cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Numerical study of conjugate heat transfer in stacked microchannels

Microchannel heat sinks feature a high convective heat transfer coefficient, which is particularly beneficial to high-end electronics cooling. There are some issues to be addressed before these can be commercially implemented, among which pressure drop penalty and temperature non-uniformity are critical. Recently, a stacked microchannel heat sink has been proposed to address these two issues. Stacked microchannels provide larger flow passage, so that for a fixed heat load the required pressure drop is significantly reduced. One unique feature of the stacked microchannel heat sink is that individual layers populated with parallel microchannels can be stacked independently. As a beneficial result, flexible control over the flow direction and flow rate can be harnessed to achieve better temperature uniformity and the lowest silicon temperature. The present study conducts numerical study of heat transfer inside stacked microchannels with different flow arrangements including parallel, counter-flow, and serial. For the serial arrangement both top feeding and bottom feeding are considered. The predicted heat removal performance is compared with single layer microchannels that have the same effective flow area. It has been identified that counter-flow arrangement has the best overall performance for temperature uniformity, while parallel flow has the best performance in reducing the peak temperature. This can be explained by the detailed heat transfer information obtained through the conjugate numerical study.
Fast and precise sanitizer analysis with BEK

Web applications often use special string-manipulating sanitizers on untrusted user data, but it is difficult to reason manually about the behavior of these functions, leading to errors. For example, the Internet Explorer cross-site scripting filter turned out to transform some web pages without JavaScript into web pages with valid Java-Script, enabling attacks. In other cases, sanitizers may fail to commute, rendering one order of application safe and the other dangerous. BEK is a language and system for writing sanitizers that enables precise analysis of sanitizer behavior, including checking idempotence, commutativity, and equivalence. For example, BEK can determine if a target string, such as an entry on the XSS Cheat Sheet, is a valid output of a sanitizer. If so, our analysis synthesizes an input string that yields that target. Our language is expressive enough to capture real web sanitizers used in ASP.NET, the Internet Explorer XSS Filter, and the Google AutoEscape framework, which we demonstrate by porting these sanitizers to BEK. Our analyses use a novel symbolic finite automata representation to leverage fast satisfiability modulo theories (SMT) solvers and are quick in practice, taking fewer than two seconds to check the commutativity of the entire set of Internet Exporer XSS filters, between 36 and 39 seconds to check implementations of HTMLEncode against target strings from the XSS Cheat Sheet, and less than ten seconds to check equivalence between all pairs of a set of implementations of HTMLEncode. Programs written in BEK can be compiled to traditional languages such as JavaScript and C#, making it possible for web developers to write sanitizers supported by deep analysis, yet deploy the analyzed code directly to real applications.
When father doesn't know best: selective disagreement between self-report and informant report of the broad autism phenotype in parents of a child with autism.

The Broad Autism Phenotype Questionnaire (BAPQ) is a reliable tool for identifying three autism-related traits—social aloofness, pragmatic language abnormalities and rigid personality—within families of a person with autism and the general population. Although little is known concerning agreement between self-report and informant report versions of the BAPQ, identifying individual characteristics affecting agreement between the two can highlight important considerations for maximizing its yield, particularly when only one version is administered. Here, analysis of self-report and informant report of the BAPQ completed by 444 parents of a child with autism revealed moderate to strong agreement between the two versions for all three broad autism phenotype (BAP) traits when the self-reporting parent did not possess the trait being assessed. In contrast, disagreement selectively occurred when the assessed parent was positive for the BAP trait being rated. This pattern was driven primarily by fathers who were positive for a BAP trait endorsing lower levels of that trait relative to informant report. This discrepancy did not occur for mothers, nor did it occur for fathers lacking BAP traits. Because this pattern was specific to fathers positive for BAP traits, it likely reflects selective “blind spots” in their self-reporting and not poorer self-reporting by fathers more broadly, nor a general tendency of overreporting by informant mothers. The presence of BAP traits in informing parents, however, largely did not reduce agreement between self-report and informant report. In sum, self-report may underestimate the presence of BAP traits in fathers but is generally consistent with informant report for mothers. Autism Res 2014, 7: 731–739. © 2014 International Society for Autism Research, Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Nerve Allograft Transplantation Model

Either iatrogenic or traumatic peripheral nerve injuries, which result in significant morbidity for patients, often require interposition nerve autografts. However, nerve autografts do have acknowledged limitation including donor availability, potential donor site morbidity including scarring, sensory loss, and painful neuroma formation. Furthermore, there can be inconsistent and suboptimal outcomes for patients with autograft repairs. This led to the development of nerve allograft transplantation models under the guidance of Dr. Maria Siemionow at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. It was hypothesized that specific targeting of T cells with anti-αβ TCR mAbs in combination with CsA, which curbs nonspecific cell-mediated rejection via inhibition of the IL-2 receptor, would modulate the nerve allograft response to prevent rejection and afford successful nerve regeneration. A rat animal model with varying immunocompatibility barriers was proposes.
In vitro responses of airway smooth muscle from horses with recurrent airway obstruction.

Abstract The in vitro contractile and relaxant responses of tracheal smooth muscle strips (TSM) and third-generation bronchi (3B) of control horses and horses with recurrent obstructive disease (heaves) were compared. Acetylcholine (ACH) sensitivity of the diseased tissues was less than that of tissues from control horses, especially at the level of the third generation (EC 50 controls 15 ± 11 μM vs 81 ± 17 μM for heaveys). Despite tracheal and bronchial hyporesponsiveness to ACH, these tissues from heavey horses were hyperresponsive to EFS. The inhibitory effect of isoproterenol and electrical field stimulation (EFS) was examined in histamine-precontracted airways pretreated with atropine (1 μM), indomethacin (3 μM), and phentolamine (1 μM). Precontracted tissues of both groups at both levels of airway demonstrated similar concentration-dependent relaxation in response to cumulative doses of isoproterenol (0.1 nM to 0.1 mM). EFS of precontracted tissues caused 80–90% relaxation in the TSM in both groups and 21% relaxation in 3B of the control group. Electrical field stimulation relaxation of precontracted tissues was not seen in the diseased 3B, suggesting a lack of inhibitory innervation. EFS of similarly precontracted tissues plus propranolol (1 μM) resulted in only 46% relaxation in the TSM of both groups but did not reduce the EFS relaxation of control 3B, suggesting the presence of both sympathetic and nonadrenergic noncholinergic nerves (NANC) in the trachea but only NANC in the 3B.
On Saying That

“I wish I had said that”, said Oscar Wilde in applauding one of Whistler’s witticisms. Whistler, who took a dim view of Wilde’s originality, retorted, “You will, Oscar; you will”. The function of this tale (from Holbrook Jackson’s The Eighteen-Nineties) is to remind us that an expression like “Whistler said that” may on occasion serve as a grammatically complete sentence. Here we have, I suggest, the key to a correct analysis of indirect discourse, an analysis that opens a lead to an analysis of psychological sentences generally (sentences about propositional attitudes, so-called),and even, though this looks beyond anything to be discussed in the present paper, a clue to what distinguishes psychological concepts from others.
Talking Circles: Listen, or Your Tongue Will Make You Deaf

Abstract The purpose of this article is to provide a description of the Native American talking circle in terms of (a) its group structure and process, (b) selected examples and descriptions of group incidents to illustrate the process, and (c) qualitative findings based on group member comments that support the group's development of sense of community and members' listening and empathy skills. Although the talking circle process presented here is based on a peer education program with college-level students, we nevertheless believe its adaptation and generalization to other populations and contexts are possible and worthwhile.
Inhibition of TNF-induced apoptosis by NF-κB

Tumour necrosis factor (TNF) is an inflammatory cytokine possessing a unique property: it can induce cells to undergo apoptosis. The sensitivity of different cell types to TNF-induced apoptosis can vary dramatically, but most cells become very sensitive upon simultaneous treatment with inhibitors of protein synthesis. It has been suggested therefore that a gene, or set of genes, is induced upon TNF receptor activation that downregulates the apoptosis signal. Recent results have shown that NF-kappa B, a transcription factor activated upon TNF signalling, is at least partly responsible for this effect. These findings have broadened the role of NF-kappa B from that of a regulator of immune and inflammatory responses to include an involvement in the regulation of apoptosis.
Efficient circuit partitioning algorithms for parallel logic simulation

General purpose parallel processing machines are increasingly being used to speed up a variety of VLSI CAD applications. This paper addresses logic simulation on parallel machines by exploiting the concurrency in the circuit being simulated (called data parallelism) as opposed to exploiting parallelism inherent in the simulation algorithm itself (called functional parallelism). The most crucial step in obtaining the maximum parallelism using data parallelism is the partitioning of circuit elements. We introduce a cost function which tries to model the simulation of a logic circuit in a parallel environment. The cost function tries to estimate the parallel run time for logic simulation given the processor assignment and the underlying multiprocessor architecture. We then present different heuristic algorithms to partition the circuit and evaluate the efficiency of these algorithms using the proposed cost function. Partitioning algorithms for both event-driven and compiled code simulation are given.
The Educational Value of Short-Term Study Abroad Programs as Course Components

Short-term study abroad programs as course components provide educators with opportunities to practice holistic education, design significant learning experiences, and promote transformative learning. A short-term study abroad component incorporated in a sustainable tourism development course designed to understand the social, environmental, and economic sustainability of tourism development in developing countries gave an opportunity to 16 senior undergraduates and graduate students to travel to Costa Rica. Analysis of data collected during the trip validates the educational value of short-term study abroad programs as course components and suggests how educators can plan significant learning experiences, practice holistic education, and promote transformative learning.
Immunohistochemistry of dermatofibromas and benign fibrous histiocytomas

Dermatofibromas (DF) are common, benign skin tumors composed predominantly of cells having elongated nuclei and very scant cytoplasm (i.e., fibroblasts) and capillaries in a collagenous stroma. Some authors distinguish DF from benign fibrous histiocytomas (BFH), which are composed of cells with round to oval nuclei and abundant cytoplasm (i.e., histiocytes). In general, this group of tumors expresses factor XIIIa but not the antigen recognized by MAC 387. However, immunohistochemical differences specifically between DF and BFH have not been reported. We have studied the immunophenotype of 23 lesions having morphologic features predominantly either of DF (17 cases) or BFH (6 cases) using antibodies against desmin (muscle marker), alpha-smooth-muscle actin (muscle and myofibroblast marker), CD68 and HAM56 antigen (markers commonly expressed by macrophages, so called "histiocytic" markers), CD34 (a marker present in hematopoietic, vascular, and occasional dermal dendritic cells), and factor XIIIa (a transglutaminase present in many cells including dermal dendrocytes). Many spindle-shaped cells expressed alpha-smooth-muscle actin while many large, round cells expressed the histiocytic markers. However, most lesions expressed at least focally both alpha-smooth-muscle actin and "histiocytic" markers. Thus a clear-cut distinction between DF and BFH could not be made based on immunophenotype alone. Additionally, the prominent alpha-smooth-muscle actin immunoreactivity and desmin non-reactivity suggests myofibroblastic differentiation in the spindle-cell regions of these tumors, and indicates that expression of alpha-smooth-muscle actin cannot be used as definitive proof of muscle differentiation in spindle-cell tumors. We conclude that DF and BFH are not discrete entities, but represent polar expressions of one nosologic entity exhibiting both myofibroblastic and "histiocytic" differentiation.
The possible relationship between the auroral breakup and the interchange instability of the ring current

Abstract Morphological evidence is presented suggesting that the auroral breakup may be the result of an instability on the boundary of the ring current belt. This suggestion is examined quantitatively by studying the consequences of a dispersion relation which includes the effects of wave particle interactions and the depolarizing effects of a finitely conducting ionosphere in a dipole magnetic field. Assuming reasonable ionospheric and magnetospheric parameters, it is shown that qualitative agreement can be obtained between predicted growth rates and wave-lengths and those observed by the all-sky camera. Connections between the auroral breakup and the polar magnetic substorm and the structure of the magnetospheric tail are suggested.
Diameter graphs of polygons and the proof of a conjecture of Graham

We show that for an n-gon with unit diameter to have maximum area, its diameter graph must contain a cycle, and we derive an isodiametric theorem for such n-gons in terms of the length of the cycle. We then apply this theorem to prove Graham's 1975 conjecture that the diameter graph of a maximal 2m-gon (m>=3) must be a cycle of length 2m-1 with one additional edge attached to it.
The role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and parathyroid hormone in the regulation of chick renal 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase.

Abstract A single 325-pmol dose of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 given to chicks fed a vitamin D-deficient diet containing 3% calcium and 0.6% phosphorus suppresses renal mitochondrial 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-1α-hydroxylase and stimulates the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase as measured by in vitro assay. This alteration in the enzymatic activity takes place over a period of hours. The administration of parathyroid hormone rapidly suppresses the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase. The alterations in the hydroxylases by parathyroid hormone or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 are not related to changes in serum clacium or phosphate but could be related to changes in intracellular levels of these ions. Actinomycin D or cycloheximide given in vivo reduces the 25-hydroxyvitamin D3-24-hydroxylase activity rapidly which suggests that the turnover of the enzyme and its messenger RNA is rapid (1- and 5-h half-life, respectively). The half-lives of the hydroxylases are sufficiently short to permit a consideration that the regulation by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 and parathyroid hormone may involve enzyme synthesis and degradation.
Mesoscale variability of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) satellite ocean color: Global patterns and spatial scales

[1] Using the semivariogram approach from geostatistics, we characterize for the first time the global patterns of mesoscale (approximately 10–200 km and days to a few weeks) ocean biological variability. The magnitude of the variability and spatial length scale fields are reported for a full year of Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) ocean color data. The analysis shows a number of coherent geographical patterns across a wide range of biological and physical environments. Submonthly, small spatial scale variance dominates ocean color variability in oligotrophic regimes and is about a third of the total variance even in regions with strong seasonality. When normalized to the mean chlorophyll as a coefficient of variation, the resolved mesoscale variance (relative sill) is approximately uniform in the open-ocean tropics and subtropics (0.1–0.2), increasing to 0.3–1.0 in western boundary current, upwelling (Equatorial Pacific, coastal) and subpolar/polar regions, approximately scaling with the mean chlorophyll concentration. The unresolved variance (nugget), which includes submesoscale geophysical variability as well as instrument/algorithm noise, is inversely correlated with mean chlorophyll concentration in the oligotrophic subtropical gyres, reducing to a low background value (0.1) elsewhere. The high fraction of unresolved variance in the subtropics is consistent with other studies showing substantial speckling due to noise in the atmospheric correction methods. The mesoscale spatial scale (range) is approximately zonal, with values of 200–350 km near the Equator to less than 50 km close to the poles similar to the physical scales estimated from altimeter sea surface height variability data and the first baroclinic Rossby deformation radius. Our results demonstrate the global generality of previous local and regional findings that small-scale variability in ocean biology and physics occurs on comparable spatial length scales. Regional deviations from these large-scale variance and spatial length scales trends, for example, lower range and higher resolved variance in coastal upwelling regimes, are explicable by the characteristics of the biological-physical interaction in those environments.
On the relationship between lower magnitude thresholds and bias in epidemic‐type aftershock sequence parameter estimates

[1] Modern earthquake catalogs are often described using spatial-temporal point process models such as the epidemic-type aftershock sequence (ETAS) models of Ogata (1998). Earthquake catalogs often have issues of incompleteness and other inaccuracies for earthquakes of magnitude below a certain threshold, and such earthquakes are typically removed prior to fitting a point process model. This paper investigates the bias in the parameters in ETAS models introduced by the removal of the smallest events. It is shown that in the case of most of the ETAS parameters, the bias increases approximately exponentially as a function of the lower magnitude cutoff.
The function of courtship song rhythms in Drosophila

The courtship songs of Drosophila are produced by the male's wing vibration and consist of a series of pulses, with an inter-pulse interval (IPI) of 34 ms for D. melanogaster and 48 ms for D. simulans. The IPI's are not constant in length during courtship, but oscillate sinusoidally with 55-s cycles in the former species and 35-s cycles in the latter. We have stimulated D. melanogaster females with artificially generated courtship songs, and have observed that they mate fastest when the song incorporates a 55-s oscillation superimposed on a 34-ms IPI. D. simulans females, on the other hand, mate fastest with a 48-ms IPI and a 35-s oscillation period. Consequently these newly-discovered song cycles produce significant mating enhancement in these species, with the females showing a preference for songs which carry both the species-specific IPI and the species-specific IPI rhythm.
Banking on interoperability: Secure, interoperable credential management

Abstract An interoperable credential system allows users to reference a single asymmetric key pair to logon to multiple web sites and digitally sign transactions. Models that govern how keys are created, authorized, validated, and revoked are a crucial part of such a system. These models have security, scalability, and liability implications for businesses, so the requirements vary depending on the parties involved. However, the prevailing the public key infrastructure (PKI) system does not meet these diverse needs. PKI requires a certificate authority (CA) to act as a trusted third party for the parties in a transaction. For example, PKI features a receiver key validation model that requires the receiver of the transaction to communicate with a CA to validate the sender’s key used to sign a transaction. These aspects conflict with liability concerns and interoperability goals of businesses doing high-value transactions such as wholesale banking. This paper presents Partner Key Management (PKM) as a mechanism which sufficiently addresses security and liability concerns of businesses performing high-value online transactions, and uses wholesale banking as the motivating example. PKM does not rely on a trusted third party, and features several flexible revocation models to accommodate diverse regulations. PKM is not merely a proposal. Rather, the financial industry has implemented the technology in some of its wholesale banking sites thereby securing millions of dollars of transactions every day. Finally, this paper justifies the security of PKM and its flexible revocation models; and illustrates the justification with proofs through formal logic.
Experts sometimes show more false recall than novices: a cost of knowing too much ☆

Abstract Students with or without expertise in the domain of investments were tested on recall of a list of words containing both investment terms and other terms not related to the domain of investment. Consistent with predictions derived from the expert memory literature, the memory illusion literature, and the ascribed characteristics of implicit associative responses, experts recalled more investment-related words and, paradoxically, also made more false recalls in that domain. This pattern of results paralleled the pattern of differences between another sample of experts and novices in strength of word associations in the two domains.
Enzyme Replacement Therapy in Mucopolysaccharidosis I: Altered Distribution and Targeting of α-l-Iduronidase in Immunized Rats

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) has been developed and trialed for the treatment of human lysosomal storage disorder patients. The viability of ERT for the treatment of these severe multiple pathology disorders has subsequently been established. However, in both animal model studies and human clinical trials, some individuals have been shown to develop an immune response to the replacement protein. This potential complication for treatment has been investigated by the infusion of recombinant human alpha-L-iduronidase (rh-alpha-L-iduronidase) into nonimmune and immunized rats to simulate mucopolysaccharidosis type I ERT in the presence of different levels of antibody. In rats with high antibody titers to rh-alpha-L-iduronidase (titer 1,024,000) there was evidence of altered organ distribution and subcellular targeting when compared to either lower titer immunized rats (titers less than 64,000) or nonimmune rats (titers 512-1024). In addition, hypersensitivity reactions were observed for high titer rats (titer 1,024,000) during rh-alpha-L-iduronidase infusion, but not for the other two treatment groups. A rat with an antibody titer of 64,000 had only minor changes in subcellular targeting and organ distribution when infused with rh-alpha-L-iduronidase. This implied that a high level of antibody was required to effect changes in alpha-L-iduronidase enzyme targeting and distribution. Notably, in the high titer rats, the antibody produced appeared to increase the tissue and subcellular level of rh-alpha-L-iduronidase specific activity. This suggested that antibody production may not always result in an adverse effect on ERT.
Detection of a progression‐linked DNA restriction fragment in rat hepatoma cells probed with a hexokinase CDNA

We have compared genomic DNA isolated from a series of rat hepatomas and from normal rat liver tissue by restriction fragment analysis. Our objective was to identify a tumor-specific restriction fragment that would be present in rapidly growing tumors and missing in normal tissues. Using a cDNA probe specific for the C-terminal half of rat brain hexokinase, we have identified several changes in DNA restriction fragment lengths in rat hepatomas vs. normal rat liver. Most of these involved restriction fragments that were present in normal rat DNA and missing in tumor DNA. However, one HinfI fragment of M(r) = 13.4 kilobase pairs (kb) was found to be present in rapidly growing rat hepatomas, but missing in normal rat tissue and in hepatomas of slow or intermediate growth rate.
Environmental Considerations when Selecting a Dry Film Imaging Process

Like many other industries, the PCB industry must take precautions to minimise the degree of pollution it creates both in the working area and in the outside environment. The dry film imaging system used (solvent or aqueous) dictates the type of pollution and allied legislation on maximum permissible pollution limits. Methods of treatment of aqueous solutions have been widely investigated in an effort to provide installations designed to suit customers' specific requirements.
Introduction to Computational Chemistry: Teaching Hückel Molecular Orbital Theory Using an Excel Workbook for Matrix Diagonalization

Matrix diagonalization, the key technique at the heart of modern computational chemistry for the numerical solution of the Schrodinger equation, can be easily introduced in the physical chemistry c...
Long-term outcomes of kidney donors

As the demand for kidney transplantation, particularly from living donors, continues to rise, there is increasing and much needed interest in accurately quantifying the long-term risks of kidney donation. We review the outcomes of kidney donors in the domains of survival, perioperative mortality, risk of end-stage renal disease, quality of life, course of diabetes mellitus in donors, pregnancy after donation, obesity, and prevalence of other health conditions.
Power aware design of second level cache for multicore embedded systems

Designing efficient cache, memory, and storage subsystem for modern embedded systems supporting a variety of applications is a great need. Embedded systems are being deployed with multicore processors to help parallel and distributed computing in order to meet the requirements for increased processing speed. Multiple cores offer manifold options to organize multi-level caches. A mixture of cache memory hierarchies are proposed to satisfy the requirements of high-performance low-power multicore embedded systems. In this paper, we investigate the impact of CL2 organizations on the performance and power consumption for multicore embedded systems. We simulate two 4-core architectures, one with shared CL2 and the other one with private CL2s. We use MPEG4, FFT, MI, and DFT applications/algorithms in our experiment. Simulation results depict that the mean delay and total power consumption significantly vary with the variations of CL2 organization and applications. It is observed that reductions in total power consumption and mean delay per task of up to 43% and 36%, respectively, are possible with optimized CL2, with an optimal choice of 256KB CL2 cache, 64 B CL2 line size, and 8-way CL2 associativity level.
Bullous reactions to bedbug bites reflect cutaneous vasculitis.

Abstract Background There has been a worldwide resurgence of bedbug infestations. Bites by these insects may cause mild or severe cutaneous reactions, and anaphylaxis has been reported. Little is known about the most severe cutaneous reactions, termed bullous or complex reactions. Objective To study the time course and histopathologic findings of complex (bullous) cutaneous reactions to bedbugs in order to determine the optional treatment for them. Design, Setting, and Participants We prospectively photographed bullous reactions to observed bedbug bites at 30 minutes; 6, 12, 24, 36, 48, and 72 hours; 1, 2, 3, and 4 weeks, and biopsied reactions at 30 minutes, and 6, 12, and 24 hours. We also reviewed Internet postings and the available medical literature on bullous reactions after bedbug bites. Main Outcomes and Measures Correlations between clinical and histologic findings using both routine and immunofluorescent techniques. Results Bullous reactions to bedbugs are not rare. Of 357 photographs of bedbug bites posted on the Internet, 6% were bullous. In an individual with previous bullous reactions, experimental bedbug bites were associated with a progression of cutaneous responses at bite sites from immediate, pruritic, edematous lesions to a late-in-time macule, which evolved into bullous reactions by 24 hours. Bullous lesions eventually lysed but took weeks to heal. Histopathologic evaluation of bullous reactions showed a polymorphous picture with histologic evidence of an urticarial-like reaction early on that rapidly developed into a hybrid leukocytoclastic vasculitis. This vasculitis was initially neutrophilic but developed into a destructive, necrotizing, eosinophil-rich vasculitis with prominent infiltration of CD 68+ histiocytes and collagen necrobiosis. This histologic picture is similar to the dermal vasculitis in patients with Churg-Strauss vasculitis. Conclusion Historically, bedbug bite reactions have been considered to be of minor medical significance. However, the findings presented here demonstrate that the not-uncommon bullous reactions to bedbug bites reflect the presence of a local, highly destructive, cutaneous vasculitis. The histologic features of these reactions resemble those occurring in the Churg-Strauss syndrome. Therefore, efforts to prevent further bites and monitor for evidence of systemic vasculitis should be made in patients with bullous reactions to bedbug bites. Topical treatment with high potency corticosteroids may be useful in the treatment of bullous reactions.
The effect of processing parameters on the microstructure and erosion resistance of NiCr3C2 coatings

NiCr3C2 coatings have been applied to Ti-6Al-4V and Inconel 718 substrates using direct current magnetron sputtering. The substrate surface finish, bias voltage, percentage bias and deposition rates were varied systematically. The effect of changing sputtering parameters on the resultant microstructure was characterized using scanning electron microscopy and microhardness measurements. The erosion resistance of the coatings to an Al2O3 abrasive stream was determined at 30° and 90° impingement angles and related to the process parameters. The dominant erosion mechanisms at the two impingement angles were determined using scanning electron microscopy.
A nine-year evaluation of emergency department personnel exposure to ionizing radiation

Emergency department personnel experience potential occupational hazards from exposure to ionizing radiation (x-rays). To assess this risk, ionizing radiation exposure was analyzed during a nine-year period for 128 ED personnel. The group consisted of 21 physicians, 92 nurses, and 15 ancillary personnel. Exposure was measured for both penetrating and nonpenetrating radiation using standard film dosimeter badges. Film badge use compliance was 66.7% for physicians, 86.2% for nurses, and 86.7% for ancillary personnel. Penetrating radiation exposure averaged 0.12 mrem/month for physicians, 0.70 mrem/month for nurses, and 0 mrem/month for ancillary personnel, all less than the average natural background exposure. We concluded that if standard radiation precautions are taken, the occupational risk from ionizing radiation exposure to personnel in the ED is minimal, and that routine monitoring of radiation exposure of ED personnel is unnecessary.
Docosahexaenoic Acid Affects Gel Phase by Increasing Tilt Angle

The physical properties of docosahexasenoic acid (DHA) have dramatic effects on lipid bilayer phase behavior which could be a link to beneficial health. Its highly unsaturated structure makes fatty acid highly flexible and with a low transition temperature (Tm) of −80°C. In this investigation, we explore a binary system composed of the saturated lipid, 1,2-dipalmitoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DPPC) and 1-dipalmitoyl-2-docohaxeanoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphoethanolamine (DHA-PE, 22:6) using small angle x-ray scattering (SAXS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Solution SAXS is a powerful tool for structural characterization and was used to identify the different phases (Lβ' and Lα) co-existing within the membrane. In a complementary study, AFM was used to investigate the morphology of coexisting domains. In a surprising result, we observed that the DHA-PE lipid used in this study induced phase separation at concentrations as low as 0.25mol% into a DHA-PE rich liquid crystalline (Lα) phase and a DHA-PE poor gel (Lβ') phase. Also unexpectedly the thickness of the gel phase is thinner than the fluid phase as shown in the d-spacing and electron density profile. We anticipated that DHA-PE would remove or decrease the angle of tilted Lβ' phase that is composed of high concentration of DPPC, but instead it does the opposite and increase the tilt angle. However, DHA-PE still maintain its thermal property and does lower the Tm of the Lβ' phase.
Dancing with the Devil: Society and Cultural Poetics in Mexican-American South Texas

Combining shrewd applications of current cultural theory with compelling autobiography and elegant prose, Jose E. Limon works at the intersection of anthropology, folklore, popular culture, history, and literary criticism. A native of South Texas, he renders a historical and ethnographic account of its rich Mexican-American folk culture. This folk culture, he shows whether expressed through male joking rituals, ballroom polka dances, folk healing, or eating and drinking traditions metaphorically dances with the devil, both resisting and accommodating the dominant culture of Texas. Critiquing the work of his precursors John Gregory Bourke, J. Frank Dobie, Jovita Gonzalez, and Americo Paredes Limon deftly demonstrates that their accounts of Mexican-Americans in South Texas contain race, class, and gender contradictions, revealed most clearly in their accounts of the folkloric figure of the devil. Limon's own field-based ethnography follows, and again the devil appears as a recurrent motif, signaling the ideological contradictions of folk practices in a South Texas on the verge of postmodernity. "
Faculty Perception of Clinical Value of Five Commonly Used Orthopedic Tests

Purpose: The purpose of this study is to examine the perceptions of the value of five orthopedic tests (straight leg raise, Braggard’s test, Kemp’s test, Valsalva maneuver, and Patrick’s fabere test) in the diagnosis of specific neuromusculoskeletal conditions among the chiropractic faculty at a large chiropractic college.
Excitation design for damage detection using iterative adjoint-based optimization—Part 2: Experimental demonstration

Abstract The iterative, adjoint-based excitation optimization technique developed in Part 1 is evaluated on an experimental structure consisting of a non-linear cantilever beam. The developed technique is shown to be effective at producing excitations which significantly improve the detectability of damage relative to two different “naive” excitations (a random input and a chirp). The technique is also demonstrated to be effective across multiple damage levels. In addition, by formulating a second-order version of the adjoint problem, it is shown that the terms needed to solve the associated adjoint equation are readily available from many commercially available finite element packages, which further enhances the usability of the technique.
Parkinson's Law and Its Implications for Project Management

Critical path models concerning project management i.e. PERT/CPM fail to account for work force behavioral effects on the expected project completion time. In this paper, we provide a modelling framework for project management activities, that ultimately accounts for expected worker behavior under Parkinson's Law. A stochastic activity completion time model is used to formally state Parkinson's Law. The developed model helps to examine the effects of information release policies on subcontractors of project activities, and to develop managerial policies for setting appropriate deadlines for series or parallel project activities.
Public Opinions of Suicide Bombers' Mental Health1,2:

Abstract This study was designed to explore public opinions of suicide bombers' mental health, which is a subject of great popular and scholarly debate. In a random sample of 391 adult residents surveyed by telephone, there did not appear to be significant differences in answers based on respondents' age, sex, or race. However, belief that suicide bombers are mentally ill was inversely related to respondents' level of education. That respondents with less education would be more apt to believe that suicide bombers are mentally ill can be understood through prior research on the fundamental attribution error. In this particular case, however, the least educated respondents' opinions may actually reflect the latest scientific findings on the subject.
PARTICLE STATISTICS IN ALUMINUM ALLOYS

Pitting corrosion and fatigue crack growth are primary degradation mechanisms that affect the durability and integrity of structures made of aluminum alloys, and they are concerns for commercial transport and military aircraft. The heterogeneous nature of aluminum alloys is the reason that these are operative damage mechanisms. Typically, there are about 2,000 constituent particles per mm2 on polished surfaces. Corrosion pits commence at the constituent particles and evolve into severe pits by sustained growth through clusters of particles. The severe pits are nucleation sites for subsequent fatigue crack growth. Even when the environment is not as deleterious, fatigue cracks nucleate from clusters of particles. Thus, the role of heterogeneous clusters of constituent particles is critical to the damage evolution of aluminum alloys. To formulate stochastic models that can serve as part of structural reliability analyses for the damage evolution in aluminum alloys, it is essential that quantitative descriptions of the spatial statistics of the particles and particle clusters, including their location, size, and density are developed. The primary purpose of this effort is to estimate statistically the distribution functions of the key geometrical properties of constituent particles in aluminum alloys and their role in damage evolution.
Respiratory cycle-related EEG changes: response to CPAP.

STUDY OBJECTIVES Respiratory cycle-related EEG changes (RCREC) quantify statistically significant synchrony between respiratory cycles and EEG spectral power, vary to some extent with work of breathing, and may help to predict sleepiness in patients with obstructive sleep apnea. This study was designed to assess the acute response of RCREC to relief of upper airway obstruction by positive airway pressure (PAP). DESIGN Comparison of RCREC between baseline diagnostic polysomnograms and PAP titration studies. SETTING Accredited academic sleep disorders center. PATIENTS Fifty adults referred for suspected sleep disordered breathing. INTERVENTIONS For each recording, the RCREC in specific physiologic EEG frequency ranges were computed as previously described for the last 3 h of sleep not occupied by apneic events. RESULTS The sample included 27 women; mean age was 47 ± 11 (SD) years; and median respiratory disturbance index at baseline was 24 (inter-quartile range 15-43). Decrements in RCREC, from baseline to PAP titration, reached 43%, 24%, 14%, 22%, and 31% for delta (P = 0.0004), theta (P = 0.01), alpha (P = 0.10), sigma (P = 0.08), and beta (P = 0.01) EEG frequency ranges, respectively. Within each specific sleep stage, these reductions from baseline to PAP studies in synchrony between EEG power and respiratory cycles still reached significance (P < 0.05) for one or more EEG frequency ranges and for all frequency ranges during REM sleep. CONCLUSIONS RCREC tends to diminish acutely with alleviation of upper airway obstruction by PAP. These data in combination with previous observations support the hypothesis that RCREC reflect numerous, subtle, brief, but consequential inspiratory microarousals.
Genes, genomes, and genomics

While scientific terms lack the stability of physical objects, they are generally far more stable than the various meanings associated with them. As a consequence, they tend to carry older conceptions alongside those more recently acquired, thereby exerting an effective drag against conceptual change. I illustrate this claim with an analysis of the shifting meanings of the term genome, originally used to refer to a collectivity of genes, but more recently to an organism’s complement of DNA. While genes were originally regarded as effectively autonomous formal agents, and DNA as collections of genes, contemporary research suggests that an organism’s DNA constitutes a far more complex system designed to adapt and respond to the environment in which it finds itself.
Twice-Daily Fludarabine and Cytarabine Combination With or Without Gentuzumab Ozogamicin is Effective in Patients With Relapsed/Refractory Acute Myeloid Leukemia, High-Risk Myelodysplastic Syndrome, and Blast-Phase Chronic Myeloid Leukemia

Abstract Background The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of the combination of twice-daily fludarabine and cytarabine (BIDFA) in patients with refractory/relapsed acute myeloid leukemia (AML), high-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS), and chronic myeloid leukemia in myeloid blast phase (CML-BP). Patients and Methods One hundred seven patients with refractory/relapsed AML, intermediate and high-risk MDS, and CML-BP, with a performance status of 3 or less and normal organ function were treated. Patients received fludarabine 15 mg/m 2 intravenously (IV) every 12 hours on days 1 to 5 and cytarabine 0.5 g/m 2 IV over 2 hours every 12 hours on days 1 to 5. Gemtuzumab ozogamicin (GO) was administered at 3 mg/m 2 IV on day 1 in the first 59 patients. Patients with CML-BP were allowed to receive concomitant tyrosine kinase inhibitors. Results Overall, 27 (26%) patients responded with a complete remission (CR) rate of 21% and CR without platelet recovery of 5%. The overall 4-week mortality rate was 9%. The CR rates for patients with relapsed AML with first CR duration greater than or equal to 12 months, relapsed AML with first CR duration less than 12 months, and refractory/relapsed AML beyond first salvage were 56%, 26%, and 11%, respectively. With a median follow-up of 7 months, the 6-month event-free survival, overall survival, and complete remission CR duration rates were 18%, 35%, and 70%, respectively. Conclusion BIDFA is active with an overall response rate of 26% in a heavily pretreated population. This combination is safe with a low 4-week mortality rate of 9%.
Efficient Intracellular Delivery of a Pro-Apoptotic Peptide With A pH-Responsive Carrier.

Abstract A key challenge in developing protein therapeutics or imaging agents that work against cytosolic targets is the intracellular delivery barrier. Here, we show that the pH-responsive, membrane-destabilizing polymer, poly(propylacrylic acid) (PPAA), can strongly enhance target cell killing through the intracellular delivery of a functional pro-apoptotic peptide. The Bak BH3 peptide induces apoptosis via antagonization of suppressor targets such as Bcl-2 and Bcl-xL. A genetically-engineered streptavidin that contains an N-terminal TAT peptide sequence was used to optimize the pinocytotic cell uptake of biotinylated BH3 peptide and end-biotinylated PPAA. Fluorescence microscopic analysis of DAPI-stained HeLa cells was used to quantitate apoptosis. Approximately 30% of cells treated with TAT-SA:BH3 complexes revealed morphologically distinct nuclear condensation, a hallmark of apoptosis. The incorporation of biotinylated PPAA had the effect of markedly enhancing the killing effect of BH3 peptides by an additional 55% (p
The sequence of the Haemophilus influenzae mutB gene indicates it encodes a DNA helicase II-like protein.

A 6.2-kb Haemophilus influenzae genomic DNA fragment which partially complemented both the mutator and ultra-violet light sensitive (UVs) phenotypes of the H. influenzae mutB1 mutant was isolated. This fragment was also able to complement the UVs phenotype of Escherichia coli uvrD mutant hosts. The uvrD+ gene complemented the mutator phenotype of mutB1 hosts. The nucleotide (nt) sequence of the 6.2-kb fragment revealed an open reading frame (ORF) of 2184 bp. This ORF shows similarity at both the nt and amino acid (aa) levels with the uvrD gene of E. coli. Comparison of the sequences revealed eight regions of aa conservation in addition to seven previously identified helicase superfamily domains. The nt sequence 5' to the mutB ORF contains several potential regulatory motifs, including a LexA-binding site. Based upon these observations, we are confident that the mutB gene of H. influenzae encodes an ATP-dependent DNA helicase-like activity.
A quasi-static magnetospheric convection model in two dimensions

A self-consistent 2D model of subsonic plasma sheet convection is presented. Specifically, time sequences of static equilibrium solutions for the 2D magnetospheric magnetic field are constructed consistent with adiabatic convection. This model self-consistently includes a dipole field and a reasonable accounting for the effects of inner magnetospheric shielding. Starting from a relaxed magnetospheric equilibrium, the earthward convection of plasma sheet flux tubes results in the stretching of inner plasma sheet field lines, the development of a local minimum in the equatorial magnetic field Be in the near-earth plasma sheet, and an increasing lobe magnetic field. This evolution in time occurs independent of the specific magnetopause or far-tail boundary conditions, provided the plasma sheet is not at marginal interchange stability. This behavior results solely from the convection of flux tubes of increasing entropy into the near-earth plasma sheet. These results are discussed in the general context of earthward convection in earth's plasma sheet and in the specific context of magnetospheric substorms.
Novel design of multimodal MRI/NIR optical contrast agent

We present a novel, dual modality gadolinium based MRI/near-infrared optical probe. Utilizing a fluorescent dye as a scaffold with attached Gd-chelating moiety, we demonstrated a substantial shortening of T1 relaxation time of water protons in vitro . The probe was compared to the commonly used MRI Gd-based contrast agents Magnevist® and Multihance® and showed superior contrast properties. The enhancement was due to strong albumin binding of the hydrophobic fluorophore and overall rigidification of the contrast agent. Due to the near-infrared optical properties of the probe and excellent MRI activity the proposed construct can be potentially utilized as a dual probe in multimodal MRI/NIR optical imaging.