cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonhuman Amyloid Oligomer Epitope Reduces Alzheimer’s-Like Neuropathology in 3xTg-AD Transgenic Mice

Accumulation of beta-amyloid (Aβ) is an important pathological event in Alzheimer's disease (AD). It is now well known that vaccination against fibrillar Aβ prevents amyloid accumulation and preserves cognitive function in transgenic mouse models. To study the effect of vaccination against generic oligomer epitopes, Aβ oligomers, islet amyloid polypeptide oligomers, random peptide oligomer (3A), and Aβ fibrils were used to vaccinate 3xTg-AD, which develop a progressive accumulation of plaques and cognitive impairment. Subcutaneous administration of these antigens markedly reduced total plaque load (Aβ burden) and improved cognitive function in the 3xTg-AD mouse brains as compared to controls. We demonstrated that vaccination with this nonhuman amyloid oligomer generated high titers of specifically antibodies recognizing Aβ oligomers, which in turn inhibited accumulation of Aβ pathology in mice. In addition to amyloid plaques, another hallmark of AD is tau pathology. It was found that there was a significant decline in the level of hyper-phosphorylated tau following vaccination. We have previously shown that immunization with 3A peptide improves cognitive function and clears amyloid plaques in Tg2576 mice, which provides a novel strategy of AD therapy. Here, we have shown that vaccination with 3A peptide in 3xTg-AD mice not only clears amyloid plaques but also extensively clears abnormal tau in brain.
Detecting changes of steady states using the mathematical theory of evidence

On utilise dans ce modele des conditions limitantes et une distribution de probabilite des mesures. Le modele est compare au modele multivariable statistique developpe par Narasimhan (1986). Les deux methodes sont aussi performantes l'une que l'autre
The influence of Schmidt number on the behavior of rotating ring-disk electrodes

Abstract A perturbation technique is used to extend the theory of the rotating ring-disk system to include a first-order correction for convective diffusion at large Schmidt numbers. Results are presented for typical annulus and ring sizes. Collection efficiencies are always larger than those predicted in the infinite Schmidt number asymptote but, for most electrochemical systems, the correction is less than 3%.
Characterization of Hair Follicle Bulge in Human Fetal Skin: The Human Fetal Bulge Is a Pool of Undifferentiated Keratinocytes

It has been suggested that the bulge of the hair follicle contains a poll of follicular stem cells that may serve as a target site of graft-versus-host disease and as a source of cells with carcinogenic potential. The bulge is prominent in the developing follicle although it is a subtle swelling in the adult follicle. In this paper, we studied the bulge in human fetal skin specimens. Ultrastructurally, the bulge cells, especially the interior cells, have abundant free ribosomes and glycogen particles, but almost no cytoplasmic organelles indicative of differentiation. Immunostaining with several specific anti-keratin antibodies demonstrated that the bulge cells express keratins of both stratified and simple epithelia. Melanocytes and Merkel cells, defined by immunohistochemical and ultrastructural criteria, are seen among bulge cells. Laser confocal microscopy revealed that primitive smooth muscle cells attached directly to the bulge initially at the mid-bulbous hair peg, the stage when the bulge is most prominent. K-laminin and type VII collagen are strongly expressed in the dermoepidermal junction of the bulge and between the matrix area of the bulb and the dermal papilla. Thus, the bulge of human hair follicle is not only an attachment site for arrector pili muscle, but also a pool of keratinocytes that are relatively undifferentiated.
Extra-Orbital Relaxation Model of Absorption Edges of Rare-Gas Impurities in Alkali Metals

The previously-unexplained anomalous ramp - like linear optical absorption threshold of rare-gas impurities in alkali metal hosts [\((\varOmega-\varOmega_{T})^{-\beta}\) with β≈-1] is shown to be a natural consequence of an extra-orbital relaxation model which leads to the simultaneous creation of a conduction-band hole and a conduction electron in the final states.
Electroantennogram responses of two populations ofIps pini (Coleoptera: Scolytidae) to insect-produced and host tree compounds

Electroantennograms in two populations ofIps pini (Idaho and New York) were very similar, even though previous work documented behavioral specificity and revealed that the populations produce different ratios of the enantiomers of the aggregating pheromone ipsdienol. The insect- and host-produced compounds tested evoked characteristic response curves in both populations. EAG amplitude was highest to ipsdienol and the aggregation inhibitor ipsenol. Among the other compounds tested, responses were generally higher to the beetle-produced odorants (linalool, verbenone,trans-verbenol) than to host terpenes (1-octanol, α-pinene). The antennal club and its sensory receptors are described and illustrated by scanning electron micrographs.
SmileTracker: Automatically and Unobtrusively Recording Smiles and their Context

This paper presents a system prototype designed to capture naturally occurring instances of positive emotion during the course of normal interaction with a computer. A facial expression recognition algorithm is applied to images captured with the user's webcam. When the user smiles, both a photo and a screenshot are recorded and saved to the user's profile for later review. Based on positive psychology research, we hypothesize that the act of reviewing content that led to smiles will improve positive affect, and consequently, overall wellbeing. We conducted a preliminary user study to test this hypothesis, as well as to gather feedback on the initial design.
A test of the capacity of chick embryo cells to home after vascular dissemination.

Experiments were carried out to determine whether chick embryonic cells have the capacity to lodge preferentially in their homologous organ after intravascular dissemination in host embryos. Chick embryos incubated for five and one-fourth days were used as donor and hosts. Donors were labeled with tritiated thymidine and selected organs were dissociated into single cells with trypsin. In separate experiments, labeled cells of mesonephros, limb, or heart ventricle were injected into hosts via a large chorioallantoic vein. The hosts were sacrificed 6 and 24 hours later. In each experiment, autoradiographs were prepared from serial sections of these three organs and the labeled cells in each organ were counted. The distribution of cells among the three organs was found to be almost identical for the three types of cells and at both time periods. Approximately 65–78% of the cells found in the three organs were in the mesonephros; about 21–31% were in the limbs; and about 1–4% were in the ventricle. Thus the cells failed to show a tendency to home; their distribution was completely independent of their organ source. These results suggest that homing is not a general property of embryonic cells, and their lodging properties offer no support for the hypothesis that embryonic cells of different types have highly type-specific adhesive preferences.
Sphingolipid synthesis and membrane formation byPlasmodium

Plasmodium falciparum is a protozoan parasite that causes the most virulent o f human malarias. The asexual blood-stage organism invades and multiplies in a vacuole in the mature erythrocyte. During intravacuolar growth, it induces the formation of a novel network o f tubovesicular membranes, the TVM, that is not present in uninfected red blood cells. Recent data suggest that sphingomyelin biosynthesis by the parasite is an essential requirement for the assembly o f the TVM. Furthermore, sphingolipid synthesis as well as the formation and function o f the TVM may provide new targets for chemotherapy against malaria parasites.
Topology of electronic charge density and energetics of planar faults in fcc metals.

Using ab initio calculations we have studied the energetics and the evolution of the electronic charge density with shear in three fcc metals exhibiting different deformation properties, aluminum, silver, and iridium. The charge redistribution described by the change in character of specific charge density critical points (cps), is ascertained from the values of the charge density, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{0}$, and its three principal curvatures, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\ensuremath{\parallel}\ensuremath{\parallel}}$, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{hh}}$, and ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{vv}}$, respectively. The change in character of cps correlates with the energetics. For all three metals, ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{hh}}$ vanishes near the unstable stacking configuration. The symmetry or asymmetry of the charge redistribution, measured by ${\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{hh}}/{\ensuremath{\rho}}_{\mathrm{vv}}$, may be an important factor determining stacking fault energies.
New settings and changing norms for principal development

During the 1980s, the field of professional development for school leaders expanded in numerous respects: raw enrollment figures, intensity and breadth of participation, types and number of in-service providers, approaches to program governance, variety of curricular and instructional approaches. Previous analyses have compared this “new inservice movement” with traditional efforts to prepare school administrators. Typically these comparisons have sought to highlight differences between pre- and post-1980 development efforts, thereby unintentionally masking important organizational and programmatic differences among the emergent programs. This article focuses specifically on describing and assessing the range of variation among the predominant professional development programs born in the 1980s. We highlight divergent trends with respect to the organizational processes and program content that characterize these programs and identify their varying potential for reaching competing policy goals. Finally, we suggest implications for both policy and practice in the field of administrative development.
Chemical-text hybrid search engines.

As the amount of chemical literature increases, it is critical that researchers be enabled to accurately locate documents related to a particular aspect of a given compound. Existing solutions, bas...
CD19: a promising B cell target for rheumatoid arthritis

B-cell depletion with unconjugated CD20 monoclonal antibody (mAb) is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and other autoimmune diseases. CD20-targeted immunotherapy depletes mature B cells through monocyte-mediated antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity, but does not effectively deplete pre-B or immature B cells, certain peripheral B cell subpopulations, most antibody-producing cells, or their malignant counterparts. As immature B cells expressing autoreactive antigen receptors are not depleted by anti-CD20 mAb, a new strategy for eliminating autoantigen-selected B cells and for treating early lymphoblastic leukemias and/or lymphomas was developed using CD19-specific mAbs that induce Fcgamma receptor-dependent and monocyte-dependent B-cell depletion. Preclinical studies using transgenic mice expressing human CD19 have shown that pre-B cells and their malignant counterparts, as well as pre-existing antibody-producing and autoantibody-producing cells, are depleted. Therefore, CD19-directed immunotherapy is expected to treat diverse pre-B-cell-related and plasmablast-related malignancies, and humoral transplant rejection. Moreover, in contrast to CD20-directed immunotherapies, CD19 mAbs could purge the B cell repertoire of autoreactive clones and reset the developmental clock to a point that curtails the extent of emerging self-reactivity, in addition to reducing autoreactive T-cell activation through the elimination of mature B cells. Humanized CD19 mAbs are expected to enter clinical trials in 2009, offering a new approach for the treatment of autoimmune disease that removes both immature B cells and antibodies with autoreactive specificities. CD19-directed immunotherapy could, therefore, offer a new horizon in B-cell depletion for the treatment of multiple autoimmune diseases.
LEARNING TO LOVE THE QUESTIONS: RELIGIOUS EDUCATION IN AN AGE OF UNBELIEF

Abstract This essay argues that pedagogy in contemporary Christian religious education has value and meaning only when guided by the community‐based epistemology of postmodernity. The essay begins by examining the postmodern critique of traditional epistemology and the postmodernist epistemological themes of community, conversation, and diversity, especially as represented in the thought of Jean‐Francois Lyotard and Richard Rorty. It then reviews how these themes are consistent with the communal aspects of Christian faith. It concludes by suggesting practical ways in which attention to these themes enables a contemporary practice of religious education that leads to maturity in Christian faith.
NEW SCHEMES OF OCEAN ACOUSTIC TOMOGRAPHY

Ocean acoustic tomography based on modal horizontal refraction/phase difference measurement has been developed in recent years. In this paper, potential opportunities for remotely sensing various interesting ocean dynamic structures by using the modal-horizontal-refraction tomography and modal-phase tomography are discussed, including: (1) retrieval of the 3-D structure of a mesoscale eddy, (2) monitoring of the transverse component of the current, (3) retrieval of ocean frontal parameters, and (4) acoustically diagnosing internal solitary waves (ISW) in the coastal zone.
The hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale uses complexation with nitrogen and oxygen donor ligands for Ni transport and storage.

The Kotodesh genotype of the nickel (Ni) hyperaccumulator Alyssum murale was examined to determine the compartmentalization and internal speciation of Ni, and other elements, in an effort to ascertain the mechanism used by this plant to tolerate extremely high shoot (stem and leaf) Ni concentrations. Plants were grown either hydroponically or in Ni enriched soils from an area surrounding an historic Ni refinery in Port Colborne, Ontario, Canada. Electron probe micro-analysis (EPMA) and synchrotron based micro X-ray fluorescence (l-SXRF) spectroscopy were used to determine the metal distribution and co-localization and synchrotron X-ray and attenuated total reflectance-Fourier transform infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopies were used to determine the Ni speciation in plant parts and extracted sap. Nickel is concentrated in the dermal leaf and stem tissues of A. murale bound primarily to malate along with other low molecular weight organic ligands and possibly counter anions (e.g., sulfate). Ni is present in the plant sap and vasculature bound to histidine, malate and other low molecular weight compounds. The data presented herein supports a model in which Ni is transported from the roots to the shoots complexed with histidine and stored within the plant leaf dermal tissues complexed with malate, and other low molecular weight organic acids or counter-ions.
Effect of Modification on Fracture Failure and Thermal-Volumetric Properties of Asphalt Binders

During the last two decades, several research efforts have focused on the thermal cracking behavior of asphalt binders. Recently, important low-temperature cracking models have been introduced to include the failure properties and thermovolumetric properties at low temperatures. The main objective of this study is to evaluate selected modified asphalt binders in terms of low-temperature failure and related thermovolumetric properties. The effect of modification on fracture failure properties and related thermovolumetric properties of asphalt binder was determined by laboratory testing. The low-temperature cracking temperatures using the collected laboratory testing data were predicted. The focus of this study is on how commonly used asphalt modifiers affect the failure and thermovolumetric properties for a wide temperature range, in particular at low temperatures. Efforts were also made in this study to put more emphasis on the consideration of strain criterion, the effect of cooling rate, and nonlinearity of the coefficient of thermal contraction of asphalt binders into the prediction of low temperature cracking. The results indicate that modification of asphalt binders can have significant effects on their properties and predicted thermal cracking temperatures. The findings also suggest that in order to have a better understanding of binder behavior, the use of both failure and thermovolumetric properties is necessary.
Scanning probe microscopy for 2-D semiconductor dopant profiling and device failure analysis

Abstract We have extended the capabilities of an atomic force microscope (AFM) with double heterodyne force detection, to include both electrostatic force microscopy (EFM) and scanning differential capacitance microscopy (SdCM). Samples measured with this tool are imaged simultaneously in each of these three modes. Inhomogeneities in surface topography (AFM), surface work function (EFM) and sub-surface charge (SdCM) are thus detected at once. We work in non-contact mode in order to interact non-destructively with our samples, with resultant lateral spatial resolution of 25–50 nm. Variations in surface topography of less than 1 nm, and surface potential variations as small as 1 mV, are imaged easily. We have applied the techniques based on this tool to microfabricated materials and device structures. In particular, we have studied the metal-oxide-silicon field-effect transistor (MOSFET) structure, of importance to microelectronic science and engineering. Following a brief description of our detection system, this work will describe our measurements of dopant profiles related to this structure. It will also demonstrate our ground-breaking application of scanned probe techniques to the analysis of other materials defects, and of device failure, in these structures. The work will conclude with a quantitative discussion of the three most limiting factors for our techniques: parasitic capacitance; convolved signals; and large-signal behavior of the cantilever.
The impact of leveraged and inverse ETFs on underlying real estate returns: Leverage and inverse ETFs and REITs

Leveraged and inverse ETFs (LETFs) were introduced in 2006. By 2008 there was concern that the requirement of LETFs to rebalance near the close might have a significant impact on the prices of the stocks in the underlying indexes. We examine the impact of trading activity induced by six real estate‐related LETFs on the late‐day price dynamics of 63 real estate sector stocks. Through a comparison of sample and control stocks and through a regression model of LETF rebalancing, we find that these LETFs significantly impact the prices of component stocks, increase their volatility and contribute to price momentum.
Repeatability of Habitat-Associated Divergence in Shell Shape of Turtles

Repeated patterns of phenotypic divergence between environments across disparate taxa provide strong evidence for the generation of adaptive phenotypes. Flow velocity is an important selective force in aquatic habitats; however, among vertebrates, the study of its effects on morphology has been limited almost exclusively to fully- aquatic bony fishes. We tested whether three confamilial species of semi-aquatic freshwater turtle (family Emydidae: Graptemys pseudogeographica, Graptemys nigrinoda, and Pseudemys concinna) displayed similar patterns of phe- notypic divergence in carapace shape between fast- and slow-flowing aquatic environments. We used (1) geometric morphometrics to quantify shell shape, (2) multivariate analysis of variance to test the effects of species, sex, and flow, and (3) phenotypic trajectory analysis to compare patterns of divergence for six species-sex groups. We found significant effects on shell shape for all factors. In general, ecomorphs from fast-flowing habitats had flatter shells than those from slow-flowing habitats. Furthermore, results of trajectory analysis indicate that the degree to which, as well as the way in which, ecomorphs differed were concordant across all species. Our findings demon- strate that the effects of flow are not limited to fully-aquatic vertebrates, and provide evidence of the ability of flow to drive repeatable phenotypic divergence in tetrapods.
Effect of annealing on GaN-insulator interfaces characterized by metal-insulator-semiconductor capacitors

GaN metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors have been used to characterize the effect of annealing temperature and ambient on GaN-insulator interface properties. Silicon dioxide was deposited on n-type GaN at 900 /spl deg/C by low-pressure chemical vapor deposition and MOS capacitors were fabricated. The MOS capacitors were used to characterize the GaN-SiO/sub 2/ interface with a low interface-state density of 3 /spl times/ 10/sup 11/ cm/sup -2/eV/sup -1/ at 0.25 eV below the conduction band edge, even after annealing in N/sub 2/ at temperatures up to 1100 /spl deg/C; however, insulator properties were degraded by annealing in NO and NH/sub 3/ at 1100 /spl deg/C.
DEVELOPMENT OF VOCAL RESPONSES IN INFANT COTTON-TOP TAMARINS

To examine the development of production, comprehension and usage of chirp vocalizations in infant cotton-top tamarins, we designed four experimental settings to elicit five of the eight chirp types of adult cotton-top tamarins. We tested non-reproductive adult pairs and family groups before and after the birth of infants. We observed responses of infants in family groups during the first 20 weeks following birth. The five chirp types were rarely given in control conditions, but each type occurred at significant levels among adults and subadults immediately following presentation of an appropriate stimulus. Each chirp type was specific to one experimental manipulation. We found no differences between non-reproductive pairs and families prior to the birth of infants, but two chirp types were produced at significantly lower rates following the birth of infants. Infants produced a form of chirp (prototype chirp) not seen in adults, but infants rarely produced adult forms of chirps. If an adult-appropriate chirp was produced by an infant in one session, there was a low probability of that chirp appearing in subsequent tests with the same infant. Infants used most frequently the form of chirp (D chirp) that was most frequently directed toward them by adults, and infants reduced their rates of prototype chirps following presentation of visual and auditory alarm stimuli. Although infant tamarins under 20 weeks of age appear unable to use adult types of chirps consistently, they did produce chirps with adult form, and they appeared to show some comprehension of chirps produced by adults.
Functional allocation of initial surface decision support tools to tower and traffic flow management systems

The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is in the process of developing the Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) [1] surface decision support tool (DST) capabilities. Several FAA systems and organizations are involved in this effort, specifically Terminal Services (AJT) and System Operations Services (AJR). In order to ensure the proper exchange of data to support these systems during development, the FAA needs to develop interface requirements. Defining the interfaces necessary for managing airport surface operations, in particular departure management, between the Air Traffic Control Tower system, the Tower Flight Data Manager (TFDM), and TFM Systems first necessitated an evaluation of an initial set of Surface DST capabilities (those identified for initial implementation, referred to as the initial DSTs). A determination of which capabilities should be allocated to systems associated with tower and TFM is also necessary. The MITRE Corporation's Center for Advanced Aviation System Development (CAASD) developed an initial allocation, referred to here as the Terminal-TFM Initial Functional Allocation. This paper describes the process used to develop the allocation and describes the initial allocation.
The Conceptual Cosmology of Paul Virilio

Virilio constructs concepts as mental images for disturbing conventional, commonsensical views of world events but with the added visual warp of a life lived at the speed of cinema, video, light itself. It is not, then, a criticism (nor, for that matter, an unqualified recommendation) to say that reading Virilio will probably leave one feeling mentally disturbed, usually compounded by a bad case of vertigo, since speed is not only the subject but the style of Virilio (helping to account for a dozen books in as many years). In a typical Virilio sentence, which often elongates into a full paragraph, the concepts can spew out like the detritus of a Mir supply-ship. Many get recycled in later books. Some, benefiting from refinement and new empirical settings, stand out like polished gems. But almost all of them provide radically different takes on the social implications of new technological forces, liberating their analysis from the customary academic dullness and expert narrowness.
The Contextualist Evasion of Epistemology

Keith DeRose's contextualism offers both good news and bad news for the skeptic.1 The good news is that when the skeptic utters the words, "I don't know anything about the external world, and neither do you," the skeptic is making a true claim. The bad news is that when the anti-skeptic utters the words, "I do know a great deal about the external world and so does almost everyone else," the anti-skeptic is making a true claim as well. Put somewhat differently: the claim the skeptic makes is irrelevant to the claim the anti-skeptic makes. Ernest Sosa2 offers both good news and bad news for Keith DeRose's contextualism. The good news is that the semantic thesis which DeRose offers about uses of the term 'knowledge' may be true. The bad news is that this semantic thesis is largely irrelevant to epistemological concerns. My own sympathies here lie very much with Ernest Sosa. Indeed, I believe that Sosa is extremely charitable in his description of the epistemological import of DeRose's contextualism. I will thus attempt to reinforce some of the points which Sosa has made, and argue for a somewhat less cautious thesis: First, I believe
Exploiting multi-grained parallelism in reconfigurable SBC architectures

In recent years, reconfigurable technology has emerged as a popular choice for implementing various types of cryptographic functions. Nevertheless, an insufficient amount effort has been placed into fully exploiting the tremendous amounts of parallelism intrinsic to FPGAs for this class of algorithms. In this paper, we focus on block cipher architectures and explore design decisions that leverage the multi-grained parallelism inherent in many of these algorithms. We demonstrate the usefulness of this approach with a highly parallel FPGA implementation of the AES standard and present results detailing the area/delay tradeoffs resulting from our design decisions.
Insights Into Aortic Sclerosis and Its Relationship With Coronary Artery Disease

Aortic valve (AV) sclerosis (AVS) is a form of AV disease affecting an estimated 1 in 4 people above the age of 65 in the United States.[1][1] An aging population and more widespread use of noninvasive imaging are increasing the incidence of AVS. AVS is typically defined as calcification of the
Evaluation of Chemical Amendments for pH and Redox Stabilization in Aqueous Suspensions of Three California Soils

Many chemically and biologically important trace element, heavy metal, and organic contaminant reactions in soils are constrained by pH and redox conditions and changes in these conditions can significantly affect reaction rates. Although closed-system, batch methods have been used for many years to study contaminant reaction kinetics, redox conditions in such suspensions for extended durations have not been well evaluated. We tested a suite of readily available chemicals for their ability to buffer pH and redox potential (E H ) of anaerobic soil-water (1:4 or 1:5) suspensions at specific levels under closed conditions. After initial titration, 20 mMGood buffers (e.g., PIPES) were used to stabilize the pH of the soil suspensions within ±0.3 units of the target pH (5.8-8.9) for a period of at least 8 d. The ability of redox active chemicals, such as NaNO 3 , Fe(III)nitrilotriacetic acid (NTA), Ti(III)NTA, Fe and Mn oxyhydroxides, cyste-ine-HCl, dithiothreitol, and ascorbic acid, to stabilize E H at specific levels (400 to -300 mV) depended heavily on the initial concentration of the chemical as well as the organic C and N status of the soil. Redox stabilization in most soils was typically achieved within a period of 3 to 4 wk. Iron(II)/Fe(III) ratios in 1 MHCl soil extracts and S(-II)/SO 4 2- ratios in filtrates generally reflected the redox condition as measured by the Pt electrode. This investigation demonstrates that the pH and E H of enclosed soil-water suspensions can be buffered for long periods across a wide range of conditions using soluble chemicals alone.
Laboratory diagnosis of vaccine-associated measles in Zhejiang Province, China.

Abstract Background/Purpose Along with the improving vaccine coverage, suspected vaccine-associated measles has been reported in Zhejiang Province, China. In order to maintain the accuracy of the measles surveillance system, it is critical to discriminate between measles vaccine and wild-type virus. Methods Eight suspected cases of vaccine-associated measles were reported in Zhejiang Province during 2011 and 2014. Sera collected within 4 days and throat swabs collected within 6 days after rash onset were tested with immunoglobulin M and measles virus (MeV) RNA to confirm MeV infection. In order to further identify the vaccine-associated cases, throat swabs with positive MeV RNA were tested using an allelic discrimination real-time reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (rRT-PCR) assay developed in this study, RT-PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) recommended by the National Measles Laboratory, and RT-PCR followed by sequencing and genotyping. Results Combining anti-measles immunoglobulin M and RNA testing, eight cases were confirmed as MeV infection. Of the eight, two were identified as vaccine-associated cases by the allelic discrimination rRT-PCR assay, and one was identified by RT-PCR-RFLP. Subsequent sequencing and genotyping confirmed that the sequences of the two cases were identical to that of the Chinese vaccine strain. The developed allelic discrimination rRT-PCR was 10 times more sensitive than the RT-PCR-RFLP assay when RNA standards generated from three genotypes of MeV were tested. Conclusion Vaccine-associated measles has been identified in Zhejiang. The developed allelic discrimination rRT-PCR assay is rapid and sensitive, which will facilitate the surveillance for vaccine-associated measles.
Sarbanes-Oxley Section 307 Domestically and Abroad: Will Section 307 Lead to International Change?

Section 307 of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act requires corporate attorneys to report fraud within publicly traded companies. This requirement prompted discussions regarding the proper role of a corporate attorney within a corporation and to what degree they should be regulated by the federal government. One-sixth of the New York Stock Exchange listings are foreign companies, and numerous countries take their lead from the United States when implementing their own corporate legislation. This article deals with the international significance of Section 307 and whether it signifies a new role for a corporate attorney as a gatekeeper or even promises to be relevant internationally. However, an examination of different legal systems and the roles played by corporate lawyers internationally indicate that it is unlikely that Section 307 is being applied to international companies trading in the United States or similar laws implemented in foreign jurisdictions would have a significant impact on reducing corporate fraud. Due to this muted impact, it is even less likely that Section 307 presages a shift to the corporate attorney-as-gatekeeper model internationally. Rather, anti-terrorism rules and other legislation are proving more significant in changing the role played by corporate attorneys in reducing corporate fraud.
Glomerular Diseases Seen with Solid Tumors and Hematological Malignancies

Several types of cancers have been associated with various glomerular diseases. Membranous nephropathy is the most common glomerular pathology reported in patients with solid tumors. While minimal-change disease has been classically associated with Hodgkin’s lymphoma, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis has been recognized in patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). Several reports and studies in the literature suggest that treating the cancer leads to resolution of the glomerular disease. This chapter reviews the association of glomerular diseases with solid tumors and hematological malignancies.
RECIRCULATION IN SHALLOW BAYS AND RIVERS

An analytical approach to evaluate the amount of overtopping for given conditions is studied in this paper Here, the wave overtopping is considered as a similar phenomenon to the flow over a weir changing the depth with respect to time The theoretical approaches used by many scholars have been mostly based on the dimensional analysis In this paper, however, another kind of approach is tried, which is rather deterministic, in order to get a general view of wave overtopping mechanism.
Disclaimer Reform and UDPIA: The Disappointing Amendments of 2006

This article assesses amendments made to the Uniform Disclaimer of Property Interests Act (UDPIA) in 2006. The article argues that these amendments - which are confined to a single provision of UDPIA concerning the devolution of a disclaimed interest in a remainder, or in a living trust - suffice to cure a glitch in UDPIA. Nevertheless, the solution lighted on by the drafters of the amendment is sub-optimal, in that it contradicts the probable intent of the benefactor in some instances and creates an asymmetry between the devolution of disclaimed property under a will and a living trust, even when the two are functionally indistinguishable. This article also argues that the 2006 amendments are too limited. They leave untouched sections of UDPIA that call for reform, either because they are constitutionally suspect or because they endanger the effectiveness of disclaimers for tax purposes under the Internal Revenue Code. The article explores how UDPIA's transitional rule, its safe-harbor for disclaimers that satisfy the IRC, and its provision giving effect to both statutory and common law disclaimers raise either one or both of these potential objections. Finally, and perhaps most disturbingly, UDPIA's provision covering disclaimers of joint interests in property creates a loophole in fraudulent conveyance law that asset protection planners can exploit to protect wealthy individuals who face large malpractice or other liabilities. The article urges the drafters of UDPIA to revisit these concerns and, if necessary, urges local drafting committees to address them independently. Since most of the states that have adopted UDPIA thus far have already tinkered with it in substantive ways, further tinkering will conform with the existing pattern of enactment of this Uniform Act.
Financial Impact of Nuclear Power Plants: Firstenergy and Davis-Besse

In March 2002, during a scheduled refueling outage, workers at FirstEnergy's Davis-Besse nuclear power plant found a football-sized hole in the reactor head caused by boric acid corrosion. Redundant shielding prevented any radiation leakage, but FirstEnergy projected the outage would last two to three months and cost from $15 million to $30 million. Instead, the outage lasted 26 months and cost $588.9 million. Students will learn the financial impact of the event, how investors reacted, and lessons in financial transparency.
Libertarianism and the Welfare State

Most libertarians regard the welfare state as morally illegitimate. This paper will examine why opposition to the welfare state is the default libertarian position, and why some libertarians have deviated from this default in certain political and historical circumstances. Through a combination of intellectual history and philosophical argumentation, this paper aims to show that opposition to the welfare state is neither as universal nor as fundamental to libertarianism as has generally been assumed. Both moderate classical liberals and more radical libertarians can and have supported various forms of state-based welfare, though they generally differ both regarding their reasons for supporting redistribution, and regarding the kind of redistribution they favor.
Aerothermal Modeling and Dynamic Analysis of a Hypersonic Vehicle

The effects of aerodynamic heating on the rigid-body and structural dynamics of an air-breathing hypersonic vehicle are addressed. A structural design representative of a skin-stiffened vehicle with a conceptual thermal protection system is devised. The effects of aerodynamic heating on the design is then studied. The resulting temperature distribution through the structure is used to obtain frequencies and mode shapes of the vehicle structural dynamics. In the latter case, the structural dynamics of the vehicle are modelled by a beam whose mass and stiffness characterisitcs give the expected frequencies at ambient, fully loaded conditions, and are computed using the assumed modes method. An analysis of the aircraft’s dynamic modes is then performed. It is shown that the effects of the aerodynamic heating on the aircraft rigid-body poles and zeros is negligible. This is due to the fact that the rigid-body dynamics do not excite the flexible states, and the flexible-body dynamics do not excite the rigid-body states. This paper, however, does not address the effects of the migration of the structural frequencies on controllability due to aeroservoelastic interactions, which can be significant.
Autoradiographic Studies of the Action of Leucogenenol on the Blood Cells of The Rat

SummaryComparison by autoradiographic means of the labeling of myeloid, nucleated erythroid, and lymphoid blood cells in animals injected with tritiated thymidine and animals injected with tritiated thymidine and leucogenenol indicated that leucogenenol increases the incorporation of DNA in the primitive proliferating pool of cells and increases the rate of transformation of myeloid and lymphoid blood cells. There are indications that the rate of transformation of nucleated erythroid cells is also increased by leucogenenol.
126. Inflammatory effects of napping in the midus II biomarker study

Sleep duration has consistently been linked to chronic low-grade inflammation. However, short sleep duration is often linked to increased napping. This raises the question whether napping may reduce the negative effects of short sleep duration on inflammation. N = 220 napping and N = 115 non-napping participants from the MIDUS II Biomarker study were analyzed. To reveal sleep patterns, we used two-step cluster analysis including nap variables (frequency, total time) and actigraphy-determined nighttime sleep variables (average duration, efficiency, latency) assessed over the course of one week. CRP and IL-6 was measured in fasting blood samples. Cluster analysis revealed three patterns. While sleep duration was not different between clusters 1 + 2 (NTL = 389 ± 50.5 vs. 362 ± 54.3), participants in cluster 2 napped more frequently (1.57 ± .7 vs. 4.6 ± 1.4). Contrarily, participants in cluster 3 showed poor nighttime sleep (287 ± 59.2 min) and infrequent naps (2.6 ± 1.4). In terms of inflammatory makers, levels were not significantly different in nappers compared to non-nappers (all p > .19), however, nappers in cluster 3 showed significantly higher levels of IL-6 ( F = 3.5, p = .03) and CRP ( F = 8.5, p
Stabilization of Ruthenium(II) Polypyridyl Chromophores on Nanoparticle Metal-Oxide Electrodes in Water by Hydrophobic PMMA Overlayers

We describe a poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) dip-coating procedure, which results in surface stabilization of phosphonate and carboxylate derivatives of Ru(II)-polypyridyl complexes surface-bound to mesoporous nanoparticle TiO2 and nanoITO films in aqueous solutions. As shown by contact angle and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) measurements, PMMA oligomers conformally coat the metal-oxide nanoparticles changing the mesoporous films from hydrophilic to hydrophobic. The thickness of the PMMA overlayer on TiO2–Ru(II) can be controlled by changing the wt % of PMMA in the dipcoating solution. There are insignificant perturbations in electrochemical or spectral properties at thicknesses of up to 2.1 nm with the Ru(III/II) couple remaining electrochemically reversible and E1/2 values and current densities nearly unaffected. Surface binding by PMMA overlayers results in stable surface binding even at pH 12 with up to a ∼100-fold enhancement in photostability. As shown by transient absorption measurements...
Bidirectional and efficient conversion between microwave and optical light

We demonstrate efficient mechanically-mediated transduction between microwave and optical signals using a micromechanical SiN membrane. This interface has the potential to transform information between these vastly different frequencies while maintaining a fragile quantum state.
Car–Parrinello Molecular Dynamics + Metadynamics Study of High-Temperature Methanol Oxidation Reactions Using Generic Collective Variables

We used Car–Parrinello molecular dynamics (CPMD) and metadynamics in conjunction with the recently introduced social permutation invariant collective coordinates to study the mechanism of high-temperature methanol oxidation. Using a set of biased MD trajectories, we collected specific elementary reactions that arise during the simulations and assembled their connectivity in a small reaction network. A subset of the reaction network generated with metadynamics is compared to a consensus reaction network generated from many literature sources, and the many similarities indicate that this approach may be a useful way to enumerate bimolecular radical reactions in complex systems. We also demonstrated some intrinsic similarities to atomic contact maps used in our metadynamics approach and the reaction matrix/operators that are found in common mechanism generation algorithms. Extending the capabilities of these new generic collective variables for the study of complex reaction networks can help overcome limitat...
An Integrated Visual Search and Memory Retrieval Model of Inspection

A joint visual search and memory retrieval model of visual inspection is described here to allow improved prediction of inspection time and accuracy. The model includes search between and within re...
Comparing Color Descriptors between Image Segments for Saliency Detection

Detecting salient regions in an image or video frame is an important step in early vision and image understanding. We present a visual saliency detection method by measuring the difference in color content of an image segment with that of its neighbors. We represent each segment with richer color descriptors in the form of a regional dominant color descriptor. The color difference between a pair of neighbors is found using the Earth Moverâs Distance. The cost of moving color descriptors between neighboring segments robustly captures the difference between neighboring segments. We evaluate our method on standard datasets and compare it with other state-of-the-art methods to demonstrate that it has better true positive rate at a fixed false positive rate in detecting salient pixels relative to the ground truth. The proposed method uses local cues without being an edge highlighter, a common problem of local contrast-based methods.
Conformational analysis—LII: The conformation of ring a in 5β-3-ketosteroids☆☆☆

Abstract 5β-Cholane-3,12-dione has been synthesized, and its dipole moment measured in benzene solution. The value of 4·49 D shows that ring A is in the chair form to within the limits of experimental measurement, which indicates that the earlier interpretation of the dipole moment of 5β-androstan-3,17-dione in terms of an equilibrium mixture of boat and chair forms for ring A is improbable, and that the later compound is more likely to have a deformation present in ring D.
Reliability evaluation of glass interposer module

In this paper, we investigate reliability testing for a glass interposer. The test vehicle is an assembled glass interposer with a chip, a BT substrate. The structure of a glass interposer with two redistribution layers (RDLs) on the front-side and one RDL on the back-side has been evaluated and developed. Key technologies, including via fabrication, front-side RDL formation, microbumping, temporary bonding, glass thinning, and back-side RDL formation, have been developed and integrated for high performance. The BT substrate design and PCB for electrical characterization of reliability tests are reported in this paper. The results indicate that this glass interposer can be integrated. The data show the feasibility of this glass interposer for electronics applications.
Risk mitigation for children exposed to drugs during gestation: A critical role for animal preclinical behavioral testing

Many drugs with unknown safety profiles are administered to pregnant women, placing their offspring at risk. I assessed whether behavioral outcomes for children exposed during gestation to antidepressants, anxiolytics, anti-seizure, analgesic, anti-nausea and sedative medications can be predicted by more extensive animal studies than are part of the FDA approval process. Human plus rodent data were available for only 8 of 33 CNS-active drugs examined. Similar behavioral and cognitive deficits, including autism and ADHD emerged in human offspring and in animal models of these disorders after exposure to fluoxetine, valproic acid, carbamazepine, phenytoin, phenobarbital and acetaminophen. Rodent data helpful in identifying and predicting adverse effects of prenatal drug exposure in children were first generated many years after drugs were FDA-approved and administered to pregnant women. I recommend that enhanced behavioral testing of rodent offspring exposed to drugs prenatally should begin during preclinical drug evaluation and continue during Phase I clinical trials, with findings communicated to physicians and patients in drug labels.
Effect of Eischens Yoga During Radiation Therapy on Prostate Cancer Patient Symptoms and Quality of Life: A Randomized Phase II Trial

Purpose A randomized phase II study was performed to measure the potential therapeutic effects of yoga on fatigue, erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and overall quality of life (QOL) in prostate cancer (PCa) patients undergoing external beam radiation therapy (RT). Methods and Materials The participants were randomized to yoga and no-yoga cohorts (1:1). Twice-weekly yoga interventions were offered throughout the 6- to 9-week courses of RT. Comparisons of standardized assessments were performed between the 2 cohorts for the primary endpoint of fatigue and the secondary endpoints of erectile dysfunction, urinary incontinence, and QOL before, during, and after RT. Results From October 2014 to January 2016, 68 eligible PCa patients underwent informed consent and agreed to participate in the study. Of the 68 patients, 18 withdrew early, mostly because of treatment schedule-related time constraints, resulting in 22 and 28 patients in the yoga and no-yoga groups, respectively. Throughout treatment, those in the yoga arm reported less fatigue than those in the control arm, with global fatigue, effect of fatigue, and severity of fatigue subscales showing statistically significant interactions (P Conclusions A structured yoga intervention of twice-weekly classes during a course of RT was associated with a significant reduction in pre-existing and RT-related fatigue and urinary and sexual dysfunction in PCa patients.