cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Investing in IT Security: How to Determine the Maximum Threshold

Investing in information technology IT security is a critical decision in the digital age. And, in most organizations, it is wise to allocate a significant amount of resources to IT infrastructure. However, it is difficult to determine how much to invest in IT as well as quantifying the maximum threshold where the rate of return of this investment is diminishing. The main research question in this paper is: how much and what financial resources should be allocated to IT security? This paper analyzes different practices and techniques used to determine the calculation for investments in IT security and analyzes and recommend some suitable methods for deciding how much should be invested in IT security.
Warfare-Welfare Expenditure Substitutions in Latin America, 1953-87

The use of any resource has an opportunity cost in the alternative instances that are foregone; it is a common thesis though that some burdens are more burdensome than others. Frequently, the net effect of defense spending calls for a careful investigation. In the relevant literature, the suspected trade-off between military spending and social needs is not entirely inexplicable. This study presents an overall view and an empirical testing of the alleged trade-off between defense and other public needs (health, education, social security, and public works) in nineteen Latin American nations during the period 1953-87. Via three alternative econometric specifications based on time-series data, we conclude that, overwhelmingly, military expenses crowd out the potential allocations for social upgrading. We, also, find a positive link only in the defense-public works spending. In its majority, therefore, the warfare-welfare (guns vs. butter) trade-off in that region of the world is confirmed. The pattern of these 35 years strongly suggests that Latin American arms buying is based, as it has traditionally been, on perceived service needs, motives of national or personal sovereignty, and occasionally on the potential for conflicts with neighbors rather than on any other threat of aggression.
Evaluation of Water Resistance of Polyurethane Dispersion Coatings by Nuclear Magnetic Resonance Imaging

Abstract Proton nuclear magnetic resonance imaging (NMRI) at 300 MHz is used to evaluate water resistance of polyurethane dispersion coatings. A set of wood rods coated with an uncrosslinked aliphatic polyurethane dispersion, a plasticized poly(vinyl acetate) (PVAc) emulsion and a 5-minute-cure epoxy adhesive, respectively, are immersed in water at 25°C. The water penetration is followed by acquiring cross sectional images from the samples. The same procedure is used at 60°C to compare the performance of multifunctional polyaziridine and polycarbodiimide crosslinkers with the polyurethane dispersion. The signal intensities in the middle of the wood as a function of time show three characteristics for the systems: induction time, absorption rate, and saturation time. The water resistance of the uncrosslinked polyurethane dispersion coating is relatively good. The addition of 2% of the polycarbodiimide crosslinker does not improve the water resistance. However, the same amount of the polyaziridine crosslink...
Membrane Association of the Escherichia coli Enterobactin Synthase Proteins EntB/G, EntE, and EntF

The cytosolic proteins EntE, EntF, and EntB/G, which are Escherichia coli enzymes necessary for the final stage of enterobactin synthesis, are released by osmotic shock. Here, consistent with the idea that cytoplasmic proteins found in shockates have an affinity for membranes, a small fraction of each was found in membrane preparations. Two procedures demonstrated that the enzymes were enriched in a minor membrane fraction of buoyant density intermediate between that of cytoplasmic and outer membranes, providing indirect support for the notion that these proteins have a role in enterobactin excretion as well as synthesis.
TAL1/SCL induces leukemia by inhibiting the transcriptional activity of E47/HEB

Activation of the basic-helix-loop-helix (bHLH) gene TAL1 (or SCL) is a frequent gain-of-function mutation in T cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (T-ALL). To provide genetic evidence that tal1/scl induces leukemia by interfering with E47 and HEB, we expressed tal1/scl in an E2A or HEB heterozygous background. These mice exhibit disease acceleration and perturbed thymocyte development due to repression of E47/HEB target genes. In tal1/scl thymocytes, we find the corepressor mSin3A bound to the CD4 enhancer, whereas an E47/HEB/p300 complex is detected in wild-type thymocytes. Furthermore, tal1/scl tumors are sensitive to pharmacologic inhibition of HDAC and undergo apoptosis. These data demonstrate that tal1/scl induces leukemia by repressing E47/HEB and suggest that HDAC inhibitors may prove efficacious in T-ALL patients who express TAL1/SCL.
U 233 Fission Cross Section Measured Using a Nuclear Explosion in Space

A high-altitude nuclear explosion in 1962 was used as a neutron source in an experiment to measure the fission cross section of ${\mathrm{U}}^{233}$ relative to ${\mathrm{U}}^{235}$ in the 30-eV to 5-MeV energy region. Fission data were telemetered to the ground station at Kauai, Hawaii from sounding rockets carrying the fission counters which were near their apogee at the time the nuclear explosion occurred over Johnston Island. The flight path for the neutron time-of-flight experiment was 1280 km. The ${\mathrm{U}}^{233}$ fission-cross-section results indicated average values about 20% lower in the 2-MeV energy region and about 30-40% higher in the 30-500-eV energy region than the average of previously obtained values. The results also fill the gap in ${\mathrm{U}}^{233}$ fission-cross-section data which existed between previous high-energy Van de Graaff and low-energy time-of-flight measurements in the 1-20-keV region.
The complex hatching response of Aedes eggs to larval density

Abstract. 1. We investigated the effects of hatching medium, larval density and larval instar on egg hatching in Aedes triseriutus (Say) (Diptera: Cuficidae). 2. In a nutrient broth medium, hatching rates, responded positively to low densities of large larvae, but were suppressed by high densities. 3. The magnitude of suppression was moderated through the use of a yeast hatching medium, which provides a food source for the large larvae. Small instars generally exerted positive effects on hatching, with the exception of first in star larvae in the yeast medium, which inhibited hatching at low and moderate densities. 4. The results demonstrate an ability of eggs to assess indirectly the potential risks of hatching through their responses to changes in dissolved oxygen concentration.
The Subsistence Role of Cattle Among the Pakot and in East Africa

O NE of the most notable characteristics of East African people is the behavior relating to cattle, which Herskovits has labeled the cattlecomplex (1926). As he described it, the cattle-complex consists of a strong attachment to cattle, which leads to their use in areas of life to which they are foreign among other people who possess many cattle. This attachment is frequently shown in affection for and identification with these animals and dislike of killing them (ibid: 256ff) except in rituals. They are associated almost universally with birth, death, and marriage ceremonies, are the chief form of wealth, the most prominent measure of power, prestige, and status, and the proper animals for feasts or ceremonies. Sex taboos are present in their handling, women being forbidden to have much to do with them, and there are special customs and taboos relating to their milk (ibid: 650, 653). In Herskovits' words, " ... it is the cattle that have become the dominant element in the cultures of these people" (ibid: 653). He adds that cattle "gather about them" other cultural elements such as birth, death, marriage, and other events in such a way that the complex can be recognized wherever it exists (ibid: 653). With some slight revisions and qualifications from one culture to another, this statement still holds good for East African pastoral people. The cattle-complex is sometimes summarized as being chiefly an extensive religious or ritual use of cattle. Our summation of Herskovits' position shows clearly that while ritual use (but not specifically religious ritual) is recognized, the essential element of the complex is not this, but rather a kind of identification with cattle which leads to their association with ritual (and presumably religion) as well as many other things. The cattle-complex concept has become widely used in anthropology (although the term is seldom used by British scholars), but along with the use the impression has been intentionally or unintentionally conveyed that cattle are exploited only partially for subsistence. Those who have written about East African people in comparatively recent times have all drawn different pictures of the economic role of cattle. Some, whom we will discuss, recognize great subsistence utility; others minimize it (see for example: Herskovits 1952; Huntingford 1950, 1953; Evans-Pritchard 1953; Kenya Land Commission 1934). The overall impression given by these latter is that milk production is important to subsistence but other possible subsistence functions of cattle (notably meat production and exchange for subsistence) are often not. The purpose of this paper is, first, to attempt to show that cattle are more extensively exploited in the subsistence economy of the Pakot of Kenya than this interpretation of the cattle-complex indicates. Secondly, it will be postulated, by reference to available data, that more extensive subsistence use of
BIOTURB: A FORTRAN program to simulate the effects of bioturbation on the vertical distribution of sediment

Abstract Bioturbation may have serious implications for preservation of original stratigraphic distribution of sediment. Thus, several methods have been developed to model the redistribution of sediment by bioturbation. The program BIOTURB provides a tool to compare and evaluate different models of bioturbation and their effects on sediment distribution. A flexible approach allowing changes in bioturbating fauna with time, fluctuation of sedimentation rate and sediment type deposited, selective sediment transport by organisms, both random and nonrandom mixing processes, and variation in intensity of mixing with depth was taken. This was achieved by using a transition matrix modeled after a bioturbating fauna in conjunction with a Monte Carlo procedure to govern the redistribution of sediment during mixing. The simulation model, FORTRAN program, and an example are described in detail.
Dietary protein regimen prior to renal ischemia significantly affects the postischemic uremic response.

Recently we reported that maintaining rats on restricted dietary protein regimens prior to renal ischemia will significantly improve postischemic survival rates. This effect required a week or more of
Signed graph factors and degree sequences

For a signed graph G and function $f: V(G) \rightarrow Z$, a signed f-factor of G is a spanning subgraph F such that sdegF(υ) = f(υ) for every vertex υ of G, where sdeg(υ) is the number of positive edges incident with v less the number of negative edges incident with υ, with loops counting twice in either case. For a given vertex-function f, we provide necessary and sufficient conditions for a signed graph G to have a signed f-factor. As a consequence of this result, an Erdos-Gallai-type result is given for a sequence of integers to be the degree sequence of a signed r-graph, the graph with at most r positive and r negative edges between a given pair of distinct vertices. We discuss how the theory can be altered when mixed edges (i.e., edges with one positive and one negative end) are allowed, and how it applies to bidirected graphs. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Graph Theory 52: 2736, 2006
Strain comparison of nicotine-induced seizure sensitivity and nicotinic receptors

Nicotine-induced seizure sensitivity was assessed in 19 inbred mouse strains. Two routes of drug administration were utilized: acute intravenous (IV) infusion and intraperitoneal (IP) injection. Dose-response curves for sensitivity to IP nicotine-induced seizures were constructed for the 19 inbred strains and a heterogeneous stock (HS/Ibg) of mice. Differences were observed among the strains both in ED50 values and slopes of the dose-response curves following IP injection of nicotine. ST/bJ mice were the most sensitive having an ED50 of 2.34 +/- 0.09 mg/kg nicotine. DBA/1J mice were the most resistant strain with an ED50 value of 6.16 +/- 0.02 m/kg nicotine. Latency to clonic seizure was measured in the 19 inbred mouse strains using the acute IV route of drug administration. Again, ST/bJ mice were the most sensitive and DBA/2Ibg were the most resistant to IV nicotine-induced seizures. Significant correlations were observed between latency to IV nicotine-induced seizures and both ED50 values and the slope of the dose-response curves for IP nicotine-induced seizures. However, the pattern of results differed between the two routes of drug administration. The relationship between seizure sensitivity and nicotinic receptor concentration in three brain regions, cortex, midbrain and hippocampus, was also assessed using alpha-bungarotoxin (BTX) as the ligand. A significant relationship was observed between BTX binding in the three brain regions and sensitivity to IV nicotine-induced seizures such that strains with greater concentrations of BTX binding sites were more sensitive to nicotine-induced seizures than were strains with lower concentrations of BTX binding sites.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
A new intensified therapeutic regimen for advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinomas: where does it fit among available treatment options?

In this issue of Cancer Investigation, Grecula et al. provide feasibility, toxicity, and preliminary efficacy data for an aggressive, innovative, trimodality treatment program for patients with adv...
Exact analytic solution of the spin 32 combined Zeeman-quadrupole Hamiltonian

Abstract The secular equation arising from the combined spin 3 2 Zeeman-quadrupole Hamiltonian has recently been solved in analytic form (refs. 1,2). Energy level and frequency expression, valid for all magnetic field strengths, are derived in a form highly suitable for analysis of resonance patterns arising from rotation of a single crystal about an axis perpendicular to the magnetic field direction. Theoretical rotation patterns are presented for the six possible transitions. A simple method for measurement of the quadrupole parameters is discussed.
An improved Couette high shear viscometer

The advantages of theCouette-type concentric cylinder viscometer have been cited for making viscosity measurements at high shear rates. Significant improvements in theBarber design are described which have resulted in the development of an instrument which can make measurements under laminar shear conditions at over several decades of shear rate. The range is over twice that of previous instruments demonstrating the achievement of shear rates to above 1 000 000 sec−1, and with minimum viscous heating and over a temperature range of over 100°C.
Predictors of prognosis and risk of acute renal failure in patients with Rocky Mountain spotted fever

Background Acute renal failure has long been associated with severe Rocky Mountain spotted fever (RMSF). Despite many descriptions of the protean manifestations of this disease, relatively little is known concerning the risk factors for acute renal failure. Only a few studies have examined the outcome of patients infected with Rickettsia rickettsii who develop renal insufficiency, and these studies had methodological problems. Objective To study the incidence, risk factors, and outcomes of acute renal failure in a large group of hospitalized patients with definite or probable RMSF. Methods The clinical records of 114 patients with definite or probable RMSF were retrospectively reviewed to identify clinical and biochemical abnormalities at the time of admission that were associated with the development of acute renal failure and subsequent mortality. Renal failure was defined as a serum creatinine (Cr) above 2 mg/dL. Logistic regression was used to study the association between these variables and the outcomes during hospitalization: death and the development of acute renal failure. Results The mortality rate in this series was 14%; 19% of the patients developed acute renal failure. The development of acute renal failure increased the odds ratio (OR) of dying by a factor of 17 ( P = 0.001). Factors at the time of hospitalization that were associated at a univariate level with subsequent mortality included elevated serum Cr, increased age, increased level of AST, increased level of bilirubin, decreased serum sodium and platelet count, the presence of neurological involvement, and being male. Both the presence of neurological involvement and an elevated serum Cr at presentation were independently associated with increased mortality by multivariate analysis. Three patients developed acute renal failure that required hemodialysis, and only 1 of these 3 patients survived; he was ultimately discharged with a normal serum Cr. Factors at presentation that were associated with the development of acute renal failure included increased bilirubin, increasing age, thrombocytopenia, and the presence of neurological involvement. Both age and decreased platelet count at presentation were independently associated with the development of acute renal failure by multivariate analysis. Conclusion Acute renal failure was a frequent complication of RMSF in this series of patients from a tertiary referral medical center. The presence of acute renal failure was strongly associated with death. Clinical and biochemical variables are useful in predicting which patients will develop acute renal failure.
THE LONG-TERM FOLLOWUP OF NEWBORNS WITH SEVERE UNILATERAL HYDRONEPHROSIS INITIALLY TREATED NONOPERATIVELY

Purpose: During the last decade it has become apparent that prenatally detected, unilateral severe hydronephrosis does not necessarily represent obstruction and may spontaneously improve or resolve postnatally. To define its natural history better we performed a long-term (mean 78 months) followup study of infants with hydronephrosis.Materials and Methods: A total of 104 newborns with antenatally diagnosed, primary, unilateral severe hydronephrosis were followed nonoperatively unless evidence of renal deterioration occurred for which pyeloplasty was performed.Results: All 23 infants (22%) who required pyeloplasty were younger than 18 months and had progressive hydronephrosis and/or reduction in differential renal function. Differential function exceeded predeterioration levels in all kidneys postoperatively. Of those cases followed nonoperatively hydronephrosis resolved in 69% and improved in 31%. Mean time to maximum improvement of hydronephrosis was 2.5 years. In 76% of those cases followed nonoperative...
Exploring Library 2.0 on the Social Web

Library 2.0 literature has described many of the possibilities Web 2.0 technologies offer to libraries. Case studies have assessed local use, but no studies have measured the Library 2.0 phenomenon by searching public social networking sites. This study used library-specific terms to search public social networking sites, blog search engines, and social bookmarking sites for activity associated with librarians and library users. Blog search data about the recentness of activity or the popularity of a blog post indicate that Library 2.0 technology has many early adopters but provides less evidence of sustained use. The results follow a curve resembling the 80/20 rule and also resemble Chris Anderson's “long tail” effect, in which very few authors create the vast amount of content. These exploratory results can be used as a starting point for future studies. Librarians who use tags to describe Web-based content might use these findings to select more effective tags. Librarians implementing a blog or a socia...
An interdisciplinary curriculum model for extended lean enterprise systems education: addressing the changing workplace and labour market

The primary objective of this paper is to present an innovative enterprise systems education curriculum model for Information Systems (IS) and Production/Operations Management (POM) students. To lay the groundwork, this paper first identifies four important trends in enterprise systems design, along with the associated educational challenges facing the current education programmes of IS and POM. Responding to these educational challenges, an interdisciplinary curriculum model called the "Interdisciplinary Extended Lean Enterprise Systems" (IELES) model is developed. Incorporating several critical enterprise management principles (e.g. lean thinking), the IELES model provides a viable framework for designing cross-disciplinary enterprise systems courses and laboratory projects. The IELES curriculum model will have a significant impact on the educational advancement for both IS and POM students. Ultimately, the proposed IELES curriculum model will create a new class of graduates, referred to as IELES Professionals, who are trained to thrive in lean-driven horizontal corporations.
Metabolomics and the challenges ahead

Eight years have passed since the proposal that the characterization of mutations with silent phenotypes should be carried out by a global view of metabolism [1]. Since then, the field of metabolomics has flourished both in the development of new techniques and in the expansion of its application areas. No longer is metabolomics seen just as a tool of functional genomics, but it has now become an integral part of systems biology. Early approaches were based on metabolite fingerprints and metabolite profiles, but now there are also studies focusing on fluxes. The array of techniques to measure a large number of metabolites has also been expanding, with a clear predominance of mass spectrometry and nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) methods but with new methods based on probes in development. But anyone who has been initiated in this field will recognize that the applications of metabolomics are currently limited by computational issues. The bigger bioinformatics challenges posed by metabolomics are: (1) to identify the large number of metabolites that are detected but whose chemical nature is unknown (estimates go from 60 to 90% of the total); (2) to identify the active areas of metabolism (pathways and networks) responsible for changes in metabolite profiles and (3) to create standards for data and metadata format and reporting. This issue of Briefings in Bioinformatics carries a series of articles dedicated to addressing the bioinformatics challenges posed by metabolomics. To introduce the problem, a review by Shulaev describes the most popular metabolomics techniques and enumerates the bioinformatic issues at that level. Two reviews address the issue of pathways and networks: Lee et al. describe the relationship between flux balance analysis and metabolomics, and Steuer and Selbig cover the many interesting aspects of metabolite correlations and how they may be related with metabolic networks and regulation. Finally, an article by Castle et al. discusses the new ongoing efforts of an international and interdisciplinary group that is defining standards for metabolomics. This follows several earlier attempts at defining standards [2–4] and unites those efforts. The much anticipated result of this effort will be a set of data standards that cover all of metabolomics and will be compatible with other standards for genomics and proteomics. It is the simultaneous application of metabolomics, proteomics, and transcriptomics that is likely to provide the most comprehensive and informative views of biological systems, and for this to happen it is crucial that we have data standards in place. The next step will be to integrate these data in global models of cellular behavior—indeed a truly systems view of biology!
Moderate deviations for two sample t-statistics

Let X 1 ,...,X n 1 be a random sample from a population with mean µ 1 and variance , and X 1 ,...,X n 1 be a random sample from another population with mean µ 2 and variance independent of { X i ,1 ≤ i ≤ n 1 }. Consider the two sample t-statistic . This paper shows that ln P(T ≥ x) ~ -x ²/2 for any x := x(n 1 ,n 2 ) satisfying x → ∞, x = o(n 1 + n 2 ) 1/2 as n 1 ,n 2 → ∞ provided 0 c 1 ≤ n 1 /n 2 ≤ c 2 E|X 1 | 3 , E|Y 1 | 3 , then holds uniformly in x ∈ (O,o((n 1 + n 2 ) 1/6 ))
His and hers: male and female anatomy in anatomy texts for U.S. medical students, 1890-1989.

Abstract Much recent work on gender has emphasized how ideas of male and female differences underlie cultural assumptions about appropriate social relations, behavior, institutions and knowledge. This study focusses on the specific ways that anatomy texts for medical students in the United States have presented male and female anatomy between 1890 and 1989, using both numerical data and analysis of textual examples from 31 texts. Despite public debates about gender representation, anatomy texts have generally remained consistent in how ‘the’ human body has been depicted in this century. In illustrations, vocabulary and syntax, these texts primarily depict male anatomy as the norm or standard against which female structures are compared. Modern texts thus continue long-standing historical conventions in which male anatomy provides the basic model for ‘the’ human body.
A study of Kalman filtering and maximum likelihood estimates of wind profiles using simulated laser distortion data

Wind profiles in turbulent atmosphere are estimated, using laser distortion data. A stochastic approach is introduced to develop a discretized model that describes the random behavior of the refractive index fluctuations, the random fluctuation of the atmosphere, and the uncertainty of the observations for a linear state system. A computer code has been developed to estimate the wind profile along the length of the laser beam. Numerous simulated runs for different wind profiles and different grid size in one, two, and three dimensions are presented. Results of simulations are compared with true wind profiles.
A MEMS-actuated tunable microdisk resonator

A novel tunable microdisk resonator with integrated MEMS actuator to alter coupling gap is proposed and experimentally demonstrated for the first time. The fabricated device shows a transmittance change about 8 dB and a quality factor of 6200.
Mucosal Administration of Low Dose Cell-Associated Feline Immunodeficiency Virus Promotes Viral Latency

Human immunodeficiency virus type 1 can occasionally be detected as a cryptic or latent infection in seronegative, asymptomatic patients. To develop an animal model of host latency, cats were mucosally challenged with 10(2)-10(6) feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV)-infected T cells. Although high-dose exposure (10(4)-10(6) T cells) resulted in progressive infection, no evidence of infection was seen in 5 of 6 cats exposed to 10(2) or 10(3) T cells. However, after ex vivo CD8(+) T cell depletion and phorbol myristate acetate treatment, FIV could be reactivated in tissues from 4 cats. Thus, latent tissue viral reservoirs can be induced by low-dose cell-associated mucosal challenge, providing a model to dissect the mechanisms that control reservoir establishment.
Characterization of a continuous-wave Raman laser in H 2

We present a time-dependent theory that describes the continuous-wave (cw) Raman laser in H2. The time-dependent theory is compared with existing theories, and threshold measurements are taken. The relative intensity noise of the pump and the Stokes beams is measured and found to be in agreement with the predictions of the presented theory. The Raman laser decreases the relative intensity noise of the pump beam by 34 dB/Hz at a frequency of 30 kHz. In addition, the spectral heterodyne beat-note linewidth of the continuous-wave Raman laser is measured to be 8 kHz.
Detection of 500‐nucleotide DNA by laser desorption mass spectrometry

We report the first detection of DNA segments as large as 500 nucleotides by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI) mass spectrometry, using picolinic acid and 3-hydroxypicolinic acid mixtures as desorption matrices. The successful detection of 500-nucleotide DNA indicates that laser mass spectrometry is now emerging as a new biotechnology tool for DNA-related research. It should be possible to utilize fast detection of large DNA segments by laser mass spectrometry for rapid human genome sequencing.
Compact microstrip bandstop filter using open stub and spurline

A compact wideband high-rejection microstrip bandstop filter (BSF) is presented. This filter combines two traditional BSFs: open-stub filter and spurline filter. Due to the inherently compact characteristics of the spurline, the proposed filter shows a better rejection performance than open-stub BSF without increasing the circuit size. From 3.7 to 5.4 GHz, the proposed BSF has a rejection of better than 20 dB and the maximum rejection level of 61 dB. Application of this BSF to suppress the second harmonic of an open-loop ring bandpass filter is also investigated with a 40-dB suppression improvement achieved.
Non-destructive Evaluation and Flaw Visualization Using an Eddy Current Probe

This paper describes the development of an eddy current prototype that combines positional and eddy-current data to produce a C-scan of tested material. The preliminary system consists of an eddy current probe, a position tracking mechanism, and basic data visualization capability. Test results of the prototype are presented and briefly discussed.
War, tropical disease, and the emergence of national public health capacity in the United States

This article analyzes the emergence of national public health capacity in the United States. Tracing the transformation of the federal government's role in public health from the 1910s through the emergence of the CDC during World War II, I argue that national public health capacity emerged, to a great extent, out of the attempts of government officials to deal with the problem of tropical disease within the southern United States during periods of mobilization for war.
Getting an edge on human disease

Mol Syst Biol. 5: 322 It is no news that many human diseases have a genetic cause. Indeed, it is often said that you can have ‘the cystic fibrosis gene’ or ‘the breast cancer gene’. What is meant, of course, is that we all have that gene but that people with the disease have a variant of the gene, which can cause the disease. So far, more than 50 000 disease‐causing alleles, involving 1900 protein‐coding genes and 2000 human disorders have been identified (Stenson et al , 2003). Little is known, however, about the relationships between different types of gene mutations, how they affect the corresponding proteins at a systems level, and how this relates to the manifestation of human disease. Two broad categories of gene mutations can be considered: ‘truncating alleles’ that can produce a protein fragment, and ‘in‐frame alleles’ that produce a full‐length protein with a seemingly minor change in one or more amino acids. Some proteins interact with many different partners to accomplish one particular task. Other proteins can have different functions at different locations or under different conditions. Such moonlighting probably occurs due to specific interactions with different partner proteins that facilitate or prevent particular functionalities in different places or at different times. Finally, there are different manifestations of human disease: some are autosomal dominant with only one copy of the relevant gene affected, …
Cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of the fungicides captan and folpet in cultured mammalian cells CHO/HGPRT system).

The cytotoxicity and mutagenicity of the fungicides captan and folpet were determined in the CHO/HGPRT system which utilizes Chinese hamster ovary cells and resistance to 6-thioguanine to estimate mutation induction at the hypoxanthine-guanine phosphoribosyl transferase locus. Treatment of cultures with each compound for 5 hr in serum-free medium resulted in reproducible, significant, concentration-dependent increases in the frequency of 6-thioguanine-resistant mutants.
Aromatase inhibitors as adjuvant therapy for postmenopausal women: a therapeutic advance but many unresolved questions

Adjuvant hormonal therapy for postmenopausal women with early stage breast cancer has become far more complex over the past several years. This commentary reviews the current status of the five major trials evaluating the use of the aromatase inhibitors in the adjuvant setting. The data currently available suggest that the aromatase inhibitors are efficacious either as upfront therapy or after a course of tamoxifen. Ongoing trials will compare these approaches and guide the use of these agents in the years to come.
Identification of Genes Involved in the Host Response to Neurovirulent Alphavirus Infection

Single-amino-acid mutations in Sindbis virus proteins can convert clinically silent encephalitis into uniformly lethal disease. However, little is known about the host gene response during avirulent and virulent central nervous system (CNS) infections. To identify candidate host genes that modulate alphavirus neurovirulence, we utilized GeneChip Expression analysis to compare CNS gene expression in mice infected with two strains of Sindbis virus that differ by one amino acid in the E2 envelope glycoprotein. Infection with Sindbis virus, dsTE12H (E2-55 HIS), resulted in 100% mortality in 10-day-old mice, whereas no disease was observed in mice infected with dsTE12Q (E2-55 GLN). dsTE12H, compared with dsTE12Q, replicated to higher titers in mouse brain and induced more CNS apoptosis. Infection with the neurovirulent dsTE12H strain was associated with both a greater number of host genes with increased expression and greater changes in levels of host gene expression than was infection with the nonvirulent dsTE12Q strain. In particular, dsTE12H infection resulted in greater increases in the levels of mRNAs encoding chemokines, proteins involved in antigen presentation and protein degradation, complement proteins, interferon-regulated proteins, and mitochondrial proteins. At least some of these increases may be beneficial for the host, as evidenced by the demonstration that enforced expression of the antiapoptotic mitochondrial protein peripheral benzodiazepine receptor (PBR) protects neonatal mice against lethal Sindbis virus infection. Thus, our findings identify specific host genes that may play a role in the host protective or pathologic response to neurovirulent Sindbis virus infection.
Operational software in a disk oriented system

This is one of a series of papers which describes the General Motors Research Laboratories DAC--I (Design Augmented by Computers) System. For a summary of the overall system objectives and organization, the reader is referred in particular to the paper "A Laboratory for the Study of Graphical Man-Machine Communication" by Edwin L. Jacks.
The Paradoxes of Public Participation

New public participation programs have been enacted in the federal bureaucracy in the last 15 years; these programs intend to broaden the diversity and range of interests participating in agency affairs. to bring citizens into policy planning and to encourage greater ageney sensitivity to citizen interests. One explanation for the apparent failure to achieve these objectives in current programs is that advocates have not based goals on sound empirical and theoretical grounds. A number of propositions, based on program experience, are suggested because they seem to offer a more satisfactory description and explanation of program accomplishment .
Effect of Complex Formation on Drug Absorption XIV: Effect of N,N-Di-n-propylpropionamide on Intestinal Absorption of Certain Nonsteroid Drugs in the Rat

The effect of 0.5% N,N-di-n-propylpropionamide on the intestinal absorption of salicyluric acid, barbital, p-aminohippuric acid, N-acetyl-p-aminophenol, phenol red, riboflavin, and tetracycline was determined in rats. The amide has no significant effect on the absorption rate of any of the drugs, although complex formation between the amide and several of the drugs in an organic solvent and enhanced transfer through an artificial lipoid barrier could be demonstrated. These results indicate that the absorption-enhancing effect of the amide (previously noted with prednisone and prednisolone) is relatively specific, depending not only on the interaction between drug and complexing agent but also on the possible interaction of one or both of these substances with a structural or functional component of the intestinal wall.
Curcumin: Getting Back to the Roots

The use of turmeric, derived from the root of the plant Curcuma longa, for treatment of different inflammatory diseases has been described in Ayurveda and in traditional Chinese medicine for thousands of years. The active component of turmeric responsible for this activity, curcumin, was identified almost two centuries ago. Modern science has revealed that curcumin mediates its effects by modulation of several important molecular targets, including transcription factors (e.g., NF-kappaB, AP-1, Egr-1, beta-catenin, and PPAR-gamma), enzymes (e.g., COX2, 5-LOX, iNOS, and hemeoxygenase-1), cell cycle proteins (e.g., cyclin D1 and p21), cytokines (e.g., TNF, IL-1, IL-6, and chemokines), receptors (e.g., EGFR and HER2), and cell surface adhesion molecules. Because it can modulate the expression of these targets, curcumin is now being used to treat cancer, arthritis, diabetes, Crohn's disease, cardiovascular diseases, osteoporosis, Alzheimer's disease, psoriasis, and other pathologies. Interestingly, 6-gingerol, a natural analog of curcumin derived from the root of ginger (Zingiber officinalis), exhibits a biologic activity profile similar to that of curcumin. The efficacy, pharmacologic safety, and cost effectiveness of curcuminoids prompt us to "get back to our roots."
A Direct Adaptive Control Approach in the Presence of Model Mismatch

This paper considers the problem of direct model reference adaptive control when the plant-model matching conditions are violated due to abnormal changes in the plant or incorrect knowledge of the plant's mathematical structure. The approach consists of direct adaptation of state feedback gains for state tracking, and simultaneous estimation of the plant-model mismatch. Because of the mismatch, the plant can no longer track the state of the original reference model, but may be able to track a new reference model that still provides satisfactory performance. The reference model is updated if the estimated plant-model mismatch exceeds a bound that is determined via robust stability and/or performance criteria. The resulting controller is a hybrid direct-indirect adaptive controller that offers asymptotic state tracking in the presence of plant-model mismatch as well as parameter deviations.
Managing Disability Benefits as Part of Treatment for Persons With Severe Mental Illness and Comorbid Drug/Alcohol Disorders

The objective of this pilot study is to describe the use of a Social Security representative payee program as a clinical intervention integrated into long-term, dual-disorder treatment of severely mentally ill outpatients with comorbid drug/alcohol disorders. Compared with non-payees, patients selected to be payee participants were more likely to be male, have a diagnosis of schizophrenia, have a history of high inpatient utilization, and have higher current ratings of psychiatric symptoms, substance use, and functional disability. Despite these higher severity ratings, which usually predict poor outpatient compliance and higher rate of adverse outcomes, the payee participants attended about twice the number of outpatient service sessions as non-payees and were no more likely to be currently homeless, hospitalized, or incarcerated. The payee intervention is described, and ethical and research issues are discussed.
Excitatory amino acid receptors in commissural nucleus of the NTS mediate carotid chemoreceptor responses

Stimulation of carotid body chemoreceptors by saline saturated with 100% CO2 elicited an increase in mean arterial pressure, respiratory rate, tidal volume, and minute ventilation (VE). Microinjections of L-glutamate into a midline area 0.5-0.75 mm caudal and 0.3-0.5 mm deep with respect to the calamus scriptorius increased VE. Histological examination showed that the site was located in the commissural nucleus of the nucleus tractus solitarii (NTS). The presence of excitatory amino acid receptors [N-methyl-D-aspartic acid (NMDA); kainate, quisqualate/alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid (AMPA) and trans 1-amino-cyclopentane-trans-1,3-dicarboxylic acid (ACPD)] in this area was demonstrated by microinjections of appropriate agonists. Simultaneous blockade of NMDA and non-NMDA receptors by combined injections of DL-2-aminophosphonoheptanoate (AP-7; 1 nmol) and 6,7-dinitro-quinoxaline-2,3-dione (DNQX; 1 nmol) abolished the responses to stimulation of carotid body on either side. Combined injections of AP-7 and DNQX did not produce a nonspecific depression of neurons because the responses to another agonist, carbachol, remained unaltered. Inhibition of the neurons in the aforementioned area with microinjections of muscimol (which hyperpolarizes neuronal cell bodies but not fibers of passage) also abolished the responses to subsequent carotid body stimulation on either side.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Secondary School Department Chair Roles: Principal Expectations.

The literature on the principalship is extensive, revealing ways in which principals can foster or impede school success. At the same time, another formal secondary school-level position, the department chair, has garnered little scholarly attention. Thus far, the literature offers a limited account of the roles that chairs should or do perform in schools. Our purpose here is to draw much-needed attention to the position by examining the relative level of importance that principals assign to various chair roles. Specifically, we report findings from a survey of New York State secondary school principals indicating that principals assign a high, though varied, level of importance to chair roles, some of which are associated with the structural characteristics of the position. We discuss the implications of this and other findings.
Hochschild Cohomology of Deformation Quantizations over ℤ/p n ℤ

Let A1 be an Azumaya algebra over a smooth affine symplectic variety X over Spec Fp, where p is an odd prime. Let A be a deformation quantization of A1 over the p-adic integers. In this note we show that for all n ≥ 1, the Hochschild cohomology of A/pnA is isomorphic to the de Rham-Witt complex \(W_{n}{\Omega }^{\ast }_{X}\) of X over \(\mathbb {Z}/p^{n}\mathbb {Z}\). We also compute the center of deformations of certain affine Poisson varieties over Fp.
Baseline and temporal patterns of fatigue predict pathological response in patients treated with preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for rectal cancer

14522 Background: We investigated whether symptom burden before and during preoperative chemoradiation therapy (CRT) for rectal cancer predicts for pathological response, a surrogate for treatment ...
Analog Component Development for 300°C Sensor Interface Applications

The development of Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) for base-load electrical power generation will require electronics for sensing and control during exploration and drilling and also during production. The operating temperature environments for these applications will generally be more extreme than those encountered by electronics currently deployed for oil and gas development and production monitoring. To address this requirement, electronic components have been designed and fabricated for operation at temperatures of 300°C. These integrated circuits use silicon-on-insulator (SOI) fabrication processes to achieve high temperature operation. High-fidelity simulation models have been developed by characterization of SOI devices at 300°C. These device models were employed to design components required for the development of a down-hole orientation module. A wide-bandwidth, low-noise operational amplifier has been developed for use with MEMS accelerometer sensors. A multi-channel synchronous voltage-to-fre...
Amorphous Silicon/Silicon Germanium Alloy Superlattices with Periods from 1 to 100 NM

The electron and hole transport perpendicular to the plane of the layers in a-Si:H, F/a-Si, Ge:H, F multilayers is analyzed. We measure the electron dark conductivity σd and its activation energy Ea, d, the photo conductivity σph and its exponent γ, the electron and hole mobility-deep trapping lifetime (μτd)e, h and the hole mobility-recombination lifetime (μτr)h. We identify three regions of barrier thickness ds with very different transport properties: (a) ds≲50A, dominated by tunnelling between quantum confined states in the bottom of the wells; (b) 50A ≲ds≲200A, in which the well acts as the provider of an extra, controllable tail state density; and (c) ds≳200A, where the individual layers are essentially decoupled.
Elevation: developing a mentorship model to raise the next generation of plastic surgery professionals.

Purpose To elucidate the components of professionalism specific to plastic surgery, we surveyed surgeons, anesthesiologists, and fourth-year medical students at a public university. We sought to define the central components of professionalism in plastic surgery, to determine the difference in perception of professionalism by plastic surgeons (PSs), compared to other practitioners (OPs), and to improve education in professionalism by obtaining data on attitudes of professionalism among practitioners. Methods Using SurveyMonkey, we distributed a questionnaire to members of the Departments of Surgery and Anesthesia and fourth-year medical students. The responses of PSs (n = 22) were compared to non-plastic surgeons (OPs, n = 294). Results Of the 594 participants, 316 completed the survey (response rate, 53%). Participants consisted of 211 (66.8%) medical students, 60 (19%) residents, 5 (1.6%) fellows, 28 (8.9%) attending physicians, 6 (1.9%) nonphysician providers, and 6 (1.9%) administrators. Both PS and OP listed "the development and conformance to a body of ethics" the most important component of professionalism. Most participants thought that professionalism could be taught, and assessed. Plastic surgeons listed "not enough mentors" (63.2%) as the main obstacle to teaching professionalism, whereas OP listed "not a priority in medical school curriculum" (48.2%). Both PS and OP cited substance abuse, fraud, and sexual misconduct as egregious displays of unprofessional behavior. Opinions differed between the groups, regarding aspects of professionalism pertaining to plastic surgery. When asked about "charity raffles" for cosmetic surgery, 72.2% of PS ranked this as a 4 or 5 (with 5 representing the most unprofessional behavior), compared to only 46.7% of OP who assigned this a 4 or 5. For the scenario of a PS deceiving patients, by showing them another surgeon's before and after photographs, 84.2% of PS assigned this a 4 or 5, whereas 71.0% of OP ranked this a 4 or 5. Both groups cited working while impaired with alcohol as the most egregious example of unprofessional behavior. Conclusions The opinions of PSs mirror those of their colleagues, regarding general components of professionalism. However, PSs are more conservative and cautious than their peers, perhaps due to successful educational efforts in mentoring, training, and maintenance of certification.
A Miracle Mounting Fluid for Permanent Whole-Mounts of Microfungi

(1972). A Miracle Mounting Fluid for Permanent Whole-Mounts of Microfungi. Mycologia: Vol. 64, No. 4, pp. 906-911.