cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identifying the Drivers of the Exceptionally High Rates of Lethal and Racially Biased Violence by Police in the United States Requires Geographically Resolved Data and Analysis

This essay serves as a response to Hirschfield's (2015) article, “Lethal Policing: Making Sense of American Exceptionalism,” published in the December 2015 issue of this journal.
A Species of Ceratocystis Closely Associated with Endothia Cankers on American Chestnut in Eastern United States

(1978). A Species of Ceratocystis Closely Associated with Endothia Cankers on American Chestnut in Eastern United States. Mycologia: Vol. 70, No. 4, pp. 853-855.
A phase 1 clinical trial of flavopiridol consolidation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia patients following chemoimmunotherapy

Patients with chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) who receive chemoimmunotherapy and do not achieve complete remission experience significantly shortened progression-free interval (PFS). Additionally, the majority of patients treated for relapsed disease demonstrate evidence of measurable disease. Eradication of minimal residual disease (MRD) results in improved PFS and overall survival. Maintenance therapy might result in eradication of MRD and improve response duration but might be associated with an increase in incidence of infectious complications. Flavopiridol is a broad cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitor with established safety and efficacy in patients with relapsed CLL, particularly patients with high-risk cytogenetic features. A pharmacologically derived schedule was utilized as consolidation therapy in this phase I study to assess the safety and feasibility of outpatient therapy with flavopiridol in patients with low tumor burden. Flavopiridol was administered as a 30-min loading dose of 30 mg/m2 followed by a 4-h infusion of 30 mg/m2 once weekly for 3 weeks every 5 weeks (1 cycle) for planned 2 cycles in ten patients. Therapy was extremely well tolerated and no patient developed acute tumor lysis syndrome. The most common toxicities were gastrointestinal. Of the patients, 22 % improved their response from a PR to CR. Eighty-eight percent experienced a reduction in tumor burden as measured by extent of bone marrow involvement including patients with del17p and complex karyotype. The study establishes the safety and efficacy of flavopiridol as consolidation therapy after chemoimmunotherapy for patients with CLL. Further evaluation is required in larger trials for the utility of CDK inhibitors as consolidation or maintenance strategies.
Studying illness and dying through constructivist grounded theory

The sociological study of death and dying and the grounded theory method made a simultaneous debut. Barney G. Glaser and Anselm L. Strauss’s (1965) book, Awareness of Dying, brought death and dying into sociological purview, and put the experience of death and dying on the agenda of grounded theorists. Any review of death and dying through using grounded theory methodology must therefore begin with this study of the social organisation of dying in US hospitals. Glaser and Strauss demonstrated that sociologists could bring new analytic insights to the study of death and dying, thus contributing to both their discipline and professional practice. Subsequently in 1967, the authors published their initial statement of their methods for studying dying, The Discovery of Grounded Theory: Strategies for Qualitative Research. This book profoundly influenced the social scientific study of illness, dying, and death, and rapidly spread qualitative methods far beyond the confines of sociology. Glaser and Strauss’s argument in the Discovery book not only answered numerous criticisms of qualitative research but also set forth a new agenda for qualitative inquiry.
Clustering Technology for Smart Grid Dispatching and Control Systems

To deal with the dramatically increased information of smart grid dispatching and control system and the surging processing pressure,the applicability of general clustering technology in smart grid dispatching and control system is analyzed according to the actual needs of power grid development.A clustering architecture for very large scale power grid is put forward.The platform clustering supporting techniques including resource management,heartbeat management,resource location,and distributed data storage and access as well as clustering methods for typical applications(such as data acquisition,real-time monitoring,formula calculation,and online warning)are described.
Androgen-Binding Activity in the Human Testis and Epididymis * †

The quantitation of androgen-binding activity in human testes, epididymides, and serum is reported and compared with that of similar tissue in the rat. By using steady-state polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and a tritiated 0.5nM testosterone label, values for specific binding activity, reported as picomoles per milligram of protein, were found to be 021±0.01 in normal human epididymides, 0.03 in testes, and 0.44±0.07 in human serum. Tissues from men receiving exogenous estrogen were also similarly analyzed and found to possess significantly higher androgen-binding activity: 4.10±0.48 pmolesl/mg of protein (epididymides), 4.01 (testes), and 5.63±1.15 (serum). Since man possesses a sex steroid-binding globulin, attempts were made to differentiate this from androgen-binding protein demonstrated to be of testicular origin in the rat. Ion-exchange chromatography, steroid specificity, and dissociation half-time determinations were suggestive but did not conclusively demonstrate the existence of two distinctly different androgen transport macromolecules in man.
Posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome in 17 year old girl

Objective - To describe a rare condition in children called posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome, its causes, diagnostic approach and treatment. Case report - A 17 year old girl experienced generalized seizures and head trauma after collapsing in the toilet. It was the first seizure in her life. Five days earlier she had given birth. Two more seizures followed in the next few hours after the first. Blood pressure measured at the time of the seizures was normal, but high afterwards. At that point she was admitted to the intensive care unit. Initially, a computed tomography scan was preformed and it revealed a pathologic finding. A magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan was performed to confirm the suspected diagnosis of posterior reversible leukoencephalopathy syndrome (PRES). During her stay in hospital other conditions were excluded and hypertension was considered as the cause of PRES. ACE inhibitors corrected the blood pressure. 12 days later her blood pressure and neurological status normalized, as well as the control MRI finding. Conclusion - Early recognition and intensive care are essential for a completely reversible outcome in children with PRES. In patients with hypertension, cytotoxic agent treatment or corticosteroid treatment, in case of the first seizure in their life, PRES should be suspected. Atypical MRI features can be expected in children, because the anterior watershed region may be as vulnerable as the vertebro-basilar system. In cases of hypertension, the most important issue is hypertension correction; hypertension should therefore be considered and corrected in treating seizures complicated by PRES.
Resonance Raman studies of subrotational period photodissociation of isolated molecules

In electronic resonance conditions, rotational Raman cross sections are no longer given by the familiar classical (Placzek-Teller) intensities or vibrational symmetry based polarization selection rules.1-5 Instead the resonance rotational Raman intensities are sensitive functions of the resonant excited state dephasing processes. We describe spontaneous resonance rotational (rovibrational) Raman scattering in a rovibronic Kramers-Heisenberg tensorial framework. Inclusion of the explicit angular dependence of molecular states allows the intensities and polarization characteristics of the resonant secondary radiation of isolated molecules to be properly captured.
Reforging a Forgotten History: Iraq and the Assyrians in the Twentieth Century

Who are the Assyrians and what role did they play in shaping modern Iraq? Were they simply bystanders, victims of collateral damage who played a passive role in the history of Iraq? And how have they negotiated their position throughout various periods of Iraq's state-building processes? This book details the narrative and history of Iraq in the 20th century and reinserts the Assyrian experience as an integral part of Iraq's broader contemporary historiography. It is the first comprehensive account to contextualize this native people's experience alongside the developmental processes of the modern Iraqi state. Using primary and secondary data, this book offers a nuanced exploration of the dynamics that have affected and determined the trajectory of the Assyrians' experience in 20th century Iraq. Key Features * Includes oral history and ethnographic research on the Assyrian experience in Iraq *Uses raw data on Assyrian villages in Iraq as well as references to ancient churches and monasteries which serve as a demographic history of Assyrian Christianity in Iraq in the past 100 years * Utilizes Aramaic material culture to supplement the history of Iraq and the Assyrian experience * Presents original and translated Arabic documents related to Iraqi Assyrian history from the 1930s to the 1980s
Muir Inlet Morainal Bank Complex, Glacier Bay, S.E. Alaska

High-resolution seismic-reflection profiles illustrate the geometry and seismic characteristics of sedimentary facies within the Muir Inlet morainal bank complex. The interpreted sedimentary facies include a grounding-line fan, two stratified ridges, debris flow/turbidity current deposits and a field of push ridges (Figs. 1 and 2). This morainal bank complex was deposited on a shallow sill at the mouth of Muir Inlet, a fjord in Glacier Bay, between 1860 A.D. and 1899 A.D. during retreat from the Little Ice Age maximum. Profiles of the morainal bank complex were collected with a single channel 1.2 kJ uniboom (600 and 1700 Hz) system by the U.S. Geological Survey, Menlo Park, CA.
Adaptive wide-area damping control using measurement-driven model considering random time delay and data packet loss

One of the main drawbacks of the existing wide-area damping controller (WADC) that are usually tuned based on several selected typical operating conditions, is its limited adaptability to continuous variations in operating conditions. An adaptive WADC employing the lead-lag structure using measurement-driven model is proposed in this paper. The state subspace model is identified online using ambient data or ring-down data to represent system oscillatory behaviors. The parameters of the lead-lag time constants can be updated based on the new residue derived from the identified model, while the new control gain can also be determined based on the identified model to achieve maximum damping ratio. Moreover, a delay compensator adopting the lead-lag structure and the quadratic interpolation algorithm are utilized to handle random time delay and data packet loss, respectively. The effectiveness of the proposed adaptive WADC is validated by the case study in the two-area four-machine system.
Functional Dissection of the m6A RNA Modification

Much work over the past three decades has established that chemical modifications of DNA and histones are intimately linked with various facets of DNA metabolism, most notably transcription. In addition to chromatin components, RNA has long been known to be chemically modified [1]. The N6-methyladenosine (m6A) RNA modification has recently emerged as a widely prevalent RNA mark [2]. First discovered in the 1970s, m6A is found in many eukaryotes, as well as in some viruses, and is a feature of many RNA species, including mRNAs, tRNAs, rRNAs, snRNAs, and lncRNAs [1,2].
Radial artery and right internal thoracic artery: jousting for the throne of coronary artery bypass grafting.

Even in the presence of multivessel coronary artery disease, a majority of the patients in almost all developed countries receive only a single arterial conduit during coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG) (1). This continues to occur despite a large body of evidence demonstrating improvements in clinical outcomes for patients who receive more than one arterial graft during CABG. Several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) suggest better patency rates for the radial artery (RA) versus the saphenous vein (SV) (2-4). Growing evidence has demonstrated the superiority of the RA and right internal thoracic artery (RITA) in regards to patency when compared to the SV (5).
Increased costs to US pavement infrastructure from future temperature rise

The selection of materials for road construction in the United States is based on assumptions of a stationary climate. With increasing temperatures, upholding these practices could add up to US$26.3 billion in US-wide maintenance costs by 2040 under RCP8.5. Roadway design aims to maximize functionality, safety, and longevity1,2. The materials used for construction, however, are often selected on the assumption of a stationary climate1,3. Anthropogenic climate change may therefore result in rapid infrastructure failure and, consequently, increased maintenance costs, particularly for paved roads where temperature is a key determinant for material selection. Here, we examine the economic costs of projected temperature changes on asphalt roads across the contiguous United States using an ensemble of 19 global climate models forced with RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. Over the past 20 years, stationary assumptions have resulted in incorrect material selection for 35% of 799 observed locations. With warming temperatures, maintaining the standard practice for material selection is estimated to add approximately US$13.6, US$19.0 and US$21.8 billion to pavement costs by 2010, 2040 and 2070 under RCP4.5, respectively, increasing to US$14.5, US$26.3 and US$35.8 for RCP8.5. These costs will disproportionately affect local municipalities that have fewer resources to mitigate impacts. Failing to update engineering standards of practice in light of climate change therefore significantly threatens pavement infrastructure in the United States.
Extracellular matrix interactions in early human embryos: implications for normal implantation events * †

Objective To study the role of extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins in supporting the development and implantation competence of human embryos. Design Expression of an implantation site adhesive glycoprotein, oncofetal fibronectin, and basement membrane collagen-degrading matrix metalloproteinase-2 and -9 were studied in cultured human embryos. The ability of exogenously added laminin and fibronectin to enhance hatching and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression was quantitated also. Patients Fifty-four women with tubal factor infertility enrolled in the IVF program at the University Hospital of Oulu agreed to participate by providing 20 residual oocytes and 227 residual early embryos for this study. Main Outcome Measures The presence of oncofetal fibronectin immunoreactive protein was assayed by immunocytochemical staining with two specific monoclonal antibodies, FDC-6 and X18A4. These antibodies bind to specific and distinct epitopes within tumor and trophoblast-derived oncofetal fibronectin. Changes in embryo matrix metalloproteinase-2 production were measured by zymography and confirmed by immunocytochemical staining. Results Intracellular oncofetal fibronectin was identified within blastomeres of early stage embryos. The immunoreactivity of oncofetal fibronectin in the zona pellucida was associated with fragmentation and dissolution of the zona. Exogenously added laminin or adult-type fibronectin significantly increased the hatching rate of the cultured embryos. Embryos cultured with added adult-type fibronectin or trophoblast-derived oncofetal fibronectin stimulated the matrix metalloproteinase-2 production (72-kd type IV collagenase) by 2.25 ± 0.16-fold when compared with control embryos (mean ± SD). Conclusions Embryonic production of specific ECM proteins, such as oncofetal fibronectin, appears to be important for the morphological and biochemical development of human preimplantation embryos. Moreover, ECM proteins promote acquisition of the adhesive and degradative properties required by human embryos for successful implantation.
Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane (HNIW, CL-20)

Hexanitrohexaazaisowurtzitane, a nitroamine compound, has emerged as an important insensitive energetic material. This caged compound offers several interesting properties. This chapter discusses the properties and more importantly the formulations using CL-20.
Proposed mechanism of action of tap water iontophoresis for treatment of hyperhidrosis

Tap water iontophoresis is commonly used to treat hyperhidrosis, yet the mechanism of action for this treatment remains unknown. Here, I propose a plausible mechanism of action based on the biology...
Resource and Strategic Mobilization (RSM) Model of Productive Aging: Examining Older Americans' Participation in Various Productive Activities.

Older people involve themselves in productive activities for different reasons, and the theoretical frameworks examining their engagement are limited. This study introduces a new theoretical model, the Resource and Strategic Mobilization model (RSM), and empirically tests how personal resources and networks influence older persons’ participation in three major productive activities: employment, volunteering, and caregiving. Using nationally representative American data from the 2004 Health and Retirement Study, this study included 10,089 community-dwelling older adults aged 65+. Key predictor variables reflected aspects of personal resources (finances and physical health), and personal networks (family and social). Socio-demographic characteristics were controlled to obtain independent impacts from the above predictor variables. Three separate logistic regression models were utilized to test whether older people’s personal resources and networks influenced their engagement in employment, volunteering and caregiving. Findings showed that older Americans with greater financial resources were more likely to work and volunteer. In general, those with better health were more likely to participate in all three activities. Family networks were associated with providing care, and greater social network involvement was linked to volunteering. As the RSM predicts, the diverse contexts of older persons matter, as indicated by personal resources and networks, for the activities older adults are involved in. Implications of using the RSM model to understand productive activities in which older people engage are discussed.
Pleistocene Glaciation of Hawaii

Abstract Glacial deposits atop Mauna Kea volcano record three Pleistocene glaciations. The youngest ice cap covered 70 km 2 , averaged about 75 m thick, and extended as low as 3200 m. K/Ar, 36 Cl, OSL, and 14 C dating points to an MIS 2 age for the youngest drift, and MIS 4 and 6 for the two older ones.
Are Capitalization Rates Really Constant within Housing Markets

Capitalization (CAP) rates for residential real estate are generally assumed to vary with interest rates, expected appreciation, and a variety of other factors but not with the size or value of the unit. It is generally assumed that landlords can adjust unit size to increase supply in a size range where the CAP rates are high while lowering supply for size categories where the CAP rates are low. Such arbitrage should eventually equate CAP rates across size and value categories.This paper illustrates that, while the assumption of constant CAP rates is true for much of the housing market, in a model with market segmentation and inframarginal landlords, the CAP rate should decrease as house value gets sufficiently high. When this theory is tested, the CAP rate in Washington, D.C. starts decreasing as house value exceeds $600,000. The results imply that the CAP rates at the upper end of the housing market should be interpreted with caution and may explain problems in empirical tests using average the CAP rates for all residential units in an area. The theory also explains the paradoxical result that the fraction of renters in a segment of the market varies directly with the rent to value ratio of the housing.
Do students understand the detrimental effects of mind wandering during online learning

Abstract Do students understand the potentially detrimental effects of mind wandering as they are watching a lecture online? To answer this question, we combined methods used to assess mind wandering and metacognitive methods used to assess student's judgments of learning. In two studies, college students watched a video lecture from an online course, and while watching it, responded to standard mind wandering prompts. They then judged how well they would perform on a quiz over the material they had just viewed. Analyses focused on answering two specific questions. Would students' judgments be higher when they reported being on-task than when they reported having task-unrelated thoughts? And, would their judgments be higher when they reported being on-task than when they reported having thoughts about whether they understand the material or reported elaborating on it (which we refer to as task-related thoughts)? Across two studies, students' judgments of learning were higher when they reported being on-task than when they reported having task-unrelated thoughts. Judgment magnitude was also greater when students reported task-related thoughts (e.g., assessing their understanding) than task-unrelated thoughts, even though performance did not differ after these two kinds of report. Relevant to instructional applications, students understand that mind wandering may be potentially detrimental to quiz performance, which suggests they may be open to interventions aimed at reducing mind wandering.
Artificial pancreas in pediatrics

Abstract The care of children and adolescents with type 1 diabetes (T1D) is burdensome and complex. Current outcomes for glucose control and acute and chronic complications of diabetes are suboptimal. Significant advances have been made in the past 15 years in the development of artificial pancreas (AP) technology culminating in commercially available systems now in use worldwide. In this chapter on AP in the Pediatric age group, we provide a review of the current state of care and need for better glucose control including the burden of care of T1D, a perspective on the research and clinical development of AP systems, discussion of practical clinical issues for AP use in pediatrics such as dose adjustments and skin care issues, and an outlook for the future of the field. AP systems will be an increasing part of diabetes care with the goal of improving glucose control, reducing the burden of care, and improving quality of life.
The Iterative Convergent Design for Mobile Health Usability Testing: Mixed Methods Approach

Although patients express an interest in using mobile health (mHealth) interventions to manage their health and chronic conditions, many current mHealth interventions are difficult to use. Usability testing is critical for the success of novel mHealth interventions. Researchers recognize the utility of using qualitative and quantitative approaches for usability testing, but many mHealth researchers lack the awareness of integration approaches from advances in mixed methods research that can add value to mHealth technology. As efficient usability testing proceeds iteratively, we introduce a novel mixed methods design developed specifically for mHealth researchers. The iterative convergent mixed methods design involves simultaneous qualitative and quantitative data collection and analysis that continues cyclically through multiple rounds of mixed methods data collection and analysis until the mHealth technology under evaluation is found to work to the satisfaction of the researcher. In cyclical iterations, early development is more qualitatively driven but progressively becomes more quantitatively driven. Using this design, mHealth researchers can leverage mixed methods integration procedures in the research question, data collection, data analysis, interpretation, and dissemination dimensions. This study demonstrates how the iterative convergent mixed methods design provides a novel framework for generating unique insights into multifaceted phenomena impacting mHealth usability. Understanding these practices can help developers and researchers leverage the strengths of an integrated mixed methods design.
A Status Update on the eMMRTG Project

NASA has employed Radioisotope Thermoelectric Generators (RTGs)to power many missions throughout the past several decades. The Multi-Mission RTG (MMRTG)used on Mars Science Laboratory is the most recent generator developed, and the only spaceflight-qualified system currently available. The enhanced Multi-Mission RTG (eMMRTG)would be an upgrade of the MMRTG using the most current thermoelectric (TE)technology, and would provide the space community with a system that would have substantially higher end-of-design-life (EODL)power. The NASA RPS Program recently instantiated an eMMRTG system development project, evolving from an ongoing technology maturation effort at JPL to a project designed to mature and transition the skutterudite (SKD)TE couples and technology into an operational RTG. The project has made significant advances in maturing SKD technology for use in the eMMRTG, and is looking ahead to potential RTG system development. Mini-module and couple life tests have produced substantial performance data that has helped refine the couple design and support lifetime performance predictions. Additional strength and thermoelectric properties tests have been performed to verify the design specifications and robustness of the candidate TE couples. Replacing the current MMRTG couples with SKD also necessitates system design changes that must be well understood. Recent systems engineering studies have focused on minimizing risk associated with updating the flight-proven MMRTG design. Upgrading the module insulation has been shown to result in 98% lower levels of CH4/H2 outgassing products. Performance analysis has been completed using the most recent TE couple sizes in order to understand the maximum acceptable power degradation rate to achieve the required eMMRTG power of 77 W at EODL. This paper provides an update on recent SKD technology maturation efforts and the results of several systems engineering tasks that continue to pave the way for successful system development.
Two Pathways Underlying the Effects of Physical Education on Out-of-School Physical Activity.

One primary goal of physical education (PE) is to promote students’ lifelong physical activity (PA). This goal implies that PE should not only improve students’ PA in PE classes but also promote th...
Appearance of pediatric choroidal neovascular membranes on optical coherence tomography angiography

Compared with fluorescein angiography (FA), the gold standard for diagnosing choroidal neovascularization (CNV) activity, optical coherence tomography angiography (OCTA) is non-invasive without risks associated with fluorescein dye use, and may be especially advantageous in the diagnosis and monitoring of children with CNV. Eight eyes from eight patients aged 12 months to 18 years were imaged with the investigational Spectralis OCTA (version 6.9, Heidelberg Engineering, Heidelberg, Germany) and the RTVue XR Avanti (Optovue Inc., Fremont, CA, USA). Two patients were imaged during examination under anesthesia while six patients were imaged in the clinic. Demographic information, ocular characteristics, treatment history, and imaging studies (color photos, fluorescein angiography, OCT) were collected and reviewed. Three eyes had active CNV while five had quiescent CNV at the time of imaging. CNV was idiopathic or secondary to trauma, retinal vascular dysgenesis versus retinopathy of prematurity, pigmentary retinopathy, Best vitelliform macular dystrophy, panuveitis, morning glory disc anomaly, and optic disc drusen. OCTA of two active CNV demonstrated presence of a main trunk with multiple fine capillaries, vessel loops, and anastomoses. OCTA was repeated after treatment for two CNV and demonstrated a decrease in size with loss of fine capillaries, vessel loops, and anastomoses. For the third active CNV, OCTA verified flow in the CNV complex despite the uncertainty of FA hyperfluorescence in the setting of grossly abnormal retinal vasculature. The five quiescent CNV all lacked fine capillaries, vessel loops, and anastomoses on OCTA. OCTA demonstrates morphological differences between active and quiescent pediatric CNV.
Evaluating the Ability of Selected Force Fields to Simulate Hydrocarbons as a Function of Temperature and Pressure Using Molecular Dynamics

The ability of both nonreactive (OPLS-AA) and reactive (AIREBO-M and ReaxFF) force fields to model pure hydrocarbon fluids at various temperatures and pressures was assessed using molecular dynamic...
A scoping review of whole-of-community interventions on six modifiable cancer prevention risk factors in youth: A systems typology.

Abstract Whole-of-community interventions delivered across entire geospatial areas show promise for improving population health for youth cancer prevention. The aims of this scoping review were to synthesize the whole-of-community intervention literature on six modifiable risk factors in youth for cancer prevention (alcohol use, diet, obesity, physical activity, sun exposure, tobacco use) and to develop and apply a typology describing the inclusion of fundamental control system functional characteristics. A systematic search was conducted in PubMed, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature, Embase, PsycINFO, and Scopus for studies published to the end of 2019. Eligible studies included a geospatially defined whole-of-community intervention; youth 0–18 years; and at least one of the six cancer risk factor outcomes. An iterative process was undertaken to create a typology describing the functions for whole-of-community interventions guided by systems theory, and the typology was used to code the included interventions. A total of 41 interventions were included. Most interventions (43.9%) assessed multiple cancer risk factors. Few interventions provided fundamental functions necessary for community system coordination: sensor, controller, effector. Although communities are a patchwork quilt of microsystems where individuals interact in geographically bounded places nested within larger whole systems of influence, a control systems approach has not been used to frame the literature. Whole-of-community interventions can be characterized by the fundamental system functions necessary for coordinating population health improvement. Future whole-of-community intervention efforts should draw on fundamental knowledge of how systems operate and test whether adoption of the key functions is necessary for whole-of-community population health improvement.
Abstract MP04: Interleukin-33 Drives Cardiac Remodeling And Alters Macrophage Polarization In Doca-salt Hypertension

Interleukin-33 (IL-33) is an alarmin critical for alternative macrophage activation and has been linked to hypertension in humans. The goal of this study was to evaluate whether IL-33 contributes t...
Studying the Asymptotics of Selberg-Type Integrals

This paper presents an argument in favor of the analysis of a certain integral, which we like to call a “Selberg-Type Integral.” We wish first to show how this integral has come to be involved in a rather bewildering variety of mathematical and physical theories, including the theory of random matrices, the theory of CalogeroSutherland models, the Fractional Quantum Hall effect, the topology of the moduli space of algebraic curves and certain ideas in number theory.
SU-E-T-453: Image-Guided Patient-Specific Quality Assurance for Multi-Target Single Isocenter Intracranial VMAT Radiosurgery

Purpose: To demonstrate a patient specific, image-guided quality assurance method that tests both dosimetric and geometric accuracy for single-isocenter multiple-target VMAT radiosurgery (SIMT-VMAT-SRS) Method: We used a new film type, EBT-XD (optimal range 0.4–40Gy), and an in-house PMMA phantom having a coronal plane for film and a 0.125 cm3 ionization chamber (IC). The phantom contained fiducial features for kV image guided setup and for accurate film marking. Five patient plans with multiple targets sizes ranging from 3 to 21mm in diameter and prescribed doses from 14 to 18 Gy were selected. Two verification plans were generated for each case with the film plane passing through the center of the largest and smallest targets. For the four largest targets we obtained an IC measurement. For each case, a calibration film was irradiated using a custom designed step pattern. The films were scanned using a flatbed color scanner and converted to dose using the calibration film and the three channel calibration method. Image registration was performed between film and treatment planning system calculations to evaluate the geometric accuracy. Results: The mean registration vector had an average magnitude of 0.47 mm (range from 0.13mm to 0.64 mm). For the four largest targets, the mean ratio of the IC and film measurement to expected dose was 0.990 (range 0.968 to 1.009) and 1.032 (1.021 to 1.046), respectively. The fraction of pixels having gamma index < 1 for criteria of 3%/3mm, 3%/2mm, 3%/1mm was 98.8%, 97.5% and 87.2% before geometric registration and 99.1%, 98.3% and 94.8% after registration. Conclusion: We have demonstrated an image-guided QA method can assess both geometric and dosimetric accuracy. The phantom was positioned with sub-millimeter accuracy. Absolute film dosimetry using EBT-XD film was sufficiently accurate for assessment of dose to multi-targets too small for IC measurement in SRS VMAT plans.
Targeted mutagenesis of simian virus 40 DNA mediated by a triple helix-forming oligonucleotide.

Abstract Triple-helical DNA can be formed by oligonucleotides that bind as third strands of DNA in a sequence-specific manner in the major groove in homopurine/homopyrimidine stretches in duplex DNA. Such triple helix-forming oligonucleotides have been used to inhibit gene expression by blocking transcription factor access to promoter sites in transient expression assays. In an alternative approach to genetic manipulation using triplex DNA, we show that triplex-forming oligonucleotides can be used to produce site-specific, targeted mutations in a viral genome in order to achieve a permanent, heritable effect on gene function and expression. We use a triplex-forming oligonucleotide linked to a psoralen derivative at its 5' end to achieve targeted mutagenesis in a simian virus 40 (SV40) vector genome. Site-specific triplex formation delivers the psoralen to the targeted site in the SV40 DNA. Photoactivation of the psoralen yields adducts and thereby mutations at that site. Mutations were produced in the target gene in over 6% of the viral genomes. DNA sequence analysis of the mutations in the target gene showed that all were in the targeted region, and 55% were found to be the same T:A-to-A:T transversion precisely at the targeted base pair. In control experiments, no mutagenesis above the background frequency in the assay was produced by a non-triplex-forming, psoralen-linked oligonucleotide unless a vast excess of this oligonucleotide was used, demonstrating the specificity of the targeted mutagenesis. This frequency of targeted mutagenesis of SV40 in monkey cells represents a 30-fold increase relative to similar experiments using lambda phage in bacteria, suggesting that fixation of the triplex-directed lesion into a mutation occurs more efficiently in mammalian cells. If the ability to reproducibly and predictably target mutations to sites in viral DNA in vitro by using modified oligonucleotides can be extended to DNA in vivo, this approach may prove useful as a technique for gene therapy, as a strategy for antiviral therapeutics, and as a tool for genetic engineering.
Precedent and Jurisprudential Disagreement

This Article, a contribution to a symposium on constitutional foundations, maintains that an unappreciated function of stare decisis is that of referee between competing visions of the Constitution. Stare decisis is styled as a doctrine of error-correction, but in controversial cases, "error" is often a stand-in for disagreement about first principles. In these cases, stare decisis functions less to guide the business of correcting mistakes — a conception that oversimplifies the reality of pluralism on the Court — than to mediate intense disputes about the Court’s role in interpreting the Constitution. Identifying this function of stare decisis offers a different perspective on the values served by the Court’s traditionally weak presumption against overruling constitutional precedent. Insofar as it avoids entrenching particular resolutions to methodological controversies, weak stare decisis reflects respect for pluralism on and off the Court, as well as realism about the likelihood that justices will lightly let go of their deeply held interpretive commitments. At the same time, the weak presumption does not abandon all constraint: placing the burden of justification on justices who would overrule disciplines jurisprudential disagreement lest it become too disruptive. While the ability to overrule comes at some cost to continuity, stare decisis is ill-suited to accomplish much more than this tempering function in the face of continuing disagreement about what the Constitution requires.
Reflections on the euro crisis: prioritizing the road ahead

This paper takes stock of the lessons from past crises, and the history of other unions to prioritize possible reforms of the euro. The distortions facing the euro include structural challenges in the labor and product markets, and financial distortions. While both structural and financial distortions are costly and prevalent, they differ in fundamental ways. Financial distortions are moving at the speed of the internet, and their welfare costs are determined more by the access to credit lines and leverage, than by the GDP of each country. In contrast, the structural distortions are moving at a slow pace relative to the financial distortions, and their effects are determined by inter-generational dynamics. Unlike financial distortions, the damaging effects of the structural distortions are linked directly to the factors determining the GDP – the labor force, population, and the stock of productive capital. These considerations suggest that the priority should be given to dealing urgently with the financial distortions, while the structural distortions may be dealt with more fully down the road, once the euro gains greater financial stability.
High-contrast nanoparticle sensing using a hyperbolic metamaterial

Using planar hyperbolic metamaterials composed of alternating layers of metal (Ag) and dielectric (SiO 2 ), we demonstrate a transmission device for nanoparticle sensing that exhibits extremely high optical contrast.
Learning by reading: an experiment in text analysis

It has long been a dream to build computer systems that learn automatically by reading text This dream is generally considered infeasible, but some surprising developments in the US over the past three years have led to the funding of several short-term investigations into whether and how much the best current practices in Natural Language Processing and Knowledge Representation and Reasoning, when combined, actually enable this dream This paper very briefly describes one of these efforts, the Learning by Reading project at ISI, which has converted a high school textbook of Chemistry into very shallow logical form and is investigating which semantic features can plausibly be added to support the kinds of inference required for answering standard high school text questions.
Yes-associated Protein and p53-binding Protein-2 Interact through Their WW and SH3 Domains

To understand the role of the Yes-associated protein (YAP), binding partners of its WW1 domain were isolated by a yeast two-hybrid screen. One of the interacting proteins was identified as p53-binding protein-2 (p53BP-2). YAP and p53BP-2 interacted in vitro and in vivo using their WW1 and SH3 domains, respectively. The YAP WW1 domain bound to the YPPPPY motif of p53BP-2, whereas the p53BP-2 SH3 domain interacted with the VPMRLR sequence of YAP, which is different from other known SH3 domain-binding motifs. By mutagenesis, we showed that this unusual SH3 domain interaction was due to the presence of three consecutive tryptophans located within the βC strand of the SH3 domain. A point mutation within this triplet, W976R, restored the binding selectivity to the general consensus sequence for SH3 domains, the PXXP motif. A constitutively active form of c-Yes was observed to decrease the binding affinity between YAP and p53BP-2 using chloramphenicol acetyltransferase/enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, whereas the overexpression of c-Yes did not modify this interaction. Since overexpression of an activated form of c-Yes resulted in tyrosine phosphorylation of p53BP-2, we propose that the p53BP-2 phosphorylation, possibly in the WW1 domain-binding motif, might negatively regulate the YAP·p53BP-2 complex.
Pentaaquadisodium bis(triphenylcyanoborate) (caesignost)

In the crystal structure of the title compound, [Na2(H2O)5](C19H15BN)2, the Na atom is octa­hedrally coordinated by three water mol­ecules and three N atoms of triphenyl­cyano­borate anions. The basic structural unit is composed of two octa­hedra sharing a common face, and this unit is connected by a common edge with the next unit, forming an infinite chain along the crystallographic c axis.
The simultaneous measurement of aldosterone, cortisol, and corticosterone in human peripheral plasma by displacement analysis.

Abstract A method has been designed for measuring aldosterone, cortisol, and corticosterone in a single extract of human peripheral plasma. After separation and purification by paper chromatography, the aldosterone and corticosterone are measured by radioimmunoassay employing antibodies developed in the sheep, and the cortisol by a protein-binding technique. The over-all recoveries after extraction and chromatography are aldosterone 61 ± 11 S.D. per cent, cortisol 65 ± 6.8 S.D. per cent, and corticosterone 49 ± 9 S.D. per cent. High specificity in the method is achieved by using antibodies which cross react to a very minor extent with other steroids, and by employing experimental procedures which produce consistently low blank values. The blank values for cortisol and corticosterone are indistinguishable from zero, and values for aldosterone are 2 ± 2 S.D., and 6.9 ± 0.94 S.D. picograms for water and adrenalectomized plasma, respectively. In accuracy studies, the correlation coefficients between the amount of steroid added to water and plasma and the amount recovered were 1.02, 1.03, and 0.98 for aldosterone, corticosterone, and cortisol, respectively, indicating no systematic error in the method. The method has high specificity, good accuracy, and precision and is inexpensive and technically simple to operate.
On the Tautness of Plans

That production targets in Soviet planning have more than a predictive role was first suggested by Holland Hunter, in "Optimal Tautness in Development Planning "[3]. These targets, as he points out, have a dual role: they are both predictive and normative. In the former sense they prophesy the outcome of productive activities. In the latter they aim at improving it. The predictive, or indicative, sense is the more familiar: according to it the target says how much will actually be produced. When actual production deviates from the target, as it usually does, we should be led to conclude that either plan or implementation were faulty. This is an unjustified conclusion if we bear in mind the output increasing role. If actual output in some way depends on the target, then that target should be selected that leads to the highest output, and this may well be a target that differs from actual performance. We may need " hortatory targets . . . even though not all of them could be attained " [3, p. 562], or even targets which are sure to be overfulfilled, in order to obtain maximum output. To paraphrase Hunter's quotation of Marx [3, p. 563], a development planner does not aim at foretelling the future but at changing it. The plan itself is one of the instruments of change which help enlist the people's efforts to raise output and further the task of economic transformation. Statements of the type made above are quite alien to the language of production and growth theory. In it, there is no meaning to the terms " effort" or " exertion" (which will be used interchangeably). Once the feasible production set is known, there is no way of expanding it, as hard as one may exert oneself, while inside the set any point is as accessible as another. A statement like, " The frontier of production possibilities will only move outward rapidly if there is unremitting pressure against it " [3, p. 565] makes no sense in accepted theory. On the other hand, Soviet economists often echo similar opinions: production possibilities are not given, but can be stretched with ingenuity and effort, and statesmen and columnists in the western world also sound similar sentiments. Exhortations that only harder work can extract some nation or other from its economic difficulties are quite common, and they make some sense to most of us. The aim of the present paper is to enlist the concept of effort and use it to clarify the role which a production target may play in raising production. A few further notes on Hunter's work must, however, precede the main body of the work. The presumed elasticity of the production set lies at the basis of Hunter's terminology. He calls a production plan taut if it places the target in a zone which can only be reached with a great deal of effort, if at all. Thus a taut plan is one which is likely to be underfulfilled. Its opposite is a slack plan, one that is so easy to fulfill that overfulfilment is assured. As described above, the degree of tautness relates the target mainly to production
Therapeutic failure in familial type II hyperlipoproteinemia

Abstract The extended use of diet and cholestyramine therapy in familial type II hyperlipoproteinemia was examined in patients who previously participated in a short-term, double-blind trial. A striking secondary failure in therapeutic response during 4 yr of use of this therapy was noted with plasma cholesterol rising an average of 15%. A 3 mo, out-patient, follow-up study designed to reinforce patient motivation and dietary and drug adherence resulted in a prompt but partial reversal of this therapeutic deterioration in 16 patients. Additional inpatient studies confirmed that patient noncomplicance with the dietary regimen was the major factor responsible for the secondary failure. Cholestyramine together with a low cholesterol diet can be an effective agent in familial type II hyperlipoproteinemia, given a comprehensive program of outpatient follow-up with continued emphasis on dietary principles and drug adherence.
Some aspects of atomic effects in nuclear transitions

Abstract The influence of atomic electrons on nuclear decay modes is reviewed, including some higher-order processes, and modifications of decay rates due to environmental effects are briefly considered.
Analysis of Three Indoor Localization Technologies for Supporting Operations and Maintenance Field Tasks

AbstractLocating building components that need to be worked on during maintenance tasks is critical for timely repair of the component and mitigation of the damage. The process of locating a compon...