cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Application of a multi-level ceramic integrated circuit package for epicardial mapping

A novel application of an existing ceramic package designed for controlled collapse chip connection (C4) of integrated circuits is described. The package is secured on the surface of the heart so that the pads are in contact with the epicardium forming a plaque array. Epicardial mapping can be performed yielding information such as wavefront propagation and surface conduction velocity.
Clinical and molecular analysis in Joubert syndrome

Joubert syndrome is an autosomal recessive disorder comprising cerebellar hypoplasia, hypotonia, developmental delay, abnormal respiratory patterns, and abnormal eye movements. The biochemical basis of the Joubert syndrome is unknown. We ascertained a cohort of 50 patients with the Joubert syndrome to evaluate the presence of associated malformations, and to initiate studies leading to the identification of the Joubert syndrome gene. Only 8% of patients had polydactyly, 4% colobomas, 2% renal cysts, and 2% had soft tissue tumors of the tongue. In addition, we evaluated the WNT1 gene as a candidate gene for the Joubert syndrome based on its expression in the developing cerebellum and an associated mutation in the swaying mouse. We searched for mutations in WNT1 in a series of Joubert syndrome patients and no mutations were detected. Our analysis suggests that mutations in WNT1 do not cause the Joubert syndrome.
"GLORY IS NOT ENOUGH": DUAL CAREERS IN ISRAELI AIR FORCE FAMILIES '

Summary.-139 wives of Israeli Air Force pilots completed questionnaires about their own career needs and experiences. It was expected that the respondents would "adhere" to the traditional two-persons one-career model in response to the demands set by the husbands' jobs; however, they tended to aspire for and exert effort toward a work career independent of that of their husbands. Specifically, (a) actual work experiences were positively related to subjective career experiences, (b) the more internal scoring was the person, the higher the career interest, and (c) external obstacles seemed to strengthen rather than weaken the person's career interests. Implications for research on women's career development and for management of dual careers are dis
A 2 WEEK PAIR-FED STUDY OF EARLY X-IRRADIATION EFFECTS ON RAT MAJOR SALIVARY GLAND FUNCTION

Salivary gland function is affected shortly after irradiation of the head and neck. An intense oral mucositis develops after exposure and may interfere with ingestion. The effects of restricted food and water intake on the secretory output of rat major salivary glands were examined. Parotid and submandibular salivary output and body weight were measured in rats at 4, 8, 11 and 14 days after 15 Gy X-irradiation of the head and neck. Comparisons were made with two groups: a non-irradiated group with food and water intake restricted to that of the irradiated group (pair-fed), and a non-irradiated, ad libitum-fed control group. Parotid saliva output was significantly decreased in the irradiated group at 4, 8 and 11 days compared with the control group. The pair-fed rats also had significantly decreased parotid output at these time points and their parotid function did not differ from that of the irradiated animals. At 14 days, all three groups demonstrated similar parotid function. Submandibular salivary output was not affected to the same extent. Only at a single time point (11 days) was flow significantly decreased in the irradiated group. Total body weight was less than that of control rats for both the irradiated and pair-fed animals at all time points. These results suggest that the early effects of radiation on salivary glands are due, in part, to limited intake of food and water during the immediate post-irradiation period.
Evolution, Apple, iPad, and Education: A Memeography of a Monster Too Big to Fail

Experimenting with a new interpretive methodology, Memeography, this article constructs an account of media experiences that go toward the construction of a sophisticated understanding of one’s pla...
Colchicine is effective in controlling chronic cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis

Chronic cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis is commonly difficult to control. In an attempt to avoid potentially toxic therapy with corticosteroids and/or immunosuppressives or to allow tapering of corticosteroid therapy, I instituted oral colchicine therapy in thirteen patients. Complete control of disease occurred in nine patients, partial control (as evidenced by my ability to lower the corticosteroid dosage) was obtained in three patients, and one patient had no demonstrable effects during a 1-month period of colchicine therapy. Effect was uniformly noted within 1 week after institution of therapy. Side effects were uncommon but, when they occurred, consisted mainly of abdominal cramping and/or diarrhea. Seven patients had a relapse of their cutaneous vasculitis when colchicine was stopped, but reinstitution again led to a rapid control of the disease manifestations. Therapy has been safely continued for up to 2 {if193-1} years without evidence of toxicity. Thus colchicine appears to be a safe and effective therapy for chronic cutaneous leukocytoclastic vasculitis.
SU-E-T-621: A Study to Evaluate the Accuracy of Average CT Based Proton Plan Dose Volume Histograms (DVHs)

Purpose: To evaluate the accuracy of average CT based proton plan dose volume histograms (DVHs) for reporting and recording purposes. Methods: 4DCT based double scattering proton beam (IBA, Belgium) treatment plans were designed for lungcancer patients using the Eclipse treatment planning system (Varian, Paola Alto, Ca, v. 8.9). The iGTV was determined as the boolean of GTV1‐8 contoured on each respiratory phase in order to account for tumor motion. The treatment plans were generated based on the average CT data set. An MLC based aperture was used to shape the beam laterally and a compensator was used to conform the beam distally to ITV. The average CT based treatment plan ITV coverage was D95%=98%. The average CT based plan was copied and recalculated on each phase of the 4DCT set using the same entrance fluencies (e.g. no change of the beam line, aperture and compensator). The mean DVH derived from all phases was generated in MATLAB (2010b, The MathWorks, Natick, MA) and compared to the average CT DVH and DVHs pertaining to each phase. Results: The ITV dose coverage is relatively close for all phases (standard deviation of D95% is 0.25%). D95% of the mean DVH is about 2% less than D95% corresponding to the average CT. The OARs sparing for all phases were worse than the one predicted by the average CT based plan (D5% of lung is about 5% more than that of the average CT). Conclusions: This work indicates that the average CT based calculated DVHs overestimate the target coverage (∼2%) and underestimates the dose to the OARs (∼5%). Therefore, in order to increase dose reporting and recording accuracy the mean DVHs should be employed.
Related Contribution of Specific Helix 2 and 7 Residues to Conformational Activation of the Serotonin 5-HT2A Receptor

A conserved helix 2 Asp is required for the proper function of many G-protein-coupled receptors. To reveal the structural basis for the role of this residue, the additive effects of mutations at this locus and at a conserved helix 7 locus were investigated in the 5-HT2A receptor. All mutant receptors studied retained high affinity agonist and antagonist binding. Whereas an Asp-->Asn mutation in helix 2 eliminated coupling, interchanging the residues at the two positions by a second mutation of Asn-->Asp in helix 7 restored receptor function. These data suggest that these residues are adjacent in space and interact. The loss of function observed with Ala at either position is consistent with each side chain forming hydrogen bonds. Molecular dynamics simulations were performed on three-dimensional computational models of agonist-receptor complexes of both the wild-type receptor and the Asp-->Asn mutant receptor. Consonant with the lack of coupling observed for the mutant construct, introducing the mutation into the computational model produced a conformational change in a direction opposite to that seen from computational simulations of activation of the wild-type receptor model. These results implicate both loci in a common hydrogen-bonding network underlying receptor activation by agonist.
Prompt Fission Neutrons and γ Rays

Abstract Prompt fission neutrons and γ rays are calculated in the statistical Hauser-Feshbach formalism. A Monte Carlo implementation of this theory is applied to excited primary fission fragments as produced in typical low-energy fission reactions. The question of excitation energy sorting at scission between the two fragments is emphasized. Numerical results for the spontaneous fission of 252Cf illustrate our discussion. Finally, selected experiments that would test and constrain fission model predictions are outlined.
Proceedings of the 15th ACM conference on Computer and communications security

These proceedings contain the papers selected for presentation at the 15th ACM Conference on Computer and Communications Security (CCS 2008), held October 27 to October 31, 2008 in Alexandria, VA, USA. In response to the call for papers 280 papers were submitted to the conference. These papers were evaluated on the basis of their significance, novelty, and technical quality. Each paper was reviewed by at least four members of the program committee. Reviewing was double-blind, meaning that the program committee was not able to see the names and affiliations of the authors, and the authors were not told which committee members reviewed which papers. After the reviews were written, the program committee met online for three weeks of intensive discussion. Of the papers submitted, 51 were selected for presentation at the conference, yielding in an acceptance rate of about 18%.
Hyalella montezuma, a new species (crustacea: amphipoda) from montezuma well, Arizona

Two distinct species of Hyalella Smith, with no intermediate forms, occur in the Arizona limnocrene known as Montezuma Well. One is referable to the inermis type of H. azteca (Sauss.). The other is a new and presumably endemic species, H. montezuma, characterized by elongate appendages, mucronation of tergites of pereonite 7 and pleonites 1 & 2, and remarkably enlarged mouthparts; the inner plate of maxilla 1 is broad and armed with up to 30 plumose setae, rather than the 2–3 apical setae that typify the genus. H. azteca occurs alone in a small stream emerging from the Well; both species coexist at the weedy margins of the Well; and H. montezuma swims alone in the open water, where it is a member of the plankton. A high level of free CO2 in the water serves as a barrier to fish, indirectly allowing Hyalella to colonize the limnetic zone where it represents, perhaps, one of four of the World's freshwater planktonic amphipods. Theoretically, the ancestors of H. montezuma arrived at the Well sometime more than 11,000 years BP, when it was a new steep-walled collapse basin lacking fish; H. azteca appeared later after a shallow littoral zone had developed. The two species are reproductively isolated at present.
A business process change framework for examining lean manufacturing: a case study

By means of a case study, discusses the most important elements of lean manufacturing (LM), the strategies used by the company for implementing LM, and the significant benefits that were accrued in manufacturing operations. Explains the critical factors involved in the implementation of LM utilizing a business process change framework. The data for this study were obtained through interviews, questionnaire survey and archival sources.
A comparison of confidence regions and designs in estimation of a ratio

A computer simulation is performed to compare confidence regions arising from Fie1ler's theorem and approximate large sample intervals in estimating the point of extremum in quadratic regression. In addition, two designs, one of which is motivated by optimal design theory, are compared. These comparisons are made by examining the confidence level and accuracy of the regions, as well as the concentration of the standard point estimator, in a variety of settings. The results have implications for the more general problem of estimating a ratio of linear combinations in the general linear model.
Distinct Pathogenesis and Host Responses during Infection of C. elegans by P. aeruginosa and S. aureus

The genetically tractable model host Caenorhabditis elegans provides a valuable tool to dissect host-microbe interactions in vivo. Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Staphylococcus aureus utilize virulence factors involved in human disease to infect and kill C. elegans. Despite much progress, virtually nothing is known regarding the cytopathology of infection and the proximate causes of nematode death. Using light and electron microscopy, we found that P. aeruginosa infection entails intestinal distention, accumulation of an unidentified extracellular matrix and P. aeruginosa-synthesized outer membrane vesicles in the gut lumen and on the apical surface of intestinal cells, the appearance of abnormal autophagosomes inside intestinal cells, and P. aeruginosa intracellular invasion of C. elegans. Importantly, heat-killed P. aeruginosa fails to elicit a significant host response, suggesting that the C. elegans response to P. aeruginosa is activated either by heat-labile signals or pathogen-induced damage. In contrast, S. aureus infection causes enterocyte effacement, intestinal epithelium destruction, and complete degradation of internal organs. S. aureus activates a strong transcriptional response in C. elegans intestinal epithelial cells, which aids host survival during infection and shares elements with human innate responses. The C. elegans genes induced in response to S. aureus are mostly distinct from those induced by P. aeruginosa. In contrast to P. aeruginosa, heat-killed S. aureus activates a similar response as live S. aureus, which appears to be independent of the single C. elegans Toll-Like Receptor (TLR) protein. These data suggest that the host response to S. aureus is possibly mediated by pathogen-associated molecular patterns (PAMPs). Because our data suggest that neither the P. aeruginosa nor the S. aureus–triggered response requires canonical TLR signaling, they imply the existence of unidentified mechanisms for pathogen detection in C. elegans, with potentially conserved roles also in mammals.
Disease models of breast cancer

The development of novel breast cancer therapies depends on appropriate experimental models of disease pathogenesis. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of sophisticated models for breast cancer research. We describe here novel models that have particular relevance for drug development, and discuss the advantages and disadvantages of each model with respect to the various aspects of breast cancer pathogenesis.
Neurogenic calcitonin gene-related peptide : a neurotrophic factor in the maintenance of acetylcholinesterase molecular forms in adult skeletal muscles

Abstract This work addresses the role of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) in the physiological maintenance of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) molecular forms in motor endplate regions of adult Sprague–Dawley rat fast-twitch anterior gracilis muscles. Results show that: (a) CGRP is present in obturator nerve motor neurons which supply the gracilis muscle, as well as in the corresponding motor endplate regions where high levels of both AChE activity and acetylcholine receptors (AChRs) are detected; (b) endplate-associated CGRP declines with muscle denervation several hours before any changes in AChE forms are detected; (c) a single subcutaneous injection of CGRP reversibly reduces the activities of all AChE forms in endplate regions of normally innervated and otherwise untreated gracilis muscles; and (d) similar treatment with hCGRP8–37, a potent and selective CGRP antagonist, produces the opposite effects, i.e., it reversibly elevates the activities of all AChE forms. These and other findings indicate that CGRP and hCGRP8–37 influence the mechanism(s) by which AChE forms are maintained in intact adult gracilis muscles. Indeed, the findings lend strong support to the hypothesis that nerve-derived CGRP plays a key role in the trophic regulation of AChE forms at the neuromuscular junction.
N170 face specificity and face memory depend on hometown size.

Face recognition depends on visual experience in a number of different ways. Infrequent exposure to faces belonging to categories defined by species, age, or race can lead to diminished memory for and discrimination between members of those categories relative to faces belonging to categories that dominate an observer's environment. Early visual impairment can also have long-lasting and broad effects on face discrimination – just a few months of visual impairment due to congenital cataracts can lead to diminished discrimination between faces that differ in their configuration, for example (Le Grand et al., 2001). Presently, we consider a novel aspect of visual experience that may impact face recognition: The approximate amount of different faces observers encountered during their childhood. We recruited undergraduate observers from small (500–1000 individuals) and large communities (30,000–100,000 individuals) and asked them to complete a standard face memory test and a basic ERP paradigm designed to elicit a robust N170 response, including the classic face inversion effect. We predicted that growing up in a small community might lead to diminished face memory and an N170 response that was less specific to faces. These predictions were confirmed, suggesting that the sheer number of faces one can interact with during their upbringing shapes their behavioral abilities and the functional architecture of face processing in the brain.
Effects of MK-801 on DNA synthesis in neonatal rat brain regions under normoxic and hypoxic conditions.

Abstract Global metabolic insults such as ischemia/hypoxia, damage neural cells through release of excitatory amino acids and their subsequent actions at the N- methyl - d - aspartate (NMDA) receptor. NMDA receptors are highly expressed in neonatal rat brain, and the current study examines the effects of receptor blockade with MK-801 on DNA synthesis under normoxic and hypoxic conditions. At one day of age, hypoxia alone caused a decrease in [3H]thymidine incorporation into DNA throughout the brain, whereas MK-801 alone decreased incorporation selectively in regions known to be enriched in NMDA receptors. MK-801 afforded no protection from hypoxia and instead exacerbated the effects of hypoxia in the cerebellum. At 8 days of age, hypoxia alone or MK-801 alone still produced the same patterns of inhibition of DNA synthesis, but MK-801 neither prevented nor exacerbated the effects of hypoxia; animals receiving MK-801 showed a significant incidence of hypoxia-induced mortality. These data suggest that excitatory actions exerted at the NMDA receptor serve to maintain cell replication in neonatal brain and, as distinct from the situation for excitatory amino acid-induced cell death, these receptors do not participate in adverse effects of hypoxia on DNA synthesis.
Fabrication and characterization of m‐plane (1‐100) GaN based metal‐oxide‐semiconductor capacitors

M-plane non-polar, Gallium Nitride(GaN) based metal-oxide-semiconductor (MOS) capacitors were fabricated by depositing 150 nm thick low-pressure chemical vapor deposition silicon dioxide at 900 °C. No positive shift in the flat band voltage of m-plane GaN MOS capacitors was observed versus temperature, confirming the absence of pyroelectric effects. In contrast, c-plane (0001) polar, GaN MOS capacitors, show a positive flat band voltage shift versus temperature and the pyroelectric coefficient of –3×109 q/cm2-K was measured. A small negative shift in flat band voltage was observed in m-plane GaN consistent with changes in the bulk potential and corresponding decrease in the occupancy of interface traps. Time dependent dielectric(TDDB) measurements were performed at 200 °C and a mean time to failure (MTTF) of 40 hours was measured at an electric field of 5 MV/cm. (© 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)
Oxidative balance score and risk for incident prostate cancer in a prospective U.S. cohort study.

Abstract Purpose Oxidative stress is defined as an imbalance between pro-oxidants and antioxidants. Previous research found that a single comprehensive oxidative balance score (OBS) that includes individual pro- and anti-oxidant exposures may be associated with various conditions (including prostate cancer) in the absence of associations with the individual factors. We investigated an OBS-incident prostate cancer association among 43,325 men in the Cancer Prevention Study II Nutrition Cohort. Methods From 1999–2007, 3386 incident cases were identified. Twenty different components, used in two ways (unweighted or weighted based on literature reviews), were incorporated into the OBS, and the resulting scores were then expressed as three types of variables (continuous, quartiles, or six equal intervals). Multivariable-adjusted rate ratios were calculated using Cox proportional hazards models. Results We hypothesized that the OBS would be inversely associated with prostate cancer risk; however, the rate ratios (95% confidence intervals) comparing the highest with the lowest OBS categories ranged from 1.17 (1.04–1.32) to 1.39 (0.90–2.15) for all cases, 1.14 (0.87–1.50) to 1.59 (0.57–4.40) for aggressive disease (American Joint Committee on Cancer stage III/IV or Gleason score 8–10), and 0.91 (0.62–1.35) to 1.02 (1.02–1.04) for nonaggressive disease. Conclusions Our findings are not consistent with the hypothesis that oxidative balance–related exposures collectively affect risk for prostate cancer.
Inheritance in Nicotiana tabacum. X. Carmine-Coral Variegation

1. The univalent chromosome of fluted, a primary monosomic of N. tabacum, may be designated as the F-chromosome. Then, normal carmine=23II+FII, and fluted carmine=23II+FI.2. The recessive type, coral, a derivative of fluted, is shown to have arisen by a modification of the F-chromosome, which may be represented by F-co. Hence, normal coral=23III+F-coII, and fluted coral=23II+F-coI.3. The de novo origin of a carmine-coral variegated type from fluted _??_×coral _??_ is described, and it is shown to depend upon the presence of a fragment of the F-chromosome, f-Co, containing the factor or factor complex for carmine as opposed to coral. Hence, normal carmine-coral=23II+F-coII+f-CoI, and fluted carmine-coral 23II+F-coI+f-CoII.
Redemptive imagination: the fallacy of judging across borders of ignorance

This essay draws from personal experience and asserts that the criminal justice system fails to meet the needs of communities because the response to crime is dictated by forces outside those communities and across boundaries of failed imagination and flawed knowledge. Communities in our land can no longer afford to allow the wounds created by crime to go unhealed, its victims to go without redress and without a voice, and its young people to be vacuumed into a brutal system of dehumanization that leaves them unable to return as productive members of the human family from which they were removed. Reconciliation instead of a self-destructive obsession with retribution is a vital interest for all communities in America. Rather than insisting that crime must not go unpunished, we must insist that the hurt caused by crime must not go unhealed. Only the path of reconciliation can give us any hope if we want to address the problems that create crime in the first place: poverty, ignorance, shame, fear, and the v...
DUCTILE FRACTURE CHARACTERIZATION OF ALUMINUM ALLOY 2024-T351 USING DAMAGE PLASTICITY THEORY

This paper presents the calibration procedure for aluminum alloy 2024-T351 using a recently developed damage plasticity theory. The damage plasticity theory consists of a full three dimensional damage evolution law where the pressure sensitivity and the Lode angle dependence are included in a fracture envelope and the equivalent plastic strain is used as a time-like variable to determine the damage rate. Because of the coupled nature of the plastic strain and the damage, material parameters are calibrated from a parallel study of numerical simulations and experimental measurements. A set of 10 tests that cover a wide range stress states for both the hydrostatic pressure and the Lode angle are conducted in order to capture the fracture envelope in the interested stress range. The experimental setups include un-notched and notched round bars with three different notch radii, a doubly grooved flat plate and compressed cylinders of three different heights at two friction conditions. The detailed numerical and experimental procedure of calibration is demonstrated by using four of these tests. The accuracy of the calibrated material parameters is further assessed by the remainder of tests. Notch sensitivity in tensile round bars and the friction conditions in upsetting tests are discussed in detail. Good agreement in the tested load conditions is achieved for both the fracture patterns and the load-displacement curves.
Adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast. Report of 11 new cases: review of the literature and discussion of biological behavior.

Eleven new cases of adenoid cystic carcinoma of the breast are added to the 95 previously reported. They were studied for their biological behavior, and an attempt was made to correlate histologic features with prognosis. A comparison was made with analogous tumors in extramammary sites, and possible relationship with carcinoid tumors of the breast explored. The patients in the study followed a biological course very similar to that described by previous studies, i.e., slow progression, local recurrence if inadequately resected, and absence of lymph node metastases. Only one patient developed distant metastases after an interval of ten years following radical mastectomy. If the diagnosis of adenoid cystic carcinoma is reserved for those lesions displaying the distinctive appearance and typical epithelial-stromal relationships which have been described, the authors feel that simple mastectomy with careful follow-up surveillance is the treatment of choice.
Integrated Tests for Removal of Nitric Oxide with Iron Thiochelate in Wet Flue Gas Desulfurization Systems

Wet flue gas desulfurization scrubbers can be retrofitted for combined removal of SO 2 and NO x from flue gas by adding a newly developed iron(II) thiochelate to limestone slurries. This additive enhances the solubility of NO in limestone slurries by binding NO to form iron nitrosyl thiochelates. The bound NO is then converted to an ammonium ion by iron metal, regenerating the active iron(II) catalyst for continued NO capture. The conditions of the chemical regeneration of iron(II) thiochelate have been studied. This chemical reduction method is efficient, simple, and cost-effective. Integrated tests of this new iron additive on a bench-scale system have been conducted. A turbulent contact absorber was employed to test simultaneous removal of NO and SO 2 with iron(II) thiochelate in a limestone slurry. The steady-state NO removal efficiency depends on the operating conditions of an absorber, the iron chelate concentration, the fraction of the flow diverted for regeneration, and the conditions used in the regeneration reactor. The bench-scale test results were used to develop a prediction of the performance of a full-scale spray absorber.
Gaps in the Mapping between Simulations and Self: Concerns with the Proposed Neural Network Model

We were impressed with the authors' scholarship and with their ambitious attempt to provide a more explicit model of the James-Mead dynamic self. Our comment will focus on the simulations themselves and their meaning, since in several of the simulations we find the mapping between the concrete simulation and the authors' conceptual point either difficult to under stand or hard to justify. In the following we systemat ically consider each of their four simulations and the issues we have with them, as well as suggesting in sev eral places what kind of simulation we believe would have been more appropriate. On a more general point, it is not clear to us why the authors take the time to talk about the neuroscience data on the brain centers involved in sequence learning and on the potential role of mirror neurons in sequence learning. It is already well known that humans can do sequence learning and that they can imitate others. The neuroscience data they cite does not add anything to that argument. It would make sense to discuss the neuroscience data if their model was inspired by it or constrained by it in some way, but we don't see how the neuroscience data informs their model in any way. However, we would be happy if the authors could provide an explicit account of how the neuroscience data informs their simulations.
2-D Parameter Studies of Ion/Electron Current Coupling in Particle in Cell Simulations

Summary form only given. Ready neutralization of ion beams by a source of electrons is a well known phenomenon, but the physics behind that process is not well understood. As electric propulsion devices move into the micro and macro regimes with colloids, FEEPs, and large arrays of thrusters, the interactions between the neutralizer and the thruster are under examination. A series of 2D particle-in-cell simulations are presented examining the simulated response of an ion-beam/electron source system. Effects of numerical and physical parameters are explored and compared to the results of a first-order kinetic theory to explain the results. While the 2-D simulations show some evidence of current coupling, it is much less than what a first-order approximation might suggest. The effects of the numerical nature of the simulation are taken into consideration and shown to be of only minor importance in most cases, with the resolution of the system being the most important parameter
Microeconomic Loans and Health Education to Families in Impoverished Communities: Implications for the HIV Pandemic:

Poverty is among the root causes of death and poor health worldwide. Project HOPE's Village Health Bank (VHB) program is a public health intervention that combines integrated microcredit lending and health education. Groups of 18 to 25 women receive small loans, and biweekly, one-hour health education sessions. Since 1993, about 50,000 women in 949 VHBs have participated in seven countries in the Americas, Africa, and Southeast Asia, receiving more than US$25 million in loans and 8,445 hours of health education. Members of VHBs are charged modest interest rates that enable them to become self-sufficient (eg, able to cover all operating charges, including the costs of the health education staff, and the necessary loan capital to continue without infusion of outside resources). The VHB program produces substantial economic improvements for individuals and groups, and benefits in health knowledge and behaviors, including increased utilization of healthcare services. Data from Guatemala, Malawi, and Thailand demonstrate that VHBs in countries with high HIV prevalence have been comparably successful in spite of the enormous added burdens of chronic illness, deaths, and orphans in need of support. For example, in 2004, 48 percent of 266 VHB members in Malawi experienced at least one death in their household in the preceding year, and 67 percent housed one or more orphans with an average of two orphans per household. Because of the unique combination of increased household economic stability and improved health knowledge, the VHB program is now being adapted to families of people affected by HIV/AIDS, including orphans.
Diffusion propagator as a probe of the structure of porous media

We propose a simple ansatz that relates the diffusion propagator for the molecules of a fluid confined in a porous medium to the pore-space structure factor. Theoretical arguments and numerical simulations show that it works well for both periodic and disordered geometries. The ansatz allows us to deconvolve structural data from momentum dependent pulsed field gradient spin-echo data. © 1992 The American Physical Society.
Inter-tissue Complementation: A Simple Technique for Direct Analysis of Gene-Action Sequence

Sequence of gene action can be determined from unidirectional complementary interactions between synthetically active but genetically blocked tissues. A linear sequence of gene action has been constructed for anthocyanin synthesis in maize by this approach. This technique probably can be applied to other systems and organisms that have the requisite circumstances.
Fields and Charges About a Conductor

An investigation of the electrostatic fields and space charges surrounding a conductor at high potentials, both alternating and continuous, is reported in this paper. The importance of space charge in determining the distribution of electric gradient is shown on experimental apparatus the dimensions of which approach those of many power transmission and related structures.
Mechanism of PNA Transport to the Nuclear Compartment

We evaluated the nuclear uptake of fluorescently labeled peptide nucleic acids and measured the binding of unlabeled peptide nucleic acids (PNAs) to the endogenous HER-2/neu promotor in digitonin-permeabilized SK-BR-3 cells. Fluorescently labeled PNAs readily enter the nucleus of digitonin-permeabilized cells, and binding to the chromosomal target sequence was detected with a bis-PNA. Nuclear uptake and target sequence binding were inhibited by N-ethylmaleimide (NEM) and GTPgammaS. We conclude that PNAs are transported into the nucleus through an energy-dependent process involving the nuclear pore complex.
Evolution of the ground state of (TMTTF)2Br with pressure

Abstract Proton NMR experiments show that the magnetic structure and fluctuation spectrum within the antiferromagnetic phase of (TMTTF) 2 Br undergoes distinctive changes as the pressure is varied by less than 10 kbar. Some of the results are interpreted as a consequence of increasing the effective dimensionality of the system along with the pressure-induced suppression of a correlation gap at the Fermi surface. Only at low pressures is a commensurate magnetic structure observed, where the system is likely near to a Spin-Peierls state.
Copper Homeostasis at the Host-Pathogen Interface

The trace element copper is indispensable for all aerobic life forms. Its ability to cycle between two oxidation states, Cu1+ and Cu2+, has been harnessed by a wide array of metalloenzymes that catalyze electron transfer reactions. The metabolic needs for copper are sustained by a complex series of transporters and carrier proteins that regulate its intracellular accumulation and distribution in both pathogenic microbes and their animal hosts. However, copper is also potentially toxic due in part to its ability to generate reactive oxygen species. Recent studies suggest that the macrophage phagosome accumulates copper during bacterial infection, which may constitute an important mechanism of killing. Bacterial countermeasures include the up-regulation of copper export and detoxification genes during infection, which studies suggest are important determinants of virulence. In this minireview, we summarize recent developments that suggest an emerging role for copper as an unexpected component in determining the outcome of host-pathogen interactions.
Assessing forestry-related assets with the intertemporal capital asset pricing model

Abstract The intertemporal capital asset pricing model is used to assess the risk–return relationship between forestry-related assets and innovations in state variables using quarterly returns from 1988Q1 to 2011Q4. Market excess returns and innovations in the small-minus-big and high-minus-low factors, interest rate, term spread, default spread and aggregate consumption explain about 80% of the variation in cross-sectional returns of 16 forestry-related assets. Beta loadings on innovations in high-minus-low, interest rate and term spread induce significant risk premiums, and should be priced to determine the cross-sectional expected returns of the forestry-related assets. In general, average excess returns of the forestry-related assets decrease from the period of 1988Q1–1999Q4 to the period of 2000Q1–2011Q4. Significant positive excess returns are obtained in the first sub-period for private- and public-equity timberland assets but not in the second sub-period. Insignificant excess returns are obtained for forest products and timber products in the whole sample period. The results are robust to different specification tests.
Tropical Waves in a GCM with Zonal Symmetry

Abstract Tropical wave phenomena have been examined in the last 520 days of two 15-year runs of a low-resolution general circulation model (CCMO). The model boundary conditions were simplified to all-land, perpetual equinox, and no topography. The two runs were for fixed soil moisture at 75% and 0% , the so-called “wet” and “dry” models. Both models develop well-defined ITCZs with low-level convergence erratically concentrated along the equator. Highly organized eastward-propagating waves are detectable in both models with different wave speeds depending on the presence of moisture. The wave amplitudes (in, e.g., vertical velocity) are many orders of magnitude stronger in the wet model. The waves have a definite transverse nature as precipitation (low-level convergence) patches tend to move systematically north and south across the equator. In the wet model the waves are distinctly nondispersive and the transit time for passage around the earth is about 50 days, consistent with the Madden–Julian frequency...
Some Implications of the International Study of Achievement in Mathematics for Mathematics Educators.

The report of the International Study of Achievement in Mathematics has been around for almost four years. During that time it has been damned and defended, distorted and dismissed. Now that the rest of the parade has moved on-the IEA to other curriculum subjects, the book reviewers to other books, the editorial writers and their readers to other diversionsit seems appropriate for mathematics educators to take stock of the study and its findings. In this article, I discuss some of the implications of the study in the hope that the reader will be moved to look at the report more closely, with a greater appreciation of what it does and does not say. Getting a proper perspective on the IEA study is difficult, especially for mathematics educators in the 12 countries surveyed. It is a little like having oneself identified, complete with biographical data, as one of the subjects in a psychological experiment-curiosity about one's own performance keeps getting in the way of a dispassionate consideration of the results. A defensive posture about the status of one's own country-with consequent attempts to find plausible explanations-would do little harm if the study had been only descriptive. But since the thrust of the study is correlational, the reader who insists on attending to questions of relative national standings is likely to miss the import of the variables being considered. One should remember, in reading the report and commentaries on it, that the IEA study is a study in comparative education, not mathematics education. Mathematics was only the vehicle for testing a large number of hypotheses about relationships between national systems of education. Other academic subjects could easily have been used, and will be used by the IEA in future studies, to test these hypotheses. The mathematics educator should not be surprised that a study hailed as a landmark by specialists in comparative education seems to say little to him. The study does have implications for the mathematics educator, but they are not its major implications.
GA BASED SIMULATION OF IMMUNE NETWORKS APPLICATIONS IN STRUCTURAL OPTIMIZATION

Genetic algorithms have received considerable recent attention in the optimal design of structural systems. These algorithms derive a computational leverage from an intrinsic pattern recognition capability, whereby patterns or schemata associated with a high level of fitness are identified and evolved at a near-exponential growth rate through generations of simulated evolution. This highly exploitative search process has been shown to be extremely effective in searching for schema that represent an optimum, requiring only that an appropriate measure of fitness be defined. This exploitative pattern recognition process is also at work in another biological system - the immune system responsible for recognizing antigens foreign to the system and generating antibodies to combat the growth of these antigens. The paper describes key elements of how the functioning of the immune system can be modelled in the context of genetic search. It then provides an overview of the implications of this model in improving th...
Lateral functional shift of the mandible: Part I. Effects on condylar cartilage thickness and proliferation

Lateral functional shift of the mandible is characterized by transverse rotation of the entire mandible about a vertical axis toward 1 side of the head. The effect of this shift is that the condyle on the side opposite the direction of the shift is displaced anteriorly, or protruded, while the condyle on the side toward the shift is more stable positionally and is likely to be slightly retruded. According to the view that growth of the mandibular condylar cartilage (MCC) adapts to its local functional-biomechanical environment, differential changes in metabolic activity of the MCC would be expected on the nonprotruded and the protruded sides. To evaluate this hypothesis, 21 rats (28 days old) were fitted with intraoral positioners designed to shift the mandibular postural position asymmetrically. Cartilage thickness and BrdU labeling index in the MCC 3, 7, and 14 days after placement of the positioners were compared with those in age-matched controls that received no positioners. Cartilage thickness in the MCC on the protruded side was significantly greater than that in the controls at each time interval, with the difference increasing slightly with time. The labeling index for the protruded MCC was significantly greater than the controls at both 7 and 14 days after positioner placement. Trends on the nonprotruded side were generally opposite, culminating in reduced thickness and proliferation after 14 days. Thickness and labeling index were greater on the protruded side at every time interval except 3 days (labeling index). These trends in cartilage thickness and proliferation are consistent with previous studies of MCC changes after bilateral functional protrusion or retrusion. These data suggest that changes in MCC thickness and proliferative activity might accompany a lateral functional shift of the mandible in growing persons.
De Haas-Van Alphen effect in superconductors below Bc2

Abstract The de Haas van Alphen effect has been investigated in YBCO recently by Fowler et al. using 100 Tesla fields and temperatures below 4.2 K. It is concluded that even at these fields these measurements were taken below the superconducting critical field, Bc2. Similar effects have been seen by Graebner and Robins in NbSe2 in 1976 and more recently by Mueller, Lowndes, and Arko et al. in V3Si. The implication of such mixed state experiments is discussed.
A Framework for Measuring the Impact and Effectiveness of the NEES Cyberinfrastructure for Earthquake Engineering

Many cyber infrastructure and cloud computing systems have been developed and deployed over the past decade. Although use metrics are collected by many of these systems, there is not a clear link from these metrics to the ultimate effectiveness and impact of these systems on science communities. This paper describes a framework we developed that seeks to provide context for use and impact metrics to facilitate understanding of how these systems are used and ultimately adopted by science and engineering communities. We use this framework to present metrics of use, impact, and effectiveness collected from the NEES cyber infrastructure.
Behaviour of empty steel grain silos under wind loading: part 2: the stiffened conical roof shell

Abstract This paper presents the second part of the results of detailed finite element analyses of three empty stiffened steel grain silos under nonuniform wind loading. In the present paper (part 2), the behaviour of the roof system is discussed, while in part 1, the behaviour of the stiffened silo wall was presented. The behaviour of the three silos analysed (tall, intermediate and shallow), depends on the geometry and the stiffening of the silo. The roof of the tall silo, reinforced with radial ribs only, develops stress resultants predominantly in the radial direction and transfers them to the centre collar and the wall in one-way bending. The roof systems of the larger diameter intermediate and shallow silos are reinforced with stiffeners and exhibit much more complicated behaviour. The stiffened roof shells of these latter two silos behave as continuous one-way slabs acting compositely with the rafters, with the purlins providing elastic support.
The prospective intraoperative and perioperative ophthalmic imaging with optical CoherEncE TomogRaphy (PIONEER) study: 2-year results

Purpose To evaluate the feasibility, safety, and utility of intraoperative optical coherence tomography (OCT) for use during ophthalmic surgery. Design Prospective, consecutive case series. Methods A prospective, single-center, consecutive case series was initiated to assess intraoperative OCT in ophthalmic surgery. Intraoperative scanning was performed with a microscope-mounted spectral-domain OCT system. Disease-specific or procedure-specific imaging protocols (eg, scan type, pattern, size, orientation, density) were used for anterior and posterior segment applications. A surgeon feedback form was recorded as part of the study protocol to answer specific questions regarding intraoperative OCT utility immediately after the surgical procedure was completed. Results During the first 24 months of the PIONEER study, 531 eyes were enrolled (275 anterior segment cases and 256 posterior segment surgical cases). Intraoperative OCT imaging was obtained in 518 of 531 eyes (98%). Surgeon feedback indicated that intraoperative OCT informed surgical decision making and altered surgeon understanding of underlying tissue configurations in 69 of 144 lamellar keratoplasty cases (48%) and 63 of 146 membrane peeling procedures (43%). The most common anterior segment surgical procedure was Descemet stripping automated endothelial keratoplasty (DSAEK, n = 135). Vitrectomy with membrane peeling was the most common procedure for posterior segment surgery (n = 154). The median time that surgery was paused to perform intraoperative OCT was 4.9 minutes per scan session. No adverse events were specifically attributed to intraoperative OCT scanning during the procedure. Conclusions Intraoperative OCT is feasible for numerous anterior and posterior segment ophthalmic surgical procedures. A microscope-mounted intraoperative OCT system provided efficient imaging during operative procedures. The information gained from intraoperative OCT may impact surgical decision making in a high frequency of both anterior and posterior segment cases.