cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Risk-aware autonomous navigation

To function at the same operational tempo as human teammates on the battlefield in a robust and resilient manner, autonomous systems must assess and manage risk as it pertains to vehicle navigation. Risk comes in multiple forms, associated with both specific and uncertain terrains, environmental conditions, and nearby actors. In this work, we present a risk-aware path planning method to handle the first form, incorporating perception uncertainty over terrain types to trade-off between exploration and exploitation behaviors. The uncertainty from machine learned terrain segmentation models is used to generate a layered terrain map that associates every grid cell with its label uncertainty among the semantic classes. The risk term increases when differently traversable semantic classes (e.g., tree and grass) are associated with the same cell. We show that adjusting risk tolerances allows the planner to recognize and generate paths through materials like tall grass that historically have been ruled out when only considering geometry. Utilizing a risk-aware planner allows triggering an exploratory behavior to gather more information to minimize uncertainty over terrain categorizations. Most existing methods for incorporating risk will avoid regions of uncertainty, whereas here the vehicle can determine if the risk is too high after new observation/investigation. This also allows the autonomous system to decide to ask a human teammate for help to reduce uncertainty and make progress towards goal. We demonstrate the approach on a ground robot in simulation and in real world for autonomously navigating through a wooded environment.
Reflections on the Role of Receptor Systems for Taste and Smell

Publisher Summary The role of chemoreceptors in the life of animals and in the evolution of their nervous systems poses problems of the greatest complexity but with fascinating implications. The tactile receptors, for all their complexity in detail, are relatively simple in principle. This chapter describes the differences in structure of taste and odor receptors. These receptors have not evolved independently but as the afferent arms of complete reaction systems. In air-breathing animals, taste became concentrated in the oral cavity. Olfaction, on the other hand, as soon as it can be distinguished from taste, is concentrated at the cranial end of the animal. Odorants are detected only in solution on the olfactory membrane. The detailed structure of taste bud cells indicates that the receptor cells are more slender and contain chromatic irregular nuclei, while the larger supporting cell has a less chromatic nucleus. In addition, the olfactory mechanism is much more complex. Organization of the olfactory nerves also is puzzling. Immediately beneath the epithelium, the fibers join into small fascicles held together by a common sheath cell. These fascicles interweave and exchange fiber. The evolutionary significance of olfaction is highlighted in the chapter.
Optimal energy management of a distribution network during the course of a heat wave

Abstract Heat waves are prolonged periods of excessive ambient temperature that may last up to several weeks. In addition to posing health threats to the society, these events may easily push the power grid towards its operational limits. The maximum capacity of many energy resources gets negatively affected by excess temperatures. This can be in addition to the expected loss of life due to operation under harsh conditions. Overhead lines, on the other hand, experience excessive conductor surface temperatures that can drastically reduce their power transmission capacity. To make matters worse, the reduction in generation and/or transmission capacity will coincide with a rise in electric demand, often attributed to the overutilization of air-conditioning systems. This can jeopardize the ability of the power grid to maintain system stability. A key to ensuring that the grid continues operating safely and securely is to incorporate the effect of temperature into its operation schedule. In this paper, we propose an optimal generation dispatch strategy for a distribution grid exposed to a heat wave event, while taking into account the dependence of operational constraints of various components on ambient temperature. We study a power grid equipped with renewable and non-renewable distributed generation, battery energy storage, and demand responsive loads. We evaluate the effectiveness of our proposed approach on a test system with data acquired from the heat wave event of July 2006 in Sacramento, CA.
Utility and Loss

In evaluating the consequences of possible actions, two major problems are encountered. The first is that the values of the consequences may not have any obvious scale of measurement. For example, prestige, customer goodwill, and reputation are important to many businesses, but it is not clear how to evaluate their importance in a concrete way. A typical problem of this nature arises when a relatively exclusive company is considering marketing its “name” product in discount stores. The immediate profit which would accrue from increased sales is relatively easy to estimate, but the longterm effect of a decrease in prestige is much harder to deal with.
From Projective Identification to Empathic Connection: The Transformation of a Marriage from the Inside Out

SUMMARY This article examines the challenging journey of successful coupling by understanding the marital relationship within a developmental framework. The process of Projective Identification is viewed as a useful concept found at the confluence of family systems and psycho-dynamic streams of thought, bridging the interpersonal and intrapsychic experience of couples whose individuative strivings are stalled. A map is offered for the transformation of a marriage from the stages of Idealization and Disillusionment toward the stage of Acceptance and empathic connection.
Relationship of body composition to somatotype in boys ages 7 to 12 years.

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine the association of somatotype and body composition in boys 7 to 12 years old. Somatotype was measured by two methods: Sheldon's revised trunk index method and Heath-Carter's anthropometric method. Body composition was estimated as fat and lean body mass using a whole-body 40K counter. Percent fat, estimated from 40K measurement, was most closely related to Heath and Carter's first component, accounting for 61% of the variation (coefficient of determination, CD), and to Sheldon's endomorphy (CD=53%). Percent fat was negatively related to Heath and Carter's third component (CD = 42%) and Sheldon's ectomorphy (12%) and positively related to Heath and Carter's second component (CD = 31%). Lean body mass alone or in combination with weight and height was not significantly related to either Sheldon's mesomorphy or Heath and Carter's second component. Lean body mass and height together could only account for about 23% of the variation in Heath and Carter's seco...
Magneto-Switchable Electrodes and Electrochemical Systems

This article is an overview of extensive research efforts in many laboratories in the last two decades in the area of magneto-switchable electrochemical systems. Electrochemical reactions, including electrocatalytic and bioelectrocatalytic processes, have been reversibly activated and inhibited upon physical translocation and reorientation of different magnetic micro/nano-species on electrode surfaces, particularly using magnetic micro/nanoparticles, adaptive nanowires and hybrid-graphene sheets. These processes were triggered by repositioning an external magnet, thus resulting in changes in magnetic field at the electrode interfaces. Coupling of the magneto-activated electrochemical systems with enzymatic reactions of various complexity allowed sophisticated bioelectronic devices for tunable biosensing, on-demand power production, unconventional computing and other novel bioelectronic applications.
Randomized Trial to Increase Colorectal Cancer Screening in an Ethnically-Diverse Sample of First-Degree Relatives

Author(s): Bastani, Roshan; Glenn, Beth A; Maxwell, Annette E; Ganz, Patricia A; Mojica, Cynthia M; Alber, Susan; Crespi, Catherine M; Chang, L Cindy | Abstract: BackgroundEthnic minorities, especially African Americans and Latinos, bear a disproportionate burden of colorectal cancer (CRC), as reflected in incidence, cancer stage, and mortality statistics. In all ethnic groups, first-degree relatives (FDRs) of CRC cases are at an elevated disease risk. However, underuse of CRC screening persists and is particularly evident among minority groups. The current study tested a stepped intervention to increase CRC screening among an ethnically diverse sample of FDRs of CRC cases.MethodsA statewide cancer registry was used to recruit CRC cases and through them their FDRs. Relatives who were not current on CRC screening were randomized to intervention or usual-care control arms. The stepped intervention consisted of ethnically targeted and individually tailored print materials followed by telephone counseling for those unscreened at 6 months.ResultsThe study sample of 1280 individuals consisted of 403 Latino, 284 African American, 242 Asian, and 351 white FDRs. Statistically significant effects were observed for the cumulative print plus telephone intervention at 12 months (26% in the intervention vs 18% in the control group) and the print intervention alone at 6 months (15% in the intervention vs 10% in the control group). The effect of the print intervention alone versus the cumulative interventions was not statistically significantly different. Stratified analyses indicated that the intervention was effective among white, Latino, and Asian individuals, but not among African-Americans.ConclusionsOverall, the intervention was effective in increasing screening rates. Oversampling racial/ethnic minorities allowed for the examination of effects within subgroups, revealing no effect among African American individuals. This finding illustrates the importance of including sufficient numbers of participants from diverse ethnic subgroups in intervention research to enable such stratified analyses.
Differing Pathways between Religiousness, Spirituality, and Health: A Self-Regulation Perspective

The literature on religiousness, spirituality (R/S), and health has increased dramatically in the past decade, but suffers from a lack of integrative theoretical models and well-defined constructs. Drawing on self-regulation theory, we hypothesized that the effects of religiousness (e.g., affiliatio
Glass memory behavior: linear volume response in the annealing region

Glass memory behavior has been investigated at temperatures within the glass transformation region. A previous paper presented a phenomenological description of the volume response of B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ glass to single small pressure changes applied after thorough sample equilibration. The Boltzmann superposition principle is applied to this description to predict the volume response of B/sub 2/O/sub 3/ glass to successive small pressure changes of the type which reveal appreciable memory behavior. These predictions were tested by performing such multiple pressure-jump experiments. The experimental data agreed with the theoretical predictions without the adjustment or reevaluation of any of the parameters used.
Hospital respiratory protection practices in 6 U.S. states: a public health evaluation study.

Background Lessons learned from the influenza A (H1N1) virus revealed a need to better understand hospitals' respiratory protection programmatic practice gaps. This article reports findings from a multistate assessment of hospitals' adherence to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration's respiratory protection program (RPP) requirements and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's infection control guidance. Methods Onsite surveys were conducted in 98 acute care hospitals in 6 U.S. states, including >1,500 hospital managers, unit managers, and health care workers. Descriptive statistics were used to assess hospital adherence. Results Most acute care hospitals adhere to requirements for initial medical evaluations, fit testing, training, and recommended respiratory protection when in close contact with patients who have suspected or confirmed seasonal influenza. Low hospital adherence was found for respiratory protection with infectious diseases requiring airborne precautions, aerosol-generating procedures with seasonal influenza, and checking of the respirator's user seal. Hospitals' adherence was also low with follow-up program evaluations, medical re-evaluations, and respirator maintenance. Conclusion Efforts should be made to closely examine ways of strengthening hospitals' RPPs to ensure the program's ongoing effectiveness and workers' proper selection and use of respiratory protection. Implications for improved RPPs and practice are discussed.
Sustaining Ecosystem Services in Human-Dominated Watersheds: Biohydrology and Ecosystem Processes in the South Platte River Basin

/ Sustaining ecosystem services important to humans while providing a dependable water supply for agriculture and urban needs is a major challenge faced by managers of human-dominated watersheds. Modification of natural flow regimes alters the abundance and composition of native plant and animal communities, affecting ecosystem services such as water storage and nutrient cycling that depend on particular species or functional groups. Because complete restoration of natural hydrology is generally not an option in human-dominated watersheds, there is a need to determine which specific flow manipulations are necessary to restore species-dependent ecosystem services in particular systems. Here we propose a framework for predicting ecological consequences of flow manipulations that is based on the role of hydrology in linking population, community, and ecosystem processes. We use a case-study approach to examine how interactions among the flow regime and species' functional traits help organize local biotic communities and generate alternate states of ecosystem functioning. Results indicate the importance of integrating hydrology and biology to predict ecological consequences of flow regime manipulations and the need to apply general flow-restoration principles on a case-by-case basis.KEY WORDS: Biohydrology; Aquatic ecosystems; Community assembly; Ecological integrity; Watershed restoration; Ecosystem serviceshttp://link.springer-ny.com/link/service/journals/00267/bibs/24n1p39.html
Modifying Job Sequencing Rules for Work-in-Process Inventory Reduction

Abstract In most reported studies of job dispatching rules the primary criterion for evaluating alternative rules has been the mean number of jobs in the shop, or the equivalent. This paper argues that the mean value of jobs in the shop is a more generally useful measure because it is a determinant of work-in-process (WIP) inventory carrying cost. For certain simple single-server systems the shortest processing time rule (SPT) is known to be optimal on the first criterion. A value-weighted version of SPT, termed SWPT, is optimal on the second criterion (mean value). We show by means of a simulation study that introduction of a similar dollar-weighting feature into more complex rules is effective in reducing mean WIP inventory, even in complex multimachine stochastic systems. Since our suggested dispatch rule modifications require value weighting, correct valuation of jobs is essential. The subject of how to determine the value of a job dynamically as it moves through the shop is discussed.
Catalytically inactive heme oxygenase-2 mutant is cytoprotective

Heme oxygenase (HO) catalyzes the rate-limiting step in heme degradation, producing iron, carbon monoxide, and bilirubin/biliverdin. HO consists of two isozymes: HO-1, which is an oxidative stress-response protein, and HO-2, which is constitutively expressed. HO-2 accounts for most HO activity within the nervous system. Its posttranslational modifications and/or interactions with other proteins make HO-2 a unique regulator of cellular homeostasis. Our previous results revealed that brain infarct volume was enlarged in HO-2 knockout mice. A similar neuroprotective role of HO-2 was shown using primary cortical neurons. To better understand the neuroprotective mechanism of HO-2, we used a catalytically inactive mutant, HO-2H45A, and investigated its cellular effects in response to hemin and hydrogen peroxide-induced cytotoxicity. We observed that HO-2WT overexpression in the HEK293 cell lines became less sensitive to hemin, whereas the inactive mutant HO-2H45A was more sensitive to hemin as compared to control. Interestingly, HO-2WT- and HO-2H45A-overexpressing cells were both protected against H2O2-induced oxidative stress and had less oxidatively modified proteins as compared to control cells. These data indicate that when HO-2 cannot metabolize the prooxidant heme, more cytotoxicity is found, whereas, interestingly, the catalytically inactive HO-2H45A was also able to protect cells against oxidative stress injury. These results suggest the multiplicity of action of the HO-2 protein itself.
Characteristic morphologic abnormality of harlequin ichthyosis detected in amniotic fluid cells

We have examined cells from amniotic fluid obtained at 17 and 21 weeks' gestation and fetal skin biopsy samples from a fetus at risk of harlequin ichthyosis by light and electron microscopy. Clumps of abnormally keratinized cells that had a large number of lipid droplets in the cytoplasm were seen within both the 17- and 21-week amniotic fluid cell pellets. The cells in these clumps were similar to the thick layers of keratinized cells observed in the skin biopsy and autopsy samples. Morphologic examination of the fetal skin biopsy samples obtained at 21 weeks gestation revealed the characteristic changes of harlequin ichthyosis. The intraepidermal portions of hair canals had an excessive number of layers of keratinized cells. Normal lamellar granules were absent but abundant membrane-bound vesicles of a similar size and a number of dense bodies were observed in the cells of the upper intermediate layers of the epidermis. Autopsy skin samples of the terminated fetus at the twenty-third week of gestation showed structural changes that corresponded to those of the amniotic fluid cells and the fetal skin biopsy samples, although the periderm was gone in all the regions. Our findings of amniotic fluid indicate that the characteristic epidermal abnormality of harlequin ichthyosis has been expressed at 17 weeks gestation in some parts of the body or structures of fetal skin (e.g., hair canals) that keratinize before interfollicular epidermis. Moreover, the results suggest that harlequin ichthyosis can be detected in utero by morphologic analysis of amniotic fluid cells obtained by amniocentesis.
The prediction of irradiation growth rates in uranium by resistivity and expansion measurements

Abstract Thermal expansion and resistivity have been measured on longitudinal specimens from core and rim positions in uranium fuel bars. The measurements are used to predict the irradiation growth rates at these positions as percentages of the growth rate of a single crystal; the assumptions necessary to make these predictions are explained and justified. While errors of the order ±20 per cent are expected in the absolute prediction of growth rate, comparisons between specimens can give relative growth rates within ±4·8 per cent of the single crystal growth rate. The cores of the uranium bars examined are expected to shrink on irradiation relative to the rims at rates between 3·5 and 14·1 per cent of the single crystal growth rate.
Shock tube measurements of the reactions of CN with O and O2

The rate coefficients of the reactions and were determined in a series of shock tube experiments from CN time histories recorded using a narrow-linewidth cw laser absorption technique. The ring dye laser source generated 388.44 nm radiation corresponding to the CN B2Σ+(v = 0) X2Σ+(v = 0) P-branch bandhead, enabling 0.1 ppm detection sensitivity. Reaction (1) was measured in shock-heated gas mixtures of typically 200 ppm N2O and 10 ppm C2N2 in argon in the temperature range 3000 to 4500 K and at pressures between 0.45 and 0.90 atm. k1 was determined using pseudo-first order kinetics and was found to be 7.7 × 1013 (±20%) [cm3 mol−1 s−1]. This value is significantly higher than reported by earlier workers. Reaction (2) was measured in two regimes. In the first, nominal gas mixtures of 500 ppm O2 and 10 ppm C2N2 in argon were shock heated in the temperature range 2700 K to 3800 K and at pressures between 0.62 and 1.05 atm. k2 was determined by fitting the measured CN profiles with a detailed mechanism. In the second regime, gas mixtures of 500 ppm O2 and 1000 ppm C2N2 in argon were shock heated in the temperature range 1550 to 1950 K and at pressures between 1.19 and 1.57 atm. Using pulsed radiation from an ArF excimer laser at 193 nm, a fraction of the C2N2 was photolyzed to produce CN. Pseudo-first order kinetics were used to determine k2. Combining the results from both regimes, k2 was found to be 1.0 × 1013 (±20%) [cm3 mol−1 s−1].
The separation of charge at the gas-liquid interface by dispersion of various electrolyte solutions

Abstract The electrostatic charge separation associated with the pneumatic dispersion of various electrolyte solutions was investigated by measuring the current flow between the bulk phase reservoir and ground. By varying ionic concentrations, pH, types of ions, solvent, and hydrodynamic conditions, current profiles were generated to determine the influence of these parameters on the mechanism of the spray electrification process. Previous explanations for charge separation based on a shearing of the electrical double layer are discarded in favor of an approach which takes into account the liquid phase ion-pair separation arising from an imbalance of force fields responding to a bulk phase attraction for ions at a suddenly created surface.
QD-Janus: a sequential implementation of Janus in Prolog

Janus is a language designed for distributed constraint programming. This paper describes QD-Janus, a sequential implementation of Janus in Prolog. The compiler uses a number of novel analyses and optimizations to improve the performance of the system. The choice of Prolog as the target language for a compiler, although unusual, is motivated by the following: (i) the semantic gap between Janus and Prolog is much smaller than that between Janus and, say, C or machine language—this simplifies the compilation process significantly, and makes it possible to develop a system with reasonable performance fairly quickly; (ii) recent progress in Prolog implementation techniques, and the development of Prolog systems whose speeds are comparable to those of imperative languages, indicates that the translation to Prolog need not entail a significant performance loss compared to native code compilers; and (iii) compilation to Prolog can benefit immediately from a significant body of work on, and implementations of, parallel Prolog systems. Our experience indicates that translation of logic programming languages to Prolog, accompanied by the development of good program analysis and optimization tools, is an effective way to quickly develop flexible and portable implementations with good performance and low cost.
Sampling rate selection influences on incremental cost consensus algorithm in decentralized economic dispatch

In a smart grid, distributed control algorithms can be embedded in the distributed controllers of generators to solve energy management problems without the presence of a central controller. Incremental Cost Consensus (ICC) algorithm is such a distributed algorithm that solves the economic dispatch problem (EDP) in a distributed manner. This paper considers the sampling rate selection of a system that consists of the ICC algorithm and generator dynamics. The mathematical formulation of the hybrid system is presented and the selection of a proper sampling rate is discussed. In addition, the results of the case studies are presented to show the convergence performance of a hybrid system under different sampling rate choices.
Ab-Initio Molecular Dynamics Studies of Magnesium-Doped Sodium Clusters

Structural, electronic, and vibrational properties of NanMg clusters (n=6–9, 18) have been determined using the Car-Parrinello method. We find that in the energetically preferred structures the magnesium impurity is never located at the center of the cluster. The validity of spherical jellium models and the effects of temperature are discussed.
Self-regulation and chronic pain: The role of emotion

Adjustment to chronic pain is examined within the context of a model that emphasizes goal-centered self-regulatory processing. Individual differences in adjustment to chronic illness have typically been examined from within the framework of stressful person–environment transactions. However, it may be useful to examine a broader array of person–environment transactions encountered in the context of working toward personal goals. Self-regulation may be especially challenging for people with chronic pain because of the link between pain and emotion. Consistent with this perspective, we will focus on the role of emotion as an energizing force in self-regulation and discuss the implications for managing pain. We will suggest that pain and concomitant negative emotion pervasively bias information processing, constrain the selection of goals, and the ongoing process of self-regulation.
On balancing the load in a clustered web farm

In this article we propose a novel, yet practical, scheme which attempts to optimally balance the load on the servers of a clustered Web farm. The goal in solving this performance problem is to achieve minimal average response time for customer requests, and thus ultimately achieve maximal customer throughput. The article decouples the overall problem into two related but distinct mathematical subproblems, one static and one dynamic. We believe this natural decoupling is one of the major contributions of our article. The static component algorithm determines good assignments of sites to potentially overlapping servers. These cluster assignments, which, due to overhead, cannot be changed too frequently, have a major effect on achievable response time. Additionally, these assignments must be palatable to the sites themselves. The dynamic component algorithm is designed to handle real-time load balancing by routing customer requests from the network dispatcher to the servers. This algorithm must react to fluctuating customer request load while respecting the assignments of sites to servers determined by the static component. The static and dynamic components both employ in various contexts the same so-called goal setting algorithm. This algorithm determines the theoretically optimal load on each server, given hypothetical cluster assignments and site activity. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the overall load-balancing scheme via a number of simulation experiments.
TAP1, TAP2, and HLA-DR2 alleles are predictors of cervical cancer risk.

Abstract Objective The likelihood of developing cervical cancer has been shown to be increased in persons with certain HLA alleles. We evaluated immune response genes in the HLA region of chromosome 6 to see if individual or interactive associations with cervical cancer risk could be identified. Methods Tissue was obtained from 127 women undergoing surgical treatment for cervical cancer. Blood samples were obtained from 175 control subjects. A combination of polymerase chain reaction (PCR), sequence-specific PCR, and DNA sequencing was used to evaluate polymorphic alleles, including HLA class I B7, TNF α, HLA class II DR2, TAP1, and TAP2 genes. Fisher's exact test and logistic regression modeling were used for statistical analysis. Results A significantly greater proportion of the patients with cervical cancer were found to have the HLA class II DR2 1501 allele ( P = 0.023) and the TAP2 A/B heterozygous pattern of alleles ( P = 0.0006) than were women without cervical cancer. A proportion of patients with cervical cancer significantly smaller than that of the control women had a polymorphism at the -238 position of the TNF promoter and the TAP1 C/C homozygous pattern of alleles. With logistic modeling, the markers that showed consistent association with the occurrence of cervical cancer were TAP2 A/B, HLA-DR2 1501, and TAP1 C/C. Conclusions We demonstrated a significant association between immune response genes and the risk of cervical cancer. Our data create a compelling argument for a gene or a cluster of genes in the HLA region of chromosome 6 that regulates host immune responses to human papillomavirus infection in a manner that results in inherited susceptibility or resistance to the transforming properties of oncogenic papillomaviruses.
Viral vector-mediated gene transfer for CNS disease.

Importance of the field: Gene therapy is a promising strategy for the treatment of many neurological disorders that currently lack effective treatment. Recent improvements in vectorology and vector engineering have improved overall safety and delivery of viral vectors.Areas covered in this review: This review discusses the current state of viral vector development and clinical use, as well as routes of delivery, and clinical trials for neurological disorders.What the reader will gain: Viral vectors may be delivered directly or remotely to the CNS, largely depending on the nature of the disease and the tropism of the vector. Nonetheless, delivery remains one of the major limitations of successful gene transfer to the CNS.Take home message: Although the majority of clinical trials have centered on gene replacement and neuroprotection approaches, the field is advancing in the direction of neuromodulation, gene silencing and other newer strategies.
Permeability of placenta to inulin

Inulin was administered to eight volunteer patients at term gestation over a period of 3 hours before cesarean section. Inulin concentrations were repeatedly measured in maternal plasma, in fetal plasma, and in amniotic fluid at the time of delivery. Total inulin uptake of the conceptus was taken to be the sum of the inulin in the amniotic fluid and in the newborn infant. Amniotic fluid volumes were measured by ultrasound examination, and the distribution volume of inulin in the neonate was assumed to be 180 ml/kg on the basis of animal experiments. The mean permeability was 0.15 microliter/(s.g) placenta. This value and the previously measured permeability for cyanocobalamin delimit a range of molecular weights from 1350 to 5200 daltons. In this range permeability to lipid-insoluble molecules is roughly proportional to the coefficients of free diffusion in water without further discrimination of molecular size by the placental barrier.
Differential cytokine regulation of MHC class II and thyroglobin mRNAs in rat thyroid cells.

We have previously demonstrated that recombinant gamma-interferon (gamma IF) inhibits thyroid cell proliferation in vitro. We now demonstrate differential regulation of thyroid cell genes by recombinant gamma IF, as evidenced by data obtained measuring thyroglobulin (Tg) mRNA and MHC class II alpha-chain mRNA transcripts. Using the rat thyroid cell clone 1B-6, derived from FRTL-5 cells, gamma IF markedly increases MHC class II (RT1.D) alpha-chain transcripts in proliferating cells. Simultaneously, Tg mRNA transcript levels are markedly inhibited, even in the presence of TSH and insulin-like growth factor I (as insulin), known stimulators of Tg mRNA. Similar data were obtained for both FRTL-5 and FRTL parent cell lines. Furthermore, using probes to the 5' region of the rat Tg gene we recognized not just a 9.0-kilobase (kb) mRNA, but also an additional 1.1-kb message in all proliferating thyroid cell cultures, suggesting truncation or alternative splicing of the Tg mRNA. Both the 9.0- and 1.1-kb mRNAs were inhibited by gamma IF. These data add further complexity to the cytokine regulation of thyroid cell gene expression and advise caution in making the assumption that thyroid cells may be efficient thyroid antigen-presenting cells in thyroid autoimmune disease.
Artificial Enzymes Formed through Directed Assembly of Molecular Square Encapsulated Epoxidation Catalysts

Supramolecular complex formation imparts stability and substrate selectivity to a simple manganese-porphyrin-based epoxidation catalyst. Lewis acid/Lewis base directed assembly was used to encapsulate the epoxidation catalyst within a supramolecular square structure to form an enzyme-like catalyst system. The "molecular square" takes on the functions of the protein superstructure in an enzyme: it spatially protects the catalytic core from decomposition and induces reaction selectivity.
Developmental potential of embryos from intracytoplasmic sperm injection cycles containing fragmented oocytes.

Objective To determine the incidence of fragmented oocytes in intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) cycles, describe the developmental potential of their sibling oocytes, and define clinical outcomes from affected cycles. Design Case-control study. Setting Academic medical center. Patient(s) All ICSI cycles from January 2006 to December 2010 (n = 2,844) were reviewed for the presence of fragmented oocytes at cumulus stripping or fertilization check (n = 93). Sibling oocytes and corresponding embryos from index cycles were compared with matched control cycles without fragmented oocytes. Intervention(s) None. Main Outcome Measure(s) Cycle characteristics, embryo quality, and pregnancy rates per retrieval. Result(s) The incidence of ICSI cycles containing at least one fragmented oocyte was 3.3% (93/2,844). Twelve patients were represented more than once in these 93 index cycles. Only the first cycles (n = 81) were included, of which 28 contained fragmented oocytes at cumulus stripping, 48 at fertilization check, and five at both. Compared with matched controls, index cycles had fewer good-quality embryos available for transfer (18.8% vs. 32.1%) and significantly lower rates of implantation (20.3% vs. 32.7%), clinical pregnancy (33.3% vs. 58.0%), and ongoing delivery (29.6% vs. 49.4%). The cumulative ongoing delivered rate was also significantly lower for index cycles (32.1% vs. 55.6%), with no difference in the percentage of cycles with cryopreserved embryos remaining at study conclusion (13.5% vs. 23.5%). Conclusion(s) Cohorts containing fragmented oocytes have decreased developmental potential. The biologic mechanisms underlying this occurrence merit further investigation, and patient counseling should reflect the possible decreased success rates associated with this aberrant developmental pattern.
ADULT PERFORMANCE ON THE SLOPE TEST: MORE EVIDENCE FOR A NATURAL SEQUENCE IN ADULT SECOND LANGUAGE ACQUISITION

Sixty-six adult speakers of English as a second language were tested on the SLOPE test, a measure of oral production covering 20 structures in English. The difficulty order found was not significantly different from that found in children learning English as a second language in previous studies (Fathman 1975b), and no significant difference was found between speakers of different first languages. These results confirm and extend Bailey, Madden, and Krashen's (1974) findings and support the hypothesis that certain similarities exist in the language acquisition processes utilized by children and adults.
Generalized Adjoint for Physical Processes with Parameterized Discontinuities. Part VI: Minimization Problems in Multidimensional Space

Generalized adjoint with modified discretization and generalized coarse-grain adjoint are derived for a vector system of equations that contains parameterized on/off switches. With vector examples, it is shown that the conventional adjoint minimization may have a convergence problem in multidimensional space. The problem can be solved by the generalized adjoint with modified discretization or by the generalized coarse-grain adjoint without modifying the traditional discretization in the forward model.
A robustness property of the separation principle

We consider the stochastic linear regulator problem when the observation and driving noises are random processes with large, but finite, bandwidths. We show that as the bandwidth of the noise tends to infinity there is a natural limiting stochastic regulator problem which involves Gaussian white noise disturbances. The optimal control law of this problem, for which the Separation Principle holds, is suboptimal for the original problem. We obtain a power series expansion of the suboptimal cost of this control law in terms of the correlation time (inverse of the bandwidth) of the noise. From this expansion we conclude that as the bandwidth of the disturbances approaches infinity the suboptimal cost approaches the optimal cost of the limiting regulator problem, and so, that the Separation Principle is robust. Both finite and infinite time (steady state) problems are considered.
PARTY COMMITTEES, NONCONNECTED PACS, AND AFFILIATED PACS IN STATE ELECTIONS: SAME SPECIES OR DIFFERENT POLITICAL ANIMALS?

Research on national-level multicandidate committees has discredited the notion that all PACs are alike. Doubts remain, however, regarding statelevel multicandidate committees. This research examines the differences among three types of political committees: political party committees, nonconnected PACs, and affiliated PACs. The results show that party committees and affiliated PACs are quite distinct from one another. However, nonconnected PACs share a number of traits and thus constitute a somewhat unique category of multicandidate committee.
Timing of edentulation and extraction in the management of oral cavity and oropharyngeal malignancies

Background Pretreatment dental evaluation is an essential element in the management of the head and neck cancer patient. Frequently, the dental condition requires edentulation or multiple extractions prior to radiotherapy. These extractions may be carried out at the time of oncologic resection. Such,practice is routine for some surgeons but resisted by others who fear increased postoperative wound complications. To date, no study evaluating the safety and efficacy of extractions at the time of surgical resection has been reported. This paper retrospectively examines the postoperative course of head and neck cancer patients with varying strategies of dental management. Methods. Retrospective analysis of patients with surgically treated oral cavity or oropharyngeal malignancies and dental extractions or edentulation at a tertiary oncology center from 1985 to 1994 was made. Postoperative wound infection, fistula, and length of stay data were compared for patients undergoing concurrent extraction and those having dental extractions in the postoperative period. Results. Thirty-two patients underwent ablative resection with concurrent extraction, whereas 23 had postsurgical extractions. The infection and fistula rates were 16% and 9% in the concurrent group and 35% and 26% for patients having postsurgical extractions. Mean postoperative stays were significantly shorter for patients undergoing concurrent extraction (15 ± 8 days) compared with those of the postsurgical group (27 ± 14 days). Conclusions. Patients whose extractions were performed concurrent with the oncologic resection experienced fewer postoperative wound complications and had significantly shorter postoperative hospitalizations than did the postsurgical group.
Ultraprecision bonding for cryogenic fused-silica optics

This paper describes the state-of-the-art precision bonding technique for cryogenic fused-silica optics. It was developed for assembling the fused-quartz Gravity Probe-B science instrument, which will be used to prove or disprove Einstein's Theory of General Relativity with unprecedented accuracy and precision. This room-temperature bonding process is based on hydroxide catalysis. The resulting bonding strength is comparable with that of fused silica or fused quartz. The interface is typically 200 nm essentially limited by surface figure mismatch. It is as precise as optical contacting, as reliable as high-temperature frit bonding, as transparent as optical epoxies. So far it is the only bonding approach that meets all the stringent requirements for GP-B's applications at 2.5 Kelvin.
Anxiety as a cost of commuting to work

Abstract This paper examines the impact of the psychological costs, i.e., aggravation, anxiety, incurred in commuting to and from work. Proposed measures of psychological costs are presented and tested against the backdrop of empirical evidence for Columbus, Ohio. The empirical results suggest that the psychological costs associated with today's modes of transportation militate against public adaptation of alternative means of getting to work—walking and bicycling.
Interstrain variation in acute toxic response to caffeine among inbred mice

Abstract Acute toxic dosage-dependent behavioral effects of caffeine were compared in adult males from seven inbred mouse strains (A/J, BALB/cJ, CBA/J, C3H/HeJ, C57BL/6J, DBA/2J, SWR/J). C57BL/6J, chosen as a “prototypic” mouse strain, was used to determine behavioral responses to a broad range (5–500 mg/kg) of caffeine doses. Five phenotypic characteristics—locomotor activity, righting ability, clonic seizure induction, stress-induced lethality, death without external stress—were scored at various caffeine doses in drug-naive animals under empirically optimized, rigidly constant experimental conditions. Mice (n=12 for each point) received single IP injections of a fixed volume/g body weight of physiological saline carrier with or without caffeine in doses ranging from 125–500 mg/kg. Loss of righting ability was scored at 1, 3, 5 min post dosing and at 5 min intervals thereafter for 20 min. In the same animals the occurrence of clonic seizures was scored as to time of onset and severity for 20 min after drug administration. When these proceeded to tonic seizures, deach occurred in less than 20 min. Animals surviving for 20 min were immediately stressed by a swim test in 25°C water, and death-producing tonic seizures were scored for 2 min. In other animals locomotor activity was measured 15 or 60 min after caffeine administration. By any single behavioral criterion or a combination of these criteria, marked differences in response to toxic caffeine doses were observed between strains. These results indicate that behavioral toxicity testing of alkylxanthines in a single mouse strain may be misleading and suggest that toxic responses of the central nervous system to this class of compounds are genetically influenced in mammals.
Sweet Home: understanding diabetes management via a chinese online community

China has overtaken India and the U.S. as host to the largest diabetic population in the world. Many problems exist in the Chinese healthcare system and very small number of diabetes patients receives treatment. Our paper reports on a case study through the lens of an online diabetes patient community, Sweet Home. We conducted participant observations, text analysis, and interviews, to understand the health management of patients at Sweet Home. Our findings reveal that patients' understanding of diabetes, their choice of treatments, their routine management, and their interactions with others (in the physical world) and among themselves (in the online world) are influenced by many factors: belief in traditional Chinese versus western medicine, cultural and social norms regarding social eating and drinking, conflicts over self-images, and responses to comments and pressures of coworkers. That is, social context may significantly affect patients' behaviors and each individual patient's actions may also help reshape the social context. We draw out implications for how our society as a whole may respond to these issues, from the perspective of public health, education, and information technology design.
Yield and activity of theHeliothis zea single nuclear polyhedrosis virus propagated in cloned and uncloned lines ofHeliothis cells

Heliothis cell lines originated from different laboratories were characterized by isoenzyme analysis and then evaluated for their ability to produce the single nuclear polyhedrosis virus ofHeliothis zea (HzSNPV). A cloned cell line (designated Hzlb3), whose homogeneity was supported by both morphological and isoenzyme analysis, was derived from a parental line (Hzl). Significantly greater yields (about 10-fold) of tissue-culture-derived, non-occluded virus (TCNOV) were obtained when compared to the parental line. The Hzlb3 clone also gave significantly higher yields of TCNOV than the Hz3 and UND-K cell lines. Although lines Hzl, Hz3, and Hzlb3 produced significantly more polyhedral inclusion bodies (PIB) than line UND-K, the infectivity of PIB from UND-K equaled that of lines Hzl and Hzlb3.
Trends in research and practice: An examination of the American journal of distance education 1987 to 1995

Abstract This study examines The American Journal of Distance Education (AJDE) during a nine year period from its inception in 1987 to 1995. The analysis of the journal is based on Porter's “Forum Analysis,” a set of questions used to study the publications of a discourse community. These questions provide a framework to describe the characteristics of a forum, such as AJDE. The questions for this study include, What is the background of the forum? Who speaks or writes in this forum? To whom do they speak? What do they speak about? and How do they say it? Data on the journal's historical background and the contributors and their institutional affiliation were collected, and the major journal articles were classified by topic. Answers to the Forum Analysis questions form the foundation for a discussion of the trends in research and practice in the field of distance education, as reflected in AJDE.
Evaluation for a Ventricular Assist Device Selecting the Appropriate Candidate

Case presentation: A 57-year-old woman with ischemic and valvular heart disease presents with progressive heart failure while awaiting cardiac transplantation. Several years ago, after a large anterior myocardial infarction, she underwent 4-vessel CABG. Her subsequent course was complicated by atrial fibrillation and then recurrent heart failure. She also developed progressive aortic stenosis and mitral and tricuspid regurgitation and underwent aortic valve replacement with a 17-mm St. Jude valve, as well as mitral and tricuspid valvuloplasty. Two years later, she developed worsening symptoms of heart failure. She continued to fail despite escalating medical therapy and was listed for cardiac transplantation 6 months before this hospitalization. She is now admitted with severe heart failure and has been stabilized on intravenous positive inotropic therapy. She is 5 feet 2 inches tall, weighs 104 pounds, and has a body surface area of 1.4 m2. What are the best options to manage her as she awaits transplantation: Continued parenteral inotropic support, a ventricular assist device (VAD), or both as a bridge to transplantation? Heart failure is the final pathway of a progressive disease that can originate from a variety of cardiovascular processes. Improved acute medical care and prevention of sudden cardiac death have led to an increased prevalence of advanced heart failure. The prognosis of heart failure is dismal, with 50% of patients dead within 4 years, a percentage that matches that of many common malignancies.1 Of those hospitalized with an acute exacerbation, the mortality rate within 1 year has been reported to be between 30% and 50%.2,3 Numerous factors in clinical studies consistently have been identified to be associated with poor prognosis: Advanced age, decreased blood pressure, reduced ejection fraction, chronic kidney disease, diabetes mellitus, anemia, hyponatremia, and persistently high levels of natriuretic peptides. Yet, no single clinical variable or …