cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of Benzene Metabolites on Receptor-Mediated Phagocytosis and Cytoskeletal Integrity in Mouse Peritoneal Macrophages

Abstract Exposure to benzene can induce a number of hematotoxicities and decrease host resistance to microorganisms and tumors. Several studies have shown that metabolism of benzene to reactive intermediates is required for myelotoxicity. Since receptor-mediated phagocytosis by macrophages is an important host defense, we have examined the effects of benzene metabolites on receptor-mediated phagocytosis in cultured murine peritoneal macrophages. 1,4-Benzoquinone (BQ) was the most potent of the metabolites examined. Ten-minute exposures to a 12.5 μM concentration inhibited Fc and complement receptor-mediated phagocytosis by ≥90%. Macrophage viability was largely unaffected by BQ treatment. Exposure to 50 and 100 μM 1,2,4-benzenetriol (BT) inhibited Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis by 70 and 95%, respectively. Hydroquinone (HQ) elicited a major decrease (50%) only at 100 μM. The comparative inhibitory potencies of BT and HQ correlate with previously published data on their relative facility for autooxidation to quinones at physiological pH. Catechol had no effect at the concentrations employed. Macrophages treated with BQ and BT failed to recover their Fc receptor-mediated phagocytic capacity when incubated overnight in the absence of the xenobiotics. Only small differences in the inhibition of Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis were observed between macrophages exposed to BQ at 4 versus 37°C. BQ also had little effect on the Fc receptor binding of target cells. Fluorescent digital imaging microscopy demonstrated that BQ treatment markedly decreased the filamentous actin content of macrophages. However, BQ bound in low amounts to purified actin and did not affect its assembly. Our findings suggest that a mechanism for inhibition of Fc receptor-mediated phagocytosis by BQ is disruption of filamentous actin via an effect(s) other than the direct alkylation of actin by BQ.
Comparison of delta Eddington model calculations of contrast to measurements

Various atmospheric properties can impact sensor performance modeling. Transmission, visibility, and contrast can be used in relatively simple expressions to summarize the impact of the atmosphere on static images. Transmission and contrast can be used together in an expression called the sky-to-ground ratio. Experimental measurements of radiance and imagery are used to assess the applicability of the delta Eddington radiative transfer approximation for estimation of apparent contrast and sky-to-ground ratio. The experiments were performed in southern New Mexico near the autumnal equinox. Delta Eddington calculations are made for two types of aerosol phase functions: Henyey-Greenstein and Deirmendjian haze. Comparisons also include computations from a much simpler radiative transfer model, the Huschke model. These experiments support the use of a relatively simple contrast model that more accurately reflects nature than more empirical models.
Increase in post-dialysis hemoglobin can be out of proportion and unrelated to ultrafiltration

OBJECTIVE The objective of this study was to compare pre-dialysis and post-dialysis hemoglobin (Hgb) and ultrafiltration in hemodialysis patients. Factors influencing Hgb are not well understood. METHODS Pre-dialysis and post-dialysis Hgb and weight were measured in 133 hemodialysis patients. Absolute and percentage change in Hgb (%ΔHgb) and percent change in body weight (%ΔBW) were determined for that treatment. Patients were divided into 2 groups, those with post-dialysis Hgb < 13 g/dL (group 1) and those with post-dialysis Hgb ≥13 g/dL (group 2); the differences in %ΔBW were compared between the 2 groups. RESULTS The mean pre-dialysis Hgb was 11.9 ± 1.4 g/dL, the mean post-dialysis Hgb level was 12.8 ± 1.8 g/dL. The %ΔHgb was 3.9 ± 6.6 in group 1 and 10.8 ± 7.8 in group 2. The %ΔBW was 3.1 ± 1.4 in group 1 and 3.9 ± 1.7 in group 2 (p < .001 for all comparisons). We found that although both groups had a rise in Hgb level post-dialysis, group 2 patients had a rise in %ΔHgb that was greater than the relatively small difference in %ΔBW between the 2 groups. In addition, we found only a modest correlation between %ΔBW and %ΔHgb in both groups. The r2 of 0.24 suggests that only 25% of the variability found in %ΔHgb can be related to %ΔBW. CONCLUSIONS Patients with post-dialysis Hgb ≥13 g/dL had a greater increase in %ΔHgb that was out of proportion to %ΔBW. Factors other than %ΔBW may play a role in determining post-dialysis Hgb.
On the lack of periodicity in plasma estriol in human pregnancy.

Abstract Our method for the assay of total plasma estriol in human pregnancy has been scaled down and modified to accommodate 0.2 ml samples. The method was applied to the evaluation of diurnal rhythms in 7 subjects who were studied at 5 regular intervals on two successive days. Three subjects exhibited little fluctuation over the 48-hr period. The other 4 subjects showed occasional wide fluctuations but in no case did the pattern repeat on the second day. The results contradict 2 previous studies, one emanating from this laboratory, in which circadian rhythms were reported.
Microstrain in some oxide crystalline solutions

Abstract Microstrain measurements were made as a function of composition in the Al202 −Cr2O3, and MgO-NiO crystalline solution systems. A maximum in the Al2O3-Cr2O3 system occurred at 30 mole % Al2O3-70 mole % Cr2O3, and in the MgO-NiO system at 40 mole % MgO-60 mole % NiO. Microstrain in the MgO-NiO system was found to be significantly affected by microstrain in the starting materials. The MgO end member possessed relatively large microstrain initially, and, after reaction, enough microstrain from the starting material remained in the MgO-rich compositions to obscure the expected maximum. Upon decomposition, MgCO3 was found to produce MgO with sufficiently low microstrain to make the microstrain maximum easily observable. A theoretical explanation of the position of the microstrain maximum in the plot of microstrain versus composition was sought in terms of lattice energies and strain energies. Good agreement was obtained between experimental data and calculations based on these energy considerations.
Psychopharmacology in childhood emotional and mental disorders

The main psychotropic drugs in current use are evaluated as to their effectiveness in behavior disturbances of organic or functional origin. The difficulties in rigorous evaluation of these drugs are discussed. When the disturbance is organic in origin, or of minor degree or neurotic in nature, the amphetamine, psychic stimulant group of drugs, is the most effective. For acute emergencies and severe emotional disorders the phenothiazines are the drugs of choice. A therapeutic program to obtain maximal clinical benefit is outlined. At present, the psychotropic drugs are seen as important adjuvants to the therapy of behavior disturbances rather than as the answer in themselves.
Ethnicity, Cognitive Styles, and Math Achievement: Variability within African-American Post-Secondary Students

In this study, the relationship between ethnicity and cognitive styles was examined. Past literature (Witkin, 1978) suggested that African Americans and other ethnic groups were field-dependent learners. However, more recent studies (Dunn & Dunn, 1991; Saracho, 1999) have given mixed results regarding processing. This study included a sample of 159 prerequisite math students at a large southeastern university. The sample was administered the Gregorc Style Delineator (1982) to determine participants' cognitive style. Results revealed that no particular ethnicity demonstrated an affinity for one cognitive style. However, African Americans were more likely to have a concrete cognitive style, which is juxtaposed to previous studies.
Being ethical when the boss is not.

A missing element in discussions of ethical leadership is: What happens to enforcement of ethics if it is the managers who are behaving unethically? In this article we address this question by describing a framework of upward ethical leadership. This framework expands conceptualizations of leadership beyond top-down models to a view that considers employees to be active participants in the leadership process. Upward ethical leadership is defined as leadership behavior displayed by individuals who take action to maintain ethical standards in the face of questionable moral behaviors by higher-ups. It is fostered when employees are encouraged to establish personal power bases and develop upward leadership skills that help reduce their sense of powerlessness when faced with choosing how to respond to ethical misconduct by managers. By developing employees who are more willing and capable to take a stand in the face of ethical violations, we hope to broaden the resource base for ethical leadership in organizations and bring much needed attention to the role of employees in maintaining ethical
Learning Political Science with Prediction Markets: An Experimental Study

Prediction markets are designed to aggregate the information of many individuals to forecast future events. These markets provide participants with an incentive to seek information and a forum for interaction, making markets a promising tool to motivate student learning. We carried out a quasi-experiment in an introductory political science class to study the effect of prediction markets on student engagement with the course topics. Although we found no significant improvement in students' enthusiasm or extent of topical reading, we did find that those students who were already reading broadly at the course start were more likely to trade actively in the markets. These findings indicate that prediction markets may be most successful as an education tool in settings, like graduate education, where individuals are already knowledgeable about the topics of the market, instead of an introductory learning context.
On-line coupling of anion exchange and ion-pair chromatography for measurement of intracellular triphosphate metabolites of reverse transcriptase inhibitors

We developed an automated on-line weak anion exchange (WAX) solid-phase extraction (SPE) method coupled with ion-pair (IP) chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) detection for quantitatively measuring triphosphorylated metabolites of three reverse transcriptase inhibitors (RTI). The administered pro-drugs were Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF), Emtricitabine (FTC) and Lamivudine (3TC). Their intracellular metabolites Tenofovir-diphosphate (TFV-DP), Emtricitabine-triphosphate (FTC-TP), and Lamivudine-triphosphate (3TC-TP) were measured in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC). We coupled the WAX and IP chromatography systems using a combination of 6-port and 10-port switching valves, and we mixed the WAX elute with 1,5-dimethyl-hexyl-amine before IP chromatography separation. Multiple waste outlets allowed for eliminating potential matrix components interfering with MS/MS detection. Limits of detection were 9, 200 and 75 pg per sample for TFV-DP (448/176 m/z), FTC-TP (488/130 m/z) and 3TC-TP (468/119 m/z), respectively.
Guidance and Control for Chase UAV via Sliding Mode Approach

Abstract This study focuses on integrated guidance and control for a chasing UAV against a maneuvering target. A sliding mode approach is selected to develop the integrated guidance and control using a full model of nonlinear, rigid body, 6 Degree-Of-Freedom equations of motion including nonlinear aerodynamics for the target-following capability and maneuverability enhancement against uncertain target maneuvers. Intermediate control variables for the integrated guidance and control system are carefully selected and approximated time derivatives of a sliding surface are applied such that a sliding surface structure is simple and sufficient to propagate the actuator input to the sliding surface in order to make the design synthesis simple. The potential of the proposed method is demonstrated and discussed with some simulation results, comparing its performance with a system where the guidance law and the controller are designed independently.
On the Betti numbers of Alexandrov spaces

In this note we show that the total Betti number of an Alexandrov space is bounded above by a constant depending only on the dimension, the diameter and the lower bound on curvature.
4,5-Dehydrooctafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane: facile generation and extraordinary Diels–Alder reactivity

Dehydroiodination of 4-iodo-1,1,2,2,9,9,10,10-octafluoro[2.2]paracyclophane by treatment with KOtBu in the presence of benzene, naphthalene, anthracene, or t-butylbenzene affords each of the corresponding Diels–Alder cycloadducts of the presumed aryne intermediate in high yield. The products were characterized by their NMR spectra, with one of them also being confirmed by X-ray crystallography. The extraordinary selectivity/reactivity of the aryne intermediate is discussed.
Optimization of chemical and physical factors toward clinically enabling culture of pluripotent stem cells

Since the original derivation of human embryonic stem cells (hESC) in 1998, development of efficient culture systems to produce and expand clinical-grade human pluripotent stem cells (hPSC) has been an extremely active research field. Despite the significant progress over the last decade, however, the pathways and signaling cues associated with survival, self-renewal and differentiation of hPSC have not been fully understood yet. Recent development in 2D adherent culture methods has given a wealth of information in hPSC regulations, but limitations in scalability, reproducibility and control in culture parameters and chemical gradients still represent a daunting task to improve the cell expansion rate. Advancing from 2D cultures, cultivating hPSC in 3D culture systems sets a more promising standard for large-scale production and establishing a good manufacturing practice (GMP). Here we will first discuss the potential of 3D culture systems, such as suspended cells in a bioreactor. We will then review mechanisms that help the cells to grow under suspension. Moreover, an advantage of using 3D system, besides scalability, is the enhanced control in culture conditions and reproducibility. In light of these advantages, we will discuss our strategy to minimize unknown variables by setting consistent conditions. Further, we will discuss how these variations may be instituted to optimize the parameters to meet the best condition for survival, self-renewal and differentiation.
Decreased levels of soluble receptor for advanced glycation end products in patients with primary Sjögren’s syndrome

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the levels of sRAGE in primary Sjogren’s syndrome (SS), and to assess whether there is an association between sRAGE levels and disease characteristics. Thirteen patients were randomly selected from three subgroups: primary SS, (n = 6), secondary Sjogren’s, (n = 4), and ANA(+) but lacking criteria for further disease classification (n = 3). Levels of serum sRAGE were measured in triplicate using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit. Mean sRAGE levels were significantly lower in the primary Sjogren’s group. Logistic regression analysis indicated that plasma sRAGE level was a significant predictor of diagnostic status. Analyses using routine serological tests for diagnosing autoimmune disorders failed to reach statistical significance. This preliminary study supports the hypothesis that the RAGE system might participate in the disease pathway of primary SS, and that sRAGE may be a potential biomarker to aid in the diagnosis of primary SS.
The Use of Trained Native Observers in Field Work

Competence in the language of a people under study is sometimes not possible for the researcher, who thus faces a handicap when attempting to collect data firsthand through personal observation and interview. The purpose of this paper is to discuss a method for collecting such qualitative data through the use of trained native observers.
Manipulation via Withholding: A Generalization

optimal allocation mechanism is subject to the problem of withholding with full recovery (Postlewaite) or partial recovery (Thomson). We generalize these results and show that the assumption of individual rationality can be disposed of in both results: the problem of withholding is present for any allocation mechanism in the class of Pareto-optimal mechanisms, whether it is individually rational or not, and whether agents are able to recover the withheld bundle fully or only partially.
Electrical conductivity of α-HgI2

Abstract The ac conductivities of polycrystalline α-HgI 2 and single crystals of α-HgI 2 were measured as a function of temperature. The electronic conductivity was also measured using the dc polarization method and EMF method. The ionic transference number of polycrystalline α-HgI 2 was estimated to be approximately 0.77 to 0.90 and that of the single crystals was more than 0.95 at 120°C. The oxidation of Hg 2 I 2 at 120°C with a Pt marker showed that iodine ions are mobile in polycrystalline α-HgI 2 and that their diffusivity is about 5×10 −11 cm 2 /s. The ionic defect structure of polycrystalline α-HgI 2 was inferred from above experiments and doping experiments with In 3+ , Na + , K + and Rb + . The stoichiometry of polycrystalline α-HgI 2 and that of single crystals may be expressed as HgI 2− x where x > 0.
Real-time control using open source RTOS

Complex telescope systems such as interferometers tend to rely heavily on hard real-time operating systems (RTOS). It has been standard practice at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and many other institutions to use costly commercial RTOSs and hardware. After developing a real-time toolkit for VxWorks on the PowerPC platform (dubbed RTC), the interferometry group at JPL is porting this code to the real-time Application Interface (RTAI), an open source RTOS that is essentially an extension to the Linux kernel. This port has the potential to reduce software and hardware costs for future projects, while increasing the level of performance. The goals of this paper are to briefly describe the RTC toolkit, highlight the successes and pitfalls of porting the toolkit from VxWorks to Linux-RTAI, and to discuss future enhancements that will be implemented as a direct result of this port. The first port of any body of code is always the most difficult since it uncovers the OS-specific calls and forces “red flags” into those portions of the code. For this reason, It has also been a huge benefit that the project chose a generic, platform independent OS extension, ACE, and its CORBA counterpart, TAO. This port of RTC will pave the way for conversions to other environments, the most interesting of which is a non-real-time simulation environment, currently being considered by the Space Interferometry Mission (SIM) and the Terrestrial Planet Finder (TPF) Projects.
Graduate Research Completed in Family and Consumer Sciences During 2008

Contacts were made with 50 individuals at 35 colleges and universities during the spring of 2009 to gather information on the graduate research completed in Family and Consumer Sciences units during 2008. Nineteen institutions reported a total of 329 graduate research titles. During that same time, 2020 master’s degrees and 377 doctor’s degrees were granted in Family and Consumer Sciences according to data available from the National Center for Education Statistics.
Differences in Glycolysis Between Fetal and Non-fetal Fibroblast Cell Lines

WALLACE W. MCCRORY (New York Hospital, Cornell Medical Center, New York, N.Y.): The demonstration of a difference in channeling of glucose metabolism into the hexose-monophosphate shunt and the Krebs-TCA pathway in fetal and adult cells in tissue culture is in agreement with similar findings of Dr. E. SCHUBERT in the Department at Cornell. Dr. SCHUBERT'S studies were done on kidney tissue in differing periods from fetal life to maturity in the rat. The changes correlate with the growth program of the organ with maturation. The activity of the hexose-monophosphate shunt is highest in proliferating cells and falls to adult values when growth by hyperplasia ceases (about 40 days after birth). What I find especially interesting is your data showing fetal cells continue to demonstrate this metabolic pattern in tissue culture if I understood your comments. Did you find that fetal cells remained ‘fetal’ in this regard in serial tissue culture? Miss CONDON: Yes. LEONARD PINSKY (Lady Davis Institute, Montreal, Que.): Miss CONDON and her associates have shown us once again that cultured human fibroblasts are not the dedifferentiated masses they were thought to be a few years ago. In other words, the age of the donor and, perhaps, the anatomic site of the parental tissue may confer heritable properties on the cell strain developed. I wonder if the speaker has had any experience with newborn fibroblasts. I have the feeling that fibroblasts derived from newborns, and particularly newborn foreskin, have many of the properties she has described for her fetal strains. It would be important to know if this is true because one frequently sees cell strains derived from human foreskin used as controls in studies dealing with fibroblasts cultured from adult skin. Miss CONDON: We have no experience with foreskin from newborns.
Development of a 28-Day Kimchi Cyclic Menu for Health

Kimchi is a traditional fermented vegetable product in Korea that contains various nutrients, dietary fibers, phytochemicals, and lactic-acid-producing bacteria to benefit health. The objective of this study is to educate the American population on the kimchi diet and its health benefits and to suggest how to incorporate the kimchi diet into their current mainstream diet through the use of a 28-day cyclic menu and sample recipes. Computer analyses for nutrient contents were applied to the kimchi cyclic menu. The menu-planning and recipe ideas presented in this study are designed to promote health while addressing the prevalence of metabolic syndrome in America.
Long-range interatomic forces

Quadrupole-quadrupole interaction constant for Se and halogen diatomic molecules, discussing long range interatomic forces determination
Uterine decidual response occurs in estrogen receptor-alpha-deficient mice.

Embryo-uterine interactions leading to the attachment reaction is followed by stromal cell proliferation and differentiation into decidual cells (decidualization) at the sites of blastocyst apposition. In rodents, decidualization is also induced by application of an artificial stimulus (intraluminal oil infusion) in a pseudopregnant uterus, or to one that has been appropriately prepared by exogenous progesterone (P4) and estrogen. The process of decidualization is under the control of these steroids in the presence of blastocysts or deciduogenic stimuli. Although it is well known that estrogen is required for the induction of progesterone receptors in the uterus, the functional importance of estrogen in the process of decidualization is poorly understood. To better understand the role of estrogenic actions in decidualization, we used wild-type and estrogen receptor-α knock-out (ERKO) mice for induction of decidualization employing a defined steroid hormonal treatment schedule. Our results demonstrate that...
Patterns of juvenile criminal activity as a function of demographic, family, and individual variables.

Patterns of juvenile criminal activity were investigated with respect to differences in a range of demographic, family, and individual variables. Subbjects were 89 juveniles who were referred to a county juvenile services center (70 males, 19 females; 78 Caucasians, 10 Blacks, 1 Oriental; mean age = 15.7). Discriminant function analyses were used to assess the discriminating power of the variables across crime categories (felony vs. misdemeanor), crime subcategories (person vs. property), number of prior referrals (none vs. one or more), and grade level (junior vs. senior high). All groups could be discriminated effectively on the basis of Wilks' lambda and associated chi-square tests of statistical significance.
“Never Events”: Not Every Hospital-Acquired Infection Is Preventable

Medicare stopped reimbursing United States hospitals for several complications or comorbidities developed during hospitalizations effective 1 October 2008. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services selected high-cost or high-frequency events from the National Quality Forum's list of "never events" for inclusion in this reimbursement change. Several of these complications and/or comorbidities are nosocomial infections, a significant proportion of which are not likely to be preventable. Attempts to eliminate these events may have unwanted clinical and economic outcomes, and compliance with coding and billing requirements will have a significant effect on research conducted using administrative databases. Although this reimbursement change is a step toward reducing the rate of preventable adverse events, its current form does not provide guidance with regard to how hospitals may hope to reduce the rate of these infections, and it uses individual case-based rather than process-based or population-based outcome measures, which makes benchmarking and goalsetting difficult.
Security as a Systems Property

How do we protect systems? The answer is straightforward: each component must be evaluated independently and protected as necessary. Beware the easy answers, such as deploying stronger encryption while ignoring vulnerable end points; that's too much like looking under the streetlamp for lost keys, not because they're likely to be there but because it's an easy place to search. Remember, too, that people and processes are system components as well, and often the weakest ones—think about phishing, but also about legitimate emails that are structurally indistinguishable from phishing attacks. I'm not saying you should ignore one weakness because you can't afford to address another serious one—but in general, your defenses should be balanced. After that, of course, you have to evaluate the security of the entire system. Components interact, not always in benign ways, and there may be gaps you haven't filled.
Special concerns in defining, studying, and treating dystonia in children

Dystonia is movement disorder with many diverse underlying etiologies. Some of those etiologies manifest at specific stages of development or at specific ages. Others may present early in life and evolve as the individual develops. The appearance of symptoms during a time of nervous system development poses special challenges to the neurologist. Normal functions change appearance, dysfunction may manifest in an age-dependent manner, and age-dependent differences in beneficial and toxic effects of treatments all introduce complexities to the process of diagnosis, functional assessment, and therapeutics. Consideration of these developmental differences is essential in assuring a universal definition of dystonia, and for developing valid and reliable assessment tools that can be compared across the lifespan, and more effective therapeutics. © 2013 Movement Disorder Society.
E-learning: emerging uses, empirical results and future directions

The use of network technology to deliver training is the latest trend in the training and development industry and has been heralded as the ‘e-learning revolution.’ In an effort to separate hype from reality, this paper reviews practitioner and research literature on e-learning, incorporating unpublished information from interviews with managers and consultants directly involved in e-learning initiatives. Specific attention is given to why organizations use e-learning, what the potential drawbacks to e-learning are, what we know from research about e-learning and what the future of e-learning may hold.
Association of Antibiotic Resistance in Agricultural Escherichia coli Isolates with Attachment to Quartz

Surface water can be contaminated by bacteria from various sources, including manure from agricultural facilities. Attachment of these bacteria to soil and organic particles contributes to their transport through the environment, though the mechanism of attachment is unknown. As bacterial attachment to human tissues is known to be correlated with antibiotic resistance, we have investigated here the relationship between bacterial attachment to environmental particles and antibiotic resistance in agricultural isolates. We evaluated 203 Escherichia coli isolates collected from swine facilities for attachment to quartz, resistance to 13 antibiotics, and the presence of genes encoding 13 attachment factors. The genes encoding type I, EcpA, P pili, and Ag43 were detected, though none was significantly related to attachment. Quartz attachment was positively and significantly (P < 0.0038) related to combined resistance to amoxicillin/streptomycin/tetracycline/sulfamethazine/tylosin/chlortetracycline and negatively and significantly (P < 0.0038) related to combined resistance to nalidixic acid/kanamycin/neomycin. These results provide clear evidence for a link between antibiotic resistance and attachment to quartz in agricultural isolates. We propose that this may be due to encoding by the responsible genes on a mobile genetic element. Further exploration of the relationship between antibiotic resistance and attachment to environmental particles will improve the understanding and modeling of environmental transport processes, with the goal of preventing human exposure to antibiotic-resistant or virulent microorganisms.
Fully-adaptive routing: packet switching performance and wormhole algorithms

In thts paper, a strnulatton study on the performance of some new algorithms for deadlock- and lwelock-free adaptive routing is reported. Packetswztchcd fully -adaptive minzmal routing on the mesh and the hypercube as ezplored for dt~erent tn~ection models: stattc and dynamic. The algorithms stmu lated in this paper are the jirst known to be !ivelockand deadlock-free fully -adaptive minimal that requzre a moderate amount of hardware. These techniques need only two central queues per routing node. The performance of these schemes IS measured for dtfferent irafic models: random, complement, transpose, bit-reversal and leveied permutations. Several machine sizes are trted and critical parameters indicating the performance of the routing algorithms are measured such as throughput, maximum and average latency, effective tn~ectaon, and saturation point. In the case of the mesh network, the new method w compared to an obltvzous scheme based on a simtlar routing node model. In the present versaon of thts paper, stm u!atton results are reported for hypercubes up to 16K nodes and for meshes of 11{ nodes. Ftnallyl a fu!iy-adaptwe minzmal worm-hole routing algorathm for the torus network wiil be presented. This technique is dead!ock- and hvelock-free and requuvs only 8 vzrtual channels per physzcal bzdzrectzonal link for zts implementation. Szmu!ations are currently being performed to determme the practical performance of this routing method.
Housing and Urban Poverty: A Consideration of the Criteria of Affordability, Diversity and Inclusion

This paper considers recent experiences in poverty reduction within urban areas. The discussion draws out emerging lessons for the provision of affordable and inclusive housing and neighbourhood development programmes that also address the diverse needs of urban poor communities. In particular, the discussion emphasises the importance of understanding the livelihoods of the poor and the strategies that lie behind these livelihoods if external interventions are to be successful in addressing the needs of low-income urban residents.
Navigating the Academic Job Market in Treacherous Times

Doctoral programs take great care in assuring that students are prepared to enter the job market and become effective teachers and researchers. However, once faced with the daunting task of landing their first position, students are oftentimes left on their own. Given the current state of the job market—more applicants for fewer jobs—it is essential that students understand the process and what they should expect as they work to receive their first academic position. In this article, we walk students through the hiring process from deciding which jobs to apply for to handling contract negotiations.
Florentine rows or left-right shifted permutation matrices with cross-correlation values ≤1

Abstract (1) Find n × n permutation matrices—as many as possible—whose aperiodic horizontal shifting cross-correlation function takes only the values 0 or 1. (2) Find values of F ( n ) = the maximum number of Florentine rows on n symbols . (3) It turns out that problem (1) is isomorphic to problem (2), so that optimum constructions are available for (1) whenever n + 1 is prime. Also on exhibit is S . Alquaddoomi's recent discovery that F (8) = 7.
Die effektive Öffnung des C60‐Gerüsts durch eine ungewöhnliche Reaktionsfolge

Ein groses Loch in einem Fulleren: Die Addition von Sauerstoff an die auserst reaktive 1,4-Diaminobutadien-Einheit der Verbindung 1, die durch Reaktion von C60 mit einem starren Diazidobutadien entsteht, fuhrt sehr effizient zur Bildung der bislang grosten Offnung in einem Fullerengerust (siehe Kalottenmodell). Deren Durchmesser konnte gros genug sein, um kleinen Atomen, Molekulen oder Ionen den Durchtritt zu ermoglichen.
2-D linear phase frequency sampling filters and 2-D linear phase frequency sampling filters with fourfold symmetry

In this paper, a system function is developed for two dimensional (2-D) Type 2-2 frequency sampling filters that have real impulse responses and linear phase and for 2-D Type 2-2 frequency sampling filters that have real impulse responses, linear phase and fourfold symmetry. Under certain conditions, these frequency sampling filters can implement narrowband 2-D linear phase filters and narrowband 2-D linear phase filters with fourfold symmetry much more efficiently than direct convolution implementations.
Influenza and Asthma: Evaluation of the Effectiveness of an Evidenced-Based Intervention Bundle on the Influenza Vaccination Rates Among Asthmatic Children Age Six Months to 18 Years

The American Academy of Pediatrics has begun an initiative called Accelerating Improved Care for Children with Asthma Program Chapter Quality Network Asthma Project, Phase 3 (CQN3). This project is a conscious effort to enhance the quality of life in asthmatics. One important initiative included in this project is to achieve 90% or greater influenza vaccination rates in children age six months and older with asthma. This is because children with asthma who contract influenza have increased morbidity and mortality rates than do their non-asthmatic counterparts. Studies have shown vaccination rates for these children are typically between 9 to 26%, and vaccination is the best and safest way to prevent influenza. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of an evidenced-based intervention bundle on the influenza vaccination rates among asthmatic children age six month to 18 years in one local pediatric office. Data was collected through a retrospective chart review looking at vaccination rates for the (September to March) 2012-2013 influenza season and the 2013-2014 influenza season to see if an evidenced-based intervention bundle could make a difference in vaccination compliance.
Curves in a Grassmann Manifold

As in §8 we will denote by Gr(N,k) the Grassmann manifold of all k-dimensional linear subspaces of the projective space PN of dimension N. Let M be a one-dimensional complex manifold or Riemann surface. A holomorphic curve in Gr(N,k) is a holomorphic mapping f: M → Gr(N,k). In particular, a holomorphic curve f: M → Gr(1,0) = P1, is a meromorphic function on M, given by the ratio of the homogeneous coordinates in P1.
Comparison of discriminative training methods for speaker verification

The maximum likelihood estimation (MLE) and Bayesian maximum a-posteriori (MAP) adaptation methods for Gaussian mixture models (GMM) have proven to be effective and efficient for speaker verification, even though each speaker model is trained using only his own training utterances. Discriminative criteria aim at increasing discriminability by using out-of-class data. In this paper, we consider the speaker verification task using three discriminative training methods to compare performance. Comparisons are discussed for the maximum mutual information (MMI), minimum classification error (MCE) and figure of merit (FOM) criteria. Experiments on the 1996 NIST speaker recognition evaluation data set show that FOM training method outperforms the other two methods for speaker verification in terms of system performance. Meanwhile, logistic regression is investigated and successfully employed as a discriminative score-normalization technique.
The International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury: reliability of data when applied to children and youths

Study design: Intra-rater reliability study, cross-sectional design. Objectives: To determine reliability of the International Standards for Neurological Classification of Spinal Cord Injury (ISCSCI) motor and sensory exam in children. Setting: Nonprofit pediatric hospital. Methods: In all, 74 subjects had two trials of the motor and sensory exams. Intraclass correlation coe!cients (ICC), 95% confidence intervals (CI) were generated for total motor (TM), pin prick (PP) and light touch (LT) scores for the entire sample, four age groups, severity and type of injury. Coe!cients 40.90! high reliability; 0.75‐0.90! moderate reliability and o0.75! inadequate reliability. Results: Children ofour years (N! 7) were unable to participate in the exams. TM ICC, CI! 0.888, 0.821‐0.93 (N! 73); PP ICC, CI! 0.975, 0.96‐0.98 (N! 67) and LT ICC, CI! 0.974, 0.974‐0.985 (N! 68). When age was considered, 4‐5 year: TM ICC, CI! 0.917, 0.69‐0.98 (N! 11), PP! 0.912, 0.49‐0.985 (N! 7), LT! 0.948, 0.63‐0.993 (N! 6); for 6‐11 year: TM ICC, CI! 0.711, 0.226‐0.892 (N! 18), PP! 0.952, 0.867‐0.983 (M! 17), LT! 0.952, 0.867‐0.983 (N! 17); for 12‐15 year: TM ICC, CI! 0.893, 0.723‐0.959 (N! 19), PP! 0.982, 0.953‐0.993 (N! 19), LT! 0.982, 0.953‐0.993 (N! 19); for 16‐21 year: TM ICC, CI! 0.912, 0.80‐0.961 (N! 25), PP! 0.98, 0.954‐0.991 (N! 25), LT! 0.98, 0.954‐0.991 (N! 25). ICC for severity and type of injury 40.90 except for TM in complete injuries (0.808). Conclusion: The ISCSCI exams may have poor utility in children under 4 years. While reliability values for the motor and sensory exams met or exceeded recommended values, wide CI suggest poor precision of the motor exam in children under 15 years of age and sensory exams in children under 5 years. Sponsorship: This study was supported by the Shriners Hospitals for Children, Philadelphia Hospital.
Timing and Signaling Considerations for Recovery from Supply Chain Disruption

We explore the supplier’s and buyer’s reactions to supply disruption under information asymmetry about the severity of disruption. Upon disruption, the supplier strategically quotes a due date for supply recovery and decides the completion time for recovery. Given the quoted due date, the buyer decides whether to wait for recovery or invoke the backup option. In the case where the buyer has perfect information about the severity of disruption, we find that the supplier can be strategically tardy in recovery while, interestingly, benefiting itself and the buyer. We also find that an increase in tardiness penalty benefits the supplier. Under asymmetric information, we model the supplier’s and buyer’s interaction as a signaling game, in which the supplier’s quote of due date is an operational signal for the severity of disruption. We find that costly signaling occurs when the buyer’s cost for backup is low. In some situations, the supplier may not be able to credibly signal the severity of disruption to the buyer. In other situations, while the supplier can credibly signal the severity, information asymmetry pushes the supplier to quote an earlier due date. Interestingly, in both situations we find that the buyer benefits from information asymmetry. When the buyer’s backup cost is medium or high, information asymmetry does not affect either the buyer or the supplier vis-a-vis the case of perfect information.
Relative Entropy as a Countably-Additive Measure

Let P be a countably additive probability measure, and μ be any countably additive [0, ∞]-valued measure, both on a σ-algebra A over a space Ω. We define a (P, μ dependent) countable additive measure H on the δ-ring A μ of sets A ∈ A such that μ(A) A μ , H(Ω) is the total entropy of P relative to μ. We study the extension of H beyond A μ, and its Lebesgue decomposition with respect to μ.
Use of antiresorptive drugs among older women: a case study in Wisconsin

The factors contributing to the use of antiresorptive therapies (ARTs) and differentiating the ARTs used were examined. A list of names of community-dwelling persons 65 years or older living in Wisconsin was obtained, and 2100 individuals were selected (1050 men and 1050 women) to receive the 10-page survey instrument. The survey requested information on health status, prescription drug use, preferences for using prescription drugs versus self-treatment strategies, demographic characteristics, and status and type of prescription drug and medical insurance. Only the responses from female respondents were evaluated. Descriptive statistics were calculated for each variable. The simultaneous relationships among all variables were modeled sequentially using a binary logistic regression model and a multinomial logistic regression model. Usable responses were received from 629 women, yielding an adjusted response rate of 59.9%; 169 (26.9%) reported current use of at least one ART, 110 (17.5%) reported using hormone replacement therapy (HRT), and 59 (9.4%) were using newer ARTs. The typical respondent did not use any prescription medicines for the treatment or prevention of osteoporosis, was married, and did not have a four-year college degree. Married, younger women with high medical care preferences scores were more likely to use antiresorptive agents. Married women were more likely to use HRT versus no treatment. A higher number of family practice physicians per 100,000 population reduced the likelihood of the use of any ART. Lower age was also related to the use of ARTs. Marital status, age, medical care preferences, prescription drug insurance, a regular source of care, and the diagnosis of osteoporosis were all significantly associated with the use of any antiresorptive agent.
Effect of Reserpine on Plasma LH Levels in Ovariectomized and Cycling Proestrus Rats

SummaryThe present experiments were carried out to determine the effects of drugs which are known to alter the stores of monoamines in the hypothalamus upon the concentration of LH in the blood of ovariectomized and normal rats. LH was estimated by the ovarian ascorbic acid depletion bioassay. In agreement with earlier data, blockade of ovulation occurred when reserpine (2 mg/kg) was administered prior to the assumed “critical” period of LH release and the effect could be overcome by prior treatment with a monoamine oxidase inhibitor, pargyline (25 mg/kg). Reserpine injection for 3 days (0.5 mg/kg) was shown to be effective in lowering the elevated plasma LH levels in ovariectomized rats. A significant level of LH was present in the blood during the afternoon of proestrus in control rats; whereas the levels were depressed after a single injection of reserpine (2 mg/kg) on the morning of proestrus. The blockade of the proestrous rise in plasma LH by injection of reserpine was prevented by prior treatment w...
Epidemiological Investigation on An Outbreak of Cholera O_(139)

Objective To investigote the couse and source of an outbreak of cholera O139 in a certain township in Fucheng Distract,Mianyang City in 2007 so as to provide scientific basis for control cholera.Method Epidemiological analysis was made based on the data of case survey,laboratory results and field trails etc.Result The cholera began on September 25,2007 and came to an end on October 4,2007.During the period,181 persons attending a wedding dinner were ascertained as exposured population.13(7 males,6 females, age ranged 6-85 years old) out of the 181 persons were positive in bacterial culture(7.18%,13/181),and among the 13 positives,2(1 male,53 years old,1 female,75 years old) were attacked with an incidence rate of 1.10%,and 11 were carrier.On September 27,the CDC discovered Vibrio cholerae O139 in the water of soft-shelled turtle in a seafood shop in the market.After a comparative investigation,they made certain that the cholera was caused by the cold dish which was made of the seafood.Conclusion The eruption of cholera is caused by dinner together,and infected through food.The infection source is soft-shelled turtle.
Comprehensive Analysis of the Waldenström Macroglobulinemia “Cytokine Milieu” Reveals a Novel Role of Rantes Signaling in the Regulation of Immunoglobulin Production

Abstract Waldenstrom macroglobulinemia (WM) is a B-cell malignancy characterized by the aberrant production of a monoclonal IgM protein that may lead to hyperviscosity. Although this is a major factor causing significant morbidity in patients, little is known about the mechanisms that regulate monoclonal protein synthesis. Cytokines are protein mediators that are known to be involved in many biological processes, and can profoundly affect tumor cells and the tumor microenvironment. Many cytokines have been shown to have potent therapeutic efficacy in preclinical cancer models; however, the role of cytokine networks in WM is not fully understood and few studies have described the precise functional roles of cytokines in WM. To address this issue we performed a multiplex ELISA analysis to test cytokine levels in sera from patients with WM. We found that Rantes/CCL5 is significantly elevated in WM patients and correlates with disease activity. Elevated expression of RANTES in the serum was confirmed by ELISA and was also detected in the bone marrow of WM patients by ELISA and immunohistochemistry. RANTES expression serves as a marker for recruitment of immune cells and is associated with a wide range of immune-mediated diseases. However, the impact of RANTES in WM is not known. We analyzed the expression of receptors for Rantes by flow cytometry and found that WM B cells and stromal cells express CCR1 and CCR3, but not CCR5. Using a standard chemotaxis assay, we determined that Rantes had no effect on B cell or stromal cell recruitment. Rantes also had no effect on B cell or stromal cell survival, however it did promote stromal cell proliferation (p Analysis of Rantes levels in other B cell malignancies including follicular lymphoma, chronic lymphocytic leukemia, monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance and multiple myeloma indicates that Rantes is elevated in other B cell lymphoproliferative disorders and suggest Rantes may play a similar role in other malignancies. In summary, our data identifies a novel Rantes-GLI-IL-6 interplay in the stromal microenvironment that promotes IgM production by malignant B cells. This therefore provides multiple new potential therapeutic avenues, targeting both malignant cells and the microenvironment to control malignant cell growth, and immunoglobulin secretion in WM and Ig-mediated diseases.
Nuclear Proliferation and Terrorism

In a dramatic moment before the United Nations, Bernard Baruch described the American plan to internationalize and control the atom. He described in biblical fashion the choice between “the quick from the dead” (taken from the Apostle’s Creed) resulting from the global spread of nuclear weapons. This prediction came to fruition 15 years later when presidential candidate John F. Kennedy gave a warning in the third debate with Vice President Richard Nixon: