cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SINGLE BOOK REVIEWS

Diet, Health, and Status among the Pasion Maya:. Reappraisal of the Collapse. Lori E. Wright. Vanderbilt Institute of Mesoamerican Archaeology Series, vol. 2. Nashville: Vanderbilt University Press, 2006. 256 pp.
Resistance Mechanisms and the Future of Bacterial Enoyl-Acyl Carrier Protein Reductase (FabI) Antibiotics

Missense mutations leading to clinical antibiotic resistance are a liability of single-target inhibitors. The enoyl-acyl carrier protein reductase (FabI) inhibitors have one intracellular protein target and drug resistance is increased by the acquisition of single-base-pair mutations that alter drug binding. The spectrum of resistance mechanisms to FabI inhibitors suggests criteria that should be considered during the development of single-target antibiotics that would minimize the impact of missense mutations on their clinical usefulness. These criteria include high-affinity, fast on/off kinetics, few drug contacts with residue side chains, and no toxicity. These stringent criteria are achievable by structure-guided design, but this approach will only yield pathogen-specific drugs. Single-step acquisition of resistance may limit the clinical application of broad-spectrum, single-target antibiotics, but appropriately designed pathogen-specific antibiotics have the potential to overcome this liability.
Erythrocyte K-Cl cotransport: properties and regulation.

Erythrocytes possess a Cl-dependent, Na-independent K transport system cotransporting K and Cl in a 1:1 stoichiometry that is membrane potential independent. This K-Cl cotransporter is stimulated b...
Raman and Photocurrent Imaging of Electrical Stress-Induced p–n Junctions in Graphene

Electrostatically doped graphene p–n junctions can be formed by applying large source–drain and source–gate biases to a graphene field-effect transistor, which results in trapped charges in part of the channel gate oxide. We measure the temperature distribution in situ during the electrical stress and characterize the resulting p–n junctions by Raman spectroscopy and photocurrent microscopy. Doping levels, the size of the doped graphene segments, and the abruptness of the p–n junctions are all extracted. Additional voltage probes can limit the length of the doped segments by acting as heat sinks. The spatial location of the identified potential steps coincides with the position where a photocurrent is generated, confirming the creation of p–n junctions.
Abstract 4861: Identification of premalignant bladder markers using DNA microarray analysis of the UPII-SV40Tag model for invasive bladder UCC

Urothelial cell carcinoma of the bladder (UCC) ranks 5th in incidence of all cancers in the developed world, yet the mechanisms of its origin and progression remain poorly understood. A few urine-based tests for screening and surveillance are commercially available for bladder cancer, but there are no reliable non-invasive methods for detecting premalignant UCC. In order to determine molecular mechanisms involved in early UCC development and to identify new biomarkers for detection, diagnosis and prognosis of UCC, a transgenic mouse model for invasive bladder cancer (UPII-SV40Tag mice) was analyzed by DNA microarray technology. Genes that are differentially expressed between the bladders of UPII-SV40Tag mice and their age-matched wild type (WT) littermates at 3, 6, 20 and 30 weeks of age were identified. The ages selected correspond to premalignant, carcinoma in-situ, and early and later stage papillary UCC, respectively. Approximately 1,900 unique genes were differentially expressed (≥ 3-fold difference at one or more time points) between WT and UPII-SV40Tag urothelium during the time course of tumor development. A high proportion of cell cycle regulatory genes and proliferation signaling genes were more strongly expressed in the UPII-SV40Tag bladder urothelium. Several of the genes upregulated and downregulated in UPII-SV40Tag urothelium were tested as biomarkers for premalignancy, including autocrine motility factor (AMFR), hyaluronan-mediated motility receptor (Hmmr), proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA), Rac GTPase activating protein 1 (RacGAP1), superoxide dismutase 3 (SOD3), collagen 1a2 (Col1a2), and others. These tests were performed by analyzing urine samples from a recently completed Phase II, randomized, placebo controlled chemoprevention trial (N01 CN85186, PI: A. Sabichi) that was designed to test whether celecoxib can prevent recurrence in patients successfully treated by transurethral resection (TUR) for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer. Positive markers, Hmmr and RacGAP1, and a negative marker, Col1a2, have been identified in patient urine samples that show promise for detecting UCC recurrence. We are currently attempting to determine the biological function of Hmmr, and RacGAP1 in bladder premalignancy. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4861. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4861
The epistemology and technologies of shamanic states of consciousness.

Shamanism can be described as a group of techniques by which its practitioners enter the ‘spirit world’, purportedly obtaining information that is used to help and to heal members of their social group. The shamans’ epistemology, or ways of knowing, depended on deliberately altering their conscious state and/or heightening their perception to contact spiritual entities in ‘upper worlds’, ‘lower worlds’ and ‘middle earth’ (i.e., ordinary reality). For the shaman, the totality of inner and outer reality was fundamentally an immense signal system, and shamanic states of consciousness were the first steps toward deciphering this signal system. Homo sapiens sapiens was probably unique among early humans in the ability to symbolize, mythologize and, eventually, to shamanize. This species’ eventual domination may have been due to its ability to take sensorimotor activity and use it as a bridge to produce narratives that facilitated human survival. Shamanic technologies, essential for the production and performance of myths and other narratives, interacted with shamanic epistemology, reinforcing its basic assumptions about reality.
Washington’s India Pivot Is it Compatible with Modi’s Asian Ambitions?

The ascendance of Narendra Modi to the post of India’s Prime Minister comes at a time when Asian geopolitics is in a state of flux. The rise of an assertive China and the resurgence of Japan under Shinzo Abe uniquely positions India as a stable, democratic force that the U.S. and Japan could partner with in order to maintain influence in the Asia-Pacific. India’s rise as a major power promises to transform the Asian security architecture from a purely Asia-Pacific security system to a broader “Indo-Pacific” framework, which includes India. However, settling the sub-continental fronts with Pakistan and Afghanistan will be critical for New Delhi to direct its resources to other regional fronts with China and beyond the Straits of Malacca. It is in this context that both Washington and New Delhi can coordinate their efforts to achieve a common security objective in the subcontinent and support India’s economic rise that complements U.S.’ pivot to Asia. An enhanced economic and security relationship with Wash...
Personalized boosters for a computerized intervention targeting college drinking: The influence of protective behavioral strategies.

ABSTRACTObjective: Computerized interventions are cost-effective and can quickly deliver individual feedback to many students. However, in-person interventions are more efficacious. The current study sought to improve the efficacy of a popular online intervention via e-mailed boosters with personalized feedback. Participants: Participants were 213 student drinkers at a southeastern public university, ages 18–24. Methods: Students were randomized into (1) intervention only, or (2) intervention plus booster. Alcohol consumption and related problems were assessed at baseline, 2 weeks post, and 4 weeks post. Results: Boosters yielded reductions in drinking, but not alcohol-related problems. Boosters were associated with significant reductions for drinking frequency, heavy drinking days, peak drinks, and associated blood alcohol concentration (BAC). Protective behavioral strategies (PBS) moderated this effect, with significant reductions for students low in PBS, but not students already highly engaged in PBS u...
A framework for the design and synthesis of coordinated social systems

This paper describes how a nascent collective of individuals can coalesce into a complex social system. The systematic study of such scenarios requires a mathematical framework within which to model the behavior of the individual members of the collective. As individuals interact, they develop social relationships and exchange resources --- that is, they develop social capital that quantifies the value of social influence that individuals exert on each other. Social capital can be expressed via conditional preference orderings for each individual. Conditional preferences reflect the influence relationships of an interacting social collective. Conditional preference orderings can then be aggregated via conditional game theory to form a concordant utility that provides an emergent group-level ordering of the harmony of interests of the members of the collective. We can thus develop a complete social model that takes into consideration all social relationships as they propagate through the system. Solution concepts can then be defined that simultaneously account for both group-level and individual-level interests.
Moral sense, reason, and moral skepticism

In the title to the second section of Book 3 Hume announces that “Moral distinctions [are] deriv'd from a moral sense” (T3.1.2).The phrase “moral sense” is taken from the philosophies of Francis Hutcheson and Lord Shaftesbury, whose writings Hume had clearly studied very carefully as he was writing Book 3 of the Treatise . However, apart from the title to this section, Hume uses the phrase “moral sense” only one other time in the Treatise , in Book 3, Part 3, where he claims to give his own “explication of the moral sense” (T3.3.1.25: 588). It is never used in his later recasting of his moral theory in the Enquiry Concerning the Principles of Morals . It is true that later in Book 3 of the Treatise he does sometimes use the phrase “sense of morals.” But in the Conclusion to Book 3 of the Treatise he contrasts his own account of the “sense of morals” with the account of “those who resolve the sense of morals into original instincts of the human mind” – an apparent reference to the theory of moral sense of Hutcheson (T3.3.6.3: 619). His own view, he tells us, accounts “for that sense by an extensive sympathy with mankind.” As we have seen in Chapter 1, Hume's personal relations with Hutcheson, which began as he was revising Book 3 for publication, were complex. Hume sought Hutcheson out as an authority who would recommend his philosophy to others.
Outcomes of Cutaneous Scar Revision During Surgical Implant Removal in Children with Cerebral Palsy

Background: Children who have had surgery involving the placement of an implant frequently undergo a subsequent surgery for hardware removal. The cosmesis of surgical scars following initial and subsequent surgeries is unpredictable. Scar incision (subsequent surgical incision through the initial scar) or excision (around the initial scar) is selected on the basis of the quality of the initial scar. The outcomes following these techniques have not been determined. Methods: This prospective, consecutive case series was designed to compare outcomes following surgical scar incision versus excision at the time of implant removal in children with cerebral palsy. Photographs of the scars were made preoperatively and at 6 and 12 months following implant removal and were graded for scar quality utilizing the modified Stony Brook Scar Evaluation Scale (SBSES). Parental assessment of scar appearance was performed at the same time points utilizing a visual analog cosmetic scale (VACS). Results: The scars that were selected for incision had significantly worse SBSES scores at 6 and 12 months following the second surgery compared with preoperative values. However, parents’ VACS scores of the incised scars, although worse at 6 months, were comparable with preoperative scores at 12 months. Scars that were selected for excision had significantly worse SBSES scores at 6 months but scores that were comparable with preoperative values at 12 months. VACS scores for the excised scars were comparable at the 3 time points. Conclusions: Surgical incisions that initially healed with good scar quality generally healed well (from the parents’ perspective) following subsequent incision through the previous scar. Surgical incisions that initially healed with poor scar quality did not heal better following excision of the previous scar. In such situations, surgical excision of the existing scar should occur in conjunction with additional adjuvant therapies to improve cosmesis. Level of Evidence: Therapeutic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Gadolinium-based Contrast Agents: A Comprehensive Risk Assessment

Gadolinium-based contrast agents (GBCAs) have been used in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) since the 1980s and are now administered in up to 35% of all MRI examinations. While GBCAs were initially felt to carry minimal risk, the subsequent identification of GBCAs as the key etiologic factor in the development of nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF) has raised concerns about the broader health impacts of gadolinium exposure. Clinicians, radiologists, and patients should be aware of the most up-to-date data pertaining to the risks of GBCA administration. Specific issues covered in this review article include immediate adverse reactions; pregnancy and lactation; and gadolinium deposition and toxicity, with a special focus on NSF. Practice recommendations based on the presented data, as well as current professional society guidelines, are provided for each section. Level of Evidence: 1 Technical Efficacy: Stage 5 J. MAGN. RESON. IMAGING 2017;46:338–353
Timing Is Everything: Recurrent Infections and Failure to Thrive in an Infant

A 6-month-old African American boy presented to the emergency department (ED) with a rash first noted on his face, spreading to his torso and extremities over 2 days. He had no history of fever or new exposures, and the rash appeared to be pruritic. A review of systems was positive for a slight cough and increased work of breathing but was otherwise negative. Born full term via normal spontaneous vaginal delivery at 2466 g (2nd percentile), he was exclusively breastfed and immunized, with no allergies. His past medical history was significant for “episodes of wheezing,” without a formal diagnosis of asthma. A circumcision was his only surgical history. He had oral candidiasis and diaper dermatitis at 2 weeks of age, with no chronic illnesses; however, review of his electronic medical record revealed 3 hospitalizations and several ED and outpatient clinic visits. Hospitalized twice at 4 weeks of age for projectile vomiting associated with apnea, cyanosis, and seizure-like activity, he was then readmitted at 5 months of age for multifocal pneumonia with dehydration secondary to enteritis. After these 3 inpatient stays and outpatient evaluations by the neurology, pulmonology, and gastroenterology services for emesis, paroxysmal upper and lower extremity movements, and apnea, he received a diagnosis of gastroesophageal reflux disease, for which he received trials of 2 antireflux therapies. Throughout these encounters, his weight remained in the second percentile. Vital signs in the ED were as follows: temperature of 38.0°C rectally, heart rate of 120 to 148 beats per minute, respiratory rate of 36 to 60 breaths per minute, blood pressure 114/63 mm Hg, and oxygen saturation 88% on room air, which improved …
Processor/memory Co-Scheduling using periodic resource server for real-time systems under peak temperature constraints

The increase in power density for both the CPU and memory systems makes the implementation of effective thermal management mechanisms that can deal with the heat generated not only from CPU but also from memory necessary. While many thermal management techniques have been proposed, most of them focus exclusively on either CPU or memory. Moreover, most of such techniques are on-line reactive in nature, which threatens the predictability of real-time systems. In this paper, we study the problem of how to guarantee timing constraints for hard real-time systems under CPU and memory thermal constraints. Our approach takes advantage of the periodic resource model for its hard deadline guarantee capability and in the meantime, by periodically (deterministically) throttling the accesses of the CPU and memory resources, our approach can effectively guarantee the thermal constraints for both the CPU and memory. Our experimental results clearly demonstrate the effectiveness of our proposed approach in reducing the peak temperature as well as the need to take both the CPU and memory systems into consideration simultaneously for system-level thermal management.
Flame propagation in multiscale transient periodic flow

The influence of a periodic multiscale transient flow on isothermal-flame propagation is examined computationally. It is found that the increase in flame surface area, and hence the burning speed, due to wrinkling by the flow depends quadratically (linearly) on the intensity of the flow-field velocity fluctuations at low (high) intensities, while the dependence is consistent with a 4/3 power law for an intermediate range of intensities, consistent with results from earlier studies of flame propagation in weakly exothermic turbulent flows. Particular contributions of this work are elucidation of (a) the quantitative extent of the burning-speed enhancement for low and moderate intensities, (b) the influence of the multiscale character of the excitation flow and (c) the stabilization of flame surface-area growth after the initial period of unbounded growth revealed in earlier work. The effect of multiple excitation-flow scales on surface-area enhancement is found to be minor at low excitation-flow intensities but substantial at large intensities.
Field Measurement of Amine Aerosol by FTIR and Phase Doppler Interferometry

Abstract The emission of volatile compounds is an environmental and economic concern for CO2 capture by amine scrubbing. The condensation of amine species into aerosol is the main cause of volatile amine emissions. Current mitigation methods, including water wash, are not effective at preventing the atmospheric release of aerosol. This study focuses on the observation of aerosol at three amine scrubbing pilot plants. Fourier Transform Infrared Spectrometry (FTIR) sampling was performed in a pilot plant at the University of Texas at Austin. SO2 injection increased the emission of PZ solvent at a 1:1 molar ratio, and the injection of vaporized sulfuric acid increased amine emissions at a rate of 3 mols PZ/mol H2SO4. The slipstream pilot plant operated by the University of Kentucky utilized MEA to scrub CO2 from the flue gas stream of a coal-fired power plant. Bypassing caustic pretreatment and allowing SO2 to enter the absorber column increased MEA emissions. A 4% increase in the outlet CO2 resulted in a 10% reduction of amine emissions. A simplified water wash system was found to be ineffective at curtailing aerosol emissions. Phase Doppler Interferometry (PDI) and FTIR sampling were performed simultaneously at the National Carbon Capture Center. Using a blower between the water wash and absorber column instead of upstream of the absorber column resulted in a decrease in MEA emissions. The use of the intermediate blower instead of the upstream blower resulted in fewer, smaller aerosol drops. Decreasing the CO2 removal resulted in reduced amine aerosol emissions. Lower CO2 correlated with a lower aerosol concentration in the treated flue gas, but the aerosol sizes were significantly larger and resulted in overall increased amine emissions. Increasing the water wash temperature was found to increase average aerosol size and the amine concentration within the aerosol phase, resulting in an overall increase in amine emissions. By using the particle size distribution and aerosol concentration observed by PDI, the total liquid volume in the aerosol phase was calculated. Comparing this calculated quantity with the amine emissions observed using the FTIR allowed the approximate amine concentration in the aerosol phase to be determined.
Emergent spinal MRI in IVDU patients presenting with back pain: do we need an MRI in every case?

Spinal MRI is the exam of choice for the workup of patients with suspected spinal infection. In this retrospective study, we assess the value of obtaining contrast-enhanced spinal MRI for patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute back pain and a history of intravenous drug use (IVDU). A retrospective IRB-approved, HIPAA compliant review of the imaging findings, reports and electronic charts of 167 consecutive IV drug-using patients (M/F = 96:71, mean age = 40 years) that presented to the ED with acute back pain over a 55-month period and underwent contrast-enhanced spinal MRI within 24 h. Fisher’s exact test was used to identify statistically significant (p < 0.05) associations with MRI findings. Evidence of infectious spondylitis was demonstrated on the spinal MRIs of 39.5% (n = 66) of 167 patients, all of whom were admitted, and nearly half (48.5%; 32/66) underwent surgical or percutaneous intervention. Statistically significant differences in the decision to admit, blood cultures, and the type of treatment was demonstrated in patients with findings of spinal infection on MRI (p < 0.05). Use of emergent spinal MRI in the workup of IVDU patients with acute back pain is justified despite the resultant pressure on MRI scanner, technologist, and interpretation time.
Lesion detection for cardiac ablation from auto-fluorescence hyperspectral images

Direct visualization of the ablated region in the left atrium during radiofrequency ablation (RFA) surgery for treating atrial fibrillation (AF) can improve therapy success rates. Our visualization approach is auto-fluorescence hyperspectral imaging (aHSI), which constructs each hypercube containing 31 auto-fluorescence images of the tissue. We wish to use the spectral information to characterize ablated lesions as being successful or not. In this paper, we reshaped one hypercube to a 2D matrix. Each row (sample) in the matrix represents a pixel in the spatial dimension, and the matrix has 31 columns corresponding to 31 spectral features. Then, we applied k-means clustering to detect ablated regions without a priori knowledge about the lesion. We introduced an accuracy index to evaluate the results of k-means by comparing with the reference truth images quantitatively. To speed-up the detection process, we implemented a grouping procedure to decrease the number of features. The 31 features were divided into four contiguous disjoint groups. In each group, the summation of values yielded a new feature. By the same evaluation method, we found the best 4-feature groups to adequately detect the lesions from all possible combinations. The average accuracy for detection by k-means (ke10) using 31 features was about 74p of reference truth images. And, for using the best grouped 4 features, it was about 95p of that using 31 features. The time cost of 4-feature clustering is about 41p of the 31-feature clustering. We expect that the reduction of time for both acquisition and processing will make possible intraoperative real-time display of ablation status.
Diet, Status, and Complex Social Structure in Iron Age Central Europe: Some Contributions of Bone Chemistry

These words by Grahame Clark introduced the second edition of a volume exploring the increasing role of interdisciplinary research on archaeological problems, particularly the evolution of complex forms of human behavior and organization. Since 1970, the applications of scientific methods in archaeology have continued to increase in number. In the past decade, methods based on bone composition, including carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in bone collagen and trace element concentrations in bone mineral, have been applied to aspects of diet, subsistence and social structure (work summarized in van der Merwe 1982; Klepinger 1984; Price et al. 1985; DeNiro 1987).
Coordinating Environmental Protection and Climate Change Adaptation Policy in Resource-Dependent Communities: A Case Study from the Tibetan Plateau

Resource-dependent communities are likely to be disproportionately affected by climate change. Yet, natural resource management policies continue to be developed and implemented without considering climate change adaptation. We highlight that this lack of coordination is potentially harmful to natural resources and resource-dependent communities with an example from the Tibetan Plateau, a region where climate is changing rapidly. Tibetan pastoralists inhabit rangelands that are the focus of recent development and management policies that promote fencing, sedentarization, individual rangeland use rights, and the elimination of grazing in some areas. These policies may have a negative effect on herders’ ability to adapt to climate change. China’s National Climate Change Programme lists controlling or eliminating grazing in some areas as key for adaptation to climate change, but experimental results indicate that grazing may buffer the rangelands from the negative effects of warming. These findings indicate that policies that support the well-developed strategies of resource-dependent communities for living in uncertain and variable environments can also enhance adaptation of these social and ecological systems to climate change. We conclude that management and environmental protection policies developed separately from climate change policy face increased failure potential and may decrease the ability of natural resources and the communities that depend upon them to successfully adapt to climate change.
HORMONES AND GENDER | Hormonal Modulation of Neuronal Excitability

Steroid hormones affect neuronal excitability. Their final effect on neuronal function depends on many factors, including the hormone type, its active metabolite (or their combination), treatment duration, dose, brain region, sex, hormone–receptor sensitivity, and local steroid-hormone production in the brain. Better understanding of how these distinct mechanisms are orchestrated to regulate neuronal activity may lead to the design of better treatment strategies for patients with epilepsy, as well as for other hormone-sensitive brain disorders.
Prevention of Conduct Disorder through Early Intervention: A Social-Communicative Perspective:

A conceptual model describing the environmental factors and parent and child characteristics that contribute to the development of conduct disorder in early childhood is proposed, based on descriptive and experimental research. Environmental stressors associated with poverty, parent characteristics including poor parenting strategies, and child characteristics including deficits in communication skills are posited to be factors that affect parent-child interactions in ways that contribute to the development of conduct disorder. Several points of intervention are identified as the basis for a multicomponent approach to prevention. Implications of the proposed model for research and practice are discussed.
Doctoring while Sick — Is Living with Cancer Making Me a Better or Worse Doctor?

Doctoring while Sick For the author, practicing psychiatry has always been about empathy. But when he is diagnosed with stage 3 kidney cancer, he finds himself seeing his patients’ real and devastating problems as somehow less major than before.
Atopy and Sensitization to Allergens Known to Cause Systemic Contact Dermatitis.

Background Atopic dermatitis (AD) associated with respiratory atopy may represent a form of systemic contact dermatitis (SCD), whereby AD flares after ingestion or inhalation of allergens. Objective The aim of the study was to compare the prevalence of positive patch tests to allergens known to cause SCD in AD patients with and without respiratory atopy. Methods This is a retrospective study of patients with AD patch tested to 23 allergens known to cause SCD. Positive patch tests were compared between AD patients with and without respiratory atopy, stratified by age and wet or dry work occupation. Conclusions Children and adolescents, but not adults, with AD and respiratory atopy were more likely than age-matched AD patients without respiratory atopy to have positive patch tests to these allergens (odds ratio, 2.33; 95% confidence interval, 1.13-4.79). Moreover, AD patients with respiratory atopy and engaging in wet work, but not dry work, occupations were more likely than AD patients without respiratory atopy to have positive patch tests to allergens known to cause SCD (odds ratio, 1.47; 95% confidence interval, 1.05-2.06). Thus, respiratory atopy and wet work are associated with sensitization to allergens known to cause SCD in patients with AD, and patch testing may be valuable in identifying systemic triggers of dermatitis in these patients.
Progressive left lower extremity weakness in a patient with multiple myeloma: A diagnostic dilemma

Extramedullary plasmacytoma is a type of plasma cell dyscrasia that can present as solitary tumor or secondary to multiple myeloma. We experienced a case of intramuscular plasmacytoma in the left thigh muscles of a patient secondary to multiple myeloma. A 73-year-old male with relapsed multiple myeloma and bilateral hip arthroplasty complained of lxeft lower limb weakness and hip pain 3 months after relapse. He underwent contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging of lumbar spine and hip which was inconclusive. Subsequently, patient had multiple admissions for progressive lower limb weakness. His clinical course was complicated by a biopsy-proven plasmacytoma of the neck. He received localized radiation therapy to the neck in addition to a change in multiple myeloma chemotherapy regimen, resulting in resolution of the neck mass but his left lower extremity weakness continued to worsen. Repeat magnetic resonance imaging of hip and spine revealed an intramuscular mass in left thigh which was consistent with the diagnosis of extramedullary plasmacytoma on biopsy. Localized radiation to the thigh accompanied with a change in chemotherapy improved his symptoms and a significant reduction in size of plasmacytoma was observed. When an unexplained lower limb weakness is encountered with a history of multiple myeloma, secondary intramuscular plasmacytoma should be considered.
Augmenting Computer Vision with IMU from Mobile Phone for Robust Robot Following of Human Leader

Robots are sometimes used as "mules" for carrying supplies for workers or soldiers. In these types of scenarios, the robot must autonomously follow the same path as the person who acts as the leader. This type of robot navigation behavior is generally referred to as leader-follower, and when the leader is a person instead of a vehicle, it is more specifically called "human-leader, robot-follower" (HLRF). Existing approaches to HLRF tend to be overly complex to implement. Computer vision offers a cost-effective solution; however, it can be problematic to rely solely on computer vision when multiple leader signatures of similar qualities are detected or when the leader signature is temporarily lost. This paper investigates the effect of fusing inertial measurement unit (IMU) data from the leader's cell phone with the robot's image data to improve the robustness of HLRF. We found that the addition of IMU data from the leader's mobile phone improved the reliability of the robot's following behavior, as well as the fuzzy controller's response in terms of settling time by up to 2.49 seconds.
Effect of resin cement, aging process, and root level on the bond strength of fiber-posts: An in vitro study.

PURPOSE To compare the push-out bond strength (POBS) of two resin cement systems (total-etch versus self-etch) for cementing FRC (fiber-reinforced composite) posts in three different thermocycling aging periods (40,000; 20,000; and none) using thermocycling and three root levels (apical, middle, and coronal). METHODS 60 bicuspid single rooted natural teeth were endodontically treated and post spaces were prepared to receive a fiber-post (RelyX FiberPost) cemented with either total-etch (RelyX Ultimate) or self-etch (RelyX Unicem) cement. Teeth were randomly allocated into six groups (n= 10): G1: Control (Ultimate without thermocycling); G2: Ultimate (20,000 cycles); G3: Ultimate (40,000 cycles); G4: Unicem without thermocycling; G5: Unicem (20,000 cycles); and G6: Unicem (40,000 cycles). POBS was determined by using a push-out test on a universal testing machine. Additionally, failure mode of each specimen was observed under a stereomicroscope at x40 magnification and scanning electron microscope (SEM) examination of selected samples. A nested general linear model was created for statistical significance P< 0.05. Post-hoc tests were carried out using pair-wise comparisons with a Bonferroni adjustment. RESULTS No significant differences were found on the bond strengths between the resin cements (P= 0.856). Regarding aging effect, bond strengths of the 40,000 cycle groups (G3/G6) were significantly lower than 20,000 cycle groups (G2/G5). In addition, the POBS of the specimens collected from the coronal third of the roots were significantly lower than specimens from the apical third regardless of the type of cement used. Regarding types of failures, adhesive failure (post/cement) was significantly higher in total-etch groups (G1-G3) than the self-etch groups (G4-G6). Adhesive failure (dentin/cement) was significantly higher in self-etch groups than the total-etch groups. CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE Within the limitations of this study, the bond strength to root canal dentin of self-etch and total-etch cements demonstrated reliable results and was not affected by the type of resin cement. Simplification of technique is an evident advantage of these materials in clinical practice.
Physical Layer Security for Weak User in MISO NOMA Using Directional Modulation (NOMAD)

This letter investigates the physical layer security of the data from the weak user (WU) against interception by the strong user (SU) in non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA) systems. The proposed NOMA using directional modulation (NOMAD) allows access of the intended symbols at the WU while giving access to a different but valid lower order symbol alphabet to the SU for performing successive interference cancellation. The optimal lower order symbol alphabet and directional modulation vectors are designed in a multiple-input single-output framework. The sum and secrecy rate results show that NOMAD provides non-zero secrecy rates against the zero secrecy rate of NOMA and also delivers spectral efficiency benefit of NOMA. Further, NOMAD performs better than an orthogonal multiple access, such as a zero-forcing beamformer. A combined NOMA/NOMAD can present trade-offs between sum and secrecy rates. Bit error results are also presented confirming the advantages of the proposed NOMAD.
Affective Story-Morphing: Manipulating Shelley’s Frankenstein under Program Control using Emotionally Intelligent Agents

We present a theoretical model for the automated generation of plot-consistent, novel, engaging narratives based on a broad, computable model of emotion. We review the background theory, relevant to the morphing of narratives, composed of 28 emotion categories, 24 emotion intensity variables, and ~400 channels for emotion expression, which has been implemented in an AI program called the Affective Reasoner. We argue that what is primarily of interest in narratives is the emotion fabric present in the interaction between characters—much of which can be manipulated by the Affective Reasoner—and that while keeping the plot the same or similar we can, under computational control, create novel, interesting, consistent new stories that make sense to human observers. We present and explain preliminary examples and then apply the story-morphing techniques to a passage from Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein.
STAPP for Older Patients and Individuals with Physical Symptomatology

A recent pleasant and unexpected discovery has been the finding that STAPP seems to be an effective treatment modality for elderly patients. Because our initial observations had been on young college students, we arrived at the erroneous conclusion that older patients would be somewhat rigid and unable to utilize a technique based on activity and focalization. As our experience grew, however, we cautiously decided to offer STAPP to elderly patients and were surprised to see that they seemed to benefit greatly from this treatment and that they were in many ways indistinguishable from our younger patients.
Episodic Phenomena In Early Stellar Evolution

The outbursts of FU Orionis objects axe apparently caused by a rapid increase in mass accretion through a protostellar disk onto a T Tauri star. Accretion rates during outbursts are very large, ≳ 10−-4 M*yr−1. Event statistics indicate that many, if not most, low-mass stars undergo multiple Fuor events, ultimately accreting at least 5% to 10% of the total stellar mass from the disk during these brief episodes. Models of Fuor disks indicate that they must be massive and hot during outburst, and may be moderately thick in the vertical direction. Fuor disk accretion produces very energetic winds, capable of driving bipolar molecular flows and Herbig-Haro objects. Fuors may also provide insight into very early stages of evolution, when disk accretion may be particularly rapid.
Scrambled Halton Sequences in Mata

In this article, I discuss the need for Halton sequences and discuss the Mata implementation of scrambling of Halton sequences, providing several examples of scrambling procedures.
Modeling the Earth's dynamo

For the past decade, three-dimensional time-dependent computer models have been used to predict and explain how the geomagnetic field is maintained by convection in the Earth's fluid core. Geodynamo models have simulated magnetic fields that have surface structure and time dependence similar to the Earth's field, including dipole reversals. However, no dynamo model has yet been run at the spatial resolution required to simulate a broad spectrum of turbulence, which surely exists in the Earth's fluid core. Two-dimensional simulations of magnetoconvection show how the structure and time dependence of even the large-scale features change dramatically when the solution becomes strongly turbulent. Although these two-dimensional turbulent simulations lack the important effects of three-dimensional spherical geometry, based on their results one must question how geophysically realistic the large-scale dynamo mechanism is in current three-dimensional laminar simulations. Whatever the answer, we look forward to new discoveries from the next generation of turbulent dynamo models.
Compiler optimizations for the WAM

A series of Warren Abstract Machine (WAM) implementation techniques are presented. These techniques and compilation strategies are designed for use in a highly optimized native code Prolog compiler. A thorough knowledge of the WAM and Prolog compilation is assumed.
The Study of Structure-Activity Relationships Using Drug Discrimination Methodology

The drug discrimination paradigm, while gaining popularity as a research tool, has been used little for systematic investigations of structure-activity relationships (SAR: the effect of chemical structure on biological activity). This paradigm has been demonstrated to be a highly sensitive and very specific “drug detection” method that provides both quantitative and qualitative results and, as such, is particularly well suited for SAR studies. Using examples from our own work, we attempt to demonstrate our approaches to the study of the SAR of tryptamine, phenylisopropylamine (amphetamine), and benzodiazepine derivatives using drug discrimination methodology.
“Active” conformation of an inactive semi-synthetic ribonuclease-S

We have studied the integrity of folded structure of a fully active semi-synthetic ribonuclease-S which lacks amino acid residues 16 through 20, and an inactive one with the same residues deleted and 4-fluoro-l-histidine substituted for active site histidine 12. Using “Y” form crystals, we obtained X-ray structural data to a resolution of 2·6 A and, incorporating phase information calculated from refined ribonuclease-S coordinates, prepared several types of electron density maps. These showed that the overall backbone structure and active site configuration of both analogues do not differ noticeably from those of the native protein. Structural homology extends to the catalytically relevant side-chain at position 12; 4-F-His† assumes the same position as does His in active ribonuclease-S. This supports the view that the 4-F-Hisl2 analogue is inactive due to a change in histidine 12 imidazole basicity, rather than to any significant conformational distortion within the active site.
Fast approach to evaluate MAP reconstruction for lesion detection and localization

Lesion detection is an important task in emission tomography. Localization ROC (LROC) studies are often used to analyze the lesion detection and localization performance. Most researchers rely on Monte Carlo reconstruction samples to obtain LROC curves, which can be very time-consuming for iterative algorithms. In this paper we develop a fast approach to obtain LROC curves that does not require Monte Carlo reconstructions. We use a channelized Hotelling observer model to search for lesions, and the results can be easily extended to other numerical observers. We theoretically analyzed the mean and covariance of the observer output. Assuming the observer outputs are multivariate Gaussian random variables, an LROC curve can be directly generated by integrating the conditional probability density functions. The high-dimensional integrals are calculated using a Monte Carlo method. The proposed approach is very fast because no iterative reconstruction is involved. Computer simulations show that the results of the proposed method match well with those obtained using the tradition LROC analysis.
Recruiting and Retaining High-Quality Teachers in Rural Areas.

In examining recruitment and retention of teachers in rural areas, David Monk begins by noting the numerous possible characteristics of rural communities--small size, sparse settlement, distance from population concentrations, and an economic reliance on agricultural industries that are increasingly using seasonal and immigrant workers to minimize labor costs. Many, though not all, rural areas, he says, are seriously impoverished. Classes in rural schools are relatively small, and teachers tend to report satisfaction with their work environments and relatively few problems with discipline. But teacher turnover is often high, and hiring can be difficult. Monk observes that rural schools have a below-average share of highly trained teachers. Compensation in rural schools tends to be low, perhaps because of a lower fiscal capacity in rural areas, thus complicating efforts to attract and retain teachers. Several student characteristics, including relatively large shares of students with special needs and with limited English skills and lower shares of students attending college, can also make it difficult to recruit and retain high-quality teachers. Other challenges include meeting the needs of highly mobile children of low-income migrant farm workers. With respect to public policy, Monk asserts a need to focus on a subcategory of what might be called hard-to-staff rural schools rather than to develop a blanket set of policies for all rural schools. In particular, he recommends a focus on such indicators as low teacher qualifications, teaching in fields far removed from the area of training, difficulty in hiring, high turnover, a lack of diversity among teachers in the school, and the presence of migrant farm workers' children. Successful efforts to stimulate economic growth in these areas would be highly beneficial. He also calls attention to the potential for modern telecommunication and computing technologies to offset some of the drawbacks associated with teaching in rural areas.
Morphometric changes of the lung induced by inhaled bacterial endotoxin

Abstract Due to the ubiquitous nature of airborne endotoxin, an understanding of pulmonary alterations which follow inhalation of environmentally realistic concentrations of purified bacterial derived lipopolysaccharide (LPS) is important. Using LPS derived from Enterobacter agglomerans , a bacterium found in cotton and cotton mill dust, aqueous aerosols (effective LPS concentration 4 μg/m 3 ) were generated and used to expose either normal hamsters ( N = 6) or those rendered endotoxin tolerant by pre-ip injection of 0.1 LD 50 LPS. Control groups (normal— N = 6; tolerant— N = 6) received saline aerosol only. At 6 hr after 5-hr aerosol exposure, lungs of all animals were fixed, processed for light and transmission electron microscopy, and subjected to qualitative and to multitiered morphometric analysis using standard point counting techniques. Qualitative evaluation of TEM micrographs from LPS aerosolized-nontolerant hamsters showed endothelial alteration (focal disruption, subendothelial space formation, and cytoplasmic blebbing) but volume and number of endothelial cells were not changed indicating only slight, focal endothelial damage. Quantitatively, septal capillary blood space in nontolerant, LPS aerosolized hamsters showed increased V v of PMNs and platelets. These changes were not seen in tolerant induced-LPS aerosolized hamsters. Independent of tolerization treatment, LPS inhalation led to a decrease in fixed lung volume and an increase in numerical density of endothelial pinocytotic vesicles. It is concluded that the inhalation of realistic, environmental levels of bacterial endotoxin may induce significant changes in distal lung and may be important in the pathogenesis of byssinosis and adult respiratory distress syndrome.
Differences in chilling sensitivity of cucumber varieties depends on storage temperature and the physiological dysfunction evaluated

Abstract Fruit from eight Plant Introduction (PI) lines, 12 F 1 hybrids of crosses between chilling-sensitive and chilling-resistant lines and two commercial cultivars of cucumber ( Cucumis sativus L.) were stored for 7 days at 1 or 4°C followed by 2 days at 24°C and evaluated for chilling injury. The chilling-induced symptoms and physiological dysfunctions compared included visible pitting, decay, weight loss during storage at low temperature, electrolyte leakage, chlorophyll fluorescence ratios, respiration rates and pyruvate accumulation in the mesocarp tissue. Severity of chilling-induced injury among the lines, hybrids and cultivars depended on the particular symptom or physiological dysfunction examined. Fruit from all lines, crosses and cultivars exhibited greater injuries after storage at 1°C than after storage at 4°C. Other than visible pitting and decay, only small, sometimes indistinguishable, differences were observed among the various lines as to their sensitivity to low temperatures. In this study, chlorophyll fluorescence ratios proved to be of little value in distinguishing between chilling-sensitive and chilling-resistant lines of cucumber. Decay and weight loss were the only measurements that were significantly correlated with chilling-induced visible pitting. Respiration rates were correlated with weight loss, but not with visible pitting and decay, during storage at 1 and 4°C. It is concluded that low temperatures do not affect all biochemical and physiological processes of cucumber to the same extent. Furthermore, there is a continuum of sensitivity of each process to low temperature, and whether a cultivar is deemed to be chilling-sensitive or chilling-resistant depends on which particular biochemical or physiological process is evaluated.