cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A travelling salesman’s long journey toward a diagnosis of neurosarcoidosis (P1.2-066)

Objective: To report an atypical case of neurosarcoidosis that was diagnosed and treated as blastomycosis. Background: Neurosarcoidosis is a rare condition that occurs in 5–10% of patients with sarcoidosis, affecting any part of the nervous system resulting in variable presentations. Clinical overlap with neoplastic, infectious and inflammatory conditions, makes diagnosis challenging. Blastomycosis is a pyogranulomatous infection primary involving lungs which rarely may affect the central nervous system. Design/Methods: Case Report Results: A 48-year-old African American salesman who travels for work, developed 6 months of fatigue, weight loss, urinary symptoms, hoarseness, intermittent vertigo, and recurrent left ptosis, followed by 3 days of neck pain with headache, confusion, gait imbalance, and bowel incontinence. MRI showed extensive, heavy leptomeningeal enhancement. CSF revealed elevated protein (845), hypoglycorrhacia ( Conclusions: Diagnosis of atypical neurosarcoidosis can be challenging due to overlap of pulmonary conditions with other fungal infections. Hamazaki-Wesenburg bodies can be found in sarcoidosis and may be mistaken for budding yeast. For rare diagnoses multiple reviewers improve diagnostic certainty. Disclosure: Dr. Osman has nothing to disclose. Dr. Kong has nothing to disclose.
CP-DSSS: An OFDM Compatible Variable Rate Modulation for 5G and Beyond

Cyclic prefix direct sequence spread spectrum (CP-DSSS) is a recently proposed waveform that has been designed for coexistence with OFDM (orthogonal frequency division multiplexing) in the same or a pair of parallel networks. The first contribution of this paper is to present equations that reveal similarities and differences of CP-DSSS and OFDM. Furthermore, we show that the channel model of CP-DSSS reduces to that of a cyclic prefixed block-wise single carrier modulation (CP-SCM). However, unlike CP-SCM whose symbol rate is always equal to the transmission bandwidth, CP-DSSS can be adopted to any symbol rate equal to or smaller than the transmission bandwidth. This reduction in symbol rate allows CP-DSSS power spectral density to drop to an arbitrarily low level, hence, facilitates it coexistence as a secondary waveform in a network of primary users. The peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) of CP-DSSS is also explored and a method for reducing it is proposed.
“Smile!”: Emotion Performance as a Strategy for Belonging in Junior High School:

This mixed-method research explores how students (ages 12–15) describe dispositional qualities for belonging and fitting in one junior high school. Inductive coding of open-ended responses about pe...
Propranolol for Induction of Labor in Nulliparas trial a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial.

Background Propranolol hydrochloride is a nonselective beta-adrenergic antagonist that has a known activity in the myometrium. Small trials have shown that propranolol decreases the duration of induced labor, although those studies are limited by methodological variability. Objective Our objective was to determine whether the addition of a single dose of propranolol to induce labor in nulliparous women would decrease total time to vaginal delivery. Study Design This study was a double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled trial of nulliparous patients undergoing term induction of labor with a singleton, nonanomalous gestation. Subjects were randomized to 2 mg of intravenous propranolol hydrochloride or an identical-appearing saline placebo, administered 30 minutes after starting the induction of labor. Investigators, labor floor staff, and patients were blinded to the study drug allocation. The primary outcome was time to vaginal delivery. Secondary outcomes included mode of delivery, duration of the phases of labor, time to full dilation, composite maternal morbidity, and composite neonatal morbidity. Data were analyzed by intention-to-treat analysis with a P value of ≤.05 considered significant. Results In this study, 240 patients were enrolled from December 2017 to December 2018, with 121 patients randomized to the propranolol group and 119 to the placebo group. The 2 groups had similar baseline characteristics. Of the patients randomized, 154 (64.2%) delivered vaginally. There was no significant difference in time from the start of the induction of labor to vaginal delivery (13.8±5.4 hours for propranolol vs 14.3±5.3 hours for placebo; P=.58). There was also no difference in the rate of cesarean delivery (38% vs 33.6%; P=.48), time to active labor (11.0±5.0 vs 11.2±4.5 hours; P=.77), or time to full dilation (12.4±5.1 vs 12.8±5.2 hours; P=.60) in patients receiving propranolol compared with those receiving placebo. Subjects randomized to the propranolol group had a significantly lower rate of composite maternal morbidity (28.9% vs 41.2%; risk ratio, 0.70; 95% confidence interval, 0.49–1.00; P=.047). Rates of postpartum hemorrhage (12.4% vs 21.8%; P=.05) and transfusion (0% vs 4.2%; P=.03) were also lower in the treated group. There was no significant difference in neonatal outcomes or composite morbidity (risk ratio, 0.74; 95% confidence interval, 0.44–1.22). Conclusion In this study, there is no evidence that the addition of a 1-time dose of propranolol to induce labor in nulliparous women decreases time to delivery or the rate of cesarean delivery. However, propranolol significantly reduced composite maternal morbidity without adverse neonatal effects.
Defining Normal in Pediatric Sleep: Some Thoughts and Things to Think About

In general, use of clinical laboratory tests during evaluation of children with sleep disorders is infrequent. Although most of the blood or cerebrospinal fluid tests related to specific sleep disorders will be covered in their respective chapters, here we will survey some of them, while also addressing other tests that may be useful in the clinical decision-making process among children referred for assessment of sleep problems. More particularly, the laboratory-based tests of children with sleep problems such as habitual snoring, restless sleep, and excessive sleepiness will be covered.
Metastatic Renal Cell Carcinoma to the Cerebrum in a Patient With Lynch Syndrome: A Case Report.

Hereditary nonpolyposis colorectal cancer (HNPCC) or Lynch syndrome is an autosomal-dominant genetic disorder of DNA mismatch repair associated with many forms of cancer, especially colorectal and including renal cell. In this report, we present a case of a patient with a known history of HNPCC whose first presentation of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was associated with a symptomatic intracranial lesion. After intracranial imaging, resection, and pathologic examination, the lesion was revealed to be of RCC origin. Further imaging revealed primary RCC. HNPCC may present with neurologic symptoms prior to the diagnosis of primary cancer, and lower levels of suspicion for intracranial lesions may be required to properly treat this patient population.
A New Host Record for Clinostomum cf. marginatum (Trematoda: Digenea: Clinostomidae) from the Endemic Salado Salamander, Eurycea chisholmensis (Caudata: Plethodontidae), from the Edwards Plateau, Texas, U.S.A.

Macroscopic examination of 622 Salado salamanders, Eurycea chisholmensis Chippindale, Price, Wiens and Hillis, 2000, collected between June 2018 and July 2020 from 3 springs in Williamson County, Texas, U.S.A., revealed the presence of encapsulated metacercariae of Clinostomum cf. marginatum (“yellow grub”) in 3 (0.5%) hosts. Two of these 3 salamanders were examined and released unharmed per permit requirements, but 1 was found dead, and it harbored 6 total metacercariae, 4 on the head region (including 1 behind the left eye), 1 near the left front leg, and 1 in the tail. Morphological identification of C. cf. marginatum was achieved by comparison to previous accounts. Molecular identification was accomplished by comparing sequence homology and phylogenetic analysis using an 828 base pair partial sequence of the internal transcribed spacer region. This is the first report of any parasite from E. chisholmensis, a federally threatened species.
The role of outdoor microclimatic features at long-term care facilities in advancing the health of its residents: An integrative review and future strategies.

Abstract Projections show that Earth's climate will continue to warm concurrent with increases in the percentage of the world's elderly population. With an understanding that the body's resilience to the heat degrades as it ages, these coupled phenomena point to serious concerns of heat-related mortality in growing elderly populations. As many of the people in this age cohort choose to live in managed long-term care facilities, it's imperative that outdoor spaces of these communities be made thermally comfortable so that connections with nature and the promotion of non-sedentary activities are maintained. Studies have shown that simply being outside has a positive impact on a broad range of the psychosocial well-being of older adults. However, these spaces must be designed to afford accessibility, safety, and aesthetically pleasing experiences so that they are taken full advantage of. Here, we employ an integrative review to link ideas from the disciplines of climate science, health and physiology, and landscape architecture to explain the connections between heat, increased morbidity and mortality in aging adults, existing gaps in thermal comfort models, and key strategies in the development of useable, comfortable outdoor spaces for older adults. Integrative reviews allow for new frameworks or perspectives on a subject to be introduced. Uncovering the synergy of these three knowledge bases can contribute to guiding microclimatic research, design practitioners, and care providers as they seek safe, comfortable and inviting outdoor spaces for aging adults.
Exploring the Classification Accuracy of the Early Communication Indicator (ECI) With Dual-Language Learners From Latinx Backgrounds:

Few, if any, reliable and valid screening tools exist to identify language delay in young Spanish–English speaking dual-language learners (DLLs). The early communication indicator (ECI) is a brief,...
Feasibility and Acceptability of a "Click & Collect" WIC Online Ordering Pilot.

Abstract Background Barriers to shopping for foods in the Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) have been reported. Online ordering options may improve the WIC shopping experience but are understudied. Objective The objective of this study was to test feasibility and acceptability of a “Click & Collect” model for WIC online ordering from the perspective of WIC participants. Design A Click & Collect online ordering model was adapted to the WIC program and implemented at 1 grocery store. In the Click & Collect model, WIC participants placed an online order (“click”), then completed payment and pickup at the store (“collect”). Participants/setting Twenty-five WIC participants in East Tennessee were included. Main outcome measures Feasibility was assessed by examining online order summaries and store receipts to determine whether WIC transactions were completed successfully. Acceptability was assessed by qualitative semi-structured interviews conducted with WIC participants after participating in the pilot. Analyses performed Descriptive statistics were used to analyze sociodemographic and purchase data in SPSS software, version 27. Qualitative interviews were transcribed and analyzed for themes using directed content analysis in NVivo, version 12.0. Results All WIC participants in the study placed an online order, and 96% picked up the order, indicating a high degree of feasibility. In follow-up qualitative interviews, WIC participants reported interest in the Click & Collect model, and provided suggestions to improve practicality across the following 4 primary themes: website experience, curbside pickup, online shopping fee, and shopping preferences. Conclusions The pilot was successfully implemented at 1 store. Click & Collect online ordering was feasible and acceptable to WIC participants, although additional work is needed to make it practical. Online shopping options for the WIC program should be further explored to expand access to nutritious WIC foods in families with low income.
Enhanced leaching recovery of rare earth elements from a phosphatic waste clay through calcination pretreatment

Abstract Phosphatic clay is a waste material produced during the beneficiation of phosphate ore, which likely poses severe environmental problems. In this study, a phosphatic clay containing 258 ppm of total rare earth elements (REEs) was used as a feedstock for REE recovery. By reacting with 0.1 M HCl at 75 °C for 3 h, around 36 % of light REEs and 65 % of heavy REEs were extracted from the raw material. However, after calcination pretreatment at 600 °C for 2 h, the recovery was increased to 73 % and 81 %, respectively, which are close to the recoveries obtained from the raw material using a much higher acid concentration of 1.2 M. Based on the findings from sequential chemical extraction tests and scanning electron microscopy analysis, the positive impact was explained by the decomposition and conversion of REE-bearing minerals into more leachable species. Using a higher calcination temperature of 900 °C, recovery of both the light and heavy REEs was largely reduced relative to the raw material. Mineralogical analyses showed that the dominant minerals existing in the material, such as muscovite, were fused and sintered during the calcination at 900 °C. These reactions likely caused the decreases in the recovery. The results and findings from this study will contribute to the beneficial uses of phosphatic clay and the production of REEs.
Livelihood, Ability to Pay, and the Original Meaning of the Excessive Fines Clause

Most modern courts that have been called upon to interpret and apply the Excessive Fines Clause of the Eighth Amendment have concluded that a fine or forfeiture can be unconstitutionally excessive only if it is grossly disproportionate to its associated offense. However, in light of its text, history, and purpose, the Excessive Fines Clause can appropriately be understood as encoding both a proportionality principle and a further limiting principle linking financial penalties to the personal circumstances and economic status of the offender. This Article seeks to address a significant and surprising gap in the extant literature by articulating and systematically developing an account of this second principle, known in traditional English law as salvo contenemento. I suggest that this principle is properly conceptualized as an “economic survival,” or “livelihood protection,” norm inherent in Eighth Amendment jurisprudence.A growing scholarly literature suggests that the practice of assessing criminal financial penalties without sufficient regard to offenders’ personal economic circumstances is both widespread and harmful. Indeed, a number of authors have argued that the burden of unpayable criminal justice debt can effectively destroy offenders’ capacity for reintegration into society. Such practices are not only open to criticism on a policy level, however, but may properly be seen as constitutionally infirm: a fines and forfeitures jurisprudence that reflected the original meaning of the Excessive Fines Clause would be significantly more sensitive to the plight of the indigent criminal defendant, and more conducive to the rehabilitative goals of the criminal law.
Hans A. Einstein's Contributions in Sedimentation

Einstein’s contributions on river channel roughness, wash load and bed material load, stochastic bed load model, sediment bed load, and suspended bed material load are critically examined. A brief description is also given on Einstein, the man and the teacher.
Dispersion Predictions in Natural Streams

Data from longitudinal dispersion studies by radioactive tracer, conducted by the United States Geological Survey during 1959-1961, are reanalyzed using more recent techniques. Data from 10 tests in 6 streams are examined. Methods available in the literature for calculating dispersion coefficients from tracer data are reviewed, and different methods applied to the same data are found to yield different results. A new method (routing procedure) is proposed, which uses a computer program to determine whether a suggested dispersion coefficient for a given stream predicts downstream tracer passage from upstream data. If the prediction is not adequate, the coefficient is adjusted until the coefficient giving the most accurate prediction is found. The dispersion coefficients obtained by the routing procedure are used to test a theory for predicting dispersion coefficients, proposed by the writer in a separate paper. The predicted and observed coefficients agree within 30% in half of the tests, and in the remainder (including some highly nonuniform streams) within a factor of 4.
The Politics of Property Rights Institutions in Africa: Endogenous Contributions to Institutional Change

This chapter moves on from the theme of institutional choice that has preoccupied the previous empirical chapters to explore the issue of institutional change. More specifically, the subject of endogenous contributions to institutional change is explored. As stated in Chapter 2, considering endogenous change is particularly interesting to this study because institutions that govern land rights display clear positive feedback effects. The specific case of land documentation in Kenya is used to illustrate what in Chapter 2 was called the contradictory potential of institutions. By this is meant the ability of the same institution to simultaneously generate forces dedicated to its reinforcement while also spawning and supporting actors that thrive on its subversion. As noted in Chapter 2, the goal here is not to deny other sources of change in self-reinforcing institutions. As was discussed in Chapter 2, exogenous shocks that either changed the leadership of societies or drastically altered the environment to which leaders responded were at the root of burgeoning institutional change in Ghana in 2000 and drastic institutional transformation in Akyem Abuakwa just before the middle of the 1900s. As shown in Chapter 5, Kenya had the exogenous shock of re-democratization to blame for drastic changes in how leading state leaders exploited land and their consequent attitudes toward the institutions that govern land rights. This chapter fills the gaps in the story of institutional change in Kenya by examining what more marginal characters who were not in the upper echelons of state power and policymaking did with these property rights institutions.
Studies on Succinate Dehydrogenase XIII. REVERSIBLE ACTIVATION OF THE MAMMALIAN ENZYME

Mammalian succinate dehydrogenase exists in unactivated and activated states. Transition of the unactivated enzyme to the activated form appears to be a conformation change initiated by combination of the protein with substrates or competitive inhibitors and results in a many-fold increase in catalytic activity. This activation has now been shown to be reversible on removal of the bound activating agent by gel exclusion in the case of the soluble enzyme and by repeated washing and centrifugation or gel exclusion in the case of particles. While the activation has a very high energy of activation and does not proceed at observable rates at 15°, the deactivation is rapid even at temperatures near 0°. The ease of deactivation depends on the tightness of the binding of the activator. With tightly bound activators, such as malonate, replacement of the bound activator with succinate, followed by removal of the latter on Sephadex columns, has been found to be particularly effective. A modest degree of activation of succinate dehydrogenase occurs in particulate and soluble preparations also without added activating agents at 38°. This type of temperature activation may be due to the presence of traces of bound activator in the preparation. The activation-deactivation cycle has major effects on succinoxidase activity and on all types of succinate dehydrogenase assays, but the fumarate-FMNH2 reaction (fumarate reductase activity) is unchanged by these treatments. The spectral shifts accompanying the activation are not reversed by removal of the activator and consequent deactivation. It appears, however, that the colored enzyme-competitive inhibitor complexes form only with the fully activated enzyme, although the same competitive inhibitors combine with the unactivated form in a colorless complex.
Identification in the presence of bounded low-correlated noise

In this paper, we consider the problem of identification of discrete-time, single-input single-output linear time-invariant systems. The prior information about the unknown plant is that it belongs to a certain set of LTI systems. The plant can be identified using input-output experiments, where the input can be chosen freely and the observed output is corrupted by an additive disturbance which is assumed to be bounded and has low-correlation. This set of disturbance includes uniformly bounded sequences that satisfy a time averages correlation condition. The motivation for using such a disturbance set is that the disturbances resemble stochastic white noise processes. In particular, a white noise signal belongs to this set with high probability if the bound on the correlations approaches zero at a certain rate. This paper analyzes the problem of worst-case identification in the presence of the above set of disturbances.
Site demonstration of the Retech Plasma Centrifugal Furnace: The use of plasma to vitrify contaminated soil

The Plasma Centrifugal Furnace (PCF) developed by Retech Inc. of Ukiah, California was demonstrated under the EPA’s Superfund Innovative Technology Evaluation (SITE) Program in July 1991 at the U.S. Department of Energy’s Magnetohydrodynamics Component Development and Integration Facility (CDIF) in Butte, Montana. The PCF was designed to function as a vitrification technology in that plasma energy was used to melt contaminated soil. On cooling, the treated soil formed a glasslike matrix which effectively immobilized metal contamination. During vitrification, organic contamination in the soil was driven off and thermally destroyed. The treated waste was never exposed to the extremely high temperatures present in the center of plasma plumes. Rather, it experienced temperatures of approximately 2000°F which is similar to conventional incineration temperatures. Nevertheless, 99.99percent Destruction and Removal Efficiencies (DREs) were achieved and the vitrified soil passed the TCLP test. One can conclude fro...
Rotational Current Systems and the Offset Io Plasma Torus

In the Jovian magnetosphere, the Io plasma torus exhibits a distinct and substantial displacement toward the dawn side. Several authors have demonstrated that a large-scale dawn-to-dusk electric field will perturb particle drift paths and produce the required plasma distribution. The source of this imposed electric field is unknown, but it is thought to arise from antisunward plasma flow down the Jovian magnetotail. Such a displacement would presumably divert the centrifugal drift currents at the inner edge of the torus and produce thin sheets of magnetic field-aligned currents. These Birkeland currents are intriguing candidates for powering the intense EUV emissions observed in this region. However, determining the complete current divergence requires including the contributions from all inertial currents, which leads to a surprising result: the net current produces no concentrated Birkeland currents unless there is differential rotation in Jupiter's atmosphere.
Continuously tunable modulation scheme for precision control of optical cavities with variable detuning

We present a scheme for locking optical cavities with arbitrary detuning by many linewidths from resonance using an electro-optic modulator that can provide arbitrary ratios of amplitude-to-phase modulation. We demonstrate our scheme on a Fabry-Perot cavity, and show that a well-behaved linear error signal can be obtained by demodulating the reflected light from a cavity that is detuned by several linewidths.
Kerr electro-optic measurements of transformer oil in a point-plane geometry

Electric field distributions measured using the Kerr effect have a phase shift between light components polarized parallel and perpendicular to the electric field, which is proportional to the magnitude squared of the electric field components in the plane perpendicular to light propagation integrated over the light path length. One wishes to recover the electric field distribution from measurements of light phase shifts. For axisymmetric geometries where the electric field depends only on the radial coordinate and whose direction is constant along the light path, as is the case along a planar electrode, the total phase shift for light propagating at a constant distance from the center of symmetry and the electric field distribution are related by an Abel transform pair, a special case of Radon transforms typically used in image reconstructions with medical tomography and holography. This paper examines the Abel transformation for a point-plane electrode system and reports related preliminary Kerr electro-optic field mapping measurements in transformer oil. >
(Tris((1‐((O‐ethyl)carboxymethyl)‐(1,2,3‐triazol‐4‐yl))methyl)amine(TTMA)

[736958-00-2] C21H30N10O6 (MW 518.53) InChI = 1S/C21H30N10O6/c1-4-35-19(32)13-29-10-16(22-25-29)7-28(8-17-11-30(26-23-17)14-20(33)36-5-2)9-18-12-31(27-24-18)15-21(34)37-6-3/h10-12H,4-9,13-15H2,1-3H3 InChIKey = VYUDYSJYBSQJSV-UHFFFAOYSA-N (reagent used as an accelerating ligand in Cu(I)-catalyzed azide–alkyne cycloaddition reactions) Physical Data: mp 110–112 °C.1 Solubility: sol H2O, most organic solvents.
Women in government, public corruption, and liberal democracy: a panel analysis

Ever since a 2001 World Bank report, many policymakers have come to accept a gender-based approach to corruption control, which posits that women in government reduce corruption because females are more ethical than males. An alternative explanation asserting the spuriousness of the gender-corruption link suggests that both gender equality and lower corruption result from a functioning liberal democracy. In this study, eight hypotheses are formulated and tested with longitudinal data for 204 countries. Findings demonstrate that neither the level of women in government nor a change in it has any impact on the prevalence and/or short-term trend of corruption. But both the strength of liberal institutions and an increase in this strength predict the prevalence and trend of corruption.
Neuroeconomics: making risky choices in the brain.

Choosing to accept enough risk, but not too much, is an important survival skill, and depending on the circumstances, animals may either seek or avoid risk. Given the choice between a sure bet and a larger but uncertain reward, a paper in this issue reports macaques consistently take the riskier option, and posterior cingulate cortex neurons represent the riskiness of those choices.
Synchronous changes in seawater strontium isotope composition and global climate

THE 87Sr/86Sr ratio of sea water has increased gradually over the past 40 Myr, suggesting a concomitant increase in global chemical weathering rates1–6. Recently, Dia et al.7 analysed a 250-kyr 87Sr/86Sr record, and found superimposed on this gradual increase higher-frequency 87Sr/86Sr variations which appeared to follow a 100-kyr cycle; this periodicity corresponds to one of the prominent cycles in the Earth's orbital parameters, which are known to modulate the patterns of solar insolation and hence climate8–10. The resolution of this record was, however, insufficient to establish the phase relationship between the 87Sr/86Sr variations and global climate cycles. Here we present a high-resolution seawater 87Sr/86Sr record spanning the past 450 kyr. We find that maxima and minima in 87Sr/86Sr coincide with minima and maxima, respectively, in continental ice volume (from the SPECMAP oxygen isotope record20), apparently suggesting that there was less chemical weathering in arid glacial periods than in the more humid interglacials. During glacial–interglacial transitions, however, seawater 87Sr/86Sr changes at a rate of ∼ 1 p.p.m. kyr−1, approximately three times that evaluated by Dia et al.7. Mass-balance calculations illustrate that simple changes in modern chemical weathering regimes cannot fully account for such rapid changes, suggesting that we need to revise current ideas about strontium reservoirs and the mechanisms for exchange between them.
Enzymatic polymerization. I. Molecular weight and branching during the formation of dextran

In order to establish the nature of the reaction by which the dextran molecule is formed we have examined the intensity of scattered light at eleven angles during the polymerization of sucrose in the presence of purified dextransucrase from B-512-F Leuconostoc mesenteroides. The molecular weight increases from about 50 × 106 to 100–175 × 106 at complete sucrose conversion, and then continues to increase to over 500 × 106. It is shown that the molecules are highly branched early in the reaction and become even more so as the reaction proceeds. These results are believed to be due to the formation of random, long-chain branches by rearrangement of linear chains under the influence of a branching enzyme which is more heat-stable than the polymerizing enzyme.
A Puzzle or a Choice: Uniform Pricing for Motion Pictures at the Box

Consumer differentiated preferences over movies make the uniform pricing regime at the box office a puzzle in the motion picture business. This paper explores the nature of price rigidity at the current uniform price. It concludes that the high profit mark-up from concession sales helps to retain uniform pricing as the optimal choice for exhibitors, without distributors’ condemned intervention. Unless many successful event movies are expected, tiered pricing over regular and event movies will not benefit either exhibitors or distributors. The criteria for exhibitors to favor tiered pricing and the distributors’ choices to eliminate the agency problem are also developed.
Brief note noise-induced extrema in time-dependent Ginsburg-Landau systems

Abstract Qualitative changes in Ginsburg-Landau-type nonlinear systems are induced by simple alterations in the nature, not necessarily the amount, of additive noise.
On the Wess-Zumino-Witten models on Riemann surfaces

We give a formulation of the Wess-Zumino-Witten models on Riemann surfaces of arbitrary genus in which the Ward identities for the current algebras become complete. It requires twisting the models in a non-abelian way by Lie group elements. The Ward identities are written in terms of twisted Poincare series for Schottky groups and the zero modes of the currents are defined by a Lie derivation acting on the twists. Furthermore, we identify the denominator of the chiral partition function and we argue that both the numerator and the denominator of the partition function satisfy a heat equation on the moduli space.
LOX-1 Mediates Oxidized Low-Density Lipoprotein-Induced Expression of Matrix Metalloproteinases in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells

Background— Oxidized LDL (ox-LDL) accumulation in the atherosclerotic region may enhance plaque instability. Both accumulation of ox-LDL and expression of its lectin-like receptor, LOX-1, have been shown in atherosclerotic regions. This study was designed to examine the role of LOX-1 in the modulation of metalloproteinases (MMP-1 and MMP-3) in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs). Methods and Results— HCAECs were incubated with ox-LDL (10 to 80 μg/mL) for 1 to 24 hours. Ox-LDL increased the expression of MMP-1 (collagenase) and MMP-3 (stromelysin-1) in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. Ox-LDL also increased collagenase activity. Ox-LDL did not significantly affect the expression of tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases. Native LDL had no effect on the expression of MMPs. The effects of ox-LDL were mediated by its endothelial receptor, LOX-1, because pretreatment of HCAECs with a blocking antibody to LOX-1 (JTX92, 10 μg/mL) prevented the expression of MMPs in response to ox-LDL (P<0...
Feasibility of Thermal Strain Measurements during Quasi-Steady State Using Neutron Diffraction

Localized heating was imposed on a 6061-T6 aluminum alloy plate to cause thermal strains, and simultaneously interplanar spacing changes were measured using in-situ time-resolved neutron diffraction techniques. Two different methods were used: 1) direct real-time measurements of the transient behavior and 2) a series of measurements based on the quasi-steady state (QSS) principle. A comparison of the two results shows that the QSS method can represent the transient behavior under the current experimental conditions.
Ethylene thiourea (ETU). A review of the genetic toxicity studies.

Ethylene thiourea (ETU) is a common contaminant, metabolite and degradation product of the fungicide class of ethylene bisdithiocarbamates (EBDCs); as such, they present possible exposure and toxicological concerns to exposed individuals. ETU has been assayed in many different tests to assess genotoxicity activity. While a great number of negative results are found in the data base, there is evidence that demonstrates ETU is capable of inducing genotoxic endpoints. These include responses for gene mutations (e.g. Salmonella), structural chromosomal alterations (e.g. aberrations in cultured mammalian cells as well as a dominant lethal assay) and other genotoxic effects (e.g. bacterial rec assay and several yeast assays). It is important to consider the magnitude of the positive responses as well as the concentrations/doses used when assessing the genotoxicity of ETU. While ETU induces a variety of genotoxic endpoints, it does not appear to be a potent genotoxic agent. For example, it is a weak bacterial mutagen in the Salmonella assay without activation in strain TA1535 at concentrations generally above 1000 micrograms/plate. Weak genotoxic activity of this sort is usually observed in most of the assays with positive results. Since ETU does not appear very potent and is not extremely toxic to test cells and organisms, it is not surprising to find that ETU does not produce consistent effects in many of the assays reviewed. Consequently, in many instances, mixed results for the same assay type are reported by different investigators, but as reviewed herein, these results may be dependent upon the test conditions in each individual laboratory. A primary shortcoming with many of the reported negative results is that the concentrations or doses used are not high enough for an adequate test for ETU activity. There are also problems with many of the negative assays generally in protocol or reporting, particularly with the in vivo studies (e.g. inappropriate sample number and/or sampling times; inadequate top dose employed). Overall, while ETU does not appear to be a potent genotoxic agent, it is capable of producing genotoxic effects (e.g. gene mutations, structural chromosomal aberrations). This provides a basis for weak genotoxic activity by ETU. Furthermore, based on a suggestive dominant lethal positive result, there may be a concern for heritable effects. Due to the many problems with the conduct and assessment of the in vivo assays, it is worth repeating in vivo cytogenetic assays and a dominant lethal assay (with acceptable test procedures and data generation) to determine if these results would continue to support a heritable mutagenicity concern.
The digital component of the circle graphics habitat

This real-time interactive computer graphics system derives from the author's dissertation at the Ohio State University (National Science Foundation Grant GJ-204, Charles A. Csuri, project director). The system, called "The Graphics Symbiosis System" or "Grass" was first designed to help artists interactively explore computer art without the constant companionship of a programmer. Over the past three years, it has been expanded at the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle (Figure 1) and is now the image generation portion of a short-order full-color animated videotape production facility called "The Circle Graphics Habitat." Combined with Dan Sandin's Image Processor, the system is sufficiently powerful and flexible to be used in real-time performance context here at UICC.
Coping repertoire: Integrating a new conceptualization of coping with transactional theory

This research develops the construct of coping repertoire, a new trait-based conceptualization of coping based on the number of strategies consumers use in coping with consumer stress. We posit that the number of strategies consumers use is an important determinant of consumers' coping confidence appraisals, a key determinant of consumers' ability to effectively manage stress. In five studies, we establish the importance of this construct and the mechanism through which it influences appraisal. These studies establish the theoretical importance of coping repertoire as an important moderator, and we conclude with a discussion of future research related to this coping perspective.
Lymphocytes from human newborns abrogate mitosis of their mother's lymphocytes.

THE conceptus is not automatically rejected by its mother as an allograft even though it differs genetically and therefore antigenically1–3, perhaps in part because foetal tissues are segregated from immunologically competent maternal cells. For example, the surface of trophoblastic cells is partially covered by highly sulphated acid mucoprotein and the trophoblasts themselves have few if any transplantation antigens3–8. Also, blocking factors may prevent the mother from immunologically damaging her foetus(es). For example, pregnant mice have a serum factor which blocks their lymphocytes from inhibiting the growth of antigenically foreign mouse embryonic cells9; similar results have been observed with human materials10,11. We now report a further possible mechanism by which the newborn actively suppresses mitosis of maternal and other foreign lymphocytes.
Visualization of association rules over relational DBMSs

The focus of this paper is the association rule visualization system that we have designed and developed. The rules produced by the mining algorithm are assumed to be stored in tables. The alternatives for visualization include tabular form, interactive two-dimensional, and three-dimensional graphics. By providing sorting and filtering abilities, the rule visualization system proposed in this paper provides a flexible, efficient, and easier way to manage and understand large number of association rules. As a result, this visualization system becomes an essential part of our association rule mining subsystem. We compare our association rule software with Intelligent Miner from IBM in various aspects, such as data accessibility, user interface, input/output, and rule visualization.
A systems biology perspective on the role of WRKY transcription factors in drought responses in plants

Drought is one of the major challenges affecting crop productivity and yield. However, water stress responses are notoriously multigenic and quantitative with strong environmental effects on phenotypes. It is also clear that water stress often does not occur alone under field conditions but rather in conjunction with other abiotic stresses such as high temperature and high light intensities. A multidisciplinary approach with successful integration of a whole range of -omics technologies will not only define the system, but also provide new gene targets for both transgenic approaches and marker-assisted selection. Transcription factors are major players in water stress signaling and some constitute major hubs in the signaling webs. The main transcription factors in this network include MYB, bHLH, bZIP, ERF, NAC, and WRKY transcription factors. The role of WRKY transcription factors in abiotic stress signaling networks is just becoming apparent and systems biology approaches are starting to define their places in the signaling network. Using systems biology approaches, there are now many transcriptomic analyses and promoter analyses that concern WRKY transcription factors. In addition, reports on nuclear proteomics have identified WRKY proteins that are up-regulated at the protein level by water stress. Interactomics has started to identify different classes of WRKY-interacting proteins. What are often lacking are connections between metabolomics, WRKY transcription factors, promoters, biosynthetic pathways, fluxes and downstream responses. As more levels of the system are characterized, a more detailed understanding of the roles of WRKY transcription factors in drought responses in crops will be obtained.
Household Resource Allocation in Stepfamilies: Darwin Reflects on the Plight of Cinderella

The living conditions of American children have changed dramatically during the past 50 years. In 1950, the vast majority of children were born to married parents and lived with both parents until they reached adulthood. Today, over a third of all children are born to unmarried parents, and over half will live apart from at least one of their parents before reaching age 18 (Larry Bumpass and James Sweet, 1989). A majority of these children will live with a stepparent or foster parent, and a substantial minority will experience multiple family disruptions and multiple changes in parental personnel. Numerous studies have shown that remarriage is not the panacea it was once thought to be. Children who grow up in two-parent families consisting of a biological parent and a stepparent have outcomes very similar to children who grow up with only one parent, and worse than children who are raised by both of their biological parents. These differences cannot be explained by differences in income, since stepfamilies and original two-parent families enjoy similar levels of income. One explanation for why children in stepfamilies do poorly is that stepparents are less altruistic and, indeed, may be quite hostile toward nonbiological children. According to the theory of parental solicitude, such feelings are rooted in psychological mechanisms that have evolved over time through the process of natural selection. Thus, while household incomes may be similar for biological and nonbiological children, investments in children may be quite different. This paper examines differences in one input, food consumption, between different types of two-parent families, using data from the Panel Study of Income Dynamics (PSID). These data contain information on all dyadic relationships within households between 1968 and 1985, and they allow us to identify several types of parent-child relationships, including biological, adoptive, step-, and foster relationships. The paper addresses three questions:
Life-Cycle Assessment and Life-Cycle Cost as Collaborative Tools in Residential Heating System Selection

Abstract Typically the selection of a residential heating system focuses on first costs rather than the economic or environmental life cycle consequences. The use of life cycle assessment and life ...
Changes in β2-adrenoceptor and other signaling proteins produced by chronic administration of ‘β-blockers’ in a murine asthma model

Background We have previously reported that chronic treatment with certain ‘β-blockers’ reduces airway hyperresponsiveness (AHR) to methacholine in a murine model of asthma.
The role of ultrasonography in predicting vesicoureteral reflux.

Objective To evaluate the accuracy of renal and bladder ultrasonography (RBU) in predicting vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) in infants and children. Materials and Methods A total of 134 children who had VUR demonstrated on voiding cystourethrography (VCU) and also had RBU within 1 month of the VCU were included in the study, which took place between January 2005 and December 2012. VUR and hydronephrosis were graded with standard methods on VCU and RBU, respectively. Using VCU findings of reflux as the gold standard, diagnostic accuracy measures were performed for hydronephrosis and ureteral visualization on RBU, including sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, negative predictive value, and accuracy. Results Reflux grade was significantly associated with the degree of hydronephrosis (P = .0032). The sensitivity, negative predictive value, and accuracy of ultrasonography in predicting reflux was significantly higher for grade IV+ or grade V reflux compared with lower reflux grades. Also, the specificity of ultrasonography in predicting reflux was constant and at high level across all reflux grades, suggesting that ultrasonography is a good diagnostic screening tool. Conclusion Normal RBU is rare with grade IV-V reflux, and moderate to severe hydronephrosis is rare with reflux grades
Heteronuclear (1H, 13C, 15N) NMR assignments and solution structure of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) dimer.

A full high-resolution three-dimensional solution structure of the monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1 or MCAF) homodimer has been determined by heteronuclear multidimensional NMR. MCP-1 is a member of a family of small proteins which play a crucial role in immune surveillance by orchestrating the recruitment of specific leukocytes to areas of immune challenge. The protein was uniformly isotopically enriched with 13C and 15N by expression in Escherichia coli, and complete sequence-specific resonance assignments were obtained by a combination of heteronuclear double- and triple-resonance experiments. The secondary structure was deduced from characteristic patterns of NOEs, 13Cα/β chemical shifts, measurements of 3JHNHα scalar couplings, and patterns of slowly exchanging amide protons. Because MCP-1 forms symmetrical homodimers, additional experiments were carried out to unambiguously establish the quaternary contacts. NOEs from these novel experiments were merged with more traditional heteronuclear s...
Axiomatics of binocular vision; the foundations of metric geometry in relation to space perception.

The theory of binocular vision is given a foundation in the empirically defined relations of length ordering and alignment. The development differs significantly from earlier presentations in not requiring the presupposition of numerical metric relations, but shows instead how quantitative metric properties may be derived from the most elemental nonquantitative observations of visual experience. The requirement that the axioms reflect direct visual experience results in a development of the foundations of metric geometry which is unconventional in that topological assumptions and assumptions as to the prolongation of segments are proscribed.
A Unified Stochastic Model for Energy Management in Solar-Powered Embedded Systems

Energy harvesting from environments such as solar energy are promising solutions to tackle energy sustainability in embedded systems. However, uncertainties in energy availability, non-ideal characteristics of harvesting circuits, energy storage (battery or supercapacitor), and application demand dynamics add more complexity in the system. We present a unified model based on discrete-time Finite State Markov Chain to capture the dynamicity and variations in both the energy supply from solar irradiance and the energy demand from the application. In this paper, we exploit the temporal and spatial characteristics of solar energy and propose a deterministic profile with stochastic process to reflect the fluctuation due to unexpected weather condition. Optimal policy to maximize expected total QoS is derived from the presented model using a probabilistic dynamic programming approach. Compared to a state-of-the-art deterministic energy management framework, our proposed approach outperforms in term of QoS and energy sustainability (with less shutdown time) of the system.