cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A practical pressure sensitive computer keyboard

A pressure sensitive computer keyboard is presented that independently senses the force level on every depressed key. The design leverages existing membrane technologies and is suitable for low-cost, high-volume manufacturing. A number of representative applications are discussed.
The role of MHD in 3D aspects of massive gas injection

Simulations of massive gas injection for disruption mitigation in DIII-D are carried out to compare the toroidal peaking of radiated power for the cases of one and two gas jets. The radiation toroidal peaking factor (TPF) results from a combination of the distribution of impurities and the distribution of heat flux associated with the mode. When ignoring the effects of strong uni-directional neutral beam injection and rotation present in the experiment, the injected impurities are found to spread helically along field lines preferentially toward the high-field-side, which is explained in terms of a nozzle equation. Therefore when considering the plasma rest frame, reversing the current direction also reverses the toroidal direction of impurity spreading. During the pre-thermal quench phase of the disruption, the toroidal peaking of radiated power is reduced in a straightforward manner by increasing from one to two gas jets. However, during the thermal quench phase, reduction in the TPF is achieved only for a particular arrangement of the two gas valves with respect to the field line pitch. In particular, the relationship between the two valve locations and the 1/1 mode phase is critical, where gas valve spacing that is coherent with 1/1 symmetry effectively reduces TPF.
Rotavirus Vaccination of Very Low Birth Weight Infants at Discharge From the NICU

OBJECTIVE: Preterm infants are at increased risk of severe rotavirus gastroenteritis. Although immunization with rotavirus vaccine is safe and effective, age restrictions limit the number of infants eligible for vaccination at discharge from the NICU. The objectives of this study were to assess the implementation of the rotavirus vaccine program in our NICU, recognize missed opportunities for vaccination, and document how often very low birth weight (VLBW; birth weight ≤1500 g) and extremely low birth weight (ELBW; birth weight METHODS: This study reports on a prospective, observational cohort of all VLBW infants who were discharged from the NICU at Parkland Memorial Hospital from May 2008 to April 2010. Medical records were reviewed and data collected regarding the number of infants who were eligible for and received rotavirus vaccination at discharge. RESULTS: A total of 63% (135 of 213) of VLBW infants did not receive rotavirus vaccine. The reasons for not providing vaccine included the following: 84 or 104 days of age at discharge (48 of 213; 23%), or missed (35 of 213; 16%). The majority (75%) who were too old for vaccination at the time of discharge were ELBW. CONCLUSIONS: The current age restrictions for rotavirus immunization resulted in more than half of ELBW infants being ineligible for vaccination at the time of discharge from the NICU. Alternative strategies for rotavirus immunization in this population are needed.
Designing and Developing an Informatics Capstone Project Course

Informatics is the study of the application of information technology. The focus of studies within an Informatics program is on particular problem domain areas, including scientific domains like biology or chemistry, but also non-scientific domains like music, fine arts, or business. In this paper we describe our experience with the development of a capstone course for undergraduate Informatics students. In particular, we focus on process-related activities we have undertaken to deal with the rapid increase in enrollment for our course, which has grown from 15 students during the 2001/2002 academic year to more than 100 students currently enrolled. During the first 4 years that we have offered the course, over 300 students have completed more than 80 capstone group projects, with an expected 30 more projects this year. We present profiles of our past projects to illustrate the diversity and challenges to be expected of an Informatics program, which is significantly different than a traditional Computer Science program.
The Role of Prognostic Features in the Treatment of Childhood Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is the most common cancer in children and is among the most curable of the pediatric malignancies. Many clinical, biological, genetic, and molecular features have been identified as having prognostic significance in the outcome of patients with ALL. The standard features are age and WBC at diagnosis, with infants (less than one year), adolescents (greater than nine years), and children with WBC above 50,000/µl being at higher risk. Certain chromosomal abnormalities are also strong predictors; in particular, the Philadelphia chromosome and MLL gene rearrangements (especially in infants) are adverse features, while TEL-AML1 is favorable. It is important to note, however, that even the most important known predictors explain only a small proportion of the variability in outcome. These features are currently used to tailor the intensity of treatment so that the toxicity of treatment can be minimized and cure rates can continue to improve. This article reviews time-honored prognostic features, recent advances, and future directions in this field. The Oncologist 2000;5:321-328
Characterizing Transport between the Surface Mixed Layer and the Ocean Interior with a Forward and Adjoint Global Ocean Transport Model

The theory of first-passage time distribution functions and its extension to last-passage time distribution functions are applied to the problem of tracking the movement of water masses to and from the surface mixed layer in a global ocean general circulation model. The first-passage time distribution function is used to determine in a probabilistic sense when and where a fluid element will make its first contact with the surface as a function of its position in the ocean interior. The last-passage time distribution is used to determine when and where a fluid element made its last contact with the surface. A computationally efficient method is presented for recursively computing the first few moments of the first- and last-passage time distributions by directly inverting the forward and adjoint transport operator. This approach allows integrated transport information to be obtained directly from the differential form of the transport operator without the need to perform lengthy multitracer time integration of the transport equations. The method, which relies on the stationarity of the transport operator, is applied to the time-averaged transport operator obtained from a three-dimensional global ocean simulation performed with an OGCM. With this approach, the author (i) computes surface maps showing the fraction of the total ocean volume per unit area that ventilates at each point on the surface of the ocean, (ii) partitions interior water masses based on their formation region at the surface, and (iii) computes the three-dimensional spatial distribution of the mean and standard deviation of the age distribution of water.
Values and Occupational Choice

This paper focuses on (1) value orientations associated with status and situs dimensions of occupational choice, (2) sociocultural correlates of occupational values, and (3) empirical interrelationships among these value orientations. Twelve value variables are specified in the research design. Data for the study were obtained from seniors in eight Kentucky rural high schools. T HE OCCUPATIONAL choice-making process has been the focus of inquiry in numerous studies during the past decade.' Maniy generalizations, at various levels of practical or theoretical relevance, are offered in the literature. This activity has added to our knowledge about the nature of individual decision making, and thrown more light on the processes by which labor supply is allocated and channeled to job roles within society. It is generally agreed that values are social facts which influence the behavior of individuals, and, consequently, the structure and organization of the labor market. Only scant attention however, has been directed toward establishing e m pirically the relationships between specific value orientations and the selection of occupations by entrants into the labor market. Furthermore, we have very little substantive knowledge about the social and cultural origins of occupational value orientations. If values are social facts that are influential in the process of choosing an occupation, it is important, from both a scientific and practical standpoint, to ascertain the empirical relationship between specified value variables and the careerplanning situation. This is a first step in the development of a useful theoretical model. The purpose of this paper, then, is to report and discuss some findings from a study of occupational value orientations and choices by high school youth in Kentucky,2 and to suggest some directions for future re-
Beyond the Schoolyard: The Role of Parenting Logics, Financial Resources, and Social Institutions in the Social Class Gap in Structured Activity Participation

We investigate cultural and structural sources of class differences in youth activity participation with interview, survey, and archival data. We find working- and middle-class parents overlap in parenting logics about participation, though differ in one respect: middle-class parents are concerned with customizing children's involvement in activities, while working-class parents are concerned with achieving safety and social mobility for children through participation. Second, because of financial constraints, working-class families rely on social institutions for participation opportunities, but few are available. Schools act as an equalizing institution by offering low-cost activities, allowing working-class children to resemble middle-class youth in school activities, but they remain disadvantaged in out-of-school activities. School influences are complex, however, as they also contribute to class differences by offering different activities to working- and middle-class youth. Findings raise questions about the extent to which differences in participation reflect class culture rather than the objective realities parents face.
Identifying young adults at risk of Medicaid enrollment lapses after inpatient mental health treatment

ObjectiveThis study sought to describe Medicaid disenrollment rates and risk factors among young adults after discharge from inpatient psychiatric treatment.MethodsThe sample included 1,176 Medicaid-enrolled young adults ages 18 to 26 discharged from inpatient psychiatric care in a mid-Atlantic state. Medicaid disenrollment in the 365 days postdischarge and disenrollment predictors from the 180-day predischarge period (antecedent period) were identified from administrative records. Classification and regression tree and probit regression analysis were used.ResultsThirty-two percent were disenrolled from Medicaid within a year of discharge. Both analytical approaches converged on four main risk factors: being in the Medicaid enrollment category for persons with a nondisabled low-income parent or for a child in a low-income household, being age 18 or 20 at discharge, having a Medicaid enrollment gap in the antecedent period, and having no primary care utilization in the antecedent period. For the 48% of the...
The EPA health risk assessment of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT).

This paper describes the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's assessment of potential health risks associated with the possible widespread use of a manganese (Mn)-based fuel additive, methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). This assessment was significant in several respects and may be instructive in identifying certain methodological issues of general relevance to risk assessment. A major feature of the inhalation health risk assessment was the derivation of Mn inhalation reference concentration (RfC) estimates using various statistical approaches, including benchmark dose and Bayesian analyses. The exposure assessment component used data from the Particle Total Exposure Assessment Methodology (PTEAM) study and other sources to estimate personal exposure levels of particulate Mn attributable to the permitted use of MMT in leaded gasoline in Riverside, CA, at the time of the PTEAM study; on this basis it was then possible to predict a distribution of possible future exposure levels associated with the use of MMT in all unleaded gasoline. Qualitative as well as quantitative aspects of the risk characterization are summarized, along with inherent uncertainties due to data limitations.
Opium Alkaloids VI: Isolation of N-Methyl-14-O-desmethylepiporphyroxine

The papaverrubine alkaloids and their N -methyl derivatives are widely distributed in the genus Papaver . They have a number of interesting structural and stereochemical characteristics. A new alkaloid of this general class has now been isolated from opium. It has been characterized by means of NMR and mass spectrometry and by chemical conversions to known compounds.
Predicting the oscillating bi-directional exchange flow in the Straits of Mackinac

Abstract The Straits of Mackinac are a unique feature that connects Lake Michigan and Lake Huron into a single hydraulically linked system. With currents of up to 1 m/s and oscillating volumetric transport up to 80,000 m 3 /s, they play an important role in water quality, contaminant transport, navigation, and ecological processes. We present the first three-dimensional hydrodynamic model of the combined Lake Michigan–Huron, including the Straits of Mackinac at high-resolution, that is able to simulate the three dimensional structure of the oscillating flows at the Straits. In comparison with individual lake models for Michigan and Huron (no connection at the Straits), we are able to isolate the effects of the bi-lake oscillation and have found that although the oscillation (Helmholtz mode) is the dominant forcing mechanism, the flow can be modulated when atmospheric systems are in-phase with water level fluctuations. Furthermore, the area of influence of the Straits is found to extend up to 70 km into each lake, underscoring the need for realistic predictions within the Straits. For the first time, this combined-lake hydrodynamic model provides the capability to investigate and accurately predict flow at the Straits of Mackinac and its effect on Lake Michigan and Huron. This model forms the basis for the next generation of real-time hydrodynamic models being developed for the Great Lakes Coastal Forecasting System, a suite of models designed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory (NOAA/GLERL) that predict hydrodynamic conditions such as currents, temperatures, and water levels in three dimensions.
Beyond Awareness: Using Business Intelligence to Create a Culture of Information Security

Employees, intentionally or not, cause a large percentage of security incidents. For an organization to be secure there must be a culture of information security, meaning that employees make good security-related decisions. Business intelligence (BI) systems, with their ability to promote change through goal-setting and accountability, could help create a culture of information security, if implemented appropriately. This paper provides an overview of information security culture and business intelligence, and explains what will be needed if BI is to be used to help organizations develop a security-aware culture.
Size-assortative mating, male choice and female choice in the curculionid beetle Diaprepes abbreviatus.

In the beetle Diaprepes abbreviatus (L.) females are larger on average than males, as indicated by elytra length. Size-assortative matings were observed in wild populations in Florida and in laboratory mating experiments. We tested three mechanisms for this size-assortative mating: (1) mate availability; (2) mating constraints; and (3) mate choice. We found that mate choice influenced size-assortative mating by: (1) large and small males preferring to mate with large females; (2) large males successfully competing for large females, leaving small males to mate with small females; and (3) females accepting large males as mates more readily than small males. Males increased their reproductive success by mating with larger, more fecund females. They transferred protein to females during mating.  1999 The Association for the Study of Animal Behaviour
Platinum Nanoparticle Loading of Boron Nitride Aerogel and Its Use as a Novel Material for Low-Power Catalytic Gas Sensing

A high-surface-area, highly crystalline boron nitride aerogel synthesized with nonhazardous reactants has been loaded with crystalline platinum nanoparticles to form a novel nanomaterial that exhibits many advantages for use in a catalytic gas sensing application. The platinum nanoparticle-loaded boron nitride aerogel integrated onto a microheater platform allows for calorimetric propane detection. The boron nitride aerogel exhibits thermal stability up to 900 °C and supports disperse platinum nanoparticles, with no sintering observed after 24 h of high-temperature testing. The high thermal conductivity and low density of the boron nitride aerogel result in an order of magnitude faster response and recovery times (<2 s) than reported on alumina support and allow for 10% duty cycling of the microheater with no loss in sensitivity. The resulting 1.5 mW sensor power consumption is two orders of magnitude less than commercially available catalytic gas sensors and unlocks the potential for wireless, battery-powered catalytic gas sensing.
Ensemble-CIO: Full-body dynamic motion planning that transfers to physical humanoids

While a lot of progress has recently been made in dynamic motion planning for humanoid robots, much of this work has remained limited to simulation. Here we show that executing the resulting trajectories on a Darwin-OP robot, even with local feedback derived from the optimizer, does not result in stable movements. We then develop a new trajectory optimization method, adapting our earlier CIO algorithm to plan through ensembles of perturbed models. This makes the plan robust to model uncertainty, and leads to successful execution on the robot. We obtain a high rate of task completion without trajectory divergence (falling) in dynamic forward walking, sideways walking, and turning, and a similarly high success rate in getting up from the floor (the robot broke before we could quantify the latter). Even though the planning is still done offline, the present work represents a significant step towards automating the tedious scripting of complex movements.
Mitochondrial DNA copy number in whole blood and glioma risk: A case control study

Alterations in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number are observed in human gliomas. However, whether variations in mtDNA copy number in whole blood play any role in glioma carcinogenesis is still largely unknown. In current study with 395 glioma patients and 425 healthy controls, we intended to investigate the association between mtDNA copy number in whole blood and glioma risk. Overall, we found that levels of mtDNA copy number were significantly higher in glioma cases than healthy controls (mean: 1.48 vs. 1.32, P < 0.01). In both cases and controls, levels of mtDNA copy number were inversely correlated with age (P < 0.01, respectively). And in cases, newly diagnosed, glioblastoma (GBM), and high grade glioma patients had significantly lower mtDNA copy number than their counterparts (P = 0.02, P < 0.01, and P = 0.04, respectively). In the multivariate analysis, elevated mtDNA copy number levels were associated with a 1.63-fold increased risk of glioma (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.63, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 1.23-2.14). In further quartile analysis, study subjects who had highest levels of mtNDA copy number had 1.75-fold increased risk of gliomas (adjOR = 1.75, 95%CI = 1.18-2.61). In brief, our findings support the role of mtDNA copy number in the glioma carcinogenesis. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Subvocal speech, reading rate, and comprehension.

The relationship of subvocal speech and reading rate to comprehension of 25 children, ranging from 8 to 15 years of age, was investigated by means of electromyographic (EMG) recordings taken while the subjects silently read two meaningful passages. The first was orthographically regular, and the second was composed of approximately sixty percent homophones, Labial muscle action recordings, latencies, and comprehension measures were obtained. Variables derived from these measures were used to predict reading age Profiles derived from the EMGs provided information about how each reader processed the information from the reading passages. The empirical results of the study provide strong support for the valuable role of subvocal speech in the extraction of information and the importance of readers demonstrating the ability to use flexibility of the reading process when reading for meaning.
Mechanisms for the formation of a perched water zone in fractured tuff: A natural analogue study

Perched water zones have been identified in the fractured, welded tuff in the semi-arid to arid environments of Yucca Mountain, Nevada and near Superior, Arizona. An understanding of the formation of such zones is necessary in order to predict where future perched water might form at Yucca Mountain, the proposed site of a high-level nuclear waste repository. The formation or growth of a perched zone near a repository is one of the factors to be considered in the risk assessment of the Yucca Mountain site. The Apache Leap Research Site near Superior, Arizona is a natural analog to the Yucca Mountain site in terms of geology, hydrology, and climate. Information used to study possible mechanisms for the formation of the perched zone included data regarding isotopic and geochemical properties of the waters in and above the perched water zone; measured hydrologic parameters of the perched zone; geophysical and measured parameters of the tuff; megascopic and microscopic observations of the tuff, including mineralogical, alteration, and structural features; and the lateral and vertical extent of perched water in the region. Aquifer test, geophysical, geochemical, and radioisotopic data show that fractures are the means by which water is recharging the perched zone. Themore » reduced hydraulic conductivity of the formation in the perched zone appears to result from both a severe reduction in matrix porosity and permeability caused by welding, devitrification, and vapor phase crystallization; and by an increase in fracture filling which restricts the pathways for flow.« less
Biological Notes on the Egg Parasites of Malacosoma Disstria Hbn.

Observations have been made on egg parasitism in the forest tent caterpillar, Malacosoma disstria Hb., as a part of a comprehensive ecological study of the species. Five species of Hymenoptera have been reared from egg masses collected in several localities in northern Minnesota. The following species have emerged from the various samples of egg masses: Ablerus clisiocampae Ashm., Trichogramma evanescens Westw., Odencyrtus clisiocampae Ashm., Tetrastichus sylvaticus Gahan, and Telenomns clisiocampae Ashm. A. clisiocampae and T. evanescens were each found in only one sample of eggs, while the other three species were present in nearly all of the collections which have been studied.
Telomerase Activity in Articular Chondrocytes Is Lost after Puberty.

Objective:Telomere length and telomerase activity are important indicators of cellular senescence and replicative ability. Loss of telomerase is associated with ageing and the development of osteoarthritis. Implantation of telomerase-positive cells, chondrocytes, or stem cells expressing a normal chondrocyte phenotype is desired for cartilage repair procedures. The objective of this study was to identify at what age chondrocytes and at what passage bone marrow–derived mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) become senescent based on telomerase activity. The effect of osteogenic protein–1 (OP-1) or interleukin-1α (IL-1α) treatment on telomerase activity in chondrocytes was also measured to determine the response to anabolic or catabolic stimuli.Methods:Articular cartilage was collected from horses (n = 12) aged 1 month to 18 years. Chondrocytes from prepubescent horses (<15 months) were treated with OP-1 or IL-1α. Bone marrow aspirate from adult horses was collected and cultured for up to 10 days to isolate MSCs. Te...
Study on the Cross-Cultural Differences and International Business Negotiation

with the trend of the economic globalization,international business have occurred more frequently than ever,not only study the business knowledge and english expression but cultural difference added the business communciation difficulty is always make the misunderstand between two parties.the business communciation quality is discount.if the cultural misunderstand could not solve,two parties rely on their own cultural to negotiate the benfits and behavoir,two parties could not realize the corporate goal.The author study the difference and the strategy in business negotiation and help the people cross the cultural barriers and avoid the cultural conflict and success in cross-cultural communciation.
Complete endocardial cushion defect: operative technique and results.

Thirteen patients have undergone repair of a complete endocardial cushion defect since 1975. Three patients had associated intracardiac anomalies, including tetralogy of Fallot, cor triatriatum, and parachute mitral valve, and none survived operation. Ten patients had no associated anomalies and nine survived operation (90%). Four of the five patients less than 2 years of age survived (80%). The mean age at the time of operation was 15 months and the mean weight was 7.8 kg. All patients except those with tetralogy of Fallot had systemic pressure in the pulmonary artery. The Qp/Qs ranged from 1.0 to 3.0 and the pulmonary vascular resistance from 2.0 to 9.3 m2. All except those with tetralogy of Fallot had cardiomegaly. Ten patients were predominantly of type A anatomy while three were of type C. A previously described standard repair was performed. Cold cardioplegia has been used recently for myocardial preservation. The right ventricular-left ventricular pressure ratio was approximately 0.5 immediately after operation in most patients. All patients remained in normal sinus rhythm and all surviving patients had an excellent cardiac index early after operation. On discharge most patients were prescribed a combination of digoxin and a diuretic. These medications were usually discontinued within 6 months. One patient required reoperation for dehiscence of the mitral valve repair. She survived with a good result. Seven patients have no mitral valve incompetence and the remainder have minimal incompetence. Most infants had acceleration of their growth curve after operation. Six have had an excellent clinical result, and one, with residual neurologic sequelae, had a satisfactory result although her hemodynamic status is excellent.
Cardiovascular CT for assessment of pericardial/myocardial disease processes

Pericardial and myocardial diseases represent an important cause of morbidity and mortality. Although echocardiography remains the initial standard diagnostic tool for identifying these diseases it has limited detail for the morphological and functional analysis of the pericardium and myocardium. Cardiac CT (CCT) and MR (CMR) are the primary modalities of choice when comprehensive functional assessment of the heart is required. These imaging techniques provide advanced information on anatomy and cardiac function to optimize diagnosis and treatment. However, as CMR is relatively more costly and time consuming, it is often only used when diagnosis is not clear. Due to the volumetric nature of image acquisition, cardiac CT provides an accurate and reproducible method for assessing both myocardial and pericardial morphology and function. The excellent spatial resolution and contrast to noise ratio of CT allows for the detection of mural thrombi in patients with severely reduced left ventricular function. CCT can easily help identify pericardial diseases such as inflammation, effusion, pericardial cyst, benign or malignant masses, as well as pericardial calcification in the case of constrictive pericarditis. CCT is also proficient in diagnosing the functional assessment of the heart. As most of cardiomyopathies have functional compromise, CCT is best suited for cardiomyopathies in terms of functional analysis. With the advancement of CT technology, radiation exposure is minimal, and with continued improvement in post-processing software, it is able to produce a variety of high-quality images in multiple reformats with historically low radiation and contrast dose. The new General Electric (GE) Revolution CT scanner has made it possible to image the heart with abnormal rate and rhythm without compromising image quality. It is especially useful for patients who have contraindications to beta-blockers or who have atrial fibrillation.
Isoforms of acetyl-coenzyme a carboxylase in Lolium multiflorum

Two multifunctional acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACCase, EC 6.4.1.2) isoforms were isolated from etiolated and mature leaves of Italian ryegrass (Lolium multiflorum Lam.). ACCase I and ACCase II eluted from a TMAE (trimethylaminoethyl) anion exchange column at approximately 275 and 195 mM KCI, respectively. Both isoforms were dimers with 206 kD subunits. ACCase I represented 95% and 66% of total ACCase activity in 3week-old and etiolated leaves, respectively. Total activity of ACCase I and ACCase II decreased by 35% and 90% during greening of etiolated leaves, respectively. There were no differences in total or specific activities of ACCase I isolated from leaves of diclofop-resistant and -susceptible Lolium multiflorum biotypes. However, ACCase I from the resistant biotype was tolerant to diclofop [I 50 (herbicide concentration resulting in 50% inhibition of activity) = 7.0 μM] while ACCase I from the susceptible biotype was sensitive (I 50 = 0.2 μM). ACCase II activity was relatively insensitive to diclofop (I 50 > 125 μM) in both diclofop-resistant and -susceptible biotypes. Polyclonal antiserum to the plastid-localized ACCase I isoform from maize cross-reacted with the 206-kD polypeptides of both ACCase I and ACCase II. ACCase I and II differed in their affinity to monomeric avidin; ACCase I did not bind to monomeric avidin while ACCase II did bind. The results indicate that Lolium leaves contain two distinct, multifunctional ACCase isoforms and that diclofop resistance is due to a change in herbicide sensitivity of the predominant isoform (ACCase I).
Sphingolipids in mitochondria

Sphingolipids are bioactive lipids found in cell membranes that exert a critical role in signal transduction. In recent years, it has become apparent that sphingolipids participate in growth, senescence, differentiation and apoptosis. The anabolism and catabolism of sphingolipids occur in discrete subcellular locations and consist of a strictly regulated and interconnected network, with ceramide as the central hub. Altered sphingolipid metabolism is linked to several human diseases. Hence, an advanced knowledge of how and where sphingolipids are metabolized is of paramount importance in order to understand the role of sphingolipids in cellular functions. In this review, we provide an overview of sphingolipid metabolism. We focus on the distinct pathways of ceramide synthesis, highlighting the mitochondrial ceramide generation, transport of ceramide to mitochondria and its role in the regulation of mitochondrial-mediated apoptosis, mitophagy and implications to disease. We will discuss unanswered questions and exciting future directions. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled: Lipids of Mitochondria edited by Guenther Daum.
Basic Concepts in Photobiology

Photobiology encompasses many diverse subjects: Photomedicine, vision, photosynthesis, bioluminescence, and others. The effect of nonionizing radiation on biologic systems, as well as the use of these wavelengths to study biologic phenomena, constitutes photobiology. Photomedicine, which includes photoimmunology, is concerned with the effect of nonionizing radiation on the human organism. The areas of photomedicine share a common pathway from the absorption of nonionizing radiation by molecules in the system to the observable biologic effects. This pathway is depicted in Fig. 1.1. In the first step, radiation is absorbed by a molecule in the biologic system, such as DNA, protein, or porphyrin. The light-absorbing molecule is referred to as a chromophore. Specific chromophores are present for each photobiologic response. After absorbing the energy of the radiation (electromagnetic energy), the molecule is in an excited state. This form exists for only a fraction of a second. In the second step, the excited-state molecule undergoes a chemical change to form a photo-product. The photoproduct may result from rearrangements within the molecular framework of the chromophore or from reaction of the chromophore with another molecule.
Extremely luminous atmospheres

We present the effects that inhomogeneities have on radiating atmospheres. It is shown that nonuniformities in a medium induce a reduction of the effective opacity which subsequently increases the Eddington Luminosity. The most striking effect however that arises from the dependence of the opacity on the inhomogeneities, is the possibility of a phase transition, where the atmosphere energetically favors exciting horizontally propagating waves due to large fluxes.
Crystalglobulinemia Causing Nephropathy and Cutaneous Vasculopathy: A Case Study of a Rare Entity in a Patient with Renal Allograft and Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance

Crystalglobulinemia is a rare variant of cryoglobulinemia in which monoclonal immunoglobulins aggregate into crystalline arrays that deposit within vascular lumina. We describe an exceptional case in a renal allograft recipient who presented with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance. Our patient is a 66-year old woman with a history of chronic kidney disease secondary to IgA nephropathy …
Do Current Race and Ethnicity Concepts Reflect a Changing America

This chapter uses data from the 2010 Census and the American Community Survey to study the race and ethnicity concepts used by the US federal government. Results from the Census reveal that more than 15 million people, the majority of whom were of Hispanic origin, did not report any of the standard races. Another 14 million people did not answer the race question at all. This chapter examines segments of the population where the application of the current concepts may be most problematic and investigates additional dimensions that may impact individual’s acceptance or rejection of current race and ethnicity standards. It discusses possible future research directions regarding race and ethnicity concepts.
Role of thoracic surgery in patients suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome.

Background and purpose: To study the role of thoracic surgery in patients suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS) in a South Bronx community with a high incidence of the disease. Methods: A retrospective analysis of medical records of patients who underwent thoracic surgery at Bronx-Lebanon hospital, New York, over a three year period between 1996-1998. Results: The thoracic surgeons at Bronx-Lebanon Hospital in New York operated upon a total of 210 patients. Of these, 39 were operated upon for AIDS-related illnesses, comprising 17% of the operative workload. The indications of surgery in these patients were variable, ranging from infections to tumours. Fifteen patients were operated on for pericardial effusion. Ten were operated on for empyema, which had failed to resolve with thoracostomy alone and necessitated decortication. Tumours also formed a significant portion of the surgical workload. Three patients had Kaposi's sarcoma of the lung and three had a primary lymphoma in the lung. The mortality rate was high (46%). Conclusion: The data suggest that surgical intervention in AIDS-related chest diseases is unable to alter the course of the disease. Earlier detection and intervention of these complications may improve outcome in some patients.
Upper critical and irreversibility fields in Ni- and Co- doped pnictide bulk superconductors

Abstract A comprehensive study of upper critical and irreversibility magnetic fields in Ba(Fe0.95Ni0.05)2As2 (large grain and small grain samples), Ba(Fe0.94Ni0.06)2As2, Ba(Fe0.92Co0.08)2As2, and Ba(Fe0.92Co0.09)2As2 polycrystalline bulk pnictide superconductors was made in pulsed fields of up to 65 T. The full magnetic field-temperature (H-T) phase diagrams, starting at 1.5 K, were measured. The higher temperature, upper critical field Hc2 data are well described by the one-band Werthamer, Helfand, and Hohenberg (WHH) model. At low temperatures, the experimental data depart from the fitted WHH curves, suggesting an emergence of a new phase that could be attributed to the Fulde-Ferrell-Larkin-Ovchinnikov (FFLO) state. The large values of the Maki fitting parameter α indicate that the Zeeman pair breaking dominates over the orbital pair breaking and spin-paramagnetic pair-breaking effect is significant in these materials. Possible multi-band structure of these materials is lumped into effective parameters of the single-band model. Table of measured physical parameters allows us to compare these pnictide superconductors for different Co- and Ni- doping levels and granularity.
A sustainability-based socio-technical-environmental project selection algorithm

Including environmental and health impacts in project option selection is important to serve humanity and reduce the adverse effects of development. An algorithm is introduced here that includes lifecycle costs, avoided losses, users’ willingness to pay and value per statistical life (VSL), and both environmental and health impacts. The algorithm is entitled the Socio-Technical-Environmental Project Selection (STEPS) algorithm and incorporates social and health aspects through the willingness to pay, technical aspects through the engineering design, and economic aspects through the lifecycle costs. The algorithm consists of estimating the various quantities needed, such as lifecycle costs, benefits (avoided mortality and infrastructure losses), willingness to pay, and the Environmental Protection Agency’s Maximum Contaminant Level (EPA-MCL). These values are plotted with the environmental and health impacts on the horizontal axis and the Net Cost (equal to the lifecycle cost minus the benefits) on the vertical axis. The most balanced option is the one that plots closest to the origin of the plot. The new algorithm is demonstrated on project selection for the elimination of riverbank erosion using recycled concrete aggregate (RCA) as riprap. RCA uses previously used crushed concrete from demolition as aggregate for any beneficial purpose such as aggregate for new concrete or riprap, as in this case. The disadvantage of RCA, however, is that harmful chemicals leach out when exposed to water. Four options were considered, namely (1) do nothing, (2) use RCA as a riverbank erosion countermeasure, (3) use RCA with a leachate treatment system, and (4) use rock riprap instead of RCA. It was found that the proposed STEPS algorithm leads to the selection of Option 3 with RCA riprap and leachate treatment. Selecting by cost alone would have led to Option 2, which also happens to result in a violation of the EPA-MCL for the arsenic leachate. In addition, Option 4 would have been selected without considering RCA or the problem with landfills reaching capacity with the addition of crushed concrete. The STEPS algorithm, therefore, resulted in the most sustainable solution considering both the lifecycle cost and health and environmental impacts.
The Moves of Indonesian Application Letters

Job application letter is one of many types of written communication. Every context has its own way to write application letter. This article aimed to know the pattern of moves of solicited and unsolicited job application letters, as well as to identify the structure patterns of moves and language used in Indonesian application letters generally. The corpus were 62 application letters. The data were analyzed by using quantitative and qualitative descriptive methods. The research finds that the Indonesian application letters consist of nine obligatory moves: opening salutation, offering candidature, introducing candidature, promoting candidature, enclosing documents, willingness to action, stressing the facts, thanking, and closing salutation. The movement structure has similarity with the application letter from other countries as previous studies. The difference lies in the label of used terms. The implicitness and inability to express self-quality could be referred to the Indonesian culture known as modesty and inhibition in telling about oneself.
Long wavelength optoelectronic integrated circuit (OEIC) transmitter

The technology and system applications of high speed OEIC transmitters are discussed in this paper. By integrating .DFB lasers with lnGaAs/InAIAs MODFETs, transmitters of 10 Gb/s and wavelength spacings less than 1 nm are fabricated. The problems of crosstalk in OEIC transmitter arrays are also investigated.
Review of the Literature on Non-Sexist Curriculum and a Critique of the Underlying Assumptions and Rationale

This paper reviews the school’s role in sex role socialization of young children and addresses theoretical and practical issues related to the use of non-sexist curriculum material.
Restrictive State and Local Immigration Laws: Solutions in Search of Problems

In the Issue Brief, the authors demonstrate that conventional understandings of why states and localities pass restrictive immigration laws do not hold up under empirical analysis. Rather, the data from their nationwide study of 50 states and over 25,000 local jurisdictions show that “what most subfederal jurisdictions with immigration enforcement laws share is not economic stress or overconsumption of public goods or heightened violent crime, but rather a partisan composition within their legislative and executive branches that is highly receptive to enforcement heavy proposals.” These laws are not, as some have contended, organic local responses to inaction at the federal level. Rather, they are the outcome of a concerted and coordinated effort by immigration restrictionists to “purposefully promote legislative gridlock at the federal level, and then cite the very national legislative inaction they helped foment to justify restrictive solutions at the local level.”
Which reference tissue is best for semiquantitative determination of FDG activity

2124 Objectives: Semiquantitative determination of FDG activity, based upon lesion to background FDG activity, has been shown to be clinically useful in the determination of tumor response to treatment. Evaluation utilizing SUV values alone may be problematic due to inherrent intrinsic limitations. In the past, multiple reference tissues have been used for this purpose. We evaluated the inter-patient reproducibility and variance of multiple reference tissues in order to choose the most reliable for use in semiquantitative determination of FDG activity. Methods: 12 patients with at least 3 consecutive PET/CT studies were included. Using a standard region of interest, SUV measurements were made on each scan of the cerebellum, lung, liver and mediastinal blood pool. Height, weight, FDG dose and uptake time were also collected from each scan. A statistical analysis of the variance and reproducibility of each tissue was performed. Results: Mediastinal blood pool showed the least inter-patient coefficient of variance of 0.17, the liver was 0.21, the lung was 0.22 and the cerebellum was 0.25. Differences in height, weight, injection dose and uptake time did not affect the reference tissues SUV values significantly. A glucose level affect was noted only in cerebellar activity. Conclusions: Based on our analysis, the mediastinal blood pool showed the best clinical performance as a reference tissue for semiquantitative analysis.
Reactivity due to deformation of a thin plate in a critical reactor

This paper reports on perturbation theory used to obtain expressions for the reactivity associated with deformation of a thin plate in a critical reactor. The methodology uses reactivity worth coefficients computed for a homogeneous system to assess the effect of changes in the shape and composition of heterogeneous components such as structural and fuel elements. The resulting expressions are applied to two heuristic sample problems consisting of a uniform plate displacement and a sinusoidal plate bowing deformation. In the former case, the perturbation results agree well with exact analytical calculations. The second case provides useful analytical approximations that illustrate how the deformation reactivity is expected to vary with the fractional plate elongation, the location of the plate in the core, and other parameters.
Coercive Control Between Intimate Partners: An Application to Nonfatal Strangulation.

Nonfatal strangulation between intimate partners represents an extreme controlling form of violent behavior, increasing the risk that intimate partner violence (IPV) becomes lethal. Guided by Dutto...
Transcriptome Analysis of Cardiac Hypertrophic Growth in MYBPC3-Null Mice Suggests Early Responders in Hypertrophic Remodeling

Rationale: With a prevalence of 1 in 200 individuals, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) is thought to be the most common genetic cardiac disease, with potential outcomes that include severe hypertrophy, heart failure, and sudden cardiac death (SCD). Though much research has furthered our understanding of how HCM-causing mutations in genes such as cardiac myosin-binding protein C (MYBPC3) impair contractile function, it remains unclear how such dysfunction leads to hypertrophy and/or arrhythmias, which comprise the HCM phenotype. Identification of early response mediators could provide rational therapeutic targets to reduce disease severity. Our goal was to differentiate physiologic and pathophysiologic hypertrophic growth responses and identify early genetic mediators in the development of cardiomegaly in the cardiac myosin-binding protein C-null (cMyBP-C-/-) mouse model of HCM. Methods and Results: We performed microarray analysis on left ventricles of wild-type (WT) and cMyBPC-/- mice (n = 7 each) at postnatal day (PND) 1 and PND 9, before and after the appearance of an overt HCM phenotype. Applying the criteria of ≥2-fold change, we identified genes whose change was exclusive to pathophysiologic growth (n = 61), physiologic growth (n = 30), and genes whose expression changed ≥2-fold in both WT and cMyBP-C-/- hearts (n = 130). Furthermore, we identified genes that were dysregulated in PND1 cMyBP-C-/- hearts prior to hypertrophy, including genes in mechanosensing pathways and potassium channels linked to arrhythmias. One gene of interest, Xirp2, and its protein product, are regulated during growth but also show early, robust prehypertrophic upregulation in cMyBP-C-/- hearts. Additionally, the transcription factor Zbtb16 also shows prehypertrophic upregulation at both gene and protein levels. Conclusion: Our transcriptome analysis generated a comprehensive data set comparing physiologic vs. hypertrophic growth in mice lacking cMyBP-C. It highlights the importance of extracellular matrix pathways in hypertrophic growth and early dysregulation of potassium channels. Prehypertrophic upregulation of Xirp2 in cMyBP-C-/- hearts supports a growing body of evidence suggesting Xirp2 has the capacity to elicit both hypertrophy and arrhythmias in HCM. Dysregulation of Xirp2, as well as Zbtb16, along with other genes associated with mechanosensing regions of the cardiomyocyte implicate stress-sensing in these regions as a potentially important early response in HCM.