cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Pediatric palliative care

Melanie's case and the associated concerns are not unique. Children with life-threatening conditions and their families and communities may benefit from a family-centered model of pediatric palliative care. Benefits from its implementation are not just at the end of life, but throughout the course of therapy. Compassion coupled with a holistic approach incorporating humane and family-centered care is essential in meeting physical, mental, and spiritual needs. An interdisciplinary and collaborative model of pediatric palliative care involves the work of many, including nurses, physicians, social workers, chaplains, child life specialists, pharmacists, ethicists, bereavement counselors, ancillary staff, volunteers, and families themselves. They must incorporate key elements of the model, including clinical services, education and training, support services, and research that address physical, mental, and spiritual needs of families, children, and communities faced with life-threatening conditions.
Exploring transportation problems using interactive computer graphics

Etude de problemes de transport a l'aide de l'infographie interactive. Presentation du systeme PTNM/GIS (Princeton transportation network model and graphic information system)
Large-Scale BRDF Retrieval over New Mexico with a Multiangular NOAA AVHRR Dataset

Abstract In this study a number of linear semiempirical kernel-driven (LiSK) bidirectional reflectance distribution function (BRDF) models are adjusted against an extensive Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) dataset collected over a variety of semiarid cover types in the southern part of New Mexico and parts of Chihuahua, Mexico as part of the May 1997 Prototype Validation Exercise (PROVE) campaign, an activity of the NASA Earth Observing System Terra validation program. The aim is to investigate model behavior under conditions of sparse angular sampling such as that provided by the AVHRRs and MODIS over a wide variety of southwestern desert surface types. Linear semiempirical models of the type to be used in the MODIS/MISR BRDF/albedo product (MOD43) are inverted, since these are appropriate for use over large areas. The results of the inversions show that these models are able to describe BRDF for a wide variety of surfaces and provide both a means for correcting for directional phenomena in satellite data and for extracting structural information from multiangular reflectance datasets.
Desferri-exochelin induces death by apoptosis in human breast cancer cells but does not kill normal breast cells.

A major goal of cancer chemotherapy is the identification of cytotoxic compounds that are highly selective for cancer cells. We describe here one such compound – a novel iron chelator, desferri-exochelin 772SM. This desferri-exochelin has unique chemical and pharmacological properties, including extremely high iron binding affinity, the capacity to block iron-mediated redox reactions, and lipid solubility which enables it to enter cells rapidly. At low concentrations, this desferri-exochelin kills T47D-YB and MCF-7 human breast cancer cells by inducing apoptosis, but only reversibly arrests the growth of normal human mammary epithelial cells without cytotoxicity. Since iron-loaded exochelin is ineffective, iron chelation accounts for the efficacy of desferri-exochelin. For both the killing of breast cancer cells and the growth arrest of normal breast epithelial cells, desferri-exochelin was effective at much lower concentrations than the lipid-insoluble iron chelator deferoxamine, which has shown only limited potential as an anti-cancer agent. Growth arrest of progesterone receptor positive T47D-YB cells with the progestin R5020 transiently protects them from the cytotoxic effects of desferri-exochelin, but the cells are killed after cell growth resumes. Similarly, MCF-7 cells arrested with the estrogen antagonist ICI182780 are transiently resistant to killing by desferri-exochelin. Thus the desferri-exochelin is cytotoxic only to actively growing tumor cells. Since desferri-exochelin 772SM can selectively and efficiently destroy proliferating cancer cells without damaging normal cells, it may prove useful for the treatment of cancer.
Transthoracic Ventricular Defibrillation in the Dog with Truncated and Untruncated Exponential Stimuli

From 10 560 transthoracic fibrillation-defibrillation episodes in large anesthetized dogs, the effectiveness of 88 types of untruncated and truncated exponential waveforms in reversing ventricular fibrillation was evaluated. The study involved waveforms which could be generated with stored energy levels (in the simple capacitor-switch sense) of 60, 90, 120, and 180 J and initial current levels of 10, 20, 30, 40, 60, 80, and 100 A. The 10-A waveforms were untruncated or truncated at final current values of 5, 7.5, and 9 A. The 20-, 30-, and 40-A waveforms were untruncated or truncated at 5, 10, and 15 A. The 60-, 80-, and l00-A waveforms were untruncated or truncated at the 15-A level.
ENDOTOXIN ALTERS MORPHOMETRIC PATTERN OF LUNG REGROWTH IN PNEUMONECTOMIZED RATS

Top of pageAbstract We have previously demonstrated that a low dose of endotoxin (ENDO) alters the biochemical response of adult rats postpneumonectomy (PX) towards the pattern seen post-PX in young animals (i.e. increase in lung RNA and RNA/DNA ratio)(Peds. Res. 17:390A, 1983). To determine whether ENDO also alters the morphologic pattern of lung regrowth, we performed left pneumonectomies on adult rats, followed 24 hrs later by ENDO (250μg/kg) or saline injection, i.p. Lungs were formalin-fixed (20cmH20 inflation pressure) at 3 days post-op. The percent increases in right lung volume at 3 days post-PX was 48±10% for ENDO-PX compared to a control group and 23±14% for saline-PX, p<0.05. Microscopically the ENDO-PX lungs had obviously enlarged terminal air spaces compared to controls or the saline-PX group. Morphometric evaluations confirmed this impression: Saline pressure-volume curves, with volume expressed as percent of total lung capacity (at 20cmH20) were not different between ENDO-PX and saline-PX rats. We conclude that adult rats subjected to PX followed by ENDO treatment have an altered pattern of lung regrowth (consisting of large air spaces without a decrease in ISA), not explained by differences in tissue compliance.
Religion, spirituality, and genetics: Mapping the terrain for research purposes

Genetic diseases often raise issues of profound importance for human self-understanding, such as one's identity, the family or community to which one belongs, and one's future or destiny. These deeper questions have commonly been seen as the purview of religion and spirituality. This essay explores how religion and spirituality are understood in the current US context and defined in the scholarly literature over the past 100 years. It is argued that a pragmatic, functional approach to religion and spirituality is important to understanding how patients respond to genetic diagnoses and participate in genetic therapies. A pragmatic, functional approach requires broadening the inquiry to include anything that provides a framework of transcendent meaning for the fundamental existential questions of human life. This approach also entails suspending questions about the truth claims of any particular religious/spiritual belief or practice. Three implications of adopting this broad working definition will be presented.
Sunday is Family Day

This paper explores the transitions between “my-time” and “your-time,” between different social roles, and between different technological contexts. We used shadowing, voice-mail diaries and semi-structured group interviews to investigate the limits of seamless mobility. We identified an interesting behavior we call a “peek”: a quick look ahead in order to prepare for transitions. We also found that people are able to able to infer a lot from very little contextual information, and we argue that technologies designed for the above transitions therefore should rely on a few, well-chosen pieces of presence/awareness data, rather than exhaustive information. As a guide to invention and design, this study underlines the need to recognize our users' intelligence. Instead of making applications that anticipate what users wants to do, we suggest providing information that is relevant and clear enough that users can take a glance at it and decide for themselves how to proceed.
Teaching undergraduate software engineering

During the last decade, software engineering changed rapidly, from the emphasis on waterfall lifecycle to the emphasis on software evolution and agile programming. This tutorial provides a brief introduction and overview of the results of this development. It presents agile programming, Personal and Team Software Process, software change, concept location, refactoring, and so forth. The organizing principle is an outline of an undergraduate software engineering course that is based on these results. The audience interested in this tutorial may be teachers of software engineering, and also software practitioners who want learn how these results fit together and how to apply them in software projects.
Formation and morphology of cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB)/polyolefin and CAB/polyester in situ microfibrillar and lamellar hybrid blends

Cellulose acetate butyrate (CAB)/iPP (isotactic polypropylene), CAB/HDPE (high density polyethylene), CAB/PET (poly ethylene terephthalate), CAB/PTT (poly trimethylene terephthalate), CAB/PBT (poly butylenes terephthalate) and CAB/IPET-PEG (poly(ethylene terephthalate-co-isophthalate)-poly(ethylene glycol)) in situ microfibrillar and lamellar hybrid blends at a weight ratio of 80/20 were prepared by melt extrusion. Microfibrillar and lamellar hybrid morphologies of CAB/polyolefin and CAB/polyester blends under different force fields were investigated. The formation process of in situ microfibrillar and lamellar hybrid blends were analyzed and proposed.
Multiple Perspectives on Interaction: Second Language Research in Honor of Susan M. Gass edited by MACKEY, ALISON, & CHARLENE POLIO.

The article reviews the book "Multiple Perspectives on Interaction: Second Language Research in Honor of Susan M. Gass," edited by Alison Mackey and Charlene Polio.
Hyperfine fields and chemical order in Fe-Ge

Films of Fe0.79Ge0.21 were synthesized by ion beam sputtering, and were annealed at temperatures from 150 to 500 °C. The as-prepared materials comprised chemically disordered bcc crystallites, but short-range and long-range D03 chemical order developed upon annealing. The57Fe hyperfine magnetic field distribution can be understood approximately with a model of magnetic response, so the hyperfine magnetic field distribution can be used to follow the changes in chemical short-range ordering. Large local isomer shifts were observed at57Fe atoms near Ge atoms.
Heterogeneous catalysis using a nanostructured solid acid resin based on lyotropic liquid crystals.

The catalytic reactivity and selectivity of the first example of a nanostructured solid acid resin (1) are described. This new type of solid acid catalyst is formed by the self-assembly and copolymerization of two acidic lyotropic liquid crystals (LLCs), affording a columnar hexagonal polymer network with monodisperse nanochannels lined with sulfonic acid groups. The performance of this material as a heterogeneous catalyst was compared against that of two commercially available, amorphous sulfonic acid resins: Amberlyst-15 and Nafion NR50. Using the acid-catalyzed esterification of benzyl alcohol with 1-hexanoic acid in dry toluene as a test reaction, it was found that resin 1 displayed only slightly lower overall reactivity as compared to Amberlyst-15 and Nafion NR50 but more than an order of magnitude higher selectivity for the desired ester product over dibenzyl ether side-product. Control experiments revealed that the higher product selectivity is not due to differences in relative acidity between th...
Dividing load economically among power plants by use of the kilowatt — Killowatt-hour curve

FREQUENTLY, it becomes necessary for various reasons to study the relations between the output and the plant capacity of part of an electric system as distinguished from the whole capacity and the whole load. For example, it may be desired in a system of, say, 100,000-kw. capacity, to know how many kilowatt-hours will be absorbed by the load between the 50,000-kw. and 75,000-kw. loads, or how many kilowatt-hours lie below or above the 50,000-kw. line. One instance when such information is valuable is in estimating fuel cost for a year in the future. When operating steam plants where the system contains units of higher and lower fuel economies and where it is desired to get the greatest use out of the more efficient units and hold those of lower efficiencies for peak loads, the course can well be to forecast the output of each kind of plant and to predict the amount of fuel to be required by each.
Abstract #7: Voxel Based Morphometry with DARTEL in Multiple Sclerosis

Background Voxel based morphometry (VBM) is an automated tool used to assess the topography and magnitude of cerebral atrophy from MRI scans. However, VBM output is highly dependent on the input provided by registration and segmentation algorithms. Diffeomorphic anatomical registration through exponentiated lie algebra (DARTEL) is a new tool which has recently been developed to improve registration in healthy volunteers (HV) and neurodegenerative diseases. This has not yet been applied to multiple sclerosis (MS). Objective To assess regional gray matter (GM) and white matter (WM) atrophy using VBM combined with DARTEL in MS patients. Methods Using a 3T MRI scanner, fluid-attenuated inversion-recovery (FLAIR) and 3D spoiled gradient recalled (SPGR) scans were acquired from 26 relapsing remitting (RR) MS patients [age (mean ± SD) 39.2 ± 9.4 years, disease duration 8.5 ± 5.9 years, Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS) score 1.2 ± 0.9, FLAIR lesion volume (FLV) 15.0 ± 14.7 mL] and 28 sex- and age-matched HV. MS lesions on SPGR and FLAIR images were traced using a semi-automated thresholding tool. VBM was performed using DARTEL with statistical parametric mapping (SPM8) software from SPGR images. An analysis of covariance was used to assess differences in GM and WM volume between MS patients and HV. Age, gender, and intracranial volume were included as covariates. Results Compared with HV, MS patients showed significant GM atrophy in the bilateral thalami, bilateral caudate, and right putamen. Furthermore, WM atrophy was found in the brainstem, corpus callosum, fornix, and bilateral temporal and occipital lobes. FLV significantly correlated with GM atrophy in the thalami and with WM atrophy in the brainstem, temporal lobes, and corpus callosum. Conclusions VBM-DARTEL reveals widespread WM and GM cerebral atrophy affecting many areas of the brain, which is associated with overt lesions in MS patients. This pilot study suggests that VBM-DARTEL is a promising tool to derive meaningful disease specific information in MS. Acknowledgements This work was supported by research grants from the National Institutes of Health ( NIH R01 NS055083-01 ) and the National Multiple Sclerosis Society ( RG3705A1 , RG3798A2 ).
Resolving a Fidelity Paradox WHY ESCHERICHIA COLI DNA POLYMERASE II MAKES MORE BASE SUBSTITUTION ERRORS IN AT- COMPARED WITH GC-RICH DNA

Abstract The activity of DNA polymerase-associated proofreading 3′-exonucleases is generally enhanced in less stable DNA regions leading to a reduction in base substitution error frequencies in AT- versus GC-rich sequences. Unexpectedly, however, the opposite result was found for Escherichia coli DNA polymerase II (pol II). Nucleotide misincorporation frequencies for pol II were found to be 3–5-fold higher in AT- compared with GC-rich DNA, both in the presence and absence of polymerase processivity subunits, β dimer and γ complex. In contrast, E. coli pol III holoenzyme, behaving “as expected,” exhibited 3–5-fold lower misincorporation frequencies in AT-rich DNA. A reduction in fidelity in AT-rich regions occurred for pol II despite having an associated 3′-exonuclease proofreading activity that preferentially degrades AT-rich compared with GC-rich DNA primer-template in the absence of DNA synthesis. Concomitant with a reduction in fidelity, pol II polymerization efficiencies were 2–6-fold higher in AT-rich DNA, depending on sequence context. Pol II paradoxical fidelity behavior can be accounted for by the enzyme's preference for forward polymerization in AT-rich sequences. The more efficient polymerization suppresses proofreading thereby causing a significant increase in base substitution error rates in AT-rich regions.
Methodological issues in the assessment of sustained performance

In both military and industrial work settings, it has become desirable, and in many instances necessary, to require sustained performance beyond the apparently optimal 8-h workday. Research in this area may be viewed historically as having been focused in three major areas: (1) determining appropriate methodologies for measuring sustained performance, (2) investigating factors that influence sustained performance, and (3) searching for ways to enhance performance during sustained operations. On the basis of discussions held in Toronto in August 1984, observations are drawn and recommendations are made concerning the directions and content of future research.
Active joining of Ti–6Al–4V with electroplated Cu thin film

Abstract Joining of Ti–6Al–4V with thin film copper fillers was developed using an active infrared processing technique. The process includes rapid infrared heating of the specimen to 1125 °C, and holding at that temperature for 60 s in flowing argon without vacuum, then followed by rapid cooling. The copper thin film filler was electroplated to various thicknesses: 1, 2, 4 and 8 μm. Excellent wetting between copper and Ti–6Al–4V was observed in all joints. High joint shear strengths were obtained for all joints. The highest joint strength, 616±10 MPa, was obtained with 2 μm filler thickness. This joint strength is significantly higher than the shear strength of pure copper, 174 MPa, or Ti–6Al–4V, 542 MPa. When the filler material was only 1 μm, the joint zone was not completely filled. X-ray diffraction analysis on the as fractured joint surface revealed the presence of intermetallic compounds when joined with 4 and 8 μm copper fillers but it disappeared when joined with 1 and 2 μm copper fillers.
Partial Control. 5. A Systematic Approach to the Concurrent Design and Scale-up of Complex Processes: The Role of Control System Design in Compensating for Significant Model Uncertainties

In four previous papers of this series (Ind. Eng. Chem. Res. 1995, 34 (4), 1228−1243; 1995, 34 (4), 3014−3026; 1996, 35 (7), 2215−2233; 1997, 36 (3), 747−759) the concepts of partial control were presented on the basis of the assumption that model information adequate to characterize the process is available from existing units. In this paper the more difficult problem of utilizing the limited data from a laboratory or small pilot plant for the design of a new complex process is analyzed. The fluid catalytic cracker again serves as the main example. One faces large uncertainties during such a scale-up. Reducing them by building a big pilot plant is time-consuming and expensive. It is demonstrated how that uncertainty can be compensated for through concurrent design that is focused on providing proper manipulated variables for control. This achieves one of the main goals of control, namely, to compensate for model uncertainties. A design strategy is presented for the scale-up of complex processes with larg...
Hepatic glycogenolysis induced by glucagon in a patient with type I liver glycogen disease.

Abstract Direct evidence was obtained, by chemical and isotopic measurements, that glucagon induces active hepatic glycogenolysis in type I liver glycogen disease, at a rate comparable to that observed in normal rats and dogs and, presumably, normal man. This liver glycogen breakdown was associated with no increase in blood glucose, but in a rapid rise of blood lactate. Indirect evidence suggests that the response to endogenous secretion of glucagon is similar. The conclusion that both exogenous and endogenous glucagon exert their usual glycogenolytic effects in this disease but that the end product is lactic acid rather than glucose indicates that (1) the abnormal accumulation of liver glycogen observed in type I glycogen disease is not a consequence of the deficiency in glucose-6-phosphatase per se (2) increased glycogen synthesis must play a major role in accounting for this excessive liver glycogen content.
Radiation Treatment Planning for Head and Neck Malignancies

Innovative approaches have been incorporated to radiation therapy over the last decades. The technologic advances, such as intensity modulated radiation therapy and image guided radiation have resulted in a modern era for this oncologic modality. The mix of imaging approach using computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance, and positron emission tomography (PET) have been of great value to ascertain the accuracy of tumor target delineation. The use of functional imaging, especially PET/CT, has been incorporated to the modern radiation oncology practice to better define the tumor extent and augment the treatment plan design, as well as response assessment. This article focuses on radiation treatment planning and the integration of PET/CT for head and neck cancer radiation therapy.
Functional activity of ribosomes formed in vivo from "relaxed particles".

Abstract The ribosomes formed in vivo from “relaxed particles” appear to have normal functional activity. This was indicated by the following: (a) a ribosome preparation in which about 23.5 % of the ribosomes were formed from “relaxed particles” showed a poly (U)-dependent polyphenylalanine-synthesizing activity about equal to that of normal ribosomes; (b) ribosomal “cores” obtained by CsCl-gradient centrifugation of the ribosomes formed from “relaxed particles” synthesized polyphenylalanine when combined with normal ribosomal proteins; and (c) ribosomes formed from “relaxed particles” participated in the formation of functionally active polysomes.
Three-dimensional transient mass transfer model for laser chemical vapor deposition of titanium on stationary finite slabs

A mathematical model for mass transfer inside a laser chemical vapor deposition (LCVD) chamber is presented for pure titanium deposition from titanium tetrabromide on a stainless‐steel (SS 304) substrate. A set of five three‐dimensional, transient, and nonlinear partial differential equations is solved to account for the diffusion of various species inside the LCVD chamber and the thermal decomposition of titanium tetrabromide, titanium dibromide, and titanium monobromide at the surface of the substrate in order to determine the thickness of the titanium film deposited on the substrate. The model is used for studying the effects of various parameters on the deposition and shape of titanium films. The parameters which were varied are as follows: laser power, activation energy, total pressure inside the LCVD chamber, and partial pressure of titanium tetrabromide. Under certain conditions, the deposited titanium film is found to have a volcanic profile.
Comparative Study of Si, Ge and InAs based Steep SubThreshold Slope Tunnel Transistors for 0.25V Supply Voltage Logic Applications

This paper examines the potential of double gate (DG) inter-band tunnel FETs (TFET) in 3 different material systems, Si, Ge and InAs, for logic circuit applications down to 0.25 V supply voltage (VCC). Based on two-dimensional numerical drift-diffusion simulations, we show that 30 nm gate length (LG) InAs (indium arsenide) based TFETs can achieve Ion/Ioff of >4x104 with <1 ps intrinsic delay at 0.25 V VCC. The key features of the InAs TFETs are: (a) asymmetric source drain design to suppress the ambipolar leakage (b) use of a lower dielectric constant gate oxide (non high-K) and (c) high source side injection velocity at moderate electric fields. Thus, narrow bandgap semiconductor based DG TFETs provide a promising device option for ultra-low standby and dynamic power high-speed logic circuits operating under quarter volt supply voltages.
Ballistic and collision dominated transport in a short semiconductor diode

Electron transport in a short semiconductor diode is analyzed in the frame of a simple model assuming a single energy independent relaxation time. The model predicts that at high injection levels the I-V characteristics change from the case described by the Child-Langmuir law for a short device and/or a large time between collisions to the case described by the Mott-Gurney law in the collision-dominated case. At low injection level the space oscillations of the electric field with the wave-length \lambda = \omega_{p}v may appear (ω p is the plasma frequency and v is the electron velocity) and the I-V characteristic may become multivalued (S-type) due to the influence of the positive donor Space charge leading to "the space overshoot" of electrons. This indicates a possibility of an instability in a short diode. High values of the Velocity lead to a large geometrical magnetoresistance which decreases with the increase of voltage in agreement with the experimental results.
Effects of Depression on Memory Performance and Metamemory in Children

ABSTRACT Objective To investigate the effects of depression on memory performance and metamemory in children. Method Performance on automatic memory tasks (frequency of occurrence), effortful memory tasks (Children's Auditory Verbal Learning Test), and a Metamemory Battery were examined in 21 unmedicated, depressed children and 21 nondepressed controls (matched for age, gender, and full-scale IQ). Subjects were divided into three groups based on depression severity (high depressed, low depressed, nondepressed). Results High depressed patients demonstrated performance deficits relative to nondepressed and low depressed children on the Children's Auditory Verbal Learning Test, Immediate Recall trial. Both groups of depressed children performed more poorly on the Metamemory Battery when compared to nondepressed children. Severity of depression differentiated overall performance. Metamemory performance of depressed subjects indicates possible difficulty with overestimation of memory abilities. No differences were found on automatic memory task performance. Conclusions Memory impairment in depression varies as a function of severity and may be evident only when a certain level of depression is reached. Overestimation of memory ability by depressed children may be an attempt to compensate for feelings of inadequacy or inferiority. It may also lead depressives to use poor judgment in selecting appropriate solutions for problems. Targeting these cognitive distortions could be a focal point of clinical and educational interventions.
Probability of detection of genotyping errors and mutations as inheritance inconsistencies in nuclear-family data.

Gene-mapping studies routinely rely on checking for Mendelian transmission of marker alleles in a pedigree, as a means of screening for genotyping errors and mutations, with the implicit assumption that, if a pedigree is consistent with Mendel’s laws of inheritance, then there are no genotyping errors. However, the occurrence of inheritance inconsistencies alone is an inadequate measure of the number of genotyping errors, since the rate of occurrence depends on the number and relationships of genotyped pedigree members, the type of errors, and the distribution of marker-allele frequencies. In this article, we calculate the expected probability of detection of a genotyping error or mutation as an inheritance inconsistency in nuclear-family data, as a function of both the number of genotyped parents and offspring and the marker-allele frequency distribution. Through computer simulation, we explore the sensitivity of our analytic calculations to the underlying error model. Under a random-allele–error model, we find that detection rates are 51%–77% for multiallelic markers and 13%–75% for biallelic markers; detection rates are generally lower when the error occurs in a parent than in an offspring, unless a large number of offspring are genotyped. Errors are especially difficult to detect for biallelic markers with equally frequent alleles, even when both parents are genotyped; in this case, the maximum detection rate is 34% for four-person nuclear families. Error detection in families in which parents are not genotyped is limited, even with multiallelic markers. Given these results, we recommend that additional error checking (e.g., on the basis of multipoint analysis) be performed, beyond routine checking for Mendelian consistency. Furthermore, our results permit assessment of the plausibility of an observed number of inheritance inconsistencies for a family, allowing the detection of likely pedigree—rather than genotyping—errors in the early stages of a genome scan. Such early assessments are valuable in either the targeting of families for resampling or discontinued genotyping.
Inheritance of salt-dependent hypertension in the inbred Dahl rat.

The mode of inheritance of salt-dependent hypertension in the inbred Dahl salt-sensitive rat strain was examined by genetic crosses with the corresponding salt-resistant strain. The blood pressure responses to ingestion of a high NaCl (8%) diet defined three phenotypes: early onset (within 17 days) of systolic hypertension, defined as greater than or equal to 140 mm Hg, the parental salt-sensitive phenotype; late onset of systolic hypertension requiring 50 to 60 days in males and more than 200 days in females, characteristic of the F1 progeny; and normotension, less than 140 mm Hg, the parental salt-resistant phenotype. The frequencies of the phenotypes observed among 91 F2 progeny and 45 progeny of the backcross to parental salt-sensitive animals agree well with values predicted by a model in which two autosomal, unlinked, allelic loci, termed alpha and beta, determine the inheritance. For F2 male progeny, the predicted frequencies of early-onset hypertension, late-onset hypertension, and normotension are 0.1875, 0.5625, and 0.25, respectively, and the corresponding observed frequencies were 0.156, 0.50, and 0.34 (X2 = 0.48, P > .50). F1 progeny of reciprocal parental crosses were maintained on the 8% NaCl diet for 255 days. Male F1 rats developed systolic hypertension sooner than did females. From 60 to 200 days, the average blood pressure value within each group remained approximately stable; the male values exceeded those for females (P < .01); and the direction of the parental cross significantly influenced (P < .05) the levels in males and females, suggestive of genomic imprinting.
Cycloheximide and Cortisol Inhibition of Estradiol-Stimulated Uterine Uptake and Distribution of Homologous Serum Albumin and Alpha Globulin in the Rat1

Homologous rat albumin and alpha globulin were labeled with 131I and their distribution measured in spayed rat uteri as a function of time after a single dose of estradiol. With albumin circulation time constant at 15 min, estradiol increased the protein’s distribution from a control level of 3% to 17% of the uterine tissue volume (space) in 3 hr but did not affect distribution in psoas muscle, liver or brain. Uterine uptakes of protein, water and Na131I each showed a consistent, but not significant, rise at 1 hr, a significant change at 2 hr, and further increases to maxima at 3–4 hr after estrogen injection. Lengthening the circulation time of albumin by injecting at zero hr with estrogen allowed the protein to enter the apparent total uterine extracellular volume in 3–6 hr (49 vs. 17 % for controls); under the same conditions, globulin attained lower distribution levels (39%). Cycloheximide alone stimulated uterine water uptake 2 hr after injection but suppressed uptake due to estrogen at the 3–4 hr in...
Monte Carlo Simulation Of A Submicron Pseudomorphic GaA1As/InGaAs/GaAs HEMT

We present a first principles theoretical analysis of the performance of a 0.35 μn Al0.15 Ga0.85 As/InO.15Ga0.85As pseudomorphic high electron mobility transistor (HEMT) based on an ensemble Monte Carlo simulation coupled with a two-dimensional Poisson solver. The model contains the full details of the two-dimensional electron gas, nonstationary transport, i.e. ballistic transport and velocity overshoot, real space transfer, and the effects of the two-dimensional electric field profile. In order to ensure the reliability of the model, it is carefully tested throughout each stage of its development to experimental data or other independent calculations. Finally, the model calculations are compared to experimental measurements for a comparable device, Excellent agreement between the calculated and experimentally measured current-voltage characteristic is found. From an analysis of the underlying transport physics, the high speed performance of the pseudomorphic HEMT is found to arise from the superior electron confinement properties within the channel layer.© (1989) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
High-resolution imaging of the fusiform face area (FFA) using multivariate non-linear classifiers shows diagnosticity for non-face categories.

Abstract Does the “fusiform face area” (FFA) code only for faces? This question continues to elude the neuroimaging field due to at least two kinds of problems: first, the relatively low spatial resolution of fMRI in which the FFA was defined and second, the potential bias inherent in prevailing statistical methods for analyzing the actual diagnosticity of cortical tissue. Using high-resolution (1 mm × 1 mm × 1 mm) imaging data of the fusiform face area (FFA) from 4 subjects who had categorized images as ‘animal’, ‘car’, ‘face’, or ‘sculpture’, we used multivariate linear and non-linear classifiers to decode the resultant voxel patterns. Prior to identifying the appropriate classifier we performed exploratory analysis to determine the nature of the distributions over classes and the voxel intensity pattern structure between classes. The FFA was visualized using non-metric multidimensional scaling revealing “string-like” sequences of voxels, which appeared in small non-contiguous clusters of categories, intertwined with other categories. Since this analysis suggested that feature space was highly non-linear, we trained various statistical classifiers on the class-conditional distributions (labelled) and separated the four categories with 100% reliability (over replications) and generalized to out-of-sample cases with high significance (up to 50%; p
Impact of circuit assist methods on margin and performance in 6T SRAM

Large scale 6T SRAM beyond 65 nm will increasingly rely on assist methods to overcome the functional limitations associated with scaling and the inherent read stability/write margin trade off. The primary focus of the circuit assist methods has been improved read or write margin with less attention given to the implications for performance. In this work, we introduce margin sensitivity and margin/delay analysis tools for assessing the functional effectiveness of the bias based assist methods and show the direct implications on voltage sensitive yield. A margin/delay analysis of bias based circuit assist methods is presented, highlighting the assist impact on the functional metrics, margin and performance. A means of categorizing the assist methods is developed to provide a first order understanding of the underlying mechanisms. The analysis spans four generations of low power technologies to show the trends and long term effectiveness of the circuit assist techniques in future low power bulk technologies.
Ureteral Segment Replacement Using a Circumferential Small-Intestinal Submucosa Xenogenic Graft

ABSTRACT We wished to determine whether small-intestinal submucosa (SIS) will epithelialize when used as a ureteral replacement material. An 11-mm segment of native ureter was excised from eight New Zealand White rabbits and replaced with an 11-mm porcine SIS graft, which was circumferentially wrapped around a ureteral stent. The SIS ureteral grafts were harvested at 11 days or 35 days postimplantation and examined grossly and by standard light microscopy techniques. Partial epithelialization with the ingrowth of urothelium, smooth muscle cells, and blood vessels was observed in the grafts harvested at 11 days postimplantation. The SIS ureteral grafts examined at 35 days postimplantation showed additional restructuring of the smooth muscle cell layer and more organized epithelialization in comparison to the SIS graft examined at 11 days. After 35 days of regenerative healing, elements of all three layers of the native ureter were observed within the collagen matrix of the SIS graft. No significant complic...
Finding Small Solutions to Small Degree Polynomials

This talk is a brief survey of recent results and ideas concerning the problem of finding a small root of a univariate polynomial mod N, and the companion problem of finding a small solution to a bivariate equation over Z. We start with the lattice-based approach from [2,3], and speculate on directions for improvement.
Bacillus polyfermenticus Ameliorates Colonic Inflammation by Promoting Cytoprotective Effects in Colitic Mice

Although human consumption of Bacillus polyfermenticus provides several health benefits, the probiotic effect of this bacterium against colonic inflammation has not yet, to our knowledge, been studied. Therefore, we induced colitis in mice by oral or intrarectal administration of dextran sodium sulfate (DSS) or trinitrobenzenosulfonic acid (TNBS), respectively, and investigated the effect of B. polyfermenticus on colitis. We found that mice treated with DSS or TNBS along with B. polyfermenticus had reduced mortality and severity of colitis (weight loss, diarrhea, and mucosal damages) than mice treated with DSS or TNBS alone. B. polyfermenticus also reduced the expression of inflammatory molecules, including chemokine (C-X-C motif) ligand 1, intercellular adhesion molecule, and tumor necrosis factor-α, but enhanced the expression of the antiinflammatory cytokine interleukin-10 in the inflamed mouse colon. Moreover, B. polyfermenticus suppressed apoptosis both in vivo in inflamed colonic mucosa and in vitro in colonic epithelial cells stimulated with apoptosis-inducing agents (FasL or Clostridium difficile Toxin A) when the apoptotic response was determined by a terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick end labeling assay and cleavage of poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase or caspase-3, respectively. Treating colonic epithelial cells with B. polyfermenticus-conditioned medium (BPCM) enhanced cell proliferation and induced the phosphoinositide 3-kinases/Akt signaling pathway, suggesting that this bacterium can promote epithelial cell proliferation. BPCM also promoted the migration of colonic epithelial cells. These data suggest that B. polyfermenticus ameliorates colonic inflammation by suppressing apoptosis and promoting epithelial cell proliferation and migration.
Self-Perception, Impression Management, and Self-Consciousness:

Consistency between behaviors and expressed attitudes has been explained in terms of two distinct tendencies: 1) self-perception processes, in which individuals “rationally” utilize past beliefs and behaviors toward some object in formulating an attitude; and 2) self-presentational concerns, in which individuals utilize memories of past behavior toward an object primarily in order to express an attitude consistent with such behavior. A study was conducted in which the influence of public and private self-consciousness on the attitude inference process was examined. It was predicted that persons higher in public self-consciousness would demonstrate a heightened responsivity of salient behavioral information, due to a concern with appearing consistent in attitude and action. It was also predicted that subjects higher in private self-consciousness would demonstrate greater responsivity to salient behavioral information because of a hypothesized tendency to make more use of salient cognitive information about...
A large-scale phylogeny of Amphibia including over 2800 species, and a revised classification of extant frogs, salamanders, and caecilians

The extant amphibians are one of the most diverse radiations of terrestrial vertebrates (>6800 species). Despite much recent focus on their conservation, diversification, and systematics, no previous phylogeny for the group has contained more than 522 species. However, numerous studies with limited taxon sampling have generated large amounts of partially overlapping sequence data for many species. Here, we combine these data and produce a novel estimate of extant amphibian phylogeny, containing 2871 species (∼40% of the known extant species) from 432 genera (∼85% of the ∼500 currently recognized extant genera). Each sampled species contains up to 12,712 bp from 12 genes (three mitochondrial, nine nuclear), with an average of 2563 bp per species. This data set provides strong support for many groups recognized in previous studies, but it also suggests non-monophyly for several currently recognized families, particularly in hyloid frogs (e.g., Ceratophryidae, Cycloramphidae, Leptodactylidae, Strabomantidae). To correct these and other problems, we provide a revised classification of extant amphibians for taxa traditionally delimited at the family and subfamily levels. This new taxonomy includes several families not recognized in current classifications (e.g., Alsodidae, Batrachylidae, Rhinodermatidae, Odontophrynidae, Telmatobiidae), but which are strongly supported and important for avoiding non-monophyly of current families. Finally, this study provides further evidence that the supermatrix approach provides an effective strategy for inferring large-scale phylogenies using the combined results of previous studies, despite many taxa having extensive missing data.
Financial Strain and Stressful Events Predict Newlyweds’ Negative Communication Independent of Relationship Satisfaction

Social-learning perspectives explicitly recognize the role of partners’ personal histories and contexts as possible causes of couple communication behavior, but these assumptions are rarely tested directly, and operationalizations of context in behavioral research on couples rarely extend beyond the interacting dyad. To broaden our understanding of why couples differ in communication, the current study examined whether observed behaviors in marital interactions covary with individual experiences and contextual factors. Behaviors coded from in-home conversations of 414 ethnically diverse newlywed couples were examined simultaneously in relation to childhood and family-of-origin experiences, financial strain and stressful life events, depressive symptoms, and relationship satisfaction. A latent factor representing financial strain and stressful life events was the strongest correlate of negative communication, with higher levels of stress predicting more negativity. Relationship satisfaction was the strongest correlate of observed positivity, with higher levels of satisfaction predicting more positivity. Childhood and family experiences were unrelated to behaviors, whereas results for depressive symptoms were complex and counterintuitive. Because the negative behaviors highlighted in social-learning models of relationship functioning, and often targeted in educational interventions, covary reliably with the stresses and financial strains that couples experience, contextual factors merit greater emphasis in models designed to explain and prevent marital deterioration.
The plight of the black Belle Knox: race and webcam modelling

When a Duke University freshman revealed in early 2014 that she worked as an adult film actress to help pay her tuition, a media firestorm ensued as people were forced to deal with the collision of...
Impact of publicly sponsored interventions on musculoskeletal injury claims in nursing homes

BACKGROUND: The rate of lost-time sprains and strains in private nursing homes is over three times the national average, and for back injuries, almost four times the national average. The Ohio Bureau of Workers' Compensation (BWC) has sponsored interventions that were preferentially promoted to nursing homes in 2000-2001, including training, consultation, and grants up to $40,000 for equipment purchases. METHODS: This study evaluated the impact of BWC interventions on back injury claim rates using BWC data on claims, interventions, and employer payroll for all Ohio nursing homes during 1995-2004 using Poisson regression. A subset of nursing homes was analyzed with more detailed data that allowed estimation of the impact of staffing levels and resident acuity on claim rates. Costs of interventions were compared to the associated savings in claim costs. RESULTS: A $500 equipment purchase per nursing home worker was associated with a 21% reduction in back injury rate. Assuming an equipment life of 10 years, this translates to an estimated $768 reduction in claim costs per worker, a present value of $495 with a 5% discount rate applied. Results for training courses were equivocal. Only those receiving below-median hours had a significant 19% reduction in claim rates. Injury rates did not generally decline with consultation independent of equipment purchases, although possible confounding, misclassification, and bias due to non-random management participation clouds interpretation. In nursing homes with available data, resident acuity was modestly associated with back injury risk, and the injury rate increased with resident-to-staff ratio (acting through three terms: RR = 1.50 for each additional resident per staff member; for the ratio alone, RR = 1.32, 95% CI = 1.18-1.48). In these NHs, an expenditure of $908 per resident care worker (equivalent to $500 per employee in the other model) was also associated with a 21% reduction in injury rate. However, with a resident-to-staff ratio greater than 2.0, the same expenditure was associated with a $1,643 reduction in back claim costs over 10 years per employee, a present value of $1,062 with 5% discount rate. CONCLUSIONS: Expenditures for ergonomic equipment in nursing homes by the Ohio BWC were associated with fewer worker injuries and reductions in claim costs that were similar in magnitude to expenditures. Un-estimated benefits and costs also need to be considered in assessing full health and financial impacts. Language: en
Accelerating Critical Section Execution with Asymmetric Multicore Architectures

Contention for critical sections can reduce performance and scalability by causing thread serialization. The proposed accelerated critical sections mechanism reduces this limitation. ACS executes critical sections on the high-performance core of an asymmetric chip multiprocessor (ACMP), which can execute them faster than the smaller cores can.