cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Effect of a synthetic corticoid on milk yield and composition and on blood metabolites and hormones in dairy cows.

Abstract Twenty-five dairy cows were assigned randomly by breed to flumethasone treatment (10 μg/day, 13 cows) or placebo control (12 cows) from 4 to 44 wk of lactation. Lactation means and trends with stage of lactation were treatment responses. Mean milk yields of cows supplemented with flumethasone were not significantly different from controls. Mean metabolite (glucose, nonesterified fatty acids, and total esterified fatty acids) and hormone concentrations (corticoids, insulin, and prolactin) of blood plasma and their trends throughout lactation were unaffected by supplementation. Data were pooled to determine effects of stage of lactation, temperature, pregnancy, and month on these variables. Changes during lactation were systematic for feed intake, body weight, milk yield, milk components except somatic cells, blood metabolites, and prolactin. At environmental temperatures above 18 C, effects were consistently negative for milk yield and composition, but only above 26 C for feed intake. Prolactin of plasma increased with increasing temperature to 18.2 C and then decreased. No other plasma metabolite or hormone was affected by days pregnant, age, or temperature. Months affected feed intake, milk yield, milk fat percentages, all blood metabolites, and prolactin. Prolactin concentrations increased as daylight hours increased. Our inability to augment established lactation by feeding a supplement of synthetic glucocorticoid to lactating cows is consistent with the view that a lack of available corticoids does not limit persistency of lactation in the cow.
The effect of patient reminders on the use of screening mammography in an urban health department primary care setting.

Mammography screening continues to be under-utilized, especially among women from lower socioeconomic groups. In order to determine whether having direct access to health care services has an effect on mammography use among low income women, we conducted a randomized trial of two alternative letter reminders among 1,717 women who were enrolled at two locations of a multi-site inner city health department in Detroit. All participants were 39 1/2 years of age and older and were due for a screening mammogram at randomization. A physician-directed reminder form was placed in each of the participant’s medical records at the beginning of the study. In addition participants were randomized to receive either a letter directing them to visit their primary care physician, a letter directing them to contact the clinic directly to schedule a mammogram, or no letter. Study participants were predominantly African–American, two-thirds of whom were over age 50, and who had minimal health insurance coverage. During the intervention year, mammograms were completed by 179 out of 967 study women at site one (18.5%), and 90 out of 750 study women at site two (12%). A multivariate model controlling for the simultaneous effect of age, insurance type, visit history and past mammography use, showed no significant independent effect of either type of letter reminder on mammography completion during the study year. In conclusion, letters targeted at women due for screening mammograms did not have a beneficial effect on mammography utilization above and beyond that of a physician medical record reminder.
The inhibitory effect of NaCl on barley germination

Abstract The possibility that the nature of the inhibitory effect of NaCl is different during imbibition compared to germination was investigated. Germination in both NaCl and betaine (a non-toxic solute) improved with pre-imbibition in water. Seeds imbibed in inhibitory concentrations of either solute could be induced to germinate by brief exposure to water. Electron micrographs of tissue from seeds imbibed in 0.5 kmol m−3 NaCl for 25 h showed cells identical to those in seeds imbibed in water for only 1 h, but seeds imbibed for 6 h in water exhibited many changes in ultrastructure. These results are consistent with the hypothesis that seed hydration must reach a critical value before germination can proceed, and that the inhibitory effect of NaCl is primarily osmotic in barley seeds that have not reached this hydration threshold. Although isotonic solutions of betaine and NaCl were equally inhibitory to germination, isotonic solutions of betaine and NaCl were not equally inhibitory to continued development in seeds which had been pre-imbibed in water. Calcium ions improved both germination and plumule emergence of pre-imbibed seeds in NaCl solutions, but calcium had little effect on pre-imbibed seeds placed in betaine. Very high concentrations of NaCl or betaine inhibited germination, but did not kill dry seeds. Both solutes, on the other hand, were lethal at high concentrations to germinating seeds. NaCl killed germinating seeds more rapidly than betaine, but calcium reduced the rate of killing to nearly that of betaine. We conclude that hydrated seeds are sensitive to both osmotic and toxic effects of NaCl and that calcium mitigates the toxic effect of NaCl, but not the osmotic effect.
Local constraints in the syntax and semantics of programming languages

The method of local constraints attempts to describe context-free languages in an apparently context-sensitive form which helps to retain the intuitive insights about the grammatical structure. This form of description, while apparently context-sensitive is, in fact, context-free and allows a program derivation structure to be represented as a tree with additional constraints, thus allowing for the possibility of a correctness proof in the form of Knuthian semantics. A part of ALGOL 60 syntax has been restated as a grammar with local constraints. It is also shown that parsing of grammars with local constraints can be carried out by a suitable extension of Early's algorithm. Finally, the relationship of local constraints to the semantics of programs is discussed in Section 4 by considering some program transformations.
The binding problem

Perceptual representations depend on distributed neural codes for relaying the parts and properties of objects. Some mechanism is needed to 'bind' the information relating to each object and to distinguish it from others. Possible candidates include cells tuned to conjunctions of features, spatial attention, and synchronized firing across separate but interconnected areas of the brain. Deficits in neurological patients suggest a role for the parietal cortex in the binding process. Several current models combine these ideas.
A model for predicting occult carotid artery stenosis: screening is justified in a selected population.

Abstract Objectives The diagnosis and treatment of carotid artery disease is an integral part of stroke prevention. However, a population of patients who would benefit from screening for carotid artery stenosis has not been well defined. As part of an institutional stroke-screening program, a modified, rapid duplex scan was developed to evaluate patients for occult carotid stenosis. The goal of this study was to evaluate risk factors predictive of carotid stenosis in a selected population, and to identify patients who would benefit from carotid screening. Methods Patients were eligible for the study if they were >60 years of age and had a history of hypertension, heart disease, current smoking, or family history of stroke. A modified carotid duplex scan that had been previously validated against formal duplex scanning was utilized; this involved visualization of the carotid bulb and proximal internal carotid artery where Doppler flow velocities were obtained and recorded. Results Screening was performed on 394 patients. Thirty-eight patients (9.6%) had either unilateral or bilateral carotid stenosis of ≥50%. Risk factors evaluated included smoking, hypertension, cardiac disease, or hypercholesterolemia. If none of these risk factors was present, the incidence of carotid stenosis was 1.8%. This increased to 5.8% with one risk factor, 13.5% with two risk factors, and 16.7% with three risk factors. Two of three patients with all four risk factors had carotid stenosis (66.7%). Logistic regression and prespecified contrast statements for multiple comparisons were used to assess the relationship between the presence of risk factors and occult carotid artery stenosis. The presence of any one of these risk factors was associated with a statistically significant increase in the presence of occult carotid stenosis ( P P P Conclusion The prevalence of carotid stenosis significantly increases with the presence of one or more identifiable demographic risk factors in a selected population. Assuming the diagnosis and treatment of carotid stenosis are fundamental to stroke prevention, screening for carotid artery disease is justified in this group of patients.
Expanded quantum cryptographic entangling probe

A generalized quantum circuit and design are given for an optimal entangling probe to be used in attacking the BB84 protocol of quantum key distribution and yielding maximum information to the probe. Probe photon polarization states become optimally entangled with the BB84 signal states on their way between the legitimate transmitter and receiver. The present design generalizes an earlier one by Brandt [J. Mod. Optics 52 2177 (2005)] to include a complete range of error rates that can be induced by the probe.
Magnetic modes in Ni nanowires

Abstract Spin-wave modes in Ni nanowires electrodeposited in alumina are investigated by model calculations and magnetic resonance experiments. Since the wires are very thin, the main magnetization variation at low temperatures is parallel to the wires. The corresponding modes—probed by the magnetic resonance and responsible for the spontaneous magnetization of the wires—are generally localized. A spin-wave analysis of the magnetization yields a low-temperature contribution linear in T and proportional to the Bloch-wall width. The large broadening of the resonance lines, above 0.1 T for fields parallel to the wires is explained by the real-structure distribution of sharp localized resonance modes.
A hedonic analysis of the effect of natural attributes and deed restrictions on the value of conservation easements

Abstract Conserving rural areas in the face of urban sprawl is a challenging issue for government and non-government agencies in the United States. These agencies have been pursuing various approaches such as zoning, fee-simple, and less-than-fee-simple mechanisms to conserve environmentally sensitive lands and stabilize the wildland–urban interface. In this paper we generate information that may be critical to the future use of one of the less-than-fee-simple mechanisms, that is, conservation easements (CE). Specifically, we estimate the effect of various natural attributes, deed restrictions, and parcel quantity measures of rural lands on the price of CE using data from negotiated transactions in Florida. Results of the hedonic analysis suggest that the further the distance from cities populated with 100,000 or more, the further the CE price is decreased, whereas upland forests, giving up the right to log in wetlands, and giving up the right to subdivide raised CE prices. Results of this study provide valuable insights for sellers and buyers of CE.
Evidence Locator: Sources of Evidence-Based Dentistry Information

Multiple resources are available to help practitioners access the latest scientific evidence. Evidence-based dentistry (EBD) is an approach to clinical decision making that incorporates the most current and comprehensive scientific evidence with the practitioner's judgment and the patient's needs and preferences. One challenge in implementing this approach is access to evidence, and there are multiple online resources that can be used in this endeavor. This article presents the Evidence Locator, a list of Web sites that provide access to "secondary sources" of evidence. Such "secondary sources" are typically summaries of systematic reviews and evidence-based clinical recommendations or guidelines. Also presented is a list of other Web sites that may be useful to the practitioner in implementing EBD.
Associations of polychlorinated biphenyl exposure and endogenous hormones with diabetes in post-menopausal women previously employed at a capacitor manufacturing plant

There is an increasing body of literature showing associations of organochlorine exposure with risk of diabetes and insulin resistance. Some studies suggest that associations differ by gender and that diabetes risk, in turn, may be affected by endogenous steroid hormones. This report examines the relationships of serum PCBs and endogenous hormones with history of diabetes in a cohort of persons previously employed at a capacitor manufacturing plant. A total of 118 women were post-menopausal with complete data, of whom 93 were not using steroid hormones in 1996, at the time of examination, which included a survey of exposure and medical history, height, weight and collection of blood and urine for measurements of lipids, liver function, hematologic markers and endogenous hormones. This analysis examines relationships of serum polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs), work exposure and endogenous hormones with self-reported history of diabetes after control for potential confounders. All PCB exposure groups were significantly related to history of diabetes, but not to insulin resistance as measured by the homeostatic model assessment of insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) in non-diabetics. Diabetes was also independently and inversely associated with follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEAS) and triiodothyronine (T3) uptake. HOMA-IR was positively associated with body mass index (BMI) and C-reactive protein (CRP) and inversely associated with sex hormone binding globulin (SHBG) and T3 uptake after control for PCB exposure. Possible biologic mechanisms are discussed. This study confirms previous reports relating PCB exposure to diabetes and suggests possible hormonal pathways deserving further exploration.
Hodgkin's disease with spinal cord compression. A case report and a review of the literature

Background. Spinal cord compression is a rare complication of Hodgkin's disease, occurring in only 5% of cases, usually in the setting of progressive, advanced disease. As the initial symptom of Hodgkin's disease, it is extremely rare, with only a few cases reported in the literature. Methods. A case report of a 46-year-old man who presented with signs and symptoms of spinal cord compression and was found to have an extradural mass in the cervical and thoracic spine is described. Biopsy revealed Hodgkin's disease. This case report represents a unique case of a patient with Hodgkin's disease presenting with epidural disease, with spinal cord compression as the only apparent site of initial clinical involvement. A review of the literature of patients with Hodgkin's disease presenting with spinal cord compression from 1970 to the present is presented. Results. The patient, whom we report, received chemotherapy followed by external beam radiation therapy and achieved complete resolution of symptoms and a complete response by radiologic criteria. Based on a review of the literature, Hodgkin's disease involving the spinal epidural space is very responsive to radiation therapy and chemotherapy with a good prognosis for both functional recovery (86%), complete response (61%), and long term survival. Conclusions. Chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy is successful treatment for Hodgkin's disease presenting with spinal cord compression. For the rare patient who presents with spinal cord compression as the initial symptom of Hodgkin's disease, the therapeutic options include chemotherapy alone, radiation therapy alone, or combined modality therapy.
Conditionally predictive supply elasticity estimates: Secondary materials obtained from municipal residuals☆

Abstract New capital-intensive waste processing plants have been developed that can recover secondary materials and energy from the municipal solid waste stream resulting in lower disposal costs than traditional methods. The potential supply of secondary glass, ferrous metals, aluminum, and energy is estimated using an engineering cost model of secondary materials and energy supply under alternative prices for energy and materials. Econometric estimates of the own- and cross-price elasticities of supply for the materials and energy are then estimated from the data set. Significant cross-price effects are shown.
Search for exotic meson and hyperon final states in K-d interactions at 5.5 Gev/ c

Abstract A search has been made for exotic states produced in K − d interactions at 5.5 GeV/ c . The reactions investigated were: K − d→X −− pp, K − d → Y ∗−− π + p and K − d→ M −− Σ + p. Upper limits are set for the production cross sections.
Fast Computation of Centroids for Constant-Width Interval-Valued Fuzzy Sets

Interval-valued fuzzy sets provide a more adequate description of uncertainty than traditional fuzzy sets; it is therefore important to use interval-valued fuzzy sets in applications. One of the main applications of fuzzy sets is fuzzy control, and one of the most computationally intensive part of fuzzy control is defuzzification. Since a transition to interval-valued fuzzy sets usually increases the amount of computations, it is vitally important to design faster algorithms for the corresponding defuzzification. In this paper, we provide such an algorithm for a practically important case of constant-width interval-valued fuzzy sets.
Flattening of Rhodium Vertices in Mixed Rhodium−Nickel Carbonyl Clusters: Relationships to Borane and Zintl Ion Structures

The flattened deltahedra and related polyhedra found in hypoelectronic bare group 13 metal cluster anions are also found in some anionic mixed rhodium−nickel carbonyl clusters. In all cases the rho...
An ultrasonic device for source to skin surface distance measurement in patient setup

Purpose: To develop an ultrasound-based source to skin surface distance (SSD) measurement technique and device for patient setup and test its feasibility and accuracy. Methods and materials: The ultrasonic SSD measurement device (USD) prototype consists of two main parts: a probe plate with an ultrasonic transducer in the center and a control unit that displays the SSD in millimeters. The probe plate can be slid into the block tray accessory slot of any treatment machine at the time of the SSD measurement. The probe plate contains an ultrasonic transducer as both the source and the detector for measuring the distance between the transducer and the target surfaces on the basis of an echo-detecting technique. The device was calibrated by a mechanical ruler with an accuracy of 0.01 mm and corrected by an offset of 601.7 mm, which is the distance from the radiation source to the ultrasonic transducer surface for the Siemens Primus linear accelerator (Linac). The ultrasound device provided digital readout with an accuracy of ±0.1 mm for a flat surface after calibration. The SSD measurement experiments were done with the USD, an optical distance indicator (ODI), and an AKTINA 53-104 Mechanical Front Pointer (FP) on a Siemens Primus Linac with a full-sized female phantom. Ten measurements were carried out at each gantry angle of 0°, 52°, 85°, 90°, and 227° for anatomic locations of head, thorax, breast, and pelvis, to obtain the average values and standard deviations. Results: The comparison study with the ODI and FP showed that the USD had an accuracy of less than ±1.0 mm and that USD measurements had the minimum standard deviations among the three methods; therefore, USD gave more consistent and accurate readouts for SSD measurement. When considering the FP as a reference, the USD yields smaller deviations than the ODI for all measured locations (less than ±2 mm). The variation of USD digital readout with a room temperature change of ±2°C is ±0.1 mm, which is sufficiently accurate for SSD measurement. Conclusions: The USD method has the following advantages. First, it decreases patient setup time by avoiding problems related to the blocking of the device by the patient or by the immobilization device. Second, it is more accurate than the other two methods currently used, as the test data show. Last, the digital readout eliminates the possibility of human reading error associated with the visual scales.
Promising thermoelectric properties of commercial PEDOT:PSS materials and their bi2Te3 powder composites.

Newly commercialized PEDOT:PSS products CLEVIOS PH1000 and FE-T, among the most conducting of polymers, show unexpectedly higher Seebeck coefficients than older CLEVIOS P products that were studied by other groups in the past, leading to promising thermoelectric (TE) power factors around 47 μW/m K2 and 30 μW/m K2 respectively. By incorporating both n and p type Bi2Te3 ball milled powders into these PEDOT:PSS products, power factor enhancements for both p and n polymer composite materials are achieved. The contact resistance between Bi2Te3 and PEDOT is identified as the limiting factor for further TE property improvement. These composites can be used for all-solution-processed TE devices on flexible substrates as a new fabrication option.
The pinhole time camera

A pinhole time camera is proposed and analyzed. This instrument is the temporal analog of a conventional pinhole camera and is formed by a succession of dispersion, a time gate, and more dispersion. It is capable of magnifying or demagnifying time waveforms while preserving their envelope profile. The system requirements and the performance of the pinhole time camera in terms of magnification, dispersion, aperture size, and impulse response are examined.
Auditory threshold sensitivity of the human neonate as measured by the auditory brainstem response.

The absolute auditory sensitivity of the human newborn infant was investigated using auditory brainstem response thresholds (ABR). ABRs were elicited with clicks and tone-bursts of 0.5, 1.5, 4.0 and 8.0 kHz, embedded in notched noise, in healthy, full-term human neonates and young adults with known, normal-hearing sensitivity. Stimuli were calibrated using a probe microphone positioned near the tympanic membrane in the ear canal of each subject to control for differences in resonance characteristics of infant and adult ear canals. ABR thresholds were also characterized relative to group psychophysical thresholds (nHL) and relative to individual psychophysical threshold or sensation level (SL) for the adult subjects. Infant ABR thresholds measured in p.e. SPL for all stimuli are elevated by to 3-25 dB relative to adult thresholds. Threshold elevation is greatest for the high-frequency stimuli. Result are consistent with neural immaturity for high-frequency stimuli in the auditory system of human neonates.
An Introduction To Photogrammetry

The science of photogrammetry relies on some kind of a photographic record as the source of data. Such a record represents a two-dimensional registration of, in general, a three dimensional object. After certain reduction, each photograph may be regarded as a central perspective projection of the object. This reduction is warranted because the original light ray from an object point, which is represented by a straight line in the perspective theory, is in fact a curve. In addition, the position of the latent image on the photographic emulsion undergoes shifts due to variation in environment from exposure to processing and measurement. All such effects are termed "systematic" since they can be modelled mathematically. They include: 1. Atmospheric refraction 2. Earth curvature (due to mapping a spheroidal surface on a plane, that of the photograph). 3. Lens distortion, both radial and tangential 4. Image deformation due to emulsion and base instabilities. 5. Systematic errors due to characteristics of imaging and measuring equipment.© (1974) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Time-predictable bimodal volcanism in the Coso Range, California

The bimodal Pleistocene part of the Coso volcanic field has erupted rhyolite and basalt at constant long-term rates during the past ∼0.5 m.y. Both basalt and high-silica rhyolite were erupted in several independent, geologically brief episodes. The interval between eruptions of rhyolite was proportional to the volume of the preceding eruption. Basaltic eruptions appear to have followed a similar pattern. These time-predictable relations would be expected if (1) extensional strain accumulates in roof rocks at a constant rate, (2) the accumulated strain is relieved by near-vertical fractures, which serve as conduits for eruptions, and (3) the volume of erupted material is proportional to the sum of the conduit (dike) widths. The long-term eruption rate of rhyolite is about 5.4 km3/m.y.; that of basalt is about 2.8 km3/m.y. These rates are less than those of magma supply inferred from heat-flow and petrologic arguments by factors of between 100 and 200.
Bootstrapping rule induction

Most rule learning systems posit hard decision boundaries for continuous attributes and point estimates of rule accuracy, with no measures of variance, which may seem arbitrary to a domain expert. These hard boundaries/points change with small perturbations to the training data. Moreover, rule induction typically produces a large number of rules that must be filtered and interpreted by an analyst. We describe a method of combining rules over multiple bootstrap replications of rule induction so as to reduce the total number of rules presented to an analyst and to provide measures of variance to continuous attribute decision boundaries and accuracy-point estimates. The method is illustrated with perioperative data.
Effect of federally mandated education policies on prescribing of isotretinoin to women of childbearing age

We evaluated the effect of federally mandated educational interventions designed to reduce prenatal exposures to isotretinoin. We determined the number of isotretinoin courses prescribed at a health maintenance organization to women aged 15 through 44 between March 1987 and February 1990, and the number that had pre-treatment pregnancy testing. The number of courses initiated without pre-treatment testing fell by 54%, from 3.6 to 1.7 courses per month after educational programs were in place (p < 0.01). This decrease was principally due to a decrease in prescribing from 1.1 to 0.6 courses per 1000 women-years (p < 0.002), although testing also increased from 51% (54 of 105) to 58% (21 of 36) of courses. These overall changes resulted from two distinct patterns of responses by physicians. Physicians who initially tested in over 40% of, courses (aggregate testing, 71% of courses (50 of 70)) reduced their collective prescribing from 5.0 to 0.3 courses per month and maintained a stable testing rate. In contrast, physicians who initially tested in fewer than 10% of courses increased their collective prescribing from 2.3 to 3.0 courses per month, and also increased testing from 6% (two of 32) to 56% (15 of 27) of courses.
Placing pacing leads into the cavity of the left ventricle using a snare catheter: innovating a tabooed procedure.

Every once in a while, a singleor dual-chamber pacemaker with only 1 ventricular lead placed into the right ventricle paces with a right bundle branch morphology in lead V1. Often, the patient may have a dilated heart and have the lead placed deeply into the apex on fluoroscopy. The implanter may wonder, “How could I have placed a lead in the right ventricle which is now pacing the left ventricle?” Although it is good practice to move a single-plane fluoroscope into a lateral position to ensure inadvertent placement of the lead into the coronary sinus, it may not always be done during implantation. If the lateral chest X-ray does not demonstrate posterior lead position into the coronary sinus, the implanter begins to worry about having traversed the septum via either a congenital defect or a lead perforation. The next step often involves echocardiography or another imaging modality to ensure that the lead does not require repositioning. Placing leads in the left side of the heart is a feared complication of device implantation. Years ago, there was even concern about inadvertently placing a lead in the coronary sinus. Of course, this was before the era of pacemaker therapy to improve symptomatic congestive heart failure in patients without bradyarrhythmias. In multiple large randomized clinical trials, cardiac resynchronization therapy has been consistently shown to decrease mitral regurgitation, improve left ventricular ejection fraction, reduce hospitalizations, improve quality of life, and reduce overall mortality in patients with systolic dysfunction, congestive heart failure, and prolonged QRS intervals. Leads must be meticulously placed into the coronary sinus to allow left ventricular pacing with excellent stability and thresholds to ensure consistent capture and permit adequate battery longevity. Despite advances in lead design and delivery systems, accessing the coronary sinus and finding an adequate position cannot be achieved in all patients sent for cardiac resynchronization. Patients who fail coronary sinus lead placement are often sent for epicardial lead insertion, requiring a thoracotomy or at very least a thoracoscopic procedure. Some patients are too sick to undergo these more invasive surgical procedures and may
Thin-plate and thin-shell finite-element programs for forward dynamic modeling of plate deformation and faulting

Experiments on deformation of the lithosphere can be performed only in computers. Finite-element codes are best because they can represent lateral strength variations, including faults. Although variations of temperature, strength, and density in the lithosphere must be represented in three dimensions, it is usually suAcient to parameterize the velocity field in two dimensions, giving ‘thin-plate’ or ‘thin-shell’ codes. Four such freeware codes (LARAMY, FAULTS, PLATES and SHELLS) are oAered at ftp://element.ess.ucla.edu. Their capabilities include local neotectonic problems with many faults, global neotectonic problems with many plates and finite strain problems with crust/mantle detachment; the only capability not yet available is finite strain with discrete faults of large oAset. Model predictions include velocities, fault-slip rates, anelastic strain rates and vertically integrated stresses, which can be tested by comparison with data from geologic mapping, seismology and geodesy. # 1999 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.
AutomaDeD: Automata-based debugging for dissimilar parallel tasks

Today's largest systems have over 100,000 cores, with million-core systems expected over the next few years. This growing scale makes debugging the applications that run on them a daunting challenge. Few debugging tools perform well at this scale and most provide an overload of information about the entire job. Developers need tools that quickly direct them to the root cause of the problem. This paper presents AutomaDeD, a tool that identifies which tasks of a large-scale application first manifest a bug at a specific code region and specific program execution point. AutomaDeD statistically models the application's control-flow and timing behavior, grouping tasks and identifying deviations from normal execution, which significantly reduces debugging effort. In addition to a case study in which AutomaDeD locates a bug that occurred during development of MVAPICH, we evaluate AutomaDeD on a range of bugs injected into the NAS parallel benchmarks. Our results demonstrate that AutomaDeD detects the time period when a bug first manifested with 90% accuracy for stalls and hangs and 70% accuracy for interference faults. It identifies the subset of processes first affected by the fault with 80% accuracy and 70% accuracy, respectively and the code region where the fault first manifested with 90% and 50% accuracy, respectively.
A new method for visual stylometry on impressionist paintings

A new emerging field, that of visual stylometry of art, proposes to apply image analysis and machine learning tools to high-resolution digital images of artwork in order to assist art connoisseurs in determining the painting's likely creator. The premise is that each artist's brushwork is likely to contain features that are characteristic of the artist's unique habitual physical movements; these features could be identified and characterized through machine learning. In this paper, we describe a new technique for this problem. We extract, as features for our classifier, parameters of both Hidden Markov Tree models and linear predictor models of the painting's wavelet coefficients. We then use the FINE dimensionality reduction technique [1] to produce an unsupervised low-dimensional embedding of the data. Tests on two dataset consisting of over 100 high-resolution digital images of impressionist paintings by Van Gogh and contemporaries shows good separation between paintings of Van Gogh and others is achieved via this unsupervised process. We further show (through comparison with the alternative) that our method benefits greatly from (1) using only background sections of each painting in our analysis, (2) the FINE technique, and (3) the use of both HMT and linear predictor features together in the same analysis. All three of these technique choices are new in this paper. We hope that our method can be a tool, used carefully in conjunction with the connoisseur's expertise and other examinations, to determine a painting's true authorship.
Simulating the Effects of Angiogenesis on Tumorigenesis Through Computational Modeling

Angiogenesis is a physiological process in which new blood vessels are formed from pre-existing vessels. It is one of the hallmarks of cancer and contributes greatly to the sustained growth of a tumor. Without the nutrient influx provided by newly formed capillaries, tumors growth is curtailed due to a lack of oxygen diffusion into the central region of the tumor body. Angiogenesis substantially increases the risk of developing cancer and as a result, anti-angiogenic therapies are being developed for cancer treatment.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Lack of Interleukin-6 Expression Is Not Protective Against Focal Central Nervous System Ischemia

Background and Purpose —Interleukin-6 (IL-6) appears to be involved in the inflammatory response associated with central nervous system (CNS) ischemia. Although IL-6 levels increase after stroke, it is not known whether IL-6 directly influences CNS ischemic injury. In this study, we used a focal reversible stroke model to investigate whether mice lacking IL-6 were protected against acute ischemic injury. Methods —We bred IL-6–deficient C57 black mice (I-129 IL-6 KO back-crossed with C57), including homozygous knockouts (IL-6 −/−), heterozygous littermates (IL-6 +/−), and normal littermates (IL-6 +/+). The status of all animals was confirmed by DNA sampling and polymerase chain reaction analysis. Reversible middle cerebral artery occlusion was produced by advancing a silicone-coated 8-0 filament into the internal carotid artery for 2 hours (experiment 1) or 45 minutes (experiment 2). At 24 hours, animals were evaluated on a 28-point clinical scale, blood and cerebrospinal fluid were obtained, and the brains were evaluated for infarct volume and IL-6 mRNA levels. Results —In experiment 1 (severe ischemia), no differences were seen in lesion size or neurological function between the groups: lesion volume was IL-6 −/− (n=15), 57±13 mm3; IL-6 +/− (n=15), 58±23 mm3; and IL-6 +/+ (n=15), 58±18 mm3 ( P =NS). ELISA testing confirmed very low to absent levels of IL-6 in the serum and cerebrospinal fluid of knockout animals. Brain mRNA levels of the other proinflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor-α, IL-1β, and IL-1 receptor antagonist, were 50% lower in IL-6–deficient ischemic animals than in normal animals. In experiment 2 (mild ischemia), no differences were seen in lesion size or neurological function between the groups: lesion volume was IL-6 −/− (n=10), 16±8 mm3; IL-6 +/− (n=10), 14±4 mm3; and IL-6 +/+ (n=10), 19±12 mm3 ( P =NS). Conclusions —In this study, infarct size and neurological function at 24 hours were not different in animals deficient in IL-6 after transient CNS ischemia. This suggests that IL-6 does not have a direct influence on acute ischemic injury. Further study investigating the role of IL-6 on long-term recovery after stroke is in progress.
Is There a Keynesian High Politics

John Maynard Keynes and International Relations: Economic Paths to War and Peace. By Donald Markwell. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2006. 320 pp., $85.00 (ISBN: 0-19-829236-8). Donald Markwell's John Maynard Keynes and International Relations: Economic Paths to War and Peace is a thoughtful and knowledgeable book. Yet, it does not live up to the promise of its title, at least not as far as readers of the International Studies Review are likely to be concerned. Although producing a creditable addition to the enormous literature on Keynes, Markwell spends most of his time visiting terrain that is likely to be familiar to those inclined to pick up the book, while leaving unanswered many key and tantalizing questions regarding Keynes’ attitudes about international relations and, in particular, about the “high politics” of war and peace. John Maynard Keynes and International Relations begins with the promising observation that “students of Keynes have not in any systematic or thorough way studied his thinking from the perspective of international relations” (p. 1). After a brief introduction, Chapter 2 attempts to establish “Keynes as a Classical Liberal.” Markwell argues that Keynes’ IR instincts were shaped in his formative years as a traditionally trained economist. As a result, “the idea that free trade promotes peace” served as a “central tenet” of his perspective (p. 15). Included in this chapter are interesting, if brief, discussions of Keynes’ subtle views regarding the British Empire and how his thinking, in general, was influenced by a Malthusian pessimism regarding population pressures. The remaining themes of the chapter—World War I, conscientious objection, and wartime finance—have been well covered elsewhere (for example, Skidelsky 1983). Chapters 3 and 4 cover the Paris Peace …
Heparan sulfate proteoglycans and the emergence of neuronal connectivity

With the identification of the molecular determinants of neuronal connectivity, our understanding of the extracellular information that controls axon guidance and synapse formation has evolved from single factors towards the complexity that neurons face in a living organism. As we move in this direction - ready to see the forest for the trees - attention is returning to one of the most ancient regulators of cell-cell interaction: the extracellular matrix. Among many matrix components that influence neuronal connectivity, recent studies of the heparan sulfate proteoglycans suggest that these ancient molecules function as versatile extracellular scaffolds that both sculpt the landscape of extracellular cues and modulate the way that neurons perceive the world around them.
IGF-I stimulates human intestinal smooth muscle cell growth by regulation of G1 phase cell cycle proteins

Autocrine production of insulinlike growth factor-I (IGF-I) regulates growth of human intestinal muscle cells by activation of distinct phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase (PI3-kinase)-dependent and ERK1...
Peptergents: peptide detergents that improve stability and functionality of a membrane protein, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase

Toward enhancing in vitro membrane protein studies, we have utilized small self-assembling peptides with detergent properties ("peptergents") to extract and stabilize the integral membrane flavoenzyme, glycerol-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GlpD), and the soluble redox flavoenzyme, NADH peroxidase (Npx). GlpD is a six transmembrane spanning redox enzyme that catalyzes the oxidation of glycerol-3-phosphate to dihydroxyacetone phosphate. Although detergents such as n-octyl-beta-D-glucpyranoside can efficiently solubilize the enzyme, GlpD is inactivated within days once reconstituted into detergent micelles. In contrast, peptergents can efficiently extract and solubilize GlpD from native Escherichia coli membrane and maintain its enzymatic activity up to 10 times longer than in traditional detergents. Intriguingly, peptergents also extended the activity of a soluble flavoenzyme, Npx, when used as an additive. Npx is a flavoenzyme that catalyzes the two-electron reduction of hydrogen peroxide to water using a cysteine-sulfenic acid as a secondary redox center. The lability of the peroxidase results from oxidation of the sulfenic acid to the sulfinic or sulfonic acid forms. Oxidation of the sulfenic acid, the secondary redox center, results in inactivation, and this reaction proceeds in vitro even in the presence of reducing agents. Although the exact mechanism by which peptergents influence solution stability of Npx remains to be determined, the positive effects may be due to antioxidant properties of the peptides. Peptide-based detergents can be beneficial for many applications and may be particularly useful for structural and functional studies of membrane proteins due to their propensity to enhance the formation of ordered supramolecular assemblies.
Mechanical Development of the Notochord in Xenopus Early Tail-Bud Embryos

How is a developing embryo shaped by the mechanical behavior of groups of cells? We address this question by focusing on a particular morphogenetic event: the elongation and straightening of the frog embryo during the late neurula and early tailbud stages (Fig. 1A).
Mobile Mammography, Race, and Insurance: Use Trends Over a Decade at a Comprehensive Urban Cancer Center

Although preliminary, these data suggest outreach efforts of mobile mammography are appropriately reaching certain targeted populations.
Partitioning overstory and understory evapotranspiration in a semiarid savanna woodland from the isotopic composition of water vapor

The relative contributions of overstory and understory plant transpiration and soil evaporation to total evapotranspiration (ET) in a semiarid savanna woodland were determined from stable isotope measurements of atmospheric water vapor. The savanna overstory was dominated by the deeply rooted, woody legume Prosopis velutina (“mesquite”), and the understory was dominated by a perennial C4 grass, Sporobolus wrightii. “Keeling plots” (turbulent mixing relationships) were generated from isotope ratios (D and 18 O) of atmospheric water vapor collected within the tree (3–14 m) and understory (0.1–1 m) canopies during peak (July) and post-monsoon (September) periods of 2001. The unique regression intercepts from upper and lower profiles were used to partition the ET flux from the understory layer separately from that of the whole ecosystem. Although ET partitioning was problematic during the first sampling period in July, our results in September provided support to the validity of this method for measuring and understanding the dynamic behavior of water balance components in this semiarid savanna woodland. During the post-monsoon period (22nd September), transpiration accounted for 85% of ecosystem ET. Transpiration by the grass layer accounted for 50% of the understory ET over the same period. The total ecosystem ET estimated by eddy covariance (EC) on 22nd September was 3.5 mm per day. Based on partitioning by the isotope method, 2.5 mm per day (70%) was from tree transpiration and 0.5 mm per day (15%) was from transpiration by the grass layer. Independent estimates of overstory and understory ET partitioning from distributed understory EC measurements were remarkably consistent with our isotope approach.
Mobile-R: A reconfigurable cooperative control platform for rapid deployment of multi-robot systems

Cooperative multi-robot systems have been used in a vast array of fields and are of particular interest in perilous environments. One of the main issues in multi-robot systems is the lack of a common set of programming and control abstractions and middleware. Controlling and programming cooperative multi-robot systems is a highly complicated task that requires a flexible and agile control architecture and programming environment that are able to handle the distributed nature of multi-robot systems. A generalized, highly flexible and reconfigurable cooperative robot control platform called Mobile-R has been developed. Mobile-R consists of a mobile agent-based robot control system and a mission-based rapid deployment system. A real-world validation experiment involving cooperative multi-robot perimeter patrolling is presented.
Transnasal butorphanol for postoperative analgesia following paediatric surgery in a third world country

The authors present their experience with transnasal butorphanol to provide analgesia following orthopaedic and plastic surgical procedures in children. Transnasal butorphanol was administered to eight patients ranging in age from eight to 17 years and in weight from 34 to 64 kg. Following the surgical procedure, the patient and a parent were instructed on how to use the medication. They were instructed to administer one spray into one nostril every three h as needed for pain. The quality of analgesia was assessed twice a day using a visual analogue score of 0 to 10 (0 = no pain, 10 = worst pain imaginable). Intranasal butorphanol provided adequate analgesia in all eight patients with visual analogue scores of zero to two. Adverse effects from the medication included one report of nausea, one complaint of transient dizziness, and two reports of a bitter taste and some mild throat irritation. None of these was severe enough to preclude its subsequent use. Our preliminary experience suggests that transnasal butorphanol may offer an alternative route of delivery when intravenous administration is not feasible. Future studies are needed to compare its efficacy to intravenous and non-parenteral routes of administration. It may prove to be useful in other situations when intravenous access is lacking such as prior to invasive procedures in the outpatient clinic or emergency room.
Brain‐derived neurotrophic factor functions as a metabotrophin to mediate the effects of exercise on cognition

Brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) has been shown to mediate the effects of exercise on synaptic plasticity and cognitive function, in a process in which energy metabolism probably plays an important role. The purpose of the present study was to examine the influence of exercise on rat hippocampal expression of molecules involved in the regulation of energy management and cognitive function, and to determine the role of BDNF in these events. One week of voluntary exercise that enhanced learning and memory performance elevated the expression of molecular systems involved in the metabolism of energy [AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), ubiquitous mitochondrial creatine kinase (uMtCK) and uncoupling protein 2] and molecules that work at the interface of energy and synaptic plasticity [BDNF, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and ghrelin]. The levels of BDNF mRNA were associated with the mRNA levels of AMPK, uMtCK, IGF-I and ghrelin. Inhibiting the action of BDNF during exercise abolished an exercise-mediated enhancement in spatial learning and increased the expression of all of the molecular systems studied. BDNF blocking also disrupted the association between learning speed and levels of AMPK, uMtCK, ghrelin and IGF-I mRNAs. These findings suggest that the effects of exercise on synaptic plasticity and cognitive function involve elements of energy metabolism, and that BDNF seems to work at the interface between the two processes as a metabotrophin.