cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SeeCode --- A Code Review Plug-in for Eclipse

It is well known that code reviews are among the most effective techniques for finding bugs [2, 3, 4]. In this paper, we describe a code review tool, SeeCode, which supports the code review process. SeeCode is an Eclipse plug-in and thus naturally integrates into the developer's working environment. It supports a distributed review environment and the various roles used in a review meeting. Reviewers can review the code at the same time, either through a virtual or a face-to-face meeting, or at different times. Review comments and Author navigation through the code are visible to all reviewers. Review comments are associated with line numbers, and the association is maintained when the code is changed by the developer. The integration with the Eclipse [8] Integrated Development Environment (IDE) enables easy code navigation, which is required especially when object-oriented code is reviewed. SeeCode also supports a quantitative feedback mechanism that reports the effectiveness of the ongoing review effort. This feedback is updated as the review progresses, and can be utilized by the review moderator to keep the review process on track. SeeCode has been piloted by several IBM groups with good feedback. The distributed review feature and integration with the IDE are particularly noted by users as key features.
Analysis in human immunodeficiency virus type 1 vectors of cis-acting sequences that affect gene transfer into human lymphocytes.

Abstract Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) can be used to generate recombinant viral vectors for delivery of heterologous genes to human CD4-positive lymphocytes. To define the cis-acting sequences required for efficient gene transfer, a number of HIV-1 vectors containing a previously identified packaging signal, long terminal repeats, and additional gag, pol, and env viral sequences were designed. By providing the viral proteins in trans, recombinant viruses were generated and analyzed for their abilities to transfer genes into human T lymphocytes. Inclusion of up to 653 nucleotides derived from the 5' end of the gag gene in the vector improved the efficiency of gene transfer, but inclusion of additional gag or pol sequences did not further improve this efficiency. The increased efficiency of gene transfer associated with the inclusion of 5' gag sequences in the vector arose, at least in part, from an increase in the packaging of vector RNA. The presence of the Rev-responsive element (RRE) increased the efficiency of transfer of vectors containing significant lengths of gag sequence, as expected from the Rev requirement for nucleus-to-cytoplasm transport of unspliced vector RNA containing intact packaging signals. However, the presence of a RRE did not affect the transfer efficiency of smaller vectors lacking significant lengths of gag sequences, arguing against a specific role for the RRE in packaging or vector transfer. These results contribute to an understanding of the minimal cis-acting sequences that operate in the context of HIV-1 vectors for delivering genes into human lymphocytes.
Neoplastic development in airway epithelium.

Publisher Summary Bronchogenic carcinoma is the most common fatal neoplastic disease in many parts of the world. The etiology of bronchogenic carcinoma is more firmly established than that of most other cancers. The evidence is overwhelming that most lung cancers are caused by tobacco smoke inhalation, the incidence depending on the duration of exposure and dose rate. Bronchogenic carcinoma is one of the few types of cancers with a well-defined etiology. However, factors, other than carcinogen exposure, which are important determinants of lung cancer induction are not certain. With the recent introduction of in vivo and in vitro approaches for the study of neoplastic development and the advances in culture systems that can be used for investigating the transformation of airway epithelial cells, the cellular analysis of the biologic potential of dysplastic airway lesions and the progression of initiated cells is now feasible. The chapter summarizes and critically analyzes primarily the information relevant to the induction and development of those cells and tissue changes that may progress to invasive cancer. Future investigations will no doubt lead to the discovery of new markers of neoplastic transformation and to a more complete understanding of the multiphasic process of neoplastic development as it occurs in the epithelial lining of the airways.
Polymerized model biomembranes

Caracteristiques de liposomes polymerises: developpement dans leur emploi comme biomembranes modeles
Thirdhand Smoke in the Homes of Medically Fragile Children: Assessing the Impact of Indoor Smoking Levels and Smoking Bans.

INTRODUCTION Thirdhand smoke (THS) residue results from secondhand smoke, and is emerging as a distinct public health hazard, particularly for medically fragile pediatric patients living with smokers. THS is difficult to remove and readily reacts with other pollutants to form carcinogens and ultrafine particles. This study investigated THS found in homes of high-risk infants admitted to a neonatal intensive care unit and their association with characteristics (eg, number of household smokers) hypothesized to influence THS. METHODS Baseline data from 141 hospitalized infants' homes were analyzed, along with follow-up data (n = 22) to explore household smoking characteristics and THS changes in response to indoor smoking ban policies. RESULTS Households with an indoor ban, in which not more than 10 cigarettes/d were smoked, had the lowest levels of THS contamination compared to homes with no ban (P < .001) and compared to homes with an indoor ban in which greater numbers of cigarettes were smoked (P < .001). Importantly, homes with an indoor ban in which at least 11 cigarettes/d were smoked were not different from homes without a ban. The follow-up sample of 22 homes provided initial evidence indicating that, unless a ban was implemented, THS levels in homes continued to increase over time. CONCLUSIONS Preliminary longitudinal data suggest that THS may continue to accumulate in homes over time and household smoking bans may be protective. However, for homes with high occupant smoking levels, banning indoor smoking may not be fully adequate to protect children from THS. Unless smoking is reduced and bans are implemented, medically fragile children will be exposed to the dangers of THS.
Studies on the effects of infusion of enzyme inhibitors on mouse adenosine deaminase.

Two inhibitors of adenosine deaminase, 9- erythro -(2-hydroxy-3-nonyl)adenine (EHNA) and 9-β-D-arabinofuranosyl-6-hydroxylaminopurine (ara-HA), which represent relatively tight and weak binding substrate analogues, respectively, were infused into mice over a period of 5 days. Nine different tissues were excised, and adenosine deaminase activity levels, as well as selected kinetic parameters and electrophoretic variants, were characterized. Isoelectric focusing demonstrated two variants (adenosine deaminases I and II) that focused in the pH range 4.65-4.75 and exhibited an approximate apparent molecular weight of 36,000 by gel filtration. The ratio of these two forms, which differed from tissue to tissue, was unaffected by the inhibitor infusions. Striking increases in adenosine deaminase activity were observed after the infusions and were found to vary with the tissue as well as the nature and dose of inhibitor. Activities in the lung, stomach, liver, and jejunum increased by about 8-, 3-, 3-, and 2-fold, respectively, after infusion of no more than 0.6 mg/ml of EHNA. Other tissues displayed significant but smaller increases. The effects of ara-HA were generally smaller than those of EHNA, except in the jejunum, ileum, and thymus. Inhibition of adenosine deaminase in vitro by EHNA, and to a lesser extent by ara-HA, also varied from tissue to tissue, but did not correlate with the ratio of adenosine deaminases I and II. Adenosine deaminase partially purified from mice treated with a higher dose of EHNA (5.0-7.5 mg/ml) displayed a significantly lower K i value for EHNA; smaller decreases were noted in the K m , for adenosine. The most striking change was observed in the K m of adenosine deaminase II for EHNA, which changed from 14.9 nM (control) to 3.1 nM (after infusion). By classical Ackermann-Potter plots EHNA was shown not to be a titrating or stoichiometric inhibitor either before or after the infusions. EHNA in all cases showed classical competition with substrate. The data may be of value in the development of combined chemotherapy regimens involving adenosine deaminase inhibitors as well as in understanding the molecular basis of the role of adenosine deaminase in regulating cell division.
Bile diversion to the distal small intestine has comparable metabolic benefits to bariatric surgery

Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) is highly effective in reversing obesity and associated diabetes. Recent observations in humans suggest a contributing role of increased circulating bile acids in mediating such effects. Here we use a diet-induced obesity (DIO) mouse model and compare metabolic remission when bile flow is diverted through a gallbladder anastomosis to jejunum, ileum or duodenum (sham control). We find that only bile diversion to the ileum results in physiologic changes similar to RYGB, including sustained improvements in weight, glucose tolerance and hepatic steatosis despite differential effects on hepatic gene expression. Circulating free fatty acids and triglycerides decrease while bile acids increase, particularly conjugated tauro-β-muricholic acid, an FXR antagonist. Activity of the hepatic FXR/FGF15 signalling axis is reduced and associated with altered gut microbiota. Thus bile diversion, independent of surgical rearrangement of the gastrointestinal tract, imparts significant weight loss accompanied by improved glucose and lipid homeostasis that are hallmarks of RYGB.
Role of the pheromone-inducible surface protein Asc10 in mating aggregate formation and conjugal transfer of the Enterococcus faecalis plasmid pCF10.

The high transfer frequency of pheromone-inducible conjugative plasmids of Enterococcus faecalis in liquid culture is due in part to the formation of mating aggregates. These aggregates result from the interaction of two surface components, aggregation substance (AS), which is plasmid encoded, and the chromosomally encoded binding substance (BS). In the accompanying paper (S.-M. Kao, S. B. Olmsted, A. S. Viksnins, J.C. Gallo, G. M. Dunny, J. Bacteriol, 173:7650-7664, 1991), the sequence of the prgB gene encoding the AS molecule (Asc10) produced by pheromone-induced cells carrying plasmid pCF10 is presented. Here we report the results of genetic and immunological experiments which define the role of Asc10 in aggregation and plasmid transfer. These data indicate expression of AS on the surface of an E. faecalis cell and its binding to BS expressed on a second cell are required for the formation of a mating pair and the efficient transfer of pCF10 in liquid matings. However, the orientation of the receptors was not critical for transfer; ie., AS expressed on recipient cells could facilitate plasmid transfer via binding to BS on the donor. Our results suggest that additional (as yet unidentified) products are involved in forming the channel that ultimately serves to transfer the DNA, with AS-BS binding serving primarily to generate the initial attachment between cells. The putative prgC gene product, identified by DNA sequencing (data presented in the accompanying paper), could be involved in transfer events occurring subsequent to aggregation.
Effects of riboflavin on boric acid toxicity

Chronic feeding of rats with 1% boric acid impairs growth more in those on zero riboflavin than in those receiving 133 mcg. riboflavin/100 g. diet. Guinea pigs on a diet containing 28 mcg. riboflavin/100 g. diet show skin changes and a significant mortality when fed 1% boric acid. Toxicity is minimal in riboflavin-repleted animals (1.6 mg./100 g. diet) fed the same level of boric acid. Chicks receiving riboflavin in excess of the accepted growth requirement show a decreased incidence of boric acid toxicity. Intraperitoneal injection of 2-14C-riboflavin results in a significantly greater urinary excretion of labeled riboflavin in boric acid-fed animals than in controls for both rats and guinea pigs. Studies in vitro show that the binding of riboflavin to serum proteins is reduced by borate, even in very low concentrations. It is concluded that riboflavin depletion can be induced by borate.
The private is political: Women and family in intellectual Islam:

In Hiba Ra’uf’s Woman and Political Work, she argues that the family is the basic political unit of the Islamic community or nation (the umma). Her thesis is both feminist and Islamist, as she argues that the ‘private is political’. By drawing analogies between family and umma, family and caliphate, the personal and the political, the private and public, Ra’uf seeks to dismantle the oppositions of secular society, to challenge the division of society into discrete spheres. This entails an implicit challenge to the secular state, but effected through the politics of the family. An Islamic family, she argues, is a powerful site for the transformation of socio-political institutions; a politics of the microcosmic with macrocosmic ramifications, effected through the very embodiment and practice of an Islamic ethos at a grassroots, capillary level. However, though Ra’uf contests liberal secularism’s division of spheres with feminist and Islamist critical methods, she reproduces some of its fundamental assumpti...
Observable subspace solution for irreducible POMDPs with infinite horizon

Cyber--attacks on critical infrastructure have two main properties: (i) they are adversarial processes, and (ii) defenders will not have access to all the information they need. We, therefore, model these problems as discrete-time infinite-horizon partially observable Markov decision processes (POMDPs) with undiscounted average payoff. Our solution creates a model of the observable subspace of the original POMDP, and then finds the control policy of the observable system. This requires neither a priori information nor belief state update. We compare our approach with the currently used value iteration approximation methods. The proposed approach reduces computational overhead, and provides better solutions under certain conditions. Furthermore, the long-run average payoff obtained by our method is predictable, which helps the controller to determine whether the algorithm performance at an acceptable level before implementation.
FEA tool approach for determination of parasitic capacitance of the windings in high frequency coupled inductors filters

Understanding and predicting parasitic winding capacitance in coupled inductor filters is essential to improve the high-frequency filtering performance. At high frequency, the behavior of coupled inductor filter differs from the low frequency and can be dominated by the parasitic inter- and intra-winding capacitances. This paper presents a finite element technique to analyze the high-frequency behavior of the coupled inductor filter in a buck converter. Comparison of the FEA results using JMAG with experimental and empirical formula results show good agreement, supporting the method as a model-based design tool with the potential to significantly reduce the design-prototype-test cycle commonly needed with sophisticated magnetic designs.
Optimizing Czerny–Turner Spectrographs: A Comparison between Analytic Theory and Ray Tracing

The analytic theory of aberrations has been used to derive an expression for the magnitude of the coma width of the image in the meridional plane in a Czerny–Turner spectrograph with unequal mirror radii. The calculated properties of a 4-m spectrograph with equal radii and a recently constructed 3.34-m spectrograph with unequal radii are compared with the results obtained by tracing individual rays. The agreement is excellent, in contrast to the results of Chandler [ J. Opt. Soc. Am.58, 895 ( 1968)]. The lateral position of the grating for complete elimination of coma found experimentally with the 3.34-m instrument is in fair agreement with the theory. A correction to the 3 longitudinal grating position is given for a Czerny–Turner spectrograph which results in a flatter focal surface.
Measuring picosecond excited-state lifetimes at synchrotron sources

A new analysis method for the short excited-state lifetime measurement of photosensitive species in crystals is described. Based on photocrystallographic techniques, this method is an alternative to spectroscopic methods and is also valid for non-luminescent excited species. Two different approaches are described depending on the magnitude of the lifetime τ. For very short lifetimes below the width of the synchrotron pulse, an estimated τ can be obtained from the occurrence of the maximal system response as a function of the pump–probe delay time Δt. More precise estimates for both short and longer lifetimes can be achieved by a refinement of a model of the response as a function of the pump–probe delay time. The method also offers the possibility of the structure determination of excited species with lifetimes in the 40–100 ps range.
Nonopioid Substance Use Disorders and Opioid Dose Predict Therapeutic Opioid Addiction

Abstract Limited research examines the risk of therapeutic opioid addiction (TOA) in patients with chronic noncancer pain. This study examined TOA among 199 patients undergoing long-term opioid therapy at the time of admission to a pain rehabilitation program. It was hypothesized that nonopioid substance use disorders and opioid dosage would predict TOA. Daily mean opioid dose was 132.85 mg ± 175.39. Patients with nonopioid substance use disorders had 28 times the odds (odds ratio [OR] = 28.58; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 10.86, 75.27) of having TOA. Each 50-mg increase in opioid dose nearly doubled the odds of TOA (OR = 1.73; 95% CI = 1.29, 2.32). A 100-mg increase was associated with a 3-fold increase in odds (OR = 3.00; 95% CI = 1.67, 5.41). Receiver operating characteristic analysis revealed that opioid dose was a moderately accurate predictor (area under the curve = .75; 95% CI = .68, .82) of TOA. The sensitivity (.70) and specificity (.68) of opioid dose in predicting TOA was maximized at 76.10 mg; in addition, 46.00 mg yielded 80% sensitivity in identifying TOA. These results underscore the importance of obtaining a substance use history prior to prescribing and suggest a low screening threshold for TOA in patients who use opioids in the absence of improvement in pain or functional impairment. Perspective This article examines TOA in patients with chronic noncancer pain undergoing long-term opioid therapy. Results suggest that patients should be screened for nonopioid substance use disorders prior to prescribing. In the absence of improvement in pain or function, there is a low threshold (∼50 mg daily opioid dose) for addiction screening.
Activities after total elbow arthroplasty

Background Knowledge of patient activities after total elbow arthroplasty may help delineate the true functional gains obtained after replacement. Experience suggests that some patients may perform activities excessively demanding on elbow implants, but compliance with activity restrictions recommended after elbow arthroplasty is largely unknown. Materials and methods All patients who underwent a primary or revision total elbow arthroplasty at a single institution from 2005 to 2007 were surveyed regarding their activity level. The University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) activity score and Mayo Elbow Performance Score were assessed. Patients were also questioned about whether they recalled which activities were not recommended by their surgeon. Results One hundred thirteen completed surveys were analyzed. There were 29 men and 84 women with a mean age of 65 years. Of the patients, 64 had primary and 49 had revision operations. The mean Mayo Elbow Performance Score was 77 points (range, 15-100 points). The mean University of California, Los Angeles activity score was 5 points (range, 1-10 points). Moderate-demand activities were performed by 94% of patients, and high-demand activities were performed by 40% of patients. Male gender and a diagnosis of fracture/nonunion was associated with increased performance of high-demand activities ( P Conclusion Ninety-four percent of patients engaged in moderate-demand activities after total elbow arthroplasty. Forty percent engaged in high-demand activities. Factors correlated with more demanding activities included male gender and diagnosis of fracture/nonunion. The vast majority of patients remembered receiving postoperative restrictions.
Modeling a hox gene network in silico using a stochastic simulation algorithm.

The amount of molecular information that has been gathered about Hox cis-regulatory mechanisms allows us to take the next important step: integrating the results and constructing a higher-level model for the interaction and regulation of the Hox genes. Here, we present the results of our investigation into a cis-regulatory network for the early Hox genes. Instead of using conventional differential equation approaches for analyzing the system, we have adopted the use of a stochastic simulation algorithm (SSA) to model the network. The model allows us to track in detail the behavior of each component of a biochemical pathway and to produce computerized movies of the time evolution of the system that is a result of the dynamic interplay of these various components. The simulation is able to reproduce key features of the wild-type pattern of gene expression, and in silico experiments yield results similar to their corresponding in vivo experiments. This analysis shows the utility of using stochastic methods to model biochemical networks. In addition, the model has suggested several intriguing new results that are currently being investigated in vivo.
Design, fabrication, and characterization of graphene thermistor

This paper reported a new application of graphene that is graphened thermistor. Mono-layer, bi-layer and few-layer graphene devices with different dimensions were designed and fabricated. Temperature sensing behavior of graphene has been studied in a small temperature range from room temperature (RT) to 80°C because this range is important in electronic instrumentations and integrated circuit design. Thermal inertia of the graphenes was studied at a temperature of 80°C and the sensing behavior was characterized by measuring the time response of the normalized resistances. Our preliminary results demonstrated a higher negative temperature coefficient of the bilayer graphene those of mono-layer and few-layer graphenes. In addition, engineered graphene resistance based on its dimension has been investigated. This technique provides a strong candidate for temperature sensing in the micro and nano industrial applications with high reliability, high sensitivity and low cost.
Preparatory state effects in intersensory facilitation

Four trained Ss participated in a task concerned with intersensory facilitation of reaction time (RT). Discriminative RT to a visual event was longer than discriminative RT to a combined auditory-visual event, even though the auditory event by itself was a catch signal. The magnitude of this difference was greater with a long (5.5 sec) as opposed to short (.5 sec) foreperiod delay. This finding supported the hypothesis that the auditory component of the combined event serves a preparatory state role by enhancing response readiness, a role that is manifest to the extent that S’s prior degree of preparation is nonoptimal.
Assignment of the human gene for hexosaminidase B to chromosome 5.

Abstract Mouse-human somatic cell hybrids between different mouse and human cells were studied for the expression of human hexosaminidases A and B activities. The expression of human hexosaminidase B in the hybrids was found to segregate concordantly with the presence of the human chromosome 5. Mouse-human hybrid clones containing either the human chromosomes 5 and 7 only or the human chromosome 7 only were also included in this study. Expression of human hexosaminidase B activity was detected only in those clones containing human chromosome 5. These results indicate that the gene(s) for human hexosaminidase B is located on chromosome 5. No hexosaminidase A activity was detected in clones which contained either human chromosomes 5 and 7 or chromosome 7.
Molecular mechanisms of circadian timekeeping in Drosophila

Molecular and genetic studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster have revealed that the circadian timekeeping mechanism is based on feedback loops in gene expression. These feedback loops, which are highly conserved in mammals, can be divided into temporally distinct transcriptional activation, repression, and reactivation phases. Determining how different phases of the transcriptional feedback cycle are controlled and integrated is necessary to understand the molecular basis of circadian timekeeping. In Drosophila, feedback loop function is initiated when hypophosphorylated CLOCK (CLK) forms a heterodimer with CYCLE (CYC) and binds E-boxes to activate transcription of clock genes including period (per), timeless (tim), vrille (vri), PAR domain protein 1e (Pdp1e), and clockwork orange (cwo). Such activation is reduced in cwo mutants, suggesting that CWO supports CLK-CYC dependent transcription. After PER accumulates to high levels during the night, complexes containing PER, DOUBLETIME (DBT) kinase, and possibly TIM, bind to and remove CLK-CYC from E-boxes to repress transcription. PER-CLK binding isn’t sufficient to remove CLK-CYC from E-boxes, but PER-DBT-mediated hyperphosphorylation of CLK by one or more unidentified kinase(s) coincides with CLK-CYC release from E-boxes, which implies that CLK phosphorylation promotes CLK-CYC release from E-boxes. After lights-on, PER is degraded due to DBT-dependent phosphorylation, thereby releasing CLK-CYC. Over the course of 4–6-h, phosphorylated CLK is then replaced by transcriptionally competent hypophosphorylated CLK to initiate the next cycle of transcription.
Workstation acquisition node for multicenter imaging studies

This site has a contrast as a central data collection and image analysis center for a multilayer study involving four acquisition sites. Magnetic Resonance and Ultrasound studies are to be acquired at the sites and then transmitted via the Internet to the data collection center. This paper will describe the software architecture of a workstation designed to act as a store and forward node at a remote site. The software receives and stores images in DICOM format on the local hard drive. The workstation provides several different mechanisms for removing local identifying patient information and inserting patient and study identifiers which are specific to the multicenter study. After removing or modifying header information, the user may enqueue the data for transmission to the central repository.
The caudate nucleus and avoidance learning: A reevaluation

Previous reviews suggested that caudate nucleus lesions resulted in active avoidance deficits unless the damage was small and antero-dorsally located. A reevaluation of some of the earlier studies along with the incorporation of some recent data, including data presented here for the first time, suggests that it may not be small antero-dorsal lesions that fail to reveal deficits in avoidance learning but small anterior lesions situated between the dorsal and ventral aspects of the caudate nucleus. It was further suggested that relatively low UCS intensities may have contributed to the failure to see deficits following antero-dorsal lesions.
Preoperative Radiochemotherapy in Gastric Cancer: Another Ongoing Shift From Adjuvant to Neoadjuvant?

TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest the article by Ajani et al on preoperative radiochemotherapy in gastric cancer published in the July 15, 2004, issue of the Journal of Clinical Oncology. Since a similar experience published recently by our Geneva group apparently escaped the authors’ attention, I thought it worthwhile to call it to the attention of the Journal’s readers. Indeed, the approach and the chemotherapeutic agents used were quite similar, though the schedule of administration was different. In both series, preoperative radiochemotherapy was associated with remarkably low locoregional recurrence rates, with the peritoneum becoming a major site of failure. The survival rates were also comparable, with approximately 40% overall survival at 5 years. However, as the rate of distant metastases in the Ajani et al series remained very high (distant 45% peritoneum 21%), one might question the value of upfront chemotherapy. Moreover, this approach was associated with two treatment-related deaths (7%), making it difficult to recommend. Based on the results of the two series, future trials might favor concomitant radiochemotherapy using newer active drugs such as taxanes, and the use of intraperitoneal chemotherapy under hyperthermic conditions might be envisioned in case of peritoneal involvement. Finally, I seriously question the authors’ conclusions that major tumor response translates directly into a significant survival advantage. In fact, the overall survival and disease-free survival rates of the whole group were not different compared with the rates reported in the randomized trial of Macdonald et al using postoperative radiochemotherapy. Indeed, good response may reflect less aggressive biologic characteristics of the particular tumor, whose outcome would be favorable regardless of response to adjuvant treatment. The latter argument is clearly supported by the results of the recent randomized trial on preoperative radiochemotherapy in esophageal carcinomas, where similar overall and event-free survival rates were reported. Nevertheless, the results of the Ajani et al add to the evidence suggesting that neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy may be a good option to deal with the problems associated with administration of adjuvant treatment in some tumor locations where we know that surgery alone is inadequate.
Novel breeding box has variable effects on heart rate and cortisol response of cattle

Abstract In seven experiments, cattle of different sex classes (bulls, steers, and cows), age (2–10 years), and breed (Augus, Hereford, and Braford) were subjected, one at a time, to restraint by a standard squeeze chute (cattle crush) or a novel ‘breeding box’ in order to compare each method's effects on heart rate and cortisol. The breeding box held two cattle in adjacent stalls and was covered with plywood to limit outside disturbances and light. The cattle were held in either the squeeze chute or the breeding box for 3 min while five heart rate samples were recorded at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, and 2.5 min after entering the treatment; in four of the experiments, one tail vein blood sample was taken at 3 min for plasma cortisol analysis. In one of the experiments, heart rate responses were greater for the chute restrained cows than for the cows restrained in the breeding box (P
Multiple-quantum NMR in anisotropic phases: Projections of two-dimensional MQNMR spectra

Abstract The use of two-dimensional transform techniques in the observation of multiple-quantum transitions in large spin systems in anisotropic environments is described. In the case of partial resolution in the ω 2 dimension, it is shown that the signal to noise of the projection onto ω 1 of the absolute magnitude two-dimensional multiple-quantum spectrum is considerably greater than that of the Fourier transform of the t 2 = 0 cross section. In practical terms, multiple- quantum transitions of very high order may be observed with good signal to noise after acquisition periods much shorter than previously reported by cross section methods.
From Marxism-Leninism to Ethnicity: The Sideslips of Ethiopian Elitism

For many scholars, colonialism and neocolonial policies remain the root causes of Africa’s numerous impediments, ranging from the persistence of poverty to the ravages of ethnic conflicts. However, the number of scholars who prefer to ascribe these impediments essentially to the persistence of traditional views and methods and to the lack of reforms radical enough to trigger a sustained process of modernization is not negligible. My position contests this either-or debate and identifies the culprit as the rise of African elitism--a phenomenon implicating the specific effect of colonialism in conjunction with internal African contributions. I take the case of Ethiopia as a pertinent illustration of the precedence of elitism over other hindrances. The fact that Ethiopia, though not colonized, has followed the same declining course as other African countries underlines the derailing role of modern education whose embedded Eurocentric orientations were quick to uproot those sectors of Ethiopian society which were exposed to it. The outcome was elitism, which spearheaded the trend of deeper marginalization and incapacitation of the country. But first, let me give a concrete meaning to the concept of elitism.
fMRI features of AD: Distinguishing Alzheimer’s disease from normal aging and other dementias with fMRI

cal deterioration. There is the problem of long-term stability and availability of the imaging instrumentation. Finally, there are issues related to the precision of the sampling of the anatomical-pathology in relatively healthy brains. These factors have hindered accumulation of normal samples of adequate size (considering the low incidence of these clinical transitions), limited repeat observations, and resulted in image analysis solutions with limited anatomical-pathological validity. In a series of longitudinal studies that began approximately 14 years ago with new MRI and PET instrumentation, we initiated longitudinal studies of normal elderly subjects. In this presentation we will describe anatomically validated methods for hippocampal imaging that produced three independent demonstrations that imaging can predict MCI/AD up to nine years in advance [1-3]. These data show that metabolic compromise and atrophy of hippocampal formation structures is increased during a normal aging phase that precedes decline to MCI.
Application of the Normalization Method to Dynamic Fracture Toughness Testing of Alloy 718

The fracture toughness and tensile properties of Alloy 718 were measured at quasi-static and dynamic loading rates for two different heat treatments and two product forms. Two different methods for conducting the dynamic tests were investigated; one involving interrupted tests and the other utilizing a single impact. The interrupted test method used multiple impacts with displacement limits to enable measurement of crack lengths at intermediate points. The normalization method was used to generate tearing resistance curves for the dynamic tests following the guidelines in ASTM Standard Test Method for measurement of Fracture Toughness (E 1820). The analysis pointed out the importance of obtaining a good measurement of load, displacement, and crack length at the point of maximum displacement (the anchor point). As the amount of ductile crack extension increased, the uncertainty in the plasticity function fit also increased. Methods to improve the fit were investigated, including the addition of anchor points from multiple tests, and use of a tangency point to estimate initiation. The resulting curves are compared to ascertain the variability obtained from nominally identical specimens, and to evaluate the effect of loading rate on the plasticity function. The normalization tearing resistance curves are compared with curves generated from the interrupted tests using compliance measurements during unloads to determine crack extension. Good agreement was obtained between the two methods of measuring tearing resistance, thereby validating the normalization analysis. The tests showed that multiple impacts drive down the tearing resistance, which may be significant in applications where a dynamic event causes load fluctuation.
Foreword: Literary Criticism and the Qur'an

The essays collected here open out a broad panorama of literary responses to the Qur’an, from Egypt and Yemen to China and the United States, and students of Comparative and World Literature will find much of interest in these pages. Appropriately so, as the Qur’an is a gift not only to humanity in general but to comparatists in particular. The opening pages of the Qur’an itself invite us to compare its suras to other works we may know, presumably the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament: If you doubt what We have revealed to Our servant, produce one chapter comparable to it (Q. 2:23). Here comparison is intended unilaterally to prove the Qur’an’s excellence, but it is notable that comparison is needed even to show the text’s incomparability. Nor is comparison limited to such exterior or intertextual relations, for just a few lines later (Q. 2:25–6), we learn that God himself is a comparatist:
S-100 protein immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the diagnosis of Langerhans cell proliferative disorders: a comparative assessment.

To better define the roles of S-100 protein immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy in the diagnosis of Langerhans cell proliferative disorders, a comparative assessment of the two techniques was performed using material from 39 cases of histiocytosis X and 2 cases of infantile self-healing reticulohistiocytoma. Both techniques proved highly reliable, but neither alone enabled diagnostic confirmation in all instances. The two techniques proved complementary and used together did enable identification of Langerhans-type histiocytes in all cases studied. Neither was judged clearly superior and both offered certain advantages. Electron microscopy was found overall to be a slightly less sensitive technique, but more specific and less subject to misinterpretation. The S-100 stain was found to be particularly useful in situations where sampling problems were likely to be encountered or where the available specimen was otherwise suboptimal for electron microscopic examination. Because the S-100 stain is the...
Supporting Group-Oriented Mobile Services Transactions

A middleware framework for wireless networks--including 3G/4G--provides solutions for managing transactions in group-oriented mobile services such as auctions, financial services, and multiparty interactive games.
Synthesis, Structure, and Reactivity of Peralkylcyclopentadienyl ansa-Metallocenes of Samarium: Effect of Steric Crowding on the Reactivity of Tris(peralkylcyclopentadienyl)samarium Complexes

Tris(peralkylcyclopentadienyl)samarium complexes containing two rings connected by a Me2Si group were synthesized for comparison with (C5Me5)3Sm. SmI3 reacts with Me2Si(C5Me4K)2 in THF to make Me2Si(C5Me4)2SmI(THF) (1) in >90% yield. 1 reacts with KC5Me5 in toluene to make Me2Si(C5Me4)2Sm(C5Me5) (2a) and in THF to make Me2Si(C5Me4)2Sm(C5Me5)(THF) (2b). 1 reacts with KC5Me4Et, KC5Me4nPr, and KC5Me4iPr in toluene to make Me2Si(C5Me4)2Sm(C5Me4Et) (3), Me2Si(C5Me4)2Sm(C5Me4nPr) (4), and Me2Si(C5Me4)2Sm(C5Me4iPr) (5), respectively. In contrast to the reactivity of (C5Me5)3Sm, complexes 2a and 3−5 do not ring-open THF, do not reduce 1,3,5,7-C8H8 or Ph3PSe, and do not polymerize ethylene at 50 psi. Structural data were obtained on 1, 2a, 2b, and 4. The (ring centroid)−metal−(ring centroid) angles of the Me2Si(C5Me4)2 units in each structure range from 115.2° (2b) to 123.3° (1) and have average Sm−C(ring) distances of 2.70(6) A (1), 2.82(10) A (2a), 2.92(14) A (2b), and 2.83(10) A (4). The average Sm−C(C5Me4R) di...
Mergers and Diversified Growth of Large Grain Firms

Firm growth by merger has received considerable attention because of its potential effects on industry organization and, in turn, economic performance. Early mergers often increased horizontal concentration, but recent ones appear to have been more associated with vertical and conglomerate integration. This study of 35 large firms in grain processing and merchandising industries showed that growth by merger was relatively larger from 1954 to 1963 than from 1940 to 1954. All but eight of the 35 firms became more highly diversified. Increasing diversification was associated positively with initial firm size and the relative importance of external growth.
Multispectral scanning time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) technique for intravascular diagnosis

This study describes a scanning time-resolved fluorescence spectroscopy (TRFS) system designed to continuously acquire fluorescence emission and to reconstruct fluorescence lifetime images (FLIM) from a luminal surface by using a catheter-based optical probe with rotary joint and pull-back device. The ability of the system to temporally and spectrally resolve the fluorescence emission from tissue was validated using standard dyes and tissue phantoms (e.g., ex vivo pig aorta phantom). Current results demonstrate that this system is capable to reliably resolve the fluorescence emission of multiple fluorophores located in the lumen; and suggest its potential for intravascular detection of distinct biochemical features of atherosclerotic plaques.
Bilateral simultaneous orbital decompression for Graves' orbitopathy with a combined endoscopic and Caldwell-Luc approach.

Abstract Graves’ orbitopathy can lead to cosmetic deformity, orbital pain, and visual impairment. Surgical intervention can improve proptosis, cosmetic appearance of the eyelids, vision, and orbital pain with minimal morbidity. Ten patients with dysthyroid orbitopathy underwent concurrent bilateral orbital decompressions. Of these, 9 underwent simultaneous bilateral endoscopic and transantral decompressions, and 1 had only bilateral endoscopic decompressions. Medical management of keratopathy was attempted before surgery. All patients were previously treated with radioiodine and high-dose corticosteroids, and 2 patients had prior low-dose orbital irradiation. Preoperative and postoperative visual acuity, color vision testing, and measurement of proptosis were recorded for all patients. In addition, photographs and CT scans of the orbit and sinuses were done. After surgery, visual acuity improved in 8 patients and remained unchanged in 2 patients. Diplopia in the primary and downward gaze improved in 1 patient and remained unchanged in the 3 others who had it before surgery. Color vision deficits in the blue/yellow range were present in 8 patients before surgery and all reversed within 2 weeks after surgery. Proptosis decreased by an average of 4.83 mm (range 4–7 mm) in patients undergoing the combined decompression and decreased by 4 mm in the 1 patient who had the endoscopic decompression only. Ethmoid sinusitis developed in 1 patient but resolved with oral antibiotics, and another patient had an asymmetric result requiring additional unilateral surgery, which corrected the asymmetry. Overall, this approach avoids external incisions and allows excellent visualization in the regions of the orbital apex and ethmoid roof, facilitating maximal decompression without the increased risk of bleeding or visual disturbances. (Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 2000;122:216-21.)
Growth curve analyses of neuropsychological profiles in children with neurofibromatosis Type 1: Specific cognitive tests remain “Spared” and “Impaired” over time

Cognitive deficits in neurofibromatosis Type 1 (NF-1) have been documented in both the verbal and visuospatial domains. Previous investigations from our laboratory have determined a specific pattern of “spared” (Picture Arrangement, Picture Completion, and Rapid Automatized Naming) and “impaired” (Judgment of Line Orientation, Vocabulary, and Block Design) performance on cognitive measures in this population when compared to sibling-matched controls in pairwise designs. Growth curve analyses were conducted on these repeated measures in 19 patients with NF-1 and their siblings to investigate the longitudinal course and growth pattern of these spared and impaired measures. Results indicated that over time children with NF-1 do not catch up to their siblings on impaired measures, and they continue to perform similarly to their siblings on the spared measures. With respect to growth rates, on average across the 6 cognitive measures there was no significant difference between the groups. However, the variation among families for level of performance was estimated to be larger than variation among siblings within a family for 2 out of 6 cognitive measures (i.e., providing for these 2, Vocabulary and Rapid Automatized Naming, evidence of substantial familial correlation), suggesting that there is need to consider NF-1 associated deficits within a familial context. (JINS, 2002, 8, 838–846.)
Interfacing graphene and related 2D materials with the 3D world

An important prerequisite to translating the exceptional intrinsic performance of 2D materials such as graphene and transition metal dichalcogenides into useful devices precludes their successful integration within the current 3D technology. This review provides theoretical insight into nontrivial issues arising from interfacing 2D materials with 3D systems including epitaxy and ways to accommodate lattice mismatch, the key role of contact resistance and the effect of defects in electrical and thermal transport.
Stimulated parotid gland flow rates in healthy, elderly dentulous and edentulous individuals

The use of dentures has been associated with increased stimulated parotid salivary flow rates (SPFR). A comparison of SPFRs was made between dentulous subjects having 20+ teeth (n = 190) and edentulous individuals (n = 67). Two different populations were selected, a white group from the Baltimore Longitudinal Study of Aging and an African-American group from the Washington Village Medical Center in Baltimore. Each group was healthy and unmedicated and had a mean age of 70.2 years. SPFR was determined with a Carlson-Crittenden cup and 2% citrate for stimulation. The edentulous subjects did not wear their dentures during salivary collection. The results indicated a significantly lower SPFR in dentate individuals compared with edentulous subjects (p < 0.01). Dentulous men also had a lower SPFR than edentulous men (p < 0.04). In addition, a pre- and postsurgical evaluation of 10 individuals who underwent full mouth tooth extractions revealed no differences in SPFR. These results suggest that edentulism per se does not have a deleterious effect on stimulated parotid salivary flow rates.
Is a serotonergic mechanism involved in 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD)-induced appetite suppression in the Sprague-Dawley rat?

The major cause of TCDD-induced death in rats is a progressive voluntary feed refusal which has been correlated with reduced gluconeogenesis. Since centrally administered TCDD does not cause death or decreased feed intake in rats, the ability of TCDD to suppress appetite via peripheral mechanisms acting on the central nervous system was examined in two experimental models. First, it was found that the feed intake of rats on scheduled feeding cycles was not decreased by blood transfused from rats with TCDD-induced appetite suppression (8 days after a lethal dose of TCDD, i.p.). In contrast, a similar transfusion from normal, satiated rats did reduce feed intake of recipient rats by approximately 40%, suggesting that TCDD-treated rats are not satiated but rather that they are not hungry. In the second study tryptophan (the amino acid precursor of the neurotransmitter serotonin) was measured in the plasma and tryptophan, serotonin, norepinephrine and dopamine in the hypothalamus as well as dopamine and its metabolites in the striatum 4, 8, and 16 days after TCDD dosage (125 μg/kg, i.p.). Progressive time-dependent increases in tryptophan levels in plasma and brain were paralleled by increases in brain serotonin and 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (the primary metabolite of serotonin) in TCDD-treated rats. No changes were observed regarding the other biogenic amines. It is suggested based on these data and on substantial evidence from the published literature that a serotonergic mechanism may be involved in TCDD-induced feed intake reduction.