cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cooling of telecom systems-thermal optimization using CFD methods

Telecom systems incorporate electronic equipment which may use several kilowatts of electric power. Even if it were possible to maximise the efficiency of the power supplies to 100%, the challenge for the thermal management keeps on getting stronger, because almost all of the electric power is converted into beat which has to be removed from the components, the modules and from the enclosure. In order to provide best reliability and availability, it is vital to have thermally optimized building blocks such as power supply modules and of course to have the full rack cooling control through optimised flow. With the increasing power density the optimized thermal management becomes a task for numerical methods and simulation applications. This paper shows the embedded use of computational fluid dynamics for the thermal optimisation process of a telecom power supply module, extending the solution domain to the full 19" rack enclosure. Especially in rack-systems, the cooling requirements for the modules are influenced by thermal interaction between them. To be able to control the temperature and flow distribution inside racks, a good knowledge of the dominating physical effects is necessary for all levels of detail.
Risk of head and neck cancer and the alcohol dehydrogenase 3 genotype

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN), including the oral cavity, pharynx and larynx, is an excellent tumor model to evaluate gene-environment interactions, including alcohol and alcohol-metabolizing enzymes such as alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH). We conducted a hospital-based case-control study including 182 cases with newly diagnosed SCCHN and 202 controls with non-neoplastic conditions of the head and neck that required surgery. The joint effects of lifetime alcohol use and the presence of the ADH3 'rapid' allele (ADH3(*)1) was evaluated in relation to the risk of SCCHN. Logistic regression was used to estimate the interaction between alcohol use and ADH3 genotype with adjustment for tobacco use, age, sex and race. The interaction was evaluated on both the multiplicative and additive scales. The risk of SCCHN was increased nearly 6-fold with consumption of 40 or more alcoholic beverages per week [odds ratio (OR) = 5.9; 95% confidence interval (CI) = 2.0-17.7; adjusted for age, sex, race and years of tobacco use]. We did not find any increase in risk for ADH3*1 homozygotes (OR = 0.9; CI = 0.4-1.9) or heterozygotes (OR = 0.8; CI = 0.4-1.7) relative to ADH3(*)2 homozygotes. There was no suggestion of an interaction between any alcohol use variable and the ADH3(*)1 genotype. For example, the interaction term, including the continuous variable average number of drinks per week and the ADH3 genotypes, was non-significant (P = 0.22). The study does not indicate an important role for the ADH3 (*)1 polymorphism in SCCHN, but larger numbers are needed to more precisely estimate the interaction, if any, with ADH3.
Non-Cell-Autonomous Photoreceptor Degeneration in rds Mutant Mice Mosaic for Expression of a Rescue Transgene

The inherited retinal dystrophies represent a large and heterogenous group of hereditary neurodegenerations, for many of which, the molecular defect has been defined. However, the mechanism of cell death has not been determined for any form of retinal degeneration. The retinal degeneration slow (rds-/-) mutation of mice is associated with nondevelopment of photoreceptor outer segments and gradual death of photoreceptor cell bodies, attributed to the absence of the outer segment protein rds/peripherin. Here, we examined the effects of a transgene encoding normal rds/peripherin that had integrated into the X-chromosome in male and female rds-/- mutant retinas. In 2-month-old transgenic males and homozygous-transgenic females on rds-/-, we observed virtually complete rescue of both the outer segment nondevelopment and photoreceptor degeneration. In contrast, hemizygous-transgenic rds-/- female littermates showed patchy distributions of the transgene mRNA, by in situ hybridization analysis, and of photoreceptor cells that contain outer segments. This pattern is consistent with random inactivation of the X-chromosome and mosaic expression of the transgene. Surprisingly, we observed significant photoreceptor cell loss in both transgene-expressing and nonexpressing patches in hemizygous female retinas. These observations were supported by nuclease protection analysis, which showed notably lower than predicted levels of transgene mRNA in retinas from hemizygous females compared with male and homozygous female littermates. This phenotype suggests an important component of non-cell-autonomous photoreceptor death in rds-/- mutant mice. These results have significance to both the etiology and potential treatment of human inherited retinal degenerations.
Pilot-Assisted and Blind Joint Data Detection and Channel Estimation in Partial-Time Jamming

We consider a communication scenario in which a message is received in the presence of partial-time Gaussian jamming and additive white Gaussian noise. We consider a quasi-static channel, in which the amplitude and phase are constant over each packet transmission. The receiver does not know the amplitude and phase of the incoming signal, which symbols are jammed, or even the statistics of the jammer, such as the jamming power and jamming probability. In this scenario, the receiver must accurately estimate the parameters of the channel and the jamming to achieve good performance. We apply the expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to iteratively approximate the maximum-likelihood (ML) estimator for all of the parameters. We find that the overall performance of the EM algorithm is very sensitive to the initial estimates, so we propose a new initial estimator that offers good performance. The EM algorithm approach requires pilot symbols to resolve a phase ambiguity. Thus, we also present a blind estimation algorithm to avoid the reduction in overall code rate from the use of pilot symbols
Reliable communication in the presence of failures

The design and correctness of a communication facility for a distributed computer system are reported on. The facility provides support for fault-tolerant process groups in the form of a family of reliable multicast protocols that can be used in both local- and wide-area networks. These protocols attain high levels of concurrency, while respecting application-specific delivery ordering constraints, and have varying cost and performance that depend on the degree of ordering desired. In particular, a protocol that enforces causal delivery orderings is introduced and shown to be a valuable alternative to conventional asynchronous communication protocols. The facility also ensures that the processes belonging to a fault-tolerant process group will observe consistent orderings of events affecting the group as a whole, including process failures, recoveries, migration, and dynamic changes to group properties like member rankings. A review of several uses for the protocols in the ISIS system, which supports fault-tolerant resilient objects and bulletin boards, illustrates the significant simplification of higher level algorithms made possible by our approach.
A phase III randomized trial of postoperative pelvic irradiation in Stage IB cervical carcinoma with poor prognostic features: follow-up of a gynecologic oncology group study.

Purpose: To investigate, in a phase III randomized trial, whether postoperative external-beam irradiation to the standard pelvic field improves the recurrence-free interval and overall survival (OS) in women with Stage IB cervical cancers with negative lymph nodes and certain poor prognostic features treated by radical hysterectomy and pelvic lymphadenectomy. Methods and Materials: Eligible patients had Stage IB cervical cancer with negative lymph nodes but with 2 or more of the following features: more than one third (deep) stromal invasion, capillary lymphatic space involvement, and tumor diameter of 4 cm or more. The study group included 277 patients: 137 randomized to pelvic irradiation (RT) and 140 randomized to observation (OBS). The planned pelvic dose was from 46 Gy in 23 fractions to 50.4 Gy in 28 fractions. Results: Of the 67 recurrences, 24 were in the RT arm and 43 were in the OBS arm. The RT arm showed a statistically significant (46%) reduction in risk of recurrence (hazard ratio [HR] = 0.54, 90% confidence interval [CI] = 0.35 to 0.81, p = 0.007) and a statistically significant reduction in risk of progression or death (HR = 0.58, 90% CI=0.40 to 0.85, p = 0.009). With RT, 8.8% of patients (3 of 34) with adenosquamous or adenocarcinoma tumors recurred vs. 44.0% (11 of 25) in OBS. Fewer recurrences were seen with RT in patients with adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous histologies relative to others (HR for RT by histology interaction=0.23, 90% CI=0.07 to 0.74, p = 0.019). After an extensive follow-up period, 67 deaths have occurred: 27 RT patients and 40 OBS patients. The improvement in overall survival (HR = 0.70, 90% CI=0.45 to 1.05, p = 0.074) with RT did not reach statistical significance. Conclusions: Pelvic radiotherapy after radical surgery significantly reduces the risk of recurrence and prolongs progression-free survival in women with Stage IB cervical cancer. RT appears to be particularly beneficial for patients with adenocarcinoma or adenosquamous histologies. Circumstances that may have influenced the overall survival differences are considered.
Organizing Collective Security: The UN Charter's Chapter VIII in Practice

What leverage does international organization offer on problems of interdependence? At what system level can actors cooperate to what effect? And is their cooperation more the product of the “objective facts” of interdependence or of “subjective” political considerations? Insights into these problems are obtained by examining the operational network of relationships that developed between the UN and selected regional organizations in the field of collective security. The organizations' operational jurisdictions and capabilities are examined in light of 146 cases of interstate security conflicts that were submitted to them. The operational network that developed is found to be in accordance with the prescriptions of Chapter VIII of the UN Charter, suggesting that short-term bargaining considerations are the primary determinants of the effectiveness of international organization. But although such considerations have made these organizations quite useful, they have also produced a movement away from organizational conflict management during the past decade.
Geopolítica metropolitana y gobernabilidad del conflicto en la metrópoli de México: seis hipótesis para discutirla

Tha aim of this paper is to propose six hypotheses for an interdisciplinary discussion regarding the metropolis de Mexico. Particularly on its linkages with the socioinstitucional conflic as well as with the political regulation and the enduring urban services crisis.
Clinical Implications of Mitochondrial Dysfunction

Mitochondria produce metabolic energy, serve as biosensors for oxidative stress, and eventually become effector organelles for cell death through apoptosis. The extent to which these manifold mitochondrial functions are altered by previously unrecognized actions of anesthetic agents seems to explain and link a wide variety of perioperative phenomena that are currently of interest to anesthesiologists from both a clinical and a scientific perspective. In addition, many surgical patients may be at increased perioperative risk because of inherited or acquired mitochondrial dysfunction leading to increased oxidative stress. This review summarizes the essential aspects of the bioenergetic process, presents current knowledge regarding the effects of anesthetics on mitochondrial function and the extent to which mitochondrial state determines anesthetic requirement and potential anesthetic toxicity, and considers some of the many implications that our knowledge of mitochondrial dysfunction poses for anesthetic management and perioperative medicine.
The Anti-Puritan Work Ethic

For years those who have looked for the contribution of religion to the “spirit of capitalism” have concentrated on the English Puritans and their Calvinist counterparts elsewhere. Those scholars have relied on literary evidence to make their points, and to establish the relationship between Calvinist doctrines or assumptions and an ascetic and compulsive devotion to work. It came as a surprise, therefore, when a rigorously quantitative content analysis of the most popular religious books of Restoration England showed just the opposite—that the most self-consciously “Anglican” authors were those who placed the most emphasis upon work and worldly enterprise as a religious duty. They were also able to integrate this duty with the rest of their theology in a more straightforward, logical manner than the Puritans, for whom the connection is thought to have been psychological, mediated by religious anxiety. Work was, for the most popular Anglican authors, part of a moralistic religion of works. We can even say that such an emphasis was adopted at just the time when Anglicans were facing up to a change in the status of their church and adopting attitudes more characteristic of members of a movement or denomination, which helps to explain why work and effort were coming to seem more important to them.There have been numerous lines of criticism of Max Weber's thesis connecting the doctrine of evangelical conversion and the spirit of economic enterprise. But since the following approach and alternative suggestions do not build on them, we must go back again to Weber's own classic formulation.
Characterization and Use of Mammalian-Expressed Vaccinia Virus Extracellular Membrane Proteins for Quantification of the Humoral Immune Response to Smallpox Vaccines

The licensed smallpox vaccine Dryvax is used as the standard in comparative immunogenicity and protection studies of new smallpox vaccine candidates. Although the correlates of protection against smallpox are unknown, recent studies have shown that a humoral response against the intracellular mature virion and extracellular enveloped virion (EV) forms of vaccinia virus is crucial for protection. Using a recombinant Semliki Forest virus (rSFV) vector system, we expressed a set of full-length EV proteins for the development of EV antigen-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) and the production of monospecific antisera. The EV-specific ELISAs were used to evaluate the EV humoral response elicited by Dryvax and the nonreplicating modified vaccinia virus Ankara (MVA) in mouse vaccination experiments comparing doses and routes of vaccination. Quantitatively similar titers of antibodies against EV antigens A33R, A56R, and B5R were measured in mice vaccinated with Dryvax and MVA when MVA was administered at a dose of 108 plaque-forming units. Further, a substantial increase in the EV-specific antibody response was induced in mice inoculated with MVA by using a prime-boost schedule. Finally, we investigated the abilities of the EV-expressing rSFV vectors to elicit the production of polyclonal monospecific antisera against the corresponding EV proteins in mice. The monospecific serum antibody levels against A33R, A56R, and B5R were measurably higher than the antibody levels induced by Dryvax. The resulting polyclonal antisera were used in Western blot analysis and immunofluorescence assays, indicating that rSFV particles are useful vectors for generating monospecific antisera.
Do weather fluctuations cause people to seek information about climate change

Learning about the causes and consequences of climate change can be an important avenue for supporting mitigation policy and efficient adaptation. This paper uses internet search activity data, a distinctly revealed preference approach, to examine if local weather fluctuations cause people to seek information about climate change. The results suggest that weather fluctuations do have an effect on climate change related search behavior, however not always in ways that are consistent with the projected impacts of climate change. While search activity increases with extreme heat in summer and extended periods of no rainfall and declines in extreme cold in winter, search activity also increases with colder winter and spring average temperatures. Some of the surprising results are magnified when heterogeneity by political ideology and educational attainment in responsiveness is modeled, which could suggest that different people have different perceptions about what types of weather define climate change or that climate science deniers seek information through Google. However, the results also indicate that for all groups in the political and educational spectrum, there exist weather events consistent with the predicted impacts of climate change that elicit increased information seeking.
Viral clearance using monoliths

Clearance of biological impurities is an essential part of the manufacture of biotechnology-derived products such as monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). Salt is required during manufacture to solubilize the mAb product and stabilize it against aggregation, but salt can be a problem later during impurity clearance operations. In this work, the use of a traditional quaternary amine (Q) monolith, and a new salt-tolerant monolith were evaluated for the clearance of pathogenic impurities including viruses, DNA, and host-cell protein (HCP). The impact of flow rate, salt concentration, and presence of mixtures of impurities in the feed stream were evaluated. Both monoliths cleared DNA to the limit of detection at all salt concentrations, and both cleared virus and HCP equally well at no salt. At intermediate salt, clearance of HCP was greater for the salt-tolerant monolith, and only the salt-tolerant monolith cleared virus at elevated salt. In conclusion, monoliths successfully trapped impurities such as DNA, host-cell protein, and viruses, and at flow rates far greater than traditional chromatography columns packed with beads.
Predistribution and local collaboration-based group rekeying for wireless sensor networks

When a sensor network is deployed in a hostile environment, an adversary may launch such attacks as eavesdropping the communications and compromising sensor nodes. Using the compromised nodes, he may inject false sensing reports or modify the reports sent by other nodes. To defend against these attacks, researchers have proposed symmetric group key-based schemes. In these schemes, however, if a large number of nodes are compromised, many (sub)group keys will be revealed. This greatly endangers the filtering schemes, making them very ineffective or even useless. To address this problem, we propose a family of predistribution and local collaboration-based group rekeying (PCGR) schemes, which update the compromised group keys to prevent the compromised nodes from understanding the communications between noncompromised nodes or injecting false data. These schemes are designed based on a simple while controversial idea - preload future group keys into sensor nodes before their deployment. To protect the preloaded keys from being disclosed by compromised nodes, we propose a novel technique that requires neighboring nodes to collaborate to derive the future group keys. To the best of our knowledge, our schemes are the first set of distributed group rekeying schemes for sensor networks without involving online key servers. Extensive analysis and simulations are conducted to evaluate the proposed schemes, and the results show that the proposed schemes can achieve a good level of security, outperform several previous group rekeying schemes, and significantly improve the effectiveness of false data filtering.
A General Model of Selectivity for Fish Feeding: A Rank Proportion Algorithm

Abstract Given that various prey are available to fish in a particular ecosystem, by default fish feed selectively. Studies of fish feeding ecology have provided key insights into the dynamics of aquatic ecosystems, yet prey selectivity is the least addressed component of these studies. This may be due to the higher level of effort associated with examining both the stomach contents and ambient prey abundance, the assumption that a determined diet composition is static, or the lack of a predictive protocol for a priori estimates of prey selectivity and diet composition. Here I present a rank proportion algorithm (RPA) model that predicts prey preference from first principles of predation that, when coupled with ambient prey concentrations, can predict prey utilization (i.e., diet composition). I applied the model to benthivore, planktivore, and piscivore examples from lentic, lotic, estuarine, and marine ecosystems. Compared with observed stomach contents, the RPA model's predictions of diet composition e...
Two Sides of the Same Coin? Consistency in Aggression to Conspecifics and Predators in a Female Songbird

Different forms of aggression have traditionally been treated separately according to function or context (e.g., aggression towards a conspecific vs. a predator). However, recent work on individual consistency in behavior predicts that different forms of aggression may be correlated across contexts, suggesting a lack of independence. For nesting birds, aggression towards both conspecifics and nest predators can affect reproductive success, yet the relationship between these behaviors, especially in females, is not known. Here, we examine free-living female darkeyed juncos (Junco hyemalis) and compare their aggressive responses towards three types of simulated intruders near the nest: a same-sex conspecific, an opposite-sex conspecific, and a nest predator. We also examine differences in the strength of response that might relate to the immediacy of the perceived threat the intruder poses for the female or her offspring. We found greater aggression directed towards a predator than a same-sex intruder and towards a same-sex than an opposite-sex intruder, consistent with a predator being a more immediate threat than a same-sex intruder, followed by an opposite-sex intruder. We also found positive relationships across individuals between responses to a same-sex intruder and a simulated predator, and between responses to a same-sex and an opposite-sex intruder, indicating that individual females are consistent in their relative level of aggression across contexts. If correlated behaviors are mediated by related mechanisms, then different forms of aggression may be expressions of the same behavioral tendency and constrained from evolving independently.
Correlation length finite size scaling investigations

Abstract We consider the cylindrical geometry and perform MC simulations for the 3d Ising model, the 3d 3-state Potts model, 4d SU(2) and SU(3) pure gauge theory. The correlation length, defined as ξ = In ( λ 0 λ 1 ) where λ 0 and λ 1 are the two largest eigenvalues of the transfer matrix, is calculated with high precision. Nightingale's finite size scaling analysis is carried out for each model. In case of second order phase transitions (Ising and SU(2)), we find the critical exponent ν determined with convincing convergence. In contrast, when the transition is (supposed to be) first order (Potts and SU(3)), the convergence is bad and results for ν remain inconclusive.
The occurrence of a prodrome of generalized anxiety in panic disorder

Abstract Twenty-eight percent of 32 panic disorderd patients had a prodrome of generalized anxiety symptoms lasting a median of 5 years before the occurrence of their first panic attack. Patients with a generalized anxiety prodrome were similar to the nonprodrome patients for 55 tested clinical variables, including individual anxiety symptoms, response to treatment, severity of illness, and most aspects of family history. It appears that a prodrome of generalized anxiety symptoms is a variation of the presentation of panic disorder. Initially, these patients may be misdiagnosed as having generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) and contribute to the heterogeneity of GAD.
Use of a Single-Layer Density Centrifugation Method Enhances Sperm Quality in Cryopreserved–Thawed Equine Spermatozoa

The objective of this study was to improve the quality of cryopreserved–thawed equine sperm using single-layer density centrifugation (SLC). Sperm quality was assessed by DNA integrity, motility, morphology, mitochondrial membrane potential, viability, and plasma membrane alteration. The percentage of DNA-damaged sperm (expressed in % COMP) was lower (P = .001) after SLC (1.6 ± 0.5% vs. 6.8 ± 0.5%). Total sperm motility (80 ± 2.4% vs. 41.7 ± 2.4%) and progressive sperm motility (69.5 ± 2.9% vs. 31.5 ± 2.9%) (P < .001), as well as the percentage of morphologically normal sperm (45 ± 3.9% vs. 27.7 ± 3.9%), increased after SLC compared with control sample. In addition, the proportion of sperm with high mitochondrial membrane potential increased (81.6 ± 1.8% vs. 42.1 ± 1.8%), as did the viability of sperm (71.1 ± 2.4% vs. 39.5 ± 2.4%), after SLC compared with the control sperm. The proportion of sperm with alteration in plasma membrane structure was lower after SLC compared with control sample (6.4 ± 1.1% vs. 18.9 ± 1.1%). Overall, sperm recovery was 72.7 ± 3.6% in the control sample compared with 14.8 ± 3.6% after SLC (P < .001). We conclude that based on the sperm parameters evaluated, SLC improves the quality of cryopreserved–thawed equine spermatozoa.
The Value of Control: Implications for Control Premia, Minority Discounts and Voting Share Differentials

It is not uncommon in private company and acquisition valuations to see large premiums attached to estimated value to reflect the 'value of control'. But what, if any, is the value of control in a firm, and if it exists, how do we go about estimating it? In this paper, we examine the ingredients of the control premium. In particular, we argue that the value of controlling a firm has to lie in being able to run it differently (and better). Consequently, the value of control will be greater for poorly managed firms than well run ones. The value of control has wide ranging implications beyond acquisitions. We show that the expected likelihood of control changing is built into the price of every publicly traded company and that this provides a way of measuring the payoff to strong corporate governance. We also argue that getting a better handle on the value of control can allow us to better explain the differences between voting and non-voting share prices and the minority discount in private company valuations.
A Measurement Study on Media Streaming over Wi-Fi in Named Data Networking

Named Data Networking (NDN), aka Content Centric Networking (CCN), excels in content distribution especially multimedia distribution, which can consume significant network bandwidth. With the market penetration of mobile devices and advancement of wireless technologies, media streaming over Wi-Fi becomes increasingly popular but it does not scale well in today's IP based networking. A natural question therefore is how to leverage NDN to improve and optimize media streaming over Wi-Fi. As a first step towards this problem, we set up a 5-node Wi-Fi media streaming test bed based on Wi-Fi Direct technology and use it to collect the bandwidth and CPU usage data when streaming media in NDN as well as in IP networking. We test 4 streaming scenarios in which a live video is streamed from one publisher to multiple consumers over Wi-Fi Direct and present our measurement results in this paper. Our experimental results indicate that the bandwidth consumption between a content publisher and its forwarder (i.e., Access point) over Wi-Fi can be effectively and dramatically reduced by NDN, offering much better scalability than IP. However, CPU usage can become much higher in NDN than in IP, which deserves further investigation and optimization.
Characterizing Dietary Choices, Nutrition, and Language in Food Deserts via Social Media

Social media has emerged as a promising source of data for public health. This paper examines how these platforms can provide empirical quantitative evidence for understanding dietary choices and nutritional challenges in “food deserts” -- Census tracts characterized by poor access to healthy and affordable food. We present a study of 3 million food related posts shared on Instagram, and observe that content from food deserts indicate consumption of food high in fat, cholesterol and sugar; a rate higher by 5-17% compared to non-food desert areas. Further, a topic model analysis reveals the ingestion language of food deserts to bear distinct attributes. Finally, we investigate to what extent Instagram ingestion language is able to infer whether a tract is a food desert. We find that a predictive model that uses ingestion topics, socio-economic and food deprivation status attributes yields high accuracy (>80%) and improves over baseline methods by 6-14%. We discuss the role of social media in helping address inequalities in food access and health.
Unpacking Americans’ Views of the Employment of Mothers and Fathers Using National Vignette Survey Data: SWS Presidential Address

Drawing on findings from an original national survey experiment, we unpack Americans’ views on the employment of mothers and fathers with young children. This study provides a fuller account of contemporary attitudes than is available from surveys such as the General Social Survey. After seeing vignettes that vary the circumstances in which married mothers, single mothers, and married fathers make decisions about paid work and caregiving, the respondents’ views swing from strong support to deep skepticism about a parent’s work participation, depending on the parent’s specific job conditions and family circumstances. When a mother, whether married or single, is satisfied with her job and her family depends on her income, respondents overwhelmingly support the option to work. Conversely, when a father is dissatisfied with his job and the family does not depend on his income, respondents generally support the option to stay home. These findings provide insight regarding the “gender stall” thesis by showing t...
Cytogenetic analysis as a diagnostic aid in leukemia.

Results of cytogenetic studies of 100 cases of suspected or proven leukemia show that significant spontaneous division in 24 hr. peripheral blood cultures is indicative of an abnormal state. If viremia can be ruled out clinically, and the spontaneous division is persistent, a leukemic process is suggested even before the development of overt leukemia. Application of the described criteria has been accurate in distinguishing betweeen leukemic and nonleukemic states, even in “preleukemic” and aleukemic conditions. The technic may also predict those cases of myeloproliferative disorders in which malignant transformation will occur. The results show that the presence of structural chromosomal abnormalities in the marrow (except for the Philadelphia chromosome) may not be diagnostic of leukemia unless the mitotic criteria are met. Our preliminary studies show that the combination of mitotic determination and karyotypic analysis will give an accuracy of 97% in the diagnosis of leukemia, while mitotic studies alone are 85% accurate. Therefore, it would appear that peripheral blood cultures should be used in addition to marrow in cytogenetic studies for diagnosis of leukemia, employing the criteria developed in this laboratory.
Mechanical Properties of End-Linked PEG/PDMS Hydrogels

Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG)/polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) hydrogels were synthesized by cross-linking norbornene end-functionalized polymers with a tetrafunctional thiol using thiol–norbornene chemistry. The swelling capacity and mechanical properties, including the Young’s modulus (E) and fracture toughness (Gc), of the hydrogels were characterized and quantified as a function of the volume fractions of PEG and PDMS. E and Gc increased simultaneously with the volume fraction of PDMS. The moduli of the hydrogels were quantitatively described and predicted as a function of the volume fraction ratio of PEG to PDMS using the Voigt and Reuss models. The fracture toughness was well described by the Lake–Thomas theory at low volume fractions of PDMS. As the volume fraction of PDMS increased, PDMS not only controlled the swelling capacity of the hydrogels but also contributed to hydrogel toughness.
Immunology of the Varicella-Zoster Virus Glycoproteins

The immune responses to viral infection, in general, and to varicella-zoster virus (VZV), in particular, had not been widely studied until the advent of hybridoma technology. In this issue of the Journal, Dubey et al. [1] present new information about the humoral immune response following VZV infection and VZV immunization. The goal of this Perspective is to briefly review older data and then concentrate on recent articles that characterize the immune response to VZV infection. The viral glycoproteins and their role in the immune response to VZV infection will be emphasized for two reasons: (1) they have been the focus of several studies, and (2) they harbor immunodominant epitopes with important biologic activity, e.g., neutralization. Appropriately, many of the relevant articles have been published in the Journal. The humoral or B cell responses to viral infection include the induction of immunoglobulins IgM and IgG to specific antigens. From stereochemical studies of antibody binding, it is now apparent that many of the factors involved in the interaction of antibody with the antigenic determinant (or epitope) are dependent on high-level protein structure. Two types of determinants are thought to exist: continuous and discontinuous [2]. Continuous determinants, also called linear epitopes, consist of short sequential stretches of amino acids. On the other hand, discontinuous determinants are composed of amino acid residues from noncontiguous parts of the molecule that are brought together by folding of the protein in its native structure [2, 3]. The microenvironment of the determinant can influence the degree of antigenicity. Epitopes that are most antigenic are characterized by three-dimensional superassemblies with
Abstract 3730: Cisplatin treatment enhancement with acetaminophen in a model of human medulloblastoma in nude rats

Proceedings: AACR 103rd Annual Meeting 2012‐‐ Mar 31‐Apr 4, 2012; Chicago, IL Purpose: To determine the efficacy of cisplatin treatment when enhanced by high dose acetaminophen (APAP) and followed by N-acetylcysteine (NAC) rescue in a nude rat model of medulloblastoma. Methods: Human medulloblastoma (DAOY) cells were inoculated into the cerebellum of female athymic nude rats (rnu/rnu). On day 10, rats were randomized to treatment groups (n = 6 per group): (1) saline controls; (2) IP cisplatin 2 mg/kg; (3) PO APAP 600 mg/kg + IP cisplatin; and (4) APAP + cisplatin + NAC 1 g/kg. All treatments were given twice a week for two weeks. Cisplatin treatment was given one hour after APAP, and NAC was given 4 hours following cisplatin. T2 and contrast-enhanced T1 magnetic resonance (MR) imaging sequences were performed prior to treatment and just prior to sacrifice at 14 days following initial treatment. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was collected for polymerase chain reaction (PCR) assay of human DNA. In vitro cell sensitivity to a dose escalation of APAP and cisplatin was assessed in medulloblastoma cell lines DAOY and D238-MED. Results: In vitro viability assays showed that combination APAP plus cisplatin induced synergistic toxicity in human medulloblastoma cells. In saline control rats, the tumor xenograft localized within the cerebellum with spread to the meningeal surfaces and brainstem, and had a volume of 27.1 ±6.7mm3 (mean±SEM). All cisplatin therapy treatment groups showed a significant reduction in final tumor volume when compared to the control group (P < 0.0004). A trend for the cisplatin single therapy group to be less efficacious when compared to the combined cisplatin treatment groups was observed however, the difference was not significant. No reduction in efficacy was seen in the NAC rescue group, with a tumor volume of 4.42±1.36 mm3, compared to 3.30±0.99 mm3 in the APAP plus cisplatin group. Tumor response was not measurable by MR, however the presence of human DNA in the CSF, was correlated with tumor size. Conclusions: This treatment model for medulloblastoma may provide a mechanism to improve chemotherapy efficacy without increasing chemotherapy dose. In vivo and in vitro data correlate to show that the pretreatment with APAP sensitizes cells to cisplatin allowing efficacy at a lower doses, meanwhile delayed treatment with NAC staves off the systemic toxicity normally associated with cisplatin treatments. APAP enhancement with NAC rescue may provide a less toxic option to patients who might otherwise experience systemic toxicity from high doses of cisplatin. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 103rd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2012 Mar 31-Apr 4; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2012;72(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3730. doi:1538-7445.AM2012-3730
Chapter 1 – General Anesthetics

This chapter discusses those drugs that are used in general anesthesia, which is the state of controlled, reversible unconsciousness and loss of protective reflexes, controlled level of nervous system suppression to allow adequate surgical access, obstetric, and diagnostic procedures to be completed painlessly. General anesthetic pharmacology is unique because so many types of molecules possess this activity, including, haloalkanes, ethers, barbiturates, quaternary ammonium salts, steroids, simple gases, and other organic compounds. General anesthetics produce a widespread neurodepression in the central nervous system by enhancing inhibitory neurotransmission and reducing excitatory neurotransmission.
Pathogenesis and Treatment of Hemifacial Spasm

Hemifacial spasm can be cured by microvascular decompression (MVD) operations of the root exit zone of the facial nerve. This fact was the basis for the (“ephaptic”) hypothesis stating that the anatomical location of the pathology that generates the signs of HFS, spasm in the mimic muscle on one side of the face and synkinesis, was the root exit zone of the facial nerve. However, later intracranial recording from the facial nerve provided strong experimental support of a different hypothesis about the pathology of HFS, namely, that the anatomical location of the pathology is the facial motonucleus.
Dynamic execution of temporally and spatially flexible reactive programs

Dynamic execution is a flexible plan execution technique in which a plan executive schedules and executes tasks dynamically at runtime in response to disturbances in order to satisfy plan constraints. In this paper, we extend dynamic execution to temporally and spatially flexible plans which, 1) execute tasks conditionally based on runtime state, and 2) support error recovery for anticipated runtime constraint violations. To accomplish these goals, we broaden our focus from dynamic execution of flexible plans to dynamic execution of flexible reactive programs. First, we introduce the Reactive Model-based Programming Language (RMPL) which, in addition to modeling temporal and spatial flexibility, includes three reactive programming language constructs: conditional execution, iteration, and exception handling. Then, we develop a probabilistic particle-sampling based dynamic execution algorithm which reasons efficiently over future program states to schedule tasks dynamically at runtime in order to satisfy program constraints. In addition, the algorithm monitors its own progress and notifies the executive if at any time the likelihood of successful program execution drops below a specified probability bound, δ.
Vestibular and postural findings in the motion sickness syndrome

The motion sickness syndrome constitutes varying degrees of subjective motion intolerance and three objective findings: hyperactive VOR (79%), hip sway strategy (60%), and positional nystagmus (42%). It is present in subjects who have a strong history of motion sickness. Vestibular rehabilitation appears to help control symptoms. The study also suggests an inheritance pattern, but a structured pedigree could not be constructed. Prospective studies are warranted to further establish the patterns of the motion sickness syndrome.
Feedback regulation of Na channels in rat CCT. IV. Mediation by activation of protein kinase C

The hypothesis that feedback inhibition of the apical Na+ channels in the cortical collecting tubule (CCT) is mediated by activation of a Ca(2+)-dependent protein kinase was tested using the patch-clamp technique. Na+ channel activity was monitored in cell-attached patches in principal cells of split-open rat tubules. Mean number of open channels (NPo) and single-channel current (i) were measured at 37 degrees C during continuous tubule superfusion. Phorbol 12-myristate 13-acetate (PMA; 50 nM), an activator of protein kinase C (PKC), decreased NPo to 33% of the control value. Staurosporine (200 nM), an inhibitor of PKC and of Ca(2+)-calmodulin kinase II, practically abolished the effect of PMA. Ouabain (1 mM), reduced NPo to 29% of control values and decreased i. Ouabain did not downregulate the channels in tubules exposed to staurosporine, although it still reduced i. Incubation of the tubules with 10 microM KN-62, a specific cell membrane-permeable inhibitor of Ca(2+)-calmodulin kinase II, did not interfere with the ouabain-dependent downregulation of the channels. The results support the view that the downregulation caused by ouabain involves the Ca(2+)-dependent phosphorylation of the channel itself or of proteins regulating the channel.
Missionaries, Miners, and Indians: Spanish Contact with the Yaqui Nation of Northwestern New Spain, 1533-1820

Missionaries, Miners, and Indians documents the history of the Jesuit missions during a period of encroaching secularization, including the advance of mining interests, and analyzes in detail the Yaqui Indian rebellion of 1740. Through their own perseverance, the Yaqui were able to bring their culture intact into the nineteenth century.
Toxic Chemical Pollution of the St. Lawrence River (Canada) and its Upper Estuary

Decline of the Beluga whale population in the upper estuary of the St. Lawrence River may be related to the high content of toxic metals and organic chemicals in their tissues. For three years, the National Water Research Institute has conducted research cruises of the St. Lawrence River to identify the major toxic chemical pollutants in the river and to determine their transport to, and fate in, the upper estuary. The impact of toxic chemicals in the estuarine zone is tied not only to their fate in the increasing salinity and turbidity zone of the upper estuary but to their source, transport mechanisms, and fate in the upstream river.
Role of Youth Organizations in the Rehabilitation of School Drop Outs

Children and youth are the future assets of any society and they should be nurtured, groomed and protected as they grow. They need to be facilitated to master the developmental tasks and competencies required to take on adult role in the society later. The responsibility to facilitate such growth mainly falls on the government. However, the issue is so huge and enormous that it calls for a supportive and proactive role from other major stakeholders such as educational institutions, Non Governmental Organizations (NGOs), parents, teachers, educationists, social workers and youth workers. Education is by far the most significant means of the avenues available for children and youth to grow and safely navigate childhood and adolescence in to the adult world. Education not only provides children and youth with job related competencies but also plays a major role in their character formation and social skills. When children drop out of education in their early formative years, it becomes a personal loss as well as a national calamity. They become a burden to themselves and society in their later years. This paper attempts to look at the issue of school drop outs, reasons for young people to drop out and the role of one of the stakeholders – the youth organizations in handling the issue.
Single shot diagnostic for ultrashort pulses from optical parametric oscillators

A diagnostic method is presented that enables single shot characterization in amplitude and phase of ultrashort, weak pulses. The method is particularly well adapted to the characterization of pulses generated by optical parametric oscillators.
Developing the Foundation for Proportional Reasoning

This chapter highlights students’ reasoning as they worked on five tasks that encouraged the development of proportional reasoning. Students built models for solutions to the tasks, representing specific numbers with Cuisenaire rods, attending to the attribute of length. Although in their initial considerations the students evidenced the use of additive reasoning, as the students worked on the given tasks, they intuitively began to use proportional reasoning.
Syk TKIs "strengthen" RBCs against malaria.

In a new effort to tame the global menace of malaria, Pantaleo et al describe, in this issue of Blood , the effect of Syk inhibition on the malarial parasite. 1
Consumer Search and Surplus in Markets with Differentiated Food Products

Modern food industries offer consumers an ever-increasing range of products. For instance, during the period from 1985 to 1990 more than a thousand new products were introduced to the German market for milk products (Meyer, 1992, p. 72). To the consumer, the rising number of products means that there is a greater chance of selecting a product with the combination of properties that best fits his preferences. The closer the chosen brand gets to his ideal combination of properties, the higher his utility will be. However, he faces rising costs due to increasing search and information processing, both of which will lower his utility or surplus. Thus the question arises to what extent the consumer can actually benefit from enlarged product variety. A Hotelling type model of horizontal product differentiation is the basis for a simulation study in which answers to this question are sought by systematically varying consumer behavior and firm strategies of product positioning.
Extra- and Intracranial Waveform Analysis Algorithm, Descriptions, Classifications, and Differential Diagnosis:

Waveform recognition is an essential step in the interpretation of vascular ultrasound studies. Waveforms can vary widely as the result of systemic and focal hemodynamic changes in the precerebral ...
Impact of Camera Vibration Frequencies on Image Noise for Unmanned Aerial System Applications

In the transportation systems engineering field, there is a fast growing interest to use small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) for structural inspections. Of particular importance is the development of image processing algorithms to process UAS collected data for transportation infrastructure (e.g., bridges) defect detection/classification purposes. Results from preliminary experiments using image data collected with a UAS have shown the presence of significant image noise, which negatively impacts the efficiency of algorithms to detect/classify structural defects. This research study presents an ongoing effort to understand the relationship between UAS camera vibrations to image noise. Ultimately, the objective is to identify maximum camera vibration frequencies that will result in acceptable image noise levels for effective detection and classification of defects.