cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Relationship Between Densification and High Temperature Mechanical Properties of HIPed Silicon Nitride

The higher pressures available in the HIP process permit the fabrication of yttria-based silicon nitride that cannot be prepared by conventional ceramic processing. Since both the densification and high temperature properties of silicon nitride are controlled by a similar mechanism the slow rate of densification in HIPed silicon nitride corresponds to lower creep rates and subcritical crack growth rates than in other additive-based silicon nitrides.
Eicosanoids regulation of transcription factors in PC-3 prostate cancer cells.

Following stimulation, cascades of intracellular signal transduction events lead to the activation of transcription factors, which bind to specific sequences of the promoters of target genes, and modulate their transcriptional activity. Regulation of transcription factors such as NF-KB, CREB, sp-1 as well as their multiple cofactors and transcriptional partners, is therefore of a major interest. NF-kappaB is an early response transcriptional regulatory factor that executes important roles in immunological response, inflammation, cell adhesion, and cell growth and death (Devary, Y et ai.,1993; Baeuerle, P. A., and Baltimore, D. 1996). Nuclear Factor-kappaB is activated under various conditions, including but not limited to cytokines, microbial antigens, oxidative stress and irradiation, and regulates genes encoding for a large set of cytokines, chemokines, growth factors, adhesion molecules, cell surface receptors, inflammatory mediators-producing enzymes (Baeuerle, P.A., and T. Henkel. 1994.
Dendroecological analysis of a longleaf pine Pinus palustris forest in Mississippi

A climate model with time varying parameters was fit to longleaf pine (Pinus palustris) tree rings collected from the proposed Harrison Research Natural Area of the De Soto National Forest in southern Mississippi. The purpose of the analysis was to determine if any unexpected disturbances had influenced the growth of the trees. Current September temperature, August rainfall and February Palmer Drought Severity Index (PDSI) were found jointly to be the best variables in the model to predict growth. August rain had a constant significant effect on growth and February PDSI was not significant except between the years 1968-1983. It was concluded that the Harrison area has been in equilibrium for the past 50 years since no apparent outside influences have caused the trees to become less sensitive to climate. Thus, the forest is a good candidate for a Research Natural Area.
Tracing SRAM separatrix for dynamic noise margin analysis under device mismatch

SRAM-based memory arrays designed in deeply scaled technologies become increasingly susceptible to soft errors. A full account of SRAM cell stability requires dynamic noise margin models that take into account the temporal behavior of noise injection mechanism. One critical component of dynamic noise margin analysis is the determination of stability boundary, or the separatrix. Different from the unrealistic assumption made in prior work, we show that the separatrix is subject to significant perturbation due to device mismatch and hence must be carefully accounted for in noise margin analysis. More importantly, by applying a rigorous nonlinear system theory, we present an efficient separatrix tracing technique that can accurately determine the separatrix via fast transistor-level transient simulation. The presented technique is shown to be up to thousands times faster than a brute-force approach.
Effect of low-velocity non-Darcy flow on well production performance in shale and tight oil reservoirs

Abstract There are many core flooding studies showing that the liquid-measured permeability is lower than the Klinkenberg-corrected gas permeability. The flow velocity in a low pressure gradient regime is lower than what is estimated from Darcy’s law. This phenomenon is considered as low-velocity non-Darcy flow in the literature. Besides, many researchers believe that there is a threshold pressure gradient (TPG) that needs to be overcome before the fluid flow can occur. The related results in the literature are critically reviewed in this paper. By analyzing the flow mechanism, considering boundary effect, and presenting counter examples, we conclude that the low-velocity non-Darcy flow regime consists of a nonlinear flow part and a linear flow part. The nonlinear flow part starts from the zero pressure gradient instead of TPG. Based on this observation, a non-Darcy model is introduced and the corresponding correlation parameters are derived by fitting the available experimental data. This model is used to estimate the well performance of a vertical well and a multi-fractured horizontal well. For a vertical well, the production rate of non-Darcy flow is much smaller than that of Darcy flow, and the ultimate oil recovery of non-Darcy flow is approximately 48% of the Darcy flow. The production rate of a multi-fractured horizontal well if non-Darcy flow is considered is smaller in the beginning but greater than the corresponding Darcy flow rate after about some time (in our example model, 2700 days). The ultimate recovery factor of non-Darcy flow is 80% of Darcy flow, which indicates that multi-fractured wells are less affected by the low-velocity non-Darcy phenomenon compared with the vertical wells. Multi-fractured horizontal wells exhibit a significant advantage in developing shale and tight reservoirs, and low velocity non-Darcy flow plays a significant impact on the well production performance in tight and shale reservoirs.
Study on surface topography of workpiece in prestress dry grinding

Workpiece surface topography has a significant influence on workpiece performance, especially on the roughness which has been a topic of extensive research. The workpiece surface topography can be considered as the result of individual grain action. This interaction is very complex depending on various factors involving the wheel topography, the grinding parameters, and the grinding temperature. The wheel surface is frequently non-Gaussian. In order to better research workpiece surface topography, a numerical procedure for generating the grinding wheel topography has been proposed, and the simulation of the grinding process is described in detail. The simulation considered the effect of temperature field on surface profile and the kinematic relationship between the grains and grinding wheel. The experiment of the grinding process is carried on 45 steel. The SEM micrograph shows that the roughness and waviness reduction with increase of prestress is consistent with the simulation results. The effect of prestress on phase transformation is analyzed; the metallographical micrographs show appropriate prestress can increase the thickness of the strengthened layer and refine grains. Therefore, prestress dry grinding is an effective method to improve workpiece surface properties.
Study of cold and hot nuclear matter effects on jets with direct photon triggered correlations from PHENIX

Abstract Direct photons, being colorless objects, provide an unmodified control particle that can be used in conjunction with jets to probe the quark-gluon plasma. To leading order the direct photon momentum balances the momentum of opposing jets and can therefore provide a clean handle on the jet energy. Therefore, angular correlations with direct photons provide a mechanism to study the fragmentation of the opposing jet without performing jet reconstruction. Jet fragmentation modification has been measured previously in PHENIX in central Au+Au collisions. Recent RHIC runs offer the potential to study these observables in heavy ion collisions with greater statistics and over different collision systems including asymmetric collision geometries. In this talk we present results of isolated direct photon-triggered correlations in d+Au collisions and discuss the constraints of cold nuclear matter effects on the fragmentation functions. We also present the latest results with higher statistics on direct photon-triggered correlations in Au+Au collisions including differential measurements of fragmentation function modification. Finally, we present the status of the centrality and collision species dependence of these observables, including comparisons to related dihadron correlations. Together these results can give a view of jet modification going from small to large system size.
A new species of Carpolestes (Mammalia, Plesiadapoidea) from the late Paleocene of southern Wyoming: assessing changes in size and shape during the evolution of a key anatomical feature

AbstractA new and phylogenetically basal species of Carpolestes, the youngest and most derived genus of the plesiadapoid family Carpolestidae in North America, is described from a late Tiffanian (Ti-5) site in Sweetwater County, Wyoming, USA. Carpolestids differ from closely related plesiadapoid clades in having an enlarged, multicuspidate, blade-like P4 that is partly convergent on that of multituberculates and other mammals showing plagiaulacoid dental adaptations. With some notable exceptions, the evolutionary history of North American carpolestids is characterized by the progressive development of larger and more elaborate P4 blades through time. In particular, species of the monophyletic genus Carpolestes differ from species assigned to the earlier and apparently paraphyletic genus Carpodaptes in terms of both the size and shape of their P4. A geometric morphometric analysis reveals that, with respect to P4 shape, the closest approximation to the highly derived morphology of Carpolestes is made by Ca...
Optimization of Airborne Real-time Cueing Hyperspectral Enhanced Reconnaissance (ARCHER) imagery, in situ data with chemometrics to evaluate nutrients in the Shenandoah River, Virginia

Phosphorus and nitrogen have a strong influence on water resource and remote sensing technology has demonstrated that water quality monitoring over a greater range of temporal and spatial scales ca...
Inferring Hidden Statuses and Actions in Video by Causal Reasoning

In the physical world, cause and effect are inseparable: ambient conditions trigger humans to perform actions, thereby driving status changes of objects. In video, these actions and statuses may be hidden due to ambiguity, occlusion, or because they are otherwise unobservable, but humans nevertheless perceive them. In this paper, we extend the Causal And-Or Graph (C-AOG) to a sequential model representing actions and their effects on objects over time, and we build a probability model for it. For inference, we apply a Viterbi algorithm, grounded on probabilistic detections from video, to fill in hidden and misdetected actions and statuses. We analyze our method on a new video dataset that showcases causes and effects. Our results demonstrate the effectiveness of reasoning with causality over time.
Engineering Resilience for Complex Systems

In recent years there has been an increased need for resilience in complex military and civilian systems due to evolving adversarial and environmental threats. Engineered Resilient Systems (ERS) is a Department of Defense (DoD) program focusing on the effective and efficient design and development of complex engineered systems. These complex systems need to be resilient to threats throughout their life cycle. However, most current engineering resilience literature focuses on systems with a single function and a single measure. Today’s systems are becoming more complex, with multiple functions and measures involving critical trade-offs during early life cycle stages. This paper develops criteria for a framework to incorporate resilience into DoD analysis of alternatives (AoA). Using the criteria, this paper creates a framework for defining and evaluating complex engineered systems that consider many missions, scenarios, uncertainties, functions, and measures. Lastly, using the criteria and the framework, the current literature is shown to have gaps for incorporating resilience into DoD AoAs.
Health Information Privacy: On the Top of the Political Agenda (Part 1 of 2):

Managed health care has changed the way health services are provided and paid for. It is still evolving. Many pharmacists have already felt the impact of these changes. This continuing feature illuminates the many facets of managed care with special emphasis placed on how these changes may affect pharmacists working in health systems. The expertise provided by pharmacists will be needed to fulfill the potential of affordable, comprehensive, and quality health care as promised by managed care. Pharmacists must understand what is happening, why it is happening, and what is likely to happen in the future. To be an active and effective player, you must understand what is happening on the field.
Carotid Intima-Media Thickness and Plaque Morphology in Carotid Stent Patients over Time:

IntroductionCarotid intima-media thickness (CIMT) is a well-known correlate of atherosclerotic disease. CIMT has not been studied in patients who have undergone carotid artery stenting. We sought to determine the effects of carotid artery stenting on common carotid artery (CCA) CIMT as well as carotid plaque morphology over time.MethodsThis was a retrospective chart review of 20 patients at the investigating institution. Demographic and clinical data were recorded. Gray scale B-mode images were used to perform measurements of CCA CIMT at three different locations in the stented as well as nonstented CCA by two independent observers. Mean values were calculated, and the CIMT of the stented side was compared with its control at each time point. Studies were performed preoperatively, at 1 month, 3 months, 6 months, 12 months, and 24 months postoperatively. Characterization of plaque morphology was also made at each time point.ResultsThere were 7 female and 13 male participants. CIMT initially decreased on th...
Overeducation, perceived career progress, and work satisfaction in young adulthood

Abstract Some people work in occupations that require lower levels of education than their attained education, and these “overeducated” workers tend to be less satisfied than those who work in occupations that match their attained education. This study sought to extend the previous finding by answering the following previously unexplored questions: (1) Does the association depend on the level of attained education?; and (2) Does perceived career delay account for overeducated workers’ lower work satisfaction? Data from U.S. young adults (the National Longitudinal Study of Adolescent to Adult Study) showed that the association between overeducation and work satisfaction was limited to severely overeducated workers with bachelor’s or graduate degrees and moderately overeducated workers with high school degrees. These people also assessed their career progress more negatively, which accounted for their lower work satisfaction. Analysis of marginal effects demonstrated that among people with bachelor’s degree, the effect of severe overeducation was strong enough to cancel out the benefit of holding the degree to improve work satisfaction.
A NEW METHOD FOR THE MEASUREMENT OF SHEAR VISCOELASTICITY AT LIQUID-LIQUID INTERFACES CONTAINING SURFACTANT AND MACROMOLECULAR FILMS

A new method for measurement of shear viscoelasticity at liquid-liquid interfaces is presented. The method consists in imparting sinusoidal or on-off motion to the floor of the viscous traction viscometer and observing the centerline displacement either at the liquid-gas or the liquid-liquid interface in a liquid-liquid-gas experiment. It is shown that shear viscoelasticity at a liquid-liquid interface can be determined from displacement data at liquid-gas interface alone, so that this method is particularly useful for opaque systems such as crude oil-aqueous solutions. A parametric study revealed that the displacement pattern for on-off floor motion may either be increasing with or without a characteristic snap back, or oscillatory. Contrary to normal belief it is concluded that the absence of a snap back does not ensure that the interface is purely viscous. The displacement pattern depends on both the depth of the liquid in the viscometer and the viscoelastic parameters. The method proposed here was used to obtain viscoelastic parameters of monolayers of crystalline bovine plasma albumin (BPA) spread at a benzene-water interface. The experimental data reveal that, compared to the interfacial pressure, the interfacial shear viscosity and relaxation time are much more sensitive to changes in molecular packing. Specifically, it is shown that the interfacial shear viscosity and relaxation time increase steeply at interfacial concentrations of BPA corresponding to the close-packed structure.
Theories of Economic Segmentation

The study of economic segmentation has drawn theoretical insights from a great variety of schools of research. This chapter reviews the most important of these traditions as they relate to the topic of economic segmentation, focusing on the dual economy approach—an approach that has emerged as a leading conceptualization of economic segmentation. Based on a synthesis of various themes, the dual economy model posits to the existence of two segregated economies in the United States. This model has been widely used both as a heuristic device and as a theoretical construct, and has helped to focus attention on structural inequalities arising from a differentiated industrial structure. The basic assertion of the dual economy theory is that capitalist development in the 20th century has resulted in the existence of two private economies with differentiated working conditions and labor markets. Dual economic structure interacts with existing demographic and human capital characteristics of the labor force to accentuate inequality.
Assays for determining cell differentiation in biomaterials

Abstract: Biomaterials and scaffolds play an essential role in guiding tissue growth in vivo and matrix production in vitro. Many approaches have been developed to determine the differentiation of cells. The aim of this chapter is to give a general overview of the techniques which can be used to determine the differentiation of cells. This chapter should act as a guide offering advice as to the selection and optimization of protocols to meet particular needs for cell biomaterials characterization. We will begin with a brief review of the most commonly used methods and possible future developments.
Increased AP-1 DNA-binding activity and nuclear REF-1 accumulation in lead-exposed primary cultures of astrocytes.

Pb was shown to perturb neuronal and glial function either directly by interacting with protein thiol groups or indirectly by mimicking Ca2+ and increasing oxidative stress. In view of the potential action of Pb on cellular redox homeostasis we studied the regulation of activator protein-1 (AP-1) DNA binding. A 1h incubation of astrocyte primary cultures with 10 μM Pb caused a 2.5 fold increase in AP-1 DNA binding. An assessment of how Pb elicited this increase revealed the involvement of 1. transcriptional and 2. posttranslational processes. The first one was documented by an increase of c-jun mRNA content after 15 to 30 min of 10 μM Pb exposure. The second one was suggested by an enhanced nuclear accumulation of redox factor-1 after 30 to 60 min of 10 μM Pb exposure. The Pb-elicited increase of the reduction/oxidation-sensitive AP-1 signal transduction may regulate target genes operative in cell survival or cell death.
Psychological Aspects of the Loss of Chance Doctrine

The loss of chance doctrine in medical malpractice cases holds that when a doctor is responsible for reducing a patient’s chance of survival by some percentage, the patient (or the patient’s estate) should be compensated by the doctor for that percentage loss. Compensation is often determined by multiplying the value of a patient’s life by the lost chance. This paper investigates psychological factors that may affect a legal decision maker’s evaluation of damage awards in loss of chance cases. A paper and pencil experiment and a large-scale mock jury study (the latter using videotaped trials) are conducted to investigate the following questions: (1) Are identical lost chance percentages evaluated differently as a function of where they fall on the probability scale? (2) Are “lost chances to live” evaluated differently from “increased risks to die?” (3) Is lost chance reasoning more likely to be invoked for cases that have a large number of plaintiffs (i.e., class actions)? and (4) Does group deliberation affect the magnitude or frequency of lost chance damage awards?
Investigation of a microchannel heat and mass exchanger for absorption systems

Abstract An investigation of a microchannel heat and mass exchanger for vapor absorption systems is presented. A sheet with 88 microchannels of depth 0.5 mm and width 0.76 mm is investigated via visual and thermal measurements. The flow in the microchannels is predominantly in the slug-flow regime, with distinct vapor and liquid regions. High rates of heat transfer were observed in the absorber. However, poor liquid mass transfer rates limit the performance of the microchannel absorber. The performance of the microchannel absorber is compared with that of an absorber with serpentine microscale passages containing micro-pin fins. A physics-based model for the absorption of ammonia into a dilute solution of ammonia-water in a microchannel absorber with mixing sections is developed using insights from flow visualization. The model is validated by comparing its predictions with the data. The potential of surfactants to enhance absorber performance is also investigated.
Product Market Competition and Corporate Investment: An Empirical Analysis

In this paper, we empirically test the impact of industry concentration on corporate investment. Using both traditional proxies and recently developed text-based measures of industry concentration, we show that firms operating in competitive industries invest significantly more in both physical capital and research and development relative to their peers in concentrated industries. We also find that the propensity to invest less by managers of monopolistic firms is partially mitigated by superior corporate governance that reduces the agency problems related to managerial slack. Our results are consistent with the notion that firms in competitive industries have a greater incentive to invest and innovate relative to the managers of monopolistic firms, where the managers' incentives are to maintain their monopoly rents. Our findings have clear policy implications in that investment and innovation, and hence economic growth, may be adversely affected in the current era of increasing industry concentration and declining competition.
Adverse Drug Events Detection in Clinical Notes by Jointly Modeling Entities and Relations Using Neural Networks.

Adverse drug events (ADEs) occur in approximately 2–5% of hospitalized patients, often resulting in poor outcomes or even death. Extraction of ADEs from clinical narratives can accelerate and automate pharmacovigilance. Using state-of-the-art deep-learning neural networks to jointly model concept and relation extraction, we achieved the highest integrated task score in the 2018 Medication and Adverse Drug Event (MADE) 1.0 challenge. We used a combined bidirectional long short-term memory (BiLSTM) and conditional random fields (CRF) neural network to detect medical entities relevant to ADEs and a combined BiLSTM and attention network to determine relations, including the adverse drug reaction relation between medication and sign or symptom entities. Using these models, we conducted three experiments: (1) separate and sequential modeling of entities and relations; (2) joint modeling where relations between medications and sign or symptoms determined ADE and indication entities; (3) use of information from external resources such as the US FDA’s adverse event database as additional input to the second method. Joint modeling improved the overall task accuracy from 0.62 to 0.65 F measure, and the additional use of external resources improved the accuracy to 0.66 F measure. Given the gold-standard medical entity labels, the joint model plus external resources method achieved F measures of 0.83 for ADE-relevant medical entity detection and 0.87 for relation detection. It is important to use joint modeling techniques and external resources for effectively detecting ADEs from clinical narratives in electronic health record (EHR) systems. While the extraction of entities and relations individually achieved high accuracy, the integrated task still has room for further improvement.
Erratum for Krishnavajhala et al., "Vector Competence of Geographical Populations of Ornithodoros turicata for the Tick-Borne Relapsing Fever Spirochete Borrelia turicatae"

Volume 84, no. 21, e01505-18, 2018, [https://doi.org/10.1128/AEM.01505-18][1]. Page 9, Acknowledgments: “AI127377” should read “AI137412.” [1]: /lookup/doi/10.1128/AEM.01505-18
Can a Social Norms Appeal Reduce Indoor Tanning? Preliminary Findings From a Tailored Messaging Intervention.

Perceived social norms are routinely observed as positive predictors of indoor tanning. Past research has suggested that messaging interventions target normative perceptions to reduce indoor tannin...
Many-beam dynamical scattering simulations for scanning and transmission electron microscopy modalities for 2D and 3D quasicrystals

ABSTRACTWe present a general theory of electron scattering from both 2D and 3D quasicrystals, applicable to both transmission (forescatter) and scanning (backscatter) geometries. Specifically, simu...
Safe and Easy Route for the Synthesis of 1,3‐Dimethyl‐1,2,3‐triazolium Salt (V) and Investigation of Its Anticancer Activities.

Title compounds (V) exhibits significant anticancer activities against melanoma, colon cancer, non-small cell lung cancer, and central nervous system cancer.
Caught inside the black box: Criminalization, opaque technology, and the New York subway MetroCard

This article investigates how an account of hidden, internal properties of an everyday technology became a framework to interpret human action as a serious crime. Using a case study situated in the...
A novel method for measuring asymmetry in kinematic and kinetic variables: The normalized symmetry index.

Abstract Gait and movement asymmetries are important variables for assessing locomotor mechanics in humans and other animals and as a predictor of injury risk and success of clinical interventions. The four indices used most often to assess symmetry are not well designed for different variable types, perform poorly when presented with cases of high asymmetry or when variables are of low magnitude, and are easily influenced by small variation in the signal. The purpose of the present study was to test the performance of these indices on previously unpublished data on ACL-R patients and to propose a new index to resolve some of these limitations. The performance of four currently used indices and a new index—the Normalized Symmetry Index (NSI), which is scaled to the range of variables being tested across multiple trials—were compared using force and angular data on participants who had undergone anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction and healthy controls. The NSI performed well compared to all other indices with all variables and had the additional benefit of returning values that range from 0% (full symmetry) to ±100% (full asymmetry). Therefore, the NSI can serve as a universal index for assessing asymmetry in humans, nonhuman animal models, and in a clinical context for assessing risk for injury and clinical outcomes.
Chapter 86 – Anion Gap

: The plasma anion gap is normally accounted for by proteins and other organic acids in the anionic form, phosphates, and sulfate. Hypoproteinemia causes a decrease in the anion gap. Normochloremic metabolic acidosis is usually associated with an increase in the anion gap. The plasma anion gap may not change in hyperchloremic metabolic acidosis. The urinary anion gap can be used to estimate the urine NH4+ concentration. The urinary anion gap, which is usually positive, may be negative in diarrheal disease. The urinary anion gap may not provide meaningful information when the urinary bicarbonate concentration in increased, or when ketone bodies appear in urine. Non-hypoproteinemic metabolic alkalosis is associated with an increase in the anion gap.
Mismatch repair deficiency testing in colorectal cancer and factors associated with nonadherence to guidelines.

e16069Background: Mismatch repair (MMR) deficiency is characteristic of Lynch syndrome, which typically affects patients < 50 years old with colorectal cancer (CRC) but can also occur in sporadic C...
Trump v. Mazars and Trump v. Vance on Presidential Subpoenas

The Trump presidency has raised many constitutional questions, including the limit of the power to subpoena a sitting President. One case focuses on the power of local prosecutors to compel the production of the President’s tax records. Another case deals with the power of Congress to compel the production of personal documents from the President. With little precedent and tremendous potential impact on partisan politics and the future of the separation of powers, the Court must determine the constitutional bounds of executive protection from subpoena.
Soft tissue angiofibroma with atypical features

Abstract Soft tissue angiofibroma (STAF) is a benign fibrovascular neoplasm with a broad differential diagnosis including both benign and malignant tumors. This report expands the histologic spectrum of STAF with a case showing transition of conventional tumor morphology to distinct area of increased cellularity and cytologic atypia with diffuse, strong desmin expression, but absent myogenin and MYO-D1 expression. Mitotic figures were rare and necrosis was absent. These features have not previously been reported in STAF. A fusion was identified between AHRR and NCOA2 genes, which is a known, recurring feature of STAF. Sixteen months following resection with negative margins, there was no evidence of recurrence. Further reports of STAF showing similar findings with longer clinical follow-up are needed to determine the clinical significance of these results.
Socioeconomic Factors Associated With an Intention to Work While Sick From COVID-19

OBJECTIVE: We sought to understand barriers to staying home from work when sick from COVID-19 (COVID-19 presenteeism) to understand COVID-19 health disparities and transmission and guide workplace and social policy. METHODS: We used logistic regression models to assess which socioeconomic factors were associated with intended COVID-19 presenteeism among an online study population working outside their home in March 2020 (Nâ=â220). RESULTS: Overall, 34.5% of participants reported intended COVID-19 presenteeism. Younger individuals and individuals making over $90,000 per year were less likely to report COVID-19 presenteeism. Individuals who were worried about having enough food had 3-fold higher odds of intended COVID-19 presenteeism. CONCLUSION: Current policies around food access, paid sick leave, and other workplace protections need to be expanded and made more accessible to reduce health disparities as well as the transmission of COVID-19 and other infections.
Generation of an induced pluripotent stem cell line (TRNDi012-B) from Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva (FOP) patient carrying a heterozygous mutation c. 617G > A in the ACVR1 gene.

Abstract Fibrodysplasia ossificans progressiva (FOP) is a rare autosomal dominant disorder of progressive ossification of skeletal muscle, fascia, tendons, and ligaments. Most FOP cases are caused by a heterozygous c. 617G > A mutation in the ACVR1 gene which encodes a gain-of-function of bone morphogenetic protein type I receptor. A human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) line was generated from the dermal skin fibroblasts of a FOP patient who carries the c. 617G > A mutation in the ACVR1 gene. This iPSC line provides an attractive resource for FOP disease modeling.
Transverse myelitis caused by varicella-zoster

Transverse myelitis is a rare neurological complication seen with varicella-zoster virus (VZV) infection, which is common among immunocompromised hosts. It can occur during the primary VZV infection or reactivation of latent infection. It is a complication that requires prompt diagnosis and treatment. The present case is that of a 28-year-old immunocompetent man, who presented with fever, rash and acute-onset spastic paraparesis with bladder involvement. Causes such as herpes simplex 1 and 2, cytomegalovirus, enterovirus and Epstein-Barr virus infection were ruled out. On evaluation, he was diagnosed with acute primary disseminated VZV infection with parainfectious transverse myelitis, based on positive cerebrospinal fluid multiplex PCR (PCR) and serum VZV IgM antibodies. He was treated with intravenous acyclovir and steroids, with which he improved significantly.
Addressing Test Anxiety in a High-Stakes Environment: Strategies for Classrooms and Schools

Preface About the Authors 1. Testing in a High-Stakes Environment 2. What Test Anxiety Is...And Isn't 3. The Effects of Test Anxiety on Students and Teachers 4. The Causes of Test Anxiety 5. Measuring Test Anxiety 6. Tips and Strategies for Reducing Test Anxiety 7. Conclusions and Next Steps Resource A: Glossary Resource B: General Resources Resource C: Resources for Measuring Test Anxiety References Subject Index Author Index
Cross Sections of Various Materials in the Godiva and Jezebel Critical Assemblies

Neutron activation (n, γ) cross sections of various isotopes have been determined in the Los Alamos Godiva and Jezebel assemblies by a comparison activation method. Where these values represent tot...
Bioterrorism planning continues at frantic pace

Arguing that an ounce of international prevention will be worth more than a pound of cure, health ministers from 8 nations and the European Union have agreed to develop a concrete plan to strengthen their capacity to combat biological, chemical and nuclear terrorism. Although no time line has been
The Powers of Congress and the President in International Relations: Revisited

In 1937, in its twenty-fifth volume, the Cahlifornia Law Review published an article entitled The Power of Congress and the President in International Relations: Three Supreme Court Decisions.' The study was prompted by three judgments of the United States Supreme Court involving the conclusion and termination of international agreements by the Executive without advice and consent of the Senate.2 The author
Effective feedback: guidelines for improving performance

Studies suggest that when the goal is to help students develop their abilities, feedback should not be presented along with an overall grade. The effectiveness of feedback will depend on features of its quality. We describe guidelines for giving effective feedback including giving overall grades, levels and functions of feedback, and practices in effective feedback. The guidelines are based on a review of research of feedback on writing as well as general theories of feedback. We learned that in order for students to benefit from feedback, they have to (1) notice it, (2) accept it, and (3) understand what to do with it. After reviewing the research, we end with recommendations that support these notions.
Riesz extremal measures on the sphere for axis-supported external fields

Abstract We investigate the minimal Riesz s-energy problem for positive measures on the d-dimensional unit sphere S d in the presence of an external field induced by a point charge, and more generally by a line charge. The model interaction is that of Riesz potentials | x − y | − s with d − 2 ⩽ s d . For a given axis-supported external field, the support and the density of the corresponding extremal measure on S d is determined. The special case s = d − 2 yields interesting phenomena, which we investigate in detail. A weak ∗ asymptotic analysis is provided as s → ( d − 2 ) + .
The Human IL-22 Receptor Is Regulated through the Action of the Novel E3 Ligase Subunit FBXW12, Which Functions as an Epithelial Growth Suppressor

Interleukin- (IL-) 22 signaling is protective in animal models of pneumonia and bacteremia by Klebsiella pneumoniae and mediates tissue recovery from influenza and Staph aureus infection. We recently described processing of mouse lung epithelial IL-22 receptor (IL-22R) by ubiquitination on the intracellular C-terminal. To identify cellular factors that regulate human IL-22R, we screened receptor abundance while overexpressing constituents of the ubiquitin system and identify that IL-22R can be shuttled for degradation by multiple previously uncharacterized F-box protein E3 ligase subunits. We observe that in human cells IL-22R is destabilized by FBXW12. FBXW12 causes depletion of endogenous and plasmid-derived IL-22R in lung epithelia, binds the E3 ligase constituent Skp-1, and facilitates ubiquitination of IL-22R in vitro. FBXW12 knockdown with shRNA increases IL-22R abundance and STAT3 phosphorylation in response to IL-22 cytokine treatment. FBXW12 shRNA increases human epithelial cell growth and cell cycle progression with enhanced constitutive activity of map kinases JNK and ERK. These findings indicate that the heretofore-undescribed protein FBXW12 functions as an E3 ligase constituent to ubiquitinate and degrade IL-22R and that therapeutic FBXW12 inhibition may enhance IL-22 signaling and bolster mucosal host defense and infection containment.
Premature cell senescence and T cell receptor-independent activation of CD8+ T cells in juvenile idiopathic arthritis.

Objective CD8+ T cells lacking CD28 were originally reported to be a characteristic feature of juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA), but the relevance of these unusual cells to this disease remains to be elucidated. Because of recent evidence that loss of CD28 cells is typical of terminally differentiated lymphocytes, the aim of this study was to examine functional subsets of CD8+ T cells in patients with JIA. Methods Blood and/or waste synovial fluid samples were collected from children with a definite diagnosis of JIA (n = 98). Deidentified peripheral blood (n = 33) and cord blood (n = 13) samples from healthy donors were also collected. CD8+ and CD4+ T cells were screened for novel receptors, and where indicated, bioassays were performed to determine the functional relevance of the identified receptor. Results JIA patients had a naive T cell compartment with shortened telomeres, and their entire T cell pool had reduced proliferative capacity. They had an overabundance of CD31+CD28nullCD8+ T cells, which was a significant feature of oligoarticular JIA (n = 62) as compared to polyarticular JIA (n = 36). CD31+ CD28nullCD8+ T cells had limited mitotic capacity and expressed high levels of the senescence antigens histone γH2AX and/or p16. Ligation of CD31, which was independent of the T cell receptor (TCR), sufficiently induced tyrosine phosphorylation, vesicle exocytosis, and production of interferon-γ and interleukin-10. Conclusion These data provide the first evidence of cell senescence, as represented by CD31+CD28null CD8+ T cells, in the pathophysiology of JIA. Activation of these unusual cells in a TCR-independent manner suggests that they are maladaptive and could be potential targets for immunotherapy.
Developmentally regulated localization and phosphorylation of SmIrV1, a Schistosoma mansoni antigen with similarity to calnexin

Potential molecular targets of a protective humoral immune response against schistosomiasis have previously been identified based on their enhanced immunogenicity in mice vaccinated with irradiated cercaria as compared to chronically infected mice. One of these antigens, IrV1, has been molecularly cloned and its sequence shown to be similar to the molecular chaperone calnexin. In this investigation, we partially characterized IrV1 from different developmental stages of the schistosome. Immunoprecipitation studies with antibodies raised against a portion of recombinant IrV1 demonstrated its presence in cercaria, schistosomula, and adult worms with an apparent molecular mass on SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis of 90 kDa. There was an approximate 6-fold increase in protein expression level during the cercaria to schistosomula transformation. Consistent with a potential role as a molecular chaperone, IrV1 was associated with several metabolically labeled proteins in co-immunoprecipitation studies with the adult worm tegumental fraction. Similar to calnexin, IrV1 was metabolically labeled with 32P in adult worms on serine and threonine residues and was one of the major phosphoproteins of this stage. This phosphorylation was developmentally regulated and coincided with the transformation of cercaria into schistosomula. The localization was also stage-specific as IrV1 was transported from internal regions of cercaria to the outer tegumental layer of schistosomula. The presence of IrV1 on the surface of schistosomula, an unprecedented localization for this family of endoplasmic reticulum proteins, supports additional studies of the immunoprophylactic potential of this molecule.
Division of the Dowry on the Death of the Daughter: An Instance in the Negotiation of Laws and Jewish Customs in Early Modern Tuscany

Tuscan notarial acts permit the exploration of the often elusive relationship of Jewish practice, Jewish law and the corresponding laws of the state. One issue in early modern Italian Jewish marriage negotiations was the eventual disposition of the dowry of a childless wife who predeceased her husband. Jewish law on the succession of the childless woman was complicated by traditional or regional customs and communal ordinances. Moreover, in sixteenth-century Tuscany there was no official code, court or arbiter of Jewish law. Nonetheless, Christian notaries who wrote pre-nuptial stipulations or pacts for Jews worked with the assumption that Jews were allowed to live according to their own law. This essay argues that individual Jews used to advantage the state's assumption that they could follow Jewish law (despite the absence of any universally-acknowledged or applicable law on this specific subject) by employing notaries to write contracts in disregard of both local statutes and well-known Jewish customs. In the second part of this essay I locate the stipulations in the Jewish marriage system and suggest that the process of negotiation over the fate of the dowry was integrally related to the system's emphasis – in contrast to that of contemporary Christians – on universal marriage and procreation.
Long Time Oxidation Study of Ti3SiC2 , Ti3SiC2 / SiC , and Ti3SiC2 / TiC Composites in Air

We report herein on the oxidation kinetics and morphology of the oxide phases that form after long term (up to 1500 h) oxidation in ambient air of fine and coarse-grained samples of Ti 3 SiC 2 , Ti 3 SiC 2 , with 30 vol % TiC and Ti 3 SiC with 30 vol %SiC in the 875-1200°C temperature range. In all cases, the oxidation resulted in a duplex scale, an outer rutile and an inner rutile/ silica layer. At 875°C, and up to at least 100 h, the oxidation kinetics of the Ti 3 SiC 2 /30 vol % TiC samples are parabolic: at 925°C, the oxidation kinetics of the Ti 3 SiC 2 /30 vol % SiC are subparabolic, up to at least 500 h. The oxidation kinetics of all other runs are initially parabolic, but at times >30 h they become linear. The reason for the transition is not entirely clear, but could he due to the buildup of stresses in the external oxide scales. Comparison with previously published results indicate that the rate limiting step, when the oxidation kinetics are parabolic, is most probably the inward diffusion of oxygen and the simultaneous outward diffusion of titanium. The results also strongly suggest that the activation energies for diffusion of oxygen and titanium in rutile are almost identical over at least the 1000-1200°C temperature range.
Tight Closure’s Failure to Localize - a Self-Contained Exposition

Brenner and Monsky have given a negative solution to the localization problem for tight closure. Here I give a treatment of our counterexample that uses only linear algebra, material from an introductory abstract algebra course, and a little local cohomology developed ab initio. But most of this machinery, useful as it is for understanding the counterexample, may be dispensed with; in this paper the author gives a treatment of the example, using only linear algebra, material from an introductory abstract algebra course, and a little local cohomology developed ab initio.
Effects of oral contraceptives on vitamin metabolism.

Literature on the effects of oral contraceptives (OCs) on vitamin metabolism is reviewed. OCs have been reported to markedly increase serum levels of Vitamin-A. OCs may induce a thiamine deficiency and lower levels of Vitamin-B2. Concentrations of ascorbic acid in platelets white cells plasma and urine are decreased by OCs. Decreased plasma and red blood cell concentrations of folic acid have been reported in OC users though it does not appear that absorption of folate polyglutamate is affected. OC users may develop megaloblastic anemia because of folic acid deficiency. OCs have been reported to markedly reduce serum levels of Vitamin-B12. Some OC users who excrete abnormal amounts of tryptophan metabolites have some degree of true Vitamin-B6 deficiency. Evidence of altered tryptophan metabolism and/or absolute Vitamin-B6 deficiency has been found in emotionally depressed women taking OCs. OCs especially estrogens produce tryptophan metabolism abnormalities in the great majority of users. An effect of OCs on alpha-tocopherol plasma concentrations has yet to be demonstrated in humans.
Learning to Parse Natural Language with Maximum Entropy Models

This paper presents a machine learning system for parsing natural language that learns from manually parsed example sentences, and parses unseen data at state-of-the-art accuracies. Its machine learning technology, based on the maximum entropy framework, is highly reusable and not specific to the parsing problem, while the linguistic hints that it uses to learn can be specified concisely. It therefore requires a minimal amount of human effort and linguistic knowledge for its construction. In practice, the running time of the parser on a test sentence is linear with respect to the sentence length. We also demonstrate that the parser can train from other domains without modification to the modeling framework or the linguistic hints it uses to learn. Furthermore, this paper shows that research into rescoring the top 20 parses returned by the parser might yield accuracies dramatically higher than the state-of-the-art.
Numerical Simulations and Experimental Study of Hot Core Distortion Phenomenon in Aluminum Casting

This paper presents the results of experimental and numerical studies of hot distortion phenomenon in the phenolic urethane cold box systems. Dual Pushrod Dilatometer has been used to measure a thermal expansion/contraction of phenolic urethane cold box sand core specimens at temperature range from 25° C to 800° C. The high temperature tensile tests showed that the tensile strength of the phenolic urethane cold box silica sand cores is significantly affected by the bench life, temperature and binders level. High temperature hot distortion furnace tests on cylindrical cores showed that some aluminum coatings increase the temperature limit when distortion starts, but can’t prevent it. The hot distortion test aluminum castings showed that regardless of the application of coating, the type of coating, and anti-veining additives, all cores (silica sand) with density less than the density of the molten metal (aluminum alloy) were significantly distorted. Numerical simulations of the liquid metal flow around the cylindrical sand core and analysis of dynamic forces acting on the core during fill process showed that a buoyancy force is the major contributor to the hot distortion. It is concluded that the one of the solutions in preventing the hot distortion of sand cores is increasing their weigh, which will balance the buoyancy force and will bring the resultant force to the minimum. The hot distortion test castings using zircon sand cores (both coated and non-coated) with density almost equal to the density of the molten aluminum proved our predictions, and hot distortion has been prevented.Copyright © 2004 by ASME