cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Diffusion in solid-Earth systems

Recent years have seen a rapid expansion in the acquisition and use of information on diffusive transport in phases relevant to the solid Earth (crystals, melts and fluids). Although far from complete, the data base on diffusion coefficients is now sufficiently large that broad constraints can be placed upon the length- and time scales of many natural transport phenomena in which diffusion plays a role. Conversely, observations of diffusion progress in specific natural samples can be used to extract time–temperature information for a variety of geologic and geochemical processes, ranging from sediment burial and crustal erosion to fluidmediated reactions and biosignature retention. Despite this undeniable progress, several major challenges remain that largely define the frontiers of research in solid-Earth diffusion. Perhaps foremost among these is the need to address and understand the multi-scale, multi-path aspects of diffusion in many systems—a complication that is not limited to polyphase materials (individual mineral grains can exhibit clear indications of multi-path behavior even when visible evidence of such paths is lacking). Many other diffusion frontiers are linked in one way or another to this multi-scale issue; they include: diffusion of molecular H2O and the effect of H species on diffusion in minerals and rocks; diffusive fractionation of multiple isotopes of a single element; diffusion at the extreme conditions of the deep Earth; reconciliation of observations from natural samples and laboratory studies; and development of theoretical approaches to ‘predict’
Multi-break rearrangements and chromosomal evolution

Most genome rearrangements (e.g., reversals and translocations) can be represented as 2-breaks that break a genome at 2 points and glue the resulting fragments in a new order. Multi-break rearrangements break a genome into multiple fragments and further glue them together in a new order. While multi-break rearrangements were studied in depth for k=2 breaks, the k-break distance problem for arbitrary k remains unsolved. We prove a duality theorem for multi-break distance problem and give a polynomial algorithm for computing this distance.
Humeral windows and longitudinal splits for component removal in revision shoulder arthroplasty

Background Removal of a humeral component during revision shoulder arthroplasty can be difficult. If the component cannot be extracted from above, an alternative approach may compromise bone integrity. Two potential solutions are a humeral window and a longitudinal split. This review was performed to determine complications and outcomes associated with these osteotomies during revision arthroplasty. Methods We reviewed records of 427 patients undergoing revision shoulder arthroplasty, identifying those requiring a window or longitudinal split. Outcomes were intraoperative and postoperative complications, rate of healing, and security of implant fixation. Results Twenty-six patients underwent creation of a window. Six intraoperative fractures were documented: 5 in greater tuberosity and 1 in humeral shaft. At radiographic follow-up, 23 of 26 windows healed; 2 patients had limited follow-up, and 1 did not have follow-up at our institution. Nineteen patients underwent longitudinal osteotomy. One had intraoperative fracture in greater tuberosity. At radiographic follow-up, 17 of 19 longitudinal splits healed; 1 had limited radiographic follow-up, and 1 did not have follow-up at our institution. Three patients underwent formation of both window and longitudinal osteotomy. At radiographic follow-up, all shoulders healed, and there were no intraoperative or postoperative fractures or malunions. Conclusions In both groups, there were no cases of malunion or clinical loosening. These data suggest that windows and longitudinal splits facilitate controlled removal of well-fixed components with high rate of union and low rate of intraoperative or postoperative sequelae.
Tryptophan Pyrrolase Induction and the Influence of Adrenocorticoids1

The role of beef adrenocortical extract, hydrocortisone, and desoxycorticosterone acetate in the substrate-induced increase in hepatic tryptophan pyrrolase activity has been investigated in the adrenalectomized rat. Removal of the adrenals was shown to diminish the ability of the liver to form tryptophan pyrrolase following tryptophan injection. Under dosage and time conditions in which hydrocortisone and the adrenocortical extract did not act as inducers, it was demonstrated that they permitted the quantitative response to substrate administration to return to normal; desoxycorticosterone was found to be ineffective. The results have been interpreted as an example of the “permissive” action of the adrenocortical secretory product.
Glass Transition as the Rheological Inverse of Gelation

This is a comparative study in search for common patterns in the relaxation dynamics of amorphous materials in the approach of a liquid-to-solid transition from the liquid side. Observations with two representative materials provide guidance for the study. The first material, a concentrated colloidal suspension, represents the glass transition. The second material is a cross-linking polymer far above its glass transition; it represents gelation. The entire study is founded in Boltzmann’s constitutive equation of linear viscoelasticity; the stress is caused by a wide range of relaxation modes where, as argued here, fast modes dominate gelation and slow modes dominate the glass transition. For both classes of amorphous materials, the relaxation time spectrum broadens and adopts powerlaw format, but the powerlaw exponent is positive for the glass transition and negative for gelation, i.e. the relaxation patterns of gelling fluids and glass formers are inverse near the transition. Several examples are shown f...
Fluorodeoxyglucose–Positron-Emission Tomography Imaging of Head and Neck Squamous Cell Cancer

The hybrid technique of PET/CT has significantly impacted the imaging and management of HNSCC since its introduction in 2001 and has become the technique of choice for imaging of this cancer. Diagnostic FDG-PET/CT is useful for identification of an unknown primary tumor, delineation of extent of primary tumor, detection of regional lymph node involvement even in a normal-sized node, detection of distant metastases and occasional synchronous primary tumor, assessment of therapy response, and long-term surveillance for recurrence and metastases. The role of PET/CT is evolving in radiation therapy planning. Combined diagnostic PET/CT provides the best anatomic and metabolic in vivo information for the comprehensive management of HNSCC.
Engineering proteins that bind, move, make and break DNA

Recent protein engineering efforts have generated artificial transcription factors that bind new target DNA sequences and enzymes that modify DNA at new target sites. Zinc-finger-based transcription factors are favored targets for design; important technological advances in their construction and numerous biotechnological applications have been reported. Other notable advances include the generation of endonucleases and recombinases with altered specificities, made by innovative combinatorial and evolutionary protein engineering strategies. An unexpectedly high tolerance to mutation in the active sites of DNA polymerases is being exploited to engineer polymerases to incorporate artificial nucleotides or to display other, nonnatural activities.
Slip sliding away? The changing politics of European car distribution

This paper examines the development of EU regulations in the car distribution sector. In the span of approximately fifteen years, the sector has shifted from being regarded by its critics as being one of the most protected havens of European industry to one faced with open competition. The paper claims that the inability of the car industry to resist liberalization in this sector is related to several factors. First, there was declining support from member states for their national producers, in part explained by global shifts in ownership and production which rendered concepts of “national producer” problematic. Second, technological changes combined with the impact of globalization on in the industry undermined the case for a link between sales and service of cars. Third, DG competition, led by Mario Monti, wished to push through the ability of consumers to make cross-border purchases of cars. Fourth, a more general logic embedded in the Single European Market programme (SEM) had led to several decision...
Branch-and-Bound Methods: A Survey

The essential features of the branch-and-bound approach to constrained optimization are described, and several specific applications are reviewed. These include integer linear programming Land-Doig and Balas methods, nonlinear programming minimization of nonconvex objective functions, the traveling-salesman problem Eastman and Little, et al. methods, and the quadratic assignment problem Gilmore and Lawler methods. Computational considerations, including trade-offs between length of computation and storage requirements, are discussed and a comparison with dynamic programming is made. Various applications outside the domain of mathematical programming are also mentioned.
ORC, MCM, and Histone Hyperacetylation at the Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Latent Replication Origin

The viral genome of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) persists as an extrachromosomal plasmid in latently infected cells. The KSHV latency-associated nuclear antigen (LANA) stimulates plasmid maintenance and DNA replication by binding to an approximately 150-bp region within the viral terminal repeats (TR). We have used chromatin immunoprecipitation assays to demonstrate that LANA binds specifically to the replication origin sequence within the KSHV TR in latently infected cells. The latent replication origin within the TR was also bound by LANA-associated proteins CBP, double-bromodomain-containing protein 2 (BRD2), and the origin recognition complex 2 protein (ORC2) and was enriched in hyperacetylated histones H3 and H4 relative to other regions of the latent genome. Cell cycle analysis indicated that the minichromosome maintenance complex protein, MCM3, bound TR in late-G(1)/S-arrested cells, which coincided with the loss of histone H3 K4 methylation. Micrococcal nuclease studies revealed that TRs are embedded in a highly ordered nucleosome array that becomes disorganized in late G(1)/S phase. ORC binding to TR was LANA dependent when reconstituted in transfected plasmids. DNA affinity purification confirmed that LANA, CBP, BRD2, and ORC2 bound TR specifically and identified the histone acetyltransferase HBO1 (histone acetyltransferase binding to ORC1) as a potential TR binding protein. Disruption of ORC2, MCM5, and HBO1 expression by small interfering RNA reduced LANA-dependent DNA replication of TR-containing plasmids. These findings are the first demonstration that cellular replication and origin licensing factors are required for KSHV latent cycle replication. These results also suggest that the KSHV latent origin of replication is a unique chromatin environment containing histone H3 hyperacetylation within heterochromatic tandem repeats.
Regulation of human papillomavirus type 31 polyadenylation during the differentiation-dependent life cycle.

The L1 and L2 capsid genes of human papillomavirus type 31 (HPV-31) are expressed late in the differentiation-dependent life cycle from a promoter located in the E7 open reading frame (ORF) of the early region. These late HPV genes are transcribed by RNA polymerase II which reads through the region containing early polyadenylation signals and proceeds to a poly(A) site downstream of L1. In this study, we have investigated the mechanisms regulating differentiation-dependent polyadenylation and read-through in HPV-31. HPV-31 early transcripts were found to utilize a heterogeneous series of polyadenylation sites in undifferentiated cells. The sites for polyadenylation extended over a range of 100 nucleotides from within the E5 ORF to upstream of L2. Upon differentiation, the transcription of early genes increased, but no change in the heterogeneous distribution of 3′ ends was detected. The early polyadenylation region was found to contain a single consensus hexanucleotide sequence, AAUAAA, as well as three weak binding sites for the cleavage stimulatory factor, CstF. In contrast to the heterogeneity at the early site, the 3′ ends of late transcripts encoding L1 and L2 were localized to a narrow region downstream of the late AAUAAA element. The late polyadenylation signal was found to contain a single high-affinity site for CstF, as well as one consensus hexanucleotide sequence. By using a reporter assay, it was determined that the HPV-31 early polyadenylation sequences allowed significant levels of read-through into the late region in undifferentiated cells. Upon differentiation, this read-through was increased by approximately 50%, indicating that use of the early site decreased. Differentiation was also found to induce a 40% reduction in the levels of CstF subunits, which may contribute to the increased read-through of the early sequence. The insertion of the late high-affinity binding site for CstF into the early polyadenylation region significantly reduced the level of read-through, suggesting that these factors modulate read-through activity. Our studies demonstrate that HPV-31 late gene expression is regulated in a large part by posttranscriptional mechanisms, including the polyadenylation of early transcripts.
Entrapped fourth ventricle: another pitfall in the prenatal diagnosis of Dandy-Walker malformations.

In pregnancies complicated by congenital fetal anomalies, accurate prenatal diagnosis is essential for obstetric management, counseling of patients, understanding relative risks, and evaluating for potential fetal intervention. Advances in sonography have allowed earlier and more accurate diagnosis of various fetal anomalies. Studies comparing sonographically diagnosed fetal central nervous system anomalies with autopsies report accuracy of 65% to 89%. 1-3 However, inclusion of neural tube defects may result in even higher sensitivities, owing to improvements in neural tube defect detection on sonography noted in the last 10 years. 1 Dandy-Walker malformation (DWM) remains one of the more challenging central nervous system anomalies to diagnose accurately before birth. In a recent study comparing prenatal sonographic diagnosis with pathologic correlation, the single most common disparity between the sonographic and pathologic diagnoses was the DWM and variants, among which only 43% of the prenatal diagnoses were confirmed by autopsy. 1 This compares with an 87% correlation in those fetuses thought to have other central nervous system abnormalities. Reasons for the confusion in this diagnosis include both false-positive diagnoses due to interpretation of a normal vallecula as a vermian defect or, less commonly, false-negative diagnoses of partial vermian defects, which may be rather subtle and are often not accompanied by either hydrocephalus or a large posterior fossa cyst. An unusual case is reported here in which another cause of a false-positive fetal diagnosis of DWM is described. In this case, an obstructed fourth ventricle associated with an Arnold-Chiari malformation resulted in distension of the fourth ventricle and vallecula, which was misinterpreted as a vermian defect.
Identification of Ipaf, a Human Caspase-1-activating Protein Related to Apaf-1

Procaspase-9 contains an NH2-terminal caspase-associated recruitment domain (CARD), which is essential for direct association with Apaf-1 and activation. Procaspase-1 also contains an NH2-terminal CARD domain, suggesting that its mechanism of activation, like that of procaspase-9, involves association with an Apaf-1-related molecule. Here we describe the identification of a human Apaf-1-related protein, named Ipaf that contains an NH2-terminal CARD domain, a central nucleotide-binding domain, and a COOH-terminal regulatory leucine-rich repeat domain (LRR). Ipaf associates directly and specifically with the CARD domain of procaspase-1 through CARD-CARD interaction. A constitutively active Ipaf lacking its COOH-terminal LRR domain can induce autocatalytic processing and activation of procaspase-1 and caspase-1-dependent apoptosis in transfected cells. Our results suggest that Ipaf is a specific and direct activator of procaspase-1 and could be involved in activation of caspase-1 in response to pro-inflammatory and apoptotic stimuli.
Feed Characteristics Alter Growth Efficiency of Cutthroat Trout

Abstract Hatchery-cultured cutthroat trout Oncorhynchus clarkii fed some commercially available rainbow trout feeds display slow growth and increased mortality. Feed characteristics such as buoyancy and texture alter feed acceptance in some fish species, but their effects have not been adequately addressed in cutthroat trout. Therefore, the objective of this study was to examine whether feed structure and behavior preferences explain the decreased hatchery performance of juvenile cutthroat trout. To achieve this, we conducted two feeding trials in which we fed Westslope cutthroat trout O. clarkii lewisi and Snake River finespotted cutthroat trout O. clarkii behnkei a single diet formulation manufactured to display four different characteristics (floating, sinking, semimoist pellets, or a flake feed) and compared consumption, weight gain, and survival. In the first feeding trial, we stocked Westslope cutthroat trout (initial weight 11.3 g ± 0.5 g) at 20 fish/tank. We used two different sizes of tanks, with...
Yop fusions to tightly folded protein domains and their effects on Yersinia enterocolitica type III secretion

Yersinia enterocolitica organisms secrete Yop proteins via the type III pathway. Translational fusion of yop genes to ubiquitin or dihydrofolate reductase results in hybrid proteins that cannot be secreted. The folding of hybrids prevents their own transport, but it does not hinder the type III secretion of other Yops.
An Analysis of Charge Transfer Rate Constants for Semiconductor/Liquid Interfaces

Although a variety of heterogeneous rate constant data is now available at metal electrodes (1, 2), relatively little kinetic information has been obtained at semiconductor electrodes (3). Several recent experiments have indicated that the rates of charge transfer at semiconductor/liquid interfaces can vary from picoseconds to milliseconds (4-7); thus, a wide range of timescales are apparently important in the dynamics of semiconductor photoelectrochemistry. The experiments that yield long decay times have often been interpreted in the same general framework as those that yield short carrier lifetimes; yet, the various types of kinetic experiments actually differ substantially in their design and kinetic interpretation. This review presents a unified treatment of the kinetics of the various charge transfer experiments and presents estimates of the timescales that can be expected for these reactions.
Treatment and Outcome of Stiff-Man Syndrome

Neurologists at the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN extended their reports of patients with stiff-man syndrome (SMS), first reported there by Drs Moersch and Woltman in 1956.
Nanomaterial Toxicity, Hazards, and Safety

Manufactured nanoparticles of different chemical compositions are now widely commercially applied. They are found in places as diverse as food packaging and automotive bumpers, where their special nanoscale properties help to lower cost while improving performance. Given these widespread applications, the unintended effects of manufactured nanomaterials on workers, consumers, and the environment have become a focal point for international research. Initially, the human health effects of nanoscale materials were of most interest, but more recently identification of nanoscale particles in wastewater sludge has turned attention towards their environmental impacts. Though the topic of nanomaterial safety has received substantial attention in the literature, many basic questions about nanoparticle transport, fate, and toxicology remain unanswered. A central challenge for researchers has been the definitive characterization of particular manufactured nanomaterials, particularly in commercial products that have significant human or environmental exposure. Careful determination of the physical size, surface chemistry, internal structure, and intermediate stability of manufactured nanomaterials helps investigators compare results, as well as link unwanted biological outcomes to particular material features. This chapter provides an overview of the current exposure and toxicity studies of manufactured (e.g., engineered) nanomaterials. A special emphasis in this chapter is the practice used for nanomaterial characterization as it relates to their biological and environmental properties.
Distributed information-based clustering of heterogeneous sensor data

Heterogeneous sensing systems, consisting of sensors with different sensing capabilities, offer flexibility and provide multiple views of the sensed field by acquiring different types of measurements. The acquired sensor measurements are affected by different and unknown in number phenomena/sources of interest. To this end, a novel canonical correlation analysis (CCA) framework equipped with norm-one and norm-two regularization terms is designed to cluster the sensor data based on their information content. Block coordinate descent (BCD) is combined with the alternating direction method of multipliers (ADMM) framework to derive a centralized algorithm tackling the novel regularized CCA framework. Further, splitting of the regularized CCA into localized minimization subtasks across sensors enables distributed clustering of heterogeneous data based on their information content. Numerical tests demonstrate that the novel framework can achieve higher probability of correct clustering than existing alternatives. HighlightsHeterogeneous sensing systems provide multiple views of the sensed field.A regularized canonical correlation analysis method is proposed in sensor clustering.Norm-one and norm-two regularized clustering.Block coordinate descent is combined with ADMM to derive centralized algorithm.Distributed clustering of heterogeneous observations.
What does it take to be called a nurse

p?diatrie practice in Utah, medical assistants were referred to as nurses?a fact that triggered much debate on the discussion board of a nursing Web site, alhiurses.com. Even in the popular reality tele? vision series Sutvivor, a certified nursing assistant was consistendy referred to as a nurse. Why is it so common for almost anyone who pro? vides health related services?regardless of education or licensure-^to be called a nurse? Are dental assis?
Attitude changes of general hospital personnel following an alcoholism training program.

Attitudes, measured on a 7-point semantic differential, of 25 nursing personnel toward concepts about alcoholics and their treatment potential improved after a 3-day training program. Interest was directed at whether these changes in concepts would remain stable and influence the effectiveness of the participants in their subsequent work with alcoholics.
Closing the Civic Empowerment Gap

Levinson, Meira. (2012). No Citizen Left Behind. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. 400 pp., $29.95, hardback, ISBN-13 9780674065789. Reviewed by ADRIANNE PINKNEY (apinkne@emory.edu) Emory Un...
Determination of the Rate Constant for the NH2(X2B1) + NH2(X2B1) Recombination Reaction with Collision Partners He, Ne, Ar, and N2at Low Pressures and 296 K. Part 1

The recombination rate constant for the NH2(X2B1) + NH2(X2B1) → N2H4(X1A1) reaction in He, Ne, Ar, and N2 was measured over the pressure range 1–20 Torr at a temperature of 296 K. The NH2 radical w...
An educational simulation tool for integrated coastal tourism development in developing countries

In spite of the importance of coastal tourism for the economies of many developing countries, tourism infrastructure has often been developed without full consideration of long-term impacts on the environment. The simulation model presented in this paper aims to address critical gaps in awareness and capacity for integrated decision-making and planning in tourism infrastructure development in a developing country context. We build a simple closed-loop model of tourism infrastructure investment, which integrates typical economic, social and ecological dimensions of the problem. The model is calibrated so that within 20 years, investment projects in tourist capacity done without concomitant investment in solid waste and wastewater treatment result in a collapse of fish stocks and a sharp drop in tourist attendance. The model includes several policy options that allow users to intervene at various points in the loop, allowing stakeholders to explore how various combinations of policies perform in financial, ...
Relating fish health and reproductive metrics to contaminant bioaccumulation at the Tennessee Valley Authority Kingston coal ash spill site

A 4.1 million m(3) coal ash release into the Emory and Clinch rivers in December 2008 at the Tennessee Valley Authority's Kingston Fossil Plant in east Tennessee, USA, prompted a long-term, large-scale biological monitoring effort to determine if there are chronic effects of this spill on resident biota. Because of the magnitude of the ash spill and the potential for exposure to coal ash-associated contaminants [e.g., selenium (Se), arsenic (As), and mercury (Hg)] which are bioaccumulative and may present human and ecological risks, an integrative, bioindicator approach was used. Three species of fish were monitored-bluegill (Lepomis macrochirus), redear sunfish (L. microlophus), and largemouth bass (Micropterus salmoides)-at ash-affected and reference sites annually for 5 years following the spill. On the same individual fish, contaminant burdens were measured in various tissues, blood chemistry parameters as metrics of fish health, and various condition and reproduction indices. A multivariate statistical approach was then used to evaluate relationships between contaminant bioaccumulation and fish metrics to assess the chronic, sub-lethal effects of exposure to the complex mixture of coal ash-associated contaminants at and around the ash spill site. This study suggests that while fish tissue concentrations of some ash-associated contaminants are elevated at the spill site, there was no consistent evidence of compromised fish health linked with the spill. Further, although relationships between elevated fillet burdens of ash-associated contaminants and some fish metrics were found, these relationships were not indicative of exposure to coal ash or spill sites. The present study adds to the weight of evidence from prior studies suggesting that fish populations have not incurred significant biological effects from spilled ash at this site: findings that are relevant to the current national discussions on the safe disposal of coal ash waste.
Loss of N-Cadherin Expression in Tumor Transplants Produced From As+3- and Cd+2-Transformed Human Urothelial (UROtsa) Cell Lines

Background Epithelial to mesenchymal transition is a process in which a cell experiences a loss of epithelial cell characteristics and acquires a more mesenchymal cell phenotype. In cancer, epithelial to mesenchymal transition has been proposed to play an important role during specific stages of tumor progression. The role epithelial to mesenchymal transition and mesenchymal to epithelial transition might play in toxicant-induced urothelial cancer is unknown.
Bacteriophage T4 tRNA Leu

WHEN T4 bacteriophage infects Escherichia coli, the host tRNA complement is altered in two ways: (1) a tRNALeu is inactivated by endonucleolytic cleavage1–3 and sequencing has shown that this tRNA recognizes the codon CUG4,5; (2) seven or eight new tRNA species are introduced by the T4 genome6–8. One of these, a leucine tRNA, differs from all the host species of tRNALeu, having different chromatographic properties9,10, being labelled preferentially with radioactive 35SO4 following phage infection6,11 and specifically hybridizing to T4 DNA7,8,11,12.
Stellar helium burning in other universes: A solution to the triple alpha fine-tuning problem

Abstract Motivated by the possible existence of other universes, with different values for the fundamental constants, this paper considers stellar models in universes where 8Be is stable. Many previous authors have noted that stars in our universe would have difficulty producing carbon and other heavy elements in the absence of the well-known 12C resonance at 7.6 MeV. This resonance is necessary because 8Be is unstable in our universe, so that carbon must be produced via the triple alpha reaction to achieve the requisite abundance. Although a moderate change in the energy of the resonance (200–300 keV) will indeed affect carbon production, an even smaller change in the binding energy of beryllium (∼100 keV) would allow 8Be to be stable. A stable isotope with A = 8 would obviate the need for the triple alpha process in general, and the 12C resonance in particular, for carbon production. This paper explores the possibility that 8Be can be stable in other universes. Simple nuclear considerations indicate that bound states can be realized, with binding energy ∼ 0.1 − 1 MeV, if the fundamental constants vary by a ∼ few − 10 %. In such cases, 8Be can be synthesized through helium burning, and 12C can be produced later through nuclear burning of beryllium. This paper focuses on stellar models that burn helium into beryllium; once the universe in question has a supply of stable beryllium, carbon production can take place during subsequent evolution in the same star or in later stellar generations. Using both a semi-analytic stellar structure model as well as a state-of-the-art stellar evolution code, we find that viable stellar configurations that produce beryllium exist over a wide range of parameter space. Finally, we demonstrate that carbon can be produced during later evolutionary stages.
The use of 3D body scanning technology to assess the effectiveness of shapewear: changes in body shape and attractiveness

ABSTRACTThis study investigated the effectiveness of shapewear by examining changes in body shape (CBS) and waist-to-hip ratio (WHR) using 3D body scanning technologies and by exploring an understanding of individuals’ perceived body shape and body attractiveness. Using a mixed methods research design, a total of 24 female respondents participated in one of two sessions: quantitative session (n = 13) and follow-up qualitative session (n = 11). The results showed that measured CBS were inconsistent with the perceived CBS: a majority of the participants perceived CBS because wearing a shapewear helped them get closer to an hourglass shape and become straighter in the posture, which were not corresponding to the body measurements. Furthermore, significantly lower WHR was partially consistent to perceived attractiveness in general. However, a few participants perceived their bodies as more attractive although their WHR were not changed or even increased.
Information theoretic approach for template matching in registration of partially overlapped aerial imagery

Image registration is used in computer vision, medical imaging and remote sensing providing the ability to perform 3-D Reconstruction, Autonomous Navigation and Target Detection and Recognition Systems. Two of the more commonly used intensity based similarity measures in template matching for image registration are normalized cross correlation and mutual information. This works presents a novel information theoretic technique as a similarity measure for registration of partially overlapped aerial imagery. Furthermore, system level noise such as sensor noise, quantization noise, and impulse noise is modelled and injected into both the reference and unregistered images to evaluate the algorithmic performance in determining image orientation as a function of signal to noise ratio (SNR).
Interference and differentiation of the neighboring surface microcracks in distributed sensing with PPP-BOTDA

Detection of cracks while at their early stages of evolution is important in health monitoring of civil structures. Review of technical literature reveals that single or sparsely distributed multiple cracks can be detected by Brillouin-scattering-based optical fiber sensor systems. In a recent study, a pre-pump-pulse Brillouin optical time-domain analysis (PPP-BOTDA) system was employed for detection of a single microcrack. Specific characteristics of the Brillouin gain spectrum, such as Brillouin frequency shift, and Brillouin gain spectrum width, were utilized in order to detect the formation and growth of microcracks with crack opening displacements as small as 25 μm. In most situations, formations of neighboring microcracks are not detected due to inherent limitations of Brillouin-based systems. In the study reported here, the capability of PPP-BOTDA for detection of two neighboring microcracks was investigated in terms of the proximity of the microcracks with respect to each other, i.e., crack spacing distance, crack opening displacement, and the spatial resolution of the PPP-BOTDA. The extent of the study pertained both to theoretical as well as experimental investigations. The concept of shape index is introduced in order to establish an analytical method for gauging the influence of the neighboring microcracks in detection and microcrack differentiation capabilities of Brillouin-based optical fiber sensor systems.
Quasimolecules in Compressed Lithium

Under high pressure, some materials form electrides, with valence electrons separated from all atoms and occupying interstitial regions. This is often accompanied by semiconducting or insulating behavior. The interstitial quasiatoms (ISQ) that characterize some high pressure electrides have been postulated to show some of the chemical features of atoms, including the potential of forming covalent bonds. It is argued that in the observed high-pressure semiconducting Li phase (oC40, Aba2), an example of such quasimolecules is realized. The theoretical evaluation of electron density, electron localization function, Wannier orbitals, and bond indices forms the evidence for covalently bonded ISQ pairs in this material. The quasimolecule concept thus provides a simple chemical perspective on the unusual insulating behavior of such materials, complementing the physical picture previously presented where the global crystal symmetry of the system plays the major role.
ANCA-Associated Vasculitis Pathogenesis: A Commentary

The ANCA-associated vasculitides are a group of small vessel vasculitides characterized by autoantibodies recognizing the neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens PR3 and MPO. We examine the current clinical and molecular immunology understanding of ANCA-associated vasculitides and discuss the current needs in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanisms of these rare diseases. The majority of efforts to understand the pathogenesis of these diseases have focused on dissecting neutrophil biology because the neutrophil is the primary expressor of ANCA autoantigens. However, a number of important genetic, clinical, and cellular biology observations suggest that attempts to understand the pathogenesis of ANCA vasculitides should move away from emphasis on the role of the neutrophil and instead re-focus on the potential role of other immune cell mediators. Whether or not neutrophils are the key determinant of ANCA-associated vasculitis pathogenesis should be revisited in detail. A neutrophil-centric view of the pathogenesis of these diseases cannot fully account for important genetic, clinical, and cellular biology observations that implicate important and under-appreciated roles for monocytes and T cells. Refocusing on these findings will likely lead to new discovery of novel therapeutic targets and the identification of clinically useful biomarkers for disease activity.
Effect of Exchange Rates on Bonds Prices: A Survey of Bonds Listed At the Nairobi Securities Exchange

Purpose : The purpose of this study was to establish the effect of exchange rates on bond price. Methodology: The research used an explanatory research design. 65 bonds listed in 23 categories at the NSE. The study used secondary data collected from NSE and the (KNBS) Kenya National Bureau of Statistics. A sample of 10 bonds was selected as these bonds were issued in the January 2008 and were still not mature by the 31 st December 2012. Standard deviations were calculated for all the variables in the study. Further statistical analysis was carried out by use of correlation and regression analysis where bond prices were regressed against inflation, exchange rates and economic growth measured using the Kenya’s Gross Domestic Product growth. The Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 17 was used to conduct the analysis. The findings were presented in form of tables and figures. Results: The study found out that Correlation results also indicated that there was a positive and insignificant relationship between exchange rate and the bond price; this was also supported by regression results which indicated that the inverse of exchange rate is positively related to bond prices. Unique contribution to theory, practice and policy: The study recommends that investors should also consider factors such as exchange rate as this determines the bond prices. It is recommended that the monetary authority should use policies aimed at weakening the Kenya shilling as doing so would increase bond prices. This is because bond prices would be cheaper and more attractive to foreign investors.
Glycogen synthase from the parabasalian parasite Trichomonas vaginalis: An unusual member of the starch/glycogen synthase family.

Trichomonas vaginalis, a parasitic protist, is the causative agent of the common sexually-transmitted infection trichomoniasis. The organism has long been known to synthesize substantial glycogen as a storage polysaccharide, presumably mobilizing this compound during periods of carbohydrate limitation, such as might be encountered during transmission between hosts. However, little is known regarding the enzymes of glycogen metabolism in T. vaginalis. We had previously described the identification and characterization of two forms of glycogen phosphorylase in the organism. Here, we measure UDP-glucose-dependent glycogen synthase activity in cell-free extracts of T. vaginalis. We then demonstrate that the TVAG_258220 open reading frame encodes a glycosyltransferase that is presumably responsible for this synthetic activity. We show that expression of TVAG_258220 in a yeast strain lacking endogenous glycogen synthase activity is sufficient to restore glycogen accumulation. Furthermore, when TVAG_258220 is expressed in bacteria, the resulting recombinant protein has glycogen synthase activity in vitro, transferring glucose from either UDP-glucose or ADP-glucose to glycogen and using both substrates with similar affinity. This protein is also able to transfer glucose from UDP-glucose or ADP-glucose to maltose and longer oligomers of glucose but not to glucose itself. However, with these substrates, there is no evidence of processivity and sugar transfer is limited to between one and three glucose residues. Taken together with our earlier work on glycogen phosphorylase, we are now well positioned to define both how T. vaginalis synthesizes and utilizes glycogen, and how these processes are regulated.
Case 4: Ear Pain and Weight Loss in a 13-year-old Boy.

1. Laura A. Malone, PhD, MD* 2. Anirudh Ramesh, MD* 3. Janet R. Serwint, MD* 1. *Department of Pediatrics, The Johns Hopkins Hospital, Baltimore, MD A 13-year-old boy with seasonal allergies and depression presents to the emergency department with a 3-month history of left ear pain and a 3-week history of intermittent fevers, fatigue, and weight loss. Three months ago, he started having left-sided ear pain with intermittent serosanguineous drainage. He was evaluated at another emergency department, diagnosed with acute otitis media with perforated tympanic membrane, and treated with amoxicillin. His ear pain persisted but did not prevent him from his normal activities. Three weeks ago, he developed intermittent bleeding from the left ear, rhinorrhea, and 2 episodes of self-limited epistaxis. He began to develop malaise, weakness, decreased appetite, and intermittent low-grade fevers. One week ago he presented to his pediatrician, who documented fever and a 15-lb weight loss over 3 weeks. A radiograph of the sinuses revealed opacification of his right maxillary sinus and mucosal thickening of the left maxillary sinus. The pediatrician prescribed amoxicillin/clavulanic acid for presumed bacterial sinusitis. His fevers, poor appetite, rhinorrhea, and ear pain persisted, prompting presentation at the emergency department today. The boy reports headaches and some hearing loss in his left ear but no eye pain or neck stiffness. He has a dry cough but no dyspnea or labored breathing. He denies any abdominal pain, vomiting, diarrhea, joint pain, or rashes. He has no family history …
Influence of Sediment Cohesion on Deltaic Morphodynamics and Stratigraphy Over Basin-Filling Time Scales

Results from physical and numerical experiments suggest that sediment cohesion influences deltaic morphodynamics by promoting the development and maintenance of channels. As a result, cohesion is thought to increase the magnitude and time scales of internally generated (autogenic) processes and the dimensions of their stratigraphic products. We test these hypotheses by examining the surface processes and stratigraphic products from a suite of physical experiments where the influence of cohesion is isolated over temporal and spatial scales important for basin-filling. Given the stochastic nature of autogenic sediment transport processes, we develop and employ a range of statistical tools and metrics. We observe that 1) an increase in sediment cohesion decreases lateral channel mobility and thus increases the time necessary to regrade deltaic surfaces; 2) enhanced channelization, due to sediment cohesion, increases the time necessary for the deposits of autogenic processes to average together and produce stratigraphic products with shapes set by the generation of regional accommodation; 3) cohesion promotes the transport of suspended sediment to terrestrial overbank and marine environments, which decreases the volume of channel, relative to overbank and marine deposits in the stratigraphic record. This increase in overbank and marine deposition changes the spatial distribution of sand in stratigraphy, with higher cohesion linked to enhanced segregation of fine particles from coarse sand in the experimental deposits. Combined, these results illustrate how the cohesion of sediment is fundamental in setting autogenic spatial and temporal scales and needs to be considered when inverting stratigraphic architecture for paleo-environmental history.
Tools for Treating Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Among Latinos

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is characterized by the experience of intrusive thoughts, urges, and/or images and accompanying behaviors conducted in efforts to feel less anxiety. OCD affects people of many different backgrounds and can be debilitating. Lifetime prevalence rates of OCD are estimated to be around 2%; however, ethnic minorities are historically underrepresented in such studies. Less is known about OCD in specific ethnic groups, such as Latinos. Results from the few studies investigating OCD rates in the Latino population have divergent findings. This dearth of research has also limited our understanding of unique symptom presentation and best treatment approaches for Latinos presenting with OCD. This is important because patients without the most common symptom presentations (i.e., compulsive washing and overt repetitive checking) may not be quickly identified as suffering from OCD. Additionally, it is unclear if the established conceptualization models for obsessive-compulsive symptoms are appropriate for explaining the experience of OCD in Latino patients. Recognizing these limitations, this chapter uses the available information to provide tools for clinicians treating OCD in the Latino population. This includes an overview of OCD presentation and a recommended treatment plan. Worksheets, suggested measures, and informational handouts are also included.
Using visual-based social norm methods to understand distance-related human–wildlife interactions

Distance-related human–wildlife interactions are a challenge in diverse settings across the globe. However, few methodological approaches have been proposed to explore the issue of distance in huma...
A sampling scheme for three-phase high switching frequency and speed converter

As wide bandgap (WBG) semiconductors are gradually adopted for high switching frequency high power-density power converter, new challenges arise from control to hardware design. In this paper, an improved input current sampling method is proposed for three-phase rectifiers to avoid sampling noises when rectifiers are operated at high speed and high switching frequency. Experimental results obtained from a 450-kHz enhancement-mode Gallium Nitride (GaN) high-electron-mobility transistor (HEMT) based three-phase three-level Vienna-type rectifier demonstrate the good performance of the sampling method.
Molecular Classification and Risk Stratification

Studies over the past decade have greatly improved our understanding of the molecular basis of multiple myeloma and mechanisms of disease progression. Initial studies in myeloma, as with other hematological malignancies, depended solely on metaphase cytogenetics [1–5]. While this methodology was critical in the early studies of the disease, less than a third of the patients had bone marrow cytogenetic studies that were informative, primarily a reflection of the low proliferative state of the malignant plasma cells [6–8]. This was followed by the development of interphase FISH (fluorescent in situ hybridization), which did not depend on dividing cells for detection of abnormalities [9, 10]. With universal adoption of FISH studies, it became clear that nearly all patients with myeloma had genetic abnormalities that could be detected using FISH [11, 12]. Further refinement of the FISH techniques allowed simultaneous detection of the plasma cells, either by using markers for plasma cells or by performing FISH testing on sorted plasma cells, thus ensuring that the abnormality detected was unique to the plasma cells. Development of high-density oligonucleotide arrays allowed assessment of gene expression in tumor cells, and development of this technology provided an unprecedented look into the plasma cell biology, and better appreciation of the genetic heterogeneity that is the hallmark of this disease [13–18]. More recently, cutting edge genomic techniques including RNA sequencing, array CGH, SNP arrays, and whole genome sequencing have all been applied to myeloma allowing us to dissect the molecular complexity of this disease. A better appreciation of the heterogeneity uncovered by these assays have in turn led to several attempts at classifying the disease into groups that have implications on the disease outcome as well as best decisions regarding the best treatment approaches [19].
Refractory Delusional Parasitosis in a 70-year-old Woman.

This is a case report of delusional parasitosis in a 70-year-old woman. Delusional parasitosis, or delusional infestation, is a rare disorder typified by the false belief that an individual is infected with insects or parasites. Management focuses on developing a strong, caring relationship with the patient. It is widely debated whether health care providers should agree or disagree with the patient’s delusions. Due to the rarity of this disorder, our hope in presenting this incidence is to motivate more research for treatment.