cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UV astronomy throughout the ages: a historical perspective

Astronomers have long recognized the critical need for ultraviolet imaging, photometry and spectroscopy of stars, planets, and galaxies, but this need could not be satisfied without access to space and the development of efficient instrumentation. When UV measurements became feasible, first with rockets and then with satellites, major discoveries came rapidly. It is true in the UV spectral region as in all others, that significant increases in sensitivity, spectral resolution, and time domain coverage have led to significant new understanding of astrophysical phenomena. I will describe a selection of these discoveries made in each of three eras: (1) the early history of rocket instrumentation and Copernicus, the first UV satellite, (2) the discovery phase pioneered by the IUE, FUSE and EUVE satellites, and (3) the full flowering of UV astronomy with the successful operation of HST and its many instruments. I will also mention a few areas where future UV instrumentation could lead to new discoveries. This review concentrates on developments in stellar and interstellar UV spectroscopy; the major discoveries in galactic, extragalactic, and solar system research are beyond the scope of this review. The important topic of UV technologies and detectors, which enable the remarkable advances in UV astronomy are also not included in this review.
Schritt 4: Nutzen Sie für Ihre professionelle Video- und Online-Beratung einen detaillierten Gesprächsleitfaden

Wie lassen sich die Hinweise zu den zehn Phasen des Video- und Online-Beratungsgesprachs in einen konkreten Gesprachsleitfaden giesen? Dies erfahren Sie anhand eines konkreten Beispiels aus dem Bereich der Baufinanzierung. Eine wichtige Rolle spielen dabei die Prasentationsfolien. Sie helfen Ihnen, Ihr Beratungsgesprach spannend, informativ und emotional zu gestalten. Dazu erhalten Sie konkrete Umsetzungstipps, zum Beispiel: Nummerieren Sie die Folien auf keinen Fall durch. So sind Sie in der Festlegung der Reihenfolge der Folien frei und flexibel und konnen individuell auf den Kunden eingehen, wobei dieser nicht bemerkt, wenn Sie die eine oder andere Folie uberblattern. Dies konnte ihn stutzig und misstrauisch werden lassen: „Will der Berater mir Informationen vorenthalten?“ Er kann nicht wissen, dass Sie Folien deshalb nicht aufrufen, weil sie fur den Kunden keinen Nutzen haben.
Finite element modeling and simulations on indentation and scratch tests on thin films: effects of prestress

Indentation and scratch models are proposed to numerically investigate effects of compressive prestress on film’s mechanical responses. In indentation, normal stress distributions are strongly dependent on film thickness; the applied force and the maximum normal stresses with a prestress are much larger than without prestress. For various film thicknesses the change in the normal force in scratch between the non-prestressed and prestressed films is 4%–23%. The scratch friction coefficient is larger with prestress than without prestress. With biaxial or uniaxial prestress the material becomes more difficult to deform or to slide at the contact surface compared with cases without prestress.
Factors Associated with Timeliness of Surgical Repair among Infants with Myelomeningocele: California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, 2006 to 2011

Objective This study aimed to examine factors associated with timely (0–2 days after birth) myelomeningocele surgical repair. Study Design We examined 2006 to 2011 births from the California Perinatal Quality Care Collaborative, linking to hospital discharge and vital records. Selected maternal, infant, and delivery hospital characteristics were evaluated to understand disparities in timely repair. Poisson regression was used to estimate adjusted risk ratios (aRRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs). Results Overall, 399 of the 450 (89%) infants had a timely repair and approximately 80% of them were delivered in level III/IV hospitals. Infants with hydrocephalus were significantly less likely to have a delayed myelomeningocele repair compared with those without (aRR = 0.22; 95% CI = 0.13, 0.39); infants whose medical care was paid by Medi-Cal or other nonprivate insurance were 2.2 times more likely to have a delayed repair compared with those covered by a private insurance (aRR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.17, 4.27). Low birth weight was a significant predictor for delayed repair (aRR = 2.06; 95% CI = 1.10, 3.83). Conclusion There was a significant disparity in myelomenigocele repair based on medical care payer. Families and hospitals should work together for timely repair in hospitals having specialized multidisciplinary teams. Findings from the study can be used to follow best clinical practices for myelomeningocele repair.
Automatic Generation of Dynamically Relightable Virtual Objects with Consumer-Grade Depth Cameras

This research demo showcases the results of novel approach for estimating the illumination and reflectance properties of virtual objects captured using consumer-grade RGB-D cameras. This method is implemented within a fully automatic content creation pipeline that generates photorealistic objects in real-time virtual reality scenes with dynamic lighting. The geometry of the target object is first reconstructed from depth images captured using a handheld camera. To get nearly drift-free texture maps of the virtual object, a set of selected images from the original color stream is used for camera pose optimization. Our approach further separates these images into diffuse (view-independent) and specular (view-dependent) components using low-rank decomposition. The lighting conditions during capture and reflectance properties of the virtual object are subsequently estimated from the specular maps. By combining these parameters with the diffuse texture, reconstructed objects are then rendered in a real-time virtual reality demo that plausibly replicates the real world illumination and showcases dynamic lighting with varying direction, intensity, and color.
Safety and efficacy of radioembolization with glass microspheres in hepatocellular carcinoma patients with elevated lung shunt fraction: analysis of a 103-patient cohort.

Technetium-99m macroaggregated albumin is used to estimate lung shunt fraction (LSF) prior to yttrium-90 (Y90). Studies have debated the safety and efficacy of Y90 in patients with LSF > 15%. We aimed to assess the role of Y90 in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with LSF > 15%. With IRB approval, we searched our prospectively acquired database of HCC patients with Y90 treated with LSF > 15%. Median LSF and liver and lung doses were calculated. The response was assessed using RECIST. Overall survival (OS) was calculated from date of first Y90. A total of 103 HCC patients underwent Y90. The median baseline LSF was 24.4% (IQR 18.1–28.8). Patients exhibited multifocal disease (59/103, 60%) and median tumor size of 7.85 cm (IQR 5.2, 10.57). BCLC class was A, B, C, and D in 7 (7%), 5 (5%), 85 (83%), and 6 (6%) patients, respectively. The median liver dose was 84.6 Gy (IQR 57.4, 107.55). The median lung dose per session and cumulatively was 22.9 Gy (IQR 15–28) and 29.5 Gy (IQR 20.5–44.3). Thirty-three patients (32%) demonstrated partial response, 57 stable disease, and 13 (13%) had progressive disease. The median OS was 7.3 months (95% CI 5.3, 11.47). Twenty patients (19%) had non-specific pulmonary symptoms (cough, shortness of breath, wheezing) in the 1-year post-Y90. The median time to the appearance of non-specific pulmonary symptoms was 63 days (range 7–224). Thoracic imaging demonstrated no pulmonary fibrosis/injury following treatment in any patient. Y90 can be performed in patients with LSF > 15%. The RECIST response was identified in 32% of the patients. In isolation, LSF > 15% should not deter from treatment with Y90.
Trends and outcomes of fungal infections in hospitalized patients of inflammatory bowel disease: a nationwide analysis.

Background: Immunosuppressive therapy is being increasingly used in the management of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) which comprises of ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn’s disease (CD). Patients on immunosuppressive therapy are at increased risk of developing opportunistic fungal infections. We conducted this analysis to describe the epidemiology of opportunistic fungal infections in this cohort. Methods: We analyzed the National Inpatient Sample (NIS) database for all subjects with discharge diagnosis of IBD (UC and Crohn’s disease) & Fungal infections (Histoplasmosis, Pneumocystosis, Cryptococcosis, Aspergillosis, Blastomycosis, candidiasis, Coccidioidomycosis) as primary or secondary diagnosis via ICD 9 codes during the period from 2002–2014. Results: In UC, the incidence of all fungal infections was more in age above 50 (except for pneumoconiosis) male gender (except Candidiasis) and in Caucasians. In CD, the incidence was more in age above 50 (except Pneumocystosis, Blastomycosis & Coccidioidomycosis), female gender (except Histoplasmosis, Pneumocystosis & Cryptococcosis) and in Caucasians. Histoplasmosis and Blastomycosis were more prevalent in Midwest, Cryptococcosis and Candidiasis in South, Coccidioidomycosis in west in both UC and CD. Age above 50, south region, HIV, Congestive heart failure, underlying malignancies, diabetes mellitus with complications, chronic pulmonary disease, anemia, rheumatoid arthritis, collagen vascular disease, pulmonary circulation disorders, weight loss were significant predictors of fungal infections in IBD. The yearly trend showed a consistent small rise in incidence, and the mortality dropped till 2006 to peak again in 2008 with a subsequent decline. Conclusions: Our study is the first one to describe the basic demographics features and characteristics of opportunistic fungal infections in hospitalized patients with IBD. The yearly incidence of fungal infections did not show a significant rise. The mortality increased between 2006-2008 and a significant difference remains between IBD patients with and without fungal infections. One explanation of rise in mortality but a consistent incidence could be due to the use of biologics that did not increase but compromised the ability of IBD patients to fight opportunistic fungal infections.
Changes Over Time in Disparities in Health Behaviors and Outcomes by Race in Allegheny County: 2009 to 2015

Racial/ethnic disparities in health behaviors and disease outcomes on the national level have persisted over time despite overall improvements in public health. To better understand the changes over time in racial/ethnic health disparities at the county level, we examined the Allegheny County Health Survey (ACHS) for Pittsburgh, PA and the surrounding area, which was conducted in 2009/2010 and 2015/2016 using random digit dialing of residents aged 18 and older. The prevalence rates and rate ratios at each time period were calculated using survey weights and general linear models. The change in prevalence over time was calculated using race-time interaction terms. The results showed a significant improvement in asthma, stroke, cholesterol, and fair or poor health disparities as well as persistent disparities in diabetes and hypertension after adjustment for socioeconomic factors. The change over time in the prevalence of fair or poor health in black compared to white respondents was significant, with absolute improvement of approximately 5% versus < 1%, respectively (p = 0.01). These findings demonstrate that some disparities improved while others persist, noting the importance of monitoring the changes over time at the local health department level.
Receipt of Adjuvant Chemotherapy in Stage II Colon Cancer and Overall Survival: A National Cancer Database Study.

Abstract Background There are variations in the use of adjuvant chemotherapy (AC) in stage II colon cancer (CRC). We sought to determine which patients received chemotherapy, what factors were associated with receipt of AC, and how this impacted overall survival. Methods Using the National Cancer Database, patients with stage II CRC who underwent surgical resection were selected; patients who received radiation or neoadjuvant chemotherapy were excluded. High-risk features (HRFs) were defined as pathological tumor stage IV, positive surgical margins, and perineural or lymphovascular invasion. Multivariable and subgroup analysis with eight subgroups stratified in the presence of HRFs, age, and the Charlson-Deyo score was performed. Results Of 77,739 patients identified with stage II CRC, 18.3% received AC. Younger, healthier patients with HRFs had the highest chemotherapy receipt rate (46.7%), whereas patients without HRFs, ≥ 75 y, and with the Charlson-Deyo score of 2+ had the lowest rate (2.1%). Community cancer centers were more likely to initiate AC (odds ratio = 1.24 P Conclusions AC receipt rates differed depending on patient age and type of institution delivering care. AC was associated with survival benefits only in patients with HRFs regardless of age. These findings are clinically relevant to inform appropriate use of AC in stage II CRC.
Research of Windage Fault Early Warning Technology for Overhead Transmission Lines Based on Multi Parameters

Windage trip is the most common type of wind damage in transmission lines, which is mainly caused by the lack of electrical clearance distance after the guide line deflects under the action of wind. It occurs under the working voltage, and its success rate of reclosing is low, which seriously affects the reliability of power supply. The automatic diagnosis model of wind deflection fault of overhead transmission line and the windage early warning strategy are studied and completed based on multi-channel monitoring data, Which can realize multi-channel monitoring data fusion of on-line monitoring device, respond to windage fault quickly, find out channel environment and transmission equipment abnormalities in time, and provides important basis and auxiliary decisionmaking for windage control of overhead transmission lines.
Academic Publishing and the Referees' Reports: A Genre-Based Study

إن عملية مراجعة الأقران التي تسمى أيضا الإحالة كنوع أكاديمي هي خطوة محورية لإقرار جودة البحث الذي سيتم نشره من خلال تعزيز وجهات نظر النظراء وإضفاء المصداقية. الهدف من هذه الورقة هو التدقيق في البنية الرسمية والمعرفية والسمات التقييمية الهامة والقيمة البراغماتية. ولتحقيق هذا الهدف ، تم اعتماد إطار عمل يستند إلى نموذج الهيكلة المعرفية لباتيا (1993) ،و نموذج moves لفورتانت (2008) لتحليل تقريرين للحكام من تخصصات مختلفة هما العلوم الاجتماعية والطب البيطري والتي تم الحصول عليها من الأكاديميين العراقيين. تكشف النتائج أن هناك صيغة خاصة يتبعها الحكام في تقاريرهم بشأن الاستخدام المتوازن للتعليقات الإيجابية / السلبية جنبا إلى جنب مع التنظيم الهيكلي المعتمد. تتضمن البنية العامة للتقريرين المحللين أربع حركات أساسية متشابهة على الرغم من أن النصوص من مجالين مختلفين. بالإضافة إلى ذلك ، فإن أبرز التعليقات التي تم تخصيصها من قبل تقارير الحكام هي العيوب المتعلقة بالمحتوى والتي تم دمجها مع استخدام اللغة المكتوبة.
State laws that authorize pharmacists to prescribe naloxone are associated with increased naloxone dispensing in retail pharmacies

Abstract Background The opioid crisis in the United States continues to worsen. Several states have passed laws granting pharmacists the authority to independently prescribe (not just dispense) naloxone. Since pharmacists are accessible healthcare providers, enhancing their ability to prescribe naloxone, an effective opioid overdose reversal agent, may help combat the ongoing opioid overdose epidemic. Method Using a nationally representative database on drug dispensing in 2010 to 2018 from Symphony Health, we conducted a cross-sectional study to assess whether state laws authorizing pharmacists to prescribe naloxone were associated with increased naloxone dispensing from retail pharmacies. Results The number of naloxone prescriptions dispensed from retail pharmacies increased from 2010 to 2018 and doubled from 2017 to 2018. The presence of state laws authorizing pharmacists to prescribe naloxone is associated with an average increase of 331(95% CI = 43.56, 618.49) prescription dispensed per state per quarter. This represents an approximately 53% increase in naloxone dispensed compared to pharmacies in states where there were no such laws. Conclusions Our study suggests that state laws that allow pharmacists to prescribe and not just dispense naloxone at retail pharmacies can increase the availability and accessibility of naloxone. Adopting and implementing such laws may help reduce serious and life-threatening opioid overdoses.
Outcomes of clinical decision support for outpatient management of Clostridioides difficile infection

Objective To determine the impact of clinical decision support on guideline-concordant Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) treatment. Design Quasi-experimental study in >50 ambulatory clinics. Setting Primary, specialty, and urgent-care clinics. Patients Adult patients were eligible for inclusion if they were diagnosed with and treated for a first episode of symptomatic CDI at an ambulatory clinic between November 1, 2019, and November 30, 2020. Interventions An outpatient best practice advisory (BPA) was implemented to notify prescribers that "vancomycin or fidaxomicin are preferred over metronidazole for C.difficile infection" when metronidazole was prescribed to a patient with CDI. Results In total, 189 patients were included in the study: 92 before the BPA and 97 after the BPA. Their median age was 59 years; 31% were male; 75% were white; 30% had CDI-related comorbidities; 35% had healthcare exposure; 65% had antibiotic exposure; 44% had gastric acid suppression therapy within 90 days of CDI diagnosis. The BPA was accepted 23 of 26 times and was used to optimize the therapy of 16 patients in 6 months. Guideline-concordant therapy increased after implementation of the BPA (72% vs 91%; P = .001). Vancomycin prescribing increased and metronidazole prescribing decreased after the BPA. There was no difference in clinical response or unplanned encounter within 14 days after treatment initiation. Fewer patients after the BPA had CDI recurrence within 14-56 days of the initial episode (27% vs 7%; P Conclusions Clinical decision support increased prescribing of guideline-concordant CDI therapy in the outpatient setting. A targeted BPA is an effective stewardship intervention and may be especially useful in settings with limited antimicrobial stewardship resources.
CSNAS: Contrastive Self-supervised Learning Neural Architecture Search via Sequential Model-Based Optimization

This paper proposes a novel cell-based neural architecture search algorithm (NAS), which completely alleviates the expensive costs of data labeling inherited from supervised learning. Our algorithm capitalizes on the effectiveness of self-supervised learning for image representations, which is an increasingly crucial topic of computer vision. First, using only a small amount of unlabeled train data under contrastive self-supervised learning allow us to search on a more extensive search space, discovering better neural architectures without surging the computational resources. Second, we entirely relieve the cost for labeled data (by contrastive loss) in the search stage without compromising architectures' final performance in the evaluation phase. Finally, we tackle the inherent discrete search space of the NAS problem by sequential model-based optimization via the tree-parzen estimator (SMBO-TPE), enabling us to reduce the computational expense response surface significantly. An extensive number of experiments empirically show that our search algorithm can achieve state-of-the-art results with better efficiency in data labeling cost, searching time, and accuracy in final validation.
EEG in the operating room: artifacts and unusual waveforms.

(1982). EEG in the Operating Room: Artifacts and Unusual Waveforms. American Journal of EEG Technology: Vol. 22, No. 3, pp. 135-141.
High-resolution gas chromatography of methylated ribonucleosides and hypermodified adenosines

Abstract Methylated ribonucleosides and hypermodified adenosines were trimethylsilylated on chromatographed by high-resolution gas chromatography on a fused-silica capillary column operated in split and splitless modes. Evaluation of micro-silylation (50-μl volume) of methylated ribonucleosides showed that N,O-bis(trimethylsilyl)trifluoracetamide (BSTFA) and pyridine at 150°C gave greater yields than silylation with either BSTFA alone or BSTFA and pyridine at 75%C. N-Methyl-N-trimethylsilyltrifluoracetamide gave lower yields of derivatives of N 6 -substituted adenosines, such as N 6 -methyladenosine, relative to those obtained with BSTFA. Methylated ribonucleosides generally gave sharp, symmetrical peaks on the SE-54 column operated in the split mode; however, the compound were not as well resolved as the cytokinin-active hypermodified adenosines on the relatively non-polar SE-54 stationary phase. The splitless operation mode employing a cold trapping procedure (40°C initial temperature) yielded sharp peaks and nanogram quantities of N 6 -methyladenosine were detectable. Most hypermodified adenosines separated well from other compounds, although several peaks of unknown composition eluted in the same chromatographic region as the methylated ribonucleosides when the cold trapping splitless technique was used.
The coevolution of Euphydryas chalcedona butterflies and their larval host plants

The interactions between the checkerspot butterfly, Euphydryas chalcedona, and two of its principal host plants, Diplacus aurantiacus and Scrophularia californica, were studied to test the hypothesis that feeding behavior in nature reflects food quality in terms of leaf nitrogen and defensive chemical contents. Larvae preferentially fed on Diplacus leaves containing the highest nitrogen: resin ratio in the field and laboratory. Larvae did not feed selectively among Scrophularia leaves, which show little variation in quality. Seasonal timing of feeding activity and larval development rates were closely related to the availability of any Scrophularia leaves and high-quality Diplacus leaves.
dnaA, an essential host gene, and Tn5 transposition.

Mutations in dnaA, an essential gene in Escherichia coli, decrease the frequency of transposition of Tn5. An insertion mutation in the dnaA gene does not affect Tn5 gene expression. Therefore, the DnaA protein plays a role either in the transposition reaction itself or in some type of cellular regulation of transposition. Analysis of a mutation in the DnaA box, found at the outside end of IS50, is consistent with a direct interaction of the protein through these bases. IS50 transposition, which utilizes only one end containing a DnaA box, is not affected by dnaA mutations. Overproduction of the DnaA protein does not increase transposition frequencies in wild-type cells, even when the transposase is also overproduced. Images
Phenylene‐ and Toluenediamines

The article contains sections titled: 1. Introduction 2. Physical Properties 3. Chemical Properties 4. Production 5. Environmental Protection 6. Quality Specifications 7. Storage and Transportation 8. Uses 9. Toxicology and Occupational Health
Whose Majority Is It Anyway? Elite Signaling and Future Public Preferences

Preface by Professor Suzanna Sherry, Herman O. Loewenstein Professor of Law, Vanderbilt University.This paper...come[s] from a seminar I taught in the fall of 2013 on Judicial Activism. The students read excerpts from books and articles about judicial review, judicial activism, and the role of the courts in a democracy. Each student was required to submit four papers (of at least ten pages each, not more than half of which could be description) in response to the assigned readings. The students were free to choose which weeks they wanted to write, and the papers were due at the beginning of that week’s class. Incidentally, I highly recommend this format for a seminar: the papers kept all the students engaged throughout the semester, and the students who wrote for any particular week tended to be particularly active in the discussion.We spent two weeks, late in the course, discussing Barry Friedman’s The Will of the People and several commentators on that book. This paper by Will Marks focuses largely on those readings. Marks criticizes both Friedman’s theory that the Court follows popular opinion and the response by Lawrence Baum and Neal Devins that the Court follows elite opinion. Marks argues, using gay rights as an example, that what the Court is really doing is trying to divine future public opinion — to maximize both the Court’s institutional legitimacy and individual justices’ historical legacies. Of course, as he points out, predicting the future is a risky business with substantial costs. All in all, Marks first suggests, then descriptively supports, and ultimately normatively criticizes, a novel approach to describing the interaction between the court and popular opinion. A fine addition to the literature, and something that deserves further study.
Best-of-Three Contests between Equally-Skilled Players

Many contests feature a best-of-N structure. We focus on best-of-three contests between equally-skilled players. Using a general symmetric contest success function, we determine the relationship between the players' efforts in the various rounds. These results imply that the contests are more likely to end in two rounds rather than in three. Data from professional tennis matches strongly support this prediction. Our findings generalize and reinforce the mechanism Klumpp and Polborn (forthcoming) use to explain the New Hampshire effect in US presidential primaries.
The biosynthesis of docosapentaenoic and other fatty acids by rat testes.

Abstract The testicular biosynthesis of fatty acids was studied by intratesticular injection of 14C-labeled substrates and radioactivity determinations of the isolated individual fatty acids. After acetate-1-14C administration the highest specific activity was observed in palmitic acid, but stearic, oleic, arachidonic, and Δ4,7,10,13,16-docosapentaenoic acids were also labeled. The former three were apparently formed predominantly by synthesis de novo. After 14C-linoleate injection the specific activities of polyenes peaked chronologically in the order eicosatrienoic, eicosatetraenoic, docosatetraenoic, and docosapentaenoic, suggesting that order for appearance of intermediates. Chemical degradation of docosapentaenoate synthesized after arachidonate-1-14C injection revealed essentially all the radioactivity in C-3, indicating direct elongation of arachidonate to docosapentaenoate by the testis.
Double uterus as an etiological factor in repeated abortion: Indications for surgical repair

Abstract Approximately one of every four women with a double uterus will have some serious reproductive problem and no living children. In women with such reproductive difficulties, namely, premature labor or repeated abortion, surgical unification of the double uterus may be followed by term delivery of a living child, but only when adequate investigation of both husband and wife reveals no other cause for the difficulty. Surgical unification may also be useful in the rare case of unilateral hematometra.
Hyperplane arrangements and linear strands in resolutions

The cohomology ring of the complement of a central complex hyperplane arrangement is the well-studied Orlik-Solomon algebra. The homotopy group of the complement is interesting, complicated, and few results are known about it. We study the ranks for the lower central series of such a homotopy group via the linear strand of the minimal free resolution of the field C over the Orlik-Solomon algebra.
Energy-Efficient Design of the Reorder Buffer

Some of today's superscalar processors, such as the Intel Pentium III, implement physical registers using the Reorder Buffer (ROB) slots. As much as 27% of the total CPU power is expended within the ROB in such designs, making the ROB a dominant source of power dissipation within the processor. This paper proposes three relatively independent techniques for the ROB power reduction with no or minimal impact on the performance. These techniques are: 1) dynamic ROB resizing; 2) the use of low-power comparators that dissipate energy mainly on a full match of the comparands and, 3) the use of zero-byte encoding. We validate our results by executing the complete suite of SPEC 95 benchmarks on a true cycle-by-cycle hardware-level simulator and using SPICE measurements for actual layouts of the ROB in 0.5 micron CMOS process. The total power savings achieved within the ROB using our approaches are in excess of 76% with the average performance penalty of less than 3%.
Cholera Toxin B Accelerates Disease Progression in Lupus-Prone Mice by Promoting Lipid Raft Aggregation

Infectious agents, including bacteria and viruses, are thought to provide triggers for the development or exacerbation of autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus in the genetically predisposed individual. Molecular mimicry and engagement of TLRs have been assigned limited roles that link infection to autoimmunity, but additional mechanisms are suspected to be involved. In this study we show that T cells from lupus-prone mice display aggregated lipid rafts that harbor signaling, costimulatory, inflammatory, adhesion, and TLR molecules. The percentage of T cells with clustered lipid rafts increases with age and peaks before the development of lupus pathology. We show that cholera toxin B, a component of Vibrio cholerae, promotes autoantibody production and glomerulonephritis in lupus-prone mice by enhancing lipid raft aggregation in T cells. In contrast, disruption of lipid raft aggregation results in delay of disease pathology. Our results demonstrate that lipid rafts contribute significantly to the pathogenesis of lupus and provide a novel mechanism whereby aggregated lipid rafts represent a potential link between infection and autoimmunity.
Vibrational states of odd-mass nuclei by the quasi-particle method

Abstract The properties of the low-lying energy levels of an odd-mass nucleus in the vibrational region are investigated using the quasi-particle method. A non-pairing (“long-range”) type of interaction is assumed to act between the nucleons. This interaction is expanded in multipoles, and diagonalizations are carried out in two different approaches: (i) the quasi-boson plus quasi-particle scheme, which imagines that the lowest levels of the adjacent even nucleus are well described as quasi-boson states to which an odd quasi-particle may be coupled, and (ii) the three quasi-particle scheme which treats directly the odd mass nucleus as an assemblage of quasi-particles. The wave functions generated are used to obtain electric transition rates and sum rules.
Eucalypts in Agroforestry, Reforestation, and Smallholders’ Conceptions of “Nativeness”: A Multiple Case Study of Plantation Owners in Eastern Paraguay

Despite claims that plantations both enhance and undermine the quality, valuation and protection of natural forests, plantation forestry continues to expand worldwide. In Paraguay, changes in environmental policy, extension practices, and public perception of eucalypts (Eucalyptus spp.) have promoted a boom in plantation production of these species over the last 20 years. Smallholders, faced with the dilemma of accelerating environmental degradation juxtaposed with persistent economic need, have widely adopted eucalypt forestry due to the quick growth, low establishment cost and high commercial value of eucalypt plantations. The consequences of this recent, rapid change for smallholder land management remain uncharacterized. Mixed methods analysis of a multiple-case study of 45 families was employed to describe the evolving ecological context of small-scale eucalypt forestry in Eastern Paraguay. This study suggests that eucalypts play a complex, potentially sustainable role in the study area. Producers have integrated agroforestry into eucalypt management and report replacing crop and cattle production with eucalypts in the mosaic of regional land-use. Eucalypts are also integral to participants’ views on reforestation of deforested land and fit ambiguously into their concepts of reforestation and species’ nativeness. Understanding the evolving role of eucalypts in Eastern Paraguay is of critical importance to policymakers and foresters promoting sustainable management.
Conservative belief and rationality

Abstract Playersʼ beliefs may be incompatible, in the sense that player i can assign probability 1 to an event E to which player j assigns probability 0. One way to block incompatibility is to assume a common prior. We consider here a different approach: we require playersʼ beliefs to be conservative , in the sense that all players must ascribe the actual world positive probability. We show that common conservative belief of rationality ( CCBR ) characterizes strategies in the support of a subjective correlated equilibrium where all playersʼ beliefs have common support. We also define a notion of strong rationalizability, and show that it is characterized by CCBR.
A study of higher education student achievement based on transformative and lifelong learning processes

The advantages of transformative learning approaches in graduate education parallel the tenets of mentoring and lifelong learning. Under this theoretical framework, adult student achievement in leadership programming can be assessed as a developmental and individualized process. The mixed methods study presented here illustrates that it is possible to measure knowledge construction, disposition development and performance acquisition from the classroom to leadership practice through taxonomy use. The purpose of the study is to use a standards‐based taxonomy to understand the effectiveness of an educational leadership graduate degree program of two student subgroups. Based on transformative and lifelong learning theories that emphasize understanding student learning processes, students’ holistic achievement is examined in order to identify differences in student subgroup learning outcomes. The taxonomical approach used to evaluate student achievement in this study is helpful in gaining a phenomenological p...
Identifying Teacher, School and District Characteristics Associated with Elementary Teachers' Use of Technology:A Multilevel Perspective

Over the past decade, investment in technology for schools has increased at a dramatic rate. Although policy makers are eager to understand the ways in which technology use in schools is affecting student learning, we believe that a critical preliminary step toward assessing the impacts of technology on teaching and learning requires the examination of the varied uses of technology in schools as well as the contexts that are likely to affect the use of technology in the classroom as a teaching and learning tool. Previous research examining technology use has focused on teacher characteristics and has neglected to explore the potentially alterable, organizational characteristics that may be affecting the adoption and use of technology in the classroom. In light of this argument and using survey data collected from 1490 elementary classroom teachers in 96 schools in 22 Massachusetts districts, this research examines how technology is being used by elementary school teachers, and examines the school and district organizational characteristics that are associated with increased use of technology as a teaching and learning tool. In addition to examining technology-use as a multi-faceted construct, using multilevel regression techniques this study provides evidence that schools’ organizational characteristics are associated with teachers’ use of technology in the classroom. Organizational characteristics such as districts’ and schools’ leadership practices and emphasis on technology, the type and amount of technology-related professional development available to teachers, as well as the amount of technology-related restrictive policies in place were found to be associated with the four measures of teachers’ use of technology examined in this study. Individual teacher characteristics such as constructivist beliefs, higher confidence using technology and positive beliefs about the efficacy of technology were each found to be associated with increased use of technology in the classroom.
Ultratrace Determination of Lead in Whole Blood Using Electrothermal Atomization Laser-Excited Atomic Fluorescence Spectrometry

Laser-excited atomic fluorescence has been used to detect lead that was electrothermally atomized from whole blood in a graphite furnace. A 9 kHz repetition rate copper vapor laser pumped dye laser was used to excite the lead at 283.3 nm, and the resulting atomic fluorescence was detected at 405.8 nm. No matrix modification was used other than a 1:21 dilution of the whole blood with high-purity water. Using the atomic fluorescence peak area as the analytical measure and a background correction technique based upon a simultaneous measurement of the transmitted laser intensity, excellent agreement for NIST and& CDC certified whole blood reference samples was obtained with aqueous standards. A limit of detection in blood of 10 fg/mL (100 ag absolute) was achieved.
Linux bugs: Life cycle, resolution and architectural analysis

Efforts to improve application reliability can be irrelevant if the reliability of the underlying operating system on which the application resides is not seriously considered. An important first step in improving the reliability of an operating system is to gain insights into why and how the bugs originate, contributions of the different modules to the bugs, their distribution across severities, the different ways in which the bugs may be resolved and the impact of bug severities on their resolution times. To acquire this insight, we conducted an extensive analysis of the publicly available bug data on the Linux kernel over a period of seven years. We also justify and explain the statistical bug occurrence trends observed from the data, using the architecture of the Linux kernel as an anchor. The statistical analysis of the Linux bug data suggests that the Linux kernel may draw significant benefits from the continual reliability improvement efforts of its developers. These efforts, however, are disproportionately targeted towards popular configurations and hardware platforms, due to which the reliability of these configurations may be better than those that are not commonly used. Thus, a key finding of our study is that it may be prudent to restrict to using common configurations and platforms when using open source systems such as Linux in applications with stringent reliability expectations. Finally, our study of the architectural properties of the bugs suggests that the dependence among the modules rather than the unreliabilities of the individual modules is the primary cause of the bugs and their impact on system reliability.
Home range and territoriality of Australian owlet-nightjars Aegotheles cristatus in diverse habitats

Sedentary Australian owlet-nightjars Aegotheles cristatus roost in cavities year-round, and are thought to mate for life and maintain stable home ranges throughout the year. These factors lead to the prediction that they should be highly territorial, yet nothing is known about their home range requirements or level of site fidelity. I used radio-telemetry coupled with GPS recordings to determine home range size in the semi-arid zone of central Australia (13 birds over two winters) and in a eucalypt woodland in the Northern Tablelands of NSW (14 birds over one calendar year). The mean home range in the eucalypt woodland was 17.7 ha based on the minimum convex polygon (MCP) method and 17.4 ha based on the fixed kernel contour (95%), whereas it was 23.8 ha and 24.1 ha based on the MCP and kernel methods in the desert respectively. With the exception of mated pairs (range overlap 41.9%), there was little overlap among individuals in home range areas (<13.0%), even in the densely populated woodland. Home range size did not differ significantly between seasons or study sites; nor was it correlated with arthropod abundance. Owlet-nightjars exhibited high site fidelity, using the same home range throughout the year with a 68% overlap between seasons. These data, plus anecdotal records of aggression and vocalizations, suggest that this species is highly territorial, yet individuals live in close proximity to conspecifics. The degree of territoriality may be due to the obligate cavity roosting behaviour of owlet-nightjars and the need to defend areas with known roost hollows.
Neutron-Proton Interaction. Part I. The Binding Energies of the Hydrogen and Helium Isotopes

In the present state of nuclear theory it is reasonable to assume, for particles bound in the same nucleus, that the neutron-proton interaction operator can be represented fairly well by a potential function $J(r)$. By taking $J(r)$ to have the form $A{e}^{\ensuremath{-}\ensuremath{\alpha}{r}^{2}}$, which is well adapted to the discussion of the three- and four-body problems, $A$ and $\ensuremath{\alpha}$ have been determined to fit the binding energies of the deuteron and the alpha-particle. The results are roughly $A=170$ m${\mathrm{c}}^{2}$, $\frac{1}{{\ensuremath{\alpha}}^{\frac{1}{2}}}=1.3\ifmmode\times\else\texttimes\fi{}{10}^{\ensuremath{-}13}$ mc, with both the Wigner and Majorana theories. The computed binding energy of ${\mathrm{H}}^{3}$ has the value 12.7 m${\mathrm{c}}^{2}$ (Wigner) or 11.2 m${\mathrm{c}}^{2}$ (Majorana), not very far below the experimental value of 16 m${\mathrm{c}}^{2}$. The two theories appear to be about equally good.
Rescattering effects in reactions with three particles in the final state

Abstract The rescattering effect in reactions with three particles in the final state is discussed. The kinematic conditions for the observation of the contribution from the rescattering effect are given. The experimental results of the d+ 7 Li → n+ α + α reaction at deuteron bombarding energies E d = 3.0, 3.2 and 5.9 MeV are presented. The experimental conditions were chosen in such a way that neutron-alpha particle rescattering after the decay of the 8 Be ∗ (16.63 and 16.9 MeV states) and the 5 He ∗ (16.70 MeV state) could be observed. An upper limit of ≦ 1 % has been established for the ratio of the neutron-alpha-particle rescattering contribution through an intermediate 8 Be ∗ or 5 He ∗ state to the sequential decay contribution through that state. This rescattering effect is so small that it cannot be confused with any “new” resonance levels.
Living in the tenth century. Mentalities and social orders

(1994). Living in the tenth century. Mentalities and social orders. History of European Ideas: Vol. 18, No. 4, pp. 583-584.
A highly sensitive detection method for temperature programmed oxidation of coke deposits: Methanation of C02 in the presence of 02

Temperature programmed oxidation is the most widely used technique in the study of coked catalysts. This technique provides useful information about coke distribution and coke type on the catalyst surfaces. A new detection method, which gives continuous monitoring of coke oxidation rate, has been applied to this technique. The new detection method is simple and highly sensitive. It consists of a methanator and a flame ionization detector. It involves the conversion of C02, an FID insensitive gas, to an FID sensitive gas, CH4, in the presence of an oxygen-containing carrier gas. It has been found that the conversion efficiency of the methanator strongly depends on oxygen concentration, its flow rate, and the temperature of the methanator. At temperature below 673 K and at <3% O2, the incomplete conversion of C02 to CH4 is mainly due to kinetic limitations brought about by the excess water produced in the methanator from the oxygen in the carrier gas. At higher temperatures and OZ concentrations, equilibrium limits the conversion of C02 to a low level. Complete conversion of C02 to CH4 is realized when O2 < 3%, carrier gas at 20–60 cc/min, and methanator at 673 K.
Epigenetic modulation of the retinoid X receptor α by green tea in the azoxymethane‐ApcMin/+ mouse model of intestinal cancer

We investigated the possible mechanisms of inhibition of colorectal carcinogenesis by green tea (GT) in azoxymethane-treated (AOM) Apc(Min/+) mice. Mice received water or a 0.6% (w/v) solution of GT as the only source of beverage. GT treatment commenced at the 8th week of age and lasted for 8 wk. The treatment caused a statistically significant reduction in the number of newly formed tumors (28%, P < 0.05). Immunohistochemical analysis showed that GT decreased the levels of beta-catenin and its downstream target cyclin D1. To probe a mechanism, we further investigated the expression of retinoic X receptor alpha (RXR alpha) in AOM/Apc(Min/+) tumors. Our results show that RXR alpha is selectively downregulated in AOM/Apc(Min/+) mouse intestinal tumors. In contrast, other retinoic receptors including retinoic acid receptor alpha (RAR alpha), RAR beta, RXR beta, and RXR gamma were all expressed in Apc(Min/+) adenomas. Furthermore, our results show that RXR alpha downregulation is an early event in colorectal carcinogenesis and is independent of beta-catenin expression. GT significantly increased the protein levels of RXR alpha. In addition, RT-PCR analysis showed that GT induced a similar increase in the levels of RXR alpha mRNA. Genomic bisulfite treatment of colonic DNA followed by pyrosequencing of 24 CpG sites in the promoter region of RXR alpha gene showed a significant decrease in CpG methylation with GT treatment. The results suggest that a low concentration of GT is sufficient to desilence RXR alpha and inhibit intestinal tumorigenesis in the Apc(Min/+) mouse.
Nonsurgical Management of Fibroadenoma and Virginal Breast Hypertrophy

The management and treatment of an adolescent presenting with a fibroadenoma or virginal breast hypertrophy can be challenging as there is a paucity of original research on these conditions. Although surgical therapies are often discussed as first-line therapy in adolescents presenting with a breast mass, it is prudent that nonsurgical interventions and medical therapies be considered as initial therapy with the goal of maintaining an acceptable cosmetic outcome.
Complicated Bereavement: Disease State or State of Being?

The point at which the experience of grief in response to bereavement becomes “pathological” has been debated for many years without resolution. This article reviews the current status of this debate. The debate centers around the extent to which “complicated grief” represents a truly unique pathological entity, when contrasted with major depressive disorder, posttraumatic stress disorder, and “uncomplicated grief.” Significant research findings suggest it may be possible to distinguish grief from depressed as well as traumatic forms of distress, with acceptable reliability and validity. Yet, “complicated grief” relates to both of these types of distress as well as to a unique aspect—separation distress. It is at the intersection of these types of distress with significant disruption of daily life functioning that we find the proposed diagnosis of “complicated grief.” The question is whether this diagnosis should be designated at this time, and, if so, how. This article concludes in favor of a compromise ...
Coupled SOA-BJT in series for photonic switching

An optical bistable switching device based on electrically coupled SOA-BJT in series is proposed and demonstrated. Switching speeds in MHz range are measured and is limited mainly by the parasitic capacitance and inductance of the SOA. A theoretical model based on the equivalent circuit is developed and simulation results indicate that GHz operation with current photonic integration technologies is possible.
Spontaneous combustion of linseed oil in sawdust

The authors tested mixtures of boiled linseed oil and sawdust for spontaneous combustion. The minimum amount of oil, dilution of the oil in sawdust, availability of oxygen, and the effects of temperature, foreign materials, and freshness of oil on the induction period were studied.