cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A DSP-based modified Costas receiver for LVDT position sensors

A novel signal conditioning system for Linear Variable Differential Transformers (LVDT) is presented. This system considers the signals involved in the operation of the LVDT to be analogous to a Double Sideband Suppressed Carrier AM (DSBSC-AM) communication system, where the position information is akin to the signal to be transmitted and the input sine wave excitation to the LVDT is akin to the carrier wave. Signal conditioning is achieved through a modified digital signal processor-based Costas receiver. This system has better dynamic response than existing solutions and better noise rejection than commercially available solutions. Static testing of the system using both 4-wire and 5-wire LVDTs verifies that the conditioner meets or exceeds the linearity performance of existing signal conditioning systems over the full-scale operating range. In addition, this system requires no phase compensation network or manual tuning.
Simple Continuous-Flow Device for Combined Solar Thermal Pasteurization and Solar Disinfection for Water Sterilization

A collection unit and reflective concentrators were used to thermally preheat water to at least 70 °C for thermal pasteurization prior to a solar disinfection stage. The device is offered as a novel combined cycle to be used for either solar thermal pasteurization, during seasonalpeaks in solar irradiation, or as a solar preheat for UV solar disinfection which would occur in a flow-through solar disinfection trough. Inexpensive materials were used in order to simulate in field functionality and applicability to rural regions with low solar input. Solar incidence at Oregon State University, with latitude 45.5°, was recorded during trials conducted during May 1 to June 10 for the purpose of directly scaling the water treatment volumetric flowrate of the device for any future tests in other locations. This scaling by solar irradiation makes this dataset useful for other locations with higher or lower solar input and needing more or less treated water. The simple gravity-fed continuous system presented in this article makes use of a large cold water reservoir, a shell-and-tube heat exchanger, and a solar collector. The system, operating at flowrates of 100-150 mL/min is able to reach outlet temperatures of 74°C. The system is projected to produce 55 L of purified water daily when operating on a sunny day with peak UV radiation above 700 W/m 2 . System cost was $55 with an added optional $15 for the shell-and-tube heat exchanger.
THE EPIDEMIOLOGY OF ACUTE RESPIRATORY INFECTIONS IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS: A GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

While a number of advances have been made in our understanding of the epidemiology of acute respiratory infections in the past two decades, a number of serious questions still require urgent answers. The associations of factors such as chronic disease in adults, direct smoking, passive smoking, crowding, and breast feeding to acute respiratory infections are now well documented. Appropriate changes in public health policy need not be predicated on results from still further studies. However, in virtually all of the other areas cited in this review, further data are required. In developing countries, studies being currently conducted on vitamin A supplementation, malnutrition, and indoor air pollution will help address the most pressing issues. More studies are also needed on the relations between HIV infection and acute respiratory infections, as well as low birth weight and respiratory infection. The National Research Council studies have provided important additional data on etiologic agents in children in developing countries, but data on adult pneumonia remain sparse. In developed countries the issues that may be of greatest interest are the relation between maternal antibody levels and passive immunity in infants, the reasons for the increase in pneumonia mortality in older age groups, and the relation between air pollution and acute respiratory infections (as opposed to morbidity from bronchial reactivity). From a methodological viewpoint, the relation between previous respiratory infection (particularly in the first year of life) and subsequent acute respiratory infection morbidity has been inadequately explored. Adjustment for autocorrelation in multivariate models may be necessary if this relation is strong. Greater standardization of data collection methods in developed and developing countries also needs to be more seriously addressed. Given that some advances have been made in this area, the time may be right for development of acute symptom questionnaires, akin to the American Thoracic Society chronic respiratory questionnaire, for use in both developed and developing countries. Standardization of diaries, although somewhat more difficult, would also be extremely useful in many instances.
Financial Time Series

Financial time series analysis is concerned with theory and practice of asset valuation over time. This article introduces key features and properties of financial time series and discusses econometric and statistical methods available for analyzing such series. It also discusses recent developments in financial time series analysis in the advent of high-frequency transaction data and in estimation of stochastic diffusion equations for derivative pricing. Keywords: conditional heteroscedasticity; kurtosis; quasi maximum likelihood estimate; stochastic diffusion; volatility
Role and specificity of T-cell subsets in spontaneous recovery from Friend virus-induced leukemia in mice.

Abstract Spontaneous recovery from Friend virus complex-induced leukemic splenomegaly in H-2Db/b mice correlated with the appearance of Friend virus complex-specific cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) detectable directly in spleen cell populations. By testing CTL on target cells containing expression vectors encoding individual retroviral structural proteins, the main viral protein recognized was shown to be the Friend murine leukemia helper virus envelope glycoprotein. In vivo depletion of CD8-positive T cells drastically reduced the incidence of recovery, providing direct evidence for the role of CD8-positive CTL in the spontaneous recovery process. In vivo depletion of CD4-positive cells had little effect on the early stages of recovery but did cause a marked reduction in the final incidence of recovery at 60 to 90 days. Thus, CD8-positive cells were required for the initiation of the recovery process, whereas CD4-positive cells appeared to be required for maintenance of the recovered status.
Relationship between long-range diffusion and diffusion in the ZIF-8 and polymer phases of a mixed-matrix membrane by high field NMR diffusometry

Abstract Pulsed field gradient (PFG) NMR is applied to resolve different modes of ethene self-diffusion inside a mixed-matrix membrane (MMM) consisting of ZIF-8 particles embedded in 6FDA–DAM polymer: (i) diffusion inside the ZIF-8 particles, (ii) diffusion inside the surrounding polymer matrix, and (iii) diffusion under conditions of an exchange between the particles and the polymer over length scales smaller than and comparable with the membrane thickness. This resolution is achieved using C-13 PFG NMR studies at a high magnetic field of 17.6 T and large magnetic field gradients up to 30 T/m. C-13 PFG NMR was also applied to measure ethene diffusion in the constituent components used in the MMM formation: a bed of ZIF-8 particles and a pure 6FDA–DAM polymer. It is shown that the comparison of all the measured diffusion data elucidates details of sorbate diffusion and diffusion mediated exchange dynamics between the ZIF-8 particles and the polymer in the MMM. An exchange model is applied to connect the long-range diffusivity measured for displacements larger than the size of ZIF-8 particles in the MMM with the diffusivities measured inside the ZIF-8 particles and the polymer.
Parapharyngeal and retropharyngeal infections in children: argument for a trial of medical therapy and intraoral drainage for medical treatment failures.

Abstract Objective To review the outcomes of parapharyngeal infections (PPI) and retropharyngeal infections (RPI) in children after medical and surgical management. Methods The charts of all children who presented to a tertiary-care pediatric hospital between March 2005 and February 2007 with a diagnosis of parapharyngeal infection or retropharyngeal infection were reviewed. Thirty-two patient records were analyzed. Results The mean age of our patients was 4.4 years, 63% of whom were boys. The majority of patients presented during the winter months with some combination of fever, neck stiffness, and neck swelling. Ten patients had surgery less than 1 day after admission (early surgical intervention). Twenty-two patients were given a trial of at least 24 h of intravenous (IV) antibiotics (medical trial group), nine of whom were treated exclusively with IV antibiotics (medical therapy alone). The remaining 13 patients failed medical therapy, and went on to surgical drainage (late surgical intervention). All patients requiring surgical drainage were treated successfully with an intraoral approach. Patients given a trial of IV antibiotics had an average hospital stay of 3.3 days (3.0 days for medical therapy alone and 3.5 days for late surgical intervention). Patients with early surgical intervention stayed 2.7 days. All patients were discharged home with oral antibiotics. There was no statistically significant difference in the length of stay between the medical trial and early intervention groups. Those who failed medical therapy had significantly larger abscesses than those who responded to medical therapy (1.53 versus 5.38 cm2). Conclusions A trial of IV antibiotics does not adversely affect outcome and may obviate the need for surgery, particularly for patients with smaller abscesses. When surgery is required, an intraoral procedure is usually adequate.
Functional insights into modulation of BKCa channel activity to alter myometrial contractility.

The large-conductance voltage- and Ca2+-activated K+ channel (BKCa) is an important regulator of membrane excitability in a wide variety of cells and tissues. In myometrial smooth muscle, activation of BKCa plays essential roles in buffering contractility to maintain uterine quiescence during pregnancy and in the transition to a more contractile state at the onset of labor. Multiple mechanisms of modulation have been described to alter BKCa channel activity, expression, and cellular localization. In the myometrium, BKCa is regulated by alternative splicing, protein targeting to the plasma membrane, compartmentation in membrane microdomains, and posttranslational modifications. In addition, interaction with auxiliary proteins (i.e., β1- and β2-subunits), association with G-protein coupled receptor signaling pathways, such as those activated by adrenergic and oxytocin receptors, and hormonal regulation provide further mechanisms of variable modulation of BKCa channel function in myometrial smooth muscle. Here, we provide an overview of these mechanisms of BKCa channel modulation and provide a context for them in relation to myometrial function.
Prediction of Drive State and Output from Frequency Distribution Shape

By means of multiple regression analysis, productivity and performance level (drive state) were predicted for a psychomotor task using the shape of the generated frequency distributions.
Antagonism of membrane compression effects by high pressure gas mixtures in a phospholipid bilayer system.

Abstract Binary mixtures of helium with nitrogen, xenon or nitrous oxide were applied to suspensions of phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol vesicles to determine those mixtures of lipid soluble gases which would exactly antagonize the membrane rigidifying effect of 100 ATA compression. A previous study has shown that the initial application of 100 ATA compression by gas produces a significant reduction in the fluidity of the phospholipid bilayer. However, as the high pressure gas dissolves into the lipid region it creates disorder and increases fluidity. Fluidity of the bilayer at equilibrium represents the sum of the compression-ordering and dissolved-gas disordering effects and is dependent on the gas/lipid partition coefficient of the particular gas. The beneficial effect of a narcotic gas added to Trimix mixtures to ameliorate HPNS in deep divers may be due to a balance of compression-ordering and solubility-disordering effects achieved within the nerve membrane. It is therefore valuable to determine those gas mixtures which achieve balance of these two effects and result in zero net change in phospholipid bilayer fluidity at an established pressure of 100 ATA. Binary mixtures of helium with 88% nitrogen, 3.8% xenon or 2.8% nitrous oxide resulted in zero net change in bilayer fluidity with our model system at 100 ATA. A graph of the percent of narcotic gas needed to produce zero net effect as a function of pressure, however, was nonlinear. This would suggest the ratio of gases in Trimix must be varied as a function of pressure. While the phosphatidylcholine-cholesterol bilayer is a good model for certain components of the nerve membrane, it does not allow for study of protein-lipid or gas-protein interactions. The data presented thus aid in our understanding of HPNS but are yet incomplete for precise use in predicting diving mixtures.
Feeding and behavioural parameters and egg ultrastructure in the biosystematics of Reduviidae (Insecta—Heteroptera)

The feeding behaviour exhibited by the different subfamilies of Reduviidae is distinctly correlated with the specific prey types involved. Important adaptive modifications are seen associated with their methods of prey capture and feeding. Based on the analyses of feeding behaviour, reduviids may be grouped as (i) ‘blood feeding’ type, (ii) ‘sticky-trap’ type, (iii) ‘raptorial’ type, (iv) ‘wait and grab’ type, (v) ‘pin and jab’ type and (vi) ‘chase and pounce’ type. The oviposition methods are highly varied in Reduviidae and it is possible to assign group characteristics, but the ultrastructure of the eggs, particularly those of chorionic collar extensions and the operculum, indicate subfamily resemblance. The usefulness of feeding and reproductive behaviours and the egg ultrastructure in the biosystematics of Reduviidae are discussed.
Phosphatidylserine receptors: enhancers of enveloped virus entry and infection

A variety of both RNA and DNA viruses envelop their capsids in a lipid bilayer. One of the more recently appreciated benefits this envelope is incorporation of phosphatidylserine (PtdSer). Surface exposure of PtdSer disguises viruses as apoptotic bodies; tricking cells into engulfing virions. This mechanism is termed apoptotic mimicry. Several PtdSer receptors have been identified to enhance virus entry and we have termed this group of proteins PtdSer-mediated virus entry enhancing receptors or PVEERs. These receptors enhance entry of a range of enveloped viruses. Internalization of virions by PVEERs provides a broad mechanism of entry with little investment by the virus itself. PVEERs may allow some viruses to attach to cells, thereby making viral glycoprotein/cellular receptor interactions more probable. Alternatively, other viruses may rely entirely on PVEERs for internalization into endosomes. This review provides an overview of PtdSer receptors that serve as PVEERs and the biology behind virion/PVEER interaction.
The partition problem

In this paper we describe several forms of thek-partition problem and give integer programming formulations of each case. The dimension of the associated polytopes and some basic facets are identified. We also give several valid and facet defining inequalities for each of the polytopes.
Impurity configurations in metals

Abstract The existence of fully ionic and partly ionic impurity configurations in metals is discussed. The continuous range of impurity configurations is indicated and the structural variation with solvent electron gas density clarified for certain impurities.
Preparation of Previously Unavailable 6,6-Dialkylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones

Abstract A high-yield, two-step procedure for the preparation of 6,6-dialkylhexahydro-1,3,5-triazine-2,4-diones starting from ketones and dithiobiuret is reported.
10-year spatial and temporal trends of PM 2.5 concentrations in the southeastern US estimated using high-resolution satellite data

Abstract. Long-term PM2.5 exposure has been associated with various adverse health outcomes. However, most ground monitors are located in urban areas, leading to a potentially biased representation of true regional PM2.5 levels. To facilitate epidemiological studies, accurate estimates of the spatiotemporally continuous distribution of PM2.5 concentrations are important. Satellite-retrieved aerosol optical depth (AOD) has been increasingly used for PM2.5 concentration estimation due to its comprehensive spatial coverage. Nevertheless, previous studies indicated that an inherent disadvantage of many AOD products is their coarse spatial resolution. For instance, the available spatial resolutions of the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) and the Multiangle Imaging SpectroRadiometer (MISR) AOD products are 10 and 17.6 km, respectively. In this paper, a new AOD product with 1 km spatial resolution retrieved by the multi-angle implementation of atmospheric correction (MAIAC) algorithm based on MODIS measurements was used. A two-stage model was developed to account for both spatial and temporal variability in the PM2.5–AOD relationship by incorporating the MAIAC AOD, meteorological fields, and land use variables as predictors. Our study area is in the southeastern US centered at the Atlanta metro area, and data from 2001 to 2010 were collected from various sources. The model was fitted annually, and we obtained model fitting R2 ranging from 0.71 to 0.85, mean prediction error (MPE) from 1.73 to 2.50 μg m−3, and root mean squared prediction error (RMSPE) from 2.75 to 4.10 μg m−3. In addition, we found cross-validation R2 ranging from 0.62 to 0.78, MPE from 2.00 to 3.01 μg m−3, and RMSPE from 3.12 to 5.00 μg m−3, indicating a good agreement between the estimated and observed values. Spatial trends showed that high PM2.5 levels occurred in urban areas and along major highways, while low concentrations appeared in rural or mountainous areas. Our time-series analysis showed that, for the 10-year study period, the PM2.5 levels in the southeastern US have decreased by ~20%. The annual decrease has been relatively steady from 2001 to 2007 and from 2008 to 2010 while a significant drop occurred between 2007 and 2008. An observed increase in PM2.5 levels in year 2005 is attributed to elevated sulfate concentrations in the study area in warm months of 2005.
15-deoxy-Δ12,14 prostaglandin J2-induced heme oxygenase-1 in megakaryocytes regulates thrombopoiesis

Summary. Background: Platelet production is an intricate process that is poorly understood. Recently, we demonstrated that the natural peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARγ) ligand, 15-deoxy-Δ12,14 prostaglandin J2 (15d-PGJ2), augments platelet numbers by increasing platelet release from megakaryocytes through the induction of reactive oxygen species (ROS). 15d-PGJ2 can exert effects independent of PPARγ, such as increasing oxidative stress. Heme oxygenase-1 (HO-1) is a potent antioxidant and may influence platelet production. Objectives: To further investigate the influence of 15d-PGJ2 on megakaryocytes and to understand whether HO-1 plays a role in platelet production. Methods: Meg-01 cells (a primary megakaryoblastic cell line) and primary human megakaryocytes derived from cord blood were used to examine the effects of 15d-PGJ2 on HO-1 expression in megakaryocytes and their daughter platelets. The role of HO-1 activity in thrombopoiesis was studied using established in vitro models of platelet production. Results and conclusions: 15d-PGJ2 potently induced HO-1 protein expression in Meg-01 cells and primary human megakaryocytes. The platelets produced from these megakaryocytes also expressed elevated levels of HO-1. 15d-PGJ2-induced HO-1 was independent of PPARγ, but could be replicated using other electrophilic prostaglandins, suggesting that the electrophilic properties of 15d-PGJ2 were important for HO-1 induction. Interestingly, inhibiting HO-1 activity enhanced ROS generation and augmented 15d-PGJ2-induced platelet production, which could be attenuated by antioxidants. These new data reveal that HO-1 negatively regulates thrombopoiesis by inhibiting ROS.
5-HT1B receptors play a prominent role in the proliferation of T-lymphocytes

Serotonin plays a role in T cell activation, but there is no clear consensus of which of the 14 serotonergic receptors control this activations pathway. We have used a broad range of serotonergic receptor antagonists to define the functional involvement of these receptors governing the proliferation of primary T cells as well as in T cell lines. Our data shows that antagonism of the 5-HT(1B) receptor inhibits the proliferation of both human and murine primary helper T cells and of human helper T cell lines. As a whole, our data suggest that other serotonergic receptors may contribute to the proliferative signals, but the 5-HT(1B) receptor plays the most dominant role.
Susceptibility profiles of potential aerobic and anaerobic pathogens isolated from hysterectomy patients

A total of 1140 aerobic and anaerobic isolates were recovered from cultures of specimens from the reproductive tracts of 435 uninfected patients who underwent elective hysterectomy. Standard minimum inhibitory concentration susceptibility studies were performed on these isolates to 13 newer penicillins, cephalosporins, and some traditional antimicrobial agents. These data were generated to evaluate the in vitro efficacy of these antibiotics for potential use in prophylaxis or as a single agent for treatment of polymicrobial infections of the female pelvis. The minimum inhibitory concentration data for each antibiotic against 16 genera of aerobic and nine genera of anaerobic bacteria were determined and were used to compare the in vitro antimicrobial activity of newer antibiotics to that of the more traditional antibiotics. Of the antimicrobial agents tested, piperacillin had the highest in vitro activity against these isolates of any antibiotic tested.
An accelerator based electron-photon coincidence spectrometer for the study of inelastic electron-atom collisions

Abstract Inelastic electron-photon collisions can be studied with our two-photon coincidence spectrometer by replacing one of the Ge detectors with a Si(Li) detector with a 0.4 μm polymer window coupled to the target vacuum chamber. The present geometry has the detectors at ± 45° to the incident electron beam. The counting rate in the Si(Li) detector is dominated by the elastic scattered electrons and the backscattering tail of the elastic peak and is several orders of magnitude larger than the photon rate. Nevertheless, the coincidence electronics is able to separate real coincidences as a function of both photon and electron energy from the large accidental coincidence background. This permits the study of such processes as the doubly differential cross section for inner-shell ionisation and the triply differential cross section for single bremsstrahlung. This setup has a much more rapid data collection rate and yields a statistical error comparable to or better than has been previously achieved in the few experiments that have been done using a magnetic spectrometer on the electron. Preliminary examples of two dimensional energy spectra with 70 kev electrons on targets of Al, Cu, Ag, Tb and Au are discussed.
Mild Traumatic Brain Injury: Toward Understanding Manifestations and Treatment

Mild traumatic brain injury is misleading as a diagnostic term, as it may include a spectrum of manifestations ranging from transient mild symptoms to ongoing disabling problems. It is a source of significant economic burden to society in terms of days lost from work and costs related to medical treatment. Symptomatic individuals will frequently present to primary care general medical practitioners days, weeks, or even months after the trauma. General medical practitioners are thus put in the position of being the "gatekeepers" of medical care for such patients and become responsible for appropriate determination and authorization of medical tests, specialized referrals, and treatment. The purpose of this article, which is based on a review of the literature to 1997, is to provide physicians with an understanding of mild traumatic brain injury, including manifestations and treatment, as it occurs commonly and can significantly impact the quality of life of those affected.
High-Temperature Liquid-Fluoride-Salt Closed-Brayton-Cycle Solar Power Towers

Liquid-fluoride-salt heat transfer fluids are proposed to raise the heat-to-electricity efficiencies of solar power towers to about 50%. The liquid salt would deliver heat from the solar furnace at temperatures between 700°C and 850°C to a closed multireheat Brayton power cycle using nitrogen or helium as the working fluid. During the daytime, hot salt may also be used to heat graphite, which would then be used as a heat storage medium to make night-time operations possible. Graphite is a low-cost high-heat-capacity solid that is chemically compatible with liquid fluoride salts at high temperatures. About half the cost of a solar power tower is associated with the mirrors that focus light on the receiver, and less than one-third is associated with the power cycle and heat storage. Consequently, increasing the efficiency by 20–30% has the potential for major reductions in the cost of electricity. Peak temperatures and efficiencies of current designs of power towers are restricted by (1) the use of liquid nitrate salts that decompose at high temperatures and (2) steam cycles in which corrosion limits peak temperature. The liquid-fluoride-salt technology and closed Brayton power cycles are being developed for high-temperature nuclear reactors. These developments may provide the technology and industrial basis for an advanced solar power tower.
HDM2-binding partners: interaction with translation elongation factor EF1alpha.

To understand the cellular functions of HDM2, we attempted to identify novel HDM2-interacting proteins by proteomic analysis. Along with previously identified interactions with the ribosomal proteins, our analysis reveals interactions of HDM2 with the ribosomal translation elongation factor EF1α, 40S ribosomal protein S20, tubulins, glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and a proteolysis-inducing factor dermicidin in the absence of tumor suppressor p53. Because a CTCL tumor antigen HD-CL-08 has high degree of homology with EF1α, we confirmed interaction of HDM2 with EF1α by immunoprecipitation and Western blot analysis in transformed as well as near normal diploid cells. Endogenous HDM2- EF1α complex was detected in cancer cells overexpressing HDM2, suggesting a possible role of this interaction in HDM2-mediated oncogenesis. Consistent with their interaction, colocalization of HDM2 and EF1α can be detected in the cytoplasm of normal or transformed cells. Amino acid residues 1–58 and 221–325 of HDM2 were found to be essential for its interaction with EF1α, suggesting that the interaction is independent of its other ribosomal interacting proteins L5, L11, and L23. Overexpression of HDM2 did not affect translation. Because EF1α has been implicated in DNA replication and severing of microtubules, interaction of HDM2 with EF1α may signify a p53-independent cell growth regulatory role of HDM2.
Antisense technology in molecular and cellular bioengineering.

Antisense technology is finding increasing application not only in clinical development, but also for cellular engineering. Several types of antisense methods (e.g. antisense oligonucleotides, antisense RNA and small interfering RNA) can be used to inhibit the expression of a target gene. These antisense methods are being used as part of metabolic engineering strategies to downregulate enzymes controlling undesired pathways with regard to product formation. In addition, they are beginning to be utilized to control cell phenotype in tissue engineering constructs. As improved methods for antisense effects that can be externally regulated emerge, these approaches are likely to find increased application in cellular engineering applications.
Boundary element solution of macromolecular electrostatics: interaction energy between two proteins

The boundary element technique is implemented to solve for the electrostatic potential of macromolecules in an ionic solution. This technique entails solving surface integral equations that are equivalent to the Poisson and the Poisson-Boltzmann equations governing the electrostatic potential inside the macromolecules and and in the solvent. A simple but robust method is described for discretizing the macromolecular surfaces in order to approximate the integral equations by linear algebraic equations. Particular attention is paid to the interaction energy between two macromolecules, and an iterative procedure is devised to make the calculation more efficient. This iterative procedure is illustrated in the electron transfer system of cytochrome c and cytochrome c peroxidase.
BINIT — a versatile particle identification computer code for off-line analysis of detector telescope data☆

Abstract A computer code is described which is used for the off-line analysis of detector telescope data. The code extracts yield spectra and energy spectra of nuclear reaction products observed with a three-detector counter-telescope. The code contains an identification scheme which allows identification of detected reaction products over a wide energy range.
Steroid-related development of kaposi's sarcoma in a homosexual man with burkitt's lymphoma☆

The development of Kaposi's sarcoma has been associated with either iatrogenic or disease-related immunodeficiency. This report describes a homosexual man who presented with Burkitt's lymphoma and later had pneumonitis, which was treated with a high dose of corticosteroids. Kaposi's sarcoma subsequently developed, and regressed completely when the chemotherapy and corticosteroid therapy were withdrawn. The evidence from the literature relating corticosteroid therapy to the development of Kaposi's sarcoma is discussed, as well as the possible multifactorial origin of the immunodeficiency in which setting this tumor occurs. The observations in this patient suggest that corticosteroids should be used with extreme caution in patients with acquired immunodeficiency and those at risk for its development.
Internationalization of Capital and the Crisis of the Iranian Economy

The main focus of this paper is to study Iran's current socioeconomic crisis in relation to its role in the postwar international division of labor and the particular policies of the Islamic Republic of Iran in the 1980s. Iran's crisis is a product of the dialectical relationship between what I have called in this paper "the crisis of international division of labor" and the state policies to resolve and diffuse the crisis. In particular, I study the Iran-Iraq War and its effects on the intensification of the crisis in the past few years. The war has contributed to the escalation of the crisis and planted the seeds of an impending debt crisis in Iran.
Infrahepatic Inferior Vena Cava Agenesis with Bilateral Renal Vein Thrombosis

Congenital anomalies of the inferior vena cava (IVC) are rare and are estimated to be present in 0.07–8.7% of the general population. IVC agenesis (IVCA) is found in approximately 5% of cases of unprovoked lower extremity deep vein thrombosis in patients
Circadian changes in granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor message in circulating eosinophils.

Background Granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF), which stimulates eosinophil recruitment, activation, and survival, is expressed by activated eosinophils. Although eosinophil recruitment and enhanced survival have been associated with nocturnal asthma (NA), the contribution of GM-CSF to NA is unknown. Objective To determine whether circulating eosinophil GM-CSF expression correlates with the symptoms of NA. Methods The GM-CSF messenger RNA (mRNA) expression at 4 pm and 4 am was determined by reverse-transcriptase polymerase chain reaction with Southern blot analysis in subjects with and without NA and in controls. Results A total of 142 asthma subjects were screened for nocturnal asthma with 1-week home peak expiratory flow rate (PEFR) monitoring. Eleven subjects had NA (>20% diurnal variation in PEFR on 4 of 7 days), and 6 met the criteria for non-NA ( am compared with 4 pm . Diurnal changes in GM-CSF mRNA expression were not detected in the non-NA and control groups. Conclusions Day-night variation in eosinophil GM-CSF expression is associated with circadian variation in airway function in asthma, a key manifestation of asthma severity.
Accurate Measurement of Organic Solar Cell Efficiency

We discuss the measurement and analysis of current vs. voltage (I-V) characteristics of organic and dye-sensitized photovoltaic cells and modules. A brief discussion of the history of photovoltaic efficiency measurements and procedures will be presented. We discuss both the error sources in the measurements and the strategies to minimize their influence. These error sources include the sample area, spectral errors, temperature fluctuations, current and voltage response time, contacting, and degradation during testing. Information that can be extracted from light and dark I-V measurement includes peak power, open-circuit voltage, short-circuit current, series and shunt resistance, diode quality factor, dark current, and photo-current. The quantum efficiency provides information on photo-current nonlinearities, current generation, and recombination mechanisms.
On argon beams as tools to probe surfaces

Abstract We present experimental data and a theoretical analysis for the scattering of an argon beam from the (001) surface of LiF. The scattering pattern of the Ar beam was investigated for incident energies between 0.089 and 0.350 eV and for a variety of polar and azimuthal incidence angles. We find a bilobular scattering pattern for small incidence angles and along the direction of maximum corrugation on the surface, and a broad peak centered around the specular direction for higher incidence angles. An interaction potential based on the effective medium theory has been evaluated. The corrugation of this potential across the surface is in fair agreement with the data interpreted using the classical rainbow angles. Such corrugation is smaller than the one determined by He scattering, in agreement with previous Ar/metal surface investigations.
Switching of Bacterial Flagellar Motors Triggered by Mutant FliG

Binding of the chemotaxis response regulator CheY-P promotes switching between rotational states in flagellar motors of the bacterium Escherichia coli. Here, we induced switching in the absence of CheY-P by introducing copies of a mutant FliG locked in the clockwise (CW) conformation (FliGCW). The composition of the mixed FliG ring was estimated via fluorescence imaging, and the probability of CW rotation (CWbias) was determined from the rotation of tethered cells. The results were interpreted in the framework of a 1D Ising model. The data could be fit by assuming that mutant subunits are more stable in the CW conformation than in the counterclockwise conformation. We found that CWbias varies depending on the spatial arrangement of the assembled subunits in the FliG ring. This offers a possible explanation for a previous observation of hysteresis in the switch function in analogous mixed FliM motors—in motors containing identical fractions of mutant FliMCW in otherwise wild-type motors, the CWbias differed depending on whether mutant subunits were expressed in strains with native motors or native subunits were expressed in strains with mutant motors.
The antenatal background of blood diseases of infancy

Summary Blood diseases with clinical manifestationsat birth consist largely of anemias resulting from blood loss by hemorrhage or by cell destruction. Hereditary diseases, although determined at conception, only rarely produce symptoms at birth. Pathologic changes in tissues that occur during intrauterine life are largely limited to the abnormal stimulation of erythropoiesis which results from severe blood destruction. The most common causes are maternal isoimmunization to Rh and the salivary gland virus. Congenital leukemia is rare and is characterized by massive myelopoiesis in skin, connective tissue, and all organs.
Interference of EGFP RNA in human NT-2/D1 cell lines using human U6 promoter-based siRNA PCR products

RNA interference (RNAi), a process of sequence-specific gene suppression, has been known as a natural gene regulatory mechanism in a wide range of lower organisms. Recently, we have reported that a transfection of human U6 promoter (hU6) driven hairpin small-interference RNA (siRNA) plasmid specifically knocks down the target gene by post-transcriptional gene silencing in mammalian cells. Here we report that transfection of polymerase chain reaction (PCR) products, containing human U6 promoter with hairpin siRNA, knocks down the target gene expression in human teratocarcinoma NT-2/D1 cells. Moreover, we showed 3′ end termination sequence, 5 Ts, is not critical elements for knocking down in PCR-based siRNA system. Therefore, the PCR-based siRNA system is a promising tool not only for the screening but also to temporally regulate gene expression in the human progenitor cells.
Guinea pigs with large burns are consistently hypermetabolic without an associated increment in rectal temperature.

This study was conducted to examine the guinea pig as a suitable model for the study of the postburn hypermetabolic response and the febrile response that accompanies burn injury in man. Thirty animals were randomly assigned to four groups: > 50% body surface area burn (n = 6); 45% to 50% body surface area burn (n = 10); 0.05 for burn group vs control group on postburn days 7 to 13; p < 0.05 for postburn days 3 and 15 only). However, the burned guinea pig is significantly hypermetabolic after burn injury, with significant increases in dry and evaporative heat loss. The hypermetabolic response was proportional to burn wound size. Guinea pigs are not an ideal model for the study of the postburn febrile response; however, this is an excellent model for the study of postburn hypermetabolism.
An interview with Dr. Beth Simone Noveck

The former U.S. Deputy Chief Technology Officer and the author of Wiki Government: How Technology Can Make Government Better, Democracy Stronger and Citizens More Powerful discusses open government and what it really means.
Dialectical behavior therapy alters emotion regulation and amygdala activity in patients with borderline personality disorder

Objective: Siever and Davis' (1991) psychobiological framework of borderline personality disorder (BPD) identifies affective instability (AI) as a core dimension characterized by prolonged and intense emotional reactivity. Recently, deficient amygdala habituation, defined as a change in response to repeated relative to novel unpleasant pictures within a session, has emerged as a biological correlate of AI in BPD. Dialectical behavior therapy (DBT), an evidence-based treatment, targets AI by teaching emotion-regulation skills. This study tested the hypothesis that BPD patients would exhibit decreased amygdala activation and improved habituation, as well as improved emotion regulation with standard 12-month DBT. Methods: Event-related fMRI was obtained pre- and post-12-months of standard-DBT in unmedicated BPD patients. Healthy controls (HCs) were studied as a benchmark for normal amygdala activity and change over time (n ¼ 11 per diagnostic-group). During each scan, participants viewed an intermixed series of unpleasant, neutral and pleasant pictures presented twice (novel, repeat). Change in emotion regulation was measured with the Difficulty in Emotion Regulation (DERS) scale.
A Little Prelude and the Scherzo That Almost Wasn't: Beethoven's “New Path” and the Early-Nineteenth-Century Bach Revival

While residing at his summer lodgings in Heiligenstadt in 1802, Beethoven received a new volume of works by J. S. Bach, including the first printed edition of the then-obscure Six Little Preludes. Within weeks, Beethoven began sketching his Piano Sonata in E♭ Major, Op. 31, no. 3, the second movement (Scherzo) of which features a main theme that bears a striking resemblance to that of the first of Bach's Preludes, BWV 933. This thematic kinship can be shown to constitute a conscious borrowing on Beethoven's part, which is significant from several perspectives, including Beethoven's use of humor in his compositions, his reception of Bach's music, and the implications it holds for understanding his musical output. Viewing Beethoven's Bach allusion through a blend of musical analysis and historical contextualization demonstrates the need for a reconsideration of Beethoven's role in the early-nineteenth-century Bach “revival,” as well as Bach's influence on Beethoven, particularly within the contexts of the B...
Some Observations on Electrified Screens and Traps

In this paper are given the results of some tests with electrified screens and traps as compared with the much used trap of the cylinder type. The respective catches are analyzed by species and percentages are given. Also are recorded observations on rather complete installations of electrified screens on farm buildings and general observations from intimate experience with their use experimentally.
Effects of Social Interaction and Warm Ambient Temperature on Brain Hyperthermia Induced by the Designer Drugs Methylone and MDPV

3,4-Methylenedioxymethcathinone (methylone) and 3,4-methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) are new drugs of abuse that have gained worldwide popularity. These drugs are structurally similar to 3,4-methylenedioxymethamphetamine (MDMA) and share many of its physiological and behavioral effects in humans, including the development of hyperthermia during acute intoxication. Here, we examined the effects of methylone (1–9 mg/kg, s.c.) or MDPV (0.1–1.0 mg/kg, s.c.) on brain temperature homeostasis in rats maintained in a standard laboratory environment (single-housed in a quiet rest at 22 °C) and under conditions that model human drug use (social interaction and 29 °C ambient temperature). By simultaneously monitoring temperatures in the nucleus accumbens, temporal muscle, and facial skin, we assessed the effects of methylone and MDPV on intra-brain heat production and cutaneous vascular tone, two critical factors that control brain temperature responses. Both methylone and MDPV dose-dependently increased brain temperature, but even at high doses that induced robust locomotor activation, hyperthermia was modest in magnitude (up to ∼2 °C). Both drugs also induced dose-dependent peripheral vasoconstriction, which appears to be a primary mechanism determining the brain hyperthermic responses. In contrast to the powerful potentiation of MDMA-induced hyperthermia by social interaction and warm ambient temperature, such potentiation was absent for methylone and minimal for MDPV. Taken together, despite structural similarities to MDMA, exposure to methylone or MDPV under conditions commonly associated with human drug use does not lead to profound elevations in brain temperature and sustained vasoconstriction, two critical factors associated with MDMA toxicity.
A comparative study of hard turned and cylindrically ground white layers

Compared with grinding, hard turning is competitive in many cases, with substantial benefits. However, hard turning applications are not preferred, due to the existence of the process-induced white layer on the component surface, which is often assumed to be detrimental to component life. Nevertheless, white layer properties have not been well understood or clearly defined, especially the properties of the white layer induced in hard turning as against grinding. A clear understanding of white layer properties will provide a solid physics basis for product performance analysis and useful data for process selection. In this study, benchmark hard turning and cylindrical grinding experiments were conducted to generate thick white layers for reliable measurement. It was found that the properties of white and dark layers by hard turning and grinding are fundamentally different in four aspects: surface structure characteristics, microhardness, microstructures, and chemical composition. A white layer is not untempered martensite in terms of retained austenite. Additionally, a thick white layer can be produced in grinding under certain conditions.
The Synthesis of Isostructural Mo2+ Porphyrin and N-confused Porphyrin Complexes

We have synthesized the first early transition metal N-confused porphyrin complex Mo(NCTPP)(pip)2; this species is isostructural to its normal porphyrin analog Mo(TPP)(pip)2 but exhibits significant electronic differences arising from the inversion of a single pyrrolic group.
Growth and spawning of Urechis caupo (Echiura) in Bodega Harbor, California

Growth and spawning of the large, infaunal echiuran worm Urechis caupo Fisher and MacGinitie were studied at Bodega Harbor on the coast of central California, USA, from 1978 through 1981. In situ growth rates of marked worms were negatively related to initial size. Short-term, summer growth rates (volmo−1) of small worms (<80 ml) were greater than longer-term growth rates measured over several seasons (asesonal). Size-frequency distributions of worms sampled from two sites also suggested a seasonal growth pattern with relatively fast spring-summer growth and slower winter growth. However, larger worms sometimes lost volume during in situ growth experiments, and the loss was most pronounced during short-term, summer growth periods. It is suggested that energy used in burrow construction may have contributed to volume loss during short-term growth experiments. In contrast, longer-term, aseasonal growth rates were nearly always positive, and indicated that reproductive size (about 56 ml) could be reached within about 1.5 yr of recruitment, and a large size (about 158 ml) could be reached within about 6 yr. A seasonal pattern of spawning was observed during three consecutive years, as indicated by ripeness indices (storage organ dry weight ÷ body wall dry weight). At least two spawning episodes occurred annually: ripe gametes that accumulated in the storage organs during the summer and fall were spawned during the winter; gametes that accumulated during late winter and early spring were spawned during the spring or early summer. Worms were spawned-out by mid-summer.
Thermally-generated reactive intermediates: Trapping of the parent ferrocene-based o-quinodimethane and reactions of diradicals generated by hydrogen-atom transfers

Ferrocenocyclobutene is prepared by flash vacuum pyrolysis (FVP) of the N-amino-2-phenylaziridine hydrazone of 2-methylferrocenealdehyde. In the second section of this dissertation, a series of hydrocarbon rearrangements were observed. FVP of o-allyltoluene at 0.1 Torr (700--900 C) gives 2-methylindan and indene, accompanied by o-propenyltoluene. FVP of 2-methyl-2`-vinylbiphenyl gives 9-methyl-9,10-dihydrophenanthrene, which fits the proposed mechanism. However, FVP of 2-(o-methylbenzyl)styrene gives mainly anthracene and 1-methylanthracene. This cyclization reaction was also successful with o-allylphenol and o-(2-methylallyl)phenol.
Applications of numerical field modeling to electromagnetic methods of nondestructive testing

Electromagnetic field interactions with metals can be used to determine both material properties and the presence of defects. Such techniques are used widely in the nondestructive testing of critical components for aerospace, transportation, energy and metals industries where reliability, safety and product quality considerations are important. This paper describes the common physical basis for active dc, residual and ac methods of specimen magnetization and shows how finite element analysis techniques originally developed for the study of fields in electrical machinery can be extended to predict electromagnetic NDT transducer signals for all three forms of specimen excitation.