cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Anisotropic resistivities of Tl2Ba2CuO6+d single crystals with different oxygen concentrations

Abstract We report for the first time single crystal anisotropic resistivity measuresingle-copper-oxide layer material Tl 2 Ba 2 CuO 6+d . At room temperature, the in-plane resistivities were on the order of 5 × 10 4 Ω-cm and decrease with temperature according to a simple power law. C-axis resistivities were two orders of magnitude larger.
Cellular Dynamics in Root Formation of Teeth in Rhesus Monkeys

The cellular kinetics around the developing root apex of rhesus monkey teeth were studied using tritiated thymidine. Labeled cells of the epithelial diaphragm did not show migration into the periodontal ligament to become cell rests of Malassez. The periodontal region adjacent to the root apex was a zone of active proliferation of connective tissue cells.
A role for cyclic AMP response element-binding protein (CREB) but not the highly similar ATF-2 protein in sterol regulation of the promoter for 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl coenzyme A reductase

Sterol regulatory element-binding proteins (SREBPs) activate promoters for key genes of metabolism to keep pace with the cellular demand for lipids. In each SREBP-regulated promoter, at least one ubiquitous co-regulatory factor that binds to a neighboring recognition site is also required for efficient gene induction. Some of these putative co-regulatory proteins are members of transcription factor families that all bind to the same DNA sequence elements in vitro and are often expressed in the same cells. These two observations have made it difficult to assign specific and redundant functions to the unique members of a specific gene family. We have used the chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) technique coupled with a transient complementation assay in Drosophila SL2 cells to directly compare the ability of two members of the CREB/ATF family to function as co-regulatory proteins for SREBP-dependent activation of the HMG-CoA reductase promoter. Results from both of these experimental systems demonstrate that CREB is an efficient SREBP co-regulator but ATF-2 is not.
Presenting a Self-Compassionate Image After an Interpersonal Transgression

Two studies investigate the presentation of self-compassion following an interpersonal transgression. In study 1 (N = 228), participants imagined letting someone down. Self-compassionate participants were less likely to endorse self-critical statements and more likely to endorse self-compassionate statements. Study 2 (N = 208) investigated people's preference for self-compassionate versus self-critical statements after someone let them down. Less self-compassionate participants preferred and were more likely to forgive someone who made self-critical statements. More self-compassionate participants preferred self-compassionate responses and were just as likely to forgive someone regardless of the type of response. These findings support the hypothesis that self-compassion leads to more self-compassionate presentations and presents a more nuanced understanding of responses to self-compassionate and self-critical presentations in an apology context.
The damping of saturated poroelastic soils during steady-state vibrations

Abstract Herein, we analyze the damping that arises from the soil-water interaction within nearly-saturated soils during steady-state vibrations. Based on the two-phase theory of Biot, we analytically derive the spectral response of a column made of nearly saturated poroelastic soils as a function of soil stiffness, degree of saturation, porosity, specific gravity, and permeability. A parametric study determines the influence of these parameters on the fundamental period, maximum amplitude, energy dissipation, damping factor, and maximum pore pressure. In departure from common beliefs in soil dynamics, we conclude that the soil-water damping within fully-saturated sands is not negligible compared to structural hysteretic damping.
Central venous catheter and Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia in cancer patients

BACKGROUND Stenotrophomonas maltophilia bacteremia is frequently found in cancer patients. This study attempted to determine how often the catheters were the source of this infection and the risk factors associated with catheter-related bacteremias. METHODS The microbiology records were retrospectively reviewed of all cancer patients having S. maltophilia bacteremia and indwelling central venous catheters seen between January 1998 and January 2004. In a multivariate analysis the patients' clinical characteristics, antimicrobial therapy, outcome, and source of bacteremia that were significantly associated with definite catheter-related S. maltophilia bacteremia as opposed to secondary bacteremia were identified. RESULTS A total of 217 bacteremias were identified in 207 patients: 159 (73%) were primary catheter-related (53 definite, 89 probable, and 17 possible), 11 (5%) were primary noncatheter-related, and 47 (22%) were secondary. Multivariate analysis showed the following factors to be independently associated with definite catheter-related bacteremias: 1) polymicrobial bacteremia (odds ratio [OR], 7.6; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.3–45.5); 2) no prior intensive care unit admission (OR, 0.06; 95% CI, 0.005–0.578); and 3) nonneutropenic status at onset (OR, 0.07; 95% CI, 0.013–0.419). The response rate to appropriate antibiotics and catheter removal was 95% in the patients with definite catheter-related bloodstream infections, compared with only 56% in the patients with secondary bacteremias (P = .001). CONCLUSIONS The majority of the S. maltophilia bacteremias occurring in cancer patients with indwelling central venous catheters appear to be catheter-related and are often polymicrobial. Catheter-related S. maltophilia bacteremias occurred more frequently in noncritically ill, nonneutropenic patients, and prompt removal of the catheter was found to be associated with a better prognosis. Cancer 2006. © 2006 American Cancer Society.
On the unsteady hydromagnetic perturbations at the earth's core-mantle interface

Abstract The unsteady hydromagnetic perturbations which may be induced at the core-mantle interface within the Earth are investigated by analyzing the perturbations generated within an incompressible viscous electrically conducting fluid near an impulsively accelerated, rotating infinite flat boundary of variable electrical conductivity. The form of the conductivity distribution is chosen to simplify the analysis as well as to mimic the decrease in conductivity of the mantle with the distance from the core-mantle boundary. Attention is focused upon the strength of the coupling between the fluid and the boundary as a function of time. It is found that the spin-up time for a contained fluid is lengthened by the response time of the mantle to a magnetic perturbation. Also, it is found that, for ranges of parameters modelling conditions within the Earth, Alfven waves are only weakly excited by an impulsive change in rotation rate of the mantle.
Alterations in muscarinic receptor subtype function in the bladder

Acetylcholine released from nerves mediates smooth muscle contraction of the bladder. This contractile response is primarily mediated by the M3 receptor subtype in most smooth muscles, including the bladder. Anticholinergics are one of the primary treatments for overactive bladder. The target for these anticholinergics may be muscarinic receptors in the detrusor muscle, the urothelial layer, or even presynaptic nerves. This review focuses on the alteration in the function of the various muscarinic receptor subtypes that are important for bladder function seen in various pathophysiologic conditions or experimental pathologies developed in animal models. These alterations may affect the efficacy of anticholinergic treatment in some patients.
Crystal field effects in rare earth compounds

We review the effect of the crystal field on thermal properties in intermetallic rare earth compounds. In substances where single ion effects are predominant, we give experimental results for the specific heat, thermal expansion, magnetic susceptibility and elastic constants. All these thermodynamic derivatives show clear cut crystal field effects (TmSb). Coupling constants deduced from these measurements are discussed. In substances, where the ions are interacting, we concentrate on elastic constants. We show how quadrupole‐quadrupole coupling constants g′ can be determined from the temperature dependence of certain symmetry elastic constants (rare earth pnictides, TmCd, TmZn, PrCu2). We argue that g′ is in large part due to conduction electron aspherical Coulomb charge scattering. A valence fluctuation system (TmSe) will be mentioned. Finally magnetic field effects on elastic constants will be given, with particular emphasis on rotational strain effects.
The albedo of fractal stratocumulus clouds

An increase in the planetary albedo of the earth-atmosphere system by only 10% can decrease the equilibrium surface temperature to that of the last ice age. Nevertheless, albedo biases of 10% or greater would be introduced into large regions of current climate models if clouds were given their observed liquid water amounts, because of the treatment of clouds as plane parallel. The focus on marine stratocumulus clouds is due to their important role in cloud radiative forcing and also that, of the wide variety of earth's cloud types, they are most nearly plane parallel, so that they have the least albedo bias. The fractal model employed here reproduces both the probability distribution and the wavenumber spectrum of the stratocumulus liquid water path, as observed during the First ISCCP Regional Experiment (FIRE). A single new fractal parameter 0 less than or equal to f less than or equal to 1, is introduced and determined empirically by the variance of the logarithm of the vertically integrated liquid water. The reduced reflectivity of fractal stratocumulus clouds is approximately given by the plane-parallel reflectivity evaluated at a reduced 'effective optical thickness,' which when f = 0.5 is tau(sub eff) approximately equal to 10. Study of the diurnal cycle of stratocumulus liquid water during FIRE leads to a key unexpected result: the plane-parallel albedo bias is largest when the cloud fraction reaches 100%, that is, when any bias associated with the cloud fraction vanishes. This is primarily due to the variability increase with cloud fraction. Thus, the within-cloud fractal structure of stratocumulus has a more significant impact on estimates of its mesoscale-average albedo than does the cloud fraction.
Basic components of instructional programs

(1975). Basic components of instructional programs. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 14, Special Education, pp. 123-136.
Atomic thermal vibrations of the light actinide elements

Abstract We have been using time-of-flight neutron powder diffraction to determine the Debye-Waller factors of the light actinide elements. The Debye-Waller factor is a measure of the mean-square atomic displacement that arises from the thermal motion of the atoms in any solid. Its temperature dependence determines a Debye-Waller temperature ΘDW that is characteristic of the elastic properties of the solid. The data are obtained by Rietveld analysis of neutron diffraction powder patterns obtained at several temperatures. We have analyzed the results for α-U, α-Np, α-Pu and δ-Pu0.95Al0.05. The measured temperature dependence of the ΘDW can be interpreted with an “effective” Gruneisen constant, whose numerical values are much too high to be explained with harmonic forces.
Hydrogen sulfide as a precursor for the synthesis of isethionate in the squid giant axon

Abstract Cysteine is taken up by the squid giant axon to about 200% of equivalent distribution, whereas sulfide is taken up (probably as hydrogen sulfide) to about 40% of equivalence. Thereafter, the squid axon synthesizes its major anion, isethionate, in about equal amounts from the sulfide, or from the sulfur of cysteine, but not at all from the carbons of cysteine. Squid nerve also contains rhodanese, an enzyme which transfers the outer (sulfane) sulfur of thiosulfate to cyanide to produce thiocyanate. It is speculated that, instead of “detoxifying cyanide,” as the reaction involving rhodanese is commonly described, the physiological role of this enzyme is the formation of a carbon-sulfur bond, leading finally, in the squid, to the formation of isethionate. This is the first evidence concerning the pathway for the synthesis of isethionate in squid nerve where this compound is normally present at a concentration of 150 m m .
Winning Girls, Winning Women

Counseling gifted girls for successful careers in our society takes planning for a generation of counselors that was itself raised by families where a mother's only role was typically as homemaker. This article makes recommendations for the development of appropriate counseling for young girls growing up in today's society.
Thin-film thermoelectric devices with high room-temperature figures of merit

Thermoelectric materials are of interest for applications as heat pumps and power generators. The performance of thermoelectric devices is quantified by a figure of merit, ZT, where Z is a measure of a material's thermoelectric properties and T is the absolute temperature. A material with a figure of merit of around unity was first reported over four decades ago, but since then-despite investigation of various approaches-there has been only modest progress in finding materials with enhanced ZT values at room temperature. Here we report thin-film thermoelectric materials that demonstrate a significant enhancement in ZT at 300 K, compared to state-of-the-art bulk Bi2Te3 alloys. This amounts to a maximum observed factor of approximately 2.4 for our p-type Bi2Te3/Sb2Te3 superlattice devices. The enhancement is achieved by controlling the transport of phonons and electrons in the superlattices. Preliminary devices exhibit significant cooling (32 K at around room temperature) and the potential to pump a heat flux of up to 700 W cm-2; the localized cooling and heating occurs some 23,000 times faster than in bulk devices. We anticipate that the combination of performance, power density and speed achieved in these materials will lead to diverse technological applications: for example, in thermochemistry-on-a-chip, DNA microarrays, fibre-optic switches and microelectrothermal systems.
Bayesian target detection and localization using a dual-mode sensor

We investigate Bayesian methods and heuristics for configurable sensor management in a simple target detection and localization problem. In this problem, a target (if present) is located in one of M cells. A dual-mode sensor repeatedly interrogates either the entire search area (Mode A) or a single cell (Mode B); its performance in both modes is characterized by probabilities of correct detection and false alarm. We investigate several sensor control strategies, including the myopic optimal strategy which minimizes the probability of error for a single observation. All strategies are closed loop; the current sensor configuration depends on previous observations. Monte Carlo simulations show that the myopic optimal strategy gives the lowest probability of error for a fixed number of observations, while interrogating the cell with the highest probability of target present gives the lowest average number of observations needed to guarantee a fixed error probability
CT diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis: spectrum of CT findings

Necrotizing fasciitis is a life-threatening soft tissue infection involving the superficial fascia and subcutaneous fat that requires aggressive, prompt surgical debridement. The early diagnosis of necrotizing fasciitis is often difficult as it may present in an elusive fashion with relatively minor physical findings. Additionally, the clinical findings often overlap with those of relatively benign conditions such as cellulitis which require conservative management. Historically, plain film and nuclear medicine studies have been used in the diagnosis and management of musculoskeletal inflammatory processes. However, with the advent of cross-sectional imaging modalities, CT has become crucial to the diagnosis and evaluation of soft tissue infections. Few publications exist that describe the CT characteristics of necrotizing fasciitis involving the chest, abdomen, and extremities, and the role of CT in the diagnosis and treatment of these life-threatening infections. The purpose of this paper is to show the CT findings in necrotizing fasciitis and associated complications. We will provide examples of necrotizing fasciitis arising in a postoperative bed as well as the CT appearance following aggressive debridement, together with descriptive information that may improve the early detection of this entity.
Aaaaack! The active voice was used! Language play, technology, and repair in the Daily Kos weblog

Abstract This paper analyzes repair phenomena in a bounded episode of language play that appeared in a well-known political weblog, Daily Kos. One diarist-member employed a passive voice frame to make various snarky comments about the current state of American politics as well as member behavior on the blog. This posting, along with the 863 comments it garnered, are examined to describe commenter reactions to active voice contributions that violate the passive frame ‘rule’ set out by the original diarist. The conversation analytic system of repair (Schegloff et al., 1977) provided a framework for understanding these responses. Findings indicate that commenters who did not format their contributions as grammatical passives were regularly subjected to playful repair and correction, reprimand, and even ridicule by other participants. Furthermore, the repairs were sensitive to the technological affordances of computer-mediated discourse (e.g., Herring, 1999, 2013). These results suggest that even in ludic episodes such as those present in the written weblog data, participants regularly employ repair practices that are based on spoken interaction, but ones that are shaped by the weblog medium and employed to further the playfulness that characterizes the diary itself.
PARTICLE DISPERSION BY COHERENT STRUCTURES IN FREE SHEAR FLOWS

ABSTRACT The dispersion of particles in turbulent flows is poorly understood. Previous approaches to this problem have been found to be inadequate for nonisotropic turbulent flows. An approach involving a new physical concept is presented. This approach assumes that coherent vortex structures control the particle dispersion process in free shear flows. A simple computational model employing Stuart's vortices is used to simulate particle motion in a two-dimensional free shear layer. The results of this simulation are in reasonable agreement with previous experiments. For the first time, experimental observations indicating particle dispersion rates greater than fluid dispersion rates in free shear flows can be plausibly explained.
Programmable shaping of ultrabroad-bandwidth pulses from a Ti:sapphire laser

We have used a commercially available liquid-crystal spatial light modulator within a reflective optics pulse-shaping apparatus to shape ultrashort pulses with temporal resolution approaching 10 fs. Using the spatial light modulator as a phase modulator, we produce a variety of complex ultrafast waveforms, including odd pulses, high repetition rate (>23 THz) pulse trains, and asymmetric pulse trains. We also show that it is possible to compensate for large amounts of high-order phase dispersion (in excess of 60π) by appropriate cubic- and quartic-phase modulations of the pulse. Finally, we examine the limitations of shaping ultrabroad-bandwidth pulses. We find that, for specific classes of waveforms, Fourier-transform pulse-shaping techniques can be used for pulses with 5-fs durations, which exceed the current state of the art in ultrashort pulse generation. However, synthesis of general waveforms with 5-fs resolution will require compensating for nonlinear spatial dispersion of frequency in the masking plane.
The emergency department groupy

Twenty-nine patients who were viewed as chronically misusing the services of the Detroit General Hospital Emergency Department were identified by the triage nurse, interviewed, and their medical records reviewed. They accounted for less than 2% of all patient visits, far less than the emergency department personnel had estimated. These patients engendered a strong emotional response in department personnel and evinced the ability to raze professional barriers. As this capability is shared with the "groupy" who haunts rock groups, such a patient was dubbed an "emergency department groupy." The groupys were best characterized by their abnormally high visit frequency, as many as 31 in a year, with an average of 11. Men tended to make more visits than women. Groupys could not be distinguished on the basis of sex or race. However, they were older, poorer, and more socially isolated than other patients. Their number included an increased percentage of people with alcoholic problems.
The role of LANP and ataxin 1 in E4F-mediated transcriptional repression

The leucine-rich acidic nuclear protein (LANP) belongs to the INHAT family of corepressors that inhibits histone acetyltransferases. The mechanism by which LANP restricts its repression to specific genes is unknown. Here, we report that LANP forms a complex with transcriptional repressor E4F and modulates its activity. As LANP interacts with ataxin 1—a protein mutated in the neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1)—we tested whether ataxin 1 can alter the E4F–LANP interaction. We show that ataxin 1 relieves the transcriptional repression induced by the LANP–E4F complex by competing with E4F for LANP. These results provide the first functional link, to our knowledge, between LANP and ataxin 1, and indicate a potential mechanism for the transcriptional aberrations observed in SCA1.
Results of Treatment of Pituitary Disease in Multiple Endocrine Neoplasia, Type I

OBJECTIVE : The aim of the present study was to examine the clinical and pathological features of pituitary disease in patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia, Type I (MEN I) and to assess the prognosis. METHODS : Fifty-two patients with pituitary disease and MEN I were studied retrospectively. Medical records were reviewed, and all of the patients known to be alive were sent a questionnaire to ascertain current disease status. RESULTS : In 12 patients, pituitary disease was the initial manifestation of MEN I. The most common lesion was prolactinoma, followed, in frequency, by acromegaly and nonsecretory adenoma. Thirty-four of the patients had surgical treatment at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, as primary treatment, 3 had radiotherapy, and 12 received no specific therapy. Twelve patients had adjunctive radiotherapy postoperatively. Of the 34 patients receiving surgical treatment, 33 had adenoma and 1 had adenoma and pituitary hyperplasia. Immunocytochemical examination demonstrated that many tumors showed reactivity for more than one pituitary hormone. On survival analysis, no excess pituitary-related mortality was found, either in the surgically treated group or in the group as a whole. CONCLUSION : On the basis of this study, we conclude that pituitary disease is frequently the initial manifestation of MEN I ; that adenomas, particularly prolactinomas, are the rule and hyperplasia is rare ; that a significant proportion of tumors are plurihormonal ; and that excess pituitary-related mortality is not a factor in patients with MEN I
The Role of Solvent Friction in an Orbital Symmetry Controlled Reaction: Ring Closure of a Carbonyl Ylide to cis-2,3-Diphenyloxirane

The dynamics of the orbital symmetry controlled ring closure of the trans-ylide, formed upon the 266 nm photolysis of trans-2,3-diphenyloxirane, to produce cis-2,3-diphenyloxirane is examined in a variety of n-alkane solvents as a function of temperature. An unsuccessful attempt was made to model the kinetics within the theoretical framework developed by Kramers for a one-dimensional reaction coordinate. A model developed by Grote and Hynes that employs a frequency-dependent friction was found to give a significantly better fit to the experimental data. The possibility that a multidimensional reaction coordinate is necessary to describe the reaction dynamics is discussed.
Thalamically projecting cells of the lateral cervical nucleus in monkey

The number, location, and morphology of thalamically projecting lateral cervical nucleus (LCN) cells were determined in monkey using retrograde transport of wheatgerm agglutinin-conjugated horseradish peroxidase. These data were compared to the total population of LCN neurons as determined by Nissl stain. In 4 Macaca fascicularis and one Saimiri sciureus the average size of the thalamic projection from LCN was found to be 506 +/- 94 cells contralateral to the injections. Thalamically projecting LCN neurons were located between the lower medulla and the third cervical segment; approximately 90% of these cells were in the first two cervical segments. Morphologic analysis of thalamically projecting LCN cells showed that they were smaller in size, and more oblong in shape in caudal regions of the nucleus. In 3 macaques, the average total number of LCN cells was determined to be 1617 +/- 908 on one side, in Nissl material. In these Nissl-stained preparations LCN neurons were found as far caudal as the fourth cervical segment; 68% were located in the first two cervical segments. Hence, thalamically projecting LCN neurons in the monkey are located in the rostral portion of the nucleus and comprise about one-third of the total population. Comparison of these data with reports in the literature imply that, unlike the cat, the major projection from LCN in monkeys is to the mesencephalon rather than to the thalamus.
Effect of palmitate on hypoxic cardiac performance.

Abstract The effect of a non-esterified fatty acid (0.4 m m palmitate) on the function of the hypoxic isolated rat heart was studied. Hypoxia depressed myocardial function but the extent of depression was independent of substrate (glucose or glucose and palmitate). Sustained arrhythmias were rare and their occurrence was not increased by the presence of the non-esterified fatty acid, palmitate.
A parallel longest common subsequence algorithm in UPC

An important problem in computational biology is finding the longest common subsequence (LCS) of two nucleotide sequences. This paper examines the correctness and performance of a recently proposed parallel LCS algorithm that uses successor tables and pruning rules to construct a list of sets from which an LCS can be easily reconstructed. Counterexamples are given for two pruning rules that were given with the original algorithm. Because of these errors, performance measurements originally reported cannot be validated. The work presented here shows that speedup can be reliably achieved by an implementation in Unified Parallel C that runs on an Infiniband cluster. This performance is partly facilitated by exploiting the software cache of the MuPC runtime system. In addition, this implementation achieved speedup without bulk memory copy operations and the associated programming complexity of message passing.
Low-temperature specific heat and thermal conductivity of neutron-irradiated crystalline quartz

The specific heat $C$ and thermal conductivity $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ of neutron-irradiated crystalline quartz have been measured to \ensuremath{\lesssim}0.1 K. Four types of low-energy excitations are observed, two of which may be removed selectively by heat treatment. From the $C$ and $\ensuremath{\kappa}$ of annealed samples it is shown that the localized excitations found in vitreous silica also occur in neutron-damaged quartz. These excitations cause the unusual low-temperature behavior which is characteristic of amorphous materials. The properties of these excitations appear to remain unchanged as the total density of excitations is reduced by a factor of \ensuremath{\approx} 40. At greater dilution, the localized excitations are masked by the effects of other, unidentified excitations.
Oxy radicals, lipid peroxidation and DNA damage

Oxygen radicals react with polyunsaturated fatty acid residues in phospholipids resulting in the production of a plethora of products, many of them reactive toward protein and DNA. One of the most abundant carbonyl products of lipid peroxidation is malondialdehyde (MDA), which also is generated as a side-product of prostaglandin biosynthesis. It reacts with DNA to form adducts to deoxyguanosine, deoxyadenosine, and deoxycytidine. The deoxyguanosine adduct (M(1)G) has been detected in liver, white blood cells, colon, pancreas, and breast from healthy human beings at levels ranging from 1 to 120 per 10(8) nucleotides. Random and site-specific mutagenesis experiments indicate that MDA-DNA adducts are mutagenic in bacteria and in mammalian cells. M(1)G is highly mutagenic when incorporated into viral genomes then replicated in E. coli. It is repaired by the nucleotide excision repair pathway. Lipid peroxidation appears to be a major source of endogenous DNA damage in humans that may contribute significantly to cancer and other genetic diseases linked to lifestyle and dietary factors.
AGE DIFFERENCES IN HIV RISK BEHAVIORS AND DRUG TREATMENT UTILIZATION AMONG DRUG USERS IN KENTUCKY

The purpose of this study was to profile demographic and other characteristics of two age groups, younger aged 30 to 39 (N = 643), and older aged 40 to 49 (N = 395), examine and identify differences in lifetime drug use patterns and age of drug use initiation, examine HIV risk behaviors: drug use and sexual practices, compare drug user treatment utilization between the two age groups, and examine barriers to drug is treatment utilization by gender. The study sample (N = 1038) was drawn from individuals recruited into the NIDA Cooperative Agreement in Kentucky. The median age in the study sample was 38, the majority were male (72%), and African-American (81%). Results indicate that older subjects initiated drug use at a later age than younger subjects. Compared to the younger age group, significantly more subjects in the older group reported having ever used any of the 10 drugs examined. Injection drug use patterns and lifetime sex exchange practices were more prevalent in the older age group. Older subjec...
Passive range estimation for rotorcraft low-altitude flight

The automation of rotorcraft low-altitude flight presents challenging problems in control, computer vision and image understanding. A critical element in this problem is the ability to detect and locate obstacles, using on-board sensors, and modify the nominal trajectory. This requirement is also necessary for the safe landing of an autonomous lander on Mars. This paper examines some of the issues in the location of objects using a sequence of images from a passive sensor, and describes a Kalman filter approach to estimate the range to obstacles. The Kalman filter is also used to track features in the images leading to a significant reduction of search effort in the feature extraction step of the algorithm. The method can compute range for both straight line and curvilinear motion of the sensor. A laboratory experiment was designed to acquire a sequence of images along with sensor motion parameters under conditions similar to helicopter flight. Range estimation results using this imagery are presented.
Generation models of electron conics

Electron distribution functions (EDFs) with a peak oblique to the magnetic field, adjacent to but distinct from loss-cone features, have been observed by the DE 1, Viking, and S3-3 spacecraft in passes through the nightside auroral zone, polar cap, dayside cusp, and extended dayside auroral oval. Using particle simulations, two types of wave excitation and particle acceleration mechanisms which may contribute to producing these electron conic distributions are investigated. The first involves excitation of upper-hybrid waves by the electron loss cone, and the subsequent perpendicular heating of the background and thermal electrons. The second involves excitation of downward propagating parallel modes by an auroral electron beam which frequently accompanies the upflowing electron conics. These modes provide parallel acceleration, which modifies the GDF. Those electrons which are not lost to the atmosphere and mirror back up the magnetic field line give rise to enhancements in the GDF at the edge of the loss cone.
Decoding neural transcriptomes and epigenomes via high-throughput sequencing

The mammalian brain is an evolutionary marvel in which engraving and re-engraving of cellular states enable complex information processing and lifelong maintenance. Understanding the mechanisms by which neurons alter and maintain their molecular signatures during information processing is a fundamental goal of neuroscience. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) technology is rapidly transforming the ability to probe the molecular basis of neuronal function. NGS can define not only the complete molecular signatures of cells by transcriptome analyses but also the cascade of events that induce or maintain such signatures by epigenetic analyses. Here we offer some general and practical information to demystify NGS technology and highlight its potential to the neuroscience field. We start with discussion of the complexity of the nervous system, then introduce various applications of NGS with practical considerations and describe basic principles underlying various NGS technologies. Finally, we discuss emerging NGS-related technologies for the neuroscience field.
Juvenile Xanthogranuloma Involving the Eye and Ocular Adnexa: Tumor Control, Visual Outcomes, and Globe Salvage in 30 Patients.

Purpose To report clinical features and treatment outcomes of ocular juvenile xanthogranuloma (JXG). Design Retrospective case series. Participants There were 32 tumors in 31 eyes of 30 patients with ocular JXG. Methods Review of medical records. Main Outcome Measures Tumor control, intraocular pressure (IOP), and visual acuity. Results The mean patient age at presentation was 51 months (median, 15 months; range, 1–443 months). Eye redness (12/30, 40%) and hyphema (4/30, 13%) were the most common presenting symptoms. Cutaneous JXG was concurrently present in 3 patients (3/30, 10%), and spinal JXG was present in 1 patient (1/30, 3%). The ocular tissue affected by JXG included the iris (21/31, 68%), conjunctiva (6/31, 19%), eyelid (2/31, 6%), choroid (2/31, 6%), and orbit (1/31, 3%). Those with iris JXG presented at a median age of 13 months compared with 30 months for those with conjunctival JXG. In the iris JXG group, mean IOP was 19 mmHg (median, 18 mmHg; range, 11–30 mmHg) and hyphema was noted in 8 eyes (8/21, 38%). The iris tumor was nodular (16/21, 76%) or diffuse (5/21, 24%). Fine-needle aspiration biopsy was used in 10 cases and confirmed JXG cytologically in all cases. The iris lesion was treated with topical (18/21, 86%) and/or periocular (4/21, 19%) corticosteroids. The eyelid, conjunctiva, and orbital JXG were treated with excisional biopsy in 5 patients (5/9, 56%), topical corticosteroids in 2 patients (2/9, 22%), and observation in 2 patients (2/9, 22%). Of 28 patients with a mean follow-up of 15 months (median, 6 months; range, 1–68 months), tumor regression was achieved in all cases, without recurrence. Two patients were lost to follow-up. Upon follow-up of the iris JXG group, visual acuity was stable or improved (18/19 patients, 95%) and IOP was controlled long-term without medication (14/21 patients, 74%). No eyes were managed with enucleation. Conclusions Ocular JXG preferentially affects the iris and is often isolated without cutaneous involvement. Iris JXG responds to topical or periocular corticosteroids, often with stabilization or improvement of vision and IOP.
Identifying the Elements of State Power Where do we Begin

Many measures of state power are defined in terms of the material capabilities of states, but ignore important differentials in the state's capacity to convert material resources into political power. This paper presents a theoretical rationale for a measure of government performance that takes into account differentials in a political system's susceptibility to external shocks from the global environment and its ability to respond to these through domestic policy adjustment. This approach differs from other empirical definitions of power in that it taps a government's strength with respect to its own society and to the international environment. The paper's main contribution is to describe and to operationalize a way of evaluating state power with respect to both the global environment and to society, based on the twin functions of penetration and extraction.
Molecular genetic analysis of U2AF59 in Schizosaccharomyces pombe: differential sensitivity of introns to mutational inactivation.

The large subunit of the mammalian U2AF heterodimer (U2AF 65 ) is essential for splicing in vitro. To expand our understanding of how this protein functions in vivo, we have created a null allele of the gene encoding the Schizosaccharomyces pombe ortholog, U2AF 59 , and employed it in a variety of genetic complementation assays. First, analysis of an extensive series of double amino acid substitutions indicates that this splicing factor is surprisingly refractory to mutations. Second, despite extensive structural conservation, we find that metazoan large subunit orthologs cannot substitute in vivo for fission yeast U2AF 59 . Third, because the activity of U2AF 65 in vitro involves binding to the 39 polypyrimidine tract, we examined the splicing of introns containing or lacking this feature in a U2AF 59 mutant described here as well as a previously isolated temperature-sensitive mutant (Potashkin et al., 1993, Science 262:573‐575). Our data indicate that all four introns tested, including two that lack extensive runs of pyrimidines between the branchpoint and 39 splice site, show splicing defects upon shifting to the nonpermissive condition. In all cases, splicing is blocked prior to the first transesterification reaction in the mutants, consistent with the role inferred for human U2AF 65 based on in vitro experiments.
SideSwipe: detecting in-air gestures around mobile devices using actual GSM signal

Current smartphone inputs are limited to physical buttons, touchscreens, cameras or built-in sensors. These approaches either require a dedicated surface or line-of-sight for interaction. We introduce SideSwipe, a novel system that enables in-air gestures both above and around a mobile device. Our system leverages the actual GSM signal to detect hand gestures around the device. We developed an algorithm to convert the discrete and bursty GSM pulses to a continuous wave that can be used for gesture recognition. Specifically, when a user waves their hand near the phone, the hand movement disturbs the signal propagation between the phone's transmitter and added receiving antennas. Our system captures this variation and uses it for gesture recognition. To evaluate our system, we conduct a study with 10 participants and present robust gesture recognition with an average accuracy of 87.2% across 14 hand gestures.
Near-optimal service constrained stocking policies for spare parts

Consider a facility that stocks various parts in support of repairs for a set of products in some customer region. The problem considered is to determine base stock policies for each part to minimize expected inventory costs across all parts while satisfying some service constraint on total customer repair services completed. A heuristic procedure is developed for several variants of this problem. The heuristic is based on duality theory and is shown to have a close connection to the well known Greedy Heuristic. Encouraging experimental results on the performance of the proposed heuristic are reported. The basic problem structure considered is similar to the tool-kit problem, but it is formulated to allow applications in much broader spare part logistics contexts.
Aida and Nine Readings of Empire

What influence did contemporary attitudes towards empire and towards ‘Other’ peoples exert on musical works, especially when those peoples were perceived as being of a different race?The answer surely varies with the genre and also with the complexity of the given work. The late Edward Said – the most prominent and controversial figure in cultural critique of this sort – put it well: a work that is ‘rich in … aesthetic intellectual complexity’ must not be treated as if it were a crudely ‘jingoistic ditty’ – or, for the present context, a racist one. Said's specific example of a complex literary work, in that passage from his important book Culture and Imperialism, is Jane Austen's Mansfield Park, with its occasional, resonant references to a sugar plantation in the Caribbean and thus also to the British slave trade.1 The problem becomes even more intense in music (of equivalent aesthetic complexity). Instrumental works are particularly difficult to interrogate on any ‘extra-musical’ basis, for an obvious and much-discussed reason: the relative inability of music, without verbal or visual anchors, to denotate and to narrate.2
Plasma from patients undergoing major open surgery stimulates in vitro tumor growth: Lower insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 levels may, in part, account for this change.

Background. Plasma from laparotomized mice has been shown to stimulate in vitro tumor growth when compared to results with preoperative plasma. This study assessed the effect of plasma from patients who underwent major open (OS) or laparoscopic surgery (LS) on in vitro tumor cell growth. Methods. Eighty-four patients undergoing major abdominal surgery were studied (45 OS, 39 LS). Peripheral blood was collected preoperatively (PreOP) and on days 1 (POD1) and 3 (POD3) after operation. HT29 human colon cancer cells were plated with samples of the plasma. Proliferation was assessed by cell counts and the bromodeoxyuridine incorporation assay. Insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 was detected in plasma by Western blot analysis. Results. Increased mitogenic activity was noted in POD1 OS plasma when compared to PreOP OS plasma results (P <.005). This increase correlated with the length of incision (r = 0.58, P <.01). No differences were noted when the PreOP LS and POD1 LS results were compared or for any of the POD3 versus PreOP comparisons. Conclusions. Major OS is associated with alterations in plasma composition that promote HT29 tumor cell proliferation in vitro. As shown, this effect was due, at least in part, to surgery-related depletion of insulin-like growth factor binding protein 3 in peripheral blood. (Surgery 2002;132:186-92.)
Reliability of Foot Trajectory Measures Within and Between Testing Sessions

Background.Impaired control of foot trajectory during the swing phase of gait is hypothesized to increase the risk of slip­ ping or tripping. Before assessing the predictive validity of foot trajectory measures with respect to incidence of falls, it is nec­ essary to establish their reliability. The purpose of this study is to assess within- and between-session reliability of foot trajec­ tory measures and traditional temporal-distance measures in healthy elderly women during gait. Methods. Sixteen healthy, elderly women (ages 65-79 years) completed six sets of five trials each of natural and fast cadence gait during a 3.5-hourperiod on each of 4 days. An optoelectric motion analysis system and heel switches were used to obtain both foot trajectory (minimum toe clearance during swing, vertical, and horizontal heel contact velocities) and temporal-distance measures (step width, cadence, velocity, stride length, and time). Results.Within-session test-retest reliability of all variables at natural and fast speeds was good to excellent, with intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs) of greater than 0.9 for all but one measure (fast cadence stride time). ICCs for between-session test-retest reliability were slightly lower, but still greater than 0.9 for all but two measures (fast cadence stride time and natural cadence vertical heel contact velocity). Heel contact velocities quantified at the instant of heel contact correlated strongly with values obtained by averaging over the last 2% of the gait cycle. Discussion.The good to excellent within- and between-session reliability of these foot trajectory measures supports their use as a possible means of assessing subtle changes in gait motor control. Confirmation of an association between alterations in foot trajectory measures and incidence of falls awaits further study.
Able-Bodied Womanhood: Personal Health and Social Change in Nineteenth-Century Boston

This study concerns itself with the relationship between popular health and social conditions in middle-class Boston from 1830-1900. Women's lives, in particular, reveal the social significance of ideas about health during that period. Against the backdrop of national debate about female duties and well-being this book follows middle-class women as they learned about physiology and hygiene through popular health literature, voluntary clubs, and schools in Boston. The pursuit of health also enabled middle-class women to explore the nature of womanhood, and to discover both conventional and new meanings.
Explaining Support for Anti-Human Trafficking Legislation in the United States Congress

The global tragedies of human trafficking and modern-day slavery have once again risen to the public agenda and received attention from governments, the media, and a variety of other organizations and activists. In recent years, there has been a flurry of anti-trafficking policy activity in United States and a variety of initiatives aimed at increasing international cooperation in combating trafficking and bringing greater attention to the problem worldwide. On the surface, there seems to be near unanimous support among US policymakers for combatting human trafficking and a broad ideological and partisan consensus on the particular approach to address the problem. But much of our understanding of policymaking in the US Congress has come from media reports and descriptive policy narratives. Moreover, the focus has been on the latter stages of the process and has neglected to identify the more active sources of support and leadership as well as sources of indifference. Furthermore, while the TVPA serves as a milestone in the fight against human trafficking and has spawned a number of useful initiatives, Congress has failed to pass any additional legislation over the past 12 years. This study seeks to understand better both the agents and impediments to combatting human trafficking in the US Congress by analyzing bill sponsorship and co-sponsorship between 1999 and 2010.
Combination of Gene Therapy with Radiation

To date tremendous progress has been made in the field of cancer gene therapy. Strategies have been explored for achieving therapeutic benefit using various genes and several clinical trials for cancer gene therapy have been carried out demonstrating that gene therapy is well tolerated. However, in most cases the efficacy of gene transfer has been very limited. As an alternative, multimodality therapies are being developed with the idea of increasing the efficacy of the treatment, decreasing toxicity, and minimizing the development of resistance. Thus, simultaneous or sequential administration of gene therapy agents with conventional anticancer agents may work in a synergistic manner. Conventional radiotherapy is usually limited by a narrow therapeutic index and the combination of gene therapy with radiation is especially promising. Preclinical and clinical studies have, in fact, demonstrated significant potential for the combination of cancer gene therapy with radiotherapy that could lead to improved treatment responses. This chapter attempts to highlight some of the gene therapy approaches that have shown success both in preclinical models and in clinical trials when used in combination with conventional radiotherapy.