cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Modification of Value Rubrics for Engineering

This Innovative Practice Work In Progress Paper will discuss the alignment and modification of three VALUE Rubrics: Critical Thinking, Writing and Problem Solving. Performance Criteria from Benchmark to Capstone are described and used to assess student work in engineering laboratory. Preliminary results from implementation of the rubric on a junior-level antenna design project will be presented. Based on faculty feedback, the rubrics are currently further simplified, modified and will be applied again this semester. Description of pilot project to implement modified Value rubrics in Canvas LMS Student Learning Outcomes (SLO) will be briefly discussed.
Fast Distributed Deep Learning over RDMA

Deep learning emerges as an important new resource-intensive workload and has been successfully applied in computer vision, speech, natural language processing, and so on. Distributed deep learning is becoming a necessity to cope with growing data and model sizes. Its computation is typically characterized by a simple tensor data abstraction to model multi-dimensional matrices, a dataflow graph to model computation, and iterative executions with relatively frequent synchronizations, thereby making it substantially different from Map/Reduce style distributed big data computation. RPC, commonly used as the communication primitive, has been adopted by popular deep learning frameworks such as TensorFlow, which uses gRPC. We show that RPC is suboptimal for distributed deep learning computation, especially on an RDMA-capable network. The tensor abstraction and dataflow graph, coupled with an RDMA network, offers the opportunity to reduce the unnecessary overhead (e.g., memory copy) without sacrificing programmability and generality. In particular, from a data access point of view, a remote machine is abstracted just as a "device" on an RDMA channel, with a simple memory interface for allocating, reading, and writing memory regions. Our graph analyzer looks at both the data flow graph and the tensors to optimize memory allocation and remote data access using this interface. The result is up to 169% improvement against an RPC implementation optimized for RDMA, leading to faster convergence in the training process.
Behaviorial Performance Improves After Fetal Substantia Nigra Transplant in Bonnet Monkeys with MPTP Induced Parkinsonism

Nearly 10 years have elapsed since the first reports in rats that transplantation of fetal dopamine neurons have an influence on motor behavior in animals with a unilateral lesion of the nigrostriatal tract (Bjorklund and Stenevi, 1979; Perlow et al., 1979). These experiments were important in establishing several basic principles for brain transplantation. First it is a good experimental model. The unilaterally lesioned rat which circles in response to amphetamine or apomorphine as described by Anden et al. (1966) and Ungerstedt (1969) has been useful for studying transplant effects. Second was the discovery that only fetal tissue of a narrow developmental range was useful for transplant. Only the dopamine cells from ventral mesencephalon of fetal rat embryonic day 13 to 15 could successfully reinnervate dopamine denervated striatum. In this animal model, the transplants produced changes in circling behavior within three to six weeks of transplant (Bjorklund and Stenevi, 1979; Perlow et al., 1979; Dunnett et al, 1984). With amphetamine treatment, animals which formerly circled ipsilateral to the side of the dopamine denervation lesion may show a reversal in their circling direction to circle contralateral to the initial lesion. Successful transplants have dopamine cells which survive along the transplant track. In addition, dopamine concentration increases from near total depletion to about 10% of the normal intrinsic dopamine concentration (Schmidt et al., 1984).
Statistical System Monitoring (SSM) for Enterprise-Level Quality Control

The rapid development and adoption of sensors and data storage solutions such as IOT (Internet of Things) has enabled the collection of a large amount of data in production facilities. The data may come from different sources such as process parameters and quality characteristics. However, traditional statistical process control (SPC) tools were not built to take the full advantages of the data provided. Traditional SPC tools such as control charts are often applied to critical quality characteristics (QCs) on a product rather than incorporating process parameters associated with the critical QCs. This chapter proposes a method that is capable of monitoring all process and quality data simultaneously. The proposed method adopts precontrol and group control chart ideas to pinpoint change location and timeframe in a production system. After the change location and timeframe have been identified, more elaborate models or data analytics methods can be used to identify potential assignable causes. Simulation studies are conducted to establish the properties of the proposed method. Guidelines are provided to help users how to implement the proposed method in any production facility including those facing big data issues.
African Exodus: Migration and the Future of Europe

Asfa-Wossen Asserate has done scholars and informed readers of the African migration to Europe a service. His book does not add to theories about this phenomenon, but it does provide a much-needed ...
Regulation of Platelet Survival by Protein Phosphatase 1 Gamma

Abstract 2026 Platelets are key players in hemostasis and their senescence is intrinsically associated with the activation of apoptotic pathways that shows similarities to the apoptosis of nucleated cells. Anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-xl restrains the pro-apoptotic Bak activity and maintains platelet survival in circulation. In nucleated cells, serine phosphorylation of a pro-apoptotic protein Bad can also promote cell survival. Serine phosphorylation of Bad is regulated by the action of serine/threonine (Ser/Thr) protein kinases and Ser/Thr protein phosphatases. Although alterations in the activities of either enzyme can change the rate of apoptosis, whether Ser/Thr phosphatases participate in regulating platelet apoptosis is unknown. In this study, we report that the mice lacking the catalytic subunit of protein phosphatase 1 gamma (PP1cγ) exhibit a moderate but significant increase in the number of circulating platelets [596 × 10 3 /μL ± 17.9 in WT compared with 694 × 10 3 /μL ± 19.8 in PP1cγ –/– mice; P = .0003]. Examination of the bone marrow from the PP1cγ –/– mice revealed a non-significant increase in the number of morphologically matured megakaryocytes. A trend towards decreased plasma thrombopoietin levels were also noticed in PP1cγ –/– mice. These observations suggest that an increased megakaryopoiesis/thrombopoiesis may not fully account for the increased platelet numbers in PP1cγ –/– mice. In vivo platelet survival studies revealed that the loss of PP1cγ modestly increased platelet half life in circulation (t1/2 ∼69 hours in WT compared to ∼78 hours in PP1cγ –/– mice). PP1cγ –/– platelets had decreased mean platelet volume, suggesting the PP1cγ –/– mice may harbor a greater proportion of older circulating platelets. These studies are consistent with the delayed clearance of platelets from PP1cγ –/– mice. Pro-apoptotic Bad possess PP1c binding motif and mechanistically, PP1cγ interacts with Bad protein in platelets. Phosphorylation of Bad Ser112, which promotes cell survival, was enhanced ∼50% in PP1cγ –/– platelets. Consistent with the increased BAD phosphorylation, co-immunoprecipitation studies revealed increased BAD-14-3-3 protein complexes from the PP1cγ –/– platelets. It is reported that in the phosphorylated state, BAD can interact with 14-3-3 and is sequestered in the cytoplasm, thereby preventing the binding of Bad with the mitochondrial anti-apoptotic Bcl-xl. Interaction of Bad with Bcl-xl has the potential to displace the pro-apoptotic Bak from the Bcl-xl-Bak protein complex to trigger apoptosis. Finally, immunoblotting with anti-caspase 9 antibody revealed decreased caspase 9 cleavage product (∼37 kDa) in the PP1cγ –/– platelets, suggesting decreased activation of caspase 9 dependent apoptotic pathway. These data indicate that the increased platelet counts in PP1cγ –/– mice could be in part due to delayed platelet apoptosis. Loss of PP1cγ leads to the hyperphosphorylation of BAD, which via an interaction with 14-3-3, delays caspase mediated apoptosis to prolong the life span of platelets. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Excessive sleepiness and associated symptoms in the U.S. adult population: prevalence, correlates, and comorbidity

Abstract Objective This study examined the prevalence, sociodemographic features, patterns of comorbidity, and impact on functional impairment of excessive sleepiness (Ex.S) and associated symptoms in a nationally representative sample of adults using the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) dataset. Methods Participants ≥18 years (n = 5,962) were queried about their sleep using the Composite International Diagnostic Interview (CIDI). Specifically, respondents were questioned about feeling sleepy during the day and falling asleep in permissive situations, feelings of insufficient sleep despite adequate time in bed, and/or difficulty waking up. Those endorsing daytime sleepiness and at least one additional symptom were considered to have Ex.S plus associated symptoms. Associations between Ex.S plus associated symptoms and sociodemographics, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fourth edition (DSM-IV) mental disorders, chronic physical conditions, and functional impairment were examined. Results The prevalence of Ex.S plus associated symptoms in U.S. adults was 23.34% (standard error [SE] = 0.88) and significantly co-occurred with insomnia-related symptoms after adjusting for confounders (Odds ratio [OR] = 5.65; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 4.55-7.02). The presence of Ex.S and associated symptoms was more common in women, particularly younger women, those with lower family income, and the unemployed (all P Conclusion Ex. S with associated symptoms was common, frequently co-occurred with other mental and physical conditions, and was associated with substantial disability. Dissipation of some associations after controlling for insomnia-related symptoms indicated that physical-mental comorbidity and disability were greater among individuals with more pervasive sleep disturbances.
Extubate or Extu-wait: Early Extubation and Risk of Failed Extubation in Very Preterm Infants

Background: Most preterm infants require intubation during their hospitalization, and early extubation has become standard practice to reduce ventilator-induced lung injury and risk of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD). However, failed extubation can be associated with higher risk of BPD and adverse outcomes. It is unclear whether early extubation increases the risk of failed extubation and therefore BPD. Purpose: The purpose of this study was to determine whether early extubation in preterm infants requiring mechanical ventilation is associated with higher …
Nanoaperture fabrication in ultra-smooth single-grain gold films with helium ion beam lithography

We demonstrate a simple three-step gold thin-film sample preparation process to enhance the morphology and lithographic precision using helium ion based direct-writing. The procedure includes metal deposition, heat treatment and template stripping, which produce smooth monocrystalline gold grains with sizes up to 500 nm and an average surface roughness of 0.267 nm. By using a helium ion microscope, we can fabricate structures with feature sizes less than 20 nm in a 100 nm thick gold film with high-quality sidewalls. We demonstrate the efficacy of this technique by producing high-quality double nanohole (DNH) nanoapertures for single nanoparticle trapping in a single grain of 100 nm thick gold. This procedure can be applied to a wide range of antenna geometries and features that need to be fabricated producing optical and or electronic devices.
Associations Between Physical Therapy Visits and Pain and Physical Function After Knee Arthroplasty: A Cross-Lagged Panel Analysis of People Who Catastrophize About Pain Prior to Surgery

Objective Physical therapy visit number and timing following knee arthroplasty (KA) are variable in daily practice. The extent to which the number and timing of physical therapy visits are associated with current and future pain and function-and, alternatively, whether pain and function are associated with the number of future physical therapy visits following KA-are unknown. The purpose of this study was to determine temporal and reciprocal associations between the number of physical therapy visits and future pain and function in people with KA. Methods A cross-lagged panel design was applied to a secondary analysis of data from a randomized clinical trial of patients with pain catastrophizing. The 326 participants underwent KA and completed at least 7 of 9 health care diaries over the year following surgery. The Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis Index (WOMAC) pain and physical function subscales were completed preoperatively and multiple times during follow-up. Separate cross-lagged panel analyses were conducted for WOMAC pain and physical function. Results From surgery to 2 months postsurgery, reciprocal associations were generally not found between physical therapy visit number and future pain or function. From 2 to 6 months postsurgery, a greater number of physical therapy weekly visits were associated with higher (worse) 6-month pain and function. Higher (worse) WOMAC pain at 2 and 6 months led to more visits from 2 to 6 and 6 to 12 months, respectively. Conclusions Higher pain scores 2 months postsurgery were associated with higher physical therapy utilization in the 2 to 6 months following surgery. However, patients with increased physical therapy utilization from 2 to 6 months had significantly higher pain scores 6 months postsurgery. Those patients with persistent pain 6 months postsurgery were higher utilizers of physical therapy 6 to 12 months postsurgery. This reciprocal positive association between pain and physical therapy during this time period suggests minimal benefit of physical therapy despite an increased physical therapy utilization for patients with higher pain. Impact This is the first study to determine the association between the number and timing of physical therapy visits and current and future pain and function. Based on the results, physical therapy might not be a cost-effective strategy to treat patients with persistent pain following KA.
Stability analysis of an origami helical antenna using geometrically exact fully intrinsic nonlinear composite beam theory

Abstract A reconfigurable structure of antenna improves electromagnetic (EM) performance and its capability compared with other designs. The design satisfies both EM and mechanical needs simultaneously. This paper studies the stability analysis of a foldable helical antenna with the Kresling origami pattern, which is subjected to tip follower force. The structure of the antenna is simulated using the geometrically-exact, fully intrinsic nonlinear composite beam theory of Hodges. The cross-sectional properties of the antenna’s structure are obtained using the Variational Asymptotic Beam Sectional (VABS) analysis. While the results of the stability analysis are in agreement with commercial finite element tools, the numerical platform developed in this paper offers significant computational advantages. In a case study, the stability analysis based on the Hopf-bifurcation method is presented for a foldable helical antenna made from Kapton and fabric. The behavior of eigenvalues and mode shapes for this antenna are also studied. Furthermore, we investigated the effects of several geometrical parameters on the stability of the antenna, such as the number of polygon sides, height, and the element length ratio. The results indicate the antenna stability changes significantly by increasing the element length ratio and the number of polygon sides.
Data justice: social work and a more just future

As new forms of data proliferate, data are increasingly used as a tool to determine access to resources, levels of sanction, and vulnerability to surveillance. Although the use of data to implement...
The neural correlates for spatial language: Perspective-dependent and -independent relationships in American Sign Language and spoken English

Abstract In American Sign Language (ASL) spatial relationships are conveyed by the location of the hands in space, whereas English employs prepositional phrases. Using event-related fMRI, we examined comprehension of perspective-dependent (PD) (left, right) and perspective-independent (PI) (in, on) sentences in ASL and audiovisual English (sentence-picture matching task). In contrast to non-spatial control sentences, PD sentences engaged the superior parietal lobule (SPL) bilaterally for ASL and English, consistent with a previous study with written English. The ASL-English conjunction analysis revealed bilateral SPL activation for PD sentences, but left-lateralized activation for PI sentences. The direct contrast between PD and PI expressions revealed greater SPL activation for PD expressions only for ASL. Increased SPL activation for ASL PD expressions may reflect the mental transformation required to interpret locations in signing space from the signer’s viewpoint. Overall, the results suggest both overlapping and distinct neural regions support spatial language comprehension in ASL and English.
Myth, Literature, and the Creation of the Topography of Thebes

Introduction: constructing a city 1. Epic Thebes 2. Lyric Thebes 3. Thebes on stage 4. Thebes of the library 5. The creation of Theban topography Appendices.
Studies of criteria for classification of arterial hypertension: VII. Increased intracranial pressure and papilledema

Abstract Increased intracranial pressure and papilledema occur in those cases of hypertension in which, as a rule, minute vessel pressure, cutaneous lymphatic flow, and blood volume are increased. In certain cases, such abnormalities are associated with the presence of an antidiuretic substance in the blood which is, perhaps, derived from the pituitary. In other cases there is renal disease. The evidence strongly supports the suggestion that the increased cerebrospinal fluid pressure is caused by increased cerebrospinal fluid formation. The evidence is definitely incompatible with the idea that papilledema is caused by diminished absorption of cerebrospinal fluid into the lymphatic system. The evidence neither favors nor opposes the possibility that there may be decreased absorption into the blood stream.
Design Concepts for Tamper Responding Systems

If cryptography is to be used to provide trustworthy information processing systems for society, the important problems of shielding and tamper-safing must be effectively solved by non-secret designsl. Shielding techniques for protecting mechanisms against analysis of their radiated signal energy seem to be rather well understood, and are not discussed here. Tamper-sating systems can be divided between those which merely indicate tampering to an inspector, and those systems which can detect tampering and can respond by, for example, destroying some secret information. In some cases it may be desirable to augment a tamper-responding system with tamper-indicating techniques and periodic inspections, in order to place an upper bound on the amount of time available for compromise of the tamper-responding system. The present work, however, focuses on design concepts for tamper-responding systems.
Real-Time GARCH: Does Current Information Matter?

Thirty years after Engle's (1982) seminal paper, there is still no superior model that provides practitioners with the best volatility forecast. The latent nature of the volatility process makes it unclear what is to be forecasted. All existing volatility models follow Engle's original idea of modelling the volatility of assets' returns as a function of only past information. We challenge this common thought and try to look at the volatility process differently by modelling it as a function of both, past and current, information. We show that with a simple modification of the standard GARCH(1,1) model, we are able to produce heavy tailed distribution of the return series, gain some dynamics for the volatility process and obtain better volatility forecasts than the standard GARCH-type models.The supplement to the paper is available at http://ssrn.com/abstract=2813382.
Similarities in the Action Patterns of Exopolygalacturonate Lyase and Pectinesterase from Clostridium multifermentans

Exopolygalacturonate lyase and pectinesterase from Clostridium multifermentans were assayed simultaneously in the same reaction mixture which contained a highly esterified pectin, polymethyl polygalacturonic acid methyl glycoside. Lyase is specific for unesterified galacturonide residues and cannot degrade this substrate in the absence of the esterase. The rate for esterase was twice the rate for lyase throughout the entire course of the combined reaction. Thus, the molar ratio of the two enzyme activities was the same since the product of the lyase is an unsaturated digalacturonic acid containing two free carboxyl groups. Since clostridial exopolygalacturonate lyase is known to degrade polygalacturonate in a linear manner beginning from the reducing ends of polygalacturonate chains, it was apparent that clostridial pectinesterase must hydrolyze methyl groups in highly esterified pectins with an action pattern similar to that of the lyase. Otherwise it would be impossible for the two enzyme rates to have corresponded on the basis of a 2:1 ratio.
Martin Luther in Primetime. Television Fiction and Cultural Memory Construction in Cold War Germany

In 1983, both East and West Germany celebrated Martin Luther’s 500 th birthday with great fanfare. Nowhere was this competition more provocative and visually arresting, however, than in two multi-part television plays which depicted Luther’s life: the West German Martin Luther , broadcast by the public station ZDF in April, and the East German title of the same name, aired in October. In this essay, I argue that the East German version constituted an appropriative strategy of memory formation – one which depicted Luther’s positive qualities and grafted them into the Marxist canon of heroes. In contrast, the ZDF Martin Luther , which featured a highly rational Luther, projected what Jan Assmann has termed a normative strategy of harnessing Luther’s memory, focusing on Luther’s intellectual arguments and anti-radicalism.
Generation of large postinjection‐induced seismic events by backflow from dead‐end faults and fractures

Induced seismicity is common during hydraulic stimulation in fractured crystalline rock. Fluid injection pressurizes preexisting fractures, triggering slip and seismicity. Often, the largest induced events occur after the end of injection, which complicates efforts to manage seismic risk. In this study, a three-dimensional discrete fracture network simulator that couples fluid flow with earthquake simulation was used to investigate a novel hypothesis for why large postinjection seismic events occur. Fractures that form dead-end pathways differentially pressurize during injection. After injection is stopped, fluid backflows through the well from the dead-end fractures into larger fractures, inducing additional seismicity and potentially causing events larger than occurred during injection. Our simulations indicate that flowing fluid back to the surface immediately after injection could mitigate this effect and reduce postinjection seismicity.
Silicon-assisted etherification reactions: application to the synthesis of high-molecular-weight polyethers

Abstract The formation of ether bonds by reaction of benzylic bromides with phenyl silyl ethers has been investigated as an alternative to the classical Williamson ether synthesis. The reaction has been applied to the synthesis of high-molecular-weight polyethers that are not readily obtained by other methods. An AB-type monomer, such as 3-bromomethyl-trimethylsilyloxybenzene, reacts in the presence of a stoichiometric amount of carbonate to afford the corresponding polyether with molecular weight as high as 300 000 depending on the reaction conditions. While the polyetherification reaction of 3-bromomethyi phenol under classical conditions leads to polymers rich in C-alkylated and branched units, conditions may be found to reduce or prevent C-alkylation and branching with 3-bromomethyl-trimethylsilyloxybenzene. The reaction is believed to proceed via activation of the OSi bond through carbonate addition to afford a species containing a pentacoordinate silicon. The role of carbonate and the stoichiometry and mechanism of the reaction have been investigated with the help of a model etherification reaction.
Activity-dependent and -independent nuclear fluxes of HDAC4 mediated by different kinases in adult skeletal muscle

Class II histone deacetylases (HDACs) may decrease slow muscle fiber gene expression by repressing myogenic transcription factor myocyte enhancer factor 2 (MEF2). Here, we show that repetitive slow fiber type electrical stimulation, but not fast fiber type stimulation, caused HDAC4-GFP, but not HDAC5-GFP, to translocate from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in cultured adult skeletal muscle fibers. HDAC4-GFP translocation was blocked by calmodulin-dependent protein kinase (CaMK) inhibitor KN-62. Slow fiber type stimulation increased MEF2 transcriptional activity, nuclear Ca2+ concentration, and nuclear levels of activated CaMKII, but not total nuclear CaMKII or CaM-YFP. Thus, calcium transients for slow, but not fast, fiber stimulation patterns appear to provide sufficient Ca2+-dependent activation of nuclear CaMKII to result in net nuclear efflux of HDAC4. Nucleocytoplasmic shuttling of HDAC4-GFP in unstimulated resting fibers was not altered by KN-62, but was blocked by staurosporine, indicating that different kinases underlie nuclear efflux of HDAC4 in resting and stimulated muscle fibers.
A nonlinear model for static and dynamic transverse load analysis of reinforced concrete highway bridges

Abstract The modeling of highway bridge components for the purpose of an inelastic lateral load analysis is discussed. An analytical model incorporating these component models is presented. The computer implementation and the techniques used to develop and store element stiffness matrices are described. The properties of a real bridge are used to illustrate static and dynamic analysis features of the computer model.
Symbol calculus for operators of layer potential type on Lipschitz surfaces with VMO normals, and related pseudodifferential operator calculus

We show that operators of layer potential type on surfaces that are locally graphs of Lipschitz functions with gradients in vmo are equal, modulo compacts, to pseudodifferential operators (with rough symbols), for which a symbol calculus is available. We build further on the calculus of operators whose symbols have coefficients in L∞∩vmo, and apply these results to elliptic boundary problems on domains with such boundaries, which in turn we identify with the class of Lipschitz domains with normals in vmo. This work simultaneously extends and refines classical work of Fabes, Jodeit and Riviere, and also work of Lewis, Salvaggi and Sisto, in the context of C1 surfaces.
Induction of temperature sensitivity in Paramecium aurelia by nitrosoguanidine.

SYNOPSIS Paramecium aurelia cells were exposed to N-methyl-N-nitroso-N′-nitroguanidine for periods of 15–30 min. The lethality in homozygous clones derived from treated cells depends on the time of treatment within the cell cycle. Exposures at interfission ages 0.04, 0.40, and 0.80 were tested yielding lethalities of 12.5, 44 and 2%, respectively. These results correlate with the period of DNA synthesis in the micronuclei. A temperature sensitive mutant has been found which cannot live at 31 C but divides at ∼1 fission per day at 19 and 25 C. The rise in temperature from 19–25 C does not significantly change the fission rate whereas in normal cells it would be doubled. Genetic analysis shows that this mutation is caused by a single recessive gene.
Results of a Price Forecasting Competition

ployed by each are described in detail in preceding papers and are only briefly described here. Berck and Chalfant employed a statistical package shown as ACE which, when given a dependent variable, y, and a set of independent variables, X, searches for the 4 = g(y) and 0 = h(X) that maximizes the correlation coefficient between 0 and 4. It then uses these transformations of the variables to forecast 4 and recover a forecast of y by applying the inverse transformation 9 = g-'(4). To forecast the price of feed, Berck and Chalfant included one-period and two-period lagged values of the price of feed deflated by the price of other goods and real per capita income lagged three times as independent variables. They used the deflated price of feed as the dependent variable, then recovered it with an AR(1) prediction of the price of other goods. For the forecasts of the price of livestock, Berck and Chalfant used seven independent variables: the deflated price of feed lagged once and four periods, per capita consumption of livestock lagged one, two, and four periods, lagged real per capita income, and the lagged price of other goods. They did not deflate the price of livestock.
EPITHELIAL IN VITRO CELL SYSTEMS IN CARCINOGENESIS STUDIES

The development of epithelial cells systems to study oncogenic transformation has presented a major challenge in the field of carcinogenesis. Because there exists in man a preponderance of carcinomas over sarcomas, the importance of studying oncogenic transformation in epithelial cells is of great relevance to human disease. The difficulty lies in the fact that different tissues contain epithelial cells with singular differentiated characteristics, which must be defined to assert the different nature of the cells being used. Liver cells in culture are a case in point. By careful maintenance and optimal culture conditions, one can maintain many of the differentiated characteristics of the cells for prolonged periods of time.
Contra-Lateral Spontaneous Pneumothorax as a Complication of Intrathoracic Operations

SUMMARY 1. Two cases of spontaneous contra-lateral pneumothorax following resection of pulmonary cyst are reported. 2. In both cases, ruptured contra-lateral emphysematous bleb was proved to be the etiologic factor. 3. The dangers of contra-lateral spontaneous pneumothorax following intrathoracic operations are that of tension pneumothorax, collapse of the lung opposite to the operative side and mediastinal shift. The severity of respiratory embarrassment resulting from the above depends on the degree of fixation of the mediastinum. If the latter is freely mobile, the respiratory embarrassment may quickly be followed by complete failure. 4. The diagnosis is made on the basis of physical findings of pneumothorax opposite the operative side in a patient presenting an acute respiratory distress. 5. Emergency treatment should be undertaken without delay since the time lost until chest roentgenogram is taken may precipitate irreversible respiratory failure. Treatment is simple and effective. The decompression of the tension pneumothorax by immediate thoracentesis is all that is needed. Roentgenological examination and other diagnostic procedures should be done only after the severe respiratory symptoms have been relieved.
Genotype and elevation influence Spartina alterniflora colonization and growth in a created salt marsh

Colonization, growth, and clonal morphology differ with genotype and are influenced by elevation. Local adaptation of Spartina alterniflora to environmental conditions may lead to dominance by different suites of genotypes in different locations within a marsh. In a constructed marsh, we found reduced colonization in terms of density of clones with increasing distance from edge in a 200-ha mudflat created in 1996; however, growth in diameter was not different among three 100-m-long zones that differed in distance from site edge. Distance from edge was confounded by elevation in this comparison of natural colonization. The rate of clonal expansion in diameter was 3.1 m/yr, and clonal growth was linear over the 28 mo of the study. The area dominated by S. alterniflora in the three distance zones increased concomitantly with clonal growth. However, the lower initial clonal densities and colonization by other plant species resulted in reduced overall dominance by S. alterniflora in the two more-interior locat...
Fluid-to-fluid modeling and correlation of flow boiling crisis in horizontal tubes

Abstract Parameters for fluid-to-fluid modeling of critical heat flux in horizontal tubes have been obtained using the method of compensated distortion. The fluids used were water and Freon-12. The modeling parameter obtained differs from the one applicable to vertical flow by the addition of a term representing the effects of gravity. The mass flux scaling factor for modeling water with Freon-12 in horizontal flow is generally higher than that for vertical flow, and it shows a greater sensitivity to pressure. A dimensionless correlation for CHF in horizontal tubes, which describes the available data with an r.m.s. error of 9.1%, is also presented.
The role of VHL in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma and its relation to targeted therapy

The basic biology underlying the development of clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC) is critically dependent on the von Hippel–Lindau gene ( VHL ), whose protein product is important in the cell's normal response to hypoxia. Aberrations in VHL's function, either through mutation or promoter hypermethylation, lead to accumulation of the transcriptional regulatory molecule, hypoxia-inducible factor alpha (HIFα). HIFα can then dimerize with HIFβ and translocate to the nucleus, where it will transcriptionally upregulate a series of hypoxia-responsive genes, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF), and others. Binding of these ligands to their cognate receptors activates a series of kinase– dependent signaling pathways, including the RAF–MEK–ERK and phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase–AKT–mTOR pathways. Targeted agents developed and now approved for use in advanced ccRCC include humanized monoclonal antibodies against VEGF, small-molecule tyrosine kinase inhibitors, and inhibitors of mTOR. Understanding the biology of ccRCC is critical in understanding the current therapy for the disease and in developing novel therapeutics in the future. This review will provide an overview of the genetics of ccRCC, with an emphasis on how this has informed the development of the targeted therapeutics for this disease.
Effective signal region based analog mixed signal design considering variations and applications

Most electronic systems in biology and medical applications are used to control spectroscopic/imaging instrumentation for the identification of certain features in the input samples and/or to save and manipulate this data for analysis by medical personnel. This paper identifies the effective signal regions (ESR) for analog mixed signal designs through applications. These ESRs are mapped onto a performance response surface for analog mixed signal circuits. For op-amps and ADCs, the models for nonlinearity and transfer functions will also focus on the ESRs instead of the whole frequency spectrum. Consequently, analog mixed signal designs can take advantage of this to improve the interrogated region and power consumption.
The structure of an intranuclear crystal as determined by sectioning, freeze-etching, and optical diffraction.

Abstract The midgut of the larva of the mealworm, Tenebrio molitor, includes a group of cells whose nuclei contain large crystalline inclusions. These long, rod-shaped protein crystals frequently exhibit hexagonal images when viewed in cross-section. We have investigated these crystals with the electron microscope, preparing specimens both by freeze-etching and thin sectioning. These complementary approaches, combined with the technique of optical diffraction, have revealed approximately 6·5 nm subunits which are arranged in an hexagonally close-packed lattice.
Low Hemoglobin Levels and Recurrent Falls in U.S. Men and Women: Prospective Findings from the REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke (REGARDS) Cohort

Abstract Background There are few data available on low hemoglobin and incident falls in the general U.S. population. Methods Of 30,239 black and white U.S. adults ≥45 years in the population-based REasons for Geographic And Racial Differences in Stroke study, 16,782 had hemoglobin measured at baseline and follow-up data on falls. Hemoglobin was categorized by 1.0 g/dL increments relative to the World Health Organization anemia threshold ( Results Recurrent falls occurred in 3.9% of men and 4.8% of women. Compared with those with a hemoglobin level 1 to 2 g/dL above the anemia cut-off, multivariable adjusted odds ratios (95% confidence intervals) for recurrent falls associated with hemoglobin levels ≥3, 2 to P P = 0.45; quadratic trend P = 0.016). Conclusions Among men, lower hemoglobin levels were associated with an increased risk for recurrent falls. Although our findings suggest an increased risk for recurrent falls at both lower and higher hemoglobin levels among women, these findings should be confirmed in subsequent studies.
Effect of sodium sulfide treatment on band bending in GaAs

Recent evidence suggests that sodium sulfide treatment of GaAs surfaces results in the reduction of surface recombination and in Fermi level unpinning. We have used a surface conductivity technique to measure the Fermi level position of samples with and without sodium sulfide treatment. This method has specific advantages over spectroscopic techniques for studying thin films on GaAs. Photoluminescence (PL) measurements were used to qualitatively evaluate surface recombination. We conclude that while the reduction of surface recombination is attained, the surface is not unpinned.
An Interactive Load Flow Program

An interactive load flow program (ILF) differs from a conventional load flow program in its interface with the user. By means of a display device the user specifies his input and the program presents its output. Such a program could serve a number of important uses in the power industry. A step in this direction is presented in this paper.
Hot-Wire, Laser-Anemometer, and Force Measurements of Interacting Trailing Vortices

Single and multiple trailing vortices shed from semispan wings and a transport model in a wind tunnel were studied by means of a laser velocimeter, hot-wire anemometer, and trailing model incorporating a sixcomponent force balance. Velocity profile and turbulence data from the laser velocimeter and hot-wire anemometer are presented and shown to compare well with the Betz inviscid circulation model. Lift and rolling moment measurements on the following model are compared with those predicted from the flow field measurements.
The amniotic fluid as a source of cells for fetal tissue engineering

Abstract Purpose: This study was aimed at determining whether fetal tissue constructs can be engineered from cells normally found in the amniotic fluid. Methods: A subpopulation of morphologically distinct cells was isolated mechanically from the amniotic fluid of pregnant ewes (n = 5) and expanded selectively. Its lineage was determined by immunofluorescent staining against multiple intermediate filaments and surface antigens. Proliferation rates were determined by both oxidation and total DNA assays and compared with immunocytochemically identical adult and fetal sheep cells. Statistical analysis was by analysis of variance for repeated measures (ANOVA). After expansion, the amniocytes were seeded onto a polyglycolic acid polymer/poly-4-hydroxybutyrate scaffold. The resulting construct was analyzed by both optical and scanning electron microscopy. Results: The immunocytochemical profile of expanded amniocytes was consistent with a mesenchymal, fibroblast/myofibroblast cell lineage. These cells proliferated significantly faster than comparable fetal and adult cells in culture. Amniocyte construct analysis showed dense, confluent layers of cells firmly attached to the scaffold, with no evidence of cell death. Conclusions: (1) Subpopulations of fetal mesenchymal cells can be isolated consistently from the amniotic fluid. (2) Mesenchymal amniocytes proliferate more rapidly in vitro than comparable fetal and adult cells. (3) Mesenchymal amniocytes attach firmly to polyglycolic acid polymer. The amniotic fluid can be a reliable and practical source of cells for the engineering of select fetal tissue constructs. J Pediatr Surg 36:1662-1665. Copyright © 2001 by W.B. Saunders Company.
Vacuum Instability in Chern-Simons Gravity

We explore perturbations about a Friedmann-Robertson-Walker background with a nonvanishing cosmological Chern-Simons scalar field in Chern-Simons gravity. At large momenta one of the two circularly polarized tensor modes becomes ghostlike. We argue that nevertheless the theory does not exhibit classical runaway solutions, except possibly in the relativistic nonlinear regime. However, the ghost modes cause the vacuum state to be quantum mechanically unstable, with a decay rate that is naively infinite. The decay rate can be made finite only if one interprets the theory as an effective quantum field theory valid up to some momentum cutoff $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$, which violates Lorentz invariance. By demanding that the energy density in photons created by vacuum decay over the lifetime of the Universe not violate observational bounds, we derive strong constraints on the two dimensional parameter space of the theory, consisting of the cutoff $\ensuremath{\Lambda}$ and the Chern-Simons mass.
Training less threatening interpretations over the Internet: Does the number of missing letters matter?

Abstract Background and objectives Cognitive Bias Modification to reduce threat interpretations (CBM-I) trains individuals to resolve ambiguous scenarios via completion of word fragments that assign benign meanings to scenarios. The current study tested: 1) whether Internet-based CBM-I can shift interpretations to be more positive/less negative, and 2) whether varying the number of letters missing in the word fragments (assumed to increase task difficulty) moderates CBM-I's effects. Methods Participants ( N = 350) completed a brief online version of CBM-I, followed by assessments of interpretation bias, fear of negative evaluation, and anticipatory anxiety. Participants were randomly assigned to 1 of 5 conditions: control (half of scenarios ended positively, half negatively), or 4 positive conditions (all scenarios ended positively, but word fragments varied on number of letters missing, from 0 to 3). Results Relative to the control condition, all positive conditions led to more positive/less negative interpretations. When analyses were re-run with only a highly socially anxious subset of the sample ( n = 100), conditions in which the final word of scenarios was missing 0, 1, or 2 letters led to more positive/less negative interpretations compared to the control condition, but the condition missing 3 letters did not differ from the control condition. There were no differences between conditions on other outcome measures. Limitations Training was brief, and an unselected sample was used. Conclusions Results suggest a brief Internet-based CBM-I paradigm can shift interpretation bias, but not necessarily other anxiety-relevant outcomes. Making the task too difficult may blunt effects for highly socially anxious individuals.
Dietary characterizations in a study of human exposures in the Lower Rio Grande Valley: I. Foods and beverages

Abstract The Lower Rio Grande Valley Environmental Study (LRGVES), a cooperative effort between various federal and state agencies, responded to concerns of the local community about possible adverse health effects related to environmental conditions. The LRGVES pilot project, conducted during the spring and summer of 1993, was designed as a range-finding or scoping study to evaluate multiple forms of exposure to nine Valley residents in preparation for possible expanded studies. Potential dietary exposures were characterized by the use of food diaries and questionnaires and the collections and analysis of foods, beverages, and drinking water consumed by the participants. This publication describes the results obtained for foods and beverages. Results for drinking water are described in a companion publication. A duplicate-diet collection procedure was used to obtain food and beverage samples. Participants prepared duplicate portions of solid foods and beverages which were composited separately over a 24-h period. A broad-based analytical approach was taken. The duplicate-diet composites and additional local food items were analyzed for numerous pesticides, industrial chemicals, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), toxic and essential elements, natural toxins, and specific nutrients. While it is not possible to quantify long-term exposures from the results observed during two brief sampling periods, many insights were gained regarding the general levels of nutrients and chemical residues in foods and beverages ingested by the Valley population. Of the more than 200 pesticides potentially detectable by the methods used, 38 were found at levels typical of those reported for foods in the U.S. The most common were DDE and other environmentally persistent pesticides and high-use pesticides. None of the residue findings approached USFDA violative levels for individual food items. However, concentration of lindane and dieldrin found in participants' 24-h composite diets exceed the USEPA's health-based standards for long-term exposures. Several other areas were identified that either required intervention to mitigate exposures or the need for further investigation. Concentration of lead in the 24-h diets of many of the participants were above those typically seen in the U.S. Another notable finding for local foods was a high level (399 mg/kg) of polychlorinated biphenyl compounds (PCBs) in a carp caught from a local irrigation canal and intended for consumption. Subsequent sampling confirmed PCB contamination of bottom fish. Several local waters were closed to fishing. Levels of nutrients in 24-h diet composites suggested participants' need to increase their intakes of calories, carbohydrates, and many essential vitamins as well as to reduce intakes of fat and salty food.
Redox Behavior of Ceria−Zirconia Solid Solutions Modified by the Chemical Filing Process

In the ceria−zirconia system, two kinds of preparation methods using oxalic acid or hydrazine monohydrate have been investigated to improve oxygen release and storage properties at low temperatures...
Xenogeneic mixed leucocyte response.

Abstract Xenogeneic mixed leucocyte cultures composed of human, chimpanzee, baboon, goat, sheep, pig, and dog cells were set up with a variety of plasma culture supplements. The characteristics of the human leucocyte response to xenogeneic cells was similar to its response to allogeneic cells. Peak response to xenogeneic stimulation occurred on the same culture day as the peak response to allogeneic stimulation. Similar numbers of xenogeneic and allogeneic cells produced peak stimulation of cells from any one individual. There was, however, a wide variation in the response of human lymphocytes to both allogeneic and xenogeneic cells. A factor in the plasma supplement specific for responding or stimulating cells inhibited the mixed leucocyte response in some combinations and could be removed by absorption techniques.