cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceptual Annotation: Measuring Human Vision to Improve Computer Vision

For many problems in computer vision, human learners are considerably better than machines. Humans possess highly accurate internal recognition and learning mechanisms that are not yet understood, and they frequently have access to more extensive training data through a lifetime of unbiased experience with the visual world. We propose to use visual psychophysics to directly leverage the abilities of human subjects to build better machine learning systems. First, we use an advanced online psychometric testing platform to make new kinds of annotation data available for learning. Second, we develop a technique for harnessing these new kinds of information—“perceptual annotations”—for support vector machines. A key intuition for this approach is that while it may remain infeasible to dramatically increase the amount of data and high-quality labels available for the training of a given system, measuring the exemplar-by-exemplar difficulty and pattern of errors of human annotators can provide important information for regularizing the solution of the system at hand. A case study for the problem face detection demonstrates that this approach yields state-of-the-art results on the challenging FDDB data set.
Active Terahertz Metamaterials

We demonstrate planar terahertz metamaterial devices enabling actively controllable transmission amplitude, phase, or frequency at room temperature via carrier depletion or photoexcitation in the semiconductor substrate or in semiconductor materials incorporated into the metamaterial structure.
Optical Purity Determination and 1H NMR Spectral Simplification with Lanthanide Shift Reagents III: Ethotoin, 3-Ethyl-5-Phenyl-2, 4-Imidazolidinedione

The 60 MHz 1H NMR spectra of racemic ethotoin, a, have been studied with the achiral shift reagent tris(6,6,7,7,8,8,8-heptafluoro-2,2-dimethyl-3,5-octanedionato) europium (III), b, and the chiral tris[3-(trifluoromethylhydroxymethylene)-d-camphorato] europium (III), c. Appreciable values of the enantiomeric shift difference, ΔΔδ, were observed for the NH, CH3, CH, and ortho aryl protons in CDCl3 solutions at 28°C with the use of samples about 0.45 molal in a. Optical purity assays should be feasible with the use of the NH or CH3 absorptions that display ΔΔδ of 22.4 and 7.0 Hz, respectively, at a c:a molar ratio of about 0.3, with the former resonance being optimal. With a c:a ratio between 0.4–0.5, the methine proton can be used, with ΔΔδ 11–13 Hz. Results are interpreted in terms of major coordination of the europium at the C-2 oxygen.
Myocardial Lipid Accumulation in the Diabetic Heart

The prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus is rising in the United States, with a recent estimate suggesting that 7% of the US population (or 21 million persons) have the disease.1 In addition to well-recognized contributions to coronary artery disease risk, the metabolic derangement of diabetes also can result in abnormalities of cardiac function (diabetic cardiomyopathy) that are likely independent of effects on the vasculature. Indeed, >3 decades ago, data from the Framingham Heart Study suggested that patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus have an increased risk of congestive heart failure that persists when adjusted for atherosclerotic disease.2 Although clinical appreciation of diabetic cardiomyopathy has since increased significantly, the mechanisms by which diabetes mellitus causes diastolic and systolic dysfunction in patients without epicardial coronary artery disease remain unclear. Article p 1170 Animal models of diabetic cardiomyopathy suggest that this phenotype may result in part from intrinsic abnormalities of cardiomyocyte energy use and lipid metabolism.3 The energy demands of the cardiac myocyte typically are met by ATP production from β-oxidation (oxidative phosphorylation) of fatty acids (FAs). FAs enter the cell via transport mechanisms (eg, FA transport protein-1 and CD-36), or through direct passive membrane diffusion. Fatty acids are then conjugated with acyl-CoA by the enzyme acyl-CoA synthase and transported to the mitochondria to undergo β-oxidation and thereby generate ATP for cellular energy needs. Fatty-acyl CoA not used for energy production can be esterified to tri-acyl glycerol (triglyceride) to provide an intracellular pool for FA storage. The deleterious effects of the accumulation of lipid and other toxic products of FA metabolism are called cardiac lipotoxicity and are presumed to be involved in the development of diabetic cardiomyopathy. Perhaps through increased signaling of the peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor-α system/PGC-1, which regulates mitochondrial substrate use, nonesterified acyl-CoA can accumulate and be detrimental …
The evolution of spin distribution in the photoexcited triplet state of ethyne-elaborated porphyrins

Ethyne elaboration of a (porphinato)Zn(II) (PZn) chromophoric core renders fine control over the zero-field splitting (ZFS) parameters of the lowest energy photoexcited triplet state (T1), resulting in the ability to manipulate the spin distribution and establish highly symmetrical coincident optical and magnetic principal axes.
African-American patients are less likely to receive drug-eluting stents during percutaneous coronary intervention☆

Abstract Background Previous research has shown that African-Americans, patients without insurance, and those with government-sponsored insurance are less likely to be referred for invasive cardiovascular procedures. We therefore sought to compare the impact of race and insurance type upon the use of drug-eluting stents (DES). Methods Patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) with stenting from January 2008 to December 2012 at Los Angeles County Hospital and Keck Hospital of USC were retrospectively analyzed. Race was categorized as African-American, Hispanic, or non-African-American/non-Hispanic. Insurance was categorized as private, Medicare, Medicaid, incarcerated, or uninsured. Multivariable logistic regression was performed, with receipt of ≥ 1 DES the outcome variable of interest. Results Among 2763 patients undergoing PCI, 62.8% received ≥ 1 DES, 45.4% were Hispanic, 6.7% were African-American, 33.2% were uninsured, 28.5% had Medicaid, 22.5% had Medicare, 14.1% had private insurance, and 1.7% were incarcerated. Following multivariable adjustment, African-Americans, in comparison to non-African-American/non-Hispanic patients, were less likely to receive ≥ 1 DES (odds ratio [OR] 0.57, 95% confidence interval [CI] 0.40–0.82, p = 0.002). Hispanic patients, however, were not less likely to receive DES. Uninsured patients (OR 1.51, 95% CI 1.13–2.03, p = 0.006) and those with Medicaid (OR 1.49, 95% CI 1.11–2.00, p = 0.008) were more likely to receive DES than patients with private insurance, whereas those with Medicare were less likely to receive DES (OR 0.71, 95% CI 0.52–0.95, p = 0.02). Conclusions African-American race continues to have a significant impact upon the decision to use DES. Future research should focus upon patient and provider perceptions at the time of PCI. Summary This study is a retrospective analysis of the impact of race and insurance status upon the utilization of drug-eluting stents. Multivariable logistic regression showed that African-American race was associated with less utilization of drug-eluting stents.
Perceptions & Use of Termite Resistant Treated Wood Products in the United States. Part II: The Perspective of Home Builders and Architects in Formosan Subterranean Termite Infected States

This paper is Part II of a study that examines perceptions, attitudes and behaviors regarding termites and treated wood. In Part I, we surveyed homeowners and in this paper we surveyed home builders and architects. The geographic region for both Parts I and II is U.S. states where Formosan subterranean termites (FST) exist. This is a particularly voracious species of termite. Overall, in this paper, respondents are in agreement that treated wood is safe in new home construction framing and is safe if handled and disposed of properly. Forty-one percent of respondents agreed that treated wood is safe for residents in indoor structural applications. Overall, when taking into account the neutral responses, respondents have a favorable view of treated wood safety for all applications posed to them. Fifty-five percent of respondents were not familiar at all with FST. Although they had a general lack of knowledge, 29 percent of respondents said FST were a problem in the regions their companies serve.
Amyloid beta-peptide impairs ion-motive ATPase activities: evidence for a role in loss of neuronal Ca2+ homeostasis and cell death

The amyloid beta-peptide (A beta) that accumulates as insoluble plaques in the brain in Alzheimer's disease can be directly neurotoxic and can increase neuronal vulnerability to excitotoxic insults. The mechanism of A beta toxicity is unclear but is believed to involve generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and loss of calcium homeostasis. We now report that exposure of cultured rat hippocampal neurons to A beta 1–40 or A beta 25–35 causes a selective reduction in Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity which precedes loss of calcium homeostasis and cell degeneration. Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity was reduced within 30 min of exposure to A beta 25–35 and declined to less than 40% of basal level by 3 hr. A beta did not impair other Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase activities or Na+/Ca2+ exchange. Experiments with ouabain, a specific inhibitor of the Na+/K(+)-ATPase, demonstrated that impairment of this enzyme was sufficient to induce an elevation of [Ca2+]i and neuronal injury. Impairment of Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity appeared to be causally involved in the elevation of [Ca2+]i and neurotoxicity since suppression of Na+ influx significantly reduced A beta- and ouabain-induced [Ca2+]i elevation and neuronal death. Neuronal degeneration induced by ouabain appeared to be of an apoptotic form as indicated by nuclear condensation and DNA fragmentation. The antioxidant free radical scavengers vitamin E and propylgallate significantly attenuated A beta- induced impairment of Na+/K(+)-ATPase activity, elevation of [Ca2+]i and neurotoxicity, suggesting a role for ROS. Finally, exposure of synaptosomes from postmortem human hippocampus to A beta resulted in a significant and specific reduction in Na+/K(+)-ATPase and Ca(2+)-ATPase activities, without affecting other Mg(2+)-dependent ATPase activities or Na+/Ca2+ exchange. These data suggest that impairment of ion-motive ATPases may play a role in the pathogenesis of neuronal injury in Alzheimer's disease.
Laparoscopic adrenalectomy: the optimal surgical approach.

Background and Purpose: Laparoscopic adrenalectomy has emerged as the treatment of choice for most adrenal surgical disorders. We describe our experience with 176 laparoscopic operations. Patients and Methods: The patients were treated for hyperaldosteronism (N = 62), pheochromocytoma (N = 43), "incidentaloma" (N = 21), Cushing's syndrome (N = 20), suspected adrenal metastasis (N = 16), Cushing's disease (N = 8), adrenal hemorrhage (N = 3), or virilizing tumor (N = 1). In 154 of the 176 laparoscopic operations, a lateral transabdominal approach (15 bilateral, 76 left, and 63 right) was used. In the remaining 22, a posterior laparoscopic approach (3 bilateral, 10 left, and 9 right) was used. Results: The average total operating time for unilateral laparoscopic adrenalectomy was 2.8 hours, and for bilateral adrenalectomy, it was 5.2 hours. The mean tumor size was 4.6 cm (range 1-15 cm). There was no significant difference in operating time according to the tumor size. The average length of hospitalization w...
Keep Your Suppliers Close and Competitors Closer:Sourcing Networks & Manufacturing Joint Ventures

This paper develops a network theory based framework of manufacturing equity-based partnership formations and provides an empirical test in the context of the automotive industry. Specific theoretic hypotheses are formulated regarding the implications of the network structure for a firm’s partner selection in manufacturing joint ventures. The roles of network theory constructs such as network centrality and remoteness on new manufacturing joint venture formations are explored using a dynamic framework. A comprehensive time series panel dataset with 3,249,051 observations containing the joint venture information of 1,158 automotive firms collectively engaging in 589 manufacturing joint ventures over 19 years is utilized to test the hypotheses. Results provide empirical support for the role of network structure in equity based partnership formation and reveal significant differences in variable effects between original equipment manufacturers and component suppliers.
Checking nested properties using bounded model checking and sequential ATPG

This paper develops a novel approach to formally verify nested VLSI circuit properties, using bounded model checking and gate-level sequential ATPG tools. This approach improves the verification quality by devising an algorithm that checks nested realistic properties. This makes ATPG verification based tools applicable to realistic properties. We also show that the performance of our approach is superior when compared to SAT-based techniques in both efficiency and capacity, especially for large bounds and for complex properties.
Climate shifts the interaction web of a marine plankton community

Climatic effects in the ocean at the community level are poorly described, yet accurate predictions about ecosystem responses to changing environmental conditions rely on understanding biotic responses in a food-web context to support knowledge about direct biotic responses to the physical environment. Here we conduct time-series analyses with multivariate autoregressive (MAR) models of marine zooplankton abundance in the Northern California Current from 1996 to 2009 to determine the influence of climate variables on zooplankton community interactions. Autoregressive models showed different community interactions during warm vs. cool ocean climate conditions. Negative ecological interactions among zooplankton groups characterized the major warm phase during the time series, whereas during the major cool phase, ocean transport largely structured zooplankton communities. Local environ
An Adaptive Self-Sensing Strategy for Dynamic Mass Estimation using Piezoelectrically-Driven Cantilevers

This paper presents an adaptive estimation strategy to dynamically balance a self-sensing capacitance bridge network for cantilever-based tip mass estimation. The system comprises of a cantilever beam with a piezoelectric patch actuator deposited on the beam surface, connected in a capacitance bridge network. The goal is to estimate the mass of a particle deposited on the cantilever tip by measuring the associated shift in the beam natural frequency. The piezoelectric patch behaves as a self-sensing actuator. Accurate balance of the capacitance bridge is a key requirement for the self-sensing network to function properly. In this paper, a prediction-error-based mechanism is presented to estimate the actuator capacitance and keep the bridge dynamically balanced. The adaptation law uses a generalized form of the gradient estimation method. Lyapunov-based stability analysis is carried out to prove the global stability of the law. A modified gradient estimation method, which is relatively easy to implement, is shown to be a special case of the generalized mechanism. Experimental results are presented to demonstrate the working of this estimation strategy.
Twenty Years of the Journal of Voluntary Action Research/Nonprofit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly: An Assessment of Past Trends and Future Directions

This article reports on a content analysis of the articles published in Non profit and Voluntary Sector Quarterly and in its predecessor, the journal of Voluntary Action Research, in their first twenty years of existence. The investigation identifies the substantive areas that have been covered, the institutional affiliations of the authors, the methodological styles of the articles, and the disciplines that have provided the research. Thirty-five percent of the authors have been women, about 1 7 percent of the authors have nonacademic affiliations, and sociology is the discipline represented most heavily, although thirty-five disciplines have provided articles. Social work, political science, public affairs, urban affairs, management, and economics have also been heavily represented.
Functional brain imaging of olfactory processing in monkeys.

Abstract As a step toward bridging the gap between human and animal studies of olfactory brain systems, we report results from an fMRI study of olfaction in squirrel monkeys. High-resolution fMRI images at 3 T with 1.25 × 1.25 × 1.2 mm3 voxels were obtained covering the whole brain using an 8-cm-diameter birdcage coil and a gradient–echo spiral pulse sequence. Data were acquired from six sedated adult males using a standard block design. All fMRI data were spatially normalized to a common template and analyzed at the individual and group levels with statistical parametric and nonparametric methods. Robust odorant-induced activations were detected in several brain regions previously implicated in conscious human olfactory processing, including the orbitofrontal cortex, cerebellum, and piriform cortex. Consistent with human data, no stimulus intensity effects were observed in any of these regions. Average signal changes in these regions exceeded 0.6%, more than three times the expected signal change based on human fMRI studies of olfaction adjusting for differences in voxel size. These results demonstrate the feasibility of studying olfaction in sedated monkeys with imaging techniques commonly used at 3 T in humans and help promote direct comparisons between humans and nonhuman primates. Our findings, for example, provide novel support for the hypothesis that the cerebellum is involved in sensory acquisition. More broadly, this study suggests that olfactory processing in sedated monkeys and nonsedated humans shares similar neural substrates both within and beyond the primary olfactory system.
Phase II Clinical Trial of Imatinib Mesylate in Therapy of KIT and/or PDGFRα-expressing Ewing Sarcoma Family of Tumors and Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumors

Background: We have previously shown that the receptor tyrosine kinases, KIT and PDGFRα, are expressed on ESFT cell lines, and that imatinib induces dose-dependent apoptosis (1). We conducted a Phase II trial to evaluate the effectiveness of imatinib for patients with recurrent ESFT or DSRCT expressing KIT and/or PDGFRα. Patients and Methods: Patients were selected for tumor immunohisto- chemical expression ≥2+/4+ for KIT or PDGFRα. Imatinib was administered orally 400 mg twice/day for 28 days/course. Primary endpoint was response. Results: Seven patients were enrolled and evaluated. One patient with 3+/4+ PDGFRα and 3+/4+ KIT expression had a partial response through 8 courses. 4 patients had progression after 1 cycle. Two patients were not evaluable due to one early death and one refusing treatment. Conclusion: This study intended to enrich for molecular factors that potentially predict response. Given the poor prognosis with recurrent ESFT, further studies with other novel KIT and PDGFRα inhibitors are needed. The prognosis for long-term survival in non-metastatic Ewing sarcoma family of tumors (ESFT) has dramatically improved from <15% to 5-year EFS of 60-70% with the advent of multi-agent chemotherapy (2, 3). Despite this success, there remain patients who present with adverse prognostic factors
Effects of Matrix Porosity on the Mechanical Properties of a Porous-Matrix, All-Oxide Ceramic Composite

The effects of matrix porosity on the mechanical properties of an all-oxide ceramic composite are investigated. The porosity is varied through impregnation and pyrolysis of a ceramic precursor solution. Mechanical tests are performed to assess the role of the matrix in both matrix-dominated and fiber-dominated loading configurations. The results demonstrate a loss in damage tolerance and tensile strength along the fiber direction as the porosity is reduced. Concomitantly, some improvements in interlaminar strength are obtained. The latter improvements are found to be difficult to quantify over the entire porosity range using the standard short beam shear method, a consequence of the increased propensity for tensile fracture as the porosity is reduced. Measurements of interlaminar shear strength based on the double-notched shear specimen are broadly consistent with the limited values obtained by the short beam shear method, although the former exhibit large variability. In addition, effects of precursor segregation during drying on through-thickness gradients in matrix properties and their role in composite performance are identified and discussed. An analysis based on the mechanics of crack deflection and penetration at an interphase boundary is presented and used to draw insights regarding the role of matrix properties in enabling damage tolerance in porous-matrix composites. Deficiencies in the understanding of the mechanisms that enable damage tolerance in this class of composites are discussed.
The capacity and coding gain of certain checkerboard codes

We define a checkerboard code as a two-dimensional binary code that satisfies some constraint, e.g., every binary one must be surrounded by eight zeros, and then investigate the capacity for each of several different constraints. Using a recursive construction we develop a series of loose bounds on the capacity. These bounds, in turn, lead to conjecturally precise estimates of the capacity by the use of a numerical convergence-speeding technique called Richardson extrapolation. Finally, using the value of the capacity, we define and compute a measure of coding gain which allows us to compare checkerboard codes to simple coding schemes.
Stylization and Deformation in Valle-Inclán "La Reina Castiza"

The year 1920 was a momentous one in the development of Valle-Inclan literature. Four major obras dialogadas were published in rapid succession, each of them revealing fundamental changes in stylistic and thematic orientation, and all of them manifesting a new and vital integration of style with moral and psychological substance. Evil, immorality and perversity had been things of beauty designed to be contemplated, savoured and shared solely for their esthetic magnificence, with no moral judgement expressed or even implied. The depiction of immorality in the post-war period betrays an artistic growth from an amoral appetite for the esthetics of evil without implications of reprehensibility to the confronting of immorality as an operative human force because it is in fact human failing and worthy of censure. Integrated with morally purposeful themes, the art of Valle-Inclan now stems from the particular stylized view of the ugly and the immoral which are recognized as being reprehensible. Never given to mo...
A dynamic mobility tracking policy for wireless personal communications networks

Current personal communications networks (PCNs) employ a cellular architecture such that the PCN coverage area is divided into cells. All MTs within a cell communicate with other MTs through a base station which is installed within the cell. This base station is connected to other base stations and stationary terminals through an underlying wireline network. In order to route incoming calls, each MT reports its location to the network by a process called location update. This paper introduces a location update policy which minimizes the cost of mobile terminal (MT) location tracking. An MT dynamically determines when to perform location update based on its mobility pattern and the incoming call arrival probability. The performance of this scheme is close to that of the optimal policy reported earlier. However, the processing time requirement of this scheme is very low. The minimal computation required by this scheme enables its usage in MTs which has limited energy supply and computational power.
Osmotically Responsive Genes: The Mammalian Osmotic Response Element (ORE)

Abstract Evolutionarily, adaptation to hyperosmotic stress through accumulation of osmotically active organic solutes (organic osmolytes) is a highly conserved mechanism. Hyperosmotic accumulation of organic osmolytes is transcriptionally regulated: e.g., betaine in bacteria (e.g., Escherichia coli), glycerol in yeast (e.g., Saccharomyces cerevisiae), betaine in plants (e.g., Spinacea oleracea L.) and sorbitol, betaine, and inositol in cells of the mammalian renal medulla. Renal medullary cells, among mammalian cells, are uniquely exposed to hyperosmotic stress; in these cells, hyperosmotic stress results in accumulation of sorbitol as one of the predominant osmolytes. Sorbitol accumulates due to a rise in the synthesis rate of aldose reductase (AR), which catalyzes the conversion of glucose to sorbitol. Hyperosmotic stress increases transcription of the AR gene which leads to a rise in AR mRNA levels. In cloning and characterizing the rabbit AR gene, the first evidence of a eukaryotic osmotic response el...
Serum retinol distributions in residents of the United States: third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988–1994

Background: Inadequate vitamin A status has been a potential nutritional problem for some segments of the US population, particularly children and the poor. Objective: We evaluated serum retinol concentration by using population-representative data from 16058 participants aged 4 to ≥90 y in the third National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey, 1988-1994. Design: We used multivariate regression to examine the simultaneous associations of sociodemographic, biologic, and behavioral factors with serum retinol concentration. Results: In children, serum retinol concentrations were greater with greater age, body mass index, serum lipids, and the use of supplements containing vitamin A. In adults, male sex, serum lipids, alcohol consumption, and age were positively associated with serum retinol concentration in most racial/ethnic strata. Household income was not associated with serum retinol concentration in children; associations were inconsistent in adults. The prevalence of serum retinol <0.70 μmol/L was very low in all strata; the prevalence of serum retinol <1.05 μmol/L was 16.7-33.9% in children aged 4-8 y and 3.6-14.2% in children aged 9-13 y, depending on sex and raciallethnic group. The prevalence of serum retinol <1.05 μmol/L was higher in non-Hispanic black and Mexican American children than in non-Hispanic white children; these differences remained significant (P < 0.0001) after covariates were controlled for. Among adults, nonwhite women were significantly (P < 0.0001) more likely than white women to have serum retinol <1.05 μmol/L after covariates were controlled for. Conclusions: Clinically low serum retinol concentration is uncommon in US residents aged ≥4 y, although racial/ethnic and socioeconomic differences in serum retinol concentration still exist.
No Sirve: The Invalidity of Service of Process Abroad by Mail or Private Process Server on Parties in Mexico Under the Hague Service Convention

Service of process abroad by mail or private process server on parties in Mexico is invalid under the Hague Service Convention. The other alternative methods of service abroad listed in Article 10 of the Convention are invalid, as well. As one might say in Spanish, such alternative service no sirve — i.e., is useless — in Mexico. Accordingly, service of process abroad by United States litigants and courts on parties in Mexico should proceed through Mexico’s Central Authority in accordance with Articles 3 through 7 of the Convention.
Ionomers for Tunable Softening of Thermoplastic Polyurethane

Thermoplastic polyurethane (TPU) sulfonate ionomers with quaternary ammonium cations were synthesized to achieve soft TPUs without using conventional low molecular weight plasticizers. The sulfonated monomer N,N-bis(2-hydroxyethyl)-2-aminoethanesulfonic acid (BES) neutralized with bulky ammonium counterions was incorporated as a chain extender to internally plasticize the TPU. Increasing the steric bulk of the counterion and the concentration of the ionic species produced softer TPUs with improved melt processability. The incorporation of the sulfonate species suppressed crystallinity of the TPU hard block, which was mainly responsible for the softening of the polymer. The synthetic procedure developed allows for facile tuning of the mechanical properties of the TPU by simply switching the counterion and/or increasing the feed ratio of ionic monomer. The precursors in this study were synthesized and analyzed via 1H NMR, and the thermomechanical properties of the resulting TPU ionomers were characterized b...
Law in American History: The Colonial Years (Chapter 1)

This is Chapter One of Law in American History:Volume One, From the Colonial Years Through the Civil War.The book’s purpose is to explore the relationship of law to some central themes of American history from the initial colonial settlements through the conclusion of the Civil War. The themes singled out in the book include the displacement of Amerindian tribes from land they occupied on the North American continent; the emergence of agricultural householding as the principal form of family life in colonial British America; the detachment of the American colonies from the British Empire and the theories of sovereignty and grievance that accompanied that development; the evolution of American forms of government from the Articles of Confederation to the Constitution; the emergence of the Supreme Court of the United States as a major institution of American grievance; the westward movement of enterprise and population in the decades between the 1830’s and the 1850’s; the central role of slavery and westward expansion and the gradual dissolution of the Union during these decades; and the role of the Civil War as a culmination of the central themes of early American history and as a force in transforming the subsequent course of that history.
Increasing the purity, potency and specificity of ebv-specific T cells to improve the treatment of EBV-positive lymphoma

Meeting abstracts Up to ~40 % of Hodgkin and non-Hodgkin lymphomas carry the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) genome and express type 2 viral latency proteins (T2LPs) EBNA-1, LMP-1, LMP-2 and BARF-1. EBV specific T cells (EBVSTs) can be generated from the blood of EBV+ individuals, but are usually
Dementia A complex disease with multiple etiologies and multiple treatments

As the population of the United States ages, the rates of dementia are also likely to increase. Clinicians will, therefore, likely be asked to evaluate and treat an escalating number of patients experiencing a decline in multiple domains of cognitive function, which is the hallmark of neurocognitive disorders. It is also probable that clinicians will be confronted with management dilemmas related to the myriad of psychological and behavioral problems that often occur as a consequence of the neurocognitive impairment. In fact, these behavioral and psychological issues might be the initial symptoms that lead the patient to present to the clinician. Dementia has multiple potential etiologies, and a careful diagnostic assessment is imperative to best characterize the specific type of dementia impacting the patient. This is important, as knowing the type of dementia helps the clinician choose the most effective treatment. Potential treatments should be interdisciplinary in scope, patient/family-centered, and may include both nonpharmacologic and pharmacologic treatments.
Measles as an Urban Health Problem: The Akron Example

The purpose of this study is to analyze the geographical nature of the Akron measles epidemic of 1970-71 in an attempt to better understand the reasons why it occurred. Areas of Akron affected more seriously than others are examined from the "human ecological" point of view, i.e., varying incidence rates have been correlated with specific socioeconomic and demographic characteristics of inhabitants of census tracts. In addi-
A NEW APPROACH TO POTTERY TYPOLOGY

The standard typology of Owasco pottery from New York State is examined. This typology is ostensibly based on Krieger's definition of a type as a consistently recurring combination of attributes. The application of statistical techniques suggested by Spaulding, Sackett, and others as appropriate to the discovery of such types revealed that the standard Owasco typology does not exist in Krieger's terms. This typology, however, has been a reliable spatial and temporal indicator for many years. The real, underlying logic and foundations for this typology were therefore sought through a careful inspection of the actual type definitions. This made it clear that the definition and recognition of these pottery types depend on 2 important but unstated principles, the existence of a hierarchy of importance among attributes and the shifting of defining criteria from type to type. Krieger's definition of a type is thus seen to be inappropriate here and a type is recognized to be defined by proceeding through a hierarchical, "tree-type" series of decisions. Statistical procedures appropriate to discovering types according to this definition are developed, and their application to the Owasco material is seen to come close to duplicating the original typology. Such a tree-type structure based on the 2 principles just outlined closely resembles cultural classifications elicited by ethnologists. It is suggested therefore that the attribute association or "Spaulding" approach and the currently popular techniques of numerical taxonomy will not work for establishing space-time reflective types, not because the techniques are not well developed, but because the basic concept or definition of such a type on which they are based is inappropriate.
Combustion in meso-scale vortex combustors: Experimental characterization

The combustion characteristics of a series of mesoscale vortex combustors were experimentally studied. The combustors had combustion chamber volumes ranging from 10 to 108 mm3 and were fueled with hydrogen, methane, and liquid nitromethane. Both air and oxygen-enriched air were used as oxidizers. Analysis of the flame structure was obtained from photographic imaging. Stability limits of the combustor were investigated with temperature and OH* chemiluminescence measurements and/or from visual observation of the flame luminosity. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy of the exhaust gases was performed for quantitative analysis of C02, CO, and CH4 from which chemical efficiencies of the combustion process were obtained. For all combustion chamber sizes, hydrogen-air combustion was stabilized over a wide range of equivalence ratios and flow rates. Stable methane-air combustion was achieved at atmospheric pressure with only the largest combustion chamber; however, when the air was enriched with oxygen, combustion was stabilized in even the smallest combustor chamber. Depending upon the oxygen enrichment, equivalence ratio, and momentum of the inlet reactant jets, the flame structure was observed to change from a micro diffusion flame stabilized at the fuel jet exit to a spinning well mixed flame that engulfed the entire combustor volume. Under conditions where stable operation was achieved, chemical efficiencies ranged from approximately 8597%. Direct wall injection of liquid nitromethane produced stable combustion at one atmosphere when a small amount of oxygen (6% by volume) was simultaneously injected. Increased combustion chamber pressures are predicted necessary to extend the operational limits and enable combustion of pure liquid nitromethane.
Ursolic acid inhibits the growth of human pancreatic cancer and enhances the antitumor potential of gemcitabine in an orthotopic mouse model through suppression of the inflammatory microenvironment.

// Sahdeo Prasad 1 , Vivek R. Yadav 1 , Bokyung Sung 1 , Subash C. Gupta 1 , Amit K. Tyagi 1 , Bharat B. Aggarwal 1, 2 1 Department of Experimental Therapeutics, Cytokine Research Laboratory, The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, TX, USA 2 Anti-inflammatory Research Institute, San Deigo, CA, USA Correspondence to: Sahdeo Prasad, e-mail: spbiotech@gmail.com , sprasad@mdanderson.org Keywords: ursolic acid, pancreatic cancer, NF-kappaB, anticancer, chemosensitization Received: September 17, 2015 Accepted: January 06, 2016 Published: February 20, 2016 ABSTRACT The development of chemoresistance in human pancreatic cancer is one reason for the poor survival rate for patients with this cancer. Because multiple gene products are linked with chemoresistance, we investigated the ability of ursolic acid (UA) to sensitize pancreatic cancer cells to gemcitabine, a standard drug used for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. These investigations were done in AsPC-1, MIA PaCa-2, and Panc-28 cells and in nude mice orthotopically implanted with Panc-28 cells. In vitro, UA inhibited proliferation, induced apoptosis, suppressed NF-κB activation and its regulated proliferative, metastatic, and angiogenic proteins. UA (20 μM) also enhanced gemcitabine (200 nM)-induced apoptosis and suppressed the expression of NF-κB-regulated proteins. In the nude mouse model, oral administration of UA (250 mg/kg) suppressed tumor growth and enhanced the effect of gemcitabine (25 mg/kg). Furthermore, the combination of UA and gemcitabine suppressed the metastasis of cancer cells to distant organs such as liver and spleen. Immunohistochemical analysis showed that biomarkers of proliferation (Ki-67) and microvessel density (CD31) were suppressed by the combination of UA and gemcitabine. UA inhibited the activation of NF-κB and STAT3 and the expression of tumorigenic proteins regulated by these inflammatory transcription factors in tumor tissue. Furthermore, the combination of two agents decreased the expression of miR-29a, closely linked with tumorigenesis, in the tumor tissue. UA was found to be bioavailable in animal serum and tumor tissue. These results suggest that UA can inhibit the growth of human pancreatic tumors and sensitize them to gemcitabine by suppressing inflammatory biomarkers linked to proliferation, invasion, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
Limnopus trackways from the Conemaugh Group (Late Pennsylvanian), southern West Virginia

Abundant and well-preserved tetrapod footprints have been discovered in the Glenshaw Formation (Lower Conemaugh Group) in Wayne County, West Virginia. The tracks occur along at least three horizons within a 30-cm-thick stratigraphic interval about 15 m (50 ft) above the Brush Creek Limestone; they are of Missourian age. The tracks are preserved mainly as casts on the underside of thin-bedded, ripple cross-laminated sandstones and less commonly as molds in intervening dark-gray shales. Associated body fossils include Spirorbis worm tubes and washed-in plant debris. Facies characteristics indicate the tracks were formed along the margins of an ephemeral lake in a flood basin setting adjacent to delta plain fluviodeltaic channel systems. Short-lived lacustrine conditions were likely to have resulted from a seasonal tropical to subtropical climate. Most of the tracks can be assigned to the ichnogenus Limnopus , making them one of the earliest known occurrences. At least five trackways are discernible with an external width ranging from 320 to 400 mm. Limnopus glenshawensis , a new ichnospecies, is herein proposed and various morphologic and locomotion parameters are quantified. Mean values include stride/manus, 407 mm; stride/pes, 411 mm; oblique pace/manus, 313 mm; oblique pace/pes, 317 mm; pace angle/manus, 82.4 degrees; pace angle/pes, 80.5 degrees; glenoacetabular distance, 329 mm; manus length, 87.2 mm; manus width, 104.2 mm; pes length, 121.4 mm; pes width, 112.7 mm. The tracemaker was most likely an eryopoid amphibian with a total length of slightly over 1 m.
The Arterial Supply of the Adult Humerus

It is worth repeating that in all of these bones the periosteum with its rich blood supply had been removed. A true picture of the blood supply can only be obtained by keeping this abundant source of arterial blood in mind. The constancy of the main nutrient artery of the humeral shaft is remarkable. It would appear to be prudent to guard against injuring this vessel in operations on the humeral shaft. The danger of damaging this artery will probably be greatest in open reductions of fractures of the mid-shaft of the bone. Fractures through the shaft at the junction of the middle and lower thirds will probably destroy the main nutrient at the time of injury. The upper end of the lower fragment will then depend for arterial blood supply on vessels entering from the periosteum and those ascending from the epicondyles. Extensive stripping of the periosteum of the lower fragment in open reductions in this region would probably be best avoided. The upper half of the shaft has an excellent blood supply from the ascending branch of the main nutrient artery and from the accessory nutrient arteries. This may account for the predilection of secondary malignant deposits for this part of the bone. The main blood supply of the humeral head enters it anterolaterally above the common site of fractures of the surgical neck. Both bone ends thus have a good blood supply. This may account for the rapidity of union of these fractures. However, in operating on this region, whether for repair of rotator-cuff injuries or for open reduction of fracture-dislocations of the surgical neck, it is perhaps worth while bearing in mind that the main blood supply of the head enters it via the upper end of the bicipital groove or via the adjacent parts of the greater and lesser tuberosities. If damage to these vessels is avoided the viability of the humeral head may be preserved. The importance of preserving muscular and ligamentous attachments when operating on the lower end of the humerus is well known. The size of the posterior arteries entering the epicondyles and condyles is, however, worth bearing in mind. If damage to these posterior vessels is avoided in operations on fractures in this region, the viability of the bone fragments may well be preserved and subsequent degenerative changes in the elbow joint may be avoided. The intramedullary course of the nutrient arteries (Fig. 16) must mean that they will be destroyed by the insertion of intramedullary nails. If at the same time an open reduction of the fractured shaft is performed, periosteal stripping of the bone ends will be inevitable. The blood supply of the shaft would then be unduly jeopardized. Both the branches of the main and accessory nutrient arteries in the medulla and the only possible local collateral circulation, the periosteal vessels, would be destroyed.
Physical Education at the University Level

(1945). Physical Education at the University Level. The Journal of Health and Physical Education: Vol. 16, No. 10, pp. 593-600.
On sums and products of primitive elements

ABSTRACTLet R be a (commutative integral) domain, with K its quotient field and R′ its integral closure (in K). Let &#x1d4ab; be the set of elements u∈K such that u is primitive over R; i.e., such that u i...
How multi-partner endosymbioses function

Various animals are associated with specific endosymbiotic microorganisms that provide the host with essential nutrients or confer protection against natural enemies. Genomic analyses of the many endosymbioses that are found in plant sap-feeding hemipteran insects have revealed independent acquisitions - and occasional replacements - of endosymbionts, such that many of these endosymbioses involve two or more microbial partners. In this Review, I discuss how partitioning of the genetic capacity for metabolic function between different endosymbionts has sustained nutritional function in multi-partner endosymbioses, and how the phenotypic traits of these endosymbionts can be shaped by co-evolutionary interactions with both co-occurring microbial taxa and the host, which often operate over long evolutionary timescales.
Costal Osteochondroma Causing Compression Myelopathy

Osteochondroma may be a part of hereditary multiple exostosis (HME). It is rare for it to invade the spinal canal to cause compression myelopathy.
Effect of Interlayer Spacing on the Activity of Layered Manganese Oxide Bilayer Catalysts for the Oxygen Evolution Reaction.

We investigated the dependence of the electrocatalytic activity for the oxygen evolution reaction (OER) on the interlayer distance of five compositionally distinct layered manganese oxide nanostructures. Each individual electrocatalyst was assembled with a different alkali metal intercalated between two nanosheets (NS) of manganese oxide to form a bilayer structure. Manganese oxide NS were synthesized via the exfoliation of a layered material, birnessite. Atomic force microscopy was used to determine the heights of the bilayer catalysts. The interlayer spacing of the supported bilayers positively correlates with the size of the alkali cation: NS/Cs+/NS > NS/Rb+/NS > NS/K+/NS > NS/Na+/NS > NS/Li+/NS. The thermodynamic origins of these bilayer heights were investigated using molecular dynamics simulations. The overpotential (η) for the OER correlates with the interlayer spacing; NS/Cs+/NS has the lowest η (0.45 V), while NS/Li+/NS exhibits the highest η (0.68 V) for OER at a current density of 1 mA/cm2. Kin...
High-Risk Echocardiographic Features Predict Mortality in Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension

Aims Echocardiography is the most common imaging modality for assessment of the right ventricle in patients with pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). Echocardiographic parameters were identified as independent risk factors for mortality in the Registry to Evaluate Early and Long-term PAH Disease Management (REVEAL) and other PAH cohorts. We sought to identify readily obtained echocardiographic features associated with PAH survival. Methods and Results Retrospective analysis of 175 patients with Group 1 was performed. Baseline clinical and laboratory assessment including REVEAL risk criteria were obtained and standard 2-Dimensional and Doppler echocardiography performed at baseline was reviewed. Univariate and multivariate analyses of echocardiographic parameters were performed. Estimated right atrial pressure>15mmHg (HR 2.39, P =.02), tricuspid regurgitation ≥ moderate (HR 2.16, P =.04), and presence of pericardial effusion (HR 1.8, P =.05) were identified as independent, high-risk echocardiographic features in PAH. A validation cohort of 677 patients was identified and Kaplan–Meier survival analysis was performed in both cohorts. High-risk echocardiographic features stratified survival curves of both cohorts ( P P Conclusion Estimated right atrial pressure>15, tricuspid regurgitation ≥ moderate, and presence of pericardial effusion are high-risk echocardiographic features in PAH. When seen in combination, these features greatly increase risk of mortality in PAH and may lead to more timely enhanced therapy for patients identified as having an increased risk for death.
Measurement of damage threshold for metallic gratings under intense laser pulse irradiation

The resistance to the damage of metallic diffraction gratings subject to intense laser pulses is reported. We find that the substrate material plays a crucial role in determining the damage resistance of the gratings.
Self-Reconfiguration of a Dual Redundant ARM System

Abstract This paper presents the self-reconfiguration of a dual redundant arm system, which can dynamically adapt itself to given task requirements. The self-reconfiguration proposed in this paper is performed by reconfiguring the structure of a dual redundant arm system through serial, parallel and bracing structure, along with locking or releasing some of its joints as needed. This paper in particular investigates the dextrous bracing of a dual-arm system as a general form of dual-arm topologies for the self-reconfiguration. First, we derive the kinematic constraints of a dual-arm system having bracing structure in terms of Cartesian motions and static forces of individual arms. Dual-arm manipulabilities and resistivities are then defined to represent the performance characteristics of the dual-arm bracing structure. The dual-arm self-reconfiguration is achieved by selecting an optimal bracing point, based on the task distribution among local arms according to their efficiency and capability in task execution.