cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Immunogenetics of development and its relationship to carcinogenesis.

Ansrucr We have been exploring the classical idea that there is a close relationship between embryogenesis and carcinogenesis. The clinical literature provides evidence for a relationship among the presence of developmental anomalies, an increased incidence ofcancer, and genes linked to the major histocompatibility complex (MHC). This relationship was explored experimentally by testing the possibility that rats having the growth and reproduction complex &re), which causes developmental abnormalities, might be more susceptible to the development of canccr following exposure to a chemical carcinogen. Two groups of animals which were genetically similar except for the presence or absence of the grc were fed the carcinogen 2-aminoacetylfluorene. The animals carrying the grc developed the morphological changes associated with early cancer of the liver, whereas their normal counterpans did not. These susceptible animals also had a number of biochemical alterations, especially in cholesterol biosynthesis, which may be associated with the development of cancer. Molecular analysis ofgenomic DNA by blot hybridization revealed restriction fragment length polymorphism differences between the DNA from grc and grc+ rats, and these differences may be related to the differential susceptibility of the strains 10 cancer.
Anova, kruskal-wallis, normal scores and unequal variance

This study examines the effects of unequal variance within groups (but not among groups) on the F, Kruskal-Wallis, and Normal Scores tests. The study simulates the unequal variance problem for three distributions, two configurations of means, three levels of means, two different numbers of groups, three sample sizes per group, and equal or unequal variance within group. The distribution affected the performance of all tests, but the F test was affected most. Violation of the equal variance assumption harmed the F test severely, although not as much as non-normality. The Kruskal-Wallis and Normal Scores tests behaved almost identically.
Changes in coagulation parameters with exercise in patients with classic hemophilia

Vigorous exercise is known to increase VIII:C and VIIIR:Ag levels transiently in normal individuals. Although exercise programs are frequently advocated in the management of hemophilia, the effects of exercise on coagulation parameters in these patients have not been well studied. Eleven hemophiliacs were exercised on a bicycle ergometer to maximum voluntary effort as evidenced by an increase in pulse, blood pressure, and plasma catecholamine (norephinephrine and epinephrine) levels. The effects of this exercise on coagulation parameters, including functional and antigenic components of the factor VIII molecule, were determined. The entire group demonstrated a decrease in mean prothrombin time (11.7 to 11.2 sec). Four mild hemophiliacs demonstrated an increase in mean VIII:C (14.5% to 17.3%), and VIII:CAg (12% to 17.8%). Changes in VIII:C and VIII:CAg were not noted in the seven severe hemophiliacs. Both severe and mild patients demonstrated significant changes in fibrinogen, factor II, and factor VII after exercise. This study indicates that submaximal exercise modifies coagulation parameters in patients with hemophilia.
Gender Differences in the Prevalence of Somatic Versus Pure Depression: A Replication

OBJECTIVE: Using data from the Epidemiologic Catchment Area (ECA) study, the author attempted to replicate the finding of the National Comorbidity Survey that the prevalence of depression associated with somatic symptoms was much higher among women than men. METHOD: The author reanalyzed data from the ECA study. He divided respondents into those who met criteria for major depression and exhibited appetite and sleep disturbances and fatigue (somatic depression) and those who met depression criteria but did not exhibit all of these somatic criteria (pure depression). RESULTS: The reanalysis revealed that the prevalence of somatic depression but not pure depression was much higher among women than men. Somatic depression was associated with high rates of pain; among women, it was associated with high rates of anxiety disorders and chronic dysphoria. CONCLUSIONS: The gender difference in depression may result from a difference in a specific type of depression—anxious somatic depression.
State oriented programming

This paper describes a methodology called "state oriented programming" to generate code from state-machine based formal design specification. The methodology is focused on the safety critical systems. In order to achieve highly reliable system development, the following several key techniques are presented: 1) State-of-interest based design technique which seamlessly incorporates system/hazard analysis into the design and executable code; 2) Automated transparent code generation technique that mitigates unexpected behaviors of the code; and 3) Fully deterministic backward execution mechanism of the generated code.
Recombination proteins in yeast.

▪ Abstract The process of homologous recombination promotes error-free repair of double-strand breaks and is essential for meiosis. Central to the process of homologous recombination are the RAD52 group genes (RAD50, RAD51, RAD52, RAD54, RDH54/TID1, RAD55, RAD57, RAD59, MRE11, and XRS2), most of which were identified by their requirement for the repair of ionizing radiation-induced DNA damage in Saccharomyces cerevisiae. The Rad52 group proteins are highly conserved among eukaryotes. Recent studies showing defects in homologous recombination and double-strand break repair in several human cancer-prone syndromes have emphasized the importance of this repair pathway in maintaining genome integrity. Herein, we review recent genetic, biochemical, and structural analyses of the genes and proteins involved in recombination.
Methotrexate leukoencephalopathy presenting as Klüver-Bucy syndrome and uncinate seizures

Methotrexate causes several biochemical changes that impact the nervous system. The neurotoxicity usually affects the cerebral white matter, causing a leukoencephalopathy that can be chronic and progressive with cognitive decline. A 15-year-old male developed olfactory seizures and behavioral abnormalities (hypersexuality, placidity, and memory disturbances) compatible with partial Kluver-Bucy syndrome after treatment for central nervous system leukemia with intraventricular methotrexate. A magnetic resonance imaging study revealed evidence of white matter disease affecting both temporal lobes. A brain biopsy revealed a necrotizing encephalopathy compatible with methotrexate-related white matter injury. It may be prudent to verify normal cerebrospinal fluid dynamics before the administration of intraventricular methotrexate in children with a history of central nervous system leukemia.
THE PREPARATION OF CERIUM-IV HYDROXIDE FROM AMMONIUM HEXA-NITRATOCERATE BY EMPLOYING KINETICALLY CONTROLLED PRECIPITATION THROUGH UREA HYDROLYSIS

Abstract The preparation of cerium-IV hydroxide by kinetically controlled precipitation through use of the hydrolysis of urea and its reaction with ammonium hexanitratocerate is described. The air-dried product thus obtained is of fine-mesh particle size and is readily soluble in hot dilute sulphuric acid to form solutions of sulphatoceric acid, H 2 Ce(SO 4 ) 3 , for oxidimetric titrations.
The Non-Existence of God: Tillich, Aquinas, and the Pseudo-Dionysius

Because the notions of finitude and temporality often get associated with the concept of “existence,” theologians have sometimes found cause to worry about what we are doing when we assert the existence of God. Perhaps the most radical expression of this worry occurs in Paul Tillich's Systematic Theology where he claims, paradoxically, that “God does not exist.” Despite the fact that the remark appears in a book written both within the tradition of, and about, Christian theology, Tillich spends considerable effort trying to convince us why the affirmation that God does exist must be stricken from Christian discourse. Tillich tells us, for example, that “however it is defined, the ‘existence of God’ contradicts the idea of a creative ground of essence and existence.” Therefore, “to argue that God exists is to deny him.” Not only would it be “a great victory for Christian apologetics if the words ‘God’ and ‘existence’ were very definitely separated”; indeed, theology “must eliminate the combination of the words ‘existence’ and ‘God.’” In short, “it is as atheistic to affirm the existence of God as it is to deny it.”
A Catholic Progressive? The Case of Judge E. O. Brown

Progressivism has been notoriously hard to define, not least because progressives have been so diverse in their views and positions. They came in virtually all shapes, sizes, and opinions. One group, however, has seldom been included under the progressive umbrella, and that is American Catholics. But consider the credentials of Edward Osgood Brown, born in Salem, Massachusetts, in 1847 to a long-established Yankee sea-faring family, who migrated to Chicago in 1872 and died there in 1923.
Effects of the putative dopamine D3 receptor agonist 7-OH-DPAT in rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate cocaine from saline

These studies were designed to evaluate the effects of the putative dopamine D3 receptor agonist 7-hydroxy-N,N-di-n-propyl-2-aminotetraline (7-OH-DPAT), alone and in combination with cocaine, in four rhesus monkeys trained to discriminate cocaine (0.4 mg/kg, IM) from saline under a fixed-ratio 30 schedule of food presentation. Under these conditions, cumulative doses of cocaine (0.013–1.3 mg/kg) produced a dose-dependent and complete generalization to the training dose of cocaine in all monkeys, while producing only minimal effects on response rates. The discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine were antagonized by the non-selective dopamine receptor antagonist flupenthixol (0.018 mg/kg, IM) in all four monkeys. The effects of 7-OH-DPAT (0.01–1.8 mg/kg) were inconsistent across monkeys. In two of the four monkeys (monkeys L990 and L958), 7-OH-DPAT consistently and completely generalized to cocaine and decreased response rates in a dose-dependent manner. Both the cocaine-like discriminative stimulus effects and rate-decreasing effects of 7-OH-DPAT were antagonized by flupenthixol in these two monkeys. Pretreatment with low doses of 7-OH-DPAT (0.01–0.032 mg/kg) had no effect on the cocaine dose-effect curve in monkeys L990 and L958; however, higher doses of 7-OH-DPAT (0.032–0.32 mg/kg) shifted the cocaine dose-effect curve to the left. In the other two monkeys (monkeys 150F and 89B036), 7-OH-DPAT produced a dose-dependent decrease in response rates but did not consistently generalize to cocaine. Flupenthixol did not antagonize the rate-decreasing effects of 7-OH-DPAT in these two monkeys, and pretreatment with 7-OH-DPAT (0.1–0.32 mg/kg) produced a decrease in response rates but had no effect on the cocaine dose-effect curve. Time-course experiments revealed that 7-OH-DPAT (0.32 mg/kg) displayed a slower onset and a longer duration of effect than the training dose of cocaine. Finally, the D3/D2 dopamine agonist quinpirole completely generalized to cocaine in three monkeys, and partially in the fourth monkey. Quinpirole showed the highest potency in those monkeys in which 7-OH-DPAT consistently generalized to cocaine. The results of the present study suggest that, in rhesus monkeys, 7-OH-DPAT produces cocaine-like effects and may modulate the discriminative stimulus effects of cocaine in some monkeys.
Functional Characterization of Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Open Reading Frame K8 by Bacterial Artificial Chromosome-Based Mutagenesis

The open reading frame K8 of Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV) encodes a basic leucine zipper (bZip) protein that binds to the origin of viral DNA replication and is an integral component of viral lytic DNA replication complex. Moreover, K8 physically interacts with replication and transcription activator (RTA) and represses its transactivation activity on several viral promoters. To investigate the role of this protein in viral life cycle, we constructed two K8-null recombinant mutant viruses (BAC-ΔK8 and BAC-stopK8) by using a bacterial artificial chromosome (BAC) system. Latent viral infection can be reconstituted in 293T and BJAB cells with wild-type and the K8-null recombinant viruses by introducing the cloned viral genomes into the cells. When the cells carrying these viruses were induced with 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) and sodium butyrate, no significant difference was seen in overall viral gene expression between wild-type and K8-null viruses, with lytic DNA replication still active in the latter. However, 293T cells harboring K8-null mutant viruses, either BAC-ΔK8 or BAC-stopK8, displayed lower copy numbers of latent KSHV genome in comparison with wild-type viruses. Furthermore, although K8 deficiency appeared to not affect infectivity when K8-null viruses were used to infect 293T, primary human microvascular dermal endothelial and human foreskin fibroblast cells, they exhibited much lower viral genome copy numbers in all types of cell compared to wild-type viruses. Taken together, these data suggest a possible role of K8 in abortive lytic DNA replication occurring in early stages of de novo infection or in the maintenance of latent viral genomes.
Characterization of wavelength conversion by four wave mixing in silicon waveguides

We characterize a silicon based wavelength converter using a commercial semiconductor amplifier based wavelength converter as a benchmark. Results show that silicon achieves -5.5 dB efficiency, offers broader conversion bandwidth, higher OSNR and negligible channel crosstalk.
Review of Mechanically Related Failures of Ceramic Capacitors and Capacitor Materials

This paper reviews the brittle fracture behavior of dielectric ceramics such as barium titanate, and describes some of the relationships between defects such as cracks and electrical degradation and failure of multilayer capacitors. Stresses arising from the ferroelectric phase transformation in these dielectric materials are shown to play a part as a driving force for crack growth. In addition, possible contributions to failure from stresses arising from thermal excursions in the capacitor are discussed. Low-voltage failures arising from a short between the electrodes in multilayer capacitors are shown to be related to the growth of cracks in the dielectric. A technique for predicting the onset of these types of failures based upon fracture mechanics techniques is described. Possible effects of the electric field itself in promoting or retarding the growth of cracks are discussed.
Childhood asthma and allergic rhinitis: the role of leukotrienes

Research in the past two decades has shown that patients with asthma and rhinitis have inflammation of the involved tissues. This perception has been reflected in recent treatment guidelines, which stress the decreased use of symptom-based therapy and increased use of antiinflammatory therapies to control underlying inflammation. Corticosteroids are the most effective drugs currently in use; however, their use may be limited by potential problems with safety and patient/family adherence, which includes the "fear factor." In addition, the use of high doses of topical corticosteroids (especially when used in both the nose and airways) may have adverse effects when used continuously for long periods. The inflammatory response is complex, involving numerous inflammatory mediators and cells that interact in complicated and interrelated pathways. This provides researchers with numerous interactions at which molecular intervention may result in the attenuation of inflammation, and thus clinical disease. The leukotrienes, a group of important inflammatory mediators, cause vascular leakage and tissue edema; they also promote mucus secretion and a potent bronchoconstriction in patients with asthma. Currently a number of antileukotriene drugs have been developed and preliminary research indicates that they may provide clinicians with a non-steroidal antiinflammatory therapy that may provide steroid-sparing effects. This review examines the leukotrienes and the effects of antileukotriene agents in patients with asthma and allergic rhinitis.
Induction of Autoreactive T Cells by Stimulation Across the I-J Subregion

The initial observations that determinants controlled by the I-J subregion are expressed on allotype suppressor T cells (1) and are associated with a soluble T cell derived suppressor mediator (2) has stimulated a great deal of investigative work on this segment of chromosome (reviewed in 3,4). Determinants controlled by the I-J subregion and defined by alloantibody are expressed on 1) T cell subsets (Ly-l+,2-; Ly-l+,2+; Ly-l-,2+) and solubile mediators involved in the generation of suppressor activity (5,6,7); 2) a helper T cell subset (Ly-l+,2-) (8); 3) T cell subsets (Ly-l+,2-; Ly- l+,2+; Ly-l-,2+) and a soluble mediator involved in the generation of contrasuppressor activity (9); 4) some cytotoxic T lymphocytes (10); and 5) a non-T-non-B (macrophage) cell subset involved in the generation of humoral responses (11,12).
Baroque Twins: Science and Opera: The Fin Lieto of the Baroque Formulation of Consciousness

Like other works of the period, Monteverdi’s Favola d’Orfeo is also called a “tragedia.”1 But unlike other works of this period it does not rub in this fact by opening with a Prologue sung by “tragedia.” Still, the inventors of opera, like their contemporary playwrights, certainly believed they had revived or even reinvented Greek tragedy, and perhaps with good reason.2 Of course, even though the plots of operas were drawn from the still well-stocked shelves of ancient tragedy, like other works of the theatre they were often tempered with an apotheosis comprising a fin lieto. Perhaps the most generalizable and favorable judgment about the revival and reinvention would be that of Schrade who insists that the term, “tragedia,” would now seem to denote a characteristic of the “human condition” rather than works comprising a literary genre.3 Or we might even say that the “human condition” has itself become a new literary genre. Auden’s caveat is worth repeating here because it expresses Schrade’s point in yet another way: “in a sense, there can be no tragic opera because whatever errors the characters make and whatever they suffer, they are doing exactly what they wish. Hence the feeling that opera seria should not employ a contemporary subject, but confine itself to mythical situations, that is, situations which, as human beings, we are all of us necessarily in and must, therefore, accept, however tragic they may be.”4
Helping Legal Writers Embrace their Inner Salieri: Re-Vision is Just “Seeing Again”

The sublime perfection of Mozart’s compositions arose from his ability to present complex material clearly, cleanly, and without pretense or excess. Mozart’s compositions are accessible to all listeners. They do not require the listener to have had special training or experience. They do not presuppose that the listener has been exposed to some musical jargon or genre. The music “speaks” to everyone. And that is the goal for all legal writers – to speak to all legal readers. The writing must be accessible and clear regardless of each reader’s background or expertise. The writing must be pure essence without pretense. It must not force the reader to struggle to comprehend. It must not furrow the reader’s brow. That can all be condensed into one concept: Great legal writers make economic use of plain language. Now, reflect on that concept, and the legal writer will find that the concept applies to every type of legal writer. Although each sub-group of legal writers has its own needs and wants and its own level of expertise or experience, legal writing that is presented economically in plain language will ensure that clients are served and informed; judges are more likely to be persuaded; and partners and supervising attorneys are educated and advised. All of this only requires that the legal writer re-vision, to see again with each reader’s eyes. But no matter the type of reader, plain language will better achieve the goal that the writer seeks. Plain legal language informs and advises without risk of inadvertent confusion. It persuades without furrowing the reader’s brow. Remember, we are Salieris, not Mozarts who can “simply [write] down music already finished in his head!” We must spend the time to re-vision and rewrite in plain legal language.
Genetics of Type 2 Diabetes

The promise of high-throughput genomics has started to deliver novel insights in the genetic etiology of type 2 diabetes and its related traits. In particular, genome-wide association studies have revealed new biological underpinnings to metabolic traits, with particular focus being on the strongest loci TCF7L2 and FTO. However, many challenges still lie ahead as much of the “missing heritability” of such traits remains to be elucidated, with only a minority of the genetic component to type 2 diabetes being characterized to date. Undeterred, investigators are aiming to use what has been found to already attempt risk prediction models, while lab-based researchers are trying to elucidate functional mechanism. However, the latter has a number of challenges as these well-established signals still require full characterization of the causal tissue, the causal variant, and often the actual causal gene. However, once advances are made of these fronts, the future looks bright with respect to the development of novel therapeutics and diagnostics for type 2 diabetes and its related traits.
100 Years of Black Film

In 1910, black filmmaker William (Bill) D. Foster formed the first African American film company, laying the groundwork for modern black cinema and addressing the negative, pervasive African Americ...
Energy Harvesting From Aeroelastic Instabilities

This paper examines fully coupled electromagnetic-elastic behaviors present in the structures of smart beams using variational asymptotic beam sections and geometrically exact fully intrinsic beam equations. Results for energy harvesting from smart beams under an aeroelastic load are calculated and the corresponding deformations are presented. A smart beam is compared with a beam constructed of standard materials to illustrate the general trends and affects that smart materials have on the stability of a cross-section. Smart materials change mechanical energy to electrical energy; therefore, changing its stiffness matrix and its structural dynamic behavior. A smart structure can be designed to undergo larger loads without changing the surface area of the cross-section.
Relative population of 0 + states in 10 He in various reactions

By using simple direct-reaction models, I have estimated the ratio of excited 0${}^{+}$ to ground-state production in ${}^{10}$He for several different reactions. I present the results as a function of the amount of mixing between the two basis states.
The Neural Feedback Response to Error As a Teaching Signal for the Motor Learning System.

When we experience an error during a movement, we update our motor commands to partially correct for this error on the next trial. How does experience of error produce the improvement in the subsequent motor commands? During the course of an erroneous reaching movement, proprioceptive and visual sensory pathways not only sense the error, but also engage feedback mechanisms, resulting in corrective motor responses that continue until the hand arrives at its goal. One possibility is that this feedback response is co-opted by the learning system and used as a template to improve performance on the next attempt. Here we used electromyography (EMG) to compare neural correlates of learning and feedback to test the hypothesis that the feedback response to error acts as a template for learning. We designed a task in which mixtures of error-clamp and force-field perturbation trials were used to deconstruct EMG time courses into error-feedback and learning components. We observed that the error-feedback response was composed of excitation of some muscles, and inhibition of others, producing a complex activation/deactivation pattern during the reach. Despite this complexity, across muscles the learning response was consistently a scaled version of the error-feedback response, but shifted 125 ms earlier in time. Across people, individuals who produced a greater feedback response to error, also learned more from error. This suggests that the feedback response to error serves as a teaching signal for the brain. Individuals who learn faster have a better teacher in their feedback control system. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Our sensory organs transduce errors in behavior. To improve performance, we must generate better motor commands. How does the nervous system transform an error in sensory coordinates into better motor commands in muscle coordinates? Here we show that when an error occurs during a movement, the reflexes transform the sensory representation of error into motor commands. To learn from error, the nervous system scales this feedback response and then shifts it earlier in time, adding it to the previously generated motor commands. This addition serves as an update to the motor commands, constituting the learning signal. Therefore, by providing a coordinate transformation, the feedback system generates a template for learning from error.
Surprise Ending: Richard Powers’s The Echo Maker, Mystery Stories, and Unnatural Narratology

ABSTRACTThis study analyzes Richard Powers’s The Echo Maker to show how it uses a conventional mystery-story genre but also subverts genre expectations. The way the novel subverts generic expectations is to make the answer to the crucial mystery question both resolve and complicate the issues the story raises. The end of the novel clarifies what the story is about, but the meaning of the story remains open. The study then turns to unnatural narratology to address this unique situation, resulting in the conclusion that nonconventional works tend to be more realist (mimetic) than conventional works. That informs a consideration of The Echo Maker as a timely after-postmodern novel.
The Parent as Trainer of Professionals

A number of factors, including political movements, legal actions, advances in the technology of teaching, and a still-growing understanding of the causes and treatments of autism, have combined to produce a major reversal in professional attitudes toward parents, described in Chapter 1.
Intraoperative Consultation in Gynecologic Pathology: Introduction

The primary function of intraoperative consultation is to provide a tissue evaluation that is as accurate and prompt as possible and to effectively communicate the findings to the operating surgeon to guide subsequent surgical management of the patient. The primary goals of frozen section diagnosis include the evaluation of the presence of malignancy, tumor assessment of the primary site, histological type and grade, and assessment of the extent of local tumor invasion and distant metastasis.
Pneumococcal Biofilms and Bacterial Persistence During Otitis Media Infections

Biofilms are multicellular microbial communities that contribute to persistent colonization and infectious disease by many different mucosal pathogens. One widely cited clinical context for which a role for biofilms has long been suspected is chronic and recurrent otitis media in children. In this chapter we highlight studies from different laboratory groups over the past 20 years that demonstrate that mixed species biofilms that include Streptococcus pneumoniae (the pneumococcus) occur and have clinical relevance. What is more, these studies have led to an understanding of the molecular mechanisms of biofilm formation and persistence, and have identified possible targets for treatment or prevention of biofilms. Altogether, it is now clear that the biofilm paradigm is relevant to otitis media infections, and its study provides key insights into this highly prevalent and costly disease.
Nasal Packing for Epistaxis

Epistaxis is an acute hemorrhage from the nostrils, nasal cavity, or nasopharynx that can range from mild and self-limiting to severe epistaxis requiring packing or even surgical intervention. The advanced care provider should be aware of the anatomy, causes, and treatment modalities available for anterior and posterior nasal packing. Special consideration should be given to patients who receive anticoagulants such as warfarin or other platelet inhibitors and patients with acquired coagulopathies due to renal, liver disease, or genetic disorders such as hemophilia. Ensure adequate resuscitation and reversal of anticoagulants if needed.
An Improbable Observation of the Diurnal Core Resonance

The resonance associated with the ellipticity of the core-mantle boundary is usually measured with observations of either the Earth’s nutations, or of tidal gravity, strain, or tilt. But, improbably, it can also be seen in a dataset collected and processed with older and simpler technologies: the harmonic constants for the ocean tides. One effect of the resonance is to decrease the ratio of the amplitude of the P1 constituent to the amplitude of the K1 constituent to 0.96 of the ratio in the equilibrium tidal potential. The compilation of ocean-tide harmonic constants prepared by the International Hydrographic Bureau between 1930 and 1980 shows considerable scatter in this ratio; however, if problematic stations and regions are removed, this dataset clearly shows a decreased ratio. While these data apply only a weak constraint to the frequency of the resonance, they also show that the effect could have been observed long before it actually was.
A Robust C-element Design with Enhanced Metastability Performance

Metastability causes unpredictable behavior in circuits which can sometimes cause circuit failure. Although much work has been done to reduce the possibility of metastability in synchronous designs, metastability in asynchronous designs has not been given significant attention to date. For asynchronous designs, metastability resolution is assumed to be handled by the handshaking protocol. However, metastability might manifest (at the electrical level) in various asynchronous circuit elements for special timing cases.. One such circuit element is the C-element, which is heavily used in asynchronous circuit design. The C-element is vulnerable to metastability conditions at its output, when there is a short overlap in the input values. In this paper, a robust design of a C-element is proposed, which aims at reducing the possibility of metastability at the output by using independent paths for the pull-up and pull-down transitions. Three different popular circuit topologies for a C-element have been studied and modified with the proposed approach. Experimental results show significant improvements in signal integrity at the output of the C-element, with up to $9\times$ improvement in the metastability window.
Geoeconomics, Globalisation and the Limits of Economic Strategy in Statecraft: A Response to Vihma

ABSTRACTThis paper is a response to Antto Vihma’s article ‘Geoeconomic Analysis and the Limits of Critical Geopolitics: A New Engagement with Edward Luttwak’. Taking issue with Vihma’s critique of the limits of critical geopolitics, it argues that it is instead the use of economic strategies in statecraft – Vihma’s state-centric vision of geoeconomics inspired by Edward Luttwak – that is really better understood as limited. To map these limitations, it is necessary to attend to three specific limits: first, the limits of conceptualising geoeconomics in simply instrumental terms as a tool of statecraft; second, the limits of capital and specifically the ways in which the geographical limits created by the on-going tensions between spatial fixity and spatial expansion in capitalism are refracted through the on-going entanglements of geopolitics and geoeconomics; and third, the limits of personal positionality and the emotional fears, hopes, dreams and passions that influence geostrategic discourse more gene...
Multilevel Pay Theory

Multilevel pay systems are interdependent pay practices that motivate behavior and performance across levels of an organization. This study develops a multilevel pay theory that emphasizes the micr...
System CaO-MgO-Al 2 O 3 -SiO 2 Saturated with Silica

The silica-saturated CMAS system includes assemblages with anorthite, kyanite, and quartz or coesite. Clinopyroxene coexisting with such silica-rich phases can dissolve an excess of silica charge balanced by vacancies in the M2 site. Such “non-stoichiometric” pyroxenes were first reported by Eskola (1921) and synthesized by Mao (1971). Other natural occurrences were reported by Smyth (1980) and McCormick (1986). The compositions of clinopyroxene with vacancies can be extrapolated to the end-member Ca0.5AlSi2O6. Following Khanukova et al. (1976 a), Gasparik and Lindsley [2] started to use for this component the name Ca-Eskola pyroxene (CaEs), and reported the synthesis of a pyroxene along the CaTs-CaEs join with up to 40 mol % of CaEs.
Moxifloxacin versus levofloxacin for antibacterial prophylaxis in acute leukemia patients.

ObjectiveThe primary endpoint of this study was to determine the incidence of febrile neutropenia among patients receiving either moxifloxacin or levofloxacin for antibacterial prophylaxis. Seconda...
The Association between Daily Posttraumatic Stress Symptoms and Pain over the First 14-days after Injury: An Experience Sampling Study.

Objectives Psychosocial factors and responses to injury modify the transition from acute to chronic pain. Specifically, posttraumatic stress disorder symptoms (PTSS; reexperiencing, avoidance, and hyperarousal symptoms) exacerbate and co-occur with chronic pain. Yet no study has prospectively considered the associations among these psychological processes and pain reports using experience sampling methods (ESM) during the acute aftermath of injury. This study applied ESM via daily text messaging to monitor and detect relationships among psychosocial factors and post-injury pain across the first 14-days after emergency department (ED) discharge. Methods We recruited 75 adults (59% male; M age = 33) who experienced a potentially traumatic injury (i.e., involving life threat or serious injury) in the past 24-hours from the EDs of two Level 1 trauma centers. Participants received 5 questions per day via text messaging from Day-1 to Day-14 post-ED discharge; three questions measured PTSS, one question measured perceived social support, and one question measured physical pain. Results Sixty-seven participants provided sufficient data for inclusion in the final analyses, and the average response rate per subject was 86%. Pain severity score decreased from a mean of 7.2 to 4.4 over 14 days and 50% of the variance in daily pain scores was within-person. In multilevel structural equation models, pain scores decreased over time, and daily fluctuations of hyperarousal (b = 0.22, 95% CI [0.08, 0.36]) were uniquely associated with daily fluctuations in reported pain level within each person. Conclusions Daily hyperarousal symptoms predict same-day pain severity over the acute post-injury recovery period. We also demonstrated feasibility to screen and identify patients at risk for pain chronicity in the acute aftermath of injury. Early interventions aimed at addressing hyperarousal (e.g. anxiolytics) could potentially aid in reducing experience of pain. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.
Investigation of Sc2O3 for high laser durability ultraviolet coating applications

The potential application of high-power UV lasers as an illumination source has stimulated the study and the development of new materials with high refractive index as constituents for optical devices. As a wide band gap and high refractive index material, Sc2O3 has been explored for UV optical coating applications. The physical and optical properties of Sc2O3 films are strongly dependent upon the deposition method, growth conditions and some postdeposition treatment. Plasma ion assisted deposition (PIAD) is a well-known advanced deposition technique to deposit dense dielectric films with superior optical properties such as smoothness, low scatter, and environmental stability. This research work is to apply PIAD process to obtain homogenous and UV transparent Sc2O3 layers to be paired with SiO2 to prepare UV 266nm antireflection coatings. Higher bandgap materials require higher photon energies when absorbed by a material and converted to electron excitation which promotes a valence electron to the conduction band. This would result in higher laser damage threshold. The coating performance and UV laser induced damage threshold of these AR coatings made with Sc2O3 layered with SiO2 are compared with the coatings made with HfO2-SiO2 paired AR coatings. The Sc2O3-SiO2 paired coatings demonstrate a comparable low reflectivity to AR coatings using HfO2 as high index materials. Furthermore, it shows a higher UV laser damage threshold than HfO2-SiO2 paired AR coatings. Sc2O3 demonstrates its potential application through this research work as optical interference coatings for high power UV laser devices.
Generation of Free Radicals Results in Increased Rates of Protein Degradation in Human Erythrocytes

The hydrazines represent a class of agents well recognized for their potent hemolytic activity in red blood cells. Phenylhydrazine, one of the most potent hemolyzing agents known, is one of the few agents capable of producing hemolysis in vitro. Phenylhydrazine reacts with the heme of oxyhemoglobin to generate free radical species which alkylate the porphyrin ring system (Saito and Itano, 1981; Augusto et al., 1982; Winterbourn and French, 1977; Ortiz de Montellano et al., 1983). Similar oxidation reactions have been reported for other substituted hydrazines and alkyl hydrazines (Winterbourn and French, 1977; Ortiz de Montellano et al., 1983). The organic hydroperoxides (cumene hydroperoxide, t-butyl hydroperoxide) also decompose to yield organic free radicals capable of producing protein damage (Trotta et al., 1983; Thornalley et al., 1983; Taffe et al., 1987; Maples et al., 1990).
Environmentally Related Disorders of the Hematologic and Immune Systems

From observations in rodents and, to a lesser extent, in humans inadvertently or occupationally exposed, it appears that a number of xenobiotics adversely affect immune homeostatic systems, either through acting as a hapten and resulting in hypersensitivity reactions or through altering hematopoietic or immune functions. At present, however, there is no evidence that the immune or hematopoietic systems of the general population have been compromised by xenobiotics via environmental exposure. Nonetheless, these examples and our current knowledge about the pathogenesis of disease support the possibility that chemical-induced damage to the immune system may be associated with potential pathological conditions, some of which may become detectable only after a long latency. Likewise, exposure to immunotoxic xenobiotics might represent additional risk to individuals with already fragile immune systems (e.g., in malnutrition, infancy, old age). However, it is important to be cautious when attempting to extrapolate meaningful conclusions from experimental data or isolated epidemiologic studies to risk assessment for low-level human exposure.65 references.
The Cyanidiales: Ecology, Biodiversity, and Biogeography

The order Cyanidiales (or class Cyanidiophyceae) is comprised of asexual, unicellular red algae that are known to grow in low pH environments (0.2–3.5 or 4.0) and at moderately high temperatures (up to 56°C) and are typically found in acidic geothermal habitats throughout the Earth. No other photosynthetic microorganisms are known to inhabit this combination of conditions. The order Cyanidiales, since 1981, is thought to consist of three genera: Cyanidium, Galdieria, and Cyanidioschyzon (Ciniglia et al., 2004; Gross et al., 2001; Heilmann and Gross, 2001). This group of algae appears to be phylogenetically quite distinct from the main line of descent in the red algae and branches off quite early in geologic time (i.e. ∼ 1.3–1.4 Ga), based on phylogenetic, molecular clock inference and fossil evidence for the first reputed macroalgae, which are presumed to be ancestors of the Rhodophyta (Yoon et al., 2002, 2004, 2006b). In this chapter, we comment on the ecology, biodiversity, and biogeography of these fascinating eukaryotic extremophiles, attempting to assimilate recent, important developments in our understanding of these algae.
Acoustical Imaging Techniques Applied to General Transducer Design

The increasing applications of ultrasound in medical diagnosis have been accompanied by corresponding advances in transducer development, as evidenced by the proceedings of this series of symposia. Our research group is investigating ultrasonic bioeffects, an area largely innocent of specialized transducer technology. Some studies employ typical diagnostic ultrasound exposure systems and exposure conditions to simulate clinical insonation in tissue, at the expense of exposure quantification. Other studies are aimed at establishing dose-response relationships and thresholds for ultrasonically-induced effects; in some cases, these experiments are well characterized in terms of exposure conditions, but with few exceptions, the target areas are insonated with very non-uniform beams.
In situ phosphorylation of human platelet and rat basophilic leukemia cell (RBL-2H3) myosin heavy chain and light chain.

Cytoplasmic myosin has been isolated and characterized from numerous vertebrate nonmuscle cells, including platelets, fibroblasts, intestinal brush border and macrophages (for reviews see refs. 1 and 2). Similar to smooth muscle myosin, vertebrate cytoplasmic (also referred to as nonmuscle) myosin is composed of a pair of 200 kDa heavy chains and two pairs of light chains (20 kDa and 17 kDa).
The Effect of Acetazolamide and Weight Loss on Intraocular Pressure in Idiopathic Intracranial Hypertension Patients.

PURPOSE Acetazolamide (ACZ) lowers intraocular pressure (IOP), acutely in normal eyes and both acutely and chronically in eyes with glaucoma, and cerebrospinal fluid pressure (CSFp), chronically in patients with idiopathic intracranial hypertension (IIH). We hypothesize chronic daily ACZ would significantly reduce IOP and contribute to a translaminar pressure gradient change reflected by alteration in the CSFp-IOP difference and the deformation of the neural canal in patients with IIH and no glaucoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS Before randomization to ACZ or placebo treatment for 6 months, 165 participants in the IIH Treatment Trial had evaluations that included Goldmann applanation, CSFp measurement, and optical coherence tomography determination of the neural canal deformation. These measures were repeated at the 6-month outcome. RESULTS The IOP was not significantly decreased from baseline at 1, 3, or 6 months in eyes in both treatment groups. At month 6, the amount of ACZ or weight modification did not correlate with any IOP change. The 6-month mean change in neural canal deformation was 0.96 and -0.04 (P=0.001) and in CSFp was -128 and -38 mm H2O (P=0.001), but CSFp-IOP difference change was not significant, in the ACZ and placebo groups, respectively. CONCLUSIONS ACZ does not reduce the IOP in eyes without glaucoma but does decrease the pathologic elevated CSFp, providing evidence that normal systems can compensate for chronic medication effects. The CSFp-IOP is not a direct marker of translaminar pressure gradient and the ACZ normalization of the neural canal deformation appears due to CSFp reduction alone.
Veterans’ Use of Programs and Services as They Transition to Civilian Life: Baseline Assessment for the Veteran Metrics Initiative

A substantial minority of veterans struggle as they reintegrate into civilian life, reporting problems with vocational attainment, legal/financial/housing challenges, physical and mental health con...
Piezoresistivity and piezoelectricity discovered in aluminum, with relevance to structural self-sensing

Abstract This work provides the first report of piezoresistivity, piezoelectricity (piezoelectret) and dielectricity in aluminum, as observed in the in-plane direction for aluminum foil and Al 2024-O alloy bar, which exhibit similar properties, though the piezoelectricity of the latter is slightly stronger. These phenomena enable structural self-sensing and multifunctionality. The stress (≤66 MPa) and strain (≤0.096%) are in the elastic regime. The piezoresistivity is strong and negative, with gage factor -1630, and provides electrical-resistance-based stress/strain sensing. The resistance (DC) decreases monotonically and reversibly with increasing tensile stress, with the fractional decrease being up to 13%. The in-plane electric field (DC) decreases monotonically and reversibly with increasing tensile stress, with the fractional decrease being up to 29%. The capacitance (2 kHz) increases monotonically and reversibly with increasing tensile stress, with the fractional increase being up to 10%. The capacitance increase (up to 10%) relates to the increase in the relative permittivity (up to 15%). The relative permittivity is high, at 5.48 × 104 (2 kHz) in the absence of stress. The piezoelectricity is weak, with the piezoelectric coupling coefficient d33 being -1.4 × 10−8 pC/N, the electric field output contributing -1.7 × 10−8 pC/N, the relative permittivity increase contributing +3.5 × 10-8 pC/N, and the electric field and permittivity in combination contributing -5.2 × 10-10 pC/N. In spite of its weakness, the direct piezoelectricity enables electric-field-based and capacitance-based stress/strain self-sensing.
High speed demodulation in circular ranging optical coherence tomography using a LiNbO3 phase modulator and a stretched pulse active mode-locked frequency comb laser at 1.3 um

In Fourier-domain optical coherence tomography, finite acquisition bandwidths can limit the achievable imaging range, axial resolution, and/or imaging speed. Circular ranging (CR) methods were recently demonstrated to overcome these barriers [1,2,3]. By using optical frequency combs (FC), the depth space of the interferometric signal is folded such that extended imaging ranges are compressed into a reduced RF bandwidth. To avoid overlap of artefacts, this folding is performed in a circular manner through the combination of a frequency comb optical source and the use of complex demodulation, i.e., the detection of in-phase (I) and quadrature fringe signals (Q) that resolve the sign of the measured delay. Complex demodulation methods have been explored in Fourier-domain OCT to extend the imaging range by a factor of two through use of the positive and negative delay spaces. Passive methods based on optical quadrature circuits and active methods based on dynamic phase modulation have been demonstrated. In prior CR OCT demonstrations, a passive method was employed [1]. While this provided the required performance, there may be advantages in active methods that reduce digitizer channel counts and avoid the need for environment stability. In this work, we describe the extension of active demodulation schemes to CR OCT systems. In this, we highlight CR-specific alterations that overcome these limitations. We demonstrate the active demodulation methods using a stretched pulse active mode locked (SPML) FC laser at 1.3 μm for the first time.