cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Angiogenic Factors and Cytokines in Diabetic Retinopathy

Diabetic retinopathy (DR) is a sight-threatening complication of both type-1 and type-2 diabetes. The recent success of treatments inhibiting the function of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) demonstrates that specific targeting of a growth factor responsible for vascular permeability and growth is an effective means of treating DR-associated vascular dysfunction, edema and angiogenesis. This has stimulated research of alternative therapeutic targets involved in the control of retinal vascular function. However, additional treatment options and preventative measures are still needed and these require a greater understanding of the pathological mechanisms leading to the disturbance of retinal tissue homeostasis in DR. Although severe DR can be treated as a vascular disease, abundant data suggests that inflammation is also occurring in the diabetic retina.Thus, anti-inflammatory therapies may also be useful for treatment and prevention of DR. Herein, the evidence for altered expression of angiogenic factors and cytokines in DR is reviewed and possible mechanisms by which the expression of VEGF and cytokines may be increased in the diabetic retina are examined. In addition, the potential role for microglial activation in diabetic retinal neuroinflammation is explored.
BIOLOGY OF HABROBRACON LINEATELLAE (HYMENOPTERA: BRACONIDAE)

Habrobracon lineatellae Fischer has been imported from Lebanon into California in the course of a project on the biological control of the peach twig borer, Anarsia lineatella (Zeller). The navel orangeworm, Paramyelois transitella (Walker), is used as a host to mass-culture this parasite. Its biology is similar to that of other species in the genus, for the female paralyzes the host before oviposition and the larvae develop ectoparasitically. Females begin to paralyze hosts 2 to 26 days after emergence, and oviposition is initiated 1 day after they begin this host paralyzation. The number of eggs per female varies from 32 to 954. A maximum of 12 larvae of H . lineatellae can develop on 1 larva of P . transitella . When virgin females are held for 4 days and then placed with sexually active males for the rest of their lives, the sex ratio of the progeny is 53% female. The adults do not host feed. Females fed honey–water live an average of 105 days (range 51 to 166 days).
Data-Driven Inference of API Mappings

Porting mobile applications (apps) from one platform to another is one strategy used by developers to write cross-platform apps. One challenging task in porting is transforming the app so as to use the appropriate platform-specific APIs. We have proposed a novel approach to extract functionally equivalent API methods of two platforms that simplifies this task. Our approach is inspired by a technique in natural language processing domain which extracts a translation dictionary from non-parallel corpora of two natural languages. We demonstrate a prototype implementation of the proposed approach.
Rhodopsin phosphorylation and retinal outer segment cyclic nucleotide phosphodiesterase: Lack of a causal relationship

Abstract Despite a number of similarities in their properties, there appears to be no causal relationship between light-activated rhodopsin phosphorylation and light-stimulated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase activity in bovine retinal photoreceptor outer segments. The initial rates of both reactions decline substantially and with a similar time course after their early peaks following a brief, bright white flash. However, while the light-activation of phosphodiesterase is protected by dithiothreitol, inactivation of the phosphorylation site on the rhodopsin molecule after a flash cannot be similarly prevented. At the concentrations used in these experiments, ATP is the preferred substrate for rhodopsin phosphorylation, while GTP is the optimal cofactor for light-activation of cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase. Finally, adenosine substantially inhibits rhodopsin phosphorylation in the light but is a much less effective inhibitor of light-stimulated cyclic GMP phosphodiesterase.
The study of fiber optic interferometer for the calibration of PZT travel distance

A fiber optic interferometer for a novel application is proposed in this paper. This new configuration and decoding scheme is in particular suitable for an AFM-tip tailoring system. A theoretical analysis method for simulating the relation of displacement and interfering intensity from the fiber optic sensor is thoroughly discussed. Experimental data for evaluating interfering efficiency agree well with simulation results. Higher resolution becomes achievable with the help of the two-channel interferometer decoding scheme. Moreover, the properties of the piezoelectric actuator used in this system are characterized by the optical sensor. This compact sensor exhibits satisfactory performance for the nanometer-resolution requirement of the developing AFM tip tailoring system.
Covalent electron transfer chemistry of graphene with diazonium salts

Graphene is an atomically thin, two-dimensional allotrope of carbon with exceptionally high carrier mobilities, thermal conductivity, and mechanical strength. From a chemist’s perspective, graphene can be regarded as a large polycyclic aromatic molecule and as a surface without a bulk contribution. Consequently, chemistries typically performed on organic molecules and surfaces have been used as starting points for the chemical functionalization of graphene. The motivations for chemical modification of graphene include changing its doping level, opening an electronic band gap, charge storage, chemical and biological sensing, making new composite materials, and the scale-up of solution-processable graphene.In this Account, we focus on graphene functionalization via electron transfer chemistries, in particular via reactions with aryl diazonium salts. Because electron transfer chemistries depend on the Fermi energy of graphene and the density of states of the reagents, the resulting reaction rate depends on t...
Formation of well-ordered surface compounds by coadsorption of thallium and bromide on the Au(111) electrode surface

Abstract The structures of the adlayers formed on Au(111) in acid solution containing thallium and bromide have been investigated by using in situ surface X-ray diffraction. At the most positive potentials, where Br forms close-packed rotated-hexagonal monolayers, the surface is free of Tl. The Br adlayer disorders at the potential where thallium starts to coadsorb. With further decreasing potential, two well-ordered commensurate and one weakly-ordered incommensurate phases appear over a 0.7 V potential region prior to the formation of the close-packed rotated-hexagonal Tl monolayer. The structure factor analysis for the commensurate phases shows the formation of TlBr 2 and TlBr surface compounds in the 3-( 13 × 13 ) and 2-(3× 3 ) phases, respectively. In addition, an adlayer-induced subsurface relaxation has been observed. Under the 2TlBr-(3× 3 ) adlayer, where bromide ions are at the bridge sites and thallium ions are situated near the hollow sites, the top layer of Au atoms displaces laterally along the 3 direction. This results in more uniform spacings between Tl and the three neighboring gold atoms, as well as an increase of the Br–Au separation.
Nonlinear analysis of a one-story low-rise masonry building with a flexible diaphragm subjected to seismic excitation

Abstract This paper investigates the response of a half-scale one-story reinforced masonry building with a flexible diaphragm subjected to shaking table tests in prior research. A simplified multiple degrees-of-freedom approach developed by the authors is applied to the building. The study focuses on defining appropriate structural properties for accurate prediction of the dynamic response. A model calibration process is performed to determine the required structural properties based on the elastic and inelastic test responses. This approach is necessary since it is difficult to quantify accurately the in-plane and out-of-plane stiffness, strength, and hysteresis using simplified equations specified in current seismic codes and standards. Comparisons are made between the structural properties obtained by this calibration process and by simple strength of materials type procedures.
Calcification rate and the stable carbon, oxygen, and nitrogen isotopes in the skeleton, host tissue, and zooxanthellae of bleached and recovering Hawaiian corals

Abstract We tested the effectiveness of stable isotopes as recorders of physiological changes that occur during coral bleaching and recovery. Montipora capitata and Porites compressa fragments were bleached in outdoor tanks with seawater temperature raised to 30 °C (treatment corals) for one month. Additional fragments were maintained at 27 °C in separate tanks (control corals). After one month, (0 months recovery), buoyant weight was measured and a subset of fragments was frozen. Remaining fragments were returned to the reef for recovery. After 1.5, 4, and 8 months, fragments were collected, measured for buoyant weight, and frozen. Fragments were analyzed for stable carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the skeleton (δ13Cs; δ18Os) and nitrogen and carbon isotopic compositions of the host tissue (δ15Nh; δ13Ch) and zooxanthellae (δ15Nz; δ13Cz). δ13Cs decreased immediately after bleaching in M. capitata, but not in P. compressa. δ18Os of both species failed to record the warming event. During the remaining months of recovery, δ13Cs and δ18Os were more enriched in treatment than control corals due to decreases in calcification and metabolic fractionation during that time. Increased δ15Nh of treatment P. compressa may be due to expelled zooxanthellae during bleaching and recovery. Increased δ15Nz at 1.5 months in treatment fragments of both species reflects the increased incorporation of dissolved inorganic nitrogen to facilitate mitotic cell division and/or chl a/cell recovery. Changes in δ13Ch and δ13Cz at 1.5 months in treatment M. capitata indicated a large increase in heterotrophically acquired carbon relative to photosynthetically fixed carbon. We experimentally show that isotopes in coral skeleton, host tissue and zooxanthellae can be used to verify physiological changes during bleaching and recovery, but their use as a proxy for past bleaching events in the skeletal record is limited.
Transport properties of CVD-grown graphene nanoribbon field-effect transistors

Graphene nanoribbons (GNRs) are promising candidates for nanoelectronics as interconnects or field-effect transistors (FETs) [1,2]. Previous GNR studies used chemically derived [1] or mechanically exfoliated [2] graphene, which are not practical for large scale fabrication. In this work we present a comprehensive analysis of GNR FETs obtained by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) [3], which is promising for creating wafer-scale circuits. We demonstrate low-bias, high-bias, and temperature-dependent measurements. We find that CVD GNRs have properties comparable to the best state-of-the-art GNRs obtained by other methods, suggesting that grain boundaries play a negligible role in sub-100 nm devices. This approach also serves to identify future challenges and represents a first step towards large-scale integration.
Emergent Headaches during Pregnancy: Correlation between Neurologic Examination and Neuroimaging

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Emergent evaluation of the pregnant headache patient requires rational selection of acute neuroimaging studies, yet guidelines do not exist. We investigated the demographic and clinical features that are predictive of intracranial pathologic lesions on neuroimaging studies in pregnant women with emergent headaches. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We conducted a retrospective review of demographic factors, clinical features, and radiologic findings in a consecutive case series of 63 pregnant women emergently evaluated with a chief complaint of headache, including those with previous headache histories. Clinical data were abstracted from emergency department records, hospital course, and discharge summaries. Multivariate logistic regression analysis examined predictors of intracranial pathologic lesions on emergent neuroimaging studies. RESULTS: Multiparous African American women constituted 63% of the case subjects. Headaches were frequently accompanied by photophobia (59%), nausea (52%), vomiting (37%), and occasionally with fever (11%), meningismus (9%), or seizures (7%). A total of 43% of case subjects had abnormal neurologic examination findings. Emergent neuroimaging, including noncontrast head CT and MR imaging, revealed an underlying headache etiology in 27%, including cerebral venous thrombosis, reversible posterior leukoencephalopathy, pseudotumor, and intracranial hemorrhage. The odds of having intracranial pathologic lesions on neuroimaging were 2.7 times higher in patients with abnormal results on neurologic examination ( P = .085). CONCLUSIONS: Emergent neuroimaging studies may reveal an underlying headache etiology in 27% of pregnant women. Further research with a larger sample size is needed to determine what clinical factors are predictive of a pathologic condition on neuroimaging studies.
Application of genomic principles to pharmacotherapy of cancer.

Objectives. To teach first-year (P1) pharmacy students to apply the principles of pharmacogenomics underlying clinical pharmacotherapeutics to cancer patients. Design. Using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and high-resolution melting analysis of deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) from colorectal cancer cell lines to determine the presence of somatic mutations for an oncogenic marker, students formulated the proper course of treatment for a patient with similar tumor genomics. Assessment. In a postintervention survey, students highly rated the effectiveness of the laboratory session for learning pharmacogenomics, and subsequent examination scores reflected retention of principles and understanding of clinical application. Conclusion. The pharmacogenomic laboratory exercise prepared students to understand how genetic markers give clinical insight into the appropriate application of drugs in oncology pharmacotherapy. Further, the session inspired their interest in learning more about pharmacogenomics and their professional roles in personalized medicine.
A game theoretic resource allocation for overall energy minimization in mobile cloud computing system

Cloud computing and virtualization techniques provide mobile devices with battery energy saving opportunities by allowing them to offload computation and execute code remotely. When the cloud infrastructure consists of heterogeneous servers, the mapping between mobile devices and servers plays an important role in determining the energy dissipation on both sides. From an environmental impact perspective, any energy dissipation related to computation should be counted. To achieve energy sustainability, it is important reducing the overall energy consumption of the mobile systems and the cloud infrastructure. Furthermore, reducing cloud energy consumption can potentially reduce the cost of mobile cloud users because the pricing model of cloud services is pay-by-usage. In this paper, we propose a game-theoretic approach to optimize the overall energy in a mobile cloud computing system. We formulate the energy minimization problem as a congestion game, where each mobile device is a player and his strategy is to select one of the servers to offload the computation while minimizing the overall energy consumption. We prove that the Nash equilibrium always exists in this game and propose an efficient algorithm that could achieve the Nash equilibrium in polynomial time. Experimental results show that our approach is able to reduce the total energy of mobile devices and servers compared to a random approach and an approach which only tries to reduce mobile devices alone.
The construct dimensionality of victim blame: The situations of physical child abuse and rape

The dimensionality of the victim blame construct was investigated on 897 college undergraduates. Participants were administered questionnaires to assess the extent to which they blame victims of physical child abuse and rape. Several other personality measures were also given. We hypothesized that the multidimensionality of victim blame would be corroborated. Specifically, we asserted that behavioral, characterological, and abuser justification components of victim blame would emerge as separate constructs. We also predicted that blame directed toward child abuse victims and blame directed toward victims of rape would emerge as distinct factors. A first-order and second-order confirmatory factor analysis was carried out. The findings did not support the hypotheses. Instead, a global victim blame construct emerged with child blame and rape blame as specific factors. Behavioral, characterological, and abuser justification components of victim blame also appeared to stem from a more global victim blame construct.
On the strain-rate dependence of dynamic recrystallization in copper polycrystals

The observed strain-rate dependence of stress strain curves with and without dynamic recrystallization is analyzed. It is found to be incompatible with models of a strictly time-dependent, ``simultaneous static`` recrystallization. The activation energy of dynamic recrystallization is strongly stress dependent: similar, but not identical, to that of dynamic recovery. A new criterion for the transition from single-peak to double-peak behavior is proposed.
Shared values/conflicting logics: working around e-government systems

In this paper, we describe results from fieldwork conducted at a social services site where the workers evaluate citizens' applications for food and medical assistance submitted via an e-government system. These results suggest value tensions that result - not from different stakeholders with different values - but from differences among how stakeholders enact the same shared value in practice. In the remainder of this paper, we unpack the distinct and conflicting interpretations or logics of three shared values - efficiency, access, and education. In particular, we analyze what happens when social services workers have ideas about what it means to expand access, increase efficiency, and educate the public that conflict with the logics embedded in the e-government system. By distinguishing between overarching values and specific logics, we provide an analytic framework for exploring value tensions as values are enacted in practice.
Children's self-reports about violence exposure: An examination of the Things I Have Seen and Heard Scale.

Children's exposure to violence is often found to be an important predictor of child outcomes. The measures most frequently used to assess it have not been systematically examined, and there is little consensus about how to use these measures. This study examined a version of the Things I Have Seen and Heard Scale in a sample of 784 children who completed the scale at both age 6 and 8. There was only modest support for the use of the scale as a set of single-item measures or as a simple sum of items. Exploratory factor analyses suggested that the scale consisted of two factors: a global/community violence scale and a home violence scale. The evidence for validity of the scales was stronger at age 8 than at age 6. These findings suggest that there may be some limits to the utility of self-reports of violence exposure in very young children. However, there is initial evidence that the global/community scale is a reliable and valid indicator of young children's exposure to violence. Further use and exploration of the subscales is warranted.
Birth Weight Differences among Infants of United States and Native-born Filipino Mothers in Illinois

Birth Weight Differences among Infants of United States and Native-born Filipino Mothers in Illinois
PIV Measurements of the Flow in the Tip Region of a Compressor Rotor

An axial turbomachine, adapted from the NASA Glenn Low-Speed Axial Compressor (LSAC), has been assembled for detailed flow and turbulence measurements in the JHU optical refractive index matched facility. The test section consists of a row of twenty inlet guide vanes (IGV), followed by fifteen rotor blades, then twenty stator blades. The blades have the same geometry, but lower aspect ratio as the inlet guide vanes and the first stage of the LSAC facility at NASA Glenn. Although smaller in scale, the Reynolds number based on the tip speed and rotor blade chordlength are comparable to those of the LSAC. The casing, rotor blades, as well as half the IGVs and stator blades are made of transparent acrylic, matched with the refractive index of the working fluid, a concentrated solution of sodium iodide and water. The facility is designed to allow optical flow measurements in all three blade rows and from all directions. Results presented in this paper are based on 2D PIV measurements focusing on the flow structure in the tip region of the rotor blade for two flow rates, one of them just above the stall level. Included are phase-averaged distributions of velocity, circumferential vorticity, and turbulent kinetic energy in several meridional planes dissecting the tip at different chordwise locations. They follow the evolution of the Tip Leakage Vortex (TLV) as it rolls up near the blade suction side, migrates across the rotor passage, and subsequently bursts. Upon bursting, the distinct high vorticity core is replaced by a broad region of elevated vorticity, which occupy a substantial fraction of the passage. Sample instantaneous realizations and higher resolution stereo-PIV data are also provided. The turbulent kinetic energy is high near the vortex core, in the shear layer connecting the vortex to the blade tip, and around the point of flow separation on the endwall casing, where the leakage flow meets the main passage flow.© 2014 ASME
Comparing the structure and dynamics of phospholamban pentamer in its unphosphorylated and pseudo‐phosphorylated states

Human phospholamban (PLN), a 30 kDa homopentamer in the sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) membrane, controls the magnitude of heart muscle contraction and relaxation by regulating the calcium pumping activity of the SR Ca 2+ -ATPase (SERCA). When PLN is not phosphorylated, it binds and inhibits SERCA. Phosphorylation of PLN at S16 or T17 releases such inhibitory effect. It remains a matter of debate whether phosphorylation perturbs the structure of PLN, which in turn affects its interaction with SERCA. Here we examine by NMR spectroscopy the structure and dynamics of PLN pentamer with a physiologically relevant, phosphorylation-mimicking mutation, S16E. Based on extensive NMR data, including NOEs, dipolar couplings, and solvent exchange of backbone amides, we conclude that the phosphorylation-mimicking mutation does not perturb the pentamer structure. However, 15 N R1 and R2 relaxation rates and 15 N( 1 H) NOEs suggest subtle differences in the dynamics of the extramembrane
The kinetics of reduction of hematite by carbon

Reduction kinetics of mixtures of hematite and carbon powders were investigated in the temperature range of 850° to 1087°C. Experiments were carried out under argon atmosphere and the isothermal weight loss of the samples was determined as a function of time. The effects of carbon particle size, hematite/carbon ratio of the mixture, and addition of promotive or inhibitive reagents were also investigated. The results were summarized in the form of fractional reaction vs time plots. A kinetic model developed on the basis of carbon solution-loss reaction as rate-controlling represented the results fairly well. An enthalpy of activation of 72 kcal/per mole was calculated, within the range of 957° to 1087°C. The observed effects of Li2O and FeS on the reduction kinetics are consistent with the influence these reagents are known to exercise on the solution-loss reaction.
Design and evaluation of a parallel-polled virtual output queued switch

Input-buffered switches with virtual output queueing require crossbar switch matrix scheduling algorithms. Existing scheduling algorithms are non-deterministic and are based on parallel and iterative request-grant-accept arbitration schemes. This presents challenges to flow-level scheduling for guaranteed throughput and bounded delay services and also to scalability. In this paper, the parallel-polled virtual output queued (PP-VOQ) switch is presented. Using parallel token passing, the PP-VOQ switch has deterministic and bounded scheduling delay and is implementable for 16 or 32 ports of 10-Gigabit Ethernet. The PP-VOQ switch is shown, via simulation, to perform very similar to an iSLIP switch. The PP-VOQ switch is extended to a "cube switch" design that decouples input port VOQ selection from output port selection to reduce the scheduling delay and improve scalability. This decoupled parallel polling is very scalable and is shown to result in better performance than an iSLIP switch.
The Impact of the German Child Benefit on Household Expenditures and Consumption

The German Child Benefit (‘Kindergeld’) is paid to legal guardians of children as a cash benefit. The benefit does not depend on household income or other household characteristics. I use exogenous variations in the amount of child benefit received by households in the German Socio-Economic Panel to estimate the impact of a given change in the child benefit on food expenditures of households, the probability of owning a home, rent per square meter, measures of the size of the home, as well as parents’ smoking behavior and parents’ alcohol consumption. Households primarily increase per capita food expenditures in response to increases in child benefit, and they also improve housing conditions. The effect of child benefit on per capita food expenditures is larger for low-income households compared to high-income households. I do not find a significant effect of child benefit on parents’ smoking or drinking.
Polymer electrolyte membranes from fluorinated polyisoprene-block-sulfonated polystyrene: Microdomain orientation by external field

Abstract In this study, block copolymer ionomers of the cesium salt (20 mol %) of fluorinated polyisoprene-block-sulfonated polystyrene were spin cast into membranes and annealed under an electric field of ∼40 V/μm at 130 °C for 24 h. The effect of this treatment was a 2.5 times increase in the ionic conductivity as measured by electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, under all humidity conditions measured. This can be attributed to the increased connectivity of the ionic domains of the block copolymers. This E-field alignment technique may thus find application in the fabrication of nanostructured polyelectrolytes with enhanced charge transport capacity.
Distinguishing base-level change and climate signals in a Cretaceous alluvial sequence

We present the results of oxygen isotope and electron- microprobe analyses of sphaerosiderites obtained from Cretaceous paleosols in Iowa. The sphaerosiderite d 18 O values record Creta- ceous meteoric groundwater chemistry and an overall waning of brackish groundwater inundation during alluvial-plain aggrada- tion and soil genesis. We focus on horizons that precipitated from freshwater, in which d 18 O values ranging from 23.3‰ to 26.8‰ relative to the Peedee belemnite standard are interpreted to record variations in the Cretaceous atmospheric hydrologic cycle. During relative sea-level highstands, moisture was derived from the Cre- taceous Western Interior Seaway, whereas during lowstands, when the seaway narrowed and occasionally withdrew from the Midcon- tinent, the dominance of hemispheric-scale atmospheric moisture transport initiated in the tropical Tethys Ocean led to decreased precipitation rates. These processes did not operate like a switch, but rather as a continuum of competing moisture sources and mechanisms of transport between the nearby epicontinental sea and the distant tropics. The sphaerosiderite data demonstrate (1) temporal variation in the intensity of hemispheric-scale atmospher- ic moisture transport and (2) long-term amplification of the global hydrologic cycle marked by extreme 18 O depletion at the Albian- Cenomanian boundary.
Mid-Holocene El Niño Southern Oscillation (ENSO) attenuation revealed by individual foraminifera in eastern tropical Pacific sediments

Holocene reconstructions of the El Nino–Southern Oscillation (ENSO) provide valuable perspective on its recent evolution and can be important for assessing its future. Optimal assessment of past ENSO variability requires observations from its center of action in the eastern equatorial Pacific, but these are limited due to paucity of high-resolution paleoceanographic archives (e.g., corals). Here we use a new approach to quantify past ENSO variance based on the oxygen isotopic composition (δ 18 O) of individual foraminifera ( Globigerinoides ruber ) from deep-sea sediments in the ENSO source region. Individual G. ruber foraminifera behave as monthly recorders of sea-surface conditions, including ENSO extremes, circumventing the lack of annual resolution in the sediments. Intrapopulation δ 18 O distributions derived with this method from a core near the Galapagos Islands reveal mid-Holocene reductions in variance of 50%, requiring drastic attenuation of the ENSO amplitude. Furthermore, Mg/Ca thermometry indicates that mid- Holocene background conditions were accompanied by a stronger zonal temperature gradient that coincided with a northward- displaced Intertropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ). The results suggest that the position of the ITCZ is an important factor in the low-frequency modulation of ENSO and could influence its future evolution.
Stigma in the line of face: Self‐disclosure of patients' HIV status to health care providers

Abstract Patients who are HIV+ are often faced with the choice of whether or not they should tell their health care providers that they are HIV+. Although appropriate health care and safety require the communication of such information, the stigmatization associated with HIV puts at risk the patients’ pride, dignity, and ultimately the quality of their health. Using Goffman's (1963, 1967) notions of face and stigma, the present study described the major influential factors prompting the act of disclosure of HIV, the act itself, and the effect that act appears to have had on the patient/provider relationship. Phase I of the study gathered pilot data through in‐depth interviews, leading to a quantitative questionnaire used in Phase II. A sample was obtained through AIDS organizations around the U.S. and via electronic mail addresses for AIDS/HIV electronic discussion groups. The interviews and surveys asked respondents to recall a time when they had to make the decision to disclose or not disclose their HIV...
Ranolazine--treatment of ventricular tachycardia and symptomatic ventricular premature beats in ischemic cardiomyopathy.

Premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) are a frequent occurrence in the presence of ischemic heart disease. A very high PVC load can be symptomatic or occasionally result in a cardiomyopathy (CMP). Treatment options include pharmacologic agents and radiofrequency ablation (RFA). RFA has been successful in treating PVCs in symptomatic patients or in the presence of unexplained CMP. Ranolazine is a piperazine derivative used for treating chronic stable angina. It also has antiarrhythmic properties. We report a patient with ischemic CMP, symptomatic PVCs, and monomorphic ventricular tachycardia (VT) despite attempts to control symptoms with two antiarrhythmic drugs. Initiation of ranolazine led to marked reduction in PVCs along with control of VT and symptoms. (PACE 2010; 33:e119–e120)
Kinetic Lattice Monte Carlo Simulations of Diffusion and Decomposition Kinetics In Fe-Cu Alloys: Embedded Atom and Nearest Neighbor Potentials

In principle, Kinetic Lattice Monte Carlo (KLMC) methods can accurately simulate the precipitation of coherent phases by tracking the motion of a vacancy and the corresponding diffusion and clustering of solutes. The fidelity of the KLMC simulations depends primarily on the validity of the assumed interatomic potentials. These potentials must provide accurate solute-solute-solvent-vacancy energetics over the length scales relevant to the physical decomposition paths. Of course, simulating long range strain energy interactions is the biggest challenge, but the significance of this contribution is less in systems manifesting primarily dilational strains. Simple nearest neighbor (NN) potentials, used in previous KLMC of decomposition kinetics of dilute Fe-Cu alloys are generally not able to reproduce alloy property combinations like vacancy formation energies, dilute heats of solution and the coherent interface energies. Further, solute diffusion in bcc alloys requires jumps between first and second nearest neighbors, and is governed by, at minimum, at least three independent jump frequencies. The jump frequencies are controlled by the binding energies of atoms out to at least second nearest neighbor positions (which are only about 15% further away from the solute than the first nearest neighbor) and are also influenced by solute-modified saddle point activation energies. Thus longer range multiatom embedded-atom-method (EAM) type potentials can, in principle, provide a more realistic simulation of diffusion and solute clustering compared to NN based models. However, this refinement comes at a much higher computational cost. While they cannot be directly compared, this study presents KLMC results for both a simplified EAM versus a NN potential, and describes important new mechanistic insight provided by these atomistic simulations.
Automated synthesis of pseudo-exhaustive test generator in VLSI BIST design

Built-In Self Test (BIST) has been proposed as a powerful technique for addressing the highly complex testing problems of VLSI circuits. In the BIST methodology, two major problems which must be addressed are test generation and response analysis. In this paper, we present an efficient unified procedure, named three-phase cluster partitioning, to automatically synthesize a pseudo-exhaustive test generator for VLSI BIST design. Previous approaches to the problem of test generation have optimized computational efficiency at the expense of the required hardware overhead, or vice versa. Our design procedure is computationally efficient and produces test generation circuitry with low hardware overhead. The procedure minimizes the number of test patterns that are required for pseudo-exhaustive test. Based on three-phase cluster partitioning, a design generator named BISTSYN has been developed and implemented to facilitate the BIST design. The input to the design generator is a circuit description at the gate level which is viewed as a netlist. BISTSYN provides the BIST mechanisms as the output. For those conventional circuits which are extremely unsuitable for pseudo-exhaustive test, BISTSYN employs a circuit partitioning tool, named Autonomous, to partition the combinational portion of the circuit into different structural subcircuits so that each subcircuit can be pseudo-exhaustively tested. We demonstrate the effectiveness of BISTSYN by applying the method to different examples and practical VLSI designs. The detailed comparisons of our benchmark simulation results against those that would be obtained by existing techniques are also presented. >
Remote experimental site: a command and analysis center for 'big physics' experimentation

The next-generation of tokamaks, ITER (International Thermonuclear Text Reactor) or BPX (Burning Plasma Experiment), will be characterized by an even greater emphasis on joint operation and experimentation. Preparations are being made for such shared facilities by developing a systematic approach to remote, joint physics operation involving experimental teams at several locations. The local area network of computers used for control and data acquisition on present and future experiments can be extended over a wide area network to provide a mechanism for remote operation of subsystems required for physics experiments. The technology required for high-bandwidth (>or=45-Mb/s) connections between multiple sites either exists or will be available over the next few years. With the rapid development of high-performance workstations, network interfaces, distributed computing, and video conferencing, one can proceed with the development of a system of control and analysis sites to provide for consistent, efficient, and continuing collaborations. Early establishment of such sites could also enhance existing joint design and development efforts. >
Clinical Assessment of Hope

In recent years, nurse researchers have given more attention to the role that hope plays in health and illness. While this research adds to the knowledge base about hope, that this knowledge may become too theoretical and difficult to apply in the clinical setting. Based on a study of hope conducted with community-based older adults, an analysis of the hope instruments used in this study, and ongoing clinical experiences, a guide for the clinical assessment of hope is proposed.
Surface Charges and Shell Crosslinks Each Play Significant Roles in Mediating Degradation, Biofouling, Cytotoxicity and Immunotoxicity for Polyphosphoester-based Nanoparticles

The construction of nanostructures from biodegradable precursors and shell/core crosslinking have been pursued as strategies to solve the problems of toxicity and limited stability, respectively. Polyphosphoester (PPE)-based micelles and crosslinked nanoparticles with non-ionic, anionic, cationic, and zwitterionic surface characteristics for potential packaging and delivery of therapeutic and diagnostic agents, were constructed using a quick and efficient synthetic strategy, and importantly, demonstrated remarkable differences in terms of cytotoxicity, immunotoxicity, and biofouling properties, as a function of their surface characteristics and also with dependence on crosslinking throughout the shell layers. For instance, crosslinking of zwitterionic micelles significantly reduced the immunotoxicity, as evidenced from the absence of secretions of any of the 23 measured cytokines from RAW 264.7 mouse macrophages treated with the nanoparticles. The micelles and their crosslinked analogs demonstrated lower cytotoxicity than several commercially-available vehicles, and their degradation products were not cytotoxic to cells at the range of the tested concentrations. PPE-nanoparticles are expected to have broad implications in clinical nanomedicine as alternative vehicles to those involved in several of the currently available medications.
The Brief Adherence Rating Scale (BARS) validated against electronic monitoring in assessing the antipsychotic medication adherence of outpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder

Abstract Among outpatients with schizophrenia, antipsychotic non-adherence is common, grossly under-detected by patients and their prescribers, and is associated with poor clinical outcomes. Using electronic monitoring (EM) as the reference standard we evaluated the reliability and validity as well as the sensitivity and specificity of a recently developed, brief, pencil-paper, clinician-administered adherence instrument [the Brief Adherence Rating Scale (BARS)] to assess the oral antipsychotic medication adherence of outpatients with schizophrenia and schizoaffective disorder. EM and BARS adherence and symptom severity ratings were gathered at baseline and prospectively at 6 monthly visits in 61 participants ( n = 35 with schizophrenia; n = 26 with schizoaffective disorder). A significant positive relationship was found between mean BARS and EM adherence ( β = 0.98; r s = 0.59, p α = 0.92). A moderate-to-strong degree of test–retest reliability was also found for the BARS ( β ranged from 0.53 to 0.92 and r s ranged from 0.46 to 0.86). Regarding concurrent validity of the BARS, greater mean BARS adherence was significantly related to lower mean PANSS total scores ( β = − 0.40; r s = − 0.39, p = 0.002) and to lower mean Positive symptom sub-scale scores ( β = − 0.08, p = .007; r s = − 0.28, p = .02). An initial 3-month monitoring period with the BARS also demonstrated good sensitivity (73%) and specificity (74%) in identifying non-adherent outpatients (defined as
Damage detection of a rotating cracked shaft using an active magnetic bearing as a force actuator - analysis and experimental verification

The active health monitoring of rotordynamic systems in the presence of breathing shaft cracks is considered in this work. The shaft is assumed to be supported by conventional bearings, and the active magnetic bearing (AMB) is used in a midshaft or outboard location as an actuator to apply specified, time-dependent forcing on the system. These forces, if properly chosen, induce a combination resonance that can be used to identify the magnitude of the time-dependent stiffness arising from the breathing mode of the shaft crack. The technique is verified experimentally on a high speed test rotor with a healthy and a cracked shaft.
Landscape alterations influence differential habitat use of nesting buteos and ravens within sagebrush ecosystem: Implications for transmission line development

ABSTRACT A goal in avian ecology is to understand factors that influence differences in nesting habitat and distribution among species, especially within changing landscapes. Over the past 2 decades, humans have altered sagebrush ecosystems as a result of expansion in energy production and transmission. Our primary study objective was to identify differences in the use of landscape characteristics and natural and anthropogenic features by nesting Common Ravens (Corvus corax) and 3 species of buteo (Swainson's Hawk [Buteo swainsoni], Red-tailed Hawk [B. jamaicensis], and Ferruginous Hawk [B. regalis]) within a sagebrush ecosystem in southeastern Idaho. During 2007–2009, we measured multiple environmental factors associated with 212 nest sites using data collected remotely and in the field. We then developed multinomial models to predict nesting probabilities by each species and predictive response curves based on model-averaged estimates. We found differences among species related to nesting substrate (nat...
Influence of leaf surfaces on movements by the hymenopterous parasitoid Trichogramma exiguum

Walking speeds of female Trichogramma exiguum Pinto & Platner were fastest on maize and soybean (12 cm/min), intermediate on tomato (8 cm/min), and slowest on woolly mullein, Verbascum thapsus (3 cm/min). Similarly, rates of turning along the paths of walking T. exiguum were smallest on maize (median angle = 0° ± 15°), intermediate on soybean and tomato, and greatest on V. thapsus (median angle = 30° ± 15°). Leaf trichome density and morphology influenced walking behavior. Walking was slowed and flight initiation delayed for T. exiguum walking on Amaranthus hybridus leaves compared to either maize or filter paper. When inundative releases are conducted, the effects of plant surfaces on searching rates and arrestment should be considered in determining release rates of Trichogramma spp. RESUME Les vitesses de marche, les taux de changement de direction et les taux d'envol sur divers substrats vegetaux chez Trichogramma exiguum. La vitesse de marche a ete determinee en lâchant des individus sur chaque substrat vegetal et en tracant leur parcours sur une plaque de verre placee a 9 mm au dessus du sujet. Les deviations angulaires de portions successives des traces, longues de 1 mm, ont ete utilisees pour mesurer les taux de changement de direction. Dans une deuxieme experience, des individus ont ete lâches au milieu d'une cercle de 40 mm de diametre sur chaque substrat et les temps ecoules avant I'envol ou pour atteindre le bord du cercle a la marche ont servi a evaluer respectivement la propension au vol et la vitesse de deambulation. Les vitesses de marche ont ete les plus rapides sur mais et soja (12 cm/min), moyennes sur tomate (8 cm/min) et les plus lentes sur Verbascum thapsus (Scrophulariaceae) (3 cm/min). De le meme facon, les angles de changement de direction au cours des marches effectuees par T. exiguum ont ete plus petits sur mais, moyens sur soja et tomate, et plus grands sur V. thapsus. Chez T. exiguum marchant sur des feuilles d'Amaranthus hybridus L. (Amaranthaceae), la marche a ete plus lente et l'envol plus tardif que sur maīs ou papier filtre. Lors de lâchers inondatifs, les effets des surfaces vegetales sur les vitesses d'exploration et d'arret devraient etre pris en compte pour determiner les vitesses de lâcher des Trichogramma spp.
Behavioral and Discipline Provisions of IDEA '97: Implicit Competencies Yet to Be Confirmed:

This article explores the status of implementation of the behavioral and discipline requirements of the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act of 1997. Data are presented from complaints, hearings, and court decisions related to the areas of functional behavioral assessments, manifestation determinations, individualized education program (IEP) behavioral planning, behavioral intervention programs, and alternative educational settings. The overall discrepancy between competency expectations for IEP teams and current performance appears significant at this time. Implications of this performance discrepancy are discussed.
Subaltern Studies and its Critics: Debates over Indian History

Ranajit Guha, (ed.) A Subaltern Studies Reader 1986–1995 Peter Heehsm, Nationalism, Terrorism, Communalism: Essays in Modern Indian History Sumit Sarkar, Writing Social History Achin Vanaik, The Furies of Indian Communalism: Religion, Modernity And Secularization
Early experience facilitates the development of temperature regulation in the cat

Thirty kittens were given a 30-min exposure to a moderately cool environment and drop in body temperature was measured. One group was tested every day from age 2 days to 21 days of age. A 2nd group was tested on Days 6-21 and a 3rd group tested only at 19 days of age. The 1st group (tested on Days 2-21) became homeothermic at an earlier age than did the other groups. The data are interpreted to indicate that early exposure to cool temperatures facilitates acquisition of temperature regulation in the cat, and that observed deficits in passive avoidance learning in young cats are not due to increased motor activity produced by a fall in body temperature.
The Importance of Sex in the Variability of the Cholesteremic Response of Rabbits Fed Cholesterol

Cholesterol feeding studies revealed that the wide variability of cholesteremic response of rabbits is in part sex determined. Male rabbits display lower cholesterol levels both before and after cholesterol feeding. Estradiol treatment of selected rabbits fed cholesterol augmented their cholesteremic response; testosterone treatment had an opposite effect. Ovariectomy lowered while orchidectomy augmented the cholesteremic response of rabbits fed cholesterol; castration tended to diminish the wide variability of cholesteremic response previously observed among intact rabbits.
The Designated Hitter Rule and the Distribution of Pitching Talent Across Leagues

We examine whether the DH Rule in MLB led to the trade of better hitting pitchers to the NL.