cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Effects of Inference Instruction on the Reading Comprehension of English Learners With Reading Comprehension Difficulties

Inference skill is one of the most important predictors of reading comprehension. Still, there is little rigorous research investigating the effects of inference instruction on reading comprehensio...
Probing a scalar singlet-catalyzed electroweak phase transition with resonant di-Higgs boson production in the 4 b channel

We investigate the prospective reach of the 14 TeV HL-LHC for resonant production of a heavy Higgs boson that decays to two SM-like Higgs bosons in the $4b$ final state in the scalar singlet extended Standard Model. We focus on the reach for choices of parameters yielding a strong first order electroweak phase transition. The event selection follows the $4b$ analysis by the ATLAS Collaboration, enhanced with the use of a boosted decision tree method to optimize the discrimination between signal and background events. The output of the multivariate discriminant is used directly in the statistical analysis. The prospective reach of the $4b$ channel is compatible with previous projections for the $bb\ensuremath{\gamma}\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and $4\ensuremath{\tau}$ channels for heavy Higgs boson mass ${m}_{2}$ below 500 GeV and superior to these channels for ${m}_{2}g500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$. With $3\text{ }\text{ }{\mathrm{ab}}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$ of integrated luminosity, it is possible to discover the heavy Higgs boson in the $4b$ channel for ${m}_{2}l500\text{ }\text{ }\mathrm{GeV}$ in regions of parameter space yielding a strong first order electroweak phase transition and satisfying all other phenomenological constraints.
Abstract 5136: Adapting long read sequencing technologies for targeted and single cell applications

Structural variations (SV), a hallmark of genomic instability in cancer, include insertions, deletions, duplications, inversions, or translocations that can either activate oncogenes or inactivate tumor suppressor genes. These variants contribute to the complexity of the cancer genome but have not been successfully resolved yet. While short-read sequencing has aided cancer genomics, it has performed poorly in SV detection, with false positive and false negative rates of 50% or more. Long-read sequencing generates reads that are >10 kb long and has helped identify thousands of genomic features pertinent to cancer that were previously missed by short-read sequencing. Long reads can span SV with a single continuous read, giving a clearer idea of the variation, its position, and size. Currently, long-read sequencing methods are greatly limited by the DNA preparation step, with fragment lengths and yield often compromised by standard extraction methods. The potential to generate reads at the megabase level relies greatly on library preps using large amounts (several μg) of DNA input, which prevents its application to samples like patient tumors that are often limited in DNA. Our overarching goal is to develop a targeted approach that generates large contiguous reads from moderate to low input DNA masses. To this end, we use different extraction, amplification, fragmentation, and enrichment strategies to efficiently target and resolve complex regions of the genome that are often associated with disease conditions. Development of a targeted long-read sequencing strategy using low DNA input would give us the potential to explore the landscape of genetic variation across several individuals and heterogeneous cell populations. We are currently employing and adapting CRISPR-based targeting techniques to enrich for specific regions of the genome from intact cells and/or high-molecular-weight DNA. Citation Format: Shruti Iyer, Sara Goodwin, W. Richard McCombie. Adapting long read sequencing technologies for targeted and single cell applications [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 5136.
Epoxy/ Triazine Copolymer Resin System for High Temperature Encapsulant Applications

The seeking of high temperature stable packaging materials was driven by the progress seen in wide band gap (WBG) semiconductor-based power electronic devices. Epoxy molding compounds (EMCs) are widely used in the packaging industry as the utmost protection of packages. However current EMC chemistry cannot support the high operating temperature in WBG devices. The rigid triazine structure can provide enhanced high temperature performance in epoxy molding compound. In this report, the effect of adding a triazine based epoxy, triglycidyl isocyanurate (TGIC) in cyanate ester/ epoxy copolymer was presented. The curing chemistry, thermo-mechanical properties and high temperature aging performance were evaluated.
Analyzing the relationship between Altmetric score and literature citations in the Implantology literature.

Background The influence of research has long been studied using citations and impact factors (IFs). Electronic media is changing how people interact with the scientific literature. There are few investigations into these trends. Purpose To explore whether Altmetrics correlate with traditional bibliometrics in the Implantology literature. Materials and methods Five Implantology journals with the highest IF and the 10 most highly-cited articles within those journals from 2013 to 2016 were reviewed. Altmetric score, citation count, and media "mentions" were recorded. Comparisons were conducted between Altmetric score, citations, and IF by performing Pearson correlation coefficients and descriptive statistics. Twitter accounts were studied and compared to other metrics. Results Analysis revealed no correlation between citations and Altmetrics (r = .096,P = .506) or IF and Altmetrics (r = .111,P = .443) in 2013. Altmetrics were also not significantly correlated with citations (r = 0.148,P = .305) or IF (r = .145,P = .315) in 2016. Total Altmetric scores were nine times higher in 2016 compared to 2013, with news outlets and Twitter seeing large increases in mentions. Twitter was the top medium receiving mentions across the two cohorts. Conclusions Compared to other fields, Implantology articles received lower Altmetric scores, noting an area of improvement. Altmetrics at this time are insufficient to replace traditional bibliometrics, but may provide helpful real-time information concerning article dissemination.
Growth of ‘Seascape’ strawberry (Fragaria X ananassa Duch.) is altered by photoperiod and nitrogen conditioning

The influences of photoperiod and nitrogen plug conditioning for summer planting of ‘Seascape’ strawberry (Fragaria x ananassa Duch.) for off-season plasticulture production were evaluated in two s...
Changes in Candidate Evaluations over the Campaign Season: A Comparison of House, Senate, and Presidential Races

How do citizens’ preferences for candidates change during a campaign season? For the first time, this panel study examines how citizens’ preferences for candidates change during the general election campaign season for House, Senate, and presidential elections, which vary widely in their salience and contestedness. House races exhibit the greatest mean change in candidate evaluations and presidential races exhibit the least. At the individual level, there is considerable variation across the three types of contest in the presence of a candidate preference and in change over the campaign season. We investigate differences across the three types of races in initial familiarity with candidates and estimate transition models to evaluate the effect of race contestedness, partisanship, presidential approval, political sophistication and knowledge on change in candidate preferences in each type of race. Change in knowledge of the candidates during the campaign season has the greatest effect in House contests, where initial familiarity with the candidates is the most limited.
Potential Late Effects of Rhabdoid Tumor Therapy in Childhood and Adolescents

Rhabdoid tumors (RT) are rare, highly malignant neoplasms that primarily affect infants and young children. They arise predominantly in the brain (AT/RT, atypical teratoid, rhabdoid tumors), kidney (RTK, rhabdoid tumor of the kidney), and extracranial soft tissue (eMRT, extracranial malignant rhabdoid tumor). The majority of patients with RT harbor homozygous, loss-of-function mutations in the tumor suppressor gene SMARCB1 coding for a subunit of the chromatin remodelling complex SWI/SNF. Survival rates for patients with RT are generally poor, but have been improved by intensified multimodal therapy (overall survival AT/RT, 30–45%; RTK, 25–30%; eMRT, 30–40%). The aggressive multimodal treatment—particularly radiotherapy—used in a young developing organism may profoundly impact on (neuro-)developmental outcome and entail significant short- and long-term side effects, such as an increased risk for leukoencephalopathy or even overt radionecrosis. As more and more patients with RT survive and enter adulthood, the frequency and severity of these late effects will become increasingly apparent and encompass many domains of daily life. Prevention or at least early diagnosis of potential late effects by regular examinations, e.g., according to the ones recommended in the EU-RHAB document is urgently needed.
Past experience shapes the neural circuits recruited for future learning

Experimental research controls for past experience, yet prior experience influences how we learn. Here, we tested whether we could recruit a neural population that usually encodes rewards to encode aversive events. Specifically, we found that GABAergic neurons in the lateral hypothalamus (LH) were not involved in learning about fear in naive rats. However, if these rats had prior experience with rewards, LH GABAergic neurons became important for learning about fear. Interestingly, inhibition of these neurons paradoxically enhanced learning about neutral sensory information, regardless of prior experience, suggesting that LH GABAergic neurons normally oppose learning about irrelevant information. These experiments suggest that prior experience shapes the neural circuits recruited for future learning in a highly specific manner, reopening the neural boundaries we have drawn for learning of particular types of information from work in naive subjects. Sharpe et al. find that prior reward-learning experience can prime reward circuits to encode fear memories. This suggests prior experience can shape the way we learn, opening the neural boundaries for learning about particular types of information.
COVID-19 Launches Retinal Telemedicine into the Next Frontier.

INTRODUCTION: Telemedicine in ophthalmology, and specifically in retinal diseases, has made significant advancements in recent years. The COVID-19 pandemic has launched telehealth into a new era by creating demand from patients and physicians alike, while breaking down previous insurance, reimbursement, access and educational barriers. METHODS: This paper reviews mulitple studies demonstrating the use of telemedicine in managing various retinal conditions before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. CONCLUSION: Moving forward, promising new devices and models of care ensure that tele-retinal care will continue to expand and become a vital part of how we screen, diagnose and monitor retinal diseases.
Parasitic Capacitance Analysis of Three-Independent-Gate Field-Effect Transistors

Three-Independent-Gate Field-Effect Transistors (TIGFETs) are a promising alternative technology that aims to replace or complement CMOS at advanced technology nodes. In this paper, we extracted the parasitic and intrinsic capacitances of a silicon-nanowire TIGFET device using three-dimensional numerical simulations in an attempt to accurately compare its capacitances and, consequently, circuit-level performances to CMOS at comparable nodes. Analytical models of the parasitic capacitances of a TIGFET transistor were derived using techniques such as the equivalent Schwarz-Christoffel transformation and standard cylindrical capacitors and show close agreement with numerical simulations. The maximum capacitance of a TIGFET transistor is $2\times $ larger than for a 15 nm CMOS High Performance (HP) device due to the TIGFET’s two additional gated contacts, but this is countered by its ability for multiple modes of operation which reduces the effective switching capacitance per device. A TIGFET transistor sees, on average, only a 30% increase in total capacitance compared to a CMOS HP device. Additionally, the TIGFET’s increased device functionality can be used to modify the circuit-level architecture of a TIGFET-based design to mitigate the performance impact of its larger device-level capacitance. This combination of a TIGFET’s (1) multiple modes of operation, and (2) circuit-level architecture lead to enhanced system performance. In particular, we show that at the 15 nm technology node TIGFET technology has 18% lower energy-delay product for a fan-out of 4 and higher when using 1-bit full-adder logic circuit than for the equivalent node CMOS HP.
Phase II Evaluation of Stereotactic Ablative Radiotherapy (SABR) and Immunity in 11C-Choline-PET/CT-Identified Oligometastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer.

Purpose Outcomes for resistant metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) are poor. Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) induces anti-tumor immunity in clinical and preclinical studies, but immunological biomarkers are lacking. Experimental design 89 patients with oligometastatic CRPC were identified by 11C-Choline-PET (Choline-PET) from August 2016-December 2019 and treated with SABR. Pre-specified co-primary endpoints were 2-year overall survival (OS) and PSA progression. Secondary endpoints included 2-year SABR-treated local failure and 6-month adverse events. Correlative studies included peripheral blood T cell subpopulations before and after SABR. Results 128 lesions in 89 patients were included in this analysis. Median OS was 29.3 months, and 1- and 2-year OS were 96% and 80%, respectively. PSA PFS was 40% at one year and 21% at two years. Local PFS was 84.4% and 75.3% at 1 and 2 years, respectively, and no Grade {greater than or equal to} 3 AEs were observed. Baseline high levels of tumor reactive T cells (TTR; CD8+CD11ahigh) predicted superior local, PSA, and distant PFS. Baseline high levels of effector memory T cells (TEM; CCR7-CD45RA-) was associated with improved PSA PFS. An increase in TTR at day 14 from baseline was associated with superior OS. Conclusions This is the first comprehensive effector T cell immunophenotype analysis in a phase II trial before and after SABR in CRPC. Results are favorable and support the incorporation of immune-based markers in the design of future randomized trials in oligometastatic CRPC patients treated with SABR. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02816983 Oligometastatic Prostate cancer Radiotherapy Augmenting T Immune Cells (OPeRATIC).
Recent Advances and Implementations of Flexible Eddy Current Probe Technology

GE has recently developed a family of flexible circuit eddy current sensors in an effort to provide our customers with cost effective solutions to the inspection of complexly shaped, metallic surfaces. The new family of eddy current sensors, comprised of single element and multi-element conformable probes, are lower cost derivatives of the multiple coil Eddy Current Array Probe (ECAP) previously developed by GE [1]. This paper discusses the major aspects of flexible circuit sensor optimization. These include consideration of eddy current coil orientation and geometry, operating frequency, and instrumentation.
Electrochemical Noise and Impedance Analysis of Iron in Chloride Media

Potential and current noise data have been collected for pure iron foils exposed to 0.5N sodium chloride (NaCl) that was aerated, deaerated, or aerated with sodium nitrite (NaNO{sub 2}) added as inhibitor. Potential and current noise data were obtained at the beginning of each hour over a 24-h period either sequentially or simultaneously. Statistical and spectral analyses were performed resulting in noise resistance values. For the noise resistance R{sub n} = {sigma}V/{sigma}I, where {sigma}V and {sigma}I are the standard deviation values of potential and current, respectively, similar values as for the polarization resistance R{sub p} determined with electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) at the end of the tests were obtained. The spectral noise resistance R{sub sn}{sup o} obtained from spectral analysis of simultaneously collected current and potential data agreed satisfactorily with R{sub p} and R{sub n} for aerated and inhibited solutions. Electrochemical noise and impedance data have also been obtained for two polymer coatings on cold-rolled steel during immersion in 0.5N NaCl for five months. The two types of measurements clearly distinguished between the relatively poor performance of the alkyd system and the excellent performance of the epoxy polyamide system. Similar trends with exposure time were observed for the pore resistancemore » R{sub po} and R{sub p}, on the one hand, and R{sub n} and R{sub sn}{sup o} on the other hand. However, the numerical values of the parameters obtained with EIS were different from those obtained with electrochemical noise analysis (ENA).« less
Navigational web atmospherics Explaining the influence of restrictive navigation cues

Abstract Building on the recent work in web atmospherics, the theoretical notions of psychological reactance and the flow experience, propositions and a model are developed, which provide a framework in which the navigational atmosphere of a web site can be examined. This paper specifically examines how and why consumers are influenced by restrictive navigation cues on the web. Essentially, the present author proposes that restrictive navigational cues act as barriers that threaten consumers' control over web navigation, which, in turn, arouses psychological reactance and leads to negative consequences for the web marketer. These negative consequences include increased levels of negative emotions, negative attitudes toward the web site and increased site avoidance behavior. The magnitude of the threat to control, consumers' expectation of control and the importance of web navigation are proposed to moderate this relationship. The reduction in navigational control associated with restrictive navigation cues is also posited to reduce the likelihood of the consumer flow experience, which, in turn, leads to negative attitudes and site avoidance behavior. Implications for web marketers and avenues for future research are discussed.
Designing a reporting tool for space mission simulations for use in elementary schools

This paper presents the design recommendation of a dashboard to accompany a weeklong computer mission simulation for use in fifth grade classrooms. The mission is a hands-on learning experience developed by the Challenger Center, a non-profit organization committed to exciting students about science, technology, engineering, and math through innovative learning tools. The Challenger Center has a valuable opportunity to gather data on student performance and experience throughout the mission. The dashboard is a user interface that will share this data with educators, allowing them to guide classroom instruction both during and after a class simulation. To design the dashboard, the team used an iterative process that continuously engaged key partners including the Challenger Center, educators, and the software developers. This iterative and inclusive approach was particularly important because the new mission was developed concurrently with the dashboard, giving the team a unique opportunity to influence the development of the mission as well. The key findings include specifications on what features and information need to be included in the dashboard design as well as prototypes and guidance on how it should be displayed. The specifications identify the need for two types of educator feedback: live feedback during the mission to ensure the class’s successful execution of the mission, and more detailed summary feedback following the mission that focuses on performance against learning standards and planning for future classroom instruction.
Cardiovascular responses to orthostatic stress after 90 minutes head-down bed rest and artificial gravity exposure in hypovolemic men and women (1169.18)

Intermittent artificial gravity (AG) training was proved to improve orthostatic tolerance limit (OTL) and alter cardiovascular regulations in response to orthostatic stress. The effect of short dur...
Epistemological Perspective on Quantum Theory

One can discuss the epistemology of quantum mechanics from two points of view, and there is some confusion in the literature because the writers (including myself) do not always state clearly on which point of view the discussion is based. The first point of view accepts the observable consequences of quantum mechanics as valid, valid accurately and universally; its objective is the determination of the epistemology on which these consequences can be based. The second point of view from which epistemology can be discussed in the quantum mechanical era is based on the realization of the problems of the epistemology which is based on the acceptance of quantum mechanics as a definitive and final theory. These problems — one of them epitomized by a reference1 to ‘Wigner’s friend’ — lead one to wonder in what respects quantum mechanics may be modified when the interest of science is extended to a larger set of phenomena characterizing complex living beings. It is justified to speculate in this direction because, clearly, present quantum mechanics is based solely on phenomena involving inanimate objects. It is justified and also interesting to speculate on the extension of our theories to the realm of life and consciousness,2 even if such speculations do not bear fruit in the form of definite, precise conclusions — as they probably will not.
Conformational and geometrical properties of β-sheets in proteins: II. Antiparallel and mixed β-sheets

Abstract The present work treats the conformational and geometrical properties of antiparallel and mixed β-sheets, following the approach described in the first paper of this series (Salemme & Weatherford, 1981). As shown, antiparallel structures possess conformational degrees of freedom that allow them to assume a greater diversity of spatial configurations than occur in parallel sheets. This configurational flexibility principally owes its origin to the potential variability of the interchain hydrogen bond geometry in antiparallel structures. As a consequence of this inherent elasticity of antiparallel β-sheets, their extended spatial configurations strongly reflect effects arising from local or extended side-chain packing interactions. Although the continuously deformable characteristics of antiparallel sheets frequently result in the attainment of spatial configurations that cannot be quantitatively modeled as hydrogen-bonded arrays of conformationally identical polypeptide chains, several observed sheets are nevertheless shown to be accurately approximated as conformationally regular arrays that typically yield model versus observed fits of less than 1 A for corresponding α-carbon atoms.
Techniques in Deadbeat and One-step-ahead Control

This chapter explores the development of deadbeat control and one-step-ahead control. Deadbeat control and one-step-ahead control, each have a long history, the two were developed in separate research streams, and it was many years before these streams merged. It compares and contrast deadbeat and one-step-ahead control strategies, to contribute to the unification of the two areas, and to clear up some possible points of confusion. The chapter discusses that system identification, deadbeat control, and one-step-ahead control are possible because discrete-time systems are described by difference equations, which define an algebraic relation between the system inputs and outputs. Such procedures cannot be applied to continuous-time systems, whose inputs and outputs are related by differential equations. As a result, for example, deadbeat response in a continuous-time system cannot be achieved via linear time invariant feedback. No matter how rapid the step response of a continuous-time control system is made, the exponentially decaying error vanishes only as time goes to infinity.
An ecological approach to the on-line assessment of problem-solving paths: Principles and applications

In this paper, we propose a theoretical framework for designing on-line situated assessment tools for multimedia instructional systems. Based on an ecological psychology approach to situated learning, a graph theoretic methodology is applied to monitor students' performance (solution paths) throughout the learning activity. Deviation of the student's path from the target (expert) path generates indicators which can function as alerts to the student and to the instructor. The information collected in the dribble files and presented visually enables the instructor to identify problems quickly and intervene appropriately. The feasibility of the methodology is explored in case studies describing three instructional systems that teach (1) critical thinking and problem-solving skills, (2) principles of hemodynamic monitoring and treatment, and (3) orthodontic treatment, respectively.
Closed-network duals of multiqueues with application to token-passing systems

Asymmerric mulliqueue systems (e.g., Token-passing systems) are known to raise analytically difficult questions in the sense of modelling tractabilty. A prime example is the asymmetric multiqueue system with a single cyclic-server and one-at-a-lime customer service. In the interests of sound approximation techniques. we examine the feasibility of approximation schemes using known results in the realm of closed queueing networks. Focusing on unit capacity buffer systems and cycle-limes of the server on such systems. a notion of duality is introduced. In essence, this duality says that the single server on the multiqueue system can be viewed as a single customer on a dual closed network. Correspondingly, the customern in the multiqueueing system take on the role of servers in the dual closed queueing network. In this work, we examine conditions under which this duality is strong (or weak). In order to do this, we solve two open problems: the cycle-time distribution on an asymmel:ric system, and the probability of any station being empty (nonempty) at its scan instant. Numerical results indicate that closed network dUality is strong under testable conditions and can thus be used as a guide to useful approximations.
Multiple Sclerosis Symptom Recrudescence Is Common At The End Of The Natalizumab Dosing Cycle (P7.213)

OBJECTIVE: To study how frequently patients receiving natalizumab for multiple sclerosis (MS) experience recrudescence of their chronic MS symptoms at the end of the dosing cycle. BACKGROUND: Some MS patients treated with natalizumab experience subjective improvement in their chronic symptoms. Interestingly, a significant number report feeling more of their previously-experienced MS symptoms at the end of their dosing cycle, and that these symptoms abate shortly after receiving their next natalizumab infusion. DESIGN/METHODS: One-hundred consecutive MS patients receiving natalizumab completed a survey evaluating changes in symptoms during the natalizumab dosing cycle. Ninety-one patients also completed questionnaires at two timepoints: the first week after natalizumab infusion and the last week of the dosing cycle, including the MS Quality of Life-54 (MSQOL-54), Fatigue Visual Analog Scale (VAS), Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS), and Beck Depression Inventory-II (BDI-II). RESULTS: End of dosing interval (EDI) symptoms were reported as currently being experienced by 56% of respondents. An additional 10% reported that they previously experienced that phenomenon, but not currently, and 34% reported never experiencing this. In those with EDI symptoms, they began a median of 21 days after infusion and improved again a median of 1 day after infusion. The most common symptoms reported were fatigue, weakness, walking impairment, and cognitive difficulties. No specific demographic or disease characteristics were associated with this phenomenon. In the subgroup with EDI symptoms, the MSQOL-54, Fatigue VAS, FSS, and BDI-II scores were all significantly worse in the last week of the dosing cycle when compared to the first week (p<0.05). No difference was seen in these scores between first and last week in the subgroup not experiencing EDI symptoms. CONCLUSIONS: A significant proportion of natalizumab-treated MS patients report a temporary recrudescence of symptoms such as fatigue, weakness, walking impairment, or cognitive difficulties at the end of the dosing cycle. Study Supported by: John and Patricia Malin and the John J. Horan Memorial Fund. Disclosure: Dr. Ratchford has received personal compensation for activities with Biogen Idec, Genzyme Corporation, GW Pharmaceuticals, and Diogenix. Dr. Ratchford has received research support from Novartis, Biogen Idec, and Sun Pharmaceuticals. Dr. Brock-Simmons has nothing to disclose. Dr. Augsburger has nothing to disclose. Dr. Steele has nothing to disclose. Dr. Mohn has nothing to disclose. Dr. Rhone has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bo has nothing to disclose. Dr. Costello has received personal compensation for activities with Teva Neuroscience, Biogen Idec, and Serono Inc.
An analysis of PAC contributions and legislator quality

This paper empirically examines the influence of three legislator attributes on political action committee campaign contributions. In particular, the study investigates the roles that committee assignment, committee leadership, and majority party membership play on campaign contributions from political action committee representing firms from the four well-defined industries of aerospace, airline, automobile, and oil. The empirical results indicate that committee leadership is a key variable that drives contributions. However, membership on a seemingly relevant committee does not appear to carry as much weight. Furthermore, majority party membership appears to have a significant influence over the level of contributions. These patterns appear to be consistent over the eight election cycles studied.
Nocardia asteroides Pericarditis

The article entitled"Nocardia asteroides Pericarditis: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature," by Poland and associates in the June 1990 issue of the Proceedings (pages 819 to 824), made interesting reading. Reports of at least two other cases of N. asteroides pericarditis have been described in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), l and these cases were not mentioned in the article. In both of these cases, the diagnosis was established by a pericardial fluid culture positive for N. asteroides. Both patients were treated with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. These cases are especially noteworthy because N. asteroides infection in general is uncommon in patients with AIDS.
Is Email Business Dying?: A Study on Evolution of Email Spam Over Fifteen Years

With the increasing dedication and sophistication of spammers, email spam is a persistent problem even today. Popular social network sites such as Facebook, Twitter, and Google+ are not exempt from email spam as they all interface with email systems. While some report predicts that email spam business is dying due to the decreasing volume of email spam. Whether email spam business is really dying is an interesting question. In this paper, we analyze email spam trends on Spam Archive dataset, which contains 5.5 million spam emails over 15 years (1998 – 2013). We statistically analyze emails contents including header information (e.g. content type) and embedded items (e.g. URL links). Also, we investigate topic drift using topic modeling technique. Moreover, we perform network analysis on sender-to-receiver IP routing networks. Our study shows the dynamic nature of email spam over one and a half decades and demonstrate that the email spam business is not dying but more capricious. Received on 21 January 2014; accepted on 11 April 2014; published on 27 May 2014
Artificial neural networks (ANN) as simulators and emulators-an analytical overview

Because of their ability to exploit the tolerance for imprecision and uncertainty in real-world problems, and their robustness and parallelism, artificial neural networks (ANNs) and their techniques have become increasingly important for modeling and optimization in many areas of science and engineering. As a consequence, the market is flooded with new, increasingly technical software and hardware products. This paper presents an analytical overview of the most popular ANNs, both in hardware and software modes. After an overview of ANN, the paper discusses global optimization for ANN training, and the NOVEL hybrid method is presented and its performance is discussed. The paper then discusses the techniques and means for parallelizing neurosimulations of ANNs, both at a high programming level and at a low hardware-emulation level. It then presents vector microprocessor architectures and the Spert II fixed-point system as applied to multimedia and human-machine interface. Finally, it introduces the most recently explored concept of cellular neural networks (CNN), its performance and operation are analyzed. Conclusions and recommendations conclude the paper.
Toward a stable classification of genera within the Entolomataceae: a phylogenetic re-evaluation of the Rhodocybe-Clitopilus clade

Despite the recent molecular systematic analyses of the Entolomataceae (Agaricales, Basidiomycota), a robust classification of genera supported by morphological and phylogenetic evidence remains unresolved for this cosmopolitan family of pink-spored fungi. Here, a phylogenetic analysis for one of the two major clades (Rhodocybe-Clitopilus) was conducted using three nuclear protein-coding gene regions, the mitochondrial ATP synthase subunit 6 (atp6), the nuclear RNA polymerase subunit II (rpb2) and the nuclear translation elongation factor subunit 1-α (tef1). Five monophyletic groups are resolved with strong statistical support and a set of morphological features for delineation of genera is presented. In the revised classification proposed here, Clitopilus is retained, Rhodocybe is emended, two genera previously accepted as synonyms of Rhodocybe (Clitopilopsis and Rhodophana) are resurrected and Clitocella is described as new.
Chemokines are the main proinflammatory mediators in human monocytes activated by Staphylococcus aureus, peptidoglycan, and endotoxin.

It is widely believed that the cytokines tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, interleukin (IL)-1, and IL-6 are the main proinflammatory mediators induced in the host by bacteria and their cell wall components. To test this hypothesis, we compared the level of expression of 600 genes activated in human monocytes byStaphylococcus aureus, peptidoglycan, endotoxin, and interferon-γ. These stimulants induced expression of over 120 genes, as identified by cDNA arrays. The highest activated genes for proinflammatory mediators induced by all three bacterial stimulants were chemokine genes (IL-8 and macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-1α), whereas cytokine genes (TNF-α, IL-1, and IL-6) were induced to a lower extent. Genes for other chemokines (MIP-2α, MIP-1β, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1) were also induced higher than the cytokine genes by peptidoglycan, and as high or higher than the cytokine genes by S. aureus and endotoxin. This high induction of chemokine genes was confirmed by quantitative RNase protection assay, and high secretion of chemokines was confirmed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Although genes for chemokines were the highest and genes for cytokines were the second highest induced genes by all three bacterial stimulants, each stimulus induced a unique pattern of gene expression. By contrast, expression of a completely different gene pattern was induced by a nonbacterial stimulus, interferon-γ. These results establish chemokines as the main mediators induced by both Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria and are consistent with the highly inflammatory nature of bacterial infections.
Transparent ferroelectric glass-ceramics for second harmonic generation and electro-optic device applications

There is strong need for low cost, optically active materials whose high electro-optic (EO) and second harmonic generation (SHG) properties can be engineered flexibly, in bulk and fiber forms. Therefore, we have fabricated transparent ferroelectric composites consisting of strontium barium niobate crystallites in a refractive index compatible tellurium oxide (TeO 2 ) glass matrix. Several glass compositions, in the series x SrO-(10-x) BaO-y (Nb 2 O 5 )-(90-y) TeO 2 (where x=2.5, 5 and 7.5 and y = 10, 15, 20 and 25), have been prepared by a conventional melt quenching technique. The compositions have been selected on the basis of thermal stability data obtained from differential thermal analysis (DTA). X-ray diffraction studies indicate ferroelectric phase formation in the controlled crystallized glasses. The non-centrosymmetric nature of the crystallized regions has been monitored via observing the second harmonic signal.
Optimal advertising and inventory control of perishable goods

The primary goal of this article is to extend the results of a previous article to the case where the effect of advertisement on sales lasts more than one period. Monotonicity of the optimal advertising and inventory policies in the various factors is investigated. Also, attention will be focused on the relationship between the fluctuations over time of the optimal policies and the variations over time of the factors involved, such as demand distributions and holding costs. For example, if over a finite interval the demand decreases from one period to the next, reaches a minimum, and then increases, then the optimal advertising policy will produce the opposite effect. The period of minimum demand never precedes that of maximum goodwill; moreover, the optimal inventory level decreases while the demand decreases. Finally, when demand distributions are just translates of one another, the results of this article can be extended to nonperishable goods.
Words without things: Toward a social phenomenology of language

In prepredicative experience language is constitutive of the possibilities for meaning and action. Language as a tradition— meaningful prior to subjective existence—gives a “world” to things, thereby enabling things to acquire a particular nature and to exhibit possibilities for action to man. Communication and understanding are possible, not because words have unambiguous referents, but because speaking develops an interpretive stance in which the nature of things is disclosed.
Emancipatory practice through the Sky River Project

Timothy Kennedy went to an Eskimo village in Alaska as a VISTA volunteer to perform community service for 2 years. He remained through 11 years, building participatory community development projects. As he became accepted by the Eskimo villagers, he got them involved in using videotape technology to build community solidarity and then to communicate more effectively with government officials and politicians about the needs and wishes of their community. So as to make clear that this was not a documentary project directed by a professional film maker, Kennedy got villagers involved in all stages of the process of videotaping and also in determining who and how their tapes should be seen by authorities. The Sky River Project achieved three major changes in governmental policies for the Eskimos. As the videotapes were shown in other Eskimo villages, who shared the same needs and wishes, the process generated intervillage communication and collaboration on various projects.
Activation of the A3 adenosine receptor inhibits fMLP-induced Rac activation in mouse bone marrow neutrophils

Adenosine is released from injured or hypoxic tissues where it exerts numerous anti-inflammatory effects including suppression of neutrophil functions. Although most previous work has implicated the A2AAR, we have recently shown that selective activation of the abundantly expressed A3AR inhibits neutrophil superoxide production and chemotaxis providing a potential mechanistic explanation for the efficacy of A3AR agonists in experimental animal models of inflammation. In this study, we hypothesized that the A3AR suppresses neutrophil functions by inhibiting the monomeric GTPase Rac, a central regulator of chemokine-directed neutrophil migration and superoxide production. We found that pre-treating neutrophils with the highly selective A3AR agonist CP-532,903 reduced fMLP-induced Rac activation using an ELISA-based assay that detects all three Rac isoforms. CP-532,903 also inhibited fMLP-induced F-actin formation, a downstream effector function of Rac relevant to neutrophil migration, but not activation of ERK1/2 or p38. Pre-treating neutrophils with CP-532,903 did not stimulate cAMP production or alter fMLP-induced calcium transients, implicating that A3AR stimulation does not inhibit Rac activation or neutrophil activities by suppressing Ca2+ signaling, elevating the intracellular concentration of cAMP, or by cross-desensitizing fMLP receptors. Our results suggest that activation of the A3AR signals to suppress neutrophil functions by interfering with the monomeric GTPase Rac, thus contributing to the ant-inflammatory actions of adenosine.
Metasurface optical antireflection coating

Light reflection at the boundary of two different media is one of the fundamental phenomena in optics, and reduction of reflection is highly desirable in many optical systems. Traditionally, optical antireflection has been accomplished using single- or multiple-layer dielectric films and graded index surface structures in various wavelength ranges. However, these approaches either impose strict requirements on the refractive index matching and film thickness, or involve complicated fabrication processes and non-planar surfaces that are challenging for device integration. Here, we demonstrate an antireflection coating strategy, both experimentally and numerically, by using metasurfaces with designer optical properties in the mid-wave infrared. Our results show that the metasurface antireflection is capable of eliminating reflection and enhancing transmission over a broad spectral band and a wide incidence angle range. The demonstrated antireflection technique has no requirement on the choice of materials and is scalable to other wavelengths.
The potential impact of the resource-based relative value scale on the practice of nuclear medicine

The Resource-Based Relative Value Scale (RBRVS) is finally here. A system designed to equate physician work across the specialties, it has its own peculiar and unique problems. Modeling of the system was based on the single physician-patient interaction; it may not work properly for laboratory specialties. There are other unique considerations concerning how the model was constructed. Although data were collected specifically for nuclear medicine, they were not used in the final computations. There is disagreement over whether those data would benefit or hurt nuclear medicine reimbursement. As presently implemented, the RBRVS poses grave dangers for the future of nuclear medicine. These dangers come not only in the professional reimbursement section of the rules but in the technical component areas as well. Estimates for reduction of income by 1996 range as high as 55% for nuclear medicine. When one factors the implementation of the RBRVS by independent insurance carriers into the equation, the entire economic future becomes muddy. A brief historical review of the RBRVS, as well as discussion of potential future implications of this type of reimbursement system, is presented. Prognostication is at least as inexact a science as reimbursement. Hopefully, the author's outlook on the future of nuclear medicine is more pessimistic than it need be.
The Sports Experience of the Black College Athlete: Exploitation in the Academy

The exploitation of college student-athletes, especially black ones, is a dominant theme in the American sport literature. The present research explores this motif as seen through the eyes of college basketball players (n = 505) performing at NCAA Divisions I, II, and III. The most provocative general finding is that discrepancies exist between the actors' and critics' definitions of the sport experience. In discussing the implications of the outcomes, several methodological (e.g., sport sampled, social desirability response set) and theoretical considerations (e.g., pluralistic ignorance, actors' vs. observers' perspectives and false consciousness) are raised.
The deposition of airborne droplets on wire gauzes

Abstract The droplet collection efficiency of wire gauzes exposed normal to an airstream has been measured and also computed using a rather crude theoretical model of the processes occurring. A spinning-top sprayer was used to produce a uniform cloud of dyed oil droplets in a wind tunnel; the cloud concentration was found by exposing a cascade impactor and measuring the deposit colorimetrically. The theory predicted the variations of collection efficiency with droplet size and closeness of wires, but afforded no explanation of the anomalous low experimental values found with 30 μ diameter droplets.
Specific Heat of Iron‐Rich Iron‐Chromium, Iron‐Aluminium, and Iron‐Vanadium Alloys between 600 and 1200 °K

The specific heats of iron alloys with up to 21 at% aluminium, 30 at% chromium, and 30 at% vanadium show sharp λ-peaks even for alloys with high non-ferromagnetic impurity concentration. Only the alloy with 40 at% chromium has a rounded peak. The temperature dependence of the magnetic specific heat cM follows frequently a function of the form cM ∝ In ϵ over a range 10-1 > ϵ > 10-3 above the Curie temperature Tc. ϵ is defined as ϵT TC - 1 ∣. A logarithmic dependence on ϵ for cM is found below Tc only in intervals of the order of 10-1 > ϵ > 10-2 for some alloys. Magnetic energy and entropy values are compared with theoretical predictions from series expansion calculations. It is frequently not possible to associate magnetic specific heats uniquely with either the Heisenberg model or the Ising model. Die spezifische Warme von Eisenlegierungen mit bis zu 21 At% Aluminium, 30 At% Chrom and 30 At% Vanadium zeigt scharfe λ-Maxima sogar fur Legierungen mit hoher nichtferromagnetischer Storstellenkonzentration. Nur die Legierung mit 40 At% Chrom besitzt ein abgerundetes Maximum. Die Temperaturabhangigkeit der magnetischen spezifischen Warme cM folgt haufig einer Funktion der Form cM ∝ In ϵ uber einen Bereich 10-1 > ϵ > 10-3 oberhalb der Curie-Temperatur TC- ϵ wird als ∣T / Tc - 1 ∣ definiert. Eine logarithmische Abhangigkeit von ϵ fur cM wird unterhalb Tc nur in Intervallen der Grosenordnung 10-1 > ϵ > 10-2 fur einige Legierungen gefunden. Die Werte der magnetischen Energien und Entropien werden mit theoretischen Vorhersagen aus Reihenentwicklungsrechnungen verglichen. Es ist haufig nicht moglich, die magnetischen spezifischen Warmen mit dem Heisenbergmodell oder mit dem Isingmodell eindeutig zu verknupfen.
On the apex angle in C2v-‘V’ structure of B2O3

Abstract Results of valence electron SCF-MO calculations in the INDO approximation predict a value of 102° for the apex angle of C2v-‘V’ structure of B2O3, assuming bond lengths obtained from electron diffraction work. Calculated results for the dipole moment are reported and electron population analysis is used to discuss bonding.