cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Vortex molecular crystal and vortex plastic crystal states in honeycomb and kagomé pinning arrays

Using numerical simulations, we investigate vortex configurations and pinning in superconductors with honeycomb and kagom\'e pinning arrays. We find that a variety of vortex crystal states can be stabilized at integer and fractional matching field densities. The honeycomb and kagom\'e pinning arrays produce considerably more pronounced commensuration peaks in the critical depinning force than triangular pinning arrays, and also cause additional peaks at noninteger matching fields where a portion of the vortices are located in the large interstitial regions of the pinning lattices. For the honeycomb pinning array, we find matching effects of equal strength at most fillings $B∕{B}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}=n∕2$ for $ng2$, where $n$ is an integer, in agreement with recent experiments. For kagom\'e pinning arrays, pronounced matching effects generally occur at $B∕{B}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}=n∕3$ for $ng3$, while for triangular pinning arrays pronounced matching effects are observed only at integer fillings $B∕{B}_{\ensuremath{\phi}}=n$. At the noninteger matching field peaks in the honeycomb and kagom\'e pinning arrays, the interstitial vortices are arranged in dimer, trimer, and higher order $n$-mer states that have an overall orientational order. We call these $n$-mer states ``vortex molecular crystals'' and ``vortex plastic crystals'' since they are similar to the states recently observed in colloidal molecular crystal systems. We argue that the vortex molecular crystals have properties in common with certain spin systems such as Ising and $n$-state Potts models. We show that kagom\'e and honeycomb pinning arrays can be useful for increasing the critical current above that of purely triangular pinning arrays.
Antiretroviral Treatment Regimen Outcomes Among HIV-Infected Prisoners

AbstractBackground: Despite the high prevalence of HIV in correctional settings, the duration of therapy and response to various highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) regimens in this setting is unknown. Method: Using a retrospective cohort study (1997-2002) of HIV-infected prisoners in Connecticut that linked demographic, pharmacy, and laboratory data, we compared HIV-1 RNA (VL) and CD4 lymphocyte responses to four treatment strategies at baseline and at the end of incarceration. Results: Using an analysis of 1,044 incarceration periods or 1,099 subjects for whom ≥6 months of continuous data were available, HAART regimens that included a triple NRTI, two NRTIs + either a PI or NNRTI, or a three-class (NRTI+NNRTI+PI) strategy demonstrated no difference in virological and immunological outcomes. The proportion of subjects who were initiated with NRTI, NNRTI, PI, or three-class regimens were 14%, 32%, 46%, and 8%, respectively. For all study groups, the mean change from baseline in CD4 and VL was +74...
Drugs and future candidates

Antimuscarinic drugs are still first-line treatment for the symptoms of overactive bladder (OAB) and are associated with good initial response rates. Adverse effects and decreasing efficacy over the longer term do, however, limit their overall effectiveness. As such, alternatives to antimuscarinics are needed. The recognition of the functional contribution of the urothelium, the spontaneous myocyte activity during bladder filling, and the diversity of nerve transmitters involved in the symptoms of the OAB has sparked interest in pharmacologic manipulation of both peripheral and central pathophysiology. Some of the treatments currently under investigation are discussed in this review.
Temperature sensitivity characterization of a silicon diode array spectrometer

Abstract High spectral resolution remote sensing devices are frequently used to quantify the flux of energy reflected from or transmitted through an optical medium. Their use requires careful calibration against a well-characterized standard. This study was conducted to characterize temperature sensitivity of a typical silicon-detector-based spectroradiometer, demonstrate the potential errors due to temperature effects, and present a methodology to correct for temperature-induced errors. Three Spectron Engineering SE590 units were independently evaluated under varying temperatures at three separate institutions. A procedure for correcting calibration coefficients (radiance/count) as a junction of temperature and wavelength was developed and applied. The evaluation showed that at wavelengths between 390 nm and 940 nm the calibration coefficients differed from each other by less than 5% among all ambient temperatures. At 1000 nm, the calibration coefficient decreases about 5% going from 25°C to 35°C and increases about 25% going from 25°C to 0°C. Wavebands below 390 nm responded chaotically to temperature. At any given wavelength above 940 nm the change in calibration coefficient value was a nearly linear function of temperature, an indication that a simple temperature correction can be applied. Calibration coefficients were linearly interpolated for each waveband greater than 940 nm at temperatures between temperature extremes imposed upon the instruments during the experiments. Linearly interpolated calibration coefficients were found to be within 4% of actual values. Users of silicon-detector-based spectroradiometers should be aware of potential errors in data due to temperature effects.
Silicon cultured-neuron prosthetic devices for in vivo and in vitro studies

The design, fabrication and mechanical testing of a new types of silicon-micromachined structures for in vivo and in vitro extracellular stimulation and recording are presented. The novelty of these structures are neuron wells fabricated in a silicon membrane 20 μm thick, in which cultured neurons can be implanted and grown. Different kinds of neuron wells have been fabricated, but no difference in the survivability of implanted neurons has been observed. Neurons were successfully grown in various designs of neurowells as building elements of devices for both in vivo and in vitro applications. This approach should improve signal-to-noise ratio of the existing structures for extracellular recording.
Sulfoalkylation of a polybenzimidazole with propanesultone

Poly-2,2′-(m-phenylene)-5,5′-bisbenzimidazole has been alkylated with propanesultone to yield polymers which are readily dyed with basic dyes. Propanesultone has been used to convert cellulose, starch, phenolformaldehyde resin, and various vinyl copolymers into hydrophilic materials which dye readily or act as ion exchange resins.1–5 It seemed likely it would react with a polybenzimidazole to make the polymer more water absorptive and readily dyeable with basic dyes. Hence this work was undertaken.
Myeloid-Specific Fos-Related Antigen-1 Regulates Cigarette Smoke–Induced Lung Inflammation, Not Emphysema, in Mice

Heightened lung inflammation is a cardinal feature of chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Cigarette smoke (CS)-induced macrophage recruitment and activation, accompanied by abnormal secretion of a number of inflammatory cytokines and matrix metalloproteinases, play a major role in the pathophysiology of COPD. The Fos-related antigen-1 (Fra-1) transcription factor differentially regulates several cellular processes that are implicated in COPD, such as inflammation and immune responses, cell proliferation and death, and extracellular remodeling. Although CS stimulates Fra-1 expression in the lung, the precise role of this transcription factor in the regulation of CS-induced lung inflammation in vivo is poorly understood. Here, we report that myeloid-specific Fra-1 signaling is important for CS-induced lung macrophagic inflammatory response. In response to chronic CS exposure, mice with Fra-1 specifically deleted in myeloid cells showed reduced levels of CS-induced lung macrophagic inflammation, accompanied by decreased expression levels of proinflammatory cytokines compared with their wild-type counterparts. Consistent with this result, bone marrow-derived Fra-1-null macrophages treated with CS showed decreased levels of proinflammatory mediators and matrix metalloproteinases. Interestingly, deletion of Fra-1 in myeloid cells did not affect the severity of emphysema. We propose that Fra-1 plays a key role in promoting chronic CS-induced lung macrophagic inflammation in vivo, and that targeting this transcription factor may be useful in dampening persistent lung inflammation in patients with COPD.
Effect of Si and Er Co-doping on Green Electroluminescence from GaN:Er ELDs

(Er, Si) co-doped GaN thin films were grown on Si substrates by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) technique. Electroluminescent devices (ELDs) were fabricated and the effect of Si codoping on the performance of GaN devices was studied. Previous results with GaN:Er ELDs reported that electroluminescence (EL) was much stronger in reverse bias than in forward bias condition, indicating that the dominant factor in EL intensity was the electric field. The results reported here show the first time GaN:Er ELDs where forward bias EL is very much larger, indicating that the dominant factor is forward bias current. The electrical properties of (Si, Er) co-doped GaN thin films are believed to be responsible for the current control mechanism.
Personal and workplace psychosocial risk factors for carpal tunnel syndrome: a pooled study cohort: author response

The analysis we presented in the August 2013 issue of Occupational and Environmental Medicine 1 was performed by pooling raw data from 3515 workers from more than 50 workplaces collected by six research teams. This was not a meta-analysis but rather an analysis of data at the level of the individual participants. Meta-analyses are typically performed because the raw data are not available. Pooling of data at an individual subject level results in a more heterogeneous population with greater generalisability, increased variation in …
Inhibition of Sulfate Reduction to Sulfide by 9,10-Anthraquinone in In Vitro Ruminal Fermentations

Abstract We studied the effects of sulfur and 9,10-anthraquinone on invitro ruminal fermentation and production of hydrogen sulfide. A complete, pelleted diet containing 26.8% acid detergent fiber, 15.9% crude protein, and 0.25 to 0.29% sulfur was used as the basal substrate. Fermentations were conducted using the basal substrate and various sulfur additions (elemental sulfur, thiosulfate, calcium sulfate, and sodium sulfate) with or without varying amounts of 9,10-anthraquinone. An increase in the sulfur content of the substrate >1.0% with various sources of sulfur had minimal effects on concentrations of volatile fatty acids, but the production of hydrogen sulfide increased. High amounts of 9,10-anthraquinone (10 and 25 ppm of fluid) decreased the molar proportion of acetate and decreased the production of methane and hydrogen sulfide. However, 9,10-anthraquinone increased the molar proportions of propionate and butyrate. Approximately 70% of 9,10-anthraquinone was recovered after 24 h of in vitro ruminal fermentation. These findings suggest that 9,10-anthraquinone has the potential to reduce the production of methane and hydrogen sulfide in ruminal fermentations.
Inhibition of DNA Synthesis in Sarcoma-180 Tumor Cells in Vitro by Dimethyl Sulfoxide∗

SummaryDMSO was found to inhibit DNA synthesis in S-180 ascites tumor cells in vitro. This inhibition was a linear function of DMSO concentration from 5 to 15% (v/v). Removal of the DMSO resulted in an immediate restoration of the capacity for TdR-3H incorporation.
Kierkegaard as Incomplete Ironist

The prevalence of irony as both a rhetorical device and a boundary in the spheres of existence in the writings of Soren Kierkegaard raises the question of whether he can be considered an ironist according to his own understanding of what irony means. Kierkegaard was an ironist in that he used verbal irony and took a negative stance towards the religious and philosophical climate in which he wrote, and the methods and goals he embraced share similarities with those of the world-historical figure, an archetype manifested in Socrates. However, he was not an ironist according to his own criterion of infinite absolute negativity because he also had positive content to communicate and was motivated in his authorship by a life-view. His irony, ambiguous and paradoxical, was directed towards the sincere, non-ironic goal of communicating to the subjective individual. Therefore, he can be considered an ironist, if only an incomplete one.
Size considerations in interfacing thermoacoustic coolers with electronics

Small thermoacoustic coolers/heat pumps show much promise for heat management in microcircuits, especially since they can be miniaturized for interfacing with circuits. Usually they are operated in the resonant mode with sound pumping heat; the device dimensions are reduced when the acoustic pump frequency is raised. Results on the development of this technology will be presented for devices operating in the frequency range of 4 kHz to 25 kHz. Since the efficiency and cooling power depend on geometric factors, scaling in the miniaturization plays an important role. The cooling power varies with the total effective cross-sectional area of stack relative to sound field and hence on the cross-sectional area at stack position. We have developed and tested devices which vary in length from 4 cm down to 0.8 cm, the cross-sectional area being fixed by available acoustic drivers. An important issue is that of direct interfacing of single units with a microcircuit versus an array of smaller basic thermoacoustic units. Advantages of such arrays range from lifetime of drivers, long-term reliability of the device, to closer interfacing with chip on microcircuits. Results show that indeed the cooling power depends on the cross-sectional area of stack in a single unit. Also, the cooling power depends on level of acoustic drive; in the ultrasonic range it can be raised since the power density of such units is typically high.
On the design of robust testable CMOS combinational logic circuits

The authors propose an integrated approach to the design of combinational logic circuits in which stuck-open faults and path delay faults are detectable by robust tests that detect modeled faults independent of the delays in the circuit under test. They demonstrate that the proposed designs and tests guarantee the design of CMOS logic circuits in which all path delay faults are locatable. >
Electrical characterization of ALD-coated silicon dioxide micro-hemispherical shell resonators

This paper reports on electrical characterization of ALD-coated thermally-grown silicon dioxide micro-hemispherical shell resonators (μHSRs) with capacitive electrodes. A high aspect ratio silicon dioxide μHSR with a thickness of 2.6 μm and diameter of 910 μm, uniformly coated with 30 nm of platinum using ALD process, demonstrated Q of 19,100 at 19.17 kHz and 14,300 at 55.2 kHz for m=2 and m=3 wineglass modes, respectively. An optimized isotropic dry etching recipe was developed to create highly symmetric hemispherical molds in (111) silicon substrates, from which the oxide shells were thermally grown. This resulted in a significant improvement of frequency mismatch between m=2 degenerate modes, achieving 21 Hz split as fabricated for m=2 modes of an 8kHz SiO2 μHSR that is 1240 μm in diameter and 2 μm in thickness. This creates a path for fabricating high Q and highly symmetric hemispherical shell resonators for microscale hemispherical resonator gyroscopes.
An efficient parallel algorithm for the 3-D FFT NAS parallel benchmark

We propose an efficient algorithm to implement the 3D NAS FFT benchmark. The proposed algorithm overlaps the communication with the computation. On parallel machines supporting overlap of communication with computation, the proposed algorithm can outperform the non-overlapping version of this algorithm by a factor close to two. >
Discovery and validation of novel and distinct RNA regulators for ribosomal protein S15 in diverse bacterial phyla

Autogenous cis-regulators of ribosomal protein synthesis play a critical role in maintaining the stoichiometry of ribosome components. Structured portions within an mRNA transcript typically interact with specific ribosomal proteins to prevent expression of the entire operon, thus balancing levels of ribosomal proteins across transcriptional units. Three distinct RNA structures from different bacterial phyla have demonstrated interactions with S15 to regulate gene expression; however, these RNAs are distributed across a small fraction of bacterial diversity. We used comparative genomics in combination with analysis of existing transcriptomic data to identify three novel putative RNA structures associated with the S15 coding region in microbial genomes. These structures are completely distinct from those previously published and encompass potential regulatory regions including ribosome-binding sites. To validate the biological relevance of our findings, we demonstrate that an example of the Alphaproteobacterial RNA from Rhizobium radiobacter specifically interacts with S15 in vitro, and allows in vivo regulation of gene expression in an E. coli reporter system. In addition, structural probing and nuclease protection assays confirm the predicted secondary structure and indicate nucleotides required for protein interaction. This work illustrates the importance of integrating comparative genomic and transcriptomic approaches during de novo ncRNA identification and reveals a diversity of distinct natural RNA regulators that support analogous biological functions. Furthermore, this work indicates that many additional uncharacterized RNA regulators likely exist within bacterial genomes and that the plasticity of RNA structure allows unique, and likely independently derived, solutions to the same biological problem.
INR Elevation Associated with Diarrhea in a Patient Receiving Warfarin

OBJECTIVE:To report a case of international normalized ratio (INR) prolongation in a patient receiving warfarin who experienced several episodes of diarrhea.CASE SUMMARY:A 56-year-old white woman, previously controlled on warfarin therapy (INR 2.5–3.5) after aortic valve replacement, experienced six episodes of INR elevation, each associated with an acute bout of diarrhea lasting from one to four days. The patient had not received additional warfarin or new medications (including nonprescription medications and herbal remedies) prior to the episodes. The patient had no obvious signs of bleeding (except bruising on 1 episode) or signs of infection determined through physician evaluation of the patient and her stools. In addition, she had no diagnosis of liver disease or acute or chronic malabsorption. The patient did report that her dietary intake decreased to 25–50% of normal during these episodes of diarrhea, which may result in decreased vitamin K ingestion.DISCUSSION:This is one of the first case repor...
Validation of the F-18 high alpha research vehicle flight control and avionics systems modifications

The authors discuss the tests, tools, and techniques used for the validation of the F-18 high alpha research vehicle (HARV) turning vane control system (TVCS), and document the problems and their solutions. The HARV system modification to add a research flight control system (RFCS) and TVCS included the integration of avionics, engine parameters, and external inputs into the flight control system. This integration introduced flexible experimental components into the system. The validation of the HARV system modification included many aspects. The system design included the capability to extract internal parameters from the control system. The interface between the RFCS and the basic F-18 system contained checks and balances to ensure that the safety of the total system was not compromised by unforeseen circumstances. The testing addressed critical issues to ensure the backup system was not compromised by the addition of the experimental systems. The integrated test facility systems were used to automate repetitive tests and collect large amounts of data, and allowed the test team to concentrate on interpreting test results rather than the test system. The test team encountered problems with the system under test with the inability to sort through the information in an efficient manner, to maintain communications over large distances, and to obtain desired results in a timely manner. >
Persistent neurochemical and behavioral abnormalities in adulthood despite early iron supplementation for perinatal iron deficiency anemia in rats.

Background Iron deficiency anemia (IDA) has been associated with altered cognitive, motor, and social-emotional outcomes in human infants. We recently reported that rats with chronic perinatal IDA, had altered regional brain iron, monoamines, and sensorimotor skill emergence during early development.
Unitary correlations and the Fejér kernel

Let M be a unitary matrix with eigenvalues tj, and let f be a function on the unit circle. Define Xf(M)=∑f(tj). We derive exact and asymptotic formulae for the covariance of Xf and Xg with respect to the measures |χ(M)|2 dM where dM is Haar measure and χ an irreducible character. The asymptotic results include an analysis of the Fejer kernel which may be of independent interest.
Opalescence in Monoclonal Antibody Solutions and Its Correlation with Intermolecular Interactions in Dilute and Concentrated Solutions

Opalescence indicates physical instability of a formulation because of the presence of aggregates or liquid-liquid phase separation in solution and has been reported for monoclonal antibody (mAb) formulations. Increased solution opalescence can be attributed to attractive protein-protein interactions (PPIs). Techniques including light scattering, AUC, or membrane osmometry are routinely employed to measure PPIs in dilute solutions, whereas opalescence is seen at relatively higher concentrations, where both long- and short-range forces contribute to overall PPIs. The mAb molecule studied here shows a unique property of high opalescence because of liquid-liquid phase separation. In this study, opalescence measurements are correlated to PPIs measured in diluted and concentrated solutions using light scattering (kD ) and high-frequency rheology (G'), respectively. Charges on the molecules were calculated using zeta potential measurements. Results indicate that high opalescence and phase separation are a result of the attractive interactions in solution; however, the presence of attractive interactions do not always imply phase separation. Temperature dependence of opalescence suggests that thermodynamic contribution to opalescence is significant and Tcloud can be utilized as a potential tool to assess attractive interactions in solution.
Studies on the in vivo and in vitro multiplication of the ldh virus of mice.

In vivo analysis of the virus titer in various loci, 24 hr after infection, showed that a titer similar to that in the blood plasma was found in the ascitic fluid of Erlich ascites cancer-bearing mice, and in lymph nodes, spleen, and thymus, i.e. loci which contain macrophages as a common cell type. However, only in the lymph nodes and in the ascitic fluid did the increase in virus titer precede or parallel the increase in the plasma. The LDH virus titer in the plasma of X-irradiated mice was similar to that of control mice, eliminating radiation-sensitive cells but not macrophages as target cells of the virus. Electron microscopic observation of infected lymph node cells revealed the presence of two types of particles: one consisting of small densely stained annuli, about 25 mµ in diameter and one of similar dense annuli with a halo extending the diameter to about 50 mµ. Such particles were repeatedly observed within single or double membraned vesicles. In vitro, the LDH virus multiplied only in cultures of mouse peritoneal macrophages, maintained in medium 199 with 10% FBS. The virus titer could be maintained for at least 33 days, during eleven serial passages, involving an overall dilution factor of 1011. These results corroborate the findings of Evans and Salaman, who used peritoneal macrophages maintained in Eagle's medium and 5 to 10% lamb serum. However, in the serial passage experiments reported here, the virus titer could only be maintained following trypsinization of each successive inoculum. The role of macrophages as the target cell for LDH virus multiplication in vivo is discussed.
Cortical progenitor cells in the developing human telencephalon.

Radial glial (RG) cells have been demonstrated to be a major neural progenitor cell type, but in the human fetal brain, neither their molecular nor their spatiotemporal characteristics are well known. We used glial and neuronal-specific antibodies to determine the antigen characteristics and distribution of RG cells and other neuronal progenitors in the human brain during the first half of intrauterine development. Proliferating RG (4A4+) cells in the ventricular zone (VZ) showed clear caudorostral and ventrodorsal gradients, spreading from the spinal cord to the ventral rhombencephalon, at embryonic stages (4.5–5.5 gestational weeks [gw]). However, in the same embryo, other dividing cells expressed the neuronal marker SMI-31 and were present throughout the entire CNS, including the rostral prosencephalon. At the beginning of cortical neurogenesis (6 gw), proliferating VZ cells labeled either with neuronal markers (SMI-31, MAP2, β-III-tubulin), double-labeled 4A4+/SMI-31+ cells, or cells not labeled with these antibodies, were in close proximity to each other. At midgestation (17–24 gw), RG divisions were less frequent, but were spread throughout the entire cerebral cortex, including the subventricular and intermediate zones and the subpial granular layer. Several subtypes of RG were co-labeled with vimentin and other glial markers (BLBP, GFAP, or GLAST) and quantified in vitro. In conclusion, the diversity of cortical progenitors in the human brain may, in part, explain the unique complexity of the human cerebral cortex. © 2005 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Three Dream Applications of Verifiable Computational Results

Verifiable Computational Results (VCR) is a disciplined approach to computer-based research that requires subtle adjustment to the work habits of scientists, and in return automatically converts their results into permanent Web services. This article describes how VCR makes computational results accessible to three specific Dream Applications, which allow researchers to search, reuse, and experiment upon published computational results.
Cesium gettering by graphite and colloidal graphite (Aquadag) (atomic clocks)

Cs gettering properties are investigated for colloidal graphites containing graphite particles suspended in various types of solvents (termed 'primary vehicle') and binders. The gettering performance is studied by measuring the Cs sticking coefficient on stainless steel surfaces coated with colloidal graphite. The colloids Electrodag 121, Electrodag 179 and Aquadag E are used. They all contain water as the primary vehicle with different binders (organic and inorganic). Out of the three, only Aquadag E shows any significant Cs gettering capability. The other two behave essentially like uncoated metal surfaces. The results together with possible reasons for this behavior are presented. >
Prospects for attractive fusion power systems

As one of the alternative sources of energy for the future, fusion power must demonstrate that it can be a safe, clean and economically attractive option in a diverse and competitive energy marketplace. Conceptual power-plant design studies for both magnetic– and inertial–confinement approaches allows one to translate commercial requirements into design features that must be met if fusion is to play a role in the world9s energy mix. As a new technology in the energy marketplace, fusion must have advantages to offset the inherent technical risk of a new technology in order to be accepted. Fusion electricity should have a competitive cost and fusion power plants should achieve a high degree of availability and reliability. Realization of the full safety and environmental potential of fusion will help fusion to achieve a large advantage over other sources of electricity. Progress in the physics of the magnetic fusion power plant, technology and design is described for tokamaks and alternative magnetic–confinement systems. Recent research in this area shows that potential safety and environmental attributes of fusion can be realized by using low–activation material and care in design. The projected economic prospects show that fusion will be capital intensive and the trends are towards higher power density and higher–performance systems in order to enhance the economic competitiveness of fusion. In addition, alternative confinement approaches may offer substantial economic and operational benefits, although their physics basis is much less developed. Fusion power technologies are far less advanced than plasma technologies, since the latter have evolved in conjunction with large fusion experiments. And yet the design, material choices and performance of plasma–facing and nuclear components are the dominant factors in arriving at an attractive power plant. Fusion power technologies are reviewed, and the R and D needed will be assessed in the context of the world9s existing programmes.
Multimedia Learning: Pre-training Principle

Pre-training Principle : People learn more deeply from a multimedia message when they know the names and characteristics of the main concepts . Example : A no pre-training version consists of a multimedia lesson such as a narrated animation explaining how a car's braking system works. A pre-training version consists of a multimedia lesson preceded by training on the names and characteristics of the key parts, such as a narrated animation on how a car's braking system works preceded by training that shows the location of the piston in the master cylinder, the brake tube, the wheel cylinders, and so on, as well as the states that each part can be in . Theoretical Rationale : In viewing a fast-paced narrated animation that explains the steps in a process, learners have to mentally construct a causal model of the system (i.e., a model of how the system works) as well as component models for each key part in the system (i.e., a model of the key states that each part can be in). Pre-training can help manage these two demands for essential processing by distributing some processing to a pre-training episode that occurs before the main lesson . Empirical Rationale : In five out of five tests, people performed better on problem-solving transfer tests when a multimedia lesson was preceded by pre-training in the names and characteristics of each key component. The median effect size was d = 0.85 .
Leukotriene D4 and prostaglandin E2 signals synergize and potentiate vascular inflammation in a mast cell–dependent manner through cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 and E-prostanoid receptor 3

Background Although arachidonic acid metabolites, cysteinyl leukotrienes (cys-LTs; leukotriene [LT] C 4 , LTD 4 , and LTE 4 ), and prostaglandin (PG) E 2 are generated at the site of inflammation, it is not known whether crosstalk exists between these 2 classes of inflammatory mediators. Objective We sought to determine the role of LTD 4 -PGE 2 crosstalk in inducing vascular inflammation in vivo , identify effector cells, and ascertain specific receptors and pathways involved in vitro . Methods Vascular (ear) inflammation was assessed by injecting agonists into mouse ears, followed by measuring ear thickness and histology, calcium influx with Fura-2, phosphorylation and expression of signaling molecules by means of immunoblotting, PGD 2 and macrophage inflammatory protein 1β generation by using ELISA, and expression of transcripts by using RT-PCR. Candidate receptors and signaling molecules were identified by using antagonists and inhibitors and confirmed by using small interfering RNA. Results LTD 4 plus PGE 2 potentiated vascular permeability and edema, gearing the system toward proinflammation in wild-type mice but not in Kit W-sh mice. Furthermore, LTD 4 plus PGE 2 , through cysteinyl leukotriene receptor 1 (CysLT 1 R) and E-prostanoid receptor (EP) 3, enhanced extracellular signal-regulated kinase (Erk) and c-fos phosphorylation, inflammatory gene expression, macrophage inflammatory protein 1β secretion, COX-2 upregulation, and PGD 2 generation in mast cells. Additionally, we uncovered that this synergism is mediated through Gi, protein kinase G, and Erk signaling. LTD 4 plus PGE 2 –potentiated effects are partially sensitive to CysLT 1 R or EP 3 antagonists but completely abolished by simultaneous treatment both in vitro and in vivo . Conclusions Our results unravel a unique LTD 4 -PGE 2 interaction affecting mast cells through CysLT 1 R and EP 3 involving Gi, protein kinase G, and Erk and contributing to vascular inflammation in vivo . Furthermore, current results also suggest an advantage of targeting both CysLT 1 R and EP 3 in attenuating inflammation.
God Told Me So: Exemptions for Ritual Circumcision?

“We want our daughter circumcised,” said the parents to their pediatrician. When asked why, the parents expressed sincere religious beliefs. Constitutionally, should the parents be granted a religious exemption from the law passed by the US Congress in 1996 that forbids female circumcision? If so, on what grounds? If not, why not? Would the same answers be applicable if the parents were religiously motivated to have their son circumcised? In this survey of legal exemptions of religious rites, I will present 27 types of genital-altering religious rituals used to conduct irreversible physical surgeries on female and male children. I will then focus on the contemporary attempts to regulate ritual circumcision on males and counter attempts to legally exempt the rite. I will also examine the political rhetoric of “mutilation” versus “circumcision” when comparing the incongruence in laws that protect female children but not male children.I begin by exploring a sampling of cases in the United States that have justified legal restrictions on religious practices, such as polygamy, child preaching, and parents using faith-based reasons for refusing medical interventions for their children. I will use these cases to articulate eight legal and ethical principles: child welfare, no harm to others, substantial harm, direct consent, self-determination, no preference in religion, peace or safety, and equal protection. I use these principles to develop what I call the God told me so doctrine and then apply it to the current politics of ritual circumcision. The primary question that drives my analysis is whether religious accommodations should be granted if the religious practice in question infringes on the rights of children. Put simply, if God tells me to circumcise my child, will the state stop me?
An Effort to Close Achievement Gaps at Scale Through Self-Affirmation:

In this districtwide scale-up, we randomly assigned seventh-grade students within 11 schools to receive a series of writing exercises designed to promote values affirmation. Impacts on cumulative s...
Divided We Stand: The Economic Benefits of State Secession

Every economic theory of secession predicts that a region chooses to secede if it expects to benefit. Yet this basic prediction remains untested. I use a novel approach --- a spatial difference-in-discontinuities --- to measure the benefits created by three new state borders drawn within India. Secession raised output in two of the three states, in one case by an average of 22 percent over the 11 years after secession. The sole state for which I detect no benefit is also the state least well described by any economic theory of secession.
A Computational Theory of Law

Kerr has recently proposed a Theory of Law, which, I show, is incomplete (indeed, undecidable) unless the theory of computation is taken into account.
Nonspecific cross protection in hamsters between Columbia SK virus and poliomyelitis type II (MEF) virus infection.

A well-defined antagonism between Columbia SK virus and poliomyelitis virus which occurs in rhesus monkeys upon infection with both viruses has been described by several investigators. ]~6 The precise mechanism of this protective effect remains unknown but it is recognized that the suppression of poliomyelitis virus is not due to antibody action because the two viruses differ in antigenic structure. An assumption has been made that living Col SK virus "interferes" with the multiplication of poliomyelitis virus in areas of mutually susceptible cells and experimental evidence can be found to sup-
Review of quantitative study on hydrological effects of climate variation and vegetation changes

How to scientifically and quantitatively define the contribution rate of climate variation and vegetation changes on runoff is a scientific problem in the field of climate variation and a difficulty that the managers of watershed focused.In order to provide scientific and quantitative basis of the contribution rate and impact degree of forest vegetation for its flood and disaster reduction role,the progress of the domestic and overseas studies are reviewed based on the demonstration of the hydrological effects and limitations of forest vegetation.The results suggest that,because of the differences of study methods,watershed and its scales,there are differences in the results.The universal law is still in search.
Leafy greens: the case study and real-life lessons from a Shiga-toxin-producing Escherichia coli (STEC) O145 outbreak in romaine lettuce

Abstract: In April and May 2010, 33 cases of Escherichia coli O145 infections were reported from five US states. An epidemiologic investigation found that the illnesses were associated with the consumption of shredded lettuce. A traceback investigation from the processor led to a farm, Ranch A, that supplied lettuce to the processor. This chapter presents the findings of the field environmental assessment conducted in June 2010 on Ranch A and its surrounding watershed. The environmental assessment findings identify and enumerate environmental antecedents and contributing factors that might have influenced the contamination of the lettuce and the outbreak.
The Use of Submerged Structured Packings in Biofilm Reactors for Wastewater Treatment

Structured packings are utilized as biomass carriers in new types of biofilm reactors. These systems have been tested and characterized for a wide range of applications, e.g. carbonaceous and nitrogenous pollution removal of domestic wastewater, purification of industrial effluents, etc. Their efficiency is discussed in terms of eliminated loads and suspended solids retention, as well as with respect to the factors influencing the costs of operation: head loss, backwash frequency, sludge water production. Design considerations of full scale units include both process-related parameters and technological aspects.
Prospective trial with preoperative gefitinib to correlate lung cancer response with EGFR exon 19 and 21 mutations and to select patients for adjuvant therapy

7021 Background: Induction therapy provides a unique opportunity for the objective assessment of therapies in patients with NSCLC to facilitate care and advance research. We designed this 40 patient prospective trial to measure gefitinib’s ability to induce regressions preoperatively in individuals with NSCLC and to simultaneously correlate response with mutations in EGFR exons 19 and 21. Patients with ‘in-vivo‘ gefitinib sensitivity and/or mutations receive gefitinib postoperatively as well. To facilitate our goals, we enriched the population studied to select individuals with tumors more likely to harbor mutations in EGFR. Methods: At diagnosis, patients with stage I or II NSCLC had baseline chest CT imaging and a core-needle biopsy to detect EGFR mutations. All participants smoked cigarettes ≤ 10 pack years and/or had tumors with bronchioloalveolar features. All received gefitinib 250 mg daily. After 21 days, CT imaging was repeated and resection followed. Surgical specimens were agained assayed for EG...
CONCORDANCE OF PRE-OPERATIVE CLINICAL STAGE WITH PATHOLOGIC STAGE IN PATIENTS ≥45 YEARS OLD WITH WELL-DIFFERENTIATED THYROID CANCER

Objective: Clinical stage (cStage) in thyroid cancer determines extent of surgical therapy and completeness of resection. Pathologic stage (pStage) is an important determinant of outcome. The rate of discordance between clinical and pathologic stage in thyroid cancer is unknown. Methods: The National Cancer Data Base was queried to identify 27,473 patients ≥45 years old with cStage I through IV differentiated thyroid cancer undergoing surgery from 2008–2012. Results: There were 16,286 (59.3%) cStage I patients; 4,825 (17.6%) cStage II; 4,329 (15.8%) cStage III; and 2,013 (7.3%) cStage IV patients. The upstage rate was 15.1%, and the downstage rate was 4.6%. For cStage II, there was a 25.5% upstage rate. The change in cStage was a result of inaccurate T-category in 40.8%, N-category in 36.3%, and both in 22.9%. On multivariate analysis, the patients more likely to be upstaged had papillary histology, tumors 2.1 to 4 cm, total thyroidectomy, nodal surgery, positive margins, or multifocal disease. Upstaged p...
Probing Techniques Based on Light Emission from Chip

Various contactless testing methodologies have been proposed to resolve many of the challenges associated with conventional mechanical wafer testing. Most of these methods offered, however, suffer from at least one of the limitations. For example, electron beam and photoemissive probe techniques suffer from the high equipment cost, the complex preparation steps, and logic bandwidth measurement limitations. Other techniques have limitations such as damaging risk, material limitations, and crosstalk. Therefore, researchers have sought alternative contactless methods such as the ones based on chip light emission. In the picosecond imaging circuit analysis or PICA technique, light pulses emitted by CMOS transistors in saturation during the switching events of individual gates are collected. The technique can detect timing-related defects in modern VLSI circuits. The LEOSCL (light emission from off-state leakage) technique observes the near-infrared light emission associated with the off-state leakage of transistor. Since the emission is brighter for an NMOS transistor compared to a PMOS, this information is used to detect logic states. Finally, a technique based on the integration of a silicon light emitter and a silicon photodiode on the device under test has been proposed to address the growing test problem. The uniqueness of this proposed method lies in the fact that it is fully an optical technique utilizing visible light and is completely compatible with standard silicon IC processing.
The role of the patient-generated subjective global assessment (PG-SGA) in nutritional evaluation for advanced colorectal cancer

1404 Malnutrition is a strong predictor of morbidity and mortality in cancer. Serum albumin is the most commonly used single measure to assess nutritional status in clinical oncology. At our center, we use serum albumin in conjunction with the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PG-SGA) to assess nutritional status in cancer patients. The PG-SGA calculates a composite nutritional score after combining information from food intake, weight change, nutrition-related symptoms, and performance status. The PG-SGA categorizes patients into three distinct classes of nutritional status; well nourished (PG-SGA-A), moderately malnourished (PG-SGA-B) and severely malnourished (PG-SGA-C). The PG-SGA, however, has not been extensively validated in clinical cancer settings and little is known about the relationship between the PG-SGA and serum albumin. We hypothesized that the PG-SGA provides additional information about nutritional status, as it captures patient-derived behavioral and outcome data. We explored this issue by evaluating the nutrition outcomes in a consecutive case series of 234 colorectal cancer patients treated at Cancer Treatment Centers of America at Midwestern Regional Medical Center between January 1995 and March 2001. All patients had a histologically confirmed diagnosis of stage III or IV colorectal cancer. The mean scores of serum albumin were compared across the three classes of baseline PG-SGA using analysis of variance (ANOVA). The correlation between the PG-SGA and serum albumin was studied using Pearson’s correlation coefficient. We found a modest statistically significant correlation between the baseline PG-SGA and serum albumin (table 1). ANOVA revealed statistically significant differences in the mean values of serum albumin across the 3 baseline PG-SGA categories (table 1). Multiple pair-wise comparisons using Scheffe’s method showed that the mean scores of serum albumin across all 3 categories of the PG-SGA were statistically significantly different from each other (table 1). While the normal serum albumin levels range from 4-6 g/dl, in our analysis, we report that levels as high as 4.9 g/dl may actually indicate a degree of nutritional risk, and therefore, require a more detailed nutritional assessment. Collectively, these results suggest that addition of the PG-SGA to the nutritional assessment tool kit provides a more comprehensive assessment of nutritional status in advanced colorectal cancer. Further studies need to focus on more extensive validation of the PG-SGA in clinical cancer settings.
Statistical methods to detect novel genetic variants using publicly available GWAS summary data

Abstract We propose statistical methods to detect novel genetic variants using only genome-wide association studies (GWAS) summary data without access to raw genotype and phenotype data. With more and more summary data being posted for public access in the post GWAS era, the proposed methods are practically very useful to identify additional interesting genetic variants and shed lights on the underlying disease mechanism. We illustrate the utility of our proposed methods with application to GWAS meta-analysis results of fasting glucose from the international MAGIC consortium. We found several novel genome-wide significant loci that are worth further study.
The von Mises Model and Its Integration

Among the many rate-independent, elasto-plastic constitutive laws available today for describing the stress–strain behavior of materials, the models employing the von Mises yield surface, and the associated flow rule are some of the widely used and simplest. While isotropic hardening models are generally adequate for monotonic loading applications, more sophisticated models (e.g., nonlinear kinematic hardening models, multi-surface models, bounding surface models, etc.) are generally needed for cyclic loading applications.
Mission-based Leadership: A Leadership Theory for the Nonprofit Sector

Nonprofit leaders are central to the positive functioning of nonprofit organizations. However, our understanding of nonprofit leadership is often built upon theories derived from the for-profit sec...
Premeasles encephalitis: Report of a case

Summary 1. A case of measles encephalitis preceding the Koplik spots is reported.The initial symptom occurred eleven days before the height of the exanthem. 2. The course of the encephalitis resembled cerebellar or labyrinthine involvement. 3. Recovery was rapid and spontaneous as soon as the exanthem appeared.
Ligand Exchange Kinetics of 2,2’-Bipyridine with Nitrilotriacetatonickelate(II)

The kinetics of the ligand exchange reaction between 2,2’-bipyridine (bipy) and NiNTA - was studied over the pH range 4.7 to 7.5 at 25.0 0 C and an ionic strength of 0.10 M by following the formation of Ni(bipy) 3 product at 307 nm. All reactions were run under pseudo-first order conditions with a [bipy]/[NiNTA - ] ratio of at least 20. The reaction is first-order with respect to each of NiNTA - and to bipy. The reaction is also accelerated by hydrogen ion. The rate constant for the hydrogen ion unassisted addition of bipy to NiNTA - is 0.671 M -1 s -1 . The reaction is also first-order in hydrogen ion with a rate constant for the hydrogen ion assisted addition of bipy to NiNTA - is 9.45 x 10 4 M -2 s -1 . A dissociative type mechanism accelerated by hydrogen ion is proposed. The work has significance by showing that NiEDDA and NiNTA, both aminopolyacrboxylate complexes react by the same mechanism.