cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
E-cigarette brand mocks tobacco control warning labels

It is a fact—new regulations are coming down the pike for e-cigarettes now that they fall under the FDA’s authority, as per the Deeming Rule enacted in August 2016. Ahead of new warning label requirements for e-cigarettes, one e-cigarette brand (Blu) has been poking fun at this tobacco control policy. Blu’s 2017 ‘Something Better’ print ad campaign prominently featured ad claims in the visual style of tobacco warning labels (‘Important: Contains flavor’; ‘Important: Vaping blu smells good’; ‘Important: No ashtrays needed’) (see figure 1). The fake and sarcastic ‘warnings’ are featured in large text boxes at the top of the ads, which ran in June–November 2017 issues of popular magazines including Esquire , ESPN , Rolling Stone and US Weekly . While e-cigarette ads are prohibited from making any overt claims that they are less harmful than tobacco cigarettes, some of the ‘warnings’ advertise other types of ‘harm-reduction’ benefits (eg, ‘Important: Less harmful to your wallet’). Figure 1 Ads …
Four transversal principles for putting Bourdieu to work

This article spotlights four transversal principles that animate Pierre Bourdieu’s research practice and can fruitfully guide inquiry on any empirical front: the Bachelardian imperative of epistemo...
How Mental Health Conditions Affect Online Use and Access

Adolescents with mood disorders, such as depression, anxiety, or attention deficit hyperactivity disorder, may suffer from social isolation and lack of self-esteem and may seek information on how to improve their ailments. The Internet and social media have the potential to be a source of health information and support for teens; however those with mood disorders may use Internet resources differently than peers without mental health concerns. Providers who routinely care for teens and young adults should be aware of the potential harms and advantages the Internet has to offer. Screening for problematic Internet usage as well as online harassment should occur while at the same time not ignoring the positive effects social media can have on allowing youth with mood disorders to remain connected with peers and providers alike.
Transportation and Deposition of Sand

Gravity acting alone moves sand down the slip slope of a dune, of an oversteepened submarine slope, and powers a debris flow. Continental and alpine glaciers also move sand and probably a significant number of the world’s sand grains have, at one time or another in their history, been transported by ice. But the dominant agents are water and wind. Although one can but surmise, probably every sand grain on earth, from loose sand on a modern Chilean beach to sand in an early Precambrian quartzite in Canada, has been transported millions of times by water and thousands of times by wind, either on a continental desert, in coastal dunes, or on a dry floodplain. Thus streams and rivers, tidal and longshore currents in shallow water, waves in shallow water, contour currents in deep water along continental margins, density currents in oceans and deep lakes, wind, and ash flows and falls from volcanic explosions are the dominant agents that transport and sort sand and segregate it from mud, silt, and coarse particles.
Criticality of Plutonium Nitrate Solutions Containing Borated Raschig Rings

Experimental criticality data on borated raschig rings in plutonium nitrate solutions are presented for use in establishing criticality safety limits and in verifying calculational methods for thes...
Itô’s Formula and Applications

Ito’s formula is establish for real-valued and \({\mathbb{R}}^d\)-valued continuous and arbitrary semimartingales and its use is illustrated by numerous examples. The relationship between the Ito and Stratonovich integrals is examined prior to presenting a broad range of applications of Ito’s formula. The applications include stochastic differential equations with Gaussian and non-Gaussian white noise, Tanaka’s formula, local solutions for a class of partial differential equations, and improved Monte Carlo estimates based on Girsanov’s theorem.
Visualizing sound waves with schlieren optics

10.1119/1.5042245.1 Using schlieren optics as a tool to see the invisible, we describe a technique of visualizing traveling ultrasonic (28 kHz) sound waves in real time. Suitable for lecture demonstration purposes or as an instructional laboratory experiment, our setup can readily demonstrate the reflection of sound waves from surfaces, diffraction effects around objects, interference, and standing waves. Additionally, the incorporation of color filters provides information such as gradient directions and sound wave phase differences not obtainable with just a white light source. As an example, acoustic standing waves are analyzed.
Principles of Secure Processor Architecture Design

With growing interest in computer security and the protection of the code and data which execute on commodity computers, the amount of hardware security features in today's processors has increased significantly over the recent years. No longer of just academic interest, security features inside processors have been embraced by industry as well, with a number of commercial secure processor architectures available today. This book aims to give readers insights into the principles behind the design of academic and commercial secure processor architectures. Secure processor architecture research is concerned with exploring and designing hardware features inside computer processors, features which can help protect confidentiality and integrity of the code and data executing on the processor. Unlike traditional processor architecture research that focuses on performance, efficiency, and energy as the first-order design objectives, secure processor architecture design has security as the first-order design objective (while still keeping the others as important design aspects that need to be considered). This book aims to present the different challenges of secure processor architecture design to graduate students interested in research on architecture and hardware security and computer architects working in industry interested in adding security features to their designs. It aims to educate readers about how the different challenges have been solved in the past and what are the best practices, i.e., the principles, for design of new secure processor architectures. Based on the careful review of past work by many computer architects and security researchers, readers also will come to know the five basic principles needed for secure processor architecture design. The book also presents existing research challenges and potential new research directions. Finally, this book presents numerous design suggestions, as well as discusses pitfalls and fallacies that designers should avoid.
Mesenchymal stem cell dysfunction in diabetes

Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a chronic disease that results in a variety of systemic complications. Recently, stem cell-based therapies have been proposed as potential modalities to manage DM related complications. Mesenchymal stem cell (MSC) based therapies are often considered as an ideal stem cell-based treatment for DM management due to their immunosuppressive characteristics, anti-inflammatory properties and differentiation potential. While MSCs show tremendous promise, the underlying functional deficits of MSCs in DM patients is not well understood. Using the MEDLINE database to define these functional deficits, our search yielded 1826 articles of which 33 met our inclusion criteria. This allowed us to review the topic and illuminate four major molecular categories by which MSCs are compromised in both Type 1 DM and Type II DM models which include: (1) changes in angiogenesis/vasculogenesis, (2) altered pro-inflammatory cytokine secretion, (3) increased oxidative stress markers and (4) impaired cellular differentiation and decreased proliferation. Knowledge of the deficits in MSC function will allow us to more clearly assess the efficacy of potential biologic therapies for reversing these dysfunctions when treating the complications of diabetic disease.
Optimal observer-based feedback control for linear fractional-order systems with periodic coefficients

This paper proposes a new technique to design an optimal observer-based feedback control for linear fractional-order systems with constant or periodic coefficients. The proposed observer-based feed...
Implications of high expression of miR17-92 cluster in ovarian cancer (OvCa) tissue found in long term survivors.

e12561 Background: Specific tissue miRNAs play an important role in tissue identity, differentiation and function. MiR-17-92 cluster is deleted in 20% of ovarian cancers. This is essential in embry...
Biomass Utilization: Economic Analysis of a Systems Approach

The economic feasibiity of any production process depends not only on prices but also on the possible ranges of physical possibilities and institutional permissibilities. Ideally, the economist would like to obtain from the physical scientist a set of alternative production functions that would permit analysis of all possible alternatives available in any society.
Statistical Learning Using Hierarchical Modeling of Probability Tensors

Estimating the joint distribution of data sampled from an unknown distribution is the holy grail for modeling the structure of a dataset and deriving any desired optimal estimator. Leveraging the mere definition of conditional probability, we address the complexity of accurately estimating high-dimensional joint distributions without any assumptions on the underlying structural model by proposing a novel hierarchical learning algorithm for probability mass function (PMF) estimation through parallel local views of a probability tensor. This way the overall problem of estimating a joint distribution is divided into multiple subproblems, all of which are conquered independently by applying regional low-rank non-negative tensor models using the Canonical Polyadic Decomposition (CPD). Using conditioning, such parallelization is possible without losing sight of the full model – which can be reconstructed from the local models and the conditional probabilities. We illustrate the effectiveness and potential of our approach through judicious experiments on real datasets.
School safety experiences of high school youth across sexual orientation and gender identity

Abstract School safety is considered a public health crisis with severe consequences on students' physical and emotional wellbeing. Although previous research highlights the disparities regarding safety in schools for LGBQ and transgender students, few studies examine the nuances between sexual orientation and gender identity. This study (N = 11,986) uses the 2015 Healthy Kids Colorado Study to examine differential experiences of school safety when looking at the various intersections of gender identity and sexual orientation. Logistic regression results indicate that school safety feeling safe at school), bullying, and skipping school due to feeling unsafe are shared experiences, especially among LGBQ and transgender youth, and that these experiences are differentially based on the intersection of sexual orientation and gender identity.
Mechanisms and evolution of resistance to environmental extremes in animals

When animals are exposed to an extreme environmental stress, one of three possible outcomes takes place: the animal dies, the animal avoids the environmental stress and survives, or the animal tolerates the environmental stress and survives. This review is concerned with the third possibility, and will look at mechanisms that rare animals use to survive extreme environmental stresses including freezing, desiccation, intense heat, irradiation, and low-oxygen conditions (hypoxia). In addition, an increasing understanding of the molecular mechanisms involved in environmental stress tolerance allows us to speculate on how these tolerances arose. Uncovering the mechanisms of extreme environmental stress tolerance and how they evolve has broad implications for our understanding of the evolution of early life on this planet, colonization of new environments, and the search for novel forms of life both on Earth and elsewhere, as well as a number of agricultural and health-related applications.
Fabrication of Ordered Arrays of Quantum Dot Molecules Based on the Design of Pyramidal Pit Patterns on Semiconductor Surfaces

We report computational results on the formation of complex nanostructures on surfaces of coherently strained thin films that are deposited epitaxially on semiconductor substrates with periodic pit...
Evaluation of the effects of neutron irradiation on first-generation corrosion mitigation coatings on SiC for accident-tolerant fuel cladding

Abstract High purity SiC and SiC/SiC composites coated with commercial TiN, Cr, CrN, or CrN/Cr multilayer coatings were irradiated in Ar or flowing PWR water in the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Nuclear Reactor Laboratory (MITR). Irradiation in Ar was performed in the core. In the water environment, identical samples were placed in one of three different locations: in-core, providing exposure to neutron damage and radiolysis-affected water; above-core, where samples were exposed to radiolysis-affected water but not neutron damage, or outside of the core, where samples were exposed to the coolant water without the effects of radiation. Radiation in Ar revealed significant cracking of all but the TiN coatings, attributed to differential swelling between the coating and substrate. Lattice swelling was not observed in any of the coatings, but 0.2% void swelling was observed in the Cr coating. All of the coatings failed during water exposures in the core. CrN/Cr spalled in each condition. Cr was protective, except under radiation damage as a result of cracking, and TiN severely degraded in the core with no coating was found following exposure. A SiC/coating ATF cladding system is expected to perform adequately following improvements in coating ductility and purity.
Load-bearing characteristic of methane hydrate within coarse-grained sediments – Insights from isotropic consolidation

Abstract Gas hydrate, as a solid pore constituent, can potentially share external load with sediment matrix, and critically impact geological evolution of its hosting sediments, well integration and sediment settlement during gas production depending on its contribution to support external loading. We aim to address the question of whether hydrate shares the load with the soil skeleton through isotropic consolidation experiments. Our results highlight the formation of methane hydrate does not affect the integrity of sediment skeletons if the effective stress previously applied on the skeleton remains constant, which indicates that methane hydrate would not actively support the load. Subsequent external load applied to the sediments after hydrate formation can be supported by hydrate. Secondly, hydrate as well as hydrate-bearing sediments exhibit creep behavior. As hydrate creeps, the load transfers to the sediment skeleton with time and hydrate gradually retreats from the status of load-bearing. When hydrate saturation is low and the coexisting pore fluid can percolate through sediments, the local deformation of hydrate due to sediment consolidation induces excess pore pressure, which dissipates by pushing out the pore fluid. When the coexisting pore fluid is enclosed in hydrate mass in high hydrate saturation environments, the dissipation of excess pore pressure relies on the viscous flow of hydrate. This pressure dissipation could last for millions of years according to analytical analysis based on Terzaghi's consolidation theory, during which hydrate cannot completely escape the status of load-bearing. These observations conclude that load-bearing is a dynamic status rather than a stagnant pore habit, countering conventional thinking that load-bearing joins grain-coating, cementing and pore-filling as a pore habit of gas hydrate.
Training tomorrow's scientists

In Equity in Science, Julie Posselt demonstrates how we can take steps to mitigate systemic discrimination in STEM education.
A Study of Quality Factor in SAW Resonators for SAW Gyroscope Applications

This paper is the first to investigate the quality factor (Q) in surface acoustic wave (SAW) resonators for SAW gyroscopes (SAWG) applications. This constitutes the first analytical and experimental evaluation of SAW loss mechanisms for orthogonal crystal symmetric Y-cut ±45° direction relative to Z-axis on both Lithium Niobate (LN) and Lithium Niobate on Insulator substrate (LNOI). This study demonstrates the ability to minimize the radiation, diffraction, beam steering and bulk scattering loss while exciting the SAW resonators with extremely thick tungsten electrodes (> 2% of acoustic wavelength), which are required to maximize the SAWG sensitivity. This investigation results in SAW devices exhibiting $Q_{total}$ approaching 15,000 and more than 14 × higher than conventional designs. This approach is the first step towards understanding and eliminating the sources of losses in SAWG, enabling the development of a new generation of high-performance MEMS SAW-based gyroscopes with high sensitivity and stability.
Is COVID-19 a Perfect Storm for Parkinson's Disease?

Three recent case reports (by Mendez-Guerrero et al.,Cohen et al., and Faber et al.) describe the development of acute parkinsonism following coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). We discuss possible underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms, and whether COVID-19 might be associated with elevated long-term risk of Parkinson's disease (PD).
From Taciturn to Talkative Political Economy

Deirdre McCloskey challenges economists to take talk seriously. Public choice economics, like most economics, typically assigns only a small role to various forms of talk between individuals. By contrast, throughout Richard Wagner’s oeuvre, there is an undercurrent of talk about talk. This essay argues that talk matters because of two keep assumptions in Wagner’s approach to public choice. First, talk matters to the extent that individuals are ignorant. There are different forms of ignorance in economic theory which allow talk to communicate different sorts of information. Knightian uncertainty, however, also opens up the possibility that talk can do more. Second, talk matters when individuals have tuistic motivations. When individuals are moved to act based on the actions and judgments of others, talk becomes motivating as well as informative. I illustrate the power of talk in Wagner’s approach by examining the classic arguments put forward in Democracy in Deficit.
Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo - The Supreme Court and Pandemic Controls.

The Supreme Court and Pandemic Controls In Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn v. Cuomo, the Supreme Court temporarily enjoined New York’s limits on in-person religious worship. The decision could h...
Intertemporal Pricing and Consumer Stockpiling

We study a dynamic pricing problem for a class of products with stable consumption patterns (e.g., household items, staple foods). Consumers may stock up the product at current prices for future consumption, but they incur inventory holding costs. We model this situation as a dynamic game over an infinite time horizon: in each period, the seller sets a price, and each consumer chooses how many units to buy. We develop a solution methodology based on rational expectations. By endowing each player with beliefs, we decouple the dynamic game into individual dynamic programs for each player. We solve for the rational expectations equilibrium, where all players make optimal dynamic decisions given correct beliefs about others' behavior. In equilibrium, the seller may either charge a constant fixed price or offer periodic price promotions at predictable time intervals. We show that promotions are useful when frequent shoppers are willing to pay more for the product than are occasional shoppers. We also develop several model extensions to study the impact of consumer stockpiling on the seller's inventory, production, and rationing strategies.
Closing the Loop: Review Process Factors Affecting Audit Staff Follow-Through: factors affecting audit staff follow-through

The PCAOB recently expressed concern regarding the sufficiency and effectiveness of review and supervision of audit fieldwork. For the audit review process to succeed as a quality control mechanism, any issues or questions identified by a reviewer must be adequately resolved and documented in the workpapers. If audit review fails to correct for errors/biases in the work of reviewees, there can be serious detrimental effects on audit quality and, in turn, financial statement quality. Our study extends the literature by examining the phase of the review process in which reviewees respond to (or “close”) notes/comments provided by their reviewers. Utilizing an experiment, we find that certain contextual factors (review timeliness and review note frame) influence reviewee follow-through during this critical phase. Specifically, we find that a delayed review elicits significantly lower effort levels than a timely review. Review note frame (i.e., how the reviewer phrases the rationale given for the underlying directive of a review note) significantly affects reviewee effort and performance when the review is timely. Through mediation analyses, we explore the mediating effect of effort on performance. In addition, we find that reviewer delay leads to greater over-documentation.
Directional population control beyond the exceptional point in a non-Hermitian system

In the context of dynamical control, non-Hermitian systems offer unique opportunities and challenges. In the simplest case of two interacting levels with gain and/or loss, the existence of an exceptional point (EP) of degeneracy in the chiral complex eigenvalue landscape fundamentally changes how the system responds to adiabatic changes in the coupling $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ and energy separation $\ensuremath{\delta}$ of the bare levels. In particular, previous studies have shown that selective population transfer can be achieved by adiabatically steering the system around closed paths that encircle the EP with the proper helicity in the $\ensuremath{\gamma}$ vs $\ensuremath{\delta}$ parameter space. Here we show that efficient state-selective population transfer can, in some cases, be achieved even with control loops that do not enclose the EP.
Molecular Subtypes of Primary SCLC Tumors and Their Associations With Neuroendocrine and Therapeutic Markers.

Abstract Introduction A new molecular subtype classification was recently proposed for SCLC. It is necessary to validate it in primary SCLC tumors by immunohistochemical (IHC) staining and define its clinical relevance. Methods We used IHC to assess four subtype markers (ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and YAP1) in 194 cores from 146 primary SCLC tumors. The profiles of tumor-associated CD3+ and CD8+ T-cells, MYC paralogs, SLFN11, and SYP were compared among different subtypes. Validation was performed using publicly available RNA sequencing data of SCLC. Results ASCL1, NEUROD1, POU2F3, and YAP1 were the dominant molecular subtypes in 78.2%, 5.6%, 7%, and 2.8% of the tumors, respectively; 6.3% of the tumors were negative for all four subtype markers. Notably, three cases were uniquely positive for YAP1. Substantial intratumoral heterogeneity was observed, with 17.6% and 2.8% of the tumors being positive for two and three subtype markers, respectively. The non-ASCL1/NEUROD1 tumors had more CD8+ T-cells and manifested more frequently an “inflamed” immunophenotype. L-MYC and MYC were more often associated with ASCL1/NEUROD1 subtypes and non-ASCL1/NEUROD1 subtypes, respectively. SLFN11 expression was absent in 40% of the tumors, especially those negative for the four subtype markers. SYP was often expressed in the ASCL1 and NEUROD1 subtypes and was associated with less tumor-associated CD8+ T-cells and a “desert” immunophenotype. Conclusions We validated the new molecular subtype classification in primary SCLC tumors by IHC and identified several intriguing associations between subtypes and therapeutic markers. The new subtype classification may potentially assist treatment decisions in SCLC.
Single Doppler radar and lidar studies of the dynamics of mixed layers and overlying stable regions

Some examples of profiles of PBL quantities retrieved from Doppler radar and lidar observations are shown, and the extent to which the deduced quantities agree with the traditional eddy viscosity concept is examined. It is found in one case that the concept of 'top down bottom up' diffusion introduced by Wyngaard (1983) is more pertinent than that of the eddy viscosity. In another case it is found that, in stable layers with sufficiently large Richardson number, the momentum fluxes could be counter-gradient. In this latter case the use of a negative turbulence diffusion coefficient would result in an ill-posed differential equation, thus confusing the 'diffusion problem'.
A Fractographic Investigation of Stress-Corrosion Cracking in High-Strength Steel Alloys

The fracture separation processes of stress-corrosion cracking (SCC) specimens ofsteels with yield strengths in the 700 to 1400 MPa (100 to 200-ksi) range were investigated by scanning electron microscopy. Plates from a variety of processes were tested and examined. These included the electric furnace, electroslag remelt, vacuum induction melt-vacuum arc remelt, and electric furnace-vacuum arc remelt processes. The materials were studied both in the as-received condition and after heat treatment. Stress-corrosion cracking tests were carried out on single-edge-notched, fatigue-precracked specimens by the cantilever beam method. The specimens were fractured under stress in an aqueous 3.5 percent sodium chloride solution while galvanically coupled to zinc. The modes of fracture at the fatigue-SCC interface, in the SCC zone, and in the overload area were investigated, and a correlation was drawn between the fracture mode, the microstructure, and the resistance of the steel alloy to stress-corrosion cracking.
Pulmonary Function Abnormalities in Thalassemia Patients on a Hypertransfusion Program

Pulmonary function tests were performed in 12 thalassemia patients on a hypertransfusion program (age 18.4 +/- 2.6 SEM years) to determine the presence of any abnormalities of lung function. These included spirometry, expiratory flow rates, body plethysmography, single-breath nitrogen washout, single breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity, and arterial blood gases. Only one patient had normal pulmonary function. Arterial hypoxemia was present in ten of 12 patients at rest. The total lung capacity (TLC) was normal. The residual volume was abnormally increased in five of 12 patients. The slope of phase III of single breath nitrogen washout curve was abnormal in five of 12 patients, but the closing volume was normal. The maximal expiratory flow rate at 60% total lung capacity was decreased in four of 12 patients, suggesting the presence of small airway disease. The single breath carbon monoxide diffusing capacity was normal in all patients. These pulmonary function abnormalities did not correlate with age or the cumulative amount of iron via blood transfused. The small airway obstruction, hyperinflation; and hypoxemia observed in thalassemia patients on a hypertransfusion program may result from the basic disease, iron deposition in the lungs, or other factors.
Indirect selection for grain protein and grain yield in winter wheat.

Increasing grain protein content is an important wheat breeding goal. Noaman & Taylor (1988b) showed the combination of protein content in the head, peduncle, and flag leaf of winter wheat at heading provided a good estimate for grain protein. The objectives of this research were to apply these results in indirect selection scheme for grain protein improvement and to study the heritability of protein content in these plant parts. Two random winter wheat populations from four parents in double crosses were used in this study. Sixty randon F2-derived F5 and F6 lines were grown in randomized complete block design with 3 replicates in two years. Significant differences for grain yield, grain protein, and vegetative protein content were detected among F5 and F6 lines in both populations. Genotypic and phenotypic correlations between grain protein and vegetative protein were significant and in agreement. Estimates of narrow sense heritability of protein content using variance components method ranged from 0.46 to 0.94 for leaf 2 and head in population 1, and from 0.63 to 0.89 for peduncle and head in population 2. Correlation coefficients (r) between predicted and observed grain protein ranged from 0.50 to 0.88 and from 0.37 to 0.84 in populations 1 and 2, respectively. The highest r was obtained from the combination of head, peduncle, and flag leaf protein at heading. Correlation between protein in plant parts and grain yield was small and not significant. The high heritability of vegetative protein at heading allows the identification of genotypes before pollination which are likely to produce high grain protein. Indirect selection for head, peduncle, and flag leaf protein should result in increased grain protein without yield reduction noted in other breeding schemes.
A physiological role of peptide YY on exocrine pancreatic secretion in rats

Abstract Background: Peptide YY (PYY) given intravenously was shown to inhibit pancreatic exocrine secretion both in the dog and the rat. However, a possible physiological role of PYY on the pancreatic secretion has not been clarified. The present study was undertaken to investigate its physiological role on the exocrine pancreas. Methods: In conscious rats, plasma PYY was determined in response to oral ingestion of a 6-mL meal and intravenous infusion of PYY; small intestinal transit time was measured by phenol red as a nonabsorbable marker, and pancreatic secretory studies were performed in rats with pancreatic fistulas and jugular vein catheters. Results: Oral ingestion of the meal (containing phenol red, 1.6 mg/100 mL) significantly increased plasma PYY within 30 minutes. During this period, most (97%) of the phenol red was detected in the proximal two-thirds of the small intestine. Intravenous infusion of PYY in 25, 50, and 100 pmol · kg −1 · h −1 produced a dose-dependent increase in plasma PYY. The dose of PYY that simulated the peak postprandial level was 50 pmol · kg −1 · h −1 , and this dose of PYY significantly inhibited the pancreatic secretion stimulated by physiological doses of secretin and cholecystokinin-8 (CCK-8). After the meal, pancreatic secretion of bicarbonate and protein significantly increased in rats pretreated with normal rabbit serum, whereas this increase was significantly augmented in rats pretreated with an anti-PYY serum because the postprandial increase in plasma PYY was abolished. Conclusions: PYY plays a regulatory role in the postprandial pancreatic exocrine secretion in rats.
Environmentally-aware security enforcement (EASE) for cooperative design and engineering

In cooperative design and engineering, work context has dramatic implications when it comes to building understanding and teams, and getting the work done. From an information security perspective, the context of operation for software or hardware can drive the expectations for security, and may indeed determine the levels of security policy that would be required for collaborative operation. There is a place in this domain for proactive, context-based security implementation. This paper describes a context-centric security enforcement system intended for cooperative design and engineering environments that we call: Environment-Aware Security Enforcement (EASE). We describe the application of this approach to an existing client-server, e-manufacturing application.
Inorganic salts dissolved in non-aqueous or in mixed solvents—VII: Conductance studies of iron-group chlorides dissolved in methanol

Abstract Here are reported conductance data at 20° and 45°C for CaCl2, CaCl2·2H2O, CrCl3 ·6H2O, MnCl2·4H2O, FeCl2, FeCl2·2H2O, CuCl2, CuCl2·2H2O and ZnCl2 dissolved separately in methanol. The ratio, f, (conductance at 45° / conductance at 20°C) is independent of the salt concentration for all except ZnCl2 which is an exception because its R value is less than one. For the calcium, iron (II) and copper (II) chlorides, R is independent of the presence of water of hydration.
Optimizing efficiency and performance for single-phase photovoltaic inverter with Dual-Half Bridge converter Yuzhi Zhang

An isolated photovoltaic converter for residential use and its control strategies are investigated in this paper. This technique provides galvanic isolation and simplified control while still meeting high conversion efficiencies and wide input voltage range requirements. Through designing the equivalent resonant capacitor and inductor, zero-voltage switching (ZVS) and zero-current switching (ZCS) are realized. Efficiency is dramatically increased by reducing the circulating energy during each switching cycle. In order to analyze the resonant converter and achieve better performance, an optimal state-trajectory control is investigated and implemented. To significantly reduce the voltage error and achieve a better transient response for the grid-tied mode operation, the proposed direct-quadrature (D-Q) frame control is used instead of a normal PID control for the inverter. Simulation and experimental results reported in this paper verify the functionality of the proposed topology and the respective controller for optimizing efficiency and performance.
The role of chemotherapy in the treatment of gynecologic malignancy

Abstract 1. 1. A series of 454 patients with advanced or recurrent gynecologic malignancy treated with various chemotherapeutic agents has been presented. 2. 2. In a group of 280 patients with advanced carcinoma of the ovary, an objective regression of the lesion was observed in 50 per cent of the cases treated with chlorambucil. Approximately one half of the patients showing an initial objective regression may have a sustained remission by the administration of a maintenance type of therapy. 3. 3. In patients with advanced carcinoma of the endometrium, 18 per cent of the patients treated with hydroxyprogesterone caproate had an objective regression of the tumor. 4. 4. None of the agents used in this study were found to be consistently effective in a significant number of patients with either advanced carcinoma of the cervix or the vulva. 5. 5. In a group of 28 patients with an established diagnosis of choriocarcinoma who were able to receive an adequate course of Methotrexate therapy 66 per cent have had a remission of the disease for one to 8 years.
The Effect of BASIC Programming Language Instruction on High School Students’ Problem Solving Ability and Computer Anxiety

AbstractThe purpose of this study was to investigate the relationship between BASIC programming language instruction and high school students’ problem solving skills and computer anxiety. Specific attention was placed on five critical issues concerning this area of research: (a) sufficient attention to problem solving theory, (b) issues related to the programming treatment, (c) the programming language selected and the method of instruction, (d) system-related issues, and (e) the selection of an appropriate sample. Twenty-two high school students participated in a 15-week computer treatment, 11 of whom received BASIC instruction and the other 11 received general Computer Literacy instruction. Students in the BASIC treatment group showed a significant increase in their problem solving ability, whereas the students in the Computer Literacy treatment did not. Although both groups did show a significant decrease in computer anxiety, there was no significant difference between the groups. There were also signi...
A New Minimum Cost Flow Algorithm with Applications to Graph Drawing

Let N be a single-source single-sink flow network with n nodes, m arcs, and positive arc costs. We present a pseudo-polynomial algorithm that computes a maximum flow of minimum cost for N in time O(χ3/4m√log n), where χ is the cost of the flow. This improves upon previously known methods for networks where the minimum cost of the flow is small. We also show an application of our flow algorithm to a well-known graph drawing problem. Namely, we show how to compute a planar orthogonal drawing with the minimum number of bends for an n- vertex embedded planar graph in time O(n7/4√log n). This is the first subquadratic algorithm for bend minimization. The previous best bound for this problem was O(n2 log n) [19].
Architectural exploration for analog system synthesis

Since the newer generation of ASICs include larger analog content, and are increasingly mixed-signal in nature, it is imperative that novel design methodologies be developed to address the design of mixed analog-digital systems. While high-level synthesis has received significant attention in the digital domain, efforts are in the nascent stage for the analog domain. In this paper we explore analog system synthesis, and focus on the design space exploration and architecture selection process.
Deformability in the cleavage site of primary microRNA is not sensed by the double-stranded RNA binding domains in the microprocessor component DGCR8.

The prevalence of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) in eukaryotic cells has only recently been appreciated. Of interest here, RNA silencing begins with dsRNA substrates that are bound by the double-stranded RNA binding domains (dsRBDs) of their processing proteins. Specifically, processing of microRNA (miRNA) in the nucleus minimally requires the enzyme Drosha and its dsRBD-containing cofactor protein, DGCR8. The smallest recombinant construct of DGCR8 that is sufficient for in vitro dsRNA binding, referred to as DGCR8-Core, consists of its two dsRBDs and a C-terminal tail. Because dsRBDs rarely recognize the nucleotide sequence of dsRNA, it is reasonable to hypothesize that DGCR8 function is dependent on recognition of specific structural features in the miRNA precursor. Previously, we demonstrated that non-canonical structural elements that promote RNA flexibility within the stem of miRNA precursors are necessary for efficient in vitro cleavage by reconstituted Microprocessor complexes. Here we combine gel shift assays with in vitro processing assays to demonstrate that neither the N-terminal dsRBD of DGCR8 in isolation, nor the DGCR8-Core construct, are sensitive to the presence of non-canonical structural elements within the stem of miRNA precursors, or to single-stranded segments flanking the stem. Extending DGCR8-Core to include an N-terminal heme-binding region does not change our conclusions. Thus, our data suggest that while the DGCR8-Core region is necessary for dsRNA binding and recruitment to the Microprocessor, it is not sufficient to establish the previously observed connection between RNA flexibility and processing efficiency.
Study designs for identifying risk compensation behavior among users of biomedical HIV prevention technologies: balancing methodological rigor and research ethics.

The growing evidence base for biomedical HIV prevention interventions – such as oral pre-exposure prophylaxis, microbicides, male circumcision, treatment as prevention, and eventually prevention vaccines – has given rise to concerns about the ways in which users of these biomedical products may adjust their HIV risk behaviors based on the perception that they are prevented from infection. Known as risk compensation, this behavioral adjustment draws on the theory of “risk homeostasis,” which has previously been applied to phenomena as diverse as Lyme disease vaccination, insurance mandates, and automobile safety. Little rigorous evidence exists to answer risk compensation concerns in the biomedical HIV prevention literature, in part because the field has not systematically evaluated the study designs available for testing these behaviors. The goals of this Commentary are to explain the origins of risk compensation behavior in risk homeostasis theory, to reframe risk compensation as a testable response to the perception of reduced risk, and to assess the methodological rigor and ethical justification of study designs aiming to isolate risk compensation responses. Although the most rigorous methodological designs for assessing risk compensation behavior may be unavailable due to ethical flaws, several strategies can help investigators identify potential risk compensation behavior during Phase II, Phase III, and Phase IV testing of new technologies. Where concerns arise regarding risk compensation behavior, empirical evidence about the incidence, types, and extent of these behavioral changes can illuminate opportunities to better support the users of new HIV prevention strategies. This Commentary concludes by suggesting a new way to conceptualize risk compensation behavior in the HIV prevention context.
U.S. medical resident familiarity with national tuberculosis guidelines

Background The ability of medical residents training at U.S. urban medical centers to diagnose and manage tuberculosis cases has important public health implications. We assessed medical resident knowledge about tuberculosis diagnosis and early management based on American Thoracic Society guidelines.
Evaluation of solar cell material parameters using a non-destructive microwave technique

Abstract A non-destructive microwave technique has been developed and implemented for measuring the most important parameters in solar cell materials: resistivity, mobility and minority carrier lifetime. The technique consists in observing the change in microwave reflection when the sample is placed in front of a specially built and well-calibrated antenna. Use of a d.c. magnetic field and of a pulse of light allows measurement of the majority carrier mobility and minority carrier lifetime. Application of these techniques to simple structures makes possible the measurement of interface recombination velocity and diffusion constant. Magnetoresistance measurements have been made to determine electron mobility in semi-insulating GaAs at room temperature.
Microrheology of freestanding lipid bilayers

The macroscopic material properties of cellular membranes, determined by the composition and interactions of their constituent lipids, are important factors in the structure and function of all living cells. Fluidity is a key material property of membranes, yet the underlying lipid bilayer viscosity and other rheological parameters remain poorly quantified.We adopt recently developed microrheological methods to study multiple composite freestanding “black” lipid membranes. Using high speed video particle tracking, we monitor dynamics of membrane-anchored nano- and micro-particles across a range of temperatures that span bilayer phase transitions. Two particle spatial correlation functions and the complex shear modulus are extracted from such measurements and provide information about fundamental membrane material properties. We find striking and previously unreported signatures of viscoelasticity in these lipid bilayers whose properties are sensitive to the bilayers' temperature dependent liquid ordered to liquid disordered phase transitions.View Large Image | View Hi-Res Image | Download PowerPoint Slide
Transgenic approach to hepatitis B virus liver damage.

This study investigates the role of the immune system in the pathogenesis of hepatic injury during hepatitis B virus infection. A transgenic mouse line containing the gene sequences for the hepatitis B virus envelope region (pre-S1, pre-S2, and HBs Ags) ligated to mouse albumin regulatory sequences was developed. Mice of this lineage did not contract spontaneous liver disease and were immunologically tolerant to pre-S and HBs Ags. Nontransgenic mice of the same lineage were immunized with a recombinant vaccinia virus containing the coding region for the HBs polypeptide. Spleen cells from immunized mice were transferred into the transgenic mice. The recipient transgenic mice exhibited prompt falls in serum HBsAg, appearance of serum anti-HBsAg and biphasic patterns of serum ALT elevation. The first rise in serum ALT (3 to 7 days after spleen cell transfer) appeared to be due to antibody-mediated cell injury because it could be reproduced by administration of serum from immunized, nontransgenic mice to transgenic mice. The second rise in ALT, at 14 to 21 days, occurred long after disappearance of serum HBsAg and was associated with histological evidence of liver cell necrosis and infiltration of the liver by lymphocytes. In other experiments, the pattern of delayed injury was reproduced by transfer of specific cytotoxic Lyt 2+ (CD8) T cells from immunized nontransgenic mice to transgenic mice, suggesting a role for cytotoxic T lymphocyte—mediated immune injury. Further studies using a cytotoxic T lymphocyte cell line specifically sensitized to HBsAg suggested that (a) cytotoxicity was specifically directed against cells that expressed a small region of the HBsAg; (b) cytotoxicity was major histocompatibility complex—restricted (i.e. cells expressing HBsAg but not identical major histocompatibility complex antigens were not killed); (c) cytotoxicity was enhanced if target cells were pretreated with γ-interferon, which presumably enhances expression of major histocompatibility complex antigens; and (d) cytotoxicity and liver cell injury could be reproduced in vivo by transfer of HBsAg-directed cytotoxic T cell lines back into transgenic mice (which express hepatitis B antigens). In summary, transgenic mice were raised that expressed HBV-encoded antigens at the hepatocyte surface in a form recognizable by both major histocompatibility complex class I—restricted cytotoxic T lymphocytes and envelope-specific antibodies. The resultant liver cell injury indicates that chronic HBV infection may be mediated by antigenspecific, cell-mediated responses. Finally, these studies also suggest a role (perhaps minor) for viral antibodies in hepatocyte injury.
The distally based radial forearm fascia-fat flap for treatment of recurrent de Quervain's tendonitis * **

A radial fascial flap has been described as a valuable and versatile option to provide appropriate tissue coverage of tendons, nerves, and soft tissues in the forearm and hand. We report the use of this distally based radial forearm fascia-fat flap to create a fascial tube to treat recurrent de Quervain's tendonitis.
Comparing the predictive powers of alternative multiple regression models

Mean squared error of prediction is used as the criterion for determining which of two multiple regression models (not necessarily nested) is more predictive. We show that an unrestricted (or true) model witht parameters should be chosen over a restricted (or misspecified) model withm parameters if (Pt2−Pm2)>(1−Pt2)(t−m)/n, wherePt2 andPm2 are the population coefficients of determination of the unrestricted and restricted models, respectively, andn is the sample size. The left-hand side of the above inequality represents the squared bias in prediction by using the restricted model, and the right-hand side gives the reduction in variance of prediction error by using the restricted model. Thus, model choice amounts to the classical statistical tradeoff of bias against variance. In practical applications, we recommend thatP2 be estimated by adjustedR2. Our recommendation is equivalent to performing theF-test for model comparison, and using a critical value of 2−(m/n); that is, ifF>2−(m/n), the unrestricted model is recommended; otherwise, the restricted model is recommended.