cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Healthcare experiences of autistic adults.

To the Editors: I would like to applaud Dr. Nicolaidis and colleagues for addressing an understudied topic in an understudied population — healthcare disparities experienced by autistic adults.1 The inclusion of autistic individuals as equal members of the study team is an ideal example of community-based participatory research. Such efforts answer calls for better understanding of issues impacting autistic adults.2 The key finding that despite similar access to a primary care provider, autistic adults are less likely than their non-autistic peers to receive important preventive healthcare measures is unfortunate, but not surprising. Incorporation of variables such as race/ethnicity, income and type of health insurance that could potentially confound the study findings further strengthens this study. Several aspects of the study merit clarification. First, it is unclear why the authors oversampled adults with disabilities in their non-autistic sample if their intent was to identify differences between autistics and non-autistics. The non-autistic sample, once enriched by individuals with disabilities, by definition might be skewed towards responses shared by disabled populations in general. Second, it would be helpful to know how the study was advertised on the Gateway Project to potential participants. For example, if the study was labeled as an “Autism Study”, it might attract participants with potentially biased responses, such as family members of autistic individuals. This could be particularly relevant when one considers that such relatives may exhibit subclinical autistic traits themselves.3 It is interesting that only 71 % of the autistic cohort identified as having a disability. The large percentage of participants diagnosed with Asperger’s disorder is also unusual when that diagnosis represents a minority of the autism spectrum disorders based on prior prevalence estimates.4 The authors point out, but do not provide a compelling explanation for, the excess of female participants in the study, other than that female participants tend to be overrepresented in online surveys. This is particularly striking when one considers the 4:1 male predominance reported for autism spectrum disorders.5 The critiques outlined above are minor, and this survey hopefully is the first of many to identify the gaps in healthcare services for a subset of the adult population that has for years gone largely unrecognized. It behooves us as a society to recognize and address those disparities to optimize the health of autistic individuals across their lifespan.
Palaeocryptorhynchus burmanus, a new genus and species of Early Cretaceous weevils (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) in Burmese amber

Palaeocryptorhynchus burmanus gen. et sp. nov. (Coleoptera: Curculionidae: Cryptorhynchinae) is described from Cretaceous Burmese amber. The fossil is notable for its unique femora interlocking mechanism consisting of a flange on the basal third of the profemur that inserts into a groove along the basal portion of the mesofemur and the elongate, spatulate rostrum.
Affect Traits in Differential Diagnosis of Anxiety, Depressive, and Schizophrenic Disorders using the Multiple Affect Adjective Check List-Revised:

A study of 185 psychiatric patients with anxiety, mood, and schizophrenic disorders and 185 matched nonpatient controls investigated the effectiveness of the affect trait scales of the revised Multiple Affect Adjective Check List (MAACL-R) in differentiating the three disorders. Univariate and multivariate analyses supported the usefulness of the affect in global and specific diagnostic classifications. The strongest discriminant function described a general dysphoria dimension (Depression plus Anxiety minus Positive Affect) which differentiated the anxiety and mood disorder groups from schizophrenic patients and nonpatient controls. A second discriminant function best differentiated the anxiety from mood disorder groups and was defined by relatively higher anxiety and normal sensation seeking scores among anxiety disorders and relatively higher depression and lower sensation seeking among mood disorders. Schizophrenic disorders could not be reliably distinguished from the other groups by negative affect ...
The Motivational Features of Interpreters Influence on the Degree of Interpreters’ Exposure to Stress☆

Abstract This article represents the analysis of research results, aimed at study of motivational sphere and determination of a degree of its influence on liability of interpreter to stress. Urgency of the topic due to the need of analysis of human behavior mechanisms in difficult situations of life activity, stressful and special circumstances of professional activity. The study of motivational peculiarities of interpreters of high and low proficiency suggests the following: interpreters of HP are characterized by higher degree of motivational complex optimality and decreased significances of external negative motivation compared to the motivational structure of interpreters of LP. It is also revealed a positive influence of optimal degree of motivational relation to stress tolerance of interpreters of both samples, we judged in terms of depression, irritability, shyness and emotional liability about a degree of interpreters’ exposure to stress. The above leads to the conclusion that motivational peculiarities of interpreters affect to the rate of exposure to interpreters’ stress that let to consider this fact as motivational security of stress resistance of interpreters of HP and LP.
RELIABILITY, VALIDITY, AND VERIDICALITY OF QUESTIONNAIRE ITEMS

-There are several defensible procedures for obtaining information on the reliability and validity of questionnaire items. These procedures are useful but insufficient in determining the psychometric characteristics of single questions. Greater attention should b e paid to methods of assessing the veridicality of responses from the viewpoint of the respondent and that of objective reality.
Abstract 5058: Phosphatase Nuclear Targeting Subunit (PNUTS) is phosphorylated by AKT kinase

Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC Phosphorylation of the tumor suppressor protein, Retinoblastoma (Rb) is associated with a highly proliferative state of the cell and cancer. Rb phosphorylation state is partly controlled by the activity of Protein Phosphatase 1 (PP1) which is regulated by Phosphatase Nuclear Targeting Subunit (PNUTS). It is likely that PNUTS plays a role in cell survival and/or apoptosis because siRNA mediated knockdown of PNUTS causes apoptosis in breast and colon cancer cells. This occurs through activation of PP1 phosphatase activity toward Rb which leads to Rb dephosphorylation which can trigger apoptosis. Here we show that PNUTS may be regulated by the PI3K-AKT pathway which has been shown to be involved in many cellular functions including proliferation, growth and survival. In addition, signaling in this pathway has been shown to be disrupted in several cancers. In response to a sub-lethal dose of UV radiation of HCT116 colon cancer cells, activation of the AKT kinase occurs, with phosphorylation of known AKT substrates GSK-3 and mdm2 observed. Phosphorylation of Ser473 of AKT further verifies AKT activation. Under these conditions PNUTS is phosphorylated by the AKT kinase. Inhibition of PNUTS phosphorylation occurs when cells are treated with the LY294002 PI3K-AKT pathway inhibitor. Thus PNUTS is a putative substrate of AKT, and may play an important role in the survival of cells in response to stress. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 5058.
Valvular and Perivalvular Abnormalities in End-Stage Renal Disease

Valvular and perivalvular involvement in end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is most commonly manifested as mitral annular calcification and aortic valve calcification. Both mitral and aortic valve calcification (MAC) occur more frequently and at younger age in those with ESRD than in those with normal renal function. Aortic valve calcification progresses to aortic stenosis more commonly and at a more accelerated rate than in the general population. Altered calcium and phosphate metabolism are thought to predispose to these valvular and perivalvular abnormalities. No treatment is necessary for MAC unless severe mitral regurgitation or stenosis occur (both are rare). Mitral valve repair or replacement and aortic valve replacement are indicated for severe symptomatic valve stenosis or regurgitation, albeit at a higher risk than in those with normal renal function. Infective endocarditis may complicate MAC or aortic stenosis in patients with ESRD and is associated with a high mortality rate in such patients.
WEAK DIAMOND AND OPEN COLORINGS

The purpose of this article is to prove the relative consistency of certain statements about open colorings with 2ℵ0 < 2ℵ1. In particular both OCA and the statement that every 1–1 function of size ℵ1 is σ-monotonic are consistent with 2ℵ0 < 2ℵ1. As a corollary we have that 2ℵ0 < 2ℵ1 does not admit a ℙmax variation (in the presence of an inaccessible cardinal).
Elucidating Factors Affecting Floatation of Fish Ball

ABSTRACT: Factors affecting floatation of fish ball in water were investigated. The density of threadfin bream (TB) surimi paste significantly decreased (P < 0.05) as moisture content, temperature, or salt concentration increased. The ability of surimi paste to float or sink in water was observed according to changes in density. In gel texture measurement, when surimi was thawed for 1 h before chopping at 5 °C with 2% salt, the highest breaking force and deformation values were obtained. Apparent viscosity of surimi paste decreased as moisture content increased or salt concentration increased, and chopping temperature decreased. Setting gels in salt solution (5 or 10%) significantly reduced (P < 0.05) stickiness, which is the tendency to stick to one another.
Female-dependent stenogamy in the mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus

Abstract A female-dependent stenogamous condition was found in the mosquito, Aedes taeniorhynchus. When confined in cages, males attempted with similar frequencies to mate with wild and colony females. Wild females remained uninseminated because they actively prevented firm genital union. During simulated sunsets, swarming flights of colony males began at higher light intensities than those of wild males, and throughout these sunsets many more colony males participated in swarming than did wild males. Nevertheless, wild and colony males did not differ in their mating effectiveness. Both kinds of males were highly successful in transferring sperm to colony females, yet most of their attempted matings with wild females ended in failure. Autogeny occurred in stenogamic colony females and in eurygamic wild females.
3,4-Diaminopyridine as a treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

The slow potassium channel blocker 3,4-diaminopyridine (DAP) enhances acetylcholine release from the nerve terminal and improves conduction in unmyelinated nerve. In this open label pilot study, we examined the effect of DAP combined with inpatient rehabilitation in seven patients with motor weakness due to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). A single daily 20 mg oral dose of DAP was gradually increased to the maximum tolerated dose, and serum DAP concentrations were measured. Videotaped motor examination (for subsequent "blinded" review and assignment of a quantitative motor score), Functional Independence Measure (FIM) assessment, nerve conduction studies and neuropsychological evaluations were performed on admission, 1 h after maximum DAP dose, and post-treatment. DAP was tolerated in all patients, though dose was limited by gastrointestinal side effects in five patients. The mean peak serum level was 128 (+/- 50) ng/ml, occurring 1.0 (+/- 0.50) h after dose. A modest but statistically significant (p = 0.045) peak in motor score occurred on DAP. A significant (p = 0.045) improvement from baseline in FIM performance was apparent with DAP. Nerve conduction studies showed small increases in evoked response amplitudes and conduction velocities on DAP, but they did not reach statistical significance. No cognitive or affective changes were apparent. This unblinded pilot study shows that DAP is tolerated in ALS patients, and may be associated with functional and electrophysiologic improvement.
Distinct role and location of the endothelial isoform of nitric oxide synthase in regulating platelet aggregation in males and females in vivo

The role of endogenous nitric oxide in regulating platelet function in vivo is incompletely understood. The enzymic and anatomic sources of bioactive NO remain unclear and the consequences of the differences in endothelial function between males and females to platelet responsiveness are not known. We employed a mouse model of platelet thromboembolism to assess platelet aggregation in vivo along with supporting in vitro studies to investigate these issues. Pharmacological nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition protracted the duration of thromboembolic responses to ADP (adenosine diphosphate) and enhanced in vivo platelet aggregation following activation of the coagulation cascade. Collagen induced in vivo platelet aggregation was enhanced in female eNOS(-/-) mice and the NOS inhibitor L-NAME (Nω-Nitro-l-arginine methyl ester hydrochloride) potentiated collagen induced thromboembolism although selective iNOS and nNOS antagonists had no effect. None of the NOS inhibitors tested had significant effects on platelet aggregation in isolated whole blood. In conclusion, endogenous NO derived from eNOS in the vascular endothelium is a critical regulator of platelet function in vivo in both males and females with negligible roles of iNOS and nNOS. Despite the expression of NOS enzymes in circulating blood elements, there is no evidence of a functional role of endogenous NO from these cells in regulating platelets. eNOS and its up- and down-stream mediators are therefore potential anti-thrombotic targets.
An oreopithecid proximal humerus from the middle miocene of Maboko Island, Kenya

A proximal humerus, recently recovered from the middle Miocene of Maboko Island, Kenya, provides the earliest evidence of postcranial structure and adaptation of Oreopithecidae. Provisionally attributed toNyanzapithecus pickfordi (Harrison, 1986), the specimen manifests a globose head, subequally large tuberosities, and a board, shallow bicipital groove. Although readily distinguished from the fundamentally cercopithecoid proximal humeral morphology ofVictoriapithecus (Senut, 1986), the Maboko Island oreopithecid, shows none of the derived features that are characteristic of the proximal humeri of extant hominoids. It is inferred from proximal humeral anatomy that the Maboko Island oreopithecid was an active arboreal scansor with moderate mobility at the shoulder but lacking adaptations for circumduction of the arm. In combination with craniodental evidence, proximal humeral morphology indicates that Oreopithecidae was a clade of hominoids which originated before the last common ancestor of extant apes and went extinct, without issue, in the later Miocene.
A comprehensive daily activity-travel generation model system for workers

Abstract This paper develops a comprehensive representation to describe the activity–travel pattern of workers and proposes an analysis framework to model the activity–travel attributes identified in the representation. The analysis framework is based on a descriptive examination of activity–travel patterns of workers from two locations in the US. The paper also formulates an econometric methodology to estimate the component of the analysis framework involving the joint modeling of evening commute mode choice, number of evening commute stops, and number of stops after arriving home from work. The methodology is applied to an empirical analysis using data from an activity survey conducted in the Boston Metropolitan area and the effects of a variety of congestion-alleviation measures are examined. ©
Visual Speech Synthesis by Morphing Visemes

We present MikeTalk, a text-to-audiovisual speech synthesizer which converts input text into an audiovisual speech stream. MikeTalk is built using visemes, which are a small set of images spanning a large range of mouth shapes. The visemes are acquired from a recorded visual corpus of a human subject which is specifically designed to elicit one instantiation of each viseme. Using optical flow methods, correspondence from every viseme to every other viseme is computed automatically. By morphing along this correspondence, a smooth transition between viseme images may be generated. A complete visual utterance is constructed by concatenating viseme transitions. Finally, phoneme and timing information extracted from a text-to-speech synthesizer is exploited to determine which viseme transitions to use, and the rate at which the morphing process should occur. In this manner, we are able to synchronize the visual speech stream with the audio speech stream, and hence give the impression of a photorealistic talking face.
Enlargement of atrophy and visual acuity loss in the geographic atrophy form of age-related macular degeneration.

Abstract Objective To describe the progression of geographic atrophy (GA) from age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with respect to visual acuity (VA) loss and enlargement of atrophy. Design A prospectively observed case series. Setting Tertiary retinal referral center. Participants One hundred twenty-three patients with GA due to AMD who completed at least 1 year of follow-up (median follow-up, 3 years) were examined annually. Methods At each examination, a protocol best-corrected VA of each eye was measured, a clinical examination was performed, and color fundus photographs were taken. The areas of atrophy were drawn and measured. Main outcome measures Visual acuity loss and enlargement of total and central atrophy. Results At baseline, median VA was poorer with larger areas of atrophy, but there was wide variation related to sparing of the fovea. Thirty-one percent of all study eyes suffered a three-line VA loss from baseline by 2 years, and 53% had a three-line loss by 4 years. Those eyes with VA better than 20/50 had the highest rate of acuity loss; 27% of these eyes had acuities of 20/200 or worse at 4 years. Visual acuity loss in the GA study eye was similar in patients with bilateral GA and in those with choroidal neovascularization in the fellow eye. Total atrophy enlarged a median of 1.8 Macular Photocoagulation Study disc areas (DA) at 2 years; atrophy within a 4-DA circle centered on the fovea enlarged a median of 0.9 DA. Two (22%) of nine patients with GA in one eye and only drusen without advanced AMD in the fellow eye developed GA in the fellow eye at 2 years. Conclusions Geographic atrophy is associated with a significant decline in VA over time in many eyes. Areas of atrophy continue to enlarge over time, even when already large at baseline. The combination of reduced VA with enlargement of atrophy, occurring bilaterally in most patients, can lead to significant impairment of visual function.
Deception for drugs: self-reported "doctor shopping" among young adults.

Background: Pharmaceutical abuse is a burgeoning problem, and various forms of drug diversion are becoming more common. At present, little is known about those who attempt to deceive physicians to receive medications, and even less is known about those who successfully avoid detection and abuse-related repercussions. The goal of this study is to assess the prevalence of attempted physician deception in a general population, explore common motives, and evaluate risk factors associated with the behavior. Methods: A stratified random sampling technique was used to obtain a locally representative sample of 2349 young adults. The sample was 48.4% male, 68.9% white, 24.4% black, and 2.8% Hispanic. Selected individuals were surveyed using a self-report instrument (80.4% response rate). Results: Of the respondents, 93 (4.0%) self-reported having attempted to deceive a physician to obtain a pharmaceutical. Most of these indicated that they were at least partially motivated by their own abuse. Approximately half reported that selling a portion of the prescription was a motivating factor. Alcohol use, marijuana use, and pharmaceutical misuse each were risk factors associated with attempted deception. Although no traits were definitively linked to the behavior, attempted deception was more commonly reported by men, Hispanics, self-identified lesbian/gay/bisexual/transgender individuals, and those at the lowest and highest extremes of the income spectrum. Logistic regression models of rare events indicated that past substance use along with sexual orientation and family income were related to attempted deception when controlling for other factors. Conclusion: Results suggest that attempted physician deception may be more common than previously believed. Practicing physicians should attempt to use risk factor information presented within this study, albeit very cautiously. This study identifies general characteristics of young people who might divert medications but notes that only a small minority of any patient group will do so. Awareness should not equal bias in the treatment of these patients; instead, it should reinforce the need for careful clinical interviewing and the utilization of prescription drug monitoring programs and local law enforcement databases.
E-learning vs. classroom instruction in infection control in a dental hygiene program.

The purpose of this project was to evaluate e-learning versus classroom instruction in infection control by comparing outcomes of multiple-choice examination scores and clinical competency-based examinations (CBE) between two groups of first-year dental hygiene students (fall 2008 e-learning: n=26; fall 2009 classroom instruction: n=26). Contents of both instructional units were comparable and were developed by the Organization for Safety, Asepsis, and Prevention. All students in each group were required to complete infection control instruction as part of the preclinical curriculum (didactic and clinical) and were tested on the material using the multiple-choice examination and clinical CBE. Both groups’ scores on the multiple-choice examination ranged from 74 percent to 94 percent (n=26 to 33 of 35), with e-learning mean score=82.8 percent, n=29 of 35, and classroom instruction mean score=86.8 percent, n=30 of 35. A two-tailed independent samples t-test indicated a statistically significant difference between the two groups on the multiple-choice examination (p=0.11). The Fisher’s exact test indicated no statistically significant difference between the two groups on the first-time pass rate for the clinical CBE (p=0.668). Findings demonstrated little difference between the two methods for teaching infection control. Thus, either method may be chosen. Future research should examine a blended approach with larger samples and longitudinal data.
Superposition of Two Modulated Radio Frequencies

If two modulated radio frequencies are added, the envelope of the resulting signal can be found by means of a vector diagram. A number of envelopes corresponding to various conditions are shown. The distortions in the resulting envelopes are mainly due to phase shifts of audio frequency. Low percentage modulation helps to keep distortions small. The treatment applies to common-frequency broadcasting and to all cases in which the received signal consists of a direct and a reflected beam.
Assessment of the effects of the Gpc‐B1 allele on senescence rate, grain protein concentration and mineral content in hard red spring wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) from the Pacific Northwest Region of the USA

With 1 figure and 4 tables Abstract Grain protein concentration (GPC) impacts the end-use quality of products made from flour extracted from wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) grain; therefore, it is a high priority in wheat improvement efforts. Recently, researchers determined that the Gpc-B1 gene increases the rate of senescence in wheat, consequently increasing GPC. The objective of this study was to incorporate the Gpc-B1 gene into regionally adapted hard red spring wheat cultivars ‘Tara 2002’ and ‘Scarlet’ to evaluate the impact of this gene under irrigated and rainfed production conditions. Three isogenic derivates with and three without Gpc-B1 were evaluated in replicated field trials in Pullman, WA, in 2006 and 2007 in a split-plot design, with genotype and production system as the main- and subplot factors, respectively. Increased senescence rates (1.8 days earlier; P = 0.03) were only detected for Tara 2002 isolines with the Gpc-B1 gene in 2007 when averaged across irrigation conditions. Increased GPC (0.5%; P = 0.01) was only detected in Tara 2002 isolines with the gene in 2006, although no increases in senescence were detected. Significant (P < 0.01) decreases in grain weight were detected in both years for all isolines, whereas grain yields of the isolines did not differ significantly (P = 0.14). Significant (P < 0.02) differences in mineral content in Scarlet isolines also were identified. Differences in environmental conditions appear to impact the expression of the Gpc-B1 gene, which may limit its utility as a breeding strategy for increasing GPC for spring wheat cultivars produced in regions with short growing seasons.
Calcium Channel Blockade Enhances Nitric Oxide Synthase Expression by Cultured Endothelial Cells

Abstract —In a recent study, we found marked increases in nitric oxide (NO) production and endothelial and inducible NO synthase (eNOS and iNOS) expressions with calcium channel blockade in rats with chronic renal failure. This study was undertaken to determine whether enhanced NO production with calcium channel blockade is a direct effect of this therapy or a consequence of the associated hemodynamic and humoral changes. We tested the effects of a calcium channel blocker, felodipine (10−5, 10−6, and 10−7 mol/L), on nitrate and nitrite (NOx) generation, Ca2+-dependent and -independent NOS activity, and eNOS and iNOS protein masses in proliferating and quiescent rat aortic endothelial cells in culture. Compared with vehicle alone, felodipine significantly increased NOx generation, Ca2+-dependent NOS activity, and eNOS protein mass in proliferating and quiescent endothelial cells. Felodipine did not modify the stimulatory action of 10% fetal calf serum on DNA synthesis (thymidine incorporation) and cell proliferation. Ca2+-independent NOS activity and iNOS protein expression were negligible and unaffected by calcium channel blockade. NOx production and NOS expression were greater in proliferating cells than in quiescent cells. Thus, calcium channel blockade upregulates endothelial NO production in vitro, confirming our previous in vivo study. This observation indicates that the reductions in cytosolic [Ca2+] and vasodilation with calcium channel blockade are not only due to inhibition of Ca2+ entry but also to an NO-cGMP–mediated mechanism.
Low-delay quantization for source coding with side information

This paper deals with the design of scalar quantizers for source coding with side information at the decoder. In the fixed length scenario, under high-resolution assumptions, the optimal level density is shown to be periodic. The operational rate-distortion performance is then characterized. The performance of variable length codes with uniform quantization is also characterized.
Diffusion of spherical bubbles in a turbulent boundary layer

Abstract Dilute suspensions of spherical air bubbles in a liquid-turbulent boundary layer were experimentally studied to note the motion and distribution. Bubbles with diameters of 0.37–1.2 mm were injected at various transverse wall positions in upward flowing water of free-stream velocities between 0.4 and 0.9 m/s. Bubble injection frequency was limited to very low mean void fractions, ca. 0.01% in order to avoid bubble coalescing at the wall for certain flow conditions. The experimental diagnostics included bubble tracking for bubble trajectories and planar laser intensity profiles for bubble concentration distribution. Data for the lateral void fraction distributions were collected over a sufficiently long sampling time to allow statistical description of the bubble diffusion. Three types of bubble motion were observed in the boundary layer: free-dispersing bubbles were drawn to the wall (by transverse fluctuations), bounced along the wall (by coefficients of restitution of order unity), and sliding bubbles along the wall trapped by lift forces. This led to a variety of void profiles: from peaking at the wall to diffusing beyond the mean boundary layer width, depending on the Stokes number and bubble injection location. In general bubbles collected along the wall for high Stokes number conditions (larger bubbles or weaker turbulence). In contrast, the lower Stokes number conditions produced Gaussian-type profiles throughout the boundary layer, which were associated with a tendency for the smaller bubbles to act like tracer particles dispersing throughout the flow. Qualitative measurements of intermediate-size bubbles indicated diffusion rates as a function of drift parameter which were similar to that expected from solid particle diffusion and free shear bubble diffusion.
Accuracy of frequency estimates using the phase vocoder

The phase vocoder is a well-known technique for dividing an audio signal into time-varying sinusoidal components and estimating their frequencies and amplitudes. The accuracy of the frequency estimates is studied here by predicting, and then measuring experimentally, the magnitude of errors due to two factors: (1) interference between different components, and (2) interference due to the presence of noise in the signal. The magnitude of the error depends an the relative amplitudes of the component in question and the disturbing signal, on the size and spacing of the analysis windows, on the window function used, and, in the case where the disturbance is due to another sinusoidal component, on the phase difference between the two. The implications of these results for choosing analysis parameters are discussed. The case of a one-sample spacing between analysis windows is treated in detail. Finally, we compare the phase vocoder with the maximum likelihood frequency estimator.
The MID4 dataset, 2002–2010: Procedures, coding rules and description

This article introduces the latest iteration of the most widely used dataset on interstate conflicts, the Militarized Interstate Dispute (MID) 5 dataset. We begin by outlining the data collection p...
The reproductive phenotype of mice null for transcription factor Krüppel-like factor 13 suggests compensatory function of family member Krüppel-like factor 9 in the peri-implantation uterus

The ovarian hormones estrogen and progesterone promote uterine receptivity and successful pregnancy through their cognate receptors functioning in concert with context-dependent nuclear coregulators. Previously, we showed that the transcription factor Kruppel-like factor (KLF) 9 is a progesterone receptor (PGR) coactivator in the uterus and that mice null for Klf9 exhibit subfertility and reduced progesterone sensitivity. The highly related family member KLF13 displays increased expression in uteri of pregnant and nonpregnant Klf9 null mice and similarly regulates PGR-mediated transactivation in endometrial stromal cells. However, a uterine phenotype with loss of Klf13 has not been reported. In the present study, we demonstrate that Klf13 deficiency in mice did not compromise female fertility and pregnancy outcome. Klf13 null females had litter sizes, numbers of implanting embryos, uterine morphology, and ovarian steroid hormone production comparable to those of wild-type (WT) counterparts. Further, pregnant WT and Klf13 null females at Day Postcoitum (DPC) 3.5 had similar uterine Pgr, estrogen receptor, and Wnt-signaling component transcript levels. Nuclear levels of KLF9 were higher in Klf13 null than in WT uteri at DPC 3.5, albeit whole-tissue KLF9 protein and transcript levels did not differ between genotypes. The lack of a similar induction of nuclear KLF9 levels in uteri of virgin Klf13(−/−) mice relative to WT uteri was associated with lower stromal PGR expression. In differentiating human endometrial stromal cells, coincident KLF9/KLF13 knockdown by small interfering RNA targeting reduced decidualization-associated PRL expression, whereas KLF9 and KLF13 knockdowns alone reduced transcript levels of WNT4 and BMP2, respectively. Results suggest that KLF9 and KLF13 functionally compensate in peri-implantation uterus for pregnancy success.
Optimum preamplification and shaping of signals delivered by photodetectors without internal amplification: a theoretical analysis

The use of photodetectors without internal amplification is an appealing choice in the design of low-cost solid-state optical instrumentation. However, once photodiodes are used in the detection unit, the instrument sensitivity is related not only to the photodetector characteristics, but mainly to the front-end electronics noise performance. Therefore, great care has to be taken in the design of the preamplification and shaping electronics in order to minimize their noise contribution. The present paper introduces, from the theoretical point of view, the optimum front-end electronics to process signals delivered by photodetectors without internal amplification. In the analysis performed, with simple formalism, the optimum signal-to-noise ratio and the minimum detectable signal have been calculated. Moreover some practical realizations, which approximate the optimum signal processor, are presented.
Classification of Military Ground Vehicles Using Time Domain Harmonics' Amplitudes

In the context of the United Nations peacekeeping operations, we developed an energy-efficient method for the detection and classification of military vehicles using a group of wireless sensors. The method is adequate for low-power unattended sensors which perform sensing, feature extraction, and classification in a standalone scenario. Harmonics' amplitudes approximating the harmonic signature of the time domain acoustic signal captured by wireless sensor nodes are estimated for vehicle discrimination. The computational complexity for the time domain features extracted from ground vehicles' acoustic signals is lower than their equivalent spectral features. Classification is performed using a multilayer feedforward neural network, where discrimination between vehicles depends on their acoustic signature irrespective of their speed or location. Evaluation of the time domain method, through processing of an acoustic data set for heavyweight and lightweight military ground vehicles with comparison to spectral features, shows that time domain harmonics' amplitudes are simpler to obtain and provide the reliability of the spectral features in both the detection and false alarm rate.
Performance improvement of SONOS memory by bandgap engineering of charge-trapping layer

A significant improvement in device performance and reliability characteristics of silicon-oxide-nitride-oxide-silicon (SONOS) Flash memory has been achieved. Superior endurance characteristic shows no sign of degradation even after 10/sup 6/ program/erase cycles and an extrapolated ten-year detection window of 1.4 V has been attained from retention measurement. The dramatic improvement results from a bandgap engineering of the SiN charge-trapping layer. With a gradual variation of the Si/N ratio from bottom to top of nitride film rather than uniform standard composition, a large number of highly accessible trapping levels are created in addition to the deepened barrier height between nitride and tunnel oxide that reduces back-tunneling probability. The proposed technique shall be valuable in pushing Flash memory technology into the next generation.
Cutting Edge: CD49d+ Neutrophils Induce FcεRI Expression on Lung Dendritic Cells in a Mouse Model of Postviral Asthma

The increasing prevalence of atopy and asthma remains unexplained but may be due to infection with respiratory viruses. In support of this hypothesis, we showed that experimental asthma after viral infection in mice depended on type I IFN-driven upregulation of FceRI on conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) in the lung. In this article, we demonstrate that FceRI expression on lung cDCs depends on an unexpected activity of a CD49d+ subset of polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) that are found in the lungs of wild-type C57BL6 but not mice deficient in type I IFNR. Expression of FceRI depends in part on a CD11b-dependent interaction between PMNs and cDCs. This study demonstrates a PMN–cDC interaction in the lung that is necessary for the ability of viral infection to induce atopic disease.
Transcriptome analyses of Bactericera cockerelli adults in response to “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” infection

The potato/tomato psyllid, Bactericera cockerelli (Sulc) is an economically important crop pest that not only causes damage through its feeding but also transmits the bacterium, “Candidatus Liberibacter solanacearum” (CLs), which causes zebra chip disease in potato. There is some information about the phenotypic effects of phytopathogenic bacteria on their insect vectors; however, there are no published reports of the molecular mechanisms underlying phytopathogenic bacteria–insect vector interaction. In order to investigate the effects of CLs infection on B. cockerelli, transcriptomic analyses of CLs-infected and uninfected adult psyllids that were reared on potato were performed. De novo assembly of cDNA sequences generated 136,518 and 109,983 contigs for infected and uninfected insect libraries with an average contig length of 514 bp. BlastX analysis against the NCBI-nr database revealed that 33.33 % had significant matches. Gene ontology data illustrated that the majority of the expressed psyllid genes are involved in metabolic process, biological regulation, binding and catalytic activity. The psyllid transcriptome had an abundance of genes such as vitellogenin, heat shock protein, ejaculatory bulb-specific protein, ferritin, and cytochrome oxidase. Notably absent in the psyllid transcriptome were innate immunity genes induced in response to Gram-negative bacteria (IMD pathway). Several functionally diverse contigs related to symbiotic bacteria including the primary endosymbiont Carsonella ruddii, Wolbachia, and CLs in the psyllid transcriptome were identified. A total of 247 contigs showed differential expression in response to CLs infection including immune and stress-related genes and vitellogenins. Expression analyses of selected psyllid genes were performed on psyllids that were exclusively reared on potato (host of the insects used for RNAseq) and psyllids exclusively reared on tomato (alternative host of psyllids). These genes showed similar expression patterns irrespective of the host plant on which the psyllids were reared, which suggests that host–plant association may not modulate expression of these genes. Our findings suggest that the impact of CLs on psyllid transcriptome was to a large extent on genes involved in metabolic processes and to a small extent on immune and stress response genes. This study is the first description of transcriptomic changes in an insect vector in response to infection with a naturally occurring bacterial plant pathogen. Data from this study provide new sequence and gene expression resources for functional genomics of potato psyllids.
Selection Sets and Nongraphical Entities

An outstanding advantage of using AutoLISP lies in our ability to manipulate selection sets. A selection set is a collection of entity names that we’ve grouped together for some purpose. A selection set is a new AutoLISP object type, the last one well encounter. It has the following printed representation: Selection sets are actually very familiar to us; we create and use them all the time. When we select objects for a COPY or MOVE command, a selection set is built. The difference is that in AutoCAD we use a selection set once (or occasionally several times by invoking the Previous option), whereas in AutoLISP we give the selection set a name (via a symbol binding) and use it over and over again. Furthermore, our ability to easily access and alter the entity data makes selection sets more versatile than groups.
Ship-Wave Attenuation Tests of a Prototype Floating Breakwater

Limited data are presented for the ship-wave attenuation of a prototype concrete pontoon floating breakwater. Results are compared with wave attenuation performance of a breakwater of identical crosssection and similar anchoring configuration as predicted by model tests using monochromatic waves. Field test procedures and limitations are described.
Multi-Modality Microendoscope

An innovative multi-modality microendoscope is described that combines a parallelized point scanning multi-spectral confocal microendoscope with optical coherence tomography imaging. The system is intended for in-vivo diagnosis of early stage diseases. Preliminary results are provided.
Early Identification and Linkage to Care for People with Chronic HBV and HCV Infection: The HepTLC Initiative.

Objective.In 2012, CDC's Division of Viral Hepatitis launched a public health initiative to increase hepatitis B virus (HBV) and hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection testing for those at risk and to improve linkage to medical care for those infected. We describe testing outcomes of previously unidentified people at risk for HBV and HCV infection and the lessons learned while linking patients to care.Methods.CDC's Hepatitis Testing and Linkage to Care (HepTLC) initiative provided 34 financial awards to U.S. organizations that serve people at risk for viral hepatitis, 25 of which focused on HCV and nine of which focused on HBV. Grantees offered testing and test result notification to people at risk for HBV and/or HCV infection, as well as counseling, referral, and verification or notification of linkage to care for people with positive test results. We entered demographic data, self-reported risk factors, country of origin (for HBV), and testing outcomes into a confidential database.Results.The 34 grantees tes...
Engaging attendees in environmental sustainability at trade shows: attendees’ perceptions and willingness to participate

The meetings, incentives, conventions, and events (MICE) industry has rapidly grown over the past few decades. One of the most important current pressing issues is environmental sustainable practic...
Dorsal thoracic arachnoid web presenting as neuropathic pain: ‘Scalpel’ sign found on MRI:

Dorsal thoracic arachnoid webs are due to a deformity in the formation of arachnoid membrane in the spinal arachnoid space. These webs usually occur in the upper thoracic spine and are viewed on imaging as a pathogonomic 'scalpel' sign because of the resemblance on sagittal MRI to a surgical scalpel. We describe a case of a patient with a neuropathic pain presentation. After MR imaging, a focal dorsal indentation of the upper thoracic spinal cord at the T3-T4 level with the scalpel sign was found. This sign indicates that the patient's neuropathic pain was caused by the dorsal thoracic arachnoid web.
Family play therapy: A creative approach to including young children in family therapy.

Although the field of family therapy was created to address whole family functioning, young children have historically been excluded from actual family treatment sessions. Family therapy models were primarily designed to work with adults and usually are inappropriate for the active involvement of young children. The integration of play and play therapy techniques with family therapy, however, allows for a creative solution to this problem. In this article, a rationale for and the benefits of a family play therapy approach to working with families with young children are delineated. Basic family play therapy theory, techniques, and materials are presented. The importance of the ability to play and having a playful attitude for therapists and clients is stressed, and ideas for overcoming resistance to play in therapy are suggested. A case study illustrating family play therapy is included.
Chapter 10 – Personal, Social, Organizational, Legal, Tax, and International Issues

Publisher Summary This chapter provides a detailed discussion on the social, personal, organizational, legal ethical, international, and tax impacts of IT in general and e-commerce in particular. The presentation examines impact on the workplace, privacy, crime, and health issues. ITs definitely have a direct effect on the nature of the jobs performed by different workers. Telecommuting and some e-commerce applications, for example, enables a significant portion of the work force to perform their duties from their homes. The Internet and e-mail have added a new dimension to the meaning of privacy and private information in the office. Naturally, some workers are concerned about their privacy. Computer criminals are those who modify, change, eliminate, hide, or use computer files for personal gain. Hackers usually break into computer systems for personal satisfaction. Insiders commit more than 70% of computer crimes. This presents an even more difficult challenge when protecting e-commerce resources. The chapter explores data collection on the Web, censorship, electronic publishing, social division, copyrights, patents, piracy, and other legal issues of IT and e-commerce. The chapter concludes with a discussion on tax issues, examines some of the pending proposals, and reviews international issues related to global e-commerce design and implementation, highlighting Symantec Corporation as the industry connection. A careful examination of these issues increases the chances of success for any e-commerce application's introduction to an organization and reduces the legal, social, organizational, and personal issues of this growing technology.
Teaching Creative Process across Disciplines

While there is great interest in higher education about teaching creative process, there have been relatively few studies of how courses can facilitate the development of creative skills. The goal of this study was to document how college instructors structure courses intended to develop students’ creative processes. The study data included interviews from instructors and students using a critical case sample of fifteen courses at a single U.S. University. A qualitative analysis of the transcripts yielded a set of 14 pedagogical elements appearing across courses. Common elements were open-ended projects and skill-building activities, and less frequently, risk taking experiences and self-reflection. The sample included undergraduate courses in engineering, education, the liberal arts, and the arts, and the elements observed were often shared across courses from different disciplines. These findings provide a diverse set of pedagogical approaches and opportunities for building creative process skills within undergraduate courses.