cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Added value, decreased cost: the evolving role of the cytotechnologist for preliminary screening and triage of thyroid aspirates.

Immediate adequacy assessment for thyroid fine-needle aspirations (FNAs) is standard practice in many cytopathology laboratories. A pathologist is usually present for these time consuming assessments. The purpose of this 5 month study (January 2008–May 2008) was to show that cytotechnologists can accurately provide the majority of immediate adequacy assessments for thyroid FNAs, saving both time and money for pathologists, clinicians, and patients. The study consisted of 167 thyroid nodule FNAs performed in twice weekly thyroid FNA clinics. A comparison was made of the immediate assessments by five participating cytotechnologists and the preliminary and final diagnoses by three pathologists. The cytotechnologist prepared the slides, assessed the air-dried Hema-Diff™ stained slides for adequacy, and the pathologist viewed the slides remotely via real-time video streaming. Results were recorded in an Excel spreadsheet. There was a discordance rate of 1.2% when comparing the cytotechnologist's adequacy interpretation and the pathologist's preliminary diagnosis; both clinically insignificant. By cytotechnologist assessment, 79.0% of the cases were benign and 6.6% were nondiagnostic. 14.4% of the cases were assessed as cellular nodule or neoplastic lesion; all requiring pathologist's preliminary diagnosis. Utilizing a cytotechnologist to provide adequacy, instead of a pathologist, saved $464.10/case (2.38 passes/case) based on current gross technical and professional charges. On the basis of our findings, cytotechnologists can accurately provide immediate onsite adequacy assessments for thyroid nodule FNAs. Affording cytotechnologists the opportunity to preliminarily assess FNAs for adequacy also creates a new role in the laboratory. Furthermore, cost-savings are realized for patients and the health care system. Diagn. Cytopathol. 2011. © 2010 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.
Exemplary School Health Education: A New Charge from HOT Districts

School health education is generally regarded as instructional programs for stu dents. Such programs have limited impact, especially when the social environment is inconsistent with instructional messages. A study of Oregon school districts reveals that some school personnel have gone beyond curricula in their school education programs. Exemplary districts addressed noninstructional issues, most notably staff de velopment programs and food service offerings. In doing so, they have changed not only the social context of the schools, but their ability to directly influence a greater number of Health Objectives for the Nation.
Hydrophobic core repacking and aromatic-aromatic interaction in the thermostable mutant of T4 lysozyme Ser 117-->Phe.

The T4 lysozyme mutant Ser 117-->Phe was isolated fortuitously and found to be more thermostable than wild-type by 1.1-1.4 kcal/mol. In the wild-type structure, the side chain of Ser 117 is in a sterically restricted region near the protein surface and forms a short hydrogen bond with Asn 132. The crystal structure of the S117F mutant shows that the introduced Phe side chain rotates by about 150 degrees about the C alpha-C beta bond relative to wild type and is buried in the hydrophobic core of the protein. Burial of Phe 117 is accommodated by rearrangements of the surrounding side chains of Leu 121, Leu 133, and Phe 153 and by main-chain shifts, which result in a minimal increase in packing density. The benzyl rings of Phe 117 and Phe 153 form a near-optimal edge-face interaction in the mutant structure. This aromatic-aromatic interaction, as well as increased hydrophobic stabilization and elimination of a close contact in the wild-type protein, apparently compensate for the loss of a hydrogen bond and the possible cost of structural rearrangements in the mutant. The structure illustrates the ability of a protein to accommodate a surprisingly large structural change in a manner that actually increases thermal stability. The mutant has activity about 10% that of wild-type, supportive of the prior hypothesis (Grutter, M.G. & Matthews, B.W., 1982, J. Mol. Biol. 154, 525-535) that the peptidoglycan substrate of T4 lysozyme makes extended contacts with the C-terminal domain in the vicinity of Ser 117.
The binding of ions to the muscle proteins; a theory for K+ and Na+ binding based on a hydrogen-bonded and chelated model.

Abstract Binding equations are developed for the association of cations with proteins using a model in which hydrogen bonded and chelated forms are considered. The sodium- and potassium-ion binding data to myosin are analyzed with the result that the binding of sodium and potassium ions appears to involve carboxyl-alkali metal-imidazole and carboxyl-alkali metal-amino chelates. The association constants of these chelates are compared with those of known compounds.
Alcohol Use, Problems, and the Course of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: A Prospective Study of Female Crime Victims

Objective: In this study the authors examine whether alcohol use disorder status and consequences of drinking moderate the course of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) over the first 6 months following trauma exposure in a sample of female victims of interpersonal violence. Methods: Female sexual and physical assault victims (N = 64) were recruited through police, hospital, and victim service agencies. Women completed structured clinical interviews and self-report measures within the first 5 weeks, 3 months, and 6 months post-trauma with 73% retention across all three time points (n = 47). Analyses were conducted using Hierarchical Linear Modeling using alcohol abuse/dependence, peak alcohol use, and consequences during the 30 days prior to assault as moderators of the course of PTSD over time. Results: Women with alcohol use disorder at baseline had lower initial PTSD symptoms but also less symptom recovery over time than women without alcohol use disorder. This pattern of results was also found for th...
Scatter removal using modified air gap method: spectral composition technique

A new scatter rejection technique using the modified air gap method is presented. Two x-ray cassettes are used per exposure. One cassette (front cassette) was placed immediately behind the object. The other (back cassette) was positioned 60 cm behind the object. The front radiograph has good spatial resolution but includes a relatively large amount of scatter. The back radiograph has poor high frequency resolution but little scatter due to the air gap. The spectral composition technique extracts high frequency information from the front radiograph and combines it with the low frequency information of the back radiograph to produce an improved composite synthesized image. No artifacts due to the spectral composition technique were observed. In the lung and heart regions, the modified air gap method resulted in comparable or superior scatter rejection performance as compared to the conventional grid technique.
Natural Organic Matter (NOM) Adsorption to Multi-Walled Carbon Nanotubes: Effect of NOM Characteristics and Water Quality Parameters

The effect of natural organic matter (NOM) characteristics and water quality parameters on NOM adsorption to multiwalled carbon nanotubes (MWNT) was investigated. Isotherm experiment results were fitted well with a modified Freundlich isotherm model that took into account the heterogeneous nature of NOM. The preferential adsorption of the higher molecular weight fraction of NOM was observed by size exclusion chromatographic analysis. Experiments performed with various NOM samples suggested that the degree of NOM adsorption varied greatly depending on the type of NOM and was proportional to the aromatic carbon content of NOM. The NOM adsorption to MWNT was also dependent on water quality parameters: adsorption increased as pH decreased and ionic strength increased. As a result of NOM adsorption to MWNT, a fraction of MWNT formed a stable suspension in water and the concentration of MWNT suspension depended on the amount of NOM adsorbed per unit mass of MWNT. The amount of MWNT suspended in water was also affected by ionic strength and pH. The findings in this study suggested that the fate and transport of MWNT in natural systems would be largely influenced by NOM characteristics and water quality parameters.
Design a Product That Can Stimulate a Developing Nation’s Economy: Grain Mill

The purpose of this project was to design a product that would improve the standard of living, as well as stimulate the economy of a developing nation. Increasing food production was determined to be one of the greatest needs in emerging economies. Initial market research of indigenous grinding methods and diets of several developing nations pointed to a need for grain mills in Central and South America. In order to design a grain mill to meet this need, grain mill machines currently available in industrialized nations were first analyzed in order to determine the technical aspects that would be needed to construct an appropriate grain mill. The initial grain mill designed as well as prototyped weighs 40 pounds and can be assembled without any tools. The grain mill is able to efficiently grind corn into fine flour using a two-step grinding process. Using the two-step process, 1.5 pounds of grain can be milled in an hour. In addition, the grain mill can be easily disassembled for cleaning and transportation when necessary. Through analysis of the potential market’s income as well as looking at the production process, the price per grain mill is expected to be $50, a cost that is within the budget of many families and communities in the Americas.Copyright © 2004 by ASME
New book about vaccine safety.

Today, more than ever before, parents are concerned about the safety of vaccines. Fear of vaccines has been fueled by information provided on television programs, in newspaper and magazine articles, and on the Internet. Much of this information is based on opinions that are unsupported by scientific evidence. As a result, some parents are choosing to withhold, separate, or space out vaccines. The consequences of delaying vaccines have been predictable; recent outbreaks of diseases such as pertussis and measles have centered on communities where parents have chosen not to vaccinate their children.1,2 Doctors, scientists, and public health officials, alarmed by the trend, have tried to counter the flood of misinformation, but their voices have often been drowned out by the journalistic drumbeat of balance, representing both sides of a controversy even when only one side is supported by scientific evidence. With the book Do Vaccines Cause That?! A Guide for Evaluating Vaccine Safety Concerns , Martin Myers and Diego Pineda step into the fray.3 Myers is the director of … Address correspondence to Paul A. Offit, MD, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases, Vaccine Education Center, Abramson Research Building, Room 1202D, 34th Street and Civic Center Boulevard, Philadelphia, PA 19104. E-mail: offit{at}email.chop.edu
Partition Relations for Successor Cardinals

This paper investigates the relations κ+ → (α)22 and its variants for uncountable cardinals κ. First of all, the extensive literature in this area is reviewed. Then, some possibilities afforded by large cardinal hypotheses are derived, for example, if κ is measurable, then κ+ → (κ + κ + 1, α)22 for every α <κ+. Finally, the limitations imposed on provability in ZFC by L and by relative consistency via forcing are considered, primarily the consistency of: if κ is not weakly compact, then κ+ ⇅ [κ : κ]2κ.
Some computer-related advancements for enhancing U. S. shipyard productivity

An exciting new cooperative program for enhancing productivity in the shipbuilding industry through improved automation technology is described. This program, designated as the REAPS (Research and Engineering for Automation and Productivity of Shipbuilding) Program, entails joint efforts of the Maritime Administration and the U.S. shipyards toward new capability development.Four on-going hardware/software-related projects currently under way are described in some detail. These include: a major software system (AUTO-KON-71) for design and construction of ships; a specialized CAD/CAM remote batch graphics terminal to better serve shipyard needs; an interactive graphics system for pipe detailing; and a minicomputer-based numerically controlled frame bender.A number of other hardware/software development programs currently approved but not as yet funded are also discussed.
Muscle Fiber Types and Their Development in the Human Fetus

Muscle fibers are classified as fast, slow or intermediate fibers based on differences in there anatomy, histochemisty, and physiology. These fiber characteristics are closely interrelated with the function properties of the motoneuron and the motor unit with which the fibers are associated. Changes in tropic or excitatory properties of the motoneuron can alter the characteristics of individual muscle fibers in the motor unit. These neutral influences have been cited as significant factors in fiber differentiation during fetal development.
Thermo-mechanical behavior of through silicon vias in a 3D integrated package with inter-chip microbumps

Through-silicon via (TSV), being one of the key enabling technologies for 3D system integration, is being used to interconnect 3D vertically stacked devices, such as logic, memory, sensors, and actuators that are fabricated on separate wafers and then interconnected by either wafer-to-wafer or chip-to-wafer methods. However, thermo-mechanical analyses on TSVs are limited, and most of the existing studies focus on the thermo-mechanical analysis of TSVs in a freestanding wafer, rather than in an integrated package. In this paper, three-dimensional thermo-mechanical finite-element models have been built to analyze the stress/strain distribution in a 3D integrated package which contains stacked dice with TSVs, inter-chip microbumps, overmold, and underfilled solder bumps, and an organic substrate. Models show that the stresses in the TSV under packaging configuration could be generally lower than the stresses in the TSV in a free-standing wafer. Also, the models show that the high-strain region switches from TSV corners to microbumps.
The Effects of Education on Hand Use With Industrial Workers in Repetitive Jobs

Eighteen subjects participated in a preliminary study to determine the effects of two types of educational programs on the hand-use patterns of industrial workers at risk for developing cumulative trauma disorder (CTD). The subjects were divided into three groups: Two groups received different educational programs and the third group served as the control. One program used a handout as the only educational tool; the other used the handout as well as a hands-on demonstration of the concepts in the handout. Pretests and posttests of the frequency of movements identified with CTD of the hand and wrist during work were administered to all subjects. Both educational programs were significantly effective in reducing the number of at-risk movements performed by workers tested 1 week after receiving the education. No significant difference was found between the two educational programs. The results of this study show that education can affect hand-use patterns, and a similar study on a larger sample is recommended.
Active learning for large multi-class problems

Scarcity and infeasibility of human supervision for large scale multi-class classification problems necessitates active learning. Unfortunately, existing active learning methods for multi-class problems are inherently binary methods and do not scale up to a large number of classes. In this paper, we introduce a probabilistic variant of the K-nearest neighbor method for classification that can be seamlessly used for active learning in multi-class scenarios. Given some labeled training data, our method learns an accurate metric/kernel function over the input space that can be used for classification and similarity search. Unlike existing metric/kernel learning methods, our scheme is highly scalable for classification problems and provides a natural notion of uncertainty over class labels. Further, we use this measure of uncertainty to actively sample training examples that maximize discriminating capabilities of the model. Experiments on benchmark datasets show that the proposed method learns appropriate distance metrics that lead to state-of-the-art performance for object categorization problems. Furthermore, our active learning method effectively samples training examples, resulting in significant accuracy gains over random sampling for multi-class problems involving a large number of classes.
Dynamic Nuclear Polarization Methods in Solids and Solutions to Explore Membrane Proteins and Membrane Systems

Membrane proteins regulate vital cellular processes, including signaling, ion transport, and vesicular trafficking. Obtaining experimental access to their structures, conformational fluctuations, orientations, locations, and hydration in membrane environments, as well as the lipid membrane properties, is critical to understanding their functions. Dynamic nuclear polarization (DNP) of frozen solids can dramatically boost the sensitivity of current solid-state nuclear magnetic resonance tools to enhance access to membrane protein structures in native membrane environments. Overhauser DNP in the solution state can map out the local and site-specific hydration dynamics landscape of membrane proteins and lipid membranes, critically complementing the structural and dynamics information obtained by electron paramagnetic resonance spectroscopy. Here, we provide an overview of how DNP methods in solids and solutions can significantly increase our understanding of membrane protein structures, dynamics, functions, and hydration in complex biological membrane environments.
The Effect of Protective Organic Thin Film Coatings on BaTiO3 Powders With Respect to Aqueous Processing

Surface properties of BaTiO3 which contain different Ba/Ti ratios were examined by FTIR spectroscopy. Most of the carbonates on the surfaces of these powders were removed by heat treatment at 1200A°C. However, it was more difficult to remove the carbonates from the powder with a higher ratio of Ba/Ti. Analysis of the heat treated, aged powders in humid air showed that the barium-excess powder recovered carbonates within several hours. In contrast, titanium-excess powders took a longer time, indicating that barium ion concentration is a reaction-control parameter. It was found that oleic and stearic acids were effective in retarding the degradation of the BaTiO3 powders. They also made the dissolution rate of the powders in water considerably slower.
Association of exhaled nitric oxide to asthma burden in asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroids.

Background. Fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FENO) is a marker of airway inflammation. Its role in assessing asthma burden in clinical practice needs more study. Objective. To determine whether higher FENO levels are associated with greater asthma burden. Methods. This was a multicenter cross-sectional retrospective study of atopic 12- to 56-year-old persistent asthmatics on inhaled corticosteroids (ICS). Questionnaire and 1-year retrospective administrative data were used to analyze by unadjusted and adjusted robust Poisson regression (relative risks) and negative binomial regression [incidence rate ratios (IRRs)] the associations of masked FENO levels (NIOX MINO®) to short-acting beta-agonist (SABA) dispensings and oral corticosteroid (OCS) use in the past year independent of spirometry and an asthma control tool [Asthma Control Test (ACT)]. Results. FENO levels ranged from 7–215ppb (median 28ppb) in 325 patients. Higher FENO levels significantly correlated with more SABA dispensings and OCS courses in ...
Regulation of glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase by hydrocortisone in dissociated rat cerebral cell cultures

Abstract Dissociated cells from fetal rat brain areas were grown in culture for up to 4 weeks. They expressed the nervous system-specific induction of cytoplasmic glycerol phosphate dehydrogenase (GPDH; EC 1.1.1.8) by hydrocortisone (HC). HC increased the total and specific activities of GPDH in dissociated cultures from all brain areas examined—cerebrum, cerebellum, and brainstem. HC, however, had no effect on the amount of total or soluble protein or on the specific activity of another soluble enzyme, lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27). The fully induced level of GPDH in 12-day cerebral cell cultures was about twofold greater than the specific activity of the adult rat cerebrum. The induction of GPDH was greater in cerebral cultures grown in Eagle's Basal Medium than in several other media tested. The inducibility of GPDH over a 48-hr period increased with time in culture until a maximum was reached around 21 days. The induction of GPDH by HC was inhibited by cycloheximide, actinomycin D, and cordycepin but was unaffected by cytosine arabinoside. These results indicate that protein and RNA (in particular mRNA) syntheses are required for the induction but that DNA synthesis is not required.
Fading Curves along a Meridian

The fluctuations in signal strength of KDKA, Pittsburgh, Pa., were observed through the sunset period of Morgantown, W. Va. Since the two cities are approximately on the same meridian, any variation at sunset should be due to changes in the Heaviside-Kennelly layer and not to refraction through the earth's shadow. Observations were made on twenty-one days; it was found that on bright clear days, the curve fluctuated considerably, while on cloudy days, the curve was fairly steady. The fluctuations can be accounted for by assuming a reflected wave on clear days.
A Novel Role for the Bactericidal/Permeability Increasing Protein in Interactions of Gram-Negative Bacterial Outer Membrane Blebs with Dendritic Cells

The bactericidal/permeability-increasing protein (BPI) is thought to play an important role in killing and clearance of Gram-negative bacteria and the neutralization of endotoxin. A possible role for BPI in clearance of cell-free endotoxin has also been suggested based on studies with purified endotoxin aggregates and blood monocytes. Because the interaction of BPI with cell-free endotoxin, during infection, occurs mainly in tissue and most likely in the form of shed bacterial outer membrane vesicles ("blebs"), we examined the effect of BPI on interactions of metabolically labeled ([(14)C]-acetate) blebs purified from Neisseria meningitidis serogroup B with either human monocyte-derived macrophages or monocyte-derived dendritic cells (MDDC). BPI produced a dose-dependent increase (up to 3-fold) in delivery of (14)C-labeled blebs to MDDC, but not to monocyte-derived macrophages in the presence or absence of serum. Both, fluorescently labeled blebs and BPI were internalized by MDDC under these conditions. The closely related LPS-binding protein, in contrast to BPI, did not increase association of the blebs with MDDC. BPI-enhanced delivery of the blebs to MDDC did not increase cell activation but permitted CD14-dependent signaling by the blebs as measured by changes in MDDC morphology, surface expression of CD80, CD83, CD86, and MHC class II and secretion of IL-8, RANTES, and IP-10. These findings suggest a novel role of BPI in the interaction of bacterial outer membrane vesicles with dendritic cells that may help link innate immune recognition of endotoxin to Ag delivery and presentation.
Separate Absorption and Modulation Mach-Zehnder Wavelength Converter

A monolithic separate absorption and moduation region (SAM) wavelength converter is demonstrated. The transmitter consists of a sampled-grating DBR (SGDBR) laser and a series-push-pull Mach-Zehnder modulator. The preamplified receiver is composed of a flared semiconductor optical amplifier and a quantum-well pin photodetector. Integrated resistors and capacitors are used to minimize microwave losses and remove the need for external bias tees. The design, fabrication, and operation of this photonic integrated circuit is presented. Small-signal response measurements show a device bandwidth in excess of 20 GHz. Operation at 40 Gbps with NRZ data shows less than a 2.5-dB power penalty across the 32-nm laser tuning range with no additional power penalty for conversion to the input wavelength.
Are well-child visits a risk factor for subsequent influenza-like illness visits?

Objective. To determine whether well-child visits are a risk factor for subsequent influenza-like illness (ILI) visits within a child's family. DESIGN. Retrospective cohort. Methods. Using data from the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey from the years 1996-2008, we identified 84,595 families. For each family, we determined those weeks in which a well-child visit or an ILI visit occurred. We identified 23,776 well-child-visit weeks and 97,250 ILI-visit weeks. We fitted a logistic regression model, where the binary dependent variable indicated an ILI clinic visit in a particular week. Independent variables included binary indicators to denote a well-child visit in the concurrent week or one of the previous 2 weeks, the occurrence of the ILI visit during the influenza season, and the presence of children in the family in each of the age groups 0–3, 4–7, and 8–17 years. Socioeconomic variables were also included. We also estimated the overall cost of well-child-exam-related ILI using data from 2008. Results. We found that an ILI office visit by a family member was positively associated with a well-child visit in the same or one of the previous 2 weeks (odds ratio, 1.54). This additional risk translates to potentially 778,974 excess cases of ILI per year in the United States, with a cost of $500 million annually. Conclusions. Our results should encourage ambulatory clinics to strictly enforce infection control recommendations. In addition, clinics could consider time-shifting of well-child visits so as not to coincide with the peak of the influenza season.
Multiscale nonlinear decomposition: the sieve decomposition theorem

Sieves decompose one dimensional bounded functions (d/sub m/)/sub m=1//sup R/ that represent the information in a manner that is analogous to the pyramid of wavelets obtained by linear decomposition. Sieves based on sequences of increasing scale open-closings with flat structuring elements (M and N filters) map f to {d} and the recomposition, consisting of adding up all the granule functions, maps {d} to f. Experiments show that a more general property exists such that {d/spl circ/} maps to f/spl circ/ and back to {d/spl circ/} where the granule functions {d/spl circ/} are obtained from {d} by applying any operator /spl alpha/ consisting of changing the amplitudes of some granules, including zero, without changing their signs. In other words, the set of granule function vectors produced by the decomposition is closed under the operation /spl alpha/. An analytical proof of this property is presented. This property means that filters are useful in the context of feature recognition and, in addition, opens the way for an analysis of the noise resistance of sieves.
Is the Well-being of Children Converging in the European Union?

Recent discussion of convergence in the European Union has focused on macroeconomic indicators, in line with requirements for participation in the single currency. But it is reduction of disparities in living standards that is an ultimate goal of European integration – the greater 'economic and social cohesion' emphasised by the Treaty on Union. We assemble evidence on whether the well-being of children in Member States has been converging over the last two decades, taking a variety of indicators: poverty, household worklessness, youth unemployment, child mortality, youth suicide, educational enrolment, teenage fertility, and self-reported 'life satisfaction'.
The Cities of the Western Hemisphere and Spain: Some Global Activities for Spanish

This article describes the findings in foreign language research and the goals of global education that motivated the use of cities as a point of departure for activities and materials development. The cities of the western hemisphere and Spain are focused on as a context for the Spanish class, but the approach is applicable to other areas and languages. Suggestions are made for integrating city-based contextual information into activities for introductory classes and sources of information and topics for study at intermediate and advanced levels are identified. The paper closes with a call for the establishment of a clearinghouse to facilitate the acquisition and distribution of global materials for language teaching.
The cortisol awakening response predicts major depression: predictive stability over a 4-year follow-up and effect of depression history.

BackgroundThe cortisol awakening response (CAR) has been shown to predict major depressive episodes (MDEs) over a 1-year period. It is unknown whether this effect: (a) is stable over longer periods of time; (b) is independent of prospective stressful life events; and (c) differentially predicts first onsets or recurrences of MDEs.MethodA total of 270 older adolescents (mean age 17.06 years at cortisol measurement) from the larger prospective Northwestern-UCLA Youth Emotion Project completed baseline diagnostic and life stress interviews, questionnaires, and a 3-day cortisol sampling protocol measuring the CAR and diurnal rhythm, as well as up to four annual follow-up interviews of diagnoses and life stress.ResultsNon-proportional person-month survival analyses revealed that higher levels of the baseline CAR significantly predict MDEs for 2.5 years following cortisol measurement. However, the strength of prediction of depressive episodes significantly decays over time, with the CAR no longer significantly predicting MDEs after 2.5 years. Elevations in the CAR did not significantly increase vulnerability to prospective major stressful life events. They did, however, predict MDE recurrences more strongly than first onsets.ConclusionsThese results suggest that a high CAR represents a time-limited risk factor for onsets of MDEs, which increases risk for depression independently of future major stressful life events. Possible explanations for the stronger effect of the CAR for predicting MDE recurrences than first onsets are discussed.
Immunohistochemical evidence for C3bi involvement in Graves ophthalmopathy.

Orbital muscle, adipose tissues, and periorbital muscle from 11 patients with Graves ophthalmopathy were studied with in situ assays using monoclonal antibodies for IgA1, IgA2, IgM, and IgG. Tissue biopsies were taken from varied extraocular muscles and orbital sites. All cases were from patients with severe disease or disease of long duration. Control specimens of extraocular muscle tissues were obtained from nine patients treated for unrelated orbital disorders. Only connective tissue associated with the extraorbital muscles and periorbital muscles showed any reactivity. Of the muscle tissue obtained from patients with Graves disease all exhibited IgA1 positive staining of the endomysium and perimysium, without staining of the muscle fibers themselves. Parallel sections of orbital muscles reacted with anti-IgA2 or anti-IgM antibody failed to demonstrate staining. Control extraocular muscle tissue did not stain with anti-IgM and one control muscle of seven reacted minimally with anti-IgA2. Some reactivity with antiIgA1 was seen in four of the seven control muscles but this was qualitatively much less than that of muscle tissue from patients with Graves disease. Monoclonal anti-IgG did not stain tissue from the six Graves specimens and three control specimens tested.
Complex cellular functions of the von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene: insights from model organisms

The von Hippel–Lindau tumor suppressor gene (VHL) has attracted intensive interest not only because its mutations predispose carriers to devastating tumors, but also because it is involved in oxygen sensing under physiological conditions. VHL loss-of-function mutations result in organ-specific tumors, such as hemangioblastoma of the central nervous system and renal cell carcinoma, both untreatable with conventional chemotherapies. The VHL protein is best known as an E3 ubiquitin ligase that targets hypoxia-inducible factor-α (HIF-α), but many diverse, non-canonical cellular functions have also been assigned to VHL, mainly based on studies in cell culture systems. As such, although the HIF-dependent role of VHL is critical, the full spectrum of pathophysiological functions of VHL is still unresolved. Such understanding requires careful cross-referencing with physiologically relevant experimental models. Studies in model systems, such as Caenorhabditis elegans, Drosophila, zebrafish and mouse have provided critical in vivo confirmation of the VHL–HIF pathway, and verification of potentially important cellular functions including microtubule stabilization and epithelial morphogenesis. More recently, animal models have also suggested systemic roles of VHL in hematopoiesis, metabolic homeostasis and inflammation. In this review, the studies performed in model organisms will be summarized and placed in context with existing clinical and in vitro data.
Half-hot state assignments for finite state machines

The state assignment problem for the programmable logic array (PLA) implementation of finite state machines is considered. It is pointed out that the number of PLA columns can be reduced by using state assignments leading to logic that is unate in the state variables. Half-hot state assignments are proposed, where each state has an encoding in which exactly half the state variables are equal to 1. >
Development and Application of Bicelles for Use in Biological NMR and Other Biophysical Studies

The term “bicelles” was first proposed in 1995 to describe aqueous assemblies of detergent and lipid that were believed to be “binary, bilayered mixed micelles bearing a resemblance to the classical model for bile saltphosphatidylcholine aggregates” [1]. At that time, bicellar mixtures had already been in use for several years as magnetically alignable model membranes in solidstate NMR studies of membrane-associated molecules (Figure 1). Since 1995, there have been dramatic advances both in the applications of bicelles and in our understanding that bicellar mixtures are morphologically more complex than originally thought. Here, we trace the development and application of bicelles from their initial development in the late 1980s. Other reviews of bicelles and related developments in NMR and sample alignment methods are also available [2–10].
SAFE HOUSES AND CONTACT ZONES: RECONSIDERING THE BASICWRITING TUTORIAL

In addition to conventional one-on-one tutoring, the University of Michigan-Flint writing center is involved in a second kind of tutorial with our basic writing program, English 109. Students in English 109 are generally unprepared for the writing tasks expected from the university. These students register for three credits of English 109 and meet with an instructor twice weekly in a classroom setting, which is supplemented with four hours spent in the writing center tutorial. Students work with the same tutor throughout the semester, creating a portfolio of writing that is specific to the writing center (that is, not the work done in the classroom component of English 109), which is then graded by the tutor, in conjunction with the center’s manager and director. These students are what the discipline tends to call “basic writers.” I have spent five years as a writing tutor at the University of Michigan-Flint. There is an advantage to this longevity in that I have learned a great deal about writers and writing, and I have become comfortable with the ways and processes of tutoring that new tutors are still learning. The disadvantage is that while I have become comfortable in this space, I have also become, to an extent, complacent. This complacency manifests itself, at times, as both rigidity and authority—in the sense that I know how to do this, I know how it has always been done, and I am, therefore, the one who knows all about tutoring. Because I began to see these thoughts and behaviors affecting my tutorials, I started looking for new ways to approach the tutorial, particularly in the work that I do with basic writers. One of the ideas that appealed was that of the contact zone—a place in which student and tutor could meet and clash; a space in which to try on language and form without the fear of failure that often accompanies these students, who are new to the formal expectations of academic discourse. In particular, I wanted an approach that would be applicable to those basic writers who come into the academy knowing intuitively, if not overtly, that they are underprepared for college writing. These are the students who often speak and write in a home dialect, and usually have little experience with the more formal language expected from the academy. My experience has shown that for these writers, the voice of the learned peer is of particular value. Our peerhood positions us somewhere between the voice of authority that is the classroom instructor and the more equal place of the peer responder who comes to a response group wary of making enemies. Our value in the tutorial comes from the fact that although we are students, we have gained some mastery of the conventions of formal writing. Given that this learned peer status gives us some small authority, and given that I think it
The Modern Science Lab: Integrating Technology into the Classroom is the Solution

Technology continues to profoundly impact daily lives. It is therefore imperative that all students receive comprehensive, high quality education in STEM subjects (Science, Technology, Engineering and Math) from adequately trained teachers. In order for students to pursue STEM career, achieving high scores on standardized science and math exams is critical. Unfortunately, science labs often make use of antiquated technology that fails to tap the potential of modern technology to create and deliver exciting lab content. As a result, students are turned off by science, fail to excel on standardized science exams, and do not consider STEM as a career option “Revitalizing Achievement by using Instrumentation in Science Education (RAISE)” project is a partnership between Polytechnic University and four New York City (NYC) high schools. Project RAISE seeks to enhance students’ academic achievement by using computerized data acquisition and sensor-based equipment in science labs. RAISE seeks to excite students about STEM and help them comprehend challenging scientific concepts. The authors argue that the modern science lab must integrate technology into the curriculum. This paper presents a description of the RAISE project, together with some of the sensor-based experiments which are currently in use in the “living environment” science lab. Lessons learned from year-one of the program as well as improvements made for the second year are also presented.
Classifying The Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle

This study focuses on the library classification practices of The Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle. The Pseudo-Turpin Chronicle has been called an enigmatic work by scholars, and the mystery has carried into library classification. The work's language of origin is not its national language. The work's varied acceptance as fact and fiction also plays into its classification practices. For many years, The Pseudo-Turpin was believed to be a true account, so it was classed as history. While the work has standard literature classification numbers, even its literature classification practices are varied.
Elastic-Plastic Finite Element Simulation and Fatigue Life Prediction for Beam and Elbow Under Cyclic Loading

Work hardening and Bauschinger effects on plastic deformation and fatigue life for a beam and an elbow under cyclic loading are examined using finite element analysis (FEA). Three typical material plastic hardening models, i.e. isotropic, kinematic and combined isotropic/kinematic hardening models are adopted in the FEA calculations. Based on the FEA results of cyclic stress and strain at a critical location and using an energy-based fatigue damage parameter, the fatigue lives are predicted for the beam and elbow. The results show that (1) the three material hardening models determine similar stress at the critical location with small differences during the cyclic loading, (2) the isotropic model underestimates the cyclic plastic strain and overestimates the fatigue life, (3) the kinematic model overestimates the cyclic plastic strain and underestimates the fatigue life, and (4) the combined model predicts the intermediate cyclic plastic strain and reasonable fatigue life.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Greenbug (Homoptera: Aphididae) Feeding Affects Nonstructural Carbohydrate Levels in Seedling Sorghum

Changes in nonstructural carbohydrate (NSC) levels in seedling sorghum, Sorghum bicolor (L.) Moench, caused by the feeding of green bug, Schizaphis graminum (Rondani), were examined. Plants were grown hydroponically in Hoagland’s solution at 25°C for 14 d, then subjected to a 7-d greenbug infestation maintained at 15 aphids per plant. Nonstructural carbohydrates were extracted with water from root and shoot samples of seedlings and analyzed by high-performance liquid chromatography. Greenbug feeding significantly reduced plant growth. Greenbug honeydew represented a major loss to the plant and accounted for 18 ± 4.7% (mean ±SE, n = 4) of the dry weight loss of the infested plants. Concentrations (dry weight basis) of glucose and starch in the shoots and sucrose in the roots tended to be higher in infested than uninfested plants. However, total nonstructural carbohydrates concentrations in roots and shoots clearly were not significantly different between infested and uninfested seedlings.
A Simple Task Uncovers a Postdictive Illusion of Choice.

Do people know when, or whether, they have made a conscious choice? Here, we explore the possibility that choices can seem to occur before they are actually made. In two studies, participants were asked to quickly choose from a set of options before a randomly selected option was made salient. Even when they believed that they had made their decision prior to this event, participants were significantly more likely than chance to report choosing the salient option when this option was made salient soon after the perceived time of choice. Thus, without participants’ awareness, a seemingly later event influenced choices that were experienced as occurring at an earlier time. These findings suggest that, like certain low-level perceptual experiences, the experience of choice is susceptible to “postdictive” influence and that people may systematically overestimate the role that consciousness plays in their chosen behavior.
A Double Mode Terminal Supporting RTSP Protocol for H.323 System

With the great development of network technology and multimedia compression technology,the video conference system has been achieved based on switch packet network.The H.323 terminal of the traditional video conferencing system does not have the scalability and MCU access capacity is limited,which greatly limits the number of people participating in the meeting.Aiming at the problem,a method based on streaming media using the application layer multicast technology is put forward to enlarge the number of terminals through the research of H.323 system and RTSP protocol.It promotes the development of video conference system.
Venographic Localization of the Non-Palpable Undescended Testis in Children

AbstractIn cases of bilateral non-palpable undescended testes in which human chorionic gonadotropin stimulation has shown the presence of testicular tissue and in cases of unilateral non-palpable undescended testes selective transfemoral gonadal venography with a modified Seldinger technique has been used for the preoperative localization of the non-palpable testis. Since the undescended testis may be located anywhere along the course of its embryologic descent, that is from the level of the renal fossa to its exit from the inguinal canal, preoperative localization will aid in the surgical management. Gonadal venography has proved to be accurate and safe, and has aided in the determination of the extent of surgical exploration in 9 children with 12 non-palpable undescended testes (6 right and 6 left).
Seismic and Downhole-log Signatures of Glacial Deposits from Prydz Bay, Antarctica

The continental margin of Prydz Bay, Antarctica, is underlain by early Cenozoic and younger glacial deposits that were cored and logged during Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 119 in austral summer 1987/88 [Barron, Larsen et al., 1989]. A transect of five sites were drilled across the continental shelf and upper slope (Fig. 1). Downhole geophysical logging was done at two sites on the mid- to outer-continental shelf. This report briefly describes the varied signatures of the drilled glacial sections derived from single-channel seismic-reflection data and downhole logs.
Nb2O5 Nanostructure Evolution on Nb Surfaces via Low-Energy He+ Ion Irradiation.

In this study, we propose low-energy, broad-beam He+ ion irradiation as a novel processing technique for the generation of Nb2O5 surface nanostructures due to its relative simplicity and scalability in a commercial setting. Since there have been relatively few studies involving the interaction of high-fluence, low-energy He+ ion irradiation and Nb (or its oxidized states), this systematic study explores both effects of fluence and sample temperature during irradiation on resulting surface morphology. Detailed normal and cross-sectional scanning electron microscopy (SEM) studies reveal sub-surface He bubble formation and elucidate potential driving mechanisms for nanostructure evolution. A combination of specular optical reflectivity and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) is also used to gain additional information on roughness and stoichiometry of irradiated surfaces. Our investigations show significant surface modification for all tested irradiation conditions; resulting surface structure size and ge...
Procedural justice theory and public policy: An exchange

This article introduces a scientific exchange over the status of procedural justice theory and its applicability to policing reform. The introduction notes the long history of sociolegal research on procedural justice and its emergence as a source of ideas for criminal justice reforms and police training programs. The article contrasts the positions taken by Nagin & Telep (2017) and Tyler (2017). Nagin & Telep assert that it is premature to apply procedural justice principles without more definitive causal studies in policing. In contrast, Tyler draws on experimental research and other causal studies from different domains to argue that the work is sufficient to proceed with policy reforms.
Assessing the effect of oral exposure to Paenibacillus alvei, a potential biocontrol agent, in male, non-pregnant, pregnant animals and the developing rat fetus.

Paenibacillus alvei, a naturally occurring soil microorganism, may be used in the control and/or elimination of human/animal pathogens present on/within produce commodities associated with human consumption. The safety of oral exposure to P. alvei in male, nulliparous females, the pregnant dam and developing fetus was assessed. Adult male and female rats received a single oral dose (gavage) of P. alvei and tissues were collected at post exposure days 0, 3 and 14. To evaluate the effect of the test organism on fetal development, sperm positive female rats received the test organism every 3 days thereafter throughout gestation. As human exposure would be no more than 1 × 103 CFU/ml the following dose levels were evaluated in both study phases: 0 CFU/ml tryptic soy broth (negative control); 1 × 108 CFU/ml; 1 × 104 CFU/ml or 1 × 102 CFU/ml. Neither sex specific dose-related toxic effects (feed or fluid consumption, body weight gain, and histopathology) nor developmental/reproductive effects including the number of implantations, fetal viability, fetal weight, fetal length and effects on ossification centers were observed. The test organism did not cross the placenta and was not found in the amniotic fluid.