Using Hydroxychloroquine in Patients With Metastatic Pancreatic Adenocarcinoma

Background. Autophagy is a catabolic pathway that permits cells to recycle intracellular macromolecules, and its inhibition reduces pancreatic cancer growth in model systems. We evaluated hydoxychloroquine (HCQ), an inhibitor of autophagy, in patients with pancreatic cancer and analyzed pharmacodynamic markers in treated patients and mice.
An Update on the Genetics of Comitant Strabismus

Genetics play a significant role in the development of comitant strabismus and elucidating the relevant mechanisms that cause it may lead to the development of new therapeutic options. The genetics of strabismus are complex and involve the interactions of multiple genes. This article reviews the progress that has been made in the understanding of the genetic causes of comitant strabismus including linkage studies that have identified a variety of candidate sites, RNA and protein studies that have identified genes with altered regulation, and a study that establishes a role for genetic imprinting in comitant strabismus.
Multi-Prototype Vector-Space Models of Word Meaning

Current vector-space models of lexical semantics create a single "prototype" vector to represent the meaning of a word. However, due to lexical ambiguity, encoding word meaning with a single vector is problematic. This paper presents a method that uses clustering to produce multiple "sense-specific" vectors for each word. This approach provides a context-dependent vector representation of word meaning that naturally accommodates homonymy and polysemy. Experimental comparisons to human judgements of semantic similarity for both isolated words as well as words in sentential contexts demonstrate the superiority of this approach over both prototype and exemplar based vector-space models.
Optical properties and electronic band structures of group V and IV VI materials

Abstract An evaluation of energy band calculations on group V and IV–VI semiconductors has been carried out with regard to the-optical spectra which experimentally possess a striking structural similarity for this series of compounds. The interband transitions related to the optical reflectivity structure are assigned in a consistent-manner from material to material. In this way, the general features of the energy bands along (100) and (110) directions may be determined in terms of four parameters, each of which is related to a reflectivity peak.
Epithelial cell kinase-B61: an autocrine loop modulating intestinal epithelial migration and barrier function

Epithelial cell kinase (Eck) is a member of a large family of receptor tyrosine kinases whose functions remain largely unknown. Expression and regulation of Eck and its cognate ligand B61 were analyzed in the human colonic adenocarcinoma cell line Caco-2. Immunocytochemical staining demonstrated coexpression of Eck and B61 in the same cells, suggestive of an autocrine loop. Eck levels were maximal in preconfluent cells. In contrast, B61 levels were barely detectable in preconfluent cells and increased progressively after the cells reached confluence. Caco-2 cells cultured in the presence of added B61 showed a significant reduction in the levels of dipeptidyl peptidase and sucrase-isomaltase mRNA, markers of Caco-2 cell differentiation. Cytokines interleukin-1β (IL-1β), basic fibroblast growth factor, IL-2, epidermal growth factor, and transforming growth factor-β modulated steady-state levels of Eck and B61 mRNA and regulated Eck activation as assessed by tyrosine phosphorylation. Functionally, stimulation of Eck by B61 resulted in increased proliferation, enhanced barrier function, and enhanced restitution of injured epithelial monolayers. These results suggest that the Eck-B61 interaction, a target of regulatory peptides, plays a role in intestinal epithelial cell development, migration, and barrier function, contributing to homeostasis and preservation of continuity of the epithelial barrier.
Anomalies and asymmetry of wing venation pattern in Carniolan and Egyptian bee populations in Egypt

The presence of unusual wing venation and asymmetry of the forewing in Carniolan and Egyptian honeybees in Egypt were recorded. The present study indicates that, Carniolan bees had higher rate of unusual veins than the Egyptian bees. The frequency of adventitious veins was much higher than incomplete veins, and the marginal cell had the highest frequency of adventitious veins, and the first cubital cell had the lowest. The adventitious vein of the marginal cell characterized the Egyptian bees, whereas the adventitious vein of the third cubital cell characterized the Carniolan bees population. In the hind wing, the incomplete veins were absent, and only an extension of the medial vein appeared with higher frequency in Egyptian bees than in Carniolan bees. The left and right forewings of Egyptian bees are more homogenous than those of Carniolan bees. All wing coordinates exhibited significant fluctuating asymmetry in Carniolan bees, in comparison to 15 of 31 coordinates in Egyptian bees. With respect to directional asymmetry, 19 and 27 of 31 coordinates showed significant directional asymmetry in Carniolan bees from Manzala and New Valley respectively, but only 13 in Egyptian bees.
Risks Factors in Premature Ejaculation: The Relational Risk Factor

This chapter focuses on the negative impact that premature ejaculation (PE) has on the single man trying to establish relationships, on the man in a committed relationship and the impact upon the partners. Depending on whether the effected person is the partner, a single man or a man in a committed relationship the manner in which PE affects them is different. These unique pathways are discussed from the perspective of each of the effected people. Awareness of these negative impacts can help a clinician to offer specific treatments targeted at the relationship issues while addressing the issues of ejaculatory latency and control.
Autologous bone marrow transplantation in 69 patients with a history of low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.

Sixty-nine patients with a history of low-grade B-cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) in sensitive relapse or incomplete first remission underwent high-dose chemoradiotherapy and anti-B-cell monoclonal antibody (MoAb)-treated autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT). At ABMT, 51 patients had low-grade histology and 18 patients had a history of low-grade NHL that had undergone histologic transformation to a higher-grade NHL. Before ABMT, only 20 of the 51 low-grade patients and 10 of the 18 patients with transformed histologies were in complete remission. Moreover, at the time of marrow harvest, 24 of the low-grade and eight of the transformed histology patients had histologic evidence of lymphoma cells infiltrating the marrow. Following high-dose therapy, only one acute, in-hospital death was observed. There was no significant difference in the disease-free survival (DFS) between patients with low-grade and patients with transformed histologies. Among patients with low-grade NHL, the patients in complete remission before ABMT experienced significantly longer DFS than those in partial remission (P less than .05). This preliminary study suggests that some patients with relapsed low-grade NHL may experience prolonged DFS following high-dose ablative therapy.
Studies of an Aerosol Core Reactor/Laser’s Critical Properties

It’s well known that high power lasers in space will require an energy source with a high ratio of power to unit mass. This high ratio can easily be achieved with nuclear fuels (1). Nuclear fuels can be used to drive lasers indirectly (by first converting the ion and ray energy produced by the nuclear reaction into electrical energy) and directly (by using the ion and ray energy produced by the nuclear reaction to create ionization and excitation in the laser medium). The direct method of using nuclear fuels has led to what is commonly known as the Nuclear-Pumped-Laser (NPL). To date, a variety of NPLs have been discovered (2). One of the major problems in the development of NPLs thus far is in the nuclear fuel to laser interface. A system utilizing a transparent fuel to laser interface, called the Aerosol Core Reactor Energy Conversion System, was proposed by one of the authors to eliminate this problem (3).
Media Framing and Political Advertising in the Patients' Bill of Rights Debate

The purpose of this article is to assess the influence of interest groups over news content. In particular, I explore the possibility that political advertising campaigns affect the tenor and framing of newspaper coverage in health policy debates. To do so, I compare newspaper coverage of the Patients' Bill of Rights debate in 1999 in five states that were subject to extensive advertising campaigns with coverage in five comparison states that were not directly exposed to the advocacy campaigns. I find significant differences in coverage depending on the presence or absence of paid advertising campaigns, and conclude that readers were exposed to different perspectives and arguments about managed care regulation if the newspapers they read were published in states targeted by political advertisements. Specifically, newspaper coverage was 17 percent less likely to be supportive of managed care reform in states subject to advertising campaigns designed to foment opposition to the Patients' Bill of Rights. Understanding the ability of organized interests and political actors to successfully promote their preferred issue frames in a dynamic political environment is particularly important in light of the proliferation of interest groups, the prevalence of multimillion-dollar political advertising campaigns, and the health care reform debate under President Barack Obama.
The value of data and information for implementing water demand management and the role of the envisaged Rand Water bureau to obtain same

Successful water demand management requires accurate and timely data about the operation of the system. Various engineering management information systems have been tried in municipalities to capture such data but were prone to become inoperable through neglect. In reaction to this, Rand Water devised a bureau-based service for obtaining water demand management information, with significant benefits to the municipal councils and to the utility.
The relational reconnection function of social network sites

Relational reconnection is a prominent yet under-explored function of social network sites (SNS) that encompasses both the activation and subsequent maintenance of dormant social ties. The present investigation used two data collections (Study 1, six university samples; Study 2, national United States sample) to explore the characteristics of friends who reconnect using SNS, and attempt to predict whether reconnected relationships persisted beyond the initial reconnection. Results indicated that relational reconnection is extremely common, especially among same-sex friends and individuals who identify as heavy SNS users. Predicted outcome value emerged as the best predictor of persistence beyond initial reconnection, in addition to engaging in modality expansion, being female, and reactivating a relationship with greater perceived development pre-loss-of-contact.
Decentralized Supervisory Control With Intersection-Based Architecture

We investigate a new decentralized control architecture, called intersection-based architecture . We propose a decentralized control protocol under this architecture, called state-estimator-intersection-based protocol (SEI-protocol), where each local supervisor sends its state estimate to the fusion sites and these sites take the intersection of these estimates in order to make a control decision. The necessary and sufficient conditions for the achievability of the specification under this protocol is provided. This condition is termed as state-estimator-intersection-based coobservability (SEI-coobservability). A polynomial-time algorithm for the verification of SEI-coobservability is provided. We show that the languages that can be achieved under the SEI-protocol are incomparable with languages that can be achieved under existing architectures.
Retrospective study of Streptococcus pneumoniae infection in 2009-2011

OBJECTIVE To understand the distribution of Streptococcus pneumoniae isolated from the specimens,departments,and seasons in the Affiliated Hospital of Hebei Union University and analyze the drug resistance so as to guide the reasonable clinical use of antibiotics.METHODS The clinical data of S.pneumoniaeisolated from Jan 2009 to Dec 2011 were retrospectively analyzed,then the status of S.pneumoniae infections and the drug resistance were statistically analyzed.RESULTS A total of 196 strains of S.pneumoniae were isolated from a variety of clinical specimens,the sputum and throat swabs were the main specimen sources,accounting for81.12% and 13.78%,respectively.during the three yeas of period,the detection rate in Jan-Apr was 36.74%,26.02% in May-Aug,and 37.24% in Sep-Dec,the difference between the three time period was significant(P0.05),the drug resistance rates of the S.pneumoniae to amikacin,erythromycin,and clindamycin were more than 80.0%.CONCLUSIONThe detection rate of S.pneumoniaeis the highest in sputum and is the lowest during May-Aug,the S.pneumoniae varies greatly in the distribution of department and is highly resistant to such macrolides as erythromycin.It is necessary for the hospital to develop reasonable and effective treatment and medication programs according to the characteristics of distribution of S.pneumoniaein the specimens,departments,and seasons as well as the drug resistance.