cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Gscl, a gene within the minimal DiGeorge critical region, is expressed in primordial germ cells and the developing pons

Gscl, a paired-type homeobox gene, has been implicated in the pathology of DGS/VCFS by virtue of its genomic location and its structural similarity to the Gsc gene family. Immunohistochemical and in situ studies were performed to examine the expression pattern of this gene during embryonic development. A polyclonal antibody, generated to the full-length protein and shown to be specific for GSCL by both Western blotting and immunofluorescence, was used for immunohistochemical localization. Both in situ and antibody staining localized GSCL expression to a cluster of cells in the pons region of the developing brain. This GSCL expression pattern showed partial overlap with that of Pax6. More detailed immunohistochemistry revealed the GSCL in primordial germ cells during migration from the epithelium of the hindgut and later as they colonize the developing gonads. GSCL was not detected in tissues affected in DGS/VCSF.
Balancing Good Intentions: Protecting the Privacy of Electronic Health Information.

Electronic information is a vital but complex component in the modern health care system, fueling ongoing efforts to develop a universal electronic health record infrastructure. This innovation creates a substantial tension between two desirable values: the increased quality and utility of patient medical records and the protection of the privacy of the information they contain. This article discusses related U.S. legislation, policy, and law—including the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996. This article offers an inclusive, equilibrium model to conceptualize the spectrum of challenge that this interplay of desirable but oppositional values creates. The model illustrates the relationship between information privacy and information flow, and that between individual and society-level needs, within the resulting impact sectors of individual security, health care priorities, public health effectiveness, and e-health development, while specifying beneficial outcomes for each.
Experimental Tests of the Goal-Energy-Effort Requirement Theory of Work Motivation:

Three laboratory experiments were conducted to test eight hypotheses derived from the Goal-Energy-Effort Requirement Theory of Work Motivation. Each of the hypotheses tested in these experiments was supported. Increases in Task Goal Level, in Perceived Effort Requirement, in Energy Potential, and in Task Goal Specificity were found to result in increases in task performance. Increases in Task Goal Commitment increased the closeness of the performance level to the Task Goal Level. Statistically significant interactions were not found among the independent variables. In general, the experimental results support the hypotheses. The implications of the results for the manager are briefly discussed.
Polymer Brush-Modified Magnetic Nanoparticles for His-Tagged Protein Purification

Growth of poly(2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate) brushes on magnetic nanoparticles and subsequent brush functionalization with nitrilotriacetate-Ni2+ yield magnetic beads that selectively capture polyhistidine-tagged (His-tagged) protein directly from cell extracts. Transmission electron microscopy, Fourier transform infrared (FT-IR) spectroscopy, thermogravimetric analysis, and magnetization measurements confirm and quantify the formation of the brushes on magnetic particles, and multilayer protein adsorption to these brushes results in binding capacities (220 mg BSA/g of beads and 245 mg His-tagged ubiquitin/g of beads) that are an order of magnitude greater than those of commercial magnetic beads. Moreover, the functionalized beads selectively capture His-tagged protein within 5 min. The high binding capacity and protein purity along with efficient protein capture in a short incubation time make brush-modified particles attractive for purification of recombinant proteins.
Foods as Production and Delivery Vehicles for Human Vaccines

Vaccination is a great asset for eradication of infectious diseases in humans and animals. With the prevalence of antibiotic resistant bacterial strains and an alarming increase in new and re-emerging pathogens, the need for vaccination continues to be a high priority for mammalian diseases. In the last several years, a novel approach for developing improved mucosal subunit vaccines has emerged by exploiting the use of genetically modified plants. It has been demonstrated that plant-derived antigens are functionally similar to conventional vaccines and can induce neutralizing antibodies in mammalian hosts. Using genetically engineered plants for the production of immunogenic peptides also provides a new approach for the delivery of a plant-based subunit vaccine, i.e., oral delivery, provided these immunogenic peptides are expressed in an edible part of the plant, such as grain or fruit. Thus, food crops can play a significant new role in promoting human health by serving as vehicles for both production and delivery of vaccines.
Stateless Multicasting in Mobile Ad Hoc Networks

There are increasing interest and big challenges in designing a scalable and robust multicast routing protocol in a mobile ad hoc network (MANET) due to the difficulty in group membership management, multicast packet forwarding, and the maintenance of multicast structure over the dynamic network topology for a large group size or network size. In this paper, we propose a novel Robust and Scalable Geographic Multicast Protocol (RSGM). Several virtual architectures are used in the protocol without need of maintaining state information for more robust and scalable membership management and packet forwarding in the presence of high network dynamics due to unstable wireless channels and node movements. Specifically, scalable and efficient group membership management is performed through a virtual-zone-based structure, and the location service for group members is integrated with the membership management. Both the control messages and data packets are forwarded along efficient tree-like paths, but there is no need to explicitly create and actively maintain a tree structure. The stateless virtual-tree-based structures significantly reduce the tree management overhead, support more efficient transmissions, and make the transmissions much more robust to dynamics. Geographic forwarding is used to achieve further scalability and robustness. To avoid periodic flooding of the source information throughout the network, an efficient source tracking mechanism is designed. Furthermore, we handle the empty-zone problem faced by most zone-based routing protocols. We have studied the protocol performance by performing both quantitative analysis and extensive simulations. Our results demonstrate that RSGM can scale to a large group size and a large network size, and can more efficiently support multiple multicast groups in the network. Compared to existing protocols ODMRP and SPBM, RSGM achieves a significantly higher delivery ratio under all circumstances, with different moving speeds, node densities, group sizes, number of groups, and network sizes. RSGM also has the minimum control overhead and joining delay.
A power-efficient on-chip linear regulator assisted by switched capacitors for fast transient regulation

This paper presents an output-capacitorless low-dropout voltage regulator designed in a commercial 90nm CMOS technology for low-voltage applications. The power efficiency of the regulator is enhanced by significantly reducing its dropout voltage and quiescent current consumption. The resultant degradation of its transient regulation performance is compensated by a novel auxiliary circuit using switched-capacitor technique. The regulator operates under 1V supply voltage with a 0.9V output and delivers a maximum DC current of 100mA. The power efficiency under the full-load condition is about 90% and under the light-load condition (1mA load current) it maintains above 86%. For transient performance, when a 100mA load current step with 5ns rise/fall time is applied, the output voltage droop and overshoot are both within 10% of the steady-state value, while it would exceed 40% without the auxiliary circuit. Monte Carlo and temperature-sweep simulation results show that the LDO is robust to process and temperature variations and device mismatches.
Noise analysis for the holographic first-arriving-light technique

A noise analysis is performed on an electronic holography first-arriving-light system. Analytical expressions for the signal-to-noise ratio caused by the dominant noise terms are derived. The effect of various system parameters on the signal-to-noise ratio is explored; numerical and experimental examples are given.
A Productivity Centered Tools Framework for Application Performance Tuning

Our productivity centered performance tuning framework for HPC applications comprises of three main components: (1) a versatile source code, performance metrics, and performance data visualization and analysis graphical user interface, (2) a unique source code and binary instrumentation engine, and (3) an array of data collection facilities to gather performance data across various dimensions including CPU, message passing, threads, memory and I/O. We believe that the ability to decipher performance impacts at the source level and the ability to probe the application with different tools at the same time at varying granularities, while hiding the complications of binary instrumentation, leads to higher productivity of scientists in understanding and tuning the performance of associated computing systems and applications.
Use of the Du Pont "Automatic Clinical Analyzer" in Direct Determination of Lactic Acid in Plasma Stabilized with Sodium Fluoride

We have studied the determination of lactic acid with the Du Pont ACA and the suitability of plasma as a sample. Blood collected in sodium fluoride/ potassium oxalate Vacutainers and separated in 15 min provided acceptably stable plasma. With a 40-µl sample of plasma, results are linearly related to concentration to 20 mmol/ liter. Standard deviations were 0.16-0.22 mmol/ liter for day-to-day precision. When lactate was added to 53 samples, an average of 99.11% was recovered analytically. Results for plasma lactate ( y -axis) agreed with those on plasma filtrates by the Calbiochem "Rapid Lactate" method (n, 92; slope, 1.025; y intercept, -0.086 mmol/liter; standard error, 0.23 mmol/liter). Perchloric acid filtrates can also be analyzed, but fluoride-stabilized plasma is simpler to use.
BRST analysis of 2+1 gravity.

The classical formulation and the canonical and path-integral quantization of triad Einstein gravity in 2+1 dimensions is discussed using the Hamiltonian Becchi-Rouet-Stora-Tyutin (BRST) approach. We construct the BRST charge and demonstrate explicitly the BRST symmetry of the theory. We show explicitly that for this particular system, where both approaches can be carried up to their last consequences, the canonical BRST quantization coincides exactly with Dirac quantization. We also show how to construct from the BRST-invariant action the gauge-fixed action used by Witten to calculate topology-changing amplitudes.
RAD-FLOWS: Buffering for Predictable Communication

Real-time systems and applications are becoming increasingly complex and often comprise multiple communicating tasks. The management of the individual tasks is well-understood, but the interaction of communicating tasks with different timing characteristics is less well-understood. We discuss several representative inter-task communication flows via reserved memory buffers (possibly interconnected via a real-time network) and present RAD-Flows, a model for managing these interactions. We provide proofs and simulation results demonstrating the correctness and effectiveness of RAD-Flows, allowing system designers to determine the amount of memory required based upon the characteristics of the interacting tasks and to guarantee real-time operation of the system as a whole.
A Realist Theory of Empirical Testing Resolving the Theory-Ladenness/ Objectivity Debate:

This article explores whether theory-ladenness makes empirical testing an inse cure foundation for objectivity. Specifically, this article uses path diagrams as visual heuristics to assist in (1) d...
Salient feature extraction of industrial objects for an automated assembly system

This paper presents a vision based human-robotic interaction (HRI) framework for the modeling and localization of industrial objects typically found in an assembly task. Automating robotic vision for complicated industrial objects is an important, yet still difficult task, especially in the stage of extracting object features. To tackle this specific problem, we have developed a new HRI system consisting of an off-line vision model acquisition, in which the object's salient features are acquired through a human-in-the-loop approach. Subsequently, two feature extraction algorithms; region-growing and edge-grouping, are applied to the model development through collaboration between the human and robot. Finally, using a Kalman filter estimation with a proper ellipse representation, our object localization system generates ellipse hypotheses by grouping edge fragments in the scene, driven by the acquired vision model of objects. The proposed system is validated by experiments using actual industrial objects for both HRI-based object modeling and automated object localization.
The influence of lattice softening of the parent phase on the martensitic] transformation in FeNi and FePt alloys

Abstract Studies of the interactions between the magnetic transition and the first-order displacive martensitic transformation in FeNi and ordered and disordered FePt alloys are reviewed in an effort to find answers to two questions. Is lattice softening a necessary pre-condition for transformation? How does pre-transformation softening, when it occurs, affect the nucleation and growth of a martensitic plate? The clear demonstration that the low temperature transformation which produces martensite with the well-known acicular morphology occurs only in the ferromagnetic f.c.c. phase suggests that softening of the parent phase is necessary. However, the fact that a transformation to lath martensite occurs, at temperatures above room temperature, in dilute alloys in which the parent phase is paramagnetic, casts doubt on the validity of this generalization. There are a number of indications that the lattice softening which accompanies the magnetic transition influences the kinetics of the displacive transformation but the exact mechanisms by which nucleation is affected is still unclear. Single-crystal measurements of the soft modes in disordered FePt clearly show that they are not coupled directly to the transformation lattice strains and, consequently, it is unlikely that there is a direct connection between the soft mode lattice displacements and the displacements which produce the Bain strain. It is probable, however, that there are important indirect effects of softening on nucleation in these alloys. The influence of softening on growth, on the contrary, is clearer. Pre-transformation lattice softening is a necessary but not sufficient condition for thermoelastic reversible growth and shape memory properties.
Secrets of the Glasgow Haskell Compiler inliner

Higher-order languages such as Haskell encourage the programmer to build abstractions by composing functions. A good compiler must inline many of these calls to recover an efficiently executable program. In principle, inlining is dead simple: just replace the call of a function by an instance of its body. But any compiler-writer will tell you that inlining is a black art, full of delicate compromises that work together to give good performance without unnecessary code bloat. The purpose of this paper is, therefore, to articulate the key lessons we learned from a full-scale “production” inliner, the one used in the Glasgow Haskell compiler. We focus mainly on the algorithmic aspects, but we also provide some indicative measurements to substantiate the importance of various aspects of the inliner.
Endotoxin antagonism: conceptual basis and therapeutic potential

Since antiquity, physicians have beheld infections with deep consternation, knowing that a local lesion can have horrific systemic effects. Even in modern times, these effects have generally been impossible to control. Until recently, their ultimate cause was not well understood. Now, within the space of only a few years, the proximal cause of sepsis has been identified. Paralogous members of the Toll-like receptor (TLR) family sense infection and ignite the systemic inflammatory reaction that is known as sepsis. The question at hand has become a practical one: can this understanding be exploited to a therapeutic advantage?
Comparison of Degradation Rates of Individual Modules Held at Maximum Power

In this paper, we present a comparison of maximum power degradation rates of individual modules under out-door conditions in Golden, Colorado. Test modules include single-and polycrystalline-Si (x-Si, poly-Si), amorphous Si (a-Si, single, dual, and triple junction), CdTe, Cu-In-Ga-Se-S (CIS), and c-Si/a-Si heterostructure, from nine difference manufacturers. From monthly blocks of output power data, ratings were determined using multiple regressions to Performance Test Conditions (PTC). Plotting the power ratings versus time allowed degradation rates to be calculated from linear regressions. We also include a summary of module degradation rates obtained from the open literature over the past five years. Compared with the common rule-of-thumb value of 1% per year, many modules are seen to have significantly smaller degradation rates. A few modules, however, degrade significantly faster.
Profiling an incremental data flow analysis algorithm

Incremental data flow analysis algorithms have been designed to deal efficiently with change in evolving software systems. These algorithms document the current state of a software system by incorporating change effects into previously derived information describing the definition and use of data in the system. Unfortunately, the performance of these algorithms cannot, in general, be characterized by analytic predictions of their expected behavior. It is possible, however, to observe their performance empirically and predict their average behavior. The authors report on experiments on the empirical profiling of a general-purpose, incremental data flow analysis algorithm. The algorithm, dominator based and coded in C, was applied to statistically significant numbers of feasible, random software systems of moderate size. The experimental results, with quantifiable confidence limits, substantiate the claim that incremental analyses are viable and grow more valuable as a software system grows in size. >
Resource-Optimized Quality-Assured Ambiguous Context Mediation in Pervasive Environments

Pervasive computing applications envision sensor rich computing and networking environments that can capture various types of contexts of inhabitants of the environment, such as their locations, activities, vital signs, and environmental measures. Such context information is useful in a variety of applications, for example to manage health information to promote independent living in “aging-in-place” scenarios. In reality, both sensed and interpreted contexts are often ambiguous, leading to potentially dangerous decisions if not properly handled. Thus, a significant challenge facing the development of realistic and deployable context-aware services for pervasive computing applications is the ability to deal with these ambiguous contexts. In this paper, we propose a resource optimized quality assured context mediation framework for resource constrained sensor networks based on efficient context-aware data fusion and information theoretic sensor parameter selection for optimal state estimation. The proposed framework provides a systematic approach based on dynamic Bayesian networks to derive context fragments and deal with context ambiguity or error in a probabilistic manner. Experimental results using SunSPOT sensors demonstrate the promise of this approach.
Attenuated endocytosis and toxicity of a mutant cholera toxin with decreased ability to cluster ganglioside GM1 molecules.

Cholera toxin (CT) moves from the plasma membrane (PM) of host cells to the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) by binding to the lipid raft ganglioside GM1. The homopentomeric B-subunit of the toxin can bind up to five GM1 molecules at once. Here, we examined the role of polyvalent binding of GM1 in CT action by producing chimeric CTs that had B-subunits with only one or two normal binding pockets for GM1. The chimeric toxins had attenuated affinity for binding to host cell PM, as expected. Nevertheless, like wild-type (wt) CT, the CT chimeras induced toxicity, fractionated with detergent-resistant membranes extracted from toxin-treated cells, displayed restricted diffusion in the plane of the PM in intact cells, and remained bound to GM1 when they were immunoprecipitated. Thus, binding normally to two or perhaps only one GM1 molecule is sufficient for association with lipid rafts in the PM and toxin action. The chimeric toxins, however, were much less potent than wt toxin, and they entered the cell by endocytosis more slowly, suggesting that clustering of GM1 molecules by the B-subunit enhances the efficiency of toxin uptake and perhaps also trafficking to the ER.
A CONSERVATIVE STAGGERED-GRID CHEBYSHEV MULTIDOMAIN METHOD FOR COMPRESSIBLE FLOWS

We present a new multidomain spectral collocation method that uses a staggered grid for the solution of compressible flow problems. The solution unknowns are defined at the nodes of a Gauss quadrature rule. The fluxes are evaluated at the nodes of a Gauss?Lobatto rule. The method is conservative, free-stream preserving, and exponentially accurate. A significant advantage of the method is that subdomain corners are not included in the approximation, making solutions in complex geometries easier to compute.
Heat flux carried by the Antarctic Circumpolar Current mean flow

[1] A stream function projection of historical hydrographic data is applied to study the heat flux problem in the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC). The ACC is defined as a circumpolar band consisting of mean streamlines passing through Drake Passage. Its mean path exhibits a globally meandering pattern. The calculation of zonal heat transport shows that the ACC warms along its equatorward segments (South Atlantic and Indian Ocean) and cools along its poleward segment (South Pacific). The primary heat sources for the ACC system are two western boundary currents, the Brazil Current and the Agulhas Current. The mean baroclinic flow relative to 3000 dbar carries 0.14 PW poleward heat flux across 56°S and 0.08 PW across 60°S.
Can China achieve the WHO global targets for TB control by 2035

To reach the ambitious WHO TB global targets by 2035, it is likely that China will need a comprehensive strategy that builds on its existing high-quality directly observed treatment, short-course program. This will require optimizing the use of existing tools within a changing health system landscape. In addition, new tools are needed to identify and treat TB in high-risk groups and in older people, who are a growing driver of disease incidence. Lastly, strategies are needed to address the proximate risk factors and social determinants that underlie trends in TB burden.
Silicon Cantilever-Waveguide Displacement Sensors

The fabrication and characterization of a silicon-based integrated optical sensor for the detection of displacement and vibration is described. The integrated approach enables application to novel high-speed scanning probes and ultra-high sensitivity hand-held sensors.
Performance of a Coherent Dual Frequency Comb Spectrometer

We discuss the performance of a coherent dual frequency comb spectrometer in terms of signal-to-noise ratio, resolution, and accuracy based on experimental data in the near and short-wave infrared centered at 1.5 and 3.4 micrometers.
Machiavellianism as a Factor in Managerial Job Strain, Job Satisfaction, and Upward Mobility

This study investigates the relationship between Machiavellian orientation and several job-related correlates among 150 managers in a large manufacturing firm. The findings indicate that Machiavell...
Bulk charge carrier transport in push-pull type organic semiconductor.

Operation of organic electronic and optoelectronic devices relies on charge transport properties of active layer materials. The magnitude of charge carrier mobility, a key efficiency metrics of charge transport properties, is determined by the chemical structure of molecular units and their crystallographic packing motifs, as well as strongly depends on the film fabrication approaches that produce films with different degrees of anisotropy and structural order. Probed by the time-of-flight and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction techniques, bulk charge carrier transport, molecular packing, and film morphology in different structural phases of push–pull type organic semiconductor, 7,7′-(4,4-bis(2-ethylhexyl)-4H-silolo[3,2-b:4,5-b′]dithiophene-2,6-diyl)bis(6-fluoro-4-(5′-hexyl-[2,2′-bithiophen]-5yl)benzo[c][1,2,5] thiadiazole), one of the most efficient small-molecule photovoltaic materials to-date, are described herein. In the isotropic phase, the material is ambipolar with high mobilities for a fluid stat...
Dermatologic Extrahepatic Manifestations of Hepatitis C

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) affects millions of people worldwide, and an estimated 3.2 million people in the United States. HCV is a hepatotropic and lymphotropic virus that causes not only liver disease, but also a significant number of extrahepatic manifestations (EHMs). Up to 74% of patients affected by HCV will have HCV-related EHMs of some severity in their lifetime. The EHMs vary from simple cutaneous palpable purpura to complex lymphoproliferative disorders, including lymphomas and immune-complex deposit diseases causing local and/or systemic complications. Mixed cryoglobulinemia (MC) is manifested by multiple systemic organ involvement, mainly skin, kidney, peripheral nerves, and salivary glands, and less frequently causes widespread vasculitis and malignant lymphoma. MC affects up to 3% of HCV-infected patients with cryoglobulinemia of clinical significance, i.e. >6%. Severe disease requires immunosuppressive or plasma exchange therapy. HCV prevalence in the United States in patients with porphyria cutanea tarda (PCT) was reported to be 66%, much higher than that in general population. Therefore, all patients with PCT should be screened for HCV. The skin rash of PCT varies from large blisters to small vesicles and/or milia on the hands. Skin manifestations due to PCT usually respond to anti-HCV treatment together with reducing skin sun exposure, avoiding triggers, having routine phlebotomy (especially for people with chronic iron overload states), and using chloroquine. Lichen planus (LP), which typically affects both the skin and oral mucosa is a chronic inflammatory disease of squamous cell origin affecting about 1% of the worldwide population. The prevalence of HCV in patients with LP varies based on geographic location. We review here the basic pathophysiology, clinical features, and management of dermatologic manifestations of HCV.
TRANSIENT FLOW OF SOLID-LIQUID MIXTURES IN PIPES

SUMMARY The basic relationships needed for a one-dimensional plane wave analysis of transient solid-liquid flow are presented. These relationships include expressions for pressure wave velocities and wave magnitudes and basic continuity and momentum expressions which must be applied after a pressure wave passes. Also viscous effects are considered including the momentum exchange between the phases due to viscous drag and the contribution of wall shear. Previously reported work dealing primarily with pressure wave velocities in solid-liquid flow and pressure and flow conditions adjacent to a boundary is reviewed. In this paper, the analysis is extended to any point in the flow system. The effects of viscous wall shear are considered. A basic relationship for flow continuity in an unbounded control volume is derived to study conditions after a pressure wave passes. Experimental results are presented which agree closely with the theoretical predictions. Highspeed movies were employed to record velocity histories in the transient flow.
Use of Cfengine for Automated, Multi-Platform Software and Patch Distribution

Good UNIX system administration practice includes among its many tasks the proper configuration of system files, installation and maintenance of third party software, and maintenance of system security, including regular updates of operating system (OS) patches. For a small number of systems running only one or two OSes, keeping up with these tasks isn't too difficult. However, as the number of systems and OSes increase (and the number of staff remains constant), these chores can quickly become overwhelming.This paper describes our planning, development, and deployment of a system that provides automated software distribution, patch installation, and OS configuration through the integration of GNU cfengine [Bur95], MySQL [MySQL00], and a few custom written Perl scripts. It is meant to be less of a tool description and more of a discussion about the various aspects of designing a multi-platform software and patch distribution system, and the benefits of integrating those systems into a configuration management system such as cfengine. Designing and developing our system has been a time-consuming endeavor, but it has proven to be well worth the effort.
Neural network modulation, dynamics, and plasticity

Brain networks are unique in their capacity to modify synaptic structure while at the same time modulating neuronal firing properties. We investigated the interaction of these plastic network properties with overall network dynamics in large, biophysical neuronal network models. We modulated firing properties of individual neurons by simulating changing levels of acetylcholine (ACh), a key neurotransmitter whose level varies across waking and sleep states. When synaptic connection strengths were allowed to evolve according to a spike timing-dependent plasticity rule, results showed that ACh-induced changes in cellular properties led to different network activity patterns that resulted in either overall synaptic strengthening or weakening. These results suggest that the effect of ACh on neuron firing could contribute to hypothesized sleep-related synaptic renormalization in the brain.
SANCTE AGNETIS, MÀRTIR E VERGE: A MODEL VIRGIN FOR LAITY AND CLERGY IN ST. VICENT FERRER’S CATALAN SERMON

St. Agnes of Rome became one of the most celebrated martyrs of the fourth century. Her passion story was popularized by several Church Fathers, most notably Pope Damasus, Prudentius, and Ambrose of Milan. In the Middle Ages, Jacobus of Voragine widely disseminated her hagiography through his Legenda Aurea. St. Vicent Ferrer (1350–1419) dedicated a sermon to her entitled Sancte Agnetis, which he preached in late medieval Catalan. In this sermon he relied very little on Jacobus and the bulk of the previous passion stories about Agnes, which is unusual for Vicent’s hagiographical sermons. Vicent was more interested in promoting the saint’s virginity as a model of holiness for laity and clergy. This article seeks to identify the provenance of the hagiographical material that he did include. It also explores how Vicent proposed the virtue of virginity as a model of holiness to his target audience.
Peer mentoring: A tool for serving the diverse needs of 21st century college students

Higher education is changing even as it stays the same. What has stayed the same is the immense value of a completed college degree on both societal and personal levels. For society, increasing the percentage of the population with advanced educational credentials is associated with increased work skills, a stable economy, stable national, state, and local tax revenue streams, decreased needs for a range of social services, increased citizen participation, and perhaps most importantly, an informed citizenry capable of understanding and synthesizing complex information and critically thinking about important social issues. On a personal level, increasing the percentage of individuals with completed college degrees should be associated with higher standards of living, better health, and higher levels of feelings of self-efficacy and self-worth for a greater number/ percentage of Americans.
Passenger safety, health, and comfort: a review.

Since the birth of aviation medicine approximately 80 yrs ago, practitioners and scientists have given their attention primarily to flight deck crew, cabin crew, and ground support personnel. However, in more recent years we have broadened our horizons to include the safety, health, and comfort of passengers flying commercial aircraft. This will be even more compelling as more passengers take to the air in larger aircraft and flying longer hours to more distant destinations. Further, we can expect to see more older passengers because people in many countries are living longer, healthier lives. The author first discusses the stresses imposed by ordinary commercial flight upon travelers such as airport tumult, barometric pressure changes, immobility, jet lag, noise/ vibration, and radiation. Medical considerations are next addressed describing inflight illness and medical care capability aboard U.S. air carriers. Passenger safety, cabin air quality, and the preventive medicine aspects of air travel are next reviewed in the context of passenger safety, health, and comfort. Recommendations are addressed to regulator agencies, airlines aircraft manufacturers, and the aerospace medicine community.
Scattering Methods in Densitometry

All of the previously described densitometric methods are based on the use of transmitted x-rays or gamma rays. The radiographic methods utilize radiographic films for the detection of x-rays. Single-photon absorptiometry requires the use of scintillation detectors for determining the gamma-ray transmission through bone and soft tissue, as does the dual-photon method. CT densitometry is based upon the detection of the transmitted x-rays or gamma rays at multiple angles about the body by an array of scintillation or gas detectors. The basic interaction upon which these transmission methods depend is the photoelectric interaction between the incident x-ray or gamma ray and electrons of the affected atoms of the tissues. The energy range for tissue densitometric transmission methods is generally below 100 keV, where the photoelectric effect is the most dominant of the possible x-ray interactions. The scattering methods, by contrast with these transmission methods, rely upon two additional fundamental types of photon interactions: (1) elastic (coherent) scattering and (2) inelastic (incoherent) scattering of x-rays and gamma rays.
Photoionization Cross Sections and Auger Rates Calculated by Many-Body Perturbation Theory

In these lectures I will discuss methods for applying the many-body perturbation theory of Brueckner [1] and Goldstone [2] to atomic calculations with particular emphasis on calculation of photoionization cross sections and Auger rates. The derivation of the linked cluster diagrammatic many-body perturbation expansion was first given by Brueckner [1] and Goldstone [2] and has been discussed in review articles [3,4,5] and more recently in textbooks on the many-body problems such as those by Fetter and Walecka [6] and March, Young, and Sampanthar [7]. Rather than repeat this work, I would like to start by giving a feeling for diagrams by first presenting them for the particularly simple case of a one-particle system.
National analysis of adverse patient safety events in bariatric surgery

Identifying risk factors for adverse events after bariatric surgery (BaS) can help define high-risk groups to improve patient safety. We calculated cumulative incidence of adverse events and identified risk factors for these events using validated surgical patient safety indicators (PSIs) developed by the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. BaS patients > or =18 years old were identified using the 2002 Nationwide Inpatient Sample. Cumulative incidence at discharge was calculated for accidental puncture or laceration (APL), pulmonary embolus or deep venous thrombosis (PE/DVT), and postoperative respiratory failure (RF). Factors predictive of these PSIs were identified. From 7,853,982 discharges, a national cohort of 69,490 BaS patients was identified. During BaS hospitalization, the cumulative incidences per 1000 discharges of APL, PE/DVT, and RF were 12.6, 3.4, and 7.3, respectively. Risk factors for APL included male gender (odds ratio [OR] 1.6, 95% confidence interval 1.1-2.3, P < 0.05) and age of 40-49 years (OR 1.6 [1.1-2.3], P < 0.05) compared to ages 18-39 years. Patients aged 50-59 years (OR 3.5 [1.6-7.7], P < 0.05) had a higher chance of PE/DVT compared to those 18-39 years. Male gender (OR 1.8 [1.1-2.9], P < 0.05), ages 40-49 (OR 2.1 [1.1-4.2], P < 0.05) and 50-59 (OR 3.8 [2.1-6.9], P < 0.05), a history of chronic lung disease (OR 1.7 [1.1-2.7], P < 0.05), and Medicare coverage compared to private insurance (OR 2.2 [1.2-3.8], P < 0.05) were predictive of RF. This study established national measures for BaS adverse events. Further, risk factors associated with adverse events varied by gender, age, insurance status, and comorbidity. Evaluation of these higher risk BaS groups is needed to improve patient safety.
The Polyphenolic Antioxidant Resveratrol, the Carotinoid Lycopene, and the Proanthocyanidin Pycnogenol

The general nature and action of antioxidants in preventing impairment of endothelial function and nitric oxide (NO) formation was detailed in Chapter 4, “Oxidative Stress Damages the Endothelium.” This chapter examines the action of three different classes of antioxidants, polyphenols, carotinoids, and anthocyanidins that encompass many hundreds of different antioxidant compounds found in common foods. The chapter summarizes research showing how many of these antioxidants promote formation of NO and prevent endothelial nitric oxide synthase (eNOS) uncoupling, and thus reduce cardiovascular and heart function impairment while at the same time promoting healthy erectile function.
Four Lectures at the 1979 Erice School on Spin, Torsion, Rotation and Supergravity

This set of four lectures was given for relativists. Consequently, we have not focused on a review of the latest results obtained in supergravity, but rather tried to give a coherent account of the fundamentals of supergravity. Many people who are keen to understand what supergravity is, fail because of always the same technical details. Thus we give, in these lectures, these details — especially a proof of gauge invariance — and not a sketchy description of how, in principle, to obtain the results. In this year of Einstein’s centennial celebration, research in classical general relativity is less intense than it was in the first half of our century. There are, however, some new developments: twistors, Hawking radiationand supergravity, to mention a few. Supergravity is a beautiful mathematical theory, but so far it has not yet contributed to our understanding of physical reality. That may come; perhaps Fermi-Bose symmetry and a space-time with bosonic and fermionic coordinates are reality.
High Thermoelectric Power Factor in Intermetallic Co Si Arising from Energy Filtering of Electrons by Phonon Scattering

While highly conductive, intermetallic compounds are typically poor thermoelectrics, due to a small Seebeck coefficient. $B20$-type CoSi, however, exhibits an anomalously large, negative Seebeck coefficient. First-principles calculations reveal the underlying reason to be the strong energy dependence of carrier lifetimes due to phonon scattering, which leads to effective energy filtering of holes and low-energy electrons. The phenomenon originates from a band structure with both heavy and massless fermions near the Fermi level, and is thus intrinsic to the material. This insight opens an avenue for discovering and designing high-performance thermoelectrics for energy recovery.
Real-time 3D curved needle segmentation using combined B-mode and power Doppler ultrasound.

This paper presents a real-time segmentation method for curved needles in biological tissue based on analysis of B-mode and power Doppler images from a tracked 2D ultrasound transducer. Mechanical vibration induced by an external voice coil results in a Doppler response along the needle shaft, which is centered around the needle section in the ultrasound image. First, B-mode image analysis is performed within regions of interest indicated by the Doppler response to create a segmentation of the needle section in the ultrasound image. Next, each needle section is decomposed into a sequence of points and transformed into a global coordinate system using the tracked transducer pose. Finally, the 3D shape is reconstructed from these points. The results of this method differ from manual segmentation by 0.71±0.55 mm in needle tip location and 0.38±0.27 mm along the needle shaft. This method is also fast, taking 5-10 ms to run on a standard PC, and is particularly advantageous in robotic needle steering, which involves thin, curved needles with poor echogenicity.
The Welfare State

The welfare state is an instrument used by governments seeking to ensure their population against possible risks and vulnerabilities. While all high-income countries provide some form of welfare state protections, the range of welfare state experience and practices varies across them enormously. At one end of the spectrum is the American welfare state with limited degree of support to the poor and other vulnerable groups, especially in the form of means-tested benefits. At the other end are the Nordic and especially Swedish welfare states that provide comprehensive forms of insurance and assistance helping to keep poverty and inequality low. In between are other countries that have utilized welfare state policies to varying degrees, depending on their need and political supports. No doubt, different components of the welfare state have been introduced to address specific social needs and vulnerabilities that vary across countries as well as over time. But it is important to understand how the provisions and practices of welfare state policies vary across countries and over time as a necessary first step to analyze why they vary at all.
Replicating Responses: A Virtual Environmental Test of Unknown Boundary Conditions

Environmental testing focuses on producing more appropriate testing procedures in laboratory settings which result in more accurate verification and validation of high-performance and sensitive equipment. However, replicating operational conditions in a testing space is challenging due to the unknown nature of the excitations and boundary conditions the system is subject to in the field. If the boundaries can be formulated in a way such that the response can be replicated with different boundary conditions, this would allow for testing of these structures in laboratory settings of known and applicable boundary conditions.
Data for: Consistent Spatial Expansion Functions on Hexagonal Surfaces for Use in Radiation Transport Methods

Abstract Some of the radiation transport solvers that are based on expansion function methods in hexagonal geometry generally use projection techniques that transform the spatial dependence of the angular flux in hexagonal geometry to Cartesian geometry by mapping and then expanding in terms of expansion functions (e.g., Legendre polynomials). However, this approach usually requires a relatively higher-order expansion in space for accurate representation of the spatial distribution of the flux. To overcome this limitation, a set of consistent spatial expansion functions have been developed in hexagonal geometry in this paper. These functions satisfy the orthogonality condition on hexagonal surfaces and guarantee the conservation of currents after expansion regardless of the truncation order. The latter is an important property for preservation of neutron balance. The new spatial expansion method has been implemented into the co arse m esh radiation t ransport (COMET) code and tested in both the single assembly and the full core Advanced High Temperature Reactor (AHTR) benchmark problems. The eigenvalues and assembly-averaged and stripe-wise fission density distributions predicted by the new method with 2nd order spatial expansion functions were found to exhibit similar accuracy as those computed by the current mapping method with 4th order spatial expansion functions. This indicates that the angular fluxes in AHTRs can be predominantly represented by a low order expansion if the new spatial expansion functions are used. As a result, to maintain the same accuracy, the computational efficiency of COMET is improved significantly (2–5 times) by using the new spatial expansion method.
Towards Mechanism-Based Treatments for Fragile X Syndrome

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common heritable form of intellectual disability, as well as the most common known monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), affecting 1 in 4000-8000 people worldwide [...].
Risk and subtypes of secondary primary malignancies in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma survivors change over time based on stage at diagnosis

BACKGROUND Previous studies have shown an increased risk of secondary primary malignancies (SPMs) after diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) treatment. Whether stage of DLBCL at diagnosis affects the subtypes of SPMs that occur has not been previously described. METHODS The Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results database was queried for patients aged >18 years diagnosed with primary DLBCL from 1973 to 2010 and categorized by early stage (ES) (stage I-II) or advanced stage (AS) (stage III-IV) disease. Differences in overall and location-specific SPM incidence by stage and time since diagnosis were assessed in 5-year intervals using a Fine-Gray hazards model. Overall survival was compared using the log-rank test. A Cox proportional hazards model was used to assess differences in survival. RESULTS In total, 26,038 patients with DLBCL were identified, including 14,724 with ES and 11,314 with AS disease. The median follow-up was 13.3 years. Overall, 13.0% of patients developed SPM, with a higher but nonsignificantly increased risk of SPM development in those who had ES disease compared with those who had AS disease (14% vs 11.6%; P = .14). During the first 5 years after diagnosis, patients who had ES disease had a higher risk of SPM than those who had AS disease, specifically colorectal, pancreas, breast, and prostate SPMs. During the period from 10 to 15 years after diagnosis, patients who had AS disease had a higher risk of SPM than those who had ES disease, specifically hematologic SPMs. Development of SPM was found to significantly increase the risk of death regardless of stage at diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS In this large, population-based study, distinctly different subtypes and temporal patterns of SPM development were identified based on stage of DLBCL at diagnosis. The current study merits consideration of tailored site-specific and time-specific surveillance for patients with DLBCL according to stage and time interval since diagnosis.