cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Clinical Evaluation and Use of Sleep Studies in Neurological Practice

The polysomnogram is a very important diagnostic tool in the evaluation of many sleep disorders. We will review common neurologic presenting complaints, their relationship to sleep disorders, neurologic conditions that are at high risk for co-morbid sleep disorders, and the utility of using the polysomnogram for their evaluation. Additionally, we will outline the indications for in-laboratory polysomnography versus out-of-center sleep apnea testing.
Inhibition of rabbit collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1; MMP-1) transcription by retinoid receptors: evidence for binding of RARs/RXRs to the -77 AP-1 site through interactions with c-Jun.

Treatment of synovial fibroblasts with retinoic acid (RA) decreases their expression of collagenase (matrix metalloproteinase-1 or MMP-1), an enzyme that degrades interstitial collagens and contributes to the pathology of rheumatoid arthritis. This inhibition results, at least in part, from RA-induced decreases in the mRNA for the transactivators Fos and Jun (with concominant increases in RAR mRNA) and by sequestration of Fos/Jun by RARs/RXRs. Previously, we provided evidence that retinoid receptors are also present in complexes that bind to fragments of rabbit MMP-1 promoter DNA containing an AP-1 site at −77 (Pan et al., 1995, J. Cell. Biochem., 57:575-589). However, it was unclear whether RARs and retinoid X receptors (RXRs) were binding directly to the DNA or indirectly through another protein. We now use a sensitive MMP-1 promoter/luciferase reporter construct to confirm the transcriptional role of the AP-1 site at −77. In addition, with electrophoretic mobility shift analyses (EMSAs), antibody “supershifts” and DNAase I footprinting, we examine the interaction of retinoid receptors and AP-1 protein on the MMP-1 promoter. We demonstrate that RARs, RXRs, and c-Jun form a complex at the AP-1 site in which c-Jun binds directly to the DNA and apparently tethers the retinoid receptors to the complex. We conclude that retinoid receptors/AP-1 protein interactions at the DNA may provide an additional means of controlling collagenase gene transcription by retinoids. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Intraocular pressure elevation from topical difluprednate use.

Abstract Introduction Difluprednate ophthalmic emulsion 0.05% (Durezol™, Alcon, Fort Worth, Texas) is a topical difluorinated derivative of prednisolone with potent anti-inflammatory activity. Difluprednate 0.05% has a reported associated increase in intraocular pressure (IOP) in 3% of patients. Although the occurrence may be low, the possible elevation in IOP may be substantially higher than commonly encountered with other topical steroids. Case Reports A 49-year-old black man presented with a traumatic anterior uveitis recalcitrant to traditional prednisolone acetate 1% treatment. The patient was switched to difluprednate 0.05% in an attempt to better control the ocular inflammation. Although the patient did not exhibit an IOP response after 4 weeks of treatment with prednisolone acetate 1%, he did experience a pressure response within 2 weeks of initiating difluprednate treatment, resulting in an IOP increase from 9 mmHg to 48 mmHg with subsequent microcystic edema. A 44-year-old black woman presented with recurrent scleritis resistant to topical prednisolone acetate, loteprednol etabonate, and oral nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory therapy. Topical loteprednol 0.5% was replaced by difluprednate 0.05%. All evidence of ocular inflammation was eradicated with the changed therapy. IOP rose in the difluprednate-treated eye from 18 mmHg to 34 mmHg over the course of 18 days. In both cases, the IOP elevation was managed rapidly with the discontinuation of difluprednate and temporary use of IOP-reducing agents with no lasting adverse effects. Conclusion Difluprednate 0.05% is a new topical therapeutic option indicated for the treatment of inflammation and pain management associated with ocular surgery with an off-label potential for treatment of other anterior segment inflammatory conditions. However, clinicians need to be aware of the potential risk for significant and potentially rapid onset of IOP increase with this medication and manage patients accordingly.
Role of SGS1 and SLX4 in maintaining rDNA structure in Saccharomyces cerevisiae

To address the role of SGS1 in controlling genome stability we previously identified several slx mutants that require SGS1 for viability. Here, we report the isolation and characterization of temperature-sensitive (ts) SGS1 alleles in cells lacking SLX4. At the non-permissive temperature (37 degrees C) sgs1-ts slx4 cells progress through S-phase and arrest growth as large-budded cells with at least a 2C DNA content. Analysis of the integrity of the replicated DNA by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis revealed that chromosome XII (ChrXII) was uniquely altered, as it was unable to enter the gel. This defect was specific to the tandem rDNA repeats on ChrXII and occurred as cells progressed through S-phase at 37 degrees C. Reciprocal-shift experiments revealed that viability and ChrXII migration can be restored by allowing Sgs1 to act between G2/M and the subsequent G1 phase. These results suggest that Sgs1 and Slx4 are not required for bulk DNA synthesis but play redundant roles in maintaining rDNA structure during DNA replication.
Sustainability and Earth Resources: Life Cycle Assessment Modeling

Corporations are facing increasing risks associated with ecosystems from both natural drivers, such as climate change, as well as institutional drivers resulting from retailers and brands, increasingly making supplier decisions based on life cycle reporting and indexing. These efforts reflect a transition from traditional firm sustainability to a more quantitative product focus, within which the importance and weight of earth resources and ecosystems is dramatically increasing. This paper provides an overview of the limitations traditional life cycle assessment (LCA) methods and presents emerging developments to improve on LCA for resources and ecosystems. This includes LCA efforts to account for spatial relevance, indices of stress, stocks and flows and integrated valuation of services and trade-offs. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd and ERP Environment.
A multicarrier transmission scheme for wireless local communications

This paper presents a novel multitone transmission scheme that employs a nonlinear binary code to specify multitone signal constellations. The scheme, which can be viewed as a generalization of M-ary frequency shift keying, is amenable to noncoherent demodulation, and it is therefore useful for communication over fading channels. We determine the performance of this modulation scheme when it is used in conjunction with a Reed-Solomon code for error control. Methods for determining and erasing unreliable multitone constellations are presented and their performance is evaluated when they are used in conjunction with errors-and-erasures decoding. The transmission scheme is evaluated with respect to complexity, bandwidth efficiency, and performance in the presence of Gaussian noise and frequency- and time-selective fading.
Het gebit van de moordenaar van jfk

Waarom werd bijna twintig jaar na de moord op de Amerikaanse president John F. Kennedy het lijk van zijn moordenaar opgegraven om zijn tanden te onderzoeken?
Reduced risk of breast cancer recurrence in patients using ACE inhibitors, ARBs, and/or statins.

Background: Epidemiologic and biochemical evidence suggest a role of statins and angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE) inhibitors or angiotensin-receptor blockers (ARBs) as anti-neoplastic agents. This study was designed to evaluate the association between the use of these agents and the risk of breast cancer recurrence. Methods: We reviewed the medical records of patients treated for stage II/III breast cancer between 1999 and 2005. Statin and ACE-inhibitors/ARB users were defined as patients who took these medications for at least 6 months in no evidence of disease (NED) stage after the initial diagnosis. The primary outcome was disease-free survival and the secondary was overall survival. The Kaplan–Meier and Cox proportional hazard models were used. Results: A total of 703 patients were included. The median and maximal of follow up was 55 and 118 months, respectively. A total of 168 patients used ACE-inhibitors/ARBs, 156 patients used statins, and 81 used both. Univariate analysis showed significant red...
Gasoline Rationing in the United States, II

The introduction of rationing: the Eastern gasoline shortage, 561; nation-wide rationing, 564. — The separation of District I, 567. — The "pleasure driving" ban, 569. — Other steps to reduce consumption, 570. — The non-recoverable "B" and "C" cut, 572. — End of the "pleasure driving" ban, 572. — Jurisdictional dispute between OPA and PAW, 573. — Spread of the gasoline shortage: relaxation of the program, 576; the shortage spreads to Districts II and III, 577; the shortage spreads to Districts IV and V, 579; the program settles down, 580. — The local board system, 581.
Do species and functional groups differ in acquisition and use of C, N and water under varying atmospheric CO2 and N availability regimes? : a field test with 16 grassland species

Summary • To evaluate whether functional groups have a similar response to global change, the responses to CO 2 concentration and N availability of grassland species from several functional groups are reported here. • Sixteen perennial grassland species from four trait-based functional groups (C 3 grasses, C 4 grasses, non-leguminous forbs, legumes) were grown in field mono cultures under ambient or elevated (560 μ mol mol ‐1 ) CO 2 using free-air CO 2 enrichment (FACE), in low N (unamended field soil) or high N (field soil + 4 g N m ‐2 years ‐1 ) treatments. • There were no CO 2 〈 N interactions. Functional groups responded differently to CO 2 and N in terms of biomass, tissue N concentration and soil solution N. Under elevated CO 2 , forbs, legumes and C 3 grasses increased total biomass by 31%, 18%, and 9%, respectively, whereas biomass was reduced in C 4 -grass mono cultures. Two of the four legume species increased biomass and total plant N pools under elevated CO 2 , probably due to stimulated N-fixation. Only one species markedly shifted the proportional distribution of below- vs aboveground biomass in response to CO 2 or N. • Although functional groups varied in responses to CO 2 and N, there was also sub stantial variation in responses among species within groups. These results suggest that current trait-based functional classifications might be useful, but not sufficient, for understanding plant and ecosystem responses to elevated CO 2 and N availability.
Prevention of Organ Allograft Rejection by a Specific Janus Kinase 3 Inhibitor

Because of its requirement for signaling by multiple cytokines, Janus kinase 3 (JAK3) is an excellent target for clinical immunosuppression. We report the development of a specific, orally active inhibitor of JAK3, CP-690,550, that significantly prolonged survival in a murine model of heart transplantation and in cynomolgus monkeys receiving kidney transplants. CP-690,550 treatment was not associated with hypertension, hyperlipidemia, or lymphoproliferative disease. On the basis of these preclinical results, we believe JAK3 blockade by CP-690,550 has potential for therapeutically desirable immunosuppression in human organ transplantation and in other clinical settings.
Comparative analysis of three murine G-protein coupled receptors activated by sphingosine-1-phosphate

The cloning and analysis of the first identified lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) receptor gene, lpA1 (also referred to as vzg-1 or edg-2), led us to identify homologous murine genes that might also encode receptors for related lysophospholipid ligands. Three murine genomic clones (designated lpB1, lpB2, and lpB3) were isolated, corresponding to human/rat Edg-1, rat H218/AGR16, and human edg-3, respectively. Based on the amino acid similarities of their predicted proteins (44–52% identical), the three lpB genes could be grouped into a separate G-protein coupled receptor subfamily, distinct from that containing the LPA receptor genes lpA1 and lpA2. Unlike lpA1 and lpA2, which contain multiple coding exons, all lpB members contained a single coding exon. Heterologous expression of individual lpB members in a hepatoma cell line (RH7777), followed by incorporation assays demonstrated that each of the three LPB receptors conferred sphingosine-1-phosphate-dependent, but not lysophosphatidic acid-dependent, G-protein activation. Northern blot and in situ hybridization analyses revealed overlapping as well as distinct expression patterns in both embryonic and adult tissues. This comparative characterization of multiple sphingosine-1-phosphate receptor genes and their spatiotemporal expression patterns will aid in understanding the biological roles of this enlarging lysophospholipid receptor family.
Identification of Russian Wheat Aphid (Homoptera: Aphididae) Resistance in Wheat

Greenhouse and growth chamber evaluations were used to determine sources of resistance in wheat to populations of the Russian wheat aphid, Diuraphis nona (Mordvilko), in Idaho. Sources of resistance to D.noxia previously identified in South Africa were confirmed as resistant to the Idaho population. Low levels of resistance were also identified in three breeding lines from Idaho, one breeding line from Texas, and the variety ‘Treasure.’ Five new sources of resistance from Iran and the Soviet Union (PI 47545, PI 94355, PI 94365, PI 94460, and PI 151918) were also identified.
Factors Limiting Tropical Rain Forest Regeneration in Abandoned Pasture: Seed Rain, Seed Germination, Microclimate, and Soil1

Vegetation, seed rain, seed germination, microclimate, and soil physical and chemical parameters were measured in a recently abandoned pasture and adjacent primary rain forest in southern Costa Rica. The goal of this study was to assess the importance of these factors in limiting forest regeneration in abandoned pastures. Seed rain of animal dispersed species decreased dramatically in the pasture >5 m from the forestlpasture edge; fewer wind dispersed seeds fell in the pasture than in the forest, but the difference was much less than for animal dispersed seeds. Percent seed germination of most species studied was similar in the forest and in pasture with grasses; seed germination was lower during the dry season in areas of pasture cleared of grasses. Air temperature, vapor pressure deficit (VPD), and photon flux density (PFD) were much higher in the pasture than in the forest at 1 m above the ground. VPD and PFD at ground level and soil temperature were similar in the pasture and the forest, indicating that pasture grasses strongly modify microclimatic conditions near the soil surface. The lowest gravimetric water content recorded in the pasture during the dry season was 0.5 and leaf relative water contents of the two species measured in the forest and pasture were identical, suggesting that plants in the pasture were not water stressed. Levels of most soil nutrients were lower in the pasture as compared to the forest; however, aboveground and root biomass for seedlings grown in pasture and forest soils did not differ significantly. Although a number of factors impede forest recovery in abandoned pastures, these results suggest that the most important limitation is lack of seed dispersal.
Chromatin remodeling, histone modifications, and DNA methylation—how does it all fit together?†

DNA methylation is important in the control of gene transcription and chromatin structure. The complexities of this process are just beginning to be elucidated in relationship to other epigenetic mechanisms. Exciting new research in the areas of histone methylation and chromatin remodeling make it clear just how important the connections between these various mechanisms and DNA methylation are for the control of chromosome structure and gene expression. Emerging evidence suggests that chromatin remodeling enzymes and histone methylation are essential for proper DNA methylation patterns. Other histone modifications, such as acetylation and phosphorylation, in turn, affect histone methylation and histone methylation also appears to be highly reliant on chromatin remodeling enzymes. This review will summarize what is likely only the beginning of a flood of new information that will ultimately link all epigenetic modifications of the mammalian genome. A model will also be put forth to account for how chromatin modifications lead to genomic DNA methylation patterns.
PaintingClass: interactive construction, visualization and exploration of decision trees

Decision trees are commonly used for classification. We propose to use decision trees not just for classification but also for the wider purpose of knowledge discovery, because visualizing the decision tree can reveal much valuable information in the data. We introduce PaintingClass, a system for interactive construction, visualization and exploration of decision trees. PaintingClass provides an intuitive layout and convenient navigation of the decision tree. PaintingClass also provides the user the means to interactively construct the decision tree. Each node in the decision tree is displayed as a visual projection of the data. Through actual examples and comparison with other classification methods, we show that the user can effectively use PaintingClass to construct a decision tree and explore the decision tree to gain additional knowledge.
Analysis of manifold fluid flow networks for air and liquid flow-through modular electronics

Manifold fluid flow networks are an essential element in cooling systems that distribute forced air or forced liquid cooling to high performance modular electronics. Manifolds represent a specialized design problem, however, and few engineers in the field electronics thermal management are familiar with the basic fluid dynamics concepts that govern flow rate and pressure distribution in manifold systems. The subject paper describes a one dimensional discrete branch point model for manifold analysis. Predicted results are compared with liquid flow test data in the laminar and transitional regimes. CFD simulations are used to assess the validity of selected empirical coefficients. Basic design guidelines for the practicing engineer are provided.
"Think globally, act locally".

The title of this article is taken from the 1998 Worl d Development Repor tof the United Nations Develo p ment Program, for, arguably, many local dental issue s today cannot be fully understood unless seen in the context o f the global economy . The current use of the term economic globalizatio nsimpl y indicates the extent to which all national economies hav e become closely interdependent. Certain contemporary economi c events have pushed economic globalization forward: The Thir d World debt crisis and the development by the Internationa l Monetary Fund and the World Bank of structural adjustmen t programs to deal with the crisis have brought many nationa l economies closer together. The adoption by industrialized cou n tries of neoliberal economic policies has resulted in the abolitio n of exchange controls. Also, developments in communication s technology mean that capital can now be moved from state t o state much faster and that changes in one economy can now reverberate almost instantly in others . Concomitant with these economic changes has been th e political process that ended the Cold War. The Soviet Unio n no longer exists, and Western national and transnationa l corporate interests now condition and shape how the globa l ized economy operates . Economic Globalization and Oral Healt h One notable result of the globalized economy has been th e widening of the gap between the rich and the poor bot h between countries and within countries. To point to economi c globalization or any one of the factors already identified as th e sole cause of this growing gap would be erroneous. Noneth e less, current economic policies do seem to have contributed t o an increase in the number of people now living in absolute an d relative poverty. There is substantial evidence that thi s increased poverty is deleteriously affecting the public health . Oral health is not immune to such influences. The major determinants of a number of oral condition s appear to have a socioeconomic basis in which economic glo b alization could be playing a part. These conditions include ora l cancer, cancrum oris (noma), dental caries and periodonta l diseases . Oral Cance r The prevalence of oral cancer seems to be increasing i n many parts of the world. This increase is particularly worryin g because of the large percentage of the world’s population i n developing countries (80%) and the relative lack of detectio n and treatment services and facilities in those countries . 1 An y reduction in already inadequate services can only worsen th e situation . Restrictive tobacco legislation in many industrialized cou n tries, the reduction in exchange controls and the ease of capita l transfers make developing countries an increasingly attractiv e market for tobacco manufacturers .
Open and short circuit behavior of induction motors

A set of equations is derived to permit calculation of speed change and generated voltage (both magnitude and phase angle) of an individual induction motor under motor open-circuit or short-circuit conditions, using a calculator. The equations for motor coasting are very accurate. The equations for motor ride-through are nonlinear, and the proposed approach provides a viable and conservative solution to this complex problem. The equations derived were verified by computer. >
Sellar mass with vision loss and hypopituitarism.

Sarcoidosis is amultisystem, inflammatory disorder of unknown etiology that can affect people of all ages and races, and both sexes. Disease prevalence ranges from 1 to 50 per 100,000 individuals, with neurologic manifestations in 5% to 26% of patients. Neurological disease (neurosarcoidosis, NS) is the presenting feature of sarcoidosis in 50% to 75% of patients with neurological involvement; 33% to 50% of patients may have more than one form of NS. Neurological features of NS include: cranial neuropathy (the most common feature); aseptic meningitis; hydrocephalus; papilledema with visual disturbances; seizures; peripheral neuropathy; psychiatric alterations; cerebral lesions (epidural or subdural involvement, leptomeningitis, as well as parenchymal lesions) and may involve the region of the hypothalamus, pituitary gland, and parasellar structures. A diverse set of differential diagnoses must be considered, depending upon the neurologic signs and symptoms:metastatic tumors, inflammatory disorders (including, multiple sclerosis, neurmyelitis optica, Wegener’s granulomatosis, lupus angiitis, Sjogren’s vasculitis, andBehcet’s disease); a variety of infectious diseases (tuberculosis, toxoplasmosis, brucellosis, borreliosis, syphilis, and human immunodeficiency virus-related disorders); central nervous system(CNS) lymphoma, germcell tumors, gliomasof theoptic nerve or hypothalamus, as well as disorders of the pituitary gland including adenomas and lymphocytic hypophysitis. Non-caseating, epithelioid granulomas (Images in Neuroscience: Question Fig. 1D, E, thick arrow) are the characteristic histologic featureof sarcoidosis. Granulomas contain epithelioid cells,multinucleated giant cells (Images in Neuroscience: Question Fig. 1D, E, thin arrow) as well as B and T lymphocytes. Stains for granuloma-associated infections (tuberculosis and fungal) are negative. Less invasivemeasures than surgical biopsy, such as chest scans, laboratory testing, and lumbar puncture, whichmay be useful tomake or suggest a diagnosis of sarcoidosiswhenpositive, are frequentlynon-diagnostic, especially in the setting of isolated NS.
Alternative mechanisms for regulating racial responses according to internal vs external cues

Personal (internal) and normative (external) impetuses for regulating racially biased behaviour are well-documented, yet the extent to which internally and externally driven regulatory processes arise from the same mechanism is unknown. Whereas the regulation of race bias according to internal cues has been associated with conflict-monitoring processes and activation of the dorsal anterior cingulate cortex (dACC), we proposed that responses regulated according to external cues to respond without prejudice involves mechanisms of error-perception, a process associated with rostral anterior cingulate cortex (rACC) activity. We recruited low-prejudice participants who reported high or low sensitivity to non-prejudiced norms, and participants completed a stereotype inhibition task in private or public while electroencephalography was recorded. Analysis of event-related potentials revealed that the error-related negativity component, linked to dACC activity, predicted behavioural control of bias across conditions, whereas the error-perception component, linked to rACC activity, predicted control only in public among participants sensitive to external pressures to respond without prejudice.
Spatial Configuration of Transposable Element Ac Termini Affects Their Ability to Induce Chromosomal Breakage in Maize

Composite or closely linked maize (Zea mays) Ac/Ds transposable elements can induce chromosome breakage, but the precise configurations of Ac/Ds elements that can lead to chromosome breakage are not completely defined. Here, we determined the structures and chromosome breakage properties of 15 maize p1 alleles: each allele contains a fixed fractured Ac (fAc) element and a closely linked full-length Ac at various flanking sites. Our results show that pairs of Ac/fAc elements in which the termini of different elements are in direct or reverse orientation can induce chromosome breakage. By contrast, no chromosome breakage is observed with alleles containing pairs of Ac/fAc elements in which the external termini of the paired elements can function as a macrotransposon. Among the structures that can lead to chromosome breaks, breakage frequency is inversely correlated with the distance between the interacting Ac/Ds termini. These results provide new insight into the mechanism of transposition-induced chromosome breakage, which is one outcome of the chromosome-restructuring ability of alternative transposition events.
Skattebol type rearrangement via α-bromotrimethylstannyl cyclopropane thermolysis. What is the mechanism?

Abstract Solution thermolysis of the epimers 5 gave rise to separate sets of products, including, for one, Skattebol-type rearrangement. However, neither epimer produced a free carbene.
Design of high-Q photonic crystal optical cavities through Fourier space methods

By describing radiation losses through a Fourier space picture of modal couplings, low loss photonic crystal cavities are designed using a group theory-based analysis and finite-difference time-domain calculations, resulting in predicted quality factors exceeding 10/sup 5/.
Statistical techniques for diagnosing CIN using fluorescence spectroscopy: SVD and CART

A quantitative measure of intraepithelial neoplasia which can be made in vivo without tissue removal would be clinically significant in chemoprevention studies. Our group is working to develop such a technique based on fluorescence spectroscopy. Using empirically based algorithms, we have demonstrated that fluorescence is discriminating normal cervix from low- and high-grade cervical dysplasias with similar performance to colposcopy in expert hands. These measurements can be made in vivo, in near real time, and results can be obtained without biopsy. This paper describes a new method using automated analysis of fluorescence emission spectra to classify cervical tissure into multiple diagnostic categories. First, data is reduced using the singular value decomposition (SVD), yielding a set of orthogonal basis vectors. Each patient's emission spectrum is then fit by linear least squares regression to the basis vectors, producing a set of coefficients for each patient. Based on these coefficient values, the classification and regression tree (CART) method predicts the patient's classification. These results suggest that laser-induced fluorescence can be used to atuomatically recognized and differentially diagnose cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) at colposcopy. This method of analysis is general in nature, and can analyze fluorescence spectra of suspected intraepithelial neoplasms from other organ sites. As a more complete understanding of the biochemical and morphologic basis of tissue spectroscopy is developed, it may also be possible to use fluorescence spectroscopy of the cervix as surrogate endpoint biomarker in Phase I and II chemoprevention trials.
Measurement of VLA-4/CS-1 and VLA-4/VCAM Adhesion Inhibition

Cell adhesion, a critical early step in the inflammatory process, has increasingly become the target of drug discovery efforts. Described in this unit are techniques for measuring inhibitors of VLA-4-mediated adhesion to either VCAM or the connecting segment (CS-1) of fibronectin. Keywords: VLA-4; VCAM; CS-1; cell adhesion; inflammation
Micromechanical devices with controllable stiffness fabricated from regular 3D porous materials

Hierarchical pore structures can dramatically change the mechanical properties of materials, but current methods for creating porous materials make the mechanical properties difficult to engineer. Here we present template based techniques for making three-dimensional (3D) regular macroporous microcantilevers with Young's moduli that can vary from 2.0 to 44.3 GPa. The Young's moduli can be tuned by controlling the porosity and the deformation mode, which is dependent on the pore structure. The template technique allows 3D spatial control of the ordered porous structure and the ability to use a broad set of materials, demonstrated with nickel and alumina microcantilevers.
Broadband epsilon-near-zero metamaterials based on metal-polymer composite thin films

Epsilon-near-zero (ENZ) metamaterials are designed to exhibit a near-zero response for the real part of the dielectric permittivity at a given frequency or in a specific frequency range. Typically, this frequency range is relatively small. In this paper, we present an approach to broaden this range by controlling the size of the nanoparticles embedded in a thin film. Noble metal nanoparticles exhibit an external size effect that redshifts the Surface Plasmon Resonance frequency with an increase of the size of the particles. The absorption spectrum of a material can be directly related to its dielectric permittivity via the Kramers-Kronig relations. We use the Kramers-Kronig relations to retrieve the complex effective dielectric permittivity of a composite film, which is designed to exhibit ENZ behavior over a broad frequency range. We synthesize a composite thin film embedded with metal nanoparticles of a broad size distribution. Such a material exhibits a broad SPR, and, in turn, broadband ENZ behavior.
Transnational Children Orchestrating Competing Voices in Multimodal, Digital Autobiographies

Background/ContextPrior research on multimodal, digital composition has highlighted the need for educators to bring such practices into classrooms, yet little research has been done to show what ki...
Банк России На Перепутье: Стоит Ли Смягчать Денежно-Кредитную Политику? (The Bank of Russia at a Crossroads: Whether to Ease Monetary Policy?)

Russian Abstract: Позиция сторонников смягчения политики Банка России следующая: если денежные власти развитых стран отказываются от своих принципов, то зачем тогда России на них полагаться? Не лучше ли вместо этого делать ровно то, что делают центральные банки в США, Великобритании, Японии и еврозоне — стимулировать экономический рост денежной эмиссией? По мнению адептов смягчения монетарной политики, нужно превратить Банк России в институт развития, сделав его соинвестором экономического роста. Кроме того, он должен быть включен в процесс создания «длинных дешевых денег», как это происходит в США и Европе.English Abstract: The position of supporters of the policy easing by the Bank of Russia is the following: if the monetary authorities of developed countries abandon their principles, then why do they rely on Russia? Is it not better instead to do exactly what the central banks in the US, UK, Japan and the euro area do - to stimulate economic growth by quantitative easing? According to adherents of monetary policy easing, it is necessary to turn the Bank of Russia into the institute of development, making it one of the investors of economic growth. Furthermore, it should be included in the process of creating "long cheap money", as it occurs in the US and the European Union.
Labor Assignment in Single Server, Two-Machine Flow Shop with Switching Times

Abstract Algorithms have been presented in the literature to find the optimal sequencing of jobs for a two-machine flow shop. We extend the results to a labor limited situation where only a single server is available and switching times are involved in moving the worker from one machine to the other. We present the theoretical results needed for the development of the algorithm, the algorithm, and an example problem solved using the algorithm.
Inhibitory effect of indomethacin on prostacyclin receptor-mediated cerebral vascular responses

The present study addresses the hypothesis that indomethacin, in addition to blocking prostaglandin synthesis, directly inhibits prostacyclin receptor-mediated cerebral vascular responses. To test this hypothesis, the effects of indomethacin on pial arteriolar dilation in response to the prostacyclin receptor agonist iloprost were investigated using a cranial window technique in newborn pigs. Topically applied iloprost resulted in dose-dependent pial arteriolar dilation and concomitant increases in cortical adenosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP). Indomethacin (5 mg/kg iv + 10(-4) M topically) greatly reduced both the vasodilation and the increase in cortical cAMP in response to iloprost. In contrast, indomethacin did not attenuate beta-adrenoreceptor-mediated vasodilation and the increase in cortical cAMP in response to isoproterenol. Aspirin (50 mg/kg iv + 10(-3) M topically) did not affect pial arteriolar dilation or the increase in cortical cAMP in response to iloprost. Unlike indomethacin, aspirin was not effective in inhibiting prostanoid-associated cerebral vasodilation and increase in cortical cAMP in response to hypercapnia. The present data suggest that indomethacin selectively inhibits prostacyclin receptor-mediated responses in the newborn pig cerebral circulation. The combination of highly effective inhibition of prostaglandin H synthase and prostacyclin receptor-mediated vasodilation may contribute to the increased efficacy of indomethacin compared with other prostaglandin H synthase inhibitors in blocking certain vasodilator responses associated with prostanoids.
Application of mineral oil to barley for dust control: analysis of malt, spent grains, and wort for residues

Mineral oil was applied to barley as a dust suppressant at a level of 200 ppm. Treated and untreated control samples of barley were malted, and the resultant malts were mashed. Extracts prepared fr...
Cognitive Effects of Cranial Irradiation

The effects of cranial irradiation on neuropsychological test performance, 9 months after diagnosis of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), were evaluated in 74 children aged 3 to 6 years included in the Children’s Cancer Group cooperative treatment trials.
A University/Community Partnership to Bridge the Digital Divide

Companies want employees with core values who ascribe to corporate values. Emotional intelligence (EQ) is used by companies in recruitment (Foote, 2001), and guides managers in dealing with team performance problems. Similarly, leadership requires refocusing on core values, which over time builds character (Badaracco, 1998). Thus, educational institutions should devote considerable attention to character building (Foote, 2001). Service-learning is designed to help. Jacoby (1996a, p. 5) has defined service-learning as “...a form of experiential education in which students engage in activities that address human and community needs together with structured opportunities intentionally designed to promote student learning and development”. Service-learning is important in information technology where students need technical skills and experience, and a strong ethical foundation. Legal aspects of technology have not kept pace with technology; often IT people are confronted with complex ethical decisions. It has been argued that service-learning represents a “unique pedagogy...that enhances the ability of private sector managers to be effective stewards of society’s moral authority” (Godfred, p. 364). Service-learning in colleges is tightly linked with K-12 education (Jacoby, 1996B) due to the growing number of at-risk children, a vested interest for colleges to improve the future students, and because students will view servicelearning as an appropriate college activity if they benefited from it prior to college (Jacoby, 1996b). A policy concern in the information age is the “digital divide,” a gap between those who have easy access to technology and those who do not. References are made to information “haves” and “have-nots” in an age where information is equivalent to wealth (Holloway, 2000). The “have-nots” are in danger of exclusion from the new economy and marginalization into low-wage jobs (Dunham, 1999). In 2000, the President of the United States asked the IT community to help close this digital divide for moral reasons and to ensure that the economy flourishes with the availability of skilled workers (Shewmake, 2000). This overview summarizes a five-phase service-learning project accomplished through a partnership between the University of Toledo and a local K-8 parochial/non-profit school. The students were primarily enrolled in a Systems Analysis, Design and Implementation course (SAD). This longitudinal project was undertaken to plan, design, and wire a network for the school and to assess and implement continuing and future computer needs. It allowed students to gain “real-life” experience while contributing to the growth of IT among children in a non-profit setting.
Miniaturized Dual-Band Folded Patch Antenna With Independent Band Control Utilizing an Interdigitated Slot Loading

A compact linearly polarized dual-band patch antenna with low cross-polarization and independent band control is presented. Miniaturization was achieved through a combination of shorting, subsequently folding, and by replacing the standard slot loading with a slot that is featured by a meander line. By replacing the standard straight slot with an interdigitated slot loading, the resonance condition was shifted to the lower operating band, facilitating significant antenna miniaturization and resulting in an element size equal to or smaller than $0.1\lambda _{ {0}}$ in all three dimensions. The antenna design procedure is outlined and a prototype for WiFi applications was fabricated and measured for impedance matching, radiation pattern, and broadside gain. A simulated parametric analysis was performed on the interdigitated slot geometry to determine how the antenna performance is controlled. Then, based on the parametric analysis, it was further demonstrated that the two operational bands of the antenna element could be independently controlled by changing only the geometrical dimensions of the interdigitated slot, leaving the base of the antenna entirely unaltered. As a result, the lower operating band could be fixed while the upper operating band could be shifted by up to 10%. Lastly, the effect of utilizing a small ground plane, in an effort to achieve a small antenna footprint, is discussed.
Selected strategic and environmental considerations for Poland's energy sector

Many countries of Central and Eastern Europe have undertaken ambitious programmes aimed at transforming their traditional government–controlled industrial and service monopolies into competitive enterprises. One consequence of these programmes and rapid economic growth is the increase in demand for energy. Using Poland as an example, we discuss the transformations that take place in the energy generation and distribution sectors in Eastern and Central Europe that are intended to better meet current needs and future expectations of their customers. We discuss several issues facing the industry. They include implementing new technologies, environmental problems, privatization and organizational issues.
Direct laser writing of polymer micro-ring resonator ultrasonic sensors

With the development of photoacoustic technology in recent years, ultrasound-related sensors play a vital role in a number of areas ranging from scientific research to nondestructive testing. Compared with the traditional PZT transducer as ultrasonic sensors, novel ultrasonic sensors based on optical methods such as micro-ring resonators have gained increasing attention. The total internal reflection of the light along the cavity results in light propagating in microcavities as whispering gallery modes (WGMs), which are extremely sensitive to change in the radius and refractive index of the cavity induced by ultrasound strain field. In this work, we present a polymer optical micro-ring resonator based ultrasonic sensor fabricated by direct laser writing optical lithography. The design consists of a single micro-ring and a straight tapered waveguide that can be directly coupled by single mode fibers (SMFs). The design and fabrication of the printed polymer resonator have been optimized to provide broad bandwidth and high optical quality factor to ensure high detection sensitivity. The experiments demonstrate the potential of the polymer micro-ring resonator to works as a high-performance ultrasonic sensor.
Upper Limb Asymmetry in the Sense of Effort Is Dependent on Force Level.

Previous studies have shown that asymmetries in upper limb sensorimotor function are dependent on the source of sensory and motor information, hand preference and differences in hand strength. Further, the utilization of sensory and motor information and the mode of control of force may differ between the right hand / left hemisphere and left hand / right hemisphere systems. To more clearly understand the unique contribution of hand strength and intrinsic differences to the control of grasp force, we investigated hand/ hemisphere differences when the source of force information was encoded at two different force levels corresponding to a 20 % and 70 % maximum voluntary contraction or the right and left hand of each participant. Eleven, adult males who demonstrated a stronger right than left maximum grasp force were requested to match a right or left hand 20% or 70% maximal voluntary contraction reference force with the opposite hand. During the matching task, visual feedback corresponding to the production of the reference force was available and then removed when the contralateral hand performed the match. The matching relative force error was significantly different between hands for the 70% MVC reference force but not for the 20% MVC reference force. Directional asymmetries, quantified as the matching force constant error, showed right hand overshoots and left undershoots were force dependent and primarily due to greater undershoots when matching with the left hand the right hand reference force. Findings further suggest that the interaction between internal sources of information, such as efferent copy and proprioception, as well as hand strength differences appear to be hand/hemisphere system dependent. Investigations of force matching tasks under conditions whereby force level is varied and visual feedback of the reference force is available provides critical baseline information for building effective interventions for asymmetric (stroke-related, Parkinson’s Disease) and symmetric (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) upper limb recovery of neurological conditions where the various sources of sensory – motor information have been significantly altered by the disease process.
Comparative Analysis of Simulated versus Live Patient-Based FAST (Focused Assessment With Sonography for Trauma) Training

Objective To investigate whether simulated patient (SP)-based training has comparable efficacy as live patient (LP)-based training in teaching Focused Abdominal Sonography for Trauma (FAST) knowledge and skill competencies to surgical residents. Design A randomized pretest/intervention/posttest controlled study design was employed to compare the participants’ performance in written and practical examinations regarding FAST examination after SP-based versus LP-based training. Setting University-based general residency program at a single institution. Participants A total of 29 general surgery residents of various training levels and sonographic experience were recruited by convenience sampling. Results There was no correlation between subjects’ baseline training level or sonographic experience with either the posttest-pretest score difference or the percentage of subjects getting all 4 windows with adequate quality. There was no significant difference between the improvement in written posttest-pretest scores for SP and LP group, which were 33 ± 9.6 and 31 ± 6.8 (p = 0.40), respectively. With regard to performance-based learning efficacy, a statistically higher proportion of subjects were able to obtain all 4 windows with adequate quality among the LP than the SP group (6/8 vs 1/8, p = 0.01). Conclusion SP- and LP-based FAST training for surgical residents were associated with similar knowledge-based competency acquisition, but residents receiving LP-based training were better at acquiring adequate FAST windows on live patients. Simulation training appeared to be a valid adjunct to LP practice but cannot replace LP training. Future investigations on how to improve simulation fidelity and its training efficacy for skill-based competencies are warranted.
Unlocking the Mysteries of Diastolic Function: Deciphering the Rosetta Stone 10 Years Later

It has now been a quarter of a century since the first description by Kitabatake and his associates of the use of echo-Doppler to characterize the transmitral flow velocity curves in various disease states. A decade ago we described the role of echocardiography in the “Evaluation of Diastolic Filling of Left Ventricle in Health and Disease: Doppler Echocardiography Is the Clinician’s Rosetta Stone.” Over the ensuing decade, advances in echo-Doppler have helped to further decipher the morphologic and physiological expression of cardiovascular disease and unlock additional mysteries of diastology. The purpose of this review is to highlight the developments in echo-Doppler and refinements in our knowledge that have occurred over the past decade that enhance our understanding of diastology.
From Red Wine to Red Tomato: Composition with Context

Compositionality and contextuality are key building blocks of intelligence. They allow us to compose known concepts to generate new and complex ones. However, traditional learning methods do not model both these properties and require copious amounts of labeled data to learn new concepts. A large fraction of existing techniques, e.g., using late fusion, compose concepts but fail to model contextuality. For example, red in red wine is different from red in red tomatoes. In this paper, we present a simple method that respects contextuality in order to compose classifiers of known visual concepts. Our method builds upon the intuition that classifiers lie in a smooth space where compositional transforms can be modeled. We show how it can generalize to unseen combinations of concepts. Our results on composing attributes, objects as well as composing subject, predicate, and objects demonstrate its strong generalization performance compared to baselines. Finally, we present detailed analysis of our method and highlight its properties.