cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Hypnotic Susceptibility increased by EEG Alpha Training

MORE than a decade of research on hypnotic susceptibility and its correlates has demonstrated repeatedly the stability of the phenomenon, its independence from standard tests of suggestibility and of personality, and its relative imperviousness to most efforts to manipulate it, in particular to increase it1,2. Several recent studies have shown, however, that hypnotic susceptibility is significantly correlated with brain wave activity, including the duration of electroencephalogram (EEG) alpha rhythms3–5. Other studies have shown that the production of alpha rhythms can be systematically increased by teaching subjects to accommodate their subjective mental states to sustained auditory feedback signals which indicate the continuous manifestation of this rhythm6,7.
Crank‐shaped and Y‐shaped through‐hole interconnections filled with Au‐Sn solder

Crank-shaped and Y-shaped through-hole interconnections (THI) filled with Au-Sn solder are demonstrated in this study. They are expected to realize a higher-density wafer-level package (WLP) for electrical devices including the fields of MEMS (Micro Electro-Mechanical Systems) and MOEMS (Micro Optical Electro-Mechanical Systems) compared with conventional WLP using THI consisting of straight through-holes. In this paper, formation techniques for crank-shaped and Y-shaped THI are described. In order to make crank-shaped and Y-shaped through-holes in a substrate, both femtosecond laser irradiation and wet chemical etching are used. Crank-shaped through-holes with an 80-μm opening and 400 μm deep have also been achieved. Gold (Au)-tin (Sn) solder was filled into the holes using the molten metal suction method (MMSM). Airtightness of the THI was examined using the helium leakage test, and the estimated leakage rate was less than 1.0 × 10−9 Pa·m3/s, which is sufficient for use in WLP applications. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Electr Eng Jpn, 179(1): 54–62, 2012; Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com). DOI 10.1002/eej.21134
The Adolescent Sexual Development of African American Gay Men with AIDS: Implications for Community-Based Practice

ABSTRACT This qualitative study describes the adolescent sexual development of ten African American gay men living with AIDS. The informants retrospectively describe the challenges of being a gay adolescent in a mostly heterosexist and homophobic environment. They report unsupportive homophobic and heterosexist family members, community members and school officials. They also describe their burgeoning sexual orientation, sexual initiation as well as consensual and non-consensual sexual experiences with their peers. Additionally, several informants describe seeking sexual experiences with adult men. Later they suggest the adult men became their primary sources of emotional and psychological support. Implications for community practice, intervention and research with both African American gay adolescents and adult men living with AIDS are discussed.
The Effects of Threat Sensitivity and Face Giving on Dyadic Psychological Safety and Upward Communication1

The tendency for individuals in organizational hierarchies to fail to communicate negatively valenced information has been well documented, but the psychological mechanisms behind the phenomenon have not. With the increasing emphasis on organizational transparency, the need to understand why organizational participants regularly fail to transfer critical task-relevant information is pressing. Two measures of how individuals give (face giving) and react to (threat sensitivity) negatively valenced information are developed and are shown to significantly affect upward communication. These effects are mediated by 2 dyadic psychological safety constructs based on Edmondson's (1999) team psychological safety construct. Self psychological safety mediated the effect of supervisor face giving on admission of errors and help seeking, and other psychological safety mediated the effect of supervisor face giving and supervisor threat sensitivity on the likelihood that a subordinate will raise disagreement, give candid feedback, and point out errors to a supervisor.
Contraception in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus and antiphospholipid syndrome

Contraceptive choice in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is challenging but important. Long-acting forms of contraception such as the progesterone intrauterine device (IUD) or subdermal implant are preferable for most patients. Estrogen-containing hormonal contraceptives may be used in stable, inactive SLE patients but are contraindicated in patients with positive antiphospholipid antibodies (aPL). The levonorgestrel IUD is a good alternative for many APS patients and often decreases menstrual blood loss. It is prudent to avoid depot medroxyprogesterone acetate (DMPA) in corticosteroid-treated or other patients at risk for osteoporosis because of the inhibition of ovulation. Effective and safe contraception in patients with SLE and APS permits planning for pregnancy during inactive disease and while on pregnancy-compatible medications, preventing a poorly timed pregnancy that may jeopardize maternal and/or fetal health.
Membranes of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides. VI. Isolation of a fraction enriched in newly synthesized bacteriochlorophyll a-protein complexes

Abstract Radioactivity eventually destined for the chromatophore membrane of Rhodopseudomonas sphaeroides was shown in pulse-chase studies to appear first in a distinct pigmented fraction. This material formed an upper pigmented band which sedimented more slowly than chromatophores when cell-free extracts were subjected directly to rate-zone sedimentation on sucrose density gradients. Sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated that the purified fraction contained polypeptide bands of the same mobility as light-harvesting bacteriochlorophyll a and reaction center-associated protein components of chromatophores; these were superimposed upon cytoplasmic membrane polypeptides. The pulse-chase relation was confined mainly to the polypeptide components of these pigment-protein complexes. It is suggested that the isolated fraction may be derived from sites at which new membrane invagination is initiated.
Hyperuricemia and renal failure-presenting manifestations of occult hematologic malignancies.

*Only patients who proved subsequently to be positive by culture are included in this table. Antisera utilized for screening: H. influenzae, type b (Hyland Laboratories); N. meningitidis, A, C, andD (Burroughs-Wellcome Co.); N. meningitidis group B (National Institutes of Health equine meningococcal group B antiserum); S. pneumoniae, Omniserum, and individual pools (State Serum Institut, Copenhagen, Denmark). tUrine concentrated 50 fold by Minicon-B15 concentrator.
Applications of PSPICE simulation software to the study of optoelectronic integrated circuits and devices

Software models for Si and GaAs pin photodetectors are described, for use in the simulation of optoelectronic integrated circuits (OEICs). These preliminary models, which include the effects of dark current and lumped internal impedance, are completely integrable with PSPICE software, and may be used to study the operating characteristics of independent devices and cascaded components in complex OEICs. Parametric device dependence on applied bias, doping density, and wavelength of incident light are also established. The simulation of more advanced OEICs can be implemented with the subsequent modeling of other passive and active components, including waveguide modulators and light emitting sources. The use of PSPICE simulation software in the study of optoelectronic devices and circuits described should find wide application in upper division core or elective optical electronic courses and laboratories. >
Endoscopic mucosal resection

Endoscopic Mucosal Resection is a well established diagnostic and therapeutic technique in the management of esophageal neoplasia arising in the background of Barrett's esophagus. It is a valuable adjunct to ablative techniques for the treatment of dysplasia Barrett's esophagus. This article reviews the rationale, indications, methods and outcomes of endoscopic mucosal resection in Barrett's esophagus.
Intravenous genetic mesothelin vaccine based on human adenovirus 40 inhibits growth and metastasis of pancreatic cancer

High pancreatic cancer mortality and poor prognosis are caused by the difficulty for early diagnosis and extremely low rates of resection because of metastasis. Mesothelin overexpression in pancreatic cancer is a remarkable biomarker for tumor progression, especially for invasion and metastasis. Here, we generated a novel replication-defective recombinant adenovirus 40 (rAd40), whose gene delivery properties are totally different from a conventional rAd5. In this study, we have identified intravenous administration with rAd40 expressing mouse mesothelin (Msln) as an effective prophylactic cancer vaccine against metastatic lesions of pancreatic cancer in mice. Intravenous administration of rAd40 (rAd40 i.v.) achieved transgene delivery in wider range of organs compared to rAd5 i.v., while rAd5 was distributed mainly to the liver, spleen, and lungs. Additionally, rAd40 i.v. showed less transduction of the liver or inflammatory responses, resulted in reduced liver toxicity compared to rAd5 i.v. Also, more robust systemic antigen-specific immune responses were stimulated by rAd40 i.v. Pretreatment with a single ovalbumin-expressing rAd40 i.v. prevented tumor growth in mouse subcutaneous models of ovalbumin-expressing pancreatic cancer. When used with Msln-expressing rAd40 i.v., Msln protein expression and metastases were suppressed in a syngeneic orthotopic mouse model of pancreatic cancer, corresponding to the detection of Msln- and tumor-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL). Our novel methods generated antitumor effects against antigen-expressing tumors through antigen- and tumor-specific CTL-mediated immunity. Thus, our results indicate that a rAd40-based intravenous vaccine provides a new strategy for the effective control of metastatic pancreatic cancer and novel therapy against other cancers and infectious diseases.
A new phase model for sinusoidal transform coding of speech

A phase modeling algorithm for sinusoidal analysis-synthesis of speech is presented, where short-time sinusoidal phases are approximated using a combination of linear prediction, spectral sampling, delay compensation, and phase correction techniques. The algorithm is different to phase compensation methods proposed for source-system LPC in that it has been tailored to sinusoidal representation of speech. Performance analysis on a large speech data base reveals an improvement in temporal and spectral signal matching, as well as in the subjective quality of reconstructed speech. The method can be applied to enhance phase matching in low bit rate sinusoidal coders, where underlying sine wave amplitudes are extracted from an all-pole model. Preliminary subjective results are presented for a 2.4 kb/s sinusoidal coder.
The Larkin Clubs of Ten: Consumer Buying Clubs and Mail-Order Commerce, 1890-1940

The direct selling industry has a long history, with roots snaking back to the nineteenth-century “Yankee peddlers” who roamed the countryside selling tools, teas, and liniments door-to-door. Its reputation has suffered from the prevalence of misleading and illegal schemes such as pyramids, which generate income by paying money or other compensation solely for the act of recruiting, charge high entrance fees, and sell products of questionable value. Nonetheless, some advocates note that direct sales work, which often involves family and flexible working hours, has provided an excellent alternative to the traditional bureaucratic employment relationship that has historically been less receptive to women.
Activation of human heat shock genes is accompanied by oligomerization, modification, and rapid translocation of heat shock transcription factor HSF1.

Abstract Transcriptional activity of heat shock (hsp) genes is controlled by a heat-activated, group-specific transcription factor(s) recognizing arrays of inverted repeats of the element NGAAN. To date genes for two human factors, HSF1 and HSF2, have been isolated. To define their properties as well as the changes they undergo during heat stress activation, we prepared polyclonal antibodies to these factors. Using these tools, we have shown that human HeLa cells constitutively synthesize HSF1, but we were unable to detect HSF2. In unstressed cells HSF1 is present mainly in complexes with an apparent molecular mass of about 200 kDa, unable to bind to DNA. Heat treatment induces a shift in the apparent molecular mass of HSF1 to about 700 kDa, concomitant with the acquisition of DNA-binding ability. Cross-linking experiments suggest that this change in complex size may reflect the trimerization of monomeric HSF1. Human HSF1 expressed in Xenopus oocytes does not bind DNA, but derepression of DNA-binding activity, as well as oligomerization of HSF1, occurs during heat treatment at the same temperature at which hsp gene expression is induced in this organism, suggesting that a conserved Xenopus protein(s) plays a role in this regulation. Inactive HSF1 resides in the cytoplasm of human cells; on activation it rapidly translocates to a soluble nuclear fraction, and shortly thereafter it becomes associated with the nuclear pellet. On heat shock, activatable HSF1, which might already have been posttranslationally modified in the unstressed cell, undergoes further modification. These different process provide multiple points of regulation of hsp gene expression.
Sebaceous adenoma of the oral cavity

Summary The solitary sebaceous adenoma is uncommon both on the skin and in the oral mucosa. According to certain criteria, two cases have shown the features of this neoplasm. The differential diagnosis of this lesion should include Fordyce's granules and also adenomatoid sebaceous hyperplasia.
Nampeyo and Her Pottery, by Barbara Kramer. 1996. University of New Mexico Press, Albuquerque,

Pueblo pottery and Pueblo potters have long been of interest to anthropologists, artists, and other scholars. Pueblo pottery has been a focal point of government, museum, and individual collecting activities for well over a century, beginning with the work of Major John Wesley Powell and later Colonel James Stevenson on behalf of the V.S. Geological Survey and the Bureau of (American) Ethnology. Anna O. Shepard pioneered technical studies of archaeological ceramics based on the pottery of Pecos Pueblo and on sites on the Pajarito Plateau of New Mexico; and Ruth Bunzel's The Pueeblo Potter (1929) is an early classic in the field of anthropological studies of ceramics. Alice Marriott's biography, Moria: The Potter of San Ildefonso (1948) is an early study of a particular Pueblo Potter.
Discovery of a phenotypic switch regulating sexual mating in the opportunistic fungal pathogen Candida tropicalis

Sexual reproduction can promote genetic diversity in eukaryotes, and yet many pathogenic fungi have been labeled as obligate asexual species. It is becoming increasingly clear, however, that cryptic sexual programs may exist in some species, and that efficient mating requires the necessary developmental switch to be triggered. In this study we investigate Candida tropicalis, an important human fungal pathogen that has been reported to be asexual. Significantly, we demonstrate that C. tropicalis uses a phenotypic switch to regulate a cryptic program of sexual mating. Thus, diploid a and α cells must undergo a developmental transition to the mating-competent form, and only then does efficient cell-cell conjugation take place resulting in the formation of stable a/α tetraploids. We show that both the phenotypic switch and sexual mating depend on the conserved transcriptional regulator Wor1, which is regulated by temperature in other fungal species. In contrast, C. tropicalis mating occurs efficiently at both 25 °C and 37 °C, suggesting that it could occur in the mammalian host and have direct consequences for the outcome of an infection. Transcriptional profiling further reveals that ≈400 genes are differentially expressed between the two phenotypic states, including the regulatory factor Wor1. Taken together, our results demonstrate that C. tropicalis has a unique sexual program, and that entry to this program is controlled via a Wor1-mediated, metastable switch. These observations have direct implications for the regulation and evolution of cryptic sexual programs in related fungal pathogens.
Helium speech enhancement using the short-time Fourier transform

Speech produced in a hyperbaric helium-oxygen atmosphere suffers a variety of distortions which render it virtually unintelligible. This paper describes a new system for helium speech enhancement based on a short-time Fourier transform signal representation. The algorithm is robust, allows nonlinear warping of the spectral envelope, and includes provisions for generating the enhanced speech at a reduced sampling rate. Noise reduction by spectral subtraction can be included, and the algorithm is amenable to real-time implementation on an array processor. A review of helium speech phenomena is included to motivate the design, and a new result for the behavior of formant bandwidths is given. The results of formal intelligibility tests are reviewed, These tests show an improvement in intelligibility from about 40 to 70 percent. The tests also show that the noise reduction scheme is detrimental to intelligibility, but fail to conclusively resolve the importance of a non-linear formant frequency shift.
Governing Capital? Corporate Social Responsibility and the Limits of Regulation

The current concern with corporate social responsibility must be seen in the context of major shifts in the functioning of the market, the state and civil society, and of the boundaries between them, and in the ways that we envision them. Capitalism has been reconfigured as an ethical order in which transnational corporations can, indeed must, be accountable for the global well-being of citizens be they rich or poor, capitalists or workers. This ethical commitment to global justice is to be promoted by the mobilization of civil society, governing with integrity both large corporations and a somewhat marginalized regulatory state. In short, regulation is being privatized. Contributors to the debate which follows vary in the extent to which they accept this vision of how capital is to be governed. There are three principal grounds for scepticism. First, in a world so marked by sharp inequalities of both income and conditions of life, how can corporate initiatives be both profitable and consistent with the interests of the poor? Second, how can global civil society, which is itself structured by relation of power and class, be counted on to regulate corporations in the interest of the poor? Third, do limited corporate reforms undercut alternative transformative projects? Those with greater sympathy for civil society involvement in governing corporate capital point out that transformative projects grow out of everyday experiences of progressive change, not out of defeatist visions of an untransformable hegemonic capital. Readers — please decide.
Luminescence dating of fluvial deposits: applications to geomorphic, palaeoseismic and archaeological research

Fluvial deposits and landforms are important archives of river response to climate, tectonics and base level change and are commonly associated with archaeological sites. Unlike radiocarbon dating, the target material for optically stimulated luminescence (OSL) dating (sands and silts) is nearly ubiquitous in fluvial deposits and the age range for OSL spans the last glacial–interglacial cycle, a time period of interest to many Quaternary scientists. Recent advances in OSL techniques and the development of single-grain dating capabilities have now allowed fluvial deposits, and other deposits commonly afflicted with incomplete zeroing of the luminescence signal, to be dated. The application of OSL dating to fluvial deposits is discussed with respect to its potential to provide important contributions to research in the fields of geomorphology, palaeoseismology and archaeology. Examples are given from each research field.
Pioglitazone Inhibits LOX-1 Expression in Human Coronary Artery Endothelial Cells by Reducing Intracellular Superoxide Radical Generation

Objective— LOX-1, a novel lectin-like receptor for oxidized LDL (ox-LDL), is expressed in response to ox-LDL, angiotensin II (Ang II), tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and other stress stimuli. It is highly expressed in atherosclerotic tissues. Peroxisome proliferator–activated receptor (PPAR)-γ ligands, such as pioglitazone, exert antiatherosclerotic effects. This study examined the regulation of LOX-1 expression in human coronary artery endothelial cells (HCAECs) by pioglitazone. Methods and Results— Fourth generation HCAECs were treated with ox-LDL, Ang II, or TNF-α with or without pioglitazone pretreatment. All 3 stimuli upregulated LOX-1 expression (mRNA and protein). Pioglitazone, in a concentration-dependent manner, reduced LOX-1 expression ( P P P Conclusions— These observations suggest that the PPAR-γ ligand pioglitazone reduces intracellular superoxide radical generation and subsequently reduces the expression of transcription factors, expression of the LOX-1 gene, and monocyte adhesion to activated endothelium. The salutary effect of PPAR-γ ligands in atherogenesis may involve the inhibition of LOX-1 and the adhesion of monocytes to endothelium.
Identification of human-interaction touch points for intelligence analysis information fusion systems

This paper presents recommended human-interaction touch points for a data fusion system designed to support intelligence analysis. Touch points were identified to allow analysts to best leverage the fusion system by mapping potential system capabilities to situations where factors that contribute to analysis task complexity are likely to be present. While further effort is required to refine capabilities mappings and to define specifics of the touch points, focusing on these interactions is expected to facilitate the appropriate calibration of analyst perceptions towards the system's true capabilities leading to appropriate reliance and in turn successful integration into analyst workflows.
Geochemical and statistical evidence of recharge, mixing, and controls on spring discharge in an eogenetic karst aquifer

Summary Information about sources of recharge, distributions of flow paths, and the extent of water–rock reactions in karst aquifers commonly result from monitoring spring chemistry and discharge. To investigate the relationship between spring characteristics and the complexities of karst aquifers, we couple variations in surface- and groundwater chemistry to physical conditions including river stage, precipitation, and evapotranspiration (ET) within a sink-rise system through a 6-km portion of the Upper Floridan aquifer (UFA) in north-central Florida. Principal component analysis (PCA) of time series major-element compositions suggests that at least three sources of water affect spring discharge, including allogenic recharge into a swallet, diffuse recharge through a thin vadose zone, and water upwelling from deep within the aquifer. The deep-water source exerts the strongest influence on water chemistry by providing a majority of Na+, Mg2+, K+, Cl−, and SO 4 2 - to the system. Anomalously high temperature at one of several monitoring wells reflects vertical flow of about 1 m/year. Mass-balance calculations suggest diffuse recharge and deep-water upwelling can provide up to 50% of the spring discharge; however, their contributions depend on head gradients between the conduit and surrounding aquifer matrix, which are influenced by variations in precipitation, ET, and river stage. Our results indicate that upwelling from deep flow paths may provide significant contributions of water to spring discharge, and that monitoring only springs limits interpretations of karst systems by masking critical components of the aquifer, such as water sources and flow paths. These results also suggest the matrix in eogenetic aquifers is a major pathway for flow even in a system dominated by conduits.
Functional morphology of prey capture in the sturgeon, Scaphirhynchus albus

Acipenseriformes (sturgeon and paddlefish) are basal actinopterygians with a highly derived cranial morphology that is characterized by an anatomical independence of the jaws from the neurocranium. We examined the morphological and kinematic basis of prey capture in the Acipenseriform fish Scaphirhynchus albus, the pallid sturgeon. Feeding pallid sturgeon were filmed in lateral and ventral views and movement of cranial elements was measured from video sequences. Sturgeon feed by creating an anterior to posterior wave of cranial expansion resulting in prey movement through the mouth. The kinematics of S. albus resemble those of other aquatic vertebrates: maximum hyoid depression follows maximum gape by an average of 15 ms and maximum opercular abduction follows maximum hyoid depression by an average of 57 ms. Neurocranial rotation was not a part of prey capture kinematics in S. albus, but was observed in another sturgeon species, Acipenser medirostris. Acipenseriformes have a novel jaw protrusion mechanism, which converts rostral rotation of the hyomandibula into ventral protrusion of the jaw joint. The relationship between jaw protrusion and jaw opening in sturgeon typically resembles that of elasmobranchs, with peak upper jaw protrusion occurring after peak gape.
Asymptotic conditions in quantum electrodynamics

Abstract The applicability to quantum electrodynamics of the asymptotic condition of Lehmann, Symanzik, and Zimmerman (LSZ) is considered. The Coulomb gauge formulation of the theory is examined and it is shown that the LSZ formalism can be used with this form, but not with the Lorentz gauge form. Formal aspects of the renormalization program in the Coulomb gauge are discussed. It is found that the renormalization of the electron requires momentum-dependent factors, and hence that the renormalized electron field violates local commutativity. The S-matrix is briefly discussed. To illustrate charge renormalization, a calculation of the charge of the state of a single electron is given.
The Geysers geothermal field: results from shear‐wave splitting analysis in a fractured reservoir

SUMMARY Clear shear-wave splitting (SWS) is observed in 1757 high signal-to-noise ratio microearthquake seismograms recorded by two high density seismic arrays in the NW and the SE Geysers geothermal fields in California. The Geysers reservoir rocks within the study area are largely composed of lithic, low-grade metamorphism, well-fractured metagraywackes which commonly lack schistosity, warranting the general assumption that shear-wave splitting here is induced solely by stress-aligned fracturing in an otherwise isotropic medium. The high quality of observed shear-wave splitting parameters (fast shear-wave polarization directions and time delays) and the generally good data spatial coverage provide an unprecedented opportunity to demonstrate the applicability and limitations of the shear-wave splitting approach to successfully detect fracture systems in the shallow crust based on SWS field observations from a geothermal reservoir. Results from borehole stations in the NW Geysers indicate that polarization orientations range between N and N60E; while in the SE Geysers, ground surface stations show polarization directions that are generally N5E, N35E-to-N60E, N75E-to-N85E, and N20W-to-N55W. Crack orientations obtained from observed polarization orientations are in good agreement with independent field evidence, such as cracks in geological core data, tracer tests, locally mapped fractures, and the regional tectonic setting. Time delays range typically between 8 and 40 ms km −1 , indicating crack densities well within the norm of fractured reservoirs. The sizeable collection of high resolution shear-wave splitting parameters shows evidence of prevalent vertical to nearly vertical fracture patterns in The Geysers field. At some locations, however, strong variations of SWS parameters with ray azimuth and incident angle within the shear-wave window of seismic stations indicate the presence of more complex fracture patterns in the subsurface.
How the 'Aylonit Got Her Sex

In this essay, I posit that the ’aylonit essentially receives her sex/gender assignment from her parallel, the natural eunuch. I reach this conclusion by demonstrating that the aggregate simanim (signs) of the ’aylonit are chosen specifically for their sex/gender-crossing attributes, fitting neither any known modern condition nor any ancient condition. Given that in the legal material the rabbis do not, in fact, understand the ’aylonit as a sex/gender crosser, the list of attributes seems to emerge from nowhere. The answer to the riddle of its origin is to be found in the text describing the seris ḥammah (the congenital eunuch, whose description parallels that of the ’aylonit in many ways). That is, the simanim of the seris ḥammah also present him as a sex/gender crossover despite the lack of supporting halakhic literature. But whereas the ’aylonit has no ancient corollary in the Greek and Roman literature, the attributes of the seris ḥammah directly match those of the Roman eunuch, who does appear in many of the contemporaneous Christian and Roman materials as a sex/gender crosser. It would seem, then, that the seris ḥammah shares his sex/gender with the Roman eunuch, and the ’aylonit receives her sex/gender from her mirror image, the seris ḥammah.
SIR 2008 annual meeting film panel case: Castleman disease complicated by follicular dendritic cell sarcoma.

The patient was a 28-year-old wh man who was married with one inf child. Two years before presentatio he underwent a wide excision of anterior abdominal wall left upp quadrant melanoma measuring 1 c in diameter. Surgical margins we clear, but information on the Breslo depth and stage were not availab He has had no known recurrence. addition, the patient had recurre oral aphthous ulcers with licheno changes. Cultures of these ulcers h been negative for typical bacterial a viral pathogens, including herpes sim plex viruses 1 and 2. The ulcers sponded to oral corticosteroids. The patient worked for the Unit States Immigration and Naturalizatio Service, and upon moving to cent California, developed progressive ex ercise intolerance and dyspnea on e ertion. Although he denied foreig travel, he came into frequent cont
How specific is cardiac troponin

Isoenzymes of creatine kinase (CK) have been used for the diagnosis of patients with acute myocardial infarction for more than 30 years. While CK-MB continues to be widely used, cardiac troponins T (cTnT) and I (cTnI) are rapidly becoming the new “gold standard” markers for use in patients with acute coronary syndromes. The success of troponin is due to the fact that assays have high clinical sensitivity and specificity for detection of myocardial injury. The sensitivity is improved over existing markers such as CK-MB because the myocardial tissue content of cTnT and cTnI is considerably higher (10.8 and 4-6 mg/g wet weight, for troponins, respectively, vs 1.4 mg/g for CK-MB). 1 Thus, for an increment of cardiac damage, more troponin is released. The specificity is better because skeletal muscle troponin isoforms have enough differences in the primary amino acid sequences that immunoassays using monoclonal antibodies toward the cardiac forms do not cross-react with the corresponding skeletal muscle forms. 2 This is unlike CK-MB and myoglobin for which the skeletal muscle isoforms are identical to their cardiac counterparts. Thus, normal blood contains very little cardiac troponin, and low cutoff concentrations can be used. This further enhances the sensitivity of troponin assays. Thus, the combined measurement of CKMB and cTnT/cTnI provides the clinician with excellent and reliable markers of myocardial injury. The study conducted by Messner and colleagues 3 in this
Toward Formal Semantics for Data and Schema Evolution in Data Stream Management Systems

Data Stream Management Systems (DSMSs) do not statically respond to issued queries -- rather, they continuously produce result streams to standing queries, and often operate in a context where any interruption can lead to data loss. Support for schema evolution in continuous query processing is currently unaddressed. In this work we address evolution in DSMSs by proposing semantics for three evolution primitives: Add Attribute and Drop Attribute (schema evolution), and Alter Data (data evolution). We characterize how a subset of commonly used query operators in a DSMS act on and propagate these primitives.
Facilitating Changes in College Teaching Practices: Instructional Reform, Identity Conflict and Professional Community in a K-20 Partnership

In this paper, I explain variation in the adoption of student-centred teaching practices among college faculty members in a program designed to promote K-20 instructional reform. I analyze data from a qualitative study of a Math and Science Partnership in order to understand why some faculty members had undergone extensive changes to their practices whereas others had not, even though both groups had demonstrated changes in their beliefs. Findings show that when collective identities focused on reform become more salient than the role identities associated with their teaching positions, faculty members are able to persist through the loss of self-efficacy that results from struggles with new student-centred practices. This study demonstrates how professional communities can enhance “collective efficacy”, thereby affecting whether the cognitive dissonance that accompanies professional development leads to instructional change rather than disengagement from reform initiatives.
Combinatorial Regulation of fmgD by MrpC2 and FruA during Myxococcus xanthus Development

Upon starvation, a dense population of rod-shaped Myxococcus xanthus bacteria coordinate their movements to construct mounds in which some of the cells differentiate to spherical spores. During this process of fruiting body formation, short-range C-signaling between cells regulates their movements and the expression of genes important for sporulation. C-signaling activates FruA, a transcription factor that binds cooperatively with another transcription factor, MrpC2, upstream of the fmgA and fmgBC promoters, activating transcription. We have found that a third C-signal-dependent gene, herein named fmgD, is subject to combinatorial control by FruA and MrpC2. The two proteins appear to bind cooperatively upstream of the fmgD promoter and activate transcription. FruA binds proximal to the fmgD promoter, as in the fmgBC promoter region, whereas MrpC2 binds proximal to the fmgA promoter. A novel feature of the fmgD promoter region is the presence of a second MrpC2 binding site partially overlapping the promoter and therefore likely to mediate repression. The downstream MrpC2 site appears to overlap the FruA site, so the two transcription factors may compete for binding, which in both cases appears to be cooperative with MrpC2 at the upstream site. We propose that binding of MrpC2 to the downstream site represses fmgD transcription until C-signaling causes the concentration of active FruA to increase sufficiently to outcompete the downstream MrpC2 for cooperative binding with the upstream MrpC2. This would explain why fmgD transcription begins later during development and is more dependent on C-signaling than transcription of fmgA and fmgBC.
Stimulation of ethylene production by a cell wall component from mature green tomato fruit

Pectic (carbonate-soluble, covalently-bound pectin, CBP) material stimulated increased ethylene production when vacuum-infiltrated into whole, mature green tomato (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. cv. Rutgers) fruit. Activity was greatest if CBP was extracted from mature green tomatoes with jellied locules. CBP extracted from mature green tomatoes with immature seeds had no elicitor activity, while CBP from turning or red ripe tomatoes was only moderately active. Infiltration of CBP from normal mature green fruit into ripening inhibitor (rin) mutant tomato fruit stimulated ethylene production and attenuated red pigmentation in these fruits. Partial purification of the active material was accomplished using DEAE-Sephadex and BioGel P-100 chromatography. The most highly purified fraction is comprised of neutral carbohydrate (95%) with a relatively low content of amino acids (1%) and a uronic acid content of less than 5%. This material may be an endogenous trigger of ethylene production and ripening.
Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction Christopher H. Evans. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2013.

Histories of American Christianity: An Introduction Christopher H. Evans. Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2013.Early in his Introduction, Christopher Evans identifies his subject in both plural and singular forms, mirroring the tension of the book's title. "Significant types of Christianities" is placed just after the use of "Christianity," and only a few sentences later, Evans refers to "unique forms of Christianity," juxtaposing the one with the many in a single phrase (3). The potential murkiness lurking between these terms hints at the focus of this survey, which emphasizes the paradoxes of unity and diversity that have characterized American Christian thought and practice since the colonial period. Rather than offer a simple chronicle of Christian continuity, Evans draws out key theological, organizational, and practical tensions within and across a wide range of Christian traditions. The result is a comprehensive and very readable introduction to the history of American Christianity.Any scholar wrestling with this topic must be conscious of how easily such surveys have tended toward a narrative of Protestant triumph. Although Evans suggests that America's "evangelical Protestant heritage" has been central to the country's religious and cultural history, he cautions against the impulse to identify either denominationalism or sectarianism as the guiding forces of American Christianity (5). Instead, the text's five chronological parts outline how different groups have continually vied for religious and cultural authority and suggests that these contests are themselves characteristic of larger themes in American religious history: of religious pluralism, of debates over religious authority, and of the often uneasy relationship between Christianity and American culture.Part One sketches a colonial landscape dense with increasing Christian variety and overt challenges to New England authority, as well as generational shifts in tradition and theology. Part Two traces not only the rise of popular evangelicalism in the antebellum period but also the era's increasing numbers of Catholic immigrants, the evolution of African American Christianities, and the emergence of "experimental" groups such as the Shakers, the Mormon church, various communitarian projects, and Unitarianism. The third part considers ideological overlap and divergence between liberal Protestants and their opponents alongside greater recognition of America's religious diversity, while the fourth recounts the theological and cultural skirmishes of the interwar years and the evolution of a general popular Christianity during the early years of the Cold War. …
Metallicity of InN and GaN surfaces exposed to NH 3

A systematic study of energies and structures of InN and GaN (0001) surfaces exposed to NH${}_{3}$ and its decomposition products was performed with first-principles methods. A phenomenological model including electron counting contributions is developed based on calculated DFT energies and is used to identify low-energy structures. These predictions are checked with additional DFT calculations. The equilibrium phase diagrams are found to contain structures that violate the electron counting rule. Densities of states for these structures indicate $n$-type conductivity, consistent with available experimental results.
The Demographic Distribution and Social Experience of Chinese MMO Players

Nuanced knowledge of who plays and how is necessary for a meaningful understanding of behaviors in the virtual world (e.g. Williams et al., 2008). Despite increasing use of Massively Multiplayer Online games (MMO) in China, systematic investigation of the demographic distribution, play patterns and social experience of Chinese players is limited. Based on a large web survey of players of a large Chinese MMO (N = 18,819), this study examines the demographic distribution of Chinese MMO players and its influence on their play patterns and social experience. The results suggest that compared to male players, Chinese females engage in more text chat, are more likely to play with romantic partners and friends, perceive higher salience of social capital, but have a lower sense of community. Older players engage in less chat, adventure and competition activities, but have a stronger sense of community than younger players. Controlling for age and gender, Chinese players
A Compact Broadband Horizontally Polarized Omnidirectional Antenna Using Planar Folded Dipole Elements

A compact horizontally polarized (HP) omnidirectional antenna with broadband characteristic is presented. The antenna is composed of four planar folded dipole antennas (PFDAs) as radiation elements of a square array and a broadband microstrip feeding structure composed of baluns and matching networks. The folded dipole antennas are chosen in order to achieve wide bandwidth operation within a compact size. The folded dipole elements are modified to compensate for the mutual coupling effects and also to improve the bandwidth and radiation performance of the antenna. The antenna is fabricated and its input impedance and radiation pattern are measured. The measured 10 dB return loss bandwidth is about 53.2% (1.19–2 GHz) and the gain variation in all directions of azimuth plane is less than 2 dB over the frequency band 1.2–1.9 GHz, and is increased to 2.8 dB at 2 GHz. The gain is almost constant over the entire band with a peak gain about 1.2 dB. The co-pol and cross-pol isolation is more than 20 dB for all azimuth directions and frequencies over the entire band.
Opiate agonist-antagonist interactions: application of a three-key drug discrimination procedure.

Pigeons were trained to discriminate among i.m. injections of morphine (5.6 mg/kg), saline and naltrexone (10.0 mg/kg) in a three-key operant procedure with food reinforcement. Animals acquired the discrimination; each training condition occasioned responding on the injection-appropriate key, and the effects of morphine and naltrexone were dose-dependent. The opiate agonists ethylketazocine, buprenorphine and pentazocine substituted completely for morphine, and the opiate antagonist naloxone substituted completely for naltrexone. Meperidine, dextrorphan, beta-funaltrexamine, diprenorphine and nalorphine produced responding predominantly on the saline key, indicating that these compounds do not share completely discriminative properties with naltrexone or morphine in the pigeon. Small doses of naltrexone (0.01 and 0.1 mg/kg) shifted the morphine discrimination dose-effect curve in parallel to the right, without producing naltrexone-appropriate responding. Larger doses of naltrexone (1.0-10.0 mg/kg) prevented the discriminative effect of morphine and generated dose-dependent naltrexone-appropriate responding. The prior administration of small doses of morphine (0.1 and 1.0 mg/kg) enhanced the discriminative effects of naltrexone. Some dose combinations of naltrexone and morphine produced responding on all three keys, up to doses that suppressed behavior. The study of agonist-antagonist interactions may be aided by the use of these procedures, as descriptions of insurmountable antagonism may be complemented by the identification of stimulus conditions associated with the antagonist, as well as those conditions that represent novel stimulus states.
Gender Bias and Pluralistic Ignorance in Perceptions of Fitness Assessments

Two studies examined the relationship between cadets' views toward women, specifically, attitudes about fitness testing at the United States Air Force Academy (USAFA). Cadets completed measures of ...
P-019 Clinical Conviction: Selection Bias In Recent Endovascular Stroke Trials

Introduction Differing biases may affect enrollment patterns and result in trial participants that are not representative of clinical practice nor ideal candidates for therapy. We sought to evaluate the stringency of inclusion/exclusion criteria for five recent endovascular stroke treatment (EST) trials and then measure any bias in the decision making process for EST trial enrollment at our institution. Materials and methods From a prospectively maintained registry, all patients treated in clinical practice with EST from April 2004 to June 2013 were identified. The decision to perform EST at our institution is based upon the clinical history, examination, and favorable imaging pattern of proximal vessel occlusion without evidence of significant ischemic injury. Trial eligibility criteria from EST trials active at our institution were used to determine the proportion and characteristics of patients eligible for each trial. Results Among 299 patients treated with EST, average age was 68, 57% were female, NIHSS was 17, and 45% received IV tPA. 125/269 (47%) would have been eligible for MR RESCUE, 33/208 (16%) for IMS III, 10/20 (50%) for SWIFT, 32/41 (78%) for MultiMERCI, 6/11 (55%) for TREVO2. Patients enrolled in trials numbered 57, 21% of all patients in the study time period and 17–50% of eligible patients. Using the trial with the most enrollments as an example (22 patients, MR RESCUE), reasons for inability to enrol included concurrent enrollment in another trial (43%), referring physician refusal for randomization (35%), inability to complete imaging (8%) and inability to obtain consent (7%). Compared to patients enrolled in the trial, those eligible but treated outside of a trial presented with similar distributions of age (68 vs. 69, p = 0.73) and gender (female 52% vs. 55%, p = 1.0). Eligible patients treated outside of trials presented with lower NIHSS (17 vs. 20, p Conclusions Endovascular trials excluded the majority of patients deemed suitable for ERT in routine practice. Competing interests from other trials as well as reluctance to randomise against EST limited enrollment. The population of patients enrolled in trials tended to present later, have more severe strokes, and suffer worsened outcomes. Conviction in the benefit of EST led to the treatment of patients most likely to benefit from EST outside of trials. As a result, recent EST trials may have not reflected the treatment population and outcomes of routine practice. Disclosures S. Sheth: None. J. Saver: None. R. Jahan: None. S. Starkman: None. G. Duckwiler: None. S. Tateshima: None. N. Gonzalez: None. D. Liebeskind: None.. . UCLA Stroke Investigators: None.
Day care and selected employee work behaviors.

The article presents findings of a study on the relationship of day care to selected employee work behaviors in the U.S. The data for this study were gathered at the Northside Child Development Cen...