cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
High Symptom Burden and Low Functional Status in the Setting of Multimorbidity

Objectives To enhance understanding of the relationship between multimorbidity, symptom burden, and functional status in individuals with life-limiting illness. Design Secondary analysis of baseline data from a randomized clinical trial conducted in the Palliative Care Research Cooperative Group. Group differences were tested using a t-test; multivariate regression analysis was used to determine the effect of multiple variables on functional status and symptom burden. Setting Fifteen Palliative Care Research Cooperation sites. Participants Adults who participated in a parent statin-discontinuation clinical trial were included in the analysis (N = 381). Inclusion criteria were diagnosis of a life-limiting illness, statin use for 3 months or longer, life expectancy longer than 1 month, and declining functional status. Measurements Cancer diagnosis (solid organ and hematologic malignancies), multimorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI) score), symptom burden (Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale (ESAS) score, number of symptoms with ESAS severity score >4), functional status (Australia-modified Karnofsky Performance Scale (AKPS)). Results Fifty-one percent had a primary diagnosis of cancer; mean age 74.1 ± 11.6. Participants had multiple comorbid illnesses (CCI score 4.9 ± 2.8), multiple symptoms (ESAS score 27.2 ± 15.9), and poor functional status (AKPS = 53 ± 13). In univariate and multivariate analyses, multimorbidity was associated with greater symptom burden (4.2 vs 3.1 moderate or severe symptoms (t = −3.2, P = .002), 12% vs 6% with severe symptoms (t = −3.7, P < .001)), but cancer diagnosis was not. In univariate and multivariate analyses, higher symptom burden was associated with poorer functional status (F = 11.6, P < .001), but multimorbidity was not. Conclusion Symptoms cannot be attributed solely to a diagnosis of cancer. The association between symptom burden and functional status underscores the importance of clinical attention to symptoms in individuals with multimorbidity.
Cryoablation of Barrett’s Esophagus

Cryotherapy or the application of exceptionally cold temperatures for tissue destruction has long been used as a mainstay therapy in a wide variety of medical fields such as dermatology, gynecology, and otolaryngology. However, not until relatively recently over the past decade has the use of cryotherapy in therapeutic endoscopy been seriously investigated. Beginning with seminal work at Johns Hopkins in the early 1990 s, this treatment modality is now increasingly being evaluated for human use in the ablation of Barrett’s esophagus (BE), vascular abnormalities, and the treatment and palliation of gastric and esophageal malignancy. This chapter will focus on the application of this therapy for Barrett’s esophagus.
'Trust Me to Tell Your Story': Should Lawyers Be More Honest about the Breadth of Their Implied Authority to Reveal Client Confidences?

There is a disconnect between our rhetoric about the lawyer's duty of confidentiality and the realities of law practice. Legal ethics texts uniformly teach law students that their confidentiality obligations are near-absolute; all client information is protected from disclosure to third parties, with only rare exceptions. Legal interviewing and counseling texts follow suit by teaching a ritual conversation in which the lawyer, at the outset of the lawyer-client relationship, solemnly assures the client that he or she may confide completely in the lawyer because the lawyer is duty-bound to hold everything the client says in utter confidence. And yet, this image of the confidential consultation is misleading, particularly in the civil context. For starters, except in matters where a client seeks only legal advice, the lawyer probably has no intention of keeping confidential everything she learns about the client's matter. In the vast majority of cases, the lawyer could not accomplish the client's objectives if she did so. The duty of confidentiality has broad exceptions, including particularly the allowance of disclosures that are "impliedly authorized in order to carry out the representation." Such "impliedly authorized" disclosures, which were permitted under agency law long before the creation of ethics codes, are at the same time the most-invoked and least-discussed exceptions to the duty of confidentiality. In civil matters, the lawyer is allowed to make a wide range of disclosures for the client's benefit. And the lawyer may be required to make substantial disclosures that are adverse to the client but required by court rules, discovery rules, evidentiary rules, and so on. What's more, in most matters, the client neither expects nor desires the lawyer to maintain strict confidentiality. To be sure, the client may tell the lawyer some things that the client wants held strictly confidential. The bottom line, however, is that the client generally expects the lawyer to tell his story, not to keep it secret. This article argues that lawyers perform a disservice to themselves and to their clients by pretending that they divulge confidential client information only under extraordinary circumstances. The duty of confidentiality is properly understood not as a strict requirement that lawyers keep all of a client's information secret, but rather as a requirement that lawyers disclose information carefully, only as necessary, and in consultation with the client. Proper performance of that duty requires regular communication and a relationship of trust between lawyer and client. Lawyers' explanation of confidentiality in civil matters should be revised to convey a more realistic understanding of the balance between storytelling and secret-keeping.
All-electrical transduction of black phosphorus tunable 2D nanoelectromechanical resonators

We report on the first all-electrically transduced and frequency tunable two-dimensional (2D) vibrating nanoelectromechanical resonators enabled by using atomic layer black phosphorus (P) crystal. The resonance (at f res ) is detected using a down-mixing technique with frequency modulation (FM), and is verified by well established optical readout. The black P resonator suspended on a circular microtrench exhibits resonance in the high frequency band (f res ∼24MHz). In addition to efficient frequency tuning via the electrostatic gate, we have examined photon sensing capability using the black P resonator. Thanks to the small bandgap of black P (Eg≈0.3eV for multilayer thin films), it absorbs emission from visible to mid-infrared (IR), which makes the black P nanoresonators a potential candidate for enabling IR detectors, by utilizing the nanoelectromechanical systems (NEMS) platform and all-electrical signal transduction.
Prediction of Noise from Turbulent Boundary Layers Attached to Porous Media

Aerospace vehicles, wind-tunnel test section walls, and other structures often contain porosity that alters the turbulent boundary layer and radiated noise. A semi-empirical mathematical model is d...
Qu’est-ce qu’être humain ? Heidegger et Arendt autour de la praxis aristotélicienne

Cet article cherche a montrer comment les reappropriations heideggerienne et arendtienne de la pensee d’Aristote s’articulent autour d’un travail de reinterpretation de la double definition de l’etre humain comme etre pratique, soit comme zoon logon echon et zoon politikon. Nous soutenons qu’en revisitant les notions qui composent et circonscrivent cette definition — celles de vie (zoe,bios), de logos, de production (poiesis), d’action (praxis) et de contemplation (theoria), Heidegger et Arendt caracterisent le propre de l’homme en exploitant deux virtualites distinctes contenues a meme l’ambivalent concept aristotelicien de praxis. Toutefois, en rendant floue la distinction entre l’activite (energeia) et le mouvement (kinesis), ils exposent leur rejet de la theoria a deux difficultes — l’une concernant le caractere praxique de la theoria, l’autre concernant sa temporalite.
Implications of Enamel Prism Patterns for the Origin of the New World Monkeys

The origin and dispersal of the New World monkeys to the South American continent present an interesting dilemma, for paleogeographical evidence indicates that South America had already separated from Africa by the end of the Cretaceous. During the Tertiary, South America remained an island continent isolated from the rest of the world by oceanic barriers, from the Middle Paleocene [ca. 55 million years (m.y.) ago] to the Middle Pliocene (ca. 3.5 m.y. ago) (Hershkovitz, 1977; Hoffsteffer, 1972, 1974; Orlosky and Swindler, 1975). The source of origin of the New World monkeys both from a biogeographic and a phylogenetic perspective is thus uncertain and controversial. Two main hypotheses have been proposed: 1. The Platyrrhini as well as the Catarrhini were independently derived from Laurasian Paleogene primates, presumably an omomyid lower primate. Therefore, the close resemblance of New and Old World monkeys can be interpreted or explained as a result of convergence and/or parallelism from a lower primate ancestor. 2. The Platyrrhini and the Catarrhini were derived from a common ancestral anthropoid stock probably African in origin with the dispersal of the platyrrhine ancestors occurring through direct faunal interchange (rafting) between the southern continents across the South Atlantic Ocean.
Software Evaluation Methodologies

Publisher Summary This chapter discusses software evaluation methodologies. There has been continuous progress in the development of the methodologies as more and more software is developed, and as the scientific community continues to be involved in issues related to usability. While the user-based techniques have been utilized for a long time in social sciences, their use to answer questions specific to software usability is fairly recent. Progress in software issues is steady as techniques are refined to meet the particular need of software evaluation. In the area of model-based evaluations, activity is more dramatic as the theories are young and interest in them is high. In general, a lot of activity in the area of GOMS and GOMS-like models can be expected. Production system analysis would respond to its criticisms by expanding its scope to include more complicated forms of problem solving and other cognitive activity, and should become easier to use as experience develops.
Abstract 3551: Lipid raft integrity is essential for metastasis and chemoresistance properties of CD133+ cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer

Pancreatic cancer remains a significant health burden associated with limited patient survival and poses a major therapeutic challenge. Among cancer cells, Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are instrumental in inducing chemoresistance and metastasis in pancreatic cancer. CD133 has been identified as a CSC surface marker in several malignancies including pancreatic cancer. However, the functional role of CD133 in CSCs still not clear. The present study investigates the role of caveolar lipid raft integrity in functional properties of CD133+ CSCs. Current study showed first time that CD133 localizes to caveolar lipid rafts in pancreatic cancer cells, and associates with Caveolin1 (Cav-1) and cholesterol to form an integral signaling complex which drives the downstream processes of chemoresistance and metastasis. Further analysis showed that the integrity of the lipid-raft is crucial for maintenance of the functional properties of pancreatic CSCs, and its disruption leads to increased chemo-sensitivity to chemotherapeutic compound paclitaxel both in vitro as well as in vivo. Additionally, disruption of lipid raft results in decreased invasiveness and metastatic ability of the cells by deregulation of FAK signaling. The study also reveals that pancreatic cancer cells that lack the CSC population marker, CD133, did not respond to lipid raft disruption. Our results indicated that targeting the lipid-raft integrity in pancreatic cancer can specifically eradicate the CD133+ CSCs in pancreatic tumors, leading to a better prognosis for the disease. Citation Format: Vineet K. Gupta, Nikita S. Sharma, Kousik Kesh, Patrcia Dauer, Alice Nomura, Bhuwan Giri, Vikas Dudeja, Ashok Saluja, Sulagna Banerjee. Lipid raft integrity is essential for metastasis and chemoresistance properties of CD133+ cancer stem cells in pancreatic cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2018; 2018 Apr 14-18; Chicago, IL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2018;78(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3551.
From Reflexivity to Collaboration

Recently scholars have begun to investigate who produces knowledge about Roma and with what agendas. I extend this inquiry to ask how reflexivity by a non-Romani ally and researcher contributes to analyzing the production and use of knowledge in Romani Studies. I examine various roles I have inhabited and forms of scholarship I have produced, both successful and unsuccessful, during my long involvement in Romani studies to reveal how and why I represented Roma, and what uses this scholarship served. Calling for a “reflexive turn” in Romani Studies, I note that while self-examination of knowledge production is useful for all researchers, for nonRoma it is mandatory because historically non-Roma have held more authority. Embracing “critical whiteness” theory, I examine my privileged roles and my attempts at collaborative advocacy. Tracing a historical trajectory of shifting subjectivities, I narrate several crises, such as balancing essentialism with advocacy, respectfully presenting Romani music, and combining diplomacy with activism to illustrate dilemmas of representation that I have faced and the responses I crafted. These issues all underline the responsibility that non-Romani allies have in accounting for their words and actions.
Effective Low Leakage 6T and 8T FinFET SRAMs: Using Cells With Reverse-Biased FinFETs, Near-Threshold Operation, and Power Gating

Power gating is commonly used to reduce leakage current in SRAM memories; leakage current has a large impact on SRAM energy consumption. We first focus on power gating FinFET SRAMs and then evaluate three techniques to reduce the leakage power and energy-delay product (EDP) of six- and eight-transistor (6T, 8T) FinFET SRAM cells. We compare the EDP savings obtained using: 1) power gating FinFETs; 2) near-threshold operation at $V_{\mathrm{ DD}}=0.6$ V instead of the nominal $V_{\mathrm{ DD}}=1$ V; and 3) alternative SRAM cells with shorted gate (SG) and low power (LP) configured FinFETs; LP-configuration reverse-biases a FinFET’s back gate and reduces leakage current by up to 97%. SRAM cells with higher leakage benefit the most from power gating since they see the largest reductions in leakage current. Sharing power gating transistors among multiple SRAM cells can lead to more leakage current savings, but causes slower read and write speeds which can diminish their effectiveness. Alternative SRAM cells with lower leakage benefit the most from near-threshold operation to further reduce leakage current. Near-threshold operation and/or power gating reduces the 6T SG FinFET SRAM scheme’s EDP slightly more than using the 8T SG FinFET SRAM scheme, but using an LP 8T SRAM scheme, such as LP_INV1.2, with near-threshold operation is more effective than power gating and provides the largest reductions in EDP. The design techniques recommended by this brief can enable longer battery life for small sensor systems and thus greater reliability for Internet-of-Things (IoT) devices.
Infrared spectroscopic observation of a G‐C+ Hoogsteen base pair in the DNA:TATA box binding protein complex under solution conditions

Hoogsteen DNA base pairs (bps) are an alternative base pairing to canonical Watson-Crick bps and are thought to play important biochemical roles. Hoogsteen bps have been reported in a handful of X-ray structures of protein-DNA complexes. However, there are several examples of Hoogsteen bps in crystal structures that form Watson-Crick bps when examined under solution conditions. Furthermore, Hoogsteen bps can sometimes be difficult to resolve in DNA:protein complexes by X-ray crystallography due to ambiguous electron density and by solution-state NMR spectroscopy due to size limitations. Here, using infrared spectroscopy, we report the first direct solution-state observation of a Hoogsteen (G-C+ ) bp in a DNA:protein complex under solution conditions with specific application to DNA-bound TATA-box binding protein. These results support a previous assignment of a G-C+ Hoogsteen bp in the complex, and indicate that Hoogsteen bps do indeed exist under solution conditions in DNA:protein complexes.
MILC Code Performance on High End CPU and GPU Supercomputer Clusters

With recent developments in parallel supercomputing architecture, many core, multi-core, and GPU processors are now commonplace, resulting in more levels of parallelism, memory hierarchy, and programming complexity. It has been necessary to adapt the MILC code to these new processors starting with NVIDIA GPUs, and more recently, the Intel Xeon Phi processors. We report on our efforts to port and optimize our code for the Intel Knights Landing architecture. We consider performance of the MILC code with MPI and OpenMP, and optimizations with QOPQDP and QPhiX. For the latter approach, we concentrate on the staggered conjugate gradient and gauge force. We also consider performance on recent NVIDIA GPUs using the QUDA library.
Outcome assessment of health education on drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning in Jiangsu province in 2010

Objective To evaluate the effect of health education on drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning in Jiangsu province in 2010.Methods Nine villages(townships) were selected from high-arsenic regions of Jiangsu province,and one primary school in each village(township) and one village from the 9 villages(townships)were selected as investigation points.Thirty pupils in the same class of grade 5 in each school,and 15 housewives in each village were chosen as research subjects.Referring to the health education questionnaire in "Technique Scheme of Endemic Disease Prevention Granted by the Central Government in 2010",5 questions were selected.The reason,harm and prevention measures were reflected by the first,second and third questions.The way of knowledge acquisition and the situation of family drinking water were reflected by the forth and fifth questions.The awareness of prevention knowledge of drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning in pupils and housewives were investigated by calculating the awareness rate.Results Three hundred and nine pupils in the fifth grade and 144housewives were investigated in the baseline survey.Thenumber of response was 927 and 432,respectively; the number of correct answer was 537 and 234,respectively; the awareness rate was 57.93％(537/927) and 54.17％(234/432),respectively.Two hundred and seven pupils in the fifth grade and 135 housewives were investigated in the evaluation survey.The number of response was 810 and 405,respectively; the number of correct answer was 778 and 386,respectively; the awareness rate was 96.05％ (778/810) and 95.31％ (386/405),respectively.Conclusions Health knowledge of drinking-water-borne endemic arsenic poisoning has been improved among pupils and housewives in these areas. Key words: Arsenic poisoning; Health education; Outcome assessment
Choosing who can ride the raft.

Although the organization of cell membranes into lipid rafts has become a key concept in cell biology, how partitioning of membrane components into subdomains is achieved remains an important question.
Soft-Sensing ConFormer: A Curriculum Learning-based Convolutional Transformer.

Over the last few decades, modern industrial processes have investigated several cost-effective methodologies to improve the productivity and yield of semiconductor manufacturing. While playing an essential role in facilitating real-time monitoring and control, the data-driven soft-sensors in industries have provided a competitive edge when augmented with deep learning approaches for wafer fault-diagnostics. Despite the success of deep learning methods across various domains, they tend to suffer from bad performance on multi-variate soft-sensing data domains. To mitigate this, we propose a soft-sensing ConFormer (CONvolutional transFORMER) for wafer fault-diagnostic classification task which primarily consists of multi-head convolution modules that reap the benefits of fast and light-weight operations of convolutions, and also the ability to learn the robust representations through multi-head design alike transformers. Another key issue is that traditional learning paradigms tend to suffer from low performance on noisy and highly-imbalanced soft-sensing data. To address this, we augment our soft-sensing ConFormer model with a curriculum learning-based loss function, which effectively learns easy samples in the early phase of training and difficult ones later. To further demonstrate the utility of our proposed architecture, we performed extensive experiments on various toolsets of Seagate Technology's wafer manufacturing process which are shared openly along with this work. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first time that curriculum learning-based soft-sensing ConFormer architecture has been proposed for soft-sensing data and our results show strong promise for future use in soft-sensing research domain.
On rank reversals in the Borda count

The Borda count is a pairwise comparison method which can be shown to have various desirable properties. Questions have been raised about the efficacy of the Borda count and its engineering equivalents for concept selection in engineering design. Of chief concern is the possibility of rank reversals among design alternatives when other alternatives are added or dropped from consideration. Results from simulations are presented that show the likelihood that Borda count comparisons will result in rank reversals upon modifications of the set of alternatives. The available evidence indicates that rank reversals in the Borda count are generally restricted to alternatives that are difficult to distinguish.Copyright © 2003 by ASME
Characterization of the Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase.inhibitor protein complex

The Bacillus subtilis bacteriophage PBS2 uracil-DNA glycosylase inhibitor (Ugi) protein was characterized and shown to form a stable complex with Escherichia coli uracil-DNA glycosylase (Ung). As determined by mass spectrometry, the Ugi protein had a molecular weight of 9,474. We confirmed this value by sedimentation equilibrium centrifugation and determined that Ugi exists as a monomeric protein in solution. Amino acid analysis performed on both Ugi and Ung proteins was in excellent agreement with the amino acid composition predicted from the respective nucleotide sequence of each gene. The Ung.Ugi complex was resolved from its constitutive components by nondenaturing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and shown to possess a 1:1 stoichiometry. Analytical ultracentrifugation studies revealed that the Ung.Ugi complex had a molecular weight of 35,400, consistent with the complex containing one molecule each of Ung and Ugi. The acidic isoelectric points of the protein species were 6.6 (Ung) and 4.2 (Ugi), whereas the Ung.Ugi complex had an isoelectric point of 4.9. Dissociation of the Ung.Ugi complex by SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed no apparent alteration in the molecular weight of either polypeptide subsequent to binding. Furthermore, when the Ung.Ugi complex was treated with urea and resolved by urea-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, both uracil-DNA glycosylase and inhibitor activities were recovered from the dissociated complex. Thus, the complex seems to be reversible. In addition, we demonstrated that the Ugi interaction with Ung prevents enzyme binding to DNA and dissociates uracil-DNA glycosylase from a preformed DNA complex.
On the uses of the concept of normality in developmental biology and psychology.

Publisher Summary There are three assumptions that play a pivotal role in the formulation and use of the concept of normality. These assumptions are—organism and environment may be dealt with as separate entities, symptoms or performances are invariant expressions of particular processes and functional relationships, and science is value-free. Their impact, and the confusion they generate, can be detected in the various ways in which biological and behavioral scientists have used notions of normality. This chapter examines the impact of these usages on theory, research, and practice, and argues that in many contexts this problem-generating jumble of meanings should be replaced with the notion of range of significance, which is explicitly defined for the guidance and organization of research in methodologically tight and responsible ways. The fact that these three assumptions occur together is no historical accident for the first implies the second and the two jointly imply the third. The rejection of all three can be seen as the necessary result of taking seriously the idea that the human is a temporal emergent in the processes of phylogenesis, ontogenesis, and cultural history. This focus on time and process leads to a notion of normality, seen neither as neutral fact nor as fixed ideal but as an hypothesis to guide inquiry toward critically revisable goals.
Calculated non-linear magnetic field penetration of Plasma Opening Switches

We examine magnetic field penetration in the Plasma Opening Switch, exploring, in particular, advective field penetration arising in conjunction with radial density gradients across the cathode anode gap. Our calculations have been completed with the implicit multi-fluid, ANTHEM code. We show favored penetration along a radial density jump, unstable plain wave penetration for a 1/(y {minus} y{sub {alpha}+{epsilon}}) density dependence (with y measured from cathode to anode at Y{sub {alpha}}) in planar switches, and the penetration of finger-like magnetic field perturbations, when the fill plasmas bears initial sinusoidal disturbances on its generator interface. 7 refs., 4 figs.
Old Beneventan Melodies in a Breviary at Naples: New Evidence of Old Beneventan Music for the Office

This article discusses previously undocumented examples of music for the old Beneventan divine office in a manuscript housed in the Archivio Storico Diocesano in Naples (Cod. Misc. 1, fasc. VII). The breviary, which was copied at the scriptorium of Santa Sofia, Benevento, in 1161, transmits two unica —canticle antiphons for the feast of St. Mercurius—in Beneventan style. It also preserves a Beneventan-style antiphon for the Holy Twelve Brothers of Benevento that is not transmitted in previously published sources of Beneventan chant. The discovery of music in Beneventan style for St. Mercurius is of importance to the history of the old Beneventan rite, as it attests to the continued production of the distinctive formulaic style of the Beneventan rite into the later eighth century. The relics of Mercurius, a military saint of Byzantium, were enshrined at the altar of Santa Sofia at Benevento in 768, and Mercurius was adopted as patron of the court, the church of Santa Sofia, and the city of Benevento. Despite the establishment of the cult of St. Mercurius in the second half of the eighth century, until now no musical record has indicated the presence of old Beneventan music for this feast (there is no extant Beneventan mass proper for Mercurius, and the documented sources for the divine office preserve only Romano-Beneventan or neo-Gregorian-style music). I consider the St. Mercurius antiphons within the context of the musical style of the old Beneventan rite and argue that they should be included in the Beneventan canon on the basis of musical style. As pitch-specific exemplars of the distinctive formulaic style of the Beneventan chant, this source is of particular value to the study of Beneventan pitch and modality. Notated in fully heightened Beneventan neumes on a staff line, these antiphons are among the few surviving witnesses of the old Beneventan repertory that preserve the distinctive modal properties of the repertory in pitch-specific notation. I introduce the music of these antiphons and consider their importance as witnesses to the continued production and copying of Beneventan music from the late eighth to the twelfth centuries.
DISCOVERY OF THE NEAR-INFRARED WINDOW INTO THE BODY AND THE EARLY DEVELOPMENT OF NEAR-INFRARED SPECTROSCOPY

Extension of optical monitoring of intact tissues from the visible and ultraviolet to the near-infrared (NIR) range (700‐1300 nm) was first undertaken in 1977 for the purpose of monitoring the redox behavior of Cytochrome c oxidase ( cyt co x) in vivo. Soon it became evident that the much greater NIR translucency of skin and bone made it possible to reach brain and muscle tissue without surgical intervention. The presence of hemoglobin absorption led to complications forcing the construction of algorithms to separate the signals of the two molecular entities. It was also realized, however, that the hemoglobin signals provide information regarding the source of oxygen in the tissue, while the cyt co xsignals indicate the intracellular availability of oxygen for oxidative phosphorylation. This ability of recognizing the source/sink relationship greatly enhances the value of NIR spectrophotometry (NIRS) for research and clinical purposes. © 1999 Society of PhotoOptical Instrumentation Engineers. [S1083-3668(99)01404-5]
Interactions between the cellular and humoral immune responses in Drosophila

Abstract Drosophila has highly efficient defenses againstinfection. These include both cellular immune responses, such as the phagocytosis of invading microorganisms, and humoral immune responses, such as the secretion of antimicrobial peptides into the hemolymph [1,2]. These defense systems are thought to interact, but the nature and extent of these interactions is not known. Here we describe a method for inhibiting phagocytosis in Drosophila blood cells (hemocytes) by injecting polystyrene beads into the body cavity. This treatment does not in itself make a fly susceptible to Escherichia coli infection. However, when performed on flies carrying the mutation immune deficiency ( imd ), which affects the humoral immune response [3], the treatment results in a striking decrease in resistance to infection. We therefore carried out a sensitized genetic screen to identify immunocompromised mutants by co-injecting beads and E. coli . From this screen, we identified a new gene we have named red shirt and identified the caspase Dredd as a regulator of the Drosophila immune response. The observation that mutants with defects in the humoral immune response are further immunocompromised by blocking phagocytosis, and thus inhibiting the cellular immune response, shows that the Drosophila cellular and humoral immune responses act in concert to fight infection.
An exploratory, randomized, crossover MRI study of microbicide delivery with the SILCS diaphragm compared to a vaginal applicator

Background Microbicide gels studied for HIV prevention often are delivered via a single-use vaginal applicator. Using a contraceptive diaphragm such as the SILCS diaphragm for gel delivery could have advantages, including lower cost and additional pregnancy prevention.
QUALITY ASSESSMENT IN A MEDICAID MANAGED MENTAL HEALTH CARE PLAN: An Iowa Case Study

Clinical quality was assessed in a statewide Medicaid managed mental health care program. Because of the limited quantity and scope of the available clinical data, the quality of clinical care could not be adequately assessed. The implications of this finding for the evaluation and oversight of quality in public sector managed care plans is discussed.
Mapping of Spectral Variations on the Surface of Mars from High Spectral Resolution Telescopic Images

Abstract We analyze a high spectral resolution ( R ≃ 200) visible and near infrared (0.44–1.02 μm) telescopic spectral image of Mars to explore surface material variations across the observed face of the planet, which is centered on Sinus Meridiani. Two independent analysis methods are employed, linear mixture modeling and supervised spectral pattern classification with an artificial neural network. Four endmember type regions are identified with linear mixing. Further refinement is achieved with the nonlinear neural network classification algorithm, separating eight units of geological significance. Differences in spectral features among the mapped units are characterized. Among the medium- to high-albedo units northern lowlands typified by Chryse Planitia show far less evidence of bulk crystalline hematite than western Arabia or any other highland regions. The relationship of these bright units to the globally distributed aeolian dust is not yet clear. Within our image, low-albedo regions with the most pronounced crystalline hematite signature primarily correlate with the classic “dark regions,” with the exception of Acidalia Planitia. Spectral evidence for pyroxenes also correlates well with most of the classic low albedo regions, but again, Acidalia Planitia is the major exception. Significant spectral anomaly is also found in an equatorial region, Deucalionis Regio. A companion paper in this issue discusses the soil properties of Deucalionis. Our data and analysis support a compositional trend that is consistent with the global geologic crustal dichotomy of Mars, namely that the younger northern lowlands contain less bulk crystalline hematite than southern highlands.
An XML Architecture for Operational Enterprise Ontologies

What is an operational enterprise ontology, why would a company embrace it, and how can it be implemented? These are the issues addressed in this paper. An enterprise ontology answers the following question: What kinds of things should we represent in enterprise systems? It becomes operational when its specification is explicitly recorded and actively used by applications at run time. The primary motivation for considering an operational enterprise ontology is its ability to support application reuse across enterprise systems. XML is an emerging technology for recording, processing, and exchanging data. This paper illustrates how XML technologies can be used to implement operational enterprise ontologies.
12.3 PWM buck converter with >80% PCE in 45μA-to-4mA loads using analog-digital hybrid control for impiantale biomedical systems

Implantable biomedicai systems usually operate in energy-limited environments and exhibit large variation of power consumption ranging from constant low-power (bio-signal sensing) to sporadic high-power (stimulation and/or burst data transmission) [1]. Thus, energy-efficient switching power converters that can support a wide range of load variation are necessary to meet this requirement. Pulse frequency modulation (PFM) power converters can support this large load variation with a high power-conversion efficiency (PCE) [2]. However, their unpredictable switching noise degrades the power supply integrity and hence deteriorates the signal quality in implantable biomedical systems. Pulse-width modulation (PWM) power converters can provide predictable output spectrum, but their PCE in light loads suffers. Although various techniques have been explored over the past years [3-5], the PCE of the PWM converters is still not adequate for low current levels (<100uA) that most of the implantable biomedicai systems consume.
The interferometric strain rosette technique

An interferometric strain rosette can be used to measure three in-plane strains. The strain rosette consists of three microindentations produced on an object surface. Upon illuminating the indentations with laser light, each pair of indentations acts as a two-point source generating a pair of Young's interference fringe patterns. When the object is deformed, the distance between the indentations is altered. By measuring the change of spacing of the Young's fringes, the strain in the direction of the separation of the indentations is measured. Three indentations are at the vertexes of an equilateral triangle to constitute a strain rosette. Each pair of the microindentations enables measurement of an axial strain in the indentation separation. The rosette measures simultaneously three in-plane strains in the directions of the triangular sides. As three in-plane strains are measured, the in-plane shear and two normal strains can be found. Compared with a resistance strain rosette, the interferometric strain rosette has great features such as non-contacting and a short gage length. In addition, the interferometric strain rosette can measure large elastoplastic strains and is applicable to measurements at elevated temperatures. The theory with experimental evaluation is presented. Measurement sensitivity of the technique is discussed. Potential applications and limitations of the technique are to be described as well.
Evolutionarily conserved domains required for activation and repression functions of the Drosophila Hox protein Ultrabithorax

While testing the functions of deletion mutants in the Hox protein Ultrabithorax (Ubx), we found that the embryonic repression function of Ubx on Distal-less transcription in limb primordia is highly concentration dependent. The steep sigmoidal relationship between in vivo Ubx concentration and Distal-less repression is dependent on the Ubx YPWM motif. This suggests that Ubx cooperatively assembles a multi-protein repression complex on Distal-less regulatory DNA with the YPWM motif as a key protein-protein interface in this complex. Our deletion mutants also provide evidence for a transcriptional activation domain in the N-terminal 19 amino acids of Ubx. This proposed activation domain contains a variant of the SSYF motif that is found at the N termini of many Hox proteins, and is conserved in the activation domain of another Hox protein, Sex combs reduced. These results suggest that the N-terminal region containing the SSYF motif has been conserved in many Hox proteins for its role in transcriptional activation.
Evidence for medullary projections of the intercostal nerve-elicited inspiratory termination.

This study hypothesized that the ICN-elicited inspiratory termination reflex required synaptic activation in two distinct regions of the ventral respiratory group (VRG): (1) transitional (tVRG), and (2) pre-Botzinger complex (pre-BotC). Data from adult cats indicate that axons of passage associated with the ICN-elicited termination reflex traverse tVRG, but that relevant synaptic processing does not occur in this region. Furthermore, data indicate that neither synaptic nor axonal transmission within the pre-BotC is required for the SLN- or ICN-elicted termination reflex.
The effects of the interaction between resonances in the electromagnetic response of a sphere-plane structure; applications to surface enhanced spectroscopy

Abstract We compute the enhancement of light by a structure consisting of a sphere and a half-space. We study the dependence of the enhancement factor on the nature of the material, the geometric parameters, the light frequency and polarization, and on the spatial position. Possible applications to enhanced spectroscopy and photochemistry are discussed.
Effects of in ovo exposure to 2,3,7,8-TCDD on F1 generation adult chickens (Gallus gallus)

White Leghorn chickens (Gallus gallus) were used as surrogate species for the resident wild turkeys found on the Times Beach, Missouri, Superfund site. Parental chickens were injected with concentrations of 2,3,7,8-TCDD which modeled soil concentrations before (200 ppb) and after remediation (1ppb)[1]. Offspring were followed through development to assess alterations in reproductive maturity through the use of a four-way breeding study. F1 adult females exposed to a maternal dose of 8.6 ng/day began egg production approximately two weeks later than did F1 control adult females. By week eight, however, egg production between groups was equivalent. No differences were observed in eggshell gland estrogen or progesterone receptor levels.
Sequence analysis of mutational hot spots in the endogenous and transfected colony stimulating factor 1 receptor in gamma‐irradiation induced factor independent subclones of clonal hematopoietic progenitor cell lines

Amino acid substitutions in several proto-oncogenes and growth factor receptors may be activating mutations. The macrophage-colony stimulator factor (M-CSF) receptor (c-fms) differs from the transforming v-fms at several sites in the extracellular domain and contains a tyrosine residue at the carboxy terminus which may be involved in the negative regulation of the receptor kinase activity. The engineering of two point mutations in human c-fms gene (residue 301, leucine to serine; and residue 969, tyrosine to phenylalanine) induces factor independent growth and malignant transformation when expressed in murine cells. Point mutations have also been detected in c-fms in marrow cells or peripheral blood from patients with myelodysplastic syndromes or acute myelomonocytic leukemias. We have previously shown that murine factor independent cell lines, derived from cocultivation of clonal interleukin-3 (IL-3) dependent hematopoietic progenitor cell lines with the gamma-irradiated marrow stromal cell line, D2XRII, have an upregulated c-fms expression during an intermediate stage on the way to factor independence, but that fully factor independent subclones do not have an overexpression of c-fms. In order to determine whether the factor independent phenotype resulted from an activating mutation in c-fms during the transient phase of overexpression, we examined both intracellular and extracellular domains of c-fms in irradiation induced factor independent subclones of FDC-P1 JL26 or 32D c-fmsm cells. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of the regions flanking residues 301 and 973 with sequence analysis by the dideoxy chain-termination method revealed no detectable mutations at either site. These data show that the factor independence of these cell lines does not result from activating mutations at 301 or 973 of the c-fms receptor. Thus, the induction of growth factor independence may be attributable to 1) activating mutations at other sites in c-fms; 2) activation of sites distal to the CSF-1 receptor in the signal transduction pathway; or 3) a mechanism independent of the c-fms/M-CSF pathway. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Celiac artery trunk thrombosis: an unusual complication of pancreatitis diagnosed on MRI

Celiac artery trunk thrombosis is a rare complication of pancreatitis. Only two other cases have been reported in the English-language literature. Here, we present the clinical and multimodality imaging findings for a woman with pancreatitis who had continued pain after normalization of pancreatic enzyme levels and was unexpectedly found to have occlusion of her celiac trunk on follow-up MRI. She was managed as an outpatient and had spontaneous resolution 2 weeks later.
Decoupled Stabilization of Spring-Mass Rigid-Body Locomotion

Stable and reliable legged locomotion is critical for humans and humanoid robots. In the study of legged locomotion, simple models consisting of point-mass bodies and massless legs with telescoping actuators have been insightful. Several variants have been used, including the telescoping leg as a general force actuator [1], a simple passive linear or nonlinear spring [2], and a spring in series with a general force actuator [3]. These models serve as analogs that simplify the problem of understanding the mechanics of legged locomotion of real animals. One of defects of these simple models is the representation of the body by a point mass. Hence, trunk stabilization is not addressed. Nevertheless, this is a major problem in human and humanoid locomotion. In this study we propose a novel decoupled strategy to stabilize the trunk. First, we describe how this decoupled strategy works theoretically. Then, we present a case study based on the CT-SLIP model. Finally, we summarize the work and its expected impacts.Copyright © 2011 by ASME
A proposal for amendment of the diagnosis of the genus Pichia hansen.

An amended diagnosis has been given for the genusPichia Hansen to allow inclusion of species characterized by a lack of pellicle formation, by the absence or a strongly reduced pseudomycelium or by a combination of both properties. The following species fit the amended diagnosis ofPichia: P haplophila Shifrine et Phaff,P. carsonii Phaff et Knapp,P. quercibus Phaff et Knapp andP. xylosa Phaff, Miller et Shifrine. Furthermore, it has been proposed to transferSaccharomyces pastori Guilliermond,Saccharomyces pini Holst andDebaryomyces vini Zimmermann to the amended genusPichia, where they fit well rather than occupying and exceptional position in their present genera.
Autosomal Recessive Retinitis Pigmentosa Due To ABCA4 Mutations: Clinical, Pathologic, and Molecular Characterization

Purpose Autosomal recessive retinitis pigmentosa (ARRP) is a genetically heterogeneous condition characterized by progressive loss of retinal photoreceptor cells. In order to gain new insights into the pathogenesis of ARRP, we evaluated the morphological, biochemical, and gene expression changes in eyes from a human donor with ARRP due to mutations in the ABCA4 gene. Methods Eyes were obtained postmortem from a donor with end-stage retinitis pigmentosa. The coding sequences of the RDS, RHO, and ABCA4 genes were screened for disease-causing mutations. Morphological changes in different regions of the retina were examined histologically, and levels of lipofuscin-associated bisretinoids were measured. Gene expression was examined in retinal/choroidal tissue using microarray analysis, and all parameters were compared to those in unaffected control donors. Results Genetic analysis of the donor's DNA identified two mutations in the ABCA4 gene, IVS14+1G > C and Phe1440del1 cT, each on a separate allele. Morphological evaluation revealed complete loss of the outer nuclear layer, remodeling of the inner retina, loss of retinal vasculature, and regional neovascularization. The retinal pigment epithelium and choriocapillaris exhibited regional preservation. Microarray analysis revealed loss of photoreceptor cell-associated transcripts, with preservation of multiple genes expressed specifically in inner retinal neurons. Conclusions The persistence of transcripts expressed by inner retinal neurons suggests that despite significant plasticity that occurs during retinal degeneration, bipolar cells and ganglion cells remain at least partially differentiated. Findings from this study suggest that some forms of therapy currently under investigation may have benefit even in advanced retinal degeneration.
Magnetoelastic immunosensors: amplified mass immunosorbent assay for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7.

A mass-sensitive magnetoelastic immunosensor for detection of Escherichia coli O157:H7 is described, based on immobilization of affinity-purified antibodies attached to the surface of a micrometer-scale magnetoelastic cantilever. Alkaline phosphatase is used as a labeled enzyme to the anti-E. coli O157:H7 antibody, amplifying the mass change associated with the antibody−antigen binding reaction by biocatalytic precipitation of 5-bromo-4-chloro-3-indolyl phosphate in a pH 10.0 PBS solution. The detection limit of the biosensor is 102 E. coli O157:H7 cells/mL. A linear change in the resonance frequency of the biosensor was found to E. coli O157:H7 concentrations ranging from 102 to 106 cells/mL.