cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Unsupervised learning of parsimonious mixtures on large spaces with integrated feature and component selection

Estimating the number of components (the order) in a mixture model is often addressed using criteria such as the Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and minimum message length. However, when the feature space is very large, use of these criteria may grossly underestimate the order. Here, it is suggested that this failure is not mainly attributable to the criterion (e.g., BIC), but rather to the lack of "structure" in standard mixtures-these models trade off data fitness and model complexity only by varying the order. The authors of the present paper propose mixtures with a richer set of tradeoffs. The proposed model allows each component its own informative feature subset, with all other features explained by a common model (shared by all components). Parameter sharing greatly reduces complexity at a given order. Since the space of these parsimonious modeling solutions is vast, this space is searched in an efficient manner, integrating the component and feature selection within the generalized expectation-maximization (GEM) learning for the mixture parameters. The quality of the proposed (unsupervised) solutions is evaluated using both classification error and test set data likelihood. On text data, the proposed multinomial version-learned without labeled examples, without knowing the "true" number of topics, and without feature preprocessing-compares quite favorably with both alternative unsupervised methods and with a supervised naive Bayes classifier. A Gaussian version compares favorably with a recent method introducing "feature saliency" in mixtures.
Cardiac norepinephrine transporter protein expression is inversely correlated to chamber norepinephrine content.

The cardiac neuronal norepinephrine (NE) transporter (NET) in sympathetic neurons is responsible for uptake of released NE from the neuroeffector junction. The purpose of this study was to assess t...
Sex in America Online: An Exploration of Sex, Marital Status, and Sexual Identity in Internet Sex Seeking and Its Impacts

This was an exploratory study of sex and relationship seeking on the Internet, based on a survey of 15,246 respondents in the United States Seventy-five percent of men and 41% of women had intentionally viewed or downloaded porn. Men and gays/lesbians were more likely to access porn or engage in other sex-seeking behaviors online compared with straights or women. A symmetrical relationship was revealed between men and women as a result of viewing pornography, with women reporting more negative consequences, including lowered body image, partner critical of their body, increased pressure to perform acts seen in pornographic films, and less actual sex, while men reported being more critical of their partners' body and less interested in actual sex. Marrieds and divorced were more likely than singles to go online seeking a serious relationship. Only 2% of users met the threshold of compulsive use established by previous studies.
Opportunistic discovery of information and millennials: an exploratory survey

Now that digital information can be accessed anywhere, there has been a resurgence of interest in information encountering (IE) and the opportunistic discovery of information (ODI). However, no studies have attempted to distinguish between the task-oriented contexts associated with IE and the more diffuse and varied situations in which ODI occurs. The authors conducted a survey (n=48) of undergraduate students between the ages of 18 and 25 in order to identify which mechanisms, formats, sources, and contexts provide them with opportunities for serendipitous information acquisition. Further, the survey was adopted to cover a variety of task-specific (IE) and non-task specific scenarios (ODI). The results of this exploratory study confirm that both IE and ODI seem to be common among this cohort, but the mechanism of delivery and the format in which the information is presented impact the frequency of occurrences.
Outline for a Theory of Motor Learning

This paper outlines a new theory of motor learning. The theory is constrained by the anatomy and physiology of sensorimotor pathways through the cerebellum, motor cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. It also draws upon recent knowledge regarding cellular and molecular properties and receives insight from the results of learning experiments with artificial neural networks. The zonal organization that aligns climbing fibers, Purkinje cells and nuclear cells in the cerebellum provides an ideal neuronal architecture for efficient learning. Climbing fibers are postulated to acquire properties that improve their ability to train sets of Purkinje cells. The Puikinje cells then control movements by selectively inhibiting premotor networks. Repetition of this control establishes motor habits that are then carried out automatically by the premotor networks. Long-term repetition is postulated to align the topography of the overall network utilizing trophic mechanisms. These processes in combination are considered capable of explaining the salient features of motor learning.
Molecular-based magnets: an epilogue

Molecular–based magnets: an epilogue to Metal–organic and organic magnets. A Discussion Meeting held at The Royal Society on the 24 and 25 March 1998. Organized and edited by P. Day and A. E. Underhill.
Role of Leaf Surface Sugars in Colonization of Plants by Bacterial Epiphytes

The relationship between nutrients leached onto the leaf surface and the colonization of plants by bacteria was studied by measuring both the abundance of simple sugars and the growth of Pseudomonas fluorescens on individual bean leaves. Data obtained in this study indicate that the population size of epiphytic bacteria on plants under environmentally favorable conditions is limited by the abundance of carbon sources on the leaf surface. Sugars were depleted during the course of bacterial colonization of the leaf surface. However, about 20% of readily utilizable sugar, such as glucose, present initially remained on fully colonized leaves. The amounts of sugars on a population of apparently identical individual bean leaves before and after microbial colonization exhibited a similar right-hand-skewed distribution and varied by about 25-fold from leaf to leaf. Total bacterial population sizes on inoculated leaves under conditions favorable for bacterial growth also varied by about 29-fold and exhibited a right-hand-skewed distribution. The amounts of sugars on leaves of different plant species were directly correlated with the maximum bacterial population sizes that could be attained on those species. The capacity of bacteria to deplete leaf surface sugars varied greatly among plant species. Plants capable of supporting high bacterial population sizes were proportionally more depleted of leaf surface nutrients than plants with low epiphytic populations. Even in species with a high epiphytic bacterial population, a substantial amount of sugar remained after bacterial colonization. It is hypothesized that residual sugars on colonized leaves may not be physically accessible to the bacteria due to limitations in wettability and/or diffusion of nutrients across the leaf surface.
Journalism-as-a-conversation: An experimental test of socio-psychological/technological dimensions in journalist-citizen collaborations

References to the concept journalism-as-a-conversation abound in audience-centered literatures. Largely missing, though, are clear operational definitions. This exploratory study sought to help clo...
An Analysis of the Learning Characteristics of Students Taking Alternate Assessments Based on Alternate Achievement Standards

This study examined the learner characteristics of students in alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards in three geographically and demographically different states. On the basis of the results, it can be argued that students in alternate assessments fall into at least two distinct subgroups. The first set of learners have either symbolic or emerging symbolic levels of communication, evidence social engagement, and possess at least some level of functional reading and math skills. The second set of students have not yet acquired formal, symbolic communication systems; may not initiate, maintain, or respond to social interactions consistently; and have no awareness of print, Braille, or numbers. The authors provide implications and considerations of the findings of the Learner Characteristics Inventory for states and practitioners in developing alternate assessments based on alternate achievement standards.
Shock Wave Interaction With an Abrupt Area Change

The wave patterns that occur when a shock wave interacts with an abrupt area change are analyzed in terms of the incident shock wave Mach number and area-jump ratio. The solutions predicted by a self-similar model are in good agreement with those obtained numerically from the quasi-one-dimensional time-dependent Euler equations. The entropy production for the wave system is defined and the principle of minimum entropy production is used to resolve a nonuniqueness problem of the self-similar model.
Role of Bcl-2 in alpha beta T cell development in mice deficient in the common cytokine receptor gamma-chain: the requirement for Bcl-2 differs depending on the TCR/MHC affinity.

Mice lacking the common cytokine receptor γ-chain (γc) exhibit severely compromised T cell development, with diminished Bcl-2 expression in mature (CD4+ or CD8+) thymocytes and peripheral T cells. Enforced expression of Bcl-2 in these mice partially rescued αβ T cell development but not γδ T cell development. Transgenic expression of the OVA-specific DO11.10 (DO10) TCR also could modestly increase thymocyte numbers, and T cells expressing the transgenic TCR (KJ1-26+ T cells) were found in the periphery. Interestingly, the presence of KJ1-26+ T cells was dependent on the MHC background and was seen in the moderate affinity H-2d/d background but not in the higher affinity H-2d/b background in γc-deficient mice. In contrast, KJ1-26+ T cells exist in the periphery in both the H-2d/d and H-2d/b backgrounds in DO10 transgenic γc wild-type mice. These results suggest that the importance of γc-dependent signals for T cell development differs depending on the affinity of TCR for MHC. Moreover, enforced expression of Bcl-2 had a much greater effect on the development of γc-deficient T cells expressing the DO10 TCR in the high affinity H-2d/b background than in the H-2d/d background, suggesting that γc-dependent Bcl-2 expression influences T cell development in a TCR/MHC-dependent manner.
HPLC/APCI Mass Spectrometry of Saturated and Unsaturated Hydrocarbons by Using Hydrocarbon Solvents as the APCI Reagent and HPLC Mobile Phase

Saturated and unsaturated, linear, branched, and cyclic hydrocarbons, as well as polyaromatic and heteroaromatic hydrocarbons, were successfully ionized by atmospheric pressure chemical ionization (APCI) using small hydrocarbons as reagents in a linear quadrupole ion trap (LQIT) mass spectrometer. Pentane was proved to be the best reagent among the hydrocarbon reagents studied. This ionization method generated different types of abundant ions (i.e., [M + H](+), M(+•), [M - H](+) and [M - 2H](+ •)), with little or no fragmentation. The radical cations can be differentiated from the even-electron ions by using dimethyl disulfide, thus facilitating molecular weight (MW) determination. While some steroids and lignin monomer model compounds, such as androsterone and 4-hydroxy-3-methoxybenzaldehyde, also formed abundant M(+•) and [M + H](+) ions, this was not true for all of them. Analysis of two known mixtures as well as a base oil sample demonstrated that each component of the known mixtures could be observed and that a correct MW distribution was obtained for the base oil. The feasibility of using this ionization method on the chromatographic time scale was demonstrated by using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with hexane as the mobile phase (and APCI reagent) to separate an artificial mixture prior to mass spectrometric analysis.
Text Cube: Computing IR Measures for Multidimensional Text Database Analysis

Since Jim Gray introduced the concept of rdquodata cuberdquo in 1997, data cube, associated with online analytical processing (OLAP), has become a driving engine in data warehouse industry. Because the boom of Internet has given rise to an ever increasing amount of text data associated with other multidimensional information, it is natural to propose a data cube model that integrates the power of traditional OLAP and IR techniques for text. In this paper, we propose a text-cube model on multidimensional text database and study effective OLAP over such data. Two kinds of hierarchies are distinguishable inside: dimensional hierarchy and term hierarchy. By incorporating these hierarchies, we conduct systematic studies on efficient text-cube implementation, OLAP execution and query processing. Our performance study shows the high promise of our methods.
Experience with an IP QoS Physical Testbed: Problems and Research Issues

Broadband and Wireless Networking Laboratory Next Generation Internet testbed is setup in collaboration with NASA Qbed for prototyping the emerging QoS networking technologies. Internet2's backbone network, Abilene, is used to connect the BWN testbed with several others spread throughout USA. The testbed has been setup to support MPLS Traffic Engineering and Differentiated Services. Experiments have been conducted to gain a better understanding and evaluate the performance of the current protocols to facilitate their deployment in operational networks. We have proposed new schemes for improving end-to-end QoS guarantees and are studying the advantages and disadvantages of using DiffServ and MPLS in a heterogeneous traffic environment. The research will help next generation routers to recognize multimedia traffic types and their QoS expectations not only by research but also experimentally on the physical testbed.
Composite event processing in an active rule-based fuzzy XML database system

In an active rule-based system, users define reactions to events by specifying active rules. The system executes rules upon occurrences of events automatically. Events can be primitive that is raised by a single database operation, such as insert, delete, and replace. Users can also define composite events that are grouped by multiple primitive events. The composition of those events can trigger one or more rules. In this paper, we present our approach of supporting composite events in a fuzzy XML database system. Fuzzy logic allows people to specify vague information directly. Our research has built a fuzzy active rule-based database system on top of traditional XML databases, while allows manipulation of fuzzy data, as well as execution of fuzzy active rules. The paper describes the language structure of composite events and the rules. We also talk about the event logs and how to process composite events at run time.
A Dynamic Inventory Model with Periodic Auditing

Consider a single-item, periodic review, stationary inventory model with stochastic demands, proportional ordering costs, and convex holding and shortage costs, where shortages are backordered and Veinott's well known terminal condition holds. Orders can be scheduled for any period, but the actual inventory level is determined every T periods through an audit. This leads to a dynamic programming model where stage n contains periods n-1T + 1 through nT. For both discounted and averaging criteria, a simple rule optimally describes the orders for the T periods of a stage as a function of the state beginning inventory level and the cumulative T-period order. The latter is optimally determined by a base stock policy with two base stock levels: one for the final stage, another for the rest. The horizon may be finite or infinite. Methods are presented for computing optimal policies, together with bounds on the costs of suboptimal myopic policies. Models with proportional costs and continuous demands are studied in detail. Computational experiments indicate that myopic policies perform quite well for such models. The selection of a best review period T is covered briefly. Applications of our model include just in time settings where audit decisions play a negligible role.
Reliability and Validity of the Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale in an Adolescent Sample

ABSTRACT Objective Although generalized anxiety is an important clinical problem among adolescents, there are no interview procedures to provide a global anxiety rating that have demonstrated reliability and validity for this population. The Hamilton Anxiety Rating Scale (HARS) is a general measure of anxiety that was developed for adults. The purpose of this study was to determine the reliability and validity of the HARS when used with adolescents. Method The sample consisted of 257 adolescents aged 12 to 18 years from both clinical and community sources. The HARS interviews and ratings were conducted as part of an extensive psychiatric and medical assessment. Psychiatric diagnoses were determined by structured interview. Other questionnaire measures of anxiety were also obtained. Results The interrater reliability and internal consistency of the HARS were acceptable in this adolescent sample and were comparable to results reported for adults. The HARS exhibited good construct validity, showing statistically significant relationships with independent self-report measures of generalized anxiety and other anxiety variables. The factor structure of the HARS also was found to be similar to that found earlier with adults. Conclusions These results demonstrate that the HARS is a reliable and valid measure for the assessment of global anxiety in the adolescent population.
Dependency characterization in path-based approaches to architecture-based software reliability prediction

Prevalent black-box based approaches to software reliability modeling are inappropriate to model the failure behavior of modern, component-based heterogeneous systems. Reliability prediction of applications taking into account their architecture is absolutely essential. The path-based approaches to architecture-based software reliability prediction rely on a fundamental assumption that the successive execution of the components is independent. This leads to very pessimistic estimates of software reliability. In this paper, we describe the dependency characterization which is a major bottleneck in the application of path-based approaches to real-life systems, and propose a way to resolve this issue based on time-dependent failure intensity.
Glucocorticoid modulates vasodilator response of mesenteric arterioles in spontaneously hypertensive rats.

Abstract We previously reported that the response of the arterioles in spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) to histamine is blunted compared with that in normotensive control rats (Wistar-Kyoto rats [WKY]). The present study was designed to analyze the extent to which this blunted arteriolar response may be attributed in SHR to the concurrent elevation of circulating glucocorticoids through the use of adrenalectomy with and without dexamethasone supplementation. Mesenteric arterioles were observed by intravital microscopy under general anesthesia, and their lumen diameters were measured after histamine superfusion. The concentration-response curve with histamine was compared with that of an endothelium-independent vasodilator, sodium nitroprusside. At the end of each experiment, papaverine was applied topically to determine the maximal diameter for each vessel, from which a measure of arteriolar tone could be computed. The arteriolar tone in sham-operated SHR is set at a higher steady-state level than in sham-operated WKY. The concentration required for a 50% dilator response (EC 50 ) of histamine in adrenalectomized SHR was restored to the level of WKY. Adrenalectomy did not significantly affect the EC 50 of histamine in WKY. When adrenalectomized SHR received a supplement of dexamethasone, the arteriolar response was found to show the same refractory pattern to histamine as sham-operated SHR. In contrast, the EC 50 of sodium nitroprusside in sham-operated and adrenalectomized SHR was similar to that in sham-operated WKY. Our results indicate that the impaired dilator response to histamine in SHR is related to an enhanced adrenal glucocorticoid secretion.
Piv Site-Specific Invertase Requires a DEDD Motif Analogous to the Catalytic Center of the RuvC Holliday Junction Resolvases

Piv, a unique prokaryotic site-specific DNA invertase, is related to transposases of the insertion elements from the IS110/IS492 family and shows no similarity to the site-specific recombinases of the tyrosine- or serine-recombinase families. Piv tertiary structure is predicted to include the RNase H-like fold that typically encompasses the catalytic site of the recombinases or nucleases of the retroviral integrase superfamily, including transposases and RuvC-like Holliday junction resolvases. Analogous to the DDE and DEDD catalytic motifs of transposases and RuvC, respectively, four Piv acidic residues D9, E59, D101, and D104 appear to be positioned appropriately within the RNase H fold to coordinate two divalent metal cations. This suggests mechanistic similarity between site-specific inversion mediated by Piv and transposition or endonucleolytic reactions catalyzed by enzymes of the retroviral integrase superfamily. The role of the DEDD motif in Piv catalytic activity was addressed using Piv variants that are substituted individually or multiply at these acidic residues and assaying for in vivo inversion, intermolecular recombination, and DNA binding activities. The results indicate that all four residues of the DEDD motif are required for Piv catalytic activity. The DEDD residues are not essential for inv recombination site recognition and binding, but this acidic tetrad does appear to contribute to the stability of Piv-inv interactions. On the basis of these results, a working model for Piv-mediated inversion that includes resolution of a Holliday junction is presented.
Association of expression of CD44v6 with systemic anaplastic large cell lymphoma: comparison with primary cutaneous anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

CD44 is a ubiquitous multifunctional cell surface adhesion molecule family. High expression of the standard form, CD44s (CD44), and its variant form, CD44v6, has been reported to be associated with tumor dissemination in non-Hodgkin lymphoma. To evaluate the potential role of CD44 and/or CD44v6 in different entities of anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), 30 cases of systemic ALCL (sALCL; 20 cases) and primary cutaneous ALCL (cALCL; 10 cases) were compared for expression of CD44 and CD44v6 by immunohistochemical staining. Expression of CD44v6 also was analyzed with respect to expression of anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) in sALCL. No difference of CD44 expression was noted between sALCL and cALCL. In contrast, expression of CD44v6 was found in 18 (90%) of sALCL cases and in 5 (50%) of cALCL cases. There was no correlation between expression of CD44v6 and expression of ALK in sALCL. These results indicate that expression of CD44v6 rather than CD44 correlates with sALCL. Furthermore, these results suggest that CD44v6 and ALK may be independent predictors of risk for the systemic phenotype of ALCL.
Molecular Defect of a Phosphoglycerate Kinase Variant (PGK-Matsue) Associated With Hemolytic Anemia: Leu Pro Substitution Caused by T/A → C/G Transition in Exon 3

We have identified the mutation in a phosphoglycerate kinase variant (PGK-Matsue) associated with severe enzyme deficiency, congenital nonspherocytic hemolytic anemia, and mental disorders. The mRNA coding for PGK was reverse transcribed and amplified by the polymerase chain reaction. Nucleotide sequencing of the variant cDNA showed a point mutation, a T/A\---|-C/G transition in exon 3 of the variant gene. No other mutation was found in all coding regions of PGK-Matsue. The nucleotide change created an additional NciI cleavage site in the variant gene; thus, the NciI fragment types detected by Southern blot hybridization differ in the variant DNA and normal DNA. The mutation should cause Leu\---|-Pro substitution at the 88th position from the NH2- terminal Ser of PGK. Because the Leu\---|-Pro substitution is expected to induce serious perturbation and instability in the protein structure, the severe enzyme deficiency is mainly caused by more rapid in vivo denaturation and degradation of the variant enzyme.
The Role of Early Pubertal Development in the Relationship Between General Strain and Juvenile Crime

Agnew’s general strain (1992) theory postulates that negative relationships and negative life events can give rise to delinquency by way of negative emotions, such as anger. However, the factors th...
Comparison of cholesterol and 25-hydroxycholesterol in phase-separated langmuir monolayers at the air-water interface.

Langmuir monolayer studies combined with fluorescence microscopy provide powerful insights into the phase behavior of cholesterol and cholesterol analogue/phospholipid monolayer systems at the air–water interface. These studies have established the ability of cholesterol and similar molecules to condense the average molecular area of the monolayer as well as to laterally organize the monolayer into sterol-rich and sterol-poor regions. Oxysterols are one class of molecules that deserve particular attention due to their metabolic and physical effects on the membrane and the functioning of mammalian cells. We systematically explore the miscibility of 25-hydroxycholesterol (25OH) with 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) in lipid monolayers. Like cholesterol, the 25OH/DMPC system exhibits phase separation; however, due to the difunctional nature of 25OH, there are significant differences. Using fluorescence microscopy and traditional Langmuir techniques, we investigate the average molecular pack...
What Did Eisenhower Tell Kennedy about Indochina? The Politics of Misperception

Events so momentous in their consequences that they seem after the fact to have been the result of unalterable historical forces sometimes prove to have roots in decib sions that appear to have been far from inevitable at the time they were made. A case in point is the transformation of the United States advisory role in Vietnam to a full-scale military intervention in the 1960s. OnJuly 28, 1965, President Lyndon B. Johnson announced what in effect was an open-ended commitment to use American military force to defend South Vietnam. He justified his actions in terms that implied that he had little choice but to act as he had, stating that "three Presidents -President Eisenhower, President Kennedy and your present President over eleven years have committed themselves and promised to defend this small and valiant nation." YetJohnson's announcement came after six months in which he had authorized a series of incremental increases in the American military presence in Vietnam, doing so in a context in which there was nothing approaching consensus on the part of his advisers or of others in public life about what, if anything, the United States should do to keep South Vietnam from falling to the Communists.1 If American leaders were undecided about Vietnam in 1965, they were even more
Optimizing Solute–Water van der Waals Interactions To Reproduce Solvation Free Energies

An accurate representation of solute–water interactions is necessary for molecular dynamics simulations of biomolecules that reside in aqueous environments. Modern force fields and advanced water models describe solute–solute and water–water interactions reasonably accurately but have known shortcomings in describing solute–water interactions, demonstrated by the large differences between calculated and experimental solvation free energies across a range of peptide and drug chemistries. In this work, we introduce a method for optimizing solute–water van der Waals interactions to reproduce experimental solvation free energy data and apply it to the optimization of a fixed charge force field (AMBER ff99SB/GAFF) and advanced water model (TIP4P-Ew). We show that, with these optimizations, the combination of AMBER ff99SB/GAFF and TIP4P-Ew is able to reproduce the solvation free energies of a variety of biologically relevant small molecules to within 1.0 kBT. We further validate these optimizations by examining...
16 × 16 optical-fiber crossbar switch operating at 0.85 μm

High bandwidth, short distance, data communication requirements such as encountered in computer and avionic systems can be well served by fiber optics. The many advantages of optical data transmission such as high fanout, low interchannel crosstalk, low weight, insensitivity to electromagnetic interference, and high data rate make this technology very attractive for these applications. One critical component that is required for many applications is a crossbar switch. Previous approaches have involved all-optical directional coupler switch matrices,1 integrated arrays of detectors using current summing to drive output lasers,2 and optoelectronic integrated circuits with electrical switching and optical to electronic and electronic to optical conversion.3
Study of the sodium hyaluronate toxicity on SD rats in sensitive period of teratogenesis

OBJECTIVE:To explore the toxicity of sodium hyaluronate on SD rats in sensitive period of teratogenesis.METHODS:Pregnant rats were divided randomly into five groups,three sodium hyaluronate groups (1 333,667 and 333 mg/kg),one negative control given deionized water,and one positive control given Aspirin(250 mg/kg).There were at least 12 pregnant rats in each group.During the sensitive period of teratogenesis(the 7~(th) to 16~(th) day of gestation),the pregnant rats of each group were given test sample orally once a day for ten days.On the 20~(th) day of gestation,the pregnant rats were sacrificed.Embryonic and fetal development were evaluated,appearance,viscesal and skeletal abnormalities were observed.RESULTS:In sodium hyaluronate groups,the weight of pregnant rats and uterus including fetuses,living fetus rate,dead fetus rate,body weight,length of body and tail of fetuses were not significantly different from negative control.No abnormality of skeleton,organ and body was identified in fetuses of groups treated with sodium hyaluronate.CONCLUSION:At dosages used in this study,sodium hyaluronate had neither maternal toxicity nor teratogenecity in pregnant SD rats.
Exposure of human CD34+ cells to human immunodeficiency virus type 1 does not influence their expansion and proliferation of hematopoietic progenitors in vitro

The susceptibility of highly purified human CD34+ cells to monocytotropic (Ba-L) and lymphotropic (A018-post) strains of human immunodeficiency virus-1 (HIV-1) was examined. Liquid cultures initiated with fresh immunomagnetically purified CD34+ cells using the K6.1 CD34 monoclonal antibody (MoAb) (K6.1/CD34+) were positive for HIV expression 2 weeks after exposure to HIV-1 Ba-L. These cells were initially greater than 90% CD34+ and had undetectable monocyte contamination by flow-cytometric staining and side-scatter analyses, respectively, and undetectable T-cell contamination by CD3 polymerase chain reaction (PCR) analysis. However, secondary CD34+ liquid cultures reselected from the primary liquid cultures 24 hours after HIV exposure by panning with the ICH3 CD34 MoAb (ICH3/CD34+) and maintained for an additional 14 days were negative for HIV expression. The ICH3-unbound cells were positive for both spliced and unspliced HIV RNA when exposed to HIV-1 Ba-L, and were DNA PCR positive when exposed to either monocytotropic or lymphotropic HIV-1. To further test that CD34+ cells were not infectible by HIV-1, we exposed K6.1/CD34+ cells continuously to HIV-1 in a culture system capable of maintaining and expanding primitive CD34+ cells. HIV-exposed K6.1/CD34+ cells proliferated and expanded as efficiently as uninfected cultures. However, when reselected magnetically using the K6.1 CD34 MoAb after expansion for 7 days, bound K6.1/CD34+ cells were again negative for HIV-1 expression, whereas unbound cells were positive for HIV-1 expression. These findings suggest that a sequential CD34+ cell-selection process, in which the two selections are separated by a brief culture period, can yield a population of CD34+ cells that are not infected with HIV-1. This process may be useful in the design of stem or progenitor cell-based transplantation therapies for HIV infection.
Further studies on post-transcriptional stabilization of ribosomal precursor ribonucleic acid by phenobarbital.

To study the effect of phenobarbital on transcription of hepatic ribosomal precursor RNA (45 S RNA), three experiments were performed in adult male rats receiving single daily intraperitoneal injections of 0.9% NaCl or phenobarbital (100 mg/kg) for 1 or 4 days: measurement of the labeling of hepatic nuclear RNA with L-[ methyl -3H]methionine, determination of nucleolar RNA polymerase activity, and measurement of alkaline nuclear ribonuclease activity. Labeling of nuclear RNA with [ methyl -3H]methionine increased approximately 100% and 50% in rats treated for 1 and 4 days, respectively, with phenobarbital. Phenobarbital for 1 or 4 days did not affect nucleolar RNA polymerase activity measured in the presence of high ionic media and α-amanitin. With nonlabeled ribosomal RNA or 45 S [3H]RNA as substrate, nuclear alkalne ribonuclease activity in phenobarbital-treated rats was unaltered. These data confirm our previous finding that phenobarbital-induced stabilizations of 45 S RNA molecules accounts for the approximately 2-fold increase in cellular concentration of 45 S RNA in rats treated for 4 days with phenobarbital. A single dose of phenobarbital may stimulate methylation of newly formed 45 S RNA molecules normally degraded in the nucleus, thereby increasing transport of ribsomal subunits to the cytoplams.
Surgical therapy of malignant melanoma of the skin

Operative treatment is the therapy of choice in malignant melanoma under curative as well as palliative considerations. Today more conservative surgical strategies are preferred, however. Thus, the safety margins for the excision of the primary tumor have been significantly reduced. With the introduction of the minimally invasive sentinel node biopsy the elective lymph node dissection, a high morbidity intervention, has become obsolete. Sentinel node biopsy should be performed in all melanomas thicker than 0.75 mm, as the percentage of lymph nodes harvesting micrometastases increases in correspondence to the clinical tumor stage up to 75%.
Toward the Intrinsic Limit of the Topological Insulator Bi 2 Se 3

Combining high resolution scanning tunneling microscopy and first principles calculations, we identified the major native defects, in particular the Se vacancies and Se interstitial defects, that are responsible for the bulk conduction and nanoscale potential fluctuations in single crystals of archetypal topological insulator ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$. Here it is established that the defect concentrations in ${\mathrm{Bi}}_{2}{\mathrm{Se}}_{3}$ are far above the thermodynamic limit, and that the growth kinetics dominate the observed defect concentrations. Furthermore, through careful control of the synthesis, our tunneling spectroscopy suggests that our best samples are approaching the intrinsic limit with the Fermi level inside the band gap without introducing extrinsic dopants.
Piketty, social criticism, and critical education

Thomas Piketty’s volume Capital in the Twenty-first Century (Piketty 2014) is one of those rare academic books that become a public phenomenon. Partly a case of sponsored mobility and partly a genu...
Statistics Sufficient for Control

This chapter is devoted to further development of distribution theory required for the control problem. Here data reduction will be accomplished by exploiting certain aspects of the loss function. The intention in defining a “sufficient” statistic is to reduce the amount of data to be used in computing an optimal control problem. Unless a sufficient statistic of few dimensions can be found, it is virtually impossible to solve the control problem in any practical sense.
Throughput of commercial photographic camera lenses for use in astronomical systems

We present measurements of the spectral response function of commercially-available Nikon 35mm photographic camera lenses for use in astronomical instrumentation. Our motivation for this work stems from the fact that several astronomical imaging systems have been deployed or proposed using this type of commercial lens. We have performed measurements of the relative and absolute spectral response function of five commercially-available photographic lenses. These measurements show that these lenses generally have >50% throughput across the entire optical window of 400nm < λ < 800nm.
Factors affecting teen drivers' crash-related length of stay in the hospital

Abstract Teen drivers have higher rates of traffic crashes and crash-related hospitalization than other driver groups. Crash-related hospital length of stay (LOS) is not only a measure of financial costs and level of injury severity but also longer term effects following a traffic crash. Thus, it is important to investigate the effects of crash factors on the crash-related hospital length of stay of this driver group. The South Carolina Crash Outcome Data Evaluation System (SC CODES) from 2005 to 2007 was used to construct zero-inflated negative binomial regression models to predict teen drivers’ hospital length of stay based on the corresponding crash characteristics. The results found that not wearing a seatbelt increased male teen drivers’ probability of being admitted to the hospital by 79.2% and their LOS by 40.5%. In addition, distracted male drivers had 51.42% lower odds to be admitted to the hospital than male drivers who were not distracted, whereas female distracted drivers had 34.6% higher odds to be admitted to the hospital than female drivers who were not distracted. Not wearing a seatbelt, drug use, and speeding are associated with a higher likelihood of being admitted to the hospital or longer hospital length of stay for both male and female teen drivers. Fatigued driving and driving at night are two factors unique to male teen drivers which increase their likelihood of being admitted to the hospital. Evaluating the implications of crash factors on hospital admissions and length of stay increases our understanding of crash factors and their safety consequences.
Delivery of Bone Marrow-Derived Mesenchymal Stem Cells Improves Tear Production in a Mouse Model of Sjögren’s Syndrome

The purpose of the present study was to test the potential of mouse bone marrow-derived mesenchymal stem cells (BD-MSCs) in improving tear production in a mouse model of Sjogren's syndrome dry eye and to investigate the underlying mechanisms involved. NOD mice (n = 20) were randomized to receive i.p. injection of sterile phosphate buffered saline (PBS, control) or murine BD-MSCs (1 × 106 cells). Tears production was measured at baseline and once a week after treatment using phenol red impregnated threads. Cathepsin S activity in the tears was measured at the end of treatment. After 4 weeks, animals were sacrificed and the lacrimal glands were excised and processed for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, and RNA analysis. Following BD-MSC injection, tears production increased over time when compared to both baseline and PBS injected mice. Although the number of lymphocytic foci in the lacrimal glands of treated animals did not change, the size of the foci decreased by 40.5% when compared to control animals. The mRNA level of the water channel aquaporin 5 was significantly increased following delivery of BD-MSCs. We conclude that treatment with BD-MSCs increases tear production in the NOD mouse model of Sjogren's syndrome. This is likely due to decreased inflammation and increased expression of aquaporin 5.
Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus Sacroiliac Joint Septic Arthritis in an Adult Patient Treated with Daptomycin

Sacroiliac joint septic arthritis is a rare disease entity representing 1-2% of all cases of septic arthritis. Establishment of the diagnosis is often challenging given the non-specific presenting features and the potential cross-over with other pathologies. We report the case of a 50 year old gentleman who suffers with psoriasis and presented with sacroiliac joint septic arthritis complicated by Methicillin Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus (MRSA) bacteraemia and an iliopsoas abscess. This was successfully treated conservatively with a course of the novel antibiotic Daptomycin.
Offshoring and Outsourcing of Customer-Oriented Business Processes: An International Transaction Value Model

Business processes that involve information processing and human interaction raise unique issues of geography and governance. To explain outsourcing and offshoring decisions by firms, we develop a model of international transaction value that integrates resource-based theory, location economics, and transaction costs theory. This firm-level model provides a strong theoretical foundation for understanding and testing the conditions for effective outsourcing and offshoring of customer-oriented business processes (COBP). In addition to establishing static conditions that should favor greater or lesser degrees of outsourcing and offshoring, the model also provides pathways to suggest how preferences will change under alternative circumstances.
Pembrolizumab in patients with recurrent thymic carcinoma: Results of a phase II study.

8573Background: There are few treatment options for thymic carcinoma after chemotherapy. We completed a single institution phase II study of pembrolizumab (P) in patients with recurrent thymic carc...
Isotropy study for over-the-Air measurements in a loaded reverberation chamber

We performed a field isotropy study based on the reverberation chamber transfer function for three different reverberation chamber configurations. Guidance for reducing the anisotropy based on the polarization-balanced antenna is also provided. We show that chamber isotropy is strongly influenced by loading such that an unloaded chamber can be considered as an isotropic environment, while a loaded chamber is more-or-less anisotropic depending on the amount of loading present. The loading of the chamber is crucial for wireless tests involving modulated signals. Its purpose is to create a flat channel, which enables successful demodulation of the signal without distortion. Consequently, understanding this effect is important in quantifying measurement uncertainty in loaded conditions.
Instructional Systems Design: An Appropriate Technology for Developing Nations

Instructional systems design (ISD) has been advanced as an appropriate technology for developing nations. When used as a heuristic technique to guide educational innovation, it has been found to be effective. However, ISD can only be rightly called an ‘appropriate technology’ when adapted by developing nations to serve their own interests, not when rigidly imposed from the outside. Although many barriers exist to realizing such an appropriate ISD technology, the effort appears well worthwhile.
Epithelioid angiosarcoma in pleural fluid: Cytological features and literature review

Abstract Epithelioid angiosarcoma is a rare vascular neoplasm with an aggressive clinical course and poor prognosis. The cytological diagnosis of epithelioid angiosarcoma is challenging. Herein, we describe the cytological features of epithelioid angiosarcoma in a pleural fluid as the initial presentation of angiosarcoma in a 52-year-old patient 3 years after mastectomy and radiation therapy for invasive lobular carcinoma of the breast. We describe the cytological characteristics of epithelioid angiosarcoma in body fluid specimens and the differential diagnosis.
In vitro and in vivo assessment of oxygenator blood volume for the prediction of clot formation in an ECMO circuit (theory and validation).

Introduction:Clotting is one of the major causes of mortality and morbidity during extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO). A large meta-analysis study suggests that 29% of patients require the ...
Strain Transfer for Optimal Performance of Sensing Sheet

Sensing sheets based on Large Area Electronics (LAE) and Integrated Circuits (ICs) are novel sensors designed to enable reliable early-stage detection of local unusual structural behaviors. Such a device consists of a dense array of strain sensors, patterned onto a flexible polyimide substrate along with associated electronics. Previous tests performed on steel specimens equipped with sensing sheet prototypes and subjected to fatigue cracking pointed to a potential issue: individual sensors that were on or near a crack would immediately be damaged by the crack, thereby rendering them useless in assessing the size of the crack opening or to monitor future crack growth. In these tests, a stiff adhesive was used to bond the sensing sheet prototype to the steel specimen. Such an adhesive provided excellent strain transfer, but it also caused premature failure of individual sensors within the sheet. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to identify an alternative adhesive that survives minor damage, yet provides strain transfer that is sufficient for reliable early-stage crack detection. A sensor sheet prototype is then calibrated for use with the selected adhesive.
On White Double-Consiousness

Johansen’s professional identification, as evinced in this story clip on student differences, begins with an assertion that reinforces deficit understandings of students’ families as “problem.” Contradictorily, the statement changes direction mid-thought and indicates structural understandings of student differences. Deficit understandings emphasize students’ “home life” (Johansen, Interview 4b, p. 7), and structural understandings emphasize “White middle class” (Johansen, Interview 4b, p. 7) perspectives.
Correlation of overall survival (OS) in patients (pts) with inoperable hepatocellular carcinoma (iHCC) receiving tivozanib (TIVO) with baseline performance status.

e16122Background: Therapeutic approaches and prognosis in cancer depend on the baseline performance status and comorbidities. The first line therapy for iHCC has been sorafenib since 2007, the only...
Decadal carbon decomposition dynamics in three peatlands in Northern Minnesota

The uppermost portion of the peat profile, an area of active diagenetic processes, is exceedingly important for understanding peatland dynamics and the diagenesis and geochemistry of atmospherically-deposited materials. We investigated high resolution carbon (C) accrual and peat decomposition rates at two Sphagnum-rich ombrotrophic bogs and one fen in northern Minnesota, USA by analyzing 1 cm increments from 30 cm thick intact frozen blocks of peat soil. We conducted radiocarbon analysis of Sphagnum cellulose to determine peat age and net C accumulation at each depth interval. Calibrated peat ages were determined using CALIBomb and a compilation of calibration datasets for the pre-bomb period. We fit data with a negative exponential accumulation model and used model-derived parameters to estimate net primary productivity (NPP) and a peat decomposition rate constant k. FTIR spectroscopy and C:N were used to derive humification indices and to chemically characterize the peat. NPP ranged from 180 to 266 g C m−2 year−1, k ranged from 0.015 to 0.019 year−1. Net C accumulation rates ranged from 112 to 174 g C m−2 year−1 at 25 years and 70 to 113 g C m−2 year−1 at 50 years. Mass loss was up to 55% during the first 50 years of peat accumulation. Decomposition is greater at depth in the bogs—where 25 cm of peat correspond to 55 years of peat accumulation—than in the fen, where peat age is approximately 25 years at 25 cm depth. Information on fine-scale variations in peat mass decomposition and loss across ombrotrophic bogs and a fen help interpret other diagenetic processes in peatlands.