cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The role of laparoscopy in the management of suspected recurrent pediatric hernias.

Abstract Background: This report examines recurrent pediatric groin hernias and the role of diagnostic laparoscopy in the management of these recurrences. Methods: A chart review of 19 children presenting with recurrent hernias was performed, analyzing the type of primary hernia, nature of recurrence, preexisting medical conditions, surgical complications at primary repair, and time to recurrence. Diagnostic laparoscopy (DL) was used during the remedial repair of the last nine patients. Results: Seventeen indirect hernias were repaired during the primary repair, and 1 femoral hernia was identified. In one child, no inguinal hernia was identified at the initial operation. Overall, 11 recurrences were found to consist of indirect sacs, and 4 were found to have attenuation of the inguinal floor. Four additional recurrences were found to be femoral hernias. In only 1 patient was a wound factor (infection) thought to play a role in the recurrence. Diagnostic laparoscopy in 9 patients found 4 (44%) to have unsuspected intraoperative findings. Four femoral hernias were identified (3 with unsuspected contralateral femoral hernias). Additionally, 1 unsuspected recurrence of an indirect sac was identified. Conclusions: Laparoscopy accurately identifies the nature of the defect in children with recurrent groin hernias, detecting unsuspected contralateral indirect, direct, or femoral hernias in 44% of those undergoing laparoscopy. J Pediatr Surg 35:1205-1208. This is a US government work. There are no restrictions on its use.
Gas–gas equilibria—From Van der Waals to Ulrich Franck

Abstract The experimental work of Ulrich Franck and his collaborators on phase separation in binary aqueous mixtures of gases at high pressures and temperatures is summarized and placed against the background of the school of Van der Waals, Van Laar and Kamerlingh Onnes in The Netherlands, who performed the first theoretical and experimental studies of such systems around 1900. They discovered and explained critical curves that run to high pressure, as well as gas–gas phase separation and barotropy. The Dutch School demonstrated that a Van der Waals model with weak mutual attraction between the two components readily produces these types of phase behavior. Likewise, Franck and Heilig's modern molecular-based model represents semi-quantitatively, and with few adjustable parameters, the large variety of supercritical aqueous mixtures studied by Franck and coworkers in the second half of the 20th century.
Benchtop Nanoscale Patterning Using Soft Lithography

This paper outlines several benchtop nanoscale patterning experiments that can be incorporated into undergraduate laboratories or advanced high school chemistry curricula. The experiments, supplemented by an online video lab manual, are based on soft lithographic techniques such as replica molding, micro-molding in capillaries, and micro-contact printing and etching. These simple labs were designed using readily available and inexpensive materials such as compact discs, glass microscope slides, and curable polymers. In these labs, students could generate polymeric and metallic structures with feature sizes as small as 110 nm. The feasibility of these experiments was tested in a two-quarter, research-based course on nanoscience and technology for first- and second-year students at Northwestern University.
Carbon deposition over transition metal alloys—II. Kinetics of deposition over 〈FeNi〉 and 〈FeCo〉 alloy foils

The effects of 〈FeNi〉 and 〈FeCo〉 alloy composition on the deposition of filamentous carbon was investigated. This was accomplished by comparing the relative rates of carbon formation over pure Fe, Ni, and Co foils along with their respective carbide(s), to those over 〈FeNi〉 and 〈FeCo〉 alloys and the associated metal phases. It was observed that the heat treatment to which a foil is subjected prior to carbon-depositing conditions can affect the rate of carbon deposition. Heat treatment causes grain nucleation and growth, decreases internal stresses, as well as allowing dislocation migration. These changes within the foil inhibit subsequent carbide formation, decreasing the rate of surface break-up, leading to longer induction periods. Alloy foils ranging from pure Fe to either pure Ni or Co were exposed to a reaction gas having an aC of 10. This aC is sufficiently high to favor solid carbon deposition and, depending on the alloy concentration, ≤ 50 wt% Ni in 〈FeNi〉, or ≤ 35 wt% for Co in 〈FeCo〉 alloys, Fe3C is thermodynamically favored to form at these conditions. For the 〈FeNi〉 system it was determined that when iron carbides are among the thermodynamically favored solid phases, the rate of carbon deposition was high (75 to 100 μg/cm2/min). If iron carbides were not favored then the rate was low, <30 and <5 μg/cm2/min for 〈FeNi〉 and Ni3C, 〈FeNi〉, respectively. Also, 〈FeCo〉 alloys near 45 wt% Co were exposed to various gas mixtures with aCs ranging from ≈ 10 to ≈35. It was determined that when iron carbides are among the thermodynamically favored solid phases, the rate of carbon deposition was high (80 to 100 /μg/cm2/min). If iron carbides were not favored, then the rate was significantly lower, <30 and < 10 μg/cm2 min for 〈FeCo〉 and Co2C, 〈FeCo〉, respectively. If the 〈FeCo〉 alloy foils were preoxidized then the rate of carbon deposition increased. For the 〈FeCo〉 system the increased rates of carbon deposition are attributed to an increase in the surface area of the “catalyst” as Fe3C forms and breaks up the foil's surface.
Microglial dysfunction in brain aging and Alzheimer's disease

Microglia, the immune cells of the central nervous system, have long been a subject of study in the Alzheimer's disease (AD) field due to their dramatic responses to the pathophysiology of the disease. With several large-scale genetic studies in the past year implicating microglial molecules in AD, the potential significance of these cells has become more prominent than ever before. As a disease that is tightly linked to aging, it is perhaps not entirely surprising that microglia of the AD brain share some phenotypes with aging microglia. Yet the relative impacts of both conditions on microglia are less frequently considered in concert. Furthermore, microglial "activation" and "neuroinflammation" are commonly analyzed in studies of neurodegeneration but are somewhat ill-defined concepts that in fact encompass multiple cellular processes. In this review, we have enumerated six distinct functions of microglia and discuss the specific effects of both aging and AD. By calling attention to the commonalities of these two states, we hope to inspire new approaches for dissecting microglial mechanisms.
Prenotification and industrial survey responses

Abstract This study focuses on a test of two methods for enhancing response to mail surveys directed at a business population of industrial marketing executives. It investigates the relationship of various factors on response rates, response speed, and response completion. The factors manipulated are prenotification of respondents and the use of commitment cards as a “foot-in-the-door” mechanism. Even though the foot-in-the-door phenomenon is confirmed, its use via commitment cards in mail survey research leads to reduced response rates and increased costs. The use of prenotification leads to increased response rates, but those are accompanied by decreased response speed. The study also estimates the respondent delegation rate, or deflection rate, and investigates some differences in types of deflection.
OTK18, a zinc-finger protein, regulates human immunodeficiency virus type 1 long terminal repeat through two distinct regulatory regions

It has previously been shown by our laboratory that OTK18, a human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-inducible zinc-finger protein, reduces progeny-virion production in infected human macrophages. OTK18 antiviral activity is mediated through suppression of Tat-induced HIV-1 long terminal repeat (LTR) promoter activity. Through the use of LTR-scanning mutant vectors, the specific regions responsible for OTK18-mediated LTR suppression have been defined. Two different LTR regions were identified as potential OTK18-binding sites by an enhanced DNA-transcription factor ELISA system; the negative-regulatory element (NRE) at -255/-238 and the Ets-binding site (EBS) at -150/-139 in the LTR. In addition, deletion of the EBS in the LTR blocked OTK18-mediated LTR suppression. These data indicate that OTK18 suppresses LTR activity through two distinct regulatory elements. Spontaneous mutations in these regions might enable HIV-1 to escape from OTK18 antiretroviral activity in human macrophages.
Microleakage of Three Cement Bases

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the ability of a glass-ionomer cement-base material to prevent bacterial penetration along the dentin interface and to compare it with two conventional cement-base materials. A total of 107 Class 5 restorations was placed in Rhesus monkey teeth by means of three test materials [zinc oxide-eugenol (ZOE), copalite varnish + zinc phosphate cement base (V + ZP), and a glass-ionomer lining cement (GI)], with unetched and unbonded resin composite used alone as a control material and as a final restoration over the test base materials. Following disinfection, Class 5 cavities were prepared on the buccal surfaces of the teeth to the inner one-half of dentin. A sterile filter-paper disk was then placed on the axial wall and covered with a Teflon disk. Next, the cavities were based to the dento-enamel junction with one of the test base materials and finally restored with unetched and unbonded resin composite. After five and 16 weeks, the filter-paper disks were retrieved and cultivated for the presence and type of bacteria. The five-week results showed positive growth in two groups: the composite-only controls and the V + ZP group. The 16-week results showed growth in all of the test groups, but only one of nine teeth showed growth in the zinc oxide-eugenol group and one of 16 teeth in the glass-ionomer group. The results of this study indicate that under the conditions tested, a glass-ionomer base was capable of minimizing bacterial penetration along the material-tooth interface.
Energy dependence of high-energy K conversion coefficients

Abstract The K conversion coefficients for the 1–9 MeV region of the 113Cd(n, γ)114Cd γ-ray spectrum are obtained by combining the Ge-diode analysis of the (n, γ) spectrum with the conversion-electron intensities from the previously published work of von Egidy and Kaiser. The K conversion coefficient was found to depend on the γ-ray energy as Eγ−1.96 for the E1 radiation and as Eγ−2.18 for the M1. Contrary to the suggestion from extrapolating the theoretical calculation, the values of the E1 and M1 conversion coefficients do not cross at high energies; at 9 MeV they still differ in the ratio of 1.7:1.0.
Laser Repair Of Transparent Microfaults In IC Photomasks

A laser direct writing method based on the pyrolysis of a thin solid state organometallic film for repairing transparent defects in pholomasks has been developed. The film is applied using standard photoresist spin-coating techniques and a focused Ar laser beam is used to locally decompose the metallo organic coating. This technique is capable of generating submicron opaque metallic features under ambient atmosphere conditions. Experimental results as well as limitinp factors are discussed.
Use of goodness-of-fit procedures in high dimensional testing

It is increasingly common in functional data analysis that inference is carried out using some form of goodness-of-fit test, such as the adaptive Neyman (AN) test of Fan [Fan, J., 1996, Journal of the American Statistical Association, 91, 674–688.], or a test incorporating any of a variety of selection diagnostics such as Akaike's information criterion (AIC) and Bayesian information criterion. These procedures as well as weighted versions of the classical χ2 test are examined by power simulation in the context of functional data analysis. It is seen that the AN test exhibits good properties consistently across a range of dimensionalities and configurations of the alternative. Certain tests based on AIC are found to exhibit comparable performance at moderate dimensionalities. Weighted χ2 tests are seen to exhibit very good properties in specific scenarios, but appear extremely sensitive to the shape of the alternative.
Particle-in-cell simulations with charge-conserving current deposition on graphic processing units

We present an implementation of a 2D fully relativistic, electromagnetic particle-in-cell code, with charge-conserving current deposition, on parallel graphics processors (GPU) with CUDA. The GPU implementation achieved a one particle-step process time of 2.52ns for cold plasma runs and 9.15ns for extremely relativistic plasma runs, which are respectively 81 and 27 times faster than a single threaded state-of-art CPU code. A particle-based computation thread assignment was used in the current deposition scheme and write conflicts among the threads were resolved by a thread racing technique. A parallel particle sorting scheme was also developed and used. The implementation took advantage of fast on-chip shared memory, and can in principle be extended to 3D.
Antipsychotic medication treatment for mild hallucinations in Parkinson's disease: Positive impact on long-term worsening.

To test if antipsychotic medication treatment of Parkinson's disease (PD) patients with mild hallucinations and retained insight delays deterioration to delusions or hallucinations without insight. We identified subjects at the time they developed their first hallucination, based on documented progression in their UPDRS thought disorder (TD) score from 2 was 39 months in subjects on antipsychotic medication compared to 12 months in patients treated otherwise. Until randomized treatment trials provide definitive information, early antipsychotic medication treatment for mild hallucinations should be considered with the combined goal of improving current hallucinations and reducing risks of later deterioration.
Fourier–Bessel rotational invariant eigenimages

We present an efficient and accurate algorithm for principal component analysis (PCA) of a large set of two-dimensional images and, for each image, the set of its uniform rotations in the plane and its reflection. The algorithm starts by expanding each image, originally given on a Cartesian grid, in the Fourier–Bessel basis for the disk. Because the images are essentially band limited in the Fourier domain, we use a sampling criterion to truncate the Fourier–Bessel expansion such that the maximum amount of information is preserved without the effect of aliasing. The constructed covariance matrix is invariant to rotation and reflection and has a special block diagonal structure. PCA is efficiently done for each block separately. This Fourier–Bessel-based PCA detects more meaningful eigenimages and has improved denoising capability compared to traditional PCA for a finite number of noisy images.
Identification and cytogenetic localization of vitelline membrane messenger RNAs in Drosophila

Abstract During stages 9 and 10 of oogenesis in Drosophila the major proteins involved in vitelline membrane (VM) formation are synthesized and secreted by the somatic follicle cells surrounding the oocyte. To identify potential mRNAs involved in VM protein synthesis, newly synthesized poly(A)-containing RNA from egg chambers of different developmental stages was studied. Urea-agarose gel electrophoresis revealed two RNA bands in stage 10 egg chambers in the size range expected for those which encode the smaller VM proteins. These RNA bands, T1 and T2, are specifically enriched in stage 10 follicle cell preparations. In vitro translations in reticulocyte lysates in the absence and presence of microsomal membranes showed both RNA bands code for products that are synthesized in precursor forms which are processed to species that comigrate with VM proteins. T2 directed the synthesis of processed species that comigrated with the 23- to 24-kDa and 17.5-kDa VM proteins ( J. Fargnoli and G. L. Waring, 1982 , Dev. Biol. 92, 306–314) while the T1 translation product comigrated with the 14-kDa protein. To determine the cytogenetic location of the genes encoding T1 and T2 RNAs, radiolabeled T1 and T2 RNAs were hybridized in situ to salivary gland chromosomes. The results suggest that the structural genes coding for the small vitelline membrane proteins are localized at two sites on the second chromosome: 39DE and 42A.
Securitisation and Financial Stability

A widespread opinion before the credit crisis of 2007/8 was that securitisation enhances financial stability by dispersing credit risk. After the credit crisis, securitisation was blamed for allowing the ‘hot potato’ of bad loans to be passed to unsuspecting investors. Both views miss the endogeneity of credit supply. Securitisation enables credit expansion through higher leverage of the financial system as a whole. Securitisation by itself may not enhance financial stability if the imperative to expand assets drives down lending standards. The ‘hot potato’ of bad loans sits in the financial system on the balance sheets of large banks rather than being sold on to final investors, since the aim of financial intermediaries is to expand lending in order to utilise slack in balance sheet capacity.
Evaluation of WebEase: an epilepsy self-management Web site

People with epilepsy have various education needs and must adopt many self-management behaviors in order to control their condition. This study evaluates WebEase, an Internet-based, theory-driven, self-management program for adults with epilepsy. Thirty-five participants took part in a 6-week pilot implementation of WebEase. The main components of WebEase are My Log, a behavioral journal, and the Medication, Stress and Sleep Modules, which provide tailored information and feedback designed to prompt participants to assess their status with self-management behaviors, think about their behaviors and make a goal. In this article, we discuss the results of the feasibility, acceptability and usability assessments and the behavioral outcomes. The process results indicate that theoretical components that served as the program framework were successfully integrated into the program and that participants viewed WebEase as relevant, acceptable and easy to use. Additionally, participants showed some improvement in epilepsy self-management, adherence, sleep quality, self-efficacy and social support following the program. The initial results are encouraging and continued development of WebEase has the potential to facilitate education and self-management strategies among people with epilepsy.
US–Cuban Relations: Is There a Light at the End of the Tunnel?

U.S.–Cuban Cooperation Past, Present, and Future. By Melanie M. Ziegler Gainesville: University Press of Florida, 2007. 182 pp., $59.95 cloth (ISBN: 978-0-8130-3087-6). This excellent book is an important contribution to the literatures on US–Cuban relations, foreign policy analysis, international cooperation, and security studies. It tackles the neglected issue of US–Cuban collaboration in areas of mutual interest for both countries, such as illegal immigration, drug trafficking, managing tensions around Guantanamo Naval Base, and diminishing the danger of accidental war. The triangular relationship between US policymakers in Washington, the Cuban exiled community in Miami and the Cuban government underlies the persistence of the “Cuba problem” in US foreign policy. Many analysts believe that the continuation of the US economic embargo on trade with Cuba (imposed after the Cuban revolution in 1959) is an anachronism in the post-Cold War era, when the United States has normal relations with China and Vietnam and is negotiating the normalization of relations with North Korea. The refusal of the US government to seriously consider a normalization of relations with the Castro regime is greatly determined by the top-heavy influence of the Miami-based Cuban exiled community in US policymaking, which reinforces the hegemonic presumption (see Lowenthal 1976) in US policy toward the island and becomes an obstacle to consistently implement even mild confidence-building measures (CBMs) such as the migration agreements discussed in this book. The United States helped Cuba to become independent from Spain by winning the Spanish–American war of 1898, but Cuba soon became a US protectorate with the Platt Amendment to the 1903 treaty with the island, which gave the United States the right to intervene in Cuba to protect Cuban security. Since then, the United States has considered that it has a “natural right” to exercise hegemony in Cuba. The Cuban revolution in 1959, “challenged United States hegemony in the Western Hemisphere to an unprecedented degree” (Connell-Smith 1974:226) not only due to the revolutionary Cuban government's alignment …
Fine particle emission factors from vehicles in a highway tunnel: Effects of fleet composition and season

In-use, fuel-based motor vehicle emission factors were determined using measurements made in a highway tunnel in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. Concentrations Of PM2.5 mass, CO, CO2, and NO, were measured continuously. Filter-based measurements included PM2.5 mass, organic and elemental carbon (OC and EQ, inorganic ions and metals. Fuel-based emission factors for each pollutant were calculated using a fuel-carbon balance. The weekday traffic volume and fleet composition varied in a consistent diurnal pattern with the estimated fraction of fuel consumed by heavy-duty diesel ve ' hicle (HDDV) traffic ranging from 11% to 36%. The emission rate of most species showed a significant dependence on sample period. NOx, PM2.5, EC and OC emission factors were significantly larger during the early morning, truckdominated period. Emissions of particulate metals associated with brake wear (Cu, Sb, Ba and potentially Ga) were emitted at higher rates during the rush-hour period, which is characterized by slower, stop-and-go traffic. Emission rates of crustal elements (Fe, Ca, Mg, Li), Zn and Mn were highest during the early-morning period when there was more heavytruck traffic. A seasonal shift in average OC/EC ratio for the rush-hour period was observed; fall and summer OC/EC ratios are 1.0+0.6 and 0.26+0.06, respectively. Potential causes for this shift are increased partitioning of semi-volatile organic compounds into the gas phase during the summer months and/or effects of seasonal changes in fuel formulation. Emission factors for HDDV and light-duty vehicles (LDV) classes were estimated using a linear regression of emission factor as a function of fleet composition. The extrapolated emission factors generally agree with previously published measurements, though a substantial range in published values is noted. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Do Parents Blame or Doubt their Child More When Sexually Abused by Adolescents Versus Adults

Although the importance of parental support for child sexual abuse victims is well documented, the nature of parental support for victims sexually abused by adolescents is less understood. In this exploratory study, we examine whether parents differ in their levels of blame or doubt for their child when sexually abused by adolescents versus adults. Data included 161 reports of child sexual abuse. Parental blame toward their child was higher when sexually abused by an adolescent versus an adult suspect. In the bivariate and multivariate analysis, parental blame was significantly higher as victim age increased, for Black, non-Hispanic children, and when there was an adolescent suspect. Practitioners need to recognize that high levels of blame and doubt could exist for adolescent victims of sexual abuse and when children are sexually abused by adolescents.
Texture of cooked potato II.—Relationships between intercellular adhesion and chemical composition of the tuber†

In the variety Majestic, statistically significant relationships were found between intercellular adhesion and the levels of tuber starch, amylose, polyuronide, calcium and magnesium. It is suggested that the relationship between intercellular adhesion and a particular constituent may be modified by the levels of the other constituents. a mechanism is proposed for the action of amylose in influencing intercellular adhesion. the differences in intercellular adhesion, and in the levels of the various intrinsic factors, were produced by feeding plants different nutrient solutions (various chloride/nitrate ratios) or by maintaining different moisture regimes.
Using ontology fragments in concept location

Concept location is the process of locating relevant source code fragments where a change must be made. Concept location requires programmers' understanding of the program and their ability to formulate effective concept location queries. This research presents a systematic approach to query formulation that uses ontology fragments. Preliminary results of a case study demonstrate that only small, partial knowledge represented by small ontology fragments is needed for a successful concept location. The ontology fragments also document programmer learning that takes place during the concept location.
Individual differences in shifting decision criterion: a recognition memory study.

An ability to flexibly shift a decision criterion can be advantageous. For example, a known change in the base rate of targets and distractors on a recognition memory test will lead optimal decision makers to shift their criterion accordingly. In the present study, 95 individuals participated in two recognition memory tests that included periodic changes in the base rate probability that the test stimulus had been presented during the study session. The results reveal a wide variability in the tendency to shift decision criterion in response to this probability information, with some appropriately shifting and others not shifting at all. However, participants were highly reliable in their tendency to shift criterion across tests. The goal of the present study was to explain what factors account for these individual differences. To accomplish this, over 50 variables were assessed for each individual (e.g., personality, cognitive style, state of mind). Using a regression model that incorporated different sets of factors, over 50 % of the variance was accounted for. The results of the analysis describe the total, direct, and mediating effects on criterion shifting from factors that include memory strength, strategy, and inherent characteristics such as a fun-seeking personality, a negative affect, and military rank. The results are discussed with respect to understanding why participants rarely chose an optimal decision-making strategy and provide greater insight into the underlying mechanisms of recognition memory.
A laboratory study of baroclinic chaos on the f-plane

Laboratory experiments on the transition to chaos in a two-layer rotating fluid are described. The topography of the upper and lower bounding surfaces, and the rotation rate of the apparatus, are chosen so that the f-plane case of uniform basic potential vorticity in each layer is reproduced. Experiments are carried out in the near-critical single-wave region of parameter space where previous theory suggests a snap-through bifurcation from steady baroclinic waves to chaos. Instead, as the friction parameter is decreased past the curve of neutral stability of the axisymmetric basic state, we find several bifurcations before chaos is observed. The transition scenario includes successive limit cycles of doubled periods between the steady-wave and chaotic regions of parameter space. There is also evidence of ageostrophic behavior, even when the system Rossby number is less than 0.1. DOI: 10.1111/j.1600-0870.1985.tb00428.x
Walnuts and fatty fish influence different serum lipid fractions in normal to mildly hyperlipidemic individuals: a randomized controlled study

Background: Increased consumption of n―3 (omega-3) fatty acids decreases the incidence of coronary heart disease (CHD). Objective: The objective was to determine whether walnuts (plant n―3 fatty acid) and fatty fish (marine n―3 fatty acid) have similar effects on serum lipid markers at intakes recommended for primary prevention of CHD. Design: In a randomized crossover feeding trial, 25 normal to mildly hyperlipidemic adults consumed 3 isoenergetic diets (≈30% total fat and < 10% saturated fat) for 4 wk each: a control diet (no nuts or fish), a walnut diet (42.5 g walnuts/10.1 mJ), or a fish diet (113 g salmon, twice/wk). Fasting blood was drawn at baseline and at the end of each diet period and analyzed for serum lipids. Results: Serum total cholesterol and LDL cholesterol concentrations in adults who followed the walnut diet (4.87 ± 0.18 and 2.77 ± 0.15 mmol/L, respectively) were lower than in those who followed the control diet (5.14 ± 0.18 and 3.06 ± 0.15 mmol/L, respectively) and those who followed the fish diet (5.33 ± 0.18 and 3.2 ± 0.15 mmol/L, respectively; P < 0.0001). The fish diet resulted in decreased serum triglyceride and increased HDL-cholesterol concentrations (1.0 ± 0.11 and 1.23 ± 0.05 mmol/L, respectively) compared with the control diet (1.12 ± 0.11 and 1.19 ± 0.05 mmol/L, respectively) and the walnut diet (1.11 ± 0.11 mmol/L, P < 0.05, and 1.18 ± 0.05 mmol/L, P < 0.001, respectively). The ratios of total cholesterol :HDL cholesterol, LDL cholesterol:HDL cholesterol, and apolipoprotein B:apolipoprotein A-I were lower (P < 0.05) in those who followed the walnut diet compared with those who followed the control and fish diets. Conclusion: Including walnuts and fatty fish in a healthy diet lowered serum cholesterol and triglyceride concentrations, respectively, which affects CHD risk favorably.
MUTT: a watchdog for OSN applications

Services such as Facebook and Twitter host and disseminate data on behalf of billions of users. Because these services often manage personal data, they allow users to specify access policies controlling how their data is shared with others within the service. However, services also act as programming platforms, exporting users' data to third-party applications via remote APIs. Nearly all of these third-party applications execute on server infrastructure that is not controlled by the service. As a result, a service has no way to guarantee that data shared with a third-party application will be managed according to users' policies. Delegation protocols such as OAuth allow a user and service to confer or deny an application's right to access a data item, but once the item has been released there is no oversight of what the application does with it. In this paper, we present the design and implementation of a Multi-User Taint Tracker (MUTT), which ensures that third-party applications adhere to access policies defined by service users. We motivate MUTT's design by analyzing 170 Facebook apps and several services' Terms of Service, and demonstrate the feasibility of our design through experiments with a prototype implementation.
Expanding Verb Coverage in Cyc with VerbNet

A robust dictionary of semantic frames is an essential element of natural language understanding systems that use ontologies. However, creating lexical resources that accurately capture semantic representations en masse is a persistent problem. Where the sheer amount of content makes hand creation inefficient, computerized approaches often suffer from over generality and difficulty with sense disambiguation. This paper describes a semi-automatic method to create verb semantic frames in the Cyc ontology by converting the information contained in VerbNet into a Cyc usable format. This method captures the differences in meaning between types of verbs, and uses existing connections between WordNet, VerbNet, and Cyc to specify distinctions between individual verbs when available. This method provides 27,909 frames to OpenCyc which currently has none and can be used to extend ResearchCyc as well. We show that these frames lead to a 20% increase in sample sentences parsed over the Research Cyc verb lexicon.
Emergence of Xin demarcates a key innovation in heart evolution.

The mouse Xin repeat-containing proteins (mXinα and mXinβ) localize to the intercalated disc in the heart. mXinα is able to bundle actin filaments and to interact with β-catenin, suggesting a role in linking the actin cytoskeleton to N-cadherin/β-catenin adhesion. mXinα-null mouse hearts display progressively ultrastructural alterations at the intercalated discs, and develop cardiac hypertrophy and cardiomyopathy with conduction defects. The up-regulation of mXinβ in mXinα-deficient mice suggests a partial compensation for the loss of mXinα. To elucidate the evolutionary relationship between these proteins and to identify the origin of Xin, a phylogenetic analysis was done with 40 vertebrate Xins. Our results show that the ancestral Xin originated prior to the emergence of lamprey and subsequently underwent gene duplication early in the vertebrate lineage. A subsequent teleost-specific genome duplication resulted in most teleosts encoding at least three genes. All Xins contain a highly conserved β-catenin-binding domain within the Xin repeat region. Similar to mouse Xins, chicken, frog and zebrafish Xins also co-localized with β-catenin to structures that appear to be the intercalated disc. A putative DNA-binding domain in the N-terminus of all Xins is strongly conserved, whereas the previously characterized Mena/VASP-binding domain is a derived trait found only in Xinαs from placental mammals. In the C-terminus, Xinαs and Xinβs are more divergent relative to each other but each isoform from mammals shows a high degree of within-isoform sequence identity. This suggests different but conserved functions for mammalian Xinα and Xinβ. Interestingly, the origin of Xin ca. 550 million years ago coincides with the genesis of heart chambers with complete endothelial and myocardial layers. We postulate that the emergence of the Xin paralogs and their functional differentiation may have played a key role in the evolutionary development of the heart.
Role of the renin–angiotensin system in age-related sarcopenia and diastolic dysfunction

The purpose of this review is to describe how recent pharmacological and genetic studies have contributed to our understanding of the role of the renin–angiotensin system (RAS) in age-related sarcopenia and diastolic dysfunction. Treatment strategies are limited in the context of both of these conditions, although interventions, which include blockade of the RAS (using angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors and angiotensin-receptor blockers) are successful and lead to improvements in functional outcomes that are not necessarily mediated by hemodynamic effects of the drugs. Studies in animal models of sarcopenia and diastolic dysfunction point to ubiquitous effects of RAS blockade on multiple biological mechanisms, including inflammation, oxidative damage and metabolic dysregulation. Therefore, a re-evaluation of the use of these drugs in other conditions should be considered for maintaining functional independence in older individuals.
Relationships among Factual and Perceived Knowledge of Harms of Waterpipe Tobacco, Perceived Risk, and Desire to Quit among College Users

Waterpipe tobacco smoking is increasing in the United States among college students. Through a web-based survey, we explored associations among factual and perceived knowledge, perceived risks and worry about harm and addiction, and desire to quit among 316 college waterpipe tobacco smoking users. Overall, factual knowledge of the harm of waterpipe tobacco smoking was poor, factual and perceived knowledge was weakly correlated, both forms of knowledge were related inconsistently to perceived risks and worry, and neither form of knowledge was associated with the desire to quit. Findings provide preliminary insights as to why knowledge gaps may not predict cessation among waterpipe users.
The prevalence of carotid artery stenosis in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction.

Abstract Background: Coronary artery disease occurs frequently in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction, and it has been presumed that internal carotid artery occlusive disease is also common. This has led to the practice of screening for and repairing significant carotid lesions in asymptomatic patients prior to aortic reconstruction. The purpose of this study was to determine the true prevalence of internal carotid artery disease in these patients. Methods: The records of 240 patients who underwent duplex ultrasound screening for carotid artery disease prior to aortic reconstruction were reviewed. Surgery was performed for aortic aneurysm (AA) or aorto-iliac occlusive disease (AO). The prevalence of hyperlipidemia and coronary artery disease was similar between the two groups, but tobacco use, hypertension, and diabetes mellitus differed. Results: Internal carotid artery stenosis ≥50% occurred in 26.7% of the total group (64 of 240 cases). Stenosis ≥50% was more common in the AO group (40 of 101 cases, 39.6%) than the AA group (24 of 139 cases, 17.3%, P = 0.0001). Severe disease (70% to 99%) was also more common in the AO group than the AA group (9.9% versus 3.6%, P = 0.0464). Conclusion: Internal carotid artery disease occurs commonly in patients undergoing aortic reconstruction, and screening is worthwhile. Significant disease is more common in patients with aorto-iliac occlusive disease than in those with aortic aneursym, although atherosclerotic risk factors occur with varying frequency in the two groups. These findings suggest that additional factors may contribute to the higher prevalence of internal carotid artery stenosis in aorto-iliac occlusive disease.
Retroviral Insertional Mutagenesis in Mouse Models of Leukemia and Lymphoma

Leukemia and lymphoma are cancers derived from cellular elements of the hematopoietic system. While they make up a minority of human cancer morbidity and mortality, the study of these cancers has illuminated many important aspects of cancer development and biology. In fact, the leukemias and lymphomas are among the best-studied and well understood types of cancer from a genetic perspective. In part, this may derive from the fact that these types of cancer are highly amenable to study using models in which mice are chronically infected with a retrovirus so as to induce or accelerate the disease. In this chapter, I have briefly reviewed the long and rich history of cancer studies using the murine leukemia viruses (MLV). Special attention has been paid to the replication competent MLV that typically cause cancer after a long latency and via insertional mutagenesis. This is followed by a discussion of the limitations of these models and suggestions for future work.
The NSR processor

The NSR processor is a general-purpose computer structured as a collection of self-timed blocks. These blocks operate concurrently and cooperate by communicating with other blocks using self-timed communication protocols. The blocks that make up the NSR processor correspond to standard synchronous pipeline stages such as instruction fetch, instruction decode, execute, memory interface and register file, but each operates concurrently as a separate self-timed process. In addition to being internally self-timed, the units are decoupled through self-timed first-in first-out (FIFO) queues between each of the units which allows a high degree of overlap in instruction execution. Branches, jumps, and memory accesses are also decoupled through the use of additional FIFO queues which can hide the execution latency of these instructions. A prototype implementation of the NSR processor has been constructed using Actel FPGAs (field programmable gate arrays). >
COIN-GPS: indoor localization from direct GPS receiving

Due to poor signal strength, multipath effects, and limited on-device computation power, common GPS receivers do not work indoors. This work addresses these challenges by using a steerable, high-gain directional antenna as the front-end of a GPS receiver along with a robust signal processing step and a novel location estimation technique to achieve direct GPS-based indoor localization. By leveraging the computing power of the cloud, we accommodate longer signals for acquisition, and remove the requirement of decoding timestamps or ephemeris data from GPS signals. We have tested our system in 31 randomly chosen spots inside five single-story, indoor environments such as stores, warehouses and shopping centers. Our experiments show that the system is capable of obtaining location fixes from 20 of these spots with a median error of less than 10 m, where all normal GPS receivers fail.
NORTHWEST EUROPE IN THE NINTH CENTURY; ITS GEOGRAPHY IN LIGHT OF THE POLYPTYQUES

ABSTRACT During the ninth century a number of monasteries in Northwestern Europe compiled inventories, or polyptyques, of their estates. Eight such polyptques are here examined for the light which they throw on the human geography of the area at this time, including types of rural settlement, kinds of field systems, and varieties of crops. Some of the regional characteristics which have been prominent in more recent times are found to have been taking shape at this time, and movement and commerce are seen to have been greater than has sometimes been supposed.
Pre-settlement processes of northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra) in relation to interannual variability in the Gulf of Alaska

Abstract Understanding the effects of climate variability on growth dynamics and timing of early life history events in marine fishes can provide insights into survival, recruitment and productivity. We examined interannual variation in indicators of larval growth rates, size at hatch and metamorphosis, and the timing of metamorphosis of northern rock sole (Lepidopsetta polyxystra) over 5 years in two nurseries at Kodiak Island, Alaska, USA. Variation in early life characteristics was quantified using laboratory-validated otolith structural analysis and related to water temperature and spring bloom dynamics in the Gulf of Alaska. Overall, results indicated that temperature contributed more to interannual variation in northern rock sole growth, size and phenology patterns than phytoplankton dynamics. Size at hatch was positively related to winter-spring spawning temperatures. Larval growth metrics were generally consistent with thermal effects as temperatures above 4 °C appear necessary, but are not sufficient to support rapid growth. Reflecting the cumulative effects of temperature, the timing of metamorphosis was related to both seasonal and interannual variation in temperature with earlier dates of metamorphosis in warmer years. Conversely, fish size at metamorphosis was similar across years, suggesting that the competency to metamorphose is related to attainment of a minimum size. These results demonstrate the important role of temperature in regulating early life history phenology of northern rock sole and suggest that temperature-driven phenological shifts may also influence the time of spawning and hatching.
Occupational exposures to lead–based paint in structural steel demolition and residential renovation work

Occupational exposures to lead are characterised for a number of different lead–based paint abatement techniques in two work settings: residential renovation and structural steel demolition. Exposure levels reported during heavy structural steel demolition work involving acetylene torch cutting, welding, and abrasive blasting can be more than 100 times greater than the permissible exposure limit (PEL) set by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) for construction (200 µg/m³), which was in effect at the time of this study (the PEL was reduced to 50 µg/m³ in 1993). Surveillance data from an OSHA database for those standard industry classification (SIC) codes with a potential for exposure to lead–based paint in construction show that 49% of the air samples collected by OSHA were greater than 200 µg/m³, suggesting widespread non–compliance. New occupational exposure data from lead–based paint abatement work in public and private housing are also presented. In one public housing development, personal exposures to lead particulates measured during open flame burning and uncontained powered sanding were found to be more than 5000 µg/m³. These findings are contrasted with exposures measured during lead–based paint abatement work performed in accordance with the lead–based paint guidelines released by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development, where exposures were all lower than 25 µg/m³. Data from another public housing abatement project, involving work on 400 dwelling units over a 15–month period, show that workers' blood lead levels did not increase by more than 5 µg/dl above the pre–employment baseline. Abatement techniques studied here include interior and exterior building component replacement and exterior paint–stripping using a needle gun equipped with a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) vacuum dust containment system. The data presented here show that it is feasible to keep airborne lead exposures below 20 µg/m³ in residential lead hazard control work, and to establish medical removal protection at blood lead levels of 25 µg/dl. These findings should be considered as OSHA finalises its interim final rule for lead exposure in construction work.
The response of technology to a maturity model for integrated care / La respuesta de la tecnología como un modelo de madurez para la atención integrada

Abstract: Can you imagine a technology that can generate 40 million books each of 100 pages full text per day? Can you imagine a technology ready to read millions of pages, to respond within seconds questions posted in natural language? Technology is certainly changing, but also the way in which persons are interacting. Care is also changing, moving from isolated to integrated, and from single to complex. This presentation presents a maturity model for integrated care and matches technology to the different levels of that matureness, while reflecting on steps to implement changes. Objectives: -To bring awareness The Importance of how technology Helps transformations. To share international experiences around different responses from other social services To open scenarios to motivate Ideas for future solutions. Methods: Review of literature and collection of experiences Target and participants: Social policy makers, administrators of Health organizations and Care organizations, Academicians Conference abstract Spanish Resumen: ?Te imaginas una tecnologia que puede generar 40 millones de libros cada uno de 100 paginas de texto completo por dia? ?Te imaginas una tecnologia lista para leer millones de paginas, para responder en cuestion de segundos preguntas publicadas en lenguaje natural? La tecnologia esta cambiando, sin duda, pero tambien la forma en que las personas interactuan. Los cuidados de salud tambien estan cambiando, pasando de aislados a integrados, y desde individuales hasta complejos. Esta presentacion presenta un modelo de madurez para la atencion integrada y coincide con la tecnologia para los diferentes niveles de madurez que, mientras que reflexionar sobre las medidas necesarias para implementar los cambios. 3 World Congress on Integrated Care, Mexico City, Mexico, 19-21 November, 2015 International Journal of Integrated Care – Volume 15, 17 Nov – URN:NBN:NL:UI:10-1-117369 – http://www.ijic.org Objetivos: Hacer tomar conciencia de la importancia de como la tecnologia ayuda a las transformaciones. Compartir experiencias internacionales en torno a las respuestas de los otros diferentes servicios sociales Abrir escenarios para motivar ideas para soluciones futuras. Metodos: Revision de la literatura y la recopilacion de experiencias Publico objetivo: Administradores responsables de las politicas sociales, de las organizaciones de salud y organizaciones de atencion, Academicos.