cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Call-Response in Selected Calypsoes of Political Commentary From the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago:

These words describe the cosmic experiences of the audience during African-centered rhetoric. One way in which the audience achieves these cosmic experiences is through the use of callresponse. Call-response is the coactive speaker-audience and audience-speaker interaction (Phillips, 1983). African rhetorics employ call-response to attain the goals of the culture when uniting the community through language, music, and dance, in addition to other communication genres. In African-centered music rhythms, styling and sounding promote a spiritual harmony among the members of the audience and between the rhetor and audience. Call-response enables the performer and the audience to become one unit as they create and interpret the rhetorical act together. Both the audience and the performer take turns initiating the call and responding. Therefore, the total communal event must be examined.
Pseudocarcinomatous invasion of colonic polyps.

The recently described but little-recognized entity of “pseudocarcinomatous invasion” or “epithelial misplacement” in adenomatous polyps of the colon and rectum is discussed, with the presentation of a recent case. The entity's clinical characteristics, histologic features, and pathogenesis are described. The implications of recognizing such a lesion are emphasized.
Insights Concerning Teaching Artists in Music and Their Pedagogical Preparation.

ABSTRACT This study of a group of teaching artist–musicians points to the need for more and deeper training in pedagogy for TAs.
Nonpharmacologic Strategies: The Evolving Story of Ablation and Hybrid Therapy

Technologic advancements have resulted in the more widespread use of catheter ablation to restore sinus rhythm in patients with atrial fibrillation (AF) and elicit improvement in symptoms, quality of life, and prognosis. However, the effectiveness of this procedure to prevent the occurrence of heart failure and stroke while reducing mortality has yet to be proved in major clinical trials. Factors influencing the results of ablation and possibly obfuscating the interpretation of data from early studies include variations in center experience and operator skill, the definition of procedural success, and follow-up interval and duration, as well as the complexity and heterogeneity of AF itself. Upcoming trials that will examine outcomes after catheter ablation and pharmacologic strategies from the end points of heart failure, stroke, and mortality are anticipated to yield more definitive conclusions about ablation efficacy.
On the diffusion rates of bacteriophages

Abstract The diffusion constants of T3 and T4 bacteriophages were studied by means of the multi-chamber analytical diffusion cell. The composition of the medium had no noticeable effect on the values found, but the concentration of the phage and temperature had pronounced effects on the corrected diffusion constants. At 4°C the diffusion constant of T3 varied from 5.3 · 10−7m2/sec to 1.0 · 10−7cm2/sec in the concentration range 105 to 1010 particles/ml. At 22°C the diffusion constants varied from 23 · 10−7cm2/sec to the 3 · 10−7cm2/sec in the concentration range 105 to 109 particles/ml. These diffusion constants are much higher than would be expected from the size observed by electron microscopy.
Chronic effects of electrical stimulation of muscle on the fractionated components of audio response time

Abstract Six male volunteer subjects underwent five weeks (15 sessions) of electrical stimulation (ES) of the triceps brachii muscle (medial head), participated in a pretest, and five weekly post-treatment performance tests of an elbow extension task. Response time (RSP) was electronically fractionated into the two components of reaction time (RT): premotor reaction time (PMT) and motor reaction time (MT): and movement time (MVT) for 45 degrees of elbow extension. Acceleration characteristics of the movement were quantified via a piezoelectric accelerometer mounted on a specially-built mechanism that allowed the desired motion in a transverse plane. Statistical analysis did not indicate significant treatment effects on the criterion measures, however, a significant linear trend for MT and significant linear and quadratic trends for MVT were indicated. Neuromuscular adaptation to the passage of electric current through nerve and muscle tissue was indicated by a significant quadratic trend and significant differences between all weekly accumulative (treatment) voltages. An unexpected significant negative correlation between PMT and MT was considered cause for further study. The particular technique of ES administration, although it produced consistant changes in RSP components (Ward and Grabiner 1981) was not as effective as methods described by other investigators for increased human performance.
Analytic Jurisprudence Established

In 1957, during his extended visit at the Harvard Law School, H.L.A. Hart delivered his Holmes lecture, later published under the title Positivism and the Separation of Law and Morals, in which he sketched a profile of his landmark theory of law. As a listener might have expected, Hart opened his lecture with praise for the jurist and justice after whom the lectureship was named (Hart 1983, 49–50). Holmes will always be regarded in English legal circles as “a heroic figure in jurisprudence,” Hart acknowledged, because he “magically combined” two qualities: clarity and imaginative power. English jurisprudence always prided itself on the former, he maintained, but imaginative power it surely lacked. Like Bentham, who sought “to pluck the mask of Mystery from the face of Jurisprudence” (Bentham 1977, 410), Holmes looked to careful analysis of law and the language used in it to expose fallacies of thought and practice.
Identity Implications of Relationship (Re)Definition Goals: An Analysis of Face Threats and Facework as Young Adults Initiate, Intensify, and Disengage From Romantic Relationships

Identity implications theory (IIT) is applied to analyze how young adults manage identity concerns associated with the goals of initiating, intensifying, and disengaging from romantic relationships. Participants wrote their responses to one of six hypothetical romantic (re)definition scenarios, indicated whether they actually would pursue the relational goal if their scenario were real, and rated degree of threat to both parties' face. Responses were coded for positive and negative politeness strategies. Participants in different relational goal conditions perceived different face threats, varied in their likelihood of pursuing the relational goal, and employed different politeness strategies. Relationship (re)definition goal also moderated associations between perceived face threats and goal pursuit as well as politeness strategies. The findings show how multiple goal theories such as IIT can be applied to situations where relational goals are primary as well as how, to varying degrees, identity concerns...
Additive-Gas Effects on Cl2 Plasma-Based Copper-Etch Process and Sidewall Attack

The influence of the additive gas in Cl 2 plasma-based copper etch and sidewall attack was investigated. The additive gas, such as Ar, N 2 , and CF 4 , drastically changed the plasma-phase chemistry, i.e., the Cl radical concentration, and the ion-bombardment energy, which resulted in changes of the copper chlorination rate and the sidewall roughness. The addition of Ar increased the Cl concentration, which increased the copper chlorination rate and the sidewall attack. The addition of N 2 enhanced ion bombardment, which increased the copper chlorination rate. Meanwhile, the addition of N 2 diluted the Cl concentration and formed a copper nitride passivation layer, which protected the sidewall and reduced roughness. The addition of CF 4 induced a fluorocarbon passivation layer, which decreased the copper chlorination rate in the vertical direction but protected the sidewall from vigorous Cl attack and resulted in a smooth sidewall surface. Therefore, the additive gas not only affected the Cu chlorination rate but also influenced sidewall roughness.
A scalable file based data store for forensic analysis

In the field of remote forensics, the GRR Response Rig has been used to access and store data from thousands of enterprise machines. Handling large numbers of machines requires efficient and scalable storage mechanisms that allow concurrent data operations and efficient data access, independent of the size of the stored data and the number of machines in the network. We studied the available GRR storage mechanisms and found them lacking in both speed and scalability. In this paper, we propose a new distributed data store that partitions data into database files that can be accessed independently so that distributed forensic analysis can be done in a scalable fashion. We also show how to use the NSRL software reference database in our scalable data store to avoid wasting resources when collecting harmless files from enterprise machines.
Outcome of Penicillin-Susceptible Streptococcal Prosthetic Joint Infection Treated with Debridement and Retention of the Prosthesis

Debridement with retention of the prosthesis was the initial treatment modality for 19 cases of penicillin-susceptible streptococcal prosthetic joint infection that occurred in 18 patients who presented to the Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minnesota) during 1969-1998. All of the cases of prosthetic joint infection occurred >30 days after implantation of the prosthesis, which was well fixed at the time of debridement. The median duration of symptoms before debridement was 4 days (range, 1-10 days). Treatment failure (defined as relapse of infection with the original microorganism) occurred in 2 cases (10.5%) during a median follow-up period of 3.9 years (range, 0.3-21.7 years). The 1-year cumulative risk of relapse was 11% (95% confidence interval, 0%-26%). Relapse of prosthetic joint infection due to penicillin-susceptible streptococci after debridement and retention of the prosthesis is uncommon. For patients who present with a well-fixed prosthesis and a short duration of symptoms, debridement with retention appears to be an effective treatment modality.
Compressive sensing and waveform design for the identification of Linear time-varying systems

In this paper, we investigate the application of compressive sensing and waveform design for estimating linear time-varying system characteristics. Based on the fact that the spreading function system representation is sparse in realistic system scenarios, we propose a new method for the identification of narrowband, wideband and dispersive systems using a small set of measurements. Through numerical simulations, we successfully demonstrate the feasibility of using compressive sensing to estimate the system spreading function.
Sedimentary and stratigraphic evidence for subglacial flooding, south-central Michigan, USA

Abstract The glacial landscape in south-central Michigan is a dissected surface with streamlined, residual, and upland blocks surrounded by lowland valleys dominated by outwash. The upland surface has ridges, hills, and hummocks composed of boulder gravel, which are transitional to drumlins in a down-ice direction, and is dissected by tunnel channels with eskers within them. Sedimentary descriptions from 14 gravel pits indicate a consistent stratigraphy across a width of 15 km. The upland consists of bedrock covered by a lower till with subglacial melt-out or lodgment characteristics. Above the lower till is a sand-and-gravel facies that passes upward into a boulder-gravel facies. Nestled within depressions on the boulder-gravel surface is a discontinuous facies of laminated sand and silt. Above the gravel is an upper till with supraglacial melt-out and flow till characteristics. Analyses of the till and gravel indicate an upward change in clast lithology from locally derived carbonates to clastics and finally to crystallines from the lower till through the gravel facies into the upper till. The transition mimics the bedrock lithology up-ice of the study area, and is explained by meltwater erosion of bedrock, previously deposited subglacial sediment, and overlying debris-rich basal ice. The systematic change in clast lithology and the stratigraphic position of the gravel facies between a subglacial and supraglacial till strongly suggests that the gravel facies sediment was deposited subglacially and that the entire till–gravel–till sequence resulted from the same glacial advance.
Ferromagnetic Models on ℤ

Phase transitions are a familiar aspect of nature. Water boils, becoming water vapor, or water vapor, under compression, liquefies. These are examples of a liquid-gas phase transition. The liquid and the gas are said to be two phases of the same substance. One of the most interesting problems in equilibrium statistical mechanics is to explain phase transitions in terms of the probability distributions on configuration space which describe the microscopic behavior of physical systems. The simplest systems for which this is possible are ferromagnetic models on a lattice. The present chapter introduces these models.
Studies of excimer laser annealing of in situ deposited thin films of YBa2Cu3O7−δ

Abstract Superconducting films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7−δ have been prepared on yttrium stabilized cubic zirconia in situ by laser (308 nm) ablation. Films have been deposited at 650°C with and without the presence of a second (annealing) excimer radiation pulse (308 nm) incident on the substrate. These films are compared to high-quality films prepared at 790 ° C. In annealing experiments, time delays between the synchronized excimer lasers were varied from 0 to 1000 μs to explore the effect of the annealing radiation throughout the mass arrival time range at the substrate. Little improvement was observed in the overall quality of the deposited films at any time delay. Model calculations indicate that a possible reason for the lack of improvement originates in a temporal width mismatch of the temperature increase of the substrate surface and the mass arrival of the ablated material.
Representation of Measured Ejector Characteristics by Simple Eulerian Bond Graph Models

Ejectors (or jet pumps) are highly reliable pure fluidic devices very commonly used in power plants, propulsion systems, petrochemical processes and other thermofluid systems. However, little off-design data has been available in a form suitable for dynamic simulation and control system design. Fortunately, concerns of the nuclear industry have recently led the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) to obtain, from their LOFT Test Support facility, ejector test data sufficiently extensive to formulate a complete model accurately describing all flow conditions. Thus an elementary fixed-constant bond graph structure will approximate complete ejector characteristics, while a model only slightly more complex fits all INEL data within experimental scatter.
An Infrastructure IP for Online Testing of Network-on-Chip Based SoCs

To address the reliability concerns that affect the lifetime of complex systems-on-a-chip (SoC) designs, a concurrent on-line SoC test scheme is essential to circumvent the prohibitive costs - test time and test power $associated with off-line SoC test. A test infrastructure IP (TI-IP) is deployed within the network-on-chip (NoC) based SoC design to provide on-line test support while managing the intrusion of test into the executing applications within the system. This research describes the architecture and operation of a TI-IP capable of testing SoCs and demonstrates its operation in two SoC test configurations developed using research domain application and test benchmarks
Robotics in the early childhood classroom: learning outcomes from an 8-week robotics curriculum in pre-kindergarten through second grade

In recent years there has been an increasing focus on the missing “T” of technology and “E” of engineering in early childhood STEM (science, technology, engineering, mathematics) curricula. Robotics offers a playful and tangible way for children to engage with both T and E concepts during their foundational early childhood years. This study looks at N = 60 children in pre-kindergarten through second grade who completed an 8-week robotics curriculum in their classrooms using the KIWI robotics kit combined with a tangible programming language. Children were assessed on their knowledge of foundational robotics and programming concepts upon completion of the curriculum. Results show that beginning in pre-kindergarten, children were able to master basic robotics and programming skills, while the older children were able to master increasingly complex concepts using the same robotics kit in the same amount of time. Implications for developmentally appropriate design of technology, as well as structure and pace of robotics curricula for young children are addressed.
Learning Nonparametric Models for Probabilistic Imitation

Learning by imitation represents an important mechanism for rapid acquisition of new behaviors in humans and robots. A critical requirement for learning by imitation is the ability to handle uncertainty arising from the observation process as well as the imitator's own dynamics and interactions with the environment. In this paper, we present a new probabilistic method for inferring imitative actions that takes into account both the observations of the teacher as well as the imitator's dynamics. Our key contribution is a nonparametric learning method which generalizes to systems with very different dynamics. Rather than relying on a known forward model of the dynamics, our approach learns a nonparametric forward model via exploration. Leveraging advances in approximate inference in graphical models, we show how the learned forward model can be directly used to plan an imitating sequence. We provide experimental results for two systems: a biomechanical model of the human arm and a 25-degrees-of-freedom humanoid robot. We demonstrate that the proposed method can be used to learn appropriate motor inputs to the model arm which imitates the desired movements. A second set of results demonstrates dynamically stable full-body imitation of a human teacher by the humanoid robot.
Detecting bandlimited audio in broadcast television shows

For TV and radio shows containing narrowband speech, Speech-to-text (STT) accuracy on the narrowband audio can be improved by using an acoustic model trained on acoustically matched data. To selectively apply it, one must first be able to accurately detect which audio segments are narrowband. The present paper explores two different bandwidth classi??cation approaches: a traditional Gaussian mixture model (GMM) approach and a spline-based classifier that categorizes audio segments based on their power spectra. We focus on shows found in the DARPA GALE Mandarin training and test sets, where the ratio of wideband to narrowband shows is very large. In this setting, the spline-based classifier reduces the number of misclassified wideband segments by up to 95% relative to the GMM-based classi??er for the same number of misclassified narrowband segments.
Ongoing data from the breast cancer prevention trials: opportunity for breast cancer risk reduction

Selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) reduce the risk of recurrence of invasive breast cancer and the incidence of first breast cancers in women who are at increased risk. Multiple, randomized clinical trials have shown both the efficacy and safety of SERMs in reducing the risk of breast cancer. Long-term follow-up as long as 20 years in the randomized trials shows persistent efficacy with acceptable safety. Hormone replacement therapy given concurrently with tamoxifen abrogates its preventive effect, but women with atypical hyperplasia derive particular benefit from SERM therapy. Aromatase inhibitors also reduce the risk of developing invasive breast cancer, but the experience with them for risk reduction is limited to few trials. National organizations have made recommendations to use SERMs and aromatase inhibitors to reduce the risk of breast cancer in high-risk women and additional efforts should be made to increase their use in clinical practice, where the number of women needed to treat to prevent one case of breast cancer conforms to accepted standards of preventive medicine.
Rethinking the library OS from the top down

This paper revisits an old approach to operating system construc-tion, the library OS, in a new context. The idea of the library OS is that the personality of the OS on which an application depends runs in the address space of the application. A small, fixed set of abstractions connects the library OS to the host OS kernel, offering the promise of better system security and more rapid independent evolution of OS components.We describe a working prototype of a Windows 7 library OS that runs the latest releases of major applications such as Microsoft Excel, PowerPoint, and Internet Explorer. We demonstrate that desktop sharing across independent, securely isolated, library OS instances can be achieved through the pragmatic reuse of net-working protocols. Each instance has significantly lower overhead than a full VM bundled with an application: a typical application adds just 16MB of working set and 64MB of disk footprint. We contribute a new ABI below the library OS that enables application mobility. We also show that our library OS can address many of the current uses of hardware virtual machines at a fraction of the overheads. This paper describes the first working prototype of a full commercial OS redesigned as a library OS capable of running significant applications. Our experience shows that the long-promised benefits of the library OS approach better protection of system integrity and rapid system evolution are readily obtainable.
Molecular hierarchy of mammary differentiation yields refined markers of mammary stem cells

The partial purification of mouse mammary gland stem cells (MaSCs) using combinatorial cell surface markers (Lin−CD24+CD29hCD49fh) has improved our understanding of their role in normal development and breast tumorigenesis. Despite the significant improvement in MaSC enrichment, there is presently no methodology that adequately isolates pure MaSCs. Seeking new markers of MaSCs, we characterized the stem-like properties and expression signature of label-retaining cells from the mammary gland of mice expressing a controllable H2b-GFP transgene. In this system, the transgene expression can be repressed in a doxycycline-dependent fashion, allowing isolation of slowly dividing cells with retained nuclear GFP signal. Here, we show that H2b-GFPh cells reside within the predicted MaSC compartment and display greater mammary reconstitution unit frequency compared with H2b-GFPneg MaSCs. According to their transcriptome profile, H2b-GFPh MaSCs are enriched for pathways thought to play important roles in adult stem cells. We found Cd1d, a glycoprotein expressed on the surface of antigen-presenting cells, to be highly expressed by H2b-GFPh MaSCs, and isolation of Cd1d+ MaSCs further improved the mammary reconstitution unit enrichment frequency to nearly a single-cell level. Additionally, we functionally characterized a set of MaSC-enriched genes, discovering factors controlling MaSC survival. Collectively, our data provide tools for isolating a more precisely defined population of MaSCs and point to potentially critical factors for MaSC maintenance.
Fatigue in multiple sclerosis

Background: Fatigue is the most commonly reported symptom in multiple sclerosis (MS). Purpose: This brief narrative review addresses the clinical features, pathophysiology, and management of MS fatigue, as well as the varied approaches to its definition and measurement. Methods: A literature search was conducted through Medline of studies published since 1984, with a focus on findings reported since 2008. Results: Studies of MS fatigue have primarily relied on the definition of fatigue as a subjective sense of tiredness measured through self-report. Additional studies have measured fatigability in MS, as demonstrated by a decline in cognitive or motor performance over time. The pathogenesis of fatigue remains poorly understood but disease characteristics, including structural and physiologic cerebral alterations as well as immune, endocrine, and psychological factors, may all contribute to its expression. Fatigue therapy has included pharmacologic approaches which have had either methodological limitation...
The Call to Performance

Given that the logic of privatization and free trade now … obviously shapes archetypes of citizenship, and manages our perceptions of what constitutes the ‘good society’ … it stands to reason that new critical ethnographic research approaches must take global capitalism not as an end point of analysis, but as a starting point.
Interval t-norms as Interval Representations of t-norms

In this paper a new interval generalization for t-norms is proposed. The main property of our generalization is that each interval t-norm can be seen as an interval representation of a t-norm and, therefore, can be used to deal with correctness of interval fuzzy algorithms. Moreover, how to obtain in a canonical way the best interval representation (interval t-norm) for a t-norm will be shown. Also it will be proved that the main classes of t-norms, such as continuous, Archimedean, without zero divisors, and idempotent, are preserved by these constructions
Behavioral and psychological responses to chemical and biological warfare.

Understanding the behavioral and psychological responses in a chemical environment is critical to individual health and unit functioning. Reports of incidents of acute nerve agent and other organophosphate exposures and of repeated low-dose toxic exposures can provide information about psychiatric symptomatology, performance disruption, and recovery. This paper presents a review of the literature on the longer term consequences of acute and chronic exposure to nerve agents and other organophosphates. In addition, reports on psychological responses during chemical warfare training are reanalyzed to identify behavioral and psychological casualties attributed to the unique stressors of the CBW environment. Language: en
On the Structure Analysis of Amorphous Materials

The determination of atomic arrangements in amorphous materials can be generally accomplished by x-ray and, more frequently, in the past decade by electron and neutron diffraction. Employing x-ray techniques requires the usage of several radiation sources, elimination of Compton scattering either experimentally or during data analysis and accumulation of data for at least several days during which many experimental factors may vary. With conventional electron diffraction, such data can be obtained in a few minutes. This is because electrons are scattered more strongly than x-rays, and the ratio of the intensities can be a factor of 103–105, depending on the angle of scattering. However, the electron diffraction intensity profiles obtained from conventional photographic-photodensitometer techniques are quite inaccurate. This is due to the high background of incoherently scattered electrons and errors due to exposure and photodensitometer techniques. An accurate method in E.D. which virtually eliminates inelastically scattered electrons is that of scanning electron diffraction with energy filtering. The filter eliminates all inelastically scattered electrons from the scattered intensity and the recorded pattern is an intensity profile in reciprocal space.
Non-Intrusive Real Time Human Fatigue Modelling and Monitoring:

In this paper, we introduce a probabilistic model based on the Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) for dynamically modelling and detecting human fatigue. We first present a static fatigue model that captures the static relationships between fatigue, significant factors that cause fatigue, and various visual cues that are typically resulted from fatigue. The static fatigue model allows to spatially integrate fatigue evidences from different sources. It, however, fails to capture the dynamic aspect of fatigue. Fatigue is a cognitive state that is developed over time. To account for the temporal aspect of human fatigue, the static fatigue model is extended based on the DBNs. The dynamic fatigue model allows to integrate fatigue evidences not only spatially but also temporally, therefore leading to a more robust fatigue modelling and inference. The evaluation of the fatigue model with simulated data reveals the satisfactory performance of the proposed fatigue model. The dynamic fatigue model is then integrated w...
Growth Characteristics of Co-Cr Thin Films for Magnetic Recording

The growth characteristics of magnetron sputtered Co-22%Cr thin films on amorphous glass or carbon substrates have been investigated utilizing transmission electron microscopy,. X-ray diffraction, electrical resisivity and in-plane stress measurements. Results indicate that the initial deposit is “amorphous”, but that isolated islands of small crystallites form before the film reaches 5nm film thickness. By 10nm, well oriented grains with hcp c axis perpendicular to the film plane develop, and by 50nm, a twinned columnar microstructure is evident. As this occurs, the in-plane film stress becomes constant. Also, we have observed a distinct subgrain structure in the thinner films (10–50 nm), and this is reflected in the electrical resistivity. This cannot be accounted for by an “evolutionary selection” growth scenario, but must be related to the low surface mobility of adatoms at these low substrate deposition temperatures.
Analytical inductively coupled plasma spectroscopies — past, present, and future

Plasma analytical spectroscopy now has broad generic implications, because a variety of plasmas have been found useful for spectroscopic analytical applications. Among those of contemporary interest, only the inductively coupled versions have demonstrated their flexibility and analytical merit as atomization cells for atomic flourescence, as excitation cells for atomic emission and as ionization cells for mass spectroscopy. Collectively, these three modes of observation are exerting a major impact on the way elemental analyses are being performed. In spite of their technical and commercial success to date, all three approaches still present many opportunities for creative research. The major driving force behind continuing research efforts is the desire to attain even better accuracy and precision, to achieve even higher powers of detection, to improve the means (hardware and software) for performing analyses with more convenience, confidence and directness, and to better understand the complicated structure and mechanism of the plasma itself on a fundamental level. The experimental approaches being utilized to achieve these goals are reviewed and evaluated. The demands being placed on the analyst by the nature of sample and the analytical information desired is also inspiring the development of major front and back-end innovations. Those innovations that are finding acceptance are critically reviewed.
The predominance of post‐wildfire erosion in the long‐term denudation of the Valles Caldera, New Mexico

NSF [EAR-0724958, EAR-1331408]; Valles Caldera National Preserve; GSA Graduate Student Research Grant
Blood-brain barrier transport of L-pipecolic acid in various rat brain regions.

Blood-brain barrier transport ofL-[l-14C]pipecolic acid was studied in the rat by single intracarotid injection using3H2O as a diffusible internal standard. Brain uptake index (BUI) forL-[14C]pipecolic acid (0.036 mM) was found to be 18.1, 10.5, and 12.6 for the cerebral cortex, brain stem, and cerebellum, respectively which was substantially higher than that reported for its analogL-proline in the whole brain. Influx ofL-pipecolic acid into the brain was concentration dependent and differed significantly between the cerebral cortex and the brain stem, and between the cerebral cortex and the cerebellum, but not between the brain stem and the cerebellum. Kinetic study ofL-pipecolic acid influx revealed a low- and a high-capacity uptake mechanisms. The low-capacity saturable component hasK m values ranging from 38 to 73 μM, andV max values ranging from 10 to 13 nmol/g/min for the three brain regions. The nonsaturable component has aK m of 4 mM, aV max of 200 nmol/g/min and similar diffusion constant (K d) (0.03 to 0.06 mlg−1 min−1) for all three brain regions. A possible role of the two-component brain uptake mechanism in the regulation of the neuronal function ofL-pipecolic acid was suggested.
Mapping Temperate Vegetation Climate Adaptation Variability Using Normalized Land Surface Phenology

Climate influences geographic differences of vegetation phenology through both contemporary and historical variability. The latter effect is embodied in vegetation heterogeneity underlain by spatially varied genotype and species compositions tied to climatic adaptation. Such long-term climatic effects are difficult to map and therefore often neglected in evaluating spatially explicit phenological responses to climate change. In this study we demonstrate a way to indirectly infer the portion of land surface phenology variation that is potentially contributed by underlying genotypic differences across space. The method undertaken normalized remotely sensed vegetation start-of-season (or greenup onset) with a cloned plants-based phenological model. As the geography of phenological model prediction (first leaf) represents the instantaneous effect of contemporary climate, the normalized land surface phenology potentially reveals vegetation heterogeneity that is related to climatic adaptation. The study was done at the continental scale for the conterminous U.S., with a focus on the eastern humid temperate domain. Our findings suggest that, in an analogous scenario, if a uniform contemporary climate existed everywhere, spring vegetation greenup would occur earlier in the north than in the south. This is in accordance with known species-level clinal variations—for many temperate plant species, populations adapted to colder climates require less thermal forcing to initiate growth than those in warmer climates. This study, for the first time, shows that such geographic adaption relationships are supported at the ecosystem level. Mapping large-scale vegetation climate adaptation patterns contributes to our ability to better track geographically varied phenological responses to climate change.
Toward an Emotionally Intelligent Piano: Real-Time Emotion Detection and Performer Feedback via Kinesthetic Sensing in Piano Performance

A system is presented for detecting common gestures, musical intentions and emotions of pianists in real-time using kinesthetic data retrieved by wireless motion sensors. The algorithm can detect six performer intended emotions such as cheerful, mournful, and vigorous, completely and solely based on low-sample-rate motion sensor data. The algorithm can be trained in real-time or can work based on previous training sets. Based on the classification, the system offers feedback in by mapping the emotions to a color set and presenting them as a flowing emotional spectrum on the background of a piano roll. It also presents a small circular object floating in the emotion space of Hevner’s adjective circle. This allows a performer to get real-time feedback regarding the emotional content conveyed in the performance. The system was trained and tested using the standard paradigm on a group of pianists, detected and displayed structures and emotions, and it provided some insightful results and conclusions.
The normal volunteer in clinical investigation: How rigid should selection criteria be?

Twenty-nine healthy young male volunteers were screened by history, physical examination, urinalysis, 24 different blood tests, and electrocardiography for admission to a Phase I drug study. The protocol submitted to, and approved by, the FDA listed the normal ranges for the local laboratories and stipulated that the test results for any volunteers accepted should all be within these ranges. During screening 46 abnormal values were found in the laboratory tests. Only 4 subjects had all their test data within "normal" range, a result that could have been anticipated simply form the number of tests performed. These findings indicate the need for deciding on realistic protocol criteria for studies involving healthy volunteers.
Limiting numbers of G156A O6-methylguanine–DNA methyltransferase-transduced marrow progenitors repopulate nonmyeloablated mice after drug selection

The limited efficacy of hematopoietic gene therapy can be improved by in vivo selection for transduced long-term repopulating cells (LTRC). We selected for G156A MGMT (▵MGMT) transduced LTRC present in 5 × 104 to 100 × 104 marrow cells infused into nonmyeloablated mice by the administration of O6-benzylguanine (BG) and BCNU every 3 to 4 weeks. To facilitate engraftment, mice were given a nonablative dose of BG and BCNU before infusion. Without selection, ▵MGMT was not detected in any hematopoietic colony-forming units (CFU) 24 to 30 weeks after infusion. After BG and BCNU, ▵MGMT+ CFU were frequently detected, and their proportions increased with each treatment cycle. After 2 to 3 cycles of BG and BCNU, many mice were stably reconstituted with 75% to 100% ▵MGMT+ CFU for at least 6 months, representing up to 940-fold enrichment. Thus, BG and BCNU stem cell toxicity allows ▵MGMT-transduced LTRC to repopulate the bone marrow. This degree of selection pressure in nonmyeloablated mice is far greater than that observed in previous drug-resistance gene transfer studies. These data support our approved clinical trial to select for drug-resistant, transduced hematopoietic cells, potentially decreasing cumulative drug-induced myelosuppression in patients with cancer. These data also suggest that ▵MGMT may be a potent, dominant, selectable marker for use in dual gene therapy.
Drug Treatment of Hypertensive Geriatric Patients

The management of hypertension in the elderly and old has remained controversial for over 30 years. It has been one of those areas where geriatricians have frequently found themselves in conflict with the attitudes of the general internist. Moreover, the success of national programs aimed at detecting and lowering blood pressure has had a major effect on both the profession’s and the public’s attitude to this problem, particularly in the United States.
Forbidden dark matter at the weak scale via the top portal

At the tail of its velocity distribution, cold dark matter (DM) can annihilate at finite temperature to states heavier than itself. We explore the possibility that DM freeze-out is dictated by these ``forbidden annihilations'' at the electroweak scale. Demanding that annihilation products be Standard Model particles, we find that for the forbidden mechanism to primarily set the DM relic abundance, DM must couple predominantly, if not solely, to top quarks. This can be arranged by invoking a nontrivial flavor structure such as minimal flavor violation. We avail two avenues to achieve the correct thermal cross section, requiring a mediator exchanged in the $s$- or $t$-channel. These simplified models submit easily to direct detection and collider searches, and necessarily hide from indirect detection signals. Viable supersymmetric spectra involving the forbidden mechanism may be found if combined with coannihilation.
The influence of 1-(N-L-tryptophan)-1-deoxy-D-fructose [Fru-Trp] and its N-nitrosated analogue [NO-Fru-Trp] on the viability and intracellular synthetic activity (DNA, RNA, and protein synthesis) of HeLa S3-carcinoma cells.

Exposing HeLa S3 cells at 37°C to varied concentrations of, respectively, Fru-Trp (0.1 µM – 1 mM), NO-Fru-Trp (0.1 µM – 1 mM), and NaN02 (0.6 µM – 6 mM) for varied periods of time (1–36 hr) does neither affect their viability (trypan blue dye exclusion test) nor capability to synthesize RNA or protein but is of considerable influence on DNA synthesis in the case of NO-Fru-Trp and NaN02, but not in the case of Fru-Trp which continues to be ineffective. None of the three compounds tested is of significant influence on cell number. Both NO-Fru-Trp and NaN02 stimulate DNA synthesis: a maximum of activity ([3H]thymidine incorporation) exists at the 24 hr time point of incubation, with NO-Fru-Trp, for instance, generating a 2.5-fold increase (over control) at 1 mM concentration in the medium while NaN02, at comparable concentration, increases DNA synthesis by a factor of 1.6 over control. The increase in DNA synthesis is not due to stimulatory influences on (semi-conservative) DNA replication but represents DNA repair. This was verified by keeping the cells under conditions that prevent normal (semi-conservative) replication but permit repair (“unscheduled DNA synthesis”). Two major routes are suggested by which NO-Fru-Trp could impart DNA damage and, thus, assume mutagenic properties.
The invisible structures of anarchy: Gender, orders, and global politics:

This article argues anarchy is undertheorized in International Relations, and that the undertheorization of the concept of anarchy in International Relations is rooted in Waltz’s original discussio...
An African American Man in His Late 30s With Lung Cancer Presenting With Persistent Cough and Hemoptysis.

Case Presentation An African American man in his late 30s was referred to the pulmonary clinic for evaluation of a persistent cough of several weeks' duration. Cough was productive of mucopurulent sputum mixed with blood. He also noted generalized weakness and dyspnea with minimal exertion.
Low-Latency Interconnect Optical Network Switch (LIONS)

This chapter discusses experimental demonstrations of a category of optical switches named low-latency interconnect optical network switches (LIONSs). These switches are based on wavelength routing in arrayed waveguide grating routers (AWGRs). There can be both active and passive implementations for intra- and inter-rack communication in data center and HPC networks. In active LIONS architectures, the switching operation is completely performed in optical domain on the fly without any buffering at the switch. In passive LIONS architectures, the switching operation is performed both in electrical and optical domains. In both passive and active implementations, the unique features of wavelength routing and multiplexing in AWGR allow to build a very low-latency and high-bandwidth switch. First, we demonstrated an active LIONS with loopback buffer scheme (LB-LIONS) and compared the experimental results with networking simulation results. This comparison allowed to validate the correctness of the simulation framework and results. Second, by introducing an all-optical token scheme for optical contention resolution and an all-optical negative acknowledgment technique, we experimentally demonstrated alternative active switch architectures (TOKEN-LIONS and TONAK-LIONS) capable of handling contention resolution in the optical domain while removing the needs of using the loopback buffer as well as the centralized control plane. For what concerns passive LIONS architectures, we carried out experiments for hierarchical all-to-all interconnection between data center servers, racks, and clusters with flexible bandwidth allocation to reduce the congestion created by hot spots in the network.
Semantic hierarchies for extracting, modeling, and connecting compliance requirements in information security control standards

Companies and government organizations are increasingly compelled, if not required by law, to ensure that their information systems will comply with various federal and industry regulatory standards, such as the NIST Special Publication on Security Controls for Federal Information Systems (NIST SP-800-53), or the Common Criteria (ISO 15408-2). Such organizations operate business or mission critical systems where a lack of or lapse in security protections translates to serious confidentiality, integrity, and availability risks that, if exploited, could result in information disclosure, loss of money, or, at worst, loss of life. To mitigate these risks and ensure that their information systems meet regulatory standards, organizations must be able to (a) contextualize regulatory documents in a way that extracts the relevant technical implications for their systems, (b) formally represent their systems and demonstrate that they meet the extracted requirements following an accreditation process, and (c) ensure that all third-party systems, which may exist outside of the information system enclave as web or cloud services also implement appropriate security measures consistent with organizational expectations. This paper introduces a step-wise process, based on semantic hierarchies, that systematically extracts relevant security requirements from control standards to build a certification baseline for organizations to use in conjunction with formal methods and service agreements for accreditation. The approach is demonstrated following a case study of all audit-related controls in the SP-800-53, ISO 15408-2, and related documents. Accuracy, applicability, consistency, and efficacy of the approach were evaluated using controlled qualitative and quantitative methods in two separate studies.
Sarcoidosis manifesting as acute appendicitis : Report of a case

PURPOSE: This report presents a patient who developed signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis because of sarcoid involvement of the appendix. METHODS: This is a retrospective case review with review of the English language literature. RESULTS: The patient underwent appendectomy for suspected acute appendicitis. Histologically the appendix had no signs of acute inflammation but did have noncaseating granulomas. The patient's abdominal pain resolved following appendectomy, and she has had no further similar pain in the two years since the operation. CONCLUSION: Patients with sarcoidosis may develop signs and symptoms of acute appendicitis without inflammation. Operative exploration should not be delayed in equivocal cases of right lower quadrant abdominal pain in patients with sarcoidosis.
Iatrogenic pneumothorax during hypoglossal nerve stimulator implantation

Hypoglossal nerve stimulation is a promising new treatment for patients with obstructive sleep apnea. In the initial Stimulation Therapy for Apnea Reduction Trial, the overall rate of serious adverse events was <2% and no cases of pneumothorax were reported. We present the case of an iatrogenic pneumothorax during placement of the chest sensor lead between the intercostal muscles. Following clinical and radiological evaluation, surgery was continued and the patient was treated expectantly. In the following review, we discuss pathophysiology, diagnosis, and expected outcomes. Surgeons placing hypoglossal nerve stimulators should be aware of complications and prepared to manage a pneumothorax.
Beta-adrenergic blockers in systemic hypertension: pharmacokinetic considerations related to the current guidelines.

β-Adrenergic blockade has provided one of the major pharmacotherapeutic advances of the 20th century. β-Blockers are first-line drugs for the management of systemic hypertension, used alone and in combination with other antihypertensive agents. Drugs in the β-blocking class have the common property of blocking the binding of catecholamines to β-adrenergic receptor sites; however, there are significant pharmacodynamic and pharmacokinetic differences between the individual agents that are of clinical importance. Among these differences are the completeness of gastrointestinal absorption, the degree of hepatic first-pass metabolism, lipid solubility, protein binding, brain penetration, concentration within the cardiac tissue, rate of hepatic biotransformation, and renal clearance of drug and/or metabolites. Long-acting formulations of existing β-blockers are currently in use, and ultra-short-acting agents are also available. Age, race, cigarette smoking and concomitant drug therapy can also influence the pharmacokinetics of β-blocking drugs. The wide interpatient variability in plasma drug concentrations observed with β-blockers makes this parameter unreliable in routine patient management. Despite the pharmacokinetic differences among β-blockers, these drugs should always be titrated to achieve the desired individual patient response.