cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
The fine structure of coelomocytes in the annelid Enchytraeus fragmentosus.

Two types of coelomocytes, the mucocyte and the phagocyte, occur in Enchytraeus fragmentosus. Other free cells observed within the coelomic cavity include chloragogen cells, peritoneal cells and some anucleate granular cells. Three forms of mucocytes occur and are believed to represent developmental stages. The first stage is one in which the mucous droplets are forming in the Golgi region. The second stage is a mature form, and the third stage is one in which the mucous droplets are being released. The phagocytes generally are quite large, and inclusions vary from recognizable portions of chloragogen cells to extremely small, electron-dense cytosomes. The origin of the coelomocytes could not be determined. Probable functions of coelomocytes are discussed.
Assessment of the Abnormal Lactiferous Duct

The lactiferous duct system of the breast is the site of development of various benign and malignant lesions. Asymptomatic patients may have incidental diagnosis of ductal dilation on mammography. A mass or area of calcifications identified on mammography as suspicious and subsequently biopsied may represent a lesion of a primary lactiferous duct. The smaller terminal ducts are the site of development of most cancers and hyperplasias. In patients who present with the symptom of nipple discharge, a clinical assessment is made to determine the potential significance of the finding. In patients with uniorificial, spontaneous and suspicious discharge, further evaluation with galactography is recommended. In this article we will review the benign and malignant lesions of the main lactiferous ducts, the assessment of asymptomatic patients with ductal dilation on mammography, and the assessment of patients with abnormal nipple discharge.
Density matrix solutions for the susceptibilities of a three-level system with arbitrary relaxation rates and field strengths

The susceptibilities for a three-level system with arbitrary pump and signal field strengths are derived for the case of arbitrary longitudinal and transverse relaxation rates.
Ultrahigh-frequency transmission in wave guides

Ultrahigh-frequency, or microwave radiation is being employed more and more in the prosecution of the war, for communication and other specialized purposes. Unlike the power and audio frequencies, transmission in the ultrahigh-frequency region is accomplished best by wave guides, or tubular conductors. In order to make practical use of wave guides, it is necessary to decide upon the shape and size of the guides and upon the mode of transmission to be used. Here transverse-electric and transverse-magnetic modes of transmission in both rectangular and cylindrical wave guides are considered.
Surface treatment and characterization of functionalized latex particles and inorganic pigment particles used in the study of film formation from pigmented latex systems

The adsorption of sodium polyacrylate [NaPA] on noncarboxylated and carboxylated poly(n-butyl methacrylate-co-n-butyl acrylate) [P(BMA/BA)] latexes and ground calcium carbonate (GCC) was studied. The adsorption isotherms of NaPA on P(BMA/BA) latex surfaces showed that NaPA tended to adsorb to a greater extent onto the latex particle surfaces when the carboxyl group surface coverage of latex polymer particles is low, which indicates a repulsive interaction between the dissociated carboxyl groups and NaPA macroions. The electrophoretic mobility of cleaned model P(BMA/BA) latexes decreased with the increasing carboxyl group surface coverage at pH 10 due to the alkali-swelling characteristics of carboxylated latexes. For GCC, used as extender pigment particles in the pigmented latex blend systems, the size of the GCC pigment particles stabilized with NaPA decreased during a sonification process and their ζ-potential became increasingly negative with the addition of NaPA to the GCC pigment slurry. Particle size and ζ-potential measurements showed that NaPA can stabilize GCC particles effectively, and the optimum concentration of NaPA to stabilize GCC is around 1 wt % based on solid GCC. © 2005 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 99: 398–404, 2006
In-Situ Formation of ZnO Nanobelts and Metallic Zn Nanobelts and Nanodisks

We report on the in-situ formation of ZnO nanobelts and metallic Zn nanobelts and nanodisks in a transmission electron microscope by electron-beam irradiation of single-crystalline polyhedral Zn nanoparticles, which were synthesized by evaporating ZnO powder mixed with graphite in a N2 flowing carrying gas environment. ZnO and Zn nanobelts are both single-crystalline, have a top surface of ±{110}. a side surface of ±{100}, and a ±[001] growth direction. The zinc nanodisks have diameters of 10 nm to 0.3 μm, and thickness of about 0.1 μm. They usually have faceted hexagonal shapes with a top surface of ±(001).
Tumor suppressor genes

The mutation of tumor suppressor genes is thought to contribute to tumor growth by inactivating proteins that normally act to limit cell proliferation. Several tumor suppressor proteins have been identified in recent years, but only two of them, p53 and pRb, are understood in detail. In the past year, a role has become apparent for both of these proteins in transcription and phosphorylation events required for passage of a cell from G1 to S phase. The pRb protein appears to prevent the function of transcription factors and other proteins needed for S phase until its inactivation by cyclin-dependent kinases in late G1. Induction of p53 by DNA damage may act to cause cell cycle arrest or cell death by altering the transcription program of damaged cells. A detailed molecular understanding of these growth regulators is now emerging, and is the subject of this review.
Pain Management After Surgery for Single-Ventricle Palliation Using the Hybrid Approach

The hybrid pathway for the management of patients with hypoplastic left heart syndrome was pioneered at our institution and is the preferred approach compared with the traditional Norwood pathway. Patients undergoing this surgery are generally <6 months of age, and pain management in this age group after surgery for complex congenital heart disease (CHD) may be particularly challenging. We retrospectively reviewed our pain-management strategy after stage 1 hybrid procedure (HS1) and evaluated its efficacy, especially in the setting of early tracheal extubation. We retrospectively reviewed the records of patients receiving fentanyl analgesia after HS1 palliation for single-ventricle anatomy between June 2008 and August 2011. In addition to demographic data, we also recorded the mode of analgesia, total fentanyl administered during the first 48 postoperative hours, and total hours of fentanyl use. Other data collected included pain scores, adverse effects, time of tracheal extubation, and use of adjunctive medications, such as dexmedetomidine. Nurse-controlled analgesia (NCA) with fentanyl was used in 21 of the 33 patients in the study cohort, with the remainder receiving a continuous fentanyl infusion. NCA-fentanyl was the method of choice in 12 of the 13 patients whose tracheas were extubated in the operating room versus 9 of 20 patients who received postoperative mechanical ventilation and tracheal intubation (p = 0.0093). During the first and second 24 h after surgery, fentanyl requirements were lower in patients whose tracheas were extubated (11.8 ± 7.6 vs. 20.6 ± 18.1 and 6.6 ± 10.3 vs. 24.3 ± 20.4 μg/kg, respectively). Adverse effects were noted in 3 of the 33 patients (9%) and included one episode each of respiratory depression requiring reintubation of the trachea, pruritus, and excessive sedation. Dexmedetomidine was used as an adjunct medication in 5 patients and resulted in decreased fentanyl use (6.3 ± 1.3 vs. 19 ± 15.9 μg/kg in the first 24 postoperative hours and 7.9 ± 3.5 vs. 19 ± 20.3 μg/kg in the second 24 postoperative hours). Fentanyl administered by way of continuous infusion or NCA provided effective postoperative analgesia with a limited adverse effect profile after HS1 surgery in neonates with complex CHD. Fentanyl requirements were lower in patients who achieved early tracheal extubation as well as those who received dexmedetomidine.
Analysis of detection performance of modified periodogram over fading channels

In this article, we investigate the performance of classical and modified periodogram based on the Neyman-Pearson (NP) criterion in terms of the false alarm and detection probabilities. We derive analytical expressions that allow us to compare the performance of the classical periodogram with the Bartlett's and the Welch's modified periodogram over generalized fading channels. Our analytical framework also captures the effect zero padding (more FFT points than the length of input sequence) on the detection performance. We show that an unpadded classical periodogram gives the same detection performance as the time domain (TD) equivalent. However, the use of zero padding leads to better energy detection performance. The Welch's overlapping periodogram averages is also shown to outperform Bartlett's method (non-overlapping periodogram). Thus we conclude that, it is advantageous to implement the energy detection in the frequency domain (FD) than in the TD. Numerical results have been generated for several representative cases and a careful review of previous works reveals that this is a new contribution to the performance analysis of modified periodogram over fading channels.
How do children describe pain? A tentative assessment

Abstract In a study to determine how children describe the experience of pain, we queried a convenience sample of 100 children in hospitals and 114 children in church and private schools who were between 9 and 12 years old. The questions were designed to seek correlations by age among boys and girls and between hospitalized and non-hospitalized children that would aid health professionals in strategies that will identify and assist the child who is in pain. The preliminary results show that children clearly describe pain, that there are no appreciable differences by age groups, but that children who are hospitalized describe pain differently from children who are not.
The Use of Exit Interviews in Master's Programs of Public Affairs and Administration

Exit interviewing is one technique available to schools interested in assessing the outcomes of their academic programs. Schools tend to use the technique to assess impacts upon students completing a program. Exit interviewing can be used in conjunction with other techniques, such as alumni surveys. Exit interviews can contain a wide variety of questions, and a particular strength of the technique is that follow-up questions can be asked. Several adminis trative problems are associated with the technique and must be anticipated. According to a survey of public affairs schools, exit interviewing is used especially for course content changes, curricu lum revisions, and feedback to individual faculty members.
Hydroforming of aluminum extrusion tubes for automotive applications. Part II: process window diagram

Abstract Based on the mathematical formulations for predicting forming limits induced by buckling, wrinkling and bursting of free-expansion tube hydroforming, a theoretical “Process Window Diagram” (PWD) is proposed and established in this paper. The theory developed in the first part of the present work was formulated within the context of free-expansion tube hydroforming with both combined internal pressure and end feeding. The PWD is designed to provide a quick assessment of part producibility for tube hydroforming. The predicted PWD is validated against experimental results conducted for 6260-T4 60×2×320 ( mm ) aluminum tubes. An optimal loading path is also proposed in the PWD with an attempt to define the ideal forming process for aluminum tube hydroforming. Parametric studies show that the PWD has a strong dependency on tube geometry, material property and process parameters. To the authors’ knowledge, this is the first attempt that a PWD is being formulated theoretically. Such a concept can be advantageous in deriving design solutions and determining optimal process parameters for tube hydroforming processes.
Do people who "mature out" of drinking see themselves as more mature?

BACKGROUND: Self-perceptions of adulthood during the 20s and 30s are influenced by role transitions, age-related norms, and character traits. These factors are also associated with alcohol use disorders (AUDs), which peak and subsequently decrease during this time of life. Previous developmental research has found that alcohol misuse in adolescence predicts lower reported maturity, whereas alcohol misuse in emerging adulthood is not related to maturity. This study examines how self-perceived maturity (SPM) is affected by AUD status, maturity-related personality characteristics, and role transition variables at ages 25, 29, and 35, and how those relationships change over time. METHODS: Data were drawn from a cohort study of 410 college students (N = 489 at baseline). Students were ascertained as first-time freshmen at a large, public midwestern university in the fall of 1987 but were followed up regardless of subsequent enrollment. The data for the current study were drawn from Waves 5 to 7, when participants were, on average, 25, 29, and 35 years of age. Structural equation modeling was used to determine whether the relation between the SPM item "I feel mature for my age" and DSM-III AUD status was moderated by age. RESULTS: Results suggested that individuals with AUDs are more likely to endorse lower SPM levels compared to their nondiagnosing peers at ages 29 and 35 but not at age 25. In contrast, none of the relations between Conscientiousness, concern about Future Consequences, role status variables, and AUD was moderated by time. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that alcohol-related problems may be perceived as more "age appropriate" during the mid-20s than at later ages in life and that such developmentally sensitive aspects of self-concept might be useful in cognitive interventions for young adults. Language: en
Histamine and epidermal growth factor in women with fibrocystic changes of the breast

In this study, the blood serum concentrations of histamine (HA) and epidermal growth factor (EGF) of women with fibrocystic changes (FCCs) of the breast were estimated. The control group comprised 32 women (mean age 44.9+/-4.4 years) without any pathologic changes in their breasts. The study group was made up of 81 women (mean age 44.5+/-3.5 years) with FCCs. The changes were divided into three subtypes: fibrous, cystic, and fibrocystic. In women with FCCs the concentrations of HA (P<0.01) and EGF (P<0.01) were significantly higher than in women without any changes in their breasts (control group). The concentration of EGF in blood serum was significantly higher in women with the fibrocystic subtype of FCC (P<0.001) than in healthy women. No correlations between the blood serum concentrations of HA and of EGF were found in either the control group or the study group. The significantly higher blood serum concentrations of HA and EGF women with FCCs than in healthy women suggest that HA and EGF have a role in the development of this disease.
Responses of Anolis grahami Males to Manipulations of Species Identity and Components of Displays in Lizard Robots

Abstract: Many animal species use stereotyped displays to attract the opposite sex and to intimidate same-sexed rivals. Research aimed at understanding display recognition, function, and usage can be aided through the use of animal robots that allow one side of signaler–receiver interactions to be controlled. Manipulation of displays in ways that do not occur in nature has the potential to determine the boundaries of display recognition, as well as to provide insights into the manner in which animal display contests are structured. We describe two experiments that extend previous work on display recognition in the lizard Anolis grahami. In the first experiment, we used robots to determine the relative importance of body coloration and headbob display structure for species recognition. The results showed that subjects responded more strongly to robots having both conspecific appearance and display structure than to robots that deviated in those characteristics from the conspecific stimulus. In the second ...
Interferon‐α inhibits CD4 T cell responses to interleukin‐7 and interleukin‐2 and selectively interferes with Akt signaling

Persistent type I IFN production occurs during chronic viral infections, such as HIV disease. As type I IFNs have antiproliferative activity, it is possible that chronic exposure to these cytokines could adversely affect T cell homeostasis. We investigated the capacity of IFN-α to impair T cell proliferation induced by the homeostatic cytokine, IL-7, or another common γ-chain cytokine, IL-2, in cells from healthy human donors. We found that IL-7- or IL-2-induced proliferation of CD4(+) T cells was partially inhibited in the presence of IFN-α. The CD4(+) T cells that were exposed to IFN-α also displayed attenuated induction of IL-2 and CD40L following TCR stimulation. Analyses of signaling pathways indicated that IL-7 and IL-2 induced a delayed and sustained P-Akt signal that lasted for several days and was partially inhibited by IFN-α. In contrast, IL-7-induced P-STAT5 was not affected by IFN-α. Furthermore, IFN-α had no detectable effect on P-Akt that was induced by the chemokine SDF-1. Both inhibitors of P-Akt and P-STAT5 blocked IL-7-induced T cell proliferation, confirming that both signaling pathways are important for IL-7-induced T cell proliferation. These results demonstrate that IFN-α can selectively inhibit cytokine-induced P-Akt as a potential mechanism to disrupt homeostasis of T lymphocytes.
Distributed Waveform Generator: A New Circuit Technique for Ultra-Wideband Pulse Generation, Shaping and Modulation

A new circuit technique, the distributed waveform generator (DWG), is proposed for low-power ultra-wideband pulse generation, shaping and modulation. It time-interleaves multiple impulse generators, and uses distributed circuit techniques to combine generated wideband impulses. Built-in pulse shaping can be realized by programming the delay and amplitude of each impulse similar to an FIR filter. Pulse modulation schemes such as on-off keying (OOK) and pulse position modulation (PPM) can be easily applied in this architecture. Two DWG circuit prototypes were implemented in a standard 0.18 mum digital CMOS technology to demonstrate its advantages. A 10-tap, 10 GSample/s, single-polarity DWG prototype achieves a pulse rate of 1 GHz while consuming 50 mW, and demonstrates OOK modulation using 16 Mb/s PRBS data. A 10-tap, 10 GSample/s, dual-polarity DWG prototype was developed to generate UWB pulses compliant with the transmit power emission mask. Based on the latter DWG design, a reconfigurable impulse radio UWB (IR-UWB) transmitter prototype was implemented. The transmitter's pulse rate can be varied from 16 MHz range up to 2.5 GHz. The bandwidth of generated UWB pulses is also variable, and was measured up to 6 GHz (- 10 dB bandwidth). Both OOK and PPM modulation schemes are successfully demonstrated using 32 Mb/s PRBS data. The IR-UWB transmitter achieves a measured energy efficiency of 45 pJ/pulse, independent of pulse rate.
Dynamic pointer alignment: tiling and communication optimizations for parallel pointer-based computations

Loop tiling and communication optimization, such as message pipelining and aggregation, can achieve optimized and robust memory performance by proactively managing storage and data movement. In this paper, we generalize these techniques to pointer-based data structures (PBDSs). Our approach, dynamic pointer alignment (DPA), has two components. The compiler decomposes a program into non-blocking threads that operate on specific pointers and labels thread creation sites with their corresponding pointers. At runtime, an explicit mapping from pointers to dependent threads is updated at thread creation and is used to dynamically schedule both threads and communication, such that threads using the same objects execute together, communication overlaps with local work, and messages are aggregated. We have implemented DPA to optimize remote reads to global PBDSs on parallel machines. Our empirical results on the force computation phases of two applications that use sophisticated PBDSs, Barnes-Hut and FMM, show that DPA achieves good absolute performance and speedups by enabling tiling and communication optimization on the CRAY T3D.
An Automatic Technique to Synthesize Avionics Architecture

In conventional avionics system design process, changing the avionics system architecture involves a large team of engineers and requires months to years of redesign time. This paper describes the Avionics Architecture Tool (AST) developed by JPL that can automatically synthesize architecture for the avionicssystem- on-a-chip. As the synthesis is based on Genetic Algorithm and driven by requirements that are imposed by the environment, the synthesized architecture can quickly adapt to environmental changes. Furthermore, the AST can also guarantee that the synthesized architecture is viable and workable through the use of Viability Tree.
Asynchronous risk: retirement savings, equity markets, and unemployment

Retirement savings in defined contribution plans vary as a result of the timing and frequency of unemployment spells. We hypothesize that unemployment is coincident with negative shocks to equities prices, implying workers may systematically miss investment opportunities. First we match historic stock returns to unemployment hazards by gender, and earnings quartile. Next we test the relationship between unemployment, equity returns, and pension savings, by repeated simulation. Finally, we find that the timing of unemployment spells amplifies retirement savings losses on average for all worker-types in our analysis. Timing impacts are observed to be largest for high earnings workers and to increase with unemployment losses disproportionately.
Large area 19.4% efficient rear passivated silicon solar cells with local Al BSF and screen-printed contacts

This paper describes the cell design and technology for achieving 19.4% efficient cells on large-area (239 cm2) commercial grade Cz Si wafers using industrially feasible oxide/SiNx rear passivation and screen-printed local back contacts. A combination of optimized front and back dielectrics, rear surface finish, oxide thickness and fixed oxide charge and interface quality provided effective surface passivation without parasitic shunting. Increasing the rear oxide thickness from 40 A to 90 A in conjunction with reducing the surface roughness from 5 mm to 0.2 mm increased the V oc by 16 mV to 656 mV, J sc was 38.1 mA/cm2 and FF was 0.778 for the 19.4% cell, which is the highest efficiency 239 cm2 fully screen-printed Cz cell. Compared to 18.6% full Al-BSF reference cell, LBSF improved the BSR from 71% to 95% and lowered the BSRV from 310 to 130 cm/s. 2D computer simulations were performed to optimize the size, shape and spacing of local BSF regions to obtain good FF. Model calculations show that 20% efficiency cells can be achieved with further optimization of local Al-BSF cell structure and improved screen-printed contacts.
Biomimetic postcapillary expansions for enhancing rare blood cell separation on a microfluidic chip

Blood cells naturally auto-segregate in postcapillary venules, with the erythrocytes (red blood cells, RBCs) aggregating near the axis of flow and the nucleated cells (NCs)—which include leukocytes, progenitor cells and, in cancer patients, circulating tumor cells—marginating toward the vessel wall. We have used this principle to design a microfluidic device that extracts nucleated cells (NCs) from whole blood. Fabricated using polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) soft lithography, the biomimetic cell extraction device consists of rectangular microchannels that are 20–400 μm wide, 11 μm deep and up to 2 cm long. The key design feature is the use of repeated expansions/contractions of triangular geometry mimicking postcapillary venules, which enhance margination and optimize the extraction. The device operates on unprocessed whole blood and is able to extract 94 ± 4.5% of NCs with 45.75 ± 2.5-fold enrichment in concentration at a rate of 5 nl s−1. The device eliminates the need to preprocess blood viacentrifugation or RBC lysis, and is ready to be implemented as the initial stage of lab-on-a-chip devices that require enriched nucleated cells. The potential downstream applications are numerous, encompassing all preclinical and clinical assays that operate on enriched NC populations and include on-chip flow cytometry (A. Y. Fu et al., Anal. Chem., 2002, 74, 2451–2457; A. Y. Fu et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 1999, 17, 1109–1111), genetic analyses (M. M. Wang et al., Nat. Biotechnol., 2005, 23, 83–87; L. C. Waters et al., Anal. Chem., 1998, 70, 5172–5176) and circulating tumor cell extraction (S. Nagrath et al., Nature, 2007, 450, 1235–1241; S. L. Stott et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U. S. A., 2010, 18392–18397; H. K. Lin et al., Clin. Cancer Res., 2010, 16, 5011–5018).
The Named-State Register File: implementation and performance

Context switches are slow in conventional processors because the entire processor state must be saved and restored, even if much of the state is not used before the next context switch. This paper introduces the Named-State Register File, a fine-grain associative register file. The NSF uses hardware and software techniques to efficiently manage registers among sequential or parallel procedure activations. The NSF holds more live data per register than conventional register files, and requires much less spill and reload traffic to switch between concurrent contexts. The NSF speeds execution of some sequential and parallel programs by 9% to 17% over alternative register file organizations. The NSF has access time comparable to a conventional register file and only adds 5% to the area of a typical processor chip. >
Reflections on the Historiography of Twentieth‐Century Mexico

This article examines the recent trend to create a new periodization that concludes that the revolution ended in 1920 and therefore the decades of the 1920s and 1930s should be identified as the post revolution. The article argues that using the label post-revolutionary ignores major revolutionary social programs during the 1920s and 1930s and disregards the revolutionary achievements of Presidents Alvaro Obregon, Plutarco Calles, and Lazaro Cardenas. The article proposes that recent studies of women during the revolution, and social programs in the cities both suggest a different periodization, but one that includes the disputed decades of the 1920s and 1930s, reaching instead to 1953, 1958, or perhaps best, 1982.
A comparison of permafrost prediction models along a section of Trail Ridge Road, Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, USA

article The distribution of mountain permafrost along Trail Ridge Road (TRR) in Rocky Mountain National Park, Colorado, was modeled using 'frost numbers' and a 'temperature of permafrost model' (TTOP) in order to assess the accuracy of prediction models. The TTOPmodelisbasedonregionalobservationsofair temperatureand heat transfer functions involving vegetation, soil, and snow; whereas the frost number model is based on site-specific ratiosof groundtemperaturemeasurementsoffrozenandthaweddegree-days.ThirtyHOBO© temperaturedata
Persistence mechanisms in tick-borne diseases.

The use of new, highly sensitive diagnostic methods has revealed persistent infections to be a common feature of different tick-borne diseases, such as babesiosis, anaplasmosis and heartwater. Antigenic variation can contribute to disease persistence through the continual elaboration of new surface structures, and we know in several instances how this is achieved. Known or suspected mechanisms of persistence in babesial parasites include cytoadhesion and rapid variation of the adhesive ligand in Babesia bovis and genetic diversity in several merozoite stage proteins of different Babesia spp. In Anaplasma , extensive variation in the pfam01617 gene family accompanies cycling of organism levels in chronic infection. One result from the pioneering research at Onderstepoort is the definition of a related polymorphic gene family that is likely involved in immunity against heartwater disease. We are beginning to understand the sizes of the antigenic repertoires and full definition is close, with the possibility of applying simultaneous high-throughput sequencing to the order of 1 000 small genomes. We also, for the first time, can consider modifying these genomes and looking at effects on persistence and virulence. However, important biological questions remain unanswered; for example, why we are seeing a new emerging Anaplasma infection of humans and is infection of endothelial cells by Anaplasma significant to persistence in vivo.
Molecular targeting of the GK-GKRP pathway in diabetes

Introduction: Type 2 diabetes mellitus is a major healthcare concern. Significant efforts are being devoted toward developing new, safe, and more effective treatments. One approach involves activating glucokinase (GK). Earlier GK activator (GKA) approaches have focused on direct activation of GK through allosteric activators.Areas covered: This review summarizes the roles of GK and its key partner glucokinase regulatory protein in glucose metabolism and describes approaches that may alleviate hypoglycemic risk observed with GKAs.Expert opinion: The current GKA therapeutic approaches are associated with disappointing success rates. In rodent animal models, efficacy was observed with GKA. However, in all human studies, GKAs effectively lowered blood glucose, but at the expense of an increased risk of hypoglycemia. Other liabilities like loss of efficacy with time and increase in blood pressure or triglyceride levels have been reported with different molecules. To avoid hypoglycemic risk, alternative approac...
What to do with "I Don't Know:" Elicitation in Ethnographic & Survey Interviews

When a researcher enters an interview, she has already construed it as being a standard type of communicative event. This article considers how a researcher's construal of a communicative event as either an ethnographic or survey interview shapes the production of information. Interview standards entail epistemological assumptions that directly inform the type of information sought and produced. I consider this process through a comparison of the elicitation techniques I employed in survey and ethnographic interviews conducted during research in Mexico. I draw on theory in linguistic anthropology on the nature of meaning in language, examining how dialogicality and interaction are essential to understanding the construal of communicative events.
The interpretation of reflection‐seismograms

It is usually assumed, in the application of seismology to geological exploration, that the Earth's crust is stratified. Each of these strata, within limits, is considered to be isotropic and homogeneous, with a unique and constant velocity. This is merely a working hypothesis, which under favorable conditions gives satisfactory results. In regions where actual conditions closely approximate the ideal, such as finding the thickness of glaciers, rectilinear propagation paths can be used to great advantage (Hans Mothes, Seismische Dickenmessungen von Gletschereis, Zs. Geophysik, v. 3, 121–134, 1927). Also, where the depths of exploration are only of the order of a few hundred feet accurate cross-sections can be drawn. Ideal conditions can often be approximated by the use of a calibrated “average” velocity; this will be discussed in detail later.
The quantitation of rat serum esterases by densitometry of acrylamide gels stained for enzyme activity.

Abstract Normal rat sera were electrophoresed on polyacrylamide gels. The gels were then stained for (a) esterase activity and (b) protein content. Subsequent analysis on a densitometer permitted quantitative estimation of both enzyme activity and protein concentration. (The specific activity (per mg of protein) of individual serum esterases were then calculated.) Two previously unreported esterases (Bands A and D), were identified and partially characterized. When carefully prepared, non-activated plasma was used, no differences in enzyme activity were found compared to serum.
The challenges of environment and development in the Arab Region

The following paper was given at the Symposium on Environmental Pollution in the Region, Third World Academy of Sciences, Kuwait, November 24, 1992.
Poverty and Child Development

Living at or below a poverty threshold signifies that a family lacks basic financial resources, and thus children may lack access to necessary resources including food, shelter, and health care. Large international discrepancies are seen in child poverty rates; however, these rates depend upon the type of measure used, demographic differences across countries, and government policies. A growing body of research indicates that poverty has negative short-term and long-term influences on children's physical, cognitive, and emotional development. The timing, depth, and duration of poverty are also important; deep and persistent poverty during early childhood are especially detrimental to child well-being. Researchers are beginning to explore the potential pathways through which poverty transmits its deleterious effects to children's development including the home environment, child care and schools, parenting behavior, parental mental health, neighborhoods, health care, and exposure to violence. There is increasing evidence that the home environment and parental behavior are the primary mechanisms of influence. Public policy can target family resources directly or the mechanisms through which poverty operates on child health and well-being. Policies that coordinate the needs of both children and their parents are likely to be more efficacious than those that focus solely on one or the other.
Tissue Culture Techniques and Plant Introduction/Quarantine Procedures

Two U.S. Department of Agriculture agencies, the Agricultural Research Service (ARS) and the Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service — Plant Protection and Quarantine (APHIS-PPQ), are responsible for introduction/quarantine aspects of foreign plant germplasm Importation. Personnel from ARS in cooperation with APHIS-PPQ operate the U.S. Plant Introduction and Quarantine Station (USPI/QS). ARS personnel receive, establish, maintain in quarantine, index, conduct virus1 therapy, multiply and distribute clonally and sexually propagated foreign plant germplasm introductions. They also maintain temporary collections of quarantine-released fruit crop cultivars (31, 38). The research objectives of the ARS scientists at USPI/QS are 1) to develop and apply methodology for producing disease-free-germplasm and for multiplying rare and/or hard-to-propagate germplasm, and 2) to develop improved methods of virus detection (graft and mechanical transmission, serology, dsRNA detection, nucleic acid hybridization and electron microscopy) and study the etiology of new viruses found in foreign introductions. The ARS has the sole responsibility for plant materials from importation through quarantine, indexing, propagation and distribution. APHIS-PPQ personnel are responsible for establishing import and quarantine regulations, specifying safeguards, conducting inspections and overseeing virus indexing and therapy of quarantined plants. Only APHIS-PPQ personnel have the authority to place plant items in quarantine and later release that same germplasm from quarantine.
Expansion Methods for Job-Candidate Matching Amidst Unreliable and Sparse Data

We address the problem of matching jobs with workers when information about both elements is incomplete and in some cases inaccurate. Such a situation occurs, for example, when profile information is generated from recorded audio, rather than typed or written sources. We present various methods of dealing with such post-processed voice information and show how it compares to human generated matches over the same data. Our analysis includes both SQL- and ontological-based methods that provide higher recall over a sparse data. A probabilistic weighted ontology model is proposed that enables assignment of realistic weights to different attributes and considers probabilistic conversion of audio to text. The evaluation is performed on real-life data from 1,100 candidates and 48 jobs spanning more than 3,000 vacancies.
General Skin Care

Sun protection through the use of broad-spectrum sunscreen remains a critical part of anti-aging and preventive regimens, but numerous botanical agents and dietary supplements claim to be effective against aging skin and UV-induced damage. A few agents have been studied in small trials and shown some efficacy and are worth considering, including topical Vitamin C, green tea, soy, and flavonols.
Laparoscopic gastric bypass in a porcine model.

ABSTRACT Gastric bypass and vertical banded gastroplasty are the two procedures used most frequently in the treatment of morbid obesity. In a pilot study, we used a porcine model in which laparosco...
Neuromuscular and related aspects of musical performance.

Various musculoskeletal and neurological conditions may impair musical performance. None seems age specific and only a few are directly related to playing. The latter are largely peripheral nerve compressive disorders. The nature of the complaint can usually be identified by examination and observation of the performer. Postural correction or compensation for infirmities such as osteoarthritis may provide relief. In younger players, tension may hinder performance and may respond to relaxation techniques, coaching, or a different instructor. In older performers, disease processes may affect the nervous system. Although many conditions are treatable, occupational cramp is as disabling to musicians as it is to typists, scriveners, and telegraphers. Its overall prognosis is poor indeed, and despite valiant efforts at treatment and retraining, career change is usually the ultimate outcome. The century-old argument of neurosis versus dystonia in such disorders remains unresolved.
Modeling of calcium-induced solubility profiles of casein for biotechnology: Influence of primary structure and posttranslational modification

Molecular biology holds the promise of new tools for the food industry which include proteins with tailor-made functionality. Without a fundamental knowledge of the molecular bases of these properties, implementation will be strictly empirical. For example, the phenomena of salt-induced precipitation of proteins (salting-out) and their resolubilization (salting-in) has heretofore been discussed only qualitatively. A quantitative method, using Wyman's theory of thermodynamic linkage, has been developed and tested on the calcium-induced solubility profiles of the major milk proteins, the caseins. Salting-out was described by a salt-binding constant,k 1, andn, the number of moles of salt bound; salting-in was described by the corresponding termsk 2 andm. The magnitude of these parameters indicated involvement of protein phosphate groups in binding and precipitation, but enzymatic dephosphorylation showed significant increases ink 1 andk 2 indicating involvement of carboxylate groups as well. Studies on two genetic variants of αs1-casein indicated the importance of a hydrophobically stabilized intramolecular ion pair in the functionality of the protein. These studies have led to a fuller understanding of the molecular basis for the solubility behavior of caseins and have laid the groundwork for future computer simulation of food protein functionality.
Artificial Neural Networks

Polynomial classifiers can model decision surfaces of any shape; and yet their practical utility is limited because of the easiness with which they overfit noisy training data, and because of the sometimes impractically high number of trainable parameters. Much more popular are artificial neural networks where many simple units, called neurons, are interconnected by weighted links into larger structures of remarkably high performance.
A Study of the Relationship between Steady Current Magnetic Field and Coulomb Field

This paper proves that three equations which are derived from current element producing magnetic field are equivalent by using methods of electromagnetic;the relationship between bit magnetic field and coulomb field generated by current-carrying electric charge from the magnetic field’s expression of steady current element is derived.It discusses the physical significance of the expression,shows its definite illustration of steady magnetic field being generated by directional movement of electronic charge and spreading at the speed of light,therefore new basis for denying the perspective of Action at a Distance is provided.It is believed that v×dE/c2 means the reactive power of Coulomb field,therefore,the magnetic field of steady current can be expressed by the reactive power of current-carrying charge’s Coulomb force,which makes it easier for beginners to understand the generation,origin and spreading of magnetic field correctly.Besides,this paper discusses how to solve problems of magnetic field by our new expression.It proves that Charge density multiplying speed of current carrier’s directional movement equals with current density multiplying point charge’s coulomb field,this makes it simpler to solve magnetic field.This method can avoid complicated calculations which traditional way have to use.Furthermore,this paper clarifies that the average speed of current-carrier’s directional movement in superconductor is much faster than in normal conductor;otherwise,current in superconductor will not be able to produce a magnetic field of dozens of Tesla.
Opportunistic infections in AIDS patients. Current management and prevention.

The type and course of opportunistic infections in patients with AIDS or high-risk HIV infection have changed through the years as a result of therapeutic intervention. Although Pneumocystis carini...
Accessible synthetic aperture radar system for autonomous vehicle sensing

The usage of autonomous vehicles is rapidly expanding on both the ground and air. With more autonomous vehicles in close proximity to humans, new and better sensors need to be developed to manage these relationships, both good and bad. This new age of autonomous activity will bring both new opportunity and new threats to people and property. One of these threats will be from cheap, very functional unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV). Currently, there is very little we can do to detect and track these vehicles, without expensive and typically unaccessible military grade sensors, such as radar. To provide a response to these threats, in a ubiquitous manner, low cost, accessible systems capable of detecting and tracking dubious UAV activity must be developed. This research effort is to develop a low cost, accessible sensor system with sufficient power and accuracy to be utilized in a number of task domains throughout the robotics and autonomous systems field, including for UAV detection and tracking. To make these systems accessible, the systems are flexible in terms of power and range, but a fully functioning radar system that anyone, such as local first responder organizations can afford. Given these requirements, we started with a design for a low cost synthetic aperture radar (SAR) and built the components. The basic design was modified to specifically address the challenges of being autonomous, low cost and mobile and to detect objects with minimal cross section. In the end the result is a promising system that can detect very small objects in an acceptable range.
'You Can't Get There from Here,' a Reply to Proposals to Disestablish Marriage as the Path to Care

Several prominent family law scholars have proposed that cohabitation, or the deinstitutionalization of marriage could, with significant governmental support, reliably produce stable care for children and adults in family settings. Their claim is based in large part on the premise that the institution of marriage is inextricably tied to patriarchy, excessively privatized dependency, and a lack of respect for women’s care work. They propose that, were cohabitation provided additional state support, or marriage abolished in favor of voluntary contracts between mothers and fathers respecting children, the problems associated with marriage would fall away. This chapter suggests, however, that such schemes depend upon a deeply flawed anthropology of the human person in the context of intimate relationships. It teases out the anthropology underlying the proposals to dethrone marriage by one or another means, argues its deficiencies, and proposes for consideration an anthropology that appears to offer a more intuitively true, and a more empirically sound basis for explaining human beings' choices and preferences in the area of intimate, heterosexual relationships. This anthropology was explicated over the course of 130 presentations over four years by the philosopher of human sexuality Pope John Paul II. It is entitled the “Theology of the Body.”
Computational Modeling Predicts Simultaneous Targeting of Fibroblasts and Epithelial Cells Is Necessary for Treatment of Pulmonary Fibrosis

Pulmonary fibrosis is pathologic remodeling of lung tissue that can result in difficulty breathing, reduced quality of life, and a poor prognosis for patients. Fibrosis occurs as a result of insult to lung tissue, though mechanisms of this response are not well-characterized. The disease is driven in part by dysregulation of fibroblast proliferation and differentiation into myofibroblast cells, as well as pro-fibrotic mediator-driven epithelial cell apoptosis. The most well-characterized pro-fibrotic mediator associated with pulmonary fibrosis is TGF-β1. Excessive synthesis of, and sensitivity to, pro-fibrotic mediators as well as insufficient production of and sensitivity to anti-fibrotic mediators has been credited with enabling fibroblast accumulation. Available treatments neither halt nor reverse lung damage. In this study we have two aims: to identify molecular and cellular scale mechanisms driving fibroblast proliferation and differentiation as well as epithelial cell survival in the context of fibrosis, and to predict therapeutic targets and strategies. We combine in vitro studies with a multi-scale hybrid agent-based computational model that describes fibroblasts and epithelial cells in co-culture. Within this model TGF-β1 represents a pro-fibrotic mediator and we include detailed dynamics of TGF-β1 receptor ligand signaling in fibroblasts. PGE2 represents an anti-fibrotic mediator. Using uncertainty and sensitivity analysis we identify TGF-β1 synthesis, TGF-β1 activation, and PGE2 synthesis among the key mechanisms contributing to fibrotic outcomes. We further demonstrate that intervention strategies combining potential therapeutics targeting both fibroblast regulation and epithelial cell survival can promote healthy tissue repair better than individual strategies. Combinations of existing drugs and compounds may provide significant improvements to the current standard of care for pulmonary fibrosis. Thus, a two-hit therapeutic intervention strategy may prove necessary to halt and reverse disease dynamics.
Color image quality metric S-CIELAB and its application on halftone texture visibility

We describe experimental tests of a spatial extension to the CIELAB color metric for measuring color reproduction errors of digital images. The standard CIELAB /spl Delta/E metric is suitable for use on large uniform color targets, but not on images, because color sensitivity changes as a function of spatial pattern. The S-CIELAB extension includes a spatial processing step, prior to the CIELAB /spl Delta/E calculation, so that the results correspond better to color difference perception by the human eye. The S-CIELAB metric was used to predict texture visibility of printed halftone patterns. The results correlate with perceptual data better than standard CIELAB and point the way to various improvements.