cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unrelenting Ocular Pain as a Masquerading Symptom of Occult Choroidal Metastasis.

Purpose: To report a case of chronic eye pain as a presenting feature of choroidal metastasis from lung cancer. Methods: We report the case of a 58-year-old Caucasian woman with stage IV lung adenocarcinoma presenting with an 8-month history of left eye pain and blurred vision. Results: The patient had previously consulted 14 ophthalmologists with varying diagnoses including posterior scleritis and trigeminal neuralgia. Visual acuity at presentation was 20/20 in the right eye and 20/80 in the left eye. Examination of the right eye was normal, while the left eye showed ill-defined flat yellow discoloration of the choroid with overlying shifting subretinal fluid. Ultrasonography demonstrated a dense choroidal thickening measuring 2.6 mm in size and showing subretinal fluid. Enhanced depth imaging optical coherence tomography revealed choroidal thickening with a ‘lumpy bumpy' surface topography consistent with a metastatic choroidal tumor presumably from the patient's lung adenocarcinoma. Fine needle aspiration biopsy followed by treatment was recommended, but the patient declined and later succumbed to metastatic disease. Conclusion: We present a case of chronic eye pain associated with diffuse choroidal thickening from metastatic lung adenocarcinoma that was previously unrecognized and misdiagnosed. This case emphasizes the importance of recognizing pain as a presenting symptom of choroidal metastasis.
Ab Initio Transient Vibrational Spectral Analysis

Pump probe spectroscopy techniques have enabled the direct observation of a variety of transient molecular species in both ground and excited electronic states. Time-resolved vibrational spectroscopy is becoming an indispensable tool for investigating photoinduced nuclear dynamics of chemical systems of all kinds. On the other hand, a complete picture of the chemical dynamics encoded in these spectra cannot be achieved without a full temporal description of the structural relaxation, including the explicit time-dependence of vibrational coordinates that are substantially displaced from equilibrium by electronic excitation. Here we present a transient vibrational analysis protocol combining ab initio direct molecular dynamics and time-integrated normal modes introduced in this work, relying on the recent development of analytic time-dependent density functional theory (TDDFT) second derivatives for excited states. Prototypical molecules will be used as test cases, showing the evolution of the vibrational s...
On Butterflies in the Brain

The external world is revealed only by processes that occur in molecules constituting the brain. Thus in a very real sense the brain creates the world, and an abnormal brain, or one which is manipulated, can create objects which exist nowhere but in the brain itself. A dramatic example of such creation was reported by Foerster (1936). Electrical stimulation of what was believed to be area 18 in an unanesthetized patient created such a strong hallucination of a flitting butterfly that the patient reached out quickly from the operating table to catch it. This butterfly obviously was nothing more than a pattern of neural activity.
Abstract P3-04-19: Inhibition of ER-positive breast cancer progression with duavee, a new form of hormone replacement therapy

Menopause occurs in all women between the ages of 45 and 55 and often results in undesirable vasomotor symptoms. Hormone replacement therapy (HRT) can alleviate these symptoms, including hot flashes, difficulty sleeping, fatigue, and vaginal atrophy, and also prevents osteoporosis. PremPro, a HRT formulation that combines conjugated equine estrogens (CE) with medroxyprogesterone acetate, was found to increase the risk of breast cancer in the Women9s Health Initiative (WHI) trial. Due to the perceived risk based largely on the results of the WHI trial, the number of women taking HRT has dramatically decreased. Studies suggest that breast cancer cases from PremPro treatment were primarily due to the outgrowth of occult tumors, not the formation of new disease. Duavee, a new form of HRT that combines CE and bazedoxifene (BZA), a selective estrogen receptor modulator (SERM) and degrader (SERD), has been approved by the FDA for treatment of moderate to severe hot flashes and to reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Importantly, this CE+BZA mixture not only relieves symptoms associated with menopause, but it also does not stimulate the breast or uterus. Several preclinical studies suggest that CE+BZA might be protective in the breast, however the mechanism of action of this new combination therapy is not known. Our goal, therefore, is to elucidate the underlying molecular mechanisms by which CE+BZA differentially affects estrogen receptor alpha (ERα) action in the mammary gland, using transcriptome and whole genome occupancy analysis in breast cancer cell lines. We are also studying the effects of CE+BZA on early mammary cancer progression in the polyoma middle T antigen (PyMT) transgenic mouse model, which is sensitive to estrogens. In addition, we are studying the effects of CE+BZA in an ERa-positive patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse model. We have determined that CE modulates gene expression in MCF7 cells similar to 17β-estradiol (E2), and that BZA is able to inhibit these effects. We have also observed that CE increases ERα occupancy, similar to E2, at response elements associated with some estrogen target genes, whereas CE+BZA decreases this occupancy. In the PyMT mouse model, CE+BZA delays the onset of mammary tumors in ovariectomized mice and prolongs their survival when compared to E2 and CE treatment alone. In the PDX model, the CE+BZA tumor growth curve is below vehicle, although it does not quite reach statistical significance. An improved understanding of the molecular mechanisms of CE+BZA action in hormone sensitive breast cancer cell and animal models should have important implications for women considering HRT. Citation Format: Dembo AG, Aledort E, Greene GL. Inhibition of ER-positive breast cancer progression with duavee, a new form of hormone replacement therapy [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P3-04-19.
Influence of a Wellness Course on Meaning-in-Life and Anxiety of Counselors-in-Training:

This study examined how a special wellness course affects perception of meaning-in-life and state-trait anxiety of Hispanic counselor trainees. A quantitative analysis showed an increase in partici...
Quantity Take-Off Using Building Information Modeling (BIM), and Its Limiting Factors

Abstract Traditionally, quantity take-offs and estimates have been performed and developed with 2-D drawings supplied by the architect to the general contractor (GC). However, in recent years, the construction industry has seen a shift toward Building Information Modeling (BIM) and BIM-based quantity take-off (QTO). Although BIM has gained popularity in recent years, models supplied to general contractors often lack consistent quality that would allow the general contractor to extract data that would facilitate an appropriate quantity take-off and estimate. General contractors were surveyed using on-line questionnaires and in-person interviews to determine factors limiting the ability of building professionals to extract the necessary quantity takeoff data from the model. Respondents were further asked to compare BIM-based QTO to traditional 2-D methods. Surveys and questionnaires were also used to determine which elements and items in models were typically included, inferred, or omitted.
Scandium-Catalyzed Self-Assisted Polar Co-monomer Enchainment in Ethylene Polymerization

Direct coordinative copolymerization of ethylene with functionalized comonomers is a long-sought approach to introducing polyolefin functionality. However, functional group Lewis basicity typically depresses catalytic activity and comonomer incorporations. Finding alternatives to intensively studied group 4 d0 and late transition metal catalysts is crucial to addressing this long-standing challenge. Here, we show that mono- and binuclear organoscandium complexes with a borate cocatalyst are active for ethylene + amino-olefin (AO; H2C=CH(CH2)nNR2) copolymerizations in the absence of a Lewis acidic masking reagent. Both activity (up to 4.2 × 102 kg/mol·h·atm) and AO incorporation (up to 12% at 0.2 M [AO]) are appreciable. Linker length (n)-dependent AO incorporation and mechanistic probes support an unusual functional group-assisted enchainment mechanism. Furthermore, the binuclear catalysts exhibit enhanced AO tolerance and enhanced long chain AO incorporation.
Translingualism, Kenyan Hip-Hop and Emergent Ethnicities: Implications for Language Theory and Pedagogy

This article reports on preliminary findings of three prominent Kenyan hip-hop artists, Jua Cali, Abbas Kubaff, and Nazizi Hirji, as they theorize and construct emergent ethnicities vis-a-vis their...
Percussion Musical Instruments

Percussion instruments are an important part of every musical culture. Although they are probably our oldest musical instruments (with the exception of the human voice), there has been less research on the acoustics of percussion instruments, as compared to wind or string instruments. Quite a number of scientists, however, continue to study these instruments.
Keratocyte gap junctional communication in normal and wounded rabbit corneas and human corneas.

Purpose Several studies have indicated the anatomic and biochemical presence of gap junctions in corneal keratocytes. The current study was designed to demonstrate that these gap junctions are functional in rabbit and human corneal keratocytes. This study also examined dye coupling between keratocytes migrating into the wound region of freeze-wounded rabbit corneas. Methods Freeze wounds were created on anesthetized rabbit corneas using a liquid nitrogen-cooled brass probe. Freeze-wounded corneas were examined at several time periods from days 0 to 5 after wounding. Nonwounded rabbit corneas also were examined. Human corneal buttons were examined immediately after removal from patients who underwent keratoplasty. Gap junctional coupling was examined by microinjecting carboxyfluorescein from microelectrodes into the basal-most keratocytes and capturing dye spread images with a cooled charge coupled device camera. Results Significant dye spread was observed between cells in the unwounded areas of corneas at wound time 0 and between cells migrating into the wound areas as early as 24 hours after wounding. In control corneas, dye spread to as many as 50 cells from the source cell. Dye spread also was seen between keratocytes in human corneas with pseudophakic bullous keratopathy and keratoconus. Conclusions Gap junctions observed in keratocytes from normal rabbit corneas are functional. Gap junctions also are present and functional in keratocytes within unwounded and wounded regions of freeze-injured corneas. In addition, functional gap junctions are present between keratocytes in human corneas. This study confirms the long-held contention that corneal keratocytes form a large intercommunicating network within the corneal stroma.
AESTHETIC IMPLICATIONS OF ENERGY CONSCIOUS DESIGN ON HOUSING

ABSTRACT This paper examines the relationship between aesthetics and energy in architecture. Energy conscious design has been criticized and summarily dismissed by many architects, builders and laymen on aesthetic grounds. They may believe that all solar buildings must face the same direction, have the same roof profile, have collector arrays or concrete floors. They may believe that all earth-sheltered buildings are necessarily dark and damp. Builders and home-buyers often fear that an energy conscious dwelling will not conform to their image of “home.” Many architects fear that the parameters of energy conscious design will be so rigid as to stifle innovation and beautiful design. A theory is presented concerning the relationship of energy conscious design to the process by which buildings are designed. The economic and political necessity for energy consciousness in architectural design is viewed as a catalyst in an era of change, pressing us towards an altered life style and a new aesthetic. Energy conscious design (ECD) is defined and a hypothesis is presented that it necessitates a more holistic design process which, sparked by efforts at energy optimization, will lead to a new aesthetic, an “architecture of integration.” It is suggested that images of coherence and orientation will replace those of fragmentation and disorientation favored by the “high art” or trend-setting architects of today. The paper lays the basis for a more detailed analysis of the physical and aesthetic implications of ECD on the design process and on the buildings which it produces.
Point Data Problems for Functional Differential Equations

Publisher Summary This chapter describes the point data problems for functional differential equations.It presents a linear scalar delay differential equation x′ ( t ) = f ( t ) x ( t− 1). It is found that if ƒ is a nonzero constant, it is easily seen that there are infinitely many solutions valid on R that vanish (together with all their derivatives) at t 0 . The chapter illustrates how a natural extension of Fite's and Doss and Nasr's theorems does actually have interesting applications. The equations of one-dimensional motion for two classical electrons give rise to a complicated system of functional differential equations with state-dependent delays. However, in several respects, a reasonable prototype appears to be the simple equation y” ( t ) = a / y 2 ( t − τ), where a and τ are positive constants.
Male Pelvis and Scrotum

Prostatitis is a fairly common disorder that is easily diagnosed clinically. If an abscess of the prostate is suspected, ultrasound or computerized tomography (CT) would be equally effective documenting the presence of a prostatic mass although differentiation from other causes of enlargement would be difficult.
Immanuel Kant, Universal Understanding, and the Meaning of Averroism in the German Enlightenment

Johann Joachim Lange, in his Caussa Dei et religionis naturalis adversus atheismum (1723), characterised the allegedly overbearing influence that scholastic Aristotelianism exercised upon Italian culture during the Renaissance as an atheistic infection (labes) that had later spread all over Europe, including Germany. In the time between G. W. Leibniz and Immanuel Kant, German philosophers, especially those who moved in the orbit of Christian Wolff’s influential school of thought, were undoubtedly attracted to the notion of universal understanding. In many cases, as acknowledged by Johann Gottfried Herder, such a fascination with universality and necessity, regarded as the defining characteristics of the intelligible world, betrayed the influence of a particular strain of Aristotelianism: Averroistic Aristotelianism. This chapter intends to revisit the well-known controversy between Herder and Kant on the meaning of Menschengeschlecht, history and universal understanding, and to contextualise the matter of Kant’s Averroism.
Physical activity promotion for patients transitioning to dialysis using the “Exercise is Medicine” framework: a multi-center randomized pragmatic trial (EIM-CKD trial) protocol

Patients on dialysis are physically inactive, with most reporting activity levels below the fifth percentile of healthy age-matched groups. Several small studies have reported efficacy of diverse exercise interventions among persons with CKD and those on dialysis. However, no single intervention has been widely adopted in real-world practice, despite a clear need in this vulnerable population with high rates of mortality, frailty, and skilled nursing hospitalizations. We describe a pragmatic clinical trial for an exercise intervention among patients transitioning to dialysis. We will use an existing framework – Exercise is Medicine (EIM) – developed by the American College of Sports Medicine. After undertaking formative qualitative research to tailor the EIM framework to the advanced CKD population (eGFR < 30 ml/min/1.73m2), we will randomize 96 patients from two regions—Atlanta and Bay Area—in two intervention arms with incremental levels of clinical-community integration: physical activity assessment during Nephrology clinical visit, brief counseling at pre-dialysis education, and physical activity wearable (group 1) versus group 1 intervention components plus a referral to a free, EIM practitioner-led group exercise program over 16 weeks (group 2; 8 week core intervention; 8-week follow up). We will assess efficacy by comparing between group differences in minutes/week of objectively measured moderate intensity physical activity. To evaluate implementation, we will use questionnaires for assessing barriers to referral, participation and retention along the path of the intervention. Further we will have a plan for dissemination of the intervention by partnering with relevant stakeholders. The overall goal is to inform the development of a practical, cost-conscious intervention “package” that addresses barriers and challenges to physical activity commonly faced by patients with advanced CKD and can be disseminated amongst interested practices. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (Dated:10/17/2017): NCT03311763 .
Aviation Distance Learning: An Initial Case Study of In ten t, Implemen ta tion, and Evaluation

The concept of distance learning is not a new concept in education but is somewhat innovative in collegiate aviation programs. The fOllowing study involved an evaluation of the examination performance of 70 students in three different aviation classes; one class met in a traditional classroom and two in a distance learning setting. A statistical comparison of the examination scores of all these students found no significant difference and in several cases, slightly elevated test scores by the distance learning students.
Filtering Techniques and Topologies with Positively and Negatively Coupled Inductors for Dense Low Cost Packages and Platforms

Merger of multiple loads on single voltage rail results in increase in self and coupling noise due to close proximity of load spatial distribution and limited package resources for individual isolation inductor. This paper presents a new filtering technique to mitigate self and cross-noise concerns on multiple closely spaced cascaded loads via positive and/or negative coupled inductors and carefully designed coupling polarities. Analytical descriptions and detailed evaluations for two and three load systems are discussed. Transient and frequency domain simulation results validate the theory showing up to 67% noise mitigation. In addition, approximately 3X area reduction is shown to be feasible. Design guidelines are derived to decide choice of mutual inductance and coupling polarities to maximize design benefits.
PERSONALITY TRAITS AND MARKERS OF COGNITIVE IMPAIRMENT IN AGING

Because the risk for cognitive pathologies such as Alzheimer’s Disease increases with advancing age, there is a critical interest in understanding the pathways that promote healthy cognitive aging. In this talk, we examine self-reported Big 5 personality traits among adults who showed risk for amnestic (memory specific deficit) and non-amnestic (deficit in one or more cognitive domains) subtypes of mild cognitive impairment (MCI), based on psychometric classification. Psychometric classification of amnestic and non-amnestic MCI risk was defined using methods described in Payne & Stine-Morrow (2016). Those adults with non-amnestic MCI scored higher on agreeableness relative to non-impaired and amnestic MCI subtypes. Those adults at risk for non-amnestic MCI reported lower openness than non-impaired and amnestic MCI subtypes. There was a marginal trend for amnestic MCI to score lower on conscientiousness than non-amnestic subtypes. Collectively, these findings highlight the potential that personality traits play in shaping trajectories of non-normative cognitive aging.
Mean-Square Estimation

In the decision-theoritic literatur, there are few if any results of the generality required for a substantial portion of the information gathering problems described in the previous two chapters. However, there are well-known results for minimum mean-square error parameter estimation (MMSE) for known linear systems corrupted by Gaussian noise. When there is an accompanying linear dynamic system, the optimal solution to the estimation problem is known as the Kalman filter [Gelb, 1974].1 In the case of nonlinear systems, the most common alternative is to approximate the nonlinear system by a linear one and apply MMSE procedures. These methods have been used in countless applications and are a standard technique in nearly every book on control, decision theory or estimation. The appeal of these methods is their mathematical and computational simplicity, particularly when dealing with dynamic systems—systems whose state evolves over time.
Factors Associated with Regional Adoption of Ureteroscopy in California from 2005 to 2016

Abstract Purpose: To explore regional adoption of ureteroscopy (URS) over extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) in the state of California (CA) and to identify factors associated with this ado...
Educator Insights: Globalization of Fragmentation—A Framework for Understanding Contemporary Global Markets

The article presents several arguments and evidence that the globalization process, which has become of great interest to many scholars, is not a uniform and universalizing process, but a fragmente...
Machine Learning to Improve Breast Cancer Diagnosis by Multimodal Ultrasound

Despite major advances in breast cancer imaging there is compelling need to reduce unnecessary biopsies by improving characterization of breast lesions. This study demonstrates the use of machine learning to enhance breast cancer diagnosis with multimodal ultrasound. Surgically proven solid breast lesions were studied using quantitative features extracted from grayscale and Doppler ultrasound images. Statistically different features from the logistic regression classifier were used train and test lesion differentiation by leave-one-out cross-validation. The area under the ROC curve (AUC) of the grayscale morphologic features was 0.85 (sensitivity = 87, specificity = 69). The diagnostic performance improved (AUC = 0.89, sensitivity = 79, specificity = 89) when Doppler features were added to the analysis. Reliability of the individual training cycles of leave-one-out cross-validation was tested by measuring dispersion from the mean model. Significant dispersion from the mean, representing weak learning, was observed in 11.3% of cases. Pruning the high-dispersion cases improved the diagnostic performance markedly (AUC 0.96, sensitivity = 92, specificity = 95). These results demonstrate the effectiveness of dispersion to identify weakly learned cases. In conclusion, machine learning with multimodal ultrasound including grayscale and Doppler can achieve high performance for breast cancer diagnosis, comparable to that of human observers. Identifying weakly learned cases can markedly enhance diagnosis.
Teaching without being taught how: social work practice faculty voices

ABSTRACTSocial work practice faculty have an important role in socializing MSW students to the field and practice of social work. This study, based on interviews with 15 faculty teaching an advance...
Storage and Availability of Elastomeric Respirators in Health Care.

Use of reusable respirators, such as elastomeric half-face respirators (EHFRs), may serve as one solution to combating the problem of N95 respirator shortages experienced during infectious disease ...
AMERICAN OPTION PRICING WITH REGRESSION: CONVERGENCE ANALYSIS

The Longstaff–Schwartz (LS) algorithm is a popular least square Monte Carlo method for American option pricing. We prove that the mean squared sample error of the LS algorithm with quasi-regression...
Use of hydrogen as a seasonal energy storage system to manage renewable power deployment in Spain by 2030

Abstract Spain has presented a plan (known as PNIEC) to reduce conventional energy sources (shutting down 16 GW) and to increase the use of renewable sources (incorporating 65 GW). This generation portfolio leads to a situation in which there will be a surplus of electrical energy in spring and summer, which will be lacking in autumn and winter. The plan sets a target on batteries, but insufficient to manage more than 10 TWh over 6 months. This paper proposes the deployment of electrolysers to produce hydrogen with the surplus energy, using the already existing Spanish natural gas network to store it. The resulting gas (up to 15% blend of hydrogen in natural gas) could be used subsequently in turbines to alleviate the energy deficit. With this strategy, up to 7.27 TWh of the surplus renewable energy could be reused, and 2.54 million tons of CO2 equivalent would be avoided yearly.
Stepwise Regression and Latent Profile Analyses of Locomotor Outcomes Poststroke

Background and Purpose: Previous data suggest patient demographics and clinical presentation are primary predictors of motor recovery poststroke, with minimal contributions of physical intervention...
Linking metal (Pb, Hg, Cd) industrial air pollution risk to blood metal levels and cardiovascular functioning and structure among children in Syracuse, NY

Abstract Background Exposure to air pollution has been linked to individual health effects in occupational environments and communities proximate to air pollution sources. Use of estimated chemical concentrations from the Risk Screening Environmental Indicators (RSEI) model, derived from the Toxics Release Inventory, can help approximate some contributions to individual lifetime exposure to risk from air pollution and holds potential for linkages with specific health outcome data. Objectives Our objectives were: (1) use regression modeling to test for associations between observed blood metal concentrations in children and RSEI total air concentrations of the same metals released from proximate manufacturing facilities; (2) determine the relative contribution of RSEI air pollution to blood metal concentrations; and (3) examine associations between chronic metal exposure and cardiovascular functioning and structure in study participants. Methods Using data synthesis methods and regression modeling we linked individual blood-based levels of lead, mercury, and cadmium(Pb, Hg, Cd) and cardiovascular functioning and structure to proximate industrial releases of the same metals captured by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) RSEI geographic microdata. Results We found that RSEI-derived ground-level ambient air concentrations of Hg and Cd were a significant predictor of blood metal levels, when controlling for covariates and other exposure variables. In addition to associations with blood metal findings, RSEI concentrations also predicted cardiovascular dysfunction and risk including changes in left-ventricular mass, blood pressure, and heart rate. Discussion Right-to-know data, such as EPA's RSEI, can be linked to objective health outcomes, rather than simply serving as a non-specific risk estimate. These data can serve as a proxy for hazard exposure and should be used more widely to understand the dynamics of environmental exposure. Furthermore, since these data are both a product of and contribute to regulatory decision making, they could serve as an important link between disease risk and translation-orientated national environmental health policy.
Trauma-Sensitive Practices in Health Education

Two of the most important aspects of a health education teacher’s work are to meet the needs of all students in their classes and to create a safe space in which those students feel supported and v...
Comparison of Screw Quantity and Placement of Metacarpal Fracture Fixation: A Biomechanical Study.

BackgroundIt is recommended to have 6 bicortical screws for plate fixation of long bone fractures; however, many metacarpal fractures do not allow 6 screws due to size limitations and proximity of ...
Introduction to the Special Issue: Media and Communication during the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) Pandemic" Communication throughout the COVID-19 Pandemic: Challenges and Hopes"

As of the middle of 2021, the COVID-19 pandemic has claimed more than four million lives around the world. Altogether, more than 188 million people have contracted the virus. Though 3.4 billion peo...
Motivating Teaching, Sustaining Change in Practice: Design Principles for Teacher Learning in Project-Based Learning Contexts

In A Framework for K-12 Science Education, researchers call for teachers to make dramatic shifts in practice – and sustain in these changes in practice – so students can engage in rigorous and equi...
CYP1A2 and CYP2B4 Form Complexes Associated with Altered Catalytic Activity

Our lab has shown that CYP1A2 activity increased and CYP2B4 activity decreased when both proteins were incorporated into the same vesicles at subsaturating NADPH-cytochrome P450 reductase (CPR). These data, particularly the apparent activation of CYP1A2 by CYP2B4, are inconsistent with simple competition between the P450s for CPR. Previous work has also provided evidence for physical interactions between P450s. The goal of this study was to show that physical interactions can occur between CYP1A2 and CYP2B4 in the endoplasmic reticulum and to determine how these interactions might affect CPR binding and P450 activities. To achieve this we utilized bioluminescence resonance energy transfer (BRET). HEK293T cells were co-transfected with two proteins—one with a GFP tag and the other with a Renilla luciferase (Rluc) tag—and energy transfer between these proteins was measured to determine whether they formed physical complexes. A complex was formed by CYP1A2-Rluc and CYP2B4-GFP, and this complex was stable in ...
Higher-order FDTD algorithm using tetrahedral tessellation

The Yee-FDTD algorithm has dominated the field of electromagnetic simulation. While other competing techniques have significant advantages, they cannot compete with FDTD in terms of mathematical simplicity, and ease of implementation. Recently, Bossavit proposed the use of basis function defined on a tetrahedron and derived a Yee-like scheme. This scheme preserves the mathematical simplicity of Yee-like scheme and gives more freedom in modeling complex geometries. However, while the scheme is complete, several open questions remain. The foremost amongst them is the analysis of dispersion error. This paper explores the mathematical basis and numerical properties of this algorithm, and then extends it to a higher order scheme in space.
Shocking matter to extreme conditions

Understanding how matter behaves at high pressure is essential for astrophysics, condensed matter physics, and other fields. In their Perspective, Gupta and Sharma discuss results from a group at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory in which intense laser energy was used to generate shock waves in hydrogen and deuterium. The results are used to determine the equation of state, which governs how pressure, volume, and temperature are related in a material. In particular, the laser shock studies show that molecular dissociation must be accounted for in models of the equation of state of nature's simplest atomic species.
Character Development in Career Education: A Virtue Ethics Approach

INTRODUCTION Career education is currently experiencing unprecedented growth among virtually all North American schooling jurisdictions. These programs, primarily designed to prepare students for their vocational lives, typically categorize character development objectives under the amorphous heading of employability skills. There is an obvious moral distinction, however, between fostering skills in students and advocating the adoption of specific personal qualities, behaviors, attitudes and values. When character development objectives are taught through the formal curriculum, concerns should arise over what and whose values are being communicated. The existing skills strategy in character development may also prove pedagogically ineffective since students are not encouraged to grapple with the practical implications of different occupational behaviors. John Dewey warned that in teaching character development, “The required beliefs cannot be hammered in; the needed attitudes cannot be plastered on.” I respond to these worries by arguing that Alasdair MacIntyre’s theory of virtue ethics offers a more appropriate model for character development in career education than the skills approach in two critical ways: (1) virtue ethics respects student agency in value formation and reduces the potential for moral indoctrination; and (2) by entertaining the actual implications or likely consequences of different occupational behaviors, the possibility that students will internalize desirable character traits as enduring workplace values significantly increases.
Collaborative Interactions between Type 2 Innate Lymphoid Cells and Antigen-Specific CD4+ Th2 Cells Exacerbate Murine Allergic Airway Diseases with Prominent Eosinophilia

Type-2 innate lymphoid cells (ILC2s) and the acquired CD4(+) Th2 and Th17 cells contribute to the pathogenesis of experimental asthma; however, their roles in Ag-driven exacerbation of chronic murine allergic airway diseases remain elusive. In this study, we report that repeated intranasal rechallenges with only OVA Ag were sufficient to trigger airway hyperresponsiveness, prominent eosinophilic inflammation, and significantly increased serum OVA-specific IgG1 and IgE in rested mice that previously developed murine allergic airway diseases. The recall response to repeated OVA inoculation preferentially triggered a further increase of lung OVA-specific CD4(+) Th2 cells, whereas CD4(+) Th17 and ILC2 cell numbers remained constant. Furthermore, the acquired CD4(+) Th17 cells in Stat6(-/-)/IL-17-GFP mice, or innate ILC2s in CD4(+) T cell-ablated mice, failed to mount an allergic recall response to OVA Ag. After repeated OVA rechallenge or CD4(+) T cell ablation, the increase or loss of CD4(+) Th2 cells resulted in an enhanced or reduced IL-13 production by lung ILC2s in response to IL-25 and IL-33 stimulation, respectively. In return, ILC2s enhanced Ag-mediated proliferation of cocultured CD4(+) Th2 cells and their cytokine production, and promoted eosinophilic airway inflammation and goblet cell hyperplasia driven by adoptively transferred Ag-specific CD4(+) Th2 cells. Thus, these results suggest that an allergic recall response to recurring Ag exposures preferentially triggers an increase of Ag-specific CD4(+) Th2 cells, which facilitates the collaborative interactions between acquired CD4(+) Th2 cells and innate ILC2s to drive the exacerbation of a murine allergic airway diseases with an eosinophilic phenotype.
Cyclic Stress-Strain Characteristics of Clay

The decreases in moduli and increases in yield strain occurring during cyclic loading of sensitive clay under simple shear conditions are examined. The loading conditions are representative of those associated with the upward propagation of a seismic shear wave through a large mass of soil; i.e., the strain is completely reversed during each cycle at the rate of 1 cps. The moduli and yield strain reported are those defining the bilinear hysteresis models which best fit the nonlinear stress-strain characteristics obtained from the tests. For San Francisco Bay Mud the moduli are constant for strain levels greater than 2% and for loading cycles after the fiftieth. Yield strain, however, is proportional to cyclic strain level for at least 200 cycles. The strength and moduli measured under static loading conditions are decreased by cyclic loading involving large strains, but only the modulus is decreased by loading restricted to strains below about 1%.
Loads and Temperature Effects on a Bridge

A number of efforts had been made to instrument bridges for the purpose of structural monitoring and assessment. The outcome of these efforts, as gauged by advances in the understanding of the definition of structural damage and their role in sensor selection as well as in the design of cost and data-effective monitoring systems, has itself been difficult to assess. The authors experience with the design, calibration, and operation of a monitoring system for the Kishwaukee Bridge in Illinois has provided several lessons that bear upon these concerns. The systems have performed well in providing a continuous, low-cost monitoring platform for bridge engineers with immediate relevant information. Specifically, load and environmental effects are addressed in detail. Keywords: bridge health monitoring system; crack opening displacement (COD); bootstrap method; load and temperature effects
Sound velocity measurements at mantle transition zone conditions of pressure and temperature using ultrasonic interferometry in a multianvil apparatus

Technological developments using a 1000-ton uniaxial split-cylinder apparatus enable elastic wave velocities to be measured using millimeter-sized polycrystalline and single crystal specimens by ultrasonic interferometry. Measurements on polycrystalline Lucalox alumina to 10 GPa at room T show very good agreement with extrapolations of previous data at low pressures ( 12 GPa at room T on polycrystalline specimens previously hot-pressed in a multianvil apparatus. The new velocity data for olivine are lower by 1% for P waves and 2% for S wave at transition zone pressures than finite-strain extrapolations of low pressure data, but exhibit good agreement to 10 GPa with recent Brillouin scattering and ultrasonic data for single crystals. The velocity data for the beta phase at 12 GPa agree within 1% with finite strain extrapolations of previous data to 3 GPa for similar specimens. Linear fittings to K s and G vs. pressure yield dK s /dP = 4.4 and dG/dP = 1.3 for olivine and dK s /dP = 4.2 and dG/dP = 1.5 for the beta phase. The longitudinal modulus C22 of San Carlos olivine and the shear modulus C 55 of San Carlos olivine and forsterite were measured to pressures above 10 GPa at room T. Examination of the specimens recovered from ∼10 GPa revealed no internal cracks and no increase in the dislocation density. Good agreement is observed for the C22 of San Carlos olivine and C 55 of forsterite as compared to previous studies. The new ultrasonic data indicate that C 55 of San Carlos olivine remains linear with pressure to 13.5 GPa and does not exhibit the pronounced curvature reported earlier. Preliminary results on polycrystalline forsterite demonstrate the feasibility of performing ultrasonic velocity measurements to simultaneous pressure of 10 GPa and temperature of 1000 °C. A specially designed P-T path in pressurization/heating and decompression/cooling ensures the integrity of the sample at these conditions.These technological advances make it now possible to measure acoustic velocities at the P and T conditions of the Earth's mantle transition zone.
Intestinal flora in health and disease.

La microflore normale, les etats pathologiques associes a une microflore anormale (diarrhee aigue, syndromes de proliferation bacterienne, sprue tropicale, infection intra-abdominale), la relation entre le cancer du colon et la microflore intestinale, la microflore intestinale et la circulation enterohepatique des hormones steroides sexuelles
ROTAVIRUS RNA REPLICATION REQUIRES A SINGLE-STRANDED 3' END FOR EFFICIENT MINUS-STRAND SYNTHESIS

The segmented double-stranded (ds) RNA genome of the rotaviruses is replicated asymmetrically, with viral mRNA serving as the template for the synthesis of minus-strand RNA. Previous studies with cell-free replication systems have shown that the highly conserved termini of rotavirus gene 8 and 9 mRNAs contain cis-acting signals that promote the synthesis of dsRNA. Based on the location of the cis-acting signals and computer modeling of their secondary structure, the ends of the gene 8 or 9 mRNAs are proposed to interact in cis to form a modified panhandle structure that promotes the synthesis of dsRNA. In this structure, the last 11 to 12 nucleotides of the RNA, including the cis-acting signal that is essential for RNA replication, extend as a single-stranded tail from the panhandled region, and the 5′ untranslated region folds to form a stem-loop motif. To understand the importance of the predicted secondary structure in minus-strand synthesis, mutations were introduced into viral RNAs which affected the 3′ tail and the 5′ stem-loop. Analysis of the RNAs with a cell-free replication system showed that, in contrast to mutations which altered the structure of the 5′ stem-loop, mutations which caused complete or near-complete complementarity between the 5′ end and the 3′ tail significantly inhibited (≥10-fold) minus-strand synthesis. Likewise, incubation of wild-type RNAs with oligonucleotides which were complementary to the 3′ tail inhibited replication. Despite their replication-defective phenotype, mutant RNAs with complementary 5′ and 3′ termini were shown to competitively interfere with the replication of wild-type mRNA and to bind the viral RNA polymerase VP1 as efficiently as wild-type RNA. These results indicate that the single-strand nature of the 3′ end of rotavirus mRNA is essential for efficient dsRNA synthesis and that the specific binding of the RNA polymerase to the mRNA template is required but not sufficient for the synthesis of minus-strand RNA.
Molecular cloning and characterization of the human CLOCK gene: expression in the suprachiasmatic nuclei.

The Clock gene is an essential regulator of circadian rhythms. It encodes a member of the basic helix-loop-helix/PER-ARNT-SIM family of transcription factors known to play a central role in the control of diverse cellular events. Previously we described the functional identification and molecular isolation of the Clock gene in the mouse, its interaction with the BMAL1 protein, and the role of this complex as a transcriptional activator in the circadian pacemaker. Here, we report the cloning, exon organization, chromosomal location, and mRNA expression of the human CLOCK gene. The coding sequence of human CLOCK extends for 2538 bp and is 89% identical to its mouse ortholog; its deduced amino acid sequence is 846 residues long and is 96% identical to mouse CLOCK. Radiation hybrid mapping localized human CLOCK to the long arm of human chromosome 4 (4q12). Direct sequencing of a genomic CLOCK clone indicated that the coding sequence of human CLOCK extends over 20 exons and that its intron/exon organization is identical to that of the mouse ortholog. Northern blot analysis indicated widespread expression of two major transcripts of 8 and 10 kb, and in situ hybridization of human brain tissue revealed elevated expression of CLOCK mRNA in the suprachiasmatic nuclei, the locus of circadian control in mammals, and in the cerebellum. Comparison of cDNA clones revealed two single nucleotide polymorphisms in noncoding sequence flanking the CLOCK open reading frame. The central role of Clock in the organization of circadian rhythms suggests that it will be a useful candidate gene for genetic analyses of disorders associated with dysfunction of the circadian system.
Use of Mainland Habitats by Supposed River-Island Obligate Birds Along the Amazon River in Peru

Abstract. Eighteen species of Amazonian birds have been considered river-island obligates in northeastern Peru, but some of these species have been detected recently at mainland sites along the Amazon River. We document the presence of supposed river-island obligate birds at riparian sites on the mainland and characterize these birds' habitat use on the islands and the mainland on the basis of point counts at five island sites, five riparian mainland sites, and five upland mainland sites. We regularly encountered seven species of supposed river-island obligates on the islands and four of them, including the Ash-breasted Antbird (Myrmoborus lugubris), Black-and-white Antbird (Myrmochanes hemileucus), Castelnau's Antshrike (Thamnophilus cryptoleucus), and Fuscous Flycatcher (Cnemotriccus fuscatus), also occurred regularly at the riparian mainland sites, but none occurred at the upland mainland sites. These four species are primarily birds of early-successional scrub or forest, but they also used agricultura...
Robust nonlinear control design for a minimally-actuated flapping-wing MAV in the longitudinal plane

We present in this paper the design of a nonlinear controller for robust control of an insect-like flapping-wing MAV model in the longitudinal plane. Only two forms of actuation are employed in the model considered herein: (i) variable wing-beat frequency and (ii) variable stroke plane angle, which result in an under-actuated model. Methodologies from averaging theory and tracking by bounded feedback are combined for the design of a controller of fixed structure that provides robust stabilization of a time-averaged vehicle model to a desired constant configuration. For the actual vehicle model, this method provides robust stabilization of a small-amplitude periodic orbit centered at the setpoint, as verified in simulation.
PRODUCTION OF ANOVULATORY, STERILE RATS BY SINGLE INJECTIONS OF TESTOSTERONE PROPIONATE1

The current investigation studies the effect of a single injection of androgen in the prcpubertal female rat on subsequent development of the endocrine system. A single subcutaneous injection of 1.25 mg. of testosterone propionate was administered to 2, 5, 10 or 20 day old female rats. The animals were allowed to mature to 100 days of age and then were either autopsied or tested for fertility. At autopsy, adrenal and pituitary weights were significantly larger than littermate controls in rats treated at 2 or 5 days of age. No difference in adrenal, pituitary or uterine weight was observed in rats treated at 10 or 20 days of age. Ovarian and uterine weights were markedly smaller in animals injected at 2 or 5 days of age, but not in animals treated at 20 days of age. The 10 day injected group assumed an intermediate position. Corpora lutea were absent from the ovaries of the 2 and 5 day injected groups and from 4 of 10 rats treated at 10 days of age when autopsied at 100 days of age. Breeding studies reveal...
Circuit and PD challenges at the 14nm technology node

As traditional CMOS scaling comes to an end, the industry is moving towards new 3D finFET multigate structures as device engineers stand the silicon transistors up on their sides. Digital circuit designers working in the 14nm technology node will face significant new challenges from additional design constraints and new sources of variability associated with this non-planar transistor structure. In addition, computational lithography and the need for double patterning at the 14nm node will drive up the complexity and difficulty of the physical design implementation, pushing designs towards more uniform and regular structures, even as wire RC and reliability issues drive increasing demand for uniquely customized solutions. New design tools and methodologies will therefore be needed to meet these circuit and PD challenges at the 14nm node.
Where Are We Headed? What’s in Our Way? How Can We Get There? Thoughts From Directors of Women’s and Gender Studies Programs

We are at a critical time in determining the trajectory of the discipline of Women’s and Gender Studies (WGS). This article explores how WGS programs are marginalized within the academy, and alternately, by what means they have succeeded. We additionally take stock of predictions for the future of this highly dynamic discipline, drawn from the perspectives of those uniquely positioned to carve out these spaces and new territories—the directors of WGS programs. Data were gathered through a census of WGS programs at large 4-year institutions across the United States and Canada and supplemented by 24 in-depth follow-up interviews.
Opportunities for Technology Development

The number of options for Research and Development (R&D) and technology development are growing. For many American companies their investment in this area is their single most important investment. Therefore it is essential that they explore all options for technology development to get the best return for their investment. It is important that companies look beyond their own facilities and staff in their quest for the new technology they will need to keep them out in front.