cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring digital system latency from sensing to actuation at continuous 1-ms resolution

This paper describes a new method for measuring the end-to-end latency between sensing and actuation in a digital computing system. Compared to previous works, which generally measured the latency at 10--33-ms intervals or at discrete events separated by hundreds of ms, our new method measures the latency continuously at 1-ms resolution. This allows for the observation of variations in latency over sub 1-s periods, instead of relying upon averages of measurements. We have applied our method to two systems, the first using a camera for sensing and an LCD monitor for actuation, and the second using an orientation sensor for sensing and a motor for actuation. Our results show two interesting findings. First, a cyclical variation in latency can be seen based upon the relative rates of the sensor and actuator clocks and buffer times; for the components we tested, the variation was in the range of 15--50 Hz with a magnitude of 10--20 ms. Second, orientation sensor error can look like a variation in latency; for the sensor we tested, the variation was in the range of 0.5--1.0 Hz with a magnitude of 20--100 ms. Both of these findings have implications for robotics and virtual reality systems. In particular, it is possible that the variation in apparent latency caused by orientation sensor error may have some relation to simulator sickness.
Identification of S6 Kinase 1 as a Novel Mammalian Target of Rapamycin (mTOR)-phosphorylating Kinase

Here we demonstrate that mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is phosphorylated in a rapamycin-sensitive manner. We show that S6 kinase 1 (S6K1), but not Akt, directly phosphorylates mTOR in cell-free in vitro system and in cells. Expression of a constitutively active, rapamycin- and wortmannin-resistant S6K1 leads to constitutive phosphorylation of mTOR, whereas knock-down of S6K1 using small inhibitory RNA greatly reduces mTOR phosphorylation despite elevated Akt activity. Importantly, phosphorylation of mTOR by S6K1 occurs at threonine 2446/serine 2448. This region has been shown previously to be part of a regulatory repressor domain. These sites are also constitutively phosphorylated in the breast cancer cell line MCF7 carrying an amplification of the S6K1 gene, but not in a less tumorigenic cell line, MCF10a. Many models for Akt signaling to mTOR have been presented, suggesting direct phosphorylation by Akt. These models must be reconsidered in light of the present findings.
Longitudinal variability in streamwater chemistry and carbon and nitrogen fluxes in restored and degraded urban stream networks.

Stream restoration has increasingly been used as a best management practice for improving water quality in urbanizing watersheds, yet few data exist to assess restoration effectiveness. This study examined the longitudinal patterns in carbon and nitrogen concentrations and mass balance in two restored (Minebank Run and Spring Branch) and two unrestored (Powder Mill Run and Dead Run) stream networks in Baltimore, Maryland, USA. Longitudinal synoptic sampling showed that there was considerable reach-scale variability in biogeochemistry (e.g., total dissolved nitrogen (TDN), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), cations, pH, oxidation/reduction potential, dissolved oxygen, and temperature). TDN concentrations were typically higher than DOC in restored streams, but the opposite pattern was observed in unrestored streams. Mass balances in restored stream networks showed net uptake of TDN across subreaches (mean ± standard error net uptake rate of TDN across sampling dates for Minebank Run and Spring Branch was 420.3 ± 312.2 and 821.8 ± 570.3 mg m−2 d−1, respectively). There was net release of DOC in the restored streams (1344 ± 1063 and 1017 ± 944.5 mg m−2 d−1 for Minebank Run and Spring Branch, respectively). Conversely, degraded streams, Powder Mill Run and Dead Run showed mean net release of TDN across sampling dates (629.2 ± 167.5 and 327.1 ± 134.5 mg m−2 d−1, respectively) and net uptake of DOC (1642 ± 505.0 and 233.7 ± 125.1 mg m−2 d−1, respectively). There can be substantial C and N transformations in stream networks with hydrologically connected floodplain and pond features. Assessment of restoration effectiveness depends strongly on where monitoring is conducted along the stream network. Monitoring beyond the stream-reach scale is recommended for a complete perspective of evaluation of biogeochemical function in restored and degraded urban streams.
REGULATION AND PUBLIC LAW IN COMPARATIVE PERSPECTIVE

Administrative law is a key determinant of legitimate executive-branch policy making. Democracies cannot realistically limit policy making to the legislature. Delegation under broad, framework statutes is essential for effective government, but it does not eliminate the need for democratic responsiveness. Those interested in strengthening democracy should not be content with the patterns of delegation, consultation, and oversight that arise from the self-interested behaviour of politicians. This essay summarizes a number of different models, but whatever route they choose, emerging democracies need to assure rights to participate beyond a predetermined group of stakeholders and to make these rights legally enforceable. Reformers in the emerging economies that have been a focus of Michael Trebilcock's work need to seek democratic legitimacy, not just in electoral systems, but also in public administration.
Community dissatisfaction and perceived residential alternatives: An interactive model of the formulation of migration plans

The "push-pull" model of migration is evaluated with respect to the migration plans of Appalachian coal miners. The "push" and "pull" components are conceptualized as individually experienced com munity dissatisfaction and the perception of realistic residential alternatives, respectively. It is posited that migration plans result not simply from community dissatisfaction, but rather from the interaction between that dissatisfaction and the perception of residential altern atives. Specifically, dissatisfaction is said to result in migration plans only where alternatives are perceived. Data on community dissatis faction, perceived alternatives, and migration plans were obtained via a mailed questionnaire from a sample of 113 West Virginia coal miners. Analysis indicated that dissatisfaction was related to migration plans under conditions where friends or relatives were present at an alternative location or where job possibilities were perceived?no relationship was obtained where these factors were absent. The data provide tentative support for the influence of social-psychological factors upon the formulation of migration plans.
Mobile Geotagging: Reexamining Our Interactions with Urban Space

Mobile geotagging services offer people new ways to interact with and through urban space. In this paper, we focus on a mobile geotagging service called Socialight and the social practices associated with it. In-depth interviews and participant observation were conducted in order to explore how Socialight's virtual “sticky notes” were used in everyday life. Findings indicated how users communicate about place to help build social familiarity with urban places and communicate through place to allow users to create place-based narratives and engage in identity management. Such findings deepen our understanding of the social production of space and have implications for future location-based mobile services.
Multicolor photometry of field galaxies to B = 24

The redshifts and colors of nearly 10,000 galaxies at galactic latitudes SA57 and SA68 were determined by photometric scans which included UV and near-IR bands, covering 0.5 sq deg of sky. Slopes were calculated for UV, IR, red and blue counts of galaxies with respect to the brightness detected. It was found that galaxies of magnitudes over 20 show increasingly greater UV excess, which may be indicative of star formation regions. Future applications of the data generated for examining galaxy clustering patterns and evolutionary scenarios are discussed.
Full-Rate STBCs from Coordinate Interleaved Orthogonal Designs in Time-Selective Fading Channels

Space-time block codes (STBCs) from coordinate interleaved orthogonal designs (CIODs) have attracted a great deal of attention due to their full-diversity and linear maximum likelihood (ML) decodability. In this letter, we propose a simple detection technique, particularly for full-rate STBCs from CIODs to overcome the performance degradation caused by time-selective fading channels. Furthermore, we evaluate the effects of time-selective fading channels and imperfect channel estimation on STBCs from CIODs by using a newly-introduced index, the results of which demonstrate that full-rate STBCs from CIODs are more robust against time-selective fading channels than conventional full-rate STBCs.
On the form of basis functions for the quantum mechanical treatment of molecules obeying the Lennard-Jones potential

A form for basis functions for use in quantum mechanical calculations on van der Waals molecules obeying the Lennard-Jones potential is presented which gives good results with even a single function.
Relations between Placental Concentrations of Chorionic Somatomammotropin (Placental Lactogen) and Growth: A Study Using the Twin Method

Extract: Concentrations of chorionic somatomammotropin (HCS) in extracts of homogenized placentas from 125 viable twin pairs were determined by radioimmunoassay. The intraclass (within-pair) correlation for placental concentration of HGS (C-HGS) was 0.64, and for total placental content of HCS (TPHCS) 0.59, both significant at P < 0.001. Individual differences within twin pairs were shown to be related to both fetal and postnatal growth. The co-twin method was used to assess these relations of HCS with growth variables. Twins with relatively lower C-HCS (index cases) were compared with their co-twins with relatively higher C-HCS (control subjects) and differences on growth variables were tested by t test for matched pairs. Index cases had significantly lower placenta weight (P < 0.001), birth weight (P &;lt; 0.001), and birth length (P < 0.01). In a similar analysis, index and control cases were separated on the basis of TPHCS, a function of both C-HCS and placental weight. Again, index cases had a significantly lower birth weight, but the relation to birth length was only marginally significant (P < 0.10). Somatic measurements at age 24 months were available for 27 of the pairs who had been followed longitudinally in the Louisville Twin Study. The index cases who had had lower placental C-HCS weighed less (P < 0.02) and were shorter (P < 0.02) than their co-twin control subjects at the age of 24 months. When relative placenta weights or birth weights rather than C-HCS were used to designate index and control cases, there were no clearly significant relations with 24-month measurements; when TPHCS was used, only the relation with weight was significant (P < 0.05). Speculation: In this study the maternal levels of HCS are common to both members of a twin pair and are not a factor. Placental HCS concentration and total content of HCS were found to be related to birth weight, which suggests that they are valid indices of general placental function. However, the finding that length at birth and at 24 months was best predicted by HCS concentration suggests that HCS production may represent an influence independent of general placental function.
Histamine-elicited drinking is dependent upon gastric vagal afferents and peripheral angiotensin II in the rat.

Abstract While transection of either the anterior (including hepatic) or posterior (including coeliac) vagal trunk failed to alter drinking in response to subcutaneous histamine (0.312–20 mg/kg), selective gastric vagotomy severely attenuated drinking after systemic histamine (1.25–40 mg/kg) in male Sprague-Dawley rats. The dose-response curve for rats with gastric vagotomy was shifted to the right: Vagotomy increased the threshold dose nearly tenfold and more than doubled the ED 50 . Because the effect of vagotomy on histamine-elicited drinking was not mimicked by cholinergic blockade of vagal efferents using atropine methyl nitrate (10 mg/kg), these results demonstrate that gastric vagal afferents are necessary for a normal drinking response to systemic histamine. When gastric vagotomy was combined with intragastric SQ14,225 (to inhibit the conversion of peripheral angiotensin I to angiotensin II) drinking after systemic histamine was abolished. These results suggest that gastric vagal afferents and angiotensin II are necessary for systemic histamine to elicit drinking in the rat.
Ethanol Production in Baker's Yeast: Application of Experimental Perturbation Techniques for Model Development and Resultant Changes in Flux Control Analysis

Recent theoretical results (Schlosser and Bailey, 1990; Schlosser et al., 1993) suggest that it is possible to model elements of metabolism to the extent necessary for flux control analysis using only the results of perturbation experiments. In particular, the development of detailed, mechanistic descriptions of certain relevant processes (which would otherwise require prohibitive effort) can be avoided by direct use of experimental results. Anaerobic glycolysis in Saccharomyces cerevisiae AMW-13C was studied both under unperturbed conditions and under several experimental perturbations. Changes in pathway fluxes and metabolite levels relative to the unperturbed values were observed and analyzed to determine the relationships that exist between several of these quantities. These relationships were used to refine and extend a previously determined model for the glycolytic pathway (Galazzo and Bailey, 1990, 1991). The refined model was then used to study the flux control characteristics of the pathway. The analysis indicates that the reaction catalyzed by phosphofructokinase (PFK), while retaining significant flux control, is less important than previous studies suggested and that glucose uptake is the predominant rate-controlling step when small changes are considered. The model indicates that larger increases in the amount of any single pathway enzyme yield no more than a 36% increase in ethanol production.
Advances in Italian and Iberian Family History

In the past decade a tremendous increase in family history research in Italy Spain and Portugal provides new insight into family processes and has many implications for generalizations regarding the course of European family history. In this article many of these new findings are detailed and their historical and theoretical implications assessed. Previous generalizations regarding Mediterranean family history are examined in light of this new evidence. Among the topics discussed are the sources and methods employed in recent research the household formation systems operating in Italy and Iberia the role played by inheritance norms and by dowry changing childrearing practices--especially as regards child abandonment marriage patterns the family lives of the elderly and the impact of migration on family life. The benefits of considering certain cultural topics in understanding the course of southern European family history are also considered. (EXCERPT)
Nonparametric maximum entropy

The standard maximum entropy method developed by J.P. Burg (1967) and the resulting autoregressive model have been widely applied to spectrum estimation and prediction. A generalization of the maximum entropy formalism in a nonparametric setting is presented, and the class of the resulting solutions is identified to be a class of Markov processes. The proof is based on a string of information theoretic arguments developed in a derivation of Burg's maximum entropy spectrum by B.S. Choi and T.M. Cover (1984). A framework for the practical implementation of the proposed method is presented in the context of both continuous and discrete data. >
Optimal Average-Cost Policy for a Queue with Start-Up and Shut-Down Costs

This paper examines pure stationary policies for starting and stopping service in a single-server queue with respect to the state space consisting of queue length and whether or not the service facility is operating. Almost any such policy is shown to be equivalent to one that depends on two parameters. For a wide class of cost functions, the "almost any" is shown to be without loss of optimality in the sense of average cost per unit time over an infinite horizon. The results are largely distribution-free and are obtained with random-walk arguments. They apply also to certain repair problems and to production smoothing problems in which demand is a renewal process and goods are made sequentially.
Exploring computer viruses

The author presents some thoughts on viruses and explores the anatomy of a sample computer virus. He details, using C language programs, some of the fundamental parts associated with viruses and how these viruses can be detected. It is concluded that the final decision for virus control rests with risk management. It is suggested that, at the very least, contingency plans for virus recovery along with configuration control and software screening will be found to be cost effective. >
Time-stretched ADC arrays

This brief analyzes the performance of a new type of analog-to-digital converters (ADCs) architecture. The approach contemplates stretching the analog signal in time prior to digitization. Its benefits include an increase in the effective sampling rate and the input bandwidth, and a reduction in the sampling-jitter noise of the digitizer. It builds on the recent demonstration of high-speed analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion where a photonic preprocessor was used to successfully stretch an analog electrical signal before electronic digitization. The brief considers parallel time stretch ADC arrays capable of processing continuous time signals. In particular the effects of interchannel offset and gain mismatch, and clock skew are described and are contrasted with those in a conventional time-interleaved system. A mode of operation unique to this system is outlined wherein interchannel mismatch errors are entirely avoided at the expense of resolution bandwidth.
Effective targeting of magnetic radioactive90Y-microspheres to tumor cells by an externally applied magnetic field. Preliminary in vitro and in vivo results

Magnetic biodegradable poly(lactic acid) microspheres that incorporate both magnetite and the beta-emitter 90Y were prepared. By applying a directional external magnetic field gradient in excess of 0.02 Tesla/cm across a 96-well plate containing neuroblastoma cells incubated with the 90Y magnetite loaded microspheres, the radiation dose to the cells could be enhanced or reduced relative to the dose from a uniform loading of the well with 90Y-DTPA. Using the MTT assay, cell survival was measured for the magnetic field directed from above (cell sparing) and from below (cell targeting) the well plate, resulting in 65 +/- 8% or 18 +/- 5% survival respectively. This method was then applied to an in vivo murine tumor model. The biodistribution of intraperitoneally injected magnetic radioactive microspheres, after 24 h in mice, showed that 73 +/- 32% of the radioactivity was found on the subcutaneous tumor that had a rare earth magnet fixed above it. In contrast, the tumor radioactivity with no attached magnet was 6 +/- 4%. Magnetically targeted radiopolymers such as 90Y-microspheres show great promise for regional or intracavitary radiotherapy.
GENp2-3: Circumscriptive Context Reasoning for Automated Network Management Operations

This paper presents a new approach for autonomic management of heterogeneous communication systems by featuring awareness of the surrounding environment's context. The contribution of this work is two-fold; the first is the development of an overall management infrastructure which identifies the necessary components for future autonomic management systems, namely, a context plane, an adaptive policy plane, a logic plane and an event management plane. The second contribution is a new model of context that is based on event calculus and a new methodology for context inference based on circumscriptive reasoning. The model lends itself easily to an automated deduction process on primitive context knowledge to derive more complex context that can be used to efficiently guide the automated management operations.
Knowledge representation in fuzzy logic

The author presents a summary of the basic concepts and techniques underlying the application of fuzzy logic to knowledge representation. He then describes a number of examples relating to its use as a computational system for dealing with uncertainty and imprecision in the context of knowledge, meaning, and inference. It is noted that one of the basic aims of fuzzy logic is to provide a computational framework for knowledge representation and inference in an environment of uncertainty and imprecision. In such environments, fuzzy logic is effective when the solutions need not be precise and/or it is acceptable for a conclusion to have a dispositional rather than categorical validity. The importance of fuzzy logic derives from the fact that there are many real-world applications which fit these conditions, especially in the realm of knowledge-based systems for decision-making and control. >
New Species of the Planthopper Genus Parkana (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea: Delphacidae) from Mesoamerica

Six new species from Mesoamerica are described and illustrated into the formerly monotypic genus Parkana. These species are segregated into 3 subgenera, Parkana s.s. (bearing a large dorsal process on the aedeagus) consisting of 5 species, and a single species each in Furcoparca new subgenus (with the median processes of the pygofer formed into a large forked process), and Litoparca new subgenus (lacking both features, genitalia relatively simple, aedeagus bearing lateral teeth). The new species are P. (P.) mirasol, P. (P.) nigra, P. (P.) pallida, P. (P.) tres, P. (F.) chico (all from Mexico, except P. nigra also from Guatemala), and P. (L.) costa (Costa Rica). Keys are provided to subgenus and species. Parkana was previously known only from the type species (P. alata) from western United States. The diversity of Mesoamerican delphacid species is briefly discussed.
Case-control study of the relationship of depressive symptoms to suicide in a community-based sample of individuals with schizophrenia in China.

Backgound Suicide is the leading cause of premature death among people with schizophrenia. Most studies on suicide and schizophrenia report an associated depression history, but they are based on clinical samples from mostly western countries.
Concordance between self-reported maltreatment and court records of abuse or neglect among high-risk youths.

Objectives. We examined the concordance between measures of self-reported maltreatment and court records of abuse or neglect in a sample of detained youths.Methods. Data were collected by the Northwestern Juvenile Project and include interviews from 1829 youths aged 10–18 years. Participants were newly detained youths in the Cook County Juvenile Temporary Detention Center in Illinois between 1995 and 1998. Self-reported cases of child maltreatment were compared with court records of abuse or neglect in the Cook County judicial system.Results. We found that among detained youths, 16.6% of those who reported any maltreatment, 22.2% of those who reported the highest level of maltreatment, and 25.1% of those who reported that they required medical treatment as a result of maltreatment had a court record of abuse or neglect. Among those with any self-reported maltreatment, girls (vs boys) and African Americans (vs Whites) were more likely to have a court record (adjusted odds ratio [AOR]=2.18; 95% confidence i...
Performance experiments with the high level architecture and the total airport and airspace model (TAAM)

HLA is a mechanism for interconnecting disparate simulations over a network. Its main application has been distributed wargaming, where simulations prepared by different organizations are combined in a virtual environment for a specific training exercise or study objective. The individual simulations are called federates in the HLA world, while the collection of federates, that interoperate in the virtual world is called a federation. We investigate an alternate use of the HLA. It is possible to imagine that the federates are not disparate simulations, but a single simulation that has been partitioned along some logical axis and federated with itself. Such a self-federation has many attractive features. First, the data structures are identical among the various federates. Secondly, there are no problems with common definitions of data elements, messages, interactions, or algorithms, as the federates all derive from the same source code. Finally, the mechanism can be viewed as a lightweight parallel simulation engine, as all of the details of synchronization, time management, message passing, and monitoring have already been well thought out and implemented in the HLA system. The Total Airport and Airspace Model (TAAM) is a large air traffic simulation that is a worldwide standard for aviation analysis. Traditionally it has been used for regional studies, consisting of a small subset of airports and airspace. Recently, there has been interest in using TAAM for much larger scenarios, such as simulations of traffic throughout the entire United States. It is possible, but not practical, to run such simulations with TAAM.
THE DETERRENT TO DUBIOUS CORPORATE BEHAVIOR : PROFITABILITY, PROBABILITY, AND SAFETY RECALLS

AUTOMOBILE STOCK PERFORMANCE RELATED TO RECALLS CONSIDERING THE PRODUCTION OF DEFECTIVE CARS
Prosecution of Computer Virus Authors

Abstract Just days after the September 11 terrorist attacks, the Nimda virus attacked Microsoft networks worldwide. “Nimda corrupted files. It added itself to Internet Information Server (IIS) Web pages, infecting PCs through vulnerable Internet Explorer browsers. Wherever it wormed in, Nimda scanned IP addresses for more victims, raising concerns about denial- of-service attacks and slowing Internet performance.”1 Nimda infected more than 2 million personal computers and servers throughout the world and consumed up to 10 percent of the Internet's capacity.2
Forward discrete probability propagation method for device performance characterization under process variations

Process variations are becoming influential at the device level in deep sub-micron and sub-wavelength design regimes, whereas they used to be a few generations away only influential at circuit level. Process variations cause device performance parameters, such as current or output resistance, to acquire a probability distribution. Estimation of these distributions has been accomplished using Monte Carlo techniques so far. The large number of samples needed by Monte Carlo methods adversely affects the possibility of integrating probabilistic device performance at the circuit level due to run-time inefficiency. In this paper, we introduce a novel technique called forward discrete probability propagation (FDPP). This method discretizes the probability distributions and effectively propagates these probabilities across a device formula hierarchy, such as the one present in the SPICE3v3 model. Consequently, probability distributions for process parameters are propagated to the device level. It is shown in the paper that with far fewer number of samples, comparable accuracy to a Monte Carlo method is achieved.
Toward the Reinvigoration of the Vocational Realm of Counseling Psychology

The primary objectives of this article are to summarize the current status of the vocational realm of counseling psychology and to present some ideas for a renewed agenda for vocational psychology. As reflected in various surveys and position papers, the professional interests and skills of counseling psychologists seem to be shifting away from career-related activities. The implications of this trend are detailed and a set of proposals for the reinvigoration of the vocational realm of counseling psychology is provided
Low-frequency EM field penetration through magnetic and conducting cylindrical shields

Computation of fields due to a 500 turn coil positioned arbitrarily within a pipe constructed of conducting and/or magnetic material is performed using multi-region cylindrical harmonic modal expansions. Results involving steel and aluminum indicate the relative significance of shielding due to induced magnetization and eddy-current generation. Extension to an arbitrarily oriented coil is being investigated. The goal is to design multilayered structures composed of conducting and magnetic materials for a specified frequency range. Such shields are designed under constraints of layer number, thickness and weight using an evolutionary optimization algorithm.
The Molecular Physiology of Tight Junction Pores

Tight junctions form selective barriers that regulate paracellular transport across epithelia. A large family of tetraspanning cell-cell adhesion proteins called claudins create the barrier and regulate electrical resistance, size, and ionic charge selectivity. Study of inherited human claudin diseases and the outcome of the genetic manupulation of claudins in mice, Drosophila, and Caenorhabditis elegans are furthering our understanding of paracellular physiology.
Use of lexicon density in evaluating word recognizers

We have developed the notion of lexicon density as a metric to measure the expected accuracy of handwritten word recognizers. Thus far, researchers have used the size of the lexicon as a gauge for the difficulty of the handwritten word recognition task. For example, the literature mentions recognizers with accuracies for lexicons of sizes 10, 100, 1000, and so forth, implying that the difficulty of the task increases (and hence recognition accuracy decreases) with increasing lexicon size across recognizers. Lexicon density is an alternate measure which is quite dependent on the recognizer. There are many applications, such as address interpretation, where such a recognizer-dependent measure can be useful. We have conducted experiments with two different types of recognizers. A segmentation-based and a grapheme-based recognizer have been selected to show how the measure of lexicon density can be developed in general for any recognizer. Experimental results show that the lexicon density measure described is more suitable than lexicon size or a simple string edit distance.
Optimal Pathologic Staging: Defining Stage II Disease

Tumor stage remains the most important determinant of prognosis in colorectal cancer and is the basis of all authoritative patient management guidelines. The pathologic assessment of stage II disease is especially critical because it may help to identify patients at additional risk for whom surgery alone may not be curative. Accurate analysis of regional lymph nodes, extent of tumor penetration, and circumferential resection margins constitute the most crucial issues. For assignment of pN0, adequacy of the surgical resection and thoroughness of the lymph node harvest from the resection specimen are both essential. The minimum number of lymph nodes has been variably determined to be between 12 and 18 for assignment of pN0, but the confidence level increases with increasing numbers of nodes examined. The ability of exhaustive analysis of sentinel lymph nodes using special techniques to substitute for an exhaustive lymph node harvest and standard node examination has not been definitively shown. Although special techniques may facilitate the identification of minute amounts of tumor (i.e., isolated tumor cells) in regional lymph nodes, the prognostic significance of such findings remains unclear. Additional stage-independent pathologic features that have been validated as adverse prognostic factors include involvement by tumor of mural lymphovascular channels, venous vessels, or the surgical resection margin of the operative specimen and high tumor grade. The presence of these features may help to identify patients for whom surgery alone will not be curative and adjuvant therapies may be appropriate.
SOME PRAGMATIC TENDENCIES IN THE THOUGHT OF WANG YANG-MING

One of the chief benefits to civilization stemming from comparative studies of different philosophical traditions is the possibility of discovering convergences of opinion which offer evidence of continuity in human experience across cultural boundaries and thus provide some measure of corroboration for these opinions. This, of course, is not to say that important divergences of opinion should either be ignored or politely passed over. On the contrary, the more clearly differences are apprehended, the more likely it is that they can be discussed for the purpose of determining whether they may be complementary rather than contradictory. The convergences, however, insofar as we can discover them, should be given the attention they deserve since they transcend boundaries and point in the direction of a deeper unity pertaining not only to this or that particular tradition but to the cause of humanity itself.
Aldosterone and the Vasculature: Mechanisms Mediating Resistant Hypertension

The renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system appears to be one of the key factors in the development of hypertensive vascular disease. Identification of mineralocorticoid receptors in the heart, vasculature, and brain has raised speculation that aldosterone may directly mediate its detrimental effects in these target organs independent of angiotensin II. Aldosterone increases vascular tone due to endothelial dysfunction and enhances the pressor response to catecholamines and up-regulation of angiotensin II receptors. It induces electrolyte transport over the vascular smooth cell membrane and plays a crucial role in vascular remodeling of small and large arteries. Moreover, aldosterone is involved in vascular injury and promotes collagen synthesis, which leads to increased arterial stiffness and elevation of blood pressure. Aldosterone has also been shown to exert a number of effects in the central nervous system. Several human studies have shown that aldosterone is related to baroreflex resetting. Thus, in cases of severe hypertension, there would be fewer compensatory mechanisms to offset blood pressure elevation and ensuing vascular damage. Endothelial and vascular smooth muscle cells have the potential to synthesize aldosterone, and tissue aldosterone could play a more important role in resistant hypertension and target organ damage than circulating aldosterone. Understanding aldosterone synthase polymorphism may provide insight into blood pressure patterns and their consequences. Understanding the vascular mechanisms of aldosterone in resistant hypertension may explain why selective aldosterone receptor blockers might have beneficial effects in resistant hypertension.
Adult neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis presenting with psychiatric symptoms: a case report.

OBJECTIVE Psychiatric symptoms can occur early in the course of neurodegenerative metabolic conditions like Kufs' disease. This report is an illustration of a case where the diagnosis was considered primarily psychiatric till MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) of the brain was found abnormal. METHOD A case of adult neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis (NCL) or Kufs' disease in a 24 year old white female who presented with phobic symptoms, behavioral changes, thought disorder and depressed mood prior to the onset of seizures is reported. She was referred to psychiatry for further treatment. We report the various features of the case including the peculiar finding in the MRI of the head. RESULTS The MRI finding was unique in that it revealed extensive cortical gray matter lesions. This finding led to further investigations. Kufs' disease was diagnosed following a brain biopsy. The MRI finding is noteworthy because it is not typical of previously published cases. The patient was treated with tegretol mainly to control seizures. The overall prognosis seemed poor since patient showed break through seizures in two months. CONCLUSIONS Clinicians should consider neurological or medical conditions and pursue further investigations in psychiatric patients when they concurrently or later develop subtle neurologic symptoms, idiopathic seizures or cognitive deficits.
Sino-Cameroon Relations: A Foreign Policy of Pragmatism

Based on primary sources, including documents obtained from Came- roon's Ministry of External Relations, oral interviews conducted in Cameroon, and local newspapers, and a variety of secondary sources, this article examines Came- roon's foreign policy and economic relations with China. It argues that Cameroon's engagement with China has resulted in short-term benefits for consumers but undermined long-term, sustainable economic development. The article concludes that unless China genuinely pursues its promised policies of "mutual respect" and "win-win gain," voices of protest will only grow louder in Cameroon and other African nations. Resume: Cet article qui examine la politique etrangere du Cameroun et ses rela- tions economiques avec la Chine se base sur des sources primaires, y compris des documents provenant du Ministere des Affaires Etrangeres du Cameroun, des entrevues orales menees au Cameroun, des journaux locaux, et une variete de sources secondaires. Il fait valoir que l'engagement du Cameroun avec la Chine a entraine des avantages a court terme pour les consommateurs, mais a mine a long terme le developpement economique durable. L'article conclut que a moins que la Chine ne poursuive veritablement ses politiques promises de "respect mutuel" et de "gain gagnant-gagnant," des voix de protestation ne feront que s'accroitre au Cameroun et dans d'autres pays africains.
Abstract 186: AMP-Activated Protein Kinase Mediates Cardioprotection in the Regenerative MRL Mouse Strain

Introduction: The Murphy Roths Large (MRL/MpJ) mouse model is well-known for its healing and regenerative properties. The actual mechanisms promoting regeneration are still unknown. AMP activated protein kinase (AMPK) has been lauded for its role as a cardioprotective sensor of cellular metabolic stress, cell growth, and ATP depletion. Based on our preliminary data, we hypothesize that increased levels of AMPK in the MRL hearts is primarily responsible for its altered mitochondrial biogenesis and metabolism, reduced oxidative stress, and altered cardiac function in the MRL mice. Methods: Adult C57BL/6 (control) and MRL mice (n=5/group) were studied pre- and post-7 days of exercise, and post-exercise with 3 days injection of either 5-amino -imidazole carboxamide riboside (AICAR, AMPK stimulator, 250ug/g, IP), or Compound C (AMPK inhibitor, 20ug/g, IP). Results: Compared to control at baseline, the MRL hearts had higher AMPK protein levels (9 fold increase, p 0.05, n.s.). The MRL hearts also had increased mitochondria by electron microscopy (by 65 ± 4.5%, p Conclusions: This study highlights the cardioprotective role AMPK plays in the MRL mice, through its modulation of mitochondrial function and reduction of oxidative stress. This can in turn be used to develop new therapeutic treatment for heart failure.
Possible Future of the Contest in the South China Sea

Since emerging from its century of humiliation, China has repositioned itself as a rising power. China’s great power potential, combined with its latent expansionism and assertive foreign policy behaviour, however, has intensified regional and global security concerns. Among the issues that support the ‘China threat’ theory, that of the South China Sea disputes has become one of the most widely debated security concerns in the region. This study is designed to examine the power game between China and its neighbours which revolves around these disputes. It also looks into the role that the United States plays in managing these regional tensions and the US leadership’s prospects as regards facilitating China’s peaceful rise and transforming this potentially dangerous geopolitical flashpoint into an opportunity to build a more cooperative regional order.
The Hertz problem for rheological materials of a poroelastic class

The fundamental equations for a poroelastic material are employed assuming the bodies coming into contact to have a local spherical symmetry. Equations for the stress at timest=0 andt=∞ following the application of the load are derived in closed form. The trajectories of principal stresses are determined and displayed on graphs, the graph att=∞ coinciding qualitatively with the one resulting from Hertz's theory.
Critical social thinking: A conceptual model and insights for training

As technology, globalization, changing work demands, and a growing reliance on teams are changing the work environment, the social complexity surrounding work functions is increasing dramatically. ...
Cas9-Based Genome Editing in Arabidopsis and Tobacco

Targeted modification of plant genome is key to elucidating and manipulating gene functions in plant research and biotechnology. The clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)/CRISPR-associated protein (Cas) technology is emerging as a powerful genome-editing method in diverse plants that traditionally lacked facile and versatile tools for targeted genetic engineering. This technology utilizes easily reprogrammable guide RNAs (sgRNAs) to direct Streptococcus pyogenes Cas9 endonuclease to generate DNA double-stranded breaks in targeted genome sequences, which facilitates efficient mutagenesis by error-prone nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) or sequence replacement by homology-directed repair (HDR). In this chapter, we describe the procedure to design and evaluate dual sgRNAs for plant codon-optimized Cas9-mediated genome editing using mesophyll protoplasts as model cell systems in Arabidopsis thaliana and Nicotiana benthamiana. We also discuss future directions in sgRNA/Cas9 applications for generating targeted genome modifications and gene regulations in plants.
Soluble CD4, Soluble CD8, Soluble CD25, Lymphopoieitic Recovery, and Endogenous Cytokines After High-Dose Chemotherapy and Blood Stem Cell Transplantation

Mononuclear cell preparations from peripheral blood after mobilization with hematopoietic growth factors have been shown to induce accelerated neutrophil and platelet recovery as compared with that induced by autologous bone marrow transplantation after myeloablative chemotherapy. Because these mononuclear cell products contain many immunocompetent cells other than hematopoietic progenitors, these accessory cells might contribute to the rapid immunohematopoietic reconstitution. We have monitored the concentrations of soluble CD4 (sCD4), sCD8, and sCD25; the recovery of the lymphocyte subsets and of natural killer (NK) cells; and the endogenous levels of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF), interleukin-3 (IL-3), IL-6, and granulocyte-macrophage-CSF (GM-CSF) in 12 patients who underwent high-dose chemotherapy supported by blood stem cells that were obtained by mobilization with chemotherapy and GM-CSF. The concentrations of both G-CSF and IL-6 peaked at 7 days after reinfusion of stem cells, and this transient elevation preceded the increase in the white blood cell count by approximately 5 to 7 days. The levels of sCD4 and sCD8 increased to a maximum on day 21, and the time to peak levels coincided with the maximum increase in white blood cell count, absolute neutrophil count, or lymphocytes. The levels of sCD25 were found to be elevated from day 7 to day 21. Statistically, the increases in sCD4, sCD8, sCD25, G-CSF, and IL-6 were highly significant, whereas there were no significant changes in IL-3 and GM-CSF. A rapid recovery of the NK activity was found in all 8 of the patients who could be monitored for this assay. Therefore, our study suggests that recovery of CD4+ cells, CD8+ cells, and NK activity coincided with that of neutrophils, which is preceded by a marked, but transient, elevation of IL-6 and G-CSF.
Column-grid-array (CGA) versus ball-grid-array (BGA): board-level drop test and the expected dynamic stress in the solder material

Board level drop test is considered with an objective to develop a physically meaningful analytical predictive model for the evaluation of the expected impact-induced dynamic stresses in the solder material. Ball-grid-array (BGA) and column-grid-array (CGA) designs are addressed. Intuitively it is felt that while the application of the CGA technology to relieve thermal stresses in the solder material might be quite effective (owing to the greater interfacial compliance of the CGA in comparison with the BGA), the situation might be quite different when the PCB/package experiences dynamic loading. This is because the mass of the CGA joints exceeds considerably that of the BGA interconnections and the corresponding inertia forces might be substantially larger in the case of a CGA design. The numerical example carried out for rather arbitrary, but realistic, input data has indicated that the dynamic stresses in the solder material of the CGA design are even higher than the stresses in the BGA interconnections. This means particularly that the physically meaningful drop height in board-level tests should be thoroughly selected and that this height should be different, for BGA and CGA designs.
Moving Beyond Salmon Bias: Mexican Return Migration and Health Selection

Despite having lower levels of education and limited access to health care services, Mexican immigrants report better health outcomes than U.S.-born individuals. Research suggests that the Mexican health advantage may be partially attributable to selective return migration among less healthy migrants-often referred to as "salmon bias." Our study takes advantage of a rare opportunity to observe the health status of Mexican-origin males as they cross the Mexican border. To assess whether unhealthy migrants are disproportionately represented among those who return, we use data from two California-based studies: the California Health Interview Survey; and the Migrante Study, a survey that samples Mexican migrants entering and leaving the United States through Tijuana. We pool these data sources to look for evidence of health-related return migration. Results provide mixed support for salmon bias. Although migrants who report health limitations and frequent stress are more likely to return, we find little evidence that chronic conditions and self-reported health are associated with higher probabilities of return. Results also provide some indication that limited health care access increases the likelihood of return among the least healthy. This study provides new theoretical considerations of return migration and further elucidates the relationship between health and migration decisions.
What might parents read: Sorting webs of online information on vascular anomalies.

Abstract Introduction The internet is increasingly a source of healthcare information utilized by parents, especially in rarer pathologies such as vascular malformations. The quality, validity and thoroughness of these websites is variable and unregulated. The goal of this study was to evaluate the quality and understandability of websites related to vascular malformations. Methods The terms “hemangioma”, “vascular malformation”, and “vascular anomalies” were searched in Google. The first 30 websites meeting inclusion and exclusion criteria were evaluated. Quality and readability were assessed using the DISCERN criteria and the Flesh-Kincaid Reading Grade Level (FKGL), respectively. Date of last update, HONcode accreditation, and the website category were recorded. Results Most websites were owned by academic institutions (n = 19, 63.3%). The mean DISCERN score for all websites was 2.97, or a partially valid source of information on a 1–5 scale. The average reading level estimated by FKGL was grade 12; only one website was scored at less than a grade 9 level. Two websites were HONcode accredited. Of the 18 sites giving an explicit date of last update, 12 (67.7%) had been updated in the previous 12 months. Conclusions Websites relating information about vascular anomalies may not be understandable to the general public, including parents. Health care providers should be cognizant of the quality and availability of such information as it may impact parent perspectives and bias toward treatment options.