cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Simultaneous multielement AAS with carbon furnace atomization for the analysis of biological samples

A continuum source AAS spectrometer coupled with a graphite furnace atomizer was employed for the determination of trace elements in biological materials (enzymes, blood serum). With proper furnace conditions, accurate multielement determinations can be made simultaneously.
The role of excessive body weight and meniscal instability in the progression of osteoarthritis in a rat model.

Abstract Background The main objective of the study was to determine if excessive body weight and meniscal destabilization cause knee articular cartilage damage and changes in meniscal histology indicative of knee osteoarthritis (OA). Methods Forty female Lewis rats were randomly assigned to regular diet sham surgery, regular diet medial meniscus destabilization (DMM) surgery, high-fat diet sham surgery, or high-fat diet DMM surgery. Surgical intervention occurred four weeks after diet initiation. Rats were sacrificed four weeks post-surgery. Progression of OA was evaluated in femoral condyles and tibial plateaus using the Osteoarthritis Research Society International (OARSI) scoring system by two blinded scorers. Ossification of menisci was evaluated with digitized histological slides using a grid. Results DMM surgery had greater OARSI scores than sham surgery for all knee surfaces in both diet groups (all P Conclusions Results suggested excessive body weight may contribute to spontaneous onset of OA and emphasized the importance of preventative care in those at risk of developing OA.
Optimization-Based Design of Bounded-Error Estimators Robust to Missing Data

Abstract Non-asymptotic bounded-error state estimators that provide hard bounds on the estimation error are crucial for safety-critical applications. This paper proposes a class of optimal bounded-error affine estimators to achieve a novel property we are calling Equalized Recovery that can be computed by leveraging ideas from the dual problem of affine finite horizon optimal control design. In particular, by using Q-parametrization, the estimator design problem is reduced to a convex optimization problem. An extension of this estimator to handle missing data (e.g., due to package drops or sensor glitches) is also proposed. These ideas are illustrated with a numerical example motivated by vehicle safety systems.
'He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds' (Ps 147:3): Perspectives on pastoral care

The psalmist is deeply convinced that God is a reliable addressee to whom those hurt, traumatised and grieving may turn. Churches, by their mandate to share God’s loving-kindness, are obliged to provide opportunities, counselling and pastoral care to those who suffer from violations in their lives. Representatives of the church will do so by proclaiming God’s compassion and pitifulness. This obligation is all the more important as it can be observed that Christians, congregations and churches have oftentimes been part and parcel of processes that caused harm, hurt and trauma to their members or other people.
Advanced Practice Providers in the ICU: Models for a Successful Multiprofessional Team

Innovative changes in the critical care delivery model are necessary to maintain high-quality, cost-effective care. Specialty prepared nurse practitioners and physician assistants fill provider shortages with positive patient outcomes. Proper training and utilization are imperative in creating care teams who will perform to the top of their abilities. Nurse practitioners and physician assistants are a viable alternative to traditional staffing models, providing safe and effective care in the critical care environment.
Inflation Targeting in Emerging Economies

Documento el descenso de la tasa de inflacion despues de la implementacion del regimen de Inflacion Objetivo (OI) en 14 economias emergentes. Describo brevemente como cada pais implemento IO y argumento que el nuevo regimen forzo una coordinacion de politicas entre varios entes gubernamentales, esto ultimo facilitado por un proceso de toma de decisiones mas transparente y con un enfoque mas puntual. Esto permitio que los agentes economicos coordinaran mejor sus expectativas induciendo asi una reduccion en la tasa de inflacion. Para los mismos paises, tambien documento la dificultad de acertar a una meta de inflacion precisa en un corto periodo de tiempo. Para mostrar como la inflacion esta determinada por la accion conjunta de las politicas fiscal y monetaria, presento un modelo de coordinacion de politicas.
UNIT 7.3 Optical Methods

Equilibrium optical melting curves are used in this unit to determine thermodynamic parameters of nucleic acid complex formation. This section contains all of the relevant equations and a discussion of which are most appropriate to a given situation. Additionally, procedures are given for making preliminary determinations of molar extinction coefficients and for determining the number of oligonucleotides in a complex. The section on extinction coefficients is particularly essential to anyone needing to know solution concentrations.
YBa2Cu3O7−y SQUID with Step-Edge Junctions

YBa2Cu3O7− junctions were fabricated. We have studied characteristics of the SQUIDs with different inductances. The flux transfer function was affected significantly by the SQUID inductance. The minimum energy sensitivity at 10Hz of 3.3 × 13.10−29J/Hz was obtained at the SQUID with inductance of 40pH. The superconducting focussing plate was applied to the SQUID to enhance the magnetic field sensitivity. The flux capture area increased by a factor of 3.6 and was 1.8 × 10-8m2. The flux noise Sϕ 1/2 at 10 Hz was 3.4 x× 10−5ϕ0/Hz1/2, corresponding to 3.7pT/Hz1/2.
Ventromedial prefrontal cortex connectivity during and after psychological stress in women

The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) integrates sensory, affective, memory-related, and social information from diverse brain systems to coordinate behavioral and peripheral physiological responses according to contextual demands that are appraised as stressful. However, the functionality of the vmPFC during stressful experiences is not fully understood. Among 40 female participants, the present study evaluated (a) functional connectivity of the vmPFC during exposure to and recovery following an acute psychological stressor, (b) associations among vmPFC functional connectivity, heart rate, and subjective reports of stress across individuals, and (c) whether patterns of vmPFC functional connectivity were associated with distributed brain networks. Results showed that psychological stress increased vmPFC functional connectivity with individual brain areas implicated in stressor processing (e.g., insula, amygdala, anterior cingulate cortex) and decreased connectivity with the posterior cingulate cortex and thalamus. There were no statistical differences in vmPFC connectivity to individual brain areas during recovery, as compared with baseline. Spatial similarity analyses revealed stressor-evoked increased connectivity of the vmPFC with the so-called dorsal attention, ventral attention, and frontoparietal networks, as well as decreased connectivity with the default mode network. During recovery, vmPFC connectivity increased with the frontoparietal network. Finally, individual differences in heart rate and perceived stress were associated with vmPFC connectivity to the ventral attention, frontoparietal, and default mode networks. Psychological stress appears to alter network-level functional connectivity of the vmPFC in a manner that further relates to individual differences in stressor-evoked cardiovascular and affective reactivity.
Lognormal hypothesis and distribution of energy dissipation in intermittent turbulence

Obukhov, Kolmogorov and others argued that energy dissipation in intermittent turbulence is lognormally distributed. This hypothesis is shown to be untenable: depending upon the precise formulation chosen, it is either unverifiable or inconsistent. The paper proposes a variant of the generating model leading to the lognormal. This variant is consistent, appears tractable, and for sufficiently small values of its unique parameter μ it yields the lognormal hypothesis as a good approximation. As μ increases, the approximation worsens, and for high enough values of μ, the turbulence ends by concentrating in very few huge “blobs.” Still other consistent alternative models of intermittency yield distributions that differ from the lognormal in the opposite direction; these various models in combination suggest several empirical tests.
A "Choose-Your-Own" Classroom-Based Activity That Promotes Scientific Inquiry about RNA Interference.

RNA interference (RNAi), the process that results in the degradation of a target gene’s mRNA, is a fundamental part of eukaryotic gene regulation and is also an important molecular technique that allows for experimental manipulation of gene expression without altering DNA sequences. Despite the importance of RNAi, there have been relatively few lecture-based activities designed to teach about the consequences of this process and counter common misconceptions. I present here an inquiry-based activity that is centered around a “choose your own experiment” design where students generate hypotheses and critically evaluate their ideas by choosing several simulated experiments. The activity presents students with one of the original puzzling observations, the discovery that triggering overexpression of a given gene in a flower resulted in an opposite change in phenotype than expected, and the subsequent discovery that there was a dramatic decrease of that gene’s mRNA, that sparked the discovery of RNAi. Students then propose a molecular mechanism for these results before using a limited budget of funding to simulate their choice of experiments. Simulated results are provided for these experiments, and students must work together to interpret and discuss these results before deciding on the next experiment. I provide a guide for instructors on how to implement this activity, with suggestions on how to vary the activity to fit different class sizes as well as an abbreviated version for instructors who are short on time. Finally, I include an aligned assessment so that instructors may check student learning about the impacts of RNAi.
1.2-kV 4H-SiC SenseFET With Monolithically Integrated Sensing Resistor

A 1.2 kV rated 4H-SiC SenseFET structure with monolithically integrated sensing resistor is proposed and experimentally demonstrated. The SenseFET was fabricated on a 6-inch SiC wafer using the same fabrication process as the conventional MOSFET, where Tungsten-Silicided (WSi2) Poly-Si layer was patterned to form the Poly-Si gate and sensing resistor, ${R}_{S}$ , simultaneously. No impact of the integration of the Sense MOSFET and sense resistor on blocking characteristics was confirmed. Good linearity (within ±10%) of the sense voltage with main MOSFET drain current was observed, independent of drain current level, gate bias voltage, and temperature.
Doxycycline for Prevention of Spirochetal Infections: Status Report

Important human infections caused by spirochetal microorganisms include Lyme disease, syphilis, leptospirosis, and tick-borne relapsing fever. Doxycycline prophylactic regimens have been shown to significantly reduce the risk for developing all of these infections in potentially exposed individuals, which is highly clinically relevant since no vaccines to prevent these infections in humans are currently available. Additional data, however, are needed to define more precisely the level of efficacy of the doxycycline prophylactic regimens, especially for Lyme disease and syphilis, infections that can be potentially prevented by a single 200 mg dose of doxycycline given within 72 hours post-exposure.
The serogroup B meningococcal outer membrane vesicle-based vaccine 4CMenB induces cross-species protection against Neisseria gonorrhoeae

There is a pressing need for a gonorrhea vaccine due to the high disease burden associated with gonococcal infections globally and the rapid evolution of antibiotic resistance in Neisseria gonorrhoeae (Ng). Current gonorrhea vaccine research is in the stages of antigen discovery and the identification of protective immune responses, and no vaccine has been tested in clinical trials in over 30 years. Recently, however, it was reported in a retrospective case-control study that vaccination of humans with a serogroup B Neisseria meningitidis (Nm) outer membrane vesicle (OMV) vaccine (MeNZB) was associated with reduced rates of gonorrhea. Here we directly tested the hypothesis that Nm OMVs induce cross-protection against gonorrhea in a well-characterized female mouse model of Ng genital tract infection. We found that immunization with the licensed Nm OMV-based vaccine 4CMenB (Bexsero®) significantly accelerated clearance and reduced the Ng bacterial burden compared to administration of alum or PBS. High titers of serum IgG1 and IgG2a and vaginal IgG1 that cross-reacted with Ng OMVs were induced by vaccination via either the subcutaneous or intraperitoneal routes, and a 4-fold increase in the serum bactericidal 50 titers was detected against the challenge strain. Antibodies from vaccinated mice recognized several surface proteins in a diverse collection of Ng strains, including PilQ, BamA, MtrE, PorB, and Opa, and 4CMenB-induced antibodies bound PilQ and MtrE in native form on the surface of viable bacteria. In contrast, the antibodies were only cross-reactive against lipooligosaccharide species from a few Ng strains. Our findings directly support epidemiological evidence that Nm OMVs confer cross-species protection against Ng and implicate several Ng surface antigens as potentially protective targets. This work also validates the murine infection model as a relevant experimental system for investigating mechanisms of vaccine-mediated protection against gonorrhea.
Measuring self-reported polyvictimization in foster youth research: A systematic review.

Abstract Background Youth who are or have been in foster care (foster youth) are at higher risk for adverse outcomes in early adulthood. As the importance and complexity of victimization experiences, including types, timing, and perpetrators, is better understood it is unclear whether or to what extent the research on foster youth assesses polyvictimization. Because many types of victimization, such as community violence, are under-reported or absent in the administrative data typically used for research with foster care populations, self-reports of victimization experiences are necessary to comprehensively assess polyvictimization. Polyvictimization places youth at increased risk for adverse outcomes, and yet is not widely measured in the foster youth population. This is likely in part due to the wide-use of administrative reports to assess maltreatment among research on foster youth which does not capture a full range of victimization experiences. Objective The aim of the present study was to systematically review and evaluate the measurement of self-reported polyvictimization with foster youth samples. Methods A search in Academic Search Premier, MEDLINE, PsycARTICLES, Psychology and Behavioral Sciences Collection, Social Work Abstracts, SociINDEX, and Scopus was conducted. Articles included peer-reviewed, quantitative research studies that measured self-reported victimization (including violence exposure and/or maltreatment) with foster youth samples between 1997−2017. In total, 1887 studies were identified and reviewed by two raters and of those 18 met the study criteria. Results Almost all of the included studies (n = 16) measured multiple types of victimization through self-report. The most common types of victimization measured were sexual abuse (n = 15), physical abuse (n = 14), and physical neglect (n = 11). Half of studies (n = 9) measured at least one non-maltreatment victimization experience, such as community violence exposure and/or dating violence. However, included studies rarely measured other aspects of victimization, such as timing of exposure (e.g., pre or during foster care), which research has identified as relevant to outcomes. Conclusions This is the first systematic review to assess the measurement of self-reported polyvictimization in research with current or former foster youth. Given the limited comprehensive assessment of victimization, these findings support strong recommendations for developing or adapting polyvictimization measures specifically for foster youth so that the measures include child welfare-specific factors such as the timing and perpetration of victimization experiences.
Considerations concerning the contributionsof fundamental particles to the vacuum energy density

The covariant regularization of the contributions of fundamental particles to the vacuum energy density is implemented in the Pauli-Villars, dimensional regularization, and Feynman regulator frameworks. Rules of correspondence between dimensional regularization and cutoff calculations are discussed. Invoking the scale invariance of free field theories in the massless limit, as well as consistency with the rules of correspondence, it is argued that quartic divergences are absent in the case of free fields, while it is shown that they arise when interactions are present.
Alveolar Epithelial Cells

Tuberculosis (TB) disease is caused by the intracellular pathogen Mycobacterium tuberculosis (M.tb), and currently represents a severe threat to global public health. After M.tb infection, there is a broad spectrum of potential outcomes leading to active pulmonary or extrapulmonary disease, latent TB, or clearance by the host. Although recruitment of key elements of the immune system such as alveolar macrophages, neutrophils, and dendritic cells are critical for the control of the infection, it is important to consider the potential role of nonprofessional phagocytic cells such as alveolar epithelial cells (ATs) in this scenario. ATs line the alveolar lung epithelium, providing a physical barrier preventing microbial dissemination. More importantly, ATs secrete the alveolar lining fluid composed of host innate soluble components, essential in the host immune defense against M.tb, that could be targeted by host-directed therapies (HDT). HDTs are an emerging alternative for TB treatment that, rather than acting directly on M.tb, modulate critical host pathways involved in controlling M.tb infection. In this chapter, we discuss potential AT-targeted host-directed therapeutic strategies against M.tb, including enhancing intracellular killing mainly by professional phagocytes, improving cellular recruitment, and suppressing inflammation and lung tissue damage. Overall, HDT targeting of ATs could provide an effective immunological balance that allows for the increased control of the infection and decreased destructive cellular inflammation, which ultimately aids in the improvement of drug efficacy to control TB.
93-Gbaud PAM4 O-Band Transmission Using Nonlinear Spectral Shaping with Transition-Likelihood-Based Decoding

We propose a combination scheme of nonlinear differential coding and transition-likelihood-based decoding to realize spectral shaping and enhance the tolerance to bandwidth limitation in high-baudrate short-reach IM-DD system. We demonstrate 186-Gb/s 10-km transmission through an O-band experiment with the 3-dB bandwidth of 14 GHz.
Economic Loss from Rhizoctonia Bare Patch in Rainfed Winter Wheat and Spring Barley in Oregon.

Economic loss from Rhizoctonia bare patch, caused by Rhizoctonia solani AG-8, was estimated in two 50-ha fields on a single farm. A winter wheat crop was managed as a conventionally cultivated 2-ye...
Climate change and anger: misogyny and the dominant growth paradigm in tourism

Emotions provoke change, yet are often discredited at best and demonized at worst in modernity and positivism. We currently face a global climate crisis – one so dangerous that biocultural diversit...
RADIOGRAPHIC CHARACTERISTIC FEATURES OF PRE-ERUPTIVE INTRACORONAL RESORPTION USING CONE-BEAM COMPUTED TOMOGRAPHY

BACKGROUND Pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption (PEIR) is a radiolucent lesion that affects the coronal dentin of unerupted teeth. PEIR is a rare condition with unknown cause, and it is usually detected incidentally in routine dental imaging. The radiographic appearance of PEIR resembles that of dental caries; however, some studies have reported clinical and histologic evidence to support the hypothesis that these lesions are likely resorptive in nature. OBJECTIVE(S) To characterize the radiographic features of pre-eruptive intracoronal resorption in the unerupted permanent dentition using cone-beam computed tomography (CBCT). STUDY DESIGN In this retrospective study, 26 CBCT scans of patients who had at least 1 tooth with a PEIR lesion were evaluated. The following data were recorded: patients’ demographic data, number of affected teeth, affected tooth type, location, and extension of the lesion. The communication of lesions with the pulp was also evaluated. RESULTS Out of 26 patients (10 female and 16 male), 33 unerupted permanent teeth with PEIR were recorded. Twenty-one of the cases were located in the maxilla and 12 in the mandible. The maxillary third molar was the most affected tooth type, followed by mandibular third molars and supernumerary teeth. Of 26 patients with PEIR, 21 patients had only 1 affected tooth, 3 patients had 2 affected teeth, and 2 patients had 3 affected teeth. Ninety-four of cases showed radiographic evidence of enamel involvement. In 36% of cases, the lesion extended apical to the cementoenamel junction (CEJ), and in 1 of the specimens the lesion extended to the middle third of the root. None of the cases showed evidence of periapical rarefying osteitis. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSIONS The findings of this study show that the radiographic patterns of PEIR are distinctly different from those seen with other types of resorptive defect. CBCT imaging is a valuable tool for detection, differential diagnosis, and prognostic evaluation of teeth with PEIR.
Uncovering Latent Profiles Based on How Students Review Paper-Based Assessments.

Blended learning environments offer a rich amount of data that encompasses various learning interactions. Despite advancements in technology, there have been several learning activities that remain offline, thus preventing us from fully understanding certain aspects of student learning. An example of this is how students review their paper-based assessments. Using a homegrown educational technology that addresses this gap, we analyzed students’ clickstream data to uncover latent profiles based on how they review these graded assessments. Such behavior could provide insight into their self-regulated learning strategies as they attempt to correct their misconceptions. We leveraged latent profile analysis and presented our preliminary findings and interpretations of the five student profiles we uncovered to understand the effects of their varying efforts to learn the course material.
Differential expression of genes in tumor cells growing in the peripheral and central zones of pancreatic cancer

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 825 Gene expression analysis using cDNA microarray can be a useful tool to predict the potential progression of Neoplasms. Since all tumors are biologically heterogeneous, we wished to determine whether gene expression will differ between cells growing in the central zone and cells growing in the peripheral zone of tumors. Cells in non-necrotic central area and periphery of human pancreatic cancer growing in the pancreas of nude mice were isolated by Laser Capture Microdissection. Total RNA was extracted and gene expression profiles were compared using Affymetrix HG-U133-Plus-2.0 array, which containing 54,674 probe sets. Comparison of gene expression pattern in central zone tumor cells and peripheral zone tumor cells identified statistical difference in 86 genes, of which 58 were up-regulated in the peripheral and 28 were up-regulated in the central zone of the pancreatic tumors. Among the genes up-regulated in the peripheral zone were genes functionally characterized by protease activity, changes in cell morphology, invasiveness, tumor cell-stroma interaction, proliferation and metastasis. Examples are: protease serine 23, fibronectin 1, Integrin beta6, galectin 1, collagen type III alpha1, and chemokine C-X-CR4. The up-regulation of genes expressed in tumor cells residing in the central zone or peripheral zone were confirmed by in situ hybridization analysis. These data demonstrate that different areas within a Neoplasms from which clinical samples are collected for studies of gene expression present different profile i.e. individual Neoplasms can present a heterogenous profile of gene expression. Whether the differential expression between cells growing in the peripheral zone versus central zone is now under active investigation.
Technical standards: The market and radio frequency allocation

Abstract This paper uses the economics of technical standards as the focal point for analysing current issues in radio frequency allocation. It argues that market forces can be introduced into radio frequency allocation by setting general rather than technology-specific interference standards, which would allow the shift of channels from one service to another as market forces dictate. Although this approach to spectrum allocation seems a radical departure from earlier methods, the principles involved are already commonly used and widely accepted.
Publish/subscribe model for querying, sensing and actuation in peer-to-peer wireless sensor network

The data-management task in wireless sensor network (WSN) should be performed such that limited resources like memory, processing and power are utilized very efficiently. An event based approach for management of data is the most appropriate one for WSN because only those events that are of interest to the user or application are monitored and handled by the nodes in the WSN. The model proposed in this paper for managing the request for data and events and responses that are provided to the users who set the request in P2P-WSN is publish/subscribe based. In this model the request for data is set as 'subscriptions' into the nodes WSN and responses are provided as 'publications'. This model provides ability to perform actuation in the WSN. The subscriptions and publications of events are done recursively in the WSN so that large-scale networks can be handled and the data-management task distributed within the network.
Self-aligned single-lateral-mode waveguide diode ring lasers

The majority of semiconductor ring lasers reported to date, have been formed by etching the waveguide through the entire active region, which results in multi-lateral mode operation. In order to make single-lateral-mode ring lasers with etched facets, the waveguide and the facet have to be etched separately, with the facet deep etched, but the waveguide shallow etched. >
Toward Hierarchical Identity-Based Encryption

We introduce the concept of hierarchical identity-based encryption (HIBE) schemes, give precise definitions of their security and mention some applications. A two-level HIBE (2-HIBE) scheme consists of a root private key generator (PKG), domain PKGs and users, all of which are associated with primitive IDs (PIDs) that are arbitrary strings. A user's public key consists of their PID and their domain's PID (in whole called an address). In a regular IBE (which corresponds to a 1-HIBE) scheme, there is only one PKG that distributes private keys to each user (whose public keys are their PID). In a 2-HIBE, users retrieve their private key from their domain PKG. Domain PKGs can compute the private key of any user in their domain, provided they have previously requested their domain secret key from the root PKG (who possesses a master secret). We can go beyond two levels by adding subdomains, subsubdomains, and so on. We present a two-level system with total collusion resistance at the upper (domain) level and partial collusion resistance at the lower (user) level, which has chosen-ciphertext security in the random-oracle model.
Democracy, Veto Players and the Depth of Regional Integration

We e xamine how domestic political factors influence the type of regional integration arrangement (RIA) that states enter. States can pursue at least five types of RIAs, in order of their depth of policy integration: preferential trade agreements, free trad e areas, customs unions, common markets and economic unions. We argue that a country’s regime type and the number of institutio nal ‘veto players’ strongly affect the type of arrangement that states choose. Democracies are more likely to form an RIA than other states, a tendency that becom es more pronounced as the proposed level of integration in an arrangement rises. However, all democracies are not the same. As the number of veto players rises, the likelihood of a democracy entering an RIA declines. Furthermore, veto players are expecte d to have a larger effect on the odds of a democracy forming an RIA, the greater is the extent of integration that the arrangement aims to achieve. A series of statistical tests, based on analysis of all pairs of countries from 1950 to 2000, support our arguments.
Structure alignment based on coding of local geometric measures

Background A structure alignment method based on a local geometric property is presented and its performance is tested in pairwise and multiple structure alignments. In this approach, the writhing number, a quantity originating from integral formulas of Vassiliev knot invariants, is used as a local geometric measure. This measure is used in a sliding window to calculate the local writhe down the length of the protein chain. By encoding the distribution of writhing numbers across all the structures in the protein databank (PDB), protein geometries are represented in a 20-letter alphabet. This encoding transforms the structure alignment problem into a sequence alignment problem and allows the well-established algorithms of sequence alignment to be employed. Such geometric alignments offer distinct advantages over structural alignments in Cartesian coordinates as it better handles structural subtleties associated with slight twists and bends that distort one structure relative to another.
C–H activation of a 2,2′-bipyridine ligand within (mono)pentamethylcyclopentadienyl lutetium complexes

We report the activation of a 2,2′-bipyridine ligand within a class of (mono)cyclopentadienyl lanthanide complexes when reacted with carbon monoxide.
Process analysis of compression resin transfer molding

Compression resin transfer molding process (CRTM) combines features of compression molding with traditional Resin Transfer Molding (RTM). The CRTM process is described in three stages, with resin being injected into the gap in Stage I, closing of the gap in Stage II and actual compression of preform and re-distribution of the resin in Stage III. To fabricate a void free part, one has to understand the resin flow during these stages. Governing equations for each stage are formulated, relevant non-dimensional parameters are derived and brief description of the numerical model is presented. Assembling the process parameters into non-dimensional groups significantly reduces the number of variables to be explored in the process. The paper analyzes the impact of the dimensional less parameters on impregnation time with the numerical process model. The results show that the impact of many parameters on process speeds is negligible, identifying two non-dimensional parameters that influence the resin injection.
Leukotactic Activity and Reduction of Nitroblue Tetrazolium by Neutrophil Granulocytes from Patients with Streptococcal Skin Infection

To determine whether leukocyte responsiveness is related to the typical rapid localization that occurs in streptococcal skin infection, the leukotactic responses of neutrophil granulocytes from 20 patients with streptococcal pyoderma were compared with those of 20 age-matched controls. An increased response in unidirectional movement toward a chemotactic stimulus without evidence of increased nitroblue tetrazolium reduction was found in leukocytes from patients with active streptococcal skin infection. Increased leukotactic activity of circulating neutrophils appears to be an early and sensitive response to streptococcal invasion of the skin. The hyperactive leukotactic response may contribute to the rapid localization of streptococci to the skin.
2.2.2 A Decision Support Framework for the Software Systems Engineer

Decision Support Systems have been developed to aid the decision maker by providing ranked alternatives to consider. The ranking criteria may be resource-based, schedule-based or performance-based. When considering decisions that affect the overall architecture of a software system and the integration of its subsystems/components, the software systems engineer may have some unique challenges when legacy software is part of the system. For the software systems engineer, reengineering legacy systems or integrating legacy systems with new development and/or off-the-shelf software are areas where effective software system analysis is critical. When analyzing a software system, a range of system artifacts may be used. These artifacts include a description of the system in natural language, program design language descriptions, flow charts, object diagrams, as well as the system code. All of these artifact types can contain equivalent information at their specific level of abstraction. However, deriving information that is needed from each of these types of artifacts for reengineering or integrating a legacy system may present varying levels of difficulty. For example, analyzing a poorly structured system with little or no design documentation is a particularly challenging problem. Software modelling using an abstract architecture representation as a common description vehicle can “level the playing field” by creating representations of disparate systems at the same level of abstraction. This is of importance to reengineering efforts; it shows promise for supporting and facilitating integration efforts between legacy and other systems. It also allows the definition and development of a framework for a decision support system to aid the software system engineer. This paper is a follow on to previous work by the authors and presents a proposed decision support system framework that makes the use of the technical analyses and techniques presented.
Exposure to sexually explicit Web sites and adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors.

Abstract Purpose Mass media play an important role in the socialization of youth. Given its expanding nature and accessibility, the Internet may be at the forefront of this education. However, the extent of the Internet's impact on adolescent sexual attitudes and behaviors is not yet known. Methods A total of 433 adolescents completed an anonymous survey at a health center in New York City. The cross-sectional survey assessed Internet accessibility, exposure to sexually explicit Web sites (SEWs), sexual behaviors, and sexually permissive attitudes. Results Of the participants, 96% had Internet access, and 55.4% reported ever visiting a SEW. Logistic regression analyses revealed that adolescents exposed to SEWs were more likely to have multiple lifetime sexual partners (OR=1.8, CI=1.2, 2.9), to have had more than one sexual partner in the last 3 months (OR=1.8, CI=1.1, 3.1), to have used alcohol or other substances at last sexual encounter (OR=2.8, CI=1.5, 5.2), and to have engaged in anal sex (OR=2.0, CI=1.2, 3.4). Adolescents who visit SEWs display higher sexual permissiveness scores compared with those who have never been exposed (2.3 vs. 1.9, p ≤ .001), indicating a more permissive attitude. Conclusions Exposure to Internet pornography has potential implications for adolescent sexual relationships, such as number of partners and substance use. SEWs can serve an educational purpose and create an opportunity for adults to engage adolescents in discussions about sexual health and consumption of Internet material. Longitudinal research is needed to evaluate how exposure to SEWs influences youth attitudes and sexual behaviors.
Abstract A07: Breast tumor microenvironment shapes vascular response to endothelial HoxA5 expression

Current anti-angiogenic therapy for the treatment of solid tumors is based on directed inhibition of growth factor signaling pathways essential for the development of new blood vessels. Despite evidence showing a positive correlation between angiogenesis and breast cancer progression, existing anti-angiogenic therapies have not proven effective at clinically managing breast tumors or prolonging patient survival. Several studies have shown that tissue microenvironment shapes local angiogenic responses and tumor progression - a finding that may partially explain the refractoriness of breast tumors to anti-angiogenic therapy. Data from our laboratory supports an anti-angiogenic role for the HoxA5 homeodomain containing transcription factor. Using the KRT14-HPV16 mouse model of skin cancer crossed with our tetracycline-regulated mouse line that expresses HoxA5 in the endothelium, we observed that HoxA5 reduced angiogenesis and slowed tumor progression in the skin. Thus, we hypothesized that constitutive endothelial expression of HoxA5 during mammary tumor development would prevent tumor growth and metastasis via modulation of the endothelial phenotype. Surprisingly, in the MMTV-PyMT mouse model of breast cancer, we observed that endothelial HoxA5 expression increased both primary tumor growth and lung metastasis. Mammary tumors from PyMT/HoxA5+ mice had larger areas of hypoxia and necrosis, as compared to primary tumors from control mice. Although we did not detect any change in intra-tumoral vascular staining (CD31+), we observed an increased number of large vessels and reduced vascular leakage in the primary tumors from PyMT/HoxA5+ mice. In contrast, subcutaneous injection of MMTV-PyMT mammary tumor cells into HoxA5 transgenic mice displayed significantly reduced tumor growth and decreased intra-tumoral vascularization, as compared to controls. This suggests that, unlike the anti-angiogenic properties of HoxA5 in the skin microenvironment, within the context of the mammary gland HoxA5 has vascular normalization effects. We conclude that the tissue microenvironment shapes the vascular response to anti-angiogenic agents and thereby controls tumor progression. Citation Format: Josette Northcott, Ileana Cuevas, Hans Layman, Nancy Boudreau. Breast tumor microenvironment shapes vascular response to endothelial HoxA5 expression. [abstract]. In: Abstracts: AACR Special Conference on Cellular Heterogeneity in the Tumor Microenvironment; 2014 Feb 26-Mar 1; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(1 Suppl):Abstract nr A07. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.CHTME14-A07
Violation of Cauchy-Schwarz Inequality in Continuous-Variable Regime

We have observed a violation of the Cauchy-Schwarz inequality in the continuous-variable regime with the use of bright relative-intensity squeezed beams. The relation between the squeezing spectrum and the g(2)functions is studied.
Using domain knowledge to derive the logical structure of documents

An important aspect of document understanding is document logical structure derivation, which involves knowledge-based analysis of document images to derive a symbolic description of their structure and contents. Domain-specific as well as generic knowledge about document layout is used in order to classify, logically group, and determine the read-order of the individual blocks in the image, i.e., translate the physical structure of the document into a layout-independent logical structure. We have developed a computational model for the derivation of the logical structure of documents. Our model uses a rule-based control structure, as well as a hierarchical multi-level knowledge representation scheme in which knowledge about various types of documents is encoded into a document knowledge base and is used by reasoning processes to make inferences about the document. An important issue addressed in our research is the kind of domain knowledge that is required for such analysis. A document logical structure derivation system (DeLoS) has been developed based on the above model, and has achieved good results in deriving the logical structure of complex multi- articled documents such as newspaper pages. Applications of this approach include its use in information retrieval from digital libraries, as well as in comprehensive document understanding systems.
In-service training for pastoral counselors.

Through feedback, we learned about the expectations of the participants. Most of them wanted a stimulating experience that would bring them closer to their parishioners. They hoped to improve their communication skills. Some few expected a “crash counseling course.” The latter may have been disappointed, since the real outcome of the in-service experiences was in the area of attitudes.
Interference of aureomycin and of terramycin with action of penicillin in vitro.

SummaryAureomycin and terramycin interfered in vitro with the bactericidal action of penicillin against S. pyogenes and K. pneumoniae. The early bactericidal rate was slower with mixtures of aureomycin or terramycin with penicillin than with penicillin by itself. Ultimately, however, the mixtures were more likely to destroy all exposed bacteria than were the single antibiotics. Interference was most marked when bacteriostatic concentrations of aureomycin or terramycin were mixed with actively bactericidal concentrations of penicillin.
Using duration models to analyze experimental pavement failure data

Predicting pavement performance under the combined action of traffic and the environment provides valuable information to a highway agency. The estimation of the time at which the pavement conditions will fall below an acceptable level (failure) is essential to program maintenance and rehabilitation works and for budgetary purposes. However, the failure time of a pavement is a variable event; terminal conditions will be reached at different times at various locations along a homogeneous pavement section. A common problem in modeling event duration is caused by unobserved failure events in a typical data set. Data collection surveys are usually of limited length. Thus, some pavement sections will have already failed by the day the survey starts; others will reach terminal conditions during the survey period, whereas others will only fail after the survey has been concluded. If only the failure events observed during the survey are included in the statistical analysis (disregarding the information on the events after and before the survey), the model developed will suffer from truncation bias. If the censoring of the failure events is not accounted for properly, the model may suffer from censoring bias. An analysis of the data collected during the Road Test sponsored by the American Association of State Highway Officials (AASHO) is presented. The analysis is based on the use of probabilistic duration modeling techniques. Duration models enable the stochastic nature of pavement failure time to be evaluated as well as censored data to be incorporated in the statistical estimation of the model parameters. The results, based on sound statistical principles, show that the failure times predicted with the model match the observed pavement failure data better than those from the original AASHO equation.
Development support communication and popular participation in development projects

Development scholars and policymakers agree that popular participation is necessary for successful rural development. However, more than 15 years of trying to implement the participatory concept shows that small farmers have yet to become involved in development decision making. This paper argues that achieving popular participation requires, in addition to the favorable climate that exists, the presence of professional
Environmental Applications of Gas Chromatography/Atomic Emission Detection

A gas chromatograph/atomic emission detector (GC/AED) system has been evaluated for its applicability to environmental analysis. Detection limits, elemental response factors, and regression analysis data were determined for 58 semivolatile environmental contaminants. Detection limits for injected analytes ranged from 0.17 to 3.0 ng on the hydrogen 486-nm channel, from 1.0 to 5.0 ng on the nitrogen 174-nm channel, from 0.65 to 11.7 ng on the oxygen 777-nm channel, from 0.071 to 3.0 ng on the chlorine 479-nm channel, and from 0.023 to 0.038 ng on the sulfur 181-nm channel. Mean elemental response factors (ERFs) measured on these channels, relative to the carbon 496-nm channel, were hydrogen, 0.084 (mean %RSD = 6.6); nitrogen, 0.246 (mean %RSD = 19); oxygen, 0.459 (mean %RSD = 16); and chlorine, 0.417 (mean %RSD = 3.6). The higher precision obtained for hydrogen and chlorine, relative to that for nitrogen and oxygen, is attributed to the ability to scan these elemental channels in the same GC run as the carb...
Exploratory analysis of empirical frequency distributions based on partition entropy

Abstract The simplest way of summarization of results from a survey is a frequency table. If the same survey is adminstered to different groups of respondents, then a finite set of frequency tables has to be analyzed. This paper suggests comparison and aggregation of empirical frequency distributions based on their partition entropy. Dilation, concentration and compatibility of frequency distributions at a certain level α∈(0,1) are defined. Theoretical conditions and practical ways of construction of the low-entropy-bound and the high-entropy-bound for a set of empirical frequency distributions are discussed and illustrated with numerical examples.
Climate change: Tropical cyclones in the mix

What was responsible for the unusual climatic conditions that prevailed during the early Pliocene, 5 million to 3 million years ago? Modelling studies point to intense tropical-cyclone activity as a possible answer.
The Molecular Effects of Skeletal Muscle Fatigue on Myosin Mechanics and Kinetics

Skeletal muscle, during periods of exertion, experiences several different fatigue based changes in contraction including reductions in force, velocity, power output, and energy usage. The physiological bases of fatigue induced changes in contractility stem from many different factors including changes in neuronal activity, excitation-contraction coupling, and actomyosin contraction. The direct changes in the actomyosin contractile complex have previously been shown to be the result of alterations in the levels of metabolites, oxidative damage, and an increase in myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation. Here, we measured the direct molecular effects of fatigue-like conditions on actomyosin velocity and force generation using the in vitro motility assay. We examined how changes in ATP, ADP, Pi, and pH affect the ability of the myosin to translocate actin. We show that fatigue-induced increases in metabolites decrease unloaded shortening velocity, with ADP and pH contributing the most to the observed changes in velocity. We also examined whether myosin regulatory light chain phosphorylation alters the sensitivity of the myosin to fatigue-like conditions. We show that under fatigue-like conditions, phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chian enhances force production and reduces actin sliding velocity, similar to the effects of phosphorylation under fatigue-like conditions observed in both muscle fiber and in vitro motility studies. Furthermore, we found that force production by dephosphorylated myosin is very sensitive to fatigue-like conditions whereas force production by phosphorylated myosin is rather fatigue insensitive. These results suggest that phosphorylation of the myosin regulatory light chain in skeletal muscle may serve as a protective mechanism against fatigue. Supported by NIH-HL077280, AHA-0435434T (J.R.M.), AHA-0815704D (to M.J.G.), and NIH-HL071778 (D.S-C.).