cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gynaecomastia: an unusual presenting symptom of bladder cancer

A 74-year-old man presented to the outpatient clinic with painful gynaecomastia. A detailed physical examination to sort out possible causes of the gynaecomastia, including intracranial tumour, liver cirrhosis, hyperthyroidism, and adrenal and testicular tumour, was negative. No offending agent was found in his medication list. A CT scan of the head and ultrasound of the scrotum did not show any mass lesion. His serum β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-hCG) and oestradiol levels were elevated. A CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis revealed bladder wall thickening with soft tissue mass. A cystoscopic biopsy confirmed transitional cell carcinoma with muscle invasion. The patient was started on chemotherapy but responded poorly. This case report describes the β-hCG and oestradiol-secreting transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder presenting as gynaecomastia in an older man.
Inquiry practices as systems: characterizing important elements of reasoning

Reform in science education has focused on inquiry as a way of teaching students complex scientific practices in the context of open-ended investigations. Yet students have difficulties making strategic decisions about the direction of their investigations and drawing on content knowledge to make sense of data (Edelson, Gordin, & Pea, 1999). Furthermore, the inquiry practices called for in reforms are quite broadly specified. Implementing these practices requires engaging students in specific tasks, and interactions. How do teachers and students put general ideas like hypothesis testing, building explanations, and defending models into practice in classrooms?
The effects of VMH lesions in Charles River rats

Questions have arisen concerning the suitability of the Charles River rat in investigating motivation and its physiological correlates. Old male Charles River rats were given VMH lesions and tested on a number of tasks. In all cases, data from Charles River rats were quite comparable to data from other strains of rats.
Increasing Teacher Praise and on Task Behavior for Students With Autism Using Mobile Technology

This study investigated the effects of using mobile technology as an intervention to increase the amount of praise delivered by teachers to low-performing students with autism. Additionally, the st...
Synthesis of (R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol by stereospecific reduction of

Based on the amino acid sequence information of Candida parapsilosis(rCR) by tryptic digestion,and gene encoding,the enzyme(rcr) was cloned and sequenced.It was shown that the rcr comprised 1008 nucleotides and encoded a polypeptide of 35,977 Da.The deduced amino acid sequence of the enzyme performed high similarity with those of proteins of the zinc-containing medium-chain dehydrogenase/reductase(MDR) superfamily with the cofactor-binding motif Gly-x-Gly-x-x-Gly.The rcr was expressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3) by constructing the expression vector of pETRCR without the induction of IPTG and the recombinant E.coli expressing rCR possessed the capability of catalyzing asymmetric reduction of 2-hydroxyacetophenone to(R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol.After optimization of the reaction conditions,a feasible approach was developed to convert 2-hydroxyacetophenone to(R)-1-phenyl-1,2-ethanediol with high optical purity of 95.5% enantiomeric excess and yield of 92.6% by the recombinant E.coli bearing pETRCR as the catalyst with unusual stereospecificity.
Clinical Effects Observation of Small Incision Cataract Surgery

Objective To observe the small incision cataract surgery clinical efficacy in the treatment of cataract.Methods 2009-2010 cataract diagnosis and treatment of our hospital a total of 105 eyes in 67 patients,small-incision cataract surgery,including 7 cases of traumatic cataract in 10 eyes in 49 patients with senile cataract 75,6 cases of complicated cataract in 11 eyes,5 cases of congenital cataract in 9 eyes,and observe the patients eye vision correction surgery and complications from occurring.Results The report of 105 eyes of 67 patients,postoperative visual acuity in the 0.05-0.29 6 eyes,35 eyes were in the 0.30-0.49,0.50-0.79 46 in the eye,a total of 18 eyes in the 0.80-1.00,Fuming effect satisfied.Occurred in three patients a small hole,the rate was 2.9%.Postoperative wound closure occurred in 3 eyes bad,the rate was 2.9%;with 27 corneal edema,the rate was 25.7%;a 19 iris inflammation occurs,the rate was 18.1%.Postoperative bleeding did not occur within the eye,eye infection and other serious complications.Conclusion Small incision cataract surgery,small incision,the operation is simple,rapid recovery,is suitable for all levels of the hospital to carry out cataract surgery.
Do we need theory

In response to the question raised by Lindon in his paper, "Does Technique Require Theory?" the author replies in the affirmative, arguing that theory is inherently involved in the application of psychoanalytic treatment. In contrast to Lindon's view that theory must be downplayed in treatment, the author contends that this perspective is itself part of a theory--the intersubjective theory of self psychology. The author concludes that theory provides numerous benefits to therapists; indeed, Lindon's own account suggests the value of the sensitive use of theory.
Renal function immediately after piezoelectric extracorporeal lithotripsy.

AbstractWe evaluated changes in renal function in 14 patients treated for renal calculi with the Richard Wolf 2300 piezoelectric lithotriptor. Each patient received, 3,000 to 4,000 shocks at the maximal recommended voltage. Each patient was evaluated with 131iodine-orthoiodohippurate renal scans performed within 24 hours before and after treatment. Changes in total effective renal plasma flow, effective renal plasma flow of the treated kidney and differential renal function were compared by paired t testing. No significant changes were associated with lithotripsy. On the basis of the renal scans we conclude that piezoelectric lithotripsy causes no significant changes in renal function, even in the early post-treatment period based on renal scan studies.
Enzyme efficiency but not thermostability drives cefotaxime resistance evolution in TEM-1 β-lactamase

A leading intellectual challenge in evolutionary genetics is to identify the specific phenotypes that drive adaptation. Enzymes offer a particularly promising opportunity to pursue this question, because many enzymes' contributions to organismal fitness depend on a comparatively small number of experimentally accessible properties. Moreover, on first principles the demands of enzyme thermostability stand in opposition to the demands of catalytic activity. This observation, coupled with the fact that enzymes are only marginally thermostable, motivates the widely held hypothesis that mutations conferring functional improvement require compensatory mutations to restore thermostability. Here, we explicitly test this hypothesis for the first time, using four missense mutations in TEM-1 β-lactamase that jointly increase cefotaxime Minimum Inhibitory Concentration (MIC) ∼1500-fold. First, we report enzymatic efficiency (kcat/KM) and thermostability (Tm, and thence ΔG of folding) for all combinations of these mutations. Next, we fit a quantitative model that predicts MIC as a function of kcat/KM and ΔG. While kcat/KM explains ∼54% of the variance in cefotaxime MIC (∼92% after log transformation), ΔG does not improve explanatory power of the model. We also find that cefotaxime MIC rises more slowly in kcat/KM than predicted. Several explanations for these discrepancies are suggested. Finally, we demonstrate substantial sign epistasis in MIC and kcat/KM, and antagonistic pleiotropy between phenotypes, in spite of near numerical additivity in the system. Thus constraints on selectively accessible trajectories, as well as limitations in our ability to explain such constraints in terms of underlying mechanisms are observed in a comparatively "well-behaved" system.
Combining Phototherapy with Apremilast

Apremilast (Otelza®) is a phosphodiesterase-4 inhibitor that is FDA-approved for the treatment of moderate to severe psoriasis and psoriatic arthritis. Since apremilast is considered one of the safer internal therapeutic options where the FDA package insert wording does not describe it as an immunosuppressant, and since UVB phototherapy is also one of the safest treatment options available with no convincing increased risk of skin cancer after more than a century of use, this combination is one of the safest that can be offered to the patient that needs more than one therapeutic modality to clear generalized psoriasis.
Multitrophic Assessment of Copper Contamination Using Watercress (Nasturtium officinale) and the Mustard Beetle (Phaedon viridis )

Copper is an active component of some commercial algaecides and is commonly found in low concentrations in contaminated aquatic systems. Unintended consequences of algaecide application include macrophyte bioaccumulation and possible trophic level bioamplification especially by specialist herbivores. Trophic level effects of copper contamination were observed through feeding trials using the mustard beetle (Phaedon viridis). Several metals, including copper, interfere with the myrosinase enzyme system responsible for the watercress (Nasturtium officinale) allelopathic defense against herbivory. The mustard beetle is a specialist herbivore that has evolved a detection system that is stimulated by the products of the glucosinolate-myrosinase system. Because copper interferes with myrosinase enzymes, mustard beetles were expected to avoid copper-contaminated plants. While larvae exhibited a slight preference for contaminated plants, adult mustard beetles in this experiment exhibited a statistically significant preference for plants uncontaminated with copper.
Electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power of niobium dioxide

Abstract The electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power of NbO2 have been measured as a function of temperature over the range 196°–1273°K and as a function of composition within the single-phase region centered about the stoichiometric compound. Isopiestic reduction experiments indicate a homogeneous phase field width of 0·159 wt. % oxygen for the NbO2 phase at 1100°C, but both the electrical conductivity and thermoelectric power appear to be insensitive to composition in this single-phase region. The electrical conductivity, as well as the thermoelectric power, exhibit an irregular behavior at 1070°K indicating the occurrence of either a phase change or an insulator-to-metal transition at this temperature. The present experimental observations of the electrical properties in the niobium-oxygen system are quite similar to those observed in the titanium-oxygen system in which the irregular behavior in the electrical conductivity of Ti2O3 is attributed to a magnetic interaction.
Challenging Americanism and Europeanism: African-Americans and Roma in the American South and European Union ‘South’

In this piece, I illustrate how a number of the successes of the Civil Rights movement in the United States have travelled to Europe to advance the cause of Roma Rights, and question if Roma inclusion initiatives in Central and Southeast Europe can bring forth a more inclusive notion of Europeanism in the same way that the Civil Rights movement changed the narrative of Americanism to include marginalised African-Americans. In employing an ethno-symbolist approach, I interrogate the fluid concepts of Americanism and Europeanism to analyse myth, memory, symbol, and cultural imaginaries of ‘North’ and ‘South’ in the United States and Europe. Through careful comparisons of similarities and differences between African-American and Central and Southeast European Roma communities and their quest for equality, this piece details how dominant discourses of the nation distance minority populations, rendering inclusion possible only with great narrative shifts in the ideal of the nation, the passage of time, and, most importantly, the enforcement of laws to support equality measures.
A method and system for enhancing the resolution of terahertz imaging

Abstract In this paper, a comprehensive method and process for developing Terahertz (THz) images with enhanced resolution is introduced. This method is implemented as a system comprised of various resolution and quality enhancement techniques. In this system, filters in time and frequency domains are used to filter out noise, low-frequency spectrum, and diffraction distortions. Point Spread Function (PSF) is modeled and the quality of the output image is enhanced further through deconvolution. This process can be fully implemented on THz Time-Domain Spectroscopy (TDS) systems, and partially on continuous-wave THz imaging systems. A user-friendly software program comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) has been developed by the author for automation of implementation of the proposed system. By taking advantage of the proposed process, researchers and industrial sectors can achieve a substantial enhancement on the quality and resolution of their THz images.
Charge capacities and shell structures of atoms

This paper focuses upon two important features of atoms: their charge capacities and their shell structures. The charge capacity к is a measure of an atom's ability to accommodate a gain or loss of electronic charge in the process of forming a molecule. Estimated values of к are presented for the atoms Li-Xe. The overall trend is that as the inherent (neutral atom) electronegativity increases, к decreases. The shell structure of an atom can be discerned by plotting its local ionization energy Ī(r) against radial distance from the nucleus; it decreases in a roughly stepwise manner and the inflection points correspond to meaningful boundaries between the electron shells. An effective “outer radius” rs for an atom can be defined in terms of the sphere that encompasses all but 0.2 of its electrons. For nearly three-fourths of the atoms, the outer shell is found to be 97% or more of the total volume. The computed populations, radii and volumes of all of the shells are presented for the atoms Li-Xe, as well as the magnitudes of Ī(r) at all shell boundaries. Good correlations exist between atomic polarizability, Ī(rs), к and outer shell electron density. It is suggested that Ī(r) can be used as a measure of local polarizability, α(r), in atoms and molecules.
Endorphins: A Link Between Personality, Stress, Emotions, Immunity, and Disease ?

A growing body of evidence — clinical and experimental, human and animal — that has been accumulating over the last 20 years since Solomon and Moos’ then-speculative theoretical integration of emotions, immunity and disease (1) pointed to experiential influences on immune function mediated by the central nervous system and the neuroendocrines, neurotransmitters, and neuropeptides controlled by it. The emerging field of psychoneuroimmunology (2), also referred to as neuroimmunomodulation (3), has rapidly expanded over the last few years due, in part, to the discovery that the endogenous opiods (endorphins), which are released from the anterior pituitary during stress, are potent immune system modulators.
Studies on the Structure of Poly(ADP-Ribose) by HPLC. Separation of in Vitro Generated Polymer Chains, Analysis of Chain Length, and Branching

Intact chains of in vitro synthesized poly(ADP-ribose) were first isolated by reversed phase HPLC [1], a method which separated total polymeric chains from ADP-R, NAD, and AMP. Ion exchange HPLC was developed for the separation of individual intact polymeric chains of various size and this experimental approach was presently employed to explore the incidence of branching [2, 3]. The HPLC method disclosed the existence of trace amounts of as yet unidentified snake venom phosphodiesterase degradation products of poly(ADP-ribose), which could indicate end-pieces or possibly new structural components.
Effect of alvimopan on gastrointestinal recovery and length of hospital stay after retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer.

Objective:Alvimopan use has reduced the length of hospital stay in patients undergoing major abdominal surgeries and radical cystectomy. Retroperitoneal lymph node dissection for testicular cancer ...
Avian Bioreactor Systems: A Review

Animal bioreactors are genetically modified animal systems that have the potential to reduce production cost, and improve production efficiency, of pharmaceutically relevant recombinant proteins. Several species including goats, cattle, rabbits, and avians have been genetically modified to secrete target proteins into milk, egg whites, blood, or other bodily fluids. There are several advantages associated with the use of avians as bioreactor systems. Avians have a short generation time, leading to the quick establishment of a transgenic line and high egg production. Transgenic avian systems allow for appropriate post-translational modification, as opposed to prokaryotic cell culture bioreactors, and have higher productivity than mammalian cell culture systems. Furthermore, recombinant proteins can be incorporated into egg whites and easily collected from the sterile environment of the egg. Magnum-specific expression of target genes has been achieved by use of the ovalbumin promoter, leading to a localization of the target protein into the avian egg. In this review, we discuss the current advancements, future potential, and limitations of avian bioreactor systems.
Biomarkers for Adolescent MDD from Anatomical Connectivity and Network Topology Using Diffusion MRI

Due to the high resistance (35%) to the current treatment methods in adolescent Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) and its tragic outcomes, the discovery of treatmentrelated responders is critical to developing effective treatments. In this paper, the permutation test is performed to identify statistically significant changes in anatomical characteristics during pairwise comparisons among the control group (n=27), treated MDD group (n=37), and untreated MDD group (n=15). The anatomical characteristics include: 1) anatomical connectivity defined using DTI metrics between a pair of brain regions, and 2) topological measurements of anatomical networks. With the Bonferroni correction for multiple-comparison, significant alterations in community structure and local topology were identified as the p-value < 5%, which include: 1) a reduced nodal centrality (degree and strength) on right hippocampus for treated compared to untreated group, 2) an elevated clustering coefficient and local efficiency on right lateral orbitofrontal cortex for untreated compared to the combination of control and treated groups, 3) an increased participation coefficient for untreated patients on left insula cortex in the meandiffusivity network compared to the combination of control and treated groups, and 4) a degraded module degree z-score on right caudate nucleus for all the patients compared to the control group. Two connections, hippocampus-insula in the right hemisphere and parahippocampal-insula in the left hemisphere, were found significantly altered in TR, AD, and FA due to MDD.
Deterministic methods for stochastic computing using low-discrepancy sequences

Recently, deterministic approaches to stochastic computing (SC) have been proposed. These compute with the same constructs as stochastic computing but operate on deterministic bit streams. These approaches reduce the area, greatly reduce the latency (by an exponential factor), and produce completely accurate results. However, these methods do not scale well. Also, they lack the property of progressive precision enjoyed by SC. As a result, these deterministic approaches are not competitive for applications where some degree of inaccuracy can be tolerated. In this work we introduce two fast-converging, scalable deterministic approaches to SC based on low-discrepancy sequences. The results are completely accurate when running the operations for the required number of cycles. However, the computation can be truncated early if some inaccuracy is acceptable. Experimental results show that the proposed approaches significantly improve both the processing time and area-delay product compared to prior approaches.
Academic Language Instruction for Students in Grades 4 Through 8: A Literature Synthesis

Academic language, which is characterized by the words and structure of the language of schooling, is an important teachable component of academic achievement. When compared to other strong predict...
Spiritual assessment and spiritual care offerings as a standard of care in pediatric oncology: A recommendation informed by a systematic review of the literature

Children with cancer and their families experience shifts in spiritual wellness from diagnosis through treatment and survivorship or bereavement. An interdisciplinary team conducted a systematic review of quantitative and qualitative research on spiritual assessments, interventions, and outcomes in childhood cancer following PRISMA guidelines using a PROSPERO registered protocol. Thirty-nine well-designed studies were included in the final analysis. The findings from this systematic review indicate the need for early spiritual assessment with offering of continued support for the spiritual functioning of children with cancer and their families as a standard of care.
Stability analysis of the numerical Method of characteristics applied to a class of energy-preserving hyperbolic systems. Part II: Nonreflecting boundary conditions

Abstract We show that imposition of non-periodic, in place of periodic, boundary conditions (BC) can alter stability of modes in the Method of characteristics (MoC) employing certain ordinary-differential equation (ODE) numerical solvers. Thus, using non-periodic BC may render some of the MoC schemes stable for most practical computations, even though they are unstable for periodic BC. This fact contradicts a statement, found in some textbooks and known as part of the Babenko–Gelfand criterion, that an instability detected by the von Neumann analysis for a given numerical scheme implies an instability of that scheme with arbitrary (i.e., non-periodic) BC. We explain the mechanism behind this contradiction, which lies in a certain property of the scheme’s eigenmodes that is assumed by the Babenko–Gelfand criterion but does not hold for eigenmodes of some of the MoC-based schemes. We also show that, and explain why, for the MoC employing some other ODE solvers, stability of the modes may indeed not be improved by non-periodic BC, as the Babenko–Gelfand criterion implies.
Authors Retrospective Reflections on Designing Opportunities for Student Learning

This volume presents our analysis of five elementary mathematics curriculum programs from three perspectives that have implications for teachers’ use of them: mathematical emphasis, pedagogical approaches, and how authors communicate with teachers. In this chapter, we offer perspectives on these design features from the vantage point of three teams of curriculum authors. Drawing on extensive conversations with the author teams, we describe their reflections on several major design decisions, including mathematical goals and sequencing, pedagogical approach, and communicating intentions to teachers. Our aim is to highlight the relationship between curriculum authors’ intention, their subsequent design decisions, and the resulting curriculum resource. By using the curriculum authors’ voices, we attempt to highlight their intentions, positions, and reflections. We also describe the ongoing process of curriculum development and the evolving nature of curriculum, along with challenges the curriculum authors faced. In doing so, we seek to juxtapose our analysis of the designed curriculum materials with the authors’ intentions.
Determination of posterolateral oropharyngeal wall thickness and the potential implications for transoral surgical margins in tonsil cancer

BACKGROUND Margins in transoral surgery for tonsil cancer can be limited by oropharyngeal wall thickness (OWT), but the normal range is not well established. METHODS In 240 noncancer subjects, OWT was measured bilaterally in the vicinity of the tonsils with MRI. Statistical analysis was performed to assess for interaction of age, sex, location, and obesity. RESULTS Mean(SD) OWT measured 3.4(0.6) mm posteriorly, 3.7(2.0) mm between the styloglossus and stylopharyngeus, and 5.3(0.8) mm laterally. OWT was greater in men, correlated with obesity, decreased posteriorly and laterally in the 60-80 versus 40-59 year age groups, and increased when styloglossus/stylopharyngeus were closer. OWT was <5 mm in 36.7%-97.9% of locations, with the largest percentage below this threshold located posteriorly. CONCLUSIONS OWT is frequently <5 mm, particularly in the posterior and intermuscular areas, suggesting that a smaller surgical margin may need to be accepted in transoral tonsil cancer surgery for anatomic reasons.
Identifying Light-Duty Vehicle Travel from Large-Scale Multimodal Wearable GPS Data with Novelty Detection Algorithms

Identifying travel mode within travel survey data sets, especially light-duty vehicle (LDV) travel, is foundational, though nontrivial, to travel behavior analysis and fuel consumption estimation. Current travel mode detection approaches require well-sampled and balanced data sets with ground truth travel mode labels. They are rarely applied and validated on large-scale, real-world data sets, which may not satisfy the data requirements. This paper proposes an LDV travel mode detection model as a supplement to current travel mode detection methods, for the case when the training set is highly (and/or completely) unbalanced, to the extent that classical machine-learning approaches become difficult or impossible to deploy. The proposed model uses a novelty detection technique-one-class support vector machines (OCSVMs)-and a novel exhaustive feature extraction (EFE) technique on continuous time series data (i.e., Global Positioning System [GPS] speed profiles) for single-mode trip trajectories. Training and validation of the model are conducted on a large-scale, real-world data set. The proposed method accurately identifies LDV trips from a broad set of multimodal trips by leveraging a wealth of preexisting in-vehicle GPS travel data. Additional sensitivity analysis sheds light on the optimal training size, which will benefit applications limited by highly imbalanced data. The paper also discusses performance comparison with regular machine-learning approaches, the model's robustness, and the potential to extend the proposed model to multimodal prediction.
Light Propagation Considerations For Internally Clad Sapphire Optical Fiber Using the 6Li(n,)3H Reaction

Optical frequency domain reflectometry measurements in internally clad single crystal sapphire fiber have received attention in recent years due to their high temperature distributed sensing potential. As work with these fibers has proceeded, there have been some inconsistencies in the results. Deeper investigation and testing has identified two critical considerations for the proper functioning of these fibers. First, users must address the propagation of multimode light along the outer surface of the fiber. By observing the far-field image of an internally clad sapphire fiber when adding index matching fluid to the outer fiber surface, we demonstrate the effects of removing the higher order modes from these fibers. The addition of index matching fluid resulted in nearly single mode performance where multimode performance was previously observed. Second, users must address the effect that coupling the fiber to the interrogator via silica based fiber has on the internally clad sapphire fibers performance. Direct fusion splicing of silica to sapphire, as has been used in the recent work with these fibers, has a mode filtering effect which can be beneficial towards the modal behavior of the fibers. However, in this paper we demonstrate that the splicing can cause a sensing failure due to little or no low order mode light, that is useful for sensing, returning to the detector. The positive results from recent years have demonstrated that optical frequency domain reflectometry sensing performance will be successful in clad sapphire fiber; but only when the considerations described herein are addressed properly.
The Film Theory to Come: On Wurzer's Filmisches Denken

Wilhelm S. Wurzer _Filmisches Denken: Zwischen Heidegger und Adorno_ Translated by Erik Michael Vogt Vienna: Turia and Kant, 2000 ISBN 3-85132-233-9 200 pp.
Disturbance rejection in MEMS gyroscope: Problems and solutions

This paper presents a summary of the recent developments in practical applications of the active disturbance rejection control (ADRC) on MEMS gyroscopes. There are two major control problems associated with vibrational MEMS gyroscopes: to control two vibrating axes (or modes) of the gyroscope, and to estimate a time varying rotation rate. This paper demonstrates how the novel active disturbance rejection control approach solves these problems in the presence of the mismatch of natural frequencies between two axes, mechanical-thermal noises, Quadrature errors, and parameter variations. The scope of the ADRC applications on MEMS gyroscopes shown in this paper includes the continuous ADRC for the drive axis, the sense axis, two axes, and rotation rate estimation as well as the discrete ADRC implementation for the drive axis. The successful results demonstrate that the key problem in MEMS gyroscope is disturbance rejection and the most promising method is ADRC.
It's Complicated: The Social Lives of Networked Teens

What is new about how teenagers communicate through services such as Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram? Do social media affect the quality of teens lives? In this eye-opening book, youth culture and technology expert danah boyd uncovers some of the major myths regarding teens' use of social media. She explores tropes about identity, privacy, safety, danger, and bullying. Ultimately, boyd argues that society fails young people when paternalism and protectionism hinder teenagers ability to become informed, thoughtful, and engaged citizens through their online interactions. Yet despite an environment of rampant fear-mongering, boyd finds that teens often find ways to engage and to develop a sense of identity. Boyds conclusions are essential reading not only for parents, teachers, and others who work with teens but also for anyone interested in the impact of emerging technologies on society, culture, and commerce in years to come. Offering insights gleaned from more than a decade of original fieldwork interviewing teenagers across the United States, boyd concludes reassuringly that the kids are all right. At the same time, she acknowledges that coming to terms with life in a networked era is not easy or obvious. In a technologically mediated world, life is bound to be complicated.
Stellar Dynamics with Non-classical Integrals

ABSTRACT Effective integrals of motion that do not derive from a manifest Lagrangian symmetry appear to play a vital role in structuring galaxies. Recent work suggests that these effective integrals may sometimes by understood in terms of potentials that lead to separable Hamilton-Jacobi equations. However, studies of the action integrals of numerically integrated orbits in given rotating potentials suggest that many effective integrals of astronomical interest cannot be understood in this way. A hybrid approach to stellar dynamics in which the angle-action representations of orbits in model potentials are obtained by numerical integration and are then analyzed by the techniques of Hamiltonian perturbation theory may lead to a more satisfactory understanding of the relationship between potentials and the orbits that they support.
Consent Decree Settlements by Administrative Agencies in Antitrust and Employment Discrimination: Optimizing Public and Private Interests

The use of consent decrees to resolve government litigation in a variety of contexts, but especially in the antirust and employment discrimination arenas, has raised questions both about the extent to which the relevant agencies are properly pursuing enforcement goals and the intersection of such decrees with private rights to sue under the governing statutes. This article explores the settlement process – free of complications of applying intricate substantive law to involved factual situations – in an effort to construct a general theory of the settlement process in terms of its aims and methods for ensuring that those aims are in fact pursued by enforcement agencies. The recommendations made are twofold, some aimed at agencies in the first instance and some directed to courts asked to enter a consent decree. First, we argue for procedures that enable all relevant interests to be taken into account in the formulation and approval of a proposed decree. Second, we propose a number of substantive principles that should be applied by agencies agreeing to consent decrees. These include: (1) the relief obtained should do more than parrot the provisions of the governing statute; (2) any settlement should not adversely affect relevant third parties; (3) even absent adverse effect, a settlement that fails to advance relevant third party interests under the governing statute must consider the ability of such third parties to protect themselves.
Clinician preparation: Experiences with pseudostuttering: “It was the longest day of my life!”

Abstract The response of lay persons to pseudostuttering in approximately 200 spontaneous communication situations were reported and evaluated by 24 graduate students in an advanced class in fluency disorders. The students each spent a day as a “stutterer” in all speech contacts. They summarized their pseudostuttering efforts, the perceived auditor reactions, and their own feelings, in each situation. Results indicated that most lay reactions to any stuttering behavior were, at best, neutral or characterized by obvious changes in behavior. Many reactions were overtly and strongly negative. Student reactions were consistently ones of anxiety, fear, the desire to avoid, frustration, and irritation. Feelings of anger and humiliation were common. Discussion of results points out the value of pseudostuttering experience in clinician training, the possible importance of attitude and adjustment consideration in management of clients who stutter, and the apparent failure of (and need for) our profession to educate the lay public about communicative disorders.
Diffractive coherence in multilayer dielectric gratings

Successful operation of large-scale high-power lasers, such as those in use and planned at LLNL and elsewhere, require optical elements that can withstand extremely high fluences without suffering damage. Of particular concern are dielectric diffraction gratings used for beam sampling and pulse compression. Laser induced damage to bulk dielectric material originates with coupling of the electric field of the radiation to bound electrons, proceeding through a succession of mechanisms that couple the electron kinetic energy to lattice energy and ultimately to macroscopic structural changes (e.g. melting). The constructive interference that is responsible for the diffractive behavior of a grating or the reflective properties of a multilayer dielectric stack can enhance the electric field above values that would occur in unstructured homogeneous material. Much work has been done to model damage to bulk matter. The presence of nonuniform electric fields, resulting from diffractive coherence, has the potential to affect damage thresholds and requires more elaborate theory. We shall discuss aspects of work directed towards understanding the influence of dielectric structures upon damage, with particular emphasis on computations and interpretation of electric fields within dielectric gratings and multilayer dielectric stacks, noting particularly the interference effects that occur in these structures.
A spread spectrum based system technique for synchronization of digital mobile communication systems

A technique is presented that has been verified experimentally to improve the synchronization efficiency of digital communication systems over present systems without sacrificing any reliability. This technique is called the spread-spectrum pilot technique (SSPT). Incorporated into this technique are elements of both tone-calibrated techniques and spread-spectrum systems. In the SSPT system, the desired pilot tone is modulated by a pseudorandom binary sequence (PRBS) generator of finite duration and then linearly added to the source (customer) date that are actually being sent. At the receiver, the same finite PRBS sequence is used to decode the received signal. The system works because it provides an accurate version of the actual data carrier to be used in demodulation of the received signal. It is strongly believed that this type of system will enable better performance in multipath fading environments that are especially problematic in mobile-radio applications. >
Release of Arylsulfatase A but Not B from Rat Mast Cells by Noncytolytic Secretory Stimuli

The net percentage of release of arylsulfatase activity from purified rat mast cells induced by rabbit anti-rat F(ab′) 2 was consistently only about ⅓ that of histamine. Isoelectric focusing of the released and residual arylsulfatase activities demonstrated specific release of the A type without B and a net percentage of immunologic release of arylsulfatase A equivalent to that of histamine. When the net percentage of histamine and arylsulfatase A release were nearly maximal (88 and 76%) in response to the calcium ionophore A23187, specific release of arylsulfatase B did not occur. Thus, arylsulfatase A and not B was associated with the secretory granule released from the rat mast cell by reversed anaphylaxis or the calcium ionophore. In contrast, subcellular fractionation of water-lysed mast cells yielded arylsulfatase B with the heparin- and chymase-containing granule fraction and arylsulfatase A in the aqueous fraction comprised of cell sap and granule water eluate. It may be that arylsulfatase B resides in a minor second granule, whereas arylsulfatase A is loosely associated with the predominant secretory granule of the rat mast cell.
Visual Aspects of the Syrian Revolution

This article highlights a sampling of the visual artwork created - most often in digital form - over the past 14 months of the Syrian revolution / rebellion.
Epidermal growth factor-related peptides in human prostatic fluid: sources of variability in assay results.

BACKGROUND Prostatic fluid (PF) provides a unique medium for noninvasive evaluation of critical growth and differentiation signals in the prostatic microenvironment. The purpose of this study was to establish the feasibility of measuring two prostatic mitogens, epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha) in PF, and specifically to quantify extraneous variability attributable to the assay itself, sample handling, or biological variation within an individual over time. METHODS PF was collected by transrectal massage from consecutive patients attending a urology clinic. Pooled PF and individual samples from 25 men with stable benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were analyzed for EGF and TGF-alpha by radioimmunoassay and for total protein. RESULTS Reproducibility was adequate at dilutions as low as 1:50 (2-microliter pooled sample) and 1:5 (20 microliters) for EGF and TGF-alpha, respectively. Results were not affected by freeze-thaw cycles, time in storage, or protease inhibition in fresh PF. EGF and TGF-alpha were detectable in 100% and 92% of individual men, with respective means of 152 and 0.2 ng/ml. Correlations between two samples obtained from the same man within 12 months were highly significant (EGF r = 0.89, TGF-alpha r = 0.71). Protein concentrations were consistent over time; expression of either peptide per weight of protein rather than per volume did not improve within-man correlation. Between-man variability far exceeded within-man variability for both peptides, and was estimated to account for 84% and 61% of the total variability in EGF and TGF-alpha, respectively. There was no correlation between EGF and TGF-alpha in the same samples. CONCLUSIONS We conclude that men with BPH secrete consistent and distinct levels of EGF-related peptides in PF, and that these levels can be detected with acceptable sensitivity and precision by radioimmunoassay (RIA). Measurement of TGF-alpha, which has not been reported previously, requires a relatively larger sample.
SULFUR FILTER BY INTERMETALLIC MEDIA

ABSTRACT Two types of filter are developed. One is for the removal of sulfur compounds in petroleum and its derived products. The other is for upgrading, which is to lower the amount of asphaltene. Although research in selectivity and life cycle estimation of intermetallic media is still continuing, the mechanisms behind this technology are based upon the concept of nanotechnology and the principle of membrane mimetic chemistry.
Characterization of Colored Dissolved Organic Matter Using High-Energy Laser Fragmentation

A new approach combining high-energy laser fragmentation (HELF) with excitation−emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS) was used to study colored dissolved organic material (CDOM) in rivers feeding the Tampa Bay Estuary. Results presented as difference spectra showed that fluorescent material destroyed had two distinct peaks for all samples at all degradation wavelengths of 320 nm or greater. All samples showed highest loss of UV−C (220−280 nm) stimulated fluorescence, even when irradiated at 390 nm, with lower loss of UV−B (280−320 nm) stimulated fluorescence centered around the wavelength used for degradation. In contrast to spectra for the initial and residual fingerprints, loss spectra showed the rounded contours expected for a pure organic fluorophore. These observations suggest that laser irradiation targets a specific fluorophore or restricted group of fluorophores in the original mixture, some of which have a double excitation maximum and single emission maximum. By varying the degradation wavelength,...
“Cup-like” blasts and NPM1 and FLT3 (ITD) mutations in acute myeloid leukemia (AML)

A 68-year-old male presented with progressive fatigue, weakness and respiratory infections since last few days. A complete blood cell count showed anemia (hemoglobin 9 g/dL), hyperleukocytosis (139.3K/lL) and low platelets (50K/lL) with 95 % blasts in peripheral blood. Bone marrow aspirate demonstrated 93 % blasts which were positive for myeloperoxidase and showed normal male (46, XY) karyotype. These blasts were intermediate in size with folded nuclei (Fig. 1a; 5009 magnification), many with a nuclear invagination giving a cup-like nuclear indentation (see arrows), or ‘‘fish-mouth’’ appearance. Auer rods were not seen. Figure 1b from bone marrow aspirate smear demonstrates high resolution (10009 magnification) of these ‘‘cup-like’’ blasts. Flow cytometry studies demonstrate that the blasts were positive for CD33, CD13, CD117 and MPO confirming the diagnosis of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). The unusual morphology of blasts with cuplike nuclear indentation, also known as a fish-mouth shape, has been described in a subset of AML with NPM1 and FLT3 (ITD) mutations. Altered nucleocytoplasmic shuttling and accumulation of mitochondria due to increased flexibility of nuclear envelope in NPM1 mutations is proposed to be responsible for this alteration in the morphology of blasts.
Pulmonary toxicity of methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl: Nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cell necrosis and alveolar damage in the mouse, rat, and hamster☆☆☆

Abstract Methylcyclopentadienyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT) was administered ip to young female BALB c mice (120 mg MMT/kg), S A albino rats (5 mg MMT/kg), or LV 6 LAK Syrian hamsters (180 mg MMT/kg). This administration resulted in lung cell damage followed by cellular proliferation, which was quantified by measuring increases in thymidine incorporation into DNA (mouse, rat, and hamster) and by labeling indices (LI) determined from cell kinetic studies (mouse and rat). Thymidine incorporation into pulmonary DNA was significantly elevated within 1 to 2 days following MMT treatment in all three species, with peak incorporation occurring on Day 2 in the rat and hamster, and Day 4 in the mouse. Both bronchiolar and parenchymal LI were elevated at this time. Alveolar damage and nonciliated bronchiolar epithelial (Clara) cell necrosis were evident within 1 day of injection. This finding was followed by type II epithelial and Clara cell proliferation. Ultrastructurally, in the mouse, mitochondrial swelling and degeneration preceded Clara cell necrosis. Bronchiolar damage was most severe in the mouse, whereas parenchymal damage was most severe in the rat. These results suggest that the mouse, rat, and hamster have different susceptibilities to MMT-induced injury.
Vortex-lattice structure in layered superconductors.

We show within the framework of the Lawrence-Doniach theory the possibility of the existence of a combined vortex lattice (one vortex lattice perpendicular and the other parallel to the conducting layers) for a field applied at an arbitrary angle with respect to the crystal axes of a layered superconductor. The phase diagrams are calculated to show the domains where different vortex lattice structures are stable.
A minimal set of bacterial cellulases for consolidated bioprocessing of lignocellulose

Cost-effective release of fermentable sugars from non-food biomass through biomass pretreatment/enzymatic hydrolysis is still the largest obstacle to second-generation biorefineries. Therefore, the hydrolysis performance of 21 bacterial cellulase mixtures containing the glycoside hydrolase family 5 Bacillus subtilis endoglucanase (BsCel5), family 9 Clostridium phytofermentans processive endoglucanase (CpCel9), and family 48 C. phytofermentans cellobiohydrolase (CpCel48) was studied on partially ordered low-accessibility microcrystalline cellulose (Avicel) and disordered high-accessibility regenerated amorphous cellulose (RAC). Faster hydrolysis rates and higher digestibilities were obtained on RAC than on Avicel. The optimal ratios for maximum cellulose digestibility were dynamic for Avicel but nearly fixed for RAC. Processive endoglucanase CpCel9 was the most important for high cellulose digestibility regardless of substrate type. This study provides important information for the construction of a minimal set of bacterial cellulases for the consolidated bioprocessing bacteria, such as Bacillus subtilis, for converting lignocellulose to biocommodities in a single step.
Profile of verteporfin and its potential for the treatment of central serous chorioretinopathy

Central serous chorioretinopathy (CSCR) is an idiopathic disorder characterized by serous retinal detachments associated with focal leakage on fluorescein angiography and pigment epithelial detachments. While the majority of cases improve spontaneously over several months, a significant subset of patients advance to a chronic recurrent form of the disease with diffuse pigment epitheliopathy, foveal atrophy, scarring, and permanent visual loss. Photodynamic therapy (PDT) with verteporfn has been extensively studied as a potential therapeutic option for chronic cases. Multiple prospective interventional studies have demonstrated the efficacy of PDT for CSCR with significant functional and anatomic improvements achieved. Refinement of the PDT protocol has subsequently been performed in an effort to minimize adverse effects. Anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) agents, such as bevacizumab, have been utilized in the treatment of CSCR. Recent advances in imaging and functional testing have shed further light on possible pathophysiologic mechanisms of disease and post treatment changes induced by PDT. While the body of evidence supports PDT as an efficacious and relatively safe treatment for CSCR, further evaluation of the long-term efficacy and safety of PDT, as well as protocol improvements are required.