cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Bandgap Restructuring of the Layered Semiconductor Gallium Telluride in Air

A giant bandgap reduction in layered GaTe is demonstrated. Chemisorption of oxygen to the Te-terminated surfaces produces significant restructuring of the conduction band resulting in a bandgap below 0.8 eV, compared to 1.65 eV for pristine GaTe. Localized partial recovery of the pristine gap is achieved by thermal annealing, demonstrating that reversible band engineering in layered semiconductors is accessible through their surfaces.
Exploring ABSEL Using Social Network Analysis

Beginning with Swiss mathematician Leonhard Eulerâ€™s forays into graph theory to the development of cancer drugs based on cellular networks, the mathematical tools developed for under-standing the structure and behavior of networks have allowed us to more rigorously explore complex social phenomena. The ABSEL organization is a complex social system that can be regarded as a network of interconnected researchers. With co-authorship data from the past fifteen years of ABSEL confer-ences, we have modeled the ABSEL network using the social network analysis tool Gephi. By exploring the structure, stabil-ity, and dynamic development of the ABSEL co-authorship net-work, we gain insight into the past, present, and future of the organization. With this insight we can formulate policies to increase the value of being a part of ABSELâ€™s network.
Pacing and transvenous cardioversion to control tachyarrhythmias.

The advantages and disadvantages of pacing and transvenous cardioversion in terminating episodes of tachyarrhythmias are examined.
Temporal variability of aerosol optical thickness vertical distribution observed from CALIOP

Temporal variability in the vertical distribution of aerosol optical thickness (AOT) derived from the 0.532 µm aerosol extinction coefficient is described using Cloud-Aerosol Lidar with Orthogonal Polarization (CALIOP) observations over 8.5 years (June 2006 to December 2014). Temporal variability of CALIOP column-integrated AOT is largely consistent with total column AOT trends from several passive satellite sensors, such as the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer, Multiangle Imaging Spectroradiometer, and the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor. Globally, a 0.0002 AOT per year positive trend in deseasonalized CALIOP total column AOT for daytime conditions is attributed to corresponding changes in near-surface (i.e., 0.0–0.5 km or 0.5–1.0 km above ground level (agl)) aerosol particle loading, while a −0.0006 AOT per year trend during nighttime is attributed to elevated (i.e., 1.0–2.0 km or >2.0 km agl) aerosols. Regionally, increasing daytime CALIOP AOTs are found over Southern Africa and India, mostly due to changes in aerosol loading at the 1.0–2.0 km and 0.0–0.5 km agl layers, respectively. Decreasing daytime CALIOP AOTs are observed over Northern Africa, Eastern U.S., and South America (due mostly to elevated aerosol loading), while the negative CALIOP AOT trends found over Eastern China, Europe, and Western U.S. are due mostly to aerosol layers nearer the surface. To our knowledge, this study is the first to provide both a globally comprehensive estimation of the temporal variation in aerosol vertical distribution and an insight into passive sensor column AOT trends in the vertical domain.
Effects of data density of echo Fourier domain on quality of high frame rate imaging

Based on the X wave theory, a high-frame rate (HFR) imaging method was developed and extended. In this paper, the effects of spatial data density of echo Fourier domain on the quality of the HFR imaging method is studied experimentally. In the experiment, echo data were acquired with a home-made HFR imaging system from an ATS539 tissue-mimicking phantom. Results show that with a two-fold densification of radiofrequency echo data of a fully sampled phased array transducer, one achieves the best compromise between the quality of reconstructed images and the amount of computations required due to the densification of echo data.
Implementation of a mobile cardiac PET imager for the emergency room and intensive care unit

Often emergency room and intensive care unit patients are in a condition too critical to be safely moved to a hospital's nuclear medicine suite to assess their cardiac function. To address this need we have built an economically practical mobile cardiac PET based imager for use in an intensive care/emergency room environment. The system is based on a pair of low profile 25 cm x 25 cm detector heads. Each head is structured in a modular fashion in that it utilizes an array of position sensitive photomultiplier tubes (PSPMTs) coupled to a Nal(Tl) crystal array. Sixteen Burle 85002-800 micro-channel plate-based PSPMTs are arranged to form each detector head resulting in a 25 cm x 25 cm field of view. The Nal(Tl) scintillating crystal array for each detector head is composed of 5 mm x 5 mm x 12.5 mm crystal elements spaced at a 5.5 mm step. The modular readout architecture has achieved over 100 kHz coincidence trigger rate. The system is now installed at Shands Hospital at the University of Florida and is undergoing phantom tests in anticipation of future clinical trials.
Randomized algorithms for approximating a Connected Dominating Set in Wireless Sensor Networks

A Connected Dominating Set (CDS) of a graph representing a Wireless Sensor Network can be used as a virtual backbone for routing through the network. Since the sensors in the network are constrained by limited battery life, we desire a minimal CDS for the network, a known NP-hard problem. In this paper we present three randomized algorithms for constructing a CDS. We evaluate our algorithms using simulations and compare them to the two-hop K2 algorithm and two other greedy algorithms from the literature. After pruning, the randomized algorithms construct a CDS that are generally equivalent in size to those constructed by K2 while being asymptotically better in time and message complexity. This shows the potential of significant energy savings in using a randomized approach as a result of the reduced complexity.
Multifirm models of cybersecurity investment competition vs. cooperation and network vulnerability

Abstract In this paper, we develop and compare three distinct models for cybersecurity investment in competitive and cooperative situations to safeguard against potential and ongoing threats. We introduce a Nash equilibrium model of noncooperation in terms of cybersecurity levels of the firms involved, which is formulated, analyzed, and solved using variational inequality theory. The equilibrium of this model then acts as the disagreement point over which bargaining takes place in the setting of the second model, which yields a cooperative solution in which the firms are guaranteed that their expected utilities are no lower than those achieved under noncooperation. Nash bargaining theory is utilized to argue for information sharing and to quantify its monetary and security benefits in terms of reduction in network vulnerability to cyberattacks. The third model in this paper also focuses on cooperation among the firms in terms of their cybersecurity levels, but from a system-optimization perspective in which the sum of the expected utilities is maximized. Qualitative properties are provided for the models in terms of existence and uniqueness results along with numerical solutions to two cases focusing on retailers and financial service firms, since these have been subject to some of the most damaging cyberattacks. Sensitivity analysis results are also provided. We compare the solutions of the models for the cases and recommend a course of action that has both financial and policy-related implications.
Percent predicted lung volume changes on fetal magnetic resonance imaging throughout gestation in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Abstract Purpose Percent predicted lung volume (PPLV) Methods CDH patients with serial fetal MRIs from 2005 to 2015 were included. We recorded prenatal MRI gestational age (GA) and PPLV, postnatal ECMO use, and survival. Data were analyzed by logistic regression and Fisher's exact test. Results 57 patients had 127 fetal MRI studies. PPLV decreased from mean 25.4% to 19.6% between GA 22.1 and 32.6weeks. A steeper decline in PPLV, regardless of final PPLV, was independently predictive of higher ECMO use ( p =0.046) and death ( p =0.045). All patients with first PPLV 15%, 31% dropped below 15%, having similar ECMO use as the high-risk cohort, but trending toward greater survival ( p =0.09). Those with first and final PPLV>15% had significantly less ECMO use ( p =0.015) and greater survival ( p Conclusions On average, PPLV decreases throughout gestation in fetuses with CDH. Serial MRI is recommended for those with initial PPLV>15%, as clinical outcomes tend to mirror the lowest PPLV. Type of study Treatment study Level of evidence III
Biomarkers to Diagnose, Assess and Treat Chronic Spontaneous Urticaria: Not There Yet

Purpose of Review Biomarkers to identify patients with chronic spontaneous urticaria (CSU), to grade clinical severity of CSU, and to guide therapy selection in patients with CSU have not yet been validated in any large CSU patient population. As such, there is insufficient evidence to recommend routine use of any particular biomarker. This review will summarize ongoing research in the field of biomarker development and how it could 1 day benefit diagnosis, severity grading, and treatment decisions in CSU. Recent Findings Second-generation antihistamines are the accepted first-line therapy in the treatment of CSU. The United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved omalizumab for use in CSU that is refractory to antihistamines. Multiple alternative pharmacologic therapies have been utilized with varying levels of success, although no others are FDA approved. Of the alternative therapies, cyclosporine is the best-studied. Hydroxychloroquine, sulfasalazine, dapsone, and colchicine are others that are frequently prescribed. While oral corticosteroids can provide symptomatic relief for most patients, using corticosteroids for more than a couple of weeks is not advised due to significant side effects. Regardless of which therapy is chosen, a significant fraction of patients do not respond. With the emerging market of biologic products targeting specific immunologic molecules, additional therapies for CSU are likely to become available in the next 10 years. Identifying biomarkers to assess disease response to therapy and to determine which patients are most likely to benefit from which therapy would greatly benefit the field. Summary The ideal tissue source for biomarker identification in CSU has not been determined. Basophil trafficking has been demonstrated to be abnormal in CSU and would benefit from further exploration. Autoreactive T cells have been recently identified in some CSU patients and combined with autologous serum skin test may be useful as a diagnostic tool. Finally, relative to the search for blood biomarkers, the skin has been a poorly charted territory as a possible source for biomarkers and would likely benefit from additional investigation.
Intravenous Sedatives and Anesthetics

This chapter discusses the pharmacology of frequently used intravenous hypnotic drugs in geriatric patients. The uses as well as cautions regarding the administration of propofol, thiopental, midazolam, ketamine, dexmedetomidine, and etomidate are presented. The effect of age on the pharmacodynamics and pharmacokinetics of the drugs is emphasized in relation to appropriate dosing.
Urethral Rest with Suprapubic Cystostomy for Obliterative or Nearly Obliterative Urethral Strictures: Urethrographic Changes and Implications for Management

Purpose: Precise preoperative characterization of urethral stricture is important for surgical planning. A period of urethral rest by a suprapubic cystostomy tube may aid in stricture characterization and affect the surgical approach. In this study fellowship trained reconstructive urologists compared the radiographic characterization of anterior urethral strictures before and after a period of urethral rest. We then determined how this changed the planned operative approach.Materials and Methods: We queried our prospectively maintained urethroplasty database at our institution for men with an anterior urethral stricture who underwent retrograde urethrogram and voiding cystourethrogram before and after preoperative suprapubic cystostomy tube placement. A total of 29 men were identified for analysis. To minimize responder fatigue 20 pairs of radiographs were selected at random. All images before and after suprapubic tube placement were interpreted in random order by 11 fellowship trained reconstructive uro...
Non-Native English Speakers Learning Computer Programming: Barriers, Desires, and Design Opportunities

People from nearly every country are now learning computer programming, yet the majority of programming languages, libraries, documentation, and instructional materials are in English. What barriers do non-native English speakers face when learning from English-based resources? What desires do they have for improving instructional materials? We investigate these questions by deploying a survey to a programming education website and analyzing 840 responses spanning 86 countries and 74 native languages. We found that non-native English speakers faced barriers with reading instructional materials, technical communication, reading and writing code, and simultaneously learning English and programming. They wanted instructional materials to use simplified English without culturally-specific slang, to use more visuals and multimedia, to use more culturally-agnostic code examples, and to embed inline dictionaries. Programming also motivated some to learn English better and helped clarify logical thinking about natural languages. Based on these findings, we recommend learner-centered design improvements to programming-related instructional resources and tools to make them more accessible to people around the world.
Renal Parenchymal Tumor Imaging

The kidney is a retroperitoneal structure surrounded by perirenal fat and the renal (Gerota’s) fascia. Most renal tumors arise from the renal parenchyma (renal cell tumors, renal cortical tumors, or renal parenchymal tumors), with a much smaller number arising from the urothelium of the renal pelvis (urothelial carcinoma or transitional cell carcinoma) or the mesenchyma (e.g., angiomyolipoma, leiomyoma, liposarcoma).
A Performance Model for Bifacial PV Modules

Sandia National Laboratories, the National Renewable Energy Laboratory, and the University of Iowa are collaborating to develop a performance model for bifacial PV modules. As with monofacial PV modules, a bifacial PV model consists of sequential operation of the component sub-models. Bifacial PV modules accept light on both their front and rear surfaces which presents a unique modeling challenge. This paper describes the approach of Sandia, NREL, and the University of Iowa to create a bifacial PV model and verify its accuracy with measured field data.
The Ecopoetics of Survival: The Transborder Immigrant Tool and The Desert Survival Series // La ecopoética de la supervivencia: Transborder Immigrant Tool y The Desert Survival Series

The Desert Survival Series (2010, 2014) by Amy Sara Carroll, a set of poems that forms part of an activist project called the Transborder Immigrant Tool, departs from the methods of both radical political poetry and some avant-gardist forms of aesthetic resistance that rely on a poetics of randomness to challenge the prevailing order. Instead, the DSS employs design—the design of the poetic object revealing other designs—as a political resource. It addresses a group endangered and abjected by the United States government: migrants crossing the Sonora desert. In doing so, it recalls traditional forms such as the pastoral and the georgic in order to reimagine earlier attitudes toward poetic making, hierarchical politics, and the environment. Orienting in their address to migrants, disorienting and counterintuitive with reference to their contemporary poetic context, the poems are of interest for debates around ecopoetics, because they make an intervention in the domains of environmental poetry as well as political activism of the border. Resumen La serie Desert Survival (Supervivencia en el desierto) (2010, 2014) de Amy Sara Carroll, un grupo de poemas dentro del proyecto artivista llamado Transborder Immigrant Tool (La Herramienta del Inmigrante Transfronterizo), se aleja de los metodos tanto de la poesia politica mas radical como de algunas formas de vanguardistas de resistencia estetica dependientes de una poetica de lo aleatorio para desafiar el orden predominante. En su lugar, la serie Desert Survival utiliza el diseno—el diseno del objeto poetico que revela otros posibles disenos—como una herramienta politica. Esta enfocada a un grupo en peligro y vilipendiado por el gobierno de Estados Unidos: los migrantes cruzando el desierto de Sonora. De esta manera, recupera formas tradicionales como el genero pastoril y las georgicas para reimaginar actitudes pasadas hacia la creacion poetica, la politica jerarquica y el medio ambiente. Los poemas estan dirigidos a orientar a los migrantes, aunque su vocacion en el contexto poetico contemporaneo es desorientadora y contraintuitiva. Son poemas interesantes en los debates de lo ecopoetico, pues postulan la intervencion de la poesia sobre el medio ambiente al igual que sobre el activismo politico en la frontera.
Questioning the Story

This chapter raises questions and concerns Rasmussen’s Great Story theodicy against the cumulative case argument I sketched in Chapter 14. My worries include its uneasy fit with other parts of theism, its appeal to the free will of finite persons, its soul-making elements, its complexity, and the plausibility of the expectation of a story-like history of finite creatures.
Neural affective mechanisms associated with treatment responsiveness in veterans with PTSD and comorbid alcohol use disorder

Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with neuro-physiological abnormalities reflecting increased anticipatory anxiety and reactivity to traumatic cues. It remains unclear whether neural mechanisms associated with PTSD treatment responsiveness, i.e. hyperactivation of the affective salience network in the brain, extend to a comorbid PTSD and substance use disorder population. Thirty-one Veterans with PTSD and co-occurring alcohol use disorder (AUD) were randomly assigned to either prolonged exposure or a non-exposure based treatment. They completed an affective anticipation task while undergoing fMRI, immediately prior and after completing treatment. After controlling for type and length of treatment, larger reduction of PTSD symptoms was associated with decreased anticipatory activation to negative trauma-related cues in the right pre-Supplementary Motor Area (pre-SMA), a region associated with emotion regulation. Smaller reduction in PTSD severity was associated with enhanced anticipatory activation to those cues within the right para-hippocampal region, an affective processing region. Our findings suggest that post-treatment reductions in anticipatory reactivity to trauma-related cues in the pre-SMA and para-hippocampal area are associated with larger PTSD symptom reduction in individuals with co-occurring PTSD and AUD. These results may offer neurofeedback training targets as an alternative to or enhancement of other PTSD treatment modalities in this population.
On the Fraction of Capacity One Relay can Achieve in Gaussian Half-Duplex Diamond Networks

This paper considers the Gaussian half-duplex diamond n-relay network, which consists of a broadcast hop between the source and n relays, and of a multiple access hop between the relays and the destination. The n relays do not communicate with each other and operate in half-duplex mode. The main focus of the paper is on answering the following question: What fraction of the approximate capacity of the entire network can be retained by only operating the highest-performing single relay? It is shown that a fraction $f = 1/\left( {2 + 2\cos \left( {\frac{{2\pi }}{{n + 2}}} \right)} \right)$ of the approximate capacity of the entire network can always be guaranteed. This fraction is also shown to be tight, that is, there exist Gaussian half-duplex diamond n-relay networks for which exactly an f fraction of the approximate capacity of the entire network can be achieved by using only the highest-performing relay.
Genetic Basis of Variation in Ubiquitin-Proteasome System Activity

Abstract The ubiquitin-proteasome system (UPS) is the cell’s primary pathway for targeted protein degradation. Although the molecular mechanisms controlling UPS activity are well-characterized, we have almost no knowledge of how these mechanisms are shaped by heritable genetic variation. To address this limitation, we developed an approach that combines fluorescent UPS activity reporters with a statistically powerful genetic mapping framework to comprehensively characterize genetic influences on UPS activity in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. We applied this approach to substrates of the UPS N-end rule, which relates a protein’s degradation rate to the identity of its N-terminal amino acid (“N-degron”) through the Arg/N-end and Ac/N-end pathways. Genetic influences on UPS activity were numerous and complex, comprising 149 loci influencing UPS activity across the 20 N-degrons. Many loci specifically affected individual pathways or degrons and multiple loci exerted divergent effects on distinct UPS pathways. One Arg/N-end pathway-specific locus resulted from multiple causal variants in the promoter, open reading frame, and terminator of the UBR1 E3 ubiquitin ligase gene. These variants differentially affected substrates bound by the Type 1 and Type 2 recognition sites of Ubr1p. Collectively, our results provide the first systematic characterization of genetic influences on UPS activity and a generalizable approach for mapping genetic effects on protein degradation with high statistical power and quantitative precision.
Wildfire Response Operations: Intentional Fear Reduction through Social Media Updates

The increase in extreme weather disasters over the past ten years, combined with the increased usage of social media in transmitting information during these disasters, has led to a growing need to understand the implications and best practices in utilizing social media to inform those at-risk. People panic during natural disasters, and a first method to enable rational response is to reduce fear and anxiety. We examine whether the information provided from an organization with an authoritative, reliable reputation through social media could help reduce public fear. Two studies form our research. First, through an exploratory study on wildfires in California, we find empirical evidence that increased operational transparency, i.e., informing the public about the operation activities, does negatively influence fear, such that fear decreases when information is posted by the premier authority on wildfire fighting. Second, drawing from operational transparency theory and theories on expertise and reputation, we conduct an online experiment to reveal underlying mechanisms that are effective in reducing fear. Our results suggest that highlighting expertise in social media posts reduces fear. This same information also increases user intention to heed warnings from this authority. Our findings provide actionable strategies to relief organizations. Of particular import is that this intervention requires little or no additional cost to organizations, making it a feasible solution for agencies that face budget shortages while they struggle to fight the consequences of climate change.
Hydrostatic Calibration of the Piezoresistive Coefficients on 4H Silicon Carbide

Silicon carbide (SiC) has been shown to be a good alternative to silicon in the development of stress sensors for harsh environments due to its desirable material properties. The piezoresistive behavior of stress sensors is characterized by piezoresistive coefficients, which must be calibrated before use in stress measurement. Four-point bending calibration method can extract only two of the six piezoresistive coefficients which can be used for measurement of in-plane stress components. However, for out-of-plane normal stress measurement, a third piezoresistive coefficient ${\pi _1}_3$ is required. This paper discusses the resistive sensor design used for measuring the out-of-plane normal stress component. A hydrostatic test method utilizes a high-capacity pressure vessel to apply a triaxial load to a single die. The changes of resistance of the sensors on the die are collected during the test procedure, and piezoresistive coefficient Π 13 is extracted by combining results from the four-point bending and hydrostatic tests. Errors induced by the off-axis plane are discussed, and the off-axis angle of our sample is determined by electron backscattering diffraction analysis (EBSD).
A modest proposal to the peer review process: a collaborative and interdisciplinary approach in the assessment of scholarly communication:

The purpose of the traditional peer review process (TPR) is to provide a more constructive and scientifically rigorous critical review of scholarly research that builds scientific rigor and validit...
Criteria for Determining Number of Intersections at Divided Highway Junctions: Recommended Changes to Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices

Implementation of proper traffic control at divided highway intersections depends on whether the given junction is considered one intersection or two. The Manual on Uniform Traffic Control Devices (MUTCD) uses median width as the only factor and states that a divided highway junction is treated as two separate intersections if the median is 30 ft or wider. The lack of any documented research for the basis of the 30-ft rule indicates a need to revisit the criterion and reassess its applicability. This study used an analytical approach to evaluate the MUTCD criteria and explored the fundamental issues associated with the function of such a crossing as one or two intersections. The results indicated that the MUTCD definition did not appropriately address the interaction of turning vehicles in a median and that the median width measurement location should be revised. The study also determined that traffic control at divided highway intersections should consider the influence of the median opening length. With...
Pleomorphic Bacterial Intracytoplasmic Bodies: Basic Biology and Medical Significance

There are numerous diseases of humans exhibiting symptomatology suggestive of a bacterial etiology, yet routine bacteriologic methods fail to demonstrate the presence of organisms. These diagnostic failures often lead to frustrating clinical situations and difficulty in management of the patient’s disease. The inability to substantiate by bacteriologic culture that there is an infectious disease often leads to inappropriate use of antimicrobials in these patients and may contribute to the prolonged persistence of dormant bacterial forms in vitro. We reported (Green et al. 1974a) that intracytoplasmic bodies derived from relatively stable L-forms of streptococci were demonstrated in human embryonic kidney tissue culture cells infected with streptococcal L-forms. These intracytoplasmic bodies (0.05-0.15 μ) were non cultivable; however, there was continual persistence of these small bodies in the tissue culture cells despite disintegration of the L-form. Twenty-five days later, there was conversion of the tiny bodies to the parent Streptococcus faecalis (wall-containing bacterium) from which the relatively stable L-form was derived. During the period of persistence of small bodies, no L-form or parent bacteria could be cultured in vitro. While persistence of the small bodies appeared to render no visible pathology, reversion to the wall-containing streptococci resulted in death of the tissue culture cells. Unlike the relatively stable (nonreverting) L-form, a stable streptococcal L-form derived from a different strain of Streptococcus faecalis could be cultured 73 days after initial infection, indicating that the organisms had survived and multiplied in vivo. At no time during the course of this study did the stable L-form revert to its parent bacterial form. Throughout all of the cell infection experiments, the stable L-form, when cultured, grew out more readily and in greater numbers than did the relatively stable, reverting L-form strain.
A Unified Code Generation Approach Using Mutation Scheduling

Code generation for ASIPs requires tradeoffs between code selection, register allocation, and instruction scheduling in order to achieve high-quality code. Conventional approaches order these phases and apply them separately to simplify the code generation task. Consequently, decisions made during any one phase may unnecessarily constrain the remaining phases, resulting in elimination of potentially better alternatives. Mutation Scheduling solves this problem by combining code selection, register allocation, and instruction scheduling into a unified framework in which trade-offs between the functional, register, interconnect and memory bandwidth resources of the target architecture are made “on the fly” in response to changing resource constraints and availability.
Childhood maltreatment increases the risk for visceral obesity

Objective The reports regarding the associations between childhood maltreatment (CM) and body fat composition remain heterogeneous in humans although they are indicated in preclinical studies. In addition, the effects of CM subtypes on different types of body fat are unclear. Thus, in this study, the associations between CM and its subtypes with body fat were determined and the potential pathways were explored. Methods The participants were assessed for a history of CM by the Childhood Trauma Questionnaire and were divided into the CM group (with CM exposures) and non-CM group (without CM exposures). Body composition was measured by dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Salivary and blood samples were provided by the subjects. Results Compared with the non-CM group, subjects with a history of CM had greater visceral fat mass (1,136 ± 160 vs. 836 ± 116 g, P < 0.05) but not total body fat, android fat, body mass index, or waist-to-hip ratio. In addition, subjects with CM had a blunted cortisol awakening response and elevated inflammatory factors. Correlation analysis indicated that CM subtypes had differential effects on visceral adiposity and cortisol awakening response. Conclusions It is suggested by our results that CM exposure is linked with increased visceral fat deposition, and the perturbation of the hypothalamic–pituitary–adrenal axis activity and activation of the immune system may be two potential pathways through which this relationship is explained.
Internal carotid artery stenosis associated with giant cell arteritis: case report and discussion.

Background: Cerebrovascular ischemic events associated with Giant cell arteritis (GCA) are uncommon and have been reported in 3-4% of patients. . We describe a case report of GCA associated with intracranial stenosis, and review various angiographic findings. Case Presentation: A 66 year old man presented with worsening headache and vision loss. A recent magnetic resonance angiogram of the head and neck showed multiple intracranial stenosis. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis demonstrated increased protein of 135.6 mg/dl, with 2 WBCs/µL. No bacteria were observed in the CSF on gram staining, and cultures were negative for bacterial growth. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) was noted to be 14 mm/hr., and C-reactive protein was 1.514 mg/L at admission. Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) and hepatitis panels were negative. On digital subtraction angiography patient had predominantly narrowing and irregularities in petrous and cavernous segments of the internal carotid arteries bilaterally. The diagnosis of GCA was confirmed by temporal artery biopsy. He was treated with steroids, and a follow up angiogram 6 weeks later showed minimal resolution of the angiographic findings. Patient reported complete resolution of headaches and visual loss. Conclusion: Bilateral internal carotid arteries stenosis may be seen in patients presenting with typical symptoms of GCA and may persist after steroid treatment despite resolution of clinical symptoms. Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE /* Style Definitions */ table.MsoNormalTable {mso-style-name:"Table Normal"; mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0; mso-tstyle-colband-size:0; mso-style-noshow:yes; mso-style-priority:99; mso-style-parent:""; mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt; mso-para-margin-top:0in; mso-para-margin-right:0in; mso-para-margin-bottom:8.0pt; mso-para-margin-left:0in; line-height:107%; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:11.0pt; font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
Thoreau, Muir, and Jane Doe: Different Types of Private Forest Owners Need Different Kinds of Forest Management

We present a three-phase segmentation analysis designed to highlight the heterogeneity of forest ownership values and attitudes toward government control, privacy, and environmental protection held by a sample of Massachusetts private forest owners. This case study explores private forest owner characteristics that are associated with enrollment into Massachusetts' Chapter 61 current-use forest property tax program, which requires a professionally prepared lO-year forest management plan. We suggest the key to increasing landowner participation in forest management programs is to (1) recognize this heterogeneity of the target population, and (2) tailor the program to meet segment specific needs and desires. North. J. Appl. For. 23(1):27-34.
Towards technology with a global heart through compassionate engineering

This paper introduces the concept of “compassionate engineering,” a process adopted by our research group, TechBridgeWorld, for developing technology solutions that are relevant and accessible to people in underserved communities. The stages of compassionate engineering include establishing partnerships based in trust, assessing needs, participatory design, iterative innovation with frequent user tests, training developer teams, dissemination, and deployment. This paper describes each of these stages in detail along with lessons learned and recommendations. The process of compassionate engineering is further illustrated via the case study of TechBridgeWorld's Braille Tutor (BT) project. The BT project tackles literacy challenges for children in the developing world who are burdened by both poverty and blindness. Literacy plays a key role in empowering the blind, especially in the developing world. Over the past nine years the BT project has explored the challenges and abilities of blind children in developing communities, and developed technology innovations to empower these children and their educators.
Nitric oxide blunts myogenic autoregulation in rat renal but not skeletal muscle circulation via tubuloglomerular feedback

This rat renal blood flow (RBF) study quantified the impact of nitric oxide synthase (NOS) inhibition on the myogenic response and the balance of autoregulatory mechanisms in the time domain following a 20 mmHg-step increase or decrease in renal arterial pressure (RAP). When RAP was increased, the myogenic component of renal vascular resistance (RVR) rapidly rose within the initial 7–10 s, exhibiting an ∼5 s time constant and providing ∼36% of perfect autoregulation. A secondary rise between 10 and 40 s brought RVR to 95% total autoregulatory efficiency, reflecting tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) and possibly one or two additional mechanisms. The kinetics were similar after the RAP decrease. Inhibition of NOS (by l-NAME) increased RAP, enhanced the strength (79% autoregulation) and doubled the speed of the myogenic response, and promoted the emergence of RVR oscillations (∼0.2 Hz); the strength (52%) was lower at control RAP. An equi-pressor dose of angiotensin II had no effect on myogenic or total autoregulation. Inhibition of TGF (by furosemide) abolished the l-NAME effect on the myogenic response. RVR responses during furosemide treatment, assuming complete inhibition of TGF, suggest a third mechanism that contributes 10–20% and is independent of TGF, slower than the myogenic response, and abolished by NOS inhibition. The hindlimb circulation displayed a solitary myogenic response similar to the kidney (35% autoregulation) that was not enhanced by l-NAME. We conclude that NO normally restrains the strength and speed of the myogenic response in RBF but not hindlimb autoregulation, an action dependent on TGF, thereby allowing more and slow RAP fluctuations to reach glomerular capillaries.
Model-based testing and maintenance

This paper presents a semantic software development model (SSDM) for object-oriented software. It organizes all the information generated during the software development lifecycle including requirements, design, implementation, testing, and maintenance. Based on SSDM, software testing and maintenance can be carried out in a more systematic, efficient and complete manner, and can be enhanced by a set of proactive rules defined.
The conformal window of deformed conformal field theories in the planar limit

We discuss in the planar approximation the effect of double-trace deformations on conformal field theories. We show that this large class of models posses a conformal window describing a nontrivial flow between two fixed points of the renormalization group and reveal the presence of a resonance which we associate to the remnant of a dilaton pole. As the conformal window shrinks to zero measure, the theory undergoes a conformal phase transition separating a symmetric from a nonsymmetric phase. The recently conjectured strongly coupled branch of nonsupersymmetric, non-Abelian gauge theories with a large number of flavors is analyzed in light of these results, and a model for the strong branch is proposed. Some phenomenological implications in the context of unparticle physics are also emphasized.
EFFECTS OF VITAMIN E AND SELENIUM ON IMMUNE RESPONSES OF PERIPHERAL BLOOD,COLOSTRUM, AND MILK LEUKOCYTES OF SOWS

This study was designed to assess how dietary vitamin E (E) and (or) selenium (Se) concentrations affect immune responses of gestating and peripartum sows. Multiparous sows (24), assigned to one of four groups at breeding, were fed ensiled, shelled corn-soybean meal-based diets without supplemental E or Se (-E-Se), with .3 mg of Se/kg (-E+Se), with 60 IU of E/kg (+E-Se), or with both supplemental E and Se (+E+Se) during gestation and to d 4 of lactation. Blood was obtained on 0, 30, 60, and 90 d of gestation and at parturition for serum E and Se assays. Lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells (PMN) were isolated from the blood, colostrum, and 4-d milk samples for immune studies. Compared with the control (+E+Se) diet, the -E-Se diet reduced (P < .05) the serum tocopherol and Se concentrations, the mitogenic responses of lymphocytes of peripheral blood (PBL) and colostrum (CL), the phagocytic activity of blood and colostral PMN, and the microbicidal activity of blood, colostral, and milk PMN. The -E+Se diet reduced (P < .05) the serum tocopherol concentrations, the mitogenic responses of PBL and CL, and the phagocytic activity of PBL. The +E-Se diet reduced (P < .05) serum Se concentrations and the phagocytic activity of PMN. The data indicated that E restriction depressed PBL and PMN immune functions, whereas Se restriction depressed mainly PMN function.
Norms, Threat Appeals, and Collective Actions

Do communications that evoke perceptions of a threat affect individuals’ willingness to participate in collective actions? Can invoking social norms moderate the impact of these types of appeals? This paper develops a framework which suggests that engaging in a collective action requires (1) a direct motivation (e.g., from an appeal), and (2) perceptions that the behavior is efficacious, insofar as others are perceived as doing it too, because if they are not then one person will not make a difference. I test predictions from this framework in an experiment that focuses on a particularly important behavior – actions regarding the consumption of energy. I find that invoking a pro-conservation norm in the context of an appeal for action significantly increases the importance associated with energy conservation, willingness to talk with others about ways to reduce consumption, and actual behavior regarding whether or not to make a donation to a non-profit conservation organization.
Enhancing Preservice Teacher Development: Field Experiences With Gifted Students

During 3 field experience visits, 23 elementary preservice teachers implemented mathematical problem-solving tasks with grade 3–6 gifted students. Researchers investigated what the teachers learned...
MASS MEDIA AND SOCIAL CHANGE

Abstract : The relationships between mass media of communication and social change are discussed, and the significance and roles of the mass media in developing and modernized countries are summarized. On the assumption that the contents of the mass media mirror as well as affect the perspectives and values of their readers, a content analysis of the advertisements in a major Negro national magazine was undertaken. The object was twofold: to provide some data on a particular type of content, contained in a black vehicle of mass communication, that often is finalized on the basis of market research and pretests of effectiveness; and to examine changes over time in such content, as they may reflect and illuminate the changes in black social and economic mobility. acceptability and pride that have been occurring in the U. S.
A secure digital signature algorithm based on elliptic curve and chaotic mappings

A digital signature algorithm (DSA) based on elliptic curve and chaotic mappings is proposed to strengthen the security of an elliptic curve digital signature algorithm (ECDSA). To construct this algorithm, a one-way hash function (OWHF) based on two-dimensional (2D) hyperchaotic mappings and an improved elliptic curve public-key cryptography (IECPKC) are proposed, and two key exchange algorithms are introduced. Security analysis shows that this has better capability of resisting per-message secrets attack, repeated use of per-message secrets attack, and duplicate-signature key selection attack than an ECDSA. The proposed scheme is well suited for practical implementation.
'Mujeres silenciosas, mujeres silenciadas': Reality and Representation of the Female Republican Struggle Against Francoist and Hitlerian Nationalism within the Context of the 'Spanish Republican Holocaust' Cultural Corpus

Desde el advenimiento de la Republica empezamos a resquebrajar los moldes arcaicos de nuestra condicion. Aprendimos muchas cosas, a opinar por nosotras mismas, a buscar los caminos de la justicia social y politica. Teniamos que inventarnos y lo logramos [La] lucha antifascista no [...] pudo prescindir de nosotras [...] Tuvimos el privilegio de ser iguales. Neus Catala, De la resistencia y la deportacion
TRPV1-null mice are protected from diet-induced obesity

We explored a role for the capsaicin receptor, transient receptor potential channel vanilloid type 1 (TRPV1), in the regulation of feeding and body mass. On a 4.5% fat diet, wild-type and TRPV1-null mice gained equivalent body mass. On an 11% fat diet, however, TRPV1-null mice gained significantly less mass and adiposity; at 44 weeks the mean body weights of wild-type and TRPV1-null mice were approximately 51 and 34g, respectively. Both groups of mice consumed equivalent energy and absorbed similar amounts of lipids. TRPV1-null mice, however, exhibited a significantly greater thermogenic capacity. Interestingly, we found that 3T3-L1 preadipocytes expressed functional calcitonin gene-related peptide receptors. Thus, these data support a potential neurogenic mechanism by which TRPV1-sensitive sensory nerves may regulate energy and fat metabolism.
Energetics of Nanoscale Graphitic Tubules

Using both empirical potentials and first-principles total-energy methods, we have examined the energetics and elastic properties of all possible graphitic tubules with radii less than 9 \AA{}. We find that the strain energy per carbon atom relative to an unstrained graphite sheet varies as 1/${\mathit{R}}^{2}$ (where R is the tubule radius) and is insensitive to other aspects of the lattice structure, indicating that relationships derivable from continuum elastic theory persist well into the small-radius limit. We also predict that this strain energy is much smaller than that in highly symmetric fullerene clusters with similar radii, suggesting a possible thermodynamic preference for tubular structures rather than cage structures. The empirical potentials further predict that the elastic constants along the tubule axis generally soften with decreasing tubule radius, although with a distinct dependence on helical conformation.
Teachers' Conflict Management Styles: The Role of Attachment Styles and Classroom Management Efficacy.

Abstract Constructive conflict management strategies are important in maintaining a positive classroom environment yet little is known about interpersonal or school variables associated with teachers' use of such strategies with students. Teachers high in self-reported classroom management efficacy (CMEFF) and security of attachment (low on avoidance, anxiety) were predicted to endorse use of positive classroom management strategies (e.g., integrating, compromising) more than insecure teachers and those low in CMEFF. Teachers ( N = 283) from eleven schools (seven elementary), largely female and white, responded to a questionnaire in their boxes (29.4% response rate). School and teacher demographic variables were included in a multivariate regression after preliminary analysis suggested that ignoring the multilevel structure of the data made little difference in results; school variances were small compared with teacher variances. CMEFF and years teaching had positive, significant effects on use of integrating and compromising strategies, while avoidance had negative effects on both and anxiety on integrating strategies. Implications for teacher development are discussed.
Further evidence for adjusting for multiple authorship

With the research byLong, Allison andMcGinnis, Cole andCole, an-Garfield an initial understanding of the consequences of multiple authorship for empirical studies of science is emerging.9 It is too early to suggest, asLong andMcGinnis do, that indices which disgegard multiple authorship are without serious short-comings. The best advise would be to use measures which take multiple authorship into account, compare them with others that do not, and examine any differences that might emerge. At least for the data will which I have worked, multiple authorship makes a considerable difference. Although little difference is found with the data collected by long and his colleagues when examined within an unclear regression analysis framework, it would seem premature to recommend unadjusted counts. The best advice to the prospective researcher would be to collect complete information on the number of authors for all published work and all citations assuming that difference between adjusted and unadjusted counts will emerge and be comfortable with the knowledge that if it does, the measures used can properly treat the data.
Television's influence on social reality

The value of “cultivation analysis” as both a theoretical and analytic framework for the investigation of the effects of television viewing has been questioned. Using commonality analysis as its framework, this study suggests that perceived program realism is a key predictor variable which has been excluded from prior cultivation research.
Towards a timed Markov process model of software development

The concept of a timed markov model is introduced and proposed as a means of analyzing software development workflows. A simple model of a single researcher developing a new code for a high performance computer system is proposed, and data from a classroom experiment in programming a high performance system is fitted to the model.