cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Doulas as childbirth paraprofessionals: results from a national survey.

Fourteen randomized trials have demonstrated that continuous caregiver support during childbirth can lead to shorter labors and decrease the need for intervention. In response, there has been a significant increase in the number and use of doulas as paraprofessionals who provide social and emotional support to women during labor/birth for a fee. We conducted a mailed survey of a nationally representative sample of certified and certification-in-process doulas in the United States ( n = 626, 64.4% response rate) to gather some descriptive information on their sociodemographic backgrounds, practice characteristics, and beliefs/attitudes on a number of salient issues. The survey results suggest that, in 2003, doulas were primarily white, well-educated married women with children. The majority of certified doulas worked in solo practice and provided childbirth support services on average to nine clients per year. Very few doulas were earning more than $5,000 per year from this work, and only 10% of certified doulas reported receiving third-party reimbursement for their services. Thus, while almost all doulas found their work emotionally satisfying, only one in three saw their work as financially rewarding. Doulas also reported challenges in getting support/respect from clinicians and in balancing doula work and family life. In addition, one in four doulas reported that they were preparing for a career in midwifery. Doulas can play an important and unique role in the childbirth process and reap many personal rewards engaging in this type of work. However, a number of financial, personal, and professional challenges present significant obstacles to the growth of doulas as childbirth paraprofessionals in the United States.
Nonlinear discriminant analysis

We describe a new nonlinear discriminant analysis method for feature extraction. This method applies a nonsingular transform to the data such that the transformed data have a Gaussian distribution. Then a Bayes likelihood ratio is calculated for the transformed data. The nonsingular transform makes use of wavelet transforms and histogram matching techniques. Wavelet transforms are an effective tool in analyzing data structures. Histogram matching is applied to the wavelet coefficients and the ordinary image pixel values in order to create a transformed image that has the desired Gaussian statistics.
Quasi-biennial winds in the far western equatorial Pacific phase-Locking El Niño to the seasonal cycle

At El Nino/Southern Oscillation (ENSO) frequencies, the ocean is mainly driven by zonal equatorial winds. Using zonal equatorial Pacific wind stress for the last 8 El Ninos, we demonstrate that anomalous equatorial westerly winds typically begin to blow in the far western Pacific in about November prior to the El Nino year and then slowly move eastward, amplifying and reaching a maximum in the central Pacific in about the following October. The key phase-locking in the far western Pacific winds that leads to calendar-year phase-locking in El Nino appears to be associated with quasi-biennial (QB) variability in the zonal wind. Recent theory suggests that evaporation and the seasonal wind cycle in the far-western equatorial Pacific are crucial to the generation of the QB variability. The biennial wind-stress phase-locking explains why there is a spring persistence barrier in often used ENSO indices.
N-METHYL-D-ASPARTATE (NMDA) STIMULATES LHRH RELEASE VIA THE NMDA RECEPTOR IN AN LHRH NEURONAL CELL LINE (GT1-1)

Previous studies demonstrated that an excitatory amino acid analog, NMDA, stimulates LHRH secretion in the ovine fetus, prepubertal primate and rat at the hypothalamic level. It is not known if this stimulatory effect of NMDA is mediated directly on the LHRH neurosecretory neuron. A hypothalamic LHRH neuronal cell line (GT1-1) was used to study the effect of NMDA on LHRH release by both superfusion and static incubation with glycine enriched media. Studies with GT1-1 cells indicate that LHRH neurons exhibit spontaneous autorhythmicity and function intrinsically as a neuronal oscillator for the synchronous discharge of LHRH pulses. Superfusion of GT1- cells after a 90 min control period with a 10 min pulse of NMDA (10−4 - 10−2 M) alternating with 10 min of media alone for 90 min increased LHRH pulse amplitude by 35-50% (p<0.05) but had no effect on the interpulse interval (≈18 min by “Cluster”). In static incubations, NMDA (10−4 - 10−2 M) increased LHRH release while 5x10−2 M NMDA had no effect. A competitive NMDA antagonist, AP5 (10−3 - 10−2 M) inhibited the action of NMDA.
Gene Expression Profiling as an Initial Approach for Mechanistic Studies of Toxicity and Tumorigenicity of Herbal Plants and Herbal Dietary Supplements

Dietary supplements are consumed by more than 300 million people worldwide, and herbal dietary supplements represent the most rapidly growing portion of this industry. Even though adverse health effects of many herbal dietary supplements have been reported, safety assurances are not being addressed adequately. Toxicological data on the identification of genotoxic and tumorigenic ingredients in many raw herbs are also lacking. Currently, more than 30 herbal dietary supplements and active ingredients have been selected by the National Toxicology Program (NTP) for toxicity and tumorigenicity studies. Due to the complexity of the chemical components present in plant extracts, there are no established methodologies for determining the mechanisms of toxicity (particularly tumorigenicity) induced by herbs, such as Gingko biloba leaf extract (GBE) and other herbal plant extracts. Consequently, the understanding of toxicity of herbal dietary supplements remains limited. We have proposed that application of DNA microarrays could be a highly practical initial approach for revealing biological pathways and networks associated with toxicity induced by herbal dietary supplements and the generation of hypotheses to address likely mechanisms. The changes in expression of subsets of genes of interest, such as the modulation of drug metabolizing genes, can be analyzed after treatment with an herbal dietary supplement. Although levels of gene expression do not represent fully the levels of protein activities, we propose that subsequent biochemical and genomic experiments based on these initial observations will enable elucidation of the mechanisms leading to toxicity, including tumorigenicity. This review summarizes the current practices of microarray analysis of gene expressions in animals treated with herbal dietary supplements and discusses perspectives for the proposed strategy.
Review of databases and predictive methods for heat transfer in condensing and boiling mini/micro-channel flows

Abstract The importance of flow boiling and condensing mini/micro-channel devices to a large number of modern applications has spurred an unusually large number of research efforts that culminated in many types of predictive tools. These efforts have inadvertently contributed enormous confusion when selecting a suitable predictive method. This study reviews methods for predicting heat transfer in condensing and boiling mini/micro-channel flows. Systematic assessment of predictive accuracy of individual methods requires the development of consolidated mini/micro-channel databases for condensation heat transfer, dryout incipience quality, and saturated boiling heat transfer. These databases cover numerous working fluids and broad ranges of geometrical and flow parameters. It is shown that, despite the success of previous predictive methods for specific fluids and narrow databases, these methods are incapable of providing accurate predictions against entire consolidated databases. The consolidated databases are used to develop ‘universal’ correlations with very broad application range. These include two separate correlations for condensation heat transfer, one for annular flow and the other for slug and bubbly flows. Also developed are correlations for dryout incipience quality and saturated boiling heat transfer; the later is shown to accurately tackle both nucleate boiling dominated and convective boiling dominated regimes up to the location of incipient dryout.
Markov chains and embedded Markov chains in geology

Geological data are structured as first-order, discrete-state discrete-time Markov chains in two main ways. In one, observations are spaced equally in time or space to yield transition probability matrices with nonzero elements in the main diagonal; in the other, only state transitions are recorded, to yield matrices with diagonal elements exactly equal to zero. The mathematical differences in these two approaches are reviewed here, using stratigraphic data as an example. Simulations from chains with diagonal elements greater than zero always yield geometric distributions of lithologic unit thickness, and their use is recommended only if the input data have the same distribution. For thickness distributions lognormally or otherwise distributed, the embedded chain is preferable. The mathematical portions of this paper are well known, but are not readily available in publications normally used by geologists. One purpose of this paper is to provide an explicit treatment of the mathematical foundations on which applications of Markov processes in geology depend.
Reductive metabolism of the anticonvulsant agent zonisamide, a 1,2-benzisoxazole derivative

1. The metabolism of zonisamide in vitro was characterized through aerobic and anaerobic incubations with rat liver subcellular fractions and cultured gastrointestinal microflora.2. Zonisamide reacted with rat hepatic microsomal cytochrome P-450 and exhibited a Type I binding spectrum.3. Metabolism of zonisamide in vitro by hepatic subcellular fractions and cultured gastrointestinal flora produced a single metabolite, 2-(sulphamoylacetyl)-phenol (2-SMAP), by reductive cleavage of the 1,2-benzisoxazole ring.4. The reductive metabolism of zonisamide was primarily mediated by microsomal cytochrome P-450. The soluble fraction enhanced reduction when combined with the microsomal fraction but itself possessed only weak reductive activity.5. Reduction of zonisamide by the most enzymically active liver fractions required NADPH, was stimulated by FMN and SKF-525A, and was inhibited by CO or air, as well as by n-octylamine.6. Unlike their involvement in the reduction of numerous nitro, azo, and N-oxide compounds, c...
CPT-Based Liquefaction Evaluation Using Artificial Neural Networks

This article presents various artificial neural network (ANN) models for evaluating liquefaction resistance and potential of sandy soils. Various issues concerning ANN modeling such as data preprocessing, training algorithms, and implementation are discussed. The desired ANN is trained and tested with a large historical database of liquefaction performance at sites where cone penetration test (CPT) measurements are available. The ANN models are found to be effective in predicting liquefaction resistance and potential. The developed ANN models are ported to a spreadsheet for ease of use. A simple procedure for conducting uncertainty analysis to address the issue of parameter and model uncertainties is also presented using the ANN-based spreadsheet model. This uncertainty analysis is carried out using @Risk, which is an add-in macro that works well with popular spreadsheet programs such as Microsoft Excel and Lotus 1-2-3. The results of the present study show that the developed ANN model has potential as a practical design tool for assessing liquefaction resistance of sandy soils.
A Crime against Women: Calhoun on the Wrongness of Rape

Parmi les dimensions methodologique, metaphysique, epistemologique et axiologique du debat sur le viol comme crime sui generis, l'A. etudie la question de ce qui caracterise l'agression sexuelle comme prejudice, en reference au recent article de L. Calhoun intitule «Le viol: un crime contre l'humanite».
Effects of Real-time Imaging on Decision-Making in a Simulated Incident Command Task

Eight Incident Commanders (ICs) took part in a simulation exercise to determine the impact of real-time imaging feedback on situation assessment and decision-making in an uncertain and high-tempo environment. The imaging feedback simulated the video feed from an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) that allows incident command centers to monitor developments at the crisis site. Nearly all of the ICs failed to detect important changes in the situation that were not captured in the imaging but that were available via other, more traditional data sources. It appears that the ICs placed an inappropriately high level of trust in the imaging data, resulting in a narrowing of their data search activities and limited cross-checking between the data sources being used. This research helps anticipate and guard against undesirable effects of introducing similar technologies on training and operational procedures in a variety of domains.
Atraumatic ischaemic myelopathy

Significant and permanent neurological deficit due to ischaemic myelopathy continues to occur in 5–10 per cent of patients following surgery on the thoracic aorta for aneurysms, coarctation and lacerations, and following corrective surgery for scoliosis. Clinical features, patterns of neurological deficit, management and outcome in 29 patients with atraumatic ischaemic myelopathy following surgery on the aorta, aortocoronary bypass and cardiogenic shock, will be presented. Pertinent literature on the subject will also be reviewed.
Reactive Intermediates in Cytochrome P450 Catalysis

Recently, we reported the spectroscopic and kinetic characterizations of cytochrome P450 compound I in CYP119A1, effectively closing the catalytic cycle of cytochrome P450-mediated hydroxylations. In this minireview, we focus on the developments that made this breakthrough possible. We examine the importance of enzyme purification in the quest for reactive intermediates and report the preparation of compound I in a second P450 (P450ST). In an effort to bring clarity to the field, we also examine the validity of controversial reports claiming the production of P450 compound I through the use of peroxynitrite and laser flash photolysis.
Alterations in leukocyte aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase activity associated with treatment and age in psoriasis patients and healthy individuals.

We have examined the relationship between topical psoriasis treatment and the activity of the mixed function oxidase, aryl hydrocarbon hydroxylase (AHH), in peripheral blood monocytes and lymphocytes from 20 patients with psoriasis. These data were compared to monocyte and lymphocyte AHH activity measured in 20 normal subjects. AHH activity was determined in cells induced with benzanthracene and in uninduced control cells. Monocyte and lymphocyte AHH activity in six untreated psoriasis patients was similar to that in the healthy controls. AHH activity in either uninduced or induced monocytes showed an increase with age in both the healthy and the untreated psoriatic subjects. Lymphocytes from the healthy subjects showed an age-related decline in enzyme activity. Fourteen patients with psoriasis receiving topical tar and/or topical corticosteroid therapy had significantly higher (P<0.05) levels of basal and induced monocyte and lymphocyte AHH activity than the healthy controls. AHH activity is age-related and appears to be controlled differently in monocytes and in lymphocytes. AHH activity in circulating monocytes and lymphocytes may be stimulated by topical tar and/or steroid therapy of psoriasis.
Ion channel involvement in the temperature-sensitive response of the rabbit corneal endothelial cell resting membrane potential

Previous studies have shown that the resting potential (Em) of the corneal endothelium hyperpolarizes following an increase in temperature above 24°C. Whole-cell studies using the perforated-patch technique were used to compare currents and Emvalues from isolated corneal endothelial cells at 24 and 32°C. These studies revealed a small, outwardly rectifying, slowly activating, weakly voltage-dependent current with a reversal potential showing K+ selectivity (Erev = −80 mV). This current had features similar to the whole-cell current seen following addition of HCO3− to these cells. Emmeasurements found an average 24 mV hyperpolarization following temperature elevation in NaCl Ringer. Single channel studies found the only change in channel activity following an elevation in temperature to be an increase in the open probability (Po) of a K+ channel previously reported in this cell type to be activated by external anions. Po(−30 mV) at 24 and 32°C equaled 0.003 and 0.06, respectively. Increases in Powere found at all voltages examined. This increased Pocan account for the magnitude of the hyperpolarization seen in these cells following temperature elevation. Addition of HCO3− along with elevated temperature produced a synergistic effect on the increase in Poalong with an increased hyperpolarization of the cell, pointing to separate mechanisms of activation from these two stimuli.
Hemodynamic characteristics and procedural outcome of patients with mitral stenosis and a depressed cardiac output

The patient with mitral stenosis (MS) may note symptoms of pulmonary congestion (dyspnea, orthopnea, and paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea) and/or a depressed cardiac output (fatigue). 1 Pulmonary congestion is caused by an elevated left atrial pressure and can be alleviated or improved by a diuretic-induced shrinkage of intravascular volume. Although diuresis lowers left atrial pressure, thereby lessening pulmonary congestion, it may lead to an inadequate cardiac output, with resultant fatigue. Therefore, in some subjects with MS, the administration of diuretics causes a resolution of one constellation of symptoms (those of pulmonary congestion) but the appearance of another (those of a low cardiac output). Over the last 20 years, we have observed a group of patients with MS whose initial symptom was fatigue and whose cardiac output was depressed in the absence of previous or present diuretic therapy. It was our practice to manage these patients in a fashion similar to other patients with MS, referring them for surgical or percutaneous intervention because of symptoms despite medical therapy. However, there are no published data indicating if they would survive the procedure and derive symptomatic improvement from it. Therefore, this study was performed (1) to characterize this subgroup of patients hemodynamically and to compare their hemodynamic data with those of patients with MS of similar severity in the presence of a diuretic-induced low cardiac output, and (2) to assess procedure-related mortality and symptomatic response to intervention in those with MS and a spontaneously depressed cardiac output.
An overview of verification and validation of simulation models

We give a general introduction to verification and validation of simulation models, define the various validation techniques, and present a recommended model validation procedure in this overview paper.
Immigration, local policy, and national identity in the suburban United States

Since 2000, the American suburb has emerged as a principal destination for new immigrants to the United States, both documented and undocumented. Whereas some suburban communities have responded to perceived undocumented immigrants with hostility in the form of exclusionary local immigration policies, others have introduced policies designed to welcome immigrants independent of federal legal status. In this article, I employ a qualitative comparative case study analysis of four local immigration policies in the Chicago and Washington DC metropolitan areas to explain how suburbs justify their policy positions. I find that these suburban communities relied on conceptions of American identity and the ‘American Dream’ in support of their policies, but leveraged these tropes in vastly different ways depending on the broader strategic purposes of the policies. These divergent suburban immigration policies both challenge traditional notions of suburban political and cultural homogeneity and reveal how such heter...
The effect of hydroxyl groups and acetylation on the apparent diene values of soybean and other vegetable oils

During a study of the bodying of soybean oil under oxidative conditions it was observed that an increased hydroxyl number was accompanied by an increased diene value. The presumption was made that maleic anhydride had esterified the hydroxyl group and that the Diels-Alder reaction was not responsible for the increased diene value. It has been established that the hydroxyl group and oxidation products such as peroxides seriously interfere with the diene methods of Kaufmann and of Ellis. In the case of pure saturated hydroxy compounds and hydroxylated monoethylenic compounds the error can be avoided by acetylating the compound prior to carrying out the diene determination. However, on applying this procedure to such vegetable oils as soybean, linseed, and perilla, the diene value was increased. This point is being investigated more extensively.
The sensitivity and specificity of FDG PET in distinguishing recurrent brain tumor from radionecrosis in patients treated with stereotactic radiosurgery

Radiation necrosis and recurrent brain tumor have similar symptoms and are indistinguishable on both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and computed tomograph scans. 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) has been proposed as a diagnostic alternative, particularly when co-registered with MRI. We studied 47 patients with brain tumors treated with stereotactic radiosurgery and followed with FDG PET. For all tumor types, the sensitivity of FDG PET for diagnosing tumor was 75% and the specificity was 81%. For brain metastasis without MRI co-registration, FDG PET had a sensitivity of 65% and a specificity of 80%. For brain metastasis with MRI co-registration, FDG PET had a sensitivity of 86% and specificity of 80%. MRI co-registration appears to improve the sensitivity of FDG PET, making it a useful modality to distinguish between radiation necrosis and recurrent brain metastasis.
Augmented electric field integral equation for dielectric problems in the twilight zone

Circuit physics prevails in the long-wavelength limit, while wave physics predominates when the structure is comparable to wavelength. The region between circuit physics and wave physics, the twilight zone, defies efficient numerical methods due to the mixed physics involved. We propose to study this regime with the enhancement of the augmented electric field integral equation (A-EFIE).
Many Mirrors: Body Image and Social Relations

Many Mirrors: Body Image and Social Relations. NICOLE SAULT, ed. New Brunswick, NJ: Rutgers University Press, 1994. xiv + 346 pp., contributors, notes, references, index.
Reflection or action?: how feedback and control affect location sharing decisions

Owing to the ever-expanding size of social and professional networks, it is becoming cumbersome for individuals to configure information disclosure settings. We used location sharing systems to unpack the nature of discrepancies between a person's disclosure settings and contextual choices. We conducted an experience sampling study (N = 35) to examine various factors contributing to such divergence. We found that immediate feedback about disclosures without any ability to control the disclosures evoked feelings of oversharing. Moreover, deviation from specified settings did not always signal privacy violation; it was just as likely that settings prevented information disclosure considered permissible in situ. We suggest making feedback more actionable or delaying it sufficiently to avoid a knee-jerk reaction. Our findings also make the case for proactive techniques for detecting potential mismatches and recommending adjustments to disclosure settings, as well as selective control when sharing location with socially distant recipients and visiting atypical locations.
Fertility after intrauterine device removal: a pilot study.

AbstractBackground Despite high efficacy, only 7.7% of women in the United States currently using contraception use an IUD. There is little published contemporary data about fertility rates after IUD use, especially in nulliparous women and women using the hormonal IUD.Study Design We recruited sexually active women 18 to 35 years of age enrolled in the Contraceptive CHOICE Project who had discontinued a contraceptive method and desired pregnancy.Results In this pilot project, we enrolled 69 former IUD users (19 copper and 50 levonorgestrel) and 42 former non-IUD users. Pregnancy rates at 12 months were similar between the two groups; 81% of IUD users became pregnant compared to 70% of non-IUD users (p = 0.18). In the Cox model, there was no difference in the time to pregnancy in IUD users compared to non-IUD users (HRadj 1.19, 95% CI 0.74–1.92). African American race was the only variable associated with reduced fertility (HRadj 0.40, 95% CI 0.24–0.67).Conclusions We found no difference in 12-month pregn...
Noise in biological circuits.

Noise biology focuses on the sources, processing, and biological consequences of the inherent stochastic fluctuations in molecular transitions or interactions that control cellular behavior. These fluctuations are especially pronounced in small systems where the magnitudes of the fluctuations approach or exceed the mean value of the molecular population. Noise biology is an essential component of nanomedicine where the communication of information is across a boundary that separates small synthetic and biological systems that are bound by their size to reside in environments of large fluctuations. Here we review the fundamentals of the computational, analytical, and experimental approaches to noise biology. We review results that show that the competition between the benefits of low noise and those of low population has resulted in the evolution of genetic system architectures that produce an uneven distribution of stochasticity across the molecular components of cells and, in some cases, use noise to drive biological function. We review the exact and approximate approaches to gene circuit noise analysis and simulation, and review many of the key experimental results obtained using flow cytometry and time-lapse fluorescent microscopy. In addition, we consider the probative value of noise with a discussion of using measured noise properties to elucidate the structure and function of the underlying gene circuit. We conclude with a discussion of the frontiers of and significant future challenges for noise biology. Copyright © 2009 John Wiley & Sons, Inc. For further resources related to this article, please visit the WIREs website.
Wavepacket propagation for reactive scattering using real L2 eigenfunctions with damping

A wavepacket propagation method for reactive scattering using real L2 eigenstates is proposed and tested. The wavepacket propagation is carried out by explicit time evolution of a basis of real L2 eigenstates. The wavepacket is damped at each time step to avoid unphysical reflections at the grid edges and then re-expanded in terms of the real eigenstates. Most of the computational effort is associated with the calculation of eigenstates, while the propagation in the real L2 basis and analysis are relatively inexpensive. In addition, once the L2 basis is available the wavepacket propagation for any initial state can be done very efficiently. Propagation by complex L2 eigenstates is also briefly reviewed. In this approach no explicit time propagation is required since the time-to-energy wavepacket transformation is analytical for any given potential. Applications of both methods for a one-dimensional Eckart potential show excellent agreement with exact results for the energy dependence of the reaction probability. The real L2 approach is also applied to three-dimensional D+H2 for zero total angular momentum. Reaction probabilities for H2(v=0, j=0–5), summed over final DH states, as well as the cumulative reaction probability are presented over a wide energy range and compared to previous accurate results.
Foundations of Multilevel Databases

In this paper, formal logic is used as a basis for establishing concepts in multilevel databases. Issues covered include: model and proof theoretic approaches to formalizing multilevel database concepts, environments associated with security levels, the inference problem, handling negative information and the inclusion of formal semantics of time. Finally, issues related to the theory of multilevel relational databases, consistency and completeness of security constraints and assigning security levels to data are also briefly addressed.
Synthesis of Small Reversible and Pseudo-Reversible Circuits Using Y-Gates and Inverse Y-Gates

This paper presents synthesis of reversible circuits using the Y-gate. The standard reversible circuit has the same number of input and output signals. Such circuits are in general built from reversible gates that similarly have the same number of inputs and outputs. In new technologies, the Y-gate has unequal number of inputs and outputs and so the circuit composed of such gates can have either equal (standard model) or unequal numbers of input and output signals. We introduce the concepts of pseudo-reversible functions. First, a brief overview of reversible logic, Y-gates and Prolog, which form the foundation for this work, is presented. This is followed by the description of an exhaustive search algorithm that generates all circuits from Y gates under certain constraints. We give examples of synthesized circuits.
Whole-brain glutamate metabolism evaluated by steady-state kinetics using a double-isotope procedure: effects of gabapentin

Cerebral rates of anaplerosis are known to be significant, yet the rates measured in vivo have been debated. In order to track glutamate metabolism in brain glutamatergic neurons and brain glia, for the first time unrestrained awake rats were continuously infused with a combination of H14CO3- and [1 - 13C]glucose in over 50 infusions ranging from 5 to 60 min. In whole-brain extracts from these animals, the appearance of 14C in brain glutamate and glutamine and appearance of 13C in the C-4 position of glutamate and glutamine were measured as a function of time. The rate of total neuronal glutamate turnover, the anaplerotic rate of synthesis of glutamine and glutamate from H14CO3-, flux through the glutamate/glutamine cycle, and a minimum estimate of whole-brain anaplerosis was obtained. The rate of synthesis of 14C-glutamate from H14CO3- was 1.29 +/- 0.11 nmoles/min/mg protein, whereas the rate of synthesis of 14C-glutamine was 1.48 +/- 0.10 nmoles/min/mg protein compared to total glutamate turnover of 9.39 +/- 0.73 nmoles/min/mg protein. From the turnover rate of glutamine, an upper limit for flux through the glutamate/glutamine cycle was estimated at 4.6 nmoles/min/mg protein. Synthesis of glutamine from H14CO3- was substantial, amounting to 32% of the glutamate/glutamine cycle. These rates were not significantly affected by a single injection of 100 mg/kg of the antiepileptic drug gabapentin. In contrast, acute administration of gabapentin significantly lowered incorporation of H14CO3- into glutamate and glutamine in excised rat retinas, suggesting metabolic effects of gabapentin may require chronic treatment and/or are restricted to brain areas enriched in target enzymes such as the cytosolic branched chain aminotransferase. We conclude that the brain has a high anaplerotic activity and that the combination of two tracers with different precursors affords unique insights into the compartmentation of cerebral metabolism.
A Review of Current Evidence in the Surgical Treatment of Migraine Headaches

Summary: Migraines affect 18% of women and 6% of men and result in an estimated $1 billion in medical costs and $16 billion productivity loss in the United States annually. Migraine headaches persist as a problem of this scale because pharmacologic treatments for migraines are frequently incompletely effective, resulting in a population of patients with significant residual disability. In the last decade, novel approaches to the treatment of migraines have been developed based on the theory that extracranial sensory branches of the trigeminal and cervical spinal nerves can be irritated, entrapped, or compressed at points throughout their anatomic course, ultimately leading to the cascade of physiologic events that results in migraine. Botulinum toxin (Botox) injection and surgical decompression of these trigger points have been shown to reduce or eliminate migraines in patients who are incompletely treated by traditional medical management. Despite the recent advances made with Botox, this treatment strategy most commonly results in only temporary migraine prevention. However, the evidence supporting the efficacy and safety of permanent surgical decompression of peripheral trigger points is accumulating rapidly, and the overall success rate of surgery has approached 90%. In addition, an abundance of literature investigating the precise anatomical dissections associated with trigger points has been published concurrently. This article reviews the most up-to-date clinical and anatomic evidence available and seeks to provide a comprehensive, concise resource for the current state of the art in the surgical treatment of migraine headaches. (Plast. Reconstr. Surg. 134: 131S, 2014.)
Designing structured tight frames via an alternating projection method

Tight frames, also known as general Welch-bound- equality sequences, generalize orthonormal systems. Numerous applications - including communications, coding, and sparse approximation- require finite-dimensional tight frames that possess additional structural properties. This paper proposes an alternating projection method that is versatile enough to solve a huge class of inverse eigenvalue problems (IEPs), which includes the frame design problem. To apply this method, one needs only to solve a matrix nearness problem that arises naturally from the design specifications. Therefore, it is the fast and easy to develop versions of the algorithm that target new design problems. Alternating projection will often succeed even if algebraic constructions are unavailable. To demonstrate that alternating projection is an effective tool for frame design, the paper studies some important structural properties in detail. First, it addresses the most basic design problem: constructing tight frames with prescribed vector norms. Then, it discusses equiangular tight frames, which are natural dictionaries for sparse approximation. Finally, it examines tight frames whose individual vectors have low peak-to-average-power ratio (PAR), which is a valuable property for code-division multiple-access (CDMA) applications. Numerical experiments show that the proposed algorithm succeeds in each of these three cases. The appendices investigate the convergence properties of the algorithm.
Enhanced Routing in Heterogeneous Sensor Networks

The research is centered on sensor networks with two types of nodes. The low end nodes are simple and low cost, while the high end nodes are costly but provide significantly more processing power. In this type of sensor networks, the low end nodes are clustered and report to a high end node, which is turn uses a network backbone to send data to a base station. In this research we have configured a new data routing procedure potentially improves the energy efficiency of the network by reducing the number of hops utilized to reach to the Base Station. We gain robustness and energy efficiency by reducing the vulnerability points in the network by employing alternatives to Shortest Path Tree routing. The new data routing procedure is compared with the Directed Diffusion algorithm.
Writing in the Mother-Tongue: Hermione and Helen in Heroides 8 (A Tomitan Approach)

‘This poem is the feeblest and least poetical of all the Heroides, and has certain solecisms in diction and metre, which are either spurious or show that the epistle is an unfinished and careless performance.’ So Arthur Palmer in the preface to his commentary on Heroides 8, Hermione's letter to Orestes imploring him to rescue her from Neoptolemus, her abductor; and Peter Knox fans the flames of doubt about the authenticity of the letter (or at least parts of it) in his analysis of lines 65-74, where Hermione locates herself alongside Leda, Hippodamia and Helen in a Tantalid tradition of rape-victims: num generis fato, quod nostros durat in annos,Tantalides mattes apta rapina sumus?non ego fluminei referam mendacia cygninee querar in plumis delituisse Iouem.qua duo porrectus longe freta distinet Isthmos,uecta peregrinis Hippodamia rotis;[Castori Amyclaeo et Amyclaeo Pollucireddita Mopsopia Taenaris urbe soror;]Taenaris Idaeo trans aequor ab hospite raptaArgolicas pro se uertit in arma manus.(Her. 8.65-74)
Tissue Electroporation: Quantification and Analysis of Heterogeneous Transport in Multicellular Environments

Although electroporation is gaining increased attention as a technology to enhance clinical chemotherapy and gene therapy of tissues, direct measurements of electroporation-mediated transport in multicellular environments are lacking. In this study, we used multicellular tumor spheroids of DU145 prostate cancer cells as a model tissue to measure the levels and distribution of molecular uptake in a multicellular environment as a function of electrical and other parameters. These measurements, and subsequent analysis, were used to test the hypothesis that cells in a multicellular environment respond to electroporation in a heterogeneous manner that differs from isolated cells in suspension due to differences in cell state, local solute concentration, and local electric field. In support of the hypothesis, molecular uptake was consistently lower for cells within spheroids than cells in dilute suspension and was spatially heterogeneous, with progressively less uptake observed for cells located deeper within spheroid interiors. Reduced uptake and heterogeneity can be explained quantitatively by accounting for the effects of cell size on transmembrane voltage and cell volume, limited extracellular solute reservoir, heterogeneous field strength due to influence of neighboring cells, and diffusional lag times.
A 3-axis acceleration sensor data acquisition instrument system

It is not always possible to wire a 3-axis rotating sensor on a rotating drum directly to data acquisition equipment in an experiment or in testing industrial equipment. A special 3-axis motion sensor subsystem mounted onto a rotating drum is indirectly coupled to data acquisition system by broadband amplitude modulation (AM) radio. The sensor subsystem consists of one 2-axis accelerometer circuit in the x-y plane, one 2-axis accelerometer circuit in the z-plane, and two z-axis gravity switches. The sensor subsystem is self-contained and hermetically sealed. The sensor subsystem send 3-axis motions to a computer-based data acquisition equipment using the broadband AM radio signals. The computer then calculates the acceleration, the vibrations of bucket, and position of the sensors. The computer, using a graphical unit interface, then shows the position and rotation of the drum. The program for the sensor subsystems utilizes interrupts that allow the sensor subsystem to interpret and send data quickly. The software and the sensor subsystems are portable and can be integrated into other applications or expanded.
Full length cloning and expression analysis of splice variants of regulator of G-protein signaling RGS4 in human and murine brain

RGS4 (regulator of G protein signaling 4) protein is a GTPase-activating protein specific for Gi/o and Gq alpha subunits. It is highly expressed in brain but the mechanisms by which RGS4 expression is regulated remain unknown. RGS4 is associated with schizophrenia either through heritable genetic polymorphisms or as a co-regulated mediator of the pathology, and may play a role in other brain diseases. As a necessary step towards understanding the transcriptional regulation of RGS4, we isolated full-length splice variants of the human RGS4 and mouse Rgs4 gene using bioinformatic predictions, followed by RACE, RT-PCR, and sequencing. In human brain, we found five different isoforms RGS4-1, RGS4-2, RGS4-3, RGS4-4 and RGS4-5 of which RGS4-2, RGS4-3, RGS4-4 and RGS4-5 are novel. RGS4-1 and 2 encode a 205-amino acid protein, while RGS4-3 encodes a 302 aa protein with an N-terminal extension. RGS4-4 and RGS4-5 encode truncated proteins of 93 aa and 187 aa respectively. Our results indicate that RGS4-1, RGS4-2, RGS4-3 and RGS4-4 are translated into proteins. In contrast, the mouse brain has 3 different splice variants, Rgs4-1, Rgs4-2 and Rgs4-3 which encode the same 205 aa protein but vary in their 3'UTRs. Among the mouse isoforms, Rgs4-1 and Rgs4-3 are novel. Human RGS4 has four different transcription start sites and three different stop sites. We found differential expression of the human isoforms in dorsolateral prefrontal and visual cortex. All five RGS4 splice variants are expressed at high levels in human cortical areas although RGS4 isoforms 1, 2, and 3 are not expressed in the cerebellum. RGS4-2 is tissue-specific whereas RGS4-4 and RGS4-5 appear to be ubiquitously expressed. Our results suggest the intriguing possibility that RGS4 gene expression in the human brain is spatially and temporally regulated through differential transcription of isoforms from alternative promoters. This may have implications for the physiological role of RGS4 and in pathologies of the brain.
Power Distribution Failure Analysis Using Transition-Delay Fault Patterns

Power distribution networks (PDNs) have been a vital part of modern designs. However, scaling technologies have increased the likelihood of defects in the PDN that may affect yield, escape, and reliability. Failure analysis is particularly difficult since there is no direct access to the PDN as there is to the design logic. We present a flow that generates transition-delay fault patterns to target open defects on the PDN. The flow identifies regions that could be susceptible to open defects and generates patterns that will exercise those regions to increase the likelihood of a timing failure should a defect exist in the PDN.
Semantic type qualifiers

We present a new approach for supporting user-defined type refinements, which augment existing types to specify and check additional invariants of interest to programmers. We provide an expressive language in which users define new refinements and associated type rules. These rules are automatically incorporated by an extensible typechecker during static typechecking of programs. Separately, a soundness checkerautomatically proves that each refinement's type rules ensure the intended invariant, for all possible programs. We have formalized our approach and have instantiated it as a framework for adding new type qualifiers to C programs. We have used this framework to define and automatically prove sound a host of type qualifiers of different sorts, including pos and neg for integers, tainted and untainted for strings, and nonnull and unique for pointers, and we have applied our qualifiers to ensure important invariants on open-source C programs.
Bayesian Networks for Data Mining

A Bayesian network is a graphical model that encodes probabilistic relationships among variables of interest. When used in conjunction with statistical techniques, the graphical model has several advantages for data modeling. One, because the model encodes dependencies among all variables, it readily handles situations where some data entries are missing. Two, a Bayesian network can be used to learn causal relationships, and hence can be used to gain understanding about a problem domain and to predict the consequences of intervention. Three, because the model has both a causal and probabilistic semantics, it is an ideal representation for combining prior knowledge (which often comes in causal form) and data. Four, Bayesian statistical methods in conjunction with Bayesian networks offer an efficient and principled approach for avoiding the overfitting of data. In this paper, we discuss methods for constructing Bayesian networks from prior knowledge and summarize Bayesian statistical methods for using data to improve these models. With regard to the latter task, we describe methods for learning both the parameters and structure of a Bayesian network, including techniques for learning with incomplete data. In addition, we relate Bayesian-network methods for learning to techniques for supervised and unsupervised learning. We illustrate the graphical-modeling approach using a real-world case study.
Cuticular lipids of insects. VI. Cuticular lipids of the grasshoppers Melanoplus sanguinipes and Melanoplus packardii

The cuticular lipids of the grasshoppers Melanoplus sanguinipes and Melanoplus packardii contain 60 and 68% alkanes and 28 and 18% secondary alcohol wax esters, respectively, with lesser amounts of normal and sterol wax esters, triglycerides, alcohols, sterols, and free fatty acids. All the hydrocarbons are saturated, and four types of alkanes are present: n-alkanes, 3-methylalkanes, internally branched monomethylalkanes, and internally branched dimethylalkanes. The principal n-alkanes in both insects are C29 and C27, with a range from C21 to C33. Trace amounts of 3-methylalkanes of 28, 30, and 32 total carbons are present. The principal internally branched monomethylalkanes are C32 and C34, whereas the main dimethylalkane contains 35 carbons. The n-alkanes do not correspond in chain length to the secondary alcohols. The primary alcohols range from C22 to C32 in both insects, with C24 and C26 predominating. The fatty acids in the triglyceride and free fatty acid fractions range from C12 to C24 in M. sanguinipes and from C12 to C18 in M. packardii.
Bartnicki v. Vopper: The Media's Right to Broadcast Intercepted Telephone Conversations

This brief Article discusses the 2001 U.S. Supreme Court’s decision in Bartnicki v. Vopper, which upheld the media’s right to broadcast a taped, intercepted telephone conversation regarding negotiations between a local teachers’ union and the school district. Key to the Court’s holding was its finding that the media had not obtained the tape illegally and that the conversation related to matters of public concern. In this case, the First Amendment rights of the media outweighed the privacy rights of the parties to the conversation.
Complex Litigation: Certification Burdens

Commentary and analysis of the standards and requirements in order for a court to certify a class action under Fed. R. Civ. P. 23. The article discusses issues relating to the timing for class certification after the filing of a class complaint, and the lack of a requirement for a hearing on a motion for class certification. The article indicates that the days of being able to certify a class action on the pleadings alone, has passed; that most federal courts now impose a “rigorous analysis” standard for a judicial officer in evaluating whether class certification requirements are satisfied. The rigorous analysis standard permits judges to look beyond the pleadings to understand the underlying claims, defenses, relevant facts, and applicable law. Virtually all federal courts agree that the parties seeking class certification carry the burden of demonstrating that class certification requirements are satisfied under the rule and prevailing Rule 23 jurisprudence. Proponents for class certification must satisfy various implicit requirements, such setting forth an adequate class definition, and that class representatives with standing to represent the class. The article discusses various federal and state jurisprudence concerning what constitutes an adequate class definition; the requirement of an identifiable class; and the problem of so-called “fail safe” classes. He article concludes with a discussion of the use of expert witness testimony at class certification and the implications for use of Daubert hearings.
Host discrimination in modular mutualisms: a theoretical framework for meta-populations of mutualists and exploiters.

Plants in multiple symbioses are exploited by symbionts that consume their resources without providing services. Discriminating hosts are thought to stabilize mutualism by preferentially allocating...