cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effects of the Magnetic Field on Lichtenberg Figures

This paper deals with new forms of Lichtenberg figures produced under the combined stress of dielectric and magnetic fields. The effects produced by the magnetic field may be used for determining whether electrons, positive ions, or protons. are basically the active elements in the formation of the positive as well as the negative figures. The photographs also show that the presence of the magnetic field greatly extends the range of air pressures within which figures of definite form can be obtained; that figures taken at low air pressures possess structures strikingly different from those hitherto known; and that these figures may prove a key to the mechanism of the electric spark.
Quantitative Analysis of Glass Structure with the Use of Infrared Reflection Spectra

It is predicted theoretically and justified experimentally that infrared reflectances are proportional to the concentrations of the vibrational species causing them. In the binary Li2O-, Na2O-, and K2O-SiO2 glasses used in this study, the reflection peaks have been assigned to vibrations of single silicon-oxygen tetrahedra in different symmetry environments caused by the presence of alkali ions. Care has been taken here in recording the spectra of high alkali glasses to prevent chemical reactions with water vapor in the atmosphere. The influence of phase separation on reflection spectra is also discussed.
Research, development, demonstration, and early deployment policies for advanced-coal technology in China

Abstract Advanced-coal technologies will increasingly play a significant role in addressing China's multiple energy challenges. This paper introduces the current status of energy in China, evaluates the research, development, and demonstration policies for advanced-coal technologies during the Tenth Five-Year Plan, and gives policy prospects for advanced-coal technologies in the Eleventh Five-Year Plan. Early deployment policies for advanced-coal technologies are discussed and some recommendations are put forward. China has made great progress in the development of advanced-coal technologies. In terms of research, development, and demonstration of advanced-coal technologies, China has achieved breakthroughs in developing and demonstrating advanced-coal gasification, direct and indirect coal liquefaction, and key technologies of Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) and co-production systems. Progress on actual deployment of advanced-coal technologies has been more limited, in part due to insufficient supporting policies. Recently, industry chose Ultra Super Critical (USC) Pulverized Coal (PC) and Super Critical (SC) PC for new capacity coupled with pollution-control technology, and 300 MW Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) as a supplement.
Effect of simulated acid rain on mycorrhizal infection of Pinus strobus L.

Mycorrhizal infection but not growth of white pine seedlings was reduced by application of simulated rain at pH 3.5 at 3 times ambient rates to plants grown in steamed Mardin soil inoculated with Pisolithus tinctorius. In unsteamed Mardin soil, the simulated acid rain at 3 times ambient rates had no effect on mycorrhizal infection or growth of pine seedlings if the rain was applied to the plants and soil or to only the soil before planting, except that nitrate-containing acid rain increased growth, infection and N content. In limed Mardin soil, the simulated acid rain reduced mycorrhizal infection if applied to the plants and soil as the seedlings were growing but not if applied to the soil before planting. Application of pH 3.5 rain at ambient rates had no detectable influence on mycorrhizal infection in 6 of 9 soils tested, but it stimulated infestion in 3 soils if the simulated rain contained only sulfate and in 1 soil if it had both sulfate and nitrate.
Interindividual variation of malate dehydrogenase activity in the oyster Crassostrea virginica

Intertidal environments are dynamic, stressful niches and variation in physiological parameters may determine distribution and survival of individuals in a population. We demonstrated that mitochondria of the oyster Crassostrea virginica oxidize malate more readily than other Krebs cycle intermediates and investigated the level of interindividual variability in oyster malate dehydrogenase (MDH) activity and total protein content in muscle tissues. Both MDH activity and total protein evidenced a high level of interindividual variation in heart and adductor among a sample of more than 50 oysters. Normalization to total DNA failed to explain the variation in either MDH activity or protein content of phasic adductor and explained less than 40% of the variation in heart. This range of MDH titers defines a continuum of biochemical phenotypes important for understanding the relative selection forces operative on metabolic pathways within the muscles of the oyster.
Integral invariants in flat superspace

Abstract We are solving for the case of flat superspace some homological problems that were formulated by Berkovits and Howe. (Our considerations can be applied also to the case of supertorus.) These problems arise in the attempt to construct integrals invariant with respect to supersymmetry. They appear also in other situations, in particular, in the pure spinor formalism in supergravity.
Arrhythmias in the post CCU phase of myocardial infarction: their correlation with the acute illness.

To estimate the frequency of potentially life-threatening arrhythmias in myocardial infarction following transfer from the coronary care unit (CCU) and to identify features of the acute illness which predict such events, 66 patients were monitored on-line by means of a computer assisted system. Premature ventricular contractions (PVCs) were detected following transfer from the CCU in 64 patients (97 percent). In 29 (44 percent) they fell in classes 2 to 4 of Lown. Accelerated ventricular rhythm was detected in five and ventricular tachycardia in three. The presence of these rhythm disturbances did not correlate with age, sex, infarct location, the occurrence of previous infarction, the level of serum cardiac enzymes, the presence of heart failure, atrial arrhythmias, heart block, or serious ventricular arrhythmia in the CCU. Use of procaine amide or quinidine for persistent ventricular arrhythmia in the CCU was correlated with detection of class 2, 3 or 4 PVCs. Thus, PVCs are nearly universal in the late phase of hospitalization for myocardial infarction. Frequent and complicated PVCs are common and occur most frequently in individuals in whom such events have been persistent in the CCU.
Phacoemulsification with indocyanine green versus manual expression extracapsular cataract extraction for advanced cataract.

Abstract Purpose To compare the outcomes of indocyanine green dye (ICG)-assisted phacoemulsification with manual expression extracapsular cataract extraction (ECCE) in eyes with advanced cataract. Setting Parkland Memorial Hospital and Dallas Veterans Affairs Medical Center, Dallas, Texas, USA. Methods In this retrospective study, 72 consecutive cases of advanced or mature cataract extractions performed in a 1-year period were reviewed. Fifty-nine eyes met the inclusion and exclusion criteria; 33 had ICG-assisted phacoemulsification and 26, manual expression ECCE. Preoperative and intraoperative findings and the postoperative outcomes up to 6 months were analyzed. Results Intraoperative complications included posterior capsule tear with vitreous prolapse in 2 eyes (6.6%) and conversion to manual expression ECCE in 1 eye (3.3%) in the ICG phacoemulsification group. There was no intraoperative complication in the manual expression ECCE group. There were significantly more patients with a best corrected visual acuity of 20/30 or better in the ICG phacoemulsification group than in the manual expression ECCE group at all postoperative periods. The mean logMAR visual acuities were significantly better in the ICG phacoemulsification group at all postoperative intervals. The ICG phacoemulsification group had significantly less postoperative astigmatism. There was no significant difference between the groups in the early postoperative intraocular pressure. Conclusions Phacoemulsification with ICG led to better postoperative visual acuity and less postoperative astigmatism than manual expression ECCE. Phacoemulsification with ICG was associated with more intraoperative complications than manual expression ECCE; however, the complication rate is comparable to a previously published rate for phacoemulsification performed in a university training program. Phacoemulsification with ICG appears to be a reasonable alternative to manual expression ECCE for advanced cataract.
Undergraduate Instrumental Music Education Majors' Approaches to Score Study in Various Musical Contexts:

Participants in the study (N = 21) engaged in two one-on-one interview sessions with the investigator. During each session, participants "thought out loud" as they studied one solo score and one fu...
Application of Quartz Sand Microtextural Analysis to Infer Cold-Climate Weathering for the Equatorial Fountain Formation (Pennsylvanian–Permian, Colorado, U.S.A.)

Abstract Climatic interpretations of the upper Paleozoic (Permo-Pennsylvanian) Fountain Formation, a coarse-grained fan-delta system that formed in western equatorial Pangea, are difficult to constrain owing to a general lack of climatic indicators so typical of coarse clastic systems. We applied scanning electron microscopy (SEM) to analyze quartz grains in this system in an attempt to test the hypothesis of a glacial influence on these strata. SEM observations of first-cycle quartz grains from these strata reveal microtextures formed from fracturing during grain transport, even after diagenetic overprinting occurred under moderate burial conditions (up to 3.5 km depth and 100°C). Transport-induced microtextures can be grouped based on inferred fracture process into: (1) high-stress fractures, consisting of fractures created through sustained high shear stress, such as grooves, deep troughs, and gouges, and are inferred to occur predominantly during glacial transport; (2) percussion fractures, consisting of fractures created by grain-to-grain contact during saltation or traction flow, such as randomly oriented v-shaped cracks and edge rounding; and (3) polygenetic fractures, such as conchoidal fractures, arc-shaped steps, linear steps, and linear fractures, that occur under a wide range of transport processes and thus possess no environmental significance. Delineation of high stress, percussion, and polygenetic fracture types demonstrate that the Fountain Formation quartz grains exhibit microtextures similar to both till and glaciofluvial deposits, suggesting that periods of upland glaciation occurred in the source region of the Fountain Formation (Ute Pass uplift). The abundance of high-stress fractures peaks at two stratigraphic intervals. These intervals are inferred to record the presence of ice in the Ute Pass uplift and are correlative with polygonally fractured paleosurfaces in the Fountain Formation that are interpreted to reflect cold-temperature weathering. Moreover, the peak intervals are approximately coeval with inferred episodes of ice maxima from high-latitude localities, as well as other low-latitude localities. Geologically reasonable stream gradients and estimated transport distance suggest a best-estimate elevation of the ice terminus of ~ 1500 m, but possibly ranging to 3000 m. These data suggest that upland glaciers episodically existed within this equatorial setting and that further use of this technique may reveal more evidence of ice in other proximal deposits of the ancestral Rocky Mountains, as well as other systems of various geologic ages.
Respiratory motion changes of lung tumors over the course of radiation therapy based on respiration-correlated four-dimensional computed tomography scans.

Purpose To determine whether lung tumor respiratory excursion at simulation is predictive of excursion during radiation and whether phase offsets between tumor and surrogate markers are constant throughout treatment. Methods and Materials Respiration-correlated CT scans and two rescans (using a Brilliance Big Bore spiral CT simulator; Philips, Inc.) were obtained from 20 patients at simulation. Gross tumor volume (GTV) was contoured on 10 phases of the respiratory cycle, and excursions were calculated. Diaphragm and xyphoid motion were quantified. Phase offsets, ΔΦ, were calculated for patients with a GTV motion of >3 mm. Interfraction differences in excursions between simulation and rescans and magnitudes of variation in phase offset between fractions were evaluated. Results Mean GTV excursions at simulation in superior-inferior, anterior-posterior, and medial-lateral directions were 0.67, 0.29, and 0.21 cm, respectively. The magnitude of superior-inferior GTV excursion correlated with tumor location (upper vs. lower lobe, p = 0.011). GTV excursions between simulation and rescan 1 ( p = 0.115) and between simulation and rescan 2 ( p = 0.071) were stable. Fourteen patients were analyzed for variations in phase offsets. GTV–xyphoid phase offset changed significantly between simulation and rescan 1 ( p = 0.007) and simulation and rescan 2 ( p = 0.008), with mean ΔΦ values of 13.2% (rescan 1) and 14.3% (rescan 2). Xyphoid–diaphragm offset changed between simulation and rescan 1 ( p = 0.004) and between simulation and rescan 2 ( p = 0.012), with mean ΔΦ values of 14.5% (rescan 1) and 7.6% (rescan 2). Conclusions Interfraction consistency in tumor excursion suggests tumor excursion at simulation may direct therapy. Significant variations in phase lag between GTV and other anatomic structures throughout treatment have important implications for techniques that rely on surrogate structures to predict tumor motion
Application of fuzzy expert system in test case selection for system regression test

Effective system test for consecutive releases of modern telecommunications system relies heavily on the selection of the test cases, because running all test cases in an existing test suite will consume an inordinate amount of time and money. Although many test selection techniques have been proposed on how to select test cases so that the number of test cases does not grow too large as the software evolves, to our knowledge they are all based on the assumption that the analysis of the source code is available. Very few studies have been made to explore the possibility of selecting test cases when the information of the source code is not available to testers. We present using fuzzy expert systems to solve the problem. The fuzzy expert system will resemble a human judgment via correlating knowledge that represents one or more of the following: customer profile, analysis of past test results, system failure rate, and wherever possible change in system architecture, to identify potentially critical test cases for system test. We piloted this fuzzy expert system in large telecommunication systems and the results showed that test effectiveness and efficiency was significantly improved.
A STUDY OF THE EFFECTS OF OUT‐OF‐LEVEL TESTING WITH POOR READERS IN THE INTERMEDIATE GRADES

Forty‐seven fourth‐and‐fifth grade students whose raw scores on the Gates‐MacGinitie Level D (on‐level test) were determined to be unsuitable were administered an out‐of‐level test (Level C) to ascertain whether the out‐of‐level test would be a more appropriate test for those students. Two questions were addressed in this study. First, are there significant differences in students’ derived scores on the Gates‐MacGinitie when an on‐level test (Level D) that is judged to be unsuitable is compared to an out‐of‐level test (Level C)? Second, is use of an out‐of‐level test more suitable in terms of Roberts’ criterion of the raw scores achieved by the students? There were no significant differences between the derived scores from on‐level and out‐of‐level testing for each of the subtests. The out‐of‐level raw scores did fall within the accepted range for the test to be considered suitable and reliable.
XBP1 governs late events in plasma cell differentiation and is not required for antigen-specific memory B cell development

The unfolded protein response (UPR) is a stress response pathway that is driven by the increased load of unfolded proteins in the endoplasmic reticulum of highly secretory cells such as plasma cells (PCs). X box binding protein 1 (XBP1) is a transcription factor that mediates one branch of the UPR and is crucial for the development of antibody-secreting PCs. PCs represent only one class of terminally differentiated B cells, however, and little is known about the role for XBP1 in the other class: memory B cells. We have developed an XBP1fl/fl CD19+/cre conditional knockout (XBP1CD19) mouse to build upon our current understanding of the function of XBP1 in PC differentiation as well as to explore the role of XBP1 in memory cell development. Using this model, we show that XBP1CD19 mice are protected from disease in an autoantibody-mediated mouse lupus model. We also identify a novel developmental stage at which B cells express the traditional PC marker CD138 (syndecan-1) but have yet to undergo XBP1-dependent functional and morphological differentiation into antibody-secreting cells. Finally, we show that memory B cells develop normally in XBP1CD19 mice, demonstrating that XBP1-mediated functions occur independently of any memory cell lineage commitment.
Impact of locality and dimensionality limits on architectural trends

Since computing is a physical activity, all forms of computing must obey locality constraints imposed by physics. Unknowingly, many software abstractions violate locality constraints because they represent high dimensional topologies that have higher degrees of freedom than is uniformly implementable by the underlying physical architecture. This semantic gap between abstractions implemented in the virtual architecture and the physical machine resources results in poor performance for certain classes of computing problems. The paper discusses and analyzes the impact of locality constraints and dimensionality limits upon software and architecture trends with the specific goals of improved performance, lower cost, and the longevity of architectural investments. >
Sub-time-optimal trajectory plannings for cooperative multi-manipulator systems using the load distribution scheme

A sub-time-optimal trajectory planning scheme for a cooperative multimanipulator system (CMMS) is presented. It is assumed that the desired path is given and is parameterizable by an arclength function. The goal is to find the load distribution factors that divide the given load into each share of manipulators in CMMS in a time-optimal manner. This approach uses a specific generalized inverse and an optimization search scheme, for example, a linear search algorithm for the dual robots case. Compared with the time-optimal trajectory planning approaches, which are required to employ the linear programming method, this sub-optimal method requires only a fraction of the computation time. In a limited case, this approach becomes the true time-optimal method for cooperative multimanipulators. >
The Impact of Dynamic Presentation Format on Consumer Preferences for Hedonic Products and Services

Manufacturers and online retailers are readily availing themselves of new technologies to present their merchandise using a variety of formats, including static (still image) and dynamic (video) portrayal. Building on vividness theory, the authors propose and demonstrate that presenting products and services using a dynamic visual format enhances consumer preference for hedonic options and willingness to pay for those options. The dynamic presentation format increases involvement with the product/service experience in a manner presumably similar to that of the actual product experience. The result is an increased preference for and valuation of hedonic options. This holds true for experiential and search products in single and joint evaluations and carries over to subsequent choices. Across all studies, the results demonstrate that a dynamic (relative to static) presentation format enhances choice of the hedonically superior (vs. utilitarian-superior) option by more than 79%.
Virtual Mayberry: Ritual, Technology, and an Imagined Community

ABSTRACT:This study traces the long-term impact of the 1960s television series The Andy Griffith Show. The analysis emphasizes the relationship between television fan communities and evolving video technology. The findings illustrate how fan engagement has evolved over five decades, yet consistently resists the cultural amnesia associated with modernity.
Relation of Muscle Mass and Fat Mass to Cardiovascular Disease Mortality

We evaluated the relation between components of body composition and mortality in patients with cardiovascular disease (CVD). Dual x-ray absorptiometry body composition data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey 1999 to 2004 was linked to total and CVD mortality data 1999 to 2006 in 6,451 patients with CVD. Kaplan-Meier survival analysis for the end points of total and CVD mortality was plotted by quartiles of muscle mass, fat mass, and categories of body mass index (BMI). Subjects were stratified into 4 groups (low muscle/low fat mass, low muscle/high fat mass, high muscle/low fat mass, and high muscle/high fat mass). Adjusted Cox proportional hazards regression determined hazard ratios for total and CVD mortality. Rates of cardiovascular/total mortality were lower in higher quartiles of muscle mass, fat mass, and higher categories of BMI (p <0.001). The high muscle/low fat mass group had a lower risk of CVD and total mortality (risk-adjusted hazard ratios of 0.32, 95% confidence interval 0.14 to 0.73 and 0.38, 95% confidence interval 0.22 to 0.68, for CVD and total mortality, respectively). Thus, increasing fat mass, muscle mass, and BMI were all correlated with improved survival. The specific subgroup of high muscle and low fat mass had the lowest mortality risk compared with other body composition subtypes. This suggests the importance of body composition assessment in the prediction of cardiovascular and total mortality in patients with CVD.
Uncountable Fields Have Proper Uncountable Subfields

In a first encounter of the study of fields in an abstract algebra course, a student learns about various subfields of R1 and C which are usually obtained by adjoining a finite number of elements to the field G. The student may also learn about the subfield of lR consisting of those real numbers which are algebraic over G. Each of these subfields of lR has the property that it contains a countable number of elements. Since the field lR is uncountable, the question naturally arises as to whether there exists an uncountable proper subfield of lR. An affirmative answer to this may be given by appealing to the existence of a transcendental basis of lR over a [1]. The idea of a transcendental basis is not commonly encountered in an undergraduate abstract algebra course, but many students do encounter Zorn's lemma with which one can construct an elementary, yet interesting, proof of the following proposition.
Prevention of sternal wound infection in pediatric cardiac surgery: a protocolized approach.

Background: Sternal wound infections (SWIs) are a costly complication for children after cardiac surgery, increasing morbidity, mortality, and financial cost. There are no pediatric guidelines to r...
Extensions of Lie Algebras and the Third Cohomology Group

Cohomology theories of various algebraic structures have been investigated by several authors. The most noteworthy are due to Hochschild, MacLane and Eckmann, Chevalley and Eilenberg, who developed the theory of cohomology groups of associative algebras, abstract groups, and Lie algebras respectively. In this paper we are concerned primarily with a characterization of the third cohomology group of a Lie algebra by its extension properties.
CULPRIT LESIONS OF ACUTE CORONARY SYNDROME ARE CHARACTERIZED BY THE PRESENCE OF STENOSIS AND HIGH-RISK PLAQUE, BUT NOT HIGHER SEGMENTAL CORONARY ARTERY CALCIUM SCORE: RESULTS FROM THE ROMICAT II TRIAL

The amount of coronary artery calcium (CAC) predicts cardiovascular events and correlates with plaque burden. However, CAC may represent advanced stage of atherosclerosis and is not directly related to high-risk plaque. We determined the association of stenosis, high-risk plaque and segmental CAC
Motion in Limine: Anticipatory Disclosure of Prior Conviction

Pursuant to Rule 103(c) if a defendant introduces the fact of a prior conviction prior to the trial court having an opportunity at trial sometime following the defendant's direct testimony to rule on admissibility, the defendant will have waived his right to raise error on appeal. Thus, if a ruling had not been obtained either before or earlier at trial, anticipatory disclosure constitutes a waiver. If on an earlier occasion the trial court had reserved ruling or issued only a tentative or provisional ruling as to admissibility, anticipatory disclosure without renewal of the objection at trial also constitutes a waiver. Finally, anticipatory disclosure on direct examination or otherwise of a prior conviction definitively ruled admissible in advance of or earlier at trial on a motion in limine similarly waives the right to assert error on appeal; the opposing party must be given the choice as to whether or not to offer the prior conviction to impeach at trial. Ohler v. United States, 529 U.S. 753 (2000). Moreover, in order to preserve for review a claim of improper impeachment under Rule 609(a)(1) or Rule 609(b), the defendant must testify. Luce v. United States, 469 U.S. 38 (1984).
Are We Ready for Sex Robots

Sex robots are gaining a remarkable amount of attention in current discussions about technology and the future of human relationships. To help understand what kinds of relationships people will have with these robots, empirical data about people's views of sex robots is a necessary contribution to these debates. We report the results of the first systematic survey that asks about the appropriateness and value of sex robots, acceptable forms they can take, and the degree to which using them counts as sex. The results show a consistent difference in the uses for which women and men found sex robots to be appropriate, with women less and men more inclined to consider them socially useful. We also found convergences on what sex robots are like and how sex with them is to be classified, suggesting that larger views about relationships and society, not just understandings of sex robots themselves, should be a matter for more research and thus frame future work on the ethics of sex robots.
Analysis of surveillance of emergent public health events in Erqi district of Zhengzhou city of Henan province in 2007-2010

Objective To analyze the characters of emergent public health events in Erqi district in order to provide information for preventing.Methods The information of emergent public health events in Erqi district was analyzed with China Emergent Public Reporting System and descriptive epidemiological method.Results A total of 31 emergent public health events were reported in 2007-2010 including 29 events(93.55%) caused by infectious diseases and 2 events(6.45%) caused by food poison,of which 338 cases were involved and 5 cases died.The number of events was higher in 2009 than in 2007,2008 and 2010.The events mainly happened in university,primary school and children kindergarten concerning 259 cases,accounting for 76.63%.Conclusion The emergent public health events occurring in schools are harmful to students.The public health broken out at school is the focus in disease control and prevention.Measures in disease control and prevention are taken by epidemiological analysis.
The Research on the Method of Vibration Fault Diagnosis Based on Wavelet Energy Entropy and Rough Set

In this paper,Analyze the vibration fault signal with wavelet method to get a number of wavelet coefficients,and then deducting redundant characteristics which get from the wavelet energy based on rough set,To diagnose the fault samples by the generated diagnostic rules form the reduction characteristics,On the basis of the fault have been identified,Measure the fault degree with wavelet energy spectrum entropy.The experiment results show that the RSES software based on rough set theory have a higher diagnostic accuracy,To a certain extent the fault degree can be measured through energy spectral entropy parameters.
Modulation of arachidonic acid metabolism in human endothelial cells by glucocorticoids.

To learn whether glucocorticoids inhibit prostaglandin (PG) production in vascular endothelial cells, we investigated the effects of glucocorticoids on PG synthesis by cultured human umbilical vein endothelial cells (EC). Pretreatment of EC with dexamethasone (DX, 10(-9) to 5 X 10(-5) M) caused a dose-dependent inhibition of PGI2 production when PG synthesis from endogenous arachidonate was stimulated by human thrombin (0.25-2 U/ml) or ionophore A 23187 (1-5 microM). The inhibition was detectable at 10(-7) M DX and maximal at 10(-5) M (4.0 +/- 0.7 vs. control: 7.7 +/- 1.9 ng/ml, mean +/- S.D., P less than 0.01). The production of PGE2 and the release of radiolabelled arachidonate (AA) from prelabelled cells were similarly inhibited. Prolonged incubation of EC with glucocorticoids was required to inhibit PG production or arachidonate release: ranging from 8% inhibition at 5 h to 44% at 38 h. In contrast, prostaglandin formation from exogenous AA was not altered by DX treatment. When thrombin or ionophore-stimulated EC were restimulated with exogenous AA (25 microM), DX-treated cells released more PGI2 than control cells (5.7 +/- 0.5 vs. 4.1 +/- 0.6 ng/ml, P less than 0.01). Both the decrease in PGI2 production after thrombin/ionophore and the increase after re-stimulation with AA were blunted in the presence of the protein synthesis inhibitor cycloheximide (0.1-0.2 micrograms/ml). Thus, incubation of EC with glucocorticoids inhibits PG production at the step of phospholipase activation. The time requirement for these steroid effects and their blunting by cycloheximide are consistent with the induction of regulatory proteins, possibly lipocortins, in endothelial cells.
Nicolae Ceausescu: A Study in Political Leadership

Under the leadership of Nicolae Ceausescu, Romania repeatedly failed to follow Soviet guidelines in COMECON and the Warsaw Pact, at the UN and in interbloc negotiations. In addition, Ceausescu established himself firmly in control of Romania's internal political system and created around himself and his family a cult of personality similar to those of Stalin and Mao. Despite this apparently total control of the Romanian political system, he was not able to achieve a number of major policy objectives, most notably in the economic sphere. Seeking the factors that account for Ceausescu's remarkable abilities in foreign policy, his consummate skill in maintaining control of the political system and his concurrent economic disasters, Professor Fischer examines in detail his personal background before World War II, his development as a party official and particularly, his methods of rule since 1965.
Wages and Bargaining

The theoretical importance of money wages has grown in recent years as economists have grappled with inadequate theories of inflation [22]. Recognition that money wages are determined in an analytically impure institutional setting, at least in part via collective bargaining processes, introduces many complex issues of sociology, organisation theory, and psychology into explanations of the level of, and changes in, money wages.
PREVENTER, a Selection Mechanism for Just-in-Time Preventive Interventions

This paper examines just-in-time adaptive interventions (JITAIs) for stress, a pervasive and affective computing application with significant implications for long-term health and quality of life. We discuss fundamental components needed to enabling JITAIs based for one kind of affect data stress. Chronic stress has significant long-term behavioral and physical health consequences, including an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, cancer, anxiety and depression. This paper conducts post-hoc experiments and simulations to demonstrate feasibility of both real-time stress forecasting and stress intervention adaptation and optimization. Using physiological data collected by ten individuals in the natural environment for one week, we show 1) that simple Hidden Markov Models (HMMs) can be used to forecast physiological measures of stress with up to 3 minutes in advance; and 2) Q-Learning (QL) combined with eligibility traces could be used by an affective computing system to adapt and deliver any number and type of interventions in response to changes in affect. Our hope is that this work will take us one step closer to using pervasive devices to assist in the daily management of chronic stress and other affect-related challenges.
Smith-Magenis Syndrome Patients Often Display Antibody Deficiency but Not Other Immune Pathologies

Background Smith-Magenis syndrome (SMS) is a complex neurobehavioral disorder associated with recurrent otitis. Most SMS cases result from heterozygous interstitial chromosome 17p11.2 deletions that encompass not only the intellectual disability gene retinoic acid-induced 1 but also other genes associated with immunodeficiency, autoimmunity, and/or malignancy. Objectives The goals of this study were to describe the immunological consequence of 17p11.2 deletions by determining the prevalence of immunological diseases in subjects with SMS and by assessing their immune systems via laboratory methods. Methods We assessed clinical histories of 76 subjects with SMS with heterozygous 17p11.2 deletions and performed in-depth immunological testing on 25 representative cohort members. Laboratory testing included determination of serum antibody concentrations, vaccine titers, and lymphocyte subset frequencies. Detailed reactivity profiles of SMS serum antibodies were performed using custom-made antigen microarrays. Results Of 76 subjects with SMS, 74 reported recurrent infections including otitis (88%), pneumonia (47%), sinusitis (42%), and gastroenteritis (34%). Infections were associated with worsening SMS-related neurobehavioral symptoms. The prevalence of autoimmune and atopic diseases was not increased. Malignancy was not reported. Laboratory evaluation revealed most subjects with SMS to be deficient of isotype-switched memory B cells and many to lack protective antipneumococcal antibodies. SMS antibodies were not more reactive than control antibodies to self-antigens. Conclusions Patients with SMS with heterozygous 17p.11.2 deletions display an increased susceptibility to sinopulmonary infections, but not to autoimmune, allergic, or malignant diseases. SMS sera display an antibody reactivity profile favoring neither recognition of pathogen-associated antigens nor self-antigens. Prophylactic strategies to prevent infections may also provide neurobehavioral benefits to selected patients with SMS.
Participatory Action Research and Impact: An Ecological Ripples Perspective.

AbstractAssessment of the impact of varied forms of participatory research is enhanced by specific attention to the ripples, such work initiates in the social context. Ripples are defined as consequences either unintended or unanticipated by those carrying out the participatory research. Following a brief documentation of the range of reported ripples in reports describing participatory research, an ecological perspective drawing on the interdependence principle of ecological systems theory is presented as a framework for assessing impact by attending to ripples in the local context. Community asset mapping and social network analysis are described as examples of ways of describing and documenting environmental ripples, and strategies for both anticipating and reviewing ripples post hoc are discussed. The importance of developing cognitive maps of local ecology is stressed as critical to the assessment of the multiple potential impacts of participatory research.
Socio-Economic Impacts and Public Value of Government-Funded Research: Lessons From Four US National Science Foundation Initiatives

Abstract Interest in evaluating non-economic social outcomes of science and technology research has risen in policy circles in recent years. The interest in social impacts of research has not yet given rise to a great proliferation of useful, valid techniques for evaluating such impacts. This study presents detailed case studies of four US National Science Foundation (NSF) programs/initiatives to provide a framework for understanding diverse efforts at addressing social impacts, and to suggest some important gaps in our research approaches for assessing socio-economic impacts of research. The four cases studied − the Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR), the Innovation Corps (I-Corps), the Arizona State University Center for Nanotechnology in Society, and the NSF “Broader Impacts” criteria—were chosen for their diversity in intent and modality but operating within a single agency. The cases are compared based on criteria important for assessing socio-economic outcomes: the initiative’s modality, enabling policy vehicle, benefit guarantor, distribution and appropriability of benefits, specificity of beneficiary, social-economic range, and timing of the benefit stream. The paper concludes with a discussion of the most pressing methodological and theoretical issues that need addressing for greater progress in assessing social impacts.
Long-Term Impact of a Cell Phone–Enhanced Parenting Intervention:

Home visiting programs support positive parenting in populations at-risk of child maltreatment, but their impact is often limited by poor retention and engagement. The current study assessed whether a cellular phone-supported version (PCI-C) of the Parent-Child Interactions (PCI) intervention improved long-term parenting practices, maternal depression, and children's aggression. Low-income mothers ( n = 371) of preschool-aged children were assigned to one of the three groups: PCI-C, PCI, and a wait-list control (WLC) group. Parenting improved in both intervention groups between baseline and 12-month follow-up compared to the WLC. Children in the PCI-C group were rated to be more cooperative and less aggressive than children in the WLC. The results offer evidence of the long-term effectiveness of PCI and the additional benefits of cellular phone supports for promoting intervention retention and improving children's behavior.
Detail-preserving level set surface editing and geometric texture transfer

Abstract Level set models may be interactively edited. Due to numerical dissipation and movements in the surface’s normal directions level set modifications smooth out surface details. In order to overcome this problem, we have developed techniques that identify surface details prior to level set surface changes and incorporate them back afterwards; thus providing a detail-preserving level set editing capability. The surface details are stored in particles lying on the level set surface and are maintained on the surface as it is edited. The particles are then used to drive a detail-adding level set evolution process. These detail particles may also be transferred from one surface to another to provide a geometric texture transfer functionality for level set models.
A 10-Month-Long Deployment Study of On-Demand Recruiting for Low-Latency Crowdsourcing

A number of interactive crowd-powered systems have been developed to solve difficult problems out of reach for automated solutions. To work interactively, such systems need access to on-demand labor. To meet this demand, workers can be (i) recruited when needed directly from the crowd marketplace, or (ii) recruited in advance and asked to wait in a retainer pool until they are needed. Most of the evaluations of these systems have been over a short time period, even though we know that marketplaces change and adapt over time. In this paper, we present the results of a 10-month deployment of a crowd-powered system that uses a hybrid approach to fast recruitment of workers that we call Ignition. We describe the Ignition approach and the observed times required to recruit workers from the marketplace and retainer over this long period of time. Our results demonstrate that it is possible to recruit workers with low latency even over long periods, and suggest a number of opportunities for future work for recruitment strategies and modeling that may further improve on-demand recruitment for deployed systems.
Selenium distribution for soils derived from Mancos shale in Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basins, West-Central Colorado.

Selenium (Se) is an essential micronutrient for humans and animals and can be toxic when present in high concentrations in soil and water. Many soils in Gunnison and Uncompahgre River Basins in Wes...
In defense of the organism

Thomas Pradeu’s The Limits of the Self provides a precise account of biological identity developed from the central concepts of immunology. Yet the central concepts most relevant to this task (self and nonself) are themselves deemed inadequate, suffering from ambiguity and imprecision. Pradeu seeks to remedy this by proposing a new guiding theory for immunology, the continuity theory. From this, an account of biological identity is provided in terms of uniqueness and individuality, ultimately leading to a defense of the heterogeneous organism as expressing the highest degree of individuality.
Glioma Cell Secretion: A Driver of Tumor Progression and a Potential Therapeutic Target

Cellular secretion is an important mediator of cancer progression. Secreted molecules in glioma are key components of complex autocrine and paracrine pathways that mediate multiple oncogenic pathologies. In this review, we describe tumor cell secretion in high-grade glioma and highlight potential novel therapeutic opportunities. Cancer Res; 78(21); 6031-9. ©2018 AACR.
Altered expression of K13 disrupts DNA replication and repair in Plasmodium falciparum.

Plasmodium falciparum exhibits resistance to the artemisinin component of the frontline antimalarial treatment Artemisinin-based Combination Therapy in South East Asia. Millions of lives will be at risk if artemisinin resistance (ART-R) spreads to Africa. Single non-synonymous mutations in the propeller region of PF3D7_1343700,“K13” are implicated in resistance. In this work, we use transcriptional profiling to characterize a laboratory-generated k13 insertional mutant previously demonstrated to have increased sensitivity to artemisinins to explore the functional role of k13. A set of RNA-seq and microarray experiments confirmed that the expression profile of k13 is specifically altered during the early ring and early trophozoite stages of the mutant intraerythrocytic development cycle. The down-regulation of k13 transcripts in this mutant during the early ring stage is associated with a transcriptome advance towards a more trophozoite-like state. To discover the specific downstream effect of k13 dysregulation, we developed a new computational method to search for differential gene expression while accounting for the temporal sequence of transcription. We found that the strongest biological signature of the transcriptome shift is an up-regulation of DNA replication and repair genes during the early ring developmental stage and a down-regulation of DNA replication and repair genes during the early trophozoite stage; by contrast, the expressions of housekeeping genes are unchanged. This effect, due to k13 dysregulation, is antagonistic, such that k13 levels are negatively correlated with DNA replication and repair gene expression. Our results support a role for k13 as a stress response regulator consistent with the hypothesis that artemisinins mode of action is oxidative stress and k13 as a functional homolog of Keap1 which in humans regulates DNA replication and repair genes in response to oxidative stress.
Vascular anatomical considerations and clinical decision making during insertion of the Avalon® Elite Dual Lumen single-site veno-venous ECMO cannula in children weighing less than 20 kg:

The correct selection and placement of a single-site Avalon® Elite Dual Lumen Cannula for veno-venous extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) in children weighing less than 20 kg is dependent on...
Short-Term Exposure to Ambient Particulate Elements and Epigenome-Wide DNA Methylation in Older Men: The Normative Aging Study

Background: Current research suggests that short-term exposure to ambient particulate matter is associated with global and gene-specific DNA methylation (DNAm), but little is known regarding the ch...
Control of leukocyte functions. Role of internal H+ concentration and a membrane-bound esterase.

An activable membrane-bound neutral esterase which responds to many of the known leukocyte cytotaxins and appears to be involved in several membrane functions of these cells is described. Activation of this enzyme is associated with excretion of H+, O 2 − , and lysosomal enzymes; aggregation of intact cells and isolated membranes; activation of glucose oxidation; and changes in cellular motility. Conditions which alter the activity of this enzyme, e.g., addition of H+ or of synthetic hydrophobic peptides or esters (whose hydrolysis liberates H+ within or on these membranes) or by repeated washing of the cells (which partially removes this enzyme from the cells), all markedly alter rates of the above cellular functions. Although the native membrane substrate for this enzyme is not yet identified, the enzyme appears not to be involved inγ-glutamyl transpeptidase reactions. Rather the data support the concept that hydrolysis by the enzyme of membrane components (proteins) results in H+ and O 2 − efflux (as well as other cation fluxes) with resultant rise in intracellular pH. Under these conditions cell movement ceases. Agents, e.g., low concentrations of chemotactic peptides or proteins which inhibit H+ and O 2 − excretion accelerate motility. The presence of external hydrophobic substrates for this enzyme, whose hydrolysis liberates H+ in or on these membranes and also inhibits efflux of H+ and O 2 − , also optimizes motility. The esterase(s) thus appears to control many functions of these cells by controlling H+ efflux from these cells.
Reassignment of HER2 status for subgroups of breast cancer according to the 2018 updated American Society of Clinical Oncology and College of American Pathologists guidelines: The impact of combined immunohistochemistry (IHC) and fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) reflex testing in a large national reference laboratory.

3144Background: Updated ASCO/CAP Guidelines for HER2 testing in breast cancer have been most impactful on the resolution of certain challenging groups of FISH results. We review the change in assig...