cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hyperfine Structure of the (pμp) + , L=1, Ortho, Bound State

All of the ordinary hyperfine terms of the ${(p\ensuremath{\mu}p)}^{+}$, $L=1$, ortho, bound state, except for the muon-proton contact term, are evaluated to sufficient accuracy so that they would not mask a hyperfine discrepancy associated with proton structure effects. These and other pertinent contributions to the hyperfine structure are discussed in the light of recent interest in checking for a discrepancy in the hyperfine structure of a muon-proton system.
Mechanics of cellular and other low-density materials

Both two-dimensional and three-dimensional low density materials are surveyed. The microstructure is usually in a cellular form with some characteristic dimension(s) being small compared to the cell size and with the density range approaching that at which the loss of material integrity occurs. The mechanical properties of stiffness and strength are considered, along with applications and future opportunities.
Chemically defined medium for organ culture differentiation of rat pancreas anlage.

Abstract Rat pancreas rudiments grown in a chemically defined medium differentiated as well, by light and electron microscopy criteria, as rudiments grown in a semidefined medium containing Eagle's basal medium, horse serum and chick embryo extract. There were similar increases of 2 to 4 logarithmic units of enzymatic activity of amylase, lipase and chymotrypsin in rudiments grown in both media. The defined medium eliminates sera, embryo and tissue extracts and simplifies studies of pancreas acinar cell differentiation in organ culture.
Comparison of the locomotor-activating effects of bicuculline infusions into the preoptic area and ventral pallidum.

Ambulatory locomotion in the rodent is robustly activated by unilateral infusions into the basal forebrain of type A gamma-aminobutyric acid receptor antagonists, such as bicuculline and picrotoxin. The present study was carried out to better localize the neuroanatomical substrate(s) underlying this effect. To accomplish this, differences in total locomotion accumulated during a 20-min test period following bicuculline versus saline infusions in male Sprague–Dawley rats were calculated, rank ordered and mapped on a diagram of basal forebrain transposed from immunoprocessed sections. The most robust locomotor activation was elicited by bicuculline infusions clustered in rostral parts of the preoptic area. Unilateral infusions of bicuculline into the ventral pallidum produced an unanticipatedly diminutive activation of locomotion, which led us to evaluate bilateral ventral pallidal infusions, and these also produced only a small activation of locomotion, and, interestingly, a non-significant trend toward suppression of rearing. Subjects with bicuculline infused bilaterally into the ventral pallidum also exhibited persistent bouts of abnormal movements. Bicuculline infused unilaterally into other forebrain structures, including the bed nucleus of stria terminalis, caudate-putamen, globus pallidus, sublenticular extended amygdala and sublenticular substantia innominata, did not produce significant locomotor activation. Our data identify the rostral preoptic area as the main substrate for the locomotor-activating effects of basal forebrain bicuculline infusions. In contrast, slight activation of locomotion and no effect on rearing accompanied unilateral and bilateral ventral pallidal infusions. Implications of these findings for forebrain processing of reward are discussed.
Displaced Workers, Unemployment And Social Work Intervention

Abstract This paper focuses on a unique kind of unemployment: plant closings. It discusses the indivudal, family, community and societal consequences of plant shotdowns in the United States, Canada and Europe. The paper draws implications form the international literature and the empirical findings for social work intervention in the United States, emphasising proactive strategies. Though GM has been tightening its belt for months, … a new level of cost cutting began: the Company's Chevrolet Pontiac Canada Division shut its Norwood, Ohio, assembly plan – the first of 11 GM plants that will close by 1990, eliminating 30,000 jobs (Newsweek, September 7, 1987, p.42). The Craddock-Terry Shoe Plant in Blackstone, Virginia closed, laying off 200 workers. It was one of the major sources of employment in the city (ABC Network News, September 17, 1987).
The Weakness of Our Political Parties

Whatever else the 2008 presidential election may result in, we can be sure that it will only contribute further to the steadily declining role of political parties in American politics, and the myriad negative consequences arising from that decline.
The Yip1p.Yif1p complex is required for the fusion competence of endoplasmic reticulum-derived vesicles.

Here we report that Yip1p and Yif1p, two members of an integral membrane protein complex that bind to the Rab Ypt1p, are required for membrane fusion with the Golgi in vitro. To block fusion, anti-Yip1p or anti-Yif1p antibodies must be added before vesicles bud from the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). These antibodies do not block the packaging of Yip1p, Yif1p, or the soluble NSF attachment protein receptor (SNAREs) into vesicles. We propose that Yip1p and Yif1p perform a critical role in establishing the fusion competence of ER to Golgi vesicles at the time of budding. Consistent with this proposal, we observe that the Yip1p·Yif1p complex binds to the ER to Golgi SNAREs Bos1p and Sec22p, two components of the membrane fusion machinery.
Genetic similarity in inflammatory and degenerative abdominal aortic aneurysms: A study of human leukocyte antigen class II disease risk genes

Abstract Purpose: Clinically, abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) display a spectrum of inflammation that extends from apparently noninflamed (degenerative) AAAs to the classic inflammatory variant. Genes encoded in the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) region are important in the development of both variants of AAA; however, their role in progression to the inflammatory variant is unknown. The purpose of this study was to compare HLA class II genes in patients with degenerative versus classic inflammatory AAAs and to quantify their impact as disease risk factors. Methods : Genotypes of the 12 major alleles of the HLA-DR B1 locus were determined in patients with degenerative (102) and inflammatory (40) AAAs who were compared with controls (118). Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to determine allele distributions and to quantify disease risk. Results: Distribution of the HLA-DR B1 alleles was nonrandom and similar in both degenerative and inflammatory AAA groups compared with controls. The B1*02 and B1*04 alleles were enhanced in both degenerative (39.2% vs 25.4%, P =.03; and 35.3% vs 24.6%, P =.08 respectively) and inflammatory (47.5% vs 25.4%, P =.01; and 32.5% vs 24.6%, P =.09, respectively) AAAs compared with controls. The B1*02 and B1*04 alleles were associated with risk for both degenerative (odds ratio [OR] 2.2; 95% CI, 1.2-4.0; and OR 2.0; 95% CI, 1.1-3.7, respectively) and inflammatory AAAs (OR 3.7; 95% CI, 1.8-8.6; and OR 2.5; 95% CI, 1.1-6.1). Conclusion: This study demonstrates that identical HLA alleles function as genetic risk factors for both inflammatory and degenerative AAAs. These results support the concept of a common, immune-mediated pathogenesis for AAAs that may be modulated by HLA-independent factors. (J Vasc Surg 2001;34:84-9.)
Integrated landscape analysis with radar imagery

Abstract The hypothesis of this paper is that radar provides a means for delimiting varying associations of physical and cultural phenomena through the outlining image variations in tone, texture, pattern, and shape. It can be demonstrated that image patterns delimited on radar are visually correlated with known, observable variations of physical and cultural phenomena. Although the small scale and limited resolution of the radar prohibit interpretation of fine detail, enough information can be interpreted to basically characterize each of the regions. The value of the approach is that reliable regional categories can be quickly established and characterized; and, if more detailed regional descriptions are desirable only limited sampling would be necessary to provide the data. Ultimately, the radar technique may well represent a considerable improvement over other approaches to regional generalization from the standpoint of time, cost, comparability, and accuracy.
The Caenorhabditis elegans Homologue of Thioredoxin Reductase Contains a Selenocysteine Insertion Sequence (SECIS) Element That Differs from Mammalian SECIS Elements but Directs Selenocysteine Incorporation

Thioredoxin reductases (TRR) serve critical roles in maintaining cellular redox states. Two isoforms of TRR have been identified in mammals: both contain a penultimate selenocysteine residue that is essential for catalytic activity. A search of the genome of the invertebrate, Caenorhabditis elegans, reveals a gene highly homologous to mammalian TRR, with a TGA selenocysteine codon at the corresponding position. A selenocysteyl-tRNA was identified in this organism several years ago, but no selenoproteins have been identified experimentally. Herein we report the first identification of a C. elegans selenoprotein. By (75)Se labeling of C. elegans, one major band was identified, which migrated with the predicted mobility of the C. elegans TRR homologue. Western analysis with an antibody against human TRR provides strong evidence for identification of the C. elegans selenoprotein as a member of the TRR family. The 3'-untranslated region of this gene contains a selenocysteine insertion sequence (SECIS) element that deviates at one position from the previously invariant consensus "AUGA." Nonetheless, this element functions to direct selenocysteine incorporation in mammalian cells, suggesting conservation of the factors recognizing SECIS elements from worm to man.
Global energy production and use to the year 2050

Abstract We have explored the long-term global evolution of energy production and consumption, in conjunction with a program to investigate the global carbon dioxide issue. This paper presents energy findings which have grown out of that work. While our initial motivation to look at energy was environmental, that look has revealed many energy surprises such as a stable world oil price to the year 2000, which delays the introduction of backstop technologies until the next century, a major shift toward shale oil and coal to produce liquid fuels after 2025, and a heavy substitution of conservation and small-scale solar energy for commercial fuels, but only a minor penetration of centralized solar electric power generation. The base case is a conditional projection. We also consider some of the major factors which could result in alternative evolutionary paths of the global energy system.
Reverse transcriptase in bacteria

Reverse transcriptase, discovered in 1970 in retroviruses, has until recently been found only in eukaryotic organisms. Recently it was shown to occur in two groups of bacteria: myxobacteria and Escherichia coli. The gene for reverse transcriptase is part of a chromosomal genetic element that codes for the production of a branched DNA-RNA compound. In this compound a single-stranded DNA is connected to RNA at a specific G residue by a 2'-5' phosphodiester linkage. The precursor for the DNA-RNA compound is a folded messenger RNA, in which the specific G residue is the initiation point for reverse transcription. In the final DNA-RNA compound, the portion of the RNA transcribed by reverse transcriptase is eliminated by RNase H. The DNA-RNA compound is present in several hundred copies per cell. Its biological function is unknown at present.
A compact and high throughput reactor of monolithic‐structured catalyst bed for conversion of syngas to liquid fuels

Syngas conversion is needed for the production of liquid fuels and/or chemicals from renewable or remote feedstock at capacities much smaller than the conventional Fischer–Tropsch (F–T) plant. Here, we present a multiscale-engineered, modular-type design approach toward the development of a compact reactor unit to make syngas-to-liquids economically feasible at small scales. The fundamental design idea is tested by using a Re-Co/alumina catalyst coated on a monolith support of channel size about 0.9 mm. One-pass CO conversion (92–98%) with <10% of CH4 selectivity is obtained with the structured bed under typical F–T reaction conditions. The gas superficial linear velocity was found as one critical parameter that may allow scale-up of the hydrodynamics from the small-scale laboratory tests directly to practical sizes of the reactor with the proposed design strategy. A pore wetness and surface perspiration model is proposed to explain the experimental data and rationalize the new design concepts. © 2011 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 2012
Kynurenic acid is a nutritional cue that enables behavioral plasticity.

SUMMARY The kynurenine pathway of tryptophan metabolism is involved in the pathogenesis of several brain diseases, but its physiological functions remain unclear. We report that kynurenic acid, a metabolite in this pathway, functions as a regulator of food-dependent behavioral plasticity in C. elegans. The experience of fasting in C. elegans alters a variety of behaviors, including feeding rate, when food is encountered postfast. Levels of neurally produced kynurenic acid are depleted by fasting, leading to activation of NMDA-receptor-expressing interneurons and initiation of a neuropeptide-y-like signaling axis that promotes elevated feeding through enhanced serotonin release when animals re-encounter food. Upon refeeding, kynurenic acid levels are eventually replenished, ending the elevated feeding period. Because tryptophan is an essential amino acid, these findings suggest that a physiological role of kynurenic acid is in directly linking metabolism to activity of NMDA and serotonergic circuits, which regulate a broad range of behaviors and physiologies.
Efficient transfer of a VA-SWNT film by a flip-over technique

A transfer of a VA-SWNT film onto a conductive surface has been achieved using a novel “flip-over” technique. The top surface of a VA-SWNT film was covered by entangled bundles in an as-grown sample. When a VA-SWNT film was flipped over, an optically flat surface consisting of the tips of very well aligned, clean bundles from the bottom of the film are exposed while the top of the film is well contacted to the substrate. Thus, we expect this technique to provide us with means to prepare carbon nanotube electrodes for device applications such as super capacitors, thermo-electric devices, fuel cells, and field emission filaments.
A Role for Histone Acetylation in the Developmental Regulation of V(D)J Recombination

VDJ recombination is developmentally regulated in vivo by enhancer-dependent changes in the accessibility of chromosomal recombination signal sequences to the recombinase, but the molecular nature of these changes is unknown. Here histone H3 acetylation was measured along versions of a transgenic VDJ recombination reporter and the endogenous T cell receptor alpha/delta locus. Enhancer activity was shown to impart long-range, developmentally regulated changes in H3 acetylation, and H3 acetylation status was tightly linked to VDJ recombination. H3 hyperacetylation is proposed as a molecular mechanism coupling enhancer activity to accessibility for VDJ recombination.
Silicon Detection in Fat Globules in Pericapsular Tissue of Women and Rats Augmented with Silicone Gel

: Pericapsular adipose tissues of five patients with silicone gel breast implants were examined using electron probe microanalysis (EPMA), a sensitive method for detecting the elemental silicon component of silicone using transmission electron microscopy. All five patients had their implants removed secondary to implant complications. Five experimental animals that received subcutaneous silicone injections were also examined. Intracellular silicon was detected in the adipose tissue and in fat globules of macrophages in all patients and experimental animals. Three forms of intracellular silicon were identified: laminated, granular, and amorphous. No silicon was detected by EPMA in the adipose tissue of human and experimental animal controls. Potential origins of this silicon include the following: silicone gel (PDMS—Poly-dimethylsiloxane), silicone gel that may have been converted to another form, and background silicon from food or environmental sources. The absence of detectable silicon in the control human and animal tissue implicates silicone gel as the probable source. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first description of intracellular silicon within fat globules of both adipocytes and macrophages in recipients of silicone breast implants.?
Nutrient Limitation in Two Everglades Tree Species Planted on Constructed Tree Islands

The Everglades is a low-nutrient ecosystem occupied by marsh plant species adapted to low avail- ability of phosphorus. Recently, however, tree islands that are scattered throughout the marsh have been recognized as biogeochemical hotspots. The goal of this study was to determine the general patterns of response by common tree species when conditions limiting to optimal growth were improved by fertilization in an experimentally con- structed and managed Everglades wetland. Thirty-six trees of two species, Annona glabra and Chrysobalanus icaco, were randomly selected on two peat- and two limestone-based islands. Each tree was treated with one of three nutrient regimes: Nitrogen (N), Phosphorus (P), or Control (no addition of nutrients). Positive highly significant P-treatment effects on leaf total P and leaf N:P were observed in both species in comparison to Control trees, but neither species exhibited a similar response to N-fertilization. However, among the two species, only A. glabra responded to P-fertilization with increased growth. Both fertilized and unfertilized trees of each species exhibited a highly significant growth re- sponse to hydrological condition, with growth enhanced on less persistently flooded sites. Our experimental results identify a clear difference in species growth responses to substrate type in the two species, but do not support the idea that a single critical N:P ratio can be used to indicate nutrient limitation for all wetland trees.
Overview of membrane protein solubilization.

The solubilization of membrane proteins (i.e., extraction of the protein from the membrane in a disperse state in aqueous solution) in a stable state that retains the native activity of the membrane-bound form is more an empirical art than a protocol-driven science. Although a large number of molecules have been invented that display detergent properties, selection of the proper solubilizing agent is largely a matter of trial and error that depends on the protein of interest and the particular goals of the investigator. The purpose of this overview is to describe the methodology for finding the optimal conditions for detergent solubilization and to relate the selection of a specific detergent to explicit experimental goals.
Triplet-State-Mediated Super-Resolution Imaging of Fluorophore-Labeled Gold Nanorods

Triplet-state-mediated super-resolution imaging was used to map the positions of fluorescently labeled double-stranded DNA bound to the surface of gold nanorods. In order to isolate individual fluorophores bound to the nanorod surface, imaging conditions were optimized such that the majority of the fluorophores were forced into a triplet dark state, and fluorescence from approximately one molecule at a time was detected. The fluorescence from the emitting single molecule was then fit to a two-dimensional (2D) Gaussian to localize its position relative to the nanorod substrate. The reconstructed super-resolution images showed excellent agreement with the shape and orientation of the nanorods, although, based on correlated atomic force microscopy, they consistently under-estimated nanorod size. The apparent DNA ligand binding on the gold nanorod surface showed significant heterogeneity, with examples of preferential binding to nanorod ends, uniform binding across the nanorod surface, and site-specific binding to a single end of the nanorod. This heterogeneity would be hidden in a typical ensemble or diffraction-limited measurement, highlighting the need for single nanoparticle super-resolution imaging studies.
Occurrence, distribution and possible functional roles of simple sequence repeats in phytoplasma genomes.

Phytoplasmas are unculturable, cell-wall-less bacteria that parasitize plants and insects. This transkingdom life cycle requires rapid responses to vastly different environments, including transitions from plant phloem sieve elements to various insect tissues and alternations among diverse plant hosts. Features that enable such flexibility in other microbes include simple sequence repeats (SSRs) — mutation-prone, phase-variable short DNA tracts that function as ‘evolutionary rheostats’ and enhance rapid adaptations. To gain insights into the occurrence, distribution and potentially functional roles of SSRs in phytoplasmas, we performed computational analysis on the genomes of five completely sequenced phytoplasma strains, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma asteris’-related strains OYM and AYWB, ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma australiense’-related strains CBWB and SLY and ‘Candidatus Phytoplasma mali’-related strain AP-AT. The overall density of SSRs in phytoplasma genomes was higher than in representative strains of other prokaryotes. While mono- and trinucleotide SSRs were significantly overrepresented in the phytoplasma genomes, dinucleotide SSRs and other higher-order SSRs were underrepresented. The occurrence and distribution of long SSRs in the prophage islands and phytoplasma-unique genetic loci indicated that SSRs played a role in compounding the complexity of sequence mosaics in individual genomes and in increasing allelic diversity among genomes. Findings from computational analyses were further complemented by an examination of SSRs in varied additional phytoplasma strains, with a focus on potential contingency genes. Some SSRs were located in regions that could profoundly alter the regulation of transcription and translation of affected genes and/or the composition of protein products.
The Response of Enzyme Polymorphisms to Developmental Rate Selection in DROSOPHILA MELANOGASTER

Two strains of Drosophila melanogaster derived from different geographical localities were subjected to selection for fast and slow developmental rate. Four enzyme polymorphisms were monitored for their response to such selection. Significant changes in allele frequencies were effected for the αGpdh and 6Pgd polymorphisms under fast developmental rate selection. The strain from Rhode Island exhibited a correlated change in body weight during developmental rate selection, whereas the Georgia strain did not.
Suppression of Gq Function Using Intra-Pipette Delivery of shRNA during Extracellular Recording in the Ventral Tegmental Area

Selective suppression of protein function in the brain can be achieved using specific silencing RNAs administered in vivo. A viral delivery system is often employed to transfect neurons with small hairpin RNA (shRNA) directed against specific proteins, and intervals of several days are allowed between microinjection of the shRNA-containing virus into the brain and experiments to assess suppression of gene function. Here we report studies using extracellular recording of dopaminergic neurons of the ventral tegmental area (DA VTA neurons) recorded in brain slices in which lentivirus containing shRNA directed against Gq was included in the recording pipette, and suppression of Gq-related function was observed within the time frame of the recording. The action of neurotensin (NT) is associated with activation of Gq, and the firing rate of DA VTA neurons is increased by NT. With shRNA directed against Gq in the pipette, there was a significant reduction of NT excitation within 2 h. Likewise, time-dependent dopamine desensitization, which we have hypothesized to be Gq-dependent, was not observed when shRNA directed against Gq was present in the pipette and dopamine was tested 2 h after initiation of recording. As the time interval (2 h) is relatively short, we tested whether blockade of protein synthesis with cycloheximide delivered via the recording pipette would alter Gq-linked responses similarly. Both NT-induced excitation and dopamine desensitization were inhibited in the presence of cycloheximide. Inclusion of shRNA in the recording pipette may be an efficient and selective way to dampen responses linked to Gq, and, more generally, the use of lentiviral-packaged shRNA in the recording pipette is a means to produce selective inhibition of the function of specific proteins in experiments.
Identification of RNA binding motifs in the R2 retrotransposon-encoded reverse transcriptase

R2 non-LTR retrotransposons insert at a specific site in the 28S rRNA genes of many animal phyla. R2 elements encode a single polypeptide with reverse transcriptase, endonuclease and nucleic acid binding domains. Integration involves separate cleavage of the two DNA strands at the target site and utilization of the released 3' ends to prime DNA synthesis. Critical to this integration is the ability of the protein to specifically bind 3' and 5' regions of the R2 RNA. In this report, alanine mutations in two conserved motifs N-terminal to the reverse transcriptase domain were generated and shown to result in proteins that retained the ability to cleave the first strand of the DNA target, to reverse transcribe RNA from an annealed primer and to displace annealed RNA when using DNA as a template. However, the mutant proteins had greatly reduced ability to bind 3' and 5' RNA in mobility shift assays, use the DNA target to prime reverse transcription and conduct second-strand DNA cleavage. These motifs thus appear to participate in all activities of the R2 protein known to require specific RNA binding. The similarity of these R2 RNA binding motifs to those of telomerase and group II introns is discussed.
An Optimal Approach for Image Transmission in Multi-Rate Wireless Sensor Network

Many sensor applications such as monitoring and surveillance may require image sensor array to conduct collaborative image transmissions in Wireless sensor network (WSN). The large size image transmission in WSN is a bottleneck due to the limited energy resources. In this paper, we propose an optimal scheme for image sensors to utilize inter-sensor correlations to decide transmission patterns based on a multi-rate least cost path (MRLCP) routing scheme, which achieves high energy efficiencies and longer network lifetime. This optimization scheme allows each image sensor to transmit optimal fractions of the overlapped images through appropriate rate- based routing paths. A specific genetic algorithm is designed to solve such discrete optimization problem. The simulation results show that the proposed image transmission scheme can achieve considerable gains in terms of the WSN energy efficiency and network lifetime extension.
Housing inequality in transitional Beijing

The market transition in China has resulted in significant social inequality, including housing inequality, in a formerly egalitarian society. This article provides both a conceptual framework and an empirical analysis of housing inequality in transitional urban China. Using the 1995 1% Population Survey and the 2000 Census data for Beijing, it shows that there was significant housing inequality between different socio-economic and institutional groups, and that the reforms in the late 1990s aggravated it. While emerging market mechanisms began to contribute to housing inequality, socialist institutions such as the household registration ( hukou) system continued to be significant in the late 1990s, although there is evidence of the declining importance of other institutional factors such as political status. This study contributes to the market transition debate by arguing that different elements of the socialist institutions follow different paths in the reform and thus have different impacts on social inequality. Resume En Chine, le marche de transition s’est traduit par une inegalite sociale considerable, y compris en matiere de logement, dans une societe autrefois egalitaire. Cet article fournit un cadre conceptuel et une analyse empirique de l’inegalite du logement dans la Chine urbaine en transition. Exploitant les donnees de l’enquete sur 1% de la population nationale de 1995 et celles du recensement de 2000 pour Beijing, il montre qu’il existait une nette inegalite de logement entre differents groupes socio-economiques et institutionnels, laquelle a ete aggravee par les reformes de la fin des annees 1990. Tandis que les mecanismes d’un marcheemergent se sont mis a alimenter l’inegalite de logement, des institutions socialistes telles que le systeme d’enregistrement des menages (hukou ) ont garde leur preponderance, meme si on peut demontrer le recul d’autres facteurs institutionnels comme la position politique. Cette etude s’inscrit dans le debat sur le marche de transition en affirmant que differents elements des institutions socialistes suivent des trajectoires differentes dans le cadre de la reforme, ayant donc des impacts differents sur l’inegalite sociale.
34.2: Invited Paper: Active Plasmonic, Tunable Metamaterials and Ultrafast Nonlinear Optics with Liquid Crystals

NLC have been incorporated in a multitude of novel structures such as photonic crystals, waveguides and plasmonic and metamaterials nanostructures to enable dynamical control of light transmission. A critical review of the underlying nonlinear optical responses of nematic as well as Blue-Phase liquid crystals is presented.
The Vanishing Science and Engineering Teacher

The extreme shortage in recent years of engineers and scientists with advanced degrees has caused a severe depletion of younger university teachers in these fields. The simultaneous increase in the number of technical students in universities has put an added load on the remaining faculty. While the larger student population promises to provide warm bodies to fill technical positions, there is a great danger that the quality of the product will deteriorate.
Reexamining the Effect of Antihypertensive Medications on Falls in Old Age

Conflicting data on the relationship between antihypertensive medications and falls in elderly people may lead to inappropriate undertreatment of hypertension in an effort to prevent falls. We aimed to clarify the relationships between the chronic use of different classes of antihypertensive medications and different types of falls, to determine the effect of medication dose, and to assess whether the risk of falls is associated with differences in cerebral blood flow. We assessed demographics, clinical characteristics, and chronic antihypertensive medication use in 598 community-dwelling people with hypertension, aged 70 to 97 years, then followed them prospectively for self-reported falls using monthly calendar postcards and telephone interviews. Antihypertensive medication use was not associated with an increased risk of falls. Participants reporting use of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors had a significantly decreased 1-year risk of injurious falls (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.39-0.96), whereas those using calcium channel blockers had a decreased risk of all falls (odds ratio, 0.62; 95% confidence interval, 0.42-0.91) and indoor falls (odds ratio, 0.57; 95% confidence interval, 0.36-0.91), compared with participants not taking these drugs. Larger doses of these classes were associated with a lower fall risk. Participants taking calcium channel blockers had higher cerebral blood flow than those not taking these medications. In relatively healthy community-dwelling elderly people, high doses of antihypertensive agents are not associated with an increased risk of falls.
Color image segmentation: advances and prospects

Abstract Image segmentation is very essential and critical to image processing and pattern recognition. This survey provides a summary of color image segmentation techniques available now. Basically, color segmentation approaches are based on monochrome segmentation approaches operating in different color spaces. Therefore, we first discuss the major segmentation approaches for segmenting monochrome images: histogram thresholding, characteristic feature clustering, edge detection, region-based methods, fuzzy techniques, neural networks, etc.; then review some major color representation methods and their advantages/disadvantages; finally summarize the color image segmentation techniques using different color representations. The usage of color models for image segmentation is also discussed. Some novel approaches such as fuzzy method and physics-based method are investigated as well.
Bridging between nano- and micro-scales for system integration: controlled capillary force-driven self assembly

We present self-assembly methods which span some six orders of magnitude in size, from molecular monolayers to millimeter-scale structures. The method is based on the use of self-assembled monolayers which selectively modify the surface energy of Si and/or Au. This surface energy modification allows microscale droplets of a macromolecule, or polymer to selectively assemble onto regions pre-defined by microfabrication methods. Finally, liquid polymer interactions result in capillary forces to self-assemble 10-100 /spl mu/m sized parts into mm-scale structures. Thus we demonstrate an integration method using self-assembly which bridges between nano and micro scales.
An Online Web-Based Real Time Digital Signal Processing Course

This work focuses on enabling on-line web delivery of the real-time DSP course offered at Arizona State University (ASU). For this purpose, tools are developed so that on-line students can directly control, via the web, the actual DSP boards, hardware equipment, and software tools in the Real-Time Embedded Signal Processing (RESP) laboratory from remote locations using different networking and I/O protocols. Working online test benches are set up for remote experimentation; two online test benches are presented, one using the Freescale DSP kit, and a second one using the Texas Instruments DSP kit. To test the quality of the on-line real-time DSP delivery and remote access, online assessment was conducted; the obtained feedback reflects high satisfaction recommending the use of the online version.
Meaning-Related and Print-Related Interactions Between Preschoolers and Parents During Shared Book Reading and Their Associations With Emergent Literacy Skills

This study examined interactions between preschool children and parents during shared book reading by analyzing parental self-report data. Using confirmatory factor analytic procedures and structural equation modeling, this study developed a scale measuring meaning-related and print-related reading interactions and examined their associations with children’s emergent literacy skills. Based on a sample of 242 participants, this study confirmed a two-factor model of shared book-reading interactions: meaning- and print-related interactions. The study also demonstrated that meaning-related interactions were significantly related to children’s receptive and expressive vocabulary and that print-related interactions were significantly associated with their letter-name knowledge. Additional findings indicated that while reading together, parents and their preschool children reported a greater focus on the contents of the story than on the printed letters or words. Compared to less educated mothers, mothers with h...
Cutting the Gordian knot of legitimacy theory? An anatomy of Frank Michelman's presentist critique of constitutional authorship

The question of legitimacy occupies center stage in debates on various constitutional developments. For as long as constitutional scholars cannot settle on a theory of legitimacy, the specter of a legitimacy deficit will continue to haunt the practitioners of constitutional law. Constitutional scholar Frank Michelman engages different schools of constitutional theory, seeking the definitive answer to the legitimacy question. He classifies theories of legitimacy into three categories, premised on notions of contract, acceptance, or authorship. Arguing that contract-based and acceptanceoriented legitimacy theories assume the notion of authorship, he distinguishes constitutional authorship in terms of its presumed transtemporal character and abandons it because of this character. To cut this Gordian knot, Michelman proposes a presentist view of legitimacy. Through an analysis of his theoretical engagement, this article argues that his effort to abandon authorship-based theories fails. A commonly chosen, authoritative dispute- settling institution, in line with Michelman’s presentist alternative, cannot stand without assuming a transtemporal concept of constitutional authorship. Thus the Gordian knot remains.
A Review of: “Meta Analysis: A Guide to Calibrating and Combining Statistical Evidence, by E. Kulinskaya, S. Morgenthaler, and R. G. Staudte”

While this book's main title is Meta Analysis, the subtitle steals the show, as the main message and the majority of the book are devoted to the preparation of individual studie' results for combin...
Investigating Retention of the Sepsis Care Bundle

Abstract Objective Compare the effectiveness of simulation to a self-study article on short- and long-term knowledge retention among critical care health care providers. Methodology This study used a two-group single-blinded randomized controlled design and was conducted at seven community hospitals in the Midwest United States. Participants answered a demographic questionnaire and completed a knowledge test related to sepsis care management. Participants were randomized to either the treatment intervention (simulation) or the standard intervention (self-study article). Immediately after the education intervention and again at 3 months after the education intervention, participants completed the same knowledge test. Conclusion Overall, there was no significant difference in knowledge test scores between groups of participants who received simulation and self-study. Knowledge scores for both groups improved after the educational intervention.
Securities Transaction Tax Reduction and Stock-Futures Arbitrage in India: A Case Study

UK Sinha, Chairman of the Securities Exchange Board of India (SEBI) announced in November, 2011 that SEBI had engaged the Ministry of Finance in a discussion, that would hopefully lead to a reduction of India's Securities Transaction Tax (STT) - a discussion that would hopefully produce benefits for India's capital markets (CNBC, 2011). The matter of reducing or eliminating the STT was under study by the Ministry of Finance, Government of India and came before the Indian Parliament in February 2012. Removal of this tax has been a long-term objective of brokers, stock exchanges and investors, who compare the exceptionally high total transaction cost of fees and taxes in India with lower total costs in other countries. In this study, both intraday and inter-day data on a representative selection of single stocks and their associated futures contracts was used to explore the effects of reduction or elimination of the STT when single stocks are arbitraged against their related futures contracts. For this purpose, data was chosen spanning selected days in June through December 2011 for eight liquid single stocks. Since the profit from a potential arbitrage can be calculated in advance of entering a trade, the number of profitable single stock arbitrage trades available on a specific day can be calculated after accounting for STT cost ranging from zero to 100% of its current statutory level. The result of this careful analysis suggested that a decrease in the STT of at least 75% is necessary to achieve meaningfully increased levels of arbitrage normally found in most successful global futures markets. Such a decrease in the STT is also likely to result in the maximum transaction revenue collected by the government.
Optimization-based reconstruction for reduction of CBCT artifact in IGRT

Kilo-voltage cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT) plays an important role in image guided radiation therapy (IGRT) by providing 3D spatial information of tumor potentially useful for optimizing treatment planning. In current IGRT CBCT system, reconstructed images obtained with analytic algorithms, such as FDK algorithm and its variants, may contain artifacts. In an attempt to compensate for the artifacts, we investigate optimization-based reconstruction algorithms such as the ASD-POCS algorithm for potentially reducing arti- facts in IGRT CBCT images. In this study, using data acquired with a physical phantom and a patient subject, we demonstrate that the ASD-POCS reconstruction can significantly reduce artifacts observed in clinical re- constructions. Moreover, patient images reconstructed by use of the ASD-POCS algorithm indicate a contrast level of soft-tissue improved over that of the clinical reconstruction. We have also performed reconstructions from sparse-view data, and observe that, for current clinical imaging conditions, ASD-POCS reconstructions from data collected at one half of the current clinical projection views appear to show image quality, in terms of spatial and soft-tissue-contrast resolution, higher than that of the corresponding clinical reconstructions.
Heart Failure with Preserved Ejection Fraction and Therapeutic Approaches: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Aims: Evidence is still lacking regarding optimal treatment for patients with heart failure with preserved ejection fraction (HfPEF). Our objective is to present an individual evaluation foreach of the current available heart failure medications using a meta analytical model. Methods and Results: Using meta-analytical techniques we assessed the impact of standard systolic heart failure medications on the combined endpoint of all -cause mortality and/or hospitalization for heart failure as a primary endpoint and on mortality and heart failure hospitalization as separate secondary endpoints for patients with HfPEF. Studies were heterogeneous (Q test, p
Development and evaluation of two instruments for assessing screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) competency

ABSTRACTBackground: Screening, brief intervention, and referral to treatment (SBIRT) is shown to be effective in identifying, intervening with, and making appropriate referrals for patients with unhealthy alcohol use. SBIRT training consists of knowledge-based and skill-based components and has increased the use of screening and intervention skills in clinical settings. This article reports on the development and evaluation of 2 SBIRT proficiency checklists for use across institutions to assess SBIRT skills in both simulated and clinical encounters. Methods: A national panel of 16 experts identified 137 discrete SBIRT skills items for the checklists. From this final list, 2 proficiency checklists were derived: the SBIRT Proficiency Checklist (SPC), composed of 22 questions for videotaped interviews, and the Clinical SBIRT Proficiency Checklist (CSPC), composed of 13 questions for direct clinical observation. An evaluation was conducted to test the reliability of the SPC and to assess the utility of the CS...
ACUTE PROXIMAL LEFT ANTERIOR DESCENDING ARTERY THROMBOSIS PRESENTING WITH INFEROLATERAL ST ELEVATION AND SYMPTOMS CONSISTENT WITH PERICARDITIS

Women are more likely to have atypical presentations of acute coronary syndrome (ACS). We present a case of acute thrombosis of proximal left anterior descending (pLAD) artery mistaken for pericarditis. A 27 year old female presented with constant sharp chest pain for more than 4 hours, worse on
HEAT TRANSFER AND TEMPERATURE DISTRIBUTIONS IN THE FLUID AND COOLED CYLINDRICAL SOLID DURING RADIAL SLOT JET IMPINGEMENT COOLING

A conjugate heat transfer investigation was conducted to better understand the effects of an impinging radial slot jet cooling device on both the heat transfer rates and temperature fields in the fluid, and especially in the cylindrical solid cooled by this device. Such temperature nonuniformities in the solid are of practical interest as they may result in phenomena such as nonuniform material properties, residual thermal stresses, and distortion of the target shape, and several metrics for this nonuniformity were defined and evaluated. The study used numerical methods to model a configuration in which a set of four radially-positioned slot jets cooled a cylindrical steel target using air with a jet Reynolds number of 20,000. The steady-state vf RANS model was used with a representative two-dimensional section of the axisymmetric target and flow domain. The conjugate heat transfer/CFD model was run for three cases: (1) constant inner surface temperature, (2) constant inner surface heat flux, and (3) constant volumetric heat generation. The target wall thickness and thermal conductivity were varied to study lateral conduction in the solid. Heat source intensity was also varied to assess its influence. Results showed that for Biot (Bi) numbers between 0.0025 and 0.073 the temperature levels in the solid were clearly affected by lateral conduction, and that the temperature variation within the solid was an order of magnitude smaller than the variation in the surface heat transfer coefficient. Despite the relatively large temperature difference of up to 400K between the cooling fluid and the solid surface, the conduction in the solid was found to have a negligible effect on the flow and heat transfer in the fluid, and on the convective heat transfer coefficient on the solid interface. For the constant heat flux case, the area-weighted standard deviation in the solid temperature was found to correlate well with the dimensionless parameter
Research Education and Beyond

Research staff education and training are key components of a research program. Everyone involved in clinical research must acquire a base knowledge and remain current on the regulations that are essential in the protection of human subjects involved in research. Over the last decade, institutional
Elections in Hard Times: Building Stronger Democracies in the 21st Century

Why are 'free and fair' elections so often followed by democratic backsliding? Elections in Hard Times answers this critical question, showing why even clean elections fail to advance democracy when held amidst challenging structural conditions. The book opens with a comprehensive, accessible synthesis of fifty years of research on elections and democratization, a resource for experts, policymakers, and students. It then develops a new theory of why elections fail in countries with little democratic history or fiscal resources, and a history of violent conflict. In a series of five empirical chapters, the book leverages an eclectic mix of cross-national data, short case studies and surveys of voters to support this theory. It closes with a careful examination of popular strategies of democracy promotion, evaluating steps designed to support elections. This book will attract academic experts on democratization and elections, students and policymakers.
Erratum to: PD-1, PD-L1, PD-L2 expression in the chordoma microenvironment

1 Department of Neurosurgery, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 2 Department of Dermatology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 3 Department of Biomedical Engineering, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 4 Department of Pathology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 5 Department of Oncology, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 6 Department of Medicine, The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA 7 Department of Neurosurgery, Johns Hopkins Hospital, 600 N. Wolfe Street, Neurosurgery Phipps 123, Baltimore, MD 21287, USA