cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Analysis of variability of high sensitivity C-reactive protein in lowland ecuador reveals no evidence of chronic low-grade inflammation

Objectives: C-reactive protein (CRP) is a central component of innate immune defenses, and high sensitivity CRP has emerged as an important biomarker of chronic inflammation and cardiovascular disease risk. Prior analyses of CRP variability have reported stable between-individual differences in CRP over time, but a limitation of current knowledge is that it is based on research conducted in post-epidemiologic transition populations. Methods: This study evaluated CRP variability among adults in the southeastern region of the Ecuadorian Amazon where rates of infectious diseases remain high. Blood samples were collected from 52 adults at four weekly sampling intervals and were quantified using a high-sensitivity immunoassay. Results: Median CRP concentration was 0.52 mg/l. About 34.6% of participants had CRP >3 mg/l at one time point, but no individuals had CRP >3 mg/l across two or more sampling intervals, and within-individual correlations revealed low levels of stable, between-individual differences in CRP. The application of current guidelines for the assessment of chronic inflammation failed to detect a single case of “high risk” CRP. Conclusions: This study is the first to investigate CRP variability in a nonindustrialized, high infectious disease environment. It documents a pattern of variation over time that is distinct from prior research, with no evidence for chronic low-grade inflammation. These results may have substantial implications for research on inflammation and diseases of aging globally, as well as for scientific understandings of the regulation of inflammation. Am. J. Hum. Biol. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
A MIMO demonstration of Hydra

The evaluation of cross-layer protocols for wireless networking requires analysis, simulation, and experimentation. The final step in this process is often overlooked, but is equally important. Prototyping and experimentation with testbeds not only provides a mechanism for evaluating the performance of wireless networks, but also provide keen insight into the design of new wireless protocols. Hydra, a flexible wireless network testbed developed at UT Austin, was designed to investigate cross-layer issues in wireless protocol design. In this paper, we propose a demonstration of the multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) functionality of Hydra. We will investigate rate and spatial mode adaptation using this MIMO system.
Deregulated E2f-2 Underlies Cell Cycle and Maturation Defects in Retinoblastoma Null Erythroblasts

By assessing the contribution of deregulated E2F activity to erythroid defects in Rb null mice, we have identified E2f-2 as being upregulated in end-stage red cells, where we show it is the major pRb-associated E2f and the predominant E2f detected at key target gene promoters. Consistent with its expression pattern, E2f-2 loss restored terminal erythroid maturation to Rb null red cells, including the ability to undergo enucleation. Deletion of E2f-2 also extended the life span of Rb null mice despite persistent defects in placental development, indicating that deregulated E2f-2 activity in differentiating erythroblasts contributes to the premature lethality of Rb null mice. We show that the aberrant entry of Rb null erythroblasts into S phase at times in differentiation when wild-type erythroblasts are exiting the cell cycle is inhibited by E2f-2 deletion. E2f-2 loss induced cell cycle arrest in both wild-type and Rb null erythroblasts and was associated with increased DNA double-strand breaks. These results implicate deregulated E2f-2 in the cell cycle defects observed in Rb null erythroblasts and reveal a novel role for E2f-2 during terminal red blood cell differentiation. The identification of a tissue-restricted role for E2f-2 in erythropoiesis highlights the nonredundant nature of E2f transcription factor activities in cell growth and differentiation.
Lifestyle and Medical Approaches to Cancer Prevention

Cancer risk can be reduced by adopting a healthy lifestyle and by medical means. Tobacco control is central to public policies for cancer prevention. Overweight and obesity in the United States may contribute to 20% of cancer deaths in women and 14% in men. Cancer prevention strategies have progressed from a predominant lifestyle approach to a model that combines clinical investigations in a medical setting with public health interventions. This change stems from advances in identifying, developing, and testing agents with the potential either to prevent cancer initiation, or to inhibit or reverse the progression of premalignant lesions to invasive cancer. Encouraging laboratory and epidemiologic studies, along with secondary endpoints in treatment trials, have provided a strong scientific rationale for the hypothesis that a pharmacologic approach--chemoprevention--can reduce cancer risk. Numerous chemopreventive agents, including naturally occurring vitamins, minerals, phytochemicals, and synthetic compounds, have proved to be safe and effective in preclinical and clinical studies. Promising results have been reported for cancers of the prostate, breast, colon, lung, bladder, cervix, oral cavity, esophagus, skin, and liver. The use of emerging technologies, identification of biomarkers of risk, and advances in genetic research are being applied to chemoprevention research. An interdisciplinary research approach to investigate molecular and genetic markers--as well as chemoprevention and lifestyle strategies--that affect cancer risk is being applied to the most common types of cancer in the United States in women (breast) and men (prostate).
Revisiting the origins of compulsory drug prescriptions

It has been argued that today's prescription drug market originated in the arbitrary acts of the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), which in 1938 issued regulations creating a class of drugs that could be sold by prescription only. On the basis of the FDA's administrative records, I argue that the 1938 regulations on prescription drug labeling were initiated by industry and then agreed to by the FDA; that contemporaries understood and accepted the reasons for restricting the use of certain drugs; and that the subsequent evolution of these regulations is best understood as an FDA effort to limit industry abuses of the prescription labeling system. This decade-long war of position ended when drug manufacturers persuaded the US Congress to enshrine their version of prescription labeling in law in a highly politicized struggle over government's role in the economy.
The controversy of a wider statin utilization: why?

Introduction: Several medical journals published viewpoints and counter-viewpoints supporting or opposing a wider utilization of statins for primary prevention. The objective of this article is not to weigh in the benefits versus risks of statin use, but to discuss various aspects of this controversy. Areas covered: This review discusses the challenges in examining the pleotropic effects/adverse events of statins. It also discusses the pitfalls in assessment of adverse events in randomized controlled trials and observational studies. Expert opinion: The challenges in solving this controversy include that the pleotropic effect of statins results in an extremely wide spectrum of reported benefits or adverse events, the reported harms/benefits are contradictory, there is basic research ground supporting both sides of the controversy, it is difficult to separate if adverse events are due to statins or due to lower cholesterol, and that there is a lack of standardized definition of statin-associated adverse ev...
Noncanonical suppression of GH-dependent isoforms of cytochrome P450 by the somatostatin analog octreotide

Octreotide is a potent somatostatin analog therapeutically used to treat several conditions including hyper growth hormone secretion in patients with acromegaly. We infused, over 30 sec, octreotide into male rats every 12 h for 6 days at levels considerably greater than typical human therapeutic doses. Unexpectedly, resulting circulating growth hormone profile were characterized by pulses of higher amplitudes, longer durations and greater total content than normal, but still contained an otherwise male-like episodic secretory profiles. In apparent disaccord, the normally elevated masculine expression levels (protein and/or mRNA) of CYP2C11 (accounting for >50% of the total hepatic cytochrome P450 content), CYP3A2, CYP2C7 and IGF1, all dependent on the episodic growth hormone profile, were considerably down-regulated. We explain this contradiction by proposing that the requisite minimal growth hormone-devoid interpulse durations in the masculine profile that solely regulate expression of at least CYP2C11 and IGF1 may be sufficiently reduced to suppress transcription of the hepatic genes. Alternatively, we observed that octreotide infusion may have acted directly on the hepatocytes to induce expression of immune response factors postulated to suppress CYP transcription and/or up-regulate expression of several negative regulators (e.g., phosphatases, SOCS proteins) of the JAK2/STAT5B signaling pathway that normally mediates the up-regulation of CYP2C11 and IGF1 by the masculine episodic growth hormone profile.
The CDS1 gene encoding CDP-diacylglycerol synthase in Saccharomyces cerevisiae is essential for cell growth

An open reading frame (CDS1) residing on chromosome II of Saccharomyces cerevisiae encodes a hydrophobic protein with a predicted molecular mass of 51,789 Da, which exhibits 29 and 37% amino acid sequence identities with CDP-diacylglycerol synthases reported from Escherichia coli and Drosophila, respectively. Induction of expression of a GAL1 promoter-driven CDS1 gene on a multicopy plasmid in a cds1 null mutant background resulted in synthase activity 10 times that of wild-type cells and an elevation in the apparent initial rate of synthesis of phosphatidylinositol relative to phosphatidylserine. Without induction, activity was reduced to 10% of wild-type levels, which was sufficient to support growth but resulted in an inositol excretion phenotype, and had an opposite effect on the above phospholipid synthesis. Null cds1 mutants were incapable of spore germination or vegetative growth and could not be complemented under uninduced conditions with a GAL1 promoter-driven CDS1 gene on a low copy plasmid. Therefore, the essential CDS1 gene encodes the majority, if not all, of the synthase activity. The lack of consensus RNA splice sites derived from the genomic CDS1 sequence predicts that the multiple subcellular locations for synthase activities do not arise through RNA processing events.
A Method to Help New Fathers Develop Parenting Skills

Interaction of parent and infant from birth is important to the process of bonding and attachment. Much of this very early interaction is physical handling and care. New fathers may tend to feel uncomfortable and awkward with this handling due to lack of prior experience. A class was developed, in a private Midwestern hospital, to offer opportunities for fathers to gain knowledge, skill, and practice to make them feel more comfortable with this interaction and facilitate attachment. Response from participating fathers indicated that the classes were effective.
Alternate Civilities: Democracy and Culture in China and Taiwan

Alternate Civilities: Democracy and Culture in China and Taiwan. Robert P. Welter. Boulder, CO: Westview Press, 1999. ix. 172 pp., figures, appendix, bibliography, index.
Chromosome End Elongation by Recombination in the Mosquito Anopheles gambiae

One of the functions of telomeres is to counteract the terminal nucleotide loss associated with DNA replication. While the vast majority of eukaryotic organisms maintain their chromosome ends via telomerase, an enzyme system that generates short, tandem repeats on the ends of chromosomes, other mechanisms such as the transposition of retrotransposons or recombination can also be used in some species. Chromosome end regression and extension were studied in a medically important mosquito, the malaria vector Anopheles gambiae, to determine how this dipteran insect maintains its chromosome ends. The insertion of a transgenic pUChsneo plasmid at the left end of chromosome 2 provided a unique marker for measuring the dynamics of the 2L telomere over a period of about 3 years. The terminal length was relatively uniform in the 1993 population with the chromosomes ending within the white gene sequence of the inserted transgene. Cloned terminal chromosome fragments did not end in short repeat sequences that could have been synthesized by telomerase. By late 1995, the chromosome ends had become heterogeneous: some had further shortened while other chromosomes had been elongated by regenerating part of the integrated pUChsneo plasmid. A model is presented for extension of the 2L chromosome by recombination between homologous 2L chromosome ends by using the partial plasmid duplication generated during its original integration. It is postulated that this mechanism is also important in wild-type telomere elongation.
Anaphylatoxin C3a receptors in asthma

The complement system forms the central core of innate immunity but also mediates a variety of inflammatory responses. Anaphylatoxin C3a, which is generated as a byproduct of complement activation, has long been known to activate mast cells, basophils and eosinophils and to cause smooth muscle contraction. However, the role of C3a in the pathogenesis of allergic asthma remains unclear. In this review, we examine the role of C3a in promoting asthma. Following allergen challenge, C3a is generated in the lung of subjects with asthma but not healthy subjects. Furthermore, deficiency in C3a generation or in G protein coupled receptor for C3a abrogates allergen-induced responses in murine models of pulmonary inflammation and airway hyperresponsiveness. In addition, inhibition of complement activation or administration of small molecule inhibitors of C3a receptor after sensitization but before allergen challenge inhibits airway responses. At a cellular level, C3a stimulates robust mast cell degranulation that is greatly enhanced following cell-cell contact with airway smooth muscle (ASM) cells. Therefore, C3a likely plays an important role in asthma primarily by regulating mast cell-ASM cell interaction.
Specifying and characterizing cable/connector systems for high-speed interfaces in defense/aerospace systems

This paper presents a common-sense approach for specifying and characterizing cable/connector systems used for high-speed data interfaces between defense/aerospace equipment, most specifically equipment using off-the-shelf non-defense/aerospace interfaces. The approach described examines the cable/connector system by itself to specify and characterize its ability to impede the transfer of interference, prevent emissions of the desired signal, and to meet required signal integrity attributes. Cable/connector system specification wording and verification methods are provided.
A Relation between Pairwise Balanced and Variance Balanced Block Designs

Abstract We show that the problems of constructing pairwise balanced block designs and variance balanced block designs are equivalent. This provides incentive to study only the direct construction for the simplest of these designs—namely, pairwise balanced designs.
Pulsed deformation and variable slip rates within the central Himalayan thrust belt

Forward modeling reconstructions and data derived from the Himalayan thrust belt and the foreland basin of far western Nepal tie the erosional unroofi ng and associated deposition to the kinematics and age of fault motion. We reproduce the deformation identifi ed at the surface through a forward-propagating, linked fold-and-thrust belt‐foreland basin system. This approach permits estimates of the magnitude of erosion at each time step and the extent, depth, and age of the associated foreland basin. The model reconstructions reveal that the units that supplied the sediment to the foreland basin changed through time: 25‐13 Ma, erosion of the Tethyan Himalaya; ca. 12 Ma, fi rst exposure of the Greater Himalaya; ca. 11 Ma, fi rst exposure of the Lesser Himalaya. In our model, exposure of Greater Himalaya and Lesser Himalaya rock is associated with the formation of a thrust ramp that cuts through 7 km of footwall Lesser Himalaya stratigraphy and translates >7 km of Lesser Himalaya rock over the ramp, forming a Lesser Himalaya duplex. An increase in structural relief focuses erosion over the region of the ramp and facilitates exposure of Greater Himalaya and Proterozoic Lesser Himalaya rocks. As the Lesser Himalaya ramp propagates southward, more Lesser Himalaya thrust sheets are incorporated into the Lesser Himalaya duplex. Although uniquely dating thrust events is challenging, these model reconstructions allow us to associate time steps with an age of deposition or exhumation. What emerges is a tempo of deformation that varies with time, marked by periods of rapid shortening during propagation of the Main Central thrust, Ramgarh thrust, and middle stages of the development of the Lesser Himalaya duplex (~25‐30 mm/yr). After emplacement of the Ramgarh thrust, early and late stages of Lesser Himalaya duplex development are marked by periods of slow shortening (~13‐14 mm/yr). Although longterm and modern (geodetic) rates of deformation agree at ~20 mm/yr, rates of shortening through time have varied from 4 to 33 mm/yr.
Inferior vena cava resection and reconstruction for retroperitoneal tumor excision.

Objective This study reviews the results of en bloc resection of the inferior vena cava (IVC) for malignant tumor excision and reconstruction. Methods A prospective database was reviewed. IVC resection was categorized as suprarenal, perirenal, infrarenal, or extensive (>one segment resected). Repairs were divided into primary, patch, or circumferential. Tumor type, perioperative morbidity, mortality, and graft patency were recorded. Results Between 1990 and 2011, 47 patients (21 women; mean age, 56; range, 35-89 years) underwent IVC resection for en bloc tumor excision. Sarcomas were most common (36 [77%]: 30 primary IVC). Eleven patients had primary IVC repair, nine patch repair (two autogenous), and 27 had circumferential replacement with a polytetrafluoroethylene ringed graft. Extensive IVC reconstruction in 18 patients included the entire IVC, with renal (RV) and hepatic vein reimplantation in eight; suprarenal and perirenal in six (seven RVs reimplanted); and infrarenal and perirenal in four (four RVs reimplanted). Nine single-segment IVC replacements were infrarenal. Morbidity was 10.6%: one each with bowel obstruction, chyle leak, renal failure with complete recovery (left RV reimplant, right nephrectomy), reoperation for bleeding, and IVC graft thrombosis. Morbidity did not differ by type of reconstruction. There was no mortality. Follow-up ranged from 1.5 to 216 months (18 years) with a mean of 3.5 years. Computed tomography or duplex scans were available in 28 of 47 patients and in 15 of 27 patients in group 3 at a mean follow-up of 36 and 20 months, respectively. One IVC graft thrombosis was documented at 10 months after chemotherapy/sepsis. Tumor recurrence caused three graft stenoses. Cumulative 5-year patency in group 3 was 80% (imaging) and 92% (clinical). Lower extremity edema was universally avoided. Cumulative 5-year survival for the series was 45% ± 8.5%. Mean long-term survival was 5.8 ± 0.56 years (range, 4 months-17 years), with a significant difference between primary or patch (mean, 6.5 years) and circumferential or extensive repair (mean, 4.2 years; P .12) survival was similar between patients with single-segment and extensive IVC resection and replacement. Conclusions IVC resection and reconstruction for en bloc tumor excision is safe, even when extensive repairs are necessary. Replacement of the IVC with prosthetic graft avoids extremity venous complications and likely contributes to quality of survival. Survival depends on tumor behavior and degree of IVC involvement, where primary and patch repair has a better prognosis than circumferential resection.
Development of a Carrier Selection Method for Intrastate Compliance Review in Wisconsin

A method was developed for ranking intrastate carriers in Wisconsin to enhance the selection of carriers for Wisconsin's intrastate compliance (comprehensive safety) review program. The federal SafeStat methodology for identifying interstate motor carriers that have poor safety records cannot be used in Wisconsin because of the lack of carrier size data. Missouri's intrastate SafeStat methodology, which does not require carrier size data, was used as the starting point in developing Wisconsin's methodology. The methodology involves merging a ranking of carriers based on historical inspection data (the total out-of-service rate) with a ranking based on total crashes. The validation based on crashes per carrier for a subsequent period showed a similar pattern for the before and after crash rates by percentile group. The overall level of crashes for the after period, however, was substantially lower because of the statistical phenomenon of regression to the mean (RTM). The methodology is also limited by the lack of exposure data for the carrier crash data. To account for RTM, an empirical Bayesian method for estimating RTM was proposed and applied to a before-and-after analysis of intrastate carrier crashes in Wisconsin. The method provided estimates of the after-period crash rates that were much better than the naive assumption of no change in the crash rate. An improved fit for the RTM estimates is likely if more homogeneous groups of carriers were created on the basis of grouping by carrier size.
Performance considerations for token ring networks

After providing an introduction to LANs (local area networks), the author reviews some performance considerations for the IBM token ring local area network (TRN). A system developed to tune a distributed processing TRN is discussed in detail. Particular attention is given to the development of a benchmark that could simulate the requirements of an expert system, while at the same time exercising the file I/O over the token ring network. A custom benchmark was developed which combines and translates into PROLOG three of Gabriel's LISP benchmarks: Browse, Fileprint, and Fileread. It is noted that the master/slave benchmark set-up used to measure remote response time could be implemented on almost any network with any LAN support software. >
Pipeline, aneurysms and the FDA

We commend Brinjikji et al on their recent article estimating the proportion of intracranial aneurysms likely to be amenable to treatment with the pipeline embolization device (PED).1 Based on aneurysm and parent artery morphology, 47% of their consecutive sample of 200 aneurysms could theoretically be treated by the PED. We believe the paper might …
Interfacial Coarsening in an MBE Growth without Slope Selection

We study the dynamics of an MBE growth in the presence of the interfacial instabilities inducing a pyramidal or mound-type interfacial growth. By using a novel collective coordinates method similar to Bray’s theory of phase ordering, we discuss the statistics of the growing interfaces in the absence of slope selection, when the mounds slope indefinitely increases with time.
Handheld histology-equivalent sectioning laser-scanning confocal optical microscope for interventional imaging.

A handheld, forward-imaging, laser-scanning confocal microscope (LSCM) demonstrating optical sectioning comparable with microtome slice thicknesses in conventional histology, targeted towards interventional imaging, is reported. Fast raster scanning (~2.5 kHz line scan rate, 3.0–5.0 frames per second) was provided by a 2-axis microelectromechanical system (MEMS) scanning mirror fabricated by a method compatible with complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor (CMOS) processing. Cost-effective rapid-prototyped packaging combined the MEMS mirror with micro-optical components into a probe with 18 mm outer diameter and 54 mm rigid length. ZEMAX optical design simulations indicate the ability of the handheld optical system to obtain lateral resolution of 0.31 and axial resolution of 2.85 µm. Lateral and axial resolutions are experimentally measured at 0.5 µm and 4.2 µm respectively, with field of view of 200 × 125 µm. Results of reflectance imaging of ex vivo swine liver, and fluorescence imaging of the expression of cytokeratin and mammaglobin tumor biomarkers in epithelial human breast tissue from metastatic breast cancer patients are presented. The results indicate that inexpensive, portable handheld optical microscopy tools based on silicon micromirror technologies could be important in interventional imaging, complementing existing coarse-resolution techniques to improve the efficacy of disease diagnosis, image-guided excisional microsurgery, and monitored photodynamic therapy.
Efficacy of Intrusively Advising First-Year Students via Frequent Reminders for Advising Appointments

Intrusive advising has been frequently used to encourage or require at-risk or probationary students to attend advising sessions. The efficacy of intrusive advising targeted to all students has rec...
Using the metamodel mechanism to support class refinement

With modern software development being a complicated process, refinement has become an inevitable step in software development. To date, however, supporting a refinement process during software development has not received much attention in the research community. In this paper we present a tool which can support class diagram refinement based on a set of proposed rules, each of which is represented by a class diagram together with an object constraint language (OCL) constraint. By applying our existing tool supporting the metadata architecture, a new tool helping software developers find some discrepancies between two class diagrams during software refinement can be generated. A Web-based online learning system is illustrated in this paper to show how the tool can be applied to find discrepancies between the two models at two different levels.
A Model of Time-Critical Decision Making.

For example, a doctor who is caring for a patient who presents with sudden, sharp chest pain might conclude that the patient probably has a life-threatening pneumothorax. In the absence of any action, the patient would be at high risk for changing to other less desirable states, such as "cardiac arrest." If the diagnosis were certain, the optimal action would be to drain the pneumothorax immediately, by placing a needle or a catheter in the chest. When the diagnosis is uncertain -as is usually the case-the optimal initial action depends in a complex way on the dynamics of the system, the degree of uncertainty in the patient state, and on the relative risks of tests and treatments. A test that gives perfect information after a lengthy delay-for example, a chest X-ray that takes 20 minutes-cannot be the preferred action. A test that gives partial information after a short delay-for example, an inference procedure that gives an answer after one minutemay be the optimal initial action.
Applications and Opportunities for Pressure-Assisted Extraction

Besides being an attractive alternative processing tool to enhance the shelf life and microbial safety of food while preserving their nutritional and quality attributes, high-pressure processing has the potential to modify the extractability of food compounds. This effect could improve pressurized food bioavailability and produce enriched extract for food and/or pharmaceutical applications obtained with improved extraction procedures and/or at a higher yield. This review presents some of the advancements of the use of high-pressure processing as an extraction processing aid.
Cell-cycle-dependent TGFβ–BMP antagonism regulates neural tube closure by modulating tight junctions

Many organs form by invaginating and rolling flat epithelial cell sheets into tubes. Invagination of the ventral midline of the neural plate forms the median hinge point (MHP), an event that elevates the neural folds and is essential for neural tube closure (NTC). MHP formation involves dynamic spatiotemporal modulations of cell shape, but how these are achieved is not understood. Here, we show that cell-cycle-dependent BMP and TGFβ antagonism elicits MHP formation by dynamically regulating interactions between apical (PAR complex) and basolateral (LGL) polarity proteins. TGFβ and BMP-activated receptor (r)-SMADs [phosphorylated SMAD2 or SMAD3 (pSMAD2,3), or phosphorylated SMAD1, SMAD5 or SMAD8 (pSMAD1,5,8)] undergo cell-cycle-dependent modulations and nucleo-cytosolic shuttling along the apicobasal axis of the neural plate. Non-canonical TGFβ and BMP activity in the cytosol determines whether pSMAD2,3 or pSMAD1,5,8 associates with the tight junction (PAR complex) or with LGL, and whether cell shape changes can occur at the MHP. Thus, the interactions of BMP and TGFβ with polarity proteins dynamically modulate MHP formation by regulating r-SMAD competition for tight junctions and r-SMAD sequestration by LGL.
Effects of Laser Irradiation on Growth and Doping Characteristics of GaAs in Chemical Beam Epitaxy

Carbon Nitride (CNX) films have been grown by ion-assisted pulsed-laser deposition (IAPLD). Graphite targets were laser ablated while bombarding the substrate with ions from a broad-beam Kaufman-type ion source. the ion voltage, current density, substrate temperature, and feed gas composition (N2 in ar) have been varied. the resultant films were characterized by Raman, Fourier transform infrared (FTIR), and Rutherford back scattering (RBS) spectroscopy. Samples with -30% N/C ratio have been fabricated. the corresponding Raman and FTIR spectra indicate that nitrogen is incorporated into the samples by insertion into sp2-bonded structures. a low level of C=N triple bonds is also found. as the ion current and voltage are increased with a pure ar ion beam, Raman peaks associated with nanocrystalline graphite appear in the spectr A. adding low levels of nitrogen to the ion beam first reduces the Raman intensity in the vicinity of the graphite disorder peak without adding detectable amounts of nitrogen to the films (as measured by RBS). at higher nitrogen levels in the ion beam, significant amounts of nitrogen are incorporated into the samples, and the magnitude of the “disorder” peak increases. by increasing the temperature of the substrate during deposition, the broad peak due mainly to sp2-bonded C-N in the FTIR spectra is shifted to lower wavenumber. This could be interpreted as evidence of single-bonded C-N; however, it is more likely that the character of the sp2 bonding is changing.
EXPERIMENTAL STUDY OF LAMINAR FILM CONDENSATION ON BANK OF HORIZONTAL TUBES WITH STEFAN NUMBER GREATER THAN UNITY

In this paper, we report steady state experimental data for laminar condensation heat transfer on bank of smooth horizontal tubes for fluids with Stefan number greater than unity. The condensation experiments were carried out in saturated vapor of FC5311 ® on 9.5 mm, 12.7 mm, 15.88 mm and 22.2 mm diameter copper tubes for spacing-to-diameter ratios (s/D) ranging from 2 to 12. Experimental heat transfer coefficients were calculated for each tube based on the sensible heat gain of the cooling water. A comparison with the past analytical predictions of the ratio of heat transfer from the top tube to that from the lower tubes in a bank of tubes reveals two major differences. First, Chen’s correlation over-predicts heat transfer rates from the lower tubes. Second, our data indicate that the heat transfer rate from the lower tubes is a strong function of s/D. Assumptions made in Chen’s analysis are critically examined and the discrepancy is explained in terms of non-validity of those assumptions and ignoring of the different hydrodynamics that arise for different vertical spacing between the tubes. The condensate and the momentum gain by the jets issuing from the upper tubes are different for different s/D ratios. For low spacing-to-diameter ratio (s/D=6 ) tube banks, condensation heat transfer from the lower tubes deteriorates due to the formation of a finite condensate film on the top of these tubes. For high spacing-todiameter ratio (s/D>6) tube banks, however, momentum gain between tubes leads to instability of condensate jets thereby enhancing the condensation heat transfer on the lower tubes. Finally, heat transfer correlations are formulated to predict condensation heat transfer for tube banks with different spacing-todiameter ratios.
The Web of Iniquity: Early Detective Fiction by American Women

"The Web of Iniquity" is a study of detective fiction written by American women between the Civil War and World War II. Refuting the idea that no American detective fiction of substance was produced between the times of Edgar Allan Poe and Dashiell Hammett, Catherine Ross Nickerson shows how these women writers blended Gothic elements into domestic fiction to create a unique and all-but-ignored subgenre that she labels "domestic detective fiction." Throughout the volume, Nickerson focuses on the narrative qualities of the domestic novel tradition and the ways in which it reflected ideologies of domesticity and gender. Also included are a discussion of various rewritings of the Lizzie Borden scandal in this tradition and an afterword on the relation of domestic detective fiction to the hard-boiled style. "The Web of Iniquity" places the detective fiction written by women between 1850 and 1940 into ongoing discussions regarding women, culture, and literature and will appeal to scholars and students of women's studies, American studies, and literary history.
A case of complicated survivorship care.

At age 34, Ms. P., a premenopausal African American woman, was diagnosed with stage IA poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma of the left breast. Her tumor was estrogen and progesterone receptor (PR) positive but HER2 negative. Ms. P.'s treatment included a partial mastectomy, radiation therapy, and 2 years of tamoxifen, although tamoxifen was discontinued due to pregnancy. She was then lost to follow-up. At age 40, Ms. P. discovered a mass in her left breast upon self- exam. There was a delay in diagnosis due to pregnancy, which was terminated. A core biopsy was performed, and the pathology was positive for poorly differentiated invasive ductal carcinoma that was ER and PR positive but HER2 negative. She was clinically stage IIIB, with the tumor fixed to the chest wall. Ms. P.'s family history included premenopausal breast cancer in her mother, three of her maternal aunts, and her maternal grandmother. Genetic testing was performed; she was found to have a BRCA2 deleterious mutation. After an intrauterine device (IUD) was placed to prevent pregnancy, Ms. P. began neoadjuvant chemotherapy consisting of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide for 4 cycles followed by paclitaxel for 4 cycles. She then underwent a left salvage mastectomy and sentinel lymph node biopsy. After treatment, she was assessed at pathologic stage IA. Tamoxifen was reinitiated. After completing treatment, Ms. P. presented for a survivorship visit accompanied by her fiance.
A First Look into Transnational Routing Detours

An increasing number of countries are passing laws that facilitate the mass surveillance of their citizens. In response, governments and citizens are increasingly paying attention to the countries that their Internet traffic traverses. In some cases, countries are taking extreme steps, such as building new IXPs and encouraging local interconnection to keep local traffic local. We find that although many of these efforts are extensive, they are often futile, due to the inherent lack of hosting and route diversity for many popular sites. We investigate how the use of overlay network relays and the DNS open resolver infrastructure can prevent traffic from traversing certain jurisdictions.
Chemical Forms of Iron, Calcium, Magnesium, Zinc, and Copper from Rats Diets Containing Tea

Chemical forms of iron, calcium, magnesium, zinc and copper were measured in rat diets containing 0–3.5% instant black tea. As instant tea in diets increased, more iron was soluble and ionic. Diets containing tea had more complexed iron than without. Calcium had low solubility (10–12%) while almost all magnesium (92–98%) was soluble in all diets. Solubility of zinc and copper increased as the level of tea in diets increased. Chemical availability of iron, calcium, magnesium and zinc was measured in a rat diet without tea (control), containing 2.31% black tea solids and containing 2.31% green tea solids. The control had more soluble (56%), ionic (37%) and complexed (19%) iron than green tea (18%, 2.3%, 16%, respectively) or black tea (8.7%, 4.8%, 3.9%, respectively) diets. Diets did not differ in calcium or magnesium solubility. Zinc was more soluble in both tea diets than the control. Some mineral profiles of the rat diets could be predicted by mineral profiles of teas alone. Changes in mineral profiles w...
Investigating Predictive Metamodeling for Additive Manufacturing

Additive manufacturing (AM) is a new and disruptive technology that comes with a set of unique challenges. One of them is the lack of understanding of the complex relationships between the numerous physical phenomena occurring in these processes. Metamodels can be used to provide a simplified mathematical framework for capturing the behavior of such complex systems. At the same time, they offer a reusable and composable paradigm to study, analyze, diagnose, forecast, and design AM parts and process plans. Training a metamodel requires a large number of experiments and even more so in AM due to the various process parameters involved. To address this challenge, this work analyzes and prescribes metamodeling techniques to select optimal sample points, construct and update metamodels, and test them for specific and isolated physical phenomena. A simplified case study of two different laser welding process experiments is presented to illustrate the potential use of these concepts. We conclude with a discussion on potential future directions, such as data and model integration while also accounting for sources of uncertainty.Copyright © 2016 by ASME
Interhemispheric effect of global geography on Earth's climate response to orbital forcing

Abstract. The climate response of the Earth to orbital forcing shows a distinct hemispheric asymmetry due to the unequal distribution of land in the Northern Hemisphere versus Southern Hemisphere. This asymmetry is examined using a global climate model (GCM) for different climate responses such as mean summer temperatures and positive degree days. A land asymmetry effect (LAE) is quantified for each hemisphere and the results show how changes in obliquity and precession translate into variations in the calculated LAE. We find that the global climate response to specific past orbits is likely unique and modified by complex climate–ocean–cryosphere interactions that remain poorly known. Nonetheless, these results provide a baseline for interpreting contemporaneous proxy climate data spanning a broad range of latitudes, which may be useful in paleoclimate data–model comparisons, and individual time-continuous records exhibiting orbital cyclicity.
From Garage Inventor to Garage Entrepreneur

The American garage serves as the backdrop for the image of the independent entrepreneur. However, literature highlights the importance of resources for entrepreneurs that are derived from experien...
An update on coating/manufacturing techniques of microneedles

Recently, results have been published for the first successful phase I human clinical trial investigating the use of dissolving polymeric microneedles… Even so, further clinical development represents an important hurdle that remains in the translation of microneedle technology to approved products. Specifically, the potential for accumulation of polymer within the skin upon repeated application of dissolving and coated microneedles, combined with a lack of safety data in humans, predicates a need for further clinical investigation. Polymers are an important consideration for microneedle technology-from both manufacturing and drug delivery perspectives. The use of polymers enables a tunable delivery strategy, but the scalability of conventional manufacturing techniques could arguably benefit from further optimization. Micromolding has been suggested in the literature as a commercially viable means to mass production of both dissolving and swellable microneedles. However, the reliance on master molds, which are commonly manufactured using resource intensive microelectronics industry-derived processes, imparts notable material and design limitations. Further, the inherently multi-step filling and handling processes associated with micromolding are typically batch processes, which can be challenging to scale up. Similarly, conventional microneedle coating processes often follow step-wise batch processing. Recent developments in microneedle coating and manufacturing techniques are highlighted, including micromilling, atomized spraying, inkjet printing, drawing lithography, droplet-born air blowing, electro-drawing, continuous liquid interface production, 3D printing, and polyelectrolyte multilayer coating. This review provides an analysis of papers reporting on potentially scalable production techniques for the coating and manufacturing of microneedles.
Smart GaN platform: Performance & challenges

This paper explores the next stage of GaN power devices with 2-level integration of peripheral low voltage active and passive devices. The 1st level consists of protection/control/driving circuits, which potentially improves the performance and overcomes the challenges to the power devices. The 2nd level integration has high-low side on-chip integration on a 100V technology platform. The challenge of channel modulation due to substrate bias sharing is effectively eliminated by the invented new scheme. The system efficiency of DC-DC buck converter using such scheme is enhanced with lower on-state resistance and good stability.
The role of electric vehicles for frequency regulation during grid restoration

Power system restoration after a blackout involves generation restart, energization of buses/power lines and sequential load pickup. During this process, it is of paramount importance to maintain system frequency stable to prevent system collapse or cascading events. As a fast response energy resources in smart grid with bidirectional power flow capability, Electric Vehicle (EV) can be used to compensate for load-generation imbalance in the system which stabilizes frequency and accelerate the load pick up process. In this paper, an optimization problem is formulated which utilizes EVs to provide for frequency regulation over the restoration time horizon. At the end of restoration the EVs are also returned to their initial State of Charge (SOC). The problem is solved as a finite time optimal control problem which determines the global optimal charging/discharging trajectories of the EV batteries which regulates system frequency and also returns the SOC of the batteries to the original state at the end of restoration. Simulations are carried out to illustrate the analytical results.
The Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome-Potential Pitfalls in Echocardiographic Diagnosis

When the classical echocardiographic (echo) features of the hypoplastic left heart syndrome (HLH) are present, cardiac catheterization can sometimes be avoided in these infants, sparing them and their families unnecessary discomfort, hazard and expense. HLH, however, has many pathologie presentations, from severe aortic stenosis with normal mitral valves and small to normal sized left ventricular cavities, to mitral atresia, aortic atresia and a slit-like left ventricle. Thus, as the syndrome’s pathologic presentations are variable, so are the echo findings in these infants.
Thomas Manns Albtraum? Potential und Paradoxien europäischer Erinnerungspolitik

Thomas Manns Albtraum (oder zumindest einer seiner politischen Albtraume) war bekanntlich, dass es dereinst ein deutsches Europa anstatt eines europaischen Deutschland geben wurde. Aus Sicht manch wacher Beobachter scheint diese Schreckensvision zu Beginn des einundzwanzigsten Jahrhunderts wahr zu werden — nur unter ganz anderen Vorzeichen als bei Mann: Heute furchtet man nicht ein aggressiv-nationalistisches Deutschland, sondern eines, das Europa sein Modell der Vergangenheitsbewaltigung und damit letztlich einen „negativen Nationalismus“ aufdrangen will — und das dadurch ganz nebenbei, mit gutem Gewissen und besten Absichten, auch eine Art Umverteilung der Lasten der Vergangenheit durchsetzt.
The Sound of Subterranean Scuzz-Holes: New York Queer Punk in the 1970s

This article provides a historical and theoretical account of a tradition of LGBTQ-oriented punk music in New York City during the 1970s. Queer punk – a scene comprised of LGBTQ people and shaped b...
Genetic Variations Hasten Decline in Young Onset Dementia

Aims There is increasing interest in the influence of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) on the trajectory of cognitive decline in dementia. We evaluated the hypothesis that rs1768208 risk allele copies are associated with cognitive decline in behavioral variant frontotemporal degeneration (bvFTD), a common form of young-onset dementia. Methods Forty-three individuals diagnosed with bvFTD (mean baseline age=60.1 years ±7.7, mean disease duration at baseline 3.6 years ± 2.2, mean baseline MMSE 26.2 years ± 7.1) were studied. All subjects had at least 2 verbal fluency observations to assess executive function. Patients were genotyped for rs1768208 using a custom pan-neurodegenerative disease SNP genotyping panel and were coded according to the number of risk (T) alleles (0,1,2). Linear mixed-effects models assessed the effect of genotype on performance changes over time. To evaluate the neuroanatomic basis for longitudinal decline, regression analyses related performance change in executive function to grey matter (GM) and white matter (WM). Results There was a significant dose-dependent genotype by time interaction (F[2, 29]=8.42; p=0.001) for declining performance on verbal fluency (B values refer to words per month): 2 risk alleles (B=0.48; p Conclusions Individuals with rs1768208 risk alleles are at risk for a rapid decline in executive function and this is related to more severe neurodegeneration in key frontal regions. These findings suggest that individual genetic variations contribute to heterogeneity in clinical progression.
Abstract WMP78: Prostaglandin D 2 DP1 Receptor Attenuates the Effects of Post-stroke Sleep Disturbance on Stroke Outcomes

Background: Post-stroke sleep disturbance is reported to be an indicator of poor stroke outcomes. The strategic location of the PGD2 DP1 receptor in specific brain regions regulating cerebrospinal ...
Salutary Response to Targeted Therapy in Anaplastic Thyroid Cancer

Context. Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is an aggressive tumor with a median survival of 3 to 9 months, a 1-year survival of less than 10% and without definitive therapies. Recently, in BRAF V600E...