cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Clinical Reasoning: Immunocompetent patient with multiple cranial nerve palsies, ataxia, and cognitive decline.

A 71-year-old woman with a 4-month history of recurrent headaches refractory to treatment presented to her primary care physician's office with persistent headaches, generalized weakness, and a droopy left eyelid. During initial hospital assessment, she endorsed a 20-pound weight loss. She denied any fever, neck stiffness, or photophobia. Her medical history was significant for type II diabetes mellitus and hypertension (both well-controlled and off medications).
Intermediate filaments in developing neurons: Beyond structure

Neuronal development relies on a highly choreographed progression of dynamic cellular processes by which newborn neurons migrate, extend axons and dendrites, innervate their targets, and make functional synapses. Many of these dynamic processes require coordinated changes in morphology, powered by the cell's cytoskeleton. Intermediate filaments (IFs) are the third major cytoskeletal elements in vertebrate cells, but are rarely considered when it comes to understanding axon and dendrite growth, pathfinding and synapse formation. In this review, we first introduce the many new and exciting concepts of IF function, discovered mostly in non-neuronal cells. These roles include dynamic rearrangements, crosstalk with microtubules and actin filaments, mechano-sensing and -transduction, and regulation of signaling cascades. We then discuss the understudied roles of neuronally expressed IFs, with a particular focus on IFs expressed during development, such as nestin, vimentin and α-internexin. Lastly, we illustrate how signaling modulation by the unconventional IF nestin shapes neuronal morphogenesis in unexpected and novel ways. Even though the first IF knockout mice were made over 20 years ago, the study of the cell biological functions of IFs in the brain still has much room for exciting new discoveries.
Building Community Group Intervention: Exploring Outcomes on Multicultural and Civic Engagement Skills with Upper Elementary Students

As students living in urban communities face unique challenges, social-emotional programming is needed that fosters multicultural enrichment and civic engagement. We developed and pilot tested Building Community, a small group intervention, to foster multicultural and civic engagement skills. Building Community is a culturally relevant short-term group intervention for upper elementary-aged students that draws upon the multicultural literature and Six Cs positive youth development and civic engagement research as reported by Zarrett and Lerner (Child Trends 11:1–5, 2008). A convergent parallel mixed methods design was used to explore outcomes on multicultural development and civic engagement among five ethnically diverse elementary-aged students. Findings suggested an emerging sense of multicultural development and expanding awareness of ways to engage in the community. Although quantitative analyses revealed little change, there was a small increase in the Civic Attitudes subscale that corresponded with qualitative themes from interviews and artifacts. Implications for school psychologists and practitioners working with multiculturally diverse students are described.
Heart Failure and Epicardial Adipose Tissue

Epicardial adipose tissue (EAT) has been investigated in patients with both systolic and diastolic heart failure and suggested to play a pathogenic role, although results are not univocal. Experimental studies suggest a potential protective role of the brown fat features of EAT against the systolic heart failure. A function of EAT p53 and adiponectin has been also suggested in patients with heart failure. A neuromodulatory role of EAT in heart failure has been also considered. Clinically, diastolic heart failure is commonly associated with higher EAT. The role of EAT in the systolic heart failure is more controversial, as it could be influenced by concomitant confounders, such as coronary artery disease, diabetes and obesity. Some studies found that EAT volume was higher in patients with systolic heart failure, whereas other studies showed that either CT, MRI or ultrasound measured epicardial fat was actually lower in subjects with systolic heart failure. Epicardial fat may incur in fibrotic changes during chronic and advanced cardiac failure. Whether EAT plays a role in the long-term prognosis of heart failure requires future investigation.
The use of visco-elastic materials for the design of helmets and packaging

Abstract The design of packaging to protect delicate objects, such as a head and brain, against impact requires consideration of the duration of the impact compared to a characteristic time associated with the dynamic response of the object. Relatively short impacts cause damage as a result of an excessive change in velocity. Relatively long impacts cause damage as a result of an excessive acceleration. The design strategy of packaging must either mitigate the transmitted force (and increase the duration of the impact) through a compliant cushion, or dissipate energy. In this paper we show that both of these strategies can be implemented using visco-elastic materials. In particular, very efficient energy dissipation, with complete structural recovery, can be achieved by using a visco-elastic cushion with properties matched to the requirements of the design. Specifically, energy dissipation can be maximized by ensuring that the time-scale of the accumulation of stress within the system matches the optimal time-scale for dissipation within the cushion. A procedure is described by which an optimal design for the minimum thickness of packaging can be achieved by considering both strategies of velocity and acceleration control.
Case 24-2020: A 44-Year-Old Woman with Chest Pain, Dyspnea, and Shock.

A Woman with Chest Pain, Dyspnea, and Shock A 44-year-old woman presented with cough, dyspnea, and chest pain. On examination, she had tachycardia and hypotension. Evaluation revealed SARS-CoV-2 RN...
Fast Software-Defined Radio-based System Performance Evaluation for Real-time Adaptive RF Systems

The increased congestion of the wireless environment requires that devices adapt to the available spectrum in order to ensure efficient use of available resources. Reconfigurable amplifier matching circuits can be optimized in real-time to improve output power and spectral performance upon shifting to a new operating frequency. However, such devices require real-time, on-board measurements that are able to quickly and accurately determine output power and spectrum to guide real-time reconfiguration optimization techniques. This paper demonstrates the control and performance of such measurements with a software-defined radio (SDR) platform. To demonstrate measurement capabilities and accuracy, load-pull measurements of a test amplifier are performed with the SDR platform and compared with an industry-standard load-pull system, achieving 20x speed improvements while maintaining consistency and accuracy.
Pattern formation in a cell migration model with aggregation and diffusion.

In this paper, we study pattern formations in an aggregation and diffusion cell migration model with Dirichlet boundary condition. The formal continuum limit of the model is a nonlinear parabolic equation with a diffusivity which can become negative if the cell density is small and spatial oscillations and aggregation occur in the numerical simulations. In the classical diffusion migration model with positive diffusivity and non-birth term, species will vanish eventually with Dirichlet boundary. However, because of the aggregation mechanism under small cell density, the total species density is conservative in the discrete aggregation diffusion model. Also, the discrete system converges to a unique positive steady-state with the initial density lying in the diffusion domain. Furthermore, the aggregation mechanism in the model induces rich asymptotic dynamical behaviors or patterns even with 5 discrete space points which gives a theoretical explanation that the interaction between aggregation and diffusion induces patterns in biology. In the corresponding continuous backward forward parabolic equation, the existence of the solution, maximum principle, the asymptotic behavior of the solution is also investigated.
Just wheat transitions?: working toward constructive structural changes in wheat production

How do we make agricultural practice more sustainable? One way to examine the drivers and barriers to transitions within agriculture is through the sustainability transitions framework. However, th...
Utility of Transbronchial Biopsy in the Immunocompromised Host With New Pulmonary Radiographic Abnormalities

Abstract Objective To assess how often transbronchial biopsy (TBBx) added unique positive findings apart from other synchronous bronchoscopic sampling techniques including the bronchoalveolar lavage–immunocompromised host (BAL-ICH) panel that justified changes in management in an array of immunocompromised patients with new pulmonary radiographic abnormalities. Methods We retrospectively reviewed all bronchoscopies performed at Mayo Clinic Rochester between January 2012 and December 2017; on the basis of the physician’s selection of a BAL-ICH panel, we identified 192 immunocompromised patients who underwent bronchoscopy with both a BAL-ICH panel and TBBx. The results of the BAL-ICH panel and TBBx were compared and subsequent management decisions analyzed from clinical notes. We identified changes in immunosuppressive agents, antibiotics, chemotherapy, goals of care, and decisions on further evaluation and procedures. We assessed whether the TBBx findings added information not identified on the BAL-ICH panel and other bronchoscopic sampling methods performed during the same procedure that justified subsequent management changes. Results Of 192 bronchoscopic procedures performed on immunocompromised patients with acute and subacute pulmonary radiographic abnormalities, management changes justified by the unique positive results of the TBBx occurred 28% (51/192) of the time. Those immunocompromised by solid malignant neoplasms and receiving active immunosuppressive therapy had management changes justified 62.1% (18/29) of the time by the TBBx results. No additional fungal organisms were identified on TBBx that were accounted for on the BAL-ICH panel. Conclusion Transbronchial biopsy may add information to other bronchoscopic findings in immunocompromised patients, especially those with solid malignant neoplasms receiving active immunosuppressive treatment. These potential benefits must be weighed against the risks inherent to the procedure.
From Caravans to the Courts: A Practical Guide to Matter of A-B-’s Implication for Transgender Women of the Northern Triangle

On June 11, 2018, former Attorney General Jeff Sessions overruled the 2014 precedent decision, Matter of A-R-C-G-, which had opened the door to asylum claims based on domestic violence as a product of deeply entrenched patriarchal norms. In Matter of A-B-, Session's held that “[g]enerally, claims by aliens pertaining to domestic violence or gang violence perpetrated by non-governmental actors will not qualify for asylum.” This decision may affect transgender cases in a less obvious manner than women fleeing gender-based violence, such that advocates may not directly defend against A-B- as thoroughly. This paper is a practical guide for attorneys representing transgender asylum seekers from the Northern Triangle after Matter of A-B-. In order to understand and address the new obstacles facing transgender women seeking safety in the U.S., I first examine the history of transgender asylum claims in the U.S. and the systemic violence facing transgender women in Honduras, Guatemala, and El Salvador. In the second section of this paper, I qualify the legal hurdles that this decision introduced while presenting the alternative arguments available for overcoming A-B-‘s heightened standard.
Diagnosis-group-specific transitional care program recommendations for 30-day rehospitalization reduction

Thirty-day rehospitalization rate is a well-studied and important measure reflecting the overall performance of health systems. Recently, transitional care (TC) programs have been initiated to reduce avoidable rehospitalizations. These programs typically ask nurses to follow-up with patients after the hospitalization to manage issues and reduce the risk of rehospitalizations during health care transitions. As rehospitalization is a complex process that depends on many factors, it is unlikely that these interventions are effective for all patients across a diverse population. In this paper we consider individualized intervention or treatment recommendation rules (ITRs) aimed at maximizing overall treatment effectiveness. We investigate our approach in a setting where patients are divided into two diagnosis related groups, medically complicated and uncomplicated. As the treatment effects can greatly vary between the two groups, we allow our recommendation rules to be group specific. In particular, our approach can accommodate scale differences in treatment effects and utilize a tuning parameter to drive the similarity of the estimated ITRs between groups. Computation is achieved by transforming our problem into a form solvable by existing software, and a wrapper R package is developed for our proposed treatment recommendation framework. We conduct extensive evaluation through both simulation studies and analysis of a TC program.
Altruism and Self-Interest in a Political Economy of Public Education

The primary objective of this paper is to develop a political economy of public funding of education that accounts for the large disparities observed across countries in the share of GNP allocated to public education. In a general equilibrium overlapping generations model in which parents care about their children's lifetime utility the rational and forward looking agents vote for a level of public funding of education. The model mirrors the observed cross-country disparities in the share of GNP allocated to public funding of education. This share increases with per capita income levels as well as with the fertility rate, and it decreases with the degree of inequality in the economy. For higher levels of inequality the model can generate a politico-economic equilibrium where private and public investment on education coexist. In contrast to existing theories the paper does not assume that the factor prices are invariant and I study the importance of the effects of an education policy on the factor prices in the determination of the equilibrium level of this policy.
Topside electron density profiles observed at low latitudes by COSMIC and compared with in situ ion densities measured by C/NOFS

[1] Electron density height profiles (EDPs) play critical roles in accurately tracing the propagation of radio frequency signals through the topside ionosphere. The Constellation Observing System for Meteorology, Ionosphere and Climate (COSMIC) satellites were designed to provide this information during GPS radio occultation events. However, due to the reliance of COSMIC data reduction on inverse Abel transformations, questions persist about the accuracy of its EDP products. The Communication/Navigation Outage Forecasting System (C/NOFS) satellite in a low-inclination orbit offers new opportunities for empirically testing the accuracy of topside EDPs from COSMIC over the altitude range 400 to 800 km. We report here on the results of a feasibility study covering the interval 24–25 October 2011 in which a large magnetic storm occurred. We identified universal times when C/NOFS passed within 6° × 60° rectangles centered at the latitudes and longitudes of the tangent line for COSMIC EDPs. We also compared COSMIC EDPs with those predicted by two widely used models. Our analysis shows that during a very large fraction of the available events, ion densities measured by C/NOFS were in closer agreement with COSMIC EDPs than were model predictions at the same altitudes. We also use the COSMIC and C/NOFS data sets to assess stormtime effects on the low-latitude ionosphere. During the main phase of the storm both local densities and vertical total electron content rose on the dayside, but decreased on the nightside. During recovery both quantities quickly reverted toward their quiet-time levels.
Water Soluble Polysiloxanes with Pendant 1-Oxypyridin-3-yl Groups

Polysiloxanes with 1-oxypyridin-3-yl groups bonded to silicon were prepared by base-catalyzed hydrolysis-polycondensation of dialkoxy silane monomers. The polymers were characterized by IR,1H-NMR, and13C NMR spectra. Polymers bearing 1-oxypyridin-3-yl functions were soluble in organic solvents like CH2Cl2 or MeOH. The solubility in H2O increased with increase in molecular weight. The distribution coefficient for materials with different molecular weight in a water/CHCl3 mixture is reported. Quasi-elastic light-scattering data indicate that the Stokes diameter for the polymer with molecular weight 9000 increases in the order H2O<MeOH<CH2Cl2. Structural ramifications of the solvent effect are suggested.
Computer-Supported Structured Cooperative Learning

In this paper we describe computer-supported structured cooperative learning, applied to the laboratories of an introductory CS1 course. We extended I-MINDS, a multiagent system that supports student-teacher and student-student real-time interactions, to support a cooperative learning paradigm called Jigsaw. Jigsaw considers of several phases of activities, including dividing students into different groups for focused exploration, reporting and reshaping, and integration and evaluation. I-MINDS supports the formation of teams and monitors the interaction. We have deployed I-MINDS in the hands-on programming laboratories in CS1, comparing student performance in the lab using only Jigsaw (where students carried out the Jigsaw process with face-to-face interactions) and in the lab using I-MINDS supported Jigsaw (where students could interact only through I-MINDS). We report the results of our study on the design of I-MINDS to support Jigsaw and the impact of I-MINDS in student performance.
Subgame Perfect Equilibria and Communication in Stage Games

Any stage-game with infinite choice sets can be approximated by finite games obtained as increasingly finer discretizations of the infinite game. The subgame perfect equilibrium outcomes of the finite games converge to a limit distribution. We prove that (i) if the limit distribution is feasible in the limit game, then it is also a subgame perfect equilibrium outcome of the limit game; and (ii) if the limit distribution prescribes sufficiently diffused behavior for first-stage players, then it is a subgame perfect equilibrium outcome of the limit game. These results are potentially useful in determining the existence of subgame perfect equilibria in applications. As an illustration of this potential, it is shown that the addition of cheap talk to the games considered restores" the existence of subgame perfect equilibria.
Errors in erasure: links between histone lysine methylation removal and disease.

Many studies have demonstrated that covalent histone modifications are dynamically regulated to cause both chemical and physical changes to the chromatin template. Such changes in the chromatin template lead to biologically significant consequences, including differential gene expression. Histone lysine methylation, in particular, has been shown to correlate with gene expression both positively and negatively, depending on the specific site and degree (i.e., mono-, di-, or tri-) of methylation within the histone sequence. Although genetic alterations in the proteins that establish, or “write,” methyl modifications and their effect in various human pathologies have been documented, connections between the misregulation of proteins that remove, or “erase,” histone methylation and disease have emerged more recently. Here we discuss three mechanisms through which histone methylation can be removed from the chromatin template. We describe how these “erasure” mechanisms are linked to pathways that are known to be misregulated in diseases, such as cancer. We further describe how errors in the removal of histone methylation can and do lead to human pathologies, both directly and indirectly.
Parchment, Pixels & Personhood: User Rights and the IP (Identity Politics) of IP (Intellectual Property)

This Article challenges copyright’s prevailing narrative on personhood, which has typically focused on the identity interests that authors enjoy in their creative output. Instead, the analysis explores the personhood interests that consumers possess in copyrighted works. Drawing on a wide range of examples - from flag burning as copyright infringement, the Kookaburra controversy and the crowd-sourced origins of the Serenity Prayer to the reported innumeracy of the enigmatic Piraha Amazonians, the apocryphal source of ancient Alexandria’s Royal Library and the unusually fragile nature of digital media - the Article advances a Hegelian refutation to intellectual property maximalism and a theory of copyright that recognizes the crucial link between identity politics and the legal regime governing the monopolization and control of cultural symbols and creative works. Portions of this Article are from the forthcoming book, Infringement Nation: Copyright 2.0 and You (Oxford University Press, 2011).
Apply the nearest rule to fuzzy object-oriented database

The author utilizes the concepts of fuzzy logic and gives the basic ideas of the nearest rule and the closeness function (approximation function). The author introduces the augmented ordered fuzzy subset for a property, which lets the nearest rule become a more powerful derivation and retrieval mechanism in the FOODB environment. After introducing the augmented ordered fuzzy subset, the author defines three memberships for the FOODB which are membership of an object in the class, membership in the single inheritance and membership in the multiple inheritances. Two algorithms to implement the nearest rule and closeness function in FOODB are also provided. It makes the complex multiple inheritance processing much easier. The author also distinguishes the differences between the complex object and the compound object which have not been made clear in other papers.
CO2 preactivation in photoinduced reduction via surface functionalization of TiO2 nanoparticles

Salicylate and salicylic acid derivatives act as electron donors via charge-transfer complexes when adsorbed on semiconducting surfaces. When photoexcited, charge is injected into the conduction band directly from their highest occupied molecular orbital (HOMO) without needing mediation by the lowest unoccupied molecular orbital (LUMO). In this study, we successfully induce the chemical participation of carbon dioxide in a charge transfer state using 3-aminosalicylic acid (3ASA). We determine the geometry of CO2 using a combination of ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), surface enhanced Raman scattering (SERS), (13)C NMR, and electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR). We find CO2 binds on Ti sites in a carbonate form and discern via EPR a surface Ti-centered radical in the vicinity of CO2, suggesting successful charge transfer from the sensitizer to the neighboring site of CO2. This study opens the possibility of analyzing the structural and electronic properties of the anchoring sites for CO2 on semiconducting surfaces and proposes a set of tools and experiments to do so.
Influence of plant phenology on the insect herbivore/bittercress interaction.

We tested the hypothesis that generally higher levels of herbivory on bittercress in sun vs in shade, especially by leaf miners, were related to the earlier phenological development of plants in the sun. Naturally-occurring plants in the sun were taller and had longer leaves than did those in the shade during the first three weeks of the growing season, which corresponded with the timing of adult fly oviposition. We divided individual bittercress plants from the sun into three parts: one part was transplanted into willow shade immediately after snow melt; the other two parts were replanted in the sun and one of these was sprayed with insecticide. The transplant experiment had two primary results. First, bittercress transplanted into the shade suffered significantly higher levels of insect damage than either treatment in the sun. Leaf-mining in the shade also increased and equalled that observed in the sun. These results strongly support the phenology hypothesis; higher damage in the sun is due, at least in part, to the earlier development of plants in sun vs in shade early in the season. Second, the ramets with the greatest damage, e.g. the shade treatment, initiated significantly fewer rosettes than did ramets in the other two treatments. The decrease in vegetative reproduction may have been due to the direct effects of increased insect herbivory on these shade plants. This result is particularly interesting because so little information is available on below-ground, vegetative reproductive response to chronic, above-ground foliage loss to native herbs caused by insect herbivores.
Ordinary size effects and deviations from Matthiessen's rule in the resistance of fine wires

Contrary to previous statements in the literature, large deviations from Matthiessen's rule in fine wiresare to be expected on the basis of a straight-forward solution of the ordinary transport equation, assuming the relaxation-time approximation and imposing the idealized condition of “diffuse” scattering of electrons at the boundaries. Using Chambers' path-integral method to evaluate the current density in a wire of arbitrary cross-sectional shape, the effects of boundary scattering on the resistivity in the regimed ≲0.1λ have been calculated for two model Fermi surface geometries. For the temperature-dependent part of the resistivity, Δρ d (T)≡ρ d (T)−ρ d (0), two distinct types of behavior are found in the alternative cases: (1) for a spherical Fermi surface, Δρ d(T) increases logarithmically with ρd(0); (2) for a cylindrical Fermi surface, Δρ d (T) increases essentially linearly with ρ d (0). [In each case the qualitative dependence of ρd(0) on λ/d is, for practical purposes, “linear.” However, the correct value of the product ρ∞λ in the cylindrical case is not simply given in the ordinary way by the slope of an empirical plot of ρ d (0) vs.d−1.] A comparison of theoretical results for the two simple models with the published data for indium and gallium shows that the actual temperature-dependent size effects are consistent, both qualitatively and, by a rough estimation, quantitatively, with the expected behavior.
Typical subgraphs of 3- and 4-connected graphs

Abstract We prove that, for every positive integer k , there is an integer N such that every 3-connected graph with at least N vertices has a minor isomorphic to the k -spoke wheel or K 3, k ; and that every internally 4-connected graph with at least N vertices has a minor isomorphic to the 2 k -spoke double wheel, the k -rung circular ladder, the k -rung Mobius ladder, or K 4, k . We also prove an analogous result for infinite graphs.
Empowerment of chiropractic faculty: a profile in context.

Abstract Background: The primary resource base and core human capital in chiropractic education is found among its faculty. The chiropractic profession depends on a motivated faculty for continuous quality improvement and innovation in areas of curriculum, scholarship, and practice. Empowerment has been associated with increased intrinsic motivation. Assessments of attitudes of faculty in terms of empowerment, a set of cognitions created by the work environment, may inform executive decision making related to development of a productive professional work environment. Objective: The goal of this exploratory study is to provide an initial understanding of empowerment among faculty in the organizational context of chiropractic education, to construct a profile of perceived faculty empowerment, and to inquire into potential associations between perceived empowerment and faculty demographic and workplace characteristics. Study Design: This was a full faculty survey using descriptive statistics and multivariable analysis. Methods: Surveys were distributed to full- and part-time faculty working in the United States and Canada. The survey was composed of Spreitzer's multidimensional measure of psychologic empowerment and additional items designed to measure faculty demographics and workplace variables including academic rank, years at the institution, years in higher education, sex, age, area of assignment, employment status, and academic rank. Results: More than 54% of the study population (N = 609) completed and returned the instrument. The respondents were typically male (68.4%) and employed full-time (81.6%). Almost half (47.5%) of the respondents were assigned to the area of patient care at their institution. Area of assignment and employment status emerged as important variables for explaining the variance in dependent variable scores. Conclusion: The findings of this research provide a basic profile and some initial perspectives of empowerment in the context of the work environment of the chiropractic profession's learning institutions. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2003;26:17-24)
Searching for the holy grail: A core collection for undergraduate libraries

Abstract How realistic is the attempt to identify books that should be held by every undergraduate library? The authors of this article review past efforts to develop a core list of books for undergraduate libraries and examine several collection overlap studies. They then present findings from analyses of overlap among several groups of libraries, and discuss the implications of these findings.
Beyond osteogenesis: an in vitro comparison of the potentials of six bone morphogenetic proteins

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) other than the clinically available BMP-2 and BMP-7 may be useful for improving fracture healing through both increasing osteogenesis and creating a favorable healing environment by altering cytokine release by endogenous cells. Given the spectrum of potential applications for BMPs, the objective of this study was to evaluate various BMPs under a variety of conditions to provide further insight into their therapeutic capabilities. The alkaline phosphatase (ALP) activity of both C2C12 and human adipose-derived stem cells (hASCs) was measured after exposure of increasing doses of recombinant human BMP-2, -4, -5, -6, -7, or -9 for 3 and 7 days. BMPs-2, -4, -5, -6, -7, and -9 were compared in terms of their ability to affect the release of stromal derived factor-1 (SDF-1), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (b-FGF) from human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSCs). Gene expression of ALP, osteocalcin, SDF-1, VEGF, and b-FGF following shRNA-mediated knockdown of BMP-2 and BMP-6 in hBMSCs or human osteoblasts under osteogenic differentiation conditions was also evaluated. Collectively, BMPs-6 and -9 produced the greatest osteogenic differentiation of C2C12 and hASCs as determined by ALP. The hBMSC secretion of SDF-1 was most affected by BMP-5, VEGF by BMP-4, and b-FGF by BMP-2. The knockdown of BMP-2 in BMSCs had no effect on any of the genes measured whereas BMP-6 knockdown in hBMSCs caused a significant increase in VEGF gene expression. BMP-2 and BMP-6 knockdown in human osteoblasts caused significant increases in VEGF gene expression and trends toward decreases in osteocalcin expression. These findings support efforts to study other BMPs as potential bone graft supplements, and to consider combined BMP delivery for promotion of multiple aspects of fracture healing.
Position kinematics of a two limbed mixed mechanism

Abstract Comparatively little attention has been paid to the kinematic and static characteristics of mixed mechanisms which have combinations of the characteristics of fully serial and fully parallel mechanisms. Such actively coordinated mechanisms having combinations of serial and parallel manipulator chains have been practically employed and are expected to become more useful in the future. This work addresses the direct and inverse position kainematics of a two limbed mixed mechanism having multiple actuated joints in each limb, along with other passive joints. Closed form solutions for the direct position kinematics problem have been obtained for two different cases of this mechanism.
Differentiation-induced changes in promoter usage for transcripts encoding the human papillomavirus type 31 replication protein E1.

The life cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) is tied to keratinocyte differentiation. One key event in the viral life cycle is the differentiation-dependent increase in viral replication. This increase in replication activity results in an amplification of the HPV genome from approximately 50 copies per cell in basal keratinocytes to thousands of copies of the viral genome per cell in suprabasal keratinocytes. To characterize the events associated with this differentiation-dependent increase in HPV replication, we have initiated studies of mRNAs encoding the HPV replication protein E1 during the differentiation of cell lines that stably maintain episomal HPV DNA. Differentiation induced the expression of several transcripts that hybridized to an E1-specific probe. One of these messages, a 3.7-kb transcript, did not hybridize to a probe specific for the early promoter upstream of the E6 open reading frame. RNase protection analysis confirmed an induction of unspliced messages derived from the differentiation-dependent promoter at nucleotide 742 in the middle of the E7 open reading frame. These observations demonstrate a differentiation-induced increase in E1 mRNAs derived from the viral late promoter and suggest a role for increased E1 expression during amplification of the HPV genome.
Spin freezing and non-glassy dynamics in Ce0.2La0.8RhIn5

Zero-field muon spin relaxation (μSR)(μSR) in non-Fermi liquid Ce0.2La0.8RhIn5 reveals disordered spin freezing with a sharp transition at 0.16 K. The frozen moment at T=0T=0 is estimated as ∼0.13μB/Ce, an order of magnitude smaller than found from thermodynamic data at higher fields and temperatures. Longitudinal-field μSRμSR exhibits no dynamic relaxation at any temperature, showing that the spin freezing is not accompanied by the slow spin fluctuations found in spin glasses above the glass temperature and in other disordered non-Fermi liquid systems.
Feasibility Study on Direct Waste Salt Disposition Through Measurement and Analysis of Salt Bead Dissolutions in Aqueous Solvents

Experimentation, modeling, and analysis of the dissolution of chloride salt beads in aqueous solvents (pure H2O, ERDA-6, and GSEEP) were conducted to provide fundamental information in support of evaluating the feasibility of directly disposing electrorefiner waste salt. Currently the waste salt is immobilized by a ceramic waste form and stored. Direct disposal of the waste salt could provide time and cost efficiencies. Dissolution tests involved LiCl-KCl eutectic, LiCl, SrCl2, CeCl3, LaCl3, PrCl3, and YCl3 as solutes at 20 °C. Bead diameter was measured and recorded at intervals while submerged in the aqueous solvent. The change in the diameter of the bead was found to be linear in time and the applied model exhibited a good fit with R2 > 0.94. Initial results indicated that dissolution was faster in water than in the brines. Further results will be presented and discussed.Copyright © 2014 by ASME
Experimental evaluation of vision and speech based multimodal interfaces

Progress in computer vision and speech recognition technologies has recently enabled multimodal interfaces that use speech and gestures. These technologies o er promising alternatives to existing interfaces because they emulate the natural way in which humans communicate. However, no systematic work has been reported that formally evaluates the new speech/gesture interfaces. This paper is concerned with formal experimental evaluation of new human-computer interactions enabled by speech and hand gestures.The paper describes an experiment conducted with 23 subjects that evaluates selection strategies for interaction with large screen displays. The multimodal interface designed for this experiment does not require the user to be in physical contact with any device. Video cameras and long range microphones are used as input for the system. Three selection strategies are evaluated and results for Different target sizes and positions are reported in terms of accuracy, selection times and user preference. Design implications for vision/speech based interfaces are inferred from these results. This study also raises new question and topics for future research.
Stratigraphy and geochemistry of accreted fragments of the ancestral pacific floor in southern south America

Abstract The outer Pacific archipelago of southern Chile has allochthonous fore arc rocks that were accreted prior to the Late Jurassic along the ancestral Pacific margin of the southern South American sector of Gondwana. The fore arc rocks in the Archipielago madre de Dios (50°-50° 47′S) are divisible into three assemblages: the Tarlton Limestone, a sequence of massively bedded Upper Carboniferous to Lower Permian limestone; the Duque de York Complex, a sequence of flysch-like sedimentary rocks; and the Denaro Complex, an association of pillow basalt, bedded chert, detrital calcareous rocks, and shale. The Denaro Complex is interpreted as a sequence of the late Paleozoic ancestral Pacific floor. The Tarlton Limestone may represent a shallow water carbonate platform also built on a basaltic substrate located within the ancestral Pacific realm. The basalt units of the Denaro Complex have tholeiitic major element patterns similar to those of modern day “MOR” and “within plate” basalts. Chemical data for the Denaro Complex allow for the partial discrimination of biogenic, hydrothermal, hydrogenous, and detrital components within the sedimentary units, and facilitate comparison with modern day sediments as well as with other ophiolite sequences. Chemical data together with stratigraphic and structural field relations suggest that the evolution of the Denaro Complex and Tarlton Limestone involved seafloor spreading, hydrothermal activity, seamount volcanism, carbonate reef development, and convergence of the oceanic realm with the margin of Gondwana.
Discussion of “Energy Management Reduces Great Pyramid Build Effort by More Than 98%” by Gerard C. A. Fonte

The author is commended for a very insightful experimental study, the likes of which are seen only all too seldom in construction engineering and management publications. This discussion is intended to clarify that construction practices with simple tools can actually historically predate the development of a theoretical model for said shape or process that eventually allows an exact mathematical analysis. This notion augments the paper in support of its interesting premise, that an ingenious application of geometric principles could have made vast practical contributions to successfully executing an enormous engineering undertaking, which inspires to the present day.
Accurate buckling equations for arbitrary and cylindrical elastic shells

Abstract Accurate equations for the neutral equilibrium of arbitrary elastic shells are derived. These equations involve no displacement components and thus complement alternate sets of neutral equilibrium equations proposed by Koiter and Budiansky. The equations are specialized to a uniformly loaded circular cylindrical shell and reduced to a single partial differential equation. For a simply supported cylindrical shell, expressions for the buckling loads are obtained which are as simple as those predicted by the Donnell equations, yet as accurate as those predicted by the more elaborate Flugge equations.
On the theory of DRC criteria Reply to Pursell and Tower

Abstract Pursell and Tower (1987) raise four issues with respect to certain results on DRC theory reported in Lucas (1984). In replying, each of these points will be addressed sequentially.
Advances in the treatment of alpha-thalassemia

Alpha (α)-thalassemia represents a group of recessively inherited hemoglobin disorders marked by deficient or absent synthesis of 1 to all 4 of the α-globin genes. Inactivation of 3 α-globin genes--either by deletional or nondeletional mutations--results in hemoglobin H (Hb H) disease. Patients with Hb H disease produce hemoglobin composed of all beta chains and have moderate to severe hemolytic anemia, a variable degree of ineffective erythropoiesis, and splenomegaly. Transfusion requirements vary depending on the mutation and clinical severity. Treatment for deletional Hb H disease is primarily preventative and transfusions are uncommon. Patients with nondeletional Hb H disease (e.g., Hb H Constant Spring) typically have more severe anemia, and approximately one-third require regular transfusions. These patients often require comprehensive, multidisciplinary care. This chapter focuses on screening, diagnosis, and treatment approaches for patients with Hb H disease.
Bilateral fusion and gemination: A literature analysis and case report

The dental literature concerning the bilateral presentation of fusion and gemination is reviewed and analyzed. Tables are presented to show the prevalence and distribution of these anomalies in both the primary and permanent dentitions. In addition, the first prevalence statistics for the bilateral occurrence of fusion and gemination in the primary and permanent dentitions are determined. The first case of bilateral fusion of mandibular primary incisors to be reported in 13 years is presented. The presence of all four succedaneous incisors and the diagnosis of bilateral fusion are confirmed radiographically. The developmental concerns and possible sequelae of bilateral fusion and gemination are also discussed.
Oligosaccharides from M-active sialoglycopeptides of human erythrocytes.

Abstract A sialoglycopeptide released from human type M erythrocytes by incubation with trypsin was treated with 0.1 M NaOH containing 0.4 M NaBH4. Nine low molecular weight sugars and oligosaccharides were released, including four which had N-acetylgalactosaminitol at the “non-reducing” terminus. All of these appear to be derived or derivable from a tetrasaccharide containing two sialic acids, one galactose and one galactosamine with the latter linked O-glycosidically to serine or threonine. Sialoglycopeptides with M or N bood group activity are liberated from the surface of human erythrocytes on incubation with trypsin ( Makela et al , 1960 ; Cook et al , 1960 ; Eylar et al , 1962 . A previous report ( Winzler et al , 1967 ) has established that such glycopeptides have a portion of their carbohydrate linked to the peptide chain by alkali-labile, O-glycosidic bonds. In the present paper the nature of the oligosaccharides released by treating sialoglycopeptides with alkaline borohydride will be considered.
The role of easter, an apparent serine protease, in organizing the dorsal-ventral pattern of the Drosophila embryo

The maternally transcribed product of the Drosophila easter gene is essential for the establishment of a normal dorsal-ventral pattern in embryos. Loss-of-function mutations in easter result in a dorsalization of the embryonic pattern, while dominant gain-of-function mutations ventralize the embryonic pattern. P element insertion alleles of easter were isolated and used to identify genomic and cDNA clones that include the easter gene. Injection of in vitro-synthesized transcripts of the cDNA into embryos from easter mutant females completely rescued the mutant phenotype, allowing normal development. This result confirmed that the cDNA encodes easter and that the easter product is only required after fertilization. The sequence of the cDNA suggests that the product of the easter gene is an extracytoplasmic serine protease. The implications of the dominant alleles of this putative protease for the mechanism of dorsal-ventral pattern formation are discussed.
Efficient analysis of multilayer dielectric coatings with markov chains

A new method for analyzing dielectric mirror structures based on Markov Chain analysis will be presented.
Costs under Regulation and Deregulation: The Case of US Passenger Airlines*

Privatization, the removal of regulatory control and similar changes in property rights within firms can be expected to shift cost functions downward and permit increased output, lower final service prices and more efficient resource allocation The US Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 was clearly expected to have these effects. This paper investigates whether the widely anticipated reduction in costs following the Airline Deregulation Act of 1978 actually occurred. We utilize an empirical procedure that explicitly takes the multi-product characteristics into account and identifies the various sources of changes in costs. The change in airline's costs are decomposed into components and separately measured to identify the effects attributable to deregulation A number of other countries are now considering important changes in the public ownership and control of their airline industries and a quantitative assessment of the actual effect of US deregulation on costs may be thought of as providing lower bound estimates of what might be expected in other countries.
Development of a direct ELISA for anti-T-2 toxin immunoglobulin G

We have developed an ELISA-based system for the direct measurement of anti-T-2 toxin IgG. The principles applied in this assay for anti-T-2 toxin IgG are expected to prove valuable in the detection of other low-molecular-weight antigens by direct ELISA.
U.S.-JAPANESE SPACE RELATIONS AT A CROSSROADS

The relations between Japan and the United States in space form a microcosm of the complex, multidimensional interactions between these two powerful societies. Cooperation and competition exist side by side, and the future balance between them is uncertain. The United States needs to develop a strategy with respect to future U.S.-Japanese space relations that balances national security, political, scientific, and economic interests. Crafting such a strategy is particularly difficult while both the United States and Japan debate the goals and content of their future space programs and while the two nations try to assess their broader interests and roles in the rapidly changing geopolitical environment. Essential to a productive approach to U.S.-Japanese space relations is an accurate understanding of the character and content of the Japanese space effort.
Letter to the editor re: spectral Hounsfield units--a new radiological concept.

• Dual energy and spectral CT are novel techniques becoming more widely available • These technological advances require a new attenuation scale: spectral Hounsfield units • We suggest a modification to this new attenuation scale proposed by Hurrell et al. • We also propose a new scale for assessing novel CT contrast media