cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
What Do You Desire? What Do You Fear? Theorize it! Teaching Political Theory through Utopian Writing

Undergraduate students should not just study political theory. They should theorize. Writing-intensive political theory courses can help them do so sooner. By preparing an original political vision, a utopia or a dystopia, throughout the course of the semester, students read and compare the texts of the course against their own emerging texts and move into more critical and systematic political analysis. As a political theorist, my focus is not so much on utopias or dystopias as a subject of study per se , but on tapping into the creative freedom, critical distance, and hard-hitting insights of these traditions while teaching writing. I take seriously Berlin's above-stated concern for the “place and mode of operation” conveyed to the student through the process of learning to write. Visionary writing accelerates students' appreciation of the complexity of another's theory, but also of their own standpoint and capacity for agency and judgment. Khristina Haddad is assistant professor, department of political science, Moravian College. She teaches a writing-intensive course on visionary political writing and is affiliated with German Studies and Women's Studies. Her research interests include politics of time and temporality, Hannah Arendt, political action, fear, feminist theory, women's studies, and, in particular, the politics of women's health. I am greatly indebted to friends and colleagues who helped me along at various stages including (in alphabetical order) Robert Humanick, Eleanor Linn, Bob Mayer, Karla Morales, Laurie Naranch, Gary Olson, Miguelina Ortiz, Martha Reid, Joanna Vecchiarelli Scott, Lyman Tower Sargent, Joel Wingard, and Elizabeth Wingrove. Thanks go also to all those whose dedicated work inspires student writers and teachers of writing at the Gayle Morris Sweetland Writing Center at the University of Michigan, to helpful commentators at the Society for Utopian Studies' Annual Meeting in Toronto, to two anonymous reviewers at PS , and to three groups of students who shared their visions with me.
Fluorescence quenching as a tool for studies of rates of intramolecular encounters

Abstract Time-resolved study of intramolecular fluorescence quenching in a 9,10-dimethylanthracene derivative which has a CBr 3 group attached to it by a chain composed of 11 atoms provides the rate of intramolecular collision between these two groups since it is shown that the bimolecular quenching of the fluorescence of 9,10-dimethylanthracene by tribromoacetic acid or by its ester takes place on every encounter.
Effects of electricity market regulations on the promotion of non-conventional energy sources in Colombia's power mix

This article investigates the regulations and incentives that hinder the development of non-conventional energy sources in Colombia. To this end, the article first discusses the environmental, health and financial benefits to be had from the application of renewable energy sources, both in general terms and in the specific Colombian context. It then describes the available energy resource potential for Colombia. The main part of the article reviews existing Colombian energy regulations related to renewable power sources and provides insights from interviews with representatives of Colombia's public and private energy sector institutions. On this basis, suggestions are made for possible regulatory reform so that Colombia can make greater use of non-conventional energy sources.
Involvement of hyaluronan in epidermal Langerhans cell maturation and migration in vivo.

Background: Langerhans cells (LC) normally reside in the epidermis, where they constantly monitor the integrity of this microenvironment. Skin exposure to reactive haptens or other pro-inflammatory stimuli triggers LC migration to the draining lymph nodes, where they function as potent antigen presenting cells. At the same time, migratory LC exhibit features of mature dendritic cells. Objective: The purpose of this study was to determine the potential role(s) of hyaluronan (HA) in the process of LC maturation. Methods: Using a recently described inhibitor of HA, termed ‘Pep-1’, we assessed the kinetics of LC migration and maturation in mice. Migration was determined by assessing LC density in epidermal sheets after hapten application. Epidermal LC maturation was evaluated by cell morphology, surface expression of CD86 and allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reactions. Results: Local injections of Pep-1 prevented LC migration from hapten-painted skin almost completely in the first 24 h. On the other hand, LC began to emigrate from the epidermis at 48 h, indicating that Pep-1 simply delayed LC migration by ∼24 h. Locally injected Pep-1 inhibited hapten-induced LC maturation at 24 h as assessed by morphological changes, CD86 expression levels, and T cell-stimulatory potentials. Strikingly, all maturational changes became detectable at 48 h. Conclusion: Pep-1 inhibits LC migration and maturation with the same kinetics, presumably reflecting close association of the two events. Moreover, our results suggest dual functionality of HA to facilitate LC migration and maturation, the two critical events for the initiation of adaptive immune responses in the skin.
Low-k spacers for advanced low power CMOS devices with reduced parasitic capacitances

Integration of low-dielectric constant SiCOH dielectrics (k~3) adjacent to gate stacks is demonstrated using 65 nm technology. Substantial reductions in parasitic capacitances are achieved through reductions in the outer fringe component of the overlap capacitance and the capacitance between the gate stack and metal contacts. These results are consistent with modeling. Although this is demonstrated with 65 nm devices, low-k spacers can cut active power consumption and have the potential to improve performance through reductions in parasitic capacitances which will be of greater importance for future technology nodes.
Field-dependence, extraversion, Eysenck and autarky☆

Abstract The research literature was examined with regard to relationships between Field-dependence and Extraversion. Eysenck's contention that the two variables are significantly related to an extent justifying the use of causal hypotheses based on extraversion theory to account for field-dependent behavior was not supported.
THE VLBW INFANT GOES HOME: IMPACT ON THE FAMILY

The increased risk among VLBW infants for health problems throughout the first few years of life is well known. However, the effect of this continued ill health on the family has received less attention than the effect of the stress experienced during the neonatal hospital stay. Using standardized questions for assessing health status and health services use, and Stein and Riessman's scale on parental perception of the impact of the child's health on various aspects of family functioning, we have surveyed the families of children treated in our intensive care unit, a population which consists of outborn infants transported in from neighboring suburbs. The characteristics of the first 136 families interviewed were consistent with this suburban origin: 73% white, and 68% with private insurance. High scores indicative of parental perception of a substantial effect on family functioning as a result of child health problems were most frequent among the families of VLBW infants ≤1 year of age, but were also observed among 25% of those whose child was >2 years. The impact of child health problems appeared greater among that segment of the population which consisted of high-school educated, lower middle class families with two or more children, and was out of proportion to reported health status and health services use. These results argue for greater sensitivity to the problems that families with modest financial resources have in caring for their VLBW children and for approaches to lessening the stress on these families.
Nitrogen rate and timing effects on meadowfoam oil yield and oil-yield components

Abstract Unlike earlier meadowfoam ( Limnanthes alba Hartw. ex Benth.) accessions and genetic lines, seed yield of the more recently released cultivar ‘Mermaid’ is increased with low to moderate rates of N-fertilizer. Understanding N-fertilizer effects on oil yield and yield components is useful for improving fertilizer management which is important economically and environmentally. The objective of this experiment was to evaluate effects of 12 combinations of N rate and timing treatments (50, 100 and 200 kg N ha −1 × fall, winter, spring and split fall/spring applications) plus a control (0 kg N ha −1 ) on Mermaid oil yield and oil-yield components. Experiments were conducted in 1982–1983 and 1984–1985 on a Woodburn silt loam (fine-silty, mixed, mesic Aquultic Argixerolls) near Corvallis, OR, USA. Except for the 50 and 100 kg N ha −1 applied in the fall of 1984, all N rates significantly increased oil yield over the control. Combined over years, there was a quadratic relation between N rates and oil yield. Application timings did not interact with rates for their effects on oil yield, or on any of the oil-yield components. Fall N application resulted in smaller oil-yield increase than the other timing treatments. Total flower number was the only oil-yield component significantly affected by treatments in both years. Averaged over years, flower number increased by 38, 72 and 92% when 50, 100 and 200 kg N ha −1 were applied, respectively. However, the relationship between N rates and flower production was also quadratic. Slight reductions in seeds per flower and weight per seed caused by N applications were more than offset by increased flower number. Effects of N application on seed oil content contributed little to oil-yield differences. Regardless of timing or rate, the primary effect of N fertilizer on oil yield was through increased flower number, and consequently, increased seed number.
Gene regulation: Better late than never?

A new study has found that, in Arabidopsis, the paternal copies of many genes are delayed in expression during early seed development. The distribution of the genes and nature of their products suggest that this delayed expression of paternal alleles may be a global phenomenon.
Tolerability of Naltrexone in Treating Older, Alcohol-Dependent Patients

The authors conducted an interim analysis of the tolerability of naltrexone among older, alcohol-dependent adults. Thirty-six subjects over 50 years old were enrolled in a 12-week, double blind, placebo-controlled efficacy study of naltrexone. Sixteen subjects received naltrexone and were compared with the placebo group for the development of adverse effects. Self-reported adverse effects did not differ in frequency or duration between the placebo and naltrexone groups. There were no significant differences in laboratory values between the two groups. Naltrexone was well tolerated with no clinically significant adverse effects. However, the efficacy of naltrexone has yet to be determined in this age group.
Photogrammetric measurements of Olympus Mons on Mars

Mariner 9 took many pictures of the giant Olympus Mons during its year in orbit around Mars. Control points have been identified on the top of Olympus Mons, on the volcanic shield, and on the surrounding plains, and their locations have been measured on the television pictures. These measurements were used to compute the areographic coordinates and the planetary radii of the points. The radii at some of the points were derived from radar elevation measurements and from radio occultation measurements. The mountain rises about 21 km above its base.
THE ABSORPTION OF ULTRA-VIOLET RADIATION BY CRYSTALLINE PEPSIN

Determination of the absorption spectra of pure preparations of Northrop's crystalline pepsin inactivated by irradiation with ultra-violet light shows that the total absorption in the ultra-violet region of the spectrum increases with the degree of inactivation. This increase is especially marked between 2400 and 2750 A.u. The rate of photoinactivation is shown to be sensitive to changes in pH, increasing with lower values, and evidently bears a one-quantum relationship to the energy flux. Tests of the rate of inactivation of pepsin exposed to several different bands of the ultra-violet spectrum, in relation to the absorbed energy, indicate that the destruction spectrum of the enzyme agrees essentially with its absorption spectrum and is similar to that of urease.
Control of TiB2 SHS reactions by inert dilutions and mechanical constraint

Etude de la reaction de synthese a haute temperature avec auto-propagation pour la preparation de ceramiques de diborure de titane a partir de poudres de titane et de bore. On examine les methodes par lesquelles la vitesse de propagation de la reaction peut etre abaissee pour reduire la vitesse de degagement des impuretes gazeuses et reduire de ce fait les pertes en materiau.
Crawfish and Water Birds

have to be a birder to be amazed by the color and magnificence of these stately wading birds. For tunately such sights are now commonplace from mid-autumn into early summer in the Bayou State, a consequence of the expansion of rice farming and crawfish aquaculture there. Brought nearly to extinction by hunters roughly a century ago, egret, heron, ibis and spoonbill pop ulations have rebounded dramatically in southern Louisiana in the past 50 years. In other areas, the status of wading birds is not so rosy, as coastal wet lands succumb to the tide of development sweep ing the American Sunbelt. Florida, for example, has long been noted for its many wading birds, but the loss of appropriate habitat in that state has forced some populations of these birds into decline. A mil lion acres of coastal wetland in Louisiana have also
Urinary biomarkers of di-isononyl phthalate in rats

Commercial di-isononyl phthalate (DiNP) is a mixture of various branched-chain dialkyl phthalates mainly containing nine-carbon alkyl isomers. At high doses in rodents, DiNP is a carcinogen, and a developmental toxicant. After exposure, the diester isomers are de-esterified to form hydrolytic monoesters, monoisononyl phthalates (MiNP), which subsequently metabolize to form oxidative metabolites. These metabolites can be excreted in urine or feces. The urinary excretion of DiNP metabolites was monitored in adult female Sprague-Dawley rats after oral administration of a single dose (300 mg/kg) of commercial DiNP. The metabolites were extracted from urine, resolved with high performance liquid chromatography, analyzed by mass spectrometry, and tentatively identified based on their chromatographic separation and mass spectrometric fragmentation pattern. Because DiNP is an isomeric mixture, its metabolites were also isomeric mixtures that eluted from the HPLC column with close retention times. Mono(carboxy-isooctyl)phthalate (MCiOP) was identified as the major metabolite of DiNP; in addition, mono(hydroxy-isononyl)phthalate (MHiNP) and mono(oxo-isononyl)phthalate (MOiNP) were present. Furthermore, metabolites of di-isooctyl phthalate (DiOP) and di-isodecyl phthalate (DiDP) were also detected. Excretion toxicokinetics of the DiNP metabolites in urine followed a biphasic pattern with initial rapid decay in concentration. Despite potential differences in the metabolism of DiNP among species, MCiOP, MHiNP and MOiNP were detected in humans with no known exposure to DiNP at levels significantly higher than MiNP suggesting that these oxidative metabolites may be better urinary biomarkers of human exposure to DiNP than is MiNP.
Vertical ionization potential of the CF2 radical

The CF2 radical was generated in an equilibrium effusion cell by the reaction of gaseous SF6 with carbon at 1550 K. From electron impact threshold measurements, the vertical IP of CF2 was found to be 11.54 ± 0.10 eV. This value is lower than previous electron impact results, but it is consistent with data obtained from dissociative photoionization threshold measurements via a thermochemical cycle.
Covariation bias for blood-injury stimuli and aversive outcomes

Abstract Three illusory correlation experiments were conducted to determine whether a fear-relevant covariation bias (Tomarken, Mineka & Cook, 1989, Journal of Abnormal Psychology, 98 , 381–394) could be demonstrated using different types of fear-relevant stimuli from the blood-injury phobia category. In each experiment, women high and low on blood-injury fear were presented with fear-relevant slides depicting blood or injury, as well as slides from two neutral categories. A shock (aversive outcome), or a tone or no outcome (neutral outcomes) followed each of the 72 slides. Although the relationship between slide types and outcomes was random, subjects in all three experiments overestimated the co-occurrence of shock and blood-injury slides relative to all other slide-outcome combinations. However, there was no significant effect of blood-injury fear on this bias, indicating that, regardless of their blood-injury fear level, humans show an associative bias to selectively associate blood-injury stimuli with aversive outcomes.
Recreation Demand and Residential Location

Abstract We use the properties of competitive location equilibrium to study the demand for recreation and the choice of primary residence location. Location-specific recreation and employment lead to pooling equilibria in which consumers reside according to their preference for recreation. In general, the stronger the taste for recreation, the greater the attraction of living close to the recreation site and the lower the demand for other goods, including housing. We explore the effects of trip frequency, trip length, and recreation cost on the spatial distribution of consumers. We also consider the effect of the wage rate on recreation and location demands.
Should healthy people take a multivitamin

No. There is no scientific basis for recommending vitamin-mineral supplements to the healthy population.
Dyspnea as a prognostic factor in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma

Anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC) is a rare but aggressive form of thyroid cancer. In this study, we review a single institution’s experience with ATC over past 34 years. Through retrospective review, we attempted to identify the prognostic factors affecting the survival at our institution. We reviewed the records of 33 patients diagnosed with ATC by pathology over the last three decades. At our institution, median age at diagnosis was 68 years, the male to female ratio was 1.1:1, mean survival was 10 months and median survival was 4.7 months. Thirty-nine percentage of patients were treated with chemotherapy and 52% received radiation treatment. Thirty-six percentage received both chemotherapy and radiation and 58% of patients were treated with surgical intervention. Four of the patients received surgical intervention with curative intent. Tracheotomy was performed in 40% of patients. Eight patients survived more than 10 months. Univariate analysis showed that age greater than 60 and dyspnea at presentation were associated with decreased survival and that surgical intervention was associated with increased survival. Multivariate analysis identified only dyspnea at the time of presentation to be a significant independent prognostic factor affecting the mortality. While long-term survival is possible in some patients, ATC has a poor prognosis despite the attempts at aggressive treatment. In this study, we report that dyspnea was the only independent factor found to negatively affect the survival. This finding is unique in our study and supports the role of using signs at the time of presentation as potential prognostic factors for those patients with this aggressive disease.
Laminar flow induced deflections of stacked plates

Abstract Some research and power reactors such as the Engineering Test Reactor (ETR), the Materials Test Reactor (MTR) and the Shippingport Reactor have core designs which consist of parallel, flat or curved plate fuel assemblies. The fuel is contained in the thin plates which are separated by narrow channels through which coolant flows to remove heat generated within the plates. Since the plates are flexible, the coolant flowing through the channels causes the plates to deflect. At high coolant velocities large deflections have been observed causing the plates to deform plastically leading to structural failure or plate collapse. This work examines a single plate bounded by two channels and determines the static plate deflection as a function of plate, channel and flow parameters. The deflection is due to differences in pressure and flow velocity in the channels bounding the plate and also due to different channel dimensions caused by tolerance effects. The classical thin plate equations are used with a nonlinear hydrodynamic loading function expressing the external fluid forces on the plate surfaces.
Fabrication of micromirrors with self-aligned metallization using silicon back-end-of-the-line processes

Abstract Optical waveguides are being explored for on-chip purposes to overcome the speed limitations of electrical interconnects. Passive optical components like waveguides and vertical outcouplers are important components in such schemes. In this study, we fabricated planar waveguides with integrated vertical micromirrors using silicon back-end-of-the-line processes. Approximately 1.6 μm of a hybrid alkoxy-siloxane polymer with a refractive index of 1.50 at the intended wavelength of 830 nm was used as the core and plasma-deposited silicon oxide with a refractive index of 1.46 was used as the cladding. The angular face in the polymer waveguide that would function as the mirror surface was fabricated by a templated pattern transfer method, which involved transferring the angle in a template to the waveguide using anisotropic etching. The sidewall angle generated in Shipley® S1813, a positive photoresist, on patterning was used as the angle template. The photoresist sidewall angle was controlled using a two-step exposure method. A CF4/O2 plasma chemistry was used for the anisotropic reactive ion etch. A gas composition of 50/50 CF4/O2 was chosen to minimize the etch-related roughness of the alkoxy-siloxane polymer and the photoresist. The metallization of the mirror faces was done using two of the three proposed self-aligned techniques. A calibration-based technique was developed to measure the reflection efficiency of the micromirrors. In this technique, scattered light was used to estimate the incident power on the micromirror and a reflection efficiency of 83% was obtained at a wavelength of 650 nm.
Corporatism, Totalitarianism, and Transitions to Democracy

Recent studies of democratization generally emphasize the role of elites and political pacts in transitions to democracy. They usually give little attention to the institutional conditions for elite's successful pact making. This article argues that although choices by elites are important, pact making does require certain institutional conditions. By examining the democratization experiences of Spain, Brazil, the Soviet Union, and China in 1989, this article argues that only some types of authoritarian regimes have the historical possibility of following a pacted transition. Specifically, the author argues that corporatist regimes have unique advantages in following such a path. On the other hand, the totalitarian institutional legacies of once-entrenched communist regimes left democratic oppositions as broadly based social movements and their leaders with strong populist tendencies. These, the author argues, create structural obstacles to democratization through elite's pactmaking for these regimes.
Zeolite-catalyzed isomerization of oleic acid to branched-chain isomers*

Branched-chain (bc) saturated fatty acids (SFA) have potential as oleochemical intermediates since they have better oxidative stability than linear unsaturated fatty acids (UFA) and have better low-temperature properties than linear SFA. Previous studies in converting UFA to bc-FA using clay catalysts have resulted in only modest yields and conversions. Recent reports, however, have suggested that certain zeolites can be effective catalysts for converting UFA to bc-FA in higher yields and conversions. In this work, we examined the scope and potential of the zeolite-catalyzed synthesis of bc-FA starting from readily available monounsaturated linear FA. Our results show that common UFA such as oleic acid can be converted to bc-isomers using modified Ferrierite zeolite catalysts with high conversions (98%) and high selectivity (85%) and that the zeolite catalysts are reusable for at least three cycles. The positions of branching (methyl) on the FA chain were determined from the GC-MS spectra of the picolinyl esters of the bc-FA.
A practical synthesis of kifunensine analogues as inhibitors of endoplasmic reticulum α-mannosidase I

A practical synthesis of the potent class I α-mannosidase inhibitor kifunensine (1) beginning from the inexpensive and readily available starting material l-ascorbic acid (15) is described. The protected amino-alcohol ((2R,3R,4R,5R)-5-amino-2,3:4,6-diisopropylidenedioxyhexanol, 11) served as a key intermediate from which several N-1 substituted kifunensine analogues (including N-methyl, N-cyclohexyl, and N-bis(hydroxymethyl)methyl) and 2-desoxakifunensine analogues (including N-H and N-methyl) were prepared and screened for inhibition of human endoplasmic reticulum α-mannosidase I (ER Man I) and mouse Golgi α-mannosidase IA (Golgi Man IA). In addition, several pseudodisaccharide kifunensine analogues in which a mannose residue was tethered to N-1 of kifunensine via a two-, three-, or four-carbon linker and an affinity-bound kifunensine analogue were also prepared and evaluated for biological activity. While the synthesized N-1 kifunesine analogues were found to be less potent inhibitors of Class I α-manno...
Modification of permeability of frog perineurium to [14C]-sucrose by stretch and hypertonicity

Abstract An in vitro method has been developed to determine quantitatively the permeability of the perineurium to radiotracers at room temperature. The permeability to [14C]sucrose of the isolated perineurium of the sciatic nerve of the frog,Rana pipiens, was measured at rest length, when the perineurium was streched and after the perineurium had been subjected to hypertonic treatment. Mean permeability at rest length was calculated to be5.6 ± 0.27 (S.E.M., n= 45) × 10−7cm/sec, and both stretch and hypertonic treatment increased the permeability. A 10% strech increased permeability reversibly, whereas a 20% stretch or immersion of the perineurium in a hypertonic bath increased permeability irreversibly. Altered permeability under these conditions might be related to changes in the ultrastructure of tight junctions in the perineurium.
Antenna array geometry for mobile ad-hoc networks

Small antenna arrays are advantageous for ad-hoc networks. Typically antenna array geometry is designed using simplified objective measures to make analysis tractable or maximize search efficiency. This paper investigates array design using fitness functions more tightly related to network performance. Particle swarm optimization (PSO) is used to design planar antenna arrays with minimum mean-square error or noise-to-signal ratio. Fitness functions are averaged across look angle to include effects of random signal and interference directions, resulting in a better measure of performance in real-world conditions. We found that irregular “T” or “diamond” geometries can outperform more common arrays such as Y or square arrays.
Student affairs and higher education policy issues related to multiracial students

This chapter describes how the emerging multiracial student population is influencing policy, procedures, and programs within higher education in the United States.
Neural Targeting of Mycobacterium leprae Mediated by the G Domain of the Laminin-α2 Chain

Abstract We report that the molecular basis of the neural tropism of Mycobacterium leprae is attributable to the specific binding of M. leprae to the laminin-α2 (LN-α2) chain on Schwann cell–axon units. Using recombinant fragments of LN-α2 (rLN-α2), the M. leprae-binding site was localized to the G domain. rLN-α2G mediated M. leprae binding to cell lines and to sciatic nerves of dystrophic dy/dy mice lacking LN-α2, but expressing laminin receptors. Anti-β 4 integrin antibody attenuated rLN-α2G-mediated M. leprae adherence, suggesting that M. leprae interacts with cells by binding to β 4 integrin via an LN-α2G bridge. Our results indicate a novel role for the G domain of LN-2 in infection and reveal a model in which a host-derived bridging molecule determines nerve tropism of a pathogen.
Hormonal therapy in advanced renal cell carcinoma

43 patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma were treated with hormonal compounds at the Roswell Park Memorial Institute from 1965-1969. Ages of patients were 43-78 years; the ratio of males to females was 2:1. In all cases the primary tumor was removed or biopsied. Unless metastases were an immediate danger 1-2 months elapsed before hormone therapy began. All 43 patients had multiple mestastases and in 26 several organs were involved; 5 cases were considered terminal when therapy began. 3 methods of therapy were used: 1)testosterone propionate 100 mg im daily 5 days a week or Depo-testosterone 400 mg weekly; 2) Depo-Provera (medroxyprogesterone acetate) 800 mg im weekly; 3) Prednisone 20 mg daily the Depo-Provera 800 mg weekly. Medications were continued as long as objective response was observed. If progression occurred with therapy an alternate method was used. 8 cases (16.7%) showed definite signs of regression; 5 were females and 3 males. In 5 the objective responses were in pulmonary metastases and in 2 in subcutaneous recurrences. Other metastatic areas showed no change. In 1 74-year-old woman treated with testosterone pulmonary metastases disappeared for 45 months. Virilism from the medication was noted only in this 1 patient. Periods of remission were usually 3-31 months. 6 partial responses were shown in cases treated with Depo-Provera. An autoimmune mechanism within the host may account for the varying hormonal dependency.
Epidemiology: Epidemic of panic

Autism's broad diagnosis has fuelled fears about vaccines despite no evidence for a link, finds Melvin Konner.
Visualizing the topical structure of the medical sciences: a self-organizing map approach.

Background We implement a high-resolution visualization of the medical knowledge domain using the self-organizing map (SOM) method, based on a corpus of over two million publications. While self-organizing maps have been used for document visualization for some time, (1) little is known about how to deal with truly large document collections in conjunction with a large number of SOM neurons, (2) post-training geometric and semiotic transformations of the SOM tend to be limited, and (3) no user studies have been conducted with domain experts to validate the utility and readability of the resulting visualizations. Our study makes key contributions to all of these issues. Methodology Documents extracted from Medline and Scopus are analyzed on the basis of indexer-assigned MeSH terms. Initial dimensionality is reduced to include only the top 10% most frequent terms and the resulting document vectors are then used to train a large SOM consisting of over 75,000 neurons. The resulting two-dimensional model of the high-dimensional input space is then transformed into a large-format map by using geographic information system (GIS) techniques and cartographic design principles. This map is then annotated and evaluated by ten experts stemming from the biomedical and other domains. Conclusions Study results demonstrate that it is possible to transform a very large document corpus into a map that is visually engaging and conceptually stimulating to subject experts from both inside and outside of the particular knowledge domain. The challenges of dealing with a truly large corpus come to the fore and require embracing parallelization and use of supercomputing resources to solve otherwise intractable computational tasks. Among the envisaged future efforts are the creation of a highly interactive interface and the elaboration of the notion of this map of medicine acting as a base map, onto which other knowledge artifacts could be overlaid.
Purpose plus: Supporting youth purpose, control, and academic achievement

Research in the past decade suggests that a persistent achievement gap between students from low-income minority backgrounds and higher-income white backgrounds may be rooted in theories of student motivation and youth purpose. Yet limited research exists regarding the role of purpose on positive youth development as it pertains to academic achievement. Using a sample of 209 high school students, this study examines the effectiveness of an intervention designed to promote purpose development and internal control over academic success in high school students from a low-socioeconomic-status community. Findings reveal that a short-term intervention was effective in significantly increasing internal control over academic success and purpose in life for students participating in the intervention group. In addition, analysis of academic achievement for students who experienced positive gains in internal control and purpose demonstrates significant gains in academic achievement as measured by grade point average. Implications are made for further study of internal control and life purpose as a means of academic intervention in the effort to address the achievement gap.
Lossy source coding

Lossy coding of speech, high-quality audio, still images, and video is commonplace today. However, in 1948, few lossy compression systems were in service. Shannon introduced and developed the theory of source coding with a fidelity criterion, also called rate-distortion theory. For the first 25 years of its existence, rate-distortion theory had relatively little impact on the methods and systems actually used to compress real sources. Today, however, rate-distortion theoretic concepts are an important component of many lossy compression techniques and standards. We chronicle the development of rate-distortion theory and provide an overview of its influence on the practice of lossy source coding.
Equilibration, Distribution, and Elimination of a Single Dose of Intravenous Ethanol in Dogs with Intact Renal Function or Anuria

We infused 11 mmol/kg of intravenous ethanol into dogs with either intact renal function (n = 5) or ureteral ligation (n = 7), and studied by frequent blood sampling and by urine collection the time and mode of ethanol equilibration, the elimination parameters, and the comparison of observed equilibrated plasma ethanol levels to levels predicted either by linear or by nonlinear kinetics. Equilibration time was 25 min or less, renal fraction of elimination was less than 5% of total elimination, and both linear (elimination rate) and nonlinear (Vmax and Km) elimination parameters were not different between dogs with intact renal function and dogs with anuria. Serum sodium concentration did not change throughout the experiments, eliminating the hypothesis that acute ethanol load creates clinically significant temporary osmotic water transfer from the intracellular into the extracellular compartment. Distribution volumes of ethanol from linear kinetics were slightly, but not statistically, greater than volumes from nonlinear kinetics. Equilibrated plasma ethanol levels predicted by linear kinetics agreed closely with observed levels greater than 4 mmol/liter, but underestimated observed levels less than 4 mmol/liter. Equilibrated plasma ethanol levels predicted by nonlinear kinetics agreed with observed levels throughout the range of observed concentrations. The use of linear kinetics to predict blood ethanol levels should be limited to the pseudolinear portion of the blood alcohol curve.
Central Poststroke Pain Syndrome

Central poststroke pain (CPSP) syndrome is a rare complication of stroke but a common cause of central pain. CPSP is best managed in a well-coordinated interdisciplinary pain management program. Pharmacological options are available but none have proven optimal efficacy. Adequate pain control can be achieved with careful medication adjustment and a willingness to try different options in a stepwise approach. Motor cortex stimulation (MCS) with noninvasive or implanted electrodes is not currently available in the United States but has shown good efficacy in several clinical trials. MCS combined with medication management may be an option for treating CPSP in the future.
INHIBITION OF ESCHERICHIA COLI BY p-AMINOBENZOIC ACID AND ITS REVERSAL BY p-HYDROXYBENZOIC ACID

p-Aminobenzoic acid (PABA) exerts three metabolic effects on E. coli: it acts as a normal vitamin at low concentrations, as a source of another vitamin, p-hydroxybenzoic acid (POB), at moderate concentrations, and as a growth inhibitor at high concentrations (150 to 1600 microg./ml.). The inhibition is competitively reversed by POB in 1/100 the concentration of PABA. The inhibition is also reversed to a limited extent by shikimic acid and compound X, precursors of POB. p-Nitrobenzoic acid is an inhibitory competitor of both POB and PABA. The retardation of growth produced by PABA and other competitive analogues of POB (p-nitrobenzoic acid; 4,4'-dihydroxydiphenyl sulfone; phenosulfazole) is converted to complete bacteriostasis by the addition of L-aspartic acid in a remarkably low concentration (1 microg./ml.)) without change in the competitive ratio with POB. The mechanism underlying this synergism is not clear. In contrast to wild type, mutants that require POB not only are inhibited by much lower concentrations of the above analogues, but also show inhibition by weaker competitors of POB such as p-hydroxybenzenesulfonamide, p-chlorobenzoic acid, and p-fluorobenzoic acid.
An evaluation of the osteoinductive properties of bioactive composites

The two most widely investigated materials for bone repair are s-tricalcium phosphate (s-TCP) (Ca 3 (P04) 2 ) and synthetic hydroxyapatite (HA) (Ca 10 (PO4) 6 (OH) 2 ). They are bioactive as well as biocompatible and osteoconductive [1]. These materials are categorized as bioactive because they have the ability to form strong chemical bond with the neighboring bone tissue. Clinically, however, these materials have had limited use because of their brittleness and difficulty in shaping [2]. Therefore, biodegradable polymer/bioceramic composites have been sought as an alternative form to using calcium phosphates alone. In this study, composites consisting of 20/80 HA/TCP and poly (e-caprolactone) (PCL) were fabricated using the electrospinning technique. Electrospun ceramic composites were fabricated with two different architectures and evaluated for bioactivity and osteogenic properties. The results suggested that composites consisting of both nano and mirconscale fiber morphologies had better bioactivity and osteogenic properties.
Droplet Manipulation With Light on Optoelectrowetting Device

We have demonstrated a 2D droplet manipulation platform allowing fully optical manipulation of droplets on a photosensitive surface. Optically controlled injection, transport, separation, and multiple droplet manipulation have been achieved for nanoliter-size droplets. These functions are realized by sandwiching the droplets between two optoelectrowetting (OEW) surfaces. Optical illumination on OEW surfaces changes the surface wettability locally through the electrowetting mechanism. Optical illumination turns the initially Teflon-coated surface from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. This process is reversible and can be controlled in real time. We have achieved a maximum transport speed of 78 mm/s for a 100-nL droplet using a scanning laser beam. We have also demonstrated a fully decoupled 2D multidroplet manipulation on the OEW surfaces. Potentially, the OEW mechanism can be scaled up to process a large number of liquid droplets using projected optical images for high throughput applications.
Characterization of two cell lines with distinct phenotypes and genotypes established from a patient with renal cell carcinoma.

Two human renal carcinoma cell lines have been established from the same patient. One cell line (CCF-RC1) was obtained from the primary tumor and the second (CCF-RC2) was established from cells of the renal vein effluent of the perfused tumorous kidney. Although they were established from the same patient, the cell lines differed in certain biological properties. They have been passaged up to 50 times in vitro for about two years. Each has an epithelial morphology and exhibits mutilayering. Cell cycle time of CCF-RC1 and CCF-RC2 was 34 and 36 h, respectively. They exhibited anchorage independent growth, and the plating efficiency of CCF-RC2 in soft agar was higher than that of CCF-RC1. Both lines induced tumors in nude mice at the site of s.c. injection closely resembling the original tumor in histological examination. Electron microscopic features of both tumors in nude mice were consistent with epithelial origin. Doubling time of CCF-RC1 and CCF-RC2 in nude mice was 11 and 12 days, respectively. CCF-RC1 and CCF-RC2 have hypotetraploid karyotype and modal numbers of 83 and 73, presenting two and three marker chromosomes, respectively. Immunocytology with commercial monoclonal antibodies against renal carcinoma (URO-3) and cytokeratin (Mac 6) showed positive reactions with both lines, suggesting that these cell lines derived from renal epithelium. A murine monoclonal antibody (2E11) was generated against CCF-RC2 by the hybridoma technique; 2E11 reacted with CCF-RC2, but not with CCF-RC1. These cell lines may provide a useful model for the study of tumor heterogeneity and its relationship to metastasis.
Specific heat and hall effect measurements on Cr-Mo alloys

Abstract The specific heat C p of chromium-molybdenum alloys containing 25–80 at.% molybdenum was measured between 125 and 625°K. C p could be separated into lattice, dilatational and electronic terms. Alloys with 25 and 50 at.% molybdenum had electronic specific heats which agreed within experimental accuracy with the values for pure chromium. Alloys with 80 and 75 at.% molybdenum had lower values, which were practically the same as those for pure molybdenum. The Hall coefficients R H of the alloys were nearly composition independent at room temperature. R H varied only between 11·5 to 12·7 × 10 −13 V-cmA-Oe. The liquid N 2 temperature values of R H were slightly lower, but also positive.
A Computational Model of Social Perlocutions

The view that communication is a form of action serving a variety of specific functions has had a tremendous impact on the philosophy of language and on computational linguistics. Yet, this mode of analysis has been applied to only a narrow range of exchanges (e.g. those whose primary purpose is transferring information or coordinating tasks) while exchanges meant to manage interpersonal relationships, maintain "face", or simply to convey thanks, sympathy, and so on have been largely ignored. We present a model of such "social perlocutions" that integrates previous work in natural language generation, social psychology, and communication studies. This model has been implemented in a system that generates socially appropriate e-mail in response to user-specified communicative goals.
A simulation-based proof technique for dynamic information flow

Information-flow analysis can prevent programs from improperly revealing secret information, and a dynamic approach can make such analysis more practical, but there has been relatively little work verifying that such analyses are sound (account for all flows in a given execution). We describe a new technique for proving the soundness of dynamic information-flow analyses for policies such as end-to-end confidentiality. The proof technique simulates the behavior of the analyzed program with a pair of copies of the program: one has access to the secret information, and the other is responsible for output. The two copies are connected by a limited-bandwidth communication channel, and the amount of information passed on the channel bounds the amount of information disclosed, allowing it to be quantified. We illustrate the technique by application to a model of a practical checking tool based on binary instrumentation, which had not previously been shown to be sound
High-accuracy aspheric x-ray mirror metrology using Software Configurable Optical Test System/deflectometry

The Software Configurable Optical Test System (SCOTS) uses deflectometry to measure surface slopes of general optical shapes without the need for additional null optics. Careful alignment of test geometry and calibration of inherent system error improve the accuracy of SCOTS to a level where it competes with interferometry. We report a SCOTS surface measurement of an off-axis superpolished elliptical x-ray mirror that achieves <1 nm root-mean-square accuracy for the surface measurement with low-order term included.
Corrigendum to “Acute cognitive effects of high doses of dextromethorphan relative to triazolam in humans” [Drug Alcohol Depend. 128 (2013) 206–213]

University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, Department of Pharmacology & Toxicology, 4301 W. Markham Street, Little Rock, AR 72205, USA Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224-6823, SA Department of Neuroscience, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, 5510 Nathan Shock Drive, Baltimore, MD 21224-6823, USA
RDAS: Reputation-Based Resilient Data Aggregation in Sensor Network

Data aggregation in wireless sensor networks is vulnerable to security attacks and natural failures. A few nodes can drastically alter the result of the aggregation by reporting erroneous data. In this paper we present RDAS, a robust data aggregation protocol that uses a reputation based approach to identify and isolate malicious nodes in a sensor network. RDAS is based on a hierarchical clustering arrangement of nodes, where a cluster head analyzes data from the cluster nodes to determine the location of an event. It uses the redundancy of multiple nodes sensing an event to determine what data should have been reported by each node. Nodes form part of a distributed reputation system, where they share information about other node's performance in reporting accurate data and use the reputation ratings to suppress reports from malicious nodes. RDAS is able to perform accurate data aggregation in the presence of individually malicious and colluding nodes, as well as nodes that try to compromise the integrity of the reputation system by lying about other nodes' behavior. We show that RDAS is more resilient to security attacks with respect to accuracy of event localization than the baseline data aggregation protocol with no security feature.
Multitasking in the Digital Age

Abstract In our digital age we can communicate, access, create, and share an abundance of information effortlessly, rapidly, and nearly ubiquitously. The consequence of having so many choices is that they compete for our attention: we continually switch our attention between different types of information while doing different types of tasks--in other words, we multitask. The activity of information workers in particular is characterized by the continual switching of attention throughout the day. In this book, empirical work is presented, based on ethnographic and sensor data collection, which reveals how multitasking affects information workers' activities, mood, and stress in real work environments. Multitasking is discussed from various perspectives: activity switching, interruptions as triggers for activity switching, email as a major source of interruptions, and the converse of distractions: focused attention. All of these factors are components of information work. This book begins by defining multi...