cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Multivariate Analysis and Evaluation of Adaptive Sheet Metal Assembly Systems

The flexibility of sheet metal assembly processes is one of the most critical issues in the design stage of assembly systems. Currently in the automotive industry, flexibility and adaptability of assembly systems are mainly considered as the capability to assemble a family of products. The notion of assembly system flexibility, as understood from the point of view of error compensation by upstream processes, has not been widely researched. This paper presents a systematic method of flexible/adaptive assembly system evaluation, based on its ability to compensate for part dimensional variability caused by upstream processes. This allows for the expansion of the present design for manufacturability approaches by applying multivariate analysis and fixture diagnostic techniques. The proposed method was applied to evaluate a flexible assembly system at a US manufacturing plant.
It’s a Bird! It’s a Plane! It’s a Gender Stereotype!: Longitudinal Associations Between Superhero Viewing and Gender Stereotyped Play

Although content analyses have found that superhero programs in the media portray strong gender stereotypes of masculinity, little research has examined the effects of viewing such programs. In the current study, 134 mothers of preschool children (from the Western and Northwestern United States) reported their child’s superhero exposure in the media, male-stereotyped play, weapon play, and parental active mediation of the media at two time points (1 year apart). Results revealed that boys viewed superhero programs more frequently than girls, with nearly a quarter of boys viewing superhero programs at least weekly. Analyses revealed that superhero exposure was related to higher levels of male-stereotyped play for boys and higher levels of weapon play for both boys and girls from Time 1 to Time 2, even after controlling for initial levels. Parental active mediation did not negate these effects, and even served to strengthen one finding for girls. Specifically, among girls with high superhero exposure, weapon play was highest for girls who received frequent active mediation. Implications of the results are discussed with a focus on whether such programs are developmentally appropriate for preschool children.
Differential activating effects of ethanol in C57BL/6Abg and DBA/2Abg mice

A characteristic pattern of ETOH-induced locomotor activation in the DBA/2Abg strain (D2), small activation or sedation in the C57BL/6Abg (B6), and an intermediate position of the F1s was found using a between-group design and 1.5 g/kg ETOH. This pattern was consistent for a variety of behavioral indices not previously examined, including distance, rest time, movement speed and length, as well as the traditional horizontal counts. Using a within-subject, multiple day, repeated-testing procedure, the same three genotypes were also assessed after manipulating drug administration order, where ETOH exposure (1.5 g/kg) was on either the first or second test day. Another experiment examined the effect of lighting level on the response to 1.5 g/kg ETOH using a within-subjects approach. Neither the testing order nor lighting condition had any major influence on the magnitude of activation as measured by locomotor activity (distance). The pattern of additive genotypic influences exhibited by the B6, D2, and F1 mice is remarkably resistant to these contextual and procedural manipulations.
Changes in brainstem auditory evoked response latency predict survival after CPR in a rat model of cardiac arrest and resuscitation

Brainstem auditory evoked responses (BAER) are routinely used to monitor brainstem function in hospitalized comatose patients. We used a rat model of cardiac arrest and resuscitation to explore the possibility that the BAER, monitored during and immediately after cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR), could be used to determine whether the CPR was effective in restoring brainstem blood flow. Long-Evans rats were subjected to 7 min of cardiac arrest, induced by chest compression under Ketamine anesthesia sufficient to mechanically prevent the heart from pumping blood and were then resuscitated using a standard CPR protocol. During CPR, click stimuli were applied to one ear at 11/s and BAER averages recorded every 15 s. In three rats the BAER did not return after CPR; none of these rats respired spontaneously and all died. In 33 rats the BAER did return; within 15 min after the start of CPR BAER peak latencies decreased rapidly, increased again and then decreased. If the increase in the latency of the N2 peak was less than 0.3 ms, then the rat survived. If it was greater than 0.35 ms the rat died. This signal was used as a cue for intervention in three rats; two survived. Thus, in this preparation, the BAER provided a useful measure of CPR effectiveness, in time to permit successful intervention.
Lower Endotoxin Immunity Predicts Increased Cognitive Dysfunction in Elderly Patients After Cardiac Surgery

Background and Purpose— Although coronary artery bypass graft surgery (CABG) improves the quality of life and functional capacity for numerous patients, many also exhibit impairment in cognitive function immediately after surgery. Although the etiology of this cognitive decline is multifactorial, the inflammatory response to the primary insult may modulate the extent of dysfunction. Patients with low preoperative levels of anti-endotoxin core antibody (EndoCAb) are more likely to experience adverse outcomes, suggesting that decreased immunity to endotoxin causes a heightened release of inflammatory mediators. We therefore sought to determine the association of decreased EndoCAb and the incidence of postoperative cognitive decline. Methods— EndoCAb levels were measured before surgery in 460 patients undergoing elective CABG. Cognitive function was measured preoperatively and 6 weeks postoperatively. Multivariable analysis accounted for the effects of age, Parsonnet score, sex, body mass index, baseline cognition, years of education, history of hypertension, bypass time, cross-clamp time, and number of grafts. Results— At 6-week follow-up, 122 patients (36%) showed cognitive decline. Lower preoperative EndoCAb levels were associated with a greater incidence and severity of postoperative cognitive decline. The elderly with decreased endotoxin immunity are particularly susceptible to this decline (relative risk=1.97 for age >64). Conclusions— Reduced preoperative endotoxin immunity is a predictor of increased postoperative cognitive dysfunction in patients undergoing CABG, particularly in those >60 years old. Interventions that increase IgM EndoCAb levels might improve cognitive function after cardiac surgery.
Settlers and Sojourners: The Case of Mexicans in the United States

This work attempts to contribute to our understanding of the process of settlement by undocumented Mexican immigrants. The behavior of single migrants (including individuals who migrated without spouse or children) is compared to that of migrants accompanied by spouse and/or children in relation to a number of factors, including the outcome of migration experiences, variation in household composition over time, attitudes concerning residence preferences, and labor market participation.The examination reveals observable differences in migration patterns and residence intentions. Single migrants are likely to be temporary workers in the U.S. labor market. They view their jobs as temporary and are likely to return to Mexico after a brief stay in the United States. They maintain strong social and economic relationships to their place of origin.In contrast, undocumented immigrants living with their families in the U.S. are likely to view their job as relatively secure and desire to continue residing in the Uni...
Respiratory reflexes in the anesthetized miniature swine

To assess the suitability of the miniature swine for studies of the control of breathing we evaluated the response of these animals to commonly used respiratory stimuli. Hanford miniature pigs were anesthetized with alpha chloralose and allowed to breathe spontaneously. Rapid lung inflations induced a prolonged expiratory pause proportional to load. Mechanical stimulation of the upper airways induced coughing. Central venous injections of C-fiber stimulants produced bradycardia, hypotension with apnea and/or rapid shallow breathing. CO2 rebreathing increased ventilation primarily through an increase in tidal volume; inspiratory time was not changed. Bilateral vagotomy caused a slower, deeper pattern of breathing, and significantly attenuated the ventilatory response to CO2; all other reflexes were abolished by vagotomy. Cooling the vagus nerves caused reversible blockade of the cough, inflation and C-fiber mediated reflexes in that order. We conclude that the pig can serve as a useful animal in which to study the control of breathing.
Characterization of diabetes risk factors in patients prescribed chronic statin therapy

Objective:Determine the incidence of major diabetes risk factors over time in patients prescribed chronic statin therapy.Methods:Retrospective observational chart review of adult patients without d...
SOLVATOTHERMAL ROUTES TO POLY(CARBON MONOSULFIDE)S USING KINETICALLY STABILIZED PRECURSORS

The search for simple compositions in the area of carbon chemistry, e.g., the carbon nitrides1 and the fullerenes,2 has proven especially fruitful. In this spirit, we have been investigating the chemistry of the carbon sulfides, focusing on simple neutral and anionic species.3,4 Carbon sulfides are attractive because they are derived from inexpensive feedstocks and the constituent elements are known to form thermochemically robust linkages, thus making it possible to create structurally complex, kinetically stable inorganic polymers.5 Carbon sulfide polymers are synthesized via exotic precursors (CS6 and C3S2) or highly specialized conditions, e.g., CS2 is polymerized on a submilligram scale at 45 kbar (175 °C).8 The resulting polymeric materialsspoly(CS), poly(CS2), and poly(C3S2)sare relatively poorly defined. Alternative forms of carbon sulfides have been discussed in the context of theoretical calculations and mass spectrometric measurements.9 This paper describes the solvatothermal synthesis10 of compositionally pure and structurally well-defined carbon sulfides. A key aspect of our strategy is the use of kinetically robust C4Sx fragments. Given their substantial strength, the CsC linkages in our precursor reagents were expected to survive the relatively aggressive conditions characteristic of solvatothermal processing, ensuring that the microstructure of the product be related to the molecular structure of the precursor. Thus, C4Sx precursors should give products of the formula [C4Sy]n. In contrast, the precursors used in most solvatothermal reactions degrade upon exposure to the highly nucleophilic mineralizers (e.g., OH-, Sx). While previous flux and solvatothermal methods have been indisputably fruitful,11 the structural relationship between the products and precursors, if any, is subject to little control.
The effect of alkaloids on sugar receptors and the feeding behaviour of the blowfly

. The deterrent effect of alkaloids on feeding by the black blowfly Phormia regina Meigen (Diptera: Calliphoridae) was tested by determining tarsal thresholds for mixtures of sucrose and alkaloids. The following alkaloids were used: atropine sulphate, berberine sulphate, quinine mono-hydrochloride, caffeine, yohimbine sulphonic ester, pilocarpine hydrochloride, coniine hydrochloride and codeine. The same alkaloids were tested electrophysiologically on tarsal chemoreceptors (D hairs). Both behaviourally and electrophysiologically alkaloids reduced response to sucrose. Deterrence and peripheral inhibition could be blocked by increasing the concentration of sucrose. Application of kinetic analyses to the electrophysiological data ruled out competitive, non-competitive, and uncompetitive inhibition at receptor sites. There is no correlation of thresholds with available data on lipid solubility or octanol/water partition coefficients. The diverse pharmacological properties of alkaloids suggest that there is no uniform limiting mechanism for this multiform array of compounds.
Effect of Feeding Chlortetracycline on the Reservoir of Salmonella typhimurium in Experimentally Infected Swine

Abstract Swine were fed either a diet containing 110 mg of chlortetracycline (CTC) per kg (100 g/ton) or a control diet and were inoculated orally with Salmonella typhimurium that was either susceptible or resistant to CTC. The quantity, duration, and prevalence of fecal elimination of S. typhimurium, as well as the effect of CTC on the transmission of S. typhimurium from infected to uninfected swine, were determined. When animals were infected with CTC-resistant S. typhimurium, CTC increased the quantity (P < 0.05), duration (P < 0.05), and prevalence (P < 0.01) of fecal shedding, the transmission from infected to uninfected swine, and the recovery of the infecting organism at necropsy. When animals were infected with CTC-susceptible S. typhimurium, CTC reduced the quantity (between 7 and 10 days postinfection) (P < 0.01), duration (P < 0.05), and prevalence (P < 0.05) of fecal shedding, the transmission from infected to uninfected swine, and the recovery of the infecting organism at necropsy. Resistance to tetracycline was transferred in vivo to 4 and 6% of the susceptible infecting S. typhimurium recovered from the untreated and treated groups, respectively. The increased reservoir of S. typhimurium and the transfer of resistance to susceptible S. typhimurium have implications for both animal and public health.
The Viral RNA Polymerase H4L Subunit Is Required for Vaccinia Virus Early Gene Transcription Termination

Vaccinia virus early gene transcription is catalyzed by a multisubunit virion form of RNA polymerase that possesses a unique subunit, H4L. Prior studies from this laboratory showed that the NH2-terminal domain of H4L, containing amino acids 1–195, interacts with the COOH-terminal end of nucleoside triphosphate phosphohydrolase I (NPH I), an ATPase that is employed in early gene transcription termination. Carboxyl-terminal deletion mutations of NPH I lose both the ability to mediate transcription termination and binding to H4L, providing evidence that the interaction between NPH I and H4L is required for termination. In order to test this model further, antibodies raised against segments of H4L were tested for their ability to inhibit transcription terminationin vitro. A bead-bound template was employed in these studies, which permitted us to separate transcription initiation from elongation and termination. Antibodies raised against H4L amino acids 1–256 inhibited termination in an in vitro assay using virus-infected cell extracts lacking NPH I, but antibodies raised against H4L amino acids 568–795 did not. Preincubation of anti-H4L1–256 antibodies with H4L fragments 1–256 or 1–195 prevented antibody inhibition of termination, demonstrating that inhibition was mediated by antibody binding to one or more epitopes in the NH2-terminal end of H4L. Antibody inhibition of termination is reduced in wild type virus-infected cell extracts containing NPH I. Furthermore, preincubation of a NPH I minus cell extract with NPH I prior to antibody addition, or readdition of NPH I to isolated ternary complexes prepared in the absence of NPH I, prevented antibody inhibition of transcription termination. These data show that NPH I and the inhibitory antibodies compete for a binding site(s) on H4L, providing further evidence that the H4L subunit of the vaccinia virus RNA polymerase plays a direct role in transcription termination.
8.3.3 A Second Application of the CEaVa Method

In the complex world of developing requirements and eliciting user needs, engineers build billions of dollars of products that are wrong on delivery, because they solved the wrong problem. The problem statement does change, because the environment (i.e., schedule, technology, people, or politics) changes. The Continuous Early Validation (CEaVa) refinement method will stabilize the problem statement (i.e., critical requirements or KPPs), which will enhance the probability of building the right product. We will highlight the second application on a billion dollar Army Information Technology system case study that utilized the CEaVa method.
Fast and slow phases of axoplasmic flow in ventral root nerve fibres.

— The pattern of activity found in ventral roots removed at different times after seventh lumbar and first sacral cord injections of [3H]leucine gave evidence for fast and slow phases of axoplasmic flow. An intra-axonic location was shown for the fast flow by the block of downflow produced by freezing a narrow region of the ventral root, by reduction of downflow on preinjection of puromycin into the cord and by radioautography of ventral roots. Separate mechanisms appear to be required to account for the fast and slow phases of axoplasmic flow.
A Cluster of Fulminant, Fatal Necrotizing Community-Associated Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus aureus Pneumonias

Community-associated methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus is a frequent cause of skin and soft-tissue infections and is increasingly identified as a cause of pneumonia in immunocompetent patients. Panton-Valentine leukocidin, one of several leukocytotoxic peptides secreted by these cocci, is associated with increased virulence. A cluster of 3 unrelated patients with fatal pneumonia presumably caused by community-associated methicillin-resistant S aureus positive for Panton-Valentine leukocidin were treated in a 3-week period. Despite aggressive care and appropriate, timely administration of antibiotics, all 3 patients died. This article reviews the clinical and laboratory features suggestive of this lethal isolate, including unique findings on Gram stains of sputum.
Tokenism Reconsidered: Male Nurses and Female Physicians in a Hospital Setting

This paper examines how gender as a status characteristic interacts with the effects of tokenism in two occupations. Data were gathered by observation and interviewing at two hospitals, each having both male nurses and female physicians. On the basis of expectation states theory, we hypothesized that the occupational advancement of males would be aided, rather than hindered, by the perceptual tendencies arising from tokenism. Our findings indicate gender does interact with tokenism, resulting in more positive outcomes for men and more negative outcomes for women. However, we found that in any particular situation the importance of tokenism, and its interactions with gender, will vary depending on several organizational and occupational factors ze identify. Although occupational segregation by sex is still widespread in the United States, there has been an increase in the number of women in tradition
More frequent partner hugs and higher oxytocin levels are linked to lower blood pressure and heart rate in premenopausal women.

In animals, ventral stroking for >5 days increases oxytocin (OT) activity and decreases blood pressure (BP), but related human studies are few. Thus, relationships between self-reported frequency of partner hugs, plasma OT and BP levels were examined in 59 premenopausal women before and after warm contact with their husbands/partners ending with hugs. Higher baseline OT before partner contact was associated with lower BP and heart rate, and met criteria to be a partial mediator of the lower resting BP shown by women reporting more frequent hugs (P < 0.05). OT levels during post-contact stress were unrelated to hugs or BP. Menstrual cycle phase did not influence any OT measure. Thus, frequent hugs between spouses/partners are associated with lower BP and higher OT levels in premenopausal women; OT-mediated reduction in central adrenergic activity and peripheral effects of OT on the heart and vasculature are pathways to examine in future research.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Mucormycosis

In recent years, substantial advances have been achieved in the treatment of mucormycosis. It is now clear that early initiation of therapy results in substantially better outcomes, underscoring the need to maintain a high index of suspicion and aggressively biopsy potential lesions. Increasing data support the need for surgical excision of infected and/or necrosed tissue whenever feasible. Based on their superior safety and efficacy, lipid formulations of amphotericin B have become the standard treatment for mucormycosis. Posaconazole may be useful as salvage therapy, but cannot be recommended as primary therapy for mucormycosis based on available data. Pre-clinical and limited retrospective clinical data suggest that combination therapy with lipid formulations of amphotericin and an echinocandin improves survival during mucormycosis. A definitive trial is needed to confirm these results. The use of the iron chelator, deferasirox, as adjunctive therapy also improved outcomes in animal models of mucormycosis. However, its efficacy was not confirmed in a recent, phase 2 clinical trial. Additional study is required of the potential for abrogation of iron acquisition as adjunctive treatment of mucormycosis. Combination polyene-posaconazole therapy was of no benefit in pre-clinical studies. Adjunctive therapy with recombinant cytokines, hyperbaric oxygen, and/or granulocyte transfusions can be considered in selected patients. Large-scale, prospective, randomized clinical trials are needed to define optimal management strategies for mucormycosis.
On the design for testability of sequential circuits

Presents a new approach for design-for-testability (DFT) of sequential circuits. The proposed approach is based on augmenting the system under test (SUT) with additional circuitry such that the combinational part of the SUT and the sequential part (i.e. the flip-flops) can be tested independently (disjoint testing). >
Biosecurity: Educational Programs

Abstract Multiple educational programs dealing with biosecurity were developed during and following the exotic Newcastle disease outbreak of 2002 and 2003 in California. Extension clientele involved with game fowl, fairs and expositions, poultry clubs, and poultry youth were all in need of biosecurity training. Collaborative efforts between the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Department of Food and Agriculture resulted in the development of educational programs that addressed issues raised during the outbreak and continue to help clientele protect their birds from emerging diseases.
Self-Accommodation Mechanisms for Orthorhombic Martensite Formation in Sputtered Thin Films of Thermoelastic Ti(Nicu)

Direct observation of the self-accommodation morphology for orthorhombic martensite in Ti51.0Ni44.4Cu4.6 thin films has been accomplished by transmission microscopy of fine grained (<2μm) material prepared by triode magnetron sputtering. The films were observed to undergo, on cooling, two separate thermoelastic transformations in which the B2 austenite phase first transformed to an orthorhombic martensite with a =.291 nm, b =.425 nm and c =.450 nm followed by transformation to the monoclinic phase at lower temperature. The R-phase transformation was suppressed. Single grains contained as many as eight crystallographic variants of the orthorhombic phase, the majority of which were shaped as parallelograms bounded by {111}Ortho twin planes. The local self-accommodation mechanism produced combinations in which three adjacent variants shared a common {111}B2 pole. Although the majority of B19 variant domains accommodated themselves through {111}Ortho type twinning, a second accommodation mechanism, involving two sets of band-like martensite variants, bounded by {011}ortho twin planes, was also observed. Simultaneous occurrence of the {111}ortho and {011}ortho twinning modes, wihtin a single austenite grain, was not observed.
Aggressive Behaviour: Definition, Assessment, Treatment

Aggressive behaviours represent one of the more frequently occurring and chronic psychological symptoms presented by those with mental retardation. Recurring problems of aggression influence such quality of life variables as place of residence, occupational adjustment, risk of abuse, and social acceptability. Aggressive acts, while reflecting the influence of various mental and physical disorders, in most instances represent learned behaviours. A multicomponent assessment and treatment model of aggression is described and illustrated with data-based results. The potential roles of physical and psychosocial environmental influences, client variables, and the consequences resulting from the aggression are noted. It is concluded that aggression, while multiply determined, is responsive to client-specific treatment programs.
The Effects of a Service Learning Workshop on the Intellectual Life of Graduate Students in Communication Disorders

Service learning experiences provide students with the opportunity to utilize academic knowledge and develop professional skills related to higher level thinking, self-esteem, and the development o...
Translation Control by Adenovirus Virus-Associated RNA I

Adenoviruses were first isolated by Rowe and co-workers from human adenoid tissues—hence the name adenoviruses. These are nonenveloped DNA viruses, composed of only DNA and proteins, and are widespread in nature. Forty-one of the 93 strains identified so far are of human origin, while the rest have been isolated from monkeys, dogs, cattle, rodents, and birds.1–3 Clinical studies have shown that these viruses can cause a variety of diseases in humans, most of which involve the respiratory tract, the eye, and the gastrointestinal tract. For the most part, these infections lead to self-limited illnesses or latent persistent infections and are usually followed by complete recovery. Adenoviruses can maintain inapparent infections within host animals for months or even years. Lymphoid cells may serve as reservoirs for these persistent infections. Several members of this group can also induce malignant tumors in newborn rodents and therefore adenoviruses are classified as members of the DNA tumor virus group. All the members of this group tested so far have been shown to transform rodent cells in culture.4 Despite their tumorigenic potential in experimental models, these viruses have not been shown to be tumorigenic in humans. Adenoviruses can be grown to high titers in a variety of cultured mammalian cells. Human cells of epithelial origin are best suited for growing human adenoviruses. Because of the small size of their genome, the ease with which they can be grown in rapidly growing cultured cells, and their ability to transform rodent cells in vitro, adenoviruses have served as important model systems to study the regulation of eukaryotic gene expression and virus-host-cell interactions.
Human Milk Kills Giardia lamblia by Generating Toxic Lipolytic Products

This study supports our previous hypotheses that normal human milk kills Giardia lamblia trophozoites in vitro and that this killing is due to the release of free fatty acids (FFAs) from milk triglycerides by action of the bile salt-stimulated lipase (BSL) of human milk. Heat-stable killing of G. lamblia was generated when normal human milk was preincubated with sodium cholate, which activates BSL. Moreover, both the skim-milk (containing BSL) and cream (containing mainly triglycerides) fractions were required to kill G. lamblia. We measured the toxicity of FFA and other products of lipolysis to G. lamblia. cis-Unsaturated FFAs (LD50 less than 12 microM), three of four monoglycerides, and four of five lysophosphatidylcholines were toxic to the parasites (LD50 less than 100 microM). In contrast, the parasites were not harmed by the corresponding diglycerides, phosphatidylcholines, triolein, or glycerol. Thus, products of lipid hydrolysis in the normal digestive tract are toxic to G. lamblia. We also demonstrated that albumin and conjugated bile salts, which bind FFA, partially protected trophozoites from killing by oleic acid.
Description, Life History, and Parasitism of a New Species of Delphacid Planthopper (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea)

Delphacodes scolochloa Cronin & Wilson (Hemiptera: Fulgoroidea) is a newly discovered delphacid planthopper that feeds and oviposits exclusively on the stems of sprangletop, Scolochloa festucacea (Willd.) Link (Poaceae: Pooidae), in the prairie pothole region of northeastern North Dakota. D. scolochloa is bivoltine. It is also wing dimorphic, but populations are composed predominantly of flightless brachypters. Macropters incur a substantial cost in terms of reduced longevity and fecundity relative to brachypters. The parasitoid complex attacking D. scolochloa consists of two egg parasitoids, Anagrus nigriventris Girault and Anagrus columbi Perkins (Hymenoptera: Mymaridae), and one undescribed dryinid. The proportion of eggs parasitized averages 21%, and egg parasitization is density independent.
Bias reduction in effectiveness analyses of longitudinal ordinal doses with a mixed‐effects propensity adjustment

A mixed-effects propensity adjustment is described that can reduce bias in longitudinal studies involving non-equivalent comparison groups. There are two stages in this data analytic strategy. First, a model of propensity for treatment intensity examines variables that distinguish among subjects who receive various ordered doses of treatment across time using mixed-effects ordinal logistic regression. Second, the effectiveness model examines multiple times until recurrence to compare the ordered doses using a mixed-effects grouped-time survival model. Effectiveness analyses are initially stratified by propensity quintile. Then the quintile-specific results are pooled, assuming that there is not a propensity x treatment interaction. A Monte Carlo simulation study compares bias reduction in fully specified propensity model relative to misspecified models. In addition, type I error rate and statistical power are examined. The approach is illustrated by applying it to a longitudinal, observational study of maintenance treatment of major depression.
Software Scheduling in the Co-Synthesis of Reactive Real-Time Systems

Existing software scheduling techniques limit the functions that can be implemented in software to those with a restricted class of timing constraints, in particular those with a coarse-grained, uniform, periodic behavior. In practice, however, many systems change their I/O behavior in response to the inputs from the environment. This paper considers one such class of systems, called reactive real-time systems, where timing requirements can include sequencing, rate, and response time constraints. We present a static, non-preemptive, fine-grained software scheduling algorithm to meet these constraints. This algorithm is suitable for control-dominated embedded systems with hard real-time constraints, and is part of the core of a hardware/software co-synthesis system.
The Effect of Humidity on Samples of Microcrystalline Cellulose Taken From the Extrusion/Marumerization Process

The purpose of this work was to examine the sorption and desorption of water by various samples of microcrystalline cellulose, MCC (Avicel® PH-101), taken from the extrusion/marumerization process,...
Cobalt-60 total body irradiation dosimetry at 220 cm source-axis distance

Abstract Adults with acute leukemia are treated with cyclophosphamide and total body irradiation (TBI) followed by autologous marrow transplants. For TBI, patients seated in a stand angled 45° above the floor are treated for about 2 hours at 220 cm source-axis distance (SAD) with sequential right and left lateral 87 cm × 87 cm fields to a 900 rad mid-pelvic dose at about 8 rad/min using a 5000 Ci cobalt unit. Maximum (lateral) to minimum (mid-plane) dose ratios are: hips—1.15, shoulders—1.30, and head—1.05, which is shielded by a compensator filter. Organ doses are small intestine, liver and kidneys—1100 rad, lung—1100–1200 rad, and heart-1300 rad. Verification dosimetry reveals the prescribed dose is delivered to within ± 5%. Details of the dosimetry of this treatment are presented.
High-Fat Diet Causes Bone Loss in Young Mice by Promoting Osteoclastogenesis Through Alteration of the Bone Marrow Environment

Obesity is a severe health problem in children, afflicting several organ systems including bone. However, the role of obesity on bone homeostasis and bone cell function in children has not been studied in detail. Here we used young mice fed a high-fat diet (HFD) to model childhood obesity and investigate the effect of HFD on the phenotype of cells within the bone marrow environment. Five-week-old male mice were fed a HFD for 3, 6, and 12 weeks. Decreased bone volume was detected after 3 weeks of HFD treatment. After 6 and 12 weeks, HFD-exposed mice had less bone mass and increased osteoclast numbers. Bone marrow cells, but not spleen cells, from HFD-fed mice had increased osteoclast precursor frequency, elevated osteoclast formation, and bone resorption activity, as well as increased expression of osteoclastogenic regulators including RANKL, TNF, and PPAR-gamma. Bone formation rate and osteoblast and adipocyte numbers were also increased in HFD-fed mice. Isolated bone marrow cells also had a corresponding elevation in the expression of positive regulators of osteoblast and adipocyte differentiation. Our findings indicate that in juvenile mice, HFD-induced bone loss is mainly due to increased osteoclast bone resorption by affecting the bone marrow microenvironment. Thus, targeting osteoclast formation may present a new therapeutic approach for bone complications in obese children.
Regulation of adult neurogenesis by excitatory input and NMDA receptor activation in the dentate gyrus

The effects of afferent input and N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor activation on neurogenesis were examined in an intact system, the rat dentate gyrus, where neurons are naturally born in the adult. In the adult dentate gyrus, activation of NMDA receptors rapidly decreased the number of cells synthesizing DNA, whereas blockade of NMDA receptors rapidly increased the number of cells in the S phase identified with 3H-thymidine. Acute treatment with NMDA receptor antagonists increased the birth of neurons and increased the overall density of neurons in the granule cell layer. Lesion of the entorhinal cortex, the main excitatory afferent population to the granule neurons, also increased the birth of cells in the dentate gyrus. These results suggest that adult neurogenesis in the dentate gyrus of the rat is altered by afferent input, via NMDA receptors, and may be regulated naturally by endogenous excitatory amino acids.
A locally encodable and decodable compressed data structure

In a variety of applications, ranging from highspeed networks to massive databases, there is a need to maintain histograms and other statistics in a streaming manner. Motivated by such applications, we establish the existence of efficient source codes that are both locally encodable and locally decodable. Our solution is an explicit construction in the form of a (randomized) data structure for storing N integers. The construction uses multi-layered sparse graph codes based on Ramanujan graphs, and has the following properties: (a) the structure utilizes minimal possible space, and (b) the value of any of the integers can be read or updated in near constant time (on average and with high probability). By contrast, data structures proposed in the context of streaming algorithms and compressed sensing in recent years (e.g., various sketches) support local encodability, but not local decodability; and those known as succinct data structures are locally decodable, but not locally encodable.
Theory of pulsed excitation of nonlinear distributed prism couplers

The coupling of high-power optical pulses into integrated-optics waveguides exhibiting nonlinearities is treated theoretically. A general result is that the coupling efficiency varies with pulse energy. Furthermore, the output pulses are distorted relative to the input pulses. For input pulses symmetric in time about their peak amplitude, the output pulses are asymmetric and symmetric for nonlinearities with turn-off times slower and faster, respectively, than the pulse width. Coupling efficiency and pulse distortion are also evaluated for interference between slow and fast nonlinearities of opposite sign. Finally, the dependence of the temporal pulse profile on the ratio of the pulse width to nonlinearity relaxation time is examined.
Virtual Reality and Content-based Management of Three- dimensional Objects for E-business

Three-dimensional objects are relatively new in E-business [1]. Most if not all E-commerce sites rely principally on text and images. More recently, video has made an apparition with the introduction of broadcast video. There have been many attempts to introduce three-dimensional objects in E-commerce sites. Although many of those technologies look very promising, none of them has been successful: at least from a commercial point of view. There are many reasons for that. The E-business world [2 is closely related to the advertising industry. This industry has relied, for the past fifty years, on text and images. Every step in the chain is fully controlled from market studies, content creation to broadcast. All required standards are well established and defined so that information can be easily exchanged. Images and videos can be created and manipulated very efficiently because the corresponding sensors and softwares are mature technologies. By comparison, three-dimensional modelling and visualisation is still in its infancy.
Malpractice and Environmental Law: Should Environmental Law "Specialists" Be Worried?

This article examines the field of environmental law as a potential minefield for malpractice claims given its complex and dynamic nature. The article outlines principles for malpractice law applied to environmental law, based on malpractice principles applied in the tax and patent fields.
The Relevance of the Case Method to Archival Education and Training

In recent years there has been considerable debate over whether archivists, collectively, approach the care of records, papers, and manuscripts as an art, craft, or science. It is a difficult question and generally is resolved only on an individual basis, as each person understands and articulates his or her own approach to archival problems. In considering the status of archival education in the United States, I would prefer to sidestep the search for a precise label and assume that there is general agreement that archivists are professionals and as a group constitute an emerging profession with its own identity. If we agree that archivists do indeed constitute a profession, then I believe that discussions regarding the education and/or training of new professionals should not center on the problem of who or what we are, but rather on how we can best prepare men and women to make reasoned and correct judgments when confronting problems in the administration of modern archives and manuscript libraries. The question of what constitutes an appropriate curriculum and method for the education of prospective archivists has gone on for more than sixty years. Because the establishment of archives in the United States was fostered by historians in the early part of the century, prime movers in the field, such as Waldo Leland and J. Franklin Jameson, generally preferred a historical orientation for the "training" of archivists, though they recognized the relevance of other disciplines such as the law and the then-emerging field of library science.1 This trend was underscored in 1936 when Samuel Flagg Bemis, speaking for the Committee on the Training of Archivists of the newly established Society of American Archivists, reached a similar conclusion.2 Despite this early general agreement on what should constitute the training of archivists, the archival training programs which have emerged in recent decades can only be characterized as an incredible variety. Some concentrate on the history of the field, some draw on European practices, and some teach the history of administration. Other programs are based on the experience of a single institution. As textbooks emerge, some concentrate on a rules approach, while others identify more closely with library science and reject historical training.3 In short, there is general agreement that some sort of training is necessary to prepare an aspiring archivist, but there is no
Drosophila O-GlcNAcase Deletion Globally Perturbs Chromatin O-GlcNAcylation.

Gene expression during Drosophila development is subject to regulation by the Polycomb (Pc), Trithorax (Trx), and Compass chromatin modifier complexes. O-GlcNAc transferase (OGT/SXC) is essential for Pc repression suggesting that the O-GlcNAcylation of proteins plays a key role in regulating development. OGT transfers O-GlcNAc onto serine and threonine residues in intrinsically disordered domains of key transcriptional regulators; O-GlcNAcase (OGA) removes the modification. To pinpoint genomic regions that are regulated by O-GlcNAc levels, we performed ChIP-chip and microarray analysis after OGT or OGA RNAi knockdown in S2 cells. After OGA RNAi, we observed a genome-wide increase in the intensity of most O-GlcNAc-occupied regions including genes linked to cell cycle, ubiquitin, and steroid response. In contrast, O-GlcNAc levels were strikingly insensitive to OGA RNAi at sites of polycomb repression such as the Hox and NK homeobox gene clusters. Microarray analysis suggested that altered O-GlcNAc cycling perturbed the expression of genes associated with morphogenesis and cell cycle regulation. We then produced a viable null allele of oga (ogadel.1) in Drosophila allowing visualization of altered O-GlcNAc cycling on polytene chromosomes. We found that trithorax (TRX), absent small or homeotic discs 1 (ASH1), and Compass member SET1 histone methyltransferases were O-GlcNAc-modified in ogadel.1 mutants. The ogadel.1 mutants displayed altered expression of a distinct set of cell cycle-related genes. Our results show that the loss of OGA in Drosophila globally impacts the epigenetic machinery allowing O-GlcNAc accumulation on RNA polymerase II and numerous chromatin factors including TRX, ASH1, and SET1.
The Lightening Effect of Actinomycin D on the Skin of Amphiuma tridactylum.

SummaryA lightening of the skin of amphiuma was observed within 4 to 6 hours after injection of actinomycin D in doses of 5 and 10 μg/g body weight. This effect was associated with the aggregation of melanin-granules in both the epidermal and dermal melanophores and was spontaneously reversible within 8-12 hours after it was first observed. However, the administration of synthetic β-MSH reversed this effect within 2 hours. Cycloheximide, an inhibitor of protein synthesis did not produce paling of skin in amphiuma. Melatonin which has been known as a potent lightening agent in frog did not produce such an effect in amphiuma. The possibility that actinomycm D produced paling of the skin by blocking the secretion of MSH by the pituitary and that in vivo the mechanism of synthesis of this hormone may be different from other poly-peptides has been discussed.
Abstract 580: Increased DNA repair capacities and p53/MDM2 pathway aberrations hallmark neuroblastoma cell lines with the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) phenotype.

Introduction: Neuroblastoma (NB) is a malignant pediatric tumor of the sympathetic nervous system. Approximately 10-20% of neuroblastoma tumors maintain telomere length by activating a telomerase-independent alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) mechanism, and that these tumors are associated with high-stage disease, and a poor prognosis. Methods: mRNA expression of TERT (the catalytic component of telomerase) and TERC (RNA template), determination of MYCN copy number, and telomerase activity (TA) was measured by RT-PCR. Telomere content (TC) and C-Circle (CC) content was assayed by quantitative PCR, p53 function was assessed by quantifying induction of p21 protein by flow cytometry after irradiation. Expression profiling was carried out with custom-designed Taq-Man Low Density Arrays (TLDAs) (ABI) that quantified expression of 61 DNA-repair genes in a panel of 12 NB cell lines, 4 ALT and 8 telomerase-positive. Of the telomerase-positive lines, 2 were drug-sensitive, 6 multi-drug resistant. Cell line identities were confirmed using short tandem repeat (STR) genotyping. Response to cytotoxic drugs was assessed using the DIMSCAN fluorescence imaging system. ATRX protein expression was measured with immunoblots. Results: From a panel of 40 human NB cell lines we identified 4 ALT NB lines, LA-N-6, SK-N-FI, CHLA-90, and COG-N-291, that had elevated TC > 2-fold that of TA+ NB cell lines (p Conclusions: ALT-based telomere maintenance in NB cell lines was associated with loss of p53 function, increased expression of DNA-repair genes, and resistance to DNA-damaging chemotherapy. Loss of ATRX expression is not essential for ALT to develop in NB. Novel, p53-independent therapies should be considered to treat neuroblastomas harboring the ALT phenotype. Citation Format: Ahsan Farooqi, Ashly Hindle, Balakrishna Koneru, Jerry Shay, Patrick Reynolds. Increased DNA repair capacities and p53/MDM2 pathway aberrations hallmark neuroblastoma cell lines with the alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) phenotype. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 580. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-580
AEGIS autonomous targeting for the Curiosity rover's ChemCam instrument

AEGIS (Autonomous Exploration for Gathering Increased Science) is a software suite that will imminently be operational aboard NASA's Curiosity Mars rover, allowing the rover to autonomously detect and prioritize targets in its surroundings, and acquire geochemical spectra using its ChemCam instrument. ChemCam, a Laser-Induced Breakdown Spectrometer (LIBS), is normally used to study targets selected by scientists using images taken by the rover on a previous sol and relayed by Mars orbiters to Earth. During certain mission phases, ground-based target selection entails significant delays and the use of limited communication bandwidth to send the images. AEGIS will allow the science team to define the properties of preferred targets, and obtain geochemical data more quickly, at lower data penalty, without the extra ground-in-the-loop step.
On Prevalent Whisker Toughening Mechanisms in Ceramics

Some aspects of whisker toughening are reviewed. It is shown that several important toughened materials have a toughness dominated by the nonlinear bridging of intact whiskers. Such toughening is demonstrated to depend sensitively on the relative fracture resistance properties of the whiskers, the interface and the matrix. It is also shown that, when the interface fracture resistance is low, the frictional sliding behavior of the previously debonded interface and the whisker strength distribution exert a major influence on toughness, in accordance with pull-out phenomena.
Neuromuscular-blocking properties of various polypeptide antibiotics.

SummaryColistin sulfate, neomycin sulfate, polymyxin A sulfate, polymyxin B sulfate, and viomycin sulfate produced neuromuscular blockade when tested on sciatic nerve-gastrocnemius muscle preparations of the rabbit. Data obtained from the neuromuscular preparations were statistically analyzed and the relative potencies of the antibiotics in relation to colistin sulfate were determined. Polymyxin B sulfate was the most active antibiotic, approximately 1.5 times as active as colistin sulfate. Neostigmine methylsulfate antagonized the neuromuscular blockade produced by neomycin sulfate and viomycin sulfate, but was not an effective antagonist of the blockade produced by colistin sulfate, polymyxin A sulfate, and polymyxin B sulfate. Colistin sulfate, polymyxin A sulfate and polymyxin B sulfate do not produce contracture when administered to the chicken. The amino acids and other constituents comprising the various peptide antibiotics failed to show neuromuscular blocking activity.