cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Post-Stroke Adaptation of Lateral Foot Placement Coordination in Variable Environments

Individuals with stroke often have difficulty modulating their lateral foot placement during gait, a primary strategy for maintaining lateral stability. Our purpose was to understand how individuals with and without stroke adapt their lateral foot placement when walking in an environment that alters center of mass (COM) dynamics and the mechanical requirement to maintain lateral stability. The treadmill walking environments included: 1) a Null Field– where no forces were applied, and 2) a Damping Field– where external forces opposed lateral COM velocity. To evaluate the response to the changes in environment, we quantified the correlation between lateral COM state and lateral foot placement (FP), as well as step width mean and variability. We hypothesized the Damping Field would produce a stabilizing effect and reduce both the COM-FP correlation strength and step width compared to the Null Field. We also hypothesized that individuals with stroke would have a significantly weaker COM-FP correlation than individuals without stroke. Surprisingly, we found no differences in COM-FP correlations between the Damping and Null Fields. We also found that compared to individuals without stroke in the Null Field, individuals with stroke had weaker COM-FP correlations (Paretic $=0.001$ , Non-Paretic $=0.007$ ) and wider step widths (p $=0.001$ ). Our results suggest that there is a post-stroke shift towards a non-specific lateral stabilization strategy that relies on wide steps that are less correlated to COM dynamics than in individuals without stroke.
Knowledge Extraction of Cohort Characteristics in Research Publications

When healthcare providers review the results of a clinical trial study to understand its applicability to their practice, they typically analyze how well the characteristics of the study cohort correspond to those of the patients they see. We have previously created a study cohort ontology to standardize this information and make it accessible for knowledge-based decision support. The extraction of this information from research publications is challenging, however, given the wide variance in reporting cohort characteristics in a tabular representation. To address this issue, we have developed an ontology-enabled knowledge extraction pipeline for automatically constructing knowledge graphs from the cohort characteristics found in PDF-formatted research papers. We evaluated our approach using a training and test set of 41 research publications and found an overall accuracy of 83.3% in correctly assembling the knowledge graphs. Our research provides a promising approach for extracting knowledge more broadly from tabular information in research publications.
Review of Gut Botany by Petra Kuppers. Wayne State University Press (2020)

A book review by Maria Teresa Houar of Petra Kuppers’ collection of new and recently published poetry Gut Botany (2020).
Agrin loss in Barrett's esophagus-related neoplasia and its utility as a diagnostic and predictive biomarker.

PURPOSE There is an unmet need for identifying novel biomarkers in Barrett's esophagus (BE) that could stratify patients with regards to neoplastic progression. We investigate the expression patterns of extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules in BE and BE-related neoplasia, and assess their value as biomarkers for the diagnosis of BE-related neoplasia and to predict neoplastic progression. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN Gene expression analyses of ECM matrisome gene sets were performed using publicly available data on human BE, BE-related dysplasia, esophageal ADCA and normal esophagus. Immunohistochemical expression of basement membrane (BM) marker agrin (AGRN) and p53 was analyzed in biopsies of BE-related neoplasia from 321 patients in three independent cohorts. RESULTS Differential gene expression analysis revealed significant enrichment of ECM matrisome gene sets in dysplastic BE and ADCA compared with controls. Loss of BM AGRN expression was observed in both BE-related dysplasia and ADCA. The mean AGRN loss in BE glands was significantly higher in BErelated dysplasia and ADCA compared to non-dysplastic BE (NDBE; p<0.001; specificity=82.2% and sensitivity=96.4%). Loss of AGRN was significantly higher in NDBE samples from progressors compared to non-progressors (p<0.001) and identified patients who progressed to advanced neoplasia with a specificity of 80.2% and sensitivity of 54.8%. Moreover, the combination of AGRN loss and abnormal p53 staining identified progression to BE-related advanced neoplasia with a specificity and sensitivity of 86.5% and 58.7%. CONCLUSIONS We highlight ECM changes during BE progression to neoplasia. BM AGRN loss is a novel diagnostic biomarker that can identify NDBE patients at increased risk of developing advanced neoplasia.
Role of the cyclosporin-A-cyclophilin complex, FK506-FK506-binding protein complex and calcineurin in the inhibition of T-cell signal transduction

Abstract Our understanding of immunosupressive drug action and intracellular signalling continues to advance. The structures of new immunophilin-lumunosuppressant drug complexes have been formed by the immunophilin-drug complexes and calcineurin are being made by mutagenesis and by the comparison of various protein isotypes. Since the inhibition of calcineurin by the immunophilin-drug complex has been shown to interfere with nuclear localization of NFAT (nuclear factor for activation of T cells), our understanding of the intracellular signal for immune response has become more detailed.
Who Decides on Security

Despite over six decades of reform initiatives, the overwhelming drift of security arrangements in the United States has been toward greater — not less — executive centralization and discretion. This lead article for the annual commentary issue explores why efforts to curb presidential prerogative have failed so consistently. It argues that while constitutional scholars have overwhelmingly focused their attention on procedural solutions, the underlying reason for the growth of emergency powers is ultimately political rather than purely legal. In particular, scholars have ignored how the basic meaning of “security” has itself shifted dramatically since World War II and the beginning of the Cold War in line with changing ideas about popular competence. Paying special attention to the decisive role of actors such as Supreme Court Justice Felix Frankfurter and Pendleton Herring, co-author of 1947’s National Security Act, this Article details how emerging judgments about the limits of popular knowledge and mass deliberation fundamentally altered the basic structure of security practices.Countering the pervasive wisdom at the founding and throughout the nineteenth century, this contemporary shift has recast war and external threat as matters too complex and specialized for ordinary Americans to comprehend. Today, the dominant conceptual approach to security presumes that insulated decision-makers in the executive branch (armed with the military’s professional expertise) are best equipped to make sense of complicated and often conflicting information about safety and self-defense. The result is that the other branches — let alone the public writ large — face a profound legitimacy deficit whenever they call for transparency or seek to challenge coercive security programs. Not surprisingly, the tendency of legalistic reform efforts has been to place greater decision-making power in the other branches and then to watch those branches delegate such power back to the executive.
Are College Textbooks Priced Fairly

In recent years, college students, professors, and legislators from around the country have increasingly questioned the pricing practices of college textbook publishers. Many college students today have yearly textbook bills of $800-$900. The college textbook industry makes a good case study of economic principles. But is there something that can be done? Two economists present the problems and a few solutions.
From Classroom to Controversy: Conflict in the Teaching of Religion

What happens when a class assignment becomes a source of controversy? How do we respond? What do we learn? By describing the controversy surrounding an assignment on religion and representation, this article examines conflict's productive role in teaching about New Religious Movements (NRMs) and religion. It suggests that we consider how our personal and institutional dispositions toward conflict influence our pedagogies. Moreover, it urges us to consider how teaching conflicts within and/or between disciplines can enhance our learning objectives and stimulate students' ability to think critically.
Timed sequential chemotherapy with concomitant Granulocyte Colony-Stimulating Factor for high-risk acute myelogenous leukemia: a single arm clinical trial

The timed-sequential chemotherapy regimen consisting of etoposide, mitoxantrone and cytarabine (EMA) is an effective therapy for relapsed or refractory acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). We postulated that granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) might enhance the cytotoxicity of EMA by increasing the proportion of leukemic blasts in S-phase. We added G-CSF to EMA (EMA-G) for therapy of advanced high-risk AML patients. High-risk AML was defined as refractory, relapsed or secondary to either an antecedent hematologic disorder or exposure to cytotoxic agents. The patients were treated with one course of EMA-G consisting of mitoxantrone and cytarabine on days 1–3, and etoposide and cytarabine on days 8–10. G-CSF was started on day 4 and continued until absolute neutrophil count recovered. Thirty patients were enrolled. The median age was 51 years (range, 25–75). Seventeen (61%) patients had unfavorable cytogenetic karyotypes. Twenty (69%) patients had secondary AML. Ten (34%) had relapsed disease. Four (14%) had refractory AML. Three (10%) patients died from febrile neutropenia and sepsis. Major non-hematologic toxicity included hyperbilirubimenia, renal insufficiency, mucositis, diarrhea, nausea and vomiting, skin rash. A complete remission was achieved in 13 (46%) patients. Median overall survival was 9 months (range, 0.5–66). Median relapse-free survival (RFS) for those who had a CR was 3 months (range, 0.5–63) with RFS censored at the time of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation or peripheral stem cell transplantation for 6 of the patients. EMA-G is a safe and efficacious option for induction chemotherapy in advanced, high-risk AML patients. The activity of EMA may be increased if applied in patients with less advanced disease.
From the Eyes of an Exhibitor

Abstract Conferences and conventions often depend on event/convention planners to produce spectacular tradeshows to support their programs. A study which focused on exhibitor needs and the perceived benefits of participation was conducted during the winter of 1999 at an International Arts Convention in the eastern United States. Exhibitors' interests in convention participation fell into four primary areas: making contacts, gaining information, gaining visibility, and booking/selling a product or service. Understanding the areas of importance to exhibitors and the services/products that are necessary for them to achieve success can go a long way toward providing a meaningful experience and an avenue for communication for both convention exhibitors and planners.
Leveraging measurement systems to drive enterprise transformation: Two case studies from the U.S. aerospace industry

The focus of this paper is to depict the role of measurement systems in driving enterprise behavior and guiding enterprise transformation. Although enterprise transformation and performance measurement are separate areas of study, few have made the connection to determine the role of measurement systems in transformation. To provide insight into this role, a brief review of performance measurement literature is considered followed by two detailed case studies that illustrate their connection. Both case studies come from ACME Aerospace, a large contractor engaged primarily with the United States Department of Defense, but provide differing perspectives. In particular, one portrays one business units' reactive transformation effort that relied on a bottom-up measurement system, whereas the second portrays how corporate leadership sets measurement strategy to drive behavior in a more proactive sense. In these case studies, three common themes are evident regarding the role of metrics and measurement systems in transformation: (1) the need for using metrics and measurement systems for driving the right behavior; (2) the need for the presence of formal and informal infrastructure for adoption and sustainment; and (3) the need for support from top management. After reviewing these two case studies, enterprise analysis techniques are employed in a discussion aimed at understanding the relationship between measurement systems and enterprises with the ultimate goal of changing behavior to enable transformation.
Adaptive control of quantum phase in Rydberg wave packets

We have devised and implemented a method to program quantum phase in Rydberg wave packets. Our method involves several recently developed techniques all acting in concert. Furthermore, the method is quite general: one need not even know the details of the atomic potential or the optical pulse shape in order to construct the desired phase function! This is because the method relies on adaptive feedback of direct phase information from the system. Below we give some details. A regenerative amplifier was seeded by 100-fs pulses from a Ti:sapphire oscillator.
A time series for carbonyl sulfide in the northern hemisphere

The variation of OCS in the northern hemisphere for the period 1977–1991 was investigated by grouping all measurements made by our research group for that period. The data set contained 1066 measurements made in the northern hemisphere over a longitude range of 52 E to 155 W and a latitude range of 10 N to 85 N. About 50% of the measurements were made from aircraft. The overall data set had a mean of 512 parts per trillion by volume (pptv) and a standard deviation of 119 pptv. The data obtained from aircraft had a mean of 514 pptv and a standard deviation of 64 pptv. A study of the time series constructed from the data set and several subsets indicate that the change in global OCS with time is between −1.5 and 1.5 parts per trillion per year at the 95% confidence level. The data had no seasonal dependence within the precision of the data set.
Balanced realization and model reduction for unstable systems

This paper proposes a new balanced realization and model reduction method for possibly unstable systems by introducing some new controllability and observability Gramians. These Gramians can be related to minimum control energy and minimum estimation error. In contrast to Gramians defined in the literature for unstable systems, these Gramians can always be computed for systems without imaginary axis poles and they reduce to the standard controllability and observability Gramians when the systems are stable. The proposed balanced model reduction method enjoys the similar error bounds as does for the standard balanced model reduction. Furthermore, the new error bounds and the actual approximation errors seem to be much smaller than the ones using the methods given in the literature for unstable systems. Copyright © 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
A space maintainability experiment aboard the Ben Franklin submersible during the 30-day Gulf Stream drift mission.

In the summer of 1969, a deep submersible drifted for 30 days below the surface of the Gulf Stream, while operated by a six man crew. The main purpose of the mission was oceanographic research. The crew's activities and completely self-contained environment resembled those of a space station such as Skylab. Because of these similarities aspects of onboard vehicle maintenance during the actual conduct of a scientific mission were investigated. The maintainability study was accomplished in six distinct phases. Two useful plots of manpower distribution were developed. A maintenance action summary is presented in a table.
TRACING PALEOFLUID SOURCES USING CLUMPED ISOTOPE THERMOMETRY OF DIAGENETIC CEMENTS ALONG THE MOAB FAULT, UTAH

Interactionsamongfluids,deformationstructures,andchemicalchanges in sediments impact deformation of the shallow crust, influencing the preservation and extraction of the economic resources it contains. These interactions have been studied along the Moab Fault, in the Paradox Basin, Utah, where diagenetic cements, joints, cataclastic deformation bands and slip surfaces developed during faulting are thought to control fault permeability. Previous fluid inclusion micro-thermometry and stable isotopic data from calcite cements collected along segments of the Moab Fault suggest cements precipitated from hot basin fluids that migrated up the fault and interacted with a shallower meteoric groundwater source. In this study, we investigate the interactionsofthesefluidswithdeformationstructuresusingclumpedisotopethermom- etry of calcite cements along the Moab Fault. Guided by prior high-resolution mapping of deformation structures and calcite cements, we measured the growth temperature of calcite cements collected at varying distance from fault segments and fault intersec- tions. Cement temperatures from individual segments vary greatly; cements along a relatively simple fault segment indicate temperatures ranging from 67 to 128 °C, similar to previously published fluid inclusion homogenization temperatures from a cement sample collected in the same locality, while a nearby fault intersection hosts cements with temperatures of 13 to 88 °C. The spatial pattern of cement temperatures revealed by clumped isotope thermometry suggests that intensely jointed zones associated with fault intersections enable rapid down-fault migration of cool surface waters and that deformation-band faults with their associated slip surfaces may further compartmentalize fluid flow, restricting fluid sources to warm waters thermally equili- brated with the country rock outside the jointed zone. Our data confirm that the relationship between faults and fluid flow can vary greatly over short length scales, and suggest that some fracture zones can be highly conductive to depths as great as 2 km.
Minimum bias spatial filters for beamspace direction-of-arrival estimation

Abstract Spatial filtering is used in array signal processing to favor signals coming from a particular zone in space over other signals. In this paper, we propose the use of the minimum bias (MB) windows, originally devised for multitaper spectral analysis, as spatial preprocessing filters for direction-of-arrival (DOA) estimation. These windows (or tapers) are characterized by their orthonormality, simplicity, and most importantly their close behavior to the well known discrete prolate spheroidal sequence (DPSS) windows. A desired spatial bandwidth can be achieved by adding or removing tapers, without the need of recomputation. The paper introduces the MB tapers for beamspace processing and compares their DOA estimation performance, using noise-subspace eignestructure methods, to that of the DPSS beams. Further, the MB windows can be well approximated by simple trigonometric functions. These functions have expressions identical to that of the Discrete Sinusoidal Transform (DST). As numerous methods for fast computations of DST have been devised, the outputs of the approximated MB tapers can be computed efficiently.
Low-temperature photoacoustic spectroscopy of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons in Shpol'skii matrices at 77 K

Low-temperature studies of organic and inorganic compounds was suggested by Rosencwaig in 1980 as one new area in the future trends of photoacoustics and photoacoustic spectroscopy. At cryogenic temperatures, optical absorption spectra often exhibit much sharper and less complex features than the corresponding room-temperature spectra. The use of piezoelectric detection for high-resolution, laser-induced optoacoustic spectroscopy at cryogenic temperatures was first reported by Shaw and Howell in 1981. A ceramic disc piezoelectric transducer was compressed in a copper clamp along with a fused quartz substrate on which the sample was applied. Spectra of cubic neodymium sesquioxide, Nd2O3, cooled to less than 10 K, in the yellow spectral region (16 400 to 17 400 cm−1) exhibited sharp lines of full width at half maximum 10 cm−1. Such spectral sharpening, and simplification, upon cooling the sample enhance selectivity for analysis of mixtures.
The ecological sustainability of slash-and-burn agriculture

Abstract Slash-and-burn agroecosystems are important to rural poor and indigenous peoples in the developing world. Ecologically sound slash-and-burn agriculture is sustainable because it does not depend upon outside inputs based on fossil energy for fertilizers, pesticides and irrigation. One means of demonstrating the soundness of slash-and-burn agroecosystems is to prove empirically the ecological compatibility of this system of crop production. This paper examines the ecological sustainability of slash-and-burn agriculture based on the productivity of soil resources.
Hypolipidaemic hepatic peroxisome proliferators form a novel class of chemical carcinogens.

Several drugs, including clofibrate (ethyl-a-p-chlorophenoxyisobutyrate)1, are now available for the treatment of hyperlipidaemias2,3 and others are in the process of preclinical or clinical evaluation4,5. Clofibrate, the most widely used hypo-lipidaemic drug in Europe and the US2, as well as other potent hypolipidaemic agents, cause massive hepatomegaly when administered to rats6–8, mice7,8 or hamsters (J.K.R., unpublished). This hepatomegaly is characteristically associated with a marked increase of peroxisomes (Fig. 1) in the liver cells of all three species6–8. These ubiquitous cytoplasmic organelles9,10contain catalase, several hydrogen peroxide-generating oxi-dases, carnitine acetyltransferase11 as well as enzymes involved in the β-oxidation of long-chain fatty acids12. The activities of these enzymes in liver are elevated in association with peroxisome proliferation8,13. As hepatomegaly and peroxisome proliferation persist for as long as these drugs are administered to the animals, we initiated chronic toxicity studies with selected hepatic peroxisome proliferators in CSb mice and F344 rats. Liver tumours were observed in both rats and mice fed nafeno-pin (2-methyl-2[p-(l,2,3,4-tetrahydro-l-naphthyl)phenoxy]-propionic acid)14–16 or Wy-14,643 ([4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthio]acetic acid)17, two structurally unrelated compounds (Fig. 2, compounds 2 and 3) which are several times more potent than clofibrate in inducing peroxisome proliferation and hypolipidaemia8. Recent evidence indicates that clofibrate (Fig. 2, compound 1) is also carcinogenic when fed to rats at a concentration of 0.5% in the diet18,19. We report here that BR-931 ([4-chloro-6-(2,3-xylidino)-2-pyrimidinylthio(N-β-hydroxyethyl)-acetamide])20 and tibric acid(2-chloro-5-(3,5-dimethylpiperidinosulphonyl)benzoic acid)8, two potent hypolipidaemic hepatic peroxisome proliferators (Fig. 2, compounds 4 and 5) induce hepatocellular carcinomas in CSb mice and/or F344 rats. Thus, the development of liver tumours, in animals fed five structually diverse hypolipidaemic compounds (Fig. 2) supports our hypothesis that potent hepatic peroxisome proliferators as a class are carcinogenic.
Vicis: a reliable network for unreliable silicon

Process scaling has given designers billions of transistors to work with. As feature sizes near the atomic scale, extensive variation and wearout inevitably make margining uneconomical or impossible. The ElastIC project seeks to address this by creating a large-scale chip-multiprocessor that can self-diagnose, adapt, and heal. Creating large, flexible designs in this environment naturally lends itself to the repetitive nature of network-on-chip (NoC), but the loss of a single link or router will result in complete network failure. In this work we present Vicis, an ElastIC-style NoC that can tolerate the loss of many network components due to wearout induced hard faults. Vicis uses the inherent redundancy in the network and its routers in order to maintain correct operation while incurring a much lower area overhead than previously proposed N-modular redundancy (NMR) based solutions. Each router has a built-in-self-test (BIST) that diagnoses the locations of hard fault and runs a number of algorithms to best use ECC, port swapping, and a crossbar bypass bus to mitigate them. The routers work together to run distributed algorithms to solve network-wide problems as well, protecting the networking against critical failures in individual routers. In this work we show that with stuck-at fault rates as high as 1 in 2000 gates, Vicis will continue to operate with approximately half of its routers still functional and communicating.
A remarkable pyloric caecum in the evermannellid genus Coccorella with notes on gut structure and function in alepisauroid fishes (Pisces, Myctophiformes)

Gross morphology and development of the gut in the circumtropical genus Coccorella Roule (Alepisauroidei, Evermannellidae; two species C. atrata (Alcock, 1893) and C. atlantica (Parr, 1928)) is described and the gut structure of this genus is compared with that of other alepisauroid and myctophoid fishes. Alepisauroids characteristically have an enormous sac-shaped stomach and a simple, straight intestine. It appears that this gut morphology is a specialization for the ingestion of very large food particles and is an adaptation to the food-limited midwater environment. Coccorella is remarkable in having a medial pyloric (intestinal) appendage that extends forward from the ventroanterior margin of the intestine, passes between the cleithra, beneath the heart, dorsal to the isthmian musculature, and ends blindly beneath the first basibranchial. This caecum is surrounded by the darkly pigmented peritoneal lining of the coelomic cavity and is easily visible in the floor of the orobranchial cavity. The caecum can be seen in the smallest available larva (6.3 mm SL) but does not develop its complete cephalic extension until the larvae are 20 to 25 mm SL. Portions of the alimentary tract in Coccorella were examined with light and scanning electron microscopy. No substantial histological differences between caecum and intestine have been found. It is hypothesized that the caecum in Coccorella has a function similar to that proposed for pyloric caeca in other fishes, viz. to increase the resportive and storage capacity of the intestine. Although pyloric caeca vary enormously in size, number and morphology among teleosts, Coccorella is the only genus known with any appendage of the alimentary tract extending into the head. General hypotheses on the adaptive significance of pyloric caeca are reviewed but none satisfactorily explain the appearance of this unique neomorphous feature in Coccorella.
Does the duration and frequency of early breastfeeding affect nipple pain

: To investigate the effects of the frequency and duration of breastfeedings on nipple soreness we studied two groups of mother-infant pairs during the first 10 postpartum days. Mothers in the control group fed on a 3- to 4-hour schedule and those in the experimental group were encouraged to breastfeed as frequently as the infants desired. All mothers recorded the time and duration of each breastfeeding for the first 10 days after delivery and gave their own daily assessments of nipple discomfort. Although mothers in the experimental group nursed significantly more frequently (10 vs. 7.4 feedings/24 hours, p >.0001), they did not experience more nipple soreness. There was no significant correlation between the frequency or duration of feedings and the degree of nipple soreness. In both groups there was a significant decrease in nipple soreness from days 1–5 to days 6–10 in spite of a significant increase in the frequency and duration of feedings over the same period. Our results suggest that frequent feedings in early lactation do not increase the incidence of nipple discomfort.
Nonmagnetic compensation in ferromagnetic Ga1−xMnxAs and Ga1−xMnxP synthesized by ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting

The electronic and magnetic effects of intentional compensation with non-magnetic donors are investigated in the ferromagnetic semiconductors Ga1-xMnxAs and Ga1-xMnxP synthesized using ion implantation and pulsed-laser melting (II-PLM). It is demonstrated that compensation with non-magnetic donors and MnI have similarqualitative effects on materials properties. With compensation TC decreases, resistivity increases, and stronger magnetoresistance and anomalous Hall effect attributed to skew scattering are observed. Ga1-xMnxAs can be controllably compensated with Te through a metal-insulator transition through which the magnetic and electrical properties vary continuously. The resistivity of insulating Ga1-xMnxAs:Te can be described by thermal activation to the mobility edge and simply-activated hopping transport. Ga1-xMnxP doped with S is insulating at all compositions but shows decreasing TC with compensation. The existence of a ferromagnetic insulating state in Ga1-xMnxAs:Te and Ga1-xMnxP:S having TCs of the same order as the uncompensated materials demonstrates that localized holes are effective at mediating ferromagnetism in ferromagnetic semiconductors through the percolation of ferromagnetic 'puddles' which at low temperatures.
Controlling reconfigurable antennas via Neural Network embedded into an FPGA

In this paper, a software controlled (SC) field programmable gate array (FPGA) controller is designed and shown that it can be used to control switches on a reconfigurable antenna based on a Neural Network (NN) intelligent algorithm. The SC-FPGA controller is designed by training a NN model using customizable blocks designed in the MatLab Simulink and Xilinx System Generator. Network parameters are mapped into a hardware structure that improves the performance and the efficiency. Examples of how this controller can be embedded into an antenna system will be shown and discussed.
Body Composition of Dairy Cattle by Potassium-40 Liquid Scintillation Detection

Abstract Liquid scintillation detection by potassium-40 was used to estimate body composition of dairy cows of two ages and two yields. Average body weight, fat content, and protein content were 548 kg, 27%, and 17%. First-calf cows had less body weight, less protein mass, and less fat mass than older cows, suggesting that heifers in first lactation continue to deposit protein and fat in later lactations. Production had no effect upon estimates of body composition. In response to lactation needs, there were average losses of about 50 kg of fat and about 10 kg of protein with marked variation among animals. Procedures preparatory to potassium-40 monitoring had no effect upon milk production. For estimating body composition in dairy cows liquid scintillation using potassium-40 detection appears to be nontraumatic and highly repeatable.
Influence of BMPs on the Formation of Osteoblastic Lesions in Metastatic Prostate Cancer

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the role of BMPs on the formation of metastatic prostate cancer lesions to bone. Our results show that BMPs influence the development and progression of osteoblastic lesions and suggest that therapies that inhibit BMP activity may reduce the formation and progression of osteoblastic lesions. Introduction: Prostate adenocarcinoma is the leading cause of cancer in North American men. The formation of skeletal metastases affects∼70% of patients with advanced disease, and a majority of these patients have osteoblastic lesions. Although BMPs have been found to be expressed in multiple oncogenic cell lines, their role in the formation of metastatic osteoblastic lesions remains uncharacterized. We hypothesized that BMPs influence the development of metastatic osteoblastic lesions associated with prostate cancer. Materials and Methods: Western blot analysis and RT-PCR was used to determine BMP receptor expression on osteoblastic prostate cancer cell lines LAPC-4 and LAPC-9. Migration, invasion, and cellular proliferation assays were used to quantify the effects of BMP-2, -4, and -7 on LAPC-4 cells in vitro. LAPC-9 cells alone or transfected with a retrovirus overexpressing noggin were injected into the tibias of SCID mice, and the animals were followed for 8 weeks. Tumor size was determined by radiographs and direct measurement. Histology was performed at the time of death. Results: We determined that BMP receptor mRNA and protein was expressed on osteoblastic prostate cancer cell lines LAPC-4 and LAPC-9. In vitro studies showed that BMP-2 and -7 stimulated cellular migration and invasion of prostate cancer cells in a dose-dependent fashion, although BMP-4 had no effect. Noggin inhibited cellular migration and invasion of BMP-2- and -7-stimulated LAPC-4 cells. LAPC-9 cells implanted into immunodeficient mouse tibias formed an osteoblastic lesion with sclerotic bone at 8 weeks. Formation of osteoblastic lesions was inhibited by overexpression of noggin by prostate cancer cells transduced with a retrovirus containing the cDNA for noggin. Conclusions: BMPs are critical in the formation of the osteoblastic lesions associated with prostate cancer metastases, and future treatment strategies that inhibit local BMP activity may reduce the formation and progression of osteoblastic lesions. J Bone Miner Res 2005;20:2189-2199. Published online on August 1, 2005; doi: 10.1359/JBMR.050802
Is working memory capacity task dependent

Abstract The complex span measure of working memory is a word/digit span measured while performing a secondary task. Two experiments investigated whether correlations between the complex span and reading comprehension depend on the nature of the secondary task and individual skill in that task. The secondary task did not have to be reading related for the span to predict reading comprehension. An arithmetic-related secondary task led to correlations with reading comprehension similar to those found when the secondary task was reading. The relationship remained significant when quantitative skills were factored out of the complex span/comprehension correlations. Simple digit and word spans (measured without a background task) did not correlate with reading comprehension and SAT scores. The second experiment showed that the complex span/comprehension correlations were a function of the difficulty of the background task. When the difficulty level of the reading-related or arithmetic-related background tasks was moderate, the span/comprehension correlations were higher in magnitude than when the background tasks were very simple, or, were very difficult.
Distribution of terrestrial herbaceous vegetation and its consumption by Pan paniscus in the Lomako Forest, Zaire

Data available on behavior and morphology of Pan paniscus (bonobos) suggest that terrestrial herbaceous vegetation (THV) is an important component of their diet and that it may be preferred by bonobos to a greater extent than by chimpanzees (Pan troglodytes). It has also been reported that THV is ubiquitously distributed in the lowland rain forests inhabited by bonobos. These data suggest that THV exploitation may be causally related to the evolution of the more cohesive social system found in bonobos compared to that of chimpanzees. Here, we present data that quantify the spatial distribution of THV in the Lomako Forest, an analysis of the nutrient content of the plant parts commonly consumed, and patterns of THV consumption in relation to its distribution. The data clearly demonstrate that THV, and particularly Haumania liebrechtsiana (Marantaceae), is ubiquitously distributed as previously suggested. However, THV feeding patches are rare because of distinct feeding preferences. Bonobos preferentially choose H. liebrechtsiana over other species of THV, choose patches with larger stems, and, within patches, choose larger stems over smaller stems. The plant parts chosen are high in proteins and relatively low in carbohydrates. Given the selectivity of the study population and the patchy distribution of THV, it is unlikely that THV has been responsible for the evolution of the unique social system reported for bonobos. Data presented on party size are consistent with this conclusion.
Datapath and control for quantum wires

As quantum computing moves closer to reality the need for basic architectural studies becomes more pressing. Quantum wires, which transport quantum data, will be a fundamental component in all anticipated silicon quantum architectures. Since they cannot consist of a stream of electrons, as in the classical case, quantum wires must fundamentally be designed differently. In this paper, we present two quantum wire designs: a swap wire, based on swapping of adjacent qubits, and a teleportation wire, based on the quantum teleportation primitive. We characterize the latency and bandwidth of these two alternatives in a device-independent way. Furthermore, unlike classical wires, quantum wires need control signals in order to operate. We explore the complexity of the control mechanisms and the fundamental tension between the scale of quantum effects and the scale of the classical logic needed to control them. This "pitch-matching" problem imposes constraints on minimum wire lengths and wire intersections, leading us to use a SIMD approach for the control mechanisms. We ultimately show that qubit decoherence imposes a basic limit on the maximum communication distance of the swapping wire, while relatively large overhead imposes a basic limit on the minimum communication distance of the teleportation wire.
Phase 2 study of the JAK kinase inhibitor ruxolitinib in patients with refractory leukemias, including postmyeloproliferative neoplasm acute myeloid leukemia

We conducted a phase 2 study of ruxolitinib in patients with relapsed/refractory leukemias. Patients with acceptable performance status (0-2), adequate organ function, and no active infection, received ruxolitinib 25 mg orally twice a day for 4 weeks (1 cycle). Response was assessed after every 2 cycles of treatment, and patients who completed 2 cycles were allowed to continue treatment until disease progression. Dose escalation to 50 mg twice daily was permitted in patients demonstrating a benefit. Thirty-eight patients, with a median age of 69 years (range, 45-88), were treated. The median number of prior therapies was 2 (range, 1-6). Twelve patients had JAK2V617F mutation. Patients received a median of 2 cycles of therapy (range, 1-22). Three of 18 patients with postmyeloproliferative neoplasm (MPN) acute myeloid leukemia (AML) showed a significant response; 2 achieved complete remission (CR) and one achieved a CR with insufficient recovery of blood counts (CRi). The responding patients with palpable spleens also had significant reductions in spleen size. Overall, ruxolitinib was very well tolerated with only 4 patients having grade 3 or higher toxicity. Ruxolitinib has modest antileukemic activity as a single agent, particularly in patients with post-MPN AML. The study was registered at www.clinicaltrials.gov as NCT00674479.
Decision diagrams for the approximate analysis of Markov models

Decision diagrams of various types can be used to encode the exact state space and transition rate matrix of large Markov models. However, the exact solution of such models still requires to store at le ast one real vector with one entry per reachable state, a formidable limitation to the practical use of these encodings. Thus, we disc uss automatic techniques for the approximate computation of performance measures when the Markov model can be compactly encoded but not exactly solved.
Fabrication of thin, free-standing BPSG films for metrological methods utilizing neutron-induced nuclear reactions

ABSTRACT Thin, free-standing boro-phosphos ilicate glass (BPSG) films (<1.5 m thick, 10  20 mm 2 ) were fabricated (PSU NSF  NNIN Site) to serve as neutron converting media for a proposed high-resolution neutron imaging system capable of sub-micron sample imaging . The B and P concentration in the BPSG films was 4.5 and 3.5 w%, respectively, measured by ICP-OES. Silicon nitride (Si 3 N 4 ) was deposited on both sides of the wafer to act as an etch mask and a protective layer over the BPSG. The bulk wafer stress induced by the lower expansion Si 3 N 4 and BPSG layers was ~90 MPa (tensile). The Si substrate was removed from the photolithog raphy-patterned areas via wet etch in KOH:DI H 2 O (45:55) solution at 100°C so that the exposed ar eas consisted of free-standing Si 3 N 4 /BPSG/Si 3 N 4 stacked windows. The Si 3 N 4 was removed via MERIE from the windows. NDP of the processed films showed that the boron concentration was constant and uniform throughout the exposed BPSG film. Visual observations of the free-standing windows showed long-range spatial deformation of the films in terms of waves caused by stress gradients, which were observed near the edges of the windows using optical birefringence. An annealing sc hedule was implemented to determine if the glass film deformation was caused by residual stress in the as-deposited film. Preliminary results of these experiments imply another mechanism is responsible for the deformation of the fre e-standing films. This work will review the processing techniques used in film fabrication and present the results of the thermal treatments of the thin, free-standing BPSG films. Keywords: Free-standing film, boro-phosphosilicate glass, BPSG, high-resolution neutron imaging, HRNIS, neutron depth profiling, NDP. 1. INTRODUCTION For some time, neutron imaging methods have been limited in their achievable spatial resolution by factors that are inherent to the radiation interaction and detection processes that facilitate the imaging. Classic radiography techniques are limited by the size of scintillator materials electron clouds, phosphors light cones, or more recently, the capacitance-well size of charge-coupled devices. Current neut ron transmission radiographic techniques provide spatial resolutions on the order of tens of microns, at best
Alterations of Central Dopamine Receptors Before and After Gastric Bypass Surgery

While bariatric surgery has proved highly successful at producing sustained weight loss, variability in treatment response persists. A better understanding of the pathophysiology of appetite and obesity may improve patient selection and management. Research into feeding behavior and satiety has focused on the role of dopamine in reward-based behaviors. Specifically, positron-emission computed tomography (PET) has demonstrated reduced brain dopamine receptor availability in obese subjects compared to controls. This may be due to a primary deficiency in dopamine receptors or to secondary dopamine receptor downregulation. We performed a preliminary study to investigate dopamine D2 receptor activity in obese subjects before and after laparoscopic Roux-en Y gastric bypass (LGBP). Five female subjects, ages 20 to 38 years old with a mean body mass index of 45, underwent PET with [C-11] raclopride injection. Five regions of interest were studied: ventral striatum, anterior and posterior putamen, and anterior and posterior caudate nucleus. Repeat PET was performed at 6 weeks following LGBP. D2 receptor binding was compared within subjects pre- and post-surgery. Baseline D2 binding was also compared to historical nonobese controls. D2 receptor availability increased 6 weeks after gastric bypass surgery. The increase in receptor availability appeared roughly proportional to the amount of weight lost. No significant difference in D2 binding was seen between the obese subjects and historical nonobese controls. Brain available dopamine D2 binding appears to increase following GBP. This preliminary finding needs to be replicated in a larger population but suggests that diminished D2 binding in the obese may be due to D2 receptor downregulation. Changes in available dopamine receptor binding may play an important role in centrally mediated appetite suppression and resultant weight loss after LGBP.
On the group actions of the units on non-units in a compact ring

Abstract The group G of units of a ring A with identity acts naturally on A + by left multiplication and the set X of nonzero, nonunits in A is invariant under this action. Those rings for which all the orbits of X are trivial or X is a finite union of orbits (when A is compact) are characterized. Moreover, a characterization of the compact semisimple rings such that A H = N H A for every finite subgroup H of G is given.
PersonalSoundtrack: context-aware playlists that adapt to user pace

This paper describes a mobile music player, PersonalSoundtrack, that makes real-time choices of music based on user pace. Standard playlists are non-interactive streams of previously chosen music, insensitive to user context and requiring explicit user input to find suitable songs. The context-aware mobile music player described here works with its owner's library to select music in real-time based on a taxonomy of attributes and contextual information derived from an accelerometer connected wirelessly to a laptop carried under the arm. We are in the process of evaluating this prototype with 25 users who will compare the system's context-sensitive playlist to random shuffle. On the basis of user feedback and analysis, a hand-held device will be implemented for testing in less constrained mobile scenarios. PersonalSoundtrack allows users to experience their music with both mind and body, providing a unique embodied experience of their personal music library. In mobile environments where attention is a limited resource, users can spend less time deciding what music to enjoy and more time enjoying it.
OP07.09: Fetal asymmetric ventriculomegaly, corpus callosal malformation and interhemispheric cyst: an imaging triad

Results: Associated brain anomalies were observed in 7 cases (70%). 4 fetuses with isolated mild ventriculomegaly (VM), 1 fetus with schizencephaly, 1 fetus with ventriculomegaly, ArnoldChiary malformation and myelomeningocele, 1 with mild VM and microcephaly. 1 patient demonstrated a partial agenesis of corpus callosum additional to mild VM. In 3 patients we saw communicating lateral ventricles in their middle portion. One of these patients showed an aneuploidy (monosomie 21 mosaicism). Only two parents decided to terminate the pregnancy: the parents of the fetus with schicencephaly and the parents of the fetus with aneuploidy. To parents information five children were developing normally aged 4 months to a year and a half: 3 with isolated ASP und 1 with partial corpus callosum agenesis and mild ventriculomegaly and 1 with communicating of the middle portion of the lateral ventricles. Two children had mild signs of septo-optic dysplasia (SOD) with optic nerve and pituitary dysfunction, in one case associated with moderate mental retardation. Conclusions: Prenatal diagnosis of absent septum pellucidum is often associated with additional brain anomalies. Chromosomal anomalies are rare. In cases of isolated ASP prenatal counselling of the parents is very difficult. It is currently impossible to differentiate SOD from isolated absence of the septum pellucidum
Presidential Leadership in Foreign Affairs: William McKinley and the Turpie-Foraker Amendment

THE quality of William McKinley's leadership is a highly disputed historical question. His handling of the crisis with Spain in I898 has received especially extensive and critical attention from historians.' This is so pardy because Americans have varied and deeply emotional attitudes toward war and toward those men who were Presidents during wars and partly because the small, sometimes pathetic, sometimes comic Spanish-American War provides such delightful examples for special pleading from history. McKinley has persistently been stereotyped as a weak President who had the backbone of a "chocolate eclair," and historians have helped to fix this negative image. Some contended that he did not lead the people as Presidents should, but that he bowed before the public's "martial spirit" and the "yellow press." Others felt that he should have paid more attention to the last-minute "concessions" by Spain in April I898, that he should have accepted the Spanish offer of an armistice in Cuba, and that he should have re-