cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Spatio-temporal awareness in mobile wireless sensor networks

Over the past decade we have witnessed the evolution of wireless sensor networks, with advancements in hardware design, communication protocols, resource efficiency, and other aspects. Recently, there has been much focus on mobile sensor networks, and we have even seen the development of small-profile sensing devices that are able to control their own movement. Although it has been shown that mobility alleviates several issues relating to sensor network coverage and connectivity, many challenges remain. Among these, the need for position estimation is perhaps the most important. Not only is localization required to understand sensor data in a spatial context, but also for navigation, a key feature of mobile sensors. In this dissertation we develop techniques for the synchronization, localization and navigation of resource-constrained mobile sensors. Resource constraints prevent us from using traditional coordination methods, because these typically require bulky, expensive, and sophisticated sensors, substantial memory and processor allocation, and a generous power supply. The global positioning system is able to provide synchronization and localization information, however in many situations it cannot be relied on, and alternative methods are required. We focus on techniques that rely primarily on the sensor radio, since all wireless sensor nodes are equipped with them, thus requiring no additional hardware support. Specifically, we have developed a time synchronization protocol for heterogeneous sensor networks, localization techniques in which sensor nodes measure the phase and Doppler-shift in frequency of an RF interference signal, and waypoint navigation, in which the localization results are used to derive motion vectors for the mobile sensors.
Cloth(ing) for the dead: case study of three designers’ green burial practices

The aim of this study was to explore the current green burial clothing movement by examining three designers’ work using a multi-case study approach. Green burial incorporates a sustainability concept into funeral practices. Cradle-to-cradle, as opposed to cradle-to-grave, is a model for sustainability practices that plan for the product lifecycle to continue after consumer use of the product has concluded. The works of Mark Mitchell, Jae Rhim Lee and Pia Interlandi were selected for the three cases of green burial practices in the context of cradle-to-cradle design using the five steps to eco-effectiveness. They used natural fibers in their clothing designed for green burial, and created clothing intended to be non-toxic to the soil and groundwater when buried with the body. Jae Rhim Lee’s designs included a mushroom culture to aid in decomposition of the body and remediation of toxins found in the body, resulting in compostable soil. In addition to the multi-case study, this study also examined a wide variety of primary and secondary research literature from the fields of forensics, archaeology, and textile science to identify current purchase options for green burial clothing and to inform suggestions for future development of green burial apparel within the context of cradle-to-cradle design. This study also urged the importance of consumer awareness in terms of the choice of burial clothing if considering the full implementation of the cradle-to-cradle design principles into green burial clothing practices. The findings of this study call for further research on sustainability in burial clothing.
Experimental evidence of ion-induced instabilities in the NSLS-II storage ring

Abstract Fast ion instability has been identified as one of the most prominent instabilities in the recently constructed NSLS-II storage ring at Brookhaven National Laboratory. At a relatively low beam current (~ 25 mA) multi-bunch fills, ion-induced instabilities have already been observed during the early stages of machine commissioning. At present user operation with 250 mA in ~1000 bunches, the fast ion still remains the dominant instability, even after months of vacuum conditioning at high current. Ion-induced dipole motions of the electron beam have been suppressed using the transverse bunch-by-bunch (BxB) feedback system. However other adverse effects of this instability, such as the vertical beam size increase along the bunch train cannot be cured by the feedback system. Therefore, to achieve the NSLS-II design current of 500 mA while maintaining a small vertical beam emittance, it is important to further understand the fast ion instability and develop mitigation techniques. This paper reports on a series of ion-instability observations at various fill patterns and beam currents using start-of-art NSLS-II diagnostic tools.
Appendix to Paper by Wall and Herbeck

A method is described for determining the number of preferred codons in taxa in which G+C levels differ. If the hypothesis of random codon usage is not rejected, there are no preferred codons. If that hypothesis is rejected, then a model with one or two preferred codons is fitted to the data and a likelihood ratio test is used to determine whether there are one or two preferred codons. A C++ program is freely available to perform the calculations.
Troubling the Discourse of Both/And: Technologies of Neoliberal Governance in Community-Based Educational Spaces.

This article traces the work of community-based popular educators with an explicit commitment to “Freirean” popular education as they shifted from teaching in a community-based setting to an after-...
A Comparison of Targeted Layered Containment Strategies for a Flu Pandemic in Three US Cities

We study strategies for targeted layered containment of an influenza pandemic in three US cities: Miami, Seattle, and Chicago. Differences in demographic, geographic, and other structures lead to differences in the social interaction networks in the three cities. This has consequences for how the containment strategies should be applied to mitigate the spread. We use large-scale simulations to study these containment strategies and show differences in outcomes across the three cities.
Many tocopherols, one vitamin E

Four tocopherols are available in nature and are absorbed with the diet, but only one RRR-α-tocopherol satisfies the criteria of being a vitamin. The biological activity of the different tocopherols studied in the rat by the resorption-gestation test has been inconsistently extrapolated to human beings where the tocopherols have no influence on a successful pregnancy. Diminution of RRR-α-tocopherol intake results in diseases characterized by ataxia, whose pathogenetic mechanism, despite vigorous claims, has not been clarified. The calculation of the Daily Reference Intake (DRI), necessary to prevent disease, is based on an obsolete test, the peroxide-induced erythrocyte hemolysis, called the gold standard, but of highly questioned validity. If many epidemiological studies have given positive results, showing prevention by high vitamin E containing diets of cardiovascular events, neurodegenerative disease, macular degeneration and cancer, the clinical confirmatory intervention studies were mostly negative. On the positive side, besides preventing vitamin E deficiency diseases, vitamin E has shown efficacy as anti-inflammatory and immune boosting compound. It has also shown some efficacy in protecting against nonalcoholic hepato-steatosis. At a molecular level, vitamin E and some of its metabolites have shown capacity of regulating cell signaling and modulating gene transcription.
Ligand Exchange for Controlling the Surface Chemistry and Properties of Nanoparticle Superstructures

Nanoparticle superstructures have received widespread interest due to their unique physical properties that derive from the size, shape, composition, and 3D assembly of their component nanoparticle building blocks. Successful deployment of these materials for target applications requires methods for modifying their surfaces to impart specific properties and functions. To this end, we demonstrate that ligand exchange processes, which are extensively employed for functionalizing discrete nanoparticles, can be used to modify the surfaces of nanoparticle superstructures. We show that peptides coating the external surfaces of hollow, spherical gold nanoparticle superstructures are effectively exchanged with thiolated ligands, while maintaining the integrity of the assembled structure. The resulting superstructures are stable on the bench. These proof-of-principle studies highlight the potential of using ligand exchange to differentiate nanoparticle superstructures, thereby expanding their utility and application scope.
Carbanionen. Bildung und Reaktionen

2-Nitro-9-methylfluoren 2 tauscht in CH3OD in Gegenwart von CH3ONa sein Wasserstoffatom am C(9) etwa 3500mal schneller gegen Deuterium aus als 9-Methyl-fluoren 1 selbst. Auch bei der 2-Cyano-Verbindung 3 ist der H/D-Austausch viel (1440mal) schneller als bei 1. Worauf ist die grosere Beweglichkeit des H(9)-Atoms in 2 und 3 zuruckzufuhren?
Vaccine hesitancy and online information: the influence of digital networks.

Aims. This article analyzes the digital childhood vaccination information network for vaccine-hesitant parents. The goal of this study was to explore the structure and influence of vaccine-hesitant...
Reply to Dr Yu et al

To the Editor On behalf of my coauthors, I wish to thank Dr Yu and his colleagues[1][1] for alerting us to our oversight. As Dr Yu et al note correctly, the executive summary[2][2] of the third American Society of Regional Anesthesia and Pain Medicine Practice Advisory on Local Anesthetic Systemic
Online Classification of Nonstationary Streaming Data with Dynamic Pitman-Yor Diffusion Trees

In Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, there is a need for flexible, expressive models of uncertainty. In the case of online classification, such models should be able to adapt to the dynamics of the data-generating system, i.e. they should be nonstationary. We introduce the Dynamic Pitman- Yor Diffusion Tree (DPYDT), a generalization of the Pitman-Yor Diffusion Tree (PYDT) [1] to nonstationary streaming data. These Bayesian nonparametric priors model hierarchical structure in the data, providing interpretable structural information about patterns in the data. Our model allows this structure to evolve over time in response to changes in the data distribution. We give a description of the generative process and derive closed form expressions for the joint density of a sequence of trees, and the predictive density of successive trees. We also discuss generalizations of the diffusion underlying the PYDT to bounded and unbounded discrete variables. Finally, we describe a Sequential Monte Carlo algorithm for inference in our model, and discuss its efficiency.
Remembering Attack Ads: An Experimental Investigation of Radio

This article seeks to advance our understanding of the influence of attack advertising on the public in two ways. First, we examine whether the content of individuals' memory differs when exposed to positive or attack ads. Critics of attack advertising fear that “negativity” has pernicious effects on the citizenry, ranging from lessening people's faith in the political process to decreasing people's willingness to participate in elections. This article extends this general line of inquiry. How do attacks affect memory? Do they lead people to remember more things about the ads? Do they affect the accuracy of people's memories? Questions about memory are important from an information processing perspective, since the stored information is used to guide and shape behavior. We find that subjects' recall as many things about positive ads as attack ads. However, when taking a closer look at what they recall, it turns out that attack ads yield many more inaccurate memories than do positive ads. We discuss the implications of these findings. The second way this research advances the field is that we employ an experimental design that uses radio ads as our stimulus. Nearly all the work in this field has focused on television. Yet radio serves as an invaluable way for candidates to communicate with voters, especially in nonpresidential elections. We are a multimedia society, and we need to broaden our knowledge of the impact of political ads beyond television, especially if we want to forge a better understanding of how advertising works in state and local elections.
Kinetics of TiB Formation

During an X-ray examination of the reaction between Ti and B12C3 powders, it was observed that TiB formed rapidly as one of the major initial products rather than the expected TiB2. A study of the kinetics of forming TiB by the simpler reaction Ti+TiB2→2TiB was begun to determine the mechanism for its rapid formation. Strashinskaya and Stepanchuk have reported growth of diffusional TiB films on TiB2(1) in which TiB was formed after three hours at 900°C while the reaction was complete after one hour at 1400°C. This study did not take account of the powder compact structure nor could it explain the rapid formation cited above. Therefore it was decided to follow the evolution of the reaction using Quantitative Microscopy to learn what influence the compact structure has on the kinetics.
Social Emotion: Neuroimaging

Much of human experience is influenced by social emotions, which are complex emotions (e.g., embarrassment, pride, and jealousy) that serve important relationship functions. Social emotions require that people be aware of their own mental states, as well as those of the people around them. Further, negative emotional responses elicited by socially inappropriate behaviors (e.g., shame and guilt) minimize the likelihood that the offending behavior will be repeated, thereby smoothing social interactions and supporting long-term relationships. Conversely, positive social behaviors often give rise to powerful social emotions (e.g., pride, love, and admiration). Patient research and recently emerging research using neuroscience techniques such as functional magnetic resonance imaging have imparted important insights into the neural processes that give rise to social emotions. Most prominently, imaging research has documented a crucial role of the medial prefrontal cortex in social emotions.
Flow Visualization in Two-Phase Flow

A photochromic flow visualization technique was described in 1966 by Popovich in his doctoral thesis and was further discussed in 1967 in a series of papers by Popovich and Hummel. This technique is essentially nonintrusive and has the potential to provide accurate velocity information with a high degree of spacial resolution. The technique uses a soluble photochromic dye that, in the absence of short wavelength light, is colorless when in solution in many nonpolar liquids. The dye may be selectively activated by an ultraviolet light source to produce a bright blue color. When the light source is a sharply focused beam of sufficient power, a narrow and well defined line may be produced in the solvent and dye solution. The subsequent motion of this line may then be recorded photographically for later analysis of velocities.
GsMTx4 reduces the reflex pressor response during dynamic hindlimb skeletal muscle stretch in decerebrate rats.

Mechanical signals within contracting skeletal muscles contribute to the generation of the exercise pressor reflex; an important autonomic and cardiovascular control mechanism. In decerebrate rats, the mechanically activated channel inhibitor GsMTx4 was found to reduce the pressor response during static hindlimb muscle stretch; a maneuver used to investigate specifically the mechanical component of the exercise pressor reflex (i.e., the mechanoreflex). However, the effect was found only during the initial phase of the stretch when muscle length was changing and not during the later phase of stretch when muscle length was relatively constant. We tested the hypothesis that in decerebrate, unanesthetized rats, GsMTx4 would reduce the pressor response throughout the duration of a 30 sec, 1 Hz dynamic hindlimb muscle stretch protocol that produced repetitive changes in muscle length. We found that the injection of 10 μg of GsMTx4 into the arterial supply of a hindlimb reduced the peak pressor response (control: 15 ± 4, GsMTx4: 5 ± 2 mmHg, P < 0.05, n = 8) and the pressor response at multiple time points throughout the duration of the stretch. GsMTx4 had no effect on the pressor response to the hindlimb arterial injection of lactic acid which indicates the lack of local off-target effects. Combined with the recent finding that GsMTx4 reduced the pressor response only initially during static stretch in decerebrate rats, the present findings suggest that GsMTx4-sensitive channels respond primarily to mechanical signals associated with changes in muscle length. The findings add to our currently limited understanding of the channels that contribute to the activation of the mechanoreflex.
Novice and Expert: Challenging Professional Education

Many students return to graduate programs as experts in their prior fields. “Returners,” as they are commonly termed, have undergraduate degrees and have worked five or more years before returning ...
Experiences of a Multidisciplinary Genomic Tumor Board Interpreting Risk for Underlying Germline Variants in Tumor-Only Sequencing Results

PURPOSEAlthough analyzing germline and tumor samples concurrently provides the best opportunity for differentiating between germline and somatic mutations, tumor-only sequencing is becoming increas...
Identification and Management of Lymphedema in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer–related lymphedema (BCRL) is a potentially debilitating and often irreversible complication of breast cancer treatment. Risk of BCRL is proportional to the extent of axillary surgery ...
Weighted Multilevel Versus Robust Single-Level Methods for Analyzing Subpopulation Data

Abstract. Research, policy, and practice often target specific subpopulations. Large-scale survey studies are particularly useful for performing subpopulation analyses due to the large and represen...
Deconstructing Capitalism through Perversion: Readings of The Invention of Morel

The central argument of this article lies in the intent to think, from a reading of The Invention of Morel , about the subversion possibilities, simultaneously discursive and operational, of certain structures of capitalism, carried out by discrete elements of society, regardless of their social standing. Discussing Morel himself and his invention, I postulate the hypothesis that Morel is subversive because he is perverse. As a preamble to this discussion, and in an attempt to turn it into a critique of current times, a reading of Slavoj Žižek’s 2009 article entitled “Censorship Today: Violence, or Ecology as a New Opium for the Masses” will be undertaken. Through a comparative analysis of the rational underlying the four antagonisms which, in Žižek’s opinion, will prevent the indefinite reproduction of the current “naturalization” of capitalism in the global world, and Morel and his invention, one concludes the latter’s obscene perversity causes, through exaggeration, potentially destructive effects (ecological, biological, communicational and of exclusion) of the very mechanisms and capitalist subsystems which generated them, thus deconstructing their significant codes
Consciousness of Cyber Defense: Boundary Objects for Expansive Learning Through Creation of Contradictions

Cyber attackers gain access into systems, networks and cyberinfrastructure by escalating privileges to confidential information regardless of the efforts systems engineers put into security. The chess game between cyber offense and defense destabilizes the ability of organizations to protect their information assets. This research employs the lens of Activity Theory to study the interaction through the contradictions embedded between the cyber attackers and cyber defenders. These types of contradictions were forcefully created and simulated in the cyber security virtual lab at Florida State University for the purpose of facilitating real-world scenario-based learning experiences. Both network traffic data and interviews were collected in order to identify the boundary objects that intersect the two activity systems. Natural language processing (NLP) was adopted to explore and extract topics frequently used by both activity systems. Consciousness of cyber defense was expanded by creating contradictions, and boundary objects were identified by comparing the interactions between these two activity systems.
Heme—Polyenoic Acid Interaction and Prostaglandin Synthesis

Yoshimoto and associates (1970) were first to demonstrate that heme is required for enhancing the activity of prostaglandin synthetase enzymes. Ogino et al. (1978) found very little iron in purified endoperoxide synthetase but found that the enzyme required metalloporphyrins for its activity. Ultrastructural studies from our laboratory using an iron-reactive drug, diaminobenzidine, reported that enzymes involved in endoperoxide generation are localized in the dense tubular system (DTS) of human platelets. The fact that heme iron acts as a catalyst for the isolated enzymes and that heme-complexing compounds react with these enzymes in the platelet DTS prompted us to evaluate the role of iron and heme in arachidonic acid oxidation. Using a cell-free system, we showed that ferrous iron and heme can induce oxidation of polyenoic acids and the extent of oxidation was related to the degree of unsat-uration in the fatty acids. The iron-induced oxidation of fatty acids was not inhib-itable by radical scavengers or by Superoxide dismutase. Heme or iron chelators,as well as several of the known inhibitors of cyclooxygenase, blocked this reaction. Ferrous iron chelators and heme-complexing agents inhibited prostaglandin synthesis as well as platelet function. In vivo studies using a short-acting drug, ibu-profen, and an irreversible inhibitor of cyclooxygenase, aspirin, confirmed our findings that the majority of prostaglandin inhibitors exert their effect by interfering with heme-arachidonic acid interaction. Based on this evidence, we hypothesized that polyenoic acid released from platelet membranes following activation could compete for the heme site and inhibit the conversion of arachidonic acid.
Persistence of Tannerella forsythia and Fusobacterium nucleatum in Dental Plaque: a Strategic Alliance

The Gram-negative oral pathogen Tannerella forsythia is implicated in the pathogenesis of periodontitis, an inflammatory disease characterized by progressive destruction of the tooth-supporting structures affecting over 700 million people worldwide. This review highlights the basis of why and how T. forsythia interacts with Fusobacterium nucleatum, a bacterium considered to be a bridge between the early and late colonizing bacteria of the dental plaque. The recent findings indicate that these two organisms have a strong mutualistic relationship that involves foraging by T. forsythia on F. nucleatum peptidoglycan and utilization of glucose, released by the hydrolytic activity of T. forsythia glucanase, as a nutrient by F. nucleatum. In addition, T. forsythia has the unique ability to generate a toxic and inflammogenic compound, methylglyoxal, from glucose. This compound can induce inflammation, leading to the degradation of periodontal tissues and release of host components as nutrients for bacteria to further exacerbate the disease. In summary, this article will present our current understanding of mechanisms underpinning T. forsythia-F. nucleatum mutualism, and how this mutualism might impact periodontal disease progression.
Using Convolutional Neural Network to Study the Regulatory Relationship Between DNA Methylation and Gene Expression

In this work, we propose a novel framework based on convolutional neural networks to integrate information of DNA methylation and DNA sequences for studying their relationship with gene expression. Using the data from 8 cell types, we show that the trained models provide higher explained variation of gene expression from DNA methylation (up to 30%) compared to methods that only consider one genomic data type or from one region (up to 12%). In addition, the extracted sequence motifs from the filters of the first convolutional layers reveal the involvement of regulatory modulators including DNA Methyltransferase 1 (DNMT1) and other transcription factors, shedding light on the complex regulatory mechanisms of DNA methylation. We found that more than half of the 20 most enriched motifs correspond to regulators that are well supported by previous publications and ChIP-Seq transcription factor binding datasets. Our work has demonstrated the usefulness of convolutional neural networks in revealing complex relationships from omics data.
Improved Radiation Sensing with Methylammonium Lead Bromide Perovskite Semiconductors

Methylammonium lead bromide (CH 3 NH 3 PbBr 3 or MAPB) perovskite semiconductors are a potential low-cost option for high energy resolution semiconductor detectors for gamma and neutron sensing. MAPB has recently been demonstrated for its ability to sense alpha particles and neutrons, and pertinent electronic properties have previously been reported. In this presentation, we report on several techniques of improving detector performance to achieve better spectroscopic performance for gamma sensing. These methods include anion and partial cation substitutions of MAPB to improve carrier transport and limit ionic conductivity and several surface treatment and metallization techniques for improved carrier extraction and minimization of device polarization.
Neural correlates of economic decision making in the frontal cortex mapped by functional near infrared spectroscopy

An economic decision-making protocol was employed to investigate human brain responses in the frontal areas with multi-channel fNIRS from 27 human subjects. The results showed significant activations in dorsolateral prefrontal and orbitofrontal cortex.
Introduction to Medicinal Chemistry: A Five-Day Course for High School Students.

The Pre-College Summer Program at the University of Connecticut is designed to introduce upper-level high school students (rising juniors and seniors) to college life by allowing them to live on ca...
A Case of Unsteady Gait: An Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Mimic Causing Reversible Weakness

In this manuscript, we highlight the importance of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) testing in patients presenting with a clinical picture suggestive of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), particularly when there are other findings not consistent with a primary motor neuron disease. J Neurol Res. 2020;10(3):91-94 doi: https://doi.org/10.14740/jnr582
DENITRIFICATION IN SOILS INTERMITTENTLY FLOODED WITH SEWAGE WATER

SUMMARY Net nitrogen removal averaged 30% when soil columns were intermittently flooded with secondary sewage effluent at infiltration rates that resulted in a total annual infiltration of 85 meters of water. Most of the nitrogen remaining in the water was concentrated in a nitrate peak measured at the beginning of each flooding period. Nitrogen removal from soil columns was increased to 90% by adding 150 ppm soluble carbon as dextrose to the sewage water. Much of the added organic carbon moved through the soil columns. However, a pulse of organic carbon added at the beginning of the flooding period increased N removal to only 50 to 60%. Nitrogen removal was increased to 80% by reducing the infiltration rate from 35 to 15 cm/day. The lower infiltration rate still resulted in a total annual infiltration of 40 meters of water. The decrease in infiltration rate resulted in more mixing of the nitrate with incoming sewage water, and thus provided a more favorable C to NO 3 -N ratio for denitrification. Vegetation increased nitrogen removal about 10% over a wide range of infiltration rates. Nitrogen removal was increased to 75 to 80% by collecting highnitrate water from the columns during the first 3 days of flooding, mixing it with sewage water, and recycling it through the columns.
Trinucleotide Repeat-Targeting dCas9 as a Therapeutic Strategy for Fuchs' Endothelial Corneal Dystrophy.

Purpose Fuchs' endothelial corneal dystrophy (FECD) is the leading indication for corneal transplantation. Seventy percent of cases are caused by an intronic CTG triplet repeat expansion in the TCF4 gene that results in accumulation of pathogenic expanded CUG repeat RNA (CUGexp) as nuclear foci in corneal endothelium. A catalytically dead Cas9 (dCas9) can serve as an effective guide to target genomic DNA or RNA transcripts. Here, we examined the utility of the clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR)-dCas9 system to effectively target and reduce CUGexp. Methods We delivered dCas9 and repeat-targeting single guide RNA (sgRNA) expression plasmids to patient-derived endothelial cells using lipofection or lentiviral transduction. We used fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and RNA dot-blot hybridization to quantify CUGexp foci and repeat RNA levels, respectively. TCF4 expression levels were assessed using quantitative PCR (qPCR). Results Using FISH, we found that expression of both dCas9 and a (CAG)n sgRNA complementary to CUGexp are necessary to reduce foci. We observed a reduction in percentage of cells with foci from 59% to 5.6% and number of foci per 100 cells from 73.4 to 7.45 (P < 0.001) in cells stably expressing dCas9-(CAG)n sgRNA but saw no decrease in cells expressing dCas9-(CUG)n sgRNA or nontargeting control sgRNA. In cells with dCas9-(CAG)n sgRNA, we detected a reduction in CUGexp RNA by dot-blot without any reduction in TCF4 mRNA levels using qPCR. Conclusions Using CRISPR-dCas9 to target the trinucleotide repeat is a promising treatment for FECD contingent on effective in vivo delivery. Translational Relevance This work advances a gene therapy for a common age-related degenerative disorder.
Original Research: How Did You Hear About the Study? Or, How to Reach Lesbian and Bisexual Women of Diverse Ages, Ethnicity, and Educational Attainment for Research Projects

Lesbians and bisexual women are often recruited for research via convenience sampling, but there has been little focus on the sources through which these women are recruited. This article focuses on two research projects that successfully recruited large samples of lesbian and bisexual women. The first, on lesbians and their bisexual and heterosexual sisters, contacted all lesbian periodicals, religious organizations, bars, bookstores, campus groups, and ethnic/multicultural groups listed in the Gayellow Pages. Different fictional P.O. box numbers appeared in the return address in each case, allowing us to see exactly where lesbians and bisexual women (and also older women and women of color) heard about the study. The second study, on health status of sexual minority women living in the greater Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, area, formed a community advisory board to reach all segments of the community. Questionnaires were sent to individuals on lesbian/gay mailing lists and social organizations; the research team also attended lesbian events and used a snowball distribution method. The results show the relative response rate of women reached through mailing lists, organizations, events, and networks, respectively. The results of both studies indicate that multiple sources of recruitment are ideal in order to reach a diverse sample of lesbian and bisexual women.
Late-Onset Anti-NMDA Receptor Auto-Immune Encephalitis in a Patient with a Double Lung Transplant—a Case Report

N-methyl-d-aspartate receptor (NMDA-R) antibody encephalitis is a well-documented immunoglobulin-mediated phenomenon against synaptic ligand-gated ion channel NMDA antigens. Due to strict immunosuppression regimen after solid organ transplant, the risk of NMDA-R encephalitis is rare in the transplant population. We describe a case of a 71-year-old male with a history of alpha-1-trypsin deficiency requiring bilateral lung transplant which was obtained from a 27-year-old female deceased from anoxic brain injury. A rapidly progressive primary parkinsonian condition was initially suspected due to cognitive decline, tremors, and recurrent falls over a one-and-a-half-month period. He had rapid recovery with high-dose steroids and IVIG. It is important to consider NMDA-R antibody encephalitis in transplant population patients presenting with rapidly progressive cognitive decline and gait instability. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first reported case of NMDA-R encephalitis in a patient with a double lung transplant.
Distributed Robotic: a Language Approach

In this paper we present a powerful and versatile architecture dedicated for robotic and mechatronic systems. The originalities of our study are, (i) that we consider a robot with a dynamic and explicit language approach and (ii) that the communication aspects are abstracted and take place as a natural part in the language. This approach allows easy transfers towards other fields of research like network of sensors, ambient intelligence and ubiquitous robotic. These works concern low-cost micro-system easy to embed in little mechatronic devices. For demonstration of the effectiveness of our architecture and developing tools, we have implemented it in the maam robot which is a reconfigurable robot composed of several modules autonomous for CPU, energy and motion. Some results can be found in the last part.
Research for Effective Social Work Practice

1. The Context of Social Work Research 2. The Politics and Ethics of Social Work Research 3. The Research Process: From Problems to Research Questions 4. Single Subject Research 5. Qualitative Research 6. Group Research Design 7. Sampling 8. Measurement 9. Implementation: From Data Collection to Data Entry 10. Describing Quantitative Data 11. Bivariate Statistics and Statistical Inference 12. Evaluation of Social Work Services 13. Writing and Presenting Research
Hemodynamic effects of exogenous nitric oxide in ovine transitional pulmonary circulation.

To determine the hemodynamic effects of exogenous nitric oxide (NO) on the immature pulmonary circulation, we studied the response to NO inhalation in 19 mechanically ventilated late-gestation ovin...
Development of Methodologies to Reduce the DCAD of Hay Forages for Transition Dairy Cows

Ration formulation for dairy cows just prior to parturition must control the dietary cation-anion difference (DCAD) if hypocalcemia and milk fever are to be avoided. One key to reducing hypocalcemia is to avoid incorporation of high-K forages into the ration. The excessive K content of these forages can cause metabolic alkalosis in the cow and subsequently hypocalcemia and milk fever. Alfalfa and other cool-season grasses are often used in dairy rations. Reducing K content of forages can be achieved by restricting K fertilization so that soils do not support luxury consumption. Since K is the major cation contributing to highDCAD diets, an obvious solution is to limit K fertilization of the forage crop to avoid luxury consumption of K. However, some forages may have reduced yield and increased winter kill if K concentrations are less than 2.0%, particularly alfalfa. Thus, producing alfalfa with less than 2% K may not be profitable, especially in northern regions. In addition to decreasing forage K, the producer can also increase the Cl content of the forages, and the resulting DCAD will be more favorable for the late-gestation cows.
An Academic Health Center Cost Analysis of Screening Mammography Creating a Financially Viable Service

BACKGROUND The current study sought to determine the institutional financial impact of a screening mammography (SM) program in the context of an integrated cancer center. METHODS Using administrative databases, 10,048 women were identified as receiving screening mammograms in fiscal year 1999 and the first one-half of fiscal year 2000. The utilization of breast care resources was followed for an average of 1208 days. The University of Michigan cost accounting system was then used to determine overall margin (revenues − total costs) and contribution margin (revenues − actual costs) of the SM program, as well as other breast care services. RESULTS The percentage of variable costs to total costs for the SM program was 24%. The overall facility losses in the breast care line were $1.7 million with a positive contribution margin of $2.0 million. The annual yield of nonscreening/diagnostic mammographic procedures was 0.9%. All types of radiologic activity failed to cover their total costs, but did provide a positive contribution margin. Overall margins for surgery procedures were approximately even, and adjuvant medical and radiotherapy services were net positive. Modeling helped to identify overhead limits necessary to achieve margin targets associated with increased activity. CONCLUSIONS The current study showed that SM programs are unlikely to succeed financially without careful selection of those screened to increase the yield of diagnostic and therapeutic procedures. Based on favorable contribution margins, SM programs were viable when viewed as incremental business. Cancer 2004. © 2004 by the American Cancer Society.
The CD8+ HLA-DR+ T cells expanded in HIV-1 infection are qualitatively identical to those from healthy controls.

HIV-induced immune activation leads to expansion of a subset of human CD8 + T cells expressing HLA-DR antigens. Expansion of CD8 + HLA-DR + T cells can be also observed in non-HIV settings including several autoimmune diseases and aging. Although these cells are felt to represent “immune exhaustion” and/or to be anergic, their precise role in host defense has remained unclear. Here, we report that this subset of cells exhibits a restricted repertoire, shows evidence of multiple rounds of division, but lacks markers of recent TCR engagement. Detailed cell cycle analysis revealed that compared with their CD8 + HLA-DR − counterpart, the CD8 + HLA-DR + T-cell pool contained an increased fraction of cells in S-phase with elevated levels of the G2/M regulators: cyclin A2, CDC25C, Cdc2 (CDK1), indicating that these cells are not truly anergic but rather experiencing proliferation in vivo. Together, these data support a hypothesis that antigen stimulation leads to the initial expansion of a CD8 + pool of cells in vivo that undergo further expansion independent of ongoing TCR engagement. No qualitative differences were noted between CD8 + HLA-DR + cells from HIV + and HIV − donors, indicating that the generation of CD8 + HLA-DR + T cells is a part of normal immune regulation that is exaggerated in the setting of HIV-1 infection.
A higher overall diet quality is inversely associated with the risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) in men and women

Commentary on : Varraso R, Chiuve SE, Fung TT, et al. Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 and risk of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease among US women and men: prospective study. BMJ 2015;350:h286. Cigarette smoking has been identified as the major risk factor for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD); nevertheless, many patients with COPD have never smoked, which suggests the involvement of other modifiable risk factors such as diet. While some studies have revealed an inverse relationship between a prudent dietary pattern and COPD risk and a direct association between a Western dietary pattern and COPD risk in both men1 and women,2 the role of overall dietary quality as reflected by the Alternate Healthy Eating Index 2010 (AHEI-2010, a measure of overall diet quality) and COPD risk remains unknown. This study examines the association between AHEI-2010 and COPD risk among US men and women. This was a …
The interaction of caldesmon with the COOH terminus of actin

Caldesmon interacts with the NH2-terminal region of actin. It is now shown in airfuge centrifugation experiments that modification of the penultimate cysteine residue of actin significantly weakens its binding to caldesmon both in the presence and absence of tropomyosin. Furthermore, as revealed by fluorescence measurements, caldesmon increases the exposure of the COOH-terminal region of actin to the solvent. This effect of caldesmon, like its inhibitory effect on actomyosin ATPase activity, is enhanced in the presence of tropomyosin. Proteolytic removal of the last three COOH-terminal residues of actin, containing the modified cysteine residue, restores the normal binding between caldesmon and actin. These results establish a correlation between the binding of caldesmon to actin and the conformation of the COOH-terminal region of actin and suggest an indirect rather than direct interaction between caldesmon and this part of actin.
Healing traumatizing provider interactions among women through short-term group therapy

A short-term, cognitive group therapy intervention method (Insight: A cognitive enhancement program for women) to reduce or resolve ongoing psychological disruption and/or trauma was tested among women who experienced traumatizing provider interactions (TPI) in their childbearing experience. The sample included nine married, Caucasian women, ages 26-45, college educated; one to five children (n=19). Birth Perception; Posttraumatic Childbirth Stress; and Traumatizing Provider Interaction scores among 19 births confirmed perinatal psychological trauma. Descriptive and statistical comparisons for UCLA Loneliness Scale III, Coopersmith Self-Esteem Scale, Spielberger's State-Trait Anxiety Index and Beck Depression Inventory II, revealed marked psychological improvement in postintervention measurements.
Continuous Cooling Sensitization of Type 316 Austenitic Stainless Steel

Abstract The continuous cooling sensitization (CCS) behavior of a high-carbon type 316 (UNS S31600) austenitic stainless steel has been quantified as a function of peak cycle temperature, cooling r...
Polymorphisms of the region of the Epstein-Barr virus genome which disrupts latency.

Abstract The nucleotide sequence of the portion of naturally occurring defective EBV (HR-1) DNA (designated het DNA) which is responsible for disruption of EBV latency has been determined and compared with the regions of the standard HR-1 viral genome from which it was derived. This rearranged 2.7-kbp DNA fragment represented an apparently nonhomologous recombination between sequences found in the BamHI W and BamHI Z fragments of the standard HR-1 genome. Only one intact open reading frame, comparable to standard HR-1 BZLF1, was present within this 2.7 kbp. No new open reading frames were created by the recombination. The BZLF1 sequence and predicted polypeptide products of standard HR-1 and hat DNA were compared to B95-8 EBV. If an unspliced version of BZLF1 is used, the carboxy end of the BZLF1 polypeptides would differ considerably, principally due to an identical 28-bp insertion in both standard HR-1 and hat BZLF1 relative to B95-8. However, if both virus strains use the same mRNA splicing strategy, the BZLF1 products from HR-1 and B95-8 would be similar, though distinguished by seventeen 1-bp differences which would result in nine amino acid changes. Both unspliced and spliced versions of het BZLF1 had five amino acid changes by comparison to standard HR-1 BZLF1. Differences in predicted secondary structure were found, consistent with dissimilar electrophoretic mobility of the polypeptide products. The amino acid differences between the BZLF1 polypeptide products of HR-1, hat DNA, and B95-8 virus are all compatible with the creation of a protein which would function similarly to disrupt EBV latency. The differences in these polypeptides may account for some of the variation in the level of biologic activity of the BZLF1 products of different EBV strains. However, the major difference in activity between standard HR-1 and HR-1 hat virus to disrupt EBV latency appears to be due to up-regulation of expression of het BZLF1 due to juxtaposition of BamHI W sequences upstream of het BZLF1.
OMEGA and the Federal Radionavigation Plan

In March 1978, the United States General Accounting Office (GAO) published a report titled “Navigation Planning-Need for a New Direction.” One of the results of this report was an interagency agreement between DOD and DOT to strengthen Federal Radionavigation Planning. The outcome was the publication of the first edition of the Federal Radionavigation Plan (FRP) in 1980. Two key events were the 1983 DOD/DOT Preliminary Recommendation on the Future Radionavigation System Mix and the 1987 Decision at the National Level. This paper contains a discussion of the impact of the FRP on OMEGA.
Unsuccessful search for time effects in the specific heat of spin-glass Cu-0.88 at. %Mn.

The specific heat of a Cu-0.88 at.% Mn alloy measured after rapid heating (\ensuremath{\sim} 10 s) from 2 K to points in the 7- to 10-K range does not differ significantly (\ensuremath{\sim} 0.1%) from that measured in the usual way. Neither does that measured after holding many hours at 8 K. The results appear to support a model in which the freezing phenomena are the result of a phase transition rather than nonequilibrium effects. However, differences predicted theoretically by Morgenstern might not have been observed owing to equilibrium time considerations.
Experiencing Educational Leadership Preparation Program Redesign in Alabama: One University’s Perspective

Calls for changing educational leadership preparation have led many state policy makers to initiate program redesign efforts; the governor of Alabama constituted a working group to examine the situ...
Determining molecular binding sites on human serum albumin by displacement of oleic acid

An NMR method was developed for determining binding sites of small molecules on human serum albumin (HSA) by competitive displacement of (13)C-labeled oleic acid. This method is based on the observation that in the crystal structure of HSA complexed with oleic acid, two principal drug-binding sites, Sudlow's sites I (warfarin) and II (ibuprofen), are also occupied by fatty acids. In two-dimensional [(1)H,(13)C]heteronuclear single quantum coherence NMR spectra, seven distinct resonances were observed for the (13)C-methyl-labeled oleic acid as a result of its binding to HSA. Resonances corresponding to the major drug-binding sites were identified through competitive displacement of molecules that bind specifically to each site. Thus, binding of molecules to these sites can be followed by their displacement of oleic acids. Furthermore, the amount of bound ligand at each site can be determined from changes in resonance intensities. For molecules containing fluorine, binding results were further validated by direct observations of the bound ligands using (19)F NMR. Identifying the binding sites for drug molecules on HSA can aid in determining the structure-activity relationship of albumin binding and assist in the design of molecules with altered albumin binding.
Laser Shock Processing: Applications and Future Trends in U.S. Air Force Service

To date, the United States Air Force is the largest end-user of laser shock processing services. Laser shock processing (LSP) is in successful day-to-day service and production for several USAF engine lines for increased foreign object damage tolerance. In this application LSP has yielded substantial increases in foreign object damage tolerance along with associated increases in safety. The history and current application of laser shock processing for US Air Force applications will be reviewed. Current and future USAF applications of laser shock processing and other surface treatments will be reviewed.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Evaluation of Well-Type Ge(Li) Detectors for Low-Level Radiochemical Analysis

Well-type Ge(Li) detectors have been evaluated for low-level gamma-ray spectrometry and radiochemical analyses. The detectors were found to have good resolution, high peak-to-Compton ratios and low backgrounds. The use of an anticoincidence shield further improves the detector performance. The detector efficiencies and backgrounds are compared with those obtained with other Ge(Li) detector systems. The well detectors were found to have better detection efficiencies and as low backgrounds as either large coaxial detectors or opposed detector systems. Sum-coincidence effects are more pronounced in the well detector and use of this feature is discussed. Applications which utilize the low-energy response of the detector are described. Minimum detectable activity levels were determined for several nuclides.