cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Quantifying the timing and sense of fault dip slip: New application of biostratigraphy and geohistory analysis

The timing and sense of the dip-slip component of a fault9s motion can be quantified by using geohistory analysis. Geohistory analysis traditionally is used to quantify tectonic subsidence or uplift of marine basins, but is newly applied to evaluate phases of activity of individual faults, including blind faults. Intermittent fault activity and changing sense of dip slip emerge, particularly for faults reactivated under changing kinematic regimes. Through the use of outcrop or core data from two fault blocks on either side of a major fault, the vertical component of displacement can be isolated. Steps of geohistory analysis include generation of (1) a rock-accumulation curve consisting of stratal thicknesses as a function of age, (2) a decompacted sediment-accumulation curve as a function of age, and (3) a total-subsidence curve with paleobathymetry inferred from fossil assemblages and sedimentary structures. Because errors on the inferred water depths are considered to be 20% of the water depth, the method is limited to large-scale faults. The analysis is repeated on both sides of the fault to determine which block subsided or was uplifted faster, thus isolating both the sense of dip slip and its relative magnitude. If both blocks display parallel subsidence curves within the error margins, a period of fault inactivity or pure strike slip is inferred. If the sense of dip slip changed, the subsidence curves cross. If the dip direction of the fault plane is interpreted from field or subsurface data, a change—for example, from an extensional component to a contractional component—also emerges, and the timing of basin inversion is detectable. As a case study, fault activity was evaluated for a mosaic of faults cutting the Messaras basin of Crete, Greece, a Neogene forearc basin that underwent extension followed by transpression. This approach is applicable to neotectonics or ancient tectonics and pertains to subsurface or exhumed faults as well as active faults offshore that generate contrasting water depths across a fault zone.
Academic and Social Integration in the Basic Communication Course: Predictors of Students' Out-of-Class Communication and Academic Learning

Drawing from Tinto's (1975) interactionalist theory, we examined academic and social integration in the basic communication course classroom and students' continued learning activities outside of the classroom, which Kuh (1995) identified as the other curriculum. A total of 427 undergraduate students enrolled in 24 sections of public-speaking courses reported on their perceptions of instructor clarity and rapport, classroom connectedness, out-of-class communication (OCC), and out-of-class self-regulated and peer learning. Overall, results revealed instructor rapport and connectedness were positively associated with students' OCC, self-regulated learning, and peer learning. In contrast, instructor clarity was negatively related to students' reports of OCC and peer learning. These results suggest social integration in the classroom may facilitate students' continued learning activities outside of the classroom.
Transient thermal behavior of a thermally and elastically orthotropic medium

Analyse des champs de contrainte et de temperature d'une dalle orthotrope avec une limite rectangulaire
Elevated ovarian expression and serum concentration of α inhibin in the luteal phase during follicular development in the squirrel monkey (Saimiri boliviensis) compared to the human

The goal of the present investigation was to determine in the squirrel monkey the source and pattern of inhibin, a hormone known to effect reproductive steroid levels via pituitary and ovarian mechanisms. Since this seasonally polyestrous species is known to have elevated serum levels of reproductive steroids compared to other primates, the levels of ovarian alpha subunit mRNA expression and serum total alpha inhibin, estradiol, progesterone, and luteinizing hormone were measured and compared to human levels. Expression of the alpha subunit was robust in monkey luteal tissue compared to expression in human luteal tissue. Squirrel monkey serum inhibin peaked 4 days after the luteinizing hormone surge and correlated with progesterone changes. These luteal serum levels of inhibin were greater than 12 times higher than the human levels yet bio-LH activities were less than in the human during the luteal phase. Inhibin concentrations during the nonbreeding season were generally half the levels measured in the breeding season and undetectable in ovariectomized animals. However, exogenous FSH stimulation induced a marked rise in inhibin, which correlated with an estradiol rise. In conclusion, abundant alpha inhibin subunit expression in the luteal ovary of the squirrel monkey and loss of serum delectability in ovariectomized animals indicates that the principle source of inhibin in the squirrel monkey is the ovary. Elevated serum inhibin levels during the luteal phase concurrent with ovulatory-size follicular development is unique among species studied thus far. Possible simultaneous inhibin production from both follicular and luteal tissue may be responsible for the exceptionally high inhibin levels.
Foundations of the Consensus against Surrogacy Arrangements in Islamic Law

This essay traces the emergence and development of the consensus against surrogacy arrangements, mostly in the Sunni world, on the basis of a number of institutional fatwas, recommendations, and decisions. Despite this consensus against surrogacy, jurists discuss in detail its potential effects if it is performed. This juristic attitude reflects an understanding of sharīʿah as a legal system that not only institutes rules for cases that match its moral vision but also regulates the consequences of cases that do not match that vision. In the absence of clear and binding legislation on surrogacy in most Muslim-majority countries, this body of religious and ethical deliberations represents the main resource for moral decision-making on surrogacy and its impact on the genealogical connections within the nuclear family.
Rapid analysis of whole blood by paper spray mass spectrometry for point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring

Paper spray mass spectrometry is applied to oncology drugs in fresh whole blood samples supported on filter paper substrates instead of dry blood as done previously. Addition of the coagulant alum clotted the blood and allowed for immediate sample analysis. The coagulant did not interfere with the function of the paper spray nor did it add features to the mass spectra. Quantitative analysis of therapeutic drugs in the blood was achieved utilizing internal standards which were pre-spotted onto the filter paper. Eight oncology drugs were examined, with lower limits of detection ranging between 0.5 and 17 ng mL−1 and linear dynamic ranges greater than two orders of magnitude. Inter-day accuracies of quality controls for pazopanib ranged from 102 to 118%, with imprecisions of 9 to 13%. This one-step method requires 10 μL of blood, a drop of solvent, and takes 45 seconds per trial. These results indicate applicability to point-of-care therapeutic drug monitoring in a clinical setting.
Receptor-like protein kinases: the keys to response

Plants are constantly challenged by changes in temperature, light, nutrient conditions, and exposure to pathogens and by other fluctuations in their environment. The molecular basis of how plants respond to these external factors is an active area of investigation. Plant cells often use receptors at the cell surface to sense environmental changes, and then transduce this information via activated signaling pathways to trigger adaptive responses. In Arabidopsis, the receptor-like protein kinase (RLK) gene family contains more than 600 members, many of which are likely to respond to the external challenges presented by an ever-changing environment. RLKs are involved in hormonal response pathways, cell differentiation, plant growth and development, self-incompatibility, and symbiont and pathogen recognition.
PSYCHOLOGISTS AND CHILDREN OF ALCOHOLIC PARENTS

Clinical evidence has pictured children of alcoholic parents as vulnerable physically, emotionally, socially, academically, and at risk for alcoholism. Review of research indicated that some of these clinical insights have been validated, but much more is needed to fill out an accurate picture for psychologists who will be asked to work with them.
Maria of the Oak: Society and the Problem of Divine Intervention

Maria of the Oak is a religious shrine located within an ancient grove of oaks in Germany. Thousands of religious pilgrims visit the site each year because of the "healing and helping power" of a legendary oak tree. This paper analyzes the content of written documents left by visitors and discusses the religious function and form of society that is reproduced. From the perspective of social system theory, religion appears to use this specific location to structure personal expressions of the sacred into a relatively organized but freely developing chain of communication that is devoted to solving the problem of recognizing and steering divine intervention. Maria of the Oak functions when the social system of religion successfully shifts responsibility for experiencing divine intervention from itself to individual believers. This shifting creates the opportunity for religion to inform itself with the other-reference of cooperating pilgrims, without breeching its own operational closure.
Judging Personality Traits of Adolescents from Photographs

Abstract Previous research has indicated that individuals can accurately judge certain personality dispositions of unacquainted peers after viewing facial photographs of them. The present investigation attempted to replicate and extend this finding. In Study 1, American high school seniors watched a videotape containing a series of facial photographs of twenty-two 14-year-old boys, and judged the social adjustment, good-worker attributes, and aggressiveness of each of these boys, using a series of bipolar scales. These impressions were then correlated with objective measures of these factors that had been taken previously. The subjects judged social adjustment, but not the other two factors, accurately. A second study evaluated the reliability of these findings. College students who were unacquainted with these boys rank-ordered them on the same three dimensions, using photographs of their upper bodies. The results of Study 2 were identical to those of Study 1, despite the differences in the judges' ages,...
Converting-enzyme inhibition for severe chronic heart failure: views from a skeptic.

Although it is well established that excessive systemic vasoconstriction plays a critical pathophysiologic role in patients with severe chronic heart failure, the use of vasodilator drugs to attenuate these peripheral mechanisms and thereby favorably alter loading conditions in the failing heart has generally produced disappointing results [l]. Despite numerous favorable reports in the literature with a variety of vasodilator agents, our own early experience failed to show that these drugs consistently produced significant benefits that were worth the risks. We rapidly became skeptics; it was not that we doubted that the principles of vasodilator therapy were valid, but we were unconvinced that these appealing concepts could be translated into long-term benefits. Therefore, when investigators first proposed that the renin-angiotensin system played a critical role in mediating the vasoconstriction seen in heart failure and that interference with this system by converting-enzyme inhibition produced short-term hemodynamic improvement [2,3], we were skeptical. These concepts were admittedly encouraging, but experience had repeatedly shown that logical approaches to treatment did not usually prove to be effective ones. With considerable disbelief. we began clinical trials with converting-enzyme inhibitors in patients with severe chronic heart failure; over the past four years, we have treated nearly 150 such patients with captopril or enalapril, both in prospective trials and in clinical practice. This paper reviews what we and other investigators have learned.
Future directions of structural engineering applications

Abstract The achievements and shortcomings of present computer applications in structural engineering are first reviewed and critiqued, in order to serve as a basis for identifying future trends. To date, computer applications have made significant progress, and have materially and unalterably affected the structural design process. In the last analysis, however, the accomplishments have been fragmented, reflecting both the fragmentation of the profession and of the program development tools at our disposal. Future directions of computer applications are discussed from the standpoint of the dual driving forces of needs and opportunities. Three basic groupings of needs are identified in terms of technical, organizational and psychological needs, and plausible trends in each area are outlined. The opportunities are presented in terms of forthcoming developments in hardware and software. The potential impact of software engineering tools and methods on orderly program development is emphasized.
Timesheet assistant: mining and reporting developer effort

Timesheets are an important instrument used to track time spent by team members in a software project on the tasks assigned to them. In a typical project, developers fill timesheets manually on a periodic basis. This is often tedious, time consuming and error prone. Over or under reporting of time spent on tasks causes errors in billing development costs to customers and wrong estimation baselines for future work, which can have serious business consequences. In order to assist developers in filling their timesheets accurately, we present a tool called Timesheet Assistant (TA) that non-intrusively mines developer activities and uses statistical analysis on historical data to estimate the actual effort the developer may have spent on individual assigned tasks. TA further helps the developer or project manager by presenting the details of the activities along with effort data so that the effort may be seen in the context of the actual work performed. We report on an empirical study of TA in a software maintenance project at IBM that provides preliminary validation of its feasibility and usefulness. Some of the limitations of the TA approach and possible ways to address those are also discussed.
HIV inactivation in plasma products.

This is a review of therapeutic plasma products viz., coagulation factor concentrates, immunoglobulins, volume expanders, and protease inhibitors, and the progress made in rendering them free from transmitting infectious virus. Problems associated with the development of plasma products and the risks associated with their use are addressed. The recent technical advances designed to inactivate the hepatitis virus which led to the inactivation of HIV while preserving most of the biologic activity are reviewed. Today manufactured plasma products are essentially free from transmitting viral diseases of any significant clinical consequences. © 1993 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Effect of tibial tunnel position on stability of the knee after anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction: is the tibial tunnel position most important?

Background: Minimal attention has been directed toward tibial tunnel position and the native tibial anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) footprint.Purpose: To evaluate the effect of tibial tunnel position on restoration of knee kinematics and stability after ACL reconstruction.Study Design: Controlled laboratory study.Methods: Ten paired cadaveric knees were subjected to biomechanical testing (standardized Lachman and mechanized pivot-shift examination). With each maneuver, a computer-assisted navigation system recorded the 3-dimensional motion path of a tracked point at the center of the tibia, medial tibial plateau, and lateral tibial plateau. The testing protocol consisted of evaluation in the intact state and after complete ACL transection, after ACL transection with bilateral meniscectomy, and after ACL reconstruction using 3 tibial tunnel positions—over the top (OTT), anterior footprint (AT), and posterior footprint (PT)—with a standard femoral socket placed in the center of the femoral footprint. Repea...
Creating an American Identity: New England, 1789–1825

New-Englandizing America A Prussian Monarch, an American Hero: Early Republican Royalism and Parallels between the Cult of Frederick the Great and Celebrations of the First American President Failed Republicans: Images of the British and the French Hero of Liberty: New England Celebrations of General Lafayette during his Visit in 1824-1825 Separation for the Nation: The Movement for Maine's Statehood God's People: The Creation of a Protestant Nation
Vibrational relaxation in CD3Br

Abstract CD 3 Br is excited to the υ 2 mode by absorption of the R(10) line of the 10.6μ (001–100) band of a Q-switch CO 2 N 2 He laser. Fluorescence has been detected and energy transfer rates measured in two wavelength regions. Around 5μ, activation occurs in approximately 10 gas-kinetic collisions, and in the region beyond 14μ, activation requires 77 collisions. Within experimental error, deactivation of both signals occurs at the same rate, corresponding to 550 collisions. Deactivation by rare gases was also studied in the 5μ region. Mechanisms and comparisons to other systems are discussed in terms of energy gaps and breathing sphere parameters for the processes involved.
NP-completeness and degree restricted spanning trees

In this paper several results are proved: (1) Deciding whether a given planar graph G with maximum degree 3 has a spanning tree T, where deg(x, T) = 1 or 3 for each node x, is NP-Complete. (2) For each proper subset S of the positive integers Z+ with 1 ϵ S and |S|⩾2, deciding whether a planar graph G = (V, E) has a spanning tree T such that deg(x, T) ϵ S, for all x ϵ V, is NP-Complete. (3) For each non-empty proper subset S of Z+, deciding whether, given a planar graph G = (V, E) and integer N with 1⩽N<|V|, there is a spanning tree T for G such that T has at least [at most] N nodes x with deg(x, T) ϵ S is NP-complete. Also, as corollaries of (1), we show that for a planar graph G, with n nodes and maximum degree 3, it is NP-complete to decide (4) if there is a spanning tree with at least [exactly] n/2 + 1 leaves and (5) if G has a connected dominating set with cardinality ⩽n/2–1.
Manipulation of single-DNA molecules and measurements of their elastic properties under an optical microscope

Single molecules of DNA can be visualized in solution by epifluorescence microscopy, manipulated and extended by a variety of mechanical, electrical and chemical means as described previously. This has been used to design experiments under an optical microscope, in which DNA molecules are extended by a known force, to determine the elastic response of the molecules, both in the presence and absence of ethidium bromide. It is found that at lower forces (smaller extensions) the molecules behave as entropic springs with a persistence length of 500 angstroms, and that at the ionic strengths used, the intercalation of ethidium bromide does not alter this persistence length, while it appears to elongate the contour length of the molecule by about 30%.© (1991) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Actinomycin inhibition of MS2 replication.

The ability of EDTA-treated Escherichia coli to form colonies and to produce MS2 decreased by equal amounts and in proportion to the decrease of host incorporation of [3H]uracil and [3H]lysine, when the cells were treated with increasing doses of actinomycin D. If the cells were incubated with different concentrations of actinomycin for 15 minutes, resuspended in growth media without actinomycin, and then infected, the colony-forming ability prior to infection and the ability to produce MS2 were reduced to the same degree as when the cells were left in actinomycin. When actinomycin was added to the infected cells later than 16 minutes after infection, it did not inhibit MS2 yield. Therefore it is postulated that actinomycin causes irreversible inhibition of the synthesis of a host structure required for MS2 replication prior to the synthesis of progeny MS2 RNA. At 5 μg/ml. actinomycin, very little progeny MS2 RNA was made. At 0·25 μg/ml. actinomycin, 27 s progeny RNA was made; but the yield of infective MS2 was one-half that from a culture without actinomycin, and a 6 to 10 s RNase-resistant component not obvious in infected cells without actinomycin was present. Thus although MS2-infected cells treated with actinomycin at concentrations in the order of 0·25 to 0·50 μg/ml. incorporated more [3H]uracil and [3H]lysine than did uninfected cells similarly treated, the components synthesized are not necessarily those present in the infected untreated cell.
Gas chromatography active ingredient control of aerosol insecticide from Algerian market

Abstract Household insecticide products are common and a popular mode of personal protection against household insect pests in all parts of the world. A chromatographic method for the control of aerosol insecticide active ingredient content was developed to be simple and rapid for the inspection of the numerous products for professional and private uses proposed in the Algerian market. Throughout, the most sold aerosol insecticides only two over eight were fair to the label declaration. However, the product labels need the addition of some details, like the active ingredients concentrations.
Stillbirth at Term

CASE: A 22-year-old woman (gravida1, para 0) presented at 38 2/7 weeks ofgestation complaining of decreased fe-tal movement. The nurse was unable toobtain fetal heart tones. Ultrasoundexamination confirmed intrauterine fe-tal death. Maternal vital signs werenormal, and no proteinuria waspresent. Fetal heart tones had beenauscultated 3 days earlier. At that time,thepatientreportedfetalactivityandwasnormotensive and without proteinuria.The patient had a remote history ofa postoperative, lower-extremity deepvenous thrombosis with a negativethrombophilia evaluation. During thecurrent pregnancy, she received pro-phylactic unfractionated heparin. Herprenatal course was unremarkable,and serial ultrasound examinationsshowed a normal fetal anatomic surveyand appropriate growth. The patienthad declined maternal serum geneticscreening. Routine prenatal laboratorytests were all normal. The Group B
Crevicular fluid iron changes in treated and untreated periodontally diseased sites

Previous investigations have shown that crevicular fluid iron concentration (CFIC) is higher in periodontally diseased sites. The present study was conducted to determine whether periodontal treatment changes the CFIC to levels found in healthy sites in the same persons. To test the significance of iron content in gingival fluid as an indicator of periodontal disease severity or activity, CFIC was determined for healthy sites and diseased sites treated with scaling and root planing alone or in conjunction with surgery both before and after treatment. CFIC was increased in diseased sites, but the iron concentration in crevicular fluid was not a good indicator of changes in disease severity resulting from periodontal treatment. Treatments produced an increase in the CFIC that may be more related to the status of the microcirculation than to the disease process itself.
Phytoestrogens and breast cancer prevention: possible mechanisms of action.

ObjectivePhytoestrogens display an array of pharmacologic properties, and in recent years investigation of their potential as anticancer agents has increased dramatically. In this article we review...
Evidence that corticotropin-releasing factor within the extended amygdala mediates the activation of tryptophan hydroxylase produced by sound stress in the rat

Non-endocrine corticotropin-releasing factor (CRF) is believed to be involved in mediating stress behaviors in rats. The present study investigated the role of CRF in mediating the activation of tryptophan hydroxylase, the rate-limiting enzyme in serotonin synthesis, produced in response to sound stress. Bilateral injections of 0.5-3.0 micrograms of CRF directed towards the central nucleus of the amygdala increased tryptophan hydroxylase activity measured ex vivo when compared to vehicle-injected controls. This increase in enzyme activity, like that due to sound stress, was reversed in vitro by alkaline phosphatase. Intra-amygdala CRF (0.5 microgram) also enhanced the in vivo accumulation of 5-hydroxytryptophan (5-HTP) following the administration of m-hydroxylbenzylamine (NSD-1015, 200 mg/kg). The activation of tryptophan hydroxylase, produced by intra-amygdala CRF, was blocked by the CRF receptor antagonist alpha-helical CRF9-41 (10 micrograms). Additionally, the 5-HT1A agonist, gepirone, given either systemically (10 mg/kg) or intracerebrally into the region of the dorsal raphe (14 micrograms), blocked the tryptophan hydroxylase response to CRF. CRF did not increase tissue levels of 5-hydroxyindole acetic acid (5-HIAA) or the ratio of 5-HIAA to serotonin (5-HT) within the striatum of the same animals in which tryptophan hydroxylase activity was quantified, an effect produced by sound stress. Thus, while intra-amygdala CRF failed to mimic the sound stress response in its entirety, these data suggest that CRF is involved in mediating the activation of tryptophan hydroxylase produced by sound stress within the midbrain serotonin neurons.
Genetic Analysis of Relative Water Content (RWC) in Two Recombinant Inbred Line Populations of Soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.]

Drought affects soybean [Glycine max (L.) Merr.] and other crops productivity in the US and other parts of the world. Relative water content (RWC) is an important indicator for plant water deficit tolerance (WDT). The objective of this study is to map quantitative trait loci (QTL) for RWC and several other leaf traits such as leaf dry weight (LDW), leaf fresh weight (LFW), and leaf turgid weight (LTW) in two soybean recombinant inbred line (RIL) populations, one derived from a cross of ‘Essex’ and ‘Forrest’ (ExF, n=94) and the other is derived from a cross of ‘PI 438489B’ and ‘Hamilton’ (PIxH, n=50). In the PIxH RIL population, eight QTL were identified and mapped on 6 different linkage groups (LGs) of the soybean genome. No QTL for LFW were identified in this popula tion. In the ExF RIL population, 10 QTL were identified and mapped on 5 different LGs of soybean. Chromosome 18 (LG G) contains clusters of QTL for LFW, LTW, and RWC in the ExF RIL population. This same chromosome contains a QTL for RWC in the PIxH RIL population. The QTL found here are important to be included in breeding programs for soybean water deficit tolerance (WDT).
Therapeutic mammotome excisions: papillary lesions

Papillary lesions of the breast are fairly common on imaging-guided breast biopsy, and the management remains controversial. Due to the heterogeneity of histological findings, papilloma can be a challenge to the pathologist when interpreting core biopsy specimens, so some may desire the entire lesion to be removed to be confident of the diagnosis of a benign papilloma. In appropriate cases, an attempt at removal with vacuum-assisted biopsy appears a reasonable approach with the hopes of establishing a diagnosis, relieving symptoms of nipple discharge, and avoiding the cost and morbidity of surgical intervention. The management of lesions with atypia on mammotome excision will remain controversial and the prudent approach is to recommend complete surgical excision.
Maturation of untreated normal occlusions

The dental casts of 65 untreated normal occlusions were evaluated to determine the nature and extent of the developmental maturation process of the normal dentition. Six dental parameters were examined in the mixed dentition (9 to 10 years), early permanent dentition (12 to 13 years), and early adulthood (19 to 20 years). Results showed decreases in arch length and intercanine width; minimal overall changes in intermolar width, overjet, and overbite; and increases in incisor irregularity. Females showed more severe changes than males. The individual changes found were not correlated to changes in any of the other parameters measured. No associations or predictors of clinical value were found. The changes found in a sample of untreated normals were similar in nature but lesser in extent than postretention changes found in a sample of treated cases.
Mixed T Lymphocyte Chimerism after Allogeneic Hematopoietic Transplantation Is Predictive for Relapse of Acute Myeloid Leukemia and Myelodysplastic Syndromes

Abstract Chimerism testing after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) and myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) represents a promising tool for predicting disease relapse, although its precise role in this setting remains unclear. We investigated the predictive value of T lymphocyte chimerism analysis at 90 to 120 days after allo-HSCT in 378 patients with AML/MDS who underwent busulfan/fludarabine-based myeloablative preparative regimens. Of 265 (70%) patients with available T lymphocyte chimerism data, 43% of patients in first or second complete remission (CR1/CR2) at the time of transplantation had complete (100%) donor T lymphocytes at day +90 to +120 compared with 60% of patients in the non-CR1/CR2 cohort (P = .005). In CR1/CR2 patients, donor T lymphocyte chimerism ≤ 85% at day +90 to +120 was associated with a higher frequency of 3-year disease progression (29%; 95% confidence interval [CI], 18% to 46% versus 15%; 95% CI, 9% to 23%; hazard ratio [HR], 2.1; P = .04). However, in the more advanced, non-CR1/CR2 cohort, mixed T lymphocyte chimerism was not associated with relapse (37%; 95% CI, 20% to 66% versus 34%; 95% CI, 25% to 47%; HR, 1.3; P = .60). These findings demonstrate that early T lymphocyte chimerism testing at day +90 to +120 is a useful approach for predicting AML/MDS disease recurrence in patients in CR1/CR2 at the time of transplantation.
Markers improve clustering of CGH data

Motivation: We consider the problem of clustering a population of Comparative Genomic Hybridization (CGH) data samples using similarity based clustering methods. A key requirement for clustering is to avoid using the noisy aberrations in the CGH samples. Results: We develop a dynamic programming algorithm to identify a small set of important genomic intervals called markers. The advantage of using these markers is that the potentially noisy genomic intervals are excluded during the clustering process. We also develop two clustering strategies using these markers. The first one, prototype-based approach, maximizes the support for the markers. The second one, similarity-based approach, develops a new similarity measure called RSim and refines clusters with the aim of maximizing the RSim measure between the samples in the same cluster. Our results demonstrate that the markers we found represent the aberration patterns of cancer types well and they improve the quality of clustering significantly. Availability: All software developed in this paper and all the datasets used are available from the authors upon request. Contact: juliu@cise.ufl.edu
Understanding ‘anticipatory governance’:

Anticipatory governance is 'a broad-based capacity extended through society that can act on a variety of inputs to manage emerging knowledge-based technologies while such management is still possible'. It motivates activities designed to build capacities in foresight, engagement, and integration--as well as through their production ensemble. These capacities encourage and support the reflection of scientists, engineers, policy makers, and other publics on their roles in new technologies. This article reviews the early history of the National Nanotechnology Initiative in the United States, and it further explicates anticipatory governance through exploring the genealogy of the term and addressing a set of critiques found in the literature. These critiques involve skepticism of three proximities of anticipatory governance: to its object, nanotechnology, which is a relatively indistinct one; to the public, which remains almost utterly naive toward nanotechnology; and to technoscience itself, which allegedly renders anticipatory governance complicit in its hubris. The article concludes that the changing venues and the amplification within them of the still, small voices of folks previously excluded from offering constructive visions of futures afforded by anticipatory governance may not be complete solutions to our woes in governing technology, but they certainly can contribute to bending the long arc of technoscience more toward humane ends.
The use of cottonseed meal with or without added soapstock in laying hen diets

Abstract Laying hens fed diets containing cottonseed meal (CSM) can produce eggs that have pink albumen discolorations and brown yolks due to the respective presence of cyclopropenoid fatty acids and free gossypol in the CSM. The potential concentration of these two compounds is less in the CSM produced in the modern expander-solvent cottonseed mills, which leave little residual oil in the meal, than in older expeller plants. However, part or all of the possible benefit can be lost if soapstock is added back to the CSM. An experiment was conducted to examine the degree of egg discoloration produced when feeding CSM obtained from an expander-solvent extraction mill. The CSM used in this study contained 4.2% ether extract, indicating a moderate amount of soapstock had been added back to the meal. Egg-yolk discoloration associated with the presence of gossypol was observed when feeding diets containing above 10% CSM (100 ppm free gossypol). In subsequent experiments it was determined that egg-yolk discoloration could be greatly reduced when using a cottonseed meal without soapstock and that some hens were insensitive to the egg discoloration effects of gossypol.
The short golf backswing: effects on performance and spinal health implications.

Background: Full recoil golf swings have been implicated in back pain and injury in golfers. Evidence suggests that a restricted backswing may reduce the potential for injury without compromising performance. Objective: To examine both golf swing performance and selected muscular actions of the trunk and shoulder during a full recoil swing as compared with a modified short backswing. Methods: Electromyographic (EMG) recordings were taken bilaterally from the lumbar, external oblique, latissimus dorsi, and right pectoral muscles in 7 golfers during a full recoil swing and a modified short backswing. High-speed videotape was used to measure back swing angle reduction. Clubhead velocity (CHV) and ball-contact accuracy were quantified by using a swing speed indicator and clubface contact tape, respectively. Results: Shortening of the backswing by 46.5° ± 24.7° had no effect on stroke accuracy as measured by mean deviation from the target spot on the club (19.0 ± 7.8 mm vs 19.3 ± 9.2 mm). CHV was not significantly reduced (33.9 ± 2.5 m/s vs 31.2 ± 2.2 m/s). However, EMG root-mean-square was decreased 19% in the right oblique muscle from 750 to 250 ms before impact (P < .05). During the acceleration phase, activation of left lumbar muscle decreased by 12%, whereas activation of right latissimus muscle increased by 21%. Although left lumbar muscle activity during the follow-through increased 14%, there was a substantial (17%) but nonsignificant decrease of activation of trunk muscles (P = .11). There was a general trend toward an increased activation of the shoulder musculature from 250 ms before impact to 500 ms after impact. Conclusion: These data support the idea that short backswings in golf may reduce trunk muscle activation and possibly reduce back injury and pain without negatively impacting swing accuracy or CHV. However, the short swing increases shoulder muscle activation and may, in turn, promote risk for shoulder injury. (J Manipulative Physiol Ther 2001;24:569-75)
Comparison of Size Characteristics of Fibers Found on Sample Filters and Cassette Cowls from Personal Samples of Airborne Man-Made Mineral Fibers

Abstract National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health Method 7400 is commonly used to evaluate airborne exposures to man-made mineral fibers (MMMFs). Although recent evidence suggests that current methods for collecting air samples may be biased due to fiber deposition on the inside of the sampling-cassette extension cowl, few data are available on the mechanism of deposition, the number of fibers deposited on the cowl, or potential bias in size selection associated with this deposition. The length and diameter distributions of fiber populations collected on the air-sample filters were compared to those deposited on the inside of the electrically conductive extension cowl. The samples were collected during insulation of residential buildings with pneumatically conveyed loose-fill insulation. Two different filters recommended for sample collection in the World Health Organization Reference Method for MMMFs were used. It was determined that a significantly different fiber-size distribution is deriv...
Reduced neurotrophin receptor tropomyosin-related kinase A expression in human granulosa cells: A novel marker of diminishing ovarian reserve

Objective To determine whether human mural and cumulus granulosa cell neurotrophin and neurotrophin receptor content correlate to ovarian reserve markers. Design Prospective, laboratory-based study. Setting Academic assisted reproductive technology (ART) program. Patient(s) Twenty-three women undergoing ART. Intervention(s) Mural and cumulus granulosa cells were collected from women undergoing oocyte retrieval during ART cycles. Relative messenger RNA (mRNA) levels of neurotrophins and their receptors were measured by quantitative reverse transcription–polymerase chain reaction and correlated to serum antimullerian hormone (AMH) levels and the number of oocytes retrieved. Main Outcome Measure(s) Number of oocytes retrieved. Result(s) Mural and cumulus granulosa cell nerve growth factor receptor tropomyosin-related kinase A (TrkA) mRNA correlated strongly to the number of oocytes retrieved. Similarly, higher serum AMH was associated with higher cumulus granulosa cell TrkA mRNA. Both mural and cumulus granulosa cell p75 NTR /TrkA ratios were lower in women with higher serum AMH, and the number of oocytes retrieved was greater among women with low p75 NTR /TrkA ratio. No significant associations were found between brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its specific receptor tropomyosin-related kinase B (TrkB) and ovarian reserve markers. Although BDNF and TrkB expression were higher in cumulus compared with mural granulosa cells, no such association was found between TrkA and granulosa cells. Antimullerian hormone and cumulus TrkA mRNA, in a model incorporating both, correlated strongly to the number of oocytes retrieved ( R 2 = 0.84). Conclusion(s) Cumulus TrkA and p75 NTR mRNA correlate to ovarian reserve, whereas BDNF and TrkB are associated with the type of granulosa cell.
The impact of hormonal treatments on quality of life of patients with metastatic breast cancer.

Abstract Background : The concept of quality of life (QOL) increasingly has been used to assess health-related outcomes associated with a specific disease or its treatment, especially in patients with incurable tumors, such as metastatic breast cancer (MBC). Hormonal therapy (HT) is often used to treat hormone receptor—positive MBC, with the primary treatment goal of reducing both disease burden and patients suffering. Objective : This article reviews the instruments used to assess QOL in patients with breast cancer, the adverse effects of HTs, and the clinical trials that assess QOL in patients with MBC receiving various HTs. Methods : Articles were identified for inclusion in this manuscript through the following searches, limited to English-language publications: MEDLINE (mid 1960s to January 2002), American Society of Oncology abstracts (1997–2001), and San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium abstracts (2001 and 2002). The following search terms were used: quality of life, breast cancer, hormonal therapies, tamoxifen, toremifene, letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, and megestrol acetate . Conclusions: QOL assessment following MBC treatment has become an important indicator of treatment effectiveness, and numerous clinical trials have studied the impact of HT on QOL. In general, the older HTs, such as the progestins and selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), produce more adverse effects than do the newer HTs, such as the aromatase inhibitors (AIs) and estrogen receptor (ER) antagonists. QOL data regarding tamoxifen, a SERM associated with a high incidence of vasomotor symptoms and vaginal discharge, are limited, although tamoxifen has not been associated with significant psychological distress when administered as a chemopreventive or adjuvant MBC therapy in clinical trials. QOL studies comparing the third-generation AIs with tamoxifen or megestrol acetate show that the AIs produce a more favorable QOL, probably because these agents target the aromatase enzyme, which results in a lower incidence of thromboembolism and vaginal bleeding. Although QOL studies of the ER antagonist fulvestrant have not been conducted, several attributes of this new HT may contribute to the retention of a good QOL in patients with MBC. A variety of QOL-assessment tools to measure the impact of HTs on patients with MBC are available. Clinical trial data regarding QOL in patients with MBC receiving HT will be useful for both clinicians and patients in evaluating treatment options and developing treatment strategies.
Copolymerization of 2‐methoxy‐4‐vinylphenol with fluorinated acrylic monomers: Water‐repellent properties of copolymer

To prepare the copolymer, which is water and oil repellent and contains the hydroxyl group, 2-methoxy-4-vinylphenol (VG: M1) is copolymerized with the fluorinated acrylic monomer (M2). The copolymerizability of VG (vinyl guaiacol) with pentadecafluoroctylacrylate (PDFOA) is best (r1 = 0.217, r2 = 0.0751). The critical surface tension γC of the copolymer of F1 = 0.451 (F1 is the ratio of M1 units in the copolymer) is estimated to be 13.5 dyne/cm which is close to that of the homopolymer (F1 = 0). The γc of the other copolymers are so small that they are 18.5 dyne/cm for copoly(VG-trifluoroethylmethacrylate) of F1 = 0.491 and 17.8 dyne/cm for copoly(VG-fluoro-pentylmethacrylate) of F1 = 0.392. Thus, these copolymers are water and oil repellent. Further, because of the hydroxyl, they provide hydrogen bonding to hydroxyapatite of teeth.
Acetyl-CoA—Life at the metabolic nexus

Abstract As a key intermediate in a number of different metabolic pathways, acetyl-CoA is independently produced and consumed in the plastids, mitochondria, peroxisomes and cytosol. Recent studies have led to new understanding of the enzymes that generate these different acetyl-CoA pools, including the role of ATP-citrate lyase in producing acetyl-CoA in the cytosol and of the pyruvate dehydrogenase complex for making it in the plastids. The involvement of a second plastid enzyme, acetyl-CoA synthetase, is more speculative but appears to be important in protecting plants from the two-carbon intermediates of fermentation by allowing the conversion of ethanol and acetaldehyde to fatty acids. New roles have also recently been proposed for triacylglycerols in energy storage and oil production in leaves. While additional biological functions for acetyl-CoA are being discovered there are also new proposals for using the chemistry of acetyl-CoA and fatty acid synthesis as the foundation for a new biologically based source of commodity chemicals.
Local Labor-Market Opportunity and Adolescent Delinquency

In this article; we extend the literature on adolescent delinquency by offering a theoretical framework that integrates insightsfrom labor-market and stratification research on the one hand and microlevelfamily and criminological research on the other. Analyses drawffrom local labor-market data and nationally representative longitudinal survey data on adolescents and employ techniques that take into account clustering within hierarchical structures. Findings suggest strong effects of low-wage service-sector concentration and unemployment on the likelihood of both fighting and drug use among adolescents. Consistent with our emphasis on potential mediatingprocesses, wefind that these effects are partially produced through the patterning offamily income, family intactness, and adolescent attachment to parents and school. An interestingfinding is that low-wage service-sector size and unemployment effects on adolescent delinquency persist even with potential mediators controlled. We conclude by discussing thesepersistent effects and their implications. Sociological research has traditionally been interested in the issue of urban transition and growth and its consequences for a variety of social problems, including alienation, community disorganization, delinquency, and violence (Park, Burgess & McKenzie 1928; Shaw & McKay 1942; Wirth 1938). Not surprisingly, this focus garnered considerable attention in the 1950s and 1960s as urban areas began to face economic restructuring and suburbanization - trends that continue
Investigations in radar rainfall estimation using neural networks

Rainfall on the ground is dependent on the four dimensional distribution of precipitation aloft. In principle one can obtain a functional relation between the rain rate on the ground and the four-dimensional radar observations aloft. However it is difficult to express this in a useful form. Neural networks provide a mechanism to solve this complex problem. Using ground measurements of rain rate as the target output neural networks have been developed in the past that use the radar measurements as input and produce rainfall rates on the ground. Several topics related to neural network based radar rainfall estimates are addressed in this paper. This paper investigates the input vector types and sizes that are useful in a radar rainfall estimation context. Similarly, the neural network is trained with an initial data set, but updated adaptively. Various updating mechanisms are investigated with respect to accuracy of rainfall estimation. Two years of data from the Weather Surveillance Radar-1988 Doppler (WSR-88D) radar and a network of gages from Melbourne, Florida are used to evaluate the topics listed here.
Transfer of Preformed Three-Dimensional Photonic Crystals onto Dye-Sensitized Solar Cells

Preformed self-assembled 3D photonic crystals can be infilled with a polycarbonate matrix for mechanical stability and transferred onto rough and porous optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices. This technique allows the incorporation of photonic crystals onto independently processed devices, in which the transferred films have high optical quality.