cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Induction and role of regulatory CD4+CD25+ T cells in tolerance to the transgene product following hepatic in vivo gene transfer.

Gene replacement therapy is complicated by the risk of an immune response against the therapeutic transgene product, which in part is determined by the route of vector administration. Our previous studies demonstrated induction of immune tolerance to coagulation factor IX (FIX) by hepatic adeno-associated viral (AAV) gene transfer. Using a regulatory T-cell (Treg)–deficient model (Rag-2−/− mice transgenic for ovalbumin-specific T-cell receptor DO11.10), we provide first definitive evidence for induction of transgene product-specific CD4+CD25+ Tregs by in vivo gene transfer. Hepatic gene transfer–induced Tregs express FoxP3, GITR, and CTLA4, and suppress CD4+CD25− T cells. Tregs are detected as early as 2 weeks after gene transfer, and increase in frequency in thymus and secondary lymphoid organs during the following 2 months. Similarly, adoptive lymphocyte transfers from mice tolerized to human FIX by hepatic AAV gene transfer indicate induction of CD4+CD25+GITR+ that suppresses antibody formation to FIX. Moreover, in vivo depletion of CD4+CD25+ Tregs leads to antibody formation to the FIX transgene product after hepatic gene transfer, which strongly suggests that these regulatory cells are required for tolerance induction. Our study reveals a crucial role of CD4+CD25+ Tregs in preventing immune responses to the transgene product in gene transfer.
Effects of Aging on the Collateral Circulation, and Therapeutic Implications

> That time of year thou mayst in me behold, When yellow leaves, or none, or few, do hang Upon those boughs which shake against the cold, Bare, ruined choirs, where late the sweet birds sang. > > —Shakespeare, Sonnet 73 The most important mechanism by which the body compensates for the reduced tissue flow caused by an obstructed artery is through flow supplied by the collateral circulation. Thus, when arterial obstruction occurs, perfusion to the ischemic tissue is provided by collateral vessels—defined as vessels, usually from an adjacent arterial tree, that interconnect the proximal part of an arterial circuit to that part of the artery lying distal to an obstruction. Important as the collateral circulation is, it is often incapable of restoring flow to normal levels at rest, and is usually incapable of delivering the augmented flow required by exercise or increased metabolic demands, as evident by the frequency of patients experiencing either angina or claudication in cohorts with coronary or peripheral vascular disease. The limited capacity to restore full flow at high metabolic demands poses quality-of-life issues to individuals who have chronic arterial obstruction: in the United States alone 300 000 to 900 000 patients have persistent angina despite medical management.1 Additionally, both animal and human studies demonstrate that the clinical outcome of acute arterial obstruction is worse in animals/patients with poor collaterals versus those with a robust collateral circulation.2–5 These considerations led to major efforts to develop strategies designed to enhance collateral function, including administration of proteins and genes expressing such proteins, and stem or progenitor cells known to secrete factors that improve collateral function. However, despite proof-of-concept studies in animals, strategies tested to date in patients are inconclusive; some studies have failed to demonstrate clinical improvement, and others reporting positive signals are based on too few patients for …
The zero point of charge of silica-alumina oxide suspensions

The pHzpc (pH at the zero point of charge) of a series of seven silica—alumina oxide supports, previously heat treated to 500°C, were determined by potentiometric titrations. Rigorous experimental procedures in support preparation and standardization have allowed us to compare the pHzpc of each of the oxides with the weight fraction of the pure components. The pHzpc of this homologous series varied linearly with the weight fraction of the pure components. These results are in direct agreement with a mass weighting model suggested by G. A. Parks (Advances in Chemical Series 67, ACS, Washington, D. C.) for calculating the pHzpc for any composition of a mixed oxide system.
Nitrogen concentration and application timing affect imazamox efficacy in winter wheat

Abstract Field experiments were conducted at four locations in two years in Kansas to determine the effects of urea ammonium nitrate concentrations and application timings on imazamox control of Aegilops cylindrica Host and feral Secale cereale L. in imidazolinone-tolerant winter wheat ( Triticum aestivum L.). Based on regression analysis, A. cylindrica was controlled 66–73% with imazamox at 35 g ai. ha −1 plus urea ammonium nitrate at 1–50% v/v. Averaged over urea ammonium nitrate concentrations, fall post-emergence applications of imazamox were 37–45% more efficacious on A. cylindrica than spring post-emergence treatments. Feral S. cereale control increased linearly when imazamox treatments contained urea ammonium nitrate at 1–100%, and fall treatments were more effective than spring treatments at one of two locations. Early applications of imazamox increased wheat yield compared to later applications in two of four experiments, and increased gross profits $69–168 ha −2 . However, yields did not differ between imazamox treatments containing different urea ammonium nitrate concentrations at any location.
Abstract 4519: In vitro cell and in vivo animal studies of the demethylating agent in treating HER2-amplified breast cancer

Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL PURPOSE: The recent evidence shows that HER2-amplified breast cancers exhibit more frequent CpG island methylation than other types of breast cancers, suggesting epigenetic alterations are involved in HER2-mediated tumorigenesis. In this study, we addressed the possibility of the use of the demethylating agent (5-aza-2’-deoxycytidine, decitabine) for treatment of HER2-overexpressing breast cancer. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Two cell model systems were used in this study: murine primary Her2-overexpressing tumor cell line (A6O5, derived from the tumor naturally developed in HER2/neu transgenic mice) and human HER2-overexpressing luminal breast cancer cell line MCF7-HER2-18. Cells were cultured in regular cell culture dishes with the serum-containing medium (adhesive culture) or in ultra-low attachment dishes with the serum-free sphere culture medium (tumorsphere culture) for drug testing. Tumors developed from A6O5 cells injected into mammary glands of HER2/neu transgenic mice were used as the xenograft model. The early spontaneous mammary tumors naturally developed in HER2/neu transgenic mice (size < 5 mm) were used for drug treatment. RESULTS: The in vitro growth of A6O5 was more significantly inhibited by decitabine than that of non-tumorigenic murine mammary epithelial cells. Consistently, MCF7-HER2-18 cells were more sensitive to decitabine-induced growth suppression than its control vector-transfected cell line MCF7-Neo. These results suggest that HER2 overexpression renders cancer cells more sensitive to the effect of decitabine. Surprisingly, the tumorsphere formation of A6O5 and MCF7-HER2-18 was dramatically abrogated by decitabine, suggesting that self-renewal of cancer stem cells in these two cell lines was annihilated by decitabine. Importantly, decitabine inhibited the in vivo growth of A6O5 xenograft tumors. For proof-in-principle of this study, we treated the HER2/neu transgenic mice bearing early developing mammary tumors with decitabine. Indeed, decitabine effectively suppressed the in vivo tumor growth of the decitabine-treated group compared to that of the vehicle-treated group. CONCLUSIONS: This study for the first time explores the potential of the demethylating agent in the treatment of HER2-amplified breast cancers using in vitro cell and in vivo animal models. These findings shed light on the translational application of epigenetic modifiers with the HER2-signaling blockers to treatment of HER2-amplified breast cancer patients. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 4519. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-4519
Kinetics of ammonium and nitrate uptake among wild and cultivated tomatoes.

Concentration dependence of net ammonium and nitrate uptake was monitored for a cultivar of tomato, Lycopersicon esculentum, and two accessions of a neotropical wild relative, L. hirsutum. The kinetics of net NH 4 + uptake differed among these taxa and were not dependent on the ionic composition of the nutrient solution. The kinetics of net NO 3 - uptake were dependent on the composition of the nutrient solution; the presence of NH 4 + or Cl- enhanced net NO 3 - uptake for the cultivated species and for a highland accession of the wild species. The capacity for net NO 3 - uptake was greater than the capacity for net NH 4 + uptake in all three taxa; the proportion of NO 3 - to NH 4 + absorbed was much greater for the wild taxa. Our data suggest that NO 3 - may be a more important source of mineral nitrogen than NH 4 + for these tropical taxa.
Semi-automatic audio semantic concept discovery for multimedia retrieval

Huge amount of videos on the Internet have rare textual information, which makes video retrieval challenging given a text query. Previous work explored semantic concepts for content analysis to assist retrieval. However, the human- defined concepts might fail to cover the data and there is a potential gap between these concepts and the semantics ex- pected from user's query. Also, building a corpus is expensive and time-consuming. To address these issues, we propose a semi-automatic framework to discover the semantic concepts. We limit ourselves in audio modality here. In the paper, we also discuss how to select meaningful vocabulary from the discovered hierarchical sub-categories and provide an ap- proach to detect all the concepts without further annotation. We evaluate the method on NIST 2011 multimedia event detection (MED) dataset. There is a continuing growth of video collections available for searching over the Internet. Given a query, search engine retrieve relevant videos by analyzing their captions or textual descriptions. This initial method faces big problem. A large proportion of the videos are lack of detailed textual informa- tion. Even for those with rich textual descriptions, the gap be- tween the content in the video and the given textual informa- tion is inevitable. To address the problem, advanced technolo- gies in multimedia content analysis have become very popular recently. Previous work has explored detecting semantic concepts in multiple modalities to capture the embedded semantics in the multimedia stream (1) (2) (3). In this paper, we limit ourselves to discuss the audio semantic concepts. The au- dio semantic concepts are often defined by human based on their understanding of the specific application and their ob- servations of limited data. After annotating a training corpus of these defined concepts, people apply multiple supervised methods for the semantic concept detection. Previous stud- ies have adopted methods in speech recognition and speaker identification (2) (3). These approaches have been shown to be effective on certain dataset for certain application. However, there are potential problems of these approaches. Firstly, defining a proper vocabulary of the semantic concepts is time-consuming. Human experts have to observe a large amount of data and summarize the patterns into a number of semantic concepts based on their understanding. In this situation, it is very likely that these semantic concepts fail to cover the data and the vocabulary might be ineffective to retrieve the information needed for the application. These problems become more serious when new videos are added to the collection continuously in practical application. Sec- ondly, the generalization of the human defined vocabulary is another problem. The domain-specific semantic concepts be- come useless in new domains. And other applications might
Thirteen-channel wavelength division demultiplexer based on polymer waveguide holograms

We present a thirteen-channel infrared wavelength division demultiplexer based on multiplexed phase-matched volume holograms recorded in a graded index (GRIN) polymer thin film waveguide. Channel center wavelengths ranged from 844 to 976 nm (11 nm channel separation), with corresponding output diffraction angles of 22 degree(s) to 70 degree(s) (4 degree(s) between channels). The device demonstrated diffraction efficiencies from 40% to 65% with an average channel crosstalk of -17.2 dB, which is largely attributable to the spectral width of the Ti:Al 2 O 3 laser source. The optical power requirements of the system are evaluated and shown to be well within practical limits.
Genetic Diversity of Toxoplasma gondii Isolates in Egyptian Feral Cats Reveals New Genotypes

Abstract Cats are important in the epidemiology of Toxoplasma gondii because they are the only hosts that excrete environmentally resistant oocysts in feces. In the present study, 115 viable T. gondii isolates from tissues of cats from Egypt were genotyped using 10 PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism markers (SAG1, SAG2, SAG3, BTUB, GRA6, c22-8, c29-2, L358, PK1, and Apico) and DNA from tachyzoites. Seven genotypes were recognized including the clonal Type II, Type III (2 genotypes), and 4 atypical genotypes. Ninety percent (103 of 115) of isolates were clonal, i.e., Type II (n = 61) and Type III (n = 42) strains. Of the 61 Type II strains, all had the Type II alleles at all loci, except for 2 strains that had allele I at Apico. Eight isolates were divided into 4 atypical genotypes. One of these genotypes (with 4 isolates) was previously reported in dogs from Sri Lanka and in sand cats from the United Arab Emirates. Four isolates had mixed infections. These results revealed a strong clonal po...
Use of Raman Spectroscopy in Biological Compounds

The invention and subsequent use of laser as a light source in Raman spectroscopy ignited a wide application of Raman spectroscopy to organic compounds, biological compounds, and to biological tissues. Raman spectroscopy is a vibrational spectroscopy; Raman frequency is related to the mode of various vibrations in a molecule. In this review article, the use of Raman spectroscopy on biological molecules done at A. T. Tu's laboratory from 1962 to 1998, until his retirement, is summarized. The first part of the article is on peptide backbone structure and the local environment of amino acid residue side chain in proteins, mainly on snake neurotoxins. The second and third parts are direct analyses of gallstones and kidney stones by Raman spectroscopy without extraction, separation, and tedious chemical analysis. The last part is about the use of Raman spectroscopy to determine the anomeric bond in hexapyranosyl compounds.
Distributed algorithm for collaborative detection in cognitive radio networks

A cognitive radio wireless network is investigated, in which a number of primary users (PUs) transmit in orthogonal frequency bands. There are also a number of secondary users (SUs) in the network, which monitor transmission opportunities in these frequency bands by collaboratively detecting whether each PU is transmitting. Each SU can participate in detecting only one PU's transmission at a time although it may locate in multiple PUs' detection ranges. A network management issue is studied, which addresses the best assignment of SUs to detecting PUs so that the overall probability of detection error is minimized. A distributed implementation of the elimination algorithm is proposed to efficiently find the best assignment by drawing connection between the current problem and the inference problem in the context of probabilistic graphic models. The graphic representation of the problem is also discussed.
Voiding pattern analysis as a surrogate for cystometric evaluation in uroplakin II knockout mice.

Purpose: Previous study has shown that the absence of uroplakin II can cause urinary tract dysfunction, including vesicoureteral reflux and renal abnormalities, as well as micturition pattern changes. We developed a simple surrogate measure of bladder function using ultraviolet visualization of urinary voiding patterns in a uroplakin II knockout mouse animal model.Materials and Methods: Three male and 3 female WT mice, and 3 male and 3 female uroplakin II knockout mice were evaluated by cystometric analysis and voiding pattern markings. Voiding pattern markings were graded by independent observers on a scale of 1 to 5 according to the degree of dispersion of voided urine. Statistical analysis was then used to correlate voiding dispersion grades with cystometric parameters in the same mice.Results: The degree of dispersion of voiding pattern markings correlated with several measures of bladder function. Specifically the Pearson correlation coefficients for the observed voiding patterns highly correlated wi...
The Economic Aftermath of Hurricane Katrina

On August 29, 2005, Hurricane Katrina swept into Louisiana and New Orleans, a city built largely on land reclaimed from swamp, witnessed massive failures in its levees. Much of the city and its surrounding suburbs were inundated; those residents of the city who had not heeded warnings to flee the approaching storm were evacuated in its wake. In less than a week, the city's population declined from over 400,000 to near zero. Census Bureau estimates indicate that almost two years after the storm, by July 1, 2007, nearly half of these evacuees had yet to return. Will the future New Orleans bear any resemblance to the city that existed prior to Katrina? Most government authorities, from city officials to federal spokespersons, insist that New Orleans must -- and should -- be fully rebuilt. Many environmental scientists question whether such a rebuilding would be sensible, given the city's precarious geological position and the contribution of past land reclamation to the city's current vulnerability. The more basic positive question of whether the city will come back, however, is fundamentally an economic one. After Hurricane Katrina, will the city of New Orleans continue to be a preferred location for more than 400,000 residents and their employers? Or will the disaster shift the city to a new equilibrium level of employment and population?
A micro gas chromatograph with integrated bi-directional pump for quantitative analyses

This paper describes a micro gas chromatography (μGC) system that comprises a Knudsen pump with bidirectional capability (KP2), a two-stage preconcentrator-focuser (PCF2) and a separation column. In this valveless system, the bi-directionality of the pump allows flow reversal in the multi-stage preconcentrator. The KP2, PCF2, and separation column are arranged in a 4.3 cm3 stack, and used with a commercial flame ionization detector. In preliminary experiments, the μGC system demonstrated quantitative separation of benzene, toluene, and xylene (BTX) in ambient room air.
A Primer on Critical Care Pharmacy Services

The intensive care unit (ICU) continues to be a major focus of decentralized pharmacy activities in health systems that care for critically ill patients. This is not surprising, given the need for rapid decision-making involving unstable patients, the large number of powerful medications typically used per patient, the high cost of many drugs used in the ICU and, most importantly, the evidence demonstrating the benefits of having a pharmacist as part of an interdisciplinary team. The purpose of this paper is to highlight important issues to consider when introducing or developing critical care pharmacy services beginning with the establishment of basic services and continuing through practitioner development, guideline/protocol development and implementation, patient safety, residency training, and research.
Learning about and through humor in the second language classroom

Humorous communication is extremely complex in both its forms and functions (e.g. Norrick, 1993; 2003). Much of the previous work that has put forth suggestions for incorporating humor into the lan...
The Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor Vav-2 regulates the development of cell-mediated cytotoxicity.

Previous pharmacologic and genetic studies have demonstrated a critical role for the low molecular weight GTP-binding protein RhoA in the regulation of cell-mediated killing by cytotoxic lymphocytes. However, a specific Rho family guanine nucleotide exchange factor (GEF) that activates this critical regulator of cellular cytotoxicity has not been identified. In this study, we provide evidence that the Rho family GEF, Vav-2, is present in cytotoxic lymphocytes, and becomes tyrosine phosphorylated after the cross-linking of activating receptors on cytotoxic lymphocytes and during the generation of cell-mediated killing. In addition, we show that overexpression of Vav-2 in cytotoxic lymphocytes enhances cellular cytotoxicity, and this enhancement requires a functional Dbl homology and Src homology 2 domain. Interestingly, the pleckstrin homology domain of Vav-2 was found to be required for enhancement of killing through some, but not all activating receptors on cytotoxic lymphocytes. Lastly, although Vav and Vav-2 share significant structural homology, only Vav is able to enhance nuclear factor of activated T cells–activator protein 1–mediated gene transcription downstream of the T cell receptor. These data demonstrate that Vav-2, a Rho family GEF, differs from Vav in the control of certain lymphocyte functions and participates in the control of cell-mediated killing by cytotoxic lymphocytes.
The location-specific role of proteoglycans in the flexor carpi ulnaris tendon.

AbstractTendons like the flexor carpi ulnaris (FCU) that contain region-specific distributions of proteoglycans (PGs) as a result of the heterogeneous, multi-axial loads they are subjected to in vivo provide valuable models for understanding structure–function relationships in connective tissues. However, the contributions of specific PGs to FCU tendon mechanical properties are unknown. Therefore, the objective of this study was to determine how the location-dependent, viscoelastic mechanical properties of the FCU tendon are impacted individually by PG-associated glycosaminoglycans (GAGs) and by two small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs), biglycan and decorin. Full length FCU tendons from biglycan- and decorin-null mice were compared to wild-type (WT) mice to evaluate the effects of specific SLRPs, while chondroitinase ABC digestion of isolated specimens removed from the tendon midsubstance was used to determine how chondroitin/dermatan sulfate (CS/DS) GAGs impact mechanics in mature FCU tendons. A nove...
On heavy carbon doping of MgB2

Abstract Heavy carbon doping of MgB 2 is studied by first principles electronic structure studies of two types, an ordered supercell (Mg(B 1− x C x ) 2 , x = 0.0833) and also the coherent potential approximation method that incorporates effects of B–C disorder. For the ordered model, the twofold degenerate σ-bands that are the basis of the high temperature superconductivity are split by 60 meV (i.e. 7 meV/% C) and the σ Fermi cylinders contain 0.070 holes/cell, compared to 0.11 for MgB 2 . A virtual crystal treatment tends to overestimate the rate at which σ holes are filled by substitutional carbon. The coherent potential approximation (CPA) calculations give the same rate of band filling as the supercell method. The occupied local density of states of C is almost identical to that of B in the upper 2 eV of the valence bands, but in the range −8 eV to −2 eV, C has a considerably larger density of states. The calculations indicate that the σ Fermi surface cylinders pinch off at the zone center only above the maximum C concentration x ≈ 0.10. These results indicate that Mg(B 1− x C x ) 2 as well as Mg 1− x Al x B 2 is a good system in which to study the evolution of the unusual electron–phonon coupling character and strength as the crucial σ hole states are filled.
Sovereignty, nationalism, and regional order in the Arab states system

What accounts for the development of the Arab states system from the explosive mix of Arab nationalism and sovereignty to their simultaneous existence? To understand this development, one must first examine how institutions can shape the very interests and roles of states in such a manner as to encourage the development of relatively stable expectations and shared norms; that is, regional order. This approach illuminates how inter-Arab interactions and state formation processes led to the consolidation of sovereignty and a meaning of Arab nationalism that is consistent with sovereignty. Consequently, this region highlights how sovereignty—and its lack thereof—is consequential for understanding interstate dynamics, and how different meanings of the nation have different implications for security.
Polystyrene-polyisobutylene network composites from in situ polymerizations

Crosslinked networks of butyl rubber [polyisobutylene (PIB) with 2 mol % unsaturation] were swelled with various amounts of styrene containing 0.25–4.6 wt % benzoyl peroxide as initiator. Polymerization of the styrene in situ, by increase in temperature, gave novel elastomeric composites. Scanning electron micrographs suggest phase separation which is locked in at the microscopic level, with no evidence for the particulate domains seen in the similarly prepared polystyrene-polydimethylsiloxane system. The wt % polystyrene (PS) extractible increased with increase in initiator concentration, which is consistent with decrease in the lengths of the PS chains being formed and grafted onto the PIB. Mechanical properties obtained in continuous extension showed maxima in their dependence on composition. Specifically, the ultimate strength (f/A*)m, maximum extensibility er, energy Er required for rupture, and permanent set ΔL/L0 generally showed maxima in the vicinity of 50 wt % PS. The shortest-chain PS samples generally showed the largest values of (f/A*)m, er, and Er, and the smallest values of ΔL/L0.
Post‐Classical Phase Transitions and Emergence in Psychiatry: Beyond George Engel's Model of Psychopathology

This paper explores the flaws underlying Engel's biopsychosocial paradigm of psychiatric illness and offers a quantum-neurodynamical alternative that addresses these defects. It is argued that the current conceptual foundations of biopsychosocial psychiatry, insofar as they rest upon analogies between neural network theory and classical statistical mechanics, are plagued by tensions and inconsistencies among notions of causation, physical scale, and objectivity. The recent rise of a potentially more adequate post-classical paradigm, grounding cognitive neuroscience in quantum principles, is described. The possibility is advanced that this developing quantum perspective on mind and brain can transform psychiatry's understanding of mental disorders through an explanatory adequacy and a theoretical coherence superior to Engel's classically limited ideas.
Sense and the Senses: Anthropology and the Study of Autism

As a clinical category and a sociocultural phenomenon, autism occupies a prominent albeit ambiguous place in ongoing social science and humanities debates about empathy, intersubjectivity, intentionality, epistemological certainty, and moral agency. Autism is used as a counterexample to feeling empathy and understanding other people's beliefs and intentions. Alternatively, it is given as evidence of the limitless potential and neurodiversity of the human mind. This review examines the field of autism research relevant to anthropology of the senses. It considers the production of knowledge about autism as a clinically relevant category at the intersection of sense as culturally organized competence in meaning making and the senses as a culturally normative and institutionally ratified sensory and perceptual endowment. In such a distinction, both sense and the senses are paths toward and objects of the empirical understanding of autism.
The past, present, and the future of underwater acoustic signal processing

This is a collection of articles written by members of the Underwater Acoustic Signal Processing (UASP) Technical Committee. The first article, by D. W. Tufts, deals with the history of UASP prior to 1980. In this period, initial mathematical models were developed and the first experimental investigations of underwater acoustic propagation were performed. It was also recognized during this time that there are many similarities between radar and sonar signal processing. The article by J.P. Ianniello deals with research in passive and active sonar from 1980 to the present. Work in this period included experimental verification of algorithms that had been developed in the 1960s and 1970s (e.g. for adaptive beamforming), as well as the development of new approaches, which include acoustic propagation modeling in the design of signal processing algorithms. Such processing is referred to as matched field processing. A common task in passive sonar systems is to estimate the difference in times at which different sensors receive the same signal. Time-delay estimation is a first stage that feeds into subsequent processing blocks. I. Lourtie provides a concise review of work in this field. The article by J.C. Preisig deals with underwater acoustic communications. The underwater channel has several features that make reliable communication a challenging problem. Nevertheless, progress is being made by combining results from ocean acoustic modeling, communication theory, and signal processing. The final article, by J.M.F. Moura, deals with the future of signal processing in the ocean. In addition to considering advances in detection and localization, he deals with new applications such as acoustic tomography, physical oceanography, and synthetic aperture sonar.
“Daily Except Sunday:” Blue Laws and the Operation of Philadelphia Horsecars

The uncertainties of predicting and mitigating social reactions to business innovation are amusingly demonstrated in this study of an early public-relations crisis.
Dynamic Angiographic Nature of Cerebral Mycotic Aneurysms in Patients With Infective Endocarditis

A 41-year-old male with nonischemic cardiomyopathy and left ventricular assist device on coumadin presented with constitutional symptoms for 1 week. Blood cultures were drawn. The next day, he developed severe headache (Hunt–Hess grade II), and noncontrast head computed tomography (CT) showed Fisher grade II subarachnoid hemorrhage over bilateral frontal convexities. International Normalized Ratio was 9. The blood cultures grew methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus within a day. He was diagnosed with an infected left ventricular assist device and started on intravenous vancomycin. Brain CT angiography was negative for any vessel abnormality. Cerebral angiography on post bleed day 1 showed areas of subocclusive emboli in the left M3 segment of the middle cerebral artery (MCA) and left pericallosal artery, but did not reveal any identifiable source for subarachnoid hemorrhage. On post bleed day 2, the patient developed left frontal seizures that eventually progressed to status epilepticus. Repeat CT head showed a new intraparenchymal hemorrhage within the left frontal operculum, measuring 1.8 cm in diameter. Repeat cerebral angiography on post bleed day 2 revealed a new left M3 fusiform mycotic aneurysm (MA) in the exact location of the previously seen left M3 segment embolus. The pericallosal branch embolus had progressed to near vessel occlusion rather than aneurysm formation. The patient’s family withdrew care because of his poor cardiac and neurological status (Figure 1). Figure 1. Initial cerebral angiogram ( A ) showing subocclusive filling defects in the left pericallosal (black arrows) and M3 middle cerebral artery branch (white arrow) arteries. Follow-up angiography shows near occlusion of the left pericallosal branch ( B ), and fusiform mycotic aneurysmal dilatation of the previous left M3 lesion ( C and D ). A 31-year-old female with history of Tetrology of Fallot that had been repaired when she was a child, and previous infective endocarditis secondary to intravenous drug abuse requiring aortic valve replacement, …
Mountain Lumber Company

In 1998, Mountain Lumber Company implemented a performance measurement and incentive plan for all company employees. Details of the plan by department for both managers and nonmanager employees are presented, and students are asked to review and evaluate the plan in light of the company's strategy. The case exposes students to evaluating key success factors and developing performance measures for successfully implementing organizational strategy, linking performance measures to monetary incentives, identifying possible unintended consequences of performance-measurement systems, and developing compensating control mechanisms to discourage those behaviors.
Globalization and the Politics of Development in the Middle East: Political capacities and local capital

A state is supposed to be strong and nimble to take full advantage of the accelerated flows of capital, goods, and information associated with the post–Cold War surge of globalization, but few states in the MENA seem to be in the running. Perceived or imagined threats to their survival hobble and tangle a number of them in mushrooming security bureaucracies. Structural adjustment and the rise of political Islam and various ethnic identities have taken their toll, rendering many incumbent regimes ever clumsier, more repressive, and burdened with ever higher costs of police and military establishments. So much so that a representative group of Arab intellectuals issued the Arab Human Development Report 2002 sparking widespread debate about an alleged “freedom deficit” that was preventing any sustained development in the region. And in Iran, record urban crowds – reminiscent of the massive serial demonstrations leading to the 1979 revolution – protested the irregularities of the June 12, 2009, presidential elections. Indeed, if the World Bank's Voice and Accountability indicator, as reported in Figure 3.1, is a fair measure of the freedom deficit, the region's regimes on average scored lower in 1998 and worse in 2008 than those of any other region except the former Soviet Union, which had helped to shape a number of them to its obsolete security specifications. This chapter tries independently to compare the capacities of the MENA regimes to mobilize resources efficiently and effectively for sustainable development in response to the challenges of globalization. To recall from Chapter 1, MENA polities consist of three major types – praetorian republics, monarchies, and, last, democracies of varying degrees of institutionalized competitiveness. Each category is in turn composed of subtypes. Praetorian republics are either “bunker” or “bully” states. Praetorian republics ruled by “bullies” have some elements of both civil society and rational-legal legitimacy, which in turn reduce, but do not altogether eliminate, the importance of violence and coercion in political life. The structural power of local capital, although negligible in praetorian republics governed by bullies, is noticeably greater than in bunker states, where security of property is insufficient to permit capital accumulation in the home country. Consequently the “bully” responses to economic globalization are less brutal than those of the bunkers. The limited capacities of the “bully” states, however, and the structural weakness of capital within them, to say nothing of their own political power requirements, have severely constrained their efforts to globalize. Egypt, Tunisia, and post-2005 Iran – after hardliners engineered the election of President Mahmoud Ahmedinejad – comprise the “bully” states of the MENA, whereas Algeria, Iraq, Libya, Sudan, Syria, and Yemen are the bunker states.
Averted Vision: How Common Core May Help Struggling Readers

In their article “Beyond the Common Core…,” Cassidy, Ortlieb, and Grote-Garcia (2016), express concern that the new Common Core State Standards (CCSS; National Governors Association [NGA] Center fo...
Spin transitions in the Fe x Mn 1 − x S 2 system

Pressure-induced spin transitions of the ${\mathrm{Fe}}^{2+}$ and the ${\mathrm{Mn}}^{2+}$ ions in the ${\mathrm{Fe}}_{x}{\mathrm{Mn}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{S}}_{2}$ system are investigated using calculations based on density-functional theory within the generalized gradient approximation $(\mathrm{GGA})+U$ formalism. ${\mathrm{MnS}}_{2}$ shows a transition from a high-spin to a low-spin state at high pressure. The transition pressures decrease with increasing Fe content, and at high Fe content, transition pressures approaching zero are obtained. However, the volume change at the transition remains remarkably constant as long as both Fe and Mn participate.
Growth Mode at the Ge/(1102) Sapphire Interface

The growth mode of Ge on the (1102) surface of sapphire is explored with X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. Ge exists in two bonding states at the interface, Ge-Ge and Ge-sapphire. Ge forms islands at submonolayer coverage for deposition temperatures of 25°C and 625°C. The formation of the islands is revealed by the rapid increase in the relative fraction of the Ge-Ge bonding state for Ge coverage less than 1 ML. The shift in the Ge-Ge peak binding energy to the bulk Ge value at less than i ML suggests that the islands are three dimensional for deposition at 625°C.
Development of a learning support system with PaPeRo

We propose a learning support system with a robot for asynchronous learning. The proposed system consists of a teacher, a user, a robot, a personal computer, an educational material, and a web camera. In asynchronous learning, the timing to provide the supports such as hints and answers in learning is one of important factors. Here, we endowed a robot with this roll on the timing estimated by extracting the features of usual facial expressions or behaviors of a user in an image captured by a web camera. Thus, we can expect that the robot may give a user learning supports in real time. In fact, we developed the base system that a robot provides hints in the timing estimated by extracting the human general feature tilting own head when we don't understand something. We attempted to evaluate the usefulness for the base system through the experiments of English words learning and some questionnaires for college students. In these experiments, we used a communication robot, PaPeRo, for confirming the counteraction and effect of users. This paper is discussed on the experimental results of the questionnaires and the possibility that user's motivation can be improved by the affinity of the robot in the system.
Long-term follow-up of a large North American kindred with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 2A.

BACKGROUND Sixty-one patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia (MEN) type 2A (27 men; 34 women; mean age, 39 years) from a single kindred (76 affected, 49 at risk) were followed 1 month to 33 years (median, 14 years) after diagnosis for disease expression. METHODS Peripheral basal and pentagastrin-stimulated calcitonin, parathyroid hormone, and calcium levels were measured in 60 patients, 58 of whom had undergone previous thyroidectomy; the calcitonin concentration in four patients was concomitantly determined in the hepatic and internal jugular veins. Biochemical or radiographic screening for pheochromocytoma was performed in 58 patients. RESULTS Recurrence of medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) developed in nineteen (33%) of 58 patients after they underwent thyroidectomies. In 14 of 19 patients regional metastases were inapparent at initial operation, and lymphadenectomy was not undertaken. Three patients underwent neck reexploration with removal of micrometastases after selective venous studies were performed. One patient, 33 years of age, died of MTC, and two patients who refused thyroidectomy are alive at 76 and 83 years of age. Fifteen patients are alive with disease 8 to 33 years after they underwent thyroidectomies. All patients identified by prospective screening remain pentagastrin negative. Pheochromocytoma developed in six patients (10%), and four patients have Hirschsprung's disease. Hyperparathyroidism was present in seven patients and did not occur in those with minimal MTC. CONCLUSIONS These observations suggest that (1) the course of MTC in MEN 2A is highly variable, (2) early treatment of C-cell disease can be curative, (3) routine lymphadenectomy for occult micrometastases may be necessary for cure of MTC, and (4) the hyperparathyroidism of MEN 2A may not be a primary genetic event.
Diagnosis of Acute Testicular Torsion using Radionuclide Scanning

AbstractWe analyzed retrospectively 99mtechnetium scrotal scan findings in 37 patients with acute scrotal pain. Correlation between scan interpretation, and either surgical findings and/or final clinical diagnosis revealed an accuracy of 89 per cent. Only 1 false negative and 3 false positive results were recorded. Scan data revealed a positive predictive value of 75 per cent, negative predictive value of 96 per cent, sensitivity of 90 per cent and specificity of 89 per cent. An inter-institutional observer study also was conducted to assess reliability of the scan, resulting in an 88 per cent agreement. The testicular scan has been found to be an accurate and reliable method to distinguish between epididymo-orchitis and testicular torsion.
Growth, the Maghreb and the European Union: Assessing the Impact of the Free Trade Agreements on Tunisia and Morocco

Morocco and Tunisia both signed comprehensive integration agreements with the European Union in the early 1990s. These agreements consist of two essential elements — increased aid flows and technical assistance in exchange for reductions in trade barriers and other impediments to the flow of goods and investment over a period of 12 years. The EU-Mediterranean initiative, of which these agreements form a major part, is one element of a much broader European strategy to forge trade alliances with countries on Europe’s periphery. Agreements with some 10 Eastern European countries in transition were signed in 1991, and the European Union is negotiating with Egypt and Jordan to extend its web of integration agreements to the Mashreq. These European initiatives are intended to promote more rapid convergence of incomes between Europe’s transitional and developing economy neighbours and the European Union.
The Case for Democracy

The case in favor of democratic government is presented here in two parts: theoretical and moral arguments, and some claimed practical benefits. We begin where most political theory begins, with some assumptions about human nature. POLITICAL THEORY AND MORAL ARGUMENTS IN FAVOR OF DEMOCRACY Human Nature Plato and Hobbes aside, most leading models of human nature are perfectly compatible with self-government. Here are five leading examples:1. Machiavelli thought that there are two kinds of people: the few and the many. It is the nature of the few to dominate others; the many just want to be left alone. People are, metaphorically, either sheepdogs or sheep. Machiavelli advocated republican government as the best way to accommodate the natural drives of both groups. Republics accommodate the few by allowing them to lead, but limit their power through a system of checks and balances, where ambition checks ambition and power checks power, as the few jealously watch each other. The many pose a different set of problems. Their single-minded attachment to their own interests makes them naturally selfish and uncooperative. Machiavelli saw two ways for a republic to check the tendency of the many to be uncontrollable – use religion to scare them into behaving, or instill popular virtu through political participation. Machiavelli assumed that ordinary people will eventually grow too sophisticated to be cowed into good behavior by threats of hell and damnation, so although religion might be an effective means of social control in the short run, at some point it will no longer serve. This leaves political participation as the only long-term alternative to oppression.
Distortion of Communication in Hierarchical Relationships

(1986). Distortion of Communication in Hierarchical Relationships. Annals of the International Communication Association: Vol. 9, Communication Yearbook 9, pp. 483-510.
Multiparametric Magneto-fluorescent Nanosensors for the Ultrasensitive Detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

Enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli O157:H7 presents a serious threat to human health and sanitation and is a leading cause in many food- and waterborne ailments. While conventional bacterial detection methods such as PCR, fluorescent immunoassays and ELISA exhibit high sensitivity and specificity, they are relatively laborious and require sophisticated instruments. In addition, these methods often demand extensive sample preparation and have lengthy readout times. We propose a simpler and more sensitive diagnostic technique featuring multiparametric magneto-fluorescent nanosensors (MFnS). Through a combination of magnetic relaxation and fluorescence measurements, our nanosensors are able to detect bacterial contamination with concentrations as little as 1 colony-forming unit (CFU). The magnetic relaxation property of our MFnS allow for sensitive screening at low target CFU, which is complemented by fluorescence measurements of higher CFU samples. Together, these qualities allow for the detection and quant...
Full-Scale Cyclic Testing of Low-Ductility Concentrically Braced Frames

AbstractTwo full-scale, two-story, low-ductility steel concentrically braced frame (CBF) systems were tested to evaluate failure mechanisms, postelastic frame behavior, reserve capacity, and overal...
Evaluation of the reduction in uncertainty obtained by conditioning a 3D stochastic channel to multiwell pressure data

A stochastic channel embedded in a background facies is conditioned to data observed at wells. The background facies is a fixed rectangular box. The model parameters consist of geometric parameters that describe the shape, size, and location of the channel, and permeability and porosity in the channel and nonchannel facies. We extend methodology previously developed to condition a stochastic channel to well-test pressure data, and well observations of the channel thickness and the depth of the top of the channel. The main objective of this work is to characterize the reduction in uncertainty in channel model parameters and predicted reservoir performance that can be achieved by conditioning to well-test pressure data at one or more wells. Multiple conditional realizations of the geometric parameters and rock properties are generated to evaluate the uncertainty in model parameters. The ensemble of predictions of reservoir performance generated from the suite of realizations provides a Monte Carlo estimate of the uncertainty in future performance predictions. In addition, we provide some insight on how prior variances, data measurement errors, and sensitivity coefficients interact to determine the reduction in model parameters obtained by conditioning to pressure data and examine the value of active and observation well data in resolving model parameters.