cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High-Performance Energy-Efficient Recursive Dynamic Programming with Matrix-Multiplication-Like Flexible Kernels

Dynamic Programming (DP) problems arise in wide range of application areas spanning from logistics to computational biology. In this paper, we show how to obtain high-performing parallel implementations for a class of Problems by reducing them to highly utilizable flexible kernels through cache-oblivious recursive divide- and-conquer(CORDAC). We implement parallel CORDAC algorithms for four non-trivial DP problems, namely the parenthesization problem, Floyd-Warshall's all-pairs shortest path (FW-APSP), sequence alignment with general gap penalty (gap problem)and protein accordion folding. To the best of our knowledge our algorithms for protein accordion folding and the gap problem are novel. All four algorithms have asymptotically optimal cache performance, and all but FW-APSP have asymptotically more parallelism than their looping counterparts. We show that the base cases of our CORDAC algorithms are predominantly matrix-multiplication-like (MM-like) flexible kernels that expose many optimization opportunities not offered by traditional looping DP codes. As a result, one can obtain highly efficient DP implementations by optimizing those flexible kernels only. Our implementations achieve 5 -- 150× speedup over their standard loop based DP counterparts while consuming order-of-magnitude less energy on modern multicore machines with 16 -- 32 cores. We also compareour implementations with parallel tiled codes generated by existing polyhedral compilers: Polly, PoCC and PLuTo, and show that our implementations run significantly faster. Finally, we present results on manicures (Intel Xeon Phi) and clusters of multicores obtained using simple extensions for SIMD and shared-distributed-shared-memory architectures, respectively, demonstrating the versatility of our approach. Our optimization approach is highly systematic and suitable for automation.
Pinworms In Pregnancy

The intestinal parasite that family physicians are most likely to see in the office is the pinworm, Enterobius vermicularis. 1 Prevalence in the United States is estimated to be 20 to 42 million cases, with the greatest rate of infestation in children between the ages of 5 and 14 years. I Parents and other siblings will likely be infected if one child in the family becomes infected. Pinworms commonly spread from the contaminated hands of infected children (60 percent of infested children have Enterobius embryos under their fingernails).2 Pinworms can also spread from infested bedclothes, bedding, dust, food, and eating utensils. Prevalence of pinworm infestation remains high in spite of greater knowledge of the parasite and its relation to humans. Enterobius vermicularis is a parasite that usually lives in the human gastrointestinal tract. The female worm migrates to the anus or rectum at night to lay eggs. The eggs can disperse ~ro~gh­ out the general surroundings and remaIn vIable in the intestinal tract for up to 20 days.3 The larvae develop within a few hours in the ova, th~n migrate to the large bowel, where they mature In 15 to 28 days.4 Involvement of the genital tract is less common, but cases have been reported in the medicalliterature.5,6 Pregnant worms often migrate to the patient's anus to lay eggs at night, but they can enter the vagina a~d travel ~e len~.of the genital tract to the pentoneum. The abIlIty of the parasite to migrate to several areas of ~e body and through various organ systems led HIPpocrates to call it the "hopper."2 Cases of vulvovaginitis in children and women have been :eported. Ova have been discovered on routme Papanicolaou smears, and a case was reported with pinworm infestation of a st~llborn.8-~o ~o reports of pinworms causing cervIcal bleedIng In pregnancy, however, were found in a search of the current medical literature.
Contribution of sea surface carbon pool to organic matter enrichment in sea spray aerosol

Breaking waves on the ocean surface generate air bubbles that yield sea spray aerosols when released to the atmosphere. Measurements of sea spray aerosols in the North Atlantic Ocean and the coastal waters of California suggest that the surface water organic carbon reservoir is responsible for the organic carbon enrichment of freshly emitted sea spray aerosol.
Externalizing Human Rights: From Commission to Council, the Universal Periodic Review and Egypt

Critics of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights (CHR) and its successor, the Human Rights Council (HRC), focus on member state efforts to protect themselves and allies from external pressure for human rights implementation. Even though HRC members still shield rights abusers, the new Universal Periodic Review (UPR) subjects all states to regular scrutiny, and provides substantial new space for domestic NGOs to externalize domestic human rights demands. This paper offers an institutional account of the expansion of NGO externalization opportunities from the CHR to the HRC, and during UPR institution building and Egypt’s 2010 UPR. It draws on 45 longitudinal, open-ended interviews with Egyptian human rights activists, donors, and other observers conducted in 2007 and 2010.
Electro-optic bistability in a LiNbO 3 microdisk resonator

The authors experimentally demonstrate feedback-controlled electro-optic bistability in the whispering gallery travelling-wave optical resonance of a LiNbO3 microdisk. Simulations confirm the physical origin of the behaviour.
Semisimple groups with the rewriting property Q5

Let n be an integer greater than 1, and let G be a group. A subset {x1, X2, ..., xn} of n elements of G is said to be rewritable if there are distinct permutations π and σ of {1,2, …, n} such that The group G is said to have the rewriting property Qn or to be n-rewritable, if every subset of n elements of G is rewritable. The main result of this paper shows that the only nontrivial semlsimple groups with the property Q5 are the alternating group A5, the symmetric group S5, the projective special linear group PSL(2, 7) and the projective general linear group PGL(2, 7)
An assessment of alternative agricultural policies to reduce nitrogen fertilizer use

Abstract The costs associated with using different crop rotation patterns designed to reduce the use of nitrogen fertilizer under alternative agricultural policy options are measured. The policy options considered include those incorporated in the Food Security Act of 1985, a No Farm Program option, a Nitrogen Fertilizer Tax option, a Corn Sales Tax option, and a Limiting Nitrogen Fertilizer Use option. To achieve an objective of reducing the nitrogen available for potential leaching into groundwater, crop rotation patterns associated with limiting nitrogen fertilizer use appear to have the lowest cost to the farmer, while a corn sales tax has the highest cost. The costs are computed based on data from the Iowa State University experiment farm at Kanawha, Iowa.
The Economics of Natural Disasters

This review discusses the ways in which countries are affected by natural disasters, depending on their socioeconomic characteristics, their level of development, and their inherent levels of natural disaster risk. We also explore various aspects of ex ante disaster mitigation such as improvements in natural disaster risk information and natural disaster insurance markets, as well as ex post responses to natural disaster in the form of postdisaster aid and long-run growth prospects. By highlighting some of the recent findings in this literature, we synthesize what we know about the economics of natural disasters and identify research areas of interest for future work.
Regression in malignant melanoma: a histologic feature without independent prognostic significance

A total of 844 cutaneous malignant melanomas were examined prospectively for the presence or absence of histologic regression within the primary tumor. Cases were then stratified into three groups according to tumor thickness and survival was compared between substrata with and without regression in each group. The distribution of other major prognostic variables within these substrata was assessed and their influence as potential confounding variables considered. No statistically significant effect of regression on survival was found in any of the three thickness strata. These results do not confirm the finding of an earlier study, which suggested that regression may be a poor prognostic sign when found in association with thin malignant melanomas. Regression was almost invariably associated with the radial growth phase of melanomas. Regression was more common in male than in female patients, and was more frequent in association with truncal than extremity or head and neck melanomas.
A field-portable racetrack and timer for measuring acceleration and speed of small cursorial animals.

We describe a relatively inexpensive, field-portable racetrack and timer that can be used to measure acceleration and maximum speed of small cursorial animals. Procedures for interfacing the racetrack to microprocessors are also outlined.
Gill-Morrell and Barkhausen-Kurz Oscillations

MR. R. COCKBURN has shown that with one vacuum tube he obtained by means of the Barkhausen-Kurz method electromagnetic oscillations of two kinds.1 These oscillations differed one from the other by the dependence of their wave-length on the length of the oscillating circuit connected with the tube. One of these oscillations he referred to as the GM-type and to the other one as the BK-type.
Working Memory Moderates the Association Between Smoking Urge and Smoking Lapse Behavior After Alcohol Administration in a Laboratory Analogue Task.

Introduction Lapses after smoking cessation often occur in the context of alcohol use, possibly because alcohol increases urge to smoke. Poor working memory, or alcohol-induced decrements in working memory, may influence this relationship by making it more difficult for an individual to resist smoking in the face of smoking urges. Methods Participants (n = 41) completed measures of working memory and urge to smoke before and after alcohol administration (placebo, 0.4 g/kg, and 0.8 g/kg, within subjects) and then participated in a laboratory analogue task in which smoking abstinence was monetarily incentivized. Results Working memory moderated the relationship between smoking urge and latency to smoke: for those with relatively poorer working memory, urge to smoke was more strongly and negatively associated with latency to smoke (i.e., higher urges were associated with shorter latency). Conclusions Those with weak working memory may need additional forms of treatment to help them withstand smoking urges.
Activation of intrinsic or extrinsic blood coagulation in experimental venous thrombosis and disseminated intravascular coagulation: Pathogenetic differences

Abstract Clinical observations and the findings in certain experimental animal stuides indicate that disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and venous thromboembolism are not usually associated suggesting that different pathogenetic mechanisms may be responsible for their production. This thesis was evaluated in rabbits into which various procoagulant mixtures were infused. Ellagic acid, homologous serum and a factor IXa concentrate each induced a shortening of the partial thromboplastin time (PTT) and venous stasis thrombi but not defibrination and little systemic fibrin monomer (FM) elaboration. An entirely different pattern of response consisting of prolongation of the PTT, FM elaboration and defribrination but no thrombosis was found after the infusion of three tissue factor preparations, Xa or thrombin. It is proposed that activation of the intrinsic pathway of blood coagulation results in a “hypercoagulable state” which results in the formation of venous thrombi but does not cause DIC. The latter is triggered by activation of the tissue or final common pathway and is associated with elaboration of an anticoagulant activity which prolongs the PTT and which may prevent the formation of venous thrombi.
Initial results of laser recanalization in lower extremity arterial reconstruction

Abstract One hundred ninety-five patients have been evaluated for possible laser recanalization (LR). Current laser delivery systems are most appropriate for the treatment of superficial femoral, popliteal, or isolated common iliac artery occlusions, and therefore one half (110) of the patients were initially excluded because of inappropriate disease location. An additional 39 patients were excluded because they showed minimal symptoms or the procedure would have been excessively risky for them. The remaining 46 patients underwent LR for total arterial occlusions, with relief of symptoms and increased ankle brachial indexes in 22 (48%). Of the four patients who could not be surgically reconstructed because of tibial artery occlusion, none was successfully treated. Only one patient required emergency reconstruction for ischemia after LR failure, and no procedures were required for treatment of perforation or bleeding. Successful LR was most likely when isolated lesions
Mineral excretion following furosemide compared with bumetanide therapy in premature infants.

Mineral excretion following single doses of furosemide were compared with bumetanide in a random cross-over trial in 17 premature infants. The mean birth-weight and gestational age were 889±85 g and 27±2 weeks. Following furosemide therapy, significantly higher chloride losses and urine volumes were noted in the first 8-h period compared with the second or third 8-h periods. Following bumetanide therapy, sodium, calcium, and chloride losses and urine volumes were significantly higher in the first 8 h compared with the second or third 8-h periods. Hourly sodium and chloride losses were significantly lower following bumetanide than furosemide during the first two 8-h periods. During the final 8-h period sodium, potassium, chloride, and calcium losses were significantly lower following bumetanide than following furosemide. Sodium loss per urine volume was lower with bumetanide than furosemide but calcium loss tended to be higher. Hence, bumetanide does not appear to be a calciumsparing diuretic following single-dose therapy.
Anisotropically weighted MRI.

The intensity of an isotropically weighted MR image is proportional to a rotationally invariant measure of bulk diffusion, Trace(D) (where D is the effective diffusion tensor). Such images can be acquired from as few as two diffusion-weighted images (DWls). Analogously, the intensity of an anisotropically weighted MR image is proportional to a rotationally invariant measure of diffusion anisotropy derived from D, such as the variance of the principal diffusivities of D. By using linear algebra, we show that to produce an anisotropically weighted MR image requires acquiring at least seven DWIs, which is also the minimum number of DWls sufficient to estimate the entire diffusion tensor, as well as the T 2 -weighted amplitude image, A(b = o), in each voxel. A general mathematical framework for constructing isotropically weighted and anisotropically weighted MR images is also provided.
The Auger analysis of contaminants that influence the thermocompression bonding of gold

Abstract Thin layers of metallic impurities and hydrocarbon residues on the surface of gold-plated headers and lead frames were found to degrade the mechanical strength of thermocompression bonds used for attaching wire leads. Any contamination of the lead wire or of the gold on the header or lead frame can prevent intimate gold-to-gold contact and result in unreliable bonding. These impurities can codeposit from solution during plating and can then segregate to the surface during thermal processing or can diffuse through the gold from the back side. At the surface, the metals oxidize and act as barriers to contact between the gold wire and the plated metal surface. Such impurities are often present in submonolayer quantities which preclude detection by most analytical techniques other than Auger and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). Both these analytical techniques can be used to study the surface composition to a depth of three or four monolayers with a bulk sensitivity of about 0.1 at.%. Surface concentrations of Fe, Ni, Cu, Ag, Si and other metals were observed in the 1–5 at.% range. This is attributed to the fact that, for example, 100 ppm Ni in the bulk of an Au film 5000 A thick represents 10 at.% if it diffuses to the surface. Recent results indicate that the composition of the plating bath as determined by emission spectroscopy can be sorrelated with the surface composition and subsequently the thermocompression bondability. This information can be used to establish the maximum tolerable impurity levels in the Au plating bath.
Interaction of Phytophagous Insects with Salmonella enterica on Plants and Enhanced Persistence of the Pathogen with Macrosteles quadrilineatus Infestation or Frankliniella occidentalis Feeding

Recently, most foodborne illness outbreaks of salmonellosis have been caused by consumption of contaminated fresh produce. Yet, the mechanisms that allow the human pathogen Salmonella enterica to contaminate and grow in plant environments remain poorly described. We examined the effect of feeding by phytophagous insects on survival of S. enterica on lettuce. Larger S. enterica populations were found on leaves infested with Macrosteles quadrilineatus. In contrast, pathogen populations among plants exposed to Frankliniella occidentalis or Myzus persicae were similar to those without insects. However, on plants infested with F. occidentalis, areas of the infested leaf with feeding damage sustained higher S. enterica populations than areas without damage. The spatial distribution of S. enterica cells on leaves infested with F. occidentalis may be altered resulting in higher populations in feeding lesions or survival may be different across a leaf dependent on local damage. Results suggest the possibility of some specificity with select insects and the persistence of S. enterica. Additionally, we demonstrated the potential for phytophagous insects to become contaminated with S. enterica from contaminated plant material. S. enterica was detected in approximately 50% of all M. quadrilineatus, F. occidentalis, and M. persicae after 24 h exposure to contaminated leaves. Particularly, 17% of F. occidentalis, the smallest of the insects tested, harbored more than 102 CFU/F. occidentalis. Our results show that phytophagous insects may influence the population dynamics of S. enterica in agricultural crops. This study provides evidence of a human bacterial pathogen interacting with phytophagous insect during plant infestation.
Design and performance analysis of a DRAM-based statistics counter array architecture

The problem of maintaining efficiently a large number (say millions) of statistics counters that need to be updated at very high speeds (e.g. 40 Gb/s) has received considerable research attention in recent years. This problem arises in a variety of router management and data streaming applications where large arrays of counters are used to track various network statistics and implement various counting sketches. It proves too costly to store such large counter arrays entirely in SRAM while DRAM is viewed as too slow for providing wirespeed updates at such high speeds.In this paper, we propose a DRAM-based counter architecture that can effectively maintain wirespeed updates to large counter arrays. The proposed approach is based on the observation that modern commodity DRAM architectures, driven by aggressive performance roadmaps for consumer applications (e.g. video games), have advanced architecture features that can be exploited to make a DRAM-based solution practical. In particular, we propose a randomized DRAM architecture that can harness the performance of modern commodity DRAM offerings by interleaving counter updates to multiple memory banks. The proposed architecture makes use of a simple randomization scheme, a small cache, and small request queues to statistically guarantee a near-perfect load-balancing of counter updates to the DRAM banks. The statistical guarantee of the proposed scheme is proven using a novel combination of convex ordering and large deviation theory. Our proposed counter scheme can support arbitrary increments and decrements at wirespeed, and it can support different number representations, including both integer and floating point number representations.
Reducing the door to balloon time: Is bypassing the emergency department really the answer?

Management of patients with acute myocardial infraction (AMI) provides a common thread to the practice of cardiologists and emergency physicians. It has long been recognized that collaboration between the two groups and an alignment of therapeutic strategies provide the best outcomes. Central to this is the rapid, concerted treatment of patients with ST segment elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI), where time is the enemy. Successful reperfusion therapy, whether it is mechanical or pharmacological, is closely tied to the time to initiate this life saving therapy. Substantial data supports a target time of b30 min for fibrinolytic therapy and b90 min for percutaneous coronary intervention of (PCI), and recent guidelines reflect this [1,2]. While data supporting these recommendations describe an erosion ofmortality benefit for either strategy as time to treatment lengthens, it is clear that many centers struggle to comply with these goals [3]. Timely fibrinolytic therapy for STEMI sits squarely in the lap of the emergency physician, and achieving a b30 minute door to drug time should be achievable in most centers. However, as more data accumulates to support timely PCI as the preferred method of reperfusion, [4] the importance of a successful fibrinolytic strategy begins to fade. Unfortunately, delays in treatment may eliminate PCI's advantage over fibrinolytic therapy and lead to worse outcomes [5,6]. This reduction in benefit becomes particularly important as the difference between the door to drug time and the door to balloon time approaches 60min. A delay beyond that “golden hour” may warrant abandoning a PCI strategy altogether. Over the last two decades, emergency physicians and cardiologists have partnered in this fight to improve outcomes
Geotechnical properties of lower trench inner-slope sediments

Abstract Geotechnical property analyses on sediments recovered by DSDP drilling within select convergent margins were integrated to determine the variability in these properties along the trench inner-slope and to delineate the effects of convergence on these properties. Consolidation states range from very underconsolidated to highly overconsolidated, with preconsolidation pressures exceeding 46,000 kPa in Quaternary sediments. Underconsolidated sediments are attributed to: 1. (1) high sedimentation rates. 2. (2) low sediment permeability relative to the length of the drainage path; (3) laterally applied stresses; and (4) induced pore water pressures resulting from the subduction of pelagic sediments with high water content. Factors contributing to the state of overconsolidation include: (1) tectonically induced overpressures; (2) removal of overburden by mass movement processes. 3. (3) low sediment accumulation rates. 4. (4) age. Vertical gradients of index properties also vary greatly with the maximum gradient associated with overconsolidated sediments. Values of porosity generally exceed 30% at all margins studied, suggesting this porosity represents the minimum attainable solely by the effects of convergence. Geotechnical property results and site-specific parameters suggest two end members should be considered in the general geotechnical property model for convergent margin sediments. Clastic dominated margins form the basis for the initial geotechnical property model. These margins are characterized by thick trench sediment sequences which are folded and faulted and become progressively more deformed upslope. Convergence rates are low, and no well-developed faults or hrst and graben structures are evident on the downbending oceanic plate. Highly overconsolidated sediments and index property values which change rapidly with depth result from the slow progressive deformation of trench and lower slope sediments. Examples of clastic-dominated margins include the Nankai Trough, Aleutian Trench, and Washington continental margin. Pelagic-dominated margins have significantly different geotechnical properties and site-specific parameters. These margins are characterized by thin clastic trench sediment sequences overlying pelagic sediments on a rapidly converging oceanic plate. Well-developed faults and/or hrst and graben structures are evident on the downbending oceanic plate. Sediment deformation along the trench and lower slope appears limited. These sediments are underconsolidated and index property values change gradually but often irregularly with depth. Japan Trench and Middle America Trench-Guatemala margins are considered pelagic-dominated. Middle America Trench-Mexico appears to represent an intermediate case having characteristics of both margin types.
Introduction to the symposium: resistive weight training: a new approach to exercise for cardiac and coronary disease prone populations.

This symposium is concerned with the use of resistive exercise in cardiac and coronary prone populations. In the past, these populations have been refrained from resistive exercise. However, recent studies suggest that this form of exercise is safe and has favorable effects on physical fitness, cardiac risk factors such as hypertension and hyperlipidemia, and psychological status.
The Deterrent Effect of Capital Punishment: A Test of Some Recent Studies

Three recent regression-based statistical studies on the deterrent effect of capital punishment are examined. Evidence is presented that their underlying mathematical models are subject to large systematic error of unknown cause and that, in consequence, one cannot have strong confidence in their conclusions. In addition these models are recalibrated under a modification of their assumptions about "random error" that is implied by our analysis.
Microwave response of vortices in superconducting thin films of Re and Al

Vortices in superconductors driven at microwave frequencies exhibit a response related to the interplay between the vortex viscosity, pinning strength, and flux creep effects. At the same time, the trapping of vortices in superconducting microwave resonant circuits contributes excess loss and can result in substantial reductions in the quality factor. Thus, understanding the microwave vortex response in superconducting thin films is important for the design of such circuits, including superconducting qubits and photon detectors, which are typically operated in small, but nonzero, magnetic fields. By cooling in fields on the order of $100\text{ }\ensuremath{\mu}\text{T}$ and below, we have characterized the magnetic field and frequency dependence of the microwave response of a small density of vortices in resonators fabricated from thin films of Re and Al, which are common materials used in superconducting microwave circuits. Above a certain threshold cooling field, which is different for the Re and Al films, vortices become trapped in the resonators. Vortices in the Al resonators contribute greater loss and are influenced more strongly by flux creep effects than in the Re resonators. This different behavior can be described in the framework of a general vortex dynamics model.
Integrated radiation and operation in the treatment of carcinoma of the head and neck: experience in 101 patients.

We have reviewed the results of treatment in 101 patients with combined radiation-operation therapy for lesions of the head and neck. We conclude that combined therapy-does not significantly increase morbidity and mortality of treatment as long as certain features in the technique of radiation and operation are observed. Actuarial analysis of the 3-year survivals was done. Preliminary conclusions are that there is an improvement in survival, especially in those patients with positive cervical nodes.
Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) modulates the associations between insulin resistance and cognition in the current combination antiretroviral therapy (cART) era: a study of the Women's Interagency HIV Study (WIHS).

Cognitive impairment (CI) remains common despite access to combination antiretroviral therapy (cART); it has been linked to HIV-specific, HIV-related, and HIV-unrelated factors. Insulin resistance (IR) was associated with CI in the early cART era, when antiretroviral medications had greater mitochondrial and metabolic toxicity. We sought to examine these relationships in the current cART era of reduced antiretroviral toxicities. This study examined IR among non-diabetics in relation to a 1-h neuropsychological test battery among 994 women (659 HIV-infected and 335 HIV-uninfected controls) assessed between 2009 and 2011. The mean (standard deviation (SD)) age of the sample was 45.1 (9.3) years. The HIV-infected sample had a median interquartile range (IQR) cluster of differentiation 4 (CD4) T-lymphocyte count of 502 (310–727) cells/μL, and 54 % had undetectable plasma HIV RNA levels. Among all, the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA) of IR ranged from 0.25 to 37.14. In adjusted models, increasing HOMA was significantly associated with reduced performance on Letter-Number Sequencing (LNS) attention task (β = −0.10, p < 0.01) and on Hopkins Verbal Learning Test (HVLT) recognition (β = −0.10, p < 0.01) with weaker but statistically significant associations on phonemic fluency (β = −0.09, p = 0.01). An HIV*HOMA interaction effect was identified on the LNS attention task and Stroop trials 1 and 2, with worse performance in HIV-infected vs. HIV-uninfected women. In separate analyses, cohort members who had diabetes mellitus (DM) performed worse on the grooved pegboard test of psychomotor speed and manual dexterity. These findings confirm associations between both IR and DM on some neuropsychological tests and identify an interaction between HIV status and IR.
Phenylacetate inhibits isoprenoid biosynthesis and suppresses growth of human pancreatic carcinoma

Abstract Background: Phenylacetate is growth inhibitor for a variety of tumors at concentrations that have been safely achieved in human beings. This antitumor effect is related to inhibition of the isoprenoid synthetic pathway by blocking the enzyme, mevalonate pyrophosphate (MVAPP) decarboxylase. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effects of phenylacetate on human pancreatic carcinoma. Methods: For in vitro studies, six human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines (BxPc, AsPc, MIAPaCa-2, Panc-1, CFPAC, and HS 766T) were studied. For in vivo studies, nude mice were inoculated with pancreatic cells (BxPc and MIA PaCa-2) and randomized to receive phenylacetate or saline control. Results: Phenylacetate produces reversible in vitro growth arrest at doses of 2.5 to 10 mmol. The antiproliferative effect is cytostatic, producing accumulation of cells in G1, and is not associated with cell toxicity. Systemic treatment of nude mice bearing heterotopic human pancreatic carcinoma results in growth inhibition of tumors without host toxicity. Phenylacetate blocks the processing of mevalonate to isopentenyl-pyrophosphate by inhibiting MVAPP and exhibits suppression of biosynthetic pathways requiring isoprenoids, including cholesterol and dolichol biosynthesis, protein glycosylation, and isoprenylation of proteins. Conclusions: These results indicate that phenylacetate has cytostatic activity in pancreatic carcinoma and support the conclusion that suppression of multiple biosynthetic pathways requiring isoprenoids is contributing to the drug's antiproliferative action. The safety profile and efficacy of phenylacetate make it an attractive agent for the treatment of pancreatic cancer. (Surgery 1998;124:541-50.)
Neurothekeoma of the cauda equina: MR and CT Myelogram findings

Abstract Neurothekeomas are extremely rare benign tumors of nerve sheath origin. We describe MR and CT Myelogram findings of an intraspinal neurothekeoma occurring in a 49-year-old white female who presented with back pain. MR imaging showed a well-circumscribed avidly enhancing intrathecal mass at L1–L2 lumbar spine level while CT Myelogram imaging showed an intradural soft tissue density mass filling the thecal sac at L1–L2 level. Neurothekeomas mimic ependymoma, schwanoma, and paragangliomas in radiologic appearance and may be included in the differential diagnosis of soft-tissue masses of cauda equina in an adult female patient. Additionally, neurosurgeons and neuroradiologists should be familiar with the benign nature of these masses.
WORD-PAIR ENCODING USING SIMILARITY AND CONTRASTIVE PROCESSING

Two experiments examined the effects of several kinds of incidental semantic encoding on cued recall through instructions to find similarities or to find differences between pairs of nouns, with and without imagery instructions. Exp. 1 employed concrete and abstract nouns which were related or unrelated in meaning. Processing effects on a subsequent cued recall task occurred only for unrelated concrete items, with finding similarities leading to higher recall. In Exp. 2, two groups of subjects processed unrelated concrete nouns with the same encoding instructions as in Exp. 1. Two additional groups carried out the similarity or contrastive task by forming images containing both items. Again, recall was higher when similarity processing was employed. The addition of imagery instructions affected encoding time but not recall accuracy or response latency. Results suggested that forming a meaningful associative relationship between pair members was the crucial encoding step for successful memory performance.
Mathematics Anxiety, Instructional Method, and Achievement in a Survey Course in College Mathematics.

Two instructional strategies were used in different sections o fa survey course in college mathematics at each of two colleges. One strategy consisted of a series of lectures structured to assist students in mastering an organized body of knowledge; the other was based on questioning sequences that guided students in discovering mathematical principles. Achievement was measured by an examination covering course content. Students with a high level of mathematics anxiety had significantly lower achievement (p < .01) than students with a low level of anxiety. A significant interaction between method of instruction and level of anxiety (p < .01) suggested that students with high anxiety benefited more from the expository approach, whereas students with low anxiety benefited more from the discovery approach.
Nourishing Difference for the Erotic Couple

Erotic relationships have often been excluded from accounts of social transformation, but they can challenge us to work together and return to ourselves. In Irigaray’s work, “the two” create new paths to reach each other and return to themselves as individuals; in so doing, they create new possibilities for others.
Fracture behavior of surface cracked panels of HT-9 at low temperatures

Abstract Surface cracked panels (SCP) of HT-9, a 12Cr tempered martensitic stainless steel, were tested in tension and three point bending at −73 and −100°C, corresponding to the lower shelf toughness, brittle quasi-cleavage fracture regime exhibited in standard static tests on compact tension specimens. Selected fracture surfaces were examined by scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy, and the confocal micrographs were used to evaluate the fracture process by fracture reconstruction methods. Test results showed that despite testing in the quasi-cleavage fracture regime, considerable ductility preceded final fracture, and the ductility increased with decreasing crack size. Conditions for crack initiation could be interpreted in terms of a critical combination of J and Q, as well as a critical stressed area criteria based on a micromechanical model for quasi-cleavage fracture. The combined results suggest that ferritic structures containing shallow, part through cracks may be relatively resistant to failure even in the quasi-cleavage fracture regime.
Brainwashing—A Social Phenomenon of Our Time

For most people, the year 1955 is characterized by an intense interest in various specific social and political phenomena. Whereas, 10 years ago the essential interactional elements of demobilization—the return of the soldier from the foxhole and the possibilities of successful associations between statesmen of different nations—were being discussed and debated, today, the emphasis is on interpersonal situations of a different quality. For, in a decade, the tenor of the times has shifted from optimism and construction to that of control of deleterious forces at work in the environment and, thus, the emphasis has shifted to a discussion of events and techniques such as "brainwashing," and the forced signing of false confessions. These are the terms for some occurrences which are of current importance, but it would appear that there are close relationships between the types of behavior these terms imply and types of behavior which are everyday interpersonal occurrences. By fitting them into a conceptual fra...
Voluntary exercise protects hippocampal neurons from trimethyltin injury: Possible role of interleukin-6 to modulate tumor necrosis factor receptor-mediated neurotoxicity☆

In the periphery, exercise induces interleukin (IL)-6 to downregulate tumor necrosis factor (TNF), elevate interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1RA), decreasing inflammation. Exercise also offers neuroprotection and facilitates brain repair. IL-6 production in the hippocampus following exercise suggests the potential of a similar protective role as in the periphery to down-regulate TNFα and inflammation. Using a chemical-induced model of hippocampal dentate granule cell death (trimethyltin, TMT 2.4 mg/kg, ip) dependent upon TNF receptor signaling, we demonstrate neuroprotection in mice with 2 weeks access to running wheel. Exercise attenuated neuronal death and diminished elevations in TNFα, TNF receptor 1, myeloid differentiation primary response gene (MyD) 88, transforming growth factor β, chemokine (C-C motif) ligand 2 (CCL2), and CCL3. Elevated mRNA levels for IL-1α, IL-1RA, occurred with injury and protection. mRNA and protein levels of IL-6 and neuronal expression of IL-6 receptor α, were elevated with injury and protection. Microarray pathway analysis supported an up-regulation of TNFα cell death signaling pathways with TMT and inhibition by exercise. IL-6 pathway recruitment occurred in both conditions. IL-6 downstream signal events differed in the level of STAT3 activation. Exercise did not increase mRNA levels of brain derived neurotrophic factor, nerve growth factor, or glial derived neurotrophic factor. In IL-6 deficient mice, exercise did not attenuate TMT-induced tremor and a diminished level of neuroprotection was observed. These data suggest a contributory role for IL-6 induced by exercise for neuroprotection in the CNS similar to that seen in the periphery.
The Architecture of Multi-Layer Collaboration Information Service System for Electricity Trading in China

With the advancement of electricity deregulation in China, the market entities’ demands for getting high quality information service from power exchange center are growing. Power exchange center needs to establish a comprehensive, efficient and interactive information service platform. In view of the current situation, this paper classifies the large amount of information in electricity market, and analyses the information demands and acquisition channels of market entities. This paper puts forward the architecture of multi-layer collaboration information service system for electricity trading in China. The architecture has a clearly hierarchy and reflects the crucial junctures of information processing. It has the important guiding significance to the power exchange center to provide quality information services for the market entities.
Glycine nitrogen metabolism in man

Abstract [15N]Glycine is a commonly used tracer for measuring human whole body protein metabolism, even though the metabolism of the glycine N is not well defined for man. In this work, glycine N metabolism was studied by measuring the transfer of 15N from [15N]glycine to other plasma amino acids and urea. [15N]Glycine was given orally, every 4 hr for 60 hr to 6 young adult men, maintained on a 1.5 g kg−1d−1 egg protein diet. The 15N enrichments of plasma glycine, serine, and urea were measured during the entire 60 hr period. Although both glycine and serine 15N enrichments rose throughout the period (95% of plateau being reached by 33 hr), serine 15N enrichment was about half that of glycine from the first blood sample (4 hr) on. Plasma urea 15N reached only 88% of its predicted plateau value by 50 hr. The 15N enrichments in other plasma amino acids were determined in the plasma samples taken after isotopic steady state had been reached for glycine and serine (40–60 hr). The 15N enrichments relative to plasma [15N]glycine were serine 54%, urea 20%, glutamine/glutamate amino-N 15%, alanine 7%, leucine, isoleucine, valine, ornithine, proline, and methionine 3%–8%. Insignificant 15N was found in the remaining plasma amino acids. When the size of the various free amino acid pools were considered, 97% of the administered 15N in free amino acids was estimated to be in glycine, serine, glutamine/glutamate, and alanine amino-N. These data illustrate the rapid interconversion of glycine and serine in man and show that 15N from these amino acids can enter the major transaminating pool of amino acids via glutamate and alanine.
Axial modes in a grating-dispersed laser cavity

Two recent papers by Stankov and the author have predicted that unusual axial mode properties should occur in a laser cavity containing an intracavity dispersive grating pair. The analysis in these reports is unfortunately incorrect, and the corrected properties of the dispersive cavity are found to be less interesting than at first predicted.
Growth arrest in G1 protects against oxygen‐induced DNA damage and cell death

Although oxygen is required for normal aerobic respiration, hyperoxia (95% O2/5% CO2) damages DNA, inhibits proliferation in G1, S and G2 phases of the cell cycle, and induces necrosis. The current study examines whether growth arrest in G1 protects pulmonary epithelial cells from oxidative DNA damage and cell death. Mv1Lu pulmonary adenocarcinoma cells were chosen for studies because hyperoxia inhibits their proliferation in S and G2 phase, while they can be induced to arrest in G1 by altering culture conditions. Hyperoxia inhibited proliferation, increased intracellular redox, and rapidly reduced clonogenic survival. In contrast, Mv1Lu cells treated with transforming growth factor (TGF)-β1, deprived of serum or grown to confluency, arrested and remained predominantly in G1 even during exposure. Growth arrest in G1 significantly enhanced clonogenic survival by 10–50-fold. Enhanced survival was not due to reduction in the intracellular redox-state of the cells, but instead was associated with reduced DNA strand breaks and p53 expression. Our findings suggest that the protective effects of G1 is mediated not simply by a reduction in intracellular ROS, but rather through an enhanced ability to limit or rapidly recognize and repair damaged DNA. J. Cell. Physiol. 193: 26–36, 2002. © 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Cluster formation and growth in microchannel flow of dilute particle suspensions

The lifetime of microfluidic devices depends on their ability to maintain flow without interruption. Certain applications require microdevices for transport of liquids containing particles. However, microchannels are susceptible to blockage by solid particles. Therefore, in this study, the phenomenon of interest is the formation and growth of clusters on a microchannel surface in the flow of a dilute suspension of hard spheres. Based on the present experiments, aggregation of clusters was observed for particle-laden flows in microchannels with particle void fraction as low as 0.001 and particle diameter to channel height ratio as low as 0.1. The incipience and growth of a single cluster is discussed, and the spatial distribution and time evolution of clusters along the microchannel are presented. Although the cluster size seems to be independent of location, more clusters are found at the inlet/outlet regions than in the microchannel center. Similarly as for an individual cluster, as long as particle–cluster interaction is the dominant mode, the total cluster area in the microchannel grows almost linearly in time. The effects of flow rate, particle size, and concentration are also reported.
Task analysis in education and evaluation: an application among midwives in the republic of yemen

The political union between the countries of North and South Yemen prompted nurse-midwife educators to re-examine the midwifery curricula of both countries and define the roles midwives play as members of the health team, based on the unique circumstance in which Yemeni midwives operate within the health care system. The faculty of the Health and Manpower Institute (HMI), the main educational institution for the education of midwives, recognised that the delineation of tasks attributed to the practice of midwifery varied widely within Yemen, and between Yemen and other countries, despite the existing international definition of the role. In 1992, the Agency for International Development (AID) funded a workshop for the HMI faculty. Nineteen midwives, nurses and other health care professionals used task analysis techniques to define key knowledge, skills and attitudes that a midwife should be taught in Yemen. Task analysis, a psychometric (test development) technique, is a process that can be used to develop specific role delineations. This article describes in detail the process of task analysis in identifying key skills, knowledge and attitudes to be taught to student midwives in Yemen, clarifying the role of midwives and identifying the usefulness of a derived task listing in educational development and student evaluations.
Uniaxial orientation behavior and consideration of the geometric anisotropy of polyurea hard domain structure in flexible polyurethane foams

Abstract Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and wide angle X-ray scattering (WAXS) were used to examine the morphology of hard domains in flexible polyurethane foams and plaques based on slabstock formulations. In plaque samples that were uniaxially deformed to 50% elongation, WAXS was utilized to demonstrate transverse hard segment orientation relative to the axis of deformation. AFM was utilized to directly observe the morphology of the foams and plaques. Micrographs from this technique present, for the first time in polyurethane foam systems, lamellae-like structures ca. 0.2 μm long and ca. 10 nm across. These structures are believed to be precipitates of polyurea hard segments and are considered to be responsible for the orientation behavior presented.
Attitudes toward sex-roles: Traditional or egalitarian?

This article reports on the development of a Likert-type scale measuring attitudes toward egalitarian-traditional sex roles. A total of 484 undergraduates participated in six phases of the study. An item analysis study yielded 20 items with part-whole correlations <.48. The corrected split-half reliability coefficient is .91 (p≤.001). Five other phases of research show promising concurrent and construct validity. In particular, traditional attitudes are related to rigidity as measured by authoritarian, religious, same-sex touching, rape acceptance, divorce, and conservative attitudes. Overall, a varimax rotated factor analysis revealed one major factor accounting for 84.6% of the variance. Further, females were shown to have higher levels of egalitarian attitudes as compared to males.