cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
I Can't Be Myself: Effects of Wearable Cameras on the Capture of Authentic Behavior in the Wild

Wearable sensors can provide reliable, automated measures of health behaviors in free-living populations. However, validation of these measures is impossible without observable confirmation of behaviors. Participants have expressed discomfort during the use of ego-centric wearable cameras with first-person view. We argue that mounting the camera on different body locations with a different lens orientation, gives a device recording affordance that has the effect of reducing surveillance and social discomfort compared to ego-centric cameras. We call these types of cameras "activity-oriented" because they are designed to capture a particular activity, rather than the field of view of the wearer. We conducted an experiment of three camera designs with 24 participants, collecting qualitative data on participants' experience while wearing these devices in the wild. We provide a model explaining factors that lead to an increase in social presence and social stigma, which, therefore, create social and surveillance discomfort for the wearer. Wearers' attempts to reduce this discomfort by modifying their behavior or abandoning the device threatens the validity of observations of authentic behaviors. We discuss design implications and provide recommendations to help reduce social presence and stigma in order to improve the validity of observations with cameras in the wild.
Inverse Scattering Transform for the Nonlocal Reverse Space–Time Nonlinear Schrödinger Equation

Nonlocal reverse space–time equations of the nonlinear Schrodinger (NLS) type were recently introduced. They were shown to be integrable infinite-dimensional dynamical systems, and the inverse scattering transform (IST) for rapidly decaying initial conditions was constructed. Here, we present the IST for the reverse space–time NLS equation with nonzero boundary conditions (NZBCs) at infinity. The NZBC problem is more complicated because the branching structure of the associated linear eigenfunctions is complicated. We analyze two cases, which correspond to two different values of the phase at infinity. We discuss special soliton solutions and find explicit one-soliton and two-soliton solutions. We also consider spatially dependent boundary conditions.
Eine Begegnung mit langen Folgen

Nach drei Semestern war ich 1951 von Munchen nach Koln umgezogen, weil ich mit Wirtschaftswissenschaft Ernst machen wollte. Im wirtschaftswissenschaftlichen Seminar traf ich zum ersten Mal auf Hans Albert. Obwohl er ein halbes Jahrzehnt alter war als ich, arbeitete er als studentischer Amanuensis in der okonomischen Bibliothek.
Students’ Attitudes Toward College Drinking: A Moral Intuitionist Approach

This study uses Moral Foundations Theory to examine the association between moral intuitions and college students’ attitudes toward drinking. The data consist of 1,447 college students sampled in 2...
Women, writing, and travel in the eighteenth century

The critical focus of eighteenth-century travel-writing studies has long been on men’s travel writing. Like much of women’s writing in general, women’s travel writing from the eighteenth century ha...
Optimization of Doping Profiles in Insulated-Gate Bipolar-Transistors Using a Large Scale Optimization Technique

In this paper we present numerical optimization results for a 70 μm-wide punch-through insulated-gate bipolar-transistors (IGBTs). The optimization method is based on the adjoint space technique that our group has developed for the design of nanoscale semiconductor devices and which is adjusted here to compute the doping sensitivity function of the breakdown voltage. The doping sensitivity function of the breakdown voltage shows how sensitive the breakdown voltage is when one additional acceptor impurity is added at a particular location inside the semiconductor device. Since this function provides information about the gradient of the breakdown voltage with respect to the doping concentration, it is instrumental for the numerical and practical optimization of IGBTs. By using an optimization method based on steepest descends, we are able to increase the breakdown voltage of the IGBT considered in this study from approximately 300 V to over 700 V without deteriorating the on-state resistance of the transistor significantly.
Family History of Colorectal or Esophageal Cancer in Barrett's Esophagus and Potentially Explanatory Genetic Variants.

INTRODUCTION We aimed to estimate the effects of a family history of colorectal cancer (CRC) or esophageal cancer on the risk of Barrett's esophagus (BE) and identify variants in cancer genes that may explain the association. METHODS Men scheduled for screening colonoscopy were recruited to undergo upper endoscopy. Cases and noncases were screenees with and without BE, respectively. The effects of family histories on BE were estimated with logistic regression, adjusting for the potential confounders. We additionally recruited men recently diagnosed with BE by clinically indicated endoscopies. Banked germline DNA from cases of BE with ≥2 first-degree relatives (FDRs) with CRC and/or an FDR with esophageal cancer underwent next-generation sequencing using a panel of 275 cancer genes. RESULTS Of the 822 men screened for CRC who underwent upper endoscopy, 70 were newly diagnosed with BE (8.5%). BE was associated with family histories of esophageal cancer (odds ratio = 2.63; 95% confidence interval = 1.07-6.47) and CRC in ≥2 vs 0 FDRs (odds ratio = 3.73; 95% confidence interval = 0.898-15.4). DNA analysis of subjects with both BE and a family history of cancer identified one or more germline variants of interest in genes associated with cancer predisposition in 10 of 14 subjects, including the same novel variant in EPHA5 in 2 unrelated individuals. DISCUSSION We found an increased risk for BE associated with a family history of esophageal cancer or CRC. Although analysis of germline DNA yielded no clinically actionable findings, discovery of the same EPHA5 variant of uncertain significance in 2 of 14 cases merits additional investigation.
Yesus, Perantau dari Surga: Sebuah Usaha Awal Meninjau Kristologi Injil Yohanes dari Sudut Pandang Imigrasi

This article registers a preliminary effort to (re)construct Christology in the Gospel of John from a migrant perspective. Jesus is "the Stranger" who immigrates to the earth from heaven. He is not only a migrant, John also describes him as an unwanted and rejected foreigner. Special attention is given to the paradoxical relationship between Jesus and the world. The seemingly paradoxical tension the Gospel of John describes is better explained, this article will argue, when Jesus is conceived as an immigrant.
Ultrasound Evaluation for Extremity Deep Vein Thrombus in COVID-19-Positive Patients: Exam Positivity Rate and Association With D-Dimer Level.

Objectives Determine the rate of positive extremity ultrasound exams for DVT in patients with COVID-19 and assess for differences in laboratory values in patients with and without DVT, which could be used as a surrogate to decide the need for further evaluation with ultrasound. Methods Retrospective case control study with 1:2 matching of cases (COVID-19+ patients) to controls (COVID-19- patients) based on age, gender, and race. Laboratory values assessed were serum D-dimer, fibrinogen, prothrombin time, international normalized ratio, and C-reactive protein. Demographic variables, comorbidities, and clinical variables including final disposition were also evaluated. P-values for categorical variables were calculated with the chi-square test or Fisher's exact test. P-values for continuous variables were compared with the use of a two-tailed unpaired t-test. Results The rate of extremity ultrasound exams positive for DVT were similar in patients with (14.7%) and without (19.3%) COVID-19 (P = .423). No significant difference was observed in laboratory values including the D-dimer level in COVID-19 patients without (mean 9523.9 ng/mL (range 339 to >60,000)) or with DVT (mean 13,663.7 ng/mL (range 1193->60,000)) (P = .475). No differences were found in demographic variabilities or co-morbidities among COVID-19 patients with and without extremity DVT. Conclusions We found no statistically significant difference in rate of positive DVT studies between COVID-19+ and COVID-19- patients. D-dimer levels are elevated, in some cases markedly, in COVID-19 patients with and without DVTs and therefore these data do not support their use as a surrogate when assessing the need for ultrasound evaluation.
The Psychiatric Comorbidities of Migraine in Children and Adolescents.

PURPOSE OF REVIEW Understanding comorbidities in migraine is important because it can help us understand disease pathophysiology while also aiding the development of more effective treatment strategies. Additionally, it can provide greater awareness about appropriate diagnosis, the need for additional disease screening, and the natural history of migraine. Psychiatric comorbidities have been independently studied in both adults and children with migraine because their presentations can be distinct, and the physiology in these two groups can be different. RECENT FINDINGS While symptoms of anxiety and depression seem to be comorbid with migraine in children, clinically significant disease does not appear to be, though the clarity of these data is limited by overlap between migraine symptomatology and that assessed by many screening tools. Functional neurologic disorders like psychogenic non-epileptic episodes (PNEE) and other functional movement disorders are not common but can be comorbid with migraine in this population and tend to improve with migraine treatment. The number of adverse childhood experiences (ACEs) a child is exposed to seems to be near-linearly associated with risk of migraine, but not with tension-type headache (TTH). The findings from these studies underscore the importance of utilizing appropriate screening methodologies for identifying psychiatric disorders in children with migraine. Additionally, the role of the insula, the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis, the serotonergic system, and the instability of hyperactivated neural networks may underlie the pathophysiology of both migraine and its psychiatric comorbidities.
Rheological and surface chemical characterization of alkoxysilane treated, fine aluminum powders showing enhanced flowability and fluidization behavior for delivery applications

Abstract The effect of surface treatment on the properties of fine aluminum powders was investigated using both chemical and rheological characterization techniques. Four different particle size distributions (PSD) were surface treated with methyltriethoxysilane and subsequently evaluated through classic density measurements and by using an FT4 powder rheometer (Freeman Technologies, UK). The chemical surface properties were analyzed using diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy (DRIFTs) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) which confirmed retention of the silane and production of a siloxane-like layer on all PSD samples. The results of the bulk measurements, both direct and empirical, showed enhanced flowability and easier fluidization, indicating reduction of intrinsic cohesion for all samples. Fluidization testing showed decrease in total energy of the uniformly fluidized bed by ~ 80–90% in all cases. Shear stress values as a function of applied normal stress were collected to produce Mohr diagrams which generated extrapolated cohesion and unconfined yield strength values using the Mohr–Coulomb criteria. Cohesion and unconfined yield strength were reduced in all surface treated powders which indicated easier flowability and an increase in the flow function at 6 kPa. The compressibility of the treated powders at 8 kPa was decreased by > 60% in all cases, indicating significant reduction in entrained air and improvement in packing density. Classical density measurements showed small improvements in the Hausner Ratio and little to no improvement in the Carr index, whereas directly measured properties using powder rheology showed substantial changes in the flow and fluidization properties. Overall, fluidization behavior and flowability properties were enhanced in all PSDs and showed the increased potential for the use of fine aluminum powders after surface treatment in delivery applications.
The Pathogenic Role of Angiogenesis in Rheumatoid Arthritis

Angiogenesis is the formation of new capillaries from pre-existing vasculature, which plays a critical role in the pathogenesis of several inflammatory autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA), spondyloarthropathies, psoriasis, systemic lupus erythematosus, systemic sclerosis, and atherosclerosis. In RA, excessive migration of circulating leukocytes into the inflamed joint necessitates formation of new blood vessels to provide nutrients and oxygen to the hypertrophic joint. The dominance of the pro-angiogenic factors over the endogenous angiostatic mediators triggers angiogenesis. In this review article, we highlight the underlying mechanisms by which cells present in the RA synovial tissue are modulated to secrete pro-angiogenic factors. We focus on the significance of pro-angiogenic factors such as growth factors, hypoxia-inducible factors, cytokines, chemokines, matrix metalloproteinases, and adhesion molecules on RA pathogenesis. As pro-angiogenic factors are primarily produced from RA synovial tissue macrophages and fibroblasts, we emphasize the key role of RA synovial tissue lining layer in maintaining synovitis through neovascularization. Lastly, we summarize the specific approaches utilized to target angiogenesis. We conclude that the formation of new blood vessels plays an indispensable role in RA progression. However, since the function of several pro-angiogenic mediators is cross regulated, discovering novel approaches to target multiple cascades or selecting an upstream cascade that impairs the activity of a number of pro-angiogenic factors may provide a promising strategy for RA therapy.
A Crypto-Engine

In this paper we present a design for a crypto-engine. We shall discuss the design and show the instruction set of this coprocessor and then show how this could be used to implement most of the known encryption algorithms. We will discuss why a coprocessor approach may be a better solution than adoption of specific encryption algorithms which can be broken or decertified.
Corporate Investment By US Firms: Value-Driven Shift Toward R&D and Financing Implications

Using data for 1973-2005, we document a substantial shift in investment by US firms away from capital expenditures and toward R&D. Tobin's Q analysis indicates that this shift is value-driven. The shift has implications for external financing: When internal funds are insufficient, firms generally issue equity (debt) to finance R&D (capital expenditures). However, as R&D investment increases, external financing of capital expenditures shifts from debt to equity. We also find that the form of investment affects the form/size of external financing even after controlling for the change in growth opportunities, capital structure adjustment behavior, and pecking-order related behavior.
Protecting multi-lateral localization privacy in pervasive environments

Location-based services (LBSs) have raised serious privacy concerns in the society, due to the possibility of leaking a mobile user's location information in enabling location-dependent services. While existing location-privacy studies are mainly focused on preventing the leakage of a user's location in accessing the LBS server, the possible privacy leakage in the calculation of the user's location, i.e., the localization, has been largely ignored. Such a privacy leakage stems from the fact that a localization algorithm typically takes the location of anchors (reference points for localization) as input, and generates the target's location as output. As such, the location of anchors and target could be leaked to others. An adversary could further utilize the leakage of anchor's locations to attack the localization infrastructure and undermine the accurate estimation of the target's location. To address this issue, in this paper, we study the multi-lateral privacy-preserving localization problem, whereby the location of a target is calculated without the need of revealing anchors' location, and the knowledge of the localization outcome, i.e., the target's location, is strictly limited to the target itself. To fully protect the user's privacy, our study protects not only the user's exact location information (the geo-coordinates), but also any side information that may lead to a coarse estimate of the location. We formulate the problem as a secure least-squared-error (LSE) estimation for an overdetermined linear system and develop three privacy-preserving solutions by leveraging combinations of information-hiding and homomorphic encryption. These solutions provide different levels of protection for location-side information and resilience to node collusion and have the advantage of being able to trade a user's privacy requirements for better computation and communication efficiency. Through numerical results, we verify the significant efficiency improvement of the proposed schemes over existing multiparty secure LSE algorithms.
Family violence: Multiple levels of assessment and intervention

Abstract Violence in the family is examined as a political, social and practice issue. The literature is reviewed with attention to varying views on the aetiology of violence in the family, including psychological, social and political perspectives. Suggesting an integrated psychosocial perspective, the author proposes concepts of power, powerlessness and effectance as useful explanatory notions in understanding the violent moment. Implications for intervention are suggested.
Tribological properties of TiC-Fe coatings obtained by plasma spraying reactive powders

Titanium carbide-based coatings have been considered for use in sliding wear resistance applications. Carbides embedded in a metal matrix would improve wear properties, providing a noncontinuous ceramic surface. TiC-Fe coatings obtained by plasma spraying of spray-dried TiC-Fe composite powders containing large and angular TiC particles are not expected to be as resistant as those containing TiC particles formed upon spraying. Coatings containing 60 vol% TiC dispersed in a steel matrix deposited by plasma spraying reactive micropellets, sintered reactive micropellets, and spray-dried TiC-Fe composite powders are compared. The sliding wear resistance of these coatings against steel was measured following the test procedure recommended by the Versailles Advanced Materials and Standards (VAMAS) program, and the inherent surface porosity was evaluated by image analysis. Results show that, after a 1-km sliding distance, TiC-Fe coatings obtained after spraying sintered reactive powders exhibit scar ring three times less deep than sprayed coatings using spray-dried TiC-Fe composite powders. For all coatings considered, porosity is detrimental to wear performance, because it generally lowers the coating strength and provides cavities that favor the adhesion of metal. However, porosity can have a beneficial effect by entrapping debris, thus reducing friction. The good wear behavior of TiC-Fe coatings manufactured by plasma spraying of sintered reactive powders is related to their low coefficient of friction against steel. This is due to the microstructure of these coatings, which consists of 0.3 to 1 μm TiC rounded particles embedded in a steel matrix.
Steroid metabolizing enzymes associated with the microvillar membrane of human placenta.

Abstract 17β-Hydroxysteroid oxidoreductase, as well as estrone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate sulfatases, were found in the plasma membrane of microvilli of the fetal syncytiotrophoblast. Because of their location, these enzymes may influence feto—maternal transfer of steroids circulating as sulfates, the utilization of sulfated estrogen precursors and the proportion of estrone and estradiol delivered towards fetal and maternal circulations. Microvillar vesicles isolated from human term placentas were disrupted in hypotonic medium to obtain a membrane preparation. A fraction of the estradiol 17β-oxidoreductase (E 2 DH) activity in the vesicle remained associated to the membrane after disruption and treatment with 2 M NaCl. The membrane-associated activity was resistant to inhibition with trypsin and did not react with a polyclonal antibody which neutralized cytosolic E 2 DH activity. The membrane-associated enzyme was solubilized with a cholate-glycerol buffer solution and purified on Sephadex G-100. The estimated molecular weight of the solubilized enzyme (137kDa) appears to correspond to a tetramer since it was found to be about twice the size of the cytosolic enzyme. Both enzymes focused in polyacrylamide gels at pH 5.2. The K m relative to E 2 of the membrane-associated E 2 DH (1.3 μM) diners from those of mitochondrial (0.43 μM), microsomal (0.69 μM) and cytosolic (11 μM) fractions. The cytosolic and the microvillar membrane associated 17β-hydroxysteroid oxidoreductases also differ in their specificity for C 18 and C 19 steroid substrates and in their pH dependence patterns. Sulfatases acting on estrone sulfate and dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate in microvillar membranes were insensitive to trypsin and as resistant to washes with 2 M NaCl as alkaline phosphatase. This data indicated that steroid sulfatases are also microvillar membrane associated enzymes of potential physiologic importance in the hydrolysis of estrogen precursors.
Endoplasmic Reticulum Stress in Skeletal Muscle Homeostasis and Disease

Our appreciation of the role of endoplasmic reticulum (ER) stress pathways in both skeletal muscle homeostasis and the progression of muscle diseases is gaining momentum. This review provides insight into ER stress mechanisms during physiologic and pathological disturbances in skeletal muscle. The role of ER stress in the response to dietary alterations and acute stressors, including its role in autoimmune and genetic muscle disorders, has been described. Recent studies identifying ER stress markers in diseased skeletal muscle are noted. The emerging evidence for ER-mitochondrial interplay in skeletal muscle and its importance during chronic ER stress in activation of both inflammatory and cell death pathways (autophagy, necrosis, and apoptosis) have been discussed. Thus, understanding the ER stress-related molecular pathways underlying physiologic and pathological phenotypes in healthy and diseased skeletal muscle should lead to novel therapeutic targets for muscle disease.
GENE AMPLIFICATION IN GLYPHOSATE TOLERANT TOBACCO CELLS

Abstract A series of tobacco ( Nicotiana tabacum L.) cell lines have been selected for growth in the presence of normally lethal concentrations of glyphosate, up to 20 mM. Activity of 5-enolpyruvylshikimate 3-phosphate synthase (EPSPS), which is inhibited by glyphosate, is elevated in tolerant cells. However, EPSPS isolated from tolerant cells is still inhibited by the herbicide. Increased activity of EPSPS is the result of increased levels of the enzyme in tolerant cells, as determined by immunoblotting, rather than a change in enzyme activity. RNA blots with a petunia EPSPS cDNA demonstrate a correlation between levels of tolerance and steady state level of EPSPS mRNA. Increased expression of EPSPS mRNA results from amplification of at least two genes encoding this enzyme in the tobacco genome. The degree of gene amplification also increases with level of glyphosate tolerance. Selected cells grown in the absence of glyphosate have an elevated EPSPS mRNA abundance and maintain some gene amplification, indicating that selection has resulted in a stable genetic modification.
On the mechanism of the formation of benzocyclobutene by flash vacuum pyrolysis of ortho-methylbenzyl chloride

Abstract Flash vacuum pyrolysis of o -methylbenzyl chloride- ∝ , ∝ - d 2 gives benzocyclobutene- ∝ , ∝ - d 2. This finding indicates that the reaction involves net δ-elimination of hydrochloric acid.
Assay of Adrenals for Lactogenic Hormone.

SummaryTwo commercial adrenal cortical extracts, whole untreated rabbit adrenals, and isoelectric precipitates of beef, hog and rabbit adrenals were assayed for lactogenic hormone by the sensitive intradermal “micro” pigeon crop gland technic. None of the adrenal compounds were found to contain lactogen.
A central attraction field and a related nonuniqueness theorem

Abstract We study the attraction field defined by ordinary differential equations of the form x ′ ( s ) = v ( x ( s ) ) − w ( x ( s ) ) x ( s ) | x ( s ) | , x ( 0 ) = x 0 ≠ 0 in a closed ball B ( r ) centered at the origin and of radius r in ℜ n for n = 2 , 3 , … . We prove that, if v ( ⋅ ) and w ( ⋅ ) are Lipschitz continuous, v ( 0 ) ≠ 0 and w ( x ) − | v ( x ) | ≥ c 1 for some c 1 > 0 , then the solution x ( s ) = x ( s ; x 0 ) of the field equation converges to 0 and its derivative x ′ ( s ) converges simultaneously to either ( 1 − w ( 0 ) / | v ( 0 ) | ) v ( 0 ) or to ( 1 + w ( 0 ) / | v ( 0 ) | ) v ( 0 ) but, under mild conditions, only to the former. Under further simple limitations, the convergence of x ′ ( s ; x 0 ) is uniform for a set of initial values with a nonempty interior that ‘almost’ surrounds the origin. We then apply these results to establish a related nonuniqueness theorem for the initial value problem y ′ ( t ) = f ( y ( t ) ) , y ( 0 ) = 0 in B ( r ) , where f ( ⋅ ) is continuous, and which has a multiplicity of solutions closely related to the ‘backward’ solutions of the field equation.
They Wallop Like They Gallop: Audiovisual Analysis Reveals the Influence of Gait on Buttress Drumming by Wild Chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes)

The role learning plays in the acquisition of communicative gestures by wild chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes) is unclear. We aimed to evaluate the likelihood that social experience influences the structure of chimpanzee buttress drumming displays by examining whether individuals differed in the way they used their hands and feet to strike trees. We analyzed digital video recordings of 245 bouts by 9 adult males from Gombe National Park, Tanzania, frame by frame in conjunction with acoustic analysis. We investigated 1) how limb sequences used to approach drumming trees influenced limb use during drumming, 2) the relative use of hands vs. feet in drumming, and 3) the relative amplitude of beats produced by hands vs. feet. We found that the chimpanzees most often approached trees at a gallop and usually initiated drumming bouts with limb sequences that were identical to gait limb sequences. All individuals produced more beats with their feet than with their hands, and foot beats were higher in relative amplitude than hand beats. In only one instance did an individual produce a bout with hands only, whereas in three of nine observations of drumming on resonant camp equipment, the individuals primarily used their hands rather than their feet. We suggest that although chimpanzees may, by observing others, learn to use buttresses as tools to generate loud sounds, it is unlikely that learning influences the structure of displays because they result from innately determined gait patterns deployed to generate sound from comparatively nonresonant substrates.
Speed of Light from Direct Frequency and Wavelength Measurements of the Methane-Stabilized Laser

The frequency and wavelength of the methane-stabilized laser at 3.39 \ensuremath{\mu}m were directly measured against the respective primary standards. With infrared frequency synthesis techniques, we obtain $\ensuremath{\nu}=88.376181627(50)$ THz. With frequency-controlled interferometry, we find $\ensuremath{\lambda}=3.392231376(12)$ \ensuremath{\mu}m. Multiplication yields the speed of light $c=299792456.2(1.1)$ m/sec, in agreement with and 100 times less uncertain than the previously accepted value. The main limitation is asymmetry in the krypton 6057-\AA{} line defining the meter.
Motor and cognitive delay in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: implication for early diagnosis.

Objectives To examine the relationship between delay in the age of first independent walking and cognitive impairment in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) to assess how age of diagnosis might be improved. Study design We reviewed the records of 179 boys with DMD evaluated by the senior author between 1989 and June 2012. Delay in walking was defined as occurring at or greater than 16 months of age. Cognitive impairment was identified by school placement in special education or lower than expected grade level during the elementary school years. Results Delay in walking and cognitive impairment are highly correlated ( P ≤ .0001). If cognitively delayed, boys with DMD were 3 times more likely to have a delay in walking. This association was shown to be independent from the rate of motor degeneration ( P = .9) and the age of diagnosis ( P = .6, combined average = 5.1 ± 2 years). Conclusion Delay in the onset of walking in boys with DMD is strongly associated with cognitive delay. We suspect that primary care givers overlook DMD as a possible cause of delay in the age of independent walking when early features of cognitive delay are also apparent. DMD should be included among those disorders causing global developmental delay. Recognition of this association could substantially decrease the age of diagnosis for many boys with DMD. We suggest that the standard evaluation for boys with global developmental delay include an inexpensive and sensitive serum creatine kinase test.
Data mining for gravitationally lensed quasars

Gravitationally lensed (GL) quasars are brighter than their unlensed counterparts and produce images with distinctive morphological signatures. Past searches and target selection algorithms, in particular the Sloan Quasar Lens Search (SQLS), have relied on basic morphological criteria, which were applied to samples of bright, spectroscopically confirmed quasars. The SQLS techniques are not sufficient for searching into new surveys (e.g. DES, PS1, LSST), because spectroscopic information is not readily available and the large data volume requires higher purity in target/candidate selection. We carry out a systematic exploration of machine learning techniques and demonstrate that a two step strategy can be highly effective. In the first step we use catalog-level information ($griz$+WISE magnitudes, second moments) to preselect targets, using artificial neural networks. The accepted targets are then inspected with pixel-by-pixel pattern recognition algorithms (Gradient-Boosted Trees), to form a final set of candidates. The results from this procedure can be used to further refine the simpler SQLS algorithms, with a twofold (or threefold) gain in purity and the same (or $80\%$) completeness at target-selection stage, or a purity of $70\%$ and a completeness of $60\%$ after the candidate-selection step. Simpler photometric searches in $griz$+WISE based on colour cuts would provide samples with $7\%$ purity or less. Our technique is extremely fast, as a list of candidates can be obtained from a stage III experiment (e.g. DES catalog/database) in {a few} CPU hours. The techniques are easily extendable to Stage IV experiments like LSST with the addition of time domain information.
PRESSURE BROADENING OF H2O IN THE (301) (000) BAND : EFFECTS OF ANGULAR MOMENTUM AND CLOSE INTERMOLECULAR INTERACTIONS

Abstract Two spectroscopic lines of water vapor, broadened by N 2 , are examined within the Complex Robert–Bonamy formalism in an effort to understand their sensitivity to short-range interactions. The two lines, both of which occur in the (301)←(000) band, are compared in terms of their dependence on impact parameter, sensitivity to convergence of the short-range potential, and the symmetry terms of the intermolecular potential.
Estimation of Uptake Rate Constants for PCB Congeners Accumulated by Semipermeable Membrane Devices and Brown Trout (Salmo trutta)

The triolein-filled semipermeable membrane device (SPMD) is a simple and effective method of assessing the presence of waterborne hydrophobic chemicals. Uptake rate constants for individual chemicals are needed to accurately relate the amounts of chemicals accumulated by the SPMD to dissolved water concentrations. Brown trout and SPMDs were exposed to PCB-contaminated groundwater in a spring for 28 days to calculate and compare uptake rates of specific PCB congeners by the two matrixes. Total PCB congener concentrations in water samples from the spring were assessed and corrected for estimated total organic carbon (TOC) sorption to estimate total dissolved concentrations. Whole and dissolved concentrations averaged 4.9 and 3.7 μg/L, respectively, during the exposure. Total concentrations of PCBs in fish rose from 0.06 to 118.3 μg/g during the 28-day exposure, while concentrations in the SPMD rose from 0.03 to 203.4 μg/g. Uptake rate constants (k1) estimated for SPMDs and brown trout were very similar, wit...
Intelligence, Personality, and Interests in the Career Choice Process.

Historically, many researchers have considered the domains of intellectual abilities, personality, and interests to be both distinct and distant from one another. Recent meta-analytic reviews and new empirical research suggest that there are fundamental communalities among particular measures of cognition, affect, and conation. These communalities, in turn, yield a relatively small set of trait complexes—groups of traits that are related to one another and that appear to be differentially related to career choices and adult intellectual development. Derivation of trait complexes is described; empirical data on trait complexes, career choice, and domain-specific knowledge are reviewed; and implications for developments in vocational and educational counseling are suggested.
Hair loss: Diagnosis and management

Alopecia is usually treatable and self-limited, but it may be permanent. Careful diagnosis of the type of hair loss will aid in selecting effective treatment. Reassurance is an important component of any treatment regimen.
Blastocidal and contraceptive actions by an extract and compounds from endod (Phytolacca dodecandra)

Abstract An extract consisting primarily of the saponins derived from the Endod plant ( Phytolacca dodecandra ), three purified trisaccharides derived from the extract, and a synthetic disaccharide were tested for antifertility activity on Days 1, 4, and 6 of pregnancy. Known quantities of the crude extract or purified compounds were injected into one of the two uterine horns of rats, and the contralateral horn served as a control. Separate control groups received physiological saline in one of the two horns. Vaginal smears were routinely observed each morning, and the presence of vaginal sperm determined Day 1 of pregnancy. Then, intrauterine injections were performed by surgery on Days 1, 4, and 6 of pregnancy. Treatment with proper dose levels of the crude saponin extract, lemmatoxin, and oleanoglycotoxin-A was found to be capable of preventing pregnancy or reducing the embryonic count on all three days. Lemmatoxin-C-C' was also tested on Day 1 and found effective at proper dose levels. On Days 1 and 4, oleanolic acid cellobioside had little or no effect on pregnancy when injected in utero at doses up to 1,000 μg. Endod extract caused substantially lower decreases in surface tension of water than Nonoxynol-9, yet showed 5 to 10 times the antifertility activity when administered on Day 1. To test whether a substance acted on the uterine horn to prevent implantation, Endod extract was injected on Day 1 into one of two uterine horns at a high level, sufficient to prevent pregnancy on the treated side. When the oviducts were flushed the third day after mating, 4 out of 5 rats had embryos on the treated side which were in similar stages of development as on the untreated side. Under the conditions of these experiments, there was no obvious damage to the uterine endometrium observed histologically due to treatment with purified compounds. It is suggested that this or related classes of compounds may be useful as abortifacients during early stages of pregnancy.
Cycle avoiding trajectories, strategic agendas, and the duality of memory and foresight: An informal exposition*

This paper considers the notion of cycle avoiding trajectories in majority voting tournaments and shows that they underlie and guide several apparently disparate voting processes. The set of alternatives that are maximal with respect to such trajectories constitutes a new solution set of considerable significance. It may be dubbed the Banks set, in recognition of the important paper by Banks (1985) that first made use of this set. The purpose of this paper is to informally demonstrate that the Banks set is a solution set of broad relevance for understanding group decision making in both cooperative and non-cooperative settings and under both sincere and sophisticated voting. In addition, we show how sincere and sophisticated voting processes can be viewed as mirror images of one another — embodying respectively, “dmemory” and “foresight.” We also show how to develop the idea of a “sophisticated agenda,” one in which the choice of what alternatives to propose is itself a matter of strategic calculation.
Work in progress — Student learning as a function of attendance in large engineering classes

This study documents an alternative for freshman engineering students to attending a large lecture in their introductory engineering course. In the fall semester students are required to be physically present in lecture. In the spring semester students are given the option of either being physically present, when the lecture is given, or viewing the recorded lecture. Attendance is recorded in the lecture with an iClicker™. Students, who choose to not attend lecture can access the recording on Blackboard™ during the same week the lecture is given. The study compares student performance on first semester midterm exam grades with student performance on second semester midterm exam grades. It is seen that students, as a group, tend to achieve the same midterm grade whether they attend the lecture, when it is given, or not. Lecture assignment completion rates are also compared to lecture attendance. Suggestions for further study are given.
Reviews: A Brain For Business

Book reviewed in this article: Bill Gates, Buisness @ the Speed of Thought: Using a Digital Nervous System
Analysis on a large scale wind turbines cascading trip-off accident in North China

Large scale wind power has impact on the power system's security and stability. For a large scale wind turbines tripping off accident happening in the region of Guyuan in North China, this paper explains the accident development process, analyzes the main reason for the cascading wind turbines tripping off, builds the simulation model according to the actual data of the North China Grid and the wind power integration system, and reconstructs the accident process based on the simulation, discusses the countermeasures to avoid this kind of cascading accident.
Effect of Lung Denervation on Pulmonary Hypertension and Edema

Under conditions of high pulmonary artery pressure and flow produced in dogs by a controlled systemic artery shunt, pulmonary edema occurred after denervation of the lung at arterial pressures that were tolerated without edema before denervation. Left atrial pressures were not altered by the shunt, which involved only one segment of lung. Observation of animals with shunts for 1½ to 10 months showed that denervation apparently did not affect the incidence of arteriosclerosis.
Effects of Hemoglobin-Based Oxygen Carriers on Blood Coagulation

For many decades, Hemoglobin-based oxygen carriers (HBOCs) have been central in the development of resuscitation agents that might provide oxygen delivery in addition to simple volume expansion. Since 80% of the world population lives in areas where fresh blood products are not available, the application of these new solutions may prove to be highly beneficial (Kim and Greenburg 2006). Many improvements have been made to earlier generation HBOCs, but various concerns still remain, including coagulopathy, nitric oxide scavenging, platelet interference and decreased calcium concentration secondary to volume expansion (Jahr et al. 2013). This review will summarize the current challenges faced in developing HBOCs that may be used clinically, in order to guide future research efforts in the field.
Rocky Mountain spotted fever--changing ecology and persisting virulence.

Rocky Mountain spotted fever is still one of the most virulent human infections ever identified. Drs. J. Stephen Dumler and David Walker write that despite a century of study, the causative bacterial agent is still reluctant to reveal its secrets, and no definitive virulence mechanisms have been identified.
Crossover to entangled dynamics in polymer solutions and melts

A statistical dynamical theory of the crossover from unentangled Rouse dynamics to entangled behavior is constructed for chain polymer solutions and melts. Both time and spatial crossovers in long chain fluids, and the degree of polymerization crossover for short polymers, are treated. The analysis is based on a microscopic theory of the perturbative dynamical corrections to Rouse theory arising from chain connectivity and intermolecular excluded volume forces. The dependence of crossover properties such as the plateau shear modulus and entanglement time and length scale on solution density, solvent quality, and chain statistical segment length are derived by combining the dynamical theory with equilibrium liquid state integral equation methods. Scaling relations are obtained which appear to be in general accord with most experiments on both solutions and melts. The physical origin of the predicted scaling behaviors is the fractional power law temporal decay of the entanglement friction memory function on intermediate time scales, and power law reduced density dependence of the equilibrium force correlations. The theory is also applied to compute the dependence of the chain normal mode relaxation times on polymer density and chain length. Favorable qualitative comparisons with recent neutron spin echo experiments are made.
The V Sector of the V-ATPase, Synaptobrevin, and Synaptophysin Are Associated on Synaptic Vesicles in a Triton X-100-resistant, Freeze-thawing Sensitive, Complex

Anti-synaptobrevin 2 immunoprecipitates obtained from freshly prepared Triton X-100 extracts of rat synaptosomes contained, in addition to synaptophysin, a 10-kDa band, which we identified by peptide sequencing and Western blotting as the c subunit of the vacuolar proton pump (V-ATPase) also called ductin or mediatophore. Ac39 and Ac116, two other transmembrane subunits of the V0 sector of the V-ATPase, were also found by Western blotting to be enriched in the immunoprecipitates. None of these V-ATPase subunits, or synaptophysin, was present in anti-synaptobrevin 2 immunoprecipitates obtained from frozen-thawed Triton X-100 extracts, which were greatly enriched, instead, in SNAP-25 and syntaxin 1. Accordingly, V-ATPase subunit c was found in anti-synaptophysin immunoprecipitates generated from fresh, but not frozen-thawed extracts, and was not found in anti-syntaxin 1 immunoprecipitates. Thus, the two complexes appear to be mutually exclusive. Subcellular fractionation of rat brain demonstrated that V-ATPase subunit c is localized with synaptobrevin 2 and synaptophysin in synaptic vesicles. The coprecipitation of V-ATPase subunit c with the synaptobrevin-synaptophysin complex suggests that this interaction may play a role in recruiting the proton pump into synaptic vesicles. Freeze-thawing, which involves a mild denaturing step, may produce a conformational change which dissociates the complex and mimics a change which occurs in vivo as a prerequisite to SNARE complex formation.
Thrombolytic therapy in older patients

Abstract OBJECTIVES We compared outcomes following thrombolytic therapy and primary angioplasty with no reperfusion therapy in a population-based cohort of older patients presenting with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and indications for acute reperfusion. BACKGROUND Evidence supporting the efficacy of acute reperfusion (thrombolytic therapy or primary angioplasty) in the elderly with suspected AMI is not as strong as it is in younger groups. METHODS From a national cohort of Medicare beneficiaries with AMI, we identified 37,983 patients age 65 or older who presented within 12 h of symptom onset with ST elevation or left bundle branch block. A total of 14,341 (37.8%) received thrombolytic therapy and 1,599 (4.2%) underwent primary angioplasty within 6 h of hospital arrival. RESULTS After adjustment for demographic, clinical, hospital and physician factors, and co-interventions, thrombolytic therapy was not associated with a better 30-day survival (odds ratio [OR] 1.01; 95% confidence interval [CI]: 0.94 to 1.09) compared with no therapy, whereas primary angioplasty was (OR 0.79; 95% CI: 0.66 to 0.94). At one year, both thrombolytic therapy (OR 0.84; 95% CI: 0.79 to 0.89) and primary angioplasty (OR 0.71; 95% CI: 0.61 to 0.83) were associated with a survival benefit. CONCLUSIONS In this national sample of older patients, those who received thrombolytic therapy or primary angioplasty had lower mortality at one year compared with those who did not receive a reperfusion strategy. However, only primary angioplasty was associated with better survival at 30 days. Our findings should heighten interest in further investigating the best approach to the treatment of older patients with suspected AMI and ST segment elevation or left bundle branch block.
Control experiments and what I learned from them: a personal journey

This article is a personal account of my experiences in developing control experiments for the purpose of control research. The article does not address the important questions surrounding the development of control experiments for undergraduate education. Rather, the emphasis is on research, specifically, the role that control experiments can play in motivating new theoretical ideas. To stimulate discussion about these issues I organized a session for the 1997 American Control Conference entitled "Control Experiments: What Do We Learn From Them?" The reader is invited to peruse the various papers that were contributed to that session for further insights into this question.
A Predictive Model for Cognitive Radio

Advances in process technology, manufacturing, and architecture have ushered in an age of faster, smaller, and cheaper electronic devices. Emerging processor technology has made it possible to migrate applications that were traditionally implemented in custom silicon to general purpose processors (GPP). In the area of wireless communication, this transition has given birth to the field of software-defined and cognitive radio. Theses smart radios, or Cognitive/Sofware-defined Radios (C/SDR), can potentially make more efficient use of the available RF spectrum and adapt to a wide range of protocols and environments. One of the key benefits of having a C/SDR is its ability to change communication parameters in response to changes in application needs and the radio frequency (RF) landscape. While understanding the effects of changing communication parameters is a critical precursor to the development of a predictive model, it is not the focus of this paper. This research builds upon our investigation of the effects of varying these communication parameters through the development of a predictive model. This model allows a C/SDR to dynamically modify its configuration in order to improve system performance. "The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of the United States Air Force, Department of Defense, or the U.S. Government."