cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Deoxygenation of Aldehydes and Ketones: An Improved Procedure

Abstract The reduction of tosylhydrazones by catecholborane provides a mild alternative to the Wolff-Kishner and Clemmensen reductions1: the reduction sequence is applicable to a variety of ketones and aldehydes including α,β-unsaturated alkenones2 and alkynones.3
Embedded minimal tori in S3 and the Lawson conjecture

We show that any embedded minimal torus in S3 is congruent to the Clifford torus. This answers a question posed by H. B. Lawson, Jr., in 1970.
Kromoscopic analysis in two- and three-component aqueous solutions of blood constituents

The selectivity of a four-channel Kromoscopic analysis is demonstrated for the measurement of glucose in separate binary and tertiary matrices. A novel virtual search procedure is used to identify three different sets of four, overlapping transmission filters. The first filter set includes filters centered at 900, 1300, 1410, and 1538 nm and is selected to differentiate glucose and urea in a series of binary mixtures. These binary mixtures were prepared with independent levels of 1-10 mM glucose and 9- 213 mM urea dissolved in an aqueous phosphate buffer solution. A second filter set contains filters centered at 1064, 1100, 1224, and 1290 nm and is used to measure glucose in a series of tertiary mixtures composed of glucose, urea and bovine serum albumin. This tertiary matrix consists of 2-13 mM glucose, 13-129 mM urea and 0.05-0.46 g/L bovine serum albumin dissolved in the same type of buffer. Multilinear regression is used to relate the relative Kromoscopic responses to the concentration of glucose in these sample solutions. In both cases, the prediction errors are on the order of 0.6-0.8 mM. The impact of solution temperature is also investigated by examining glucose responses obtained from solutions maintained at temperatures ranging from 35 to 39 degree(s)C. The filter set used in this experiment is composed of filters centered at 1100, 1150, 1254, and 1300 nm. Results from this particular filter set indicate that the directionality and magnitude of the glucose responses are independent of solution temperature. Finally, accurate glucose measurements are demonstrated when a same-temperature blank is used to generate the relative channel response.
Portfolio Theory Approach For Selecting and Managing IT Projects

Effective IT planning remains a key issue for managers who seek to maximize the return on their investments in information systems. Managing the risks associated with investments in IT represents an important, but understudied, aspect of the IT planning process. Recognizing that individual projects carry different levels of risk, it has been suggested that managers adopt a portfolio approach toward investments in IT. Under such an approach, individual projects would be evaluated not just on their own merits but on the basis of their contribution to the overall risk of an organization's IT project portfolio. While the portfolio approach has intuitive appeal, it has been criticized for failing to provide a more direct linkage between the concepts of risk and return. In this paper, we draw upon financial portfolio theory to extend and explore the concept of a portfolio approach to managing IT project risk. In particular, we present a model that assesses an individual project in terms of its contribution to the overall risk of the IT project portfolio. The properties of the model are then examined using a simple two-project portfolio. A simulation using the model illustrates how an IT manager can take maximal advantage of the effect of diversification by selecting projects that are negatively correlated. In short, the paper demonstrates how to manage the risk/return tradeoff through careful selection of IT projects and appropriate allocation of resources among these projects.
Semiclassical propagation: How long can it last?

The Van Vleck--Gutzwiller propagator is a fundamental quantity in semiclassical theory whose validity was recently demonstrated to extend beyond the time previously thought feasible, i.e., well past the time after which classical chaos has mixed the phase space on a scale smaller than Plancks's constant. Little justification was given for this seeming contradiction of the usual vision of semiclassical errors. Though perhaps nonintuitive, we find that standard arguments, properly applied to chaotic dynamics, do explain the long time accuracy.
Water, sanitation, hygiene, and nutrition: successes, challenges, and implications for integration

Objectives This study explores the integration of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) and nutrition programming for improved child health outcomes and aims to identify barriers to and necessary steps for successful integration.
Determinants of preterm delivery in low-risk pregnancies

From 14,948 low-risk singleton pregnancies, we calculated incidence, risk ratios, and attributable risks for characteristics associated with spontaneous and medically induced preterm delivery. There were 754 women who gave birth prior to 37 weeks of gestation (50.4/1000 deliveries). The greatest fraction of the incidence of prematurity among low-risk pregnancies was due to unknown factors associated with carrying a first live birth, regardless of preterm delivery mechanism (i.e., spontaneous labor, PROM, medical intervention), with population-attributable risk percents (PAR%) ranging from 16.0 to 30.5%. Other than nulliparity, male sex of the fetus accounted for the greatest fraction of spontaneous labor-induced prematurity incidence (PAR% = 13.6%), and maternal age greater than 30 years or a positive urine culture accounted for the greatest fraction of PROM-induced prematurity incidence (PAR% = 7.9 and 6.7, respectively). All other risk factors for either preterm labor or PROM accounted for less than 5% of the incidence. Three characteristics explained a large fraction of medically induced prematurity: women over 150 pounds at the onset of pregnancy (PAR% = 23.8), a > or = 2+ prenatal urine protein (PAR% = 18.7%), and cigarette smoking during the first trimester (PAR% = 8.6). Our results suggest known risk factors may explain only a small fraction of spontaneous preterm delivery incidence in low-risk pregnancies.
A method of making screen-room measurements

ANEW METHOD for measuring radiated interference by the use of a screen room has been developed. The screen room, by providing an electromagnetically noise-free region, permits the measurement of weak radiation in laboratory and factory areas. Accompanying this improvement in measuring sensitivity is the problem of dealing with the multiple reflections created by the metallic boundaries.
SU‐E‐T‐324: A Nephron‐Based Dosimetry Model for Alpha‐Particle Radiopharmaceutical Therapy

Purpose: We describe a nephron‐based dosimetrymodel for renal toxicity for alpha‐particle radipharmaceutical therapy suited to the short range and high linear energy transfer of alpha‐particle emitters. This model is applied to Ac‐225‐7.16.4 radioimmunotherapy of murine metastatic breast cancer, where renal toxicity is observed for whole‐kidney and renal cortex absorbed dose values below toxicity thresholds established by external beam and targeted radiopeptide therapy. Methods: Using GEANT4 Monte Carlosoftware an idealized nephron model is created using geometrical and anatomical parameters taken from the literature and from murine samples. These samples also provide the data for volume of occupancy of the different compartments of the nephron in the kidney: glomerulus vs. proximal tubule vs. distal tubule. Radiopharmaceutical uptake in the different components of potential toxicity from (a) bound Ac‐225 and (b) free Bi‐213 are taken from experimental data and the literature and supplemented by tissueimaging with a beta‐Imager. Monte Carlo simulations were run, the absorbed doses to the model components were calculated and the results compared to experimental observations of renal toxicity. The renal cortex and medulla absorbed doses were also calculated and the results compared to traditional absorbed fraction results. Results: Preliminary results show an absorbed dose to the proximal tubule and glomerular cells approximately 3 times greater than that to the nephron as a whole. This difference in conjunction with the relative biological effect of alpha particles (a factor of about 5) would be consistent with the toxicity observed in the murine experiments. The renal cortex and renal medulla absorbed doses are consistent with the absorbed fraction methodology. Conclusions: Alpha‐particle radipharmaceutical therapy is a promising treatment modality for cancer. The nephron model enables optimal implementation of treatment and is a critical step in understanding toxicity for human translation of alpha‐particle radiopharmaceutical therapy.
Comparison of three tetramic acids and their ability to alter membrane function in cultured skeletal muscle cells and sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles.

Abstract Cyclopiazonic acid is a potent inhibitor of calcium uptake and Ca 2+ -ATPase activity in sarcoplasmic and endoplasmic reticulum. In L6 muscle myoblasts, cyclopiazonic acid stimulates the uptake of tetraphenylphosphonium, a lipophilic membrane potential probe, and has antioxidant properties. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the structural requirements necessary for causing the surface charge alterations, and the antioxidant activity in L6 skeletal muscle myoblasts, and for inhibition of calcium transport by rat skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles. this was accomplished by comparing the effects of two structurally related tetramic acids, cyclopiazonic acid imine and tenuazonic acid, with cyclopiazonic acid. Cyclopiazonic acid imine inhibited oxalate-assisted 45 Ca 2+ uptake and ATPase activity in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and stimulated tetraphenylphosphonium accumulation by L6 muscle myoblasts. However, these effects required an approximately fourfold higher concentration than that of cyclopiazonic acid. Tenuazonic acid, up to 1 m m , had no effect on oxalate-assisted 45 Ca 2+ uptake or Ca 2+ -ATPase activity in sarcoplasmic reticulum vesicles and did not stimulate tetraphenylphosphonium accumulation by L6 muscle myoblasts. Cyclopiazonic acid was only slightly more effective than cyclopiazonic acid imine at preventing the patulin-induced increase in thiobarbituric acid positive substance (used to estimate lipid peroxidation); tenuazonic acid was totally ineffective. Previously, it was shown that cyclopiazonic acid was twice as effective as cyclopiazonic acid imine at preventing increases in thiobarbituric acid positive substance in cultured renal cells, LLC-PK 1 . Thus, the indole nucleus of cyclopiazonic acid is essential for the membrane-associated biological activity; however, modification of the acetyl group reduces the potency of the activity.
Periodic stimulus and the single cardiac cell—getting more out of 1D maps

The response of an isolated cardiac cell to a periodic stimulus has traditionally been studied in terms of the duration of the action potential (APD) immediately following each stimulus. The APD approach offers explanations of several experimental observations, including the stability of the so-called 1:1 response which is thought to be relevant to the problem of spiral wave breakup and the onset of fibrillation. A discussion of some theoretical problems with the APD approach is given in order to motivate the derivation of a new type of map. This new one-dimensional map, which gives successive values of the prestimulus transmembrane potential instead of successive values of APD, relies on the presence of a one-dimensional slow manifold in the underlying dynamics. This slow manifold map extends the understanding offered by the APD approach to include an explanation of Wenckebach rhythms. In addition, the bifurcation structure of the map provides a unified description of the parameter dependence that agrees fairly well with experimental observation.
The granuloma annulare phenotype and tuberculosis

At one time it was believed that granuloma annulare was associated with or even caused by tuberculosis. In the past 50 years, that idea has seemed to be of little more than historic importance. A case is reported of chronic, inadequately treated tuberculosis with erythema induratum in which clinical and histologic lesions compatible with granuloma annulare occurred. Specific antituberculosis therapy caused clearing of the skin lesions. The previous reported cases of granuloma annulare and tuberculosis are summarized. Other systemic diseases reportedly associated with granuloma annulare are noted to emphasize the many possible etiologic relationships. Granuloma annulare may be viewed not as a disease sui generis but as a phenotypic macrophage-granulomatous response to multiple etiologic disease patterns.
Rotigotine transdermal system for the treatment of restless legs syndrome

Rotigotine is a nonergot D3, D2 and D1 dopamine agonist that is currently approved for use in Parkinson’s disease and is awaiting approval for restless legs syndrome (RLS) in Europe. In the USA, it is currently approved for the treatment of early-stage Parkinson’s disease, but not for RLS patients. Oral dopaminergic agents are considered first-line for the treatment of RLS, but may not benefit all patients. Transdermally administered rotigotine delivers medication continuously, which may benefit patients with more severe RLS symptoms that persist or fluctuate throughout the day. It may also benefit patients with gastrointestinal problems or difficulty swallowing. Future research may further define the benefits of minimizing pulsatile stimulation of dopamine receptors. Several studies support the efficacy and tolerability of rotigotine in RLS patients. After treatment with rotigotine, patients had improved International RLS scores compared with placebo. Side effects reported were generally not serious and ...
BESIDE ONE'S SELF: THINKING AND THE DIVIDED MIND

La autora analiza la solucion que da Davidson a las paradojas de la irracionalidad en conexion con dos representaciones psicoanaliticas diferentes de la mente dividida. En la primera, la mas conocida, la represion es un tipo de linea horizontal que divide una mente vertical “profunda” constituida de arriba abajo por pensamientos expresables. En la segunda, la mente aparece separada por disociacion en grupos de memoria y pensamientos, algunos de los cuales nunca han sido completamente expresados. Cavell sostiene que la filosofia de la mente requiere ambos modelos y que la descripcion davidsoniana de la mente dividida se ajusta solo al primero; tambien afirma que la explicacion de algunos fenomenos irracionales y de otros racionales requiere plantear fenomenos mentales que son causas pero no razones, como el mismo Davidson afirma al final de “Paradoxes of Irrationality”. Cavell sugiere la existencia de un continuo a lo largo del cual se situan algunos pensamientos que ya han sido completamente integrados en la red de la mente y otros mas fragmentados que quedan “en los limites de la mente”.
USING CONFIDENCE AS FEEDBACK IN MULTI-SIZED LEARNING ENVIRONMENTS

This paper describes the use of existing confidence and performance data to provide feedback by first demonstrating the data’s fit to a simple linear model. The paper continues by showing how the model’s use as a benchmark provides feedback to allow current or future students to infer either the difficulty or the degree of under or over confidence associated with a specific question. Next, the paper introduces Confidence/Performance Indicators as graphical representations of this feedback and concludes with an evaluation of s trial use in an online setting. Findings support the efficacy of using of the Indicators to provide feedback to encourage students in multi-sized learning environments to reflect upon and rethink their choices, with future work focusing on the effectiveness of Indicator use on performance.
A Survey of the International Empirical Evidence on the Tax-Spend Debate:

The concern over budget deficits in the mid-1980s generated a strand of literature known as the tax-spend debate, sometimes labeled the revenue-expenditure nexus. This literature has focused on the intertemporal relationship between revenues and expenditures in the generation of budget deficits. In light of the numerous empirical time-series studies on the subject, the intent of this survey article is to provide an overview of the work to date as well as provide suggestions for future research in this area.
Multianalyte Tests for the Early Detection of Cancer: Speedbumps and Barriers

It has become very clear that a single molecular event is inadequate to accurately predict the biology (or pathophysiology) of cancer. Furthermore, using any single molecular event as a biomarker for the early detection of malignancy may not comprehensively identify the majority of individuals with that disease. Therefore, the fact that technologies have arisen that can simultaneously detect several, possibly hundreds, of biomarkers has propelled the field towards the development of multianalyte-based in vitro diagnostic early detection tests for cancer using body fluids such as serum, plasma, sputum, saliva, or urine. These multianalyte tests may be based on the detection of serum autoantibodies to tumor antigens, the presence of cancer-related proteins in serum, or the presence of tumor-specific genomic changes that appear in plasma as free DNA. The implementation of non-invasive diagnostic approaches to detect early stage cancer may provide the physician with evidence of cancer, but the question arises as to how the information will affect the pathway of clinical intervention. The confirmation of a positive result from an in vitro diagnostic cancer test may involve relatively invasive procedures to establish a true cancer diagnosis. If in vitro diagnostic tests are proven to be both specific, i.e. rarely produce false positive results due to unrelated conditions, and sufficiently sensitive, i.e. rarely produce false negative results, then such screening tests offer the potential for early detection and personalized therapeutics using multiple disease-related targets with convenient and non-invasive means. Here we discuss the technical and regulatory barriers inherent in development of clinical multianalyte biomarker assays.
An Open Network Infrastructure

The current closed network infrastructure creates a gap between industry and academy. This paper discusses a framework of a completely open network infrastructure, including open routing devices and open operation of those devices. By such an open network, academia researchers and industry practitioners can jointly work on the network design, optimization and innovation, which provide another dimension of openness for next generation networks.
Some Reservations About Likelihood Ratios (and Some Other Aspects of Forensic Bayesianism)

This paper is an expansion of a talk given at the 8th International Conference on Forensic Inference and Statistics in Seattle, July 19, 2011. The focus of the paper is the application of modern Bayesianism in the context of forensic science, as advocated by many in England and Europe. The paper reviews the many aspects of modern Bayesianism that extend well beyond the analytic truth of Bayes’s Theorem, and focuses, among other things, on the limits of what can be accomplished by the invocation of “subjective” probabilities. In a sense, all probabilities are subjective, since they are all mind dependent. However, the important issue in forensic contexts, as in others, is not the subjective nature of invoked probabilities, but the characteristics of the belief warrant to be required for them in different decisional contexts. In the end, I find myself drawn to forensic Bayesianism, but not fully converted.
On the Convective Electrification of Warm Stratified Clouds

Convective transport of atmospheric space charge has been proposed as a primary mechanism of thunderstorm electrification. Indeed, field experiments have shown that the electrical structure of small fair-weather cumulus clouds can be partially controlled by the polarity of artificial space charge released near the surface. Although the convective electrification hypothesis has not met with wide-spread acceptance, it has formed the topic of several extensive studies published in the literature and has been suggested as a preliminary electrification mechanism necessary for the initiation of field-dependent charge-separating processes in warm clouds. Because of the complexity of the independent dynamical motions accompanying cumulus clouds and their three-dimensional unsteady electric structure, quantitative assessment of the convective electrification scheme has not been possible. However, the very much simpler geometry and longer time scales of stratified clouds makes these types amenable to analysis.
State Context as a Determinant of Opinion on Same Sex Marriage Recognition

Building on political culture, minority politics and public opinion literatures, this paper examines whether community context influences individual gay rights opinion above and beyond its effect on individual characteristics. Existing studies of public opinion on gay rights have largely focused on the individual demographic, political, and social characteristics predicting support, as well as the role of media and elite behavior in opinion formation. What is missing from existing work is a more thorough examination of the role of state context on gay rights public opinion. Using a multi-level analysis of the 2004 National Annenberg Election Study supplemented with state-level contextual variables, this study begins to address how context affects opinion on same-sex relationship recognition, finding significant relationships between opinion and key contextual variables after accounting for important individual level predictors.
Efficient updates in highly available distributed random access memory

With increased network speeds and throughputs, multicomputers (a system of computers connected by a high-speed network) have become an attractive alternative to store important data in their collective random access memory. Erasure codes provide space-optimal data redundancy to protect this type of storage from node unavailability. They have been used in LH*RS, the scalable high availability, distributed version of linear hashing. We present and evaluate a technique that uses the property of linear erasure correcting codes to make updates transactional and concurrent with recovery from one or more node availabilities without locks or two-phase commits. The technique significantly improves on previous work in update speed and also allows for serializable updates to a bucket that is in the process of being recovered.
Land, Land Use and Competitiveness

Land costs account for a significant proportion of the total costs for many agricultural products that are traded internationally, especially for the major grain crops that the U.S. exports in competition with several other countries. For owner-operators, a common form of tenure in the U.S. and most other countries, most land costs are implicit and involve few cash outlays, i.e., are opportunity costs that are important in the long-run but that may not affect production decisions in the short-run. To the extent that land is rented or where the owner is making mortgage payments, however, larger explicit land costs are incurred and can be a very significant factor in the cost of production and competitiveness. U.S. cost of production data for most crops in recent years indicate that the returns on equity, including land and other owned resources are zero or negative, i.e., the prices of many farm products are too low to cover total costs when opportunity costs are included as part of the cost of production. Thus, land costs may not be a significant factor in competitiveness in the current policy framework where government payments are a significant part of the net returns of farm operators.
Cuff Tear After Arthroplasty: Holes a Poppin’

Rotator cuff tears are a recognized complication after total shoulder arthroplasty. They occur in as many as 2% to 8% of patients. Many tears may be unrecognized and related to aging and the natural history of cuff disease. Some tears may result in significant disability and require operative treatment. Results of primary repair are mixed and healing likely unreliable. Operative indications include pain, symptomatic weakness, and sudden onset loss of function. Postoperative tears are best prevented by appropriate sizing of components, version, and careful technique. Recently, attention has focused on subscapularis function and integrity after shoulder arthroplasty. There is a high rate of failure of subscapularis repair and dysfunction even in intact tendons. Many subscapularis problems are asymptomatic, but others lead to instability. Improvements in technique may result in more reliable healing and function after total shoulder arthroplasty.
Holograms: Their Properties and Uses

Since the recent demonstrations of high-quality three-dimensional imagery, possible uses for this technique have been explored. In addition, many other long-proposed applications cover a wide range, from x-ray microscopy to communication transmission and from interferometry to reconnaissance. This paper will summarize these applications and comment on their attainability. Experimental results of recent work will be presented.
The Reasonable in justice as Fairness

The publication of Political Liberalismhas allowed John Rawls to bring to the fore issues that remained in the background of A Theory of Justice. His explicit attention to the concept of ‘the reasonable’ is a welcome development. In a more recent publication, he affirms the importance of this concept, ‘while [granting] that the idea of the reasonable needs a more thorough examination than Political Liberalism offers.’ In this paper, I will present a critical exposition of the senses of the reasonable on which justice as fairness relies. Rawls employs the term in four main contexts. I will outline these various senses and argue that in each case, a controversy in the secondary literature can be resolved by close attention to the concept of the reasonable. In three of these contexts, Rawls relies on what I will call a ‘strong’ sense of the reasonable, while in one he sometimes seems to rely on a ‘weak’ sense. I argue that justice as fairness is best served by relying on a strong sense throughout.
Modeling and transceiver design for asymmetric UWB links with heterogeneous nodes

In recent years, Ultra-Wideband (UWB) technology has emerged as a promising physical layer candidate for a wide range of wireless networks, especially due to its low operation power level and coexistence ability with traditional wireless systems. However, none of these physical layer realizations has specified the compatible operation among them (see, e.g.,). Therefore, the effective interoperability between asymmetric UWB transceivers needs to be considered for ubiquitous wireless communications. In this paper, we investigate the transceiver design for asymmetric UWB links with a single transmitter and a single receiver. We consider factors that can lead to the asymmetry between UWB transmitters and receivers such as different numbers of signal bands and different pulse rates. Our analysis reveals the similarity between the asymmetric UWB links and the conventional multiantenna systems. Then, MIMO signal processing approaches can be readily applied to achieve the optimal design in terms of channel throughput or bit error rate (BER). Analysis and simulations corroborate the effectiveness of our transceiver designs.
Market-Protecting Institutions and the World Trade Organization's Ability to Promote Trade

Recent research has shown that the General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade (GATT)/World Trade Organization (WTO), contrary to common perceptions, does not increase trade. We argue that the effect of the GATT/WTO on dyadic trade flows is conditioned by the strength of market-protecting institutions (MPIs), which are the fundamental determinant of transaction costs. Dyads with weak MPIs do not see an increase in trade from GATT/WTO membership while dyads that have strong MPIs do see an increase in trade from GATT/WTO membership. In the former case, the benefits of GATT/WTO membership are outweighed by the high risk of doing business under weak market protection, but when property rights are well protected, GATT/WTO membership contributes positively to international trade. Empirical analysis of bilateral trade flows from 1948 to 1999 supports this hypothesis.
Dynamic modeling and analysis of a transmission-based robot servoactuator

This paper addresses aspects of the feasibility of extending high performance brushless DC motor torque-speed capabilities by using multi-speed transmissions. Initial dynamic modeling and simulation results show that a transmission-based electrical servo actuator can have similar load capabilities with widely used hydraulic actuator in robot manipulators.
An architecture for adversarial planning

Adversarial planning for battle management is discussed. Conventional artificial intelligence planning approaches fail to address problems that arise. These include an unpredictable and dynamic environment; control of several semiautonomous intelligent agents; the need to adjust plans dynamically according to developments during plan execution; and the need to consider the presence of an adversary in devising plans. The requirements imposed on automated planning systems by battle management is examined, a planning approach that meets these requirements is described, and an architecture for investigating adversarial aspects of battle planning is presented. >
Dynamic Vulcanization of Thermoplastic Copolyester Elastomer/Nitrile Rubber Alloys: II. Rheology, Morphology and Properties:

The rheological, mechanical, morphological characteristics, and aging resistance in hot oil of thermoplastic elastomer based on multi-block thermoplastic copolyester elastomer (CPET)/nitrile rubber (NBR) have been in vestigated. The nitrile rubber is dynamically vulcanized during blending with thermoplastic copolyester elastomer. The etching technique was explored to conduct the SEM studies. The prepared thermoplastic elastomers possess ex cellent mechanical properties and good oil resistance.
Increased natural killer cells and decreased regulatory T cells are seen in complex atypical endometrial hyperplasia and well-differentiated carcinoma treated with progestins

Progestins are used to treat complex atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma in women who desire fertility preservation and those who are poor surgical candidates. Although sensitivity to progestins is thought to be associated with the presence of estrogen and progesterone receptors, it is known that receptor-negative tumors can also respond to the agent, suggesting that there is another direct antitumor action of progestin. Because tumor immune response is an additional predictor of survival in well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma, it is surprising that the role of progestins in tumor immunity has not been investigated. Regulatory T cells modulate the immune response, whereas cytotoxic T cells directly target tumor cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of progestins on regulatory T cells and cytotoxic T cells. The pre- and posttreatment endometrial samples of 15 progestin-treated patients with complex atypical hyperplasia or well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma were evaluated for therapeutic response and the presence of cytotoxic T cells and regulatory T cells. Immunohistochemical analysis was performed for FOXP3 to identify regulatory T cells and for granzyme B to identify activated cytotoxic T cells. To further characterize the cytotoxic T cell's subpopulations, we performed CD8 (cytotoxic T-cell marker) and CD56 (natural killer cells marker). Ten of 15 patients had normal morphology on follow-up endometrial samplings, and 4 patients had persistence or progression of the disease. Regulatory T-cell counts pretreatment were significantly higher in complex atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma than in posttreatment normal endometrium. Residual complex atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma present in posttreatment samples maintained high regulatory T cells and low number of cytotoxic T cells. Progestin treatment was associated with striking increase in cytotoxic T cells in areas with decidual reaction. Before treatment, most of the granzyme B+ cytotoxic T cells in complex atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma were CD8(+) T cells, whereas after treatment, up to 80% of cytotoxic T cells were natural killer cells. These results suggest that progestin treatment affects subpopulations of lymphocytes in the endometrium and may induce immune suppression of complex atypical hyperplasia and well-differentiated endometrial carcinoma.
Spectral Anonymization of Data

The goal of data anonymization is to allow the release of scientifically useful data in a form that protects the privacy of its subjects. This requires more than simply removing personal identifiers from the data because an attacker can still use auxiliary information to infer sensitive individual information. Additional perturbation is necessary to prevent these inferences, and the challenge is to perturb the data in a way that preserves its analytic utility. No existing anonymization algorithm provides both perfect privacy protection and perfect analytic utility. We make the new observation that anonymization algorithms are not required to operate in the original vector-space basis of the data, and many algorithms can be improved by operating in a judiciously chosen alternate basis. A spectral basis derived from the data's eigenvectors is one that can provide substantial improvement. We introduce the term spectral anonymization to refer to an algorithm that uses a spectral basis for anonymization, and give two illustrative examples. We also propose new measures of privacy protection that are more general and more informative than existing measures, and a principled reference standard with which to define adequate privacy protection.
The Topology of Change: Foundations of Probability with Black Swans

Classic probability theory treats rare events as ‘outliers’ that are disregarded and underestimated. In a moment of change however rare events can become frequent, and frequent events rare. We postulate new axioms for probability theory that require a balanced treatment of rare and frequent events, based on what we call “the topology of change”. The axioms extend the foundation of probability to integrate rare but potentially catastrophic events or black swans: natural hazards, market crashes, catastrophic climate change and episodes of species extinction. The new results include a characterization of a family of purely finitely additive measures that are—somewhat surprisingly—absolutely continuous with respect to the Lebesgue measure. This is a new development from an earlier characterization of probability measures implied by the new axioms, which where countably additive measures created in Chichilnisky (2000), Wiley, Chichester (2002), Chichilnisky (2009, 2009a). The results are contrasted to the axioms of Kolmogorov (1933/1950), De Groot (1970/2004), Arrow (1971), Dubins and Savage (1965), Savage (1972), Von Neumann and Morgernstern (1944), and Hernstein and Milnor.
Conditioning response variability.

Variability of performance was conditioned in three rats by making reinforcement contingent upon two successive inter-response times or post-reinforcement pauses falling into different temporal class intervals. Class intervals were systematically varied over a range of 1.0 to 20.0 sec. Inter-response time and post-reinforcement pause-time distributions, in terms of absolute frequency, were obtained at each interval value. All rats met the variability-of-performance requirement by regular alternation between short and long pauses.
Mitral Valve Disease

The mitral valve is the most easily recognized moving structure in the heart. Because of its rapid to and fro motion, the mitral valve serves as “home base” for almost all echocardiographic examinations. When the transducer is directed posteriorly from the chest wall toward the heart, the most rapidly moving target will almost invariably be the anterior mitral leaflet. Most echocardiographers, therefore, learn cardiac anatomy and motion based upon relationships of the mitral valve to other structures.
Serotonergic vasoconstriction in human fingers during reflex sympathetic response to cooling

The effect on finger blood flow (FBF) of 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) in a 25 degrees C room and the S2-serotonergic receptor antagonist, ketanserin, during reflex sympathetic vasoconstriction was studied in normal subjects. Total FBF was measured by venous occlusion, air plethysmography, and capillary blood flow (FCF) by the disappearance rate of a radioisotope from a fingertip injection. 5-HT in doses of 4 and 8 micrograms/min, given by constant infusion via a brachial artery catheter, significantly decreased FBF [32 +/- (SE) 10.4 to 12.8 +/- 6.6 for 4 micrograms/min and to 5.4 +/- 2.6 ml.min-1.100 ml-1 for 8 micrograms/min, P less than 0.05]. Ketanserin (50 micrograms/min) blocked the vasoconstriction caused by 5-HT. During reflex sympathetic vasoconstriction produced by body cooling, ketanserin increased FBF from 4.1 +/- 1.1 to 39.9 +/- 12.9 ml.min-1.100 ml-1 (P less than 0.025). The vasodilation caused by ketanserin was specific for serotonergic receptors, since it occurred during alpha 1-adrenoceptor blockade with prazosin. Furthermore, the decreases in FBF induced by clonidine and angiotensin II were not significantly different before and during ketanserin infusion. Also, ketanserin further increased FBF after vasodilation of reflexly vasoconstricted fingers by the alpha 2-adrenoceptor antagonist, yohimbine, and phentolamine increased FBF during ketanserin infusions. FCF decreased during 5-HT and increased during ketanserin infusions, demonstrating that both capillary and arteriovenous shunt flow were affected.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
The Culture of Poverty and African-American Culture: An Empirical Assessment

This study examines whether (1) impoverished persons exhibit a “culture of poverty” mentality and (2) blacks differ from whites in their attitudes toward employment, family values, and welfare. Ove...
The use of educational objects

AbstractThis conceptual paper looks at the Winnicottian notion of object use as it relates to education. Object use is understood as the process of attaching to but then attempting to destroy the educator in an effort to create new knowledge and relationships. The paper argues for educational object use as a way of understanding and normalising resistance to learning. The paper relies on a combination of autobiographical and archival material to understand and elucidate object use. Drawing on curriculum theory as well as psychoanalysis, the author argues that the use of teachers as objects enables a creative and affectively meaningful education but simultaneously raises questions regarding the exploitation of teachers. The paper closes with implications for empirical research regarding educational object use.
Identification of Ecdysone Hormone Receptor Agonists as a Therapeutic Approach for Treating Filarial Infections.

Background A homologue of the ecdysone receptor has previously been identified in human filarial parasites. As the ecdysone receptor is not found in vertebrates, it and the regulatory pathways it controls represent attractive potential chemotherapeutic targets. Methodology/ Principal Findings Administration of 20-hydroxyecdysone to gerbils infected with B. malayi infective larvae disrupted their development to adult stage parasites. A stable mammalian cell line was created incorporating the B. malayi ecdysone receptor ligand-binding domain, its heterodimer partner and a secreted luciferase reporter in HEK293 cells. This was employed to screen a series of ecdysone agonist, identifying seven agonists active at sub-micromolar concentrations. A B. malayi ecdysone receptor ligand-binding domain was developed and used to study the ligand-receptor interactions of these agonists. An excellent correlation between the virtual screening results and the screening assay was observed. Based on both of these approaches, steroidal ecdysone agonists and the diacylhydrazine family of compounds were identified as a fruitful source of potential receptor agonists. In further confirmation of the modeling and screening results, Ponasterone A and Muristerone A, two compounds predicted to be strong ecdysone agonists stimulated expulsion of microfilaria and immature stages from adult parasites. Conclusions The studies validate the potential of the B. malayi ecdysone receptor as a drug target and provide a means to rapidly evaluate compounds for development of a new class of drugs against the human filarial parasites.
Discovery and development of antipicornaviral agents

The rhinovirus and enterovirus members of the picornavirus family are responsible for the majority of the mild upper respiratory infections most often referred to as the common cold as well as more serious illnesses including myocarditis. Much progress has been made in the identification and development of antiviral agents which specifically target the capsid of the picornaviruses. Preclinical and clinical efficacy data will be discussed on the WIN series of antiviral agents which were the result of a conventional drug discovery approach. The design of new agents is being assisted by the availability of atomic resolution data on the interaction of this class of antiviral agents with the viral capsid.
Simultaneous All-optical Wavelength Switching using a Nonlinear Loop Mirror

High performance optical communication and signal processing systems have been demonstrated employing architectures based on wavelength division multiplexed (WDM) formats or optical time division (OTDM) formats.
Unpacking the Black Box of Deliberative Interaction: How Group Gender Composition and Decision Rule Affect Discussion Dynamics

When and why do women gain from increased descriptive representation in deliberating bodies? Using a large randomized experiment, and linking individual-level speech with assessments of speaker authority, we find that decision rules interact with the number of women in the group to shape the conversation dynamics and deliberative authority, an important form of influence. With majority rule and few women, women experience a negative balance of interruptions when speaking, and these women then lose influence in their own eyes and in others’. But when the group is assigned to unanimous rule, or when women are many, women experience a positive balance of interruptions, mitigating the deleterious effect of small numbers. Men do not experience this pattern. We draw implications for a type of representation that we call authoritative representation, and for democratic deliberation.
Mechanisms influencing retrograde flow in the atrioventricular canal during early embryonic cardiogenesis

Normal development of the heart is regulated, in part, by mechanical influences associated with blood flow during early stages of embryogenesis. Specifically, the potential for retrograde flow at the atrioventricular canal (AVC) is particularly important in valve development. However, the mechanisms causing this retrograde flow have received little attention. In this study, a numerical analysis was performed on images of the embryonic zebrafish heart between 48 and 55hpf. During these stages, normal retrograde flow is prevalent. To manipulate this flow, zebrafish were placed in a centrifuge and subjected to a hypergravity environment to alter the cardiac preload at various six-hour intervals between 24 and 48hpf. Parameters of the pumping mechanics were then analyzed through a spatiotemporal analysis of processed image sequences. We find that the loss of retrograde flow in experimentally manipulated embryos occurs in part because of a greater resistance in the form of atrial and AVC contractile closure. Additionally, during retrograde flow, these embryos exhibit significantly greater pressure difference across the AVC based on calculations of expansive and contractile rates of the atrium and ventricle. These results elucidated that the developing heart is highly sensitive to small changes in pumping mechanics as it strives to maintain normal hemodynamic conditions necessary for later cardiac development.
Linking Land & Sea: Watershed Evaluation and Mineralogical Distribution of Sediments in Eastern St. John, USVI

Abstract Tropical islands such as St. John in the U.S. Virgin Islands are naturally susceptible to terrigenous (land-based) sediment erosion due to their high-relief slopes, fast weathering rates, and intense precipitation events. Nearshore ecosystems that exist near these islands tend to thrive in static conditions, and are especially stressed by increases in terrigenous input. In the last few decades, island development and population have increased dramatically in some areas of St. John. We conducted a detailed characterization of watersheds and their sediments from ‘source to sink’ in eastern St. John. To accomplish this we combined field observations and sampling with a digital elevation model. Our research was focused on several morphologically similar embayments in eastern St. John; three impacted by anthropogenic development (Coral Harbor, Johnson Bay, and Sanders Bay) and an adjacent, virtually undeveloped bay within the Virgin Islands National Park and Virgin Islands Coral Reef National Monument...
Platform modeling for power forecasting and optimization

This paper presents platform power modeling and its usage for power forecasting and optimization of state-of-art mobile platforms that use multi-core microprocessors with other integrated silicon components. The developed methodologies improve prediction accuracy and reduce run time compared to traditional methods of analyzing individual components each on their own then adding them together.
Pulmonary hypertension and right heart failure due to severe hypernatremic dehydration.

Introduction:Neonates are at risk of developing hypernatremic dehydration and its associated complications, such as stroke, dural sinus thrombosis and renal vein thrombosis. Pulmonary hypertension ...
Development trends for future automobiles and their demand on the battery

Abstract Requirements to automotive batteries are changing due to increasing electrical content – for example, multiple transient high-power loads that enable various levels of autonomous driving – as well as due to fuel economy and CO 2 emissions targets that drive the broad introduction of micro-hybrid technology. The cascaded process of requirements development, from vehicle functions to power-supply and powertrain system requirements and then down to storage system requirements, is illustrated. Low-volt power-supply system topologies are discussed briefly. Upcoming storage system requirements are outlined, with emphasis on shallow cycle-life at partial state-of-charge (PSoC), as well as dynamic charge-acceptance (DCA). The position of lead–acid technology for automotive applications is discussed in the light of these new requirements, but also in contrast to fast-evolving alternative storage technologies.
Microbiology of Acute and Chronic Osteomyelitis and Antibiotic Treatment

Osteomyelitis is an inflammation of bone marrow with a tendency for progression, involving the cortical plates and often periosteal tissues, with most cases occurring after trauma to bone or bone surgery or secondary to vascular insufficiency. Antimicrobial therapy and surgical debridement are the primary modalities of osteomyelitis treatment, although often it is associated with a prolonged course, requiring a large commitment between patient and clinician as well as sizable health care costs. Despite surgical and chemotherapeutic advancements, osteomyelitis remains difficult to treat, and no universally accepted protocol for treatment exists.