cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of hypoxanthine as the major component of a chromatographic fraction of transfer factor

Abstract A chromatographic fraction of transfer factor capable of transferring delayed hypersensitivity has been shown by us and recently confirmed by others to elute from a Sephadex G-25 column in a peak after the total column volume. The chemical composition of this fraction (TFc) was determined using fractions prepared in the same manner as preparations previously shown to have biologic activity. The major component in this fraction has been identified as hypoxanthine by identical behavior in paper, ion exchange, and gel permeation chromatography systems as well as by comparison of ultraviolet (uv), nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) and infrared (IR) spectra of the column purified material with the spectra of crystalline hypoxanthine. In addition, the uv absorption of TFc can be converted quantitatively to uric acid by incubation with xanthine oxidase. Possible explanations for this observation include: 1) the material responsible for transfer of delayed hypersensitivity may be degraded and absent from these preparations, 2) the antigen specific component may constitute a very minor component of this fraction while hypoxanthine is responsible for some of the reported non-specific effects of transfer factor, and 3) the antigen specific transfer factor material does not elute in this fraction.
The Prehistoric and Historic Role of the Cool-Season Grasses in the Southwest

The Navajo Indian, always an astute observer of the natural world, called Festuca octoflora "the grass that feared the summer." We recognize this species and others as cool-season grasses, or ones that utilize winter and spring moisture to promote their growth. In the grasslands and the pinyon-juniper woodlands of the Southwest many people accept the sparsity of cool-season grasses as a condition of long standing. The present obscurity of the cool-season grasses belies a time when deer, antelope, and buffalo grazed on the more abundant blades, and people depended on the grain for sustenance. The cool-season grasses mature in early summer, a critical time of year for the hunter-gatherer and the agriculturalist. For each, stored food supplies descend to their lowest annual level. New crops are immature. The cool-season grass grain provides a ready source of abundant calories that can be immediately consumed and also stored. Harvested grain bridges the growing season until the first of the wild fruits mature in the summer. Both cliff shelters and caves in the Southwest preserve evidence of prehistoric utilization of cool-season grasses. The dry interior of Tularosa cave in westcentral New Mexico saved mutton grass (Poa fendleriana) from decay. Large amounts of chaff, piles of panicles with grains missing, and knotted bundles of
A scheduling and partitioning scheme for low power circuit operating at multiple voltages

In this paper, a scheme is presented to minimize power dissipation through scheduling and partitioning at the behavior level with resources operating at multiple voltages. The scheme uses partitioning to preserve locality in the assignment of operations to hardware units. Experimental results show that the proposed method can efficiently reduce power.
Diagnostic overshadowing reviewed and reconsidered.

Abstract Diagnostic overshadowing is a robust bias negatively affecting the accuracy of clinicians' judgments about concomitant mental illness in persons with mental retardation and mental illness. Reviewing 12 studies, we examined moderators of diagnostic overshadowing. Most client and clinician-based demographic variables have had limited usefulness. However, clinicians' cognitive complexity has been found to negatively affect overshadowing. Causal mechanisms of overshadowing remain largely unexplored, and diagnostic overshadowing has yet to be empirically demonstrated outside a single methodological approach. Areas needing further research are discussed and the recommendation made that researchers (a) better specify clinical decisions composing overshadowing, (b) attend to the type of processes by which diagnostic overshadowing occurs, (c) increase appreciation of environmental or situational variables related to overshadowing, and (d) engage in more comprehensive exploration of overshadowing using qua...
The Use of Botulinum Toxin A Injection for the Management of External Sphincter Dyssynergia in Neurologically Normal Children

Purpose: Botulinum toxin A has previously been used for neurogenic and nonneurogenic urgency and urge incontinence. We evaluated the effects of sphincteric botulinum toxin A injection in a series of neurologically normal children with evidence of external sphincter dyssynergia with various voiding problems documented by abnormal voiding electromyography as well as voiding cystourethrography to assess its effectiveness for eliminating post-void residual urine.Materials and Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 16 dysfunctional voiders who underwent botulinum toxin A injection to the external sphincter between 2002 and 2006, including 1 to 3 injections in 14, 1 and 1, respectively. Of 19 injections 17 were performed with 300 U to the sphincter, while 2 of 19 were done with 200 U. Two patients also received 100 U injected into the detrusor. Mean patient age at surgery was 9.0 years (range 6 to 16). Preoperative clinical data were recorded, including medications, electromyography, uroflowmetry wi...
Cor pulmonale: Observations in fifty autopsy cases

Abstract The observations made in this series of cases entirely support the conclusions of older clinicians and pathologists regarding the relation between chronic emphysema and failure of the right side of the heart. The clinical course and autopsy observations indicate that the right ventricle is burdened in emphysema, presumably by an elevation in pulmonary pressure, and that it undergoes dilatation and hypertrophy and ultimately fails. That increased pulmonary pressure burdens the right ventricle and leads ultimately to death from heart failure is shown clearly by two cases in this series in which an aneurysm at the root of the aorta compressed the main pulmonary artery. In the majority of cases the left ventricle also was hypertrophic, but the cause of this hypertrophy was not apparent. It is suggested that the anatomic relation of the two ventricles is so intimate that hypertrophy of one chamber ultimately involves the other.
In vitro effects of hyperbaric oxygen on sickle cell morphology.

Abstract Study Objective: To determine in vitro whether hyperbaric oxygen has any effect on the morphology of sickle cells . Design: Prospective, in vitro , study, with each patient sample serving as its own control. Setting: University medical center. Patients: 10 children known to be homozygous for hemoglobin S. Interventions: Blood samples were obtained from 10 children during routine visits to the University sickle cell clinic. Blood samples were exposed to room air to achieve maximal sickling. Each sample was divided into control and study aliquots, and the study portions placed in a research hyperbaric chamber with 100% oxygen at 3 atmospheres absolute pressure for 15 min. Then smears were prepared from all samples at regular intervals and examined by technicians in the sickle cell clinic who were blinded as to the details of this study. Measurements: Percentages of normal cells, sickle cells and sickle forms were reported. Data were interpreted using t-tests. Main results: Hyperbaric oxygen appeared to have no effect on sickle cell morphology. Percentages of each cell type were unaffected by hyperbaric oxygen exposure. Conclusions: Hyperbaric oxygen appears to have no effect on the morphology of sickle cells in vitro . Other mechanisms may account for the beneficial clinical effects of hyperbaric oxygen in sickle cell crisis, although in vivo studies are warranted.
Stalking: An old behavior, a new crime.

Stalking is an old behavior, but a new crime. The author has reviewed what is currently known about the epidemiology, demography, psychiatry, psychology, pursuits and outcomes, threatening communications, violence, and clinical risk management of stalking cases. But this "dark heart of romantic pursuit" (p 7) extends beyond the paradigm of science and is often an aggressive and aberrant expression of unrequited love. In 1579, John Lyly wrote "As the best wine doth make the sharpest vinegar, so the deepest love turneth to the deadliest hate" (Euphues: The Anatomy of Wit).
Modeling vesicle traffic reveals unexpected consequences for Cdc42p-mediated polarity establishment.

Summary Background Polarization in yeast has been proposed to involve a positive feedback loop whereby the polarity regulator Cdc42p orients actin cables, which deliver vesicles carrying Cdc42p to the polarization site. Previous mathematical models treating Cdc42p traffic as a membrane-free flux suggested that directed traffic would polarize Cdc42p, but it remained unclear whether Cdc42p would become polarized without the membrane-free simplifying assumption. Results We present mathematical models that explicitly consider stochastic vesicle traffic via exocytosis and endocytosis, providing several new insights. Our findings suggest that endocytic cargo influences the timing of vesicle internalization in yeast. Moreover, our models provide quantitative support for the view that integral membrane cargo proteins would become polarized by directed vesicle traffic given the experimentally determined rates of vesicle traffic and diffusion. However, such traffic cannot effectively polarize the more rapidly diffusing Cdc42p in the model without making additional assumptions that seem implausible and lack experimental support. Conclusions Our findings suggest that actin-directed vesicle traffic would perturb, rather than reinforce, polarization in yeast.
Integration of target and hand position signals in the posterior parietal cortex: effects of workspace and hand vision

Previous findings suggest the posterior parietal cortex (PPC) contributes to arm movement planning by transforming target and limb position signals into a desired reach vector. However, the neural mechanisms underlying this transformation remain unclear. In the present study we examined the responses of 109 PPC neurons as movements were planned and executed to visual targets presented over a large portion of the reaching workspace. In contrast to previous studies, movements were made without concurrent visual and somatic cues about the starting position of the hand. For comparison, a subset of neurons was also examined with concurrent visual and somatic hand position cues. We found that single cells integrated target and limb position information in a very consistent manner across the reaching workspace. Approximately two-thirds of the neurons with significantly tuned activity (42/61 and 30/46 for left and right workspaces, respectively) coded targets and initial hand positions separably, indicating no hand-centered encoding, whereas the remaining one-third coded targets and hand positions inseparably, in a manner more consistent with the influence of hand-centered coordinates. The responses of both types of neurons were largely invariant with respect to the presence or absence of visual hand position cues, suggesting their corresponding coordinate frames and gain effects were unaffected by cue integration. The results suggest that the PPC uses a consistent scheme for computing reach vectors in different parts of the workspace that is robust to changes in the availability of somatic and visual cues about hand position.
The optical effect of composite luting cement on all ceramic crowns.

Abstract Purpose To investigate the optical properties of resin-based composite cements and assess their effects on the color of all ceramic crowns. Material and methods Optical properties of three cements (Variolink II®, Esthetic®, Nexus II®) were analyzed using disk samples (100 μm and 1.0 mm diameter) based on CIELAB color coordinates L*a*b*C* and opacity index. Empress® (Ivoclar) and Katana® (Noritake) crowns were filled with four different shades of die material (IPS die material ST3, ST5, ST9 and Tetric Evo Ceram Bleach XL). The shade of the crowns was measured with each of three shades of composite cement (Chroma, Bleach and Opaque, Esthetic® cement). ST3 and glycerin served as the control. Color differences were calculated in incisal, body and cervical regions. Results In the cervical and body regions, the color change caused by the bleach abutment could not be altered by using different colored cements for the Empress® and Katana® crowns. In the cervical region, the color changes effected by the dark brown abutment could be reversed with the bleach luting cement; in the body region this was true only for the Empress® crown. Neither different abutment colors nor different luting cement shades resulted in perceptible color changes in the incisal regions. Mean ΔE* values in the three areas (incisal, body, cervical) were significantly different (p-value Conclusion The composite cements evaluated in this study created perceptible color differences with particular combinations of die material, cement and ceramic crown.
A natural language help system shell through functional programming

This paper investigates the development of a natural language (NL) interface for mixed initiative dialogues within a constrained domain and demonstrates the applicability of the functional approach to NL system development. The system consists of two major components, a natural language subsystem comprises a general-purpose parser that interprets a 'plug and play' tagged BNF grammar (which may be ambiguous), to parse natural language input and extract semantic information. The knowledge-based subsystem uses the semantic tags extracted by the natural language subsystem to generate a focused query to select the most appropriate script for a guided dialogue with the user. The system was written entirely in a purely functional language, which resulted in a surprisingly small and simple program.
Fissure eruptions of the Independence Pass District, Sawatch Range, Colorado

The general conclusions set forth in this paper are based on about five days' underground study and mapping of the Twin Lakes Diversion-Tunnel, which was recently completed to divert water from Lincoln Gulch, on the west slope of the Sawatch Range, to the North Fork of Lake Creek, a tributary of the Arkansas River, on the east slope. The surface geology of the region was studied before the driving of the tunnel by J. W. Vanderwilt and A. H. Koschmann (Geology of the Independence Pass District, Colorado, U.S. Geol. Surv., preliminary report, mimeographed form No. 67484, 1932), and the general correlation of the tunnel-section with the surface geology is based on the results of this work and consultation with the authors. More details regarding the general geology of the region are given in the report cited and in a report by J. V. Howell (Twin Lakes District of Colorado, Colo. Geol. Surv., Bull. 17, 1919) covering the region east of the Continental Divide.
THE NATIONAL TRANSPORTATION SAFETY BOARD: A MODEL FOR SYSTEMIC RISK MANAGEMENT

We propose the National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) as a model organization for addressing systemic risk in industries and contexts other than transportation. When adopted by regulatory agencies and the transportation industry, the safety recommendations of the NTSB have been remarkably effective in reducing the number of fatalities in various modes of transportation since the NTSB’s inception in 1967 as an independent agency. Formerly part of the Civil Aeronautics Board (now the Federal Aviation Administration), the NTSB has no regulatory authority and is solely focused on conducting forensic investigations of transportation accidents and proposing safety recommendations. With only 400 full-time employees, the NTSB has a much larger network of experts drawn from other government agencies and the private sector who are on call to assist in accident investigations on an as-needed basis. By allowing and encouraging the participation of all interested parties in its investigations, the NTSB is able to produce definitive analyses of even the most complex accidents and provide genuinely actionable measures for reducing the chances of future accidents. We believe it is possible to create more efficient and effective systemic-risk management processes in many other industries, including the financial services industry, by studying the organizational structure and functions of the NTSB.
Determining the camera and light source location for a visual task

Techniques for calculating the three-dimensional region of acceptable locations for vision sensors and light sources are discussed. An integrated method to position both a camera and a light source based on the requirements of a given vision task is described. The method also selects the appropriate lens aperture. The proposed techniques require only a small amount of computation (approximately 1 minute of elapsed time on a time-shared VAX 8600). The proposed approach is illustrated with an example object and experimental results are described for that object. >
Thioamides as fluorescence quenching probes: minimalist chromophores to monitor protein dynamics.

Decreasing the size of spectroscopic probes can afford higher-resolution structural information from fluorescence experiments. Therefore, we have developed p-cyanophenylalanine (Cnf) and backbone thioamides as a fluorophore/quencher pair. Through the examination of a series of thiopeptides, we have determined the working distance for this pair to be 8−30 A. We have also carried out a proof-of-principle protein-folding experiment in which a Cnf/thioamide-labeled version of villin headpiece HP35 was thermally unfolded while the Cnf/thioamide distance was monitored by fluorescence. For a given protein, thioamide substitutions could be used to track motions with a much greater number of measurements than for current fluorescence probes, providing a dense array of data with which to model conformational changes.
Regression spline smoothing using the minimum description length principle

One approach to estimating a function nonparametrically is to fit an rth-order regression spline to the noisy observations, and one important component of this approach is the choice of the number and the locations of the knots. This article proposes a new regression spline smoothing procedure which automatically chooses: (i) the order r of the regression spline being fitted; (ii) the number of the knots; and (iii) the locations of the knots. This procedure is based on the minimum description length principle, which is rarely applied to choose the amount of smoothing in nonparametric regression problems.
Bladder cancer incidence among workers exposed to o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant

Background An earlier investigation found increased bladder cancer incidence among workers at a rubber chemical manufacturing plant that used o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene. The cohort was expanded to include additional workers (n=1875) and updated through 2007 to assess bladder cancer with improved exposure characterisation. Methods Work histories were updated and exposure categories and ranks were developed for o-toluidine, aniline and nitrobenzene combined. Incident cancers were identified by linkage to six state cancer registries. Residency in time-dependent cancer registry catchment areas was determined. SIR and standardised rate ratios for bladder cancer were calculated by exposure category and cumulative rank quartiles for different lag periods. Cox regression was used to model bladder cancer incidence with estimated cumulative rank, adjusting for confounders. Indirect methods were used to control for smoking. Results Excess bladder cancer was observed compared to the New York State population (SIR=2.87, 95% CI 2.02 to 3.96), with higher elevations among workers definitely exposed (moderate/high) (SIR=3.90, 95% CI 2.57 to 5.68), and in the highest cumulative rank quartile (SIR=6.13, 95% CI 2.80 to 11.6, 10-year lag). Bladder cancer rates increased significantly with estimated cumulative rank (10-year lag). Smoking only accounted for an estimated 8% elevation in bladder cancer incidence. Conclusions Bladder cancer incidence remains elevated in this cohort and significantly associated with estimated cumulative exposure. Results are consistent with earlier findings in this and other cohorts. Despite other concurrent chemical exposures, we consider o-toluidine most likely responsible for the bladder cancer incidence elevation and recommend a re-examination of occupational exposure limits.
System for Accepting Server Predictions in CASP6

We describe the new CASP system for collecting and verifying predictions generated by servers. The system was developed to ensure reliable execution of the server assessment part of CASP, with particular emphasis on data consistency. Following the principle that predictions should not be modified by anyone but their authors and to allow a later meaningful assessment, submissions are now verified for correctness of format and contents within the strict 48 hour CASP deadlines for this type of submission. This article also provides an overview of the rules governing server participation in CASP6 and some statistics pertaining to servers in CASP6.
CD4+ Regulatory T Cells in a Cynomolgus Macaque Model of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection

Background Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M. tuberculosis) infection in humans results in either latent infection or active tuberculosis (TB). We sought to determine whether a higher frequency of regulatory T cells predispose an individual toward active disease or whether the Tregs develop in response to active disease.
Geography and Hispanic Community College Enrollment

This study explored the relationship between Hispanic students' enrollment in community colleges and their geographic location. As the majority of Hispanics in the United States is concentrated in four states (New York, Texas, Florida, and California), this study looked into the effect of residence in one of these four states on community college enrollment. Controlling for academic, geographic, and background variables, bachelor's-aspiring Hispanic students were significantly more likely to enroll in a community college compared to White and Black students. Interestingly, this study found that Hispanic students who resided in New York, Texas, Florida, or California, were significantly more likely to enter the system of higher education through a four-year school and not a two-year school, when compared to White or Black students. The study suggests several explanations for the unique interaction of ethnicity and geography, including the higher availability of community colleges outside these four states....
Ion exchange, thermal transformations, and oxidizing properties of birnessite

Synthetic sodium bimessite, having a cation-exchange capacity (CEC) of 240 meq/100 g (cmol/kg) was transformed into Li, K, Mg, Ca, Sr, Ni, and Mn2+ cationic forms by ion exchange in an aqueous medium. Competitive adsorption studies of Ni and Ba vs. Mg showed a strong preference for Ni and Ba by bimessite. The product of Mg2+-exchange was buserite, which showed a basal spacing of 9.6 A (22°C, relative humidity (RH) = 54%), which on drying at 105°C under vacuum collapsed to 7 A. Of the cation- saturated bimessites with 7-A basal spacing, only Li-, Na-, Mg-, and Ca-bimessites showed cation exchange. Heating bimessite saturated with cations other than K produced a disordered phase between 200° and 400°C, which transformed to well-crystallized phases at 600°C. K-exchanged bimessite did not transform to a disordered phase; rather a topotactic transformation to cryptomelane was observed. Generally the larger cations, K, Ba, and Sr, gave rise to hollandite-type structures. Mn- and Ni-bimessite transformed to bixbyite-type products, and Mg-bimessite (buserite) transformed to a hausmannite-type product. Li-bimessite transformed to cryptomelane and at higher temperature converted to hausmannite. The hollandite-type products retained the morphology of the parent bimessite. The mineralogy of final products were controlled by the saturating cation. Products obtained by heating natural bimessite were similar to those obtained by heating bimessite saturated with transition elements.
Graphene Stopping Power for a Fast Charged Particle: Parallel Case

In this paper, we analyze the energy loss and stopping power of a fast charged particle probe of a 2-D graphene sheet. The fast particle motion is taken to be parallel to the 2-D graphene sheet, and the system is considered at the degenerate limit (zero temperature). The 2-D graphene layer response dynamics are described in the random phase approximation. We determine the energy loss for motion parallel to the 2-D graphene layer as a function of the distance of the fast particle from the layer and its velocity, calculating the stopping power.
Modeling of Grain‐Boundary Segregation Behavior in Aluminum Oxide

It is believed that the segregation of oversized dopant ions to grain boundaries in Al 2 O 3 hinders grain-boundary diffusion, thereby reducing the tensile creep rate in this system by ∼2-3 orders of magnitude. In order to explain this improvement in creep behavior, it is helpful to characterize both the effective cation and interstitial volumes at grain boundaries, because the relative openness of some boundary structures suggests a great accommodation of oversized ions. In this study, the boundary volume is determined by a spatially local Voronoi construction, which highlights cation (Al 3+ ) substitutional sites as well as large interstitial voids. In particular, we examine the spatial distribution of free volume near grain boundaries and, in addition, the dependence of the driving force for segregation on misfit strain in doped Al 2 O 3 . We interpret our results in light of recent evidence that selective codoping can provide a more efficient means of filling available space near boundaries, thereby further enhancing creep resistance.
Are We Ready to Embrace the Power That Technology Has to Offer in Education? Commentary: Response to Henriques

Most of us probably agree that we need to include more technology into our education courses. Organizations such as National Council for the Accreditation of Teacher Education—in their report, Technology and the New Professional Teacher: Preparing for the 21st Century Classroom (http:// www.ncate.org/accred/projects/tech/tech-pressrel.htm)—and the International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE; http://www.iste.org/ index.html) are promoting increased use of technology. School districts are spending enormous amounts of money on technology and many states are providing grants so that districts can begin using technology in the school.
Clinical Humor: A Positive Approach Toward Health

This paper is based on a presentation made at the Fifth Annual Convention of AMCAP in Salt Lake City, Ut. Oct. 5, 1979.
Provoking sociability

In this study, we explore the potential usefulness of disturbing, uncomfortable systems, demonstrating that provocative technology can have a positive effect on social relationships. We designed and evaluated an agent-based system that collects user information by asking seemingly benign questions, and then uses it to spread false, strange gossip throughout an office space. We show that provocative interaction on-line can improve off-line sociability.
Three-Party ORAM for Secure Computation

An Oblivious RAM ORAM protocol [13] allows a client to retrieve $${\mathrm {N}}$$-th element of a data array $${\mathsf {D}}$$ stored by the server s.t. the server learns no information about $${\mathrm {N}}$$. A related notion is that of an ORAM for Secure Computation SC-ORAM [17], which is a protocol that securely implements a RAM functionality, i.e.i¾? given a secret-sharing of both $${\mathsf {D}}$$ and $${\mathrm {N}}$$, it computes a secret-sharing of $${\mathsf {D}}[{\mathrm {N}}]$$. SC-ORAM can be used as a subprotocol for implementing the RAM functionality for secure computation of RAM programs [7, 14, 17]. It can also implement a public database service which hides each client's access pattern even if a threshold of servers colludes with any number of clients. Most previous works used two-party secure computation to implement each step of an ORAM client algorithm, but since secure computation of many functions becomes easier in the three-party honest-majority setting than in the two-party setting, it is natural to ask if the cost of an SC-ORAM scheme can be reduced if one was willing to use three servers instead of two and assumed an honest majority. We show a 3-party SC-ORAM scheme which is based on a variant of the Binary Tree Client-Server ORAM of Shi et al. [20]. However, whereas previous SC-ORAM implementations used general 2PC or MPC techniques like Yao's garbled circuits, e.g. [14, 22], homomorphic encryption [11], or the SPDZ protocol for arithmetic circuits [15], our techniques are custom-made for the three-party setting, giving rise to a protocol which is secure against honest-but-curious faults using bandwidth and CPU costs which are comparable to those of the underlying Client-Server ORAM.
Effects of interface oxygen vacancies on electronic bands of FeSe/SrTiO3(001)

Modifications of the electronic bands of thin FeSe films due to oxygen vacancies in the supporting ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$(001) substrate---and the interplay with spin-orbit coupling, magnetism, and epitaxy---are investigated by first-principles supercell calculations. Unfolded $(k$-projected) bands show that the oxygen vacancies both provide electron doping to the interface FeSe layer and also have notable effects on the details of the bands around the Fermi level, including renormalizing the width of the $\mathrm{Fe}\text{\ensuremath{-}}3d$ band near the Fermi level by a factor of about 0.6 and causing a splitting of $\ensuremath{\sim}40\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ at the $M$ point for the checkerboard antiferromagnetic configuration. For an FeSe bilayer, the modifications to the bands are mainly limited to the interface FeSe layer. While spin-orbit-coupling induced band splittings of $\ensuremath{\sim}30\phantom{\rule{0.28em}{0ex}}\mathrm{meV}$ at $M$ for the ideal $\mathrm{FeSe}/{\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$(001) interfaces are comparable to the splitting due to oxygen vacancies, the effects are not simply additive. Calculations and comparison to our scanning tunneling microscopy images of MBE-grown FeSe films on ${\mathrm{SrTiO}}_{3}$(001) suggest that a common defect may be Se bound to an oxygen vacancy at the interface.
An Efficient Design Optimization Method for Functional Gradient Material Objects Based on Finite Element Analysis

Functional Gradient Material (FGM) is one of the most promising heterogeneous materials for its spatial continuity of material properties and functional flexibility. FGM is a well-studied research topic. In this paper, we utilize Finite Element Analysis (FEA) method to model objects with spatially varying material property. A two-stage optimization framework including Monte Carlo based global optimizer and gradient descent based local optimizer is proposed to achieve the optimal material composition in response to different user defined objectives. An error diffusion based halftoning technique is utilized to convert the continuous material distribution into discrete material distribution for viable manufacturing. The transition of the material properties are governed by predefined equations and only a few coefficients instead of large number of elements are to be optimized, therefore this optimization process is more computationally efficient than traditional techniques. Meanwhile it can automatically guarantee the smoothness of material transition along the body. Such design and optimization method has the potential to enable interactive multiple material modeling and simulation. Several experiments are carried out to demonstrate its efficiency and effectiveness.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Disc Torsion Mechanics: Comparison of Animal Models to Human

The intervertebral disc plays a critical role in providing structural support to the spine while permitting extensive flexibility in a number of orientations. Axial rotation is a key parameter in spine function and torsional instability is related to spinal degeneration [1]. Animal models are integral components in many in vivo disc studies, however each animal varies in availability, size, cost, and scientific criteria such as cell phenotype and biomechanics. Selection of an appropriate animal model requires knowledge of the similarities and differences in biomechanical and biochemical factors between the model and human discs. Previous studies have often compared the characteristics of a single animal model with the human disc [2, 3]. However, variations in animal models and testing protocols between groups hinder comparisons and interpretations between different studies. This is especially relevant in torsion mechanics, where the magnitude of an applied compressive load and other testing parameters significantly affect the apparent torsional stiffness of the disc [4]. The objective of this study was to measure and compare the torsion mechanical properties of the human disc and 11 disc types from 8 mammalian species.© 2011 ASME
Politics and Governance: Evolving Systems of School Accountability

The politics of school accountability is significantly different between the time of the publication of the 1997 Yearbook of the Politics of Education Association and the current 2013 volume on accountability. During the mid-1990s, accountability lacked a focus and there was no clear institutional champion. With the 2001 passage of the No Child Left Behind Act (NCLB), states and districts are governed by a common framework of accountability. Students, schools, districts, and states are held accountable for meeting annual academic proficiency standards or Adequate Yearly Progress (AYP). As states and districts develop strategies to meet the accountability pressure, there is a need to examine the new politics of accountability. Authors in this volume have offered a useful knowledge base for pursuing this line of investigation. Further, I observe both enduring and new features on the politics and policy of accountability.
The Effect of Gynecologic Oncologist Availability on Ovarian Cancer Mortality.

To determine the association between the distribution of gynecologic oncologist (GO) and population-based ovarian cancer death rates.Data on ovarian cancer incidence and mortality in the United States (U.S.) was supplemented with U.S. census data, and analyzed in relation to practicing GOs. GO locations were geocoded to link association between county variables and GO availability. Logistic regression was used to measure areas of high and low ovarian cancer mortality, adjusting for contextual variables.Practicing GOs were unevenly distributed in the United States, with the greatest numbers in metropolitan areas. Ovarian cancer incidence and death rates increased as distance to a practicing GO increased. A relatively small number (153) of counties within 24 miles of a GO had high ovarian cancer death rates compared to 577 counties located 50 or more miles away with high ovarian cancer death rates. Counties located 50 or more miles away from a GO practice had an almost 60% greater odds of high ovarian cancer mortality compared to those with closer practicing GOs (OR 1.59, 95% CI 1.18-2.15).The distribution of GOs across the United States appears to be significantly associated with ovarian cancer mortality. Efforts that facilitate outreach of GOs to certain populations may increase geographic access. Future studies examining other factors associated with lack of GO access (e.g. insurance and other socioeconomic factors) at the individual level will assist with further defining barriers to quality ovarian cancer care in the United States.
Modeling Operational Reliability: The Discovery of the Organizational Learning Loop

There has been considerable debate over organizational learning strategies as a worthwhile endeavor. This paper examines the issue within the context of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) through a recent ethnographic study that focused on organizational learning and its role in understanding of the dynamics of operational reliability. A review of the literature examines factors that influence organizational learning effectiveness within the context of the Sullivan-Beach model (Sullivan & Beach, 2009), which provides a conceptual framework from within which the dynamics of High Reliability Organizations (HROs) can be explained. Empirical data was gathered over a six month period in a high reliability environment supporting US Navy operations. An operational failure and the organization’s response are analyzed using the Sullivan-Beach model. The analysis assisted in identifying factors that led to the operational failure and the remedial action that ultimately resulted in a dramatic improvement in operational reliability. The findings of the study support the notion that effective organizational learning strategies are critical to operational reliability, particularly in recovering from operational failures or preventing them altogether (Sullivan, 2007). In addition, the discovery of the Organizational Learning Loop within the Sullivan-Beach model suggests that success and failure with organizational learning depends on the same set of interrelated factors. Critically the paper provides insights into how organizations can learn from failure.
Photosynthetic Characteristics of Rice Transformed with Genomic DNA of Oryza minuta

A new rice germplasm Yewei B was bred through transformed with genomic DNA of the distantly related species Oryza minuta into hybrid rice parent V20B by ear-stem injecting.Compared with V20B,Yewei B has loose plant type,small and thin stem.The leaf area of the top 1st,top 2nd and top 3rd leaf is significantly smaller than that of V20B respectively.The content of chlorophyll of Yewei B and V20B decreased gradually from initial heading stage(Ⅰ) to heading stage(Ⅱ),milk ripening stage(Ⅲ),wax ripening stage(Ⅳ) and yellow ripening stage(Ⅴ),and there is no significant difference between these two varieties.However the photosynthetic rate of the top 1st,top 2nd and top 3rd leaf in Yewei B is significantly higher than that of V20B.
Preliminary Intelligibility Tests of a Monaural Speech Segregation System

Human listeners are able to understand speech in the presence of a noisy background. How to simulate this perceptual ability remains a great challenge. This paper describes a preliminary evaluation of intelligibility of the output of a monaural speech segregation system. The system performs speech segregation in two stages. The first stage segregates voiced speech using supervised learning of harmonic features, and the second stage segregates unvoiced speech by subtracting noise energy that is estimated from voiced intervals and onset/offset based segmentation. Objective evaluation in terms of the match to ideal binary time-frequency masks shows substantial improvements. Tests with human subjects indicate that the system improves intelligibility for young listeners when the input SNR is very low, but does not aid elderly listeners. This preliminary evaluation identifies aspects of the system that should be improved in order to produce consistent improvement in intelligibility in noisy environments.
Managing worry, stress and high blood pressure: African-American women holding it together through 'family'

Strategies to manage worry, stress and high blood pressure (HBP) are little understood from the perspective of African Americans. Using data from a qualitative research study in south Louisiana, this article outlines how participants with HBP managed worry and stress through the formation of family. In an exploration of 314 conversations about 'family,' African-American women were cited by both women and men as mediators of worry, stress, and HBP. Participants did not necessarily define 'family' by blood or marriage relations, unlike the way in which 'family' is presented in most HBP research. 'Family' was often discussed in terms of how relationships with others were utilized to share knowledge about HBP, to address situations that produced HBP elevation, and to marshal resources to manage HBP.
Politische Bildung für nachhaltige Entwicklung

Vor dem Hintergrund, dass der Umsetzungsprozess der UN-Bildungsdekade als ein bildungspolitisches Demokratisierungsprojekt im Sinne von „Global- und Good Governance“ verstanden werden kann, wird ein theoretischer Ansatz als Grundlage einer Bildung fur nachhaltige Entwicklung formuliert, der zum einen die ursprungliche Nachhaltigkeitstrias von Okologie, Okonomie und Gesellschaft um die politische Dimension erweitert und zum anderen die Zielintentionen einer politischen Bildung fur nachhaltige Entwicklung in Form von Burgerkompetenzen beschreibt. In einem zweiten Schritt wird daher der Ansatz einer Politischen Bildung fur nachhaltige Entwicklung dargelegt und mit dem Konzept des Globalen Lernens in Beziehung gesetzt.
Phase I trial of pomalidomide (P) in patients (pts) with relapsed and/or refractory (R/R) Waldenström's macroglobulinemia (WM).

8536 Background: Thalidomide, and its analog, lenalidomide have shown activity in WM, when combined with rituximab. However, neuropathy and anemia respectively, have limited their use. P is a newer generation IMID® which has demonstrated efficacy and tolerability in R/R multiple myeloma. These results provided the rationale for a phase I study of P in pts with R/R WM. Methods: Eligible pts had WM that was R/R to ≥ 1 prior therapy. All pts received daily oral P (28d cycles), starting at a 1mg dose level. Following a 3+3 statistical design, the dose was increased by 1 mg increments until the MTD was reached. Overall response was assessed as per International WM Working Group Response Criteria. Results: Between 10/2010-01/2014, 9 pts (7 males, 2 females) were treated. Median age at enrollment was 64 yrs (range 51-85), median time from 1st therapy was 6.1 yrs (range 2.0-16.3), and median prior therapies was 2 (range 1-5). With a median f/u of 30 mos. (range: 6-36), 8 pts remain alive, and 1 continues to recei...
Utility of Amplitude-Integrated EEG in the NICU

The problem of artifacts in using the amplitude-integrated electroencephalogram (AIE) to assess cortical function in premature infants in the NICU were studied at Weill Cornell Medical College, New York, NY.
MONEY, WEALTH, AND LABOR SUPPLY

This chapter discusses how do monetary and fiscal actions by the government affect the macro-equilibrium level of employment corresponding to any given rate of expected inflation. It discusses the consequences for real variables of an open-market purchase when the government leaves its tax rates unchanged. The theory of how an increase of the money supply through an open-market purchase will affect the price level and the real variables of the economy—wealth, saving, the rate of interest, and so on—was first developed by Metzler. When fiscal policy is described by a fixed rate of taxation, an open-market purchase is non-neutral in the short run, raising equilibrium employment and affecting output and factor rewards accordingly. The explanation is simply the reverse wealth effect of the open-market operation on the demand for leisure and, hence, labor supply. At least over the longer run, however, it is more natural to conduct the analysis, as did Metzler, under the assumption of a balanced budget. Then an open-market purchase entails a reduction of tax rates to offset the increase in central bank earnings and corresponding increase in the consolidated government revenue, from an increase in the portion of capital claims held by the bank.
Acute effects of sex steroids on visual processing in male goldfish

Elevations of sex steroids induced by social cues can rapidly modulate social behavior, but we know little about where they act within the nervous system to produce such effects. In male goldfish, testosterone (T) rapidly increases approach responses to the visual cues of females through its conversion to estradiol. Because aromatase is expressed in the retina, we tested if T can acutely influence retina responses to visual stimuli, and investigated the receptor mechanisms that may mediate such effects. Specifically, we measured FOS protein immunoreactivity to determine if T affects cellular responses to visual stimuli that include females, and used electrophysiology to investigate whether T can generally affect light sensitivity. We found that T acutely increased FOS responses to the simultaneous onset of light and the presence of female visual stimuli, both of which would normally be associated with early morning spawning, and increased electrophysiological responses to low intensity light pulses. Both effects were blocked by an estrogen receptor beta (ERβ) antagonist, indicating that T is likely being converted to estradiol (E2) and acting through an ERβ mediated mechanism to acutely modulate visual processing. Changes in sensory processing could subsequently influence approach behavior to increase reproductive success in competitive mating environments.
Atheism in Higher Education: A Phenomenological Study of Identity in the Workplace.

AbstractInstitutions of higher education are perceived to be welcoming to individuals from a variety of backgrounds, including race, ethnicity, sexual orientation, and religion. Is this true for those who identify as atheist as well? This phenomenological study explored how the atheist identity manifests for those who are employed as professional staff in higher education. The participants were employed at public, Midwestern universities in rural communities. Participants who identified with this particular religious minority reported that they were compelled to remain closeted for fear of stigmatization and the risk of discrimination as staff of educational institutions made up of highly Christian communities. The implication for practice is the need to include atheism as a form of religious diversity in order to reduce stigma associated with this identity.
Regulation of erythropoietin production. New insights into molecular mechanisms of oxygen homeostasis.

Erythropoietin (EPO) plays a key role in O2 homeostasis by regulating blood O2-carrying capacity. EPO is produced primarily in the fetal liver and adult kidney. Expression in liver is controlled by DNA sequences immediately surrounding the gene, whereas expression in kidney requires additional sequences located between 6 and 14 kb 5' to the gene. DNA sequences in the 3' flanking region of the gene mediate hypoxia-inducible EPO transcription by binding several nuclear proteins including hypoxia-inducible factor 1, which is induced by hypoaxia in EPO producing and nonproducing cells and activates transcription of other hypoxia-inducible genes.
TRANSFER FACTOR - SOME BIOCHEMICAL OBSERVATIONS

Publisher Summary This chapter describes some biochemical observations of the transfer factors (TF). TF was made from healthy donors chosen for their skin test reactivity to streptokinase/streptodornase 100/25 units/ml., C . albicans , histoplasmin and PPD intermediate. All of initial donors had strong skin reactions to streptokinase-streptodornase and candida antigens. By thin-layer chromatography, one major UV spot was detected in all of TF-IV preparations. This migrated 43–44 mm the same place as hypoxanthine. In one preparation a second, faint, more rapidly migrating UV spot was observed and on two other preparations, a more rapid, also faint, ninhydrin spot was detected. It was observed that as hypoxanthine migrated identically to major UV component; aliquots of transfer factor were reacted with the enzyme, xanthine oxidase. Xanthine oxidase catalyzes the conversions of hypoxanthine to xanthine and xanthine to uric acid. It was found that one added xanthine oxidase to TF-IV preparations and to hypoxanthine of similar absorbance at 260 nm and observed the spectral changes with time.