cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intensity in the Raman effect. IX. Absolute intensities for some gases and vapors

The experimental procedure of Yoshino and Bernstein for the measurement of Raman intensities of gases has been simplified and the apparatus adapted to the investigation of the spectra of vapors. For absolute intensities the pure rotation line J = 1 → 3 of hydrogen was used as an internal standard as suggested by Golden and Crawford. A method for the determination of depolarization ratios is described. The value obtained for the polarizability derivative of methane agrees with previous measurements. Absolute Raman intensities are given for the strong bands of ethane, propane, n-butane, n-pentane, n-hexane, cyclohexane, benzene, carbon tetrachloride, carbon disulfide, chloroform, acetonitrile, methanol, methyl bromide, methyl chloride, acetylene, and vinyl acetylene, and depolarization ratios for benzene, carbon disulfide, acetylene, and vinyl acetylene. The intensities of the CH stretching vibrations of the n-alkanes from propane to n-hexane increase linearly within ±5%. A comparison of the intensity of the ν1 band of carbon tetrachloride in the vapor and in the liquid shows, that the intensity is enhanced in the liquid by a factor of at least 1.7, due to intermolecular interactions. A comparison is made of the standard intensities and depolarization ratios in the gaseous and in the liquid phase.
Occupational exposure to asbestos fibers resulting from use of asbestos gloves

To assess the magnitude of fiber emission from asbestos gloves, 10 pairs were compared in an isolation chamber during simulation of a sterilization procedure; 176 air samples were collected. Means of time weighted average (TWA) concentrations ranged from 0.95 to 11.74 fibers (>5 µm)/cm3 of air. Well-worn/clean gloves emitted significantly more fibers than did brand-new gloves, but fiber emission decreased with increased surface soiling. Eighty air samples were collected during simulation of the sterilization procedure in a well-ventilated room. The range of mean TWA concentrations was 0.07–0.99 fiber/cm3 for breathing zone samples and 0.06–0.60 fiber/cm3 for area samples. Thirteen samples were collected at actual workplaces; the range of TWA concentrations was 0.07–2.93 fibers/cm3 for breathing zone samples and 0.04–0.74 fiber/cm3 for area samples. Five of seven breathing zone samples from workplaces exceeded the proposed TWA concentration limit of 0.1 asbestos fiber/cm3. Hand contamination also was asses...
The harsh environment robust micromechanical technology (HERMiT) program: Success and some unfinished business

This invited paper summarizes the history behind the creation, execution, and eventual success and commercial impact of DARPA's Harsh Environment Robust Micromechani-cal Technology (HERMiT) program. Originally proposed in late 2002 as a program to explore micro-scale environmental control via new packaging technology, the HERMiT program morphed into a vehicle to explore and address reliability and long-term stability issues for microelectromechanical devices, such as RF switches, high-Q resonators, and gyroscopes. In the end, packag-ing indeed surfaced as an important key to achieving the best cycle lifetimes seen to date for RF MEMS switches, as well as unprecedented frequency stability for micromechanical resona-tors that eventually enabled some of the MEMS-based timing oscillator products now shipping in volumes approaching 100 million parts per year.
Commentary: pain catastrophizing and low back pain: does catastrophizing predict progression?

COMMENTARY ON Kovacs FM, Seco J, Royuela A, et al. The prognostic value of catastrophizing for predicting the clinical evolution of low back pain patients: a study in routine clinical practice within the Spanish National Health Service. Spine J 2012;12:545–55 ( in this issue ).
Evolution of infectious disease: A biocultural analysis of AIDS

The evolution of infectious disease can be understood from an ecological model that incorporates information from anthropology, epidemiology, and biomedicine. This model considers variables such as the pathogen, the host population, and the environment. In this model, the role that culture as well as other environmental variables plays in the transmission of infectious disease in human populations is considered. In addition, the sociocultural response and its impact on the disease process can be analyzed. The present AIDS epidemic is placed in an ecological and evolutionary context of the disease in hominid evolution. The interaction between Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and human populations is considered in this perspective. The ability of the virus to survive in semen and blood both increases as well as limits the possibility of transmission. Cultural practices that increase the transmission of blood and semen or increase sexual activity will obviously increase the potential risk of viral transmission. In societies that practice exchange of blood, blood transfusion, and where vaccinations with unclean needles exist or where there is intravenous (IV) drug use, the transmission of HIV by blood is enhanced. HIV which can cause a breakdown of the immunological system is paradoxically a very fragile pathogen. Replication occurs within T-cells, an important part of the immunological system. Outside of the blood or semen the virus dies quickly. From the perspective of the pathogen's adaptation, the virus has effectively solved the problem of survival. The fragile virus's long incubation period and its ability to survive in the presence of antibodies help to assure its transmission. HIV's ability to suppress the immunological system may assure its immediate survival, but this adaptation may cause the death of its host from other opportunistic pathogens that are usually not lethal.
Improved breakdown-voltage complementary MOSFET in a 0.18µm standard CMOS process for switch mode power supply (SMPS) applications

In this paper, a novel improved breakdown-voltage (BV) complementary MOSFET for SMPS applications is introduced in a standard 0.18µm VLSI (Very Large Scale Integration) process without any extra processes. Proposed NMOS and PMOS breakdown voltages have been improved up to 22.6V (∼3.5-times increase) and 13.2V (∼2-times increase) each. And the merged-charge effect (charge-coupling) through STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) which contributes to the higher breakdown voltage in a standard CMOS process is explained. A novel higher breakdown voltage CMOS shows the lowest FOMs among the same voltage rate devices good enough for high-frequency and low power applications. Finally, novel improved BV devices are integrated as power switches with VLSI low-voltage CMOS for SMPS applications. And ISE-TCAD and Cadence-SPICE simulations show that the designed monolithic buck-converter including parasite components achieves 88% high-efficiency.
Can Psychology Ethics Effectively Be Integrated into Introductory Psychology

This study evaluated the integration of psychology ethics into an introductory psychology course. Students in two general psychology sections were exposed to an infusion of psychology ethics in teaching, research, and clinical practice, whereas students in two sections were exposed to traditional course content. Students completed a pre and post-test assessment including a psychology ethics questionnaire and open-ended responses to three ethics case studies. Students in the ethics group displayed a statistically significant increase in scores on both measures from pre to post-test. However, students in the traditional group showed no improvement in scores.
Interest—The Curious Emotion

Despite their interest in why people do what they do, psychologists typically overlook interest itself as a facet of human motivation and emotion. In recent years, however, researchers from diverse areas of psychology have turned their attention to the role of interest in learning, motivation, and development. This article reviews the emerging body of work on the psychology of interest, with an emphasis on what contemporary emotion research has learned about the subject. After considering four central questions—Is interest like other emotions? What functions does interest serve? What makes something interesting? Is interest merely another label for happiness?—the article considers unanswered questions and fruitful applications. Given interest's central role in cultivating knowledge and expertise, psychologists should apply research on interest to practical problems of learning, education, and motivation.
Sidekick-1 Is Upregulated in Glomeruli in HIV-Associated Nephropathy

Infection of podocytes by HIV-1 induces unique changes in phenotype, which contribute to the pathogenesis of glomerular disease in HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN). The host genetic pathways altered by HIV-1 infection that are responsible for these phenotypic changes are largely unknown. For identifying such pathways, representational difference analysis was performed comparing cDNA from HIV-1 transgenic podocytes with nontransgenic controls. In this way, a gene named sidekick-1 (sdk-1) was cloned, a transmembrane protein of the Ig superfamily that is highly upregulated in HIV-1 transgenic podocytes. Sdk-1 and its ortholog, sidekick-2 (sdk-2), were recently shown to guide axonal terminals to specific synapses in developing neurons. Their presence and role in other organs, including the kidney, has not been described. The current study demonstrates developmental expression of both sdk-1 and sdk-2 and a tight spatial and temporal regulation of these genes in kidney. During nephrogenesis, sidekick expression was observed first in ureteric bud and ureteric bud-derived tissues in a pattern similar to other genes known to play important roles in branching morphogenesis. In adult murine renal tissue, sidekick proteins were seen in glomeruli at low levels, and expression of sdk-1 was greatly upregulated in diseased HIV-1 transgenic mouse kidneys. In a human HIVAN kidney biopsy, sidekick expression was increased in glomeruli in a pattern consistent with the mouse model. It is proposed that the dysregulation of sdk-1 protein may play an important role in HIVAN pathogenesis.
Composite catalytic-permselective membranes: Modeling analysis for H2 purification assisted by water-gas-shift reaction

Abstract Composite catalytic-permselective (CCP) membrane designs, wherein a catalytic film is applied to the retentate surface of a permselective film, are capable of enhancing gas permeation rates and permselectivities by modifying the gas composition in contact with the permselective film surface via reaction–diffusion within the catalytic layer. Isothermal, two-dimensional models are employed to compare performance of a CCP membrane system against (i) an un-modified permselective film in a gas purification membrane (GPM) system, and (ii) an equivalent packed-bed membrane reactor (PBMR) system, for coupling water–gas-shift reaction with H2 purification from a typical heavy hydrocarbon reformate mixture (9%CO, 28%H2, 15%H2O, 3%CO2). Analysis is provided for the case of (i) an infinitely H2-permselective Pd film, for exploring the potential for alleviating surface inhibition via CO using the CCP design, and (ii) a moderately CO2-permselective polymeric film, for exploring the potential for enhancing CO/CO2 separation via CCP design as compared to PBMR designs. For the former case, the CCP design is capable of enhancing overall permeation rates in GPM and PBMR configurations via alleviation of surface inhibition. In the latter case, simulations predict up to a 40% enhancement in reaction product-reactant (CO2–CO) separation, at the cost of reduced product-product (CO2–H2) separation.
Under filled di potassium-ethylene di amine tetra acetic acid vacutainers and its effect on automated blood cell indices in healthy blood donors: Is there a need to re-investigate it as a rejection criterion?

Introduction: Standard guidelines assert that any vacutainer, which is 10% less under-filled should be rejected as it may affect the results. These guidelines refer to the studies using liquid K 3 -ethylene diamine tetra acetic acid (EDTA). Although the new guidelines recommend K 2 -EDTA instead of earlier K 3 -EDTA but has not clearly commented upon whether the same holds true for the new anticoagulant K 2 -EDTA. Materials and Methods: Blood samples from 100 healthy blood donors were included. We took 7-8 ml of blood and was then transferred to three 3 ml capacity vacutainers-up to 3 ml, 2.5 ml, 1 ml (marked a, b, c respectively) containing spray-dried K 2 -EDTA as anti-coagulant. Thus, b and c vacutainers were under-filled. Hematological parameters in all the samples were analyzed immediately using automatic analyzer (Cell Dyn). Statistical analysis was done with the help of SPSS v. 17.0 (Chicago, IL, USA) using one-way ANOVA. Results: The results showed that three groups were comparable with respects to hemoglobin, hematocrit, total leukocyte count, differential leukocyte counts, total platelets, mean corpuscular volume, mean hemoglobin concentration, mean cellular hemoglobin concentration along with red cell distribution width. Conclusion: Our study suggested that under-filling till 67% (1 ml in 3 ml standard capacity) of the recommended volume in a spray-dried K 2 -EDTA vacutainers did not affect hematological parameters in healthy people. In view of these results, there is need to further investigate the same in diseased. If further studies done on under filling of the pathological samples also give similar results as in our study then only the present guidelines related to under filling could be revised when K 2 -EDTA is used as an anticoagulant.
An Adenylyl Cyclase-mAKAPβ Signaling Complex Regulates cAMP Levels in Cardiac Myocytes

Protein kinase A-anchoring proteins (AKAPs) play important roles in the compartmentation of cAMP signaling, anchoring protein kinase A (PKA) to specific cellular organelles and serving as scaffolds that assemble localized signaling cascades. Although AKAPs have been recently shown to bind adenylyl cyclase (AC), the functional significance of this association has not been studied. In cardiac myocytes, the muscle protein kinase A-anchoring protein β (mAKAPβ) coordinates cAMP-dependent, calcium, and MAP kinase pathways and is important for cellular hypertrophy. We now show that mAKAPβ selectively binds type 5 AC in the heart and that mAKAPβ-associated AC activity is absent in AC5 knock-out hearts. Consistent with its known inhibition by PKA phosphorylation, AC5 is inhibited by association with mAKAPβ-PKA complexes. AC5 binds to a unique N-terminal site on mAKAP-(245–340), and expression of this peptide disrupts endogenous mAKAPβ-AC association. Accordingly, disruption of mAKAPβ-AC5 complexes in neonatal cardiac myocytes results in increased cAMP and hypertrophy in the absence of agonist stimulation. Taken together, these results show that the association of AC5 with the mAKAPβ complex is required for the regulation of cAMP second messenger controlling cardiac myocyte hypertrophy.
Fitting Refractive Index Data by Least Squares

The accessibility of high-speed computing machinery makes practicable the use of a routine for the least-squares fitting of a three-term Sellmeier equation to a set of experimentally determined values of index of refraction. The constants of a two-term Sellmeier equation are evaluated by a method described previously [ O. N. Stavroudis L. E. Sutton , J. Opt. Soc. Am.51, 368 ( 1961)]. These are then used in a preliminary fitting of another term. The rough fit is then improved by an iterative process which includes an acceleration technique to speed convergence to the final result. In a typical example the average residual of index is only about 2 × 10−5 for 46 wavelengths from 0.2652μ to 10.346μ.
The Death Effector Domain of PEA-15 Is Involved in Its Regulation of Integrin Activation

Increased integrin ligand binding affinity (activation) is triggered by intracellular signaling events. A Ras-initiated mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway suppresses integrin activation in fibroblasts. We used expression cloning to isolate cDNAs that prevent Ras suppression of integrin activation. Here, we report that PEA-15, a small death effector domain (DED)-containing protein, blocks Ras suppression. PEA-15 does not block the capacity of Ras to activate the ERK mitogen-activated protein kinase pathway. Instead, it inhibits suppression via a pathway blocked by a dominant-negative form of the distinct small GTPase, R-Ras. Heretofore, all known DEDs functioned in the regulation of apoptosis. In contrast, the DED of PEA-15 is essential for its capacity to reverse suppression of integrin activation. Thus, certain DED-containing proteins can regulate integrin activation as opposed to apoptotic protease cascades.
''Going Where the Questions Are'': Using Media to Maintain Personalized Contact in Reference Service in Medium-Sized Academic Libraries

Summary Different approaches to reference service have been added over the years, but the basic premise of the service has not changed-the desire to assist and educate users in locating information. As new technologies are added, such as desktop conferencing and web access, it is important that the personalized contact which is the heart of reference service be preserved. The human touch in the reference process is very important to the success of the reference transaction. Media can be useful in assisting reference librarians in “Going Where the Questions Are” while still maintaining the personal element in creating real-time reference transactions in a technological environment.
Modulation of North Pacific Tropical Cyclone Activity by Three Phases of ENSO

Abstract Tropical Pacific Ocean warming has been separated into two modes based on the spatial distribution of the maximum sea surface temperature (SST) anomaly: an east Pacific warming (EPW) and a central Pacific warming (CPW). When combined with east Pacific cooling (EPC), these three regimes are shown to have different impacts on tropical cyclone (TC) activity over the North Pacific by differential modulation of both local thermodynamic factors and large-scale circulation patterns. In EPW years, the genesis and the track density of TCs tend to be enhanced over the southeastern part and suppressed in the northwestern part of the western Pacific by strong westerly wind shear. The extension of the monsoon trough and the weak wind shear over the central Pacific increases the likelihood of TC activity to the east of the climatological mean TC genesis location. In CPW years, the TC activity is shifted to the west and is extended through the northwestern part of the western Pacific. The westward shifting of C...
Ishiwara Kanji and Japan's Confrontation with the West

The Description for this book, Ishiwara Kanji and Japan's Confrontation with the West, will be forthcoming.
Histone Hyperacetylation during SV40 Transcription Is Regulated by p300 and RNA Polymerase II Translocation

The effects of the RNA polymerase II (RNAPII) translocation inhibitors alpha amanitin and 5,6-dichloro-1-beta-D-ribobenzimidazole (DRB) and an siRNA targeting p300 on the presence of RNAPII, p300, hyperacetylated H4 and H3 and unmodified H4 and H3 in transcribing simian virus 40 (SV40) minichromosomes were determined. Following treatment with alpha amanitin we observed a profound reduction in the occupancy of the promoter by RNAPII, the loss of p300 from chromatin fragments containing RNAPII, and an increase in the amount of unmodified H4 and H3 associated with the RNAPII. Treatment with DRB had little effect on the presence of RNAPII or p300 but also resulted in a significant increase in the amount of unmodified H4 and H3 present in chromatin fragments associated with RNAPII. Following treatment with a p300 small interfering RNA (siRNA), we observed a significant decrease in late transcription and a corresponding reduction in the amounts of p300 and hyperacetylated histones associated with the transcribing SV40 minichromosomes. We conclude that in transcribing SV40 minichromosomes histone hyperacetylation and deacetylation is dependent upon the presence of p300 and an as yet unknown histone deacetylase associated with the RNAPII complex that occurs coordinately as the RNAPII complex moves through a nucleosome.
Hybrid Communication Protocols and Control Algorithms for NextGen Aircraft Arrivals

Capacity constraints imposed by current air traffic management technologies and protocols could severely limit the performance of the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen). A fundamental design decision in the development of this system is the level of decentralization that balances system safety and efficiency. A new surveillance technology called automatic dependent surveillance-broadcast (ADS-B) can be potentially used to shift air traffic control to a more distributed architecture; however, channel variations and interference with existing secondary radar replies can affect ADS-B systems. This paper presents a framework for managing arrivals at an airport by using a hybrid centralized/distributed algorithm for communication and control. The algorithm combines the centralized control that is used in congested regions with the distributed control that is used in lower traffic density regions. The hybrid algorithm is evaluated through realistic simulations of operations around a major airport. The proposed strategy is shown to significantly improve air traffic control performance under various operating conditions by adapting to the underlying communication, navigation, and surveillance systems. The performance of the proposed strategy is found to be comparable to fully centralized strategies, despite requiring significantly less ground infrastructure.
Chia Seeds and the Columbus Concept

Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a major problem worldwide, and is the most common cause of death in the Western world. Diets high in total fat, saturated fatty acids, trans fatty acids and having high ω-6:ω-3 fatty acid ratios have been directly linked to risk of suffering coronary heart disease (CHD). Chia (Salvia hispanica L) is the highest known plant source of ω-3 fatty acids, and also is a good source of fiber and protein. Its natural antioxidants keep it stable, even when ground, so it can be stored for extended periods of time without degradation taking place. Chia has been fed to chickens and other animals, and has significantly improved the lipidic profile of the products produced as well as the serum of rats, with no evidence of a decrease in product quality or animal health. This is unlike flaxseed and fish oil/meal which have been shown to give off flavors (fishy flavor) to eggs, and in the case of flaxseed, reduced egg production. Adding chia to bread and other bakery products could provide consumers with an easily obtainable, low cost food that would significantly increase their ω-3 intake without having to change their normal diet, or be faced with an allergic reaction which can occur when eating fish. As chia becomes more of a mainstream source of ω-3 fatty acids its price will decrease, and if added to bakery products, it would provide a large percentage of the world’s population with a low cost source of ω-3 fatty acids.
Hierarchical Multimodal Planning for Pervasive Interaction

Traditional dialogue management systems are tightly coupled with the sensing ability of a single computer. How to organize an interaction in pervasive environments to provide a friendly and integrated interface to users is an important issue. This requires a transition of the human-computer interaction (HCI) from tight coupling to loose coupling. This paper proposes a hierarchical multimodal framework for pervasive interactions. Our system is designed to remind the activities of daily living for individuals with cognitive impairments.The system is composed of Markov decision processes for activity planing, and multimodal partially observable Markov decision processes for action planning and executing. Empirical results demonstrate the hierarchical multimodal framework establishes a flexible mechanism for pervasive interaction systems.
High-precision ranging and range-rate measurements over free-space-laser communication link

We present a high-precision ranging and range-rate measurement system via an optical-ranging or combined ranging-communication link. A complete bench-top optical communication system was built. It included a ground terminal and a space terminal. Ranging and range rate tests were conducted in two configurations. In the communication configuration with 622 data rate, we achieved a two-way range-rate error of 2 μm/s, or a modified Allan deviation of 9×10−15 with 10 second averaging time. Ranging and range-rate as a function of Bit Error Rate of the communication link is reported. They are not sensitive to the link error rate. In the single-frequency amplitude modulation mode, we report a two-way range rate error of 0.8 μm/s, or a modified Allan deviation of 2.6×10−15 with 10 second averaging time. We identified the major noise sources in the current system as the transmitter modulation injected noise and receiver electronics generated noise. A new improved system will be constructed to further improve the system performance for both operating modes.
The Regional Multinationals: Analysis of the regional and global strategies of large firms

In order to delve deeper into the actual nature of regional or global strategy, there are some fifty firms studied in detail in one part or another of this book. The first half of this chapter provides a summary of this more detailed case work derived from the overall data analysis of the 380 large firms for which data or regional sales are available. Table 10.1 lists fifty of these firms. There are five global firms; nine bi-regional firms; six host-region oriented firms; twenty-one home-region firms; and two near miss global firms. In addition seven firms outside of the top 500, but discussed in this book, are included at the end of table 10.1. To illustrate the profound lack of globalization and the reality of regionalization, and in order to derive useful lessons for managers and scholars of international business, we analyze the strategies of these fifty firms. We also discuss rival firms and when appropriate attempt to analyze their strategy. We now discuss the basic strategic positioning of these fifty firms in the first major theoretical framework developed earlier in the book. This is the regional matrix of the first half of chapter 3. This chapter serves both to summarize previous discussion of these firms and to help provide a synthesis across all the major cases. The second half of the chapter further develops analysis of the strategy and structure of large firms operating regionally, with a special focus on Nestle and its lines of business.
Low-cost mechanical fiber-optic switch

The design of an inexpensive fiber-optic switch must satisfy two high-level objectives. First, the components in the switch must have loose tolerances and be fabricated from inexpensive materials. Second, the design must facilitate quick and easy assembly, with no operator alignment.
IL-6 mediated activation of STAT3 bypasses Janus kinases in terminally differentiated B lineage cells

Cytokine signaling generally occurs through receptors lacking tyrosine kinase activity. Aggregation of receptors leads to activation of receptor associated Janus kinases (Jaks) which in turn phosphorylate members of a family of transcription factors (STATs) that translocate to the nucleus and regulate gene expression. In the case of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), the consensus for signaling in B lineage cells has been that Jak1, Jak2 and Tyk2 are all phosphorylated upon ligand binding and participate in activation of downstream elements, in particular STAT3. In other cell types, Jak1 has been demonstrated to be absolutely required for IL-6 mediated activation of STAT3. In the present studies, we have identified a series of end stage B cell (plasma cell) lines that fail to express Jak1, but phosphorylate STAT3 in response to IL-6. No evidence was found for a requirement of other Jak family members in the activation of STAT3. STAT3 tyrosine phosphorylation was inhibited in a dose dependent manner by the MEK inhibitor U0126, but not by inhibitors of PI-3K or Src kinases. Moreover, STAT3 phosphorylation was similarly inhibited in lines expressing Jak1 wherein Jak1 was phosphorylated upon IL-6 stimulation and Jak1 phosphorylation was not inhibited by U0126. These results indicate that the MAPK pathway plays a critical role in IL-6 mediated tyrosine phosphorylation of STAT3 and suggests that Jak kinases may not be required in this cascade. Thus, it may be important to re-evaluate the role of Jak kinases in other cytokine signaling pathways as well.
DEVS FORMALISM AND DEVS-SCHEME

This chapter discusses the discrete event system specification (DEVS) formalism and its implementation in DEVS-Scheme. Its basic features help to understand how hierarchical, modular simulation models are specified in DEVS-Scheme. The chapter describes that DEVS formalism provides a means of specifying a mathematical object called a system. Basically, a system has a time base, inputs, states, and outputs, and functions for determining next states and outputs given current states and inputs. The insight provided by the DEVS formalism is that it characterizes the way discrete event simulation languages specify discrete event system parameters. It is more than just a means of constructing simulation models. It provides a formal representation of discrete event systems capable of mathematical manipulation just as differential equations serve this role for continuous systems. Such manipulation includes behavioral analysis, whereby properties of the behavior of a system are deduced by examining its structure. In the DEVS-Scheme realization, the DEVS formalism is refined so that both the input and output sets X, Y consist of pairs of the form (port, value). Thus, an external input event of the form x = ( p, v ) signals the fact that a value v has been received at an input port p . Similarly, y = ( p, v ) represents the sending of a value v to output port p.
Investigating Police Coordination

Public poiice work creates boundaries and divisions as well as connections and networks, in their actions in and on a society, police arc in one sense ‘people processing’ (Hasenfeld 1972), dividing law abiders from those in need of state control; filtering those in need of control between various punitive, restorative, or ameliorative avenues of justice and redress; and creating citizens, denizens, and criminals through their enforcement decisions, deployment patterns, and investigation tactics (Erlcson 1981; Ericson 1982; Huey 2007; Skolnick 1994). Within the sphere of police organization, police activity is separated, if also interconnected, between national and sub-national jurisdictions and locally between sub-local districts or precincts. Within districts and precincts, police share work between units of various names, specializations, and sophistication, and within units, they divide work tasks between ranks and positions. It is this latter organizational dimension of boundary creation that motivates this text, especially insofar as the internal organization of police work influences the external tasks of dividing up groups and opportunities in a society.
Litigation under the 1940 Act and the 1970 Amendments

While most of the litigation generated under the 1940 Act and the 1970 Amendments terminated in settlements, the courts have delivered a number of opinions that indicate the judiciary’s views on regulation and patterns of behavior in the mutual fund industry. The litigation has been based on allegations that advisers charged excessive management fees. The standards used to adjudge fees before the 1970 Amendments were very narrow, and the plaintiffs were never successful in cases that were fully litigated. It was partly for this reason that Congress passed the 1970 Amendments. However, plaintiffs continued to be largely unsuccessful under the relaxed standards of the modified Section 36(b). Let us turn to a history of this litigation.
Engaging Healthcare Providers to Help Mothers with Eating Disorders Create Healthy Eating Environments for Their Children

Eating disorders (EDs), such as anorexia, bulimia, and bingeeating disorder, involve extreme emotions, attitudes, and behaviors surrounding weight, food, and body image, all of which can lead to destructive health consequences. While EDs have innumerable effects on affected individuals, less is known about the consequences for the offspring of childbearing women with past or current EDs. Children of mothers with EDs are at increased risk of various problems during gestation and childhood, including higher rates of miscarriage, cesarean-section deliveries, and stillbirth; greater likelihood of preterm delivery, small- or large-for-gestational-age, low or high birth weight, and growth disturbances; and lower likelihood of being breastfed. These children are also more likely to develop dysfunctional eating habits, behaviors, and attitudes throughout adolescence. Possible effects of maternal EDs on parenting include withholding food from children, using food to reward or punish, a preoccupation with weight interfering with the mother’s responsiveness to her child, failure to express positive attitudes toward eating, and higher tension during mealtimes. These risks are influenced by a variety of factors and the consequences for children are difficult to predict. Complicating matters, the foundations of an ED are established long before diagnosis. The familial setting provides a unique opportunity for integrated and concurrent primary and tertiary ED-prevention strategies for both child and mother. It is imperative for healthcare providers to consider the potential value of educational programs and support for mothers with EDs, as early intervention could interrupt the cycle of risk associated with eating disorders and their effects on the developing child.
A Prospective Observation Study of Medical Toxicology Consultation in a U.S. Combat Theater

ABSTRACTObjectives: Since 2001, U.S. military personnel and active duty, uniformed physicians providing medical support have been deployed to Afghanistan. Medical toxicologists are among the physicians deployed. There is a paucity of information present in the literature that has documented cases treated by toxicologists in theater. This prospective observational study describes 15 male patients treated in theater by a military medical toxicologist. Methods: We performed a prospective observational study in which a medical toxicologist consulted and reported on deployed toxicology cases occurring during a 5-month deployment to Bagram, Afghanistan. Results: Fifteen toxicology cases were collected during the 5-month period. The patients included three Afghan civilians, three U.S. civilians, and nine U.S. military personnel. Eight cases were attempts at recreational euphoria, two were self-harm attempts, two were from performance-enhancing supplements, two were accidental occupational exposures and one was a...
Single-walled carbon nanotubes as optical probes for bio-sensing and imaging

The unique physical properties of single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) have been exploited in novel applications in various fields including electronics and life sciences. Their photoluminescence in the near-infrared (NIR) range, where optical interference from biological tissues is minimum, has rendered them particularly attractive as optical probes in biological environments. Herein we review the use of the SWCNT NIR emission in bio-sensing and imaging. To interface the insoluble carbon nanotubes with an aqueous biological environment, biomaterials and organic polymers have been widely used for non-covalently functionalizing SWCNTs. Such functionalization minimizes the toxicity of carbon nanotubes in biological and physiological environments, while maintaining their optical properties. SWCNTs have been demonstrated as both in vitro and in vivo optical sensors, targeting biologically important molecules, such as neurotransmitters and cell signaling molecules. For optical imaging, functionalized SWCNTs were used as NIR contrast agents for probing cellular processes and imaging plants and small animals. We also discuss emerging SWCNT-based super-resolution schemes. We conclude that SWCNTs are promising optical materials for basic life science research, biomedical diagnostics, and therapeutics.
Translation and transcultural adaptation of the VHI-10 questionnaire: the VHI-10lb.

Subjective assessment tools are essential in voice disorders evaluation. The Voice Handicap Index-30 (VHI-30) and the Voice Handicap Index-10 (VHI-10) are the most studied and used questionnaires to assess the severity of the handicap caused by hoarseness on the quality of life of dysphonic patients and, therefore, guiding physician’s therapeutic decision making. The aim of our study is to validate a Lebanese version of the VHI-10. The Lebanese Arabic version of the VHI-10 (VHI-10lb) was obtained after a forward translation towards Lebanese Arabic then a back-translation towards English and a pilot study. It was then submitted to 154 participants with clinical dysphonia and 100 healthy subjects. The questionnaire’s intrinsic parameters such as the reliability, the reproducibility, the validity, the sensitivity, and the study of the correlation between each item and the total score were measured for the validation of the questionnaire. The results show a high internal consistency of the VHI-10lb (Cronbach’s α 0.915) and an intra-class correlation coefficient of 0.963 in the reliability analysis (p < 0.001). The VHI-10lb is also found to be clinically valid (p < 0.001) and sensitive to the improvement of the quality of life after treatment of dysphonic patients (p < 0.001). The Lebanese version of the VHI-10, the VHI-10lb, can be used to self-assess the severity of the impact of dysphonia on the quality of life of the affected patients. This study allows to add the VHI-10lb to the voice evaluation tools adapted to the Lebanese population.
Follistatin is a metastasis suppressor in a mouse model of HER2-positive breast cancer

Follistatin (FST) is an intrinsic inhibitor of activin, a member of the transforming growth factor-β superfamily of ligands. The prognostic value of FST and its family members, the follistatin-like (FSTL) proteins, have been studied in various cancers. However, these studies, as well as limited functional analyses of the FSTL proteins, have yielded conflicting results on the role of these proteins in disease progression. Furthermore, very few have been focused on FST itself. We assessed whether FST may be a suppressor of tumorigenesis and/or metastatic progression in breast cancer. Using publicly available gene expression data, we examined the expression patterns of FST and INHBA, a subunit of activin, in normal and cancerous breast tissue and the prognostic value of FST in breast cancer metastases, recurrence-free survival, and overall survival. The functional effects of activin and FST on in vitro proliferation, migration, and invasion of breast cancer cells were also examined. FST overexpression in an autochthonous mouse model of breast cancer was then used to assess the in vivo impact of FST on metastatic progression. Examination of multiple breast cancer datasets revealed that FST expression is reduced in breast cancers compared with normal tissue and that low FST expression predicts increased metastasis and reduced overall survival. FST expression was also reduced in a mouse model of HER2/Neu-induced metastatic breast cancer. We found that FST blocks activin-induced breast epithelial cell migration in vitro, suggesting that its loss may promote breast cancer aggressiveness. To directly determine if FST restoration could inhibit metastatic progression, we transgenically expressed FST in the HER2/Neu model. Although FST had no impact on tumor initiation or growth, it completely blocked the formation of lung metastases. These data indicate that FST is a bona fide metastasis suppressor in this mouse model and support future efforts to develop an FST mimetic to suppress metastatic progression.
Immediate-Type Testing: Immunologic Contact Urticaria and Immunologic Contact Urticaria Dermatitis

We note a relative paucity of literature on immunologic contact urticaria (ICU) and protein contact dermatitis (now preferentially neologized-immunologic contact urticaria dermatitis). Immunologic contact urticaria differs from nonimmunologic contact urticaria in that the former requires previous exposure to a substance to induce a wheal and flare response on the skin. Contact urticaria can be divided into four clinical stages, ranging from a localized reaction to a systemic, possibly fatal response. To test for ICU, we advise starting with open application testing and moving onto prick testing if negative results ensue. The prick test is a simple, straightforward method used to diagnose ICU and also poses less of a threat for inducing anaphylaxis. In our experience, applying the following tips with prick testing yields less false negatives than with commercial allergens.
Reproductive Loss and Its Impact on the Next Pregnancy

Reproductive loss is identified as a unique loss due to the mother’s relationship to the fetus or baby she didn’t get to know. Elements of this loss are discussed as are the differences among the range of reproductive losses. While much of the research and clinical literature focuses on normative or maladaptive grieving, many of the ingredients of resilience–including making meaning, continuing bonds, posttraumatic growth, and having a positive and active engagement in life–are elaborated. Many clinical suggestions are offered, especially the challenges of supporting the mother in the often anxious pregnancy following this loss. An empathic responsiveness to the mother’s distress and concerns is cited as the critical ingredient in whatever interventions are chosen
Real-Time Three-Dimensional Microwave Monitoring of Interstitial Thermal Therapy

We report a method for real-time three-dimensional monitoring of thermal therapy through the use of noncontact microwave imaging. This method is predicated on using microwaves to image changes in the dielectric properties of tissue with changing temperature. Instead of the precomputed linear Born approximation that was used in prior work to speed up the frame-to-frame inversions, here we use the nonlinear distorted Born iterative method (DBIM) to solve the electric volume integral equation (VIE) to image the temperature change. This is made possible by using a recently developed graphic processing unit accelerated conformal finite difference time domain method to solve the forward problem and update the electric field in the monitored region in each DBIM iteration. Compared to our previous work, this approach provides a far superior approximation of the electric field within the VIE, and thus yields a more accurate reconstruction of tissue temperature change. The proposed method is validated using a realistic numerical model of interstitial thermal therapy for a deep-seated brain lesion. With the new DBIM, we reduced the average estimation error of the mean temperature within the region of interest from 2.5 $^\circ$ to 1.0 $^\circ$ for the noise-free case, and from 2.9 $^\circ$ to 1.7 $^\circ$ for the 2% background noise case.
Transformation of the Health Care Industry: Curb Your Enthusiasm?

Policy Points: Policymakers seek to transform the US health care system along two dimensions simultaneously: alternative payment models and new models of provider organization. This transformation is supposed to transfer risk to providers and make them more accountable for health care costs and quality. The transformation in payment and provider organization is neither happening quickly nor shifting risk to providers. The impact on health care cost and quality is also weak or nonexistent. In the longer run, decision makers should be prepared to accept the limits on transformation and carefully consider whether to advocate solutions not yet supported by evidence. Context There is a widespread belief that the US health care system needs to move “from volume to value.” This transformation to value (eg, quality divided by cost) is conceptualized as a two-fold movement: (1) from fee-for-service to alternative payment models; and (2) from solo practice and freestanding hospitals to medical homes, accountable care organizations, large hospital systems, and organized clinics like Kaiser Permanente. Methods We evaluate whether this transformation is happening quickly, shifting risk to providers, lowering costs, and improving quality. We draw on recent evidence on provider payment and organization and their effects on cost and quality. Findings Data suggest a low prevalence of provider risk payment models and slow movement toward new payment and organizational models. Evidence suggests the impact of both on cost and quality is weak. Conclusions We need to be patient in expecting system improvements from ongoing changes in provider payment and organization. We also may need to look for improvements in other areas of the economy or to accept and accommodate prospects of modest improvements over time.
Sperm Membrane and Zona Pellucida Interactions during Fertilization

In most species, fertilization is a necessary and essential step for the passage of one generation to the next. The genome is passed via spermatozoon and ovum into the zygote, and development begins anew. The spermatozoon’s passage through the female reproductive tract and its capacitation, which is necessary for successful egg penetration, encompass the fertilization process. Successful fertilization and therefore the survival of the species depends upon a series of steps which has been described as a hierarchy of specificities (O’Rand, 1985): from geographic isolation to the egg plasma membrane. The meeting of the sperm’s plasma membrane and the egg’s zona pellucida is almost the last step in this hierarchy and is the subject of the present discourse.
Prevalence, Incidence and Correlates of Urinary Incontinence in Healthy, Middle-Aged Women

AbstractThe prevalence, incidence and correlates of urinary incontinence were studied in a community-based sample of 541 healthy, middle-aged women 42 to 50 years old. Participants were evaluated on 2 occasions approximately 3 years apart. Of the participants 58% reported urine loss at some time and 30.7% reported incontinence on a regular basis at least once per month. During 3 years the cumulative incidence of regular incontinence in previously continent women was 8.0%. Among those with regular incontinence 64.9% said the volume of loss was 1 or 2 drops, while 35.1% reported that they needed to change their garments. Only 25.5% of the patients had sought treatment. Continence status was significantly related to body mass index and race but not to patient age, parity, caffeine or alcohol intake, smoking, physical activity, prior gynecological surgery or several psychological variables. The results indicate that urinary incontinence is common among middle-aged women. That few seek treatment suggests a nee...