cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Breast Cancer Markers

There has been considerable interest in the identification of markers for neoplasms of the human breast. Investigation has included the search for not only discrete molecular markers, but also tumor-specific antigens recognized by the tumor-bearing host and a variety of immune responses of the host that may be associated with carcinoma of the breast. In spite of a substantial body of study, it is fair to say that there is no generally accepted, well-validated, and highly effective single marker or set of markers for the diagnosis, monitoring, or therapy of breast carcinoma on the basis of assay of serum or other body fluids. Histopathological examination remains at the core of definitive diagnosis and prognosis.
The effect of morphine and DAGO on the proliferative response of murine splenocytes.

There is an increasing body of evidence supporting the existence of a neural-immune network in which endogenous opioids play a role as mediators (1–3). Endogenous opioids have been shown to have a number of immunomodulatory activities (4–7). The literature on the capacity of exogenous opioids to modify immune function is small, but provocative. Other laboratories have shown that in vivo administration of morphine by the intracerebral ventricular (icv) route to mice markedly depresses NK cell activity (8,9). Implanted morphine pellets suppress mitogenic responses in mice when cells are taken 72 hr post drug exposure (10). Peripheral blood mononuclear cells taken from addicts have suppressed capacity to form rosettes with sheep red blood cells (5) and morphine added to human T lymphocytes in vitro modulates rosette formation (4). The fact that intravenous drug abusers are among the high risk groups for contracting AIDS has led to the hypothesis that immunomodulation by the drugs themselves may be a cofactor in susceptibility to HIV-1.
Exploring psychophysical factors influencing visibility of virtual image display

Mixed reality (MR) or augmented reality (AR) is a very popular displaying technology in various applications. It allows the user to see the real world and virtual image simultaneously, with displaying virtual objects composited with or superimposed upon the real world. Since the usability of interactive user interface based on MR or AR relies heavily on visibility of displaying content, for virtual image display particularly. In this paper, we explore several psychophysical factors that can influence visibility on our virtual image display prototype. Factors include contrast sensitivity, transparency, color, brightness, texture gradient and ambient light. The experiment results reveal many interesting and fascinating features. The features can be the user interface design guidelines for every similar see-through near-eye display system.
Case 1-2019: A 34-Year-Old Veteran with Multiple Somatic Symptoms

A Veteran with Multiple Somatic Symptoms A 34-year-old male war veteran was evaluated at this hospital for headaches, cognitive changes, mood symptoms, flashbacks, chest pain, arm tingling, and gas...
Machine Learning in Physical Verification, Mask Synthesis, and Physical Design

Yield, turn-around time, and chip quality are always of significant concerns for VLSI designs. The performance and efficiency of key design steps such as physical design, mask synthesis, and physical verification are critical to guarantee fast design closure and manufacturability. Recent advances in machine learning provide various new opportunities and approaches to tackle these challenges. This chapter will discuss several applications of machine learning in the backend design flow and demonstrate its impacts to existing design automation methodology.
A New Best Practice for Validating Tail Vein Injections in Rat with Near-infrared-Labeled Agents

Intravenous (IV) administration of agents into the tail vein of rats can be both difficult and inconsistent. Optimizing tail vein injections is a key part of many experimental procedures where reagents need to be introduced directly into the bloodstream. Unwittingly, the injection can be subcutaneous, possibly altering the scientific outcomes. Utilizing a nanoemulsion-based biological probe with an incorporated near-infrared fluorescent (NIRF) dye, this method offers the capability of imaging a successful tail vein injection in vivo. With the use of a NIRF imager, images are taken before and after the injection of the agent. An acceptable IV injection is then qualitatively or quantitatively determined based on the intensity of the NIRF signal at the site of injection.
Venetoclax: R-CHOP rocket booster?

In this issue of Blood , Zelenetz et al 1 report the results of the phase 1b portion of the CAVALLI study, one of the first trials to explore a novel strategy of chemosensitization, by adding the B-cell leukemia/lymphoma-2 (BCL2) inhibitor venetoclax to chemoimmunotherapy for patients with non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL).
Novel [3+2] annulation via a trimethylenemethane zwitterion equivalent in water

Abstract Sequential nucleophilic and electrophilic alkylations of 1,3-dicarbonyl compounds with a trimethylenemethane zwitterion equivalent lead to a novel [3+2] annulation. The carbonyl alkylation was carried out via a metal mediated allylation reaction in water.
Vision: Dialogues between Deep Networks and the Brain.

Summary Two new papers show how deep neural networks interacting with the brain can generate visual images that drive surprisingly strong neural responses. These images are tantalizing reflections of visual information in the brain.
Environmental Sensitivity Tests of Graphite-Epoxy Bolt Bearing Properties

Over 200 tests were performed to study the effects of moisture and temperature on typical graphite-epoxy bolted joints. Three test specimen types were used: unnotched control laminates, filled-hole specimens containing anunloaded fastener, and bearing specimens. Five typical laminate orientations were studied. Standard 1/4-in. straight-shank fasteners were used with bolt torques varying from zero to specification values. Two types of moisture conditioning were employed: hygrothermal and conditioning with thermal spikes to 300°F superimposed on the hygrothermal background. Test temperatures were 75 and 200°F. A summary of results shows that many of the test conditions produced no significant effects. The maximum reduction from room temperature, dry performance to hot, wet performance was 18 percent.
Module to array design for bifacial photovoltaics

Here, I discuss the potential for designing bifacial photovoltaic modules to balance electrical and optical losses using interdigitated back contacts, and then extend this concept to the bifacial panel arrays.
The design of a laboratory apparatus to simulate the dust generated by longwall shield advances

A laboratory apparatus (shield dust simulator) was designed and constructed to simulate the dust generated during the advance of longwall hydraulic roof supports, or shields. The objective of the study was to develop a tool that could be used to test the hypothesis that foam applied to a mine roof prior to a shield advance could be used to reduce the respirable dust generated during shield advances. This paper will outline the design parameters for the development of the system, as well as describe baseline testing of coal and limestone dust. Results show that the average instantaneous respirable dust concentrated during simulated shield advance. Confidence intervals were calculated from the instantaneous respirable dust data to determine the repeatability of the data produced by the device.
Hard Truths: The Importance of Teaching Race in Introductory American Government and Politics for Undergraduates

Watson earned his B.A. in religious studies from the College of William and Mary in 1995, his M.A. in international peace studies and conflict resolution from the University of Notre Dame in 2001, ...
Electron emission from particles strongly affects the electron energy distribution in dusty plasmas

The electron energy distribution of a low-temperature dusty plasma has been measured via a Langmuir probe. An unexpected broad peak at energy in the 2–4 V range has been observed. This can be theoretically reproduced for a sufficiently large electron emission rate from the nanoparticles dispersed in the plasma. A careful analysis of the nanoparticle energy balance, using measured values of nanoparticle concentration and plasma density, confirms that particles are sufficiently hot under the conditions of this study to rapidly inject electrons into the plasma via field-assisted thermionic emission. This work suggests that the presence of dust affects the plasma ionization balance more deeply than previously thought.The electron energy distribution of a low-temperature dusty plasma has been measured via a Langmuir probe. An unexpected broad peak at energy in the 2–4 V range has been observed. This can be theoretically reproduced for a sufficiently large electron emission rate from the nanoparticles dispersed in the plasma. A careful analysis of the nanoparticle energy balance, using measured values of nanoparticle concentration and plasma density, confirms that particles are sufficiently hot under the conditions of this study to rapidly inject electrons into the plasma via field-assisted thermionic emission. This work suggests that the presence of dust affects the plasma ionization balance more deeply than previously thought.
Myriapod divergence times differ between molecular clock and fossil evidence: U/Pb zircon ages of the earliest fossil millipede-bearing sediments and their significance

Molecular clock calculations suggest a late Cambrian (~ 500 Ma) divergence of myriapod classes. Yet, the earliest myriapods only appear in the latest Silurian (~425 Ma). 75 million years later; tho...
Real-time optimization of multi-cell industrial evaporative cooling towers using machine learning and particle swarm optimization

Abstract Existing electrical generating stations must operate with greater flexibility due to increasing renewable energy penetration on the electrical grid, and many coal-fired power stations have transitioned away from baseload operation to load-following operation to aid in grid stability. In cases where multiple independently controlled cooling tower cells are used in parallel for the cooling purposes of such stations, there is an opportunity to increase plant efficiency through data-driven optimization across their full load ranges. This work presents a novel application of real-time optimization using machine learning and particle swarm optimization on a multi-cell induced-draft cooling tower servicing a coal-fired power station under variable load. This is the first work to demonstrate simultaneous optimization of a multi-cell cooling tower, in addition to using machine learning for closed-loop control on a cooling tower. A novel control configuration is presented that ensures original control logic is not adversely affected and that the overall plant process is not disrupted using only existing hardware and operational data. To verify this methodology, the 12 independent cooling tower cells are simulated in parallel using historic operating data to demonstrate the effectiveness of real-time optimization compared to current practice. An artificial neural network is trained to predict overall cooling tower power consumption using only operational data and ambient conditions with an R2 value of greater than 0.96. The real-time optimization using particle swarm yields 6.7% annual energy usage savings compared to current practices, although the extent of the real-time savings varies greatly with both plant load and environmental conditions. This is particularly significant for a variable load situation because frequent ramping typically results in reduced overall efficiency. This proposed AI-based solution presents an opportunity to improve the overall heat rate of a load-following coal-fired power plant without the need to perform extensive first-principles modeling or add additional hardware to the cooling tower, resulting in more resources conserved and less overall emissions per unit of electricity generated.
A Hybrid Machine Learning Model for Battery Cycle Life Prediction with Early Cycle Data

Accurate prediction of lithium-ion (Li-ion) battery cycle life using early cycle data is a challenging task as the capacity fade resulting from the nonlinear degradation process leads to a negligible loss of capacity in early cycles but is accelerated when approaching the end of life. To address this challenge, we propose a hybrid machine learning model that combines a shallow learning model, relevance vector machine (RVM), and a deep learning model, convolutional neural network (CNN). RVM is employed to generate artificial cells with high cycle lives, expanding the original training dataset (i.e., data augmentation). The expanded training dataset then serves as the input-output pairs used to train the CNN model. CNN first learns the locally-invariant features from the input data and then makes full use of these features to predict the cycle life of a Li-ion battery cell. We evaluate the performance of the proposed hybrid machine learning (RVM+CNN) model on two test datasets consisting of 83 cells with widely varying cycle lives ranging from 150 to 2300 cycles. The RVM+CNN model produces higher cycle life prediction accuracy on both datasets than three other machine learning and deep learning methods.
Early life overnutrition impairs plasticity of non-neuronal brainstem cells and drives obesity in offspring across development in rats.

Background The prevalence of adolescent obesity has increased dramatically, becoming a serious public health concern. While previous evidence suggests that in utero- and early postnatal overnutrition increases adult-onset obesity risk, the neurobiological mechanisms underlying this outcome are not well understood. Non-neuronal cells play an underestimated role in the physiological responses to metabolic/nutrient signals. Hypothalamic glial-mediated inflammation is now considered a contributing factor in the development and perpetuation of obesity; however, attention on the role of gliosis and microglia activation in other nuclei is still needed. Methods/results Here, we demonstrate that early life consumption of high-fat/sucrose diet (HFSD) is sufficient to increase offspring body weight, hyperleptinemia and potentially maladaptive cytoarchitectural changes in the brainstem dorsal-vagal-complex (DVC), an essential energy balance processing hub, across postnatal development. Our data demonstrate that pre- and postnatal consumption of HFSD result in increased body weight, hyperleptinemia and dramatically affects the non-neuronal landscape, and therefore the plasticity of the DVC in the developing offspring. Conclusions Current findings are very provocative, considering the importance of the DVC in appetite regulation, suggesting that HFSD-consumption during early life may contribute to subsequent obesity risk via DVC cytoarchitectural changes.
Optimization of Market Stochastic Dynamics

A Feynman-type path integral has been introduced to find an optimal strategy where a dynamic profit is maximized subject to a stochastic dynamics of a firm’s market share. This method is useful under a more generalized non-linear system such as the Merton-Garman-Hamiltonian process where constructing a Hamiltonian-Jacobi-Bellman equation is very difficult. The path integral method also gives an optimal strategy without going through a value function and gives a different optimal strategy. The result obtained by a Feynman-type method is compared with that by the traditional Pontryagin’s maximum principle.
DDX56 Binds to Chikungunya Virus RNA To Control Infection

DEAD box RNA helicases regulate diverse facets of RNA biology. Proteins of this family carry out essential cellular functions, and emerging literature is revealing additional roles in immune defense. Using RNA interference screening, we identified an evolutionarily conserved antiviral role for the helicase DDX56 against the alphavirus Sindbis virus (SINV), a mosquito-transmitted pathogen that infects humans. Depletion of DDX56 enhanced infection in Drosophila and human cells. Furthermore, we found that DDX56 also controls the emerging alphavirus chikungunya virus (CHIKV) through an interferon-independent mechanism. Using cross-linking immunoprecipitation (CLIP-Seq), we identified a predicted stem-loop on the viral genomic RNA bound by DDX56. Mechanistically, we found that DDX56 levels increase in the cytoplasm during CHIKV infection. In the cytoplasm, DDX56 impacts the earliest step in the viral replication cycle by binding and destabilizing the incoming viral genomic RNA, thereby attenuating infection. Thus, DDX56 is a conserved antiviral RNA binding protein that controls alphavirus infection.IMPORTANCE Arthropod-borne viruses are diverse pathogens and include the emerging virus chikungunya virus, which is associated with human disease. Through genetic screening, we found that the conserved RNA binding protein DDX56 is antiviral against chikungunya virus in insects and humans. DDX56 relocalizes from the nucleus to the cytoplasm, where it binds to a stem-loop in the viral genome and destabilizes incoming genomes. Thus, DDX56 is an evolutionarily conserved antiviral factor that controls alphavirus infection.
Sharing airspace: Simulation of commercial space horizontal launch impacts on airlines and finding solutions

Abstract Commercial space transportation is becoming more affordable and accessible. Consequently, we expect to see significant expansion of commercial space launch activities in the coming decade. As space vehicles travel through airspace during the launch and re-entry stages, they potentially disrupt the regular operations of traditional users. This paper estimates the potential economic and operational impacts of commercial space horizontal launch activities on airlines under various launch scenarios using predictive fast-time simulation modeling, focusing on Cecil Air and Space Port in Jacksonville (Florida) and the rules governing the national airspace system (NAS) in the United States. Our results indicate that the existing 4-hour airspace closure rule impacts a significant number of flights, resulting in flight time delays, additional flight distance and fuel burn, as well as other direct operating costs. Safely reducing the duration of airspace closures could serve as a simple solution to mitigate the impacts on airlines and other traditional NAS users. More importantly, treating our studied launch vehicle as an aircraft and opening its departure/arrival corridor to air traffic during a horizontal launch and return would potentially reduce the impacts on airlines significantly, depending on the location of the spaceport, planned flight paths and the trajectory of the launch.
Bovine Coronavirus and the Associated Diseases

Coronaviruses (CoVs) possess the largest and most complex RNA genome (up to 32 kb) that encodes for 16 non-structural proteins regulating RNA synthesis and modification. Coronaviruses are known to infect a wide range of mammalian and avian species causing remarkably diverse disease syndromes. Variable tissue tropism and the ability to easily cross interspecies barriers are the well-known characteristics of certain CoVs. The 21st century epidemics of severe acute respiratory CoV (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory CoV and the ongoing SARS-CoV-2 pandemic further highlight these characteristics and emphasize the relevance of CoVs to the global public health. Bovine CoVs (BCoVs) are betacoronaviruses associated with neonatal calf diarrhea, and with winter dysentery and shipping fever in older cattle. Of interest, no distinct genetic or antigenic markers have been identified in BCoVs associated with these distinct clinical syndromes. In contrast, like other CoVs, BCoVs exist as quasispecies. Besides cattle, BCoVs and bovine-like CoVs were identified in various domestic and wild ruminant species (water buffalo, sheep, goat, dromedary camel, llama, alpaca, deer, wild cattle, antelopes, giraffes, and wild goats), dogs and humans. Surprisingly, bovine-like CoVs also cannot be reliably distinguished from BCoVs using comparative genomics. Additionally, there are historical examples of zoonotic transmission of BCoVs. This article will discuss BCoV pathogenesis, epidemiology, interspecies transmission, immune responses, vaccines, and diagnostics.
Salud Mental Comunitaria: Una Explicación del Modelo

When speaking of mental health, we cannot separate the human being from his or her community environment. It is important to recognize the history of the person receiving mental health services, in order to offer effective treatment. This article offers different definitions of the concept of mental health, as well as a description of the community mental health model and its historical development. In addition, we will contrast the medical or intervention model and the community approach to mental health.
A new agent-based model provides insight into deep uncertainty faced in simulated forest management

Exploratory modeling in forestry uses a variety of approaches to simulate forest management. One important assumption that every approach makes is about the deep uncertainty—the lack of the knowledge required for making an informed decision—that future forest management will face. This assumption can strongly influence simulation results and their interpretation but is rarely studied. Our objective was to explore how differences in modeling approaches influence the deep uncertainty faced in simulated forest management. We used SOSIEL Harvest, a new agent-based extension to a landscape-change model, LANDIS-II, to simulate three approaches to modeling forest management. For each, we used the same forest and management data from Michigan, US, which isolated the differences among approaches as the only variable factor. We then used a new method, also introduced here, to measure and compare the deep uncertainty faced during simulated management. Finally, we used a typology of sources of uncertainty to categorize the sources responsible for this deep uncertainty. The simulated forest management in the three modeling approaches faced substantially different degrees of deep uncertainty, which translated into considerable differences in simulation results. There was an overall negative relationship between deep uncertainty and the ability of the management to respond to forest change and adapt decisions accordingly. While inherent deep uncertainty faced in simulated forest management can be substantial, it is overestimated by exploratory models that underestimate management’s ability to respond to forest change. Reducing such model-related uncertainty will allow for more realistic results from exploratory studies of forest management.
New Zealand's 'Wellbeing Budget' Approach

This paper: (1) describes New Zealand's 2019 "Wellbeing Budget" policy and process reforms, including the "Living Standards Framework" policy analysis tool; (2) assesses the potential for New Zealand's recent budget process changes to lead to transformative policy change; and (3) assesses the extent to which the New Zealand approach can be replicated or adapted by other countries. Background working paper/research draft for International Budget Partnership paper “New Zealand’s ‘Wellbeing Budget’: A New Model for Managing Public Finances?”. All errors, omissions, and views in this draft are mine alone and not attributable to the International Budget Partnership.
Gagesite - Computerized Vision for Automotive Instrument Calibration

A computer video imaging program called "Gagesite" has been developed which can automate the calibration process of automotive instruments in a fast and flexible manner. This paper looks inside "Gagesite" and how it is linked with machine controls and a statistical process control program to increase productivity and quality.
Global Conceptualizations of Children and Childhood

Analyses of globalization, children, and childhood are currently only in the initial stages. From a superficial perspective, children belong in the “private” or domestic sphere. They are part of local environments and not directly influenced by globali-zation. In the eyes of many, globalization is part of the “public” sphere – it impacts macro processes and deals with shifting political economies, emerging markets, politics, and institutional arrangements. Upon closer examination, one finds that there is, actually, a multi-dimensional relationship between children, childhood, and globalization, and that it is analytically incorrect to dichotomize children and globalization into categories such as public vs. private, or domestic vs. international (Ruddick 2003). Also problematic is the current Western conceptualization of children as an age-specific group requiring the same resources, stimuli, and attention the world over. In the words of one prominent scholar on children and childhood, “In a period of scholarship emphasizing the historicization and de-naturalization of virtually every category of social identity (prominently including race, ethnicity, gender, class, and nationality) childhood has remained one of the most persistently biologized and universalized” (Stephens, 1998, p. 3).
Compressibility effects on vortex breakdown onset above a 75-degree sweep delta wing

The effects of compressibility on the onset of vortex breakdown above a 75-deg sweep delta wing were explored numerically for both static and pitching conditions. The flows were simulated by solving the mass-averaged, three-dimensional, unsteady Navier-Stokes equations using an implicit, time-accurate Beam-Warming algorithm and the algebraic Bald win-Lomax turbulence model. Static computations were performed over the freestream Mach number range 0.2 < M^ < 0.95 and for a chord Reynolds number Rec = 2 x 10 6. Compressibility was found to have a pronounced effect on the flow structure for static conditions. The formation of several shocks and an embedded supersonic region in the vortex core (for M^ as low as 0.4) were encountered prior to the onset of vortex breakdown. Despite these drastic changes in the flow structure, the quasistatic breakdown onset angle varied only slightly. Compressibility effects on the transient onset of vortex breakdown were also investigated for a ramp-type pitch maneuver to high angle of attack with 0.2 < Mx ^ 0.6. Under dynamic conditions increasing Mv, resulted in a larger delay of breakdown and in the formation of a complex, three-dimensional shock structure at Mx = 0.6. Compressibility effects were found to be similar when comparing the results from laminar and turbulent pitching calculations, indicating that these effects are to a great extent in viscid in nature.
Magnetic resonance study of 13C-enriched glycophorin A reconstituted into phospholipid vesicles

Abstract [S-[ 13 C ] methylmethionine-8 and -81]glycophorin A was reconstituted into l -α-phosphatidyl choline vesicles. Results indicate that the S-[ 13 C ] methylmethyionine -81 residue in the phospholipid bilayer has limited mobility and is not susceptible to dealkylation, whereas the opposite effects are indicated for the S-[ 13 C ] methylmethionine -8 residue.
On the arithmetic power of context-free languages

Our research focuses on characterizing the computational limits of context-free languages based on a non-classical definition of “computation”. In our study we identify a computation as a process of recognizing a string of a's and b's in which the number b's is a function of the number of a's. We feel that this ability to “compute” arithmetic functions in this sense is a fundamental property that should be examined for all models of computation. Our poster presents a proof of what we have called the Arithmetic Power Theorem for Context-Free Languages that we state as follows: Arithmetic Power Theorem for Context-Free Languages: A language L of the form L=ai bf(i) is context-free only if f(i)= T(i) or f(i) = T(1). Our approach in proving this theorem was directed towards a reformulation of our question based on subsets of L that we called pumping sets. The notion of a pumping set is a generalization, and in many ways is an extension, of the well-known Pumping Lemma that exposes the ability to “pump” a given string in a context-free language into another string in the same language via replication. Pumping sets are not found in the standard textbooks on computational theory [1][2][3] and to our knowledge are absent from the existing research on context-free grammars. However, the study of sets of pumped strings (known as paired loops) has yielded interesting results in the area of slender languages [4]. We define a pumping set as follows: A pumping set of a derivation is the set of all strings obtained by replicating a path between two occurrences of some non-terminal in the derivation tree. This is illustrated in the following example: We call the derivation in the definition of pumping set a generator of a pumping set. It was necessary to establish several properties which would allow us to use pumping sets to characterize the ability of a production rule in a grammar (or a sequence of such rules) to affect the growth of b's in the strings of our language L.
Nuclear Driven UV Fluorescence for Stimulation of the Atomic Iodine Laser

Results to date of an experimental study of the nuclear-induced excitation of the excimer XeBr are presented. The excitation source used was the reaction 10B(n, 4He)7Li + 2.8 MeV. Pressures up to 800 torr Xe/Br/Ar were studied, using Br2, CHBr3, and BBr3 as bromine donors. Gas fill mix ratios were varied to maximize the excimer line output at 282 nm. Absolute fluorescence efficiencies (light output at 282 nm/energy deposited in cell) were measured, with an optimum of 25–38% found. The application of this fluorescence in the development of an atomic iodine photodissociation laser is discussed.
The Disorderly State of 'International Order': In Search of an Elusive Concept

‘Order’ is a funny, fuzzy term in the international relations literature. While scholars have adopted many different definitions for the concept, most have not been clear on how their conception can be measured, how it can logically and empirically vary, and how it complements or clashes with alternative conceptualizations of the same term. In short, the literature on order in international relations is in a state of utter disorder. This paper aims to clean up the messy conceptual debate over what ‘order’ means in world politics. Drawing from both international relations (IR) theory and the literature on concept formation in the social sciences, it presents a new conceptualization of international order that seeks to address the shortcomings of its predecessors. More specifically, I present a ‘two-step’ conceptualization of international order that helps us both clarify and move beyond the stale debate between realism, liberalism and constructivism in IR theory. The first step establishes a baseline definition of what kind of behavior constitutes a state of order in the international system. The second step focuses on the ‘stuff’ that must be present to induce the behavior identified in the first step. I posit that while the three major approaches to order in the IR theory literature ultimately agree on the first step definition, they disagree on this crucial second step. The paper proceeds in four sections: First, I offer a first-step definition for order as patterned, equilibrium-perpetuating behavior among a particular system’s units. That is, an ordered system induces its units to behave in ways that enable and reproduce the status quo. I then show how this definition broadly fits with how realists, institutionalists and constructivists already approach international order. Second, I demonstrate that the differences between these approaches come not in the first step definition but in the second. While realists emphasize material power forces bringing about this equilibrium-perpetuating state, liberals focus on the institutional environment and constructivists upon the presence of common ideas or identities across actors. Third, I develop my own second-step conceptualization, arguing that the ‘stuff’ of order can most usefully be conceptualized as the presence of ‘observed rules’ among an international system’s units. Finally, I explicate the ways in which, in this new conceptualization, order could logically and empirically vary. I conclude by combining these elements to begin sketching a logically exhaustive typology of international orders.
The Numerical Simulation of Compressible and Reactive Turbulent Structures

Computational research on the simulation of compressible and reactive turbulent structures in the Laboratory for Computational Physics and Fluid Dynamics requires the development of algorithms to exploit parallel and vector processing, the application of these techniques to simulate compressible, turbulent reactive flow structures, and the initiation of laboratory experiments to calibrate and complement the simulations.
A primer on classical test theory and item response theory for assessments in medical education

Context A test score is a number which purportedly reflects a candidate’s proficiency in some clearly defined knowledge or skill domain. A test theory model is necessary to help us better understand the relationship that exists between the observed (or actual) score on an examination and the underlying proficiency in the domain, which is generally unobserved. Common test theory models include classical test theory (CTT) and item response theory (IRT). The widespread use of IRT models over the past several decades attests to their importance in the development and analysis of assessments in medical education. Item response theory models are used for a host of purposes, including item analysis, test form assembly and equating. Although helpful in many circumstances, IRT models make fairly strong assumptions and are mathematically much more complex than CTT models. Consequently, there are instances in which it might be more appropriate to use CTT, especially when common assumptions of IRT cannot be readily met, or in more local settings, such as those that may characterise many medical school examinations. Objectives The objective of this paper is to provide an overview of both CTT and IRT to the practitioner involved in the development and scoring of medical education assessments. Methods The tenets of CCT and IRT are initially described. Then, main uses of both models in test development and psychometric activities are illustrated via several practical examples. Finally, general recommendations pertaining to the use of each model in practice are outlined. Discussion Classical test theory and IRT are widely used to address measurement-related issues that arise from commonly used assessments in medical education, including multiple-choice examinations, objective structured clinical examinations, ward ratings and workplace evaluations. The present paper provides an introduction to these models and how they can be applied to answer common assessment questions. Medical Education 2010: 44: 109–117
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Presence or Absence of Plaque Improves Prediction of Coronary Heart Disease Risk: The ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) Study

Objectives We evaluated whether carotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) and the presence or absence of plaque improved coronary heart disease (CHD) risk prediction when added to traditional risk factors (TRF). Background Traditional CHD risk prediction schemes need further improvement as the majority of the CHD events occur in the “low” and “intermediate” risk groups. On an ultrasound scan, CIMT and presence of plaque are associated with CHD, and therefore could potentially help improve CHD risk prediction. Methods Risk prediction models (overall, and in men and women) considered included TRF only, TRF plus CIMT, TRF plus plaque, and TRF plus CIMT plus plaque. Model predictivity was determined by calculating the area under the receiver-operating characteristic curve (AUC) adjusted for optimism. Cox proportional hazards models were used to estimate 10-year CHD risk for each model, and the number of subjects reclassified was determined. Observed events were compared with expected events, and the net reclassification index was calculated. Results Of 13,145 eligible subjects (5,682 men, 7,463 women), ∼23% were reclassified by adding CIMT plus plaque information. Overall, the CIMT plus TRF plus plaque model provided the most improvement in AUC, which increased from 0.742 (TRF only) to 0.755 (95% confidence interval for the difference in adjusted AUC: 0.008 to 0.017) in the overall sample. Similarly, the CIMT plus TRF plus plaque model had the best net reclassification index of 9.9% in the overall population. Sex-specific analyses are presented in the manuscript. Conclusions Adding plaque and CIMT to TRF improves CHD risk prediction in the ARIC (Atherosclerosis Risk In Communities) study.
Bladder and sexual function among women with multiple sclerosis.

Objective: Genitourinary dysfunction is common in women with multiple sclerosis (MS), yet few studies have evaluated the association between bladder and sexual dysfunction in these women. The aim of this study was to determine factors, including demographic and bladder function, associated with sexual dysfunction in a sample of women with MS. Methods: One hundred and thirty-three women with MS completed questionnaires related to overall heath status, bladder function and sexual function. Response frequencies and percentages were calculated for questionnaire responses. Multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed to determine predictors of sexual dysfunction. Results: Sixty-one per cent of the sample indicated that they had a problem with bladder control. Forty-seven per cent of respondents indicated that their neurological problems interfered with their sex life. Over 70% of the sample reported that they enjoyed, felt aroused and experienced orgasm during sexual activity. Not having a sexual p...
Axion-induced topology change in quantum gravity and string theory

Abstract We consider a system comprised of an axion (described by a rank-three antisymmetric tensor field strength) coupled to gravity. Instantons are found which describe the nucleation of a Planck-sized baby Robertson-Walker universe. Information loss to the baby universe can lead to an effective loss of quantum coherence. An estimate of the magnitude of this effect on particle propagation is made in the semi-classical approximation. This magnitude depends on the parameters of the theory (which includes a cutoff since the theory is non-renormalizable) and on the quantum state of the many-universe system. In contrast to the naive expectation that Planck-scale dynamics should lead to very small effects at low energies, the effects of these instantons can be large. The case of string theory is considered in some detail, and it is found that a massless dilaton can suppress the tunneling.
Management of Infectious Endophthalmitis

Diagnostic anterior chamber and vitreous aspiration confirmed an infectious etiology in 78 of 140 eyes (56%) with suspected endophthalmitis. In 27 eyes the vitreous aspirate was positive, while the anterior chamber aspirate was negative. Intraocular antibiotics were used in 88 eyes including 50 which underwent therapeutic vitrectomy. Vision of 20/20 to 20/400 was achieved in 57% of recently operated, culture-positive eyes treated with intraocular antibiotics, and in 59% of those treated with combined vitrectomy and intraocular antibiotics.
CaV1.4 C-tail Segment (ICDI) Inhibits CaV Channel Inactivation by Competing with Calmodulin–Resolution by Holochannels and Calmodulin FRET Sensors

An intriguing variation on calmodulin/CaV channel inactivation (CDI) is the action of a C-tail segment from CaV1.4 channels (ICDI) to eliminate CDI. Introducing ICDI into CaV1.2 or CaV1.3 channels nearly abolishes strong baseline CDI, and a like effect is observed when ICDI is present within CaV1.4 itself. In retina, the effect in CaV1.4 helps sustain Ca2+ influx despite maintained depolarization. Contrasting with clear-cut function, the underlying ICDI mechanism remains controversial. One group proposes that ICDI allosterically inhibits CDI (Wahl-Schott et al PNAS 2006), while another suggests direct competition between calmodulin and ICDI for the channel (Singh et al Nature Neurosci 2006). The discussion hinges on differing calmodulin versus channel peptide assays. Here, we perform functional interaction assays using holochannels within live cells. As baseline, we electrophysiologically characterized CaV1.3 channels fused to an ICDI-containing segment (α1D-ABI-F). These α1D-ABI-F channels exhibited little CDI compared to wild-type CaV1.3. Critically, variations in the ambient calmodulin concentration would only affect competitive versus allosteric mechanisms. Indeed, when calmodulin was depleted by a ‘calmodulin sponge,’ residual CDI in α1D-ABI-F, was totally eliminated. More telling, when calmodulin was over-expressed with α1D-ABI-F, we observed a resurgence of CDI to wild-type CaV1.3 levels. To test for precise agreement with a competitive mechanism, we co-expressed α1D-ABI-F channels with BSCaMIQ, a FRET biosensor of calmodulin (Black et al Biochemistry 2006). Accordingly, both CDI and calmodulin concentrations could be measured within single cells; and pooling data from cells exhibiting variable calmodulin levels permitted explicit resolution of an in situ calmodulin binding curve, in strict agreement with a competitive mechanism. In all, ICDI suppresses CDI by competing with calmodulin for the channel, raising the possibility that natural variations in calmodulin might customize CDI through this mechanism.
Preliminary investigations of the daily and seasonal locomotor activity rhythms of the spiny lobster, Panulirus argus

1. Group activity rhythms of Panulirus argus in the laboratory, as measured by constant recording actographs, are described under natural photoperiod and constant temperature for a seven‐month period. Adjunct behavioral observations are reported. 2. The data indicate seasonally varying daily rhythms are present in Panulirus argus. Starting times and duration of activity periods follow a seasonal trend ‐ the animals becoming active earlier, and maintaining their activity longer, during the spring and early summer months. 3. It is suggested that the evening's high level of activity is associated with increased social interaction and that photoperiod is an important factor in the daily and seasonal components Of the rhythm.
Interviewer and Applicant Questioning Behavior in Employment Interviews

Although questions represent one of the primary means of information exchange in the employment interview, empirical research exploring interview questioning has been an infrequent object of review and interpretation. This article attempts to alleviate this situation by providing a cross-disciplinary review and analysis of research related to interviewer and applicant questioning processes in the employment interview. Toward this end, our literature analysis is organized into three primary sections: (a) constraints and antecedent factors associated with asking questions in the interview; (b) characteristics of interview questions; and (c) the consequences or outcomes of questioning. Within each of these sections findings pertaining to interviewer and applicant question usage are described and critiqued. Subsequently, we discuss pragmatic implications for interview practice that can be extrapolated from our analysis of the literature. Finally, in the last section we present a number of conclusions concerni...
Shared social competence impairment: Another link between the obsessive-compulsive and autism spectrums?

Recently, there has been a growing interest in the phenotypic, pathogenic, and pathophysiological overlap between autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and obsessive-compulsive spectrum disorders (OCSD). However, social competence impairment is one domain of overlap that has received less attention. Codified as one of three diagnostic categories in ASD, pathological social processing has also been demonstrated in OCSD. Yet, to date no reviews have synthesized the research literature on social competence impairments in OCSD, especially impairments that may parallel those found in ASD. The current review set out to examine the extant literature in this area in the service of advancing understanding of shared phenomenology between these two spectrums of conditions. Further, delineation of shared social competence impairments between ASD and OCSD might highlight candidate endophenotypes for further investigation. Ultimately, understanding the links between OCSD and ASD may aid in development of better intervention and prevention strategies, some of which may directly target maladaptive social processing.
PKCε Overexpression, Irrespective of Genetic Background, Sensitizes Skin to UVR-Induced Development of Squamous-Cell Carcinomas

Chronic exposure to UVR is the major etiologic factor in the development of human skin cancers including squamous-cell carcinoma (SCC). We have previously shown that protein Kinase C epsilon (PKCe) transgenic mice on FVB/N background, which overexpress PKCe protein approximately eightfold over endogenous levels in epidermis, exhibit about threefold more sensitivity than wild-type littermates to UVR-induced development of SCC. To determine whether it is PKCe and not the mouse genetic background that determines susceptibility to UVR carcinogenesis, we cross-bred PKCe FVB/N transgenic mice with SKH-1 hairless mice to generate PKCe-overexpressing SKH-1 hairless mice. To evaluate the susceptibility of PKCe SKH-1 hairless transgenic mice to UVR carcinogenesis, the mice were exposed to UVR (1–2 KJ m−2) three times weekly from a bank of six kodacel-filtered FS40 sunlamps. As compared with the wild-type hairless mice, PKCe overexpression in SKH-1 hairless mice decreased the latency (12 weeks), whereas it increased the incidence (twofold) and multiplicity (fourfold) of SCC. The SKH hairless transgenic mice were observed to be as sensitive as FVB/N transgenic mice to UVR-induced development of SCC and expression of proliferative markers (proliferating cell nuclear antigen, signal transducers and activators of transcription 3, and extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1/2). The results indicate that PKCe level dictates susceptibility, irrespective of genetic background, to UVR carcinogenesis.
Increased risk of pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia among patients with inflammatory bowel disease.

Objectives Patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) may be at increased risk for pneumocystis jiroveci pneumonia (PCP). Our aims were (1) to determine the incidence and relative risk of PCP in IBD and (2) to describe medication exposures in patients with IBD with PCP. Methods We performed a retrospective cohort study and a case series using administrative data from IMS Health Inc, LifeLink Health Plan Claims Database. In the cohort, patients with IBD were matched to 4 individuals with no IBD claims. PCP risk was evaluated by incidence rate ratio and adjusted Cox proportional hazards modeling. The demographics and medication histories of the 38 cases of PCP in patients with IBD were extracted. Results The cohort included 50,932 patients with Crohn's disease, 56,403 patients with ulcerative colitis, and 1269 patients with unspecified IBD; matched to 434,416 individuals without IBD. The crude incidence of PCP was higher in the IBD cohort (10.6/100,000) than in the non-IBD cohort (3.0/100,000). In the adjusted analyses, PCP risk was higher in the IBD versus non-IBD cohort (hazard ratio, 2.96; 95% confidence interval, 1.75-4.29), with the greatest risk in Crohn's disease compared with non-IBD (hazard ratio, 4.01; 95% confidence interval, 1.88-8.56). In the IBD case series of PCP cases (n = 38), the median age was 49 (interquartile range, 43-57). A total of 20 individuals (53%) were on corticosteroids alone or in combination with other immunosuppression. Conclusions Although the overall incidence of PCP is low, patients with IBD are at increased risk. Patients with IBD with PCP are predominantly on corticosteroids alone or in combination before PCP diagnosis.