cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Superplasticity in fine grained dual phase high entropy alloy

Abstract Fe42Mn28Co10Cr15Si5 high entropy alloy (DP-5Si-HEA) exhibited superplastic elongation of 550% at e ˙ = 10 − 3 s − 1 after complete tensile deformation at 700 °C. Pronounced Cr partitioning at testing temperature facilitated σ phase formation which assisted in stabilizing the grain size during deformation. Stable equiaxed fine-grained dual phase microstructure at all strain rates suggested dominance of grain boundary sliding over diffusion creep to maintain the superplasticity at the tested strain rate-temperature combinations. Cavitation along the gage region is evident, however, effective diffusional linkage of the cavities along the superplastic flow resulted in elongations >200% irrespective of strain rate at 700 °C.
Scattering of EM waves from a Rotating Dispersive Very Good Conducting Cylinder

This research focuses on studying the scattering phenomenon. Scattering electromagnetic waves from a rotating conducting cylinder is investigated when the material of the conducting cylinder is linear, homogeneous, isotropic, and dispersive. This study is an extension of a previous work that investigated the effect of the rotating very good conducting cylinder on the scattered phase and amplitude, when the material of the very good conducting cylinder is linear, homogeneous, isotropic, and nondispersive. One of the important result of the previous work is that the Franklin transformation is a proper and more accurate method to calculate the effect of the rotation, and gives more accurate results than Galilean transformation. In this research, the Franklin transformation will be used to investigate the effect of the rotation of the very good conducting object on the scattered phase and magnitude of the incident waves. The two types of incident waves (E-wave and H-wave) will be considered herein. The simulation results will clearly display the behavior of the scattered phase and magnitude with changes to the incident frequency, the speed of rotation, and the radius of the very good conducting cylinder. Moreover, this result is compared with the result of the previous work (non-dispersive material) to show the behavior of the scattered phase and magnitude when the incident frequency, speed of the rotation and radius of the very good conducting cylinder is changed.
Giant Appendicolith: A Case Report and Review of the Literature.

Acute appendicitis is one of the most prevalent causes of an acute abdomen. Although the cause of appendicitis is not completely understood, the theory of luminal obstruction is a popular belief, with appendicoliths being a common etiology. While appendicoliths are quite common, giant appendicoliths >2 cm are rare. Although previous reports cite only two or three other occurrences of giant appendicoliths, we found at least 11 reported cases in the literature. We present a young male diagnosed preoperatively on computed tomography to have a large appendiceal mass of 2.2 cm. This case is presented for the rarity of giant appendicoliths along with a review of the literature.
A Broader Concept of Experience

The work of Anthony J. Steinbock on emotions―particularly moral emotions―and on religious experience is closely related to a methodological claim. This claim is that the concepts of “experience” and “manifestation” should be understood in a broader manner than that of classical phenomenology, particularly Edmund Husserl’s phenomenology. In this paper, I examine the way in which Steinbock understands and conceptualizes the kind of givenness to which he refers with the notion of “vertical experience”. I focus on his claim that vertical experiences are irreducible to the kind of experiences that can be described in terms of what he calls “provocation”, “presentation” and the “noesis-noema structure”. Even though I make a criticism of his assertion that the latter implies that they should not be understood as forms of givenness founded on the above-mentioned structure, I agree with some major implications that he draws from them. In the last part of the paper, I discuss his suggestion that the Husserlian conceptualization of emotional givenness should be revised to set forward their structure in terms of what he calls “evocation” and try to give additional reasons, drawn from Husserl himself, to support this claim. The paper comes concludes by stressing the relevance of Steinbock’s analyses concerning what he calls “idolatry”. I argue that his analyses of attitudes that negate the vertical dimension of experience have far reaching implications that go beyond the field of philosophy of religion and open new, promising paths for phenomenological research on social and moral problems.
A Strong Director Facilitates the Successes of All BEACON Members: A Personal Example

Under the direction of Erik Goodman, BEACON has been a remarkable success. It has been a fabulous boon to those of us whose research interests are constantly evolving. Here I explain how Erik’s guidance of BEACON facilitated the professional development of many graduate students and post-docs in my lab, and allowed me to reinvent myself as a scientist multiple times during the past decade.
Platforms As Trustees: Information Fiduciaries and the Value of Analogy

This article responds to Lina Khan and David Pozen’s “A Skeptical View of Information Fiduciaries.” Their thoughtful critique responds to Jack Balkin who has argued that the law should treat online service providers as “information fiduciaries,” based on an analogy to the fiduciary duties of professionals such as lawyers and doctors. Khan and Pozen’s critique is twofold. They suggest that the fiduciary analogy Balkin offers falls short, and, moreover, that the overall approach of imposing fiduciary duties unhelpfully obfuscates deeper concerns with the platforms’ business model and their dominant market position. This Response takes up the first aspect of their critique. This Response reexamines the professional fiduciary analogy and outlines the implications of analogizing information fiduciaries to other traditional fiduciaries. Cautioning against over-reliance on professional fiduciaries as the model, I suggest that information fiduciaries in many respects are more usefully analogized to trustees than to professionals. Ultimately, analogies are imperfect and different fiduciary models seek to solve different sets of problems. To find the appropriate new set of duties to impose on platforms, we should not rely on one model alone.
Weighing Distress and Benefit: Understanding the Research Participation Experiences of Bereaved Parents of Children With Complex Chronic Conditions

Abstract Context Improving end-of-life care for children with complex chronic conditions (CCCs) requires parental perspectives. The vulnerability of bereaved parents has historically been a research barrier and studies describing their research participation experience are lacking. Objectives To examine the research participation experience of bereaved parents of children with CCCs and to identify factors associated with distress or benefit. Methods In this cross-sectional study, parents of deceased children who received care at Boston Children's Hospital between 2006 and 2015 completed survey questions describing their research participation experience after completing the Survey About Caring for Children with CCCs. Multivariable logistic regression was used to identify factors associated with perceived distress or benefit with participation. Free responses were analyzed using qualitative techniques. Results One hundred fourteen (54%) of 211 eligible parents completed the survey a median of 3.9 years (interquartile range, 2.1–6.5) after their child's death. Most parents felt comfortable (78%) and reported benefit (88%) from survey participation. Only 6% of parents reported “a great deal” of distress with participation, and of those, 67% still found it beneficial. Being at least moderately spiritual was associated with benefit (adjusted odds ratio 7.12 [95% CI: 1.58–32.1]), while parental decisional regret was associated with distress (adjusted odds ratio 3.41 [95% CI: 1.33–8.72]). Benefit was the most common domain identified, with parents expressing appreciation for the opportunity to help others and share their story. Conclusion A majority of parents responded to questions about their child's end-of-life care without significant distress. When present, distress was often accompanied by a perception that participation was beneficial.
Mutations in dnaA and a cryptic interaction site increase drug resistance in Mycobacterium tuberculosis

Genomic dissection of antibiotic resistance in bacterial pathogens has largely focused on genetic changes conferring growth above a single critical concentration of drug. However, reduced susceptibility to antibiotics—even below this breakpoint—is associated with poor treatment outcomes in the clinic, including in tuberculosis. Clinical strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis exhibit extensive quantitative variation in antibiotic susceptibility but the genetic basis behind this spectrum of drug susceptibility remains ill-defined. Through a genome wide association study, we show that non-synonymous mutations in dnaA, which encodes an essential and highly conserved regulator of DNA replication, are associated with drug resistance in clinical M. tuberculosis strains. We demonstrate that these dnaA mutations specifically enhance M. tuberculosis survival during isoniazid treatment via reduced expression of katG, the activator of isoniazid. To identify DnaA interactors relevant to this phenotype, we perform the first genome-wide biochemical mapping of DnaA binding sites in mycobacteria which reveals a DnaA interaction site that is the target of recurrent mutation in clinical strains. Reconstructing clinically prevalent mutations in this DnaA interaction site reproduces the phenotypes of dnaA mutants, suggesting that clinical strains of M. tuberculosis have evolved mutations in a previously uncharacterized DnaA pathway that quantitatively increases resistance to the key first-line antibiotic isoniazid. Discovering genetic mechanisms that reduce drug susceptibility and support the evolution of high-level drug resistance will guide development of biomarkers capable of prospectively identifying patients at risk of treatment failure in the clinic.
Does attention solve the “apples-and-oranges” problems of judging task difficulty and task order?

How do we compare the difficulty of different kinds of tasks, and how we do sequence tasks of different kinds when the basis for the ordering is the tasks’ difficulty levels? The ability to do these things requires a common currency, but the identity of that currency, if it exists, is unknown. We hypothesized that people may believe that the time that attention is paid to tasks enables people to compare and sequence tasks of different kinds. To evaluate this hypothesis, we tested three groups of participants. One group estimated the proportion of time that performance of a task requires attention—what we called attention time proportions or ATPs. We obtained ATPs for tasks that were “more intellectual” (counting) and others that were “more physical” (locomotion). Two additional groups made 2-alternative-forced-choice decisions about the relative ease and preferred sequencing of all possible pairs of tasks for which ATPs were independently obtained. We found that ATPs predicted judgments of task difficulty and preferred task order.
The impact of COVID-19 on statewide EMS use for cardiac emergencies and stroke in Massachusetts

Abstract Objective To evaluate the impact of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) on emergency medical services (EMS) use for time-sensitive medical conditions We examined EMS use for cardiac arrest, stroke, and other cardiac emergencies across Massachusetts during the peak of the COVID-19 pandemic, evaluating their relationship to statewide COVID-19 incidence and a statewide emergency declaration Methods A retrospective analysis of all EMS calls between February 15 and May 15, 2020 and the same time period for 2019 EMS call volumes were compared before and after March 10, the date of a statewide emergency declaration Results A total of 408,758 calls were analyzed, of which 49,405 (12 1%) represented stroke, cardiac arrest, or other cardiac emergencies Average call volume before March 10 was similar in both years but decreased significantly after March 10, 2020 by 18 7% (P < 0 001) Compared to 2019, there were 35 6% fewer calls for cardiac emergencies after March 10, 2020 (153 6 vs 238 4 calls/day, P < 0 001) and 12 3% fewer calls for stroke (40 0 vs 45 6 calls/day, P = 0 04) Calls for cardiac arrest increased 18 2% (28 6 vs 24 2 calls/day, P < 0 001) Calls for respiratory concerns also increased (208 8 vs 199 7 calls/day, P < 0 001) There was no significant association between statewide incidence of COVID-19 and EMS call volume Conclusions EMS use for certain time-sensitive conditions decreased after a statewide emergency declaration, irrespective of actual COVID-19 incidence, suggesting the decrease was related to perception instead of actual case counts These findings have implications for public health messaging Measures must be taken to clearly inform the public that immediate emergency care for time-sensitive conditions remains imperative
Visualizing chemistry teachers’ enacted assessment design practices to better understand barriers to “best practices”

Even when chemistry teachers’ beliefs about assessment design align with literature-cited best practices, barriers can prevent teachers from enacting those beliefs when developing day-to-day assessments. In this paper, the relationship between high school chemistry teachers’ self-generated “best practices” for developing formative assessments and the assessments they implement in their courses are examined. Results from a detailed evaluation of several high school chemistry formative assessments, learning goals, and learning activities reveal that assessment items are often developed to require well-articulated tasks but lack either alignment regarding representational level or employ only one representational level for nearly all assessment items. Implications for the development of a chemistry-specific method for evaluating alignment are presented as well as implications for high school chemistry assessment design.
Cognitive-Communication Predictors of Employment Outcomes 1 and 5 Years Posttraumatic Brain Injury.

Objective To examine changes in functional memory, problem solving, comprehension, expression, and social communication over the first 2 years posttraumatic brain injury (TBI) and the ability of each to predict return to work (RTW) outcomes at 1 year and 5 years postinjury. Design Secondary analysis of data from a multicenter longitudinal cohort study. Setting Acute inpatient rehabilitation facilities and community follow-up. Participants A total of 3543 individuals between 16 and 60 years of age who were competitively employed at the time of TBI and had completed year 1, year 2, and year 5 postinjury follow-ups. Main outcome measures Year 1 and year 5 RTW status (± competitively employed) at the time of study completion. Results Greater function across each of the 5 cognitive-communication abilities was associated with RTW success at 1 year and 5 years post-TBI. At discharge, these 5 abilities showed comparable odds of predicting later employment. At year 1 and year 2 follow-ups, independence with problem solving was the most predictive of employment 5 years post-TBI, followed by social interaction, memory, expression, and comprehension. Conclusions An increased rehabilitation focus on functional memory, problem solving, comprehension, expression, and social interaction post-TBI has the potential to improve RTW outcomes.
A Multifaceted Intimate Partner Violence Communication Skills Curriculum Increases Screening Among Internal Medicine Residents

Background: Intimate partner violence (IPV) is common, yet physicians do not routinely screen patients for IPV. There are no clear recommendations for best educational practices for physician train...
Auctions and bidding: A guide for computer scientists

There is a veritable menagerie of auctions — single dimensional, multi-dimensional, single sided, double sided, first price, second price, English, Dutch, Japanese, sealed bid — and these have been extensively discussed and analysed in the economics literature. The main purpose of this paper is to survey this literature from a computer science perspective, primarily from the viewpoint of computer scientists who are interested in learning about auction theory, and to provide pointers into the economics literature for those who want a deeper technical understanding. In addition, since auctions are an increasingly important topic in computer science, we also look at work on auctions from the computer science literature. Overall, our aim is to identifying what both these bodies of work these tell us about creating electronic auctions.
Deep, Wide, or Shallow? Artificial Neural Network Topologies for Predicting Intermittent Flows

Abstract. Intermittent Rivers and Ephemeral Streams (IRES) comprise 60 % of all streams in the US and about 50 % of the streams worldwide. Furthermore, climate-driven changes are expected to force a shift towards intermittency in currently perennial streams. Most modeling studies have treated intermittent streamflows as a continuum. However, it is better to envision flow data of IRES as a “mixture-type”, comprised of both flow and no-flow regimes. It is therefore hypothesized that data-driven models with both classification and regression cells can improve the streamflow forecasting abilities in these streams. Deep and wide Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) comprising of classification and regression cells were developed here by stacking them in series and parallel configurations. These deep and wide network architectures were compared against the commonly used single hidden layer ANNs (shallow), as a baseline, for modeling IRES flow series under the continuum assumption. New metrics focused on no-flow persistence and transitions between flow and no-flow states were formulated using contingency tables and Markov chain analysis. Nine IRES across the state of Texas, US, were used as a wide range of testbeds with different hydro-climatic characteristics. Model overfitting and the curse-of-dimensionality were reduced using extreme learning machines (ELM), and balancing training data using the synthetic minority oversampling technique (SMOTE), greedy learning and Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO). The addition of classifier cells greatly improved the ability to distinguish between no-flow and flow states, in turn, improving the ability to capture no-flow persistence (dryness) and transitions to and from flow states (dryness initiation and cessation). The wide network topology provided better results when the focus was on capturing low flows and the deep topology did well in capturing extreme flows (zero and > 75th percentile).
Long-Term Ambient Air Pollution Exposures and Circulating and Stimulated Inflammatory Mediators in a Cohort of Midlife Adults.

Background: Chronic exposure to air pollution may prime the immune system to be reactive, increasing inflammatory responses to immune stimulation and providing a pathway to increased risk for infla...
Structural basis for aggregate dissolution and refolding by the Mycobacterium tuberculosis ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone system.

Summary The M. tuberculosis (Mtb) ClpB is a protein disaggregase that helps to rejuvenate the bacterial cell. DnaK is a protein foldase that can function alone, but it can also bind to the ClpB hexamer to physically couple protein disaggregation with protein refolding, although the molecular mechanism is not well understood. Here, we report the cryo-EM analysis of the Mtb ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone in the presence of ATPγS and a protein substrate. We observe three ClpB conformations in the presence of DnaK, identify a conserved TGIP loop linking the oligonucleotide/oligosaccharide-binding domain and the nucleotide-binding domain that is important for ClpB function, derive the interface between the regulatory middle domain of the ClpB and the DnaK nucleotide-binding domain, and find that DnaK binding stabilizes, but does not bend or tilt, the ClpB middle domain. We propose a model for the synergistic actions of aggregate dissolution and refolding by the Mtb ClpB-DnaK bi-chaperone system.
Putting metaphor centre-stage: A case study of Alison Landsberg’s ‘Prosthetic Memory’:

Alison Landsberg’s concept of ‘prosthetic memory’ is one in a series of metaphors adopted by Memory Studies. In this article Landsberg’s tropic concept serves not only as a case study in relation t...
Fortification of Maize Tortilla with an Optimized Chickpea Hydrolysate and Its Effect on DPPIV Inhibition Capacity and Physicochemical Characteristics

Chickpea hydrolysates have shown bioactivity towards type 2 diabetes by inhibiting dipeptidyl peptidase (DPPIV) activity. The objective was to compare the effect of adding different levels of an optimized bromelain hydrolysate from chickpea isolated protein on DPPIV inhibition capacity and physicochemical properties of maize tortilla. White and blue maize tortillas, with no added chickpea hydrolysates were compared with fortified tortillas at the levels of 5%, 10%, and 15% w/w. Changes in color (L* a* b*, hue angle, and ΔE), texture (hardness, cohesiveness, and puncture force), and moisture were tested. Soluble protein determination and SDS-PAGE electrophoresis were used to characterize the protein profiles, and LC-MS-MS was used to sequence the peptides. DPPIV inhibition was evaluated before and after simulated gastrointestinal digestion. Peptides in the hydrolysates had high hydrophobicity (7.97–27.05 kcal * mol −1) and pI (5.18–11.13). Molecular docking of peptides showed interaction with DPPIV with an energy of affinity of –5.8 kcal/mol for FDLPAL in comparison with vildagliptin (−6.2 kcal/mol). The lowest fortification level increased soluble protein in 105% (8 g/100 g tortilla). DPPIV inhibition of white maize tortilla increased from 11% (fresh control) to 91% (15% fortification), and for blue tortilla from 26% to 95%. After simulated digestion, there was not a difference between blue or maize tortillas for DPPIV inhibition. Fortification of maize tortilla with chickpea hydrolysate inhibits DPPIV and can potentially be used in the prevention and management of type 2 diabetes. However, due to observed physicochemical changes of the fortified tortilla, sensory properties and consumer acceptance need to be evaluated.
Endolymphatic Hydrops is a Marker of Synaptopathy Following Traumatic Noise Exposure

After acoustic trauma, there can be loss of synaptic connections between inner hair cells and auditory neurons in the cochlea, which may lead to hearing abnormalities including speech-in-noise difficulties, tinnitus, and hyperacusis. We have previously studied mice with blast-induced cochlear synaptopathy and found that they also developed a build-up of endolymph, termed endolymphatic hydrops. In this study, we used optical coherence tomography to measure endolymph volume in live CBA/CaJ mice exposed to various noise intensities. We quantified the number of synaptic ribbons and postsynaptic densities under the inner hair cells 1 week after noise exposure to determine if they correlated with acute changes in endolymph volume measured in the hours after the noise exposure. After 2 h of noise at an intensity of 95 dB SPL or below, both endolymph volume and synaptic counts remained normal. After exposure to 2 h of 100 dB SPL noise, mice developed endolymphatic hydrops and had reduced synaptic counts in the basal and middle regions of the cochlea. Furthermore, round-window application of hypertonic saline reduced the degree of endolymphatic hydrops that developed after 100 dB SPL noise exposure and partially prevented the reduction in synaptic counts in the cochlear base. Taken together, these results indicate that endolymphatic hydrops correlates with noise-induced cochlear synaptopathy, suggesting that these two pathologic findings have a common mechanistic basis.
An Evolutionary Perspective on Senescence

At the heart of gerontology, there is an important scientific problem that is now ripe for solution. The problem is: “Why does the phenomenon of senescence exist?” Not why, in the sense of the mechanisms that cause damage. Gerontology has studied dozens of such mechanisms and the resulting mass of information has proved most difficult to integrate. The question to be addressed here is not what the mechanisms are but, instead, how they have come to exist. In organisms shaped by natural selection, why is there aging and why do individuals inevitably die by some specific age? These crucial questions have not been systematically considered. An answer to the question of how natural selection has affected the traits that influence aging would bring together many current findings of gerontology and would offer a new perspective on what aging really is and its place in the pattern of life. An evolutionary understanding of aging may also shed new light on related ethical and personal issues.
In Search of Time

The Time Divide Work, Family, and Gender Inequality. By Jerry A. Jacobs and Kathleen Gerson . Harvard University Press, New York, 2004. 259 pp. $45, £29.95, €41.50. ISBN 0-674-01153-8. Working in a 24/7 Economy: Challenges for American Families. By Harriet B. Presser . Russell Sage Foundation, New York, 2003. 281 pp. $39.95. ISBN 0-87154-670-1. Jacobs and Gerson examine the origins of time pressures and possible means of alleviating them. Presser considers the effects of non-standard work hours on families, especially those raising young children.
FDR and the Jews: Breitman, Richard, and Allen J. Lichtman Cambridge, MA: Belknap Press of Harvard University Press 464 pp., $29.95, ISBN 978-0674050266 Publication Date: April 2013

With FDR and the Jews, Richard Breitman and Allen J. Lichtman, both professors of history at American University, wade into the contentious debate about President Franklin Roosevelt's response to t...
An adult-like pattern of ocular dominance columns in striate cortex of newborn monkeys prior to visual experience

In macaque monkeys, the geniculocortical afferents serving each eye segregate in layer IVc of striate cortex during early life into a pattern of alternating inputs called ocular dominance columns. It has been disputed whether visual experience is necessary for the formation of ocular dominance columns. To settle this issue, fetal monkeys were delivered prematurely by Caesarean section at embryonic day 157 (E157), 8 d before the end of normal gestation. To avoid light exposure, the Caesarean section and all subsequent feedings and procedures were done in absolute darkness, using infrared night-vision goggles. Tritiated proline was injected into the right eye 1 d after delivery (E158). One week later at postnatal age 0 (P0), the equivalent of a full-term pregnancy (E165/P0), alternate sections of unfolded and flattened visual cortex were prepared for autoradiography or cytochrome oxidase (CO). All three newborns studied at E165/P0 had well segregated ocular dominance columns organized into the characteristic mosaic present in adults. In the upper layers, a mature pattern of CO patches (also known as blobs or puffs) was visible, aligned with the ocular dominance columns in layer IVc. Every other row of patches in layers II, III was labeled by [3H]proline. In V2, a distinct system of alternating thick- pale-thin-pale CO stripes was present. These findings indicate that stimulation of the retina by light is not necessary for the development of columnar systems in the visual cortex. Ocular dominance columns, patches, and V2 stripes all are well formed before visual experience. Even the thalamic input to the patches in the upper layers of striate cortex is segregated by eye in newborns.
Block-form control of linear time-invariant discrete-time systems defined over commutative rings

Abstract A new approach based on a block-input, block-output state model is developed for the study of linear time-invariant discrete-time systems whose coefficients belong to a commutative ring with 1. It is well known that such systems arise in the study of various classes of complex linear systems including systems depending on parameters and multidimentional systems. By time-compressing the block-input state representation, new results are obtained on the construction of a memoryless block-form state feedback control law that yields a type of assignability and/or deadbeat control. These results are then dualized to yield results on a new type of state observer based on a block of output measurements. The observer and state feedback controller are then combined to yield new results on input-output regulation and set-point tracking for systems defined over an arbitrary commutative ring. In the last part of the paper, the block-input form is utilized to study the stabilization of systems defined over a normed algebra.
Finitely-Supported ${\rm L}_2$ -Optimal Kernels for Digital Signal Interpolation

Interpolation is responsible for digital signal resampling and can significantly degrade the original signal quality if not done properly. For many years, optimal interpolation algorithms were sought within constrained classes of interpolation kernel functions. We derive a new family of unconstrained, finitely supported L 2 -optimal interpolation kernels H L (x), and compare their properties to the previously known results. Our research demonstrates that L 2-optimal kernels provide superior interpolation quality, and can be efficiently applied to any digital signal, of arbitrary nature, bandwidth, and dimensionality.
P-864 - A Continuum paradigm of psychopathology: narcissism as the core construct in mental illness

Recommendations for DSM-V and future diagnoses of psychiatric disorders include complementing the current standard categorical approach with a dimensional approach (Swanson, Wigal, & Lakes, 2009). This paper proposes that the Narcissistic Spectrum Personality Questionnaire (NSPQ) developed based on Lowen's (1985) definition of Narcissism as the “denial of the true self,” may potentially provide the framework for designing a measurement tool to assess psychiatric disorders on a continuum. In this design Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Bipolar Disorder were selected to be placed on this continuum to support that both disorders are similar in their psychodynamic underpinnings. It is proposed that a longitudinal study be conducted with ADHD and Bipolar participants who will be randomly assigned to three groups, a) actual drug, b) active placebo (that mimics the side effects of the drug), and c) inert placebo (merely a sugar pill). The NSPQ scores are expected to decrease with time for all groups and significantly less so for participants receiving the inert placebo. Such findings may suggest that the side effects of drugs render a psychodynamically punishing insult to the participant resulting in their improvement. The study will help elucidate the psychological impact of placebo, therefore, unraveling a possible explanation to the long sought question of why placebos are almost as effective as drugs. The reader will be able to see narcissism on a continuum that includes a range of pathological elements and will be challenged with the idea that categorical diagnoses can be looked at on this new continuum theory.
Effect of ethanol use and other lifestyle variables on measures of selenium status

Relationships between blood levels of selenium (SE) and SE-dependent glutathione peroxidase (GPX) activity and selected lifestyle variables including ethanol ingestion, smoking behavior, nutrient intake, and nutrient supplement use were studied in 124 male and female subjects, half of whom drank alcoholic beverages lightly or moderately. Among the 19 independent lifestyle variables included in correlation and multiple regression analysis, ethanol intake was most strongly and consistently associated with levels of plasma and whole blood SE and plasma GPX activity, r = .32−.34, p p
Studies on Alternaria allergens: I. Establishment of the radioallergosorbent test for measurement of Alternaria allergens

Abstract The ability to covalently couple Alternaria allergens to macrocrystalline cellulose particles has permitted not only the measurement of IgE antibodies to Alternaria in patient serums but also the identification of allergenic fractions from crude Alternaria extracts. Crude aqueous Alternaria extracts from 3 commerical suppliers were coupled to cellulose but failed to bind more than 5% of total radioactive counts (TRC) when reacted with serums from highly sensitive patients. Fractionation of a commercial extract through Sephadex G-25 showed that almost all allergenic activity was located in a protein and carbohydrate-containing peak eluting at the column void volume. These fractions were pooled and coupled to cellulose to yield a RAST polymer which produced up to 20% TRC binding when tested with serums from over 100 Alternariasensitive patients, and only up to 1% TRC binding with 17 nonallergic serums. The study of commercial Alternaria extracts by chromatographic and RAST inhibition techniques showed that present extracts are neither qualitatively or quantitatively comparable.
Remote ischemic preconditioning for myocardial protection: update on mechanisms and clinical relevance

Ischemic heart disease is the leading cause of death for both men and women worldwide, accruing 7.4 million deaths in 2012. There has been a continued search for better cardioprotective modalities that would reduce myocardial ischemia–reperfusion injury. Among these attempts, a more convenient model of ischemic preconditioning, known as remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) was first introduced in 1993 by Przyklenk and colleagues who reported that brief regional occlusion–reperfusion episodes in one vascular bed of the heart render protection to remote myocardial tissue. Subsequently, major advances in myocardial RIPC came with the use of skeletal muscle as the ischemic stimulus. To date, numerous studies have revealed that RIPC applied to the kidney, liver, mesentery, and skeletal muscle, have all exhibited cardioprotective effects. The main purpose of this review article is to summarize the new advances in understanding the molecular mechanisms of RIPC during the past 5 years, including those related to capsaicin-activated C sensory fibers, hypoxia-inducible factor 1α, connexin 43, extracellular vesicles, microRNA-144, microRNA-1, and nitrite. In addition, we have discussed results from several recent human clinical trials with RIPC. Taken together, the emerging clinical evidence supports the concept that the effectiveness of RIPC paired with its low-cost and non-invasive features makes it an ideal treatment before reperfusion after sustained ischemia. More carefully designed studies are warranted to fully exploit the clinical benefits of RIPC and its potential implications in patients with cardiovascular disease.
HLA antigens and gold toxicity in American blacks with rheumatoid arthritis.

An increase in the frequency of DR3 in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients exhibiting toxic reactions to gold salt (GS) therapy has been observed in several studies of Caucasoid patients. Likewise, the association of B35 with gold-induced mucocutaneous reactions has also been reported in Caucasoid RA patients. Similar studies in other ethnic groups have not been previously documented. The present study was performed in American black RA patients receiving GS to determine if there were similar HLA associations with toxic reactions as those reported in Caucasoids. Eighty-two seropositive and 18 seronegative American black RA patients were studied. Forty-one of the seropositive (50.0%) and six of the seronegative (33.3%) developed a toxic manifestation. No significant differences in the frequency distribution of HLA-B8, HLA-B35, DR, or DQw antigens were observed between the patients who had a toxic reaction and those who did not in either the seropositive or the seronegative RA patients. In particular, DR3 was not increased in patients with renal toxicity and B35 was not increased in patients with mucocutaneous reaction. Our study demonstrates that American black RA patients exhibiting GS toxicity do not have the same HLA associations as Caucasoids. The possibility that other genetic factor(s) may account for the occurrence of gold salt toxicity in American blacks requires further investigation.
A Microfluidic Device for High Throughput Measurements of Thermotaxis

E. coli bacteria have the ability to sense thermal gradients and congregate in locations with a preferred temperature. Studies of this phenomenon, called thermotaxis, have been complicated by the lack of tools to enable the generation of well-defined thermal gradients and the collection of data on motile E. coli in these gradients. Here we report a microfluidic experimental system which allows the collection of data on the migration of bacteria in thermal gradients at a high throughput. In our microfluidic device, a bacterial suspension slowly flows through a 10 mm long, 0.5 mm wide microchannel that has a linear temperature gradient across it. It takes ∼100 seconds for cells to reach the end of the microchannel, thus they have sufficient time to sample the temperature gradient and find their preferred position in the gradient. By analyzing the distribution of cells across the microchannel near its end, we collect data on the thermotaxis of >10,000 individual E. coli cells per experiment. The temperature gradient is generated by the continuous circulation of temperature-controlled water through two large-diameter channels flanking the microchannel. The temperature gradient is evaluated using a temperature-sensitive fluorescent dye. The microfluidic chip is made from a single cast of PDMS, making it easy to fabricate and replicate with high fidelity. We have used the experimental system to perform preliminary experiments on wild type E. coli in a variety of linear thermal gradients and have observed the congregation of cells centered about a temperature of 35–37° C.
Genetic differences in social behavior: Relation to natural killer cell function and susceptibility to tumor development

The hypothesis that certain heritable personality traits would correlate with increased vulnerability to tumor development and reduced natural killer (NK) cell function was tested in mice selectively bred for high and low levels of aggression. This selection program produces a line of mice that fail to exhibit species typical, isolation-induced aggression, but appear socially inhibited in response to a novel partner mouse. All socially inhibited mice developed 3-methylcholanthrene-induced tumors compared with only 44% of the aggressive mice. Basal NK activity was also significantly lower among socially inhibited mice. Conversely, there were no line differences in NK activity between the aggressive line and nonselected, socially isolated mice, consistent with other unidirectional outcomes of this selective breeding program. No significant line differences were present for nonsocial measures of emotional reactivity (e.g., fearfulness) or serum corticosterone levels. These findings support the hypothesis that social "traits" may be related to immune function and tumor susceptibility.
Occlusion of the left coronary ostium by an aortic valve leaflet

References 1. Eggebrecht H, Baumgart D, Radecke K, von Birgelen C, Treichel U, Erbel R, et al. Aortoesophageal fistula secondary to stent-graft repair of the thoracic aorta. J Endovasc Ther. 2004;11:161-7. 2. Hance KA, Hsu L, Eskew T, Hermreck AS. Secondary aortoesophageal fistula after endoluminal exclusion because of thoracic aortic transection. J Vasc Surg. 2003;37:886-8. 3. Knyshov GV, Sitar LL, Glagola MD, Atamanyuk MY. Aortic aneurysms at the site of the repair of coarctation of the aorta: a review of 48 patients. Ann Thorac Surg. 1996;61:935-9. 4. von Segesser LK , Tkebuchava T, Niederhauser U, Kunzil A, Lachat M, Turina MI, et al. Aortobronchial and aortoesophageal fistulae as risk factors in surgery of descending thoracic aortic aneurysms. Eur J Cardiothorac Surg. 1997;12:195-201. 5. Czerny M, Zimpfer D, Fleck T, Mueller MR, Gottardi R, Cejna M, et al. Successful treatment of an aortoesophageal fistula after emergency endovascular thoracic aortic stent-graft placement. Ann Thorac Surg. 2005;80:1117-20.
Protection Against Potyvirus Infection in Transgenic Plants: Evidence for Broad Spectrum Resistance

Protection Against Potyvirus Infection in Transgenic Plants: Evidence for Broad Spectrum Resistance
Ocean-atmospheric interactions, heavy precipitation, and hurricane predictive index (HPI) associated with land-falling Hurricane Irene over the eastern coast of the United States

Hurricane Irene's deepest strengthening occurred during August 24th–25th, as it passed over the warm waters of the Bahamas and Gulf Stream whose SST's reached 30.5° C. Irene reached category 3 status by August 24th. By August 27th, the storm made landfall over North Carolina [2], eTRaP data provided estimated precipitation totals of 1″ to 5″ around the eye, however, using TRMM satellite data, precipitation totals were 5.9″ to 8.9″ over the northeastern coast of the US where the eye passed. The conditions that surrounded Irene's rainfall totals were surmised to be a result of strong ocean-atmospheric interactions over the Bahamas during its peak intensification period: August 23rd – 25th. To support this hypothesis, heat fluxes and vertical motions were derived over the entire period of Irene's existence. August 20u – 29th, using atmospheric data and soundings. Heat fluxes, HPI, and vertical motions were found to peak on August 23rd and remain consrstently high.
Mapplethorpe’s Living Room: Photography and the Furnishing of Desire

This essay analyses the descriptions (and distortions) of Robert Mapplethorpe’s photography put forward by Senator Jesse Helms during the controversy over The Perfect Moment (a full-scale retrospective of Mapplethorpe’s work) in 1989. It argues that Helms’s attacks on Mapplethorpe’s life and work open onto a broader set of fears and fantasies about homosexuality. After examining some of the key contradictions in Helms’s discourse, the essay turns to a contemporaneous event concerning Mapplethorpe: the sale of his collection of art and furniture by Christie’s auction house in October 1989. Christie’s cleverly marketed `The Robert Mapplethorpe Collection’ by suggesting a link between the bodies Mapplethorpe photographed and the objects he collected, between the forbidden appeal of Mapplethorpe’s art and the eclectic array of his belongings. In so doing, Christie’s capitalized upon the public controversy in which the name ‘Mapplethorpe’ was embroiled at the time. But Christie’s also revealed, however unwittingly, something essential about Mapplethorpe’s practice as both an artist and a collector. In both his photographs and in his private collection. Mapplethorpe has set a space for homosexual difference. And it was this space that Senator Helms and the morally upstanding citizens he claimed to represent could not abide.
Multivariate SPC for recipe preservation of batch processes

The performances of the Hotelling's T2 control chart and the squared prediction error control chart based on the multi-way principal component analysis are evaluated for monitoring within batch process variation for the purpose of recipe preservation. A nonlinear model for simulated batch process data is provided. The model allows for cross correlation of error terms at a given time period and serial correlation of error terms across time periods. The performance characterizations of the two monitoring schemes are provided for a variety of levels of cross correlation and serial correlation. The impact of the time period at which process shifts occur is also investigated for the monitoring schemes. The T2 control chart is recommended for the cases considered. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Qos content and experiences for IT, networking and security programs

Quality of Service (QoS) techniques and protocols can be a critical part of network operations. Whether attempting to define traffic patterns, improve the performance of real time applications such as VoIP or even as part of a security strategy, QoS can be central to a network implementation. QoS topics include but are not limited to MPLS, DiffServ, IntServ, policies, aggregation, traffic shaping, queuing and good network design. Due to the wide range of concepts and their impact, educational programs focusing on communication should include quality of service mechanisms as topic for all students before they graduate. Courses need not include all of the advanced QoS ideas, but should provide the student with the knowledge and skills necessary to make good decisions when deploying topologies that must serve the needs of contemporary users.In addition to getting the lab experiences in their program, students should also have an opportunity to apply their skills in a practical and where possible, an interesting, and maybe even entertaining, environment. This paper will outline a potential educational track for students, list the base topics required to understand general QoS, a series of lab experiences and an activity that will allow the students to apply their abilities in a meaningful and engaging practical situation.
Perceived industrial innovation advantage and export commitment

Abstract There are increasingly sales opportunities for capital equipment in developing countries. Concomitantly, concern is that capital intensive technologies are too widely employed. Yet there has been little reported empirical research on why LDC manufacturers choose specific equipment. Textile manufacturers accounting for a significant part of Peru's spinning and weaving capacities participated in this study by providing perceptions of two capital versus labor intensive technologies capable of producing identical output. Exporters and nonexporters scores, using a five-point scale, were compared by t tests on 19 equipment attributes selected from innovation diffusion studies. Factor analysis determined innovations underlying dimensions. Factor scores were regressed on export commitment proxies. Higher export dependence related to more concern with ease of altering output specifications and less concern with cost, thus supporting that dependence on foreign versus domestic markets will affect equipment decisions. The method of comparing product attribute perceptions provides a simple possibility for segmenting LDC capital equipment markets.
Methamphetamine increases brain viral load and activates natural killer cells in simian immunodeficiency virus-infected monkeys

Methamphetamine (Meth) abuse increases risky behaviors that contribute to the spread of HIV infection. In addition, because HIV and Meth independently affect physiological systems including the central nervous system, HIV-induced disease may be more severe in drug users. We investigated changes in blood and brain viral load as well as differences in immune cells in chronically simian immunodeficiency virus-infected rhesus macaques that were either administered Meth or used as controls. Although Meth administration did not alter levels of virus in the plasma, viral load in the brain was significantly increased in Meth-treated animals compared with control animals. Meth treatment also resulted in an activation of natural killer cells. Given the prevalence of Meth use in HIV-infected and HIV at-risk populations, these findings reveal the likely untoward effects of Meth abuse in such individuals.
Effect of water-soluble fraction of Cook Inlet crude oil on swimming performance and plasma cortisol in juvenile coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch).

Abstract 1. Swimming performance of juvenile coho salmon decreased and plasma Cortisol increased, following 48-hr exposure to the water-soluble fraction (WSF) of Cook Inlet crude oil at 75% of the lc 50 . 2. Exposure to 25 and 50% of the lc 50 did not significantly reduce swimming performance. 3. Plasma cortisol concentrations were highest in fish exposed to both the combined stress of WSF exposure and of forced swimming in a stamina tunnel.