cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transnational Recursivity Theory: Halliday & Carruthers’ Bankrupt

This review essay for the Socio-Economic Review examines Terence Halliday and Bruce Carruthers’ book Bankrupt: Global Lawmaking and Systemic Financial Crisis. The essay notes how the authors build and apply theory along the following dimensions within a single book, addressing (i) the construction of global norm-making; (ii) the intermediating processes through which global norms are conveyed to national settings; (iii) the national enactment and implementation of global norms; and (iv) the recursive processes through which global norm-making and national lawmaking interact dynamically over time. After providing a brief overview of the authors’ major contributions (on mechanisms for change, the role of intermediaries, and the concept of recursivity), the essay examines the challenges that this work faces if it is to have a long-term theoretical impact, as it merits. The essay contends that since the authors’ key theoretical contribution is encapsulated in the concept of the “recursivity” of global and national processes, we should call their analytic framework Transnational Recursivity Theory. Such work requires the simultaneous study of the construction of global legal norms, their transnational transmission, their reception in national legal systems, and the processes through which this reception feeds back and potentially reshapes the globalizing legal norm.
Variability of Rainfall Chemistry Within a 40 HA Field in North Central West Virginia

Precipitation chemistry variations were studied at five points in a level field using Aerochem Metrics 301 automatic wet/dry collectors. Precipitation samples collected for 11 weeks were analyzed for pH, specific conductance, cold acidity, and concentrations of NO3-N, SO4, Ca, Mg, K, Na, and NH3-N. No significant variations in chemical concentrations among gage sites were found for any of the constituents. Although concentrations were poorly correlated with total weekly precipitation, some evidence of greater chemical dilution with larger storm sizes was shown.
Current development of instrumentation for arthroscopy.

The advances in the field of arthroscopy have been keyed to the development of instrumentation. The most significant innovation has occurred in conjunction with the visualization system itself— cutting instrumentation for resection of soft tissues in bone and, more recently, in joints other than the knee. A brief history of the development of arthroscopic instrumentation is provided in this article.
Magnetostructural properties of Ho 5 ( Si 0.8 Ge 0.2 ) 4

The magnetostructural properties of ${\text{Ho}}_{5}{({\text{Si}}_{0.8}{\text{Ge}}_{0.2})}_{4}$ have been investigated both experimentally and by using first-principles theory. The compound orders ferromagnetically at 50 K, and in the temperature range of 50--100 K it exhibits a Griffiths phaselike behavior. The dc magnetization, heat capacity, and the relaxation and frequency dependence of the ac susceptibility indicate that the long-range magnetic order and a spin-glasslike state may coexist in ${\text{Ho}}_{5}{({\text{Si}}_{0.8}{\text{Ge}}_{0.2})}_{4}$ over a certain temperature range below ${T}_{\text{C}}$. Despite adopting the ${\text{Gd}}_{5}{\text{Si}}_{2}{\text{Ge}}_{2}$-type monoclinic (M-type) structure at room temperature, the compound does not exhibit a magnetostructural transition at ${T}_{\text{C}}$, unlike some other members of the ${R}_{5}{({\text{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Ge}}_{x})}_{4}$ series with $R=\text{Gd}$, Tb, and Dy. The tight-binding linear muffin-tin orbital calculations within the local spin-density approximation show that in ${R}_{5}{({\text{Si}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\text{Ge}}_{x})}_{4}$ compounds the gain in the exchange energy brought about by the M-type to ${\text{Gd}}_{5}{\text{Si}}_{4}$-type orthorhombic (O-I) transformation decreases as $R$ is changed from Gd to other heavy lanthanides and the absence of the M to O-I phase transformation in ${\text{Ho}}_{5}{({\text{Si}}_{0.8}{\text{Ge}}_{0.2})}_{4}$ is a result of low gain in the magnetic contribution to the total energy.
Indirect Tensile Test (IDT) to Determine Asphalt Mixture Performance Indicators during Quality Control Testing in New Jersey

In recent years, there has been a growing interest in incorporating performance testing during the mixture design and quality control testing of asphalt mixtures. The move toward utilizing performa...
Interface and Bulk Standing Waves Drive the Coupling of Plasmonic Nanostar Antennas

Finite element simulations of the optical behavior of gold nanostars in water reveal a new view of collective electron cloud oscillations, where localized surface plasmon resonances coexist with coherent delocalized interface waves, i.e., propagating surface plasmons. Gold nanostar spikes long enough to allow propagating polaritons and short enough to resonate with the spherical core serve as the substrate for the observed overlap between propagating modes and localized hot spots. Transverse plane plots reveal bulk polaritons coupled to surface ones. In light of these observations, we explore the mechanisms that drive plasmonic coupling in nanostars from the single spike level to multispiked and multiparticle systems.
Direct Measurement of Directional Emission from Monolayer WS 2 Laser with Heterostructure Photonic Crystal Cavities

Monolayer WS 2 shows highly directional emission when transferred onto heterostructure photonic crystal cavities based on the band edge mode above the light cone.
Fall Worry Restricts Social Engagement in Older Adults

Objective: To examine cross-sectional and longitudinal associations between (a) activity-limiting fall worry (ALW) and (b) self-reported health-related restrictions and social engagement among olde...
Presentation of the 2015 Revisions to the RCC-M Code

The paper describes the general approach followed by AFCEN, the French Society for Codified Rules for Design, Construction and In-Service Inspection of Nuclear Island Components, from the technical and organizational points of view. The RCC-M code, reissued in 2012 and modified with addenda in 2013 2014, and 2015 is presented. The main new topics of activity of the RCC-M Subcommittee are considered: conformity with regulation(s), use of International Standards, equivalence with other codes and harmonization, and latest publication for the quality management system.The paper highlights how industrial experience is currently being integrated into the RCC-M code, and how the code is evolving to take into account the enlargement of the AFCEN Membership, new AFCEN organization rules, and the international environment, and best practices. The processes for dealing with requests for modifications and interpretations are described.Copyright © 2015 by ASME
Analysis of Allergen-Specific T Cell and IgE Reactivity to Different Preparations of Cow’s Milk-Containing Food Extracts

Background: cow’s milk allergy (CM) is among the most common food allergies in young children and is often outgrown by adulthood. Prior to developing a tolerance to CM, a majority of CM-allergic children may tolerate extensively-heated CM. This study aims to characterize the IgE- and T cell-reactivity to unheated CM and the progressively more heated CM-containing foods. Methods: CM-containing food extracts from muffin, baked cheese, custard and raw, pasteurized CM commercial extract were tested for skin prick test reactivity, IgE binding and T cell reactivity as assessed by IL-5 and IFNγ production. Results: the skin prick test (SPT) reactivity was significantly decreased to muffin extract compared to raw, pasteurized CM. Both IgE- and T-cell reactivity were readily detectable against food extracts from all forms of CM. Western blot analysis of IgE reactivity revealed variability between extracts that was protein-specific. T cell-reactivity was detected against all four extracts with no significant difference in IL-5 or IFNγ production between them. Conclusion: our data indicate that despite reduced clinical reactivity, extracts from heated CM-containing foods retain immunogenicity when tested in vitro, particularly at the T cell level.
Cryoglobulinemia: caution for patients undergoing cardiac surgery:

We describe the case of a 65-year-old man with cryoglobulinemia undergoing cardiac surgery for combined mitral and aortic endocarditis, his preoperative management, and postoperative complications ...
Single-cell RNA sequencing identifies novel cell types in Drosophila blood

Drosophila has been extensively used to model the human blood-immune system, as both systems share many developmental and immune response mechanisms. However, while many human blood cell types have been identified, only three were found in flies: plasmatocytes, crystal cells and lamellocytes. To better understand the complexity of fly blood system, we used single-cell RNA sequencing technology to generate comprehensive gene expression profiles for Drosophila circulating blood cells. In addition to the known cell types, we identified two new Drosophila blood cell types: thanacytes and primocytes. Thanacytes, which express many stimulus response genes, are involved in distinct responses to different types of bacteria. Primocytes, which express cell fate commitment and signaling genes, appear to be involved in keeping stem cells in the circulating blood. Furthermore, our data revealed four novel plasmatocyte subtypes (Ppn+, CAH7+, Lsp+ and reservoir plasmatocytes), each with unique molecular identities and distinct predicted functions. We also identified cross-species markers from Drosophila hemocytes to human blood cells. Our analysis unveiled a more complex Drosophila blood system and broadened the scope of using Drosophila to model human blood system in development and disease.
Preliminary detection efficiency and false alarm rate assessment of the Geostationary Lightning Mapper on the GOES-16 satellite

The Geostationary Lightning Mapper (GLM) is a new geostationary lightning detection and location instrument, developed for the current generation of Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite-R Series (GOES-R, S, T, U) satellites. Detection efficiency (DE) and false alarm rate (FAR) are evaluations of what an instrument detects and what it misses, compared with other well-characterized measurements. These are critical parameters to be assessed for the GLM. We now have enough data to produce preliminary DE and FAR assessments of the prelaunch predicted DE and FAR performance specifications for GLM. However, one of the challenges of doing this assessment is that all available ground truth data sets have much smaller coverage, and in some places, lower DE than GLM. In an attempt to overcome these limitations, we have created a “virtual” lightning network by clustering flashes from several different ground-based networks, using a technique similar to the clustering of GLM pixels. All ground truth sources that are within 330 ms and 16.5 km of any other ground truth source are added to the current cluster. Treating this as a single, “virtual” network, we calculated the relative DE and FAR of GLM. We found that the GLM easily meets the DE spec of better than 70% averaged across the whole field-of-view, over 24 h. It meets the FAR spec in most of CONUS, and we suspect it will improve with updated processing software.
Authoritarianism in an Age of Democratization

Far from sweeping the globe uniformly, the 'third wave of democratization' left burgeoning republics and resilient dictatorships in its wake. Applying more than a year of original fieldwork in Egypt, Iran, Malaysia, and the Philippines, in this book Jason Brownlee shows that the mixed record of recent democratization is best deciphered through a historical and institutional approach to authoritarian rule. Exposing the internal organizations that structure elite conflict, Brownlee demonstrates why the critical soft-liners needed for democratic transitions have been dormant in Egypt and Malaysia but outspoken in Iran and the Philippines. By establishing how ruling parties originated and why they impede change, Brownlee illuminates the problem of contemporary authoritarianism and informs the promotion of durable democracy.
Cognition and Feeling

Kant holds that there are three powers of the mind: cognition, feeling and desire. The power of cognition is established as a basic power of the mind in the Critique of Pure Reason, and the power of desire is established as a basic power of the mind in the Critique of Practical Reason. In the Critique of Judgment, Kant establishes that feeling is also a basic power of the mind by showing that reflective judgment supplies an a priori principle, the principle of purposiveness, and that this is a principle for feeling. In this chapter I turn to Kant’s arguments for these claims. Kant’s arguments provide the key elements for showing that feeling orients rational cognitive beings in a sensible world. In arguing that we require a principle of reflective judgment, Kant illustrates why rational beings have difficulty in meeting their cognitive goal in a sensible world. And in showing why this principle is a principle for feeling, Kant shows how feeling can help prepare understanding to meet its goal. In addition, in showing the relationship between feeling and the goal of cognition, Kant answers a question remaining from the last chapter: Why is a free harmony of the cognitive powers purposive for cognition in general?
Is On-Demand Dynorphin Destined to Be in Demand to Decrease Seizures?

Dynorphin-Based “Release on Demand” Gene Therapy for Drug-Resistant Temporal Lobe Epilepsy Agostinho AS, Mietzsch M, Zangrandi L, et al. EMBO Mol Med. 2019;11(10):e9963. doi:10.15252/emmm.201809963...
A Review of Data Privacy Techniques for Wireless Body Area Networks in Telemedicine

Wireless body area networks have become closely associated with the ever-evolving field of telemedicine. This paper provides a comprehensive review of the current applications of wireless body area networks (WBANs) in telemedicine, as well as the existing security measures in place to protect the sensitive patient data being stored and shared via potentially unsecured networks. Various types of proposed solutions will be reviewed, based on which a recommendation of the most effective solution will be.
Loss or Gain? Unpacking Nonprofit Autonomy-Interdependence Paradox in Collaborations:

Nonprofit organizations interested in collaborating with other entities find it difficult to strike a balance between keeping their autonomy and reaping the benefits from collaborating with other o...
A note on the higher order Turán inequalities for k -regular partitions

Nicolas [8] and DeSalvo and Pak [3] proved that the partition function p(n) is log concave for $$n \ge 25$$ . Chen et al. [2] proved that p(n) satisfies the third order Turan inequality, and that the associated degree 3 Jensen polynomials are hyperbolic for $$n \ge 95$$ . Recently, Griffin et al. [5] proved more generally that for all d, the degree d Jensen polynomials associated to p(n) are hyperbolic for sufficiently large n. In this paper, we prove that the same result holds for the k-regular partition function $$p_k(n)$$ for $$k \ge 2$$ . In particular, for any positive integers d and k, the order d Turan inequalities hold for $$p_k(n)$$ for sufficiently large n. The case when $$d = k = 2$$ proves a conjecture by Neil Sloane that $$p_2(n)$$ is log concave.
Typical Cardiac Chest Pain in an 18-year Old: A Case of Symptomatic Congenital Heart Disease

Introduction: ALCAPA syndrome is a rare congenital heart defect that is present in only 1/300,000 live births and typically presents in infancy as left heart failure. In cases of untreated ALCAPA, mortality reaches up to 85% in the first year of life. Rarely, patients are asymptomatic in childhood and present as adults with signs and symptoms of myocardial ischemia. Case Description: An 18-year-old female with a history of ALCAPA (Anomalous Left Coronary Artery from the Pulmonary Artery) syndrome status-post repair presents with exertional chest pain associated with nausea, light headedness, and shortness of breath that began during marching band practice. Of note, the …
Evaluating Matching by Predicted Heart Mass in Adolescent Heart Transplantation: Analysis of the United Network for Organ Sharing Database

Purpose Predicted Heart Mass (PHM) has emerged as an attractive size matching metric in adult cardiac transplantation. However, since PHM was derived from a healthy adult cohort, its generalizability to the pediatric population is unclear. We hypothesize that PHM can be extended to older adolescents, and potentially broaden the donor pool available to this group. Methods The United Network for Organ Sharing database was retrospectively analyzed for patients aged 13-18 undergoing heart transplantation. Recipients were divided into quintiles (Q1-Q5) based on donor-to-recipient predicted heart mass ratios (PHMR). Primary endpoint was graft survival at five years. Results 1727 adolescent heart transplant recipients between January 1994 and September 2019 were retrospectively analyzed. The median PHMR's for each quintile was 0.85 (0.60 to 0.92), 0.98 (0.92 to 1.03), 1.08 (1.03 to 1.14), 1.22 (1.14 to 1.31), and 1.44 (1.31 to 2.3). Kaplan-Meier survival curves demonstrated comparable survival across all quintiles of PHMR (p=0.9). Multivariate Cox regression showed no significant difference in graft failure of the outer quintiles when compared to the middle quintile (Q1: 0.98 HR, p=0.93; Q2: 0.93 HR, p= 0.69; Q4: 1.14 HR, p=0.46; Q5: 1.05 HR, p=0.79). Significant covariates included transplant year (HR: 0.95, p Conclusion Matching by PHM is not associated with survival or risk in adolescent heart transplant recipients. Our results underscore the ongoing need to develop an improved size-matching method in pediatric heart transplantation.
Night Sweats as the Presenting Symptom of Primary Hyperparathyroidism

Background: Approximately 25–40% of patients report night sweats in the previous month during appointments with their primary care clinicians. The differential diagnosis for night sweats is broad, with hyperthyroidism, carcinoid syndrome, pheochromocytoma, medullary thyroid carcinoma, insulinoma, and acromegaly as established endocrine causes. We present a case of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHPT) in which the patient’s chief complaint was night sweats and resolution occurred after parathyroidectomy. Case. A 39-year-old female reported one-year of daily night sweats that required changes of clothes and bedding. She denied excessive daytime sweating, frequent palpitations, tremors, nightmares, rashes, fevers, chills, cough, headaches, dizziness, abdominal pain, diarrhea, disrupted menses, or unintentional weight loss. Vital signs and examination were unremarkable. Hypercalcemia (11.0 mg/dL, 8.6–10.3) was noted and confirmed by additional serum calcium measurements. Intact PTH ranged from 27–33 pg/mL (12–88), and 24 h urine calcium (258 mg) excluded familial hypocalciuric hypercalcemia (FHH). Parathyroid scintigraphy and neck ultrasound identified a left neck mass, and the patient underwent successful resection of a left inferior parathyroid adenoma. Hypercalcemia and night sweats initially resolved after surgery, but the patient returned six weeks later with recurrence of night sweats. Reevaluation was notable for serum calcium 10.4 mg/dL, phosphorus 2.4 mg/dL (2.5–5.0), and intact PTH 104 pg/mL. A right superior parathyroid adenoma was identified on repeat parathyroidectomy, and the patient experienced durable resolution of night sweats and hypercalcemia following her second parathyroid surgery. She was screened for multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1) due to multiple parathyroid tumors, though no known pathogenic menin gene variants were identified. Conclusions: A title/abstract search in PubMed linking “hyperparathyroidism” and “hypercalcemia” to “night sweats,” “sleep hyperhidrosis,” “sweating,” “hot flashes,” “hot flushes,” “diaphoresis” and “vasomotor symptoms” yielded only one relevant case of a postmenopausal woman with hot flushes unresponsive to hormone replacement that resolved after parathyroidectomy for PHPT. Hypercalcemia is known to affect central nervous system function. It is possible that in rare cases hypercalcemia alters function of the medial preoptic area, lowering the temperature threshold above which peripheral vasodilatation and perspiration occur to dissipate heat. The patient’s predisposition to only night sweats is unclear, though unlike the first patient reported with PHPT and sweating, our patient is premenopausal. This case indicates that vasomotor symptoms may occur with PHPT and resolve after successful parathyroid surgery.
International reference pricing for prescription drugs: a landscape analysis.

During the Trump administration, members of Congress and the administration proposed the introduction of international reference pricing (IRP) to Medicare in order to reduce US drug spending by ben...
The RabGAPs EPI64A and EPI64B regulate the apical structure of epithelial cells

Here we report on the related TBC/RabGAPs EPI64A and EPI64B and show that they function to organize the apical aspect of epithelial cells. EPI64A binds the scaffolding protein EBP50/NHERF1, which itself binds active ezrin in epithelial cell microvilli. Epithelial cells additionally express EPI64B that also localizes to microvilli. However, EPI64B does not bind EBP50 and both proteins are shown to have a microvillar localization domain that spans the RabGAP domains. CRISPR/Cas9 was used to inactivate expression of each protein individually or both in Jeg-3 and Caco2 cells. In Jeg-3 cells, loss of EPI64B resulted in a reduction of apical microvilli, and a further reduction was seen in the double knockout, mostly likely due to misregulation of Rab8 and Rab35. In addition, apical junctions were partially disrupted in cells lacking EPI64A, and accentuated in the double knock out. In Caco2 loss of EPI64B resulted in wavy junctions, whereas loss of both EPI64A and EPI64B had a severe phenotype often resulting in cells with a stellate apical morphology. In the knockout cells, the basal region of the cell remained unchanged, so EPI64A and EPI64B specifically localize to and regulate the morphology of the apical domain of polarized epithelial cells.
Geometry-based Image Segmentation Using Anisotropic Diffusion

Segmentations that are based on the geometry of the intensity surface of an image are useful for describing visual features in the image. Some visual features can be characterized as boundaries between geometric patches. Geometric patches are defined as regions in an image where geometric descriptors vary slowly over the support of the region. The boundaries between these patches represent discontinuities in the higher-order geometry of the intensity surface. Reliable and accurate characterizations of local geometry can be difficult. This is because stable measurements of the differential structure of images are obtained only by averaging over a finite aperture. In this work, the scale of differential measurements is established by using an anisotropic diffusion process that generates piecewise constant approximations to geometric descriptions of images. The types of the geometric features as well as the definition of boundaries depend on the types of visual features that one wishes to measure.
Recovering Endocardial Walls from 3D TEE

We describe a method for recovering the left intracardiac cavities from 3D Transesophageal Echocardiography (3D TEE). 3D TEE is an important modality for cardiac applications because of its ability to do fast and non-ionizing 3D imaging of the left heart complex. Segmentation based on 3D TEE can be used to characterize pathophysiologies of the valve and myocardium, and as input to patient-specific biomechanical models and preoperative planning tools. The segmentation employed here is based on a dynamic surface evolution. This is performed under a growth inhibition function that incorporates information from several sources including k-means clustering, 3D gradient magnitude, and a morphological structure tensor intended to locate the mitral valve leaflets. We report experiments using intraoperative 3D TEE data, showing good agreement between the segmented structures and ground truth.
Measurements of aldosterone in the eclamptogenic toxemias of pregnancy.

Abstract This study confirms the fact that women with the eclamptogenic toxemias demonstrate a marked increase in the sodium-retaining activity of the urinary corticoids, but this is a statement true on the average. Individually some nontoxemic pregnant patients also demonstrate increased excretion of this factor, while some individual toxemic women show no such change. Diuresis diminished the amount found, although in all other respects the patient's clinical picture may have remained the same; by our technique of measurement it had disappeared from the urine after the third postpartum day in all cases. Placental extracts did not contain a strong sodium-retaining fraction. Chromatographic quantitations of aldosterone have indicated in this group of normal pregnant women a higher range than reported for the nonpregnant. Attempts to increase this factor by the administration of steroids were unsuccessful. The results with prolonged ACTH in a small group of women were not conclusive, but certainly cannot be called finally negative. Also, the pregnant woman in the last trimester responds to sodium restriction with some increase in the urinary aldosterone. Finally, adding a potassium load has not as yet demonstrably increased the excretion of the sodium-retaining factor. This steroid—the most potent of the sodium retainers yet isolated—has not been demonstrated to be the cause of the edema in the eclamptogenic toxemias and from the studies reported here could be a sequel as much as a cause of the syndrome. It undoubtedly forms a part of the normal mechanism for electrolyte control, and its role as an eliminator of potassium will require additional study of the metabolism of this ion in toxemia.
US Implementation of Basel II: Lessons for Informal International Lawmaking

This paper examines the highly contentious and protracted implementation of the Basel II accord on bank capital adequacy in the United States. As a formal matter, this process should have been simple, as banking regulators already had the relevant authority under existing legislation. This form of transgovernmental standard-setting has long been regarded with suspicion due to concerns that it compromises democratic legitimacy and accountability. The U.S. implementation of Basel II, however, poses challenges for this critique. Over several years, deep divisions emerged among banks and regulators, numerous Congressional hearings were held, regulators faced hostile questioning and severe criticism, and the Accord suffered long delays and substantial modifications. Based on this experience, the paper argues that robust domestic implementation processes advance certain forms of accountability, such as legislative control over regulators and responsiveness to affected domestic constituencies, at the exclusion, and perhaps the detriment, of others, such as accountability to banks, firms and consumers in other countries. The accountability benefits must also be balanced against the resulting costs and delays and the risk of compromising the uniformity and effectiveness of the standards.This paper was prepared for the Hague Institute of International Law’s project, “Informal International Law-Making: Mapping the Action and Testing Concepts of Accountability and Effectiveness.”
Constitutional Law and the Future of Natural Resource Protection

This is a chapter of a recently published book that examines how constitutional law shapes natural resources law in the United States. Following a brief background, part I identifies and discusses the various constitutional law developments affecting the scope of Congress’s power to regulate the use of natural resources. It focuses primarily on the Commerce Clause (in conjunction with the corresponding case study) and the concomitant extrinsic limits on such authority, including principles of federalism and the Tenth Amendment, as well as the diminished Nondelegation doctrine. Part II does the same for state authority and the dormant Commerce and Supremacy Clauses. Part III then examines several dynamic constitutional doctrines that tend to thwart implementation of natural resources laws, such as standing, the Takings Clause, and the Eleventh Amendment. Part IV canvasses a variety of underutilized constitutional provisions and doctrines influencing the past and future development of natural resource policy, including the Treaty, Compact, General Welfare, Due Process, and Property Clauses, and the First Amendment, and even less controversial provisions, such as the Enclave Clause. Part V concludes that constitutional law does not address natural resources law and policy except in an ad hoc fashion when the Court believes it is necessary to address some other issue – such as standing or the Eleventh Amendment. Rather than reflecting any clear constitutional thread in natural resources law, the outlook for constitutional jurisprudence in this area is a surrogate for wider debates about government regulation of human activity in the United States. At bottom are 220-year-old questions of who decides who can do what, when, and where under the U.S. Constitution.
Super-Gaussian mixture source model for ICA

We propose an extension of the mixture of factor (or independent component) analyzers model to include strongly super-gaussian mixture source densities. This allows greater economy in representation of densities with (multiple) peaked modes or heavy tails than using several Gaussians to represent these features. We derive an EM algorithm to find the maximum likelihood estimate of the model, and show that it converges globally to a local optimum of the actual non-gaussian mixture model without needing any approximations. This extends considerably the class of source densities that can be used in exact estimation, and shows that in a sense super-gaussian densities are as natural as Gaussian densities. We also derive an adaptive Generalized Gaussian algorithm that learns the shape parameters of Generalized Gaussian mixture components. Experiments verify the validity of the algorithm.
Abstract #LB-294: Loss of Pten decreases survival in a mouse model of medulloblastoma

AACR Annual Meeting-- Apr 18-22, 2009; Denver, CO Recent publications have described an important role for cross talk between PI-3 kinase and sonic hedgehog signaling pathways in the pathogenesis of medulloblastoma (MB). Our primary objective was to determine if loss of Pten promotes MB tumor formation. We used a mouse model of MB with constitutive activation of Smoothened , SmoA1 . When mice expressing SmoA1 were crossed with mice heterozygous for Pten , Pten +/- mice exhibited decreased survival compared to Pten +/+ mice (p < 0.0001). 32 of 101 (32%) SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ mice versus 21 of 33 (64%) SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice developed symptoms of MB. SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ mice exhibited a median survival of 37 weeks compared to SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice, which had a median survival of 12 weeks. SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice also had an earlier mean time to onset of symptoms. Tumors from SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ mice exhibited classic histology. Tumors from SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice, in contrast, exhibited predominantly nodular histology. Analysis by gene expression microarray revealed a clear separation of the gene signatures, with a total of 1830 genes upregulated and 2240 genes downregulated in the SmoA1 +; Pten +/- versus the SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ mouse MBs. The gene expression of Pten itself was decreased in the SmoA1 +; Pten +/- tumors. Upregulated genes in the SmoA1 +; Pten +/- tumors included Pik3cb , which codes for the p110\#946; catalytic subunit of PI-3 kinase, Mapk8 , Frap1 , and multiple genes involved in angiogenesis. Downregulated genes included Trp53 and Rb1 . Western blotting revealed that MBs from SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice exhibited decreased expression of Pten and increased expression of activated Akt. Some Pten +/- tumors also displayed increased activation of p70S6 kinase and decreased p53 protein. Immunohistochemical staining revealed diffuse expression of Pten in tumors from SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ mice, but almost no expression of Pten in tumors from SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice. Immunohistochemical staining for activated Akt was more intense in tumors from SmoA1 +; Pten +/- mice. SmoA1 +; Pten +/- tumors also exhibited intense staining for the marker of neuronal differentiation, NeuN. Consistent with these findings, we detected strong expression of PCNA throughout the wild-type Pten tumors and focal areas of intense staining for PCNA in tumors from SmoA1 +/-; Pten +/- mice. Conversely, staining for Cleaved Caspase 3 revealed multiple punctuate foci in SmoA1 +; Pten +/+ tumors and almost no staining in SmoA1 +/-; Pten +/- tumors. These results suggest that increased signaling through PI-3 kinase pathways promotes MB tumorigenesis. Our intent is to use these mouse models to examine the efficacy of PI-3 kinase inhibition, using small molecule inhibitors of PI-3 kinase, as a strategy for improving the treatment of children with MB. Citation Information: In: Proc Am Assoc Cancer Res; 2009 Apr 18-22; Denver, CO. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; 2009. Abstract nr LB-294.
Indium antimonide doped with lead telluride grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Abstract A PbTe dopant source has been used to grow n-type InSb using the molecular beam epitaxy growth technique. From Auger electron spectroscopy studies, no surface segregation of tellurium or lead is observed up to ∽ 10 19 cm −3 doping levels. The correlation between the PbTe flux used during growth and the electron density in the grown films is very good, suggesting that the incorporation of tellurium is near unity. Six-probe Hall measurements of carrier transport gave room temperature mobilities as high as 51,300 cm 2 V −1 s −1 at an electron density of 2.9×10 16 cm −3 (54,300 at an electron density of 1.9×10 16 cm −3 at 110 K) for a film of 4.0 μm thickness on an InP substrate.
Crystal structure of the human cell cycle protein CksHs1: single domain fold with similarity to kinase N-lobe domain.

Abstract The structure of the human CksHs1 homolog of the yeast cell-cycle regulatory proteins suc1 and CKS1, which bind to the catalytic subunit of the cyclin-dependent kinases (Cdks) and are essential for yeast cell-cycle progression in vivo , has been determined at 2.9 A resolution. The CksHs1 single polypeptide domain fold, which consists of a four-stranded β-sheet flanked by two α-helices, is dramatically different from the subunit conformation and assembly of the homologous CksHs2, but strikingly similar to the Cdk N-lobe domain fold. The CksHs1 structure identifies sequence-conserved residues Glu61 to His65 as a novel β-hinge region that folds back to form a β-hairpin with CksHs1 subunit, whereas this hinge is unfolded to form an extended β-strand exchange between two CksHs2 subunits. Phosphate and the phosphate analog metavanadate bind CksHs1 in a shallow pocket and interact with five conserved residues (Lys11, Arg20, Ser51, Trp54 and Arg71) suggesting a specific Cks recognition site for a phosphorylated Cdk residue. The dramatic changes to the Cks fold, assembly and exposed conserved surface brought about by switching between the bent and extended hinge conformations are potentially important for the functions of this Cks homolog and could explain conflicting activities inferred from different types of genetic experiments.
Orthogonal Bone Cutting: Saw Design and Operating Characteristics

The cutting process of orthopaedic bone saws was considered as orthogonal (two-dimensional) cutting for determination of the horizontal and vertical force components of single edge cutting tools with rake angles of 0 to -30 degrees. The Merchant analysis for orthogonal cutting was used to determine the resultant force and other force and work relationships. The effect of an imposed lateral vibration on the cutting tool was also investigated. The results of the tests indicated a strong interaction between the measured and derived forces with the rake angle and feed velocity. It was concluded that to reduce the cutting forces and work expenditure, a negative rake angle between 0 and -10 degrees, high feed velocity, and an imposed lateral vibration provided the greatest reduction in force and energy expenditure.
Q-band ESR spectra as indicators of fossilization in tooth enamel

Abstract Electron spin resonance (ESR) dating of the hydroxyapatite (HAP) in tooth enamel uses an ESR signal that remains stable for approximately 10 19 years at 25 °C, and is particularly useful in the time range between the maximum 14 C and the minimum 39 Ar/ 40 Ar age limits. Because the ESR dating signal results from radiation damage to samples during burial, the ESR age depends on the radioisotope concentrations, within both the sample and its surrounding sediment. Since teeth are not closed systems with respect to U uptake, however, ESR dates must measure an U uptake model by coupled 230 Th/ 234 U-ESR dating, or assume one based on paleoclimatic and geological factors. Experiments to find criteria that might be used to determine the model in teeth too old for 230 Th/ 234 U dating began using samples whose abnormal HAP ESR spectra in the X-band hinted that fossil diagenesis might be the culprit. Unlike X-band, Q-band ESR spectroscopy resolves spectral peaks better, by separating signals with very similar g values for individual study. When examining abnormal enamel spectra from well fossilized Early Pleistocene and Pliocene teeth in the Q-band, the problematic signal can be resolved as two signals, both with g ∼2.002, but one considerably broader than the other. How much broader, however, appears to be a function of age. ESR theory suggests that the broader signal results from crystal distortion, as might be expected in fossilized samples. To test this, modern tooth enamel was artificially fossilized by prolonged heating in a buffered aqueous solution. To test if the teeth had developed characteristics typical in naturally fossilized teeth, the samples were analyzed by HPLC and GC to determine their amino acid racemization (AAR) ratios. Although the Q-band spectra from artificially fossilized teeth did not entirely mimic those from natural fossilization, similar ESR signal broadening occurred and correlated with the aIle/Ile ratios from the AAR analyses. Therefore, fossil diagenesis appears to cause distorted HAP crystals, which would make teeth more likely to absorb U through microcracks in the enamel. This suggests that samples exhibiting a broad peak might have absorbed much of their U relatively recently, and that accurate ESR dating requires a recent uptake model.
Comparative antithrombotic and hemorrhagic effects of dermatan sulfate, heparin sulfate and heparin

Abstract Dermatan sulfate and heparan sulfate are currently under development as potential antithrombotic drugs. In our studies we have evaluated the relative antithrombotic and bleeding effects of these two agents in comparison to heparin, the commonly used anticoagulant. In a rabbit model of stasis thrombosis, a 500 μg/kg IV dose of dermatan or heparan produced 50–60% inhibition of induced in vivo thrombosis. At 750 μg/kg, both agents produced >75% inhibition of thrombosis. Ex vivo measurement of plasma samples obtained from these animals demonstrated variable clotting effects at the lower dose and a proportional increase in the clotting activity at the higher dose. No anti-Xa or anti-IIa activity was observed in any sample. In contrast, animals treated with only 100 μg/kg heparin showed complete inhibition of induced thrombosis with significant anti-Xa and anti-IIa activities as well as prolongation of the clotting assays (APTT, TT and HeptestR). In the hemorrhagic studies utilizing a rabbit ear blood loss model, a 5.0 mg/kg IV dose of dermatan or heparan produced much less blood loss than heparin. On a gravimetric basis, dermatan and heparan were 10 fold less hemorrhagic than heparin. These results indicate that the relative contribution of plasmatic and cellular sites to the mediation of the antithrombotic action of heparin, dermatan and heparan differ. Although the antithrombotic dosages of dermatan and heparan are higher than heparin, due to the different mechanisms of action of each agent, a better safety index may be provided by dermatan and heparan than heparin.
Bubble CPAP: can we predict success or failure?

urrent modalities of ventilatory assistancein the management of respiratory distresssyndrome (RDS) in preterm infants rangefrom continuous positive airway pressure(CPAP) to various modes of mechanical ventilation.The use of CPAP has been associated with a lowerincidence of chronic lung disease when used as theinitial respiratory support. In contrast, mechanicalventilation has the potential to injure the airways andlung parenchyma.Recently, there has been a renewed interest ingentle ventilation strategies, such as CPAP as a wayto improve outcomes for very preterm infants. Awide variety of devices are used to deliver CPAP,including variable flow driver devices, single or bi-nasal prongs where pressure is generated by acolumn of water (bubble CPAP) or a ventilator.Bubble CPAP (BCPAP) is appealing because of itssimplicity and low cost. With this technique gasflows past the nasal device and the pressure isgenerated in the circuit by placing the distal limb ofthe CPAP circuit under a known depth of water thatcreates bubbles and pressure oscillations in thecircuit. Gas flow is increased until continuousbubbling is achieved. It has been suggested that useof BCPAP in the poorly compliant lung may promotelung volume recruitment and augment the efficiencyof gas mixing. The usefulness of BCPAP in the initialmanagement of infants with RDS remains controver-sial as little data are available. Additionally, not allextremely premature infants with RDS arecandidates for initial treatment with CPAP, and notall those who are given CPAP can be successfullymanaged with this modality.The prospective observational study of Murki,
Microwave plasma induced grafting of oleic acid on cotton fabric surfaces

Abstract Cotton fabric surface was successfully functionalized with microwave plasma (2.45 GHz, 500 W) to impart water repellency. The hydrophobic agent used was oleic acid (CH 3 (CH 2 ) 7 CH CH(CH 2 ) 7 COOH), a fatty acid derived from various plant seed oils. Non-polymerizing gas (Argon) was used to create the plasma. The exposure of the cellulose to Ar-plasma generated radicals, which were subsequently used to initiate co-polymerization reactions with oleic acid. The FTIR spectra showed the presence of additional vibrations located at 2918, 2849, and 1707 cm −1 in the functionalized samples. Dynamic contact angle measurements were performed to assess the hydrophobic properties of the functionalized cotton fabric. The grafted cotton fabric showed excellent water repellency. In addition, the use of plant-derived monomers and biopolymers provides a different approach to use renewable resources to create functionalized biopolymeric substrates.
Evaluation of teleconferencing for continuing pharmaceutical education: Satisfaction, knowledge and application

In the fall of 1986, Extension Services in Pharmacy at the University of Wisconsin presented an eight-lecture teleconference course entitled, “Therapy of Infectious Disease.” A study was undertaken to evaluate this teleconference series as a method for the continuing education of pharmacists. Specific objectives were to evaluate: 1) satisfaction with the delivery system; 2) cognitive changes as a result of participation in the program; and 3) the application of knowledge gained to the pharmacist's practice setting. Overall, the study participants were satisfied with ETN as a method of continuing pharmaceutical education. Cognitive test results showed a significant improvement in the level of performance. Results evaluating the application of the knowledge gained from the teleconference course were less conclusive. There was a trend towards improvement in scores from presimulation to postsimulation. The improvement, however, was not statistically significant.
EFFECTS OF MARIJUANA SMOKING DURING PREGNANCY ON NEWBORN CRY ANALYSIS

It has been suggested that marijuana smoking during pregnancy may have adverse effects on the neonate. In the present study, acoustic analysis of the newborn cry, a measure which has been related to a number of clinical conditions including developmental outcome, was studied in newborns of smokers and non-smokers. The study was conducted in Jamaica and included 20 infants of mothers who smoked throughout pregnancy and 20 infants of mothers who did not smoke during pregnancy. Verification of smokers and non-smokers was based on interviews with the mothers, their neighbors and direct observation. The cry was tape recorded during a newborn exam and analyzed by high speed computer as in previous studies. The cries of infants of smokers were shorter in duration (p .03), a wider range in the fundamental frequency (p<.0001), and a lower average first formant (p<.0003) than the cries of infants of non-smokers. The results suggest possible teratologic effects of marijuana smoking during pregnancy on neonatal outcome that may have implications for later developmental outcome.
Effects of stratification on the performance of liquid-based solar heating systems

Abstract A theoretical model is presented which predicts the effects of storage tank stratification on the instantaneous performance of a liquid-based solar heating system. The results are presented in terms of a stratification coefficient which is defined to be the ratio of the actual useful energy gain to the energy gain that would be achieved in a fully mixed tank. This stratification coefficient is shown to be a system constant which depends on only two dimensionless system parameters. The closed form model is compared with a detailed numerical simulation and also with experimental data taken with a solar water heater. Both the simulation data and the experimental data agree favorably with the theoretical model.
Cytomegalovirus: A possible cause of Persistent Refractory Immune Thrombocytopenic Purpura

We present a case of a healthy 22 years old who presented with bruising and hematoma following a minor trauma. Investigations showed severe thrombocytopenia but complete hematological investigations did not reveal a cause. An aggressive treatment with steroids, IVIG, anti-D, splenectomy and immunosuppressant proved to be refractory. A subclinical transaminitis prompted an infectious workup which revealed Cytomegalovirus infection. Platelet count improved and remained stable after eradication of Cytomegalovirus. We conclude that infection with CMV should be ruled out in cases of severe refractory immune thrombocytopenic purpura. Accepted on December 5 th , 2013
The role of eosinophils in host defense against helminth parasites

The precise function of eosinophils in parasitic infection in vivo remains poorly understood despite eosinophils having been shown to be potent effectors in killing parasites in vitro. Although it has long been held that the primary function of the eosinophil is protection against helminth parasites, there are little data to prove this unequivocally. Moreover, eosinophils are responsible for a considerable amount of inflammatory pathology accompanying helminth infections. This article will provide an overview of our current knowledge about eosinophils and their role, both protective and pathogenetic, in parasitic helminth infections.