cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A single dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin produces a time- and dose-dependent alteration in the murine bone marrow B-lymphocyte maturation profile.

The halogenated aromatic hydrocarbon, 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD), is a ubiquitous, highly toxic environmental contaminant shown to produce immunotoxic effects in mammals. Although its immunotoxicity has been widely reported, little is known regarding its effect upon the development of immune-system cells, especially the B lymphocyte. The present study’s purpose was to assess the effect that a single-dose administration of TCDD has, over time, upon bone marrow B-cell progenitors and pro/pre-B-, immature B-, and mature B-cell subpopulations, and to establish a dose-response relationship for these changes. Results showed that the mature B-lymphocyte subpopulation varied in a time-dependent manner, with a significant increase one day following TCDD treatment (30 mg/kg body weight [bw]), followed by a significant decrease at day 9 and a return to near-vehicle levels by day 31. Developing and less mature subpopulations were significantly decreased at days 6 and 9. The earliest B cell-progenitor subpopulation increased until day 9 and then decreased to vehicle-treated levels. Dose response (30, 15, 9, 6, 3, and 0.3 mg TCDD/kg bw) results at 2 days following treatment showed that only the mature-B subpopulation was affected at these doses, and below 6 mg/kg bw no effect was observed. These data suggest that the primary effect of TCDD is on those cells entering, and/or within, the mature B-lymphocyte subpopulation, and the alteration observed in the earlier maturation stages is a
The association between aluminum-containing products and Alzheimer's disease

The association between exposure to aluminum through the lifetime use of antiperspirants and antacids and Alzheimer's disease (AD) was explored in a case-control study of 130 matched pairs. Cases were clinically diagnosed between January 1980 and June 1985 at two geriatric psychiatric clinics in Seattle, Wash. Controls were friends or non-blood relatives of the case. Subjects were matched by age, sex, and the relationship between the case and his or her surrogate. For all antiperspirant/deodorant use, regardless of aluminum content, there was no association with AD (adjusted odds ratio (OR) = 1.2, 95% CI = 0.6-2.4). For aluminum-containing antiperspirants, the overall adjusted OR was 1.6 (95% CI = 1.04-2.4) with a trend toward a higher risk with increasing frequency of use (p for trend = 0.03), the adjusted OR in the highest tertile being 3.2. For antacids regardless of aluminum content, the overall adjusted OR was 3.1 (95% CI = 1.2-7.9). Here, a steep dose-response gradient was found (p for trend = 0.009), with an adjusted OR for the highest tertile of 11.7. However, when only aluminum-containing antacids were analyzed, the overall adjusted OR was only 0.7 (95% CI = 0.3-2.0) and there was no significant dose-response trend. These results are provocative but inconclusive due to methodologic problems relating to the necessary use of surrogate respondents and the long time period of potential exposure for this dementing disease.
RF systems for RHIC

The RHIC RF systems must capture the injected beam, accelerate it through transition to top energy, shorten the bunches prior to rebucketing, and store the beam for 10 hours in the presence of strong intra-beam scattering. These different functions are met by three independent systems. An accelerating system at 26.7 Mhz (h=342), a storage system at 196.1 MHz (h=2508), and a wideband system for the damping of injection errors.
Surface Heave Mechanisms in Horizontal Directional Drilling

Damage resulting from directionally drilled crossings has become a concern for municipalities and contractors due to the increased popularity of this trenchless installation method. Surface heave is one mechanism through which directionally drilled installations may damage existing surface structures such as pavements and foundations. Several factors contribute to the development of surface heave including backream rate, borehole pressure, downhole tooling, depth of cover, annular space size, and geotechnical properties. This paper presents and discusses results of a detailed field experiment which monitored surface heave under various installation characteristics. Four borepaths were designed to implement a full factorial examination to determine the interaction of backream rate, depth of cover, drill mud flow, and reamer type have on the development of surface heave. With greater understanding of how drilling practices affect the development of surface heave, practitioners of this technology may better plan installations to minimize the impact of their operation.
Guided modes in a waveguide filled with a pair of single-negative (SNG), double-negative (DNG), and/or double-positive (DPS) layers

Here we present the results of our theoretical analysis for guided modes in parallel-plate waveguides filled with pairs of parallel layers made of any two of the following materials: (1) a material with negative real permittivity, but positive real permeability (epsilon-negative); (2) a material with negative real permeability, but positive real permittivity (mu-negative); (3) a material with both negative real permittivity and permeability (double-negative); and (4) a conventional material with both positive real permittivity and permeability (double-positive) in a given range of frequency. Salient properties of these guided modes are studied in terms of how these materials and their parameters are chosen to be paired, and are then compared and contrasted with those of the guided modes in conventional waveguides. Special features such as monomodality in thick waveguides and presence of TE modes with no-cutoff thickness in thin parallel-plate waveguides are highlighted and discussed. Physical insights and intuitive justifications for the mathematical findings are also presented.
A methodology for the identification of fuzzy parameters to evaluate fidelity in distributed interactive simulation

This research provides the methodology for the development of fidelity measures in interactive systems. The methodology, still very much in the developmental stages, uses the fidelity description requirement taxonomy as a starting point and applies fuzzy set theory to qualify and quantify the relationship between simulation environments and referents. A general explanation of the methodology and a partial example are provided.
Structure of the pentameric ligand-gated ion channel ELIC cocrystallized with its competitive antagonist acetylcholine

The pentameric ligand gated ion channel from Erwinia chrysanthemi (ELIC) is similar in structure to the nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, a member of the Cys-loop receptor family. This study reports the crystal structure of ELIC bound to acetylcholine and shows that acetylcholine is a competitive antagonist of ELIC.
Role of US in Testicular and Scrotal Trauma

High-frequency ultrasonography (US) with a linear-array transducer is the modality of choice for the initial evaluation of patients with acute scrotal pain after trauma. Testicular trauma is the third most common cause of acute scrotal pain. US is useful in the triage of patients for medical or surgical management because it reliably depicts tunica albuginea rupture, intra- and extratesticular hematomas, and testicular contusions. Color Doppler US allows direct evaluation of testicular perfusion and detection of uncommon conditions, such as testicular torsion, that may be associated with scrotal trauma. In addition, 10% of testicular tumors are found incidentally at US performed for the evaluation of trauma. If a conservative approach is adopted for the management of an intratesticular abnormality after trauma, follow-up US should be performed until the images show a complete resolution of the abnormality, so that a tumor will not be missed.
Addressing Credential Revocation in Grid Environments

Credential revocation is a critical problem in grid environments and remains unaddressed in existing grid security solutions. We present our ongoing work in designing a novel grid authentication system, based on Globus GSI, that solves the revocation problem. The focus of this work is to ensure instantaneous revocation of both long-term digital identities of hosts/users and short-lived identities of user proxies. Our system employs mediated RSA (mRSA), adapts Boneh's notion of semi-trusted mediators to suit security in virtual organizations and propagates proxy revocation information as in Micali's NOVO-MODO system. We envision that our system would additionally provide a configuration-free security model for end users and fine-grained management of user credentials.
Estimating the breakdown and accumulation of emergent macrophyte litter: A mass-balance approach

Abstract Litter accumulation within emergent macrophyte marshes may significantly influence abiotic conditions and biota but litter is rarely considered in emergent macrophyte studies. Litter is defined here as the standing and fallen dead plant material that can be collected using harvest methods in the field. Litter accumulation can be predicted by combining annual production with litter breakdown rates. Breakdown rates are typically measured using litter bag studies but these rates may also be measured using a mass-balance approach. A five year study conducted in Delta Marsh, Manitoba measured annual standing crop and harvested accumulated litter of Phragmites australis (Cav.) Trin., Typha glauca Godr., and Scolochloa festucacea (Willd.) Link. These species differ in their level of refractory material and hence the amount of litter that is expected to accumulate. Using annual estimates of standing crop and litter mass, a mass-balance model was used to estimate the litter breakdown rate for each species...
A Methodology For Performing Global Uncertainty And Sensitivity Analysis In Systems Biology

Accuracy of results from mathematical and computer models of biological systems is often complicated by the presence of uncertainties in experimental data that are used to estimate parameter values. Current mathematical modeling approaches typically use either single-parameter or local sensitivity analyses. However, these methods do not accurately assess uncertainty and sensitivity in the system as, by default, they hold all other parameters fixed at baseline values. Using techniques described within we demonstrate how a multi-dimensional parameter space can be studied globally so all uncertainties can be identified. Further, uncertainty and sensitivity analysis techniques can help to identify and ultimately control uncertainties. In this work we develop methods for applying existing analytical tools to perform analyses on a variety of mathematical and computer models. We compare two specific types of global sensitivity analysis indexes that have proven to be among the most robust and efficient. Through familiar and new examples of mathematical and computer models, we provide a complete methodology for performing these analyses, in both deterministic and stochastic settings, and propose novel techniques to handle problems encountered during these types of analyses.
Sex differences in the mechanisms underlying long QT syndrome

Sexual dimorphism is a well-established phenomenon, but its degree varies tremendously among species. Since the early days of Einthoven's development of the three-lead galvanometer ECG, we have known there are marked differences in QT intervals of men and women. It required over a century to appreciate the profound implications of sex-based electrophysiological differences in QT interval on the panoply of sex differences with respect to arrhythmia risk, drug sensitivity, and treatment modalities. Little is known about the fundamental mechanism responsible for sex differences in electrical substrate of the human heart, in large part due to the lack of tissue availability. Animal models are an important research tool, but species differences in the sexual dimorphism of the QT interval, the ionic currents underlying the cardiac repolarization, and effects of sex steroids make it difficult to interpolate animal to human sex differences. In addition, in some species, different strains of the same animal model yield conflicting data. Each model has its strengths, such as ease of genetic manipulation in mice or size in dogs. However, many animals do not reproduce the sexual dimorphism of QT seen in humans. To match sex linked prolongation of QT interval and arrhythmogenic phenotype, the current data suggest that the rabbit may be best suited to provide insight into sex differences in humans. In the future, emerging technologies such as induced pluripotent stem cell derived cardiac myocyte systems may offer the opportunity to study sex differences in a controlled hormonal situation in the context of a sex specific human model system.
Preterm Labor, Placental Abruption, and Premature Rupture of Membranes in Relation to Maternal Violence or Verbal Abuse

Objective: The prevalence of preterm labor (PTL) in prenatal populations has been estimated to be from 6.9 to 10.0%. It has been suggested that violence during pregnancy may be associated with an increase in antenatal complications. The hypothesis is that physical violence and verbal abuse in pregnancy lead to increased risk of PTL.Methods: A cohort of 636 women attending the Adult Obstetrical Clinic for their first prenatal visit, between December 1989 and September 1990, were approached; 567 women enlisted as study participants. Study participants were interviewed 3 times during the course of their prenatal care, and 401 participants successfully completed their third prenatal interviews. Violence data were obtained during the third interview. Obstetrical and neonatal outcome data were obtained by abstracting the maternal and neonatal medical records.Results: When stratified by levels of violence, women who experienced moderate or severe violence had incidences of PTL of 15.4 and 17.2%, respectively. Ch...
Some raster graphics extensions to the Core System

The Core System is a proposed standard subroutine package for line-drawing graphics. We present some Core System extensions for use with raster graphics equipment. The extensions, which are upward-compatible with the present Core System, provide filled polygons, display of arrays of pixels, use of a color look-up table, and hidden-surface or hidden-edge removal. The extensions are being intergrated into an existing Core System implementation.
Do physicians discuss needed diet and nutrition health topics with adolescents

Abstract Purpose Preventive services guidelines recommend screening all adolescents for diet habits, physical activity and growth, counseling underweight teens about body image and dieting patterns, and counseling overweight or obese teens about dietary habits and exercise. In this study, we assess whether adolescents at risk for overweight or for eating disorders have discussed recommended diet and nutrition topics with their physicians. Methods We surveyed 14–18-year-old adolescents who had been seen for well care in primary care pediatric and family medicine practices. Adolescents self-reported their weight, height, body image, dieting habits, and issues they had discussed with their clinicians. Body mass index (BMI) was used to define those "at risk for an eating disorder" ( 95% BMI). Results A total of 8384 adolescents completed surveys (72% completion rate). Nearly one-third of adolescents were "at risk" or overweight. Females were less likely to be overweight than males (9.4% vs. 15.7%; p p p p p Conclusions Many adolescents are at risk for being overweight or are currently overweight, confirming the importance of clinicians discussing diet and nutrition health topics with all teens. Many adolescents also misclassify their body image, and hence perceive their body image to be different from their actual BMI; clinicians should discuss body image with all adolescents, not just those at risk for eating disorders. Better interventions are needed to promote healthy nutrition and physical activity to all adolescents.
Memoirs: The Germ-Cell Cycle in Phytophaga destructor Say

1. The somatic cells in both sexes of Phytophaga destructor Say contain four pairs of V-shaped chromosomes, the sex-group being indistinguishable in size or form. 2. The germ-cells in both sexes contain eight pairs of chromosomes. 3. The maturation of the egg follows the normal course of development, eight bivalents being formed. After polar body formation the female pronucleus has eight chromosomes. The polar bodies are never extruded from the egg. 4. Spermatogenesis is a complicated process, the details of which have not been satisfactorily determined. The growth stage appears to take place before the last spermatogonial division. No pairing of chromosome has been observed, and apparently no metaphase plate is formed at meiosis. Eeduction is effected by the expulsion of two buds each containing four chromosomes. Thus only one sperm is produced from each spermatocyte. 5. One or more sperms may enter the egg at fertilization. 6. The germ-line is differentiated from the soma at the eightcell stage. 7. At the fifth cleavage the somatic nuclei eliminate half their number of chromosomes, and are left with eight chromosomes. 8. Migration of the germ nuclei takes place at the sixteencell stage. 9. The relation of the chromosome numbers in the somatic and germ lines is discussed.
For the Love of the Game: The Justification for Tax Exemption in Intercollegiate Athletics

Intercollegiate athletics are a fundamental part of the American college experience. Nothing else unites and impassions entire campuses while providing educational opportunities to thousands of students who might not otherwise be able to attend college. Congress and the IRS have long recognized the immense educational value of intercollegiate athletics and have properly exempted intercollegiate athletics from federal income taxation. However, a few vocal critics have overreacted to escalating broadcasting agreements and coaching salaries, often without stepping back to examine these transactions in a broader tax policy context. This Article does just that, and demonstrates that longstanding tax exemption is undeniably justified in intercollegiate athletics. This Article begins in Part I with an overview of tax exemption fundamentals, including a discussion of the tax policy justifications for tax exemption. Part II provides a brief history of tax exemption for intercollegiate athletics, as well as an overview of the current legislative posture. Part III provides an analysis of tax exemption in intercollegiate athletics. This part illustrates that intercollegiate athletics satisfy all the requirements for tax exemption, and that even activities such as big-time D-I football and basketball very likely avoid the Unrelated Business Income Tax (UBIT). Additionally, this part demonstrates that tax exemption is justified for intercollegiate athletics under several tax policy justifications, and that intercollegiate athletics also fall outside the UBIT justifications. This part concludes with a proposal to clarify that intercollegiate athletics should remain fully exempt from federal income taxation.
When Voters Reward Enactment But Not Implementation: Evidence from the World's Largest Social Program

Voter attribution lies at the heart of democratic accountability. Utilizing data on the world’s largest social program, this paper provides evidence that voters employ a heuristic of rewarding the enactment of new government programs to a greater extent than implementation, which is characterizing by informational difficulties of monitoring and attribution. Exploiting the staggered roll-out of India’s National Rural Employment Guarantee Act (NREGA), this paper provides evidence that in the short run voters rewarded the party responsible for enacting the program. By contrast, panel regressions show a weak relationship between the amount of employment provided under NREGA and electoral returns within districts over time. The tendency of voters to reward enactment over implementation can account for the puzzle of social program proliferation and weak implementation across developing countries.
Localization of Nucleic Acids in Sections

Occasionally, structures of unknown composition are observed inside the nucleus or cytoplasm of eukaryotic microbes or in the cytoplasm of prokaryotes. If the structure is suspected to contain DNA or RNA, there is a varied arsenal of techniques that will aid in identification. Nucleic acids can be detected by staining methods that utilize heavy metals, by labeling, and by extraction. We will review the most useful of these techniques, emphasizing procedures that can be used on ultrathin sections.
Longitudinal effects of group music instruction on literacy skills in low-income children

Children from low-socioeconomic backgrounds tend to fall progressively further behind their higher-income peers over the course of their academic careers. Music training has been associated with enhanced language and learning skills, suggesting that music programs could play a role in helping low-income children to stay on track academically. Using a controlled, longitudinal design, the impact of group music instruction on English reading ability was assessed in 42 low-income Spanish-English bilingual children aged 6–9 years in Los Angeles. After one year, children who received music training retained their age-normed level of reading performance while a matched control group's performance deteriorated, consistent with expected declines in this population. While the extent of change is modest, outcomes nonetheless provide evidence that music programs may have value in helping to counteract the negative effects of low-socioeconomic status on child literacy development.
Feeding Habits of Brazilian Mole Crickets (Orthoptera: Gryllotalpidae: Scapteriscus spp. and Neocurtilla sp.)

Adults and nymphs of Neocurtilla hexadactyla (Perty), Scapteriscus abhreviatus Scudder, S. vicinus Scudder, S. tenuis Scudder, S. acletus Rehn, and Hebard (= S. borellii Giglio-Tos) were field collected in Sao Paulo, Brazil, and dissected to determine the food present in their digestive tracts. Both S. vicinus and S. abbreviatus were found to be primarily plant feeders, while S. acletus and N. hexadactyla were found to consume plant and animal material in approximately equal proportions. The diet of S. acletus was dominated by animal materials. The results of this analysis are compared with published studies of mole cricket diets in the Caribbean and the United States, all of which deal with mole cricket species introduced from South America.
Occupational Health Examination on Workers with Exposure in Special Action of Treatment of Dust and High Toxic Substances

[Objective]To analyze the occupational health examination results of workers with exposure in special action of treatment of dust and high toxic substances in Huairou District of Beijing City in 2010,and put forward countermeasures for occupational health management.[Methods]Occupational health examination was performed on workers from 45 enterprises with dust and high toxic hazards.[Results]There were lots of printing enterprises and furniture manufacturing enterprises in Huairou District with economy of various types and large number of workers with occupational hazards exposure.The detection rate of target disease of benzene exposure,noise exposure and dust exposure was 7.6%,3.8% and 0.9%,respectively in the special action.[Conclusion]The dust and high toxic hazards situation in not optimistic in Huairou District.Therefore,occupational health shoulders heavy responsibilities.
Evaluation of psychological risk factors: prospective prediction of psychopathology during basic training.

Objective Three theoretically derived cognitive risk factors were evaluated to determine whether they predicted the development of stress responding in the context of Basic Cadet Training (BCT). Method A large sample of cadets (N = 1,401) was prospectively followed for the 5-week BCT period. Results All risk factors were found to significantly and independently predict the development of psychopathology and impairment as well as changes in symptoms during basic training. Risk factors conveyed approximately two to five times greater likelihood of experiencing clinically significant levels of symptoms at the end of BCT. Conclusions These data provide strong evidence for three psychological risk factors in the development of anxiety and mood symptoms. Implications for screening and primary prevention are discussed.
Illinois Lags in Laws on Youth Sports Concussions

Despite nationwide efforts to protect youth athletes from traumatic brain injuries, Illinois has been hesitant to make changes. This article discusses how every state in the nation now has some form of a youth sports concussion law.
Therapy of acute promyelocytic leukemia: all-trans retinoic acid and beyond.

Acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL) is the most potentially curable subtype of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). APL is highly sensitive to induction chemotherapy with anthracyclines. In addition, it now has been established that all-trans retinoic acid (ATRA), alone or in combination with chemotherapy for induction, improves the disease-free interval compared with chemotherapy alone. Large, prospective clinical studies have demonstrated complete remission rates ranging from 72% to 95% with ATRA therapy in patients with newly diagnosed APL. An important biological marker for monitoring residual disease is the promyelocytic retinoic acid receptor α (PML-RARα) fusion transcript. Its detection by the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) during remission appears to represent a strong predictor of clinical relapse. One limitation of ATRA therapy is the rapid development of retinoid resistance. Arsenic trioxide and altemative retinoids (9-cis retinoic acid and Am-80) currently are being investigated to determine whether they might have a role in circumventing retinoid resistance and further improving long-term outcome in patients with APL.
Return to Sport After Operative Management of Osteochondritis Dissecans of the Capitellum: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Background:Capitellar osteochondritis dissecans (OCD) is commonly managed surgically in symptomatic adolesent throwers and gymnasts. Little is known about the impact that surgical technique has on return to sport.Purpose:To evaluate the clinical outcomes and return-to-sport rates after operative management of OCD lesions in adolescent athletes.Study Design:Systematic review; Level of evidence, 4.Methods:The PubMed, CINAHL, EMBASE, SPORTDiscus (EBSCO), and Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials databases were queried for studies evaluating outcomes and return to sport after surgical management of OCD of the capitellum. Two independent reviewers conducted a systematic review according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Studies reporting patient outcomes with return-to-sport data and minimum 6-month follow-up were included in the review.Results:After review, 24 studies reporting outcomes in 492 patients (mean age ± SD, 14.3 ± 0.9 years) were...
Controlling Supply: Procurement and Import/Export Monitoring

While remote monitoring, such as is envisaged by the Comprehensive Test-Ban Treaty and the Expanded Safeguards Agreements, can determine with reasonable certainty whether a State is testing nuclear weapons or has moved material around internally, it cannot actually prevent or control the development and production of weapons, especially chemical and biological weapons.
Dynamic Information Asymmetry, Financing, and Investment Decisions

We reexamine the classic yet static information asymmetry model of Myers and Majluf (1984) in a fully dynamic market. A
A design framework for small parks in ultra-urban, metropolitan, suburban and small town settings

Public parks contribute to neighbourhood quality of life, promote a more public daily life, serve as important focal points for neighbourhoods, and provide access to nearby nature as part of the built environment. Parks have a special role in the range of public space as a part of sustainable land use planning and development. Good design helps position them for relevant cultural and ecological roles. This research identified design principles that good, small urban parks share – including accessibility, specificity, authenticity, functionality, and adaptability – applicable in smaller cities, towns, and lower density areas. The framework was subsequently tested using interviews, remote and observational analysis in locations representing this variety of settings in the Southeastern, Mid-Atlantic, and Northeastern United States.
Anterior laxity and patient-reported outcomes 7 years after ACL reconstruction with a fresh-frozen tibialis allograft

After reconstructing a torn ACL with a soft tissue allograft, the long-term healing process of graft maturation following the short-term healing process of graft incorporation into the bone tunnels might lead to recurring instability and concomitant decreases in the activity level, function, and patient satisfaction. Relying on roentgen stereophotogrammetric analysis (RSA), the primary purpose was to determine whether anterior laxity increased and whether patient-reported outcomes declined between 1 and 7 years for a particular graft construct, surgical technique, and rehabilitation programme. Eighteen of 19 patients, who participated in an earlier RSA study which extended to 1 year after the surgical procedure, were contacted 7 years after the surgical procedure. An examiner, different from the treating surgeon, measured anterior laxity under 150 N of anterior force using RSA in 16 patients and obtained outcome scores in 17 patients. One patient moved abroad and could not be contacted. One patient reinjured his reconstructed ACL and was excluded. The average increase in anterior laxity of 1.5 ± 2.1 mm between 1 and 7 years after surgery was not significant (p = 0.08), and the average increase in anterior laxity of 2.7 ± 2.3 mm between the day of surgery and 7 years was significant (p < 0.001). There were no significant declines in activity (median Tegner score, 6 at 1 year, 6 at 7 years), function (average Lysholm score, 94 at 1 year, 91 at 7 years), and subjective satisfaction (average International Knee Documentation Committee score, 90 at 1 year, 87 at 7 years) between 1 and 7 years after surgery. In demonstrating that the ACL graft construct remains functional in the long term, this study supports the use of a fresh-frozen tibialis allograft in patients with an average age of 37 years at the time of surgery when used in conjunction with a surgical technique which avoids roof and PCL impingement, uses slippage-resistant fixation devices, and allows brace-free, self-paced rehabilitation. IV.
THz spatial filter integrating bimaterial switching for sensors

We propose a THz spatial filter using frequency selective surfaces (FSS) integrated with bimaterial actuator for switching. The actuator consists of two materials that have different thermal expansion rates and can be designed based on temperature tuning. The goal for this design is to develop high performance reconfigurable filters operating in the THz band. The filter was fabricated using gold as filter pattern on silicon substrate. SiO 2 and Al were used as bimaterial actuators. Simulations show excellent transmittance (>80%). Allowing different gap of the actuator (up and down), the peak frequency can vary from 0.35 to 0.37 THz.
Oxidative T Cell Modifications in Lupus and Sjogren's Syndrome.

Objectives: Lupus flares are triggered by environmental agents that cause oxidative stress, but the mechanisms involved are unclear. The flares are characterized by oxidative modifications of proteins by 4-hydroxynonenals, malondialdehydes, carbonyls and nitration. These modifications have been proposed to induce and perpetuate lupus flares by “altered self” mechanisms. An epigenetically altered CD4+CD28+T cell subset, caused at least in part by nitration of T cell signaling molecules, is found in patients with active lupus, and nitrated T cells are sufficient to cause lupus-like autoimmunity in animal models. The relation of protein 4-hydroxynonenals, malondialdehydes, carbonyls and nitration to lupus flares though, is unknown. We tested if the size of the epigenetically altered subset is related to disease activity and one or more of these oxidative modifications in lupus patients. We also tested the relationship between subset size, disease activity and the same oxidative modifications in Sjogren’s syndrome, another autoimmune disease also associated with oxidative stress and characterized by anti-nuclear antibodies and the presence of the subset. Methods: Lupus flare severity was quantitated using the Systemic Lupus Erythematosus Disease Activity Index, and Sjogren’s flare severity using the European Sjogren’s Syndrome Disease Activity Index. Subset size was determined by flow cytometry. Protein modifications were determined by ELISA. Results: Only protein nitration correlated with the size of the subset in lupus and Sjogren’s syndrome. Conclusions: These results support a role for protein nitration in subset size and lupus flare severity. Protein nitration may also contribute to autoantibody formation in Sjogren’s syndrome.
Sex, Race, and Ethnic Inequality in United States Workplaces

The last third of twentieth century witnessed revolutionary reductions in sex and race inequality in the workplace. At the beginning of the 1960s, employers legally could refuse to hire people, assign them to jobs, and set their pay on the basis of their sex and race. The first signs of change were already present: married women had begun to catch up with their single sisters in their participation in the labor force, and African-Americans with their migration North were also pursuing different kinds of work from when they were in the South, especially women who were abandoning domestic work as other opportunities opened to them. But it took the Civil Rights Movement of the early 1960s, the Women's Liberation Movement of the late 1960s, and a series of federal and state laws to challenge the race and sex discrimination that were customary in the United States. As we will see in this chapter, sex, race, and ethnic inequality persist in the kinds of paid work that people do, their advancement opportunities, and their earnings. We shall also see, however, indications of the erosion of these forms of inequality since 1970. We focus on two forms of employment inequality: the differential distribution of workers across occupations and jobs based on their sex, race, and ethnicity, and pay disparities associated with these characteristics. In a departure from most research, we consider three important bases of inequality: sex, race, and ethnicity. Although workers' sex, race, and ethnicity jointly affect their work experiences, few quantitative studies have simultaneously considered both sex and race, and only a handful of studies have examined the
"On Beauty" and the Politics of Academic Institutionality

Zadie Smith’s 2005 novel, On Beauty , is a work that remains timely as it explores aesthetics in the context of the neoliberal American university. Art and beauty, removed from the hermetic sites of philosophy and official knowledge, become expansive categories in Smith’s text, spilling over into the social world to mark the intimate, everyday, embodied, and sensate experiences of a multicultural cast of characters orbiting the institution and navigating its politics. Tracking the various ways On Beauty ’s minoritized characters are forced to negotiate the spaces in and around the university, this article highlights how those routinely excluded from the sites of institutional power deploy aesthetic strategies as resistance. This “intersectional aesthetics” prompts a reconsideration of the foundations of an aesthetic judgment rooted in Enlightenment notions of disinterest and universality, which ultimately prove to be thinly veiled racist and patriarchal requirements for subjectivity and citizenship. Finally, such tactics serve as the means by which On Beauty ’s critique becomes not an indictment of the contemporary university, but a glimpse at its potential for fostering new ways of engaging beauty that embrace difference and spark vital, often unpredictable attachments.
Gross Error Detection Strategies when Constraints are Bilinear

Abstract In chemical processes, accurate process data is necessary in order to achieve optimal operations. Thus it is important to identify and correct process measurement error. This paper evaluates two gross error detection techniques developed by (Rollins and Roelfs, 1992) for the case when constraints are bilinear. In a Monte Carlo simulation study, the size of the bias, the location of the bias, the sample size, and the level of significance were varied. Both techniques were shown to capable of highly accurate performance in identifying biased measurements and estimating process variables.
Program assessment: it's not just for accreditation

Assessment is becoming a major issue in higher education. Many accrediting agencies are paying closer attention to this issue. However, should assessment be a part of the on-going processes of all departments, regardless of the issues of accreditation? This panel addresses assessment from a variety of perspectives, starting with the establishment of assessment criterion from the college or university's goals and objectives and how the department may interpret them.Included in the topics presented by this panel are the issues of faculty and administrative attitudes about assessment and how they impact the assessment process. Several examples of assessment tools will also be presented.
Assimilation and Toxicity of Boron in the Argentine Ant (Hymenoptera: Formicidae)

Assimilation of boron by Argentine ants, Linepithema humile (Mayr), fed boric acid—sucrose water solutions was affected by the addition of sorbitol. Concentrations of 10 and 20% sorbitol reduced bo...
Do Government and Foreign Funding Influence Individual Donations to Religious Nonprofits? A Survey Experiment in Pakistan

Donors support faith-based organizations whose missions and work cohere with their religious values. Might such donors located in the local community be less likely to donate to a hypothetical Madrasa, an Islamic seminary providing K-12 education, which receives funding from non-local sources, specifically the federal government or foreign donors? We examine this question using a survey experiment in Lahore, Pakistan. Because some Madrasa students have indulged in acts of terrorism, the government of Pakistan has offered Madrasas financial assistance to secularize their curriculums. Most Madrasas, however, have refused government funding because they fear it will harm their reputations in the local community for piety and religious training. Alongside, several foreign donors also provide funds to Madrasas, some to aid governmental reform efforts, and others for religious reasons. Based on the survey of 530 respondents, we find that acceptance of government funding does not diminish the respondents’ willingness to donate to the hypothetical Madrasa. Additionally, we find modest evidence that willingness to donate diminishes when the Madrasa accepts money from donors in Saudi Arabia and the United States (but not Germany).
On the use of Cu isotope signatures in archaeometallurgy: A comment on Powell et al.

Abstract Cu isotope characterization of copper-based artifacts is a powerful tool used in recent decades to investigate the types of ore smelted in ancient metal production. Within a larger sample set, Powell et al. (2017) have identified a shift from positive δ65Cu values obtained for Eneolithic artifacts in the Balkans (5000–3600 BC) to more moderate and negative δ65Cu values of Bronze Age artifacts (2500–1000 BC), with a so-called “copper hiatus” between these two periods. Powell et al. concluded that accessible oxidized ore sources in this region were totally exhausted by the end of the Eneolithic period, directly leading to a “hiatus” in copper production. After the “hiatus”, starting with the Early Bronze Age, they proposed that sulfide ores were smelted using the Mitterberg process. The current paper addresses some weaknesses of the arguments put forth by Powell et al. and instead argues that Cu isotope ratios must be jointly considered with additional archaeometallurgical and archaeological investigations. Selective changes in preference for metal alloys likely affected the Cu isotope composition. Metallurgical operations using distinct Cu isotope reservoirs can alter the univariate Cu isotope ratio (65Cu/63Cu). Key points that must be considered are the transition from pure copper in the Eneolithic to arsenical copper in the Bronze Age, the co-smelting of distinct ore types, and the co-melting of metals derived from multiple smelting operations or from re-used metal artifacts. Moreover, there is no archaeological evidence for the Mitterberg smelting process in the Balkans during the Early Bronze Age.
Architecture from the Bottom-up

Buildings are multiscale material systems with an interconnected web of assemblies, components, and materials. For a specific project, a team of architects, engineers, and consultants take on the t...
Medieval Self-Fashioning: The Middle Ages in African-American Scholarship and Curricula

In this chapter, Vernon follows how the political purchase of the Middle Ages could be marshaled to renegotiate the terms of belonging in the nation in ways that planted intercultural contact and fusion within the core of American identity. While white Americans often read the Anglo-Saxon period as an era of purity interrupted by the Norman invasion, these African-American scholars read the hyphen; they focused on the Middle Ages as a period of racial mixing and political possibility between Angles, Saxons, and Normans. Vernon then offers a historical reading of archival materials charting the earliest writing about and teaching of the Middle Ages among African-American intellectuals. He reveals how the philological approach that was important to early medieval research could be wielded to the political ends of African-American education, in particular as a set of tools for understanding African-American history through linguistic study.
Forms in the Philebus

“We say that the consideration of each thing in argument as both one and many recurs everywhere concerning each thing spoken of, now and always. And this never will cease nor had a beginning but is, it seems, an undying and unaging character of our arguments themselves.”
Nonaccidental Trauma and its Imitators

Child abuse is a worldwide problem. While some societies have higher reported incidence, children of all nations are undoubtedly affected. During the year 2009 in the USA, there were 1,770 deaths due to child abuse and approximately 125,000 children were estimated to be the victims of physical abuse [1].
New Trends in Evaluation and Management of Syncope

Despite continuous progress made in the diagnosis and therapeutic modalities, syncope management remains challenging for physicians. The role of electrophysiologic study (EPS) in the evaluation of a patient with syncope has been reviewed by several authors [1–3]. However, recent advances in diagnostic tools, such as the development of an implantable loop recorder [4,5], active clinical investigation of the potential role of pacemaker therapy in reflexogenic bradycardia [6–8], and results from the Antiarrhythmics Versus Implantable Defibrillators (AVID) study and registry [9,10] provide exciting new information on the diagnosis and therapeutic approach to patients with syncope. The overall aim of this review is to update results from the recent clinical trials and to summarize new trends in diagnosis, management, and risk stratification of patients with recurrent syncope.
Superconducting radio frequency technology: an overview

Les cavites RF supraconductrices deviennent de plus en plus la solution adoptee pour les projets d'accelerateur de particules de grande echelle, tels que les collisionneurs lineaires, les accelerateurs lineaires de recuperation d'energie (ERL), les lasers a electrons libres ou les anneaux de stockage. Les structures supraconductrices offrent de nombreux avantages par rapport aux structures normales en cuivre. En particulier, elles dissipent moins de puissance RF, permettent d'atteindre des champs accelerateurs plus eleves en mode d'operation CW et delivrent des faisceaux de particules de meilleure qualite. Dans la plupart des cas, les cavites acceleratrices sont fabriquees a partir de niobium massif de haute purete. Les proprietes supraconductrices de ce materiau telles que la temperature critique, le champ magnetique critique sont superieures a celles d'autres materiaux supraconducteurs. Les travaux de recherche de cette derniere decennie ont montre que les proprietes metallurgiques - purete, structure de grains, proprietes mecaniques, et oxydation - ont une influence significative sur les performances de ces structures acceleratrices. Cette presentation donne une breve vue d'ensemble de la technologie RF supraconductrice tout en accentuant l'importance des proprietes materielles du niobium de haute purete.
Research Issues in Psychopharmacology in Oncology and Palliative Care Settings

Psychopharmacologic interventions are commonly used in oncology and palliative care settings. However, there have been relatively few rigorously designed and conducted psychopharmacologic studies in these patient populations. Given a growing recognition of the importance of identifying and treating varied forms of distress in cancer patients and survivors, there is an urgent need to develop a more robust evidence base to guide psychopharmacologic treatment decisions. Such an evidence base would help address stigma regarding psychopharmacologic treatments as well as help clinicians working in psycho-oncology to educate their oncology colleagues. In addition to reviewing the rationale for psychopharmacologic research in psycho-oncology, this chapter describes a number of areas that are ripe for psychopharmacologic research in psycho-oncology, for example: efficacy and tolerability of antipsychotics for mood, anxiety, or insomnia; antipsychotic use in delirium; and psychostimulant use for fatigue and cognitive effects of cancer treatments. This chapter also reviews limitations of existing research on psychopharmacologic treatments in psycho-oncology. Suggestions for future research are provided, in the interest of providing “real-world” effectiveness data for the management of the numerous common symptoms and syndromes that occur in cancer patients and survivors. Examples include the study of co-occurring symptoms (e.g., depression and fatigue), research on the treatment of so-called subsyndromal levels of depressive or anxiety symptoms, and studies of specific treatments in specific cancer populations.
The Ethos of Gentility from the Italian Renaissance to Victorian England

This chapter traces the origins of modern gentility to the princely courts of Renaissance Italy, and identifies Castiglione as the first major modern theorist of the genteel lifestyle. However, the Spanish Jesuit Baltazar Gracian was the first true modern student of the moral psychology of the gentleman, as expressed in good taste, and consequently an entire section is devoted to discussing his most famous work, The Art of Worldly Wisdom. The author shows that the in-depth character analysis of the gentleman inaugurated by Gracian was also undertaken in France by La Bruyere. Passing from the Continent to the British Iles, the chapter details the unique social and political conditions that gave rise to that most renowned modern form of gentility, the English gentleman. The author argues that a number of Britian’s most important thinkers, including Shaftesbury and Burke, viewed the gentleman as playing an indispensable role in the distinctive British tradition of civil liberties and limited government.