cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
A lightweight, flow-based toolkit for parallel and distributed bioinformatics pipelines

Background: Bioinformatic analyses typically proceed as chains of data-processing tasks. A pipeline, or ‘workflow’, is a well-defined protocol, with a specific structure defined by the topology of data-flow interdependencies, and a particular functionality arising from the data transformations applied at each step. In computer science, the dataflow programming (DFP) paradigm defines software systems constructed in this manner, as networks of message-passing components. Thus, bioinformatic workflows can be naturally mapped onto DFP concepts. Results: To enable the flexible creation and execution of bioinformatics dataflows, we have written a modular framework for parallel pipelines in Python (’PaPy’). A PaPy workflow is created from re-usable components connected by data-pipes into a directed acyclic graph, which together define nested higher-order map functions. The successive functional transformations of input data are evaluated on flexibly pooled compute resources, either local or remote. Input items are processed in batches of adjustable size, all flowing one to tune the trade-off between parallelism and lazy-evaluation (memory consumption). An add-on module (’NuBio’) facilitates the creation of bioinformatics workflows by providing domain specific data-containers (e.g., for biomolecular sequences, alignments, structures) and functionality (e.g., to parse/write standard file formats). Conclusions: PaPy offers a modular framework for the creation and deployment of parallel and distributed dataprocessing workflows. Pipelines derive their functionality from user-written, data-coupled components, so PaPy also can be viewed as a lightweight toolkit for extensible, flow-based bioinformatics data-processing. The simplicity and flexibility of distributed PaPy pipelines may help users bridge the gap between traditional desktop/workstation and grid computing. PaPy is freely distributed as open-source Python code at http://muralab.org/PaPy, and includes extensive documentation and annotated usage examples.
Noise Investigation at VLF by the National Bureau of Standards

The principal objective of the Radio Noise Section at the National Bureau of Standards is the establishment of a regular service for predicting the levels and characteristics of radio noise. The various steps necessary to establish such a service at NBS are summarized. The characteristics of atmospheric noise vary with location, frequency, and time, and methods of dealing with these variations are discussed. Also discussed are new predictions of world-wide noise levels which have been prepared for the International Radio Consultative Committee (CCIR).
Pandora's Box and Non-Selfdual Topological Excitations

In the last few years, we have realized the existence of a new class of topological excitations, which are rather distinct from the platonic world of monopoles, monopole-instantons and instantons. All of the latter arise as solutions of the Prasad-Sommerfield type first order differential (self-duality) equations and have been extensively discussed in the context of confinement and chiral symmetry breaking for the last 30 years. However, new calculable deformations of asymptotically free chiral and vector-like gauge theories give us a new picture of these physical phenomena. Most often, the excitations which lead to confinement are not solutions to PS-type equations, they are non-selfdual and they are often bizarre. They are referred to as magnetic bions, triplets, and quintets, due to their composite nature. Bizarre as they are, combined with large-N volume independence, these novel non-self-dual excitations may also provide hope that at least some non-abelian gauge theories may be solvable.
TRIVIOCRACY: SAYRE'S LAW REVISITED

Triviocracy is a generalized organizational phenomenon; to the outsider or casual participant, the goals or issues which members of the organization pursue have little or no overt relationship to the well-being of the organization; and once attained, these goals do not appear to help individuals in pursuit of their professional goals in any easily desirable way. In this paper will will explore the concept of triviocracy in some depth, describe the process that unfolds and examine the dynamics of triviocracy and its functions and dysfunctions.
Nuclear Factor of Activated T Cells Transcription Factor Nfatp Controls Superantigen-Induced Lethal Shock

Tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α) is the key mediator of superantigen-induced T cell lethal shock. Here, we show that nuclear factor of activated T cells transcription factor, NFATp, controls susceptibility to superantigen-induced lethal shock in mice through its activation of TNF-α gene transcription. In NFATp-deficient mice, T cell stimulation leads to delayed induction and attenuation of TNF-α mRNA levels, decreased TNF-α serum levels, and resistance to superantigen-induced lethal shock. By contrast, after lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge, serum levels of TNF-α and susceptibility to shock are unaffected. These results demonstrate that NFATp is an essential activator of immediate early TNF-α gene expression in T cells and they present in vivo evidence of the inducer- and cell type–specific regulation of TNF-α gene expression. Furthermore, they suggest NFATp as a potential selective target in the treatment of superantigen-induced lethal shock.
The role of temperature variability in stabilizing the mountain pine beetle-fungus mutualism.

As global climate patterns continue to change and extreme weather events become increasingly common, it is likely that many ecological interactions will be affected. One such interaction is the multipartite symbiosis that exists between the mountain pine beetle and two species of fungi, Grosmannia clavigera and Ophiostoma montium. In this mutualism, the fungi provide nutrition to the beetle, while the fungi benefit by being dispersed to new host trees. Multi-partite mutualisms are predicted to be unstable due to strong direct competition among symbionts or natural selection for superior over inferior mutualists. However, this mutualism has remained stable over long periods of evolutionary time. In this paper, we developed a temperature-based model for the spread of fungi within a tree and connected it to an existing model for mountain pine beetle development. Using this integrated model for fungal growth, we explored the possibility that temperature variability is a stabilizing mechanism for the mountain pine beetle–fungi mutualism. Of the three types of temperature variability we tested: intra-year, inter-year and variability due to transitioning between different thermal habitats (thermal migration), we found that thermal migration was the most robust stabilizing mechanism. Additionally, we found that the MPB attack density or spacing between fungal lesions also had a significant effect on the stability of the system. High attack densities or close lesion spacings also tended to stabilize the system, regardless of temperature.
Canceling the ISI Due to Finite S/H Bandwidth in a Circular Buffer Forward Equalizer

In an analog discrete-time circular buffer forward equalizer (FE), finite bandwidth in the sample-and-hold (S/H) circuit can introduce significant intersymbol interference (ISI) that degrades the FE performance. This brief investigates the effect of the finite S/H bandwidth and presents two methods to equalize the ISI introduced by the finite S/H bandwidth. The first method uses a decision-feedback equalizer (DFE) that has nonuniform delays between its taps. The second method uses a DFE that has uniform delays between its taps, allows more time in the first DFE feedback loop, and requires fewer DFE taps at the expense of additional FE taps. Simulation results show that when the proposed methods equalize a 100-m CAT5 cable and a backplane channel, the signal-to-noise ratio improvement is at least 1 and 0.8 dB, respectively, for bit error rates <; 10-6 .
Shoreline Changes on the Louisiana Barrier Coast

Deltaic barrier systems in Louisiana are presently experiencing a period of severe erosion. By using detailed photogrammetric measurements and digitization of individual island areas, it has been possible to provide a new and comprehensive evaluation of shoreline change along 250km of the Louisiana barrier coast. When combined with a new model for deltaic barrier evolution, these data provide an understanding of the natural mechanisms and man-made interventions underlying the present erosion problems.
ASYMPTOTICS OF THE GENERALIZED EXPONENTIAL INTEGRAL, AND ERROR BOUNDS IN THE UNIFORM ASYMPTOTIC SMOOTHING OF ITS STOKES DISCONTINUITIES

Uniform asymptotic approximations are derived for the generalized exponential integral E$_{p}$(z), where p is real and z complex. Both the cases p $\rightarrow \infty $ and $|$z$|\rightarrow \infty $ are considered. For the case p $\rightarrow \infty $ an expansion in inverse powers of p is derived, which involves elementary functions and readily computed coefficients, and is uniformly valid for -$\pi $ + $\delta \leq $ arg(z) $\leq \pi $ - $\delta $ (where $\delta $ is an arbitrary small positive constant). An approximation for large p involving the complementary error function is also derived, which is valid in an unbounded z-domain which contains the negative real axis. The case $|$z$|\rightarrow \infty $ is then considered, and uniform asymptotic approximations are derived, which involve the complementary error function in the first approximation, and the parabolic cylinder function in an expansion. Both approximations are valid for values of p satisfying 0 $\leq $ p $\leq|$z$|$ + a, where a is bounded, uniformly for -$\pi $ + $\delta \leq $ arg(z) $\leq $ 3$\pi $ - $\delta $. These are examples of the so-called Stokes smoothing theory which was initiated by Berry. The novelty of the new Stokes smoothing approximations is that they include explicit and realistic error bounds, as do all the other approximations in the present investigation.
Identification of the Expression Level to LH-r Gene In dominant and Cystic Ovarian Follicles Cells of the Cows

The present study was carried out to investigate the possible etiology and pathology of cystic ovarian follicles by determining the expression levels of mRNA for LH-r gene in follicular cells of dominant follicles in comparison with cystic ovarian follicles in Iraqi cows. This study were performed in two steps, firstly aspiration of follicular fluids from dominant follicles and cystic follicles and stored in (-20 ℃) until estradiol and progesterone assay, secondary section of the follicular wall in to two hemispheres, and stored at -70 ℃ to -80 ℃ to molecular study. The macroscopic examination of the ovaries revealed that the numbers of dominant follicles are [1] samples while cystic follicles were in [2] samples. There was a significant difference (P<0.05) in the diameter of cystic ovarian follicles (37.56 ± 0.64 mm) compared with dominant follicles (19.93 ± 0.32 mm). Results of hormonal assay showed higher estradiol-17β (865.96±10.64 ng/ml) and progesterone (84.8±1.35 ng/ml) concentrations in follicular fluids of cystic ovarian follicles, which were significantly higher (P<0.05) in comparison with those of dominant follicles which were (314.39±2.55 ng/ml) and (50.25±1.57 ng/ml) respectively. Molecular study, to evaluate the relative quantification of LH-r gene in dominant and cystic follicular cells, has been done by extraction of the total RNA and assay its concentration from these cells, synthesis data of the complementary DNA (cDNA), that done by reverse transcription PCR (q-RT-PCR) technique, of target gene and compared of the gene expression in dominant and cystic follicular cells, the our results referred to down regulation of LH-r gene expression in follicular cells of the cystic ovarian follicles, that may be assistance to understand the etiology and pathology of this case (disease), thus the up-regulation of the this gene in cells of dominant follicles may explain the important role of the LH in ovulation mechanism and increasing follicular ovulation chance.
Detection of hepatitis C viral sequences in formalin‐fixed, paraffin‐embedded liver tissue: Effect of interferon alpha therapy

To determine the effect of interferon-α (IFN) therapy on hepatitis C virus (HCV) in liver, reverse transcription “nested” polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was applied to detect HCV RNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens obtained before and at the end of IFN therapy in 42 patients with chronic HCV infection. Results were correlated with the clinical and biochemical outcome in 36 cases. Fifteen patients were nonresponders to IFN; 13 patients had a complete response to IFN but relapsed shortly after IFN was stopped (responders who relapsed); and 8 patients showed a complete and sustained response to IFN therapy (sustained responders). Total RNA was extracted using proteinase K digestion and phenol/chloroform/ isoamyl alcohol extraction, and HCV RNA was detected by standard RT-PCR using primers from the highly conserved 5′ untranslated region. HCV RNA was detected in 41 of the 42 pretreatment specimens. Of the 36 patients with paired posttreatment samples, HCV RNA was detected in all 15 patients who did not respond to IFN and 9 of 13 who responded to IFN but relapsed shortly after IFN was stopped. In contrast, only one of the eight patients who had a sustained response to IFN therapy had HCV RNA detected by RT-PCR (P < 0.04). These data confirm 1) the feasibility of detecting HCV RNA in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with chronic HCV infection, 2) show that sustained response to IFN is associated with loss of liver HCV RNA at the end of IFN therapy, and 3) offer an explanation for recurrence in patients who relapse. © 1994 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Visual Displays To Increase Comprehension of High School Learning-Disabled Students

The purpose of this study was to examine the relative effectiveness of visual spatial displays to enhance comprehension of important information during instruction with adolescent learning-disabled students. Subjects were randomly assigned to one of two treatment groups. One group was taught by presenting key concepts with a visual spatial display of this information. The other group was taught the same information except that content was presented by texts. Both treatment groups studied in a group task structure. Six experimenter-made tests were developed for this study. Five tests directly measured student mastery of the content taught, whereas the other test was a transfer measure. Results favored the group taught with a visual spatial display on the short-term recall tests, but no differences were found on the transfer or maintenance tests. The discussion focuses on how teachers can improve comprehension instruction for the less skilled student.
Evolution of Mesozoic Sandstone Compositions, Southern Junggar, Northern Tarim, and Western Turpan Basins, Northwest China: A Detrital Record of the Ancestral Tian Shan

ABSTRACT Sandstone compositional data can be a powerful tool in the interpretation of tectonic and climatologic influences on sedimentary basin fill, in addition to yielding important information about porosity in sandstone petroleum reservoirs. In order to explore these relationships, a modified Gazzi-Dickinson point-counting technique was used to analyze the composition of 143 Mesozoic sandstone samples from the southern Junggar, northern Tarim, and western Turpan basins of northwestern China. Results indicate that a Mesozoic, ancestral version of the Tian Shan physiographically separated the Junggar and Tarim basins and provided sand of very different composition to each basin. Mesozoic sandstone from the northern Tarim basin is diverse in composition and lithic-rich (Qm41F14L45; Qp42Lvm26Lsm32), is locally micaceous, and contains common radiolarian-chert grains and few dense accessory minerals. Inferred source rocks include upper Paleozoic alkali granite and metamorphic complexes, thick Silurian bedded-chert sequences, and lower Paleozoic strata of a passive continental margin. In contrast, sandstone from the southern Junggar and western Turpan basins is uniformly volcanic-rich (Qm21F21Lt58; Qp13Lvm68Lsm19), and contains abundant dense accessory minerals and only local radiolarian chert and mica. Inferred principal source rocks are Devonian-Carboniferous andesitic arc volcanics. The effect of sampling scale on sandstone composition outweighs that of plate-tectonic setting. Samples were derived mostly from medium- and coarse-grained fluvial systems that likely drained only portions of the ancestral Tian Shan and hence preserve local source-rock signatures, rather than an integrated compositional signal that can be directly compared to plate-tectonic petrofacies models. In addition, though Mesozoic basins of western China were most akin to broken foreland basins, Mesozoic sandstone is considerably more compositionally diverse and lithic-rich than that of modern or ancient broken foreland basins because of the variety of accreted terranes constituting the ancestral Tian Shan. Temporal changes in sandstone composition are consistent with episodes of Mesozoic deformation in the Tian Shan. Each deformational episode increased physiographic relief of the ancestral range, produced renewed downcutting and erosion of source rocks, and resulted in the deposition of compositionally very immature sandstone in adjacent basins. Although a regional early Mesozoic megamonsoon and an Early Cretaceous rain shadow cast across the northern Tarim basin are interpreted from regional facies and paleontologic data, neither paleoclimatic phenomenon appears to have significantly modified sandstone composition in the study area. Calculations of intergranular volume (% porosity + % cement) indicate that porosity in sandstone from the Tarim and Junggar basin depocenters was reduced principally by burial compaction and that the rate of porosity reduction was highest for lithic-rich samples.
The Smooth Curvature Model: An Efficient Representation of Euler–Bernoulli Flexures as Robot Joints

This paper presents a new method to produce computationally efficient models of robots that have planar elastic flexure joints. An accurate, low-dimensional model of large deformation bending is important to precisely describe the configuration of a flexure-jointed manipulator. The new model is based on the assumption that the curvature of a beam in bending is smooth and, thus, can be approximated by low-order polynomials. This produces a description of flexure motion that can be used as a joint model when expressed as a homogeneous transformation between rigid links--essentially a “drop in” replacement for traditional joint models such as screw coordinates and Denavit-Hartenberg conventions. Derivatives of the joint kinematics such as Jacobians and Hessians are accurate and easy to compute. We will show that with only three parameters, this model faithfully reproduces the elastic deformation of a flexure hinge predicted by the continuum model, even for large angles, without requiring numerical integration or many finite elements. The model can also be used to accurately compute the compliance and compressive buckling load of the flexure, as predicted by the continuum model.
Zonula Occludens-1 Function in the Assembly of Tight Junctions in Madin-Darby Canine Kidney Epithelial Cells

Zonula occludens (ZO)-1 was the first tight junction protein to be cloned and has been implicated as an important scaffold protein. It contains multiple domains that bind a diverse set of junction proteins. However, the molecular functions of ZO-1 and related proteins such as ZO-2 and ZO-3 have remained unclear. We now show that gene silencing of ZO-1 causes a delay of approximately 3 h in tight junction formation in Madin-Darby canine kidney (MDCK) epithelial cells, but mature junctions seem functionally normal even in the continuing absence of ZO-1. Depletion of ZO-2, cingulin, or occludin, proteins that can interact with ZO-1, had no discernible effects on tight junctions. Rescue of junction assembly using murine ZO-1 mutants demonstrated that the ZO-1 C terminus is neither necessary nor sufficient for normal assembly. Moreover, mutation of the PDZ1 domain did not block rescue. However, point mutations in the Src homology 3 (SH3) domain almost completely prevented rescue. Surprisingly, the isolated SH3 domain of ZO-1 could also rescue junction assembly. These data reveal an unexpected function for the SH3 domain of ZO-1 in regulating tight junction assembly in epithelial cells and show that cingulin, occludin, or ZO-2 are not limiting for junction assembly in MDCK monolayers.
Fundamental performance metrics and optimal image processing strategies for ultrasound systems

Fundamental limits on imaging system performance are developed using Bayesian signal detection theory. The analysis expands upon the wellknown theory of Smith and Wagner. Envelope-detected signals are shown to be sub-optimal for detection tasks. Two image processing strategies are presented that may improve upon current B-mode processing: deconvolution and wavefront curvature matched filtering. The later technique takes advantage of remarkable spatial-frequency bandwidths available in curved wavefronts to obtain high quality images. Both techniques attempt to approach the fundamental limits of performance by mimicking the strategy of the ideal observer.
Expansion of a hole in a disk with kinematic hardening

Abstract A complete solution is obtained for the enlargement of a circular hole in a disk of initial thickness h 0 = αr n 0 , where α and n are constants, using Prager's kinematic hardening law with Tresca's yield function and its associated flow rule. The governing equations are reduced to a second-order quasilinear differential equation. Detailed results are given for the cases when n = 0 and n = 1 , and comparison is made with the results obtained for the isotropic hardening law.
Complex modulation of the expression of PKC isoforms in the rat brain during chronic type 1 diabetes mellitus.

We previously demonstrated that chronic hyperglycemia has a detrimental influence on neurovascular coupling in the brain-an effect linked to an alteration in the protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated phosphorylation pattern. Moreover, the activity of PKC was increased, in diabetic rat brain, in a tissue fraction composed primarily of the superficial glia limitans and pial vessels, but trended toward a decrease in cerebral cortical gray matter. However, that study did not examine the expression patterns of PKC isoforms in the rat brain. Thus, in a rat model of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced chronic type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM), and in non-diabetic (ND) controls, two hypotheses were addressed. First, chronic T1DM is accompanied by changes in the expression of PKC-α, βII, γ, δ, and e Second, those changes differ when comparing cerebral cortex and glio-pial tissue. In addition, we analyzed the expression of a form of PKC-γ, phosphorylated on threonine 514 (pT514-PKC-γ), as well as the receptor for activated C kinase 1 (RACK1). The expression pattern of different PKC isoforms was altered in a complex and tissue-specific manner during chronic hyperglycemia. Notably, in the gray matter, PKC-α expression significantly decreased, while pT514-PKC-γ expression increased. However, PKC-βII, -γ, -δ, -e, and RACK1 expressions did not change. Conversely, in glio-pial tissue, PKC-α and RACK1 were upregulated, whereas PKC-γ, pT514-PKC-γ, and PKC-e were downregulated. PKC-βII, and PKC-δ, were unchanged. These findings suggest that the PKC activity increase previously seen in the glio-pial tissue of diabetic rats may be due to the selective upregulation of PKC-α, and ultimately lead to the impairment of neurovascular coupling.
MARITAIN'S MIDDLE WAY: A RESOURCE FOR U.S. POLICY IN THE MIDDLE EAST

Abstract Jacques Maritain, an important twentieth century philosopher, argued that Christian politicians must frequently choose between the lesser of two evils in order to avoid a greater evil from gaining power. While Maritain believed that both communism and fascism were evil, because communism had a strong following after the Second World War, the best moral political strategy was to work with Communist states to eliminate fascism. Maritain's theory has been applied to the Bush Administration's foreignpolicy, and specifically to the War in Iraq. Maritain would agree with President Bush's moral obligation to eliminate Saddam Hussein in order to avoid a greater threat to the spread of democracy.
Functional Lateralization of the Brain

Research concerning the lateralization of human brain functions is examined in light of the recent publication of the Kaufman Assessment Battery for Children (K-ABC). Following a review of research methodologies and functions ascribed to the hemispheres of the brain, differences are portrayed as complementary and coexisting modes of cognitive processing. Referred to by various terms, these dual modes of thought are seen to correspond to the simultaneous-sequential distinction offered as the theoretical underpinnings of the mental processing scales of the K-ABC.
Impact of biofibers and coupling agents on the weathering characteristics of composites

Abstract This paper explores the ultraviolet (UV) weathering performance of high density polyethylene (HDPE) composites with different biofiber fillers and coupling agent. Biofiber polymer composite (BFPC) material samples were prepared using oak, cotton burr and stem (CBS) or guayule bagasse as fiber source HDPE as resin, and two different coupling agents. Weathering variables included exposure to UV radiation and moisture cycles for up to 2200 h. Each variable can degrade BFPC matrix independently or synergistically. The impact of weathering was measured through the changes in the surface matrix, mechanical properties and thermal stability of BFPC as a function of biofibers types and coupling agents. The coupling agent treated composites showed color shift (ΔE) and variable surface degradation. Water absorption of the weathered samples continued to increase after 10 days of immersion. Flexural stiffness, strength and impact properties of weathered samples decreased regardless of fiber type or coupling agent. Minimal linear thermal expansion was noted in weathered composites with coupling agents. Overall coupling agent helped to retain the mechanical properties of composites after exposure to UV weathering.
Papanicolaou smear adequacy: the effect of the sampling sequence.

Background: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of ectocervical sampling methods and sequence on Papanicolaou smear adequacy. Methods: A randomized clinical trial was performed using either a curved cytologic sampling brush or Ayre spatula for ectocervical sampling before or after a straight sampling brush for endocervical sampling. Results: The adequacy of ectocervical smears, as measured by the presence of columnar cells or squamous metaplasia, differed significantly among the four techniques studied. When the Ayre spatula was used second, 115 (69 percent) of 167 ectocervical smears were adequate compared with 75 (48 percent) of 156 smears when it was used first. Likewise, when the curved brush was used second, 116 (67 percent) of 172 ectocervical smears were adequate compared with 80 (50 percent) of 160 smears when it was used first. One hundred ninety-six (59 percent) of 332 ectocervical smears obtained with a curved brush were adequate compared with 190 (59 percent) of 323 ectocervical smears obtained with a spatula. Conclusions: The differences among the four ectocervical sampling techniques studied were due to the sequence of ectocervical sampling rather than the instrument utilized. We recommend that an ectocervical sample be obtained only after a straight brush is used to obtain an endocervical sample.
The customer-centric logic of multi-product corporations

Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to articulate a customer-centric logic to explain the strategic behavior of multi-product corporations whose portfolio of complementary product offerings belong to diverse industries. Design/methodology/approach – The paper develops a theoretical framework to explain the heterogeneity in multi-product corporations ' motivation and ability to leverage the demand-side strategic assets developed in their home-markets to enter new markets and thereby improve their long-run corporate performance. Practical implications – The paper includes implications for strategic behavior of multi-product corporations in various industrial sectors such as telecommunications, financial services, consumer discretionary and staples, real estate, and so on. Originality/value – The profitable applicability of demand-side strategic assets to new contexts should be explained both by the motivation of multi-product consumers (to purchase a portfolio of complementary products from a diversified...
P1-S6.03 Why are so many of our biomedical and behavioural prevention trials failing?

Background With a few exceptions, most biomedical and behavioural randomised, controlled prevention trials have failed to demonstrate efficacy. The recently reported iPrEx Trial on pre-exposure prophylaxis, the Thai prophylactic vaccine trials and the CAPRISA 004 trial of a female-controlled microbicide demonstrated only modest protection from HIV acquisition in high-risk populations, although both attained statistical significance. Understanding why most trials fail is important to designing trials that may have greater success in the field. Methods We conducted a desk review of all Phase III biomedical and behavioural prevention trials reported in the past 10 years, including vaccines, microbicides, barrier methods, circumcision and behavioural prevention interventions, and assessed possible factors associated with success and failure to achieve anticipated outcomes. Results Of the hundreds of prevention trials conducted over the past decade, only six reported significant findings, of which three were male circumcision trials, with one each for prophylactic vaccines, Truvada for PREP, and TDF+FTC microbicide gel. Most biomedical prevention trials rely on patient reports of adherence to use, and generally adherence is significantly lower than advised. Condom use among treatment arms are also usually lower than in control arms, which when linked with insufficient product use, leads to increased risk of disease acquisition. Repeated behavioural prevention counselling, HIV testing, STD detection and treatment all lead to diminished reports of risk behaviour among both intervention and control participants, diminishing the statistical power of the planned trials. IRB requirements may lead to control conditions that provide prevention services dramatically greater than is involved in “usual care”. RCTs which randomise individuals can also lead to significant cross-exposure among treatment arms. Conclusions Alternative to the RCT Conclusions: Design alternatives to the individual or community randomised controlled trial may be required in the future. Increased attention to improving adherence to recommended use of prevention approaches which must repeatedly conducted (eg, use of a microbicide before each sex act), and alternatives to enriching control conditions above that of usual care should be considered, while maintaining fidelity to ethical conduct of research.
The Unfulfilled Promise: Women and Academe

Women in academia have made noticeable gains since the 1970s. More than a third of all Ph.D.s now go to women. Women comprise the majority of doctoral recipients in the once largely male field of psychology. The American Historical Association, the American Sociological Association, and the Modem Language Association have elected female presidents in recent years. Women have garnered book prizes for major scholarly studies. Over 500 colleges and universities have established women's studies programs. Many of the women who have produced the new scholarship in women's studies are now tenured. At all the major research universities, these women are now training a new generation of students in a vast but largely new scholarly literature about gender. How different was my own undergraduate education in the 1960s. In four years at liberal arts university, I had only two female instructors, my French teacher, a Bohemian with hair down to her waist, and my English professor, who giggled at the racy passages in Shakespeare. In French literature we translated passages from Sartre but not de Beauvoir; in English, we were assigned Joyce but not Woolf. When I asked for advice about applying to graduate school in my senior year, a favorite professor who had always treated me well and given me good grades, advised me against becoming a college professor, because I was planning to many. I would find it impossible to combine having a career and a family, he told me. A history professor with whom I had taken several courses liked to tell his female students that there were only two callings for women, secretarial work and prostitution. He advised us to pursue the more respectable of the two. Despite the more favorable atmosphere on campus in recent decades, the percentage of faculty women has grown rather slowly. In 1962, 22% of the faculty at four-year institutions was female; in 1986-1987, the comparable fig-
Artificial Selection for Host Suitability and Development Length of the Gypsy Moth (Lepidoptera: Lymantriidae) Parasite, Cotesia melanoscela (Hymenoptera: Braconidae)

A Cotesia melanoscela (Ratzeburg) strain that attacks large gypsy moth, Lymantria dispar (L.), larvae was selected by rearing the parasite on third and fourth instars over 24 generations. Progeny production on fourth instars gradually increased as selection continued. Tests on the 10th–11th and 17th–18th generations showed that selected females produced more progeny on third or fourth instars than did females from a colony reared on first and second instars. In another experiment lasting six generations, parasites were selected for rapid development by using the first emerging females from one generation to produce the next generation. Although the number of days from oviposition to first emergence of adults decreased with time, the trend was not significant. Practical implications of the results for gypsy moth control programs are discussed.
Tarnished Plant Bug (Heteroptera: Miridae) Nymph Numbers Decreased on Caged Nectariless Cottons

Two greenhouse tests were conducted to compare nymphal emergence of Lygus lineolaris (Palisot de Beauvois) from eggs oviposited on nectaried and nectariless isolines of 'Deltapine 16' cotton, Gossypium hirsutum L. Adult plant bugs and nymphs were caged on plants of these isolines and were allowed to oviposit. Sufficient time was allowed for subsequent development of eggs. Counts of nymphal emergence showed that the nectariless trait significantly reduced numbers of plant bug nymphs 64 and 40% in the first and second tests, respectively.
Aerodynamic Fidelity of Sub-scale Two-Dimensional Ice Accretion Simulations

The objective of this study was to quantify the accuracy with which two-dimensional ice accretion simulations can be used on a ¼-scale airfoil model at low Reynolds number to simulate the aerodynamics of ice accreted on a full-scale airfoil model at high Reynolds number. Six fullscale ice accretion castings, representing ice roughness, streamwise ice, horn ice, and spanwiseridge ice, were previously tested in the ONERA F1 wind tunnel at Re = 12.0 x 10 6 and M = 0.20. These castings were digitized and measured to create sub-scale 2-D smooth and simple-geometry simulations, which were tested in the University of Illinois 3 x 4 ft. wind tunnel at Re = 1.8 x 10 6 and M = 0.18. Cl, Cm, and Cd for each sub-scale simulation was compared with the corresponding full-scale casting. Geometrically-scaled simulations of the horn-ice and spanwise-ridge ice castings modeled Cl,max to within 2% and Cd,min to within 15%. Geometrically-scaled simulations of the ice roughness and streamwise ice tended to have conservative Cl,max and Cd. The aerodynamic performance of simulations of these types of accretion was found to be sensitive to roughness height and concentration. Scaled roughness heights smaller than those found on the casting were necessary to improve simulation accuracy, resulting in Cl,max and Cd,min within 3% and 5% of the casting, respectively. Removing highly three-dimensional features, such as ice feathers, that became two-dimensional in the creation of 2-D smooth simulations was found to improve simulation aerodynamic fidelity.
Magnetomotive Optical Coherence Elastography for Magnetic Hyperthermia Dosimetry Based on Dynamic Tissue Biomechanics

Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) have been used in many diagnostic and therapeutic biomedical applications over the past few decades to enhance imaging contrast, steer drugs to targets, and treat tumors via hyperthermia. Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is an optical biomedical imaging modality that relies on the detection of backscattered light to generate high-resolution cross-sectional images of biological tissue. MNPs have been utilized as imaging contrast and perturbative mechanical agents in OCT in techniques called magnetomotive OCT (MM-OCT) and magnetomotive elastography (MM-OCE), respectively. MNPs have also been independently used for magnetic hyperthermia treatments, enabling therapeutic functions such as killing tumor cells. It is well known that the localized tissue heating during hyperthermia treatments result in a change in the biomechanical properties of the tissue. Therefore, we propose a novel dosimetric technique for hyperthermia treatment based on the viscoelasticity change detected by MM-OCE, further enabling the theranostic function of MNPs. In this paper, we first review the basic principles and applications of MM-OCT, MM-OCE, and magnetic hyperthermia, and present new preliminary results supporting the concept of MM-OCE-based hyperthermia dosimetry.
DNMT3B isoforms without catalytic activity stimulate gene body methylation as accessory proteins in somatic cells

Promoter DNA methylation is a key epigenetic mechanism for stable gene silencing, but is correlated with expression when located in gene bodies. Maintenance and de novo DNA methylation by catalytically active DNA methyltransferases (DNMT1 and DNMT3A/B) require accessory proteins such as UHRF1 and DNMT3L. DNMT3B isoforms are widely expressed, although some do not have active catalytic domains and their expression can be altered during cell development and tumourigenesis, questioning their biological roles. Here, we show that DNMT3B isoforms stimulate gene body methylation and re-methylation after methylation-inhibitor treatment. This occurs independently of the isoforms' catalytic activity, demonstrating a similar functional role to the accessory protein DNMT3L, which is only expressed in undifferentiated cells and recruits DNMT3A to initiate DNA methylation. This unexpected role for DNMT3B suggests that it might substitute for the absent accessory protein DNMT3L to recruit DNMT3A in somatic cells.
Kinase II-dependent formation of angiotensins II and III in the hepatic circulation.

Experiments were performed in 14 pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs to 1) determine if the hepatic arterial vasoconstrictor effects of [des-Asp1]angiotensin I [( des-Asp1]ANG I) were due to its local ...
Localizing Dipoles: The Correlation Coefficient and the Goodness of Fit in Source Localization of Filtered Noise

In source localization using magnetoencephalography (MEG) the correlation coefficient and the goodness of fit are commonly computed as a means of estimating how well one or more dipoles account for the observed data. However, the magnitude of the correlation coefficient or the goodness of fit necessary for confidence that a computed dipole corresponds to an actual generator is not known. It cannot be calculated mathematically and must therefore be determined empirically. Different authors have defined minimum correlation coefficients or minimum goodnesses of fit, ranging from 0.70 to 0.99 [e.g. 1,2,3,4], as evidence of source localization but the basis for selecting these values is unclear. We have therefore studied the parameters of correlation coefficient and goodness of fit in two different recordings of noise in order to define the specificity of these parameters in source localization of electromagnetic brain activity in evoked magnetic field research.
HIV pre-exposure prophylaxis for women and infants prevents vaginal and oral HIV transmission in a preclinical model of HIV infection

Background Approximately 1.5 million HIV-positive women become pregnant annually. Without treatment, up to 45% will transmit HIV to their infants, primarily through breastfeeding. These numbers highlight that HIV acquisition is a major health concern for women and children globally. They also emphasize the urgent need for novel approaches to prevent HIV acquisition that are safe, effective and convenient to use by women and children in places where they are most needed. Methods 4'-Ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine, a potent NRTI with low cytotoxicity, was administered orally to NOD/SCID/γc-/- mice and to bone marrow/liver/thymus (BLT) humanized mice, a preclinical model of HIV infection. HIV inhibitory activity in serum, cervicovaginal secretions and saliva was evaluated 4 h after administration. 4'-Ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine's ability to prevent vaginal and oral HIV transmission was evaluated using highly relevant transmitted/founder viruses in BLT mice. Results Strong HIV inhibitory activity in serum, cervicovaginal secretions and saliva obtained from animals after a single oral dose of 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine (10 mg/kg) demonstrated efficient drug penetration into relevant mucosal sites. A single daily oral dose of 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine resulted in efficient prevention of vaginal and oral HIV transmission after multiple high-dose exposures to transmitted/founder viruses in BLT humanized mice. Conclusions Our data demonstrated that 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine efficiently prevents both vaginal and oral HIV transmission. Together with 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine's relatively low toxicity and high potency against drug-resistant HIV strains, these data support further clinical development of 4'-ethynyl-2-fluoro-2'-deoxyadenosine as a potential pre-exposure prophylaxis agent to prevent HIV transmission in women and their infants.
Capital and the Hindu rate of growth: Wealth concentration in newly independent India 1961-1986

Did India's stagnant growth performance until the 1980s increase or decrease the wealth of the elite? Using estate tax data I compute a series which highlights the relative importance of top wealth holders in India between 1961-1986. I find that a combination of policies and shocks were able to significantly depress the personal wealth of the Top 0.1% over this period. A portfolio decomposition by asset categories for the rich reveals that there was a U shaped trend in the average value of movable assets while wealth invested in land significantly declined. Disparity within top wealth groups also follows a shrinking and swelling, consistent with the intervention of the state in private capital. These results have implications for the equalizing forces inherent in tax policy vis-a-vis the rich and the role of the state in regulating capital in poor nations.
Quercus costaricensis Liebm. and the problem of multi-seeded acorns

Quercus costaricensis Liebm, growing near Cerro de la Muerte, Cartago Province, Costa Rica has been found to produce 42% multi-seeded acorns. With the addition of Q. costaricensis there are now 10 species of Quercus known to produce acorns that contain more than one seed. The only published explanation suggests that insect seed predation may be the selective agents producing an advantage to trees that make multi-seeded acorns period. Q. costaricensis was found to experience little insect predation, forcing us to generate an alternative explanation for the multi-seeded acorn habit of some oaks. We hypothesize that the production of multi-seeded acorns is selectively neutral, being found only in oaks that produce a wide range of seed weights even within the single seeded acorns they produce. Abnormalities in cotyledon number within acorns are also noted.
Examining the Weight Trajectory of College Students

Abstract Objective To examine the weight trajectory of students over 4 years of college. Methods Anthropometric assessments were completed at the beginning and end of students' freshman year and the end of senior year to calculate body mass index. Questionnaires assessing weight-related behaviors were completed in senior year. Results Of the original 117 students, 86 remained in the study for 4 years. Body mass index was significantly higher at the end of senior year (mean, 24.84; SD, 4.46) vs the beginning of freshman year (mean, 23.59; SD, 4.01; t [85] = 5.61; P t [85] = 6.60; P Conclusions and Implications This study suggests that students gain weight throughout college, which highlights the need for weight control interventions to target more than just freshman college students.
Ultra-low power signal depletion via four-wave mixing Bragg scattering in hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide

We demonstrate 7 dB signal depletion in a hydrogenated amorphous silicon waveguide via four-wave mixing Bragg scattering with only 280 μW total pump power in the waveguide. The bandwidth is larger than 4 nm.
Outcomes of Allogeneic Blood or Marrow Transplantation for Peripheral T-Cell Lymphoma.

Abstract 3084 Peripheral T-cell lymphoma (PTCL) is characterized by high rates of chemoresistance and relapse. The role of allogeneic (allo) BMT remains to be defined. Treatment-associated toxicities and donor availability remain key concerns. We reviewed the outcomes of 44 consecutive, related donor allo BMTs for PTCL performed at Johns Hopkins Hospital from 1994–2011. Nodal (n=23), extranodal (n=14), leukemic/disseminated (n=3), and cutaneous (n=4) histologies were represented. This was a poor-risk cohort, with 60% receiving > 2 prior chemotherapy regimens, 50% having history of chemorefractory disease, and 25% having active disease at BMT. Patients receiving reduced-intensity conditioning (RIC) were significantly older (median 59 years, range 24–70) than patients receiving myeloablative conditioning (MAC; median 46 years, range 18–64), p=0.01; median age at RIC/haplo BMT was 60. Thirty patients received post-transplantation cyclophosphamide (PT/Cy) as part of their GVHD prophylaxis, including all RIC/HLA-haploidentical (haplo) BMTs (n=18), all RIC/HLA-matched BMTs (n=6), 3 of the 4 myeloablative conditioning (MAC)/haplo BMTs, and 3 of the 16 MAC/HLA-matched BMTs (where PT/Cy was the sole GVHD prophylaxis). With 3.9 years median follow-up for survivors (range 0.5–13.7 years), the estimated 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS) were both 37% (95% confidence interval (CI) 24–56% and 24–57%). In older patients (> 60, n=14), the estimated 2-year PFS and OS were 38% (CI 13–63%) and 45% (CI 20–73%); in patients Disclosures: Symons:Busulfex: Research Funding.
Temporal and Spatial Analyses for Large-Scale Cyber Attacks

Prevalent computing devices with networking capabilities have become critical cyber infrastructure for government, industry, academia and every-day life. As their value rises, the motivation driving cyber attacks on this infrastructure has shifted from the pursuit of notoriety to the pursuit of profit [1, 2] or political gains, leading to cyber terrorism on various scales. Cyber terrorism has had its share of case studies and definitions since late 1990s and early 2000s [3–5]. A common denominator of the definition of cyber terrorism is the threat posed through the use of cyber infrastructure, especially the Internet. Stuxnet, a malware discovered in June 2010, which was a directed attack against the Iranian nuclear program [6], represented a milestone on cyber warfare and posed a new challenge to analyze and understand cyber attacks due to its complexity in attack strategy. While cyber terrorism can have many elements beyond exploiting cyber vulnerabilities, this chapter focuses on analyzing techniques that process observables of malicious activities in the cyberspace.