cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Evaluation of Bouwer-Rice Large-Particle Correction Procedure for Soil Water Characteristic Curves

The Bouwer-Rice correction method to account for large particles excluded during laboratory testing to measure the soil water characteristic curve (SWCC) was evaluated on samples of well-graded alluvium. A large-scale hanging column apparatus was used so that tests could be conducted on specimens containing all particle sizes. The analyses show that SWCCs measured on the fraction of alluvium finer than the No. 4 U.S. sieve (4.8 mm) can be corrected reliably to represent the SWCC of bulk soil or fractions of bulk soil corresponding to different large-particle thresholds. The method can also be used reliably to correct SWCCs measured on soils prepared with different large-particle thresholds (e.g., finer than 25 mm, 12.5 mm, or 4.8 mm). Dry density of the finer fraction being tested must be carefully controlled to match the dry density of the finer fraction in the soils containing large particles. An equation is described for computing the dry density of the finer fraction in a bulk soil. A simplified version of the Bouwer-Rice method is also proposed and evaluated. In this method, a SWCC test is conducted on the finer soil fraction with dry density matching that anticipated in the field, the van Genuchten equation is fit to the measured SWCC to define the shape parameters α and n, and then the SWCC for the field application is computed using the fitted α and n from the test on the finer fraction, saturated volumetric water content of the bulk soil in the field, and a residual water content of zero. Analyses show that this modified Bouwer-Rice method is simpler and results in an accurate representation of the SWCC of soil containing large particles.
The Poetics of Decline in British Romanticism / The Romantic Historicism to Come

Jonathan Sachs’s The Poetics of Decline in British Romanticism and Jonathan Crimmins’s The Romantic Historicism to Come both begin by reading Romantic encounters with scenes of ruin, and, in turn, ...
Regulating Markups in US Health Insurance

A health insurer's Medical Loss Ratio (MLR) is the share of premiums spent on medical claims, or the inverse markup over average claims cost. The Affordable Care Act introduced minimum MLR provisions for all health insurance sold in fully insured commercial markets, thereby capping insurer profit margins, but not levels. While intended to reduce premiums, we show this rule creates incentives to increase costs. Using variation created by the rule's introduction as a natural experiment, we find medical claims rose nearly one-for-one with distance below the regulatory threshold: 7 percent in the individual market and 2 percent in the group market. Premiums were unaffected.
Medical Management after Liver Transplantation

Medical management of the liver transplant recipient requires consideration of the complex interactions between the transplanted liver, immunosuppression and all organ systems. An aging transplant population, improvement in long-term liver transplant outcomes, and the increase in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease as an indication for transplant have amplified the number of co-morbidities among post-transplant patients. In addition to balancing immunosuppression with infection risk, medical management of the transplanted patient includes monitoring for, and treating, recurrence of the primary liver disease, metabolic syndrome, cardiovascular disease, and post-transplant neurologic and renal dysfunction. Additionally, general healthcare maintenance such as management of osteoporosis, immunizations, and screening for malignancy are essential in this high-risk population. In this review, we summarize the evidence behind best practices for the current medical management of the post liver transplant patient.
Deception: Technologies and Strategy for Cybersecurity

There are many different types of security threats to individual, business and government enterprises. Although there are efforts to ensure that technologies work to the best levels, there are still several challenges. Keeping the security of the enterprise system in view, security designers have introduced multiple security perimeters like firewalls and threat detection and response (TDR) systems. These frameworks directly contribute to detecting and defending any unwanted action into the system. The objective of this paper is to survey the role and strategies of deception in cyberattack. A detailed discussion of technologies and tools for combating unwanted adversary actions are presented.
Innovationen jenseits des Kerngeschäfts

Zur Sicherung des nachhaltigen Bestands von Unternehmen sind diese gefordert, sich in gewissen Zeitabstanden zumindest teilweise neu zu erfinden, d. h. ihre Geschaftsfelder zu erganzen, neu auszurichten bzw. wenigstens zu uberdenken. Unternehmen fallt es in der Regel leicht, ihr bestehendes Geschaft weiter zu entwickeln und kontinuierlich mindestens inkrementell zu erganzen. Eine grosere Herausforderung stellt jedoch die Erschliesung neuer Geschaftsfelder dar, die zumindest teilweise auserhalb der existierenden Kernkompetenzen eines Unternehmens liegen. Somit erweitern Unternehmen mit diesem Schritt entweder ihre technologischen Kompetenzen und/oder ihr Kundenportfolio auserhalb ihrer bisherigen Segmente. Die Identifikation neuer Geschaftsfelder, beispielsweise durch Scouting oder Analyse von Kundenbedurfnissen, deren eigenstandige oder in Kooperationen erfolgende Entwicklung und Wege zu deren Umsetzung sind essentielle Bestandteile der nachhaltigen Geschaftsentwicklung von chemischen Unternehmen. Aus aktuellen Beispielen der chemischen Industrie lassen sich in der Praxis erprobte Ablaufe und Strukturen zur Etablierung diesbezuglicher Prozesse ableiten.
Low-Dose Hsp90 Inhibitor Selectively Radiosensitizes HNSCC and Pancreatic Xenografts.

Purpose: Treatment approaches using Hsp90 inhibitors at their maximum tolerated doses (MTDs) have not produced selective tumor toxicity. Inhibition of Hsp90 activity causes degradation of client proteins including those involved in recognizing and repairing DNA lesions. We hypothesized that if DNA repair proteins were degraded by concentrations of an Hsp90 inhibitor below those required to cause nonspecific cytotoxicity, significant tumor-selective radiosensitization might be achieved. Experimental Design: Tandem mass tagged-mass spectrometry was performed to determine the effect of a subcytotoxic concentration of the Hsp90 inhibitor, AT13387 (onalespib), on global protein abundance. The effect of AT13387 on in vitro radiosensitization was assessed using a clonogenic assay. Pharmacokinetics profiling was performed in mice bearing xenografts. Finally, the effect of low-dose AT13387 on the radiosensitization of three tumor models was assessed. Results: A subcytotoxic concentration of AT13387 reduced levels of DNA repair proteins, without affecting the majority of Hsp90 clients. The pharmacokinetics study using one-third of the MTD showed 40-fold higher levels of AT13387 in tumors compared with plasma. This low dose enhanced Hsp70 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs), which is a biomarker of Hsp90 inhibition. Low dose monotherapy was ineffective, but when combined with radiotherapy, produced significant tumor growth inhibition. Conclusions: This study shows that a significant therapeutic ratio can be achieved by a low dose of Hsp90 inhibitor in combination with radiotherapy. Hsp90 inhibition, even at a low dose, can be monitored by measuring Hsp70 expression in PBMCs in human studies.
Healthcare in Extreme and Austere Environments: Responding to the Ethical Challenges.

Clinicians may increasingly find themselves practicing, by choice or necessity, in resource-poor or extreme environments. This often requires altering typical patterns of practice with a different set of medical and ethical considerations than are usually faced by clinicians practicing in hospitals in the United States and Europe. Practitioners may be required to alter their usual scope of practice or their standard ways of medically treating patients. Limited resources will also often place clinicians in the position of having to make decisions about fairly allocating healthcare, which will alter the physician–patient relationship. This does not absolve physicians and other healthcare practitioners of providing the best quality of care that can be given under the circumstances. In addition, the lack of a well-developed healthcare infrastructure and limited resources will require working with established providers to determine the needs of the community, and what types of healthcare are feasible given these limitations. The essays in this issue of HEC Forum encourage readers to reflect on the unique ethical challenges faced in the extreme or austere environment.
Therapeutic potential of parp inhibitors in the treatment of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer

Metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) is an incurable malignancy with a poor prognosis. Up to 30% of patients with mCRPC have mutations in homologous recombination repair (HRR) genes. Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors take advantage of HRR deficiency to kill tumor cells based on the concept of synthetic lethality. Several PARP inhibitors (PARPis) have been successful in various malignancies with HRR gene mutations including BRCA1/2, especially in breast cancer and ovarian cancer. More recently, olaparib and rucaparib were approved for mCRPC refractory to novel hormonal therapies, and other PARPis will likely follow. This article highlights the mechanism of action of PARPis at the cellular level, the preclinical data regarding a proposed mechanism of action and the effectiveness of PARPis in cancer cell lines and animal models. The article expands on the clinical development of PARPis in mCRPC, discusses potential biomarkers that may predict successful tumor control, and summarizes present and future clinical research on PARPis in the metastatic disease landscape.
An Overview of the Regulations of Radiopharmaceuticals

Radiopharmaceuticals are compounds that contain a drug labeled with a radioactive isotope. In the USA, radiopharmaceuticals are considered a special group of medicines bound by complex regulatory elements. Regulatory control of radiopharmaceuticals is primarily under two central federal agencies: the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA). The principal role of the FDA is to regulate the safety and efficacy of the radioactive drugs as they are used in medical practice, whereas the mission of the NRC is to guarantee the safe use of radioactive materials. Beyond these two federal agencies, oversight of the production, preparation, handling, transport, and use of radiopharmaceuticals is also governed by other regulatory authorities such as the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), and the Department of Transportation (DOT).
Spiritual Cosmopolitanism, Transnational Migration, and the Bahá’í Faith

Scholars have wrestled with the question of how people can be persuaded to extend feelings of kinship beyond their own ethnic or national groups. This article identifies spiritual cosmopolitanism, whose principles of universal love and harmony can be found in the teachings of the Baha’i Faith, as key to such borderless solidarity. Drawing on data gathered from interviews with Iranian refugees who have settled in the United States, the article demonstrates how cosmopolitan principles shape the worldviews of Baha’is. Through this case study, spiritual cosmopolitanism’s potential to enrich public arguments for the inclusion of Others such as immigrants becomes apparent.
What is it about positive affect that alters attentional scope

The relationship between positive affect and attentional scope has been of interest for over forty years. Historically, most work has focuses on the relationship of negative affect and attentional scope. For this reason, this article reviews literature on the relationship between positive affect and attentional scope. Many studies have discovered divergent findings of the influence of positive affect on attentional scope, such that some research suggests that all positive affect broadens attentional scope, while other research has found evidence that some positive affects may instead narrow attentional scope. In the current review, we discuss these discrepancies, examine behavioral and physiological evidence, and provide suggestions for incorporating these contrasting findings into one coherent perspective.
Assessing Soft Tissue Perfusion Using Laser-Assisted Angiography in Tibial Plateau and Pilon Fractures: A Pilot Study.

OBJECTIVES To determine whether skin perfusion surrounding tibial plateau and pilon fractures is associated with the Tscherne classification for severity of soft tissue injury. The secondary aim was to determine if soft tissue perfusion improves from the time of injury to the time of definitive fracture fixation in fractures treated using a staged protocol. DESIGN Prospective cohort study. SETTING Academic trauma center. PATIENTS Eight pilon fracture patients and 19 tibial plateau fracture patients who underwent open reduction internal fixation. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES Skin perfusion (fluorescence units) as measured by LA-ICGA. RESULTS Six patients were classified as Tscherne grade 0, 9 as grade 1, 10 as grade 2, and 2 as grade 3. Perfusion decreased by 14 fluorescence units (95% confidence interval, -21 to -6; P < 0.01) with each increase in Tscherne grade. Sixteen patients underwent staged fixation with an external fixator (mean time to definitive fixation 14.1 days). The mean perfusion increased significantly at the time of definitive fixation by a mean of 13.9 fluorescence units (95% confidence interval 4.8-22.9; P = 0.01). CONCLUSIONS LA-ICGA perfusion measures are associated with severity of soft tissue injury surrounding orthopaedic trauma fractures and appear to improve over time when fractures are stabilized in an external fixator. Further research is warranted to investigate whether objective perfusion measures are predictive of postoperative wound healing complications and whether this tool can be used to effectively guide timing of safe surgical fixation. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic Level II. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Abstract 949: Identification of OXPHOS inhibitors which selectively kill tumors with specific metabolic vulnerabilities

Inhibition of mitochondria complex I in tumors that are metabolically dependent on oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) for their survival offers unique synthetic lethal opportunities. Examples of dependent contexts are AML and DLBCL, where OXPHOS is highly active and subpopulations of glioblastoma and neuroblastoma that possess genetic alterations which make them glycolysis deficient. In addition, several lines of evidence indicate that after treatment with chemo or targeted therapy, residual tumor cells become reliant on OXPHOS for their continued survival. In each of these cellular states, excessive dependence on OXPHOS renders tumor cells vulnerable to therapeutic targeting strategies that exploit this addiction. We have generated a series of novel, highly potent complex I inhibitors, which in vitro inhibit complex I with IC 50 values 50 values between 1-10 nM. Lead compounds specifically induce apoptosis with EC 50 values between 1-10 nM in OXPHOS dependent cancer models such as AML and DLBCL cell lines and in glycolysis deficient cancer cell lines. Of note, apoptosis is induced in primary AML cells but not in normal patient-derived CD34+ cells. These compounds are orally bioavailable with excellent pharmacokinetics properties in preclinical species making them appropriate tools for proof-of-concept studies in vivo. In agreement with data in cell culture, we have shown that daily oral treatment with as low as 5 -10 mg/kg of our OXPHOS inhibitors is well tolerated and induce strong regression of NB-1 (glycolysis-deficient cells) subcutaneous and intracranial xenografts. We have also demonstrated that sustained pharmacological inhibition of OXPHOS induce regression of DLBCL subcutaneous models and dramatically increase mice survival in an OCI-AML3 orthotopic xenograft model. In addition to synthetic lethality in monotherapy, we are exploring whether OXPHOS inhibition can overcome resistance to radiotherapy, chemotherapy and specific targeted therapies. Taken together, these data strongly support the notion that inhibiting OXPHOS in hypersensitive populations could be a novel, innovative therapeutic approach and justifies evaluation of OXPHOS inhibitors in a clinical setting. Citation Format: Joseph R. Marszalek, Madhavi Bandi, Jennifer Bardenhagen, Christopher Bristow, Christopher Carroll, Edward Chang, Ninping Feng, Barbara Czako, Jason Gay, Mary Geck Do, Jennifer Greer, Ryan M. Johnson, Marina Konopleva, Zhijun Kang, Gang Liu, Timothy Lofton, Timothy McAfoos, Marina Protopopova, Alessia Petrocchi, Florian Muller, Jay Theroff, Yuanqing Wu, Lynda Chin, Giulio Draetta, Philip Jones, Carlo Toniatti, Emilia Di Francesco. Identification of OXPHOS inhibitors which selectively kill tumors with specific metabolic vulnerabilities. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 949. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-949
Class numbers of cyclotomic function fields

Let q be a prime power and let Fq be the finite field with q elements. For each polynomial Q(T) in lFq[T], one could use the Carlitz mo(lule to construct an abelian extension of 1Fq(T), called a Carlitz cyclotomic extension. Carlitz cyclotomic extensions play a fundamental role in the study of abelian extensions of 1Fq(T), similar to the role played by cyclotomic numrLber fields for abelian extensions of Q. We are interested in the tower of Carlitz cyclotomic extensions corresponding to the powers of a fixed irreducible polynomial in 1Fq[T]. Two types of properties are obtained for the 1-parts of the class numbers of the fields in this tower, for a fixed prime number 1. One gives congruence relations between the I-parts of these class numbers. The otsher gives lower bound for the 1-parts of these class numbers. Systematic study of cyclotomic field extensions of rational numbers started in the nineteenth century with Kummer and was essential in his work on Fermat's Last Theorem. Towers of cyclotomic number fields were first investigated by Iwasawa in the mid 1950's. One major application of his theory is to determine the growth of the p-divisibility of the class numbers for the fields in the tower [1w]. The study of the cyclotomic theory of function fields started with Carlitz [Ca] in 1930. Let p be a prime and let q be a power of p. Carlitz regarded the rational function field k IFq (T) and the associated polynomial ring A -Fq [T] as analogs of the rational number field Q and its ring of integers Z. He constructed an Amodule, later called the "Carlitz module" , out of the completion of the algebraic closure of IFq((T)), an analog of the field of complex numbers. For each polynomial P in A, one could use the Carlitz module to construct a field extension k(P) of k. The extensions obtained this way are called cyclotomic extensions and are essential in the study of all abelian extensions of k. Fix an irreducible polynomial P in A, and let n run through the set of positive integers. The cyclotomic extensions of k associated to Pn via the Carlitz module form a tower of extensions: nk c k(P) C k(p2) C .. C k(Pn) C It would be interesting to study the growth of the p-divisibility of the the class numbers for these fields along this tower, as Iwasawa did for cyclotomic extensions of a number field. This is the problem we would like to investigate in this paper. As in the case of a cyclotomic number field, one can decompose the class number h(k(Pn)) of k(Pn) into two integer factors h+(k(Pn)) and h-(k(PT)), called the real part and the relative part of the class number. Let p be the unique prime Received by the editors May 15, 1997. 1991 Mathematics Subject Classification. Primary 1IR29, 11R58; Secondary 11R23.
Women Helping Women: A Peer Counseling Service

This article presents a working model of a feminist and non-sexist peer counseling service operating in a university setting.
Performance and Energy Optimization on MPSoCs by Enabling STT-MRAM LUTs

Increasing computation demands with limited power budget require more energy-efficient design without performance degradation in embedded systems and mobile computing platforms. Reconfigurable computing is an alternative to optimize both performance and power consumption. However, due to the complexity of hardware design, implementing dedicated accelerators usually lacks flexibility and productivity. In this work, our previous hybrid parallel co-design framework is extended. By using the partial reconfiguration technique, a dynamic reconfiguration scheme is presented to optimize both performance and power consumption without losing the programming flexibility. In addition, spin-torque transfer magneto resistive RAM (STT-MRAM) LUTs are exploited to replace traditional SRAM-based LUTs for further reducing the static power consumption. The results show that dynamic scheduling with hardware kernels implemented in STT-MRAM LUTs is 7.7 times better than the purely software implementation in terms of the product between the performance and the energy. Besides, when comparing STT-MRAM and SRAM hardware kernels, the STT-MRAM kernels have significant advantages over SRAM ones on the power consumption, especially the static power consumption.
The first gene in the Escherichia coli secA operon, gene X, encodes a nonessential secretory protein.

Abstract TnphoA insertions in the first gene of the Escherichia coli secA operon, gene X, were isolated and analyzed. Studies of the Gene X-PhoA fusion proteins showed that gene X encodes a secretory protein, since the fusion proteins possessed normal alkaline phosphatase activity and a substantial portion of this activity was found in the periplasm. In addition, the Gene X-PhoA fusion proteins were initially synthesized with a cleavable signal peptide. A gene X::TnphoA insertion was used to construct a strain containing a disrupted chromosomal copy of gene X. Analysis of this strain indicated that gene X is nonessential for cell growth and viability and does not appear to play an essential role in the process of protein export.
Young neurons for old brains

New evidence suggests that embryonic progenitor cells in the adult human hippocampus can generate new neurons; the results raise the possibility of therapeutic neuron replacement.
Alcohol-related problems and risk of suicide among college students: the mediating roles of belongingness and burdensomeness.

The relationship among alcohol-related problems, perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and suicide proneness in undergraduate college students (N = 996) was examined. As hypothesized, alcohol-related problems, perceived burdensomeness, and thwarted belongingness were all significantly and positively correlated with suicide proneness. The relation between experiencing alcohol-related problems and suicide proneness was, in part, accounted for by perceived burdensomeness and thwarted belongingness. Additionally, the mediation via perceived burdensomeness was significantly stronger than the mediation via thwarted belongingness. Results suggest that it would be advisable for clinicians to be aware of students' experiences with alcohol-related problems in conjunction with their levels of burdensomeness and belongingness when assessing for suicide risk. Language: en
Re: Neurogenetics Can Help Turn Pain Concepts More Objective

We appreciate the thoughtful concerns raised by Felix and Fontenele (reference Pain Medicine Editorial 2009), and we wholeheartedly agree that what is almost certainly a complex bidirectional relationship between biological and psychosocial factors in the context of the pain experience remains incompletely understood. We would like to take this opportunity to clarify several of the points raised in their commentary. Drs. Felix and Fontenele focus on the construct of pain-related catastrophizing, a variable that we are studying in several ongoing investigations. They note that in the lay literature, confusion about the meaning of catastrophizing seems to be the rule. This might very well be true, but the …
A glycinergic intervention potentiates the antiseizure efficacies of MK-801, flurazepam, and carbamazepine.

Twenty four hours after mice were forced to swim for up to 10 minutes in cold water, there was a reduction in the ability of MK-801 to antagonize the electrical precipitation of tonic hindlimb extension. Milacemide, a lipophilic prodrug of glycine, restored the antiseizure efficacy of MK-801 to the same level observed in unstressed animals treated with milacemide and MK-801. Stimulation of the glycine-gated chloride ionophore subsequent to the liberation of free glycine could explain milacemide's pharmacologic action as an adjuvant to MK-801. Consistent with this interpretation, milacemide was able to potentiate the antiseizure effects of flurazepam, a benzodiazepine agonist, in stressed and unstressed mice and carbamazepine in unstressed animals.d-cycloserine, a partial glycine agonist with greater specificity for the strychnine-insensitive modulatory site on the NMDA receptor complex, was examined for its effect on MK-801's antiseizure efficacy. At a high dose (320 mg/kg),d-cycloserine alone had an anticonvulsant effect. Moreover, this dose ofd-cycloserine administered with MK-801 showed a significantly greater anticonvulsant efficacy than MK-801 alone. The data support the development of glycinergic interventions as adjunctive agents in the pharmacotherapy of seizure disorders.
Quantum Computation and raising Schrodinger's cat

Two discrete energy levels in quantum system, such as an atom, can be used to store a bit of information. However, quantum systems can also exist in superposition states, thereby storing both states of the bit simultaneously. This property potentially leads to an exponential increase in memory and processing capacity. It would enable a quantum computer to efficiently solve certain problems, such as factorizing large numbers, which may be intractable on a classical computer. Actually building a useful quantum computer is an extremely daunting task due to the necessity of overcoming decoherence. Nevertheless, in the near term, the principles of quantum information processing may find important applications in metrology. A quantum computer would also realize a mesoscopic version of "Schrodinger's Cat," a bizarre situation where a cat could be simultaneously dead and alive. A number of physical systems are currently considered for building a quantum computer; we focus on examples using atoms, but also discuss other possible implementations
Pixel- and compressed-domain color matching techniques for video mosaic applications

Several color matching algorithms are proposed to merge two or more video inputs of smaller sizes into one single video output of a larger size with a wider field of view for the video mosaic application. The main challenge is to remove apparent seam lines between image boundaries. All developed algorithms share the same basic idea with different implementation details. That is, color differences between input images are first compensated using either histogram equalization or polynomial-based contrast stretching techniques. Then, a linear filtering technique is adopted to remove seam lines between image boundaries. The algorithms are developed in both the pixel and the DCT domains. The compressed-domain processing is attractive since it reduces the computational complexity. It is shown by experimental results that the color matching problem can be solved satisfactorily even in the compressed domain.
Head to head polymers IX: The rheological behavior of H‐H and H‐T atactic polystyrenes

The rheological behavior of a sample of H-H polystyrene of Mn of 41,000 and a Mw/Mn of 2 was compared at 160 and 190°C with a sample of H-T atactic polystyrene of similar molecular weight. The melt viscosity of H-H polymer (unlike the H-T polymer) was non-Newtonian at low stresses and decreased more rapidly with stress. This observation seems to indicate a stiffer polymer chain for the H-H polystyrene. The flow activation energy (E*) of H-H polystyrene was found to be dependent on the dynamic shear stress and decreased with increasing dynamic shear stress. The dynamic shear storage modulus of the H-H polymer has a smaller increase of G′ with ω than that of the H-T polystyrene.
Butyltins in sediment from marinas and waterways in Puget Sound, Washington State, USA

Controle des teneurs en tetrabutyl-, tributyl-, dibutyl et butyl stannanes dans les sediments de l'estuaire Puget sound
Influence of serum and hormones on bovine oocyte maturation and fertilization in vitro.

Three approaches were investigated for improvement of in vitro maturation (IVM), in vitro fertilization (IVF), and early embryonic development in cattle. These were: 1) Selection of oocytes, 2) medium supplementation with fetal calf serum (FCS) and cow sera (DO, Dl, D10, and D20 to correspond with estrus, metestrus, diestrus, and proestrus, respectively), and 3) addition of follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), and estradiol-17β (E2)during maturation. Greater proportions (percentage) of oocytes initially selected for their compact cumulus cells completed IVM and IVF when compared to unselected oocytes (P < .05). Proportions (percentage) of selected oocytes that matured and cleaved after in vitro insemination according to serum type used for IVM were: FCS: 110/175 (62.9%) and 37/110 (33.6%) and DO: 130/145 (89.7%) and 52/130 (40.0%); D1 127/130 (97.7%) and 41/127 (32.3%); D10 95/98 (96.9%) and 35/95 (36.8%); D20:113/116 (97.4%) and 49/113 (43.4%). A higher proportion (P < .05) of embryos resulting from the D20 group reached four- and eight-cell stages. In FCS-supplemented maturation media with no hormones added during maturation (control), results of IVM and IVF were 157/265 (59.2%) and 39/157 (24.8%), respectively. With E2 (1 μg/ml) and FSH (5 μg/ml), comparable results were 189/215 (87.9%) and 71/189 (37.6%); with E2 (1 μg/ml) plus LH (10 μml), 280/327 (85.6%) and 111/280 (39.6%). Added hormones improved IVM results (P < .05) and, when FSH or LH was added with E2, in vitro development to four- and eight-cell stages was markedly enhanced (P < .05). Selection of oocytes, D20 serum, and added E2 and FSH or LH for IVM improved in vitro development of bovine embryos after IVF.
Contribution of Financial Conditions to Successful Industrialization in East Asia

The economic success of the East Asian economies has been undisputable. In analyses of these accomplishments, attention has been given to virtually everything but the role of what are broadly interpreted as financial variables. This paper develops the contributions of financial phenomena to the East Asian success and argues that favorable financial conditions are necessary, but not sufficient for good long-term economic performance.
Intestinal epithelial tight junctions as targets for enteric bacteria-derived toxins

The application of a multidisciplinary approach to study bacterial pathogenesis, along with the recent sequencing of entire microbial genomes have made possible discoveries that are changing the way scientists view the bacterium-host interaction. Today, research on the molecular basis of the pathogenesis of infectious diarrheal diseases of necessity transcends established boundaries between microbiology, cell biology, intestinal pathophysiology, and immunology. Novel multidisciplinary approaches led to the discovery of new bacteria-host cell interactions involving signals regulating intestinal permeability through the modulation of cell cytoskeleton and intercellular tight junctions (TJ). A century ago, TJ were conceptualized as a secreted extracellular cement forming an absolute and unregulated barrier within the paracellular space. Biological studies of the past several decades have shown that TJ are dynamic structures subjected to structural changes that dictate their functional status under a variety of developmental, physiological, and pathological circumstances. To meet the many diverse physiological challenges to which the intestinal epithelial barrier is subjected, TJ must be capable of rapid and coordinated responses. This requires the presence of a complex regulatory system that orchestrates the state of assembly of the TJ multiprotein network. Many pathogenic bacteria exploit this system to accomplish their pathogenic strategies by ultimately modulating intestinal permeability.
How Accurate are Disaster Loss Data? The Case of U.S. Flood Damage

Policy makers need accurate disaster loss data for decisions about disaster assistance, policy evaluation, and scientific research priorities. But loss estimation is difficult in a disaster situation, and initial loss estimates are seldom evaluated in comparison with actual costs. This paper uses the example of historical flood damage data in the U.S. to evaluate disaster loss data. It evaluates the accuracy of historical flood damage estimates from two federal agencies. The U.S. National Weather Service (NWS) has compiled annual flood loss estimates for each state since 1955. Comparison of the NWS data with similar estimates from five state emergency management agencies reveals substantial disagreement between estimates from different sources. The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) began in the 1990s to systematically collect damage estimates and cost data associated with its disaster assistance programs. Comparison of early damage estimates with actual expenditures in a California flood disaster reveals large errors in some estimates for individual counties, but no statistically significant tendency to underestimate or overestimate. Positive and negative errors tend to average out and the total damage estimate for the state approximates the final expenditures. Both comparisons indicate that damage estimates for small events or local jurisdictions often are extremely inaccurate. On the other hand, estimates aggregated over large areas or long time periods appear to be reasonably reliable; that is, this study finds that independent estimates for events with losses greater than $500 million disagree by less than 40. The paper suggests ways of interpreting and using such loss estimates to reduce the likelihood of misinterpretation.
Kaposi's Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Induces Sustained Levels of Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors A and C Early during In Vitro Infection of Human Microvascular Dermal Endothelial Cells: Biological Implications

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS), a vascular tumor associated with human immunodeficiency virus type 1 infection, is characterized by spindle-shaped endothelial cells, inflammatory cells, cytokines, growth and angiogenic factors, and angiogenesis. KS spindle cells are believed to be of the lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) type. Kaposi's sarcoma-associated herpesvirus (KSHV, or human herpesvirus 8) is etiologically linked to KS, and in vitro KSHV infection of primary human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HMVEC-d) is characterized by the induction of preexisting host signal cascades, sustained expression of latency-associated genes, transient expression of a limited number of lytic genes, sustained induction of NF-kappaB and several cytokines, and growth and angiogenic factors. KSHV induced robust vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGF-A) and VEGF-C gene expression as early as 30 min postinfection (p.i.) in serum-starved HMVEC-d, which was sustained throughout the observation period of 72 h p.i. Significant amounts of VEGF-A and -C were also detected in the culture supernatant of infected cells. VEGF-A and -C were also induced by UV-inactivated KSHV and envelope glycoprotein gpK8.1A, thus suggesting a role for virus entry stages in the early induction of VEGF and requirement of KSHV viral gene expression for sustained induction. Exogenous addition of VEGF-A and -C increased KSHV DNA entry into target cells and moderately increased latent ORF73 and lytic ORF50 promoter activation and gene expression. KSHV infection also induced the expression of lymphatic markers Prox-1 and podoplanin as early as 8 h p.i., and a paracrine effect was seen in the neighboring uninfected cells. Similar observations were also made in the pure blood endothelial cell (BEC)-TIME cells, thus suggesting that commitment to the LEC phenotype is induced early during KSHV infection of blood endothelial cells. Treatment with VEGF-C alone also induced Prox-1 expression in the BEC-TIME cells. Collectively, these studies show that the in vitro microenvironments of KSHV-infected endothelial cells are enriched, with VEGF-A and -C molecules playing key roles in KSHV biology, such as increased infection and gene expression, as well as in angiogenesis and lymphangiogenesis, thus recapitulating the microenvironment of early KS lesions.
Consideration of reference points for the management of renewable resources under an adaptive management paradigm

The success of natural resource management depends on monitoring, assessment and enforcement. In support of these efforts, reference points (RPs) are often viewed as critical values of management-relevant indicators. This paper considers RPs from the standpoint of objective-driven decision making in dynamic resource systems, guided by principles of structured decision making (SDM) and adaptive resource management (AM). During the development of natural resource policy, RPs have been variously treated as either ‘targets’ or ‘triggers’. Under a SDM/AM paradigm, target RPs correspond approximately to value-based objectives, which may in turn be either of fundamental interest to stakeholders or intermediaries to other central objectives. By contrast, trigger RPs correspond to decision rules that are presumed to lead to desirable outcomes (such as the programme targets). Casting RPs as triggers or targets within a SDM framework is helpful towards clarifying why (or whether) a particular metric is appropriate. Further, the benefits of a SDM/AM process include elucidation of underlying untested assumptions that may reveal alternative metrics for use as RPs. Likewise, a structured decision-analytic framework may also reveal that failure to achieve management goals is not because the metrics are wrong, but because the decision-making process in which they are embedded is insufficiently robust to uncertainty, is not efficiently directed at producing a resource objective, or is incapable of adaptation to new knowledge.
Negative thermal expansion in crystalline linear polymers

Molecular processes contributing to observed negative chain direction thermal expansion coefficients for linear, crystalline polymers are examined. To assess the importance of thermal contraction due to chain torsional motion below the lattice melting point, several models are proposed which approximate the dimensional changes resulting from such motion and enable relationships to be obtained between chain length contraction and root mean square torsional vibrational amplitude. Using these relationships it was found that reasonably small rms torsional rotation amplitudes could explain the entire observed negative chain direction lattice thermal expansion for polyethylene and for selenium and tellurium (respectively, time‐average planar zigzag and helical molecules). For a time‐average planar zigzag polydiacetylene, a model chosen to represent chain torsional motion related contraction indicates that significant torsional motion about a bond best represented as C=C is necessary in order for chain torsional motion to explain the entire observed chain direction macroscopic thermal expansion. Equilibrium point defect formation (interstitial or vacancy) not only contributes to both lattice and macroscopic expansion coefficients, but also can possibly result in large differences between these parameters. It is demonstrated for polyethylene single crystals close to their melting point that Reneker defect formation could result (depending upon the mechanism of defect equilibration and previously obtained formation parameters) in a negative chain direction macroscopic expansion coefficient which is several times larger in magnitude than the corresponding observed negative lattice expansion coefficient.
The majority of dermatology services occur within managed care systems.

Abstract Our aim was to document how much managed care has penetrated dermatology based on dermatologists' experience. We conducted an anonymous survey at an East Coast dermatology conference in March 1998. One hundred thirty-two dermatologists responded. The response rate was 29%. The mean percentage of managed care in dermatology practices was 55%. Dermatologists expected the proportion of managed care to increase to 65% of their practices by 2001. (J Am Acad Dermatol 2001;44:303-4.)
Interdisciplinary Graduate Design Programs: Results and Recommendations From a NSF Workshop

Improving the creativity and innovativeness of U.S. graduate students is a mandate for national competitiveness and social well-being. Despite this imperative, many are uncertain about how to best prepare students for tackling the complex design problems of the future, some that we know about and others yet to be uncovered. With this in mind, we convened a two-day workshop at the National Science Foundation (NSF) in Arlington, VA to discuss the challenges, successes, and future directions for interdisciplinary graduate design programs that have recently emerged or are being established to address this critical need. Not including NSF personnel, 42 people from academia and industry gathered to learn about nine existing interdisciplinary design programs. Three panels were also held to discuss: (1) overcoming interdisciplinary differences in research and teaching, (2) industry perspectives on interdisciplinary design programs, and (3) future directions and program developments. A number of common themes emerged from the workshop, including the disciplinary characteristics of interdisciplinary design, the varying perspectives on the design process, pedagogical approaches toward teaching interdisciplinary design, structuring interdisciplinary design degrees, and sustainability of an interdisciplinary design discipline. Based on the dialogue at the workshop and our analysis of the common themes, we offer ten recommendations divided into three areas: (1) advance interdisciplinary design activities, (2) enhance interdisciplinary design programs, and (3) support interdisciplinary design research.Copyright © 2009 by ASME
Lessons from Failure—Preparing for Future HIV-1 Vaccine Efficacy Trials

647-9.) Background. A vaccine is needed to prevent human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection. Methods. A double-blind, randomized trial of a recombinant HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein subunit (rgp120) vaccine was conducted among men who have sex with men and among women at high risk for heterosexual transmission of HIV-1. Volunteers received 7 injections of either vaccine or placebo (ratio, 2:1) over 30 months. The primary end point was HIV-1 seroconversion over 36 months. Results. A total of 5403 volunteers (5095 men and 308 women) were evaluated. The vaccine did not prevent HIV-1 acquisition: infection rates were 6.7% in 3598 vaccinees and 7.0% in 1805 placebo recipients; vaccine efficacy (VE) was estimated as 6% (95% confidence interval, -17% to 24%). There were no significant differences in viral loads, rates of antiretroviral-therapy initiation, or the genetic characteristics of the infecting HIV-1 strains between treatment arms. Exploratory subgroup analyses showed nonsignificant trends toward efficacy in preventing infection in the highest risk (VE, 43%; n = 247) and nonwhite (VE, 47%; n = 914) volunteers (P = .10, adjusted for multiple subgroup comparisons). Conclusions. There was no overall protective effect. The efficacy trends in subgroups may provide clues for the development of effective immunization approaches.
Correction Of Misalignment Dependent Aberrations Of The Hubble Space Telescope Via Phase Retrieval

The optics of the Hubble Space Telescope consist essentially of a primal), and a secondary mirror. Measurements from three wavefront sensors are telemetered to the ground where a series of computations are made to determine whether the telescope is performing within specification. If not, optimum secondary mirror realignment parameters are computed based on interferometrically determined aberrations present in the wavefront. This method, which is the primary method for wavefront correction of the telescope requires at least two of the three wavefront sensors to be available. To provide additional reliability a backup scheme has been implemented which makes use of a phase retrieval algorithm to compute secondary mirror misalignments from measured point spread function data at two different field locations. The point spread function data is obtained from two scientific instruments, the Faint Object Camera and the Wide Field Planetary Camera. After image centroiding to remove unnecessary tilt, and pixel deconvolution to remove detector effects, comparison pupil functions are written in terms of annular Zernike Polynomials. At the two field locations of the instruments, artificial point spread functions are generated from Fast Fourier Ransforms (FFT) of the respective pupil functions and the mean square differences between the actual PSF's and constructed PSF's are minimized with respect to the Zernike Polynomial coefficients. Thus two sets of coefficients are obtained one for each of the field positions. Statistical regression analysis is then used to determine the misalignments as a function of the aberration coefficients.
Gender, Working Conditions and the Job Satisfaction of Women in a Non-Traditional Occupation: Female Correctional Officers in Men's Prisons*

Despite the recent interest in women working in nontraditional occupations, few analyses have systematically compared the work-related attitudes of such women with those of men holding the same positions. This article presents an exploratory analysis, drawing hypotheses from the “gender” and “job” models described by Feldberg and Glenn (1979), to compare work-related attitudes among male and female correctional officers. Data drawn from a survey of male and female correctional officers working at the same prison facility (three male and one female units) are utilized to contrast the importance of gender, with experiences on the job as determinants of job satisfaction. The results support the job model, which suggests that the attitudes of working women are a function of their position in the organizational structure and immediate working conditions.
Hypothetical decision making in schizophrenia: The role of expected value computation and “irrational” biases

The aim of the present study was to examine the contributions to decision making (DM) deficits in schizophrenia (SZ) patients of expected value (EV) estimation and loss aversion. Patients diagnosed with SZ (n¼46) and healthy controls (n¼34) completed two gambling tasks. In one task, participants chose between two options with the same EV across two conditions: Loss frames and Keep frames. A second task involved accepting or rejecting gambles, in which gain and loss amounts varied, determining the EV of each trial. SZ patients showed a reduced “framing effect” relative to controls, as they did not show an increased tendency to gamble when faced with a certain loss. SZ patients also showed a reduced tendency to modify behavior as a function of EV. The degree to which choices tracked EV correlated significantly with several cognitive measures in both patients and controls. SZ patients show distinct deviations from normal behavior under risk when their decisions are based on prospective outcomes. These deviations are two-fold: cognitive deficits prevent value-based DM in more-impaired patients, and in less-impaired patients there is a lack of influence from well-established subjective biases found in healthy people. These abnormalities likely affect everyday DM strategies in schizophrenia patients.