cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
UML sequence diagram to axiomatic design matrix conversion: a method for concept improvement for software in integrated systems

Abstract Software system and conceptual design are highly abstract and functionally based. In recent years, the software system has been developing rapidly whereas the growth of hardware system is slow. However, it is difficult to transfer the knowledge from software to hardware for conceptual design due to the discipline gaps between software and hardware. Axiomatic design theory bridges software and hardware design conceptually; but lacks in further methodologies for transforming the software system structure to the axiomatic design matrix. This paper focuses on developing a methodology to conceptually design firmware which will help bridge the gap between software and hardware conceptual design. A conversion method between the axiomatic design matrix and the widely used UML sequence diagram was developed. This helps the designers identify Functional Requirements (FRs), Design Parameters (DPs) and their dependencies (i.e., Functional Couplings). In this methodology Functional Messages (FMs) are introduced, defined as the messages of UML sequence diagram and they are used for transition to axiomatic design matrix. DPs of design matrix are defined as the objects in the UML sequence diagram, and FRs of design matrix are generated by merging FMs depending on their flow of information in the sequence diagram. A case study was performed on software system of FDM 3D Printer to validate the proposed method. The UML Sequence diagram of the software system of FDM 3D Printer was successfully transformed into the design matrix. Then Design Coupling Sequence approach was applied to find the proper executable sequence to improve the software design concept of the 3D printer and innovation opportunities were suggested. By using this method, the Software system architecture of FDM 3D Printer was improved conceptually by decoupling the highly coupled DPs, which makes the system more efficient by reducing the build time of a 3D printed part.
Ethnic Feminicide: The Missing and Murdered Indigenous Women and Girls Epidemic

This paper explores the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls epidemic in Washington State and how the state has failed to address the issue, underlining its complicity and impunity. It takes into account that this epidemic is part of a global crisis of femicide, drawing specifically on the Latin American term, feminicidios, or feminicide, the gender-based murders of women and the state’s impunity in these cases. This paper then names another form of femicide, ethnic feminicde, arguing that the missing and murdered indigenous women and girls epidemic falls under this crisis because of the underlying systemic racism and sexism in state institutions. This paper uses the indigenous methodologies of reframing and intervention, as described by Linda Tuhiwai Smith, to explore this epidemic, reframing it into a transnational feminist issue, not just and indigenous issue, and asking how Washington state, and America as a whole, can intervene, with indigenous leaders taking charge.
Late Inflammation Induced by Asbestiform Fibers in Mice Is Ameliorated by a Small Molecule Synthetic Lignan

Exposure to Libby amphibole (LA) asbestos-like fibers is associated with increased risk of asbestosis, mesothelioma, pulmonary disease, and systemic autoimmune disease. LGM2605 is a small molecule antioxidant and free radical scavenger, with anti-inflammatory effects in various disease models. The current study aimed to determine whether the protective effects of LGM2605 persist during the late inflammatory phase post-LA exposure. Male and female C57BL/6 mice were administered daily LGM2605 (100 mg/kg) via gel cups for 3 days before and 14 days after a 200 µg LA given via intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. Control mice were given unsupplemented gel cups and an equivalent dose of i.p. saline. On day 14 post-LA treatment, peritoneal lavage was assessed for immune cell influx, cytokine concentrations, oxidative stress biomarkers, and immunoglobulins. During the late inflammatory phase post-LA exposure, we noted an alteration in trafficking of both innate and adaptive immune cells, increased pro-inflammatory cytokine concentrations, induction of immunoglobulin isotype switching, and increased oxidized guanine species. LGM2605 countered these changes similarly among male and female mice, ameliorating late inflammation and altering immune responses in late post-LA exposure. These data support possible efficacy of LGM2605 in the prolonged treatment of LA-associated disease and other inflammatory conditions.
The autophagy protein ATG9A enables lipid mobilization from lipid droplets

The multispanning membrane protein ATG9A is a scramblase that flips phospholipids between the two membrane leaflets, thus contributing to the expansion of the phagophore membrane in the early stages of autophagy. Herein, we show that depletion of ATG9A does not only inhibit autophagy but also increases the size and/or number of lipid droplets in human cell lines and C. elegans. Moreover, ATG9A depletion blocks transfer of fatty acids from lipid droplets to mitochondria and, consequently, utilization of fatty acids in mitochondrial respiration. ATG9A localizes to vesicular-tubular clusters (VTCs) that are tightly associated with an ER subdomain enriched in another multispanning membrane scramblase, TMEM41B, and also in close proximity to phagophores, lipid droplets and mitochondria. These findings indicate that ATG9A plays a critical role in lipid mobilization from lipid droplets to autophagosomes and mitochondria, highlighting the importance of ATG9A in both autophagic and non-autophagic processes. ATG9A is transmembrane autophagic machinery protein that delivers phospholipids to expanding autophagosomes. Mailler et al. show that ATG9A is required to mobilize lipids from lipid droplets for autophagosome expansion as well as mitochondrial fatty acid import and β-oxidation.
Posttraumatic Growth in Clinical Practice

From the authors who pioneered the concept of posttraumatic growth comes Posttraumatic Growth in Clinical Practice, a book that brings the study of growth after trauma into the twenty-first century. Clinicians will find a framework that’s easy to use and flexible enough to be tailored to the needs of particular clients and specific therapeutic approaches. And, because it utilizes a model of relating described as "expert companionship," clinicians learn how to become most empathically effective in helping a variety of trauma survivors. Clinicians will come away from this book having learned how to assess posttraumatic growth, how to address it in treatment, and they’ll also have a basic grasp of the ways the changes they’re promoting will be received in various cultural contexts. Case examples show how utilizing a process developed from an empirically-based model of posttraumatic growth can promote important personal changes in the aftermath of traumatic events.
A Review of: “Forgiveness, Reconciliation, and Moral Courage: Motives and Designs for Ministry in a Troubled World”

In this book Browning and Reed call attention to the ministry of reconciliation that God has entrusted to the church (2 Cor 5:16–21). Consistently ecumenical in their sources and thinking, these Un...
Towards an evolvable cellular architecture

ECAR takes the ideas of programmable data plane, including signal processing in the physical layer, MAC, and upper layers, software defined networking, common channels in the physical layer, and coordination mechanisms in the control plane. ECAR applies these ideas in a coherent and systematic manner. The result is a modular and flexible design where new cellular service models can be implemented in software.
Comparison of Genetic Variability at Multiple Loci across the Genomes of the Major Subtypes of Kaposi’s Sarcoma-Associated Herpesvirus Reveals Evidence for Recombination and for Two Distinct Types of Open Reading Frame K15 Alleles at the Right-Hand End

Kaposi’s sarcoma (KS)-associated herpesvirus or human herpesvirus 8 (HHV8) DNA is found consistently in nearly all classical, endemic, transplant, and AIDS-associated KS lesions, as well as in several AIDS-associated lymphomas. We have previously sequenced the genes for the highly variable open reading frame K1 (ORF-K1) protein from more than 60 different HHV8 samples and demonstrated that they display up to 30% amino acid variability and cluster into four very distinct evolutionary subgroups (the A, B, C, and D subtypes) that correlate with the major migrationary diasporas of modern humans. Here we have extended this type of analysis to six other loci across the HHV8 genome to further evaluate overall genotype patterns and the potential for chimeric genomes. Comparison of the relatively conserved ORF26, T0.7/K12, and ORF75 gene regions at map positions 0.35, 0.85, and 0.96 revealed typical ORF-K1-linked subtype patterns, except that between 20 and 30% of the genomes analyzed proved to be either intertypic or intratypic mosaics. In addition, a 2,500-bp region found at the extreme right-hand side of the unique segment in 45 HHV8 genomes proved to be highly diverged from the 3,500-bp sequence found at this position in the other 18 HHV8 genomes examined. Furthermore, these previously uncharacterized “orphan” region sequences proved to encompass multiexon latent-state mRNAs encoding two highly diverged alleles of the novel ORF-K15 protein. The predominant (P) and minor (M) forms of HHV8 ORF-K15 are structurally related integral membrane proteins that have only 33% overall amino acid identity to one another but retain conserved likely tyrosine kinase signaling motifs and may be distant evolutionary relatives of the LMP2 latency protein of Epstein-Barr virus. The M allele of ORF-K15 is also physically linked to a distinctive M subtype of the adjacent ORF75 gene locus, and in some cases, this linkage extends as far back as the T0.7 locus also. Overall, the results suggest that an original recombination event with a related primate virus from an unknown source introduced exogenous right-hand side ORF-K15(M) sequences into an ancient M form of HHV8, followed by eventual acquisition into the subtype C lineage of the modern P-form of the HHV8 genome and subsequent additional, more recent transfers by homologous recombination events into several subtype A and B lineages as well.
Microvariation in Spanish Comparatives

While phrasal comparatives of inequality with the comparative marker que ‘than’ (Pedro es mas inteligente que yo ‘Pedro is more intelligent than 1.sg.nom’) have received a fair deal of attention in the study of Spanish (e.g., Bolinger 1950, Plann 1984, Saez del Alamo 1990, Gutierrez Ordonez 1994, Romero Cambron 1998, Brucart 2003 or Reglero 2007), dialectal variation has not figured prominently in the literature. Microvariation within Chilean Spanish provides evidence for the existence of both a reduced clause analysis and a PP analysis of the que-XP in the context above, as opposed to standard Spanish, where only the former analysis applies. This microvariation is the result of the availability of two distinct lexical entries for que (a pure complementizer vs. a preposition) or lack thereof. The PP analysis is argued to be consistent with the gradual change from de ‘of’ to que in the history of comparatives in Spanish (Romero Cambron 1998).
Efficient parallel algorithms for several intersection graphs

A study is made of several classes of intersection graphs, i.e. interval graphs, circular-arc graphs, and some of their subclasses. It is shown that recognizing a proper interval graph, a unit interval graph, and a claw-free interval graph is in NC. In fact, the recognition can be done in O(log/sup 2/ n) time with O(n/sup 3/) processors. The corresponding interval representation can be obtained within the same time bound if O(n/sup 4/) processors are used. Some necessary and sufficient conditions for the minimum interval representations are obtained. An NC algorithm is presented which constructs a circular-arc representation for the graph whose augmented adjacency matrix has quasi-circular 1's or has the consecutive 0's property. >
Magnetospheric conditions for sawtooth event development

This paper addresses two topics concerning the magnetospheric conditions that allow sawtooth events (STEs) to develop during “nonstorm” intervals yet fail to yield them during many intense/super storms. A statistical analysis by Cai et al. (2011) reported that while only 5.4% of STEs occurred outside the context of magnetic storms, their occurrence rate during intense storms was just 63.5%. They concluded that (1) STEs are not necessarily storm time phenomena and (2) particular interplanetary conditions are needed to drive the class of storms in which STEs are generated. Traces of Sym-H indices and cross polar cap potentials during “nonstorm” STEs indicate that ring current energy remained above normal, quiet time values and open flux was continually being transferred to the magnetotail. We combined two independently generated lists of intense/super storms from the 1996 to 2007 period and found that 46 of them did not appear on the STE list of Cai et al. (2011). They divide three categories of storms in which (1) information needed to establish the presence/absence of STEs is insufficient, (2) STE signatures were present but overlooked, and (3) the magnetopause moved earthward of 6.6 RE so that energetic particles cannot gradient-curvature drift to geosynchronous satellites in the magnetosheath near local noon. We conclude that STE identification criteria be expanded to include compressed cases in which quasiperiodic nightside injections occur. Super storms with no nightside injections are attributed to episodes of severe ring current inflation of the inner magnetosphere that inhibited the formation of sustained near-Earth neutral lines.
La identidad afropanameña en La Literatura desde el siglo XX hasta el nuevo milenio

Black Panamanian identity in Panama is both complex and problematic becauseof the coexistence of two groups of blacks in the country: afro-colonials and black West Indians. While afro-colonials are the product of race mixing and identify by their Panamanian nationality, West Indians are immigrants and follow the racial model of their native countries-Jamaica and Barbados- which are racially constructed around blackness. Therefore, they identify as black. As a result, in Panama it is difficult to talk about Afro-Panamanian identity because it is marked by fluidity and racial, cultural and linguistic hybridity. The afro-Panamanian writers, Juan Urriola, Gaspar Octavio Hernandez, Carlos Cubena Guillermo Wilson, and Melva Lowe de Goodin represent these two ethnic groups. As a result, their works manifest the problematic of identity which is a reflection of the African diaspora.
The top 100 cited articles in urology: An update.

Background: In this paper, we identify and analyze the top 100 cited articles in urology since 1965 and assess changes in the top 100 since 2007. Methods: We selected highest impact journals in both urological and general medicine journals from the 2011 edition of Journal Citation Reports: Science edition. We identified and analyzed the 100 most cited articles using the Science Citation Index Expanded (1965-present). Results: The top 100 articles were cited a mean of 892 times (range: 529-2088) and published between 1966 and 2009, with 21 published since 2000. In 2012, 19 new articles appeared in the updated top 100 cited articles. Also, 16 journals were represented, led by the New England Journal of Medicine (n=36), the Journal of Urology (n=16) and the Lancet (n=12). In total, 81 articles were published from North America (USA=77, Canada=4). From the United States, the following institutes were among the top 5 represented: Johns Hopkins University (n=12), Harvard University, Memorial Sloan Kettering Cancer Centre, National Institute of Health and Washington University (all 5). Only one institute outside the United States published more than one article in the top 100 (Institut Gustave Roussy, France). Nine urologists were first authors of 2 or more articles. Oncology (n=54) and transplantation (n=22) were the most common subspecialties represented. Conclusion: It is important to acknowledge the top cited articles as they mark key topics and advances in urology. There has been a 19% change in the top 100 cited articles in the past 5 years. Oncology and transplantation remain the most highly cited topics.
Photo-Induced Inactivation of Protein Kinase Cα by Dequalinium Inhibits Motility of Murine Melanoma Cells

Dequalinium (DECA) is a potent antitumor agent and inhibitor of protein kinase C (PKC). Previously it was shown that PKCalpha activity in vitro could be irreversibly inhibited when treated with DECA at low micromolar concentrations and irradiated with 366 nm of light. This approach was used to probe the role of intracellular PKC activity in the motility of metastatic murine melanoma B16 F10 cells and as a target for DECA analogs with increasing PKC inhibitory potencies. Pretreatment of a monolayer of B16 F10 cells with 250 nM of a DECA analog in the presence of UV irradiation for 5 min resulted in 1) complete inhibition of cell motility for up to 4 h in a time-lapse motility assay and 40 to 60% inhibition of cell migration in a Boyden chamber, and 2) inhibition by 40 to 60% of intracellular phosphatidylserine/Ca(2+)-dependent PKC catalytic activity, signifying inactivation of a conventional PKC isoform. Because PKCalpha is the only conventional PKC isoform detected in B16 F10 cells, a stably transfected clone expressing a kinase-defective mutant of PKCalpha was developed that exhibited a substantial loss of adhesion and motility and was refractory to further inhibition by DECA. These findings identify PKCalpha catalytic activity both as a mechanistic component of cell motility and adhesion and as a critical intracellular target of DECA. These studies further suggest that the combined use of UV with nanomolar concentrations of DECA offers an effective chemotherapeutic approach to inhibit metastatic behavior of melanoma cells.
RF-MEMS capacitive series switches of CPW and MSL configurations for reconfigurable antenna application

The air-bridged RF-MEMS switches in single pole single throw (SPST) transmission lines are presented for reconfigurable antenna application. The RF characteristics of capacitive series switches are analyzed, measured, and compared with microstrip line (MSL) and coplanar waveguide (CPW) structures. RF-MEMS series switches are monolithic fabricated in both transmission line structures on glass substrate of dielectric constant, /spl epsiv//sub r/ = 7.4. The reconfigurable multibeam spiral antenna (f/sub o/ = 11 GHz), which is monolithic integrated with RF-MEMS capacitive series switches on the same glass substrates is also presented as an example of the use of in-line MEMS series switches for reconfigurable antenna applications.
Temporal analysis of S-band monostatic sea clutter at the low grazing angles

Monostatic radar returns from a time-varying ocean surface are distributed into a spectrum through the Doppler effect. This phenomenon has strong implications for various radar and remote sensing systems such as moving target indication, altimetry and others. Numerous studies have been published about the Doppler spectra of sea clutter returns. However, the temporal characteristics of Doppler spectra at low grazing angles need to be analyzed in more detail. In this presentation, the Doppler phenomena from time-varying sea clutter observed at low-grazing angles will be discussed. The sea clutter data was collected at Cape Point, South Africa by University College London with an S-band radar system operating at 2.4 GHz with 45 MHz bandwidth, and a pulse repetition frequency of 1 kHz. The Doppler spectra of the scattering from the sea surface are estimated using the periodogram. Peak and width of the Doppler spectra are analyzed to understand the behavior of Doppler spectra depending on radar geometry and wind direction. The peak Doppler frequency and Doppler centroid from the spectra are estimated to retrieve the Doppler frequency shift induced by the motion of the sea surface. The Doppler spectral width is compared with the associated decorrelation time and standard deviation of the spectrum. In addition, time-varying Doppler spectra and range-resolved Doppler spectra are investigated using Doppler spectrograms and range-Doppler maps, respectively.
Vibration patterns of the human chest wall recorded with a microwave interferometer

The vibrational velocity of the anterior chest wall, produced by the cardiac activity within the chest cavity, is recorded with a microwave interferometer. This velocity is cross-correlated with the R wave of the simultaneously recorded EKG and reveals four or five fairly distinct and coherent velocity maxima and minima within each R-R interval. The velocity extrema early in the R-R interval would logically be attributed to ventricular ejection; the mechanical vibration of the chest wall late in the R-R interval is difficult to explain at this time. The instrument operates at 9.3 GHz, which corresponds to a free-space wavelength of 3.1 cm. This wavelength of electromagnetic energy readily passes through normal dry clothing; the vibrational velocity data can be recorded from cooperating subjects who are fully clothed with no physical contact between subject and instrument, The microwave interferometer can thus serve as a noninvasive and noncontacting cardiopulmonary monitor. >
The convergence of neuropsychological testing and clinical ratings of cognitive impairment in patients with schizophrenia.

This study examined the relationship between clinical rating of cognitive symptoms and performance on neuropsychological tests in acute and chronic samples of patients with schizophrenia. Two separate studies examined patients who varied widely in their lifetime functional outcome, including 263 elderly poor-outcome inpatients and 20 acutely admitted patients. In the first study, six cognitive performance measures were collected, and in the second study, five different measures were collected. Correlations with different symptom models of cognitive and negative symptoms were examined. In both samples, cognitive symptoms were never more highly correlated with cognitive test performance than with negative symptoms. When cognitive and negative symptom ratings were combined, they never accounted for as much as half of the variance in performance on the cognitive tests in both samples. These data suggest that clinical assessment of symptoms is not a viable alternative to neuropsychological testing to obtain information about cognitive functioning in schizophrenia. These results may also be specific to the clinical rating scale used, the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS).
The effect of in vitro recombinant factor VIIA on coagulation parameters for blood taken during liver transplantation.

Abstract Recombinant factor VIIa (rFVIIa) has been utilized in pilot studies in orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) when administered to patients at doses of 68.37 μg/kg and 80 μg/kg. Although some effectiveness in normalizing measurements of coagulation has been demonstrated, the optimal dose for patients undergoing OLT has not been established. This study evaluated the effects of an in vitro equivalent dose of 120 μg/kg of rFVIIa on coagulation parameters when applied to the blood drawn from patients undergoing OLT. Coagulation function was assessed in 10 patients at four points during OLT. These time points were baseline, 5 minutes prior to reperfusion, 10 minutes after reperfusion, and 70 minutes after reperfusion. These patients did not receive rFVIIa perioperatively. At each of these four time points, a native sample was analyzed for prothrombin time (PT) and thromboelastogram. The rFVIIa (6.1 μg/kg or the approximate equivalent dose of 120 μg/kg for a 70 kg patient) was added to a second sample from the same patient. This second sample was also analyzed for PT and thromboelastogram. There was a statistically significant difference in baseline PT between native versus rFVIIa supplemented samples (15.8 ± 3.21 vs 13.6 ± 2.36 seconds, P
Inhibited Absorption of Blackbody Radiation

A cutoff with wavelength is observed in the absorption of blackbody radiation by free atoms. The cutoff arises from a discontinuity in the density of modes between parallel conducting plates. Absorption at a wavelength of 2/3 cm by atoms between planes 1/3 cm apart is measured at a temperature of 180 K. The discontinuity in the absorption rate occurs when the absorption wavelength is varied across the cutoff of one of the parallel plate modes.
Kinetic analysis of LY320236: competitive inhibitor of type I and non-competitive inhibitor of type II human steroid 5α-reductase

Type I and type II steroid 5alpha-reductases (5alpha-R) catalyze the conversion of testosterone (T) to dihydrotestosterone (DHT). LY320236 is a benzoquinolinone (BQ) that inhibits 5alpha-R activity in human scalp skin (Ki(typeI)=28.7+/-1.87 nM) and prostatic homogenates (Ki(typeII)=10.6+/-4.5 nM). Lineweaver-Burk, Dixon, and non-linear analysis methods were used to evaluate the kinetics of 5alpha-R inhibition by LY320236. Non-linear modeling of experimental data evaluated V(max) in the presence or absence of LY320236. Experimental data modeled to the following equation 1v=+ fixing the In0c value equal to 1.0 or 0 are consistent with non-competitive or competitive inhibition, respectively. LY320236 is a competitive inhibitor of type I 5alpha-R (In0c=0, Ki=3.39+/-0.38, RMSE = 1.300) and a non-competitive inhibitor of type II 5alpha-R (In0c=1, Ki=29. 7+/-3.4, RMSE = 0.0592). These data are in agreement with linear transformation of the data using Lineweaver-Burk and Dixon analyses. These enzyme kinetic data support the contention that the BQ LY320236 is a potent dual inhibitor with differing modes of activity against the two known human 5alpha-reductase isozymes. LY320236 represents a class of non-steroidal 5alpha-R inhibitors with potential therapeutic utility in treating a variety of androgen dependent disorders.
Testosterone Administration Preserves Protein Balance But Not Muscle Strength during 28 Days of Bed Rest

Decrements in muscle strength as a result of prolonged bed rest are well defined, but little is known about potential countermeasures for preventing loss of strength under this condition. The purpose of this study was to determine whether testosterone administration would preserve protein balance and muscle strength during prolonged bed rest. Ten healthy men (age, 36 ± 2 yr; height, 177.2 ± 3.4 cm; weight, 80.5 ± 3.9 kg; mean ± se) were admitted to our in-patient metabolic unit. After a 1-week ambulatory run-in period, each subject was confined to bed for 28 days at 6° head-down tilt while receiving a daily oral dose of T3 (50 μg/day). During the bed rest/T3 period, six of the men were randomized to receive testosterone enanthate by im injection (T; 200 mg/week) while four received placebo in a double blind fashion. Nitrogen balance was determined throughout, and whole body[ 13C]leucine kinetics were assessed at baseline and on day 26 of bed rest. Before bed rest and on the third day of reambulation, the ...
Abstract #16: Optical Coherence Tomography As a Clinical Trial Outcome Measure in Multiple Sclerosis: Implications of Treating On-Study Relapses with Intravenous Methylprednisolone

Background Optical coherence tomography (OCT) is potentially useful as an outcome measure for clinical trials of neuroprotective therapies in multiple sclerosis (MS). In large-scale clinical trials, it is common for study participants to receive intravenous methylprednisolone (IVMP) as a treatment for relapses while on study. Other anatomic imaging measures such as brain atrophy are subject to transient changes attributed to the anti-inflammatory and water-shifting effects of IVMP, which necessitates delaying imaging studies within a study relative to IVMP dosing. We studied whether IVMP induces short-term changes in OCT metrics including retinal nerve fiber layer thickness (RNFLT) and macular volume (MV). Methods 20 MS patients who received treatment with IVMP for a relapse other than optic neuritis plus 11 controls (patients with MS without relapse or IVMP treatment) were prospectively recruited. Baseline Stratus OCT Fast RNFLT and Fast Macular Volume protocols were performed immediately prior to the first dose of IVMP and repeated 14 days later in steroid-treated patients. Control patients not receiving IVMP underwent follow-up OCT between 14 and 28 days after the baseline scan. A standard protocol of 1000 mg IVMP daily for 3 days followed by a 12-day oral prednisone taper was utilized in all steroid-treated patients. Patients on intermittent pulse IVMP were excluded. Repeated measures mixed statistical models were used to estimate the effect of treatment with IVMP on RNFLT and MV. Results Data from one eye of a control participant were excluded because unilateral primary retinal pathology invalidated the OCT data. All other data were analyzed, including baseline data from one patient in each group who did not complete follow-up. Mean RNFLT at baseline was 87.9 μm in steroid-treated participants and 81.9 μm in control participants. Mean baseline to follow-up change in RNFLT in steroid-treated patients was 2.80 μm (range −4.76 to 17.79 μm). Based on the mixed effects model, the estimated treatment effect of IVMP on baseline to follow-up RNFLT change was 2.14 μm (95% CI = −1.63 to 5.92; p = 0.25). For MV change, the estimated treatment effect was 0.11 mm 3 (95% CI = −0.05 to 0.28; p = 0.17). Conclusions The observed trends suggest any treatment effect of a single course of IVMP on RNFLT and MV is small, and that altering the timing of OCT following treatment of MS relapses within clinical trials may not be necessary. Additional data are needed to confirm this.
All-Female Strains of the Teleost Fishes of the Genus Poeciliopsis

In addition to the viviparous fish Mollienesia formosa, two other species of poeciliids have recently been found to produce only female offspring. The young of these females, however, unlike those of M. formosa, inherit characteristics from any one of the several species of males used in experimental matings.
Histochemical study on localization of adenosine triphosphatase and 5-nucleotidase in the olfactory bulb of the rat.

In the present paper, a histochemical study of the localization of adenosine triphosphatase and 5-nucleotidase in fixed frozen sections of rat olfactory bulb has been carried out by Wachstein and Meisel's method. The structures showing positive reaction are the neurons and blood vessels. The neurons show a wide range of variation of reaction in both intensity as well as distribution. The nucleolus shows an intense and variable reaction and the significance of these have been discussed. The reaction in the cytoplasm is diffuse when it is mild but tends to concentrate toward the cell wall as the intensity increases. It is suggested that the nucleolus may play an important role in the synthesis of the enzymes which can take part in providing the energy needed for the molecular transport concerned with the coduction of nerve impulses.
The disease concept of alcoholism: A review

Answering the question, 'Is alcoholism a disease?' has far-reaching implications for the alcoholic in treatment, judgments about the professional responsibility and competency of particular groups (physicians and nurses, psychiatrists, social workers, psychologists and recovering alcoholics), and for the epidemiologist whose job it is to define the problem an suggest ways of preventing it. Having provided the reader with the evidence pro and con that alcoholism is a disease, the implications of accepting the disease concept will be examined.
In Vitro Bile-Acid-Binding of Whole vs. Pearled Wheat Grain

ABSTRACT Health benefits of consuming whole grains are reduced risk of heart disease, stroke, and cancer. The U.S. Health and Human Services and USDA dietary guidelines recommend consumption of 6–10 oz of grain products daily and one-half of that amount should contain whole grains. Whole grains contain vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients. Bile-acid-binding capacity has been related to cholesterol lowering potential of food fractions. Lowered recirculating bile acids results in utilization of cholesterol to synthesize bile acid and reduced fat absorption. Secondary bile acids have been associated with increased risk of cancer. Bile-acid-binding potential has been related to lowering the risk of heart disease and that of cancer. It has been reported that bile-acid-binding of wheat bran is not related to its total dietary fiber (TDF) content. Whole (W) grain as well as pearled (P) hard red winter wheat (Hrw), hard white winter wheat (Hww), and durum wheat (DU) cooked grains were evaluated for in vi...
African American Midwifery in the South: Dialogues of Birth, Race, and Memory

African American Midwifery in the South: Dialogues of Birth, Race, and Memory. Gertrude Jacinta Fraser. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 1998. ix. 287 pp., notes, references, index.
Microbially Induced Cementation to Control Sand Response to Undrained Shear

Current methods to improve the engineering properties of sands are diverse with respect to methodology, treatment uniformity, cost, environmental impact, site accessibility requirements, etc. All of these methods have benefits and drawbacks, and there continues to be a need to explore new possibilities of soil improvement, particularly as suitable land for development becomes more scarce. This paper presents the results of a study in which natural microbial biological processes were used to engineer a cemented soil matrix within initially loose, collapsible sand. Microbially induced calcite precipitation (MICP) was achieved using the microorganism Bacillus pasteurii, an aerobic bacterium pervasive in natural soil deposits. The microbes were introduced to the sand specimens in a liquid growth medium amended with urea and a dissolved calcium source. Subsequent cementation treatments were passed through the specimen to increase the cementation level of the sand particle matrix. The results of both MICP- and ...
Treatment of Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer: Focus on Pemetrexed Disodium

Pemetrexed (Alimta, Eli Lilly) is a multi-targeted anti-folate originally approved for its use in malignant mesothelioma. Based on results from phase III clinical investigations, it is now approved for use as a single agent in the second-line setting and in combination with platinum therapy in the first-line setting for advanced non small cell lung cancer. It is also under investigation in earlier stages of non small cell lung cancer including in the adjuvant setting and with radiation. It has shown to be particularly efficacious for non-squamous histology and is well tolerated. Toxicity includes, but is not limited to hematologic toxicity and gastrointestinal toxicity, which are minimized by vitamin B12 and folic acid supplementation. Recent analyses also suggest cost-effectiveness of this agent in patient with advanced, non-squamous cell non-small cell lung cancer.
The Formation of Hurricane Frederic of 1979

A high-resolution global model forecast of the formation of Hurricane Frederic of 1979 is analyzed by means of several diagnostic computations on the model's output history. The formation is addressed from an analysis of limited-area energetics where the growth of eddy kinetic energy is examined. The question on internal versus external forcing during the formative stage of the hurricane is explored by means of the Kuo-Eliassen framework for the radial-vertical circulation of the hurricane. The intensity of the predicted hurricane is diagnosed from a detailed angular momentum budget following the three-dimensional motion of parcels arriving at the maximum wind belt. Overall, the successful simulation of the hurricane has enabled us to make such a detailed diagnosis of the predicted hurricane at a high resolution. The principal findings of this study are that a north-south-oriented heating function maintained a zonal easterly flow that supplied energy barotropically during the growth of an African wave. The growth of eddy kinetic energy is somewhat monotonic and slow throughout the history of the computations. The initial development of the easterly wave appears to be related to the widespread weak convective heating that contributes to a covariance of heating and temperature and of temperature and vertical velocity. The hurricane development period is seen as one where both the barotropic and convective processes contribute to the growth of eddy kinetic energy.
Glycomic Expression in Esophageal Disease

Glycosylation is among the most common post translation modifications of proteins in humans. Decades of research have demonstrated that aberrant glycosylation can lead to malignant degeneration. Glycoproteomic studies in the past several years have identified techniques that can successfully characterize a glycan or glycan profile associated with a high-grade dysplastic or malignant state. This review summarizes the current glycomic and glycoproteomic literature with specific reference to esophageal cancer. Esophageal adenocarcinoma represents a highly morbid and mortal cancer with a defined progression from metaplasia (Barrett's esophagus) to dysplasia to neoplasia. This disease is highlighted because (1) differences in glycan profiles between the stages of disease progression have been described in the glycoproteomic literature; (2) a glycan biomarker that identifies a given stage may be used as a predictor of disease progression and thus may have significant influence over clinical management; and (3) the differences in glycan profiles between disease and disease-free states in esophageal cancer are more dramatic than in other cancers.
Structure, development and induction of a new diapause stage in rotifers

SUMMARY 1. This study shows that females of Synchaeta pectinata Ehrenberg can produce two morphologically and physiologically distinct kinds of amictic eggs that develop parthenogenetically into females. One kind, until now the only one known in monogonont rotifers, is a thin-shelled (about 1.4 μm) subitaneous egg that develops without arrest. The other kind is a thick-shelled (about 9 μm) egg that enters obligatory diapause after 1–3 cleavage divisions before resuming development. The thicker shell of the diapausing egg is due to an expansion of the outer sublayer of the single-layered shell. 2. The mean duration of the diapause at 19 °C (L : D 16 : 8) is about 14 days. This diapause is not broken by low temperature (5 °C), and it is not greatly extended by storage at low temperature (5 °C). 3. Diapausing eggs are induced immediately after a brief starvation period, and seem to be produced at no additional energetic cost. However, a population producing a high proportion of diapausing eggs has a much reduced reproductive potential. 4. Production of diapausing amictic eggs may be a strategy to increase the ability of clones to survive food limitation. 5. Diapausing amictic eggs differ markedly from fertilized resting eggs produced following bisexual reproduction during favourable conditions.
The effect of cycle frequency, H2O and CO2 on TBC lifetime with NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coatings

Abstract Furnace cycle testing of superalloy 1483 and X4 substrates with high velocity oxygen fuel (HVOF) NiCoCrAlYHfSi bond coatings and air plasma sprayed (APS) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) top coatings was conducted at 1100 °C in various environments. Average thermal barrier coating (TBC) lifetimes were 5–6 times longer when 100 h cycles were used to simulate base-load power generation operation, compared to the 1 h aero-engine standard cycle. Longer exposure times for 100 h cycles increased the interdiffusion resulting in no clear effects of H 2 O and CO 2 additions on average TBC lifetime for the 1483 substrates, contrary to the results with 1 h cycles where the addition of H 2 O reduced TBC lifetime. The lower Al content and perhaps the higher Ti content in 1483 compared to X4 resulted in lower TBC lifetimes for 1483. Photo-stimulated luminescence piezospectroscopy (PLPS) and 3D microscopy were used to measure residual stress in the alumina scale and surface roughness, respectively, on specimens with and without a YSZ top coating.
Access to Obstetric Care in the United States from the National Health Interview Survey

This cross-sectional observational study uses data from the National Health Interview Survey from 1999 to 2006 to identify demographic factors associated with whether pregnant women have seen an OB/GYN within the last year. This analysis includes 2,748 women who were pregnant at the time of the interview. In total, 86.3% of women had seen an OB/GYN in the previous year. Women who are uninsured, have not completed high school, are Asian, or who live in the Midwest or Western regions may be at lower odds for receiving prenatal care. This study identifies vulnerable populations that may not be receiving adequate obstetric care.
Exceptionally High Stability of Copolymer-Templated Ordered Silica with Large Cage-Like Mesopores

FDU-1 silicas with large (∼10 nm) cage-like mesopores were synthesized under acidic conditions using a poly(ethylene oxide)−poly(butylene oxide)−poly(ethylene oxide) triblock copolymer template. Structural changes caused by heating in water at 373 K for different periods of time (from 3 hours to 32 days) and by calcination at 973−1273 K were investigated in order to assess the hydrothermal and thermal stability of FDU-1. It was shown that FDU-1 exhibits a hydrothermal stability unprecedented among ordered mesoporous silicas (OMSs), because it retains its uniform mesopores even after 32 days of heating in water at 373 K, which is by one or two orders of magnitude longer than in the case of typical OMSs and at least two times longer than in the reported cases of the most stable OMSs. This exceptional hydrothermal stability of FDU-1 can be attributed to the combination of its extremely large average wall thickness and the continuous 3-dimensional nature of its thick wall backbone. The boiling water appears t...
The effects of causal cohesion on comprehension and memory

Two experiments are reported in which sentence-by-sentence reading times were collected on two-sentence paragraphs, where the first sentence specified a cause for the event in the second sentence. Each paragraph had four versions. All versions had the same second sentence and were referentially coherent; they differed, however, in the causal relatedness of the two sentences. Despite referential coherence, reading times for second sentences were shown to steadily increase as causal relatedness decreased. Recognition and recall memory for the causes was poorest for the most and least related causes and best for causes of intermediate levels of relatedness.
The sst1 Resistance Locus Regulates Evasion of Type I Interferon Signaling by Chlamydia pneumoniae as a Disease Tolerance Mechanism

The sst1, “supersusceptibility to tuberculosis,” locus has previously been shown to be a genetic determinant of host resistance to infection with the intracellular pathogen, Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Chlamydia pneumoniae is an obligate intracellular bacterium associated with community acquired pneumonia, and chronic infection with C. pneumoniae has been linked to asthma and atherosclerosis. C. pneumoniae is a highly adapted pathogen that can productively infect macrophages and inhibit host cell apoptosis. Here we examined the role of sst1 in regulating the host response to infection with C. pneumoniae. Although mice carrying the sst1 susceptible (sst1S) locus were not impaired in their ability to clear the acute infection, they were dramatically less tolerant of the induced immune response, displaying higher clinical scores, more severe lung inflammation, exaggerated macrophage and neutrophil influx, and the development of fibrosis compared to wild type mice. This correlated with increased activated caspase-3 in the lungs of infected sst1S mice. Infection of sst1S macrophages with C. pneumoniae resulted in a shift in the secreted cytokine profile towards enhanced production of interferon-β and interleukin-10, and induced apoptotic cell death, which was dependent on secretion of interferon-β. Intriguingly macrophages from the sst1S mice failed to support normal chlamydial growth, resulting in arrested development and failure of the organism to complete its infectious cycle. We conclude that the sst1 locus regulates a shared macrophage-mediated innate defense mechanism against diverse intracellular bacterial pathogens. Its susceptibility allele leads to upregulation of type I interferon pathway, which, in the context of C. pneumoniae, results in decreased tolerance, but not resistance, to the infection. Further dissection of the relationship between type I interferons and host tolerance during infection with intracellular pathogens may provide identification of biomarkers and novel therapeutic targets.
Discussion: Economies of Scale and Scope in Agricultural Biotechnology Research

Evolution in science such as recent developments in agricultural biotechnology creates new challenges for patent regimes, leads to reforms in laws and regulations, and has led to the creation of property rights where none existed before. The new property rights in agriculture imply new and complex incentives for research, new avenues of rents for firms and the public sector in agriculture, and new types of strategic behavior in research and product markets between firms as well as between the
An Improved Method of Thermal Resistance Measurement for Variable Thermal Resistors

As part of the study and development of a variable thermal resistor (VTR), we present an improved thermal resistance measurement method for the VTR in the presence of unwanted signal drifting. To measure the change of thermal resistance, instead of waiting for the steady state value of the temperature signal, we repeatedly measure only the early transient part of the thermal response signal and then fit to get thermal resistance estimation. The required lengths of measurement were studied for the tests with various thermal time constants. Using this method, we performed thermal switching tests with various material pairs in contact in order to find the material pair that minimizes thermal contact resistance.Copyright © 2007 by ASME
Dose–Response and Age- and Temperature-Related Susceptibility of the Diamondback Moth (Lepidoptera: Plutellidae) to Two Isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Hyphomycetes: Moniliaceae)

Two isolates of Beauveria bassiana (Balsamo) Vuillemin were used in bioassays against the diamondback moth, Plutella xylostella (L.). One isolate, ARSEF 4543, originated from a diamondback moth larva collected in New York and the other, Mycotech GHA, is the active ingredient in Mycotrol, a product registered for control of insect species belonging to several orders. Dose-response assays of suspended spores sprayed on larvae resulted in similar LD 50 s (518 and 614 spores per square centimeter for ARSEF 4543 and Mycotech GHA, respectively) but different slopes for the probit regression lines (0.64 and 0.89). Survival times for larvae inoculated at a range of dosages were variable for ARSEF 4543 but decreased with increasing dosages for Mycotech GHA. Third and 4th instars were more susceptible than 2nd instars, although survival times varied between the 2 isolates for different instars. Larvae inoculated early in the 2nd or 3rd instar had shorter suvival times than those inoculated later in each instar. Spores of B. bassiana were readily detected on exuviae from inoculated larvae using fluorescence microscopy, indicating the significance of molting as a means of avoiding infection. The isolates did not differ significantly in their activities over a range of temperatures. Highest mortality and lowest survival times were observed at 25°C; mortality decreased and survival time increased at temperatures both above and below 25°C. These findings provide baseline information on the susceptiblity of P. xylostella to B. bassiana and they indicate the potential utility of commercial preparation of B. bassiana for use against P. xylostella in the field.