cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Adverse Outcome Pathways for Developmental Toxicity

Adverse Outcome Pathways (AOPs) (frameworks for organizing knowledge about the etiology of an adverse phenotypic outcome) for developmental toxicity are still in their infancy yet represent the culmination of literally centuries of thinking and experimentation. Throughout history people have wondered about the origins of birth defects. It was not until the late nineteenth century that experimental teratology demonstrated that development of embryos could be predictably perturbed by noxious agents, and not until the twentieth century did those experiments include mammalian species. In the mid- to late twentieth century scientists began to design experiments in multiple species to understand the etiology of birth defects. Progress was slow due to limitations in both knowledge of developmental biology and technology. These studies typically took place in individual scientists’ laboratories, so lack of collaboration was another impediment. Nevertheless, ideas and experimentation abounded, as in the case of the notorious human teratogen thalidomide, which spurred research producing dozens of hypotheses about mechanisms of teratogenesis and the biology underlying the stark species differences in sensitivity. Developmental biologists began to uncover molecular signaling pathways critical for normal morphogenesis and new approaches to studying them. In the first decade of the twenty-first century, teratologists, developmental biologists, and toxicologists came together first to advocate exploiting new knowledge about evolutionarily conserved signaling pathways to design assays for developmental toxicity done in vitro or in alternative species, and again to advocate for development and application of new approaches including high-throughput batteries of in vitro assays using human materials and robotic instrumentation to speed the accrual of new knowledge. At the same time, rapid advances in computational capabilities spawned in silico models of morphogenesis and powerful cheminformatic approaches. Online databases now provide public access to an ever-expanding volume of data and information, and collaborative tools provide accessible platforms for collective thinking. For AOPs, this includes the AOPwiki (http://aopkb.org/), a public repository for AOPs across the broad field of toxicology that allows for public comments on, and contributions to, AOPs under development. There are at present few AOPs for developmental toxicity in the AOPwiki, but the opportunities are great for this valuable resource. This chapter will briefly recount some historical milestones in teratology and articulate several illustrative examples of research on mechanisms of normal and abnormal development that have served to provide the bricks and mortar from which AOPS for developmental toxicity can be built. AOPs emerging from this knowledge are presented to demonstrate the value of this approach and finally, remaining hurdles to effectively applying the AOP framework to human risk assessments will be discussed.
Chromosome 19 microRNA cluster enhances cell reprogramming by inhibiting epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition

During implantation, cytotrophoblasts undergo epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) as they differentiate into invasive extravillous trophoblasts (EVTs). The primate-specific microRNA cluster on chromosome 19 (C19MC) is exclusively expressed in the placenta, embryonic stem cells and certain cancers however, its role in EMT gene regulation is unknown. In situ hybridization for miR-517a/c, a C19MC cistron microRNA, in first trimester human placentas displayed strong expression in villous trophoblasts and a gradual decrease from proximal to distal cell columns as cytotrophoblasts differentiate into invasive EVTs. To investigate the role of C19MC in the regulation of EMT genes, we employed the CRISPR/dCas9 Synergistic Activation Mediator (SAM) system, which induced robust transcriptional activation of the entire C19MC cistron and resulted in suppression of EMT associated genes. Exposure of human iPSCs to hypoxia or differentiation of iPSCs into either cytotrophoblast-stem-like cells or EVT-like cells under hypoxia reduced C19MC expression and increased EMT genes. Furthermore, transcriptional activation of the C19MC cistron induced the expression of OCT4 and FGF4 and accelerated cellular reprogramming. This study establishes the CRISPR/dCas9 SAM as a powerful tool that enables activation of the entire C19MC cistron and uncovers its novel role in suppressing EMT genes critical for maintaining the epithelial cytotrophoblasts stem cell phenotype.
Research on influence factors of primary frequency regulation contribution electric energy of hydropower unit

The primary frequency regulation contribution electric energy (PFRCEE) is an important index for evaluating primary frequency regulation (PFR) performance of hydropower units. Due to the random frequency fluctuation of power grid, non-linear characteristics of hydraulic turbines and water inertia, there are many uncertainties in PFRCEE of hydropower units, which makes it difficult to analyze PFRCEE accurately and comprehensively through field tests. In this paper, the influence factors of PFRCEE of hydropower units are researched by numerical simulation, and the mathematical model of PFR simulation of hydropower units is established. The actual frequency fluctuation of grid is used as input of hydro turbine governor. The calculation results show that: the greater the governor parameters K P and K I are, the greater the PFRCEE is, and with the increase of b p or e p , the PFRCEE significantly reduces. The PFRCEE increases linearly with the increasement of turbine head in governor opening mode. In power mode, the PFRCEE of different heads is basically the same except that the PFRCEE of the minimum head is obviously low. There are differences in the PFRCEE of different loads. Compared with the power mode, the difference in the opening mode of governor is more obvious. In opening mode, the larger the T w is, the smaller the PFRCEE is. In power mode, when the T w is large, the larger the T w is, the smaller the PFRCEE is. When the T w is small, the influence of changing the T w on the PFRCEE is limited.
How method travels: genealogy in Foucault and Castro-Gómez

This paper examines whether, and how, Foucauldian genealogy travels to contexts and problematizations beyond the method's European site of articulation. Our particular focus is on the work of Colom...
Protection against dengue virus requires a sustained balance of antibody and T cell responses

Pre-existing immunity to dengue virus (DENV) can either protect against or exacerbate, a phenomenon known as antibody dependent enhancement (ADE), a secondary DENV infection. DENV, as an escalating health problem worldwide, has increased the urgency to understand the precise parameters shaping the anti-DENV antibody (Ab) and T cell responses, thereby tipping the balance towards protection versus pathogenesis. Herein, we present the current state of knowledge of about the interplay between the Ab and T cell responses that dictate the outcome of DENV infection and discuss how this newfound knowledge is reshaping strategies for developing safe and effective DENV vaccines.
Blunt Solid Organ Injury: A Call for Timely Chemoprophylaxis in the Setting of Early Hypercoagulability

Blunt solid organ injury (BSOI) is a leading cause of morbidity and mortality in trauma patients. The coagulation profile of BSOI is poorly understood, but several studies of BSOI patients describe a robust hypercoagulable profile, which is present as early as hospital admission and lasts several days. While the mechanism of this hypercoagulable state has not been elucidated, the clinical consequences, including thrombotic morbidity, can occur at high rates without chemoprophylaxis strategies. Due to the theoretical hemorrhagic risk with venous thromboembolism (VTE) chemoprophylaxis and concomitant risk of failure of nonoperative management, there is continued debate about the optimal time to initiate VTE chemoprophylaxis in nonoperatively managed BSOI. Ultimately, however, the risk of both bleeding and failure of nonoperative management of BSOI is markedly overstated. Consequently, the initiation of VTE chemoprophylaxis in BSOI patients is frequently inappropriately delayed or altogether withheld. This chapter reviews the evidence supporting early initiation of VTE chemoprophylaxis in this hypercoagulable sub-population of trauma patients.
A ROM-accelerated parallel-in-time preconditioner for solving all-at-once systems from evolutionary PDEs.

In this paper we propose to use model reduction techniques for speeding up the diagonalization-based parallel-in-time (ParaDIAG) preconditioner, for iteratively solving all-at-once systems from evolutionary PDEs. In particular, we use the reduced basis method to seek a low-dimensional approximation to the sequence of complex-shifted systems arising from Step-(b) of the ParaDIAG preconditioning procedure. Different from the standard reduced order modeling that uses the separation of offline and online stages, we have to build the reduced order model (ROM) online for the considered systems at each iteration. Therefore, several heuristic acceleration techniques are introduced in the greedy basis generation algorithm, that is built upon a residual-based error indicator, to further boost up its computational efficiency. Several numerical experiments are conducted, which illustrate the favorable computational efficiency of our proposed ROM-accelerated ParaDIAG preconditioner, in comparison with the state of the art multigrid-based ParaDIAG preconditioner.
Lethal hyperammonemia in a CAR-T cell recipient due to Ureaplasma pneumonia: a case report of a unique severe complication.

We report the first incidence of Ureaplasma infection causing lethal hyperammonemia in a chimeric receptor antigen T cell (CAR-T) recipient. A 53-year-old woman, after receiving CAR-T therapy, suffered sepsis and encephalopathy. She was found to have hyperammonemia up to 643 µmol/L. Imaging revealed lung consolidations and bronchoalveolar lavage PCR was positive for U. parvum. Workup excluded liver failure and metabolic abnormalities. Antibiotics, lactulose, dextrose, arginine, levocarnitine, sodium phenylbutyrate and dialysis were used. Despite these, the patient suffered persistent elevations in ammonia, status epilepticus and cerebral oedema. Early recognition of this rare infection in susceptible populations is needed. CAR-T patients are at risk due to their immunocompromised state and may have amplified harm due to the impact of CAR-T therapy on astrocytes. An early aggressive multimodality approach is needed given the high mortality rates. These include antimicrobials, possibly with double coverage for Ureaplasma. Additionally, concurrent ammonia-suppressing and ammonia-eliminating treatments are necessary.
A Framework for Code Division Multiple Access Wireless Power Transfer

The availability of energy is one of the major hindrances to unlocking the massive potential of electronic devices. Powering a highly connected network of devices requires multiple access and a wireless power transfer (WPT) solution that is scalable and capable of maintaining a constant power flow regardless of reconfiguration (mutability) and electromagnetic environment (power flow selectivity). In this paper, we present a framework for the implementation of code division multiple access wireless power transfer (CDMA-WPT) for enabling WPT among multiple transmitters and multiple receivers simultaneously. CDMA-WPT maintains power flow selectivity and is easily scalable. An inverter/rectifier topology is presented for the hardware implementation of CDMA-WPT. A design process for practical co-design of high-performance hardware and obtaining a code set is also presented. We demonstrate the hardware implementation of CDMA-WPT using two transmitters and two receivers maintaining a nearly constant 5W operation with nearly 75% dc-dc efficiency, and four transmitters and four receivers maintaining a constant 4W operating with greater than 70% dc-dc efficiency. This paper is accompanied by a video hardware demonstration in real-time the difference between using orthogonal codes in CDMA versus conventional single-frequency WPT using 4 transmitter-receiver pairs; conventional single-frequency WPT shows up to a 82% deviation from the intended transfer power as opposed to 8.1% for orthogonal codes in CDMA.
On Not Falling for Phish: Examining Multiple Stages of Protective Behavior of Information System End-Users

The adage, “old habits die hard” is especially relevant when humans learn new protective behaviors (i.e., dental flossing, IS security behaviors). The foundation that underlies many social-cognitive theories used in IS research is that intention to change predicts actual behavior change. Despite intentions to change, humans do not always change their habits due to actual or perceived obstacles, for example. In this study, user behavior, particularly with respect to vigilance over phishing attempts, will be investigated via the theoretical lens of a hybrid continuum-stage behavior change model adapted from health-related fields. The goal of this research will be to gain a better understanding of: a) whether there are distinct stages that distinguish end-users’ vigilance toward phishing attempts; b) if so, can this research study confirm three distinct stages; and, c) what characterizes these different stages. This paper describes how we will examine our research questions through a research program.
Non-enzymatic glycation of α-crystallin as an in vitro model for aging, diabetes and degenerative diseases

Alpha crystallin, a small heat-shock protein, has been studied extensively for its chaperone function. Alpha crystallin subunits are expressed in stress conditions and have been found to prevent apoptosis by inhibiting the activation of caspase pathway. Non-enzymatic glycation of protein leads to the formation of advanced glycation end-products (AGEs). These AGEs bind to receptors and lead to blocking the signaling pathways or cause protein precipitation as observed in aggregation-related diseases. Methylglyoxal (MGO) is one of the major glycating agents expressed in pathological conditions due to defective glycolysis pathway. MGO reacts rapidly with proteins, forms AGEs and finally leads to aggregation. The goal of this study was to understand the non-enzymatic glycation-induced structural damage in alpha crystallin using biophysical and spectroscopic characterization. This will help to develop better disease models for understanding the biochemical pathways and also in drug discovery.
Isolation and Characterization of Particle Induced Defects from the Lithography Process Using an Electrical Defect Monitor

The design, processing and use of a serpentine-comb electrical defect monitor that does not require the photoresist to be stripped prior to testing is described. By use of a dual pad structure, the serpentine-comb pattern can be tested for opens and shorts while the resist remains on the pattern and on the defects. In this way, defects, (especially particulate induced ones) can be ascribed to either before or after photoresist application and in some instances to before or after resist patterning. The use of an electrical defect monitor of this type makes it possible to collect lithography related defect data from a sample area much larger than would be possible with conventional optical inspection methods.
Michael Doyle and Nicholas Sambanis, Making war and building peace: United Nations peace operations

Since the end of the Cold War peacebuilding in war-torn societies has become the most important task on the agenda of the United Nations. Between 1990 and 2005 the organization engaged in dozens of operations to help secure the peace. Many of these were Bmultidimensional^ operations, which seek to build, re-build, or reform the basic institutions of a post-civil war state. It is these most complex, difficult, and often successful operations that are the focus of Michael Doyle and Nicholas Sambanis_ timely and first-rate book, Making War and Building Peace. The purpose of the book is to Bdiscuss theories of the origins of and solutions to civil wars, the principles behind and the practices of the United Nations as an institution, and the debate over doctrines and strategies of intervention. But its key purpose is to explain how the international community, and the UN in particular, can assist the reconstruction of peace in civil war-torn lands^ (p. 4). Doyle and Sambanis are well-placed to write such a book. Doyle, a Professor of International Affairs, Law, and Politics at Columbia University, was formerly Assistant Secretary-General and Special Adviser to Secretary-General Kofi Annan from 2001–2003. Nicholas Sambanis, who formerly conducted research for the World Bank, is an Associate Professor of Political Science at Yale, and has a background in political economy. The book is an expansion of the argument the two scholars made in their seminal 2000 article in the American Political Science Review, BInternational Peacebuilding: A Theoretical and Quantitative Analysis.^ In the article, after building a new and now widely-used cross-sectional dataset of all civil wars since 1944, they made a convincing statistical case that peacebuilding by the United Nations has led to longer-term peace, despite the well-known cases of failure, and despite the fact that the UN is often saddled with the most difficult conflicts. Peacebuilding is defined as Ban attempt, after a peace has been negotiated or imposed, to address the sources of current hostility and build local capacities for Rev Int Org (2006) 1: 401–403 DOI 10.1007/s11558-006-0365-9
Queue-based Group Key Agreement Protocol

Group communication is exploding in Internet applications such as video conferences, online chatting programs, games, and gambling. Since most group communication takes place over the Internet that is a wide open network, security plays a major role. For a secure communication, the integrity of messages, member authentication, and confldentiality must be provided among group members. To maintain message integrity, all group members use a Group Key (GK) for encrypting and decrypting messages during group communication. Secure and e‐cient group key managements have been developed to generate a GK e‐ciently. Tree-based Group Di‐e-Hellman (TGDH) is an e‐cient group key agreement protocol to generate the GK. TGDH and other group key generation protocols assume that all members have an equal computing power. However, one of the characteristics of a distributed computing environment is heterogeneity; the member can be at a workstation, a laptop, or even a mobile computer. TGDH and other group key generation protocols assume all members have an equal computing power. However, one of the characteristics of distributed computing is heterogeneity. Therefore, this research considers member’s diversity and proposes enhanced group key generation protocol with flltering out low performance members in group key generating processes to improve the e‐ciency of GK processes.
An Ab Initio Study of the Complexes Formed by the Positive Acetylene Ion with the Hydrogen and Nitrogen Molecules and the Argon Atom

The complexes formed by the positive acetylene ion with the hydrogen molecule, the nitrogen molecule, and the argon atom are investigated with ab initio calculations using the 6-311G** and the 6-31+G(2df,2pd) basis sets. MP2/6-311G** energies and optimum geometries are obtained, as well as single-point MP3, MP4, and QCISD(T) energies with the MP2/6-311G** optimized geometries. Single-point calculations are performed with the 6-31+G(2df,2pd) basis set at MP2/6-311G** optimized geometries.
Recognition of a tetranucleotide loop of signal recognition particle RNA by protein SRP19

The interaction of protein SRP19 with the RNA component of human signal recognition particle (SRP) was studied by site-directed mutagenesis of the SRP RNA. The effects of nucleotide changes in the tetranucleotide loop (tetraloop) of helix 6 showed that SRP19 recognizes a tetraloop in a sequence-specific manner. Adenosine 149 at the third position of the tetraloop was essential for binding. In contrast, changes of the base at the second position had no effect. Mutations that disrupt or compensate individual SRP RNA helices were generated to investigate the importance of base pairing and to identify other binding sites. Considerable base pairing was essential in helix 6. Another SRP19-binding site was located in the distal part of helix 8. The primary sequences of the tetraloop-binding protein SR19 and of bacterial ribosomal protein S15 are shown to be similar.
Immunofluorescence Approach to the Study of the Ecology of Thermoplasma acidophilum In Coal Refuse Material

Specific immunofluorescence staining was applied to the study of the localization, distribution, and growth of Thermoplasma acidophilum in its natural habitat, the coal refuse pile. Different antigenic groups of T. acidophilum could be isolated from the same refuse pile, and the same antigenic groups were isolated from piles from different geographical areas. No correlation could be established between the antigenic groups and the pH or temperature of the habitats. Brightly fluorescing cells of T. acidophilum were detected on microscope slides buried in contact with the coal refuse material or immersed in the water in the stream draining a refuse pile. T. acidophilum grew when inoculated into either coal refuse material and/or an aqueous extract of coal refuse when incubated at its optimal temperature of 55 C, but not when incubated at room temperature or 37 C. The coal refuse pile appears to be a primary habitat for T. acidophilum.
Analysis of the role of the Shc and Grb2 proteins in signal transduction by the v-ErbB protein.

Abstract The epidermal growth factor receptor, EGFR, has been implicated in cell transformation in both mammalian and avian species. The v-ErbB oncoprotein is an oncogenic form of the chicken EGFR. The tyrosine kinase activity of this oncoprotein is required for transformation, but no transformation-specific cellular substrates have been described to date. Recently activation of the ras signal transduction pathway by the EGFR has been shown to involve the Shc and Grb2 proteins. In this communication, we demonstrate that the Shc proteins are phosphorylated on tyrosine residues and are complexed with Grb2 and the chicken EGFR following ligand activation of this receptor. In fibroblasts and erythroid cells transformed by the avian erythroblastosis virus (AEV) strains H and ES4, the Shc proteins are found to be constitutively phosphorylated on tyrosine residues. The tyrosine-phosphorylated forms of the AEV strain H v-ErbB protein are found in a complex with Shc and Grb2, but the Shc proteins do not bind to the AEV strain ES4 v-ErbB protein. Mutant forms of the v-ErbB protein (in which several of the tyrosines that become autophosphorylated have been deleted by truncation) are unable to transform erythroid cells but can still transform fibroblasts. Analysis of cells transformed by one of these mutants revealed that the truncated v-ErbB protein could no longer bind to either Shc or Grb2, but this oncoprotein still gave rise to tyrosine-phosphorylated Shc proteins that complexed with Grb2 and led to activation of mitogen-activated protein (MAP) kinase. The results suggest that stable binding of Grb2 and Shc to the v-ErbB protein is not necessary to activate this signal transduction pathway and assuming that the mutant activate MAP kinase in erythroid cells in a manner similar to that of fibroblasts, that activation of this pathway is not sufficient to transform erythroid cells.
Design considerations for a high efficiency 3 kW LLC resonant DC/DC transformer

In this paper, the design principles, procedures and considerations for a 3 kW high efficiency LLC resonant DC/DC transformer is presented. The efficiency-oriented design procedure involves analytical methods for calculating converter RMS current on both primary side and secondary side, transformer winding AC loss and MOSFET switching loss. These methods are reviewed in this paper. The resonant inductor is integrated with the transformer. Implementation issues that arise due to integration of the resonant inductor and the transformer are analyzed with special attention given to modeling of voltage ringing on the secondary side MOSFETs. Finally, a converter prototype is built, which achieves 98.24% efficiency at nominal load. The design concepts and models are verified by the prototype.
Determination of Water Soluble Vitamins in Pharmaceutical Preparations Using Liquid Chromatography

Abstract A liquid chromatography procedure is described for the simultaneous separation of seven water soluble vitamins in pharmaceutical pteparations. The vitamins are separated on a CR bonded-phase column and eluted with a gradient solvent program. A microprocessor controlled variable wavelength ultraviolet detector is used to automatically change detection wavelength to optimize detection of each vitamin. Pharmaceutical preparations are briefly sonicated in a dimethyl sulfoxide-water mixture, centrifuged, and an aliquot injected directly onto the column.
Secondary mapping of lymphatic filariasis in Haiti-definition of transmission foci in low-prevalence settings.

To eliminate Lymphatic filariasis (LF) as a public health problem, the World Health Organization (WHO) recommends that any area with infection prevalence greater than or equal to 1% (denoted by presence of microfilaremia or antigenemia) should receive mass drug administration (MDA) of antifilarial drugs for at least five consecutive rounds. Areas of low-antigen prevalence (<1%) are thought to pose little risk for continued transmission of LF. Five low-antigen prevalence communes in Haiti, characterized as part of a national survey, were further assessed for transmission in this study. An initial evaluation of schoolchildren was performed in each commune to identify antigen-positive children who served as index cases for subsequent community surveys conducted among households neighboring the index cases. Global positioning system (GPS) coordinates and immunochromatographic tests (ICT) for filarial antigenemia were collected on approximately 1,600 persons of all ages in the five communes. The relationship between antigen-positive cases in the community and distance from index cases was evaluated using multivariate regression techniques and analyses of spatial clustering. Community surveys demonstrated higher antigen prevalence in three of the five communes than was observed in the original mapping survey; autochthonous cases were found in the same three communes. Regression techniques identified a significantly increased likelihood of being antigen-positive when living within 20 meters of index cases when controlling for age, gender, and commune. Spatial clustering of antigen-positive cases was observed in some, but not all communes. Our results suggest that localized transmission was present even in low-prevalence settings and suggest that better surveillance methods may be needed to detect microfoci of LF transmission.
Visualizing Neuromodulation In Vivo: TANGO-Mapping of Dopamine Signaling Reveals Appetite Control of Sugar Sensing

Behavior cannot be predicted from a "connectome" because the brain contains a chemical ‘‘map’’ of neuromodulation superimposed upon its synaptic connectivity map. Neuromodulation changes how neural circuits process information in different states, such as hunger or arousal. Here we describe a genetically based method to map, in an unbiased and brain-wide manner, sites of neuromodulation under different conditions in the Drosophila brain. This method, and genetic perturbations, reveal that the well-known effect of hunger to enhance behavioral sensitivity to sugar is mediated, at least in part, by the release of dopamine onto primary gustatory sensory neurons, which enhances sugar-evoked calcium influx. These data reinforce the concept that sensory neurons constitute an important locus for state-dependent gain control of behavior and introduce a methodology that can be extended to other neuromodulators and model organisms.
HIV-Specific CD4 T Cell Responses to Different Viral Proteins Have Discordant Associations with Viral Load and Clinical Outcome

A successful prophylactic vaccine is characterized by long-lived immunity, which is critically dependent on CD4 T cell-mediated helper signals. Indeed, most licensed vaccines induce antigen-specific CD4 T cell responses, in addition to high-affinity antibodies. However, despite the important role of CD4 T cells in vaccine design and natural infection, few studies have characterized HIV-specific CD4 T cells due to their preferential susceptibility to HIV infection. To establish at the population level the impact of HIV-specific CD4 T cells on viral control and define the specificity of HIV-specific CD4 T cell peptide targeting, we conducted a comprehensive analysis of these responses to the entire HIV proteome in 93 subjects at different stages of HIV infection. We show that HIV-specific CD4 T cell responses were detectable in 92% of individuals and that the breadth of these responses showed a significant inverse correlation with the viral load (P = 0.009, R = -0.31). In particular, CD4 T cell responses targeting Gag were robustly associated with lower levels of viremia (P = 0.0002, R = -0.45). Importantly, differences in the immunodominance profile of HIV-specific CD4 T cell responses distinguished HIV controllers from progressors. Furthermore, Gag/Env ratios were a potent marker of viral control, with a high frequency and magnitude of Gag responses and low proportion of Env responses associated with effective immune control. At the epitope level, targeting of three distinct Gag peptides was linked to spontaneous HIV control (P = 0.60 to 0.85). Inclusion of these immunogenic proteins and peptides in future HIV vaccines may act as a critical cornerstone for enhancing protective T cell responses.
Geostatistical Hierarchical Model for Temporally Integrated Radon Measurements

In the search for important determinants of disease, epidemiologists often face the challenging task of retrospectively estimating exposures of interest. Such is the case in modern studies of the lung cancer risk posed by residential radon—a naturally occurring radioactive gas. Assessment of past radon exposures is limited because measurements are not generally available for the locations at which study subjects spent time prior to enrollment. In such settings, there is a need for prediction at unmeasured geopraphic sites and time periods. We develop a hierarchical Bayesian goestatistical model for predicting unmeasured radon concentrations over space and time. Our work arises from a study of residential radon in Iowa, where measurements were taken as yearly averages and subject to detector measurement error. Much attention has been given lately to geostatistical methods for data that are obtained as integrated averages over geographic regions. We show how these techniques work in the time domain as well. Unlike the numerical approximations that are needed to integrate over geographic regions, we are able to provide closed-form solutions for the integration that must be performed over temporal periods. Our approach is illustrated with radon concentrations measured from 614 different geographic sites and 799 time periods.
Compact laser difference-frequency spectrometer for multicomponent trace gas detection

O), carbon dioxide (CO2), and sulfur dioxide (SO2). Real-time detection of CO, N2O, and CO2 was performed in open air over a path length of 5 to 18 m. The feasibility of DFG spectroscopic measurement of the 13C/12C and 18O/17O/16O isotopic ratios in atmospheric carbon dioxide was also investigated. We report what to our knowledge is the first simultaneous spectroscopic measurement of all three isotopes of oxygen in ambient CO2.
Assessing spatial frameworks with object and direction probes

An experiment tested the generality of the spatial framework analysis (Bryant, Tversky, & Franklin, in press; Franklin & Tversky, 1990) to a task involving accessing directions of objects from object-name probes. Subjects read narrative descriptions of a person surrounded by objects to the front, back, and sides, and beyond the head, and beyond the feet. They were then probed with object names for direction terms or vice versa. Response times conformed to predictions of the spatial framework in both cases, indicating that the spatial framework pattern does not depend on the use of direction terms in testing.
Non-equilibrium molecular dynamics approach to the rheology of model polymer fluids

Abstract We report molecular simulation results for steady state and transient proprties of both dilute solutions and melts of model polymers undergoing homogeneous shear flow. For the dilute case, chains of beads and springs (both linear and finitely extensible) are simulated. The effects of excluded volume and hydrodynamic interactions as well as chain length are investigated. For the melt case, rigid and finitely extensible dumbbells are compared to each other and to a fluid of Lennard-Jones spheres.
Neutronics and photonics of inertial confinement fusion pellets with internal breeding

The neutronics and photonics performance of a pellet with a small DT core spark trigger, surrounded by a large volume of D to enable tritium and He-3 breeding, is examined. The response to a 70% DD and 30% DT composite neutron spectrum is calculated using either W, Be, or Pb as structural materials at core density radius products ranging from 9.42 to 94.2 kg/m2. At a core density-product of 94.2, the DT neutron source leads to an excess particle multiplication of 0.43 neutrons per source neutron. The percentage of energy leakage from the pellet in the form of escaped neutrons is 42.3% of the source energy for the DT source, and 28.8% for the DD source. The gamma-ray energy percentage deposited in the pellet is 26.7% for the DT source and 106.6% for the DD source. For the pellet with the composite source, the energy multiplication factor is 1.27. Thus the large DD contribution to the composite neutron source results in the pellet performing many of the functions normally reserved for the blanket such as spectral softening, breeding, and neutron and energy multiplication. The neutron energy leakage is 38.4% of the source energy for the composite source. It is estimated that the neutron energy leakage amounts to 10% of the fusion energy, compared with 70% as neutron energy in a DT pellet. These results are significantly different from those encountered in conventional DT inertial confinement designs, and thus lower tritium inventories, higher power densities, reduced radiation damage, and materials activation of the reactor coolant and structure may be achievable.
Hydrogen peroxide‐induced oxidation of ascorbic acid in fruit juices

Hydrogen peroxide-induced oxidation of ascorbic acid was found to be catalysed by several fruit juices. Products exhibiting peroxidatic activity were passion fruit, orange and pineapple juices, papaya and guava purees, liquid coconut products, and bottled (pasteurised) apple juice. A mathematical relationship between logarithm of juice dilution to initial reaction rate was developed. Passion fruit juice exhibited the highest peroxidatic activity on the basis of calculated intercepts and slopes. Several other fresh juices exhibited peroxidatic activity. Although the fruit juices reduce the activity in Fenton's reaction with ascorbic acid as substrate, the oxidising activity of the juices may not be a Fenton reaction. Coconut skim milk showed the highest inhibitory effect and passion fruit juice was second highest. Mechanisms for the inhibitory effect are considered.
Steady thermocapillary flows in two-dimensional slots

Liquid in a slot flows owing to a temperature gradient applied along its free surface. The thermal variation of surface tension induces a steady viscous flow directed on the surface from hot to cold, and recirculating below. For small aspect ratios A, giving flow in thin, two-dimensional slots, an asymptotic theory valid for A yields to 0 is used to obtain the fluid and thermal fields as well as the interfacial shapes. Solutions are obtained for both fixed lines and fixed angles at the contact between the interface and the solid side walls.
An architecture for electronic textiles

This paper makes a case for a communication architecture for electronic textiles (e-textiles). The properties and requirements of e-textile garments are described and analyzed. Based on these properties, the authors make a case for employing wired, digital communication as the primary on-garment communication network. The implications of this design choice for the hardware architecture for e-textiles are discussed.
Asymmetrical Bending and Vibration of a Conical Shell Finite Element

Content Conical shells constitute an important structural component in the aerospace vehicles. Asymmetrical bending and vibration are problems of considerable interest. A conical shell finite element with trapezoidal shape seems to be more advantageous than the closedring shape when asymmetrical loadings, longitudinal stiffeners, cut-outs, etc. are considered. Such an element is shown in Fig. 1. The element has the same 48 degrees of freedom as those assumed in Ref. 1. The edges 1-3 and 2-4 are two generators of the shell. The element is described by the following definitions of geometrical parameters :
Improved image quality in digital mammography with image processing.

Purpose: The effect of image processing, specifically Bayesian image estimation (BIE), on digital mammographicimages is studied. BIE is an iterative, nonlinear statistical estimation technique that has previously been used in chest radiography to reduce imagescatter content and improve the contrast-to-noise ratio (CNR). We adapt this technique to digital mammography and examine its effect. Methods/Materials: Images of the American College of Radiologists (ACR) breast phantom were acquired on a calibrated digital mammography system at a normal mammographic exposure both with and without a grid. An iterative Bayesian estimation algorithm was formulated and used to process the images acquired without a grid. Quantitative scatter fractions were measured and compared for the image acquired with the grid, the image acquired without the grid, and the image acquired without the grid and processed by the Bayesian algorithm. CNR values were also computed for the four visible masses in the ACR phantom before and after processing and compared to a grid. Results: Initial images acquired without an antiscatter grid had scatter fractions of 0.46. Processing this image with BIE reduced the scatter content to under 0.04. In comparison, the image acquired with a grid had scatter of 0.19. BIE processing accounted for CNR improvements from 29% to 219% for the masses seen in the ACR phantom as compared to the unprocessed image.Visibility of the four masses in the phantom was improved. Conclusions: Bayesian image estimation can be used with digital mammography to reduce scatter fractions. This technique is very useful as it can reduce scatter content effectively without introducing any adverse effects, such as grid line aliasing. Bayesian processing can also increase image CNR, which may potentially increase the visualization of subtle masses. Preliminary work shows an improvement in CNR to values greater than that provided by a standard grid.
Spectral sensitivities of the normal human visual system, color‐matching functions and their principles, and how and why the two sets should coincide

The objectives of this article are (1) to help reestablish in technical thinking the three spectral sensitivity curves, dating from Helmholtz, of the normal human visual system (particularly their peak wavelengths); (2) to remind the reader of the principles of the sets of three color-matching functions (CMFs) comprising a CIE Standard Observer, and to make these principles more easily understandable; (3) to show how the visual data comprising today's Standard Observers lead directly to the peak wavelengths of the spectral sensitivity curves; (4) to use modern color-matching data to restore essential details to CMFs damaged by manipulation over the years; (5) to suggest that coincidence of corrected CMFs and the actual spectral sensitivities of the normal human visual system (a feature long tacitly assumed by color scientists of the past) is close at hand; and (7) to point out that CMFs embody a wealth of significance concerning the nature of the spectral response of the normal human visual system, despite the fact that they do not work well as weighting functions in the practice of colorimetry. The color-matching data of the CIE 1964 10° Standard Observer are used to reproduce the visual matches upon which it is based, and to model the principles of CMFs in general. The CIE 1964 data are treated as if they had been collected directly from modern-day visual matching experiments, in which an accurate, high-resolution, absolute spectral power distribution (SPD) of every viewed light is measured, and power content of each component of the light determined. The experimental units and dimensions of the resulting three CMFs are established. The significance of CMF plots above and below the zero-power level, and of the spectral shapes of the CMFs, is shown. The positions in wavelength of the nominal maximum of the red, green, and blue CMF, for a wide range of wavelengths of real spectral primaries, are noted (following MacAdam) to be “amazingly similar.” Then the much-manipulated data of the CIE Standard Observers are left behind, and modern raw unmanipulated visual data are analyzed in the same manner. The results yield characteristics of CMFs that are more representative of the normal human visual system than are those of the CIE Standard Observers. The peak heights of the nominal maxima of the red, green, and blue CMF, for the same wide range of primaries, are importantly significant also. They serve to define, at least approximately, the forms of the three spectral sensitivities, assuming the traditional model of the visual system. © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. Col Res Appl, 24, 139–156, 1999
Experiencing the end and afterlives of International Relations/theory

Having raised the question of whither the international at the end of International Relations a few years ago, this article treats the state of International Relations theory as a continuing endist...
Competencies and problem behaviors of children in family foster care: variations by kinship placement status and race☆

Abstract Formal kinship foster care is an increasingly common form of out-of-home placement, and several important distinctions between kinship care and non-relative foster care have been identified. The present study evaluated the behavior of kinship foster children in comparison to non-relative foster children and children in the general population. A geographically and ethnically diverse sample of foster children (N=240) was assessed for competence and problem behaviors using the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL: Achenbach, 1991). Kinship foster children closely resembled children in the general population but differed significantly from their counterparts in non-relative foster care, who consistently scored lower on competence and higher on problem behaviors. Substantial proportions of non-relative foster children were in the clinical range on most CBCL measures, but kinship foster children were no more likely than children from the general population to score above clinical cut-offs. Differences between kinship and non-kinship foster children became less dramatic after accounting for child race and gender, which were both associated with kinship status. Child race had a strong main effect for almost all types of problem behaviors, with children of color showing significantly less problematic behavior. Discussion of these results centers on potential explanations for the observed variations in child behavior by kinship status and race.
Enriching the Genetic Counseling Recruitment Pipeline: A National Cross-Sectional Study of Public High School Counselors

Early awareness of careers is helpful in recruiting students into a career pipeline. School counselors are among the top resources that students turn to when seeking advice about choosing their career. Studies show that high school is the ideal time to generate interest in the genetic counseling career, especially for minorities. This novel study of 291 high school counselors working in ethnically diverse public school districts in the United States examined to what extent members of this important group discuss genetic counseling as a career option with their students. The findings indicate that the majority of school counselors in this study (83%) did not discuss genetic counseling with their students, citing a lack of resources and lack of student interest as the major barriers. Suggestions of ways to increase high school counselors’ awareness of the genetic counseling career in order to enhance the goal of enriching recruitment of ethnic minorities into the genetic counseling pipeline are presented.
Vasoactive Intestinal Peptide–Mediated Th17 Differentiation

Interactions between neural and immune effector pathways serve a vital role in mammalian defenses against foreign pathogens and toxins. The immune system initiates processes leading to the release of diverse mediators and cytokines that recruit neural and endocrine involvement in immunity. Inversely, transmitters released from nerves innervating immune organs regulate the development and functions of the immune cells. Vasoactive intestinal peptide (VIP) is the quantitatively and functionally most prominent immunoregulatory neuropeptide that participates in local tissue immune responses by potently affecting T cell and macrophage migration, proliferation, and cytokine production. T cells, macrophages, and mast cells express the VIP G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) VPAC(1) and VPAC(2) that transduce the effects of VIP on immunity. The VIP-VPAC axes also are coupled to abnormal T cell functions in different autoimmune conditions. Recently, it has been shown that VIP also enhances the differentiation of distinctive type of proinflammatory Th17 cells by a VPAC(1)-dependent mechanism. This unique VIP-VPAC(1) signaling in Th17 cell differentiation expands our understanding of VIP immune functions, provides new insights into the immune roles of individual VPAC receptors, and offers meaningful possibilities for improving therapeutic potential of VIP in immune disorders.
Experiences From the First Offering of a Stringed Instrument Manufacture and Testing Course

It is a constant challenge to present technical course content in a way that is attractive to undergraduate technology students. They tend to be focused on the immediate utility of the information and are often skeptical of abstract subjects. With this in mind, a course has been developed that uses the manufacture of stringed instruments as a means of teaching basic concepts of dynamic structural response, acoustic-structure coupling and manufacturing processes. A group of 12 students recently participated in a senior level engineering technology course in which they designed and built 12 nominally identical instruments. Guided by a faculty member who is also an experienced luthier (a maker of stringed instruments), they made production fixtures, fabricated the individual components, assembled the instruments and tested them. The results were used to tune discrete math models that captured the first two resonant frequencies of coupled-air structure interaction. Since reducing build variation is a primary activity in production environments, one measure of merit for the class was to produce identical instruments. Build variation was characterized by the variation in the measured resonant frequencies of instruments and of the identified mode parameters from the discrete models. The class has generated significant student interest and promises to be a compelling venue for teaching important technical concepts. It is, however, dependent on an initial investment in tools, materials and faculty experience.Copyright © 2006 by ASME