cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Mitf and Tfe3: members of a b-HLH-ZIP transcription factor family essential for osteoclast development and function.

Abstract The Microphthalmia-associated transcription factor (Mitf) is required for the proper development of several cell lineages including osteoclasts, melanocytes, retinal pigment epithelial cells, mast cells and natural killer cells. Mutations in Mitf in multiple organisms result in osteopetrosis due to defective osteoclast development. Mitf is a member of the basic/helix-loop-helix/leucine zipper (b-HLH-ZIP) transcription factor subfamily named MiT, which also includes Tfe3. Genetic evidence indicates that Mitf and Tfe3 carry out essential functions in osteoclast development. Mitf has been shown to reside downstream of the macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) and receptor activator of NF-κB ligand (RANKL) signaling pathways that are critical for osteoclast proliferation, differentiation and function. Mitf and Tfe3 have been shown to regulate the expression of several target genes necessary for bone degradation by mature osteoclasts. Here, we review the bone and osteoclast phenotypes of animals with mutations in Mitf and Tfe3, Mitf’s interaction partners and signaling pathways, and known target genes which, together with others yet to be identified, likely represent key effectors of bone resorption.
Patient decision making: The case of delivery method after a previous cesarean section

In recent years, vaginal birth after cesarean section has become increasingly available to American women. Presently, about two-thirds of women who have had one previous cesarean section choose in their current pregnancies to attempt a “trial of labor” for normal vaginal delivery. About one-third who are given the option still choose elective repeat cesarean section. This paper reports findings from a study conducted to explore how women with a previous cesarean section evaluated the two delivery options and what factors were important to them in making their choices. The data for the analysis were collected during semi-structured interviews of 100 prenatal care patients at three San Francisco Bay Area hospitals during their third trimester of pregnancy. Particular attention is given to two dimensions of patient decision making that clinical researchers studying childbirth after previous cesarean delivery have overlooked. The first describes the social motives that lead women to prefer one delivery option over the other. The second describes negotiation strategies that patients use with physicians to gain decision making power and to reduce uncertainty surrounding labor and delivery.
An attempt to bond weaned 3-month-old beef heifers to yearling ewes

Abstract This study was conducted to determine if recently weaned heifers, averaging 3 months of age, would bond to sheep. Heifers with a mean age of 90 days were penned for 80 days, singly or in groups of three, with two or five yearling ewes, respectively. The cattle and sheep were observed together, while on pasture following 40 and 80 days of pen confinement for cohesiveness by estimating interspecific distances at 15 min intervals over several consecutive hours. Single heifers consistently stayed close to sheep while on pasture. However, if two or more heifers were together at pasture, the heifers would not consistently stay with the sheep. Therefore, attachment of single heifers to sheep is believed to result from social dependence. During observations when two or more heifers were together at pasture, yearling ewes that had been penned together with the heifers usually followed the heifers. This phenomenon was not anticipated in the design of this study, however, preliminary observations suggest yearling ewes will form an attraction and follow cattle when at pasture after having been penned with them for 80 days.
On the calculation of total heat, salt and tracer fluxes from ocean hydrothermal events

Abstract Total heat, salt, and other tracer masses released during a hydrothermal event are shown to be proportional to, but not necessarily equal to, volume integrals of resulting water column anomalies. Proportionality coefficients depend on anomaly definition, on background hydrographic and tracer profiles, on expansion coefficients of the equation of state at an appropriate pressure, and on tracer to heat anomaly ratios at the venting source. For Gorda Ridge event plumes, which are described in other papers of this issue, volume integrals of conventionally defined heat anomalies underestimate actual released heat by a factor of 2.4 if the discharge is not anomalously saline. Under certain combinations of hydrographic and source anomaly conditions, not unlike those found on the East Pacific Rise at 10°N, the apparent total heat released during an event can be deceivingly zero. This analysis also establishes a linear relationship between the ratio of tracer anomaly to heat anomaly at any point in the plume to the same ratio at the source. One consequence is that the ratio of anomalous 3 He to heat in Gorda Ridge event plumes is approximately 2.4 larger in the water column than it is at the source. Results are independent of the entrainment process involved in event plume formation, and they are shown to hold true even for background hydrographic profiles that do not vary linearly with depth.
Structure and thermodynamics of grafted three-arm branched polymer layers

The conformational and thermodynamic behavior of grafted polymer layers composed of linear and three-arm branched chains, with one branch grafted to the surface and two free branches of equal length, in the good solvent regime are investigated. The molecular organization of the layers composed of branched chains with a long branch grafted to the surface and two short free branches is very similar to that of linear chains. However, as the branch grafted to the surface becomes shorter, for the same total number of segments per chain, the conformational behavior of the chains changes markedly, in particular for high surface coverages. The density of the free end segments for chains with a short grafted branch shows two maxima, one near the solvent side of the brush and the other near the grafting wall. It is found that at high surface coverages the chains organize such that the short grafted branch is very highly stretched, one of the free branches is predominantly stretched toward the solvent while the other free branch folds toward the grafting wall. The force between two parallel grafted layers is calculated as a function of the distance between the grafted walls. The interactions between grafted surfaces with branched chains are more steeply repulsive than those for linear chains. Moreover, the interdigitation and the changes in molecular organization as the layers approach each other are studied for the different chain architectures.
Dose-response relationships for disposition and hepatic sequestration of polyhalogenated dibenzo-p-dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls following subchronic treatment in mice.

Abstract Humans are exposed to mixtures of polyhalogenated dibenzo- p -dioxins, dibenzofurans, and biphenyls mainly through the diet. Many of these chemicals are dioxin-like and their relative toxicity is related to their ability to bind and activate the Ah receptor. The present study examines the structure–activity relationship for disposition of these chemicals in female B6C3F1 mice following subchronic exposures. Mice were treated 5 days/week for 13 weeks by oral gavage with different doses of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (TCDD), 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzo- p -dioxin (PeCDD),2,3,7,8-tetrabromodibenzo- p -dioxin (TBDD), 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzofuran (TCDF), 1,2,3,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (1-PeCDF), 2,3,4,7,8-pentachlorodibenzofuran (4-PeCDF), octachlorodibenzofuran (OCDF), 3,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (126), 3,3′,4,4′,5,5′-hexachlorobiphenyl (169), 2,3,3′,4,4′-pentachlorobiphenyl (105), 2,3′,4,4′,5-pentachlorobiphenyl (118), and 2,3,3′,4,4′,5-hexachlorobiphenyl (156). All of the chemicals examined exhibited dose-dependent increases in the liver/fat concentrations except PCBs 105, 118, and 156. While TCDD is the most potent toxicant in this class of chemicals, 4-PeCDF, PeCDD, OCDF, TCDF, and PCB126 were sequestered in hepatic tissue to a greater extent than was TCDD. The high affinity for hepatic tissue supports the presence of an inducible hepatic binding protein for some dioxin-like chemicals. The differences in disposition between these chemicals suggests that pharmacokinetic differences between congeners is important in the relative potency of these chemicals.
Risk factors for early death and reoperation following biventricular repair of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum.

Objective: Since a functional right ventricle is desirable when repairing pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum, we sought to determine the factors that portend a successful biventricular repair in these children. Methods: A review of operative records at UCLA between 1982 and 2001 revealed 56 patients diagnosed with pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum that underwent either a partial (n = 26) or complete biventricular repair. Kaplan—Meier survival curves with log rank statistics were used to evaluate the influence of demographic, technical, and anatomic factors on survival and need for reoperation. Results: Five-year actuarial survival following biventricular repair was 91.5%. Non-Caucasian race (p = 0.011) and omission of palliative right ventricular outflow tract obstruction (RVOTO) relief (p = 0.042) were risk factors for early death. All patients with adequate follow-up required reoperation with median duration of 6.9 years. The most common cause of early reoperation (<1 year) was wound infection (35.3%) while pulmonary valve replacement (58.8%) constituted the majority of late reoperations. Risk factors for wound infection included female sex (p = 0.011) and use of a synthetic transannular patch (p = 0.085). The most significant risk factor for early pulmonary valve replacement was the use of a monocusp pericardial valve in the pulmonary annular position (p = 0.003). Conclusions: Excellent survival follows biventricular repair of pulmonary atresia with intact ventricular septum if RVOTO relief is performed in conjunction with initial palliation. Although most patients eventually require reoperation, avoidance of synthetic transannular patches and monocusp pericardial pulmonary valves may reduce the incidence of wound infection and delay need for pulmonary valve replacement.
Scalable routing schemes for massively parallel processing using reconfigurable optical interconnect

We consider the message routing/broadcasting problem in an optically interconnected massively parallel processing system, where each node in the system sends/broadcasts randomly generated packets to others. The network model considered is the reconfigurable optical interconnect (ROI). It is based on the new device capabilities enabled by recent advances in optical technology. A ROI node can use light beams to transmit messages to any other nodes in the network, provided that no others transmit to the same destination concurrently. We present communication schemes that can achieve near optimal throughput with significantly lower delay. The difference in performance for routing is on the order of /spl Omega/(n/sup 2/3/ log log n/log n) when the number of nodes n in the network is large.
Etiological Models of Child Maltreatment A Behavioral Perspective

Child abuse and neglect are complex phenomena that require a multidisciplinary perspective. This article describes current etiological formulations of child maltreatment. Three models (ecological, transactional, and transitional) are described that delineate the multiple pathways leading to abuse and neglect. These approaches emphasize the interaction of causative factors in bringing about maltreatment and the importance of high- and low-risk characteristics that differentially influence the development of maltreatment. Behavioral explanations of child maltreatment are also discussed. Particularly relevant here are observational learning, anger control, and coercive family processes. Finally, the implications of our understanding of etiology to assessment, treatment, and prevention are outlined and considered.
A Low-Loss Microstrip Surface-Mount K-Band Package

This paper presents a hermetic-compatible surface mount package for microstrip structures designed for K-band applications. The microstrip lines, fabricated on a 250 ?m-thick alumina substrate are packaged using a 280 ?m-thick silicon cap wafer and gold-gold thermo-compression bonding. A 130 ?m cavity is etched in the cap wafer to allow ample space for RF MEMS devices, surface- or bulk-wave acoustic filters, power amplifiers, or multi-chip assemblies. A via-hole transition is used to connect the microstrip line inside the package to the coplanar waveguide (CPW) line on the back side of the alumina wafer. The gold sealing ring is connected to the microstrip ground using via-holes through the alumina wafer to eliminate any parasitic resonance modes and to improve the isolation between the input and output ports. A packaged microstrip line with total dimensions of 2.6 mm has a measured insertion loss and return loss of less than 0.5 dB and 18 dB, respectively, at DC-23 GHz.
Ethinyl estradiol decreases acidification of rat liver endocytic vesicles

Treatment with ethinyl estradiol is known to impair bile formation, bile acid transport and Na,K-ATPase activity, to alter receptor-mediated endocytosis and transcytosis of IgA and asialoorosomucoid and to affect membrane lipid composition and fluidity. Because appropriate sorting and trafficking of asialoorosomucoid requires adequate acidification of endocytic vesicles by a lipid-sensitive electrogenic proton pump, we examined the effects of 5 days of treatment with ethinyl estradiol (5 mg/kg body wt, subcutaneously) on acidification of early endosomes prepared from male rat livers. Littermate control animals received equal volumes of the solvent propylene glycol. Pretreatment with ethinyl estradiol reduced ATP-dependent initial rates of endosome acidification by 11% to 25% when measured in potassium medium containing 0 to 140 mmol/L chloride; these differences were significant at four of six chloride concentrations tested. The proton pumps of ethinyl estradiol and propylene glycol endosomes exhibited similar Michaelis-Menten constants for MgATP (Michaelis-Menten constant of 63 and 66 μmol/L in the absence of chloride and 101 and 126 μol/L in the presence of chloride, respectively). Acidification of ethinyl estradiol and propylene glycol endosomes changed in the same manner when various cations or anions were substituted for potassium gluconate, although the effects of ethinyl estradiol were less marked in the absence of K+. Kinetics of inhibition for ethinyl estradiol and propylene glycol endosomes were similar for the proton pump inhibitors N-ethylmaleimide (50% inhibitory concentrations of 13.5 and 18.1 μmol/L), dicyclohexylcarbodiimide (50% inhibitory concentrations of 206 and 216 μmol/L) and bafilomycin A (50% inhibitory concentrations of 11 and 6 nmol/L). Although initial rates of acidification were slower in ethinyl estradiol endosomes, ATP-dependent steady-state vesicle interior pH was the same as that of propylene glycol endosomes over a range of chloride concentrations; this appeared to be due mainly to a trend toward decreased proton leak rates in ethinyl estradiol endosomes. Overall, ethinyl estradiol treatment modestly decreased initial rates of acidification and vesicle proton leakage, perhaps because of changes in endosome lipid composition; differences in the number, density or activation state of proton pumps; or differences in endosome geometry. Because the decrease in acidification rates was small, the effects of estrogen on the efficiency of uncoupling of endocytosed ligands such as asialoorosomucoid from their receptors in early endosomes; thus the rates of sorting and distribution of ligands remain unclear. (HEPATOLOGY 1993;18:604–613.)
Interactive learning in an urban environmental education online course

Online courses play an increasing role in professional development of environmental educators, yet little information is available on the interactive processes involved in online learning. We examined the relationship of three types of interactions in an urban environmental education online course – participant–participant, participant–instructor, and participant–content – to four course outcomes: participants’ motivation to learn, intent to adapt ideas and information learned through the course in their practice, actual adaptation of ideas in their practice, and development of professional networks. Content analysis was used to characterize participants’ and instructors’ weekly online posts and comments, and generalized estimation equation modeling was used to explore the relationships between interactions and outcomes. The results showed that participant–content interaction had significant positive relationships with participants’ motivation to learn, intent to adapt ideas, and adaptation of ideas. Part...
Redundant interactions in protein rigid cluster analysis

Folded proteins are held together mainly by weak noncovalent interactions. We propose a method for classifying which of these interactions are critical to maintaining the protein's 3D shape, using information about their redundancy within the rigid clusters of atoms. We have developed KINARI-Web, a server performing rigidity analysis of proteins. It implements pebble game analysis to determine rigid clusters and flexibility information. The method presented here is provided as an additional module. We classify each of the noncovalent interactions as either redundant or critical. An interaction is critical if removing it would cause the rigid cluster to break apart and become flexible, otherwise an interaction is redundant. In addition, we propose a new method for assigning scores to the rigid clusters based on the number of redundant and critical interactions in the cluster. We present data on the redundancy of the rigid clusters of cytochrome c, barnase, and a dataset of kinases.
Senescent T Cells and Hypertension: New Ideas About Old Cells

See related article, pp 126–133 In textbooks of physiology and in medical school classrooms around the world, hypertension is described as a disease characterized by vascular dysfunction, renal impairment, and altered sympathetic outflow. T lymphocytes are never mentioned, and the notion that hypertension may be an autoimmune disease is not even entertained. Yet, increasing evidence, dating back as early as the 1960s, supports a role of inflammation and immunity in the genesis of hypertension. Cells of both the innate and the adaptive immune systems infiltrate the vasculature and kidney in various animal models of hypertension, and efforts to suppress inflammation reduce end organ damage and, in some instances, lower blood pressure. Mice and rats lacking T cells are partially protected against both angiotensin II and salt-sensitive hypertension, and adoptive transfer of T cells restores blood pressure in these animals. It is currently thought that cytokines released by inflammatory cells, including interleukin 17 (IL17), tumor necrosis factor-α, and IL6 lead to vascular dysfunction and remodeling and promote renal sodium retention, leading to blood pressure elevation.1,2 Unfortunately, despite this growing body of evidence, almost all studies to date have been performed in experimental animals, and it is unclear whether adaptive immunity plays any role in human hypertension. Although there is considerable evidence in humans that inflammation is important in specialized cases, such as pulmonary hypertension3 or pre-eclampsia (hypertension of pregnancy),4 data that the immune system contributes to the pathophysiology of essential hypertension in nonpregnant adults are scarce. In 2005, Bautista et al5 found a positive correlation between blood pressure and serum levels of tumor necrosis factor-α and IL6 in 196 relatively healthy subjects. IL6 functions both upstream and downstream of another highly proinflammatory cytokine, IL17, which is secreted from specialized subsets of T cells. We found …
Sleeping Beauty Transposon‐Mediated Gene Therapy for Prolonged Expression

Abstract The Sleeping Beauty (SB) transposon system represents a new vector for non‐viral gene transfer that melds advantages of viruses and other forms of naked DNA transfer. The transposon itself is comprised of two inverted terminal repeats of about 340 base pairs each. The SB system directs precise transfer of specific constructs from a donor plasmid into a mammalian chromosome. The excision of the transposon from a donor plasmid and integration into a chromosomal site is mediated by Sleeping Beauty transposase, which can be delivered to cells vita its gene or its mRNA. As a result of its integration in chromosomes, and its lack of viral sequences that are often detected by poorly understood cellular defense mechanisms, a gene in a chromosomally integrated transposon can be expressed over the lifetime of a cell. SB transposons integrate nearly randomly into chromosomes at TA‐dinucleotide base pairs although the sequences flanking the TAs can influence the probability of integration at a given site. Although random integration of vectors into human genomes is often thought to raise significant safety issues, evidence to date does not indicate that random insertions of SB transposons represent risks that are equal to those of viral vectors. Here we review the activities of the SB system in mice used as a model for human gene therapy, methods of delivery of the SB system, and its efficacy in ameliorating disorders that model human disease.
Public procurement policy: implications for theory and practice

This paper proposes a conceptual framework for the study of public procurement policy. It reviews policy-related writings by public procurement scholars and assesses these works from the perspective of their contributions to generalized understandings of public procurement policy. Selected tools and concepts from the policy sciences are applied to propose a model to illuminate unique aspects of public procurement policy in ways that will facilitate its study. The paper concludes by discussing some recent actions, trends, and issues from the U.S defense procurement sector in terms of the framework. Models such as the one proposed in this paper will contribute to enhanced approaches to procurement policy analysis by scholars, as well as to informed and sophisticated policy implementation by practitioners.
Antibodies Contribute to Effective Vaccination against Respiratory Infection by Type A Francisella tularensis Strains

Pneumonic tularemia is a life-threatening disease caused by inhalation of the highly infectious intracellular bacterium Francisella tularensis. The most serious form of the disease associated with the type A strains can be prevented in experimental animals through vaccination with the attenuated live vaccine strain (LVS). The protection is largely cell mediated, but the contribution of antibodies remains controversial. We addressed this issue in a series of passive immunization studies in Fischer 344 (F344) rats. Subcutaneous LVS vaccination induced a robust serum antibody response dominated by IgM, IgG2a, and IgG2b antibodies. Prophylactic administration of LVS immune serum or purified immune IgG reduced the severity and duration of disease in naive rats challenged intratracheally with a lethal dose of the virulent type A strain SCHU S4. The level of resistance increased with the volume of immune serum given, but the maximum survivable SCHU S4 challenge dose was at least 100-fold lower than that shown for LVS-vaccinated rats. Protection correlated with reduced systemic bacterial growth, less severe histopathology in the liver and spleen during the early phase of infection, and bacterial clearance by a T cell-dependent mechanism. Our results suggest that treatment with immune serum limited the sequelae associated with infection, thereby enabling a sterilizing T cell response to develop and resolve the infection. Thus, antibodies induced by LVS vaccination may contribute to the defense of F344 rats against respiratory infection by type A strains of F. tularensis.
Automatic Database Clustering Using Data Mining

Because of data proliferation, efficient access methods and data storage techniques have become increasingly critical to maintain an acceptable query response time. One way to improve query response time is to reduce the number of disk I/Os by partitioning the database vertically (attribute clustering) and/or horizontally (record clustering). A clustering is optimized for a given set of queries. However in dynamic systems the queries change with time, the clustering in place becomes obsolete, and the database needs to be re-clustered dynamically. In this paper we discuss an efficient algorithm1 for attribute clustering that dynamically and automatically generate attribute clusters based on closed item sets mined from the attributes sets found in the queries running against the database.
Capuchin Monkeys ( Cebus capucinus ) and the Ancient Maya

Two genera of nonhuman primates that include howler monkeys (Alouatta palliata and Alouatta pigra) and spider monkeys (Ateles geoffroyi) currently are located throughout the Maya region. It has been suggested that the Classic Maya associated these monkeys, especially howler monkeys, with the arts. This view is exemplified in the Popol Vuh and in depictions of monkey-man scribes on Late Classic (c. a.d. 550–900) ceramics. This paper provides evidence that a third genus, the capuchin monkey (Cebus capucinus), is also located in the southern Maya region and may have extended as far north as Belize within the last century. Supporting data are drawn from historic accounts, artifact and faunal analysis, and linguistic data. It is also proposed, based on an interspecific comparison of morphological and behavioral characteristics, that capuchin monkeys rather than howler monkeys are the animals represented in depictions of monkey scribes.
Information accessing behaviour of physical therapists

Twenty-seven physical therapists, who were actively engaged in clinical practice, were interviewed by telephone using semi-structured, primarily open-ended questions to gain an indication of the ways in which they obtained information relevant to their practices.The therapists reported using multiple methods (3-11) to obtain information. Twenty clinicians claimed to use reading to obtain information. Books and journals were usually read, but medical communications, patient protocols, school or course notes, and materials from company representatives were also read. The interviewees were able to identify few clinically useful books (mean = 3.1) and journals (mean = 2.1). Most of the clinicians had personal libraries and files containing reading material. The therapists said that they relied heavily on other people for information, especially other therapists in the work setting. The interviewees described specific ways of identifying therapists from whom information could be obtained, but they also said th...
Knowledge and workflow systems

The two lasting contributions of business reengineering are an emphasis on processes and the recognition of the importance of knowledge and its management to an organization. The process orientation finds an expression in workflow systems. Less attention is being given to knowledge management. In this position paper we examine how knowledge management relates to the development and operation of workflow systems.
Structural Transitions induced by Colloidal Interactions in Ceramic Dispersions

A discussion of the formation of periodic colloid structures, liquid-like ordering, and compact and fractal aggregates caused by colloidal forces in ceramic dispersions is presented. Construction of phase diagrams based on simple forms of repulsive potentials is often not adequate, and it is important to include appropriate attractive interactions in the theoretical analyses. Examples of radial distribution functions, osmotic prsueadphase diagrams are given for dispersions interacting through Derjaguin-Landau-Verwey-Overbeek potentials. Densification of colloidal aggregates dlue to positional relaxation and the effects of such densification on the structure of the aggregates are discussed.
Differential thermal analysis using high frequency dielectric heating II. Curing kinetics studies

A previous paper described the theory and equipment of Differential Thermal Analysis using High Frequency Dielectric Heating, DTA/HF. Curing studies using DTA/HF on cis-1,4-polyisoprene rubber filled with 50 phr of CaCO3 and containing from 1.5 to 4.5 phr of dicumyl peroxide (DCP) curative indicated that below about 185°C, the curing reaction was first order with respect to DCP; the mean activation energy was 32.6 kcal/mole; and the heat of reaction ranged from 60 to 80 kcal/mole DCP. These results are in agreement with published results. Above 185°C both thermodynamic and kinetic evidence implied that the reaction mechanism changed; the first order peroxide decomposition no longer controlled the overall rate of reaction. The curing of both stereo styrene-butadiene rubber (SBR) and cis-1,4-polybutadiene rubber (BR) containing 50 phr of CaCO3 and 0.5 phr of DCP was found to follow first order kinetics as expected. The magnitude of the heat of curing was used to determine the frequency of a vinyl propagation-type cross-linking reaction. Eight to 36 crosslinks per molecule of DCP were obtained. This reaction became more extensive at high temperature, in agreement with published results.
Samuel D. Press: Teacher of the Niebuhrs

At the 1937 Edinburgh World Conference on Faith and Order, Louis Goebel of the Evangelical and Reformed Church stood on a curb between sessions with a group of delegates. On the other side of the street a lone figure passed. “Look,’ one of the delegates said, “there goes the man who taught the Niebuhr brothers.” Goebel looked up and saw Samuel Press.
Rates and Prediction of Successful Vaginal Birth After Cesarean

There have been multiple observational studies that have assessed the probability that a woman who undertakes a trial of labor after a previous cesarean delivery will have a vaginal birth. These studies have demonstrated a population-level probability of a successful vaginal birth after cesarean (VBAC) that ranges between 60% and 80%. However, within a population the chances for success of a given individual may vary to a significant degree on the basis of particular demographic characteristics and obstetric history. This review summarizes the different characteristics that have been prominently associated with successful VBAC as well as the different attempts that have been made to develop accurate prediction models for successful VBAC.
Bisorthoesters as polymer intermediates. II. A facile method for the preparation of polybenzimidazoles

Aromatic bisorthoesters were found to be good polymer intermediates and could be condensed with aromatic tetramines under mild conditions, in DMSO at 100°C in a relatively short reaction time to give polybenzimidazoles. The hexapropyl orthoesters of terephthalic and isophthalic acid were the preferred aromatic orthoesters because they were relatively easily purified by vacuum distillation to polymer grade intermediates, since they are liquids. Higher orthoesters distill even under good vacuum near or above the decomposition temperature of the orthoester group. Hexaethyl orthooxalate was also used and is a very useful and stable derivative of oxalic acid, which can be used for condensation reactions. These three orthoesters were used for condensations with 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl, 1,2,3,4-tetraaminobenzene, 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobiphenyl ether, and 3,3′,4,4′-tetraaminobenzophenone. All polybenzimidazoles were obtained in high to quantitative yields and with varying molecular weights (ηinh = 0.1−0.8 dl/g), which in some cases were in the fiber forming range.
Light-Emitting Diodes and Optical Fibers

Semiconductors have become highly relevant to modern electronics, first with the transistor (Ge), then with Si for efficient electronic conduction.With the discovery of GaAs as an infrared light-emitter, efforts to develop other III-V semiconductors were targeted for colored light-emitting diodes, such as GaAs1 − x P x . It is now possible to produce light-emitting visible semiconducting materials, including a variety of III-V materials. One now has various light-emitters throughout the visible region of the spectrum, with automobile tail-lights and traffic lights being red, yellow, or green found in a variety of optical devices. Now there are many different optical devices, with materials optimized for their color, and for various other properties.In addition to developing colored semiconductors, it is clear that devices are needed with no color, for transparent optical fibers. Such ultra-transparent optical fibers have been developed over the years.
USE OF BERNOULLI CENSUS AND LOG-LINEAR METHODS FOR ESTIMATING THE PREVALENCE OF SPINA BIFIDA IN LIVEBIRTHS AND THE COMPLETENESS OF VITAL RECORD REPORTS IN NEW YORK STATE

Data from birth certificates (BC), death certificates (DC) and medical rehabilitation files (MR) were analyzed to estimate the livebirth prevalence of spina bifida in upstate New York in 1969-1974 and the completeness of the data sources. Birth certificates listed about 68% of cases, death certificates about 27% and medical rehabilitation files about 25%. The three sources together, it is estimated, included only about 80% of cases in the population. For each source, comparisons of estimates of completeness derived using each of the other two as reference sources were found to be useful for evaluating the likelihood of source dependence. The estimated livebirth prevalence rate, adjusting for incomplete reporting and the observed negative dependence of MR and DC sources, was 0.85 per 1000 livebirths by both Bernoulli census and log-linear methods. Taking into account in addition evidence for a BC-DC positive dependence, the resulting prevalence rate estimates were slightly higher, 0.88 per 1000 by log-linear methods and 0.90 per 1000 by the Bernoulli census approach. In view of the likely BC-DC positive dependence, it is suggested that Bernoulli census estimates derived using only these two sources without some ancillary third data source are likely to be biased to a false low figure. Nevertheless, estimates from BC and DC alone may still be useful in establishing that the prevalence rate is above some minimum figure, for example a "breakeven" prevalence rate, in cost-benefit analyses of a possible prevention program.
A regulatory architecture for a digital enterprise

We are witnessing the birth of the digital enterprise, in which many of the enterprise operations will be performed by independent software programs or by programs acting on behalf of humans. Although this automation proved to be efficient for many enterprises, the digital infrastructure can become difficult to manage in the presence of large, distributed systems composed of heterogenous agents. The Service Oriented Architecture (SOA for short) is becoming a de-facto standard paradigm for the design of the new generation of enterprise systems. It expresses a perspective of software architecture that defines the use of loosely coupled software services to support the requirements of the business processes and software users. In such an environment, resources are made available as independent services that can be accessed without knowledge of their underlying platform implementation. It is the conventional wisdom—to which we subscribe—that open enterprise systems can be tamed, thus made more manageable and more secure, by regulating the interaction between their disparate actors (software components, and people); that is, by subjecting such interactions to explicitly stated and enforced constraints, often called policies. The effectiveness of the current approaches is limited due to their failure to address several needs inherent in modern enterprises. We identified the following requirements that a regulatory mechanism has to offer support for: (i) the required expressive power of policies, (ii) the multiplicity of enterprise policies, and their inherently hierarchical organization, and (iii) the scalability of the formulation of policies and of their enforcement. The objectives of this thesis are to design a comprehensive regulatory mechanism for enterprise systems, which meets the challenges outlined above and to construct a prototype of this mechanism. We call this mechanism ARM, for "A Regulatory Mechanism," (noting that one of the dictionary definition of the word "arm'' is "power or authority'' as in "long arm of the law''). The implementation of ARM will employ the distributed coordination and control mechanism called Law-Governed Interaction (LGI). This mechanism already features some of the capabilities required to meet our challenges, including its high expressive power, and decentralized enforcement of policies (called "laws" under LGI).
Guilds at the Millennium: Antitrust and the Professions 2002 AALS Section on Antitrust and Economic Regulation

The papers published in this symposium issue were originally presented at the meeting of the Section on Antitrust and Economic Regulation of the Association of American Law Schools, at the Association Annual Conference, held in January 2002, in Washington, D.C. The audience for this conference was those academics who research, teach and write in the area of antitrust and competition law, business regulation or economics rather than legal practitioners or members of the various professions that are the subject of these articles. The papers, however, are not solely theoretical or limited to a law and economics analysis, but analyze the role of competition among professionals in three concrete factual scenarios. Section Chair, Professor Spencer Weber Waller describes the subject of the program, "the inherent conflict between self-regulation of the professions and its potential abuse for anti-competitive purposes" as both a longstanding and important issue, recognizing that "the key question is whether a profession's self-regulation serves the public interest in preserving professional quality or is a means to exclude competition and/or maintain anti-competitive prices." This topic is particularly timely in light of the 1999 Supreme Court decision in California Dental Association, a government case challenging a non-profit association of dental societies ethical rules limiting advertising by member dentists. The overall theme of the AALS program was an examination the state of competition in aspects of three different professions; the practice and business of medicine, legal education, and the practice of antitrust law. Thus, all of these papers presented creative new approaches to longstanding issues surrounding antitrust treatment of professionals and raised provocative questions. Future articles promise to add content to theory, elaborate on ethodology, and guide scholars and courts in the application of substantive standards to balance the economic and competitive benefits and harms of competition among professionals. The issue of competition and self regulation by professionals actually involves several subsidiary questions including, whether the practice of a profession even onstitutes "trade or commerce" within the meaning of the Sherman Act; what constitutes a profession and, subsidiarily, the meaning of "practice" of a profession; whether and under what circumstances state regulation of professions and professional associations is exempt from the antitrust laws; and finally, whether professionals are subject to different substantive antitrust standards in any circumstances, in other words, whether professionals enjoy special antitrust treatment solely by virtue of their status. These are not trivial questions and the correct resolutions are, in many respects, not intuitively obvious. It is well established, however, that competition, whether for services or goods, is a fundamental goal of antitrust, and agreements to fix prices or restrict output are, and ought to be, subject to condemnation.
Combat casualty care: the Alpha Surgical Company experience during Operation Iraqi Freedom.

ABSTRACT Background: Operation Iraqi Freedom was the first large-scale combat operation involving the U.S. Marine Corps since the Persian Gulf War in 1991. Data from a combat surgical company are presented. Methods: Records of all U.S. and Iraqi combat casualties admitted to the surgical company were reviewed. Results: Fifty-three (57%) of 93 patients suffered penetrating injuries. Most wounds were produced by high-explosive munitions (mines, hand grenades, and rocket-propelled grenades), and the majority (51%) of wounds were to the extremities. The time to surgical care averaged 4.7 hours (range, 1.5–48 hours), and 98% of the patients seen at our facility survived. Conclusions: The time from injury to surgical care was considered long by civilian standards; however, this did not appear to affect outcomes substantially. A small percentage (5.2%) of injuries were to the torso. Hypothermia was commonly present. Because of the nature of their wounds, all patients required additional surgery after evacuation ...
A low-power correlator ASIC for arrays with many antennas

We report the design of a new application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC) for use in radio telescope correlators. It supports the construction of correlators for an arbitrarily large number of signals. The ASIC uses an intrinsically low-power architecture along with design techniques and a process that together result in unprecedentedly low power consumption. The design is flexible in that it can support telescopes with almost any number of antennas N. It is intended for use in an "FX" correlator, where a uniform filter bank breaks each signal into separate frequency channels prior to correlation.
Designing Allosteric Inhibitors of Factor XIa. Lessons from the Interactions of Sulfated Pentagalloylglucopyranosides

We recently introduced sulfated pentagalloylglucopyranoside (SPGG) as an allosteric inhibitor of factor XIa (FXIa) (Al-Horani et al., J. Med Chem. 2013, 56, 867–878). To better understand the SPGG–FXIa interaction, we utilized eight SPGG variants and a range of biochemical techniques. The results reveal that SPGG’s sulfation level moderately affected FXIa inhibition potency and selectivity over thrombin and factor Xa. Variation in the anomeric configuration did not affect potency. Interestingly, zymogen factor XI bound SPGG with high affinity, suggesting its possible use as an antidote. Acrylamide quenching experiments suggested that SPGG induced significant conformational changes in the active site of FXIa. Inhibition studies in the presence of heparin showed marginal competition with highly sulfated SPGG variants but robust competition with less sulfated variants. Resolution of energetic contributions revealed that nonionic forces contribute nearly 87% of binding energy suggesting a strong possibility o...
Effects of hyperbaric oxygenation on metabolism. VI. Efficacy of protective agents at 5,7,9, and 11 atmospheres of 100 percent oxygen.

SummaryAt 5, 7, 9, and 11 ATA of 100% O2: Cysteine + succinate offers the greatest protection against O2 toxicity. Succinate is the most effective single compound for protection against O2 toxicity. The failure of GSH to sustain its degree of protection at 7, 9, and 11 ATA is thought to be due to insufficient time available to permit conversion of GSH to succinate due to the increased severity of stress. The acid-base buffer, Tris, was less effective at 7, 9, and 11 ATA than -SH group protectants. Malate, a NAD-linked substrate offers no protection against O2 toxicity.We thank Marvin and Julie Nunn for valuable technical assistance.
Production and counteraction of a fatty acid deficiency in the guinea pig.

SummaryThese experiments have shown that omission of fat from the diet of the guinea pig results in a syndrome characterized by: retardation of growth, dermatitis, marked drying of the inside of the ears and, in some animals, ulcers, loss of fur, and a tendency to a swollen, somewhat cyanotic condition of the feet. All of these symptoms were corrected by the oral administration of linoleic acid. These results afford the first demonstration of the necessity for the guinea pig of a dietary source of linoleic acid or, possibly, of some other fatty acid present in corn oil.
Transforming growth factor alpha- and c-myc-induced mammary carcinogenesis in transgenic mice.

The growth factor transforming growth factor alpha (TGFα) and the nuclear transcription factor c-myc often are overexpressed by human breast cancer cells. To produce models of breast disease with these etiologies, mice were generated that carried TGF-α- or c-myc-encoding transgenes. Transgene targeting employed the whey acidic protein (WAP) gene promoter, which is expressed in pregnant and lactating mammary epithelial cells. Non-virgin WAP-TGFα transgenic mice displayed accelerated mammary development during pregnancy, delayed post-parturient mammary involution, a progressive increase in the number of hyperplastic alveolar nodules (HANs), and development of mammary carcinoma with a mean latency of 9 months. Non-virgin WAP-c-myc transgenic mice displayed accelerated mammary gland development during pregnancy and development of mammary carcinomas with a latency of 8 months. Bitransgenic mice carrying both WAP-TGFα and WAP-c-myc displayed a dramatic acceleration of tumor development. These models identify the overexpression of TGFα or c-myc as etiological factors in the development of mammary neoplasia and demonstrate the increased severity of disease when both molecular alterations are present in the same cell.
Population Dynamics of Melipotis indomita (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae), an Indigenous Natural Enemy of Mesquite, Prosopis spp.

The cutworm Meltpotis indomtta Walker is the most important defoliator of honey mesquite, Prosopts glandulosa Torrey var. glandulosa , in the southwestern United States. Several aspects of its population dynamics were investigated in the insectary and field at Temple, Tex., because of its potential value in a biological control program. Females deposited about 750 eggs, and a generation was completed in about 45 d in an insectary at natural temperature and photoperiod. Insectary populations increased 1.12 times per day and doubled every 6.3 d. In the field, larvae eclose from egg masses presumably deposited in crevices under mesquite bark, feed nocturnally on the leaves, and pupate in the soil. The highest level of cutworm activity was observed in 1980 on the Edwards Plateau where the population density in the soil beneath a heavily defoliated mesquite stand was 70.1 larvae and 15.6 pupae/m2. Light trap samples showed moths were active as early as mid-April in 1982 in central Texas. Adult emergence continued into October during 1981 and 1983, giving no indication that M. indomtta underwent a pupal diapause. Weather conditions and parasitism of larvae and pupae were important factors regulating populations of M. indomtta . The potential effectiveness of M. indomtta as a biological control agent of mesquite was also examined. It was concluded that M. indomtta would be only a partially effective agent because the defoliating activity of the larvae does not permanently damage mesquite.
Christian Art in India: Early Christianity from the Arrival of the Portuguese Until Today

From the seventh century to the present, Christian art has existed in India. Astonishing is the fact that some of the best artistic pieces were done not by Christians, but by Hindus, Muslims, etc. This is especially visible in the Mogul miniatures of the Mogul court of Akbar to the Bengali art of the 20th century, where artists identified in Jesus the suffering Indian humanity. Today a lot of Christian art is engaging with the struggles of the people at the margins. Besides this social critical art, modern art forms are emerging which shed their Indian identity and could be done anywhere in the world.