cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A 47-Year Old Woman With Rapidly Progressive Hypoxemic Respiratory Failure.

Case Presentation A 47-year-old Hispanic woman presented to a pulmonology clinic with 2 weeks of cough productive of white sputum and worsening dyspnea on exertion, requiring increasing supplemental oxygen. In addition, she reported fatigue, night sweats, diffuse myalgias, and extremity weakness. She denied hemoptysis, fevers, chills, weight loss, or rash. Her medical history is significant for undifferentiated rapidly progressive hypoxemic respiratory failure 2 years before her current presentation. At that time, she presented to the ED with 3 weeks of progressive shortness of breath and cough. Chest CT imaging showed bilateral infiltrates concerning for infection, and she was treated empirically for community-acquired pneumonia. She developed worsening hypoxemic respiratory failure despite broadening of her antibiotics and subsequently required intubation. Her course was further complicated by pulseless electrical activity arrest with return of spontaneous circulation and development of shock requiring multiple vasopressors. Because of difficulty with oxygenation, she was referred to our center for extracorporeal membrane oxygenation evaluation and was ultimately started on venous-arterial extracorporeal membrane oxygenation. Bronchoscopy with BAL was negative for bacterial, viral, and fungal origins, and initial autoimmune evaluation (antinuclear antibody and rheumatoid factor) was negative, except an elevated creatine kinase (CK) to 3,000. Her course was complicated by heparin-induced thrombocytopenia, and as a result she suffered limb ischemia requiring amputation of her left lower extremity. Elevated CK at that time was attributed to compartment syndrome before amputation. The patient recovered clinically with supportive care and was ultimately discharged on 2 L supplemental oxygen, with a diagnosis of acute respiratory failure of unclear origin. The patient had stability in her clinical symptoms until this current presentation.
“Open” Esophagectomy

“Open” esophagectomy has been the standard of care for treatment of esophageal carcinoma against which evolving minimally invasive surgical, endoscopic, and non-operative therapies must be compared. In experienced hands and with appropriate patient selection, “open” esophagectomy can achieve good rates of cure with low mortality, acceptable morbidity, and good long-term quality of life.
TSCA, the Anti-TSCA, and TSCA Reform

This article recaps a number of commonly acknowledged flaws of TSCA, compares TSCA to the regulatory approach taken by the European Union's REACH legislation, and considers two recent congressional efforts to amend TSCA.
Dermatomal eruption as the first clinical manifestation of recurrent metastatic pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic cancer often has a poor prognosis, and early detection is paramount in increasing survival rates.1 Although known to metastasize rapidly, pancreatic cancer rarely metastasizes to the skin.1 Cutaneous metastases predominantly involve the umbilical area.1 Involvement of nonumbilical areas is exceedingly rare.2 To our knowledge, no other cases involving dermatomal or zosteriform cutaneous metastasis of pancreatic adenocarcinoma have been reported in literature. We present a rare case of unilateral, dermatomal, nonumbilical cutaneous metastasis as the initial manifestation of recurrent pancreatic cancer.
Understanding Contexts of Smoking and Vaping Among Dual Users: Analysis of Ecological Momentary Assessment Data.

AIMS To understand dual users' cigarette and e-cigarette use patterns including the contexts in which they vape vs smoke and to understand how environmental and internal contexts and smoking patterns differ between dual users and exclusive smokers. DESIGN Longitudinal observational trial. SETTING Research center in Wisconsin, USA. PARTICIPANTS Adult dual users (n=162) and adults who exclusively smoked (n=143), with no plans to quit smoking or vaping in the next 30 days MEASUREMENTS: Participants carried smartphones for 2 weeks at baseline to record each use event for the two products and report on the context of their product use. Percent of mornings where participants vaped first vs. smoked were used to compute e-cigarette dependence. FINDINGS Hierarchical linear regression models with random slopes and intercepts examined the within- and between-subject effects of context on the likelihood of vaping (vs. smoking); significant fixed effects were tested for moderation by e-cigarette dependence. Dual users reported significantly more puffs/cigarette (mean (M)=13.1, standard deviation (SD)=10.2) than puffs/vape event (M=11.7, SD=11.5; p=0.01). E-cigarette dependence moderated the influence of social cues (t-ratio=2.4, p=0.02) and smoking restrictions (t-ratio=3.1, p=0.003) on the likelihood of vaping versus smoking (odds ratio (OR)=2.30, p=0.02). Context was more related to which product was used in those of low versus higher e-cigarette dependence. Reports of strong cravings to smoke and positive expectancies for cigarettes were associated with reduced likelihood of vaping whereas strong cravings to vape and positive vaping expectancies were related to increased likelihood of vaping. CONCLUSIONS Among dual users of cigarettes and e-cigarettes with no motivation to quit, vaping appears to be related to internal cues and more highly linked with social contexts and smoking restrictions (i.e., under stronger external stimulus control) among those with low to moderate e-cigarette dependence compared with high e-cigarette dependence. These findings illustrate the importance of contextual factors in tobacco product use amongst dual users with the influence of context being reduced at high levels of e-cigarette dependence.
Use of HCV-Positive Organs in Patients With and Without Chronic HCV

The profound organ shortage in all types of transplantation has led to broadening of the criteria used to define acceptable organ donors, including those from donors positive for hepatitis C virus (HCV) antibodies. These organs are primarily given to recipients with pre-existing chronic HCV infection, but in selected cases they are also placed into recipients without HCV. The majority of these patients become viremic and have the potential to develop sequelae of chronic infection, including progressive hepatic fibrosis. They are exposed to the indirect effects of chronic immune activation and the potential to require HCV treatment which has been associated with allograft rejection and accelerated atherosclerosis. Patient and graft outcomes in transplantation of HCV-positive liver, heart, and kidney grafts have now been studied on the national and center levels. The most data are available for patients who received HCV-positive liver grafts. Given the data to date, these organs are likely to continue to be used in HCV-positive but not in HCV-negative recipients. However, when directly acting HCV antiviral therapy becomes widely available, the use of all types of HCV-positive organs could be expanded, even potentially in HCV-negative recipients. This chapter reviews the literature on the transplantation of HCV-positive grafts into recipients with and without chronic HCV, and speculates on future developments as anti-HCV therapy improves in the years to come.
ICP-MS measurement of diffusion coefficients of Cs in NBG-18 graphite

Abstract Graphite is used in the HGTR/VHTR as moderator and it also functions as a barrier to fission product release. Therefore, an elucidation of transport of fission products in reactor-grade graphite is required. We have measured diffusion coefficients of Cs in graphite NBG-18 using the release method, wherein we infused spheres of NBG-18 with Cs and measured the release rates in the temperature range of 1090–1395 K. We have obtained: D C s , N B G − 18 = ( 1.0 × 10 − 7 m 2 / s ) exp ( − 1.23 × 10 5 J / m o l RT ) These seem to be the first reported values of Cs diffusion coefficients in NBG-18. The values are lower than those reported for other graphites in the literature.
Efficacy of Noncontrast Computed Tomography of the Abdomen and Pelvis for Evaluating Nontraumatic Acute Abdominal Pain in the Emergency Department

Background Computed tomography (CT) clarity has significantly improved since it became widely available in the early 1980s, making the utility and benefit of contrast material for image quality of the abdomen and pelvis uncertain, and so far, minimally studied. Objectives This study sought to assess the efficacy of a noncontrast CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis by evaluating patients presenting to the emergency department (ED) with acute nontraumatic abdominal pain by following them for 7 days and observing for signs and symptoms of clinically significant acute emergent pathology. Methods We enrolled, and for 7 days followed, a prospective observational convenience sample of patients who received a noncontrast CT scan of the abdomen and pelvis in the ED for acute nontraumatic abdominal pain. The primary outcome, and defined as a failure, was abdominal surgery or death as the result of an intraabdominal process not found on the original noncontrast CT scan, or a subsequent contrasted CT scan with a finding that could explain the original complaint of abdominal pain that was also not seen on the initial noncontrast CT, during the 7-day observation. Results Seventy-two patients were enrolled in the study. The incidence of failure was 0% (0/72), 46% of patients (33/72) had a negative CT scan, 54% (39/72) had a positive CT scan, 57% (41/72) were admitted, 43% (31/72) discharged, 11% (8/72) had abdominal surgery, and a repeat contrasted CT scan was done on 4% (3/72). Conclusions With certain inclusion and exclusion criteria, noncontrast CT of the abdomen and pelvis is likely a reliable diagnostic modality for the evaluation of acute nontraumatic abdominal pain in the ED.
Electrons in a Crystal

In the preceding chapters we considered essentially only one electron which was confined to the field of the atoms of a solid. This electron was in most cases an outer, i.e., a valence, electron. However, in a solid of one cubic centimeter at least 1022 electrons can be found. In this section we shall describe how these electrons are distributed among the available energy levels. It is impossible to calculate the exact place and the kinetic energy of each individual electron. We will see, however, that probability statements nevertheless give satisfying results.
Inflectional Morphology: A Theory of Paradigm Structure

Acknowledgments List of abbreviations 1. Inferential-realizational morphology 2. Paradigm functions 3. Rule competition 4. Headedness 5. Rule blocks 6. Stem alternations 7. Syncretism 8. Conclusions, extensions and alternatives Notes References Index.
The Rise of Regionalism: A Neo-Utilitarian Approach

With the apparent rise of regional blocs in the international system this paper aims to investigate why nation-states want to integrate regionally. Rejecting a constructivist approach this paper considers the question from the two neo-utilitarian approaches of neo-realism and neo-liberalism. Although the neo-realist principle of relative gains generally rules out cooperation, hypotheses based on hegemonic stability theory are tested to see if either an internal or external leader can foster regional cooperation. The neo-liberal approach first examines the cost and benefits of regional cooperation. Having established that the benefits may outweigh the cost, game theory is used to explain how cooperation is fostered in an anarchical world system. The paper concludes that the neo-liberal approach can better explain the rise of regionalism than the neo-realist approach.
MEASURE 26: FEAR MONGERING, SELF-EXECUTION & POTENTIAL IMPLICATIONS FOR BIRTH CONTROL

What Measure 26 (the Mississippi Personhood Initiative) lacks in words, it more than makes up for in potential and possibly unintended implications. Some proponents suggest that the personhood movement is simply about returning to “first principles.” It is about changing the public perception to acknowledge the sanctity of all human life from the earliest moments of development. The word “moments” is mine, not theirs. In fact, Measure 26 purports to define personhood at a single moment – fertilization. The proposed amendment reads, “As used in this Article III of the state constitution [the Bill of Rights], “the term person or persons shall include every human being from the moment of fertilization, cloning, or the functional equivalent thereof.” Choosing fertilization as the person-defining “moment” is legally and medically both significant and ambiguous. Depending on what we mean by “fertilization,” there could be impacts on many reproductive choices including birth control, fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization, and of course, the ability of a woman to choose to have an abortion. Certain proponents of Measure 26 suggest that even discussing these implications (other than perhaps abortion) amounts to fear mongering. While primarily focusing on birth control, the goal of this essay is to introduce why the concerns regarding these reproductive choices are very real, and how they are further complicated by the issue of whether, if passed, Measure 26 would be deemed “self-executing.”
Does Crime Undermine Public Support for Democracy? Evidence from Central America and Mexico?

The current crime crisis in Mexico and Central America has captured domestic and international headlines. The region is now infamous for some of the highest homicide rates in the world. In addition to high rates of violent crime, organized crime has also emerged as a powerful challenge to public security. As police and military forces confront suspected criminals and even armed drug cartels, many have feared that this escalating conflict might undermine the relatively recent transitions to democracy. Indeed, there is considerable theoretical and empirical evidence to lend credence to such concerns. New democracies frequently do not have sufficient time to develop their institutional capacities to fight crime, and can find themselves weak and ineffective when trying to maintain order. Furthermore, recent studies have linked public fear of crime to support for undemocratic alternatives, such as extra-legal justice. This paper aims to assess the impact of crime on Mexican and Central American democracy empirically. Building upon the burgeoning literature on crime and democracy, this analysis examines the impact of crime on citizens’ attitudes toward democracy and their political participation. In doing so, this project aims to assess the impact of personal victimization and fear of crime on citizens’ political attitudes (support for the rule of law) and behavior (voting and community participation).
On segregated rings and algebras

Segregated algebras have been nicely characterized by M. Ikeda [4]. In this paper §1, we consider segregated rings and study the structure of such rings in Theorems 1.1 and 1.2. In §2, we specialize to the case of segregated algebras of finite dimension over a field. Theorem 2.1 gives a new characterization of such algebras. Theorem 2.2 shows an interesting property of segregated algebras; two segregated algebras S and T , with radicals N and P respectively, are isomorphic if and only if S/N 2 and T/P 2 are isomorphic.
TESTING EQUALITY OF MEANS WHEN THE OBSERVATIONS ARE FROM FUNCTIONAL TIME SERIES

There are numerous examples of functional data in areas ranging from earth science to finance where the problem of interest is to compare several functional populations. In many instances, the observations are obtained consecutively in time, and thus, the classical assumption of independence within each population may not be valid. In this article, we derive a new, asymptotically justified method to test the hypothesis that the mean curves of multiple functional populations are the same. The test statistic is constructed from the coefficient vectors obtained by projecting the functional observations into a finite dimensional space. Asymptotics are established when the observations are considered to be from stationary functional time series. Although the limit results hold for projections into arbitrary finite dimensional spaces, we show that higher power is achieved by projecting onto the principle components of empirical covariance operators that diverge under the alternative. Our method is further illustrated by a simulation study as well as an application to electricity demand data.
Validity of the MMPI with Native Americans

A study was conducted to determine the validity of the MMPI for 142 American Indian patients from Pacific Northwest tribes. All the MMPI profiles were similar and had significant elevations in the Sc, Pd, and Pa scales. There was no significant difference between diagnostic groups on many clinical scales. Nonpsychotic, depressed Indian patients could not be distinguished from schizophrenic patients on any clinical scale, and there were no significant differences between antisocial-alcoholic patients and those with situational reactions. There were minimal differences between the Northwest Coast, Plateau, and Plains cultural groups. The authors believe that the similarity of all subgroup profiles demonstrates a significant cultural influence on the results of the MMPI in this population of American Indians.
Review of the Economic Legislation

Late in December 2012 and January 2013, the following amendments were introduced in the legislation: Part 1 of the Civil Code of the Russian Federation was revised; the list of socially oriented non-profit organizations’ activities carried out with state support has been supplemented; amendments have been introduced in the legislation on the legal status of foreign nationals.
How Can We Sing a Song of the LORD on Alien Soil?: Disability, Disaster, and the Idea of Music in Judaism

An analysis of Psalm 137, a poetic chronicle of the Babylonian captivity following the destruction of the First Temple, Judaism’s paradigm of disaster, is poetically represented through images of music and disability. This Psalm’s influence on Jewish attitudes regarding music, which have served as a barometer of the Jewish people’s sense of their collective social welfare, is discussed. Of special importance is Abrams’ idea, derived from the Deutero-Isaiah, of the Jews, living in exile after the destruction of the Temple, as Israel disabled; an entire people’s calamity understood metaphorically as a single individual’s impairment. Particular attention is given to the discourse surrounding Late Renaissance Italian Jewish composer Salamone Rossi, who challenged the idea that the “disability” of exile required Jewish musical expression only to mourn the state of post-Temple Diaspora.
Evaluation of the Pain Matrix Using EEG Source Localization: A Feasibility Study

Objectives. An extensive neuroimaging literature on chronic pain demonstrates increased cerebral blood flow and metabolism consistent with increased neuronal activity in the structures comprising the “Pain Matrix”; furthermore, some of these regions have been shown to encode pain intensity. It is the objective of this study to demonstrate the feasibility of using quantitative electroencephalography (EEG) source localization to reflect and to quantify activity in the Pain Matrix. Methods. Eyes closed resting EEG was recorded from 19 standardized scalp locations, in a pilot sample of five patients with chronic neuropathic pain, before and after pain reduction. Quantitative electro encephalography (QEEG) source localization was computed estimating the mathematically most probable source generators of EEG surface potentials in each state. Sources identified in this way have been demonstrated to coregister with those identified by neuroimaging methods. Results. QEEG sources demonstrated frequency specific increased neuronal activity in the baseline high pain state in structures including the thalamus, somatosensory cortex, anterior and posterior insula, medial and lateral prefrontal cortex and cingulate. Significant reduction of activation in these regions was seen when pain was reduced (≥50% on subjective ratings). Conclusion. The areas that were activated in the high pain state localized to the same regions reported by other neuroimaging methods and with frequency specificity. The frequency and regionally specific activation may indicate distinctive patterns of pathophysiology underlying the pain matrix. Although in a small number of patients, this work suggests that QEEG may be a useful tool in the exploration and quantification of the pain matrix in a clinical setting.
In Pursuit of Architecture Fiction

Abstract This essay examines the role of architecture fiction and ecstatic realism as strategies for architects working within a protracted period of economic collapse. It reviews the history of the concept of architecture fiction and explores Werner Herzog’s idea of ecstatic realism as a means of understanding what the possibilities are for the interaction of art and architecture. Through a series of examples, I explore the development of innovative ways of interpreting the world.
Social stimulation and the regulation of premature infants' state prior to term age

Abstract Behavioral responsiveness to human speech and gentle stroking of the limbs was assessed in 15 very low birth-weight infants (VLBW:
Testing cointegration relationship in a semiparametric varying coefficient model

Abstract In this paper, we develop two cointegration tests for two varying coefficient cointegration regression models, respectively. Our test statistics are residual based. We derive the asymptotic distributions of test statistics under the null hypothesis of cointegration and show that they are consistent against the alternative hypotheses. We also propose a wild bootstrap procedure companioned with the continuous moving block bootstrap method proposed in Paparoditis and Politis (2001) and Phillips (2010) to rectify severe distortions found in simulations when the sample size is small. We apply the proposed test statistic to examine the purchasing power parity (PPP) hypothesis between the US and Canada. In contrast to the existing results from linear cointegration tests, our varying coefficient cointegration test does not reject that PPP holds between the US and Canada.
Investigation of the Lollipop Test as a Pre-Kindergarten Screening Instrument.

The validity of the Lollipop Test: A Diagnostic Screening Test of School Readiness was examined for a group of pre-kindergarten subjects using the Developmental Indicator for the Assessment of Lear...
The effect of austenitizing temperature on the microstructure and mechanical properties of as-quenched 4340 steel

The effect of austenitizing temperature on both the plane strain fracture toughness,KIC, and the microstructure of AISI 4340 was studied. Austenitizing temperatures of 870 and 1200°C were employed. All specimens austenitized at 1200°C were furnace cooled from the higher austenitizing temperature and then oil quenched from 870°C. Transmission electron microscopy revealed an apparent large increase in the amount of retained austen-ite present in the specimens austenitized at the higher temperature. Austenitizing at 870°C resulted in virtually no retained austenite; only minor amounts were found sparsely scat-tered in those areas examined. A considerably altered microstructure was observed in specimens austenitized at 1200°C. Fairly continuous 100 to 200A thick films of retained austenite were observed between the martensite laths throughout most of the area exam-ined. Additionally, specimens austenitized at 870°C contained twinned martensite plates while those austenitized at 1200°C showed no twinning. Plane strain fracture toughness measurements exhibited an approximate 80 pct increase in toughness for specimens austen-itized at 1200°C compared to those austenitized at 870°C. The yield strength was unaffected by austenitizing temperature. The possible role of retained austenite and the elimination of twinned martensite in the enhancement of the fracture toughness of those specimens austen-itized at the higher temperature will be discussed.
Antidromic electrical interaction between alpha motoneurons and presynaptic terminals

Summary During periods of increased presynaptic excitability, antidromic motoneuron activation triggers a centrifugal dorsal root discharge in the cat spinal cord. The present study was concerned with the type of motoneuron and dorsal root fibers involved in this motoneuron-presynaptic interaction as well as with its mechanism. The experiments were carried out in acute spinal cats. By conduction velocity studies it was shown that only alpha motoneurons and primary afferent fibers belonging to group I muscle afferents participate in the interaction. The central time of the motoneuron-presynaptic interaction was approximately 0.4 msec and was always at least 0.2 msec shorter than the monosynaptic reflex. The hypothesis is put forward that via an antidromic electrical interaction, the motoneuron discharge can depolarize the same presynaptic terminals which, through chemical synaptic mechanisms, induce the orthodromic firing of the same neuron.
Effect of Microstructure on the Deformation Mechanism of Friction Stir-Processed Al0.1CoCrFeNi High Entropy Alloy

Grain refinement from several millimeters in as-received (AR) condition to the range of 0.35–15 μm was achieved by friction stir processing (FSP). Due to the sluggish nature of atomic diffusion in high entropy alloys (HEAs), the FSP region exhibited an immense variation in microstructure which was directly attributed to the accumulated plastic strain during FSP. In accordance with the Hall–Petch relationship, yield strength (YS) has increased by a factor of four after grain refinement while maintaining large uniform elongation (UE). The Kocks–Mecking plot indicated different deformation mechanisms operative in both FSP and AR conditions.
Constitutive relation for the friction between lubricated surfaces.

Motivated by recent experiments and numerical results, we propose a constitutive relation to describe the friction beween two surfaces separated by an atomically thin layer of lubricant molecules. Our phenomenological approach involves the development of a rate and state law to describe the macroscopic frictional properties of the system, in a manner similar to that which has been proposed previously by Ruina [J. Geophys. Res. 88, 10 359 (1983)] for the solid on solid case. In our case, the state variable is interpreted in terms of the shear melting of the lubricant, and the constitutive relation captures some of the primary experimental differences between the dry and lubricated systems.
Media and methods for separation and cultivation of oral spirochetes

Abstract Methods and media are described for the separation of oral spirochetes from associated bacteria and for maintenance of such separated cultures. The primary culture technique utilizes special small, deep Petri dishes and a “hormone” agar clarified with the aid of filtration through glass wool and sintered glass, enriched with 30 per cent ascitic fluid and 0.1 per cent cysteine hydrochloride, and containing minced fresh guinea pig kidney. Inoculation was made into a well in the center of the plate, and after anaerobic incubation separated spirochetes were easily obtained through the sterile agar surface. The “hormone”-ascitic fluid-cysteine-kidney (AFK) medium proved more satisfactory for cultivation of spirochetes than several others tested. Serum ultrafiltrate, alone or diluted with Simms' salt solution, was less satisfactory than ascitic fluid. Media containing 1 or 10 per cent of ascitic fluid, or 1 per cent of defibrinated or laked rabbit blood, were also less useful. Omission of kidney resulted in distinct diminution of growth, but kidney fragments could be replaced by a clear aqueous kidney extract. The agar concentration could be reduced from 1.2 per cent to 0.1 per cent without appreciable impairment of growth, but elimination of agar yielded erratic results. Neither the “hormone” base nor several other bases tried yielded consistent growth in agar-free media. A commercial dehydrated heart infusion base gave growth nearly equal to that obtained with the “hormone” base, but fresh tissue or extract was found to be more essential with the former. The findings with 25 separated strains of oral spirochetes, 15 of which were studied in subculture, did not permit adequate classification of the strains because of variability in morphology and growth characteristics. Such findings may be inherent in the Noguchi technique, upon which the present methods were based, like nearly all other methods for growing oral spirochetes. This and other unsolved problems in this field are discussed.
An efficient TCP/IP packet matching algorithm to detect stepping-stone intrusion

Estimating the length of a downstream TCP/IP interactive session to detect stepping-stone has been a hot topic in computer network security. The key idea of computing the length of a connection chain is to match TCP/IP send and echo packets. The SDC algorithm was proposed for this intention. Unfortunately SDC is not efficient in terms of time complexity. In this paper, the reason that causes SDC inefficient is analyzed, and a new algorithm SWAM using sliding window is proposed. The efficiency analysis shows that SWAM could reduce computation up to 99.99%. Two ways have been proposed to determine the size of a sliding window. One exploits matching result convergence feature, another way takes advantage of the features of TCP/IP protocol. The intention of the second way is to reduce the computation further because the first way still incurs some computations.
In vitro detection of cytotoxicity using FluoroJade-C

We describe here a novel method for the determination of cytotoxicity in cell cultures using Fluoro-Jade C (FJ-C). FJ-C has been previously used for the assessment of neurodegeneration in fixed brain tissue samples, and has never been utilized in live cell cultures or in different types of cells other than neurons. In the present study we examined the utility of FJ-C for the determination of cytotoxicity in vitro. Various cell cultures were evaluated including neural stem cells, brain microvessel endothelial cells, and SH-SY5Y, PC12 and MDCK cells. Cytotoxicities induced by toxicants in cell cultures, as determined by the FJ-C labeling, were further confirmed by commonly used cytotoxicity assays. This in vitro approach is simple, fast, and sensitive and, thus, has the potential to augment if not replace currently used cell-based cytotoxicity assays.
A striking, localized eruption.

A man in his 60s presented in consultation from his oncologist for a 3-week history of a pruritic eruption on his back in the setting of stage IV, progressive, neuroendocrine pancreatic cancer. He had undergone numerous chemotherapeutic regimens over the past 3 years, all of which had failed. For the past 4 months he had been receiving oral etoposide (daily for the first 3 weeks of each 4-week cycle), daily pancrelipase, and monthly octreotide acetate intramuscular injections. He denied the use of heating pads but admitted to sitting on the hearth, directly in front of his fireplace, for long periods because of the cold weather and chills presumably from his underlying malignant neoplasm. He acknowledged a mild, untreated seasonal rhinitis but otherwise had enjoyed good health prior to hiscancerdiagnosis.Physicalexaminationrevealeda large, reticulated,erythematousplaque withmicaceous and silvery scale localized to themid-back (Figure, A). A punch biopsywas performed (Figure, B-D). A B
The use of portable particle measurement devices to characterise airborne particles generated in various settings

The accurate measurement of ultrafine and submicron sized airborne particles is a challenging task. Since several studies have linked exposures to airborne ultrafine particles to elevated human health risks, the need to assess the concentrations of particles in the workplace that are below one micron in diameter is imperative. Several techniques for directly monitoring micro and nanoparticles are available and others are being tested for their merit. Condensation Nuclei Counters (CNCs), portable condensation particle counters, differential mobility analysers, electron microscopy and other novel approaches to measuring micro and nanoparticles have been employed in investigations. The purpose of this paper is to elucidate the results from three studies involving the measurement of airborne particles with a laser particle counter and condensation nuclei counter. The three environments include: a gambling casino, a Shielded Metal Arc Welding (SMAW) operation and a general manufacturing facility with welding, cutting and grinding operations being performed.
Leaf Water Relations and Gas Exchange in Two Grain Sorghum Genotypes Differing in Their Pre- and Post-Flowering Drought Tolerance

Summary Two grain sorghum [ Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench.] lines (TX7078 and B35) of similar maturity but known to exhibit differences in sensitivity to drought in pre- and post-flowering growth stages were evaluated in order to quantify the physiological bases for differences in drought tolerance between lines and groWth stages. The relationships among leaf water status, osmotic adjustment, leaf gas-exchange characteristics, and epicuticular wax load were characterized for irrigated and non-irrigated plants during preand post-flowering growth stages. Osmotic adjustment during pre-flowering stress did not differ between lines, and average adjustment was approximately 0.42 MPa. In contrast, osmotic adjustment occurred only in TX7078 during post-flowering stress, and the extent of adjustment relative to irrigated plants was only 0.16 MPa. Neither osmotic adjustment nor epicuticular wax load appeared to be related to the relative drought tolerance of these genotypes during pre- or post-flowering growth stages. A reversal in the ranking of water-use efficiency (WUE) of TX7078 and B35 occurred between pre- and post-flowering growth stages. Non-irrigated plants of TX7078 exhibited significantly higher WUE than B35 at the pre-flowering stage, but the opposite was true in the post-flowering stage. The reason for the reversal in WUE is not known, but there was no significant relation between osmotic adjustment and WUE. TX7078 and B35 showed a contrasting response for intercellular CO 2 concentration (C i ) in both pre- and post-flowering experiments; C i was strongly reduced by water deficit in TX7078, but it was not significantly affected in B35, suggesting that these genotypes may differ fundamentally in their photosynthetic response to low leaf water potential.
Suppression of Stress Relaxation in MEMS Multilayer Film Microstructures by Use of ALD Nanocoatings

We study the suppression of stress relaxation in MEMS multilayer film microstructures by the use of alumina nanocoatings realized by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Gold (0.5 μm thick) / polysilicon (1.5 or 3.5 μm thick) beam and plate microstructures were fabricated by the MUMPs surface micromachining process. The microstructures were then coated on both sides with a 40 nm thick amorphous Al2 O3 layer by ALD. The beam and plate microstructures were initially thermal cycled between room temperature and 190°C tostabilize the gold microstructure. After the initial thermal cycles, the microstructures were cooled from 190°C to 120°C and held at 120°C for about 2000 hours (three months). We measured, using an interferometric microscope with a custom-built temperature chamber, full-field deformed shapes (and from these determined the average curvatures in x- and y- directions) of the microstructures during the initial thermal cycles, during the cooling process from 190 °C to 120 °C, and during the isothermal hold. Measurements were made on both coated and uncoated microstructures to assess the influence of the coating. We find that while the 40 nm thick coating has a small effect on the thermoelastic response of the microstructure, it significantly reduces the extent of stress relaxation during the isothermal hold. We modeled the curvature evolution with time assuming the stress relaxation mechanism is power-law creep in the gold, e = Aσn , and that the polysilicon and alumina deform elastically. The simple model describes the observed behavior reasonably well for the uncoated microstructures (when the power-law parameters are fit using the measured curvature), however, for the coated microstructures, the model predicts a decrease in the stress relaxation, but nowhere near the magnitude observed. This suggests that not only is the stress state in the gold film altered by the nanoscale coating, but also the fundamental deformation mechanisms are altered.© 2002 ASME
Pairing simple and complex models could improve predictions

Environmental management often relies on complex numerical models. Such models can represent complex natural processes in detail but generally take a lot of computational time to run and even greater computational effort to calibrate. Associating uncertainties with predictions made by these models can also be difficult. Conversely, simple models run faster and are easier to calibrate, but they often leave out key physical details or make simplifying assumptions that could introduce inaccuracy and inhibit uncertainty characterization. To overcome the shortcomings of both types of models, Doherty and Christensen developed a method that uses paired simple and complex models to improve predictive accuracy and quantify predictive uncertainty. The approach could be applied to problems in hydrology, ecology, and many other areas of environmental or climate science. (Water Resources Research, doi:10.1029/2011WR010763, 2011)
An unusual form of alternative splicing in the HLA-DNA gene.

The HLA-DNA gene of the human major histocompatibility complex (MHC) produces RNA transcripts of unusual size compared to the 1.3 kilobase (kb) transcripts of other class II genes. Several cDNA clones derived from HLA-DNA transcripts were isolated, including a full-length 3.5 kb cDNA named DN1. Sequence analysis of DN1 demonstrated that the 3.5 kb transcript is fully spliced, contains a long 3' untranslated region, and encodes an apparently normal class II α chain. Two other cDNA clones, DN2 and DN7, revealed an alternative splice that resulted from the use of a splice acceptor upstream of the second exon encoding the α 1 domain. The translation product of this alternative transcript would share the signal sequence of the DNα chain but would otherwise be unrelated. Removal of the signal sequence would yield a highly basic peptide of 42 amino acids. RNA was prepared by in vitro transcription of DN1 and DN2, and was used to direct protein synthesis in a rabbit reticulocyte system. The product of DN1 had an apparent relative mass of 25 000, whereas the product of DN2 was a peptide with a relative mass of about 6000. The alternatively spliced RNA represents about 1/10 of the transcripts from the HLA-DNA gene in the cells tested, which included transformed B-cell lines as well as normal blood cells and thymus cells.
Casting 6.5-meter mirrors for the MMT conversion and Magellan

We report on the casting of two 6.5 meter diameter borosilicate honeycomb mirrors at the Steward Observatory Mirror Laboratory. These F/1.25 primary mirror blanks are for the MMT Conversion Project in Arizona and the Magellan Project in Chile. The first 6.5 meter mirror blank was cast in April 1992. After a three month annealing cycle it was removed from the furnace using a fixture glued to the upper surface of the blank. It has since been stripped of its mold material in preparation for polishing. The mold material is broken up with a high pressure water spray. The second identical 6.5 meter was cast in February 1994. Each honeycomb 6.5 meter is cast from over 10 tons of E6 borosilicate glass manufactured by Ohara. This glass is melted onto a mold constructed of aluminosilicate fiber to produce a honeycomb structure with roughly 20% of solid density. The hexagonal voids in the honeycomb are produced by ceramic fiber boxes bolted to the bottom of the mold with SiC bolts. The furnace rotates at 7.4 rpm during the casting process to produce a F/1.25 parabola on the front surface. This rough parabola minimizes the amount of glass which must be removed during the grinding process. The front faceplate of the mirror will be 28 mm thick after generating. After the second 6.5 meter blank has been cast, minor modifications will be made to the furnace to allow casting of the first 8.4 meter mirror for the Large Binocular Telescope.
Plasma luteinizing hormone and the development of ovarian follicles after loss of clutch in female Mallards (Anas platyrhynchos)

Abstract The plasma level of LH and the extent of development of ovarian follicles were analyzed in incubating female Mallards. In both wild and game-farm stock, incubation was associated with a significant decline in plasma levels of LH from those of laying females. Within 1 day after removal of eggs, LH levels had increased to levels indistinguishable from those of laying females. The mean diameter of the largest follicle in wild females on the tenth day of incubation was 5.3 mm; it was 5.2 mm in game-farm stock at the same stage. Three days following removal of eggs, the mean of the largest follicles of wild-stock hens had increased to 14.0 mm and those of game-farm stock to 12.7 mm.
Learning hierarchical invariant spatio-temporal features for action recognition with independent subspace analysis

Previous work on action recognition has focused on adapting hand-designed local features, such as SIFT or HOG, from static images to the video domain. In this paper, we propose using unsupervised feature learning as a way to learn features directly from video data. More specifically, we present an extension of the Independent Subspace Analysis algorithm to learn invariant spatio-temporal features from unlabeled video data. We discovered that, despite its simplicity, this method performs surprisingly well when combined with deep learning techniques such as stacking and convolution to learn hierarchical representations. By replacing hand-designed features with our learned features, we achieve classification results superior to all previous published results on the Hollywood2, UCF, KTH and YouTube action recognition datasets. On the challenging Hollywood2 and YouTube action datasets we obtain 53.3% and 75.8% respectively, which are approximately 5% better than the current best published results. Further benefits of this method, such as the ease of training and the efficiency of training and prediction, will also be discussed. You can download our code and learned spatio-temporal features here: http://ai.stanford.edu/∼wzou/
Perceived vibriosis risk by Swedish rainbow trout net-pen farmers: Its effect on purchasing patterns and willingness-to-pay for vaccination

Abstract A mail questionnaire was submitted to all 38 brackish-water rainbow trout net-pen farmers on the south and east coasts of Sweden. One series of questions addressed farmers' willingness-to-pay pay ( WTP ) for vibriosis vaccination. The amount that experienced farmers are willing to pay for 100% vaccine efficacy ( WTPF ) was positively correlated with average annual vibrosis mortality rates. However, this correlation progressively decreased in magnitude as the annual posterior probability of vibriosis occurrence increased. Experienced farmers' WTP for partial vaccine efficacy ( WTPP ) was related to both average mortality rates and the range in the previous 2 years' annual vibriosis mortality rates. For farmers with low ranges, WTPP showed a strong negative correlation with mortality rates exceeding approximately 1–3%. For farmers with high ranges, the WTPP -mortality relationship was weakly negative. There was no significant linear relationship between WTP and the previous summer's vibriosis mortality rates for new farmers, but new farmers who had experience vibriosis were prepared to pay substantially more for vaccination than were vibriosis-free farmers. Results of a second series of questions showed a majority of respondents indicating an initial preference for rearing older fish (yearlings or 2-year-olds) would instead purchase younger fish (fingerlings or yearlings, respectively), if the younger fish were guaranteed vibriosis-resistant. All such farmers were prepared to pay at least the full cost of vaccination for this protection. Most farmers indicated that they do not purchase surplus juvenile fish in anticipation of vibriosis losses.
Aortic Arch Replacement/ Selective Antegrade Perfusion

To reduce the morbidity and mortality associated with aortic arch repair, the reconstruction technique must be an integral part of the neurological protection scheme. The neurological risk can be divided between protection of neuronal viability during interruption of cerebral circulation and the prevention of cerebral emboli before, during, and after arch repair. From extensive clinical and laboratory experience with hypothermic cerebral protection, the safe limit of circulatory arrest is about 30 minutes at 15°C. Longer periods risk a higher incidence of overt stroke and subtle brain injury manifest as temporary neurologic dysfunction. 1 Therefore, if a longer interval of cerebral protection is expected, then restoration of blood flow is mandatory.
A nondevelopable Čech-complete space with a point-countable base

An example is presented which is a p-space, in fact a Cech-complete space, which has a point-countable base and is not developable. This answers questions raised by Burke in 1970 and by Burke and Tall in 1972.
A Closer Look at Particle Exchange in the Gulf Stream

Abstract The trajectories of 95 isopycnal floats deployed in the Gulf Stream in the last decade have shown that a substantial amount of particle exchange takes place between the Gulf Stream and the surrounding fluid at the level of the main thermocline. This exchange is suggestive of significant cross-stream eddy mixing, but in order to accurately interpret the float exchange in terms of property exchange the location of float deployment was assessed relative to the strong potential vorticity front associated with the Gulf Stream. The basic result of this analysis is that most of the observed float exchange is not representative of cross-frontal exchange. At the level where a strong potential vorticity front is present, some fluid particles escape from the jet, but most of them stay on the same side of the front. In the deep main thermocline, significant particle exchange is observed between the Gulf Stream and fluid on both sides of the jet, but this exchange is indicative of particles circulating in a r...
Ka-band atmospheric phase stability measurements in Goldstone, CA; White Sands, NM; and Guam

As spacecraft communication links are driven to higher frequencies (e.g. Ka-band) both by spectrum congestion and the appeal of higher data rates, the propagation phenomena at these frequencies must be well characterized for effective system design. In particular, the phase stability of a site at a given frequency will govern whether or not the site is a practical location for an antenna array, particularly if uplink capabilities are desired. Propagation studies to characterize such phenomena must be done on a site-by-site basis due to the wide variety of climates and weather conditions at each ground terminal. Accordingly, in order to statistically characterize the atmospheric effects on Ka-Band links, site test interferometers (STIs) have been deployed at three of NASA's operational sites to directly measure each site's tropospheric phase stability. Using three years of results from these experiments, this paper will statistically characterize the simultaneous atmospheric phase noise measurements recorded by the STIs deployed at the following ground station sites: the Goldstone Deep Space Communications Complex near Barstow, CA; the White Sands Ground Terminal near Las Cruces, NM; and the Guam Remote Ground Terminal on the island of Guam.