cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
SU-GG-T-221: Using PTW Seven29 Ion Chamber Array for HDR Source Acceptance and for HDR Brachytherapy Treatment Planning System QA

Purpose: To investigate feasibility of using the PTW ion chamber array for verification of consistency of HDR sources in terms of 3D dose distribution at source exchanges, as well as for comparing dose distributions generated by a treatment planning system with measurement.Method and Materials: A PTW seven29 ion chamber array was used to measure 2D dose distributions in a solid water phantom produced by GammaMed Plus Ir‐192 source at a single dwell position. The measurements were done in the longitudinal and transverse direction to the HDR applicator and at several depths. Measureddose distributions were analyzed using the PTW VeriSoft program. A BrachyVision TPS calculations were then compared with the measured data. Results: Comparisons of relative transverse and longitudinal profiles at the depth of 1.65 cm for a single dwell position showed a 3% agreement for all data points except for the two most proximal points, where the discrepancy was about 15%. This comparison for the depth of 2.65 cm showed a 5% agreement at all points. Dosemeasured with PTW array showed a linear response with dwell time. Conclusion: These preliminary results showed that PTW 729 array can be used to measure 3D dose distributions in a solid water phantom for commercial HDR source. These dose distributions then can be used to establish a baseline for source radial and angular profiles and verified at the source exchanges to ensure consistency in the Ir‐192 source manufacturing. A 3D dose distribution generated by an HDR planning system for a single dwell position may be compared with the corresponding seven29 array measurements at the time of TPS commissioning to experimentally confirm the TPS dose model.
Total and Individual Amino Acids in Strained Ruminal Liquor from Cows Fed Graded Amounts of Urea

Total and individual amino acids were determined in samples of strained ruminal liquor from an experiment in which cows were fed a low protein, high concentrate diet supplemented with graded amounts of urea to elicit a range of ruminal ammonia concentrations. Total amino acids plateaued beyond 2% crude protein from urea and 6.5 mM ruminal ammonia. There was a negative quadratic relationship between concentrations of total amino acids and ammonia with total amino acids maximized at 16.2 mM ammonia. Individual amino acids followed trends similar to that of total amino acids, increasing with dietary urea and ruminal ammonia before plateauing or declining slightly. Contribution to the animal's amino acid requirements from passage of free amino acids in strained ruminal liquor were estimated for three essential amino acids. Based on mean concentration in strained ruminal liquor, liquid turnover rates, and requirements for gain, 7, 16, and 12% of the requirements for methonine, lysine, and threonine may be contributed from passage of ruminal free amino acids.
The systemic nature of the construction industry

Abstract This paper addresses the ‘know why’ we build by looking first at the systemic nature and complexity that informs the construction industry's current paradigm. An objective of this paper is to present how the construction industry's reigning paradigm is driven by an obfuscating manufacturing—industrial—engineering mindset. Under the NAICS (North American Industry Classification System of the US Census Bureau), the construction industry is listed in the service sector of the economy under section 23 and is broken down into many categories, such as Buildings (236) and Heavy and Civil (237). Construction is considered a ‘basic industry’, like manufacturing, mining, fishing and farming. This industrial classification system implies a scientific—industrial—manufacturing—managing paradigm that is expected to overarch all industries. Over the past 10 years, Latham (1994) and Egan (1998, 2002) have challenged the industry to improve its efficiency as well as the quality of its output. Failure by the ndust...
Multi-views tracking within and across uncalibrated camera streams

This paper presents novel approaches for continuous detection and tracking of moving objects observed by multiple, stationary or moving cameras. Stationary video streams are registered using a ground plane homography and the trajectories derived by Tensor Voting formalism are integrated across cameras by a spatio-temporal homography. Tensor Voting based tracking approach provides smooth and continuous trajectories and bounding boxes, ensuring minimum registration error. In the more general case of moving cameras, we present an approach for integrating objects trajectories across cameras by simultaneous processing of video streams. The detection of moving objects from moving camera is performed by defining an adaptive background model that uses an affine-based camera motion approximation. Relative motion between cameras is approximated by a combination of affine and perspective transform while objects' dynamics are modeled by a Kalman Filter. Shape and appearance of moving objects are also taken into account using a probabilistic framework. The maximization of the joint probability model allows tracking moving objects across the cameras. We demonstrate the performances of the proposed approaches on several video surveillance sequences.
The meaning of a metaphor

Donald Davidson's recent essay denying cognitive status to metaphors has almost universally provoked a negative reaction.! It seems harsh to claim, as he does, that "... metaphors mean what the words in their most literal interpretation mean, and nothing more."2 In this discussion I argue that metaphors do not have a cognitive content, or at least most of them do not, and that Davidson is correct in his claim. Davidson's view, I will argue, applies to all or most metaphors the modern critical view launched by T. S. Eliot and others that a literary text means what interpreters take it to mean.3 If a metaphor has cognitive content, then it should be expressible in literal sentences. And the truth conditions of the literal sentences should correspond to the truth conditions of the metaphor. Simply put, if a metaphor has cognitive content, it is to be explained in terms of truth conditions for sentences taken literally. The simplest but at the same time totally implausible theory of the cognitive status of metaphor is the view that predicate terms used in metaphor acquire a new semantic meaning. On this view, for example, in 'Juliet is the sun', 'sun' comes to denote an individual who is the source of joy in a lover's world. If 'sun' undergoes such a semantic change in 'Juliet is the sun', then the sentence 'Juliet is the sun', used metaphorically, expresses something literal, and the metaphor is true if and only if Juliet has the salient features. Many who have written on metaphor write as if when one uses a term metaphorically it acquires a new semantic meaning. Monroe Beardsley, for example, writes that "when a predicate is metaphorically adjoined to a subject it loses its ordinary extension... . It acquires a new intention."4 Max Black in his classic paper 'Metaphor' writes that the predicate used metaphorically the "focal word" "obtains a new meaning .. . The new context ... imposes extension of meaning upon the focal word."'S But predicates metaphorically adjoined to a subject no more obtain a new semantic meaning than 'quadrilaterality' comes to denote four-power disarmament conferences if one uses
History, The City and The Interactionist: Anselm Strauss, City Imagery, and Urban Sociology

My goal in what follows is to explore some of the questions, analyses and insights that a scholar, equipped with a sense of history and the sensitivity of an interactionist, might bring to the study of the city. But before I begin that task, I want to spend a little time laying some ground- work. I want to introduce my readers to (or remind them of) two snippets of sociological history: the first snippet has to do with the place-more accurately, the lack of place-of the interactionist perspective within the field of urban sociology; the second deals with the unique contributions of one of the few interactionists to work urban sociology: Anselm Strauss.
Glycogen Regulation in Isolated Perfused Near Term Monkey Liver

Extract: Glycogen metabolism was studied in the isolated perfused liver of the monkey conceptus at 90% of gestation using an in situ recirculating perfusion system. Net uptake of glucose and galactose and the activities of the enzymes, glycogen synthetase and phosphorylase, were studied in response to varied perfusate composition. Synthetase activity was expressed as %1, the percentage of total synthetase activity in the active form. Perfusate glucose concentrations as high as 700 mg/100 ml did not lead to net glucose uptake or to an increase in the baseline %I synthetase (4 ± 1, mean ± SEM). In the presence of 300 mg/100 ml glucose, insulin at 10-7 M increased %I to 8 ± 2, and galactose > 75 mg/100 ml increased %I to 8 ± 1. The combination of galactose, glucose, and insulin increased %I to 40 ± 5. With this latter combination, synthetase activity was proportional to perfusale glucose concentration above 100 mg/100 ml. Phosphorylase activity was diminished by either galactose or insulin, and phosphorylase activity was lowest in the group receiving galactose, glucose, and insulin. Galactose was taken up by all livers, but net glucose uptake was not observed under any condition; net hexose uptake was observed in perfusions with galactose. Glycogen levels did not vary significantly with varied perfusate composition during the 30-min perfusion periods. Speculation: We speculate that galactose may be uniquely important for neonatal liver glycogen synthesis, and that its action is mediated through reciprocal changes in the activities of the enzymes, glycogen synthetase and phosphorylase. If liver glycogen is important for acute neonatal glucose homeostasis, then galactose may also be essential for maintaining circulating glucose concentration by ensuring glycogen synthesis during feeding.
Capital Inflows, Financial Development, and Domestic Investment: Determinants and Inter-Relationships

We examine determinants of, and interactions between, capital inflows, financial development, and domestic investment in developing countries during 2001-07, a period of surging global liquidity and low interest rates. Reductions in the global price of risk and in domestic borrowing costs were the main contributors to the increase over time in net capital inflows and domestic credit. However, the large cross-country differences in domestic and international finance are best explained by fundamentals such as institutional quality, access to international export markets, and an appropriate macroeconomic policy. Both private capital inflows and domestic credit exert a positive effect on investment; they also mediate most of the investment impact of the global price of risk and domestic borrowing costs. Surprisingly, neither greater domestic credit nor greater institutional quality increase the extent to which capital inflows translate into domestic investment.
SVA retrotransposons: Evolution and genetic instability

SINE-VNTR-Alus (SVA) are non-autonomous hominid specific retrotransposons that are associated with disease in humans. SVAs are evolutionarily young and presumably mobilized by the LINE-1 reverse transcriptase in trans. SVAs are currently active and may impact the host through a variety of mechanisms including insertional mutagenesis, exon shuffling, alternative splicing, and the generation of differentially methylated regions (DMR). Here we review SVA biology, including SVA insertions associated with known diseases. Further, we discuss a model describing the initial formation of SVA and the mechanisms by which SVA may impact the host.
Young Children's Spontaneous Use of Geometry in Maps.

Two experiments tested whether 4-year-old children extract and use geometric information in simple maps without task instruction or feedback. Children saw maps depicting an arrangement of three containers and were asked to place an object into a container designated on the map. In Experiment 1, one of the three locations on the map and the array was distinct and therefore served as a landmark; in Experiment 2, only angle, distance and sense information specified the target container. Children in both experiments used information for distance and angle, but not sense, showing signature error patterns found in adults. Children thus show early, spontaneously developing abilities to detect geometric correspondences between three-dimensional layouts and two-dimensional maps, and they use these correspondences to guide navigation. These findings begin to chart the nature and limits of the use of core geometry in a uniquely human, symbolic task.
Effects of aging on the homing and engraftment of murine hematopoietic stem and progenitor cells.

To test the hypothesis that aging has negative effects on stem-cell homing and engraftment, young or old C57BL/6 bone marrow (BM) cells were injected, using a limiting-dilution, competitive transplantation method, into old or young Ly5 congenic mice. Numbers of hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) and progenitor cells (HPCs) recovered from BM or spleen were measured and compared with the numbers initially transplanted. Although the frequency of marrow competitive repopulation units (CRUs) increased approximately 2-fold from 2 months to 2 years of age, the BM homing efficiency of old CRUs was approximately 3-fold lower than that of young CRUs. Surprisingly, the overall size of individual stem-cell clones generated in recipients receiving a single CRU was not affected by donor age. However, the increased ages of HSC donors and HSC transplant recipients caused marked skewing of the pattern of engraftment toward the myeloid lineage, indicating that HSC-intrinsic and HSC-extrinsic (microenvironmental) age-related changes favor myelopoiesis. This correlated with changes after transplantation in the rate of recovery of circulating leukocytes, erythrocytes, and platelets. Recovery of the latter was especially blunted in aged recipients. Collectively, these findings may have implications for clinical HSC transplantation in which older persons increasingly serve as donors for elderly patients. (Blood. 2005; 106:1479-1487)
Increasing Attributional Certainty via Social Media: Learning About Others One Bit at a Time

This study presents a novel examination of changes in attributions about individuals via information obtained from online sources within the context of hiring decisions. An experiment had 127 participants examine dossiers collected about a job applicant, in some conditions containing either positively or negatively valenced information about the applicant, obtained from the Internet. Results indicated online information significantly increases attributional certainty and positively valenced online information led to more favorable impressions of the applicant's perceived fit and employability. Surprisingly, results also violate assumptions of the increased magnitude of attributions due to negative information. Findings are discussed with respect to uncertainty reduction strategies, the negativity effect of online information, and implications for job seekers and employers.
Marine sesquiterpenoids that inhibit the lyase activity of DNA polymerase β

Bioassay-directed fractionation of an extract of the marine species Spongia sp. led to the discovery of the new sesquiterpenoid derivative 17-O-isoprenyldictyoceratin-C (1), the known sesquiterpenoid derivative dictyoceratin-C (2), and the sesquiterpenoid quinone ilimaquinone (3), in addition to the nucleoside 2'-deoxyuridine. The structure of the new compound 1 was determined on the basis of spectroscopic methods and by conversion of dictyoceratin-C (2) to 1.
Invariant NKT cells provide innate and adaptive help for B cells

B cells rely on CD4(+) T cells helper signals to optimize their responses to T-dependent antigens. Recently another subset of T cells has been identified which provides help for B cells, invariant natural killer T (iNKT) cells. iNKT cells are unique because they provide both innate and adaptive forms of help to B cells, with divergent outcomes. iNKT cells are widely distributed throughout the spleen at rest, consolidate in the marginal zone of the spleen early after activation, and are later found in germinal centers. Understanding the activation requirements for iNKT cells has led to the development of glycolipid containing nanoparticles which efficiently activate iNKT cells, enhance their cooperation with B cells, and which hold promise for vaccine development.
Constraint-based XML query rewriting for data integration

We study the problem of answering queries through a target schema, given a set of mappings between one or more source schemas and this target schema, and given that the data is at the sources. The schemas can be any combination of relational or XML schemas, and can be independently designed. In addition to the source-to-target mappings, we consider as part of the mapping scenario a set of target constraints specifying additional properties on the target schema. This becomes particularly important when integrating data from multiple data sources with overlapping data and when such constraints can express data merging rules at the target. We define the semantics of query answering in such an integration scenario, and design two novel algorithms, basic query rewrite and query resolution, to implement the semantics. The basic query rewrite algorithm reformulates target queries in terms of the source schemas, based on the mappings. The query resolution algorithm generates additional rewritings that merge related information from multiple sources and assemble a coherent view of the data, by incorporating target constraints. The algorithms are implemented and then evaluated using a comprehensive set of experiments based on both synthetic and real-life data integration scenarios.
Fourier analysis using adaptive AFT

The arithmetic Fourier transform (AFT) is a computationally efficient technique for Fourier analysis. It does not need any multiplication of twiddle factors, but it requires O(N/sup 2/) time-domain samples for computing N frequency components. A solution to this problem is proposed. By using an iterative algorithm with the AFT, it is possible to use the Nyquist sampling rate in the time domain and obtain O(N/sup 2/) samples in the frequency domain. Simulation results for the algorithm are included. >
Planar implementation of the partially overlapped subarrays for millimeterwave beam steerable antenna applications

Grouping the elements of a phased array into the partially overlapped subarrays with in-phase excited elements amid using a single phase shifter per subarray has been studied in the past as an approach for reducing the number of phase shifters. Overlapped subarrays require complicated: feeding scenarios, however, that cannot be easily implemented in planar technologies. This paper focuses on a planar implementation which is especially useful for compact millimeterwave arrays and facilitates integration of the antenna and electronics. This design uses a unique combination of series and parallel feeding schemes to form a standing wave array of. microstrip elements. The proposed feeding scheme is theoretically insensitive to the mutual coupling between the elements.
A multidimensional scale model to measure the interactivity of virtual storytelling

A measure of interactivity not only can quantify the construct of virtual storytelling systems and thus make it possible to find the precise relationship between interactivity and other variables, but also can help ensure the effective development process of virtual storytelling systems. This study proposes a multidimensional scale model to measure the interactivity of conceptually and technologically diverse virtual storytelling systems. Using a survey research method, users' perceptions of interactivity of virtual storytelling systems were utilized for validating a scale model. This study suggests that multidimensionality should be incorporated into a scale model such as control, synchronicity, and communication. In particular, the findings of this study showed a possibility of sub-dimensions in the control dimension which is mechanical-oriented control and content-oriented control. The sub-dimensions can be explained as diverse features provided to the control dimension of interactivity.
A Reflection and Evaluation Model of Comparative Thinking

This article reviews research on counterfactual, social, and temporal comparisons and proposes a Reflection and Evaluation Model (REM) as an organizing framework. At the heart of the model is the assertion that 2 psychologically distinct modes of mental simulation operate during comparative thinking: reflection, an experiential ("as if") mode of thinking characterized by vividly simulating that information about the comparison standard is true of, or part of, the self; and evaluation, an evaluative mode of thinking characterized by the use of information about the standard as a reference point against which to evaluate one's present standing. Reflection occurs when information about the standard is included in one's self-construal, and evaluation occurs when such information is excluded. The result of reflection is that standard-consistent cognitions about the self become highly accessible, thereby yielding affective assimilation; whereas the result of evaluation is that comparison information is used as a standard against which one's present standing is evaluated, thereby yielding affective contrast. The resulting affect leads to either an increase or decrease in behavioral persistence as a function of the type of task with which one is engaged, and a combination of comparison-derived causal inferences and regulatory focus strategies direct one toward adopting specific future action plans.
Optimization of in vivo spectroscopic photoacoustic imaging by smart optical wavelength selection

Spectroscopic photoacoustic (sPA) imaging is an emerging biomedical imaging modality which can be used to simultaneously identify multiple optical absorbers in tissue. With current technology, the image acquisition time is limited primarily by the laser repetition rate, and sPA image acquisition can take seconds to minutes, depending on the system and imaging volume. We have developed an algorithm that can be used to eliminate extraneous wavelengths and decrease image acquisition time while maintaining image quality. Here, we show the effect the wavelength selection has on in vivo sPA imaging. As an example, dye draining to the lymph node of a mouse was imaged. We demonstrate that sPA image quality is more accurately preserved when wavelengths are chosen based on the spectral features of the absorbers compared to often-used selection of evenly spaced wavelengths. In fact, only three wavelengths are needed to accurately spectrally unmix the dye from oxygenated and deoxygenated hemoglobin.
Ranking and Reranking with Perceptron

This work is inspired by the so-called reranking tasks in natural language processing. In this paper, we first study the ranking, reranking, and ordinal regression algorithms proposed recently in the context of ranks and margins. Then we propose a general framework for ranking and reranking, and introduce a series of variants of the perceptron algorithm for ranking and reranking in the new framework. Compared to the approach of using pairwise objects as training samples, the new algorithms reduces the data complexity and training time. We apply the new perceptron algorithms to the parse reranking and machine translation reranking tasks, and study the performance of reranking by employing various definitions of the margins.
An on-chip test scheme for SRAMs

Semiconductor technology continues to progress dramatically. With the increasing density, the testing of RAM chips has become progressively more difficult. In this paper, a new approach to simplify the testing of large SRAMs (static RAMs), embedded in VLSI chips or as stand-alone chips, by incorporating additional circuitry is proposed. >
Fluid Shear Stress Attenuates Hydrogen Peroxide–Induced c-Jun NH2-Terminal Kinase Activation via a Glutathione Reductase–Mediated Mechanism

c-Jun NH 2 -terminal kinase (JNK) is activated by a number of cellular stimuli including reactive oxygen species (ROS). Previous studies have demonstrated that fluid shear stress (flow) inhibits cytokine-induced JNK activation in endothelial cells (ECs). In the present study, we show JNK activation by ROS in ECs and hypothesized that flow inhibits ROS-induced JNK activation in ECs via modulation of cellular protection systems against ROS. JNK was activated by 300 μmol/L hydrogen peroxide (H 2 O 2 ) in bovine lung microvascular ECs (BLMVECs) with a peak at 60 minutes after stimulation (6.3±1.2-fold increase). Preexposure of BLMVECs to physiological steady laminar flow (shear stress=12 dyne/cm 2 ) for 10 minutes significantly decreased H 2 O 2 -induced JNK activation. Thioredoxin and glutathione are cellular antioxidants that protect cells against ROS. Flow induced a significant increase in the ratio of reduced glutathione to oxidized glutathione consistent with a 1.6-fold increase in glutathione reductase (GR) activity. Preincubation of BLMVECs with the GR inhibitor, 1,3 bis-(2 chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea, abolished the inhibitory effect of flow. In contrast, preincubation of BLMVECs with azelaic acid, a specific inhibitor for thioredoxin reductase, did not alter the effect of flow on H 2 O 2 -induced JNK activation. Overexpression of GR mimicked the effect of flow to inhibit JNK activation. These results suggest that flow activates GR, an important regulator of the intracellular redox state of glutathione, and exerts a protective mechanism against oxidative stress in endothelial cells.
Molecular phylogeny of Nyctaginaceae: taxonomy, biogeography, and characters associated with a radiation of xerophytic genera in North America

The four o’clock family (Nyctaginaceae) has a number of genera with unusual morphological and ecological characters, several of which appear to have a ‘‘tendency’’ to evolve repeatedly in Nyctaginaceae. Despite this, the Nyctaginaceae have attracted little attention from botanists. To produce a phylogeny for the Nyctaginaceae, we sampled 51 species representing 25 genera (of 28– 31) for three chloroplast loci (ndhF, rps16, rpl16, and nrITS) and included all genera from North America. Parsimony, likelihood, and Bayesian methods were used to reconstruct the phylogeny for the family. The family is neotropical in origin. A radiation of woody taxa unites Pisonia and Pisoniella with the difficult tropical genera Neea and Guapira, which also form a clade, though neither appears to be monophyletic. This group is sister to a clade containing Bougainvillea, Belemia, and Phaeoptilum .A dramatic radiation of genera occurred in the deserts of North America. The tribe Nyctagineae and its subtribes are paraphyletic, due to over-reliance on a few homoplasious characters, i.e., pollen morphology and involucre presence. Two notable characters associated with the desert radiation are cleistogamy and edaphic endemism on gypsum soils. We discuss evolutionary trends in these traits in light of available data about self-incompatibility and gypsum tolerance in Nyctaginaceae.
Miniaturized Plasmonic sensors based on semiconductor laser diode packages

We combine Plasmonic grating structures with commercially available semiconductor laser diode packages to realize a prototype miniaturized chemical/bio-sensor.
A formal approach to managing design processes

To capture market opportunities, competition within the microelectronics industry demands ever-faster product development, which means ever-shorter design cycles. Shorter design cycles can be achieved by carefully managing the design process during rapid prototyping. Careful management is important because the design process must be (1) adjusted to accommodate constraints such as product performance and design time, and (2) frequently updated to take advantage of new design tools and methodologies. Traditionally, designers have used whatever tools seemed convenient to them at the time, which has made it virtually impossible to determine what methodology was used to produce a given design. These problems can be avoided through design methodology management, which ensures that appropriate tools are selected and executed in the appropriate sequence. Effective design management requires an environment equipped with a formal representation of supported design processes and tools, and an execution environment that helps designers select and execute an appropriate design process. We propose a methodology management system that provides this functionality. >
The Decline of the Piece-Rate System in California Canning: Technological Innovation, Labor Management, and Union Pressure, 1890–1947

In the following article, Professors Brown and Philips examine two questions concerning wage payment systems. First, has the prevalence of incentive systems been affected by the rise of the modern corporate enterprise? Second, what has been the effect of institutionalized unionism on the prevalence of incentive systems? Brown and Philips explore these issues through a historical case study of the decline of the piece-rate system in the California canning industry, from which they conclude that in the context of Chandlerian industrial development piece-rate systems tend to give way to more complex incentive and hourly wage-rate systems. They explore this hypothesis further through an examination of historical data on wage payment systems for American manufacturing as a whole.
17-Hydroxyprogesterone Caproate Significantly Improves Clinical Characteristics of Preeclampsia in the Reduced Uterine Perfusion Pressure Rat Model

Preeclampsia is characterized by increased uterine artery resistance index, chronic immune activation, and decreased circulating nitric oxide levels. 17-α-Hydroxyprogesterone caproate (17-OHPC) is a synthetic metabolite of progesterone used for the prevention of recurrent preterm birth. We hypothesized that 17-OHPC could reduce mean arterial pressure by decreasing inflammation, whereas improving vasodilation by increasing nitric oxide bioavailability and uterine artery resistance index during late gestation in the reduced uterine perfusion pressure (RUPP) rat model of preeclampsia. 17-OHPC (3.32 mg/kg) was intraperitoneally administered on gestation day 18 into RUPP rats, carotid catheters inserted, and mean arterial pressure, blood, and tissues were collected on day 19. Mean arterial pressure in normal pregnant (NP; n=13) was 92±2.0 and increased to123±2.0 in RUPP (n=18; P<0.0001), which was improved to 116±1.5 mm Hg in RUPP+17-OHPC (n=10; P<0.05). Circulating CD4+ T cells were 1.19%±1.0% of gated cells in NP (n=7), which increased to 8.52%±2.4% in RUPP rats (n=10; P<0.05) but was reduced to 2.72%±0.87% (n=14; P<0.05) in RUPP+17-OHPC. Circulating nitrate/nitrite was 26.34±3.5 µmol/L in NP (n=12) but was reduced to14.58±3.1 in RUPP rats (n=8; P=0.03) and increased to 22.69±1.62 in RUPP+17-OHPC (n=7; P=0.05). Endothelial nitric oxide synthase expression was 0.65±0.11 AU in NP (n=4), which decreased to 0.33±0.01 in RUPP rats (n=4; P=0.05) but increased to 0.57±0.01 in RUPP+17-OHPC (n=5; P=0.03). Uterine artery resistance index was 0.54±0.02 in NP (n=3), 0.78±0.03 in RUPP (n=4), and 0.63±0.038 in RUPP+17-OHPC (n=8; both P<0.05). Our findings demonstrate that even though modest, lowering blood pressure with 17-OHPC could be a viable treatment option for suppressing inflammation, uterine artery vasoconstriction while improving litter size.
Gene expression of catabolic inflammatory cytokines peak before anabolic inflammatory cytokines after ACL injury in a preclinical model

The response of the joint to anterior cruciate ligament (ACL) injury has not been fully characterized. In particular, the characterization of both catabolic factors, including interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-8 (IL-8), and markers of ongoing tissue damage (CRP), and anabolic factors, including vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), transforming growth factor β-induced (TGFβI), and the presence of CD163+ macrophages, have not been well defined. In this study, we hypothesized ACL injury would catalyze both catabolic and anabolic processes and that these would have different temporal profiles of expression. Adolescent Yucatan minipigs were subjected to ACL transection. Within the joint, gene expression levels of IL-6, IL-8, VEGF, and TGFβI were quantified in the synovium, ligament, and provisional scaffold located between the torn ligament ends at days 1, 5, 9, and 14 post-injury. Macrophage infiltration was also assessed in the joint tissues over the two week period. Serum C-reactive protein (CRP) levels were measured at multiple time points between 1 hour to 14 days after injury. Increases in IL-6 and IL-8 gene expression peaked at day 1 after injury in the synovium and ligament. CRP levels were significantly increased at day 3 before returning to pre-injury levels. VEGF and TGFβI gene expression did not significantly increase until day 9 in the synovium and were unchanged in the other tissues. CD163+ macrophages increased in the ligament and synovium until day 9. Taken together, these results suggest that the response within the joint is primarily catabolic in the first three days after injury, switching to a more anabolic phase by nine days after injury. The effect of medications which alter these processes may thus depend on the timing of administration after injury.
Evidence of Mate Trailing in the Giant Hairy Desert Scorpion, Hadrurus arizonensis (Scorpionida, Iuridae)

During the mating season, male desert scorpions are often found wandering through dune environments, presumably in search of female conspecifics. For a male desert scorpion, finding a receptive female is a potentially difficult and hazardous task, suggesting that wandering by the male may actually be a form of guided mate searching. In this study we examined whether male giant hairy desert scorpions (Hadrurus arizonensis) were capable of trailing female conspecifics using a Y-maze choice test. In three separate experiments, a significant proportion of male scorpions preferred the arm of the maze that a reproductive female scorpion had walked down. Male scorpions did not prefer maze arms that male conspecifics had walked down, indicating that this response was sex specific. When the substrate was repeatedly exposed to a reproductive female, males took significantly longer to complete the Y-maze test, exhibited an increase in pausing behavior, and displayed precourtship behaviors and a novel lunging behavior resembling sex-specific mate seizing behavior. The results from this study suggest that male H. arizonensis can orient and respond to substrate-borne signals from female conspecifics that are likely chemical in origin.
Using a service design perspective to create an employee community of practice

In this paper, we modified a methodology developed for the user-centered design of a physical community to design an employee community. We were most interested in how the service perspective would impact 1) the design recommendations for an employee community and 2) the adoption of the community by employees. Like in a physical community, the "right" amenities and services make a community a good fit for those who are a part of it. We designed services based on the feedback from our participants and then observed their adoption to understand whether those services were a good fit. As in PD projects, there were challenges caused by the inherent disruption of the power structure as the community gained momentum.
Fatigue in Systemic Lupus Erythematosus and Rheumatoid Arthritis

Two inflammatory autoimmune diseases, systemic lupus erythematosus and rheumatoid arthritis, are characterized by fatigue. Patient reports support the significant negative impact of the symptom on functioning and well-being. The prevalence, trajectory, mechanism, and correlates of fatigue in each disease are reviewed. Some disease-focused treatments have demonstrated a reduction in fatigue. However, until recently, clinical trials have not routinely assessed fatigue. Analyses and interpretation of data have been hindered by variability in the reliability and validity of fatigue measures. Empirically based fatigue treatment guidelines are needed in both conditions.
Extending Microarray Quality Control and Analysis Algorithms to Illumina Chip Platform

This paper presents a novel data quality control technique for a challenging new microarray platform supplied by Illumina, Inc. Microarray is a revolutionary biotechnology that enables the study of thousands of genes and proteins simultaneously. While the type of microarray chip platforms keeps increasing and the manufacture quality keeps improving, the array data quality control and analysis tools are still lagging behind. In this research, we design an adaptable microarray data quality control and analysis system capable of handling multiple microarray platforms. We demonstrate that the Illumina chips, even though the layouts are randomly assembled, still contain artifacts. We conclude that it is necessary for chip manufacturers to provide low-level bead location output as a standard feature for better data quality assurance.
Implementing boundary scan test strategies

Board-level boundary scan testing, focusing largely on the boundary scan EXTEST mode for structural testing of interconnects between boundary scan devices on a board and testing of conventional, nonscan components which cannot be accessed using traditional in-circuit or cluster test techniques, is dealt with. Strategies and test-nail placement for implementing various types of boundary scan testing are detailed. The strategies discussed are virtual interconnect, virtual in circuit, standard cluster testing, and virtual cluster testing. It is shown that, where restricted physical access hampers in-circuit or cluster testing, virtual access provided by boundary scan device leads may offer the means of assuring a comprehensive test. When both physical and virtual access is needed, this requirement must be taken into account during board design and factored into board layout to ensure successful implementation of the test. >
Evolutionary conservation predicts function of variants of the human organic cation transporter, OCT1

The organic cation transporter, OCT1, is a major hepatic transporter that mediates the uptake of many organic cations from the blood into the liver where the compounds may be metabolized or secreted into the bile. Because OCT1 interacts with a variety of structurally diverse organic cations, including clinically used drugs as well as toxic substances (e.g., N-methylpyridinium, MPP+), it is an important determinant of systemic exposure to many xenobiotics. To understand the genetic basis of extensive interindividual differences in xenobiotic disposition, we functionally characterized 15 protein-altering variants of the human liver organic cation transporter, OCT1, in Xenopus oocytes. All variants that reduced or eliminated function (OCT1-R61C, OCT1-P341L, OCT1-G220V, OCT1-G401S, and OCT1-G465R) altered evolutionarily conserved amino acid residues. In general, variants with decreased function had amino acid substitutions that resulted in more radical chemical changes (higher Grantham values) and were less evolutionarily favorable (lower blosum62 values) than variants that maintained function. A variant with increased function (OCT1-S14F) changed an amino acid residue such that the human protein matched the consensus of the OCT1 mammalian orthologs. Our results indicate that changes at evolutionarily conserved positions of OCT1 are strong predictors of decreased function and suggest that a combination of evolutionary conservation and chemical change might be a stronger predictor of function.
(2S*,4aR*,8aS*)-6-Oxoperhydronaphthalene-2-carboxylic acid: dual hydrogen-bonding modes in a bicyclic ζ-keto acid

The title racemate, C11H16O3, displays two different hydrogen-bonding modes in the crystal structure. The chosen asymmetric unit consists of two mol­ecules of identical handedness that differ in the rotation of their carboxyl groups and are linked by an acid-to-ketone hydrogen bond [O⋯O = 2.7219 (17) A and O—H⋯O = 174°]. The remaining carboxyl forms a centrosymmetric dimer with a second such unit [O⋯O = 2.6368 (15) A and O—H⋯O = 174°], while the ketones at the extremities of this four-mol­ecule aggregate remain unengaged. Five inter­molecular C—H⋯O close contacts were found.
Shear thinning of the bulk metallic glass forming alloy Zr41.2 Ti13.8 Cu12.5 Ni10.0 Be22.5 close to the liquidus temperature.

The viscous properties of the multi component Zr41.2 Ti13.8 Cu12.5 Ni10.0 Be22.5 bulk metallic glass forming alloy was studied above the liquidus temperature. A shear thinning behavior for the molten alloy has been discovered. The shear thinning behavior can be characterized as a power law fluid with a power-law index of -0.5. Additionally, at low shear rates and temperatures near the liquidus temperature a visco-elastic type response in the flow behavior is observed.
Ethical Frameworks and Process of Technology Assessment

Historically, technology has improved the human condition, and it remains a major hope for further improvement worldwide. Yet its consequences have not all been positive. Environmental and social costs have accrued; many of these were unanticipated at the time the technology was introduced. Three ethical frameworks are examined for what they suggest about the process by which decisions on new technologies are made. A case study, focused on a water-development project, is used to provide specificity. The impacts of alternative approaches for supplying water to Denver, Colorado, are examined in the context of deontological (duty-based), teleological (utilitarianism), and mixed deontological (utilitarianism with attention to our duty not to harm) ethical frameworks. Results suggest that these frameworks can provide assistance in deciding among alternatives. But, more importantly, the frameworks, taken together, suggest 10 components of a process that could lead to better decisions. Some of these components are already part of the environmental impact statement process; more are part of the technology assessment process. But, others have not yet been incorporated in societal controls of technology.
Longitudinal and Lateral Patterns of Fish Species Composition and Biotic Integrity in the Lower Wolf River, Wisconsin, a Relatively Undegraded Floodplain River

ABSTRACT The lower Wolf River, flowing 164 km from the Shawano Dam to Lake Poygan in east-central Wisconsin, is one of the least degraded large warmwater floodplain river reaches remaining in the United States. Seine and electrofishing samples were collected during 1997–2001 to characterize patterns of fish species composition and biotic integrity. Nearly 14,000 fish in 69 species were collected including the channel shiner Notropis wickliffi, which had not been reported before from the Great Lakes basin. Species distributions and multivariate measures of assemblage composition showed few consistent longitudinal patterns, but there were lateral differences between off-channel and main-channel habitats. Of the 40 most common species, 31 varied in abundance or distribution between main- and off-channel habitats, but only 10 species differed between upstream and downstream segments of the study reach. Index of biotic integrity scores based on main-channel fish assemblages indicated that the overall environme...
Legal Significs and Its Application in the Concepts ‘Liable’, ‘Responsible’ and ‘Accountable’

De Haan’s PhD Dissertation in Amsterdam, 1916, focuses on three essential legal concepts: on ‘liability’, on ‘responsibility’ and on accountability’. The three form keystones of Civil Law and its architecture of expressiveness. No wonder that linguistic and in particular signific/semiotic considerations play a role as preferred instrument to observe and to judge a lawyer’s professional activity. The word, its conception and use, are of importance here: The question “what meaning has this word” is often posed, he claims. And: “A word is not a living organism that possesses meanings like humans possess property. The same incorrect thought is in the expression “What is the meaning of this word”. One should never underestimate the fatal influence of an incorrect metaphor”. Legal science as well as linguistics suffered because comparative metaphors were given explanatory functions. A word is its meaning with something inexplicable added, a something that binds meanings into a word. One should therefore formulate the question correctly, and say: “what meaning is this word?” This is the platform to reach deeper insight into the three mentioned words/ideas/concepts that are so crucial for a lawyer. A social dimension is unexpectedly of importance: incorrectly used or phrased words can be understood! Criteria for correctness are difficult to formulate in absoluto. But, claims De Haan: the better word is always better understood! This idea should guide the uses and abuses of words in legal language: a significs idea for which the Amsterdam Faculty awarded him a “cum laude” at the occasion of the presentation and defense of this thesis.
Daydreaming and other forms of improvisational play

I think every day all children should have three hours of daydreaming, just daydreaming. You could use a little of it yourself by the way. Just sit at the window and stare at the clouds, it's good ...
Brain functional connectivity analysis using mutual information

This paper considers measuring brain functional connectivity using mutual information (MI). First, we explain the advantage of MI based analysis over the conventional correlation based analysis. Second, we propose a novel approach for MI estimation by exploiting kernel-based probability density function (pdf) estimation and optimization under the maximum likelihood criteria. Finally, the proposed estimator is applied to true fMRI data obtained from Alzheimers Disease (AD) patients and normal control (NC) subjects. The numerical analysis demonstrates the effectiveness of the proposed approach and shows that the MI based analysis result is consistent with clinical observations.