cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Review: Playboy Architecture, 1953–1979

Playboy Architecture, 1953–1979 Elmhurst Art Museum, Elmhurst, Illinois 7 May–28 August 2016 Playboy Architecture, 1953–1979 was an intriguing exhibition that displayed the results of a research project by Beatriz Colomina, her students at the Princeton University School of Architecture, and other collaborators. The project started when Colomina was researching some of the most prominent architects of the 1960s and was surprised to realize how many of them had work for Playboy Enterprises on their resumes. How could the author of books on architecture and its connections with sexuality and the media resist following up? The resulting project has found several outlets, including an exhibition at the Netherlands Architecture Institute Maastricht in 2013, a collection of essays in the architectural journal Volume in 2012, and this exhibition.1 Although a museum in suburban Chicago might sound like an odd place for such an exhibition, there was a reason officials at the Elmhurst Art Museum thought that it made sense. The museum incorporates the 1952 McCormick House by Mies van der Rohe, and the aim of the exhibition was to examine the connection between Playboy and modern architects and designers like Mies. The exhibition, curated by Colomina and Pep Aviles, was both intriguing and puzzling. That there was an important connection between modern design and Playboy founder Hugh Hefner, Playboy magazine, and other Playboy enterprises there is no doubt. Given the photos of Playboy bunnies cradled in Womb chairs by Eero Saarinen, designs for Playboy houses and …
Early prenatal androgen exposure reduces testes size and sperm concentration in sheep without altering neuroendocrine differentiation and masculine sexual behavior.

Prenatal androgens are largely responsible for growth and differentiation of the genital tract and testis and for organization of the control mechanisms regulating male reproductive physiology and behavior. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the impact of inappropriate exposure to excess testosterone (T) during the first trimester of fetal development on the reproductive function, sexual behavior, and fertility potential of rams. We found that biweekly maternal T propionate (100 mg) treatment administered from Day 30-58 of gestation significantly decreased (P < 0.05) postpubertal scrotal circumference and sperm concentration. Prenatal T exposure did not alter ejaculate volume, sperm motility and morphology or testis morphology. There was, however, a trend for more T-exposed rams than controls to be classified as unsatisfactory potential breeders during breeding soundness examinations. Postnatal serum T concentrations were not affected by prenatal T exposure, nor was the expression of key testicular genes essential for spermatogenesis and steroidogenesis. Basal serum LH did not differ between treatment groups, nor did pituitary responsiveness to GnRH. T-exposed rams, like control males, exhibited vigorous libido and were sexually attracted to estrous females. In summary, these results suggest that exposure to exogenous T during the first trimester of gestation can negatively impact spermatogenesis and compromise the reproductive fitness of rams.
Eliminating Creatine Kinase–Myocardial Band Testing in Suspected Acute Coronary Syndrome: A Value-Based Quality Improvement

Cardiac biomarker testing is estimated to occur in nearly 30 million emergency department visits nationwide each year in the United States. The American College of Cardiology/European Society of Cardiology indicate that cardiac troponin is the biomarker of choice owing to its nearly absolute myocardial tissue specificity and high clinical sensitivity for myocardial injury. Multiple academic medical centers have implemented interventions to eliminate the routine ordering of creatine kinase–myocardial band tests, with published patient safety outcomes data; however, creatine kinase–myocardial band testing is still ordered in many hospitals and emergency departments. Eliminating a simple laboratory test that provides no incremental value to patient care can lead to millions of health care dollars saved without adversely affecting patient care quality, and in this case potentially improving patient care.
Solvation and Dynamics of Sodium and Potassium in Ethylene Carbonate from Ab Initio Molecular Dynamics Simulations

The development of sodium and potassium batteries offers a promising way to meet the scaling and cost challenges of energy storage. However, compared to Li+, several intrinsic properties of Na+ and K+, including their solvation and dynamics in typical organic electrolytes utilized in battery applications, are less well-understood. Here, we report a systematic investigation of Na+ and K+ in ethylene carbonate (EC) using first-principles molecular dynamics simulations. Our simulations reveal significant differences in the solvation structure and dynamical properties of Na+ and K+ compared to Li+. We find that, in contrast to Li+ which exhibits a well-defined first solvation shell, the larger Na+ and K+ ions show more disordered and flexible solvation structures. These differences in solvation were found to significantly influence the ion dynamics, leading to larger diffusion coefficients of Na+ and K+ compared to Li+. Our simulations also reveal a clear and interesting analog in the behavior of the ions in ...
Developing Computer Vision Algorithms

Education is what remains after one has forgotten everything one learned in school. – Albert Einstein We conclude the book with a look back in the context of how one develops good algorithms to solve Computer Vision problems. The steps are listed in order, as much as possible, with reference to materials and examples in the book. The approach is explained through an example: Suppose you need to develop an algorithm to construct a panorama from two overlapping images. This requires that you find some way to transform coordinates in one image to appropriate coordinates in the next image, as described in Chapter 12. (See Figure 13.1.) Know the literature If you are working on a problem that you think is important, chances are somebody else has also worked on it. Since the advent of Web searching, it has become easier to search, but don't limit your searches to Google. It's OK if you spend several days looking in the library. Looking at actual paper copies of old journal papers isn't necessarily a bad thing. After all, you plan to spend months or years on this project. Some papers were written before Web searching [13.2]. Often, you can be fortunate enough to find that someone else has done a good literature survey for you. For example, in the topic of the shape from motion, [13.3] and [13.1] thoroughly teach the relevant material. Form an Objective Function In Chapter 6, we saw one example of finding an image that is the solution to an optimization problem.We found images that resembled the input image but also had some other desirable properties. In Chapter 5 we derived convolution kernels by finding best fits to data. In Chapter 12 objective functions were explicitly used twice. In some rare instances, it isn't possible to set up a problem in terms of an optimization problem, but it's a good way to start. Do the Math Correctly Once you have set up an objective function, you need to minimize it. For that, you often need a gradient. Can you find the gradient analytically as in section 6.5.1, or must you use numerical methods to estimate the gradient? In Chapter 12, we solved for a homography by using two images. But even if the math is correct, is it a valid approach?
Variational autoencoder based synthetic data generation for imbalanced learning

Discovering pattern from imbalanced data plays an important role in numerous applications, such as health service, cyber security, and financial engineering. However, the imbalanced data greatly compromise the performance of most learning algorithms. Recently, various synthetic sampling methods have been proposed to balance the dataset. Although these methods have achieved great success in many datasets, they are less effective for high-dimensional data, such as the image. In this paper, we propose a variational autoencoder (VAE) based synthetic data generation method for imbalanced learning. VAE can produce new samples which are similar to those in the original dataset, but not exactly the same. We evaluate and compare our proposed method with the traditional synthetic sampling methods on various datasets under five evaluation metrics. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.
Using ProteomeScout: A Resource of Post-Translational Modifications, Their Experiments, and the Proteins That They Annotate

Post-translational modifications (PTMs) of protein amino acids are ubiquitous and important to protein function, localization, degradation, and more. In recent years, there has been an explosion in the discovery of PTMs as a result of improvements in PTM measurement techniques, including quantitative measurements of PTMs across multiple conditions. ProteomeScout is a repository for such discovery and quantitative experiments and provides tools for visualizing PTMs within proteins, including where they are relative to other PTMS, domains, mutations, and structure. ProteomeScout additionally provides analysis tools for identifying statistically significant relationships in experimental datasets. This unit describes four basic protocols for working with the ProteomeScout Web interface or programmatically with the database download. © 2017 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Social Movement Organizing and Equity-Focused Educational Change: Shifting the Zone of Mediation

In the first edition of this handbook, we recommended significant shifts in the way education change is understood and pursued. Specifically, we argued that reforms seeking to disrupt historic connections among race, social class, educational opportunities, and schooling outcomes are likely distorted or abandoned altogether during the implementation process. To succeed, such “equity-focused” change must move beyond conventional change to address a series of unique political and normative challenges (Oakes, Welner, Yonezawa, & Allen, 1998). A related recommendation from that earlier chapter was that the processes of formulating, adopting, and implementing include the active participation of members of less powerful communities as well as the professionals and elites who typically lead reforms. Finally, we joined many others in recommending that education leaders be held accountable for providing all students with a high-quality education and, in particular, for ensuring that the least well-off students are provided with the learning resources they need. Here too, however, we argued that the form of accountability most likely to support the implementation of equity-focused change is the accountability of policy makers and school officials to the public and, most notably, to members of marginalized groups whose educational chances depend on such reforms.
Habenular connectivity may predict treatment response in depressed psychiatric inpatients.

Abstract Introduction The habenula (Hb) is a small midbrain structure that signals negative events and may play a major role in the etiology of psychiatric disorders including depression. The lateral Hb has three major efferent connections: serotonergic raphe nuclei, noradrenergic locus coeruleus, and dopaminergic ventral tegmental area/substantia nigra compacta. We wanted to test whether Hb connectivity may be important to predict treatment outcomes in depression patients. Methods We studied whether habenular connectivity at admission into a psychiatric clinic can predict treatment response. We used an inpatient sample (N = 175) to assess habenular connectivity (diffusion tensor imaging and resting state functional connectivity (RSFC) between the Hb and its targets) close to admission. In addition, we obtained the Patient Health Questionnaire-depression module (PHQ-9) close to admission and at discharge. Inpatients in the study entered the clinic with at least moderately severe depression (score 15 and up). Inpatients considered treatment resistant had scores of 9 or more at discharge. Results Compared to responders, treatment non-responders had lower fractional anisotropy in the right Hb afferent fibers and lower RSFC between right Hb and median raphe, but higher RSFC between left Hb and locus coeruleus. A logistic regression model was significantly different from chance, and explained 27.7% of the variance in treatment resistance (sensitivity = 75%; specificity = 71.9%). Discussion The anatomical and functional connectivity of the Hb may be a predictor of treatment success in psychiatric populations. Limitations include the Hb small size and the limited time (5 min) of resting state data obtained.
Remixing the School Counselor’s Tool Kit: Hip-Hop Spoken Word Therapy and YPAR

This article explores a model for school counselors to capitalize on the therapeutic, empowerment-oriented nature of hip-hop practices to engage in youth participatory action research (YPAR). Drawi...
Améry and Sartre: The Necessity and Impossibility of Being an Authentic Jew

This chapter argues that Amery elaborates his account of Jewish identity in critiquing Jean-Paul Sartre’s account of Jewishness and the ethnic-religious view of Jewishness in Anti-Semite and Jew (1944). It shows that Amery thinks that Sartre’s notions of the authentic and inauthentic Jew are historically insensitive and the ethnic-religious view of Jewishness is too restrictive. His main contention is that both accounts undermine individual agency. His alternative is dignified Jewishness, which consists in preserving the memory of the catastrophe and tragedy of the Holocaust, while resisting and revolting against the oppression of Jewish communities. The chapter concludes with the observation that in positing solidarity and empathy as media to relate to fellow Jews, Amery proposes a take on Jewishness as the humanity of an oppressed and suffering community. This account of Jewishness restores continuity between the humanity of Jewish communities and universal humanity, while preserving the distinctive dimension of Jewishness after the Third Reich.
Abstract ES11-3: Microsurgical treatment of lymphedema

Lymphedema is a chronic, debilitating condition that causes physical and psychological morbidity, affecting up to 250 million people worldwide. In the United States and other developed countries, cancer and its treatments are the most common causes of lymphedema. Lymphedema can evolve into progressive swelling, fibrosis, functional deficits, and chronic infections, thus adversely affecting quality of life and health care costs. Unfortunately, no definitive treatment for lymphedema currently exists. The advents of microsurgery, and more recently supermicrosurgery, have had a major impact on the evolution of these physiologic procedures, which have gained popularity to help reduce the severity of lymphedema. Lymphatic Bypass LVB are typically performed through incisions 2-3 cm in length and the number of bypasses can vary depending on a patient as well as a surgeon. In our prospective study in 100 consecutive patients, we have found that LVB can be effective in reducing lymphedema severity, particularly in patients with early-stage, upper-extremity lymphedema with reasonable amount of intact functioning lymphatic vessels and minimal tissue fibrosis. One recent technological advance in lymphovenous bypass procedures is the use of indocyanine green (ICG) fluorescence lymphangiography to map lymphatic vessels. ICG fluorescence lymphangiography enables surgeons to locate and make incisions precisely over functional lymphatic vessels for the lymphovenous bypass, substantially reducing operating time and may significantly improve the outcomes of LVB surgeries. Vascularized Lymph Node Transfer This procedure aims to bring vascularized tissue and healthy lymph nodes into sites affected by lymphedema. A flap containing lymph nodes can then be harvested typically from either the cervical region, axillary region or from the inguinal region. One proposed theory for mechanism is that lymphangiogenesis occur via growth factors produced by the transplanted lymph nodes and thereby bridging lymphatic pathways. A second proposed theory of mechanism is that vascularized lymph node transfer act as a lymphatic pump. Recently, simultaneous breast reconstruction using the transverse lower abdominal flap harvested with inguinal lymph nodes have gained popularity as a convenient option for lymphedematous women who desire reconstruction after mastectomy. Conclusions Currently there is no cure for lymphedema. Worldwide interest in using microsurgical procedures to treat lymphedema is gaining momentum. However, there is no consensus on the indications for which procedure to perform, when to intervene, or how to comparatively grade outcomes. We need further research and better understanding of lymphatic anatomy and lymphedema pathophysiology. In addition, more prospective and controlled studies are needed to objectively evaluate the outcomes of various treatment methods. Citation Format: Chang D. Microsurgical treatment of lymphedema [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr ES11-3.
Effect of Residual Stresses on Fatigue Crack Growth Rates in Weldments of Aluminum Alloy 5456 Plate

Rates of fatigue crack propagation were determined for CT specimens taken from the weld metal, heat-affected zone, and base metal of an Alcoa 649A Process 5556 butt weld in a 51-mm (2-in.)-thick 5456-H117 plate. Crack-opening displacement measurements were taken during the fatigue crack propagation tests so that the effects of crack-opening loads and residual stresses could be determined. The use of the concept of Elber's effective stress intensity range, based on the measurements of crack-opening loads, indicates that the crack propagation rates are equivalent in the weld metal, heat-affected zone, and base metal. Furthermore, the effect of stress ratio also can be correlated using the effective stress intensity range concept.
Multifunctional ZnO Nanostructure-Based Devices

Functional ZnO-based nanostructures are reviewed. Particular emphasis is placed on applications in biosensing and conducting electrodes which require control of morphology and conductivity.
Observations of Foothill Yellow-Legged Frog Predation by a Native Frog, Snake, and Giant Water Bug in a Central California Intermittent Stream

During the summers of 2015 and 2018, we observed predation on Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs (Rana boylii) by a giant water bug (Abedus indentatus), a California Red-legged Frog (Rana draytonii), and a Diablo Range Gartersnake (Thamnophis atratus zaxanthus) adjacent to 3 separate isolated pools along intermittent reaches of Coyote Creek, Santa Clara County, California, USA. To the best of our knowledge, our observations provide the first published record of California Red-legged Frog and giant water bug preying upon Foothill Yellow-legged Frogs. As pool habitat contracts over the course of the dry season, locally abundant Yellow-legged Frogs may be increasingly vulnerable to predation from a suite of aquatic and terrestrial predators.
Interfacial Ponderomotive Force in Solids Leads to Field Induced Dissolution of Materials and Formation of Non-equilibrium Nanocomposites

Abstract We report that microwave radiation can decompose continuous solid-solution materials into their constituent phases – a process that is thermodynamically unfavorable at equilibrium. A detailed analysis of the interaction of the electromagnetic wave with the material showed that a strong ponderomotive force preferentially separates the constituent phases via an enhanced mass transport process amplified particularly near the interfaces. The proof of concept experiments showed that the material, whether it is a solid-solution of two elements, e.g. (Si1-xGex), or two compounds, e.g. (Bi2Te3)1-x(Sb2Te3)x, decomposes into the constituent phases when radiated by a polarized microwave field. The dissolution happens in the bulk of the material and even below the melting point. The degree of decomposition can be controlled by radiation parameters to produce structures composed of gradient phases of the solid-solution. This offers a novel and facile method for synthesizing gradient composite and complex structures for application in thermoelectricity as well as fabrication of core-shell structures for catalysts and biomedical applications.
TracKnee: Knee angle measurement using stretchable conductive fabric sensors

Abstract Knee injuries are common and can be costly for a patient in terms of recovery time and monetary contribution. Wearable technology can be used to help monitor a patient's progress and their adherence to rehabilitation protocols. Further, estimating joint angles can help medical professionals treat their patients effectively. In this paper, we propose three models that can be used in succession to calculate knee angles from a voltage reading from a conductive fabric sensor. These models take an input of voltage, calculate the resistance of our conductive fabric sensor, then calculate the change in length across the front of the knee, and finally calculate the angle of the knee. We present TracKnee, a sensing knee sleeve designed and fabricated to unobtrusively measure knee angles. We evaluated our model and our device by conducting a user study with six participants where we collected 240 ground truth angles and sensor data from our TracKnee device. Our results show that our model is 94.86% accurate to the nearest 15 t h degree angle and that our average error per angle is 3.69°
Unique variant of idiopathic intracranial hypertension dural sinus stenting.

Purpose/Aim of the study: To report on the successful treatment of idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH) in a patient with venous sinus stenosis secondary to a persistent occipital-marginal sinus (POMS) utilizing venous sinus stenting.Materials/Methods: A 55-year-old female presented with headaches and blurry vision. Ophthalmologic examination demonstrated papilledema. Two lumbar punctures demonstrated opening pressures of 31 and 38 cmH2O and provided temporary symptom relief. Cerebral venography demonstrated hypoplastic bilateral transverse-sigmoid sinuses with dominant drainage through a persistent occipital-marginal sinus (POMS). Multiple enlarged arachnoid granulations resulted in stenosis in the marginal sinus with an 18 mmHg mean pressure gradient across the stenosis.Results: The decision was made for venous sinus stenting of the POMS. Immediate post-stenting venography demonstrated resolution of the POMS stenosis with flow only into the POMS and a mean pressure gradient across the stenosis normalized to 2 mmHg. Six-month follow-up venography demonstrated continued stent patency and clinical symptoms remained resolved. She has remained symptom free at 18 months.Conclusion: This writing summarizes the utility of endovascular dural sinus stenting and the importance of recognizing the dominant dural sinus drainage route in the treatment of IIH.
Satisfying moments during the transition-to-proof: Characteristics of moments of significant positive emotion

Abstract There is an increasing acknowledgment of the importance of student affect on mathematics learning. Our understanding of emotions is underexamined in comparison to affect of longer duration, e.g. attitudes and beliefs. Yet, it is short-term, in-the-moment affect such as emotion, occurring in real-time, that is malleable by instruction. Across a series of four semi-structured interviews, undergraduate students enrolled in a transition-to-proof course shared their satisfying moments, experiences characterized by significant positive emotion. An expansive range of characteristics of satisfying moments emerged across the overarching categories of accomplishments, sense-making, properties of mathematics, and interactions with people. Satisfying moments tended to exhibit multiple characteristics, but a small set of characteristics were present across many moments: understanding, overcoming challenges, and accomplishments without struggle. Through understanding what elicits satisfaction in mathematics, we can more precisely build learning opportunities that provide positive mathematical experiences to students.
Diversifying selection detected in only a minority of xenobiotic-metabolizing CYP1-3 genes among primate species.

1. Primates exhibit a high degree of among-species dietary diversity, which likely exposes them to varying levels of xenobiotic compounds. Here, we examined the evolution of primate CYP1-3 gene fam...
Posthospital Nursing Home Utilization and Quality Indicators Among Medicare Beneficiaries in Puerto Rico: Comparison With the United States.

Abstract Objectives The purpose of the study is to contribute to the literature regarding post-acute nursing home utilization and quality indicators among Medicare beneficiaries in Puerto Rico compared with the US mainland. Design Medicare data from 2015 to 2017 was used to identify new discharges to skilled nursing facilities (SNFs) using the Minimum Data Set and the Medicare Provider Analysis and Review. Setting and Participants Post-acute care patients admitted to SNFs in Puerto Rico and the United States. Methods Our final cohort included 4,732,222 beneficiaries from Puerto Rico and the United States enrolled in Medicare fee-for-service or Medicare Advantage programs admitted to an SNF (N = 15,197) following an acute hospital stay. We compared demographic, clinical, and facility-level characteristics among patients in Puerto Rico and the United States. We also described 2 quality indicators among these groups: (1) 30-day rehospitalization rates and (2) successful discharge from the facility to the community. Results Medicare patients in Puerto Rico were physically and cognitively healthier than patients in the United States. Puerto Ricans were also more likely to be admitted to lower quality nursing homes than US patients (2.5 vs 3.4). Finally, Puerto Ricans had higher rates of successful discharge to the community [17.6, 95% confidence interval (CI) 13.0-22.3], but higher 30-day rehospitalization rates compared with US patients (11.2, 95% CI 6.2-16.3). These differences were consistent even when comparing these quality outcomes among Puerto Ricans to US Hispanics only. Conclusions and Implications SNFs in the United States and Puerto Rico are now receiving financial penalties for high readmission rates. Currently, Medicare does not measure readmission rates for Medicare Advantage patients—even though some states, including Puerto Rico, have a high proportion of Medicare Advantage beneficiaries. As Medicare Advantage enrollment continues to increase, our results highlight the importance of measuring performance among Medicare Advantage patients and assessing disparities in quality of post-acute care among patients in Puerto Rico and the United States.
Sleep Study Results After Failed Car Seat Tolerance Screens

Background/Purpose: Infants born prematurely and low birth weight (LBW, <2.5kg) are at increased risk of hypoxic and bradycardic events when placed in their car safety seats. The American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP) therefore recommends a period of observation in the car seat prior to discharge to monitor for unstable cardiorespiratory status in this semi-upright position, known as the Car Seat Tolerance Screen (CSTS). Over 500,000 infants qualify annually, and although there are growing data on incidence of failure, minimal data are available to guide follow-up after failed CSTS. One suggestion by the …
COVID-19 and the rise of anti-science.

Could you briefly summarize what the current focus of your work is, and your background in the field?I’m an MD and PhD vaccine scientist and research physician who develops vaccines, mostly for pov...
Validation of the STEP deflation algorithm of the Midmark IQvitals Zone Vital Signs Monitor: part of a novel clinical ecosystem.

Objectives Assess the accuracy of the Midmark IQvitals Zone Vital Signs Monitor STEP deflation algorithm according to the ANSI/AAMI/ISO 81060-2 Standard. Methods A total of 85 subjects completed the testing protocol. All standard requirements for gender, blood pressure (BP) values, and arm circumferences were met. Manual auscultation was performed by testers blinded to the device; the manual BP values were compared to the device readings. Results The Standard Criterion 1 data analyses showed mean ± SD device minus manual BP values of 1.22 ± 6.3 mmHg for SBP and -1.67 ± 6.09 mmHg for DBP. The SD values for criterion 2 were 5.06 mmHg (SBP) and 4.98 mmHg (DBP). Conclusions The device passed all Standard requirements. The Midmark IQvitals Zone device has features to improve accuracy and reduce or eliminate transcription errors and inaccuracy from improper patient positioning.
Synthetic high-density lipoprotein nanoparticles: Good things in small packages.

Abstract Medicine has been a great beneficiary of the nanotechnology revolution. Nanotechnology involves the synthesis of functional materials with at least one size dimension between 1 and 100 nm. Advances in the field have enabled the synthesis of bio-nanoparticles that can interface with physiological systems to modulate fundamental cellular processes. One example of a diverse acting nanoparticle-based therapeutic is synthetic high-density lipoprotein (HDL) nanoparticles (NP), which have great potential for treating diseases of the ocular surface. Our group has developed a spherical HDL NP using a gold nanoparticle core. HDL NPs: (i) closely mimic the physical and chemical features of natural HDLs; (ii) contain apoA-I; (iii) bind with high-affinity to SR-B1, which is the major receptor through which HDL modulates cell cholesterol metabolism and controls the selective uptake of HDL cargo into cells; (iv) are non-toxic to cells and tissues; and (v) can be chemically engineered to display nearly any surface or core composition desired. With respect to the ocular surface, topical application of HDL NPs accelerates re-epithelization of the cornea following wounding, attenuates inflammation resulting from chemical burns and/or other stresses, and effectively delivers microRNAs with biological activity to corneal cells and tissues. HDL NPs will be the foundation of a new class of topical eye drops with great translational potential and exemplify the impact that nanoparticles can have in medicine.
The Trends in the Recent Years in the Sri Lankan Bond Market: A Critical Analysis

This paper examines the recent trends in the Sri Lankan bond market and critically analyses that there has not been a diversity of investors to finance the budget deficit. Diversifying the credit market and to distribute credit risks among various investors arguably helps to develop the domestic bond market. According to the available statistics the non-bank borrowings as a share of total domestic borrowings declined to 24% in 2013 from 35% in 2012. So this can be identified as a negative trend in the Sri Lankan Bond market. Within a course of ten years from the year 2004 to 2013 the trends in the Sri Lankan Bond market is examined and critically analysed in this paper.
Distance Metrics in Multifunction Displays

The need to scan and integrate sources of information in multifunction displays (MFDs) forces consideration of the relationships between the screens in the database. This paper develops a spatial metaphor that can be used to explore these underlying relationships. Three metrics of distance - navigational (the number of choice points lying between screens), organizational (the structure of the hierarchy), and cognitive (the user's mental representation of information relatedness) - were identified and empirically examined by using a simulated, hierarchically arranged, menu-driven MFD in an aviation context.
Kinky strings in AdS5 × S5

We construct a family of closed string solutions with kinks in a subspace of AdS5 × S5 and study their properties. In certain limits these solutions become folded pulsating strings, although in general they are made of multiple pulsating rectangles. One unusual feature of these solutions is that their monodromy matrices are trivial, leading to vanishing quasi-momenta. Exact Backlund transformations of these solutions are found, again giving vanishing higher conserved charges. We also consider the fluctuation modes around these solutions as well as the semiclassical splitting of these strings.
Cranial Nerves IX To XII

Cranial nerves IX to XII are rarely affected by pathology compared with cranial nerves III, V, VII, and VIII. Nonetheless, their evaluation is challenging, since lesions of these nerves span the gamut from intracranial to extracranial sites. Imaging of these cranial nerves requires a focused approach based on clinical symptomatology and signs. This unit presents the basic protocol for imaging cranial nerves IX to XII. An alternate protocol is presented for cases where non-neoplastic lesions are considered.
Pseudohemophilia (von Willebrand's disease) in obstetrics and gynecology.

Abstract Three cases of pseudohemophilia have been presented as problems in obstetrics and gynecology. Etiology, pathogenesis, diagnosis, and management have been discussed. We do not distinguish clinically between pseudohemophilia A and pseudohemophilia B since management is the same for both. The most important consideration in management is the prophylactic use of fresh-frozen plasma.
Dominant negative mutants of nitric oxide-sensitive guanylyl cyclase

Since a nitric oxide-sensitive form of guanylyl cyclase exists as a heterodimer, mutations disrupting catalysis but not heterodimer formation could serve as dominant negative mutations. Two mutations within the catalytic region of the alpha subunit (alpha 1D513A, alpha 1D529A) caused complete losses of basal and sodium nitroprusside-stimulated guanylyl cyclase activity; however, the mutant alpha subunits continued to form heterodimers with wild-type beta-subunit. Rat insulinoma cells, which contain the alpha 1 beta 1 form of guanylyl cyclase, were stably transfected with alpha 1D513A or alpha 1D529A. The response to sodium nitroprusside, which exceeded 200-fold in the presence of wild-type alpha 1, was markedly reduced by the expression of either mutant subunit. In contrast, the mutant subunits failed to inhibit heat-stable enterotoxin-induced cGMP elevations; the bacterial peptide elevated insulinoma cell cGMP approximately 100-fold. The two point mutations, therefore, result in dominant negative proteins that can effectively and specifically block the NO/cGMP signaling pathway. These are also the first studies to show that, although both the alpha and beta subunits contain regions homologous to putative cyclase catalytic regions, a point mutation in just one of the subunits can completely inhibit cyclase activity.
Cognitive Heuristics and Entrepreneurial Action

Researchers have begun to explore the relationship between cognitive heuristics and entrepreneurial action. Individuals utilize these heuristics because their cognitive capacity is limited, so they can neither comprehensively search for nor accurately interpret information. Instead, individuals may apply a rule of thumb that systematically violates the rules of probability and may lead to deviations from normatively derived answers. Importantly, these heuristics might have detrimental or positive ramifications. While they may lead to errors, they may also assist people when making judgments that involve high levels of uncertainty, novelty, and time pressure-the very conditions surrounding. Keywords: cognition; heuristics; entrepreneurial action
Reduction of Stress-Induced Behavior by Antagonism of Corticotropin-Releasing Hormone 2 (CRH2) Receptors in Lateral Septum or CRH1 Receptors in Amygdala

Although corticotropin-releasing hormone (CRH), a regulator of stress responses, acts through two receptors (CRH1 and CRH2), the role of CRH2 in stress responses remains unclear. Knock-out mice without the CRH2 gene exhibit increased stress-like behaviors. This profile could result either directly from the absence of CRH2 receptors or indirectly from developmental adaptations. In the present study, CRH2 receptors were acutely blocked by alpha-helical CRH (alpha(h)CRH, CRH1/CRH2 antagonist; 0, 30, 100, and 300 ng) infusion into the lateral septum (LS), which abundantly expresses CRH2 but not CRH1 receptors. Freezing, locomotor activity, and analgesia were tested after infusion. Intra-LS alpha(h)CRH blocked shock-induced freezing without affecting activity or pain responses; infusions into lateral ventricle or nucleus of the diagonal band had no effects. The same behavioral profile was obtained with d-Phe-CRH((12-41)) (100 ng), another CRH1/CRH2 antagonist. A selective CRH1 antagonist (NBI27914), in doses that reduced freezing on intra-amygdala (central nucleus) infusion (0, 0.2, and 1.0 microg), did not affect freezing when infused into the LS. Ex vivo autoradiography revealed that binding of [125I]sauvagine, a mixed CRH1/CRH2 agonist, was prevented in the LS by previous intra-LS infusion of alpha(h)CRH but not NBI27914. In vitro studies demonstrated that [125I]sauvagine binding in the LS could be inhibited by a CRH1/CRH2 antagonist but not by the selective CRH1 receptor antagonist, confirming that in the LS, alpha(h)CRH antagonized exclusively CRH2 receptors. Acute antagonism of CRH2 receptors in the LS thus produces a behaviorally, anatomically, and pharmacologically specific reduction in stress-induced behavior, in contrast to results of recent knock-out studies, which induced congenital and permanent CRH2 removal. CRH2 receptors may thus represent a potential target for the development of novel CRH system anxiolytics.
First Demonstration of the Simplest Cross-field Ubitron

The simplest cross-field Ubitron is a magnetically insulated coaxial diode with a cold cathode comprising a number of longitudinally oriented single emitters periodically arranged in the azimuthal plane of the diode (a "transparent cathode"). This type of cathode is essentially a wiggler with azimuthally periodic magnetic and electric fields exciting radially oscillating electron currents within the electron flow rotating around the cathode in crossed magnetic and electric fields. The cathode inside the waveguide is also a periodic electro-dynamical system characterized by a set of azimuthal eigenmodes capable of synchronously interacting with the excited radially oscillating currents. Computer simulations of the cross-field Ubitron demonstrate controlling microwave generation by changing the external magnetic field with efficiency of >10%. Results of initial experiments are presented.
A trojan horse for Parkinson's disease.

Pathogenic mutations in leucine-rich repeat kinase 2 (LRRK2) are common genetic causes of late-onset Parkinson’s disease (PD). Initial studies indicated that the intrinsic kinase activity of LRRK2 is associated with LRRK2-mediated PD pathogenesis. However, LRRK2 kinase activity may be dispensable for neuron survival and may not be required for its protective activity against neurotoxicity. Thus, the intrinsic kinase activity of LRRK2 appears to be a Trojan horse for PD, and inhibition of its kinase activity could potentially be therapeutically beneficial.
Thought and Imaginal Activity During Worry and Trauma Recall.

The present study examined the frequency with which participants experienced thoughts and images, as well as relaxed, anxious, and depressed affect, when worrying and when recalling past traumatic events. Unselected participants in Study 1, and participants selected on the basis of their GAD and past trauma status in Study 2, engaged in 5-minute counterbalanced worry and trauma recall inductions. Results indicated that while worry was experienced primarily as verbal thought, trauma recall was primarily experienced as imaginal. Furthermore, while both worry and trauma recall were associated with increased anxious and depressed affect, worry was particularly associated with anxious affect in the selected sample, and trauma recall was particularly associated with depressed affect in both unselected and selected samples. Finally, for individuals with both GAD and trauma symptoms, prior worrying was associated with decreased anxious and depressed affect during a subsequent trauma recall task. Theoretical and clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
Pathogenesis of the slow disease of the central nervous system associated with wild mouse virus. III. Role of input virus and MCF recombinants in disease.

Inbred mice bearing the FV-1n marker when inoculated at birth with an ecotropic murine leukemia virus (WM 1504-E) obtained from wild mice develop a progressive central nervous system (CNS) disease manifested by hindlimb paralysis and incoordination that begins by 6 to 7 weeks of age. Studies of infected SWR/J mice at 3 days to 4 months of age indicated the following: (1) Expression of MuLV gp69/70 and p30 antigens in CNS rises beginning as early as 3 days after inoculation and increases with time. (2) Neuronal damage is evident by Day 7, and neuronal lesions develop in all mice by Day 14. (3) WM 1504-E virus can be isolated from CNS tissue by 48 hr after initiating infection. (4) Upon passage into susceptible newborn mice, the WM 1504-E isolates cause neuronal disease. (5) “Dual-tropic” mink cell focus forming (MCF) -like virus is found in splenic but not CNS tissues by 8 weeks after initiating infection. (6) MCF viruses that arise by env gene recombination between WM 1504-E and endogenous xenotropic viruses do not cause CNS disease upon inoculation into susceptible newborn mice. Similarly inoculated WM 1504-amphotropic virus (WM 1504-A) does not cause CNS disease (7). Results in SWR/J mice can be duplicated in C3H/St and C57Br/cdj mice. These observations define the wild mouse ecotropic virus as the sole infectious agent responsible and sufficient for the development of this neurologic disease. Evidently, the disease from this “slow virus infection” begins early in life shortly after introduction of the infectious agent, but becomes clinically apparent only as neuronal destruction accumulates over the lifetime of the host.
Variation of Ion-Exchange Capacity, ζ Potential, and Ion-Transport Selectivities with the Number of Layers in a Multilayer Polyelectrolyte Film

The properties of poly(styrene sulfonate) (PSS)/poly(diallyldimethylammonium chloride) (PDADMAC) films vary dramatically with the number of polyelectrolyte layers deposited. Attenuated total reflectance infrared spectroscopy of (PDADMAC/PSS)n films deposited on a Ge crystal shows that coatings with fewer than 7 PDADMAC/PSS bilayers do not absorb significant amounts of SCN− or Ni(CN)42− but coatings with more than 7 bilayers exhibit an ion-exchange capacity of about 0.5 mol/L of film. Consistent with ion-exchange, Ni(CN)42− is the anion that is predominantly absorbed from equimolar mixtures of SCN− and Ni(CN)42−, even though SCN− initially exchanges into the film more rapidly than Ni(CN)42−. For silicon-supported PSS/PDADMAC films terminated with PSS, ζ potentials change from negative to positive as the number of adsorbed bilayers increases, presumably because of a high number of anion-exchange sites inside the film. These changes in film properties dramatically affect ion transport through (PSS/PDADMAC)nP...
Sparse Semantic Hashing for Efficient Large Scale Similarity Search

Similarity search, or finding approximate nearest neighbors, is an important technique in various large scale information retrieval applications such as document retrieval. Many recent research demonstrate that hashing methods can achieve promising results for large scale similarity search due to its computational and memory efficiency. However, most existing hashing methods ignore the hidden semantic structure of documents but only use the keyword features (e.g., tf-idf) in hashing codes learning. This paper proposes a novel sparse semantic hashing (SpSH) approach that explores the hidden semantic representation of documents in learning their corresponding hashing codes. In particular, a unified framework is designed for ensuring the hidden semantic structure among the documents by a sparse coding model, while at the same time preserving the document similarity via graph Laplacian. An iterative coordinate descent procedure is then proposed for solving the optimization problem. Extensive experiments on two large scale datasets demonstrate the superior performance of the proposed research over several state-of-the-art hashing methods.
Folding time predictions from all-atom replica exchange simulations.

Abstract We present an approach to predicting the folding time distribution from all-atom replica exchange simulations. This is accomplished by approximating the multidimensional folding process as stochastic reaction-coordinate dynamics for which effective drift velocities and diffusion coefficients are determined from the short-time replica exchange simulations. Our approach is applied to the folding of the second β-hairpin of the B domain of protein G. The folding time prediction agrees quite well with experimental measurements. Therefore, we have in hand a fast numerical tool for calculating the folding kinetic properties from all-atom “first-principles” models.
The Photon Wave Function

We review and sharpen the concept of a photon wave function based on the quantum theory of light. We argue that a point-like atom serves as the archetype for both the creation and detection of photons. Spontaneous emission from atoms provides a spatially localized source of photon states that serves as a natural wave packet basis for quantum states of light. Photodetection theory allows us to give operational meaning to the photon wave function which, for single photons, is analogous to the electric field in classical wave optics. Entanglement between photons, and the uniquely quantum phenomena that result from it, are exemplified by two-photon wave functions.
A Prototype for Visualized Architecture Knowledge Collaboration Services

This paper describes a prototype, the Visualized Architecture Knowledge Management Collaboration Services (VAKMCS), used for accessing and interacting with architecture knowledge to make effective implementation decisions on Information Systems used in enterprises. The tool incorporates the concepts of architecture knowledge and rationale [1] while adding support for visualization and collaboration through feedback. This paper details the main features and services that the tool offers. The paper also provides examples and possible future improvements and enhancements.
Analysis of abscisic acid by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Abstract Methodology for the ready analysis of abscisic acid (ABA) in plant tissues based upon application of high-performance liquid chromatography (hplc) has been developed. The method involves isolation of the acid fraction, preparation of the methyl esters with diazomethane, and hplc using a combination procedure of two columns: (1) reversed-phase C 18 , and (2) porous silica in the absorption mode. Only isocratic elution is required so the method is readily adaptable to laboratories having limited hplc capability. Measured recoveries are 70% and the use of an internal standard allows quantification of ABA levels to 1 ng/g of tissue with minimum absolute detectable levels of ABA of 20 ng. The method is illustrated by analysis of ABA concentration in potato tubers at various times postcutting.
Spin and phase coherence measured by antilocalization in n-InSb thin films

The spin and phase coherence times of the itinerant electrons in $n\text{-InSb}$ thin films were experimentally determined by analyzing the low-temperature magnetoresistance in antilocalization theory. The results indicate a very weak temperature dependence below 10 K for the spin coherence time. The dependence of the spin coherence time on carrier density demonstrates that the Elliott-Yafet mechanism is predominantly responsible for electron-spin relaxation in $n$-type InSb at low temperatures. The phase coherence time follows an inverse temperature dependence, in accordance with the electron-electron Nyquist dephasing mechanism.