cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Serum-ascites albumin concentration gradient and ascites fibronectin in the diagnosis of malignant ascites.

Background. The differential diagnosis between malignant and nonmalignant ascites by using laboratory parameters has not been completely achieved so far. Methods. The authors studied serum-ascites albumin concentration gradients ([albumin]a — [albumin]a), ascites fibronectin and various parameters in 149 consecutive patients with ascites (including Group 1: 22 patients with intraabdominal malignant lesions; Group 2: 81 patients with chronic liver disease; and Group 3: 46 patients with hepatocellular carcinoma [HCC]). Results. The concentrations of fibronectin, albumin, protein, lactate dehydrogenase, and carcinoembryonic antigen in ascites were significantly higher in Group 1 than in Group 2 (P 100 μ/ml) provided diagnostic accuracy (96.8% and 95.9%, respectively) as precise as those of the levels of albumin (> 1.6 g/dl), protein (> 2.5 g/dl), and lactate dehydrogenase (> 60 U/1; 97.9%, 96.7%, and 94.8%, respectively) in ascites. These results were better than that of carcinoembryonic antigen level (> 1.5 ng/ml, 80.9%). Conclusions. The authors concluded that [albumin]a — [albumin]a offered the best method to survey malignant ascites because of its sensitivity (100%).
Bacteria and phytoremediation: new uses for endophytic bacteria in plants

The use of plants and bacterial to clean up environmental pollutants has gained momentum in past years. A limitation to phytoremediation of solvents has been toxicity of the compounds to plants, and the uncertainty as to the fate of many of the compounds. In a recent study, engineered endophytes have been shown to increase plant tolerance to toluene, and to decrease the transpiration of toluene to the atmosphere. This type of work has the potential to increase the use of phytoremediation by decreasing toxicity and increasing degradation of toxins.
Integrating design and verification - from simple idea to practical system

Summary form only given. For many VLSI designs, validation has started to dominate the total design effort. In addition, historical trends are indicating that this problem will continue to grow. For example, data from Intel's lead microprocessor design efforts shows that the number of pre-silicon bugs has increased by a factor of four for every lead project for the last 25 years. If this trend is not broken, Intel's next lead design is likely to have to go through the "find the bug, evaluate it, root cause it, fix it, and validate the fix" process tens of thousands of times; potentially overwhelming the validation and design team. Thus one of the most critical goals for improving the design process is to break this bug trend. In the presentation, we introduce the integrated design and verification (IDV) system that has been developed at Intel for the last 5 years. IDV combines the design and validation efforts so that the task of design validation (i.e., "Did we capture what we actually wanted?") is significantly simplified by means of a much smaller and much more stable high-level model. Furthermore, when the design is completed, so also is the implementation validation (i.e., "Did we implement what we intended?"). The latter is accomplished by linking the design process very tightly with the validation process. Although this idea is not new, the combination of correct-by-construction and correct-by-verification and the tight integration of a database of verified results is new and has led to a design environment that allows rapid design in which the validation problem has been significantly reduced. To make the presentation more realistic, we will use the design, from a high-level model to layout, of a floating point execution unit as a driving example. We discuss the early design phase in which the high-level model is refined using algorithmic transformations to a viable micro architecture; continue with the middle level design in which the actual logic implementation is derived and conclude with the final placement and layout stage. Although the design process conceptually is performed sequentially, we will illustrate the tight loop that IDV enables between physical design and logical/micro-architectural design. The latter is a critical component in enabling design convergence. In fact, in today's process technology, integration of physical and logical design is not optional but rather mandatory.
Characterization of (Ca2++ Mg2+)-ATPase of sarcoplasmic reticulum by laser-excited europium luminescence

The molecular environment of Ca2+ translocating sites of skeletal muscle sarcoplasmic reticulum (SR) (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase has been studied by pulsed-laser excited luminescence of Eu3+ used as a Ca2+ analogue. Interaction of Eu3+ with SR was characterized by investigating its effect on partial reactions of the Ca2+ transport cycle. In native SR vesicles, Eu3+ was found to inhibit Ca2+ binding, phosphoenzyme formation, ATP hydrolysis activity and Ca2+ uptake in parallel fashion. The non-specific binding of Eu3+ to acidic phospholipids associated with the enzyme was prevented by purifying (Ca2+ + Mg2+)-ATPase and exchanging the endogenous lipids with a neutral phospholipid, dioleoylglycerophosphocholine. The results demonstrate that the observed inhibition of Ca2+ transport by Eu3+ is due to its binding to Ca2+ translocating sites. The 7F0----5D0 transition of Eu3+ bound to these sites was monitored. The non-Lorentzian nature of the excitation profile and a double-exponential fluorescence decay revealed the heterogeneity of the two sites. Measurement of fluorescence decay rates in H2O/D2O mixture buffers further distinguished the sites. The number of water molecules in the first co-ordination sphere of Eu3+ bound at transport sites were found to be 4 and 1.5. Addition of ATP reduced these numbers to zero and 0.6. These data show that the calcium ions in translocating sites are well enclosed by protein ligands and are further occluded down to zero or one water molecule of solvation during the transport process.
Visualization of Single RNA Transcripts in Situ

Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) and digital imaging microscopy were modified to allow detection of single RNA molecules. Oligodeoxynucleotide probes were synthesized with five fluorochromes per molecule, and the light emitted by a single probe was calibrated. Points of light in exhaustively deconvolved images of hybridized cells gave fluorescent intensities and distances between probes consistent with single messenger RNA molecules. Analysis of beta-actin transcription sites after serum induction revealed synchronous and cyclical transcription from single genes. The rates of transcription initiation and termination and messenger RNA processing could be determined by positioning probes along the transcription unit. This approach extends the power of FISH to yield quantitative molecular information on a single cell.
Elastic registration of 3D whole body CT and PET images by quaternion-based interpolation of multiple piecewise linear rigid-body registrations

We report an algorithm for automatic elastic registration of whole body computed tomography (CT) and positron emission tomography (PET) images, which would allow accurate localization of viable tumors visible clearly in the perfusion PET image with respect to the anatomy that is better delineated in the CT image. The algorithm generates an elastic transformation field (TA) from a unique quaternion-based interpolation of multiple rigid-body registrations (based on maximization of normalized mutual information), each obtained for hierarchically subdivided image blocks. Fifteen pairs of clinically acquired CT and PET scans were registered using our algorithm. All image pairs registered visually correct. For validation, a set of anatomic landmarks was identified independently by two clinical experts in both images of each CT-PET pair. Based on each expert's marked points, two thin-plate spline-based deformation fields (TE1, TE2) were determined for each image pair. Interobserver variability calculated as the mean difference between transformed locations obtained using each of 'TE1', 'TE2' and 'TA' (5.8 mm) was comparable to the interobserver variability calculated as the mean difference in transformed locations obtained using only 'TE1' and 'TE2' (4.5 mm), suggesting that the accuracy of the registration algorithm is comparable to that of the experts.© (2004) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Rootstock genotype succession influences apple replant disease and root-zone microbial community composition in an orchard soil

Apple replant disease (ARD) is a soil-borne disease complex that affects young apple trees in replanted orchards, resulting in stunted growth and reduced yields. Newly developed rootstock genotypes with tolerance to ARD may help to control this disease. We determined the effects of rootstock genotype rotations during orchard renovation, by investigating root-zone soil microbial consortia and the relative severity of ARD on seven rootstock genotypes (M.9, M.26, G.30, G.41, G.65, G.935, and CG.6210) planted in soil where trees on four of those same rootstocks (M.9, M.26, G.30 and CG.6210) had grown for the previous 15 years. Rootstock genotyping indicated that genetic distances among rootstocks were loosely correlated with their differential responses to ARD. Root-zone fungal and bacterial community composition, assessed by DNA fingerprinting (T-RFLP), differed between M.26 and CG.6210. Soil bacterial communities were influenced most by which rootstock had grown in the soil previously, while fungal communities were influenced more by the current replanted rootstock. In a clone library of bacteria from M.26 and CG.6210 root-zone soil, β-Proteobacteria was the most abundant phylum (25% of sequences). Sequences representing the Burkholderia cepacia complex were obtained only from CG.6210 soil. Rootstock genotypes that were grown in the orchard soil previously affected subsequent ARD severity, but replanting with the same or closely related rootstocks did not necessarily exacerbate this disease problem. Our results suggest that genotype-specific interactions with soil microbial consortia are linked with apple rootstock tolerance or susceptibility to ARD.
Altered urinary kallikrein excretion in human hypertension.

Abstract Measurements of urinary kallikrein using an esterolytic assay revealed lower levels in patients with essential hypertension than in a control population, normal levels in renal-artery stenosis, and raised levels in phaeochromocytoma and primary aldosteronism. Values in three cases of primary aldosteronism were among the highest encountered. Coupled with recent findings in animals, these results suggest a role for the kallikrein-kinin system in abnormal elevations of blood-pressure.
Are we all torturers now? A reconsideration of women's violence at Abu Ghraib

In April 2004 photographs were publicized showing American servicewomen conspicuous among the tormentors of inmates at Abu Ghraib prison. These sadistic images defied gendered expectations about the proper behaviour of women and prompted a flurry of articles on women's involvement. Many responses to the Abu Ghraib disclosures implicitly accepted that such brutality is typical of military men but when enacted by women is aberrant in ways that merit special notice and explanation. Feminist writers tended to construe the photographs as either demonstrating women's equal capacity for conscienceless violence or as confirming women's subordination in the male-dominated military. This paper reconsiders the role of servicewomen in the Abu Ghraib abuses and critiques these foremost feminist readings (which are shown to mirror anti-feminist responses in significant respects). Commentaries on the role of military women neglect the opposition of prominent members of the US armed forces to policies that encouraged abu...
American Roman Catholicism and the environmental movement

In the later part of the 20th Century, the nearly two millennium old institution of the Roman Catholic Church began to address as a body the issues of Environmental Stewardship. Although lay, religious and clerical scholars have addressed environmental issues in the past, it wasn't until the 1970s and 1980s that bishops in a number of dioceses, provinces and nations around the world produced letters addressing environmental issues as part of their teaching mission (Magisterium) on Social Justice. It was not until 1990 that the Pope formally addressed the issue in his New Year's Message. Many of the key elements of the Church's positions on protection of the Environment are very socially progressive and quite in line with mainstream American and European Environmental activism and reflective of some of the best elements of Environmental Science. This progressivism is often surprising to many outside the Church and often ignored by Catholic laity in positions of social and political power. Divergent theological movements within and outside of the Church have diluted progress on these issues, especially the controversies revolving around the area of "Earth Centered Theology". Nonetheless, bodies of scholarship and activism based in different parts relying upon Science and Theology are producing an upsurge in collaboration and a fruitful marriage of these seemingly divergent areas. This paper addresses the history of emerging Catholic environmental teaching, the interface of Science and Theology in Catholic teaching, potential impacts of including Environmental Stewardship under the umbrella of the Magisterium and remaining areas where collaboration can be developed.
Phase equilibria and multiple azeotropy of the acetic acid-isobutyl acetate system

Abstract Azeotropy is a manifestation of vapor-liquid equilibrium and therefore is a function of the strength of intermolecular forces in both the vapor and liquid phases. The three non-electrolyte binary systems which have been shown to display multiple azeotropy do so because of intermolecular forces in the liquid phase which produce multiple extrema in the molar excess Gibbs free energy (g E ) of the liquid mixtures. Multiple azeotropy should also be observed in binary systems which strongly associate in the vapor phase and exhibit a single maximum in the g E curve. Calculations of vapor-liquid equilibrium for the acetic acid-isobutyl acetate system at 117 °C predict a system with a double azeotrope and a g E curve with a single maximum. Distillation of several mixtures at atmospheric pressure confirms the existence of two azeotropes for the acetic acid-isobutyl acetate system.
Joint Multicast Beamforming and Antenna Selection

Multicast beamforming exploits subscriber channel state information at the base station to steer the transmission power towards the subscribers, while minimizing interference to other users and systems. Such functionality has been provisioned in the long-term evolution (LTE) enhanced multimedia broadcast multicast service (EMBMS). As antennas become smaller and cheaper relative to up-conversion chains, transmit antenna selection at the base station becomes increasingly appealing in this context. This paper addresses the problem of joint multicast beamforming and antenna selection for multiple co-channel multicast groups. Whereas this problem (and even plain multicast beamforming) is NP-hard, it is shown that the mixed l1,∞-norm squared is a prudent group-sparsity inducing convex regularization, in that it naturally yields a suitable semidefinite relaxation, which is further shown to be the Lagrange bi-dual of the original NP-hard problem. Careful simulations indicate that the proposed algorithm significantly reduces the number of antennas required to meet prescribed service levels, at relatively small excess transmission power. Furthermore, its performance is close to that attained by exhaustive search, at far lower complexity. Extensions to max-min-fair, robust, and capacity-achieving designs are also considered.
Limited-Angle, 3D Density Reconstruction By Gradient Methods

Steepest descent (SD) and conjugate gradient (CG) methods have been applied to limited-angle, 3D density reconstructions of longitudinal, circular tomography. Both variable and constant stepsize have been considered with and without positivity constraint. Simulational as well as clinical studies are reported. From the simulation studies, CG with constant steplength and with positivty constraint is found to be most effective.
Restructuring and verb‐initial order in chamorro

. The Austronesian language Chamorro has a restructuring construction in which the embedded clause-like constituent looks like a finite realis clause. Following Bhatt's (2002) minimalist analysis of Hindi-Urdu, I argue that Chamorro restructuring permits long-distance Agree but not long-distance licensing of objective Case. I then bring the word order of restructuring to bear on the larger issue of how verb-initial order is derived. Along the way, an account is developed in which some of the distinctive characteristics of restructuring are determined in the syntax, but others are the result of post-Spell-Out operations.
Characteristics of suicide attempts in a large urban jail system with an established suicide prevention program

OBJECTIVE: The King County Department of Adult and Juvenile Detention in Washington State, like many jail systems across the nation, implemented a suicide prevention program in response to high suicide rates. A review committee was formed to prospectively study the patterns of suicide attempts that occurred in the system after the program was implemented and to make recommendations for improvements. METHODS: All first suicide attempts per jail booking over a 33-month period in two of the department's jails were studied. For each attempt, characteristics of the individual and of the attempt were abstracted by trained staff. RESULTS: A total of 132 first suicide attempts were made by 124 individual inmates during the study period. The prevalence of mental illness among inmates who attempted suicide was 77 percent, compared with 15 percent in the general jail population. Seventy-five percent of the inmates who attempted suicide had received a mental health evaluation from jail personnel before the attempt. S...
Single event effects hardening and characterization of honeywell's pass 3 RHPPC processor integrated circuit

We describe a single event effects evaluation of Honeywell's radiation-hardened Pass 3 RHPPC processor, which is functionally and pin-compatible with the commercial PowerPC 603eTM. Results support an upset rate of 1x10-5 upsets/chip-day in geosynchronous orbit.
Weight of tradition: culture as a rationale for obesity in contemporary U.S. news coverage.

Summary In studies of mediated representations of obesity to date, the overwhelming majority have found predominant a personal responsibility frame, specifically as drawn against environmental frames, which are nonetheless gaining ground in recent years. In this essay, I review that extant literature and seek to trouble the binary by isolating national news coverage of obesity in two historically and culturally specific regions of the United States that are regularly referenced in relation to the issue: the South and the Midwest. I evaluate the key characterizations of obesity and obese individuals in these regions in mainstream national news coverage between January 2009 and December 2012 in order to assess whether, how, and to what extent personal responsibility or environmental frames are invoked in this coverage. I argue that ‘culture’ appears to be gaining traction as an emergent discourse for obesity, which may appear to offer a more complex or nuanced explanation of the issue; however, this analysis suggests that it can be taken up in ways that feature troubling implications and consequences.
Total Caloric Input of a Thermal Process as an Index of Lethality for Foot‐and‐Mouth Disease Virus

Because significant quantities of foot-and-mouth disease virus undetectable by cell culture infectivity assay can persist in infected tissues throughout thermal processing, classical methods for measuring virus inactivation are difficult to achieve. This study was undertaken to observe the lethality of a given process rather than determining a constant for process time for a given lethality. Thermal diffusivities (α) and one-dimensional heat flux (Q) were determined for three thermal processes used in processing of beef and pork products. Foot-and-mouth disease virus survived in ground beef cooked in flexible nylon thermal processing tubes to core temperatures of 63°C (892 kcal/ m2) in 1.2 hr and 71.2°C (1004 kcal/m2) in 1.45 hr; however, the virus did not survive after processing to a core temperature of 79.4°C (1363 kcal/m2) in 2.0 hr.
Adaptive regularization of a distorted born iterative algorithm for diffraction tomography

We propose a new approach for solving the nonlinear inverse scattering problem for tomographic imaging based on the distorted Born iterative (DBI) method. The DBI method solves this problem starting with the classical Born approximation, then, at every iteration, it solves the forward and inverse scattering problems utilizing the most recent estimates of the scattering function, the total field in the region of interest (ROI), and the kernel. The DBI method is known to provide good quality reconstructions of regions with higher contrast levels than can be handled by the Born or the Born iterative (BI) methods. However, it is highly sensitive to noise due to noise seepage into the kernel. Our modified DBI algorithm improves the robustness in three steps: first, we update the kernel only after a regularized smooth solution has been obtained. Second, we confine kernel changes to a subset of the pixels in the ROI. Finally, we devise a regularization scheme which uses kernel and noise dependent, optimally selected rank. Such modifications maintain appropriate regularization, thus producing visibly and quantitatively better reconstructions than those obtained by the DBI method.
Bit-Matrix Decomposition and Dynamic Reconfiguration: A Unified Arithmetic Processor Architecture, Design and Test

This paper presents the architecture, design and test of a unified arithmetic processor, developed based on recently proposed partial product bit-matrix decomposition and dynamic reconfiguration parallel processing mechanism.By trading bitwidth for array size, the processor is able to perform several operations involving the multiplieation of two 32-b numbers and two 4×4 matriees of 8-b numbers, as well as the evaluation of the inner produet of two size-4 arrays of 16-b numbers. All of them are important to many applieations ineluding graphies and volume rendering.A set of very simple and effieient reconfigurable switches is utilized to aehieve the high performanee. Only two extra bits are needed for all reeonfiguration controls. The architecture also possesses a superiority for high quality test. The cireuit simulations with a 2.5V, 0.25µ proeess have shown that the proeessor performanee including delay and VLSI area is comparable with the existing single-function counterparts.
Revision of the Acetabulum With a Contemporary Cementless Component

We evaluated the performance of a contemporary cementless acetabular component at a minimum of 5 years postoperatively. One hundred eighty-seven consecutive acetabular component revisions were performed using a hemispherical porous-coated component. Patients were followed prospectively with radiographs and Harris hip scores. Twenty patients died, leaving 158 patients (166 hips) available for follow-up at a mean of 91 months. No patients were lost. Eleven acetabular components (7%) required repeated revision, including 4 (2%) for aseptic loosening. Seven of the 145 unrevised acetabular components with radiographic follow-up (5%) were loose. The results of acetabular revision with this contemporary acetabular component were good but inferior to those of earlier-generation implants. This difference is likely multifactorial.
A Case-Based Micro Interactive Genetic Algorithm (CBMIGA) for interactive learning and search: Methodology and application to groundwater monitoring design

Interactive optimization algorithms use real-time interaction to include decision maker preferences based on the subjective quality of evolving solutions. In water resources management problems where numerous qualitative criteria exist, use of such interactive optimization methods can facilitate in the search for comprehensive and meaningful solutions for the decision maker. The decision makers using such a system are, however, likely to go through their own learning process as they view new solutions and gain knowledge about the design space. This leads to temporal changes (nonstationarity) in their preferences that can impair the performance of interactive optimization algorithms. This paper proposes a new interactive optimization algorithm - Case-Based Micro Interactive Genetic Algorithm - that uses a case-based memory and case-based reasoning to manage the effects of nonstationarity in decision maker's preferences within the search process without impairing the performance of the search algorithm. This paper focuses on exploring the advantages of such an approach within the domain of groundwater monitoring design, though it is applicable to many other problems. The methodology is tested under non-stationary preference conditions using simulated and real human decision makers, and it is also compared with a non-interactive genetic algorithm and a previous version of the interactive genetic algorithm.
Estimation, planning, and mapping for autonomous flight using an RGB-D camera in GPS-denied environments

RGB-D cameras provide both color images and per-pixel depth estimates. The richness of this data and the recent development of low-cost sensors have combined to present an attractive opportunity for mobile robotics research. In this paper, we describe a system for visual odometry and mapping using an RGB-D camera, and its application to autonomous flight. By leveraging results from recent state-of-the-art algorithms and hardware, our system enables 3D flight in cluttered environments using only onboard sensor data. All computation and sensing required for local position control are performed onboard the vehicle, reducing the dependence on an unreliable wireless link to a ground station. However, even with accurate 3D sensing and position estimation, some parts of the environment have more perceptual structure than others, leading to state estimates that vary in accuracy across the environment. If the vehicle plans a path without regard to how well it can localize itself along that path, it runs the risk of becoming lost or worse. We show how the belief roadmap algorithm prentice2009belief, a belief space extension of the probabilistic roadmap algorithm, can be used to plan vehicle trajectories that incorporate the sensing model of the RGB-D camera. We evaluate the effectiveness of our system for controlling a quadrotor micro air vehicle, demonstrate its use for constructing detailed 3D maps of an indoor environment, and discuss its limitations.
Outage minimization and optimal power control for the fading relay channel

In this work, we show that in the wireless relay network, a tremendous savings in energy can be achieved by having side information at the transmitters and by employing power control. We present efficient protocols and the corresponding optimal power control policies that approach the universal lower bound on the outage probability of the block fading relay channel. Each of the proposed protocols have their own utility for specific channel conditions. However, a hybrid protocol between two known coding schemes is the best scheme for all channel conditions and is sufficient to approach the lower bound on outage probability. Unlike the single link channel, we show that exploiting the knowledge of the channel at the transmitters can significantly lower the outage even if the transmit powers at the source and relay have to be kept constant. In this case, it is also demonstrated that the lower bound on outage is closely followed by the outage probability of the hybrid protocol. Our results reveal that exploiting the right network protocol in conjunction with power control result in orders of magnitude savings in power over direct transmission for a target performance level.
Consortium sandbox: building and sharing resources.

Some common challenges of biomedical product translation—scientific, regulatory, adoption, and reimbursement—can best be addressed by the broad sharing of resources or tools. But, such aids remain undeveloped because the undertaking requires expertise from multiple research sectors as well as validation across organizations. Biomedical resource development can benefit from directed consortia—a partnership framework that provides neutral and temporary collaborative environments for several, oftentimes competing, organizations and leverages the aggregated intellect and resources of stakeholders so as to create versatile solutions. By analyzing 369 biomedical research consortia, we tracked consortia growth around the world and gained insight into how this partnership model advances biomedical research. Our analyses suggest that research-by-consortium provides benefit to biomedical science, but the model needs further optimization before it can be fully integrated into the biomedical research pipeline.
Decoupled lifeguards: enabling path optimizations for dynamic correctness checking tools

Dynamic correctness checking tools (a.k.a. lifeguards) can detect a wide array of correctness issues, such as memory, security, and concurrency misbehavior, in unmodified executables at run time. However, lifeguards that are implemented using dynamic binary instrumentation (DBI) often slow down the monitored application by 10-50X, while proposals that replace DBI with hardware still see 3-8X slowdowns. The remaining overhead is the cost of performing the lifeguard analysis itself. In this paper, we explore compiler optimization techniques to reduce this overhead.The lifeguard software is typically structured as a set of event-driven handlers, where the events are individual instructions in the monitored application's dynamic instruction stream. We propose to decouple the lifeguard checking code from the application that it is monitoring so that the lifeguard analysis can be invoked at the granularity of hot paths in the monitored application. In this way, we are able to find many more opportunities for eliminating redundant work in the lifeguard analysis, even starting with well-optimized applications and hand-tuned lifeguard handlers. Experimental results with two lifeguard frameworks - one DBI-based and one hardware-assisted - show significant reduction in monitoring overhead.
Relative size and spatial separation: effects on the parallel-lines illusion.

The parallel-lines illusion provides a prototypical example of visual-size assimilation, where the size of a test element is phenomenally skewed towards (or “averaged with”) that of a context element. Most assimilation theories predict that distortion should decrease with spatial separation between context and test lengths. However, there is some disagreement about the nature of the function relating sizes of context and test elements and magnitude of assimilation. The present study tests the limits of assimilation in the parallel-lines configurations by observing the effects of a wide range of context/test size ratios, repeated over two disparate levels of spatial separation. The results replicate and extend 1979 findings by Brigell and Uhlarik, confirming that assimilation rises to a peak at midrange size ratios, only to decrease continuously as the ratios become more extreme. The functions were nonmonotonic and similar in shape for both levels of spatial separation, with an over-all decrease in distort...
A ten-year follow-up of a supported employment program.

OBJECTIVE: Supported employment has steadily increased in prominence as an evidence-based mental health practice, and research shows that the service significantly improves employment outcomes over one to two years. The objective of this study was to examine the outcomes of supported employment ten years after an initial demonstration project. METHODS: The study group consisted of 36 clients who had participated in a supported employment program at one of two mental health centers in 1990 or 1992. Clients were interviewed ten years after program completion about their employment history, facilitators to their employment, and their perceptions of how working affected areas of their lives. RESULTS: Seventy-five percent of the participants worked beyond the initial study period, with 33 percent who worked at least five years during the ten-year period. Current and recent jobs tended to be competitive and long term; the average job tenure was 32 months. However, few clients made the transition to full-time em...
Epstein-Barr Virus-Induced Changes in B-Lymphocyte Gene Expression

To elucidate the mechanisms by which Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) latency III gene expression transforms primary B lymphocytes to lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs), the associated alterations in cell gene expression were assessed by using 4,146 cellular cDNAs arrayed on nitrocellulose filters and real-time reverse transcription-PCR (RT-PCR). A total of 1,405 of the 4,146 cDNAs were detected using cDNA probes from poly(A)+ RNA of IB4 LCLs, a non-EBV-infected Burkitt's lymphoma (BL) cell line, BL41, or EBV latency III-converted BL41 cells (BL41EBV). Thirty-eight RNAs were consistently twofold more abundant in the IB4 LCL and BL41EBV than in BL41 by microarray analysis. Ten of these are known to be EBV induced. A total of 23 of 28 newly identified EBV-induced genes were confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. In addition, nine newly identified genes and CD10 were EBV repressed. These EBV-regulated genes encode proteins involved in signal transduction, transcription, protein biosynthesis and degradation, and cell motility, shape, or adhesion. Seven of seven newly identified EBV-induced RNAs were more abundant in newly established LCLs than in resting B lymphocytes. Surveys of eight promoters of newly identified genes implicate NF-κB or PU.1 as potentially important mediators of EBV-induced effects through LMP1 or EBNA2, respectively. Thus, examination of the transcriptional effects of EBV infection can elucidate the molecular mechanisms by which EBV latency III alters B lymphocytes.
Dynamical Stability of a Towed Thin Flexible Cylinder

Abstract : The stability and dynamics of a slender cylinder towed in a viscous stream are examined. The cylinder is clamped at one end and free at the other. Stability conditions and modal shapes are found based on solutions to linearized equations resulting from small deflection assumptions. Particular attention is focused on the conditions of stability when the length/diameter ratio becomes large. It is found that the stability of a slender cylinder is virtually controlled by the tail portion of the cylinder which is about 25 diameters from the free end. Some experimental observations conducted in a towing tank are in general agreement with theory. (Author)
Structure and Function of Plant Photoreceptors

Signaling photoreceptors use the information contained in the ab- sorption of a photon to modulate biological activity in plants and a wide range of organisms. The fundamental—and as yet imperfectly answered—question is, how is this achieved at the molecular level? We adopt the perspective of biophysicists interested in light-dependent sig- nal transduction in nature and the three-dimensional structures that underpin signaling. Six classes of photoreceptors are known: light- oxygen-voltage (LOV) sensors, xanthopsins, phytochromes, blue-light sensors using flavin adenine dinucleotide (BLUF), cryptochromes, and rhodopsins. All are water-soluble proteins except rhodopsins, which are integral membrane proteins; all are based on a modular architec- ture except cryptochromes and rhodopsins; and each displays a distinct, light-dependent chemical process based on the photochemistry of their nonprotein chromophore, such as isomerization about a double bond (xanthopsins, phytochromes, and rhodopsins), formation or rupture of a covalent bond (LOV sensors), or electron transfer (BLUF sensors and cryptochromes).
Digital-domain calibration of multistep analog-to-digital converters

A digital-domain self-calibration technique, which can directly measure and cancel code errors in multistep conversions, is developed to improve the linearity of multi-step analog-to-digital converters (ADCs). While conventional self-calibration techniques require separate digital-to-analog converters (DACs) for calibration purpose to subtract nonlinearity errors in the analog domain, the proposed digital calibration technique uses add-on digital logic to subtract nonlinearity errors digitally from uncalibrated digital outputs. In a prototype 12-b fully differential two-step ADC implemented using a 2- mu m n-well CMOS technology, this technique cancels MOS switch feedthrough, op-amp offsets, and interstage gain errors simultaneously, and improves total harmonic distortion from -64 to -77 dB. >
Prenatal Testing and Disability Rights

Prenatal Testing and Disability Rights. Erik Parens and Adrienne Asch. eds. Washington, DC: Georgetown University Press, 2000.xvi. 371pp.
Human benign prostatic hyperplasia heterotransplants as an experimental model.

Benign prostatic hyperplasia is a nonmalignant adenomatous enlargement of the periurethral prostate gland. It is a common disease in older men. In addition to man, spontaneous benign prostatic hyperplasia occurs in chimpanzee and the dog. Alternatives to these spontaneous models are induced benign prostatic hyperplasia, xenografts and in vitro models. Xenografts may be induced by cells cultured in vitro or by the heterotransplantation of primary surgical specimens into immunosuppressed mice. The purpose of this review is to integrate data from more than 30 years of heterotransplantation research in the study of benign hyperplasia of the prostate. Heterotransplantation has provided data regarding the histopathology, morphology, tissue markers, androgen receptor expression, tissue kinetics, take rate and tissue vasculature for this prostate disease. There are advantages, as well as limitations, that have been identified for human prostate disease heterotransplants versus xenotransplantation of cultured cells. Overall, heterotransplanted tissue is better at retaining tissue morphology, pathology, secretory activity, expression of tissue markers and human vasculature of the patient's original specimen. Furthermore, heterotransplanted tissue preserves the three-dimensional tissular architecture of the prostate to maintain critical stromal–epithelial cell interactions.
Versatility of baits containing noviflumuron for control of structural infestations of Formosan subterranean termites (Isoptera: Rhinotermitidae)

Abstract Four buildings (two high-rise condominiums, a single-family residential structure, and a trailer) in Broward and Miami-Dade Counties, Florida, infested with Formosan subterranean termites (FST, Coptotermes fomosanus Shiraki) were treated with baits containing 0.5% wt/wt noviflumuron. Each building represented a challenging treatment scenario for liquid termiticides due to the location of the infestation within the structure and/or occupant refusal to permit pesticide application in termite-infested living and activity areas. Marking of FST by in-situ baiting with blank bait matrix treated with 0.5% wt/wt Neutral Red dye indicated only one FST foraging population infested each building. Two FST infestations were aerial in high-rise condominiums. Noviflumuron baits were applied to two buildings in aboveground stations, one building with in-ground stations, and the remaining building with both station types. All detected FST infestations were eliminated within 71-92 days after first application of n...
A Possible Role for Red Squirrels in Structuring Breeding Bird Communities in Lodgepole Pine Forests

Abstract Nest predation is thought to play an important role in structuring certain breeding bird communities. One potential consequence of nest predation is lower recruitment in breeding birds, which may be manifested as lower breeding bird abundance. Lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta ssp. latifolia) forests east and west of the Rocky Mountains became isolated following glacial retreat 12 000 years ago and differ in whether or not red squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus), which are a key nest predator, are present. Breeding bird abundance in lodgepole pine forests was compared between four ranges with red squirrels and four ranges without red squirrels. Species grouped into canopy and understory nesting guilds were, on average, two and three times more abundant, respectively, in forest ranges without red squirrels than in ranges with red squirrels; no statistically significant differences were found for midstory, ground, or cavity nesters. These results suggest that geographic variation in the presence or ab...
Regulation of Hepatic Vascular Capacitance

The mammalian liver is part of the splanchnic bed that provides a highly significant blood reservoir for compensation for loss of blood from the thorax and consequently a decreased cardiac output. Stresses requiring blood volume compensation include: blood or water loss, quiet standing, return from a prolonged bout of zero gravity, thermal stress, or exercise. Hepatic blood volume is changed passively by changes in hepatic arterial or gastrointestinal blood flow or by changes in vena caval pressure. Liver blood volume is also changed actively via reflexes, hormones, or drugs that activate the hepatic venous smooth muscle. Hepatic vascular compliance is about ten times that of the body as a whole, and is changed by active mechanisms. The hepatic unstressed blood volume is markedly changed by hormones. Baroreceptor control of hepatic volume is important in dogs, but not in cats and possibly not in humans. The hepatic venular pressure of rats, rabbits, and puppies is about 40% of the pressure gradient between the portal vein and vena cava. Major areas of uncertainty include: (a) the magnitude of sinusoidal pressure and how it is controlled, (b) the mechanisms controlling hepatic venous resistance, and (c) the mechanisms influencing hepatic vascular capacitance.
Executive Branch Management and Presidential Unilateralism: Centralization and the Issuance of Executive Orders

Despite the useful simplifying assumptions of recent work on unilateral power, archival analysis shows the issuance of executive orders is a process rife with transaction costs as presidents bargain with the bureaucracy over formulating their scope and substance. As a result, presidents must create what Williamson (1985) called “governance structures” to minimize those costs, with the Office of Management and Budget's clearance process at its heart. As with legislative policy formulation, presidents assert more centralized control over executive orders (EO) production on items that affect large numbers of departments, on matters of executive reorganization, and on significant matters. Political contexts are trumped by managerial concerns. Orders dealing with implementation of recently passed statutes or other presidential “clerkship” functions tend to follow a far less centralized formulation process.
Seeking Balance Between Pain Relief and Safety: CDC Issues New Opioid-Prescribing Guidelines.

Pain is a symptom common tonumerousphysical andpsychiatric ailments andcanoftenbemanagedby treating theunderlyingcondition.However, inapproximately20millionpatients eachyear,chronicpainpersistsdespitetreatment.1,2Chronicpain is complex, heterogeneous, and poorly understood. Patientswithchronicpainexperience a decreased quality of lifeandincreasedrisk formultiplecomorbidities,costingsocietybillionsofdollars in reducedproductivityannually.Therefore,equippingphysicianswitheffectivetoolsandguidelinesfor chronic painmanagement is of paramount importance. Chronicpaincanbemanagedwithbothpharmacologicand nonpharmacologic options, such as behavioral and physical therapy. Unfortunately, insurance coverage for multidisciplinary painmanagement is limited,whichplacesmuchof the responsibility for treatingchronicpainonprimarycareandprescriptionmedications.Multiplepharmacologicoptionsareavailable, including nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, antidepressants, anticonvulsants, andopioids,but it is rarelypossible to predict the safest andmost effectivemedication for a given patient. Moreover, there is a paucity of clinical trials to guide physicians in treating chronic pain. In some cases, opioids are the only class ofmedications to which a patient responds, but becauseofdangerousadverseeffects, including respiratorydepression, unintentional overdose, and addiction, it is important for physicians, especially those inprimary care, to be confident with prescribing them safely. The clinical decision to prescribe opioids must also be made in the setting of increases in opioid prescriptions and prescription opioid–related deaths, which now exceed 200 million prescriptions and 16000 deaths per year (Figure). About half of those who died had an active opioid prescription; the other half obtained opioids through pill diversion.5 Notably, among diverted opioid prescriptions, more than 50% are obtained freely from a family member or friend with a valid prescription. This reality forces prescribing physicians to simultaneously address the risk for opioid overdose in their own patients, as well as the risk of prescriptions being diverted and harming others. Related article at jama.com Related article at jamainternalmedicine.com Figure. Opioid Prescriptions andOpioid-Related Deaths From 1999-2013
Hydrocarbon Degradation by Filamentous Marine Higher Fungi

The significance of hydrocarbonoclastic filamentous fungi in marine environments is unclear, only poorly adapted terrigenous species having been investigated. This report examines 54 strains indigenous to submerged wood, saltmarsh vegetation and sandy beaches. Beach-adapted Corollospora, Dendryphiella, Lulworthia and Varicosporina species grew using alkanes and alkenes as sole carbon sources and mineralized n[ 1-4C]hexadecane. This ability was unrelated to oil pollution at fungal collection sites. Few fungi from other habitats utilized hydrocarbons. The beach fungi have been well positioned for selection of hydrocarbon utilization, interfacing with natural marine hydrocarbons in lipophilic surface films and sea foam, long before anthropogenic petroleum compounds polluted their environment.
Gene-diet interaction and weight loss.

Purpose of reviewThe purpose of this review is to summarize recent advances in investigations of dietary factors, genetic factors, and their interactive effects on obesity and weight loss.Recent findingsEven with a tremendous body of research conducted, controversy still abounds regarding the relati
The Relative Persuasiveness of Different Message Types Does Not Vary as a Function of the Persuasive Outcome Assessed: Evidence from 29 Meta-Analyses of 2,062 Effect Sizes for 13 Message Variations

Experiments that compare the persuasiveness of two message types (e.g., strong vs. weak fear appeals) characteristically examine persuasive impact using atti-tudinal, intention, or behavioral outco...
Hopeful, Local, Visionary, Solutions-Oriented, Transformative, Place-Based Sustainability Stories and Service-Learning as Tools for University-Level Education for Sustainable Development: Experiences from University of Vermont

Promoting and building capacity for education for sustainable development (ESD) at institutions of higher education requires engaging numerous stakeholders involving various sectors. This chapter aims to provide learning opportunities on how to implement university-level ESD by reporting on two promising practices for engaging stakeholders—sustainability stories and service-learning—and reflecting on how they are used in two courses, their impact and replicability, and useful lessons learned from them.