cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Lessons learned from War Breaker

The systems engineering aspects of establishing and operating a distributed interactive simulation (DIS) environment are of interest to those that have been through the process. They should also be of interest to those new to the process so to avoid repeating the same mistakes over and over. This paper presents lessons learned from developing, integrating, and operating the War Breaker systems engineering and evaluation (SE&E) program.© (1995) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Evolution and assessment of a service-learning nutrition pharmacy program

Abstract Introduction A service-learning nutrition course was established for pharmacy students at the University of Colorado Skaggs School of Pharmacy and Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1999. This program has been sustained and improved upon as an integral part of the curriculum over the last 13 years. Methods A partnership was established with Aurora Public Schools to allow first-year pharmacy students to deliver a series of nutrition and healthy lifestyle lessons to children in third, fourth, and fifth grade in 28 classrooms across four different elementary schools. Results Pharmacy students reported satisfaction with lesson delivery, team dynamics, and improved communication, listening, and leadership skills. Elementary school teachers reported satisfaction with the lessons and increased learning and enjoyment from their students. Teachers scored pharmacy students high (average of 95.4% and 94.3%) across two semesters for their performance. Conclusions A pharmacy student service-learning program has been maintained and improved upon, meeting goals for both the pharmacy students as well as elementary school children. This partnership is perceived as valuable from all parties involved.
Control of Serpentine Leaf Miner in Gerbera Daisy, 2014

A new formulation of Cyantraniliprole from Syngenta was evaluated against industry standard Trigard 75WP. The study was conducted at the University of California, Davis Orchard Park Greenhouse Complex, starting in Aug. 2013. The experimental unit was one pot arranged in a RCB design with six replicates across ten treatments (including an untreated check). Mature LM-free gerbera plants in 8 inch azalea pots (one plant per pot) were placed …
Functional Characterization of the Origin of Replication of pRN1 from Sulfolobus islandicus REN1H1

Plasmid pRN1 from Sulfolobus islandicus REN1H1 is believed to replicate by a rolling circle mechanism but its origin and mechanism of replication are not well understood. We sought to create minimal expression vectors based on pRN1 that would be useful for heterologous gene expression in S. acidocaldarius, and in the process improve our understanding of the mechanism of replication. We constructed and transformed shuttle vectors that harbored different contiguous stretches of DNA from pRN1 into S. acidocaldarius E4-39, a uracil auxotroph. A 232-bp region 3’ of orf904 was found to be critical for pRN1 replication and is therefore proposed to be the putative origin of replication. This 232-bp region contains a 100-bp stem-loop structure believed to be the double-strand origin of replication. The loop of the 100-bp structure contains a GTG tri-nucleotide motif, a feature that was previously reported to be important for the primase activity of Orf904. This putative origin and the associated orf56 and orf904 were identified as the minimal replicon of pRN1 because transformants of plasmids lacking any of these three features were not recovered. Plasmids lacking orf904 and orf56 but harboring the putative origin were transformable when orf904 and orf56 were provided in-trans; a 75-bp region 5’ of the orf904 start codon was found to be essential for this complementation. Detailed knowledge of the pRN1 origin of replication will broaden the application of the plasmid as a genetic tool for Sulfolobus species.
Peripartum cardiomyopathy and cesarean section: report of two cases and literature review

The anesthetic management of labor and delivery in patients with peripartum cardiomyopathy is not well defined. Using continuous spinal anesthesia with bupivacaine or combined spinal epidural anesthesia with ropivacaine in such rare clinical situations has not been previously reported. We present two cases in which parturients with the diagnosis of peripartum cardiomyopathy presented in congestive heart failure for emergent Cesarean section. Continuous spinal anesthesia and combined spinal-epidural anesthesia were successfully employed as the anesthetic techniques for the procedures. Both patients remained hemodynamically stable during surgery and were discharged home on postoperative days 5 and 4 respectively.
Bond distance and vibrational spectrum of the molecular cation NO+2

Abstract The equilibrium bond distance, vibrational frequencies, infrared intensities, and potential force constants (through quartic force constants) have been determined for the molecular cation NO + 2 . Very large atomic natural orbital (ANO) one-particle basis sets have been used in conjunction with the singles and doubles coupled-cluster (CCSD) and CCSD(T) electron correlation methods in this study. The ANO basis sets include up through g-type functions. At the highest level of theory the equilibrium N bond distance is computed to be 1.122 A, and the uncertainty in this value is conservatively estimated to be ±0.003 A. The fundamental vibrational frequencies are predicted to occur at 1384, 625 and 2344 cm −1 for μ 1 (σ g ), μ 2 (π u ) and μ 3 (σ u ), respectively.
Design and Fabrication of Dual-Side Waveguide-Based Wavelength Demultiplexer

We will discuss a 3-channel demultiplexer using GaAs/AlGaAs, which can separate the lightwave signals of different wavelengths. This demultiplexer utilizes the grating-assisted codirectional coupler structure [1], which can filter out the different wavelengths along the conduit waveguide (Fig. 1). Grating-assisted codirectional couplers made of two nonidentical, vertically stacked waveguides have been investigated for their use as wavelength-selective filters [2]. The center wavelength of each filtering grating section is decided by the phase-matching condition β1−β2 = 2π/λ, where β1 and β2 are the propagation constants for the two guided modes of this dualwaveguide system.
Habitual alcohol seeking: Modeling the transition from casual drinking to addiction

The transition from goal-directed actions to habitual ethanol seeking models the development of addictive behavior that characterizes alcohol use disorders. The progression to habitual ethanol-seeking behavior occurs more rapidly than for natural rewards, suggesting that ethanol may act on habit circuit to drive the loss of behavioral flexibility. This review will highlight recent research that has focused on the formation and expression of habitual ethanol seeking, and the commonalities and distinctions between ethanol and natural reward-seeking habits, with the goal of highlighting important, understudied research areas that we believe will lead toward the development of novel treatment and prevention strategies for uncontrolled drinking.
Human leukocyte alpha interferon-induced transient neurotoxicity in children.

Neuropsychiatric complications with recombinant alpha interferon (rIFN-α) have been described in adults. Little documentation of similar toxicity in pediatric phase I and phase II trials exists. Two children, treated with rIFN-α, experienced confusion, somnolence and syncope, associated with transient electroencephalographic abnormalities. Symptoms abated and electroencephalographic findings improved with termination of therapy. Readministration at lower dosages has not been associated with recurrence of neurotoxicity.
An improved class of flotation frothers

Abstract Incorporating certain functional groups or atoms into surfactant molecules can have a dramatic impact on the surface activity of the chemicals. This paper summarizes how the introduction of sulfur atom into polyalkylene oxide frother molecules increased metal recovery, both copper and molybdenum, in the flotation of porphyrry ores. Both hydrophile–lipophile balance (HLB) numbers and collector/frother/mineral interactions are considered to play a role in enhancing recovery.
Impact of the Heitler‐London hydrogen molecule paper on chemistry

This year marks the fiftieth anniversary of the justly celebrated paper by Heitler and London on the quantum mechanical treatment of the hydrogen molecule. A brief survey is given of some of the more important papers built on the Heitler-London classic. In addition, the question of the physical interpretation of approximate wave functions is discussed and some of the pitfalls exemplified. Several different analyses of the bonding are reviewed, and it is concluded that the most satisfactory physical interpretation is that based on the Hellmann Feynman theorem: the true wave function is the function which minimizes the sum of the potential and kinetic energies. This causes some excess charge in the central region so as to minimize the kinetic energy at least cost in potential energy. This excess electronic charge holds the nuclei together, much as was postulated by G. N. Lewis.
Real-time tracking for sensor networks via sdp and gradient method

The sensor tracking problem is an important problem studied in many different fields. But many of those studies use analysis or machine learning method rather than optimization method. Recently, several approaches have been proposed to solve the static version of the tracking problem, the sensor network localization problem, via Semi-definite Programming(SDP). In this paper, we analyze a new real-time sensor tracking scheme by combining the SDP approach and the gradient method. We show that this approach provides fast and accurate tracking for network sensors. We also discuss the problem of extracting information from the moving sensors, which could be used to predict their movements.
A Modest Map of the Aid World

: Ellen Lutz is contributing editor of Human Rights Forum, the AAA Committee for Human Rights column in Anthropology News.
Afterword: Nominalizations in syntactic theory

Abstract This afterword constructs a working typology of nominalizations, based on but not restricted to the papers collected in this special issue. The typology is based on what we call the Functional Nominalization Thesis (FNT), a version of the model of “mixed projections” proposed in Borsley and Kornfilt (2000) which claims that nominal properties of a nominalization are contributed by a nominal functional projection; above that projection the structure has nominal properties, below it, verbal properties. We argue for four possible levels of nominalization, CP, TP, vP and VP. We show that certain internal syntactic phenomena are characteristic of different levels of nominalization: genitive subjects of nominalization at TP and below, genitive objects of nominalization at vP and below. We suggest that the inventory of categories implicated in nominalization is quite restricted: D, and nominal counterparts of ‘light’ verbal categories. We examine two alternatives to the FNT, the framework of Panagiotidis and Grohmann (2009) and Bresnan's (1997) head-sharing approach, and argue that our treatment is more appropriate under a minimalist approach, as it accommodates the facts within an independently motivated inventory of functional categories, without positing a special type of category limited only to nominalizations. We counter Bresnan's objections against a syntactic derivation of nominalizations by showing that a word's lexical integrity can be successfully violated by “suspended affixation” in syntactically derived nominalizations in Turkish while such integrity has to be respected in lexically derived nominalizations.
A critical evaluation of three non-isothermal kinetic techniques

Abstract A systematic evaluation was conducted of three different methods to obtain kinetic information from non-isothermal thermogravimetric data. The methods evaluated were those of Zimmerman, Abou-Shaaban and Simonelli, and Reich and Stivala. It was established that none of these methods was entirely appropriate for use in the study of calcium oxalate monohydrate desolvation.
The Use of Psychoeducation for a Patient with Hepatitis C and Psychiatric Illness in Preparation for Antiviral Therapy: A Case Report and Discussion

The standard of care treatment for chronic hepatitis C viral infection (HCV) is a combination of pegylated interferon alfa and ribavirin for 24–48 weeks according to the virus genotype. This therapy is known to have multiple neuropsychiatric side effects. A major concern when evaluating a patient for HCV treatment with a known history of a psychiatric disorder is the risk that the patient’s psychiatric disorder will flare or become unmanageable. The possibility of precipitating depression, confusion, mania, psychosis, hallucinations, or suicidal ideation or attempt is frequently an obstacle to treatment. We present the case of a 50 year-old man with HCV and an extensive psychiatric history involving alcoholism, depression, and suicidality who participated in a psychoeducation group to help prepare him for treatment with pegylated interferon alfa/ribavirin therapy. Though the patient derived much benefit from the psychoeducation group, by the time of evaluation for HCV treatment two months after the group ended he had relapsed back into a depressive episode with suicidal thoughts. His acute psychiatric status made him unacceptable for pegylated interferon alfa/ribavirin therapy. Psychoeducation groups show promise for helping patients with chronic medical illness to be ready for and endure intensive medical treatment that has substantial psychiatric side effects. The challenge is to help patients overcome barriers to treatment, particularly psychosocial problems, because available treatments are increasingly effective.
The anorexia of aging in humans

Energy intake is reduced in older individuals, with several lines of evidence suggesting that both physiological impairment of food intake regulation and non-physiological mechanisms are important. Non-physiological causes of the anorexia of aging include social (e.g. poverty, isolation), psychological (e.g. depression, dementia), medical (e.g. edentulism, dysphagia), and pharmacological factors. Physiological factors include changes in taste and smell, diminished sensory-specific satiety, delayed gastric emptying, altered digestion-related hormone secretion and hormonal responsiveness, as well as food intake-related regulatory impairments for which specific mechanisms remain largely unknown. Studies in healthy elderly individuals have shown that men who consume diets over several weeks providing either too few or too many calories relative to dietary energy needs subsequently do not compensate for the resulting energy deficit or surplus when provided an ad libitum diet. Healthy elders have also been shown to be less hungry at meal initiation and to become more rapidly satiated during a standard meal compared to younger adults. Studies in animal models are required to investigate potential mechanisms underlying these observations, while human studies should focus on examining the potential consequences of this phenomenon and practical therapeutic strategies for the maintenance of appropriate energy intake with increasing age. In light of this need, we have recently demonstrated that low reported hunger assessed using a simple questionnaire predicts unintentional weight loss in a sample of healthy older women, and thus may provide a clinically useful tool for identifying older individuals at risk for undesirable weight change and therefore at high priority for intervention.
Presence of proteins and glutamate as major constituents of the venom of the spider Araneus gemma.

Abstract S. L. Early and E. K. Michaelis . Presence of proteins and glutamate as major constituents of the venom of the spider Araneus gemma. Toxicon25, 433 – 442, 1987. — The venom from the spider Araneus gemma contains an inhibitor of physiologic glutamate receptors and of glutamate binding sites in brain synaptic membranes. In the present study the chemical composition of the venom was examined in order to determine the presence of constituents that may have physiologically important actions on the prey. The milked venom contains high concentrations of protein (≈ 200 μg/μl) and of glutamate (130 – 425 mM) and very low concentrations of epinephrine, epinine, dopamine and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid. There is also marked heterogeneity in the venom peptides detected by SDS gel electrophoresis. The presence of free glutamate may be very important for the actions of the glutamate receptor inhibitor in the venom.
Mating in Wiedemannia (Diptera: Empididae)

Summary The copulation of Wiedemannia bistigma (Curtis) and W. lepida (Melander) are compared and a detailed account of the action pattern of W. lepida is given. Swarming in Wiedemannia (Clinoceratinae) is compared to members of the subfamily Empidinae. Mate selection and aspects of possible intrasexual competition are discussed. The wing and genitalia of the heretofore unknown male of W. lepida are illustrated.
Underground coal mining injury: A look at how age and experience relate to days lost from work following an injury

Coal has been mined in the United States since colonial times and coal mining has always been a dangerous occupation. Despite the dangers involved in coal mining, coal is essential to the functioning of our society. Coal provides energy for products, businesses, and homes.
Acceptor CF3PCPH pincer reactivity with (PPh3)3Ir(CO)H

The syntheses of Ir(I) and Ir(III) complexes incorporating the electron-withdrawing pincer ligand (1,3-C6H4(CH2P(CF3)2)2) (CF3PCPH) with (PPh3)3Ir(CO)H and subsequent chemistry are reported. Under ambient conditions, reaction of 1 equiv. CF3PCPH with (PPh3)3Ir(CO)H gave the mono-bridged complex [Ir(CO)(PPh3)2(H)]2(μ-CF3PCPH) (1). Reaction of (PPh3)3Ir(CO)H with excess CF3PCPH and MeI gave the doubly-bridged complex [Ir(CO)(PPh3)(H)]2(μ-CF3PCPH)2 (2), whereas the tetrameric oligomer [Ir(CO)(PPh3)(H)]4(μ-CF3PCPH)4 (2-sq) was obtained from a 1 : 1 ligand : metal mixture in benzene in the presence of excess MeI. At higher temperatures (165 °C) the reaction of CF3PCPH with (PPh3)3Ir(CO)H afforded the 5-coordinate Ir(I) complex (CF3PCP)Ir(CO)(PPh3) (3). Complex 3 shows mild catalytic activity for the decarbonylation of 2-naphthaldehyde in refluxing diglyme (162 °C).
Principles used in the management

Aneurysms of the visceral arteries were rarely encountered before the development of modern imaging; most presented with rupture. Now, however, visceral artery aneurysms are detected with increasing frequency, particularly in asymptomatic individuals, because of the widespread availability of high-quality cross-sectional imaging. Rupture of these aneurysms is associated with significant morbidity and mortality. Percutaneous techniques are effective and safe methods for aneurysm exclusion.
Activation of NF-κB Binding in HT-29 Colon Cancer Cells by Inhibition of Phosphatidylinositol 3-Kinase

Abstract The ubiquitous transcription factor NF-κB, which is activated in cells by diverse stimuli including phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase), is a critical factor for cell survival and growth. Inhibition of PI3-kinase enhances enterocyte-like differentiation of the human colon cancer cell line HT-29. The purpose of our study was to determine whether PI3-kinase alters NF-κB in HT-29 cells. Wortmannin, a specific PI3-kinase inhibitor, stimulated NF-κB binding activity in HT-29 cells by 4 h after treatment. Activation of NF-κB occurred without degradation of IκBα, a protein that sequesters NF-κB in the cytosol. In addition to increasing NF-κB binding, either wortmannin or cotransfection with a dominant negative mutant of the p85 regulatory subunit of PI3-kinase (Δp85) induced NF-κB transactivation. Taken together, these results suggest that inhibition of PI3-kinase in HT-29 cells results in induction of NF-κB binding activity and transactivation which is independent of IκBα degradation.
Relationships of High Molecular Weight Glutenin Subunit Composition and Molecular Weight Distribution of Wheat Flour Protein with Water Absorption and Color Characteristics of Noodle Dough

ABSTRACT Colors of noodle doughs made from hard white winter wheat flours from Oregon were measured at optimum noodle water absorptions (NWA). Partial correlations, removing effect of protein concentration, indicated that NWA had negative relationships with 0 hr L* and 24 hr b*, and positive relationships with 0 and 24 hr a*. Kernel hardness index had positive simple and partial correlations with NWA without any significant (P < 0.05) correlation with color parameters. High molecular weight glutentin subunits (HMW-GS) significantly (P < 0.05) affected all measured noodle parameters except for 0 hr L*. Covariance analysis, using protein concentration as a covariate, indicated that HMW-GS significantly affected NWA and a* (P < 0.01). Wheat cultivars with HMW-GS 17+18 showed significantly higher mean NWA and a* values than those with alternative Glu-B1 subunits. Protein molecular weight distributions affected noodles, as shown by significant correlations with absorbance areas and % areas of protein size excl...
Comparison of Personality Traits among Estimators, Project Managers, and the Population

AbstractThe intuitive hypothesis that construction management professionals (CMPs) must have a high level of people skills implies that they should be different than the population at large in terms of people skills. In addition, estimators do not deal with as many people as project managers; therefore, they may not have or have need of as high of people skills as project managers. This paper tests these hypotheses through the analysis of 47 personality traits of 102 experienced applicants for construction management positions and compares this analysis with the traits of the overall population. The results of the analysis suggested that (1) CMPs were different from the general population in 34 traits and they were not different in 13 other traits, and (2) construction estimators and project managers were not different except in two traits: human services and gregariousness.
Importance of Plant Colour and Modifier Genes in Grain Mould Resistance in Sorghum

(1995). Importance of Plant Colour and Modifier Genes in Grain Mould Resistance in Sorghum. East African Agricultural and Forestry Journal: Vol. 61, No. 1, pp. 31-37.
Elicitation of ejaculation and penile reflexes in spinal male rats by peripheral electric shock

Abstract Mild electrical shock, applied bilaterally to the skin of the flank of spinal male rats occasionally evokes an ejaculatory complex consisting of seminal expulsion followed by penile erections and flips. The ejaculatory reaction appears to be inhibited by penile stimulation. The inhibitory effect of penile stimulation on ejaculation may represent a spinal mechanism responsible for the obligatory copulatory intromissions which precede ejaculation. The function of penile erections and flips, may be to pack and seal seminal plugs into the vaginocervical junction.
Synaptic transfer in the lateral geniculate nucleus of cats

Abstract Study of various aspects of synaptic transfer in the lateral geniculate nucleus was conducted on intact cats with electrodes implanted in lateral geniculate and optic tract. The postsynaptic geniculate response after tetanizing the optic tract in the anesthetized animal followed a course marked by three phases: a short first subnormality, a period during which the response returned to control level or was potentiated, and a long second subnormality. In contrast, a chronic electrode implanted in the awake animal exhibited no period of potentiation or second subnormality after tetanization. Double shock recovery cycles were also studied in these preparations. An early facilitatory period could not be demonstrated in the awake animal, whereas such a period was consistently observed in the anesthetized animal. This is thought to indicate absence of a demonstrable subliminal fringe; it correlated well with the observations made in experiments with optic tract tetanization, bearing out Lloyd's earlier postulation that post-tetanic potentiation, as manifested postsynaptically, requires a subliminal fringe.
Cotorsion pairs, model category structures, and representation theory

We make a general study of Quillen model structures on abelian categories. We show that they are closely related to cotorsion pairs, which were introduced by Salce [Sal79] and have been much studied recently by Enochs and coauthors [EJ00]. This gives a method of constructing model structures on abelian categories, which we illustrate by building two model structures on the category of modules over a (possibly noncommutative) Gorenstein ring. The homotopy category of these model structures is a generalization of the stable module category much used in modular representation theory. This stable module category has also been studied by Benson [Ben97].
Keep Your EYES on the FRONT and WATCH YOUR BACK

These are times marked and marred by Homeland Security measures, terrorist attacks, preemptive “just” wars, and non-denial denials regarding the legality of torture and unrecorded detentions. The most pressing question is perhaps not “Are you paranoid?” but rather, “Are you paranoid enough?” Concerned TDR readers may be interested in the case of Critical Art Ensemble cofounder Steve Kurtz, who gained national—and federal—attention earlier this past summer [2004]. To get our own bearings on the situation, we visited Mass MOCA (Massachusetts Museum of Contemporary Art) to view Free Range Grain, an aborted exhibition by CAE and Beatriz da Costa. The performative exhibit was to have been part of Mass MOCA’s show, The Interventionists: Art in the Social Sphere, which also included such artists as William Pope.L, subRosa, and The Yes Men. The show asked, in part: “How can artists and the public become engaged in complex sciences like biotechnology, sociology, and anthropology? Why would they want to? We think of science as a world unto itself, the realm of super-specialists, but is it a public sphere, too?” Mass MOCA’s questions seemed entirely appropriate, and yet...one of the exhibitions was aborted. Why? The reason appears to have everything to do with policing the boundaries of the public sphere. An aborted exhibition is an exhibition of what might have been, had there been an exhibition—that is, in this case, had CAE not been under criminal investigation. In the center of the abandoned exhibit was a sign:
Microwave Sintering of ZnO Varistor Ceramics

ZnO varistors are electronic ceramics whose electrical behavior is dominated by grain boundary effects. A careful evaluation of the effect of microwave sintering compared to conventional sintering revealed no significant differences between varistor devices processed by these two methods. A slight apparent enhancement of grain growth was observed for microwave processing, but further evaluation of this effect leads us to believe that it arises from a small systematic shift in temperature derived from the different experimental configurations.
Software engineering globalization and localization

The development of software under the constraints of different natural languages and local customs and cultures is addressed. Three questions are examined: how to make the core of the software program capable of handling data given in a different natural language without any loss of functionality, how to adapt the user interface so that it becomes a natural vehicle of communicating information with the user of a given language, taking into account the user's local customs and culture, and how to provide the user with the software capability of effectively working in a multilingual environment where two or more natural languages are simultaneously used. An example that shows what language conventions need to be considered and how to use these conventions at the implementation level is given. >
10Be contents of Mono Lake sediments: search for enhancement during a geomagnetic excursion

Summary We report the 10Be and Be contents of 22 sediment samples of lacustrine silt from the Wilson Creek section of Mono Lake, California. The section spans about 20–35 kyr bp and contains a record of a geomagnetic excursion for which the relative palaeointensity is estimated from the ratio of natural remanent magnetization to anhysteretic remanent magnetization. The 10Be contents of the excursion samples are somewhat higher than the average of non-excursion samples (0.24 ± 0.02 versus 0.15 ± 0.02 dpm kg−1). It is clear however that geomagnetic effects are not the sole cause of the observed variations.
An Aligned Carbon Nanotube Biosensor for DNA Detection

This paper reports the design and fabrication of a biosensor based on aligned single wall carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) with integrated single-strand DNAs (ssDNA). This ultra-sensitive biosensor provides label-free real-time electronic detection of DNA hybridization between surface-immobilized ssDNA and target ssDNA. Hybridization kinetics between complementary and target ssDNA nucleotide base pairs result in a local charge generation between base pairs that is injected into the SWCNTs resulting in a detectable change in SWCNT electrical conductance. This conductance change is amplified electrically through the integration of the functionalized SWCNTs as the semi-conductive channel in a silicon-silicon oxide based field effect transistor (FET). Based on previous Langmuir DNA kinetics calculations, the projected sensitivity level of the SWCNT-DNA sensor is considerably higher than traditional fluorescent and hybridization assays.
Is multiple sclerosis a mitochondrial disease

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a relatively common and etiologically unknown disease with no cure. It is the leading cause of neurological disability in young adults, affecting over two million people worldwide. Traditionally, MS has been considered a chronic, inflammatory disorder of the central white matter in which ensuing demyelination results in physical disability. Recently, MS has become increasingly viewed as a neurodegenerative disorder in which axonal injury, neuronal loss, and atrophy of the central nervous system leads to permanent neurological and clinical disability. In this article, we discuss the latest developments on MS research, including etiology, pathology, genetic association, EAE animal models, mechanisms of neuronal injury and axonal transport, and therapeutics. In this article, we also focus on the mechanisms of mitochondrial dysfunction that are involved in MS, including mitochondrial DNA defects, and mitochondrial structural/functional changes.
Dose-Effect Relationships for the Submandibular Salivary Glands and Implications for Their Sparing by Intensity Modulated Radiotherapy

Purpose Submandibular salivary glands (SMGs) dysfunction contributes to xerostomia after radiotherapy (RT) of head-and-neck (HN) cancer. We assessed SMG dose–response relationships and their implications for sparing these glands by intensity-modulated radiotherapy (IMRT). Methods and Materials A total of 148 HN cancer patients underwent unstimulated and stimulated SMG salivary flow rate measurements selectively from Wharton's duct orifices, before RT and periodically through 24 months after RT. Correlations of flow rates and mean SMG doses were modeled throughout all time points. IMRT replanning in 8 patients whose contralateral level I was not a target incorporated the results in a new cost function aiming to spare contralateral SMGs. Results Stimulated SMG flow rates decreased exponentially by (1.2%)Gy as mean doses increased up to 39 Gy threshold, and then plateaued near zero. At mean doses ≤39 Gy, but not higher, flow rates recovered over time at 2.2%/month. Similarly, the unstimulated salivary flow rates decreased exponentially by (3%)Gy as mean dose increased and recovered over time if mean dose was Conclusions SMG salivary flow rates depended on mean dose with recovery over time up to a threshold of 39 Gy. Substantial SMG dose reduction to below this threshold and without target underdosing is feasible in some patients, at the expense of modestly higher doses to some other organs.
Modeling community- and individual-level effects of child-care center attendance on pneumococcal carriage.

Author(s): Huang, Susan S; Finkelstein, Jonathan A; Lipsitch, Marc | Abstract: BackgroundThe prevalence of pneumococcal carriage varies widely across communities. This variation is not fully explained by risk factors at the individual level but may be explained by factors producing effects at both the individual and community levels, such as child-care center (CCC) attendance.MethodsWe developed a transmission model to evaluate whether the combined risks of attending CCCs and associating with playmates who attend CCCs account for a large proportion of the variability in the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage across communities. We based parameters for the model on data from a multicommunity study.ResultsAccording to our model, differences in the proportion of children who attend CCCs can account for a range of 4%-56% in the prevalence of pneumococcal carriage across communities. Our model, which was based on data collected from 16 Massachusetts communities, predicts that the odds of carriage associated with CCC attendance are 2-3 times the odds associated with no CCC attendance (individual-level effect). The model also predicts that the odds of carriage for nonattendees in a community with CCCs are up to 6 times the odds for children in a community without CCCs (community-level effect). In addition, the mean number of hours spent at CCCs by a single attendee appears to exert effects on pneumococcal carriage that are independent of either the proportion of CCC attendance in the community or the mean number of hours these attendees spend in child care.ConclusionsWe used data from multiple communities to develop a transmission model that explains marked differences in pneumococcal carriage across communities by variations in CCC attendance. This model only accounts for CCC attendance among young children and does not include other known risk factors for pneumococcal carriage.
Quantitative shape descriptors of left ventricular cine-CT images

In order to assess regional diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV), LV rapid-acquisition computed tomographic (cine-CT) images were used to build finite element models. To quantitatively evaluate the accuracy of the geometric reconstruction technique used in building these models, a new measure of shape similarity is introduced. The results obtained from the new measure were compared and contrasted to the results obtained from traditional shape similarity measures. All of these measures were used to compare the endocardial and epicardial LV contours obtained from video images of the same hearts. The results show that the imaging procedure accurately reproduces shape, and further suggest that the descriptor shows the sensitivity and resolution required to distinguish between images separated by as little as 3 mm. >
Hybrid control for navigation of shape-accelerated underactuated balancing systems

This paper presents a hybrid control strategy for navigation of shape-accelerated underactuated balancing systems with dynamic constraints. It extends the concept of sequential composition to perform discrete state-based switching between asymptotically convergent control policies to produce a globally asymptotically convergent feedback policy. The individual control policies consists of an external trajectory planner, a shape trajectory planner, an external trajectory tracking controller and a balancing controller. The paper also presents an integrated planning and control procedure, wherein standard graph-search algorithms are used to plan for the sequence of control policies that will help the system achieve a navigation goal. Simulation results of the 3D ballbot system navigating an environment with static obstacles to reach the goal position are also presented.
System Development Planning via System Maturity Optimization

Many U.S. government agencies and their contractors have subscribed to using the prescriptive metric of technology readiness level (TRL) as a measure of maturity of an individual technology, with a view toward operational use in a system context. A comprehensive set of concerns becomes relevant when this metric is abstracted from an individual technology to a system context, which may involve interplay among multiple technologies that are integrated through a system development life cycle. This paper proposes a system-focused approach for managing system development and making effective and efficient decisions during this life cycle. A system readiness level (SRL) index that incorporates both the current TRL scale and the concept of an integration readiness level is presented with methods for determining current and future readiness of a system. Using techniques in evolutionary algorithms, the SRL index is optimized based on resource allocation to provide a decision support approach that enhances managerial capabilities in the system's development life cycle. The optimization model for the SRL is then executed with a case example and resource constraints of 75%, 60%, 45%, 30%, and 15% to demonstrate how it can be used to make strategic planning decisions in the system's development life cycle.
Statcom controls for operation with unbalanced voltages

Voltage sourced static VAr compensators such as the Statcom need to be able to handle unbalanced voltages. Mild imbalance can be caused by unbalanced loads while severe short-term imbalance can be caused by power system faults. A synchronous frame voltage regulator is presented that works even when three phase symmetry is lost. This regulator addresses voltage imbalance by using separate regulation loops for the positive and negative sequence components of the voltage. The proposed regulator allows the Statcom to ride through severe transient imbalance without disconnecting from the power system and, further, to assist in rebalancing voltages. The regulator maintains sufficient bandwidth to perform flicker compensation. The controller's performance is simulated for a Statcom in a model distribution system where it is subjected to a severe single line to ground fault and a rapidly varying three phase load.
Bone morphogenetic protein-4 enhances vascular endothelial growth factor secretion by human retinal pigment epithelial cells

Retinal pigment epithelial (RPE) cells secrete vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), a cytokine known to promote angiogenesis. Results from RNase protection assays (RPAs) show that RPE from non-diabetic human donors and from adult retinal pigment epithelium-19 (ARPE-19) cells expressed significant bone morphogenetic protein-4 (BMP-4) message. In addition, ARPE-19 cells cultured in high glucose (25 mM), compared to those in physiological glucose (5.5 mM) released significantly more BMP-4 into the conditioned media (CM). However, the effect of BMP-4 on the release of VEGF by ARPE-19 cells has not been studied. Accordingly, ARPE-19 cells were treated with BMP-4 to determine VEGF secretion. BMP-4 and VEGF levels in the CM and cell lysates were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Cells treated with exogenous BMP-4 had higher VEGF in the CM and this treatment effect was dose- and time-dependent, while cell lysates had low levels of VEGF. Addition of cycloheximide (CHX) or actinomycin-D (ACT) significantly reduced VEGF secretion from cells treated with BMP-4, suggesting that the BMP-4-induced secretion of VEGF requires new RNA and protein synthesis. Our results suggest that BMP-4 may play a role in the regulation of ocular angiogenesis associated with diabetic retinopathy (DR) by stimulating VEGF release from RPE cells.
Scheduling Accommodations Among Students Who Persist in High School Music Ensembles

The purpose of this study was to investigate scheduling patterns of high school students who earn multiple credits in music ensembles and to investigate why high school students elect to enroll in ensembles. Participants (N = 443) were freshman music majors enrolled in 10 Texas universities. They completed questionnaires about enrollment in ensembles, classes taken outside of the traditional school day, and types of high school schedules. In a free-response format, participants listed any scheduling obstacles and reasons for taking ensemble classes in high school. Results indicated that the primary obstacles involved schedule conflicts. Respondents (n = 55) who took summer school and correspondence courses had the highest average number of music ensemble classes (7.9) for Grades 9 through 12. The primary motivating factors for ensemble membership were the pleasures associated with performing music and social networking. Implications of research include the potential improvement of retention rates.
The Assessment of Dream Content: Methodological Considerations

While discussing the study of dreams, it is essential to be clear on what does and what does not constitute a dream. This is true for whatever one studies; the object of study must be delineated, or confusion and contradiction will be the inevitable consequence. This question was raised by the author in the symposium entitled ‘‘Dreams, dream content and their psychophysiologic correlates’’ at the First International Congress of the Association for the Psycho-physiological Study of Sleep in 1972. The importance of the definition of the term dream was rejected in the discussion but recognized by the chair as a recurrent theme that remained unresolved. More recently, under the direction of the editor of this issue, James Pagel, MD, an effort has been undertaken to provide a definition for dream, but it resulted in the conclusion that there was no single definition possible. After reviewing about 20 definitions of dreaming, it was concluded that definitions of dreaming have 3 characteristics: (1) an association with wake/sleep states, (2) recall, and (3) content. It is not apparent what is meant when one says one is studying the dream. There is little agreement on what is encompassed and what is excluded in the concept ‘‘the dream.’’ Nagera provides Freud’s most concise definition of the dream: ‘‘a dream is the (disguised) fulfillment of a (repressed)
An electrophysiological cardiac model approach to measuring T-wave alternans

The 2008 Computers in Cardiology Challenge is to automatically identify and measure T-wave alternans. The study presented here applies an electrophysiological cardiac model to the problem of characterizing the T-wave variability. Thus, the hypothesis is that the existence and magnitude of T-wave alternans can be identified and measured using a cardiac inverse problem approach, where the magnitude of the alternans are measured in the model space. The dataset used in this study is a collection of records from selected databases in the Physionet databank. Additionally, a simulated ECG dataset is used to study the sensitivity and specificity of the proposed approach under various noise conditions. Results on the simulated ECG data set show that the approach is able to differentiate between 5, 10, 20, and 100 microvolt T-wave alternans in the presence of various noises between -25 and 5dB SNR. The score from the challenge, which is the Kendall rank correlation coefficient, is 0.331.
Perceived Anxiety of Pediatric Patients to Magnetic Resonance

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a nonionizing radiologic technique without known adverse physical effects, is utilized frequently in children and adolescents. The MRI technique requires prolonged immobility in a narrow, confined space, and concern has been raised regarding possible patient anxiety and noncompliance. Several reports suggest that up to 10% of adults undergoing MRI may experience anxiety and/or claustrophobia. 1 However, to our knowledge, no studies of the subjective MRI experiences of children and adolescents have been published. We report here the general characteristics of 491 consecutive Pediatric patients who were evaluated with MRI at our institution, including the experience of anxiety in 85 older children and adolescents.
Actinic cheilitis: A review of 152 cases

Abstract Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine whether any clinical or histopathologic variables are associated with the severity of epithelial change in lesions of actinic cheilitis. Study design. A total of 152 acceptable cases of actinic cheilitis were identified from 66,067 cases accessioned from February 1989 to June 1998. For each case, the clinical information supplied by the submitting practitioner at the time of the biopsy and 8 histopathologic variables were evaluated. Results. The following 5 histopathologic variables were positively correlated with an increased degree of epithelial change: acanthosis, basophilic change within the connective tissue, the presence of inflammation within the connective tissue, perivascular inflammation, and thickness of the keratin layer. None of the clinical variables was associated with an increased degree of epithelial change. Conclusions. The presence of any of the aforementioned histopathologic changes should prompt a close evaluation of the lesion for the presence of either epithelial dysplasia or carcinoma. (Oral Surg Oral Med Oral Pathol Oral Radiol Endod 1999;88:181-6)
INFECTION BEHAVIOR OF THE RHABDITID NEMATODE PHASMARHABDITIS HERMAPHRODITA TO THE GREY GARDEN SLUG DEROCERAS RETICULATUM

Infection behavior of the rhabditid nematode Phasmarhabditis hermaphrodita to the grey garden slug Deroceras reticulatum was studied. The dauer (enduring or nonaging) juveniles of P. hermaphrodita invade D. reticulatum within 8–16 hr following external exposure, with the posterior mantle region containing the shell cavity serving as the main portal of entry. The dauer juveniles can recover, multiply, and produce new dauer juveniles in the slug and slug feces homogenates, but not in the soil extract. These results demonstrate that P. hermaphrodita is a facultative parasite of the slug and can complete its life cycle under nonparasitic conditions associated with the host. Although the juvenile and adult nematodes can kill the slug if injected into the shell cavity of the host, only the dauer juvenile can serve as an infective stage in the natural environment.
The Praxis of the Tractrix

This essay analyzes Zorns Lemma (1962–1970), a film made by American artist Hollis Frampton (1936–1984). Noting Frampton’s use of Robert Grosseteste’s thirteenth-century treatise De luce [‘On Light’] as a key aspect of the film’s soundtrack, the essay argues that Grosseteste’s investigations of light as a medium played a key role in Frampton’s theorization of cinema. As such, his interest in medieval light theories spurred him to develop a powerful, idiosyncratic response to prevailing discourses of media and medium specificity during the 1960s. When examined in light of contemporaneous projects by Pier Paolo Pasolini (1922–1975) and Roland Barthes (1915–1980), Zorns Lemma points up the significance of medieval thought in the period’s conceptions of art and time.
Acid-Fast Organism from Leprous Lesions: Cultivation in Tissue Cultures and Other Mediums

A large number of attempts have been made to cultivate the organism of leprosy, ever since Hansen in 1872 discovered the presence of acid-fast rods in the tissues of patients suffering from the disease. At the present time it is doubtful whether any one has succeeded in bringing forth unquestionable evidence as to the cultivation of the true etiologic agent. Many positive cultivation experiments have been reported in the literature. Some investigators have isolated acid-fast rods only, while others have cultivated pleomorphic organisms showing the presence of an acid-fast stage. From the descriptions given it is doubtful whether two workers have cultivated the same organism. The experimental work to be reported in this article deals with the isolation of a diphtheroid having an acid-fast as well as a nonacid-fast stage. No attempt will be made to cover the literature thoroughly, merely a brief review of the contributions having a bearing on this problem and of some of the more recent reports will be included.1