cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characteristics of Fathers in Incest Families

The purpose of this study was to assess whether differences in family functioning and psychological adjustment would be related to a previous history of childhood sexual abuse (CSA) in perpetrators of incest. It was hypothesized that perpetrators with a history of CSA would be more likely to report dysfunctional families of origin, more problems in their current family systems, and more psychological symptoms than nonabused perpetrators. Subjects in this study were 74 acknowledging father/perpetrators referred from community agencies. Results indicated that father/perpetrators with a history of CSA reported significantly more dysfunctional families of origin than nonabused fathers. However, no significant differences were obtained on measures assessing functioning in the family of procreation, personality profiles, or psychological symptoms. Comparisons of the father/perpetrators against norms revealed that the perpetrators differed significantly from the norms in nearly all areas of interest. Thus childh...
Challenges of Medical Education in Nepal

DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jmcjms.v1i1.7878 Janaki Medical College Journal of Medical Sciences (2013) Vol. 1 (1):1-2
The MODY1 gene HNF-4α regulates selected genes involved in insulin secretion

Mutations in the gene encoding hepatocyte nuclear factor-4alpha (HNF-4alpha) result in maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY). To determine the contribution of HNF-4alpha to the maintenance of glucose homeostasis by the beta cell in vivo, we derived a conditional knockout of HNF-4alpha using the Cre-loxP system. Surprisingly, deletion of HNF-4alpha in beta cells resulted in hyperinsulinemia in fasted and fed mice but paradoxically also in impaired glucose tolerance. Islet perifusion and calcium-imaging studies showed abnormal responses of the mutant beta cells to stimulation by glucose and sulfonylureas. These phenotypes can be explained in part by a 60% reduction in expression of the potassium channel subunit Kir6.2. We demonstrate using cotransfection assays that the Kir6.2 gene is a transcriptional target of HNF-4alpha. Our data provide genetic evidence that HNF-4alpha is required in the pancreatic beta cell for regulation of the pathway of insulin secretion dependent on the ATP-dependent potassium channel.
Anti-cancer role of SPARC, an inhibitor of adipogenesis

SPARC (a secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine) has a reputation for being potent anti-cancer and anti-obesity molecule. It is one of the first known matricellular protein that modulates interactions between cells and extracellular matrix (ECM) and is associated with the ‘balance’ of white adipose tissue (WAT) as well as lipogenesis and lipolysis during adipogenesis. Adipogenesis is an indication for the development of obesity and has been related to a wide variety of cancers including breast cancer, endometrial cancer, esophageal cancer, etc. Adipogenesis mainly involves ECM remodeling, changes in cell-ECM interactions, and cytoskeletal rearrangement. SPARC can also prevent hypertrophy of adipocytes and hyperplasia of adipocyte progenitors. In addition to SPARC’s inhibitory role in adipogenesis, it has also been known to be involved in cell cycle, cell proliferation, cell invasion, adhesion, migration, angiogenesis and apoptosis. Molecular cancer biology and clinical biochemistry have significantly enhanced our understanding of the mechanisms that motivate the anti-cancer and anti-obesity action of SPARC. Recent studies elucidating the signaling pathways that are activated by SPARC can help develop the beneficial aspects of SPARC for cancer therapy and obesity prevention. This review focuses on the anti-cancer role of SPARC as it pertains to obesity.
EVIDENCE FOR THE INTERACTION OF AVIAN 3-HYDROXY-3-METHYLGLUTARYL-COA SYNTHASE HISTIDINE 264 WITH ACETOACETYL-COA

Previous work on HMG-CoA synthase has implied the presence of a reactive active site histidine, prompting our examination of the possible function of invariant histidine residues by site-directed mutagenesis. Mutations encoding H197N, H264N/A, and H436N HMG-CoA synthases were constructed, and the mutant enzymes were overexpressed in Escherichia coli BL21(DE3). Kinetic characterization of the isolated synthase variants indicates that, while H197N and H436N enzymes behave similarly to wild-type synthase, H264N and H264A synthases exhibit significant differences. Although the k(m) for acetyl-CoA is not substantially altered, H264N/A synthases catalyze production of HMG-CoA at a diminished (approximately 25-fold slower) rate. In contrast, H264N/A synthases can efficiently catalyze the acetyl-CoA hydrolysis partial reaction exhibiting a k(m) for acetyl-CoA that, again, approximates the value obtained with the wild-type enzyme. These mutants also retain the ability to form significant levels of the acetyl-S-enzyme reaction intermediate. The functional catalysis of partial reactions argues that the H264 mutant proteins retain substantial structural integrity. In this context, it appears significant that the H264N/A synthases exhibit a approximately 100-fold increase in the k(m) for acetoacetyl-CoA. In order to test whether the two orders of magnitude effect may be largely attributed to a decreased affinity of acetoacetyl-CoA for these enzymes and, more specifically, whether H264 interacts with the carbonyl oxygen of acetoacetyl-CoA's thioester, turnover of S-(3-oxobutyl)-CoA, a thioether analog of acetoacetyl-CoA, was investigated. This alternative substrate, in which a methylene group replaces the thioester carbonyl, is utilized by wild-type synthase with an apparent Vmax that is approximately 100-fold lower and an apparent k(m) that is 25-fold higher than the values obtained using the physiological substrate, acetoacetyl-CoA. H264A synthase also catalyzes the turnover of S-(3-oxobutyl)-CoA; the diminution in rate supported by the alternative substrate is comparable in magnitude to the effect observed for wild-type enzyme. In contrast, H264A exhibits comparable apparent k(m) values for S-(3-oxobutyl)-CoA and acetoacetyl-CoA. Thus, unlike wild-type synthase, there is no penalty in terms of efficiency of H264A saturation when the alternative thioether substrate replaces the physiological substrate. These data suggest that the imidazole of H264 in avian enzyme may play a role in anchoring the second substrate, acetoacetyl-CoA, by interacting with the carbonyl oxygen of the thioester functionality.
Higher plant responses to environmental nitrate

Nitrate is the most common N source used by higher plants and is the ‘substrate inducer’ of nitrate and nitrite reductase activities. However, environmental nitrate also has other effects on higher plants, which include the induction of a high affinity nitrate transport system. changes in root morphology, and increased root respiration. Nitrate induces nitrate and nitrite reductase activities by altering gene expression, mainly by enhancing transcription of the respective genes. We have begun to view these responses of higher plant tissues to environmental nitrate in the context of a model for signal transduction. In our model, nitrate is a signal for developmental changes in the physiology of the plant, which are expressed in a hierarchy. The primary responses include induction of genes for nitrate and nitrite reductases, nitrate uptake and translocation systems, and DNA regulatory proteins required for expression of the secondary response gene systems. The secondary responses include more complex phenomena such as proliferation of the root system, enhancement of respiration and other changes in the physiology of the plant.
Influence of microstructure on strain-controlled fatigue and fracture behavior of ultra high strength alloy steel AerMet 100

In this paper, the results of a study aimed at understanding the specific role of microstructure on cyclic stress response, cyclic strain resistance, and cyclic stress versus strain response, deformation and fracture behavior of high strength alloy steel AerMet® 100 is presented and discussed. The cyclic strain amplitude-controlled fatigue properties of this ultra-high strength alloy steel revealed a linear trend for the variation of log elastic strain amplitude with log reversals-to-failure, and log plastic strain amplitude with log reversals-to-failure. Cyclic stress response revealed a combination of initial hardening for the first few cycles followed by stability for large portion of fatigue life before culminating in rapid softening to failure at the lower cyclic strain amplitudes and intermediate cyclic strain amplitudes and resultant enhanced cyclic fatigue life. Fracture characteristics of test specimens of this high strength alloy steel were different at both the macroscopic and fine microscopic levels over the entire range of cyclic strain amplitudes examined. Both macroscopic and fine microscopic observations revealed fracture to be essentially ductile with features reminiscent of locally occurring ductile mechanisms. The intrinsic microscopic mechanisms governing stress response, deformation characteristics, fatigue life and final fracture behavior are presented and discussed in light of the competing and mutually interactive influences of intrinsic microstructural effects, deformation characteristics of the microstructural constituents, cyclic strain amplitude and concomitant response stress.
Low dark count rate 4H-SiC Geiger mode avalanche photodiodes operated under gated quenching at 325nm

The detection of light at ultraviolet (UV) wavelengths is important for many military, medical and environmental applications. Applications such as biological agent detection and non-line-of-sight communications require the detection of scattered UV light. Currently, photomultiplier tubes operated as single photon counters are used to detect these low light levels, but they have many unfavorable characteristics for such applications. SiC based avalanche photodiodes (APDs) operated in Geiger mode could potentially meet the needs of these applications. Our first results, using SiC Geiger mode single photon counting avalanche photodiodes (SPADs), showed prohibitively high dark counts, due to a large tunneling current component in the multiplied dark current. Here we show the results of two p-i-n structures with 260μm and 480μm i-regions, which reduced the primary dark current by two orders of magnitude, operated under gated quenching conditions at 325nm. The lower dark current resulted in a dark count rate of 28kHz at 3.6% single photon detection efficiency (SPDE) in a 100μm diameter device. This is a three order reduction in the dark count rate over our previous results using a p-n junction SPAD.
Evidence for the existence of different uptake mechanisms in soybean and sorghum for iron and manganese

Abstract A greenhouse experiment was conducted in which four varieties of soybean (Glycine max L.) and three varieties of sorghum (Sorghum bicolor L. Moench) were grown in a calcareous soil with and without soil applied FeEDDHA (0 and 2 mg Fe/kg soil). Soil applications of FeEDDHA increased Fe concentrations and reduced Mn concentrations in all varieties of soybean and eliminated Mn toxicity symptoms in Corsoy soybeans. Soil applications of FeEDDHA did not increase Fe uptake or affect Mn uptake into sorghum leaves. This study tends to support the hypothesis that there are distinct plant mechanisms between dicots and graminaceous species for the uptake of Fe, and that these mechanisms have a direct effect on Mn availability for plant uptake.
Influence of fiber optic probe geometry on the origin of detected fluorescnece: experimental validation of computational results

Prior computational investigations indicate that the origin of signals detected during fluorescence spectroscopy is highly dependent on illumination-collection geometry. The present study was undertaken to provide experimental validation of trends noted in these prior studies. Two-layered tissue phantoms were constructed using agarose gels doped with Intralipid and either Fluorescein or Rhodamine to achieve biologically relevant levels of scattering and easily measurable levels of fluorescence. The effect of fiber diameter, fiber-sample spacing, and fiber-fiber spacing were investigated using single and multi-fiber probes. Increases in diameter and fiber-sample spacing for single fiber probes resulted in improved detection of the deeper fluorophore layer, as did an increase in illumination-collection fiber spacing in multi-fiber probes. As multi-fiber probe-sample spacing was increased, an increase in relative contribution from the superficial layer, followed by a subsequent reversal of this trend, was measured. Each of these results is in qualitative agreement with prior simulations, thus providing further evidence of the utility of numerical modeling as a tool for elucidating light-tissue interactions and device design. Furthermore, the trends noted here have the potential to form the basis of systems which determine the distribution of tissue fluorophores and/or target specific tissue layers, thus leading to improvements in the efficacy of optical diagnostics.
Hagfors' law revisited

Hagfors' scattering law, σ H (θ), is in wide use in connection with the study of backscatter data from planetary surfaces because it provides good agreement with a variety of observations. The surface root-mean-square slope inferred on the basis of σ H (θ) is customarily taken as C -1/2 , where C is the shape parameter in σ H (θ). The relationship between the surface slope and C is indefinite, however, because of the indeterminateness of the surface scales contributing to the scattering process. Moreover, the horizontal scale of the inferred slope obtained is not specified. As a consequence of limitations in the Kirchhoff approximation on which it is predicated, σ H (θ) does not conserve energy. The use of a fractional Brownian fractal surface model leads to a scattering law with the same functional form as σ H (θ) when the Hurst exponent characterizing the fractal model is 1/2. Fractal-based scattering laws, derived by applying the Kirchhoff approximation, suffer the same deficiency with regard to conservation of energy. In contrast to σ H (θ), slope information for fractal-based laws is explicit with respect to horizontal scale. Both σ H (θ) and fractal-based laws require that the illuminated surface area exceeds a certain value, which is a function of the electromagnetic wavelength and surface parameters, in order to reduce the surface radar cross section overestimation error, introduced by a mathematical approximation, below some specified value. This requirement may be necessary to take into account in experiments where the radar resolution cells are comparable in size to the wavelength, such as in Mars Advanced Radar for Subsurface and Ionosphere Sounding (MARSIS).
A Dynamic Execution Model Applied to Distributed Collision Detection

The end of Dennard scaling and the looming Exascale challenges of efficiency, reliability, and scalability are driving a shift in programming methodologies away from conventional practices towards dynamic runtimes and asynchronous, data driven execution. Since Exascale machines are not yet available, however, experimental runtime systems and application co-design can expose application-specific overhead and scalability concerns at extreme scale, while also investigating the execution model defined by the runtime system itself. Such results may also contribute to the development of effective Exascale hardware. This work presents a case study evaluating a dynamic, Exascale-inspired execution model and its associated experimental runtime system consisting of lightweight concurrent threads with dynamic management in the context of a global address space examining the problem of mesh collision detection. This type of problem constitutes an essential component of many CAD systems and industrial crash applications. The core of the algorithm depends upon determining if two triangles intersect in three dimensions for large meshes. The resulting collision detection algorithm exploits distributed memory to enable extremely large mesh simulation and is shown to be scalable thereby lending support to the execution strategy.
Find your own way: entrepreneurship course development, strategic fit, and the problems of benchmarking

The growth of entrepreneurship education is rising internationally and may have already reached a level of maturity in the USA. Despite the increase in the number of courses offered, programmes created, and degrees granted, scholarship that researches entrepreneurship education suggests that problems still run deep regarding the content that is being taught. Despite a few decades worth of research there are conflicting results and many questions regarding what we should teach and how we should teach it. In this article I examine the extant literature and suggest a thesis for why our research continues to show these conflicting outcomes. I then suggest that instructors and curriculum developers need to examine entrepreneurship education research not from a collective perspective but from their own individual view. Finally, I provide a matrix of metrics that allows all stakeholders to make appropriate and strategic choices regarding the types of courses and programmes they want to develop.
DNA Polymerase Fidelity: From Genetics Toward a Biochemical Understanding

This review summarizes mutagenesis studies, emphasizing the use of bacteriophage T4 mutator and antimutator strains. Early genetic studies on T4 identified mutator and antimutator variants of DNA polymerase that, in turn, stimulated the development of model systems for the study of DNA polymerase fidelity in vitro. Later enzymatic studies using purified T4 mutator and antimutator polymerases were essential in elucidating mechanisms of base selection and exonuclease proofreading. In both cases, the base analogue 2-aminopurine (2AP) proved tremendously useful—first as a mutagen in vivo and then as a probe of DNA polymerase fidelity in vitro. Investigations into mechanisms of DNA polymerase fidelity inspired theoretical models that, in turn, called for kinetic and thermodynamic analyses. Thus, the field of DNA synthesis fidelity has grown from many directions: genetics, enzymology, kinetics, physical biochemistry, and thermodynamics, and today the interplay continues. The relative contributions of hydrogen bonding and base stacking to the accuracy of DNA synthesis are beginning to be deciphered. For the future, the main challenges lie in understanding the origins of mutational hot and cold spots.
Heterogeneity controls on mass transport in the subsurface environment

In recent developments the Lagrangian-based theory for the dispersion of solute plumes in the subsurface has been linked to quantifiable physical attributes of hierarchical stratal architecture in aquifer sediments. The contributions of each level (scale) of the stratal hierarchy can be separately identified and studied within an analytical framework. This facilitates an understanding of which scales are most relevant to explaining contaminant dispersion and therefore are most important to characterize.
Fundamentals of ECE: A Rigorous, Integrated Introduction to Electrical and Computer Engineering

The Electrical and Computer Engineering (ECE) Department at Duke University, Durham, NC, is undergoing extensive curriculum revisions that incorporate novel content, organization, and teaching methods. The cornerstone of the new curriculum is a theme-based introductory course, fundamentals of ECE. To introduce students to the major areas of ECE in their first year of study, this course is organized around three concepts: 1) how to interface with the physical world; 2) how to transmit energy and information; and 3) how to extract, interpret, and analyze information. To provide insight and motivation, the course is designed to introduce multiple areas of ECE, emphasizing how they are interrelated and how they contribute to the design and functioning of real-world applications. Also, the course must engage its students, many of whom are evaluating ECE as a prospective major and career. To achieve these goals, the course adopts a unifying theme, tightly couples lecture and laboratory exercises, and includes a laboratory experience that emphasizes design, integration, and real applications. The interactive classroom content and laboratory exercises are developed iteratively so that each course component supports the other, rather than one being dominant and driving the other. As the context focus of the laboratory, a robotic platform enables the exploration of a broad range of ECE concepts, both independently and integrated into an entire system. For their final design project, students form small groups, which in turn combine into larger teams, to create robots that work together to overcome realistic challenges. This paper describes the curricular objectives and key course elements that guide course development, the resulting content and structure of the course, and the assessment data that indicate successful achievement of the curricular goals.
Stereo video coding based on interpolated motion and disparity estimation

In this paper, a new optimised method of coding stereoscopic image sequences is presented and compared with already known methods. Two basic methods of coding a stereoscopic image sequence are the compatible and joint. The first one uses MPEC for coding the left channel and takes advantage of the spatial disparity redundancy between the two sequences for coding the right channel. The second one employs MPEG for coding the left channel but takes advantage of both temporal redundancy among the right channel frames and spatial redundancy between the corresponding frames of the two channels The proposed method, which is called IMDE, estimates the P and B type of frames of the right channel by an interpolative scheme that takes in to account both the temporal and disparity characteristics. Investigating the effectiveness of the joint motion and disparity vectors estimation as well as the choice of the weighting factors that participate in the proposed interpolative scheme optimises the whole framework.
Thin film low inductance decoupling device for high speed digital circuits

This paper describes a thin film low inductance decoupling device (TLD), developed for high speed digital circuits. The increasingly faster edge rates of today's high speed digital devices require high-performance decoupling capacitors to supply sufficient instantaneous local current, very low inductance, and low impedance at high frequencies. The TLD uses multi layered dielectric layers to achieve high capacitance and fine-pitch BGA terminals to achieve low inductance. Using a numerical implementation of the partial element equivalent circuit method to design the electrodes and terminals, and using a sputtering process to generate dielectric layers, (Ba,Sr)TiOx (k=700), capacitance and inductance values of 0.33 /spl mu/F (6.6 /spl mu/F/cm/sup 2/) and under 20 pH (1 pH/spl times/cm/sup 2/), respectively, were achieved.
Use of Ursodeoxycholic Acid in Patients with Liver Disease

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA), the 7beta-epimer of chenodeoxycholic acid, has multiple hepatoprotective activities. UDCA modifies the bile acid pool, decreasing levels of endogenous, hydrophobic bile acids while increasing the proportion of nontoxic hydrophilic bile acids. UDCA has a choleretic effect, increasing hepatocellular bile acid excretion, as well as cytoprotective, antiapoptotic, and immunomodulatory properties. UDCA has been shown to delay development of gastroesophageal varices and progression to cirrhosis as well as to improve long-term survival in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis. Significant improvement of abnormal liver tests may be achieved during UDCA therapy in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, cystic fibrosis-associated liver disease, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, graft-versus-host disease of the liver, total parenteral nutrition-induced cholestasis, and in some pediatric cholestatic liver diseases. However, unlike the effects of UDCA in primary biliary cirrhosis, the long-term effects of UDCA in disease progression and survival in these other conditions remain to be established.
Correlated responses of health cost to selection for milk yield in Jerseys.

Abstract Health data were analyzed for 567 Jersey cows resulting from direct selection for milk yield and 193 cows in a control line. Controls were daughters of bulls selected randomly from commercial AI sampling programs in 1967. Health costs were expenses due to drugs, labor, and veterinary charges. Health expenditures were for mammary care, locomotion, respiration, reproduction, digestion, and other. Costs were summed across lactation for each cow and discounted back to year of birth at a rate of 3%. The linear model included effects of year-season of freshening, parity, line, sire within line, and lactation length. Selection cows had significantly higher health costs, and the differences between lines were mainly due to higher costs for mammary care. Differences between lines for individual categories were not significant but tended to be higher for selection cows. Parity, year and season, and stage of lactation were important nongenetic sources of variation for health costs. Costs were greatest for third and later parities, and during the first 30 d of lactation for all cows. Results indicate that health costs increased with selection for milk yield. More intensive management of cows in early lactation and later parities may decrease health expense.
Development of a hydrogen and deuterium polarized gas target for application in storage rings

The exploration of spin degrees of freedom in nuclear and high-energy interactions requires the use of spin-polarized projectiles and/or spin-polarized targets. During the last two decades, the use of external beams from cyclotrons has to a large extent been supplanted by use of circulating beams stored in storage rings. In these experiments, the circulating particles pass millions of times through targets internal to the ring. Thus the targets need to be very thin to avoid beam loss by scattering out of the acceptance aperture of the ring.
Performance of pulse-position modulation on measured non-directed indoor infrared channels

We examine the performance of pulse-position modulation (PPM) on measured channels with intersymbol interference (ISI). We summarize the bit-error-rate performance of unequalized systems and review the performance of maximum-likelihood sequence detection (MLSD) for PPM over ISI channels with additive white Gaussian noise. We evaluate the performance of PPM links over 46 experimentally measured indoor infrared channels. Detailed results are presented for 2, 4, 8, and 16-PPM at bit rates of 10 Mb/s and 30 Mb/s, and these techniques are compared to on-off keying. Our results show that when MLSD is employed, 16-PPM provides the best average-power efficiency among the modulation techniques considered in this study.
Geographic variation in sexual selection and implications for speciation in the Barn Swallow

Barn Swallows (Hirundo rustica), a group of passerine birds comprised of six closely related subspecies, are well known throughout their nearly worldwide distribution, in part because of their close association with human settlements. A tractable species for both individual-based and population-level studies, Barn Swallows are a prominent model system in evolutionary, ecological, and behavioral research. Here we review work on sexual selection and population divergence in this species complex, focusing on comparative studies among populations and subspecies. We summarize variation in the targets of mate choice and in the information conveyed by sexually selected traits, and conclude that the benefits advertised by different traits may vary geographically. Finally, we consider the role of sexual selection as a driver of population divergence in this widespread and phenotypically variable species complex.
Phase III Multicenter Placebo-Controlled Study of Tamsulosin in Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia

Abstract Objectives. To evaluate the efficacy and safety of two once-daily doses of tamsulosin, the first selective alpha 1A -antagonist studied in clinical trials. Methods. Patients with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were randomized to receive either tamsulosin (0.4 and 0.8 mg/day) or placebo (n = 756). Primary efficacy parameters were improvement in the total American Urological Association (AUA) symptom score and peak urinary flow (Qmax). Secondary efficacy parameters were improvement in measurements at individual double-blind visits corresponding to the primary efficacy parameters; percentage of patients with a 3-mL/s increase in Qmax; total AUA irritative, obstructive, and bother scores; individual AUA symptom scores; total, irritative, obstructive, and individual Boyarsky symptom scores; average urinary flow rate and other uroflowmetric parameters; and investigator's global assessment. Results. Statistically significant improvements in all efficacy parameters were observed in tamsulosin-treated compared with placebo-treated patients. Additionally, the 0.4-mg/day dose demonstrated a rapid onset of action (4 to 8 hours) based on Qmax after the first dose of double-blind medication. A review of the safety parameters demonstrated excellent tolerance at 1 week after the initial 0.4-mg/day dose and continued tolerance during the additional 12 weeks of 0.4- and 0.8-mg/day dosing. The incidence of positive orthostatic test results in the tamsulosin groups was comparable to that observed in the placebo group. Adverse events were comparable in the 0.4-mg/day tamsulosin and placebo groups and were somewhat higher in the 0.8-mg/day tamsulosin group. Conclusions. Tamsulosin was effective, safe, and well tolerated in the target BPH population at both the 0.4- and 0.8-mg/day dose levels, without the blood pressure-lowering effects typical of nonselective alpha-adrenergic antagonists.
Unprecedented activation and CO2 capture properties of an elastic single-molecule trap

The activation and CO2 capture properties of a microporous metal–organic framework with elastic single-molecule traps were systematically investigated. This material shows a unique low-energy gas-purge activation capability, high CO2 adsorption selectivities over various gases and optimized working capacities per energy of 2.9 mmol kJ−1 at 128 °C.
A case study: TCP/IP/CMOS kernel conversion to the iRMX operating system

Research work on transferring a multitasking communication protocol implementation from one operating system to another is presented. The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) and Internet Protocol (IP) of the Defense Data Network (DDN) were chosen for study. The case study of TCP/IP/CMOS to TCP/IP/iRMX conversion is considered; which Mitre's multitasking TCP/IP implementation is converted from the CMOS environment to the Intel iRMX operating system using top-down design, bottom-up layered, modular implementation and testing. A kernel based on the iRMX Nucleus System Calls was written to replace the CMOS multitasking functions. With this kernel and minimum modification of the TCP/IP code, a multitasking TCP/IP/iRMX code runs successfully on the Intel 310 iRMX system using a small computer. >
Adeno-associated virus vector carrying human minidystrophin genes effectively ameliorates muscular dystrophy in mdx mouse model

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common and lethal genetic muscle disorder, caused by recessive mutations in the dystrophin gene. One of every 3,500 males suffers from DMD, yet no treatment is currently available. Genetic therapeutic approaches, using primarily myoblast transplantation and adenovirus-mediated gene transfer, have met with limited success. Adeno-associated virus (AAV) vectors, although proven superior for muscle gene transfer, are too small (5 kb) to package the 14-kb dystrophin cDNA. Here we have created a series of minidystrophin genes (<4.2 kb) under the control of a muscle-specific promoter that readily package into AAV vectors. When injected into the muscle of mdx mice (a DMD model), two of the minigenes resulted in efficient and stable expression in a majority of the myofibers, restoring the missing dystrophin and dystrophin-associated protein complexes onto the plasma membrane. More importantly, this AAV treatment ameliorated dystrophic pathology in mdx muscle and led to normal myofiber morphology, histology, and cell membrane integrity. Thus, we have defined minimal functional dystrophin units and demonstrated the effectiveness of using AAV to deliver the minigenes in vivo, offering a promising avenue for DMD gene therapy.
Rocuronium vs. Succinylcholine in the Emergency Department: A Critical Appraisal

Abstract Background: Two methods of paralysis are available for rapid sequence intubation (RSI) in the emergency department (ED): depolarizing agents such as succinylcholine, and non-depolarizing drugs such as rocuronium. Rocuronium is a useful alternative when succinylcholine is contraindicated. Contraindications to succinylcholine include allergy, history of malignant hyperthermia, denervation syndromes, and patients who are 24–48 h post burn or crush injury. Non-depolarizing drugs have the advantage of causing less pain due to post-paralysis myalgias. Clinical Question: Can rocuronium replace succinylcholine as the paralytic of choice for RSI in the ED? Evidence Review: Four relevant studies were selected from an evidence search and a structured review performed. Results: For the outcomes of clinically acceptable intubation conditions and time to onset, the two agents were not statistically significantly different. Succinylcholine seems to produce conditions that have higher satisfaction scores. Conclusion: Succinylcholine remains the drug of choice for ED RSI unless there is a contraindication to its usage.
The incremental design process for power electronic building blocks

A key concept behind the power electronic building block (PEBB) is the use of standard building blocks to reduce the complexity associated with design of a power electronic system. But designing the PEBB modules that others will subsequently use requires a sophisticated process that supports incremental design procedures. We describe here how the PEBB design process, and application of PEBBs in systems, is facilitated by the virtual test bed software through a number of specific features. The process is illustrated with the help of an application example that best exploits some of these VTB capabilities. An important aspect of this is an original approach to load flow simulation.
Feedback control of regulatory T cell homeostasis by dendritic cells in vivo

CD4+CD25+Foxp3+ natural regulatory T cells (T reg cells) maintain self-tolerance and suppress autoimmune diseases such as type 1 diabetes and inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). In addition to their effects on T cells, T reg cells are essential for maintaining normal numbers of dendritic cells (DCs): when T reg cells are depleted, there is a compensatory Flt3-dependent increase in DCs. However, little is known about how T reg cell homeostasis is maintained in vivo. We demonstrate the existence of a feedback regulatory loop between DCs and T reg cells. We find that loss of DCs leads to a loss of T reg cells, and that the remaining T reg cells exhibit decreased Foxp3 expression. The DC-dependent loss in T reg cells leads to an increase in the number of T cells producing inflammatory cytokines, such as interferon γ and interleukin 17. Conversely, increasing the number of DCs leads to increased T reg cell division and accumulation by a mechanism that requires major histocompatibility complex II expression on DCs. The increase in T reg cells induced by DC expansion is sufficient to prevent type 1 autoimmune diabetes and IBD, which suggests that interference with this feedback loop will create new opportunities for immune-based therapies.
Biomechanical model calculation of muscle contraction forces: a double linear programming method

This paper presents a novel scheme for the use of linear programming to calculate muscle contraction forces in models describing musculoskeletal system biomechanics. Models of this kind are frequently found in the biomechanics literature. In most cases they involve muscle contraction force calculations that are statically indeterminate, and hence use optimization techniques to make those calculations. We present a linear programming optimization technique that solves a two-objective problem with two sequential linear programs. We use the technique here to minimize muscle intensity and joint compression force, since those are commonly used objectives. The two linear program model has the advantages of low computation cost, ready implementation on a micro-computer, and stable solutions. We show how to solve the model analytically in simple cases. We also discuss the use of the dual problem of linear programming to gain understanding of the solution it provides.
Adaptive output tracking of inherently nonlinear systems with nonlinear parameterization

We address the problem of output tracking for a class of nonlinearly parameterized systems with unstabilizable linearization. To achieve practical output tracking globally in the case when both the bound of reference signals and the bound of unknown time-varying parameters are not known a priori, we present a robust adaptive control method that is based on the idea of universal control combined with the new adaptive feedback design method developed recently for controlling uncertain systems with nonlinear parameterization. Continuous adaptive tracking controllers are explicitly constructed in this paper. The proposed adaptive tracking controllers use only the information of a prescribed reference signal but not its derivatives, nor its bound.
Clinical applications of recasting : review and theory:

Recasts have been shown to be successful in promoting the language development of normal children. A RECAST is a discourse adjustment through which basic semantic information is retained while synt...
A systematic review of the quality of homeopathic clinical trials

While a number of reviews of homeopathic clinical trials have been done, all have used methods dependent on allopathic diagnostic classifications foreign to homeopathic practice. In addition, no review has used established and validated quality criteria allowing direct comparison of the allopathic and homeopathic literature. In a systematic review, we compared the quality of clinical-trial research in homeopathy to a sample of research on conventional therapies using a validated and system-neutral approach. All clinical trials on homeopathic treatments with parallel treatment groups published between 1945–1995 in English were selected. All were evaluated with an established set of 33 validity criteria previously validated on a broad range of health interventions across differing medical systems. Criteria covered statistical conclusion, internal, construct and external validity. Reliability of criteria application is greater than 0.95. 59 studies met the inclusion criteria. Of these, 79% were from peer-reviewed journals, 29% used a placebo control, 51% used random assignment, and 86% failed to consider potentially confounding variables. The main validity problems were in measurement where 96% did not report the proportion of subjects screened, and 64% did not report attrition rate. 17% of subjects dropped out in studies where this was reported. There was practically no replication of or overlap in the conditions studied and most studies were relatively small and done at a single-site. Compared to research on conventional therapies the overall quality of studies in homeopathy was worse and only slightly improved in more recent years. Clinical homeopathic research is clearly in its infancy with most studies using poor sampling and measurement techniques, few subjects, single sites and no replication. Many of these problems are correctable even within a "holistic" paradigm given sufficient research expertise, support and methods.
Polysemy in Sentence Comprehension: Effects of Meaning Dominance.

Words like church are polysemous, having two related senses (a building and an organization). Three experiments investigated how polysemous senses are represented and processed during sentence comprehension. On one view, readers retrieve an underspecified, core meaning, which is later specified more fully with contextual information. On another view, readers retrieve one or more specific senses. In a reading task, context that was neutral or biased towards a particular sense preceded a polysemous word. Disambiguating material consistent with only one sense followed, in a second sentence (Experiment 1) or the same sentence (Experiments 2 and 3). Reading the disambiguating material was faster when it was consistent with that context, and dominant senses were committed to more strongly than subordinate senses. Critically, following neutral context, the continuation was read more quickly when it selected the dominant sense, and the degree of sense dominance partially explained the reading time advantage. Similarity of the senses also affected reading times. Across experiments, we found that sense selection may not be completed immediately following a polysemous word but is completed at a sentence boundary. Overall, the results suggest that readers select an individual sense when reading a polysemous word, rather than a core meaning.
Context-Dependent Remodeling of Rad51–DNA Complexes by Srs2 Is Mediated by a Specific Protein–Protein Interaction

Abstract The yeast Srs2 helicase removes Rad51 nucleoprotein filaments from single-stranded DNA (ssDNA), preventing DNA strand invasion and exchange by homologous recombination. This activity requires a physical interaction between Srs2 and Rad51, which stimulates ATP turnover in the Rad51 nucleoprotein filament and causes dissociation of Rad51 from ssDNA. Srs2 also possesses a DNA unwinding activity and here we show that assembly of more than one Srs2 molecule on the 3′ ssDNA overhang is required to initiate DNA unwinding. When Rad51 is bound on the double-stranded DNA, its interaction with Srs2 blocks the helicase (DNA unwinding) activity of Srs2. Thus, in different DNA contexts, the physical interaction of Rad51 with Srs2 can either stimulate or inhibit the remodeling functions of Srs2, providing a means for tailoring DNA strand exchange activities to enhance the fidelity of recombination.
Cost of Small Water Supply Treatment Systems

Many of the major problems associated with implementing the Safe Drinking Water Act are related to small water systems. These problems include, but are not limited to, inadequate facilities, inadequate operation and maintenance, inadequate water quality monitoring, and contaminant level violations. Many of these problems can be traced to a lack of appropriate technology for treating water sources. Various treatment techniques, including package plants, are explored, and their costs are evaluated.
The Disengagement of Indonesian Jihadists: Understanding the Pathways

While much research has been conducted on the radicalization of Muslim militants from Jemaah Islamiyah, its spinoffs, and splinter factions; the historical roots of Indonesian radical movements; and their ideological underpinnings, far less analysis has centered on how and why individual militants may come to disengage from violence. Disengagement is defined as a gradual process through which a member of a terror group, radical movement, gang, or cult comes to reject the use of terror methods in pursuit of their goals. Utilizing original fieldwork conducted between 2010 and 2014, with fifty current and former members of Islamist extremist groups in Indonesia, this article will unpack the patterns, pathways, religious considerations, and psychological processes that propel individual militants to turn away from violence.
Weight changes after total hip or knee arthroplasty: Prevalence, predictors, and effects on outcomes

Background: Conflicting evidence exists with regard to weight loss after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. The purposes of this study were to determine whether patients lose weight after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty, whether there are predictors of weight change after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty, and whether weight changes after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty affect patient-reported outcomes. Methods: Using our institutional registry, we evaluated the two-year change in self-reported body mass indices for all patients who underwent elective, unilateral total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty for osteoarthritis. A 5% change in body mass index was considered clinically meaningful. Patient-reported outcomes were compared between patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty and those who underwent total knee arthroplasty and between obesity classes, on the basis of whether patients gained, lost, or maintained weight. Results: We reviewed 3893 total hip arthroplasties and 3036 total knee arthroplasties. Of the patients who underwent total joint arthroplasty, 73% (2850 patients) in the total hip arthroplasty group and 69% (2090 patients) in the total knee arthroplasty group demonstrated no change in body mass index. Patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty were more likely to lose weight than patients who underwent total hip arthroplasty. Increasing preoperative obesity correlated with a greater likelihood of weight loss. Patients who underwent total knee arthroplasty and lost weight demonstrated better clinical outcome scores, but weight gain in general was associated with inferior clinical outcomes. Greater body mass index, total knee arthroplasty, and female sex were significant predictors of weight loss (p < 0.05). Better preoperative functional status was significantly associated with a lower likelihood of weight gain (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Most patients maintained their body mass index after total hip arthroplasty or total knee arthroplasty. Female patients, patients with higher preoperative body mass index, and those who underwent total knee arthroplasty were more likely to lose weight after surgery. Level of Evidence: Prognostic Level IV. See Instructions for Authors for a complete description of levels of evidence.
Transesophageal echocardiography: usefulness increasing

This dramatic cardiac imaging technique is proving valuable in the operating room and the intensive care unit, as well as in the echocardiography laboratory.
Involuntary symbol manipulation (Pig Latin) from external control: Implications for thought suppression

In ironic processing, one is more likely to think about something (e.g., white bears) when instructed to not think about that thing. Entry into consciousness of such content may be automatic, reflecting the 'encapsulated' nature of the generation of conscious contents. Based on this research, the Reflexive Imagery Task (RIT) reveals that, following the activation of action sets, conscious contents can arise involuntarily and systematically in response to external stimuli. In the most basic version of this paradigm, participants are presented with visual objects and instructed to not think of the names of the objects, which is challenging. Here, we addressed one criticism of the RIT-that the effect arises only for automatic processes (e.g., forms of cued-memory retrieval) and not for more complex processes (e.g., symbol manipulation). Participants were first trained to perform a word-manipulation task similar to the game of Pig Latin (e.g., "CAR" becomes "AR-CAY"). Such a task involves complex symbol manipulations that are associated with processes in frontal cortex. After training, participants were instructed to not transform stimulus words in this way. The RIT effect still arose under these conditions. This striking finding is relevant to theories of cognitive control, psychopathology, and conscious/unconscious processing.
Administrators’ Perspectives on Successful Interstate Collaboration: The Drug Effectiveness Review Project

Governance increasingly relies on intergovernmental and intersectoral collaboration in providing public services. This research reports perceptions of state representatives to the multistate collab...