cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Roku, Inc.: Initial Public Offering

In September 2017, a senior portfolio manager at Portland Capital Management had all her attention focused on the upcoming initial public offering (IPO) of Roku, Inc. The company had just updated its initial filing to indicate an offer price between $12 and $14, and Portland Capital Management had an opportunity to take a substantial position in that offering. She saw the upside potential in Roku's shift from hardware-related revenue streams (player sales) to platform-related revenue streams (advertising and content purchases made on the platform). But she was also well aware of the riskiness of this strategy and the uncertain state of IPO markets at that time. Excerpt UVA-F-1855 Aug. 7, 2019 Roku, Inc.: Initial Public Offering On September 19, 2017, Michelle Wu, a senior portfolio manager in the Emerging Growth Strategies group of Portland Capital Management, had all her attention focused on the upcoming Roku, Inc., (Roku) initial public offering (IPO). Roku had just updated its initial filing to indicate an offer price between $ 12 and $ 14, and Portland Capital Management had an opportunity to take a substantial position in that offering. Just how substantial was up to Wu. She had recently attended a Roku-sponsored event at the San Francisco Hotel intended to generate interest in the offering, and Wu saw the upside potential in Roku's shift from hardware-related revenue streams (player sales) to platform-related revenue streams (advertising and content purchases made on the platform). But she was also well aware of the riskiness of this strategy and the uncertain state of IPO markets at that time. Wu was not the only person with mixed feelings about a Roku IPO. Recent news articles stressed the lack of a distinct capability that would keep competitors from duplicating any Roku strategy. Many people stressed that the platform strategy relied heavily on agreements to distribute content controlled by others, such as Netflix, Hulu, YouTube, and Amazon. On the other hand, the trend away from subscription and pay television could completely remake the content delivery landscape, and Roku was well positioned to take advantage of that shift—at the time of the IPO, 37% of US households with broadband access used the Roku platform to access content. The appetite for IPOs was another significant uncertainty. The IPO market, as a whole, had recently shown improvement over the sluggish pace of 2016, but the performance of a few closely watched offerings was cause for alarm. Companies typically offered their shares at a discount to the expected market price and, if the stock began trading at this higher price, it could generate a substantial benefit to those who purchased at the offer price. The recent initial offering by Blue Apron Holdings, however, had ended its first trading day in June without any price increase and was trading 45% below its offer price by September. . . .
Astrobiologists are rational but not Bayesian

The search for biosignatures is likely to generate controversial results, with no single biosignature being clear proof of the presence of life. Bayesian statistical frameworks have been suggested as a tool for testing the effect that a new observation has on our belief in the presence of life on another planet. We test this approach here using the tentative discovery of phosphine on Venus as an example of a possible detection of a biosignature on an otherwise well-characterized planet. We report on a survey of astrobiologists' views on the likelihood of life on Enceladus, Europa, Mars, Titan and Venus before the announcement of the detection of phosphine in Venus' atmosphere (the Bayesian Prior Probability) and after the announcement (the Posterior Probability). Survey results show that respondents have a general view on the likelihood of life on any world, independent of the relative ranking of specific bodies, and that there is a distinct ‘fans of icy moons’ sub-community. The announcement of the potential presence of phosphine on Venus resulted in the community showing a small but significant increase in its confidence that there was life on Venus; nevertheless the community still considers Venus to be the least likely abode of life among the five targets considered, last after Titan. We derive a Bayesian formulation that explicitly includes both the uncertainty in the interpretation of the signal as well as uncertainty in whether phosphine on Venus could have been produced by life. We show that although the community has shown rational restraint about a highly unexpected and still tentative detection, their changing expectations do not fit a Bayesian model.
The RC5 encryption algorithm

This document describes the RC5 encryption algorithm, a fast symmetric block cipher suitable for hardware or software implementations. A novel feature of RC5 is the heavy use of data-dependent rotations. RC5 has a variable word size, a variable number of rounds, and a variable-length secret key. The encryption and decryption algorithms are exceptionally simple.
Wall shear stress: the missing step for T cell transmigration?

Our current understanding of lymphocyte migration across the endothelium includes four steps: attachment, rolling, arrest and diapedesis. New evidence suggests the involvement of another step, chemorheotaxis.
Adhesion of Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli in Humans and Animals

Enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli (ETEC), an important cause of diarrhoea in humans and animal, require accessory virulence properties in addition to enterotoxin to manifest virulence. Several classes of pili (hair-like protein surface organelles) promote adhesion of ETEC to small intestinal mucosa. Antibody directed against adhesion pili interferes with colonization of the small intestine and prevents disease. This paper reviews studies with purified K88, K99 and 987 type pili used as parenteral vaccines in pregnant pigs and cattle. Infant animals suckled on immunized mothers were significantly protected against fatal disease. Colonization factor antigen (CFA) I and II pili, and type 1 somatic pili, promote adhesion of human ETEC pathogens to epithelial cells in vitro and are generally recognized as accessory virulence factors. CFA/I and II were found in only 25% of 36 human ETEC infections; positive strains were usually LT+/ST+ (LT: heat-labile; ST: heat-stable). Strains lacking CFA/I and II are virulent; other factors must be responsible for adhesion in such strains. While none of 14 LT+/ST- strains elaborated CFA/I or II, 10 (71%) possessed type 1 somatic pili. An initial ETEC diarrhoeal infection in volunteers stimulated protective immunity against diarrhoea on re-challenge with the same strain. Despite clinical protection healthy "veterans" excreted the ETEC strain to the same degree as ill controls. Thus the mechanisms of immunity was not bactericidal. Disease-induced LT antitoxic immunity failed to protect volunteers against challenge with a heterologous (LT+/ST-) strain. One explanation of these observations is that the mechanism of protection was anti-adhesive with antibody directed against adhesive factors on the bacterial surface preventing attachment of bacteria to receptors on small intestinal mucosal cells. Immunoprophylaxis against ETEC in humans with purified pili vaccines appears feasible.
A Bicyclic Amino Acid to Improve Discriminations among Transport Systems

Abstract Introduction of an amino and a carboxyl group onto carbon 2 of the bicycloheptane ring of norcamphor, by way of the corresponding spirohydantoin, produced a model substrate in which rigidly specified positions are taken by carbon atoms corresponding to those of the ordinary branched chain amino acids. This substance is transported by the system serving for amino acids with apolar (usually, branched) side chains in all cells and tissues tested. No measurable transport of it by any other system has yet been observed, the Na+-dependent systems of various erythrocytes and the Ehrlich cell having been specifically excluded. No unsuspected heterogeneity was detected in the Na+-independent transport of amino acids with apolar side chains by its use. We have used another new synthetic amino acid to illustrate how this substance can be used in conjunction with α-(methylamino)-isobutyric acid for determining by what routes a given amino acid is transported. When the bicyclic amino acid was prepared instead by way of the aminonitrile, the product contained only 31% (rather than the 92% obtained by way of the hydantoin) of the generally effective component, as separated by chromatography on sulfonated polystyrene resin. These two components are presumed to be the endo and exo isomers, although conformations have not yet been assigned. Of the two forms, only the one migrating more slowly on resin columns was taken up by Escherichia coli and that by the system serving for branched chain amino acids. The same product was taken up 2.5 times as fast by the human red blood cell, 3.7 times as fast by the pigeon red blood cell, and 5 times as fast in the Ehrlich cell, as the a isomer. The binding of b-2-aminobicyclo[2,2,1]heptane-2-carboxylic acid to the leucine-binding protein of E. coli and its inhibition of the binding of leucine were far weaker than predicted from its Km and Ki values for transport and inhibition of leucine transport. The bicyclic amino acid has permitted new discriminations of transport agencies and interactions, and may be expected to assist in the further discrimination of transport systems and other biological receptor systems. Determination of the absolute configuration and conformation of the active isomer should assist in the description of specific transport receptor sites, both that which accepts it and those that exclude it.
Wound healing in acutely injured fascia

Fascial healing following acute injury, such as that occurring during surgical procedures, is defined functionally. For example, failure of fascial healing following celiotomy is only identified when incisional hernias are diagnosed. Such hernias incur billions of dollars per year in medical costs. Despite the importance of fascial healing, there is a paucity of data regarding the quality such healing. In clinical settings, the quantification of fascial wound healing is limited to a binary state: either there is no clinically apparent functional deficit and full fascia healing is assumed, or an incisional hernia or other functional failure is visible and the fascia did not heal. There are no clinical methods to isolate and functionally test fascia in patients. Recent studies have revealed unexpected findings regarding the recovery of tensile strength, specific surgical methods that optimize fascial healing, and the potential impact of biological pharmaceuticals in eliminating fascial healing failure. However, much remains unknown about the biology of fascial healing.
Statistical characterization of Geosat altimetry noise: Dependence on environmental parameters

[1] Sea surface height (SSH) measurements from the Geosat satellite altimetry mission are analyzed to statistically characterize their noise process, which is defined here as the small-scale (<50 km), time-varying component of the altimetry data. This analysis is one component of a larger effort to extract meaningful information about seafloor roughness from the small-scale fabric of the altimetric gravity field. Both small-scale seafloor topography (e.g., abyssal hills) and SSH noise significantly influence the measured gravity fabric. Hence, a global, quantitative understanding of SSH noise is required to infer what portion of the gravity fabric is associated with the true geoid. It is also anticipated that the SSH noise analysis will prove useful in designing improvements to altimetry processing algorithms. The SSH data are first processed by differencing nearest-neighbor tracks, to minimize the static component of variability, and then by high-pass filtering, to remove variability associated with mesoscale oceanic circulation. Autocovariance analysis reveals that SSH noise can be decomposed into uncorrelated (white noise) and correlated, semiperiodic components. Three parameters are measured which characterize the variance of both components and the correlation length of the correlated component. The global distribution of uncorrelated noise variance is closely correlated to significant wave heights, directly linking the uncertainty of the altimeter return time to the roughness of the sea surface. The variance and correlation length of the correlated component of noise can be associated with three separate environmental parameters: sea ice, precipitation rates, and upper atmospheric variability associated with the subtropical jet stream. As widely differing as these environmental processes are, it is hypothesized that features like sea ice, rain storms, and atmospheric turbulence can cause sudden perturbations in the return time of the altimetry signal, creating decaying oscillations associated with the onboard tracking algorithms.
Startup schemes for modular multilevel converter under different load conditions

Due to modularity and high efficiency, modular multilevel converter (MMC) has become a promising topology in high-voltage direct-current (HVDC) transmission systems. However, because of its distributed capacitors, a special capacitor charging process is required in some applications to avoid large inrush arm current. To deal with this issue, the charging loops and associated equivalent circuit of MMC based inverter during uncontrolled pre-charge period are analyzed in this paper, with special focus on the necessity of additional capacitor charging schemes. Moreover, the small signal model of the capacitor charging loop is first derived according to the internal dynamics of the MMC inverter. Based on this model, design considerations of the averaging capacitor voltage control are supplied in detail, which indicates a poor dynamic response of such control due to the resonance among arm inductance and submodule capacitances. To address this problem, a novel feedforward capacitor voltage control is proposed, which can cooperate with the averaging control to obtain enhanced dynamic response and system stability without sacrificing voltage control precision. Simulation and experimental results from a MMC inverter under different load conditions are provided to support the theoretical analysis and proposed control scheme.
Hispanic Prejudice in the United States

Hispanics recently became the nation's largest minority. By 2050, they will be one third of the population. As their power and influence grows, it is important to have knowledge of their prejudice. There are many studies of prejudice toward Hispanics, largely negative; but little is known about their prejudice toward others. To provide more knowledge of the subject, responses by 758 Hispanics to items about prejudice contained on nationwide surveys were analyzed. Hispanics generally preferred their own kind for marriage and as neighbors. They saw many differences between themselves and Blacks, Asians, Jews, and Whites with respect to intelligence and to being wealthy, hardworking, and prone to violence. Implications and suggestions for future research are discussed.
Paper: Cyclic control of water quality in a tidal river segment

This paper suggests a simple method for maintaining a desired level of dissolved oxygen in a tidal river. The scheme takes advantage of the short time periodic tidal nature of the river in the utilization of the ability of the river to assimilate biological oxygen demand loading. The parameters of the river model are determined on-line using a Powell search to process actual river data. After model parameter identification, the Powell search is again applied to find the parameters of the control effort to be applied to the cyclic control of reaeration effort and BOD discharge into the stream. Identification of the model parameters requires measurements of only BOD and DO. Because the system is designed to keep the model up-dated in the short term sense, it also implicitly accounts for the usual long term influences. The modelling procedure was tested against data obtained from the Penobscot River in Maine, and the control strategies were tested on the river model simulation.
Sérome symptomatique après traitement chirurgical conventionnel d'un anévrysme de l'aorte abdominale

Les seromes apres traitement chirurgical conventionnel des anevrysmes de l'aorte abdominale ont rarement ete rapportes. Dans la litterature, la majorite des cas a ete associee avec l'utilisation de protheses en polytetrafluoroethylene. Nous presentons un malade ayant un serome tres volumineux et symptomatique developpe aux depens d'une prothese aortique 10 ans apres un traitement chirurgical conventionnel. L'etiologie de tels seromes est d'un interet significatif pour le traitement endovasculaire des lesions aortiques.
Composable, distributed system to derive actionable mission information from intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) data

Advances in sensor observation and collection technology, coupled with the use of multiple sensors distributed amongst multiple transport platforms to support a single mission; create the potentially crippling problem of data overload for DoD operators and imagery and video analysts as they strive to provide processing, exploitation, and dissemination (PED) to the end-user (i.e., warfighter). These operators and analysts depend on sensor data, specifically Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) data, to perform time-critical mission functions such as target engagement. However, in many cases, the data they receive are not relevant to the mission, and they waste valuable time and resources sifting through thousands of still imagery and video footage gaining very little useful information that can be turned into actionable intelligence. The DoD seeks a solution to this problem that will reduce the vast amount of ISR data to actionable ISR information. The Multifactor Information Distributed Analytics Technology Aide (MiData) applies systems engineering and architectural principles to solve this challenge in a novel way. MiData is a composable system comprising independent factors integrated to perform critical processing functions that autonomously transform data to information. These factors may be distributed between mission segments located in the air, on the ground, or in the sea based on the mission requirements and PED resource availability. This distribution enables resource reduction, operator and analysts' productivity increases across the ISR mission segments, and response-time improvements to meet time-critical needs of end-users.
AsyrotWin: A 32-bit Windows version of Asyrot, A program for the analysis of high resolution singlet-singlet band spectra of asymmetric tops

Abstract A new version of the Asyrot program has been written to extend the computational limits to J=999 and K a =450 and to include the octic, M K , and N K centrifugal distortion constants. The number of transitions calculated and fitted is limited only by available computer memory. Two new phases have been added to the program so that the parameters of a single state can be refined by forming combination differences and then fitting them, along with any available microwave lines, to the appropriate Hamiltonian. A new Windows interface has been integrated with the Fortran code to greatly facilitate the editing of the input data. A limited Windows based band contour plotting and comparison feature has been added. Two utility features are also available. The first allows for the easy transfer of observed line frequencies to the corresponding transition quantum labels listed in the input file. The second allows for the summation of several calculated spectra, of different bands or isotopomers, into an overall contour which can be compared to an observed spectrum.
Assessments of laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy

Abstract Study Objective. To assess laparoscopic-assisted vaginal hysterectomy (LAVH) by operative intervention, recovery time, morbidity, and patient satisfaction. Design. A retrospective, cohort study conducted from 1990 to 1992. Setting. Two community hospitals. Patients. One hundred seventy-eight women thought to require abdominal hysterectomy. Interventions. Three gynecologic surgeons performed the LAVHs. For each case, several features were tabulated and final pathologic diagnoses were recorded. Patient satisfaction was measured by survey. Data were divided into three time epochs, early, middle, and late, and the outcomes were compared. We also measured the impact of LAVH on the number of abdominal hysterectomies. Measurements and Main Results. The mean operative time was 119.4 minutes (SD 34.1 min). The mean uterine weight was 153.4 g (SD 100.3 g), and only 29 patients (16.3%) had no pathologic condition. The mean length of hospital stay was 1.3 days (SD 0.92 days) and diminished over the 2 years of the study. Mean hemoglobin decrement was 2.6 g (SD 1.2 g). Thirteen patients had complications other than febrile morbidity and seven had febrile morbidity, for an overall complication rate of 11.2%. There were no significant differences in blood loss, complication rate, uterine weight, or operative time among the three epochs. One hundred thirty-two patients (73.0%) responded to the survey and expressed high satisfaction. The proportion of hysterectomies performed abdominally diminished over the course of the study. Conclusions. Morbidity associated with LAVH was similar to that reported for vaginal hysterectomy. The lack of controls precludes knowing whether patient satisfaction was related to type of procedure. Randomized, controlled trials of women not considered candidates for vaginal hysterectomy are necessary to assess this procedure.
5'-deoxyadenosylcobalamin-dependent ribonucleotide reductase: a survey of its distribution.

Abstract Tritium exchange between [5′-3H2]5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin and water has been used as a qualitative assay for the 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin-dependent ribonucleotide reductase. This exchange reaction was catalyzed by cell-free extracts of a wide variety of microorganisms, however, no activity could be detected in extracts from animal origin. The results of this survey suggest that with the exception of the Euglenophyta the 5′-deoxyadenosylcobalamin-dependent ribonucleotide reductase is restricted to procaryotic organisms.
Genetic contributions to social impulsivity and aggressiveness in vervet monkeys.

Abstract Background Impulsivity contributes to multiple psychiatric disorders and sociobehavioral problems, and the more serious consequences of impulsivity are typically manifest in social situations. This study assessed the genetic contribution to impulsivity and aggressiveness in a social context using a nonhuman primate model. Methods Subjects were 352 adolescent and adult vervet monkeys from an extended multigenerational pedigree. Behavior was assessed in the Intruder Challenge Test, a standardized test that measures impulsivity and aggressiveness toward a stranger. Genetic and maternal contributions to variation in the Social Impulsivity Index and its two subscales, impulsive approach and aggression, were estimated using variance components analyses. Results The results found significant genetic contributions to social impulsivity (h 2 = .35 ± .11) and to each of the subscales, with no significant influence of maternal environment. There was a high genetic correlation between the impulsive approach and aggression subscales (rho = .78 ± .12). Conclusions This is the first study to demonstrate heritability of social impulsivity in adolescents and adults for any nonhuman primate species. The high genetic correlation suggests the same genes may influence variation in both impulsive approach and aggression. These results provide a promising basis for identification of susceptibility loci for impulsivity and aggressiveness.
The mass spectrometry of helical unfolding in peptides.

Two model peptides, melittin and a growth hormone releasing factor (GRF) analog, have been studied by mass spectrometry and tandem mass spectrometry during the course of their deuterium exchange. Both peptides are known from previous work to form α-helices in solution. When the peptides are exposed to deuterated solvents, their masses increase as deuterium atoms replace protons in the exchangeable sites of the peptides. The mass spectrometry results clearly indicate multiple populations of exchangeable protons: Some exchange very fast, and are presumably on the surface and not involved in hydrogen bonding; others exchange much more slowly, indicating that they are probably participating in hydrogen bonding.Tandem mass spectrometric experiments were conducted, and the masses of the product (fragment) ions were used to determine where in the peptide the deuterium atoms were incorporated. The results agree very well with NMR studies of the same peptides. Melittin appears as two helical segments with a kink around Pro-14. The GRF analog contains a single long helix, spanning almost the entire length of the peptide. The dynamics of the unfolding of the helices can also be explored by observing how the exchange progresses with time.
Hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma: An unusual case of a γδ T-cell lymphoma with a blast-like terminal transformation

We describe a case of a middle-aged women who presented with anemia and mild hepatosplenomegaly and who was found to have an unusual peripheral T-cell lymphoma with only subtle morphologically abnormal but mature-appearing cells noted in the blood and bone marrow. Less than 2 years after diagnosis the patient presented with an increasing white blood cell count to 26 x 10(9)/L, and numerous blasts were noted in the periphery. Flow cytometry studies showed cells with an unusual T-cell phenotype expressing the gamma delta T-cell receptor and restricted expression of the V delta 1 but not the V delta 2 protein, indicating the clonal nature of the proliferation. A clonal T-cell receptor gene rearrangement was seen with a V delta 1 probe. The patient died and was found at autopsy to have extensive hepatic sinusoidal infiltration by abnormal cells. The histopathologic, immunophenotypic, and molecular findings are those of "hepatosplenic T-cell lymphoma." In spite of the striking morphologic change during the course of the patient's disease the same phenotype and clonal rearrangement were found both at initial diagnosis and during terminal phase, indicating that this change represented a blast-like transformation of the patient's original lymphoproliferative disorder.
Abstract 2304: Biologically distinct mammary tumors develop from Trp53 null tissue transplanted to juvenile versus adult gland.

The biology of the organism is a key regulator of breast cancer development. Our previous work showed that irradiating the host accelerated the development of carcinomas from unirradiated Trp53 null mammary fragments transplanted into the inguinal fat pads previously divested of endogenous epithelia (Nguyen et al., Cancer Cell, 2011). In this report, we investigated the age of transplantation by comparing carcinogenesis in Trp53 null mammary outgrowths that were transplanted during pubertal, 5 week-old mice compared to 10 week-old adult hosts. Tumors arising over the course of a year from Trp53 null tissue transplanted into adult hosts (AH) (n=26), were compared to tumors arising following transplantation in juvenile hosts (JH) (n=55). The rate of tumor occurrence was not significantly different as a function of the transplantation age but once detected, JH tumors grew several times faster. JH tumors were more perfused, as indicated by 2-fold larger blood vessels (p=0.015), and exhibited a 2-fold higher mitotic index (p=0.009) compared to AH tumors. Tumors transplanted at either age were predominantly ER+ (80% JH vs. 60% AH), but more tumor cells were ER immunoreactive as measured by the Allred score in JH tumors compared to AH tumors (p=0.0001). Microarray analysis of 10 JH and 6 AH tumors identified 119 genes that were modulated by at least 1.5-fold in JH tumors. Main biological processes enriched in JH tumors were organ morphology, proliferation, and lipid metabolism. The resulting profile revealed a luminal transcriptional program in JH tumors that included expression of Foxa1 and Areg; Foxa1 protein expression in JH tumors was confirmed by immunohistochemistry. The distinct biology of tumors arising from tissue undergoing morphogenesis in the context of puberty suggests that: (1) the window of susceptibility for breast cancer involves host biology during puberty; and (2) that the tumor intrinsic subtype is not necessarily epithelial autonomous, but can be influenced by the host environment. Supported by DOD-BCRP and DOE Low Dose Radiation Program. Citation Format: David H. Nguyen, Jian-Hua Mao, Mary Helen Barcellos-Hoff. Biologically distinct mammary tumors develop from Trp53 null tissue transplanted to juvenile versus adult gland. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2304. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-2304
Chest Deflection vs. Chest Acceleration as Injury Indicator in Front Impact Simulations Using Full Human Body Finite Element Model

The Ford Motor Company Human Body Finite Element Model (FHBM) was validated against rib dynamic tension and 3-point bending tests. The stress-strain and moment-strain data from the tension and bending simulations respectively were compared with human rib specimen test data. The model used represented a 50th percentile adult male. It was used to compare chest deflection and chest acceleration as thoracic injury indicator in blunt impact and belted occupants in front sled impact simulations. A 150 mm diameter of 23.4 kg impactor was used in the blunt impact simulations with impact speeds of 2, 4, and 8 m/s. In the Front sled impact simulations, single-step acceleration pulses with peaks of 10, 20, and 30 g were used. The occupants were restrained by 3-point belt system, however neither pretensioner nor shoulder belt force limiter were used. The external force, head acceleration, chest deflection, chest acceleration, and the maximum values of Von Mises stress and plastic strain were the model outputs. The results showed that the external contact force, head acceleration, chest deflection, and chest acceleration in the blunt impact simulations varied between 1.5–7 kN, 5–28 g, 18–80 mm, and 8–40 g respectively. The same responses varied between 7–24 kN, 13–40 g, 15–50 mm, and 16–46 g respectively in the front sled impact simulations. The maximum Von Mises stress and plastic strain were 50–127 MPa, and 0.04–2% respectively in the blunt impact simulations and 72–134 MPa, and 0.13–3% respectively in the sled impact simulations.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Two-color resonant four-wave mixing: A tool for double resonance spectroscopy

Two-color resonant four-wave mixing (RFWM) shows great promise in a variety of double- resonance applications in molecular spectroscopy and chemical dynamics. One such application is stimulated emission pumping (SEP), which is a powerful method of characterizing ground-state potential energy surfaces in regions of chemical interest. We use time-independent, diagrammatic perturbation theory to identify the resonant terms in the third- order nonlinear susceptibility for each possible scheme by which two-color RFWM can be used for double-resonance spectroscopy. After a spherical tensor analysis we arrive at a signal expression for two-color RFWM that separates the molecular properties from purely laboratory-frame factors. In addition, the spectral response for tuning the DUMP laser in RFWM-SEP is found to be a simple Lorentzian in free-jet experiments. We demonstrate the utility of RFWM-SEP and test our theoretical predictions in experiments on jet-cooled transient molecules. In experiments on C 3 we compare the two possible RFWM-SEP processes and show that one is particularly well-suited to the common situation in which the PUMP transition is strong but the DUMP transitions are weak. We obtain RFWM-SEP spectra of the formyl radical, HCO, that probe quasibound vibrational resonances lying above the low threshold for dissociation to H+CO. Varying the polarization of the input beams or PUMP rotational branch produces dramatic effects in the relative intensities of rotational lines in the RFWM-SEP spectra of HCO; these effects are well described by our theoretical analysis. Finally, RFWM-SEP spectra of HCO resonances that are homogeneously broadened by dissociation confirm the predicted lineshape and give widths that are in good agreement with those determined via unsaturated fluorescence depletion SEP.
ROC Detectability Evaluation Of A Filmless Digital Radiographic System

A new digital radiographic system (Matrix Laser Rad) employing a filmless photostimulable reusable phosphor (PSP) was evaluated for spatial resolution and high and low contrast object detectability. Receiver operator characteristic curve (ROC) comparisons were made to film images using equal or lower exposure factors. The low and high contrast test objects for the ROC evaluation were respectively a 5/32 inch diameter hemispheric depression filled with mineral oil and 250-500 micrometer diameter silicon carbide granules, both in a 2 inch thick plexiglass block. These object sizes were shown to be at thresh-old of detectability for either the film or PSP system at the exposure factors used. The ROC curves were generated from data obtained by radiologists viewing multiple film radiographs and CRT displays of both the digitized film radiographs and PSP images with the test objects in random locations. There were 90 images generated for each system, 45 with test objects and 45 without. Each observer had 15 seconds at a fixed distance to view each image presented at random at standard view box intensities (140 foot-lamberts) on either a light view box or CRT. The unenhanced filmless PSP radiographs had a reduced detectability threshold for the test objects, however with the use of windowing, level manipulations and appropriate filtering, detectability could be improved for the low contrast objects with the digital system surpassing unenhanced film radiographs. In addition, a dose reduction could be achieved with the PSP filmless system without loss of significant detectability. Enhanced film radiographs demonstrated the highest detectability characteristics. To achieve similar detectability for high contrast objects with the PSP system, a significant increase in object size was necessary.
Differential expression of IGFBPs by normal and hypertrophic scar fibroblasts

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) is a potent fibroblast mitogen which influences wound healing. IGF action is regulated by a family of six IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs). The purpose of this study was to determine if expression of IGFBPs is altered in hypertrophic scarring, a wound-healing condition commonly associated with deep dermal injury. Fibroblast populations from the superficial and deep dermal layers of normal human skin (SN and DN, respectively) and from superficial and deep layers of hypertrophic scars (SSc and DSc, respectively) were established and cultured in serum-free medium with or without several growth factors known to modulate wound healing, including basic fibroblast growth factor, the BB isoform of platelet-derived growth factor, IGF-I, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β). IGFBP release was analyzed by radioligand blot assays of culture media. Two main forms of IGFBPs were released, IGFBP-3 and a 24-kDa form which comigrated with serum IGFBP-4. DSc fibroblasts accumulated significantly more IGFBP-3 into serum-free culture medium than did SN, DN, or SSc fibroblasts in all conditions except TGF-β treatment and confluence. Additionally, comparisons of IGFBP-3 release by each cell type with and without TGF-β revealed TGF-β stimulated IGFBP-3 accumulation by SN and DN fibroblasts but not by SSc or DSc fibroblasts. DN and DSc fibroblasts accumulated significantly more of the 24-kDa IGFBP species than SN or SSc fibroblasts in all conditions except TGF-β or IGF-I treatment. These findings indicate that superficial and deep dermal fibroblasts are heterogeneous with respect to IGFBP release, and suggest that hypertrophic scar fibroblasts may represent a population of cells with regulatory properties distinct from those of normal dermal fibroblasts.
Percutaneous computed tomography guided cryoablation of the celiac plexus as an alternative treatment for intractable pain caused by pancreatic cancer

Computed Tomography (CT)-guided percutaneous cryoablation was performed in a 43-year-old patient with intractable epigastric abdominal pain caused by advanced adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and extensive celiac trunk involvement. Initial treatment with celiac plexus nerve neurolysis using local ethanol injection was unsuccessful. A 17-gauge 17-cm cryoablation probe (Galil Medical Inc. Plymouth Meeting, PA) was placed into the expected location of the celiac plexus through a left paraspinal approach under CT guidance and two cycles of freeze-thaw were performed. Patient's pain decreased from 10 of 10 (subjective pain scoring using a visual analog scale; VAS; 0-10) to 3. No post-procedure complication was observed. His pain has remained stable after 6 months of follow up. Percutaneous cryoablation appears to be an effective alternative to neurolytic celiac plexus block for palliative treatment of celiac plexus involvement. Further study with larger number of patients is needed to evaluate the safety and efficacy.
Alcohol-Specific Coping Styles of Adult Children of Individuals with Alcohol Use Disorders and Associations with Psychosocial Functioning

Parental alcohol use disorders (AUDs) have been conceptualized as a chronic stressor that can lead to deleterious long-term outcomes in children of individuals with AUDs. Yet, while many individuals are detrimentally affected by their parents' problematic alcohol use, and go on to manifest psychological problems, others do not. How individuals cope with the stress of having a parent with an AUD is believed to be an important moderator of this differential outcome. This study assessed whether individuals' alcohol-specific coping styles predicted alcohol use, positive or negative life events, and depression, using a sample of 465 college students, of whom 20% were adult children of individuals with alcohol use disorders, colloquially known as adult children of alcoholics (ACOAs), and a battery of well-validated, self-report measures. Participant ACOAs reported less 'engaged' and 'total' alcohol-specific coping strategies and more 'withdrawal' alcohol-specific coping strategies than their non adult children of alcoholics (NACOAs) counterparts. Across participants, women reported more 'engaged', 'tolerant/inactive', and 'total' coping than men. Although ACOAs reported significantly more negative life events, which predicted more passive coping styles, they did not differ significantly from NACOAs on measures of problematic alcohol use or depression, supporting theories of resilience in ACOAs regardless of their alcohol-specific coping styles. For NACOAs, 'tolerant' coping predicted greater depression and alcohol-related problems; 'engaged' coping predicted fewer alcohol problems. Results suggest that ACOAs cope differently with problematic alcohol use among relatives and friends compared with NACOAs and are more likely to experience negative life events. Additionally, alcohol-related coping strategies have more predictive utility in NACOAs than ACOAs.
A Short History of the Future: Feminism and Clinical Psychology

Since the 19th century, feminists have criticized the mental health establishment and its treatment of women. Issues include the sexist use of psychoanalytic concepts and psychiatric diagnoses, the misuse of medication, and sexual misconduct in therapy. Feminists have also called attention to psychological problems arising from gender inequality in everyday life. Physical and sexual abuse of women is of special concern. Feminist innovations in therapy include consciousness-raising, sex-role resocialization, and new approaches to psychoanalysis and family therapy. We urge feminists to develop a fuller understanding of gender and power, and to use this knowledge to challenge the established theory and practice of clinical psychology.
Young-Onset Dementia

Young-onset dementia is a neurologic syndrome that affects behavior and cognition of patients younger than 65 years of age. Although frequently misdiagnosed, a systematic approach, reliant upon attainment of a detailed medical history, a collateral history, neuropsychological testing, laboratory studies, and neuroimaging, may facilitate earlier and more accurate diagnosis with subsequent intervention. The differential diagnosis of young-onset dementia is extensive and includes early-onset forms of adult neurodegenerative conditions including Alzheimer's disease, vascular dementia, frontotemporal dementia, Lewy body dementias, Huntington's disease, and prion disease. Late-onset forms of childhood neurodegenerative conditions may also present as young-onset dementia and include mitochondrial disorders, lysosomal storage disorders, and leukodystrophies. Potentially reversible etiologies including inflammatory disorders, infectious diseases, toxic/metabolic abnormalities, transient epileptic amnesia, obstructive sleep apnea, and normal pressure hydrocephalus also represent important differential diagnostic considerations in young-onset dementia. This review will present etiologies, diagnostic strategies, and options for management of young-onset dementia with comprehensive summary tables for clinical reference.
Treatment of cutaneous T-cell lymphoma with alitretinoin gel.

A 62-year-old man with a 5-year history of tumor stage cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL) used alitretinoin gel, 0.1% twice daily on a right sole tumor. The treatment at the time of topical therapy included acitretin, 35 mg daily, and psoralen with ultraviolet A radiation (PUVA) twice weekly. Previous therapy included topical mechlorethamine, etretinate, and topical glucocorticoids. After 6 weeks, he discontinued alitretinoin gel upon noting that the treated tumor site had turned black. Two weeks later (2 months after the initiation of therapy) he presented with a 6-cm keratotic plaque on the treated area with a 1-cm eschar. No lymphadenopathy, peripheral erythema, or tenderness was noted. He started amoxicillin/clavulanate, 875 mg twice daily, and 2% mupirocin ointment. One month later, the foot lesion had completely eroded into a 6-cm plaque (Fig. 1). There were no changes in the tumors on his trunk, face, and extremities. Figure 1. Foot lesion eroded into a 6-cm plaque. Download figure to PowerPoint A biopsy of the eroded lesion revealed a diffuse dermal, predominantly lymphocytic, infiltrate with histiocytes, eosinophils, and plasma cells. The morphologic features were suspicious for CTCL; however, immunophenotyping and immunogenotyping failed to detect a T-cell receptor gene rearrangement, precluding a diagnosis of CTCL. Over the next 6 months, the ulcer re-epithelialized and completely resolved. Eight months later, acitretin and PUVA were discontinued because of new tumor formation. Oral bexarotene and intravenous methotrexate with leucovorin rescue were initiated with stabilization of tumor growth. The right sole lesion has not recurred up to 20 months after treatment.
Back to the future: Sweatshop conditions on the Mexico‐U.S. Border. II. occupational health impact of Maquiladora industrial activity

Present working conditions in one of the most active areas of the maquiladora system along the Mexico-U.S. border are reminiscent of nineteenth-century U.S. sweatshops. This conclusion was reached after evaluating two separate but interrelated surveys among Mexican nationals living near the Mexico-U.S. border, one of community leaders (Paper I), and one of workers in maquiladora enterprises in the towns of Matamoros and Reynosa, Mexico (Paper II). Paper I evaluates the results of the community leaders' survey. Criteria for selection of the leaders were: level of responsibility in the community; knowledge of the industry in the region, and length of residence in the area (more than 3 years). Representatives from government, maquiladora industry management, labor union leadership, labor union activists, and community improvement activists were interviewed. Structured questionnaires with opportunities for open-ended answers were used by trained Spanish speaking interviewers. The questions covered community demographics, health care structures, governance of the region, knowledge of working conditions, and knowledge of environmental impact on the region and the community. Community leaders were ambivalent on the purported benefits of the development of these types of industries in their communities. A substantial majority (21 of 25) thought that the maquiladoras brought few positive developments, other than creating jobs. Serious concerns about overextending weak social infrastructures and about environmental deterioration were voiced. Immediate (preventive) measures appear necessary to develop community infrastructures and to protect environmental health.
Transition probabilities in highly ionized p2 and p4 configurations

Abstract Line strengths of magnetic dipole and electric quadrupole transitions in the configurations 2 p 2 , 2 p 4 , 3 p 2 and 3 p 4 are calculated using interpolated values of spin-orbit interaction parameters and unperturbed energies of the levels. Probabilities of the important ground state transitions are tabulated in the four isoelectronic sequences through the following net charges: 17(2 p 2 ), 13(2 p 4 ), 15(3 p 2 ), 13(3 p 4 ).
Purification of clathrin heavy and light chain from Dictyostelium discoideum.

Abstract Clathrin, a protein important for endocytosis, is a hexamer composed of three heavy chains and three light chains. We report here the purification scheme used to isolate the clathrin protein from the simple eukaryote,Dictyostelium discoideum.Using a combination of differential centrifugation and column chromatography, we isolated ∼2 mg of clathrin triskelions from 150–200 g ofDictyosteliumcells. One additional step purified the 30-kDa clathrin light chain to homogeneity. Glycerol gradient centrifugation was used to determine anSvalue of 7.9 for purified clathrin. Rotary shadowed images ofDictyosteliumclathrin revealed trimeric molecules with extended legs measuring 48 ± 5 nm, similar in length to the legs of mammalian and yeast clathrin triskelions. The single clathrin light chain proved resistant to heat treatment, a property also similar to light chains from other species. The conservation of these physical properties inDictyosteliumclathrin demonstrates the potential of this model organism for the study of clathrin structure and function.
Analysis of trials evaluating combinations of acetylsalicylic acid and dipyridamole in the secondary prevention of stroke.

Abstract Background: Stroke is one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality in the United States. Patients who suffer a cerebrovascular event are at high risk of a recurrence, and secondary prevention is crucial to reducing the burden of cerebrovascular disease. Acetylsalicylic acid (ASA, aspirin) is an established method of stroke prophylaxis. Objective: This review investigates whether the addition of dipyridamole to ASA further reduces the risk of stroke recurrence. Methods: To identify clinical trials of the use of combinations of ASA and dipyridamole in the prevention of recurrent stroke in patients who have suffered a first stroke or transient ischemic attack, the English-language literature was searched from 1966 through May 2001 using the MEDLINE, International Pharmaceutical Abstracts, EMBASE, and BIOSIS databases. The search terms used were dipyridamole, aspirin, acetylsalicylic acid, ischemic stroke , and cerebrovascular disorders . Conclusions: Of the 5 published studies, 3 earlier studies detected no differences in outcome when dipyridamole was added to ASA therapy for stroke prophylaxis. Two more recent trials found that the addition of dipyridamole to ASA therapy provided further reduction in the risk of secondary cerebrovascular events compared with placebo and with ASA alone. Further studies are needed to confirm long-term benefit.