cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
EFFECT OF EXPOSURE TO THE SUN ON THE CIRCULATING LYMPHOCYTES IN MAN

Chronic solar dermatitis was accompanied, in 25 of the 38 individuals studied, by an appreciable increase, percentage and absolute, in the number of circulating lymphocytes. In eight there was a definite decrease and in five no appreciable change after prolonged exposure to the rays of the summer sun. Of the thirteen subjects with no increase in blood lymphocytes, six failed to tan, three were so dark originally that to determine an increase was impossible, and five had an extremely high lymphocyte count at the first count. Blood counts on white persons living in the Philippines indicate that the blood lymphocytes are likewise increased after a prolonged period of residence in the tropical zone. Because of the parallelism between the tanning and the blood changes it seems probable that the lymphocytosis observed in the majority of instances, which is similar to the response of the blood of animals to small doses of the x-rays, is due to the effects of the ultra-violet rays contained in the solar spectrum.
Organization, expression and nucleotide sequence of the operon encoding R-phycoerythrin α and β subunits from the red alga Polysiphonia boldii

The characterization of the operon encoding the α and β subunits of rhodophytan (R)-phycoerythrin (PE) from the macrophytic red alga Polysiphonia boldii is reported. This plastid-encoded operon was cloned, its nucleotide sequence determined, and its expression characterized by northern and primer extension analyses. The arrangement and expression of the PE α and β genes, named rpeA and rpeB, are similar to those of the cyanobacterial (C)-PE genes: rpeB is located 5′ of rpeA, with an intergenic region of 64 nucleotides. The two genes are transcribed on a 1.25 kb dicistronic transcript, and each coding region is preceded by a prokaryotic ribosome binding site consensus sequence. Transcription is initiated 95 nucleotides upstream of the initiating methionine codon of rpeB. The promoter region resembles that of prokaryotic genes, with an AT-rich −10 sequence. A direct pentanucleotide repeat (5′-TGTTA-3′) was found in the −35 region. This pentanucleotide is present upstream of all PE operons that have been characterized thus far. An extensive inverted repeat is present 3′ of rpeA; inverted repeats are found downstream of all PE operons sequenced to date, although the sequence is not conserved. The deduced amino acid sequences from these genes provide complete sequences for an R-PE. Of the amino acid residues 85% are identical to those of bangeophycean (B)-PE from the unicellular red alga Porphyridium cruentum. Conserved residues include cysteines at the bilin attachment sites of C- and B-PEs, aspartates at positions postulated to interact with bilin chromophores, and an apparent consensus sequence for N-methylation of an asparagine residue in C-PEs.
The gentle touch

Summary • This research study, which, because of its small numbers should be regarded as more of a pilot study, investigated the effect that therapeutic touch may have on measurable physical signs of the subjects involved. • It also looked at any change this complementary therapy may have made in health perception immediately following the experiment and 1 week later. • The design is modelled on that of Quinn (1984), eminent researcher in the field of energy exchange. • Therapeutic touch is a misnomer because physical touch is not necessary — it is the energy field that is touched.
Similar gene estimates from circular and linear standards in quantitative PCR analyses using the prokaryotic 16S rRNA gene as a model

Quantitative PCR (qPCR) is one of the most widely used tools for quantifying absolute numbers of microbial gene copies in test samples. A recent publication showed that circular plasmid DNA standards grossly overestimated numbers of a target gene by as much as 8-fold in a eukaryotic system using quantitative PCR (qPCR) analysis. Overestimation of microbial numbers is a serious concern in industrial settings where qPCR estimates form the basis for quality control or mitigation decisions. Unlike eukaryotes, bacteria and archaea most commonly have circular genomes and plasmids and therefore may not be subject to the same levels of overestimation. Therefore, the feasibility of using circular DNA plasmids as standards for 16S rRNA gene estimates was assayed using these two prokaryotic systems, with the practical advantage being rapid standard preparation for ongoing qPCR analyses. Full-length 16S rRNA gene sequences from Thermovirga lienii and Archaeoglobus fulgidus were cloned and used to generate standards for bacterial and archaeal qPCR reactions, respectively. Estimates of 16S rRNA gene copies were made based on circular and linearized DNA conformations using two genomes from each domain: Desulfovibrio vulgaris, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Archaeoglobus fulgidus, and Methanocaldocococcus jannaschii. The ratio of estimated to predicted 16S rRNA gene copies ranged from 0.5 to 2.2-fold in bacterial systems and 0.5 to 1.0-fold in archaeal systems, demonstrating that circular plasmid standards did not lead to the gross over-estimates previously reported for eukaryotic systems.
Synthesis of arithmetic hardware using hardware metafunctions

The development of theorem-based design methods is considered. Theorem-based design uses formal logic to create provably correct implementations. Past work has focused on using formal logic and post-hoc proof for design verification. Here, the focus is on hardware synthesis functions, called hardware metafunctions, which synthesize hardware in a provably correct manner. Designs produced using the metafunctions are correct-by-construction and are formally related to their specifications by simple substitution or rewriting of terms within the correctness theorem for each metafunction. Typically, the metafunctions are parametric and, once proven correct, validate an entire class of designs. Theorem-based design is practical when the metafunctions and their proofs of correctness are machine-executable. This is accomplished using appropriate declarative languages with a strong formal basis and by developing the proofs of correctness using automatic theorem provers. The functional language SCHEME is used along with the Higher Order Logic (HOL) proof checker. An introduction to the use of higher-order logic as a design along with the verification of an adder array metafunction for an array multiplier is presented. >
Commentary: Spinopelvic parameters-how far have we come?

COMMENTARY ON Vrtovec T, Janssen MMA, Likar B. A review of methods for evaluating the quantitative parameters of sagittal pelvic alignment. Spine J 2012;12:433–46 ( in this issue ).
Demonstration of a diel trend in sensitivity of Gossypium to ozone: a step toward relating O3 injury to exposure or flux

Plant injury by ozone (O3) occurs in three stages, O3 entrance through stomata, overcoming defences, and attack on bioreceptors. Concentration, deposition, and uptake of O3 are accessible by observation and modelling, while injury can be assessed visually or through remote sensing. However, the relationship between O3 metrics and injury is confounded by variation in sensitivity to O3. Sensitivity weighting parameters have previously been assigned to different plant functional types and growth stages, or by differentially weighting O3 concentrations, but diel and seasonal variability have not been addressed. Here a plant sensitivity parameter (S) is introduced, relating injury to O3 dose (uptake) using three independent injury endpoints in the crop species, Pima cotton (Gossypium barbadense). The diel variability of S was determined by assessment at 2h intervals. Pulses of O3 (15min) were used to assess passive (constitutive) defence mechanisms and dose was used rather than concentration to avoid genetic or environmental effects on stomatal regulation. A clear diel trend in S was apparent, with maximal sensitivity in mid-afternoon, not closely related to gas exchange, whole leaf ascorbate, or total antioxidant capacity. This physiologically based sensitivity parameter provides a novel weighting factor to improve modelled relationships between either flux or exposure to O3, and O3 impacts. This represents a substantial improvement over concentration- or phenology-based weighting factors currently in use. Future research will be required to characterize the variability and metabolic drivers of diel changes in S, and the performance of this parameter in prediction of O3 injury.
QoS considerations on the third generation (3G) wireless systems

A traffic management strategy which is better than the best-effort service delivery approach is needed in 3G wireless networks in order to meet demands from users who are accustomed to landline applications. Such a strategy must support quality of service (QoS) in order to accommodate demands from a diverse group of users. One of the major promises of 3G system proposals is the ability to offer end-user wireless QoS services. It is thus necessary to extend existing wireline QoS models to the wireless environment with special considerations for the mobile packet data services. We identify unique challenges in the wireless systems that are different from their wireline counterparts, and we propose solutions to meet customers' QoS demands.
Estimating Geriatric Mortality after Injury Using Age, Injury Severity, and Performance of a Transfusion: The Geriatric Trauma Outcome Score.

Abstract Background: A tool to determine the probability of mortality for severely injured geriatric patients is needed. Objective: We sought to create an easily calculated geriatric trauma prognostic score based on parameters available at the bedside to aid in mortality probability determination. Methods: All patients ≥65 years of age were identified from our Level I trauma center's registry between January 1, 2000 and December 31, 2013. Measurements included age, Injury Severity score (ISS), units of packed red blood cells (PRBCs) transfused in the first 24 hours, and patients' mortality status at the end of their index hospitalization. As a first step, a logistic regression model with maximum likelihood estimation and robust standard errors was used to estimate the odds of mortality from age, ISS, and PRBCs after dichotomizing PRBCs as yes/no. We then constructed a Geriatric Trauma Outcome (GTO) score that became the sole predictor in the re-specified logistic regression model. Results: The sample (n=3...
On the existence of square dot-matrix patterns having a specific three-valued periodic-correlation function

The author examines square matrices of size n containing dot patterns satisfying the following two restrictions: (1) each column contain precisely one dot, and (2) if the pattern is moved around over a plane tied by the same pattern, when in all positions except the home position there is at most one overlap in dots. From differing viewpoints, there matrices are the characteristic functions of either a certain class of relative difference sets or else a select subset of bent functions. Also, the existence of such an (n*n) matrix implies the existence of a finite projective plane of order n. A family of constructions for such matrices is available when n is prime. A polynomial equation characterizing such matrices and resembling the Hall polynomial equation of cyclic difference sets is presented. Analogs of known existence tests for cyclic difference sets are then applied to rule out existence for most nonprime values of n. It is shown how such patterns can be used to provide hopping patterns for a frequency-hopped multiple-access system. >
Applying the four principles

Gillon is correct that the four principles provide a sound and useful way of analysing moral dilemmas. As he observes, the approach using these principles does not provide a unique solution to dilemmas. This can be illustrated by alternatives to Gillon's own analysis of the four case scenarios. In the first scenario, a different set of factual assumptions could yield a different conclusion about what is required by the principle of beneficence. In the second scenario, although Gillon's conclusion is correct, what is open to question is his claim that what society regards as the child's best interest determines what really is in the child's best interest. The third scenario shows how it may be reasonable for the principle of beneficence to take precedence over autonomy in certain circumstances, yet like the first scenario, the ethical conclusion relies on a set of empirical assumptions and predictions of what is likely to occur. The fourth scenario illustrates how one can draw different conclusions based on the importance given to the precautionary principle.
SPICE-the third decade

The author reviews the evolution of SPICE from the initial research project at the University of California at Berkeley in the late 1960s, through the 1970s and 1980s, and into the 1990s. A general description of the SPICE techniques, analysis modes, and intended areas of application is provided. The relation between solution algorithms, semiconductor device models, and circuits to be characterized is explored in order to clarify the merits and limits of this program. The current trends in electrical circuit simulation and the role of SPICE in its third decade are then presented. It is concluded that the developments in circuit simulation do not make SPICE obsolete, but rather complement it. SPICE will continue to be the main electrical simulator because it solves the fundamental equations of an electrical system. >
Architectural support for register allocation in the presence of aliasing

High performance computer architectures use registers to provide high speed access to data operands, to provide short names for operands, and to reduce memory traffic for accesses to these operands. The possibility of aliasing in a program segment reduces the quality of code that a compiler can produce by necessitating that memory and register copies of variables that have been allocated to registers be kept consistent. A hardware support mechanism is presented that permits all classes of data objects, including dynamically allocated objects and array elements, to be held in registers without consideration of possible aliases and without requiring that the generated code maintain consistency between register and memory copies of variables. Use of this approach permits programs to benefit from the speed advantages and reduced memory traffic associated with register storage, obviates the need to collect aliasing information for use in register allocation, and reduces instruction traffic by eliminating code used solely to maintain register-memory consistency. The support hardware can be implemented using known hardware technology and without increasing the cycle time of the processor.
Experimental ocular toxoplasmosis in genetically susceptible and resistant mice

Genetic factors determining the pathogenesis and course of ocular toxoplasmosis are poorly understood. In this study, we explored the development of experimental ocular pathogenesis in genetically dissimilar mice infected with either the RH strain, the PLK strain, or the immunodominant surface antigen 1 (SAG1 [P30])-deficient mutant of the RH strain of Toxoplasma gondii. At 11 days postinfection, ocular infection of C57BL/6 mice with all of the strains of parasites resulted in severe inflammatory lesions and high numbers of parasites in eye tissue; less severe ocular lesions at earlier histopathology and prolonged survival were observed in this mouse strain infected with either the major surface antigen 1-deficient SAG1−/− strain or the less virulent PLK strain compared with RH infection. In contrast, both BALB/c and CBA/J mice had less severe lesions and low numbers of parasites in their eye tissue, and infection developed into the chronic stage in these mice. There were significantly higher serum levels of gamma interferon and tumor necrosis factor alpha in C57BL/6 mice than in BALB/c and CBA/J mice following ocular infection. These observations confirm earlier reports on systemic immunity to these parasites that the route of Toxoplasma infection markedly influences survival of mice. Our data indicate that genetic factors of the host as well as the parasite strain are critical in determining susceptibility to experimental ocular toxoplasmosis in murine models.
Neutrality and variability: two sides of evolvability in linear genetic programming

The notion of evolvability has been put forward to describe the "core mechanism" of natural and artificial evolution. Recently, studies have revealed the influence of the environment upon a system's evolvability. In this contribution, we study the evolvability of a system in various environmental situations. We consider neutrality and variability as two sides of evolvability. The former makes a system tolerant to mutations and provides a hidden staging ground for future phenotypic changes. The latter produces explorative variations yielding phenotypic improvements. Which of the two dominates is influenced by the environment. We adopt two tools for this study of evolvability: 1) the rate of adaptive evolution, which captures the observable adaptive variations driven by evolvability; and 2) the variability of individuals, which measures the potential of an individual to vary functionally. We apply these tools to a Linear Genetic Programming system and observe that evolvability is able to exploit its two sides in different environmental situations.
Owlflies in Colorado (Neuroptera: Ascalaphidae)

ABSTRACT: Two species of owlflies are newly reported from Colorado, Ululodes arizonensis Banks from western Colorado and U. quadripunctatus (Burmeister) from eastern Colorado.
The economic benefits of malaria elimination: do they include increases in tourism?

Background: Policy makers have speculated that one of the economic benefits of malaria elimination includes increases in foreign direct investment, particularly tourism. Methods: This study examines the empirical relationship between the demand for travel and malaria cases in two countries with large tourism industries around the time in which they carried out malaria-elimination campaigns. In Mauritius, this analysis examines historical, yearly tourist arrivals and malaria cases from 1978–1999, accounting for the background secular trend of increasing international travel. In Dominican Republic, a country embarking upon malaria elimination, it employs a time-series analysis of the monthly, international tourist arrivals from 1998– 2010 to determine whether the timing of significant deviations in tourist arrivals coincides with malaria outbreaks. Results: While naive relationships exist in both cases, the results show that the relationships between tourist arrivals and malaria cases are relatively weak and statistically insignificant once secular confounders are accounted for. Conclusions: This suggests that any economic benefits from tourism that may be derived from actively pursuing elimination in countries that have high tourism potential are likely to be small when measured at a national level. Rather, tourism benefits are likely to be experienced with greater impact in more concentrated tourist areas within countries, and future studies should seek to assess these relationships at a regional or local level.
Error Analysis of Frame Reconstruction From Noisy Samples

This paper addresses the problem of reconstructing a continuous function defined on Rd from a countable collection of samples corrupted by noise. The additive noise is assumed to be i.i.d. with mean zero and variance sigma2. We sample the continuous function / on the uniform lattice (1/m)Zd, and show for large enough m that the variance of the error between the frame reconstruction fepsiv,m from noisy samples of f and the function f satisfy var(fepsiv,m(x) - f(x)) ap(sigma2/md)Cx where Cx is the best constant for every x isin Rd. We also prove a similar result in the case that our data are weighted-average samples of / corrupted by additive noise.
THE RISE OF SYMPATHY AND THE QUESTION OF DIVINE SUFFERING

Seventeenth-century Cambridge Platonist Ralph Cudworth, writing just at the time when the concept of sympathy was moving from the realm of magic to that of ethics, argued that God must be understood as having a vital sympathy with suffering human beings. Yet while Cudworth invoked sympathy in an attempt to capture God's intimate relation with creation, in fact, it served as a principle of mediation that tended either to collapse God into the world or to distance God from the world. The broader implications of this problematic conception of divine transcendence can be seen in the secularizing tendencies within sentimentalist ethics and in the work of the late nineteenth-century and early twentieth-century Anglican theolo
Costs and benefits of transmission congestion management

Transmission congestion is a major economic and reliability concern in today's electric power systems. However, as the industry undergoes changes, it becomes critically important to better understand the fundamental role of transmission and its technical and financial effects on the electricity provision. Thermal limits, voltage drop regulation, and voltage stability limits are among the most common causes of transmission congestion. In order to relieve congestion, new transmission can be built or reactive power control can be installed. In this paper, simple power systems are analyzed in order to compare costs of different ways of reducing congestion. The length of a transmission line determines the cause and the most cost effective solution. For short lines, the thermal limit is the limiting factor in determining the maximum power flow and building new transmission is the only effective solution. For longer lines, the voltage drop regulation is the limiting factor and adding a shunt capacitor is the most cost effective solution.
I Hear a Voice Calling: A Bluegrass Memoir

Reviewed Medium: book Authors: Gene Lowinger Year: 2009 Pages: 144 Publisher: University of Illinois Press ISBN: 978-0-252-03475-6 (hard cover). Prices: $65.00 USD(hard cover).
Disorders of Temperature Control: Hypothermia, Part III:

Hypothermia, defined as a body core temperature below 35°C, results from exposure to cold, drugs, metabolic dysfunction, or nervous system or skin disorders. The diagnosis and clinical assessment of patients with hypothermia should be based on a thorough knowledge of the characteristic physiologic changes that accompany hypothermia and affect all organ systems. Morbidity and mortality resulting from hypothermia may be reduced when physicians anticipate the well-known complications of hypothermia and carefully rewarm the patient. The rate and method of rewarming must be individualized, taking into account available resources and the patient's cardiopulmonary status and underlying disease.
Identification and Estimation of Auction Models with Unobserved Heterogeneity

In many procurement auctions, the bidders’ unobserved costs depend both on a common shock and on idiosyncratic private information. Assuming a multiplicative structure, I derive sufficient conditions under which the model is identified and propose a non-parametric estimation procedure that results in uniformly consistent estimators of the cost components’ distributions. The estimation procedure is applied to data from Michigan highway procurement auctions. Private information is estimated to account for 34% of the variation in bidders’ costs. It is shown that accounting for unobserved auction heterogeneity has important implications for the evaluation of the distribution of rents, efficiency, and optimal auction design.
Maximum Conditional Likelihood via Bound Maximization and the CEM Algorithm

We present the CEM (Conditional Expectation Maximization) algorithm as an extension of the EM (Expectation Maximization) algorithm to conditional density estimation under missing data. A bounding and maximization process is given to specifically optimize conditional likelihood instead of the usual joint likelihood. We apply the method to conditioned mixture models and use bounding techniques to derive the model's update rules. Monotonic convergence, computational efficiency and regression results superior to EM are demonstrated.
An image processing and analysis systems for automatic classification of cigarette filter blockage

Most filter cigarettes today employ ventilated filters. Heavily ventilated filters have been found to be "elastic" in that they contribute to lower tar numbers in standard smoking-machine tests while at the same time allowing smokers to get much higher doses of tar from the same cigarette when they block vents with fingers or lips. This paper describes a method for automating a stain pattern technique which permits unobtrusive measurement of behavioral vent blocking. This automation could provide a more accurate analysis of filter efficacy. The system employs image processing and analysis to generate a set of unbiased features which are subsequently categorized by a fuzzy set based classifier.
Mapping membrane-potential perturbations of chromaffin cells exposed to electric fields

The numerous and diverse responses of biological systems to electric fields continue to evoke interest in elucidating the fundamental mechanisms of cellular interactions with these fields. In order to address this issue for excitable cells, responses of bovine adrenal chromaffin cells exposed to DC electric fields in various orientations were investigated. Spatial variations in membrane potential were monitored in single cells as well as in complex clusters of cells using fluorescence video imaging and a voltage-sensitive dye, di-8-ANEPPS. Responses in isolated cells were in general agreement with that predicted by theory. Reversal of the electric field direction did not produce an exactly symmetrical reversal of fluorescent intensities, suggesting structural asymmetries within the cells. Clusters larger than a single cell exhibited more complex responses at the interfaces between cells that were dependent on the orientation of the regions of contact with the electric-field direction. Taken as a whole, the results of this study provide a foundation to understand the interaction of electric fields at the level of tissues and organs.
Initial Evaluation of the Pediatric PROMIS® Health Domains in Children and Adolescents With Sickle Cell Disease.

Background The Patient Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS®) has developed pediatric self-report scales measuring several unidimensional health attributes (domains) suitable for use in clinical research, but these measures have not yet been validated in sickle cell disease (SCD). Procedure A convenience sample of SCD children, aged 8–17 years, from two sickle cell programs was recruited at routine clinic visits, including some for hydroxyurea monitoring or monthly transfusions. Children completed PROMIS pediatric items using an online data collection platform, the PROMIS Assessment Center Web site. Results A total of 235 participants (mean age 12.5 ± 2.8 years, 49.8% female) participated in the study. Adolescents (ages 12–17 years) reported significantly higher pain interference and depressive symptoms, and worse lower extremity physical functioning domain scores compared to younger children (ages 8–11 years). Female participants reported significantly higher pain interference, fatigue, and depressive symptoms, and worse lower extremity physical functioning domain scores compared with their male counterparts. Participants with hip or joint problems that limited usual activities reported significantly higher pain, fatigue, and depressive symptoms scores, and worse upper/lower extremity physical functioning scores as did participants who had experienced sickle pain in the previous 7 days. Conclusions PROMIS pediatric measures are feasible in a research setting and identify expected differences in known group comparisons in a sample of SCD children. The large domain score differences between those with or without SCD-related complications suggest the potential usefulness of these measures in clinical research, but further validation studies are needed, particularly in clinical practice settings.
Focus on the Family: Juvenile Court Responses to Girls and Their Caretakers

Interviews with 27 girls and the professionals who worked with them yielded retrospective accounts of court interventions into families. Contradicting prior criticisms, for the setting and sample, ...
Perspectives on the global evolution and development of pharmacy.

It is indeed a great honor for me to receive the Donald E. Francke Medal today. This recognition of my work in pharmacy’s international space is especially meaningful since I had the privilege of knowing and working with Dr. Donald Francke and his dear wife, Dr. Gloria Niemeyer Francke, over the
Ion-Impact-Induced Strong Metal Surface Interaction in Pt/TiO2(110)

Low-energy alkali ion scattering is used to investigate the electronic structure of Pt nanoclusters on TiO2(110) surfaces. Small clusters grown by deposition neutralize scattered Na+ more efficient...
Biomechanics of cell membrane under low-frequency time-varying magnetic field: a shell model

Cell membrane deforms in the electromagnetic field, suggesting an interesting control of cellular physiology by the field. Previous research has focused on the biomechanical analysis of membrane deformation under electric fields that are generated by electrodes. An alternative, noninvasive method to generate an electric field is the use of electromagnetic induction with a time-varying magnetic field, such as that used for transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS). Although references reporting the magnetic control of cellular mechanics have recently emerged, theoretical analysis of the membrane biomechanics under a time-varying magnetic field is inadequate. We developed a cell model that included the membrane as a low-conductive, capacitive shell and investigated the electric pressure generated on the membrane by a low-frequency magnetic field (0-200 kHz). Our results show that externally applied magnetic field induced surface charges on both sides of the membrane. The charges interacted with the induced electric field to produce a radial pressure upon the membrane. Under the low-frequency range, the radial pressure pulled the cell membrane along the axis that was defined by the magnetically induced electric field. The radial pressure was a function of the field frequency, the conductivity ratio of the cytoplasm to the medium, and the size of the cell. It is quantitatively insignificant in deforming the membrane at the frequency used in TMS, but could be significant at a relatively higher-frequency range (>100 kHz).
HAT (Hyper Analysis Toolkit): a tool for hypertext-based dynamic systems analysis

Increasing system complexity necessitated the development of software engineering methods and CASE (Computer Aided Software Engineering) tools. Many software developers and businesses have adopted engineering principles and computer aided tools to cope with the growing needs of software development and maintenance. In practice, most software projects are initiated by the information needs of the end users. Precise descriptions and understandings of these information needs are critical to information systems. It is believed that increasing end user involvement and doing things right in the early stages of software development processes are the most effective ways to improve software quality. This dissertation presents a research project to develop a tool, HAT (Hyper Analysis Toolkit), to help the end users to understand and use the structured analysis techniques. HAT provides a hypertext linkage of graphical models, such as DFDs (Data Flow Diagrams) and ERDs (Entity Relation Diagrams), with system description narratives and other documents created during the system analysis. Hyperlinks placed in the diagrams and documents provide an easy way for end users and system analysts to navigate and cross-reference the system models. Model evaluation is as important as model description. In addition to the hypertext-based user interface for model description, this research incorporates a simulation package and a rule-based expert system to estimate the dynamic features of a DFD model. Dynamic evaluation of models at early stages will help system developers and end users to have better control over software development processes.
Retropharyngeal Tendonitis: A Cause of Severe Neck Pain

The clinical presentation of calcific retropharyngeal tendonitis, a rare entity, can mimic more serious disorders. The main stay of diagnosis is CT scan that shows calcification of C1-C2 which is pathognomonic. Here we present a case of a 26-year-old man presenting to the emergency department (ED) with a chief complaint of neck pain that increased in severity. The patient was first diagnosed with torticollis and sent home on painkillers. Further tests were ordered upon his return to the ED complaining of increased neck pain severity and dysphagia. Diagnosis was ultimately made by CT scan and the patient was treated accordingly. When misdiagnosed, patients with retropharyngeal tendonitis can often undergo unnecessary and invasive surgical procedures to drain nonexistent abscesses. With proper imaging, and an informed physician, correct diagnosis can be made based on prevertebral swelling and calcification. J Med Cases. 2016;7(5):155-157 doi: http://dx.doi.org/10.14740/jmc2286w
Tmc1 Is a Dynamically Regulated Effector of the Rpn4 Proteotoxic Stress Response

The ubiquitin-proteasome system represents the major pathway of selective intracellular protein degradation in eukaryotes. Misfolded proteins represent an important class of substrates for this pathway, and the failure to destroy misfolded proteins is associated with a number of human diseases. The transcription factor Rpn4 mediates a key proteotoxic stress response whose best known function is to control proteasome abundance by a homeostatic feedback mechanism. Here we identify the uncharacterized zinc finger protein Tmc1 as a dynamically regulated stress-responsive protein. Rpn4 induces TMC1 transcription in response to misfolded proteins. However, this response is counteracted by rapid proteasome-dependent degradation of Tmc1, which serves to normalize Tmc1 protein levels after induction. Precise control of Tmc1 levels is needed in vivo to survive multiple stressors related to proteostasis. Thus, Tmc1 represents a novel effector and substrate of the Rpn4 proteotoxic stress response.
Resuscitation of the multiply injured patient

The resuscitation of the traumatized patient with multisystem injuries begins on the scene of the incident, continues into the emergency department, and finally includes the surgeon and the operating room. Treatment of the traumatized patient requires a systematic approach to best utilize all facilities and personnel while limiting duplication of service. The patient must go to the facility that best meets his or her needs. Stabilization in the emergency department should proceed in an orderly and organized fashion. Care must be taken when establishing the airway to protect the cervical spine. Massive hemothorax, tension pneumothorax, cardiac tamponade, intraabdominal bleeding, and retroperitoneal bleeding, as well as flail chest, must be remedied before stabilization and resuscitation can come to a successful outcome. Internal cardiac massage may need to be done for cardiac tamponade or when resuscitation has failed. Fluid repletion must be vigorous and aggressive. Albumin is probably of no benefit to the patient and, in fact, may be deleterious. Hetastarch may turn out to be a valuable addition to the fluid management of these patients. The patient is entitled to one physician who can call the consultants together. In addition, there should be a single physician for the patient who can control the timing of operative intervention as well as coordinate the overall management by the consultants.
Investigation of Dynamic Abnormal Grain Growth using the Monte Carlo Potts method

Abstract A newly proposed theory to explain the occurrence of Dynamic Abnormal Grain Growth is the nucleation and growth of a few strain-free grains. To investigate this theory, an energy minimization recrystallization model within Monte Carlo Potts is employed. This work investigates the role of strain rate and initial grain size on the initiation and abnormal growth of new strain-free grains. Additionally, the behavior of the seldom used nucleation model is characterized. Behavior resembling Dynamic Abnormal Grain Growth is found to occur when the strain rate is below 0.001 n.d./MCS, or under conditions equivalent to low strain energy with large grain sizes.
Avoiding politics: The evaporation of politics in the US public sphere

Examining everyday political conversation reveals an often ignored dimension of public engagement and disengagement, rebellion and acquiescence, curiosity and complacency. This seemingly shallow dimension is the intangible realm of unspoken political etiquette, where citizens delicately but very firmly establish a sense of what the public sphere itself is – of what can be questioned and discussed, where and how. In the contemporary American public sphere, paradoxically, what marks a context as clearly “public” is often precisely the fact that the talk there is so narrow, not at all publicminded. Civic etiquette made imaginative, open-minded, thoughtful conversation rare in public, frontstage settings. The more hidden the context, the more public-spirited conversation was possible. Politics evaporated from public circulation. The people I met wanted to create a sense of community, but did not want to talk politics. Though they did gather together, they missed a chance to ignite that magical kind of power that can sparkle between people when they self-reflectively organize themselves. Such reflection does not necessarily entail ignoring local, individual suffering or abandoning local hands-on projects. In the process of alleviating real people's suffering, citizens could wonder aloud about the political forces that may have helped create that suffering. While building the playgrounds and selling tickets to the local Halloween fair, parents could casually talk about whatever came to mind, including politics. People could learn to use their collective imaginations to improve what they can improve – to lend a hand, but also an imagination.
SEA-LEVELS, LATE QUATERNARY | Tectonics and Relative Sea-Level Change

Records of relative sea-level change archive the response of the Earth's surface to tectonic processes. Much of our understanding of tectonic processes during the Quaternary comes from study of strandlines (shoreline landforms and deposits) along tectonically active coasts. Regional patterns of strandline uplift or subsidence reflect primary tectonic processes related to horizontal tectonic plate motions, whereas local patterns reflect deformation on secondary faults and folds in the Earth's shallow crust. Pleistocene (1.6 million to 12 000 years ago) strandlines measure the net effect of tectonic processes along tens to hundreds of kilometers of coast over tens of thousands to hundreds of thousands of years. Strandlines of the past 2000 years provide insight into tectonic processes at a level of detail not possible with Pleistocene strandlines. The most detailed of these studies using tidal microfossils and tropical corals reconstruct strandline movements of decimeters during past earthquake deformation cycles above subduction-zone faults. Because of the complexities of coastal and earthquake-cycle processes, no strandline records exactly match theoretical models of earthquake cycles. But improved understanding of the rates and scales of tectonic processes leads to better forecasting and mitigation of large earthquakes and related hazards – such as tsunamis and landslides – in inland as well as coastal regions worldwide.
Psychological Manifestations of Early Childhood Adversity in the Context of Chronic Hematologic Malignancy.

Background Myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs), a group of chronic hematologic malignancies, carry significant physical and psychological symptom burdens that significantly affect patientsʼ quality of life. Objectives We sought to identify the relationship between early childhood adversity (ECA) and psychological distress in patients with MPNs, as ECA may compound symptom burden. Methods Patients with MPNs were assessed for ECA (i.e., the Risky Families Questionnaire-subscales include abuse/neglect/chaotic home environment), distress (i.e., Distress Thermometer and Problem List), anxiety (i.e., Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Anxiety [HADS-A]), depression (i.e., Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale-Depression [HADS-D]), meeting standardized cutoff thresholds for distress (i.e., Distress Thermometer and Problem List≥ 4 or ≥ 7)/anxiety (HADS-A ≥8)/depression (HADS-D ≥ 8), and demographic factors. Results A total of 117 participants completed the study (78% response rate). ECA was associated with depression ( p p p p p = 0.004), family ( p = 0.01), and spiritual ( p = 0.01) by bivariate analysis and only with distress (HADS) ( p = 0.038) on multivariate analysis. ECA was associated with meeting cutoff threshold criteria for distress ( p = 0.007), anxiety ( p = 0.001), and depression ( p = 0.02). ECA subscale variables abuse and chaotic home environment were associated with psychological outcomes. ECA was higher based on disease subtypes with greater symptom burden (other > polycythemia vera > myelofibrosis > essential thrombocythemia) ( p = 0.047) and taking an antidepressant ( p = 0.011). Conclusion ECA is associated with psychological distress and meets screening criteria for anxiety and depression in patients with MPNs. ECA may help to explain individual patient trajectories, and further understanding may enhance patient-centered care among patients with MPNs.
The Rise and Fall of the Wonder Okinawa Digital Archive: Comparing Japanese and American Conceptualizations of Digital Archives

This paper examines the development of what once was Japan’s largest local digital archive, Wonder Okinawa, created in 2003. It collected a diverse view of Okinawa’s cultural properties as a treasure house for future generations. It was created under the banner of establishing an Okinawan “brand” to promote tourism, and to nurture human resources, so that Okinawa could foster a hub of IT industries. In the early 2000s, the national government envisioned digital archives as part of its scheme to become a highly networked society, as the means to address social problems, such as the low birthrate, graying population, and shrinking workforce. The digital archive project spearheaded the government’s effort. However, the $13.5 millon project was dismantled less than a decade after its spectacular debut. The paper analyzes the causes of the failure and explores some key differences between the conceptual model of digital archives in Japan and North America.
Biochemical and molecular studies in mild flavin monooxygenase 3 deficiency.

Flavin-containing monooxygenases (FMOs) are membrane-associated microsomal mixed-function oxidases that are required for the oxidation and detoxification of many nitrogen-, sulphur- and phosphorus-containing substances and are present in nearly all secretory cell types (Dolphin et al 1997; Treacy et al 1998). At least five different isoforms (1 to 5) have been identified in mammalian tissues (Lawton et al 1994). In humans, FMO3 is the major catalytic isoform expressed in the liver (Lomri et al 1993), although it is also present in the kidney and probably in other tissues. Substrates include endogenous amines (e.g. adrenaline), tyramine, nicotine, drugs (e.g. tricyclic antidepressants, ranitidine), as well as trimethylamine (TMA), a volatile malodourous substance that is present in fish or may be produced by the action of gut bacteria on choline, lecithin or carnitine (Lin et al 1996; Ziegler 1993). It has been shown that a deficiency of FMO3 is the cause of the recessive disorder trimethylaminuria (TMA-uria) or fish-odour syndrome' (Dolphin et al 1997; Treacy et al 1998). Individuals affected by this disease have a reduced capacity to oxidize free TMA to its odourless, nonvolatile metabolite TMA N-oxide (TMAO) and display a strong, fish-like odour due to the excretion of large amounts of TMA in urine, sweat and breath (Ayesh et al 1993). The diagnosis is made biochemically on the basis of elevated urinary free TMA; under physiological conditions, >95% of the total TMA (= free TMA + TMAO) is excreted as TMAO. In classical fish-odour syndrome, the TMAO/total TMA ratio is strongly decreased. The FMO3 gene is located on chromosome 1q23-25 and contains one noncoding and eight coding exons. A small number of severe, disease-causing mutations and several polymorphic variants in the gene have been reported (Akerman et al 1999; Dolphin et al 1997; Treacy et al 1998). We have recently found that a frequent variant allele carrying two amino acid polymorphisms, c.472G > A and c.923A > G [E308G; E158K], is associated with reduced N-oxidation capacity after oral trimethylamine challenge (Zschocke et al 1999). Patients previously reported to suffer from 'transient' trimethylaminuria (Mayatepek and Kohlmuller 1998) were compound heterozygous for the variant allele and a severe FMO3 mutation, corresponding to mild enzyme deficiency. Here we present the results of molecular analyses and biochemical studies under physiological conditions in patients with mild FMO3 deficiency and report the first symptomatic patient who is homozygous for the variant allele.
Race, Gender, and Responses to the Police Among Ferguson Residents and Protesters

A large body of research has examined police behavior toward citizens and shown that police practices are geographically patterned. Disadvantaged neighborhoods are more likely to receive punitive p...
US trade and investment in Africa: What are the prospects for the 21st century?

African countries considered in this study face many supply constraints and so lack the capacity to produce. Export promotion effort cannot be successful unless such constraints are removed. Transparency in governance, improvements in basic infrastructure and economic liberalization are some of the ways to remove such constraints. Direct private investment to accelerate economic expansion rather than exchange rate manipulations are needed before export promotion policy can be successful.
Request Evaluation for Policy-Based Attribute Access Control in Social Network Cloud

In recent years, millions of people are connected on social networks. Social networks have become an excellent platform for sharing information and communication that reflects real world relationships. This global use of social networks has made them to be an excellent candidate for using cloud. As a result, numerous access control methods have been proposed to maximize available resources. In addition, to protect these resources, access control policies have been devised. In this paper, we propose a method to evaluate requests for accessing shared resources, and to respond those requests. Before evaluating the request, we provide a well-formed notation for specifying the request, the cloud-based social network, and the associated access control policies. We show that our notation enables users to define the inquires and the policies in a simpler and more efficient way and that it helps users to protect their assets under a tight security.
Steady State Analysis of Boolean Models: A Dimension Reduction Approach

Abstract Boolean models have been used to study biological systems where it is of interest to understand the qualitative behavior of the system or when the precise regulatory mechanisms are unknown. A feature of especial interest of Boolean models are the states where the system is invariant over time, because they correspond to stable patterns of the biological system. Thus, finding steady states or fixed points is an important problem in computational systems biology. Although Boolean networks provide a strong mathematical framework, the analysis by simulation is difficult for models of large size. Thus, it is necessary to develop tools to analyze large Boolean models other than by exhaustive simulation. Here we present an approach based on dimension reduction that allows us to study large Boolean models by systematically removing nodes without changing the number of steady states.