cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Circuit Design Considerations for Reducing Parasitic Effects on GaN-Based 1-MHz High-Power-Density High-Step-Up/Down Isolated Resonant Converters

With the availability of wide bandgap devices, the power converters can now potentially operate at megahertz (MHz) or higher frequencies while achieving ultrahigh efficiency. Such a high-frequency switching is particularly important for isolated converters to reduce the size of the passive components, achieve high power-density, and reduce costs. However, unlike the conventional kilohertz switching, in MHz switching, the parasitic components will significantly affect the circuit operation. These effects are compounded by high-ratio step-up or step-down isolated converters because the parasitic capacitances/inductances are squared times the turns’ ratio of the transformer when reflecting from high-voltage (HV) to low-voltage (LV) side to LV/HV side. In this paper, a high-step-up series resonant converter is used as a design example to explore the effects of parasitic inductances induced from the LV side and parasitic capacitances induced from the HV side on the circuit operation under MHz switching conditions. Afterward, the printed circuit board (PCB) layout and the planar transformer are optimized through the finite-element method to minimize the parasitic effects. Finally, a 1-MHz, 38-V/380-V, 300-W resonant converter prototypes are built and compared to verify the design optimization.
An unusual case of sudden sensorineural hearing loss after cycling class

In this case report, our patient developed sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) after loud noise exposure during a popular cardiovascular group exercise cycling class. To increase awareness among all healthcare professionals of the effects of these modern-day group fitness classes on hearing loss, we describe this case and review the current literature on SSNHL and its management. A 35-year old man developed SSNHL in the setting of loud noise exposure during a high intensity aerobic exercise class. After a short course of oral steroids with no improvement, intratympanic steroids were administered weekly for three weeks. The patient showed minimal improvement; thus, hyperbaric oxygen therapy was conducted. Serial audiograms continued to show severe to profound mixed hearing loss in the right ear. In conclusion, individuals who participate in loud, high-intensity aerobic group-exercise classes should be careful of the potential for noise-induced hearing loss. Aerobic exercise may make these individuals more susceptible to noise-induced hearing loss. Early intervention is critical for any chance of recovery.
Non-Host City Olympic Legacies: The Case of Athens, Georgia and the 1996 Olympic Games

Given the need to use additional locations to host Olympic events beyond the host city, very little research investigates these ‘non-host cities’ and their resultant event legacies. As such, the pu...
The contribution of financial well-being, social support, and trait emotional intelligence on psychological distress

Objectives While financial deprivation, social isolation, and low emotional intelligence (EI) have been separately identified as important predictors of mental illness, no research has assessed the contribution of these factors together in understanding early markers of severe psychological distress. This information can have key implications for the development of comprehensive interventions and psychological treatment programmes. This study investigated the shared and unique contribution of financial well-being, social support, and trait EI on different types of psychological distress. Design A total of 309 patients seeking psychological treatment at an outpatient mental health clinic in the United States provided consent to participate in this study. Patients responded to online questionnaires corresponding to symptomatology, demographic characteristics, and psychometric assessments. Methods Hierarchical linear regressions identified the common and unique role of each set of variables in predicting nine different symptom clusters of psychological distress. Results Financial well-being, social support, and trait EI were negatively related to the majority of symptom clusters, together explaining between 20% and 53% of the variance. Whereas financial well-being and social support uniquely captured a significant amount of the variance in all outcomes, trait EI, most notably the well-being and self-control dimensions, captured the most. Conclusions The results highlight the importance of all factors in understanding variations in mental health among help-seeking urban individuals. Furthermore, the results identify well-being and self-control as emotional facets to consider in therapeutic programmes in as much as to mitigate the risk of severe psychological distress within this population. Practitioner points Together, financial well-being, social support, and trait emotional intelligence (EI) can help prevent psychological distress in help-seeking urban individuals. Perceived social support and social contact differentially contributed to improved symptoms of psychological distress. Studies should examine the impact of targeting well-being and self-control in psychological treatment. The correlational nature of this study highlights the need to replicate findings via experimental or longitudinal designs.
The Biological Logic of Human Action: On the (Considerable) Difference Between “Rational” and “Adaptive”

Modern democratic and capitalist (i.e. classically liberal) societies are constructed and justified on a foundational assumption that human action conforms to a rationalist logic, approximating, if not identical to, that of instrumental rationality. This chapter argues that because human behavior has evolved to be adaptive, it adheres to a very different, biological, logic. After establishing the multi-layered reasons that human beings could not, and did not, evolve to be rational, it outlines the thoroughly social behavioral capacities and dispositions that could and did evolve, which together constitute the actual adaptive logic of human action. In a nutshell, the resultant model replaces the rationalist model of individualist, single-minded, amoral, materially maximizing, informed, and calculating human actors with an empirically and theoretically substantiable model of groupish, distractible, moral, Satisfycing, epistemologically conforming, and habitual actors. The chapter concludes with a consideration of several significant implications of the improved model for individuals, for social science, and for social policy/governance.
No Relationship Between Perceived Health Anomalies and Perceived Experimental Success in Retired Breeder Male Hartley Albino Guinea Pigs

Guinea pigs used in our laboratory for cardiac research sometimes exhibit physical abnormalities. These issues may abate or intensify during the time they are housed in our facility. After using a guinea pig for research, experimentalists note the apparent health of an animal based on visible features and/or abnormal electrophysiology of the heart. There was an existing anecdotal observation that the health of the Guinea Pigs, and subsequently the experimental success rate, had a seasonal variation. Therefore we sought to determine if there is a time of year in which our guinea pigs are more likely to be perceived as unhealthy, and whether any determined monthly pattern correlates with an experimentalist9s ability to complete an experimental protocol. An electronic log was created to record the perceived health of the animal and the ability to complete the experiment successfully. Irregular symptoms included, but were not limited to, severe weight or hair loss and irregularities with the heart found post thoracotomy or during baseline electrophysiological recordings of whole-heart preparations. Animals that did not exhibit significant weight or hair loss, or other ailments were considered healthy. Overall, our results indicate that there are no monthly variations in perceived Hartley Albino guinea pig health or correlations with experimental completion rates, suggesting mild hair or weight loss that is common when shipping animals may not significantly affect the ability to conduct ex vivo whole-heart electrophysiological studies.
Factor VIIa-catalyzed activation of factor X independent of tissue factor: its possible significance for control of hemophilic bleeding by infused factor VIIa

Infusing factor VIIa (FVIIa) has been reported to control bleeding in hemophilic patients with factor VIII (FVIII) inhibitors. This is difficult to attribute to an enhanced FVIIa/tissue factor (TF) activation of factor X, since in vitro studies suggest that infusion of FVIIa should neither increase substantially the rate of formation of FVIIa/TF complexes during hemostasis (Proc Natl Acad Sci USA 85:6687, 1988) nor bypass the dampening of TF-dependent coagulation by the extrinsic pathway inhibitor (EPI) (Blood 73:359, 1989). Partial thromboplastin times have also been reported to shorten after infusion of FVIIa. The experiments reported herein establish that shortening of partial thromboplastin times after adding FVIIa to hemophilic plasma in vitro stems from an FVIIa-catalyzed activation of factor X independent of possible trace contamination of reagents with TF. Experiments in purified systems confirmed that FVIIa can slowly activate factor X in a reaction mixture containing Ca2+ and phospholipid but no source of TF. The rate of activation was sufficient to account for the shortening of partial thromboplastin times observed. EPI, which turned off continuing FVIIa/TF activation of factor X, was unable to prevent continuing FVIIa/phospholipid activation of factor X. Because circulating plasma contains only a trace, if any, free FVIIa, such a reaction could never occur physiologically. However, infusing FVIIa creates a nonphysiologic circumstance in which a continuing slow FVIIa/phospholipid catalyzed activation of factor X could conceivably proceed in vivo unimpeded by EPI. Such a mechanism of factor X activation might compensate for an impaired factor IXa/FVIIIa/phospholipid activation of factor X during hemostatis, and therefore control bleeding in a hemophilic patient.
Association of hospital type and patient volume growth with timely cancer treatment.

2022Background: Studies have suggested superior outcomes for patients with cancer treated at National Cancer Institute (NCI) and academic hospitals, leading some to advocate for complex cancer care...
miR-15b-5p promotes expression of proinflammatory cytokines in human placenta by inhibiting Apelin signaling pathway.

Abstract Introduction The timing of parturition at end of human gestation may be controlled by fetal signals. The signaling molecules contributing to activation of human labor may be mediated by fetal exosomes. In this study, we focused on investigation of the role of microRNAs (miRNAs) derived from fetal exosomes in the regulation of human placental gene expression. Methods Using immunofluorescent labeling, array-based miRNA profiling assay, target prediction analysis, and conducting a variety of biochemical approaches including miRNA mimics, dual-luciferase, siRNA-mediated gene silencing, and immunohistochemical staining assay in primary trophoblast culture and formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded placental tissues, we examined whether fetal exosomal miRNAs can stimulate expression of proinflammatory mediators in human placenta. Results We showed placental uptake of exosomes derived from the umbilical artery, and found that 9 fetal exosomal miRNAs: let-7i-5p, miR-185-5p, miR-15b-5p, miR-376c-3p, miR-548d-5p, miR-92b-3p, miR-16-5p, and miR-1301-3p were significantly increased in placentas of women delivering following term labor compared to those delivering by Cesarean section in the late preterm period. Target prediction analysis identified miR-15b-5p of particular interest, because one of its predicted targets is Apelin, a potent inhibitor of proinflammatory mediators. We further found that miR-15b-5p repressed Apelin protein levels and activated pro-labor hormones and cytokines including IL-1, IL-6, IL-8, and TNF-α. Discussion These data suggest a potential fetal-to-placental signal that could play a role in the length of human gestation and onset of human labor.
P2Y2 receptor antagonism resolves sialadenitis and improves salivary flow in a Sjögren's syndrome mouse model.

Abstract Objective Sjogren’s syndrome (SS) is a chronic autoimmune exocrinopathy characterized by lymphocytic infiltration of the salivary and lacrimal glands and decreased saliva and tear production. Previous studies indicate that the G protein-coupled P2Y2 nucleotide receptor (P2Y2R) is upregulated in numerous models of salivary gland inflammation (i.e., sialadenitis), where it has been implicated as a key mediator of chronic inflammation. Here, we evaluate both systemic and localized P2Y2R antagonism as a means to resolve sialadenitis in the NOD.H-2h4,IFNγ−/−,CD28−/− (NOD.H-2h4 DKO) mouse model of SS. Design Female 4.5 month old NOD.H-2h4 DKO mice received daily intraperitoneal injections for 10 days of the selective P2Y2R antagonist, AR-C118925, or vehicle-only control. Single-dose localized intraglandular antagonist delivery into the Wharton’s duct was also evaluated. Carbachol-induced saliva was measured and then submandibular glands (SMGs) were isolated and either fixed and paraffin-embedded for H&E staining, homogenized for RNA isolation or dissociated for flow cytometry analysis. Results Intraperitoneal injection, but not localized intraglandular administration, of AR-C118925 significantly enhanced carbachol-induced salivation and reduced lymphocytic foci and immune cell markers in SMGs of 5 month old NOD.H-2h4 DKO mice, compared to vehicle-injected control mice. We found that B cells represent the primary immune cell population in inflamed SMGs of NOD.H-2h4 DKO mice that express elevated levels of P2Y2R compared to C57BL/6 control mice. We further demonstrate a role for P2Y2Rs in mediating B cell migration and the release of IgM. Conclusion Our findings suggest that the P2Y2R represents a novel therapeutic target for the treatment of Sjogren’s syndrome.
Design, fabrication, and testing of an optical truss interferometer for the LISA telescope

LISA is a space-based gravitational wave observatory aimed at detecting gravitational waves in the frequency range of 0.1 mHz to 0.1 Hz. The observatory is composed of three spacecraft, each separated by 2.5 million km in an equilateral triangle formation, trailing the Earth in a heliocentric orbit. One of the many crucial components to the mission is the LISA telescope, a bidirectional component used to expand an outgoing laser beam to the far spacecraft as well as compress a large incoming beam to a diameter of a few mm at the optical bench. Since the telescope is in the path of the long-baseline interferometer, its structure must be dimensionally stable at the pm/√Hz level at mHz frequencies. A way to measure the stability of the LISA telescope is with a compact optical truss interferometer (OTI), consisting of three Fabry-Perot cavities mounted along the telescope to monitor structural distortions over time. All three cavities are operated with a common laser source, and each cavity is equipped with an acousto-optic modulator to shift the nominal laser frequency as well as an electro-optical modulator to modulate the laser phase for Pound-Drever-Hall locking. Variations in each cavity’s length create variations in their corresponding laser frequency, which can be measured against a reference frequency that is locked to an external ultra-stable cavity. We will present the design and preliminary results in the fabrication and testing of firstgeneration OTI prototypes.
Depressive and Anxiety Symptoms and Disorders

A small but significant portion of breast cancer survivors will meet diagnostic criteria for anxiety and depressive disorders. Oncology providers’ awareness of patients’ symptoms is critical for ensuring appropriate follow-up. Routine symptom assessment with well-validated measures is recommended. Patients with symptoms in the moderate to severe range require referral for further psychological assessment and determination of the presence of anxiety and/or depressive disorders. If diagnoses are present, patients should be offered empirically supported treatments, ideally from providers with expertise in oncology. Cognitive behavioral therapy is generally efficacious for the treatment of both anxiety and depressive disorders. Pharmacotherapy may be an option for patients with high symptomatology and as a possible adjunct to behavioral treatments. Continued monitoring of patients’ adherence to mental health treatment is imperative for not only ensuring symptom reduction, but also for decreasing survivors’ risks of morbidity and mortality.
The impact of yoga on atrial fibrillation: A review of The Yoga My Heart Study

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia affecting thousands of individuals worldwide. It is a conduction disorder that causes the heart to beat irregularly and rapidly. There are a few medical approaches to manage this costly health care burden: antiarrhythmics to maintain normal sinus rhythm, beta blockers to achieve rate control while allowing atrial fibrillation to persist, and electro-physiologic intervention for rate and rhythm control. These treatments can be costly and are not without side effects. Yoga, an intervention that is available to people worldwide, has shown some promise in combating this widespread heart disorder.
Retrohoming of a Mobile Group II Intron in Human Cells Suggests How Eukaryotes Limit Group II Intron Proliferation.

Mobile bacterial group II introns are evolutionary ancestors of spliceosomal introns and retroelements in eukaryotes. They consist of an autocatalytic intron RNA (a “ribozyme”) and an intron-encoded reverse transcriptase, which function together to promote intron integration into new DNA sites by a mechanism termed “retrohoming”. Although mobile group II introns splice and retrohome efficiently in bacteria, all examined thus far function inefficiently in eukaryotes, where their ribozyme activity is limited by low Mg2+ concentrations, and intron-containing transcripts are subject to nonsense-mediated decay (NMD) and translational repression. Here, by using RNA polymerase II to express a humanized group II intron reverse transcriptase and T7 RNA polymerase to express intron transcripts resistant to NMD, we find that simply supplementing culture medium with Mg2+ induces the Lactococcus lactis Ll.LtrB intron to retrohome into plasmid and chromosomal sites, the latter at frequencies up to ~0.1%, in viable HEK-293 cells. Surprisingly, under these conditions, the Ll.LtrB intron reverse transcriptase is required for retrohoming but not for RNA splicing as in bacteria. By using a genetic assay for in vivo selections combined with deep sequencing, we identified intron RNA mutations that enhance retrohoming in human cells, but <4-fold and not without added Mg2+. Further, the selected mutations lie outside the ribozyme catalytic core, which appears not readily modified to function efficiently at low Mg2+ concentrations. Our results reveal differences between group II intron retrohoming in human cells and bacteria and suggest constraints on critical nucleotide residues of the ribozyme core that limit how much group II intron retrohoming in eukaryotes can be enhanced. These findings have implications for group II intron use for gene targeting in eukaryotes and suggest how differences in intracellular Mg2+ concentrations between bacteria and eukarya may have impacted the evolution of introns and gene expression mechanisms.
Mechanisms of Yersinia Entry into Mammalian Cells

To begin to examine the process whereby the enteric pathogenic yersiniae enter the host, in 1981 Devenish and Schiemann developed the now famous invasion assay, an in vitro model for the entry of Yersinia enterocolitica into mammalian cells. The introduced ail sequences are expressed, and Ail protein can be detected on the bacterial cell surface. One explanation for the absence of Ail-mediated entry in these nonpathogenic strains containing the ail gene is that other factors, in addition to Ail, that affect yersinia entry are required. Two different virulence factors of Salmonella typhimurium have been identified as being homologous to Ail. All three genes inv, ail, yadA described have been identified as being able to promote bacterial entry into mammalian cells in vitro. Y. pestis isolates do not enter mammalian cells in vitro, however. However, it is known that when the inv gene from Y. pseudotuberculosis is introduced into Y. pestis, the resulting strain is able to enter mammalian cells. Both Ail and YadA have been shown to mediate other phenotypes in Yersinia spp., including resistance to serum killing. This apparent redundancy in function may yet turn out to be an in vitro artifact or may instead have evolved to allow the bacterium to survive in the myriad of environments it encounters during the normal course of infection.
Fatal Strongyloides Hyperinfection Syndrome in an Immunocompromised Patient

Patient: Male, 76 Final Diagnosis: Strongyloides hyperinfection syndrome Symptoms: Abdominal pain • diarrhea Medication: Cyclophosphamide • Prednisone Clinical Procedure: — Specialty: Infectious Diseases Objective: Rare disease Background: Currently, it is normal to screen for Strongyloides as part of the workup in pre-transplant patients who have eosinophilia. Given the high mortality rates in Strongyloides hyperinfection, this article illustrates the need to screen all patients with eosinophilia who will be started on immunosuppression. Case Report: We present here an interesting case of a 76-year-old man with membranous glomerulopathy who developed a severe Strongyloides hyperinfection that required an ICU stay and ultimately led to his death a few weeks after initiation of cyclophosphamide and steroids. Conclusions: We recommend that a detailed workup to detect or rule out this parasitic infection be conducted prior to the initiation of immunosuppression in any patient with eosinophilia.
Nuclear Weapons and Cooperative Security in the 21st Century: The New Disorder

Introduction 1. Alternative Nuclear Regimes 2. Technology Innovation and Deterrence in the Future 3. Nuclear Abolition or Limitation? Choices and Risks 4. Nuclear First Use: Facing the Inevitable, or Playing with Fire? 5. U.S.-Russian Nuclear Force Reductions after Bush: Prospects and Implications 6. The Far Side: Theoretical (and Practical) Nuclear Worlds Ahead 7. Nuclear Proliferation in Asia: Containment or Chaos? 8. Russia's Undersea Nuclear Deterrent: Vanishing or Modernizing? Conclusion
Nonparametric Curve Estimator

The roles that nonparametric curve estimators can play are illustrated in studies of polluting chemicals that have built up in the environment and of crop forecasting techniques. The multivariate normal model and model-free curve estimator representations are compared. Equations and approaches are described that enable researchers to input prior information that divides variates into two categories, variates of primary importance and variates that are nuisances in the sense that their detained distributional structure is relevant solely insofar as its effects on variates of primary importance. It is shown that conditional density estimators can be computed given user-selected values of nuisance variates, not computed as a second step that follows a first step, which requires the estimation of a high-dimensional joint distribution. It is argued that this approach resembles parametric methodology that has long been fruitfully employed in the field of experimental design. Keywords: curse of dimensionality; data transformation; edge-effects; Fourier series; kernel; kitchen ventilation; indoor air pollution; nursing infant milk intake; orthogonal series; vineyard
The biosynthesis of biotin in growing yeast cells: The formation of biotin from an early intermediate

1. Yeast cells grown in the presence of an unknown radioactive biotin vitamer produced by Penicillium chrysogenum incorporated the vitamer into the newly synthesized biotin. 2. The biotin was isolated as the avidin-biotin complex and after hydrolysis the biological activity and radioactivity were shown to be coincidental. 3. The specific activity of the biotin was identical with that of the pimelic acid used in a previous investigation to label the unknown vitamer. 4. The role of the unknown biotin vitamer as an intermediate in biotin biosynthesis is discussed.
Neutron Beam Radiation Therapy: An Overview of Treatment and Oral Complications When Treating Salivary Gland Malignancies

Purpose There is limited information in the literature regarding the oral complications of neutron radiotherapy, with an associated lack of guidelines for their management. The purpose of this study was to review the indications, dosing, prognosis, and oral complications of neutron radiotherapy for salivary gland malignancies. Materials and Methods This is a retrospective case series of patients with salivary gland malignancies treated with neutron radiotherapy by the Radiation Oncology Department at the University of Washington from 1997 to 2006. Variables included patient demographics, tumor staging and characteristics, operative treatment, final diagnosis, operative and pathologic findings (ie, perineural invasion, lymph node involvement, and skull base invasion), dosing, complications, and locoregional control and survival rates. Data were extracted from patients' charts and by telephone for follow-up and quality-of-life information. Results The sample was composed of 140 patients (49% men, 51% women) with a mean age of 53 years (standard deviation, 15 yr). Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the submandibular gland was the most common tumor type and location. Post-treatment trismus occurred in 56%. Acute mucositis and xerostomia occurred in approximately 88 and 89% of patients, respectively. Osteoradionecrosis was reported in 5.7% of patients. The 6-year survival rate was 58% and the 6-year locoregional control was 72%. The current standard neutron dose for head and neck tumors is 1.15 neutron Gray (nGy) 4 times per week for 4 weeks (total, 18.4 nGy), which is an equivalent amount of radiation as the standard 60 to 70 Gy given for 6 to 7 weeks with conventional photon radiation. Conclusion The 6-year overall survival of 58% found in this study compares favorably to the survival rate reported in the literature for traditional photon radiation treatment of advanced salivary gland tumors. The dental profession should be educated regarding neutron radiotherapy and its indications, dosing methods, and oral complications.
Practical concerns when evolving circuits impervious to anticipated faults

Fault tolerance is a necessary ingredient of autonomous circuitry and evolvable hardware has proven to be an effective fault recovery method. In this paper we show for a certain type of fault, called an anticipated fault, in-situ reconfiguration is not necessary.
A novel gammaherpesvirus in a large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) with blepharitis

A novel gammaherpesvirus was identified in a large flying fox (Pteropus vampyrus) with conjunctivitis, blepharitis, and meibomianitis by nested polymerase chain reaction and sequencing. Polymerase chain reaction amplification and sequencing of 472 base pairs of the DNA-dependent DNA polymerase gene were used to identify a novel herpesvirus. Bayesian and maximum likelihood phylogenetic analyses indicated that the virus is a member of the genus Percavirus in the subfamily Gammaherpesvirinae. Additional research is needed regarding the association of this virus with conjunctivitis and other ocular pathology. This virus may be useful as a biomarker of stress and may be a useful model of virus recrudescence in Pteropus spp.
Catecholamine effects on dissociated tiger salamander Muller (glial) cells

Dissociated Muller (glial) cells from the neotenous tiger salamander retina respond electrogenically and rheogenically to three putative catecholamine (CA) neurotransmitters, epinephrine, norepinephrine and dopamine. All 3 CAs stimulate a net inward current and an increase in input resistance (Rn). The Muller cell response to the CAs is concentration dependent. At high concentrations ascorbate, an antioxidant used to protect the CAs from oxidation, stimulated a net outward current and a decrease in Rn. When the effects of ascorbate were considered, the CA response at 1 mM was no larger than the response at 100 microM, indicating that 100 microM CA maximally stimulated the Muller cell response.
Collective modes of interacting dielectric spheres

We present the theory of the collective modes of arrays of dielectric spheres, regarded here as each endowed with a frequency-dependent dielectric constant $\ensuremath{\varepsilon}(\ensuremath{\omega}).$ Our interest resides in arrays of small spheres, wherein the length scales are such that an electrostatic treatment suffices to describe the response of the individual spheres and also the interactions between them. The treatment thus applies to collections of nanoparticles. The formulation is in real space, so its general structure does not require the array to be periodic. We illustrate the nature of the collective modes with application to linear arrays of metallic spheres, similar to those grown recently on stepped surfaces. Particularly striking is a mode whose frequency softens greatly at long wavelength, in the limit the spheres just touch. Also, we discuss their response to applied electric fields whose wavelength is long compared to the length scales of the linear array.
Cytoplasmic tubular arrays in latent chronic glomerulonephritis

Sub-microscopic studies on renal tissue, obtained by percutaneous biopsy from a patient with Latent Chronic Glomerulonephritis, have revealed the presence of round bodies in the cytoplasm of endothelial cells of the glomeruli. The bodies generally occur as aggregates in an apparent association with the endoplasmic reticulum. Along with the round forms, other profiles are observed also. It is believed that they represent one of the many images of a system of undulating tubules.
A privacy-preserving social-aware incentive system for word-of-mouth advertisement dissemination on smart mobile devices

The recent penetration of smart mobile devices into the consumer market sets a stage for novel network applications. In particular, we envision a paradigm shift in the commercial advertising model facilitated by the widespread uses of these devices: advertisements circulate in a word-of-mouth fashion among device users and reach potential customers based on the users' knowledge about their contacts. In this paper, we identify two major challenges baffling the deployment of such an application: users' selfishness and their privacy concerns. We address the selfishness issue by proposing an incentive scheme which aligns users' interest with that of advertisers in a way that the users are willing to fully explore their social knowledge for effective advertisement deliveries — the emphasis is not only on users' participation but also on the extent and effectiveness of their contributions. We address the privacy concerns by designing a privacy-preserving evidence-collection mechanism, on which the incentive scheme is based. In addition, our design is 1) appealing to advertisers by guaranteeing effectiveness and controllability of the incentive dispensing and 2) robust against users' misbehaviors. We perceive incentive and enforcement as the keys to unlock the power of users' collective intelligence for effective information dissemination.
Design of a K/Q-band beacon receiver for the Alphasat TDP#5 experiment

This paper describes the design and performance of a coherent K/Q-band (20/40GHz) beacon receiver developed at NASA Glenn Research Center (GRC) that will be installed at the Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI) for use in the Alphasat Technology Demonstration Payload #5 (TDP#5) beacon experiment. The goal of this experiment is to characterize rain fade attenuation at 40GHz to improve the performance of existing statistical rain attenuation models in the Q-band. The ground terminal developed by NASA GRC utilizes an FFT-based frequency estimation receiver capable of characterizing total path attenuation effects due to gaseous absorption, clouds, rain, and scintillation. The receiver system has been characterized in the lab and demonstrates a system dynamic range performance of better than 58dB at 1Hz and better than 48dB at 10Hz rates.
The prevalence of abnormal genital findings, vulvovaginitis, enuresis and encopresis in children who present with allegations of sexual abuse.

Abstract Objective To assess the prevalence of vulvovaginitis, enuresis and encopresis in children who were referred for allegations of sexual abuse. Subjects A retrospective chart review of 1280 children presenting for non-acute examination after allegations of sexual abuse during a 15-year time span. Interview documentation, physical examination documentation, urinalysis, urine and vaginal cultures were reviewed. Results Of the 1280 children, 73.3% were female and 26.7% male. The ages of the children ranged from 6 months to 18 years (median age was 6 years). Interviews revealed that fondling contact was the most common allegation, followed by oral, vaginal, and anal penetration. Interviews also disclosed lower urinary tract symptoms, UTI, constipation, encopresis and enuresis. Physical examination revealed no abnormal genital findings in 44.7% of cases. Examinations of the vagina noted: erythema (18.1%); hymenal notching (posterior 16.8%, anterior 4.4%); vuvlovaginitis (14.0%); laceration or transection (0.6%); and bruising (0.4%). Examination of the anus noted: anal fissure/tear (14.9%); loss of anal tone (10.6%); reflex anal dilatation (9.2%); venous congestion (3.8%); and proctitis (0.9%). Vulvovaginitis was noted in 14% (131/936) and encopresis in 2.3% (21/936). Enuresis according to age was reported in 13% of 5–9 year olds, 14.7% of 10–16 year olds and 18.2% of 17–18 year olds suspected of being abused. Conclusion Prevalence of vulvovaginitis and enuresis were increased, and encopresis was decreased in children with allegations of sexual abuse when compared to the general pediatric population. Physicians should continue to be aware of the possibility of the presence of these conditions in children who have been sexually abused, and offer appropriate treatment.
Inference from inadequate and inaccurate data, I.

Abstract Having measured D numerical properties of a physical object E which requires many more than D parameters for its complete specification, an observer seeks to estimate P other numerical properties of E. This paper describes how he can proceed when E is adequately described by one member mE of a Hilbert space [unk] of possible models of E, when he believes that the Hilbert norm of mE is very likely rather smaller than some known number M, and (except for section 6) when all the observed and sought-after properties of E are continuous linear functionals on [unk]. Section 6 treats Frechet-differentiable non-linear functionals. A later paper will reduce unbounded functionals on arbitrary topological linear spaces to the present case.
Social support and relapse: Commonalities among alcoholics, opiate users, and cigarette smokers☆

Links between social support and relapse were examined in a study of alcoholics, cigarette smokers, and opiate users completing treatment for drug use (N = 221). Subjects were followed weekly until relapse for a maximum of 12 weeks after the end of treatment. Structural and functional social support and support for abstinence and drug use were investigated. With demographic variables and drug-treatment group controlled, greater structural support (as measured by an index of social integration and by partner status) predicted a lower risk of relapse. Greater experienced partner support for abstinence also predicted lower risk. Social network members' use of the subject's problem drug predicted heightened relapse risk, but the effect was not statistically significant. This study contributes to a cross-drug model of relapse. It highlights the importance of social integration and abstinence-specific functional support in predicting the risk of relapse, independent of the particular drug of abuse.
Real-time retinal vessel mapping and localization for intraocular surgery

Computer-aided intraocular surgery requires precise, real-time knowledge of the vasculature during retinal procedures such as laser photocoagulation or vessel cannulation. Because vitreoretinal surgeons manipulate retinal structures on the back of the eye through ports in the sclera, voluntary and involuntary tool motion rotates the eye in the socket and causes movement to the microscope view of the retina. The dynamic nature of the surgical workspace during intraocular surgery makes mapping, tracking, and localizing vasculature in real time a challenge. We present an approach that both maps and localizes retinal vessels by temporally fusing and registering individual-frame vessel detections. On video of porcine and human retina, we demonstrate real-time performance, rapid convergence, and robustness to variable illumination and tool occlusion.
Carbothermal reduction synthesis of nanocrystalline zirconium carbide and hafnium carbide powders using solution-derived precursors

Zirconium carbide (ZrC) and hafnium carbide (HfC) powders were produced by the carbothermal reduction reaction of carbon and the corresponding metal oxide (ZrO2 and HfO2, respectively). Solution-based processing was used to achieve a fine-scale (i.e., nanometer-level) mixing of the reactants. The reactions were substantially completed at relatively low temperatures (<1500°C) and the resulting products had small average crystallite sizes (∼50–130 nm). However, these products contained some dissolved oxygen in the metal carbide lattice and higher temperatures were required to complete the carbothermal reduction reactions. Dry-pressed compacts prepared using ZrC-based powders with ∼100 nm crystallite size could be pressurelessly sintered to ∼99% relative density at 1950°C.
Intrahepatic arterial infusion of chemotherapy: pharmacologic principles.

Abstract Hepatic arterial (HA) infusional chemotherapy possesses a number of constraints not found with systemic chemotherapy. The drug used should have activity in a dose-responsive way without significant hepatic toxicity. The drug must also possess suitable pharmacokinetic properties, namely, a high total body clearance and hepatic extraction, so as to generate high hepatic and low systemic exposures. Of the drugs examined for HA use, 5-fluoro-2'-deoxyuridine (FUDR, floxuridine) demonstrates the best properties. In HA infusional therapy, the catheter is positioned to deliver drug directly to the liver only and must be connected to a reliable pumping mechanism. Surgical implantation of catheters and pumps provides a safe and reliable means to infuse HA FUDR. HA FUDR delivery via an implanted system in the treatment of colorectal liver metastases represents the largest application of HA therapy and provides a basis for future advances when combined with other regional and systemic treatments. Semin Oncol 29:119-125. Copyright 2002, Elsevier Science (USA). All rights reserved.
Reactive properties of oral lesions to the specific red cell adherence test.

Abstract The ability of the specific red cell adherence test to differentiate cancerous oral epithelium from normal epithelium or oral epithelium affected by other lesions has not been well demonstrated. The purpose of this study was to attempt to demonstrate the specificity of the specific red cell adherence test in the immunologic differentiation of cancerous oral epithelium from noncancerous epithelium. The first segment of the program involved a blind study consisting of 124 samples of unknown, unstained mucosal tissue sections. A “sandwich”-type technique was applied to the sections, with the tissue on the bottom, the antiserum of the tissue blood type in the middle, and citrated red blood cells of the tissue type on the top. The reaction between the epithelial isoantigens, A, B, or H, the antisera, and the type of red blood cells, A, B, or O, provided the specific adherence. The second phase of the study consisted of the examination of tissue sections of various known oral lesions, such as lichen planus and keratoacanthoma. These sections were processed by the above technique and the specific red cell adherence was noted under the light microscope. While cancerous oral epithelium showed a negative adherence of red cells to tissue, normal oral epithelium and noncancerous epithelium showed a positive adherence. This is postulated to be due to the loss of tissue isoantigens A, B, or H on the cancerous tissue. The results of this study may demonstrate the specificity of this adherence value, with a 98.38 percent correct diagnosis in the original blind study.
Guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A signaling antagonizes the vascular endothelial growth factor-stimulated MAPKs and downstream effectors AP-1 and CREB in mouse mesangial cells

Along with its natriuretic, diuretic, and vasodilatory properties, atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP), and its guanylyl cyclase/natriuretic peptide receptor-A (GC-A/NPRA) exhibit an inhibitory effect on cell growth and proliferation. However, the signaling pathways mediating this inhibition are not well understood. The objective of this study was to determine the effect of ANP–NPRA system on mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and the downstream proliferative transcription factors involving activating protein-1 (AP-1) and cAMP-response element binding protein (CREB) in agonist-stimulated mouse mesangial cells (MMCs). We found that ANP inhibited vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-stimulated phosphorylation of MAPKs (Erk1, Erk2, JNK, and p38), to a greater extent in NPRA-transfected cells (50–60 %) relative to vector-transfected cells (25–30 %). The analyses of the phosphorylated transcription factors revealed that ANP inhibited VEGF-stimulated activation of CREB, and the AP-1 subunits (c-jun and c-fos). Gel shift assays demonstrated that ANP inhibited VEGF-stimulated AP-1 and CREB DNA-binding ability by 67 and 62 %, respectively. The addition of the protein kinase G (PKG) inhibitor, KT-5823, restored the VEGF-stimulated activation of MAPKs, AP-1, and CREB, demonstrating the integral role of cGMP/PKG signaling in NPRA-mediated effects. Our results delineate the underlying mechanisms through which ANP-NPRA system exerts an inhibitory effect on MAPKs and down-stream effector molecules, AP-1, and CREB, critical for cell growth and proliferation.
Phenomenological and theoretical bounds on a low-mass gauge boson

Abstract The phenomenological and theoretical bounds on the properties of a low-mass gauge boson are discussed.
The long green line.

i p E n am honored to rise before the membership of the North acific Surgical Association for the 2004 Presidential Adress. The privilege of being the Association President for he past year has been one of the greatest highlights of my urgical career. The presidential bar has been set high by my redecessors, and I have tried to carry on the strong tradition f leadership shown by these illustrious individuals. Over he years, the Association has been blessed and enriched by heir wisdom and innovations. Our society continues to be a trong surgical voice in both the Pacific Northwest and estern Canada. Today, from the perspective of my long urgical career in the Army Medical Department, I want to hare a few personal thoughts on these turbulent times and n challenges facing our profession in a revolutionary surical era. On May 12, 1962, the legendary American military comander, General Douglas MacArthur, appeared in his 82nd ear before the assembled Cadets at the United States Miltary Academy for an address, which came to be known as is Farewell to the Corps [1]. This address is widely conidered to be one of the great orations in the English lanuage. To this day, knowledge of its content is required earning for every West Point cadet. I have proudly served my entire professional life in the rmy Medical Department. As we are all especially aware oday, the Army has a special role in American society, rich n history and tradition. Like all organizations, the Army is mperfect, but it has an ongoing and critical role in the rotection of our society, our people, and our way of life. he continued vitality of the military as a positive force in ociety depends on its ability to always be true to the highest
Towards a Theory of the Anomalous Thermoelectric Effect in Magnetically Dilute Alloys

The low-temperature properties of alloys of the noble metals with low concentrations of transition metals show many anomalies, conspicuous among them relatively enormous thermoelectric powers and non-monotonic behavior of the resistivity with temperature. We investigate to what extent these anomalies might be explained by supposing the existence of spiraling magnetic polarizations of the electron gas, i.e., static spin-density waves. We discuss qualitatively how thermoelectric anomalies can arise, first in terms of an earlier theory which requires weak ferromagnetism in the noble metals and then in terms of the spin-density-wave hypothesis, an assumption of weak antiferromagnetism. We solve the Boltzmann equation, including inelastic scattering, for the two theories and display the thermoelectric powers and resistivities as functions of the temperature. We consider several different models of spin-density-wave system, one appropriate to electron-electron interactions proportional to delta functions in the separation, another an approximation to Coulombic interelectron forces, and finally a linear spin-density wave as the simplest case of a multiple spin-density-wave configuration. We find that the spin-density-wave hypothesis can explain the magnitudes of the thermoelectric anomalies. Further, we find nonmonotonic resistivity behavior. A comparison with experiments shows that our model is too simple to provide a detailed explanation of the anomalous thermoelectricity and that the nonmonotonic resistivity we find cannot be associated with that observed experimentally.
Computed radiographic examinations of subtle bone pathology: implications for liquid crystal displays in radiology

Examinations of the skeletal system have historically used 'detail' x-ray film screen combinations having film-lightbox image quality that is challenging to replicate in a soft- copy environment. A review of the basic diagnostic imaging tasks for this sub-specialty is presented, including resolution and gray scale requirements for visualization of subtle fractures, bone mineral loss, implant loosening, and soft tissue disease. Measurements are made to specify image quality metrics in terms of Michelson contrast, spatial resolution, and dynamic range. Image contrast requirements are presented using Just Noticeable Differences values based on the NEMA and DICOM grayscale softcopy standard of Annex B, Part 14. Image dat is used to calculate modulation transfer function for a type of liquid crystal active matrix display being considered for clinical use.
Conductive composites from polyvinyl alcohol and polypyrrole

Abstract The electrochemical polymerization of pyrrole on a platinum electrode covered with a film of polyvinyl alcohol produces black, flexible films which are a composite of polypyrrole and polyvinyl alcohol. These composites incorporate some of the attractive electrical properties of the polypyrrole and some of the attractive mechanical properties of the polyvinyl alcohol.