cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Measuring the effect of commuting on the performance of the Bayesian Aerosol Release Detector

Early detection of outdoor aerosol releases of anthrax is an important problem. The Bayesian Aerosol Release Detector (BARD) is a system for detecting releases of aerosolized anthrax and characterizing them in terms of location, time and quantity. Modelling a population's exposure to aerosolized anthrax poses a number of challenges. A major difficulty is to accurately estimate the exposure level--the number of inhaled anthrax spores--of each individual in the exposed region. Partly, this difficulty stems from the lack of fine-grained data about the population under surveillance. To cope with this challenge, nearly all anthrax biosurveillance systems, including BARD, ignore the mobility of the population and assume that exposure to anthrax would occur at one's home administrative unit--an assumption that limits the fidelity of the model. We employed commuting data provided by the U.S. Census Bureau to parameterize a commuting model. Then, we developed methods for integrating commuting into BARD's simulation and detection algorithms and conducted two studies to measure the effect. The first study (simulation study) was designed to assess how BARD's detection and characterization performance are impacted by incorporation of commuting in BARD's outbreak-simulation algorithm. The second study (detection study) was designed to measure the effect of incorporating commuting in BARD's outbreak-detection algorithm. We found that failing to account for commuting in detection (when commuting is present in simulation) leads to a deterioration in BARD's detection and characterization performance that is both statistically and practically significant. We found that a simplified approach to accounting for commuting in detection--simplified to maintain tractability of inference--nearly fully restored both detection and characterization performance of BARD detector. We conclude that it is important to account for commuting (and mobility in general) in BARD's simulation algorithm. Further, the proposed method for incorporating commuting in BARD's detection algorithm can successfully perform the necessary correction in the detection algorithm, while preserving BARD's practicality. In our future work, we intend to further study the problem of the trade-off between running time and accuracy of the computation in BARD's version that includes commuting and ultimately find the best such trade-off.
Determining the Execution Time Distribution for a Data Parallel Program in a Heterogeneous Computing Environment

An important problem in heterogeneous computing (HC) is predicting task execution time. A methodology is introduced for determining the execution time distribution for a given data parallel program that is to be executed in an SIMD, MIMD (SPMD), and/or mixed-mode SIMD/MIMD (SPMD) HC environment. The program is assumed to contain operations and constructs whose execution times depend on input-data values. The methodology uses a block-based approach to transform the program into a flow analysis tree and computes the execution time distribution for the program, given the execution modes for each node in the flow analysis tree, an estimated execution time distribution for each operation in both modes, and appropriate probabilistic models for control and data conditional constructs. The results are directly applicable to both mixed-machine and mixed-mode HC systems.
The magnitude of familial associations of cardiovascular risk factor variables between parents and offspring are influenced by age: the Bogalusa Heart Study

Abstract PURPOSE: Although parent-offspring associations of cardiovascular risk factor variables are known, the age-specific nature of this familial relationship is not clear. METHODS: This aspect was examined in 727 unrelated children (mean age: 11.2 years) and their parents who participated in the Bogalusa Heart Study during their childhood (mean age: 11.3 years) and adulthood (mean age: 25.5 years). RESULTS: After adjusting for covariates, the mothers' childhood-offspring correlations were consistently higher than mothers' adulthood-offspring correlations for body mass index (BMI) [ r = 0.45 vs. 0.32], systolic blood pressure (SBP) [ r = 0.30 vs. 0.10], diastolic blood pressure (DPB) [ r = 0.22 vs. 0.13] and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDLC) [ r = 0.20 vs. 0.11]. In contrast, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) and triglycerides did not show such age-specific trends in mother-offspring correlations. Corresponding father-offspring correlations showed similar patterns, but the differences were of lesser magnitude. Multiple regression analyses using offspring's risk factor variables as dependent variables revealed that parents' childhood obesity, blood pressure and LDLC levels were better predictors of the corresponding variables in the young offspring than parents' adulthood values. Further, sex of either parents or offspring made no difference in the above findings. CONCLUSIONS: The magnitude of the familial associations of cardiovascular risk factor variables between parents and offspring are influenced by age. Intrinsic genetic make-up, duration of exposure to environment and gene-environment interactions may play a role in this association.
3-D thermoelectric cooler analysis

Thermoelectric Coolers (TECs) have increasingly been utilized for the temperature control of electronic devices. A typical TEC package consists of a target mass, cold-side ceramic, Peltier pellet array, hot-side ceramic and a heat sink. In order to ensure temperature uniformity across the target mass, the heat sink must make adequate thermal contact with the hot-side ceramic and must maintain a uniform temperature distribution. This has become more difficult to accomplish as electronic packages grow smaller and their geometries become more complex. For many applications, such as in cooled and uncooled night vision systems, the temperature gradient across the target mass is critical. Currently TEC vendors use one-dimensional, resistance network solvers to perform their analysis. These solvers are inadequate for non-uniform temperature heat sinks or incomplete hot-side ceramic/heat sink contact. A one-dimensional analysis can provide many of the pertinent properties, but offers no information in the directions perpendicular to the TEC elements. This brings rise for the need of a transient, three-dimensional, TEC model with feedback control. An example will be provided, which will illustrate the importance of three-dimensional effects.
Precise positioning of patients for radiation therapy

We have developed a number of immobilization schemes which permit precise daily positioning of patients for radiation therapy. Pretreatment and post-treatment radiographs have been taken with the patient in the treatment position and analyzed to determine the amount of intratreatment movement. Studies of patients in the supine, seated and decubitus positions indicate mean movements of less than 1 mm with a standard deviation of less than 1mm. Patients immobilized in the seated position with a bite block and a mask have a mean movement of about 0.5 mm +/- 0.3 mm (s.d.), and patients immobilized in the supine position with their necks hyperextended for submental therapy evidence a mean movement of about 1.4 mm +/- 0.9 mm (s.d.). With the exception of those used for the decubitus position, the immobilization devices are simply fabricated out of thermoplastic casting materials readily available from orthopedic supply houses. A study of day-to-day reproducibility of patient position using laser alignment and pretreatment radiographs for final verification of position indicates that the initial laser alignment can be used to position a patient within 2.2 mm +/- 1.4 mm (s.d.) of the intended position. These results indicate that rigid immobilization devices can improve the precision of radiotherapy, which would be advantageous with respect to both tumor and normal tissue coverage in certain situations.
El concepto de "belleza" en el mundo antiguo y su recepción en Occidente

The western concept of beauty owes much, needless to say, to the ideas and example of ancient Greece. Ever since the Renaissance, Greek and Roman art and poetry have been viewed as archetypes of aesthetic perfection. But did the Greek idea of beauty coincide entirely with our own? Did they perceive beauty where we do? In this paper, I argue that there are significant differences between the classical and the modern ideas of beauty, and that the tradition is less continuous and consistent than is commonly supposed.
Field Response of Tadpoles to Conspecific and Heterospecific Alarm

Many organisms use chemical cues from a variety of sources to mediate predator avoidance. Response to heterospecific alarm cues has been demonstrated for tadpoles within but not among taxa and alarm response behavior has seldom been examined under field conditions. This study examined the response of three sympatric amphibian larvae and predaceous larval Dytiscus sp. (diving beetle) to damage-release signals in natural ponds by using capture rates from treated funnel traps as an index of larval behavior. Hyla regilla (Pacific tree frog) tadpoles avoided traps treated with either crushed conspecifics or with Rana aurora (red-legged frog) tadpoles but the larger ranids and Ambystoma macrodactylum (long-toed salamander) did not respond to either treatment. H. regilla tadpoles were likely susceptible to any potential predators of ranid tadpoles in these ponds and this result is consistent with the hypothesis that a response to heterospecific alarm occurs in sympatric prey with shared predators.
Herpesvirus Protease Inhibition by Dimer Disruption

Kaposi’s sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV), like all herpesviruses, encodes a protease (KSHV Pr), which is necessary for the viral lytic cycle. Herpesvirus proteases function as obligate dimers; however, each monomer has an intact, complete active site which does not interact directly with the other monomer across the dimer interface. Protein grafting of an interfacial KSHV Pr -helix onto a small stable protein, avian pancreatic polypeptide, generated a helical 30-amino-acid peptide designed to disrupt the dimerization of KSHV Pr. The chimeric peptide was optimized through protein modeling of the KSHV Pr-peptide complex. Circular dichroism analysis and gel filtration chromatography revealed that the rationally designed peptide adopts a helical conformation and is capable of disrupting KSHV Pr dimerization, respectively. Additionally, the optimized peptide inhibits KSHV Pr activity by 50% at a 200-fold molar excess of peptide to KSHV Pr, and the dissociation constant was estimated to be 300 M. Mutagenesis of the interfacial residue M197 to a leucine resulted in an inhibitory concentration which was twofold higher for KSHV Pr M197L than for KSHV Pr, in agreement with the model that the dimer interface is involved in peptide binding. These results indicate that the dimer interface, as well as the active sites, of herpesvirus proteases is a viable target for inhibiting enzyme activity. Herpesviruses are enveloped double-stranded DNA viruses that are the causative agents of many diseases in humans and other animals (35). The nine known human herpesviruses have been classified into three subfamilies: alpha, beta, and gamma. All herpesviruses express a serine protease late in the viral lytic cycle; this serine protease processes the assembly protein (AP) scaffold upon which the immature viral capsid is initially formed. Processing of the roughly 10 3 AP molecules contained in each immature capsid, at a conserved maturation site near the AP carboxyl terminus, leads to release of the AP scaffold from the capsid, capsid angularization, and DNA encapsidation (8, 30). A temperature-sensitive mutant of the herpes simplex virus type 1 protease prevents the virus from forming mature infectious virions at the nonpermissive temperature, revealing the necessity of herpesvirus proteases for completion of the viral lytic cycle and spread of the virus (7, 26).
How Visitors Experience the Edward James Olmos Americanos Exhibit: An Ethnographic Study

This paper reports the findings from a ten-week ethnographic evaluation of Americanos, a traveling exhibit displayed in the fall of 2000 at the Field Museum of Natural History and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum in Chicago. Members of Dr. Christina Wasson's undergraduate applied anthropology class at DePaul University designed the research project and conducted interviews with museum patrons on their experience of the exhibit. This paper outlines background information on museum-goers and details methods utilized in the study, class findings, and recommendations resulting from the findings. Findings explore visitors' experiences with the division and physical layout of the exhibit, visitor interaction with text and labels, and the impact visitors' preconceptions had on their experience with the exhibit. It concludes with seven recommendations applicable to improving the quality of both the Americanos experience for visitors as well as future museum exhibitions at the Field Museum and the Mexican Fine Arts Center Museum.
Performance of an anisotropic artificial absorber for truncating finite-element meshes

A new artificial material absorber for truncating finite element meshes is investigated. The interface of the absorber is made reflectionless by choosing /spl epsiv//sub r/ and /spl mu//sub 4/ to be complex diagonal tensors. With some loss, a metal backed thin absorber layer is then sufficient for terminating the mesh. This scheme is simpler to implement than conventional absorbing boundary conditions and offers the potential for higher accuracy. We investigate the effectiveness of this anisotropic absorber on the basis of results obtained for problems in propagation (waveguide and microstrip line) and scattering.
Genomic stratification for the treatment of lymphomas

The application of high-throughput genomic approaches in lymphomas has generated a wealth of data regarding the molecular underpinnings of these cancers. In this review, key findings from recent studies are discussed, as well as the genetic heterogeneity that underlies common lymphomas including diffuse large B-cell lymphoma, Burkitt lymphoma, and chronic lymphocytic leukemia, and the implications for identifying new therapeutic opportunities and personalized medicine.
An Air-Coupled Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasound Transducer for Noncontact Nondestructive Evaluation

We report a high-efficiency air-coupled capacitive micromachined ultrasound transducer (CMUT) for nondestructive evaluation applications. Air-coupled ultrasound inspection is attractive for materials unsuitable for contact or immersion inspections. However, this method is not widely adopted due to strong interface scattering and air attenuation of acoustic energy. Air-coupled CMUTs' efficiency must be improved for commercial inspection applications. We have developed a large-gap CMUT transmitter/sensor device that has high transduction efficiency in air. The CMUT has a specially patterned insulation layer that enables large acoustic output at high driving voltage without dielectric breakdown or charging failures typical for similar devices. Paired CMUT transmitter/sensor tests showed significantly higher transduction efficiency than state-of-the-art commercial transducers. This indicates improvement of air-coupled CMUTs is achievable and may lead to widespread use of CMUTs for air inspections.
An underrecognized challenge in evaluating postmarketing drug safety.

The withdrawal of the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2–specific inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx; Merck) has generated a high-profile debate in the medical and lay press over when a signal suggesting the potential for harm from this drug was first apparent and what steps the medical community, the US Food and Drug Administration, and the pharmaceutical sponsor took and should have taken to address this issue.1,2 This debate, however, has glossed over a fundamental problem that the withdrawal of the drug serves to highlight—not how best to deal with a potential signal once it is described, but rather how to identify such important and initially unanticipated effects after a drug is marketed. The contemporary processes of drug discovery and marketing include both basic studies and drug exposure in humans, generally in no more than several thousand patients. These studies establish a putative mechanism of action of the new compound, although, as discussed below, new molecular mechanisms of actions often are discovered after a drug has been marketed. Efficacy must be established in rigorous controlled clinical trials, with well-defined patient populations, inclusion and exclusion criteria, predefined end points, and appropriate statistical analyses. Other important pieces of information include major mechanisms of drug metabolism and excretion and the potential for both pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic drug interactions. An important result of this premarketing workup is that adverse effects that commonly occur during the administration of a drug become well recognized. If these effects are common or serious, then the drug may in fact not be suitable for marketing. The basic science and clinical trial experience that precedes the marketing of a new drug allows regulators to craft a label to guide use of the drug. Experience teaches that real-world use may result in a side effect profile quite different from that anticipated from the premarketing portfolio. Thus, …
Establishment of Mechanisms for the Settlement of Economic Disputes

Both the Andean Group and the Caribbean share a general hope that a new economic order will result in greater equity and justice through international trade. They want economies which will provide general access to the more comfortable standard of living enjoyed by the bulk of United States residents. The United States is a natural focus for these aspirations to change and will be inevitably affected by commercial events and policies in the Caribbean. This article examines what those effects will be. It concludes that while the United States officially has emphasized its dependency on the international market and its commitment to free trade, its legislation, however, evinces a lingering protectionism and something less than willingness to commit itself to helping Latin American and other underdeveloped countries by opening its market to their exports. While this may not be improper, Latin America’s bargaining power is growing rapidly. The United States should consolidate its position with the Andean Group against the eventuality of a strong Andean industrial complex which will draw on Andean raw materials for its manufactures. It should open its market to greater imports from the Andean Group and give all the support and aid the Andean Group will permit, so that the Andean effort at integration will develop with the United States as an involved observer. The current trend, however, is not promising, and the United States must demonstrate greater amenability for the new international economic order in its positive laws as well as its official statements.
P-16: 3-TFT OLED Pixel Circuit for High Stability with In-pixel Current Source

A new 3-TFT voltage-programmed pixel circuit with an in-pixel current source is presented, which can be largely insensitive to the TFT threshold voltage shift. The fabricated pixel circuit provides OLED current ranging from 25nA to 2.9μA, an on/off ratio of 116 at typical QVGA display timing.
The role of devaluing and discounting in performance monitoring: a neurophysiological study of minorities under threat

Psychological disengagement allows stigmatized individuals to cope with negative outcomes in stereotype-relevant domains, but its role in online performance monitoring and adjustment is unknown. This study examined how two forms of disengagement (devaluing and discounting) predict performance monitoring at an early (motivational) and later (interpretational) stage of error processing. Among minority college students, event-related brain activity was measured in response to errors on tasks described neutrally or as diagnostic of intelligence. Results found dissociable effects for error-related negativity (ERN) and later positivity (Pe). When the task was linked to intelligence, valuing academics predicted larger ERNs. Unexpectedly, discounting tendencies predicted smaller Pes when the task was described neutrally, a relationship that was attenuated and somewhat reversed when explicitly linking the task to intelligence. In the diagnostic condition, valuing also predicted more efficient behavioral responses to errors, whereas discounting predicted more negative task construals. Results suggest that among stereotype threatened minority students, devaluing has implications for early stage motivational processes involved in monitoring and responding to errors, whereas discounting may have implications for later construal processes.
Plasmodium fieldi: Observations on the Hackeri and ABI Strains in Macaca mulatta Monkeys and Mosquitoes

Macaca mulatta monkeys infected with the Hackeri strain of Plasmodium fieldi had maximum parasite counts ranging from 1,300 to 301,320/microL. In 43 intact animals infected with the ABI strain, the maximum parasite counts ranged from 672 to 57,189/microL (median = 15,100/microL); in 46 splenectomized monkeys, the maximum parasite count ranged from 660 to 350,000/microL (median = 52,245/microL). Transmission through Anopheles dirus mosquitoes was obtained on 11 occasions with pre-patent periods of 9-14 days. Relapses occurred between two and eight times during a 1-year period. P. fieldi has potential for testing prophylactic and radical curative drugs.
A new twisted differential line structure in global bus design

Twisted differential line structure can effectively reduce crosstalk noise on global bus, which foresees a wide applicability. However, measured performance based on fabricated circuits is much worse than simulated performance based on the layout. It is suspected that the via resistance variation is the cause. In this paper, our extensive simulation confirm this. A new redundant via insertion technique is proposed to reduce via variation and signal distortion. In addition, a new buffer insertion technique is proposed to synchronize the transmitted signals, thus further improving the effectiveness of the twisted differential line. Experimental results demonstrate that the new approaches are highly effective. Under a realistic setup, a 6 GHz signal can be transmitted with high fidelity using the new approaches. In contrast, only a 100 MHz signal can be reliably transmitted using a single-end model with power/ground shielding. In addition, compared to conventional twisted differential line structure, our new techniques can reduce the magnitude of noise by 45%. Furthermore, compared to unbuffered twisted differential line structure, the maximum signal phase difference is reduced from 37ps to 7ps by the new buffer insertion technique. Categories and Subject Descriptors: B.8.2 [Performance and Reliability]:Performance Analysis and Design Aids General Terms: Algorithm, Design, Performance, Reliability.
Functional MRI of memory in transient global amnesia

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the feasibility of functional MRI (fMRI) in the investigation of transient global amnesia (TGA). MRI of the brain was performed on normal subjects and a patient with TGA. fMR images were obtained of left temporal and frontal regions of the brain. A 55-year-old woman was studied during a 6-h period of amnesia and again 2 weeks later, when memory had returned to normal. In all cases, memory testing was conducted during fMRI using a version of the Hopkins Verbal Learning Test. During TGA, the patient showed little or no activation during list learning or recognition testing. After her TGA had resolved, she demonstrated normal list learning and recognition. As in the healthy subjects, activation in the temporal region occurred during both list learning and recognition, whereas frontal activation was seen more often during recognition testing.
Abstract 305: Development of an Antidote-Controlled RNA Probe for Molecular Thrombi Imaging

Vascular thrombosis is a major underlying factor in many cardiovascular diseases worldwide and is also a major post-surgical complication. Early detection and treatment of thrombi improves outcomes for patients since the responsiveness of thrombi to fibrinolytic treatment decreases with thrombus age. The serine protease thrombin plays a central role in thrombogenesis and remains associated with the thrombus thereby facilitating further activation of coagulation factors and platelets after initial clot formation. Therefore, targeting and imaging clot-bound thrombin may provide a way of distinguishing newly formed thrombi from older, constituted ones. The goal of this study was to determine whether a thrombin-binding RNA aptamer conjugated to a near-infrared fluorophore could detect clot-bound thrombin and if a complementary antidote oligonucleotide could remove clot-bound aptamer thereby creating a subtraction image. The thrombin-binding aptamer conjugate, Tog25t-AF680, was assessed for its in vitro binding capability to newly formed human plasma clots using fluorescence reflectance imaging. In comparison to a labeled non-binding control RNA, we observed a greater than 6-fold increase in near-infrared fluorescence (NIRF) target-to-background ratio (TBR) with Tog25t-AF680. Upon treatment with the antidote oligonucleotide (AO4), we observed an approximately 57% reduction in fluorescence signal after 10 minutes of incubation. Our results suggest that thrombin is a suitable target for imaging newly formed clots and that a RNA aptamer conjugate binds to clot-bound thrombin with high specificity. This thrombin-targeting near-infrared probe has the potential to be used as a diagnostic tool for arterial and venous thrombosis and may further advance our understanding of the role of thrombin in vivo.
High-Quality InAs/A1Sb Superlattices with AlAs and InSb Interfaces

The presence of two species of both cations and anions permits the construction of InAs/AlSb heterostructures with either AlAs- or InSb-like interfaces. InAs/AlSb superlattices with both types of interfaces were grown using migration-enhanced epitaxial techniques. The layer quality and control of interfacial composition were confirmed by x-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and photoluminescence measurements. We demonstrate that high-quality superlattices with both InSb- and AlAs-bonded interfaces can be achieved with appropriate growth temperatures.
The Karaite community in interwar Poland

(1986). The Karaite community in interwar Poland. Nationalities Papers: Vol. 14, No. 1-2, pp. 101-109.
The social psychology of intractable conflicts

The author reviews Daniel Bar-Tal’s summary of the social-psychological research on mass violence, particularly intractable conflicts, and critically examines his synthesis of this large and growing body of literature. What actually defines a conflict as intractable is discussed, and an overview of past research is presented. The author explores Bar-Tal’s thinking on the escalation of conflict, how societies are shaped by conflict, how conflicts come to be sustained over time so as to become intractable, and finally, how such conflicts might be brought to an end. While sustained, large-scale conflicts are truly awful, in that they cause horror but also astonishment, they arise from the normal, mundane processes underlying intergroup dynamics. In this sense, their “normality” offers invaluable insights into how to assuage the suffering caused by what are otherwise mundane and even valuable social-psychological processes.
Sirolimus based immunosuppression is associated with need for early repeat therapeutic ERCP in liver transplant patients with anastomotic biliary stricture

Introduction. Sirolimus has inhibitory effects on epithelial healing and cholangiocyte regeneration. In liver transplantation (LT) patients, these effects may be greatest at the biliary anastomosis. We therefore investigated whether sirolimus use is associated with need for early or emergent repeat therapeutic endoscopic retrograde cholangiography (ERC) in LT patients with anastomotic biliary stricture (ABS). Material and methods. Medical records of patients who underwent LT from 1998-2009 at Johns Hopkins were reviewed and patients with ABS identified. Primary outcome was early repeat ERC, defined as need for unscheduled (i.e. unplanned) or emergent repeat therapeutic ERC. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses (adjusting for age, sex, LT to ERC time, and stent number) were performed to assess association between sirolimus and early repeat ERC. Results. 45 patients developed ABS and underwent 156 ERCs total. Early (median 26 days) repeat ERC occurred in 14/56 (25%) and 6/100 (6%) ERCs performed with and without concomitant sirolimus-based immunosuppression, respectively (OR 1.22; 95% CI 1.02-1.45; p = 0.03). In multivariate analysis, sirolimus use was associated with early repeat ERC (OR 1.24; 95% CI 1.04-1.47; p = 0.015); this association remained significant when sirolimus dose was modeled as a continuous variable (OR 1.04 for each mg of sirolimus per day; 95% CI 1.02-1.08; p = 0.038). Conclusions. Sirolimus-based immunosuppression appears to be associated with a modest but significantly increased, dose-dependent risk of early repeat ERC in LT patients with ABS. Prospective studies are needed to further investigate these findings and determine if sirolimus use or dose should potentially be reconsidered once ABS is diagnosed.
The Research Status of Acute Respiratory Distress Syndrome

Acute respiratory distress syndrome( ARDS) is progressive respiratory failure due to some primary diseases with high mortality and complicated pathogenesis. There is no definite diagnostic criteria currently for ARDS,mostly referring to the American-European Conference( AECC). Pulmonary artery wedge pressure,chest CT scanning,positron emission tomography technique,and bronchoalveolar lavage are used to diagnose ARDS. Therapy advancement includes anti-inflammation,preventing pulmonary vascular injury,antioxidation,promoting lung liquid clearing,and mechanical ventilation strategy improving at different stages. Mesenchymal stem cell and others drug such as statins,insulin,and interferon β are also currently under clinical trials,with promising consequences.
Editorial Commentary: The evolution of autonomy in sports.

“Risk of sudden death” is the phrase that rings loudest in the ears of parents when counseling a family on their child’s new diagnosis of long QT syndrome (LQTS). For the adolescent patient, however, the words “cannot play sports” have resulted in the most angst and disappointment. Regular exercise is known to provide a significant number of physical health benefits. Beyond these, it contributes positively to psychosocial and emotional health and increases quality of life compared to non-athletes. However, young athletes who are removed from participation for injury actually report lower quality-of-life scores than non-athletes [1]. This “greatest burden” for the young patient with long QT syndrome has been relieved by the most recent update to the athletic participation guidelines [2]. In this edition of the journal, Furst and Aziz [3] present an excellent review and perspective on the science and evolution of the guidelines for athletic participation in long QT syndrome from 2005 [4] to the current recommendations [2]. Furst and Aziz address the history of scientific knowledge regarding LQTS and exercise over the past 2 decades, the relevant pathophysiology that has connected risk in LQTS to exercise, the significance of beta blockade in minimizing risk, and the most recent science that has found a low risk of cardiac events in LQTS athletes who are adequately treated with beta blocker. Furst and Aziz’s historical review stimulated my own interest to explore the history of discovery in LQTS syndrome. Several years after Jervell and Lange-Nielson [5] published their report on congenital deafness and QT prolongation, the eponymous case reports from Romano et al. [6], an Italian pediatrician with diverse expertise whose primary focus was endocrinology and cystic fibrosis, and Ward [7], an
Observations on the effect of irradiation in chronic acquired hemolytic anemia exhibiting hemolytic activity for transfused erythrocytes.

The history and course of a middle-aged woman with a chronic acquired hemolytic anemia have been presented. Splenectomy resulted in a complete remission of the disease for 18 months before a relapse occurred which led eventually to a fatal termination. The original cause of the abnormal hemolytic process is not known, but the onset of the relapse was closely associated with the resumption of gold therapy. The acceleration of the hemolytic process was associated with an increasing tendency toward spherocytosis and susceptibility of the erythrocytes to hemolysis in hypotonic solution. It is demonstrated that transfused normal erythrocytes shared in the hemolytic process and were eliminated from the circulation at an abnormal rate although no atypical isohemolysin was demonstrated by in vitro tests. An attempt was made to alter the rate of hemolysis in several ways. The injection of thorium dioxide was followed by signs of transitory slowing of red cell destruction. Injections of Congo red were apparently without effect. Irradiation of the mediastinal and periaortic nodes was begun to ascertain if the production of a hemolytic antibody in lymphatic tissue could be altered. Irradiation was followed by a fall in leukocyte and lymphocyte counts in the peripheral blood. Transfusions were then followed by partial remissions in the hemolytic process for varying periods of time in two instances. Irradiation of a second patient with a chronic hemolytic anemia of similar character produced a fall in leukocyte count and lymphocyte count, but in the absence of transfusions no slowing of the hemolytic process occurred. No definite conclusions can be drawn from these fragmentary observations on the effect of irradiation, but further investigation as to the character of the hemolytic substance and possible methods of modifying its production are indicated when the opportunity is afforded.
The use of a computed tomography scan to rule out appendicitis in women of childbearing age is as accurate as clinical examination: A prospective randomized trial

Diagnosing appendicitis continues to be a difficult task for clinicians. The use of routine CT scan has been advocated to improve the accuracy of diagnosing appendicitis. When compared with the use of clinical examination alone, CT scan was not significantly different with regard to making the diagnosis of appendicitis in women of childbearing age. The use of computed tomography in making the diagnosis of appendicitis has become the current standard of practice in most emergency rooms. In women of childbearing age, with possible appendicitis, we prospectively compared clinical observation alone (OBS) to appendiceal CT scan with clinical observation (CT). Ninety women (OBS: 48, CT: 42) with questionable appendicitis and an Alvarado Score ranging from two to eight were prospectively randomized. A true positive study/exam resulted in a laparotomy that revealed a lesion requiring operation (confirmed by pathology). A true negative exam/study did not require operation. Hospital stay (OBS = 1.9 +/- 1.6 vs CT = 1.3 +/- 1.4 days) and charges (OBS = $9,459 +/- 7,358 vs CT = $9,443 +/- 8,773) were similar. The OBS group had an accuracy of 93 per cent, sensitivity of 100 per cent, and a specificity of 87.5 per cent. The CT group had an accuracy of 93 per cent, sensitivity of 89.5 per cent, and specificity of 95.6 per cent. Although this study is too small to statistically establish equivalence, the data suggest that a CT scan reliably identifies women who need an operation for appendicitis and seems to be as good as clinical examination.
Tunable split-ring resonators using germanium telluride

We demonstrate terahertz (THz) split-ring resonator (SRR) designs with incorporated germanium telluride (GeTe) thin films. GeTe is a chalcogenide that undergoes a nonvolatile phase change from the amorphous to crystalline state at approximately 200 °C, depending on the film thickness and stoichiometry. The phase change also causes a drop in the material's resistivity by six orders of magnitude. In this study, two GeTe-incorporated SRR designs were investigated. The first was an SRR made entirely out of GeTe and the second was a gold SRR structure with a GeTe film incorporated into the gap region of the split ring. These devices were characterized using THz time-domain spectroscopy and were heated in-situ to determine the change in the design operation with varying temperatures.
Age‐related alterations in immune responses to West Nile virus infection

West Nile virus (WNV) is the most important causative agent of viral encephalitis worldwide and an important public health concern in the United States due to its high prevalence, severe disease, and the absence of effective treatments. Infection with WNV is mainly asymptomatic, but some individuals develop severe, possibly fatal, neurological disease. Individual host factors play a role in susceptibility to WNV infection, including genetic polymorphisms in key anti-viral immune genes, but age is the most well-defined risk factor for susceptibility to severe disease. Ageing is associated with distinct changes in immune cells and a decline in immune function leading to increased susceptibility to infection and reduced responses to vaccination. WNV is detected by pathogen recognition receptors including Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which show reduced expression and function in ageing. Neutrophils, monocyte/macrophages and dendritic cells, which first recognize and respond to infection, show age-related impairment of many functions relevant to anti-viral responses. Natural killer cells control many viral infections and show age-related changes in phenotype and functional responses. A role for the regulatory receptors Mertk and Axl in blood-brain barrier permeability and in facilitating viral uptake through phospholipid binding may be relevant for susceptibility to WNV, and age-related up-regulation of Axl has been noted previously in human dendritic cells. Understanding the specific immune parameters and mechanisms that influence susceptibility to symptomatic WNV may lead to a better understanding of increased susceptibility in elderly individuals and identify potential avenues for therapeutic approaches: an especially relevant goal, as the world's populating is ageing.
Strong Law of Large Numbers for Banach Space Valued Fuzzy Random Variables

In this paper we prove a strong law of large numbers for Borel measurable nonseparably valued random elements in the case of Banach space valued fuzzy random variables.
Management of severe asymptomatic hypertension in the hospitalized patient

Hypertension is common in the hospital setting. While the epidemiology, management, and outcomes of chronic hypertension are well defined, data and clinical guidance on the management of severe blood pressure elevations in the hospitalized patient are lacking. This article aims to review the literature related to the risks and benefits of managing severe asymptomatic hypertension in the hospitalized patient, summarize the concerns regarding managing severe asymptomatic hypertension with as-needed antihypertensive medication, and suggest alternative management strategies.
Communication-efficient sparse regression

We devise a communication-efficient approach to distributed sparse regression in the high-dimensional setting. The key idea is to average "debiased" or "desparsified" lasso estimators. We show the approach converges at the same rate as the lasso as long as the dataset is not split across too many machines, and consistently estimates the support under weaker conditions than the lasso. On the computational side, we propose a new parallel and computationally-efficient algorithm to compute the approximate inverse covariance required in the debiasing approach, when the dataset is split across samples. We further extend the approach to generalized linear models.
Modulation of the Extracellular Matrix by Tumor Cell-Fibroblast Interactions

Tumor cell invasion and metastasis involve numerous cellular phenomena, e.g., changes in cytoskeletal and cell-surface characteristics, interactions between tumor cells and cells of the vascular and immune systems, and penetration of extracellular matrices. In relation to the last of these phenomena, two major classes of extracellular matrices are traversed by malignant tumor cells during invasion of host tissues, viz., interstitial matrices and basement membranes. It is apparent that successful penetration of extracellular matrices by tumor cells would depend on at least two types of alterations in the structure of these matrices: (1) destruction of preexisting extracellular matrix barriers, and (2) reconstruction of a suitable extracellular environment for cell movement and proliferation. Both of these requirements are, in turn, certain to be multifaceted. However, important in the former would be production of degradative enzymes, such as type I collagenase (Gross et al., 1981; Biswas, 1982a; Woolley, 1982, 1984), type IV collagenase (Liotta et al., 1983; Liotta, 1986), heparanase (Kramer et al., 1982; Nakajima et al., 1983), cathepsin B (Poole et al., 1978;Graf et al., 1981;Sloane et al., 1986), and plasminogen activator (Ossowski and Reich, 1983). Important in the latter is likely to be production of those extracellular macromolecules characteristic of the pericellular milieu of migratory and proliferating cells in embryonic tissues, e.g., hyaluronate (Toole, 1981; Toole et al., 1984) and
Concealing and Concealment in Heidegger

The self-concealing of being is a primary preoccupation of Heidegger's later thought, but neither Heidegger nor his interpreters have made clear precisely what it is. In this paper, I identify the self-concealing of being as the concealing of the worlding of the world (note: not of the world), which is essential to and simultaneous with that worlding. In order to establish this, I sketch a taxonomy of the various phenomena of concealing and concealment in Heidegger's work by building on Mark Wrathall's four ‘planks’ of unconcealing and concealment. Importantly, I distinguish the procedurally prior concealment (lēthē) that all unconcealing (alētheia) presupposes from the simultaneous concealing (kruptein, kruptesthai) that Heidegger frequently confuses it with. This distinction not only allows us to get clear on what it means to say that being conceals itself but also reveals various confusions and obscurities in Heidegger's own thought as well as in that of his readers.
Dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor (DNET) and focal cortical dysplasia: Case report of two pediatric patients with imaging features

We describe the clinical course and imaging features from two children diagnosed with focal cortical dysplasia and dysembryoplastic neuroepithelial tumor. These two children share similar pathology, however, this case report illustrates how their clinical presentation, management and imaging features differed with one treated primarily as a neoplasm, while the other as focal cortical dysplasia. These two patients illustrate the characteristics and challenges encountered with pediatric presentation of DNET and FCD. For patient 1, the clinical course, imaging and spectroscopic analyses reflected at early stage the ultimate pathological features of the lesion. In contrast, for patient 2, the early imaging features minimize what ultimately is predominately DNET.
What Makes You Go Faster?: The Effect of Reward on Speeded Action under Risk.

Evaluating the potential reward and risk associated with a choice of action plays an important role in everyday decision making. However, the details behind how reward and risk affect the decisions for actions remain unclear. The present study investigates the influence of reward and risk on a decision to make a speeded motor response. 110 college students performed a Speed-Rewarded Go-NoGo task during which they were rewarded proportionally based on the speed and accuracy of their response. On each trial, the magnitude of potential reward and the probability of a forthcoming Go signal (Go-probability) were presented prior to the Go or NoGo signal. Personality traits, such as risk taking and impulsive tendencies, were measured to determine their contribution in explaining individual differences in task performance. The results showed that larger amount of rewards can motivate people to respond faster, and this effect was modulated by the assessed risk, suggesting that decisions for actions are based on a systematic trade-off between rewards and risks. Moreover, when the assessed risk was high, individuals with greater risk taking and impulsive tendencies did not adequately adjust their behavior across different reward levels. These findings shed light on the mechanistic understanding of the effect of reward and risk on decisions for a speeded action.
Renewed Role of Nuclear Medicine in Renovascular Hypertension

The role of nuclear medicine in the differential diagnosis of renovascular hypertension has been subject to considerable disagreement. The renogram has several distinct advantages as a diagnostic test, among which are the following: it is safe, easily performed, and has a high sensitivity for the differentiation of normal renal function from abnormal renal function. The use of the captopril renogram is based on the observation that renal function appears to be maintained in renovascular hypertension through a component of the renin-angiotensin system. Captopril renography will greatly improve the efficacy of the radionuclide renogram in the differential diagnosis of renovascular hypertension.
Negotiating the Nexus: Symbiotic Relationship of Theory and Practice in Conflict Management

The field of conflict resolution has long recognized that theory and practice are both vital in studying peace and conflict. But theory and practice often exist in separate worlds, each vying for privilege and recognition. However, many scholars and practitioners work in the theory–practice nexus, constantly negotiating as they move back and forth between the two domains. But even though tensions often exist between theory and practice, this essay proposes that they function together is a symbiotic relationship. Several ways are proposed for how a symbiotic approach to theory and research can be beneficial for the study and practice of conflict management, and the benefits of doing so are outlined. It is proposed that theory and practice come together in special ways in the classroom, and scholars and practitioners are encouraged to consider possibilities for promoting through teaching and pedagogy the coevolution of knowledge that is the essence of symbiosis.