cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The Low-Mass Initial Mass Function in Young Clusters: L1495E*

We have developed a technique of IR spectral classification in which we use K-band spectra (R ~ 1000) to derive the spectral types and continuum veilings of young, late-type stars (~1 Myr, >G0). We show close agreement between the spectral types derived in this manner and those obtained optically. We complement previous optical spectroscopy with IR spectra of the most heavily embedded members of the young, embedded cluster L1495E. We critically analyze the translation between observable (spectral type, photometry) and theoretical (Teff, Lbol) parameters and use these data to construct an H-R diagram. We find that the evolutionary tracks of D'Antona & Mazzitelli imply a coeval population of ≤1 Myr and a plausible initial mass function (IMF). However, these models may underestimate the masses of objects near and below the hydrogen burning limit. The models of Swenson produce implausibly old ages and the models of Baraffe et al. yield somewhat old ages and an implausible IMF. We use infrared imaging to show that the spectroscopic sample for this cluster may be seriously incomplete below ~0.15 M☉. After applying a completeness correction to the IMF derived with the tracks of D'Antona & Mazzitelli, we find no evidence for a turnover at low masses; the IMF appears roughly flat in logarithmic mass units. Compared to the results of photometric studies of ρ Oph and NGC 2024, the IMF appears roughly invariant among star-forming environments representing a 2 order of magnitude range in the density of young stars. However, the detailed behavior of the IMF from low stellar masses into the substellar regime will remain uncertain until (1) better evolutionary tracks are available and (2) the sources in the photometric completeness correction can be spectroscopically confirmed as low-mass cluster members.
Dynamic stress analysis of a class of geomechanics problems by the boundary element method

This paper presents the application of an advanced BEM for periodic and transient dynamic stress analyses of a class of geomechanics problems. For transient dynamic analysis, the problem is first solved in the Laplace transform space, which happens to be similar to the periodic dynamic analysis, and then the time domain solution is obtained by numerical inversion of transform domain solutions. The numerical implementation of the BEM used to present the results in this paper is complete and most general available to date. It is capable of treating very large, multi-layered problems by substructuring and satisfying the equilibrium and compatibilities at the interfaces. With the help of this substructuring, capability problems related to layered media and soil–structure interaction have been analysed. A number of examples are presented and through comparisons with available analytical and numerical results, the applicability and usefulness of the present analysis to real geomechanical problems are established.
Further Conceptualization of Explanation in Negative Messages

Regarding explanation in negative messages, this article makes two innovative suggestions for presentation in the classroom and in textbooks of business communication: (1) Providing a reasonable explanation is the sender's moral obligation; receiving such explanation is a natural right of the target. (2) Explanation should be consciously generated and presented on two levels: general (macro) and specific (micro). Such presentation has at least two advantages: explanation on the general level ties the message to its wider con text or even with the human condition itself; explanation on the specific level connects it with the target's unique situation.
Determining the Value of Monitoring and Diagnostics

Conventional wisdom says that condition monitoring and on-line diagnostics of plant equipment and instrumentation and control systems can provide economic benefits to the nuclear utility. However, placing a dollar value on these benefits is difficult for a number of reasons. Maintenance crew sizes have a practical minimum to address staffing requirements. Reducing the amount of maintenance activity does not necessarily result in man-power savings. Regulatory constraints limit the extent to which probabilistic arguments can be relied on to avoid or defer preventive maintenance of safety-related equipment. Increasing the instrumentation of equipment to support advanced diagnostics can result in prohibitive hidden costs in change paperwork not to mention the direct cost of the sensors and cables. Although the use of wireless technology can offset this somewhat, without a clear understanding of the economic value of monitoring and diagnostics the utility has problems in deciding where its upgrade dollars are best spent; and the vendor has difficulty in developing products that delight the customer. In order to fill this gap in understanding, a workshop was held between monitoring and diagnostic experts at Westinghouse and utility representatives to define the value proposition for predictive diagnostics in operating plants. The objectives of this workshop were to: 1) determine where monitoring and diagnostics can be used to the benefit of the plant, 2) identify technologies available to apply to monitoring and diagnostics, 3) enumerate the barriers to installation of advanced monitoring and diagnostics, 4) establish value added propositions for efforts by the utility, by major vendors such as Westinghouse, and by sub-vendors, and 5) prioritize product development to provide the largest immediate benefit to the utilities. This paper discusses the outcome of that workshop and the directions of future developments in the area of monitoring and diagnostics of plant equipment and Instrumentation and Control.Copyright © 2008 by Westinghouse Electric Company
Visualization of Urban Area Flood Simulation in Realistic 3D Environment

A realistic 3D terrain was generated for part of the areas flooded due to 17th Street, New Orleans levee breaching during Hurricane Katrina by digital image processing techniques and GIS using LIDAR data in conjunction with high resolution multispectral satellite imagery. The DEM was used to generate mesh for simulating flood by CCHE2D Flood models. Propagation of the simulated flood was successfully visualized in realistic 3D environment by image draping technique using high resolution color orthophotographs. Obtained results indicate that (1) high resolution satellite imagery can be very useful to treat LIDAR data for realistic 3D terrain data generation, (2) ortho-rectified high resolution multispectral satellite data or color aerial photographs can be used in conjunction with the treated LIDAR data to generate true color realistic 3D terrain, and (3) propagation of simulated flood generated by CCHE2D Flood models can be visualized in realistic 3D environment using ArcGIS ArcScene software package.
Human Apolipoprotein E Is Required for Infectivity and Production of Hepatitis C Virus in Cell Culture

Recent advances in reverse genetics of hepatitis C virus (HCV) made it possible to determine the properties and biochemical compositions of HCV virions. Sedimentation analysis and characterization of HCV RNA-containing particles produced in the cultured cells revealed that HCV virions cover a large range of heterogeneous densities in sucrose gradient. The fractions of low densities are infectious, while the higher-density fractions containing the majority of HCV virion RNA are not. HCV core protein and apolipoprotein B and apolipoprotein E (apoE) were detected in the infectious HCV virions. The level of apoE correlates very well with HCV infectivity. Both apoE- and HCV E2-specific monoclonal antibodies precipitated HCV, demonstrating that HCV virions contain apoE and E2 proteins. apoE-specific monoclonal antibodies efficiently neutralized HCV infectivity in a dose-dependent manner, resulting in a reduction of infectious HCV by nearly 4 orders of magnitude. The knockdown of apoE expression by specific small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) remarkably reduced the levels of intracellular as well as secreted HCV virions. The apoE siRNA suppressed HCV production by more than 100-fold at 50 nM. These findings demonstrate that apoE is required for HCV virion infectivity and production, suggesting that HCV virions are assembled as apoE-enriched lipoprotein particles. Our findings also identified apoE as a novel target for discovery and development of antiviral drugs and monoclonal antibodies to suppress HCV virion formation and infection.
Assessment of radiation mediated gene therapy via multimodality imaging

Imaging techniques are under development which are intended to facilitate early analysis of spatial patterns of tumor response to combined radiation and antivascular gene therapy. We present initial results demonstrating treatment related changes of vascular permeability and blood volume maps using MRI, and tissue oxygenation measurements using electron paramagnetic resonance imaging (EPRI). Using a modified Kety model, the volume fraction accessible to the contrast agent was significantly greater in the tumor (0.81/spl plusmn/0.11), compared to muscle (0.20/spl plusmn/0.00, p<0.05). However, the two compartment model is probably not able to account for accumulation of contrast agent in the tumor. A three compartment model may improve fitting.
A developmental perspective on the evolution of sexual size dimorphism of a moth

Males and females of almost all organisms exhibit sexual differences in body size, a phenomenon called sexual size dimorphism (SSD). How the sexes evolve to be different sizes, despite sharing the same genes that control growth and development, and hence a common genetic architecture, has remained elusive. Here, we show that the genetic architecture (heritabilities and genetic correlations) of the physiological mechanism that regulates size during the last stage of larval development of a moth, differs between the sexes, and thus probably facilitates, rather than hinders, the evolution of SSD. We further show that the endocrine system plays a critical role in generating SSD. Our results demonstrate that knowledge of the genetic architecture underlying the physiological process during development that ultimately produces SSD in adults can elucidate how males and females of organisms evolve to be of different sizes.
The Gradient Method

For the sake of simplicity and clarity we shall first consider the problem where there are no constraints of the form (2) or (3). We shall also assume that the final time T is given.
Citizen, Customer, Partner: Rethinking the Place of the Public in Public Management

Scholars and practitioners have long debated what role the public should play in public management. When members of the public interact with the administrative side of government, should they be treated as customers, as citizens, or in some other manner? This article takes as its premise that members of the public assume three principal roles relative to public management: as customers, as partners, and as citizens. After placing these roles in the context of the history of public administration, the article draws from recent research to recommend guidelines for how public managers can work effectively with the public in these several capacities.
Predicting re-hospitalisations using intelligent systems: an exploratory study

Intelligent systems and knowledge management are shown to have wide ranging applications for businesses. In healthcare, applications of expert systems and knowledge management have been popular since the use of MYCIN in the 1970s. In this research, we study the use of intelligent systems in the prediction of re-hospitalisations. A Bayesian network, an artificial neural network using multilayer perception, an artificial neural network using radial basis function, a support vector machine and an expert system five intelligent systems were used in the prediction. All the models except the support vector machine were able to provide good prediction of re-hospitalisation with AUC > 0.6 and complete risk stratification for re-hospitalisation within 30 days of discharge with data available at admission, showing great promise for future application of intelligent systems in healthcare.
Arbitrary Arbitration: Diverting Juveniles Into the Justice System-A Reexamination After 22 Years

This article reports on a study of a juvenile diversion program based in California. It replicates a similar 1986 study of a Florida-based juvenile diversion program. Both studies examine the appropriateness of the actual juvenile population serviced in comparison with the declared and described programs’ target populations. Findings in the current research support earlier findings that the diversion program services self-serving, low-risk populations, rather than their intended “first-time nonviolent,” more seriously at risk of continued delinquent behavior, target population. This finding is examined in terms of its relationship to issues of labeling and net widening, and suggests how the current study diversion program manages to create a facade that more seriously at-risk youth are being properly targeted by the program.
Efficacy of mycophenolate mofetil in antimalarial-resistant cutaneous lupus erythematosus

Background Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is an immunomodulatory drug shown to be effective in the treatment of systemic lupus erythematosus. Several anecdotal reports have suggested that MMF may be efficacious in the treatment of cutaneous lupus erythematosus (CLE). Objectives Our objective was to summarize and report our experience with the use of MMF in patients with CLE recalcitrant to antimalarial therapy. Methods We retrospectively analyzed our open-label observations of 24 patients with CLE refractory to antimalarial therapy. The records of all patients visiting the Rheumatic Skin Disease Clinic at the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center at Dallas from January 1, 2001, to July 1, 2006, were reviewed. Results MMF was tolerated well and, in conjunction with other therapies, was highly effective in the treatment of antimalarial-resistant CLE. With the addition of MMF to the existing regimen, a majority of patients achieved full control of disease signs and symptoms. All patients experienced some degree of improvement. Limitations This is an open-label retrospective review. Severity of disease was assessed by qualitative assessment of the clinician. MMF was not used as monotherapy. Conclusions Our results indicate that MMF, used as an additional agent in conjunction with standard therapy, is both well tolerated and efficacious in the treatment of refractory CLE. Despite the obvious limitations of the study, we believe this represents further evidence that MMF should be considered early in the treatment of patients refractory to antimalarial therapy.
FTIR‐ATR studies of drawing and poling in polymer bilaminate films

A large increase in the remnant polarization of drawn and poled poly(vinylidene fluoride) (PVF2)/nylon 11 bilaminates compared with the individual films observed in other studies provides the motivation for the examination of dipole orientation in variously treated single and bilaminate films with FTIR-ATR spectroscopy. Four ATR spectra are collected from each surface using two sample orientations and two light polarizations for each incident light angle. The incident light angle is varied to obtain information about the change in structure with depth. Computer simulations of the experimental optics using anisotropic optical constants aides in the interpretation of experimental results. As the result of simple one-way drawing in PVF2 and nylon 11, anisotropy in dipole orientation is observed in the plane transverse to the draw direction. In both single and bilaminate films, the average direction of the amide plane in nylon 11 and the CF2 dipoles in PVF2 resides in the plane of the film, perpendicular to the subsequent poling field direction as a result of one-way drawing. The transverse plane orientation is depth dependent in nylon 11 in both single and bilaminate films and is attributed to a surface-induced effect. Poling fields of 1.6 MV/cm produce large differences between the surfaces of single films and the bilaminates. At the interior interface of the drawn and poled bilaminates, the PVF2 and nylon 11 dipoles important in polarization appear to be random. The structural implications of this as well as other observations from the spectra are interpreted in terms of the large remnant bulk polarization in the poled bilaminate. © 1994 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
On the recovery of transport parameters in groundwater modelling

The problem of recovering the coefficient functions in the groundwater transport equation from piezomet tic head and contaminant concentration measurements is solved by minimization of an associated convex functional.
Venous Thromboembolic Prophylaxis in Hospitalized Medical Patients

BACKGROUND:The risk for venous thromboembolism (VTE) in medical patients is similar to that in moderate-risk surgery patients. Pharmacologic thromboprophylaxis is recommended for certain medical patients, but its use in clinical practice is unknown.OBJECTIVE:To assess whether medically ill patients with established risk factors receive pharmacologic VTE prophylaxis and determine whether prescribed regimens are consistent with current evidence and published recommendations.METHODS:A retrospective chart review of 100 patients admitted to a hospital medicine service was conducted. Patients who were >40 years of age and admitted for congestive heart failure, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, or respiratory infection were considered appropriate candidates for VTE prophylaxis if they had no documented bleeding risk factors. Patients considered at increased risk of bleeding included those with documented uncontrolled hypertension, thrombocytopenia, coagulopathy, or recent gastrointestinal bleeding. Prescrib...
Characterization of Vertically Aligned Carbon Nanofibers Without Electrochemical Treatment Using Atomic Force Microscopy

One of the major limitations in the development of ultrasensitive electrochemical biosensors based on 1-D nanostructure is the difficulty involved with reliably fabricating nanoelectrode arrays. In the previous work (Arumugam et al., 2009), a simple, robust, and scalable wafer-scale fabrication method to produce multiplexed biosensors was introduced. Each sensor chip consists of nine individually addressable arrays that uses electron-beam patterned vertically aligned carbon nanofibers (VACNFs) as the sensing element. To ensure nanoelectrode behavior with higher sensitivity, VACNFs were precisely grown on 100 nm Ni dots with 1 μm spacing on each micropad. However, in order to examine the quality and measure the height and diameter of the VACNFs, some surface detection and measurement tool at the nanoscale level is needed. In this paper, we introduce an approach to measure these nanoscale features through atomic force microscope. With this method, both the 2-D and 3-D images of sample surface are generated and the sizes of carbon nanofibers and cavities are obtained. Furthermore, statistical analysis is carried out to enable the improvement of VACNFs' growth and fabrication.
Transmitral Doppler: a new transthoracic contrast method for patent foramen ovale detection and quantification

OBJECTIVES This study compared a new transthoracic echocardiographic (TTE) method for detection of right to left bubble passage, transmitral Doppler (TMD), against two-dimensional (2D) TTE contrast study and the gold standard, of transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and assessed its utility in quantitative assessment of patent foramen ovales (PFO). BACKGROUND Current TTE methods are relatively insensitive in PFO detection and do not allow quantitative assessment of right to left shunt. METHODS In 44 patients (59 years, range 34 to 76 years) saline contrast and color Doppler studies were performed in three conditions—TTE TMD, TTE 2D and TEE. Bubble transit on the TMD was measured semiquantitatively by a visual bubble score and objectively by integrating the acoustic power within the mitral velocity envelope. RESULTS By TEE it was determined that 17 patients (39%) had PFOs; 16 had right to left contrast passage, and only 1 had left to right flow by color Doppler. Against TEE contrast study, the sensitivity of TMD and 2D contrast studies were 100% and 75%, respectively, with specificity of 96% and 100%. Greater than 10 bubbles on a single beat of the resting contrast TMD identified patients with a maximum resting TEE PFO opening diameter >2 mm with 78% sensitivity and 100% specificity. There was a strong correlation (r2 = 0.72, p < 0.01) between the TMD acoustic power and PFO opening diameter. CONCLUSIONS Transmitral Doppler is a sensitive and specific method for TTE PFO detection that allows quantification of right to left bubble passage and may obviate the need for TEE in many patients after stroke.
Fetal acidemia and electronic fetal heart rate patterns: Is there evidence of an association?

Objective. Despite the ubiquity of electronic fetal monitoring, the validity of the relationship between various fetal heart rate (FHR) patterns and fetal acidemia has not yet been established in a...
Equivalent circuits of AC machines based on field analysis

Equivalent circuits of three-phase synchronous and induction machines are derived by using a simplified magnetic field analysis approach. This approach clearly establishes the connection between magnetic field analysis and circuit analysis of the machines at an introductory level. Hence, the approach is valuable for teaching these concepts in introductory level electro-mechanical energy conversion courses. >
Multi-Class Deep Boosting

We present new ensemble learning algorithms for multi-class classification. Our algorithms can use as a base classifier set a family of deep decision trees or other rich or complex families and yet benefit from strong generalization guarantees. We give new data-dependent learning bounds for convex ensembles in the multi-class classification setting expressed in terms of the Rademacher complexities of the sub-families composing the base classifier set, and the mixture weight assigned to each sub-family. These bounds are finer than existing ones both thanks to an improved dependency on the number of classes and, more crucially, by virtue of a more favorable complexity term expressed as an average of the Rademacher complexities based on the ensemble's mixture weights. We introduce and discuss several new multi-class ensemble algorithms benefiting from these guarantees, prove positive results for the H-consistency of several of them, and report the results of experiments showing that their performance compares favorably with that of multi-class versions of AdaBoost and Logistic Regression and their L1-regularized counterparts.
Intricate Roles of Mammalian Sirtuins in Defense against Viral Pathogens

For a number of years, sirtuin enzymes have been appreciated as effective "sensors" of the cellular environment to rapidly transmit information to diverse cellular pathways. Much effort was placed into exploring their roles in human cancers and aging. However, a growing body of literature brings these enzymes to the spotlight in the field of virology. Here, we discuss sirtuin functions in the context of viral infection, which provide regulatory points for therapeutic intervention against pathogens.
Equation Balance and Dynamic Political Modeling

The papers in this symposium agree on several points. In this article, we sort through some remaining areas of disagreement and discuss some of the practical issues of time series modeling we think deserve further explanation. In particular, we have five points: (1) clarifying our stance on the general error correction model in light of the comments in this issue; (2) clarifying equation balance and discussing how bounded series affects our thinking about stationarity, balance, and modeling choices; (3) answering lingering questions about our Monte Carlo simulations and exploring potential problems in the inferences drawn from long-run multipliers; (4) reviewing and defending fractional integration methods in light of the questions raised in this symposium and elsewhere; and (5) providing a short practical guide to estimating a multivariate autoregressive fractionally integrated moving average model with or without an error correction term.
Pensar Merecumbé: un horizonte en industrias culturales de Costa Rica

El surgimiento de empresas basadas en recursos culturales invita a pensar las posibilidades de industrias culturales que potencien el capital cultural de un pais como Costa Rica. Se reflexiona a partir del caso de Merecumbe S.A. por haberse constituido en un fenomeno de aprovechamiento de la cultura como recurso, en este caso el baile popular, dentro de una logica empresarial sin abandonar la investigacion y la enseiianza de la cultura popular.
Aquí Está Alvarez Guedes : Cuban choteo and the politics of play

This article examines the stand-up comedy of Cuban exile comedian Guillermo Alvarez Guedes and his use of a culturally specific form of Cuban humor called choteo. Despite being a popular topic of study throughout the intellectual history of Cuba, little scholarship has been dedicated to theorizing the deployment of choteo in exile. Scholarship and mainstream media depictions of the Cuban exile community have traditionally focused on the community's negative affective orientation. This emphasis has led to a lack of scholarship on the important role of the ludic in Cuban exile culture. By offering an analysis of Alvarez Guedes's use of choteo to narrate the evolving political landscape in Miami during the mid-1970s to early 1980s, this article demonstrates how his comedic production helped to consolidate a Cuban exile identity while simultaneously offering trenchant critiques of anti-Cuban sentiment in Miami at the time.
Surface properties characterization of HTPB and PET polyurethane elastomers

The surface properties including acidity/basicity and microstructure of HTPB/TDI,HTPB/IPDI,PET(p)/N-100 and PET(t)/N-100 polyurethane elastomers were investigated by contact angle,ATR-FTIR and SEM.Contact angle results indicate that the surface of the four elastomers exhibit Lewis-basic,and the surface basicity of PET/N-100 elastomer are stronger than HTPB/TDI or IPDI elastomers.ATR-FTIR results show that the curing reaction degree of PET elastomers is more thorough than those of HTPB elastomers.The four elastomers are verified to form —NHCOO— group on the surface,which contributes to exhibit Lewis-basicity.SEM results reveal that the four elastomers have a smooth surface and the cutting surface of HTPB elastomers is also smooth but PET elastomers is irregular,which illustrates that HTPB elastomers possess a perfect flexibility and a better mechanical characteristic.
Optimized Configuration of Service Elements Considering Customer-Perceived Utility

In this study,an configuration method for optimizing service elements considering customer-perceived utility is proposed to solve the service elements configuration in service design.In this method,firstly,the weights of service items are calculated using the HoQ method from the QFD theory.Then,according to the identified service items and service elements,the aspiration level for each service item and the demand satisfaction degree for each service element are obtained by questionnaires among customers.Furthermore,the psychological perception of elation and disappointment of the customer is described based on the disappointment theory and the customer-perceived utility is calculated.Moreover,the optimal service elements configuration alternative is determined by establishing and solving the optimization model.Finally,an example of the airline cabin service design is used to justify the proposed method.
Reduced substrate oxidation in postischemic myocardium: 13C and 31P NMR analyses

13C and 31P nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectra were used to assess substrate oxidation and high-energy phosphates in postischemic (PI) isolated rabbit hearts. Phosphocreatine (PCr) increased in nonischemic controls on switching from glucose perfusion to either 2.5 mM [3-13C]pyruvate (120%, n = 7) or [2-13C]acetate (114%, n = 8, P less than 0.05). ATP content, oxygen consumption (MVO2), and hemodynamics (dP/dt) were not affected by substrate availability in control or PI hearts. dP/dt was 40-60% lower in PI hearts during reperfusion after 10 min ischemia. Hearts reperfused with either pyruvate (n = 11) or acetate (n = 8) regained preischemic PCr levels within 45 s. Steady-state ATP levels were 55-70% of preischemia with pyruvate and 52-60% with acetate. Percent maximum [4-13C]glutamate signal showed reduced conversion of pyruvate to glutamate via the tricarboxylic acid (TCA) cycle at 4-min reperfusion (PI = 24 +/- 4%, means +/- SE; Control = 48 +/- 4%). The increase in 13C signal from the C-4 position of glutamate was similar to control hearts within 10.5 min. The increase in [4-13C]glutamate signal from acetate was not different between PI and control hearts. The ratio of [2-13C]Glu:[4-13C]Glu, reflecting TCA cycle activity, was reduced in PI hearts with acetate for at least 10 min (Control = 0.76 +/- 0.03; PI = 0.51 +/- 0.09) until steady state was reached. Despite rapid recovery of oxidative phosphorylation, contractility remained impaired and substrate oxidation was significantly slowed in postischemic hearts.
Computational Determination of the Energetics of Boron and Aluminum Combustion Reactions

This chapter presents the compilation and discussion of thermodyn amic and kinetic quantities of boron and aluminum combustion reactions. In order to better understand what is occurring in boron and aluminum ignition/combustion, in oxygen and oxygen/fluorine environments, detailed mathematical modeling of these processes is being carried out in conjunction with experimental studies. The chapter addresses these problems computationally and the calculation of energies, enthalpies and free energies of about 120 and molecules that have been implicated in the combustion of boron- and aluminum-containing propellant formations. The enthalpies that are presented in Table 2 , Table 3 ; Table 4 , were computed specifically for 298K and 2000k. The data in Tables 2 − 4 can be used to calculate, with reasonable (or better) accuracy over a wide range of temperatures, properties of numerous reactions implicated in the combustion of boron- and aluminum-containing propellant formation. kinetics is addressed in the chapter and the determination of transition states and activation barriers are presented. The computational analysis is also available and further resources are listed.
Parental involvement in education during middle school: Perspectives of ethnically diverse parents, teachers, and students

Maintaining productive partnerships between families and schools is more complex when youth enter middle school. A systematic and inclusive understanding of the strategies parents use, youth want a...
Capsular nevus versus metastatic malignant melanoma - a diagnostic dilemma.

Abstract Introduction A positive finding of metastatic melanoma in a sentinel lymph node is an ominous sign and a strong predictor of overall survival. In contrast, current data trends have shown that patients with benign nevus cells in the sentinel nodes do not require additional therapy since their prognosis has been shown to be similar to that of patients with negative lymph nodes. Distinguishing between benign capsular nevi and metastatic melanoma often proves to be diagnostically problematic. Case presentation In this case report we present two cases of melanoma in which sentinel lymph node biopsies proved to be difficult in distinguishing metastatic melanocytes from capsular nevus cells. In both cases, further workup was necessary for accurate diagnoses. Discussion A lack of standardized distinctions of benign nevus cell from melanoma pose a diagnostic pitfall. Assigning a diagnosis of malignant melanoma might seem like the safer approach to avoid a false negative, but the resultant treatment, including the possibility of additional surgical complications, may cause anxiety, discomfort, and financial instability for the patient. Current methods of distinguishing the two based solely on histology may be insufficient due to similar pathologic patterns. Conclusion To avoid misdiagnosing a patient and performing unnecessary therapy, it would be beneficial to get a second opinion by additional histopathologists at a high volume center. Additionally, immunohistochemical staining should be carefully employed due to some overlap in commonly used markers. Using tissue morphology in conjunction with immunohistochemical staining may be the best way to make the most accurate diagnosis.
Profound alteration in cutaneous primary afferent activity produced by inflammatory mediators

Inflammatory pain is thought to arise from increased transmission from nociceptors and recruitment of 'silent' afferents. To evaluate inflammation-induced changes, mice expressing GCaMP3 in cutaneous sensory neurons were generated and neuronal responses to mechanical stimulation in vivo before and after subcutaneous infusion of an 'inflammatory soup' (IS) were imaged in an unanesthetized preparation. Infusion of IS rapidly altered mechanical responsiveness in the majority of neurons. Surprisingly, more cells lost, rather than gained, sensitivity and 'silent' afferents that were mechanically insensitive and gained mechanosensitivity after IS exposure were rare. However, the number of formerly 'silent' afferents that became mechanosensitive was increased five fold when the skin was heated briefly prior to infusion of IS. These findings suggest that pain arising from inflamed skin reflects a dramatic shift in the balance of sensory input, where gains and losses in neuronal populations results in novel output that is ultimately interpreted by the CNS as pain.
MEK Inhibition Modulates the Growth of Nf1 mutant Hematopoietic Cells and Induces Clinical Improvement in a Murine Model of Juvenile Myelomonocytic Leukemia (JMML)

Abstract Abstract 797 FN2 Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a dominant genetic disorder that is caused by germ line mutations in the NF1 tumor suppressor gene. Children with NF1 have a 200- to 500-fold increase in the risk of developing malignant myeloid disorders, particularly JMML, an aggressive myeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) characterized by over-production of myeloid lineage cells that show extensive tissue infiltration, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. The only curative therapy for JMML is hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 50% of children relapse after HSCT and die of recurrent JMML or of transformation to acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Somatic inactivation of Nf1 in hematopoietic cells causes a progressive MPN in Mx1-Cre, Nf1flox/flox mice that closely models JMML. We administered the MEK inhibitor PD0325901 (901) to Mx1-Cre, Nf1flox/flox mice with MPN to investigate the therapeutic effects of inhibiting Raf/MEK/ERK signaling in vivo and to interrogate the underlying mechanism of any observed response. Mx1-Cre, Nf1flox/flox mice (n = 35) and WT littermates (n = 38) were randomized to receive 901 (5 mg/kg/day) or control vehicle at 6 months of age. Treatment was continued for 10 weeks or until the mice became moribund. Mx1-Cre, Nf1flox/flox mice that received 901 demonstrated a rapid reduction in leukocyte counts and enhanced erythropoiesis. In addition, spleen size was markedly reduced with correction of aberrant proliferation and differentiation of progenitor cells. Flow cytometric analysis showed that 901 treatment restored a normal pattern of erythroid differentiation and greatly reduced splenic hematopoiesis. Remarkably, genetic studies revealed persistence of Nf1-deficient hematopoietic cells despite dramatic improvement in hematologic abnormalities. Based on these data, we conclude that treatment with 901 rebalances the proliferation and differentiation of Nf1 mutant cells in vivo rather than eliminating them. These preclinical data and a recent study in Kras mutant mice with MPN (Lyubynska N, et al. Science Trans Med 2011; 3: 76ra27) support clinical trials of MEK inhibitors in JMML and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia and suggest differentiation of malignant cell as a potential mechanism of response to this class of targeted agents. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Contribution of smooth muscle to arterial wall mechanics.

The contribution of vascular smooth muscle to the mechanical properties of arteries can be quantitated using elastomeric and classical muscle concepts. Such analyses can be performed using pressure-diameter data obtained from a given specimen under conditions of active and passive muscle. The elastomeric approach represents arterial wall mechanics in terms of incremental elastic moduli and theoretical characteristic impedance, Z0. Activation of muscle produces a reduction in values of incremental modulus at almost all values of transmural pressure. Values of Z0 are increased at low pressure and decreased at high pressure following activation of muscle. In the muscle approach, the mechanics of arteries are quantitated in terms of active stress development and constriction responses as a function of muscle length and pressure, respectively. Active stress-muscle lenght and shortening-load relations obtained from arterial smooth muscle are qualitatively similar to those of other types of muscles. The length and load dependencies of these relations are what one would expect based on a sliding filament arrangement of contractile filaments.
Toward Principles for the Design of Navigation Affordances in Code Editors: An Empirical Investigation

Design principles are a key tool for creators of interactive systems; however, a cohesive set of principles has yet to emerge for the design of code editors. In this paper, we conducted a between-subjects empirical study comparing the navigation behaviors of 32 professional LabVIEW programmers using two different code-editor interfaces: the ubiquitous tabbed editor and the experimental Patchworks editor. Our analysis focused on how the programmers arranged and navigated among open information patches (i.e., code modules and program output). Key findings of our study included that Patchworks users made significantly fewer click actions per navigation, juxtaposed patches side by side significantly more, and exhibited significantly fewer navigation mistakes than tabbed-editor users. Based on these findings and more, we propose five general principles for the design of effective navigation affordances in code editors.
Modeling of the interaction between grip force and vibration transmissibility of a finger

Abstract It is known that the vibration characteristics of the fingers and hand and the level of grip action interacts when operating a power tool. In the current study, we developed a hybrid finger model to simulate the vibrations of the hand–finger system when gripping a vibrating handle covered with soft materials. The hybrid finger model combines the characteristics of conventional finite element (FE) models, multi-body musculoskeletal models, and lumped mass models. The distal, middle, and proximal finger segments were constructed using FE models, the finger segments were connected via three flexible joint linkages (i.e., distal interphalangeal joint (DIP), proximal interphalangeal joint (PIP), and metacarpophalangeal (MCP) joint), and the MCP joint was connected to the ground and handle via lumped parameter elements. The effects of the active muscle forces were accounted for via the joint moments. The bone, nail, and hard connective tissues were assumed to be linearly elastic whereas the soft tissues, which include the skin and subcutaneous tissues, were considered as hyperelastic and viscoelastic. The general trends of the model predictions agree well with the previous experimental measurements in that the resonant frequency increased from proximal to the middle and to the distal finger segments for the same grip force, that the resonant frequency tends to increase with increasing grip force for the same finger segment, especially for the distal segment, and that the magnitude of vibration transmissibility tends to increase with increasing grip force, especially for the proximal segment. The advantage of the proposed model over the traditional vibration models is that it can predict the local vibration behavior of the finger to a tissue level, while taking into account the effects of the active musculoskeletal force, the effects of the contact conditions on vibrations, the global vibration characteristics.
Shellfish of the Gulf of Mexico

Four of the five top species in the Gulf of Mexico by value and poundage of landings are shellfish species. Gulf-wide, there are at least 49 officially recognized shellfish species: 28 are mollusks, 18 are crustaceans, and three are echinoderms. Of these, 16 shellfish species are taken within US waters, 46 from Mexico, and 6 from Cuba. The major focus is on the northern Gulf species of brown, pink, and white shrimp, Eastern oyster, and blue crab. All species are known to vary widely or fluctuate in population levels in accordance with varying environmental conditions from year to year. In addition, shrimp have also been affected by exogenous factors, such as rising fuel costs, market competition from imported shrimp, and fleet damage from hurricanes. Shrimp populations seem to be flourishing, while the shrimp fishery is in decline. The oyster fishery appears to be fairly stable overall, except for hurricane damage in some places and a decadal decline in stock assessment in Louisiana. Oyster reef habitat loss is a major concern. The blue crab fishery is quite variable from state to state with Louisiana showing continued growth and the largest fishery over the past two decades, while Texas shows a decrease. Gulf-wide, there is agreement that healthy bays and estuaries lead to more productive fisheries; thus, habitats need to be conserved or in some cases, restored.
Approach for a Potential Analysis of Energy Flexible Production Systems

Abstract Due to the increasing use of volatile renewable energy sources in Europe and especially in Germany, companies’ production systems have to be energy flexible in order to cope with changes in energy markets. Therefore, an important requirement for companies is to know about the possibilities of their production systems to adapt load. Hence, several key performance indicators for evaluating production systems have to be developed. This work provides an approach for the evaluation of energy flexibility based on the availability of different machine states in terms of different energy levels. Furthermore, several time dimensions of energy flexibility are taken into consideration. The approach is structured into five different steps. The first step describes the identification of measures for adapting the load of a station to the current energy supply. In order to evaluate the potential of a production system, it is necessary to analyze the combination of different measures of different stations – so called bundle of measures. Therefore, the second step provides a strategy for the enhancement of load adaption by bundling at least two measures. Beside this, it is also possible to improve the temporal characteristics of measures resulting from technical and organizational restrictions by using another bundling-strategy, as described in the third step. The fourth step describes a strategy to reduce the effects caused by interactions between the stations that come along with the execution of measures. The last step describes the evaluation of the bundles with different key performance indicators.
Learning Optimal Control Using Neural Networks

Optimal Control is one of the most valuable techniques to determine the desired control action. In this framework, a movement can be evaluated by two parameters: its effectiveness (how well the goal of the movement is achieved) and its cost (how much energy, acceleration etc. is required to perform that movement); the control sequence generated by the system will be the one that minimizes these two parameters that constitute a Global Cost. The most important feature of these algorithms is that there is not an a-priori idea on which Control and which Path the system will choose, but these are the outcome of the process of optimisation itself [1]. Hereafter, an improved version, named Local Dynamic Programming, of the Heuristic Dynamic Programming (HDP) approach proposed by Werbos, is described along with its application to a reaching task.
Shadow Subjects: A Category of Analysis for Empathic Stancetaking

This article analyzes conversational and material data collected during 12 months of fieldwork at a secondary school in southeast Spain. I focus on the cultivation of stance positions—particularly around gender equality—involving “shadow subjects”: imagined discursive figures that both prompt and constrain empathy for others whose rights have been violated. Within this multicultural context, Moroccan immigrant youth get positioned as defenders of outdated patriarchal mores. I argue that the semiotic burdening and elaboration of stance on behalf of shadow subjects makes this possible and points to inherent biases in operationalizing “universal” egalitarian values among ideologically and experientially diverse communities.
Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of a Terminal Magnesium Hydride Compound with a Carbatrane Motif, [TismPriBenz]MgH: A Multifunctional Catalyst for Hydrosilylation and Hydroboration

The tris[(1-isopropylbenzimidazol-2-yl)dimethylsilyl)]methyl ligand, [TismPriBenz], has been employed to form the magnesium carbatrane compound, [TismPriBenz]MgH, which possesses a terminal hydride ligand. Specifically, [TismPriBenz]MgH is obtained via the reaction of [TismPriBenz]MgMe with PhSiH3. The reactivity of [TismPriBenz]MgMe and [TismPriBenz]MgH allows access to a variety of other structurally characterized carbatrane derivatives, including [TismPriBenz]MgX [X = F, Cl, Br, I, SH, N(H)Ph, CH(Me)Ph, O2CMe, S2CMe]. In addition, [TismPriBenz]MgH is a catalyst for (i) hydrosilylation and hydroboration of styrene to afford the Markovnikov products, Ph(Me)C(H)SiH2Ph and Ph(Me)C(H)Bpin, and (ii) hydroboration of carbodiimides and pyridine to form N-boryl formamidines and N-boryl 1,4- and 1,2-dihydropyridines, respectively.