cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Proceedings of the 12th ACM SIGPLAN symposium on Principles and practice of parallel programming

It is our pleasure to welcome you to the 12th ACM Symposium on Principles and Practice of Parallel Programming (PPoPP'07). This past year has been an exciting one for the field. The abrupt switch to multi-core designs for commodity microprocessors has transformed parallel computing from a fringe technology to one on the critical path for the success of products ranging from game consoles to supercomputers. The road ahead is full of challenges with increasing interest in heterogeneous architectures and the impending arrival of many-core microprocessors. The mission of this symposium is to serve as a forum for presenting new ideas ranging from the theoretical foundations of parallel programming, to programming models, algorithms, and software for parallel systems. PPoPP provides researchers and practitioners an opportunity to share their diverse perspectives. The call for papers attracted 65 submissions from Asia, Europe, North America, and South America. The program committee accepted 22 papers on topics ranging from theory to practice. This year, PPoPP includes a poster session whose aim is to broaden participation and increase the exchange of ideas without sacrificing the symposium's single-track format. The program also includes keynote speeches by Jesse Fang and Andrew Chien, along with a panel on transactions moderated by Maurice Herlihy. For the first time, PPoPP'07 includes companion workshops that provide an opportunity to learn about topics in greater depth. We hope that you find the program thought provoking and that you value the symposium as an opportunity to exchange ideas with colleagues from institutions around the world.
2014: Signaling Breakthroughs of the Year

The 2014 breakthroughs fell into four main areas: innate immunity, host-microbe interactions, cell death signaling, and methodological advances in the study of cell signaling. Nominations included new discoveries about signaling in innate immune cells, innate immune functions for lymphoid and nonhematological cells, and the importance of host-microbe interactions for the regulation of host physiology. Also this year, we received nominations highlighting molecular mechanisms by which p53 contributes to the pathology of chronic inflammation and how signaling pathways mediate programmed necrotic cell death. Finally, 2014 saw the use of new techniques to study cell signaling and identify drug targets, such as the in vivo use of RNA interference to study signaling in T cells and new computational methods to study large datasets of different data types.
ApoE-4 and Age at Onset of Alzheimer's Disease The NIMH Genetics Initiative

Objective: To explore the impact of apoE-4 on Alzheimer9s disease (AD) and its age at onset. Design: A genetic linkage study using affected relative pairs, predominantly siblings. Setting: Three academic medical centers ascertained subjects from memory disorder clinics, nursing homes, and the local community. Subjects: 310 families including 679 subjects with AD by NINCDS/ADRDA and/or Khachaturian criteria and 231 unaffected subjects. Outcome measure: ApoE genotype. Analytic methods: Association, affected pedigree member, sibling pair, and lod score analyses. Results: ApoE-4 was strongly associated with AD in this sample (allele frequency = 0.46 vs. 0.14 in controls, p NEUROLOGY 1997;48: 139-147
Full-density nanocrystalline Fe–29Al–2Cr intermetallic consolidated from mechanically milled powders

Fe–29Al–2Cr powders with nanoscale grain sizes were produced by mechanical milling of prealloyed intermetallic powders. A consolidation procedure employing high-pressure, low strain rate hot forging (sinter-forging) has been developed to consolidate the powders into full-density compacts. The relative density and average grain size of the compact have been studied as a function of consolidation temperature at constant pressure. Fully dense compacts (>99.5% theoretical density) were produced at a relatively low temperature of 545°C with a pressure of 1.25 GPa. Transmission electron microscopy and x-ray diffraction analysis indicate that the average grain size has been maintained to the order of 30 nm in samples consolidated under these conditions. By using protective Ar atmosphere during mechanical milling and consolidation, contamination of oxygen and carbon in consolidated samples has been controlled to below a small fraction of an atomic percent. Microhardness tests of nanocrystalline Fe–29Al–2Cr samples indicate a significant strengthening effect due to grain size refinement and a monotonic hardness increase with decreasing residual porosity. Our work demonstrates the feasibility of using mechanically milled powders as the source of nanocrystalline materials for the production of fully dense, low-impurity, nanocrystalline bulk samples needed for reliable mechanical property measurements and practical applications.
The role of the community in educating medical students: initial impressions from a new program.

Purpose: The Keeping Families Healthy (KFH) program at the University of Florida College of Medicine is a new community-based course designed to improve physician– patient relationships. This paper describes the experience of the first-year medical students' home visits, which were developed to foster health promotion and disease prevention. Approach: This two-semester course offers first-year medical students the opportunity to integrate prevention, service, and humanism into the established educational curriculum. During the course the learners have opportunities to interact with families who have volunteered to serve in partnership with the College of Medicine faculty as community lay teachers. The program provides a valuable service to the participating families by helping them identify useful community resources, and by formulating healthy care plans for prevention of illness and stabilization of chronic illness. Conclusions: Community-based learning and home visits expose students to personal travails (e.g. lack of . nancial resources) in a way that cannot be addressed in traditional settings. This exposure may involve students in community-building strategies that can assist not only individual patients, but also communities. Additionally, home visits provide an opportunity for pre-clinical students to have an active rather than passive role in their education.
Depletion perturbation theory for burnup dependent microscopic cross sections

Abstract Depletion Perturbation Theory (DPT) has become a widely accepted method for estimating time dependent sensitivities of a core response, R , to all system data without repetitive depletion calculations. The work here extends DPT to thermal reactor models in which the microscopic cross section data changes during fuel irradiation. The adjoint cross section function is introduced to accomodate the additional system equation describing the cross section burnup dependence. Numerical examples indicate that with minor additional computational effort, the new method can accurately predict depletion sensitivities for reactor models having burnup dependent data.
MHC class l/β 2 -microglobulin complexes associate with TAP transporters before peptide binding

Major histocompatibility complex class I molecules bind antigenic peptides in the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) and transport them to the cell surface for recognition by cytotoxic T lymphocytes. The peptides are predominantly generated from cytoplasmic proteins, probably by the action of the multicatalytic proteinase complex, or proteasome. They are transported into the ER by the transporters associated with antigen processing (TAP), a complex formed from two subunits, TAP.1 and TAP.2 (refs 3-5). Here we show that the TAP molecules are intimately involved in the assembly of the class I/beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) peptide complex. Free class I heavy chains are associated in the ER with the chaperone calnexin. In human B-cell lines, however, class I/beta 2m dimers in the ER are physically associated with TAP molecules rather than calnexin. Our results suggest that calnexin mediates class I/beta 2m dimerization, and subsequent binding of the dimers to TAP molecules facilitates their association with TAP-transported peptides.
Synthesis of Conformationally Preorganized and Cell-Permeable Guanidine-Based γ-Peptide Nucleic Acids (γGPNAs)

A general method for preparing optically pure guanidine-based γ-peptide nucleic acid (γGPNA) monomers for all four natural nucleobases (A, C, G, and T) is described. These second-generation γGPNAs differ from the first-generation GPNAs in that the guanidinium group is installed at the γ- instead of the α-position of the N-(2-aminoethyl)glycine backbone unit. This positional switch enables GPNAs to be synthesized from relatively cheap l- as opposed to d-amino acids. Unlike their α-predecessors, which are randomly folded, γGPNAs prepared from l-amino acids are preorganized into a right-handed helix and bind to DNA and RNA with exceptionally high affinity and sequence selectivity and are readily taken up by mammalian cells.
Radiation-induced sarcoma following radiation prophylaxis of heterotopic ossification

Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi Department of Radiation Oncology, Beth Israel Medical Center, New York, New York Department of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Jackson State University, Jackson, Mississippi Department of Orthopedic Surgery, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi Department of Radiology, University of Mississippi Medical Center, Jackson, Mississippi
Asymmetries in human accomodation and visual experience.

Abstract Psychophysical and electrophysiological studies of animals and humans provide firm evidence that a meridional resolution deficit (meridional amblyopia), present in some astigmats. results from selective visual exposure. The link between orientational differences in acuity and visual experience suggests that similar inequalities might also be present in the accommodation system. Measurements of steadystate accommodative responses to targets containing contours of different orientations have been made on non-astigmatic and astigmatic subjects. The visual resolution of certain subjects has also been determined. Prominent differences are found in the results for the two groups. When resolution is superior for detail of a given orientation, that orientation tends to control accommodation. These results suggest that the pathways subserving accommodation are subject to experimental modification.
Optimizing preparative separations at high recovery yield

A new objective function is introduced for the optimization of the design and operation conditions in preparative chromatography. Instead of the production rate, we propose to maximize the product of the production rate and the recovery yield. This new objective function leads to optimum experimental conditions under which the production rate is almost as high as it would be if only the production rate were maximized, but the recovery yield is significantly improved. The advantages of the novel objective function are demonstrated by calculations based on both the ideal and the equilibrium-dispersive models of chromatography. The application of this novel objective function is beneficial in isocratic overloaded elution, in overloaded gradient elution and in displacement chromatography.
Scalable wavelet-based active network detection of stepping stones

Network intrusions leverage vulnerable hosts as stepping stones to penetrate deeper into a network and mask malicious actions from detection. Identifying stepping stones presents a significant challenge because network sessions appear as legitimate traffic. This research focuses on a novel active watermark technique using discrete wavelet transformations to mark and detect interactive network sessions. This technique is scalable, resilient to network noise, and difficult for attackers to discern that it is in use. Previously captured timestamps from the CAIDA 2009 dataset are sent using live stepping stones in the Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud service. The client system sends watermarked and unmarked packets from California to Virginia using stepping stones in Tokyo, Ireland and Oregon. Five trials are conducted in which the system sends simultaneous watermarked samples and unmarked samples to each target. The live experiment results demonstrate approximately 5% False Positive and 5% False Negative detection rates. Additionally, watermark extraction rates of approximately 92% are identified for a single stepping stone. The live experiment results demonstrate the effectiveness of discerning watermark traffic as applied to identifying stepping stones.
LightUp: an augmented, learning platform for electronics

We present and evaluate the design of LightUp, an augmented, learning platform for electronics. LightUp helps children explore engineering and electronics by foregrounding fundamental concepts and backgrounding the extraneous intricacies of circuit construction. LightUp consists of electronic components (e.g. wire, bulb, motor, microcontroller) mounted on blocks that connect to each other magnetically to form circuits. In addition, LightUp provides an "informational lens" through a mobile app that recognizes the components in a photographed circuit and augments the image with visualizations of otherwise invisible circuit behavior. Our study findings demonstrate the experiential learning made possible by augmenting an intuitive circuit-building platform with information that allows children to learn skills that will help them develop engineering skills and agency.
Using rate staggering to store scalable video data in a disk-array-based video server

This paper provides a data placement method based on rate staggering to store scalable video data in a disk-array-based video server. A scalable, or layered, video stream is one which is encoded in a manner that permits the extraction of lower resolution subsets from the full- resolution video bit stream. It is desirable to support layered video streams from a video server since these can be used to serve a variety of clients with different decoding capabilities. When a layered video stream is stored on a disk array, the video data corresponding to different rates of the video clip are not required to reside in the same disk. In view of this, we propose and explore the approach of rate staggering, i.e., staggering video data in the disk array based on data rates. It is shown that the advantages of the proposed rate staggering method include: (1) minimizing the intermediate buffer space required at the server, (2) achieving better load balancing due to finer scheduling granularity, and (3) alleviating the disk bandwidth fragmentation. These advantages enable a video server using the rate staggering method to provide feasible solutions to some video stream requests which cannot be met otherwise. The system throughput can thus be increased.
Body weight regulation in rats treated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

Abstract Rats treated with a sublethal dose of 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD, 15 μg/kg) exhibited reduced feed intake and loss of body weight for the first 3 weeks after treatment. During the next 10 weeks, TCDD-treated rats maintained their body weight at a lower nearly constant percentage of that of control rats fed ad libitum. At no time did rats treated with TCDD exhibit hyperphagia which would have returned their weight to a normal level. Control rats pair-fed to TCDD-treated rats for more than 7 weeks displayed compensatory hyperphagia when permitted to feed ad libitum and their weight recovered to a near-normal level. The lower level of body weight in TCDD-treated animals was apparently due to a reduction in the regulation level or “set-point” for body weight. The following findings in TCDD-treated and control rats fed ad libitum supported this idea. First, when the reduced weight of the TCDD group was challenged by changes in the caloric density or palatability of the diet, TCDD-treated rats exhibited adjustments in feed intake and body weight that were essentially identical to those of control rats. Second, when body weight was manipulated by feeding a high-calorie diet or by restricting feed intake, both TCDD-treated and control rats quickly returned to weight levels from which they had been displaced. Third, carcass analyses conducted 7 weeks after treatment revealed that TCDD-treated rats had lower absolute amounts of body fat, protein, and water. However, when these constituents were expressed as percentages of total body weight no remarkable differences from the control were observed. Fourth, when TCDD-treated rats were induced to overeat and restore body weight to the same levei as control rats fed ad libitum, TCDD-treated animals did not reassume a normal body composition but became obese. Obesity was also observed when control rats were induced to overeat. Thus, TCDD-treated rats regulate their body weight in the same fashion as control rats but at a weight regulation level or set-point that is markedly reduced.
Surface characterization of model Urushibara catalysts

Abstract Surface characterization of model Urushibara catalysts was carried out using ESCA, AES, and SEM. The surface of the Urushibara precursors consists primarily of precipitated nickel covered with a thick oxide coating of Zn or Al, depending on which metal was used to precipitate the nickel from solution. Residual chloride salts of Ni and Zn were also detected on the surface. The precipitated nickel is shown to be sandwiched between the surface oxide layer of Zn or Al and the residual Zn or Al metal used to precipitate the nickel.
Systemic hypertension in giant omphalocele: An underappreciated association

Abstract Purpose To evaluate the incidence, severity and duration of systemic hypertension in infants born with giant omphalocele (GO). Methods A retrospective review of patients born from 2003 through 2013 with a GO or intestinal atresia (control population) and managed at a single institution was performed. The hospital course was reviewed including all blood pressures, method of omphalocele repair, requirement for antihypertensive medications and renal function. Results Forty-five GO and 20 control patients met criteria for the study. Thirty-three GO patients underwent Schuster repair and 12 GO patients underwent delayed repair after epithelialization. Overall, 78% of GO patients had episodes of hypertension (82% Schuster and 67% delayed repair) compared to 15% of control patients (P Conclusion Episodes of systemic hypertension are frequent in patients with GO. Episodes are often post-operative, transient and can be present in patients undergoing either a delayed or Schuster repair. A small subset of patients will have persistent hypertension requiring antihypertensive medication that can be weaned off in an outpatient setting.
Eosinophilic Myocarditis—An Unusual Cause of Left Ventricular Hypertrophy

Eosinophilic myocarditis is a rare condition in which inflammation of the heart results in an infiltrative cardiomyopathy that is often difficult to diagnose in the acute setting. It sometimes presents as left ventricular hypertrophy. The authors present a case of a 79-year-old woman with a history of Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma who presented with acute heart failure with marked left ventricular hypertrophy. Echocardiography demonstrated abnormalities consistent with an infiltrative cardiomyopathy, and endomyocardial biopsy showed findings consistent with eosinophilic myocarditis. The patient was managed with diuresis and glucocorticoid therapy, and within 4 weeks of her admission, her clinical status had improved and her echocardiogram normalized. The prompt diagnosis and treatment of this patient's myocarditis likely resulted in her favorable outcome. This illustrates the need for a broad consideration of all the potential causes of hypertrophy and the necessary diagnostic strategies and therapeutic options.
Development of micro-bump-bonded processes for 3DIC stacking with high throughput

Various approaches of high throughput bonding processes were investigated in the micro-bump-bonded processes for 3DIC stacking. The two-step bonding methods, TCB + reflow, TCB + post-bonding and conventional flip-chip process were evaluated in this study. Moreover, the two-step process with different TCB process times (1s, 3s and 5 s) were implemented into the first step. The partial melted joints, which were attained by TCB process, were expected to be fully bonded by the second step (reflow or post-bonding). Then, the temperature cycling test (TCT) was performed to verify reliability performance of the micro-bump-bonded interconnects. Based on the experimental and reliability results, the optimized conditions for the two-step bonding methods and a cost effective solution for the applications of 3DIC stacking can be established.
Objective versus subjective outcome measures of biofeedback: What really matters?

Abstract Objective Clinical epidemiologic studies suggest that once established, voiding dysfunction can become a lifelong condition if not treated correctly early on in life. Biofeedback is one component of a voiding retraining program to help children with voiding dysfunction. Our goal was to compare objective non-invasive urodynamic data obtained during office biofeedback sessions with patient reported voiding symptom scores. Methods Charts of 55 children referred in 2010 for pelvic floor muscle biofeedback therapy for urinary incontinence were retrospectively reviewed. Patients with any anatomic diagnoses were excluded. Forty-seven (86%) females and eight males (14%) with a mean age of 8.2 years made up the cohort. Uroflow curves, voided volumes, and post-void residuals were recorded at each visit and served as objective data. Volumes were normalized as a percentage of expected bladder capacity according to age. The patient reported symptom score and patient reported outcome (improved, no change or worse) served as subjective measures of intervention. Results The primary referral diagnoses were day and night wetting in 37 (67%) and daytime incontinence in 18 (33%) children. A history of urinary tract infection (UTI) was noted in 32 (64%) patients, and 25% were maintained on antibiotic prophylaxis during the study period. Twenty-nine percent were maintained on anticholinergic medication. Patients attended an average of 2.5 biofeedback sessions. Voided volumes and post void residual volumes were unchanged, 50% of the abnormal uroflow curves normalized over the course of treatment ( p p Conclusions Pelvic floor muscle biofeedback is associated with patient-reported improvement in symptoms, reduction in voiding symptom score, and normalization of uroflow curves, but these improvements are not correlated with objective parameters of voided volumes and post-void residual urine obtained during office visits for biofeedback. It is important to identify the most relevant outcome measures for BFB, as insurance coverage for medical interventions that cannot offer outcomes analysis that demonstrates a benefit for the patient will eventually be eliminated.
Developing quantitative physiological phenotypes of sleep apnea for epidemiological studies

Existing physiological databases have not been sufficiently detailed to provide relevant and important information for characterizing the pathophysiology of obstructive sleep apnea. Critical collapsing pressure (PcRit) is a standard method for determining upper airway patency during sleep, however is labor intensive and prohibits large-scale studies. Based on previously published data indicating R US does not significantly vary between groups, our aim was to develop an approach to estimate the P CRIT from airflow at atmospheric pressure (V atm ). In a dataset of 126 subjects, where Pcrit and R US were measured using standard techniques. We then determined the minimum sample size required to estimate the R US mean and variance by utilizing a bootstrap procedure (30 times for n=3 to 126). We first estimated the minimum number of subjects needed for obtaining a group for a two-tailed (z=1.96) standard error for R US in the population. Then in 75 individuals, quantitative estimates of airflow were obtained at atmospheric pressure. Using the estimated R US and atmospheric, we determined an estimated P CRIT (ЄPcrit). Bland-Altman plots were generated to determine the agreement between the measured P CRIT and ЄPcrit. For the entire population the mean±SEM R US was 23±1cmH 2 O/L/s (±95% CI: 21, 25). ∼40 subjects represent the minimum sample required to estimate the population variance within ±2 SEM. In the subsample with atmospheric flow measurements, a linear regression model (ЄPcrit [cmH 2 O]=V @PN [L/s]x−23[cmH 2 O/L/s]), ЄPcrit ranged from 0 to −9.6cmH 2 O. In the Bland-Altman analysis there was no mean difference between the measured Pcrit and ЄPcrit (−0.01cmH 2 O; p=0.8) with upper and lower limits of agreement at ±2.3cmH 2 O. The variance of upstream resistance approaches a constant value in groups with approximately 40 subjects. Utilizing a fixed up-stream resistance to estimate Pcrit from the airflow at atmospheric pressure agrees with the measured values. These data suggest that measurements of quantitative airflow during standard polysomnography can be used to determine upper airway properties in large cohorts.
A Unified Framework for Clustering and Quantitative Analysis of White Matter Fiber Tracts

We present a novel approach for joint clustering and point-by-point mapping of white matter fiber pathways. Knowledge of the point correspondence along the fiber pathways is not only necessary for accurate clustering of the trajectories into fiber bundles, but also crucial for any tract-oriented quantitative analysis. We employ an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm to cluster the trajectories in a Gamma mixture model context. The result of clustering is the probabilistic assignment of the fiber trajectories to each cluster, an estimate of the cluster parameters, i.e. spatial mean and variance, and point correspondences. The fiber bundles are modeled by the mean trajectory and its spatial variation. Point-by-point correspondence of the trajectories within a bundle is obtained by constructing a distance map and a label map from each cluster center at every iteration of the EM algorithm. This offers a time-efficient alternative to pairwise curve matching of all trajectories with respect to each cluster center. The proposed method has the potential to benefit from an anatomical atlas of fiber tracts by incorporating it as prior information in the EM algorithm. The algorithm is also capable of handling outliers in a principled way. The presented results confirm the efficiency and effectiveness of the proposed framework for quantitative analysis of diffusion tensor MRI.
Mawlāna MawdŪdī and the future political order in British India

Sayyid Abul A'la Mawdudi est considere comme le plus important penseur islamique du 20eme siecle et ses idees ont influence les mouvement islamistes non seulement dans son Inde-Pakistan natal mais aussi dans le Moyen Orient et dans le Maghreb. Cet article a pour but d'eclairer sa vision de l'avenir post-colonial de l'Inde en general et la place des musulmans en particulier. La situation politique en Inde au debut du 20eme siecle est decrite, notamment les deux principales organisation musulmanes avec les critiques de Mawdudi et ses propres visions quant au futur ordre politique
Glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 and 67 kDa proteins are reduced in autistic parietal and cerebellar cortices

Abstract Background A limited number of reports have demonstrated abnormalities involving the glutamate and gamma amino butyric acid systems in blood and platelets of subjects with autism. To further investigate these studies, brain levels of rate limiting enzyme, glutamic acid decarboxylase, which is responsible for normal conversion of glutamate to gamma amino butyric acid in the brain, were investigated. Methods Postmortem cerebellar and parietal cortices of age (mean ± SD for controls 23 ± 4.2, autistic 25.2 ± 5.2 cerebellum; controls 23.5 ± 4.8, autistic 21.6 ± 3.8 parietal cortex), gender and postmortem interval-matched autistic and control subjects (n = 8 control, n = 5 autism, cerebellum; n = 4 control, n = 5 autism, parietal cortex) were subjected to SDS-PAGE and western blotting. Brain levels of glutamic acid decarboxylase proteins of 65 and 67 kDa and β-actin were determined. Results Glutamic acid decarboxylase protein of 65 kDa was reduced by 48% and 50% in parietal and cerebellar (p Conclusions The observed reductions in glutamic acid decarboxylase 65 and 67 kDa levels may account for reported increases of glutamate in blood and platelets of autistic subjects. Glutamic acid decarboxylase deficiency may be due to or associated with abnormalities in levels of glutamate/gamma amino butyric acid, or transporter/receptor density in autistic brain.
Dictionary of Asian American history

Contributors Consultants Preface Essays Chinese in the United States by Shih-shan Henry Tsai Japanese in the United States by S. Frank Miyamoto Koreans in the United States by Hyung-Chan Kim Asian Indians in the United States by Parmatma Saran Filipinos in the United States by H. Brett Melendy Pacific Islanders in the United States by Lydia Kotchek Southeast Asians in the United States by Gail P. Kelly Asian Americans and American Immigration Law by Tricia Knoll Asian Americans and American Justice by Hungdah Chiu Asian Americans and American Politics by Don T. Nakanishi Asian Americans and the American Economic Order by Illsoo Kim Asian Americans and American Education by Bob H. Suzuki Asian Americans and Mental Health by Hyung-chan Kim and Mark Petersen Asian American Literature by Jesse Hiraoka Asian Americans and American Popular Culture by Elaine Kim Dictionary Appendixes: Bibliography Chronology 1980 Census Data Index
Cardiovascular Function Before, During, and After the First and Subsequent Pregnancies

Abstract This study was designed to test the hypothesis that the vascular remodeling of pregnancy begins early, persists for at least 1 year after delivery, and is accentuated by a second pregnancy. Serial estimates of heart rate, arterial pressure, left ventricular volumes, cardiac output, and calculated peripheral resistance were obtained before pregnancy, every 8 weeks during pregnancy, and 12, 24, and 52 weeks postpartum in 15 nulliparous and 15 parous women using electrocardiography, automated manometry, and M-mode ultrasound. During pregnancy, body weight increased 14.5 ± 1.8 kg and returned to prepregnancy values 1 year postpartum. Heart rate peaked at term 15 ± 1 beat/min above prepregnancy levels (57 ± 1 beat/min). Mean arterial pressure reached its nadir (−6 ± 1 mm Hg) at 16 weeks, returning to baseline at term. The increases in left ventricular volumes and cardiac output (2.2 ± 0.2 L/min) peaked at 24 weeks as did the 500 ± 29 dynes·cm·s −5 decrease in peripheral resistance, and their magnitude was significantly greater in the parous women. Postpartum they gradually returned toward baseline but remained significantly different from prepregnancy values in both groups at 1 year. We conclude that cardiovascular adaptations to the initial pregnancy begin early, persist postpartum, and appear to be enhanced by a subsequent pregnancy. We speculate that persistence of these changes may lower cardiovascular risk in later life.
Coronary atherosclerosis in diabetic subjects: clinical significance, anatomic characteristics, and identification with in vivo imaging

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disorder that promotes the development and progression of atherosclerotic coronary disease. As a consequence, cardiovascular disease is the most important cause of morbidity and mortality in diabetics. Early identification and treatment of asymptomatic stages provides the opportunity to prevent cardiovascular end organ complications. Modem clinical imaging modalities allow the assessment of early atherosclerotic changes in coronary arteries; however, prospective evidence that atherosclerosis imaging impacts on clinical outcome is not yet available and future studies are necessary.
Rationality of survey data and tests for market efficiency in the foreign exchange markets

Abstract This paper tests the rational expectations hypothesis (REH) and the market efficiency hypothesis (MEH) in the foreign exchange markets, using survey data on expectations. Our results show that the spot exchange rates, expected exchange rates, and the forward rates all follow a random walk process. Hence, the cointegration theory is employed to test the REH and MEH. All the test statistics support the REH but fail to support the MEH. We use survey data on expectations to identify the causes behind this failure of the MEH. (JEL F31, G14).
Ready, willing, and able to provide MTM services?: A survey of community pharmacists in the USA

Abstract Background Changes in US Medicare legislation could benefit pharmacy's attempt to make medication therapy management (MTM) practice more commonplace; however, little is known about pharmacists' capabilities and preferences to do so. Objectives The purpose of this study was to explore US pharmacists' perceived preparedness, willingness, and challenges toward providing MTM services. Methods A brief purpose of the survey and its website link were included in the electronic weekly newsletter of the National Community Pharmacists Association (NCPA) in January 2007. The web-based survey consisted of 8 demographic questions, 8 questions examining preparedness and willingness of the respondents regarding MTM, 2 questions regarding reimbursement to pharmacists, and 2 checklists for challenges in establishing MTM services. Results Most of the 143 respondents indicated that they were aware of MTM, and 92 (65%) reported that they were currently practicing MTM. A majority of the sample agreed that pharmacists should provide MTM and have the ability to do so. Major challenges reported by the sample include the different specification of MTM by each health plan, time, staffing, and reimbursement issues. Respondents selected valid measures of program effectiveness but revealed that they needed help with documentation and billing. Expected reimbursement range was $1-10/minute. Conclusion Community independent pharmacists reported being ready, willing, and able to provide MTM services, but need assistance in the process, that is, standardized MTM protocols, documentation and billing.
The effect of complications on the patient-surgeon relationship after colorectal cancer surgery.

Background Trust in physicians is an essential part of therapeutic relationships. Complications are common after colorectal cancer procedures, but little is known of their effect on patient-surgeon relationships. We hypothesized that unexpected complications impair trust and communication between patients and surgeons. Methods We performed a population-based survey of surgically diagnosed stage III colorectal cancer patients in the Surveillance Epidemiology and End Results registries for Georgia and Metropolitan Detroit between August 2011 and October 2012. Using published survey instruments, we queried subjects about trust in and communication with their surgeon. The primary predictor was the occurrence of an operative complication. We examined patient factors associated with trust and communication then compared the relationship between operative complications and patient-reported trust and communication with their surgeons. Results Among 622 preliminary respondents (54% response rate), 25% experienced postoperative complications. Those with complications were less likely to report high trust (73% vs 81%, P = .04) and high-quality communication (80% vs 95%, P Conclusion Most respondents described trust in and communication with their surgeons as high. Complications were common and were associated with lower trust and poorer communication. However, the relationship between complications and trust was modified by communication. Trust remained high, even in the presence of complications, among respondents who reported high levels of patient-centered communication with their surgeons.
Commentary on “The Therapeutic Value of Self-Disclosure in Group Treatment When the Clinician Has a Catastrophic Illness”

(2001). Commentary on “The Therapeutic Value of Self-Disclosure in Group Treatment When the Clinician Has a Catastrophic Illness”. Psychoanalytic Social Work: Vol. 8, No. 2, pp. 11-22.
Tracking co-evolution of behavior and relationships with mobile phones

The co-evolution of social relationships and individual behavior in time and space has important implications, but is poorly understood because of the difficulty of closely tracking the everyday life of a complete community. We offer evidence that relationships and behavior co-evolve in a student dormitory, based on monthly surveys and location tracking through resident cellular phones over a period of nine months. We demonstrate that a Markov jump process could capture the co-evolution in terms of the rates at which residents visit places and friends. Our co-evolution model will be useful in bridging sensor networks data and organizational dynamics theories, simulating different ways to shape behavior and relationships, and turning mobile phone data into data products.
Flow Cytometry, Amped Up

In multicellular organisms, cells carry out a diverse array of complex, specialized functions. This specialization occurs mostly through the expression of cell type—specific genes and proteins that generate the appropriate structures and molecular networks. A central challenge in the biomedical sciences, however, has been to identify the distinct lineages and phenotypes of the specialized cells in organ systems, and track their molecular evolution during differentiation. On page 687 of this issue, Bendall et al. ( 1 ) offer a brilliant proof of principle for a novel technology—mass cytometry—and provide a uniquely detailed view of cell differentiation in the human hematopoietic system. They used this technology to simultaneously examine 34 attributes of human bone marrow cells and then create a superimposed map showing the complex interactions of cell signaling molecules, all at an unprecedented level of resolution. This opens a new chapter in single-cell biology.
Reducing the Risk for Breast Cancer Recurrence After Completion of Tamoxifen Treatment in Postmenopausal Women

Abstract Background: In postmenopausal women with hormone-sensitive early stage breast cancer, the risk for relapse persists after 5 years of treatment with adjuvant tamoxifen. Because tamoxifen is not indicated for adjuvant therapy beyond 5 years, the need for another therapy in the extended adjuvant setting to reduce late recurrence risk is clear. The National Cancer Institute of Canada Clinical Trials Group MA.17 and the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project (NSABP) B-33 trial found that extended adjuvant therapy with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) (eg, letrozole, exemestane, or anastrozole) rendered additional benefit in postmenopausal women with hormone receptor-positive breast cancer. The MA.17 trial was unblinded at the first interim analysis (median follow-up, 2.4 years) due to a significant reduction in relative risk for recurrence ( P Objective: The goal of this article was to provide a current review of the MA.17 and NSABP B-33 resuits, together with additional data, to determine the benefit and tolerability of extended adjuvant AI therapy and the potential benefits of late extended adjuvant therapy with AIs after a prolonged (≤5 years) period after the completion of tamoxifen treatment. Methods: A literature search was performed. PubMed and MEDLINE were searched for descriptions of clinical trials published from 1990 to 2007 using the terms breast cancer, extended adjuvant, aromatase inhibitor, anastrozole, exemestane, and letrozole . Abstracts from several oncology meetings held between 2001 and 2007 also were searched to extract relevant data (disease-free survival [DFS], overall survival [OS]). Results: In MA.17 at 30 months, postmenopausal patients with early stage breast cancer who received extended adjuvant letrozole (n = 2593) experienced a significant (42%) improvement in DFS regardless of nodal status ( P P = 0.04), compared with placebo. At median follow-up (54 months), a postunblinding analysis found that patients who were switched to letrozole after a prolonged period (up to 5 years) after discontinuation of tamoxifen experienced a 69% improvement in DFS ( P P = 0.002), and a 47% improvement in as ( P = 0.05) compared with patients who elected to continue with no treatment at trial unblinding. Results from 2 other extended adjuvant trials, the NSABP B-33, investigating exemestane in the extended setting (relapse-free survival, P = 0.03; no significant improvement in DFS or as), and the smaller ABCSG 6a, also support a benefit of extended adjuvant AI therapy. Conclusions: Current evidence supports the use of letrozole and perhaps exemestane in the extended adjuvant setting, while data on anastrozole are emerging. Based on the results from this review, initiation of letrozole treatment following a prolonged interval after completion of 5 years of tamoxifen treatment might be beneficial.
Nutritional information disclosure on the menu: focusing on the roles of menu context, nutritional knowledge and motivation.

Abstract As menu labeling legislation that requires nutritional information on restaurant menus becomes increasingly prevalent, it is controversial whether the provision of nutritional information promotes consumers to select healthy items. This study aims to examine the extent to which the nutritional information presented on menus influences consumer food evaluation and choice in restaurant patronage. We also investigate the effect of menu context and individual characteristics, such as nutritional knowledge and motivation to process, on consumers’ information processing. A computer-based experiment was conducted to collect data. The results show significant effects of the presence of nutritional information and the menu context, which is the healthiness of other alternatives on the menu, on consumer food decision. Consumer motivation to process the provided nutritional information significantly moderates the effect of nutritional information disclosure. These results present valuable implications for restaurateurs and policy makers interested in the effect of menu labeling.
Finding bugs in spreadsheets using reference counting

Spreadsheets are considered one of the most widely used end-user programming environments. Just as it is important for software to be free of bugs, spreadsheets need to be free of errors. This is important because in some cases, errors in spreadsheets can cost a financial entity thousands of dollars. In this work, we formulate a class of commonplace errors based on our manual inspection of real life spreadsheets, and further provide an analysis algorithm to detect these errors. We introduce ``reference counting'' as a simple yet effective algorithm to detect range errors. We finally demonstrate how reference counting can effectively point out erroneous cells in faulty spreadsheets.
Case study: transgenic crop controversy in Costa Rica.

Costa Rica has rich ecological resources and has been a steady political force in turbulent Central America. Most recently, it has become a battleground between pro- and anti-genetically modified organism (GMO) political forces. This case study examines the roles of U.S.-based cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) seed companies, anti-GMO activists, and the Costa Rican government officials in this debate. Cotton seed companies in the United States use Costa Rica as an important counter-season seed production location. Most of the seed increases and breeding generations grown in Costa Rica contain transgenic traits. By allowing the use of these traits, Costa Rican exports to food markets in North America and Europe have been threatened and enrage those most passionate against globalization and GMOs. On the other hand, banning GMOs would end the counter-season cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L. and G. barbadense L.) seed industry in Costa Rica, but more importantly reduce the likelihood that crops such as rice (Oryza sativa L.), sugarcane (Saccharum spp), and floriculture in Costa Rica would ever contain valuable transgenic traits. The public debate, which has been ongoing for several years, has left most Costa Ricans more confused than ever with no definitive resolution in sight. Students are encouraged to form possible resolutions to the conflict and weigh the arguments and counter-arguments for transgenic plants.
Links between cognitive impairment in insulin resistance: An explanatory model

Cognitive function and peripheral glucose regulation both decrease with age. There is a consistent and growing literature reporting memory and other cognitive problems among individuals with diabetes mellitus as well as those with pre-diabetes. There are two papers in the literature documenting, relative to matched controls, hippocampal volume reductions among both diabetics and insulin resistant individuals. The mechanism(s) for the cognitive and brain problems associated with impairments in peripheral glucose regulation remain unknown. In this paper, I present a selective review of the literature that builds a case for a theoretical model that could be used to investigate how abnormalities in peripheral glucose regulation may give rise to brain impairments in general, and affect hippocampal integrity in particular.
Interleukin-lβ Induces Migration of Rat Arterial Smooth Muscle Cells Through a Mechanism Involving Increased Matrix Metalloproteinase-2 Activity

Background Interleukin-lβ (IL-lβ) is associated with vascular smooth muscle cell (VSMC) migration during neointimal formation following arterial injury, of which matrix metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) may have an important role. We investigated whether IL-lβ stimulated migration and MMP-2 production in VSMC, and, if so, whether migration correlated with MMP-2 activity. Materials and Methods Modified Boyden chamber assay quantified cultured rat aorta VSMC migration. Methyl-thiazolyl-tetrazolium assay assessed cell growth. Gelatin zymography and Western blotting determined MMP-2 activity and protein levels, respectively. Results IL-lβ (0.1 - 10 ng/mL) induced migration of VSMC in a concentration-dependent manner without cell proliferation. VSMC released increasing levels of active MMP-2 in a dose-response fashion at IL-1β 1–10 ng/mL (P Conclusions IL-lβ increases MMP-2 activity in VSMC through increased protein synthesis and activation of pro-MMP-2. VSMC migration induced by IL-lβ requires active MMP-2. IL-lβ may play a role in arterial remodeling following injury.