cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Dynamic changes in sensitization to specific aeroallergens in children raised in a desert environment.

Summary Background Allergen skin test reactivity and total serum IgE are objective measures used to characterize and help diagnose allergic diseases. Cross-sectional studies have shown that overall aeroallergen skin test reactivity increases throughout childhood. However, little attention has been paid to whether individual aeroallergen remittance occurs, which could distort or mask relationships to disease. Objective To access the incidence and remittance of skin test reactions to individual allergens in children aged 6–11 years. Methods Longitudinal sensitization to six aeroallergens and total IgE were assessed in 828 children raised in the semi-arid US southwest at ages 6 and 11 years. Results New sensitization (to any allergen) between 6 and 11 years occurred in 30.2% of children compared with 39.7% before age 6 years. The rate of complete remittance from positive to negative between ages 6 and 11 years was 8.2%, and total IgE at age 6 years was not predictive. Remittance rates for individual allergens were high and variable (19–49%). The perennial allergens Bermuda and Alternaria were early sensitizers and had low remittance rates. Early sensitization to the four seasonal allergens was less common and more subject to remittance with the bulk of sensitization occurring between 6 and 11 years. Conclusion This study shows that sensitization to individual aeroallergens in childhood is dynamic and indicates the limitation of single point assessment of skin test reactivity.
Urban design and energy utilization: A comparative analysis of soviet practice

Abstract The consumption of energy by urban populations depends in part upon the efficiency of the process used to provide residential, commercial, and industrial heat. This paper explores the systemic determinants of the adoption of district heating and co-generation, evaluates the extent of resulting energy savings, and appraises USSR practice. Differences between economic systems in the specification of property rights cause differences in both transaction costs and the treatment of externalities and partially explain the greater utilization of district heating and co-generation in planned economies. Institutional changes required in market economies to adopt this urban-design strategy are suggested.
High Resolution Structure of Half-Cage Isodrin Propionate, a Molecule Suitable for Studying Nuclear Overhauser Effects in the Organic Laboratory

The nuclear overhauser effect (NOE) has emerged as a useful tool for studying the structural features of a molecule via NMR spectroscopy. Herein we describe the high quality solid state structure of half-cage isodrin propionate, whose facile synthesis makes it a suitable molecule to measure and study the NOE in both undergraduate and graduate organic laboratories. Half-cage isodrin propionate crystallizes in the monoclinic space group P2 1 /n with unit cell parameters a = 12.0064(11) A, b = 12.7511(12) A, c = 22.540(2) A and β = 105.27(3)°. The asymmetric unit contains two Half-cage isodrin propionate molecules with atoms on general positions. Critical to the observation of NOE in the title molecule is an ultrashort interatomic contact involving two isolated, neighboring hydrogen atoms found in each half-cage molecule of the asymmetric unit. The interatomic distances were measured at 1.737(2) A within the first half-cage molecule and 1.725(2) A within the second. Secondary to the observation of these short interatomic separations, the solid state structure of half-cage isodrin propionate, with its Z’ > 1, represents a situation where each molecule’s inherent differences might be analyzed and discussed.
Post-traumatic stress disorder in Asian refugees

This study profiles 127 cases of Vietnamese, Cambodian, Laotian and Chinese refugee outpatients diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Traumatic etiologies included victims of wars such as political refugees, concentration camp prisoners and victims of rape, severe personal losses (property or human lives). These traumata were experienced by our subjects during the period between the end of the Vietnam war in April 1975 and recent times, when they finally arrived in the USA. Clinical symptoms of these subjects reflected many influences of their oriental culture background and are characterized by internalization that needs to be overcome for assessment as well as for therapy. Symptomatic treatment with psychopharmacology and supportive therapy are helpful while cultural approaches have been adopted by many patients to reach the inner self pathology that could be of both mental and organic in nature. These facts need to be taken into consideration in the future description of the PTSD clinical picture. Recommendations are made for future PTSD studies in Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos, and to promote a global movement for prevention of any socio-political situation that may generate PTSD.
Internet Reference Sources for Computing and Computer Science: A Selected Guide

SUMMARY. Computing and computer science bibliographic databases, bibliographies, dictionaries, encyclopedias, directories, and guides, along with finding aids for technical reports, online books, and book reviews are listed and described. Subscription-based sources as well as free alternatives are covered. Resources are listed for all levels of computing ability including faculty and professionals, graduate students, undergraduates, and general users. [Article copies available for a fee from The Haworth Document Delivery Service: 1-800-HAWORTH. E-mail address: Website:
Explanation of timing of botulinum neurotoxin effects, onset and duration, and clinical ways of influencing them

While the steps in the action of botulinum neurotoxin (BoNT) are well known, the factors underlying the timing of these steps are not fully understood. After toxin is injected into a muscle, it resides in the extracellular space and must be taken up into the nerve terminals. More toxin will be taken up if near the endplate. Toxin is distributed mainly by convection and there is likely little diffusion. Toxin that is not taken up will go into the general circulation where it may have a slight systemic effect. The uptake is activity and temperature dependent. Encouraging the unwanted muscle contractions after injection should be helpful. Cooling will decrease the uptake. The times for washout from the extracellular space and uptake of the toxin are not well established, but are likely measured in minutes. Toxin in the general circulation has a long half time. The time from injection to weakness is determined by how long it takes to get sufficient damage of the SNARE proteins to interfere with synaptic release. Toxins are zinc dependent proteases, and supplemental zinc may produce a greater effect. There will be weakness as long as there is residual toxin in the nerve ending.
Nanoparticles under the influence of surface/interface elasticity

We investigate the effect of surface/interface elasticity in the presence of nanoparticles, embedded in a semi-infinite elastic medium. The work is motivated by the technological significance of self-organization of strained islands in multilayered systems. Islands, adatom-clusters, or quantum dots are modeled as inhomogeneities, with properties that differ from the ones of the surrounding material. Within the framework of continuum elasticity theory, the Papkovitch‐Neuber displacement methodology coupled with Gurtin’s surface elasticity yields an analytical solution. The elastic field is expressed in terms of four sets of spherical and cylindrical harmonics. Surface elasticity introduces an additional length scale and results suggest that local stresses are significantly affected by the size of the nanoparticles.
Hold your horses: how exposure to different items influences infant categorization.

Abstract We investigated how exposure to pairs of different items (as compared with pairs of identical items) influences 10-month-olds’ (n = 79) categorization of horses versus dogs in an object-examining task. Infants responded to an exclusive category when familiarized with pairs of different items but not when familiarized with pairs of identical items (Experiment 1), even when the frequency of exposure to each item was controlled (Experiment 2). When familiarized with pairs of identical items, infants failed to show evidence of memory for the individual exemplars (Experiment 3). Reducing the retention interval between presentations of different items in the identical pairs condition facilitated infants’ recognition of an exclusive categorical distinction (Experiment 4). These results are discussed in terms of how exposure to collections of different items, and how opportunities to compare items, influences infants’ categorization.
Selective Disruption of Aurora C Kinase Reveals Distinct Functions from Aurora B Kinase during Meiosis in Mouse Oocytes

Aurora B kinase (AURKB) is the catalytic subunit of the chromosomal passenger complex (CPC), an essential regulator of chromosome segregation. In mitosis, the CPC is required to regulate kinetochore microtubule (K-MT) attachments, the spindle assembly checkpoint, and cytokinesis. Germ cells express an AURKB homolog, AURKC, which can also function in the CPC. Separation of AURKB and AURKC function during meiosis in oocytes by conventional approaches has not been successful. Therefore, the meiotic function of AURKC is still not fully understood. Here, we describe an ATP-binding-pocket-AURKC mutant, that when expressed in mouse oocytes specifically perturbs AURKC-CPC and not AURKB-CPC function. Using this mutant we show for the first time that AURKC has functions that do not overlap with AURKB. These functions include regulating localized CPC activity and regulating chromosome alignment and K-MT attachments at metaphase of meiosis I (Met I). We find that AURKC-CPC is not the sole CPC complex that regulates the spindle assembly checkpoint in meiosis, and as a result most AURKC-perturbed oocytes arrest at Met I. A small subset of oocytes do proceed through cytokinesis normally, suggesting that AURKC-CPC is not the sole CPC complex during telophase I. But, the resulting eggs are aneuploid, indicating that AURKC is a critical regulator of meiotic chromosome segregation in female gametes. Taken together, these data suggest that mammalian oocytes contain AURKC to efficiently execute meiosis I and ensure high-quality eggs necessary for sexual reproduction.
Properties of Electron Surface States on Liquid Helium

Methods have been developed for depositing electrons on the surface of liquid helium, either from the gas side or from the liquid side. In a suitable applied electric field they escape from the surface into the gas and the rate of escape has been measured. Electrons inside the surface escape by a thermally activated process. Those outside the surface escape much more rapidly by what appears to be a tunneling process. Analysis of the equilibrium between bound and free electrons identifies important features of the binding which have not previously been considered.
Conrad and Impressionism

Preface Acknowledgments List of abbreviations Introduction: objects of consciousness in Conrad's impressionist world 1. Subject/object: science and the epistemological origins of literary impressionism 2. Objects and events in the 'primitive eye': the epistemology of objectivity 3. Other-like-self and other-unlike-self: the epistemology of subjectivity 4. 'Sudden holes' in time: the epistemology of temporality 5. Radical relativism, epistemological certainty and ethical absolutes: Conrad's impressionist response to solopsism and anarchy Epilogue Notes Selected bibliography Index.
0Oxidative Bromination of Activated Aromatic Compounds Using Aqueous Nitric Acid as an Oxidant

Oxidative bromination of activated aromatic compounds using alkali metal bromide salts and aqueous nitric acid to the corresponding bromo-derivatives is achieved in a liquid−liquid, two-phase system under ambient conditions. Nitric acid offers a dual function of an oxidant as well as a proton donor, which is essential for oxidative bromination using metal bromide salts. Bromination as well as chlorination could be accomplished with this simple system.
Unsteady Jets in Crossflow

The effect of periodic perturbation on jet in cross-flow (JICF) is reviewed. In the first part of the paper, flow visualization result from several past works are discussed. Beginning with description of the characteristic vortex systems of a JICF it is shown that specific perturbation techniques work by organizing and intensifying specific vortex systems. Oscillatory blowing works primarily through an organization of the shear layer vortices. In the second part of the paper, results of an ongoing experiment involving another mechanical perturbation technique are discussed. It involves two tabs at the orifice exit whose asymmetry in placement is reversed periodically. It directly modulates the counter-rotating vortex pair (CVP). Effects of the perturbation for an array of three adjacent orifices are exploded. The flowfield data show an improvement in mixing compared to the unperturbed case.
The quantitative transplantation of subpopulations of rat mammary gland cells separated on renografin gradients

Abstract Rat secretory cells have been separated into subpopulations employing renografin density gradients. The morphological cell types differed in the various subpopulations. Fat secretory mammary parenchymal cells could be obtained at greater than 97% purity. The ability of 4-cell subpopulations, of different densities and morphologies, to redifferentiate into mammary tissue upon transplantation was quantitated. No enrichment of transplantable cells, in any subpopulation studied, was obtained. This may indidicate that more than one mammary cell type has the potential of redifferentiating into complete glandular tissue.
Unsaturated fatty acids repress the expression of adipocyte fatty acid binding protein via the modulation of histone deacetylation in RAW 264.7 macrophages.

Adipocyte fatty acid binding protein (A-FABP) present in macrophages has been implicated in the integration of lipid metabolism and inflammatory response, contributing to development of insulin resistance and atherosclerosis. This study was conducted to test the hypothesis that the role of fatty acids in the inflammatory pathways is mediated through the modulation of A-FABP expression in macrophages. Murine RAW 264.7 macrophages were treated with inflammatory insults and fatty acids for quantitative real-time PCR and Western blot analysis. The cells were treated with trichostatin A (TSA), a histone deacetylase inhibitor, for elucidating mechanisms for the regulation of A-FABP expression by fatty acids. RNA interference (RNAi) to knock down A-FABP was utilized to assess its role in inflammatory gene expression. When RAW 264.7 were incubated with lipopolysaccharides (LPS; 100 ng/ml) or 2.5 ng/ml of tumor necrosis factor α for 18 h, A-FABP mRNA and protein levels were drastically increased. Unsaturated fatty acids (100 μmol/l in complexed with BSA) such as palmitoleic acid, oleic acid, linoleic acid, linolenic acid, and eicosapentaenoic acid, significantly repressed the basal as well as LPS-induced A-FABP expression, whereas palmitic acid did not elicit the same effect. TSA increased A-FABP mRNA levels and abolished the repressive effect of linoleic acid on A-FABP expression in unstimulated and LPS-stimulated macrophages. Depletion of A-FABP expression by 70–80% using RNAi markedly decreased cyclooxygenase 2 mRNA abundance and potentiated the repression by linoleic acid. Unsaturated fatty acids inhibited the basal as well as LPS-induced A-FABP expression. The mechanism may involve histone deacetylation and anti-inflammatory effect of unsaturated fatty acids may be at least in part attributed to their repression of A-FABP expression in RAW 264.7 macrophages.
Interactive Coding of Visual Spatial Frequency and Auditory Amplitude-Modulation Rate

Spatial frequency is a fundamental visual feature coded in primary visual cortex, relevant for perceiving textures, objects, hierarchical structures, and scenes, as well as for directing attention and eye movements. Temporal amplitude-modulation (AM) rate is a fundamental auditory feature coded in primary auditory cortex, relevant for perceiving auditory objects, scenes, and speech. Spatial frequency and temporal AM rate are thus fundamental building blocks of visual and auditory perception. Recent results suggest that crossmodal interactions are commonplace across the primary sensory cortices and that some of the underlying neural associations develop through consistent multisensory experience such as audio-visually perceiving speech, gender, and objects. We demonstrate that people consistently and absolutely (rather than relatively) match specific auditory AM rates to specific visual spatial frequencies. We further demonstrate that this crossmodal mapping allows amplitude-modulated sounds to guide attention to and modulate awareness of specific visual spatial frequencies. Additional results show that the crossmodal association is approximately linear, based on physical spatial frequency, and generalizes to tactile pulses, suggesting that the association develops through multisensory experience during manual exploration of surfaces.
Present state and perspectives for the southern Brazil shelf demersal fisheries

The demersal fish stocks in southern Brazil were assessed from landings and catchper-unit effort data trends between 1975 and 1994, available information on the life history patterns, and population dynamics of the most important species. The fishing gears, mostly otter and pair bottom trawls in the 1970s, diversified towards double-rig trawls for fish and shrimp and bottom gill nets in the mid 1980s, and bottom longlines in the upper slope in the early 1990s. There were also some less successful attempts with traps for fish and crabs. The demersal fisheries are more intensive in winter when migratory species move northward, associated with the seasonal displacement of the western boundary of the Subtropical Convergence. Landings between 1975 and 1994 were mostly of sciaenid fishes (>70%) and elasmobranchs (10%) and oscillated around 59 000 t. There was not a decrease in total landings but a shift from more to less exploited stocks. Since 1989, 4% of the landings came from depleted stocks of Pagrus pagrus (L.), Netuma barba (Lacepede), Pogonias cromis (L.) and Rhinobatos horkelli (Muller & Henle); 37% from overexploited stocks: Micropogonias furnieri (Desmarest), Paralichthys patagonicus Jordan, Squatina guggenheim Marini, and Galeorhinus galeus (L.); 24% from heavily exploited stocks of Umbrina canosai Berg, and Macrodon ancylodon (Bloch & Schneider); and 35% of Cynoscion guatucupa (Cuvier) and small stocks with unclear status. The demersal fisheries are virtually unmanaged and future landings are expected to decrease if fishing pressure remains high. Effective management will require the participation of all three countries in the region because most of the stocks fished in southern Brazil are shared with Uruguay and Argentina.
The Role of Ethnicity in Variability in Response to Drugs: Focus on Clinical Pharmacology Studies

Ethnicity is one factor that may account for the observed differences in both pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of drugs, resulting in variability in response to drug therapy. Given that the applicability of clinical study results to the treatment of an individual patient is a critical consideration in a physician's choice of drug therapy, drug development should seek to ensure that a clinical pharmacologic evaluation includes a population that is representative of the target therapeutic population. Ethnic diversity in drug response with respect to safety and efficacy and the resulting differences in recommended doses have been well described for some drugs. Some of these differential responses may be related to the pharmacogenomics of a particular drug. Pharmacogenomic techniques have recently enjoyed widespread use in studies of drug exposure and response. The clinical relevance of variability in drug response due to pharmacogenomics of drug-metabolizing enzymes was considered at a September 2004 workshop cosponsored by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), Johns Hopkins University, and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America (http://www.fda.gov/cder/Offices/OCPB/workshops.htm).
The role of human agents in facilitating clinical and translational science.

The fundamental problem confronting policymakers who desire to facilitate the development of clinical and translational science (CTS) comes in bringing people with disparate interests, vocabularies, cultures, goals, and so forth together for a common purpose. A variety of roles have been suggested for individuals who may play key parts in this overall process: opinion leaders, change agents, boundary spanners, structural hole brokers, and, finally, collaborative knowledge brokers. This essay will systematically review these key roles; focusing on the strengths and weaknesses of each to illustrate their part in approaches to solving this problem. The implications of this perspective will be discussed in terms of the role that human agents can play in facilitating CTS. Clin Trans Sci 2012; Volume 5: 356–361
Physiological monitoring and analysis of a manned stratospheric balloon test program.

INTRODUCTION: The Red Bull Stratos Project consisted of incremental high altitude parachute jumps [maximum altitude 127,852 ft (38,969 m)] from a pressurized capsule suspended from a stratospheric helium-filled balloon. A physiological monitoring system was worn by the parachutist to provide operational medical and acceleration data and to record a unique set of data in a supersonic environment. METHODS: Various physiological parameters, including heart rate (HR), respiratory rate (RR), skin temperature, and triaxial acceleration, were collected during the ascent, high altitude float, free fall, and parachute opening and descent stages of multiple low- and high altitude jumps. Physiologic data were synchronized with global positioning system (GPS) and audiovisual data for a comprehensive understanding of the environmental stressors experienced. RESULTS: HR reached maximum during capsule egress and remained elevated throughout free fall and landing. RR reached its maximum during free fall. Temperature data were unreliable and did not provide useful results. The highest accelerations parameters were recorded during parachute opening and during landing. During each high altitude jump, immediately after capsule egress, the parachutist experienced a few seconds of microgravity during which some instability occurred. Control was regained as the parachutist entered denser atmosphere. DISCUSSION: The high altitude environment resulted in extremely high vertical speeds due to little air resistance in comparison to lower altitude jumps with similar equipment. The risk for tumbling was highest at initial step-off. Physiological responses included elevated HR and RR throughout critical phases of free fall. The monitoring unit performed well despite the austere environment and extreme human performance activities. Language: en
Quantitative Reasoning in the Contemporary World, 1: The Course and Its Challenges:

The authors describe successes and challenges in developing a QL-friendly course at the University of Arkansas. This work is part of a three-year NSF project Quantitative Reasoning in the Contemporary World (QRCW) that supported the expansion of the course. The course, MATH 2183, began experimentally in Fall 2004 as a section of finite mathematics known informally as “News Math” for 26 students from arts and humanities disciplines. Over the past six years, the course has evolved and now MATH 2183 is approved to satisfy the College of Arts and Sciences mathematics requirement for the Bachelor of Arts degree. In 2009-2010, it was offered in 16 sections to about 500 students. The course,, which is designed so that students work collaboratively in groups of three to four to discuss and answer questions related to quantitative information found in newspaper and other media articles, has encountered a variety of challenges that exemplify broader questions confronting interactive teaching of mathematics in context. Many students possess deeply held views regarding mathematics and struggle with the departure from traditional, lecture-driven mathematics classes. Available curricular materials that engage undergraduate students to reason in real-world settings are limited. Solving new problems on quizzes and examinations is challenging and uncomfortable for students, but necessary as QL requires “authentic” tasks. The variety of contexts in which QR is needed tests the instructor’s flexibility and knowledge. Many of the challenges have been ameliorated by putting together Case Studies for Quantitative Reasoning: A Casebook of Media Articles which bases sets of questions upon quantitative content derived from media articles. Learning gains measured by preand post-course tests are modest (two percentage points for the mean), but still larger than in other control groups. Faculty advisors’ attitudes about the course are overall positive. Persistence beyond the course, as measured by a survey of 300 former students, seems positive; for example, 29 of the 42 respondents state that their confidence with QR had increased since the course. Similar courses are being taught at Central Washington University and Hollins University by Stuart Boersma and Caren Diefenderfer, respectively, who are also co-PIs on the NSF QRCW project.
MED11- Plenary Session 1

This talk will present reachability analysis as a tool for model checking and controller synthesis for dynamic systems. We will consider the problem of guaranteeing reachability to a given desired subset of the state space while satisfying a safety property defined in terms of state constraints. We allow for nonlinear and hybrid dynamics, and possibly nonconvex state constraints. We use these results to synthesize controllers that ensure safety and reachability properties under bounded model disturbances that vary continuously. We also consider the effects of sampling and quantization. The resulting control policy is an explicit feedback law involving both a selection of continuous inputs and discrete switching commands at each time instant, based upon measurement of system state. We discuss real time implementations of this, and present several examples from multiple aerial vehicle control, human-robot interaction, and multiple player games.
The Utilization of Artificial Neural Networks in Marine Applications: An Overview

Traditional calculation methods used in naval architecture and marine engineering rely mainly on statistical approaches and regression analysis. A relatively new tool in this field is the use of artificial neural networks. Artificial neural networks possess a number of unique characteristics that make them particularly attractive in complex problems, such as the ship design process. In this paper, an overview of the application of neural networks to various aspects of the ship design process is examined. Representative examples in the literature are presented in order to illustrate the power and the versatility of such an approach. The paper aims to provide the reader, whether a novice or an expert in the field of artificial intelligence and naval architecture, with useful sources as well as outline the potential for the extensive use of neural networks in naval applications.
Characterization of human erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase.

Abstract Human erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase was purified to homogeneity. The enzyme exhibited a single band of activity on starch gel electrophoresis and on isoelectric focusing. It was a tetramer with an estimated molecular weight of 230,000 daltons and an isoelectric point of 5.0. Its pH optimum of 8.5, Michaelis-Menten constant for acetaldehyde of 46 μM, and high sensitivity to noncompetitive inhibition by disulfiram resembled human liver cytosolic aldehyde dehydrogenase. Low concentrations of magnesium (5–10μM) resulted in enhancement of erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase activity, whereas higher physiological concentrations of magnesium resulted in uncompetitive inhibition of enzyme activity. Magnesium inhibited the enzyme activity by increasing the binding of NADH to the enzyme as had been found to be the case for the inhibitory effect of magnesium on the human liver cytosolic enzyme. Erythrocyte aldehyde dehydrogenase may metabolize small amounts of acetaldehyde escaping the liver during ethanol metabolism and protect extrahepatic tissues from acetaldehyde toxicity.
Computation of Through-Space 19F−19F Scalar Couplings via Density Functional Theory

By using density functional theory it is demonstrated that the long-range 19F−19F J-couplings (>3J) seen in small organic molecules can be calculated with good accuracy using small molecule fragments and in some cases complete molecules. The results reproduce the exponential distance dependence of J seen experimentally, demonstrate the dominance of the Fermi contact interaction, and rule out any significant covalent or through-bond contributions to J in these systems. The calculations also verify an experimentally observed 19F−19F J-coupling seen between two [6-F]Trp residues in the protein dihydrofolate reductase (for d = 2.98 A), where there is clearly no covalent bonding between the two 19F sites. The results also clarify the abnormally small J-couplings seen previously in phenanthrenes and cyclohexenes, which are shown by ab initio and molecular mechanics geometry optimizations to be due to conversion of the supposedly planar structures to more distorted but less sterically hindered structures. These ...
Pulsed holography for particle detection in bubble chambers

Abstract For efficient detection of short-lived particles with lifetimes of the order of 10-13 s, bubble chambers must be equipped with high resolution imaging systems. Holography is such a technique, capable of achieving high resolutions over a large depth of field. In this report, a review of holography in bubble chambers is followed by a description of the dark-field holographic recording technique used in the 4.6 m (15-ft) bubble chamber at Fermilab. In this scheme, a high-power pulsed ruby laser, operating with an electro-optic feedback loop, was used as the light source. The laser was capable of producing light-pulses of duration of 2-100 μs with energies of about 8 J.
Extrinsic and intrinsic fiber optic Sagnac ultrasound sensors

A compact, dual-probe, fiberized Sagnac ultrasound sensor (SUS) capable of detecting ultrasonic waves of various types is described. The main advantages of the proposed device are (1) the ability to detect ultrasonic waves on the surface (extrinsic mode) as well as in the interior of structures (intrinsic mode); (2) improved SNR, which has been achieved using an optical frequency shifting technique for biasing to quadrature and for elimination of parasitic interference between the desired sampling beams and other nonessential beams in the interferometer; (3) the ability to detect ultrasonic signals on rough surfaces by the use of an electromechanical speckle-hunting technique (in the extrinsic mode); (4) dual-probe configuration; and (5) directional sensitivity to ultrasound when the system is operated in the intrinsic mode or on a polished surface in the extrinsic mode. Several applications of the SUS for nondestructive characterization of material properties and testing of structures for flaws are presented. Bulk longitudinal waves, Rayleigh waves and Lamb waves are measured using the SUS to (1) characterize piezoelectric ultrasonic transducer beam profiles, (2) study the scattering of ultrasonic waves by flaws, (3) identify and size surface breaking flaws in aircraft wheel components, and (4) monitor in real time the cure process of an epoxy resin.
Flow cytometry: Role in monitoring transitional cell carcinoma of bladder

The ability to detect and monitor the course of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder using DNA histograms obtained from flow cytometry was studied. Voided urine and barbotage specimens were collected from patients with active TCC or a past history of TCC. These specimens were submitted to routine cytologic and flow cytometric analyses. Samples were considered to be positive if they met one or more of three criteria: if they had aneuploid or tetraploid peaks, if the DNA index of the major G1 peak was shifted more than 10 per cent from that of diploid cells, or if 15 per cent or more of the cells fell to the right of the major diploid G1 cell population thereby constituting a significant hyperdiploid cell population. Using these methods for patients with active disease, the detection rate was 91 per cent. In patients with a past history of TCC, positive histograms preceded the appearance of visible tumor in one third of the cases. Flow cytometry proved to be an excellent way of following patients with a past history of TCC or of screening patients suspected of having active disease. Following this protocol, few biologically active tumors go undetected. However, in 112 patients without a history of bladder cancer, the false positive or suspicious rate was 38 per cent. Before flow cytometry can be recommended as a widespread screening method for patients thought to be at risk of TCC of the bladder developing, this suspicious group will have to be eliminated.
All the better to see you with . . .

Distributed worldwide, the wolf spiders (lycosids) are descendants of the first terrestrial predators from the Devonian period, approximately 410–360 million years ago. These peripatetic hunters are one of only a few families of spiders that generally do not spin webs, although some in the family do use silk to line their burrows or to wrap their eggs. Without the stationary death traps of their kin, these species must rely upon mechanical and visual senses for all matters of their behaviour from courtship to prey capture to predator avoidance. Since these behaviour traits are closely related, the species have probably been successful for 400 million years and their senses have been honed to razor sharpness, but are not exclusively visually based. The cover photograph illustrates a scanning electron micrograph of the eyes of a common lycosid spider ( Hogna spp) with four pair of eyes. In the lycosid family, the anterior row, found near the bottom of the electron micrograph, include two pairs that can be described as anteromedian or AM (principal eyes that point forward) …
Neonatal Coarctation Repair With a Long Isthmus: The Isthmus Patch

This case report illustrates a ductal-dependent coarctation repair in a neonate whose long isthmus was believed to make conventional end-to-end repair problematic. The isthmus and left subclavian artery were isolated and augmented with a homograft while flow to the descending aorta was preserved through the ductus. After patch augmentation of the isthmus, ductal tissue was resected and an end-to-end anastomosis was performed using the length of the augmented isthmus. Angiography 18 months later showed excellent growth of the arch despite homograft tissue comprising the majority of the isthmus at the time of repair.
Could Low Carbon Capacity Standards be More Cost Effective at Reducing CO2 than Renewable Portfolio Standards

Abstract We examine the implications of lowering electricity sector CO 2 emissions in PJM through a Low Carbon Capacity Standard (LCCS) instead of a renewables portfolio standard (RPS). An LCCS would create a requirement for load-serving entities to procure new low carbon capacity (GW). The LCCS would provide a greater balance of energy and capacity supply than a renewable portfolio standard, which requires only the supply of energy (and excludes non-renewable low carbon generators). Approximately 25 GW of PJM generation capacity is scheduled to retire by 2019 and the RPSs currently in place in PJM will supply only 5 GW of Equivalent Load Carrying Capability (ELLC). An LCCS, providing the same amount of low carbon energy, would supply 13 to 16 GW of ELCC. We estimate the required reduction of capacity prices required to cover the investment cost premium low carbon capacity would require from consumers. For example, if the energy from an LCCS costs on average $20/MWh more than energy from an RPS, the annual premium would be approximately $2.2 B. In order for consumers to be better off with an LCCS in this example, capacity prices would have to decrease by $40/MW-day. We find that if an LCCS were adopted, coal fired power plants with carbon capture, utilization, and sequestration (CCUS) would likely have the lowest cost per MW of capacity of all low carbon technologies, based on net Cost of New Entry (CONE) estimates.
Hole motion in a quantum Néel state.

The spin-wave expansion is used to motivate a simple trial wave function for the N\'eel ground state of a spin-1/2 Heisenberg antiferromagnet on a square lattice; the wave function yields an upper bound on the ground-state energy per bond of (-0.3317\ifmmode\pm\else\textpm\fi{}0.0002)J, where J is the exchange constant. The wave function is easily generalizable to the case where a single hole, with hopping matrix element t, is present. The hole energy-momentum relationship is determined for J/tg0.25; the minimum hole energy is always on the zone boundary at k=(\ensuremath{\pi}/2,\ensuremath{\pi}/2). The hole bandwidth, W, has a maximum value of 1.24t at J=0.73t. The small parameter which makes all of these calculations possible is 1/(2Z-2), where Z=4 is the coordination number of the square lattice.
Molecular dynamics study of solute strengthening in Al/Mg alloys

Abstract The strengthening of Al by Mg solute atoms is investigated using molecular dynamics (MD) studies of single dislocations moving through a field of randomly placed solutes. The MD method permits explicit treatment of “core” effects, dislocation pinning and deceleration, and dislocation unpinning by thermal activation, all under an applied load. Choice of an appropriate MD simulation cell size is assessed using analytic concepts developed by Labusch. The interaction energy of a single Mg atom with straight edge and screw dislocations is computed and compared with continuum models. Using the single Mg energies, a one-dimensional energy landscape for the motion of a straight edge dislocation through a random field of Mg solutes is computed. The minima in this landscape match well with those found in the MD simulations at zero temperature. The stress to unpin a straight edge dislocation trapped in a local energy minimum generated by the solutes is then predicted semi-analytically using the energy landscape, and good agreement is obtained with the MD results. At temperatures of 300 and 500 K, the thermally activated rate of unpinning vs. stress and temperature is calculated semi-analytically, and agreement with the full MD results is again obtained with the fitting of a single attempt frequency in a transition state model. The agreement of the semi-analytical models provides a basis for calculating yield stress vs. strain rate and temperature, resulting from statistical pinning, for the case of non-interacting dislocations on a single slip system, and for extending the analysis to study dynamic strain aging effects resulting from diffusion of Mg atoms around a pinned dislocation.
The Other Side of the Diaspora: Race, Threat, and the Social Psychology of Evacuee Reception in Predominantly White Communities

This article provides a social psychological framework for understanding the reception of Hurricane Katrina evacuees in predominantly White relocation communities. According to this framework, racial prejudice and perceptions of economic and social threat are likely to have an important influence on residents’ reactions to the evacuees. In the “Katrina in my Community Study,” the authors surveyed 532 residents from Colorado Springs, CO, Salt Lake City, UT, and San Antonio, TX—three cities that had African American populations well below the national average and that received large numbers of Katrina evacuees. The respondent’s evaluations of and judgments about the evacuees, including overall attitudes and support for continued assistance, were explained to a greater extent by perceived threat and prejudice than by their actual experiences with the evacuees. Thus, at least in predominantly White communities, race and subjective feelings of threat may frame decisions about helping newcomers to a community, even when need is salient.
The benefits of directional antennas in heterogeneouswireless ad-hoc networks

Basic properties of wireless ad-hoc networks, such as connectivity, have traditionally been analyzed and evaluated under the assumption that all nodes have homogeneous communication capabilities. While this assumption usually holds for small networks, it is unlikely to be true in most large scale networks. This paper studies how heterogeneous communication capabilities affect basic properties of ad-hoc networks. More specifically, we consider one type of heterogeneity in which nodes are equipped with two different types of antenna technologies, omni-directional and directional, and evaluate them against four properties: network connectivity, energy consumption, interference tolerance and resilience to failures. Our main results show that even under a very simple network model that does not assume any global knowledge of the network, an ad-hoc network where only 10% to 20% of the nodes are equipped with directional antennas, can outperform a comparable homogeneous network (where all nodes have only omni-directional antennas) in all four metrics.
Apolipoprotein A5 Polymorphisms Interact with Total Dietary Fat Intake in Association with Markers of Metabolic Syndrome in Puerto Rican Older Adults

APOA5 -1131T > C and S19W single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been consistently associated with plasma lipid concentration and metabolic syndrome (MetS), alone and in modulation by dietary factors. Puerto Ricans have a high prevalence of metabolic conditions and high minor allele frequency for these SNP, suggesting a possible role in disease for this population. We aimed to determine the association of APOA5 -1131T > C and S19W with plasma lipids and markers of MetS, alone and in interaction with total fat intake, as a percent of total energy intake, in Puerto Ricans. Anthropometric and demographic data, FFQ, and blood samples were collected at baseline from participants in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (n = 802, 45-75 y). APOA5 S19W was associated with plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.044); minor allele carriers had lower HDL-C [1.12 +/- 0.03 (mean +/- SE)] than those with the common variant (1.18 +/- 0.01 mmol/L), even after adjustment for plasma triglycerides (TG) (P = 0.012). Neither polymorphism was associated with TG or other lipids. Interaction of the -1131T > C SNP with total fat energy intake was observed for plasma TG (P = 0.032) and total cholesterol (P = 0.034). APOA5 S19W interacted with total fat intake in association with systolic (P = 0.002) and diastolic (P = 0.007) blood pressure. Neither SNP was associated with MetS in the overall analysis or after stratifying by total energy intake as fat. In conclusion, Puerto Ricans present a distinctive lipid profile in association with APOA5 polymorphisms. Dietary fat intake seems to modulate these associations. The results contribute to the understanding of health disparities in this population.
A methodological quality synthesis of systematic reviews on computer-mediated continuing education for healthcare providers.

Background Healthcare providers use continuing education (CE) to meet professional development requirements and to ensure optimal patient care. There has been a dramatic increase in computer-mediated CE (CMCE) programs. Aims To synthesize the literature regarding the current state of the science on the efficacy of CMCE for healthcare professionals, particularly as it relates to provider learning and patient outcomes. Specifically, this review assesses the methodological quality of existing systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Methods A literature search was conducted using Cochrane Library, PubMed, and CINAHL. Review articles evaluating the efficacy of CMCE for healthcare providers were included. Publications were searched between 2002 and 2013 and limited to those printed in English. An objective measurement tool, AMSTAR, was used to assess the methodological quality of each review. AMSTAR is an 11-item instrument, in which individual criteria were evaluated and a composite score of all 11 components was determined for each review. Outcomes of each review were also categorized based on Kirkpatrick's levels for summative evaluation: (i) Learner satisfaction, (ii) Learning outcomes, (iii) Performance improvement, (iv) Patient/health outcomes. Results Starting with 231 articles, 11 met the inclusion criteria for this evaluation. AMSTAR quality scores of the reviews ranged from 7 to 11, with 11 indicating the strongest quality. Although weak research design of many studies and heterogeneous topics covered make summative evaluations difficult, there were some common themes covered in the articles reviewed. Healthcare providers were largely satisfied with using CMCE programs. Overall, the studies comparing CMCE to traditional CE methods found the impact on learning outcomes to be comparable, with neither method necessarily superior. Additionally, all reviews lacked evaluation of practice outcomes. Linking Evidence to Action While results of this review show promise for CMCE, further evaluation and more rigorously conducted research is necessary. Particular focus is needed to determine the effects of CMCE on health outcomes.
CCR4 Is a Key Modulator of Innate Immune Responses

CCR4 is recognized as a key receptor in Th2-associated immune processes, although very little is known about its role in innate immunity. Previous studies reported increased resistance to LPS-induced lethality in CCR4(-/-) mice compared with wild-type mice. This study demonstrates that CCR4(-/-) mice are similarly resistant to challenge with other TLR agonists, as well as bacterial peritonitis. Resistance was associated with enhanced early leukocyte recruitment, increased TLR expression, a skewed type 2 cytokine/chemokine profile, and improved bacterial clearance. Macrophages from CCR4(-/-) mice exhibited many features consistent with alternative activation, including elevated secretion of type 2 cytokines/chemokines and the found in inflammatory zone 1 (FIZZ1) protein. MyD88-dependent NF-kappaB signaling was significantly down-regulated in CCR4(-/-) macrophages, whereas p38 MAPK and JNK activation were conversely increased. These data stress the importance of CCR4 in macrophage differentiation and innate immune responses to pathogens, as well as the involvement of chemokine receptor expression in TLR signaling regulation.
Provenance-based dictionary refinement in information extraction

Dictionaries of terms and phrases (e.g. common person or organization names) are integral to information extraction systems that extract structured information from unstructured text. Using noisy or unrefined dictionaries may lead to many incorrect results even when highly precise and sophisticated extraction rules are used. In general, the results of the system are dependent on dictionary entries in arbitrary complex ways, and removal of a set of entries can remove both correct and incorrect results. Further, any such refinement critically requires laborious manual labeling of the results.In this paper, we study the dictionary refinement problem and address the above challenges. Using provenance of the outputs in terms of the dictionary entries, we formalize an optimization problem of maximizing the quality of the system with respect to the refined dictionaries, study complexity of this problem, and give efficient algorithms. We also propose solutions to address incomplete labeling of the results where we estimate the missing labels assuming a statistical model. We conclude with a detailed experimental evaluation using several real-world extractors and competition datasets to validate our solutions. Beyond information extraction, our provenance-based techniques and solutions may find applications in view-maintenance in general relational settings.