cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Growth of GeSi/Si Strained-layer Superlattices Using Limited Reaction Processing

SiGe/Si superlattices were grown using limited reaction processing in a chamber which allows both W-halogen and Hg arc wafer illumination. Each multilayer structure was fabricated in-situ by changing the gas composition between high temperature cycles. Commensurate SiGe alloy layers as thin as 15 nm were reproducibly deposited and were examined using transmission electron microscopy, sputtering Auger electron spectroscopy,and Rutherford backscattering. Preliminary results are presented on UV/ozone cleaning of LRP substrates to remove residual carbon contamination in-situ prior to film deposition.
BARTONELLA QUINTANA ENDOCARDITIS IN A PATIENT WITH TETRALOGY OF FALLOT

A 49 year old female with repaired tetralogy of Fallot and previously normal exercise capacity presented with abdominal pain, fatigue, and dyspnea three months after a visit to Peru. Initially she was treated for possible pancreatitis without improvement. Physical exam revealed jugular venous
California Earthquakes: Science, Risk, & the Politics of Hazard Mitigation

All members of EERI will find this book a valuable and interesting read. It covers the highlights of last century, with summary discussions before and after. In it you will find succinct accounts of the contributions of such giants as Bayley Willis, H. O. Wood, Alfred E. Alquist, and the recently deceased Karl V. Steinbrugge. In the later decades much reliance is given to the activities of EERI, the Seismological Society of America, and the California Seismic Safety Commission. Author Geschwind synthesizes in an absorbing way most available archives (including EERI Oral Histories) and brings out by case histories the interaction between science and government.
Using Drosophila as an integrated model to study mild repetitive traumatic brain injury

Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a major cause of morbidity and mortality worldwide. In addition, there has been a growing appreciation that even repetitive, milder forms of TBI (mTBI) can have long-term deleterious consequences to neural tissues. Hampering our understanding of genetic and environmental factors that influence the cellular and molecular responses to injury has been the limited availability of effective genetic model systems that could be used to identify the key genes and pathways that modulate both the acute and long-term responses to TBI. Here we report the development of a severe and mild-repetitive TBI model using Drosophila. Using this system, key features that are typically found in mammalian TBI models were also identified in flies, including the activation of inflammatory and autophagy responses, increased Tau phosphorylation and neuronal defects that impair sleep-related behaviors. This novel injury paradigm demonstrates the utility of Drosophila as an effective tool to validate genetic and environmental factors that influence the whole animal response to trauma and to identify prospective therapies needed for the treatment of TBI.
Physical layer abstraction for MIMO MLD

Physical layer abstraction aims to evaluate the instantaneous quality of wireless channel.Researches on physical layer abstraction for MIMO system have demonstrated that,EESM algorithm can accurately evaluate channel quality for MIMO system with MMSE detection.However when it comes to MLD,EESM turns invalid.To the question of EESM algorithm,RBIR based physical layer abstraction was proposed from the view of information theory.Simulation results based on WiMAX II DL system show that,the proposed algorithm has improved the accuracy of physical layer abstraction for MIMO system with MLD greatly.
Homeostatic efficiency of tubuloglomerular feedback is reduced in established diabetes mellitus in rats

We tested the hypothesis that the ability of the tubuloglomerular feedback (TGF) to stabilize renal function is impaired in rats with 7-8 wk of insulin-treated streptozotocin-diabetes. Proximal tub...
Feasibility of selective nanoparticle-assisted photothermal treatment for an embedded liver tumor

Using the finite volume method, the present work numerically explored the feasibility of extending nanoparticle-assisted photothermal therapy (PPTT) from treating subcutaneous tumors to treating organ tumors, particularly tumors growing in the clearance organ liver. To serve this purpose, a superficially embedded liver tumor and its immediate surrounding medium were selected as the study object. A 633-nm laser beam of 1- W/cm2 intensity externally irradiated the tumor. The matching gold–silica nanoshell with a 16-nm silica core and a 5-nm-thick gold shell was used as the photothermal agent. The nanoshell retention ratio was varied to simulate different levels of nanoshell tumor discriminations. Laser light distributions, conversions from photon energy to heat, and tissues’ thermal responses to the generated heat within the study object were analyzed. It was found that although nanoshells have enhanced the thermal transportation, they also restricted the optical transportation of PPTT. This indicates that laser delivery is more demanding for PPTT than for the conventional laser therapy. For the investigated case, when the nanoshell retention ratio was in the range of 2/1–4/1, the therapeutic effects were optimal: a confined medium temperature hyperthermia (47–55 °C) was achieved in the liver tumor while impacts on the surrounding health liver tissues were only marginal. When then nanoshell retention ratio was 8/1 or higher, about half of the liver tumor was ablated. However, some of the surrounding healthy liver tissues were sacrificed as well. The therapeutic effects of PPTT depend nonlinearly on the nanoshell tumor discriminations. Better tumor discriminations do not necessarily result in better PPTT therapeutic effects.
Influence of the Gastrointestinal Environment on the Bioavailability of Ethinyl Estradiol Sorbed to Single-Walled Carbon Nanotubes

Recent evidence suggests that, because of their sorptive nature, if single-walled carbon nanotubes (SWCNTs) make their way into aquatic environments, they may reduce the toxicity of other waterborne contaminants. However, few studies have examined whether contaminants remain adsorbed following ingestion by aquatic organisms. The objective of this study was to examine the bioavailability and bioactivity of ethinyl estradiol (EE2) sorbed onto SWCNTs in a fish gastrointestinal (GI) tract. Sorption experiments indicated that SWCNTs effectively adsorbed EE2, but the chemical was still able to bind and activate soluble estrogen receptors (ERs) in vitro. However, centrifugation to remove SWCNTs and adsorbed EE2 significantly reduced ER activity compared to that of EE2 alone. Additionally, the presence of SWCNTs did not reduce the extent of EE2-driven induction of vitellogenin 1 in vivo compared to the levels in organisms exposed to EE2 alone. These results suggest that while SWCNTs adsorb EE2 from aqueous soluti...
Why weak patents? Testing the examiner ignorance hypothesis

There is a widespread impression, reflected in recent legislation, that US Patent Office examiners issue many patents of dubious validity, and are insufficiently informed to distinguish these from other valid applications. We address this issue using related application outcomes at the European Patent Office as indicators for patent weakness. We create a proxy for potentially citable prior art using latent semantic analysis of US patent documents, and use this to construct a measure of examiner search effort. We find that US examiners tend to devote more search effort to weaker patents, implying that they can identify a substantial portion of the weak patents that they issue. Why the patent system fails to make better use of examiners' ability to identify weak patents is a question that merits further investigation.
Effect of soil-foundation-structure interaction on the seismic response of wind turbines

Abstract Soil-foundation-structure interaction can affect the seismic response of wind turbines. This paper studies the effects of soil-foundation-structure interaction on the seismic response of 65 kW, 1 MW, and 2 MW horizontal-axis wind turbines with truncated cone steel towers. Four types of foundations with frequency-based design were analyzed, including spread foundation, mono pile, pile group with cap, and anchored spread foundation. Soil is modeled both implicitly (subgrade reaction modulus) and explicitly. The finite element model developed using the ANSYS program was first validated using experimental data. Numerical models are then analyzed in both frequency and time domains using the Block Lanczos and generalized HHT-α formulations. Recommendations were given to simplify the soil-foundation-structure interaction analysis of wind turbines subjected to seismic loading.
Supervised approach to rank predicted links using interestingness measures

For the last decade, the automatic generation of hypothesis from the literature has been widely studied. One common approach is to model biomedical literature as a concept network; then a prediction model is applied to predict the future relationships (links) between pairs of concept. Typically, this link prediction task can be cast into in one of two forms: (a) predict the future links for a specific concept (node) or (b) predict the future links for the entire network. However, while being able to accurately forecast future relationships is vital, another, equally important question should be addressed: of the predicted links, which will be most important and/or most relevant? Attempts to answer these questions in the past have generally been domain specific. In this paper, we propose a domain-independent, supervised method that predicts the rank of future links utilizing objective interestingness measures. The results, based on analysis of thirteen common interestingness measures, indicate that, while predicting the specific future interestingness values is difficult, our approach allowed us to capture the relative ordering of the links with low error.
Functional connectivity, behavioral and dopaminergic alterations 24 hours following acute exposure to synthetic bath salt drug methylenedioxypyrovalerone

Among cathinone drugs known as bath salts, methylenedioxypyrovalerone (MDPV) exerts its potent actions via the dopamine (DA) system, and at intoxicating doses may produce adverse behavioral effects. Previous work by our group suggests that prolonged alterations in correlated neural activity between cortical and striatal areas could underlie, at least in part, the adverse reactions to this bath salt drug. In the present study, we assessed the effect of acute MDPV administration on brain functional connectivity at 1 and 24 h in rats. Using graph theory metrics to assess in vivo brain functional network organization we observed that 24 h after MDPV administration there was an increased clustering coefficient, rich club index, and average path length. Increases in these metrics suggests that MDPV produces a prolonged pattern of correlated activity characterized by greater interactions between subsets of high degree nodes but a reduced interaction with regions outside this core subset. Further analysis revealed that the core set of nodes include prefrontal cortical, amygdala, hypothalamic, somatosensory and striatal areas. At the molecular level, MDPV downregulated the dopamine transporter (DAT) in striatum and produced a shift in its subcellular distribution, an effect likely to involve rapid internalization at the membrane. These new findings suggest that potent binding of MDPV to DAT may trigger internalization and a prolonged alteration in homeostatic regulation of DA and functional brain network reorganization. We propose that the observed MDPV-induced network reorganization and DAergic changes may contribute to previously reported adverse behavioral responses to MDPV.
The Bullitt Center: A Comparative Analysis Between Simulated and Operational Performance

Energy and thermal comfort simulations guide the design of integrated building systems in modern high performance buildings. Once the building is operational, design simulations provide a useful ba...
Embryonic Development of Primitive Ammonoids and the Monophyly of the Ammonoidea

A small egg-shaped initial chamber is a common feature of the Ammonoidea. This plus the shell up to the primary constriction defines the embryonic shell, called the am- monitella. All ammonitellas possess the same general characteristics, but their expression is different. This has both phylogenetic and ontogenetic implications. Most available data are from Mesozoic ammonoids, due to preservational biases. As a result, most models of embryonic development are based on the characteristics of the better preserved Mesozoic ammonoids and hypothesize a non-accretionary mode of growth. These models include the Paleozoic ammonoids by default or exclude them outright, postulating that they formed differently, namely by accretionary growth.
Civility and Collegiality — Unreasonable Judicial Expectations for Lawyers as Officers of the Court?

It is a well-settled and often-recited fact that lawyers are “officers of the court.” That title, however, is notoriously hortatory and devoid of meaning. Nevertheless, the Eleventh Circuit recently took the somewhat unprecedented step of utilizing the officer-of-the-court label to, in effect, sanction an attorney for the purportedly uncivil act of failing to provide defendant attorneys with pre-suit notice. While the author applauds the court’s desire to place greater emphasis on lawyer-to-lawyer collegiality as a component of officer-of-the-court status, the uncertainty the decision creates in terms of a lawyer’s role will potentially force litigators to compromise important client-centered duties. This Article argues that it would be preferable for courts to define sanctionable officer-of-the-court duties by reference to well-defined, existing procedural and ethical norms, thereby enhancing predictability and imbuing the label with much-needed substance.
Cost-effectiveness analysis of lumacaftor and ivacaftor combination for the treatment of patients with cystic fibrosis in the United States.

Lumacaftor/ivacaftor was approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) as a combination treatment for Cystic Fibrosis (CF) patients who are homozygous for the F508del mutation. The objective of this study was to assess the cost-effectiveness of lumacaftor/ivacaftor combination for the treatment of CF homozygous for F508del CF Transmembrane Conductance Regulator (CFTR) mutation. A Markov-state transition model following a cohort of 12 year-old CF patients homozygous for F508del CFTR mutation in the United States (US) over two, four, six, eight and ten years from a payer’s perspective was developed using TreeAge Pro 2016. Markov states included: mild (percentage of predicted forced expiratory volume in 1 s or FEV1 > 70%), moderate (FEV1 40–70%), severe (FEV1 < 40%) disease, post-transplant, and death. Pulmonary exacerbation and lung transplant were included as transition states. All the input parameters were estimated from the literature. A 1-year cycle length and 3% discount rate were applied. To assess uncertainty in long-term treatment effects, several scenarios were modelled: 100% long-term effectiveness (base-case), defined as improvement in FEV1 in the first year followed by no annual FEV1 decline and a constant reduction in pulmonary exacerbations throughout, 75%, 50%, 25% and 0% (worst case) long-term effectiveness, where treatment effects were intermediate from the second year of treatment until the end of the time horizon. Other scenarios included changing the starting age of the cohort to 6 and 25 years. Primary outcome included incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) in terms of cost per quality adjusted life year (QALY) gained. One-way and probabilistic sensitivity analyses were performed to determine uncertainty. Under the base-case, Lumacaftor/ivacaftor resulted in higher QALYs (7.29 vs 6.84) but at a very high cost ($1,778,920.88) compared to usual care ($116,155.76) over a 10-year period. The ICER for base-case and worst-case scenarios were $3,655,352 / QALY, and $8,480,265/QALY gained, respectively. In the base-case, lumacaftor/ivacaftor was cost-effective at a threshold of $150,000/QALY-gained when annual drug costs were lower than $4153. The results were not substantially affected by the sensitivity analyses. The intervention produces large QALY gains but at an extremely high cost, resulting in an ICER that would not typically be covered by any insurer. Lumacaftor/ivacaftor’s status as an orphan drug complicates coverage decisions.
Economic NMPC Strategies for Solid Sorbent-Based CO2 Capture

Abstract Nonlinear Model Predictive Control (NMPC) enables the incorporation of detailed dynamic process models for nonlinear, multivariable control with constraints. This optimization-based framework also leads to on-line dynamic optimization with performance-based and so-called economic objectives. Nevertheless, economic NMPC (eNMPC) still requires careful formulation of the nonlinear programming (NLP) subproblem to guarantee stability. In this study, we derive a novel reduced regularization approach for eNMPC with stability guarantees. The resulting eNMPC framework is applied to a challenging nonlinear CO2 capture model, where bubbling fluidized bed models comprise a solid-sorbent post-combustion carbon capture system. Our results indicate the benefits of this improved eNMPC approach over tracking to the setpoint, and better stability over eNMPC without regularization.
Total and Free 25-Hydroxy-Vitamin D and Bacterial Vaginosis in Pregnant African American Women.

Objective. This study sought to investigate associations between serum total and free 25(OH)D and bacterial vaginosis (BV) in early and later pregnancy among US black women to provide insight into the most clinically relevant measure of vitamin D status among pregnant black women with respect to risk for BV as well as insights into critical time points for measuring and/or addressing vitamin D status in pregnancy. Methods. Data and biospecimens were derived from a subsample (N = 137) of women from the Emory University African American Vaginal, Oral, and Gut Microbiome in Pregnancy Cohort, for whom data related to vitamin D status (serum assays for total and free 25(OH)D) and Nugent score of Gram stained vaginal specimens in early (8-14 weeks) and later (24-30 weeks) were available. We compared total and free 25(OH)D concentrations for women according to Nugent score category (normal flora, intermediate flora, and BV) and assessed the odds of BV according to measures of vitamin D status. Results. Thirty-seven (27%) women had adequate vitamin D status at baseline, whereas 70 (51%) had insufficient vitamin D and 30 (22%) were vitamin D deficient; there were not significant differences in the proportion of women with adequate, insufficient, or deficient vitamin D according to Nugent score category. However, the odds of BV later in pregnancy were significantly higher for women who experienced a smaller rise in total 25(OH)D and free 25(OH)D from 8-14 through 24-30 weeks gestation. Conclusion. The change in measures of vitamin D status from early to later pregnancy is associated with the occurrence of BV in pregnancy. Further research is needed to examine the association between the change in vitamin D status over pregnancy and the occurrence of BV and other measures of vaginal microbial composition as well as to identify factors that influence change in vitamin D status over pregnancy.
‘El Salario no Alcanzaba’: The Salary Did Not Stretch

This chapter provides an economic perspective by discussing the dramatic deterioration in the quality of daily life after the demise of the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics (USSR) and subsequent near collapse of the Cuban economy. Through an original combined analysis of press sources and oral history interview testimonies, Jeronimo Kersh gives meaning to the pragmatic importance of wages and disposable income with regard to choosing a form of employment during the Special Period. By exploring the complexities of extreme shortages of food and reduced access to consumer goods, ‘El Salario no Alcanzaba’ illustrates how and why Cuban women needed an alternative form of income above their state wage in order to survive such a hostile economic climate characterized by emerging inequalities.
Enhancing SOI Waveguide Nonlinearities via Microring Resonators

All-optical devices can exploit a suite of nonlinearities in silicon photonics. We study how microring resonators (MRRs)harness these nonlinearities, with theoretical model and experimental validation. Free-carrier effects will practically always dominate Kerr in MRRs. © The Authors(s)
Effects of twin boundaries and pre-existing defects on mechanical properties and deformation mechanisms of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia

Abstract In annealing of yttria-stabilized tetragonal zirconia (YSTZ), {011}-specific twins and sub-surface defects are often observed, however their effects on the martensitic phase transformation and deformation behavior of YSTZ have never been investigated. In this work, the roles of twin boundaries (TBs) and pre-existing defects in determining the mechanical properties and subsequent deformation mechanisms of YSTZ nanopillars are studied. Using large-scale molecular dynamics simulations, we show that Young’s modulus and strength of YSTZ decrease with the increase of TB density, but the ductility of YSTZ pillars increases. Phase transformation behavior is found to be correlated to TB density. The sensitivity of mechanical responses of twinned structures to pre-existing defects is also studied. A competitive mechanism between TB-induced phase transformation and void-induced phase transformation is observed. When the diameter of a pre-existing void is smaller than a critical value, only TB-induced phase transformation occurs, which leads to void-insensitive mechanical properties.
Big strokes can cause big problems.

Large cerebral infarctions can result in malignant cerebral oedema leading horizontal tissue swelling, transtentorial herniation and death. Multiple studies have demonstrated the utility of decompressive hemicraniectomy as a life sustaining measure.1 The procedure remains controversial because of concern that in a non-selected population, survivors may be left with severe disability and diminished quality of life.2 The current study by Casolla, et al , identified a single centre case series of 212 patients with large middle cerebral artery infarcts who underwent decompressive craniectomy.3 Although the centre treated all patients irrespective of age after DESTINY II was published in 2014, approximately 87% of patients were aged 60 or younger.4 The 30-day mortality was 16.5%. A particular strength of their …
Noninvasive Acoustic Measurements in Cylindrical Shell Containers

Acoustic time-of-flight (ToF) measurements enable noninvasive material characterization, acoustic imaging, and defect detection and are commonly used in industrial process control, biomedical devices, and national security. When characterizing a fluid contained in a cylinder or pipe, ToF measurements are hampered by guided waves, which propagate around the cylindrical shell walls and obscure the waves propagating through the interrogated fluid. We present a technique for overcoming this limitation based on a broadband linear chirp excitation and cross correlation detection. By using broadband excitation, we exploit the dispersion of the guided waves, wherein different frequencies propagate at different velocities, thus distorting the guided wave signal while leaving the bulk wave signal in the fluid unperturbed. We demonstrate the measurement technique experimentally and using numerical simulation. We characterize the technique performance in terms of measurement error, signal-to-noise-ratio, and resolution as a function of the linear chirp center frequency and bandwidth. We discuss the physical phenomena behind the guided bulk wave interactions and how to utilize these phenomena to optimize the measurements in the fluid.
Tax Lawyers, Tax Defiance, and the Ethics of Casual Conversation

This Essay addresses the increasingly common social situation in which tax lawyers are confronted with tax protester arguments and similar anti-tax system comments. This Essay seeks to place these conversations in a greater context of tax policy and ethical considerations, urging tax lawyers not to walk away from the conversations but rather to engage with hopes of educating the public, improving the law, and protecting the interests of the vast majority of Americans who pay their share of the price of civilization and expect others to do the same.
J M Keynes, Not R Kahn, Created and Developed the Logical Theory of the Multiplier in the General Theory in 1936 Based on His a Treatise on Probability Exposition in 1921: Kahn’s Contribution in the General Theory Was an Applied One, Not a Theoretical One

J M Keynes had already completely developed the technical, mathematical and logical framework of analysis for the concept of the multiplier in his A Treatise on Probability in 1921 long before Richard Kahn came to Cambridge in 1927 at the age of 22. However, Keynes did not have the time or inclination to actually publish a full-blown academic article giving a completely worked out application of the theory of the multiplier in the EJ. Keynes delegated this task to Kahn. Kent (2007) demonstrated that in May 1929, Keynes had applied his logical theory of the multiplier in preparation for a speech in which he would take on all comers who questioned the concept of the multiplier. Kent showed that Keynes had made an arithmetic error in his application of the mathematical theory of the multiplier. Keynes privately showed Kahn sometime between May 1929 and June 1931 that every application of the multiplier involved the mathematical theory that he had first applied in 1908 in his second Fellowship dissertation at Cambridge in 1908 and in the A Treatise on Probability in 1921. Kahn’s multiplier analysis on p.183 of his June 1931 EJ article is identical, except for notation, to Keynes’s example from the A Treatise on Probability. One need only substitute Kahn’s k on page 183 for Keynes’s q on p. 315 to get the exact same answer. Kahn’s employment multiplier, k, is not a basic or major theoretical contribution to the General Theory. Keynes’s discussion of the logical theory of the multiplier on pp.122-123 of the General Theory is a summary that is based on Keynes’s p.315 analysis in the A Treatise on Probability from 1921. Therefore, Schumpeter’s assessment that “… Mr. R. F. Kahn, whose share in the historic achievement cannot have fallen very short of co-authorship!” (Schumpeter 1954, p. 1172), has no support.
A Programmable Neural-Network Inference Accelerator Based on Scalable In-Memory Computing

This paper presents a scalable neural-network (NN) inference accelerator in 16nm, based on an array of programmable cores employing mixed-signal In-Memory Computing (IMC), digital Near-Memory Computing (NMC), and localized buffering/control. IMC achieves high energy efficiency and throughput for matrix-vector multiplications (MVMs), which dominate NNs; but, scalability poses numerous challenges, both technologically, going to advanced nodes to maintain gains over digital architectures, and architecturally, for full execution of diverse NNs. Recent demonstrations have explored integrating IMC in programmable processors [1, 2], but have not achieved IMC efficiency and throughput for full executions. The central challenge is drastically different physical design points and associated tradeoffs incurred by IMC compared to digital engines. Namely, IMC substantially increases compute energy efficiency and HW density/parallelism, but retains the overheads of HW virtualization (state and data swapping/buffering/communication across spatial/temporal computation mappings). The demonstrated architecture is co-designed with SW-mapping algorithms (encapsulated in a custom graph compiler), to provide efficiency across a broad range of mapping strategies, to overcome these overheads.
The Overlap of Tax and Financial Aspects of Real Estate Ventures

This article examines the effect partnership tax law has on financial aspects of real estate ventures. It introduces the relevance of the aggregate and entity views of tax partnerships (i.e., LLCs, LPs, and other partnerships) and demonstrates how those views can greatly affect financial projections for each of the members of a real estate venture. It also demonstrates how financial calculations can vary significantly depending upon how closely analysts track a tax partnership’s allocation method. Finally, the article serves as a primer for tax practitioners who are unfamiliar with the financial tools that are so prevalent in real estate analysis, and it illustrates the use of tools that are critical in valuing interests in tax partnerships.
Global connectivity fingerprints predict the domain generality of multiple-demand regions

A set of distributed cognitive control networks are known to contribute to diverse cognitive demands, yet it is unclear how these networks gain this domain general capacity. We hypothesized that this capacity is largely due to the particular organization of the human brain9s intrinsic network architecture. Specifically, we tested the possibility that each brain region9s domain generality is reflected in its level of global (hub-like) intrinsic connectivity, as well as its particular global connectivity pattern (connectivity fingerprint). Consistent with prior work, we found that cognitive control networks exhibited domain generality, as they represented diverse task context information covering sensory, motor response, and logic rule domains. Supporting our hypothesis, we found that the level of global intrinsic connectivity (estimated with resting-state fMRI) was correlated with domain generality during tasks. Further, using a novel information fingerprint mapping approach, we found that each cognitive control region9s unique rule response profile (information fingerprint) could be predicted based on its unique intrinsic connectivity fingerprint and the information content in non-cognitive control regions. Together these results suggest that the human brain9s intrinsic network architecture supports its ability to represent diverse cognitive task information, largely via the location of multiple-demand regions within the brain9s global network organization.
A partial solution to the c-value paradox

In the half-century since the C-value paradox (the apparent lack of correlation between organismal genome size and morphological complexity) was described, there have been no explicit statistical comparisons between measures of genome size and organism complexity. It is reported here that there are significant positive correlations between measures of genome size and complexity with measures of non-hierarchical morphological complexity in 139 prokaryotic and eukaryotic organisms with sequenced genomes. These correlations are robust to correction for phylogenetic history by independent contrasts, and are largely unaffected by the choice of data set for phylogenetic reconstruction. These results suggest that the C-value paradox may be more apparent than real, at least for organisms with relatively small genomes like those considered here. A complete resolution of the C-value paradox will require the consideration and inclusion of organisms with large genomes into analyses like those presented here.
Formalizing multimedia QoS constraints using actors

The vision of future information systems is that different forms of information are potentially accessible at anytime through the Internet. We describe challenges in the modeling and specification of timing related multimedia (MM) services in open distributed systems. Management of multimedia services in an open system is complicated by the heterogeneity of application requirements, multimedia information, and system components. Services and systems in this environment evolve dynamically and their components interact with an environment that is not under their control. We propose a formal specification of timing related Quality-of-Service (QoS) attributes in an actor-based distributed system and describe some techniques for informally reasoning about quantitative QoS properties.
Microscopy 2.0

Although the genomes of many animals, from worms to humans, have been sequenced, much of the detailed molecular understanding of the biology of these genes and their proteins is unknown. One of the major problems is that we cannot currently see what a protein does, where it is, and how it moves. Thus, most functional conclusions about a protein are necessarily indirect. The visualization of the structure of DNA by Watson and Crick led a true understanding of the concept of genes, transcription, and translation. In recent years, the invention of new imaging technologies is having a profound impact on biological sciences. I will discuss how a revolution in optical and electron microscopy will provide the tools that can have a profound impact on biology, biomedicine and bioengineering.
And There Is An End

After I finished going over this manuscript once more — today I did the last part, 38, the big bulk of the York seminar — I walked where I had walked a few days ago with my visiting son: past the house where the Herbert Marcuses had lived for many years to (off the street) a kind of pulpit—in—the—open; I am writing this sitting, away from the view one has from it, on the broad sandstone banister, leaning against a stone ball that ornaments the corner (as others do the other corners) (and pressure on the spine). I had wondered whether something would come to mind on this walk to conclude this book. But then what did come to mind is that this walk itself was significant — I have just alluded to its significances (my son, the Marcuses). And then there is the comparison between where the book began and all but the last long section was written — Florence — and where it ends: where I’ve lived for the last fifteen years (and only a few weeks ago started to live again instead of moving).
Somatic gene transfer of nerve growth factor promotes the survival of axotomized septal neurons and the regeneration of their axons in adult rats.

Intracerebral grafts consisting of primary fibroblasts genetically engineered to express NGF were used to assess the regenerative capacity of cholinergic neurons of the adult rat septum. Our data reveal that NGF-producing grafts sustain a significantly higher proportion of NGF receptor-immunoreactive septal neurons following axotomy (approximately 65–75%) than do grafts of noninfected fibroblasts. In addition, NGF promotes the regeneration of septal axons. Following the ablation of cholinergic septal projections to the hippocampus, NGF-producing grafts placed within the lesion cavity contain large numbers of AChE-positive axons; control grafts, on the other hand, lack such cholinergic axons. Ultrastructural examination reveals that unmyelinated axons within NGF- producing grafts use many different substrates for growth, including astrocytes and components of the extracellular matrix. Grafts of control fibroblasts possess the same cellular and matrix substrates but contain only a small population of axons, probably of peripheral origin. AChE-positive axons growing through NGF-producing grafts provide a new topographically organized input to the deafferented hippocampal dentate gyrus. Furthermore, regenerating septal axons terminate predominantly on the dendritic processes of granular neurons. The dentate gyrus ipsilateral to grafts of noninfected fibroblasts, on the other hand, remains devoid of AChE-positive fibers. From these results, we conclude that the availability of NGF is a necessary requirement to sustain axotomized cholinergic septal neurons and to promote axon regeneration and cholinergic reinnervation of dentate granular neurons by these lesioned neurons. The presence of many permissive substrates (e.g., astrocytes, basal lamina, and collagen) alone, however, is not sufficient to induce axon regrowth from adult septal neurons.
The Evolution of Social Work Ethics: Bearing Witness

The evolution of ethical standards in social work, and conceptual frameworks for examining ethical issues, is among the most compelling developments in the history of the profession. Since the formal inauguration of social work in the late nineteenth century, the profession has moved from relatively simplistic and moralistic perspectives to conceptually rich analyses of ethical issues and ethical guidelines. This article examines the evolution of social work ethics from the profession's earliest days and speculates about future challenges and directions.
Alterations in levels of DnaK and GroEL result in diminished survival and adherence of stressed Haemophilus ducreyi

Haemophilus ducreyi is a hemin-requiring bacterium causing the genital ulcer disease chancroid. Previously we demonstrated that the heat shock protein GroEL was immunogenic and possibly highly expressed in a mammalian host. The present study was initiated to (i) determine the relative amounts of GroEL expressed by H. ducreyi during in vitro exposure to stresses and (ii) evaluate whether a high level of GroEL is directly or indirectly required for survival and adherence of stressed H. ducreyi. Using scanning densitometry of sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis protein profiles, we found that H. ducreyi expressed high basal levels of GroEL, averaging fivefold greater than in Escherichia coli. These high GroEL levels increased up to twofold upon exposure of the organism to heat shock or high levels of hydrogen peroxide and during adherence to two human genital cell lines. Furthermore, when the gene for DnaK was present on a multicopy plasmid in H. ducreyi, a 1.8-fold increase in DnaK and a 2.3-fold reduction in GroEL were seen. These results suggest that DnaK serves as a negative modulator of H. ducreyi GroEL. Subsequently we found that H. ducreyi with lower GroEL had diminished ability to survive when challenged by heat and oxidative stresses. In addition, the long, parallel chains characteristic of virulent strains of H. ducreyi were absent when GroEL was lowered, so that fewer bacterial cells adhered to the human cells. These results suggest that the unusually high basal levels of GroEL are involved, either directly or indirectly, in the survival, chaining, and adherence of H. ducreyi in the presence of the combined stresses of the host environment.
From chronic pain patient to peer: benefits and risks of volunteering

Peer volunteers have been used as cost-effective adjuncts to professional services in other settings and populations, but not a heterogeneous sample of patients with chronic pain. This study evaluated the transition from "patient" to "peer," identifying possible benefits or harm associated with volunteering. Peers provided descriptive data and questionnaires, including measures of pain, disability, self-efficacy, and depression before and after three periods: as a patient, during training, and while volunteering. Average pain intensity scores declined while participants were patients (7.1 to 4.2), rose slightly (5.8) before training, and dropped again after training and volunteering (4.3 and 3.6, respectively). A similar pattern was noted for disability. Depression scores continued to decline after initially dropping, and self-efficacy scores remained stable after the initial 40% rise as a patient. Two themes, "making a connection" and "a sense of purpose," emerged from the narrative data. Descriptive data provided further support that volunteering benefited both patients and peers. This study supports the viability of using peer volunteers for clinical or research endeavors. Improvements in pain, disability, and depression were reported immediately after training and after volunteering for several months without evidence of harm. Despite encountering challenges, the rewards of this altruistic endeavor outweighed any frustrations experienced by volunteers with chronic pain.
MO‐A‐BRCD‐01: Unsettled Issues in the Radiobiology of Emergent Technology: Hypofractionation and PET‐Guided Treatment Planning

New technologies and innovative treatment techniques call into question long‐standing radiobiological principles in RT. Reported apoptosis effects above 10 Gy/fraction challenge standard views of tumor cell kill as the only important path to tumor control. There are also reports of an immune‐system response to large‐dose per fraction. Repair‐kinetics can also become important when comparing treatments given in less than 10 minutes to treatments given over 30 minutes or more. Modeling studies challenge the importance of hypoxia (and use of the linear quadratic model) in hypofractionation treatments. Critical questions regarding the use of FDG‐PET guided boosts include the expected dose needed to achieve local control for FDG‐PET positive tumors, and the relationship between FDG‐PET images and underlying cellular parameters. This symposium will review our current scientific understanding of these important, unsettled issues. Learning Objectives: 1. Review non‐classical radiobiology relevant to high‐doses per fraction 2. Review dose‐rate effects as they apply to SBRT/hypofx treatments 3. Review radiobiology of FDG‐PET guided therapy
A diagnostic approach to chronic diarrhea.

A diagnostic approach to chronic diarrhea has been outlined. This approach emphasizes the importance of the history and physical examination, not only to suggest the correct diagnosis, but to aid the physician in the proper selection of laboratory studies to substantiate his clinical impression.
MULTIVARIATE STABLE FUTURES PRICES

This paper introduces new techniques for modeling financial data under the assumption that the data belong to the domain of attraction of a multivariate stable Pareto law. We provide tail estimators for the index of stability parameter a and the corresponding spectral measure. These estimators are then applied to test the associtation of the individual components and to compute estimates of portfolio risk and the covariation of commodities. A practical example is given using DM-dollar and JY-dollar exchange rates data.
Iron Sulfide Blackening in Canned Protein Foods. Interactions of Constituents in the Vapor Phasea

SUMMARY The formation of volatile bases and volatile acids during heat processing of albacore tuna loin sections was studied, using a closed system swept with nitrogen gas. The cell containing the tuna was heated gradually to 100°C, and the volatile acids and bases were trapped in standardized solutions. During the first 80 min of heating, at precooking temperatures, volatile acid evolved exceeded by threefold the slight amounts of volatile base (less than 0.5 mcq per 1000 g). Later during the heating cycle equal amounts of volatile acids and bases were formed. The ratio of sulfur to iron responded directly to the initial vacuum present in canned tuna. At high vacuum the ratio was 0.575. Sulfur was absent from the black deposits when the cans were sealed without evacuation, even when high levels of cystine were added. In commercially packed shrimp the sulfur to iron ratio was 0.322, which is consistent with a deposit of mixed oxides of iron, combined with ferrous sulfide. Addition of acetic acid (a volatile acid) at 10 mM per can suppressed the formation of black deposits at all closing vacuums in a model system containing added cysteine, while the addition of ammonium hydroxide (volatile base) or no addition resulted in the formation of black deposits at 26 inches Hg of closing vacuum.
Review of Kathryn Sikkink's The Justice Cascade: How Human Rights Prosecutions Are Changing World Politics

Kathryn Sikkink's new work, The Justice Cascade: How Human Rights Prosecutions Are Changing World Politics, sets out to address three ambitious questions: What are the origins of contemporary ideas...
Hyperactive striatal neurons in symptomatic Huntington R6/2 mice: variations with behavioral state and repeated ascorbate treatment.

Abstract Membrane and morphological abnormalities occur in the striatum of R6/2 transgenics, a widely used mouse model of Huntington’s disease. To assess changes in behavior-related neuronal activity, we implanted micro-wire bundles in the striatum of symptomatic R6/2 mice and wild-type controls. Unit activity was recorded in an open-field arena once weekly for the next several weeks. For each recording session, firing rate was monitored before, during, and after a period of light anesthesia to assess the influence of behavioral arousal. Because low ascorbate in striatal extracellular fluid may contribute to Huntington’s disease symptoms, all animals received an injection of either 300mg/kg sodium ascorbate or vehicle for three consecutive days prior to each recording session. In R6/2 mice, regardless of treatment, striatal unit activity was significantly faster than in wild-type controls. The difference in mean (±S.E.M.) firing was most apparent during wakefulness (6.4±0.8 vs. 3.5±0.3 spikes/s) but also persisted during anesthesia (2.0±0.3 vs. 0.7±0.1 spikes/s). Assessment of treatment duration indicated that R6/2 mean waking discharge rate was significantly slower after three weeks than after one week of ascorbate treatment (3.1±0.6 vs. 10.2±2.7 spikes/s). Vehicle-treated R6/2s showed no such decline in striatal activity ruling out an age- or injection-related effect. Slow-scan voltammetry in separate animals confirmed that ascorbate-injections returned the level of striatal extracellular ascorbate in R6/2 mice to that of wild-type controls. Our results indicate that although striatal neurons modulate firing in relation to behavioral state, impulse activity is consistently elevated in transgenic relative to wild-type mice. Restoring extracellular ascorbate to the wild-type level reverses this effect suggesting a role for ascorbate in normalizing neuronal function in Huntington’s disease striatum.
Comparative Study of Morphine and Dromoran as Antidiuretic Agents in the Dog.

Conclusions1. Dromoran is less antidiuretic than morphine when anti-diuretic activity is related to analgesic potency. 2. In the range of doses employed in these studies, neither morphine nor Dromoran effected a chloruresis. 3. The lack of chloruresis in the presence of anti-diuretic action suggests that these drugs do not act by liberation of the anti-diuretic hormone.
Innate predator recognition and fright response in related populations of Oncorhynchus mykiss under different predation pressure

Innate predator recognition and fright response behaviours were compared in a laboratory study between second generation offspring from two related populations of steelhead trout Oncorhynchus mykiss from Sashin Creek, Alaska. The stream population was anadromous and co-occurred with Dolly Varden Salvelinus malma, a piscivore and salmonid predator. Sashin Lake, formerly fishless, was stocked with fish from the stream population in 1926 and that population has been isolated from heterospecific piscine predation ever since. Fish from the lake population were predicted to show diminished innate fright response to Dolly Varden scent relative to the stream population. The behaviour of 60 individual juvenile O. mykiss from each population was measured and observed in aquaria before and after exposure to chemical cues of Dolly Varden, conspecific skin extract, or a control of distilled water. The alarm substances caused significant behavioural changes in both populations in the amount of time spent motionless, time spent in the lower water column and feeding frequency. No significant differences were observed between the stream and lake populations in the change in behaviour between pre- and post-stimulus observation periods for any of the measured fright responses, indicating that the sequestered lake population has not lost the ability to detect or respond to conspecific alarm substances or Dolly Varden scent.