cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Real-time imaging systems' combination of methods to achieve automatic target recognition

Using a combination of strategies real time imaging weapons systems are achieving their goals of detecting their intended targets. The demands of acquiring a target in a cluttered environment in a timely manner with a high degree of confidence demands compromise be made as to having a truly automatic system. A combination of techniques such as dedicated image processing hardware, real time operating systems, mixes of algorithmic methods, and multi-sensor detectors are a forbearance of the unleashed potential of future weapons system and their incorporation in truly autonomous target acquisition. Elements such as position information, sensor gain controls, way marks for mid course correction, and augmentation with different imaging spectrums as well as future capabilities such as neural net expert systems and decision processors over seeing a fusion matrix architecture may be considered tools for a weapon system's achievement of its ultimate goal. Currently, acquiring a target in a cluttered environment in a timely manner with a high degree of confidence demands compromises be made as to having a truly automatic system. It is now necessary to include a human in the track decision loop, a system feature that may be long lived. Automatic Track Recognition will still be the desired goal in future systems due to the variability of military missions and desirability of an expendable asset. Furthermore, with the increasing incorporation of multi-sensor information into the track decision the human element's real time contribution must be carefully engineered.© (1998) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Search for the tetraneutron by the double-charge-exchange of negative pions

Abstract The momentum spectrum for double-charge-exchange of π − on 4 He has been measured at 0° and T π − = 165 MeV. A 1σ upper limit of 22 nb/sr is set on the cross section for transitions leading to bound tetraneutrons. The cross section in the continuum region is shown to be inconsistent with a four-neutron phase space distribution, while a model including final state interaction effects gives better agreement with experiment.
Trading replication consistency for performance and availability: an adaptive approach

Replication system is one of the most fundamental building blocks of wide-area applications. Due to the inevitable dependencies on wide-area communication, trade-off between performance, availability and replication consistency is often a necessity. While a number of proposals have been made to provide a tunable consistency bound between strong and weak extremes, many of them rely on a statically specified enforcement across replicas. This approach, while easy to implement, neglects the dynamic contexts within which replicas are operating, delivering sub-optimal performance and/or system availability. In this paper we analyze the problem of optimal performance/availability for a given consistency level under heterogeneous workload and network condition. We prove several optimization rules for different goals. Based on these results, we developed an adaptive update window protocol in which consistency enforcement across replicas is self-tuned to achieve optimal performance/availability. A prototype system, FRACS, is built and evaluated in this paper. The experiment results demonstrate significant advantages of adaptation over static approach for a variety of workloads.
Lack of correlation between binding of EcoRII methyltransferase to DNA duplexes containing mismatches and the promotion of C to T mutations.

The cytosine methyltransferases (MTases) M. HhaIand M. HpaII bind substrates in which the target cytosine is replaced by uracil or thymine, i.e. DNA containing a U:G or a T:G mismatch. We have extended this observation to the EcoRII MTase (M. EcoRII) and determined the apparent Kd for binding. Using a genetic assay we have also tested the possibility that MTase binding to U:G mismatches may interfere with repair of the mismatches and promote C:G to T:A mutations. We have compared two mutants of M. EcoRII that are defective for catalysis by the wild-type enzyme for their ability to bind DNA containing U:G or T:G mismatches and for their ability to promote C to T mutations. We find that although all three proteins are able to bind DNAs with mismatches, only the wild-type enzyme promotes C:G to T:A mutations in vivo. Therefore, the ability of M. EcoRII to bind U:G mismatched duplexes is not sufficient for their mutagenic action in cells.
The Repair of Trust: A Dynamic Bilateral Perspective and Multilevel Conceptualization

We investigate the repair of trust by examining the cognitive and interpersonal processes through which people resolve differences in their interpersonal beliefs. We begin by discussing the phenomenon of trust, the ease with which trust can be violated, and the challenge of trust repair. We then draw from an array of literature to develop a multilevel conceptualization of how trust repair may be pursued. Finally, we integrate these insights to identify three overarching implications for research.
Substance, Scale, and Salience: The Recent Historiography of Human Rights

This review evaluates the current state of the historiography of human rights, which originated as a field a mere decade ago. It proposes that the substantive contents of norms, doctrines, and law still attract most historians interested in human rights but are only part of a necessarily broader domain of inquiry. Promisingly, recent entries in the field focus on the extension of the geographical scale of application of human rights, as well as on the differing political and ideological salience that human rights ideas have achieved in diverse moments. The historiographical survey concludes with a discussion of why the history of human rights began to be written and whether it is a pressing task to continue building the field.
Topological Mapping from Image Sequences

An autonomous agent should be able to traverse a new environment and construct a topological representation of what it has seen. We present two new semi-supervised learning techniques which allow us to segment extended sensor (image) sequences into a topological map by clustering on low-dimensional manifolds in sensor space. The general approach is based on outlier detection in manifold space, closely related to spectral clustering. The first technique fixes the s parameter of the affinity matrix, the second allows each cluster to optimize for a different s. In both cases manifold clusters can be associated with the users conceptual map by labelling one image per cluster. We demonstrate these techniques for indoor and outdoor sequences.
Expanding coping goodness-of-fit: religious coping, health locus of control, and depressed affect in heart failure patients

Abstract The goodness-of-fit coping hypothesis posits that problem-focused (PF) coping is particularly helpful under high controllability conditions, while emotion-focused (EF) coping is more helpful in low controllability situations. However, little research has examined whether the goodness-of-fit hypothesis applies to religious coping, a distinct set of coping resources and efforts. Further, little goodness-of-fit research has been conducted in the context of life-threatening illness. We tested coping goodness-of-fit for PF and EF as well as religious coping resources and strategies in 202 congestive heart failure (CHF) patients. Multiple regression analyses examined the extent to which each type of coping, health locus of control (HLOC) regarding their CHF, and their interactions related to subsequent depressed affect. Neither religious coping efforts nor religious resources were related to depressed affect. However, when examined in conjunction with internal HLOC, active coping and organized religiou...
Crystal Structure of the Tyrosine Phosphatase SHP-2

The structure of the SHP-2 tyrosine phosphatase, determined at 2.0 angstroms resolution, shows how its catalytic activity is regulated by its two SH2 domains. In the absence of a tyrosine-phosphorylated binding partner, the N-terminal SH2 domain binds the phosphatase domain and directly blocks its active site. This interaction alters the structure of the N-SH2 domain, disrupting its phosphopeptide-binding cleft. Conversely, interaction of the N-SH2 domain with phosphopeptide disrupts its phosphatase recognition surface. Thus, the N-SH2 domain is a conformational switch; it either binds and inhibits the phosphatase, or it binds phosphoproteins and activates the enzyme. Recognition of bisphosphorylated ligands by the tandem SH2 domains is an integral element of this switch; the C-terminal SH2 domain contributes binding energy and specificity, but it does not have a direct role in activation.
Modeling and analysis of nonuniform substrate temperature effects on global ULSI interconnects

Nonuniform thermal profiles on the substrate in high-performance ICs can significantly impact the performance of global on-chip interconnects. This paper presents a detailed modeling and analysis of the interconnect performance degradation due to the nonuniform temperature profiles that are encountered along long metal interconnects as a result of existing thermal gradients in the underlying Silicon substrate. A nonuniform temperature-dependent distributed RC interconnect delay model is proposed. The model is applied to a wide variety of interconnect layouts and substrate temperature distributions to quantify the impact of such thermal nonuniformities on signal integrity issues including speed degradation in global interconnect lines and skew fluctuations in clock signal distribution networks. Subsequently, a new thermally dependent zero-skew clock-routing methodology is presented. This study suggests that thermally aware analysis should become an integrated part of the various optimization steps in physical-synthesis flow to improve the performance and integrity of signals in global ultra large scale integration interconnects.
Practice Guidelines: Development, Application to Clinical Care, and Role in Provider Education

Substantial progress has been made in the past several decades toward the application of evidence-based medicine. Practice guidelines, which assist providers in clinical decision making, have played a valuable role in this initiative. This article highlights the attributes of good practice guidelines, along with their role in the education of health-care providers, and examines the development, revision, and limitations of practice guidelines for emerging infections. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2009); 86 3, 239–241. doi:10.1038/clpt.2009.143
Use of a distant reporter group as evidence for a conformational change in a sensory receptor

Abstract A highly sensitive method for demonstrating ligand-induced conformational changes in protein molecules in solution is described. The method utilizes an environmentally sensitive reporter group that is known to be distant from the active site. In the present application a conformational change is demonstrated in the galactose receptor of Salmonella typhimurium, involved in bacterial sensing and transport, by means of an extrinsic fluorophore, 5-iodoacetamidofluorescein, attached at a single methionine residue, and the intrinsic tryptophan fluorophore. Binding of the ligand galactose perturbs the microenvironment of both the fluorescein and tryptophan, as shown by both spectral and potassium iodide quenching changes. The distance between the two dyes is established by fluorescence energy transfer methods to be 41 +/- 10A. Since only one molecule of galactose binds per molecule of receptor and since the galactose molecule is only about 5 A in length, changes at one of these sites reflect the result of an indirect effect. Hence, there must be a ligand-induced conformational change that is propagated a minimum of 30 A through the receptor molecule.
The Corporation under Russian Law, 1800–1917: A Study in Tsarist Economic Policy

This study analyses the legal framework imposed on corporations by the imperial Russian Government. It stresses the dual nature of the bureaucracy's policy toward modern capitalist enterprise: encouragement for the sake of economic development, and regimentation in the interest of maintaining autocratic control. By illuminating the political nature of the autocracy's economic agenda, Professor Owen seeks to explain why Russian corporate law became increasingly restrictive toward the end of the imperial period. Attention is also given to the practices of Russian capitalists, whose occasional abuses of corporate power justified restrictive laws in the eyes of officials. The emphasis of this study on the uneasy accommodation between tsarist autocracy and the modern corporation clarifies aspects of Russian political, economic, and cultural life that hindered the development of capitalism on the eastern periphery of Europe.
Influence of Population Density and Plant Water Potential on Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Alate Production

Effect of crowding on alate production of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis noxia (Mordvilko) was tested using a low-density treatment of 10–20 aphids per plant and a high-density treatment of 150–200 aphids per plant. Student's t distribution ( P < 0.01) indicates no significant difference between the low and high density treatments. A pressure chamber was used to quantify the amount of water stress in wheat. Wing pad formation began within the range of −0.51 and −0.61 MPa and ended within the range of −1.21 and −1.31 MPa. From this range in water potential values, six water potential treatment ranges were established. Our results show by curvilinear regression that a positive correlation exists ( P < 0.01) between alate production and the leaf water potential of wheat, with maximum alate production occurring between −0.79 and −1.03 MPa. These data suggest that a response of the host plant, which in part results from feeding damage, is causing the production of alates.
Pentylenetetrazol Produces a State-Dependent Conditioned Place Aversion to Alcohol Withdrawal in Mice

Abstract The purpose of this study was to determine if aversive effects of alcohol withdrawal could be detected in mice using the place conditioning procedure and whether the GABAA receptor antagonist, pentylenetetrazol (PTZ), would increase the aversive effects of alcohol withdrawal and increase the probability of detecting conditioned place aversion. Subjects were alcohol-naive mice from a specific line selectively bred for low alcohol preference (LAP1; n = 91) and were assigned to three groups: alcohol withdrawal, PTZ alone, and PTZ + alcohol withdrawal. On four trials, mice received either a 4.0 g/kg intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection of alcohol (alcohol withdrawal, PTZ + alcohol withdrawal groups) or saline (PTZ group) 8 h prior to being placed on a distinctive floor texture for a 30-min conditioning session. Five minutes before these sessions, mice in the PTZ and PTZ + alcohol withdrawal groups received PTZ (5.0 mg/kg; i.p.) and the alcohol withdrawal group received saline. On intervening days mice received two saline injections at the same time points prior to being placed on a different floor texture. Post-conditioning floor preference was assessed in two 60-min tests; the first test was drug-free and the second test was state-dependent. Neither alcohol withdrawal nor PTZ produced significant place conditioning. The PTZ + alcohol withdrawal group showed a significant place aversion during the state-dependent test. These data suggest that the combined stimulus properties of PTZ and alcohol withdrawal facilitated the expression of conditioned place aversion to alcohol withdrawal.
Influence Of Allopurinol On The Pathophysiology Of Experimental Gastric Dilatation-Volvulus

Summary Gastric dilatation-volvulus (GDV) was surgiclly induced in 10 dogs. Five of the dogs were pretreated with 50 mg/kg PO of allopurinol to determine the effect of xanthine oxidase inhibition on the pathophysiology of GDV. After 150 minutes, the GDV was corrected, and lactated Ringer's solution was administered intravenoulsy (resuscitation). Two hundred forty minutes after relief fo GDV, the dogs were euthanatized without recovery from anesthesia. Administration of allopurinol was associated with a reduced (P<0.01) incidence of hepatic necrosis and a lower (P<0.045) serum phosphorus level than observed in the control group at the end of the experiment. The increase in base deficit in the allopurinol-treated group after resuscitation was also less(P<0.045) than the control group. In conclusion, this study suggests that inhibition of xanthine oxidase-derived oxygen free radicals protects against hepatic necrosis in dogs with GDV. Resuscitation appears to be a time of profound physiologic stress for dogs with GDV.
Psychosocial Perspectives on Pregnancy: Prenatal Maternal Stress and Coping

Pregnancy is a momentous life event experienced by most women that involves biomedical and psychosocial changes that are potentially stressful. High levels of maternal stress in pregnancy contribute to adverse fetal, infant, child, and adult outcomes, including cognitive, emotional, neurodevelopmental, and physical health effects. This article discusses definition, measurement, and effects of stress in pregnancy and describes current research questions such as whether the timing or pattern of prenatal stress accentuates its effects and whether prenatal stress accounts for ethnic disparities in adverse birth outcomes in the United States. We review research on the ways that women cope with prenatal stress and research examining associations of coping with maternal emotional state, health, and birth outcomes. Additionally, we describe important factors that improve women's psychosocial adaptation to pregnancy, their health, and their birth outcomes, specifically trait optimism, social support, and physical activity, and we emphasize interventions that utilize these factors.
Hierarchical random simulation approach for the verification of S/390 CMOS multiprocessors

In this paper an approach is presented for thehierarchical verification of the memory control units, I/O adaptersand processor interconnect units as found in multiprocessorcomputer systems. It is shown how such units could be verifiedbetter and faster by the introduction of random executable timingdiagrams and associated CAD tool support. Furthermore, itis shown how the timing diagrams for the unit network verificationare easily derived from the timing diagrams specified for theunits. The multiprocessor hardware test showed the effectivenessof the proposed verification approach.
A problem associated with the use of a calomel reference electrode in an ISE analytical system

It was discovered during the testing of a new diluted ISE analytical system that a dark deposit formed in the vicinity of the reference electrode junction and on the junction membrane over a 1–3 month period of use. The effect of the black deposit was to shorten the life of the restricted flow reference membrane and increase the time required to maintain the system in its optimum state.Elemental analysis of the deposit revealed the presence of both mercury and sulfur. The rate of deposit build-up was found to depend on the concentrations of both the buffer and the microbicide in the system's reagents. The cause was traced in part to the generation of sulfide ions as a breakdown product of the microbicide. The disproportionation of calomel, Hg2C12, in saturated KC1 to give Hg2+chloro-complexes and their reaction with sulfide ions at the reference junction resulted in HgS being deposited. Design changes over previous systems contributed to the effect by increasing residence time of calibrant solution at the...
Nickel and the Microbial Toxin, MALP-2, Stimulate Proangiogenic Mediators from Human Lung Fibroblasts via a HIF-1α and COX-2–Mediated Pathway

Hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF-1α) and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) have been implicated in the regulation of inflammatory-like processes that lead to angiogenesis and fibrotic disorders. Here we demonstrate that in human lung fibroblasts (HLFs) treated with mixed exposures to chemical and microbial stimuli, HIF-1α stabilization plays a pivotal role in the induction of COX-2 mRNA and protein, driving the release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and proangiogenic and profibrotic chemokines. Upon costimulation with Ni and the mycoplasma-derived lipopeptide macrophage-activating lipopeptide-2 (MALP-2), there was a synergistic induction of CXCL1 and CXCL5 mRNA and protein release from HLF, as well as an enhanced response in VEGF compared to either stimulus alone. Consistent with our previous findings that Ni and MALP-2 stimulates the induction of CXCL8 via a COX-2-mediated pathway, CXCL1, CXCL5, and VEGF release were also regulated by COX-2. Ni induced the stabilization of HIF-1α protein in HLF, which was further enhanced in the presence of MALP-2. Depletion of HIF-1α using siRNA blocked COX-2 induction by Ni and MALP-2 along with the release of VEGF, CXCL1, CXCL5, and CXCL8. Our results indicate that Ni and MALP-2 interact to promote an angiogenic profibrotic phenotype in HLF. Moreover, these findings reveal a potential role for HIF-1α in mediating chemical-induced alterations in cellular response to microbial stimuli, modulating pulmonary inflammation and its consequences such as fibrosis and angiogenesis.
Examining the Association Between Musculoskeletal Injuries and Carpal Tunnel Syndrome in Manual Laborers

Introduction The association between musculoskeletal injuries and carpal tunnel syndrome (CTS) has not been investigated in a large, population-based study. Methods Latino manual laborers were recruited as part of a study of work-related health conditions. Each had a clinical examination, completed a hand diagram, and had nerve conduction studies. Results A total of 512 individuals completed all testing. An association was found between rotator cuff syndrome and CTS, with an adjusted odds ratio of 2.25 (P = 0.01) for the right arm, 2.08 (P = 0.03) for the left arm, and 1.84 (P = 0.03) for all individuals. Associations between epicondylitis and CTS did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions Individuals with rotator cuff syndrome have a higher prevalence of CTS. Further investigations will be needed to examine for causation and to determine if 1 condition typically occurs first and leads to the other. Muscle Nerve 54: 31-35, 2016.
Relationship Between Physician and Hospital Procedure Volume and Mortality After Carotid Artery Stenting Among Medicare Beneficiaries

Background— Clinical trials demonstrated the efficacy of carotid artery stenting (CAS) relative to carotid endarterectomy when performed by physicians with demonstrated proficiency. It is unclear how CAS performance may be influenced by the diversity in CAS and non-CAS provider volumes in routine clinical practice. Methods and Results— We linked Medicare claims to the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ CAS Database (2005–2009). We assessed the association between 30-day mortality and past-year physician (0, 1–4, 5–9, 10–19, ≥20) and hospital (<10, 10–19, 20–39, ≥40) CAS volumes and past-year hospital coronary and peripheral stenting volumes (<200, 200–399, 400–849, ≥850) among beneficiaries at least 66 years of age. Unadjusted 30-day mortality risk was 1.8% (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.6–2.0) for 19 724 patients undergoing CAS by 2045 physicians in 729 hospitals. Median past-year CAS volume was 9 (interquartile range, 4–19) for physicians and 23 (interquartile range, 12–41) for hospitals. Compared to physicians performing ≥20 CAS in the past year, lower CAS volumes were associated with higher adjusted risks of 30-day morality (P value for trend < 0.05): 1.4 (95% CI, 0.9–2.3) for 0 past-year CAS, 1.3 (95% CI, 0.9–1.8) for 1 to 4, 1.1 (95% CI, 0.8–1.6) for 5 to 9, and 0.9 (95% CI, 0.7–1.4) for 10 to 19. An inverse relationship between 30-day mortality and past-year CAS hospital volume as well as past-year hospital non-CAS volume, past-year hospital non-CAS volume, and 30-day mortality was also noted. Conclusions— Among Medicare patients, an inverse relationship exists between physician and hospital CAS volumes and hospital non-CAS stenting volume and 30-day mortality, even after adjusting for all pertinent patient- and hospital-level factors.
Competence of Thiamin Diphosphate-Dependent Enzymes with 2′-Methoxythiamin Diphosphate Derived from Bacimethrin, a Naturally Occurring Thiamin Anti-vitamin

Bacimethrin (4-amino-5-hydroxymethyl-2-methoxypyrimidine), a natural product isolated from some bacteria, has been implicated as an inhibitor of bacterial and yeast growth, as well as in inhibition of thiamin biosynthesis. Given that thiamin biosynthetic enzymes could convert bacimethrin to 2'-methoxythiamin diphosphate (MeOThDP), it is important to evaluate the effect of this coenzyme analogue on thiamin diphosphate (ThDP)-dependent enzymes. The potential functions of MeOThDP were explored on five ThDP-dependent enzymes: the human and Escherichia coli pyruvate dehydrogenase complexes (PDHc-h and PDHc-ec, respectively), the E. coli 1-deoxy-D-xylulose 5-phosphate synthase (DXPS), and the human and E. coli 2-oxoglutarate dehydrogenase complexes (OGDHc-h and OGDHc-ec, respectively). Using several mechanistic tools (fluorescence, circular dichroism, kinetics, and mass spectrometry), it was demonstrated that MeOThDP binds in the active centers of ThDP-dependent enzymes, however, with a binding mode different from that of ThDP. While modest activities resulted from addition of MeOThDP to E. coli PDHc (6-11%) and DXPS (9-14%), suggesting that MeOThDP-derived covalent intermediates are converted to the corresponding products (albeit with rates slower than that with ThDP), remarkably strong activity (up to 75%) resulted upon addition of the coenzyme analogue to PDHc-h. With PDHc-ec and PDHc-h, the coenzyme analogue could support all reactions, including communication between components in the complex. No functional substitution of MeOThDP for ThDP was in evidence with either OGDH-h or OGDH-ec, shown to be due to tight binding of ThDP.
A gain-of-function senescence bypass screen identifies the homeobox transcription factor DLX2 as a regulator of ATM–p53 signaling

Senescence stimuli activate multiple tumor suppressor pathways to initiate cycle arrest and a differentiation program characteristic of senescent cells. We performed a two-stage, gain-of-function screen to select for the genes whose enhanced expression can bypass replicative senescence. We uncovered multiple genes known to be involved in p53 and Rb regulation and ATM regulation, two components of the CST (CTC1-STN1-TEN1) complex involved in preventing telomere erosion, and genes such as REST and FOXO4 that have been implicated in aging. Among the new genes now implicated in senescence, we identified DLX2, a homeobox transcription factor that has been shown to be required for tumor growth and metastasis and is associated with poor cancer prognosis. Growth analysis showed that DLX2 expression led to increased cellular replicative life span. Our data suggest that DLX2 expression reduces the protein components of the TTI1/TTI2/TEL2 complex, a key complex required for the proper folding and stabilization of ATM and other members of the PIKK (phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase) family kinase, leading to reduced ATM-p53 signaling and senescence bypass. We also found that the overexpression of DLX2 exhibited a mutually exclusive relationship with p53 alterations in cancer patients. Our functional screen identified novel players that may promote tumorigenesis by regulating the ATM-p53 pathway and senescence.
Analyzing and enhancing the resilience of LTE/LTE-A systems to RF spoofing

The long-term evolution (LTE) is cellular communications standard that is widely adopted and deployed around the world. It offers high-speed wireless services to meet the increasing demand on user data traffic. LTE technology is also considered for public safety networks. Hence, it is mandatory to ensure that the LTE system can operate in interference-prone environments including targeted interference. We introduce the term LTE control channel spoofing, which refers to transmitting a partial LTE downlink frame, created by a fake eNodeB which does not possess the registration keys nor offers any service. We have built a testbed to demonstrate that this can cause permanent denial of service for UEs that are in cell selection process. This is achieved by sending fake control channel messages rather than authentication attacks. The failure of attachment that is caused by LTE control channel spoofing can be explained in conjunction with the 3GPP specifications. Mitigation techniques are proposed to effectively enhance the robustness of LTE systems and ensure that it is secure and available when and where needed. The recommended modifications to the specifications only require simple changes to UE message handling and are backward compatible with currently deployed LTE networks.
Under the House of Hapsburg (1526-1741)

From the death of Matthias Corvinus (1490) until the beginning of the Thirty Years War Silesia passed through a period of peace and progress. The Hapsburg Dynasty, which through King Ferdinand took over the reign of Bohemia and Silesia in 1526, lived according to the motto: Bella gerant alii, tu, felix Austria, nube!
Current status of thyroglobulin (TG) measurement in the management of differentiated thyroid carcinoma (DTC)

Thyroglobulin (Tg) measurement is primarily used as a tumour-marker for managing patients with DTC. Tg is typically measured in conjunction with TgAb, because TgAb is present in ~20 percent of DTC patients and can interfere with Tg measurements made by immunometric assay (IMA) methodology. Some laboratories have retained radioimmunoassay (RIA) methods that appear less prone to TgAb and HAMA interferences. Current Tg IMAs display broad biases with values varying as much as three-fold, and ten-fold differences in functional sensitivity (FS). Costly recombinant human TSH (rhTSH) administration has been used to raise Tg above the detection limit of insensitive first generation assays (FS 0.5–1.0 µg/L;1:1 CRM-457). There is growing recognition that more sensitive second generation (2G) assays (FS 0.05–0.10 µg/L;1:1 CRM-457) can replace the need for rhTSH stimulation. In the future, trends in serial 2G basal Tg measurements (made without TSH stimulation) will replace the customary fixed rhTSH-Tg cut-off of 2.0 µg/L for patient monitoring. This presentation will discuss the factors that influence circulating Tg concentrations, the interpretation of Tg measured in the various phases of managing DTC and the technical issues that affect the interpretation of serum Tg used to monitor DTC patients.
Structure, function, and pathology of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans in the urinary tract

The roles of glycosaminoglycans and proteoglycans in the physiology of the urinary tract are reviewed. The structures of proteoglycans and glycosaminoglycans are reviewed together with their role in control of epithelial differentiation through stromal-epithelial interactions and as modulators of cytokines. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans appear to be important in maintaining selectivity of the kidney tubular basement membrane, and the majority of the glycosaminoglycan found in the urine appears to come from the upper tract. Evidence suggesting that a dense layer of glycosaminoglycans on the urothelial surface is important to maintaining urothelial impermeability is reviewed and new data showing a high density of proteoglycans on the lumenal surface of the urothelium is presented. The role of this layer in maintaining antibacterial adherence and impermeability was discussed together with data suggesting that failure of this layer is an etiologic factor in interstitial cystitis. A model of the bladder surface is also presented to illustrate the role of proteoglycans and exogenous glycosaminoglycans in the defenses of normal bladder lumen and the failure of these defenses in the interstitial cystitis bladder.
WHEN MAY WE KILL GOVERNMENT AGENTS? IN DEFENSE OF MORAL PARITY

This essay argues for what may be called the parity thesis: Whenever it would be morally permissible to kill a civilian in self-defense or in defense of others against that civilian's unjust acts, it would also be permissible to kill government officials, including police officers, prison officers, generals, lawmakers, and even chief executives. I argue that in realistic circumstances, violent resistance to state injustice is permissible, even and perhaps especially in reasonably just democratic regimes. When civilians see officials about to commit certain severe injustices — such as police officers engaging in excessive violence — they may sometimes act unilaterally and kill the offending officials. I consider and rebut a wide range of objections, including objections against vigilantism, objections based on state legitimacy, and objections that violence can produce bad fallout.
Epidemic Features of Ship Fever and Its Diagnosis and Treatment in Xi'an City during 1950—2005

[Objective] To evaluate the epidemical condition and characteristics of typhus in Xi'an and provide scientific evidence for the prevention work.[Methods]Complement Fixation(CF) test and Well-Felix test were applied for the detection and case diagnosis;infectious disease report card was adopted to report the epidemic situation.[Results] Accumulative total of 5671 cases were reported during 1950—2005,4791 cases of which(84.48%) were reported during 1950—1989(4 cases died;8.35%),836 cases(14.74%) during 1990—1999 and 44 cases(0.78%) during 2000—2005;except for two local epidemics in the 1960's and the 1980's,the morbidity ranged between 0.07/10lakh and 1.99/10lakh and the annual morbidity was below 80 cases.[Conclusion] The prevalence of typhus in Xi'an was dispersed in all the ages;but with the development of rural areas and the population migration,distance infection of the infectious diseases is increasing and the infection rate among the floating population is also increasing;relevant education and disease surveillance should be improved in the disease control institutions.
Adjustment of Power Grid Operating Modes in System Commissioning of UHVAC Power Transmission Demonstration Project From Huainan to Liantang

The completion and putting into operation of UHVAC power transmission demonstration project from Huainain, Anhui province to Liantang, Jiangsu Province can further enhance the Yangtze River Delta power grid's capability of receiving power transmitted from external power grids and the Yangtze River Delta power grid's ability of withstanding the shock caused by severe failure occurred in UHVDC power transmission system. The requirements of various test items, such as switching no-load transformer, switching low-voltage capacitor or low-voltage reactor at low voltage side of main transformer, energizing no-load UHVAC transmission line at the 1 000 kV side, loop-closing and loop-opening of single UHVAC transmission line, loop-closing test of whole UHVAC transmission line, the test of artificial instantaneous single-phase earth fault, tap-changer adjustment test of main transformer in Wuhu substation and so on, during the system commissioning of the demonstration project on the adjustment of power grid operating modes and the impacts of these commissioning items on system power flow and secure and stability features are researched to offer technical foundation for the drafting and execution of scheduling scheme, in addition, from the perspective to system operating modes some suggestions are proposed to ensure the commissioning items could be implemented in the order.
The campaign for medical microscopy in antebellum America.

De nombreux facteurs contribuerent au developpement de l'utilisation du microscope qui permit aux medecins de nombreuses investigations pour comprendre la structure et les fonctions du corps humain
Effects of Fish Oil Supplementation on Postresistance Exercise Muscle Soreness

ABSTRACTThe aim of this study was to examine the effects of fish oil supplementation on the magnitude and time-course of postresistance exercise muscle soreness. This study was a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind trial. Nonresistance trained females were randomized into one of two groups: fish oil supplementation (6 g/day; 5:1 eicosapentaenoic acid to docosahexaenoic acid (EPA:DHA)) or placebo (6 g/day corn/soy oil). After consuming the supplements for one week, participants underwent a single bout of resistance exercise consisting of 10 sets to failure of elbow flexion and leg extension machines. Muscle soreness was measured daily over the next week via grounded visual analog scale while participants continued to consume their assigned supplement. At 48 hours and one week postexercise, soreness during functional movements and limb circumferences were measured. The fish oil group perceived less static and functional muscle soreness than placebo, although the differences were not statistically s...
Thinking Like a Crisis Manager

This chapter shows what all organizations need to do to be able to anticipate and plan for the broadest range and types of crises can now strike any organization. It shows how the Jungian personality typology leads to a broader, more comprehensive form of Crisis Management.
Imaging Pain in the Human Brain

Over the past two decades, modern brain imaging techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging, positron emission tomography (PET), magnetoencephalography (MEG), and electroencephalography (EEG) have revolutionized our understanding of pain. Using such tools, in conjunction with carefully conceived experimental manipulations and sophisticated image analysis methods, scientists have begun unraveling the complexities of the neural processes underlying the pain experience as well as its modulation by a variety of factors (e.g. cognitive or emotional state, genetic makeup, and pharmacological or behavioral interventions). Brain imaging studies are also contributing to a change in the way we perceive chronic pain, as they have revealed that the brains of patients with pain disorders are characterized by structural, functional, and neurochemical alterations, some of which might have causal roles in the pathophysiology of pain conditions. In this chapter, we will discuss the advances that neuroimaging studies have brought to our understanding of pain, as well as the limitations and future implications of research in this field. In particular, this chapter concentrates on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies, with brief mention of other imaging techniques. While tools such as PET, single-photon emission computed tomography, MEG, EEG, and other techniques have undoubtedly provided significant contributions to this field, MRI has arguably been proved to be among the most powerful techniques for the investigation of pain processing, given that it allows for the assessment of functional, structural, perfusion, connectivity, and neurochemical correlates of pain.
A Data-Driven Coaching Model Used to Promote Students’ Response to Early Reading Intervention

Given the importance of early reading performance as a foundational prerequisite for student achievement, schools have allocated significant attention over the past decade to training teachers to assess and monitor students’ reading progress and to implement instruction or interventions targeting early reading skills (e.g., Fletcher & Vaughn, 2009; Glover & Vaughn, 2010; Parisi, Ihlo, & Glover, 2014). Professional development in early reading has often been provided within the context of a multitiered prevention model wherein students’ performance relative to predefined benchmarks is identified through systematic screening; data are used to guide decisions about the appropriateness of evidence-based instruction and Tier 2 (targeted, group-based) and Tier 3 (intensive, individualized) intervention; and intervention planning is adjusted based on students’ progress (e.g., Glover & Vaughn, 2007). Within this context, professional development supports teachers in using data to guide classroom practices to opti...
Electrochemical Study of Selenocystine Reactivity and Reduction at Metallic Surfaces

Electrochemical study of chalcogen-containing species under aqueous conditions is often hindered by unwanted oxidation and surface adsorption. Disulfides, diselenides, thiols, and selenols react readily with metallic electrodes to form self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) and conductive films. We have shown that the intrinsic reactivity between selenium and gold yields a stable and reproducible electrode surface modification that makes the reduction of selenocystine to selenocysteine accessible at neutral pH. In this work, we expand our electrochemical characterization of the selenocystine / selenocysteine redox couple to examine the pH dependence of the electron-transfer process, evaluate preparative conditions for formation of the selenium-gold adsorbate, and compare surface reactivity and solution behavior on gold and platinum. We demonstrate that the electrochemically generated surface modification can be removed via anodic stripping voltammetry and restored via subsequent cycling with little to no loss in current. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy confirms the presence of selenium on the surface of substrates that have been reductively cycled in the presence of selenocystine. These findings mark an important advance in the electroanalysis of chalcogen-containing biological species under physiological conditions.
Winning Industries and the Growth of Good US Jobs

Gabe examines the types of industries that support the growth of good jobs in states and US metropolitan areas. The best sectors for economic development tend to be technical and producer services; and energy- and transportation-related industries. An abundance of businesses in technical and producer services is especially important to the economic development of large metropolitan areas. Gabe finds that, although having a strong presence in manufacturing, as of 1990, was a bad harbinger for the future development of regions (because manufacturing employment declined nationally), an expanding manufacturing sector in a region helps the growth of good jobs. Overall, the chapter provides sound advice to state and regional officials in their search to identify “winning sectors” for industry clusters and export promotion.
Comparisons of field and laboratory estimates of risk of DDTs from contaminated sediments to humans that consume fish in Palos Verdes, California, USA

Calculating risk from seafood exposure to persistent organic pollutants continues to be problematic as estimates of exposure from diet require extensive monitoring of fish species and limited assessments of bioavailability from sediments where the contaminants tend to reside. Previous studies in our laboratory utilized a laboratory-based isotope dilution method (IDM) to estimate the bioavailability of DDT [1,1,1-trichloro-2, 2-bis(p-chloro-phenyl)ethane] and its metabolites from sediment to biota from a superfund site on the shelf of the Palos Verdes (PVS) Peninsula in California (USA). Using a biota-sediment accumulation factor (BSAF) derived from IDM and biomagnification factors (BMF) calculated from previous studies as well as seafood-consumption data specific to anglers in the PVS area, we estimated cancer and non-cancer risks for anglers and nursing infants representing sensitive groups. Predicted cancer risks from consumption of White croaker (Genyonemus lineatus) to the 50th and 95th percentile to all shore mode anglers were, respectively, 2×10-7 and 7×10-7, which were similar to field studies using fish concentrations of all DDT isomers and their environmental degradates (ΣDDT) from collected animals. The calculated non-cancer hazard quotient values for the 50th and 95th percentile shore mode anglers consuming White croaker from this study (0.008 and 0.023, respectively) were also of similar magnitude as those obtained from studies based on samples obtained solely from fish. For nursing infants, similar results were also observed. These results indicate that estimates of bioavailability using IDM from sediment could be used accurately to determine risk to ΣDDT in humans from fish consumption.
Case Studies in Selectorate Theory: Successes, Failures, and Alternate Explanations

A unique trend is emerging in the literature surrounding the choices made by leaders in the international system. As the influence of mathematical analysis in the field of international relations grows, a new theory has gained ground. A newcomer to the field, Selectorate Theory builds a model for assessing the behavior of leaders based on the assumption that leaders are motivated primarily by a desire to obtain and retain power within their nation. While it may seem appealing for its clarity and simplicity, which is often lacking in theories that address the individual level of analysis in international relations, Selectorate Theory’s explanation of leaders’ behavior excludes the influence of a variety of critical factors in its current incarnation. The theory will require a significant amount of further development and growth to explain the variety of factors that influence leaders’ behavior
Case 81: Neuroendocrine Tumor

60-year-old man presented with vague abdominal pain. CT and MRI were obtained as part of the clinical evaluation.
The Broadest Necessity

In this paper the logic of broad necessity is explored. Definitions of what it means for one modality to be broader than another are formulated, and it is proven, in the context of higher-order logic, that there is a broadest necessity, settling one of the central questions of this investigation. It is shown, moreover, that it is possible to give a reductive analysis of this necessity in extensional language (using truth functional connectives and quantifiers). This relates more generally to a conjecture that it is not possible to define intensional connectives from extensional notions. This conjecture is formulated precisely in higher-order logic, and concrete cases in which it fails are examined. The paper ends with a discussion of the logic of broad necessity. It is shown that the logic of broad necessity is a normal modal logic between S4 and Triv, and that it is consistent with a natural axiomatic system of higher-order logic that it is exactly S4. Some philosophical reasons to think that the logic of broad necessity does not include the S5 principle are given.
Mass Communication Theory and Research: An Overview

(1977). Mass Communication Theory and Research: An Overview. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 1, Communication Yearbook 1, pp. 279-289.