cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Commentary: Novel Use of Offset Analgesia to Assess Adolescents and Adults with Treatment Resistant Endometriosis-Associated Pain.

Background and objective Endometriosis, affecting approximately 176 million adults and adolescents worldwide, is a debilitating condition in which uterine tissue grows outside the uterus. The condition costs the US economy approximately $78 billion annually in pain-related disability. By understanding the neural underpinnings of endometriosis-associated pain (EAP) and risk factors for chronification, translational research methods could lessen diagnostic delays and maximize successful pain remediation. This can be accomplished by the novel use of a known method, offset analgesia (OA), to better elucidate the neural mechanisms that may contribute to and maintain EAP. This commentary will provide justification and rationale for the use of OA in the study of EAP. Conclusion Utilizing an OA paradigm in patients with endometriosis, especially adolescents, may (1) provide insight into neural mechanisms contributing to pain maintenance, which could capture those at-risk for the transition to chronic pelvic pain, (2) provide a metric for the development of future centrally mediated treatment options for this population, and (3) elucidate the brain changes that result in resistance to treatment and pain chronification.
Strategies to improve postpartum glucose screening rates are needed.

Aims Women with gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) require postpartum glucose screening, as they have a 70% lifetime risk of developing Type 2 diabetes mellitus. However, less than half complete postpartum screening. Methods We conducted a retrospective chart review of patients who delivered at our institution from 2001 to 2019. Inclusion criteria were patients with gestational diabetes who were at least 18 years old and had delivered an infant at >24 weeks of gestation. Our primary outcome was completion of postpartum gestational diabetes screening. Results The majority of patients (62%) did not complete screening. After adjusted risk ratio analyses, the only variables that remained significantly associated with an increased likelihood of completing screening were Asian race and having prenatal care at one particular community health center, which served a predominantly Asian population. Conclusions This community health center protocol for scheduling patients with GDM that complied with recommendations for postpartum care, indicating that evidence-based methods can improve maternal health.
SU‐E‐P‐24: Simplified EDW Profile Measurements Using Two Commonly Available Detector Arrays

Purpose: Enhanced dynamic wedge (EDW) profiles are needed as part of the commissioning of a treatment planning system. This work compares the acquisition of EDW profiles using a linear diode array (LDA) with two commonly used detector arrays available in the clinics, with the goal of identifying the simplest approach for these measurements. Methods: The measurements of EDW profiles were performed on a Varian TrueBeam linear accelerator for 6, 10, and 18 MV photon beams for all seven wedge angles at four depths. The measurements were done using the LDA 99 in Blue Phantom2 (IBA Dosimetry), and IC Profiler and MapCHECK2 (Sun Nuclear) in solid water phantoms. The water phantom was set up at 100 cm SSD, whereas the two other devices were set up at 75 cm due to the size limitations of the devices. The largest possible field size was used. The average and maximum percentage differences were examined within the central 90% of the field and in the penumbra. Results: Dose profiles measured with IC Profiler were in a good agreement with LDA 99 data. The average percentage difference within the field did not exceed 0.5% for all energies. MapCHECK2 measurements matched well with LDA 99 formore » 10 and 18 MV (within 0.3%) with discrepancies of up to 1.4% observed for the 6 MV beam. The maximum percentage differences for both devices in the penumbra exhibited larger variations than LDA 99 results due to differences in detector spacing and high dose gradient, as expected. Conclusion: Common linac QA devices such as IC Profiler or MapCHECK2 provide EDW beam profile data of reasonable accuracy as compared to measurements performed using a linear diode array in a water phantom, saving the expense and time involved in acquiring and setting up a LDA.« less
Sample Surveys: Model-Based Approaches

The theory for sample surveys has been developed using two theoretical frameworks: design-based and model-based. The design-based approach uses the probabilities with which units are selected for the sample for inference; in the model-based approach, the investigator hypothesizes a joint probability distribution for elements in the finite population, and uses that probability distribution for inference. In this article, the two approaches are described and compared, and guidelines are given for when, and how, one should perform a model-based analysis of survey data. The use of models for survey design is discussed briefly.
A comparison of business process improvement approaches between US and Japanese firms: a model application

Building on a prior case and field study work, the author developed a process improvement model. The proposed model includes four interdependent components-a systematic methodology to guide quality efforts, an environment conducive to change, empowerment mechanisms for the people who do the work, and information technology (IT) to facilitate automation. The model was used to contrast the process improvement approaches between U.S. and Japanese companies. Results included differences between process improvement approaches, management/worker roles, creativity, change visions, and work environments.
Maternal and fetal serum levels of total cortisol and cortisone, unbound cortisol, and corticosteroid-binding globulin in vaginal delivery and cesarean section

The levels of corticosteroid-binding globulin (CBG, transcortin), total cortisol, and unbound cortisol were measured in maternal and fetal serum at the time of cesarean section or vaginal delivery. While the total cortisol levels in maternal serum do not differ significantly in vaginal delivery as compared to cesarean section, cord serum cortisol levels are significantly higher after vaginal delivery. There are no differences associated with the route of delivery between the mean levels of CBG in cord and maternal blood. However, after the vaginal delivery the unbound cortisol level in maternal serum is more than twice as high as that at cesarean section and in cord serum it is seven times as high. These changes reflect changes in total cortisol and may represent a prelabor surge of fetal cortisol production, or a stress response associated with labor, or a combination of both.
Essai d'interpretation de quelques formes du terrain sous-marin: D'après les échogrammes de l'expédition suédoise de l'Albatros

Abstract Very accurate echogramms have been compared to structural profiles of the continent. Zones of horsts and grabens, bound by faults scarps have been recognised on the floor of the Indian Ocean. They could be compared, for instance, to accidents of the Rhenan trough. The Atlantic Middle Ridge is a dislocated range. It could well be compared to the great fractured folds of the Lebanon Ranges. Amongst the atectonics floor profiles, attention has been brought to the big abyssal planes. Many origins are possible. In the case of the Indian Ocean plane, a flow of lava is inferred. The origin of a shallow and small plateau seems to be due to the accumulation of sediments around a still visible rock massif. Waves due to sliding can be observed at the foot of some steep slopes. The three sections of volcanos differ according to the choice of the sections. The advantage and disadvantages of two different nomenclatures are briefly discussed : the descriptive and the genetic approach.
Summary Proceedings From the Cardiology Group on Postoperative Cardiac Dysfunction

As many as one third of the 35,000 to 40,000 infants born in the United States each year with significant congenital heart defects require surgery before the first year of life. Intraoperative support techniques, including cardiopulmonary bypass, can precipitate a complex, systemic inflammatory response that impairs the function of multiple organs and results in more hemodynamic instability and early morbidity in newborns than in older infants and children. Vasoactive agents are routinely used in the postoperative management of these patients either to treat or prevent hemodynamic instability and low cardiac output. However, the effectiveness of vasoactive agents used either individually or in combination in achieving specific therapeutic goals such as maintenance of a minimum cardiac index or arteriovenous oxygen saturation difference has not been systematically evaluated in preterm and term neonates. In addition, there are insufficient safety data for these agents in preterm and term neonates, both as individual agents and in combination. This article proposes a framework for developing prospective clinical studies to determine the efficacy of different vasoactive agents to promote adequate cardiac output and hemodynamic stability after neonatal cardiac surgery. The framework provides an overview of the issues relevant to the design of prospective clinical studies of vasoactive agents in the newborn patient population undergoing cardiac surgery. The issues identified by the cardiology group illustrate the difficulty of designing and executing clinical trials in vulnerable pediatric populations with limited numbers of patients, especially when standard practice is widely believed to be beneficial despite the lack of rigorous data to support such practice.
Effect of metal contamination on microbial enzymatic activity in soil

Abstract Anthropogenic metal contamination is a pervasive problem in many urban or industrial areas. The interaction of metals with native soil communities is an important area of research as scientists strive to understand effects of long-term metal contamination on soil properties. Measurements of free soil enzyme activities can serve as useful indicators of microbial metabolic potential. The goals of this study are to determine extracellular soil enzymatic activities with respect to corresponding metal concentrations within a site of long-term contamination. These data are examined to understand relationships between extracellular soil enzyme activities and persistent metal loads in situ. Here we present such results from a rare research opportunity at an un-remediated, urban brownfield in Jersey City, NJ, USA. The soils of the site developed over the last 150 years through the dumping of urban fill from New York City as well as industrial rail use. The site was abandoned and fenced in the late 1960s, and within it, there is a mapped gradient of metal concentration in the soils, including As, Pb, Cr, Cu, Zn, and V. We measured soil enzymatic potential (alkaline phosphatase, cellobiohydrolase, and l -leucine-amino-peptidase) across four plots within the site and at an uncontaminated reference site that is of the same successional age and geographic influence. We found the highest enzymatic activities for all three activities measured at the site with the greatest soil metal loads and a particularly strong relationship among enzyme activity and the metals V and Cr. Our results differ from many experimental studies that show decreased soil enzyme activity in soils experimentally treated with metals. The results may indicate the effects of long-term adaptation of soil communities within these metal contaminated soils.
Microwave mild-hyperthermia for the chemo-thermotherapy of the breast

According to statistics from the National Cancer Institute, an increasing rate of breast cancer in the US makes the treatment of cancers more important. Besides conventional treatments, chemotherapy (CT) and radiation therapy (RT), different techniques are also being used to increase the efficiency of CT and RT for breast cancer. Hyperthermia, also called thermotherapy, is an adjunctive therapy that can be paired with conventional treatments. This method exposes electromagnetic energy into the targeted tissue to raise the temperature up to 45 °C, which increases perfusion and drug delivery inside the cancerous cells. However, high input power, screening room requirements with long application time prevents hyperthermia from applying in all clinics. Therefore, mild hyperthermia is experimented to make the process more applicable for patients. In this study, the goal is to observe the effect of low input power on tissue temperature at different depths of the breast in shorter time compared to current systems. Tissue temperature can be increased by 2–3 °C using this method. This technique will be applied by using a flexible microwave (MW) antenna applicator, which consists of 9 microwave antennas integrated in a circular-shaped PDMS, that is designed and fabricated. So, it can be given a shape on the breast. The breast can also be heated homogeneously with the located multiple antennas on the applicator. The antennas on the applicator are powered through feeding circuit, then it is attached on the breast mimicking gel. After that, fiber optic temperature sensors are placed at the depth of the gels and just under the surface. Firstly, measurements are taken of the temperature increase at the depth of 1 cm with 1W power at 1.6 GHz without time limits. Then, gradually increased power up to 5W is applied at 1cm depth. Thereafter, the depth is increased and the measurements are repeated at 2.5cm and 4cm depths for all power levels again with a limited time to 10 minutes. We show that the proposed applicator is very efficient for mild-hyperthermia for chemo-thermotherapy of the breast.
Ecosystem approach for natural hazard mitigation of volcanic tephra in Iceland: building resilience and sustainability

Living in Iceland, a highly volcanically active island with a historical eruption frequency of 20–25 events per 100 years, involves risks from lava, pyroclastic flows, tephra-fall, and floods from glacier/snow-covered volcanoes. Volcanic eruptions can have detrimental effects on human health, societies, and ecosystems. Eruptions in 2010–2011 proved the value of pre-event planning for some natural hazards. An additional focus is needed on pre-disaster mitigation responses for the effects of tephra-fall on vegetation: As outlined under the UNISDR Hyogo/Sendai Framework for Action, healthy ecosystems and environmental management are key actions in disaster risk reduction (DRR). Iceland’s most serious environmental problem is the degraded state of common rangeland in the highlands, where tephra-fall has been catastrophic. Tephra (airborne volcanic material) affects hydrology, air quality, and ecosystems by direct burial or post-eruptive transport, extending its influence far beyond the initial eruption area. Resilience to tephra-related disturbances depends on an ecosystem’s overall health. Tall, vigorous vegetation has greater endurance; its initial survival is more likely, while sheltering minimizes secondary transport and hastens recovery. Areas that are sparsely vegetated and already stressed are more vulnerable; there, tephra remains unstable and can cause further damage. Reclaiming vulnerable land and building healthy ecosystems, as represented by the Hekluskogar project, improve the ability of these areas to endure tephra-fall, increasing their resilience and reducing the associated costs to society. Successful DRR for tephra-fall, through the revegetation of degraded land, will require effective governance, multi-sector coordination, and the alignment of policies on land use, agriculture, natural resource management, and climate change mitigation.
Large-scale 3-D profilometer

3-D profilometry, it is necessary to locate the in-focus region of the image and to reconstruct the best 3D profile. A series of images are collected on-the-fly. The contrast and the intensity indices of each region of each image are calculated in the scanning procedure. The proposed method will reconstruct 3D shape from moving platform. The proposed method is applied on some preliminary experiments and it shows that the large-scale 3-D profile reconstruction can be realized.
Heterogeneous methanation: Steady-state rate of CO hydrogenation on supported ruthenium, nickel and rhenium

Abstract A study has been made of initial activity, steady-state activity and activity in the presence of H2S for CO hydrogenation on a number of supported catalysts. Initial rates of CO hydrogenation were found to be similar on Ni Al 2 O 3 , Ni ZrO 2 and Raney Ni catalysts when corrected for metal surface area. Under steady-state conditions, the specific reaction rate was a factor of 25 lower and the activities were in the order Raney Ni > Ni Al 2 O 3 > Ni ZrO 2 . In the presence of 10 ppm of H2S the activity decreased by an additional factor of 10 and the order was Ni ZrO 2 Ni Al 2 O 3 ⪢ Raney Ni . The support has an appreciable effect on the extent of deactivation at steady state and the activity in the presence of sulfur-containing compounds. In addition, a comparison was made of the specific activity of supported Ni, Ru and Re catalysts at steady state and in sulfur-containing streams.
Struggling with theory? A qualitative investigation of conceptual tool use in instructional design

This study employed a qualitative research design to investigate instructional designers’ views and uses of conceptual tools in design work (e.g., learning theories and design theories). While past research has examined how instructional designers spend their time, how they generally make decisions, and expert-novice differences, little attention has been paid to the value and perceptions of conceptual tools, from the perspective of practicing designers. Based on intensive interviews of practitioners, our findings included ten themes organized according to three meta-themes: (a) using theory, (b) struggling with theory, and (c) connections between theory and intuition in craftwork. While these results substantiate (to some degree) the claim that practitioners often find theory too abstract or difficult to apply, they also suggest that practitioners use theory in several important ways and tend to view theory with ambivalence rather than indifference or dislike. Other conclusions regarding the role of theory in design are provided and future directions for theorizing and research are discussed.
Subscapularis Tears and Lesser Tuberosity Avulsion Fractures in the Pediatric Patient

Background:Pediatric subscapularis tears are known to be rare injuries. They are often associated with an avulsion fragment of the lesser tuberosity leading to dual description in the literature of either subscapularis tear or lesser tuberosity avulsion. Historically, they were managed nonoperatively; however, outcomes have improved with operative management. Nonoperative management often led to bony overgrowth at the lesser tuberosity that limited motion. The literature is limited to case reports and a few small case series, often not restricted to pediatric patients.Study Design:Case series.Level of Evidence:Level 5.Methods:Radiographic and operative databases were retrospectively reviewed to identify pediatric patients with subscapularis tears or lesser tuberosity avulsions in the past 10 years.Results:Five cases of pediatric subscapularis tears were identified that underwent operative management. Of the 5 cases, 4 had delayed presentation. In 1 case, the lesser tuberosity fragment was initially missed...
Clinical presentation and treatment of non-Hodgkin's lymphoma of the thyroid gland.

Background: Non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma (NHL) of the thyroid is a rare malignancy. The traditional approach to curative treatment of localized (stages I and II) NHL of the thyroid gland is surgical resection. The recent success of multimodality chemoradiotherapy suggests that surgery should be reserved for providing a tissue diagnosis or relief from acute airway obstruction. It is questionable whether this has made an impact on treatment approaches.
Rhetoric as a wedge: A reformulation

George Yoos was once kind enough to contribute a paper to a panel concerned partly with my use of the metaphor "Rhetoric is a wedge."1 Prior to that time, I had been using the metaphor only incidentally and in passing; most of the indexers of the books in which I had used it had missed it altogether. But the metaphor does encapsulate an aspect of rhetoric that I think is worth discussing in its own right. The speakers in the panel-not only Yoos, but also Carroll C. Arnold2-have already provided a useful elaboration of this aspect. Here I shall discuss it further. Rhetoric, as I see it, is a means-perhaps the only means-of evoking and maintaining consciousness. It accomplishes these ends by driving a wedge between subject and object. For it is the instrument that objectifies stimuli or presuppositions not hitherto perceived as objects. An example of rhetoric at its most elementary level would be the question "Isn't that your telephone ringing?" addressed to a person not hitherto conscious that his telephone was ringing. At a more sophisticated level, if I have been unconsciously assuming that the death penalty is a permissible punishment for some crimes, and you call that assumption into question, objectifying it as a topic for discussion, you are engaging in rhetoric. In either case, you are evoking consciousness by introducing a gap between a subject and what can now objectively concern him. By "a wedge," I simply mean whatever introduces a such a gap. Rhetoric has no place in transactions within systems in which there is no gap between the input of data and their acceptance. A good example is the continuity between the input of data to a computer and its response to those data. The computer does not decide whether to accept the data. Of course software can be designed-and undoubtedly has been designed-providing a message to the effect that certain data fed into the machine are inappropriate. But the mechanism that produces this result is merely an extension of the same mechanism through which the machine accepts other data. Consider the input ABXY. If this is acceptable, it is processed in a certain way. If it is unacceptable, it is still received by the computer as input, and is processed in another way not different in principle from the first, although perhaps a little more complex. The result of the second sort of processing is to produce the message "ABXY is not acceptable." In neither situation, I would say, has there been a use of rhetoric. For in neither case has the machine been made to stand over against its data-to take account of these data as objects. Even the machine's rejection of data fails to be an objectification of them. There was no wedge, and there is no gap. Rhetoric, as I conceive it, is the art of calling attention to a situation for which objectivity is claimed. But I do not believe that any particular psychological
The History of States and Their Territories

Philip Bobbitt, The Shield of Achilles: War, Peace, and the Course of History. New York: Knopf 2002. Benno Teschke,The Myth of 1648: Class, Geopolitics and the Making of Modern International Relati...
An inexpensive digital millisecond timer and event counter

A simple circuit for a digital millisecond timer and event counter is described. The total cost of the unit including all components, a power supply, and an enclosure is less than $30. Daily use in simple reaction time experiments has demonstrated the reliability of the design.
Extension Education for Dryland Cropping Systems in Iraq

Iraq, formerly known as Mesopotamia, is the birthplace of agriculture. The recent war and instability have significantly impacted the country's agricultural production and knowledge support systems. To support revitalization of the Iraqi agricultural system, the USDA funded a consortium of five U.S. universities (Washington State University, University of California-Davis, New Mexico State University, Utah State University, and Texas A&M University as the lead institution) to provide training to agricultural extension personnel from Iraq. Each university had a specific training area. Washington State University was responsible for training in dryland cropping systems and delivered five separate sessions to Iraqis in several Middle East locations. Questionnaires distributed during each session guided subsequent training agendas and enhanced our understanding of extension and dryland cropping systems information needs in Iraq. There is great demand for training, technology, basic farm equipment, seed, and fertilizers, since current access to resources is insufficient to satisfy the country's needs. In addition to supplying inputs and equipment, further training should introduce methods for utilizing on-farm resources. There is also a clear need for better cooperation between Iraq's universities and extension agency, administered by the Iraq Ministry of Agriculture, in order to maximize the efficiency of research information transfer to farmers.
Males and females show differential brain activation to taste when hungry and sated in gustatory and reward areas

Although males and females differ in eating behavior and prevalence rates for eating disorders and obesity, little is known about gender differences in cortical activation to pleasant and unpleasant pure tastes during the physiological states of hunger and satiety. Twenty-one healthy young adults (12 females and 9 males) underwent two functional magnetic resonance imaging scans. Using four pure tastants of differing qualities (i.e., salty, sour, bitter, sweet), the present study examined gender differences in fMRI activation during two motivational states (hunger and satiety). There was greater change in fMRI activation from hunger to satiety in males than females in response to all tastes within the middle frontal gyrus (BA 10), insula, and cerebellum. Males also had greater change in activation from hunger to satiety, relative to females, in limbic regions including dorsal striatum, amygdala, parahippocampal gyrus, and posterior and anterior cingulate; however, activation was stimulus dependent, despite equivalent ratings in perceived pleasantness and intensity. Interestingly, males and females showed significant change from hunger to satiety in response to citric acid, suggesting that in addition to gender and physiological condition, stimulus quality is an important factor in taste fMRI activation. These gender differences may have implications for the pathophysiology of eating disorders and obesity.
A posteriori error estimates for a discontinuous Galerkin method applied to one-dimensional nonlinear scalar conservation laws

In this paper, new a posteriori error estimates for a discontinuous Galerkin (DG) formulation applied to nonlinear scalar conservation laws in one space dimension are presented and analyzed. These error estimates are computationally simple and are obtained by solving a local problem with no boundary condition on each element of the mesh. We first show that the leading error term on each element for the solution is proportional to a (p+1)-degree Radau polynomial, when p-degree piecewise polynomials with p>=1 are used. This result allows us to prove that, for smooth solutions, these error estimates at a fixed time converge to the true spatial errors in the L^2-norm under mesh refinement. The order of convergence is proved to be p+5/4. Finally, we prove that the global effectivity indices in the L^2-norm converge to unity at O(h^1^/^2) rate. Our computational results indicate that the observed numerical convergence rates are higher than the theoretical rates.
A unique catalytic mechanism for UDP-galactopyranose mutase

The flavoenzyme uridine 5'-diphosphate (UDP)-galactopyranose mutase (UGM) catalyzes the interconversion of UDP-galactopyranose (UDP-Galp) and UDP-galactofuranose (UDP-Galf). The latter is an essential precursor to the cell wall arabinogalactan of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. The catalytic mechanism for this enzyme had not been elucidated. Here, we provide evidence for a mechanism in which the flavin cofactor assumes a new role. Specifically, the N5 of the reduced anionic flavin cofactor captures the anomeric position of the galactose residue with release of UDP. Interconversion of the isomers occurs via a flavin-derived iminium ion. To trap this putative intermediate, we treated UGM with radiolabeled UDP-Galp and sodium cyanoborohydride; a radiolabeled flavin-galactose adduct was obtained. Ultraviolet-visible spectroscopy and mass spectrometry indicate that this product is an N5-alkyl flavin. We anticipate that the clarification of the catalytic mechanism for UGM will facilitate the development of anti-mycobacterial agents.
Gap junctions: new tools, new answers, new questions.

The big news is that gap junctions of different kinds are formed by a number of homologous proteins termed connexins, which are encoded by a gene family. Specific connexins are expressed in more than one tissue, and a single cell type may express more than one connexin
Toxicogenomic effects of marine brevetoxins in liver and brain of mouse.

Although the polyether brevetoxins (PbTx's) produced by Karenia brevis (the organism responsible for blooms of the Florida red tide) are known to exert their acute toxic effects through ion-channel mediated pathways in neural tissue, prior studies have also demonstrated that at least one form of the toxin (PbTx-6) is bound avidly by the aryl hydrocarbon receptor (AhR). Since AhR binding of a prototypical ligand such as dioxin is the first step in a cascade pathway producing major changes in gene expression, we reasoned that PbTx-6 might produce similar genomic-wide changes in expression. Mice were injected i.p. with sub-lethal doses of PbTx's (either 1.5 or 3 mg/g body weight of PbTx-6; or 0.15 mg/g body weight of PbTx-2, a toxin not avidly bound by the AhR), and liver and brain tissues were sampled at 8, 24 and 72 h and RNA was isolated. Changes in gene-specific RNA levels were assessed using commercially available mouse cDNA arrays (Incyte) containing >9600 array elements, including many elements from AhR-mediated genes. Histopathology of the two organs was also assessed. We observed minor histopathological effects and a total of only 29 significant (>2.0-fold) changes in gene expression, most of which occurred in the liver, and most of which could be attributable to an ‘acute phase’ inflammatory response. These results argue against the hypothesis that PbTx-6 acts via a classic AhR-mediated mechanism to evoke gene expression changes. However, given the avidity with which PbTx-6 binds to the AhR, these findings have important implications for how PbTx's may act in concert with other toxicants that are sensed by the AhR.
Void growth and interaction in crystalline materials

Abstract An inelastic rate-dependent crystalline constitutive formulation and specialized computational schemes have been developed and used to obtain a detailed understanding of the interrelated physical mechanisms that can result in ductile material failure in rate-dependent porous crystalline materials subjected to finite inelastic deformations. The effects of void growth and interaction and specimen necking on material failure have been investigated for a single material cell, with a discrete cluster of four voids, where geometrical parameters have been varied to result in seven unique periodic and random void arrangements. The interrelated effects of void distribution and geometry, strain hardening, geometrical softening, localized plastic strains and slip-rates, and hydrostatic stresses on failure paths and ligament damage in face centered cubic (f.c.c.) crystalline materials have been studied. Results from this study are consistent with experimental observations that ductile failure can occur either due to void growth parallel to the stress axis, which results in void coalescence normal to the stress axis, or void interaction along bands, which are characterized by intense shear-strain localization and that intersect the free surface at regions of extensive specimen necking.
The UC Berkeley Information Server

Information Systems and Technology (IST) at UC Berkeley has designed and implemented a widely accessible information server. IST has traditionally disseminated a great deal of information via its mainframe computers, ranging from computer documentation to information from other campus units, such as lists of current funding opportunities maintained by the campus Sponsored Projects Office. As more computer users, including much of IST's constituency, moved to workstations and microcomputers, IST recognized its inability to communicate with these users in the traditional ways and began the server project. From IST's point of view, the server allows the distribution of computing-related information to a wider range of users. However, it also provides an inexpensive means for distributing the vast amount of local information required on a campus of Berkeley's complexity. Since most of the campus' printed information is already based on computer files (such as the Schedule of Classes, job listings, etc.) the additional effort for those departments to make the information widely available electronically via the server is slight.The UC Berkeley Information Server is both the mechanism for distributing information over the Campus Network and beyond, as well as the collection of information available for such distribution. Technically, the server is a DEC computer running UNIX, with interfaces allowing it to communicate with a variety of user computers, such as IBM PCs, Apple Macintoshes, UNIX systems, and CMS. For the interface between the server and the users' machines, the ANSI standard Z39.50 was chosen to provide broad compatibility across a wide range of possible requirements. The connection from the user's computer may be made over the Campus Network or through phones lines dialed into the central campus Port Selectors. The server can be “acquainted” with other networked servers maintained by individual departments or other campuses and redirect inquiries to these other servers as appropriate. The user can view the information, download it to the local computer, or print it.The collection of information is defined as that subset of information useful to the campus and appropriate for general campus dissemination. Potentially it includes the General Catalog, job listings, a calendar of campus events, a dictionary, departmental information, computer programs, ad infinitum. Some of the information is supplied by IST, such as public domain computer programs and information on making use of campus computing facilities and services. Other information is supplied by other campus departments and outside sources, either directly or through IST. Care is taken that those who directly supply information to the server are trusted, in the sense that they can be relied upon not to add, for instance, libelous or proprietary material. The trusted information providers have sole responsibility for maintaining their own material for distribution via the server.
Happy birthday DIOGENE: a hospital information system born 20 years ago

Abstract Since its birth in 1978, DIOGENE, the hospital information system of Geneva University Hospital has been constantly evolving, with a major change in 1995, when migrating from a centralized to an open distributed architecture. For a few years, the hospital had to face health policy revolution with both economical constraints and opening of the healthcare network. The hospital information system DIOGENE plays a significant role by integrating four axes of knowledge: medico-economical context for better understanding and influencing resources consumption; the whole set of patient reports and documents (reports, encoded summaries, clinical findings, images, lab data, etc.), patient-dependent knowledge, in a vision integrating time and space; external knowledge bases such as Medline (patient-independent knowledge); integration of these patient-dependent and independent knowledge in a case-based reasoning format, providing on the physician desktop all relevant information for helping him to take the most appropriate adequate decision
Mathematical biophysics of abstraction and logical thinking

Developing further a recent suggestion of H. D. Landahl, equations are derived which give the probability for an individual to judge two stimulus patterns as similar or dissimilar. The possibility of experimental verification of those equations is discussed. Next, a mechanism is described which provided for abstraction by responding only to “essential” components of a stimulus pattern. Equations, verifiable in principle experimentally, are derived. Finally, a mechanism is suggested for logical inferences, and equations are derived which give the probability of making an error in a reasoning consisting of a chain of syllogisms, as well as the probability of being unable to complete the chain of reasoning at all.
Mother-infant separation and reunion in the great apes

One mother-infant dyad of each species of great ape, orang-utan, chimpanzee and gorilla, with an additional conspecific cagemate, were studied for the effects of maternal separation and reunion. High levels of agitation were observed in all infants immediately upon separation, followed by a longer period of behavioral depression with continuing, intermittent agitation. A compatible cagemate seemed to attenuate, to some degree, the behavioral depression reaction. Initial detachment following reunion with the mother occurred for all the great ape infants studied. Subsequent intensification of mother-infant attachment occurred during reunion for all three species. The findings of intermittent agitation during separation and the initial detachment upon reunion with the mother are not generally reported for monkeys, but are reported for human children. These data suggest that certain responses to maternal separation and reunion occur, to some degree, among all primates that have been studied, whereas other responses seen among apes and humans are not generally reported for monkeys.
G-deletion syndrome II.

A case with a ring G-chromosome is described as a further illustration of G-deletion Syndrome II.
Reproductive behavior and the maintenance of all-female Poecilia

There are four members involved in the breeding complexes of poeciliid fishes found in the freshwaters of northeastern Mexico: males and females of a bisexual species, and diploid and triploid unisexuals. Both unisexuals reproduce by gynogenesis, i.e., an asexual type of reproduction where the sperm triggers egg development but the male genome is excluded to produce clonal offspring. The three types of females are closely related, which suggests that they are potential competitors since all three require the service of the same males. The potential for competition is compounded by a highly skewed sex ratio in favor of females. On the average the unisexuals comprise about 30% of the Poecilia females. This high frequency coupled with a close genetic relatedness to their bisexual hosts, raises the question of how the unisexuals are maintained in nature.
The Effect of Pad-Bath pH and Storage Period on the Hydrolysis of DMDHEU

The effect of pad-bath pH and storage of padded fabric on hydrolysis of DMDHEU has been investigated using aqueous liquid chromatography. The study showed that hydrolysis of DMDHEU during storage of the padded fabric is dependent more on the pH of the pad-bath than on the storage period. The hydrolysis of DMDHEU to MMDHEU is accelerated above pH 6, and at pH 9 subsequent hydrolysis of MMDHEU to DHEU occurs. At pH 10 the rate of hydrolysis of DMDHEU and MMDHEU is very high, relative to the rales at lower pH values, and even DHEU decomposes to unidentified products at this high pH. At pH 3-6 little hydrolysis of DMDHEU on padded fabric is detected, even after 55 days.
Integrin alpha v beta 3 antagonists promote tumor regression by inducing apoptosis of angiogenic blood vessels

A single intravascular injection of a cyclic peptide or monoclonal antibody antagonist of integrin alpha v beta 3 disrupts ongoing angiogenesis on the chick chorioallantoic membrane (CAM). This leads to the rapid regression of histologically distinct human tumors transplanted onto the CAM. Induction of angiogenesis by a tumor or cytokine promotes vascular cell entry into the cell cycle and expression of integrin alpha v beta 3. After angiogenesis is initiated, antagonists of this integrin induce apoptosis of the proliferative angiogenic vascular cells, leaving preexisting quiescent blood vessels unaffected. We demonstrate therefore that ligation of integrin alpha v beta 3 is required for the survival and maturation of newly forming blood vessels, an event essential for the proliferation of tumors.
Mutations in the Cytoplasmic Domain of the Integrin β1 Chain Indicate a Role for Endocytosis Factors in Bacterial Internalization (

Mutations that result in defective beta1-integrin focal adhesion formation were analyzed for effects on bacterial internalization. Mutations in the cytoplasmic domain of the beta1 chain that disrupt the sequence NPIY resulted in integrins deficient in bacterial uptake. Other mutations in the beta1 chain that reduced cytoskeletal association showed enhanced bacterial uptake. Replacement of the NPIY sequence of the beta1 subunit by the endocytosis internalization sequence PPGY resulted in integrin receptors highly proficient in bacterial internalization, yet severely defective in focal contact localization. Electron microscopy indicated that coated structures associated specifically with bacteria-binding beta1-integrins, with an apparent recruitment of coated pits from ventral cell surfaces to apical surfaces corresponding to nascent bacterial phagosomes. Clathrin inhibition studies indicated a role for the adaptor molecule AP2 as well as clathrin in integrin-mediated bacterial internalization. These results indicate that association of beta1-integrins with the cytoskeleton at focal contacts interferes with integrin-mediated bacterial internalization. Also, although actin polymerization is required for bacterial uptake, clathrin is probably involved in bacterial uptake promoted by beta-1-integrins.
Oral testosterone in oil plus dutasteride in men: a pharmacokinetic study

Testosterone (T) is not administered orally, because it has been reported to be rapidly metabolized by the liver. We hypothesized that sufficient doses of T or T enanthate (TE), administered orally in oil, would result in clinically useful elevations in serum T. We also hypothesized that coadministration of dutasteride (D) with T or TE would minimize increases in serum DHT seen previously with oral administration. Therefore, we conducted a pharmacokinetic study of oral T and TE in oil, with and without concomitant D, in normal men whose T production had been temporarily suppressed by the GnRH antagonist acyline. Thirteen healthy men (mean age, 24 +/- 6 yr) were enrolled and assigned to oral T (n = 7) and oral TE (n = 6) groups and were administered 200, 400, or 800 mg of either T or TE in sesame oil in the morning on 3 successive days 24 h after receiving acyline. Blood samples for measurement of serum T and dihydrotestosterone were obtained before T or TE administration and 0.5, 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, and 24 h after administration. Subjects were then administered D for 4 d before repeating the sequence of T or TE doses with D. Serum T was significantly increased in a dose-dependent fashion with the administration of oral T or TE in oil. Coadministration of D with oral T or TE significantly increased the 24-hr average serum T levels compared with administration of T or TE alone [average serum T after 400 mg dose, 8.7 +/- 3.0 nmol/l (T) and 8.3 +/- 5.7 nmol/l (TE) vs. 16.1 +/- 5.8 nmol/l (T +D) and 15.0 +/- 8.8 nmol/l (TE + D); P < 0.05 for T vs. T and D]. The administration of oral T or TE in oil combined with D results in unexpected and potentially therapeutic increases in serum T. Additional studies of this combination as a novel form of oral androgen therapy are warranted.
IRON DEFICIENCY ANEMIA IN CHILDREN WITH JUVENILE RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS (JRA)

Children with JRA often have anemia that may be due either to chronic inflammatory disease or to iron deficiency (possibly related to blood loss with aspirin therapy) or both. The two causes may not be distinguishable by mean corpuscular volume (MCV), free erythrocyte protoporphyrin (FEP), or serum iron/iron binding capacity (Sat). In order to determine whether serum ferritin (SF) would predict response to iron therapy, we measured hemoglobin (Hgb), MCV, FEP, Sat and SF in 48 children with JRA aged 22 mo to 20 yr. Of 26 with active polyarticular or systemic JRA or ankylosing spondylitis, 17 had anemia, 18 had low MCV for age, and 21 had elevated FEP. Thirteen children with anemia were treated with iron (2 mg/kg/d for 3 mo). Eleven raised their Hgb by at least 1.0 gm/dl (7 reversed anemia completely); MCV and FEP were also corrected in a similar number. All 6 with SF 90 ng/ml also responded. Of the 22 with pauciarticular JRA, only 2 were anemic. We conclude that iron deficiency is likely to be a major component of anemia in children with active polyarticular and systemic JRA. Low SF is a reliable predictor of response to iron therapy, but a response is also seen in some patients with high values. Consequently, a 3-month trial of iron (2 mg/kg/d) is justified on the basis of anemia alone in patients with active JRA.
The neurotensin-1 receptor agonist PD149163 blocks fear-potentiated startle

Preliminary evidence suggests that the neuropeptide, neurotensin (NT) may regulate fear/anxiety circuits. We investigated the effects of PD149163, a NT1 receptor agonist, on fear-potentiated startle (FPS). Sprague Dawley rats were trained to associate a white light with a mild foot shock. In one experiment, animals were treated with either subcutaneous vehicle or PD149163 (0.01, 0.1 or 1.0 mg/kg) 24 h after training. Twenty minutes later their acoustic startle response in the presence or absence of the white light was tested. In a second experiment, saline and 1.0 mg/kg PD149163 were tested using a separate group of rats. In the first experiment, PD149163 produced a non-significant decrease in baseline acoustic startle at all three doses. As expected, saline-treated rats exhibited significant FPS. An ANOVA of percentage FPS revealed no significant effect of treatment group overall but the high dose group did not display FPS strongly suggesting an FPS effect at this dose. This finding was confirmed in the second experiment where the high dose of PD149163 reduced percent FPS relative to saline (P < 0.05). These data suggest that systemically administered NT1 agonists modulate the neural circuitry that regulates fear and anxiety to produce dose-dependent anxiolytic-like effects on FPS.
Using Janus Particles to Control Mixing and Segregation of Adhesive Particle Systems

Processing of fine powders is a relevant operation in many industries, from pharmaceuticals to material synthesis. As the size of the particles decreases, adhesive forces become important and can have a nontrivial, but difficult to predict, impact on the mixing/segregation tendency of the material. The aim of this work is to control the final asymptotic state of adhesive systems through the addition of “helper” particles that can either promote mixing or segregation. These amphiphilic “helper” particles—also called Janus particles—act as bridges between particles, alternatively promoting mixing in a system that would otherwise segregate (surfactant particles) or separating a specific kind of particle from a mixture (extractant particles). Phase-space diagrams of the expected behavior are analytically identified by comparing the interaction forces in the system: the strengths of those that promote mixing are compared with the ones that enhance segregation (including those interactions bridged by Janus part...