cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Liver lesions in children post-oncologic therapy: Review of case reports and institutional observation

Purpose:Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH), a benign hepatic tumor with ill -defined etiology, has been increasingly reported in childrentreated for extra -hepatic malignancies. Serial imaging or biopsy may be needed when survivors present with liver l e- sions. This study aims to review the literature, compare them with our institutions cohort and propose a less invasive diagn ostic imaging modality for FNH utilizing Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) with gadoxetate disodium. Methods:We reviewed 13 case reports/series published over the last 20 years and compared them to our retrospective review of 16 childhood cancer su r- vivors (CCS) found to h ave liver lesions on various imaging studies. Several patients underwent biopsy for diagnosis. Results: No specific generalizations could be made in terms of which specific chemotherapeutic agents cause FNH. Seven out of 11 patients underwent radiotherapyand/or hematopoietic stem cell transplant. Additionally, 36% (4/11) had been treated for neuroblastoma. From the literature review, the use of MRI with gadoxetate disodium was difficult to evaluate. Imaging was mainly accomplishe d using ultrasound, compute rized tomographyand MRI with gadolinium.The results were often indeterminate and resulted in biopsy in 6 cases in our institution. In contrast, 5 patients underwent initial MRI with gadoxetate disodium, which confirmed the diagnosis of FNH.Conclusion:CCS have an increased risk of developing liver lesions. Consistent with previously published literature, patients exposed to radiotherapy or cytoreductive agents used for hematopoietic stem cell transplants appeared to be at higher risk.A significant propo rtion (36%, 4/11) of our patients with FNH was previously treated for neuroblastoma. With the introduction of MRI with gadoxetate disodium, imaging may be a viable alternative to biopsy .
Composition of aerosols over Los Angeles freeways

In October of 1976 aerosol particles were collected while driving on Los Angeles freeways and were analyzed for sulfate, nitrate, and elemental composition. The measurements indicate that neither nitrate nor sulfate concentrations increased significantly in the roadway. The mean nitrate concentration in the fine particle fraction was 0.2 μg m−3 and was not above the mean background value. The mean background sulfate concentration was 7.9 μg m−3, and the in-roadway sulfate increment was less than 1.5 μg m−3. However, the mean in-roadway lead concentration of 10.9 μg m−3 exceeded the mean background value by a factor of more than 6. The optical attenuation of the collected aerosol deposits was measured; the mean in-roadway value exceeded the background value by a factor of 4.
Nickel-catalysed carbon gasification: Crystallographic and magnetic studies

Abstract Nickel possesses high catalytic activity for steam gasification of carbon at 810K but shows rapid deactivation at 30–50% carbon conversion. In an attempt to understand the mode of deactivation, the crystallographic and magnetic properties of finely divided nickel particles on carbon were determined as a function of gasification conditions. X-ray analyses showed that nickel particles increased in crystallite size with carbon gasification. Magnetic studies related the observed ferromagnetic moment to crystallite size and the degree of metal reduction. Catalyst deactivation was shown to be partially due to crystallite growth and loss of nickel-carbon contact. Furthermore, catalyst activity was shown to be related to the presence of oxidized nickel species. Catalyst deactivation due to nickel oxide formation or carbon dissolution has been ruled out.
Fetal exclusion policies and gendered constructions of suitable work.

This paper offers evidence to contradict employers' claims that scientific research supports their definition of unacceptable risk used to exclude women from jobs requiring exposure to toxic substances. Definitions of acceptable risk in fetal exclusion policies are not scientific or value-neutral, but are in fact socially constructed, and therefore reflect gender stratification, corporate control, and the culturally privileged position of the fetus. This is evident in three of these policies' effects: (1) they exclude only certain fertile women, not all workers at risk; (2) they give priority to fetal rights, at the expense of workers'rights; and (3) corporations see them as the least costly defense against damage suits. In addition, the paper examines problematic free choice rhetoric pervading the important U.S. Supreme Court case regarding the Johnson Controls Corporation's fetal exclusion policy. Finally, it examines conceptions and power relationships that underlie fetal exclusion, and suggests how issues of reproduction and risk in the workplace might be reframed.
A national critical loads framework for atmospheric deposition effects assessment: II. Defining assessment end points, indicators, and functional subregions

The United States Environmental Protection Agency, with support from the US Department of Energy and the National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration, has been evaluating the feasibility of an effects-based (critical loads) approach to atmospheric pollutant regulation and abatement. The rationale used to develop three of the six steps in a flexible assessment framework (Strickland and others, 1992) is presented along with a discussion of a variety of implementation approaches and their ramifications. The rationale proposes that it is necessary to provide an explicit statement of the condition of the resource that is considered valuable (assessment end point) because: (1) individual ecosystem components may be more or less sensitive to deposition, (2) it is necessary to select indicators of ecosystem condition that can be objectively measured and that reflect changes in the quality of the assessment end point, and (3) acceptable status (i.e., value of indicator and quality of assessment end point at critical load) must be defined. The rationale also stresses the importance of defining the assessment regions and subregions to improve the analysis and understanding of the indicator response to deposition. Subregional definition can be based on a variety of criteria, including informed judgment or quantitative procedures. It also depends on the geographic scale at which exposure and effects models are accurate and on data availability, resolution, and quality.
Occupation-Centered Analysis of Social Difference: Contributions to a Socially Responsive Occupational Science

The call for a more socially responsive occupational science demands critical analysis of occupational injustice. While scholarship has highlighted the role of occupation in social transformation, less attention has been paid to the role of occupation in perpetuating the hegemonic social order. This paper explores the mechanisms of social inequality by arguing that occupation can be a site of reproduction of the social order such as gender, race and class. I will ground my argument in Black feminist theory and sociological interactional theory, showing how gender, race and class can be experienced as linked systems of oppression. Three developments in occupational science will be outlined as a foundation for an occupation-centered analysis of social difference: the increased attention to inequality in opportunity for occupational participation based on social categories such as gender, race, and class; the development of occupation-centered analyses; and the movement from individualistic to contextual app...
Properties and activities of ‘inactive’ fe protein from Rhodospirillum rubrum

An answer was sought to the question: “Why is the Fe protein inactive as purified from Rhodospirillum rubrum grown on glutamate as its nitrogen source?”. The inactive Fe protein proved capable of binding MgATP and undergoing a conformation shift upon binding MgATP. The protein could be reversibly oxidized and reduced, but it was incapable of transferring electrons to MoFe protein at a substantial rate. Because of this impaired ability of inactive Fe protein to transfer electrons to MoFe protein, the nitrogenase complex of active MoFe protein and inactive Fe protein is incapable of hydrolyzing MgATP or of reducing acetylene or N2 at substantial rates.
Suppression of discrete aurorae by sunlight

IT HAS long been assumed that aurorae, like stars, are present during daylight, but hidden by the high surface brightness of the sky. The brightest aurorae are discrete curtains of light created by beams of electrons accelerated in the Earth's magnetosphere. Many theories1 have been proposed to explain discrete aurorae, but the one that provides the best match to recent observations2 invokes a positive feedback mechanism between the conductivity of the ionosphere, which is enhanced by the injection of electrons, and the current carried by these same electrons3–5. Here we present a statistical study of electron precipitation events by using nine years of charged-particle data from weather satellites. We find that the beams of accelerated electrons that cause the discrete aurorae occur mainly in darkness: the winter hemisphere is favoured over the summer hemisphere, and night is favoured over day. We also find that discrete aurorae rarely occur in the presence of diffuse aurorae, which provide sufficient conductivity to support the electric currents between the magnetosphere and the ionosphere. Taken together, these observations strongly support the view that ionospheric conductivity is the key factor controlling the occurrence of discrete aurorae.
Quantum fluctuations in absorptive bistability without adiabatic elimination.

A linearized theory of fluctuations for absorptive bistability based on the positive P representation is developed without adiabatic elimination of the atoms or the field. An analytic expression for the steady-state covariance matrix is derived from which the size of quantum-statistical effects can be estimated without restriction to the good- or the bad-cavity limit. When the atom and field relaxation rates are similar the intensity correlation function of the transmitted light exhibits an oscillatory relaxation associated with vacuum Rabi splitting.
Morality in the Law: The Psychological Foundations of Citizens' Desires to Punish Transgressions

Evidence from a number of research methods converges to suggest that when a person registers a transgression against self or others, the person experiences an intuitively produced, emotionally tinged reaction of moral outrage. The reaction is driven by the just deserts–based retributive reactions of the person to the transgression rather than, for instance, considerations of the deterrent force of the punishment. In experimental games arranged so that trust and fairness transgressions occur, participants punish transgressors and experience rewarding brain states while doing so, and they punish even if they were not themselves the target of the violation. What, if any, implications does this have for the punishment component of societal systems of justice? Would it be possible to construct sentencing practices that, to some extent, incorporated citizens’ sense of just punishments? What would be gained by doing so? And what would be lost?
Open budgets and open government: beyond disclosure in pursuit of transparency, participation and accountability

Although disclosure is at the heart of transparency, simple disclosure does not begin to address more complicated questions about the qualitative nature of transparency and whether participation and accountability processes ensue. In this paper, we inquire about the socio-political conditions that are related to [a] qualitative aspects of budget transparency, defined in terms of three types of desirable budget content and timely disclosure of budget documents, [b] two types of public participation in budget processes, and [c] qualitative aspects of four types of audit documents. We found that a country's level of democratization and its level of budget document disclosure was consistently related to the release of qualitatively better budget content, qualitatively better accountability content and the involvement of the Supreme Audit Authority with the public. However, neither of these factors, or any other, was related to the tendency to engage in general public participation processes related to the budget.
RSBP-1 Is a Membrane Targeting Subunit Required by the Gαq-specific but Not the Gαo-specific R7 Regulator of G Protein Signaling in Caenorhabditis elegans

Regulator of G protein signaling (RGS) proteins inhibit G protein signaling by activating Gα GTPase activity, but the mechanisms that regulate RGS activity are not well understood. The mammalian R7 binding protein (R7BP) can interact with all members of the R7 family of RGS proteins, and palmitoylation of R7BP can target R7 RGS proteins to the plasma membrane in cultured cells. However, whether endogenous R7 RGS proteins in neurons require R7BP or membrane localization for function remains unclear. We have identified and knocked out the only apparent R7BP homolog in Caenorhabditis elegans, RSBP-1. Genetic studies show that loss of RSBP-1 phenocopies loss of the R7 RGS protein EAT-16, but does not disrupt function of the related R7 RGS protein EGL-10. Biochemical analyses find that EAT-16 coimmunoprecipitates with RSBP-1 and is predominantly plasma membrane-associated, whereas EGL-10 does not coimmunoprecipitate with RSBP-1 and is not predominantly membrane-associated. Mutating the conserved membrane-targeting sequence in RSBP-1 disrupts both the membrane association and function of EAT-16, demonstrating that membrane targeting by RSBP-1 is essential for EAT-16 activity. Our analysis of endogenous R7 RGS proteins in C. elegans neurons reveals key differences in the functional requirements for membrane targeting between members of this protein family.
Relative Effectiveness of Project Delivery and Contract Strategies

Project delivery systems define the roles and responsibilities of the parties involved in a project. They also establish an execution framework in terms of sequencing of design, procurement, and construction. The decision made in the selection of a project delivery system for a project impacts all phases of execution of the project and greatly impacts the efficiency of project execution. Such decisions should be facilitated by thorough analysis. Structured, quantitative decision analysis processes have been shown to have several benefits over the simplistic, holistic, and informal processes that typically characterize subjective evaluations. However, a dearth of quantitative values of project delivery systems established and validated through research has invariably left project managers with no alternative than to make project delivery selection decisions on the basis of subjective evaluations. Development of the needed quantitative values for application in a decision analysis process would greatly enhance the quality of the decision-making process and provide a defensible rationale for selection of project delivery systems for capital projects. This paper presents research findings that provide the needed quantitative values in this area. Based on the quantitative values defined here, interested parties can develop and implement quantitative evaluation of project delivery alternatives to identify the optimal solution for a given project. Multicriteria decision analysis was found to be the suitable approach for a quantitative, analytical evaluation of project delivery systems. Consequently, the quantitative values presented in this paper were developed in accordance with the requirements of the multicriteria decision analysis technique known as simple multiattribute rating technique with swing weights (SMARTS). Utilizing the quantitative values presented here and applying the analysis technique of SMARTS, a decision support tool has been developed and validated for the Construction Industry Institute. The decision support tool is presently being utilized by member companies of the Construction Industry Institute that were privy to its development. With the presentation of the quantitative values in this paper, other parties interested in developing similar tools would benefit from the research results presented here.
Localized Hormone Fluxes and Early Haustorium Development in the Hemiparasitic Plant Triphysaria versicolor

Perhaps the most obvious phenotypes associated with chemical signaling between plants are manifested by parasitic species of Orobanchaceae. The development of haustoria, invasive root structures that allow hemiparasitic plants to transition from autotrophic to heterotrophic growth, is rapid, highly synchronous, and readily observed in vitro. Haustorium development is initiated in aseptic roots of the facultative parasite Triphysaria versicolor when exposed to phenolic molecules associated with host root exudates and rhizosphere bioactivity. Morphological features of early haustorium ontogeny include rapid cessation of root elongation, expansion, and differentiation of epidermal cells into haustorial hairs, and cortical cell expansion. These developmental processes were stimulated in aseptic T. versicolor seedlings by the application of exogenous phytohormones and inhibited by the application of hormone antagonists. Surgically dissected root tips formed haustoria if the root was exposed to haustorial-inducing factors prior to dissection. In contrast, root tips that were dissected prior to inducing-factor treatment were unable to form haustoria unless supplemented with indole-3-acetic acid. A transient transformation assay demonstrated that auxin and ethylene-responsive promoters were up-regulated when T. versicolor was exposed to either exogenous hormones or purified haustoria-inducing factors. These experiments demonstrate that localized auxin and ethylene accumulation are early events in haustorium development and that parasitic plants recruit established plant developmental mechanisms to realize parasite-specific functions.
Electric Resistance Brazing

This paper describes in general the equipment for and process of making brazed joints. The lead soldered joint has been in use for a long time and has done its work well but because of certain inherent weaknesses, it is slowly being replaced by the brazed joint. The electric brazing equipment is listed and a short description of it given. The preparation of various sizes and shapes of work is taken up in detail and a short discussion of the different types of joints is given. Three kinds of brazing mediums are discussed and applications of each are mentioned. A description of the actual brazing process follows and the paper is concluded with a list of advantages of the brazed joint over the lead-soldered joint, including: increased factor of safety, saving in time, reduced cost, reduced size, and increased accessibility of joints for inspection.
Directed expression of keratin 16 to the progenitor basal cells of transgenic mouse skin delays skin maturation

We previously hypothesized that the type I keratin 16 (K16) plays a role in the process of keratinocyte activation that occurs in response to skin injury (Paladini, R.D., K. Takahashi, N.S. Bravo, and P.A. Coulombe. 1996. J. Cell Biol. 132:381–397). To further examine its properties in vivo, the human K16 cDNA was constitutively expressed in the progenitor basal layer of transgenic mouse skin using the K14 gene promoter. Mice that express approximately as much K16 protein as endogenous K14 display a dramatic postnatal phenotype that consists of skin that is hyperkeratotic, scaly, and essentially devoid of fur. Histologically, the epidermis is thickened because of hyperproliferation of transgenic basal cells, whereas the hair follicles are decreased in number, poorly developed, and hypoproliferative. Microscopically, the transgenic keratinocytes are hypertrophic and feature an altered keratin filament network and decreased cell–cell adhesion. The phenotype normalizes at ∼5 wk after birth. In contrast, control mice expressing a K16-K14 chimeric protein to comparable levels are normal. The character and temporal evolution of the phenotype in the K16 transgenic mice are reminiscent of the activated EGF receptor– mediated signaling pathway in skin. In fact, tyrosine phosphorylation of the EGF receptor is increased in the newborn skin of K16 transgenic mice. We conclude that expression of K16 can significantly alter the response of skin keratinocytes to signaling cues, a distinctive property likely resulting from its unique COOH-terminal tail domain.
When Does Social Capital Matter? Non-Searching For Jobs Across the Life Course

Non-searchers – people who get their jobs without engaging in a job search – are often excluded from investigations of the role of personal relationships in job finding processes. This practice fails to capture the scope of informal job matching activity and underestimates the effectiveness of social capital. Moreover, studies typically obtain average estimates of social capital effectiveness across broad age ranges, obscuring variation across the life course. Analysis of early career and mid-career job matching shows that non-searching is associated with significant advantages over formal job searching. However, these benefits accrue only during mid-career and primarily among highly experienced male non-searchers. The results highlight the need to examine life course variations in social capital effectiveness and the role of non-searching as an important informal mechanism in the maintenance of gender inequality.
Impaired Bone Growth After Ileal Augmentation Cystoplasty

AbstractPurpose: We evaluated how ileal augmentation cystoplasty predisposes growing animals to hyperchloremic acidosis and abnormal skeletal development.Materials and Methods: Weanling female Wistar rats weighing 35 to 50 gm. underwent ileal augmentation cystoplasty or sham operation consisting of a similar ileal resection and closure (ileoileostomy). Both groups were stressed with 1% ammonium chloride loading. Serial bone densitometry measurements, weight and blood gas studies were performed in an 8-week growth period. Femur bone ashing and mineral analysis, arterial blood gas studies and serum bone mineral determinations (calcium, magnesium and phosphorus) were obtained at study conclusion.Results: Augmented and control animals had similar serum calcium, phosphorus and magnesium concentrations. In augmented animals metabolic acidosis developed with respiratory compensation and decreased mean serum bicarbonate plus or minus standard deviation compared to controls (18.34 +/− 3.23 versus 21.76 +/− 2.46 mE...
AMC: stumbling toward a new television canon.

AMC offers an intriguing case study in the evolution of scripted series on cable television. At its inception, the network boasted one of the most stable and coherent brands on cable, and it now ha...
A distributed 3D graphics library

We present Repo-3D, a general-purpose, object-oriented library for developing distributed, interactive 3D graphics applications across a range of heterogeneous workstations. Repo-3D is designed to make it easy for programmers to rapidly build prototypes using a familiar multi-threaded, object-oriented programming paradigm. All data sharing of both graphical and non-graphical data is done via general-purpose remote and replicated objects, presenting the illusion of a single distributed shared memory. Graphical objects are directly distributed, circumventing the “duplicate database” problem and allowing programmers to focus on the application details. Repo-3D is embedded in Repo, an interpreted, lexically-scoped, distributed programming language, allowing entire applications to be rapidly prototyped. We discuss Repo-3D’s design, and introduce the notion of local variations to the graphical objects, which allow local changes to be applied to shared graphical structures. Local variations are needed to support transient local changes, such as highlighting, and responsive local editing operations. Finally, we discuss how our approach could be applied using other programming languages, such as Java.
Engineering versatile SERS-active nanoparticles by embedding reporters between Au-core/Ag-shell through layer-by-layer deposited polyelectrolytes

We report a new strategy to engineer versatile SERS-active nanoparticles by embedding Raman reporter molecules inside Au-core/Ag-shell nanoparticles through layer-by-layer deposition of polyelectrolytes. The results demonstrate a class of core–shell nanoparticles that can find use as SERS-tags for Raman-based assays and imaging with strong SERS signals, versatility and simplicity in synthesis, and good stability. The strategy may also be useful to the preparation of plasmonic nanostructures for other purposes.
Continued Development of Direct Aerosol Introduction in Constant Temperature Furnace Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy

In a previous article, the combination of a sample introduction/desolvation system with a Woodriff type constant temperature furnace atomizer was described. While the performance of the system for the determination of Ag, Cd, Zn, and Pb was characterized by a high sensitivity and reproducibility, utilization of the system described was limited to the determination of easily atomized species due to the relatively low temperatures attainable with the particular furnace employed; also useful lifetime of the graphite furnace components was limited by the desolvator's inability to completely scavenge oxidizing components from the sample. Minor modifications in furnace design allow the analyst to increase the maximum operating temperature, thus expanding the applicability of the particular design while changes in the condenser design significantly increases the desolvation scavenging ability. In this note, the performance, in terms of sensitivity, reproducibility, accuracy, and freedom from simple acid matrix interferances, of this system in the analysis of aqueous samples for Ag, As, Al, Cd, Cr, Cu, Fe, Hg, Mn, Ni, Pb, Se, and Zn is documented.
Oscillator insights based on circuit Q

The concept of negative circuit Q is introduced as a basic oscillator characteristic necessary for signal growth. A limit cycle at steady state causes the circuit Q to increase asymptotically towards infinity and finally transition to positive Q. The introduction of noise forces the loop gain to be less than unity and the steady-state Q to be finite and positive. Circuit Q is then principally determined by a limiting relationship on loop gain. Examination of a Norton equivalent circuit for a feedback oscillator indicates that positive and negative Q branches are present, and that the closed-loop dissipation factor is nearly zero. By considering the oscillator to be a tuned noise amplifier, the steady-state circuit Q is found to be a determining factor in several areas of oscillator characteristics, including phase noise and frequency modulation. Fundamental limitations on modulation frequency for voltage-controlled oscillators are examined, with experimental data indicating the potential for nonsymmetrical sidebands for modulation frequencies greater than f/sub 0//2Q/sub L/. >
Antibody-Mediated Rejection of the Kidney after Simultaneous Pancreas-Kidney Transplantation

The prevalence, risk factors, and outcome of antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) of the kidney after simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplantation are unknown. In 136 simultaneous pancreas-kidney recipients who were followed for an average of 3.1 yr, 21 episodes of AMR of the kidney allograft were identified. Eight episodes occurred early (≤90 d) after transplantation, and 13 occurred later. Histologic evidence of concomitant acute cellular rejection was noted in 12 cases; the other nine had evidence only of humoral rejection. In 13 cases, clinical rejection of the pancreas was diagnosed simultaneously, and two of these were biopsy proven and were positive for C4d immunostaining. Multivariate analysis identified only one significant risk factor: Female patients were three times more likely to experience AMR. Nearly all early episodes resolved with treatment and did not predict graft loss, but multivariate Cox models revealed that late AMR episodes more than tripled the risk for kidney and pancreas graft loss; therefore, new strategies are needed to prevent and to treat late AMR in simultaneous pancreas-kidney transplant recipients.
Isolation of Protoplasts from Nepenthes - A Plant Carnivore

Protoplasts were isolated from the lamina of greenhouse grown Nepenthes ampullaria and the hybrid N . ‘Rokko’ Exotica in order to develop a protocol for protoplast isolation suitable for wild species of Nepenthes . Various molarities utilizing mannitol or sorbitol and different enzyme mixtures and concentrations as well as incubation times were evaluated to maximize protoplast yield and viability. The most effective treatment, a 4 hrs incubation at 40 rpm and 25°C in a solution consisting of 0.5 M sorbitol, 5% cellulase ‘Onozuka’ R-10, 0.5% macerozyme R-10, and 0.3% pectolyase Y-23, generated 4.35 × 10 6 protoplasts/ gfw of which 62.1% were viable. Culture was attempted in respect of regeneration of the cell wall, however, no cell division was observed. Plant Tissue Cult. & Biotech. 24 (1): 93-100, 2014 (June) D. O. I. http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/ptcb.v24i1.19217
RESHAPING THE LANDSCAPE: THE IMPACT AND DIFFUSION OF THE TRACTOR IN AMERICAN AGRICULTURE, 1910–1960

This article analyzes the revolutionary impact the tractor had on rural America and examines the economic, technological, and institutional factors governing the machine's diff-usion. Our simultaneous-equation regression model helps decipher the complex relationship between farm scale and diffusion. In addition, analyzing diffiusion as a capital replacement problem reveals that the shift to the new technology was far more rapid than what has generally been thought and provides a new perspective on the long co-existence of both horses and tractors on farms. T he farm tractor was undoubtedly one of the most revolutionary technological innovations in the history of modern agriculture, vastly increasing the supply of farm power, raising productivity, and reshaping the rural landscape. But, as with many great inventions, the tractor's emergence generated considerable controversy, as contemporaries both lauded it as a symbol of progressive agriculture and condemned it for destroying a traditional way of life centered around the horse. Given the tractor' s importance, scholars have long pondered such issues as the evolution in tractor design, the long coexistence of the animal and mechanical modes of production, regional variations in adoption patterns, the impact of farm scale on diffusion, and the tractor's effect on farm structure and productivity.'
Miniature photoacoustic imaging probe using MEMS scanning micromirror

This paper presents the design and characterization of an electrothermally actuated high-fill-factor tip-tilt-piston (TTP) micromirror and its application to three-dimensional (3D) photoacoustic imaging (PAI). The micromirror chip is 2mm × 2mm. It has large scan range (>25°) at low driving voltage (∼4V) and can perform fast raster scanning. A miniature PAI probe with a diameter of 11.5 mm has been developed. The 3D images of in vivo human blood vessels are successfully obtained using this MEMS-based PAI system.
A Cross-Cultural View Towards The Ethical Dimensions Of Electronic Monitoring Of Employees: Does Gender Make A Difference?

This manuscript presents the results of a study which examined the ethical dimensions of electronic monitoring of employees from a cross-cultural perspective comparing participants from Taiwan with those from the United States. The results of the study suggest that gender differences exist between Taiwanese and American participants’ attitudes concerning the ethics of electronic monitoring of employees. The study suggests that monitoring with notice was an important parameter in determining how ethical electronic monitoring of employees was viewed by the respondents.
Transcriptional Regulatory Networks for CD4 T Cell Differentiation

CD4+ T cells play a central role in controlling the adaptive immune response by secreting cytokines to activate target cells. Naive CD4+ T cells differentiate into at least four subsets, Th1 , Th2 , Th17 , and inducible regulatory T cells , each with unique functions for pathogen elimination. The differentiation of these subsets is induced in response to cytokine stimulation, which is translated into Stat activation, followed by induction of master regulator transcription factors . In addition to these factors, multiple other transcription factors, both subset specific and shared, are also involved in promoting subset differentiation. This review will focus on the network of transcription factors that control CD4+ T cell differentiation.
Scheduling protocols for media-on-demand systems

Today's abundance of personal electronic devices and the growth of communications networks gives rise to a new set of applications. One such application allows clients to access high-bandwidth streaming media at times of their choosing. The focus of this dissertation is on the media-on-demand application for use in high-bandwidth communications networks. A media-on-demand server stores and distributes one or more media files to clients who wish to view/play them. Because server bandwidth can be quickly consumed when delivering the full media file to each client under high loads, protocols for delivering streaming media try to reduce the server bandwidth used to satisfy client requests. Our work focuses on the stream merging technique, where clients can receive two streams simultaneously and buffer data for future parts of the media file. When clients have the same data as other clients in the system, we merge the clients into a single group and eliminate unnecessary streams. This dissertation introduces, analyzes, and empirically compares algorithms for three media-on-demand models. The first model, which we call media-on-demand, assumes the media file requested is of finite length and clients always consume the media file from its beginning. The second model, media-on-demand with time-shifting, supports access to any portion of a live broadcasted stream. Our contributions include devising an algorithm for media-on-demand systems under high client loads, modeling media-on-demand with time-shifting as a rectilinear tree, finding the complexity class for the optimal offline solution to media-on-demand with time-shifting, and introducing an online algorithm for the time-shifting case. Finally, we introduce a network cost model where we try to optimize the network bandwidth instead of the server bandwidth. We describe an algorithm to compute the network cost given a stream merging schedule and introduce an online stream merging algorithm for the network cost model.
Laser-based control of microfluidic droplets

We have constructed a simple optical system to control small droplets over a wide range of sizes (30 μm −1.5 mm diameter), based on the thermal Marangoni effect. We observed droplet fusion and rapid mixing (<30 ms), and we have performed an absorption-based protein detection assay.
Investigations on myelinogenesis in vitro: I. The occurrence of endogenous protein kinase and its role in the phosphorylation of myelin basic proteins in "myelin-like membranes" isolated from cerebral cell cultures.

The presence of a protein kinase capable of phosphorylating endogenous as well as exogenously added myelin basic proteins has been demonstrated in a myelin-like membrane fraction isolated from reaggregating and surface adhering, primary cultures of cells dissociated from embryonic mouse brain. Only the large and small components of myelin basic proteins were found to be phosphorylated when myelin-like membrane fraction was incubated with [γ-32P]ATP. The protein kinase endogenous to the myelin-like membrane fraction was mainly of the cyclic AMP independent type. There was very little cyclic AMP dependent or cyclic GMP dependent protein kinase activities in this myelin-like fraction. Although the myelin basic proteins were the only endogenous proteins phosphorylated, protein kinase of the myelin-like membrane was capable of catalyzing the phosphorylation of exogenous substrates, such as histones.
Revealing the allosterome: systematic identification of metabolite-protein interactions.

Small molecule allostery modifies protein function but is not easily discovered. We introduce mass spectrometry integrated with equilibrium dialysis for the discovery of allostery systematically (MIDAS), a method for identifying physiologically relevant, low-affinity metabolite–protein interactions using unmodified proteins and complex mixtures of unmodified metabolites. In a pilot experiment using five proteins, we identified 16 known and 13 novel interactions. The known interactions included substrates, products, intermediates, and allosteric regulators of their protein partners. MIDAS does not depend upon enzymatic measurements, but most of the new interactions affect the enzymatic activity of the protein partner. We found that the fatty acid palmitate interacts with both glucokinase and glycogen phosphorylase. Further characterization revealed that palmitate inhibited both enzymes, possibly providing a mechanism for sparing carbohydrate catabolism when fatty acids are abundant.
Abstract 1980: The SIAH2-SMAD2/3/4 antagonism downstream of the K-RAS and TGFβ signaling pathways during tumor initiation, progression and metastasis of human cancer

The pivotal roles of the K-RAS and TGFβ signaling pathways have been well characterized in a number of normal and pathological conditions including human cancer. Hyperactivation of the ERBB/KRAS pathway is known to drive neoplastic transformation, tumorigenesis and metastasis in a large percentage of human cancers while the growth inhibitory actions of TGFβ are critical in preventing cancer. A better understanding of the antagonistic interaction and cross-talk between the K-RAS and TGFβ signaling pathways that control tumorigenesis and metastasis may give rise to novel therapeutic interventions. Our previous work has highlight the importance of SIAH2 in K-RAS-dependent tumorigenesis and metastasis in human cancer. In this study, we showed that SMAD2/3/4 – the essential downstream mediators of TGFβ signaling, are new SIAH2 substrates. SIAH2 physically interacts with, ubiquitinates and degrades SMAD2/3/4 (but not SMAD1 – the downstream mediator of the BMP signaling pathway). The identification of the SIAH2-mediated SMAD2/3/4 modulation/degradation may provide an additional mechanism to explain the well documented, but less understood ERBB/K-RAS and TGFβ antagonism described in normal development, tumorigenesis and metastasis. We propose that the tumor promoting activity of RAS/SIAH2 may be mediated through the degradation of SMAD2/3/4 proteins and thus the relief of TGFβ-dependent growth inhibition in response to ERBB/K-RAS activation. The discovery of the SIAH2-SMAD2/3/4 antagonism downstream of K-RAS and TGFβ signaling pathways may provide a novel mode of antagonistic cross-talk between these two important signaling pathways to explain the growth inhibitory action of the TGFβ pathway and the growth-promoting activity of the K-RAS pathway in the genesis, progression and metastasis of human cancer. Since the substrate specificity of ubiquitin-mediated proteolysis is primarily determined by the E3 ligase, our results provide new insights into the role of altered proteolysis in mediating the context-dependent ERBB/RAS-TGFβ antagonism and cross-talk in human cancers. 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 1980. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1980
Impact Assessment of Micro-grid on Distribution System Reliability

In order to make better use of distributed generators(DG),micro-grids are getting more and more notice.So,it is necessary to assess the impact of micro-grid on distribution system reliability.The PV,WT,micro gas turbine and energy storage are applied to build micro-grids and its reliability analysis model.Besides,some new reliability index has been proposed to assess the distribution system with micro-grids.By using minimal path method,this article assesses the reliability of a radiant power distribution system based on different alternatives.The factor of important loads has been considered.The results show that micro-grids can raise the distribution system reliability;the location and capacity of micro-grids have an obvious influence on the reliability;the benefit of micro-grids is more notable when the factor of important loads are considered.
On the Nature of the Transport Factor Component TFship

This paper presents a revised empirical model for TF ship , the Transport Factor component related to empty ship weight. Empty ship weight is shown to be dependent on a ship volume parameter, deadweight density, that relates the sum of cargo and fuel weight to the sum of cargo and fuel volume. The revised model is compatible with Transport Factor analyses that assess transport properties of ship types of interest for high-speed sealift. Applicability is limited to displacement and semi-displacement monohulls and catamarans.
Orientation Dependent X-Ray Absorption Near Edge Structure in YBa2Cu3O7 and La1.85Sr0.15ISCUO4

X-ray absorption measurements have been made on powder samples of YBa2Cu3O7 and La1.85sr0.15CuO4 oriented in a magnetic field. Measurements made at the Cu K edge with the x-ray polarization oriented perpendicular and parallel to the c-axis show distinct differences for both materials, indicating a strong anisotropy of the electronic states about the Cu atoms. The Y edge measurements show a much smaller anisotropy as expected due to its more symmetric environment. Preliminary analysis indicates these measurements should be useful in choosing between the conflicting interpretations of the near edge structure in these materials.
Full Steam Ahead: A Conceptual Analysis of User-Supplied Tags on Steam

ABSTRACTThis article describes a conceptual analysis of user-generated tags applied to video games in the Steam video game distribution system. The research team scraped all user-generated tags available on Steam and then conducted a conceptual analysis of the tags, sorting them into categories and comparing them to the current version of the Video Game Metadata Schema. This analysis allowed the team to identify new metadata elements and terms useful to game players. We present a discussion covering the major issues in organizing the terms, as well as the implications for the future work in the area of video game metadata.
A Key Issue of Measurement: Military Expenditure and Civil-Military Relations

This chapter explores a key measurement issue with respect to civil-military relations. The issue is singled out for attention because of its potential for controversy: The degree of civilian versus military control is perhaps the least effectively measured entity among the concepts introduced by the foreign policy decision-making model. In the previous chapters, we have measured the degree of civilian versus military influence through change in military expenditure. However, this might be regarded instead as an indicator of the severity of threats to national security as perceived by national leaders—in other words, more serious dangers could produce higher military expenditures. This chapter looks into that salient possibility by treating military expenditure and other variables, such as military manpower system, as components of an endogenized indicator of civil-military relations. The results obtained here will be important to the overall project, in which civil versus military influence is put forward as a key causal factor in relation to the propensity of a state to become involved in external disputes.
Clever people: Intelligence and humor production ability

Are smarter people funnier? Recent work suggests that cognitive abilities are important to humor production—the ability to generate funny ideas on the spot. Using the Cattell–Horn–Carroll model of intelligence, the present research examined both general and specific contributions of cognitive factors to humor ability. It extended past research by (a) measuring a broader range of cognitive abilities, including some that have not been assessed thus far, (b) assessing humor with a broader battery of tasks, and (c) using bifactor models to estimate both general and specific effects of intelligence on humor. A sample of 270 young adults completed measures of fluid reasoning (Gf), vocabulary knowledge (Gc), and broad retrieval ability (Gr) along with a battery of humor production tasks. All 3 specific factors correlated with humor ability, and a higher order model found a large effect of g on humor ability (s = .51 [.32, .70]). In a bifactor model, however, humor ability was predicted primarily by g and Gr but not Gf, suggesting that fluid intelligence’s correlation with humor ability found in past studies is carried by g. These findings illustrate both general and specific effects of intelligence on humor, and they expand the growing literature on the important role of intelligence in creative thought.
Introduction: U.S. Homophile Internationalism.

ABSTRACTThis article introduces “U.S. Homophile Internationalism,” a special issue of the Journal of Homosexuality. The introduction provides a broad overview of the “U.S. Homophile Internationalism” archive and exhibit, which was published on the Outhistory Web site in 2015. The archive and exhibit consists of more than 800 U.S. homophile magazine articles, letters, and other items that referenced non-U.S. regions of the world from 1953 to 1964. The essays in the special issue focus on (1) Africa; (2) Asia and the Pacific; (3) Canada; (4) Latin America and the Caribbean; (5) the Middle East; and (6) Russia, the Soviet Union, and Eastern Europe. There is also an article that addresses the public history and digital humanities dimensions of the project. The introduction concludes by discussing the essays’ common goals, themes, and concerns.
Chocolate and prevention of atrial fibrillation: what is bad for the pancreas might be good for the atria?

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common arrhythmia, affecting over 33 million patients worldwide, and 25% of adults will develop AF over their lifetime.1 Patients with AF have higher rates of heart failure, hospitalisation, stroke and cognitive impairment as well as lower quality of life; these factors result in large direct and indirect costs to the healthcare system and society.1 The mechanisms of AF are multifactorial and not well understood, although genetic and cardiovascular risk factors are associated with AF.2–4 Because there is no cure for AF and patients are forced to manage AF as a chronic disease, prevention of AF is the optimal approach, although most AF-related studies focus on treatment instead of prevention.4 Unfortunately, there are no effective, proven therapies for the primary prevention of AF. Nearly 60% of AF can be attributed to modifiable risk factors. For example, hypertension accounts for 20% of the risk of AF.4 Lifestyle modification like weight loss and smoking cessation may contribute to AF prevention. Weight loss has been associated with lower AF burden and improved maintenance of sinus rhythm.3 Management of cardiovascular risk factors would also likely result in AF prevention. Better controlled hypertension, diabetes and cholesterol have been shown to improve arrhythmia-free survival after AF ablation,4 whereas coronary artery disease contributes to AF through myocardial fibrosis, atrial dilation, inflammation and ischaemia.1 4 Sleep apnoea is another modifiable factor that has been strongly associated with AF, although no randomised trials have demonstrated that treatment of sleep apnoea prevents AF.2–4 Ultimately, there are multiple potential approaches for the prevention of AF, which have been identified …