cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Harmonizing and Improvising in the Choral Rehearsal: A Sequential Approach:

^M ^ usic professionals have developed numerous methimprovise by ear as ods to teach note reading to ensembles, but few have created methods to incorporate improvisation part of each day's in the choral rehearsal. Although improvisation long preceded our present system of notation and is warm-up period. still central to many musical cultures, it has never been a core musical skill of public school choirs.1 Choral singers are, in general, bound to the printed note. Creating harmony on the spot to a well-known melody can be a challenge. The oft-performed "Happy Birthday" is nearly always sung in unison-until the last measure. Standard holiday carols or popular songs such as "We Wish You a Merry Christmas" have also fallen prey to unison singing. And while most choral teachers are efficient and productive in rehearsal techniques, it is probable that their singers will complete numerous years of school choral singing and never create harmony. Not unexpectedly, music teachers cite their own lack of improvisational experience or training as the key reason for not performing improvisation.2 Azzara says that although it is understandable that teachers are reluctant to teach skills in which they have no training, both teachers and students have the potential to
Crystallization Kinetics of Rutile Formation from Amorphous Titania Films

Titania films with two types of phase composition were sputter deposited on fused silica substrates: Type (I) amorphous+anatase+rutile and Type (II) amorphous+rutile. These films were subjected to various annealing procedures in air. The authors studied three relevant transitions: (1) amorphous{r_arrow}crystalline (anatase and rutile) at temperature < 800 C; (2) amorphous{r_arrow}rutile at all temperatures, and (3) anatase {r_arrow} rutile in the 750--800 C temperature range. X-ray diffraction was used for phase identification and crystallographic orientation. The films had a preferred orientation, with (101) anatase and/or (110) rutile planes parallel to the substrate. The activation energy for the amorphous-to-rutile transformation was 0.3 eV. The anatase-to-rutile transformation occurring at 750 C was modeled using the Avrami relation, which yielded an exponent of unity. From the results of this study, the authors propose a model for titania crystallization in which site saturation of rutile and/or anatase nuclei already exists in the as-deposited film. Further crystallization upon annealing occurs by one dimensional growth of these nuclei into the amorphous material. If no anatase seeds exist in the as-deposited material, then no anatase will form upon annealing, indicating again that no new nuclei are formed during annealing. In this manner, highly oriented rutile titania films canmore » be produced at temperature below the bulk anatase-to-rutile transformation temperature (750 C).« less
Persistent Sexual Arousal Syndrome Associated with Increased Soy Intake

ABSTRACT Introduction Persistent sexual arousal syndrome is an uncommon sexual complaint. Patients with this disorder can be distressed by the escalation of tension in the pelvic region and the prevailing necessity to diminish the pressure by self‐stimulation. Patients frequently suffer from guilt or shame and often do not seek medical care. There are many potential causes of this disorder; however, a definitive etiology has yet to be elucidated. Case The patient is a 44‐year‐old female who presented to her gynecologist for evaluation of dysmenorrhea and menometrorrhagia. During the review of systems, the patient reported 5–6 months of increased pelvic tension, not associated with an increase in desire that required her to self‐stimulate to orgasm approximately 15 times daily. Upon further inquiry, the patient disclosed that her dietary regimen included soy intake in excess of 4 pounds per day that began approximately 1 month prior to the onset of symptoms. Results Treatment consisted of supportive counseling and dietary modification. At the 3‐month follow‐up visit, the patient's menstrual difficulties and sexual complaints resolved. Conclusions Although no known cause or cure of persistent sexual arousal syndrome has been identified to date, the success of reducing dietary of phytoestrogens in this patient may provide insight into the etiology of the disorder and suggest potential treatments.
Characterization of the macrophage-stimulating activity from Ureaplasma urealyticum.

Problem Intra-amniotic infection is the most common cause of preterm labor. Infections are thought to cause preterm labor by increasing the production of proinflammatory cytokines at the maternal–fetal interface. Experiments with cell culture and animal models have indicated that bacterial lipopolysaccharide (LPS) increases the production of proinflammatory cytokines in reproductive tissues. The majority of intrauterine infections, however, are associated with Ureaplasma urealyticum, which does not contain LPS. Therefore, we performed a series of experiments to understand better the bacterial factor(s) that are responsible for the proinflammatory effects of U. urealyticum. Method of study U. urealyticum was cultivated in 3–4 L 10B broth, harvested by centrifugation, washed with saline and frozen at −85°C until use. Cells were then extracted with Triton X-114 and the macrophage-stimulating activity (MSA) of the preparations was studied by evaluating their ability to stimulate tumor necrosis factor-α production by a monocytic cell line (THP-1 cells). Additional studies involved testing the sensitivity of the detergent extracts to heating, alkaline hydrolysis and proteinase K digestion. Interaction of Triton X-114 extracts with Toll-like receptor (TLR)-2 and TLR-4 was evaluated using cell lines transfected with one of these receptors, CD14 and a reporter gene. Results Extraction of U. urealyticum with Triton X-114 demonstrated that the MSA preferentially partitioned to the detergent phase. The MSA of the detergent extracts was abrogated by proteinase K digestion or alkaline hydrolysis but only partially inhibited by heating. Further studies suggested that the detergent extracts could activate both TLR-2 and TLR-4. Conclusion These experiments suggest that the MSA of U. urealyticum is lipophillic, sensitive to alkaline hydrolysis and proteinase K digestion, partially sensitive to heating. These properties are consistent with the activity being due to a lipoprotein. Unlike other Mycoplasma species, the MSA of U. urealyticum appears to interact with both TLR-2 and TLR-4. Purification of the molecule(s) that regulate this activity may provide good therapeutic targets for anti-inflammatory strategies to prevent preterm labor caused by intrauterine infection with U. urealyticum.
Time-reversal checkpointing methods for RTM and FWI

Time-domain seismic simulation can form the basis of reverse time depth migration and full-waveform inversion. These applications need to temporally crosscorrelate a forward simulation state with an adjoint simulation state and therefore need to be able to access each time step of a forward simulation in time-reverse order. This requires saving all forward states for all times (which can require more memory than is typically available on a computer system for many problems of interest), or the ability to checkpoint information and rapidly recompute forward simulation states as needed. Prior work has suggested how to do the latter by optimally choosing which forward simulation time steps to checkpoint, thereby enabling the most efficient reuse of memory buffers and minimizing recomputation. The optimal trade-off between memory usage and recomputation can be further improved under the assumption that the information needed to do temporal crosscorrelation is smaller than the information required to restart a simulation from a given time step. This assumption is true for many geophysical problems of interest. The modification can yield a reduction in the memory requirement and recomputation time. The tested examples applied to isotropic elastic reverse time migration and anisotropic viscoelastic full-waveform inversion.
Failure to isolate Helicobacter pylori from stray cats indicates that H. pylori in cats may be an anthroponosis - an animal infection with a human pathogen

The recent isolation of Helicobacter pylori from cats obtained from a commercial supplier has potentially important public health implications. The present study investigated whether H. pylori infection was common in stray cats. Twenty-five cats were examined for the presence of H. pylori by histological examination, culture and two polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assays. Histologically, the gastric biopsy specimens from all cats showed large spiral organisms typical of H. felis and not H. pylori. Samples from 23 cats yielded bacterial growth and two had no growth. Colonies grossly similar to H. pylori were tested for catalase, oxidase, urease and Gram's stain reactions. None was H. pylori. All samples tested as positive by the Helicobacter 16S rRNA genus-specific PCR assay and only six cats and a mouse stomach infected with H. heilmannii gave positive results with the adhesin subunit A (hpaA)-specific PCR assay, which is consistent with either H. pylori or H. heilmannii. The helicobacters identified in these samples by PCR were not cultivable and hence were probably H. heilmannii. H. pylori infection is uncommon in stray cats and owning pet cats should not be a threat to public health in relation to H. pylori infection.
MITOCHONDRIAL DNA VARIATION AND PHYLOGEOGRAPHY OF THE EASTERN AND WESTERN SCREECH-OWLS

Abstract Abstract. Sequences of the mitochondrial cytochrome b gene (930 base pairs) were used to examine patterns of variation within and between Eastern (Megascops asio) and Western (M. kennicottii) Screech-Owls, and to assess taxonomic affinity of Flammulated Owls (Otus flammeolus) and Whiskered Screech-Owls (M. trichopsis). Analyses support monophyly of the New World Megascops, a sister-group relationship between O. flammeolus and New World forms of Megascops, rather than with Old World Otus, and a closer relationship between the mostly North American M. trichopsis and South American Megascops than between M. trichopsis and North American Megascops. Megascops asio and M. kennicottii formed two distinct monophyletic clades, supporting species-level designations as suggested by morphology and song. Evidence for distinctive subspecies of eastern and western forms of screech-owls was less compelling. In the M. asio group, M. a. mccallii was the only subspecies with a unique haplotype; other subspecies wit...
The Dynamics of Lexical Competition During Spoken Word Recognition

The sounds that make up spoken words are heard in a series and must be mapped rapidly onto words in memory because their elements, unlike those of visual words, cannot simultaneously exist or persist in time. Although theories agree that the dynamics of spoken word recognition are important, they differ in how they treat the nature of the competitor set—precisely which words are activated as an auditory word form unfolds in real time. This study used eye tracking to measure the impact over time of word frequency and 2 partially overlapping competitor set definitions: onset density and neighborhood density. Time course measures revealed early and continuous effects of frequency (facilitatory) and onset-based similarity (inhibitory). Neighborhood density appears to have early facilitatory effects and late inhibitory effects. The late inhibitory effects are due to differences in the temporal distribution of similarity within neighborhoods. The early facilitatory effects are due to subphonemic cues that inform the listener about word length before the entire word is heard. The results support a new conception of lexical competition neighborhoods in which recognition occurs against a background of activated competitors that changes over time based on fine-grained goodness-of-fit and competition dynamics.
Predictors of mortality after surgical management of lung cancer in the National Cancer Database.

Background Surgical resection represents the standard of care for locoregionally confined non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC); however, surgical complications may compromise the overall outcome. Adverse events after lung cancer surgery have been studied extensively, yet available databases have significant limitations (with respect to size, provider, patient age, and so forth). The National Cancer Database (NCDB) is the largest cancer registry in the world, capturing 67% of newly diagnosed NSCLC in the United States. We studied surgically managed NSCLC patients in the NCDB to more accurately assess factors that influence perioperative outcomes. Methods Patients diagnosed with NSCLC from 2004 to 2009 in the NCDB who were managed with surgical resection were included (n = 119,146). Primary endpoints included death within 30 days of surgery and extended length of stay (more than 14 days). Results Overall 30-day mortality rate was 3.4% and varied by procedure: lobectomy/bilobectomy (2.6%), wedge resection (4.2%), extended lobectomy/bilobectomy (4%), and pneumonectomy (8.5%). By multivariable analysis, increasing age, male sex, increasing comorbidities, and decreased facility volume were associated with higher 30-day mortality. Of patients who underwent lobectomy, 9.1% had an extended length of stay. On multivariable analysis, increasing age, male sex, increasing comorbidities, decreasing facility volume, and right-sided tumors were associated with increased incidence of extended length of stay. Conclusions Adverse events after the surgical treatment of NSCLC in the NCDB occur with a similar frequency and are predicted by similar patient, procedural, and facility variables as have been identified by more restricted data resources. The NCDB appears to be a valuable resource to study NSCLC in the United States.
Role of PDGF in fibrotic diseases and systemic sclerosis

PDGF functions as a primary mitogen and chemoattractant for cells of mesenchymal origin. Members of the PDGF family play an important role during embryonic development and contribute to the maintenance of connective tissue in adults. Deregulation of PDGF signalling has been linked to atherosclerosis, pulmonary hypertension and organ fibrosis. Elevated expression of PDGF and its receptors has been found in scleroderma skin and lung tissues. There is evidence for a TGF-beta and IL-1alpha-dependent autocrine PDGF-A/PDGFRalpha signalling loop in scleroderma skin and lung fibroblasts, suggesting that a cross-talk between TGF-beta and PDGF pathways may regulate chronic fibrosis in scleroderma.
Excessive activity of cathepsin K is associated with cartilage defects in a zebrafish model of mucolipidosis II

The severe pediatric disorder mucolipidosis II (ML-II; also known as I-cell disease) is caused by defects in mannose 6-phosphate (Man-6-P) biosynthesis. Patients with ML-II exhibit multiple developmental defects, including skeletal, craniofacial and joint abnormalities. To date, the molecular mechanisms that underlie these clinical manifestations are poorly understood. Taking advantage of a zebrafish model of ML-II, we previously showed that the cartilage morphogenesis defects in this model are associated with altered chondrocyte differentiation and excessive deposition of type II collagen, indicating that aspects of development that rely on proper extracellular matrix homeostasis are sensitive to decreases in Man-6-P biosynthesis. To further investigate the molecular bases for the cartilage phenotypes, we analyzed the transcript abundance of several genes in chondrocyte-enriched cell populations isolated from wild-type and ML-II zebrafish embryos. Increased levels of cathepsin and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP) transcripts were noted in ML-II cell populations. This increase in transcript abundance corresponded with elevated and sustained activity of several cathepsins (K, L and S) and MMP-13 during early development. Unlike MMP-13, for which higher levels of protein were detected, the sustained activity of cathepsin K at later stages seemed to result from its abnormal processing and activation. Inhibition of cathepsin K activity by pharmacological or genetic means not only reduced the activity of this enzyme but led to a broad reduction in additional protease activity, significant correction of the cartilage morphogenesis phenotype and reduced type II collagen staining in ML-II embryos. Our findings suggest a central role for excessive cathepsin K activity in the developmental aspects of ML-II cartilage pathogenesis and highlight the utility of the zebrafish system to address the biochemical underpinnings of metabolic disease.
Evolutionary changes in the olfactory projection neuron pathways of eumalacostracan crustaceans.

Output from the olfactory lobe (primary olfactory center) of eumalacostracan crustaceans is transmitted to the medulla terminalis (MT) and hemiellipsoid body (HB) in the lateral protocerebrum (higher order center) by a large population of projection neurons. In eureptantian crustaceans (lobsters, crayfish, and crabs), these projection neurons also form the output pathway from an additional neuropil, the accessory lobe (higher order center), which appears to have arisen de novo in these animals. In a previous study of lobsters and crayfish we showed that whereas projection neurons innervating the olfactory lobe project primarily to the MT, those innervating the accessory lobe project exclusively to the HB (Sullivan and Beltz [2001a] J. Comp. Neurol. 441:9 –22). In the present study, we used focal dye injections to examine the olfactory projection neuron pathways of representatives of four eumalacostracan taxa (Stomatopoda, Dendrobranchiata, Caridea, and Stenopodidea) that diverged from the eureptantian line prior to the appearance of the accessory lobe. These experiments were undertaken both to examine the evolution of the olfactory pathway in the Eumalacostraca and to provide insights into the changes in this pathway that accompanied the appearance of the accessory lobe. The innervation patterns of the olfactory projection neurons of the species examined were found to differ markedly, varying from that observed in the most basal taxon examined (Stomatopoda), in which the neurons primarily project to the MT, to those observed in the two highest taxa examined (Caridea and Stenopodidea), in which they primarily target the HB. These results suggest that substantial changes in the relative importance of the MT and HB within the olfactory pathway have occurred during the evolution of the Eumalaco
The bidirectionally transcribed dihydrofolate reductase and rep-3a promoters are growth regulated by distinct mechanisms

The mouse dihydrofolate reductase (dhfr) gene possesses a bidirectional promoter that produces functional transcripts in the opposite direction. These opposite strand transcripts encode the Rep-3 gene product, a protein that has homology to DNA mismatch repair enzymes. The core of the bidirectional promoter consists of four consensus binding sites for the transcription factor Sp1. These binding sites have been shown to be important for basal transcription from both the rep-3a and dhfr promoters. Extensive characterization of the dhfr promoter has shown that growth-dependent regulation requires the E2F binding sites that flank the transcription initiation site. Here we show that endogenous rep-3a mRNA and the rep-3a promoter are growth regulated, in a manner very similar to the regulation of the dhfr mRNA and promoter region. However, we find that the E2F sites required for dhfr regulation are dispensible for regulation of the rep-3a promoter. Instead, we have shown that the rep-3a initiation region is critical for the G1S phase-specific activation of this promoter. Gel mobility shift experiments indicate that a member of the Sp1 family of transcription factors binds to the rep-3a initiation region, suggesting that this family of transcription factors may play a role in cell growth control.
Realizing the Harper Hamiltonian with Laser-Assisted Tunneling in Optical Lattices

We experimentally implement the Harper Hamiltonian for neutral particles in optical lattices using laser-assisted tunneling and a potential energy gradient provided by gravity or magnetic field gradients. This Hamiltonian describes the motion of charged particles in strong magnetic fields. Laser-assisted tunneling processes are characterized by studying the expansion of the atoms in the lattice. The band structure of this Hamiltonian should display Hofstadter's butterfly. For fermions, this scheme should realize the quantum Hall effect and chiral edge states.
Effects of dietary fish oil on tissue glutathione and antioxidant defense enzymes in mice with murine aids

Abstract The effects of dietary fish oil on major endogenous antioxidant defense parameters in tissues of mice with murine AIDS (MAIDS) were studied. Sixty-four female C57BL6 mice were fed either a corn oil or fish oil diet (n=32). After 4 weeks, each group was divided into two subgroups (n=32). Mice in one subgroup from each diet group were infected with LP-BM5 murine leukemia virus by intraperitoneal injection, while those in the other subgroup (control) from each diet group were injected with the same amount of saline solution. At 4 weeks and 10 weeks post-infection, one half of the mice (n=8) from each subgroup were sacrificed and four organs (the liver, heart, lung and kidney) were excised. Reduced glutathione (GSH) levels and the activities of glutathione reductase (GR), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and catalase were determined. The results showed that the viral infection decreased GSH levels in the kidney at both 4 and 10 weeks, and in the liver and lung at 10 weeks post-infection; while dietary fish oil prevented the decline of GSH levels in the liver and kidney. The viral infection caused a suppression of GPx activity in the lung and heart at 10 weeks post-infection; while dietary fish oil prevented the suppression of the enzyme activity induced by infection. The viral infection also caused a decrease in catalase activity in the heart at 4 weeks, and in the lung, heart and kidney at 10 weeks post-infection; while dietary fish oil increased catalase activity in these tissue except the lung. The results suggest that dietary fish oil may prevent the suppression of tissue endogenous antioxidant defense capability caused by MAIDS viral infection.
Role of CFTR in Autosomal Recessive Polycystic Kidney Disease

An extensive body of in vitro data implicates epithelial chloride secretion, mediated through cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) protein, in generating or maintaining fluid filled cysts in MDCK cells and in human autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD). In contrast, few studies have addressed the pathophysiology of fluid secretion in cyst formation and enlargement in autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). Murine models of targeted disruptions or deletions of specific genes have created opportunities to examine the role of individual gene products in normal development and/or disease pathophysiology. The creation of a murine model of CF, which lacks functional CFTR protein, provides the opportunity to determine whether CFTR activity is required for renal cyst formation in vivo. Therefore, this study sought to determine whether renal cyst formation could be prevented by genetic complementation of the BPK murine model of ARPKD with the CFTR knockout mouse. The results of this study reveal that in animals that are homozygous for the cystic gene (bpk), the lack of functional CFTR protein on the apical surface of cystic epithelium does not provide protection against cyst growth and subsequent decline in renal function. Double mutant mice (bpk -/-; cftr -/-) developed massively enlarged kidneys and died, on average, 7 d earlier than cystic, non-CF mice (bpk -/-; cftr +/+/-). This suggests fundamental differences in the mechanisms of transtubular fluid secretion in animal models of ARPKD compared with ADPKD.
Folate Deficiency in Chicks Fed Diets Containing Practical Ingredients

Abstract Development of folate deficiency was evaluated in young chicks fed diets containing corn and soybean meal as major constituents. Folic acid deficiency, as indicated by retarded growth and feed efficiency, could be produced in 18-day-old chicks. Chicks fed the basal diet had increased growth when given supplements of either folic acid, choline Cl, or DL-methionine, but not vitamin B12. Relative liver size (grams per 100 g of body weight) was reduced by a methionine or methionine plus choline supplement in two experiments but by folic acid in only one of two experiments. Plasma hemoglobin was reduced by folic acid or a methionine and choline supplement after 42 days on the diets. Folic acid deficiency can be produced in young chicks with a diet based on practical ingredients. Purified diets or very high levels of antibiotic feeding are not necessary to produce folic acid deficiency as long as low levels of methionine and choline are present in the basal diet.
Marginal Notes on Amethodical Requirements Engineering: What Experts Learned from Experience

Requirements engineers with many years of experience have a distinct perspective on the field. To sample this knowledge, we interviewed 34 requirements researchers and practitioners, each with up to 42 years of experience. We used open-ended, structured interviews in which we asked them to reflect on their experiences and professional development as requirements engineers over their careers. Several themes emerged: requirements engineers act as bridges between different worlds, good communication is key, good process can help but isn't everything, shorter requirements documents can be better, and good requirements are driven by customer value not technical elegance. All of these pertain to amethodical requirements engineering. Amethodical concepts are not rejections of method, but rather those concepts that are marginalized and left out of prescriptive methods for carrying out a procedure. We discuss these results and their implications.
Adenoma Localization for Recurrent or Persistent Primary Hyperparathyroidism Using Dynamic Four-Dimensional CT and Venous Sampling

Abstract Purpose To determine if parathyroid venous sampling (PVS) combined with four-dimensional (4D) computed tomography (CT) improves sensitivity and accuracy of identification of parathyroid adenoma in patients with recurrent or persistent primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) and negative technetium-99m methoxyisobutyl isonitrile ( 99m Tc-MIBI) and ultrasound (US) scans. Materials and Methods Both PVS and 4D CT were performed in 28 patients with recurrent or persistent pHPT and negative 99m Tc-MIBI and US examinations. Localization by 4D CT alone and in combination with PVS and lateralization by PVS alone were retrospectively assessed for correlation with surgical results. Suspected adenomas on 4D CT were said to correlate with PVS if venous drainage identified on CT corresponded to sites of elevated parathyroid hormone concentration on PVS. Lesions difficult to identify on 4D CT were lesions Results Surgery was performed in 22 of 28 patients. Surgery identified 23 parathyroid adenomas, 1 carcinoma, and 2 hyperplastic glands in 20 patients. 4D-CT alone localized 11 lesions in 10 patients. PVS helped localize 13 additional lesions in nine more patients and clarified two lesions that were equivocal on 4D CT. Comparing 4D CT alone with 4D CT plus PVS, the sensitivity increased from 50% to 95% ( P = .004), and accuracy increased from 55% to 91% ( P = .022). PVS lateralization had a sensitivity of 93.3%, positive predictive value of 66.7%, and accuracy of 63.6%. Conclusions PVS significantly improves 4D CT localization of parathyroid adenomas in patients undergoing repeat surgery for pHPT with negative 99m Tc-MIBI and US.
Detection of HIV-1 p24 Gag in plasma by a nanoparticle-based bio-barcode-amplification method

Background: Detection of HIV-1 in patients is limited by the sensitivity and selectivity of available tests. The nanotechnology-based bio-barcode-amplification method offers an innovative approach to detect specific HIV-1 antigens from diverse HIV-1 subtypes. We evaluated the efficacy of this protein-detection method in detecting HIV-1 in men enrolled in the Chicago component of the Multicenter AIDS Cohort Study (MACS). Methods: The method relies on magnetic microparticles with antibodies that specifically bind the HIV-1 p24 Gag protein and nanoparticles that are encoded with DNA and antibodies that can sandwich the target protein captured by the microparticle-bound antibodies. The aggregate sandwich structures are magnetically separated from solution, and treated to remove the conjugated barcode DNA. The DNA barcodes (hundreds per target) were identified by a nanoparticle-based detection method that does not rely on PCR. Results: Of 112 plasma samples from HIV-1-infected subjects, 111 were positive for H...
Phosphate Incorporation by Euglena gracilis During pH‐dependent Photo‐inhibition1

Inhibition of cell division in Euglena gracilis by visible light is pH-dependent, being most severe in the pH range 3.5–5.0. Transfer of phototrophic cells from pH 6.8 to pH 4.2 can lead to cell death at modest light intensities (500 ft-cd) and inhibition of division at lower intensities (300 ft-cd). Inhibition is preceded by a large influx of phosphate, most of which remains in the cold PCA pool. It is suggested that light may act to reduce control over phosphate entry at these intermediate pH levels, and excess phosphate leads to inhibition of cell division or death.
Infrastructure for navigating interdisciplinary debates: critical decisions for representing argumentation

There are differences between those argumentation mapping. schemes that focus on supporting real-time disputes and those which support carefully crafted, heavily edited representations of the intellectual history of some of humanity’s most significant and enduring debates.
Sexual Function and Pregnancy in the Female Myelodysplasia Patient

Treatment of the urologic sequela of myelomeningocele (MMC) in children is an exceedingly complex endeavor. Remarkable technical progress in the past several decades has resulted in between 50 and 94 % of these MMC patients once destined for death to survive to adulthood [1]. Indeed, due to a combination of decreasing incidence due to vigilant prenatal prophylaxis as well as comprehensive urologic care for patients with MMC to protect renal function, the tide has shifted and the majority of contemporary MMC patients are actually adults. Yet very few mechanisms exist to insure a continuity of care for this unique population, particularly with regard to sexual function and fertility. The protean issues revolving around the topics of sexuality and reproduction in female MMC patients progressing to adulthood presents a constellation of challenges for the adult urologist managing their care. Herein, we will discuss some of the critical considerations and barriers for counseling and management of the female MMC patient with regard to sexuality and reproduction.
Analysis and Dynamic Characterization of a Resonant Plate for Shock Testing

Satellite hardware subjected to pyroshock events during launch must pass one or more qualification tests to ensure proper function during operation in space. This research involves the dynamic characterization of a resonant plate that is used to perform qualification tests. The goal is to develop an analytical model that accurately predicts the shock response spectra (SRS) for a variety of configurations of the resonate plate. Experimental shock data is collected to analyze the system’s variability. Experimental modal tests are performed to determine the system’s mode shapes, natural frequencies, and damping. A finite element model is constructed to predict higher frequency mode shapes for use in the analytical model. The modal superposition technique is then employed to solve for acceleration time responses at specific locations on the plate which allow for the calculation of SRS at each point. The paper concludes by discussing multiple case studies that analyze the effects of key parameters on the analytical model’s predicted SRS.
Academic and Mental Health Outcomes of Youth Placed in Out-of-Home Care: The Role of School Stability and Engagement

Youth placed in out-of-home care are at significant risk of low academic achievement and poor mental health. Few studies have considered the potential effects of school-related factors, such as school placement stability and school engagement, on youth outcomes. The current study examined the potential main effects of school placement stability and engagement on academic achievement and mental health. Furthermore, we examined whether school-related factors moderated the association between home placement stability and youth outcomes. Participants included 420 youth (age 6–14 at baseline) placed in out-of-home care participating in a national longitudinal study of youth in contact with the child welfare system. Youth, caregivers, and caseworkers provided relevant information at baseline, 18, and 36 months. Hierarchical regression models were constructed to test potential main and moderating effects of school engagement and school placement stability on youth mental health and academic achievement prospectively, while accounting for relevant covariates. School placement stability was an independent predictor of youth internalizing and externalizing symptoms, but was not significantly associated with academic outcomes. Furthermore, there were no main effects of school engagement or home placement stability on youth outcomes and school-related factors did not moderate the relationship between home placement stability and youth outcomes. For children and adolescents who do not have the benefit of a stable, safe, or caring home environment, school stability may be contribute to an environment that can foster healthy development.
Sustaining the Economic Rise of Africa

According to the White House, the upcoming U.S.-Africa Summit in Washington “will highlight America’s commitment to Africa’s security, its democratic development, and its people.” In just one day, on August 6, 2014, U.S. President Barack Obama will be meeting 50 African leaders to discuss a diverse range of topics including “inclusive, sustainable development, economic growth, and trade and investment,” “peace and security, including a discussion of long-term solutions to regional conflicts, peacekeeping challenges, and combating transnational threats,” and governance, “in order to deliver services to citizens, attract and prepare for increased domestic and foreign direct investment, manage transnational threats, and stem the flow of illicit finance.” Without a doubt, it will be a very busy day. However, it should not blind us to the fact that the recent improvements in economic performance and in well-being in sub-Saharan Africa (hereafter Africa) have little to do with symbolic politics and photo ops in Washington. Rather, they are the result of rising commodity prices as well as domestic reforms, such as more prudent fiscal and monetary policies, privatization of state-owned enterprises, and improvements in the business environment. As a 2010 McKinsey report finds, much of Africa’s recent growth can be explained by factors such as the reduction of average inflation from 22 percent in the 1990s to 8 percent in 2000s, the reduction of Africa’s budget deficits by two-thirds, and by significant improvements in the quality of institutions. To sustain and accelerate the current growth of African economies, African leaders need to focus on domestic structural and institutional reforms. They also need to make more tangible progress removing existing barriers to trade and investment on the continent. But African leaders should demand that the West help too, by abandoning its agricultural protectionism, including the wasteful programs of explicit and implicit support of domestic agricultural production, which hurts agricultural sectors in developing economies.
Surgical treatment of cicatricial alopecia of the scalp.

Cicatricial alopecia of the scalp is characterized by scarring of the skin with loss of hair. The scar may be a simple linear one or may involve the entire scalp. The surgical treatment often presents a serious challenge to the surgeon. Obviously, hair replacement is possible only if a sufficient hair donor exists. A knowledge of the use of all types of hair-bearing skin grafts and flaps is essential for the proper management of this condition.
Keyboards and covert channels

This paper introduces JitterBugs, a class of inline interception mechanisms that covertly transmit data by perturbing the timing of input events likely to affect externally observable network traffic. JitterBugs positioned at input devices deep within the trusted environment (e.g., hidden in cables or connectors) can leak sensitive data without compromising the host or its software. In particular, we show a practical Keyboard JitterBug that solves the data exfiltration problem for keystroke loggers by leaking captured passwords through small variations in the precise times at which keyboard events are delivered to the host. Whenever an interactive communication application (such as SSH, Telnet, instant messaging, etc) is running, a receiver monitoring the host's network traffic can recover the leaked data, even when the session or link is encrypted. Our experiments suggest that simple Keyboard JitterBugs can be a practical technique for capturing and exfiltrating typed secrets under conventional OSes and interactive network applications, even when the receiver is many hops away on the Internet.
The yttrium-germanium system

Abstract The yttrium-germanium system has been investigated by thermal, microscopic, chemical and X-ray analyses. Germanium lowers the transformation temperature of yttrium from 1473 °C to 1460 °C by an inverse peritectic reaction. There is a eutectic reaction at 12 at. % germanium and 1280 °C between yttrium and the compound Y5Ge3, which melts congruently at 1965 °C. Another eutectic occurs at 88 at. % germanium and 820 °C between germanium and YGe3.5, which forms peritectically at 860 °C. There are six additional compounds in the system that result from peritectic reactions, namely, Y5Ge44 at 1945 °C; Y11Ge10 at 1900 °C; YGe at 1730 °C; Y2Ge3 at 1460 °C; YGe1.7 at 910 °C and YGe2 at 880 °C. The compound Y2Ge3 undergoes a polymorphic transformation at 1430 °C. New evidence concerning the crystal structures of Y2Ge2 and YGe1.7 which involve the A1B2 defect and the ThSi2 defect structure types, respectively, was obtained. The compounds YGe2 and YGe3.5 decompose eutectoidally at 760 °C and 710 °C, respectively, and their crystal structures are discussed.
An RF Network Analyzer Verification Process Using a Short Length of Precision Transmission Line

In most network analysis measurements, systematic errors such as directivity, crosstalk, port match and frequency response are the most significant sources of measurement uncertainty. The accuracy of an RF network analyzer is therefore specified in terms of these sources of error before and after calibration. Verification standards whose characteristics are known independent of the calibration process are used to verify that the system is performing to the stated specifications. This presentation discusses the verification process that was used to verify the HP 8753 RF network analyzer system performance. It also describes a verification method that uses a short length of precision transmission line as the verification standard.
Triflimide-catalyzed allylsilane annulations of benzylic alcohols for the divergent synthesis of indanes and tetralins

The development of a triflimide-catalyzed annulation of benzylic alcohols with allylsilanes for the synthesis of indane or tetralin structures is reported. In this fragment coupling reaction, complexity is built rapidly from readily available starting materials to yield diverse sets of products with up to three contiguous stereocenters. Indanes or tetralins can be generated from common precursors depending on the structure of the allylsilane reagent used. The concise synthesis of several lignan natural products highlights the utility of this newly devised methodology.
When Proximity May Not Be Destiny: The Role of Existing Relationships

Research on geography and knowledge spillovers is premised on the proposition that proximity reduces the cost of search and coordination. Thus, learning from proximate parties is easier than from more distant ones. As a consequence, nearby individuals, teams, and firms share overlapping knowledge and correlated outcomes. In this paper we theorize that spatial spillovers fundamentally depend on the presence of existing relationships. Using multi-dimensional network formation data from the random placement of teams at a startup bootcamp, we show that spatial spillovers decline if team members have existing ties within a particular social setting. For teams with preexisting ties within the bootcamp, localized spillovers appear small or non-existent. For teams without preexisting ties we find that outcomes improve if neighbors are high performing, but that outcomes worsen if neighboring teams are low performing. Our findings suggest that existing relationships do affect spillovers, primarily by capping downsides, but also by limiting the upsides of being near a high-performing team.
Digital Gradient Sensing Method to Visualize and Quantify Crack-Tip Deformations in Soda-Lime Glass Under Static and Dynamic Loading

Transparent ceramic materials such as soda-lime glass pose unique challenges for visualizing and quantifying deformations to characterize fracture and failure. The relatively low fracture toughness coupled with high stiffness and elastic wave speeds create spatio-temporal challenges as deformations tend to be confined to a very small region around an almost mathematically sharp crack that tends to propagate at ∼1500 m/s. Soda-lime glass show weak birefringence to be able to use conventional photoelasticity. Interferometric methods often need elaborate coherent optics and are less attractive in terms of experimental simplicity. Digital image correlation (DIC) techniques, on the other hand, require creating speckles on the specimen surface which makes it difficult to locate a propagating crack-tip for evaluating fracture parameters precisely. Also, achieving a good measurement resolution at conventional magnifications using currently fielded high-speed cameras is difficult. Motivated by these overlapping factors, the feasibility of Digital Gradient Sensing (DGS) method to measure crack-tip deformations near stationary and growing cracks in soda-lime glass is investigated in this work. Both quasi-static and dynamic problems associated with crack initiation and growth are successfully demonstrated.
Raman scattering in single-crystal sapphire at elevated temperatures.

Sapphire is a widely used high-temperature material, and this work presents thorough characterization of all the measurable Raman scattering modes in sapphire and their temperature dependencies. Here, Raman scattering in bulk sapphire rods is measured from room temperature to 1081°C and is illustrated as a method of noncontact temperature measurement. A single-line argon ion laser at 488 nm was used to excite the sapphire rods inside a cylindrical furnace. All the anti-Stokes peaks (or lines) were observable through the entire temperature range of interest, while Stokes peaks were observable until they were obscured by background thermal emission. Temperature measurements were found to be most reliable for A1g and Eg modes using the peaks at ±418, ±379, +578, +645, and +750 cm-1 (+ and - are designated for Stokes and anti-Stokes peaks, respectively). The 418 cm-1 peak was found to be the most intense peak. The temperature dependence of peak position, peak width, and peak area of the ±418 and ±379 peaks is presented. For +578, +645, and +750, the temperature dependence of peak position is presented. The peaks' spectral positions provide the most precise temperature information within the experimental temperature range. The resultant temperature calibration curves are given, which indicate that sapphire can be used in high-temperature Raman thermometry with an accuracy of about 1.38°C average standard deviation over the entire >1000°C temperature range.
UV-Vis spectrophotometry of quinone flow battery electrolyte for in situ monitoring and improved electrochemical modeling of potential and quinhydrone formation

Quinone-based aqueous flow batteries provide a potential opportunity for large-scale, low-cost energy storage due to their composition from earth abundant elements, high aqueous solubility, reversible redox kinetics and their chemical tunability such as reduction potential. In an operating flow battery utilizing 9,10-anthraquinone-2,7-disulfonic acid, the aggregation of an oxidized quinone and a reduced hydroquinone to form a quinhydrone dimer causes significant variations from ideal solution behavior and of optical absorption from the Beer–Lambert law. We utilize in situ UV-Vis spectrophotometry to establish (a), quinone, hydroquinone and quinhydrone molar attenuation profiles and (b), an equilibrium constant for formation of the quinhydrone dimer (KQHQ) ∼ 80 M−1. We use the molar optical attenuation profiles to identify the total molecular concentration and state of charge at arbitrary mixtures of quinone and hydroquinone. We report density functional theory calculations to support the quinhydrone UV-Vis measurements and to provide insight into the dimerization conformations. We instrument a quinone–bromine flow battery with a Pd–H reference electrode in order to demonstrate how complexation in both the negative (quinone) and positive (bromine) electrolytes directly impacts measured half-cell and full-cell voltages. This work shows how accounting for electrolyte complexation improves the accuracy of electrochemical modeling of flow battery electrolytes.
El papel de la universidad en la era ecológica

A la universidad se le puede considerar como una continuacion, a nivel humano, de los procesos de autoeducacion de la tierra misma. La educacion del universo, la educacion de la tierra y la educacion humana son etapas en el desarrollo de un mismo proceso ininterrumpido. No podemos discutir adecuadamente ninguna etapa de este desarrollo sin verlo dentro de este contexto mas amplio.
Attributes and Structure of an Effective Board of Directors: A Theoretical Investigation

Despite the board of directors' importance, there is a lack of well‐developed theory regarding the interrelationship of the attributes of an effective board. Based on prior board literature, we develop and analyze, via Bayesian logic, a theoretical framework of key board attributes (Independence, Competency, Diligence, and Behavioural Attitudes), plus general board safeguards. We base our framework on the non‐linear 'and' relationship, among board attributes, instead of the linear 'or' relationship, as currently considered in academic research and assumed by board independence standard setters like the Securities Exchange Commission. Using inferential statistics we demonstrate that a board requires the presence of each attribute, plus safeguards to be effective, and no level of one attribute can substitute for the non‐existence of another. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]