cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Topiramate-induced reactive granulomatous dermatitis.

The clinicopathologic spectrum of reactive granulomatous dermatitis (RGD) includes 4 subtypes: palisaded neutrophilic and granulomatous, interstitial granulomatous, polycyclic (granuloma annulare–like), and drug-induced reactive granulomatous dermatitis (diRGD).1 Granulomatous drug eruptions encompass the latter in addition to drug-induced variants of accelerated rheumatoid nodulosis, granuloma annulare (GA), sarcoidosis, and interstitial granulomatous drug reaction.1, 2, 3 Topiramate is an anticonvulsant drug used for migraine prophylaxis. We report a case of topiramate-induced RGD with clinical and histologic features that differentiate it from the recently reported topiramate-induced granuloma annulare.4, 5, 6
Socio-environmental and measurement factors drive spatial variation in influenza-like illness

The mechanisms hypothesized to drive spatial heterogeneity in reported influenza activity include: environmental factors, contact patterns, population age structure, and socioeconomic factors linked to healthcare access and quality of life. Harnessing the large volume and high specificity of diagnosis codes in medical claims data for influenza seasons from 2002-2009, we estimate the importance of socio-environmental determinants and measurement-related factors on observed variation in influenza-like illness (ILI) across United States counties. We found that South Atlantic states tended to have higher ILI seasonal intensity, and a combination of transmission, environmental, influenza subtype, socioeconomic and measurement factors explained the variation in seasonal intensity across our study period. Moreover, our models suggest that sentinel surveillance systems should have fixed report locations across years for the most robust inference and prediction, and high volumes of data can offset measurement biases in opportunistic data samples.
Cell atlas of the foetal human heart and implications for autoimmune-mediated congenital heart block.

Aims Investigating human heart development and applying this to deviations resulting in disease is incomplete without molecular characterization of the cell types required for normal functioning. We investigated foetal human heart single-cell transcriptomes from mid-gestational healthy and anti-SSA/Ro associated congenital heart block (CHB) samples. Methods and results Three healthy foetal human hearts (19th to 22nd week of gestation) and one foetal heart affected by autoimmune-associated CHB (21st week of gestation) were subjected to enzymatic dissociation using the Langendorff preparation to obtain single-cell suspensions followed by 10× Genomics- and Illumina-based single-cell RNA-sequencing (scRNA-seq). In addition to the myocytes, fibroblasts, immune cells, and other minor cell types, previously uncharacterized diverse sub-populations of endothelial cells were identified in the human heart. Differential gene expression analysis revealed increased and heterogeneous interferon responses in varied cell types of the CHB heart compared with the healthy controls. In addition, we also identified matrisome transcripts enriched in CHB stromal cells that potentially contribute to extracellular matrix deposition and subsequent fibrosis. Conclusion These data provide an information-rich resource to further our understanding of human heart development, which, as illustrated by comparison to a heart exposed to a maternal autoimmune environment, can be leveraged to provide insight into the pathogenesis of disease.
Using Failure to Function Doctrine to Protect Free Speech and Competition in Trademark Law

Trademark law’s failure to function doctrine focuses on whether certain words or symbols are used and perceived as a trademark that identifies and distinguishes the source of products in the marketplace. If certain matter fails to function as a mark due to its inherent nature or the manner in which it is used, it cannot be registered or protected under trademark law. A phrase, design, or product feature may be denied registration under failure to function doctrine on the ground it is merely informational or ornamental matter or otherwise fails to function as a mark for this product. Examples include the words I LOVE YOU for jewelry, a swastika symbol for fabrics used to make flags and other textiles, and a peppermint scent and flavor for medicine. Like trademark law’s requirements that marks be distinctive and non-functional, failure to function doctrine can promote fair competition and freedom of commercial expression. Yet this separate doctrinal tool is rarely used by courts and has only recently been used more frequently at the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO). In the past, the USPTO has registered some words or symbols that would likely be classified as “inherently distinctive” on the Abercrombie distinctiveness spectrum, but which are arguably not functioning as trademarks that provide source-identifying product information. Examples include the phrases LIFE IS GOOD and I ♥ NY for T-shirts and other apparel. These words conveyed a non-source-identifying message before the phrases were adopted as marks and arguably fail to function as marks when displayed prominently in large letters on the front of clothing. As such marks have been registered for more than five years, they cannot be cancelled on failure to function grounds. Moreover, if the registrant’s right to use the mark is incontestable, the mark’s validity cannot be challenged in litigation on the ground that it fails to function as a mark. This paper proposes that Congress add failure to function and lack of distinctiveness as grounds for cancellation of a mark at any time (like generic terms and functional matter) and also revise the Lanham Act to allow accused infringers to raise these defenses in litigation even when a mark becomes incontestable. Congress should also amend the Lanham Act to explicitly permit third party use of another’s mark in a functional, ornamental, or informational manner as a defense to a trademark claim. Courts and decision-makers at the USPTO should always consider whether a phrase, design, or product feature claimed as a mark is actually used and perceived as a trademark, and be more willing to apply failure to function doctrine when the matter does not function as a mark due to its inherent nature or the manner in which it is used. These changes and other reforms of the Lanham Act suggested in this paper will protect expressive values and better promote competition and trademark law’s other goals.
SensorNets: Towards Reconfigurable Multifunctional Fine-grained Soft and Stretchable Electronic Skins

SensorNets is a bioinspired electronic skin integrated with multimodal sensor networks for interactive media applications, from wearables, self-aware objects, to intelligent environments. It is developed by connecting miniaturized flexible printed circuit boards as two-dimensional sensor arrays with stretchable interconnects. The system is embedded in between soft deformable layers, such as textiles or rubbers. The result is a soft sensate surface that can be distributed and conformally wrap and adapt to curved structures. Each node contains a microprocessor together with a collection of nine sensors and a light-emitting diode, providing multimodal data that can be used to detect various deformation, proxemic, tactile, and environmental changes. We show that the electronic skin can sense and respond to a variety of stimuli simultaneously, as well as open up a possibility for sensor-rich virtual and augmented reality-based visualization and interaction.
Intergenerational encounters in the struggle for abortion rights in Argentina

Abstract The year 2018 was a milestone for the abortion rights movement in Argentina. After longstanding activism, a bill to decriminalize and legalize abortion was debated in Congress for the first time. Although the bill was ultimately defeated, the parliamentary debate energized a movement determined to overhaul punitive abortion legislation. A notable feature of this growing movement has been the coalescing of different generations of activists. Based on interviews with activists supporting the demand for “legal, safe, and free abortion,” this article examines intergenerational dynamics, dialogue, and transmission in the abortion rights movement, with implications for activist discourse and strategy. While work on generations often focuses on conflict and tensions among activists of different age groups, this article highlights solidarity, convergence, and mutual recognition. This emphasis not only reflects a particular moment of a movement on the rise, but also serves to ponder key aspects of movement change and continuity.
Beyond Ventilators and Prematurity: Most Rationing Dilemmas Are Morally Fraught.

In the target article, “Should Extremely Premature Babies Get Ventilators During the COVID-19 Crisis?” (Haward et al. 2020), the authors highlight the importance of giving fair consideration to pre...
Power System Emulator Based on PLL Architecture

For an extensive power system network, solving the power-flow problem becomes computationally very burdensome. Current numerical simulators use the iterative approach to find the optimal power-flow state in the power grid, which are prone to numerical instability, convergence issues. Moreover, the existing numerical optimizers are slow, depending on the size and the complexity of the power systems. For massive power grids, large memory consumption and calculation steps are required to find the solution which puts more constraint on the available resources for the processor-based digital solvers. In this paper, a feasibility study of a different methodology is presented, where an alternative analog/mixed-signal circuitry has been introduced to build a custom computer. The proposed accelerator provides the power-flow solution by emulating the actual power system grid inside a miniature VLSI chip. This article demonstrates the feasibility of using a Phase Locked-loop (PLL) based architecture to implement an emulator for a 14-bus system, which reaches to the steady-state condition after 15 μs, exhibiting three orders of magnitude computational speed improvement.
Developing Multimodal Dynamic Functional Connectivity as a Neuroimaging Biomarker

Background: In spite of increasing evidence highlighting the role of dynamic functional connectivity (FC) in characterizing mental disorders, there is a lack of (a) reliable statistical methods to ...
Effective Method for Managing Automation and Monitoring in Multi-Cloud Computing: Panacea for Multi-Cloud Security Snags

Multi-cloud is an advanced version of cloud computing that allows its users to utilize different cloud systems from several Cloud Service Providers (CSPs) remotely. Although it is a very efficient computing facility, threat detection, data protection, and vendor lock-in are the major security drawbacks of this infrastructure. These factors act as a catalyst in promoting serious cyber-crimes of the virtual world. Privacy and safety issues of a multi-cloud environment have been over-viewed in this research paper. The objective of this research is to analyze some logical automation and monitoring provisions, such as monitoring Cyber-physical Systems (CPS), home automation, automation in Big Data Infrastructure (BDI), Disaster Recovery (DR), and secret protection. The Results of this research investigation indicate that it is possible to avoid security snags of a multi-cloud interface by adopting these scientific solutions methodically.
Location planning of distributed energy stations based on improved P-median model

The integrated energy system creates the possibility for the interconnection and coordination of different energy sources, and is an effective means to improve the energy use of the system, increase energy efficiency, and reduce environmental pollution. At present, the planning of distributed energy stations for integrated energy systems mostly focuses on equipment selection and equipment capacity. However, there are relatively few studies on the location of energy stations and pipeline layout planning. Firstly, this paper proposes a distributed energy station location method based on the improved p-median model, which combines the energy supply path of the energy station with the actual transportation network, and introduces the weight coefficient of multi energy load to reflect the diversity of energy demand of load. Finally, the specific solution method is given, and the rationality and feasibility of the proposed method are verified by an example.
An empirical evaluation of the diagnostic threshold between full-threshold and sub-threshold bulimia nervosa.

Abstract Previous research has failed to find differences in eating disorder and general psychopathology and impairment between people with sub- and full-threshold bulimia nervosa (BN). The purpose of the current study was to test the validity of the distinction between sub- and full-threshold BN and to determine the frequency of objective binge episodes and inappropriate compensatory behaviors that would best distinguish between sub- and full-BN. Community-recruited adults (83.5% female) with current sub-threshold (n = 105) or full-threshold BN (n = 99) completed assessments of eating-disorder psychopathology, clinical impairment, internalizing problems, and drug and alcohol misuse. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was used to evaluate whether eating-disorder psychopathology, clinical impairment, internalizing problems, and drug and alcohol misuse could empirically discriminate between sub- and full-threshold BN. The frequency of binge episodes and inappropriate compensatory behaviors (AUC = 0.94) was “highly accurate” in discriminating between sub- and full-threshold BN; however, only objective binge episodes was a significant predictor of BN status. Internalizing symptoms (AUC = 0.71) were “moderately accurate” at distinguishing between sub- and full-BN. Neither clinical impairment (AUC = 0.60) nor drug (AUC = 0.56) or alcohol misuse (AUC = 0.52) discriminated between groups. Results suggested that 11 episodes of binge eating and 17 episodes of inappropriate compensatory behaviors optimally distinguished between sub- and full-BN. Overall, results provided mixed support for the distinction between sub- and full-threshold BN. Future research to clarify the most meaningful way to discriminate between sub- and full-threshold is warranted to improve the criterion-related validity of the diagnostic system.
Stop Bickering! Reconciling Signaling Pathway Databases with Network Topologies

A major goal of molecular systems biology is to understand the coordinated function of genes or proteins in response to cellular signals and to understand these dynamics in the context of disease. Signaling pathway databases such as KEGG, NetPath, NCI-PID, and Panther describe the molecular interactions involved in different cellular responses. While the same pathway may be present in different databases, prior work has shown that the particular proteins and interactions differ across database annotations. However, to our knowledge no one has attempted to quantify their structural differences. It is important to characterize artifacts or other biases within pathway databases, which can provide a more informed interpretation for downstream analyses. In this work, we consider signaling pathways as graphs and we use topological measures to study their structure. We find that topological characterization using graphlets (small, connected subgraphs) distinguishes signaling pathways from appropriate null models of interaction networks. Next, we quantify topological similarity across pathway databases. Our analysis reveals that the pathways harbor database-specific characteristics implying that even though these databases describe the same pathways, they tend to be systematically different from one another. We show that pathway-specific topology can be uncovered after accounting for database-specific structure. This work present the first step towards elucidating common pathway structure beyond their specific database annotations.
Handwriting Correction System using Wearable Sleeve with Optimal Tactor Configuration

Handwriting remains an elusive skill with practice worksheets being the common method of learning. Since these worksheets provide only visual feedback and no quantitative feedback, it can often be a challenge to improve. For children with learning disabilities, learning handwriting skills is one of the most difficult tasks. We propose a handwriting training system that uses off-the-shelf webcam, a pen tracking software and a haptic sleeve which provides active feedback to the user based on their deviation from the original pattern. The sleeve has 4 individual motors that vibrate at different intensities based on the direction (right, left, up or down) and severity of the deviation ( 3cm). Different motor placements around the forearm are evaluated for vibro-tactile feedback accuracy and time response, and a novel spaced-ring configuration is proposed. This paper provides details on the system architecture and sleeve characterization, and the results show promise in utilizing the system for self-correction and visual-motor skills development. The results from sleeve characterization suggest the applicability of the spaced-ring configuration (perceived feedback accuracy > 98%, time response < 1s) in other vibrotactile hand guidance systems, in addition to handwriting correction. Recommendations on tactor placements around the forearm are provided.
The Absence of Collaterals is Associated with Larger Infarct Volume and Worse Outcome (P5.3-047)

Objective: Assess the use of collateral score in predicting clinical outcome and final infarct volume in LVO patients with mild symptoms. Background: Recent trials have proven the effectiveness of mechanical thrombectomy (MT) in patients with anterior circulation large vessel occlusion (LVO) and severe stroke symptoms, little is known however about the best treatment for patients with LVO and mild symptoms. Design/Methods: A retrospective review of prospectively collected data on patients presenting with mild ischemic stroke (NIHSS Results: 41 patients were identified. Mean age was 67.8, 92.7% were white, and 56.1% were male. Median admission NIHSS was 3. The most common vessels involved was MCA (63.3%, M2 = 34.7%), ICA (34.7%), and ACA (2%). Twelve patients received tPA. Mean ASPECTS was 9, mean collateral score was 2. Mean infarct volume was 18.6 mL. A good functional outcome (mRS 0–2) at 90 days was achieved in 81 % of patients. A spearman Rho correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the relationship between collateral score and final infarct volume. There was a negative relationship between collateral score and final infarct volume (−0.3134, P=0.046). Logistic regression showed that with a one-point increase in admission NIHSS there was a 22% higher chance of a 4mL increase in final infarct volume. Higher infarct volume was associated with lower odds of achieving good functional outcome (mRS 0–2) (RR 0.99, P=0.022 [95% CI 0-978–0.98]). Conclusions: The absence of collaterals correlates with a larger final infarct volume and a worse long-term functional outcome. Disclosure: Dr. Kimmel has nothing to disclose. Dr. Alkasab has nothing to disclose. Dr. Bathla has nothing to disclose. Dr. Harvey has nothing to disclose. Dr. Ortega Gutierrez has nothing to disclose. Dr. Limaye has nothing to disclose. Dr. Van De Walle Jones has nothing to disclose. Dr. Leira has nothing to disclose. Dr. Hasan has nothing to disclose. Dr. Samaniego has received personal compensation for consulting, serving on a scientific advisory board, speaking, or other activities with Microvention/Medtronic.
Data analytics to investigate the cohort of injection wells with earthquakes in Oklahoma

The number of recorded earthquakes in Oklahoma has substantially increased during the last few decades, a trend that coincides with the increases in the injected volume in underground injection con...
The Political Economy of Trade Integration

Chapter II combines a political economy model with a trading block model, where domestic interest groups lobby their government to proceed with sequential trade integration. In theory, trade integration is not politically sustainable when consumers’ and producers’ interests arc opposed, unless a mechanism is designed which links gradual trade integration with factor reallocation and which worsens the best alternative to integration. In practice, it appears that regional integration in Central Europe implements such a mechanism, but that the eastern enlargement of the European Union is blocked by special interests of a few producers and some national governments.
Conducting Polymer Nanowire‐Based Biosensors

This chapter addresses the applications of conducting polymer nanowires (CP NWs) in chemical and biological sensing. In the first section, we introduce CP NWs as new members of the one-dimensional (1D) nanostructured materials family. We discuss the advantages associated with the use of 1D nanostructure materials in general and CP NWs in particular. In the second section, various methods that are used to synthesize and fabricate CP NWs are discussed including their strengths and limitations. The third section outlines the functionalization of these nanostructures to tailor them to respond only to desired target analytes while the fourth section involves the assembly/alignment of these CP NWs to form functional devices. We demonstrate some sensing applications based on CP NWs in the fifth section and conclude with a brief summary and outlook on the future of CP NWs in sensing applications and some of the limitations that have to be overcome to make them competitive sensing materials. Keywords: conducting polymer nanowires; field effect transistors; functionalization; assembly; applications
Genotype–Phenotype Correlations in Apical Variant Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy

Objective Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is underscored by profound phenotypic and genotypic heterogeneity. Echocardiographically, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy can be categorized into four morphological subtypes: reverse curve, sigmoidal, neutral contour, and apical variant. Previous studies indicate that reverse curve hypertrophic cardiomyopathy is the strongest predictor of a positive genetic test. Little is known about the spectrum and prevalence of mutations and genotype–phenotype correlations in apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Design Between 1999 and 2007, 1053 patients with the diagnosis of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (60% male, age at diagnosis 44.4 ± 19 years) underwent sarcomeric genetic testing. Blinded to the genetic test results, each echocardiogram was scored for septal morphology and phenotyping was performed using the patient's medical record. Subset analysis was performed to elucidate the genotype, phenotype, and outcome of apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Results Overall, 71 patients (7%) had apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy on echocardiography (63% male, mean age 47.8 ± 15 years, mean left ventricular wall thickness 19.8 ± 6 mm). Left ventricular outflow tract obstruction was uncommon (seven patients; 10%). Eighteen patients (25%) had a positive genetic test, with the majority of mutations found in MYBPC3 (six; 35%) and MYH7 (six; 35%). Follow-up was available on 68 patients (96%) with a median age of 57.3 years (range 19.3–82 years). Mean follow-up was 5.5 years (range 0.1–18.2 years). There was no statistical difference between the occurrence rates of adverse events between genotype-positive and genotype-negative groups. Conclusions In this largest cohort of patients with genetic testing for hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, <10% exhibited apical disease. This least common subtype was associated with a negative genetic test result 75% of the time. In contrast to prior publications suggesting a predilection for ACTC1/TPM1 mutations in patients with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, the two most common genotypes (MYBPC3-HCM and MYH7-HCM) remained most common among patients who had a positive genetic test.
Biochemical approaches to study interaction of calcium channels with RGS12 in primary neuronal cultures.

Regulation of the timing of voltage-dependent calcium channel activity is traditionally thought to involve heterotrimeric G-protein-signaling pathways. However, it is now being realized that these complex timing events are controlled by interactions between components of several signaling pathways and the cytoskeletal structure that serves as a scaffold element for interactions between the signaling components and the effector, the calcium channel, γ-Aminobutyric acid type B (GABA B ) receptors inhibit N-type calcium channels through Gα o -mediated activation of a tyrosine kinase pathway. Data from author's laboratory suggest that the timing of GABA-induced inhibition is a complex process that involves several signals. The α (pore-forming) subunit of the calcium channel is tyrosine phosphorylated by Src kinase. This phosphorylation makes the channel a target for the binding of a GTPase-activating protein, RGS 12. The phosphotyrosine-binding (PTB) domain of RGS12 binds to the tyrosine-phosphorylated channel, altering the kinetics of the termination of the response. This chapter describes the biochemical protocols used to determine the phosphorylation of the channel and its interaction with RGSl2.
Live sequence charts applied to hardware requirements specification and verification: A VCI bus interface model

Techniques and tools for formally verifying compliance with industry standards are important, especially in System-on-Chip (SoC) designs: a failure to integrate externally developed intellectual property (IP) cores is prohibitively costly. There are three essential components in the practical verification of compliance with a standard. First, an easy-to-read and yet formal specification of the standard is needed; we propose Live Sequence Charts (LSCs) as a high-level visual notation for writing specifications. Second, assertions should be generated directly from the specification; an implementation will be scrutinized, usually by model checking, to check that it satisfies each assertion. Third, a formal link must be made between proofs of assertions and compliance with the original specification. As an example, we take the Virtual Component Interface (VCI) Standard. We compare three efforts in verifying that the same register transfer level code is VCI-compliant. The first two efforts were manual, while the third used a tool, lscAssert, to automatically generate assertions in LTL. We discuss the details of the assertion generation algorithm.
Advanced Textile Structural Composites

The need for significant improvements in intra- and inter-laminar strength, damage resistance and the large scale economical manufacturing of structural composites resulted in the reemergence of textile structural composites in the 1980’s as a new class of advanced composites. After a review of the worldwide activities in textile structural composites, the role of fiber architecture in the manufacturing of tough, net shape composites will be discussed. The toughening and strengthening of polymer, metal and ceramic matrix composites through the use of 3-D fiber architecture is demonstrated with experimental evidence. Techniques for the modelling of textile structural composite are reviewed and illustrated with examples.
Integration of a 200 V, 60 MHz lateral PNP transistor with emitter-base self-aligned to polysilicon into a high voltage BiCMOS process

A 200-V BV/sub CEO/ (breakdown voltage) lateral PNP transistor with improved frequency response over conventional designs has been designed and fabricated, utilizing only the existing layers of a BiCMOS process suitable for power integrated circuits. The self-alignment of the emitter and base implants to the edge of a polysilicon field plate provides a narrow, graded base region with a very repeatable base width. The 2.5 mu m base width provides a f/sub tau / (unity-gain frequency) value that is 40 times larger than that of conventional lateral PNPs with the same BV/sub CEO/. During layout the extended collector length is drawn only as long as is necessary to achieve the required breakdown voltage, resulting in a significant area savings, minimal collector resistance, and reduced power dissipation. >
Warm, humid, and high sun exposure climates are associated with poorly controlled eczema: PEER (Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry) cohort, 2004-2012.

Anecdotal reports of children experiencing eczema flares during winter and summer months along with global variation in eczema prevalence has fueled speculation that climate may modulate disease activity. The aim of this study was to determine whether long-term weather patterns affect the severity and persistence of eczema symptoms in children. We performed a prospective cohort study of US children ( N =5,595) enrolled in PEER (Pediatric Eczema Elective Registry) between 2004 and 2012 to evaluate the effect of climate (daily temperature, daily sun exposure, daily humidity) on the severity of eczema symptoms. Odds ratios (ORs) were calculated for the patient-evaluated outcome of disease control. Multivariate logistic regression modeling adjusting for gender, race, income, and topical medication use demonstrated that higher temperature (OR=0.90, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.87–0.93, P P =0.009) were associated with poorly controlled eczema. Higher humidity (OR=0.90, 95% CI: 0.812–0.997, P =0.04) was also associated with poorly controlled disease, but the statistical significance of this association was lost in our multivariate analysis ( P =0.44).
Auction mechanism for optimally trading off revenue and efficiency

We study selling one indivisible object to multiple potential buyers. Depending on the objective of the seller, different selling mechanisms are desirable. The Vickrey auction with a truthful reserve price is optimal when the objective is efficiency (i.e., allocating the object to the party who values it the most). The Myerson auction is optimal when the objective is the seller's expected utility. These two objectives are generally in conflict, and cannot be maximized with one mechanism. In many real-world settings---such as privatization and competing electronic marketplaces---it is not clear that the objective should be either efficiency or seller's expected utility. Typically, one of these objectives should weigh more than the other, but both are important. We account for importance of both objectives by designing a new deterministic auction mechanism that maximizes expected social welfare subject to a minimum constraint on the seller's expected utility. This way the seller can expect to do well enough for himself, while maintaining the attractive properties of the mechanism.
A model workshop for continuing education of health professionals

This paper suggests one model for the continuing education of health professionals. Six essential elements of this model, based upon principles of adult education and learning, are given: (1) motivating participants; (2) scheduling meetings on an ongoing basis; (3) attending to attitudinal, knowledge, and behavioral aspects of learning; (4) varying formats for presentation of material; (5) limiting the number of participants; and (6) developing continuous feedback between participants and instructors. This model is first compared to and contrasted with an actual pilot project course given to podiatrists on history-taking and physical examination, and then with two other forms of continuing education—large group seminars and individual learning. This comparison suggests the model workshop described here to be a viable alternative to these other formats.
Leo Tolstoy and social justice

The Russian novelist Leo Tolstoy deserves to be recognized as a crusader for social justice. In the later half of his life, he preached and practiced his own brand of Christian love, and has been looked on as a model for nonviolent resistance. While not a perfect man, Tolstoy demonstrated the courage of his convictions, and his life and writings have currency for contemporary problems.
Modelling the solute strengthening-deformation strengthening interaction

Abstract Solute strengthening and deformation strengthening interactions include: (1) deformation accelerated precipitation of dissolved solutes, (2) solute accelerated dislocation multiplication, (3) reduced recovery of deformation substructures due to solutes, and (4) solute enhanced effectiveness of dislocation substructures as barriers to dislocation motion. Methods of modelling several of these phenomena are discussed in the context of the MATMOD constitutive equations as developed by C.G. Schmidt and A.K. Miller and a constitutive model developed by U.F. Kocks. Although the phenomenological descriptions of these models differ in many respects, substantial agreement exists in their treatment of the solute strengthening-deformation strengthening interaction. Specifically, both models treat the solute enhanced effectiveness of dislocation structures with multiplicative formulations. Significant differences between the two models exist in their treatment of the effect of solutes on the rate of work hardening and recovery. These differences stem from divergent views of the role of strain hardening and recovery in general. Key observations that support the approaches of the two models are presented.
High Temperature Multi-Fuel Combustion-Powered Thermoelectric Auxiliary Power Unit

With rising worldwide energy demands, there is a growing need for technologies which are able to utilize alternative forms and sources of energy as well as to reduce consumption. While energy storage technologies are rapidly advancing, they are not yet capable of matching the energy densities of combustible fuels. The internal combustion engine (ICE), coupled with a generator, is the predominant method of converting this chemical energy into electrical energy, yet the mechanical nature of this system presents performance limitations. An alternative being developed here is a combustion-powered thermoelectric generator (C-TEG) to directly convert the heat released from combustion into electricity. The solid-state nature of thermoelectric (TE) devices provides the attractive inherent benefits of reliability, fuel flexibility, controllability, and potential for power densities exceeding that of ICE/generator systems. While low material and device efficiencies have thus far limited the use of TEGs to niche applications, recently developed materials have more than doubled the TE figure of merit, a material parameter strongly influencing efficiency. The rapid rate of TE material advancements merits the parallel development of device technologies. Opportunities for a durable, multi-fuel, high power density generator make C-TEGs potential candidates for many consumer, industrial, and military power applications including automotive auxiliary power. Within the automotive field, C-TEGs may be applied in hybrid-electric vehicles to provide power during engine cycling or in conjunction with a TE waste heat recovery system to provide power on demand. With sufficient improvements in efficiency, C-TEGs may be used in plug-in hybrid-electric vehicles where the C-TEG serves as the range extender in lieu of an ICE/generator system. Another application is to provide auxiliary power in commercial vehicles. In this research, a baseline prototype was first constructed with a conventional heat exchange configuration, a commercial bismuth telluride module (maximum 225 °C), and a novel fuel atomizer. This prototype was used to develop and validate a computer simulator, identify the greatest opportunities for improvement, validate the use of the fuel atomizer with diesel fuel for TE power generation, and provide a baseline performance with which to compare system improvements. Subsequent improvements were made to increase combustion efficiency, reduce thermal losses, and characterize the heat exchangers at 500 °C for accurate simulation of the system performance with high performance lead telluride modules. In addition, multiple fuels were tested to verify multi-fuel capability and performance, and the use of a Pt/Pd combustion catalyst was tested to quantify improvements in heat exchange effectiveness.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Ablation of matrix metalloproteinase-9 gene decreases cerebrovascular permeability and fibrinogen deposition post traumatic brain injury in mice

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is accompanied with enhanced matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activity and elevated levels of plasma fibrinogen (Fg), which is a known inflammatory agent. Activation of MMP-9 and increase in blood content of Fg (i.e. hyperfibrinogenemia, HFg) both contribute to cerebrovascular disorders leading to blood brain barrier disruption. It is well-known that activation of MMP-9 contributes to vascular permeability. It has been shown that at an elevated level (i.e. HFg) Fg disrupts blood brain barrier. However, mechanisms of their actions during TBI are not known. Mild TBI was induced in wild type (WT, C57BL/6 J) and MMP-9 gene knockout (Mmp9−/−) homozygous, mice. Pial venular permeability to fluorescein isothiocyanate-conjugated bovine serum albumin in pericontusional area was observed 14 days after injury. Mice memory was tested with a novel object recognition test. Increased expression of Fg endothelial receptor intercellular adhesion protein-1 and formation of caveolae were associated with enhanced activity of MMP-9 causing an increase in pial venular permeability. As a result, an enhanced deposition of Fg and cellular prion protein (PrPC) were found in pericontusional area. These changes were attenuated in Mmp9−/− mice and were associated with lesser loss of short-term memory in these mice than in WT mice. Our data suggest that mild TBI-induced increased cerebrovascular permeability enhances deposition of Fg-PrPC and loss of memory, which is ameliorated in the absence of MMP-9 activity. Thus, targeting MMP-9 activity and blood level of Fg can be a possible therapeutic remedy to diminish vasculo-neuronal damage after TBI.
Virus removal during simulated soil-aquifer treatment.

Removals of indigenous coliphage and seeded poliovirus type 1 during simulated soil-aquifer treatment were evaluated during transport of secondary effluent under unsaturated flow conditions in 1-m soil columns. Independent variables included soil type (river sand or sandy loam) and infiltration rate. Removal of coliphage was in all cases less than removal of poliovirus type 1 (strain LSc-2ab), supporting contentions that indigenous coliphage can act as a conservative indicator of groundwater contamination by viral pathogens of human origin. Coliphage retention was significantly more efficient (po0:001) in the finer-grained sandy loam (93%) than in sand (76%). Increasing reactor detention time from 5 to 20 h increased coliphage attenuation from 70% to 99% in a 1-m sand column. There was a significant linear correlation (p ¼ 0:012) between log-transformed (fractional) coliphage concentration [log(C/C0)] and reactor detention time. Re-mobilization of attached coliphage occurred during simulated rainfall using low-ionicstrength water. Inhibition of aerobic respiration resulted in significantly less efficient coliphage attenuation (p ¼ 0:033), suggesting the involvement of aerobic microorganisms in the survival/retention of this virus. r 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
Analysis of the acidic fraction of marijuana smoke condensate by capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.

Abstract A method for the analysis of organic acids and phenols isolated from marijuana smoke condensate has been developed. Comparative analyses of standard tobacco, Mexican, and Turkish marijuana smoke condensates carried out by means of capillary gas chromatography indicated both qualitative and quantitative changes in the constituents of chromatographic profiles. Samples were converted to volatile derivatives by methylation and trimethylsilylation; whereupon, 49 aliphatic acids, aromatic acids, and phenolic compounds were identified by means of capillary gas chromatography-mass spectrometry.
Efficient memory-reference checks for real-time java

The scoped-memory feature is central to the Real-Time Specification for Java. It allows greater control over memory management, in particular the deallocation of objects without the use of a garbage collector. To preserve the safety of storage references associated with Java since its inception, the use of scoped memory is constrained by a set of rules in the specification. While a program's adherence to the rules can be partially checked at compile-time, undecidability issues imply that some---perhaps, many---checks may be required at run-time. Poor implementations of those run-time checks could adversely affect overall performance and predictability, the latter being a founding principle of the specification.In this paper we present efficient algorithms for managing scoped memories and the checks they impose on programs. Implementations and results published to date require time linear in the depth of scope nesting; our algorithms operate in constant time. We describe our approach and present experiments quantifying the gains in efficiency.
The extended Padé-Laplace method for efficient discretization of linear viscoelastic spectra

The discretization of linear viscoelastic spectra is valuable as a starting point for non-linear viscoelastic modeling. However, obtaining the parameters of the generalized Maxwell model from linear viscoelastic experiments with naive least squares procedures is known to be an ill-posed problem. A novel technique, the Pade-Laplace method was recently elucidated (Fulchiron et al., 1993) for robustly extracting the parameters of the generalized Maxwell model from stress relaxation experiments, without any a priori assumption about the number of Maxwellian modes. We extend this method for obtaining the Maxwellian modes from dynamic data and discuss the relationship between continuous viscoelastic spectra and the Maxwellian modes obtained by this procedure. Furthermore, the applicability of this method with experimental data in limited time/frequency windows is clarified. Finally, a procedure for assembling the discretized spectrum with the Pade-Laplace method applied to both stress relaxation and dynamic data with typical experimental time/frequency cutoffs is developed.
Correspondence between rats and humans in the utilization of retrospective and prospective codes

Rats were presented with 2, 4, 6, 8, or 10 spatial locations on a 12-arm radial maze and on a subsequent test were required to choose between a place previously visited and a novel place. The animals were reinforced for entering the novel spatial location. During learning, animals showed an increase in errors as the number of places to be remembered increased from 2 to 8, indicating the use of a retrospective memory code. These animals also showed a decrease in errors as the number of places to remember increased from 8 to 10, indicating the use of a prospective memory code. In an analogous mnemonic task, college students were presented with 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, or 14 Xs, shown one at a time, marked on a grid of 16 squares. On a subsequent test, the college students were asked to choose between a novel X and one that had appeared previously. Subjects were asked to circle the novel X. On the basis of their verbal reports, the subjects were divided into two groups reflecting different memory coding strategies. The subjects who reported a retrospective coding strategy showed an increase in errors as the list length increased. The subjects who reported a retrospective and prospective strategy showed an initial increase in errors for list lengths of 2 to 8 items followed by a decrease in errors for list lengths of 8 to 14 items. The results are interpreted to reflect a correspondence between animals and humans in the use of coding strategies aimed at facilitating memory performance for long lists of information.
Nystatin affects zinc uptake in human fibroblasts.

The mechanism(s) by which zinc is transported into cells has not been identified. Since zinc uptake is inhibited by reducing the temperature, zinc uptake may depend on the movement of plasma membrane micoenvironments, such as endocytosis or potocytosis. We investigated the potential role of potocytosis in cellular zinc uptake by incubating normal and acrodermatitis enteropathica fibroblasts with nystatin, a sterol-binding drug previously shown to inhibit potocytosis. Zinc uptake was determined during initial rates of uptake (10 min) following incubation of the fibroblasts in 50 μg nystatin/mL or 0.1% dimethyl-sulfoxide for 10 min at 37°C. The cells were then incubated with 1 to 30 μM 65zinc. Michaelis-Menten kinetics were observed for zinc uptake. Nystatin inhibited zinc uptake in both the normal and AE fibroblasts. Reduced cellular uptake of zinc was associated with its internalization, not its external binding. In normal fibroblasts, nystatin significantly reduced theK m 56% and theV max 69%. In the AE fibroblasts, nystatin treatment significantly reduced theV max 59%, but did not significantly affect theK m. The AE mutation alone affected theV max for cellular zinc uptake. The control AE fibroblasts exhibited a 40% reduction inV max compared to control normal fibroblasts. We conclude that nystatin exerts its effect on zinc uptake by reducing the velocity at which zinc traverses the cell membrane, possibly through potocytosis. Furthermore, the AE mutation also effects zinc transport by reducing zinc transport.
Changing microbial substrate use in Arctic tundra soils through a freeze-thaw cycle.

Abstract Recent research has established that microbial processes in the arctic continue even when soils are frozen, and that cold-season processes can be important in the overall annual carbon and nitrogen cycles. Despite the importance of wintertime soil microbial processes, our understanding of their controls remains extremely poor. We particularly have a poor understanding of how microbial substrate use patterns change as soils freeze: do microbes use the same substrates as during the growing season, only slower, or do they switch to using different substrates? We used a 14 C isotope equilibration technique to partition respiration between the actively turning over microbial biomass and products pool and the plant detritus pool in a range of Arctic tundra soils. Microbes showed a step-function shift in their metabolism as soils cool from +2 to +0.5 °C, roughly doubling the contribution of recycling of microbial C to total soil respiration. There was no additional shift in substrate use as soils underwent bulk soil freezing. The above-0 °C substrate shift is important because tundra soils spend a long time at or just below 0 °C as they are freezing in the early winter. The change in substrate use represents a shift from processing N-poor detritus to N-rich microbial products, causing N available for either plant uptake or leaching to be greatest when soils are near 0 °C. This may explain the observed patterns of growing season N immobilization vs. cold-season mineralization that appear common in Arctic tundra ecosystems.