cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of transportation alternatives for aging population in the era of self-driving vehicles

Abstract Objective Access to transportation is very important for older adults as it allows them to lead an independent and social life. With a growing elderly population, providing access to transportation is one of the greatest societal challenges in the United States. A feasible solution to this problem is adoption of self-driving vehicles in order to provide safe, convenient, and affordable transportation services to older adults. This study analyzed older adults' acceptance of three transportation alternatives that utilize self-driving vehicles. In addition, older adults' travel behavior and transportation needs were also assessed. Methods An online survey approach was adopted to collect data on older adults' travel behavior, transportation needs, and to evaluate three transportation alternatives. The three self-driving transportation alternatives presented were owning a self-driving vehicle, using prepaid taxi services, and getting rides through community services. A total of 173 survey responses were collected from participants aged 60 years or older. Results Participants (80% or more) responded that they are satisfied with the number of trips they make to stores, medical centers, and to religious and social events. On the other hand, more than one-third of the participants would make more trips than they currently do to visit family and friends and to recreational places if rides were available. Among the three alternatives, prepaid taxi services received the best overall ratings. A majority of the participants also responded that owning a self-driving vehicle was not affordable to them. Conclusions This study provides valuable information that could be used to design future transportation services for the elderly population. Older adults are willing to adopt self-driving vehicles as a mode of transportation. However, automakers and federal authorities need to make efforts to inform older adults about the benefits of these vehicles, and their safety features.
Symptomatic hypercalcemia and scarring alopecia as presenting features of sarcoidosis.

Sarcoidosis is a multisystem granulomatous disease most frequently affecting the lungs, lymph nodes, and eyes. Skin involvement occurs in approximately 25% to 35% of cases, with the scalp uncommonl...
Outcomes of Observation vs Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer: The ORIOLE Phase 2 Randomized Clinical Trial

Importance Complete metastatic ablation of oligometastatic prostate cancer may provide an alternative to early initiation of androgen deprivation therapy (ADT). Objective To determine if stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) improves oncologic outcomes in men with oligometastatic prostate cancer. Design, Setting, and Participants The Observation vs Stereotactic Ablative Radiation for Oligometastatic Prostate Cancer (ORIOLE) phase 2 randomized study accrued participants from 3 US radiation treatment facilities affiliated with a university hospital from May 2016 to March 2018 with a data cutoff date of May 20, 2019, for analysis. Of 80 men screened, 54 men with recurrent hormone-sensitive prostate cancer and 1 to 3 metastases detectable by conventional imaging who had not received ADT within 6 months of enrollment or 3 or more years total were randomized. Interventions Patients were randomized in a 2:1 ratio to receive SABR or observation. Main Outcomes and Measures The primary outcome was progression at 6 months by prostate-specific antigen level increase, progression detected by conventional imaging, symptomatic progression, ADT initiation for any reason, or death. Predefined secondary outcomes were toxic effects of SABR, local control at 6 months with SABR, progression-free survival, Brief Pain Inventory (Short Form)–measured quality of life, and concordance between conventional imaging and prostate-specific membrane antigen (PSMA)–targeted positron emission tomography in the identification of metastatic disease. Results In the 54 men randomized, the median (range) age was 68 (61-70) years for patients allocated to SABR and 68 (64-76) years for those allocated to observation. Progression at 6 months occurred in 7 of 36 patients (19%) receiving SABR and 11 of 18 patients (61%) undergoing observation (P = .005). Treatment with SABR improved median progression-free survival (not reached vs 5.8 months; hazard ratio, 0.30; 95% CI, 0.11-0.81;P = .002). Total consolidation of PSMA radiotracer-avid disease decreased the risk of new lesions at 6 months (16% vs 63%;P = .006). No toxic effects of grade 3 or greater were observed. T-cell receptor sequencing identified significant increased clonotypic expansion following SABR and correlation between baseline clonality and progression with SABR only (0.082085 vs 0.026051;P = .03). Conclusions and Relevance Treatment with SABR for oligometastatic prostate cancer improved outcomes and was enhanced by total consolidation of disease identified by PSMA-targeted positron emission tomography. SABR induced a systemic immune response, and baseline immune phenotype and tumor mutation status may predict the benefit from SABR. These results underline the importance of prospective randomized investigation of the oligometastatic state with integrated imaging and biological correlates. Trial Registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier:NCT02680587
The liberalization of fireworks legislation and its effects on firework-related injuries in West Virginia

Fifteen states, including West Virginia, have liberalized their laws concerning fireworks possession and sale. Effective June 1, 2016, House Bill 2852 enabled all Class C fireworks to be sold within the state. The effects of this policy on fireworks-related injuries requiring immediate medical care are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine whether this policy may have affected the fireworks-related injury rate and/or injury severity. Data were collected from the electronic medical records of patients treated by West Virginia University Medicine between June 1, 2015-May 31, 2017. The pre and post law periods were defined as June 1, 2015-May 31, 2016 and June 1, 2016-May 31, 2017, respectively. Fireworks-related injuries were identified via International Classification of Disease Clinical Modification codes and by free text searches of the electronic medical records. The rate of injuries pre and post-legislation were compared by Exact Poisson Regression, while demographic characteristics and injury severity were compared via Fisher’s Exact tests. 56 individuals were treated for fireworks-related injuries during the study period. The majority of patients were over 25 years of age (64%) and male (77%). Most of the injuries occurred within 7 days of a celebrated U.S. holiday (64%), and 28% were severe in nature. Age, sex, and injury severity did not significantly differ pre and post law passage. The injury rate per 100,000 patients was 39% higher after the law was enacted (p = 0.3475; incidence rate ratio 1.39, 95% Confidence Interval 0.74, 2.68). The law increasing access to Class C fireworks may have affected the injury rate, but not injury severity among treated patients. Effective, evidence-based, public health interventions applicable to all age groups may be warranted particularly around national holidays. This study may inform other states looking to amend their legislation.
Image transmission via profiled electromagnetic beams through modified von Karman phase turbulence

Propagation of uniform and Gaussian profiled beams without and with images through random phase turbulence is investigated in the Fraunhofer regimes. To set the tone for the subsequent image transmission, beam propagation through conventional planar apertures is first examined using a split-step approach. The numerical approach is then extended to examine the effects of isoplanatic propagation through turbulence on lens-based imaging of a 2D transparency, as well as time signals derived via PCM-type digitization of the image propagated along arbitrary turbulence regimes. Simulation results based on the split-step method whereby the phase screen is placed at specific (including multiple) locations along the propagation path, and the Fresnel-Kirchhoff diffraction integral is invoked, are presented. The modified von Karman spectrum (MVKS) power spectrum model is used to describe a random phase distribution over narrow and extended turbulent regions. Simulation results are limited to the transverse-plane intensity of the diffracted field in the Fraunhofer regimes and the cross-correlation between the received profiles (beam and image) without and with turbulence. We focus specifically on the process of modeling turbulent effects in imagery by developing a workable space-time phase model for random phase changes in the transverse field profile based on von Karman turbulence. Cross-correlation as a performance measure is preferred in this work (instead of the bit error rate or BER approach) because it may be applied readily to both the case of lens-based imaging (in analog fashion) and the case of PCM-type digitization.
Control Lyapunov-Barrier Function-Based Predictive Control of Nonlinear Systems Using Machine Learning Models

Control Lyapunov-Barrier functions (CLBF) have been adopted to design model predictive controllers (MPC) for input-constrained nonlinear systems to ensure closed-loop stability and process operational safety simultaneously. As a key requirement for CLBF-based MPC is the availability of a dynamic model to predict future states and optimize control actions, this work presents a CLBF-MPC method using an ensemble of recurrent neural network (RNN) models. Guaranteed closed-loop stability and process operational safety are derived for the system with two types of unsafe regions, i.e., bounded and unbounded sets. The application of the proposed RNN-based CLBF-MPC method is demonstrated through a chemical process example with a bounded and an unbounded unsafe region, respectively.
Open Full-Thickness Quadriceps Tendon Autograft Harvest With Repair for Anterior Cruciate Ligament Reconstruction

Historically, one of the most common graft choices for anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) reconstruction in the pediatric population has been the hamstring autograft. Although pediatric ACL reconstructions with a hamstring autograft have allowed a majority of children and adolescents to return to athletics, it has been reported that anywhere between 6% and 38% of these patients will go on to experience subsequent graft rupture. The quadriceps tendon autograft is an alternative to the hamstring tendon autograft that demonstrates superior preliminary outcomes, and we currently recommend it for skeletally immature patients undergoing primary and revision ACL reconstruction. This paper aims to describe our technique for an open full-thickness quadriceps tendon harvest with repair.
Wireless Communication Desense Due to Electromagnetic Shields

EM shields are commonly used to prevent unwanted radiations and isolate the electronic devices from outside environment. In this paper, we show EM shields may cause the degradation of wireless communication performance if not carefully deigned. In the presented wireless system, the resonance frequency of EM shield is within the range of Wi-Fi communication band. The thermal pad inside the EM shield has high dielectric constant that reduces the resonance frequency from above the operating frequency band to inside the band. Also, the certain harmonic of digital clock happens to be at the resonance frequency of the EM shield. Therefore, the harmonic spur couples to Wi-Fi chains of communications through resonance of EM shield and degrades the sensitivity of Wi-Fi receivers. We will discuss the mechanism of EM coupling and how to alleviate the system performance degradation through a few mitigation techniques. The dielectric constant of the thermal pads inside the EM shield should be chosen carefully to prevent the coupling through EM shield or external radiation.
A Rare Case of Steroid-Resistant Neurosarcoidosis of the Cavernous Sinus With Optic Neuropathy: A Case Report:

Sarcoidosis is an inflammatory disease that presents with nervous system involvement in 5-10% of cases, commonly known as neurosarcoidosis.1 While there are no randomized controlled trials for the ...
DPSleep: Open-Source Longitudinal Sleep Analysis From Accelerometer Data

Wearable devices are now widely available to collect continuous objective behavioral data from individuals and to measure sleep. Here we introduce a pipeline to infer sleep onset, duration, and quality from raw accelerometer data and then quantify relationships between derived sleep metrics and other variables of interest. The pipeline released here for the deep phenotyping of sleep, as the “DPSleep” software package, uses (a) a stepwise algorithm to detect missing data; (b) within-individual, minute-based, spectral power percentiles of activity; and (c) iterative, forward- and backward-sliding windows to estimate the major Sleep Episode onset and offset. Software modules allow for manual quality control adjustment of derived sleep features and correction for time zone changes. In this report, we illustrate the pipeline with data from participants studied for more than 200 days each. Actigraphy-based measures of sleep duration are associated with self-report rating of sleep quality. Simultaneous measures of smartphone use and GPS location data support the validity of the sleep timing inferences and reveal how phone measures of sleep timing can differ from actigraphy data. We discuss the uses of DPSleep in relation to other available sleep estimation approaches and provide example use cases that include multi-dimensional, deep longitudinal phenotyping, extended measurement of dynamics associated with mental illness, and the possibility of combining wearable actigraphy and personal electronic device data (e.g., smartphone, tablet) to measure individual differences across a wide range of behavioral variation in health and disease.
A note on robust procurement contracts

Abstract We study a procurement problem where both a principal and an agent share uncertainty regarding the cost at the outset. After being offered a contract, the agent privately observes an informative signal of the marginal cost. The principal neither knows the signal distribution nor has a prior belief about possible signal distributions. We characterize a procurement contract that is robust to the principal’s uncertainty about the agent’s information structure. The principal’s worst distribution either fully reveals to the agent that the cost is low or makes him just pessimistic enough to reject the contract. In the former case, the agent accepts the contract and produces less than what he would have without the signal.
Political economy of aid allocation: The case of Arab donors

By exploiting a unique data set on aid allocation by major Arab donors, this paper explores the relationship between aid allocation and the strategic alignment of donors with recipients as well as the developmental need of recipients. To motivate our empirical work, we first develop a new theory of aid allocation, wherein a representative donor country's payoff depends on both the well‐being of the representative recipient country as well as its strategic alignment with the donor. Our theoretical model suggests that there exists a positive relationship between donor's aid allocation and the geopolitical and cultural alignment of the recipient country. Our model also predicts that donors allocate more aid to recipient countries with higher levels of country capacity. To test the prediction of our theory empirically, we construct a new measure of geopolitical and cultural alignment for recipient countries by using principal component analysis. We employ this measure and a set of control variables to show that the geopolitical and cultural alignment of a recipient country and its capacity to implement development projects are the key determinants of aid allocation from the Arab donors.
Silica Induced Lung Fibrosis Is Associated With Senescence, Fgr, and Recruitment of Bone Marrow Monocyte/Macrophages.

Background/aim The role of senescence and bone marrow-derived cells in silica-induced pulmonary fibrosis is unknown. Materials and methods C57BL/6HNsd, p16+/LUC, and tdTOMp16+ mice were intratracheally injected with 200 mg/kg crystalline silica or irradiated (20 Gy) to the thoracic cavity and followed for the development of lung fibrosis. Results The p16+/LUC mice demonstrated senescence by day 7 after silica exposure. C57BL/6 mice exposed to silica demonstrated upregulation of p16, p21, and tyrosine kinase Fgr by day 7, whereas thoracic irradiation induced p21 and Fgr by day 50 and p16 by day 110. Silica exposed GFP+ bone marrow chimeric C57BL/6 mice demonstrated senescent cells and gfp+/Fgr+ monocyte/macrophages in the lungs on day 21. The Fgr inhibitor TL02-59 abrogated monocyte/macrophages recruitment in in vitro transwell experiments. Conclusion Both silica and radiation exposure induce senescence and upregulate tyrosine kinase Fgr for the recruitment of bone marrow-derived monocyte/macrophages and the development of pulmonary fibrosis.
'Finding the Facts' Standards of Proof and Information Handling in Monitoring, Reporting and Fact-Finding Missions

This paper sets out various dilemmas faced by practitioners undertaking fact-finding missions, based on a desk analysis and extensive interviews with expert practitioners. The paper addresses the challenges, both practical and theoretical, related to standards of proof and information collection and suggests policy options that might be pursued moving forward.
Revised Armington Elasticities of Substitution USITC Model and the Concordance for Constructing Consistent Set for the GTAP Model

The paper presents a set of Armington substitution elasticities, and the concordances between different models and their aggregates, which are required to generate a consistent set of elasticities between the Commission's United States CGE model, USITC model, and the Global Trade Analysis Project CGE model, "GTAP model". These CGE models differ in the scope and level of commodity detail. Because of these differences generating a consistent set of Armington elasticities for an necessitates defining USITC model aggregate commodities that map to the more aggregate GTAP model commodities. The example provided here illustrates a 128-commodity U.S. single-country model mapping to a 41-commodity global model. The two characterizations of the U.S. economy are based upon the sectors as defined in the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) 1992 Input-Output (I-O) accounts. Tables provide the concordances between the USITC-128 commodities and the GTAP-41 commodities and the BEA I-O accounts. In addition, the Armington elasticity is presented for each of the BEA I-O accounts.
Constitutive Expression of the HTLV-I pX and env Regions in Jurkat T-cells Induces Differential Activation of SRE, CRE and NFκB Pathways

Human T-cell leukemia virus type I (HTLV-I) causes adult T-cell leukemia/lymphoma (ATLL). HTLV Tax, the viral transcriptional activator, can activate a variety of cellular genes. HTLV-mediated T-cell transformation, however, may involve additional viral proteins expressed from singly- as well as doubly-spliced viral mRNA. To determine the combined effect of these viral proteins on cellular gene expression in Jurkat T-cells, we derived stable transfectants that constitutively express the HTLV-I pX and env regions (J3.9). J3.9 cells show substantially increased mRNA levels of egr-1 and c-jun but no induction of either CD25 or GM-CSF by Northern blotting. This pattern corresponded to the activation of an egr-1 but not a GM-CSF promoter-driven reporter construct in transient gene expression assays. In DNA electrophoretic mobility shift assays (EMSA), nuclear extract from J3.9 cells has significantly increased binding to CRE and SRE but not nuclear factor kappa B (NFκB) DNA oligos, as compared to J-Neo cell extract. These results suggest that low level expression of pX and env region gene products in Jurkat T-cells stimulates persistent activation of CRE- and SRE- but not NFκB-induced cellular genes.
Acquisition in CDMA systems using parallel interference cancellation

A code acquisition scheme employing parallel interference cancellation (PIC) for DS-CDMA systems is investigated. The scheme employs PIC to remove the multiple access interference (MAI) from the synchronized users in the system. The interference cancelled signal is used to acquire the code phase of a new unsynchronized user entering the system. The performance of the new scheme is compared to the conventional method (of using the received signal to perform acquisition) in terms of the probabilities of detection (P/sub d/) and false alarm (P/sub fa/). From simulation results, it is found that the proposed scheme outperforms the conventional method by producing higher values of P/sub d/ for a particular value of P/sub fa/. A mathematical expression is derived for evaluating P/sub d/ at each stage of the PIC and is verified with the simulation results.
Law & Order, CSI, and NCIS: The Association Between Exposure to Crime Drama Franchises, Rape Myth Acceptance, and Sexual Consent Negotiation Among College Students

Previous research has identified that exposure to the crime drama genre lowers rape myth acceptance and increases sexual assault prevention behaviors such as bystander intervention. However, recent content analyses have revealed marked differences in the portrayal of sexual violence within the top three crime drama franchises. Using a survey of 313 college freshmen, this study explores the influence of exposure to the three most popular crime drama franchises: Law & Order, CSI, and NCIS. Findings indicate that exposure to the Law & Order franchise is associated with decreased rape myth acceptance and increased intentions to adhere to expressions of sexual consent and refuse unwanted sexual activity; whereas exposure to the CSI franchise is associated with decreased intentions to seek consent and decreased intentions to adhere to expressions of sexual consent. Exposure to the NCIS franchise was associated with decreased intentions to refuse unwanted sexual activity. These results indicate that exposure to the specific content of each crime drama franchise may have differential results on sexual consent negotiation behaviors.
The role of marital quality and spousal support in behaviour problems of children with and without intellectual disability

Background Children with intellectual disability (ID) have been found to be at an increased risk for developing behavioural problems. The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between the marital domain, including marital quality and spousal support, and behaviour problems in children with and without ID. Methods The relationship between the marital domain and child behaviour problems was examined in 132 families of 6-year-olds with and without ID. Using hierarchical regression, these relationships were also studied over time from child ages 6–8 years. Child behaviour problems were assessed with mother-reported Child Behavior Checklist. The marital domain was measured using the Dyadic Adjustment Scale-7 and the Spousal Support and Agreement Scale. Mother-reported parenting stress and observed parenting practices were tested as potential mediators of the relationship between the marital domain and child behaviour problems. Results Mean levels of the marital domain were not significantly different between typically developing (TD) and ID groups, but there were significantly greater levels of variance in reported marital quality in the ID group at ages 6, 7 and 8. The marital domain score at child age 6 years predicted child behaviour problems at age 8 for the TD group only. This predictive relationship appeared to be a unidirectional effect, as child behaviour problems at age 6 were not found to predict levels of the marital domain at age 8. Parenting stress partially mediated this relationship for the TD group. Conclusions The marital domain may have a greater impact on behavioural outcomes for TD children. Implications for future research and interventions are discussed.
Regulation of Snf1 Protein Kinase in Response to Environmental Stress

The Saccharomyces cerevisiae Snf1 protein kinase, a member of the Snf1/AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) family, has important roles in metabolic control, particularly in response to nutrient stress. Here we have addressed the role of Snf1 in responses to other environmental stresses. Exposure of cells to sodium ion stress, alkaline pH, or oxidative stress caused an increase in Snf1 catalytic activity and phosphorylation of Thr-210 in the activation loop, whereas treatment with sorbitol or heat shock did not. Inhibition of respiratory metabolism by addition of antimycin A to cells also increased Snf1 activity. Analysis of mutants indicated that the kinases Sak1, Tos3, and Elm1, which activate Snf1 in response to glucose limitation, are also required under other stress conditions. Each kinase sufficed for activation in response to stress, but Sak1 had the major role. In sak1Δ tos3Δ elm1Δ cells expressing mammalian Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase kinase α, Snf1 was activated by both sodium ion and alkaline stress, suggesting that stress signals regulate Snf1 activity by a mechanism that is independent of the upstream kinase. Finally, we showed that Snf1 protein kinase is regulated differently during adaptation of cells to NaCl and alkaline pH with respect to both temporal regulation of activation and subcellular localization. Snf1 protein kinase becomes enriched in the nucleus in response to alkaline pH but not salt stress. Such differences could contribute to specificity of the stress responses.
Rb2/p130 and protein phosphatase 2A: key mediators of ovarian carcinoma cell growth suppression by all- trans retinoic acid

Despite a number of attempts to improve treatment of ovarian cancer, it remains the most common cause of death from gynecological cancers. Thus, it is very important to identify more effective drugs for treatment and prevention of ovarian cancer. All-trans-retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to arrest the growth of ovarian carcinoma cells in G0/G1 and to significantly elevate levels of Rb2/p130 protein, a member of the retinoblastoma family of tumor suppressors. As ATRA treatment leads to a significant increase in the amount of Rb2/p130 protein but not mRNA, the elevated levels of Rb2/p130 protein is likely the result of increased stability. In studies to elucidate the mechanism by which ATRA alters Rb2/p130 stability in ovarian cancer cells, it was determined that PP2A, a serine/threonine phosphatase, binds and dephosphorylates Rb2/p130. Dephosphorylated Rb2/p130 exhibits decreased ubiquitination and thus is not degraded by the proteasome. The sites at which PP2A catalytic subunit (PP2Ac) interacts with Rb2/p130 have been localized to the NLS in the C-terminus of Rb2/p130. These sites are also involved in the interaction of Rb/p130 with importin β and importin α, members of the nuclear transport machinery. It is known that importin α recognizes a NLS on a target protein and importin β binds the nuclear pore complex. Moreover, it has been shown that the binding of importin α to NLS significantly decreases with phosphorylation of NLS. In ATRA-treated ovarian carcinoma cells, PP2A binds to Rb2/p130 and dephosphorylates the NLS of Rb2/p130 leading to the interaction of importin α with Rb2/p130. Importin β then binds to the importin α-Rb2/p130 complex, leading to the translocation of the Rb2/p130 to the nucleus where it acts to arrest ovarian cancer cells in G1 and suppress proliferation.
Abstract 3392: Molecular determinants for the bone-metastatic potential of prostate cancer cells

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Skeletal metastasis is the major cause of morbidity and death in patients with advanced prostate cancer (PCa). The propensity of cancer cells to progress into macroscopic lesions at secondary sites relies on the successful adaptation of Disseminated Tumor Cells (DTCs) to the new microenvironment. This requirement explains the predilection of most tumors to produce clinical metastases in selected organs although they can seed malignant cells also in several other tissues. It seems plausible that the metastatic fate of DTCs is dictated by the pleiotropic effects of specific genes and their encoded products establishing functional interactions with the surrounding stroma. The main objective of this study was to identify these molecular mediators of cell survival and growth in the bone with the ultimate goal of identifying effective therapeutic targets to counteract PCa metastases. Using a pre-clinical animal model of experimental metastasis, we have recently shown that exogenous over-expression of PDGFRα in non-metastatic prostate phenotypes conferred bone-metastatic potential and a monoclonal antibody targeting the receptor reduced bone metastatic tumors by more than 70%. Here we report that comparative gene-expression analyses conducted with PCa cells showing different intrinsic metastatic potential, as well as prostate phenotypes that fail to increase their metastatic behavior upon PDGFRα expression, resulted in a bone-metastatic gene signature including three genes encoding for soluble, secreted proteins. This suggests that DTCs with aggressive metastatic behavior modify the bone microenvironment in their favor, not only coercing the stroma to support their own survival, but also allowing other malignant phenotypes, that would otherwise fail to thrive, to grow into macroscopic tumors. We are currently testing this cell-cooperation in metastasis as well as functionally validating our three-gene signature by stably silencing or over-expressing each of the three newly identified genes in bone-metastatic and non-metastatic PCa cells, respectively. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3392. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3392
A homotopy algorithm for a symmetric generalized eigenproblem

In this paper, a homotopy algorithm for finding all eigenpairs of a real symmetric matrix pencil (A, B) is presented, whereA andB are realn×n symmetric matrices andB is a positive semidefinite matrix. In the algorithm, pencil (A, B) is first reduced to a pencil\((\tilde A,\tilde B)\), where\(\tilde A\) is a symmetric tridiagonal matrix and\(\tilde B\) is a positive definite and diagonal matrix. Then, the “Divide and Conquer” strategy with homotopy continuation approach is used to find all eigenpairs of pencil\((\tilde A,\tilde B)\). One can easily form the eigenpair (x,λ) of pencil (A, B) from the eigenpair (y, λ) of pencil\((\tilde A,\tilde B)\) with a few computations. Numerical comparisons of our algorithm with the QZ algorithm in the widely used EISPACK library are presented. Numerical results show that our algorithm is strongly competitive in terms of speed, accuracy and orthogonality. The performance of the parallel version of our algorithm is also presented.
Highly cooperative feedback control of retinal rod guanylate cyclase by calcium ions

Visual excitation in retinal rod cells is mediated by a cascade that leads to the amplified hydrolysis of cyclic GMP (cGMP) and the consequent closure of cGMP-activated cation-specific channels in the plasma membrane1–3. Recovery of the dark state requires the resynthesis of cGMP, which is catalysed by guanylate cyclase, an axoneme-associated enzyme4–6. The lowering of the cytosolic calcium concentration (Cai) following illumination7–10 is thought to be important in stimulating cyclase activity11,12. This hypothesis is supported by the finding that the cGMP content of rod outer segments increases several-fold when Cai is lowered to less than 10 nM13–16. It is evident that cGMP and Cai levels are reciprocally controlled by negative feedback1,2. Guanylate cyclase from toad ROS is strongly stimulated when the calcium level is lowered from 10 μM to 10 nM, but only if they are excited by light17. We show here that the guanylate cyclase activity of unilluminated bovine rod outer segments increases markedly (5 to 20-fold) when the calcium level is lowered from 200 nM to 50 nM. This steep dependence of guanylate cyclase activity on the calcium level in the physiological range has a Hill coefficient of 3.9. Stimulation at low calcium levels is mediated by a protein that can be released from the outer segment membranes by washing with a low salt buffer. Calcium sensitivity is partially restored by adding the soluble extract back to the washed membranes. The highly cooperative activation of guanylate cyclase by the light-induced lowering of Cai is likely to be a key event in restoring the dark current after excitation.
On the benefits of providing versioning support for end users: An empirical study

End users with little formal programming background are creating software in many different forms, including spreadsheets, web macros, and web mashups. Web mashups are particularly popular because they are relatively easy to create, and because many programming environments that support their creation are available. These programming environments, however, provide no support for tracking versions or provenance of mashups. We believe that versioning support can help end users create, understand, and debug mashups. To investigate this belief, we have added versioning support to a popular wire-oriented mashup environment, Yahooe Pipes. Our enhanced environment, which we call “Pipes Plumber,” automatically retains versions of pipes and provides an interface with which pipe programmers can browse histories of pipes and retrieve specific versions. We have conducted two studies of this environment: an exploratory study and a larger controlled experiment. Our results provide evidence that versioning helps pipe programmers create and debug mashups. Subsequent qualitative results provide further insights into the barriers faced by pipe programmers, the support for reuse provided by our approach, and the support for debugging provided.
Interleukin 2 regulates expression of its receptor and synthesis of gamma interferon by human T lymphocytes

Interleukin 2 (IL-2) has an important role in the regulation of the expression of IL-2 receptors and the synthesis of gamma interferon (IFN-gamma) by T lymphocytes. IL-2 is required for the optimum expression of IL-2 receptors on activated T lymphocytes and for maximum synthesis of IFN-gamma in vitro. Dexamethasone, an immunosuppressant drug that inhibits IL-2 synthesis, diminished the expression of IL-2 receptors and the synthesis of IFN-gamma. Anti-Tac, a monoclonal antibody known to prevent the binding of IL-2 to its receptor without inhibiting IL-2 synthesis, down-regulated the expression of the receptor and partially inhibited synthesis of IFN-gamma. In a population of T lymphocytes prevented from synthesizing IL-2 by dexamethasone and incapable of using IL-2 as a result of blockage of IL-2 receptors by anti-Tac, the number of receptor-bearing cells and receptor density were diminished. Anti-Tac in combination with dexamethasone also exerted a synergistic effect on IFN-gamma synthesis, inhibiting it almost completely. The inhibitory effect of dexamethasone IFN-gamma synthesis may be of clinical importance, since IFN-gamma activates macrophages and thereby triggers one of the defense mechanisms against bacterial infections.
The Winokur-Munblit Collection of Russian Empire Postcards at the Library of Congress: A Brief Overview

The article describes a collection of 21,000 postcards from the Russian Empire acquired in 2011 by the Prints & Photographs Division of the Library of Congress.
Factor analysis of the developmental test of visual perception performance of educable mental retardates.

36 educable mental retardates were administered the Developmental Test of Visual Perception. A factor analysis of the 5 subtest and total test scores yielded a single factor. This differed from the two factors extracted in a study of normal children. The rationale for the single factor with educable mental retardates is discussed.
Temperature calibration of evolved gas analysis

Abstract The problem of standardization of the temperature axis in evolved gas analysis is considered. The concept of using a precise reaction such as melting to trigger the evolution of a trace quantity of dissolved gas is studied by investigating CO 2 dissolved in K 2 SO 4 . A precise gas evolution peak coincides with melting and is independent of the heating rate and the oxygen content of the atmosphere. Therefore, CO 2 dissolved in K 2 SO 4 should be considered a possible candidate for a standardization material. A precise reaction acting to trigger a gas evolution peak is a useful approach to standardization of evolved gas analysis.
Establishment of a cell line from long-term primary embryonic house fly cell cultures

Abstract Thirty days after primary cultures were made of dispersed embryonic cells of the housefly, Musca domestica, large numbers of dividing undifferentiated cells were present. The cells were subcultured. After three passages, the doubling time had stabilized so that subcultures could be made at 7 to 10 day intervals. When subcultured, the cells attached and grew on the surface of the flasks and formed dense cell sheets and clumps. The derived cell line has been maintained for over 2 years, and the nutritional requirements have been studied. Cytogenic studies of the line at passages 14, 27, and 48 showed that the line has a chromosome count of 11 (2n = 12) and the missing chromosome is probably the Y chromosome. Thus we believe that the line is fundamentally diploid.
Validity reliability and factor structure of the anorectic cognitions questionnaire

Several authors have hypothesized cognitive distortion as central to the psychopathology of anorexia nervosa and bulimia. However, there have been few investigations of these hypotheses. Equally as important, psychometrically sound devices for assessing these cognitions are notably lacking. The purpose of this investigation is to examine the psychometric characteristics of the Anorectic Cognitions Questionnaire (MAC). This study reports on initial item development, initial concurrent validity, factor structure, initial item refinement, and internal consistency. Results indicated that the MAC has good concurrent validity, three theoretically defined factors were empirically supported, and the scale is internally consistent.
Ocean wave heave time series as the sum of nonharmonic sinusoids

Abstract A discrete wave displacement time-series record is usually analyzed by a Discrete Fourier Transform (DFT), which represents the record as the sum of a finite number of harmonic sinusoids. When the dominant sinusoid of the record is not one of these harmonics, DFT “leakage” produces a distorted picture of the dominant wave, particularly for records not much longer than the largest period in the record. This paper proposes a non-Fourier method for determining the dominant wave period that is applicable even when the record is short relative to the largest period present in the record.
Isolated retinal venous macroaneurysm.

Background Unlike retinal arterial macroaneurysms, retinal venous macroaneurysms are rare. Retrospective studies have previously described venous macroaneurysms predominantly in association with branch retinal vein obstruction. Only 2 cases of isolated retinal venous macroaneurysm without venous occlusion have been described in the literature. The patient being described in this case report has the third isolated nonocclusive venous macroaneurysm to be reported. Case A healthy 43-year-old white woman presented for a routine eye examination with no history of visual disturbance other than long-standing amblyopia in the left eye (O.S.). An isolated retinal venous macroaneurysm was found on the inferior temporal retinal vein just beyond the optic disc margin. All other retinal findings were normal. One-month and 6-month followup examinations showed the macroaneurysm unchanged. The etiology of the retinal venous macroaneurysm in this case is unknown. Conclusion This patient has an isolated retinal venous macroaneurysm of unknown etiology. Based on the clinical profile of the patient, it is unlikely, although admittedly not impossible, for this to have resulted from a previous venous occlusive event. The identification and documentation of this extremely rare vascular phenomenon will help improve our understanding of its significance as well as any potential ocular sequela.
Magnetic vibrational circular dichroism of tetraphenylporphine and metallotetraphenylporphyrins

Abstract Magnetic vibrational circular dichroism spectra of the title compounds are presented for the mid-IR region. The metalloporphyrin E u modes have larger A terms than seen previously by an order of magnitude and are 2–3 times larger than in tetraphenylporphine. Comparison to the vibronic model is made.
A Question of Empire: Leopold I and the War of Spanish Succession, 1701–1705

The War of Spanish Succession (1701–1714), one of the major international conflicts of the eighteenth century, sought to resolve the greatest diplomatic issue of the day: the partition of the Spanish empire. This essay focuses on the Austrian emperor Leopold I's diplomatic efforts in the courts of the Maritime Powers to obtain the Spanish inheritance during the first years of that conflict. The early years of the war (between 1701 and 1705) were a formative period in the development of Habsburg foreign policy. The problems that plagued the Maritime Powers after Leopold's death in 1705, such as the disputes over the deployment of troops, the differences of opinion over precisely how the Spanish empire should be divided and the policy to be followed in dealing with the Hungarian rebels and the elector of Bavaria, and the questions that arose over the alliances with Portugal and Savoy were all either existing or anticipated during the latter years of his reign.
A Survey of North American Hand Surgeons on Their Current Attitudes Toward Hand Transplantation

Purpose Although composite tissue allotransplantation (CTA) is unparalleled in its potential to reconstruct “like with like,” the risk–benefit ratio and clinical indications are difficult to determine. We examined current attitudes regarding the emerging field of CTA from those who treat complex hand injuries. Methods A web-based survey regarding CTA was sent to members of the American Society for Surgery of the Hand, which identified their demographic data and practice profiles. Respondents' support for CTA and their assessment of the level of risk associated with these procedures were addressed. Additional questions focused on the clinical application of CTA with current immunosuppression, ethical issues surrounding CTA, and the indications for hand transplantation. Finally, 2 clinical situations that closely mirrored past hand transplantations were presented, and members evaluated their suitability for allotransplantation. Results A total of 474 surgeons responded to the survey (22% response rate), who were divided in their opinion of hand transplantation with 24% in favor, 45% against, and 31% undecided. The majority (69%) consider this surgery to be a high-risk endeavor; however, a large percentage (71%) still believe it to be an ethical procedure when performed on properly selected patients. The most accepted indications for hand transplantation were loss of bilateral hands (78%) and amputation of a dominant hand (32%). Only 16% were in favor of performing transplants with the immunosuppression available today. In response to the clinical situation, 66% would offer transplantation to a bilateral hand amputee, whereas only 9% would offer transplantation to a patient with diabetes who had lost his or her dominant hand. Conclusions This survey demonstrates support for hand allotransplantation as a solution for dominant-hand and bilateral hand amputees. However, surgeons continue to be concerned about the adverse effects of immunosuppression and the risks of acute and chronic rejection, and many want to wait for the development of better immunologic treatment options.
The public electronic library: making resources more accessible

Outlines the issues facing those providing access through networked CD‐ROM databases, looking in particular at the limitations to users. Profiles the University of Wisconsin‘s solutions to these problems include the use of tape loading onto several computers and the implementation of a Silver Platter ERL server. Looks at the issues these solutions caused. Assesses Adaptive Computer Technologies in General Library Systems and mentions areas for future development.
Effects of economic recession and local weather on climate change attitudes

What drives popular opinion on climate change? Recent failures to mobilize popular opinion in favour of the mitigation of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been blamed on the unseasonably cool local weather and the unhealthy state of the economy. Using data from the European Union (EU), this article examines the effects of both annual temperature variations and economic growth rates on people's attitudes regarding the mitigation of GHG emissions. It is found that although the state of the economy has a significant effect on people's attitudes towards the mitigation of GHG emissions, variations in the annual temperature do not. Thus, while pessimism regarding policy changes during bad economic times appears justified, pessimism based on isolated spells of unseasonably cool weather does not.
The Recovery of Indicator Bacteria on Selective Media

Summary. The recovery of Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, and Streptococcus faecalis from aqueous suspending media has been studied with a rich plating medium (trypticase-soy agar) and selective media. Tap water was highly toxic to all strains investigated. Recovery of Ps. aeruginosa was most successful when phosphate buffer was the diluent. Phosphate buffer did not improve the recovery of E. coli. Streptococcus faecalis remained viable when suspended in double distilled water, deionized distilled water or phosphate buffer. Following a lag period all strains grew in 0.1% peptone water or stream water. Injury preventing recovery of viable cells on selective media occurred during suspension in all aqueous media tested, including those which supported growth. These observations suggest difficulties inherent in the interpretation of bacteriological results obtained during surveys of water sources and a need to reduce the selectivity of recovery media against injured cells.
Curriculum Libraries at Institutions of Higher Education: A Selective Annotated Bibliography.

Monographs, journal articles, and ERIC documents dating from the mid-1950s through the 1980s are included in an annotated bibliography. The items in the bibliography are thought to be useful to academic librarians in evaluating and improving the role of curriculum libraries in the preparation and continuing education of teachers.