cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The effect of annealing on the structure of cobalt modified iron oxide particles. Part II

A new high coercivity cobalt modified iron oxide particle series has been prepared by annealing in a nitrogen atmosphere. The dependence of coercivity (Hc), Hc-aging, temperature dependence of Hc, and magnetic tape properties have been studied as a function of annealing temperature. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) has been used to correlate the changes in magnetic properties to the cobalt concentration gradient near the particle surface. As in Part I of the study, most of the changes observed are consistent with diffusion of cobalt from the surface into the particle core.
Effects of treatment on respiratory rate, serum natriuretic peptide concentration, and Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular filling pressure in dogs with congestive heart failure secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease and dilated cardiomyopathy.

Objective—To evaluate the effects of treatment on respiratory rate, serum natriuretic peptide concentrations, and Doppler echocardiographic indices of left ventricular filling pressure in dogs with congestive heart failure (CHF) secondary to degenerative mitral valve disease (MVD) and dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM). Design—Prospective cohort study. Animals—63 client-owned dogs. Procedures—Physical examination, thoracic radiography, analysis of natriuretic peptide concentrations, and Doppler echocardiography were performed twice, at baseline (examination 1) and 5 to 14 days later (examination 2). Home monitoring of respiratory rate was performed by the owners between examinations. Results—In dogs with MVD, resolution of CHF was associated with a decrease in respiratory rate, serum N-terminal probrain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) concentration, and diastolic functional class and an increase of the ratio of peak velocity of early diastolic transmitral flow to peak velocity of early diastolic lateral mitral annulus motion (E:Ea Lat). In dogs with DCM, resolution of CHF was associated with a decrease in respiratory rate and serum NT-proBNP concentration and significant changes in 7 Doppler echocardiographic variables, including a decrease of E:Ea Lat and the ratio of peak velocity of early diastolic transmitral flow to isovolumic relaxation time. Only respiratory rate predicted the presence of CHF at examination 2 with high accuracy. Conclusions and Clinical Relevance—Resolution of CHF was associated with predictable changes in respiratory rate, serum NT-proBNP concentration, and selected Doppler echocardiographic variables in dogs with DCM and MVD. Home monitoring of respiratory rate was simple and was the most useful in the assessment of successful treatment of CHF. (J Am Vet Med Assoc 2011;239:468–479)
Core, animal reminder, and contamination disgust: Three kinds of disgust with distinct personality, behavioral, physiological, and clinical correlates

Abstract We examined the relationships between sensitivity to three kinds of disgust (core, animal-reminder, and contamination) and personality traits, behavioral avoidance, physiological responding, and anxiety disorder symptoms. Study 1 revealed that these disgusts are particularly associated with neuroticism and behavioral inhibition. Moreover, the three disgusts showed a theoretically consistent pattern of relations on four disgust-relevant behavioral avoidance tasks in Study 2. Similar results were found in Study 3 such that core disgust was significantly related to increased physiological responding during exposure to vomit, while animal-reminder disgust was specifically related to physiological responding during exposure to blood. Lastly, Study 4 revealed that each of the three disgusts showed a different pattern of relations with fear of contamination, fear of animals, and fear of blood–injury relevant stimuli. These findings provide support for the convergent and divergent validity of core, animal-reminder, and contamination disgust. These findings also highlight the possibility that the three kinds of disgust may manifest as a function of different psychological mechanisms (i.e., oral incorporation, mortality defense, disease avoidance) that may give rise to different clinical conditions. However, empirical examination of the mechanisms that underlie the three disgusts will require further refinement of the psychometric properties of the disgust scale.
Spontaneous Mesotheliomas in F344/N Rats Are Characterized by Dysregulation of Cellular Growth and Immune Function Pathways

Aged male Fischer 344/N rats are prone to developing spontaneous peritoneal mesotheliomas that arise predominantly from the tunica vaginalis of the testes. A definitive cause for the predominance of this neoplasm in F344/N rats is unknown. Investigation of the molecular alterations that occur in spontaneous rat mesotheliomas may provide insight into their pathogenesis as well enable a better understanding regarding the mechanisms underlying chemically induced mesothelioma in rodents. Mesothelial cell function represents a complex interplay of pathways related to host defense mechanisms and maintenance of cellular homeostasis. Global gene expression profiles of spontaneous mesotheliomas from vehicle control male F344/N rats from 2-year National Toxicology Program carcinogenicity bioassays were analyzed to determine the molecular features of these tumors and elucidate tumor-specific gene expression profiles. The resulting gene expression pattern showed that spontaneous mesotheliomas are associated with upregulation of various growth factors, oncogenes, cytokines, pattern recognition response receptors, and pathogen-associated molecular patterns receptors, and the production of reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, as well as downregulation of apoptosis pathways. Alterations in these pathways in turn trigger molecular responses that stimulate cell proliferation and promote tumor survival and progression.
The Deterrent Effect of the Castle Doctrine Law on Burglary in Texas A Tale of Outcomes in Houston and Dallas

From 2005 through 2008, 23 states across the nation have enacted laws generally referred to as “castle doctrine” laws or “stand your ground” laws. A castle doctrine law gives a homeowner the legal right to use force (even deadly force) to defend himself or herself and the family against an intruder. No study, however, has been conducted to evaluate its deterrent effects. The State of Texas enacted its castle doctrine law on September 1, 2007, and the subsequent Joe Horn shooting incident in Houston in November, 2007, served to publicize the Texas law to a great extent. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the deterrent effect of the Texas castle doctrine law and the subsequent Horn shooting on burglary in the two largest cities in Texas, Houston and Dallas. Daily data of residential and business burglary, over the period from January 1, 2007, to August 31, 2008, were obtained from the Houston Police Department and the Dallas Police Department. Interrupted time-series designs were employed in the study...
Designer Clusters to Probe the Function of Membrane Receptor Oligomerization

Co-clustering of multiple cell signaling molecules is commonly thought to affect cellular signal output. While current experimental methods allow the observation of molecular organization, unequivocally establishing the function of molecular organization has been troublesome since methods for altering it are lacking. We have developed a novel method for dimerizing biomolecules on supported lipid bilayers, a system commonly used to present juxtacrine signaling ligands to cells. Using fluorescence cross-correlation spectroscopy, we demonstrate co-diffusion of fluorescent molecules, and thus the successful formation of our heterodimer. We are employing this approach to study receptor cross-talk between EGFR and EphA2. These two receptor tyrosine kinases are often overexpressed together in metastatic breast cancer cells, and have been reported to colocalize at the cell membrane and physically interact. However, the consequences of this interaction are unclear. We are currently probing the effects of EphA2 and EGFR co-clustering in MDA-MB-231 cells using this novel “designer cluster” approach. The experimental platform presented here will elucidate the role of scaffolding and spatial organization in signaling pathway cross-talk by probing these systems in ways previously not possible.
Pre-hurricane perceived social support protects against psychological distress: A longitudinal analysis of low-income mothers

Objective: In this study, we examined the influence of pre-disaster perceived social support on postdisaster psychological distress among survivors of Hurricane Katrina. Method: Participants (N 386) were low-income mothers between 18 and 34 years of age at baseline (M 26.4, SD 4.43). The majority (84.8%) was African American; 10.4% identified as Caucasian, 3.2% identified as Hispanic, and 1.8% identified as other. Participants were enrolled in an educational intervention study in 2004 and 2005. Those who had completed a 1-year follow-up assessment prior to Hurricane Katrina were reassessed approximately 1 year after the hurricane. Measures of perceived social support and psychological distress were included in pre- and post-disaster assessments. Using structural equation modeling and multiple mediator analysis, we tested a model wherein pre-disaster perceived social support predicted post-disaster psychological distress both directly and indirectly through its effects on pre-disaster psychological distress, exposure to hurricane-related stressors, and post-disaster perceived social support. We predicted that higher pre-disaster perceived social support would be predictive of lower pre-disaster psychological distress, lower hurricane-related stressors, and higher post-disaster perceived social support, and that these variables would, in turn, predict lower post-disaster psychologically distress. Results: Our analyses provide partial support for the hypothesized model. Although pre-disaster perceived social support did not exert a direct effect on post-disaster psychological distress, the indirect effects of all 3 proposed mediators were significant. Conclusions: Pre-disaster social support can decrease both exposure to natural disasters and the negative psychological effects of natural disaster exposure. These findings underscore the importance of bolstering the post-disaster social support networks of low-income mothers.
Physician Assessment of Pretreatment Functional Status: A Process-Outcomes Link

Purpose: Since all interventions for localized prostate cancer have a significant impact on health related quality of life, pretherapy assessment of functional status remains an essential quality of care indicator. We determined whether accurate pretherapy assessment has a significant role in forecasting health related quality of life after definitive treatment for prostate cancer.Materials and Methods: We examined data from CaPSURE™ to identify men who underwent treatment for localized prostate cancer between 1995 and 2006. We restricted our analysis to those who completed the UCLA-PCI survey before and after therapy. We performed multiple logistic regression for the outcome measure (decrease in each of the 6 UCLA-PCI domains) on the predictor (whether the physician performed an assessment that was in agreement with patient reported pretherapy status) while adjusting for clinical and sociodemographic characteristics.Results: Of the 2,195 men included in the analysis 1,411 (64%) did not have pretherapy fu...
Depositional Systems and Productive Characteristics of Major Low-Permeability Gas Sandstones in Texas: ABSTRACT

Major tight gas sandstones in Texas range from lenticular to blanket geometry, from hydropressured to geopressured, and from Pennsylvanian to Eocene in age. The Cotton Valley sandstone (East Texas basin) includes barrier- and marine-bar sandstones (blanket) derived from prograding fan deltas with associated braided stream, delta-front, and pro-delta deposits. The overlying Travis Peak Formation contains a lower deltaic facies, a middle, dominantly braided fluvial facies (broadly lenticular), and an upper transgressive clastic-to-carbonate transition. Estimated gas in place varies from 53 tcf (Cotton Valley) to 25 tcf (Travis Peak); most wells initially produce from 500 to 1,500 mcf and few wells produce 2,500 mcf. Tight gas sandstones in the Wilcox and Vicksburg Groups (G lf Coast basin) are mostly geopressured delta-front, shelf, and slope deposits. These lenticular sandstones isolated in shale have pressure gradients up to 0.81 psi/ft (18.3 kPa/m). Initial well yields are mostly 300 to 2,400 mcfd; resource estimates for tight Wilcox and Vicksburg trends are not available. Canyon Group sandstones of the Sonora basin (parts of the Ozona arch, Concho platform, and Val Verde basin) contain 24 tcf of estimated gas in place and initial flow rates are commonly 100 to 1,000 mcf. These sandstones are broadly lenticular and are interpreted to be submarine fan and possibly shelf-margin deposits. The Olmos Formation (Maverick basin) contains gas within broadly lenticular delta-front deposits of high-constructive delta systems; liquid hydrocarbons in the Olmos are trapped in more proximal facies. Gas in place in the Olmos is estimated to be 5 tcf and initial well yields are 300 to 3,000 mcf. In 1980, 893 wells were completed in formations designated as partially or completely tight by the Railroad Commission of Texas. These completions represent 2.5% of new gas wel s in the state, but 28.0% of those completed in the 5,000 to 15,000-ft depth range in that year. End_of_Article - Last_Page 476------------
Hoxa9 Immortalizes a Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor-Dependent Promyelocyte Capable of Biphenotypic Differentiation to Neutrophils or Macrophages, Independent of Enforced Meis Expression

The genes encoding Hoxa9 and Meis1 are transcriptionally coactivated in a subset of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in mice. In marrow reconstitution experiments, coexpression of both genes produces rapid AML, while neither gene alone generates overt leukemia. Although Hoxa9 and Meis1 can bind DNA as heterodimers, both can also heterodimerize with Pbx proteins. Thus, while their coactivation may result from the necessity to bind promoters as heterodimers, it may also result from the necessity of altering independent biochemical pathways that cooperate to generate AML, either as monomers or as heterodimers with Pbx proteins. Here we demonstrate that constitutive expression of Hoxa9 in primary murine marrow immortalizes a late myelomonocytic progenitor, preventing it from executing terminal differentiation to granulocytes or monocytes in the presence of granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) or interleukin-3. This immortalized phenotype is achieved in the absence of endogenous or exogenous Meis gene expression. The Hoxa9-immortalized progenitor exhibited a promyelocytic transcriptional profile, expressing PU.1, AML1, c-Myb, C/EBP alpha, and C/EBP epsilon as well as their target genes, the receptors for GM-CSF, G-CSF, and M-CSF and the primary granule proteins myeloperoxidase and neutrophil elastase. G-CSF obviated the differentiation block of Hoxa9, inducing neutrophilic differentiation with accompanying expression of neutrophil gelatinase B and upregulation of gp91phox. M-CSF also obviated the differentiation block, inducing monocytic differentiation with accompanying expression of the macrophage acetyl-low-density lipoprotein scavenger receptor and F4/80 antigen. Versions of Hoxa9 lacking the ANWL Pbx interaction motif (PIM) also immortalized a promyelocytic progenitor with intrinsic biphenotypic differentiation potential. Therefore, Hoxa9 evokes a cytokine-selective block in differentiation by a mechanism that does not require Meis gene expression or interaction with Pbx through the PIM.
Statistical image reconstruction methods for randoms-precorrected PET scans

Positron emission tomography (PET) measurements are usually precorrected for accidental coincidence events by real-time subtraction of the delayed-window coincidences. Randoms subtraction compensates on average for accidental coincidences but destroys the Poisson statistics. We propose and analyze two new approximations to the exact log-likelihood of the precorrected measurements, one based on a ‘shifted Poisson’ model, the other based on saddlepoint approximations to the measurement of probability mass function (PMF). The methods apply to both emission and transmission tomography; however, in this paper we focus on transmission tomography. We compare the new models to conventional data-weighted leastsquares (WLS) and conventional maximum-likelihood methods [based on the ordinary Poisson (OP) model] using simulations and analytic approximations. The results demonstrate that the proposed methods avoid the systematic bias of the WLS method, and lead to significantly lower variance than the conventional OP method. The saddle-point method provides a more accurate approximation to the exact log-likelihood than the WLS, OP and shifted Poisson alternatives. However, the simpler shifted Poisson method yielded comparable bias-variance performance to the saddle-point method in the simulations. The new methods offer improved image reconstruction in PET through more realistic statistical modeling, yet with negligible increase in computation time over the conventional OP method.
A Knowledge-Based Manufacturing System Using OSAM

Manufacturing industries have greatly emphasized the need to "integrate" various manufacturing functions-Design, Planning, and Business Operations- into a unified and well coordinated system, so as to increase productivity. In order to achieve this goal, the various CAD/CAM systems must have a common engineering and manufacturing knowledge base. We propose a Knowledge Based Manufacturing System(KBMS) that will help the Manufacturing Engineer(ME) to directly model the workcell environment. The system consists of two main modules: the Workcell Modelling Facility and the Task Planner. The Workcell Modelling Facility helps the ME to create workcell models using the workcell components, product parts, and manufacturing operations contained in a pre-defined knowledge base. The system also allows the manufacturing engineer to add information to the existing knowledge bases schemas. The Task Planner accesses these knowledge bases to generate a network of proposed actions from a given production goal. Integration of the proposed KBMS with a Geometric Modelling System will provide the ME with a tool to perform off-line animation of the Manufacturing Process in a particular workcell model. A prototype KBMS is currently being implemented at the University of Florida using the Object-oriented Semantic Association Model(OSAM*) as the underlying data model for the Knowledge Bases. OSAM* provides the object-oriented features of inheritance and encapsulation of data, as well as the ability to represent complex relationships between object classes in semantic nets.
THE WESTERN ROOTS OF AVATARIC EVOLUTIONISM IN COLONIAL INDIA

. British colonialism and Orientalist scholarship on India were key factors affecting the initial Hindu responses to modern science and technology in the nineteenth century. One response was the elaboration of avataric evolutionism—the idea that ancient myths of Vishnu's ten incarnations anticipated Darwinian evolution. This idea quickly became intertwined with political and nationalist concerns and cannot be fully understood in a purely theological context. These concerns were reflected in scriptural interpretation, especially in what may be termed the scientific exegesis of the Vedas and Puranas. Such scientific exegesis of scripture appealed to Keshub Chunder Sen, the leading figure of the Brahmo Samaj in the second half of the nineteenth century. Keshub was apparently the first Indian to develop the notion of avataric evolutionism, in the context of his “New Dispensation,” a synthesis of all religious traditions (in particular Hinduism and Christianity) and modern science. His pronouncement of avataric evolutionism in 1882, however, was not the first proposal of the idea. I conclude with an examination of the Western roots of this idea, specifically in the writings of Helena Petrovna Blavatsky.
Status of the uranium upgrade of ATLAS

The ATLAS (Argonne Tandem Linear Accelerator System) Positive Ion Injector (PII) is designed to replace the tandem injector for the ATLAS heavy-ion facility. When the PII project is complete, ATLAS will be able to accelerate all ions through uranium to energies above the Coulomb barrier. PII consists of an ECR ion source on a 350-kV platform and a very-low-velocity superconducting linac. The linac is composed of an independently phased array of superconducting four-gap interdigital resonators which accelerate over a velocity range of 0.007 c to 0.05 c. The PII project is approximately 75% complete. Beam tests and experiments using the partially completed PII have demonstrated that the technical design goals are being met. The design, construction status, and results of recent operational experience using the PII are discussed. >
Summertime Precipitation Variability over South America: Role of the Large-Scale Circulation

Abstract The observed large-scale circulation mechanisms associated with summertime precipitation variability over South America are investigated. Particular attention is paid to the Altiplano where a close relationship has been observed between rainfall and the position and intensity of the Bolivian high. Empirical orthogonal function (EOF), correlation, and composite analyses suggest that on intraseasonal timescales (typically 5–20 days), rainy periods on the Altiplano are associated with at least three types of circulation anomalies, involving either extratropical cyclones, cold-core lows, or the westward enhancement of the South Atlantic high. In each instance, the primary support for high rainfall rates is a moist, poleward flow at low levels along the eastern flank of the central Andes in association with the South Atlantic convergence zone (SACZ). The warm, low-level flow along the SACZ also inflates the overlying atmospheric column, resulting in an intensification and southward shift of the Bolivi...
Relative Repellency and Lethality of the Neonicotinoids Thiamethoxam and Acetamiprid and an Acetamiprid/Bifenthrin Combination to Reticulitermes flavipes Termites

Field-collected Reticulitermes flavipes (Kollar) termites were placed in bioassay tubes containing soil treated with one of three termiticides: thiamethoxam, acetamiprid, or a combination of acetamiprid + bifenthrin. In the bioassay tubes, treated soil was placed in a layer centered within untreated sand between two 1.5-cm agar plugs. All termiticides were tested at concentrations of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 ppm with narrow (1 mm), medium (5 mm), and broad (50 mm) thicknesses of treated soil. Soil penetration and termite mortality were measured after 7 d, and repellency was assessed. Thiamethoxam treatments allowed the greatest soil penetration, whereas acetamiprid + bifenthrin treatments were the most inhibitory to soil penetration. Thiamethoxam treatments also caused consistently greater termite mortality than acetamiprid treatments. These data indicated that acetamiprid prevented soil penetration by termites more than thiamethoxam, although both were less repellent compared with bifenthrin alone, which causes little termite mortality at the tested doses. When there was direct contact of treated soil with the agar plugs in broad treatments, the combination of acetamiprid + bifenthrin was more toxic to R. flavipes termites than either acetamiprid or thiamethoxam alone. The combination acetamiprid + bifenthrin termiticide may be effective in keeping termites away from the treated soil, because of the combined effects of acetamiprid and bifenthrin.
Estimation of the effects of climate variability on crop yield in the Midwest USA

Abstract Crop yield is strongly affected by climate variability. When applying ecohydrologic models to study climate impacts on crop yield, especially interannual yield responses to climate stresses, the model simulation of plant available soil moisture must be constrained in order to reproduce plant production variation via moisture related bio-climate variables. In this study, the Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) is used to investigate the relationship between climate variability and crop yield at four sites (Boone, Woodbury, Madison, and Mason) in the Midwestern USA. The model was first calibrated for soil moisture at the plot scale. The calibrated model was then used to extend the observational records between 1991 and 2010 to better capture the effect of climate variability on crop yield over a longer period (1941–2010). We also explored the relative yield reduction due to individual stresses. Our results indicated that annual observed yield from 1991 to 2010 is correlated with drought stress intensity in the early and middle reproductive stage at most sites. The early and middle reproductive periods were thought more critical than other stages, because severe drought stress in those periods is substantially correlated with low observed yields. No significant relationship between crop yield and aeration stress was found at any of the four sites, due to their different impacts under different spatial scales, as well as low frequency of events in the historical record. Long term simulation of yield reduction indicates that drought stress was the dominant factor affecting yield in the historical period when compared with aeration stress both at short and long return periods (high/low probability of exceedance). For a 70-year period, the total yield reduction due to drought stress is 8.1%, 17.5%, 15.2% and 9.7% respectively for Boone, Woodbury, Madison and Mason.
“Images” of nutrition in medical education and primary care

In this article I describe challenges to medical-nutrition educators and an opportunity provided by the Association of American Medical Colleges Medical School Objectives Project. Brief snapshots of nutrition education are given during the family medicine residency and through continuing medical education programming. An argument is made to provide education that focuses not on knowledge, but on confidence and skill in providing nutrition services to primary care patients. Medical-nutrition educators are challenged to share curriculum ideas and to explore ways to use technology to become a more effective community.
Power-law scaling regimes for solid-state dewetting of thin films

Abstract The capillary force drives the edges of solid thin films to retract. The distance a film edge has retracted over time is usually fitted to a power law. However, experiments and numerical simulations suggest that edge retraction does not follow a power-law. In this work, a simple geometric model for edge retraction is presented that reproduces the retraction distance versus time scalings of simulations for both isotropic and highly-anisotropic films, and is consistent with experiments. The earliest time at which a power-law fit becomes a reasonable approximation is calculated as a function of substrate–film contact angle.
Comparison of π − p → ρ 0 n with Single-Pion Photoproduction at 15 GeV c

We present a comparison of new data on ${\ensuremath{\pi}}^{\ensuremath{-}}p\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{\ensuremath{\rho}}^{0}n$ at 15 $\frac{\mathrm{GeV}}{c}$ with polarized and unpolarized single-pion photoproduction data. Particular emphasis is placed upon the behavior of the differential cross sections and asymmetries in the forward direction ($\ensuremath{-}tl{{m}_{\ensuremath{\pi}}}^{2}$). Qualitative agreement with the vector-dominance model is found. Quantitative agreement is found for the unnatural-parity\char22{}exchange cross section and for the asymmetry at low momentum transfer. Elsewhere there are disagreements in detail which may not be explained by changes of normalization.
The creation and validation of the LGBT Ally Identity Measure.

The present study describes the development and evaluation of the Ally Identity Measure (AIM), a new instrument to assess the skills to support lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender (LGBT) persons, knowledge of the LGBT experience, awareness of LGBT oppression, and engagement in action among heterosexual allies to the LGBT community. Items were constructed based on prior qualitative and theoretical literature, revised by experts, and submitted to psychometric evaluation. An exploratory factor analysis (EFA) with data from 269 participants yielded 3 factors: (a) knowledge and skills, (b) openness and support, and (c) oppression awareness. A confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) with a separate sample of 240 participants confirmed the stability of this 3-factor structure. Data with a third sample of 221 participants offered evidence of acceptable reliability (i.e., Cronbach’s alphas of .76 to .88). In an effort to assess convergent and discriminant validity, participants completed the AIM along with a number of other measures assessing personality factors, impression management, LGBT attitudes, and engagement in collective action. The AIM full-scale and subscales demonstrated good convergent (i.e., correlated positively with openness, r .27 to .39; affirming attitudes, r .45 to .68; and collective action, r .29 to .65; correlated negatively with social dominance, r .27 to .51 and right wing authoritarianism, r .18 to .45) and discriminant validity (impression management, r .00 to .07). The final 19-item version yielded 2-week test–retest reliability coefficients of .43–.82 in a sample of 54 individuals. Limitations and suggestions for future research are discussed.
A Criterion for Out-of-step Islanding Control Based on Wide-area Disturbed Trajectory Measurements

Conventional out-of-step islanding device generally takes relative power angles achieving 360° as the indication of out-of-step condition although the risk of such judgment relied solely on a fixed threshold of angle difference in complex power systems has been pointed out.A new method for islanding control of complex power systems is proposed.The system is separated at the oscillation center upon identification of a dynamic saddle point(DSP)on the time-varying OMIB equivalent trajectory transformed from real-time measurements of wide-area power angle trajectories by using the complementary-cluster center-of-inertial(CCCOI)transformation.The proposed method strictly conforms to the instability detection mechanism of extended equal-area criterion(EEAC)quantitative analysis theory,and the effectiveness of the method is demonstrated by simulation results.In some cases,the new method is able to detect the out-of-step condition earlier than the conventional out-of-step islanding criterion.
Inhibition of drug metabolism by a prodrug: 9-beta-D-arabinofuranosyladenine 5'-valerate as an inhibitor of adenosine deaminase.

9-β-D-Arabinofuranosyladenine 59-valerate (ara-A-59-valerate), a bioreversible derivative or prodrug of the antiviral agent 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyladenine (ara-A), was shown to be a competitive inhibitor of calf intestinal adenosine deaminase (adenosine aminohydrolase, EC 3.5.4.4). With ara-A as the substrate, apparent Km and Ki values were 110 µM and 11 µM, respectively, at 37°. Ara-A-59-valerate is not subject to adenosine deaminase-catalyzed deamination, and it is more water-soluble and more lipophilic than ara-A.
Experimenting with TCPA/TCG

Their potential to solve real security problems in the real world drove much of the research and commercial development in trusted computing platforms. Chapter 9 discussed our attempts to use a high-end TCP for some of these applications. That chapter concluded by observing that the limitations of a small, expensive device hindered application development and deployment. Chapter 10 then gave an overview of the TCPA/TCG architecture, and its inexpensive TPM hardware that is commercially available and can potentially turn an entire commodity machine into a TCP (albeit of lesser physical security).
Firefighting Services in Michigan: Challenges and Approaches Among Local Governments

This report examines Michigan local government leaders’ opinions on fire protection services in their communities, including satisfaction with fire services and funding of fire protection at the local level. The findings are based on statewide surveys of local government leaders in the Fall 2015 wave of the Michigan Public Policy Survey (MPPS).
An RCS Application Example: Tool Changing on a Horizontal Machining Center

A large six-axis manipulator performs material handling tasks for a horizontal machining center in the National Bureau of Standards’ Automated Manufacturing Research Facility. The manipulator is controlled by the Real-time Control System (RCS), a hierarchical control system developed by the Robot Systems Division at NBS. This manipulator is used to load and unload parts for the machine and, recently, to change tools on the machine. This paper describes the development of tool changing as a new RCS application, including the creation of new commands to be sent to RCS from a workstation controller and the techniques used to program manipulator movements. The integration of force sensing to monitor tool insertion and removal as well as the addition of a changeable end effector for handling tools are discussed.
Risk of Delayed Lymph Node Metastasis in Clinically N0 Esthesioneuroblastoma.

Objective To determine both the rate of delayed cervical lymph node metastasis in patients with esthesioneuroblastoma (ENB) and a clinically N0 untreated neck and the effectiveness of salvage treatment. Design Retrospective review. Setting Tertiary academic medical center. Participants All patients from January 1, 1965, to December 31, 2010, who received definitive treatment for ENB. Main Outcome Measures The study involved 52 patients: 27 (52%) patients underwent surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy (SART) to the primary site only and 25 (48%) underwent surgery alone (SA) as treatment of the primary site, without elective neck dissection. Results Median follow-up for the SART group was 10 years versus 15.7 years for the SA group. The 10-year delayed cervical lymph node metastasis estimate is 41%. With median follow-up of 47 months after salvage treatment, the 4-year cervical lymph node recurrence-free survival estimate is 70%; the 5-year overall survival estimate is 39%. Conclusions Delayed cervical lymph node metastases are common, indolent, and salvaged effectively in most patients. We propose that patients with ENB and clinically N0 cervical lymph nodes may choose to forego elective neck dissection or elective neck radiotherapy in favor of neck observation within their initial treatment.
Violence: Social Conflict and the Italian Hundred Years’ War (c. 1350–1454)

The New, New Men, and Violence It might seem strange that in the century after the first wave of the plague and the demographic, economic, and social disruptions that followed, the Rinascimento enjoyed a cultural flowering that was flush with the sense of the superiority of its urban civilta . Central to this was the fact that the popolo grosso had finally come to dominate most of the major cities of Italy as a political and social elite. And their victory was idealized and defended as an ongoing rebirth of first times and cultures that had been the best of times – thus the best of times were returning, literally being reborn. Such claims, and the political and social reality that stood behind them, never totally triumphed, however; in fact, if anything, the uncertainty about the extent and permanence of their victory played an important role in fueling the cultural flourishing of the time and the optimistic claims of the superiority of Italy’s urban civilta . And, significantly, such uncertainty was accompanied both by a wide range of open conflict and violence that, in an apparent paradox, also typified the cultural flourishing and by a sense of superiority that rose from the ashes of demographic disaster, social conflict, violence, and apparently unending war.
Serum Sickness and Plasma Cytokine Profiles After Treatment with Antithymocyte Globulin In Severe Aplastic Anemia Patients.

Abstract Abstract 1162 Antithymocyte globulin (ATG) is the standard therapy for severe aplastic anemia (SAA). Currently, two different preparations are commercially available, produced in horse and rabbit. As foreign proteins, ATGs elicit immune response in humans. Foreign antigen and responding antibody form circulating immune complexes that may deposit in tissues and cause serum sickness (SS), usually around day 10 after initiation of ATG therapy. The relationship of human anti-ATG antibodies with SS and the cytokine profiles of ATG-treated patients are not defined. We studied human anti-ATG antibody titers and 27 cytokines in the plasma of 27 patients who received horse ATG (hATG) and 25 patients who received rabbit ATG (rATG) for SAA. Cyclosporine was administered with both ATGs to achieve trough levels of 200–400 ng/mL. Plasma samples were obtained at: baseline pre-treatment, weekly in the first month, and at 3 and 6 months after ATG treatment. Nine of 25 (36%) rATG recipients and 5 of 27 (19%) hATG recipients developed SS at about week two. When measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, human anti-hATG or rATG antibody titers peaked during weeks 2–3, and then declined at month 2, reducing to baseline levels at month 6. All 9 rATG-treated patients who developed SS had significantly higher antibody titers at week 2 than did 16 rATG-treated patients without SS (O.D. 1.704 ± 0.173 vs 0.664 ± 0.076, p Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Starbucks for President: The Disappearing Line between Government and Business as Agents for Social Change

This paper will explore the rise of corporate social advocacy (CSA) among business, including the social and legal developments that make it ripe for this engagement to take place. The analysis will also explore the potential impact of CSA on social change and democracy in the United States, including exploration of the motives of businesses engaged in such advocacy and the connection between political and social positions with consumer behavior. Lastly, this paper will identify some of the dangers of corporate advocacy in terms of its impact on the government and businesses, as well as on the voice of the people. The study also identifies various factors that may indicate whether this is a trend or a fundamental change in how companies deal with changes valuesbased.
The Nature of Biomimicry: Toward a Novel Technological Culture

Biomimicry is a rising popular ecology movement and method that urges the derivation of innovative and environmentally sound design from organic systems. This essay explores the notion of nature in biomimicry as articulated by the movement’s founder, Janine Benyus, and the nature of biomimicry as practiced by the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) media ecologist Neri Oxman. Benyus’s approach, I show, promotes biomimicry as a science of nature in which nature is treated as a source for innovative design that can be emulated in technological apparatus. Such an approach is problematic, I argue, for its valorization of organic form, which results in both a rigid system of ethics demanding absolute separation of nature and technology. By contrast, Oxman’s work, I show, pursues biomimicry as a technology of nature. In so doing, I argue, it mobilizes a neomaterialist style of interaction with organic materials that ultimately enjoins a radically different way of thinking nature, technology, and technoe...
McEvoy on Benacerraf’s Problem and the Epistemic Role Puzzle

Benacerraf’s problem is justly famous. It’s had a major influence on the philosophy of mathematics right from its initial appearance, an influence that continues up through the present moment.
The Microbiota of the Extremely Preterm Infant

Colonization of the extremely preterm infant's gastrointestinal tract and skin begins in utero and is influenced by a variety of factors, the most important including gestational age and environmental exposures. The composition of the intestinal and skin microbiota influences the developing innate and adaptive immune responses with short-term and long-term consequences including altered risks for developing necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and a wide variety of microbe-related diseases of children and adults. Alteration of the composition of the microbiota to decrease disease risk is particularly appealing for this ultra-high-risk cohort that is brand new from an evolutionary standpoint.
The Living Archive and the Sublime Nature of the Anthropocene

At the 2015 UN Conference on Climate Change in Paris France, 195 nations reached a decision to commit to decrease the severe effects of climate change on the planet. As we embark what some call the Anthropocene Era, we bare witness to how civilization has impacted the Earth’s ecosystem, diminishing its resources and threatening its biodiversity. With this shift in our ecosystem, a new pedagogical model for a graduate architecture studio responded to the Anthropocene through a technologically sublime intervention: The Living Archive, a new architectural type capturing the magnitude of Earth’s inevitable transformation. This archive is conceived as the anti-thesis to sustainability and optimization that consumes much of our built world. The ‘living archive’ program is not meant to be a stable, secure vessel but uses technological invention to bracket what is being invaded by human existence. Through the invention of an ‘archiving machine’, the studio used technological speculation to question what nature can or will become. The aim was to use ‘living archive’ as a physical commentary or critique on our current relationship to the environment. The paper describes three projects that speculate on the inevitable future of various biomes. Through environmental analysis, technological research, and formal aspirations, each project embodies a potential reality and potential future of the Anthropocene.
Effect of highly active antiretroviral therapy on the incidence of HIV-associated malignancies at an urban medical center.

Abstract The widespread use of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) since 1996 has led to a substantial decline in morbidity and mortality in patients infected with HIV, although its effect on the incidence of HIV-associated malignancies is unknown. We retrospectively reviewed the annual number of outpatient visits to our HIV clinic, inpatient admissions for HIV disease, and first admissions for patients with cancer and HIV disease at our center between 1990 and 1997. Between 1990 and 1995, there was a progressive increase in the annual number of admissions for HIV disease and HIV-associated cancers that paralleled the increasing HIV clinic volume. In 1997, however, the annual number of first admissions for Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma compared with 1995 decreased by 36% and 63%, respectively, despite a continued increase in the annual number of HIV clinic visits. Similar declines were also noted in the number of new cases of biopsy-confirmed KS and primary central nervous system (CNS) lymphoma. In contrast, there was no decrease in the number of first admissions for patients with HIV infection and other cancers not typically associated with HIV infection. These findings suggest a declining incidence of HIV-associated malignancies since the introduction of HAART.
Abscisic Acid In Plant Response And Adaptation To Drought And Salt Stress

The plant stress hormone abscisic acid (ABA) plays several critical roles in plant response to stress and stress tolerance. ABA is well studied for its roles in the activation of stress-responsive genes and the regulation of guard cell movement. More recently, ABA has also been demonstrated to regulate root adaptation to drought stress. To date, limited success has been achieved in regulating plant ABA action for increasing plant drought tolerance. Revealing the mechanisms of ABA action in stress adaptation will further help the development of hardy crop plants
Reasoning About Variation

Basically two main aspects of variation have come to light in these descriptions. One aspect is how spread out the numbers are. Students give responses that suggest that some indication of variation is being considered when they are dealing with extreme values using the range. The other aspect is what is happening with the numbers contained within that range. Responses considering the behavior of the middle values may give specific information about the numbers; or they may just give attributes that are necessary for the numbers, such as wanting them to be different. When these two aspects of variation description are brought together, deviations begin to become an issue; and when these deviations are anchored to a specific value, usually a center of some description, it will eventually become the focus of the student’s description of a distribution.
Wolff-Parkinson-White pattern unmasked by severe musculoskeletal pain.

WPW pattern can be asymptomatic, whereas the syndrome is characterized by symptomatic arrhythmias.
Comparing frontal eye field and superior colliculus contributions to covert spatial attention

The causal roles of the frontal eye fields (FEF) and superior colliculus (SC) in spatial selective attention have not been directly compared. Reversible inactivation is an established method for testing causality but comparing results between FEF and SC is complicated by differences in size and morphology of the two brain regions. Here we exploited the fact that inactivation of FEF and SC also changes the metrics of saccadic eye movements, providing an independent benchmark for the strength of the causal manipulation. Using monkeys trained to covertly perform a visual motion-change detection task, we found that inactivation of either FEF or SC could cause deficits in attention task performance. However, SC-induced attention deficits were found with saccade changes half the size needed to get FEF-induced attention deficits. Thus, performance in visual attention tasks is vulnerable to loss of signals from either structure, but suppression of SC activity has a more devastating effect.
Adherence to oral chemotherapy: Challenges and opportunities.

PurposeThere is very little data on the effect of combining methods to better predict and improve oral antineoplastic adherence in cancer patients. The goal of this study was to evaluate the effect...
A Hand-Held Device to Apply Instrument-Assisted Soft Tissue Mobilization at Targeted Compression Forces and Stroke Frequencies

Instrument-assisted soft tissue mobilization (IASTM) is a manual therapy technique that is commonly used to treat dysfunctions in ligaments and other musculoskeletal tissues. The objective of this study was to develop a simple hand-held device that helps users accurately apply targeted compressive forces and stroke frequencies during IASTM treatments. This portable device uses a force sensor, tablet computer, and custom software to guide the application of user-specified loading parameters. To measure performance, the device was used to apply a combination of targeted forces and stroke frequencies to foam blocks and silicone pads. Three operators using the device applied targeted forces between 0.3 and 125 N with less than 10% error and applied targeted stroke frequencies between 0.25 and 1.0 Hz with less than 3% error. The mean error in applying targeted forces increased significantly at compressive forces less than 0.2 N and greater than 125 N. For experimental validation, the device was used to apply a series of IASTM treatments over three-weeks to rodents with a ligament injury, and the targeted compressive force and stroke frequency were repeatedly applied with an average error less than 5%. This validated device can be used to investigate the effect of IASTM loading parameters on tissue healing in animal and human studies, and therefore can support the optimization and adoption of IASTM protocols that improve patient outcomes.