cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Magnetic properties of aggregate polycrystalline diamond: implications for carbonado history

Carbonados are aggregate polycrystalline diamonds and are found in placer deposits of the Central African Republic (CAR) and the Bahia Province of Brazil. Their origin is uncertain, but several mutually exclusive hypotheses have been proposed, ranging from extraterrestrial to crustal, and mantle provenance. In an endeavor to further our understanding of these diamonds, we performed a series of magnetic characterization studies on 20 samples from the CAR. Our results reveal that the carbonados contain material with contrasting magnetic hysteresis behavior and magnetization. Acid leaching permitted us to monitor the distribution of magnetic carriers within the samples. An absence of sample size dependence on magnetization loss indicates that the magnetic carriers are distributed at the vitreous surface; including open pores and that the carbonado interior is essentially devoid of the magnetic carriers. The diamond’s isolated nonmagnetic interior of carbonados suggests that the initial formation environment was deficient in magnetic particles. The formation of the magnetic carriers is thus closely linked with the origin of the smooth surface, perhaps during the hypervelocity ejection of carbonados into the Earth’s atmosphere. Partial ablation in the Earth’s primordial, oxygenpoor atmosphere resulted in a fusion of the originally porous material and a decrease in the original pore density at the surface. Secondary mineralization of the impact-generated melt and/or the products of later diagenetic processes, containing the majority of the magnetic carriers, filled the remainder of the open pores. fl 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Techniques, indications, and toxicity of therapeutic hemapheresis in children

Although therapeutic hemapheresis has grown dramatically in the past decade, its utilization and popularity in pediatrics remain limited. The lack of well-defined indications for treatment and technical difficulties in the management of hemapheresis for small patients have prevented its widespread use. However, there have been more than 130 reports describing the use of hemapheresis in children less than 15 years of age, including more than 20 reports describing it in children less than 5 years. Only one controlled trial of hemapheresis in children has been published. It studied the use of plasma exchange for the treatment of diabetes mellitus. In general, practitioners depend upon the accepted indications in adults to justify usage of this therapy in children. Unfortunately, major differences exist in the adult and pediatric presentation of certain diseases and there has not been universal acceptance of the indications for this therapy in children. Numerous technical difficulties continue to plague the development of hemapheresis therapy in pediatrics and therefore continue to limit the number of studies undertaken. The major technical difficulties include vascular access and excessive extracorporeal volume. These problems are not insurmountable since several patients less than 1 year of age have been successfully treated by hemapheresis. The various techniques used in these cases will be discussed. Additional problems unique to the pediatric population are the difficulty in getting approval for research studies that involve minors, the complexity of informed consent, the problem of patient cooperation and compliance, and the difficulty of explaining a complicated procedure to children of varying developmental levels.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Transformation of min-max optimization to least-square estimation and application to interconnect design optimization

This paper describes a new approach to find a tighter bound of the transformation of the min-max problems into the one of least-square estimation. It is well known that the above transformation of one problem to the other can lead to the proof that their target functions linearly bound each other. However, this linear bound is not a tight one. In this paper, we prove that if we transform the min-max problem into two least-square estimation problems, where one minimizes the root-mean-square (RMS) of the original function and the other one minimizes the RMS of the difference between the original function and an arbitrary constant, one can obtain a tighter bound between their target functions. The tighter bound given by this new approach depends on the outcome of the second least-square estimation problem, so there is a great incentive to choose the arbitrary constant which gives the smallest RMS of the second least-square estimation problem. For a problem with a large number of variables, this new tighter bound can be two to three order tighter than the old one.
Influence of Weld Defects and Postweld Heat Treatment of Gas Tungsten Arc-Welded AA-6061-T651 Aluminum Alloy

Welding defects and the reduction of mechanical performances are the foremost problems for fusion welded aluminum alloys joints. The influences of weld defects and post-weld heat treatment (PWHT) on tensile properties of gas tungsten arc (GTA) welded aluminum alloy AA-6061-T651 joints are investigated in this current study. All welded specimens are non-destructively inspected with phased array ultrasonic testing (PAUT) to classify weld defect and measure the projected defects area-ratio (AR). Ultimate tensile strength (UTS) decreased linearly with the increase of the size of weld defect but tensile toughness behaved non-linearly with defect size. Depending on defect size, defective samples’ joint efficiency (JE) varied from 35 to 48% of base metal’s UTS. Defect-free as-welded (AW) specimens observed to have 53% and 34% JE based on UTS and yield strength (YS) of base metal, respectively. PWHT was applied on defect-free welded specimens to improve tensile properties by precipitation hardening, microstructures refining, and removal of post-weld residual stresses. Solution treatment (at 540 °C) followed by varying levels of artificial age-hardening time was investigated to obtain optimum tensile properties. For GTA welded AA-6061-T651, peak aging time was 5
Emotion Dysregulation in Generalized Anxiety Disorder: A Comparison with Social Anxiety Disorder

From an emotion regulation framework, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) can be conceptualized as a syndrome involving heightened intensity of subjective emotional experience, poor understanding of emotion, negative reactivity to emotional experience, and the use of maladaptive emotion management strategies (including over-reliance on cognitive control strategies such as worry). The current study sought to replicate previous findings of emotion dysregulation among individuals with GAD and delineate which aspects of emotion dysregulation are specific to GAD or common to GAD and another mental disorder (social anxiety disorder). Individuals with GAD reported greater emotion intensity and fear of the experience of depression than persons with social anxiety disorder and nonanxious control participants. Individuals with social anxiety disorder indicated being less expressive of positive emotions, paying less attention to their emotions, and having more difficulty describing their emotions than either persons with GAD or controls. Measures of emotion differentiated GAD, social anxiety disorder, and normal control groups with good accuracy in a discriminant function analysis. Findings are discussed in light of theoretical and treatment implications for both disorders.
A rare case of pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma with calcification in a 5 year old boy

Pulmonary hyalinizing granuloma (PHG) is a rare benign pulmonary nodular lesion of unknown etiology. We present a case of a 5-year-old boy who was found to have a chest mass while being evaluated for abdominal pain. He underwent a CXR and CT scan that showed popcorn calcifications in the right posterior mediastinum and within the hilum of right lung. These lesions were suspicious for benign calcified lymph nodes and follow-up chest CT after 3.5 months showed no interval changes in the calcified mediastinal masses. Extensive testing ruled out infectious diseases and malignancies. Given the unknown etiology of the lesions, he underwent VATS biopsy that demonstrated a nodular lesion characterized by a peripheral rim of fibrous tissue and central zone of necrosis and calcification, findings consistent with hyalinizing granuloma. PHG is extremely rare in pediatric age group. Although diagnosis of this condition is made by radiological and histopathological findings, it is important to rule out other causes of chest masses. Most of the patients usually have good prognosis with this rare disorder.
The Basics of Breast MRI

Magnetic resonance imaging of the breast has been well established as a supplemental imaging modality with proven benefit in breast cancer screening and diagnosis. Dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI of the breast has been shown to be the most sensitive imaging modality in the detection of breast carcinoma. A review of the currently accepted as well as some additional less commonly used indications that have not been rigorously validated is presented. The protocols, techniques of examination, and the artifacts encountered in a breast MRI examination are discussed. The role of MRI in the assessment of breast implants is briefly described. The BI-RADS terminology for breast MRI is presented. Breast MRI in the staging and diagnosis of breast cancer is discussed in a separate chapter.
Does body mass index predict tracheal airway size

Objectives/Hypothesis To determine the relationship between body mass index along with other anthropomorphic variables as they relate to tracheal airway dimensions. Study Design Retrospective case series. Methods This was a radiographic study of 123 consecutive hospitalized patients undergoing tracheotomy over a 4-year period (2007–2011). We measured airway dimensions in axial computed tomography imaging and made comparisons with height, weight, body mass index, gender, and age. Measurements were taken at the first tracheal ring level including anterior-posterior length, width, and calculated area. We expected higher body mass index not to be a good predictor of larger airway dimensions. Results The linear regression model showed body mass index was significantly inversely related to tracheal width after controlling for gender and age (P = .0389). For every 1 kg/m2 increase in body mass index, the tracheal width decreased by 0.05 mm. There was a trend for airway area to diminish with increasing body mass index. Conclusions These results are consistent with the hypothesis that obese patients do not have larger airways. Our study indicated a trend toward smaller airways as body mass index increased. Specifically, as body mass index increases, tracheal width appears to decrease. This information should help medical professionals avoid the tendency to use a larger tube to secure the airway of an obese patient. Hopefully, this will result in further research into the field and may prevent future airway injuries in a society where obesity has become epidemic. Level of Evidence 4 Laryngoscope, 125:1093–1097, 2015
Optical scattering coefficient estimated by optical coherence tomography correlates with collagen content in ovarian tissue.

Optical scattering coefficient from ex vivo unfixed normal and malignant ovarian tissue was quantitatively extracted by fitting optical coherence tomography (OCT) A-line signals to a single scattering model. 1097 average A-line measurements at a wavelength of 1310 nm were performed at 108 sites obtained from 18 ovaries. The average scattering coefficient obtained from the normal tissue group consisted of 833 measurements from 88 sites was 2.41 mm−1 (±0.59), while the average coefficient obtained from the malignant tissue group consisted of 264 measurements from 20 sites was 1.55 mm−1 (±0.46). The malignant ovarian tissue showed significant lower scattering than the normal group (p < 0.001). The amount of collagen within OCT imaging depth was analyzed from the tissue histological section stained with Sirius Red. The average collagen area fraction (CAF) obtained from the normal tissue group was 48.4% (±12.3%), while the average CAF obtained from the malignant tissue group was 11.4% (±4.7%). A statistical significance of the collagen content was found between the two groups (p < 0.001). These results demonstrated that quantitative measurements of optical scattering coefficient from OCT images could be a potential powerful method for ovarian cancer detection.
Identifying Children with Pneumonia in the Emergency Department

Emergency physicians need to clinically differentiate children with and without radiographic evidence of pneumonia. In this prospective cohort study of 510 patients 2 to 59 months of age presenting with symptoms of lower respiratory tract infection, 100% were evaluated with chest radiography and 44 (8.6%) had pneumonia on chest radiography. With use of multivariate analysis, the adjusted odds ratio (AOR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) of the clinical findings significantly associated with focal infiltrates were age older than 12 months (AOR 1.4, CI 1.1-1.9), RR 50 or greater (AOR 3.5, CI 1.6-7.5), oxygen saturation 96% or less (AOR 4.6, CI 2.3-9.2), and nasal flaring (AOR 2.2 CI 1.2-4.0) in patients 12 months of age or younger. The combination of age older than 12 months, RR 50 or greater, oxygen saturation 96% or less, and in children under age 12 months, nasal flaring, can be used in determining which young children with lower respiratory tract infection symptoms have radiographic pneumonia.
Quantifying and exploiting the age dependence in the effect of supplementary food for child undernutrition.

Motivated by the lack of randomized controlled trials with an intervention-free control arm in the area of child undernutrition, we fit a trivariate model of weight-for-age z score (WAZ), height-for-age z score (HAZ) and diarrhea status to data from an observational study of supplementary feeding (100 kCal/day for children with WAZ ) in 17 Guatemalan communities. Incorporating time lags, intention to treat (i.e., to give supplementary food), seasonality and age interactions, we estimate how the effect of supplementary food on WAZ, HAZ and diarrhea status varies with a child’s age. We find that the effect of supplementary food on all 3 metrics decreases linearly with age from 6 to 20 mo and has little effect after 20 mo. We derive 2 food allocation policies that myopically (i.e., looking ahead 2 mo) minimize either the underweight or stunting severity – i.e., the sum of squared WAZ or HAZ scores for all children with WAZ or HAZ . A simulation study based on the statistical model predicts that the 2 derived policies reduce the underweight severity (averaged over all ages) by 13.6–14.1% and reduce the stunting severity at age 60 mo by 7.1–8.0% relative to the policy currently in use, where all policies have a budget that feeds % of children. While these findings need to be confirmed on additional data sets, it appears that in a low-dose (100 kCal/day) supplementary feeding setting in Guatemala, allocating food primarily to 6–12 mo infants can reduce the severity of underweight and stunting.
Anomalous Origin of the Right Coronary Artery From the Left Ventricle

A 22-month-old boy was referred to pediatric cardiology for evaluation of a heart murmur. He was asymptomatic except for occasional wheezing with activity. On evaluation, he was found to have both systolic and diastolic murmurs. Electrocardiography demonstrated possible left ventricular hypertrophy, with no evidence of ST-segment abnormalities. Echocardiography and cardiac catheterization showed an anomalous origin of the patient's right coronary artery from his left ventricle, just inferior to his aortic valve annulus.
PspC, a pneumococcal surface protein, binds human factor H.

PspC was found to bind human complement factor H (FH) by Western blot analysis of D39 (pspC+) and an isogenic mutant TRE108 (pspC). We confirmed that PspA does not bind FH, while purified PspC binds FH very strongly. The binding of FH to exponentially growing pneumococci varied among different isolates when analyzed by fluorescence activated cell sorting analysis.
Single-Photon Infrared Emission Spectroscopy of Gaseous Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbon Cations: A Direct Test for Proposed Carriers of the Unidentified Infrared Emission Bands

We describe the measurement of infrared emission from excited gas-phase polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) cations by an electron-impact ion beam reflectron system coupled to our ‘‘ single-photon infrared emission ’’ (SPIRE) spectrometer. This experiment provides for direct comparison of laboratory infrared emission spectra of gaseous ionized PAHs with the ‘‘ unidentified infrared emission bands ’’ (UIRs), the origin of which is still debated. We present results for the pyrene cation (C16H10 þ ) and the dehydrogenated pyrene cations (C16H8 þ and C16H6 þ ) showing general agreement between the corresponding SPIRE bands and UIR features, although it is not a detailed match. We also discuss possible contributions from the pyrene dimer cation ðC16H10Þ2 þ . Subject headings: dust: extinction — infrared: ISM — ISM: lines and bands — methods: laboratory — molecular data — techniques: spectroscopic
A Phenotype-Driven Dimension Reduction (PhDDR) approach to integrated genomic association analyses

An immediate challenge in integrated genomic analysis involving several types of genomic factors all measured genome-wide is the ultra-high dimensionality. Screening all possible relationships among the genomic factors is an NP-hard problem; therefore in practice proper dimension reduction is necessary. In this paper we develop the Phenotype-Driven Dimension Reduction (PhDDR) approach to the analysis of gene co-expressions, and discuss its extensions to integration of other genetic factors. This approach is then illustrated by an application to gene co-expression analysis of treatment response of childhood leukemia.
Color-flow duplex ultrasound assessment of internal thoracic artery graft after coronary bypass.

In an effort to develop a noninvasive method to evaluate flow characteristics of the internal thoracic artery (ITA) graft after coronary artery bypass grafting, we performed color-flow duplex ultrasound studies of the right and left ITAs of 42 patients before and 5 weeks after bypass grafting. The ITA was visualized with a duplex scanner (5.0-MHz probe) through the first or second intercostal space. We recorded the diameter, peak systolic velocity, and end-diastolic velocity for each patient. Preoperative measurements of the native ITAs were obtained easily in all patients. Postoperatively, the unused right ITA was seen in all patients. Postoperative visualization of the left ITA graft was adequate to make reliable measurements in 40 patients (95%). Postoperative end-diastolic velocities of the unused right ITA and the left ITA graft were markedly higher than the preoperative end-diastolic velocities of the native ITAs ( p p p
In vitro examination of the anterior chamber angle with a gradient-index (GRIN) lens endoscope

The cloudy cornea in primary infantile glaucoma may contraindicate a goniotomy if a view of the anterior chamber angle is not obtainable through the operating microscope. The purpose of this study was to determine if a gradient-index (GRIN) endoscope was capable of improving the imaging of the anterior chamber angle structures in vitro. The anterior chambers of cadaver porcine eyes were deepened with a viscoelastic material. The GRIN lens endoscope entered the anterior chamber through a corneal incision near the limbus. The anterior chamber structures including the pectinate ligaments in the angle were clearly visualized on a video screen as the endoscope was advanced into the anterior chamber angle. The amount of illumination was automatically controlled. A low OH silica fiber having a core diameter of 100 microns and delivering 10 mJ of Holmium:YAG energy was inserted into the endoscope. Due to the low amount of energy, the pectinate ligaments were inconsistently cut. The specimens were examined with a dissecting microscope, fixed in formalin, and processed for light microscopy. A thin endoscope allows intraoperative examination of anterior segment structures when a cloudy cornea is present. Therefore, it may become a useful instrument for performing a goniotomy in primary infantile glaucoma when direct visualization of the anterior chamber angle is not possible with a goniotomy lens.
Learning and innovation paths in East Asia

A close look at the industrialization processes in East Asia reveals that learning and innovation (L&I) activities became the building blocks of their economic growth and international competitiveness. This article explores the micro-dynamics of knowledge-based economies and analyses the East Asian success stories from the perspective of learning and innovation (L&I) processes. It also develops a theoretical framework in order to understand how East Asian companies manage to overcome entry barriers into high-tech industries. When utilizing this approach in the interpretation of the ‘East Asian miracle’, some empirical regularities emerge, suggesting the existence of learning paths that define the systemic interactions, pace, and direction of learning and innovation activities.
Volumetric dimensional change of six direct core materials

Summary Objectives. This study evaluated the influence of water on the volumetric dimensional change of six direct placement core build-up materials by using Archimedes’ principle. Methods. The effect on dimensional change due to the setting reaction was determined through the use of a silicone oil storage medium. The materials used were two dual-cured resin composites (CoreStore and Build-It FR), two chemically activated resin composites (CorePaste and Ti-Core), one metal-reinforced glass ionomer cement (Ketac-Silver), and one resin-modified glass ionomer (Fuji II LC Core). Using the manufacturers’ instructions for each material, cylindrical specimens were prepared with dimensions of 7 ^ 0.1 mm in diameter and 2 ^ 0.1 mm in height. Each material had four groups ðn ¼ 5Þ based on storage conditions; silicone oil at 23 and 37 8C and distilled water at 23 and 37 8C. A 0.01 mg resolution balance was used to determine volumetric dimensional change using an Archimedean equation. Measurements were made 30 min after mixing, and at the time intervals of 1, 14, and 56 days. Results. All materials exhibited dimensional change. Ketac-Silver had the most shrinkage in silicone oil and Fuji II LC showed the highest expansion in distilled water. The glass ionomer materials showed more change than did any of the resin composite materials. Significance. Current direct placement core materials show variation in the amount of volumetric dimensional change seen over a period of 56 days. Q 2003 Academy of Dental Materials. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Structure−Activity Relationships of α-Ketooxazole Inhibitors of Fatty Acid Amide Hydrolase

A systematic study of the structure−activity relationships of 2b (OL-135), a potent inhibitor of fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH), is detailed targeting the C2 acyl side chain. A series of aryl replacements or substituents for the terminal phenyl group provided effective inhibitors (e.g., 5c, aryl = 1-napthyl, Ki = 2.6 nM), with 5hh (aryl = 3-ClPh, Ki = 900 pM) being 5-fold more potent than 2b. Conformationally restricted C2 side chains were examined, and many provided exceptionally potent inhibitors, of which 11j (ethylbiphenyl side chain) was established to be a 750 pM inhibitor. A systematic series of heteroatoms (O, NMe, S), electron-withdrawing groups (SO, SO2), and amides positioned within and hydroxyl substitutions on the linking side chain were investigated, which typically led to a loss in potency. The most tolerant positions provided effective inhibitors (12p, 6-position S, Ki = 3 nM, or 13d, 2-position OH, Ki = 8 nM) comparable in potency to 2b. Proteome-wide screening of selected inhibitors f...
Gender Differences in Individuals with Comorbid Alcohol Dependence and Post‐traumatic Stress Disorder

This study investigated gender differences in a sample of outpatient, treatment-seeking individuals (N = 84) with comorbid alcohol dependence and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Assessments included substance use severity, trauma history, PTSD symptomatology, and comorbid psychiatric disorders. Men reported an earlier age of onset of alcohol dependence, greater alcohol use intensity and craving, and more severe legal problems due to alcohol use. Women reported greater exposure to sexually related traumas, greater frequency and intensity of avoidance of trauma-related thoughts and feelings, and greater social impairment due to PTSD. Women were more likely than men to demonstrate higher rates of other anxiety disorders and test positive for cocaine at treatment entry. PTSD more often preceded alcohol dependence in women than in men. The results illustrate a number of gender differences that may shed light on etiologic models of comorbid alcohol dependence and PTSD.
Orientation-independent, nongeometric-mean measures of seismic intensity from two horizontal components of motion

Abstract New measures of spectral intensity based on the horizontal components of ground shaking are introduced. These new measures are independent of the in situ orientation of the recordings and encompass the full range of spectral amplitudes over all possible rotation angles. Unlike previously introduced measures that are also orientation independent, no geometric means are used in the computation of the new measures. The new measures based on fiftieth percentile values of the response spectra show small but systematic increases (to a factor of about 1.07 at a 10 sec period) compared to the comparable geometric-mean measure.
Application of integral equation and method of moments for electrically very large scatterers using spatial decomposition technique

The spatial decomposition technique is successfully implemented to analyze electromagnetic scattering by both two-dimensional and three-dimensional perfectly conducting and dielectric scatterers. Two canonical scattering cases are reported. Electromagnetic scattering by electrically large two-dimensional perfectly conducting thin strip scatterers is illustrated. The distribution of the bistatic radar cross section for a 10 lambda strip scatterer with transverse magnetic excitation is also given. The strip scatterer is divided into 10 subzones for implementation of the spatial decomposition technique. The spatial decomposition data for the first sweep are compared. Results of the monostatic radar cross section are given for the same scatterer, but with transverse electric excitation. Good agreement with the direct method-of-moments solution is also shown. >
DCTC: dynamic convoy tree-based collaboration for target tracking in sensor networks

Most existing work on sensor networks concentrates on finding efficient ways to forward data from the information source to the data centers, and not much work has been done on collecting local data and generating the data report. This paper studies this issue by proposing techniques to detect and track a mobile target. We introduce the concept of dynamic convoy tree-based collaboration, and formalize it as a multiple objective optimization problem which needs to find a convoy tree sequence with high tree coverage and low energy consumption. We propose an optimal solution which achieves 100% coverage and minimizes the energy consumption under certain ideal situations. Considering the real constraints of a sensor network, we propose several practical implementations: the conservative scheme and the prediction-based scheme for tree expansion and pruning; the sequential and the localized reconfiguration schemes for tree reconfiguration. Extensive experiments are conducted to compare the practical implementations and the optimal solution. The results show that the prediction-based scheme outperforms the conservative scheme and it can achieve similar coverage and energy consumption to the optimal solution. The experiments also show that the localized reconfiguration scheme outperforms the sequential reconfiguration scheme when the node density is high, and the trend is reversed when the node density is low.
Laser-induced ionization and intrinsic breakdown of wide band-gap solids

A simple scaling of bulk laser-induced breakdown threshold for wide band-gap solids is derived on the basis of a recent modification of the Keldysh photo-ionization model [43, 46]. Contrary to most traditional models, the modification is based on rigorous energy dependence of reduced effective electron–hole mass. The dependence leads to a specific ionization regime with an extremely high ionization rate resulting in intensive generation of conduction-band electrons. The regime is characterized by a well-determined threshold intensity that is proposed to be associated with the threshold of bulk intrinsic laser-induced breakdown (LIB) by visible and near-infra-red laser radiation. That allows deriving dependence of LIB threshold on laser and material parameters. The presented model provides explanation for the experimental results on LIB thresholds that have not received theoretical interpretation. In particular, it reproduces empirical dependence of breakdown threshold on the average inter-atomic spacing derived from the experimental data. The LIB threshold evaluated from the presented model is very close to experimental data on bulk LIB by tightly focused beams in wide band-gap solids.
Preserving Communities in Anonymized Social Networks

Social media and social networks are embedded in our society to a point that could not have been imagined only ten years ago. Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter are already well known social networks that have a large audience in all age groups. The amount of data that those social sites gather from their users is continually increasing and this data is very valuable for marketing, research, and various other purposes. At the same time, this data usually contain a significant amount of sensitive information which should be protected against unauthorized disclosure. To protect the privacy of individuals, this data must be anonymized such that the risk of re-identification of specific individuals is very low. In this paper we study if anonymized social networks preserve existing communities from the original social networks. To perform this study, we introduce two approaches to measure the community preservation between the initial network and its anonymized version. In the first approach we simply count how many nodes from the original communities remained in the same community after the processes of anonymization and de-anonymization. In the second approach we consider the community preservation for each node individually. Specifically, for each node, we compare the original and final communities to which the node belongs. To anonymize social networks we use two models, namely, k-anonymity for social networks and k-degree anonymity. To determine communities in social networks we use an existing community detection algorithm based on modularity quality function. Our experiments on publically available datasets show that anonymized social networks satisfactorily preserve the community structure of their original networks.
Early initiation of antiretroviral therapy for infection with human immunodeficiency virus: considerations in 1996.

In this AIDS Commentary, Dr. Nadler provides a rationale for early initiation of antiretroviral therapy in patients infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Although no definitive clinical trials have been published that are relevant to the question of whether early treatment will produce long-term benefit, many experienced investigators believe that early reduction in the level of viral replication will effectively prolong clinical latency of the infection and immunologic stability. A second question is that of the best combination of antiretroviral agents to be used for early treatment of HIV infection. A third issue is whether initial therapy should be continued until there is evidence of virological, immunologic, or clinical progression of disease, or alternatively, whether a course of induction therapy with the most potent combination of agents should be followed by a treatment-free period or by less-aggressive maintenance therapy. These issues will continue to be debated over the next several months. Dr. Nadler's review is timely, and it is a useful statement of the questions to be answered regarding treatment of early HIV infection.
Shape of a liquid metal ion source

A model of the liquid-metal ion-source shape consisting of a jet-like protrusion on the end of a Taylor cone shape is shown to be consistent with a field evaporation mechanism of ion formation, fluid dynamic considerations, space charge effects and recent TEM observations. The diameter of the ion emitting area is found to be only a few tens of A. Self-consistent numerical calculations of electric potential and particle trajectories predict emission characteristics which compare favorably with experimental results.
Experimental and numerical characterizations of flexural behavior of VARTM-infused composite sandwich structures

Experimental and numerical characterizations of sandwich materials are required to fully exploit the benefits offered by these materials and efficiently design them. In this study, the flexural beh...
Fatigue Crack Growth and Fracture Toughness in Bimodal Al 5083

The fatigue crack growth rates and fracture toughness of bulk nanocrystalline Al 5083 having a bimodal grain size distribution were investigated. The nanocrystalline powders were prepared by mechanically ball milling spray atomized Al 5083 powders in liquid nitrogen. This nanocrystalline powder was blended with 50 wt% spray atomized large grained Al 5083 powders. The blended powder was then cold pressed, degassed, and extruded into rods. The bimodal Al 5083 thus produced consists of nanocrystalline grain bands and coarse grain bands. While the yield strength of the bimodal Al 5083 is about 25% lower than that of the all nanocrystalline Al 5083, its tensile ductility is almost 50% greater. In addition, the fracture toughness of the bimodal material is about 85% higher than that of the all nanocrystalline counterpart. Fatigue crack growth rates of bimodal Al 5083 are about 30% lower than those of all nanocrystalline Al 5083. The lower fatigue crack growth rates are accompanied by more tortuous crack paths when the crack propagated through the coarse grain regions in the bimodal Al 5083.
MEF2C-MYOCD and Leiomodin1 Suppression by miRNA-214 Promotes Smooth Muscle Cell Phenotype Switching in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.

Background Vascular hyperproliferative disorders are characterized by excessive smooth muscle cell (SMC) proliferation leading to vessel remodeling and occlusion. In pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), SMC phenotype switching from a terminally differentiated contractile to synthetic state is gaining traction as our understanding of the disease progression improves. While maintenance of SMC contractile phenotype is reportedly orchestrated by a MEF2C-myocardin (MYOCD) interplay, little is known regarding molecular control at this nexus. Moreover, the burgeoning interest in microRNAs (miRs) provides the basis for exploring their modulation of MEF2C-MYOCD signaling, and in turn, a pro-proliferative, synthetic SMC phenotype. We hypothesized that suppression of SMC contractile phenotype in pulmonary hypertension is mediated by miR-214 via repression of the MEF2C-MYOCD-leiomodin1 (LMOD1) signaling axis. Methods and Results In SMCs isolated from a PAH patient cohort and commercially obtained hPASMCs exposed to hypoxia, miR-214 expression was monitored by qRT-PCR. miR-214 was upregulated in PAH- vs. control subject hPASMCs as well as in commercially obtained hPASMCs exposed to hypoxia. These increases in miR-214 were paralleled by MEF2C, MYOCD and SMC contractile protein downregulation. Of these, LMOD1 and MEF2C were directly targeted by the miR. Mir-214 overexpression mimicked the PAH profile, downregulating MEF2C and LMOD1. AntagomiR-214 abrogated hypoxia-induced suppression of the contractile phenotype and its attendant proliferation. Anti-miR-214 also restored PAH-PASMCs to a contractile phenotype seen during vascular homeostasis. Conclusions Our findings illustrate a key role for miR-214 in modulation of MEF2C-MYOCD-LMOD1 signaling and suggest that an antagonist of miR-214 could mitigate SMC phenotype changes and proliferation in vascular hyperproliferative disorders including PAH.
Telecommunications Operation Mode in the Age of the Internet

The Internet is one of the best practices of NGN. One objective of NGN is to change the telecommunications network from monopolistic and closed to competitive and open. The network service provider offers good quality, cheap and colorful business for users. A traditional carrier will gradually evolve into an Internet access provider, not directly involved in the particular business. In the future, business will become the most important part of the network; meanwhile, the telecommunications industry will be integrated with consumption, entertainment, shopping and other active industries. There will be an open, distributed, soundly operating and multi-beneficial ecosystem. Under the win-win pattern, users will be the biggest beneficiaries.
Obesity and breast cancer

Obesity is a growing health problem in the United States and, increasingly, around the world. Excess body weight has been linked to an increased risk of postmenopausal breast cancer, and growing evidence also suggests that obesity is associated with poor prognosis in women diagnosed with early-stage breast cancer. Dozens of studies demonstrate that women who are overweight or obese at the time of breast cancer diagnosis are at increased risk of cancer recurrence and death compared with leaner women, and some evidence suggests that women who gain weight after breast cancer diagnosis may also be at increased risk of poor outcomes. In this review, we describe the evidence linking obesity to breast cancer recurrence, discuss the potential biological mechanisms through which weight could impact breast cancer prognosis, and review the weight-loss intervention studies that have been performed in breast cancer populations to date.
A valid assessment of students’ skill in determining relationships on evolutionary trees

Evolutionary trees illustrate relationships among taxa. Interpreting these relationships requires developing a set of “tree-thinking” skills that are typically included in introductory college biology courses. One of these skills is determining relationships among taxa using the most recent common ancestor, yet many students instead use one or more alternate strategies to determine relationships. Several alternate strategies have been well documented and these include using superficial similarity, proximity at the tips of a tree, or the fewest intervening nodes in the tree to group taxa. We administered interviews (n = 16) and pencil-and-paper questionnaires (n = 205), and constructed a valid and reliable assessment that measured how well students determined relationships among taxa on an evolutionary tree. Our questions asked students to consider a focal taxon and identify which of two additional taxa is most closely related to it. We paired the use of most recent common ancestor with one of three alternative strategies (i.e., similarity, proximity, or node-counting) to explicitly test students’ understanding of the relationships among the taxa on each tree. Our assessment enables us to identify students who are effectively distracted by an alternative strategy, those who use the most recent common ancestor inconsistently, or who are guessing in order to determine relationships among taxa. Our 18-question tool (see Additional file 1) can be used for formative assessment of student understanding of how to interpret relationships on evolutionary trees. Because our assessment tests for the same skill throughout, students who answer incorrectly, even once, likely have an incomplete understanding of how to determine relationships on evolutionary trees and should receive follow-up instruction.
The ACM Java libraries: post-conference workshop

The ACM established the Java Task Force (JTF) to address problems arising from the complexity and evolving nature of Java when used in introductory programming courses. The work of the JTF committee resulted in a collection of Java-based resources which simplifies the teaching and learning of computer science.
Concepts of God, Scripture, and Revelation: The Meanings of “Divine Inspiration”

The subject of this chapter, addressing what perhaps are the most fundamental questions of all, is encountered for many of us in the context of the standing of the Scriptures in coming to know “God's Will.” For that reason, we begin with some half-dozen responses to the question, What does the avowal of “divine inspiration” mean in that context? The final paragraphs of George Steiner's “Preface to the Hebrew Bible” briefly and powerfully describe the dichotomous choice that the assertion of divine inspiration typically presents, but immediately goes on to question that dichotomy in words as eloquent as they are succinct. I know of no better introduction to this subject. However, one cannot long consider the question of the Scriptures without coming to grips with the underlying questions, how do religious traditions understand “God” and our relation to God? The remainder of the chapter attempts to open both questions, by illustrating the variety of responses within and between different traditions. A PREFACE TO THE HEBREW BIBLE GEORGE STEINER No Passion Spent: Essays 1978–1995 (1996) Our poetry, drama, fiction would be unrecognizable if we omitted the continuous presence of the Bible. The centrality of the biblical is most obvious in English-language literatures. [I]n the literatures of English, at home and as a global medium, the kinship with the biblical, as it began with the Anglo-Saxons and with Chaucer, as it informed Donne, Milton, Blake, Melville, T. S. Eliot and so many others, continues. But is the Bible literature? However rudimentary one's preface to a reading of Scripture, this vexing question cannot be avoided. Two antithetical answers have been declared.
Mobile exergaming: exergames on the go

Exergames combine exercising with game play by requiring the users to perform some kind of physical activity (and exercise) in order to score points in the game. In this paper, we present mobile exergames that are affordable, fun, ubiquitous, and most importantly portable allowing the players to carry exergames with them wherever they go. Our mobile exergames need two pieces of portable equipment - a smartphone (with an in-built camera, accelerometer and gyroscope) and an ExerPad (custom designed Exercising Pad consisting of various shapes and colors). While playing the proposed exergame on smartphone, the user is required to physically move on ExerPad in order to score points in the game. The experimental results show that the proposed mobile exergames help users to move and burn calories while having fun at the same time.
Engaging Fathers in Effective Parenting for Preschool Children Using Shared Book Reading: A Randomized Controlled Trial

Engaging fathers and improving their parenting and, in turn, outcomes for their children in preventive/promotion-focused parenting interventions has been a notable, but understudied, challenge in the field. This study evaluated the effects of a novel intervention, Fathers Supporting Success in Preschoolers: A Community Parent Education Program, which focuses on integrating behavioral parent training with shared book reading (i.e., Dialogic Reading) using key conceptual models (i.e., common elements, deployment model, task shifting) to engage and improve father (i.e., male guardians) and child outcomes. One hundred twenty-six low-income, Spanish-speaking fathers and their children were recruited across three Head Start centers in urban communities and were randomized to the intervention or to a waitlist control condition. Outcomes were obtained before and immediately postintervention and included observed and father-reported parenting and child behaviors, standardized assessments of language, and father self-reported parental stress and depressive symptoms. Attendance data were also collected as a proxy measure of engagement to the intervention. Parenting behaviors (observed and father-reported), child behaviors (father-reported), and language development of the children in the intervention group improved significantly relative to those in the waitlist control condition. Effect sizes (ESs) were in the small to large range across outcomes. Fathers can be engaged in parenting interventions, resulting in improved parent and child outcomes. Greater attention must be given to methods for maximizing parenting within a family and toward developing effective, engaging, and sustainable intervention models for fathers.
Heat-Shock Protein Signature Is Associated with Refractory Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Cells From Different In Vivo Microenvironments,

Abstract 3866 Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia (CLL) is a monoclonal B-cell disorder with accumulation of leukemic cells in peripheral blood, bone marrow and lymphoid organs. It presents with a heterogeneous clinical course. Many patients survive long periods of time without any need for treatment, whereas other patients show resistance to treatment or relapse soon after administration of therapy. Although some prognostic markers such as mutational status of immunoglobulin variable heavy chain, chromosomal abnormalities, CD38 levels, or ZAP-70 expression may help predict at initial diagnosis which patients will have more aggressive disease, the exact factors that can determine chances of remission in CLL are still not clear, making treatment challenging. Furthermore, CLL remains an incurable disease, necessitating a way for controlling its progression. Identifying novel molecular signatures associated with refractory CLL disease may help devise targeted treatment strategies and thus may prolong survival times and prevent the progression of CLL in relapsed patients. Considering this, we performed gene expression profiling (GEP) on peripheral blood (PB), bone marrow (BM) and lymph node (LN) samples collected at the time of diagnosis. We divided CLL samples into 3 groups based on their response to treatment; i) Stable CLL group: asymptomatic patients requiring no treatment, ii) Treated but stable CLL group: patients required treatment but had stable disease for at least one year after the end of the treatment cycle, and iii) Relapsed CLL: patients who relapsed within a year of end of the treatment cycle. Significance analysis of microarray (SAM) revealed that the heat-shock protein (HSP) signature (HSJ2, HSP70, HSP90, HSP60, HSP10, HSP 105, HSP40, HSP27, HSPA2, HSJ1, HSF4, HSPCA), BCR signaling pathway (JUN, NFATC4, NFKBIE, PPP3CB, TRAF3, CD81, CCT4), activation markers (CD81, CD83) and MMPs (MMP3, MMP9) were overexpressed in relapsed PB-CLL (n=3) compared to stable PB-CLL (n=6) and treated but stable PB-CLL (n=10). Overexpression of heat-shock protein signature genes were further observed in additional relapsed PB-CLL (n=6) group compared to other two PB-CLL (n=22) group. Interestingly, the HSP signature was consistently overexpressed in relapsed BM-CLL (n=6) and LN-CLL (n=12) compared to stable and treated but stable BM-CLL (n=11) and LN-CLL (n=3) groups. HSPs are considered chaperones of tumorigenesis and known to enhance survival, migration, and proliferation of tumor cells which may contribute to relapse in patients. Furthermore, the HSPs genes (HSP90 and HSP70) were significantly overexpressed in LN-CLL as compared to PB-CLL which implies important role of the microenviroment in rendering CLL refractory. To investigate the link between the expression of the individual genes with the aggressiveness of the disease, Kaplan-Meier log-rank tests were performed. We found that the higher expression of HSP90A, HSP90B, HSJ, and MMP9 were significantly (p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.