cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Position Statement: Software Testing, Software Quality and Trust in Software-Based Systems

Software-Based systems cover a very wide range of application domains. They include industrial applications, e.g. rail systems, building management systems, fire safety systems, industrial control systems, Energy applications to support generation, transmission, measurement, control, and numerous Healthcare and Medical applications just to name a few. The Testing requirements and Quality challenges for individual systems are very different.
Optimized ventricular restraint therapy: Adjustable restraint is superior to standard restraint in an ovine model of ischemic cardiomyopathy

Objective The effects of ventricular restraint level on left ventricular reverse remodeling are not known. We hypothesized that restraint level affects the degree of reverse remodeling and that restraint applied in an adjustable manner is superior to standard, nonadjustable restraint. Methods This study was performed in 2 parts using a model of chronic heart failure in the sheep. In part I, restraint was applied at control (0 mm Hg, n = 3), low (1.5 mm Hg, n = 3), and high (3.0 mm Hg, n = 3) levels with an adjustable and measurable ventricular restraint (AMVR) device. Restraint level was not altered throughout the 2-month treatment period. Serial restraint level measurements and transthoracic echocardiography were performed. In part II, restraint was applied with the AMVR device set at 3.0 mm Hg (n = 6) and adjusted periodically to maintain that level. This was compared with restraint applied in a standard, nonadjustable manner using a mesh wrap (n = 6). All subjects were followed up for 2 months with serial magnetic resonance imaging. Results In part I, there was greater and earlier reverse remodeling in the high restraint group. In both groups, the rate of reverse remodeling peaked and then declined as the measured restraint level decreased with progression of reverse remodeling. In part II, adjustable restraint resulted in greater reverse remodeling than standard restraint. Left ventricular end diastolic volume decreased by 12.7% ( P = .005) with adjustable restraint and by 5.7% ( P = .032) with standard restraint. Left ventricular ejection fraction increased by 18.9% ( P = .014) and 14.4% ( P Conclusions Restraint level affects the rate and degree of reverse remodeling and is an important determinant of therapy efficacy. Adjustable restraint is more effective than nonadjustable restraint in promoting reverse remodeling.
Total synthesis of tetracyclic triterpenes 2 an efficient synthesis of 1,4-dimethoxy-14α-methyl-11-oxoestra-1,3,5(10)-triene

Abstract Diels-Alder cycloaddition of 1,4-benzoquinone with diene 2 gave the α-endo adduct 6 in good yield. Acid catalyzed aromatization of 6 was controlled, so as to give either the unconjugated hydroquinone derivative 7 or the conjugated Δ9(11) isomer 9. The dimethoxy derivative 12 gave acid-labile epoxides 17 and 18, which were assigned the β and α configuration respectively on the strength of their characteristic1 Hnmr spectra. Acid-catalyzed rearrangement of these epoxides yielded the stereoisomeric 11-ketones 19 and 20. A comparison of 1Hnmr data for 19 and 20 with previously-reported analogs in which either the 11-carbonyl function or the 14α-methyl group are absent led to assignment of the 9β-conflguratlon (BC-cis) to the former and the 9α-configuratlon to 20. X-ray analysis has confirmed the configurations of 19 and 20. Significant distortion of ring C Is found In both isomers, and is attributed to dipole repulsion between the 1-methoxyl substituent and the carbonyl function. The common enolate anion derived from these ketones gave only 0-methylatlon, and on protonation gave a mixture of enol 21 and 19. Dehydrogenation reactions of 7 and its bis-methyl ether 10 yielded naphthoquinone derivatives 13 and 14, and the dimethoxy naphthalene 15.
Charge state dependent collision-induced dissociation of native and reduced porcine elastase.

The [M + 20H]20+–[M + 12H]12+ charge states of native and reduced porcine elastase, a 25.9 kDa serine protease, were subjected to collisional activation in a quadrupole ion trap. For most charge states, ion parking was used to increase the number of parent ions over that yielded directly by electrospray. Ion–ion proton transfer reactions were used to reduce product ion charge states largely to +1 to simplify spectral interpretation. Both forms of the protein show charge state dependent fragmentation behavior. The native protein, which contains four disulfide linkages, shows almost no evidence for fragmentation within the regions of the protein linked by disulfide bonds. However, at the lowest charge states studied, evidence for cleavage of a least one of the disulfide bonds was evident in the appearance of a c-type ion. The highest charge states of native elastase showed several prominent cleavages C-terminal to valine residues. As the charge state decreased, however, preferential cleavages at acidic amino acid residues became important. The reduced form of the protein did not show particularly prominent cleavages at valine residues. However, many of the same preferential cleavages at acidic amino acid residues noted for the native protein were also observed in the same charge states of the reduced protein. The reduced protein also showed additional cleavages from regions of the protein that are ordinarily protected by disulfide linkages in the native form. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
DDT residues in Salinas River sediments

The chlorinated hydrocarbon, p,p′ DDT is the most common DDT derivative in bottom sediment samples taken at sites in the Salinas River from the Soledad to the Highway no. 1 river crossing. Its concentration as well as the concentration of total derivatives varies from site to site along the river as well as over time. This is probably due to certain areas acting as natural depositories for water translocated suspended fine particulate matter containing high concentrations of DDT. If the rate of water flow is sufficiently low and if other unspecified natural factors are right, the particles settle and collect at sites along the river yielding a high concentration of DDT residues. Evidence which supports this hypothesis is that the areas with the finest sediment are the areas which also have the highest concentration of DDT derivatives. The portion of the Salinas River south of the Davis river crossing shows the highest concentration of the areas studied.
Accessory cell dependent NK cell mediated PBMC IFN-γ production is defective in HIV infection

HCV and HIV infections impair dendritic cell function. We evaluated the impact of HCV, HIV, and HCV-HIV infection on MDC–NK interactions by analyzing CD3 depleted PBMC for NK cell IFN-γ in response to IL-12 or poly (I:C). Purified MDC and NK cells were analyzed for TLR ligand-dependent, MDC-dependent NK activity. In HIV infection, IFN-γ production by CD3 depleted PBMC was reduced in response to poly (I:C), while response to IL-12 was intact in HCV and HIV infections. Poly (I:C) induced activity was dependent on MDC and partially dependent on IL-12, consistent with accessory cell help. In purified MDC–NK co-cultures, MDC dependent NK IFN-γ and Granzyme B was intact in both HCV and HIV infections, while MDC numerical defects were observed in HIV infection. These data indicate that during viral infection with HIV, accessory cell dependent NK function in the periphery is impaired. This impairment may be related to the identified MDC numerical defect.
Caspase 9b: a new target for therapy in non-small-cell lung cancer

Lung cancer is responsible for more cancer deaths in the USA than any other type of cancer, and no significant decrease in mortality rates over the past several decades has been observed. Non-small...
Hyaluronan blocks oligodendrocyte progenitor maturation and remyelination through TLR2

Failure of remyelination is largely responsible for sustained neurologic symptoms in multiple sclerosis (MS). MS lesions contain hyaluronan deposits that inhibit oligodendrocyte precursor cell (OPC) maturation. However, the mechanism behind this inhibition is unclear. We report here that Toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2) is expressed by oligodendrocytes and is up-regulated in MS lesions. Pathogen-derived TLR2 agonists, but not agonists for other TLRs, inhibit OPC maturation in vitro. Hyaluronan-mediated inhibition of OPC maturation requires TLR2 and MyD88, a TLR2 adaptor molecule. Ablated expression of TLR2 also enhances remyelination in a lysolecithin animal model. Hyaluronidases expressed by OPCs degrade hyaluronan to hyaluronan oligomers, a requirement for hyaluronan/TLR2 signaling. MS lesions contain both TLR2+ oligodendrocytes and low-molecular-weight hyaluronan, consistent with their importance to remyelination in MS. We thus have defined a mechanism controlling remyelination failure in MS where hyaluronan is degraded by hyaluronidases into hyaluronan oligomers that block OPC maturation and remyelination through TLR2-MyD88 signaling.
A Review and Interpretation of Investigations of Factors Related to Scholastic Success in Colleges of Arts and Science and Teachers Colleges

(1949). A Review and Interpretation of Investigations of Factors Related to Scholastic Success in Colleges of Arts and Science and Teachers Colleges. The Journal of Experimental Education: Vol. 18, No. 2, pp. 91-138.
A model for calculating magnetic forces between monolithic YBa/sub 2/Cu/sub 3/O/sub 7-/spl delta// superconductors

One of the fundamental barriers to the use of electromagnetic launchers is the high power required to reach launch speed in a reasonable distance. It has been proposed that large external power supplies can be avoided by using superconducting persistent currents in the barrel of the launcher to store energy. With this application in mind, the use of melt-textured YBCO for these persistent current magnets was studied. Presented in this paper is the development of a model for calculating the current distribution and magnetic force for two YBCO rings, each with a trapped field such that an attractive force is developed between them. Two different methods were used to calculate current as a function of time. The first is a differential equation for the time dependence of the current distribution, which is solved using the four-step vector Runge-Kutta method. The second method limits the local current density to its critical value. The integral equation for force at each time step is solved using the finite sum method. Results from the model were compared to quasistatic experiments and found to agree to within 10%. The model was then used to predict behavior of a melt-textured YBCO launcher at speeds up to 10 000 m/s. The results show that energy transfer is almost independent of speed for a properly designed launcher, and heating due to flux flow is minimal.
Medieval Silence and Modern Transsexuality

Psychoanalysis and science respond to the transsexual claim of wrongful embodiment with radically different models of treatment. Yet both disciplines construct the figure of the transsexual from a heteronormative and patriarchal perspective. The 13th-century text Le Roman de Silence, which deals with the gender transformation of its heroine, Silence, is similarly biased. Moreover, this romance theorizes a relationship between gender and the body that closely parallels the psychoanalytical and scientific discourses about transsexuality. Silence's social isolation confirms the varying levels of dislocation that transsexed individuals, both male and female, attribute to their condition, but her powerlessness to determine her own gender identity is more akin to the modern treatment of intersex children. The ambiguity surrounding Silence's return to femininity at the end of the romance, however, suggests that the medieval author can see beyond the binary system of gender that structures his society and that co...
A multiple-channel free-access collision resolution algorithm based connection request procedure for land mobile satellite networks

A new binary feedback multiple-channel free-access (MCFA) collision resolution algorithm (CRA) based random-access protocol (RAP) is devised to implement the connection request procedure for demand-assigned channel access protocols in land mobile satellite communications networks. The maximum stable throughput of this protocol is derived and is shown to be superior to a previously devised multiple-channel obvious blocked-access CRA based RAP as well as to slotted ALOHA. The throughput performance is also superior to the previously devised multiple-channel window blocked-access CRA based RAP for four or more channels. An exact analysis of the average packet delay for this MCFA CRA based RAP is given and shown to be in excellent agreement with computer simulation results. The protocol is shown to have smaller average delays than the best single-channel free access CRA based RAPs over a wide range of practically usable throughput rates with reasonable delays. This MCFA CRA based RAP was implemented on a channel request protocol test-bed simulator which incorporates the physical link characteristics of the MSAT-X land mobile satellite system. These test-bed simulation results also demonstrate the superiority of this protocol over slotted ALOHA for both error-free channel and mobile facing channel scenarios.
Discrete-basis-set approach to the minimum-variance method in electron scattering

We show that the minimization of the variance integral provides a method for the determination of scattering wave functions which uses discrete basis functions exclusively. By using a separable representation of the scattering potential only one new class of matrix elements appears in the evaluation of the variance integral which is not already required in the diagonalization of the Hamiltonian. The choice of Gaussian basis functions for the expansion of the scattering wave function should make the method particularly applicable to electron-molecule scattering. Some advantages and limitations of the method are discussed.
The preparation of thioureas and thiuram‐disulphides

A standardized method, markedly efficient, for the preparation of symmetrically substituted thioureas and thiuram disulphides from primary and secondary amines has been developed in conformity with the following equations: Its uniformity of application to seven primary amines and to seven secondary amines has made possible a comparative study of the times required, the extent of completion of the reactions, and the effect of various substituents, in the preparation of the corresponding thioureas and thiuram-disulphides. The preparation and identification by quantitative analysis of five thioureas and five thiuram disulphides, not previously recorded in the literature, has been effected. Three new unsymmetrical tri-substituted thioureas have been prepared in conformity with the general equation, RNCS+R′R″NH RNH. CS. NR′R″. Their identity has been established by quantitative analyses.
Separation of High and Low Metastatic Subpopulations from Solid Tumors by Centrifugal Elutriation

We have isolated from murine solid tumors (B16a) subpopulations of cells possessing high and low metastatic potential. Tumors were dispersed by collagenase treatment. The resulting heterogeneous population of cells (i.e., viable and non-viable tumor cells and host cells) were separated by centrifugal elutriation. Four of the fractions (100, 180, 260, 340) contained tumor cells of high viability (greater than 95%) and high purity (less than 1% host cell contamination). The four fractions were characterized by flow cytometry and found to differ in distribution of cells in G1, S and G2. The cell populations were also found to differ in metastatic potential as determined by their ability to form lung colonies following intravenous injection. The 340 fraction was approximately 5-fold more metastatic than the 100 fraction. We also observed that cells from the 100 fraction failed to induce platelet aggregation whereas cells from the 340 fraction induced significant platelet aggregation. These observations demonstrate that cells of B16a tumors are heterogeneous for phenotypic characteristics (i.e., metastatic potential; platelet aggregation, etc.) and that their ability to induce platelet aggregation is positively correlated with metastatic potential.
Management of selected lipid abnormalities: hypertriglyceridemia, isolated low HDL-cholesterol, lipoprotein(a), and lipid abnormalities in renal diseases and following solid organ transplantation.

Although the focus in treating lipid disorders is on reducing low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C) levels, additional lipid-related independent risk factors, such as triglyceride (TG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] levels, should be used clinically to assess cardiovascular risk. Decisions to initiate drug therapy for LDL-C reduction may be influenced by levels of these other lipoprotein fractions. Data supporting intervention to modify these factors are less abundant than for LDL-C reduction but, in certain circumstances, drug therapy targeted at TGs or HDL-C may be appropriate. Patients with nephrotic syndrome and end-stage renal disease are at particularly high risk for the development of cardiovascular disease and should be treated aggressively for their lipid disorders. Finally, solid organ transplant recipients are almost always hyperlipidemic, and appropriate therapy could reduce cardiovascular events.
Rapid cardiopulmonary support for children with complex congenital heart disease

Abstract Background . Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation has limitations in children with congenital heart disease (prolonged setup times, increased postoperative blood loss, and difficulty during transport). We developed a miniaturized cardiopulmonary support circuit to address these limitations. Patients and Methods . The cardiopulmonary support system includes a preassembled, completely heparin-coated circuit, a BP-50 Bio-Medicus centrifugal pump, a Minimax plus membrane oxygenator, a Bio-Medicus flow probe, and a Bio-trend hematocrit/oxygen saturation monitor. Short tubing length permits a 250-mL bloodless prime in less than 5 minutes. From 1995 to 1997, 23 children with congenital heart disease were supported with this technique. Results . Overall survival to discharge was 48% (11 of 23 patients). Survival to discharge was 80% (4 of 5) in the preoperative support group, 20% (1 of 5) in the postoperative failure to wean from cardiopulmonary bypass group, 44% (4 of 9) in the group placed on support postoperatively after transfer to the intensive care unit, and 50% (2 of 4 patients) in the nonoperative group. Neonatal cardiopulmonary support survival to discharge was 46% (6 of 13 patients). Conclusions . This pediatric cardiopulmonary support system is safe and effective. Advantages over conventional extracorporeal membrane oxygenation include rapid setup time, decreased postoperative blood loss, and simplified transport.
Uniform accuracy of the quasicontinuum method

The accuracy of the quasicontinuum method is studied by reformulating the summation rules in terms of reconstruction schemes for the local atomic environment of the representative atoms. The necessary and sufficient condition for uniform first-order accuracy and, consequently, the elimination of the ``ghost force'' is formulated in terms of the reconstruction schemes. The quasi-nonlocal approach is discussed as a special case of this condition. Examples of reconstruction schemes that satisfy this condition are presented. Transition between atom-based and element-based summation rules are studied.
Hedgehog signaling is a novel therapeutic target in tamoxifen resistant breast cancer aberrantly activated by PI3K/AKT pathway

Endocrine resistance is a major challenge in the management of estrogen receptor (ER)-positive breast cancers. Although multiple mechanisms leading to endocrine resistance have been proposed, the poor outcome of patients developing resistance to endocrine therapy warrants additional studies. Here we show that noncanonical Hedgehog (Hh) signaling is an alternative growth promoting mechanism that is activated in tamoxifen-resistant tumors. Importantly, phosphoinositide 3-kinase inhibitor/protein kinase B (PI3K/AKT) pathway plays a key role in regulating Hh signaling by protecting key components of this pathway from proteasomal degradation. The levels of Hh-signaling molecules SMO and GLI1 and the targets were significantly elevated in tamoxifen-resistant MCF-7 cells and T47D cells. Serial passage of the resistant cells in mice resulted in aggressive tumors that metastasized to distant organs with concurrent increases in Hh marker expression and epithelial mesenchymal transition. RNAi-mediated depletion of SMO or GLI1 in the resistant cells resulted in reduced proliferation, clonogenic survival and delayed G(1)-S transition. Notably, treatment of resistant cells with PI3K inhibitors decreased SMO and GLI1 protein levels and activity that was rescued upon blocking GSK3β and proteasomal degradation. Furthermore, treatment of tamoxifen-resistant xenografts with anti-Hh compound GDC-0449 blocked tumor growth in mice. Importantly, high GLI1 expression correlated inversely with disease-free and overall survival in a cohort of 315 patients with breast cancer. In summary, our results describe a signaling event linking PI3K/AKT pathway with Hh signaling that promotes tamoxifen resistance. Targeting Hh pathway alone or in combination with PI3K/AKT pathway could therefore be a novel therapeutic option in treating endocrine-resistant breast cancer.
D4 receptor deficiency in mice has limited effects on impulsivity and novelty seeking.

ARTICLE I NFO Alleles of the human dopamine D4 receptor (D4R) gene (DRD4.7) have repeatedly been found to correlate with novelty seeking, substance abuse, pathological gambling, and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). If these various psychopathologies are a result of attenuated D4R-mediated signaling, mice lacking D4Rs (D4KO) should be more impulsive than wild-type (WT) mice and exhibit more novelty seeking. However, in our study, D4KO and WT mice showed similar levels of impulsivity as measured by delay discounting performance and response inhibition on a Go/No-go test, suggesting that D4R-mediated signaling may not affect impulsivity. D4KO mice were more active than WT mice in the first 5 min of a novel open field test, suggesting greater novelty seeking. For both genotypes, more impulsive mice habituated less in the novel open field. These data suggest that the absence of D4Rs is not sufficient to cause psychopathologies associated with heightened impulsivity and novelty seeking.
C-Kit expression is rate-limiting for stem cell factor-mediated disease progression in adenoid cystic carcinoma of the salivary glands

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) is an aggressive malignant neoplasm of the salivary glands in which c-Kit is overexpressed and activated, although the mechanism for this is as yet unclear. We analyzed 27 sporadic ACC tumor specimens to examine the biologic and clinical significance of c-Kit activation. Mutational analysis revealed expression of wild-type c-Kit in all, eliminating gene mutation as a cause of activation. Because stem cell factor (SCF) is c-Kit's sole ligand, we analyzed its expression in the tumor cells and their environment. Immunohistochemistry revealed its presence in c-Kit-positive tumor cells, suggesting an activation of autocrine signaling. We observed a significant induction of ERK1/2 in the cells. SCF staining was also found in other types of non-cancerous cells adjacent to tumors within salivary glands, including stromal fibroblasts, neutrophils, peripheral nerve, skeletal muscle, vascular endothelial cells, mucous acinar cells, and intercalated ducts. Quantitative PCR showed that the top quartile of c-Kit mRNA expression distinguished ACCs from normal salivary tissues and was cross-correlated with short-term poor prognosis. Expression levels of SCF and c-Kit were highly correlated in the cases with perineural invasion. These observations suggest that c-Kit is potentially activated by receptor dimerization upon stimulation by SCF in ACC, and that the highest quartile of c-Kit mRNA expression could be a predictor of poor prognosis. Our findings may support an avenue for c-Kit-targeted therapy to improve disease control in ACC patients harboring the top quartile of c-Kit mRNA expression.
Computational prediction of RNA editing sites

Motivation: Some organisms edit their messenger RNA resulting in differences between the genomic sequence for a gene and the corresponding messenger RNA sequence. This difference complicates experimental and computational attempts to find and study genes in organisms with RNA editing even if the full genomic sequence is known. Nevertheless, knowledge of these editing sites is crucial for understanding the editing machinery of these organisms. Results: We present a computational technique that predicts the position of editing sites in the genomic sequence. It uses a statistical approach drawing on the protein sequences of related genes and general features of editing sites of the organism. We apply the method to the mitochondrion of the slime mold Physarum polycephalum. It correctly predicts over 90% of the amino acids and over 70% of the editing sites. Availability: The source code is available upon request from the author.
Sensitivity and Specificity of Echocardiographic Diagnosis of Pericardial Effusion

In order to evaluate the reliability and sensitivity of echocardiograms for detecting and quantitating pericardial effusion, 41 patients had echocardiograms on the day prior to cardiac operation. A fluid trap was used to aspirate the pericardium at operation. Thirty-nine of 41 patients had echocardiograms of diagnostic quality. In 25 patients, the echocardiogram was negative for pericardial effusion, with 0-16 ml identified at operation. In 13 patients, the echocardiogram was positive for pericardial effusion, with 15-775 ml aspirated at operation. A transition of patterns of relative posterior epicardial-pericardial movement was noted as the pericardial fluid volume increased. More than 15 ml was always found when a posterior echo-free space persisted throughout the cardiac cycle between a flat pericardium relative to the epicardium. In the presence of such a posterior echo-free space, a large anterior echo-free space made a moderately large pericardial effusion likely. In the absence of this diagnostic posterior echo-free space, an anterior echo-free space had no diagnostic significance, as it was found in 11 patients with less than 16 ml of pericardial effusion. A small posterior echo-free space persisting throughout the cardiac cycle between pericardial and epicardial echoes demonstrating virtually identical movements was found in two patients without any surgical evidence for pericardial effusion, but with evidence of adhesive fibrocalcific pericardial disease. A method of estimating pericardial volume is proposed, which uses the difference between the cubed diameters at the end-diastole of the pericardium and epicardium.
The role of carotid screening before coronary artery bypass.

Abstract Five hundred thirty-nine patients with no symptoms of cerebral ischemia undergoing coronary artery bypass were preoperatively evaluated for presence of cartoid stenosis by noninvasive methods (duplex scanning and ocular pneumoplethysmography-Gee). Overall prevalence of carotid stenosis > 75% was higher (8.7%) than that generally reported. Age > 60 years was significantly related to presence of carotid stenosis > 75% (11.3% vs 3.8%, p = 0.003). Risk factors such as hypercholesterolemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and smoking were not predictive for carotid stenosis, postoperative stroke, or death. Carotid stenosis > 75% (odds ratio 9.87, p p 75%), submitted to prophylactic carotid endarterectomy (19 patients, 3.5%), group 4, severe carotid stenosis (>75%) no prophylactic carotid endarterectomy (28 patients, 5.2%). Patients in group 4 had significantly higher stroke rate (14.3%) compared to the other three groups (1.1%) ( p = 0.0019). The finding of carotid stenosis greater than 75% in patients over 60 years of age was associated with occurrence of stroke in 15% of cases. Carotid screening is helpful to determine patients at increased risk of stroke and should be performed in patients >60 years. Although mechanism of stroke is unknown in patients with carotid stenosis, prophylactic carotid endarterectomy may reduce its occurrence (J VASC SURG 1990;12:724-31.)
Multi-level educational experiment in distributed simulation

Giving collegiate students an opportunity to participate in a multi-faceted development project remains a goal of many computer science programs, as well as modeling and simulation educational programs. A key feature of many complex simulation studies remains that distributed systems are relied on for their implementation, yet presenting such a system to students as a project is often overwhelming. Devising a simpler architecture, which involves not only distributed hardware, but also development of simulation software, and interoperability software, is the goal of the approach described here. As a work in progress, final results are not yet available, but principles and some foundational decisions are presented, with enough details such that the effort can be reproduced by other institutions.
Research Report: Dispositional factors predicting use of online dating sites and behaviors related to online dating

Although prior research has examined how individual difference factors are related to relationship initiation and formation over the Internet (e.g., online dating sites, social networking sites), little research has examined how dispositional factors are related to other aspects of online dating. The present research therefore sought to examine the relationship between several dispositional factors, such as Big-Five personality traits, self-esteem, rejection sensitivity, and attachment styles, and the use of online dating sites and online dating behaviors. Rejection sensitivity was the only dispositional variable predictive of use of online dating sites whereby those higher in rejection sensitivity are more likely to use online dating sites than those lower in rejection sensitivity. We also found that those higher in rejection sensitivity, those lower in conscientiousness, and men indicated being more likely to engage in potentially risky behaviors related to meeting an online dating partner face-to-face. Further research is needed to further explore the relationships between these dispositional factors and online dating behaviors.
P3I-2 A High Resolution Digital Ultrasound System for Imaging of Zebrafish

The zebrafish (Danio rerio) has become a popular animal model for the study of vertebrate biology, due to its simple anatomy, rapid external development, and easiness to maintain in large numbers. However, traditional imaging modalities do not provide adequate spatial resolutions to describe its very small internal structures. In this research, an ultrasound bio-microscope (UBM) system (exceeding 80 MHz) was developed with resolutions around 20 micron for in vivo imaging of the zebrafish. This UBM system was implemented in a fully digital version with the capability of B-mode imaging as well as pulsed-wave spectral Doppler measurement. The system has -6dB resolutions of 19 and 28 microns axially and laterally, respectively, by phantom measurement. In vivo experiments on zebrafish displayed its detailed internal structures. Preliminary spectral Doppler measurement on flow phantom showed that this instrument permits flow measurement up to 40 cm/s, with velocity and temporal resolutions of 150 micron/s and 100 ms, respectively, in a sample volume with dimensions of 40 and 150 microns laterally and axially
Workplace formative assessment: faculty members’ beliefs

Summary Background Workplace-based formative assessment (WFA) is an increasingly used tool in graduate medical education as it serves to evaluate and teach; however, the use of WFA is reportedly low. The objectives of this study were to assess the proportion of dermatology residency training programmes using WFA, and to describe faculty members’ beliefs about the factors that support or impede its use. Methods An electronic survey was distributed to all US dermatology programmes. Results Responses were collected from 43 per cent (56/131) of the US dermatology programmes. Half (28/56) of the respondent programmes use WFA. The most frequently endorsed advantage was ‘provides feedback to residents about their performance’. The most frequent barriers were ‘time for faculty to observe’ and ‘faculty interest’. Discussion WFA has been shown to stimulate learning through the exchange of feedback with a learner about gaps in his or her practice. This study showed that WFA is not yet used in the majority of dermatology training programmes. Time for faculty members to perform WFA was the most cited barrier to the use of WFA, but few studies have investigated the actual time requirement. Secondly, faculty members' interest may be encouraged through training and an increased awareness of the impact of WFA. For example, the evidence supporting the effects of feedback include a meta-analysis of over 1800 studies showed that the effect of feedback, especially regarding performance on a specific task, was greater than the effect of schooling. Workplace-based formative assessment is an increasingly used tool in graduate medical education
Reliability issues of Pb-free solder joints in electronic packaging technology

At present, the electronic packaging industry is actively searching for Pb-free solders due to environmental concerns surrounding the Pb-containing solders. Due to the lack of reliability data, some electronics companies are reluctant to adopt Pb-free solders into their products. Hence, a review of the reliability issues of Pb-free solders is timely. We have selected three topics to be reviewed here. They are interfacial reaction between Pb-free solder and thin film under-bump metallization, electromigration in Pb-free flip chip solder joints, and Sn whisker growth on the Pb-free finish on a Cu leadframe.
Rater training for performance appraisal: A quantitative review

A substantial amount of research in the performance appraisal literature has focused on rater training as a means of improving performance ratings. Unfortunately the value of this research is somewhat equivocated by a lack of organization and integration. The present study provides an integration and a quantitative review of the rater training literature. A general framework for the evaluation of rater training is presented in terms of four rating training strategies (rater error training, performance dimension training, frame-of-reference training, and behavioural observation training) and four dependent measures (halo, leniency, rating accuracy and observational accuracy). Finally, a meta-analytic review is presented to assess the effectiveness of the rater training strategies across the four dependent measures.
Recommendations for Achieving Accurate Numerical Simulation of Tip Clearance Flows in Transonic Compressor Rotors

The tip clearance flows of transonic compressor rotors are important because they have a significant impact on rotor and stage performance. While numerical simulations of these flows are quite sophisticated. they are seldom verified through rigorous comparisons of numerical and measured data because these kinds of measurements are rare in the detail necessary to be useful in high-speed machines. In this paper we compare measured tip clearance flow details (e.g. trajectory and radial extent) with corresponding data obtained from a numerical simulation. Recommendations for achieving accurate numerical simulation of tip clearance flows are presented based on this comparison. Laser Doppler Velocimeter (LDV) measurements acquired in a transonic compressor rotor, NASA Rotor 35, are used. The tip clearance flow field of this transonic rotor was simulated using a Navier-Stokes turbomachinery solver that incorporates an advanced k-epsilon turbulence model derived for flows that are not in local equilibrium. Comparison between measured and simulated results indicates that simulation accuracy is primarily dependent upon the ability of the numerical code to resolve important details of a wall-bounded shear layer formed by the relative motion between the over-tip leakage flow and the shroud wall. A simple method is presented for determining the strength of this shear layer.
Charles R. Drew: surgeon, scientist, and educator.

The first African-American Surgeon to achieve extensive training in medical research in the modern era was Dr. Charles Drew (1904–1950) who completed a doctoral degree in medical sciences at Columb...
Using the Forest Identity to Grasp and Comprehend the Swelling Mass of Forest Statistics

SUMMARY Valued attributes of forests encourage surveys and inventories of multiple attributes that need quantitative definition and integration followed by comprehensible presentation. The Forest Identity defines the four attributes of expanse, growing stock, biomass and carbon in terms of measurable forest area (A), forest density (D), biomass to growing stock ratio (B), and carbon concentration (C). The Identity connects and integrates them all, logically. Nearly constant C and a B varying fairly regularly with D allow a single synoptic chart to present the four changing attributes in many regions, as examples around the world demonstrate. The Identity simply and transparently audits complex estimates of sequestered carbon. Sensing biomass remotely would transfer the uncertainty of the ratio B from carbon to growing stock inventories. In whatever manner variables are measured, the Identity integrates them into attributes and permits synoptic charts of masses of data.
The Mendelian disorders of the epigenetic machinery

The Mendelian disorders of the epigenetic machinery are genetic disorders that involve disruption of the various components of the epigenetic machinery (writers, erasers, readers, and remodelers) and are thus expected to have widespread downstream epigenetic consequences. Studying this group may offer a unique opportunity to learn about the role of epigenetics in health and disease. Among these patients, neurological dysfunction and, in particular, intellectual disability appears to be a common phenotype; however, this is often seen in association with other more specific features in respective disorders. The specificity of some of the clinical features raises the question whether specific cell types are particularly sensitive to the loss of these factors. Most of these disorders demonstrate dosage sensitivity as loss of a single allele appears to be sufficient to cause the observed phenotypes. Although the pathogenic sequence is unknown for most of these disorders, there are several examples where disrupted expression of downstream target genes accounts for a substantial portion of the phenotype; hence, it may be useful to systematically map such disease-relevant target genes. Finally, two of these disorders (Rubinstein-Taybi and Kabuki syndromes) have shown post-natal rescue of markers of the neurological dysfunction with drugs that lead to histone deacetylase inhibition, indicating that some of these disorders may be treatable causes of intellectual disability.
Adsorption and Desorption of Chlorpyrifos to Soils and Sediments

Although the use of pesticides is as old as agriculture, the advent of synthetic pesticides in the 1940s was one of the most important achievements that spawned the “Green Revolution” (Tilman 1998). Synthetic pesticides, along with the introduction of chemical fertilizers, enabled dramatic increases in agricultural productivity and quality without the need to increase farmland and labor (Seiber and Ragsdale 1999; Cooper and Dobson 2007). Pesticide use reduces the impact of pests on agricultural productivity by about half (Oerke and Dehne 2004; Oerke 2006), and many argue that reduction or cessation of pesticide use would lead to significant crop loss, increased food prices, and lack of food for the world’s growing human population (Fernandez-Cornejo et al. 1998; Ragsdale 1999; Oerke and Dehne 2004; Cooper and Dobson 2007). Moreover, the use of pesticides alleviates food shortages in developing countries, allowing them to grow crops multiple times a year and export produce to developed nations (Ecobichon 2000, 2001; Oerke and Dehne 2004).
Successful/Productive Aging, Responsibility, and Reflection

Successful aging is a central piece of the “new gerontology,” an effort by scholars and others to view aging in a fresh, positive light (Holstein and Minkler 2003; Moody 2005). This new approach must be viewed within its historical and contradictory cultural context (Moody 2002). In the twentieth century, improvements to the public health and social welfare infrastructures, coupled with advances in biomedicine, engendered shifts in the goals of modern medicine. With the increase in life expectancy, chronic health conditions supplanted acute health conditions as the primary threats to health and well-being. To accommodate this shift, healthcare efforts in the twenty-first century were increasingly targeted toward managing quality of life through long-term disease management. The increased prevalence of chronic conditions and the aging of the population are seen as creating tremendous pressure on the healthcare system and society. Indeed, many argue that our social welfare and healthcare infrastructures are not equipped to efficiently handle the burdens of chronic diseases and an aging population (Kovner and Knickman 2011). Recent research suggests that elders consume a relatively large share of healthcare, although they comprise only 13 % of the population in the United States (Stanton 2006). This is in part because they are victim to multiple chronic conditions that are expensive to treat and also because of the medicalization of normal aging processes (Illich 2000; Stanton 2006). Accordingly, curbing healthcare costs of elders is a key focus in the battle for efficient healthcare service delivery.
Regionalism, Ethnic Diversity, and Variation in Public Good Provision by National States:

This article argues that variation in public good provision is determined by the salience of demographic and economic regionalism, conceptualized as the presence of multiple large population centers and distinct economic units within a single country’s borders. Two mechanisms—divergent public good preferences and regional self-sufficiency—underpin this relationship. Evidence of these mechanisms as central to low public good provision is found in case studies of Ecuador and Colombia, two countries that score high on standard measures of ethnic diversity and that saw little public good provision during the first century after independence. A region-wide examination of post-independence South America and an investigation of change over time in Venezuela provide further support for the claim that regionalism affects public good provision. A plausible case for this aspect of geography as a cause of low public good provision poses a challenge to the scholarship attributing it to ethnic diversity.
Analysis of Multithreading in Java for Symbolic Computation on Multicore Processors

In this paper we have described the impact on efficiency of algebraic computation due to multi core systems using java as the programming language. Hence we had taken two machines with different specification having variants of Windows in them and made a comparative analysis taking five different input samples. During this process we came across several aspects on which the computation performance depends upon. In succeeding discussion we have given a vivid description of how these factors show variations when they are blended in different quantities thereby justifying the need of a robust algorithm and a high performance system for efficient computation of mathematical expressions with varying complexities.
Abstract 501: Irregular Distribution and Accumulation of Desmin in Gastrocnemius Myofibers in Association With Abnormal Myofiber Morphology and Impaired Limb Function in a Mouse Model of Chronic, Hindlimb Ischemia

A myopathy characterized by myofiber degeneration and impaired limb function is present in the legs of patients with peripheral artery disease (PAD). A characteristic of myofibers in PAD legs is abnormal distribution and accumulation of desmin, a key protein of the myofiber cytoskeleton. Using a mouse model of chronic hindlimb ischemia, we investigated the effects of chronic inflow arterial occlusion on myofiber morphology and desmin expression in the gastrocnemius, in relation to limb function. Hindlimb ischemia was induced by staged ligation/division of the common femoral and iliac arteries of C57BL/6 mice and muscles were harvested 12 weeks later. Desmin expression was analyzed by quantitative fluorescence microscopy of slide-mounted gastrocnemius specimens and by Western Blot analysis of gastrocnemius lysates of 10 ischemic and 10 control mice. Gastrocnemius myofiber morphometrics were determined by fluorescence microscopy and limb muscle endurance was measured with a RotaRod apparatus. Desmin was significantly increased both in myofibers and in lysates of ischemic muscle compared to control muscle (+35%, p<0.001; +79%, p<0.01 respectively). Increased abundance was associated with a loss of organization of the protein, indicating damage to the cytoskeleton of the ischemic myofibers. These changes in desmin correlated with decreased cross-sectional area and solidity and increased roundness of the myofibers (p<0.01) and reduced limb muscle endurance (p <0.01). Using a mouse model of hindlimb ischemia, we have demonstrated that inflow arterial occlusion, produces a myopathy with abnormal distribution and accumulation of desmin, abnormal myofiber morphology and reduced limb muscle endurance, recapitulating the muscle pathology of PAD patients.
Photoacoustic Tomography: Ultrasonically Beating Optical Diffusion and Diffraction

Photoacoustic tomography (PAT), combining optical and ultrasonic waves via the photoacoustic effect, provides in vivo functional, metabolic, molecular, and histologic imaging. PAT has the unique strength of high-resolution imaging across the length scales of organelles, cells, tissues, organs, and small-animal organisms with consistent contrast. PAT has the potential to empower holistic omniscale biology research and accelerate translation from microscopic laboratory discoveries to macroscopic clinical practice. Broad applications include imaging of the breast, brain, skin, esophagus, colon, vascular system, and lymphatic system in both animals and humans.
Prolonged ventilator dependence: economic and ethical considerations

Patients who receive ventilator treatment tend to be older and sicker than ever before, factors that contribute to the complexity of ventilator weaning. The provision of prolonged ventilator support entails a commitment of expensive hospital resources, yet survival is often poor. Consideration must be given to limiting ventilator treatment in instances when benefit is highly unlikely or when the burdens of treatment outweigh benefits. Decisions to withhold or withdraw mechanical ventilation must be made with full knowledge and understanding of relevant ethical principles. If ventilator support is to be terminated, this should be accomplished according to institutional protocols that take into account these ethical considerations, as well as the medical and legal facts that apply.
Demonstration of a Microscale Heat Exchanger for a Silicon Micro Gas Turbine Engine

The design, fabrication, modeling, and testing of silicon counterflow heat exchanger for use in the MIT micro gas turbine engine is discussed. Although silicon is the preferred material in microfabricated devices, it is not the ideal choice for recuperative heat exchanger applications. Its high thermal conductivity allows heat transfer between opposite ends of the device, reducing the overall effectiveness. Designing and fabricating a heat exchanger that can overcome this behavior poses several challenges that are described herein.