cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Autoantibodies in polymyositis

A group of autoantibodies have been identified that are found almost exclusively in patients with polymyositis and dermatomyositis (myositis-specific antibodies). Most have been associated with characteristic clinical subgroups. Five of the myositis-specific antibodies are directed at aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases and have been associated with a similar clinical syndrome marked by myositis, interstitial lung disease, arthritis, and Raynaud's phenomenon (antisynthetase syndrome). Myositis-specific antibodies can help with patient diagnosis, subgroup classification, and possible prognosis. Their role in the pathogenesis of myositis remains to be defined, but their production is genetically influenced and appears to be linked to fundamental etiologic factors.
Selection or Training? A Two-Fold Test of the Validity of Job-Analytic Ratings of Trainability

Decisions to use selection devices or training are typically based on subject matter expert (SME) judgments concerning the trainability of job components, including tasks and knowledge, skills, abilities, and other characteristics (KSAOs). The studies reported here examined the validity of SME trainability judgments from two perspectives. We found that (1) different SME groups' judgments related differently to actual learning changes in KSAOs covered in a training program and (2) sources of variability thought to be unrelated to the job influenced trainability ratings. Implications for the selection of SMEs in job analysis applications intended to determine the trainability of various job components are outlined.
A green-brown plaque on the dorsal hand

Author(s): Hosking, Anna-Marie; Pouldar, Delila; Elsensohn, Ashley; Kassira, Sama; Smith, Janellen; de Feraudy, Sebastien
Class C Results and Analysis

Class C simulations describe cases featuring a small user and one or more disproportionately large users. In Simulation 4, one user submits a large workload (5000), and another user submits a 50-task, one-time workload at a later time. As the number of users increases—to 6 in Simulation 8, 11 in Simulation 12, and 21 in Simulation 16—the smaller user’s workload remains constant while the larger users’ workloads are distributed to one or more other users. In Simulation 8, users 1–5 submit 1000 tasks each and 5000 together. In Simulation 12, users 1–10 submit 500 tasks each, and user 11 submits 5000 tasks on their own. In Simulation 16, users 1–20 submit 250 tasks each.
JUUL: beaten-down innovator or vicious bully?

One could almost feel sorry for Juul. After seeing a Juul co-founder sweat through a US Congressional hearing at which youth testified about JUUL addiction and reported a JUUL company representative’s reassurance at a school assembly that the product was ‘totally safe’1; after the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) accused JUUL of illegally marketing its thumb drive-type high-nicotine chemsticks as reduced harm without providing any scientific evidence to back up those claims2; after multiple lawsuits accused the company of marketing to teens ‘just like cigarette companies did in the past’3 4 and after federal prosecutors in California initiated a criminal probe into the company,5 the embattled company almost began to look like an underdog. But not quite. With a 35% stake held by tobacco giant Altria Group, parent of Philip Morris, and a 75% share of the e-cigarette market, JUUL is revealing itself to be more vicious bully than beaten-down innovator. In response to a San Francisco city ordinance banning sale of vaping products until the products are reviewed by …
A Zero-Cost Detection Approach for Recycled ICs using Scan Architecture

The recycling of used integrated circuits (ICs) has raised serious problems in ensuring the integrity of today’s globalized semiconductor supply chain. This poses a serious threat to critical infrastructure due to potentially shorter lifetime, lower reliability, and poorer performance from these counterfeit new chips. Recently, we have proposed a highly effective approach for detecting such chips by exploiting the power-up state of on-chip SRAMs. Due to the symmetry of the memory array layout, an equal number of cells power-up to the 0 and 1 logic states in a new unused SRAM; this ratio gets skewed in time due to uneven NBTI aging from normal usage in the field. Although this solution is very effective in detecting recycled ICs, its applicability is somewhat limited as a large number older designs do not have large on-chip memories. In this paper, we propose an alternate approach based on the initial power-up state of scan flip-flops, which are present in virtually every digital circuit. Since the flip-flops, unlike SRAM cells, are generally not perfectly symmetrical in layout, an equal number of scan cells will not power-up to 0 or 1 logic states in most designs. Consequently, a stable time zero reference of 50% logic 0s and 1s cannot be used for determining the subsequent usage of a chip. To overcome this key limitation, we propose a novel solution in this paper that reliably identifies used ICs from testing the part alone, without the need for any additional reference data or even the netlist of the circuit. Through scan testing of the IC, we first identify a significant number of asymmetrically stressed flip-flops in the design, divided into two groups. One group of flip-flops is selected such that it mostly experiences the 1 logic state during functional operation, while the other group mostly experiences the 0 state. The resulting differential stress during operation causes growing disparity over time in the number of 0s (and 1s) observed in these two groups at power-up. When new and unaged, these two groups behave similarly, with similar percentage of 1s (or 0s). However, over time the differential stress makes these counts diverge. We show that this changing count can be a measure of operational aging. Our simulation results show that it is possible to reliably detect used ICs after as little as three months of operation.
Separation of thorium, uranium, and rare earths from a strip solution generated from coarse coal refuse

Abstract This study systematically evaluated the separation performance of thorium, uranium, and rare earths when coal and coal byproduct were utilized as a non-traditional feedstock for rare earth production. A synthetic solution was prepared following the elemental composition of a strip solution generated from coarse coal refuse and used throughout the study. Various separation techniques including selective precipitation, solvent extraction, and a modified experimental protocol incorporating the two were applied to extract rare earths while minimizing the non-selective recovery of thorium and uranium into the product stream. Test results indicate that selective precipitation was effective for the removal of thorium at a pH value approaching 5 while solvent extraction preferentially removed uranium from rare earths. Therefore, a modified experimental protocol consisting of both selective precipitation and solvent extraction was subsequently developed and implemented. The findings following the modified experimental protocol indicate that extractant concentration, solvent extraction feed pH, and organic to aqueous (O/A) ratio all played a significant role in the removal of uranium. Among all the tests conducted, the best separation performance was achieved using a one-stage precipitation at a pH value of 4.8, 50 v% TBP, solvent extraction feed pH of 3.5, and an O/A ratio of 3, which corresponded to an overall rare earth, thorium, and uranium recovery of 79.6%, 0%, and 3.1%, respectively.
Coronary compression testing by balloon interrogation during pulmonary valve implantation: room for doubt?

Objective: To evaluate the reliability of balloon coronary compression testing during percutaneous pulmonary valve implantation. Background: Despite the widespread use of the ‘balloon coronary test’ as the preferable method to rule out the risk of coronary compression, this adverse event has been described after pulmonary valve implantation where coronary balloon test suggested no risk or low risk, calling into question the accuracy of the test. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of 84 patients who underwent pulmonary valve implantation between January 2018 and December 2019 and selected 36 patients whose archived imaging was suitable to perform quantitative analysis of the ‘balloon coronary test’. We focused on the spatial disparity between the right ventricular outflow tract position defined by the inflated testing balloon and the eventual implanted valve position, to classify the test as inaccurate or accurate. Results: In total, 36.1% of cases were classified as having an inaccurate coronary balloon test. Among the baseline characteristics, right ventricular outflow tract substrate was identified as a significant predictor of test accuracy. Related to this characteristic, the type of testing balloon used and the size of the eventually implanted valve were found to be associated with test accuracy. Conclusions: Based on our findings, balloon coronary testing is not an accurate method of predicting final valve position with respect to fixed structures in the thorax. This may translate to a high false positive rate for the likelihood of coronary compression in pulmonary valve implantation.
Molecular mechanism regulating transcriptional control of the hig toxin-antitoxin locus of antibiotic-resistance plasmid Rts1 from Proteus vulgaris

Regulation of ubiquitous bacterial type II toxin-antitoxin (TA) gene pairs occurs via a negative feedback loop whereby their expression is typically responsive to changing levels of toxins at the transcriptional level similar to a molecular rheostat. While this mechanism can explain how certain TA complexes are regulated, accumulating evidence suggests diversity in this regulation. One system for which the negative feedback loop is not well defined is the plasmid-encoded HigBHigA TA pair originally identified in a post-operative infection with antibiotic resistant Proteus vulgaris. In contrast to other type II TA modules, each hig operator functions independently and excess toxin does not contribute to increased transcription in vivo. Structures of two different oligomeric complexes of HigBHigA bound to its operator DNA reveal similar interactions are maintained suggesting plasticity in how hig is repressed. Consistent with this result, molecular dynamic simulations reveal both oligomeric states exhibit similar dynamics. Further, engineering a dedicated trimeric HigBHigA complex does not regulate transcriptional repression. We propose that HigBHigA functions via a simple on/off transcriptional switch regulated by antitoxin proteolysis rather than a molecular rheostat. The present studies thus expand the known diversity of how these abundant bacterial protein pairs are regulated. IMPORTANCEBacteria respond to various stimuli by rapidly regulating gene expression to control growth. The diversity in how bacteria inhibit growth is exemplified by the abundance and diversity of toxin-antitoxin (TA) gene pairs. To tightly regulate their own expression, antitoxin proteins function as transcriptional autorepressors with additional regulation imparted by responsiveness of the system to toxin concentrations, similar to a molecular rheostat. However, some TAs do not appear to be responsive to changing levels of toxin. To expand our understanding of diverse TAs, we studied the regulation of a structurally distinct TA called host inhibition of growth (HigBA) originally discovered on the antibiotic resistance Rts1 plasmid associated with Proteus vulgaris. We find that the hig operon is regulated via a simple on/off transcriptional switch that is incalcitrant to changing toxin levels. These results expand the known mechanistic diversity of how TA pairs regulate their expression.
HIV Post Exposure Prophylaxis and Risk of Relapse in Adolescent With Bipolar Illness and Psychopharmacologic Challenges.

Bipolar disorder (BD) in adolescents is associated with risky behaviors, including high risk for sexually transmitted infections. When exposed, post exposure prophylaxis (PEP) is recommended within 72 hours for a period of 28 days. The medications used for PEP are known to have common neuropsychiatric side effects, renal toxicity and risk of hepatic injury. The concomitant use of PEP and bipolar medications may have serious additive adverse effects which needs careful assessment and monitoring. PEP medications, in particular raltegravir, are known to have a common side effect of insomnia. The medication options may be more limited during this period and since insomnia is also known to precipitate mania it needs to be addressed. The knowledge of these side effects of PEP medications, understanding its interactions with mood stabilizers like lithium and valproic acid is important when caring for these individuals. The medication options of monotherapy or combination regimen for BD must be discussed with the patient and informed choices would yield better clinical outcomes. Although there is no established standard, but weekly monitoring of complete blood counts and liver functions until PEP is completed would be highly recommended to prevent serious negative events.
Exactly marginal operators and running coupling constants in two-dimensional gravity

Abstract The Liouville action for two-dimensional quantum gravity coupled to interacting matter contains terms that have not been considered previously. They are crucial for understanding the renormalization group flow and can be observed in recent matrix model results for the phase diagram of the sine-Gordon model coupled to gravity. These terms ensure, order by order in the coupling constant, that the dressed interaction is exactly marginal. They are discussed up to second order.
Multidisciplinary Management of Brain Metastases from Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer in the Era of Immunotherapy.

Brain metastases from non-small cell lung cancer often cause neurologic symptoms which lead to initial diagnosis or identification of recurrence. In other patients, they are identified on surveillance imaging or when a patient undergoing treatment develops neurological symptoms. Patients with symptomatic lesions should be started on dexamethasone and evaluated by a neurosurgeon as soon as possible. If feasible, surgery should be offered to decrease intracranial pressure, alleviate symptoms, and prevent irreversible neurological damage. Postoperative stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) to the resection cavity and any additional brain metastases should follow within 4 weeks of surgery, as early as 2 weeks post-op. Tissue from surgery is used to confirm the diagnosis and test for targetable oncogenic driver mutations. Treatment response and surveillance for development of additional lesions is assessed with MRI of the brain 1 month after SRS and every 3 months thereafter. Patients who are not surgical candidates or who have small, asymptomatic brain metastases should proceed with SRS, the preferred treatment, or sometimes whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT) if multifocal disease requires more extensive treatment, such as for leptomeningeal spread of disease. The number of brain metastases that warrants use of WBRT over SRS is controversial and a topic of ongoing investigation, and is discussed in this review. When possible, SRS is preferred over WBRT due to reduce morbidity and cognitive side effects. When patients are already on systemic therapy at time of brain metastases diagnosis, systemic therapy should continue, with radiation therapy occurring between cycles. Regarding systemic therapy for new diagnosis at time of brain metastases presentation, molecular testing will guide treatment choice, when available. If there is no neurosurgical intervention, biopsy of another site of disease may provide tissue for molecular testing. If there are no targetable oncogenic driver mutations, concurrent immune checkpoint blockade (ICB) and chemotherapy is preferable for patients who can tolerate it. Single-agent ICB is an alternative option for patients who cannot tolerate chemotherapy. Systemic therapy should start as soon as possible. In some patients with poor performance status, best supportive care may be the most appropriate choice. Treatment decisions should always incorporate patients’ goals of care and in many cases should be discussed in a multidisciplinary setting.
The Restatements of Foreign Relations and the Rule of Law

Each of the Restatements of Foreign Relations Law published by the American Law Institute has sought to promote the rule of law. It is easy to endorse this goal, but promoting the rule of law is more complicated than it may initially appear. This chapter surfaces some of the tensions that are built into the project of reaffirming or promoting the rule of law. To start, there are at least three distinct ways that Restatements of foreign relations law might promote the rule of law. They might do so by clarifying the content of the law; by contributing to the development of new legal rules, in particular to the evolution and consolidation of customary international law; and by promoting compliance with the law. The Third and Fourth Restatements have taken quite different approaches to promoting the rule of law. To some extent these different approaches are a consequence of changes in the legal landscape over the past three decades. They also reflect different choices that the reporters and the American Law Institute have made about how to carry out the project of restating foreign relations law. The chapter begins by identifying developments in U.S. case law that have begun to drive a wedge between promoting the rule of domestic law and promoting compliance with international law. The chapter then turns to the diverging approaches of the Third and Fourth Restatements with respect to customary international law. The Third Restatement is notably quick – according to some critics, too quick – to articulate rules of customary international law. In doing so, the reporters of the Third Restatement were quite willing to disagree with the views of the U.S. government. By contrast, the Fourth Restatement is more reticent on both fronts. The approach taken by the Fourth Restatement avoids some of the downsides of that taken by its predecessor, but also forfeits some of the advantages. The chapter closes by arguing that future installments of the Fourth Restatement ought to promote the rule of international law by updating and expanding the sections of the Third Restatement that address the architecture of international law on two key issues: international responsibility and how customary international law evolves over time. The Fourth Restatement need not directly exhort litigants and judges to comply with international law. But by providing this basic information about the international legal system, the Restatement would wave a caution flag and encourage courts to take the procedural steps that would avoid unwitting (and potentially deleterious) engagement with international law.
Novel manganese cycling at very low ionic strengths in the Columbia River Estuary.

Abstract Mixing of waters of different ionic strengths induces the geochemical cycling of reactive elements. The most reactive zone is where the gradient in ionic strength is steepest. In oxygenated systems, the redox-active metal manganese cycles between soluble and particulate fractions through three oxidation states, manganese(II), manganese(III) and manganese(IV). This cycling strongly affects the mobility of inorganic and organic chemicals. The most accessible environmental system where waters with different ionic strengths mix are estuaries. During six Eulerian studies in the Columbia River Estuary, each up to 26 h, we measured manganese speciation and concentration across a salinity (SP) gradient centred around SP = 0.06–6, equivalent to a seawater ionic strength (ISp) of 1.2–120 mM. This zone, representing the region between freshwater and the more intensively studied estuarine turbidity maximum, presents a highly dynamic geochemical environment in which the manganese cycle propagates through four steps as ISp increases due to mixing: 1. Before a measurable change in ISp, manganese, as particulate manganese(III/IV) oxides (MnOx), undergoes reduction, independent of photochemical processes, to soluble manganese(III) stabilized in organic complexes (Mn(III)-L) and manganese(II); 2. As ISp increases between 5 and 80 mM, Mn(III)-L reduction continues and manganese(II) adsorbs onto particle surfaces; 3. As ISp increases further, though remaining below 80 mM (SP ≈ 4), adsorbed manganese(II) desorbs and/or is oxidized and is released as Mn(III)-L or oxidises further to MnOx; 4. The breakdown of Mn(III)-L complexes leads to higher manganese(II) and MnOx, which at Mid-Estuary-Salinities (ISp = 320–480 mM) precipitates. This manganese cycling in low ISp waters directly affects a system's redox chemistry and provides a window into understanding the extensive, yet hidden, freshwater/saline water interface in aquifers, soils, sediments and estuaries.
Polarization-state-rotation and filtering receiver for bandwidth-efficient tandem single sideband systems

We demonstrate a novel, flexible receiver architecture for tandem, single-side-band subcarrier detection using a DGD element and polarizer for polarization-state-rotation and filtering. Independent sideband data is recovered with >35dB carrier-to-sideband suppression ratio.
Relationship between bent long bones, bent scapulae, and wavy ribs: malformations or variations?

BACKGROUND Shortened and bent long bones and bent scapulae are sometimes reported in fetuses with wavy ribs (Carney and Kimmel, 2007). Wavy ribs are typically seen in the presence of maternal and developmental toxicity, are transient and reversible postnatally, and are considered to be variations rather than malformations. METHODS We further assessed the literature cited in Kimmel and Carney (2007) as well as papers published since then to determine under what conditions bent long bones in the absence of gross limb defects and bent scapulae were reported and whether information was available on the transient or permanent nature of these effects. RESULTS Long bone and/or scapular changes almost always occurred at a lower incidence than wavy ribs. In every case, maternal and fetal toxicity occurred at the same dose levels. In a few studies, pups were followed sequentially after birth and bent long bones and scapulae were transient in nature and appeared normal by the time of weaning. Rabbits were much less likely to show wavy ribs or long bone and scapular changes at birth, even in the presence of severe maternal and fetal toxicity. This species difference may be due in part to the great increase in bone mass and remodeling that occurs during the first few postnatal weeks in rodents, but which takes place during the longer fetal period in rabbits. CONCLUSION Our conclusion from this review is that bent long bones and scapulae, like wavy ribs, appear to be secondary to maternal and developmental toxicity, are transient, and like wavy ribs should be considered variations rather than malformations
Inhibition of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ transport ATPase by thapsigargin at subnanomolar concentrations

ATP-dependent calcium uptake by isolated sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles is inhibited by concentrations of free thapsigargin as low as 10(-10) M. This effect is due to primary inhibition of the Ca(2+)-dependent ATPase which is coupled to active transport. When binding of calcium to the activating sites of the enzyme is measured under equilibrium conditions in the absence of ATP, addition of thapsigargin produces strong inhibition. On the other hand, if [tau-32P]ATP is added to ATPase preincubated with Ca2+ under favorable conditions, significant levels of 32P-phosphorylated intermediate are still formed transiently, even in the presence of thapsigargin. The phosphoenzyme, however, decays rapidly as the calcium-enzyme complex is destabilized as a consequence of ATP utilization, and formation of the thapsigargin-enzyme complex is favored. Formation of the thapsigargin-enzyme complex is also favored by Ca2+ chelation with EGTA, with consequent inhibition of the enzyme reactivity to Pi (i.e. reverse of the ATPase hydrolytic reaction). Neither the Ca(2+)- and ATP-induced Ca2+ release from junctional sarcoplasmic reticulum nor the Ca(2+)- and calmodulin-dependent ATPase of plasma membranes (erythrocyte ghosts) were found to be altered by thapsigargin at such low concentrations.
Automatic Verification of Asynchronous Circuits

Establishing the correctness of complicated asynchronous circuit is in general quite difficult because of the high degree of nondeterminism that is inherent in such devices. Nevertheless, it is also very important in view of the cost involved in design and testing of circuits. We show how to give specifications for circuits in a branching time temporal logic and how to mechanically verify them using a simple and efficient model checker. We also show how to tackle a large and complex circuit by verifying it hierarchically.
φX-174 Bacteriophage Structural Mutants Which Affect Deoxyribonucleic Acid Synthesis

Abstract Seven cistrons in X-174 were identified and one in particular was studied intensively: cistron A, which is assigned a protein in the mature phage. Amber mutants in this cistron synthesize a new deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) form in addition to circular phage DNA upon infection of the restrictive host. This DNA is linear, non-infectious, and single-stranded; it is formed from the phage strand of replicative form X-174 DNA. These mutants produce two different defective particles in the restrictive host. One particle contains circular phage DNA but is not infectious; the other contains the new DNA form and is similar to the 70S particles found in wild-type phage lysates. The mutant A gene product acts independently of normal A protein upon mixed infection of the restrictive host with an A mutant and a mutant from any other cistron or wild type.
VUV emission from a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge in ar and in Ar/N2 and Ar/air mixtures

The vacuum ultraviolet (VUV) emissions from a cylindrical dielectric barrier discharge (C-DBD) excited by radio frequency (rf) power at 13.56 MHz in both pure Ar and mixtures of Ar with N 2 and air were analysed. Measurements of the relative emission intensity of the Ar* 2 excimer second continuum in pure argon were carried out as a function of pressure, rf power and gas flow rate. In Ar-N 2 and Ar-air mixtures, we studied the emission of the N i and O I atomic lines as a function of N 2 /air concentration and total pressure. Channels of energy transfer from the argon metastables and excimers to atomic nitrogen and oxygen in excited Ar-N 2 (Ar-air) mixtures were analysed based on the dependence of the intensity of the VUV emissions on the discharge operating parameters and the gas mixture.
A molecular orbital comparison of the asymmetric and symmetric nitric oxide dimers

Abstract Ab initio SCF calculations with double-zeta (DZ) and double-zeta plus polarization (DZ+P) basis sets have been performed on the asymmetric and symmetric nitric oxide dimers. The recently detected asymmetric form is predicted to exist in a planar transoid triplet ground state, which is quite different from the nature of the ground electronic state of the symmetric form.
Physical and ultrastructural basis of blue leaf iridescence in two neotropical ferns.

Iridescent blue leaf coloration in two neotropical ferns, Danaea nodosa (L.) Sm. (Marattiaceae) and Trichomanes elegans L. C. Rich. (Hymenophyllaceae), is caused by thin film constructive interference. The ultrastructural basis for the film in D. nodosa is multiple layers of cellulose microfibrils in the adaxial cell walls of the adaxial epidermis. The apparent helicoidal arrangement of the fibrils is analogous to similar color production in arthropods. In T. elegans the blue-green coloration is caused by the remarkably uniform thickness and arrangement of grana in specialized chloroplasts adjacent to the adaxial wall of the adaxial epidermis. The selective advantage of this color production, if any, is unknown but apparently different
A meta-notation for data visualization

We describe a meta-notation devised to express the major structural characteristics in widely-used data visualizations. The meta-notation consists of unary and binary operators that can be combined to represent a visualization. Capturing structural features of a visualization, our meta-notation can be applied to match or compare two visualizations at a conceptual level. For example, a user's request for a visualization can be compared with visualization tools' presentation capabilities. The design of the operators is discussed as we present their underlying concepts and show examples of their use. To illustrate how expressive the meta-notation is, we explore some commonly-used data visualizations. A benefit of our approach is that the operators define a set of required capabilities on which a visualization system can be organized. Thus, the meta-notation can be used to design a system that interconnects various data visualization tools by sending and receiving visualization requests between them.
Effectiveness of Standardized Combination Therapy for Migraine Treatment in the Pediatric Emergency Department

Objective To compare outcomes of pediatric migraine patients treated in an emergency department (ED) before and after implementation of a standardized combination intravenous therapy regimen aimed toward improving and standardizing abortive migraine therapy. Background In a pediatric ED, migraines represent 8-18% of all headache visits. Despite this large number, no standard treatment for acute migraine therapy currently exists. Methods The study utilized a retrospective chart review of patients seeking acute migraine treatment at a tertiary care, pediatric ED from August 2006 to March 2010. Inclusion criteria were pediatric migraine patients as defined by International Headache Society guidelines. The comparison population received various migraine therapies based on attending practice preference. After October 2008, patients received standardized intravenous combination therapy involving a normal saline fluid bolus, ketorolac, prochlorperazine, and diphenhydramine. Occasionally, metoclopramide was substituted during prochlorperazine shortages. Reduction in headache pain score was the primary outcome. Secondary outcome measures included length of ED stay, hospital admission rate, and ED readmission rate within 48 hours. Results The study yielded 87 patients who received standardized combination therapy and 165 comparison patients. No significant difference in patient characteristics existed when evaluating patient demographics, outpatient medication use, and initial headache pain score. When compared with the non-standardized therapy population, the combination therapy patients revealed significant reductions in pain score (decrease of 5.3 vs 6.9, difference −1.6, 95% confidence interval −2.2 to −0.8, P < .001), length of ED stay (5.3 vs 4.4 hours, difference 0.9, 95% confidence interval 0.2-1.6, P = .008), and hospital admission rate (32% vs 3%, P < .001) without changes in ED return rate (7% vs 2%, P = .148). Conclusion Standardized combination therapy is effective for acute pediatric migraine therapy in the ED by significantly reducing headache pain scores, length of ED stay, and hospital admission rates.
Structures and properties of vitamin K and its radical anion predicted by a hybrid Hartree-Fock/density functional method

Abstract We present a hybrid Hartree-Fock/density functional study of 1,4-benzoquinone and a model of menaquinone-1, and predict the structures and vibrational frequencies of both the K1 and K2 forms of vitamin K and their radical anions. Our model compound includes only hydrogens as isoprenoid chain terminal groups, rather than the methyl groups present in actual menaquinone-1, for computational efficiency. Although the structures and frequencies found for vitamin K are significantly different from those found in the parent molecule 1,4-benzoquinone and its radical anion, calculated spin densities indicate that the odd electron is delocalized almost exclusively on the quinoid oxygens and ring of vitamin K. Isotropic hyperfine coupling constants are calculated for both radical anions using a Chipman basis set designed to give reliable spin properties. An electron affinity of 1.72 ± 0.05 eV is predicted for the model of menaquinone-1, but lowers to 1.68 ± 0.05 eV when the chain-terminal methyl groups are added.
The Roots of Modern Conservatism: Dewey, Taft, and the Battle for the Soul of the Republican Party. By Michael Bowen. (Chapel Hill, NC: University of North Carolina Press, 2011. Pp. xiii, 272. $39.95.)

Most popular and scholarly accounts of the rise of the modern conservative movement begin with William F. Buckley Jr., who started National Review in 1955, and then move swiftly to Barry Goldwater ...
Lipoprotein Patterns by Starch Electrophoresis in Idiopathic Hyperlipemia and Hypercholesteremia

Starch electrophoresis was employed for the study of the lipoprotein patterns in inborn errors of lipid metabolism. Idiopathic hyperlipemia was characterized by marked increases of cholesterol and phospholipid in the alpha-2-lipoprotein fraction of the serum whereas idiopathic hypercholesteremia showed an increase of these lipids in the beta-lipoprotein fraction. The cholesterol and phospholipid contents in the alpha-1-lipoprotein fractions were diminished in both metabolic errors.
Absolute localization of ground robots by matching LiDAR and image data in dense forested environments

A method for the autonomous geolocation of ground vehicles in forest environments is discussed. The method provides an estimate of the global horizontal position of a vehicle strictly based on finding a geometric match between a map of observed tree stems, scanned in 3D by Light Detection and Ranging (LiDAR) sensors onboard the vehicle, to another stem map generated from the structure of tree crowns analyzed from high resolution aerial orthoimagery of the forest canopy. Extraction of stems from 3D data is achieved by using Support Vector Machine (SVM) classifiers and height above ground filters that separate ground points from vertical stem features. Identification of stems from overhead imagery is achieved by finding the centroids of tree crowns extracted using a watershed segmentation algorithm. Matching of the two maps is achieved by using a robust Iterative Closest Point (ICP) algorithm that determines the rotation and translation vectors to align the datasets. The alignment is used to calculate the absolute horizontal location of the vehicle. The method has been tested with real-world data and has been able to estimate vehicle geoposition with an average error of less than 2 m. It is noted that the algorithm’s accuracy performance is currently limited by the accuracy and resolution of aerial orthoimagery used. The method can be used in real-time as a complement to the Global Positioning System (GPS) in areas where signal coverage is inadequate due to attenuation by the forest canopy, or due to intentional denied access. The method has two key properties that are significant: i) It does not require a priori knowledge of the area surrounding the robot. ii) Uses the geometry of detected tree stems as the only input to determine horizontal geoposition.
Novel silicon stripixel detector: concept, simulation, design, and fabrication

Abstract A novel detector concept has been developed in this work that has the necessary properties to provide two-dimensional (2-D) position sensitivity with a moderate number of readout electronic channels and single-sided detector fabrication process. The concept is based on interleaved pixel electrodes arranged in a projective X – Y readout, which makes possible position encoding with minimum number of channels. In further discussions, we refer to this concept as “stripixel” detector, as it combines the 2-D position resolution of a pixel electrode geometry with the simplicity of the projective readout of a double-sided strip detector. For DC coupled detectors with large pitches (>20 μm), individual pixels are divided into X - and Y -cell that can be interleaved by many different schemes that ensure the charge sharing between them. This type of stripixel detectors is called interleaved stripixel detectors. When the detector pitch goes down ( X and Y -pixel may not have to be interleaved, and they can be connected in an alternating way to X – Y strip readout. This type of stripixel detectors is called alternating stripixel detectors (ASD). For ASD, a position resolution better than 1 μm in two dimensions can be achieved by determining the centroid of the charge collected on pixel electrodes with a granularity in the range of 5–6 μm. For AC coupled detectors, no interleaving scheme may be needed, and there may be no limit on the pitch size, i.e. it may go from pitches in the order of microns, to hundreds of microns or even mm's. This electrode granularity does not pose difficult demands on the lithography and the fabrication technology. This novel detector concept can be applied to any semiconductor detectors/sensors, such as Si, Ge, GaAs, SiC, diamond, etc.
Human rhinovirus induced cytokine/chemokine responses in human airway epithelial and immune cells.

Infections with human rhinovirus (HRV) are commonly associated with acute upper and lower respiratory tract disease and asthma exacerbations. The role that HRVs play in these diseases suggests it is important to understand host-specific or virus-specific factors that contribute to pathogenesis. Since species A HRVs are often associated with more serious HRV disease than species B HRVs, differences in immune responses they induce should inform disease pathogenesis. To identify species differences in induced responses, we evaluated 3 species A viruses, HRV 25, 31 and 36 and 3 species B viruses, HRV 4, 35 and 48 by exposing human PBMCs to HRV infected Calu-3 cells. To evaluate the potential effect of memory induced by previous HRV infection on study responses, we tested cord blood mononuclear cells that should be HRV naive. There were HRV-associated increases (significant increase compared to mock-infected cells) for one or more HRVs for IP-10 and IL-15 that was unaffected by addition of PBMCs, for MIP-1α, MIP-1β, IFN-α, and HGF only with addition of PBMCs, and for ENA-78 only without addition of PBMCs. All three species B HRVs induced higher levels, compared to A HRVs, of MIP-1α and MIP-1β with PBMCs and ENA-78 without PBMCs. In contrast, addition of CBMCs had less effect and did not induce MIP-1α, MIP-1β, or IFN-α nor block ENA-78 production. Addition of CBMCs did, however, increase IP-10 levels for HRV 35 and HRV 36 infection. The presence of an effect with PBMCs and no effect with CBMCs for some responses suggest differences between the two types of cells possibly because of the presence of HRV memory responses in PBMCs and not CBMCs or limited response capacity for the immature CBMCs relative to PBMCs. Thus, our results indicate that different HRV strains can induce different patterns of cytokines and chemokines; some of these differences may be due to differences in memory responses induced by past HRV infections, and other differences related to virus factors that can inform disease pathogenesis.
Thermal transport on the superfluid side of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition in /sup 4/He films

We report measurements of the effective thermal conductance of a /sup 4/He film on the superfluid side of the Kosterlitz-Thouless transition. The conductance is observed to obey a power law in the applied thermal power as predicted by Ambegaokar et al. The superfluid density obtained from the exponent is observed to rise sharply at the transition and then increase linearly with film thickness.
Clonidine-induced feeding: analysis of central sites of action and fiber projections mediating this response.

Abstract Clonidine (CLON), an α-adrenergic agonist, was used in conjugation with norepinephrine (NE) to elecit feeding in satiated rats that had sustained hypothalamic electrolytic lesions, or coronal knife cuts at the hypothalamic, midbrain or pontine level of the brainstem. Electrolytic lesions of the paraventricular nucleus (PVN) of the hypothalmus significantly attenuated feeding normally stimulated by intraperitoneal injection of CLON. This contrasts with lesions in the dorsomedial or perifornical hypothalamic regions which had no effect on CLON-elicited eating. Knife cuts placed in the posterior hypothalamus and throughout the midbrain tegmentum also left intact the CLON eating response, in contrast to specific cuts in the dorsal pontine tegmentum which disrupted feeding elicited by PVN injections of NE and CLON, as well as by peripheral administration of CLON. Analyzed together, these results with effective and ineffective cuts relative to CLON and NE feeding provide evidence for an α-adrenergic feeding circuit which originates in the PVN and descends from this nucleus, via a dorsal periventricular course, through the diencephalon and midbrain. Further caudally, these fibers mediating NE and CLON feeding then appear to traverse ventrolaterally into the dorsolateral pontine tegmentum on their way to the dorsal medulla.
The general unitarity term

In a previous paper (1) a proof was given of the following theorem. Let M 1, M 2 be two amplitudes for processes from states m to l and I to n respectively which for fixed energies of these states have singularities at values {01} and {02) of the rotations from frames fixed with respect to the in-going momenta to frames fixed with respect to the out-going momenta. We suppose these singular rotations to lie on some surfaces J(R1), J(R~) in rotation-space, where
Egg production in response to combined alternative foods by the predator Coccinella transversalis.

Insect predators may commit to reproduction to varying degrees depending on the nature of the prey they consume. I compared egg production by females of the aphidophagous ladybird beetle Coccinella transversalis (F.) (Coccinellidae) maintained on differing diets. As expected, females laid most eggs on a diet of aphids (pea aphids, Acyrthosiphon pisum [Harris]). Upon being switched from a diet of aphids, females laid no eggs after the first 3 days when maintained on a water solution of sucrose, and laid almost no eggs when maintained on a diet of second-instar larvae of the moth Helicoverpa armigera (Hubner). However, females laid eggs in small numbers (on average, 2.7 eggs per day) when provided both sucrose and Helicoverpa larvae. Females laid similar numbers of eggs when aphid honeydew was substituted for sucrose in combination with Helicoverpa larvae; in both cases, egg production was only 10-15% of that on a diet of aphids. The production of small numbers of eggs from consumption of non-aphid foods may enhance the ability of aphidophagous ladybirds to optimize their timing of reproduction at short-lived colonies of their preferred aphid prey.
A preliminary study of electron transfer reactions between indole and phenol and their consequences for tryptophan and tyrosine

Abstract Model molecules have been designed to investigate theoretically the electron transfer reaction between the indole ring and the phenol ring. The diabatic potential surfaces show that the electron transfer In·–CH 2 –PhO : − →In : − –CH 2 –PhO· is almost barrier-free if the bond reorganization only is taken into account. Considering the electron transfer reaction in aqueous solution, we have employed Marcus's two-spherical model to estimate the solvent reorganization energy. By means of the charge-localized initial guess-induced UHF/SCF technique. The calculations via geometric optimizations of the model molecules, led to the bond reorganization energy and electron transfer matrix elements. The values 0.092 kJ mol −1 and 3.57×10 4 s −1 have been obtained for the electron transfer matrix element and the first-order rate constant, respectively. These calculations have been carried out at the level of STO-3G/MP2. To check the validity of our theoretical results, comparisons have been made with the recent experimental observations of electron transfer reactions in peptides involving tryptophan and tyrosine.
Developing biomimetic collagen-based matrix using cyclodextrin for corneal repair

The worldwide demand for corneal transplantations cannot match by the supply of donor corneas, especially in most developing countries. There is a large need of developing new corneal substitute mimicking the native cornea in terms of optical, biomechanical and biological properties. The cornea has four main types of proteoglycan that play a critical role in collagen fibrogenesis and transparency. However, obtaining purified proteoglycans has been a challenging task due to their high cost. In this study, we employed cyclodextrins as a proteoglycan substitute to engineer a biomimetic collagen-based matrix. The incorporation of cyclodextrin in collagen membrane increased collagen thermal stability and reduced collagen fibrogenesis. As a result, a thick, transparent and mechanically strong collagen-based membrane was formed. This cyclodextrin-collagen membrane holds a great potential to be used as a therapeutic eye patch for corneal repair.
Differentiation of herniated lumbar disc from bulging annulus fibrosis: use of reformatted images.

Abstract Over 500 lumbar spine CT examinations were evaluated and compared with surgical findings. The use of reformatted sagittal images is important in differentiating the bulging from herniated disc. The extension of the disc material above or below the disc space is more easily seen with this technique. The accuracy of CT interpretation is increased by routine utilization of sagittal reconstruction images.
Effects of turbulence on aeronautical systems

Abstract Aeronautical systems, in relation to atmospheric turbulence, are essentially deterministic devices forced by a random environment. The deterministic description must be coupled with a statistical description of the structure of the turbulent forcing to obtain a statistical prediction of the effects of turbulence. Broad aspects of the present knowledge of turbulence and the mathematical difficulties associated with converting this knowledge into practical aeronautical design procedures are considered. The extent to which aeronautical applications are permeated by the assumption that the turbulent motion is a Gaussian process is emphasized; complications introduced by abandoning the assumption are discussed. The present challenges include resolution of the relation between probabilistic structure of turbulence and response exceedance statistics, determination of the structure of the largest gusts, and the combined problem of developing mathematical methods for representing turbulent velocities for both simulation and the study of nonlinear effects. Some aspects of these challenges are discussed.
Neuropeptide signaling mechanisms in crustacean and insect molting glands

Growth in arthropods requires the periodic synthesis of a new exoskeleton and shedding, or molting, of the old exoskeleton. Both processes are initiated and coordinated by ecdysteroid molting hormones synthesized and secreted by a pair of molting glands: Y-organ (YO) in decapod crustaceans and the prothoracic gland (PG) in insects. The primary regulation of arthropod molting glands is mediated by brain neuropeptides that either stimulate (prothoracicotropic hormone – PTTH – in insects) or inhibit (molt-inhibiting hormone – MIH – in crustaceans) ecdysteroidogenesis. Both neuropeptide signaling pathways involve Ca2+/calmodulin (CaM) and cyclic nucleotides. In the crustacean YO, the MIH signaling pathway is proposed to have two phases: a cAMP/CaM-dependent “triggering” phase that activates a NO/cGMP-dependent “summation” phase to repress ecdysteroidogenesis during most of the intermolt period. A model is presented that incorporates the following data: (1) there is a pulsatile release of MIH from the eyestalk...