cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Integration of Forearm sEMG Signals with IMU Sensors for Trajectory Planning and Control of Assistive Robotic Arm

Patients with issues such as cerebral palsy, spinal cord injury, and multiple sclerosis have difficulties with activities of daily living (ADL). Their abilities to perform tasks can be improved through vigorous physical therapy. When that therapy is either not effective or lacking in its progression an assistive robotic device can be used to improve patients’ quality of life and help them in accomplishing ADL’s. This study presents implementation of an EMG controlled assistive robotic arm to aid patients with upper limb mobility limitations. Using the MYO armband, EMG signals were obtained from three healthy human test subjects and were analyzed in MATLAB® Simulink®. Post signal acquisition, signals were classified to be used as inputs for a Kinova MICO 6 DOF manipulator. Trajectories are planned based on the user EMG signals and robot position data obtained from the Polhemus 6D motion tracker, an IMU-type sensor, which automatically provide position and orientation data. An inverse dynamics controller is developed to drive the robot joints accordingly. Results have shown that the classification accuracy of the EMG signals to control commands for the robot was greater than 90%. The classification accuracy was achieved through the use of a pattern recognition neural network. This preliminary investigation demonstrates the possible future implementation of the system for its intended application.
Mediating Islamic State| The Geopolitics of Television Drama and the “Global War on Terror”: Gharabeeb Soud Against Islamic State

This article examines the television program Gharabeeb Soud ( GS ), which aired on the Saudi-owned media channel MBC in May and June 2017. Described by MBC as part of a global campaign to counter the group that calls itself Islamic State (IS), GS focuses on the lives of women IS recruits. Analyzing GS ’s funding, production, intertextuality, genre, and reception, this article articulates the show as a form of entertainment-education at the intersection of Saudi domestic policy, U.S. foreign policy, and MBC’s transnational market considerations. We find that GS is a new type of “edutainment” that exploits the affordances of television drama to make a geopolitical and multifaceted intervention: The intervention is geopolitical because it targets a transnational nonstate actor like IS. It is multifaceted because it operates strategically to counter the IS narrative, rhetorically to suture Saudi and U.S. agendas, and discursively and affectively in its focus on women. Further, GS highlights the limitation of intentionality in constructing strategic popular communication as the program crosses a red line through its melodramatic portrayal of traumatic, real-world events. The series contributes to communication theory by emphasizing (1) the shifting nature of entertainment-education in the transnational media landscape and (2) the analytical significance of affect in the analysis of popular culture and strategic communication.
Practice Paradigms Before and After Introduction of the Diagnosis-Noninvasive Follicular Thyroid Neoplasm with Papillary-Like Nuclear Features (NIFTP): an Institutional Experience

The recently adopted terminology of “Noninvasive follicular thyroid neoplasm with papillary-like nuclear features” (NIFTP) reflects the indolent behavior of these tumors. In contrast to conventional papillary thyroid carcinomas, NIFTP can be managed conservatively. The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in surgical and pathologic practice patterns at our institution since the introduction of the NIFTP diagnosis in 2016. A retrospective analysis of all thyroid specimens received in our laboratory between January 2015 and April 2017 was performed. The final cohort consisted of 1508 thyroidectomy specimens from 1508 patients (1153 (76.5%) women and 355 (23.5%) men), of which 1011 (67%) were total thyroidectomies and 497 (33%) were partial thyroidectomies. There were 558 (69.2%) total thyroidectomies and 248 (30.8%) partial thyroidectomies performed prior to introduction of the NIFTP diagnosis and 453 (64.5%) and 249 (35.5%) total and partial thyroidectomies, respectively, after the change in nomenclature. Within a year following the initial use of this diagnosis, 67 NIFTP cases were identified (9.5% of all thyroidectomies), whereas compared with the year preceding it, malignant diagnoses decreased from 54.5 (439) to 44.6% (313), and the benign category remained unchanged from 44.5 (367) to 45.9% (322). For the entirely submitted 67 NIFTP cases, the mean number of blocks submitted was 14.7 (0.98 blocks/g); for malignant lesions 17.7 (0.92 blocks/g); and for benign lesions 16.6 (0.75 blocks/g). The results of our study suggest that NIFTP are encountered in almost 10% of thyroidectomies at our institution with expected shifts in cytology and surgical pathology diagnoses as a result of the change in nomenclature. During this time period, significant shifts towards less aggressive surgical management were not observed. All 67 NIFTP nodules were submitted entirely with no significant difference in the number of cassettes submitted for NIFTP nodules as compared with follicular variant papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC), classic variant PTC, or follicular adenoma.
Myocardial hypoattenuation in cardiac sarcoidosis: CT correlation with CMR, PET and SPECT

We report a marked abnormality in myocardial attenuation on non-gated contrast-enhanced CT in a patient with multiorgan sarcoidosis and correlate our findings with CMR, PET and SPECT. The noteworthy observation of myocardial hypoattenuation, in correspondence with the multimodality cardiovascular imaging findings, suggests that standard contrast-enhanced CT may provide information regarding tissue characterization. This report also demonstrates the independent clinical utility of CMR and PET in the evaluation and management of cardiac sarcoidosis.
37/67-laminin receptor facilitates neural crest cell migration during enteric nervous system development

Enteric nervous system (ENS) development is governed by interactions between neural crest cells (NCC) and the extracellular matrix (ECM). Hirschsprung disease (HSCR) results from incomplete NCC migration and failure to form an appropriate ENS. Prior studies implicate abnormal ECM in NCC migration failure. We performed a comparative microarray of the embryonic distal hindgut of wild-type and EdnrBNCC-/- mice that model HSCR and identified laminin-β1 as upregulated in EdnrBNCC-/- colon. We identified decreased expression of 37/67 kDa laminin receptor (LAMR), which binds laminin-β1, in human HSCR myenteric plexus and EdnrBNCC-/- NCC. Using a combination of in vitro gut slice cultures and ex vivo organ cultures, we determined the mechanistic role of LAMR in NCC migration. We found that enteric NCC express LAMR, which is downregulated in human and murine HSCR. Binding of LAMR by the laminin-β1 analog YIGSR promotes NCC migration. Silencing of LAMR abrogated these effects. Finally, applying YIGSR to E13.5 EdnrBNCC-/- colon explants resulted in 80%-100% colonization of the hindgut. This study adds LAMR to the large list of receptors through which NCC interact with their environment during ENS development. These results should be used to inform ongoing integrative, regenerative medicine approaches to HSCR.
Smoke-Induced Inhalation Injury: Effects of Retinoic Acid and Antisense Oligodeoxynuceotide on Stability and Differentiated State of the Mucociliary Epithelium

Rabbit tracheal explants, exposed to burning pine wood smoke, were cultured in a chemically defined medium with and without retinoic acid (±RA). Exposures of 15–20 minute led to RA-independent degeneration of the mucociliary epithelial sheath. In 10 minute exposures tissue integrity was retained, but epithelial morphology changed from normal pseudostratified columnar to the flattened appearance typical of the squamous phenotype. Despite the dramatic shift in morphology, explants exhibited normal RA-dependent mucin gene expression characteristic of the mucociliary phenotype. Furthermore, electron micrographs showed continued presence of both secretory granules and cilia. RA(+) cultures also showed a normal pattern of adherent epithelial cells. In RA(−) cultures, however, there were prominent intercellular spaces indicating an RA dependence for maintaining adhesive contacts following smoke exposure. An 18-mer mucin antisense oligomer that suppressed mucin gene expression also unexpectedly blocked the smoke induced metaplasia in RA(+) cultures, but the sense oligomer had no effect.
Evaluating the Interoperability of Urban Air Mobility Systems and Airports

This paper investigates how existing arrival and departure procedures can be directly used or adapted to enable high-volume instrument and visual urban air mobility (UAM) flight operations at major...
Immersion in the search for effective cancer immunotherapies.

Real innovations in medicine and science are historic and singular; the stories behind each occurrence are precious. At Molecular Medicine we have established the Anthony Cerami Award in Translational Medicine to document and preserve these histories. The monographs recount the seminal events as told in the voice of the original investigators who provided the crucial early insight. These essays capture the essence of discovery, chronicling the birth of ideas that created new fields of research and launched trajectories that persisted and ultimately influenced how disease is prevented, diagnosed, and treated. In this volume, the Cerami Award Monograph is by Steven A. Rosenberg, Chief of Surgery at the National Cancer Institute in Bethesda, Maryland, USA. A pioneer in the development of immunotherapies and gene therapies for advanced cancers, this is the story of Dr. Rosenberg’s scientific journey.
Immune-Mediated Glycocalyx Remodeling in Hospitalized COVID-19 Patients.

Vascular and immune dysfunction are hallmarks of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infections and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19). Although our understanding of the pathogenesis of COVID-19 has rapidly evolved, much of the focus has been on the immune mechanisms underlying COVID-19. In addition to immune dysfunction, vascular injury is also associated with COVID-19 and is a major driver of clinical deterioration in SARS-CoV-2 infections. The glycocalyx (GAC), a sugar-based shell that surrounds all mammalian cells, is an important regulator of vascular and immune responses. In sepsis, vascular dysfunction contributes to acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) by altering vessel integrity, promoting thrombosis, and accelerating inflammation, all of which are also present in COVID-19. Observational studies in sepsis have found an association between levels of circulating GAC degradation products with both organ dysfunction and mortality. Although vascular dysfunction is a hallmark of COVID-19, it remains unclear whether GAC disruption occurs in COVID-19 and if GAC disruption contributes to the clinical progression of COVID-19. In this prospective cohort study, we measured the GAC components syndecan-1 (SDC1) and hyaluronan (Hyal) along with inflammatory cytokines in 12 hospitalized COVID-19 patients and 8 healthy controls (HC). In agreement with other studies, we found that inflammatory cytokines are elevated in hospitalized COVID-19 patients compared with HC [median (IQR), all units picograms per milliliter: IL-6 4.65 (3.32–9.16) vs 0.69 (0.55–0.89), p < 0.001; TNFα 4.49 (1.87–8.03) vs 0.04 (0.04–0.84), p < 0.001]. Additionally, we found that the GAC components SDC1 and Hyal are also elevated in COVID-19 patients [median (IQR), all units picograms per milliliter: SDC1: 247.37 (101.43–458.26) vs 84.8 (52.88–123.59), p = 0.036; Hyal: 26.41 (16.4–35.1) vs 3.01 (1.66–4.61), p < 0.001]. We propose that GAC markers offer insights into the pathobiology of COVID-19, potentially guide therapeutic approaches, and could aid in early risk stratification that is particularly beneficial in phasic diseases such as COVID-19.
Peak flow rate is the best predictor of acute urinary retention following prostate brachytherapy: our experience and literature review.

Objectives: We prospectively investigated risk factors for acute urinary retention (AUR) following transperineal radioactive seed implantation for prostate cancer. Methods: A total of 273 consecutive patients underwent transperineal ultrasound-guided prostate brachytherapy for clinical T1c–T3b prostate cancer. Preoperative factors included age; International Prostate Symptom score; planimetric prostate and transition volumes (TZV) measured by transrectal ultrasound; peak flow rate; post-void residual urine; neoadjuvant hormone therapy; use of pelvic radiation; and T stage. Intra- and postoperative factors included the number of seeds and needles. Results: Ten patients (3.6%) showed AUR requiring catheterization. Among preoperative factors, age, International Prostate Symptom score, planimetric prostate volume, planimetric prostate volume and radiation therapy (RT) were not significantly correlated with AUR. PFR (P = 0.012) and PVR (P = 0.020) of patients having AUR were significantly higher than those not having AUR. Mean TZV was also significantly higher (P = 0.038) in the AUR group univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis showed that PFR is the only independent predictor of AUR (P = 0.030). Conclusion: On univariate analysis, PFR, PVR and TZV were found to be statistically significant predictors of AUR following seed implantation. According to multivariate analysis, only PFR was confirmed to be a significant predictor.
It Takes a Militia: A Communitarian Case for Compulsory Arms Bearing

In this Essay, the authors demonstrate that Communitarians and militias actually have more in common than it might at first appear. Summarizing the Communitarian agenda, the authors note that Communitarians speak a language that would be readily understood by the Framers, who saw militias as an important vehicle through which civic virtue could be transmitted.
An algorithmic interactive planning framework in support of sustainable technologies

Traditional planning, where the operators plan adequate resources to meet forecasted demand by using only centralized power plant, will soon become obsolete as the new technologies become readily available. In this paper we are proposing a new framework to evaluate candidate technologies and to coordinate the different entities inter-contextually, inter-temporally and inter-spatially. The proposed framework enables for the best technology to be selected and reduces a risk in the long-term planning.
‘Drenched in the past:’ the evolution of market-oriented reforms in New Orleans

As the city with the largest charter-school market share in the United States, New Orleans, Louisiana exemplifies market-oriented models in education. For a city that is so ‘drenched in the past,’ the reform movement in New Orleans typically neglects historical context, often dismissing the education system pre-Katrina as simply corrupt and dysfunctional. This is an incomplete story. While national narratives and news media tend to downplay these features, there is no local consensus on the reforms. There is mistrust on both sides of the debate, and a growing opposition movement, which arises from decades of racial and political struggles, corrupt public officials, and previous experiences with the state exerting power over locally elected school boards, which disenfranchised African-Americans in New Orleans in particular. Although the new, post-Katrina educational system significantly altered political dynamics, it has not eradicated politics altogether. In this paper, I conduct a policy history of educa...
Adrenal Regulation of Regional Brain Angiotensinogen Content

The present study was designed to determine the effects of bilateral adrenalectomy and subsequent treatment with corticosterone on regional brain and plasma levels of angiotensinogen in the male Sprague-Dawley rat. Simultaneous measurements of [3H]deoxyglucose accumulation in brain regions provided an indicator of regional neural activity and, indirectly, of blood flow. Adrenalectomy reduced angiotensinogen content significantly in the preoptic area, anterior hypothalamus, periaqueductal grey, area postrema, and plasma. Replacement therapy with corticosterone (1 mg/day for 4 days, sc) reversed the effect of adrenalectomy in all regions listed above and increased angiotensinogen content in the septum and mediobasal hypothalamus. There was no correlation between deoxyglucose accumulation and angiotensinogen content of brain regions in either sham-operated or adrenalectomized animals. Lastly, an attempt was made to determine the effect of adrenalectomy on endogenous brain angiotensin I and II. Endogenous ang...
Epidermal growth factor-related peptides and the epidermal growth factor receptor in normal and malignant prostate

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) and transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF alpha) are two closely related peptides that interact with cell-surface epidermal growth factor receptors (EGFR) to induce receptor tyrosine phosphorylation and activation of intracellular signal-transduction pathways. EGF appears to be the predominant EGF-related growth factor in the normal prostate and in benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH). Evidence indicates that EGF and TGF alpha are important for maintainence of the structural and functional integrity of the benign prostatic epithelium. The EGF-related peptides are primarily localized to the secretory epithelium of the benign prostate, and their production and secretion is augmented by the presence of circulating androgens. EGFR are located in the basal/neuroendocrine (NE) compartment of the benign prostate and exhibit relatively androgen-independent expression. The EGF-related peptides and EGFR are also present in neoplastic prostatic tissues. There is currently no direct evidence to implicate EGFR activation in the pathogenesis of BPH. However, the EGF-related peptides appear to play a functional role in the growth of prostatic carcinoma cells, with TGF alpha being the predominant growth factor. Numerous investigators have demonstrated the functional significance of a TGF alpha/EGFR-mediated autocrine growth pathway in cultured prostatic carcinoma cells. Studies of cultured prostate cancer cells, but not normal epithelial cells, demonstrate constitutive activation of EGFR. Androgen-independent cancer cells exhibit more EGFR expression and phosphorylation than do androgen-responsive prostate cancer cells. Most studies indicate that EGFR do not play a functional role in androgen-stimulated growth of prostate cancer cells. Several studies have correlated EGFR expression with increased nuclear size and tumor dedifferentiation. Future studies should focus on determining both the prognostic significance of EGFR expression and whether manipulation of EGFR-mediated growth can be exploited for therapeutic benefit in human prostate cancer.
Differential Regulation of Sphingomyelinase and Ceramidase Activities by Growth Factors and Cytokines IMPLICATIONS FOR CELLULAR PROLIFERATION AND DIFFERENTIATION

Abstract Sphingosine is a product of sphingolipid metabolism that has been linked to a protein kinase C-independent mitogenic response. In previously published data, utilizing an in vitro model system for platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF)-induced vascular smooth muscle proliferation, we have demonstrated that sphingosine is increased at the expense of a concomitant decrease in ceramide formation, implicating an altered ceramidase activity. To explore mechanisms of growth factor-stimulated sphingosine formation, we have developed and investigated a cell-free model system assessing ceramidase activity. We now report that an alkaline, membrane-associated, ceramidase activity in the rat glomerular mesangial cell, a smooth muscle-like pericyte, is up-regulated by growth factors, apparently via a tyrosine kinase phosphorylation mechanism. PDGF also stimulated sphingomyelinase activity which generates sufficient substrate to drive the subsequent ceramidase reaction. Inflammatory cytokines, including interleukin-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α, stimulated sphingomyelinase but not ceramidase activity, a result consistent with the cellular accumulation of the ceramide, apoptidic, differentiating second messenger. Mitogenic vasoconstrictor peptides such as endothelin-1 stimulated neither sphingomyelinase nor ceramidase activities. An inhibitor of ceramidase activity, N-oleoylethanolamine, reduced PDGF- but not endothelin-1-stimulated proliferation. Thus, we conclude that, in mesangial cells, growth factors but not vasoconstrictor peptides or cytokines induce mitogenesis, in part, through ceramidase-mediated sphingosine formation.
Dense IgG4 plasma cell infiltrates associated with chronic infectious aortitis: implications for the diagnosis of IgG4-related disease

Abstract Background IgG4-related aortitis is a newly recognized form of noninfectious aortitis that occurs as part of the spectrum of a systemic disease referred to as IgG4-related disease. IgG4-related aortitis is distinguished from giant cell aortitis and Takayasu aortitis in part by the presence of increased numbers of IgG4-expressing plasma cells. Chronic infectious aortitis can also display lymphoplasmacytic infiltrates, but the degree of IgG4 expression in these cases has not been specifically evaluated. Methods Two cases of chronic active infectious abdominal aortitis were prospectively identified. Both were due to gram-positive bacteria, and at least one of the cases was due to chronic active Staphylococcus aureus infection. The degree of IgG4 plasma cell infiltration was assessed by immunohistochemistry. Results Both cases of chronic infectious aortitis focally displayed high levels of IgG4-expressing plasma cells, greater than 50% of the IgG-expressing plasma cells, and greater than 50 IgG4-expressing plasma cells per high-power field. Conclusions Focal dense IgG4 plasma cell infiltrates can be seen in association with chronic infectious aortitis due to gram-positive bacteria, including Staphylococcus aureus . This observation supports the proposal that chronic Staphylococcus aureus infection may stimulate a Th2-mediated elevation in IgG4. The pathologic diagnosis of IgG4-related aortitis should not be based solely on the presence of increased IgG4 plasma cell counts from immunohistochemistry, but requires consideration of the overall pathology, including careful exclusion of infectious aortitis.
Eye-in-water electrophysiological mapping of goldfish with and without tectal lesions.

Abstract An eye-in-water electrophysiological recording method was used to map accurately the retinotectal projection of normal goldfish, and the results were compared with those obtained using the more customary technique of recording with the eye in air. In air, the receptive fields were found not only enlarged, as expected from the extreme myopia, but were also shifted toward the periphery by as much as 25°, resulting in a sizable deficit in the map. In view of this mapping error, the eye-in-water technique was used to reinvestigate the projection plasticity previously found with the eye-in-air recording method. After ablation of the posterior half-tectum or medial quartertectum, with and without optic nerve crush, recordings were obtained in 40 fish, 1 to 18 months postsurgically. The results substantially confirmed that compression, whereby the visual field, including regions surgically deprived of their normal target zones, comes to project onto the tectal remnant in compressed retinotopic fashion, but the compression found was not homogeneous and as complete as previously thought. Rather, the degree of compression was greatest near the lesion and progressively decreased toward the opposite tectal pole where it was frequently absent. This compression difference between these tectal regions was typically a factor of two and in early postsurgical stages as great as three to four. In addition, regions of the peripheral field corresponding to the tectal lesion were found to be missing from the recorded projection even after long survival times. Some projection anomalies, not previously seen, were also observed. These findings have implications for theories on the growth of selective nerve connections.
Paleoecological implications of Alaskan terrestrial vertebrate fauna in latest Cretaceous time at high paleolatitudes

The latest Cretaceous cool temperate environment of the Alaskan North Slope included dinosaurs (some species represented by both juveniles and adults) and mammals, all probably endothermic, and freshwater fish among its terrestrial vertebrate fauna. No traces have been found of amphibians or nondinosaurian reptiles, ectothermic vertebrates that are abundantly represented in approximately contemporaneous faunas of North American middle paleolatitudes. A geologically brief period of intense cold and darkness has been hypothesized as the primary cause of terminal Cretaceous extinctions. However, the extinction of the lineages of Alaskan dinosaurs and mammals, in contrast to the survival of most lineages of amphibians and nondinosaurian reptiles into the Tertiary, contradicts this hypothesis.
Polymers from the condensation of dihydrazides with dialdehydes and diketones

A series of poly(acrylhydrazones) has been prepared by the condensation of dihydrazides with dialdehydes and diketones. The dihydrazides included those derived from isophthalic, sebacic, and adipic acids. Terephthalaldehyde, glutaraldehyde, p-diacetylbenzene, and 2,5-hexanedione were the dicarbonyl compounds used. Polymers derived from terephthalaldehyde were of high molecular weight. The polymers varied in crystalinity, fusion point, and solubility in the expected manner. Thermal and hydrolytic stabilities were moderately good. Tough films were cast from a number of the soluble polymers. These films could be isolubilized by reaction with cupric acetate.
The effect of distal radius translation in the coronal plane on forearm rotation: a cadaveric study of distal radius fractures.

Purpose To determine the effect of lateral translation of the distal radius in the coronal plane on forearm rotation after distal radius fracture. Methods Ten fresh cadaveric limbs underwent distal radius osteotomy just proximal to the distal radial-ulnar joint to simulate an extra-articular distal radius fracture. We used an Agee Wrist Jack external fixator to create increasing magnitudes of distal fragment lateral translation in 2-mm increments. Forearm rotation was measured using a 3-dimensional camera at each magnitude of lateral translation. Results Total forearm rotation for the intact specimen and 2, 4, 6, and 8 mm (maximal) radial translations was 186° ± 53°, 188° ± 54°, 189° ± 55°, 190° ± 57°, and 193° ± 59°, respectively. There was no significant difference for any magnitude of radial translation. The average maximal radial translation possible before radioulnar abutment was 8 ± 0.5 mm. Conclusions In this cadaveric model, translation of the distal radius fragment in the lateral direction had no effect on forearm rotation. Clinical relevance At the level of the proximal border of the distal radioulnar joint, isolated distal radius translation does not significantly affect forearm rotation.
The Vertical Flow of Primary Sector Exports and Deforestation in Less-Developed Countries: A Test of Ecologically Unequal Exchange Theory

The theory of ecologically unequal exchange posits that through the vertical flow of exports from less-developed countries, the stratified world economy enables more-developed countries to externalize their environmental costs. It is further argued that this externalization of environmental costs increases forms of environmental degradation within the borders of less-developed countries. To evaluate key aspects of the theory, we test the hypothesis that less-developed countries with relatively higher levels of primary-sector exports sent to more-developed countries exhibit greater rates of deforestation, 1990–2005. Findings for multivariate regression analyses confirm the hypothesis, providing support for the theory. Additional results indicate that deforestation is positively associated with total population growth and negatively associated with both economic development and the presence of environmental international nongovernmental organizations.
Inelastic extended-electron-localized-vibrational-state scattering rate.

We calculate the inelastic scattering rate of extended-electronic states off localized-vibrational states. We perform the calculation for electrons on a fractal lattice interacting with either fractons, or with phonons. We show that the respective scattering rates have quite different temperature dependences, allowing one to distinguish between the two forms of excitations. We calculate the temperature dependence of the inelastic electronic scattering rate off fractons for both degenerate and nondegenerate electron statistics.The temperature dependence of the inelastic electronic scattering rate for degenerate statistics is proportional to ${T}^{(2d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{theta})/(2+\mathrm{theta})}$, where theta is the exponent involved in the range dependence of the force constant, and d is the Euclidean or embedding dimension. This rate in d=2 varies as (approximately) ${T}^{8/7}$ for fractons on a percolation network with scalar forces, and as ${T}^{5/19}$ with central and bending forces, as opposed to ${T}^{2}$ for phonon excitations (both extended and localized).For nondegenerate electron statistics, the inelastic electronic scattering rate in the fracton regime is proportional to ${\mathrm{Tk}}^{d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{theta}}$, where k is the electronic wave vector. For k\ensuremath{\propto}${T}^{1/2}$, this leads to a scattering rate proportional to ${T}^{(d/2)\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}\mathrm{theta}}$\ensuremath{\sim}${T}^{1/5}$ for a percolating network in d=2 with scalar forces, and as ${T}^{\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}7/4}$ for central and bending forces, as opposed to the linear temperature dependence in d=2 obtained for phonons. For the case of scattering off phonon excitations, the inelastic electronic scattering rate for degenerate statistics is proportional to ${T}^{d}$${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}^{(1\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}d)\mathrm{theta}/(2+\mathrm{theta})}$. For nondegenerate electron statistics, it is proportional to ${\mathrm{Tk}}^{d\mathrm{\ensuremath{-}}2}$${\ensuremath{\xi}}^{\mathrm{theta}}$. Here, ${\ensuremath{\omega}}_{c}$ is the crossover frequency separating the phonon regime from the fracton regime, and \ensuremath{\xi} is the corresponding characteristic length. The results are conveniently expressed in the form of scaling relations.
Analytical and Numerical Results for an Escape Problem

A particle moves with Brownian motion in a unit disc with reflection from the boundaries except for a portion (called a “window” or “gate”) in which it is absorbed. The main problems are to determine the first hitting time and spatial distribution. A closed formula for the mean first hitting time is discovered and proven for a gate of any size. Also given is the probability density of the location where a particle hits if initially the particle is at the center or uniformly distributed. Numerical simulations of the stochastic process with finite step size and a sufficient number of sample paths are compared with the exact solution to the Brownian motion (the limit of zero step size), providing an empirical formula for the difference. Histograms of first hitting times are also generated.
Quantum well infrared photodetectors for long-wavelength infrared applications

Quantum Well Infrared Photodetectors (QWIPs) offer greater flexibility than usual extrinsically doped semiconductor IR detectors because the wavelength of the peak response and cutoff can be continuously tailored by varying layer thickness (well width), barrier composition (barrier height), and carrier density (well doping density). The GaAs/AlxGa1- xAs material system allows the quantum well parameters to be varied over a range wide enough to enable light detection at any wavelength range between 6 - 20 micrometer. The spectral band width of these detectors can be tuned from narrow ((Delta) (lambda) /(lambda) approximately 10%) to wide ((Delta) (lambda) /(lambda) approximately 40%), allowing various applications. Also, QWIP device parameters can be optimized to achieve extremely high performance at lower operating temperatures (approximately 40 K) for low background, long- wavelength, infrared applications in the strategic arena as well as in Astronomy. Furthermore, QWIPs offer low cost per pixel and highly uniform, large format, focal plane arrays (FPAs) mainly due to mature GaAs/AlGaAs growth and processing technologies.
Readability of Educational Materials for Clients With Cleft Lip/Palate and Their Families

Educational materials for clients with cleft lip/palate and their families and materials for the general public produced by the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association were analyzed for readab...
Quasi-static self-quenching of Trp-X and X-Trp dipeptides in water: ultrafast fluorescence decay.

Time-resolved fluorescence decay profiles of N-acetyl-l-tryptophanamide (NATA) and tryptophan (Trp) dipeptides of the form Trp-X and X-Trp, where X is another aminoacyl residue, have been investigated using an ultraviolet upconversion spectrophoto fluorometer with time resolution better than 350 fs, together with a time-correlated single photon counting apparatus on the 100 ps to 20 ns time scale. We analyzed the set of fluorescence decay profiles at multiple wavelengths using the global analysis technique. Nanosecond fluorescence transients for Trp dipeptides all show multiexponential decay, while NATA exhibits a monoexponential decay near 3 ns independent of pH. In the first 100 ps, a time constant for the water “bulk relaxation” around Trp, NATA and Trp dipeptides are seen near 1−2 ps, with an associated preexponential amplitude that is positive or negative, depending on emission wavelength, as expected for a population conserving spectral shift. The initial brightness (sub-picosecond) we measure for a...
New and reproducible technique for experimentally induced middle cerebral artery stenosis.

A reproducible technique has been developed to create reversible middle cerebral artery (MCA) stenosis in the cat. Under pentobarbital anesthesia, the right eye was enucleated, MCA dissected and a suture looped around the vessel. A short segment of thicker suture was set horizontally on the MCA. The looped suture was then tied and the segment suture removed, resulting in partial stenosis. The knot could be easily removed, restoring blood flow. Perfusion and diffusion-sensitive magnetic resonance (MR) images were obtained over the next 6 hours to document cerebral blood flow abnormalities and developing ischemic changes, respectively. Laser-Doppler was performed to further document reduced flow through the ipsilateral hemisphere following MCA stenosis. Histopathologic sections were assessed for ischemic damage. Our results show this to be a reliable model of MCA stenosis and reperfusion, which is suitable for the evaluation of acute cerebral perfusion abnormalities resulting from arterial stenosis. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Entomopathogenic nematode host finding : response to host contact cues by cruise and ambush foragers

Search behaviour of two entomopathogenic nematode species with different foraging strategies was compared by measuring parameters of unrewarded search after contact with host cues. Steinernema glaseri cruises in search of hosts. Steinernema carpocapsae ambushes hosts. Nematodes should respond to contact with relevant host cues by shifting their search from ranging to localized after contact with them. We predicted that cruising foragers rely on chemical cues more heavily than ambushers. These species were also tested for host affinities. Nematodes were tracked by image analysis after exposure to faeces, cuticle or food of either Popillia japonica or Spodoptera exiqua. Steinernema glaseri responded to selected host cues by shifting from ranging to localized search, characterized by decreased locomotory rate, distance travelled, search area and the proportion of the test period spent moving. Steinernema carpocapsae did not respond to host cues. Steinernema glaseri responds to selected chemical host cues for host location, whereas S. carpocapsae does not.
p85α recruitment by the CD300f phosphatidylserine receptor mediates apoptotic cell clearance required for autoimmunity suppression

Apoptotic cell (AC) clearance is essential for immune homeostasis. Here we show that mouse CD300f (CLM-1) recognizes outer membrane-exposed phosphatidylserine, and regulates the phagocytosis of ACs. CD300f accumulates in phagocytic cups at AC contact sites. Phosphorylation within CD300f cytoplasmic tail tyrosine-based motifs initiates signals that positively or negatively regulate AC phagocytosis. Y276 phosphorylation is necessary for enhanced CD300f-mediated phagocytosis through the recruitment of the p85α regulatory subunit of phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K). CD300f-PI3K association leads to activation of downstream Rac/Cdc42 GTPase and mediates changes of F-actin that drive AC engulfment. Importantly, primary macrophages from CD300f-deficient mice have impaired phagocytosis of ACs. The biological consequence of CD300f deficiency is predisposition to autoimmune disease development, as FcγRIIB-deficient mice develop a systemic lupus erythematosus-like disease at a markedly accelerated rate if CD300f is absent. In this report we identify the mechanism and role of CD300f in AC phagocytosis and maintenance of immune homeostasis.
Sulfinato iron(III) complex for electrocatalytic proton reduction.

We report the first example of a sulfinato Fe(III) complex acting as a highly active electrocatalyst for proton reduction. The sulfinate binds to the metal through oxygen, resulting in a seven-membered chelate ring that is likely hemilabile during catalysis. Proton reduction occurs at −1.57 V versus Fc/Fc+ in CH3CN with an ic/ip = 13 in CH3CN (kobs = 3300 s–1) and an overpotential of 800 mV. The catalysis is first order with respect to [catalyst] and second order with respect to [trifluoracetic acid]. An 11% increase in catalytic activity is observed in the presence of water, suggesting that sulfinate moieties are viable functional groups for aqueous proton reduction catalysts.
Development of the Mask method for incompressible unsteady flows

Abstract A new method is developed to solve 2-dimensional time dependent incompressible viscous flows in an arbitrary geometry. The Navier-Stokes equations are solved in primitive variables using a pseudospectral formulation. The geometry is introduced by directly forcing the velocity field near the boundaries. The method extends a similar computational technique introduced by Basdevant and Sadourny [1]. Some examples are shown to evaluate its efficiency and accuracy.
Bone marrow mesenchymal stem cells

Following the identification of bone marrow multipotent cells that could adhere to plastic and differentiate along numerous mesenchymal lineages in vitro, a considerable effort has been invested in characterizing and expanding these cells, which are now called "mesenchymal stem cells" (MSCs), in vitro. Over the years, numerous lines of evidence have been provided in support of their plasticity, their extraordinary immunomodulatory properties, their potential use for tissue engineering purposes, as well as their ability to be recruited to sites of injury, where they might contribute a "natural in vivo system for tissue repair." Moreover, some studies have attempted the characterization of their cell-surface specific antigens and of their anatomical location in vivo. Lastly, it has been shown that similar cells could be also isolated from organs other than the bone marrow. Despite this impressive body of investigations, numerous questions related to the developmental origin of these cells, their proposed pluripotency, and their role in bone modeling and remodeling and tissue repair in vivo are still largely unanswered. In addition, both a systematic phenotypic in vivo characterization of the MSC population and the development of a reproducible and faithful in vivo assay that would test the ability of MSCs to self-renew, proliferate, and differentiate in vivo are just beginning. This brief review summarizes the current knowledge in the field of study of MSCs and the outstanding questions.
William Crookes (1832–1919) and the Commercialization of Science

William H. Brock, William Crookes (1832–1919) and the Commercialization of Science. Aldershot: Ashgate, 2008. xxvii + 556 pp. $124.95/£65.00. ISBN-13 978-0-7546-6322-5. William Brock's expansive bi...
Locality: a new paradigm for thinking about normal behavior and outsider threat

Locality as a unifying concept for understanding the normal behavior of benign users of computer systems is suggested as a unifying paradigm that will support the detection of malicious anomalous behaviors. The paper notes that locality appears in many dimensions and applies to such diverse mechanisms as the working set of IP addresses contacted during a web browsing session, the set of email addresses with which one customarily corresponds, the way in which pages are fetched from a web site. In every case intrusive behaviors that violate locality are known to exist and in some cases, the violation is necessary for the intrusive behavior to achieve its goal. If this observation holds up under further investigation, we will have a powerful way of thinking about security and intrusive activity.
Investigation of Li 6 -induced reactions from 54 to 99 MeV on Pd targets

Residual decay and in-beam $\ensuremath{\gamma}$-ray data from the bombardment of $^{104,106}\mathrm{Pd}$ by $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ have been acquired at energies of 54, 66, 77, 84, 91, and 99 MeV. Isotopic yields have been determined. The data indicate that substantial pre-equilibrium nucleon emission is present in addition to the usual fusion-evaporation mechanism. The data also suggest the occurrenc\'e of the binary breakup of the $^{6}\mathrm{Li}$ accompanied by fragment-induced reactions.
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY, CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE AND CLINICAL SOCIAL WORK

The relationship between psychoanalysis and child sexual abuse is a troubled and problematic one, dating from the birth of psychoanalysis as a theory explaining human behavior. At the outset of his career Freud began by asserting that all neuroses could be traced to childhood sexual assaults by parents or caretakers (Freud, 1896). Freud's rejection of his seduction theory created a more general and more easily accepted theory of the etiology of neuroses, but also lei~ him open to the critique by modern researchers on child sexual abuse that he thus contributed to the societal denial and minimization of sexual assaults on children. Despite the disagreements in social work over the positive or negative influence of Freudian theory (Perlman, 1957; Hellenbrand, 1972; Borenzweig, 1972; Alexander, 1972; YeUoly, 1980), obviously the theory has permeated much thinking in clinical social work practice. This paper will review the history of psychoanalytic theory in relation to child sexual abuse, looking at its cycles of relative acceptance and rejection for use in understanding sexual assaults on children. It will outline the seduction theory, which posited childhood seduction as the cause of adult neuroses. Included will be a discussion of the factors contr ibuting to the seduction theory's development and its subsequent rejection, from the perspectives of Freud's adherents and his detractors. A brief review will be made of psychoanalytic theory and t rea tment of incest, especially current literature which re-evaluates psychoanalytic methods in the light of recent empirical research establishing the extent of sexual abuse in society today. Then theories of incest developed outside the formal analytic tradition that both find a place for psychoanalytic formulations, and theories that reject psychoanalytic components
Effects of excitotoxic lesions in the ventral striatopallidal–thalamocortical pathway on odor reversal learning: inability to extinguish an incorrect response

The role of the ventral striatopallidal pathway and related cortical areas in stimulus-reward association reversal behavior was studied by inducing bilateral lesions with the excitotoxin, N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) at restricted sites in the system. The areas lesioned were the ventral pallidum (VP), the ventral striatum (VS), the medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC) [i.e., the prelimbic (PL) and infralimbic (IL) cortexes], and the orbital cortex [i.e., the dorsolateral orbital (DLO), ventral lateral orbital (VLO), and lateral orbital (LO) cortexes]. Rats with lesions of the dorsal caudate nucleus and putamen (CPu) served as a positive control in this study. Water-deprived rats were trained on a go, no-go two-odor olfactory discrimination task to respond to one odor (S+) with water as a reward and to suppress responding to the other odor (S-). The rats were then tested for their ability to reverse the associated stimuli. The number of errors made before successfully learning the stimulus-reward association were measured in relation to a sham lesion control group which did not receive injections of NMDA. In experimental rats, the lesions did not affect their ability to learn stimulus-reward associations for novel odors, but did result in an increase in the number of false alarms after the significance of the associated stimuli were reversed. That is, the lesioned animals persisted in responding to the formerly rewarded but now unrewarded stimulus. Rats with damage to the CPu did not show a significant effect when compared with the controls during reversal problems. The results support the hypothesis that the ventral striatopallidal system, together with related thalamic and frontal cortical structures, functions in reversal learning by suppressing inappropriate responses to stimuli that are no longer rewarded.
Combining bond-graphs with genetic programming for unified/automated design of mechatronic or multi domain dynamic systems

The multi domain nature of a mechatronic system makes it difficult to model using a single modeling technique over the whole system as varying sets of system variables are required. Bond-Graphs offer an advanced object oriented and polymorphic modeling and simulation technique. Bond-Graph model of the mechatronic system can be directly simulated on a digital computer using simulation softwares like 20-Sim graphically or manipulated mathematically to yield state equations using a simplified set of power and energy variables. The simulation scheme can be augmented to synthesize designs for mechatronic systems employing genetic programming as a tool for open ended search. This research paper presents results of an experiment developed to combine Bond-Graphs with genetic programming for unified and automated design of mechatronic or multi domain dynamic systems.
Test for the integrity of environmental tractor cab filtration systems.

Cab filtration systems can be used to protect vehicle operators from hazardous air contaminants. In a cab filtration system, a fan draws air through filters and pressurizes the cab with this filtered air. This article describes the application of a low-cost, optical particle counter to evaluate the performance of tractor cab filtration systems. The tractors were equipped with environmental enclosures to protect the operators from pesticide exposures that occur during air blast spraying in orchards. Prior to testing, all environmental tractor cabs underwent a complete maintenance overhaul followed by a careful inspection by the manufacturer's field representative. As part of this maintenance effort, 13 tractors with cab filtration systems were tested in an enclosure. A Met One model 227B two-channel optical particle counter was used to measure the aerosol concentration outside and inside the cab. Ambient aerosol and/or aerosol generated by burning incense sticks were used to challenge the stationary cab fi...