cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Molecular mechanisms of functional natural killer deficiency in patients with partial DiGeorge syndrome.

Background DiGeorge syndrome affects more than 3.5 million persons worldwide. Partial DiGeorge syndrome (pDGS), which is characterized by a number of gene deletions in chromosome 22, including the chicken tumor virus number 10 regulator of kinase (Crk)–like (CrkL) gene, is one of the most common genetic disorders in human subjects. To date, the role of natural killer (NK) cells in patients with pDGS remains unclear. Objective We sought to define the effect of pDGS-related Crk haploinsufficiency on NK cell activation and cytotoxic immunological synapse (IS) structure and function. Methods Inducible CrkL-silenced NK cells were used to recapitulate the pDGS, CrkL-haploinsufficient phenotype. Findings were validated by using NK cells from patients with actual pDGS. Ultimately, deficits in the function of NK cells from patients with pDGS were restored by lentiviral transduction of CrkL. Results Silencing of CrkL expression inhibits NK cell function. Specifically, pDGS haploinsufficiency of CrkL inhibits accumulation of activating receptors, polarization of cytolytic machinery and key signaling molecules, and activation of β 2 -integrin at the IS. Reintroduction of CrkL protein restores NK cell cytotoxicity. Conclusion CrkL haploinsufficiency causes functional NK deficits in patients with pDGS by disrupting both β 2 -integrin activation and activating receptor accumulation at the IS. Our results suggest that NK cell IS quality can directly affect immune status, providing a potential target for diagnosis and therapeutic manipulation in patients with pDGS and in other patients with functional NK cell deficiencies.
SHOPPING AT THE CO-OP

Abstract A 10-year multi-method, multi-stage investigation of food co-ops documented members motives and characteristics, co-op ideology, and the physical and social organization of the stores. Although the co-ops were not able to design their own stores, synomorphy between co-op ideology and the physical aspects of the stores was achieved through gradual renovation of interior and exterior spaces. @ 1998 Academic Press
Effect of finite cavity width on flow oscillation in a low-Mach-number cavity flow

The current study is focused on examining the effect of the cavity width and side walls on the self-sustained oscillation in a low Mach number cavity flow with a turbulent boundary layer at separation. An axisymmetric cavity geometry is employed in order to provide a reference condition that is free from any side-wall influence, which is not possible to obtain with a rectangular cavity. The cavity could then be partially filled to form finite-width geometry. The unsteady surface pressure is measured using microphone arrays that are deployed on the cavity floor along the streamwise direction and on the downstream wall along the azimuthal direction. In addition, velocity measurements using two-component Laser Doppler Anemometer are performed simultaneously with the array measurements in different azimuthal planes. The compiled data sets are used to investigate the evolution of the coherent structures generating the pressure oscillation in the cavity using linear stochastic estimation of the velocity field based on the wall-pressure signature on the cavity end wall. The results lead to the discovery of pronounced harmonic pressure oscillations near the cavity’s side walls. These oscillations, which are absent in the axisymmetric cavity, are linked to the establishment of a secondary mean streamwise circulating flow pattern near the side walls and the interaction of this secondary flow with the shear layer above the cavity.
Fighting Napoleon: Guerillas, Bandits and Adventurers in Spain, 1808–1814 – Charles J. Esdaile

Few authors are as qualified as this one to undertake this study of the guerillas in Spain during the Napoleonic Wars. He has written a number of books on the subject, including Peninsular War[2003...
INCOME‐CONSTRAINED PURCHASES OF INSURANCE AND ASSETS

Insurance and asset holdings are modeled as the jointly determined outcomes of a constrained optimization problem. Consequently, (1) full coverage may be optimal despite limited premium loading, (2) insurance is normal if insurable assets are normal, (3) insurance cannot be a Giffen good, and (4) insurance is a complement to price‐elastic assets.
Fractionation of abyssal tholeiites: Samples from the oceanographer Fracture Zone (35°N, 35°W)

Chemical analyses of 48 fresh abyssal tholeiite specimens sampled from two dredge localities clearly define systematic chemical differences which indicate a moderate iron-enrichment trend of fractionation oblique to the FeO*2O, P2O5 and TiO2. These results suggest that fractionation may be important in controlling the chemistry of abyssal tholeiites along sections of the mid-oceanic ridge.
Design and Synthesis of New Aminoglycoside Antibiotics Containing Neamine as an Optimal Core Structure: Correlation of Antibiotic Activity with in Vitro Inhibition of Translation

The structure and activity of the pseudodisaccharide core found in aminoglycoside antibiotics was probed with a series of synthetic analogues in which the position of amino groups was varied around the glucopyranose ring. The naturally occurring structure neamine was the best in the series according to assays for in vitro RNA binding and antibiotic activity. With this result in hand, neamine was used as a common core structure for the synthesis of new antibiotics, which were evaluated for binding to models of the Escherichia coli 16S A-site ribosomal RNA, in vitro protein synthesis inhibition, and antibiotic activity. Analysis of RNA binding revealed some correlation between the relative affinity and specificity of RNA binding and antibacterial efficacy. However, the correlation was not linear. This result led us to develop the in vitro translation assay in an effort to better understand aminoglycoside−RNA interactions. A linear correlation between in vitro translation inhibition and antibiotic activity w...
The philosopher in the workplace

This paper offers a series of reflections on the movement of philosophy beyond its traditional locus in colleges and universities into business settings. This movement is characterized as a variation on a persistent theme in the western tradition beginning with Socrates and running throughout modern (Spinoza, Hume, Locke and Berkeley) and recent philosophers (Kierkegaard, Marx, Nietzsche, Sartre and Russell) who held no full time academic appointment. Increasingly philosophers are addressing the concerns of scientists, lawyers, and engineers on the job rather than in the classroom. To what end? As one of the liberal arts, philosophy expands our horizons by locating immediate concerns within a broader historical cultural context and provides conceptual tools and techniques for analyzing problems. Teaching ethics in a board room rather than graduate seminar can still serve to raise students' consciousness, clarify conflicting values, sharpen moral reasoning and help identify moral truths. Yet as the philosophers' role shifts from teacher and researcher as traditionally defined to agent provocateur, revolutionary, moral conscience or confidante, novel problems arise for philosophers that are long familiar to social and applied scientists. The traditional prerogatives of academic freedom are modified through new institutional arrangements that demand loyalty and confidentiality rather than neutrality and the dissemination of knowledge.
Studies on the Renal Excretion of Radioactive Digitoxin in Human Subjects with Cardiac Failure

Randomly labeled C14-digitoxin was used in a quantitative study of the renal excretion of unchanged digitoxin and its metabolites in three human subjects with cardiac insufficiency. The elimination of approximately 60 to 80 per cent of an administered dose through the kidney suggests that the major route of elimination of digitoxin in cardiac patients is through the urinary route. There is a marked initial excretion of digitoxin during the first two days after administration of the radioactive drug followed by a gradual leveling off of the excretion gradient thereafter. Minute amounts of unchanged digitoxin have been detected in the urine up to the fortieth day after administration of a single dose of the glycoside, while C14-labeled compounds were detected up to the seventy-fourth day.
Short-term prospective study of recovery in bulimia nervosa

Thirty women who sought treatment at an eating disorders clinic in a general hospital and were diagnosed as having a current episode of bulimia nervosa were followed prospectively to assess the course of eating behaviors and other psychopathology. At intake, all 30 met DSM-III criteria for bulimia nervosa, and 57% met Research Diagnostic Criteria for an affective disorder. After 6 months of followup, 33% had recovered from the bulimic episode, and 24% had recovered from the affective disorder. One subject had recovered from both disorders. In subjects with an affective disorder at intake, the affective disorder had little effect on the time to recovery from bulimia nervosa, and recovery from bulimia nervosa had little effect on the time to recovery from the affective disorder.
The collective origin of spiral structures in disk galaxies

After almost fifty years the origin of spiral arms in disk galaxies remains one of the major unsolved problems in astrophysics. Recent attempts have indicated that substructures in the dark matter halos of galaxies could induce spiral patterns in disks by generating localized disturbances that grow by swing amplification. However, there are indications that dark matter substructures orbiting in the inner regions of galaxy halos would be destroyed by dynamical processes such as disk shocking, and hence would not be able to seed the formation of spiral structure. Instead, we use numerical simulations of unprecedented resolution explore the possibility that spiral arms might be generated by the dynamical response of the disk to overdensities corotating within the disk. These perturbations can be identified with fluctuations in the distribution of gas in the interstellar medium of galaxies, such as giant molecular clouds. We develop a new theory for spiral structure formation based on the non-linear effects of swing amplification. Our model makes numerous testable predictions, making it possible to finally confront theory with observations.
Mixing of single and two phase systems: Power consumption of impellers

The mechanical power consumed in agitating aerated and nonaerated aqueous phases was measured and correlated using the data of previous investigators. The correlation is for a flat bladed turbine operating within the turbulent regime in fully baffled vessels. The accuracy of the predictions and the range of geometrical variations and equipment sizes support the use of the correlation for scaleup opreations.
Serum-dependence of LPS-induced neurotoxicity in rat cortical neurons.

: Previous studies have shown that the bacterial endotoxin, lipopolysaccharide (LPS), is neurotoxic both in vitro and in vivo. The rate of binding of LPS to a target cell is greatly enhanced by serum in general and by LPS binding protein (LBP) in particular. The purpose of the study described in this paper was to determine if microglia activation and LPS-induced neurotoxicity is serum or LBP dependent. A murine microglial cell line, BV2, was used to assess the serum dependence of nitric oxide production and tumor necrosis factor a release in microglia. Embryonic rat cortical neuron/glia mixed cultures were used to determine the serum dependence of LPS-induced neurotoxicity. Our results from both cell culture systems show that LPS-induced inflammatory responses are serum dependent at lower doses of LPS and progressively become serum independent above 10 ng/ml. Purified human recombinant LBP reconstitutes the lost LPS-induced inflammatory responses in primary and immortalized cell cultures treated with heat-denatured serum and appears to account for the serum dependence. These data suggest that the cell surface signaling receptor for LPS at the low and high concentrations are likely to differ, consistent with the existence of a variety of LPS receptors.
Characterization of an acousto-optic tunable filter imaging system

Acousto-optic tunable filters (AOTF's) feature all-electronic, agile, spectral tuning with a narrowband transmission function. They are rugged, solid-state devices with no moving parts. Under computer control, they can produce spectral/spatial image cube data that is ideal for hyper- and multi-spectral imaging applications. However, issues such as spectral leakage, non-uniform response over the image field, and out-of-band scatter need to examined and characterized in order to understand the performance of an AOTF imaging system. We present measurements of the spectral response of a visible AOTF imaging system and discuss the characterization and calibration steps taken to improve the system performance.
Tracking methods in a multitarget environment

The objective of this paper is to survey and put in perspective the existing methods of tracking in multitarget environment. In such an environment the origin of the measurements can be uncertain: they could have come from the target(s) of interest or clutter or false alarms or be due to the background. This compact and unified presentation of the state-of-art in multitarget tracking was motivated by the recent surge of interest in this problem. It is also hoped to be useful in view of the need to adapt and modify existing techniques before using them for specific problems. Particular attention is paid to the assumptions underlying each algorithm and its applicability to various situations.
Considerations in antithrombotic therapy among patients undergoing transcatheter aortic valve implantation.

Aortic stenosis (AS) accounts for the majority of valvular abnormalities requiring surgical intervention. Platelet dysfunction has been demonstrated among patients with severe aortic stenosis which may predispose patients to bleeding or ischemic events. Surgical aortic valve replacement (AVR) is the standard therapy for severe symptomatic AS; however, a number of patients have very high or prohibitive surgical risk. Transcatheter aortic valve implantation (TAVI) has been shown to be superior to medical therapy among inoperable patients and non-inferior to AVR in patients with high surgical risk. In comparison to AVR, TAVI has been associated with a higher incidence of ischemic cerebrovascular events, conduction abnormalities necessitating permanent pacemaker placement, and vascular complications. Current practice guidelines recommend dual antiplatelet therapy (DAPT) following TAVI using a combination of low dose aspirin and clopidogrel for 3–6 months. This regimen may be adjusted in patients with clinical bleeding events or indications for concomitant systemic anticoagulation. Recent and ongoing trials aim to clarify the optimum antithrombotic regimen and duration of therapy following TAVI. Collectively, early studies have not revealed additional benefit of adding clopidogrel to aspirin therapy in regards to reducing ischemic events, but have shown a trend towards increase in major bleeding. TAVI has proven successful, and as its breadth of utility is expanded, further studies are needed to define optimum antithrombotic therapy following TAVI. This article will review the current data for antiplatelet and anticoagulant therapy following TAVI.
Optimally smooth norm-conserving pseudopotentials

Modern norm-conserving pseudopotentials are constructed to satisfy a set of criteria for the matching of pseudo- and all-electron eigenvalues and wave functions. In practice, it is also desirable that they be as smooth as possible, so that their reciprocal-space representation decays as quickly as possible. To this end, a simple modification of a standard pseudopotential generation scheme is developed. The new, smoother potentials are shown to decay significantly faster in reciprocal space, with no loss of transferability.
Complex macroscopic behavior in systems of phase oscillators with adaptive coupling

Abstract Using recent dimensionality reduction techniques in large systems of coupled phase oscillators exhibiting bistability, we analyze the complex macroscopic behavior arising when the coupling between oscillators is allowed to evolve slowly as a function of either macroscopic or local system properties. For example, we observe macroscopic excitability and intermittent synchrony in a system of time-delayed Kuramoto oscillators with Hebbian and anti-Hebbian learning. We demonstrate the robustness of our findings by considering systems with increasing complexity, including time-delayed oscillators with adaptive network structure and community interaction, as well as a system with bimodally distributed frequencies.
Supergeometry of three-dimensional black holes.

We show how the supersymmetric properties of three-dimensional black holes can be obtained algebraically. The black hole solutions are constructed as quotients of the supergroup OSp(1\ensuremath{\Vert}2;R) by a discrete subgroup of its isometry supergroup. The generators of the action of the isometry supergroup which commute with these identifications are found. These yield the supersymmetries for the black hole as found in recent studies as well as the usual geometric isometries. It is also shown that, in the limit of a vanishing cosmological constant, the black hole vacuum becomes a null orbifold, a solution previously discussed in the context of string theory. \textcopyright{} 1996 The American Physical Society.
Assessment of Neighborhood Context in a Nationally Representative Study

OBJECTIVES: This paper introduces new measures of neighborhood context that are included in the second wave of the National Social Life, Health, and Aging Project (NSHAP). We describe the use of field interviewer ratings of respondents' neighborhood conditions, as well as the adaptation of existing measures for the assessment of neighborhood social context among urban and nonurban older adults. METHOD: We construct scales of neighborhood problems, neighborhood social cohesion, neighborhood social ties, and perceived neighborhood danger, and assess their reliability and validity. We then calculate descriptive statistics for measures of neighborhood context across respondent age, gender, and racial/ethnic background, and across low-, moderate-, and high-density residential blocks. RESULTS: We find that older women report greater neighborhood cohesion and more neighborhood ties than older men, but women also perceive more neighborhood danger. Black and Hispanic older adults reside in neighborhoods with more problems, lower cohesion, fewer social ties, and greater perceived danger. Neighborhood characteristics also vary across residential densities. Neighborhood problems and perceived danger increase with block-level density, but neighborhood social cohesion and social ties were lowest among residents of moderate-density blocks. DISCUSSION: The inclusion of neighborhood context measures in the second wave of NSHAP provides a unique opportunity to explore associations among neighborhood context, social connectedness, and indicators of health and function among older adults. We discuss limitations of the measures and provide recommendations for their use. Language: en
GWASTools: an R/Bioconductor package for quality control and analysis of genome-wide association studies

GWASTools is an R/Bioconductor package for quality control and analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). GWASTools brings the interactive capability and extensive statistical libraries of R to GWAS. Data are stored in NetCDF format to accommodate extremely large datasets that cannot fit within R's memory limits. The documentation includes instructions for converting data from multiple formats, including variants called from sequencing. GWASTools provides a convenient interface for linking genotypes and intensity data with sample and single nucleotide polymorphism annotation.
A Comparison of Three Navier-Stokes Solvers for Exhaust Nozzle Flowfields

A comparison of the NPARC, PAB, and WIND (previously known as NASTD) Navier-Stokes solvers is made for two flow cases with turbulent mixing as the dominant flow characteristic, a two-dimensional ejector nozzle and a Mach 1.5 elliptic jet. The objective of the work is to determine if comparable predictions of nozzle flows can be obtained from different Navier-Stokes codes employed in a multiple site research program. A single computational grid was constructed for each of the two flows and used for all of the Navier-Stokes solvers. In addition, similar k-e based turbulence models were employed in each code, and boundary conditions were specified as similarly as possible across the codes. Comparisons of mass flow rates, velocity profiles, and turbulence model quantities are made between the computations and experimental data. The computational cost of obtaining converged solutions with each of the codes is also documented. Results indicate that all of the codes provided similar predictions for the two nozzle flows. Agreement of the Navier-Stokes calculations with experimental data was good for the ejector nozzle. However, for the Mach 1.5 elliptic jet, the calculations were unable to accurately capture the development of the three dimensional elliptic mixing layer.
Stimulus-dependent flexibility in non-human auditory pitch processing

Songbirds and humans share many parallels in vocal learning and auditory sequence processing. However, the two groups differ notably in their abilities to recognize acoustic sequences shifted in absolute pitch (pitch height). Whereas humans maintain accurate recognition of words or melodies over large pitch height changes, songbirds are comparatively much poorer at recognizing pitch-shifted tone sequences. This apparent disparity may reflect fundamental differences in the neural mechanisms underlying the representation of sound in songbirds. Alternatively, because non-human studies have used sine-tone stimuli almost exclusively, tolerance to pitch height changes in the context of natural signals may be underestimated. Here, we show that European starlings, a species of songbird, can maintain accurate recognition of the songs of other starlings when the pitch of those songs is shifted by as much as ±40%. We observed accurate recognition even for songs pitch-shifted well outside the range of frequencies used during training, and even though much smaller pitch shifts in conspecific songs are easily detected. With similar training using human piano melodies, recognition of the pitch-shifted melodies is very limited. These results demonstrate that non-human pitch processing is more flexible than previously thought and that the flexibility in pitch processing strategy is stimulus dependent.
A network architecture for distributed multimedia systems

Presents a novel network architecture for distributed multimedia systems. The VuNet is a gigabit-per-second desk/local-area ATM network which interconnects general-purpose workstations, network-based multimedia devices and bridges to other networks. During the course of an application, media streams are exchanged between the workstations, and devices in a seamless manner. This architecture has several advantages over traditional workstation-centric systems including the ability to share multimedia devices and to reduce the burden of multimedia tasks on the work station. The authors describe the VuNet philosophy, the VuNet hardware, and presents the results of experiments in which high bit-rate video streams are transported across the system. >
Robust (strictly) positive interval rational functions

In a recent paper by N.K. Bose and J.F. Delansky (ibid., vol.36, no.3 p.454-8, 1989), S. Dasgupta's result (Proc. IEEE Conf. Decision and Control, p.2062-63, Los Angeles, CA, Dec. 1987) has been extended to study the robustness of positive complex (PC) rational and strictly positive complex (SPC) rational properties for a complex interval rational function. The results on robustness of the PC (SPC) property are considerably advanced. It is proven that the PC (SPC) property of the specific 32 extreme members of the set, which are a subset of the 64 extreme members, can guarantee the PC (SPC) property of the set. In addition, the proof presently conducted is simple due to the utilization of a set of well-formulated notations about robust complex interval strictly Hurwitz polynomials. The 32 versus the 64 extreme members in this case is, indeed, the counterpart of the 8 versus the 16 extreme polynomials in the analysis of boundary implications for complex interval strictly Hurwitz polynomials. >
Indinavir, efavirenz, and abacavir pharmacokinetics in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects

Adult AIDS Clinical Trials Group (AACTG) Protocol 886 examined the dispositions of indinavir, efavirenz, and abacavir in human immunodeficiency virus-infected subjects who received indinavir at 1,000 mg every 8 h (q8h) and efavirenz at 600 mg q24h or indinavir at 1,200 mg and efavirenz at 300 mg q12h with or without abacavir 300 at mg q12h. Thirty-six subjects participated. The median minimum concentration in plasma (C(min)) for indinavir administered at 1,200 mg q12h was 88.1 nM (interquartile range [IR], 61.7 to 116.5 nM), whereas the median C(min) for indinavir administered at 1,000 mg q8h was 139.3 nM (IR, 68.8 to 308.7 nM) (P = 0.19). Compared to the minimum C(min) range for wild-type virus (80 to 120 ng/ml) estimated by the AACTG Adult Pharmacology Committee, the C(min) for indinavir administered at 1,200 mg q12h (54 ng/ml) is inadequate. The apparent oral clearance (CL/F) (P = 0.28), apparent volume of distribution at steady state (V(ss)/F) (P = 0.25), and half-life (t(1/2)) (P = 0.80) of indinavir did not differ between regimens. The levels of efavirenz exposure were similar between regimens. For efavirenz administered at 600 mg q24h and 300 mg q12h, the median maximum concentrations in plasma (C(max)s) were 8,968 nM (IR, 5,784 to 11,768 nM) and 8,317 nM (6,587 to 10,239 nM), respectively (P = 0.66), and the C(min)s were 4,289 nM (IR, 2,462 to 5,904 nM) and 4,757 nM (IR, 3,088 to 6,644 nM), respectively (P = 0.29). Efavirenz pharmacokinetic parameters such as CL/F (P = 0.62), V(ss)/F (P = 0.33), and t(1/2) (P = 0.37) were similar regardless of the dosing regimen. The median C(max), C(min), CL/F, V(ss)/F, and t(1/2) for abacavir were 6,852 nM (IR, 5,702 to 7,532), 21.0 nM (IR, 21.0 to 87.5), 43.7 liters/h (IR, 37.9 to 55.2), 153.9 liters (IR, 79.6 to 164.4), and 2.0 h (IR, 1.8 to 2.8), respectively. In summary, when indinavir was given with efavirenz, the trough concentration of indinavir after administration of 1,200 mg q12h was inadequate. Abacavir did not influence the pharmacokinetics or exposure parameters of either indinavir or efavirenz. The levels of efavirenz exposure were similar in subjects receiving efavirenz q12h or q24h.
Identifying fractional viscoelastic models based on surface wave motion

In previous studies of the second author mechanical wave motion on a viscoelastic material representative of biological tissue was analyzed. Compression, shear and surface wave motion in and on a viscoelastic halfspace excited by surface and subsurface sources were considered. It was shown that a fractional order Voigt model, in which the damping component, dependent on the first derivative of time, is replaced with a fractional element dependent on a derivative of time of fractional order between 0 and 1, resulted in closer agreement with experiment as compared with the conventional (integer order) models of Voigt and Zener. In the present study different materials and a wider range of viscoelastic models are considered. An algorithm to evaluate the frequency-dependent shear moduli of viscoelastic materials measuring the propagation of Rayleigh waves on the surface of the media is presented and viscoelastic models (both of integer and fractional order) are compared to experimental results. It is shown that, in the frequency range of interest (100–600 Hz), the use of the fractional order assumption improves the match of theory to experiment.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A Review of: “African Americans and the Culture of Pain by Debra Walker King”

In African Americans and the Culture of Pain, Debra Walker King gives an insightful analysis on the relationship between race, racial marking, and pain. In the Introduction, she shares her immediat...
60 microWatts of Fiber-Coupled Peak Output Power from an Edge-Emitting Photonic Crystal Heterostructure Laser

An array of double-heterostructure photonic crystal QW membrane lasers was fabricated in which number of cladding periods was varied. 60 muW peak output power was collected from the facet of one device by a bare fiber.
From politics to prophecy: environmental quiescence and the ‘peak-oil’ movement

Adherents of the ‘peak-oil’ theory believe that resource depletion will cause an imminent social collapse that will lead to a simpler and more environmentally balanced world. Although American ‘peakists’ are extremely concerned with environmental issues, their awareness of the scale of ecological crises (such as climate change), gloomy evaluation of the state of American environmental politics, and vision of a post-apocalyptic future lead them to retreat from politics. Their beliefs, inaction, and impact on American environmental politics are explored.
Multiple facial angiofibromas: A cutaneous manifestation of Birt-Hogg-Dubé syndrome

Birt-Hogg-Dube syndrome (BHDS) is an uncommon autosomal dominant genodermatosis characterized by a triad of skin tumors—fibrofolliculomas, trichodiscomas, and acrochordons—together with an increased risk of renal tumors and spontaneous pneumothoraces. This report describes multiple facial angiofibromas as the predominant initial manifestation of BHDS. The patient had a total of 41 facial papules removed via shave excision, initially for diagnostic and then for therapeutic purposes; histologic evaluation revealed diagnostic features of angiofibroma in 39 lesions and fibrofolliculoma in only 2. BHDS should be considered, along with tuberous sclerosis and multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1, in the differential diagnosis of multiple facial angiofibromas, particularly when onset is in adulthood.
On the distribution of ozone in stratospheric anticyclones

[1] Twelve years (1991–2003) of satellite occultation ozone data are combined with a climatology of stratospheric anticyclones and polar vortices to quantify the climatological ozone differences between air mass types. Ozone data from the Stratospheric Aerosol and Gas Experiment (SAGE) II, the Halogen Occultation Experiment (HALOE), the Polar Ozone and Aerosol Measurement (POAM) II and III missions, and the Improved Limb Atmospheric Spectrometer (ILAS) sensor are used in this study. Daily ozone measurements in the 400–1600 K altitude range are categorized as being either (1) in an anticyclone, (2) in a polar vortex, or (3) in neither (hereinafter referred to as “ambient”). Monthly mean ozone is then calculated in each air mass category from data combined over all years. This study focuses on ozone differences between anticyclones and the ambient environment. A composite annual cycle of ozone in ambient regions is compared to ozone in anticyclones as a function of altitude and latitude. Ozone differences result from both anomalous transport and photochemistry in the vicinity of stratospheric anticyclones. The relative importance of transport versus chemistry is inferred from the long-term ozone anomalies observed here. In summer, ozone gradients between different air mass types are small. In other seasons, results indicate three distinct vertical regimes at high latitudes. Below ≈600 K, anticyclones coincide with regions where ozone is reduced by 10–50% during the winter. Between 600 and 900 K from fall to midwinter, anticyclones are associated with ≈10% more ozone than ambient air masses. Positive ozone anomalies are also observed in low-latitude anticyclones within this vertical layer; however, they are half the size of their high-latitude counterparts and peak several months later. Above 900 K the abundance of ozone in anticyclones is ≈10% less than in the surrounding air. This upper stratospheric regime results from the formation of “low-ozone pockets” (LOPs) in stratospheric anticyclones. All LOPs that formed between November 1991 and November 2003 and were observed by a satellite used in this study (108 pockets) are documented here in the most comprehensive catalog of LOPs to date.
Bringing efficient advanced queries to distributed hash tables

Interest in distributed storage is fueled by demand for reliability and resilience combined with ubiquitous availability. Peer-to-peer (P2P) storage networks are known for their decentralized control, self-organization, and adaptation. Advanced searching for documents and resources remains an open problem. The flooding approach favored by some P2P networks is inefficient in resource usage, but more scalable and resource-efficient solutions based on distributed hash tables (DHT) lack in query expressiveness and flexibility. In this paper, we address this issue and introduce new efficient, scalable, and completely distributed methods that strive to keep resource consumption by queries and index information as low as possible. We describe how to improve the handling of multiple subqueries combined through Boolean set operators. The need for these operators is intensified by applications to go beyond simple exact keyword matches. We discuss, optimize, and analyze appropriate extensions to support range and prefix matching in DHT.
Explorations on system identification via higher-level application of Adaptive-Critic Approximate Dynamic Programming

In previous work it was shown that Adaptive- Critic-type Approximate Dynamic Programming could be applied in a “higher-level” way to create autonomous agents capable of using experience to discern context and select optimal, context-dependent control policies. Early experiments with this approach were based on full a priori knowledge of the system being monitored. The experiments reported in this paper, using small neural networks representing families of mappings, were designed to explore what happens when knowledge of the system is less precise. Results of these experiments show that agents trained with this approach perform well when subject to even large amounts of noise or when employing (slightly) imperfect models. The results also suggest that aspects of this method of context discernment are consistent with our intuition about human learning. The insights gained from these explorations can be used to guide further efforts for developing this approach into a general methodology for solving arbitrary identification and control problems.
Chimeric protein A/G conjugate for detection of anti–Toxoplasma gondii immunoglobulin G in multiple animal species:

Serological testing for toxoplasmosis diagnosis remains the method of choice in human medicine due to the accessibility of the requisite sample, the difficulty in predicting the parasite's location in the host for direct detection, and the availability of established commercial methods. In veterinary medicine, although the first 2 conditions are unchanged, there is a need for commercially produced test methods that are validated for Toxoplasma gondii detection across the range of animal species that can serve as intermediate hosts. The development of such a serological method for animals would allow the diagnosis of toxoplasmosis in individual animals and a higher throughput method for population-level toxoplasmosis surveys. The incorporation of a non-species-specific chimeric protein A/G conjugate into an anti-Toxoplasma immunoglobulin G enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay is described. Serum from potential intermediate hosts was reevaluated using this method and compared with earlier testing using an established agglutination procedure. Very good agreement between the 2 tests was noted (κ = 0.81), establishing the method as a useful option for veterinary diagnostic testing.
The oxidation behavior of ODS iron aluminides

Oxide-dispersed Fe-28at.%Al-2%Cr alloys were produced by a powder metallurgy technique followed by hot extrusion. A variety of stable oxides were added to the base alloy to assess the effect of these dopants on the oxidation behavior at 1200{degrees}C in air and O{sub 2}. An Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} dispersion flattened the {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} scale, but produced none of the other reactive element effects and had an adverse influence on the long-term oxidation behavior. A Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} dispersion improved the alumina scale adhesion relative to a Zr alloy addition at 1200{degrees} and 1300{degrees}C. However, the Y{sub 2}O{sub 3} dispersion was not as effective in improving scale adhesion in Fe{sub 3}Al as it is in FeCrAl. This inferior performance is attributed to a larger amount of interfacial void formation on ODS Fe{sub 3}Al.
On the feasibility of dynamic congestion-based pricing in differentiated services networks

Differentiated services can ensure that traffic on some codepoints receives higher quality of service (QoS) than traffic on other codepoints, but without additional mechanisms it cannot target any particular QoS. Congestion-based pricing has been suggested as a method to target QoS in other network architectures. Here, we investigate whether congestion-based pricing can be used to control aggregate traffic into each codepoint by motivating users to choose the codepoints appropriate for each application. We first ask what information needs to be exchanged; we assert that both price and QoS information must be available for users to make decisions. We then ask how effective congestion-based pricing in diffServ can be; we find that it is feasible only for networks with sufficiently high bandwidth to guarantee that QoS can be quickly measured.
Determining the Learning Needs of the Older Adult In A Rural Community: Perceptions of the Service Provider:

Perception of learning needs of older adults is examined on a community-wide basis. Two hundred seventy-five service providers in a rural location with a high concentration of older people (age 60+) were queried about types of needs, obstacles to learning, and program development. While it was found that instrumental needs are generally recognized among service providers, perception of those needs and associated aspects of learning are based on occupational orientation. Age of the service provider and number of contact hours were not related to perceived needs and problems of learning. The findings are discussed in terms of an expanding context of community involvement in providing educational services to the elderly.
Micro air vehicle navigation system

A description of the design, operation, and test results of a Micro-Electro-Mechanical (MEMS)-based navigation system for the Micro Air Vehicle (MAV) is presented. The MAV is a small Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) built by Honeywell. It is one of the first applications to use Honeywell's new HG1930 MEMS inertial measurement unit (IMU). The raw IMU measurements are transmitted via a serial interface to a processor board where the inertial solution is blended in a Kalman filter with measurements from GPS, a barometric altimeter, and a magnetometer. The navigation is performed by Honeywell's ECTOS lie navigation software. The modular ECTOS architecture allows easy customization for use with various IMUs and aiding sources, creating a flexible navigation solution which can be customized to the user's requirements. The MAV has been extensively flight tested both on- and off-tether. Results are presented showing the performance of the MAV navigation system.
MONITORING OF CULICOIDES SPP. AT A SITE ENZOOTIC FOR HEMORRHAGIC DISEASE IN WHITE-TAILED DEER IN GEORGIA, USA

Biting midges of the genus Culicoides (Diptera: Ceratopogonidae) were monitored at a Georgia (USA) site where epizootic hemorrhagic disease (EHD) and bluetongue (BT) viruses are enzootic among white-tailed deer (Odocoileus virginianus). Collections were made using a captive white-tailed deer and light traps from June 1993 through November 1994. We collected 210,482 females from the captive deer during morning and evening periods. Predominant species were C. lahillei (73%), C. stellifer (16%), C. biguttatus (6%), C. niger (3%), C. spinosus (2%), and C. paraensis (0.2%). Other species were C. venustus, C. obsoletus/sanguisuga, C. haematopotus, C. guttipennis, and C. arboricola, which together represented <0.1% of the specimens collected. No C. variipennis, a known vector of EHD and BT viruses, were collected from the deer. An estimated 953,299 females were collected in 695 light-trap nights. The most common species in light-trap collections were C. spinosus (45%), C. biguttatus (27%) and C. stellifer (24%)....
Peripheral neuropathy in an outpatient cohort of patients with Sjögren's syndrome

Peripheral neuropathy is common in patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS), but its precise prevalence is unknown. Most prior studies were conducted at neurology or rheumatology specialty clinics and likely selected for a more severely affected population. We evaluated 22 SS patients and 10 controls for evidence of neuropathy in an outpatient setting at a regional meeting of the Sjogren's Syndrome Foundation. We performed neurological examinations and nerve conduction studies (NCSs) and measured serum antinuclear antibody (ANA) and SS-A and SS-B antibody levels. Participants filled out a questionnaire pertaining to symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment. We found that signs and symptoms related to small axons were more common in patients with SS than in controls. Complaints of painful distal paresthesias in the feet were noted in 59% of patients but in only 10% of controls, and of abnormal sweating in 41% and 0%, respectively. Examination revealed decreased pinprick sensation in 64% of patients with SS, but in only 30% of controls. Overall, 45% of the patients but none of the controls were thought to have an isolated small-fiber neuropathy. Large-fiber dysfunction (as measured by testing vibration, deep tendon reflexes, and NCSs) was similar between the two groups. We conclude that small-fiber neuropathy is common in patients with SS.
GEOMETRIC PROJECTIONS OF THE SPHERE AND THE SPHEROID

RESUME Le developpement du calcul par moyens electroniques tres rapides a cree un nouveau role pour la cartographie; celui du traitement de l'information. L'importance des cartes, considerees individuellement, a diminue; on peut maintenant porter l'attention sur l'analyse des relations entre plusieurs donnees cartographiques. Pour executer ce travail, les projections geometriques sont tres superieures aux projections analytiques, puisqu'il devient necessaire que les methodes de projection puissent etre adaptees a la rapidite des operations arithmetiques du calculateur electronique. Dans le passe, les projections geometriques ont ete utiliees presqu'uniquement comme moyens de transport de points. Ainsi, un certain point a la surface d'une sphere ou d'un spheroide pouvait etre projete dans l'espace. Chaque projection etait etudiee separement et il etait difficile, sinon impossible, de considerer les rapports entre projections d'un meme groupe. Dans cet article, l'auteur presente une theorie generale des projections geometriques par laquelle toute equation cartographique peut etre derivee d'un meme principe fondamental: celui de la preservation d'une incidence continue des rapports entre les donnees cartographiques aussi bien que d'une methode de representation appropriee. Cette technique peut etre appliquee a des surfaces de projection obliques, coniques ou cylindriques, de meme qu'a un spheroide, de preference a une sphere, pour la representation du globe terrestre. Pour le traitement de l'information cartographique, l'auteur suggere l'adoption d'un type particulier de projections geometriques, celui des projections a symetrie centrale qui, selon lui, sont les plus utiles. De ce groupe, les projections gnomoniques lui semblent les plus commodes. Neanmoins, la theorie generale qu'il presente dans cet article ne se limite pas a ces dernieres et peut s'appliquer parallelement a plus d'une categorie de projections a symetrie centrale.
An overview of reconstructability analysis

This paper is an overview of reconstructability analysis (RA), an approach to discrete multivariate modeling developed in the systems community. RA includes set‐theoretic modeling of relations and information‐theoretic modeling of frequency and probability distribution. It thus encompasses both statistical and nonstatistical problems. It overlaps with logic design and machine learning in engineering and with log‐linear modeling in the social sciences. Its generality gives it considerable potential for knowledge representation and data mining.
Childcare And Entrepreneurship: A Business Case Study

The Riverhouse Children’s Center is an actual day care business. The case is an example of a small niche-business common to locales across the United States. Riverhouse is atypical of private day care centers in that it is organized as a not-for-profit institution. The case reviews the benefits and pitfalls of obtaining not-for-profit tax status for a business. The case also presents the different pricing mechanisms embedded in the fee structure of the center. Case discussion questions lead students to suggest a restructuring of the revenue side of the business. Additionally, the case reveals that there may be non-monetary motivations for entrepreneurs and highlights the challenge of working within a tight budget.
Choosing and Using a Common Book in an Undergraduate Research Experience

This paper describes efforts in using a common book in an undergraduate research experience, including choosing a book, crafting activities (both inside and outside the classroom) around book readings, and evidence of the effectiveness of the methods in selection and use. The experiences highlight the value to educators seeking to include a common book as part of a research course or experience—but also value for anyone seeking to use a common book as an integral part of teaching efforts.
Evidence that exposure to progesterone alone is a sufficient stimulus to cause a precipitous rise in the immunomodulatory protein the progesterone induced blocking factor (PIBF)

To determine if exposure to progesterone alone is sufficient to increase the production of the immunomodulatory protein known as the progesterone induced blocking factor (PIBF). Also to determine what method of progesterone delivery or form of P best stimulates PIBF secretion. Serum samples from patients with infertility and paid volunteers were evaluated for both PIBF and progesterone at various times during the follicular phase and the luteal phase in both natural cycles and cycles involving embryo transfer after endogenous and exogenous progesterone exposure and after various synthetic progestins. PIBF was measured by a non-commercial research ELISA assay. Comparisons were made of serum PIBF before and after exposure to progesterone, 17-hydroxyprogesterone, and oral contraceptives. PIBF was also measured before and after transfer of embryos. Progesterone alone without exposure to the fetal allogeneic stimulus was able to produce a marked increase in serum PIBF. Neither a synthetic progestin (19-nortestosterone derivative) nor 17-hydroxyprogesterone caused an increase in PIBF. Some PIBF is generally detected even in the follicular phase. A previous concept considered that an allogeneic stimulus, e.g., from the fetal semi-allograft, was necessary to induce de novo progesterone receptors in gamma delta T cells, which, in turn, when exposed to a high concentration of progesterone, would secrete high levels of PIBF. These data show that exposure to an allogeneic stimulus is not needed to cause a marked rise in PIBF, merely progesterone alone is sufficient.