cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Equality for the sexes in human evolution? Early hominid sexual dimorphism and implications for mating systems and social behavior

Since the publication of Charles Darwin's The Descent of Man and Selection in Relation to Sex in 1871 (1), there has been a vigorous debate about the meaning of sexual dimorphism for a range of physical attributes in numerous animal species, including primates and humans, extinct and extant. Key points of discussion are how to interpret size dimorphism in past humans and human-like ancestors and what inferences can be drawn about the evolution of human mating systems and social organization. In this issue of PNAS, Reno et al. (2) report on their investigation of sexual dimorphism in the three-million-year-old Australopithecus afarensis , an important and well known hominid, ancestral to the genus Homo (3). Insight into dimorphism in this taxon has important implications for social behavior and organization in later and present-day humans. Body mass dimorphism varies dramatically among primate species, both present and past. For most anthropoids, males are bigger than females (4–8). Humans today display relatively limited sexual dimorphism (≈15%), whereas some of the other hominoids (gorillas and orangutans) are highly dimorphic (>50%) (5, 9). Body mass is easily determined in living species. For past nonhuman primates and human ancestors, mostly represented by fragmentary fossil remains, body mass is far less accessible. Recently, the femur head (the ball of bone at the top of the femur that fits into the hip joint) has been invoked as a source for estimating body mass in early hominids, Homo , and its evolutionary predecessor, Australopithecus (10, 11). Comparisons of body mass in fossil hominids reveal that general levels …
An 8-bit 200-MHz BiCMOS comparator

The design of a fully differential BiCMOS comparator suitable for application in data conversion, instrumentation, and communication systems operating at video frequencies and above is discussed. By exploiting the advantages presented by the integration of both bipolar and CMOS devices within the same technology, the comparator dissipates less power than conventional bipolar designs without sacrificing operating speed. The comparator includes an input stage that combines MOS sampling with a bipolar regenerative amplifier. This stage dissipates no static power and, because the amplification is provided by a bipolar differential pair, no offset cancellation is needed to achieve 8-b precision. Furthermore, the need for preamplification and the attendant power-delay penalty associated with preamplifier overdrive recovery are avoided. An experimental version of the comparator, consisting of the BiCMOS regenerative input stage followed by a current-switched latch, has been integrated in a 0.8- mu m BiCMOS technology with an area of 140*75 mu m. This circuit performs comparisons to a precision of 8 b at rates up to 200 MHz. The entire circuit dissipates only 1.6 mW at the maximum clock rate while operating from a single 5-V supply. >
Optimal modeling of an arterial system

Abstract The aortic blood flow is described by a set of nonlinear hyperbolic partial differential equations that account for mass and momentum conservation, and nonlinear models for the mechanical properties of the artery. Identification is used for determining the wave speed, arterial taper, and cross section: these parameters reflect the elastic characteristics of the aorta wall and control the pulsatile response. The differential equations were numerically integrated by the Lax-Wendroff scheme of Abarbanel and Goldberg [ J. Comput. Phys. 10:1–21 (1972)] that avoids nonlinear oscillations. The Gauss-Newton technique was used for the parameter identification. By reference to reported elocity and pressure input-output pairs, a parameter vector is found such that the distance in the L 2 norm between the predicted outputs and the measured functions is minimal. Calculations of the velocity and pressure waves show excellent compatibility of the model with reported experimental data: starting from arbitrary parameter estimates, which yield grossly distorted waveforms, the error is typically reduced to 7–8%. Introduction of viscoelastic behaviour for the arterial wall in the form of a Volterra integral for the cross section does not lead to significant improvement. Numerical examples are presented which prove the convergence, accuracy, and stability of the algorithm. Emphasis is placed on the computational feasibility of the proposed system identification.
Demystifying service discovery: implementing an internet-wide scanner

This paper develops a high-performance, Internet-wide service discovery tool, which we call IRLscanner, whose main design objectives have been to maximize politeness at remote networks, allow scanning rates that achieve coverage of the Internet in minutes/hours (rather than weeks/months), and significantly reduce administrator complaints. Using IRLscanner and 24-hour scans, we perform 21 Internet-wide experiments using 6 different protocols (i.e., DNS, HTTP, SMTP, EPMAP, ICMP and UDP ECHO), demonstrate the usefulness of ACK scans in detecting live hosts behind stateless firewalls, and undertake the first Internet-wide OS fingerprinting. In addition, we analyze the feedback generated (e.g., complaints, IDS alarms) and suggest novel approaches for reducing the amount of blowback during similar studies, which should enable researchers to collect valuable experimental data in the future with significantly fewer hurdles.
Optimization of a Hybrid Magnetic Bearing for a Magnetically Levitated Blood Pump via 3-D FEA

In order to improve the performance of a magnetically levitated (maglev) axial flow blood pump, three-dimensional (3-D) finite element analysis (FEA) was used to optimize the design of a hybrid magnetic bearing (HMB). Radial, axial, and current stiffness of multiple design variations of the HMB were calculated using a 3-D FEA package and verified by experimental results. As compared with the original design, the optimized HMB had twice the axial stiffness with the resulting increase of negative radial stiffness partially compensated for by increased current stiffness. Accordingly, the performance of the maglev axial flow blood pump with the optimized HMBs was improved: the maximum pump speed was increased from 6000 rpm to 9000 rpm (50%). The radial, axial and current stiffness of the HMB was found to be linear at nominal operational position from both 3-D FEA and empirical measurements. Stiffness values determined by FEA and empirical measurements agreed well with one another. The magnetic flux density distribution and flux loop of the HMB were also visualized via 3-D FEA which confirms the designers’ initial assumption about the function of this HMB.
Analysis of Rectangular RC Distributed Circuits with Shaped Electrodes

An analysis is given for a distributed RC network that consists of a resistive layer separated by an insulator from three separate electrodes. A conducting tab is placed completely across two opposing ends of the resistive layer. These tabs form two terminals of a five-terminal network. The three electrodes form the other terminals. The short-circuit admittance parameters for this network are derived and consideration is given to special interconnections. The short-circuit transfer admittances between an electrode and either end of the resistive layer may easily be made rational. An interconnection provides the possibility of a rational short-circuit transfer admittance that does not possess a zero at the origin. The method can be extended to similar multi-electrode networks.
Paradoxical inferior-posterior wall systolic expansion in patients with end-stage liver disease.

As part of the preoperative evaluation of patients for liver transplant at our institute, standard echocardiographic examinations are performed to rule out signifi cant cardiac disease. While reviewing these studies, we encountered several patients who exhibited paradoxical expansile motion of the inferior-posterior wall during systole and diastole in the face of overall preserved left ventricle function. The present study analyzes the prevalence, mechanism, and impact of this phenomenon on overall left ventricular (LV) function in patients with liver disease.  Patients with end-stage liver disease (ESLD) who had been referred for transthoracic echocardiography as part of the pre-liver transplant workup were identifi ed over an 18-month period. Our center uses the United Network of Organ Sharing criteria for evaluating and listing patients with ESLD. This requires that patients have a Child-Turcotte-Pugh score of 7. All patients underwent echocardiography with commercially available units (Agilent, Andover, Massachusetts; Acuson, Mountain View, California; and ATL, Bothell, Washington) with transducers operating at 2.4 to 3.5 MHz. Patients were studied in the left lateral decubitus position. Two-dimensional, color Doppler, and M-mode images were obtained in the parasternal long- and short-axis and the apical 4- and 2-chamber views. Harmonic tissue imaging was also used at the discretion of the sonographers to obtain images with optimal endocardial defi nition. Studies were recorded on s-VHS videotape for subsequent playback and analysis. Echocardiographic recordings were subsequently reviewed for the presence of any cardiac abnormalities. Standard LV dimensions were measured in the parasternal long-axis view according to the guidelines
LAMINAR SEPARATION IN BUOYANT CHANNEL FLOWS

A slow moving flow in a duct emerging into a quiescent negatively buoyant environment may separate from its inner wall prior to the lip. Buoyancy accelerates the flow, curving the streamlines within the duct away from the walls. The resulting deceleration at the wall may be sufficient to provoke separation. The problem of the location of this separation point in a two-dimensional channel is studied. A potential-flow model is examined first to explore the large-Reynolds -number behaviour. The form of the potential-flow description in the vicinity of the assumed location of separation is characterised by the presence of a square-root singularity in the pressure gradient at the wall. This permits use of the ideas of viscous-inviscid interaction, proposed by Sychev (1972), to determine the separation location as a function of Froude and Reynolds numbers. Results obtained in the high-Reynolds-number limit show that the channel flow separates at shorter distances from the entrance as Froude number is reduced.
Political Parties, Social Demographics and the Decline of Ethnic Mobilization in South Africa, 1994-99

Before the advent of democratic rule in South Africa, most people had expected the country to experience an explosion of politicized ethnicity when minority rule was replaced. Yet this has not come to pass, and ethnic political parties have declined in number and influence in post-apartheid South Africa. Instead, between 1994 and 1999 partisan politics developed in a multipolar direction, with some parties embracing racial mobilization and others attempting to build multi-ethnic, non-racial entities. This article explains these developments as a product of the ways that political parties have responded to the incentives established by political institutions, on the one hand, and the structure of social divisions, on the other. The analysis holds implications for our understanding of the ways in which social cleavages in ethnically divided societies become politically salient, and for the lessons of institutional and constitutional engineering, particularly with respect to how proportional representation s...
Marketing Student Attitudes toward Advertising: Implications for Marketing Education:

Student attitudes toward advertising may influence the content of marketing courses that address advertising-related issues. This article reports the results of a study that (1) assessed marketing students' attitudes toward advertising and (2) compared male and female marketing students' attitudes toward advertising. In addition, implications for marketing education are offered.
Use of the Rectal Examination on Children with Acute Abdominal Pain

The purpose of this study was to determine the frequency with which general pediatricians perform a rectal examination on children with a complaint of acute abdominal pain and to determine factors associated with performing a rectal examination. Children were eligible for the study if they were 2 to 12 years of age and presented to the clinic or emergency department of a municipal teaching hospital with a complaint of abdominal pain of less than or equal to three days' duration. Measured variables included demographic characteristics and presenting signs and symptoms. For each patient, a clinical reviewer (1) assigned a final diagnosis, (2) determined whether a rectal examination had been performed, and (3) assessed the clinical contribution of the rectal examination findings. For 1,140 children presenting for a nonscheduled visit with acute abdominal pain, a rectal examination was performed on 4.9% (56/1,140). Using multiple logistic regression, children were more likely to have a rectal examination performed if they had abdominal tenderness (odds ratio [OR] = 3.3 and 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.8 to 6.0), a history of constipation (OR = 6.0 and 95% CI, 2.3 to 15.3), or a history of rectal bleeding (OR = 9.1 and 95% CI, 2.9 to 29). Children were less likely to have had a rectal examination performed if they presented with associated symptoms of cough (OR = 0.32 and 95% CI, 0.14 to 0.74), headache (OR = 0.15 and 95% CI, 0.05 to 0.46), or sore throat (OR = 0.28 and 95% CI, 0.08 to 0.91). The final diagnoses of 12 children who had clinically contributory findings on rectal examination included: constipation (5), gastroenteritis (3), appendicitis (2), abdominal adhesions (1), and abdominal pain of unclear etiology (1). General pediatricians infrequently perform a rectal examination on children who present with a complaint of acute abdominal pain. Clinical factors affect the likelihood of whether a rectal examination is performed.
Radiation-induced alterations of fracture healing biomechanics

The effects of irradiation on the normal temporal progression of the physical properties of healing fractures were studied in a rat model. Fractures were surgically produced in the femur, stabilized with an intramedullary pin, and irradiated. One group of rats was exposed to 2,500 rads in divided doses over 2 weeks, beginning 3 days after fracture, and compared to a control group with fractures which were not irradiated. Animals were sacrificed at periodic intervals and the bones were tested to failure in torsion. The torque, stiffness, and energy increased and the angle decreased for the nonirradiated specimens in the expected fashion. This progression was deleteriously altered in the irradiated femurs.
Correlates of Heterosexual Men's Eroticization of Lesbianism

Abstract Although heterosexual men tend to perceive lesbianism as erotic, little research has been conducted on the correlates of that perception. We investigated potential correlates of the perceived erotic value of lesbianism in a sample of 219 heterosexual college men. Replicating the results of previous research, we found that the perceived erotic value of lesbianism was correlated with less negative attitudes toward lesbians. We found perceived erotic value itself to be related to a cluster of variables which appeared to primarily represent interest in, and comfort with, sexuality in a variety of forms: recent exposure to pornography, lack of endorsement of traditional sexual values, preoccupation with sex, erotophilia, greater sexual experience, and acquaintance with lesbians. However, perceived erotic value was unrelated to two variables that we had expected to mediate its relationship with recent exposure to pornography: perceptions of lesbians as bisexual and as interested in sex with men. Implic...
Book Reviews and Responses

Sami Zubaida, Law and Power in the Islamic World, London, IB Tauris, first published 2003, reprinted 2005, ISBN 1860648657 (hbk), 256 pp, ISBN 1850439346 (pbk), 248 pp Law and Power in the Islamic ...
The Blood-Brain Barrier, Potassium, and Brain Growth

Blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability to small polar molecules, including potassium, is increased early in rat development and this may reflect the need of the growing brain for potassium. The latter was tested by examining the effect of dexamethasone on BBB 86Rb (potassium) permeability and brain growth. This drug substantially reduced BBB 86Rb permeability in 1 day and 1 week old rats (38 and 55%) but had no significant effect in 3 and 7 week old rats. The reduction in BBB permeability in the younger age groups was accompanied by a reduction in brain growth.
Some Paradoxes in Competency-Based Dental Education

Competency-based dental education was introduced in 1993 and has proven to be a robust innovation, guiding curricular design, clinical education and evaluation, and accreditation. At the same time, it has been irregularly implemented and is understood in different ways. These paradoxes were explored in a survey of academic and clinical deans and chairs of departments of endodontics and restorative dentistry at U.S. and Canadian dental schools. It was confirmed that fewer than half of the respondents can identify the ADEA and ADA definition of competency. Significant differences were reported in the perceived understanding and value placed on competencies and their impact on dental education. Differences were also found to exist in evaluation practices and in how evaluation data are used to determine students' readiness for graduation. It is concluded that the openness of the competency concept is one reason for its longevity and usefulness in dental education.
Environment, the Immune System, and Depression: An Integrative Review and Discussion of the Infection-Defense Hypothesis

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is one of medicine’s most prevalent and costly disorders, and it has high rates of comorbidity with a wide range of infectious diseases and serious medical disorders. MDD has been linked to immunologic alterations that include suppressed cellular immune function, excessive inflammatory response, and greater susceptibility to infection. In this chapter, we review research on environmental factors and immune factors associated with depression including: a clinical overview of MDD, current evidence on environmental risk factors and alterations in immune function, and the role of immune factors in the etiology of depression. In a concluding section, we discuss an integrative hypothesis—The Infection-Defense Hypothesis—that may help to resolve an important psychiatric puzzle, offering an explanation for why immune function is related to depression, and why depression remains common, despite its high evolutionary costs and evidence for its significant heritability.
Twentieth-Century Legal Metaphors for Self and Society

Contract was a powerful trope at the nineteenth century’s end, representing society as a dynamic field of competing and transacting wills. This paper traces the emergence of other legal metaphors for society in twentieth century American legal thought, social thought, and popular culture. The newer legal metaphors included interests, claims, process, institutions, and transactions. Taken together, these metaphors testified to a new experience of the self as a contingent performance enabled by an institutional medium or network.
Factors associated with contralateral prophylactic mastectomy use among breast cancer patients in a metropolitan hospital system

6558 Background: A recent population-based study reported the proportion of women with unilateral breast cancer who underwent contralateral prophylactic mastectomy (CPM) increased by 150% between 1...
Pathogenicity to Honey Bees of a Strain of Bacillus larvae That Does Not Reduce Nitrate

A strain of Bacillus larvae While that does not reduce nitrate, produced typical infections of American foulbrood disease when it was injected into the head capsule of one-day-old pupae of A pis mellifera L. or was ingested with the brood food by young bee larvae. It was reisolated in pure culture from an infected pupa, and it still gave a negative nitrate reduction reaction. Like several other strains (from Montana, Nebraska, and Wyoming) that do reduce nitrate, it caused American foulbrood in young bee larvae of similar ages in the same combs.
Notes on the Geographical Distribution and Host Preferences in the Order Siphonaptera: Part 1. Pulicidae,

This is the first of a series of papers in summation of our current knowledge of flea distribution relative to both land masses and hosts. Evaluation is carried to the species level and the organization of the paper permits its utilization as a check-list of the genera and species of fleas. All known members of the family Pulicidae are treated.
Nearctic Spiders of the Family Urocteidae

The family Urocteidae is represented in the Nearctic fauna by only three known species. All of these belong to the subfamily Oecobiinae . One species ( Oecobius parietalis (Hentz) is common across the southern United States, and is well known; the other two species are less common, and are little known: Oecobius isolatus Chamberlin was described from an immature specimen from Lower California, Mexico; an immature specimen has since been collected in Arizona. Platoecobius floridanus (Banks) was described from Florida; an examination of additional specimens from the Okefinokee Swamp in Georgia indicate that it constitutes a new genus separate from Oecobius , where it has been placed.
Charge sensed Pauli blockade in a metal-oxide-semiconductor lateral double quantum dot.

We report Pauli blockade in a multielectron silicon metal–oxide–semiconductor double quantum dot with an integrated charge sensor. The current is rectified up to a blockade energy of 0.18 ± 0.03 me...
Experience counts: The chief justice, management tenure, and strategic behavior on the U.S. Supreme Court

We develop and test a theoretical account of the effect of management tenure on the strategic behavior of the chief justice of the United States. Substantial evidence from literatures on learning models and public management indicate that tenure (length of service) is positively related to management performance in public organizations. This suggests that the chief justice’s tenure in office should be positively related to efficiency in the use of the chief justice’s formal powers. We assess this hypothesis by replicating and extending Johnson et al.’s study of chief justice Burger’s conference voting behavior. The data support our management tenure hypothesis, showing that Burger used greater discretion in reserving his conference vote over time as he became more adept at discriminating between circumstances when the tactic was strategically valuable and when it was not.
Moving Toward Ecosystem Management: Examining a Change in Philosophy for Resource Management

Federal agencies, scientists, and others are increasingly calling for ecosystem management as a new approach to resource management. This approach represents a change in philosophy for resource management that will require changes in how we view nature, science and politics. This paper draws upon critical theory to examine this shift in philosophy. The paper focuses on the inﬂuence of Enlightenment thought on U.S. Western resource policy and examines four dimensions including the relationship between humans and nature; the concept of rationality; the nature of science; and social relations among humans. Alternative theoretical principles suggested by ecosystem management are discussed. Examples of natural resource management projects that reﬂect ecosystem management in practice are also presented. Keywords: natural resource policy, political thory, ecosystem management, U.S. west land management, critical theory, enlightenment thought.
Solid and Papillary Neoplasms of the Pancreas

Solid and papillary neoplasms of the pancreas are rare, lowgrade malignant tumors that are histologically distinct from usual ductal adenocarcinomas and islet cell tumors and are amenable to cure by surgical excision. Because these lesions have been diagnosed incorrectly in the past as adenocarcinomas or cystadenocarcinomas, they may have contributed to reports with confusing survival statistics following resections for malignant neoplasms of the pancreas. In young women with large, relatively asymptomatic tumors of the pancreas, solid and papillary neoplasms should be high on the list of the differential diagnoses.
REGULATION OF DNA MODIFICATION BY SELECTIVE CONJUGATION OF BENZO(a)PYRENE METABOLITES

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the regulation of DNA modification by selective conjugation of benzo(a)pyrene (BP) metabolites. Initiation of cell transformation by polycyclic hydrocarbons such as BP requires an initial cyt P450 mediated oxidation that, in the presence of epoxide hydratase, yields a variety of metabolites, including two highly carcinogenic, stereoisomeric, bay-region dihydrodiol-epoxides (diol-epoxides). DNA exposed to BP metabolites in vitro shows modification by the anti and syn diol-epoxides and by a BP 9–phenol-epoxide derivative; the latter is not found in DNA isolated from whole cells or tissues treated with BP. Removal of BP phenol metabolites through conjugation is mediated via microsomal uridine diphosphate glucose (UDP)–glucuronosyl transferase that also selectively conjugates BP–quinones. Removal of BP quinones via conjugation with UDP–glucuronic acid shows an increase of BP 7, 8–dihydrodiol metabolism and diol-epoxide modification of DNA. The chapter discusses the selective regulatory role of BP quinones and the effects of their removal via conjugation.
Modeling wind power curtailment with increased capacity in a regional electricity grid supplying a dense urban demand

Abstract Many US states have targets for vastly expanding electricity generation from renewable resources. As installed wind capacity increases, several factors can lead to the curtailment of potential wind-generated electricity. Reliably estimating wind power outputs remains a challenge given the dearth of available hub height-altitude wind speed data and measured outputs from newer turbines. A methodology to make such estimates with large increases in wind capacity is described. A regional wind power model, including subroutines for evaluating Statewide grid constraints, and a linear program to solve the model were developed to assess capacity factors and curtailments with deep penetration of wind power into an existing grid under several constrained scenarios implied by demand, baseload generation and transmission. Actual zonal demand and interzonal transmission limits were used for the New York State electricity grid, which has significant potential for wind power mostly distant from the concentrated electricity demand in and around New York City. The analysis indicates that current wind power outputs in the State underperform when compared to what the potential output should be at the same locations and could be if better wind regime sites were selected. Even with improved selection of sites and turbines, no constraints considered caused curtailment until systemwide capacity exceeds 6 GW; beyond this capacity, curtailment occurs only due to the presence of inflexible baseload generators until systemwide capacity exceeds 15 GW. At deeper penetrations of wind, mismatches in potential wind power supply and electricity demand coupled with continuously operating baseload generators have the most significant impact on the curtailment of wind-generated electricity, with much of the curtailment occurring during October-March. Interzonal transmission constraints further increase wind curtailment and would require very large transmission capacity increases to capture fully; however, more modest increases in transmission capacity can significantly reduce curtailment.
Miniaturized EBG-backed textile microstrip patch antenna for Bluetooth wearable sensor applications

In this paper, textile microstrip patch antennas are designed and fabricated to operate at 2.45 GHz. One particular prototype has a multi-layer design since it is miniaturized by using an Electromagnetic Bandgap substrate operating in its slow-wave region. To design the patch antenna and EBG structure the dielectric properties of a fleece substrate is measured by utilizing ring resonator characterization method. Subsequently, the in-house fabricated textile patch antennas are employed in a wireless Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) system for identification and monitoring human vital signs. Using TI's Bluetooth transceiver dongle with a personal laptop computer, and TI CC2540EM and SmartRF05EB boards as a transceiver tag, a communication distance of 17.69m was measured for a mere tag identification. This range is twice of what was obtained with a commercial dipole-type wire antenna. As well, when a vital sign sensor is added to BLE system with textile microstrip patch antenna successful remote measurement of human pulse rate was observed.
Cell Proliferation Induced by the NPM-ALK Fusion Tyrosine Kinase of Anaplastic Large Cell Lymphoma Is Mediated by mTOR/S6K1 and MEK/ERK Signaling.

Abstract The nucleophosmin-anaplastic lymphoma kinase (NPM-ALK) fusion is the product of the t(2;5)(p23;q35) chromosomal translocation found in approximately half of anaplastic large cell lymphomas (ALCL). Moreover, this fusion kinase, as well as other ALK fusion proteins, have been found in large B-cell lymphomas. This fusion kinase has been shown to regulate multiple signal transduction pathways and to induce hematopoietic malignancy in murine models. Nonetheless, the functional role of signaling events caused by NPM-ALK expression is incompletely understood. Here we report that NPM-ALK activates the kinase S6K1 (p70/p85) and the extracellular regulated kinase (ERK1/2). In Ba/F3 murine hematopoietic cells that express NPM-ALK, S6K1 activition by NPM-ALK was sensitive to mTOR inhibition by rapamycin. However, treatment of NPM-ALK-Ba/F3 cells with the MEK inhibitor UO126 did not attenuate the activation of S6K1 by NPM-ALK. Pharmacological inhibition of either mTOR or MEK in Ba/F3 cells expressing NPM-ALK resulted in impaired cytokine-independent outgrowth of these cells. For either inhibitor, suppression of cytokine-independent outgrowth was due to impairment of cell proliferation. In contrast, cell survival signaling was not compromised by either inhibitor alone or in combination. Combined inhibition of both the mTOR/S6K1 and MEK/ERK signaling modules resulted in an additive impairment of cytokine-independent outgrowth. Moreover, rapamycin attenuated the proliferation of the human NPM-ALK-expressing ALCL cell line Karpas299. The mTOR/S6K1 and MEK/ERK signaling modules may serve as effective chemotherapeutic targets in the treatment of ALCL and other malignancies that express the activated ALK protein tyrosine kinase.
Blood Stasis on Transcatheter Valve Leaflets and Implications for Valve-in-Valve Leaflet Thrombosis.

Background Leaflet thrombosis after valve-in-valve (ViV) procedure has been increasingly recognized. This study aimed to investigate the flow dynamics aspect of leaflet thrombosis by quantifying the blood stasis on the noncoronary and coronary leaflets of a surgical aortic valve (SAV) and a transcatheter aortic valve (TAV) in a ViV setting. Methods Two computational models, representing a SAV and a TAV in ViV setting, were developed in a patient-specific geometry. Three-dimensional flow fields were obtained through a fluid-solid interaction modeling approach to study the difference in blood residence time (BRT) on the coronary and noncoronary leaflets. Results Longer BRT was observed on the TAV leaflets compared with the SAV, specifically near the leaflet fixed boundary. Particularly, at the end of diastole, the areas of high BRT (≥1.2 seconds) on the surface of the TAV model leaflets were four times larger than those of the SAV model. The distribution of BRT on the three leaflets exhibited a similar pattern in the model for the TAV in ViV setting. That was in contrast to the SAV model where large areas of high BRT were observed on the noncoronary leaflet. Conclusions Geometric confinement of the TAV by the leaflets and the frame of the degenerated bioprosthesis that circumferentially surround the TAV stent increases the BRT on the leaflets, which may act as a permissive factor in the TAV leaflet thrombosis after ViV procedure. A similar distribution pattern of BRT observed on the TAV leaflets may explain the similar rate of occurrence of thrombosis on the three leaflets.
Top-Down and Bottom-Up Interactions Influence Fledging Success at North America’s Largest Colony of Caspian Terns ( Hydroprogne caspia )

Our study investigated the influence of bottom-up and top-down drivers on the declining fledging success at a once thriving breeding colony of Caspian terns (Hydroprogne caspia). Situated at the mouth of the Columbia River, OR, East Sand Island (ESI) is home to the largest Caspian tern breeding colony in North America. Since 2001, the decline in fledging success of Caspian terns at ESI has been associated with a significant increase in average river discharge during May and June. During the years 2001–2011, the abundance of forage fish available to terns in the estuary was inversely related to river discharge. This relationship also apparently affected the reliance of nest predators on the tern colony as a food source, resulting in increased disturbance and decreased fledging success at the tern colony in years of higher river discharge. There was a significant longitudinal increase in disturbance rates by bald eagles (Haliaeetus leucocephalus) during June for terns nesting at the ESI colony, and eagle disturbance rates were positively associated with May river discharge. We also found a significant increase in kleptoparasitism rates of terns by hybrid glaucous-winged/western gulls (Larus glaucescens x Larus occidentalis) since 2001, and Caspian tern fledging success at ESI decreased with increasing average annual rates of gull kleptoparasitism. Our results support the hypothesis that the decline in Caspian tern fledging success at this large estuarine colony was primarily driven by the interaction of bottom-up and top-down factors, influencing tern fledging success through the food supply and triggering potential predators to identify the tern breeding colony as an alternative source of prey.
Insulin-sensitive and insulin-resistant obese and non-obese phenotypes: role in prediction of incident pre-diabetes in a longitudinal biracial cohort

Objective We measured insulin sensitivity with euglycemic clamp (Si-clamp) in initially normoglycemic African Americans (AA) and European Americans (EA), to probe the existence of subphenotypes of obesity and leanness, and their impact on incident dysglycemia during longitudinal follow-up. Research design and methods 320 healthy subjects (176 AA, 144 EA; mean age 44.2±10.6 years) underwent baseline assessments, including Si-clamp and homeostasis model of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) and were stratified into: insulin-resistant obese (IRO) (body mass index (BMI) >30 kg/m 2 , Si-clamp 2.5); insulin-sensitive obesity (ISO) (BMI >30 kg/m 2 , Si-clamp >0.1, HOMA-IR 2 , Si-clamp 2.5); insulin-sensitive non-obese (ISN) (BMI 2 , Si-clamp >0.1, HOMA-IR Results Compared with IRO, subjects with ISO had lower abdominal fat, triglycerides and high-sensitivity C reactive protein and higher adiponectin (p=0.015 to Conclusions Insulin sensitivity predicts ~40% decrease in the relative risk of incident pre-diabetes/T2D among obese persons, whereas insulin resistance predicts ~80% increased risk among non-obese persons. This is the first documentation of healthy and unhealthy phenotypes of obesity and leanness in a prospective biracial cohort, using rigorous measurement of insulin sensitivity.
Fiber optic networks in Romania — ready for next generation network or future networks? About future of fiber optic networks in Romania

This paper is bringing some questions and several possible paths for future fiber optic networks development in Romania, in a country with a lot of fiber optic cables and experts on fiber optics but on contrary with less new types of solutions for fiber optic networks or next generation networks.
Immunohistochemistry of the Androgen Receptor in Human Benign and Malignant Prostate Tissue

AbstractThe role of the androgen receptor in the development and progression of prostatic carcinoma has not been defined. The development of androgen receptor antibodies has provided new opportunities for direct immunohistochemical analysis. We compared the androgen receptor staining characteristics of fresh human prostatic carcinoma with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) using an avidinbiotin complex method. Cancer and BPH obtained from the same radical retropubic prostatectomy specimen in 10 prostate cancer patients (68.5 ± 7.3 years old standard deviation) and BPH from 10 noncancer patients (71.5 ± 7.7 years old) were incubated with AR52, a rabbit polyclonal antibody against a synthetic androgen receptor peptide. Nuclei within each section were graded for intensity of androgen receptor staining (0—absent, 1—weak, 2—moderate or 3—strong) and the percentage (0 to 100%) of nuclei sampled staining at each of these intensity levels was determined. A total intensity score (0 to 300) was the summation of the...
LAMINAR CONDENSATION HEAT TRANSFER ON A HORIZONTAL CYLINDER

A boundary-layer analysis is made for laminar film condensation on a horizontal cylinder. The formulation includes both the inertial forces and energy convection terms, which are neglected in Nusselt's simple theory. A similarity transformation valid over most of the cylinder, is found which reduces the partial differential equations of the problem (the conservation laws) to ordinary differential equations. Numerical solutions of the resulting ordinary differential equations are available for the Prandtl number range from 0.003 to 100. Heat-transfer results are presented and discussed. (auth)
Space Quest: Surveillance, Governance, and the Panoptic Eye of the United Nations

An omnivoyant eye, a power from above, capable of encompassing by its penetrating gaze all life on earth and of simultaneously controlling and regulating with a most detailed perfection the existence of individuals, animals, plants, machines, and institutions placed under its inspection: such a scenario has been imagined many times, from the Christian mystics of the late Middle Ages to the nineteenth century liberal utilitarians, from technocratic fictions (Orwell's 1984) to some of the most recent planetary sustainability utopias (late-twentieth-century environmentalism). The myth of an omnivoyant and omnipotent center of surveillance is what Jeremy Bentham1 formulated, and what, later, Michel Foucault theorized as a panoptic society.2 The panoptic society, or Panopticon, is a model of human and/ or technological organization governed by three principles: clarity, docility, and utility. The central eye of such a control mechanism sees all and everything at once. Privacy, selfishness, and individualist preferences are eliminated by the mere fact that the omnipresence of the controlling eye is a constant reminder that punishment is always possible. In such a universe of perpetual control and ubiquitous deterrence, bodies can be disciplined with a minimum of physical force (if any at all). They need not be tortured; simply, they are docile. The panoptic mode of governance is a marvelously efficient "system of certainty," as Foucault puts it. It allows a dominant sociopolitical system (what Foucault calls a regime of power/ knowledge) to reproduce its control and domination without having to constantly prove its hegemonic status. By manipulating docile bodies, panopticism is driven by a principle
Abstract TP300: Is Stroke Code Activation for Stroke Mimics Decreasing With Stroke Center Certification

Introduction: There has been extensive education required as part of the Joint Commission (TJC) stroke center certification to rapidly identify acute stroke patients. One study found from 1998 to 2...
Heart Age, Cardiovascular Disease Risk, and Disparities by Sex and Race/Ethnicity Among New York City Adults.

Objectives:Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of mortality in the United States. The risk for developing CVD is usually calculated and communicated to patients as a percentage. The c...
On Geomorphic Patterns with a Focus on Stone Circles Viewed as a Free-Convection Phenomenon

I describe a series of prominent patterns seen in landscapes which constitutes a research area ripe for the application of dynamical systems analysis. Stone circles and polygons in Arctic soils are particularly striking examples of self-organization and, hence, are presented in greater detail. A conceptual model of these features is developed, in which the soil is idealized as a very viscous linear fluid and intermittent free-convection of the soil is inferred. It is likely to result from gradients in the bulk density of the soil arising from an increase in water content with depth due to ice melt. This model is in accord with the observed size, regularity, pattern, texture, micro-relief, surface soil motion and vegetation of stone circles in Spitsbergen.
Touchcasting digital lecture notes

Educators face a shifting landscape as students are beginning to expect that even traditional classes have an online component that allows learning to happen both in the classroom and on-line. But for many classes, simple text or slide presentations don't capture the thought processes and analytical steps instructors would like to convey to students. For quick and dynamic exercises it's difficult to best chalk or markers for developing adhoc diagrams, formulas, or definitions. In this paper we give an overview of several systems that can be used to capture synchronized writing and audio. We consider digital whiteboard solutions, pencasting solutions, and then describe our own iPad based stroke capture tool, Touchcaster. We have used Touchcaster in a computer science algorithms class and based on this experience we present an early study on the perceived usefulness of the system as supplemental online instruction material from both a student and instructor viewpoint.
Efficient Algorithms for The Calculator

There have been many recent articles on using the pocket calculator as a teaching aid (e.g., Johnsonbaugh 1976, Maor 1976). These articles have mainly concentrated on what computations can be accomplished with a calculator. For the most part, how ever, they do not tell the user how to ac complish them. It is the purpose of this article to demonstrate some efficient ways to use the calculator, as well as to give examples that are appropriate for class room use.
Synthetic biology approaches: the next tools for improved protein production from CHO cells

Since the approval of the first biotherapeutic protein produced from CHO cells in 1987, researchers have been studying how to improve protein titer and product quality, mainly through cell line development and bioprocess optimization. With recent advances in genetic editing methods (CRISPR/Cas systems) together with large scale systems biology data, further improvements have been made. Here we outline recent progress in protein production from CHO cells through genetic editing and look to the future of improvements through synthetic biology approaches. We describe new work in the expansion of the genetic parts toolkit, including novel promoters, terminators, transcription factors, and genetic circuits, and how these synthetic parts will be used synergistically to continue improvements to protein production.
Measures of Residential Energy Access in Mexico, 2008–2014

The concept of energy access in developing countries, such as Mexico, encompasses the accessibility to reliable fuels for heating, cooking, and lighting purposes while reducing coal and firewood consumption. This paper suggests residential energy access indicators by applying accessibility theory and estimating demand equations for electricity, natural gas, propane, firewood, and coal using Mexican households’ survey data from 2008 to 2014. Sprawl measures, gravity model, and central place theory are the accessibility theories supporting the accessibility indicators. The suggested energy access indicators are statistically significant and show the expected signs when applied to propane in Mexican households in 2014. The greater the household income, population size, education level of the household head, energy access, and the lower the energy price and the household size, the greater the demand for energy from 2008 to 2014. By contrast, the greater the education, the lower the demand for firewood and coal. Policy-makers in Mexico can use the suggested results to complement the energy access indicators suggested by international agencies to evaluate energy access performance and better understand the drivers of the different energy goods consumed by Mexican households.
Loud Music and Leisure Noise Is a Common Cause of Chronic Hearing Loss, Tinnitus and Hyperacusis.

High sound levels capable of permanently damaging the ear are experienced not only in factories and war zones but in concert halls, nightclubs, sports stadiums, and many other leisure environments. This review summarizes evidence that loud music and other forms of “leisure noise” are common causes of noise-induced hearing loss, tinnitus, and hyperacusis, even if audiometric thresholds initially remain within clinically normal limits. Given the huge global burden of preventable noise-induced hearing loss, noise limits should be adopted in a much broader range of settings, and education to promote hearing conservation should be a higher public health priority.
Sowing the Seeds: Why do some armed groups socialise civilians more than others during civil war?

What explains variation in the intensity with which armed groups seek to socialise civilians into their ideology? This paper seeks to expand the literature on rebel governance and ideology in war t...
Small-Scale Winter Damage on Plants: Wind and Ice can Remove Plant Pubescence

Pubescence has significant ecological roles modifying herbivory or physiology. Effects of mechanical ice damage on a small scale, such as loss of pubescence, are typically neither observed nor investigated. The objective of this study is to determine whether microscale ice damage occurs at a degree sufficient for potential ecological impacts. I documented differential loss of pubescence in the field on leaves and stems experiencing frequent snow and freezing rain. I also experimentally demonstrated in the lab the potential for hair loss due to ice formation under windy conditions. Observations in the field document that pubescence is removed from plants exposed above the snowpack, but plants beneath the snowpack are less affected. Plants in low-elevation sites not experiencing snow or ice show little loss of pubescence. Hair loss can be replicated experimentally with glaze ice, but only under windy conditions. These results extend the potential impacts of snow and ice damage to small scales. Given the multiple ecological roles of pubescence, such impacts may be important for plant success and may potentially influence community composition shifts under changing climates.
The Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram: a Dynamic Learning Tool

(1996). The Fishbone (Ishikawa) Diagram: A Dynamic Learning Tool. Hospitality & Tourism Educator: Vol. 8, No. 1, pp. 45-47.
Monopoles and Axions in an Inflationary Universe

In an inflationary cosmology the phase transitions associated with intermediate mass scales may experience a large though not huge number of e-foldings before being finally completed. Extended structures (monopoles, strings, etc.) arising from such transitions are not necessarily inflated away. In an S0(10) model, for example, magnetic monopoles with mass ~ 1013 – 1014 GeV can occur at a level which is experimentally detectable. The topologically unstable string - wall system of axion models provides an important source of density fluctuations as a consequence of inflation.