cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Practitioner and Student Recommendations for an Engineering Curriculum.

For over 100 years studies have consistently recommended that the engineering curriculum should stress underlying principles and have a considerable range of cultural studies. Nevertheless, some employers continue to state that they are not totally satisfied with the average engineering graduate. The findings of this study, however, suggest that practicing engineers and students are generally satisfied with the civil engineering curriculum. Nevertheless, both groups recommend that the credits allocated to surveying, graphics, and computers should be increased. Practitioners, in general, believe that there should be a decrease in mathematically oriented subjects such as calculus, statistics and numerical methods. Older graduates, in particular, recommend an increase in business courses such as law, accounting, and personnel management. They also believe that technical writing and oral communication skills should be a vital part of the program. It appears to be difficult to design a curriculum, requiring a reasonable number of credits, that satisfies all age groups. Therefore, at commencement, an engineer must expect to initiate a life-long process of informal/formal education to supplement the knowledge obtained by satisfying the civil engineering degree requirements.
Atherosclerosis, Inflammation, Genetics, and Stem Cells: 2012 Update

Atherosclerosis is a peculiar form of inflammation triggered by cholesterol-rich lipoproteins and other noxious factors such as cigarette smoke, diabetes mellitus, and hypertension. Genetics also play an important role in the disease, accounting for about 40% of the risk. Of surprise in recent years of post-human genome sequencing, atherosclerosis-relevant genes discovered by non-biased techniques (ie, genome-wide association studies), did not rehash previously suspected pathways of lipid metabolism, diabetes, or hypertension. Instead these studies highlighted genes relevant to mechanisms of inflammation and stem cell biology. Only a minority of implicated genes were linked to lipid and other cardiac risk factor genes. Although such findings do not contradict the fact that atherosclerosis is triggered and exacerbated by elevated lipids, atherosclerosis “new genes” suggest that the mechanism responsible for the development of arterial lesions is more complex than a simple response to injury, where injury is necessary, but perhaps not sufficient, for disease progression.
Clinical research informationist

The article describes an informationist who serves a large clinical research team in a medical school as a part‐time information officer. The multidisciplinary team is focused on clinical and research issues in depression as it affects the elderly. The goals, projects, and key findings of the team are highlighted. The emerging role of the information officer is described.
Low-energy electron diffraction study of the surface structures of adsorbed amino acid monolayers and ordered films deposited on copper crystal surfaces

Abstract Monolayer structures and ordered multilayer films of several amino acids on single-crystal substrates were studied using low-energy electron diffraction. At monolayer coverage, ordered layers of glycine, alanine, D- and L-tryptophan were observed on both Cu(100) and Cu(111). With increasing film thickness, ordered multilayer structures of the tryptophans were also seen on both substrates. The monolayer structures are considered in terms of molecular size and packing. The optically isomeric D- and L-tryptophans yielded surface structures which were related by mirror inversion. Ordered multilayer films, apparently unlike the bulk crystals, were obtained only for tryptophan. Electron beam damage was serious for both glycine and alanine multilayer films while tryptophan films remained unaffected in agreement with previously observed stabilization by conjugated electron systems.
The County Supremacy and Militia Movements: Federalism as an Issue on the Radical Right

This article reviews two of the most visibleforms of the populist right resurgence in Amertcan politics, the county rule and militia movements. Both of these efforts have phrased their claims in the terms of federalism, constitutionalism, and sovereign legitimacy-terms that have not often been so prominently identified with such radical organizing. The essay reviews the origins of both county rule and militia movements, as well as their activities during 1995. The article reviews the arguments of each movement relating to American federalism. The county rule movement denies federal ownership of lands, among other activities. The militias challenge the governmental monopoly on the use offorce, drawing upon a tradition of "militia" conscription in early American history. Neither argument has fared well in several lawsuits, but the political appeal has been significant.
Family therapy training in selected general psychiatry residency programs.

This paper describes the current state of family therapy training in general psychiatry residency programs (GPRP) in the United States. Based on a national survey of 80 GPRP training directors, current practices and attitudes toward family therapy training are assessed. The principal finding is that there has been a significant increase in the amount of required family therapy training in GPRP over previous years and many of the programs would like to expand their current curriculum. Issues concerning course content, definition of family therapy employed, and the meshing of different theoretical paradigms are considered. Recommendations for further research and for the initiation of intradisciplinary and interdisciplinary dialogue are presented.
Shelf Life Study of Oil/Water Emulsions using Various Commercial Hydrocolloids

This study compares and evaluates commercial hydrocolloids for shelf life stability in an oil/water emulsion system stored at 25°C. Observations of surface or interfacial changes and rheological parameters took place over 90 days. Parameters; n, pseudoplastic index; K, consistency index; and τ0, yield stress were reported. Apparent viscosities τ20 (quality control index) and τ50 (oral flow index) were monitored throughout the study and correlated well with stability changes. The study produced the following results: propylene glycol alginate promotes creaminess without significant rheological contribution (τa, τ20, τ50 and τ0). Xanthan gum contributes to body; however, oiling off was observed. Gum tragacanth and combination(xanthan, tragacanth and PGA, 1:1:1) act as bifunctional stabilizers, controlling both oiling off and body.
Three-dimensional imaging andmotion animation

Abstract Orthodontic treatment is aimed at affecting the craniofacial relationships in three planes of space. Yet strangely enough, the critical diagnostic records are two-dimensional. In an orthodontic setting, the techniques of imaging the human face in a three-dimensional manner have been either stereo photography, or projection of optical grids or the structured light. These projections enable the operator to capture the facial image in a three-dimensional manner. Unfortunately, all these methods are static in nature. The laser scanning techniques and the availability of sophisticated software for image manipulation, make image animation possible. Here we report the first ever motion animation of the human face from laser-generated images for clinical purposes.
Note: A note on dominating sets and average distance

We show that the total domination number of a simple connected graph is greater than the average distance of the graph minus one-half, and that this inequality is best possible. In addition, we show that the domination number of the graph is greater than two-thirds of the average distance minus one-third, and that this inequality is best possible. Although the latter inequality is a corollary to a result of P. Dankelmann, we present a short and direct proof.
The Comparison of (Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se $_{\bf 2}$ and Cu(In,Ga)Se $_{\bf 2}$ Thin Films Deposited by Three-Stage Coevaporation

(Ag,Cu)(In,Ga)Se2 and Cu(In,Ga)Se2 thin-films with bandgap ~1.35 eV were deposited by a three-stage elemental coevaporation process. The depositions were conducted at substrate temperatures of 580 °C and 650 °C to understand the effects of Ag alloying and high growth temperature on material properties. Ag/(Ag+Cu) and Ga/(In+Ga) gradients were observed and were reduced with higher growth temperature. Grain size was quantified and found to be enhanced by Ag and high growth temperature, while film texture showed no significant change with different deposition conditions.
Correlation among Hyperphosphatemia, Type II Sodium–Phosphate Transporter Activity, and Vitamin D Metabolism in Fgf-23 Null Mice

Phosphate homeostasis is mostly regulated through humoral factors exerting direct or indirect effects on transporter proteins located in the intestine and kidney. Fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF-23) is a major phosphate-regulating molecule, which can affect both renal and intestinal phosphate uptake to influence overall mineral ion homeostasis. We have found that Fgf-23 gene knockout mice (Fgf-23(-/-)) develop hyperphosphatemia that consequently leads to abnormal bone mineralization, and severe soft tissue calcifications. On the contrary, FGF-23 transgenic mice develop hypophosphatemia and produce rickets-like features in the mutant bone. Further studies using our Fgf-23(-/-) mice have identified an inverse correlation between Fgf-23, and vitamin D or NaPi2a; genomic elimination of either vitamin D or NaPi2a activities from Fgf-23(-/-) mice could reverse severe hyperphosphatemia to hypophosphatemia, and consequently could alter skeletal mineralization, suggesting that regulation of phosphate homeostasis in Fgf-23(-/-) mice is vitamin D- and NaPi2a-mediated process.
Studies on 5-aminodeoxyuridine

Abstract 1. 1. Incorporation of isotope from [3- 14 C]serine into DNA thymine is inhibited in Escherichia coli K12 grown in presence of 5-aminodeoxyuridine and an exogenous source of thymidine to restore normal growth. Incorporation of isotope from the same source into DNA adenine was not effected. This was interpreted as evidence that 5-aminodeoxyuridine inhibits thymidylate synthetase. 2. 2. 5-aminodeoxyuridine potentiates the inhibitory effect of 5-fluorodeoxyuridine on the growth of E. coli K12, indicating that 5-aminodeoxyuridine inhibits the metabolism of thymine compounds subsequent to the formation of thymidine-monophosphate. Thus, 5-aminodeoxyuridine inhibits sequential reactions of thymidine metabolism namely, thymidylate formation and utilization of thymidylate for DNA or cofactor synthesis. 3. 3. A modification of the method of synthesis of 5-aminodeoxyuridine is described which increases the previously reported yield approx. seven-fold.
Electron tunneling into high-T c cuprates: The case of Y1?x Pr x Ba2Cu3O7??

Many different forms of superconducting tunneling have been attempted with the high-Tc cuprates. For these studies to be convincing, it is important to assure that elastic tunneling is the dominant conduction mechanism in the structures considered. Some simple criteria to determine whether this is the case are reviewed, and then our results (which satisfy the criteria) on the system Y1−xPrxBa2Cu3O7−δ are discussed. In this study we show that with increasing Pr concentration, the material becomes more gapless.
Thermal Decomposition of Energetic Materials. 43. Fast thermolysis of cubylammonium nitrate and cubane-1,4-diammonium dinitrate

The rapid thermal decomposition (dT/dt ≥ 70°C/s) of eubylammonium nitrate (CUBAN) and cubane-1, 4-diammonium dinitrate (CUBDAN) is described in terms of the temperature profile and gas products as a function of pressure (1-200 psi Ar). In this environment the full strain energy of cubane is not released simultaneously with the redox reactions that involve the ammonium nitrate site because C2H4 and/or C2H2 are evolved. No large hydrocarbons form during rapid thermolysis, although both salts sublime to some extent below 7 psi Ar. CUBDAN is the only alkyldiammonium dinitrate salt that we have found to sublimduring fast thermolysis. An estimated gas phase basicity of about 215 kcal/mol for the cubylamines is obtained from the tendency to release HNO3(g). This value is surprising in light of the basicity values for other primary amines.
Multidomain assembled states of Hck tyrosine kinase in solution

An approach combining small-angle X-ray solution scattering (SAXS) data with coarse-grained (CG) simulations is developed to characterize the assembly states of Hck, a member of the Src-family kinases, under various conditions in solution. First, a basis set comprising a small number of assembly states is generated from extensive CG simulations. Second, a theoretical SAXS profile for each state in the basis set is computed by using the Fast-SAXS method. Finally, the relative population of the different assembly states is determined via a Bayesian-based Monte Carlo procedure seeking to optimize the theoretical scattering profiles against experimental SAXS data. The study establishes the concept of basis-set supported SAXS (BSS-SAXS) reconstruction combining computational and experimental techniques. Here, BSS-SAXS reconstruction is used to reveal the structural organization of Hck in solution and the different shifts in the equilibrium population of assembly states upon the binding of different signaling peptides.
Differential brain activation in exclusively homosexual and heterosexual men produced by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, fluoxetine.

Abstract A number of studies have shown a relationship between “sexual orientation” and size of various brain nuclei. We hypothesized that neurotransmitter differences might parallel neuroanatomical differences in the hypothalamus. We administered 40 mg of fluoxetine as a challenge to the serotonergic systems of exclusively homosexual and exclusively heterosexual men and measured cerebral metabolic changes with fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET). The metabolic differences we observed might reflect underlying neurochemical differences between homosexual and heterosexual men.
Vegetative Establishment of Three Warm-Season Perennial Grasses in Late Fall and Late Winter

(…) Relative order of cold survival was Carostan flaccidgrass Tifton 44 Coastal bermudagrass. Nothing survived the −9 o C or lower temperatures. Horizontal plantings of Tifton 44 bermudagrass in December to a depth of 7.6 cm produced stands in May of 79, 54, and 78% in Exp. 1, 2, and 3, respectively. For the same treatments Coastal bermudagrass produced stands of only 2, 2, and 21%, and Carostan flaccidgrass 77, 76, and 95% (…)
Amiodarone and torsade de pointes.

Excerpt Amiodarone has been unique among antiarrhythmic agents introduced into the United States. Its clinical use has been almost entirely "compassionate use" as a last resort for life-threatening...
Solitary pulmonary metastasis from prostate cancer.

A 70-year-old man underwent pelvic lymphadenectomy and radical retropubic prostatectomy in May 1997. Pathological examination revealed a Gleason score 415 5 9 adenocarcinoma, pT2N0 M0.0, with negative surgical margins. PSA was less than 0.1 ng./ml. postoperatively. Because of the apparently organ confined tumor and undetectable PSA adjuvant radiotherapy or hormone therapy was not offered. Followup visits were every 3 months for postoperative year 1 and every 6 months thereafter. The patient recovered full bladder control and was otherwise asymptomatic. PSA levels remained undetectable for 18 months. At 2-year followup PSA was 2.1 ng./ml. The patient was asymptomatic and digital rectal examination was unremarkable. A repeat serum PSA determination at a different laboratory revealed an identical value. A metastatic evaluation, including bone scan, magnetic resonance imaging skeletal survey, and computerized tomography (CT) of the abdomen and pelvis did not reveal any evidence of osseous, visceral or lymph node metastases. However, a chest x-ray demonstrated a 2 cm. solitary nodule in the right lower lung field, which was confirmed by chest CT (fig. 1). No other pulmonary lesions or mediastinal lymphadenopathy was evident. A thoracic surgery consult was obtained. In March 1999 the patient underwent a mini-thoracotomy with right lower lobectomy and regional lymphadenectomy. Pathological examination revealed a poorly differentiated adenocarcinoma positively staining for PSA and consistent with metastatic prostate cancer (fig. 2). All lymph nodes were negative. At 1-month followup PSA was less than 0.1 ng./ml. DISCUSSION
Effect of Ether and Iso-Amylethyl Barbiturate (Amytal) Anesthesia on the Glycogen Content of Skeletal Muscle

The question of the glycogenolytic action of various anesthetic agents has received considerable attention in recent years, and although it is generally admitted that ether is a glycogen depleting agent, opinion on the influence of iso-amylethyl barbiturate (amytal) anesthesia remains divided. As a preliminary step in the investigation of the effect of various substances and procedures on the glycogen stores of the body, a series of experiments on the changes in the glycogen content of skeletal muscle under ether and amytal anesthesia was performed. Obviously, if specimens are to be removed under the influence of general anesthesia for the estimation of their glycogen content, the effect of the anesthetic agent on glycogen must be determined.Brow and Long1 showed that the glycogen content of heart muscle in fasted cats was reduced markedly with the closed mask method of ether administration, whereas there was only a slight reduction with the open method. Long,2 employing the same species, showed that ethe...
Actions of loop groups on harmonic maps

We describe a general framework in which subgroups of the loop group AGIn(: act on the space of harmonic maps from S2 to Gln(: . This represents a simplification of the action considered by Zakharov-Mikhailov-Shabat [ZM, ZS] in that we take the contour for the Riemann-Hilbert problem to be a union of circles; however, it reduces the basic ingredient to the well-known Birkhoff decomposition of AGIn(S, and this facilitates a rigorous treatment. We give various concrete examples of the action, and use these to investigate a suggestion of Uhlenbeck [Uh] that a limiting version of such an action ("completion") gives rise to her fundamental process of "adding a uniton". It turns out that this does not occur, because completion preserves the energy of harmonic maps. However, in the special case of harmonic maps from S2 to complex projective space, we describe a modification of this completion procedure which does indeed reproduce "adding a uniton". One aspect of the theory of symmetry groups for diffierential equations is the idea of "proliferation of solutions". By this is meant that, starting with an obvious solution, application of symsmetries can lead to further (perhaps less obvious) solutions. In this paper we shall apply the general framework described by Zakharov et al. [ZM, ZS] to the harmonic map equation (the principal chiral or sigma model of mathematical physics). To put this into a wider context, we recall that a fundamental discovery in the study of the Korteweg-de Vries and related equations was that the space of solutions admits a certain infinite-dimensional symmetry group. Historically, the first manifestation of this (via Noether's theorem) was the appearance of infinitely many conservation laws. Later this led to an elegant algebraic description of solutions of the equation as the points of an orbit of a representation of an infinite-dimensional group. (See, for example, [Wi] for a brief description of some of these ideas.) The existence of previously unnoticed symmetries ("hidden symmetries") for other equations became an interesting possibility, and attempts have been made (so far with much less success than in the case of the KdV equation) to unearth them. One such example is the harmonic map equation for maps from a surface D into a compact Lie group G (or homogeneous space G/H ). The basic observation [Po, Uh, ZM, ZS] which introduces an infinite-dimensional group is that harmonic maps from D to G correspond to certain Received by the editors February 9, 1990. 1980 Mathematics Subject Classification (1985 Revision). Primary 58E20. (r)1991 American Mathematical Society 0002-9947/91 $1.00 + $.25 per page
Nanoindentation of wood cell walls: Continuous stiffness and hardness measurements

The objective of this study was to measure the mechanical properties of individual, native wood fibers using the continuous nanoindentation measurement technique. The indentation depth profile exhibited a small length-scale effect, which was confirmed using the size-effect index derived from the indentation loading curve. The hardness (Hu) or stiffness (Eu) values determined from indentation unloading were also examined for 10 different annual rings of a loblolly pine, with microfibril angles (MFA) between 14� and 36� .A predictable pattern of Eu values was found as a function of MFA, and hence Eu can at least be considered a relative measure of the longitudinal stiffness properties of wood cell walls. For Hu values, a dependence on orientation was observed, and there is a preliminary indication that the dependence could be affected by cell-wall extractives. It is thus desirable, for cell-wall modification studies, to minimize any unintended variations by using samples that are from the same growth ring, so that any treatment-induced changes in the cellwall hardness can be identified. � 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
Yeast genome analysis identifies chromosomal translocation, gene conversion events and several sites of Ty element insertion

Paired end mapping of chromosomal fragments has been used in human cells to identify numerous structural variations in chromosomes of individuals and of cancer cell lines; however, the molecular, biological and bioinformatics methods for this technology are still in development. Here, we present a parallel bioinformatics approach to analyze chromosomal paired-end tag (ChromPET) sequence data and demonstrate its application in identifying gene rearrangements in the model organism Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We detected several expected events, including a chromosomal rearrangement of the nonessential arm of chromosome V induced by selective pressure, rearrangements introduced during strain construction and gene conversion at the MAT locus. In addition, we discovered several unannotated Ty element insertions that are present in the reference yeast strain, but not in the reference genome sequence, suggesting a few revisions are necessary in the latter. These data demonstrate that application of the chromPET technique to a genetically tractable organism like yeast provides an easy screen for studying the mechanisms of chromosomal rearrangements during the propagation of a species.
What lurks beneath: IL-11, via Stat3, promotes inflammation-associated gastric tumorigenesis

Chronic inflammation in the stomach induces cellular transformation and gastric cancer primarily in the distal stomach or antrum. In this issue of the JCI, a study in mice by Ernst et al. provides new insight into the role of IL-11 and its glycoprotein 130 (gp130) receptor in inflammation-associated gastric epithelial cell oncogenic transformation, which they show is mediated by and dependent on increased activation of Stat3 and, to a lesser extent, Stat1 (see the related article beginning on page 1727). Prior studies from this group have shown that Stat3 hyperactivity stimulates the TGF-beta inhibitor Smad7. Collectively, the studies suggest that an important pathway of oncogenic transformation in the stomach is through suppression of growth inhibitory signals, such as members of the TGF-beta family, that originate from the stroma.
Molecular characterization of an EWSR1–POU5F1 fusion associated with a t(6;22) in an undifferentiated soft tissue sarcoma

We report a soft tissue sarcoma from the thigh with morphologic features resembling Ewing sarcoma, clear cell sarcoma, and myoepithelial tumor of soft tissue. In addition, the genetic and immunohistochemical findings do not correspond to any established pattern, so the tumor does not clearly fit into any one classification. The karyotype analysis revealed a rare chromosomal rearrangement, t(6;22)(p22;q12), that previously has been reported in bone and epithelial tumors. Molecular studies confirmed the presence of an EWSR1–POU5F1 fusion creating a chimeric gene with the N-terminal transcriptional activation domain of EWSR1 and the C-terminal POU DNA binding domain of POU5F1 . This report is novel in that to our knowledge, it is the first complete molecular characterization of an EWSR1–POU5F1 fusion in a soft tissue sarcoma. Evaluation of existing data on the known EWSR1–POU5F1 tumors suggests that the fusion gene functions in a wide variety of cell types and may modify the differentiation state of cells, resulting in susceptibility to tumorigenesis.
Museums and Community: The Benefits of Working Together.

Abstract This case study of "Listen, Look, & Do," a multi-visit preschool program at the Smithsonian's National Postal Museum, provides a model for how other history museums can program for young learners in their neighborhoods. In striving to meet local community audience needs identified by annual evaluations, staff created a program that shifted its focus from prioritizing the museum's content to improving the learners' experience. While still rooted in postal themes and objects, the program's key benefits to teachers and students emerge from the skill- and place-based modifications we made. This signature program's structure now informs all offerings developed by the National Postal Museum education department, as it seeks first to be for someone, and second to be about something.
Comparison of health promotion and deterrent prompts in increasing use of stairs over escalators.

This study compared the effectiveness of two point-of-decision prompts within the same environmental setting. The effects of a health promotion sign were compared with activity change resulting fro...
The Shallowest Possible Water Extraction Profile: A Null Model for Global Root Distributions

of vegetation can have pronounced eﬀ ects on ecosystem ﬂ uxes of water and carbon and thereby directly aﬀ ect climate (Jackson 1999; Kleidon and Heimann 2000; Feddes et al., 2001; Lee et al., 2005). Biogeochemistry, hydrology, and global circulation models param-eterized to use unrealistically shallow or deep root distributions may seriously under- or overestimate transpiration and thereby cause under- or overestimates of net primary productivity, the major process by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere. Th e problem until recently was that plant biologists lacked the understanding to allow quantitative predictions of vertical root distributions from abiotic and/or biotic factors for a given com-bination of climate, soil, and vegetation. Without the ability to realistically parameterize root distributions, modelers had to rely on highly simpliﬁ ed depictions of belowground structure and function of global vegetation (Jackson et al., 2000).Compilations of global root databases by Jackson et al. (1996) and Canadell et al. (1996), later updated by Schenk and Jackson (2002a,b, 2003a), resulted in information on mean vertical root distributions and maximum rooting depths for biomes that could be used in global models. At the same time, these databases allowed analyses of relationships between climate, soil texture, vegetation type, and vertical root distributions or maximum rooting depths (Schenk and Jackson, 2002a,b). Th ese analyses resulted in empirical models and maps of predicted rooting depths for global vegetation (Schenk and Jackson, 2003b, 2005).Th e most obvious conclusion from these studies was that globally the vast majority of root profiles show exponential declines of root density with increasing depth (Fig. 1). Out of 564 root proﬁ les compiled in a global database, 93% had the highest root density, on average, 60% of ﬁ ne roots, in the upper 20 cm of the soil proﬁ le, including organic layers (Schenk and Jackson, 2002a, 2003a). Th is distribution does not match the vertical distribution of the major plant nutrients nitrogen, phos-phorus, and potassium, as only 10 to 30% of these nutrients tend to be concentrated in the upper 20 cm of the soil proﬁ le (Fig. 1; Jobbagy and Jackson, 2001). Clearly, the more shallow distribu-tion of roots must be at least partly the result of other factors besides nutrient availability.In fact, several factors favor shallow root distributions under most conditions (Schenk and Jackson, 2002a; Schenk, 2005): (i) energy costs for construction, maintenance, and resource uptake are lower for shallow roots; (ii) soil strength is typically lowest near the soil surface; (iii) water in most soils enters the proﬁ le pre-dominantly from above; (iv) nutrient concentrations are typically
Transient thermal and nonthermal electron and phonon relaxation after short-pulsed laser heating of metals

Several dynamic thermal and nonthermal scattering processes affect ultrafast heat transfer in metals after short-pulsed laser heating. Even with decades of measurements of electron-phonon relaxation, the role of thermal vs. nonthermal electron and phonon scattering on overall electron energy transfer to the phonons remains unclear. In this work, we derive an analytical expression for the electron-phonon coupling factor in a metal that includes contributions from equilibrium and nonequilibrium distributions of electrons. While the contribution from the nonthermal electrons to electron-phonon coupling is non-negligible, the increase in the electron relaxation rates with increasing laser fluence measured by thermoreflectance techniques cannot be accounted for by only considering electron-phonon relaxations. We conclude that electron-electron scattering along with electron-phonon scattering have to be considered simultaneously to correctly predict the transient nature of electron relaxation during and after short-pulsed heating of metals at elevated electron temperatures. Furthermore, for high electron temperature perturbations achieved at high absorbed laser fluences, we show good agreement between our model, which accounts for d-band excitations, and previous experimental data. Our model can be extended to other free electron metals with the knowledge of the density of states of electrons in the metals and considering electronic excitations from non-Fermi surface states.
Anonymous Defamation by Internet

This article discusses possible courses of legal action if defamed by an anonymous internet poster, and protection afforded to certain potential defendants by the Communications Decency Act.
State Tax Actions 2005

The author looks at legislative state tax actions in 2005. States raised $3.4 billion in net new taxes in 2005, down from $4.1 billion in 2004. States cut aggregate individual income taxes. The largest increase occurred in sales and use taxes.
The Ubiquitous False Claims Act: The Incongruous Relationship between a Civil War Era Fraud Statute and the Modern Administrative State

From the mid-nineteenth century through the early twentieth century, federal regulation, to the extent that it existed at all, related primarily to the terms on which third parties could sell or buy goods. In contrast, today, the federal government itself is a dominant consumer of goods and services produced by the private sector. In that role, the federal government regulates government contractors' production processes and often dictates the methods that contractors must use to produce goods or services purchased by the governnment as well as the prices at which the government will purchase such goods.Government regulation of the production process and of the ordinary incidents of the purchase and sale transactions between the govenment and private parties raises difficult issues unforeseen at the time that the False Claims Act was adopted.The predominant role of the government as a purchaser of goods and services likewise was not anticipated at the time of the FCA's adoption, futher exacerbating the difficulties inherent in applying a nineteenth century fraud statute to twenty-first century transactions. Recent decisions of federal appellate and trial courts evidence the difficulties experienced and foreshadow even greater problems if the tension between the Civil War era FCA and the modern administrative state is not addressed and resolved.The problems are particuarly acute in programs such as those created by the Medicare and Medicaid Acts. The statutes and regulations implementing those Acts detail performance standards, but also contemplate a degree of non-compliance with such standards and provide the agency with discretion to continue payment for services even when there has been an egregious breech of the performance standards. Moreover, the Medicare and Medicaid programs allow the government discretion to continue to contract with, and to pay, non-compliant suppliers when doing so is is determined to be in the best interests of the program's beneficiaries. Further, in some programs, the Medicare and Medicaid stautes provide that compliance with program standards is to be determined using a specified protocol and by specially trained persons with expertise in the field. Those protocols bear no relationship to the judicial process. In addition, the Medicare Act provides that jurisdiction to determine compliance with program standards ordinarily resides in the Secretary of Health and Human Services, not in the courts.The conflict between the fact-finding and enforcement process peculiar to the Medicare and Medicaid programs and the judicial process used to adjudicate claims under the FCA gives rise to a series of difficult questions that courts must resolve in order to adjudicate FCA claims implicating Medicare and Medicaid performance standards.
Synergism of carbamate insecticides with octachlorodipropyl ether.

Octachlorodipropyl ether ( bis -(2,3,3,3-tetrachloropropyl)ether), a pyrethrum synergist, was found to act as synergist of carbamate insecticides against susceptible and carbamate-selected strains of houseflies( Musca domestica L.). Under certain circumstances synergistic effect was evident with ratios of synergist to carbamate as low as 1: 20, and persisted for at least 96 hours following application of the synergist.
Analysis of inducement of acute attack of asthma in children in Suzhou area from 2013 to 2014

Objective To analyze inducement of acute attack of asthma in children in Suzhou area in recent two years,so as to provide conference to the prevention and treatment of acute attack of asthma. Methods Clinical data of 198 cases of children who were admitted to pneumology department due to acute asthma attack from January,2013 to December,2014 were retrospectively analyzed. Clinically etiological analysis was carried out on age distribution,gender differences,outset seasons and pathogen distribution. Sterile vacuum suction method was adopted to collect patients' fresh sputum,and direct immunofluorescence method was used to detect seven common virus antigens. Meanwhile,RT-PCR was applied to test human metapneumovirus( h MPV) and human rhinovirus( hRV). Real-time PCR was used to detect human Bocavirus( h Bo V),chlamydia pneumonia( CP) and mycoplasma pneumonia( MP). In addition,bacteria was detected through bacterial culture,while serum MP was detected by ELISA. Results Acute asthma attack in children occurred all year round,high incidence appeared in autumn with the number of hospitalized patient accounting for 44. 95 percent of that of the whole year. In 2013,68 of all the patients were boys while 36 of them were girls. In 2014,59 of them were boys while 35 were girls. The number of hospitalized boys in recent two years was larger than that of girls. Of the172 cases who were detected with respiratory pathogens,the infection rate of MP was the highest and 104 cases were positive,accounting for 52. 53 percent,and they were sporadic all year round. Virus infection was found in the detection of 50 cases,accounting for 25. 25 percent,among which number of rhinovirus infection was the largest( 30 cases),difference of cases of rhinovirus infection in different seasons was statistically significant( χ2= 9. 905,P = 0. 019). More cases infected with rhinovirus in spring,but the difference of total infected number was not statistically significant in different seasons( χ2= 7. 292,P = 0. 063). Among 69 cases who got bacterial infection,54 cases got merged nasosinusitis,tonsillitis or pneumonia,and the bacterial infection was sporadic through the whole year. Differences of number of children infected with MP,rhinovirus,bacteria and Bocavirus in the group of children over 5 years old and group of children under 5 years old were not statistically significant( P 0. 05). Difference between the infected number of respiratory syncytial virus was statistically significant( χ2= 6. 087,P = 0. 014),and children infected with respiratory syncytial virus were relatively young. Conclusion Infection of MP is the main inducement of acute asthma attack in children in Suzhou area in recent two years,following up by virus infection,and the morbility peak appears in autumn.
Regulation of myocardial cell growth and death by the Hippo pathway

Stress in the heart causes loss of cardiomyocytes (CMs), the accumulation of which leads to heart failure, a major cause of clinical mortality. The improvement of CM survival and facilitation of CM regeneration are major goals in treatment for heart failure. The Hippo pathway is an evolutionarily conserved signaling mechanism that regulates organ size by controlling both apoptosis and cell proliferation. The main components of the Hippo pathway, including Mst1/2, Lats1/2 and Yes-associated protein (Yap), are present in the mammalian heart and play an important role in regulating the growth and death of CMs. Recent research in the cardiac field has demonstrated that Yap, a key downstream transcriptional cofactor in the Hippo signaling pathway, plays a crucial role in regulating survival and proliferation/hypertrophy of CMs. Increasing lines of evidence suggest that Yap promotes regeneration of the heart after myocardial infarction. In this review, we summarize the current knowledge regarding the roles and functions of the Hippo pathway in the heart, with a particular emphasis on the role of Yap in regulating growth and death of CMs. (Circ J 2016; 80: 1511-1519).
Abstract P615: Hypertension-Dependent Reprogramming of the Endothelial Transcriptome

Hypertension has drastic consequences for the cardiovascular system and especially for endothelial cell health. Clinically this is observed through the repeated finding that hypertension is associated with endothelial dysfunction. Despite this strong evidence that hypertension leads to impairment of endothelial function, the molecular events that give rise to endothelial dysfunction are poorly characterized. To better understand how hypertension affects the health and function of endothelial cells at the molecular level, we utilized a mouse model of spontaneous hypertension (BPH/2J) with the overarching hypothesis that hypertension causes the transcriptional reprogramming of endothelial cells leading to endothelial dysfunction. First, we non-invasively quantified endothelial function from hypertensive and normotensive (BPN/3J) mice by measuring flow-mediated vasodilation with high-frequency ultrasound. We found that hypertensive mice failed to dilate their femoral artery while normotensive control mice dilated their femoral artery 17 ± 8% (Mean ± SEM). Next, we acutely isolated cardiac endothelial cells by magnetic-assisted cell sorting for endothelial marker CD31. Through this technique, we enriched our sample for endothelial cells (as defined by expression of two endothelial-specific cell-surface markers CD31 and CD102) to 92 ± 1% compared to 9 ± 1% in pre-magnetically sorted cells. Finally, we isolated RNA and transcriptionally profiled the endothelial cells from normotensive and hypertensive mice (n=3 mice per group) with an average depth of 30 million reads per sample with RNAseq. We found that over 4000 genes were differentially expressed between groups (FDR cutoff of .01). Using Ingenuity Pathways Analysis (Qiagen), we identified multiple pathways that were dysregulated in endothelial cells exposed to hypertension including those related to immune function, cell morphology and cell-to-cell communication. This work represents one of the first studies to utilize cell-specific RNAseq to quantify how endothelial cells are transcriptionally reprogrammed in a pathological state. It is our hope that this work will lead to targeted therapeutics to improve endothelial function in patients with hypertension.
Genetic Variation in Testicular Development and its Relationship to Female Reproductive Traits in Swine

In situ length and width of both testes and body weight were recorded on 40 Chester White, 60 Landrace, 60 Large White and 62 Yorkshire boars born in the spring and on 57 Duroc, 54 Hampshire, 57 Pietrain and 50 Spot boars born in the fall. Testicular biopsies on one-half of the boars in each breed group were evaluated for percentage of tubules with complete spermatogenesis and for diameter of tubules. Testicular volume of both testes was estimated at 98 and 154 d of age and 36 and 81 kg. Breed effects were significant for all testicular traits except testicular volume at 36 kg in the spring farrowing and testicular volume at 98 d of age in the fall farrowing. The estimate of heritability for testicular volume was low at 98 d of age (.12 +/- .14) but large at 154 d of age (.55 +/- .12). Heritability estimates for testicular volume were lower at constant weights (.11 +/- .14 and .14 +/- .12) than at constant ages (.12 and .55). Heritability estimates for traits measured by biopsy were moderate to large (.22 +/- .22 to .78 +/- .18). Phenotypic correlations of in situ testicular volume with traits measured by biopsy were moderate and positive when estimated within a breed (.16 to .52). Genetic correlations of testicular volume at constant ages and weights with traits measured by biopsy were moderate to large and positive (.58 to greater than 1.0); similar correlations among bred means were quite variable (-.35 to .91). Selection for increased testicular volume would not be antagonistic to selection goals for growth and backfat. However, selection for improvement in traits measured by biopsy may result in undesirable changes in growth rate and backfat probe. Genetic correlations of testicular traits with age at puberty and litter size of females were not consistent in magnitude or sign between the two estimation procedures.
Effects of Estrogen on HDL Metabolism

Coronary heart disease (CHD) is the leading cause of morbidity and mortality in postmenopausal women. While observational studies have shown a reduction in CHD risk in postmenopausal women on hormone therapy (HT), randomized clinical trials have found no protection or increased risk of CHD with HT, despite HT-associated favorable changes in plasma lipid levels. The different findings of observational and randomized clinical trials have in part been explained by the different timing of HT initiation in these two types of studies. Estrogen replacement in postmenopausal women is associated with increases in plasma HDL-C and apo A-I levels. The fraction of HDL mostly affected by estrogen treatment is the large, apo A-I only containing particle. Kinetic studies have consistently shown that the increase in HDL levels is due to a significant increases in apo A-I production rate, with no change in apo A-I clearance. Increased hepatic apo A-I synthesis by estrogen is mediated by membrane signal transduction activation.
Intubation depth markings allow an improved positioning of endotracheal tubes in children

Objectives To evaluate the position of the new Microcuff® pediatric tracheal tube, based upon intubation depth markings.
Experimental Photodynamic Treatment of Canine Bladder

In urology, important limiting factors in the application of hematoporphyrin derivative and photodynamic therapy appear to be the problems of standardization of dosimetry and the technique of transurethral photoradiation. Experimental photodynamic therapy on canine bladder with normal and altered epithelium was performed using an argon laser as an energy source. A 630 nanometer wavelength of light was delivered through a quartz-optical fiber with either a regular flat end for focal illumination or a bulb-type end which produced an isotropic light pattern. It was demonstrated that normal canine bladder was resistant to photodynamic therapy and that the bulb tip produced whole bladder illumination. With a moderate light dose of 18 to 30 Joules/cm.2 the effect following whole bladder illumination on the bladder was generalized and superficial. This approach appears to be ideal for treating superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. Additional work is needed in selecting appropriate energy doses.
Model uncertainty and energy technology policy

Numerical modeling based on economic principles has become the dominant analytical tool in U.S. energy policy. Energy models are now used extensively by public agencies, private entities, and academic researchers, and in recent years have also formed the core of "integrated assessment" models used to analyze the relationships among the energy system, the economy, and the global climate. However, fundamental uncertainties are intrinsic in what has become the typical circumstance of multiple models embodying different representations of the energy-economy, and producing different policy-relevant outputs that model users are compelled to interpret as equally plausible and/or valid. Because the policy implications of these outputs can diverge substantially, policy-makers are confronted with a significant degree of model-based uncertainty and little or no guidance as to how it should be addressed.This problem of "model uncertainty" has recently been the focus of work in macroeconomics, where scholars have studied the problem of how a decision-maker should proceed in the face of uncertainty regarding the correct model of an economic system that is the object of policy. A unifying theme in this work is the identification of decision-rules that are robust to such uncertainty. This paper describes an application to energy modeling of the macroeconomists' insights and methods related to model uncertainty and robust analysis, focusing on the important example of model representations of technical change. Using a well-known model by Goulder and Mathai, we treat contrasting assumptions on technical change - and their implications for CO2 emissions abatement policy - as a phenomenon of model uncertainty. We apply a non-Bayesian decision rule - so-called "min-max regret" - to this problem and computationally solve the model under the min-max regret criterion, yielding a policy - an emissions abatement path - that reflects a form of robustness to the model uncertainty. Model uncertainty is a major issue in energy and integrated assessment models (IAM).An economic analysis of CO2 abatement with technical change uncertainty is important.A non-Bayesian decision rule is applied in a well-known IAM for robustness analysis.Computational results explore the robust solution and compare it to other solutions.The analysis demonstrates the robust method's power in the CO2 abatement problem.
Adamantinoma of the Spine

This is a rare malignant neoplasm locally aggressive slowly growing and the has potential to metastasize.