cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Increases in beta-lipoproteins in hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic dogs are associated with increased erythrocyte osmotic fragility.

Background The capacity of RBCs to traverse endothelium and deliver oxygen to tissues is dependent on a mechanically stable yet flexible plasma membrane. The lipid composition of the RBC membrane is crucial in maintaining its structure and fluidity. Lacking a nucleus and having minimal synthetic capacity, RBCs are exquisitely sensitive to changes in plasma lipids. Objective The objective of this study was to investigate the effects of plasma lipids on RBC fragility in hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic dogs. Methods Osmotic fragility of RBCs, plasma lipoprotein fractions, and cholesterol and phospholipid content of RBC membranes were measured in hyperlipidemic, dyslipidemic, and healthy control dogs. Osmotic fragility of normal canine RBCs incubated in phosphate-buffered saline and in both intact and lipid-depleted plasma from diabetic dogs was also measured. Results RBCs from hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic dogs with diabetes mellitus and dogs treated with glucocorticoids were significantly more fragile than RBCs from healthy control dogs. RBCs from hyperlipidemic dogs with cholestatic disease tended to be more stable relative to RBCs from controls. RBC osmotic fragility was positively correlated with beta-lipoprotein levels, but was only weakly correlated with serum cholesterol concentration. Incubation in plasma from hyperlipidemic diabetic dogs rendered RBCs from healthy dogs osmotically fragile, whereas lipid-depleted plasma from the same diabetic dogs had no effect. Conclusions RBCs from hyperlipidemic and dyslipidemic dogs are osmotically fragile, and fragility is highly correlated with increases in beta-lipoproteins. Future studies are planned to address the consequences of lipid-induced fragility and subclinical hemolysis on endothelial cells, platelets, and coagulation.
Comprehension of Haptic Seat Displays for Integrated Driver Warning Systems

Twenty-two haptic seat collision warning patterns were evaluated in a non-driving context to identify a smaller set for subsequent testing in a driving context. Different patterns were intended to convey blind spot, lane drift, forward collision, and sharp-curve-ahead warnings. Fifty-four test participants experienced a single 2–3 second exposure to each warning pattern while performing a continuous distraction task in a simulator buck with a haptic cushion. The test participant was surrounded by seven static images of driving conditions, one for each warning. The test participant was asked to report his or her association of the experienced haptic pattern with one of the seven driving conditions. The test participant could also respond “I don't know.” The comprehension of several patterns was as good as or better than that recently reported for visual collision warning symbols (Campbell et. al., 2004). One pattern was found that might serve as an excellent ‘general alert’. Some directionally similar patt...
The age-dependent proliferation of rat aortic smooth muscle cells is independent of differential splicing of PDGF A-chain mRNA

Arterial smooth muscle cells (SMC) from old rats proliferate in vivo (after injury) and in vitro more rapidly than smooth muscle cells from young rats. We previously observed that SMC from old rats contained more PDGF-like growth factor activity than did young SMC. We therefore tested the hypothesis that age-related differences in type of PDGF A-chain gene expression might be responsible for the difference in growth factor activity, since PDGF B-chain gene is minimally expressed both in young and old SMC. Specifically we tested if the old SMC predominantly expressed the long form of the A-chain mRNA, leading to autocrine stimulation by cell-associated PDGF AA-homodimers. A partial cDNA for the rat PDGF A-chain was cloned and sequenced; it is highly conserved compared to the human PDGF-A chain and similarly has two forms, a long form containing all exons, which tends to remain cell-associated and a short form lacking exon 6, which tends to be secreted. Different tissues of both young and old animals express different ratios of these two forms of PDGF-A. However, the relative expression of the different mRNA forms does not change with age, suggesting that differential splicing of PDGF-A and accumulation of cell-associated PDGF A-chain does not determine the enhanced growth potential of old rat SMC.
Joint noise adaptive training for robust automatic speech recognition

We explore time-frequency masking to improve noise robust automatic speech recognition. Apart from its use as a frontend, we use it for providing smooth estimates of speech and noise which are then passed as additional features to a deep neural network (DNN) based acoustic model. Such a system improves performance on the Aurora-4 dataset by 10.5% (relative) compared to the previous best published results. By formulating separation as a supervised mask estimation problem, we develop a unified DNN framework that jointly improves separation and acoustic modeling. Our final system outperforms the previous best system on CHiME-2 corpus by 22.1% (relative).
THE DYNAMICS OF FRACTALS

Fractals are formed by avalanches, driving the system toward a critical state. This critical state is a fractal in d spatial plus one temporal dimension. Long range spatial and temporal properties are described by different cuts in this fractal attractor. We unify the origin of fractals, 1/f noise, Hurst exponents, Levy flights, and punctuated equilibria in terms of avalanche dynamics, and elucidate their relationships through analytical and numerical studies of simple models.
Chondroid chordoma versus low-grade chondrosarcoma of the base of the skull: can immunohistochemistry resolve the controversy?

The classification of cartilaginous tumors of the skull base, including chondroid chordoma and chondrosarcoma remains the subject of controversy. Critical review of the literature and our own experience of chordomas and cartilaginous tumors of the skull base led to the following conclusions: 1) Chondrosarcoma of the skull base is a distinct clinicopathological entity. The immunohistochemical staining pattern (cytokeratin negative, epithelial membrane antigen (EMA) negative) can be helpful in distinguishing it from chordoma with chondroid differentiation (cytokeratin positive, EMA positive). 2) The chondroid chordomas originally described by Heffelfingeret al. may have included some true chondrosarcomas with focal areas of myxoid chordomalike appearance. 3) Focal chondroid differentiation in chordoma is not such a rare phenomenon. Further study is needed to define whether chordoma with chondroid foci should be separated out from conventional chordoma as a distinct entity with a better prognosis.
The Future of Digital Money Laundering

Banks got networked, and money laundering went digital. This is as close to cause and effect as you can get. In the future, successful money launderers will demonstrate a closer affinity to tax cheats than bank robbers.
“Bridging” and Mechanical Heart Valves Perils, Promises, and Predictions

Mechanical heart valves require anticoagulation to prevent valve-associated thrombosis and thromboembolic stroke. Oral vitamin K antagonists such as warfarin are prescribed universally; however, oral agents do not act immediately and usually require at least 5 days to achieve a therapeutic effect. Article p 564 Measurement of the prothrombin time, which is standardized by reporting the result as the international normalized ratio (INR), assesses the anticoagulant effect of warfarin. For most mechanical heart valves, the target INR ranges between 2.0 and 3.5. In the postoperative cardiac surgical setting, patients are usually started on low doses of warfarin because they tend to have impaired hepatic metabolism and suboptimal nutritional status. Even with low initial doses of warfarin, mechanical heart valve replacement patients are susceptible to excessively high INRs.1 This known exaggerated initial response to warfarin after heart valve replacement can lead to the habitual prescription of such low warfarin doses that warfarin as monotherapy may not achieve a stable and therapeutic INR for weeks after its initiation. To minimize the delay in achieving therapeutic anticoagulation, a “bridging” anticoagulant is prescribed. The “bridge” is administered parenterally, thereby providing an immediate anticoagulant effect. Traditionally, the “bridging” agent has been unfractionated heparin (UFH). More recently, physicians tend to select low-molecular-weight heparin (LMWH), even though few studies exist to validate the efficacy and safety of either LMWH or UFH in this setting. The rationale for shunning UFH has been to avoid the known perils and inconveniences of its use as a continuous peripheral intravenous infusion. UFH is rarely administered in an immediately therapeutic dose because of fear of precipitating bleeding complications. Especially in postoperative mechanical valve replacement patients, there is reluctance to follow the high dosing requirements for initial bolus and infusion regimens published in standardized nomograms. Instead, UFH is usually started in cautious small …
Isolation of stem cell-specific cDNAs from hematopoietic stem cell populations.

: We have begun to isolate gene sequences that are specifically expressed in hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs). There are at least three fundamental requirements for the isolation of HSC-specific transcripts. First, highly enriched populations of HSCs, and an HSC-depleted cell population for comparison must be isolated. Secondly, the gene isolation procedures must be adapted to accommodate the small amounts of RNA obtained from purified HSCs. Finally, a defined screening strategy must be developed to focus on sequences to be examined in more detail. In this report, we describe the characterization of populations of HSCs that are highly enriched (Lin− c-kitHI) or depleted (Lin− c-kitNEG) of HSCs. We compared two methods for gene isolation, differential display polymerase chain reaction (DD-PCR) and subtractive hybridization (SH), and found that the latter was more powerful and efficient in our hands. Lastly we describe the strategy that we have developed to screen clones for further study.
An improved algorithm for multi-way trading for exchange and barter

Most e-commerce exchange systems today facilitate a single simple transaction. Systems allow the trade of an object or resource for exactly one other object or resource. The trade could also be for some quantity of one object or resource for another, but usually all of the objects traded are of a kind, for example, trading 10 iPods. The common type of exchange involves money for an object. There are other kinds of exchanges though. These include barter exchanges in which an object is traded for another object. In this scenario there is a space of available objects and a space of desired objects. When an available object matches a desired object a trade can be made. Usually this type of trade is bi-directional. One trader has an item that a second trader wants and the second trader has the item that the first trader wants. This trade is a simple two-party trade. Another kind of trade involves multi-way trade in which multiple parties are involved, along with an intermediary. Multi-way trading is the process of constructing a trade that involves two original or initial traders but also has intermediary traders to facilitate the original trade. This research presents an algorithm for supporting multi-way trades. It describes a graph data structure and then searches the graph for paths to effect the trade. The algorithm also identifies a sequence of trades through at least one intermediate trader that will complete the trades of the two original traders.
High-Resolution Frequency Measurements of Far-Infrared Laser Lines

The frequency of four previously reported far-infrared laser lines have been measured to an accuracy of 100 kHz. These laser lines were measured using a heterodyne system which allowed for more accurate measurement. The four far-infrared laser lines which originated from Formic Acid (HCOOH), O-Deutero-Formic Acid (HCOOD), C-Deutero-Formic Acid (DCOOH), and Methyl Chloride (CH3Cl) were optically pumped by a highly stable, grating-tunable, CO2 laser. Three of the far-infrared laser lines have been measured previously using Fabry-Perot cavities not typicaly known for their high accuracy. The fourth far-infrared laser line had been measured previously by heterodyne methods but under nonoptimal conditions. The difference between the frequencies measured here and the listed frequencies for these laser lines ranged from 0.9 MHz to 3.9 GHz.
Ovariectomy in young prepubertal dairy heifers causes complete suppression of mammary progesterone receptors.

Abstract Mammary growth and development depends on ovarian steroids and particularly interaction of estrogen and progesterone with their intracellular receptors. The objectives of this study were to determine the effect of ovariectomy on the expression of protein and messenger RNA for estrogen receptor-alpha (ESR1) and progesterone receptor (PGR) and their relation to mammary ductal development and cell proliferation. Prepubertal Holstein heifers 2, 3, or 4 mo of age were randomly assigned to one of 2 treatments, ovariectomized (OVX; n = 8) or sham operated (INT; n = 12). Mammary parenchymal (PAR) tissue samples were harvested 30 d after surgery. Localization and quantitation of ESR1 and PGR in PAR were determined by immunohistochemistry and quantitative multispectral imaging. Relative messenger RNA expression of ESR1 and PGR in PAR was measured by quantitative real time polymerase chain reaction. We observed the complete absence of PGR-positive epithelial cell nuclei and reduced PGR transcript abundance in mammary parenchyma of OVX heifers. The percent of epithelial cells expressing ESR1 did not differ by treatment but was decreased with age. However, average intensity of ESR1 expression per cell was reduced in OVX heifers. The abundance of Ki67 labeled epithelial cells and stromal cells was reduced after ovariectomy. These data suggest that reduced mammary development after ovariectomy may be mediated by loss of PGR expression and reduced ESR1 expression in positive cells. A presumptive relationship with ovarian-derived circulating estradiol remains unresolved, but data suggest other ovarian-derived agents may play a role. Use of specific antagonists to manipulate expression or action of PGR and ESR1 receptors should provide direct evidence for roles of these receptors in prepubertal bovine mammary development.
THE CONTRIBUTION OF SOCIAL ENVIRONMENT TO THE DEVELOPMENT OF PREMATURE CHILDREN.

In an anterospective study of development of premature children of low social class, it was found that a greater degree of deprivation in the mother was associated with increased possibility of neurological abnormality in the child. At age two-and-a-half the child's developmental score reflected neurological impairment rather than social experience. It was possible, however, that poor environment had exerted a generally depressing effect upon the premature children as compared to children born at term and living in the same environment. Poor environment seemed to have an exacerbating effect where there was some existing deficit.
Nucleotide inhibitors and activators of retinal guanylyl cyclase.

The restoration of the dark state in retinal rod cells following illumination is due in part to resynthesis of cGMP. Retinal guanylyl cyclase specifically catalyzes the cyclization of GTP into cGMP in vivo. The reaction has been shown to involve the inversion of the configuration on the phosphate atom as demonstrated by conversion of the (SP) isomer of GTP alpha S to (RP)-cGMPS by guanylyl cyclase [Senter, P. D., Eckstein, F., Mulsch, A., & Bohme, E. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 6741-6745]. Since (RP-cGMPS is not a substrate for retinal phosphodiesterase, we were able to measure cyclase activity with greater reliability using this novel assay as opposed to other published procedures. This assay has allowed us to reinvestigate the effects of adenylyl nucleotides on cyclase activity and to search for selective inhibitors of the rod-specific enzyme. We have measured the cyclase activity using homogenates of rod outer segments and a reconstituted system composed of guanylyl cyclase in washed rod outer segment membranes and the purified guanylyl cyclase activating protein. Our results indicate that 100-200 microM ATP (and other adenylyl nucleotides) stimulates guanylyl cyclase activity approximately 2-fold and that the observed stimulation of enzyme activity is independent of the free calcium concentration. In contrast to other particulate guanylyl cyclases, which are synergistically stimulated by a peptide ligand and ATP, guanylyl cyclase activating protein does not potentiate the effect of ATP, suggesting that retinal guanylyl cyclase may be regulated differently. ATP changes the Vmax of retinal guanylyl cyclase without changing the Km for (SP)-GTP alpha S.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Ultrastructure of the Buccal Cavity Region and Oesophagus of the Insect Parasitic Nematode, Heterorhabditis Bacteriophora1)

The cheilostom of the buccal cavity of third stage infective juveniles of Heterorhabditis bacteriophora is supported by an invaginated body cuticle. The buccal ring constitutes the junction between the cheilostom and the prostom which is supported by arcade cells of hypodermal origin. The mesostom cuticle is surrounded by non-muscular tissues comprising the anteriormost region of the oesophagus. Posteriad, the metastom and telostom cuticle or rhabdions are underlain by two tiers of oesophageal muscles designated as M 1 and M2. The lumen of the triangular cylindroid buccal cavity is continuous with a triradiate lumen that extends through the narrow musculooesophageal tissues of the corpus and postcorpus and continues through an enlarged basal bulb. Radial cells have broad to narrow strands of myofilaments that make hemidesmosomal contacts with the lumen cuticle and outer membranes. Based on the location of muscle insertions on the cuticle of the stoma and midregions of the triradiate lumen of the oesophagus, radial cell muscles are apparently contractile. Whereas myofilaments of marginal cells attached to terminal arms of the cuticle and the outer membranes appear to be primarily, but not exclusively, supportive. Electron lucent granules are present in oesophageal glands that surround a corrugated valve in the basal bulb.
Pubertal development in girls: secular trends.

To provide an overview of recent studies from the US and other parts of the world that provide conflicting data as to whether there has been a secular trend for earlier onset of puberty and menarche from about 1960 to the present. Studies from the US suggest a decrease in the age of onset of puberty over the past 40 years of between 0.5 and 1.0 years with black girls maturing 0.5 to 1 year earlier than white girls. There has been a smaller decrease in the mean age at menarche on the order of 0.2 years. Northern European countries have not reported such a trend but several other countries have. The most likely explanation for this trend is an increase in the prevalence of obesity in children. In light of the above trends the view that onset of any pubertal changes prior to age 8 years requires an extensive evaluation should be reevaluated. The majority of such early-maturing girls are normal girls at the early end of the age distribution for pubertal onset. As much attention should be paid to the rate of progression of pubertal findings as to their age of appearance. (excerpt)
Agendas and sincerity: a second response to Schwartz

An Ordeshook-Schwartz agenda tree requires a voting theorist to assign a unique “ostensive alternative” to each node, but under some non-pairwise agendas there is no evident principle by which to do this. Therefore Ordeshook-Schwartz sincere voting is not clearly defined under all types of agendas. Farquharson-style agenda trees sidestep this problem and allow one or more definitions of sincere voting under every type of agenda.
On the Existence of Resistive Instabilities of Line-Tied Modes in Cylindrical Geometry

Summary form only given. Linear MHD stability with line-tying boundary conditions has been the subject of intense research in the solar physics community for the past twenty years, in an attempt to understand the dynamics of solar flares and the related mechanisms of energy release. Recently, there has been a renewed interest line-tying mainly due to two set of experiments. The present work investigates the role of resistivity on linetied kink modes because of the importance of resistivity in laboratory experiments and in simulations. We use the method recently proposed by Evstatiev et al. (2006) to analyze the linear stability of line-tied kink modes in cylindrical geometry. The method consists of summing up a number of one-dimensional (radial) eigenfunctions to obtain the lull two-dimensional solution of the problem and has been successfully applied to both ideal and resistive MHD. Resistivity affects the problem in two ways. First, it disallows perfect line-tying at the two end-plates of the cylinder. Second, some of the radial eigenfunctions used to construct the full solution of the problem can be unstable tearing modes instead of stable ideal modes, thus opening the possibility of tearing-like instabilities in line-tied configurations. In order to address these two issues, we will use our new method to study different equilibria where the field line pitch as a function of radius can be monotonicallv increasing (tokamak-like), monotonicallv decreasing (RFP-like) or constant. We will show the existence of slowly growing resistive modes below the threshold for ideal stability. These modes, however, grow at a rate proportional to resistivity and there is no evidence of tearing-like scaling in the line-tied system. Consistently, we do not observe current sheets. These resistive modes are due to imperfect line-tying, where resistivity acts globally on the plasma column and not in resistive layers.
Anxiety and performance in track and field athletes: A comparison of the inverted-U hypothesis with zone of optimal function theory

Abstract The relationship between anxiety and sport performance was explored by comparing the efficacy of task based and individualized variants of the inverted-U hypothesis with the Zone of Optimal Function (ZOF) theory. State anxiety (STAI) was measured in 68 college varsity track and field athletes 1 h prior to competition in three meets. ZOF or inverted-U criteria were used to identify cases when athletes possessed optimal precompetition anxiety. For ZOF, optimal ranges were based upon each athlete's recollection of anxiety associated with best past performance. For inverted-U, optimal anxiety was determined via: (I) published, optimal anxiety ranges of various sporting events, (II) the median precompetition anxiety value of each subject for the three meets. Subjects were then grouped as being either inside or outside the optimal anxiety range using each of these criteria. Attained performance values of the athletes were transformed using several standards. For ZOF, the mean performance of the inside group was better (P
Successful administration of a 1-day imported fire ant rush immunotherapy protocol.

Background Young children with a history of systemic reactions to imported fire ant (IFA) stings are at substantial risk of recurrent stings because of their maturational inability to practice appropriate avoidance techniques. Objective To present 3 cases in which patients 36 months or younger completed a 1-day rush immunotherapy (RIT) protocol with IFA whole-body extract (WBE). Methods The 1-day RIT protocol used for these patients was modified from the Wilford Hall 2-day rush protocol previously published. A 1:1 vol/vol maintenance vial consisted of 1 mL of IFA WBE and 9 mL of human serum albumin diluent in a 10-mL vial. Results All 3 patients had positive intradermal skin test results to IFA WBE. No systemic reactions occurred during the 1-day RIT. Conclusions This case series provides data with which we can begin to assess the efficacy and safety of a 1-day IFA RIT protocol for the prevention of anaphylaxis in IFA allergic children. Further studies with larger numbers of patients are needed to confirm the findings.
Is Parathyroid Carcinoma Indeed a Lethal Disease

Parathyroid carcinoma is a rare malignancy with a wide range of aggressiveness. There is no current staging system. Our primary aim was to review the presentation, diagnosis, surgical treatment, and outcomes of patients, with the goal of assessing the incidence of death related to parathyroid carcinoma. The authors present a retrospective chart review on patients with parathyroid carcinoma from 1975 to 2004, identified by the tumor registry of a single tertiary-care center. Diagnoses were confirmed histologically, clinical and radiographical data were recorded, and statistical analyses were performed. Twenty-three cases were identified. The mean patient age was 54 years. The female:male ratio was 1.5:1. Follow-up ranged from 1 month to 23 years (median, 134 months). Mean preoperative calcium was 12.9 mg/dL. Median parathyroid hormone was 290 pg/mL. Two patients (9%) had an asymptomatic presentation, and five (22%) presented with a palpable neck mass. Only nine (39%) underwent initial comprehensive en-bloc resection. Median survival was 22 years. Five- and 10-year survival was 85.9% and 69.4%, respectively. Five- and 10-year survival with en-bloc resection was 90% and 67.5%, respectively. Local resection resulted in survival rates of 82.5% and 70.7%. Three of ten deaths were attributed to parathyroid carcinoma. In recurrent disease, computed tomography and scintigraphy had localization rates of 53% and 67%, respectively, with a concordance of 22%. Long-term survival is possible with parathyroid carcinoma. Death associated with parathyroid carcinoma was uncommon. A staging may be warranted despite the rarity of this disease.
Comparison of survival after mitral valve replacement with biologic and mechanical valves in 1139 patients

Objective: We sought to compare 10-year survival in patients after mitral valve replacement with biologic or mechanical valve prostheses. Methods: Retrospective survival analysis was performed on data from 1139 consecutive patients older than 18 years of age undergoing mitral valve replacement with Carpentier-Edwards (n = 495; Baxter Healthcare Corp, Irvine, Calif) or St Jude Medical (n = 644; St Jude Medical, Inc, St Paul, Minn) prostheses. Results: The 10-year survival was not statistically different between the patients receiving Carpentier-Edwards valves and those receiving St Jude Medical valves (P = .16). Adjusted survival estimates at 2, 5, and 10 years were 82% ± 2% (95% confidence intervals, 79%-85%), 69% ± 2% (95% confidence intervals, 64%-73%), and 42% ± 3% (95% confidence intervals, 37%-48%), respectively, for the Carpentier-Edwards group and 83% ± 2% (95% confidence intervals, 80%-86%), 72% ± 2% (95% confidence intervals, 69%-76%), and 51% ± 3% (95% confidence intervals, 45%-58%), respectively, for the St Jude Medical group. Predictors of worse survival after mitral valve replacement are older age, lower ejection fraction, presence of class IV congestive heart failure, coronary artery disease, renal disease, smoking history, hypertension, concurrent other valve surgery, and redo heart surgery. Conclusion: Choice of biologic or mechanical prosthesis does not significantly affect long-term patient survival after mitral valve replacement.
Analysis of the uniaxial magnetic properties of high-spin d(6) ions at trigonal prism and linear two-coordinate sites: uniaxial magnetic properties of Ca(3)Co(2)O(6) and Fe[C(SiMe(3))(3)](2).

It was shown that high-spin d 6 ions at trigonal prism and linear two coordinate sites have uniaxial magnetic properties by calculating their low-lying eigenstates under the influence of crystal field and spin-orbit coupling and then determining their g-factors for the parallel and perpendicular directions. On the basis of our theoretical findings, we interpreted the uniaxial magnetic properties of Ca 3 Co 2 O 6 with high-spin Co 3 + (d 6 ) ions at the trigonal prism sites and those of Fe[C(SiMe 3 ) 3 ] 2 with high-spin Fe 2 + (d 6 ) ions at linear two-coordinate sites, and discussed why compounds with high-spin d 6 ions at octahedral sites cannot have uniaxial magnetic properties.
Skull key to adult mammals of Delaware, Maryland and Virginia. II. Marine mammals

An artificial key to adult skulls of marine mammals reported from Delaware, Maryland and Virginia (and also to those species which, although not yet reported, may eventually be found along these states) is presented for use not only by wildlife, marine and professional biologists, but also by those lay persons interested in identifying skulls they may find on the beaches of this region. *** DIRECT SUPPORT *** A00BY065 00006
Estimating Right-Turn-on-Red Capacity for Dual Right-Turn Lanes at Signalized Intersections:

Dual right-turn lanes are increasingly used as a design alternative at urban intersections, primarily to accommodate high right-turn demand. For dual right-turn lanes, an accurate estimate of right-turn-on-red (RTOR) capacity can contribute to better decisions about whether RTOR should be allowed or prohibited and may lead to refined delay estimation and improved signal timing. A gap-acceptance model was formulated for predicting lane-specific RTOR capacities at dual right-turn lanes. The proposed model can represent the unequal effects of conflicting traffic streams from different cross-street lanes on RTOR capacities of dual right-turn lanes. Existing probabilistic methods were adapted to adjust RTOR capacity for shared through and right-turn lanes. Microsimulation models were developed, calibrated based on field data, and used as benchmarks to validate the proposed model. Numerical experiments indicated that the proposed model exhibits a significantly improved ability to predict RTOR capacities for dua...
Deep vein thrombosis: Current status and nanotechnology advances

Deep vein thrombosis (DVT) affects up to 2 million people in the United States, and worldwide incidence is 70 to 113 cases per 100,000 per year. Mortality from DVT is often due to subsequent pulmonary embolism (PE). Precise diagnosis and treatment is thereby essential for the management of DVT. DVT is diagnosed by a thorough history and physical examination followed by laboratory and diagnostic tests. The choice of laboratory and diagnostic test is dependent on clinical pretest probability. Available laboratory and diagnostic techniques mainly involve D-dimer test, ultrasound, venography, and magnetic resonance imaging. The latter two diagnostic tools require high doses of contrast agents including either radioactive or toxic materials. The available treatment options include lifestyle modifications, mechanical compression, anticoagulant therapy, inferior vena cava filter, and thrombolysis/thrombolectomy. All of these medical and surgical treatments have serious side effects including improper clot clearance and increased risk of hemorrhage occurrence. Therefore, research in this field has recently focused on the development of non-invasive and accurate diagnostics, such as ultrasound enhanced techniques and molecular imaging methods, to assess thrombus location and its treatment course. The frontier of nanomedicine also shows high prospects in tackling DVT with efficient targeted drug delivery. This review describes the pathology of DVT along with successive medical problems such as PE and features a detailed listing of various diagnostic and therapeutic modalities that have been in use and are under development.
Diamond nonlinear photonics

An optical parametric oscillator in the telecom wavelength range is realized in a diamond system consisting of a ring resonator coupled to a diamond waveguide. Threshold powers as low as 20 mW are measured and up to 20 new wavelengths are generated from a single-frequency pump laser. Despite progress towards integrated diamond photonics1,2,3,4, studies of optical nonlinearities in diamond have been limited to Raman scattering in bulk samples5. Diamond nonlinear photonics, however, could enable efficient, in situ frequency conversion of single photons emitted by diamond's colour centres6,7, as well as stable and high-power frequency microcombs8 operating at new wavelengths. Both of these applications depend crucially on efficient four-wave mixing processes enabled by diamond's third-order nonlinearity. Here, we have realized a diamond nonlinear photonics platform by demonstrating optical parametric oscillation via four-wave mixing using single-crystal ultrahigh-quality-factor (1 × 106) diamond ring resonators operating at telecom wavelengths. Threshold powers as low as 20 mW are measured, and up to 20 new wavelengths are generated from a single-frequency pump laser. We also report the first measurement of the nonlinear refractive index due to the third-order nonlinearity in diamond at telecom wavelengths.
Inhibitor induced alterations of chromatoid bodies in male germ line cells of Xenopus laevis

The action of inhibitors of protein synthesis on the structure of cytoplasmic inclusions found in the male germ cell line of the anuran, Xenopus laevis, has been studied by light and electron microscopy. Results indicate that one such inclusion, the chromatoid body, is sensitive to treatment with either chloramphenicol or puromycin. These drugs administered in vivo or in vitro cause up to a thirty-fold increase in the volume of the chromatoid body in all stages where it is normally present. Maximum size increase obtainable is the same for either drug, but is different and characteristic for each germ cell stage. Drug action is dose dependent, with “chromatoid body syndrome” occurring over a relatively narrow concentration range. Cyclohexamide, in contrast to chloramphenicol or puromycin, does not produce a clear increase in the size of chromatoid bodies, and is capable of blocking the action of the other drugs at normally effective concentrations. Results obtained in this investigation suggest that primary spermatogonia contain enough chromatoid body material to account for the total amount present in all subsequent germ cell stages. This fact, coupled with other studies where chromatoid-like bodies have been observed, suggests the hypothesis that the chromatoid body represents at least in part an aggregation stage of materials associated with the microtubule population of the germ cell line. Alternately, or in addition, ribonucleoprotein may contribute to the structure of the chromatoid body.
PRIVACY IN THE WORK PLACE: THE IMPACT OF BUILDING DESIGN

This study examines the impact of building design on privacy in two office environments at Gulfstream Aerospace Corporation, Inc., U.S.A. The findings offer a range of design resources that Facility Management at Gulfstream can utilize to manage privacy for their office workers. In a broader context, the theoretical considerations presented in this study, though still in their formative stage, offer additional insight into what office workers may think about privacy in the work environment. These theoretical considerations have far reaching implications for design professionals, and pending further research may prove cost effective.
Privacy preserving database application testing

Traditionally, application software developers carry out their tests on their own local development databases. However, such local databases usually have only a small number of sample data and hence cannot simulate satisfactorily a live environment, especially in terms of performance and scalability testing. On the other hand, the idea of testing applications over live production databases is increasingly problematic in most situations primarily due to the fact that such use of live production databases has the potential to expose sensitive data to an unauthorized tester and to incorrectly update information in the underlying database. In this paper, we investigate techniques to generate mock databases for application software testing without revealing any confidential information from the live production databases. Specifically, we will design mechanisms to create the deterministic rule set R, non-deterministic rule set N R, and statistic data set S for a live production database. We will then build a security Analyzer which will process the triplet together with security requirements (security policy) and output a new triplet The security Analyzer will guarantee that no confidential information could be inferred from the new triplet The mock database generated from this new triplet can simulate the live environment for testing purpose, while maintaining the privacy of data in the original database.
Mechanical properties of a raspberry product texturized with alginate

Calcium alginate gels (1% algin) with and without agar (1%) as a presetting agent were used to form the matrix for a texturized raspberry product containing 2–8% raspberry pulp. the addition of the pulp resulted in a mechanically weaker product as compared to the pure gels, and the loss of strength increased with the pulp concentration. the agar did not have an appreciable effect on the product's strength but it made them, comparatively, more brittle and stiffer. Although full equilibration of the gels and products took about 48 h or more, all their main mechanical features could be determined in tests performed after 24 h only.
Kautilya On Administration Of Justice During The Fourth Century B.C.

“It is the power of punishment alone, when exercised impartially in proportion to the guilt, and irrespective of whether the person punished is the King's son or an enemy, that protects this world ...
Ultra low power microsystems using RF energy scavenging (invited)

RF energy scavenging enable very small, battery-less sensing and processing systems. Power and timing information are extracted from an RF signal from a base station. A single chip RF powered system can include digital processing, two way telemetry and complete sensor interfaces.
Factors influencing internal P loading in a western Michigan, drowned river-mouth lake

AbstractRelease of P from lake sediments may account for a significant portion of a lake’s total P (TP) load. Previous studies using sediment cores showed that ˜65% of the total P load entering Spring Lake, Michigan, came from the sediments, and that an alum concentration of 24 mg Al/L effectively inactivated P release in experimental sediment-core tubes. In 2004, we studied the influence of alum concentration and sediment resuspension on P release rates from the sediments. Based on laboratory incubations using alum concentrations of 0, 5, 10, 15, 20, and 25 mg/L, we determined that P release rates at alum concentrations ≥15 mg/L were no different than at release rates at concentrations of 25 mg/L. Resuspension of sediments substantially increased TP concentrations, even at high alum concentrations, but total soluble P concentrations remained low in the water when alum was present. Alum application may be an effective tool to reduce P flux from sediments in shallow lakes, but external P load reduction mus...
Recalcitrant pyoderma gangrenosum treated with parenteral iron sucrose therapy

Pyoderma gangrenosum (PG) is an idiopathic, ulcerating neutrophilic dermatosis.1 We present a patient with 12 years of peristomal PG recalcitrant to numerous steroids and immunosuppressants who attained complete remission after iron sucrose infusion.
Comparative effects of urban development and anthropogenic noise on bird songs

Many avian species live, breed, and communicate in urban areas. To survive and reproduce in these areas, birds must transmit their signals to intended receivers. As an arena for acoustic communication, 2 salient features of the urban environment are an abundance of reflective surfaces and a high level of low-frequency anthropogenic noise. Each presents unique communication challenges, with hard surfaces reflecting and distorting high frequencies and noise masking low-frequency song components. Based on this, we predicted that noise level would affect minimum song frequency and urban development (percentage of impervious surface) would affect maximum frequency and frequency range. We compared the effects of urban development and noise on songs of 6 bird species at 28 sites along an urban to rural gradient, across a broad range of noise levels. We found that minimum song frequency increased as noise level increased for 2 of 6 species, with 5 of 6 species showing a strong trend in the predicted direction. Species with lower frequency songs were more affected by noise. Maximum frequency and frequency range decreased for 2 of 6 species as urban development increased, and this effect was stronger for species with higher frequency songs. For some species, minimum frequency only increased with noise at less urban sites and similarly, maximum frequency and frequency range only decreased with urbanization at quiet sites, suggesting a trade-off between different vocal adjustments. Ours is the first study to investigate how noise and urban development affect song frequency characteristics of multiple bird species.
The Effects of Statistical Training on Thinking about Everyday Problems.

People possess an abstract inferential rule system that is an intuitive version of the law of large numbers. Because the rule system is not tied to any particular content domain, it is possible to improve it by formal teaching techniques. We present four experiments that support this view. In Experiments 1 and 2, we taught subjects about the formal properties of the law of large numbers in brief training sessions in the laboratory and found that this increased both the frequency and the quality of statistical reasoning for a wide variety of problems of an everyday nature. In addition, we taught subjects about the rule by a “guided induction” technique, showing them how to use the rule to solve problems in particular domains. Learning from the examples was abstracted to such an extent that subjects showed just as much improvement on domains where the rule was not taught as on domains where it was. In Experiment 3, the ability to analyze an everyday problem with reference to the law of large numbers was shown to he much greater for those who had several years of training in statistics than for those who had less. Experiment 4 demonstrated that the beneficial effects of formal training in statistics may hold even when subjects are tested completely outside of the context of training. In general, these four experiments support a rather “formalist” theory of reasoning: people reason using very abstract rules,
Divergences in protein activity and cellular localization within the Campoletis sonorensis Ichnovirus Vankyrin family.

Ichnoviruses (IVs) occur in obligate symbiotic associations with endoparasitic ichneumonid wasps. IVs are injected with eggs during parasitization, where viral infection and gene expression alter host physiology to ensure endoparasitoid survival. The seven Campoletis sonorensis IV (CsIV) vankyrin genes encode proteins that possess ankyrin repeat domains resembling the inhibitory domains of NF-κB transcription factor inhibitors (IκBs). The CsIV vankyrins are divided into two subclasses: those expressed primarily in the host fat body (three genes) and those expressed in host hemocytes (four genes). CsIV vankyrin proteins showed limited antigenic similarity when analyzed by Western blotting. Cellular localization and expression patterns of recombinant vankyrin proteins in High Five and Sf9 insect cells differed within and between the subclasses and in cells exposed to lipopolysaccharide, laminarin, or viral immune challenge. In unstimulated Sf9 cells, five vankyrins were detected in cell nuclei. The remaining two proteins localized predominantly to cytoplasmic granules. Immune stimulation of cells resulted in a nuclear-to-cytoplasmic shift of three vankyrins but did not affect localization of other variants. When expressed from recombinant Autographa californica multiple nucleopolyhedroviruses (AcMNPVs), all vankyrins showed a nuclear localization during early stages of infection with patterns resembling those of immune-challenged cells as the infection progressed. Two fat body vankyrins also produced unique biological effects when expressed from recombinant AcMNPV. Insect cells infected with these viruses exhibited enhanced longevity compared to those infected with viruses expressing other vankyrins. Together, these data suggest that vankyrin proteins in CsIV have divergent physiological functions.
Safety and Tolerability of Extended-Release Venlafaxine in Severe Medical and Surgical Illness

Objective This study attempted to determine if extended-release venlafaxine is safe for use in severely medically and surgically ill depressed patients. Method The charts of 16 patients who were admitted to medical and surgical inpatient services and given extended-release venlafaxine were retrospectively evaluated for dose and duration of drug treatment, blood pressure changes, medication changes, and side effects. Results There was 50%–75% improvement in depressive symptoms, with a statistically insignificant mean elevation in blood pressure. Conclusions Extended-release venlafaxine appears to be a safe and tolerable agent for the medical-surgical depressed inpatient.
Some implications of denominational heterogeneity and church attendance for alcohol consumption among hispanics

This article evaluates complementary perspectives on the relationship between religion and alcohol among Hispanics. In particular, it examines whether religion may be related to alcohol consumption through two mechanisms, one deriving primarily from doctrinally specific norms, and the other a denominationally independent effect of social integration. The basic premise is that these mechanisms may operate in relative independence. Thus, the article argues that in a fully specified model, variations in alcohol use that are associated with prohibitive norms can be distinguished from those that are associated with membership in a religious community (irrespective of its alcohol norms). The former effect is unique to members of Protestant denominations that object to the use of alcohol; the latter also accrues to the Catholics. A separate, exploratory analysis looks at whether these effects differ by gender. The results indicate that both mechanisms reduce the likelihood of alcohol consumption, but that the doctrinally specific normative one is more powerful. Furthermore, it appears that alcohol-use norms are more salient for men than for women, although the findings are not as robust as expected.