cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Superior depletion of alloreactive T cells from peripheral blood stem cell and umbilical cord blood grafts by the combined use of trimetrexate and interleukin-2 immunotoxin

Abstract Acute graft-versus-host disease, a major obstacle to the overall success of allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, is primarily induced by a subset of donor T cells. Most strategies to prevent acute graft-versus-host disease target all T cells regardless of their specificity, and this leads to prolonged posttransplantation immunodeficiency. Selective depletion of alloreactive T cells could spare protective immunity and facilitate engraftment and graft-versus-leukemia effects. Recently described depletion strategies target activation markers such as CD25 that are expressed by alloreactive T cells. However, incomplete depletion may occur when a single surface epitope or pathway of apoptosis is targeted that may not be fully and concurrently expressed among all alloreactive cells. We now report on a novel strategy effective in both cord blood and peripheral blood stem cell alloreactive T cells that simultaneously induces 2 independent pathways of apoptosis after stimulation by recipient dendritic cells or Epstein-Barr virus-transformed B cells. First, we demonstrate that the folate antagonist trimetrexate selectively depletes proliferating alloreactive precursors in vitro in a dose- and time-dependent manner. Similarly, a second agent, denileukin diftitox, kills activated alloreactive T cells expressing CD25. Most importantly, these 2 agents can exert their effects in concert with superior efficacy while sparing resting bystander T cells, which remain available to mount antimicrobial or third-party responses.
Genetic determinants of sensitivity to pentobarbital in inbred mice.

Rationale. We postulated that genetic determinants of different responses to pentobarbital (PB) in mice would differ from response to response. Objectives. Mice from 14 standard inbred strains were tested for sensitivity to several effects of acute PB. Methods. Strains were tested for sensitivity to PB-induced low-dose stimulation and high-dose depression of locomotor activity, reduced rearing, hypothermia, and ataxia assessed on a rotarod, using four doses of PB or saline. Results. Strains differed in sensitivity to PB for all responses. Correlations among strain means indicated that strain sensitivity to a particular effect of PB generalized rather well across doses. Sensitivities to some of the different behavioral responses were also significantly correlated. For example, strains less sensitive to PB-induced enhanced locomotor activity were also significantly more sensitive to the drug's hypothermic effects. Some responses were genetically independent. Brain PB concentrations were also determined, and appeared to be unrelated to inbred strain drug sensitivities. Conclusions. Overall, these results suggest that there are multiple genetic determinants of behavioral sensitivity to PB effects. That is, genetically influenced sensitivity to PB is not monolithic, but is somewhat specific to the particular response variable studied, a result that also characterizes genetic control of responses to other drugs.
Pulsed field analysis of hprt T-cell large deletions: telomeric region breakpoint spectrum.

Abstract In order to determine a large deletion breakpoint spectrum, 25 independent hprt T-lymphocyte mutants with deletions extending from hprt into the telomeric or centromeric flanking chromosomal region were analyzed by pulsed field gel electrophoresis (PFGE). PFGE was used to determine deletion sizes which allowed localization of breakpoints external to hprt to specific chromosomal positions in mutants containing an intra- hprt breakpoint. A breakpoint spectrum based on 19 large deletion mutants is reported for the Xq26 chromosomal region telomeric to hprt . A potential cluster of breakpoints ( 4 19 ) was observed approximately 60 kb from hprt . In addition, maximum recoverable deletion size was at least 3.5 Mb. Three of the 25 mutants analyzed appeared to be complex deletion events.
Room-temperature, open-air, wet intercalation of liquids, surfactants, polymers and nanoparticles within nanotubes and microchannels

This study aims to encapsulate polymers, surfactants and nanoparticles from solutions or suspensions in open-ended carbon nanotubes and glass microchannels. The work also demonstrates a novel method of capping water-filled carbon nanotubes using polymer seals of relatively small polymer molecules. The self-sustained diffusion mechanism driving admixtures from solutions into carbon nanotubes, as reported in A. V. Bazilevsky, K. Sun, A. L. Yarin and C. M. Megaridis, Langmuir, 2007, 23, 7451-7455, is shown to be effective for encapsulating a number of compounds in confinements spanning sizes from 50 nm-diameter carbon nanotubes to 300 µm-diameter glass capillaries. For example, surfactants and nanoparticles are encapsulated using this self-sustained diffusion mechanism. Very high filling efficiencies can be achieved with this method. The procedure opens new opportunities for water containment in nanotubes and microchannels. Nanoparticles filling microchannels form colloidal crystals, which, upon illumination, demonstrate opalescence characteristics of long columnar photonic crystals.
Observations of Sodium in the Lunar Atmosphere during International Lunar Atmosphere Week, 1995

Abstract We report results of a part of an organized effort of five observing groups to simultaneously observe sodium in the lunar atmosphere. International Lunar Atmosphere Week spanned the week of September 15–22, 1995. Of the seven nights, we experienced four nights with good viewing conditions. We used the Mt. Lemmon Lunar Coronagraph (MLLC) and DARRK spectrograph. Both are especially designed for lunar atmospheric measurements from the surface extending to an altitude of approximately 1 lunar radius or ∼1700 km (860 km geopotential height). Emission rates for Na were compatible with those previously reported for relatively large phase angles (96° to 129°) with the average total of D2 and D1 emission rate ∼6.9 kRayleigh. A thermal component was observed only on the night of September 17, when the solar zenith angle at the limb was only 6°. We observed a factor of ∼2 greater column abundances over the north pole than over the sunlit equatorial limb on September 18 while on September 19, the equatorial bright limb column abundance was a factor of ∼5 higher than the north polar. Apparent geopotential scale heights varied from 279 to 435 km, indicating an extended atmosphere. If the scale heights are represented by a temperature, values are 985 to 1470 K. The data set appears to support the idea that the dominant source during this period was meteoritic impact volatilization.
Parameterization of the nuclear level density at energies above 100 MeV

The intensive studies of equilibration processes in heavy ion reactions have produced a need for information on nuclear level densities at high energies. In a recent paper, it was concluded that standard Fermi gas formulas will be incorrect by exponential factors at energies above 100 MeV. Exact calculations of the nuclear level density in bases as large as 1038 have been made and are compared with Fermi gas formulas. Two possible alternative forms are considered. Both forms produce much better agreement at high energies than does the Fermi gas model. All calculations reported are for non-interacting Fermions, but the effects expected from the two-body interaction are briefly examined. These considerations have consequences not only in heavy ion physics but also in astrophysics.
QTL associated with yield in three backcross-derived populations of soybean

Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merrill] plant introductions (Pis) are potential sources of useful genes for breeding. We mapped quantitative trait loci (QTL) for yield and other agronomic traits, and determined QTL X environment (QTL X E) and epistatic interactions for yield in three backcross (BC) populations. The populations were developed using Pis as donor parents and 'Beeson 80', 'Kenwood', and 'Lawrence' as recurrent parents (RP). Sixty-eight BC 2 F 5 -derived lines in the Beeson 80 population, 74 BC 1 F 5 -derived lines in the Kenwood population, and 94 BC 3 F 2 -derived lines in the Lawrence population were tested along with the RP and checks in 2003 and 2004. Nineteen QTL for three other agronomic traits were identified, as well as 13 yield QTL. The yield-increasing allele was from the PI parent for eight yield QTL. Yield-increasing alleles were associated with delayed maturity for three yield QTL, and one allele was associated with increased lodging and plant height. All yield QTL mapped to regions where yield QTL have been reported previously. The significant QTL X E interaction was due to undetectable or weak QTL effects in some environments. Nine digenic interactions for yield were detected in the Kenwood population, and were mostly between loci exhibiting epistatic effects only. Our results support previous findings that the current elite North American soybean gene pool is more diverse than would have been predicted by the number of contributing ancestors.
PSF and CMF, autocrine factors that regulate gene expression during growth and early development of Dictyostelium.

Throughout growth and development,Dictyostelium cells secrete autocrine factors that accumulate in proportion to cell density. At sufficient concentration, these factors cause changes in gene expression. VegetativeDictyostelium cells continuously secrete prestarvation factor (PSF). The bacteria upon which the cells feed inhibit their response to PSF, allowing the cells to monitor their own density in relation to that of their food supply. At high PSF/bacteria ratios, which occur during late exponential growth, PSF induces the expression of several genes whose products are needed for cell aggregation. When the food supply has been depleted, PSF production declines, and a second density-sensing pathway is activated. Starving cells secrete conditioned medium factor (CMF), a glycoprotein of Mr 80 kDa that is essential for the development of differentiated cell types. Antisense mutagenesis has shown that cells lacking CMF cannot aggregate, and preliminary data suggest that CMF regulates cAMP signal transduction. Calculations indicate that a mechanism of simultaneously secreting and recognizing a signal molecule, as used byDictyostelium to monitor cell density, could also be used to determine the total number of cells in a tissue.
Calculation of positron observables using a finite-element-based approach

We report the development of a new method for calculating positron observables using a finite-element approach for the solution of the Schrodinger equation. This method combines the advantages of both basis-set and real-space-grid approaches. The strict locality in real space of the finite element basis functions results in a method that is well suited for calculating large systems of a thousand or more atoms, as required for calculations of extended defects such as dislocations. In addition, the method is variational in nature and its convergence can be controlled systematically. The calculation of positron observables is very straightforward due to the real-space nature of this method. We illustrate the power of this method with positron lifetime calculations on defects and defect-free materials, using overlapping atomic charge densities.
Morphea and Parry–Romberg syndrome associated with a mixed movement disorder

Parry-Romberg syndrome is characterized by hemifacial atrophy involving skin, subcutaneous tissue, muscle, and bone. The cause is unknown although variable association with morphea or localized scleroderma has raised the possibility of autoimmune process1. Seizures and headaches are the most frequent co-morbidities of Parry-Romberg syndrome2 although a variety of neurologic syndromes have been reported. These are usually attributed to intracranial lesions,2,3 and include progressive hemispheric atrophy with inflammation resembling Rasmussen’s encephalitis.4 Movement disorders have rarely been reported with Parry-Romberg syndrome.5–7 We report a 39 year old subject with Parry-Romberg syndrome with dystonia, tremor, and levodopa-responsive hemiparkinsonism.
Effects of Fish in River Food Webs

Experimental manipulations of fish in a Northern California river during summer base flow reveal that they have large effects on predators, herbivores, and plants in river food webs. California roach and juvenile steelhead consume predatory insects and fish fry, which feed on algivorous chironomid larvae. In the presence of fish, filamentous green algae are reduced to low, prostrate webs, infested with chironomids. When the absence of large fish releases smaller predators that suppress chironomids, algal biomass is higher, and tall upright algal turfs become covered with diatoms and cyanobacteria. These manipulations provide evidence that the Hairston, Smith, Slobodkin–Fretwell theory of trophic control, which predicts that plants will be alternately limited by resources or herbivores in food webs with odd and even numbers of trophic levels, has application to river communitics.
From better understandings to proactive actions: Housing location and commuting mode choices among university students

Reducing car dependence has become an important public policy issue. This manuscript examines the issue by focusing on university students, who have not been well studied in existing literature. It proposes a confirmatory framework for studies on university students׳ commuting mode and housing choice and their determinants. It also conducts a case study based on this framework to get more insights. This case study shows or re-confirms that when compared to the employees from the same university, university students are more likely to share a residence in exchange for rent affordability, bus proximity and short commute. They are also more likely to jointly determine their housing and mode choices. Transit pass subsidies significantly influence university students’ alternative transportation use. Female students or graduate students are less likely to use alternative transportation. Undergraduate students have a shorter commute and use alternative transportation more. The above provide new implications for integrated housing–transportation planning and group-sensitive policies to increase alternative transportation usage among university students.
Incorporation of a Probabilistic Monotonic Strain Energy Analysis to a Lifting Method

The proposed work analyzes the possibility of improving the capabilities of an energy-based fatigue life prediction method. The improvement being addressed is regarding the variation of empirical monotonic strain energy density calculations and the effects on the energy-based fatigue life prediction capability. Since the prediction method was developed from the concept that the strain energy accumulated during both monotonic failure and an entire fatigue process are equal, meaning the strain energy accumulated during monotonic failure is a physical damage quantity, it was important to understand the variation of monotonic strain energy density. The process for incorporating this variation into the prediction method explores a probabilistic, Three-Sigma analysis that is applicable for all deterministic methods of measuring experimental monotonic strain energy density. The accuracy of the probabilistic energy-based lifing method was admirably assessed by comparison with experimental fatigue life results, between 103 and 105 cycles, conducted on Titanium 6Al–4V specimens at room temperature.
Egfr signaling regulates ommatidial rotation and cell motility in the Drosophila eye via MAPK/Pnt signaling and the Ras effector Canoe/AF6.

Epidermal Growth Factor-receptor (Egfr) signaling is evolutionarily conserved and controls a variety of different cellular processes. In Drosophila these include proliferation, patterning, cell-fate determination, migration and survival. Here we provide evidence for a new role of Egfr signaling in controlling ommatidial rotation during planar cell polarity (PCP) establishment in the Drosophila eye. Although the signaling pathways involved in PCP establishment and photoreceptor cell-type specification are beginning to be unraveled, very little is known about the associated 90° rotation process. One of the few rotation-specific mutations known is roulette ( rlt ) in which ommatidia rotate to a random degree, often more than 90°. Here we show that rlt is a rotation-specific allele of the inhibitory Egfr ligand Argos and that modulation of Egfr activity shows defects in ommatidial rotation. Our data indicate that, beside the Raf/MAPK cascade, the Ras effector Canoe/AF6 acts downstream of Egfr/Ras and provides a link from Egfr to cytoskeletal elements in this developmentally regulated cell motility process. We provide further evidence for an involvement of cadherins and non-muscle myosin II as downstream components controlling rotation. In particular, the involvement of the cadherin Flamingo, a PCP gene, downstream of Egfr signaling provides the first link between PCP establishment and the Egfr pathway.
Modifications of two color reactions of hexoses with cysteine and sulfuric acid.

Abstract A modification of the so-called primary and secondary cysteine-sulfuric acid reactions of hexose is described. The primary reaction is carried out in the presence of a 0.75 N HCl in the water phase; this increases the sensitivity by 150%. The secondary reaction is carried out in the presence of 0.7% of cysteine-HCl in the reaction mixture, which increases the sensitivity 100% and makes the reaction better reproducible.
A dual-process account of the list-length and strength-based mirror effects in recognition

Abstract Manipulating either list length (e.g., few vs. many study items) or encoding strength (e.g., one presentation vs. multiple presentations of each study item) produces a recognition mirror effect. A formal dual-process theory of recognition memory that accounts for the word-frequency mirror effect is extended to account for the list-length and strength-based mirror effects. According to this theory, the hit portions of these mirror effects result from differential ease of recollection-based recognition, and the false alarm portions result from differential reliance on familiarity-based recognition. This account yields predictions for participants’ Remember and Know responses as a function of list length and encoding strength. Empirical data and model fits from four experiments support these predictions. The data also demonstrate a reliable list-length effect when several potential confounding factors are controlled, contributing to the debate regarding the effect of list length on recognition.
Generic maps of mechanical manipulators

Abstract General theory of generic maps for an n degrees of freedom (d.o.f.) manipulator is developed in this paper. Algorithms are provided to determine genericity of 6 d.o.f. manipulators and 7 d.o.f. redundant manipulators. The closed form equations are provided for determination of genericity of 3 R manipulators.
Training data selection based on context-dependent state matching

In this paper we construct a data set for semi-supervised acoustic model training by selecting spoken utterances from a massive collection of anonymized Google Voice Search utterances. Semi-supervised training usually retains high-confidence utterances which are presumed to have an accurate hypothesized transcript, a necessary condition for successful training. Selecting high confidence utterances can however restrict the diversity of the resulting data set. We propose to introduce a constraint enforcing that the distribution of the context-dependent state symbols obtained by running forced alignment of the hypothesized transcript matches a reference distribution estimated from a curated development set. The quality of the obtained training set is illustrated on large scale Voice Search recognition experiments and outperforms random selection of high-confidence utterances.
Noradrenergic Neurons Regulate Monocyte Trafficking and Mortality during Gram-Negative Peritonitis in Mice

Effective host defense requires a robust, yet self-limited response to pathogens. A poorly calibrated response can lead to either bacterial dissemination due to insufficient inflammation or organ injury due to excessive inflammation. Recent evidence suggests that the cholinergic anti-inflammatory reflex helps calibrate the immune response. However, the influence of peripheral noradrenergic neurons, which are primarily sympathetic neurons, in regulating immunity remains incompletely characterized. Using a model of 6-hydroxydopamine-mediated noradrenergic nerve ablation, we show that elimination of noradrenergic neurons improves survival during Klebsiella pneumoniae peritonitis (67 versus 23%, p < 0.005) in mice. The survival benefit results from enhanced MCP-1-dependent monocyte recruitment and a subsequent decrease in bacterial loads. Splenectomy eliminated both the survival benefit of 6-hydroxydopamine and monocyte recruitment, suggesting that monocytes recruited to the peritoneum originate in the spleen. These results suggest that noradrenergic neurons regulate the immune response through two pathways. First, sympathetic nerve-derived norepinephrine directly restrains MCP-1 production by peritoneal macrophages during infection. Second, norepinephrine derived from the vagally innervated splenic nerve regulates splenic monocyte egress. Removal of these two modulators of the immune response enhances antibacterial immunity and improves survival. These results may have implications for how states of catecholamine excess influence the host response to bacterial infections.
ANDROGEN:KETOSTEROID RATIOS OF RABBIT URINE1

Simultaneous measurements of biologically active androgens and of 17-ketosteroids have been reported for humans and monkeys. Active androgens account for 30% to 60% of the netural ketonic fraction of human urine (Bauman and Metzger, 1940) and for about 9% to 13% of the same fraction of monkeys) urine, in terms of androsterone (Dorfman et al., 1947). These figures do not represent the actual proportions in untreated urine since considerable alteration of the original steroids occurs during acid hydrolysis (Venning et al., 1942). Urinary 17-ketosteroid levels have been determined for male rabbits (Kimeldorf, 1948) and for female rabbits (De Koning et al., 1948). Metabolites obtained from in vitro incubation of testosterone with rabbit liver slices have been investigated by Clark and Kochakian (1947) who could isolate neither androsterone nor its isomers from the products. Studies on other animals show that biologically active androgens are excreted in relatively small amounts by the chimpanzee (Fish et al.,...
Power, Politics, and the Making of Shanghai

How and why contemporary Shanghai has taken the form it has over the last thirty years and its role in the ‘‘New’’ Shanghai through the underlying top—down governance and planning process? Answering this question, rather than taking solely the historical path in documenting the process of development, this article represents an attempt to make sense of the process of development through the underlying forces that shaped and reshaped the physical forms of the city. Particularly, this article looks at distinctive spatial forms and social and political formations associated with Shanghai before, under, and after the Mao Zedong. By weaving planning history with critical analysis of Chinese sociopolitics, this article chronologically traces the formative history of Shanghai’s unique urbanism, building on existing literature and provides a wide coverage of the episodic accounts of Shanghai’s planning history. When the role of individuals in the making of Shanghai becomes obvious especially after the reform in t...
Efficient distributed simulation

Discrete-event systems are used to model a number of engineering applications ranging from performance analysis of large scale communication networks, computer-aided-design (CAD) of circuits to simulation of manufacturing systems. Except for a small set, these systems are analytically intractable and in addition prohibitive to evaluate numerically. Simulation of such complex systems is exceedingly slow to run (and also to develop). Therefore, the development of simulation speedup methods is of crucial importance in its potential of making feasible the evaluation of a vastly larger set of engineering systems. New analytical models are proposed for the analysis of asynchronous, distributed simulation of discrete-event systems. Vectored distributed simulation and a new rollback algorithm, Wolf, are examined in this framework and comparison with existing systems is attempted. A number of examples illustrate the advantages to such a realization of distributed simulation. Implementation of our algorithms on a distributed computing system confirm analytical results predicting a considerable reduction in error propagation, and an enhancement in forward computation.
Cross-sectional determinants of the impact of management cash flow forecasts

Prior research on the value relevance of management guidance focuses almost exclusively on earnings forecasts. However, in recent years managers have increasingly provided additional guidance in the form of cash flow forecasts, yet relatively little is known about the informativeness of these forecasts and their incremental value relevance beyond earnings forecasts. In this study, I show that managers’ cash flow forecasts are incrementally informative to investors. More importantly, these cash flow forecasts are increasingly value-relevant for firms 1) with bad news in forecasted earnings, 2) in financial distress, 3) with higher growth opportunities, and 4) with relatively higher value relevance of reported cash flows. I also find that managers’ cash flow forecasts are incorporated into analysts’ forecasts, and are especially useful to analysts following firms with bad earnings news in management forecasts and those with relatively higher value relevance of reported cash flows. Additionally, the evidence is consistent with cash flow forecasts reducing analysts’ forecast error and dispersion. This study contributes to the voluntary disclosure literature by investigating the impact of a relatively new form of disclosure. I provide evidence that the impact varies predictably based on cross-sectional differences in firm characteristics.
Implementing a Consistency Criterion in Numerical Solution of the Bioelectric Forward Problem

The bioelectric forward problem is frequently formulated as an integral equation that relates unknown surface potentials with their known current generators, in a given volume conductor. The matrix of the discretized equations is singular, and this may cause difficulties in obtaining a numerical solution to the problem. A consistency criterion for the discretized equations is utilized in a new algorithm for the forward problem. Some examples of sources in a uniform spherical volume conductor were solved employing the new algorithm. It was found that the algorithm is reliable even when the number of discretized elements was relatively small. A comparison with the deflation method was done. In some examples the results were very close to each other. In other examples the results of the new algorithm were better.
“Re‐claiming” Land in The Gambia: Gendered Property Rights and Environmental Intervention

By definition, land reclamation programs render marginally productive land resources more valuable to a broader set of users. The question of who gets access to rejuvenated lands is often highly political, however. Environmental managers “reclaim” land resources by rehabilitating them, but they simultaneously reanimate struggles over property rights in the process, allowing specific groups of resource users to literally and figuratively “re-claim” the land. Relying on data gathered during fourteen months of field work between 1989 and 1995, this paper analyzes the openings created by environmental policy reforms introduced over the past two decades along The Gambia River Basin, and the tactics and strategies rural Gambians have developed to manipulate these policies for personal gain. Specifically, I demonstrate how women market gardeners pressed “secondary” usufruct rights to great advantage to ease the economic impact of persistent drought conditions for the better part of a decade, only to have male li...
Enthalpies of mixing of charge unsymmetrical binary fused salt systems: ZnX2AX (A = Li, Cs, Ag; X = Cl, Br)

The enthalpies of mixing (ΔHM) of the following binary fused-salt mixtures have been determined calorimetrically: ZnCl2CsCl, ZnCl2LiCl, ZnCl2AgCl, ZnBr2CsBr, ZnBr2LiBr at 665°C; ZnCl2CsCl, ZnCl2AgCl, and ZnCl2ZnBr2 at 495°C. The results are discussed with respect to the following points: (1) Comparison with the transition metal chloride-alkali chloride systems, (2) “complexing” in the mixture. (3) effect of the network-like structure of pure ZnX2, and (4) effect of temperature. Mischungsenthalpien der ladungsunsymmetrischen binaren geschmolzenen Salzsysteme: ZnX2AX (A = Li, Cs, Ag; X = Cl, Br) Die Mischungsenthalpien (ΔHM) der folgenden binaren Salzschmelzen wurden kalorimetrisch bestimmt: ZnCl2CsCl, ZnCl2LiCl, ZnCl2AgCl, ZnBr2CsBrLiBr bei 665°C; ZnCl2CsCl, ZnCl2AgCl und ZnCl2ZnBr2 bei 495°C. Die Ergebnisse werden im Hinblick auf folgende Punkte diskutiert: 1. Vergleich mit Ubergangsmetallchlorid-Alkalichlorid-Systemen, 2. Komplexbildung in der Mischung, 3. Einflus der netzwerkahnlichen Struktur des reinen ZnX2 und 4. Einflus der Temperatur.
Dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected samples as positive controls for malaria rapid diagnostic tests

Background Rapid diagnostic tests (RDTs) are central to fulfilling the WHO’s recommendation for parasitologic confirmation of all suspected cases of malaria. RDT performance may be compromised when exposed to the high temperature conditions typical of most malaria endemic regions. However, a systematic method to monitor RDT quality and performance in endemic countries is lacking at the present time. Current methods to monitor RDT performance in the field include comparing results from RDTs to diagnoses made by light microscopy and observing health workers perform tests. These methods are not substitutes for direct quality control. In this study, the suitability of dried Plasmodium falciparum-infected blood as quality control samples for malaria RDTs was evaluated.
Raising Disability Awareness and Self-Efficacy of One-Stop Workforce Center Staff Serving Job Seekers with Disabilities

Under the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 (WIA) access to employment services for all job seekers, including those with disabilities, is available partly through a system of One-Stop Workforce Centers (Storen & Dixon, 1999; U.S. Department of Labor, 2001). However, early studies of WIA implementation found that One-Stops had limited outreach to and lacked accessibility for people with disabilities. This article describes a training program designed to raise disability awareness and self-efficacy of One-Stop staff serving people with disabilities, and to contribute to a unified culture of sensitivity toward, and an ability to work with, job seekers with disabilities.
Fuzzy Sets and the Management of Uncertainty in Computer Vision

Visual perception is a difficult task to automate. This process, known as computer vision, has received a considerable amount of attention for the last three or four decades. Even with all of the research and development efforts, relatively few real computer vision systems have been put into routine use - these being primarily in controlled environments. Yet, the potential of general purpose vision systems which can effectively operate in varying scenarios is so great that much research continues to be devoted to the components of a computer vision system. These components include tasks such as noise removal, smoothing, and sharpening of contrast (low-level vision); segmentation of images to isolate objects and regions and description and recognition of the segmented regions (intermediate-level vision); and finally interpretation of the scene (high-level vision). Uncertainty exists in every phase of computer vision. Some of the sources of this uncertainty include: additive and non-additive noise of various sorts and distributions in low-level vision, imprecisions in computations and vagueness in class definitions in intermediate-level vision, and ambiguities in interpretations and ill-posed questions in high-level vision. The use of multiple image sources can aid in making better judgements about scene content, but the use of more than one source of information poses new questions of how the complementary and supplementary information should be combined, how redundant information should be treated and how conflicts should be resolved.
Evidence of a juvenile-hormone-like compound in the reproduction of Dermanyssus gallinae (Acari: Dermanyssidae).

Fed female Dermanyssus gallinae mites exposed to 2 mg of the antiallatotropic compound precocene 2 (P2) for various periods (24–96 h) and at several concentrations (0.25–4.0 mg) produced fewer progeny than did untreated females. Reproductive capacity was significantly restored in P2-treated females by application of the insect juvenile hormone III (JH III), but not to the full capacity of untreated control females. Although P2 reduced progeny production among treated females and JH III partially restored it, the P2 doses tested were not strong enough to completely stop progeny production. Moreover, the doses of P2 used were not strong enough to permanently damage the tissue producing the putative JH-like gonadotrophic hormone, as shown by the natural reproductive recovery of P2-treated females that were allowed additional feedings and recovery time. Results of this study suggest that a JH-like compound probably functions in egg development in mites.
Analysis of notifiable infectious diseases in Xicheng District of Beijing in 2011

[Objective]To understand the epidemiological characteristics of notifiable infectious diseases in Xicheng District of Beijing in 2011,provide scientific basis for making prevention and control measures.[Methods]The epidemic data of notifiable infectious diseases in Xicheng District in 2011 were analyzed with descriptive epidemiological method.[Results]A total of 17 kinds of 5 305 cases of notifiable diseases were reported in Xicheng District in 2011,and the total incidence rate was 786.47/lakh,which was increased by 16.91% as compared with that in 2010.There were 4 death cases,and the mortality was 0.59/lakh,which was decreased by 7.46% as compared with that in 2010.The top 5 infectious diseases were infectious diarrhea,dysentery,hand-foot-mouth disease,scarlet fever and tuberculosis.[Conclusion]The intestinal infectious disease is the main infectious disease that affects the health of residents in Xicheng District.It is necessary to carry out the comprehensive intervention,to reduce the harms of infectious diseases and ensure people's health.
General systems theory, psychiatry and psychotherapy.

(1973). General Systems Theory, Psychiatry and Psychotherapy. International Journal of Group Psychotherapy: Vol. 23, No. 3, pp. 292-305.
Do American Colleges and Universities Support the Lactation Needs of Students

Abstract Background: Despite strong evidence for the health benefits of breastfeeding, many mothers cannot continue breastfeeding their infants upon their return to work or school. Students are especially affected by this transition because they do not have legal protection that requires designated lactation space or time to express milk to be provided by places of education. Furthermore, limited research has been completed that specifically addresses the return to school of mothers who are students. Materials and Methods: One hundred fifty-seven colleges and universities from across the United States were contacted through telephone and/or e-mail, and their websites were searched to assess the support they offer for lactating students. The presence of a formal policy for lactating students and designated lactation rooms, accessible to students, were the key measures. Results: Information was gathered from 88.53% (n = 139) of the colleges and universities. A mere 3.6% (n = 5) had an official policy for la...
Discordance in Lamellar Body Counts Between Sysmex XS-1000 and Sysmex XE-5000 Analyzers

Respiratory distress syndrome, the ninth leading cause of newborn mortality in the US, is caused by fetal lung immaturity due to pulmonary surfactant deficiency. Accordingly, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends fetal lung maturity (FLM) testing at <39 weeks gestation. Lamellar body counts (LBC) are often employed for FLM assessment. Most studies established …
Nicotine and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is associated with high rates of nicotine use, and nicotine use contributes to numerous negative health outcomes, including death. Nicotine also interacts with a number of PTSD-related phenotypes. An understanding of the relationship between PTSD and nicotine use is essential for improving health outcomes for this population. Further, the interaction between nicotine and PTSD-related phenotypes might yield important clues toward developing more effective prevention and treatment efforts. Here, we briefly review the literature on nicotine use in PTSD with a focus on the role of nicotine in three specific PTSD-related phenotypes: heightened anxiety, attention and memory deficits, plus fear conditioning and extinction abnormalities.
The gender communication connection

The third edition of this classic text helps readers consider the myriad ways gendered attitudes and practices influence communication in our personal and professional interactions. Written in an engaging style, with a wide array of exercises designed to challenge and interest readers in applying what they learn, the book integrates research with examples from contemporary life related to gender and culture, race, class, and media. Among new topics covered in this edition are multiple genders, gender activism and the #MeToo movement, and challenges of twenty-first-century masculinities and femininities, including expanded coverage of contemporary male issues. Fresh coverage is also afforded to each communication context, particularly gender at work, the legal and political spheres, global cultures, and the digital world, including social media. The book is ideally suited for undergraduate courses in gender and communication within communication studies, sociology, and business departments. Online resources include lecture slides and an instructor’s manual.
Smart Headlight: An Application of Projector-Camera Vision

A projector manipulates outgoing light rays, while a camera records incoming ones. Combining these optically inverse devices, especially in a coaxial manner, creates the possibility of a new computer-vision technology. The "Smart Headlight," currently under development at Carnegie Mellon's Robotics Institute, is one example: a device that can "erase" raindrops or snowflakes from a driver's sight, allowing for continuous use of the "high beams" mode while not causing glare against oncoming drivers, and enhance the appearance of important objects, such as pedestrians. In that sense, it constitutes a "genuine" augmented reality, manipulating the reality for how it appears to a viewer, rather than merely overlaying objects on the image of the reality. This talk will present the state of the Smart Headlight project and discuss further possible applications of projector-camera systems.
Millimeter-wave spectroscopy of syn formyl azide (HC(O)N3) in seven vibrational states

Abstract Millimeter-wave spectra for formyl azide (HC(O)N3) were obtained from 240 to 360 GHz at ambient temperature. For the ground state of syn formyl azide, over 1500 independent rotational transitions were measured and least-squares fit to a complete S-reduced 8th order centrifugal distortion/rigid rotor Hamiltonian. The decomposition of formyl azide was monitored over a period of several hours, the half-life (t½ = 30 min) was determined, and its decomposition products were investigated. Transitions from five vibrational satellites of syn formyl azide (ν9, ν12, 2ν9, ν9 + ν12, and ν11) were observed, measured, and least-squares fit to complete or nearly complete octic centrifugally-distorted, single-state S-reduced models. A less complete single-state fit of 3ν9 (509.3 cm−1) was obtained from an unperturbed subset of its assignable transitions. This state is apparently coupled to the fundamental ν8 (489.4 cm−1) and the overtone 2ν12 (503.6 cm−1), but the coupling remains unanalyzed. Anharmonic CCSD(T)/ANO1 estimates of the vibrational frequencies of syn formyl azide were in close agreement with previously published experimental and computational values. Experimentally determined vibration-rotation interaction (αi) values were in excellent agreement with coupled-cluster predicted αi values for the fundamentals ν9, ν12, and ν11.
Study on calculation methods of steady temperature rise for cable group based on lumped parameter

In this paper, the transfer matrix of lumped parameters is established by the finite element calculation to reflect the thermal characteristics around the cable. It can adapt to different heat dissipation conditions, so as to realize the fast calculation of steady temperature rise for multi-circuit cables with multi boundary conditions under different working conditions, which provides ideas for future studies of fast algorithms of transient temperature rise calculation as well.
High resolution decadal precipitation predictions over the continental United States for impacts assessment

Abstract Unprecedented alterations in precipitation characteristics over the last century and especially in the last two decades have posed serious socio-economic problems to society in terms of hydro-meteorological extremes, in particular flooding and droughts. The origin of these alterations has its roots in changing climatic conditions; however, its threatening implications can only be dealt with through meticulous planning that is based on realistic and skillful decadal precipitation predictions (DPPs). Skillful DPPs represent a very challenging prospect because of the complexities associated with precipitation predictions. Because of the limited skill and coarse spatial resolution, the DPPs provided by General Circulation Models (GCMs) fail to be directly applicable for impact assessment. Here, we focus on nine GCMs and quantify the seasonally and regionally averaged skill in DPPs over the continental United States. We address the problems pertaining to the limited skill and resolution by applying linear and kernel regression-based statistical downscaling approaches. For both the approaches, statistical relationships established over the calibration period (1961–1990) are applied to the retrospective and near future decadal predictions by GCMs to obtain DPPs at ∼4 km resolution. The skill is quantified across different metrics that evaluate potential skill, biases, long-term statistical properties, and uncertainty. Both the statistical approaches show improvements with respect to the raw GCM data, particularly in terms of the long-term statistical properties and uncertainty, irrespective of lead time. The outcome of the study is monthly DPPs from nine GCMs with 4-km spatial resolution, which can be used as a key input for impacts assessments.
Preserving Self: Theorizing the Social and Psychological Processes of Living With Parkinson Disease:

The purpose of this constructivist grounded theory article is to identify, explore, and theorize the social and psychological processes used by people with Parkinson disease. Analytic procedures generated the five-stage theory of Preserving self of people with Parkinson disease: (a) making sense of symptoms, (b) defining turning points, (c) experiencing identity dilemmas, (d) reconnecting the self, and (e) envisioning a future. Reminders of former selves and capabilities were painful; participants desperately sought normalcy. Participants developed creative methods for maintaining independence but frequently overestimated their abilities and took risks. Participants were 15 men and 10 women (ages 40-95), most of whom lived with their families. Disease status was ascertained through medication logs and two scales: Hoehn and Yahr staging and Activities of Daily Living. Data included 62 in-depth interviews, nonparticipant observation, and participant photos, videos, and related documents. Recommendations were derived from the theory to support processes of Preserving Self as interventions designed to reduce the loss of self and to enhance Preserving self. These recommendations included developing relationships, teaching expected and unexpected feelings and behaviors, and involvement with sensory integrating activities.
Vehicular Cloud Computing through Dynamic Computation Offloading

Abstract The growing demand in the number of sensor–dependent applications and infotainment services in vehicles is pushing the limits of their on–board computing resources. Today, vehicles are increasingly being connected to the Internet and becoming a part of the Smart Internet–of–Things (IoT) paradigm. Leveraging such connectivity, the idea of vehicular cloud–computing, where computation for vehicular applications and services are offloaded to the cloud, becomes an attractive proposition. However, the large sensory data inputs, strict latency requirements, and dynamic wireless networking conditions make offloading of vehicular applications to the cloud very challenging. To address this challenge, we design a dynamic approach for offloading specific vehicular application components or modules. We develop heuristic mechanisms for placement and scheduling of these modules in the on–board unit versus the cloud. The highlight of the proposed design is the ability to offload computation to the cloud in an elastic manner through dynamic decisions during variable network conditions. Through an experimental evaluation using our prototype system we show the effectiveness of the design in reducing the response time for compute intensive applications across variable network conditions in two urban environments.
Preliminari a una rilettura delle Epistole entomologiche

A cento anni di distanza dalla scomparsa di Guido Gozzano, varra la pena di rileggere il suo poema incompiuto sulle farfalle. La ricezione delle Epistole entomologiche e sempre stata poco favorevol...
Bipolar plate development with additive manufacturing and protective coating for durable and high-efficiency hydrogen production

Abstract Additive manufacturing (AM) of the complex devices for energy application remains an almost unexplored area, and the harsh acidic environment also limits the application of AM parts in water splitting for hydrogen production. Here, bipolar plates (BPs), which are used to transport reactants/products and conduct electrons in proton exchange membrane electrolyzer cells (PEMECs), are printed from stainless steel (SS) with selective laser melting (SLM). Then surface treatments are employed on those BPs by thin film electroplating with Au, and the protective thin layer enables the utilization of AM SS parts to both cathode and anode sides of water electrolyzer cells and exhibits superior corrosion resistances and electronic conductivities. The Au-coated AM SS BPs deliver a low interfacial contact resistance (6.4 mΩ cm2 under 1.45 MPa) and an excellent performance in PEMECs (1.71 V at 2 A/cm2), and maintain a remarkable durability in the simulated anode environment compared with the uncoated AM SS BPs and conventional graphite BPs. This approach demonstrates the possibility of 3-dimensional printing fully integrated water electrolyzer cells at both anode and cathode sides.