cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diagnosis and Management of Acute Thrombosis in Venous Dominant Orbital Venolymphatic Malformations

Purpose To report the characteristic clinical and imaging findings in a series of patients with thrombosed orbital venolymphatic malformations. Methods Patients affected by acute thrombosis of an orbital venolymphatic malformation were reviewed. Clinical findings including symptoms and signs of presentation, characteristic imaging features, and clinical course are presented. Results Ten patients were identified. The mean age at presentation was 56 years. All patients presented with acute pain or pressure sensation, with the most common additional presenting symptoms being proptosis (6/10) and diplopia (5/10). CT imaging typically demonstrated a nonspecific orbital mass. Nine patients underwent MRI which revealed a soft tissue mass with peripheral rim enhancement and a central, typically T2 hypointense, core. Seven out of 10 patients were observed and had improvement in symptoms and signs without surgical intervention. Two patients underwent surgical intervention for intractable pain. Conclusion Patients with thrombosis of a venolymphatic malformation often present with acute pain, proptosis, and diplopia. Characteristic MRI findings of a peripheral rim enhancing mass with a T2 hypointense core can be noted. Careful observation is a reasonable management option for cases without visual compromise or intractable pain.
John Skelton’s Bird Complex: Experiments in Macaronic Voice

ABSTRACTThis article takes up E. M. Forster’s tongue-in-cheek question—“had Skelton a bird complex?”—to explore the function of avian voice in John Skelton’s poetry. Past scholarship has frequently...
UBER: Combating Sandbox Evasion via User Behavior Emulators

Sandbox-enabled dynamic malware analysis has been widely used by cyber security teams to handle the threat of malware. Correspondingly, malware authors have developed various anti-sandbox techniques to evade the analysis. Most of those evasion techniques are well studied and can be defeated with appropriate mitigation strategies. However, one particular technique is usually overlooked and can be extremely effective in defeating sandbox-based malware analysis, i.e., usage artifacts analysis. This technique leverages a variety of system artifacts that are expected to exist in a real system as a result of typical user activities for sandbox environment identification. To tackle this drawback of lacking authentic system artifacts in existing sandbox designs, in this paper we propose a novel system UBER for automatic artifact generation based on the emulation of real user behavior. Instead of cloning real usage artifacts or directly simulating user behaviors, UBER generalizes the user’s computer usage pattern with an abstract behavior profile, employs the profile to guide the simulation of user actions and the generation of artifacts, and then clones the system with generated artifacts into the sandbox environment. We implement a prototype of UBER and verify the effectiveness of the generated artifacts. The experimental results further demonstrate that UBER can effectively mitigate the system artifacts based sandbox evasion and significantly increase the difficulty for the attacker to distinguish the sandbox from the real user system.
Emergency-release blood transfusions after postpartum hemorrhage at the Intermountain Healthcare hospitals.

Background Most low-risk obstetric patients do not have crossmatched blood available to treat unexpected postpartum hemorrhage. An emergency-release blood transfusion (ERBT) program is critical for hospitals with obstetrical services. We performed a retrospective analysis of obstetrical ERBTs administered in our multihospital system. Design and methods We collected data from the past 8 years at all Intermountain Healthcare hospitals on every ERBT after postpartum hemorrhage; logging circumstances, number and type of transfused products, and outcomes. Results Eighty-nine women received ERBT following 224,035 live births, for an incidence of 3.97 transfused women/10,000 births. The most common causally-associated conditions were: uterine atony (40%), placental abruption/placenta previa (16%), retained placenta (11%), and uterine rupture (5%). The mean number of total units transfused was 7.9 (range 1-76). The mean number of red blood cells (RBCs) transfused was 4.8, the median 4, and SD was ±4.4. Massive transfusion protocols (MTPs) for trauma recommend using a ratio of 1:1:1 or 2:1:1 of RBC:FFP:Platelets, however the ratios varied widely for postpartum hemorrhage. Only 1.5% received a 1:1:1 ratio and 7.5% received a 2:1:1 ratio. Nineteen percent (17/89) of women underwent hysterectomy, 7% (6/89) had uterine artery embolization, 36% (32/89) had an intensive care unit admission, and 1% (1/89) died. Conclusion Emergency transfusion for postpartum hemorrhage occurred after 1/2500 births. Most women received less FFP and platelets than recommended for traumatic hemorrhage. A potentially better practice for postpartum hemorrhage would be a balanced ratio of blood products, transfusion of low-titer, group O, cold-stored, whole blood, or inclusion in a MTP.
Thermophilic and Alkaliphilic Bacillus licheniformis YNP5-TSU as an Ideal Candidate for 2,3-Butanediol Production

2,3-Butanediol (2,3-BD) is an important platform chemical that can be produced biologically. It is currently fermented below 40 °C using mesophilic strains at acid to neutral pH conditions, but the...
Secure Communications with Limited Common Randomness at Transmitters

In this work we consider common randomness-aided secure communications, where a limited common randomness is available at the transmitters. Specifically, we focus on a two-user interference channel with secrecy constraints and a wiretap channel with a helper, in the presence of a limited common randomness shared between the transmitters. For both settings, we characterize the optimal secure sum degrees-of-freedom (DoF) or secure DoF as a function of the DoF of common randomness. The results reveal that the secure sum DoF or secure DoF increases as the DoF of common randomness increases, bridging the gap between the extreme DoF point without common randomness and the other extreme DoF point with unlimited common randomness. The proposed scheme is a two-layer coding scheme, in which two sub-schemes are designed in two layers respectively, i.e., at two different power levels, utilizing common randomness in the first layer only. The role of common randomness is to jam partial information signal at the eavesdroppers, without causing interference at the legitimate receivers. To prove the optimality of the proposed scheme, a new converse is also derived in this work.
Electrical Safety Considerations of Neutral Blocker Placements for Mitigating DC

The dc in a power network might be caused by geomagnetic disturbances that result from either a geomagnetic storm or a high-altitude nuclear detonation. The augmenting trend of inverter-based resources is also acting as a source of small dc injection into the power systems. As the resultant, dc could lead toward a possible power system failure, a myriad of neutral blocking devices (NBDs) have been proposed, where, these devices are installed between the neutral and ground of wye-grounded transformers. However, the electrical safety assessment of these devices is critical prior to adding them to the grid as they might raise serious concerns both for the power equipment and the power system maintenance staff. This work is the first effort toward hazard identification and quantitative risk assessment associated with NBDs. It proposes a risk management framework for augmented electrical safety pertinent to these devices. Later, it analyzes the proposed neutral blocking strategies and highlights the associated risks to the operational safety of these installations, particularly concerning electromagnetic pulse (EMP) attacks, cyber threats, and equipment malfunction. Finally, an ideal NBD operational design is proposed incorporating a variety of risk reduction measure to avoid any hazardous situation arising from such installations. This work could provide a guideline for the electric utilities and academic researchers to consider these safety implications prior to proposing or installing these devices.
Exometabolite Dynamics over Stationary Phase Reveal Strain-Specific Responses.

ABSTRACT Microbial exponential growth is expected to occur infrequently in environments that have long periods of nutrient starvation punctuated by short periods of high nutrient flux. These conditions likely impose nongrowth states for microbes. However, nongrowth states are uncharacterized for the majority of environmental bacteria, especially in regard to exometabolite production. We compared exometabolites produced over stationary phase across three environmental bacteria: Burkholderia thailandensis E264 (ATCC 700388), Chromobacterium violaceum ATCC 31532, and Pseudomonas syringae pv. tomato DC3000 (ATCC BAA-871). We grew each strain in monoculture and investigated exometabolite dynamics from mid-exponential to stationary phases. We focused on exometabolites that were released into the medium and accumulated over 45 h, including approximately 20 h of stationary phase. We also analyzed transcripts (transcriptome sequencing [RNA-seq]) to interpret exometabolite output. We found that the majority of exometabolites released were strain specific, with a subset of identified exometabolites involved in both central and secondary metabolism. Transcript analysis supported that exometabolites were released from intact cells, as various transporters had either increased or consistent transcripts through time. Interestingly, we found that succinate was one of the most abundant identifiable exometabolites for all strains and that each strain rerouted their metabolic pathways involved in succinate production during stationary phase. These results show that nongrowth states can be metabolically dynamic and that environmental bacteria can enrich a minimal environment with diverse chemical compounds as a consequence of growth and postgrowth maintenance in stationary phase. This work provides insights into microbial community interactions via exometabolites under conditions of growth cessation or limitation. IMPORTANCE Nongrowth states are common for bacteria that live in environments that are densely populated and predominantly nutrient exhausted, and yet these states remain largely uncharacterized in cellular metabolism and metabolite output. Here, we investigated and compared stationary-phase exometabolites and RNA transcripts for each of three environmental bacterial strains. We observed that diverse exometabolites were produced and provide evidence that these exometabolites accumulate over time through release by intact cells. Additionally, each bacterial strain had a characteristic exometabolite profile and exhibited dynamics in exometabolite composition. This work affirms that stationary phase is metabolically dynamic, with each strain tested creating a unique chemical signature in the extracellular space and altering metabolism in stationary phase. These findings set the stage for understanding how bacterial populations can support surrounding neighbors in environments with prolonged nutrient exhaustion through exometabolite-mediated interspecies interactions.
Conflict or Credibility: Research Analyst Conflicts of Interest and the Market for Underwriting Business

Abstract This paper argues that, contrary to conventional wisdom, conflicts of interest among equities research analysts (that is, when investment banks would offer positive analyst research in quid pro quos for underwriting business) were beneficial to the capital markets. First, conflicted analyst research credibly signaled positive inside information that is otherwise too costly to communicate under Securities Act liability, correcting informational asymmetries. Second, conflicted analyst research mitigated agency costs between issuer and underwriter by allowing the underwriter to credibly commit to exerting more effort than the underwriter would prefer. Third, analyst research quid pro quos took the form of a competitive bidding market among underwriters and may have improved competition in the underwriting industry. In light of these conclusions, recent reforms prohibiting analyst conflicts of interest are counterproductive. Preferable modes of regulation include liberalizing Securities Act liability...
Effects of age, sex, and ENSO phase on foraging and flight performance in Nazca boobies

Age-related changes in survival and reproduction are common in seabirds; however, the underlying causes remain elusive. A lack of experience for young individuals, and a decline in foraging performance for old birds, could underlie age-related variation in reproduction because reproductive success is connected closely to provisioning offspring. For seabirds, flapping flight during foraging trips is physiologically costly; inexperience or senescent decline in performance of this demanding activity might cap delivery of food to the nest, providing a proximate explanation for poor breeding success in young and old age, respectively. We evaluated the hypothesis that young and old Nazca boobies (Sula granti), a Galapagos seabird, demonstrate deficits in foraging outcomes and flight performance. We tagged incubating male and female adults across the life span with both accelerometer and GPS loggers during the incubation periods of two breeding seasons (years), during the 2015 El Nino and the following weak La Nina. We tested the ability of age, sex, and environment to explain variation in foraging outcomes (e.g., mass gained) and flight variables (e.g., wingbeat frequency). Consistent with senescence, old birds gained less mass while foraging than middle-aged individuals, a marginal effect, and achieved a slower airspeed late in a foraging trip. Contrary to expectations, young birds showed no deficit in foraging outcomes or flight performance, except for airspeed (contingent on environment). Young birds flew slower than middle-aged birds in 2015, but faster than middle-aged birds in 2016. Wingbeat frequency, flap-glide ratio, and body displacement (approximating wingbeat strength) failed to predict airspeed and were unaffected by age. Sex influenced nearly all aspects of performance. Environment affected flight performance and foraging outcomes. Boobies' foraging outcomes were better during the extreme 2015 El Nino than during the 2016 weak La Nina, a surprising result given the negative effects tropical seabirds often experience during extreme El Ninos.
Type I interferon activation and endothelial dysfunction in caveolin-1 insufficiency-associated pulmonary arterial hypertension

Interferonopathies, interferon (IFN)-α/β therapy, and caveolin-1 (CAV1) loss-of-function have all been associated with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Here, CAV1-silenced primary human pulmonary artery endothelial cells (PAECs) were proliferative and hypermigratory, with reduced cytoskeletal stress fibers. Signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/protein kinase B (AKT) were both constitutively activated in these cells, resulting in a type I IFN-biased inflammatory signature. Cav1−/− mice that spontaneously develop pulmonary hypertension were found to have STAT1 and AKT activation in lung homogenates and increased circulating levels of CXCL10, a hallmark of IFN-mediated inflammation. PAH patients with CAV1 mutations also had elevated serum CXCL10 levels and their fibroblasts mirrored phenotypic and molecular features of CAV1-deficient PAECs. Moreover, immunofluorescence staining revealed endothelial CAV1 loss and STAT1 activation in the pulmonary arterioles of patients with idiopathic PAH, suggesting that this paradigm might not be limited to rare CAV1 frameshift mutations. While blocking JAK/STAT or AKT rescued aspects of CAV1 loss, only AKT inhibitors suppressed activation of both signaling pathways simultaneously. Silencing endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) prevented STAT1 and AKT activation induced by CAV1 loss, implicating CAV1/NOS3 uncoupling and NOS3 dysregulation in the inflammatory phenotype. Exogenous IFN reduced CAV1 expression, activated STAT1 and AKT, and altered the cytoskeleton of PAECs, implicating these mechanisms in PAH associated with autoimmune and autoinflammatory diseases, as well as IFN therapy. CAV1 insufficiency elicits an IFN inflammatory response that results in a dysfunctional endothelial cell phenotype and targeting this pathway may reduce pathologic vascular remodeling in PAH.
Glenoid baseplate migration with subsequent stabilization after reverse shoulder arthroplasty using a through-growth cage: a matched cohort study

Abstract Background Few studies have evaluated the outcomes of glenoid baseplate migration after reverse shoulder arthroplasty (RSA). The question is whether an ingrowth central cage implant that has undergone early migration can restabilize due to cage ingrowth. The primary purpose of this study is to evaluate the radiographic factors associated with glenoid baseplate migration after RSA using a through-growth cage implant and secondarily evaluate their clinical outcomes with nonoperative management. Methods A retrospective review of a single institution database was performed from January 1,2008 to June 30, 2017 for all shoulders using a single implant system (Equinoxe, Exactech, Inc., Gainesville, FL, USA). All RSAs with a documented complication of glenoid loosening were evaluated. Chart and radiograph review was performed to identify shoulders with confirmed glenoid loosening undergoing revision (revision group, n = 10) and those with migration that stabilized over time and avoided revision surgery (stable migration group, n = 10). The stable migration group was matched to an age-, sex-, and follow-up matched control group (1:3) (control group, n = 30). Demographic factors, preoperative and immediate postoperative radiographic factors, active range of motion (ROM), and patient-reported outcomes (PROMs) were compared. Radiographic factors evaluated included preoperative alpha/beta angles, humeral lengthening, glenosphere overhang, prosthesis-scapular neck angle, glenosphere inclination, and postoperative alpha/beta angles. Results A total of 50 RSA patients were evaluated at a mean follow-up of 38 months. Immediate postoperative inferior glenoid overhang was significantly less in the stable migration group compared to the control group (6.2 vs. 8.6 mm, P = .03). Preoperative ROM and PROMs were similar amongst all 3 groups. The stable migration group demonstrated improved ROM and PROMs compared preoperatively with all ROM and PROM values exceeding the minimally clinically important difference (MCID). The control group demonstrated greater improvements in ROM and PROMs compared to the stable migration group, with a majority exceeding the MCID. When compared to the revision group, the stable migration group had significantly greater improvements in forward flexion, ASES score, and Constant score as well as improvements above the MCID in abduction, external rotation, and SST score. Conclusion RSA patients with glenoid migration and secondary stabilization still achieve improved ROM above the MCID, but the results are inferior to those RSA patients without glenoid migration. Approximately half of the shoulders with baseplate loosening using a through-growth cage implant will restabilize and have better ROM and function compared to those that are ultimately revised. Level of Evidence Level III; Treatment Study
The role of gender in non-small cell lung cancer: a narrative review

The role of gender in the development, treatment and prognosis of thoracic malignancies has been underappreciated and understudied. While most research has been grounded in tobacco-related malignancies, the incidence of non-smoking related lung cancer is on the rise and disproportionately affecting women. Recent research studies have unveiled critical differences between men and women with regard to risk factors, timeliness of diagnosis, incongruent screening practices, molecular and genetic mechanisms, as well as response to treatment and survival. These studies also highlight the increasingly recognized need for targeted therapies that account for variations in the response and complications as a function of gender. Similarly, screening recommendations continue to evolve as the role of gender is starting to be ellucidated. As women have been underrepresented in clinical trials until recently, the data regarding optimal care and outcomes is still lagging behind. Understanding the underlying similarities and differences between men and women is paramount to providing adequate care and prognostication to patients of either gender. This review provides an overview of the critical role that gender plays in the care of patients with non-small cell lung cancer and other thoracic malignancies, with an emphasis on the need for increased awareness and further research to continue elucidating these disparities.
Positive and Negative Aspects of Exercise in the Treatment of Eating Disorders and Substance Use Disorders

Engaging in regular physical activity is a fundamental part of good physical health and increasingly appreciated as essential to psychological well-being and improved mental health. Strong evidence supports that engaging in exercise and physical activity can transiently improve mood and decrease anxiety, reduce mortality rates particularly in men, and improve response to treatment for nicotine addiction. While less understood, physical fitness and exercise can positively impact on treatment response for patients with eating disorders and substance use disorders. Of interest is that problematic exercise can be in and of itself a primary behavioral addiction or associated with other problems such as eating disorders or anxiety disorders and secondary to concerns of body image, self-esteem, health concerns, or social function. Treatment strategies for problematic exercise include addiction and compulsive/anxiety models that are not mutually exclusive and can help clinicians work effectively with patients. This chapter will briefly review the literature underscoring the positive impact of physical activity and fitness on medical and mental health, identify the characteristics of problematic exercise in the eating disorder population, discuss treatment approaches for problematic exercise, and finally review the potential positive effects of physical activity in the treatment of patients with eating disorders and/or substance use disorders.
Can a Darwinian be a Christian? : the relationship between science and religion

This book, first published in 2000, adopts a balanced perspective on the subject to offer a serious examination of both Darwinism and Christianity. He covers a wide range of topics, from the Scopes Monkey Trial to claims about the religious significance of extraterrestrials. He deals with major figures in the current science/religion debate and considers in detail the claims of the new creationism, revealing some surprising parallels between Darwinian materialists and traditional thinkers such as St. Augustine. Michael Ruse argues that, although it is at times difficult for a Darwinian to embrace Christian belief, it is by no means inconceivable. At the same time he suggests ways in which a Christian believer should have no difficulty accepting evolution in general, and Darwinism in particular.
Elimination Theory, Generic Freeness, and the Dimension of Fibers

In this chapter we shall study the following question: Given a homomorphism φ :R → S of Noetherian rings such that S is a finitely generated R-algebra, how do the “fibers” S ⊗ P K(R/P) vary as we vary the prime P of R? If S is flat over R, then as we have seen, there is some sense in which the fibers vary continuously. The main result below, Grothendieck’s generic freeness lemma, a consequence of the Noether normalization theorem, implies that if R ⊂ S are domains, then flatness always holds over a nonempty open set of R, so that “most” fibers share common properties.
Controlled protein release from polyethyleneimine-coated poly(L-lactic acid)/pluronic blend matrices.

Protein release from degradable polymer matrices, composed of poly(L-lactic acid) and its blends with Pluronic surfactant, was investigated with and without the aqueous coating of an adsorptive water-soluble polymer, polyethyleneimine (PEI). PEI is a highly branched cationic polymer containing primary, secondary, and tertiary amino groups in its backbone. The treatment of PEI for PLA/Pluronic blend films exhibited a remarkable decrease in the “burst” release of protein at an initial stage and a significant extension in the protein release period. Protein release profiles could be controlled by varying PEI treatment time and its concentration. Our results suggest that PEI diffuses into the polymer matrices and crosslinks protein molecules by ionic interactions. Such a PEI–protein network near the surface region of matrix may act as a diffusional barrier for further release of protein molecules.
Discipline‐Based Remediation: Bridging the Mathematics Gap

Geoscience relies on numbers, data, equations, graphical representations, and other quantitative skills; therefore, introductory geoscience courses need to accurately portray the science as quantitative [e.g., Wenner et al., 2009]. However, up to 57% of students arrive at college underprepared to perform mathematics at the level necessary to succeed in introductory courses [ACT, 2011]. Although some institutions have turned to prerequisites as a way to ensure appropriate preparation, these extra courses can place undue financial, temporal, and academic burdens on interested students, keeping them from enrolling in science courses that may interest them. As an alternative to mathematics prerequisites, geoscience faculty at the University of Wisconsin Oshkosh and Highline Community College in Des Moines, Wash., funded by the National Science Foundation, developed a model of successful integration of discipline-based mathematics remediation into an introductory geoscience course: The Math You Need, When You Need It (TMYN; http://serc.carleton.edu/mathyouneed/).
Synthesis of Low-Temperature Stable Superconducting A15 Compounds in the Niobium System

The fact that niobium has the highest superconducting temperature among all the elements in their normal state, and its presence among those compounds with highest T c ,inspired us to investigate the β-W phases in the different systems of the element. In our search for high superconducting binary alloys we have investigated the Nb-Ge, Nb-Ga, and Nb-Si systems.
Quantitative Measurement of the Effectiveness of Unsaturated Fatty Acids Required for the Growth of Saccharomyces cerevisiae

The growth response of a mutant of Saccharomyces cerevisiae which is unable to synthesize unsaturated fatty acids has been measured in the presence of variable concentrations of exogenous unsaturated fatty acids. Final cell yields, doubling times, and lag times were all found to vary as a function of the initial concentration of the added unsaturated acid. The cell yield was found to be a convenient quantitative measurement to use in comparing the effectiveness of various unsaturated acids. Values for the acids ranged from 1.7 to 11 cells per femtomole with values for oleate and palmitoleate at 2.7 and 4.3 cells per femtomole, respectively. In general, the effectiveness of unsaturated acids was found to increase with an increasing number of double bonds. Saturated fatty acids of a chain length of 5 to 18 carbon atoms were completely ineffective. The varied efficiencies of different unsaturated fatty acids indicate that unsaturation per se was not the basis of the nutritional requirement and indicate certain acids that would be useful in further studies of the role of unsaturated acids in cell function.
Beyond Internet Governance: The Emerging International Framework for Governing the Networked World

Increasingly, governments are regulating the "Net" - that is, the Internet and people's activities over it. Because the Net is global in nature, governments are turning to intergovernmental organizations to iron out common approaches. Taken together, these international Net initiatives foray into all areas of government traditionally dealt with by domestic regimes - addressing foreign commercial relations, jurisdiction, infrastructure, security, monetary authority, property, relations between private parties, and citizenship. In agreeing to participate in these federated, power-sharing arrangements, governments are gradually constructing an entire framework for governing the networked world. Given the importance of these rules for the future, those who hold freedom dear must work to build democratic values into this emerging international system.
The self-diffusion of water in Artemia cysts

Abstract The self-diffusion coefficient of water molecules has been measured by nuclear magnetic resonance in cysts of Artemia over a wide range of hydration. Compared to the value for bulk water, the diffusion coefficient is reduced by a factor of 7 at the highest hydration and by approximately 100 at the lowest hydration. The results are used to evaluate various models that have been proposed to account for the reduction of water self-diffusion coefficients in complex systems.
STEADY AND DYNAMIC SHEAR RHEOLOGY OF DISPERSIONS OF LYOTROPIC LIQUID CRYSTALS

ABSTRACT Biphasic dispersions of aqueous solution and lamellar liquid crystal of sodium bis(2-ethyl-hexyl)sulfosuccinate (AOT) were examined at 25°C from 7 to 20 wt% AOT by cone-and-plate or parallel-plate rheometry. In this concentration range the liquid crystalline phase is continuous. The materials were found to be viscoelastic. Their behavior was linear for strain amplitudes γo ≤ 1% at oscillatory shear frequencies ω = 10−2 to 102 rad/s. Measurement of the dynamic elastic modulus spectrum Gq(ω) at γo = 1% provided a good probe of the material structure without perturbing the structure. After oscillatory shear above γo ≡ 2%, or after steady shear, the dispersions become less elastic and more viscous. There is a slow trend (hours and days) for a partial recovery of the initial structure, although no unique reference state is obtainable The results help explain large increases with time of the apparent viscosity (rheopexy) observed with a capillary viscometer. The steady shear viscosities decrease with s...
Genetic and Molecular Basis of Inflammasome-mediated Disease

Abstract Inflammasome protein complexes mediate processing of the pro-inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β and IL-18. A combination of translational research advances led to the identification of mutations in the NLRP3 gene coding for the inflammasome protein, cryopyrin, and causing the inherited, autoinflammatory diseases known as cryopyrin-associated periodic syndromes (CAPS). CAPS pathology appears to stem directly from overproduction of active IL-1β, thus IL-1-targeted therapy is a highly effective treatment. Recent studies have identified common pathogen and host-derived moieties as activators of the inflammasome, extending its role beyond rare disorders. This explosion in new research implicates inflammasomes in the host response to bacteria, fungi, and parasites, as well as in particle-mediated conditions such as gout. Not all of these findings have been rigorously tested in vivo, however IL-1-targeted therapy effectively treats gout and related conditions. Ongoing studies will fully delineate the sphere of influence of IL-1β and the inflammasome and lead to a more complete understanding of the downstream immune response.
Coupling the “Sandwich” Track Model to a Commercial Dynamic Vehicle Model

Most commercial vehicle dynamic modeling programs do not have, or have a very limited, track component. Today, most track dynamic models do not have a detailed vehicle model either. Assumptions have to be made to simulate the vehicle and track performances when using those programs. For instance, a predefined wheel-rail contact force is normally assumed as the input for both vehicle and track models. This research aims to integrate a previously developed “Sandwich” dynamic track model to a detailed vehicle model in a commercially available program so that a vehicle-track dynamic interaction can be realistically simulated. Case studies will be presented to demonstrate the coupling effect and the results will help us better understand the vehicle and track behavior under different riding conditions.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Enantioselective Diels−Alder Reaction of Simple α,β-Unsaturated Ketones with a Cinchona Alkaloid Catalyst

The simple α,β-unsaturated ketones and 2-pyrones are readily available and synthetically important dienophiles and dienes, respectively, for Diels−Alder reactions. However, both prove to be challenging substrates for catalytic asymmetric Diels−Alder reactions. By exploring a new catalysis strategy featuring cooperative catalysis with readily available cinchona catalysts, an unprecedented asymmetric Diels−Alder reaction of simple α,β-unsaturated ketones with 2-pyrones has been successfully developed. With broad scopes for both reactants, the reaction provides a direct and versatile asymmetric access to a wide range of structurally novel bicyclic chiral building blocks amenable for further synthetic elaborations.
A practical radiochromatographic assay for cholesterol epoxide hydrase.

Abstract A method for the assay of cholesterol epoxide hydrase activity is described. The assay involves the thin-layer chromatographic separation and quantitation of radiolabeled cholestan-3β,5α,6α-epoxide and its major hydration product, cholestan-3β,5α,6β-triol. Radiochromatographic scanning is employed to quantitate the reaction. The procedure is sensitive, rapid, and nondestructive.
Vapor-liquid equilibria for binary solutions of some comb polymers based on poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) in acetone, methanol and cyclohexane

Vapor-liquid equilibria have been measured for comb and linear polymers using a gravimetric-sorption method in the temperature range 50–70°C. Polymers were poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) with alkyl side chains of different length (C5, C12, C22) and poly(styrene-co-maleic anhydride) and poly(maleic anhydride). Solvents were acetone, methanol and cyclohexane. Due to different chemical structures, the phase behavior of the comb polymer solutions strongly depends on the ratio backbone/side chains. Freed's lattice-cluster theory gives a good representation of the data.
Legal and ethical duties of the clinician treating a patient who is liable to be impulsively violent.

This paper reviews published tort cases that arose after a patient impulsively hurt or killed someone. Plaintiffs alleged breach of the duty to protect (Tarasoff) or negligent release from hospital. There are sixteen cases involving a variety of facts and diagnoses. As a matter of law courts typically hold that impulsive violence is not foreseeable. One jury found a defendant negligent but that verdict was ultimately overturned. Statutes on duty to protect do not imply a duty to act on the fact patterns of impulsive violence in this sample. The author concludes that the ethical duty to do careful clinical work is essentially identical to the legal duty to use due care in these cases. The law imposes no additional burden on the clinician in these cases. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Language: en
Psychotherapy, dropouts and lower socioeconomic patients.

In a research project related to outpatient psychotherapy with lower social class patients the problem of dropout from treatment was studied. This paper discusses some of the factors contributed by therapist, patient and referral source to the high dropout rate. Emphasis is placed on the experience level of the therapist as this relates to the problem.
Regulation of thymidine kinase synthesis in human cells.

Abstract The regulation of thymidine (TdR) kinase synthesis in synchronized cultures of KB cells was studied. The enzyme was found to undergo periodic increases and decreases in activity coinciding approximately with the beginning and end of DNA synthesis. The stability of the enzyme in vivo during these periods of increasing and decreasing activity did not differ significantly suggesting that the alterations in enzyme activity reflect periodic changes in the rate of enzyme synthesis rather than changes in the rate of enzyme degradation. The start of TdR kinase synthesis was insensitive to 10 −3 M hydroxyurea although DNA synthesis was inhibited more than 98% by this concentration of the drug. Termination of TdR kinase synthesis, however, was sensitive to hydroxyurea and in the presence of the drug cells continued synthesis of the enzyme for a prolonged period of time. The relationship between DNA synthesis and termination of TdR kinase synthesis was examined further by treating synchronized cells with hydroxyurea after various fractions of DNA had been replicated. The results obtained demonstrate unequivocally that termination of TdR kinase synthesis requires replication of more than 59% of the cellular DNA. Additional results suggest that, in fact, replication of the total complement of DNA is required. A detailed study of the time at which TdR kinase synthesis is terminated indicates that enzyme synthesis ends at about the time cells begin mitosis rather than at the time DNA synthesis is complete. A study of the effect of actinomycin D on thymidine kinase synthesis revealed that termination is caused by a post-transcriptional block in enzyme synthesis which, in turn, is dependent upon RNA synthesis either during the G 2 period of the cell cycle or late in the DNA synthesis period.
Real-time quantitative RT-PCR of cyclin D1 mRNA in mantle cell lymphoma: comparison with FISH and immunohistochemistry.

Presence of the balanced translocation t(11;14)(q13;q32) and the consequent overexpression of cyclin D1 found in mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) has been shown to be of important diagnostic value. Altho...
Paraganglioma of the cauda equina region: Clinicopathologic study of 31 cases with special reference to immunocytology and infrastructure

Thirty-one paragangliomas of the cauda equina region were studied (18 men and 13 women, ages 30-71 years [mean, 51 years]). Symptoms (1 day to 15 years in duration; mean, 48 months) included low back pain (87%), sensory/motor deficits (35%), urinary/fecal incontinence (13%), and paraplegia (6%). All patients studied had some myelographic block. Cerebrospinal fluid protein level ranged from 56 to 7000 mg/dl (mean, 1109 mg/dl). Most tumors were limited to the filum terminale, although one also involved the conus medullaris and two clearly arose from a caudal nerve root. All but one were entirely intradural. The tumor was totally excised in 26 cases; these patients remain disease-free. Of three patients whose tumors were excised subtotally, two received radiotherapy; the one non-radiated patient died of tumor-related complications. No autopsy was performed. One partially encapsulated tumor that had been subjected to biopsy and irradiation presented 1 year later with osseous invasion and retroperitoneal extension; 20 years after subtotal excision, this patient is alive but paraplegic. Morphologically, all tumors resembled paraganglioma at other sites. Cytologic atypia and mitotic activity generally were absent to mild. Fourteen (45%) cases showed ganglionic differentiation. All tumors tested were immunoreactive for neuron-specific enolase and neurofilament protein, and most showed somatostatin or serotonin reactivity. S-100 protein immunoreactivity was noted in sustentacular cells and, to a lesser extent, within chief cells and neurons. The authors conclude that paragangliomas are largely benign and encapsulated and respond to simple resection. When surgically feasible, gross total removal should be the goal of surgery. When subtotal resection is necessary or when local invasion leaves a question as to completeness of tumor removal, irradiation seems mandatory although far from guaranteeing prevention of recurrence. Biopsy alone is undesirable.
Examining the reliability of scores from the consensual assessment technique in the measurement of individual and small group creativity

The purpose of this study was to explore the reliability of measures of both individual and group creative work using the consensual assessment technique (CAT). CAT was used to measure individual and group creativity among a population of pre-service music teachers enrolled in a secondary general music class (n = 23) and was evaluated from multiple perspectives for reliability. Consistency was calculated using Cronbach's alpha. Judges were found to be highly consistent for individual creativity (α = .90), individual craftsmanship (α = .87), group creativity (α = .86) and group craftsmanship (α = 81). Judges were much less consistent with their ratings of aesthetic sensitivity for individual compositions (α = .67) or group performances (α = .69). Absolute agreement was calculated by using intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). Judges were found to be highly in agreement for individual creativity (α = .79), individual craftsmanship (α = .83), group creativity (α = .87) and group craftsmanship (α = 83). J...
An outline of the plate tectonics of China

China is principally a part of the Eurasian plate, but the margins of the Indian and Philippine Sea plates are involved in the Himalayas and in the Coastal Range of Taiwan, respectively. Within the Eurasian plate, the Cathaysian paleoplate is separated from the Angaraian paleoplate by the Junggar-Hegen suture, which contains Paleozoic ophiolites and rare blueschists. The three microplates of the Cathaysian paleoplate consist of Precambrian cratons and/or Phanerozoic accretionary fold belts. These coalesced Precambrian cratons record at least six stages of intense orogeny before cratonization. The Paleozoic to Cenozoic accretionary fold belts of China can be correlated with similar events now found in west Pacific-, Andean-, and Atlantic-type active continental margins. Ophiolites occupying many of these tectonic zones provide evidence for the age and igneous history of oceanic crust formed during the Paleozoic to Cenozoic. The presence of blueschist in some of these Chinese sutures reveals evidence of large-scale subduction and tectonic exhumation during consolidation of the Eurasian plate. Cenozoic collision of the Eurasian and Indian plates produced deformation and uplift of the Himalayas, strongly influencing the tectonics of western China. In contrast, Mesozoic-Tertiary evolution of eastern China is typical basin-range geology, similar to that of the western United States, which included development of deep sedimentary basins along with calc-alkaline plutonic and volcanic activity associated with crustal thinning and high heat flow. The complicated tectonic evolution of China is greatly illuminated by the presence of ophiolites and blueschists in Proterozoic to Tertiary convergent boundaries. These petrotectonic assemblages provide evidence of an extremely mobile history of plate movement in China.
Modeling air quality during the California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) using the UCD/CIT source-oriented air quality model -Part I. Base case model results

Abstract A comprehensive air quality modeling project was carried out to simulate size and composition resolved airborne particulate matter concentrations in northern and central California using the pollutant concentration and meteorological data collected during the California Regional PM10/PM2.5 Air Quality Study (CRPAQS) from December 15, 2000 to January 7, 2001. Measured 24-h average PM2.5 concentrations during this time period exceeded 180 μg m−3 at Bakersfield, making it the most severe PM2.5 air quality episode ever recorded in the United States with a rigorous measurement database to support modeling. In this paper, the UCD/CIT source-oriented air quality model is used to predict the concentrations of O3, NO, NO2, CO, elemental carbon (EC), organic compounds (OC), nitrate and PM2.5 mass concentration over a 24-day period using a horizontal resolution of 4 km × 4 km to cover all of central California. This is the first extensive evaluation of an air quality model in central California using the fine spatial resolution appropriate for the mountain–valley topography of the region combined with the relatively long multi-week time scales associated with winter stagnation events. Fractional bias (FB) values were calculated at all sites on each day of the study to quantify model performance. The CO (FB = −0.5 to +0.3), O3 (FB = −0.5 to +0.25), NO (FB = −0.9 to −0.1) and NO2 (FB = 0 to +0.4) concentrations predicted by the UCD/CIT model are in general agreement with observations at most monitoring stations throughout the Valley. The predicted PM2.5 concentrations (FB = −0.5 to +0.75) generally agree with observations at Bethel Island, Sacramento, Fresno and Bakersfield spanning the entire length of the model domain. PM2.5 concentrations are over-predicted at the remote monitoring site Angiola in the central portion of the domain. Part of the over-prediction is due to excess fugitive dust emissions. CO, NO, EC and OC were all under-predicted at Angiola, indicating possible missing combustion sources in the emission inventory. The regional nitrate (FB = −1.5 to +1.25) formation dynamics were correctly reproduced by the model simulation but imperfect wind fields cause differences between the predicted vs. measured spatial distribution of nitrate during the last several days of simulation leading to the broader range of fraction bias. Overall, the results of the current study confirm the ability of the air quality model to capture the major features of a severe particulate air pollution event in northern and central California providing a foundation for future studies on source apportionment and emissions control.