cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
16 Evaluation of a citywide program to reduce aggressive driving between commercial and passenger vehicle drivers

Introduction The inquisitive nature of children and their interaction with the environment makes them prone to injuries. In school children are involved in many activities like play, sports, academics all of which can predispose them to injury if there is lack of supervision and preventive measures are not taken. The objective was to review types of injuries that occur within school environment of Karachi. Methods This ongoing study since August 2013 is being conducted in Karachi, Pakistan. The data is collected from class teachers on injuries among children that took place in last academic year. These class teachers represent both public and private schools in Karachi. Only those injuries are being included that caused loss of at least one-half day of school and/or required medical attention and treatment from a healthcare provider in school or healthcare facility. So far 62 class teachers from 25 schools have completed injury record form. A total of 80 injuries have been reported. Results Out of 80 injuries reported, about 67.5% (n = 54) occurred in boys giving a male female ratio of 2.08:1. The frequently effected age group was between 8 – 11 years of age (n = 30, 37.5%). Majority of these injuries occurred inside the school (n = 78, 97.5%) and more than half occurred during sports activities (n = 44, 55%). Face (n = 22, 27.5%), head (n = 18, 22.5%) and hand (n = 17, 21.3%) were the most commonly injured body parts. The most common mechanism was fall (n = 32, 40%). Most common treatment given was bandage (n = 17, 21.25%), stiches (n = 12, 15%) and plasters (n = 9, 11.25%). Almost all the students were under supervision (n = 78, 97.5%) at the time of injury by a teacher (n = 52, 65%). Conclusion Children are prone to get injuries within school environment, therefore there is need for developing injury prevention and management plans tailored to schools in resource constraint settings.
Distributed Optimal Control of Sensor Networks for Dynamic Target Tracking

This paper presents a distributed optimal control approach for managing omnidirectional sensor networks deployed to cooperatively track moving targets in a region of interest. Several authors have shown that under proper assumptions, the performance of mobile sensors is a function of the sensor distribution. In particular, the probability of cooperative track detection, also known as track coverage, can be shown to be an integral function of a probability density function representing the macroscopic sensor network state. Thus, a mobile sensor network deployed to detect moving targets can be viewed as a multiscale dynamical system in which a time-varying probability density function can be identified as a restriction operator, and optimized subject to macroscopic dynamics represented by the advection equation. Simulation results show that the distributed control approach is capable of planning the motion of hundreds of cooperative sensors, such that their effectiveness is significantly increased compared to that of existing uniform, grid, random, and stochastic gradient methods.
Les Bathypalaemonellidae de Saint-Laurent, 1985 (Crustacea, Decapoda, Caridea) avec description d'une espèce nouvelle et définition d'un genre nouveau

Vingt-neuf specimens de Bathypalaemonellidae, famille connue jusqu'a present par un petit nombre d'especes et d'individus (neuf especes decrites a ce jour, regroupees dans un seul genre : Bathypalaemonella Balss, 1914), sont etudies ici. Ils proviennent de diverses campagnes realisees d'une part dans l'Atlantique oriental (Golfe ibero-marocain : BALGIM-84, 1984 et SEAMOUNT 1, 1988 ; Acores : BIACORES, 1971) et d'autre part, pour l'essentiel, dans le Pacifique : Philippines (MUSORSTOM 2, 1980), Indonesie (KARUBAR, 1991), Nouvelle-Caledonie (BIOCAL, 1985 ; MUSORSTOM 4, 1985 ; SMIB 2, 1986 ; VOLSMAR, 1989 ; HALIPRO 2, 1996), Vanuatu (MUSORSTOM 8, 1994), Polynesie francaise (iles Marquises : MUSORSTOM 9, 1997), plus un specimen provenant du golfe d'Aden (SCIMEROUAD, 1977). Ce dernier appartient a un nouveau taxon, Bathypalaemonella adenensis n. sp., qui se distingue des sept autres especes maintenues dans le genre Bathypalaemonella, par l'epine latero-distale du scaphocerite qui depasse tres nettement le bord distal de la lame et le telson, termine par trois paires d'epines. Sept especes au total ont ete recoltees : outre Bathypalaemonella adenensis n. sp., il s'agit de : Bathypalaemonella serratipalma Pequegnat, 1970 ; B. hayashii Komai, 1995 ; B. cf. humilis Bruce, 1966 ; B. pandaloides (Rathbun, 1906) ; B. brevirostris Bruce, 1986 ; B. pilosipes Bruce, 1986. Un nouveau genre, Bathypalaemonetes n. gen., est etabli pour les deux dernieres especes citees, Bathypalaemonella brevirostris et B. pilosipes, que l'on peut separer des especes du genre Bathypalaemonella par un ensemble de caracteres et notamment les suivants : cephalothorax avec, au plus, une seule epine postrostrale ; grand second pereiopode a l'ischion plus court que le merus et aux doigts pourvus d'une serie de tubercules ; petit second pereiopode au dactyle nettement plus court que la paume. Une cle des genres et especes de la famille est proposee.
Effect of a Diet Rich in Whole Grains on Gut Microbiota, and Immune and Inflammatory Markers of Healthy Adults

Observational studies suggest an association between diets rich in whole grains (WG) and a decrease in inflammatory markers. Yet, this is not clearly supported by the conflicting or limited number ...
Harvesters in strawberry fields: A literature review of pesticide exposure, an observation of their work activities, and a model for exposure prediction.

Strawberry harvesters hand-pick fruit that may result in pesticide exposure from hand foliar contact. This paper included a review of publications on harvester pesticide exposure, an observation of their work activities, and development of an alternative model for pesticide exposure prediction. Previous studies monitored the dermal pesticide exposure of strawberry harvesters and found most of the exposure (>70%) was on the hands. Exposure rates (ERs) were calculated as pesticide amount on the skin per hour worked, assuming foliar contact is proportional to daily work hours. Transfer factors (TFs), used for predicting exposure, were calculated by dividing the ER by the amount of dislodgeable foliar pesticide residue. However, the ERs for harvesters working in the same field at the same time varied by as much as 10-fold, and TFs calculated from different studies varied by up to 100-fold. We tested the assumption of foliar contact time being proportional to daily work hours. We observed full work-day activities of 32 strawberry harvesters. We found that their foliar contact time per work minute differed by up to 46%. We suggested using the amount of strawberries picked to predict harvester foliar contact. For all observed harvesters, their foliar contact time per kg of strawberries picked was 35±5 s. This value was similar among harvesters with varying years of experience, of different gender, and using gloves or not. We proposed a predictive model using the amount of strawberries picked to predict harvester pesticide exposure. The exposure predicted by the model is close to the exposure measured in previous monitoring studies (R2: 0.84). The model slope is 0.33±0.03 × 103 cm2/kg. Model prediction accuracy was confirmed by monitoring captan exposure to harvesters in two fields. The model may be used as a quick screening method to estimate pesticide exposure before conducting complex human monitoring research.
Inaccuracy in automated measurement of hematocrit and corpuscular indices in the presence of severe hyperglycemia

Because we recently observed two patients with severe diabetic hyperglycemia and spuriously elevated electronically determined hematocrit and mean corpuscular volume (MCV), we investigated the effect of hyperglycemia on two popular automated hematology systems, the Coulter S and Ortho ELT-8. Marked hyperglycemia (blood glucose 800-- 2000 mg/dl) caused consistent overestimation of the electronically determined MCV compared to that derived from a simultaneous spun microhematocrit. The resultant overestimation and underestimation, respectively, of the derived values for hematocrit and mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration may be clinically misleading. The mechanism of MCV elevation in hyperglycemia appears to be swelling of hyperosmolar glucose “loaded” erythrocytes when diluted into “isotonic” counting medium. This effect is readily circumvented by determination of a spun microhematocrit.
Thrombophilic Disorders and the Risk of Thromboembolic Events in Women on Oral Contraceptives and Hormone Replacement Therapy.

Abstract Objective: To evaluate the frequency and distribution of thrombophilic conditions in women with thromboembolic events (TEE) while on oral contraceptives (OC) or hormone replacement therapy (HRT). To assess the contribution of the duration of hormone use and a positive family history for TEE in predicting thrombosis. Methods: Retrospective analysis of all case records of women who developed a TEE while on OC or HRT and who were referred for hypercoagulable evaluation to the Thrombosis and Hemostasis Section at a teaching hospital from 1999–2002. Results: 65 women who were taking OC or HRT and developed a TEE were identified with one or more hypercoagulable disorders. 23 women tested positive for two or more hypercoagulable disorders: 16 had Factor V Leiden 3 of them were homozygous and 13 heterozygous, 5 were heterozygous for the prothrombin gene g20210a polymorphism, 26 had positive antiphospholipid antibody tests, 10 had elevated homocysteine levels, 4 had protein C deficiency and 7 had protein S deficiency. There were 65 thromboembolic events: 16 pulmonary emboli, 17 cerebrovascular events, 11 intra-abdominal vascular thromboses, 13 extremity deep venous thrombosis (DVTs), 5 superficial thrombophlebitis, and 2 retinal vein thromboses. Of the 65 women, 37% of patients had a positive family history of thrombosis. 52% had additional risk factors for thrombosis including smoking or obesity. 51% had been taking OC or HRT for > 1 year. Conclusions: In this population, thrombophilic conditions contribute in most cases to TEE in women on OC and HRT. Approximately 50% of TEE occurred in women on OC or HRT for > 1 year. The burden of thrombosis associated with hypercoagulability in women on OC and HRT has been underestimated in prior studies by including only DVT/PE. Family and personal history of thrombosis must be thoroughly explored before initiating or continuing OC or HRT and a positive history of thrombosis may warrant a hypercoagulable evaluation.
Marx, Freud, and Capital

The major contributions to Marxist psychoanalysis tend to lack a concrete political platform and offer instead nebulous prescriptions for a change in attitude as a substitute for a change in economy. In doing so, they often inadvertently reinstate the individualist ethos that they criticize. The work of Fernand Braudel and Thomas Piketty is helpful for outlining the basic workings of capitalism and the capitalist welfare state and setting the groundwork for the application of psychoanalysis, especially as these relate to the exceptionalist hypercapitalism found in the United States.
Surviving the Loss of a Child: A Mexican-American’s Story:

This paper tells the story of a mother’s loss of her 10-year-old daughter from cancer. It is in part a pain and suffering narrative and a story of remarkable post-loss growth and transformation. It...
Use of the Coronary Artery Calcium Score in Discussion of Initiation of Statin Therapy in Primary Prevention

Clinical guidelines for instituting pharmacotherapy for the primary prevention of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease (ASCVD), specifically lipid management and aspirin, have long been based on absolute risk. However, lipid management in the current era remains challenging to both patients and clinicians in the setting of somewhat discordant recommendations from various organizations. All guidelines endorse the use of statins for primary prevention for those at sufficient absolute risk, and treatment recommendations are generally "risk-based" rather than exclusively targeting specific low-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Nonetheless, guidelines differ in relation to the risk threshold for initiation and the intensity of statin treatment. The key concept of the clinician-patient risk discussion introduced in the 2013 American College of Cardiology/American Heart Association cholesterol guidelines is a process that addresses the potential for ASCVD risk reduction with statin treatment, potential for adverse treatment effects, patient preferences, encouragement of heart-healthy lifestyle, and management of other risk factors. However, operationalizing the clinician-patient risk discussion requires effective communication of the most accurate and personalized risk information. In this article, we review our treatment approach for the appropriate use of coronary artery calcium testing in the intermediate-risk patient to guide shared decision making. The decision to initiate or intensify statin therapy may be uncertain across a broad range of estimated 10-year ASCVD risk of 5% to 20%, and coronary artery calcium testing can reclassify risk upward or downward in approximately 50% of this group to inform the risk discussion. We conclude with 2 case-based examples of uncertain risk and uncertain statin therapeutic benefit to illustrate execution of the clinician-patient risk discussion.
Ultrasonic Communication in Hamsters

Abstract Male and female golden hamsters call ultrasonically both as infants and adults. The ultrasounds by infants probably stimulate pup retrieval or some other aspect of maternal caregiving. However, the specific behavioral functions of infant ultrasounds and audible calls are unclear. The ultrasounds emitted by adults differ subtly across situations and sexes. These variations could represent different signals or adjust calls to specific situations in terms of audibility, localizability, or some other dimension. The ultrasounds produced by adult hamsters seem specialized for sexual functions. In particular, in this solitary and highly aggressive species, they seem likely to function partly through the attraction of opposite-sex conspecifics. Ultrasounds stimulate both further vocalization and approach responses in receivers. Once contact has been initiated, the ultrasounds emitted by males can help maintain and structure the ensuing sexual interaction, in part by facilitating female sexual responses.
Understanding the speech cues to bisexuals

The vast majority of research on speech patterns in the queer community has focused on gay and lesbian speakers. This study aims to expand our knowledge of speech in the queer community by focusing on the speech cues of adult bisexual speakers. For this study, adult lesbian, gay, bisexual, and straight cisgender American English speakers recorded the “Fire passage,” the “Rainbow passage,” and a description of their hometown. Vocal characteristics, such as duration, pitch, voice quality, formants, and speech rate, were measured to observe the differences between speech patterns of adult bisexual speakers and other queer and straight identities. The results suggest that bisexual and lesbian female speakers have naturally lower average pitch while straight speakers go up in pitch. Bisexual speakers maintain their pitch range between natural and read speech, while lesbian speakers have a wider pitch range during natural speech and straight speakers during read speech. The speech rate of bisexual and straight ...
Mass spectrometry in proteomics

Publisher Summary Proteomic analysis is aimed at identifying a subset of proteins in a biomedical sample. In principle, this can be accomplished through two different routes. The first, and most common, approach is to break down the proteins into peptide segments of manageable size through enzymatic digestion and analyze these building blocks using mass spectrometry. The other, less common, method that relies on the analysis of intact proteins is the top-down approach. The top-down strategy requires high-performance mass spectrometers such as ion cyclotron resonance, ICR, or orbitrap systems with exceptional mass resolution and accuracy in combination with powerful fragmentation techniques such as electron capture dissociation, and electron capture dissociation (ECD) to enable sequence readout. Peptide mapping takes advantage of the accurate mass measurement of unique protein fragments produced by highly specific enzymatic digestion. Typically, trypsin is used due to its high fidelity in producing peptides in the size range most efficient for protein identification. Owing to peptide fragmentation, however, parts of the primary structure might become known from the mass spectra. The spontaneous fragmentation of peptides is relatively slow; it mostly takes place in the postsource region of the mass spectrometer.
The relation of basic biology to pathogenic potential in the genus Chlamydia.

Chlamydiae are obligately intracellular procaryotic parasites, and their activities as agents of human disease are determined to a large degree by their intracellular way of life. The inside of a host cell is a hostile environment, and few microorganisms survive and multiply intracellularly. Those that do have evolved adaptations that fit them for life inside other cells. Apart from the viruses, chlamydiae are the infectious agents most highly adapted to intracellular life. Of all the properties of chlamydiae, the ones most likely to determine their pathogenic potential are those that reflect their adaptations to life inside host cells. Wherever possible, these chlamydial activities will be identified and described.
Mouth: The Gateway to the Body and the Importance of Medical and Dental Data Integration.

Achieving the integration of dental-medical care will require understanding the factors that lead to the separation of care between dentistry and medicine. In this chapter we introduce clinical, historical, and practical concepts that explain the evolution of the two professions. We also introduce the rationale of why closing the gap will be beneficial for society at large.
Approximating two-stage chance-constrained programs with classical probability bounds

We consider a joint-chance constraint (JCC) as a union of sets, and approximate this union using bounds from classical probability theory. When these bounds are used in an optimization model constrained by the JCC, we obtain corresponding upper and lower bounds on the optimal objective function value. We compare the strength of these bounds against each other under two different sampling schemes, and observe that a larger correlation between the uncertainties tends to result in more computationally challenging optimization models. We also observe the same set of inequalities to provide the tightest upper and lower bounds in our computational experiments.
Soil Salinity Impacts Future Community Composition of Coastal Forests

With projected increase in storms, sea-level rise and saltwater intrusion in low-lying terrestrial areas, compositional changes that favor more salt tolerant species are likely to occur. Wetland species are expanding into declining forested communities, primarily dominated by trees. Higher salinities for germination may preclude establishment of tree species. We examined the capacity for coastal tree species (Acer rubrum, Liquidambar styraciflua, Pinus taeda, Celtis occidentalis, Persea borbonia) and a wetland shrub (Morella cerifera) to germinate at salinity concentrations of 0, 2, 5, 10, and 20 ppt. A growth chamber experiment was established examining the effect of salinity on germination of common species found in mixed forests throughout the mid-Atlantic coastal plain and Gulf of Mexico, USA. The study revealed that regeneration from seed will be difficult for most of the selected species at salinities >5 ppt with implications for community composition with continued saltwater intrusion. Germination of A. rubrum was not impacted at higher salinities, with Pinus taeda not as affected other species. Morella cerifera did not have an advantage at the germination stage over selected tree species. Knowing threshold limits of germination response to salinity is critical for identifying future community trajectories.
The Impact of Marijuana on the Cardiovascular System: A Review of the Most Common Cardiovascular Events Associated with Marijuana Use

With the expanded legalization of marijuana, its medical and recreational use have sharply increased over the past decade. A wide array of new forms of cannabis is available on the market today, and the potencies are ten times those of forms previously tested, meaning that the true impact of marijuana on the cardiovascular system remains unclear. Cannabis mainly exerts its effects via the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems, with different doses affecting different cannabinoids receptors. Studies have shown that marijuana plays a role in thrombosis, inflammation, and atherosclerosis. Case reports have linked marijuana use to myocardial infarction, cardiac arrythmias, cardiomyopathies, stroke, and arteritis. Most patients are young, healthy men with no cardiovascular risk factors; however, the patient population is expected to change to include older individuals in the future. The widespread public perception of safety accompanying marijuana use has contributed to its increased use among the elderly, who are the most at risk population for acute cardiovascular events. In this review, we aim to provide a basic understanding of the physiological effects of marijuana on the cardiovascular system and to review the current literature regarding cardiovascular diseases linked to marijuana use in adults.
Causal Effects in Twin Studies: The Role of Interference

The use of twins designs to address causal questions is becoming increasingly popular. A standard assumption is that there is no interference between twins---that is, no twin's exposure has a causal impact on their co-twin's outcome. However, there may be settings in which this assumption would not hold, and this would (1) impact the causal interpretation of parameters obtained by commonly used existing methods; (2) change which effects are of greatest interest; and (3) impact the conditions under which we may estimate these effects. We explore these issues, and we derive semi-parametric efficient estimators for causal effects in the presence of interference between twins. Using data from the Minnesota Twin Family Study, we apply our estimators to assess whether twins' consumption of alcohol in early adolescence may have a causal impact on their co-twins' substance use later in life.
Mutual Inductance Estimation Based Sensorless Adaptive Variance Controller for Doubly Fed Induction Generator

This article presents a novel robust adaptive speed control architecture that allows doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) to operate independently of any speed sensors or position encoders. The proposed speed sensorless control based on modified minimum variance adaptive control based speed observer makes the system robust to machine parameter variations and sensor malfunctions. The observer is formulated using a rotor current based reference adaptive system. To ensure robustness to current sensor failure, a modified adaptive rotor side converter control loop is proposed. The online identification for the adaptive control logic is based on the recursive least square estimation technique while the adaptive control law is based on an extended version of the minimum variance control algorithm. To ensure improved dynamic performance for the proposed control, a modification for the terminal voltage control loop is proposed. The reactive power reference for the vector control loop is calculated considering the rotor current component responsible for reactive power generation. The performance of the proposed control architecture is validated on a 1.5 MW DFIG modeled in MATLAB/Simulink and experimentally verified on hardware.
Abstract 13836: Long Noncoding Rna Meg3 Protects Against Hepatic Endothelial Senescence in Obesity by Regulating Mitochondrial Function

Introduction: Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) contribute to the pathogenesis of obesity, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The underlying mechanisms are not completely understood, in part, du...
Prostate SBRT using O-Ring Halcyon Linac - Plan quality, delivery efficiency, and accuracy.

Cone beam CT-guided prostate stereotactic body radiotherapy (SBRT) treatment on the recently installed novel O-ring coplanar geometry Halcyon Linac with a single energy 6MV-flattening filter free (FFF) beam and volumetric modulated arc therapy (VMAT) is a fast, safe, and feasible treatment modality for early stage low- and intermediate-risk prostate cancer patients. Following the RTOG-0938 compliance criteria and utilizing two-full arc geometry, VMAT prostate SBRT plans were generated for ten consecutive patients using advanced Acuros-based algorithm for heterogeneity corrections with Halcyon couch insert. Halcyon VMAT plans with the stacked and staggered multileaf collimators (MLC) produced highly conformal SBRT dose distributions to the prostate, lower intermediate dose spillage and similar dose to adjacent organs-at-risks (OARs) compared to SBRT-dedicated Truebeam VMAT plans. Due to lower monitor units per fraction and less MLC modulation through the target, the Halcyon VMAT plan can deliver prostate SBRT fractions in and overall treatment time of less than 10 minutes (for 36.25 Gy in five fractions), significantly improving patient compliance and clinic workflow. Pretreatment quality assurance results were similar to Truebeam VMAT plans. We have implemented Halcyon Linac for prostate SBRT treatment in our institution. We recommend that others use Halcyon for prostate SBRT treatments to expand the access of curative hypofractionated treatments to other clinics only equipped with a Halcyon Linac. Clinical follow-up results for patients who underwent prostate SBRT treatment on our Halcyon Linac is underway.
A Quality Improvement Initiative Targeting Chronic Kidney Disease Metrics Through Increased Urinary Albumin Testing.

INTRODUCTION Achievement of quality metrics in chronic kidney disease (CKD), specifically urinary albumin testing and angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor (ACEi) or angiotensin receptor blocker (ARB) use, remained lower in Kaiser Permanente Northwest compared with other Kaiser Permanente regions. We were interested if more frequent testing of urine albumin (ACR) improved CKD quality metrics. METHODS We implemented a quality improvement project automating ACR testing using an informatics tool in patients with stage 3 CKD linked to an electronic health record (EHR) alert recommending ACEi or ARB initiation in patients with renal indication. RESULTS At 1 and 2 years after implementation of ACR testing, ACR testing increased from 26.9% prior to implementation to 83% at 1 year and 77% at 2 year after implementation (p < 0.001). However, ACEi or ARB use did not increase significantly (65.8% vs 65.7% vs 66.4%, p = 0.54). There was also no significant change in other quality metrics, including diabetes control, hypertension control, and comanagement of higher-risk CKD patients. DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION In patients with stage 3 CKD, increased ACR testing via automated testing linked with EHR alert did not result in an improvement in CKD quality metrics.
Fostering Change in Medical Settings: A Holistic Programming Approach to “Revitalizing” IUD Use in Kenya

This paper discusses strategies to accelerate the rate, extent, and sustainability of change in medical care settings, using as a case example a 2-year technical assistance project mounted by EngenderHealth to “revitalize” use of the IUD in Kisii District of Kenya’s Nyanza Province. This project followed a holistic programming model, which holds that a coordinated package of programmatic activities among the supply, demand, and policy/advocacy program areas can be not only efficacious, but mutually reinforcing. Attention was also paid to four important crosscutting elements in reproductive health programming: the fundamentals of care (safety, quality, and choice); use of local data for decision making; gender equity; and stakeholder participation. IUD use rose with each program intervention, e.g., training, community and male engagement, and district-wide multimedia demand creation campaigns. At project close in 2007, 142 IUDs were being inserted monthly at the 13 project sites, up from a baseline average of 28 insertions monthly, an increase of 507 %. Despite district restructuring and transfer of skilled staff, increased annual levels of IUD provision (over 300 %) were sustained for 30 months after project close. Other positive changes generated district-wide included: improvements in the supervision system; implementation of a CBD program, with increased linkages between the community and project sites; increased male engagement in FP; 33 % more new clients for all FP methods at project sites; and greater use of other RH services.
Effects of Job Size Irregularity on the Dynamic Resource Scheduling of a 2-D Mesh Multicomputer

Irregularities of the shapes and sizes of jobs are important factors affecting the performance of a resource scheduling algorithm in a 2-D mesh multicomputer. We examine the performance effect of irregularity, by examining a dynamic scheduling system that schedules jobs with requests that range from regular-shaped partitions of a multicomputer to irregular-shaped partitions. In order to evaluate the effect of irregularity, we examine a job scheduling algorithm called the BWQ-search algorithm, which uses multiple queues for ordering jobs to be placed on a 2-D mesh multicomputer. We find that the performance is similar when the system schedules jobs that request various types of irregular-shaped partitions. A large improvement in performance occurs if all jobs scheduled on the multicomputer request very regular-shaped partitions.
Prevention of photocarcinogenesis by (-)-epigallocatechin-3-gallate is mediated through interleukin-12-dependent DNA repair

Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006 4890 Earlier we have shown that epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG), a polyphenol from green tea, prevents solar ultraviolet (UV) radiation-induced immunosuppression and photocarcinogenesis in mice. UV radiation-induced immunosuppression has been implicated as a risk factor for skin cancer. We have demonstrated that prevention of UV radiation-induced immunosuppression by EGCG is associated with the induction of immunoregulatory cytokine interleukin (IL)-12. Since, IL-12 has been shown to have anti-tumor activity and DNA repair ability we extended our studies to determine whether chemopreventive effect of EGCG against photocarcinogenesis is mediated through IL-12. For this purpose, we used genetically modified mouse model (IL-12 knockout (KO) mice on C3H/HeN background) and xeroderma pigmentosum ( XP )-A deficient and XPA -proficient human fibroblasts. In preliminary studies, we found that inhibition of photocarcinogenesis by EGCG was associated with the increased presence of IL-12 in tumors compared with non-EGCG treated animals. As UVB-induced DNA damage, predominantly in the form of cyclobutane pyrimidine dimers (CPDs), has been recognized as an important molecular trigger for UVB-induced immunosuppression and initiation of photocarcinogenesis, we determined the effect of EGCG on UVB-induced CPD in the mouse skin. Immunostaining and dot blot analysis indicated that the number of UVB-induced CPDs were reduced or repaired faster in EGCG treated C3H/HeN mouse skin than in non-EGCG treated mouse. IL-12 has been shown to have the ability to repair UVB-induced CPDs through induction of NER enzymes. Therefore, we determined whether EGCG stimulates NER enzymes through IL-12 induction. The XPA -deficient and XPA -proficient fibroblasts were UVB irradiated with and without treatment of EGCG. Immunostaining and dot blot analysis were performed to check the status of CPD. We observed that UVB-induced DNA damage in the form of CPD was significantly reduced in EGCG-treated XPA -proficient fibroblasts whereas this effect was not observed in XPA -deficient fibroblasts. These data indicated that repair of UVB-induced CPD by EGCG may be mediated through induction of NER enzymes. To further confirm whether anti-photocarcinogenic effect of EGCG is mediated through the induction of IL-12, we conducted photocarcinogenesis experiment using IL-12 KO and their wild-type counterparts. Mice were exposed to UVB with and without topical treatment of EGCG for 30 weeks. We found that treatment of EGCG did not prevent UVB-induced skin cancer in IL-12 KO mice but prevented it in their wild-type counterparts in terms of tumor incidence and tumor multiplicity. These data identify the new mechanism of skin cancer chemopreventive effect of EGCG, and also demonstrate a link between EGCG, IL-12 and DNA repair mechanism.
Ventricular contractility and compliance measured during axial flow blood pump support: in vitro study.

End-systolic elastance and end-diastolic compliance have been used to quantify systolic and diastolic function of the left ventricle (LV). In this study, the effective end-systolic elastance, (EES )eff , end-systolic volume intercept, (V0 )eff , and end-diastolic compliance of the LV were assessed at various levels of left ventricular assist device (LVAD) support. We tested the hypothesis that (EES )eff and (V0 )eff vary as a function of LVAD speed, while compliance does not change. The Penn State in vitro cardiac simulator was used in two heart conditions (control and heart failure [HF]) with the HeartMate II axial flow LVAD. The LVAD speed was linearly increased from 6000 to 11 000 rpm, with 500-rpm increments. The end-systolic and end-diastolic pressure-volume relationships were estimated at each LVAD speed. Acute LVAD support itself showed pseudo-improvement of ventricular contractility. The (EES )eff and (V0 )eff in HF were found to be dependent on the LVAD speed. The effective compliance for both control and HF was independent of the LVAD speed. Therefore, when examining the time-course cardiac recovery induced by the LVAD support, LV performance should be measured immediately before and after LVAD support while keeping LVAD speed consistent to avoid potential overestimation of long-term cardiac recovery.
Improved interval bounds for ranges of functions

Abstract : Evaluation of a real function f on an interval X using interval arithmetic yields an interval extension F(X) containing the range R(f;X) of f on X. Unfortunately, F(X) is sometimes excessively wider than R(f;X). Evaluation of f epsilon C1 by interval differentiation arithmetic gives F(X) and the extension F'(X) of f' on X. If F' (X) 0 (or F'(X) 0), then f is monotone on X = (a,b), and R(f;X) = (f(a), f(b)) (or R(f;X) = (f(b), f(a))), giving improved bounds for R(f;X). If 0 epsilon int(F'(X)), then X is divided into subintervals on which f is either guaranteed to be monotone or has possible extremal points. A Pascal-SC program for this simple algorithm is given, and numerical results are presented. As a byproduct of the computation, possible extremal points of f are isolated. Keywords: Range of functions; Extremal points; Automatic differentiation; Interval computation; Optimization; Pascal-SC.
Oxytocin in the Treatment of Dystocia in Mice

Physicians and veterinarians often prescribe oxytocin to treat dystocia. However, oxytocin administration to pregnant women or animals is not without risk. In the venue of laboratory animal medicine, the use of oxytocin may present confounding variables to research. Although oxytocin has been studied extensively, many of its physiologic effects and interactions with other hormones remain unclear. Investigator concerns about adverse and confounding effects of oxytocin in their research mice prompted the current review of oxytocin and its use to treat murine dystocia. Well-controlled studies of oxytocin in dystocic mice have not been conducted. However, in humans and other animals, inconsistent and adverse effects are well-documented. Limited knowledge of the complex physiologic and molecular mechanisms of action of oxytocin and scant support for the efficacy of oxytocin in dystocic mice fail to meet the standards of evidence-based veterinary medical practice. The administration of oxytocin is contraindicated in many cases of dystocia in research mice, and its use in dystocic mice may be unfounded. A brief review of oxytocin and the physiologic mechanisms of parturition are provided to support this conclusion. Alternative treatments for murine dystocia are discussed, and a holistic approach is advocated to better serve animal welfare and to safeguard the integrity of valuable research. Laboratory animal veterinarians overseeing the development of guidelines or standard operating procedures for technician or investigator treatment of dystocic mice should understand the effects of oxytocin administration in light of relevant research.
A new technique for measuring the inductance of pin grid array packages

A technique for measuring the inductance of pin-grid-array packages is described. It includes the design of a board that allows the measurements of inductance to values less than 10 pH. The board is unique in that it allows measurement of the inductance and resistance of 132-lead packages in less than an hour. The board was designed to allow testing of the package inductance with current sourced through multiple power pins and sunk through multiple ground pins. This measurement technique gives a true measure of the inductance with respect to the package ground loop, making possible the determination of the variation of the power and ground loop inductance from package to package. The authors discuss the design of the test board and how the board was modeled to remove the inductance, capacitance, and resistance of the board itself. The method is compared with the conventional technique for measuring inductance, and sample data for both methods are presented and compared. Results obtained by measuring the resonant frequency of the test boards show that the new method is more accurate than the old one. >
ATOMIC COLLISIONS IN THE HIGH ENERGY REGIME

An understanding of the physics of electronic and atomic collisions draws heavily on our knowledge of atomic structure. However the converse is also true, i.e., experiments in collision physics often shed light on aspects of atomic structure. The prime example here is the “high energy atomic collision physics” experiment of Rutherford which established the basic structure of the nuclear atom. The fundamental contributions of Bohr to the theory of atomic structure are matched by his early contributions to the theory of charge changing collisions. Prof. Fano, in the opening paper of this conference, pointed out the equivalence of the structural and collisional views of a scattering resonance, i.e., should one treat it as a perturbation on a scattering trajectory or, as in his view, should it be treated as a structural entity undergoing a time evolution in the center of mass system?
Symbolic control of visual attention: semantic constraints on the spatial distribution of attention.

Humans routinely use spatial language to control the spatial distribution of attention. In so doing, spatial information may be communicated from one individual to another across opposing frames of reference, which in turn can lead to inconsistent mappings between symbols and directions (or locations). These inconsistencies may have important implications for the symbolic control of attention because they can be translated into differences in cue validity, a manipulation that is known to influence the focus of attention. This differential validity hypothesis was tested in Experiment 1 by comparing spatial word cues that were predicted to have high learned spatial validity (“above/below”) and low learned spatial validity (“left/right”). Consistent with this prediction, when two measures of selective attention were used, the results indicated that attention was less focused in response to “left/right” cues than in response to “above/below” cues, even when the actual validity of each of the cues was equal. In addition, Experiment 2 predicted that spatial words such as “left/right” would have lower spatial validity than would other directional symbols that specify direction along the horizontal axis, such as “←/→” cues. The results were also consistent with this hypothesis. Altogether, the present findings demonstrate important semantic-based constraints on the spatial distribution of attention.
Comparison of the response of synchronized HeLa cells to talisomycin and bleomycin.

The cytotoxic activities of the antitumor antibiotics talisomycin (TLM) and bleomycin (BLM), were compared with asynchronous and synchronous populations of HeLa cells. The sensitivities of asynchronous and synchronous cells to TLM and BLM were expressed as biphasic dose-response survival curves. Of the cell cycle populations investigated, mitotic phase cells were the most sensitive and G1 phase cells the most resistant to TLM and BLM cytotoxic activity. A significantly greater portion of mid-G1 cells was more resistant to TLM than to BLM. Mid-S-phase cells showed greater resistance to TLM than to BLM in the initial portion (primary slope) of the dose-response curve.
EFFECTS OF PITUITARY GONADOTROPINS ON ESTRUAL PHENOMENA IN EWES1 2

ESTRUAL behavior has not been produced consistently in ewes by means of gonadotropic materials. Few or none of the anestrual ewes given a single injection of pregnant mares' serum by Cole and Miller (1933), McKenzie and Terrill (1937), Bell, et al., (1941), and Hammond, et al., (1942) showed behavioral estrus. Likewise, Bell, et al., failed to obtain estrual behavior following a single series of injections of unfractionated pituitary extract. Cole and Miller (1933) found, however, that a high percentage of ewes came into heat when given a second injection 16 days later, and several other workers including Hammond, et al. (1942) have been able to confirm their observation. The latter workers went so far as to postulate that the presence of a degenerating corpus luteum, and presumably its waning progestin secretion, was necessary before gonadotropic hormone injections would produce estrus.
Trichinella spiralis: morphological characteristics of male and female intestine-infecting larvae.

Abstract The sex of encysted and excysted intestine-infecting T. spiralis larvae can be distinguished by the following morphological characteristics: the male larva has a long (approx 50 μm) rectum, and the anterior part of the testis is curved posteriorly. The female larva has a shorter rectum (approx 25 μm), a telogonic ovary, coiled uterine and seminal receptacle primordia, and a vaginal primordium. In paraffin sections males can be recognized by the spermatocytes which are of the same size. The oocytes vary in size: the smallest are located in the ventral portion, the largest on the dorsal portion of the ovary. Sex of the larvae can be differentiated by the length of the rectum as early as the tenth day, by the curvature of the anterior part of the testis and by the uterine primordium by the eleventh day, and by the presence of the vaginal primordium by the thirteenth day of intramuscular development. Farre's Organ is believed to be the primordium of the seminal receptacle.
Block copolymer nanoparticles of controlled sizes via ring-opening metathesis polymerization

This article describes the formation and characterization of self-assembled nanoparticles of controlled sizes based on amphiphilic block copolymers synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization. We synthesized a novel hydrophobic derivative of norbornene; this monomer could be polymerized using Grubbs' catalyst [Cl2Ru(CHPh)(PCy3)2] forming polymers of controlled molecular weight. We synthesized amphiphilic block copolymers of controlled composition and showed that they assemble into nanoparticles of controlled size. The nanoparticles were characterized using dynamic light scattering and transmission electron microscopy. Tuning the composition of the block copolymer enables the tuning of the diameters of the nanoparticles in the 30- to 80-nm range. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Polym Sci Part A: Polym Chem 42: 3352–3359, 2004
Lateral connections for asymptotic solutions around higher order turning points

Abstract Asymptotic expansions as ϵ → 0+ or x → ∞ for fundamental systems of solutions for ϵ2u″(x) − p(x) u(x) = 0 were obtained by Evgrafov and Fedoryuk on unbounded canonical domains with neighborhoods deleted around turning points. When p(x) is a polynomial, lateral connection formulas were found by Evgrafov and Fedoryuk, and Leung for two fundamental systems of solutions with known expansions in the interior of two different unbounded overlapping canonical regions with common first or second order turning point at their boundaries. In this paper, lateral connection formulas are found when the turning points are of any higher order. Recent result of uniform simplification by Sibuya around higher order turning point is used.
Acetyl-CoA carboxylase and fatty acid synthetase activities in cytoplasmic preparations of porcine arteries

Abstract Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) and fatty acid synthetase (FAS) activities were measured in cytoplasmic preparations from thoracic and abdominal aorta, coronary arteries, and liver tissue of swine. Both ACC and FAS activities were present in all three arterial segments, but their activities were quite low compared to those of liver tissue. Between thoracic aorta, abdominal aorta, and coronary arteries, no significant differences in enzyme activities were found. Inclusion of fat in the diet decreased activities of both regulatory enzymes for fatty acid synthesis in vascular as well as liver tissues, and FAS showed more decrease in its activity than ACC in all tissues examined.
Monetary incentives improve recall of research consent information: it pays to remember.

Research participants often fail to recall substantial amounts of informed consent information after delays of only a few days. Numerous interventions have proven effective at improving consent recall; however, virtually all have focused on compensating for potential cognitive deficits and have ignored motivational factors. In this pilot study, we randomly assigned 31 drug court clients participating in a clinical research trial to a standard consent procedure or to the same procedure plus incentives for correctly recalling consent information. The incentive group was told they would receive $5 for each of the 15 consent items they could answer correctly 1-week later. At the follow-up, the incentive group recalled a significantly greater percentage of consent information overall than the standard group (65% vs. 42%; p < .01). Similar findings were observed for specific categories of consent information, including study purpose and design, risks and benefits, and human subject protections. Effect sizes were all large (d = 0.89 to 1.25). Findings suggest that motivation plays a key role in recall of consent information and should be considered in the development of future interventions.