cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The New Robotics Age: Meeting the Physical Interactivity Challenge

The generations of robots now being developed will increasingly touch people and their lives. They will explore, work, and interact with humans in their homes, workplaces, in new production systems, and in challenging field domains. The emerging robots will provide increased operational support in mining, underwater, and in hostile and dangerous environments. While full autonomy for the performance of advanced tasks in complex environments remains challenging, strategic intervention of a human will tremendously facilitate reliable real-time robot operations. Human-robot synergy benefits from combining the experience and cognitive abilities of the human with the strength, dependability, competence, reach, and endurance of robots. Moving beyond conventional teleoperation, the new paradigm—placing the human at the highest level of task abstraction—relies on robots with the requisite physical skills for advanced task behavior capabilities. Such connecting of humans to increasingly competent robots will fuel a wide range of new robotic applications in places where they have never gone before. This discussion focuses on robot design concepts, robot control architectures, and advanced task primitives and control strategies that bring human modeling and skill understanding to the development of safe, easy-to-use, and competent robotic systems. The presentation will highlight these developments in the context of a novel underwater robot, Ocean One, called O2, developed at Stanford in collaboration with Meka Robotics, and KAUST.
Hereditary Optic Neuropathies

Hereditary optic neuropathies are a group of disorders that share similar presentation and have a genetic background. Presentation is mostly early in life with painless central vision loss that is commonly bilateral and sometimes associated with other neurological manifestations. Two common forms of hereditary optic neuropathies are Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy and the less severe dominant optic atrophy. Multiple other forms exist and may present as a monosymptomatic disease or as part of a syndrome. Although management is mostly focused on genetic counseling as well as supportive care, gene therapy has given hope for treatment, and clinical trials are ongoing.
Claiming modernity through clothing: gender and education in Pakistani Muslim and Indian Hindu communities

Through focusing on forms of clothing, this article reveals how educated women from marginalized communities in Pakistan and India made differential claims to being modern. Our analysis of two ethn...
How Good Are Your Types? Using Mutation Analysis to Evaluate the Effectiveness of Type Annotations

Software engineers primarily use two orthogonal means to reduce susceptibility to faults: software testing and static type checking. While many strategies exist to evaluate the effectiveness of a test suite in catching bugs, there are few that evaluate the effectiveness of type annotations in a program. This problem is most relevant in the context of gradual or optional typing, where programmers are free to choose which parts of a program to annotate and in what detail. Mutation analysis is one strategy that has proven useful for measuring test suite effectiveness by emulating potential software faults. We propose that mutation analysis can be used to evaluate the effectiveness of type annotations too. We analyze mutants produced by the MutPy mutation framework against both a test suite and against type-annotated programs. We show that, while mutation analysis can be useful for evaluating the effectiveness of type annotations, we require stronger mutation operators that target type information in programs to be an effective mutation analysis tool.
Realizing 5.4 nm Full Pitch Lamellar Microdomains by a Solid-State Transformation

A simple method was developed to realize a self-assembled block copolymer (BCP) lamellar microdomain morphology with a full pitch of 5.4 nm through an acid hydrolysis of poly(solketal methacrylate-b-styrene) (PSM-b-PS). The acid hydrolysis transforms PSM-b-PS, having two hydrophobic blocks, into poly(glycerol monomethacrylate-b-styrene) (PGM-b-PS), having one hydrophilic and one hydrophobic block. This transformation markedly increases the segmental interaction parameter such that a phase-mixed PSM-b-PS can be transformed in the solid state into a microphase-separated BCP without the use of any additives. Correlation hole scattering of the PSM-b-PS in the phase mixed state yields a segmental interaction parameter (χ) given by χ = 0.0196 + 4.694/T, where T is the absolute temperature. With the symmetric BCPs used in this study, the ordered lamellar microdomain pitch was determined by small-angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) as a function of the degree of polymerization (16 ≤ N ≤ 1246). For the lamellar microdom...
Dysregulated CD8 T cells resemble Tfh-like cells and promote B cell activation during autoimmunity.

T follicular helper (Tfh) cells provide essential help for the development of antigen specific antibodies during normal and autoreactive immune responses. IL-2-deficient (KO) mice suffer from excessive lymphoproliferation and spontaneous, systemic autoimmune disease. Depletion of CD4 T cells in IL-2-KO mice eliminates the generation of RBC-specific antibodies, augmenting survival. Surprisingly, depletion of CD8 T cells in IL-2-KO mice also reduces disease and prolongs survival. Several groups have demonstrated a protective role for CD8 T cells in inflammation and autoimmunity, while others have suggested a pathogenic role. However the mechanisms of CD8 T cell influence on autoimmune disease are largely unknown. We have identified a new CD8 Tfh-like population in an autoimmune setting. RNA-sequencing of day 12 IL-2-KO CD8 T cells revealed an increase in the expression of genes associated with the CD4 Tfh lineage (Bcl-6, CXCR5, PD-1, ICOS and IL-21) compared with wild-type CD8 T cells. Flow cytometry confirmed the presence of expanded CD4 Tfh and CD8 Tfh-like cells, and the production of IL-21 in IL-2-KO mice. Germinal center tissue staining revealed localization of both CD4 and CD8 T cells to the germinal center during autoimmunity. In vitro, IL-2-KO CD8 T cells induced proliferation and activation of B cells. Our results indicate that autoreactive CD8 T cells contribute to the autoimmune disease in part through dysregulated follicular-like differentiation and function. NIH funding R00HL090706.
Training Convolutional Networks on Truncated Text

Classifiers trained using deep neural networks have been shown to be effective for a wide variety of classification tasks including text sentiment. One such approach is to use convolutional neural networks to learn from character-level representations of documents. This approach is appealing as all feature engineering, extraction or selection is performed by the neural network, automatically generating high level abstract representations of the data. With character-level learning, network topology is dependent on document length as this determines the input shape for the network. In this paper, we investigate how limiting the number of characters used from a document impacts performance and compare neural network performance against a Multinomial Naive Bayes baseline. Our results show the required number of characters is linked to the document domain and neural network performance exceeds that of Multinomial Naive Bayes; however, too low of a number results in performance degradation.
Sexual Assault Risk Reduction: Current State and Historical Underpinnings

Abstract This chapter provides a brief overview of the history of women’s programs designed to reduce sexual victimization with an emphasis on evidenced-based programming. Despite accumulating evidence for the effectiveness of women’s programming to reduce sexual assault, there are barriers to its widespread implementation, which are also discussed in the chapter. Finally, suggestions for future work, including the importance of coordinated efforts to reduce sexual assault, are discussed.
A physiological approach to refine appropriateness of revascularization, clinical decision making and prognosis in patients with multi vessel coronary artery disease

Patients with multivessel coronary artery disease (CAD) constitute a high-risk cohort and coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) has been the established mainstay of treatment. There, exists, however, significant heterogeneity in the multivessel disease (MVD) population (1). With improved durability of newer generation drug eluting stents, PCI is being increasingly performed in patients with more complex MVD, especially with the recent advances in percutaneous chronic total occlusion (CTO) recanalization. Similarly, from a patient outcome standpoint, optimal medical therapy has been shown to be as effective as revascularization in patients with stable ischemic heart disease (2,3).
Simulating the impacts of climate change on hydrology and crop production in the Northern High Plains of Texas using an improved SWAT model

Abstract Modeling the effects of climate change on hydrology and crop yield provides opportunities for choosing appropriate crops for adapting to climate change. In this study, climate change impacts on irrigated corn and sorghum, dryland (rainfed) sorghum, and continuous fallow in the Northern High Plains of Texas were evaluated using an improved Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) model equipped with management allowed depletion (MAD) irrigation scheduling. Projected climate data (2020–2099) from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project Phase 5 (CMIP 5) of 19 General Circulation Models (GCMs) were used. Climate data were divided into four 20-year periods of near future (2020–2039), middle (2040–2059), late (2060–2079), and end (2080–2099) of the 21st century under two Representative Concentration Pathway (RCP) emission scenarios (RCP 4.5 and RCP 8.5). For irrigated corn, median annual crop evapotranspiration (ET) and irrigation decreased by 8%–25% and 15%–42%, respectively, under the climate change scenarios compared to the historical period (2001–2010). The median yield was reduced by 3%–22% with exponentially decreases in the latter half of the 21st century. For sorghum, the reduction of median annual crop ET ranged from 6%–27%. However, the decline in the median annual irrigation was within 15%, except for the 2060–2079 and 2080–2099 periods under RCP 8.5 scenarios with 30% and 49% reductions in median annual irrigation. The median irrigated sorghum yield declined by 6%–42%. The median annual crop ET of dryland sorghum decreased by 10%–16%. The reduction in median yield was within 10% of the historical dryland sorghum yield. The decrease in median annual evaporation varied from 15%–23% under future continuous fallow conditions. The elevated CO2 level of future climate scenarios was the primary factor for the decrease in the ET and irrigation. The reduction in future crop yield was mainly attributed to the shortening of the maturity period caused by increased future temperature.
Copper Cobalt Selenide as a High-Efficiency Bifunctional Electrocatalyst for Overall Water Splitting: Combined Experimental and Theoretical Study

Nonprecious metal-based catalysts for full water splitting are still being sought after by several groups of researchers, owing to their promising practical application in energy conversion devices...
Generative Attention Learning: a “GenerAL” framework for high-performance multi-fingered grasping in clutter

Generative Attention Learning (GenerAL) is a framework for high-DOF multi-fingered grasping that is not only robust to dense clutter and novel objects but also effective with a variety of different parallel-jaw and multi-fingered robot hands. This framework introduces a novel attention mechanism that substantially improves the grasp success rate in clutter. Its generative nature allows the learning of full-DOF grasps with flexible end-effector positions and orientations, as well as all finger joint angles of the hand. Trained purely in simulation, this framework skillfully closes the sim-to-real gap. To close the visual sim-to-real gap, this framework uses a single depth image as input. To close the dynamics sim-to-real gap, this framework circumvents continuous motor control with a direct mapping from pixel to Cartesian space inferred from the same depth image. Finally, this framework demonstrates inter-robot generality by achieving over $$92\%$$ real-world grasp success rates in cluttered scenes with novel objects using two multi-fingered robotic hand-arm systems with different degrees of freedom.
Becoming Who We Are: The Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales University

Catholic universities seek to provide students with not simply information for a career, but also a formation for life. At one institution, this goal is expressed in a tag line adapted from St. Francis de Sales: “Be who you are and be that well.” How can this motto characterize the institution itself and distinguish it from its educational peers? A center with the purpose to promote academic study, perpetuate a spiritual tradition, and provide community interaction provides one means for reaching these goals. This article offers an example of how a Catholic college or university might maintain and advance its foundational charism. It does this by summarizing the genesis and ten-year history of the Salesian Center for Faith and Culture at DeSales University; linking the center’s mission to this distinct spiritual tradition; assessing the fulfillment of the center’s goals to date; and recognizing the impact the center has on the university, society, and the Church.
The use of fluorescent antibody in the diagnosis and study of viral and rickettsial infections.

In the last decade, with the advent of new virological and tissue culture technics, more viruses have been isolated than ever before. However, the diagnosis and study of viral infections in the laboratory is a painstaking task chiefly because of the submicroscopic size of the viral particles and the difficulty in detecting their presence. The development of the fluorescent antibody technic by Coons and associates (1941) which combines the specificity of immune reagents and the sensitivity of the ultraviolet light microscope has added a powerful tool to the armamentarium of virological research. In using this relatively simple technic, viral antigens can be localized precisely at the cellular level.
The Link between Stress and IL-6 Is Heating Up.

Psychological stress has long been known to reduce adaptability to inflammatory challenges, although the precise mechanism has remained elusive. In a recent issue of Cell, Qing et al. (2020) demonstrate that psychological stress induces secretion of IL-6 from brown adipose tissue, which promotes hepatic gluconeogenesis, and reduces host fitness to inflammatory insults.
Prenatal subjective social status and birth weight.

Subjective social status (SSS), perceived social standing relative to others, has been associated with health status, independent of objective socioeconomic status (SES). Few studies have examined ...
Capturing Student Feedback and Emotions in Large Computing Courses: A Sentiment Analysis Approach

Enrollment numbers in computer science courses are higher than ever and keep growing. This renders communication and interaction of instructors with individual students extremely challenging, leading to an increase in anonymity (anonymity gap). Especially when students struggle in computing courses, personalized help is crucial for them to overcome their problems and frustration and eventually succeed in their studies. At the same time detecting students' misconceptions and gathering feedback at scale is time consuming, resulting in a lack of unbiased feedback available to course instructors (feedback gap). Real-time student feedback is a crucial source for instructors to adapt their teaching pace, teaching materials, or course content during the course of the semester to cater to an increasingly diverse student population. In this paper, we investigate a scalable approach to collect and analyze student feedback and emotions. We find that sentiment analysis can efficiently capture student emotions, bearing the potential to lessen both the anonymity and feedback gaps.
The association of distress tolerance and mindful awareness with mental health in first responders.

Mindful awareness (MA) and distress tolerance are emerging as robust predictors of mental health in populations with high levels of stress and trauma exposure, such as first responders. The combination of both protective factors may have potentiating benefits for mental health. First responders might especially benefit from high levels of MA if they are able to tolerate distressing present-moment experiences as needed. In this study, cross-sectional data were used to test whether distress intolerance (DI) moderated the relationship between MA and mental health. First responders (N = 176) completed an online assessment battery including measures of MA (Mindful Attention Awareness Scale), DI (Distress Intolerance Index), and mental health outcomes (i.e., Depression, Anxiety, and Stress Scale; Posttraumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD] Checklist for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition [DSM-5]; Secondary Traumatic Stress Scale; abbreviated Maslach Burnout Inventory; compassion satisfaction subscale of the Professional Quality of Life Scale; Satisfaction with Life Scale; and Brief Resilience Scale). Multiple regression models demonstrated that among first responders with higher DI, MA had a stronger association with lower anxiety and depression symptoms. Interactions between MA and DI were not significant for other outcome measures. However, higher MA and lower DI each independently predicted lower stress (lower posttraumatic stress, secondary traumatic stress, and general stress); higher MA independently predicted better occupational health (lower burnout and higher compassion satisfaction); and lower DI independently predicted positive mental health (greater resilience and life satisfaction). Results highlight the independent associations of high MA and low DI with first responders' mental health and underscore the importance of studying of interventions that promote both of these protective factors in first responders. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2021 APA, all rights reserved).
Characterization of Heterogeneous Materials Using Transmission Photoacoustic Microscopy

Photoacoustic microscopy, in which modulated light is absorbed by an opaque material and converted into a thermal wave, can be used as an in-situ technique for determining the thermal diffusivity of the material.1–5 If a microscope is used to image the light onto a heterogeneous sample containing different components embedded in a matrix, the thermal diffusivities of components as small as fifty micrometers can be probed. This paper illustrates how photoacoustic microscopy can be used to determine the diffusivities of carbon-carbon composite materials.
Inversion of revolutionary ideals : a study of the tragic essence of Georg Büchner's Dantons Tod, Ernst Toller's Masse Mensch, and Bertolt Brecht's Die Massnahme

The dialectical principle of Hegel's theory of tragedy exposes the tragic essence of revolution: the totalized claims of revolutionary ideas contradict their particularized results. Dr. Chen's analysis of Georg Buechner's Dantons Tod, Ernst Toller's Masse Mensch, and Bertolt Brecht's Die Massnahme demonstrates that revolutionary theories employ structures of Hegel's interpretations of history. The revolutionary theories of history assume the role of the Weltgeist itself, whose implementation entails antihumanist actions. In the hybris of the equation of revolutionary theory and Weltgeist, the Hegelian philosophy of history unveils its own tragic structure, which, in turn, is described by Hegel's theory of tragedy.
High Speed Photoelastic Modulation

An inexpensive and easily constructed device for the high speed rotation of the plane of polarization of a beam of monochromatic plane polarized light has been demonstrated.The device can be successfully used as an optical chopping device for polarized light at speeds between 20 KHz and 4 MHz or to introduce any other retardance leading to circular or elliptical polarization forms. The optical extinction/transmittance pattern for the half-wave operation, although not truly sinusoidal, has been mathematically determined. To drive the modulation, a high precision sinewave generator capable of automatic gain and frequency compensation is recommended; however, the device can be used successfully with almost any sinewave generator. Voltage requirements increase as the wavelength of the light increases and varies between 10V and 200V dependent upon the wavelength of light used and the multiple of the fundamental drive frequency desired. These voltages can be obtained from many wideband amplifiers currently available.
Generation and Characterization of a Stable Inducible O-GlcNAcase Cell Line

O-linked-β-N-acetylglucosamine (O-GlcNAc) is a dynamic post-translational modification that is added and removed from nuclear, cytoplasmic, and mitochondrial proteins by the O-GlcNAc transferase (O...
Knowledge management: the missing element in business continuity planning

This chapter provides a new perspective for Knowledge Management applications within organizations. The relevance of knowledge management components in disaster planning has been underscored by the large-scale terror attacks of September 11, 2001. The objective of the chapter is to provide a different perspective on the risk management category of business continuity planning or disaster recovery. Specifically, the authors show how most plans ignore or downplay the essential requirement for the organization to preserve its critical knowledge resources in the event the possessors of that knowledge are killed. Most proponents of Knowledge Management have neglected this important facet of the field. At the same time, the risk management and disaster recovery fields have ignored the important contributions of Knowledge Management to a viable business continuity plan.
Interventional cardiology: Don't neglect the octogenarians--DES for everyone!?

Octogenarians are a growing population of patients undergoing percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) and, yet, they are under-represented in clinical trials. Wang et al. demonstrate the increasing need for PCI, but declining use of drug-eluting stents in this age group, despite associated reductions in mortality, myocardial infarction, and rehospitalization.
Public Trust and Support for Biotechnology: Lessons for Post-Market Surveillance of GM Foods

The purposes of this paper are to examine how public trust affects public support for biotechnology and genetically modified (GM) foods and to assess how an understanding of the determinants of public trust impact post-market surveillance of GM foods. To this end, a model of trust is developed in which public perceptions of the risks and benefits of biotechnology, as well as the trustworthiness and competence of biotechnology institutions, are included as explanatory variables. Additionally, a model of public support for biotechnology is developed in which trust is incorporated as one of the explanatory variables. Data from the U.S. Biotechnology Study is used to estimate these models. The findings show that public perceptions of biotechnology risks and benefits, and particularly institutional trustworthiness, are important determinants of public trust, and that public trust is a significant factor affecting public support for GM foods. The implication is that researchers and policy makers must consider how post-market surveillance of GM foods affects public perceptions, because these ultimately impact public support for biotechnology through public trust.
Effects of 3,4‐methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and its main metabolites on cardiovascular function in conscious rats

Background and Purpose The cardiovascular effects produced by 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; ‘Ecstasy’) contribute to its acute toxicity, but the potential role of its metabolites in these cardiovascular effects is not known. Here we examined the effects of MDMA metabolites on cardiovascular function in rats. Experimental Approach Radiotelemetry was employed to evaluate the effects of s.c. administration of racemic MDMA and its phase I metabolites on BP, heart rate (HR) and locomotor activity in conscious male rats. Key Results MDMA (1–20 mg·kg−1) produced dose-related increases in BP, HR and activity. The peak effects on HR occurred at a lower dose than peak effects on BP or activity. The N-demethylated metabolite, 3,4-methylenedioxyamphetamine (MDA), produced effects that mimicked those of MDMA. The metabolite 3,4-dihydroxymethamphetamine (HHMA; 1–10 mg·kg−1) increased HR more potently and to a greater extent than MDMA, whereas 3,4-dihydroxyamphetamine (HHA) increased HR, but to a lesser extent than HHMA. Neither dihydroxy metabolite altered motor activity. The metabolites 4-hydroxy-3-methoxymethamphetamine (HMMA) and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxyamphetamine (HMA) did not affect any of the parameters measured. The tachycardia produced by MDMA and HHMA was blocked by the β-adrenoceptor antagonist propranolol. Conclusions and Implications Our results demonstrate that HHMA may contribute significantly to the cardiovascular effects of MDMA in vivo. As such, determining the molecular mechanism of action of HHMA and the other hydroxyl metabolites of MDMA warrants further study.
Fiber optical parametric amplifier and wavelength converter with record 360 nm gain bandwidth and 50 dB signal gain

We have demonstrated a pulsed fiber optical parametric amplifier with gain in excess of 20 dB over a record 360 nm bandwidth, using a pump with 16 W peak power in a 30 m long highly-nonlinear dispersion-shifted fiber. The bandwidth was measured by signal amplification, as well as by monitoring amplified spontaneous emission.
Design of a fault tolerant real-time storage system for multimedia applications

We describe the design and implementation of the RIO (Randomized I/O) multimedia object server which manages a set of parallel disks and supports real-time throughput and statistical delay guarantees. The original implementation, on an SMP (Sun Microsystems E4000), has been ported to a cluster of PCs. The new version uses a similar philosophy with respect to allocation of data storage and scheduling of requests. However the parallel "shared nothing" architecture raises all the issues of latency, scalability, etc., that are familiar in parallel and distributed systems. Our requirements are particularly demanding since we expect to support a variety of multimedia applications with varying workload requirements and data reference patterns. 3D interactive applications, video, hypermedia and interactive scientific visualization of terabyte size data sets are among the applications we support. This paper details the design issues we addressed and the results of detailed simulation studies which dictated the design choices made.
A survey of predoctoral dental basic pharmacology education

A survey of fifty-one of the fifty-three dental schools in the continental United States provided information about pharmacology curriculum content and time allocation. Most dental schools offer a traditional didactic course in basic pharmacology, with about 50 percent of the medical school-based (MSB) and 75 percent of the dental school-based (DSB) programs providing additional pharmacology material in other basic and clinical courses. The four combined medical-dental (M-D) student courses have more hours of instruction, clinical conferences and reviews, and number of instructors than either the dental school- or medical school-based courses. DSB and MSB pharmacology courses were similar in most regards, with a relatively low compliance with the current curriculum guidelines. The DSB and MSB courses provided more time for neuropharmacology and less time for agents related to various organ systems than the M-D courses. There is considerable potential to improve pharmacology instruction by expanding the inclusion of pharmacology in other courses, increasing the number of clinical conferences and discussions, and offering problem-based-learning sessions.
Compelled to Excel: Immigration, Education, and Opportunity Among Chinese-Americans

In Compelled to Excel: Immigration, Education, and Opportunity among Chinese-Americans, Vivian Louie complicates the “model-minority” Asian-American myth that often depicts students with an Asian e...
Role of Intestinal Microflora in the Metabolism of Vitamin B-6 and 4′-Deoxypyridoxine Examined Using Germfree Guinea Pigs and Rats

In previous work identification of urinary metabolites of 4'-deoxypyridoxine which had been oxidized in the 5'-position and long-term dilution of labeled urinary metabolites with unlabeled molecules suggested possible microbial contributions. In the current studies germfree guinea pigs were able to convert 4'-deoxypyridoxine to 4'-deoxy-5-pyridoxic acid demonstrating that the ability to oxidize the 5'-position is not restricted to microorganisms. Labelling curves for urinary pyridoxic acid in rats continuously fed [14C]pyridoxine since weaning were similar in conventional and germfree animals indicating that any vitamin B-6 synthesized in the intestinal tract was not readily absorbed and metabolized. Therefore, coprophagy did not make a detectable contribution to vitamin B-6 metabolism in rats receiving a nutritionally complete diet. The difficulty in achieving comparable labeling in adult animals is probably due to very slow turnover of portions of the vitamin B-6 pool and not to microbial production of vitamin B-6. The total pool calculated from the radioactivity in the germ-free rats averaged 16.2 +/- 0.8 nmol vitamin B-6 compounds/g body wt. Only 10% of the ingested label was recovered in the feces. In addition, only about 50% of the label excreted in the urine appeared as 4-pyridoxic acid in rats. These observations suggest that it may be difficult to quantitate the total urinary and fecal excretion of ingested vitamin B-6 without using tracers.
Cocaine-induced intracerebral hemorrhage in a patient with cerebral amyloid angiopathy.

Abstract: Intracerebral hemorrhage (ICH) is a well-recognized complication of recreational cocaine use. The precise mechanism of the cocaine-induced hemorrhagic event is unclear, although multiple factors have been implicated. We report a case of a 62-year-old woman who suffered left parieto-occipital ICH with herniation and death, following a cocaine binge. Microscopic examination also revealed extensive cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) in the vicinity of the hemorrhage. We additionally studied brain tissue in eight subjects between ages of 60 and 80 who were positive for cocaine metabolites at autopsy; of these, none had vascular amyloid-β deposits by immunohistochemistry. Whereas we found no evidence that chronic cocaine use is a risk factor for CAA, given the age-associated nature of CAA and the aging population using cocaine, CAA-induced hemorrhage in the setting of cocaine use may be more common than recognized. This is the first reported case of CAA-associated ICH precipitated by cocaine.
A theory for the phase behavior of mixtures of active particles

Systems at equilibrium like molecular or colloidal suspensions have a well-defined thermal energy kBT that quantifies the particles' kinetic energy and gauges how "hot" or "cold" the system is. For systems far from equilibrium, such as active matter, it is unclear whether the concept of a "temperature" exists and whether self-propelled entities are capable of thermally equilibrating like passive Brownian suspensions. Here we develop a simple mechanical theory to study the phase behavior and "temperature" of a mixture of self-propelled particles. A mixture of active swimmers and passive Brownian particles is an ideal system for discovery of the temperature of active matter and the quantities that get shared upon particle collisions. We derive an explicit equation of state for the active/passive mixture to compute a phase diagram and to generalize thermodynamic concepts like the chemical potential and free energy for a mixture of nonequilibrium species. We find that different stability criteria predict in general different phase boundaries, facilitating considerations in simulations and experiments about which ensemble of variables are held fixed and varied.
Economic measure of productivity, quality and flexibility in advanced manufacturing systems

Abstract Productivity, quality and flexibility are critical measures of manufacturing performance for justifying the investment in integrated manufacturing and production systems. The objective of this research is to define, quantify and incorporate these three measures. The conventional productivity measure was improved so that it could be used in integrated manufacturing production systems. Quality and flexibility measures were newly defined and quantified. These three measures were integrated for the evaluation of a manufacturing system as a whole.
Isolated sentinel lymph node dissection with conservative management in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva: A prospective trial

Abstract Objectives Sentinel lymph node (SLN) dissections have a high sensitivity and negative predictive value for the detection of metastatic disease. The objective of this study was to examine the inguinal recurrence rate along with complication rates for patients undergoing inguinal SLN dissection alone for vulvar carcinoma. Methods An IRB approved prospective study enrolled patients with biopsy proven squamous cell carcinoma of the vulva. Peritumoral injection of Tc-99 sulfur colloid and methylene blue dye was used to identify SLNs intraoperatively. Patients with SLNs negative for metastatic disease were followed clinically. Patients with metastasis detected in a SLN subsequently underwent a full groin node dissection followed by standard treatment protocols. Results Thirty-six patients were enrolled onto study with 35 undergoing a SLN dissection. All SNL dissections were successful with a mean of 2 SLN obtained per groin. There were 24 patients with stage I disease, 8 stage II, 3 stage III and 1 stage IV. A total of 56 SLN dissections were performed with 4 patients found to have inguinal metastasis by SLN dissection. There were 31 patients with a total of 46 SLN dissections found to be negative for metastatic disease. The median follow-up has been 29 months (range 8 to 51) with 2 groin recurrences for a groin recurrence rate of 4.3% and a recurrence rate per patient of 6.4%. There have been no reports of groin breakdown, extremity cellulitis or lymphedema. Conclusions The recurrence rate for patients undergoing inguinal sentinel node dissection alone is low. These patients did not experience any complications as seen with complete groin node dissections. Sentinel lymph node dissection should be considered as an option for evaluation of inguinal nodes for metastatic disease.
B-APT: Bayesian Anti-Phishing Toolbar

Identity theft is one of the fastest growing crimes in the nation, and phishing has been a primary tool used for this type of theft. In this paper, we present B-APT, a Bayesian anti-phishing toolbar designed to help users identify phishing Websites and protect their sensitive information. Bayesian filters have shown great performance in content-based spam filtering and we adapt a Bayesian filter to detect phishing attacks in the Web browser. The experimental results show that our toolbar effectively detects phishing sites, and is also efficient in terms of page load delay. Among the phishing sites in our testbed, B-APT detected 100% of phishing sites while IE and Firefox only detected 64% and 55%, respectively. Netcraft and SpoofGuard show better accuracy, 98% and 90%, respectively.
The dynamical responses of the thermosphere due to a geomagnetic storm

A theoretical model for the dynamic responses to geomagnetic storms in the thermosphere is derived from magnetohydrodynamic theory. The validity claim for this model is based on the assumption that the thermosphere behaves like an electrically conductive fluid. In order to test the proposed model, a numerical example is presented. Recommendations for improving the model are also offered.
Ultrasonographic Demonstration of Renal Cell Carcinoma in a Pelvic Kidney

Renal cell carcinoma in pelvic kidneys is a surprisingly rare entity. This case report describes the first instance in which the tumor was delineated ultrasonographically. No clear rationale for this apparently lower incidence can be determined.
Particle Production in High Density Silane Plasma

To understand the mechanisms of nanoparticle formation and its potential applications, we have investigated silicon particles formed in various gasses in an inductive coupled plasma (ICP) system and have measured their structural properties by electron microscopy. Particle generation in pure SiH4 and SiH4/H2 are reported. ICP silane plasmas are shown to be an interesting and versatile source of nanoparticles. Three regimes are mapped out: a regime of no observable particle growth at the lowest pressures, a regime of polydisperse and agglomerated particles at the highest pressures, and a regime yielding highly monodisperse particles at intermediate pressures. Conditions that generate these nonagglomerated, extremely monodisperse silicon particles are emphasized. For H2 dilutions less than 92%, the growth rate is almost independent of H2 partial pressure. Particle growth decreases steadily when the H2 dilution is increased further. TEM images, however, indicate that the addition of hydrogen decreases the particle density. At higher dilution ratios, polycrystalline particles are obtained. Under all other conditions the particles are amorphous. Reasons for this behavior are explored.
Artemisinin Blocks Prostate Cancer Growth and Cell Cycle Progression by Disrupting Sp1 Interactions with the Cyclin-dependent Kinase-4 (CDK4) Promoter and Inhibiting CDK4 Gene Expression

Artemisinin, a naturally occurring component of Artemisia annua, or sweet wormwood, is a potent anti-malaria compound that has recently been shown to have anti-proliferative effects on a number of human cancer cell types, although little is know about the molecular mechanisms of this response. We have observed that artemisinin treatment triggers a stringent G1 cell cycle arrest of LNCaP (lymph node carcinoma of the prostate) human prostate cancer cells that is accompanied by a rapid down-regulation of CDK2 and CDK4 protein and transcript levels. Transient transfection with promoter-linked luciferase reporter plasmids revealed that artemisinin strongly inhibits CDK2 and CDK4 promoter activity. Deletion analysis of the CDK4 promoter revealed a 231-bp artemisinin-responsive region between -1737 and -1506. Site-specific mutations revealed that the Sp1 site at -1531 was necessary for artemisinin responsiveness in the context of the CDK4 promoter. DNA binding assays as well as chromatin immunoprecipitation assays demonstrated that this Sp1-binding site in the CDK4 promoter forms a specific artemisinin-responsive DNA-protein complex that contains the Sp1 transcription factor. Artemisinin reduced phosphorylation of Sp1, and when dephosphorylation of Sp1 was inhibited by treatment of cells with the phosphatase inhibitor okadaic acid, the ability of artemisinin to down-regulate Sp1 interactions with the CDK4 promoter was ablated, rendering the CDK4 promoter unresponsive to artemisinin. Finally, overexpression of Sp1 mostly reversed the artemisinin down-regulation of CDK4 promoter activity and partially reversed the cell cycle arrest. Taken together, our results demonstrate that a key event in the artemisinin anti-proliferative effects in prostate cancer cells is the transcriptional down-regulation of CDK4 expression by disruption of Sp1 interactions with the CDK4 promoter.
Optimality Theory and language death

This paper exposes a gap in the literature regarding studies that use an optimality-theoretic framework to examine phonological variation in endangered language varieties. It shows that dying languages, characterized by inter- and intra-speaker variation and multiple acceptable surface forms, provide crucial testing ground for extensions of classic Optimality Theory (Prince and Smolensky, 1993; McCarthy and Prince, 1994) such as crucially non-ranked constraints (Anttila and Cho, 1998; Anttila, 2002), floating constraints (Reynolds, 1994; Nagy and Reynolds, 1997), Linear Optimality Theory (Keller, 2000, 2006; Sorace and Keller, 2005), Stochastic Optimality Theory (Boersma, 1998; Boersma and Hayes, 2001), and the learning algorithms associated with them. However, little work has been done mapping raw frequencies from dying languages into optimality-theoretic grammars. Optimality-theoretic analyses of schwa epenthesis in Vimeu Picard (Auger and Steele, 1999; Auger, 2001) and in Louisiana Regional French (LRF) (Blainey, 2009) suggest that speakers of dying languages may possess individual grammars that are related, but not identical, to a more general grammar. At the same time, the preliminary research in LRF offers Optimality Theory highly variable and therefore difficult phenomena to describe and predict. More studies combining language death, phonology, and Optimality Theory are critical to a better understanding of the processes involved in attrition, language shift, and obsolescence. The varieties of French spoken around the world, especially those in a linguistic minority situation such as LRF, constitute ideal starting points for expanding the literature of attritional phonological changes and variation in dying languages seen through the lens of Optimality Theory.
A New Approach to Calculate Diffusional Transfer Functions of Scanning DMAs

A fast approach to calculate scanning differential mobility analyzer (DMA) transfer functions is introduced. The trajectory-based approach of Dubey and Dhaniyala (2008, Analysis of Scanning DMA Transfer Function. Aerosol Sci. Technol., 42:544–555) is extended to determine mobility-based transfer functions of diffusional particles in scanning DMAs. The mobility-based transfer functions are obtained from the transformation of calculated arrival-times of the particles of a selected mobility, i.e., the arrival-time transfer function (ATF). The ATFs are calculated from Monte Carlo simulations of the motion of particles of different diameters, under a range of DMA operating conditions. The results suggest that the nondiffusional ATFs for up-scan operation can be approximated as triangular in shape and the diffusional ATFs as Gaussian. The simulation results show that for high-voltage operation, the effect of fast scanning determines the measurement resolution, while for low-voltage operation, the effect of diff...
Gender, Sexual Prejudice and Sport Participation: Implications for Sexual Minorities

Utilizing the compulsory heterosexuality framework, the purpose of this inquiry was to assess the influence of gender and sexual prejudice on decision-making within sport. In Study 1, responses from former and current athletes within the United States (N = 229) indicated that prejudicial attitudes predicted unwillingness to participate when a coach was identified as gay or lesbian. A mixed-methods approach was used in Study 2 to assess the attitudes of American parents (N = 76). Parent’s prejudicial attitudes toward gays and lesbians predicted unwillingness to allow a homosexual to coach their children; justification of which was most often based on negative gay and lesbian stereotypes. Implications for these findings are discussed.
Application of negative-ion chemical ionization isotope dilution gas chromatography--mass spectrometry to single-dose bioavailability studies of mefloquine.

Abstract An electron-capture negative-ion chemical ionization gas chromatographic—mass spectrometric assay for mefloquine, an antimalarial drug used in the treatment of drug-resistant Plasmodium falciparum malaria, is described. The method, developed in support of bioavailability studies involving the co-administration of different tableted formulations of the drug and an aqueous solution of its 13 C 3 -labeled analog, enables quantification of both dosage forms. Quantitative analysis of extracted plasma samples was performed on the O- tert. -butyldimethylsilyl ( t -BDMS) derivative of the drug by selected-ion monitoring, using a VG Trio 2000 quadrupole mass spectrometer and monitoring the [M — t -BDMSOH] − ions of the analytes. The method, incorporating [ 2 H 6 ]mefloquine as an internal standard, demonstrated good accuracy and precision over the 1–200 ng ml −1 range, with correlation coefficients greater than 0.990 for all standard curves and a detection level of 50 fg on-column. Replicate analysis of plasma samples over a 90-day period exhibited a mean intra-day and inter-day variation of less than 4.5% and 5.5%, respectively. The high stability and sensitivity of the assay, combined with the inherent selectivity of mass spectrometric detection, make the method well-suited for such studies.
“An Ugly and Sickening Business,” or, the Bush “Legacy” and the Decimation of Iraq

Interweaving five meditations on imperial power, this article appraises the consequences of the U.S. invasion of Iraq. By including excerpts of poetry from the U.S./Mexican War, the Vietnam War, Plato, the Iraq War, and ancient Buddhist texts, the article raises larger questions about the ethics of resistance, the dilemmas of complicity, and the possibility of hope.
Comparative Toxicity of Insecticides for Corn Rootworm (Coleoptera: Chrysomelidae) Larvae in a Soil Bioassay

Toxicity levels of insecticide registered for corn rootworm control were establisher with a laboratory soil bioassay. There was nearly a 15-fold range in LC50 and LC95 values among compounds for third-stage larvae of western corn rootworm (WCR), Diabrotica virgifera virgifera LeConte, and up to a fivefold difference within compounds when comparing susceptibility of the first- and third-stage larvae of western corn rootworm. Third-stage larvae of southern corn rootworm (SCR), Diabrotica undecimpunctata howardi Barber, required at least an equal dosage of insecticides and were as much as threefold more tolerant to them than WCR larvae of the same stage.
The role of queen pheromones in social insects: queen control or queen signal?

Abstract Abstract. Queens and workers in social insect colonies can differ in reproductive goals such as colony-level sex allocation and production of males by workers. That the presence of queen(s) often seems to affect worker behaviour in situations of potential conflict has given rise to the idea of queen control over reproduction. In small colonies queen control is possible via direct aggression against workers, but in large colonies queens cannot be effectively aggressive towards all the workers. This, plus evidence that queen-produced chemicals affect worker behaviour, has led to the conclusion that physical intimidation has been replaced by pheromonal queen control, whereby queen(s) chemically manipulate workers into behaving in ways that increase the queen's fitness at the worker's expense. It is argued in this paper, however, that pheromonal queen control has never conclusively been demonstrated and is evolutionarily difficult to justify. Proposed examples of pheromonal control are more likely to be honest signals, with workers' responses increasing their own inclusive fitness. A series of experimental and field studies in which positive results would give prima facie evidence for pheromonal queen control is suggested. Finally, three terms are defined: (1) pheromonal queen control for workers or subordinate queens being chemically manipulated into acting against their own best interests; (2) pheromonal queen signal for situations where workers or subordinate queens react to queen pheromones in ways that increase their, and possibly the queens', inclusive fitness; and (3) pheromonal queen effect where changes in the workers' or subordinate queens' behaviour have an unknown consequence on their inclusive fitness.