cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Intravascular Ultrasound-Guided Transvenous Biopsy of Abdominal and Pelvic Targets Difficult to Access by Percutaneous Needle Biopsy: Technique and Initial Clinical Experience.

Abstract Purpose To report initial clinical experience with intravascular ultrasound (US)-guided transvenous biopsy (TVB) for perivascular target lesions in the abdomen and pelvis using side-viewing phased-array intracardiac echocardiography catheters. Materials and Methods In this single-institution, retrospective study, 48 patients underwent 50 intravascular US-guided TVB procedures for targets close to the inferior vena cava or iliac veins deemed difficult to access by conventional percutaneous needle biopsy (PNB). In all procedures, side-viewing phased-array intracardiac echocardiography intravascular US catheters and transjugular liver biopsy sets were inserted through separate jugular or femoral vein access sheaths, and 18-gauge core needle biopsy specimens were obtained under real-time intravascular US guidance. Diagnostic yield, diagnostic accuracy, and complications were analyzed. Results Intravascular US-guided TVB was diagnostic of malignancy in 40 of 50 procedures for a diagnostic yield of 80%. There were 5 procedures in which biopsy was correctly negative for malignancy, with a per-procedure diagnostic accuracy of 90% (45/50). Among the 5 false negatives, 2 patients underwent repeat intravascular US-guided TVB, which was diagnostic of malignancy for a per-patient diagnostic accuracy of 94% (45/48). There were 1 (2%) mild, 2 (4%) moderate, and 1 (2%) severe adverse events, with 1 moderate severity adverse event (venous thrombosis) directly attributable to the intravascular US-guided TVB technique. Conclusions Intravascular US-guided TVB performed on difficult-to-approach perivascular targets in the abdomen and pelvis resulted in a high diagnostic accuracy, similar to accepted thresholds for PNB. Complication rates may be slightly higher but should be weighed relative to the risks of difficult PNB, surgical biopsy, or clinical management without biopsy.
Timely Diagnosis of Pneumoperitoneum by Point-of-care Ultrasound in the Emergency Department: A Case Series.

Author(s): Yum, Jung; Hoffman, Taryn; Naraghi, Leily | Abstract: Introduction: Pneumoperitoneum is a life-threatening diagnosis that requires timely diagnosis and action. We present a case series of patients with perforated hollow viscus who were accurately diagnosed by emergency physicians using point-of-care ultrasound (POCUS) while in the emergency department (ED).Case Series: Three elderly patients presented to the ED with the complaints of syncope, abdominal pain with constipation, and unresponsiveness. The emergency physicians used POCUS to diagnose and then expedite the necessary treatment.Conclusion: Point-of-care ultrasound can be used by emergency physicians to diagnose pneumoperitoneum in the ED.
Ayesha S. Chaudhry: Domestic Violence and the Islamic Tradition

Scholarly material outside of the social sciences rarely considers personal struggles as a legitimate investigation of a topic. Yet, Ayesha S. Chaudhry, in Domestic Violence and the Islamic Tradition boldly ventures on this pursuit by linking her personal struggles with the Qur’anic verse 4:34. Her journey to research this verse began when Muslim scholars assured her that she would feel more at ease with 4:34 if she knew the Islamic tradition well. This charge prompted her to explore the notion of an ‘Islamic tradition’ itself. Ultimately, Chaudhry argues that the precolonial Sunni tradition to which contemporary Sunni scholars appeal bears little resemblance to what they claim as a source for egalitarian gender relations. The book, Domestic Violence and the Islamic Tradition is a critical overview of the evolution of interpretations of 4:34, of marital violence, and of competing notions of gender justice in preand post-colonial Islams. It offers a thorough and unflinching critique of the verse from different time periods, regions, and multiple scholars in a part-by-part, almost word-by-word, analysis that recognizes the spiritual, ethical, moral, emotional, and theological dilemma ensued from 4:34. Instead of offering her own interpretation of the verse and the issues it accompanies, Chaudhry demonstrates what can be broken down into two compelling points: first, the differences in interpretations are due significantly to the disparate cosmologies of preand post-colonial scholars. Second, contemporary engagements with 4:34, such as the more egalitarian readings of 4:34 of Ali (2004) and Bakhtiar (2007), expand and enrich the pre-colonial Islamic tradition because of the diverse methodologies and interpretations of the former and of the lack of creative
The Projective Credibility of Fictions: Robin Evans’ Methodological Excursions

Although central to Robin Evans’ studies of history, his use of “fictions” is as novel as it is unexplored. Expanding from intensive studies of traditional architectural forms of representation (plan,elevation, perspective, photography) Evans includes paintings of human figures, novels, and plays. Ratherthan marginalizing these depictions for their fictional basis, he places them alongside, on equal footing, with their architectural counterparts. As Evans examined the past, he used these fictional devices to project vitality into space. In so doing, Evans imbues these fictions with a type of credibility not similar, but complementary, to types of credibility at work in traditional architectural representations. He leverages the architect’s ability to read circulation, depth, and enclosure into the plan to anchor the reader while allowing fictions (narratives, paintings, conversations) to speculate about the character of social life. The overt and explicit artifice of fictions, in effect, facilitates and legitimates their use. This paper examines Evan's use of fables, novels, courtesy books, plays, paintings, and advertisements through a selection of his most canonical articles. Although varied from article to article, Evans explicitly defines each fiction's use in relation to other more conventional source materials. Each of these uses expands upon their deployment as a projective, rather than simply documentary, device. The product of this study is a grounded, yet provisional, methodology of research as a form of architectural speculation.
On choosing the right error models for circuit testing

Error models help to correlate the fault model for a circuit with the error patterns observed at the output. This information is useful in both the design and the evaluation of a test strategy for the circuit. Two widely used error models are the symmetric and the independent model. In this paper, we propose a method to measure how closely a circuit follows each model, thus ensuring better test strategy. >
Toward Mobile-Friendly Web Browsing

Smartphones' and tablets' rapid proliferation makes content providers publish mobile versions of webpages. But are they indeed mobile-friendly? This article takes a cross-layer investigation of the mobile Web, and reveals why joint efforts in the mobile ecosystem are needed to achieve mobile-friendly Web browsing.
Computer‐Automated Scoring of Written Responses

This chapter begins by briefly discussing the human scoring procedures that preceded—and still operate parallel to—computer-automated scoring (CAS) of written responses. The current conceptualization of the topic is approached by tracing the development of CAS in two areas: extended response tasks such as essays, and limited production tasks such as short answer questions. Limited production responses will be further divided based on the approach to scoring that is being used. This classification is important not only because of the differences in the types of expected responses that they yield, but also because of the different computational approaches normally used to score them: various forms of key word or phrase matching for limited production responses, and systems using more complex forms of natural language processing to score both limited production and extended response tasks. The chapter next moves on to a discussion of current research on CAS in written responses, maintaining its organization based on extended and limited production tasks, and then concludes by exploring the future directions in which research, development, and operational use are likely to proceed. Keywords: Assessment evaluation; Assessment methods; Computational linguistics; ESL/EFL; Writing
Techniques for studying phagocytic processing of bacteria for class I or II MHC-restricted antigen recognition by T lymphocytes.

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses the techniques for studying phagocytic processing of bacteria for class I or II major histocompatibility complex (MHC). T lymphocytes play a critical role in immunity to most intracellular pathogens. Recognition of foreign antigens by T cells is determined by the clonotypic T cell receptor, which recognizes immunogenic peptides bound to MHC molecules expressed on antigen presenting cells. The response of antigen-specific T cells provides a sensitive bioassay for the production of peptide-MHC complexes by antigen processing. Antigen-specific, untransformed T cell lines or clones can be isolated following immunization with an antigen and used for antigen processing experiments, but the generation of T cell hybridomas by fusion of such T cells with a transformed cell line provides a much more convenient source of clonal T cells with defined specificity for this purpose. The chapter discusses the generation of MHC-I- and MHC-II-restricted T cell hybridomas. The generation of MHC-II involves immunization of a mouse with the protein antigen of interest, subsequent harvesting of regional lymph nodes, and expansion of CD4+ T cells in vitro by addition of the protein antigen.
Self: Philosophical Aspects

The first section of this article outlines the classical problem of personal identity that was originally posed by Locke and continues to generate philosophical debate. The next section discusses some of the distinctive social relations into which only selves can enter. The article then draws several analogies between such social relations and first-personal relations, and shows how these analogies point to the possibilities of group and multiple selves. It closes with some cautionary remarks about how overlooking these two possibilities can lead to confusions about methodological individualism.
CMU-WEB: a conceptual model with metrics for testing and designing usability in Web applications

With the ubiquitous availability of browsers and Internet access, the last few years have seen a tremendous growth in the number of applications being developed on the World Wide Web (WWW). Models for analyzing and designing these applications are only just beginning to emerge. In this work, we propose a three-dimensional classification space for WWW applications, consisting of a degree of structure of pages dimension, a degree of support for interrelated events dimension and a location of processing dimension. Next, we propose usability design metrics for WWW applications along the structure of pages dimension. To measure these, we propose CMU-WEB-a conceptual model that can be used to design WWW applications, such that its schema provide values for the design metrics. This work represents the first effort, to the best of our knowledge, to provide a conceptual model that measures quantifiable metrics that can be used for the design of more usable Web applications, and that can also be used to compare the usability of existing Web applications, without empirical testing.
Aging in rare intellectual disability syndromes

This review highlights several methodological challenges involved in research on aging, health, and mortality in adults with rare intellectual disability syndromes. Few studies have been performed in this area, with research obstacles that include: the ascertainment of older adults with genetic versus clinical diagnoses; likelihood that adults will not receive adequate health care and referrals to genetic specialists; cohort differences related to generational and treatment effects; and increased mortality and selective survival biases. Even so, aging in Prader-Willi and Williams syndromes are reviewed as they reveal new insights into the phenotypic expression and treatment options for older adults with these disorders. The review ends with recommendations for future research that takes better advantage of genetic advances, changes in adult phenotypes, and ties across syndrome-specific research silos. Although aging in rare neurodevelopmental disorders is barely on the research landscape, the field stands to learn much from these older adults.
TSG101 Protein Steady-State Level Is Regulated Posttranslationally by an Evolutionarily Conserved COOH-Terminal Sequence

Antisense inactivation of the tsg101 tumor susceptibility gene in murine NIH3T3 fibroblasts leads to neoplastic transformation and tumorigenesis, which are reversed by restoration of tsg101 activity. tsg101 deficiency is associated with a series of mitosis-related abnormalities, whereas overexpression of TSG101 can also result in neoplastic transformation and the perturbation of cell cycling. Together, these observations imply that TSG101 production outside of a narrow range can lead to abnormal cell growth. We report here that the TSG101 protein is maintained at an almost constant steady-state level in cultured murine and human cells and that this occurs through a posttranslational process involving TSG101 protein degradation. Sustained overproduction of TSG101 from chromosomally inserted adventitious constructs resulted in compensatory down-regulation of endogenous TSG101 and replacement of the native protein by the adventitious one. Using deletion mutants of TSG101, we mapped the region responsible for autoregulation of the TSG101 steady-state level to an evolutionarily conserved sequence, here termed the "steadiness box," located near TSG101's COOH-terminal end. Our results suggest a model in which the biological effects of TSG101 are modulated either by self-promoted proteolysis or participation with other cellular protein(s) in a proteolytic feedback-control loop.
Scanning electron microscope based stereo analysis (for semiconductor IC inspection)

A novel technique to analyze stereo images generated from a scanning electron microscope (SEM) for inspection of wafers for process control is presented. The two main features of this technique are that it uses a binary linear programming approach to set up and solve the correspondence problem, and that it uses constraints based on the physics of SEM image formation. Binary linear programming is a powerful tool with which to tackle constrained optimization problems, especially in the cases that involve matching between one data set and another. The authors also analyze the process of SEM image formation, and present constraints that are useful in solving the stereo correspondence problem. This technique has been solved on many images. Results for a few wafers are included. >
Understanding agricultural policy in Africa: The contributions of Robert Bates

Abstract Robert Bates's writings on the determinants of agricultural policy in Africa employ rational choice and dialectical approaches to political economy. This paper discusses some of the strengths and weaknesses of each, and proposes an alternative dynamic approach to understanding both the limitations and the sources of agricultural policy, with particular reference to Kenya.
Bond stresses in composites with overlapping fibers

Abstract A numerical method is developed for determining the bond stresses between the fibers and matrix of fiber-reinforced composite materials. The theoretical analysis is based on the superposition of the solution of a point-load in a two-dimensional space. A modified point-matching technique is employed to satisfy boundary conditions at closely spaced points. The method is first applied to a uniaxially stressed elastic sheet in which a single rigid, one-dimensional fiber is embedded in the direction of the loading. By the method of superposition, the problem is then extended to the case where the elastic sheet is reinforced by rows and columns of overlapping fibers. The bond stresses along the fiber-matrix interfaces are found for various spacing dimensions. In addition, their dependence on vertical spacing as well as the degree of overlap are also investigated.
Comparing type of health insurance among low-income children: a mixed-methods study from Oregon.

We employed a mixed-methods study of primary data from a statewide household survey and in-person interviews with parents to examine—quantitatively and qualitatively—whether low-income children experienced differences between public and private insurance coverage types. We carried out 24 in-depth interviews with a subsample of respondents to Oregon’s 2005 Children’s Access to Healthcare Study (CAHS), analyzed using a standard iterative process and immersion/crystallization cycles. Qualitative findings guided quantitative analyses of CAHS data that assessed associations between insurance type and parental-reported unmet children’s health care needs. Interviewees uniformly reported that stable health insurance was important, but there was no consensus regarding which type was superior. Quantitatively, there were only a few significant differences. Cross-sectionally, compared with private coverage, public coverage was associated with higher odds of unmet specialty care needs (odds ratio [OR] 3.54; 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.52–8.24). Comparing full-year coverage patterns, those with public coverage had lower odds of unmet prescription needs (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.36–0.99) and unmet mental health counseling needs (OR 0.24, 95% CI 0.10–0.63), compared with privately covered children. Low-income Oregon parents reported few differences in their child’s experience with private versus public coverage.
Cannabis withdrawal symptoms in non-treatment-seeking adult cannabis smokers

Background: Cannabis withdrawal is not recognized in DSM-IV because of doubts about its clinical significance. Objectives: Assess the phenomenon of cannabis withdrawal and its relationship to relapse in nontreatment-seeking adults. Subjects: Convenience sample of 469 adult cannabis smokers who had made a quit attempt while not in a controlled environment. Methods: Subjects completed a 176-item Marijuana Quit Questionnaire collecting information on sociodemographic characteristics, cannabis use history, and their “most difficult” cannabis quit attempt. Results: 42.4% of subjects had experienced a lifetime withdrawal syndrome, of whom 70.4% reported using cannabis in response to withdrawal. During the index quit attempt, 95.5% of subjects reported ≥1 individual withdrawal symptom (mean [SD] 9.5 [6.1], median 9.0); 43.1% reported ≥10. Number of withdrawal symptoms was significantly associated with greater frequency and amount of cannabis use, but symptoms occurred even in those using less than weekly. Symptoms were usually of ≥ moderate intensity and often prompted actions to relieve them. Alcohol (41.5%) and tobacco (48.2%) were used more often than cannabis (33.3%) for this purpose. There was little change during withdrawal in use of other legal or illegal substances. Conclusions: Cannabis withdrawal is a common syndrome among adults not seeking treatment. The intention to relieve withdrawal symptoms can drive relapse during quit attempts, giving cannabis withdrawal clinical significance as a target of treatment. Published by Elsevier Ireland Ltd.
Levodopa and aspirin pretreatment beneficial in experimental decompression sickness.

Two hundred and two adult, female Sprague-Dawley rats (215 * 11 g) were compressed to 100 psi (95% N, and 5% 0,) for 30 min and decompressed in 3 min. Forty percent of the control animals developed severe clinical signs of decompression sickness (DS) while 31% of the control animals died. Pretreatment with levodopa (4 days at 10 mdkg ip) or aspirin (30 days at 55 mg/kg in drinking water) decreased the occurrence of DS to 28 or 22%, respectively, while mortality was decreased to 16 or 12%. When levodopa and aspirin were given as a combination pretreatment the incidence of DS was decreased to 11% and mortality to 5.6% only. The increased beneficial effect of combination pretreatment (levodopa and aspirin) suggests two different protective mechanisms of the used drugs.
Light‐controlled Cycocel Reversal of Coumarin Inhibition of Lettuce Seed Germination and Root Growth

Lettuce seed germination or lettuce root elongation after germination in water was inhibited by coumarin and these inhibitions were reversed by Cycocel. 2.53 × 103 M Cycocel reversed the inhibition of seed germination by 6.8 × 104 M coumarin. and 6.32 × lO−4 M Cycocel reversed the inhibition of root elongation by 3.4 × 103 M coumarin. No other analogs of Cycocel reversed these coumarin induced inhibitions of growth. Cycocel reversal of coumarin inhibition of lettuce seed germination occurred in red light but not in far-red light or darkness. The red-far-red system was photoreversible. Cycocel and kinetin appear to act similarly in reversing coumarin inhibition of germination. Gibberellin A3 and IAA were unable to reverse these coumarin induced inhibitions. A common mechanism is suggested for Cycocel reversal of coumarin and lAA inhibition of growth.
Tracheotomy in the preschool population: indications and outcomes.

Objective Although more tracheotomy procedures are performed within the first year of life than in any other age group, preschool-aged children requiring tracheotomy remain understudied. We characterize the indications and outcomes for patients between the ages of 3 and 6 years undergoing tracheotomy. Methods Out of 480 pediatric tracheotomy procedures performed at a tertiary-care hospital between 1988 and 2004, 15 patients underwent primary tracheotomy between 3 and 6 years of age. Results Most (60%) procedures were performed for pulmonary toilet. Upper-airway obstruction represented the second most common indication (40%), and trauma necessitated tracheotomy procedures more often than had been predicted (40%). The decannulation rate was 40%; 2 patients died. Conclusion Trauma contributed to both upper-airway obstruction as well as requirements for pulmonary toilet. These procedures performed secondary to trauma will likely continue to increase. Significance Tracheotomy procedures in the preschool population remain uncommon; however, nearly half of those studied were performed as a direct result of otherwise preventable trauma.
Unbounded searching algorithms

The unbounded search problem was posed by Bentley and Yao. It is the problem of finding a key in a linearly ordered unbounded table, with the proviso that the number of comparisons is to be minimized. It is shown that Bentley and Yao’s lower bound is essentially optimal, and some new upper bounds for the unbounded search problem are proven. The solution of this problem in parallel is demon-strated.
ATR performance using enhanced resolution SAR

MIT Lincoln Laboratory has developed a compete, end-to-end, automatic target detection/recognition (ATD/R) system for synthetic aperture radar (SAR) data. A data-adaptive approach has been developed to enhance SAR image resolution based on super-resolution techniques; this approach is called high-definition imaging. This paper quantifies the improvement in ATR performance from enhanced resolution SAR imagery in the Lincoln Laboratory ATD/R system.© (1996) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Stroke due to Vertebral Artery Injury

• Minimal neck injury produced vertebral artery damage in two women and three men, 20 to 57 years of age. Serious neurologic deterioration occurred in two patients when positioned for roentgenographic procedures. Dissection or thrombosis of one or both vertebral arteries while in the transverse foramina occurred in three, one at the site of an osteophyte. The arteriogram of one patient showed a traumatic aneurysm at C-7, and a second patient had segmental arterial stenosis with bilateral traumatic aneurysms at C-5. The location of the arterial injury is not restricted to the occipitoatlantoaxial level but includes the course through the transverse foramina. The use of anticoagulation appears to be important in the immediate management of this process.
Gallium(II) Compounds Stabilized by β-Diketonate Ligands: Synthesis, Characterization, and X-ray Structural Studies of [GaCl(acac)]2 and [GaCl(tmhd)]2

Two new gallium(II) derivatives, [GaCl(acac)]2 (acac = acetylacetonate and [GaCl(tmhd)]2 (tmhd = 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-3,5-heptanedionate), have been prepared and characterized by X-ray structural st...
A comparison of the developing dopamine neuron phenotype in cultures of embryonic rat mesencephalon and hypothalamus

Development of the dopamine (DA) neuron phenotype was monitored in cultures of embryonic rat mesencephalon (MES) and hypothalamus (HYP) maintained for 1 to 21 days in vitro (DIV) in the absence of glial support cells. Cell counts following immunohistochemistry for tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) demonstrated that the number of DA neurons declined by 85% in MES cultures yet increased 5-fold in cultures of HYP, so that by 21 DIV equal numbers of DA neurons were present in these culture systems. After 21 DIV MES DA neurons exhibited a multipolar morphology, with numerous branching processes. HYP DA neurons were primarily fusiform in shape with fewer processes and process branch points. Double-label immunohistochemistry for TH and microtubule-associated protein 2 identified the majority of TH-positive processes in either culture system as dendrites. Individual MES but not HYP DA neurons were also found to generate axons. Western analysis showed that between 1 and 21 DIV the concentration of TH protein increased 2-fold in MES and 4-fold in HYP cultures. After 21 DIV the concentration of TH protein in MES cultures was twice that found in cultures of HYP. In the period between 1 and 21 DIV levels of tetrahydrobiopterin (BH4) increased by 6-fold in MES and 20-fold in HYP cultures. After 21 DIV BH4 content was 3-fold higher in HYP than in MES cultures. The abundance of the mRNA encoding for GTP cyclohydrolase I, the rate-limiting enzyme in BH4 biosynthesis, was similar in MES and HYP cultures despite this difference in BH4 levels. In contrast, TH mRNA was 4-fold more abundant in MES than in HYP cultures. Treatment of MES cultures with the DA neuron toxin 1-methyl-4-phenylpyridinium decreased DA cell numbers, TH protein content and BH4 levels, demonstrating that BH4 is localized primarily to DA neurons. Similar treatment of HYP cultures did not effect any of these parameters. Steady-state levels of DA and the rate of DA synthesis were both 3-fold higher in MES than in HYP cultures. A 95% decline in BH4 content produced by inhibiting BH4 biosynthesis resulted in 64% and 84% declines in the rate of MES and HYP DA synthesis, respectively. Overall, these observations indicate that, with the exception of the capacity to synthesize DA, DA neurons in MES and HYP cultures share few common properties.
High temperature tin-copper joints produced at low process temperature for stress reduction

Abstract A fluxless bonding technique using SnCu multilayer composites to produce high temperature joints at relatively low temperature is presented. At a 280°C process temperature, joints which were almost void-free, with a melting point of 415°C, were made. With a further annealing step, re-melting temperature of the joints increases to 713 °C. The technique, thus, gives a quantum jump to the post-processing temperature of the components fabricated. As a result of decreased bonding temperature, stresses in the fabricated components are greatly reduced. SEM results clearly show the microstructures of the joints that consist of Cu 6 Sn 5 and Cu 3 Sn intermetallic phases, thereby veryfying the proposed bonding principle. No flux is required because tin oxidation is inhibited in the fabrication processes.
Catalyst preparation by impregnation and activity distribution

Abstract Analytical solutions are presented for the catalyst distribution that results when the impregnated catalyst is dried rapidly immediately after soaking. time is allowed for equilibration. A relationship for a conservative estimate of the time required for uniform distribution is given. The results are a and also to both immersion and dry impregnation (impregnation to incipient wetness) methods.
Diverse Mn(II)-Oxidizing Bacteria Isolated from Submarine Basalts at Loihi Seamount

Abstract Metal-oxidizing bacteria may play a key role in the submarine weathering of volcanic rocks and the formation of ferromanganese crusts. Putative fossil microbes encrusted in Mn oxide phases are commonly observed on volcanic glasses recovered from the deep ocean; however, no known Mn(II)-oxidizing bacteria have been directly identified or cultured from natural weathered basalts. To isolate epilithic Mn(II) oxidizing bacteria, we collected young, oxidized pillow basalts from the cold, outer portions of Loihi Seamount, and from nearby exposures of pillow basalts at South Point and Kealakekua Bay, HI. SEM imaging, EDS spectra and X-ray absorption spectroscopy data show that microbial biofilms and associated Mn oxides were abundant on the basalt surfaces. Using a series of seawater-based media that range from highly oligotrophic to organic-rich, we have obtained 26 mesophilic, heterotrophic Mn(II)-oxidizing isolates dominated by α- and γ-Proteobacteria, such as Sulfitobacter, Methylarcula and Pseudoalt...
Historical perspectives on the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system and angiotensin blockade.

Abstract Advances leading to recognition of the relation of the renin-angiotensin system to aldosterone include: (1) development of analytic techniques for measuring aldosterone, (2) discovery of an aldosterone-stimulating factor in circulating plasma, (3) the finding that a potent aldosterone-stimulating factor is secreted by the kidney, (4) evidence that synthetic angiotensin II increases aldosterone secretion, (5) fractionation of crude kidney extracts and the finding that aldosterone-stimulating factor is renin, (6) the observation that high plasma renin activity occurs in secondary alldosteronism, and (7) recognition that the renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system occurs in congestive heart failure and in renovascular and malignant hypertension. The early use of blocking agents for the renin-angiotensin system is described along with the landmarks of progress. These include the observations that: (1) arterial pressure decreases in experimental renovascular hypertension in response to angiotensin blockade, (2) angiotensin provides important support for arterial pressure in low cardiac output states including congestive heart failure, (3) the kidney participates in this important compensatory mechanism, and (4) cellular receptors for angiotensin are present in the two inner zones of the adrenal cortex.
ADSORPTION OF 1,3,5-TRINITROBENZENE ON THE SILOXANE SITES OF CLAY MINERALS: AB INITIO CALCULATIONS OF MOLECULAR MODELS

The interaction of 1,3,5-trinitrobenzene (TNB) with the basal siloxane surface of clay minerals is studied by ab initio computations of molecular models at the SCF, DFT (B3LYP), and MP2 levels of theory. A series of progressively increasing basis sets is used from the 6-31G up to the 6-311+G(d) set of atomic orbitals. Two molecular models are considered which correspond to the coplanar orientation of TNB with respect to the siloxane layer at the SiO4 tetrahedra and the hexagonal ring. The calculations show that the basis set superposition error (BSSE) corrected DFT binding energy (Eb) of TNB at these surface sites is well approximated by the Coulombic contribution to this energy (CEb). (CEb is evaluated by the DFT calculations of TNB in the electric field of these sites mimicked via the electrostatic potential derived charges). This result rules out the earlier proposed hypothesis of the electron donor−acceptor mechanism of the adsorption. The smallest molecular model, the TNB at the SiO4 tetrahedra, is c...
Case-Control Studies: The Silver Standard

T HE FOCUS of this seminar, the clinical trial, is considered the gold standard of clinical research. J To mount a clinical trial at least 4 elements are necessary. (l) Foremost, a good idea. (We avoid the word, novel in this discussion.) Without an original idea, a clinical trial rarely is a possibility. (2) An enormous, concerted effort and a huge block of time on the part of the principal investigator (PI). The time invested increases exponentially as the work goes forward. (3) Infrastructure. This means qualified and committed coinvestigators, solid statistical support, research nurses/ assistants, data entry persons. A practicing pediatric surgeon working alone, cannot create such a system; it would take a lifetime. The system already must be in place at his or her institution. (4) Funding. Clinical trials are expensive. Without a substantial grant, many good ideas wither on the vine, and many dedicated investigators lose heart. The competition for major grants is formidable. Acquiring one is like winning an Olympic medal. Pediatric surgeons often choose not to compete in this arena, because most are primarily clinicians rather than research investigators. There is another option, however, that is within our reach and can enable us to ask and answer clinical questions: the case-control study. This method is both underused and underrated. Because it is retrospective, the case-control study may be discounted by investigators striving for the gold standard or nothing. Yet historically, case-control studies have provided evidence that helped to answer crucial medical questions, eg, the link between cigarette smoking and lung cancer, the relationship of Reye syndrome to the use of aspirin in children, the link between vaginal c ancer in young women and a maternal exposure to DES (diethylstilbestrol). The casecontrol technique is used commonly to assess the risk of cancer from environmental and industrial exposures, to evaluate drug effects, and discover factors that cause or prevent disease in humans. Well-done case-control studies provide a s ound alternative to clinical trials and could be considered the silver standard.
A 24 GHz Indirect VCO in 0.18 μm CMOS Technology

A 24 GHz LO signal is generated indirectly by proposing a 12 GHz VCO followed by an active mixer which acts as a frequency doubler. This technique improves the tunability and reduces the power consumption of the VCO/Active doubler compared to a stand-alone VCO at 24 GHz considerably while providing the same amount of phase noise. The circuit is implemented in 0.18 mum CMOS technology. The resulted indirect VCO has 20% tuning range, 15 mW power consumption, -8.5 dBm output power and a phase noise around -100 dBc/Hz @ 1 MHz offset for a 23.5 GHz carrier. This VCO is suitable for use in low power 24 GHz PLLs and also direct conversion receiver applications.
Optical Absorption in the Visible Range of Cu0.8−xZn0.2Pdx Alloys with 0 ≦ x ≦ 0.2 at Room Temperature1)

The optical absorptivity A of Cu0.8−xZn0.2Pdx alloys (0 ± x ± 0.2) was measured as a function of the wavelength between 250 nm < λ < 800 nm at room temperature in a vacuum system with < 10−6 Torr. A has a peak (or shoulder) close to 380 nm for x = 0.1. The alloy with x = 0.2 has a minimum at this wavelength. It is proposed that palladium impurities are responsible for virtual energy states which lead to an increase in A below 300 nm and above 500 nm. Additionally palladium in higher concentrations absorbs part of the extra electrons of zinc in the copper-zinc matrix. This leads to the minimum of A in the alloy with 20 at% palladium. Das optische Absorptionsvermogen A von Cu0.8−xZn0.2Pdx-Legierungen (0 ± x ± 0,2) wurde in Abhangigkeit von der Wellenlange zwischen 250 und 800 nm bei Zimmertemperatur in einem Vakuumsystem von < 10−6|Torr gemessen. A hat in der Nahe von 380 nm fur x = 0,1 ein Maximum (oder eine Schulter). Die Legierung mit x = 0,2 besitzt bei dieser Wellenlange ein Minimum. Es wird angenommen, das Palladiumdefekte fur virtuelle Energiezustande verantwortlich sind, die zu einem Ansteigen von A unterhalb 300 nm und oberhalb 500 nm fuhren. Zusatzliches Palladium in hoheren Konzentrationen absorbiert teilweise uberschussige Zink-Elektronen in der Kupfer-Zink-Matrix. Dies fuhrt zu dem Minimum von A in der Legierung mit 20 at% Palladium.
Energetic Ion Experiments in DIII-D

A summary of fast ion experiments in the DIII-D tokamak is given. Most of the experiments involve {approx}80-keV deuterium beam ions. Deceleration of dilute fast-ion populations is accurately described by coulomb scattering theory. Fast waves with frequencies several times the deuterium cyclotron frequency interact with beam ions when the product of wave number and gyroradius k{sub perpendicular{rho}}{sub i} is {approx}>1.4. Global confinement of fast ions is often excellent although sawteeth, tearing modes, and beam-driven instabilities can cause additional transport. Intense beam-ion populations often drive instabilities. Toroidicity-induced Alfven eigenmodes (TAE) and somewhat lower frequency modes (originally called beta-induced Alfven eigenmodes) are often observed in a wide variety of plasma conditions. Over 50% of the beam power is lost during strong activity. Damping mechanisms such as mode coupling or radiative damping are needed to explain the observed TAE stability threshold. The most unstable toroidal mode number agrees well with theoretical expectations, but the radial and poloidal structure of the mode and the observed beam-ion transport have not been adequately explained. The modes with frequencies below the TAE are probably two types of energetic particle modes: the resonant TAE and the resonant kinetic ballooning mode.
Cooperation in a distributed hybrid potential-field/reinforcement learning multi-agents-based autonomous path planning in a dynamic time-varying unstructured environment

Multi-agent modeling and simulation are crucial for many applications including military ones, such as battlefield modeling and simulation. In a dynamic time-varying environment multi-agent reinforcement learning for agent path-planning, where mobile agents and obstacles move randomly, becomes a challenging problem. This is due to the fact that what a given agent learned, during its past states in time, prior to achieving its current present state may become obsolete and irrelevant at the current agent state. This is due to the agent's time-varying changes in its dynamic time-varying environment. In particular, in such dynamic environment it is desired to have agent(s) not only be equipped with intelligence to avoid other agents and moving obstacles but also be able to learn the shortest path to the goal in a minimum amount of runs. This paper presents a reinforcement-learning-based technique which allows an agent (s) to converge to the shortest path in a small number of runs of two. We use a combination of potential field and reinforcement learning to solve this problem. When used alone these two approaches have their limitations. Here we propose an approach that we name “dissolving potential field” and “selective reinforcement learning” in a time-varying agent's environment. The paper describes a method based on these two approaches combined, such that it guides the agent(s) to accomplish its (their) goals in a dynamically varying and changing environment.
IN DUBIOUS SISTERHOOD Class and Sex in Spanish Colonial South America

When some historians began to apply the constructs of Karl Marx and to analyze historical contexts and events in terms of class, their detractors peered over their well-worn academic glasses, cleared their throats and pronounced this new approach to be hogwash. This new breed of historian was fulfilling one task of the historical materialist, to brush history against the grain of bourgeois academic prejudice. And in so doing they did more than ruffle the feathers of the defenders of the Academy. In their attempt ". . . to wrest tradition away from the conformism that was about to overpower it," (Benjamin, 1968:257) they forced readers to see society itself in a new light. And in so doing they opened a new era both in historicism and in history. When some female historians began to apply some of the constructs of the renascent women's movement to history and to analyze historical phenomena in terms of sex, the reaction was similar.1 As they exposed the historical neglect of women and the long social tradition of sexism, historians guffawed and the Academy looked askance with more than a twinge of superiority and condescension. Nonetheless the new breed forged ahead with an almost abrasive arrogance in their efforts to save both past and future for their sisters. Thus we are deluged with studies of diaries, letters, and autobiographies of prominent women (or women who should have been prominent), medical, legal and ecclesiastical doctrines regarding women, phallic literary criticism, etc. Despite the parallels between Marxist scholarship and women's studies, too few scholars have attempted to examine the relationship between them. When they do, they frequently neglect the fact that one is an approach and the other a field and so too easily assume that the underlying premises of the two are equally valid. And so we are left with the infrequently examined but *The author currently teaches history at Frostburg State College, Frostburg, Maryland. She is currently working on a study dealing with the dialectic between race, class, and sex, as well as on a study of the state, protostate, and social relations between the sexes in Africa and Latin America. 'There were and are almost as many schools in women's history as there are ideologies in the women's movement. Thus women's studies consists of everything from the study of famous women, to the analysis of the exploitation of women, and the investigation of women's resistance.
D-1 dopamine receptor stimulation enables the inhibition of nucleus accumbens neurons by a D-2 receptor agonist

Depletion of catecholamines by pretreatment with the tyrosine hydroxylase inhibitor alpha-methyl-para-tyrosine attenuated the ability of the selective D-2 dopamine receptor agonist quinpirole to inhibit rat nucleus accumbens neurons when applied directly by microiontophoresis. Concurrent iontophoretic administration of the D-1 selective agonist SKF 38393, at currents which alone produced little inhibition, reinstated the inhibitory effect of quinpirole. These findings suggest that D-1 receptor stimulation may play a necessary 'enabling' role for D-2 receptor-mediated functional responses.
Assignment of the TP53 orthologue to a new linkage group (LG XIV) in fish of the genus xiphophorus (Teleostei: Poeciliidae)

Abstract Using a p53 encoding cDNA fragment of rainbow trout ( Oncorhynchus mykiss ) as probe, a lambda clone from a platyfish ( Xiphophorus maculatus ) genomic library was isolated. DNA sequencing of the insert from this clone revealed that it contained the highly conserved domains IV and V of the p53 polypeptide. To map the Xiphophorus p53 gene, joint segregation analysis of the inheritance of a PstI-generated DNA restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and the inheritance of 36 polymorphic protein and DNA markers was performed in backcross hybrids of X. clemenciae x ( X. clemenciae x X. milleri ) and X. helleri x X. (helleri X X . maculatus )p 163 B) using Oncorhynchus cDNA and Xiphophorus genomic p53 probes, respectively. The p53-hybridizing sequence (TP53) was linked to the AC01 (cytosolic aconitase) locus in both crosses, and defines a new Xiphophorus linkage group, designated LG XIV. This is the first mapping assignment of a known human tumor suppressor gene in fish. Since AC01 is not linked with melanoma severity in X . helleri x X . maculatus )p 163 A backcross hybrids, these data indicate that homozygosity for the X . helleri TP53 genotype in backcross hybrids of the cross type is not associated with genetically regulated malignant melanoma formation in the Gordon-Kosswig hybrid melanoma model.
Weight functions in two-dimensional bodies with arbitrary anisotropy

Two-dimensional weight functions in arbitrary anisotropic solids under mixed boundary conditions are analyzed by using a previously introduced finite element method. Closed-form fundamental fields in all three fracture modes are given for a semi-infinite crack in a monoclinic solid. Numerical examples of Griffith crack and inclined edge crack in fiber-reinforced composite laminates are presented. The use of fundamental fields for assessing the influence of transformation strains, e.g., thermal strains and swelling strains, on stress intensity factors in piecewise homogeneous anisotropic solids is described. A numerical example of determining the stress intensity factors of a matrix crack in an idealized fiber/matrix configuration due to thermal stress loading is also given.
Accurate Structures, Conformations, and Assemblies of Macromolecules in Solution by X-Ray Scattering (SAXS) using Quality Control Parameters

Conformations and assemblies of proteins, DNA, and RNA, plus their detailed structural chemistry, encode key information needed to define biological outcomes in cell biology. We are developing SAXS combined with crystallography as a premiere tool for defining macromolecular conformations and connections suitable to join proteins to pathways and at the proteomic scale1. Crystallography supplies unsurpassed structural detail for mechanistic analyses. Yet, advances in SAXS are making this technique increasingly powerful and robust for efficiently examining complexes in solution, as aided by interfaces allowing biologists to do these experiments2-3. Structures of flexible filaments of the XLF with XRCC4·Ligase IV4-5, the conformational and flexible Rad50 link to Mre116, as well as of DNA-PKcs in complex with Ku and DNA7 support the promise of SAXS for examining the assemblies and conformations of dynamic complexes in solution8. In principle, SAXS can provide reliable solution data on small and large macromolecules1-2. In practice, SAXS can be limited by problems in samples and analyses, which can be reduced or avoided2. SAXS has not been perceived as a legitimate structural technique largely due to previous limitations from data collection and interpretation. Our emerging results show that SAXS has great potential to provide accurate shapes, conformations, and assembly states in solution and inform biological functions in fundamental ways1-7. Our results furthermore show that many SAXS limitations can be overcome by improved sample characterization, quality control parameters and methods to assess model accuracy.
Porcine oocyte activation induced by a cytosolic sperm factor

It is not known how the fertilizing sperm elicits the release of Ca2+ from the oocyte's intracellular stores. We investigated whether a crude extract isolated from boar sperm could induce the Ca2+ release and trigger subsequent early and late activation events upon injection into matured porcine oocytes. The sperm extract induced an immediate rise in the intracellular free Ca2+ concentration in all oocytes tested, which was followed by repetitive Ca2+ transients in 11 out of 14 oocytes. Heat or trypsin treatment of the extract totally abolished the Ca2+ releasing activity of the sperm factor. The injected oocytes showed cortical granule exocytosis, they resumed meiosis and entered first interphase: pronuclei were formed in 89.2% (132/148) of the cases. Pronuclear formation was accompanied by the appearance of a new 22 kDa protein as normally seen at fertilization. Of the successfully injected oocytes 51.7% (105/203) cleaved and 2.0% (4/203) developed to the blastocyst stage after being cultured for 7 days in NCSU 23 medium. Injection of the carrier medium could not trigger these changes. The results indicate that the sperm might activate porcine oocytes by introducing a soluble factor into the oocyte's cytoplasm after gamete fusion. Mol. Reprod. Dev. 57:290–295, 2000. © 2000 Wiley-Liss, Inc.