cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Electron Holographic Observations at Boundaries Aligned Parallel and Nonparallel to the Incident Beam

Abstract The changes in phase profiles across heterointerfaces and the ability to detect intergranular amorphous phases were investigated using off-axis electron holography in a field-emission transmission electron microscope. The boundaries were viewed in the conventional edge-on orientation, and also after tilting so that the boundary was no longer parallel to the incident beam. Reconstructed phase images of W/Si multilayers demonstrate that the boundaries are still apparent even at substantial tilts (up to 6°), and that the shape of the phase profile changes as expected with tilt. Detection of thin ( 2 O 3 with minor silicon impurities was then explored. The amorphous aluminosilicate phase displays a significantly larger phase shift than the adjoining alumina grains, and can be apparent at tilts up to nearly 10°. An undecorated boundary shows very little change in phase at the interface.
Numerical Techniques for Evaluating Sample Information

This paper is concerned with the evaluation of multiple integrals to determine the Expected Value of Sample Information (EVSI). It first examines the accuracy and the computational efficiency of the existing numerical methods—the numerical integration method, the Monte Carlo method, and the fixed fractile method—as applied to double integrals. It then develops two new methods—the numerical integration method and the quadrature method. These methods are applicable, not only to double integrals, but also to integrals of higher dimensions. The proposed numerical integration method is made possible by deriving an alternate expression for EVSI. This method yields accurate results, which allows us to ascertain the accuracy of other methods. The quadrature method has greatly increased the computational efficiency over the methods presently available. This efficiency makes it feasible to find optimal sample sizes for problems in multivariate statistical analysis.
An APL system for interactive data analysis: Histograms, correlation, and regression

This report describes an APL system for file-oriented univariate analysis, correlation, and regression analysis. The correlation and regression processes permit analyses of an unlimited number of cases, if the cases are arranged in tables small enough to be processed one at a time in a workspace. Support functions are also given for a menu-based processing system designed to support a broad range of analyses. The functions offer features such as subset selection, data transformation, and exclusion of invalid items.
Human leukocyte functions and the U.S. safety standard for exposure to radio-frequency radiation.

Human mononuclear leukocytes were exposed to microwaves at energies relevant to current public safety recommendations. No detectable effects on viability or function of the leukocytes resulted from exposure to microwaves at specific absorption rates up to 4 milliwatts per milliliter. The results were highly reproducible and provided no evidence that current safety standard recommendations are inappropriate insofar as leukocyte function is concerned.
Photonic integration technologies for high efficiency WDM transceivers

We describe the design of high efficiency EML and DFB-MZ chips and present performance characteristics of small footprint low power consumption 10 Gb/s and 100Gb/s TOSAs built leveraging InP monolithic and hybrid integration.
Pyrrole formation from 4-hydroxynonenal and primary amines

The reaction of trans-4-hydroxy-2-nonenal (4-HNE) with primary amines was investigated to elucidate chemistry that may clarify the nature of its physiological covalent binding with protein-based primary amino groups. Such binding of 4-HNE, generated endogenously from lipid peroxidation, appears to be a pathophysiologic factor in the modification of low-density lipoprotein and perhaps other instances. We now show that 4-HNE reacts with primary amines in aqueous acetonitrile at pH 7.8 to afford after workup, in 14-23% yield, the corresponding pyrroles, which were characterized by independent synthesis from 4-oxononanal. Additional, mostly unstable adducts are also formed, some of which eventually "age" to the pyrrole. Hydride reduction after initial adduct formation permits the isolation of more stable materials, one of which has been identified as the reduced amine Michael addition product. Pyrrole formation may constitute a physiologically important reaction of 4-hydroxyalkenals.
Injury-Specific Promoters Enhance Herpes Simplex Virus-Mediated Gene Therapy for Treating Neuropathic Pain in Rodents

Abstract Chronic neuropathic pain is often difficult to treat with current pain medications. Gene therapy is presently being explored as a therapeutic approach for the treatment of neuropathic and cancer pain. In this study, we sought to use an injury-specific promoter to deliver the mu-opioid receptor (MOR) transgene such that expression would occur during the injured state only in response to release of injury-specific galanin. To determine whether an injury-specific promoter can produce neuron-specific MOR expression and enhanced antinociception, we compared animals infected with a galanin promoter virus (galMOR) or a human cytomegalovirus promoter virus (cmvMOR). In behavioral assays, we found an earlier onset and a larger magnitude of antinociception in animals infected with galMOR compared with cmvMOR. Immunohistochemical analysis of dorsal root ganglion neurons revealed a significant increase in MOR-positive staining in cmvMOR- and galMOR-treated mice. Spinal cord sections from galMOR-treated mice showed a greater increase in density but not area of MOR-positive staining. These results suggest that using injury-specific promoters to drive gene expression in primary afferent neurons can influence the onset and magnitude of antinociception in a rodent model of neuropathic pain and can be used to upregulate MOR expression in populations of neurons that are potentially injury specific. Perspective An injury-specific promoter (galMOR) was used to drive MOR expression in a population- and injury-specific manner. GalMOR increased antinociception and density of MOR staining in the spinal cord. This article presents evidence that promoter selection is an important component in successful gene expression in an injury- and population-specific manner.
Processing-structure characterization of rheocast IN-100 superalloy

The rheocasting solidification process was applied in the production of IN-100 nickel base superalloy, and the effects of processing variables, such as stirring speed, isothermal stirring time, and volume fraction solid during isothermal stirring, on the resultant rheocast structure were investigated. Ingots that were furnace cooled at the same rate but without stirring were compared with the rheocast ingots. Rheocasting yielded fine-grained structures, where the extent of microsegregation, the variation in macrostructure, and the solidification-induced porosity and ingot cracking were found to be reduced in comparison to the unstirred ingots. The grain size and nonuniformity were reduced by increasing the stirring speed, isothermal stirring time, or the volume fraction solid during stirring; decreased microsegregation was achieved by an increase in the volume fraction solid. The structures of grain boundaries lent support to the grain boundary mechanism proposed by Vogel et al. (1977) for rheocasting.
Clinical features and long-term natural history of the postpericardiotomy syndrome

We followed 34 consecutive patients with the postpericardiotomy syndrome for a median of 7 years. In each patient, the syndrome was documented by the occurrence of: (1) a pericardial type of pain or pericardial rub (or both); and (2) fever or an elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate. The postpericardiotomy syndrome occurred at a median postoperative time of 4 weeks (range, 2 to 52 weeks). The duration of the syndrome was highly variable (range, 2 to 100 days; median, 22 days) and depended primarily on treatment; the median duration of symptoms in 21 patients treated with salicylates alone was only 4 days. Of the 9 patients receiving anticoagulants alone and in whom this treatment was continued, none had clinical evidence of hemopericardium. On follow-up, 7 patients (21%) had an initial recurrence at an interval of 1 to 3 months; 5 of these patients had further recurrences at an interval of 3 to 30 months. This long-term study indicates that the postperiocardiotomy syndrome is a benign but often recurrent clinical entity, presumably related to viral and/or immunologic factors.
Psychology of the Scientist: LV. Social Psychologists' Perceptions of Journals' Readability: How Consistent are They?

Psychologists have long been criticized for the quality of their prose. This study shows, however, that one commonly accepted feature of good writing, readability, is perceived accurately in professional psychology journals by social psychologists and, also, though with less certainty, by their students. The professionals' perceptions are remarkably consistent: they agree when they rank their journals on readability and again on importance. Their perceptions are also realistic: the rankings of readability agree, on the whole, with the objective measures. Even their students are able to perceive, roughly, the journals' levels of readability. In addition, the psychologists' rankings of importance do not contaminate their rankings of readability, although their familiarity with the journals may. Finally, their journals are more alike than different: no significant differences appear in over-all Flesch scores, in polysyllabic words, in sentence length, or in embedded words, despite the very large sample analyzed.
Why do neuroprotective drugs work in animals but not humans

Many neuroprotective agents that seemed promising in animal studies of ischemic brain injury prove to have no effect when tested in clinical trials, suggesting that fundamental elements of translational research require better definition. A number of modifications have led to improvements in preclinical and human studies since the earliest controlled trials failed to confirm hypotheses suggested by animal data. Continued re-evaluation and sharing of information derived from the laboratory bench or the patient's bedside should eventually lead to effective neuroprotection in acute stroke. Experimental data should be carefully studied to improve the quality of agents coming to clinical trials and to design trial phasing that effectively determines drug safety and efficacy. This article will examine preclinical modeling and its translation to prospective studies of acute stroke therapy and will focus on some potential solutions directed at clinical trial design.
Advances in treatment of lung cancer with targeted therapy.

Context.—Ongoing preclinical investigations and clinical trials involving new targeted therapies promise to improve survival for patients with lung cancer. Targeted therapeutic agents, based on gen...
Deuteration of the melon fly attractant, cue-lure, and its effect on olfactory response and infra-red absorption.

Abstract The structure of cue-lure [4-(p-hydroxyphenyl)-2-butanone acetate], a potent attractant for the male melon fly, Dacus cucurbitae Coquillett, was systematically altered by replacing atoms of hydrogen with deuterium in various parts of the molecule. The positions of substitution were established from the nuclear magnetic resonance spectra of the compounds. The deuterium substitutions did not affect the attractiveness of the compound to the male melon fly. The far i.r. spectra, believed by some investigators to be related to the olfactory properties of molecules, were determined for the deuterated and undeuterated compounds. Shifts in spectral position did occur as a result of deuteration. However, no relationship between olfactory response and absorption in the far i.r. region was found.
Evaluation of the RZWQM-CERES-Maize hybrid model for maize production

The root zone water quality model (RZWQM) was developed primarily for water quality research with a generic plant growth module primarily serving as a sink for plant nitrogen and water uptake. In this study, we coupled the CERES-Maize Version 3.5 crop growth model with RZWQM to provide RZWQM users with the option for selecting a more comprehensive plant growth model. In the hybrid model, RZWQM supplied CERES with daily soil water and nitrogen contents, soil temperature, and potential evapotranspiration, in addition to daily weather data. CERES-Maize supplied RZWQM with daily water and nitrogen uptake, and other plant growth variables (e.g., root distribution and leaf area index). The RZWQM-CERES hybrid model was evaluated with two well-documented experimental datasets distributed with DSSAT (Decision Support System for Agrotechnology Transfer) Version 3.5, which had various nitrogen and irrigation treatments. Simulation results were compared to the original DSSAT-CERES-Maize model. Both models used the same plant cultivar coefficients and the same soil parameters as distributed with DSSAT Version 3.5. The hybrid model provided similar maize prediction in terms of yield, biomass and leaf area index, as the DSSAT-CERES model when the same soil and crop parameters were used. No overall differences were found between the two models based on the paired t test, suggesting successful coupling of the two models. The hybrid model offers RZWQM users access to a rigorous new plant growth model and provides CERES-Maize users with a tool to address soil and water quality issues under different cropping systems.
Data Consistency in IMF Publications: Country Staff Reports Versus International Financial Statistics

Data published in IMF country staff reports and International Financial Statistics (IFS) may differ for identical variables and, at times, users may be unaware of the reasons for these differences and lack the information needed to permit reconciliation. Such discrepancies stem principally from differences in the objectives of IMF country staff reports and their data requirements, on the one hand, and IFS, on the other. This paper presents the results of a study of the consistency of annual data on core statistical indicators required for Fund surveillance presented in the IMF's IFS and a sample of recently published Article IV consultation reports. The paper finds a significant incidence of apparent discrepancies for similarly defined variables.
Marketing Internships: How Values and Search Strategies Differ Across The Student-Employer Dyad

This study identifies the value undergraduate marketing students are placing on various aspects of a marketing internship and compares the relative importance that internship providers place on these same factors. Results were obtained by surveying 140 internship providers and 336 undergraduate marketing majors. Internship providers rated workplace environment, intern supervision, and clear learning objectives to be significantly more important than did the student respondents. Conversely, students rated skill development, increased career opportunities, and overall internship attractiveness significantly higher than the internship providers. Differences in search strategies across the student-employer dyad were also identified. Marketing educators can use this information to help place students in meaningful internships.
Antiquities under siege: cultural heritage protection after the Iraq War

edited by Lawrence Rothfield, Lanham, MD, AltaMira Press, 2008, 340 pp., US$29.95 (paperback), ISBN 0‐7591‐1099‐9 In April 2003, images of the looting and destruction of the Iraq Museum and the Ira...
Electron-plasmon coupling in semiconductors: Harmonics of cyclotron resonance

Abstract Plasmon assisted absorption of infrared radiation leads to relatively intense absorption peaks close to harmonics of the electron cyclotron frequency for both the cyclotron resonance active and cyclotron resonance inactive circular polarizations.
Ensemble Monte Carlo simulation of semiclassical nonlinear electron transport across heterojunction band discontinuities

Abstract An ensemble Monte Carlo simulation code has been developed to study nonlinear electron transpsort across heterojunction interfaces in strong electric fields. The evolution of electron energy and momentum distribution in space and time has been investigated in detail in two AlGaAs/GaAs single well heterostructures under various operating conditions. It is found that overheating, enhanced energy relaxation, and carrier confinement as a consequence of the structure in real space have a pronounced influence on the energy and momentum distribution. As a result, the energy distribution can have a structure which directly reveals the band structure (of the material). The influence of the structure in real space and the band structure of neighboring layer on the ionization rate is also discussed along with the possibility of a new overshoot effect.
Database designs for microarray data

Gene expression microarrays are an essential technology for the emerging discipline of pharmacogenomics, and the ways in which expression data are represented in computers have important implications for the analysis and communication of this new form of biological information. Broadly speaking, there are four types of activities that array data need to support. These include: (1) detection of patterns within the data from a single array by statistical techniques such as clustering; (2) comparison of patterns from multiple arrays; (3) linkage to related information in external databases; and (4) communication of data among collaborators and its transmission to private and public archives.
Detecting objects in radiographs for homeland security

We present a general scheme for segmenting a radiographic image into polygons that correspond to visual features. This decomposition provides a vectorized representation that is a high-level description of the image. The polygons correspond to objects or object parts present in the image. This characterization of radiographs allows the direct application of several shape recognition algorithms to identify objects. In this paper we describe the use of constrained Delaunay triangulations as a uniform foundational tool to achieve multiple visual tasks, namely image segmentation, shape decomposition, and parts-based shape matching. Shape decomposition yields parts that serve as tokens representing local shape characteristics. Parts-based shape matching enables the recognition of objects in the presence of occlusions, which commonly occur in radiographs. The polygonal representation of image features affords the efficient design and application of sophisticated geometric filtering methods to detect large-scale structural properties of objects in images. Finally, the representation of radiographs via polygons results in significant reduction of image file sizes and permits the scalable graphical representation of images, along with annotations of detected objects, in the SVG (scalable vector graphics) format that is proposed by the world wide web consortium (W3C). This is a textual representation that can be compressed and encrypted for efficient and secure transmission of information over wireless channels and on the Internet. In particular, our methods described here provide an algorithmic framework for developing image analysis tools for screening cargo at ports of entry for homeland security.© (2005) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Neoadjuvant vindesine, etoposide, and cisplatin for locally advanced non-small cell lung cancer. Final report of a phase 2 study.

We treated 27 patients with regionally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) with two cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy with etoposide, vindesine, and cisplatin. Twenty-three patients were evaluable for response; 13 had a partial response while ten patients had stable disease or disease progression. Subsequent local therapy consisted of surgery followed by radiotherapy in four patients and of radiotherapy alone in 14 patients. Five patients did not receive local therapy. At completion of local therapy, seven patients were considered free of disease including all four who had undergone surgery. Median time to disease progression for the 13 patients who had a partial response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was eight months (three to 51+ months). The median survival for all patients registered on study was eight months (three days to 53+ months). Chemotherapy induced toxicities included moderate myelosuppression, nausea and vomiting in all patients, and occasional ototoxicity, neurotoxicity, and wasting syndrome. One patient died of intracerebral hemorrhage due to thrombocytopenia. This trial shows that administration of neoadjuvant chemotherapy to patients with locoregionally advanced NSCLC is feasible and may yield an increased response rate compared to patients with stage IV disease. While no clearly beneficial effect of the use of chemotherapy on patient survival is apparent in this study, further studies utilizing neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with NSCLC are warranted and should attempt to identify more active combinations of drugs. (Chest 1989; 96:110-13)
Fermi-surface instabilities and superconducting d -wave pairing

Near nesting of the Fermi surface can lead to low-frequency spin-density, charge-density and lattice modes at wave vectors connecting the nested regions. We find that the exchange of these excitations leads to a superconducting coupling constant for d-wave pairing which is enhanced near the Fermi-surface instability.
The effects of laboratory-based and field-based practicum experience on pre-service teachers' self-efficacy

Abstract A well defined line of research has been conducted on the role of self-efficacy (Bandura, A. (1977). Self-efficacy: toward a unifying theory of behavioral change. Psychological Review, 84, 191–215.) in teaching and learning environments. The purpose of this study was to examine the effect of Laboratory-Based (LB) and Field-Based (FB) practicum experience on pre-service teachers' efficacy levels within one Physical Education Teacher Education program. The participants were 59 undergraduate students who were placed into two groups, LB design (n = 31) and FB design (n = 28). A quasi-experimental design with two levels of treatment and no control group was implemented. Both groups were administered a version of the Teacher Efficacy Scale (TES) adapted for physical education teachers at four stages of their preservice program: (1) at or near entry; (2) at the start of their methods course sequence; (3) at the end of the methods course sequence, just prior to student teaching; and (4) at program completion. Results from a Repeated Measures ANOVA indicated significant differences between groups on one facet of teacher efficacy at Stages 2 and 3. Those differences are attributed to the differing levels of authentic teaching practice between groups, and the challenges posed to each group of preservice teachers prior to student teaching. By the end of student teaching, both groups' efficacy levels were essentially equal, perhaps due to the similarly high level of authenticity across all subjects in that key experience. This study also highlights the importance of on-going, appropriate and authentic challenges in eventually establishing strong and stable efficacy levels among preservice teachers
Hierarchical organization in liquid crystal-in-liquid crystal emulsions

We report the formation and characterization of hierarchical ordering in systems comprised of micrometer-sized droplets of thermotropic nematic liquid crystals (LCs) dispersed in continuous nematic phases of a lyotropic chromonic LC (disodium cromoglycate (DSCG)). Significantly, we find the orientations of the two LC phases to be coupled, with nematic droplets of 4′-pentyl-4-cyanobiphenyl (5CB) exhibiting a bipolar configuration with an axis of symmetry aligned orthogonal to the far-field director of the DSCG phase. We determine that this coupling of orientations does not result from either anisometric LC droplet shape or interfacial ionic phenomena but rather is consistent with the influence of van der Waals interactions that arise from the anisotropic polarizabilities of nematic 5CB (Δn = +0.18) and DSCG (Δn = −0.02) phases. We also find that it is possible to rotate and uniformly align the nematic droplets by using a weak magnetic field (B ∼ 0.3 T). An analysis of the dynamics of relaxation of the orientations of the 5CB droplets following removal of the magnetic field reveals the DSCG and 5CB droplets to be coupled by energies of ∼104 kT, consistent with a simple theoretical estimate of the influence of anisotropic van der Waals interactions. We also observed the nematic 5CB droplets to form dimers and larger assemblies mediated by the elasticity of the nematic DSCG. Overall, these results reveal that LC-in-LC emulsions define a new class of hierarchically ordered soft matter in which both thermotropic and lyotropic LCs are coupled in their ordering.
Contact-associated interactions between large and small bovine luteal cells during the estrous cycle

This experiment was designed to study the effects of cell-to-cell contact, arachidonic acid (10 microM; AA), oxytocin (10 microM), and luteinizing hormone (5 ng; LH) on bovine luteal cell function. Corpora lutea collected from Holstein cows between Days 10 and 12 (n = 4; midluteal stage) or 17 and 18 (n = 4; late-luteal stage) of the estrous cycle (Day 0 = estrus) were dispersed, and small and large cells were separated by unit gravity sedimentation and flow cytometry. Large and small luteal cells were either incubated together, allowing intercellular contact, or separately, without intercellular contact, with culture well inserts. Cells were incubated in a modified Ham's F-12-N-hydroxyethylpiperazine-N'-2-ethanesulfonic acid medium. After an 18-hr preincubation period, treatments were introduced and cells were incubated for 240 hr. Media samples were collected and treatments were replaced at 48-hr intervals. Incubations were maintained at 37 degrees C in 5% CO2 in humidified air. Overall, progesterone secretion decreased with increased incubation time (P < 0.0001), regardless of treatment, stage of the cycle, or cell arrangement. During the 18-hr pretreatment period, large and small luteal cells with contact secreted more progesterone than did luteal cells without contact during both the mid- (P < 0.0001) and late-luteal stages (P < 0.06) of the estrous cycle. After treatments were initiated, both mid- and late-stage luteal cells treated with LH secreted more (P < 0.0001) progesterone than occurred with any other treatment; oxytocin, AA, and control treatments were similar.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Monkeys exhibit prospective memory in a computerized task.

Prospective memory (PM) involves forming intentions, retaining those intentions, and later executing those intended responses at the appropriate time. Few studies have investigated this capacity in animals. Monkeys performed a computerized task that assessed their ability to remember to make a particular response if they observed a PM cue embedded within an ongoing learning-set (LS) task. At a break in the LS task, monkeys selected one of two icons indicating that they had or had not encoded the occurrence of the PM cue (the latter icon resumed the LS task). Critically, during this response period, the PM response icon appeared after a delay during which monkeys could self-initiate the PM response prior to receiving any external prompt. Monkeys selected the PM and LS icons when each was the optimal response, illustrating that they could encode, store, and respond appropriately to a stimulus event in the future. Critically, some monkeys self-initiated the PM response prior to that icon’s appearance, indicating that they could retrieve the PM and act on their intention to make that response without the aid of a prompt. These monkeys appeared capable of using PM in this task. Thus, this capacity appears not to be limited to humans.
Infrared TV system of computer controlled Czochralski crystal growth

Abstract An infrared television system of computer controlled Czochralski crystal growth is described. Crystal diameter measurements were made by computer analyses of the TV data, and the power to the crystal puller was controlled by the computer to regulate the diameter. Single crystals of (KNbO3)10(LiNbO3)35(BaNb2O)55 were grown near 1400°C. Relative temperatures on the melt surface and growing crystal were obtained from the TV data.
Autoradiographic demonstration of binding sites for oestradiol and dihydrotestosterone in the urinary tract of male and female baboons.

By light microscopic atuoradiography, the kidneys, ureters and urinary bladder of male and female baboons were examined in an effort to define which cells in these three organs were targets for oestradiol (E2) and dihydrotestosterone (DHT). In the parenchyma of the kidney, there was no specific uptake of either 3H-E2 or 3H-DHT, whereas the cortical and medullary connective tissue cells sequestered only 3H-E2. The latter hormone was also found in cells comprising the tunica intima and tunica media of the renal, interlobar and arcuate arteries. The two radiolabelled steroids were concentrated in connective tissue cells of the lamina propria of the ureter and bladder and in the tissue adjacent to smooth muscle fasciculi. Only 3H-DHT was retained by the smooth muscle in these two organs. These observations indicate that specific steroid binding sites are present in the urinary system of the baboon. Their role in the physiology of the kidney, ureter and urinary bladder remains at this point unclear.
Challenging Industrialization: The Rekindling of Agrarian Protest in a Modern Agriculture, 1977–1987

This analysis explores why a farmers-led social movement mobilized against federal government policy in the late twentieth century. It also explores where that revolt may lead and whether it was different from previous farm protests. Was it, as populist rhetoric of the 1980s charged, a reflection of structural changes in farmers' own agricultural production systems? Or was it simply a case of farmers wanting more federal income support? The distinction is important because the answer determines producer commitment to the central agricultural development premises of U.S. public policy. Farmers always have promoted the agrarian value of hardworking independence. Yet they also have been caught, especially since midcentury, in a cycle of farm industrialization. Technical innovation and federal agricultural policy have combined to make industrialization unavoidable for individual farm operators who want to remain as full-time, commercial growers. Has there been a link between the dissenting politics of farm protest and industrialized agricultural change? This linkage is the subject of concern in the following pages. Why industrialization might well have caused policy dissent is examined first.
Sexually Transmitted Infections

Sexually transmitted infections (STIs) remain a significant burden on public health in the United States. Primary prevention counseling with early diagnosis and treatment remain the best methods to decrease the incidence of STIs. Through significant public heath interventions, the incidence of gonorrhea, Chlamydia, and trichomoniasis is decreasing; however, the incidence of primary and secondary syphilis is increasing. Human papilloma virus remains the most common STI, but new vaccinations have the possibility of having a significant impact on this virus's disease potential. This review discusses the most common STIs in the United States, focusing on clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment.
Area and delay mapping for table-look-up based field programmable gate arrays

The authors present a new approach to technology mapping for area and delay for truth-table-based field programmable gate arrays. They view the area and delay optimizations during technology mapping as a case of clique partitioning for which an efficient heuristic was developed. Alternate decompositions were explored by using Shannon expansion. Experimental results are included that were obtained by this approach for area and delay optimization on a number of benchmark examples. >
Hindsight Bias and the Simpson Trial: Use in Introductory Psychology

The Simpson criminal trial provided an excellent opportunity to illustrate the hindsight bias, the tendency to exaggerate one's ability to have foreseen t k outcome of an event after learning the outcome. As hypothesized, introductory psychology students who estimated their prediction of the outcome of the trial post verdict were more accurate than students who predicted the outcome pre verdict. In this article, I illustrate how the hindsight bias can be demonstrated in the classroom and how it can highlight the need for the scientific method in psychology.
High-Stakes English-Language Assessments for Aviation Professionals: Supporting the Use of a Fully Automated Test of Spoken-Language Proficiency

A recent International Civil Aviation Organization initiative mandates that pilots and air-traffic controllers operating on international routes demonstrate adequate English-language proficiency for successful communication. The Versant Aviation English Test was developed to serve this purpose. It is a fully automated speaking and listening performance test, where administration of the test tasks and scoring of the candidates' responses are computerized. We argue that not only do candidates engage in cognitively and linguistically appropriate interactions, but that computer-generated scores and human ratings are consistent (r = 0.94) , enabling valid score-based decisions to be made on the basis of automated language testing.
Exploring Barriers to Coordination between Humanitarian NGOs: A Comparative Case Study of two NGO's Information Technology Coordination Bodies

Humanitarian nongovernmental organizations NGOs are increasingly collaborating through inter-organizational structures such as coalitions, alliances, partnerships, and coordination bodies. NGO's information technology coordination bodies are groups of NGOs aimed at improving the efficiency of ICT use in humanitarian assistance through greater coordination. Despite their popularity, little is known about these coordination bodies, specifically the extent to which they address inter-organizational coordination problems. This paper examines coordination problems within two humanitarian NGO's information technology coordination bodies. Based on data collected through interviews, observation, and document analysis, despite positive attitudes toward coordination by members, seven of eight widely accepted barriers to coordination still exist among members of these coordination bodies. Further, in a comparison of mandate-oriented, structural and behavioral coordination barriers, research finds mandate issues were most significant and structural factors were found in the greatest numbers. Findings suggest that effective humanitarian NGO's information technology coordination bodies must pay attention to both organizational design and management issues, although the former are likely to have a greater impact on coordination.
Flavonols inhibit proinflammatory mediator release, intracellular calcium ion levels and protein kinase C theta phosphorylation in human mast cells

Mast cells participate in allergies, and also in immunity and inflammation by secreting proinflammatory cytokines. Flavonoids are naturally occurring polyphenolic plant compounds, one group of which -- the flavonols, inhibits histamine and some cytokine release from rodent basophils and mast cells. However, the effect of flavonols on proinflammatory mediator release and their possible mechanism of action in human mast cells is not well defined. Human umbilical cord blood-derived cultured mast cells (hCBMCs) grown in the presence of stem cell factor (SCF) and interleukin (IL)-6 were preincubated for 15 min with the flavonols quercetin, kaempferol, myricetin and morin (0.01, 0.1, 1, 10 or 100 microM), followed by activation with anti-IgE. Secretion was quantitated for IL-6, IL-8, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), histamine and tryptase levels. Release of IL-6, IL-8 and TNF-alpha was inhibited by 82-93% at 100 microM quercetin and kaempferol, and 31-70% by myricetin and morin. Tryptase release was inhibited by 79-96% at 100 microM quercetin, kampferol and myricetin, but only 39% by morin; histamine release was inhibited 52-77% by the first three flavonols, but only 28% by morin. These flavonols suppressed intracellular calcium ion elevations in a dose-response manner, with morin being the weakest; they also inhibited phosphorylation of the calcium-insensitive protein kinase C theta (PKC theta). Flavonol inhibition of IgE-mediated proinflammatory mediator release from hCBMCs may be due to inhibition of intracellular calcium influx and PKC theta signaling. Flavonols may therefore be suitable for the treatment of allergic and inflammatory diseases.
Locating Traffic Sensors on a Highway Network: Models and Algorithms

This paper considers the problem of finding optimal sensor locations on a traffic network with the goal of characterizing system use overall. The problem is studied for two practical scenarios. In the first scenario, it is assumed that there is a given number of sensors (p) to be located on the highway network. In this context, the problem is to find a collection of p locations among a given collection of candidate locations. In the second scenario, it is assumed that there is a cost (ci) associated with installing a sensor at each candidate location i and a total budget b. In this context, the problem is to find a collection of locations that provide the best possible characterization given the budget constraint. A metric is proposed for evaluating a potential solution, and then appropriate mathematical models are proposed for solving the problem for each scenario. It is shown that the budget-constrained problem is an extension of the well-known p-median problem. A new Lagrangian heuristic algorithm is p...
Current density limitations of spin-valves

As spin valve technology evolves, understanding the limitations and design constraints is a critical consideration. Choosing the correct materials combination, aspect ratio and size depends upon careful device characterization. Analysis of spin valves in this study shows that device lifetime and durability are determined by allowable current densities and the internal temperatures that result. Parameters such as maximum sustained current and device degradation can be predicted and calculated, allowing the designer to choose the correct parameters for a specific application.
Utilizing action research in graduate curriculum courses

(1990). Utilizing action research in graduate curriculum courses. Theory Into Practice: Vol. 29, Teacher as Researcher, pp. 185-195.
Hospital experience with varicella-zoster virus.

Abstract Varicella-zoster virus (VZV), one of the most common highly communicable agents of disease, stimulates aggressive infection control measures. In a 1-year period, at one hospital, at least 93 inpatients (82 adult patients, 11 pediatric patients) and 2 hospital staff with active varicella-zoster infections served as potential sources of nosocomial infection. Six incidents of exposure to the virus that occurred without the protection of standard infection control precautions were investigated by the infection control surveillance team. One hundred fifty-six patients and 353 hospital staff were exposed. Fifty-one patients had no history of varicella-zoster infection, but only five were susceptible by serologic testing. One hundred one staff members had no history of varicella-zoster, but only 11 were susceptible by serologic testing. These exposures resulted in three secondary varicella-zoster infections, six courses of varicella-zoster immune globulin prophylaxis and furlough of 13 staff members. Epidemiologic investigation consumed approximately 356 hours of staff time, and management of exposed persons cost approximately $41,500. Prospective knowledge of the immune status of health care workers would vastly decrease the time and effort required to control hospital VZV exposures.
AIDS-Related Knowledge and High-Risk Behaviors of Pregnant, Substance-Dependent Women

The authors investigated AIDS-related knowledge, high-risk behaviors, and relationships between AIDS-related knowledge, high-risk behaviors, and sociodemographic characteristics of 41 pregnant women entering treatment who were dependent on cocaine or opiates. At entry, patients completed self-report questionnaires on AIDS-related knowledge and sexual and drug use practices. There was a high rate of understanding of risk associated with drug use and perinatal transmission of HIV. Knowledge of high-risk sexual behavior varied, and knowledge of the medical consequences of HIV was modest. Engagement in several high-risk behaviors was identified: lack of condom use, intravenous drug use, sharing of needles, sex with an injecting drug user, and exchanging sex for money or drugs. AIDS-related knowledge and engagement in high-risk behaviors were not significantly correlated. Authors discussed implications of these findings for developing effective HIV prevention strategies in this population.
Electronic Participation Technologies and Perceived Outcomes for Local Government Managers

Abstract US local governments are under increasing pressure to adopt electronic participation technologies to engage stakeholders in decision-making. The choice set of technologies and the ease with which they can be applied, has potentially increased the complexity of the context within which managers operate. Using data from a national survey of 850 government managers in 500 cities, we investigate whether different channels of e-participation technology and the intensity of e-participation technology use are associated with managers' perceptions of outcomes. We find that the relationships between complexity of e-participation technology and perceived outcomes depend upon the type of external stakeholder group considered.
The Mechanism of Anti-CTLA-4 Activity and the Negative Regulation of T-Cell Activation

The survival rate of patients diagnosed with late-stage melanoma is poor--only 5%-10%. Enlisting the immune system in the fight against cancers such as melanoma could help improve the prognosis of these patients. Data have shown that melanocyte proteins make good targets for immune system-based therapy in this disease. However, self-tolerance, which develops to inhibit autoimmune attack, makes this strategy difficult. Two proteins on the surface of T cells--CD28 and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte antigen 4 (CTLA-4)--play important roles in the regulation of immune activation and tolerance. CD28 provides positive modulatory signals in the early stages of an immune response, while CTLA-4 signaling inhibits T-cell activation, particularly during strong T-cell responses. CTLA-4 blockade using anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody therapy has great appeal because suppression of inhibitory signals results in the generation of an antitumor T-cell response. Both clinical and preclinical data indicate that CTLA-4 blockade results in direct activation of CD4+ and CD8+ effector cells, and anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibody therapy has shown promise in a number of cancers, particularly melanoma. Interestingly, the occurrence of adverse events among patients treated with CTLA-4 blockade helps shed light on the mechanism of action of anti-CTLA-4 monoclonal antibodies. Most adverse events involve immune-related toxicity to the skin and gastrointestinal tract. Major gastrointestinal toxicity develops in up to 21% of treated patients, and while an objective response occurs in approximately 36% of melanoma patients who develop enterocolitis with treatment, an objective response is found in only 11% of patients who do not experience this adverse reaction.
Banning Queer Blood: Rhetorics of Citizenship, Contagion, and Resistance, by Jeffrey A. Bennett

Jeffrey A. Bennett, Banning Queer Blood: Rhetorics of Citizenship, Contagion, and Resistance (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 2009), ix + 256 pp. $44.00 (cloth). As the popularity of HBO's...
Discriminative Robust transformation learning

This paper proposes a framework for learning features that are robust to data variation, which is particularly important when only a limited number of training samples are available. The framework makes it possible to tradeoff the discriminative value of learned features against the generalization error of the learning algorithm. Robustness is achieved by encouraging the transform that maps data to features to be a local isometry. This geometric property is shown to improve (K, ∊)-robustness, thereby providing theoretical justification for reductions in generalization error observed in experiments. The proposed optimization framework is used to train standard learning algorithms such as deep neural networks. Experimental results obtained on benchmark datasets, such as labeled faces in the wild, demonstrate the value of being able to balance discrimination and robustness.
Potential Impacts of Changes in Climate on Turbidity in New York City’s Ashokan Reservoir

AbstractThis paper applies an approach for determining water resources vulnerability caused by climate change to the New York City water supply system (NYCWSS). The results provide potential responses of the system to changes in climate and guidance that can inform short-term and long-term planning decisions. This research includes models of the hydrology and operations of the NYCWSS and includes a statistical model of turbidity loading and a zero-dimentional model of turbidity concentration in the Ashokan Reservoir. Using a stochastic weather generator, incremental changes are made to precipitation and temperature and these are used to drive a coupled hydrology-simulation model. The results illustrate the sensitivity of the system, and in particular Ashokan Reservoir turbidity, to changes in climate.
Glioma Stem Cells: Signaling, Microenvironment, and Therapy

Glioblastoma remains the most common and devastating primary brain tumor despite maximal therapy with surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. The glioma stem cell (GSC) subpopulation has been identified in glioblastoma and likely plays a key role in resistance of these tumors to conventional therapies as well as recurrent disease. GSCs are capable of self-renewal and differentiation; glioblastoma-derived GSCs are capable of de novo tumor formation when implanted in xenograft models. Further, GSCs possess unique surface markers, modulate characteristic signaling pathways to promote tumorigenesis, and play key roles in glioma vascular formation. These features, in addition to microenvironmental factors, present possible targets for specifically directing therapy against the GSC population within glioblastoma. In this review, the authors summarize the current knowledge of GSC biology and function and the role of GSCs in new vascular formation within glioblastoma and discuss potential therapeutic approaches to target GSCs.
Neurogenic Fever Reduced by Nembutal.

Following operations on the brain in the region of the optic chiasma and infundibulum, patients frequently develop a hyperthermia which is difficult to control and is often fatal. Similar sharp rises in temperature have been obtained in cats and monkeys by placing lesions in the anterior part of the hypothalamus or in the preoptic region. These operations were performed under nembutal anesthesia and the hyperthermia did not appear until the depressing effect of the nembutal had worn off after the lapse of several hours. The technic involved, the location of the lesions, the course of the hyperthermia and its significance for an understanding of the mechanism involved in temperature regulation have been discussed elsewhere.1, 2This investigation was undertaken to study the course of the hyperthermia, when ether instead of nembutal was used as an anesthetic, and the effect of nembutal when injected after a high temperature had been developed. Under ether, lesions were placed bilaterally in the anterior part...