cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Changes in cesarean delivery in the United States, 1988 and 1993.

: The rate of cesarean delivery in the United States (22.8% in 1993) has remained stable since the mid-1980s after dramatic increases during the 1970s and early 1980s. The primary cesarean rate (16.3 cesareans in 1993 per 100 women with no history of previous cesarean delivery) was also stable from 1988 to 1993. During this same period, the rate of vaginal birth after previous cesarean (VBAC) doubled, from 12.6 to 25.4 percent. In both 1988 and 1993, rates of cesarean delivery were higher in the South than in other regions, for mothers 35 years or older than for younger women, for proprietary than for nonprofit or state and local government hospitals, and for women with private insurance than for women with Medicaid or self-pay as the expected source of payment. Even if VBAC rates continue to increase at the same rate as in the past, the Year 2000 goal of an overall cesarean rate of 15 percent cannot be met without reducing the primary cesarean rate by 50 percent.
SEIZURE DISORDERS PRESENTING WITH PSYCHIATRIC SYMPTOMATOLOGY

The behavioral phenomena caused by seizures are some of the most tangible behavioral phenomena of the central nervous system (CNS). Disruptions of consciousness, motor activity, hallucinations, abrupt mood, and anxiety changes can all be seizure manifestations caused by cortical neuronal discharges. Consequently, it is not surprising that seizure disorders and their subsequent behavioral symptoms are often confused with psychiatric disorders and vice versa. Both psychiatric and seizure disorders are caused by dysfunctions of the CNS. Depending on the area of the cortex stimulated during a seizure, varied behavioral changes can be seen, and these phenomena in themselves are not diagnostic. In fact, until the development of the EEG by Berger in 1929, 2 many seizure disorders were classified as emotional disorders. It was only when we could correlate the observed behavior with an objective measure of brain function, such as an electroencephalogram (EEG), that people began to look at seizures as something other than emotional disturbances. Behavior disorders and seizure disorders do seem to be related, however. There is an increased risk for psychopathology in patients with seizure disorders that range from 20% to 40% in many studies. 22 The low estimates of behavior disturbance in patients with seizure disorders are usually from community samples and the highest from tertiary care facilities and specialized epilepsy centers. The incidence may also vary by the comprehensiveness of the scales used to assess the psychopathology. Recently, Victoroff 25 used a standardized interview to assess the DSM-III-R diagnosis in 60 patients with intractable complex partial seizures. He found that 70% had a lifetime history of one or more DSM-III-R diagnoses. Fifty-eight percent had histories of depressive episodes, 32% had histories of agoraphobia without panic or other anxiety disorders, and 13% had histories of psychosis. There is also a heightened risk for suicide in seizure disorder patients. 9 In a similar fashion, seizure disorders are three to seven times more common in groups of hospitalized psychotic patients. 10 So it is quite clear that a psychiatrist may be the first to evaluate and treat a patient with an as-yet undiagnosed seizure disorder. In fact, it is not an uncommon scenario in which a psychiatrist treats a young adult for psychosis, the patient remains refractory to treatment, and the patient then has a seizure (often a major motor seizure). The appropriate diagnosis then becomes evident, often followed by a marked response of the behavioral symptoms to anticonvulsive medication. This article examines the classification of seizures, some of the proposed causes of the psychopathology, and the specific types of psychopathology seen in patients with seizure disorders. Guidelines are proposed for the differential diagnosis of these conditions.
The effect of changes in intraocular pressure on corneal curvature after radial keratotomy in the rabbit eye.

Abstract Standard radial keratotomy was performed in both eyes of 18 rabbits. Intraocular pressure (IOP) was raised by injection of saline solution into the vitreous cavity at different times after surgery: 8 eyes at one, two, and six weeks and 12 eyes at four months. Keratometric readings at 10, 20, 40, 60, and 80 mmHg were recorded by three independent observers in a masked fasion. The same procedure was performed in eight eyes that had no surgery, as controls. Increments in IOP correlated with significant reductions in corneal power at all times after surgery and for all IOP values in the operated eyes. No changes were observed in the control eyes. The results indicate that variations in IOP, even within physiological limits, may cause changes in corneal curvature after radial keratotomy, and that patients with wide fluctuations in IOP could present a higher risk for postoperative fluctuation in visual acuity after this refractive procedure.
SCIWORA: An antiquated acronym

SCIWORA is used to describe occult spinal cord injuries without bony abnormalities in traumatically injured patients. The pathophysiology diverges between adult and pediatric populations, which also determines the treatment. Since the use of magnetic resonance imaging became more common in these patients, cases without imaging abnormalities are rare. Thus, the term SCIWORA is no longer appropriate and is useful for historical purposes only.
Bouguer images of the North American craton and its structural evolution

Digital image processing techniques have been used to generate Bouguer images of the North American craton that diplay more of the granularity inherent in the data as compared with existing contour maps. A dominant NW-SE linear trend of highs and lows can be seen extending from South Dakota, through Nebraska, and into Missouri. The structural trend cuts across the major Precambrian boundary in Missouri, separating younger granites and rhyolites from older sheared granites and gneisses. This trend is probably related to features created during an early and perhaps initial episode of crustal assembly by collisional processes. The younger granitic materials are probably a thin cover over an older crust.
The Summary of Performance as Transition "Passport" to Employment and Independent Living.

Individuals with moderate to significant disabilities experience the most serious challenges in accessing employment and independent living when they exit high school. Therefore, the process of transition assessment conducted in school should be structured to provide relevant information for adult service providers and employers. For individuals with employment and independent living as their postsecondary goals, the Summary of [academic and functional] Performance (SOP) required by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Improvement Act of 2004 (IDEIA) can serve as a powerful “passport” that promotes access, accommodation, and self-determination upon exit from school. This article discusses the value and structure of the SOP for individuals with employment and independent postsecondary goals. It provides an example SOP for a student that demonstrates the relevance of formal and informal data as the student makes the transition from high school to employment.
Three Dimensions of Environmental History

Historians are sometimes accused of being light on theory, and environmental historians have not escaped this criticism, sometimes deserved. This essay main tains that environmental historians should increasingly investigate theoretical aspects of their subject, and encourages more prevalent reasoned discourse be tween multiple viewpoints. The essay does not set forth a theoretical structure, but explores three dimensions that may help to plan such a structure. The first dimension, concerning the subject of the field, is the culture-nature continuum. The second dimension is concerned with method, and lies along the continuum between history and science. The third dimension is one of scale and considers time and space as coordinates of definition. There are obviously other dimensions to explore. These reflections are offered tentatively, in hopes that this piece may serve as an opening to an interesting discussion among colleagues.
Gram-scale, chemoselective synthesis of N-[2-(5-hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC).

Abstract N-[2-(5-Hydroxy-1H-indol-3-yl)ethyl]-2-oxopiperidine-3-carboxamide (HIOC) is a potent activator of the TrkB receptor in mammalian neurons and of interest because of its potential therapeutic uses. In the absence of a commercial supply of HIOC, we sought to produce several grams of material. However, a synthesis of HIOC has never been published. Herein we report the preparation of HIOC by the chemoselective N-acylation of serotonin, without using blocking groups in the key acylation step.
A filtered-backprojection algorithm for fan-beam SPECT which corrects for patient motion

The authors have derived a filtered-backprojection (FBP) reconstruction algorithm for fan-beam SPECT that eliminates artifacts associated with patient motion during brain imaging. It is assumed that the patient motion is known or can be measured separately, and that the head is rigid. The in-plane translation and relation were studied and were incorporated into the proposed FBP reconstruction algorithm. Angular-dependent translation/rotation parameters were used to correct for multiple motions that could occur during a scan. The proposed FBP reconstruction algorithm was evaluated using Monte Carlo simulated phantom data, including a two-point-source phantom and the Hoffman brain phantom. Projections with translation, rotation and their combinations were generated, and images reconstructed using the proposed algorithm and the standard FBP algorithm were compared. Artifacts were observed in images without the motion correction, but the artifacts were eliminated or greatly reduced using the proposed reconstruction algorithm.
Validation of the Sensation Scale, a measure of subjective physiological responses to alcohol.

Abstract The Sensation Scale was originally constructed to measure the subjective experience of physiological changes following alcohol consumption. Reduction of the original scale of 31 variables on the basis of face validity resulted in six ‘factors’ comprising 26 variables and one ‘other’ factor. These sortings are shown to have good interrater reliability. Furthermore, evidence is presented from two experiments that five of the six factors discriminated between nonalcoholic male subjects who drank either a beverage containing a moderate dose of alcohol or a nonalcoholic beverage.
Histogram-based density discovery in establishing road connectivity

The paper proposes the histogram-based density discovery scheme as an alternative complement in obtaining density to LOUVRE, a landmark-based routing in the vehicular urban environment. The histogram-based scheme does not have the scalability problem as the P2P density scheme. Furthermore, it better accurately determines the road connectivity by considering non-uniform density. The paper makes the contribution of finding the optimal segment size to guarantee density and connectivity accuracy by evaluating thousands of mobility traces from a realistic mobility generator. Results have verified the scheme's accuracy and its scalability.
Swelling of the Müller fibers in the chicken retina.

A high potassium concentration (33 meq) in the solution superfusing the isolated chicken retina causes an increase in the tissue transparency. An L-glutamate (1 mM) or L-proline (10 mM) solution has the same effect. Swelling of the Muller fibers, which have a radial position in the retina, could explain the transparency increase. This possibility was investigated in electron micrographs of retinas subjected to these treatments and fixed by freeze-substitution to preserve the water distribution in the tissue. The Muller fibers in the controls had a mean diameter of 0.22 micrometer. The fibers in retinas bathed for 2 min in the high [K+] solution were more than three times as thick (0.74 micrometer); the fibers in glutamate-treated retinas were more than twice as thick (0.49 micrometer). The fibers in the proline-treated retinas had a diameter of 0.39 micrometer. The glutamate- and proline-induced swelling may be due to a K+ release from neuronal elements, acting on the Muller fibers. The fiber swelling was postulated to be the expression of different Donnan equilibriums of fibers bathed in solutions of different K+ concentrations. The observed swelling caused by the high [K+] solution was compared with the theoretical swelling of the fiber as an ideal Donnan system, postulating permeabilities for different ions of the fiber membrane. This suggested that the high [K+] solution causes an increase in Na+ permeability in addition to the permeability of the membrane for K+, Cl-, and HCO3-. Chemical fixation with glutaraldehyde and formaldehyde in an Na-phosphate buffer yielded micrographs in which the Muller fibers of retinas treated with a high [K+] or a glutamate solution had diameters similar to those of the control preparations.
Preclusive Purchases: Politics and Economic Warfare in France during the First World War

URING the First World War, the French gradually developed a blockade policy aimed at the economic destruction of their Central Power opponents. Only gradually, and especially in retrospect, did they recognize that their wartime blockade policy had really been a programme of economic warfare-offensive economic measures designed to reinforce the more orthodox military tactics. Economic warfare procedures included those British maritime measures designed to keep overseas imports away from enemy or border neutral ports. They also encompassed such diplomatic blockade tactics as import consignment to private neutral societies, import rationing, and Allied preclusive purchases of neutral domestic products. A preclusive purchase involved a foreign buying operation whose primary objective was deprivation of the enemy rather than the satisfaction of the purchaser's domestic needs. Thus, hypothetically, goods which were totally useless to the buyer could be bought so as to keep them out of enemy hands. Generally, however, supply and preclusive purposes were not mutually exclusive. Implicit in the concept of preclusive buying was governmental rather than private initiative. Only the government could make the type of overall policy decisions which would waive normal financial considerations in the interest of wartime objectives. Clearly, private enterprises were guided by profit motives and thus sought to secure the most advantageous terms of sale. The government could weigh such normal commercial considerations as comparative product prices and transportation costs against denial to the enemy of key goods and hence a potential shortening of the war. It also could take into -account alternative uses for the same funds and decide whether a given outlay could be spent most usefully on a preclusive purchase, such as Dutch meat, or on an essential war material. It was also necessary to evaluate the effect of deprivation on the German economy and war-making potential and to ascertain whether Germany could procure the same goods or viable substitutes elsewhere. Such purchases could disrupt normal procurement patterns, since goods would be removed from markets to which the enemy had access (generally the neighbouring neutrals) rather than from those (generally overseas) where British maritime mastery made German activity almost impossible. Competition with Germany in neutral markets inevitably drove prices above world competitive levels and thus such operations could only be justified in long-range military rather than short-range financial terms. Since funds were not unlimited, a decision to implement a costly preclusive purchase meant that those funds would not be available for other wartime needs. The cost of fighting the war clearly exceeded many times over the expense of any given
One binding site determines sequence specificity of Tetrahymena pre-rRNA self-splicing, trans-splicing, and RNA enzyme activity.

Abstract The specificity of reactions catalyzed by the Tetrahymena pre-rRNA intervening sequence (IVS) was studied using site-specific mutagenesis. Two sequences required for 5′ splice-site selection during self-splicing were defined. Single-base changes in either a 5′ exon sequence or a 5′ exon-binding site within the IVS disrupt their ability to pair and result in inefficient or inaccurate splicing. Combinations that restore complementarity suppress the effect of the single-base changes. Sequence alterations in the 5′ exonbinding site also change the specificity of two other reactions: intermolecular exon ligation ( trans -splicing) and the enzymatic nucleotidyltransferase activity of the IVS RNA. Thus the substrate specificity of an RNA enzyme can be changed in a manner predictable by the rules of Watson-Crick base-pairing.
A metamaterial frequency-selective superstrate for phased-array applications

A new scheme for design of phased-array antennas is discussed in this article. The new approach proposes a reduced array by eliminating RF band-pass filters required in the antenna receive path. To perform the filtering, the array is covered with a thin metamaterial frequency-selective surface separated from the antenna by a dielectric spacer. The overall thickness of the cover (superstrate) is ∼λ/10. In addition to reducing the complexity of the phased-arrays, the metamaterial superstrate enhances the bandwidth of the antenna at least 250% in case of a patch-array considered in this paper.
Lenalidomide as a novel treatment of acute myeloid leukemia.

Introduction: Lenalidomide is an oral immunomodulatory drug derived from thalidomide. This drug has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for transfusion-dependent anemia due to low-risk myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) associated with deletion 5q abnormality with or without additional cytogenetic abnormalities and multiple myeloma in combination with dexamethasone. Trials have been conducted for its use in higher-risk MDS and acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Areas covered: The pharmacokinetic and mechanism of action are discussed and clinical studies of lenalidomide in AML are reported herein in detail. An overview of safety and tolerability is also presented. Expert opinion: Lenalidomide has clinical activity in AML with manageable toxicity. The population that would benefit from lenalidomide and optimal dose needs to be better defined. Recent trials have focused on combining lenalidomide with other agents active in MDS and AML and promising data are emerging.
Environmental Indices for Radioactivity Releases

Release of radioactive material to the environment may result in significant radiation exposure of man. Radiation exposure may occur through any one of a number of exposure modes; each mode, in turn, may have any number of subordinate exposure pathways of potential importance. The exposure modes of principal importance following an environmental release of radioactivity may be classified in two groups: (1) internal (radiation source within the body, i.e., inhalation and ingestion) and (2) external (radiation source outside the body, i.e., immersion in contaminated air, submersion in contaminated water, and exposure to a contaminated surface). Adequate assessment of an environmental release of radioactivity requires that consideration be given to possible dose contributions for each of these exposure modes.
Leverage decisions and the effect of corporate Eurobond offerings

This study examines the stock price impact induced by the announcement of Eurobonds issued by industrial US firms over the period 1974–84. In contrast to the negative effect of domestic debt announcements reported in prior research, we document a positive, statistically significant, announcement impact of Eurobonds on stockholder wealth. Further, in analysing a sample of firms that issued both domestic and Euro-debt within a six-month interval, we find that the negative impact of domestic debt is significantly different from the positive impact of the matched Eurobond issue. This positive impact is consistent with advantages attributed to the Eurobond market, namely, lower interest costs relative to domestic debt, absence to SEC (Securiries and Exchange Commission) regulation and less restrictive debt covenants.
Limitations of balloon angioplasty for vein graft stenosis.

Abstract Vein graft stenosis remains an important contributing factor to the failure of infrainguinal arterial reconstruction. Repair of these lesions before graft occlusion provides sustained patency, yet the optimal method of repair has not been established. Percutaneous transluminal balloon angioplasty of these vein graft lesions has been repeatedly advocated as an alternative to surgical revision. Balloon angioplasty was used in 30 patients with 54 stenotic lesions occurring in autogenous vein grafts after infrainguinal reconstruction. The primary 5-year cumulative patency rate was 18% overall, with no significant differences observed among patency rates based on initial indication, length of stenotic lesion, or requirement for preliminary thrombolytic therapy. The 3-year patency rate associated with vein graft lesions requiring only a single angioplasty proved significantly higher (59%) than those requiring repetitive dilations (6%). It is our conclusion that balloon angioplasty for vein graft stenosis has significant limitations in providing sustained secondary patency. (J VASC SURG 1991;14:340-5.)
Downloading and stream conversion: supporting interactive playout of videos in a client station

Addresses the problem of supporting interactive playout, both forward and backward, of an MPEG encoded video stream at a player device. We propose a method for transforming the standard MPEG stream to a local form at the player device, which then enables the device to support interactive playout even when the buffer space available is constrained. Specifically, we devise a stream conversion scheme that encodes predictive (P) frames as intra (I) frames after the decompression and playout of each P frame. Such a scenario of transforming a P frame to an I frame is termed P-I conversion. Note that since this P-I conversion is performed after a P frame is decompressed and played out, there is no extra cost required for decoding. Also, since there is no motion estimation and compensation required for compressing a single frame into an I frame, this I frame encoding is done very efficiently. We have evaluated several potential interactive playout methods using video experiments. P-I conversion is shown to be cost-effective, easy to implement, and able to provide interactive playout with high visual quality, and is therefore deemed a viable approach to supporting interactive playout for MPEG video in a client station.
An alternative structure of Pu4O9 (“PuO2.25”) incorporating interstitial hydroxyl rather than oxide

Abstract Bond length/bond strength relationships are applied to the Pu4O9 (“PuO2.25”) structure proposed by others and support one Pu(V) with a central hydroxyl ion but not a central oxide ion nor formation of Pu(VI). Bond distances and bond strengths are normal for a central ion of unit charge, and reconcile the finding that cell dimensions are so minimally changed from those of PuO2. Substitution of hydroxyl for oxide accounts for the “excess” oxygen content of PuO2.265, yielding PuO2(OH)0.249. The short range, local order (structure) of the “Pu4O9” entity is alternatively formulated as Pu4O8OH.
Healthfulness and nutritional quality of fresh versus processed fruits and vegetables: a review

In comparing the healthfulness of fresh versus processed fruits and vegetables, much tends to be relative. Healthfulness of fresh products is influenced by their contents of healthful constituents, e.g., vitamins, minerals, protein, fiber, anticarcinogens, as well as unhealthful and toxic substances, such as glycoalkaloids, nitrates and nitrites, oxalate, cyanide, heavy metals, glucosinolates, enzyme inhibitors, antienzymes, lectins and hazardous chemical residues. Fresh product surfaces can carry spoilage and possibly pathogenic microorganisms. Quantities of two important vitamins, A and C, can easily vary within species by a factor of two. In addition to cultivar differences, cultural and preharvest factors affecting nutrient content include soil type/fertility/moisture, growing location/season/year, light intensity/duration and stage of maturity at harvest. Apples, pears, potatoes and cabbage, among others, may be stored for months before being marketed as “fresh” product. Mechanical damage and improper temperature/humidity during harvesting, transporting, storing and distributing can destroy nutrients. Thermal processing (canning) destroys heat labile nutrients and antinutrients (lectins, antitrypsin), kills microorganisms and can improve digestibility. Duration and severity of thermal processes vary with process type, package size and composition, etc. Dehydration involves varying degrees of heating and exposure to oxygen with similar good/bad effects. Freezing better retains heat labile nutrients, but substantial losses can occur during storage. Processed foods must be protected by packaging. When properly processed, packaged and stored, a given fruit or vegetable can be as healthful, or more so, than a fresh counterpart. Conditions of storage and preparation of either fresh or processed products in the home or institution can have further adverse effects on their healthfulness.
An example of an amenable action from geometry

Let M be a compact manifold of not necessarily constant negative curvature. We observe that π1(M) acts amenably on the sphere at infinity of the universal cover of M with respect to a natural measure class. We also note that this action is of type III1.
Optimal representation of multi-dimensional random fields with a moderate number of samples: Application to stochastic mechanics

Abstract A significant amount of problems and applications in stochastic mechanics and engineering involve multi-dimensional random functions. The probabilistic analysis of these problems is usually computationally very expensive if a brute-force Monte Carlo method is used. Thus, a technique for the optimal selection of a moderate number of samples effectively representing the entire space of sample realizations is of paramount importance. Functional Quantization is a novel technique that has been proven to provide optimal approximations of random functions using a predetermined number of representative samples. The methodology is very easy to implement and it has been shown to work effectively for stationary and non-stationary one-dimensional random functions. This paper discusses the application of the Functional Quantization approach to the domain of multi-dimensional random functions and the applicability is demonstrated for the case of a 2D non-Gaussian field and a two-dimensional panel with uncertain Young modulus under plane stress.
A simple method for the synthesis of porous polymeric vesicles and their application as MR contrast agents

Because of their low membrane permeability the use of polymeric vesicles in certain drug delivery and molecular imaging applications and as bioreactors is less than ideal. Here, we report a simple method to prepare porous polymeric vesicles that possess high membrane permeability. Specifically, porous vesicles were produced from the aqueous assembly of the diblock copolymer PEG–PBD, and the triblock copolymer PEG–PPO–PEG. It was found that PEG–PPO–PEG-doped polymersomes exhibited improved membrane permeability to molecules less than 5 kDa. Further, these porous vesicles retained molecules ≥10 kDa within their aqueous interiors with no significant leakage. To demonstrate its application, highly efficient magnetic resonance contrast agents were produced from porous polymersomes by encapsulating macromolecules labeled with gadolinium. Due to a fast water exchange rate with surrounding bulk water, these paramagnetic porous polymersomes exhibited higher r1 relaxivity compared with Gd-encapsulated vesicles with no pores. Due to their simplicity, the porous polymersomes prepared with this method are expected to have additional useful applications.
Managerial incentives in soviet collective agriculture during the Khrushchev Era

MANAGERIAL behaviour is in part a function of the rewards, inducements and penalties associated with different forms of action. In this paper we examine the reward structure of Soviet collective farm chairmen for the period 1952-64. Our investigation centres upon three distinct though related questions. First, how have basic and supplementary rewards been determined, and, in particular, how has the basis of determination shifted during the period under study? Second, how large have income incentives been, and how well do leadership personnel fare vis-a-vis other members of the Soviet collective farm? Third, to what extent has the changing form and frequency of income payments altered their role as a managerial incentive? Although nonincome forms of reward (promotion, publicity, etc.) are important, we shall focus exclusively upon the reward structure as it pertains to earned managerial incomes (basic and supplemental), in both monetary and non-monetary forms.
Generalized Viscoplasticity Based on Overstress (GVBO) for Large Strain Single-Scale and Multiscale Analyses

A generalized viscoplasticity based on the overstress (GVBO) model that successfully reproduces large strain and strain rate experimental data has been developed. The GVBO model confirmed increased shear resistance of polyurea at very high strain rates \((10^{5}\)–\(10^{6}\,\mathrm{{s}}^{-1})\) observed in the experiments. With the proposed GVBO model, we conducted numerical simulation of fragment simulating projectile impacting polyurea/ high-hard-steel bi-layers at high impact velocities (>1000 m/s). For model validation, two positions of the polymer coating with respect to the steel plate have been considered: the front and back coating, with a front side being a target. Numerical impact simulations utilizing a single-scale GVBO model predicted that a polyurea bi-layer with a front coating increases penetration velocity by about 15.4 % (against 23 % observed in the experiments), while the steel plate with a back coating raises penetration velocity by 7.5 % (as opposed to 8.8 % in the experiment) in comparison to the ballistic limit of the blank steel plate. This minor discrepancy between experimental and simulation results is qualitatively attributed to the space-time multiscale phenomena. We show that a possible anisotropy introduced by material heterogeneity increases resistance of the polyurea layer by partially transforming the pressure wave into a dissipated shear wave. We further demonstrate that dispersion further enhances energy absorption of the polyurea coating.
RODA: A reconfigurable optical data center network architecture

In this paper, we introduce a novel all-optical Data center networking (DCN) fabric, by leveraging the reconfigurability of the optical transceivers and switches, while dynamically changing the end-to-end optical routes to match the varying traffic demands. The dynamic flow scheduling along with their wavelength assignment turns out to be a NP-hard problem. We propose centralized heuristics for the inter-rack flow scheduling, by exploiting the optical wavelength division multiplexing, while minimizing the number of intermediate optical hops. Through extensive simulations, we show that the proposed architecture and flow scheduling reduces the network congestion by a factor of 15–18, compared to state-of-the-art part-time optical DCNs. For most of the traffic patterns, the proposed scheme can deliver >90% of the inter-rack traffic through direct optical communication.
A Program for Agricultural Land Use in Urbanizing Areas

PROPOSALS for programs or policies that would "do something for agriculture faced with urban pressures" are nearly as numerous as the proverbial fleas on a hound dog. Their origin, using the sometimes questionable benefit of an educated hindsight, might conceivably be traced to the early urban-rural fringe areas of antiquity-the Nile Valley, Mesopotamia, and the Indus River. Urban developments have occurredand taken land from farming-wherever agricultural production, itself dependent upon a moderate climate, has stimulated marketing and trade activities as well as population growth and concentration. Conversion of land from agricultural to nonagricultural use is a normal aspect of economic growth. The historic abundance of natural resources available for man's use has been largely responsible for an almost congenital lack of concern for these resources by their users. California, long considered a state with limitless land and water resources, has only very recently awakened to the fact that a population explosion and attendant urbanization may be posing a serious threat to the stability of its economically important agricultural sector. During the decade of the 1920's, concern developed over both actual and potential water shortages. Eventually-after at times violent debate and study-plans were developed and are being put into effect to develop California water resources with a maximum of social and economic product and a minimum of economic cost and social waste. Although not all water-oriented resource problems are solved as yet, at least effective progress is being made for the long-run conservation use of this limited resource in an urbanizing economy characterized by a strong irrigationbased agricultural sector. Concern over land resources has been slower to develop. Interest in greenbelts, open space, loss of agricultural land, and conservation of prime agricultural land is a recent development [11]. It is only in the postwar era that serious land-use competition problems have emerged requiring that major attention be directed to land resources. The particular combination of natural conditions that first stimulated a highly specialized agriculture has also attracted and stimulated a rapidly expanding urban population. This in turn has begun to compete with agriculture-and fre-
Simian Enterovirus SV2 Hemagglutination Studies. II. Effect of Various Treatments on the Hemagglutinin and Its Cell Receptors.

SummaryA study was made of the effect of various chemical, physical and enzymatic treatments on the receptor activity of rhesus RBC and PMK for SV2 virus. The results indicate that the receptors are lipoprotein in nature and similar to one another on both types of cell.
Generalist-Specialist Jurisdiction and Work Boundaries: An Ethnography of Hospitalist Integrators

Many professional service organizations are experiencing increasing levels of specialization. However, with increasing specialization, there arises a growing tension between organizational differen...
ANÁLISE DA ESTRUTURA DA REDE DE SUPRIMENTO E DISTRIBUIÇÃO DO SISTEMA DE MATERIAL AERONÁUTICO DA FORÇA AÉREA BRASILEIRA

Este estudo analisou em que medida a estrutura da Rede de Suprimento e Distribuicao do Sistema de Material Aeronautico influencia o custo de armazenagem e de distribuicao. Esta analise e de fundamental importância para as atividades logisticas da Forca Aerea, pois o exame desta estrutura apresenta as condicoes essenciais para o bom gerenciamento dos servicos de transporte e armazenagem. Para este estudo, empregou-se a pesquisa de natureza descritiva, utilizando, para procedimento de coletas de dados, pesquisa bibliografica e de levantamento com dados. Com referencial teorico de Ballou (2006), a pesquisa mostra o comportamento dos custos de armazenagem e de distribuicao na estrutura atual e uma estrutura centralizada. Ao final, comparam-se os custos das duas estruturas evidenciando que a estrutura centralizada resulta em uma economia de 54,8% nos custos de armazenagem e transporte. Palavras-chave: Armazenagem; Centralizacao de Estoque; Custo Logistico; Distribuicao .
Model and Solution Methodology Research of Robust Collaborative Optimization

To improve the efficiency of calculation of robust collaborative optimization(RCO) model and the optimization performance of solution method,a new robust collaborative optimization model based on IUP(SIUPRCO) and an improved solution method(IRCORM) are presented.The solution of global sensitivity equation is avoided and the efficiency of calculation is improved in SIUPRCO model.In the initial stage of IRCORM algorithm,to avoid the phenomenon that the optimization results of RCO usually converge to the local extremum,the dynamic penalty function method is adopted to get the global extremum without considering the uncertainty factor and the optimization result is used as the initial point of RCO.The Pareto-optimal solutions are obtained by using traversal combination method.Two typical examples are adopted to test the two presented methods.The results show that the SIUPRCO model is reasonable and the IRCORM method has good optimization performance.
On a General Projection Algorithm for Set-valued Quasivariational Inequalities

The new class of generalized nonlinear strongly implicit quasivariational inequalities for setvalued mappings was studied.It is proved that the solutions of the generalized nonlinear strongly implicit quasivaritional inequalities are equal to the solutions of a class of fixed point problem by using the projection method.The iterative algorithm based on the fixed point problem was constructed.The existence of solutions are proved for the generalized nonlinear strongly implicit quasivariational inequalities for setvalued mappings without compactness.Meantime,it is proved that iterative sequences generated by the algorithm converge to the solution of the generalized nonlinear strongly implicit quasivariational inequalities.
Biosynthesis and Function of Modified Bases in Bacteria and Their Viruses

Naturally occurring modification of the canonical A, G, C, and T bases can be found in the DNA of cellular organisms and viruses from all domains of life. Bacterial viruses (bacteriophages) are a particularly rich but still underexploited source of such modified variant nucleotides. The modifications conserve the coding and base-pairing functions of DNA, but add regulatory and protective functions. In prokaryotes, modified bases appear primarily to be part of an arms race between bacteriophages (and other genomic parasites) and their hosts, although, as in eukaryotes, some modifications have been adapted to convey epigenetic information. The first half of this review catalogs the identification and diversity of DNA modifications found in bacteria and bacteriophages. What is known about the biogenesis, context, and function of these modifications are also described. The second part of the review places these DNA modifications in the context of the arms race between bacteria and bacteriophages. It focuses p...
YopT is a cysteine protease cleaving Rho family GTPases.

We have demonstrated that YopT recognizes the prenylated Rho GTPases (RhoA, Rac and Cdc42) in the host cell and executes a proteolytic cleavage at the C termini of the GTPases. This cleavage leads to the removal of the prenylated cysteine on the GTPases, which results in the membrane detachment of the GTPases. The model of YopT action is depicted in Figure 1. The proteolytic activity towards Rho GTPases described here is responsible for its known cytotoxicity. In addition, the proteolytic triad (C 139, H2598 and D274) is conserved in the entire YopT family of bacterial virulence factors, suggesting that the YopT defines a novel family of cysteine protease functioning in bacterial pathogenesis.
Common Genetic Variation in CYP17A1 and Response to Abiraterone Acetate in Patients with Metastatic Castration-Resistant Prostate Cancer

Treatment with abiraterone acetate and prednisone (AA/P) prolongs survival in metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. We evaluated the genetic variation in CYP17A1 as predictive of response to AA/P. A prospective collection of germline DNA prior to AA/P initiation and follow-up of a mCRPC cohort was performed. Five common single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in CYP17A1 identified using a haplotype-based tagging algorithm were genotyped. Clinical outcomes included biochemical response and time to biochemical progression on AA/P. Logistic regression was used to assess the association between tag SNPs and biochemical response. Proportional hazards regression was used to assess the association between tag SNPs and time to biochemical progression. Odds or hazard ratio per minor allele were estimated and p-values below 0.05 were considered statistically significant. Germline DNA was successfully genotyped for four tag SNPs in 87 patients. The median age was 73 years (54–90); the median prostate-specific antigen was 66 ng/dL (0.1–99.9). A single SNP, rs2486758, was associated with lower odds of experiencing a biochemical response (Odds ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval 0.07–0.63, p = 0.005) and a shorter time to biochemical progression (Hazard ratio 2.23, 95% confidence interval 1.39–3.56, p < 0.001). This tag SNP located in the promoter region of CYP17A1 will need further validation as a predictive biomarker for AA/P therapy.
Understanding the Greenhouse Effect and the Ozone Shield: An Index of Scientific Literacy among University Students

The authors administered a survey to nearly 1400 college students to assess their understanding of the greenhouse effect and stratospheric ozone shield. This survey addressed basic scientific under...
Spinal A-V Malformation in a Neonate

A newborn male infant with flaccid paraplegia, without contractures, deformities or atrophy, caused by an arteriovenous malformation (AVM) of the dorsal spinal cord, is reported from the Depts Neurosurgery and Pediatrics, Hospital Infantil Nino Jesus and Dept Neuroradiology, Hospital Infantil La Paz, Madrid, Spain.
Complete and partial hydatidiform moles: cytogenetic and morphological aspects.

Although records of molar pregnancies reach back to antiquity, the fetal origin of hydatidiform moles was established only at the end of the last century. The elucidation of the relationship with choriocarcinoma as well as the occurrence of nongestational cancers followed during the next decade (1). Several generations later, many of the mysteries still remain, but new insights in the field of trophoblastic disease are now being gained rapidly, mainly through the study of the chromosomal composition of hydatidiform moles. The latter inquiry into correlation with morphology has allowed the delineation of at least two distinct molar syndromes: the complete, diploid, androgenetic mole of a 46,XX or 46,XY karyotype without an embryo/fetus; and the partial mole with a fetus and a 69,XXY, XXX, or XYY karyotype. Only the classic, complete mole retains at present a known association with chorionic cancer.
Phase I Results from a Study of Crizotinib in Combination with Erlotinib in Patients with Advanced Nonsquamous Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer.

Abstract Introduction This phase I trial was conducted to determine the safety, maximum tolerated dose (MTD)/recommended phase II dose, and efficacy of crizotinib plus erlotinib in patients with advanced NSCLC. Methods Patients with NSCLC and an Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group performance status of 0 to 2 after failure of one or two prior chemotherapy regimens were eligible. Erlotinib, 100 mg, was given continuously once daily starting between day −14 and −7; crizotinib, 200 mg twice daily (dose level 1) or 150 mg twice daily (dose level −1), was added continuously beginning on day 1 of treatment cycle 1. Potential pharmacokinetic interactions between crizotinib and erlotinib were evaluated. Results Twenty-seven patients received treatment; 26 received crizotinib plus erlotinib. Frequent adverse events were diarrhea, rash, decreased appetite, and fatigue. Dose-limiting toxicities were dehydration, diarrhea, dry eye, dysphagia, dyspepsia, esophagitis and vomiting. The MTD was crizotinib, 150 mg twice daily, with erlotinib, 100 mg once daily. Crizotinib increased the erlotinib area under the concentration-time curve 1.5-fold (dose level −1) and 1.8-fold (dose level 1). The plasma level of crizotinib appeared to be unaffected by coadministration of erlotinib. Two patients whose tumors harbored activating EGFR mutations achieved confirmed partial responses, one at each crizotinib dose level. Conclusions The MTD of the combination of crizotinib and erlotinib in patients with advanced NSCLC was crizotinib, 150 mg twice daily, with erlotinib, 100 mg once daily, which is less than the approved dose of either agent. The phase II portion of the study was not initiated.
Queen personality type predicts nest-guarding behaviour, colony size and the subsequent collective aggressiveness of the colony

The founding individuals of a new group or lineage are uniquely poised to have long-lasting effects on their descendants. Here we explore how the behavioural traits of new foundresses influence their task allocation strategies and the downstream collective behaviour of their colonies. We collected individual paper wasp (Polistes metricus) queens from the wild and measured their boldness, aggressiveness, exploration, activity and time budgets in the laboratory. We then provided queens with food and nest materials and waited for their workers to eclose. We subsequently tested for links between queen behavioural traits (e.g. boldness, aggressiveness) and the collective aggressiveness of their colonies, as estimated by the number of workers that responded to and stung a model predator. We found that bolder queens (i.e. queens that were less likely to leave their nests after repeated exposure to an agonistic stimulus) spent more time nest guarding, reared more workers and produced groups that were less responsive to a model predator. Thus, there appears to be parent–offspring, or queen–worker, resemblance in the degree to which individuals remain on their nests in different social contexts (solitary queen versus queen + her worker group). To our knowledge this represents the first study to explicitly test for links between individual variation in foundress behaviour, worker production and intercolony collective behaviour; the results highlight the possibility that cross-contextual and transgenerational behavioural links could be a reasonably common and potentially important phenomenon in complex societies.
Resilience in next-generation embedded systems

Abstract This chapter presents a unique framework that overcomes a major challenge in the design of rugged embedded systems: achieve desired resilience targets at minimal costs (energy, power, execution time, area) by combining resilience techniques across various layers of the system stack (circuit, logic, architecture, software, algorithm). This is also referred to as cross-layer resilience. This framework automatically and systematically explores the large space of comprehensive resilience techniques and their combinations across various layers of the system stack, derives cost-effective solutions that achieve resilience targets at minimal costs, and provides guidelines for the design of new resilience techniques.
Prevention of heart disease and healthcare delivery in South Africa : challenges and opportunities

Africa is a vast and diverse continent, and this is reflected in multiple facets of healthcare prevention and delivery. Africa also shares with many other lower- and middle-income countries (LMIC) the spectre of a global epidemic of cardiovascular disease in juxtaposition with a considerable burden of communicable diseases.(1) This supplement of the South African Heart Association Journal is centred around the Southern African region, but it addresses a wide range of timely issues of relevance not only to other regions of the continent but in the context of LMIC and newly industrialised nations around the world. The concept of the “epidemiologic transition” provides a very useful framework for understanding epidemiological trends in cardiovascular disease against a backdrop of profound changes in many societies evolving from a rural to an urban environment and in the face of challenges posed by the newly industrialised societies.