cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Perceived Need and Unmet Need for Vocational, Mental Health, and Other Support Services After Severe Lower-Extremity Trauma

Abstract Archer KR, Castillo RC, MacKenzie EJ, Bosse MJ, and the LEAP Study Group. Perceived need and unmet need for vocational, mental health, and other support services following severe lower-extremity trauma. Objectives To examine the perceived need and unmet need for support services, the reasons for not obtaining services, and the factors contributing to unmet need for vocational and mental health services in patients with traumatic lower-extremity injury. Design Multicenter, prospective observational study. Setting Eight level I trauma centers. Participants Patients (N=545) undergoing lower-extremity reconstruction or amputation from March 1994 to June 1997. Interventions Not applicable. Main Outcome Measures Perceived need and unmet need for support services at 3, 6, and 12 months after hospitalization. Results Eighty-five percent of patients reported a need for at least 1 support service, and 32% reported an unmet need over the 12 months. The highest perceived need was for home nursing and legal, and for unmet need was vocational and mental health services. The main reason for patients not trying to obtain mental health assistance was thinking they would get better on their own, and for other support services was not knowing where to go. Patients treated by reconstruction compared with amputation, and being nonwhite were statistically associated with unmet needs for vocational and mental health services. Conclusions The results suggest a significant amount of unmet need for vocational and mental health services during the first year after hospitalization in the severe lower-extremity trauma population with perceived need. Areas for future research are to objectively measure need and unmet need, and further investigate the disparities in unmet need by race and treatment type in this patient population. Recommendations for trauma centers include education and screening for mental health conditions and the need for support services during hospitalization and clinic visits, and increasing communication between surgeons and providers specializing in vocational, psychological, and socioeconomic issues.
Influence of the Second COL7A1 Mutation in Determining the Phenotypic Severity of Recessive Dystrophic Epidermolysis Bullosa

The dystrophic forms of epidermolysis bullosa (DEE) are characterized by fragility of the skin and mucous membranes. The ultrastructural hallmark of DEB is abnormalities in the anchoring fibrils. A recessively inherited variant, the mitis type of DEB (M-RDEB), is characterized by a mild phenotype, including the absence of mutilating scarring of the hands and feet. In this study, we demonstrate that M-RDEB results front the combination of a premature termination codon mutation in one COL7A1 allele, while the other mutation consists of different types of genetic lesions. These results define M-RDEB as a distinct clinical entity at the molecular level.
Projective plane embeddings of polyhedral pinched maps

Abstract We give various conditions on pinched-torus polyhedral maps which are necessary for their graphs to be embeddable in the projective plane. Our other main result is that even if the graph of a polyhedral map in the pinched torus is embeddable in a projective plane, the map induced by the embedding cannot be polyhedral, but must have all faces bounded by cycles. Finally, we give a class of examples of graphs which have polyhedral embeddings on the pinched torus and also on orientable surfaces of arbitrary high genus.
Quality Improvement of an Injection-Molded Product Using Design of Experiments: A Case Study

This paper was originated by a problem that occurred in an injection-molding project. The mold design team reported that the machine produced excessive flash on the molded part, the Bulldog, of Kettering University's mascot. The investigation of the manufacturing process problem required the understanding of many factors that influenced excessive flashing. After discussion and input from the team, a simple four-factor full-factorial design with duplicate measurements was used for the experiment. The analysis revealed that factors A (pack pressure), C (injection speed), and D (screw RPM) and also the interactions AC and CD were significant. The settings for A, C, and D were obtained. The confirmation runs showed that the setting of A at low level (150 psi), C at low level (0.5 in./sec), and D at high level (200 rpm) produced Bulldogs with zero flash.
Synthesis of RNA with relation to aging in Rhizoctonia solani.

The RNA of the mycelium ofRhizoctonia solani was studied in cells of three different ages. Components corresponding to 25S and 18S, rRNA, and 4S+5S RNA were present in approximately the same ratios in cells of each age. The rates of synthesis of all RNA species were markedly reduced in the cells of the older mycelium, though turnover rates were not significantly altered.
Stimulation of neutrophil oxidative metabolism by indomethacin.

Human neutrophils exposed to indomethacin demonstrate an enhanced capacity for superoxide ion (O2−) generation when stimulated with opsonized zymosan. Enhancement is not seen with indomethacin-treated cells exposed to solube oxidative stimuli. To further investigate this phenomenon, O2− generation, chemiluminescence, and phagocytosis were assessed in human neutrophils preincubated with indomethacin. Zymosan-stimulated O2− release was increased from 150 to 300% of controls in neutrophils exposed to 400 μg/ml. indomethacin. Enhancement was not reversed by removal of indomethacin from the medium prior to addition of the stimulus and was dose-dependent at drug concentrations of 5 to 400 μ/ml. Neutrophils exposed to methacin alone also generated more O2− than control cells, although this increment was not sufficient to account for the degree of enhancement seen when indomethacintreated cells were exposed to zymosan. Neutrophil cehmiluminescence induced by zymosan was also increased by exposure to indomethacin, and at a drug concentration of 400 μg/ml (1.1 mM), enhancement randed from 253 to 333% of controls. As was observed with O2− generation, chemiluminescence of neutrophils was increased in the presence of indomethacin alone, although, to a degree far less than was seen when drug-treated cells were stimulated with zymosan. Phagocytosis of radiolabeledS. aureus by neutrophils incubated with indomethacin was increased 13±5% over controls (P<0.01,n=5), but was unaltered by incubation of cells with the buffer used to solubilize the drug. The modest degree of enhancement of phagocytosis suggests that increased particle uptake is not the sole mechanism of oxidative enhancement. The data are in keeping with the hypothesis that indomethacin has a direct effect on the neutrophil plasma membrane and/or the O2−-forming oxidase.
Global distribution of Fusarium graminearum, F. asiaticum and F. boothii from wheat in relation to climate

Species of Fusarium that have been segregated from F. graminearum have restricted geographic ranges and it has been suggested that this is due to climate, especially for F. asiaticum. Climate envelope modelling with BIOCLIM was used to quantify the differences in climatic range for F. graminearum, F. asiaticum and F. boothii on wheat. A second analysis used eight climate parameters calculated for the month in which anthesis is likely to occur. Published records were used as data, subject to criteria for precise identification and georeferencing. There were significant differences between species in the ranges of most climate parameters used in the modelling. F. graminearum was recorded from all continents except Antarctica and its predicted distribution included most major rainfed wheat-growing regions of the world, except for the hottest areas of south Asia. There appeared to be few climatic limits on the distribution of F. graminearum on wheat. The restricted distribution of F. asiaticum, principally in east Asia, was confirmed. BIOCLIM analysis indicated that F. asiaticum occurred in areas, where the warmest quarter had mean temperatures >22 °C and rainfall >320 mm, rather than areas with high mean annual temperatures as previously had been suggested. F. boothii was recorded from relatively few, widely scattered locations, mostly in Africa and Mexico, which tended to be warm, with lower seasonality of temperature, higher seasonality of precipitation and drier conditions at anthesis than the other two species. Areas of the world predicted to have suitable climate at anthesis for F. asiaticum and F. boothii were more extensive than their recorded distributions or those predicted by BIOCLIM, suggesting that climatic constraints on these species were acting principally at stages of the life cycle other than infection of wheat heads. There is a need for more comparative studies of these species over the whole disease cycle to establish at which stages climate is limiting.
Participation as a Basis for Developing Early Intervention Outcomes

Purpose This article describes how participation in activities/routines can be used as a basis for understanding children’s communication and language skills and how that knowledge can be extended to collaborate with families and caregivers to develop meaningful early intervention outcomes. Method The approach is centered on children’s use of communication and language skills to participate in typical activities/routines. Implementation of the approach is based on an understanding of children’s performance abilities/disabilities and their use of those abilities to participate in family-identified activities/routines in their natural environments. Discussion and case examples illustrate how communication and language skills can enhance or enable participation in such activities. Family-centered procedures for gathering information about activities/routines from caregivers are described, and strategies for developing outcomes in collaboration with caregivers are presented. Implications Participation-based o...
Cellular distribution of cytochrome P-450 loss in rats of different ages treated with alkyl halides

Abstract Challenge of male rats with a single dose of the alkyl halides, 1,2-dibromo-3-chloropropane (DBCP), ethylene dibromide (EDB), carbon tetrachloride (CCl 4 ), and epichlorohydrin (EPI), resulted in significant decreases in cytochrome P -450 in microsomes isolated from liver, kidney, testis, lung, and small intestinal mucosa 48 hr after treatment. Treatment with CCl 4 , but not DBCP, EDB, or EPI, was characterized by rapid loss of cytochrome P -450, detectable within 4 hr. Evidence of lipid peroxidation was found only in hepatic microsomes from rats treated with CCl 4 , but not in hepatic or extrahepatic microsomes from rats treated with other compounds. In liver tissue, treatment with DBCP and CCl 4 resulted in a decrease in cytochrome P -450 in both rough and smooth microsomal fractions and nuclei, but not in mitochondrial fractions. Mixed-function oxidase (MFO) activities in hepatic microsomes decreased in parallel with cytochrome P -450 content after treatment with DBCP and EDB. In microsomes and nuclei after treatment with CCl 4 and in nuclei after treatment with DBCP, however, the response of the MFO depended on the substrate tested. Microsomal cytochrome P -450, which is susceptible to proteolytic cleavage, and microsomal and nuclear cytochrome P -450, which increased with maturation and decreased with aging of the rat, appeared to be the most responsive of the forms of cytochrome P -450 to alkyl halide treatment. These results suggest that treatment with alkyl halides may preferentially affect specific isozymes of cytochrome P -450.
On the function of pea flower feeding by Bruchus pisorum

Pea flower feeding by adult pea weevils, Bruchus pisorum (L.) (Coleoptera: Bruchidae), with special emphasis on nectar feeding, was investigated in a series of laboratory experiments. Male and female adults robbed nectar from flowers of the garden and field pea, Pisum sativum L., and females which fed on the nectar, petals, and female organs of pea flowers lived significantly longer than those denied food and water and those that fed on water only. The results of other experiments suggested that pea flower qualities other than pollen influenced the reproductive success of female B. pisorum. It is hypothesized that pollen seeking B. pisorum effected cross-pollination in the wild progenitor of the modern-day autogamous pea, and adult pea weevils of both sexes rob pea nectar to obtain a readily available source of energy to sustain flight.
A Stereoselective and Regioselective Total Synthesis of (π)-Trichodiene

Abstract Trichodiene (1), a sesquiterpene hydrocarbon, was isolated and characterized by Nozoe and Machida in 1970.1 Trichodiene (1) has been shown to be the biogenetic precursor of the trichothecane family of sesquiterpenoids characterized by the cytotoxic fungal metabolite (–)-trichodermin (2).2,3 We recently reported a total synthesis of (±)-trichodiene (1) via lactone 3.4 Now, we wish to report another stereoselective total synthesis of (±)-trichodiene (1) via lactone 3 which is highly regioselective.
In the Kadhi's Court

Susan F. Hirsch. Pronouncing and Persevering: Gender and the Discourses of Disputing in an African Islamic Court. Chicago: University of Chicago Press, 1998. xiii. 360 pp.
Nonequilibrium steady state of a nanometric biochemical system: determining the thermodynamic driving force from single enzyme turnover time traces.

A single enzyme molecule in a living cell is a nanometric system that catalyzes biochemical reactions in a nonequilibrium steady-state condition. The chemical driving force, ¢I, is an important thermodynamic quantity that determines the extent to which the reaction system is away from equilibrium. Here we show that ¢I for an enzymatic reaction in situ can be determined from the nonequilibrium time traces for enzymatic turnovers of individual enzyme molecules, which can now be recorded experimentally by single-molecule techniques. Three different ¢I estimators are presented from principles of nonequilibrium statistical mechanics: fluctuation theorem, Kawasaki identity, and fluctuation dissipation theorem, respectively. In particular, a maximum likelihood estimation method of ¢I has been derived based on fluctuation theorem. The statistical precisions of these three ¢I estimators are analyzed and compared for experimental time traces with finite lengths.
The Pathologic Anatomy of Polycystic Ovarian Disease

The ovaries may be normal sized (238,852,905) but they are usually enlarged occasionally up to five times normal size. The enlargement is usually bilateral and symmetrical, but rarely may be unilateral (194,206,222,945). Unlike the slightly flattened ovaries of normal adult women, the ovaries of those with polycystic ovarian disease are usually ovoid or globular. They tend to have an oyster-gray color and a smooth glistening tense surface overlaying a thickened pearly gray capsule. The capsule often has characteristic telangiectasia. Numerous small subcapsular (subcortical) cysts are present, measuring 2 – 15 mm (averaging 2 – 6 mm) in diameter (909), and numbering 10 to more than 100 in each ovary (Fig. 4-1). Larger macrofollicular subcortical cysts with clear or yellow fluid may also be present. The cysts may cause bulging of the surface but are often not fully appreciated prior to sectioning because of the thickened ovarian capsule.
Hedgehogs, Foxes, and the Evolving Social Contract in Psychological Science: Ethical Challenges and Methodological Opportunities

This article is addressed primarily to new researchers who feel burdened by an expanding body of ethical rules and regulations. Moral dilemmas proliferate as researchers try to strike a balance between ethical accountability and the technical demands of scientific practices. The challenge is to expand existing knowledge and abide by an evolving social contract that is responsive to current ethical sensitivities. This article illustrates dilemmas faced by researchers, examines some of the events leading up to the present situation, and shows how researchers might exploit this situation so that science and society can both benefit.
Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of O3 with a series of monoterpenes and related compounds at 296 ± 2 K

Rate constants for the gas-phase reactions of O 3 with a series of monoterpenes and related compounds have been determined at 296±2 K and 740 torr total pressure of air or O 2 using a combination of absolute and relative rate techniques. Good agreement between the absolute and relative rate data was observed, and the rate constants obtained (in units of 10 −17 cm 3 molecule −1 s −1 ) were: α-pinene, 8.7; β-pinene, 1,5; △ 3 -carene, 3,8; 2-carene, 24; sabinene, 8.8; d-limonene, 21; γ-terpinene, 14; terpinolene, 140: α-phellandrene, 190; α-terpinene, 870; myrcene, 49; trans-ocimene, 56; p-cymene, C=C< bond(s)
Optimization of thin film growth using multiscale process systems

In this work we consider optimization problems for transport-reaction processes, when the cost function and/or equality constraints necessitate the consideration of phenomena that occur over widely disparate length scales. Initially, we develop multiscale process models that link continuum conservation laws with microscopic scale simulators. Subsequently, we combine nonlinear order reduction techniques for dissipative partial-differential equation systems with adaptive tabulation methods for microscopic simulators to reduce the computational requirements of the process description. The optimization problem is subsequently solved using standard search algorithms. The proposed method is applied to a representative thin film deposition process, where we compute optimal surface temperature profiles that simultaneously maximize deposition-rate uniformity (macroscale objective) and minimize surface roughness (microscale objective) across the film surface.
Predicted Effects of Nonuniform Beam Filling on GPM Radar Data

The global precipitation measurement mission (GPM) will carry the first dual-frequency spaceborne radar (DPR) for rainfall observation. We use dual-frequency airborne radar data to simulate observations at GPM DPR resolution and frequencies and to investigate errors due to nonuniform beam filling effects. Errors at Ku-band are similar to those found in previous studies. Errors in the Ka-band path-integrated attenuation and near-surface reflectivity are larger than at Ku-band. Errors in rain-top reflectivity, where attenuation is neglected, are smaller at Ka-band than at Ku-band because the Ka-band Z-R relation is closer to being linear.
Diagnosis and morbidity of placenta accreta

Objective To examine the diagnostic precision of ultrasound examination for placenta accreta in women with placenta previa and to compare the morbidity associated with accreta to that of previa alone. Methods This was a retrospective cohort study of all women with previa with/without accreta examined at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF) between 2002 and 2008. The sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) of ultrasound examination for the diagnosis of accreta were calculated and compared with results from similar studies in the literature. Univariable analysis was used to compare clinical outcomes. Results The PPV of an ultrasound diagnosis of accreta was 68% and NPV was 98%. Ultrasound had a sensitivity of 89.5%. Compared with previa alone, accreta had an odds ratio (OR) of 89.6 (95% CI, 19.44–412.95) for estimated blood loss > 2 L, an OR of 29.6 (95% CI, 8.20–107.00) for transfusion and an OR of 8.52 (95% CI, 2.58–28.11) for length of hospital stay > 4 days. Conclusion Placenta accreta is associated with greater morbidity than is placenta previa alone. Ultrasound examination is a good diagnostic test for accreta in women with placenta previa. This is consistent with most other studies in the literature. Copyright © 2011 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Ether Anesthesia of Steelhead Trout

Abstract The use of anesthetics offers numerous advantages when handling, marking, or spawning fish which are susceptible to fungus diseases and injuries. Small trout were weighed and measured easily while anesthetized. Steelhead trout, under anesthesia, were very easy to spawn artificially and the loss from eggs so obtained was less than average hatchery losses of eggs for the species. A 1 1/2 per cent aqueous solution of ether anesthetized trout effectively in 45 to 90 seconds and these fish remained relaxed when placed in fresh water for 3 to 20 minutes.
Characterization of CYP2B6 in a CYP2B6-Humanized Mouse Model: Inducibility in the Liver by Phenobarbital and Dexamethasone and Role in Nicotine Metabolism In Vivo

The aim of this study was to further characterize the expression and function of human CYP2B6 in a recently generated CYP2A13/2B6/2F1-transgenic (TG) mouse model, in which CYP2B6 is expressed selectively in the liver. The inducibility of CYP2B6 by phenobarbital (PB) and dexamethasone (DEX), known inducers of CYP2B6 in human liver, was examined in the TG mice, as well as in TG/Cyp2abfgs-null (or “CYP2B6-humanized”) mice. Hepatic expression of CYP2B6 mRNA and protein was greatly induced by PB or DEX treatment in both TG and TG/Cyp2abfgs-null mice. Function of the transgenic CYP2B6 was first studied using bupropion as a probe substrate. In PB-treated mice, the rates of hepatic microsomal hydroxybupropion formation (at 50 μM bupropion) were >4-fold higher in TG/Cyp2abfgs-null than in Cyp2abfgs-null mice (for both male and female mice); the rate difference was accompanied by a 5-fold higher catalytic efficiency in the TG/Cyp2abfgs-null mice and was abolished by an antibody to CYP2B6. The ability of CYP2B6 to metabolize nicotine was then examined, both in vitro and in vivo. The rates of hepatic microsomal cotinine formation from nicotine were significantly higher in TG/Cyp2abfgs-null than in Cyp2abfgs-null mice, pretreated with PB or DEX. Furthermore, systemic nicotine metabolism was faster in TG/Cyp2abfgs-null than in Cyp2abfgs-null mice. Thus, the transgenic CYP2B6 was inducible and functional, and, in the absence of mouse CYP2A and CYP2B enzymes, it contributed to nicotine metabolism in vivo. The CYP2B6-humanized mouse will be valuable for studies on in vivo roles of hepatic CYP2B6 in xenobiotic metabolism and toxicity.
Function-Parallel Computation in a Data-Parallel Environment

Asynchromus problems are those which may be decomposed into a set of independenr sub-tasks which are suitable for concurrent execution. Th function paraIIeIism of these problems cannot normally be direcrly expressed using the data-parallel programming model. In this paper, data distribution strategies have been explored which allow an asynchronous problem to be implemented which function-parallelism in a data-parallel environment. When a problem can be implemented using both function-parallelism and data-parallelism, there are tradeoffs in using either approach. We have investigated the optimal balance between function-parallelism and data-parallelism for an asynchronous problem.
17β-Estradiol and Progesterone Regulate Expression of β-Amyloid Clearance Factors in Primary Neuron Cultures and Female Rat Brain

The accumulation of β-amyloid protein (Aβ) is a key risk factor in the development of Alzheimer's disease. The ovarian sex steroid hormones 17β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P4) have been shown to regulate Aβ accumulation, although the underlying mechanism(s) remain to be fully elucidated. In this study, we investigate the effects of E2 and P4 treatment on the expression levels of Aβ clearance factors including insulin-degrading enzyme, neprilysin, endothelin-converting enzyme 1 and 2, angiotensin-converting enzyme, and transthyretin, both in primary neuron cultures and female rat brains. Our results show that E2 and P4 affect the expression levels of several Aβ clearance factors in dose- and time-dependent manners. Most notably, expression of insulin-degrading enzyme is significantly increased by both hormones in cultured neurons and in vivo and is inversely associated with the soluble Aβ levels in vivo. These findings further define sex steroid hormone actions involved in regulation of Aβ, a relationship potentially important to therapeutic approaches aimed at reducing risk of Alzheimer's disease.
Access point-coordinated contention resolution for channel access in wireless LANs

The most widely deployed wireless networking standard, 802.11, grants access of the wireless channel to contending stations (STAs) through the Carrier Sense Multiple Access/ Collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) mechanism. This approach in general is not scalable, is biased against the network's Access Point (AP), and does not satisfy the Quality-of-Service (QoS) requirements of different flow types. These problems persist even in the most recently ratified standard, 802.11e. In this paper, we propose a new channel access mechanism, ARC, which promotes collaboration among competing wireless STAs in order to provide (1) better channel utilization, (2) better support for QoS demanding flows, and (3) to resolve the bias against the AP. Furthermore, ARC is backward-compatible with the 802.11 standard. Simulation results validate the efficacy of ARC.
Adsorption of colloidal particles by Brownian dynamics simulation: Kinetics and surface structures

Careful control of the microstructure of an adsorbed monolayer of colloidal particles is important for creating nanostructured devices through self-assembly processes. We present a computational model study for self-assembly of colloidal or nanoscale particulate systems. We develop a new technique for simulating colloidal adsorption processes, and we examine the kinetics and the structure formation on the surface. The technique allows the simulation of a nonhomogeneous suspension with an open boundary that is in equilibrium with a bulk suspension of known volume fraction, including the mean-field forces from the bulk solution and particle flux between the simulation box and the bulk. Short-time kinetics follow a power law similar to the case of diffusion-limited adsorption. Long-time kinetics fit a 2/3-power law form [P. Schaaf, A. Johner, and J. Talbot, Phys. Rev. Lett. 66, 1603 (1991)] and kinetic coefficients are calculated. The zeta potential of the particles is the dominant parameter controlling the final surface coverage, but the zeta potential of the adsorbing surface is the dominant control for the ordering of the adsorbed system. Particles with larger Debye layers (lower salt concentrations) order more easily. Jamming limit coverages are compared to existing equivalent hard-disk models and an energetic model. Since the process is kinetically frustrated, particle exclusion effects play a major role in determining coverage as well as structure.
Spectral properties and retinal distribution of ferret cones

The spectral mechanisms of the ferret (Mustela putorious furo) were studied with electroretinogram (ERG) flicker photometry. Variations in adaptation state and flicker rate were used to define corneally based spectral sensitivities for the three classes of receptor present in the retina of this mustelid—rods ( lmax 5 505 nm), S cones (430 nm), and L cones (558 nm). The retinal distributions of the two classes of cone were determined using opsin antibody labeling. Ferret retinas contain a total of about 1.3 million cones with L cones outnumbering S cones in a ratio of approximately 14:1. ERGs were also recorded using 18.75-Hz flickering stimuli that were designed to isolate signals from individual cone classes. The contrast0response functions for signals originating from both S and L cones were linear over low-to-moderate levels of contrast, but with greatly different slopes for the two cone types. The L:S contrast gain ratio derived from a comparison of these slopes, as well as inferences drawn from another experiment in which responses to various combinations of L- and S-cone activation were analyzed, suggest that contributions of these two cone types to the flicker ERG have a relative weighting of about 4:1 to 5:1 (L0S).
Sex-Specific Pattern Formation During Early Drosophila Development

The deleterious effects of different X-chromosome dosage in males and females are buffered by a process called dosage compensation, which in Drosophila is achieved through a doubling of X-linked transcription in males. The male-specific lethal complex mediates this process, but is known to act only after gastrulation. Recent work has shown that the transcription of X-linked genes is also upregulated in males prior to gastrulation; whether it results in functional dosage compensation is not known. Absent or partial early dosage compensation raises the possibility of sex-biased expression of key developmental genes, such as the segmentation genes controlling anteroposterior patterning. We assess the functional output of early dosage compensation by measuring the expression of even-skipped (eve) with high spatiotemporal resolution in male and female embryos. We show that eve has a sexually dimorphic pattern, suggesting an interaction with either X-chromosome dose or the sex determination system. By manipulating the gene copy number of an X-linked transcription factor, giant (gt), we traced sex-biased eve patterning to gt dose, indicating that early dosage compensation is functionally incomplete. Despite sex-biased eve expression, the gene networks downstream of eve are able to produce sex-independent segmentation, a point that we establish by measuring the proportions of segments in elongated germ-band embryos. Finally, we use a whole-locus eve transgene with modified cis regulation to demonstrate that segment proportions have a sex-dependent sensitivity to subtle changes in Eve expression. The sex independence of downstream segmentation despite this sensitivity to Eve expression implies that additional autosomal gene- or pathway-specific mechanisms are required to ameliorate the effects of partial early dosage compensation.
A Learning Framework for Self-Tuning Histograms

In this paper, we consider the problem of estimating self-tuning histograms using query workloads. To this end, we propose a general learning theoretic formulation. Specifically, we use query feedback from a workload as training data to estimate a histogram with a small memory footprint that minimizes the expected error on future queries. Our formulation provides a framework in which different approaches can be studied and developed. We first study the simple class of equi-width histograms and present a learning algorithm, EquiHist, that is competitive in many settings. We also provide formal guarantees for equi-width histograms that highlight scenarios in which equi-width histograms can be expected to succeed or fail. We then go beyond equi-width histograms and present a novel learning algorithm, SpHist, for estimating general histograms. Here we use Haar wavelets to reduce the problem of learning histograms to that of learning a sparse vector. Both algorithms have multiple advantages over existing methods: 1) simple and scalable extensions to multi-dimensional data, 2) scalability with number of histogram buckets and size of query feedback, 3) natural extensions to incorporate new feedback and handle database updates. We demonstrate these advantages over the current state-of-the-art, ISOMER, through detailed experiments on real and synthetic data. In particular, we show that SpHist obtains up to 50% less error than ISOMER on real-world multi-dimensional datasets.
Transient operational constraints in power system optimization problems

Standards and codes on power system quality, define allowable deviations from nominal values for power system quantities such as frequency and voltage during steady state and transient conditions. However, integration of these time-restricted constraints in power system problems, especially optimization problems, is rather a challenging task. This paper classified time-restricted constraints into 6 categories and proposed an approximation method to effectively include a constraint from each category into an optimization problem, using only differentiable functions (which are the suitable functions for optimization problems). As an example, this article used the proposed formulation to integrate some transient constraints in an optimization problem that maximized the power of a pulse load in a notional model for the Next Generation of Integrated Shipboard Power Systems (NG-IPS). This example showed that this method can accurately integrate transient constraints into power system optimization problems.
Increased n−6 polyunsaturated fatty acids do not attenuate the effects of long-chain n−3 polyunsaturated fatty acids on insulin sensitivity or triacylglycerol reduction in Indian Asians

Background: Indian Asians in Western countries have a higher rate of coronary artery disease than do the indigenous white populations, and this higher rate may be influenced by a dietary imbalance of n-6 and n-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs). Objective: The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that a high background dietary intake of n-6 PUFA attenuates the effects of fish-oil supplementation on insulin sensitivity and associated blood lipids of the metabolic syndrome. Design: Twenty-nine Indian Asian men were recruited to participate in a 12-wk dietary intervention trial. Volunteers were randomly assigned to receive either a moderate or a high n-6 PUFA diet featuring modified oils and spreads over a 6-wk period. After this 6-wk period, both groups were supplemented with 4.0 g fish oil/d (2.5 g eicosapentaenoic acid + docosahexaenoic acid) for an additional 6 wk in combination with the dietary treatment. Volunteers participated in a postprandial study and an insulin sensitivity test after the 6-wk dietary intervention and again after the fish-oil supplementation period. Results: There was no significant time X treatment interaction for blood lipids or insulin action after dietary intervention with the moderate or high n-6 PUFA diets in combination with fish oil. After the 6-wk period of fish oil supplementation, fasting and postprandial plasma triacylglycerol concentrations decreased significantly. Conclusion: The background dietary n-6 PUFA concentration did not modulate the effect of fish-oil supplementation on blood lipids or measures of insulin sensitivity in this ethnic group.
Softmax-Margin CRFs: Training Log-Linear Models with Cost Functions

We describe a method of incorporating task-specific cost functions into standard conditional log-likelihood (CLL) training of linear structured prediction models. Recently introduced in the speech recognition community, we describe the method generally for structured models, highlight connections to CLL and max-margin learning for structured prediction (Taskar et al., 2003), and show that the method optimizes a bound on risk. The approach is simple, efficient, and easy to implement, requiring very little change to an existing CLL implementation. We present experimental results comparing with several commonly-used methods for training structured predictors for named-entity recognition.
Microbiological Controls on Geochemical Kinetics 2: Case Study on Microbial Oxidation of Metal Sulfide Minerals and Future Prospects

Sulfide minerals are components of magmatic, igneous, and sedimentary rocks, as well as hydrothermal deposits (ore bodies). They are exploited economically as sources of sulfuric acid and metals, such as Co, Cu, Au, Ni, and Zn that are present either as discrete sulfide phases (e.g., CuS, Cu2S, NiS, ZnS) or coprecipitates with major iron-sulfide phases such as FeS2 (e.g., chalcopyrite, CuFeS2). However, in many situations, sulfide minerals (in particular FeS2, the most abundant sulfide phase in most mineral deposits) are waste (“gangue”) phases associated with mining and metallurgical operations. Exposure of these phases to atmospheric O2 during and after such operations causes acid mine/acid rock drainage (referred to hereafter simply as acid mine drainage or AMD; see Table 9.1 for a list of abbreviations), an environmental problem of major environmental concern (Evangelou and Zhang, 1995). A vast amount of research has been conducted on the mechanisms and controls on sulfide mineral oxidation for the purposes of (i) understanding and predicting environmental risk associated with AMD; (ii) understanding sulfur and metal cycling associated with natural sulfide mineral weathering; and (iii) optimizing commercial recovery of metals from low-grade ores and wastes. Microorganisms play a pivotal role in sulfide mineral oxidation, and this phenomenon represents another premier example of how microbial activity exerts fundamental control on water–rock interaction phenomena. In this case study, the basic chemistry of metal sulfide minerals is reviewed, and the role of microbial processes in sulfide mineral oxidation is summarized in the
Rat Model of Photochemically-Induced Posterior Ischemic Optic Neuropathy.

Posterior Ischemic optic neuropathy (PION) is a sight-devastating disease in clinical practice. However, its pathogenesis and natural history have remained poorly understood. Recently, we developed a reliable, reproducible animal model of PION and tested the treatment effect of some neurotrophic factors in this model1. The purpose of this video is to demonstrate our photochemically induced model of posterior ischemic optic neuropathy, and to evaluate its effects with retrograde labeling of retinal ganglion cells. Following surgical exposure of the posterior optic nerve, a photosensitizing dye, erythrosin B, is intravenously injected and a laser beam is focused onto the optic nerve surface. Photochemical interaction of erythrosin B and the laser during irradiation damages the vascular endothelium, prompting microvascular occlusion mediated by platelet thrombosis and edematous compression. The resulting ischemic injury yields a gradual but pronounced retinal ganglion cell dieback, owing to a loss of axonal input - a remote, injury-induced and clinically relevant outcome. Thus, this model provides a novel platform to study the pathophysiologic course of PION, and can be further optimized for testing therapeutic approaches for optic neuropathies as well as other CNS ischemic diseases.
Should We Raise Social Security's Earliest Eligibility Age?

Social Security's Earliest Eligibility Age (EEA) allows one to claim reduced benefits as early as age 62. For full benefits, individuals must wait until the Normal Retirement Age (NRA), which was traditionally 65 but is gradually increasing to 67. So, Americans have a choice to make when they reach their early 60s: claim a reduced Social Security benefit right away or delay until some further date and receive a larger benefit. The reduction for claiming benefits early is designed to be actuarially fair, i.e. monthly benefits are lowered by an amount that offsets the longer period for which they will be received. The total amount that the average person can expect to receive over his or her lifetime thus does not depend on when benefits are claimed. In recent years some have suggested raising the EEA. Proponents say that such a move could make Social Security a more adequate source of income later in life by preventing people from taking benefits so early that their monthly check is too low. In addition, they say, raising the EEA may encourage people to work longer. Increasing labor force participation among those in their early sixties is possibly the best solution to guaranteeing a more financially secure retirement. Not everyone is so convinced, though. Opponents claim that many individuals can neither work longer nor save more for retirement. Raising the EEA could impoverish these groups as well as strain social programs like Disability Income (DI) and Supplemental Security Income (SSI) that would likely end up serving more people. Finally, they contend that withholding benefits until a later age hurts those with shorter life expectancies, and shifts more retirement wealth to those with longer lives. Despite these negatives, raising the EEA may well be desirable policy. But it is a hard sell politically. It does nothing to eliminate Social Security's long-term financing gap and would probably require greater current outlays on DI and SSI. The best that could be said on the financing side is that it may pave the way for future increases in the Normal Retirement Age, which does improve solvency. Raising the EEA thus is probably a realistic option only as part of a package of other changes that restore financial balance and maintain equity in the Social Security program.
Experimental evidence for a phenotypic trait as an age-dependent intrasexual social signal between familiar individuals

Signals of social status can function to alert conspecifics of an individual's dominance, social rank and fighting ability. Such signals are beneficial in resource-limited systems because they can act to reduce conflict between competitors, especially when individuals are unfamiliar with each other. Here, we investigate the social communication function of a conspicuous plumage characteristic of a Neotropical migrant songbird, the black-throated blue warbler, Setophaga caerulescens, after breeding territory establishment when individuals are familiar with neighbours. To do this, we experimentally manipulated males' white wingspots, a putative signalling trait, and subsequently observed their behaviour. We found that males with experimentally eliminated wingspots had more frequent close-range interactions within and at their territory boundaries with conspecific males and had more agonistic interactions involving aggressive vocalizations compared to control males, although the effects differed according to age class. However, frequency of close-range interactions with female conspecifics was not influenced by wingspot manipulation. Finally, wingspot manipulation did not influence males' territorial song rates or responses to a simulated intruder, indicating no change in individual self-perception. Our study provides evidence that, even when individuals are familiar with each other and on established territories, social status signals continue to convey important information.
Review of micro-Doppler signatures

Micro-Doppler signals refer to Doppler scattering returns produced by the motions of the target other than gross translation. The small micro-motions of a subject, and even just parts of a subject, can be observed through the micro-Doppler signature it creates in response to an active emitter such as a radar, laser, and even acoustic emitters. These micro-Doppler signatures are produced by the kinematic properties of the subject's motion and can be used to extract the salient features of the subject's motion, and often, identify the subject. The rapidly declining cost of micro-Doppler-capable active sensors like radar with their dramatically improving capabilities, provide significant motivation in developing micro-Doppler techniques that can improve the exploitation of these sensors. Micro-Doppler techniques aim at extracting the micro-motion of the subject that may be unique to a particular subject class or activity in order to distinguish probable false alarms from real detections, as well as to increase the value of the information extracted from the sensor. The source of micro-motion depends on the subject and can be a rotating propeller on a fixed-wing aircraft, the multiple spinning rotor blades of a helicopter, or an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV); the vibrations of an engine shaking a vehicle; an antenna rotating on a ship; the flapping wings of birds; the swinging arms and legs of a walking person; and many other sources. Confuser detections, such as birds for UAVs or animals for humans, can be interpreted as false alarms for a sensor system, so using the available micro-Doppler returns for classification can significantly reduce the sensor false alarm rate, thereby improving the utility of the sensor system. This study reviews the current research in micro-Doppler based on subject type, sensor capabilities, as well as environmental effects, and then proposes future research areas for micro-Doppler.
Metastatic Embryonal Cell Carcinoma with High Testosterone and Absence of Secondary Sexual Characteristics

ABSTRACT Objective: Embryonal cell carcinoma of the testicle with markedly elevated β-human chorionic gonadotropin (β-HCG) and testosterone concentrations with a paradoxical absence of secondary sexual characteristics has not been previously reported. Methods: A patient with a history of type 1 diabetes reported low libido and absent secondary sexual characteristics. A left testicular mass was discovered on examination. Further work up revealed high testosterone levels, suppressed luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone levels, and erythrocytosis. Imaging studies revealed a 1-cm heavily calcified conglomerate mass in the left testicle and metastatic cancer involving axillary, supraclavicular, mediastinal, retroperitoneal, and pelvic lymph nodes. Results: Lymph node biopsy and surgical left orchiectomy specimens confirmed embryonal cell carcinoma with hyperplasia of Leydig cells. The patient was treated preoperatively with chemotherapy. Polycythemia and secondary sexual characteristics were re...
Investigation on laser-assisted tissue repair with NIR millisecond-long light pulses and Indocyanine Green-biopolymeric patches

In previous works a minimally invasive laser-assisted technique for vascular repair was presented. The technique rests on the photothermal adhesion of a biocompatible and bioresorbable patch containing Indocyanine Green that is brought into contact with the site to be repaired. Afterward the use of NIR millisecond-long light pulses generates a strong welding effect between the patch and the underlying tissue and in turn the repair of the wound. This technique was shown to be effective in animal model and provides several advantages over conventional suturing methods. Here we investigate and discuss the optical stability of the ICG-biopolymeric patches and the photothermal effects induced to the irradiated tissue.
Synthesis and Stoichiometry of Different Layered Sodium Cobalt Oxides

Layered Na–metal oxides can form in different crystal structures, each with different electrochemical behavior. As a prototype system to better understand how each phase can be formed, we present the conditions under which different layered phases of NaxCoO2 can be stabilized in solid-state synthesis. Using a novel combination of ex situ XRD on as-synthesized samples, with in situ XRD to monitor the relation between Na content and lattice parameters, we are able to construct a phase diagram of NaxCoO2 between 450 to 750 °C in air and for Na:Co sample ratios ranging from 0.60 to 1.05. Four single phase domains of O3, O′3, P′3, and P2 are revealed based on the XRD analysis. In contrast to previous reports it is found that pure O3, O′3 and P′3 phase can only form at a fixed stoichiometry of x = 1.00, 0.83, and 0.67, respectively, while the P2 phase forms in a slightly larger composition range from 0.68 to 0.76. Galvanostatic charging of O3–Na1.00CoO2 shows several flat and sloping regions on the voltage prof...
Thirty Years AfterWARd: The Endings That Are Not Over

This special volume originates from our concern that thirty years after the "Fall of Saigon," a "determined incomprehension" remains the dominant U.S. public stance on the history of the Vietnam War. To be sure, the Vietnam War has not been forgotten. Partly due to the lack of a national resolution, the Vietnam War "is the most chronicled, documented, reported, filmed, taped, and - all likelihood - narrated war in [U.S.] history..." But as Ralph Ellison reminds us, the highly visible can actually be a type of invisibility.
Giant ulcerative lesion on the upper back: using a differential diagnosis to formulate a clinical approach.

Giant ulcerative lesion on the upper back: using a differential diagnosis to formulate a clinical approach