cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Distance graph on Z n with l 1 norm

A long-standing open problem in combinatorial geometry is the chromatic number of the unit-distance graph Rn; here points are adjacent if their distance in the l2 norm is 1. For n = 2, we know the answer is between 4 and 7. Little is known about other dimensions. The subgraphs induced by the rational points have been studied with limited success in small dimensions.We consider the analogous problem on the n-dimensional integer grid with fixed distance in the l1 norm. That is, we make two integer grid points adjacent if the sum of the absolute differences in their coordinate values is r. Let the chromatic number of this graph be χ(Z,r).The main results of this paper are (i) χ(Zn,2) = 2n for all n, and (ii) (1.139)n ≤ χ(Zn, r) ≤ (1/√2πn)(5e)n for all n and even r. We also give bounds useful for small values of n and r. We also consider the lower and upper bounds on the n-dimensional real space with unit distance under lp, norm for 1 ≤ p ≤ ∞.
Thermodynamic Modeling of Actinide Complexation with Acetate and Lactate at High Ionic Strength

The stability constants of NpO 2 + , UO 2 2+ Am3+, and Th4+ with acetate and lactate anions has been measured in 0.3–5.0m NaCl media at 25°C by the solvent extraction technique. For the 1:1 complexation, the values of the stability constants increased in the order: NpO 2 + < Am3+ < 2 2+ < Th4+, in accordance with the actinide charge density and reflecting the strongly ionic bonding of the complexes. The Pitzer ionic interaction parameters were calculated and used to estimate the thermodynamic stability constants at I = 0. Because our data were collected mainly in the high ionic strength region values of β(1) were estimated from values reported in the literature. For all stability constants the Pitzer model gives an excellent representation of the data using three interaction parameters β(0), β(1), and Cφ
Time Series Analysis of Energy Production and Associated Landscape Fragmentation in the Eagle Ford Shale Play.

Spatio-temporal trends in infrastructure footprints, energy production, and landscape alteration were assessed for the Eagle Ford Shale of Texas. The period of analysis was over four 2-year periods (2006–2014). Analyses used high-resolution imagery, as well as pipeline data to map EF infrastructure. Landscape conditions from 2006 were used as baseline. Results indicate that infrastructure footprints varied from 94.5 km2 in 2008 to 225.0 km2 in 2014. By 2014, decreased land-use intensities (ratio of land alteration to energy production) were noted play-wide. Core-area alteration by period was highest (3331.6 km2) in 2008 at the onset of play development, and increased from 582.3 to 3913.9 km2 by 2014, though substantial revegetation of localized core areas was observed throughout the study (i.e., alteration improved in some areas and worsened in others). Land-use intensity in the eastern portion of the play was consistently lower than that in the western portion, while core alteration remained relatively constant east to west. Land alteration from pipeline construction was ~65 km2 for all time periods, except in 2010 when alteration was recorded at 47 km2. Percent of total alteration from well-pad construction increased from 27.3% in 2008 to 71.5% in 2014. The average number of wells per pad across all 27 counties increased from 1.15 to 1.7. This study presents a framework for mapping landscape alteration from oil and gas infrastructure development. However, the framework could be applied to other energy development programs, such as wind or solar fields, or any other regional infrastructure development program. Landscape alteration caused by hydrocarbon pipeline installation in Val Verde County, Texas
Hitting the Target: How New Disclosure Rules Could Improve the Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act

A Look at the Legal Landscape of Crowdfunding - The JOBS Act and SEC Rules. The recently enacted Jumpstart Our Business Startups Act ("Act") provides an exemption for crowdfunding under the applicable securities law and allows for the private offering of securities through a crowdfunding website. The attached article provides a background on crowdfunding and an overview of the legal landscape surrounding it. The Article provides information on the applicable securities laws and how they have, until recently, prevented companies from offering securities through a crowdfunding website. The Article then provides a summary of the crowdfunding provisions under The JOBS Act. It describes the disclosure requirements under the Act for a company for a company looking to offer securities using a crowdfunding website. The Article then suggests that the Securities and Exchange Commission should use its rule making authority under the Act to form a connection between the disclosure requirements and the funds actually raised in a crowdfunding effort. Finally, the Article suggests that a rule tying the disclosure requirements to the amount actually raised in a crowdfunding effort will protect investors while providing small businesses with access to capital and limited regulatory costs.
Aortic stiffness is associated with aortic and coronary calcification in older adults

P23 Aortic stiffness increases with age and blood pressure, even when the population prevalence of atherosclerosis is low. The extent to which atherosclerosis may exacerbate the aortic stiffening of aging remains unclear. Aortic stiffness was measured by carotid to femoral pulse wave velocity (PWV) and atherosclerosis by coronary artery calcification score (CCS) and aortic calcification score (ACS) by electron beam tomography in 484 participants (42% men, 23% black) aged 70-96 years (mean=79.4) from the Pittsburgh site of the Cardiovascular Health Study. The distributions of PWV (898, 851, 366-2183 cm/sec) (mean, median, range), CCS (676, 327, 0-4954) and ACS (5183, 3040, 0-57,950) were log-transformed when used as continuous variables. Median PWV and ACS were not different by gender but CCS was higher for men than women (median 637 vs. 187, p
Those Who Bring From the Earth: Anti-Environmentalism and the Trope of the White Male Worker

The 2016 Republican Party platform is unabashed in its rejection of environmental principles and its embrace of extractive labor. Its ‘Natural Resources’ section reads: ‘[w]e are the party of Ameri...
Media, communication, and intersectional analysis: ten comments for the International Panel on Social Progress:

This article responds to the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP) chapter ‘Media, Communication, and the Struggle for Social Progress.’ I argue that in order to advance the IPSP’s goals of progress towards a media system that advances human capabilities, we must name specific forms of structural oppression (what Black feminist scholars call the matrix of domination). I note that the IPSP should develop an intersectional analysis of media representation, employment, and ownership; that online hate speech must be addressed; and that the ‘filter bubble’ critique ignores the importance of subaltern counterpublics, although state and corporate propaganda is indeed a real problem. I urge application of a design justice lens, and identify free software as one important tool. I call attention to media policy proposals by social movements. Finally, I note the development of new tools for media analysis and encourage their application to an intersectional Media Equity Index.
New Trends in Industrial Organization

Using weighted concentration ratios for the entire economy, I argue that industrial concentration decreased in the U.S. from 1960 to the early 1980s and then began to increase. This rise in the last two decades of the 20 th century offsets any counteracting affects stemming from the growth of use of information technology in production or from imports and appears due primarily to the impact of the merger wave starting in the mid 1980s. I also consider briefly the relationship between increasing market concentration and a change in market competition, taking into account the expansion of e-commerce.
Corrosion Fatigue of Metals: A Survey of Recent Advances and Issues

Mechanisms of corrosion fatigue crack formation and advance, based on interactions between localized cyclic deformation and chemical reaction, were not emphasized during the 1981 NATO Research Workshop on The Chemistry and Physics of Fracture (1,2). The monotonic problems of stress corrosion cracking and hydrogen embrittlement were considered in detail, with the state of the art summarized by Professor Argon: “All this gives a rich picture and useful information for engineering application, but falls short of providing definitive understanding. Nevertheless, a picture emerges that indicates that the phenomenon is broad and encompasses several mechanisms.” (3).
Normal retinotopic mapping in human strabismus with anomalous retinal correspondence

Burian proposed that a functional retinotopic remapping of the deviated eye on striate visual cortex may be the physiologic basis for the perceptual phenomenon of anomalous retinal correspondence (ARC) in human strabismus. This investigation searched for this type of retinotopic remapping in five esotropes and one exotrope with ARC by means of visual evoked potential (VEP) topographic mapping. Uniocular stimulation of the foveas (corresponding points) during binocular vision in a normal subject yielded identical VEP scalp topographies from each eye. Stimulation of anomalously corresponding points produced different VEP scalp topographies from each eye in the six strabismic subjects. Uniocular stimulation of the anatomic foveas of each eye (noncorresponding points) in a strabismic subject during binocular vision produced identical VEP scalp topographies. These results suggest that there is no significant functional binocular realignment of retinotopic mapping in the visual cortex of human strabismics with ARC.
Local Art, Local Action: A Proposal for Deliberating on and about Main Street

In every campaign, politicians make promises. They spell out their hopes and dreams for their constituents and describe the dystopia that would exist should their opponent be elected instead. With campaign speeches characterized by lofty promises, buzz words, and vague generalities, deliberative opportunities exist for clarification and complexification of candidate (and party) platforms. I propose a unique possibility for local politics that would demystify the electoral process and increase civic engagement by providing community-level opportunities to participate in platform-formation, information-seeking, and deliberation. Specifically, I propose that local government host an issue-raising arts festival, which would lead to an online deliberative forum.
Saint Vincent de Paul as a Leader of Change: The Key Roles of A higher Purpose and Empowerment

An examination of noteworthy change efforts enacted by Saint Vincent de Paul underscores the importance ofbelieving in the higher purpose of one's goals. Empowered 'jollowers" need to believe and find meaning in the "leader's" vision, in order to buy into and support the change efforts. The empowerment ofSaint Louise de Marillac as a Vincentian leader was critical to the accomplishment of many great works. Organizations undergoing change or renewal can look to Saint Vincent de Paul and Saint Louise de Marillac for examples ofservant leadership, and the change roles they enacted are integrated with a well-regarded organizational change model for the 21st
The Philosophy of Law of Eduard Gans

Eduard Gans was born in 179713 into a prosperous Berlin Jewish family. He grew up in years marked by prolonged political and military turmoil, the rise and fall of empires, and the permanent shifting of national state power alignments within the German-speaking world. An infant when the French imperial expansion began, he was a child when the Holy Roman Empire of the German nation collapsed and a teenager when the “War of Liberation” culminated in the French retreat from Eastern Europe and the fall of Napoleon.
Swarms of Self-Organized Nanorobots

This chapter begins with a brief assessment of the state of the art in nanorobot hardware. Then, it focuses on programming and coordination issues that arise when large numbers of nanorobots are used for tasks such as building prescribed shapes. The active self-assembly system developed at the University of Southern California is discussed as an example of a proposed system that is capable of constructing arbitrary shapes. The system compiles the desired shape into a set of reactive, stateless rules to drive a large swarm of identical and identically programmed robots. Extensive simulations show that the system self-organizes and is capable of self-repair when numerous faults are present. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion of the current limitations of nanorobotic swarms, and an outlook on future developments.
Diabetes mellitus and hyperglycemia control on the risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps: a retrospective cohort study

Colorectal cancer (CRC) develops from colorectal adenomatous polyps. This study is to determine if diabetes mellitus (DM), its treatment, and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level are associated with increased risk of colorectal adenomatous polyps. This was a retrospective cohort study that included patients who had at least one colonoscopy and were continuously enrolled in a single managed care organization during a 10-year period (2002–2012). Of these patients (N = 11,933), 1800 were randomly selected for chart review to examine the details of colonoscopy and pathology findings and to confirm the diagnosis of DM. Multivariable logistic regression analyses were performed to assess the associations between DM, its treatment, HbA1c level and adenomatous polyps (our main outcome). Among the total of 11,933 patients with a mean (standard deviation) age of 56 (± 8.8) years, 2306 (19.3%) had DM and 75 (0.6%) had CRC. Among the 1800 under chart review, 445 (24.7%) had DM, 11 (0.6%) had CRC and 537 (29.8%) had adenomatous polyps. In bivariate analysis, patients with DM had 1.45 odds of developing adenomatous polyps compared to those without DM. This effect was attenuated (odds ratio = 1.25, 95% CI: 0.96–1.62, p = 0.09) after adjusting for confounders such as age, gender, race/ethnicity, and body mass index. There was no significant association between type or duration of DM treatment or HbA1c level and adenomatous polyps. Our study confirmed the known increased risk of adenomatous polyps with advancing age, male gender, Hispanic race/ethnicity and higher body mass index. Although it suggested an association between DM and adenomatous polyps, a statistically significant association was not observed after controlling for other potential confounders. Further studies with a larger sample size are needed to further elucidate this relationship.
Meeting of the Minds: A Lifelong Personal and Professional Relationship

The old adage "meeting of the minds" is always an exciting and motivating experience. I only wish that every healthcare provider could share this type of encounter in his or her professional career. Fortunately, I was lucky enough to meet Renee almost 20 years ago when we were both assigned to facilitate a metastatic breast cancer support group. Her role was the clinical social worker, and mine was to provide knowledge and education as the oncology educator. We were a fabulous team.
Neurotransmitters and alcoholism: methodological issues.

This short review examines recent findings on neurochemical differences between alcoholics and various control populations. Particular emphasis is given to clinical variables which affect concentrations of neurotransmitter metabolites in the cerebrospinal fluid, and which have to be controlled in order to make meaningful comparison between various diagnostic groups. The review focuses on two of the major monoamine transmitters, serotonin and norephinephrine, and excludes neurotransmitters and modulators such as dopamine, acetylcholine, peptides, prostaglandins, amino acids and purines, since their significance to alcoholism is currently less well understood.
Performance After Operative Versus Nonoperative Management of Shoulder Instability in the National Basketball Association

Background:Although nonoperative management after shoulder instability injury allows an athlete to return to play sooner than operative intervention, higher rates of recurrence have been observed a...
Open Resection of Abdominal Aortic Aneurysm

This chapter discusses technical aspects of open resection of abdominal aortic aneurysm, including instrumentation and equipment, patient positioning, and surgical steps. The authors also offer pearls and pitfalls.
Echoes of a fading past: Authoritarian legacies and far-right voting

Abstract In recent years, electoral support for the far-right has increased dramatically across the world. This phenomenon is especially acute in some new democracies; however, little attention has been devoted to the effects of the legacies of past authoritarian ideologies. We argue that the ideology of the past regime affects far-right support because voters that were politically socialized under authoritarianism will be biased against its ideological brand. To test this argument, we conduct an individual-level analysis across 20 countries between 1996 and 2018 using a difference-in-difference estimation and a country-level analysis using data from 39 democracies between 1980 and 2018. We demonstrate that voters socialized under right-wing dictatorships are less likely to support far-right parties compared to citizens that were socialized under different circumstances. Moreover, support for far-right parties is significantly lower in countries that transitioned from right-wing autocracies. Findings are discussed in light of the contribution to the far-right movement literature.
Single-cell analysis identifies TCF4 and ID3 as a molecular switch of mammary epithelial stem cell differentiation.

It is well known that the expansion of the mammary epithelium during the ovarian cycles in female mammals is supported by the transient increase in mammary epithelial stem cells (MaSCs). However, dissecting the molecular mechanisms that govern MaSC function and differentiation is poorly understood due to the lack of standardized methods for their identification and isolation. The development of robust single-cell mRNA sequencing () technologies and the computational methods to analyze them provides us with novel tools to approach the challenge of studying MaSCs in a completely unbiased way without. Here, we have performed the largest scRNA-seq analysis of individual mammary epithelial cells (~70,000 cells). Our study identified a distinct cell population presenting molecular features of MaSCs. Importantly, further purification and additional in-depth single-cell analysis of these cells revealed that they are not a fully homogenous entity. Instead, we identified three subpopulations representing early stages of lineage commitment. By tracking their molecular evolution through single-cell network analysis we found that one of these subpopulations represents bipotent MaSCs from which luminal and basal lineages diverge. Importantly, we also confirmed the presence of these cells in human mammary glands. Finally, through expression and network analysis studies, we have uncovered transcription factors that are activated early during lineage commitment. These data identified E2-2 (Tcf4) and ID3 as a potential molecular switch of mammary epithelial stem cell differentiation.
Illuminating the Regenerative Properties of Stem Cells In Vivo with Bioluminescence Imaging

Preclinical animal studies are essential to the development of safe and effective stem cell therapies. Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is a powerful tool in animal studies that enables the real-time longitudinal monitoring of stem cells in vivo to elucidate their regenerative properties. This review describes the application of BLI in preclinical stem cell research to address critical challenges in producing successful stem cell therapeutics. These challenges include stem cell survival, proliferation, homing, stress response, and differentiation. The applications presented here utilize bioluminescence to investigate a variety of stem and progenitor cells in several different in vivo models of disease and implantation. An overview of luciferase reporters is provided, along with the advantages and disadvantages of BLI. Additionally, BLI is compared to other preclinical imaging modalities and potential future applications of this technology are discussed in emerging areas of stem cell research.
Caught between Two Genes: Accounting for Operonic Gene Structure Improves Prokaryotic RNA Sequencing Quantification.

ABSTRACT RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) has matured into a reliable and low-cost assay for transcriptome profiling and has been deployed across a range of systems. The computational tool space for the analysis of RNA-seq data has kept pace with advances in sequencing. Yet tool development has largely centered around the human transcriptome. While eukaryotic and prokaryotic transcriptomes are similar, key differences in transcribed units limit the transfer of wet-lab and computational tools between the two domains. The article by M. Chung, R. S. Adkins, J. S. A. Mattick, K. R. Bradwell, et al. (mSystems 6:e00917-20, 2021, https://doi.org/10.1128/mSystems.00917-20), demonstrates that integrating prokaryote-specific strategies into existing RNA-seq analyses improves read quantification. Unlike in eukaryotes, polycistronic transcripts derived from operons lead to sequencing reads that span multiple neighboring genes. Chung et al. introduce FADU, a software tool that performs a correction for such reads and thereby improves read quantification and biological interpretation of prokaryotic RNA sequencing.
How Cultural Norms Influence Persuasive Design: A Study on Chinese Food Journaling Apps

Persuasive features are often used in food journaling apps to help people reach various personal goals. Our understanding of persuasive design in food journaling apps has primarily been built from studying and designing apps in Western contexts. However, varied cultural perceptions around journaling goals, such as healthy eating and weight management, suggest that the design of persuasive features may differ across cultures. We therefore investigate how culture influences the use of persuasive techniques in Chinese food journaling apps and consequently people's journaling experiences. Through reviewing features of Chinese apps and interviewing people who have used them, we find that some Chinese apps heavily emphasize body shape, and people's motivations for journaling and desires for journaling apps similarly focus more on body shape than diet. We discuss tensions and opportunities for food journaling apps which align with or account for cultural norms while challenging unhealthy or problematic aspects of them.
Revision of Ganomymar De Santis, 1972, a remarkable genus of Mymaridae (Hymenoptera, Chalcidoidea) from Madagascar

A rare fairyfly (Hymenoptera, Mymaridae) genus, Ganomymar De Santis, 1972, is revised and rediagnosed based on both sexes; its males were previously unknown. This genus, which has remarkable structures on the propodeum and peculiar fore wings in females, is known only from Madagascar in the Afrotropical region. Its type species, Ganomymar dessarti De Santis, 1972, is redescribed and illustrated based on a non-type female specimen. Three new species of Ganomymar are described: G. caslot sp. nov., G. libertatium sp. nov., and G. zuparkoi sp. nov. The species are placed in two distinct species groups. A key to females of the four species is provided.
Influence of rapeseed, canola meal and glucosinolate metabolite (AITC) as potential antimicrobials: Effects on growth performance, and gut health in Salmonella Typhimurium challenged broiler chickens

ABSTRACT Poultry is the major sources of foodborne salmonellosis. Antibiotic resistance and a surge in zoonotic diseases warrant the use of natural alternatives. Glucosinolates (GLs) are naturally occurring antimicrobial compounds in rapeseed and canola. This study investigated the effect of feeding rapeseed, canola meal, and allyl isothiocyanate (AITC; Brassica secondary metabolites) on growth performance (GP), gut health, and the potential antimicrobial activity against nalidixic acid-resistant Salmonella Typhimurium (STNR) in chickens. A total of 640 one-day old male Cobb 500 broilers were randomly allocated to 8 treatments with 8 replicated cages and 10 birds per cage. Dietary treatments were non-challenge control (NC, corn-SBM based), challenge (Salmonella) control (CC), 10% rapeseed (10RS), 30% rapeseed (30RS), 20% canola meal (20CLM), 40% canola meal (40CLM), 500 ppm AITC (500AITC) and 1,500 ppm AITC (1500AITC). On d 1, all the birds except NC were orally challenged with STNR (7 log CFU/ bird). The chickens were reared for 21 d, and their FI and BW were recorded weekly. Salmonella cecal colonization and fecal shedding were quantified, whereas organ translocation (OT) of STNR to the spleen, liver, and kidney was tested on 0, 3, 6, 13, and 20-d post-challenge (dpc). Data were subjected to one-way ANOVA, and the means were separated by Duncan's test, except mortality and OT data analyzed after transformation by square root of (n +1) (P 0.05), OT of STNR population was the highest for CC in the spleen (P = 0.05). In the liver, 10RS showed reduced OT compared to 20CLM on 13 dpc (P = 0.03), whereas 30RS showed the lowest OT on 6 dpc in the kidney. Fecal shedding was lowest for 30RS on 6 dpc (P = 0.004). Histomorphology showed 30RS had the highest duodenum (P = 0.01) and jejunum (P = 0.02) villus height (VH) and VH to crypt depth (CD) ratio compared to the other treatments, whereas 1500AITC showed similar results to 30RS. Both 30RS and 1500AITC contained comparatively higher functional GL metabolites and were able to maintain gut health. Including higher levels of rapeseed or AITC in poultry feed can reduce Salmonella colonization in the feces and their translocation to other organs.
A review of physical activity in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: Epidemiology, intervention, animal models, and clinical trials.

Abstract Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is one of the deadliest types of cancer, and the increasing incidence of PDAC may be related to the prevalence of obesity. Physical activity (PA), a method known to mitigate obesity by increasing total energy expenditure, also modifies multiple cellular pathways associated with cancer hallmarks. Epidemiologic evidence has shown that PA can lower the risk of developing a variety of cancers, reduce some of the detrimental side effects of treatments, and improve patient's quality of life during cancer treatment. However, little is known about the pathways underlying the correlations observed between PA interventions and PDAC. Moreover, there is no standard dose of PA intervention that is ideal for PDAC prevention or as an adjuvant of cancer treatments. In this review, we summarize relevant literature showing how PDAC patients can benefit from PA, the potential of PA as an adjuvant treatment for PDAC, the studies using preclinical models of PDAC to study PA, and the clinical trials to date assessing the effects of PA in PDAC.
TU-D-201-01: Definition and Purpose of End-Of-Life for Brachytherapy Devices and Software

Brachytherapy devices and software are designed to last for a certain period of time. Due to a number of considerations, such as material factors, wear-and-tear, backwards compatibility, and others, they all reach a date when they are no longer supported by the manufacturer. Most of these products have a limited duration for their use, and the information is provided to the user at time of purchase. Because of issues or concerns determined by the manufacturer, certain products are retired sooner than the anticipated date, and the user is immediately notified. In these situations, the institution is facing some difficult choices: remove these products from the clinic or perform tests and continue their usage. Both of these choices come with a financial burden: replacing the product or assuming a potential medicolegal liability. This session will provide attendees with the knowledge and tools to make better decisions when facing these issues. Learning Objectives: 1. Understand the meaning of “end-of-life or “life expectancy” for brachytherapy devices and software 2. Review items (devices and software) affected by “end-of-life” restrictions 3. Learn how to effectively formulate “end-of-life” policies at your institution 4. Learn about possible implications of “end-of-life” policy 5. Review other possible approaches to “end-of-life” issue
The in utero diagnosis of an interventricular septal cardiac rhabdomyoma by means of real-time-directed, M-mode echocardiography ☆

Supported by a grant from The Thrasher Research Fund. Reprint requests: Greggory R. DeVore, M.D., LAC/USC Medical Center, Women’s Hospital, Room 5K22, 1240 North Mission Road, Los Angeles, California 90033. to the adult patient.’ In the neonate and young child, the most common primary cardiac tumor is a rhabdomyoma, a nonmalignant, smooth muscle hamartoma associated with concomitant tuberous sclerosis in 30% to 50% of cases.2 In one of the largest reported autopsy series of patients with cardiac rhabdomyomas, Fenoglio and associates’ observed a 33% mortality rate within the first 7 hours following birth; death was due primarily to intracavitary obstruction of blood flow by the tumor. Although the successful surgical removal of cardiac rhabdomyomas has been reported,3 the potential for neonatal salvage depends largely upon antenatal diagnosis followed by corrective operation. The following report describes the ultrasound findings in a case of an intracavitary rhabdomyoma of the fetal heart diagnosed in utero by means of real-timedirected, M-mode echocardiography.
Extraesophageal gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD) symptoms are not more frequently associated with proximal esophageal reflux than typical GERD symptoms

Extraesophageal (EE) symptoms such as cough and throat clearing are common in patients referred for reflux testing, but are less commonly associated with gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). Patients with reflux associated EE symptoms often lack typical GERD symptoms of heartburn and regurgitation. Our aim was to compare the frequency of proximal esophageal reflux between esophageal (typical) symptoms and EE (atypical) symptoms. Combined multichannel intraluminal impedance-pH (MII-pH) tracings were blinded by an investigator so that symptom markers were relabeled with a number without disclosure of symptom type. We selected 40 patients with at least five reflux-related symptom events for one of four symptoms (heartburn, regurgitation, cough, or throat clearing). A blinded investigator analyzed all 200 reflux episodes, reporting the proximal esophageal extent of the reflux for all symptoms. The percentage of symptom-related reflux extending proximally to 17 cm above the LES was similar among all four symptom types. At least 50% of all symptoms were associated with proximal esophageal reflux to 17 cm, with regurgitation having the highest frequency at 60%. Our data indicate that EE symptoms are not more frequently associated with proximal esophageal reflux than typical esophageal symptoms.
Comparison of Slip Cast to Hot Pressed Boron Carbide

Abstract : To meet the possible increase in future demand for armor materials, an increase in the throughput during manufacturing is necessary. One possibility is the use of the slip casting and sintering technique to form ceramic armor compacts as an alternative to current hot pressing techniques. Dynamic uniaxial compression tests with the Kolsky bar were conducted on two types of slip cast boron carbide, and compared with results from the standard hot pressed boron carbide. One type was slip cast, sintered, and hot isostatically pressed, while the other was only slip cast and sintered. Microstructural characterization by transmission electron microscopy showed graphite inclusions and more annealing twins than in the hot pressed boron carbide material. Examination of fragments recovered from the compression tests determined that the fracture mode of both slip cast materials was brittle transgranular cleavage. The compression test results show comparable compressive strengths between the sip cast and hot pressed boron carbide despite higher density of graphite in the slip cast material.
Influence of liquefaction on laser ablation: drilling depth and target recoil

Ablation of materials by highly-absorbed laser pulses (duration 200 μs) is modelled using a steady-state approach that takes into account target liquefaction. Material is removed by a combination of evaporation and ejection of liquid that is caused by radial evaporation-induced pressure gradients at the bottom of the ablation crater. As a result the evaporation rate is reduced and the drilling efficiency enhanced. The model explains experimental drilling-depth and recoil-momentum data.
Bone Health and Coronary Heart Disease in Postmenopausal Women with Breast Cancer Treated with Tamoxifen: A Dissertation

Breast cancer, osteoporosis, and coronary heart disease (CHD) are three major threats to women’s health. Postmenopausal women with breast cancer are also at high risk for osteoporosis and CHD. Adjuvant tamoxifen therapy is not only an effective treatment for breast cancer, but has been shown to have a beneficial effect on bone and the cardiovascular system. Although tamoxifen has been convincingly demonstrated to be able to preserve bone mineral density (BMD), an unexpected increase of risk of fractures in patients treated with tamoxifen has been reported. The findings of the association of tamoxifen and CHD from previous studies were either borderline or inconsistent. To clarify the discrepancy between BMD and fractures and test the potential beneficial effect of tamoxifen on CHD, I conducted a series of retrospective studies in postmenopausal women with breast cancer who participated in the Cancer Surveillance in HMO Administrative Data (IMPACT study) or the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF). In patients who participated in the IMPACT study, I demonstrated that the association of tamoxifen and fracture incidence varied at different skeletal sites. Although the association of tamoxifen and fractures in the spine (HR=0.40, 95% CI: 0.09-1.85), wrist (HR=2.49, 95% CI: 0.88-7.06), and total body (HR=0.87, 95% CI: 0.49-1.55) was inconclusive, tamoxifen was associated with an apparent
Towards non-black-box lower bounds in cryptography

We consider average-case strengthenings of the traditional assumption that coNP is not contained in AM. Under these assumptions, we rule out generic and potentially non-black-box constructions of various cryptographic primitives (e.g., one-way permutations, collision-resistant hash-functions, constant-round statistically hiding commitments, and constant-round black-box zero-knowledge proofs for NP) from one-way functions, assuming the security reductions are black-box.
Errand into the Wilderness: The City upon a Hill

The American civil religion provides an excellent example of the relationship between a public philosophy, or the rationally perceived order of reality on which the society is based, and the civil theology, or symbolic, or mythic expression of the society’s self-understanding as a unique people with a unique destiny. In the case of the United States these two orders gradually differentiated themselves from the Puritan view of America as a “City upon a Hill”, a shining example to the world of the true, divinely ordained order of human participation in the cosmos. Since the tensional relationship between the unchanging order of the public philosophy and the dynamic, destiny- oriented civil theology is quite important for understanding European civil theology, we shall examine the development and articulation of the religious beliefs and symbols that had a direct and significant bearing on the development of the American self-understanding. America was founded on the Puritan belief that it was their vocation to establish the true order, the kingdom of God, in the New World, far away from the disorders and corruptions of the Old World. This religious belief in the possession of truth and the necessity of putting this theory into practice is decisive for the religious self-understanding and symbolization of the new society.
Language production in 24-month-old inner-city children of cocaine-and-other-drug-using mothers

Language abilities of 46 inner-city children exposed to cocaine in utero and 28 non-cocaine-exposed inner-city peers, all in the continuing care of their biological mothers, were compared at 24 months of age. The sample was recruited prior to or at the birth of the target child, and had been followed for a minimum of 24 months. Data on drug use during pregnancy were available for all mothers; data were also collected on postpartum drug use. Natural language data were collected during a play session between child and caregiver. Results revealed significant effects for exposure and gender on measures of language complexity. Non-cocaine-exposed toddlers produced more complex language than did their exposed peers, and girls produced more complex language than did boys. Possible relations to environmental conditions and implications for future outcomes are discussed.
JHAVÉ—an environment to actively engage students in Web-based algorithm visualizations

In this paper, we describe JHAVE (Java-hosted Algorithm Visualization Environment), a client-server environment for delivering algorithm visualizations over the Web. The first section of the paper briefly summarizes prior research by a variety of investigators into the pedagogical effectiveness of algorithm visualization (AV). The design goals of JHAVE are then placed in the context of this research. After a discussion of some technical details of the JHAVE architecture, we present two examples of algorithms depicted in JHAVE. The results of students' exploring these algorithms with JHAVE are analyzed. We close with a discussion of the general conclusions reached from our current work and future directions in which it may lead.
Activator of G Protein Signaling 3: A Gatekeeper of Cocaine Sensitization and Drug Seeking

Chronic cocaine administration reduces G protein signaling efficacy. Here, we report that the expression of AGS3, which binds to GialphaGDP and inhibits GDP dissociation, was upregulated in the prefrontal cortex (PFC) during late withdrawal from repeated cocaine administration. Increased AGS3 was mimicked in the PFC of drug-naive rats by microinjecting a peptide containing the Gialpha binding domain (GPR) of AGS3 fused to the cell permeability domain of HIV-Tat. Infusion of Tat-GPR mimicked the phenotype of chronic cocaine-treated rats by manifesting sensitized locomotor behavior and drug seeking and by increasing glutamate transmission in nucleus accumbens. By preventing cocaine withdrawal-induced AGS3 expression with antisense oligonucleotides, signaling through Gialpha was normalized, and both cocaine-induced relapse to drug seeking and locomotor sensitization were prevented. When antisense oligonucleotide infusion was discontinued, drug seeking and sensitization were restored. It is proposed that AGS3 gates the expression of cocaine-induced plasticity by regulating G protein signaling in the PFC.
Inter‐island variation in the diet of female northern fur seals (Callorhinus ursinus) in the Bering Sea

The diet of adult female northern fur seals (Callorhinus ur.7inu.r) is examined through the analysis of faecal material collected during the summer breeding season at three breeding locations in the Bering Sea: St. Paul Island (1988, 1990) and St. George Island (1988, 1990) of the Pribilof Islands Group (USA), and Medny Island (1990) of the Commander Islands Group (Russia). Prey consumption varies annually and accordingly with the physical and biological environment surrounding each island. Juvenile walleye pollock (Theragra chalcogramma) is the most common prey of northern fur seals from St. Paul Island; the island is surrounded by a broad neritic environment with widely separated frontal zones and is the greatest distance from the continental shelf-edge. Gonatid squid (Gonatopsis borealislBerryteuthis magister and Gonatus madokailGonatus middendo&) were the most common prey of northern fur seals from Medny Island; the island is surrounded by a compressed neritic environment and is adjacent to the continental shelf-edge and the oceanic marine environment. A combination of walleye pollock and gonatid squid is consumed by northern fur seals from St. George Island; the island has a surrounding oceanographic environment intermediate between the other two islands. Variability in predation on walleye pollock is consistent with fishery information concerning the relative abundance and availability of walleye pollock around St. George and St. Paul Islands. The abundance and availability of these prey resources during the summer breeding season are key factors which influence the health and growth of the northem fur seal populations in the Bering Sea.
The Fat Memoir as Autopathography: Self-Representations of Embodied Fatness

(2011). The Fat Memoir as Autopathography: Self-Representations of Embodied Fatness. a/b: Auto/Biography Studies: Vol. 26, No. 2, pp. 219-237.
3D object reconstruction from a sequence of images using voxel coloring

Image-based reconstruction from randomly scattered views is a challenging problem. We present a new algorithm that extends Seitz and Dyer's Voxel Coloring algorithm for reconstructing a voxelized representation of 3D object from a series of images. Voxel Coloring traverses a discretized 3D space in 'depth order' to identify voxels that have a unique coloring, constant across all possible interpretation of the scene. This approach has several advantages over existing stereo and structure-from-motion approaches to scene reconstruction. First, the technique can handle a great magnitude of visibility change. So, the cameras can be positioned far apart without degrading accuracy or run-time. Second, the technique integrates numerous imags to yield dense reconstruction without degrading run-time. Unlike Seitz and Dyer's algorithm, ours considers the perspective projection effect on the voxel size. We also present a different search method that traverses the voxels along the projection rays of the images. The new search method optimizes the search process by employing the geometry constraint of the pinhole camera model. In the new search method, the size of the voxels is non uniform depending on the distance from the images. Experimental results for simulated and real image sequences show the efficiency of our algorithm.
Effect of Pelleting of Poultry Feed on the Activity of Molds and Mold Inhibitors

Abstract Paired samples of mash and pellets made from the mash were taken at feed mills and compared for their mold count and fungal activity as measured by metabolic CO2 production. Four paired samples contained Mold-X, a commercial mold inhibitor, of which the major active ingredient is propionic acid, and four paired samples did not contain a mold inhibitor. Pelleting reduced the mold counts by a factor of about 100 to 10,000, depending upon the sample. Incubation of the samples at 29 C after adjusting the water content to 20, 25, or 30% caused an approximate doubling of the time required for onset of metabolic CO2 production by the pelleted feed as compared to the mash. Incorporation of the mold inhibitor into mash appeared to give a similar lag in onset of CO2 production. Pellets made from mash containing the mold inhibitor had an additional doubling in the delay of onset of CO2 production. In a model system composed of corn meal to which graded doses of propionic acid were added, the concentration of inhibitor that provided 50% inhibition was found to increase with time of incubation. The lag in onset of CO2 production in this system was found to be 1 or 2 days depending on whether the corn meal was heated for 5 min at 60 or 70 to 85 C, respectively. Heat and propionic acid also interacted to reduce the mold count of corn meal in the model system. It would appear that the effectiveness of propionic acid as a mold inhibitor can -be greatly increased by the pelleting process and that a decrease in the fungal burden of feed is an attribute of pelleting.
Report On ‘Examples in Modular Chemistry’

Examples in Modular Chemistry explored a technology-based program for undergraduate chemistry instruction developed at the University of California at Los Angeles. This workshop was run by the program’s developers: Arlene Russell and Orville Chapman. The main focus was to give hands-on experience to participants and involved working through two sample exercises as a student would. The first dealt with molecular modeling of an aldol condensation, and the second explored the structure of crystalline solids.
Polycystic kidney disease Earlier diagnosis using ultrasound

Abstract A unique family study is presented, representing 124 members in four generations. Sixty-four patients were studied clinically, and 31 were found to have sonographic evidence of polycystic kidney disease. Findings on intravenous urography were positive in only 15 of these 31. Ultrasound is particularly useful in younger patients in whom urinary symptoms and physical and urography abnormalities are infrequent. The merits of early diagnosis of this disease in persons at risk are discussed. Ultrasound offers definite advantages over standard urographic and isotopic methods in the early diagnosis of polycystic kidney disease.
1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 and 9-cis-Retinoids Are Synergistic Regulators of 24-Hydroxylase Activity in the Rat and 1,25-Dihydroxyvitamin D3 Alters Retinoic Acid Metabolism in Vivo

Abstract The RXR forms a heterodimer with the VDR to activate genes that are regulated by 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 . In the absence of RXR's ligand, 9- cis -RA, RXR appears to be a silent partner to VDR. The effect of 9- cis -RA on VDR/RXR heterodimer formation and 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 -mediated gene expression in vivo remains unclear. We examined the effect of exogenous 9- cis -RA or 9- cis -RA precursors, 9,13-di- cis -RA and 9- cis -RCHO, on 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 -mediated induction rat renal 24-hydroxylase. The rats were treated as follows: (1) vehicle; (2) 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 ; (3) 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 + 9- cis -RA; (4) 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 + 9,13-di- cis -RA; (5) 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 + 9- cis -RCHO; (6) 9- cis -RA; (7) 9,13-di- cis -RA; and (8) 9- cis -RCHO. 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 was administered IP 18 h prior to sacrifice. The retinoids were administered every 4 h, starting 28 h prior to sacrifice. The last retinoid dose was administered 4 h prior to sacrifice. Treatment with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 alone increased 24-hydroxylase from 35 ± 6 (controls) to 258 ± 44 pmol/min/g tissue. When 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 was administered with 9- cis -RA, 9,13-di- cis -RA, or 9- cis -RCHO, 24-hydroxylases were 568 ± 56, 524 ± 56, and 463 ± 62 pmol/min/g tissue, respectively. Furthermore, codosing of 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 and 9- cis -retinoids resulted in higher circulating concentrations of 9- cis -RA and 9,13-di- cis -RA when compared to rats dosed with 9- cis -retinoids alone. This was shown to be due to 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 increasing the half-life of 9,13-di- cis -RA by three to four times. These results show that 9- cis -RA can act synergistically with 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 in the regulation of 24-hydroxylase in vivo. Additionally, 1,25(OH) 2 D 3 regulates 9,13-di- cis -RA metabolism in vivo.