cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Advances Toward Precision Medicine in Juvenile Dermatomyositis

We seek to provide a summary of the recent advances in juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) that are moving the field toward precision care and personalized medicine for this uncommon condition. There has been a recent international focus on developing uniform classification, disease monitoring, and treatment for juvenile dermatomyositis. In addition, there has been a steady development of translational studies to determine the genetic determinants, transcriptomic profiles, and immune cell phenotypes in JDM. Recent work toward standardization of disease classification, monitoring, and assessments together with advances in science, technology, and computing will facilitate the advancement toward true precision and personalized medicine in juvenile dermatomyositis in the near future.
DDX3X Multifunctionally Modulates Tumor Progression and Serves as a Prognostic Indicator to Predict Cancer Outcomes

DEAD (Asp-Glu-Ala-Asp) box polypeptide 3, X-Linked (DDX3X), also known as DDX3, is one of the most widely studied and evolutionarily conserved members of the DEAD-box RNA helicase subfamily, and has been reported to participate in several cytosolic steps of mRNA metabolism. DDX3X facilitates the translation of specific targets via its helicase activity and regulates factors of the translation initiation complex. Emerging evidence illustrates the biological activities of DDX3X beyond its originally identified functions. The nonconventional regulatory effects include acting as a signaling adaptor molecule independent of enzymatic RNA remodeling, and DDX3X exhibits abnormal expression in cancers. DDX3X interacts with specific components to perform both oncogenic and tumor-suppressive roles in modulating tumor proliferation, migration, invasion, drug resistance, and cancer stemness in many types of cancers, indicating the need to unravel the associated molecular mechanisms. In this review article, we summarized and integrated current findings relevant to DDX3X in cancer research fields, cytokines and compounds modulating DDX3X's functions, and the released transcriptomic information and cancer patient clinical data from public databases. We found evidence for DDX3X having multiple impacts on cancer progression, and evaluated DDX3X expression levels in a pancancer panel and its associations with patient survival in each cancer-type cohort.
Inhibition of Amebic Cysteine Proteases Blocks Amebic Trogocytosis but Not Phagocytosis.

Background Entamoeba histolytica kills human cells by ingesting fragments of live cells until the cell eventually dies, a process termed amebic trogocytosis. In a previous study, we showed that acidified amebic lysosomes are required for both amebic trogocytosis and phagocytosis, as well as cell killing. Methods Amebic cysteine proteases (CPs) were inhibited using an irreversible inhibitor, E-64d. Results Interfering with amebic CPs decreased amebic trogocytosis and amebic cytotoxicity but did not impair phagocytosis. Conclusions We show that amebic CPs are required for amebic trogocytosis and cell killing but not phagocytosis. These data suggest that amebic CPs play a distinct role in amebic trogocytosis and cell killing.
Neural substrates of mnemonic discrimination: A whole-brain fMRI investigation

Author(s): Klippenstein, Jenna L; Stark, Shauna M; Stark, Craig EL; Bennett, Ilana J | Abstract: IntroductionA fundamental component of episodic memory is the ability to differentiate new and highly similar events from previously encountered events. Numerous functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) studies have identified hippocampal involvement in this type of mnemonic discrimination (MD), but few studies have assessed MD-related activity in regions beyond the hippocampus. Therefore, the current fMRI study examined whole-brain activity in healthy young adults during successful discrimination of the test phase of the Mnemonic Similarity Task.MethodIn the study phase, participants made "indoor"/"outdoor" judgments to a series of objects. In the test phase, they made "old"/"new" judgments to a series of probe objects that were either repetitions from the memory set (targets), similar to objects in the memory set (lures), or novel. We assessed hippocampal and whole-brain activity consistent with MD using a step function to identify where activity to targets differed from activity to lures with varying degrees of similarity to targets (high, low), responding to them as if they were novel.ResultsResults revealed that the hippocampus and occipital cortex exhibited differential activity to repeated stimuli relative to even highly similar stimuli, but only hippocampal activity predicted discrimination performance.ConclusionsThese findings are consistent with the notion that successful MD is supported by the hippocampus, with auxiliary processes supported by cortex (e.g., perceptual discrimination).
An Examination of Enhanced Atmospheric Methane Detection Methods for Predicting Performance of a Novel Multiband Uncooled Radiometer Imager

Abstract. To evaluate the potential for a new uncooled infrared radiometer imager to detect enhanced atmospheric levels of methane, three different analysis methods were examined. A single pixel brightness temperature to NEdT comparison study performed using data simulated from MODTRAN6 revealed a single thermal band centered on the 7.68 μm methane feature is capable of detecting the in band temperature contrast between a plume of about 17 ppm at ambient temperature and background levels of methane at ambient temperature. Application of a normalized differential methane index method, a novel approach for methane detection, demonstrated how a simple two band method can be utilized to detect a plume of methane that is 15 ppm above ambient and −10 K from ambient temperature with 80 % hit rate and 17 % false alarm rate. This method was capable of detecting methane with similar levels of success as the third method, a proven multichannel method, Matched Filter. The matched filter approach was performed with six spectral channels. Results from these examinations suggest that given a high enough concentration and temperature contrast, a multispectral system with a single band allocated to a methane absorption feature can detect methane.
Longitudinal Associations Between Brain Volume and Knee Extension Peak Torque.

BACKGROUND Muscle strength and brain volume decline with aging; changes in the brain manifested as change in volume may play a role in age-related strength loss, but this hypothesis has never been tested longitudinally. We examined longitudinal associations between brain volume changes and knee extension peak torque change in participants of the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging. METHODS Brain volumes and isokinetic concentric knee extension peak torque at 30 deg/s were measured in 678 participants (55.2% women; baseline age, 50.1-97.2 years; median follow-up time in those who visited two or more times (n = 375, 4.0 [interquartile range {IQR}, 2.3-5.0] years). Correlations between longitudinal changes in brain volumes and knee extension peak torque were examined using bivariate linear mixed-effects models, adjusted for baseline age, sex, race, education, and intracranial volume. RESULTS Greater decline in muscle strength was associated with greater atrophies in global gray matter, temporal lobe, frontal gray matter, temporal gray matter, superior frontal gyrus, inferior frontal gyrus, supramarginal gyrus, middle temporal gyrus, inferior temporal gyrus, and occipital pole (r ranging from .30 to .77, p < .05). After multiple comparison adjustment, only larger decrease in middle temporal gyrus remained significantly related to larger decrease in muscle strength (q = 0.045). CONCLUSIONS In older adults, declines in knee extension muscle strength co-occurred with atrophies in frontal, temporal, and occipital gray matter. These findings support the idea that age-related knee extension muscle strength is linked with atrophy in some specific brain regions related to motor control.
Partnering with Local Hospitals and Public Health to Manage COVID-19 Outbreaks in Nursing Homes.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: Almost half of deaths related to COVID-19 in the United States are linked to nursing homes (NHs). We describe among short-term and long-term residents at three NHs in Michigan the outbreak identification process, universal testing, point prevalence of COVID-19, and subsequent containment efforts, outcomes, and challenges. DESIGN: Outbreak investigation. SETTING: Three NHs in southeast Michigan. PARTICIPANTS: All residents (N = 215) at three NHs (total beds = 356) affiliated with a large academic healthcare system. METHODS: Upon detection of confirmed cases within the facility, each NH in collaboration and consultation with local hospital, public health officials, and parent corporation implemented immediate facility-wide testing and the following intervention measures: cohorting of COVID-19 positive residents; communication regarding testing and results with residents, healthcare professionals, and families; personal protective equipment reeducation and use throughout facilities; and dedicated staffing for infected patients cohorted in a dedicated COVID-19 wing. We collected patient data regarding demographics, symptoms, comorbidities, hospitalization, and 14-day outcomes. RESULTS: A total of 29 cases of COVID-19 were identified at three participating NHs. Nineteen cases of COVID-19 were identified through symptom-triggered testing from March 23 to April 23, 2020; 10 (4.7%) additional cases were identified through universal testing of 215 residents conducted from April 7 to 15, 2020. The hospitalization rate was 37.9%. The case fatality rate was 20.7% (6/29); these patients had multiple comorbidities. No residents who tested positive through the point-prevalence survey required hospitalization, and five were discharged home within 14 days. CONCLUSION: Proactive and coordinated steps between NH medical directors and administrators, referral hospitals including their laboratories, and local public health officials are necessary to rapidly respond to an outbreak and limit the transmission of COVID-19. This coordinated public health approach may save lives, minimize the burden to the healthcare system, and reduce healthcare costs.
Efficient Filters for Geometric Intersection Computations using GPU

Geometric intersection algorithms are fundamental in spatial analysis in Geographic Information System (GIS). Applying high performance computing to perform geometric intersection on huge amount of spatial data to get real-time results is necessary. Given two input geometries (polygon or polyline) of a candidate pair, we introduce a new two-step geospatial filter that first creates sketches of the geometries and uses it to detect workload and then refines the sketches by the common areas of sketches to decrease the overall computations in the refine phase. We call this filter PolySketch-based CMBR (PSCMBR) filter. We show the application of this filter in speeding-up line segment intersections (LSI) reporting task that is a basic computation in a variety of geospatial applications like polygon overlay and spatial join. We also developed a parallel PolySketch-based PNP filter to perform PNP tests on GPU which reduces computational workload in PNP tests. Finally, we integrated these new filters to the hierarchical filter and refinement (HiFiRe) system to solve geometric intersection problem. We have implemented the new filter and refine system on GPU using CUDA. The new filters introduced in this paper reduce more computational workload when compared to existing filters. As a result, we get on average 7.96X speedup compared to our prior version of HiFiRe system.
Emerging Technologies and the Future of Assisted Reproductive Technology

Emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence are rapidly making their way into fertility clinics around the world. Clinicians, patients, and their families may potentially benefit from rapid advances in the AI field through applications including AI-based embryo selection. Yet, regulation to encourage benefits and diminish risks in AI tools for ART remains underdeveloped, which is unsurprising given its recent entry into the market. Fertility practitioners can play an active role in the regulatory environment for innovative ARTs including AI-based embryo selection — complementing federal regulatory agencies, state medical licensing boards, professional organizations, and civil society entities.
DOES FETOSCOPIC LASER SURGERY FOR TWIN-TO-TWIN TRANSFUSION SYNDROME IMPROVE NEONATAL OUTCOME OF PRETERM TWINS?

Objective Twin-to-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS) results in high rates of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Fetoscopic laser surgery (FLS) is currently used as the treatment of choice for advanced disease. The purpose of this study was to evaluate neonatal outcome after TTTS that was treated by FLS compared to the group without FLS. Methods We took retrospective analysis of all neonates live born from pregnancies with TTTS in our tertiary hospital from 2005 to February 2008. Neonatal outcome was assessed in 48 newborns who were treated with FLS (n = 20) and compared with the group without FLS (n = 28); in that group 18 neonates were without any antenatal treatment and 10 were treated with amnioreduction. We evaluated neonatal mortality and serious morbidity. Donors and recipients were assessed separately. Results The average BW of donor was 874 g (FLS) and 829 g (without FLS); recipients average BW was 1320 g and 1387 g respectively. Neonatal mortality was higher among the donors (52%) then recipients (36%). There was no statistically significant difference in mortality (donors: 55.6% in FLS group and 50.0% in no FLS group, recipients: 36.4% and 35.7% respectively). In the FLS group serious neurologic morbidity occurred less often (15%) compared with the no FLS group (32%) especially among recipients (18.2% vs 42.9%). Recipients survival without severe cerebral lesions was higher in FLS group (63.6%) compared with the no FLS group (28.6%) (p Conclusions FLS has no effect on preterm twins mortality, but improves neurological outcome particularly among recipients.
Mass Tort Remedies and the Puzzle of the Disappearing Defendant

Unlike an agreement to resolve a traditional bipartite legal dispute, a non-class action, mass tort settlement agreement commonly will not specify the compensation to be paid any particular settling claimant. Rather, the confidential agreement will often state, inter alia, that the defendant: (1) will pay a particular, maximum lump sum to resolve the group of covered claims; and (2) will play no role in determining the settlement offer value of any individual claimant, that is, in determining the amount of the total settlement funds to be paid to any individual settling claimant. This Article takes up various issues that arise from this disappearance of the mass tort defendant with regard to specifying a traditionally material term of a settlement agreement. The Article begins by detailing how mass tort settlement agreements frequently differ from an agreement to settle a typical bipartite dispute. It then speculates on why the mass tort defendant is commonly so uninvolved in determining the settlement offer amount for each individual claimant. Part III takes up the issues that arise for plaintiffs’ counsel when the mass tort defendant agrees only to a lump-sum settlement, including the conflict of interests that exists, and how it may properly be resolved. This part concludes that retaining a special master is neither necessary nor sufficient for managing this conflict. Part IV examines why and when, nonetheless, some mass tort plaintiffs’ counsel retain a third-party, “allocation special master.” It goes on to discuss the various routes by which an allocation special master may come to be involved in a mass tort settlement, as well as the circumstances under which the Claimants may most greatly benefit from such a special master’s involvement. The Article concludes in Part V by considering some implications of this examination of allocation special masters for recent broader discussions of the costs and benefits of using special masters in complex litigation.
Using DNA barcoding to identify host-parasite interactions between cryptic species of goby (Coryphopterus: Gobiidae, Perciformes) and parasitic copepods (Pharodes tortugensis: Chondracanthidae, Cyclopoida)

Previous work, using morphological characters, identified a generalist copepod parasite (Pharodes tortugensis) at high prevalence on two common gobies (Coryphopterus glaucofraenum and C. dicrus) in the British Virgin Islands (BVI). DNA barcoding subsequently revealed C. glaucofraenum to be three morphologically similar species (C. glaucofraenum, C. venezuelae and C. tortugae), casting doubt on host identities in the BVI and the classification of the parasite as a single species. Mitochondrial cytochrome c oxidase subunit I (COI) data from 67 gobies in the BVI showed that, in addition to C. dicrus, host gobies were a mix of C. glaucofraenum and C. venezuelae, while C. tortugae was unexpectedly absent from the study area. COI data (n = 70) indicated that the copepod infecting all three hosts was a single species, almost certainly P. tortugensis. The pharodes-coryphopterus interaction has a strong impact on host dynamics in the BVI, and a revised understanding of these dynamics must account for any differences among the three newly confirmed hosts in transmission of, and susceptibility to, the shared parasite. No other infected hosts were discovered at our sites, but P. tortugensis is reportedly widespread and infects 12 additional host species elsewhere. Further DNA barcoding is thus needed to test whether P. tortugensis is truly a widespread generalist, or instead represents a group of more specialized cryptic species.
Removal of phosphate from proteins by the reverse reaction.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the removal of phosphate from proteins by the reverse reaction. Covalently bound phosphate can be removed from proteins by simple chemical means or by enzymatically catalyzed reactions. Chemical means include mild alkali treatment to remove phosphate from serine and threonine residues through β -elimination reactions. However, such reactions are only one of the many effects of treating proteins with mild alkali. The lack of specificity of such methods makes them unsuitable for studying the effect of removing phosphate from specific sites in proteins, in particular the sites that are not alkali-labile. However, these methods have the advantage that they allow the possibility of activity measurement after a relatively mild and specific treatment to remove phosphate. The particular methods and conditions described in this chapter are designed for work with the cyclic nucleotide-dependent protein kinases. The principles involved are also applicable to many other purified protein kinases, which might effectively remove phosphate from proteins under appropriately designed conditions.
Intestinal calcium transport and calcium extrusion processes at the basolateral membrane.

The intestinal absorption of calcium has been proposed to occur by the transcellular transfer of Ca2+ through the enterocyte proper and between the cells of the intestinal epithelium, i.e., the paracellular path. Attention in this report is given to the transcellular models of Ca2+ absorption and, more specifically, the Ca2+ extrusion events occurring at the basolateral membrane. These extrusion processes include the operation of an ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump and a Na+/Ca2+ exchanger, as well as exocytosis as the terminal event in a proposed vesicular transport mechanism. Evidence for the presence of an ATP-dependent Ca2+ pump at the basolateral membrane is documented and illustrated with biochemical and immunological data from studies on the avian intestinal basolateral membrane. As shown immunohistochemically, the Ca2+ pump was primarily localized on the enterocyte basolateral membrane. The ATP-dependency and vitamin D enhancement of Ca2+ uptake by isolated basolateral membrane vesicles are shown. Western blot analysis of intestinal mucosa, by using a monoclonal antibody produced against the erythrocyte Ca2+ pump, indicated that the number of pump units is increased by 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol. The possible involvement of calbindin-D28K as a direct stimulator of the Ca2+ pump is discussed, and the quantitative relationship between Ca2+ transport rates and Ca2+ pumping activity has been estimated. Information related to the basolateral membrane Na+/Ca2+ exchanger and the vesicular transport model of Ca2+ absorption is also briefly reviewed.
The Implementation of Exhaustion Policies: Lessons from National Experiences

The exhaustion doctrine is a corner stone of intellectual property law, its importance demonstrated by several recent United States Supreme Court decisions on the topic over the past several years, including the controversial Kirtsaeng opinion from 2013. This research paper, commissioned by the International Center for Trade and Sustainable Development (ICTSD) in 2013, analyzes the major policy debates over the exhaustion doctrine and presents a comparison of the doctrine's implementation in the United States, European Union, Canada, India, China, and Brazil. The major conclusion is that the exhaustion doctrine can serve as a policy tool for development and the promotion of international trade and innovation. But the paper also warns of the limitations of the exhaustion doctrine as a means of promoting access to new technologies.
PRO-TEK Organic Vapor Air Monitoring Badges

The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) of the U.S. Department of Labor has established criteria for workers' exposure to airborne contaminants. To monitor some of these contaminants, passive monitoring badges with solid sorbents have been developed. Verification of the validity of the sampling and analytical methods has ensured that these devices meet OSHA's accuracy requirements. A protocol has been developed that provides a systematic badge validation procedure and includes a statistical evaluation of the data. The validation protocol for a specific organic vapor includes: a description of the test apparatus and equipment required, the type and number of tests to run, sampling and analysis procedures, precision and accuracy requirements, effects of environmental variables, interferences, storage stability, sorbent capacity, and the importance of independent methods for verifying test chamber concentrations. Both PRO-TEK (registered trademark of E. I. du Pont de Nemours and Co.) organic vapor air monitoring badges and charcoal tubes with constant flow pumps were used in the field to monitor benzene exposures in the range of 0.004 to 5.7 ppm. The two monitoring methods had excellent correlation.
Simulations of tomographic imaging of various target scenarios using noise waveforms

Two-dimensional cross-section images of various cylindrical shapes of metallic targets are obtained based on the theory of diffraction tomography. Specifically, multiple iid ultra-wideband random noise waveforms are transmitted, and the tomographic images of PEC targets with sharp edges and angles are reconstructed with the backward scattering data of each transmitted iid noise waveforms over a frequency range from 8GHz to 10GHz. The image quality of the reconstructed tomographic images is measured by calculating the cumulative mean squared error between the corresponding pixels of the reference images and the reconstructed images.
A selfishness-aware coexistence scheme for 802.22 and 802.11af networks

We investigate the coexistence issue between 802.22 and 802.11af networks over the TV White Space (TVWS). The coexistence scheme is vulnerable to selfish attacks. In this paper, the scenario of selfish attack wherein 802.22 subscribers intend to occupy the allocated spectrum selfishly is studied. Consequently, 802.11af users have less opportunity to access the spectrum, which leads to low overall spectral efficiency. We propose a centralized coexistence framework wherein the spectrum coordinator is in charge of allocating spectrum resources. The objective of our coexistence mechanism is to maximize the overall spectral efficiency. Our coexistence problem is modeled as 0-1 Multiple Knapsack Problem. This problem is solved by combining bandwidth allocation and channel allocation. In addition, the fairness of each subnetwork is considered in the design of bandwidth allocation. As a result, the selfish attack in the coexistence scheme is defeated. Simulation results demonstrate that the overall system spectral efficiency is significantly improved compared to existing coexistence schemes.
Columnar cell change on core biopsy: radiological features and outcome

Columnar cell change (CCC) is diagnosed on core biopsies performed for indeterminate microcalcification. The diagnosis of columnar cell change on stereotactic core biopsy presents a management difficulty because of uncertainty regarding the pathological and clinical significance of such lesions.
[Comment on] “Yucca Eruptus” item missed the mark

The In Brief news item “Yucca eruptus” (Eos, March 14,1995) does a disservice to the readers in summarizing without verification William Broad's reporting on Charles Bowman's theory of potential nuclear criticality at Yucca Mountain. Specifically, the assertion that the review team has been unable to refute the theory that “buried wastes could set off a nuclear explosion” is incorrect.
Reasons for Living in a Clinical Sample of Adolescents.

The psychometric properties and validity of the Reasons for Living (RFL) Inventory were examined in a sample of psychiatrically hospitalized adolescents (n=253), aged 13 to 18 years, identified as suicide ideators, suicide attempters, and psychiatric controls. Confirmatory factor analysis suggested that the original RFL factors did not provide a good fit; exploratory factor analysis identified five factors, of which three were identical with the original RFL factors. Factor scores differentiated suicidal from non-suicidal adolescents and attempters from ideators. Correlational analyses indicated that RFL factors were associated with suicidal ideation, depression, and hopelessness, and predicted unique variance in suicidal ideation over that accounted for by depression and hopelessness. Our findings provide support for the RFL as a sound measure for clinical and research assessment in adolescents.
Oligarchy, Anarchy, and Social Justice

This article attempts to identify the problems associated with democratic organizations, and institutions. The issue of democratic, self-governing organizations, and institutions being transformed into oligarchies is addressed. Thus, the question of democratic rule being undermined by elites and their attempts to co-opt democratic organizations, specifically government, is assessed. In order to mitigate elite interests within organizations, anarchist social justice is considered (paradoxically) as a means to revitalize and transform democratic government.
Evidence for up-regulation of brain-derived neurotrophic factor mRNA by soy phytoestrogens in the frontal cortex of retired breeder female rats

In this study, we examined the effects of oral micronized estradiol and soy phytoestrogens on the mRNA levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) in the frontal cortex of ovariectomized retired breeder female rats. Fifteen ovariectomized rats were randomized into three groups and fed either a soy-free control diet (OVX), a control diet with added soybean estrogens (SBE), or a control diet with added estradiol (E2) for 8 weeks. Frontal cortex samples were collected for RNA isolation. Northern and Phosphorlmager analyses were used to determine the relative levels of BDNF mRNA. Both estradiol and soy phytoestrogens significantly increased the mRNA levels of BDNF compared to ovariectomized controls, suggesting that soy phytoestrogens may act as estrogen agonists in regulating BDNF mRNA in the frontal cortex of retired breeder female rats.
Classification and Change Detection Using Landsat TM Data: When and How to Correct Atmospheric Effects?

Abstract The electromagnetic radiation (EMR) signals collected by satellites in the solar spectrum are modified by scattering and absorption by gases and aerosols while traveling through the atmosphere from the Earth's surface to the sensor. When and how to correct the atmospheric effects depend on the remote sensing and atmospheric data available, the information desired, and the analytical methods used to extract the information. In many applications involving classification and change detection, atmospheric correction is unnecessary as long as the training data and the data to be classified are in the same relative scale. In other circumstances, corrections are mandatory to put multitemporal data on the same radiometric scale in order to monitor terrestrial surfaces over time. A multitemporal dataset consisting of seven Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) images from 1988 to 1996 of the Pearl River Delta, Guangdong Province, China was used to compare seven absolute and one relative atmospheric correction algorithms with uncorrected raw data. Based on classification and change detection results, all corrections improved the data analysis. The best overall results are achieved using a new method which adds the effect of Rayleigh scattering to conventional dark object subtraction. Though this method may not lead to accurate surface reflectance, it best minimizes the difference in reflectances within a land cover class through time as measured with the Jeffries–Matusita distance. Contrary to expectations, the more complicated algorithms do not necessarily lead to improved performance of classification and change detection. Simple dark object subtraction, with or without the Rayleigh atmosphere correction, or relative atmospheric correction are recommended for classification and change detection applications.
Genetic Counseling for Fanconi Anemia: Crosslinking Disciplines

Fanconi anemia (FA) is the most common of the inherited bone marrow failure syndromes with an incidence of approximately 1/100,000 to 1/200,000 live births. FA is a genetically complex and phenotypically heterogeneous condition involving birth defects, bone marrow failure, and cancer predisposition. This rare disease became well known in the genetic counseling community in 2002, when it was identified that biallelic mutations in BRCA2 can cause FA. Knowledge gained from the growing association between FA and breast cancer pathways has brought even more light to the complex genetic issues that arise when counseling families affected by this disease. Genetic counseling issues surrounding a diagnosis of FA affect many different disciplines. This review will serve as a way to cross-link the various topics important to genetic counselors that arise throughout the life of a patient with FA. Issues covered will include: an overview of FA, phenotypic presentation, management and treatment, the genetics and inheritance of FA, cytogenetic and molecular testing options, and the risks to family members of an individual with FA.
Spousal caregiving and incident hypertension

Background: Caring for one’s spouse has been associated with poor health, including risk of cardiovascular disease onset and mortality. However, few studies have assessed the risk of incident hypertension associated with spousal caregiving. This paper investigates this association in a large, nationally representative sample of American older adults.
Policy, Preferences, and Participation: Government's Impact on Democratic Citizenship

Do government policy decisions impact citizens’ involvement in politics? Using panel data, we assess the extent to which variation in levels of political participation among citizens between 2000 and 2004 is linked to the nexus of citizens’ preferences and government policy. We show that two policy decisions—military intervention in Iraq and the Bush tax cuts—did affect citizens’ subsequent political participation, mobilizing the biggest policy winners and galvanizing the greatest policy losers to increase their political activity. However, the mechanism that explains increased participation differs between winners and losers. We also uncover evidence that policy realization, or citizens’ retrospective perceptions of how well a policy played out, and political knowledge both moderate the effect of policy winning and losing on political participation.
Citrate Condensing Enzyme in Citrus Fruit

CITRATE condensing enzyme has been demonstrated in a wide variety of living tissues: animal tissues1–3, molds4, bacteria1,5,6, and higher plants7,8. It is somewhat surprising that there has been no direct demonstration of its occurrence in citrus fruits. There is no reason to doubt the existence of the enzyme because isolated mitochondria from many plant sources including citrus fruit9 carried out the overall reactions of the Krebs cycle. None the less, we thought it worth while to demonstrate directly its presence in citrus fruit.
COMMUNITY-COLLEGE LEADERSHIP: AN ART TO BE PRACTICED: 2010 AND BEYOND

ABSTRACT Current research indicates that a mass exodus of community-college leadership will occur within the next few years. When combining this research with additional research indicating that the number of degrees conferred by universities in community-college administration decreased 78% between 1983 and 1997, the challenge of meeting the needs of community-college leaders for 2010 becomes evident. Additionally, the old assumptions made about leadership cannot be held sacrosanct in a technological, fast-paced environment, with a growing ethnically diverse population. The questions that must be asked by today's leaders are these: 1) What skills are needed by community college leaders in 2010 and beyond? 2) How are these skills developed? This article suggests 9 essential skills: 1) learning from the past while embracing the future, 2) enriching the inward journey, 3) leading from the center: values, 4) making connections: vision, 5) looking broadly for talent, 6) providing continual leadership opportun...
Effects of external circuit and wall conditions on magnetohydrodynamic free convection between two heated walls

Die Einwirkungen der ausseren elektrischen Schaltungsbedingungen und der elektrischen Leitfahigkeiten der Wande auf die magneto-hydrodynamische freie Konvektion einer Flussigkeit zwischen zwei erhitzten Wanden werden studiert. Eine Annaherungsmethode wird angewendet zur Losung des das Problem beherrschenden Systems von nichtlinearen Integro-Differentialgleichungen. Es zeigt sich, dass die Stromung vom Hartmannschen Typ ist und auch entsprechende charakteristische Eigenschaften zur Elektrizitatserzeugung hat. Der erzeugte Strom ist proportional zur Temperaturdifferenz zwischen der Flussigkeit und den Wanden.
Experimental based energy performance analysis and life cycle assessment for solar absorption cooling system at University of Californian, Merced

Abstract Traditional air conditioning and heating systems in buildings are fossil fuel based energy systems, which take the main responsible for the carbon emissions. In contrast, using solar energy for air conditioning becomes one of the promising approaches to reduce energy consumptions and negative environmental impacts from buildings. University of California, Merced built a test facility to investigate the technology: solar cooling. The solar system has 54 m2 external compound parabolic concentrator (XCPC) solar collectors to drive a 23 kW double-effect absorption chiller. This paper first provides the detailed energy performance analysis of the experiments conducted in August, 2012. The data collected from the experiments shows that the system could provide adequate cooling for a test facility between 11AM to 5PM in both sunny and cloudy days. The daily average collector efficiency is at the range of 36% to 39%. The average coefficient of performance (COP) of the LiBr absorption chiller is between 0.91 and 1.02 with an average of 1.0, and the daily solar COP is approximately at 0.374. In addition to the experimental investigation, a detailed life cycle economic and environmental assessment was also performed by comparing the solar systems to the conventional systems in two types of office buildings at three locations at California. Two different solar cooling system configurations were considered: (i) configuration 1 sizes the area of solar collectors and absorption chiller to meet the peak cooling demand, and uses natural gas as the only backup energy source; (ii) configuration 2 sizes the area of solar collectors and absorption chiller to meet half of the peak cooling demand, and uses natural gas as the backup energy source for the absorption chiller, while incorporates an electrical vapor compression chiller to meet the rest half of peak cooling demand. The annual performance predicts that the systems can achieve the annual solar fraction around 55–68%. And the configuration 2 achieves better life cycle economic and environmental performance than the configuration 1. Specifically, the configuration 2 can achieve lower present worth cost during the entire life span than the conventional systems. And both configuration 1 and 2 can reduce the life time carbon footprint by 35–70%.
Discretionary leniency in police enforcement of laws against drinking and driving: Two examples from the state of Maine, USA

Abstract This article examines discretionary leniency in police enforcement of two laws against drinking and driving in the state of Maine: a criminal law against operating under the influence of alcohol (OUI; BAC ≥ .10) and a law making it an administrative offense for teenagers to drive with BACs ≥ .02. A telephone survey of 200 randomly selected police officers showed that in the year before the survey twenty-one percent reported decisions not to apprehend and forty-two percent not to arrest drivers suspected of OUI. Nine percent of officers reported decisions not to apprehend, thirty-five percent not to request BAC tests, and thirty-five percent not to cite teenaged drivers suspected of having BACs ≥ .02. Those who reported discretionary OUI decisions did so in a mean of nineteen percent of possible apprehensions and twenty-four percent of possible arrests. Those who reported .02 discretion did so in twenty-six percent of apprehensions, fifty-one percent of possible breath tests, and fifty-two percent of possible citations. Stepwise logistic regression analysis showed three predictors of decisions not to apprehend OUI suspects: beliefs that officers may have higher police priorities, that OUI jail sentences should be longer, and that OUI cases are difficult to prosecute. There were no predictors of decisions not to arrest. Officers who favored the .02 law were less likely to exercise discretionary leniency in .02 apprehensions, as were those who believed that OUI cases take too long to come to trial and those with longer police careers. Officers who felt that penalties were too severe were more likely to report discretionary decisions not to request breath tests, as were those with shorter service careers. Officers with shorter service careers reported more discretionary decisions not to cite, as did those who reported that penalties for teenaged OUI offenders are too severe.
The Design of Authentic Inquiry for Online Knowledge-Constructive Interaction and Self-Regulated Learning Processes

This study examined students' self-regulated learning processes and satisfaction within an authentic, inquiry-based learning module in a graduate-level online course. In this design-based case study, a WebQuest-based, authentic learning module was developed to support self-regulated, collaborative discussions, and implemented with 22 graduate students at a large southeastern university in US. Online discussion transcripts were coded via the Online Learning Interaction Model, and learning satisfaction data were collected via an online survey. As a result, students' social and knowledge-constructive interactions were closely associated with self-regulated processes. During group and class discussions, students were involved in planning and coordination interactions as well as those for reflection and self-evaluation. Students were generally satisfied with the design elements implemented in the authentic activities. The study findings provide insights on the design of the authentic and inquiry learning that supports both social and individual aspects of self-regulation processes.
Introducing intelligence in distributed systems management

In recent years, there has been growing use of distributed systems, and therefore a growing demand for tools able to manage them. However, these tools are not always well suited to their task, in part because of the lack of built-in intelligence. This paper discusses how to introduce intelligence to distributed systems management and control. To do so we analyse requirements for distributed systems management and focus on management tasks from the architecture and model points of view. Intelligence is introduced through distributed artificial intelligence concepts and multiagent systems. We illustrate the application of our techniques with an example based on traffic and congestion control in ATM networks.
FORMATION/CONSOLIDATION OF WC-Co CERMETS BY SIMPLE SHEAR

Previous research using equal channel angular extrusion (ECAE) has shown that the process can be used to produce ultrafine equiaxed grains and filamentary microstructures. This method can also be used to effectively consolidate discontinuous material such as powder. A drawback of conventional extrusion is that the resulting inhomogeneous deformation is often not ideal for complex shaped industrial parts. In contrast, ECAE can be used for uniform deformations by simple shear to produce large and small cross-section material form which parts can be made. The extrusion procedure is carried out by extruding a long billet from an inlet channel to an exit channel of the same size which intersects the inlet channel at a sharp angle; 90{degree} is typical. The process can be repeated on the same part to impart a large amount of shear deformation to the entire billet, except for small end areas. The principal objective of this study was to determine the effect of simple shear on the consolidation of WC-Co powders. The effect of the extrusion temperature and the amount of shear on the compaction and formation of the WC cermets were investigated. In this research, the successful consolidation of (W+C)-Co and WC-Co powders by ECAE ismore » reported. The ECAE processed WC-Co phases and sample properties compare favorably with those of conventionally sintered material.« less
The Bonus Army: A Lesson on the Great Depression

After the end of World War I, Congress enacted a bill that would reward military veterans for their service. The bill provided the veterans cash bonuses that would be paid starting in 1945. But as the nation settled into the Great Deression these veterans began to clamor for payment of their bonuses. In May of 1932, and estimated 15,000 veterans and their families made their way to Washington D. C. The events of the “Bonus Army” provide the basis of a lesson for students to examine the plight of these veterans and the eventual response of the federal government to later pass the GI Bill of Rights.
Optimal power-constrained SoC test schedules with customizable clock rates

In this paper, we propose a method of minimizing test time in SoCs (System-on-chip), for a given power budget, by varying the test clock frequency for each test session. Since frequency is proportional to the test time and the power dissipated, by controlling the test clock frequency, the power dissipated and the test time per session can be adjusted so as to yield an optimal solution to the test scheduling problem. To achieve this, we modify the existing ILP (Integer-Linear Program) model for optimal test scheduling to include a variable frequency parameter which, in turn, controls the test time and power. For the optimization, we have used an open-source ILP solver. We also prove that the lower bound on the total test time of an SoC, is obtained by executing individual cores (tests) per session at their maximum frequency of operation, such that their test power is same as the power budget. Results show an improvement of 27% over existing solution for the benchmark SoC, ASIC Z.
Vaccinia virus A56/K2 fusion regulatory protein interacts with the A16 and G9 subunits of the entry fusion complex.

Deletion of the A56R or K2L gene of vaccinia virus (VACV) results in the spontaneous fusion of infected cells to form large multinucleated syncytia. A56 and K2 polypeptides bind to one another (A56/K2) and together are required for interaction with the VACV entry fusion complex (EFC); this association has been proposed to prevent the fusion of infected cells. At least eight viral polypeptides comprise the EFC, but no information has been available regarding their interactions either with each other or with A56/K2. Utilizing a panel of recombinant VACVs designed to repress expression of individual EFC subunits, we demonstrated that A56/K2 interacted with two polypeptides: A16 and G9. Both A16 and G9 were required for the efficient binding of each to A56/K2, suggesting that the two polypeptides interact with each other within the EFC. Such an interaction was established by the copurification of A16 and G9 from infected cells under conditions in which a stable EFC complex failed to assemble and from detergent-treated lysates of uninfected cells that coexpressed A16 and G9. A recombinant VACV that expressed G9 modified with an N-terminal epitope tag induced the formation of syncytia, suggesting partial interference with the functional interaction of A56/K2 with the EFC during infection. These data suggest that A16 and G9 are physically associated within the EFC and that their interaction with A56/K2 suppresses spontaneous syncytium formation and possibly “fuse-back” superinfection of cells.