cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Sentinel lymph node biopsy for high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancers.

BACKGROUND Although the utility of the sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) in the staging of melanoma is well established, its usefulness in high-risk nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is yet to be determined. OBJECTIVE The objective was to report our experience with patients who underwent SLNB for the staging of a high-risk NMSC. MATERIALS AND METHODS We identified 13 patients with a high-risk NMSC who underwent SLNB between 1998 and 2006 and conducted a retrospective review of their medical records and tumor pathology. Their status as regards tumor recurrence and survival was obtained when possible. RESULTS Of 13 patients, 9 had squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), 2 had sebaceous gland carcinoma, 1 had porocarcinoma, and 1 had atypical fibroxanthoma. All SLNB were negative for metastatic disease, but 1 appeared to be a false-negative finding. CONCLUSION Compared to melanoma, SCC of the skin are much less predictable as regards their tendency to metastasize to the regional lymph nodes. Although the SLNB appears to be a reliable staging procedure for NMSC (especially SCC), the yield may be too low to justify its routine use in this patient population. More data are needed to determine when a SLNB is justified in the management of NMSC.
Spin exchange in CrO2: the role of a localized level

Abstract Possible exchange mechanisms between sites with two electrons in three orbitals subject to strong Hund's rule correlations are studied. While three itinerant orbitals lead to antiferromagnetism, one localized and two itinerant orbitals give rise to ferromagnetism. The results are discussed in the context of the half-metallic ferromagnet CrO2.
Home testing past, present and future: lessons learned and implications for HIV home tests.

The recent approval in the United States of the first rapid home test to diagnose HIV raises questions about its potential use and impact. We reviewed the existing literature on the unassisted use of home tests involving self-collection and testing of biological samples by untrained users—including existing HIV self-testing studies—to shed some light on what can be expected from the availability of the HIV home test. The studies reviewed showed that most participants could properly perform home tests, obtain accurate results, and interpret them—yielding high correlations with laboratory and health-professional performed tests. Users often had trouble performing blood-based tests. Participants generally understood the need to confirm positive test results. Materials accompanying HIV home tests should emphasize symptoms of acute infection and the need for additional testing when recent infection is suspected. Different home-test-based screening modalities, personalized HIV-counseling resources and HIV home test impact evaluation methods should be studied.
Photoionization cross section: Exact expansion over resonances and natural line shape.

Etude des sections efficaces de photoionisation comme la somme des contributions des resonnances et du fond continu lorsque la contribution de chaque resonance est proportionnelle au rapport du carre de l'element de la matrice du dipole de transition et d'une energie complexe. Observation de profil de raie asymetrique, superposition d'une composante de dispersion et d'une composante lorentzienne d'absorption
Is Angel Island the Ellis Island of the West? Teaching Multiple Perspective-Taking in American Immigration History

Education in the twenty-first century requires that all students learn the social studies skills that help them understand the complex issues related to civic ideals and practices. One of these skills is developing multiple perspective-taking. Many educators believe that this critical thinking ability is not only for upper level students but also plays an important role in elementary social studies education. The author shows how he has worked with elementary preservice teachers to develop multiple perspective-taking. Immigration history is one of the areas that is especially appropriate for using multiple perspective-taking. This article shows how to develop these skills by comparing two main immigration stations, Ellis Island and Angel Island, during the first half of the twentieth century. It challenges the commonly held perspective that both immigrant stations served very similar functions. Indeed, it shows how to teach the perspective that the treatment of the Chinese immigrants at Angel Island was m...
Genotyping by Alkaline Dehybridization Using Graphically Encoded Particles

This work describes a nonen- zymatic, isothermal genotyping method based on the kinetic differences exhib- ited in the dehybridization of perfectly matched (PM) and single-base mis- matched (MM) DNA duplexes in an alkaline solution. Multifunctional en- coded hydrogel particles incorporating allele-specific oligonucleotide (ASO) probes in two distinct regions were fab- ricated by using microfluidic-based stop-flow lithography. Each particle contained two distinct ASO probe se- quences differing at a single base posi- tion, and thus each particle was capa- ble of simultaneously probing two dis- tinct target alleles. Fluorescently la- beled target alleles were annealed to both probe regions of a particle, and the rate of duplex dehybridization was monitored by using fluorescence mi- croscopy. Duplex dehybridization was achieved through an alkaline stimulus using either a pH step function or a temporal pH gradient. When a single target probe sequence was used, the rate of mismatch duplex dehybridiza- tion could be discriminated from the rate of perfect match duplex dehybridi- zation. In a more demanding applica- tion in which two distinct probe se- quences were used, we found that the rate profiles provided a means to dis- criminate probe dehybridizations from both of the two mismatched duplexes as well as to distinguish at high certain- ty the dehybridization of the two per- fectly matched duplexes. These results demonstrate an ability of alkaline de- hybridization to correctly discriminate the rank hierarchy of thermodynamic stability among four sets of perfect match and single-base mismatch du- plexes. We further demonstrate that these rate profiles are strongly temper- ature dependent and illustrate how the sensitivity can be compensated benefi- cially by the use of an actuating gradi- ent pH field.
Pathways of angiotensin‐(1–7) metabolism in the kidney

Angiotensin-(1-7) [Ang-(1-7)], which can be formed directly from angiotensin I (Ang I) bypassing the requisite production of Ang II, is a bioactive component of the renin-angiotensin system that may oppose the actions of Ang II. In contrast to the generation of Ang II, angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) hydrolyses Ang-(1-7) to inactive fragments. ACE inhibitors substantially augment circulating levels of Ang-(1-7) and increase the peptide's half-life. Thus, this enzymatic pathway constitutes a key regulatory point in the vasculature to balance the actions of Ang II, Ang-(1-7) and bradykinin. In contrast, the renal pathways for the metabolism of Ang-(1-7) appear quite distinct. Characterization of this pathway may shed new light on the potential actions of the peptide in the kidney, as well as the mechanisms of novel vasoactive peptidase therapies. We summarize recent experimental and clinical studies that begin to reveal novel pathways in the formation and degradation of Ang-(1-7) in the kidney.
Reliability of signals from a chronically implanted, silicon-based electrode array in non-human primate primary motor cortex

Multiple-electrode arrays are valuable both as a research tool and as a sensor for neuromotor prosthetic devices, which could potentially restore voluntary motion and functional independence to paralyzed humans. Long-term array reliability is an important requirement for these applications. Here, we demonstrate the reliability of a regular array of 100 microelectrodes to obtain neural recordings from primary motor cortex (MI) of monkeys for at least three months and up to 1.5 years. We implanted Bionic (Cyberkinetics, Inc., Foxboro, MA) silicon probe arrays in MI of three Macaque monkeys. Neural signals were recorded during performance of an eight-direction, push-button task. Recording reliability was evaluated for 18, 35, or 51 sessions distributed over 83, 179, and 569 days after implantation, respectively, using qualitative and quantitative measures. A four-point signal quality scale was defined based on the waveform amplitude relative to noise. A single observer applied this scale to score signal quality for each electrode. A mean of 120 (/spl plusmn/17.6 SD), 146 (/spl plusmn/7.3), and 119 (/spl plusmn/16.9) neural-like waveforms were observed from 65-85 electrodes across subjects for all recording sessions of which over 80% were of high quality. Quantitative measures demonstrated that waveforms had signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) up to 20 with maximum peak-to-peak amplitude of over 1200 /spl mu/v with a mean SNR of 4.8 for signals ranked as high quality. Mean signal quality did not change over the duration of the evaluation period (slope 0.001, 0.0068 and 0.03; NS). By contrast, neural waveform shape varied between, but not within days in all animals, suggesting a shifting population of recorded neurons over time. Arm-movement related modulation was common and 66% of all recorded neurons were tuned to reach direction. The ability for the array to record neural signals from parietal cortex was also established. These results demonstrate that neural recordings that can provide movement related signals for neural prostheses, as well as for fundamental research applications, can be reliably obtained for long time periods using a monolithic microelectrode array in primate MI and potentially from other cortical areas as well.
Autonomous Landing for Indoor Flying Robots Using Optic Flow

Urban environments are time consuming, labor intensive and possibly dangerous to safe guard. Accomplishing tasks like bomb detection, search-andrescue and reconnaissance with aerial robots could save resources. This paper describes a prototype called CQAR: Closed Quarter Aerial Robot, which is capable of flying in and around buildings. The prototype was analytically designed to fly safely and slowly. An optic flow microsensor for depth perception, which will allow autonomous takeoff and landing and collision avoidance, is also described.
TCF Is the Nuclear Effector of the β-Catenin Signal That Patterns the Sea Urchin Animal–Vegetal Axis

Abstract The mechanism of animal–vegetal (AV) axis formation in the sea urchin embryo is incompletely understood. Specification of the axis is thought to involve a combination of cell–cell signals and as yet unidentified maternal determinants. In Xenopus the Wnt pathway plays a crucial role in defining the embryonic axes. Recent experiments in sea urchins have shown that at least two components of the Wnt signaling pathway, GSK3β and β-catenin, are involved in embryonic AV axis patterning. These results support the notion that the developmental network that regulates axial patterning in deuterostomes is evolutionarily conserved. To further test this hypothesis, we have examined the role of β-catenin nuclear binding partners, members of the TCF family of transcriptional regulators, in sea urchin AV axis patterning. To test the role of TCFs in mediating β-catenin signals in sea urchin AV axis development we examined the consequences of microinjecting RNAs encoding altered forms of TCF on sea urchin development. We show that expression of a dominant negative TCF results in a classic “animalized” embryo. In contrast, microinjected RNA encoding an activated TCF produces a highly “vegetalized” embryo. We show that the transactivational activity of endogenous sea urchin TCF is potentiated by LiCl treatment, which vegetalizes embryos by inhibiting GSK3, consistent with an in vivo interaction between endogenous β-catenin and TCF. We also provide evidence indicating that all of β-catenin's activity in patterning the sea urchin AV axis is mediated by TCF. Using a glucocorticoid-responsive TCF, we show that TCF transcriptional activity affects specification along the AV axis between fertilization and the 60-cell stage.
Finding Transformations for Regression Using the ACE Algorithm

The ACE algorithm of Breiman and Friedman (1985) estimates the transformations giving rise to the maximal multiple correlation of a response and a set of predictor variables. A study of these transformations can give the data analyst insight into the relationships between these variables. Using the methodology of Box and Cox (1964), we show how to find familiar closed form approximations for the optimal ACE transformations. This can lead to substantially improved empirical models for social phenomena.
An Electrochemical Sensor for the Detection of Protein–Small Molecule Interactions Directly in Serum and Other Complex Matrices

Here we have demonstrated a general, sensitive, and selective approach for the detection of macromolecules that bind to specific small molecule recognition elements. Our electrochemical approach utilizes a redox-tagged DNA signaling scaffold that is conjugated to a small molecule recognition element and is covalently attached to an interrogating electrode. The binding of a protein to the small molecule recognition element alters the dynamics of the scaffold, increasing or decreasing the efficiency with which the redox tag collides with the electrode and thus altering the observed faradaic current. We optimized the scaffold using a biotin recognition element and streptavidin as a target to determine the variables that define sensor performance before then applying the approach to detection of anti-digoxigenin antibodies using the steroid as the recognition element. We generated streptavidin sensors exhibiting both signal-on (target binding increases the faradaic current) and signal-off behavior, of which only the signal-off approach was generalizable to the detection of antibodies. Sensors for both targets are sensitive (detection limits in the low nanomolar range), rapid (minutes), reusable, and selective enough to function directly in complex matrices including blood serum, soil, and foodstuffs.
From concepts to clinical reality: an essay on the benchmarking of biomedical terminologies

It is only by fixing on agreed meanings of terms in biomedical terminologies that we will be in a position to achieve that accumulation and integration of knowledge that is indispensable to progress at the frontiers of biomedicine. Standardly, the goal of fixing meanings is seen as being realized through the alignment of terms on what are called 'concepts.' Part I addresses three versions of the concept-based approach--by Cimino, by Wuster, and by Campbell and associates--and surveys some of the problems to which they give rise, all of which have to do with a failure to anchor the terms in terminologies to corresponding referents in reality. Part II outlines a new, realist solution to this anchorage problem, which sees terminology construction as being motivated by the goal of alignment not on concepts but on the universals (kinds, types) in reality and thereby also on the corresponding instances (individuals, tokens). We outline the realist approach and show how on its basis we can provide a benchmark of correctness for terminologies which will at the same time allow a new type of integration of terminologies and electronic health records. We conclude by outlining ways in which the framework thus defined might be exploited for purposes of diagnostic decision-support.
Phorbol ester receptors and the in vitro effects of tumor promoters

The evidence for the multistage nature of tumor promotion in vivo and for multiple subclasses of phorbol ester receptors in vitro argues that multiple mechanisms of tumor promotion exist. The existence of multiple mechanisms suggests that brute force assay for tumor promoters in vivo may be inadequate and that understanding of mechanisms may be essential. The interest in the phorbol esters is not primarily that they are environmental hazards for man, but rather that they provide a probe for phorbol ester receptors. These receptors are found in people, and modulation of their activity may play a role in tumor promotion in man.
An Examination of Connections in Mathematical Processes in Students’ Problem Solving: Connections between Representing and Justifying

Representation and justification are two central “mathematical practices”. In the past, each has been examined to gain insights in the functions that they have in students’ mathematical problem solving. Here, we examine the ways that representation and justification interact and influence the development of one another. We focus on the problem solving activity of 12-14 year-old students. Overall, this work highlights that the two practices are tightly connected. Students’ representations impact the way they form generalizations and subsequently justify their work. The work also provides insights in the development of representation and justification within the problem solving process. This work also provides insights where students’ representational practices may hinder the development of advanced justifications, and provides directions for pedagogy and further research.
Is there reduction in disease and pre-dispersal seed predation at the border of a host plant's range? Field and herbarium studies of Carex blanda

National Science Foundation grant (NSF DEB0128810 to H.M.A, and REU supplement for S. P.); University of Kansas General Research Fund Grant (2301547-003); Educational Opportunity Award from University of Kansas Student Senate for S.P.
The purification of elemental sulfur

Sulfur has been purified by a dynamic pyrolysis procedure that takes into account the unique viscosity-temperature relationship of the liquid. An apparatus is described that incorporates gas-bubbling and rocking to overcome diffusion-limited kinetics. For the first time, a mechanism is proposed for the pyrolytic purification of sulfur based upon Carsul formation and the H{sub 2}S{leftrightarrow}H{sub 2}S{sub {ital x}} equilibrium. Infrared methods are delineated for qualitative analysis and quantitative estimates of anion contaminants, including the omnipresent hydrocarbon impurities. Our purified sulfur has a total carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen impurity level of {lt}10 {mu}g/g.
Changes in Late Potential Measurements as a Function of Decreasing Bandwidth

Bandwidth of Late PotentialsIntroduction: Limited bandwidth systems such as Holter recorders are being used to record cardiac late potentials. Standard late potential systems have a low-pass frequency of 300 Hz. This suggests that Holter tape systems may significantly distort the late potential measurements, when compared to standard late potential systems. Methods and Results: Signal-averaged recordings were obtained with an analog bandwidth of 0.05-300 Hz. Digital filters were then used to do high-pass filtering and low-pass filtering. All XYZ signal-averaged recordings were low-pass filtered at frequencies of 250, 150, 100, 75, 50, and 25 Hz using a second order Butterworth filter. A fourth order 40 Hz bidirectional high-pass filter was then applied to each set of recordings. The QRS duration (QRSd) was measured in the filtered vector magnitude. Thirty-eight syncope patients who had negative electrophysiologic studies for ventricular tachycardia, no prior infarction, normal ejection fractions (> 50%), and a QRSd 120 msec served as the positive late potential group. Conclusions: A statistically significant lengthening of the QRSd (P <0.05) was observed in the patients with late potentials between the 250 Hz and 25 Hz low-pass filter. There was a statistically significant shortening of the QRSd in the negative late potential patients between 250 Hz and 25 Hz, as well as between 250 Hz and 50 Hz, with P<0.05 in both cases. Thus, significant changes in late potentials are seen in limited bandwidth recordings that may limit the clinical usefulness of such systems.
Characterization of the complete fiber network topology of planar fibrous tissues and scaffolds

Understanding how engineered tissue scaffold architecture affects cell morphology, metabolism, phenotypic expression, as well as predicting material mechanical behavior has recently received increased attention. In the present study, an image-based analysis approach that provides an automated tool to characterize engineered tissue fiber network topology is presented. Micro-architectural features that fully defined fiber network topology were detected and quantified, which include fiber orientation, connectivity, intersection spatial density, and diameter. Algorithm performance was tested using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of electrospun poly(ester urethane)urea (ES-PEUU) scaffolds. SEM images of rabbit mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) seeded collagen gel scaffolds and decellularized rat carotid arteries were also analyzed to further evaluate the ability of the algorithm to capture fiber network morphology regardless of scaffold type and the evaluated size scale. The image analysis procedure was validated qualitatively and quantitatively, comparing fiber network topology manually detected by human operators (n = 5) with that automatically detected by the algorithm. Correlation values between manual detected and algorithm detected results for the fiber angle distribution and for the fiber connectivity distribution were 0.86 and 0.93 respectively. Algorithm detected fiber intersections and fiber diameter values were comparable (within the mean +/- standard deviation) with those detected by human operators. This automated approach identifies and quantifies fiber network morphology as demonstrated for three relevant scaffold types and provides a means to: (1) guarantee objectivity, (2) significantly reduce analysis time, and (3) potentiate broader analysis of scaffold architecture effects on cell behavior and tissue development both in vitro and in vivo.
The Perils of Power in Interpretive Research

Occupational therapy is based on core values of altruism, equality, and honoring the dignity of others. Embedded in these values is the ever-present negotiation of power. To honor the concern for the welfare of others, researchers are challenged to think about issues of power throughout the research process. This paper identifies dilemmas and raises questions researchers might ask themselves as they struggle to share power in the interpretive research process.
Report of the Committee on Cloud Physics—1951

Since the first experiments in November 1946 by Vincent J . Schaefer in modifying natural supercooled clouds with so-called seeding agents, the fascinating subject of artificial nucleation has dominated the thinking in cloud physics throughout the world. Although relatively little has been published on the subject, information about it has spread rapidly through the public press. It is therefore assumed that all to whom this report is addressed are-familiar with the general aspects of the subject. This Committee will confine itself to reviewing the more recent developments and reporting on the present status of the research as revealed in published scientific papers. The review of recent contributions will be divided into two parts: (1) a survey of the work directly concerned with artificial nucleation in the atmosphere; (2) papers on fundamental problems of cloud physics, with emphasis on those results which bear a close relationship to cloud-modification studies.
Space-Based Visible Space Surveillance Performance

The Space-Based Visible sensor package on the Midcourse Space Experiment satellite has been used to conduct space surveillance experiments for nearly one and a half years. The long-term detection sensitivity and metric performance of Space-Based Visible using onboard signal processed data are described. These data are also used to illustrate unique capabilities of the Space-Based Visible sensor. Space-Based Visible has access to the entire geosynchronous belt, and its wide e eld of view allows data to be collected on multiple resident space objects simultaneously. The large e eld of view also allows data to be collected on uncorrelated targets. Use of Space-Based Visible observations to detect and identify uncorrelated targets is also presented.
Counseling Muslim Couples From a Bowen Family Systems Perspective

To date, there is very little literature to guide mental health practitioners working with Muslim couples and families in the United States. Cultural differences may be expected to limit the releva...
On Field Theories with Non-Localized Action

It is investigated whether suitable generalizations of the field equations of current field theories to equations of higher order may be of help in eliminating the divergent features of the present theory. It turns out to be difficult, if feasible, to reconcile in this way the requirements of convergence, of positive definiteness of the free field energy, and of a strictly causal behavior of the state vector of a physical system. Progress may perhaps be made by relinquishing the condition of unlimited localizability of any space time event.
Predictors of emotional adjustment following traumatic injury: personal, social, and material resources.

INTRODUCTION: The identification of factors influencing emotional adjustment after injury may elucidate the design of assessment and treatment procedures in emergency medicine settings and suggest targets for early intervention to prevent the later development of psychological impairment. Personal, social, and material resources may be influential factors and require further evaluation. HYPOTHESES: Greater experiential avoidance, social constraints on discussing the trauma experience, and loss of material resources would be associated with more of the symptoms of post-traumatic stress and depression following traumatic injury. METHODS: Participants (n = 47) at a mean of 7.4 months post-injury, completed a telephone interview assessment, including evaluation of sociodemographic characteristics, conservation of resources, social constraints, acceptance and commitment, and symptoms of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and depression. Hypotheses were tested using multivariate regression analyses. RESULTS: Only greater social constraints were uniquely predictive of greater PTSD symptomatology. Higher levels of experiential avoidance, social constraints, and loss of material resources all were associated with greater levels of depression. CONCLUSION: Assessment of personal coping style, receptivity of social network, and loss of potential material resources following traumatic injury may facilitate identification of individuals at-risk for poorer post-injury adaptation. Psychosocial interventions targeting such individuals may be promising.
Impossible Desire: Parents Involved and Limits to the Victim's Perspective

This paper explores the scholarship on the most recent Supreme Court school segregation case; Parents Involved. Many articles have appeared critiquing the majority of the Robert's Court's stance on the meaning of racial discrimination. This note does not give another version of that critique, but rather examines the fierce reactions the case engendered in legal scholars. It is, so to say, a critique of the critiques. I recast the debate about Parents Involved in terms of the victim's and the perpetrator perspective, a model borrowed from Alan Freeman. I argue that the critics of Parents Involved plead that the Supreme Court take up the victim's perspective. But would the affront felt by critics of the Robert's Court's opinion in this case be eliminated if the Court had adopted the victim's rather than the perpetrator's perspective? I argue that it would not. To the extent that what underlies the objection to the majority opinion in Parents Involved is a sense that the Court has done a form of violence to the idea of racial justice in this country, the turn to the victim perspective will not eliminate that violence. It would merely enact an alternative form of violence. In addition, things are more complicated because something larger than law is at stake in Parents Involved. At stake is a trauma and law cannot heal that. I conclude that the solution that the critics of Parents Involved have put forward is incapable of delivering the desired healing of old wounds.
Choice output and choice processing: An analogy to similarity

The target article suggests that many practices of experimental economists are preferable to those used by psychologists studying judgment and decision making. The advantages of the psychological approach become clear when the focus of research shifts from choice output to choice processes. I illustrate this point with an example from research on similarity comparisons.
Notes on the Oviposition of Some Kansas Cicadas

In spite of the fact that cicadas have been known and written about since medieval times very little is known of their life histories. This lack is doubtless due in a large measure to their habit of passing the entire nymphal stage below the surface of the ground and because in most cases this period is supposed to last from several to many years. Members of some of the Kansas species emerge in large numbers every year, a constant challenge to one so inclined, to solve the secret of their life cycle. The present paper is a presentation of observations on the oviposition, eggs, and egg parasites of some of our commonest Kansas forms. Observations have been made on seven species and one variety, namely, Tibicen aurifera (Say), T. auletes (Germar), T. dorsata (Say), T. resh (Hald.), T. lyricen (Degeer), T. marginalis (Walk.), T. pruinosa (Say), and T. pruinosa var. fulva Beamer.
Asylum Seekers' Credibility Burden: Managing Trauma in the Asylum Process without Collective Support

In cases of asylum, individual asylum seekers experience victimization and discrimination on the basis of a social identity, however, the process of seeking government protection from a host society is an individualized course of action. The U.S. asylum system provides the legal means for asylum seekers to apply for permanent residency status based on their ability to document valid claims of persecution. Qualitative interviews with individuals applying for asylum (n=14) reveal an underlying uncertainty based on themes of fear in sharing their story, fear of denial, and consideration of alternative plans while awaiting the asylum decision. This paper focuses on referencing the first hand accounts of asylum seekers in order to critically examine the trauma associated with the U.S. asylum system. The research asserts that the individualized process of asylum and the public perception that valid claims would be endorsed fails to acknowledge the asylum system as a source of detrimental barriers and trauma itself. And since asylum seekers participate in this process individually, the inability of adopting a cultural trauma frame serves to maintain the asylum system’s status quo and direct burden on the asylum seeker for the outcome of his or her case.
Completely intracorporeal retraction of the gallbladder for laparoendoscopic single site (LESS) surgery.

Laparoendoscopic single site surgery (LESS) cholecystectomy requires a creative solution to retract the gallbladder. Transabdominal suture retraction is a commonly used technique to achieve adequate exposure of the critical structures within Calot's triangle. To avoid the multiple punctures of the g
Chemical Composition and Acaricidal Effects of Essential Oils Extracted from Ligustrum japonicum against Acaridae and Pyroglyphid Mites

The composition of the essential oil of Ligustrum japonicum leaves was determined by GC-MS analysis. The major constituents of L. japonicum leaf oil were germacrene D (40.50%), -pinene (13.63%), (-)--elemene (6.42%), -caryophyllene (5.73%), and -cadinene (5.47%). The acaricidal activities of L. japonicum oil were evaluated against acaridae and pyroglyphid mites. In the fumigant bioassay, the values of L. japonicum oil were 16.48, 12.38, and against Tyrophagus putrescentiae, Dermatophagoides farinae, and D. pteronyssinus, respectively. In the contact bioassay, the values of L. japonicum oil were 8.02, 5.02, and against T. putrescentiae, D. farinae, and D. pteronyssinus, respectively.
Contribution and Regulation of Calcium Channels in Endothelial Cells

The endothelium is a highly metabolically active organ that plays a pivotal role in many physiological processes. Endothelial cells express a diversity of calcium-permeable ion channels that can be activated in response to a variety of stimuli including Ca2+ store depletion, oxidative stress, growth factors, and endotoxins. Emerging evidences have implicated the critical requirement of Ca2+ signaling in numerous vascular functions including vasomotor tone, barrier function, leukocyte homing and adhesion, inflammation, and hemostasis. The goal of this chapter is to present a comprehensive review of the expression and regulatory mechanisms of Ca2+ channels in endothelial cells, and discuss their contribution to vascular endothelial cell physiology and pathophysiology processes.
Ionic liquids: Highly effective medium for enantiopure amino acids via enzymatic resolution

Various room-temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) were prepared and investigated in the enzymatic resolution reactions for obtaining enantiopure amino acids. RTILs can boost the enantioselectivity of enzymes when an appropriate concentration of ionic liquid is used. The preliminary results from this study indicate that ionic liquids are suitable alternative media over organic solvents for achieving high enantiopurity of amino acids.
MONITORING REGIONAL ACCIDENTAL INJURY SITUATION IN FINLAND

Background Official Statistics of Finland (OSF) are a wide collection of statistics describing society’s development and state and must have common quality criteria, which are compatible with European Statistical System quality criteria. However, there is no OSF statistics focused solely on injuries, nor a database on the subject. The National Institute for Health and Welfare (THL) produces information on Finland’s injury statistics. For monitoring regional injury situation, THL produces national injury reports, published since 2009, divided into rescue regions and health care districts. National injury reports are released once a year and are intended to improve regional and local safety planning. Methods Data is collected from the THL Injury Database which contains all deaths and hospital care periods for injuries and external causes of mortality from 1996 to 2013 (ICD-10 codes S00-T983 and V00-Y98). THL Injury Database’s data originates from Finland’s National Hospital Discharge register and Statistics Finland’s Causes of Death register. Standardised mortality/morbidity rate based on indirect age- and gender standardisation is used for comparing regional accidental injury deaths, hospital care periods, number of patients and hospital care days. Results Injuries leading to hospital care periods happens more often in Northern and Eastern Finland than in Southern and Western Finland. Most injuries occur in leisure and free time. Falls are the most common cause of death and reason for hospital care periods in the whole country. Regional differences are explained among other things by varying alcohol consumption, local care practices and population structure. Conclusions Regional national injury reports provide up-to-date information on municipalities’ injury situation. Injury reports guide local officials involved in safety planning to the right direction.
Target surveillance in adversarial environments using POMDPs

This paper introduces an extension of the target surveillance problem in which the surveillance agent is exposed to an adversarial ballistic threat. The problem is formulated as a mixed observability Markov decision process (MOMDP), which is a factored variant of the partially observable Markov decision process, to account for state and dynamic uncertainties. The control policy resulting from solving the MOMDP aims to optimize the frequency of target observations and minimize exposure to the ballistic threat. The adversary's behavior is modeled with a level-k policy, which is used to construct the state transition of the MOMDP. The approach is empirically evaluated against a MOMDP adversary and against a human opponent in a target surveillance computer game. The empirical results demonstrate that, on average, level 3 MOMDP policies outperform lower level reasoning policies as well as human players.
Microbiology: Deep-sea secrets of butane metabolism.

Anaerobic microbes have been found to break down the hydrocarbon butane by a pathway with some similarities to anaerobic methane breakdown. Harnessing the butane pathway might enable biofuel generation. See Article p.396 Research on the anaerobic oxidation of natural gas has largely been focused on methane as the most abundant constituent. It is less clear how short-chain alkanes—including ethane, propane, n-butane and iso-butane, which together make up about 20% of natural gas—are anaerobically metabolized. Sulfate-reducing bacteria are the only organisms known to date to anaerobically oxidize short-chain hydrocarbons. Gunter Wegener and colleagues identify an anaerobic thermophilic enrichment culture composed of dense consortia of archaea and bacteria that uses a pathway similar to anaerobic methane oxidation, which was previously thought to be specific for C1-compounds, to oxidize butane. Archaea activate butane, and reducing equivalents are channelled to sulfate-reducing partner bacteria. Similar consortia are detected in marine subsurface sediments, suggesting that this pathway may be widespread in nature.
Complementing semantic roles with temporally-anchored spatial knowledge: crowdsourced annotations and experiments

This paper presents a framework to infer spatial knowledge from semantic role representations. We infer whether entities are or are not located somewhere, and temporally anchor this spatial information. A large crowdsourcing effort on top of OntoNotes shows that these temporally-anchored spatial inferences are ubiquitous and intuitive to humans. Experimental results show that inferences can be performed automatically and semantic features yield performance improvements.
G-SIR: An Insider Attack Resilient Geo-Social Access Control Framework

Insider attacks are among the most dangerous and costly attacks to organizations. These attacks are carried out by individuals who are legitimately authorized to access the system. Preventing insider attacks is a daunting task. The recent proliferation of social media and mobile devices offer new opportunities to collect geo-social information that can help in detecting and deterring insider attacks. In particular, such geo-social information allows us to better understand the context and behavior of users. In this paper, we propose a Geo-Social Insider Threat Resilient Access Control Framework (G-SIR) to deter insider threats by including current and historic geo-social information as part of the access control decision process. We include policy constraints to manage the risks of colluding communities, proximity threats, and suspicious users while leveraging the presence of users around the requester to make an access decision. By examining users’ geo-social behavior, we can detect those users whose access behavior deviates from the expected patterns; such suspicious behaviors can point to potential insider attackers who may deliberately or inadvertently carry out malicious activities. We use such information to establish how trustworthy a user is before granting access. We evaluate the G-SIR framework through extensive simulations and our results show that the proposed approach is efficient, scalable and effective.
The Contribution of Lake Enhancement to Extreme Snowfall within the Chicago–Milwaukee Urban Corridor during the 2011 Groundhog Day Blizzard

AbstractThis paper examines the impact of the Laurentian Great Lakes (GL) on atmospheric structure, stability, and precipitation within the Chicago–Milwaukee urban corridor during the passage of the 1–2 February 2011 extratropical cyclone. This storm produced the third largest snowfall [53.8 cm (21.2 in.)] recorded in a 130-yr period in the city of Chicago. Two simulations of the storm using the Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) Model are described: the first with the GL present, and the second with the lakes replaced with land having characteristics of adjacent shores.The GL were found to alter the surface temperature and moisture fields in their lee during cyclone passage. The changes were limited to the layer below the frontal inversion, but were significant enough to reduce the mean sea level pressure in some locations by 2.0–2.5 hPa, and raise the surface temperature and dewpoint temperature by 2°–4°C across several states downwind. In the Chicago–Milwaukee metropolitan corridor where the heavy ...
On practical network coded ARQ for two-way wireless communication

Network-coded (NCed) automatic repeat request (ARQ) techniques have been shown to provide significant throughput improvements over basic ARQ systems in two-way wireless systems. Most results derived so far, however, used the assumption of no extra overhead. In practical systems, NCed-ARQ requires more information exchange between base-station and end-nodes, and therefore it is crucial to study the impact of the extra-overhead on such systems. In this paper, we analyze the performance of a practical NCed-ARQ system. We assume M end-users wish to exchange information with a base-station. We derive first the average number of extra acknowledgments required to facilitate NCed-ARQ scheme. Then, we derive both downlink and uplink throughput expressions and study the tradeoff between feedback and re-transmission. Finally, we numerically optimize the throughput with respect to the number of end-users.
Prosodic Phonology and the Acquisition of a Second Language

This paper discusses several patterns of incorrect production and perception of a foreign language, and offers accounts of these error patterns in terms of a particular theory of the representation of phonological structure. All the errors discussed involve some aspect of prosody, and are argued to result from differences in constraints on prosodic structure in the native language and the foreign language. These error patterns are interesting from two perspectives. First, the cases discussed provide justification for the claim that linguistic theory is relevant to second language (L2) acquisition by presenting evidence that the errors of language learners can be seen as perfectly comprehensible and even predictable given particular theoretical constructs. Second, the patterns discussed provide evidence for the relevance of data from L2 acquisition to the concerns of linguistic theory. Specifically, I argue that error patterns may provide evidence for particular analyses of the native language grammar, evidence that may not be available from the study of the native language alone.
Cancer of the Pancreas: Distal Resections and Staging of Pancreatic Cancer

Laparoscopy for pancreatic cancer, either for staging initially or for resection as part of a treatment plan, has gained more and more acceptance in the surgical community over the past few years. Using laparoscopy and diagnosing extensive disease, we are able to spare far more patients an unnecessary laparotomy than we were in the past. This chapter describes workup, sheds some light on still controversial topics like port-site metastasis and palliation, and gives a step-by-step explanation of how to perform a partial pancreatic resection.
Processing and Analysis of Neuroanatomical Images

Today, neuroanatomists have an almost bewildering array of techniques that are being used to study the organization of the nervous system along dimensions that were not even conceived 10 to 15 years ago. Brain circuits are no longer viewed as wiring diagrams interlinking classical brain structures but rather as subpopulations of neurons differing along morphological and neurochemical lines having interconnections with other equally specific subpopulations of neurons in multiple other brain structures. No longer are neural circuits “excitatory” or “inhibitory.” Neurons may contain several transmitters/modulators, and the actions of modulators may depend on the moment-to-moment status of their target cells. The levels of these neuroac-tive molecules may vary with the animal’s functional, humoral, or developmental state. On the postsynaptic side, multiple receptor subtypes are well established for many transmitter systems; these link presynaptic inputs to a growing multitude of channel types and second messenger systems, which may or may not have direct actions on the genome or gene products of the target cell. Methods for studying these phenomena in brain sections are now available, and there are exciting possibilities to apply similar techniques to in vitro brain-slice preparations to study functioning neuroanatomy.
On the Use of Enterprise Models

This paper presents the results of a field study designed to determine how enterprise models are used. The paper begins with an introduction to enterprise models then provides an overview of the survey method used. No known empirical studies have been conducted to determine how enterprise models actually are used by industry. The research is designed to answer this question. A screening sample and complete web-based survey of 72 enterprise modelers was conducted. The primary research question of this survey was on the use of enterprise models, with particular focus on the three dimensions of living models: scope, enactment, and dynamicity. Half the respondents claim that their enterprise models were of their entire division, multiple divisions, and even multiple enterprises. It is encouraging to see that enterprise models are used on such a wide scope. The enactment of the enterprise models was not as large as was expected. Of the respondents, 75% claimed that their models did not receive information from the enterprise more frequently than quarterly. The same was true for how often the models provided information to the enterprise. Seventy-five percent did not update their models more than five times (although, 32% did update the model three to five times). Finally, additional areas of research are proposed.
Compounded of Many Simples

In the above extract from Shakespeare’s comedy, Jacques (a character whose principal role is that of an ironic commentator on the action) is replying to a young woman who says she has heard that he has a somewhat melancholy temperament. He concedes this, but will not admit it to be a. weakness, because it arises as the distillation of a life’s experience. Scientific researchers also know and value the melancholy that derives from not knowing the solution to a problem; it is often the driving force for greater efforts, and has an uniquely personal quality deriving from ones past attempts to make sense of the evidence. That evidence is usually, in a quite literal sense, ‘compounded of many simples’ because of the natural belief that a. difficulty should always be studied in its simplest manifestation.
芝地に散布されたスズメノカタビラの微生物防除剤である Xanthomonas campestris pv. poae の散布後の菌数変動

スズメノカタビラ (Poa annua L.) に対して除草活性を持つ植物病原細菌 Xanthomonas campestris pv. poae JT-P482 の散布後の運命を明らかにするために, 宿主・非宿主植物体内におけるJT-P482株の増殖・移行, そしてベントグラス芝生におけるRif-482株 (JT-P482株のリファンピシン耐性変異株) の菌体数の変動を調査した. その結果, 宿主植物であるスズメノカタビラとラフブルーグラス (P. trivialis L.) においては, 剪葉接種されたJT-P482株は接種部位から地際部まで増殖しつつ移行するが, 非宿主植物であるケンタッキーブルーグラス (P. pratensis L.), ベントグラス (Agrostis stolonifera L.) においては勢葉接種されたJT-P482株は接種部位に局在し, 植物体内を移行せず, 病徴も現れないことが明らかとなった. また, 4月中旬にベントグラス芝地に散布されたRif-482株はスズメノカタビラが芝地中に存在しない場合, その芝地中の菌体数は散布直後から徐々に減少し, 散布2ヵ月後には検出限界以下にまで減少した. しかし, その芝地にスズメノカタビラが存在した場合は, 菌体数は散布直後から増加し, 芝生中のスズメノカタビラが枯死する散布1ヵ月後を境として減少を始め, 散布3ヵ月後には検出限界以下にまで減少した. 以上の結果から, 芝生上に散布後の X. c. pv. poae JT-P482 (Rif-482) は, スズメノカタビラを枯死させた後には速やかにその菌体数を減少させ、芝地中に高濃度に残留しないことが示された.
Exploiting the Physiochemical Interactions between Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes and Hydrogel Microspheres To Afford Chirally Pure Nanotubes

Single-walled carbon-nanotubes (SWNTs) exhibit unique electronic, optical, and mechanical properties; however, a narrow availability of chirally pure (single electronic structure) material can limi...