cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Characterizing and mitigating work time inflation in task parallel programs

Task parallelism raises the level of abstraction in shared memory parallel programming to simplify the development of complex applications. However, task parallel applications can exhibit poor performance due to thread idleness, scheduling overheads, and work time inflation -- additional time spent by threads in a multithreaded computation beyond the time required to perform the same work in a sequential computation. We identify the contributions of each factor to lost efficiency in various task parallel OpenMP applications and diagnose the causes of work time inflation in those applications. Increased data access latency can cause significant work time inflation in NUMA systems. Our locality framework for task parallel OpenMP programs mitigates this cause of work time inflation. Our extensions to the Qthreads library demonstrate that locality-aware scheduling can improve performance up to 3X compared to the Intel OpenMP task scheduler.
Influence of time of planting of potatoes in indiana muck soil on yield and scab development

Time-of-planting experiments were conducted with potatoes on the Northern Indiana Muck Soils Experimental Farm, near Walkerton, Indiana, during the period from 1939 to 1942. Both total yields and yields of marketable or essentially scab-free potatoes, were determined for crops from plantings made at 5 two-week intervals from about the 5th of May to the 5th of July.
Comparision of long-term outcomes of patients treated with nonthoracotomy and thoracotomy implantable defibrillators

In 193 consecutive patients treated with implantable defibrillators at our institution, thoracotomy approaches were used in 87 patients and nonthoracotomy approaches in 106 patients. Long-term outcomes of the 2 groups were compared by the intention-to-treat analysis. Surgical mortality (30-day mortality) rates were 5.7% in the thoracotomy group and 0% in the nonthoracotomy group. Six of 106 patients who underwent nonthoracotomy implantation had a high defibrillation threshold and did not receive nonthoracotomy defibrillators. The duration of follow-up was 52 +/- 31 months in the thoracotomy group, and 23 +/- 15 months in nonthoracotomy group. Actuarial survival rates at 6 and 24 months were, respectively, 90% and 81% in nonthoracotomy patients and 89% and 80% in thoracotomy patients (p = NS). In patients with left ventricular ejection fraction <30%, surgical mortality was 0% by the nonthoracotomy and 10% by the thoracotomy approach. Despite the 10% difference in 30-day mortality, survival rates at 6 months were 85% in nonthoracotomy patients and 81% in thoracotomy patients. At 24 months they were 73% in nonthoracotomy patients and 74% in thoracotomy patients. Thus, this nonrandomized study suggests that while short-term survival is better in nonthoracotomy patients than thoracotomy patients, the difference in survival diminishes quickly during the first few months and disappears by 6 months. The results were similar in patients with severe ventricular dysfunction. Several important implantable-cardioverter defibrillator (ICD) trials initially utilized thoracotomy ICDs. Although questions may be raised with regard to applicability of such a trial in the era of nonthoracotomy ICDs, this study suggests that the results of such ICD trials will be largely applicable to patients treated with nonthoracotomy ICDs.
The Role of Religiosity, Religious Norms, Subjective Norms, and Bodily Integrity in Signing an Organ Donor Card

This article examines the influence of religiosity, religious norms, subjective norms, and bodily integrity (the extent to which people think the body should remain unaltered after death) on intent to donate organs postmortem. A total of 4,426 participants from 6 universities completed surveys for this study. The results indicate that religiosity and religious norms had a nonsignificant effect on willingness to donate. In addition, attitudes toward donation had a weak positive relationship on intent to donate, whereas subjective norms exerted a modest positive relationship on intent to donate. Finally, the results reveal a strong direct and indirect effect of bodily integrity on intent to donate.
Facilitating attachment after international adoption.

Abstract Americans have increasingly turned to international adoption (IA) as an alternative way to build a family. Unfortunately, IA families are often being developed under conditions of loss, and sometimes these families struggle to form healthy attachments to each other. Disordered attachment (the failure to form a reciprocal, loving bond between parent and child) can occur, and can have devastating consequences. In some instances, IA children have been relinquished into state foster care systems; other families simply struggle for years caring for a developmentally delayed child who appears to have no emotion for his/her adoptive family. Nurses are likely to have contact with IA families and can use their education about attachment and bonding to help facilitate attachment in these developing families. Swanson's caring theory provides a clinically useful guide to meet this need.
Universal scaling of the Néel temperature of near-quantum-critical quasi-two-dimensional Heisenberg antiferromagnets

We use a quantum Monte Carlo method to calculate the N\'eel temperature ${T}_{\mathrm{N}}$ of weakly coupled $S=1∕2$ Heisenberg antiferromagnetic layers consisting of coupled ladders. This system can be tuned to different two-dimensional scaling regimes for $Tg{T}_{\mathrm{N}}$. In a single-layer mean-field theory, ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{s}^{2D}({T}_{\mathrm{N}})={({z}_{2}{J}^{\ensuremath{'}})}^{\ensuremath{-}1}$, where ${\ensuremath{\chi}}_{s}^{2D}$ is the exact staggered susceptibility of an isolated layer, ${J}^{\ensuremath{'}}$ the interlayer coupling, and ${z}_{2}=2$ the layer coordination number. With a renormalized ${z}_{2}$, ${z}_{2}\ensuremath{\rightarrow}{k}_{2}z$, we find that this relationship applies not only in the renormalized-classical regime, as shown previously, but also in the quantum-critical regime and part of the quantum-disordered regime. The renormalization is nearly constant; ${k}_{2}\ensuremath{\approx}0.65\ensuremath{-}0.70$. We also study other universal scaling functions.
Plasma catecholamine responses to balloon angioplasty in children with coarctation of the aorta.

Abstract The postoperative increase in blood pressure after surgical correction of coarctation of the aorta is a well-recognized and potentially dangerous phenomenon1,2. Elevations of both the renin-angiotensin system3 and sympathoadrenal activity1,4,5 have been identified in the pathogenesis of this paradoxical hypertension. Balloon dilation angioplasty is being increasingly used as a nonsurgical method for relief of coarctation of the aorta.6,7 Postdilation hypertension has been reported only rarely.8 Recently, Choy et al9 have reported that plasma catecholamines and renin activity increased in patients undergoing surgical relief of coarctation but were not significantly increased after balloon angioplasty. Plasma catecholamine concentrations, however, were obtained at least 1 day after balloon dilation. In view of the potential for sympathetic activity to increase immediately and cause paradoxical hypertension within the first few hours after the procedure,5 we determined plasma catecholamine concentrations immediately after balloon angioplasty.
Unsophisticated judges' perceptual evaluations of the speech of “successfully treated” stutterers

Abstract The purpose of this investigation was to determine if the speech of “successfully therapeutized” stutterers and a group of partially treated stutterers was perceptually different from the speech of normal speakers when judged by unsophisticated listeners. Tape-recorded speech samples of treated stutterers were obtained from leading proponents of (1) Van Riperian, (2) metronome-conditioned speech retraining, (3) delayed auditory feedback, (4) operant conditioning, (5) precision fluency shaping, and (6) “holistic” therapy programs. Fluent speech samples from these groups of stutterers were paired with matched fluent samples of normal talkers and presented to a group of 20 unsophisticated judges. The judges were instructed to select from each paired speech sample presented to them the one produced by the stuttering subject. The results of the analyses showed that five of seven experimental groups were identified at levels significantly above chance. It can be concluded that the fluent speech of the partially and successfully treated stutterers was perceptibly different from the utterances of the normal speakers and that the perceptual disparity can be detected, even by unsophisticated listeners.
Eigenvalue estimates for minimal surfaces in hyperbolic space

This paper gives an upper bound for the first eigenvalue of the universal cover of a complete, stable minimal surface in hyperbolic space, and a sharper one for least area disks.
Unusual complications of central venous catheters in two infants with congenital venous anomalies associated with congenital heart disease

We report two infants with congenital heart disease who had unusual complications of indwelling central venous catheters related to anomalies of systemic and pulmonary venous drainage.
A fast recognition-complete processor allocation strategy for hypercube computers

Fully recognizing various subcubes in a hypercube computer efficiently is addressed. A method with much less complexity than the multiple-GC strategy in generating the search space, while achieving complete subcube recognition, is proposed. This method is referred to as a dynamic processor allocation scheme because the search space generated is dependent on the dimension of the requested subcube dynamically. The basic idea lies in collapsing the binary tree representations of a hypercube successively so that the nodes which form a subcube but are distant are brought close to each other for recognition. The strategy can be implemented efficiently by using right rotating operations on the notations of the sets of subcubes corresponding to the nodes at a certain level of binary tree representations. Results of extensive simulation runs carried out to collect performance measures for different allocation strategies are discussed. It is shown that this strategy compares favorably in most situations with other known allocation schemes capable of achieving complete subcube recognition. >
Gallium imaging of esophageal carcinoma: Increased sensitivity with lateral views of the thorax

Ga-67 imaging has not been very successful in the detection of esophageal carcinoma. In most reports, sensitivity for the primary tumor ranged from 25-61%, but imaging had been done only in anterior and posterior (A-P) projections. We performed gallium scans in 30 patients with esophageal carcinoma, adding lateral views to the routine A-P projections, to study the effect of lateral views on tumor detection. The A-P views detected only 57% of the tumors while the right lateral visualized 89%, and the left lateral detected 100%. Some lesions may be hidden by the sternum and the spine in the routine A-P views. Previous disappointments with Ga-67 imaging of esophageal carcinoma were probably due to this technical factor. Being gallium-avid, esophageal tumors deserve further studies with this agent to determine the role of Ga-67 imaging in this condition. These studies should be performed with multiple views of the thorax or, better yet, with SPECT imaging of the chest, to circumvent the problem of sternum and spine interference.
Intracranial leptomeningeal metastasis from thymic carcinoma: case report and review

Abstract Background Thymic carcinoma is an uncommon malignant tumor of the anterior mediastinum. Meningeal metastasis from this type of neoplasm is extraordinarily rare and the prognosis is abysmal. Case Description This article presents the case of a 45-year-old man with known metastatic thymic carcinoma who presented with intractable headaches. An MRI scan was highly suggestive of a meningioma, and it was initially suspected that this patient had 2 primary tumors. Surgical resection of the mass both demonstrated a metastatic thymic lesion and ameliorated the patient's quality of life. Conclusion The authors report a case of intracranial meningeal metastasis from a lymphoepithelioma-like poorly differentiated metastatic thymic carcinoma, which was treated by resection and WBRT. A review of the current literature revealed no other cases of this uncommon alhistologic subtype of thymic carcinoma metastatic to the cranium. The incidence, histologic classification of subtypes, and treatment are discussed. This case also illustrates the importance of maintaining a high degree of suspicion for a metastasis in patients with known primary malignancy who present with an MRI highly suspicious for meningioma.
Effect of spew geometry on stresses in single lap adhesive joints

Abstract Spew is defined as the portion of adhesive that is squeezed out from the lap area and forms a bead at the lap ends as the two substrates are assembled. Spew is always present in an adhesive joint, but is usually neglected in the stress analysis of adhesively bonded joints. As known, the presence of spews can reduce peak stresses and therefore increase the joint strength. The reduction in peak stresses, however, is not only related to the presence of spew, but also to the shape and size of the spew. This paper investigates how the adhesive spew geometry affects the peak stresses and stress distributions in adhesively bonded single lap joints. The stresses in adhesively bonded single-lap joints with various spew geometries was determined using finite-element techniques. A linear two-dimensional plain strain analysis with isotropic materials were performed using the ANSYS finite element software. The stress distribution across the lap length at the interface for joints with different spew geometries was determined and compared to that of the square ended single lap joint (i.e. joint without spew). Peak stresses were also determined and the percent reduction in stresses from the square ended joint was calculated for each spew shape. It is shown that by shaping the spew to provide a smoother transition in joint geometry significantly reduces the stress concentrations at the substrate–adhesive interface. Furthermore, increasing the size of the spew also reduces peak stress concentrations.
Teaching Practical Public Health Evaluation Methods

Human service fields, and more specifically public health, are increasingly requiring evaluations to prove the worth of funded programs. Many public health practitioners, however, lack the required background and skills to conduct useful, appropriate evaluations. In the late 1990s, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) created the Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health to provide guidance and promote use of evaluation standards by public health professionals. The emphasis of the Framework is utilization-focused evaluation for program improvement or to assess program impact. This article presents the use of the CDC Framework for Program Evaluation in Public Health to create and teach practical evaluation methods to master’s of public health students. The article includes the teaching approach, semester-long syllabus for students, and course evaluation data; suggests supplementary materials; and discusses implementation issues.
Live webcam coaching to help early elementary classroom teachers provide effective literacy instruction for struggling readers: The Targeted Reading Intervention.

This study evaluated whether the Targeted Reading Intervention (TRI), a classroom teacher professional development program delivered through webcam technology literacy coaching, could provide rural classroom teachers with the instructional skills to help struggling readers progress rapidly in early reading. Fifteen rural schools were randomly assigned to the experimental or control condition. Five struggling readers and 5 non-struggling readers were randomly selected from eligible children in each classroom. There were 75 classrooms and 631 children in the study. Teachers in experimental schools used the TRI in one-on-one sessions with 1 struggling reader in the regular classroom for 15 min a day until that struggler made rapid reading progress. Teachers then moved on to another struggling reader until all 5 struggling readers in the class received the TRI during the year. Biweekly webcam coaching sessions between the coach and teacher allowed the coach to see and hear the teacher as she instructed a struggling reader in a TRI session, and the teacher and child could see and hear the coach. In this way the classroom teacher was able to receive real-time feedback from the coach. Three-level hierarchical linear models suggested that struggling readers in the intervention schools significantly outperformed the struggling readers in the control schools, with effect sizes from .36 to .63 on 4 individualized achievement tests. Results suggested that struggling readers were gaining at the same rate as the non-struggling readers, but they were not catching up with their non-struggling peers.
Pairing mechanism among ionic liquid ions in aqueous solutions. A molecular dynamics study

In this study, we carried out molecular dynamics simulations to examine the molecular mechanism for ionic liquid pair association in aqueous solutions. We chose the commonly studied imidazolium-based ionic liquid pairs. We computed potentials of mean force (PMF) for four systems: 1,3-dimethlylimidazoliumchloride, 1,3-dimethlylimidazolium iodide, 1-methly-3-octylimidazolium chloride, and 1-methly-3-octylimidazolium iodide. Our PMF studies show a stronger interaction for the ion pairs of systems involving dimethlylimidazolium as the cation species compared with that of the systems containing octylimidazolium. This result indicates a decrease in ion-pair association as the cation alkyl tail length increases. We also studied the kinetics of ion-pair dissociation using different rate theories such as the Grote–Hynes and Kramer’s theories. As expected, the computed rate results significantly deviated from results obtained from transition state theory because it does not account for dynamical solvent effects. Di...
Iodine as a radical scavenger in the radiolysis of cyclopentane

Abstract Scavenging techniques with iodine in the concentration range of 0.1 to 30 mM were used to elucidate the radical yields in the γ-radiolysis of cyclopentane. In solutions below about 1 mM iodine reacts solely with alkyl radicals in the bulk of the medium. However, above this concentration the scavenging of thermal hydrogen atoms becomes significant and virtually all of the hydrogen atoms are scavenged at an iodine concentration of 30 mM. High concentrations of iodine are also found to reduce the cyclopentene yield, probably by reaction with ionic species produced as intermediates in cyclopentane radiolysis. At low iodine concentrations the yield of the main scavenging product, cyclopentyl iodide, and thereby the yield of the scavenged cyclopentyl radicals that escape the spur into the bulk medium was found to be 4.0 radicals/100 eV. The total cyclopentyl radical yield derived from the observed k d / k c ratio and the bicyclopentyl yield is estimated to be 4.9 radicals/100 eV.
DTI-015 produces cures in T9 gliosarcoma.

DTI-015 (BCNU in 100% ethanol) utilizes solvent-facilitated perfusion for the intratumoral treatment of gliomas. The water-miscible organic solvent vehicle, ethanol, facilitates a rapid and thorough saturation of the tumor with the dissolved anticancer agent, BCNU. Rats bearing established intracranial T9 gliosarcoma tumors received no treatment (group 1), a single intratumoral injection of ethanol vehicle (group 2) or DTI-015 (5 mg/kg BCNU) (group 3), or a single intratumoral injection of DTI-015 followed by systemic BCNU (group 4). Ethanol alone (n=13) had no effect on survival; MST=17 days compared to 18 days for untreated controls (n=35). DTI-015 (n=45) produced an ILS of 417% (MST=93) and 472% (MST=103) when combined with systemic BCNU (n=14). Overall, 24 of 59 rats receiving DTI-015 were judged to be cured, with 20 living a normal life span of 600 to 700 days, and 4 rats sacrificed healthy at 121, 135, 307, and 384 days post DTI-015 with no evidence of viable T9 tumor. Histology demonstrated that DTI-015 totally eradicated the T9 tumors in animals living a normal life span. The results demonstrate that a single injection of DTI-015 produces a 40% cure rate in rats bearing established intracranial T9 tumors.
CENTRAL NERVOUS SYSTEM CONTROL OF THE LOWER URINARY TRACT: NEW PHARMACOLOGICAL APPROACHES TO STRESS URINARY INCONTINENCE IN WOMEN

ABSTRACT Purpose: Despite the prevalence of stress urinary incontinence in women there are no approved drugs for the disease. Materials and Methods: Designing medical therapies requires a comprehensive understanding of how the internal and external sphincters are neurologically controlled. In this review recent advances in mapping storage and micturition reflexes, and the association of serotonergic and noradrenergic systems with these reflexes are discussed. Results: Urine storage and micturition are controlled by a series of hard wired reflexes that are under the modulatory influence of serotonin and norepinephrine. Augmentation of the serotonergic and noradrenergic systems with duloxetine increases bladder capacity and urethral rhabdosphincter activity. The increase in sphincter activity is mediated by α 1 adrenergic receptors and 5-hydroxytryptamine receptors. Conclusions: Increasing rhabdosphincter activity with duloxetine may offer a therapeutic benefit in women with stress urinary incontinence.
Robustness of designs for model discrimination

A class of models is considered to describe the data to be collected using a design of experiment. One model within the class will possibly describe the data more adequately than the others which will be the ''true model'' but we do not know its identification. In the pioneering work of Atkinson and Fedorov (1975) [4,3], the discrimination criterion T optimality was introduced for pairwise discrimination between models with the assumption that one of the models being the true model. The recent papers of Dette and Titoff (2009) [6], Atkinson (2010) [1], Dette, Melas and Shpilev (2012) [5] presented fundamental research on T optimal designs. A large number of other researchers also made major contributions to the area of finding T optimal designs with their references available in the papers mentioned. This paper considers the problem of pairwise discrimination between two competing models when the true model may or may not be one of them. The characterization of robustness of designs are given under the different possible true models within the class of models considered under the proposed J and I optimality criterion functions. The J criterion is in fact equivalent to the T criterion when the true model is indeed one of the two competing models in their pairwise comparison. Illustrative examples are presented for the particular polynomial regression models and optimum designs are also presented for a class of designs D with a special equal replications by considering the Dette-Titoff class and the Dette-Melas-Shpilev representation. The J"d and I"d optimality criterion functions are also proposed to deal with the unknown model parameters in the J and I optimality criterion functions.
Monitoring the Stimulated Release of Dopamine with In Vivo Voltammetry. I: Characterization of the Response Observed in the Caudate Nucleus of the Rat

Microvoltammetric electrodes were employed in the brain of an anesthetized rat to monitor chemical substances in extracellular fluid following electrical stimulation of the medial forebrain bundle. An increase in concentration of an easily oxidized substance is observed in the caudate nucleus and in the nucleus accumbens. A large amount of evidence suggests that the substance that is observed following stimulation is dopamine. (1) The location of the stimulating electrode must be in known dopaminergic tracts to induce release. (2) Release is most easily observed in brain regions that contain significant numbers of dopamine-containing neurons. (3) Two voltammetric electrodes with very different electrochemical responses provide voltammograms of the released species that are unique for catechols in one case and catecholamines in another case. (4) The amount of 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid found in striatal tissue by postmortem analysis correlates with the calculated amount of dopamine released. (5) Inhibition of tyrosine hydroxylase, and thus dopamine synthesis, decreases the observed release while inhibition of monoamine oxidase, and thus formation of dopamine metabolites, does not. (6) The dependence of release on stimulation parameters agrees with results obtained with perfusion techniques. Thus, a new method has been developed to characterize endogenous dopamine release in the rat brain and can be used on a time scale of seconds.
Caspofungin and Liposomal Amphotericin B Therapy of Experimental Murine Scedosporiosis

Immunosuppressed mice were infected intravenously with conidia of Scedosporium prolificans. Treatment was begun 1 day later with liposomal amphotericin B, caspofungin, or both drugs initiated concurrently. Amphotericin B and caspofungin were each effective, but combined therapy did not appear to offer advantages over liposomal amphotericin B alone.
Role of Oxidative Stress in the Action of Vanadium Phosphotyrosine Phosphatase Inhibitors REDOX INDEPENDENT ACTIVATION OF NF-κB

The role of intracellular oxidative stress in the mechanism of action of phosphotyrosine phosphatase (PTP) inhibitors was studied using three vanadium-based compounds. Sodium orthovanadate (Na3VO4), sodium oxodiperoxo(1,10-phenanthroline)vanadate(V) (pV(phen), and bis(maltolato)-oxovanadium(IV) (BMOV) differentially induced oxidative stress in lymphocytes. Treatment with pV(phen), which caused intracellular oxidation, induced strong protein tyrosine phosphorylation compared with Na3VO4 and BMOV. Syk family kinases and the mitogen-activated protein kinase erk2 were rapidly activated by pV(phen) but not by BMOV or Na3VO4. In contrast, both BMOV and pV(phen) strongly activated NF-kappaB. The antioxidant pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) greatly diminished the intracellular oxidation and protein phosphotyrosine accumulation induced by pV(phen). Pretreatment of cells with PDTC reduced and delayed the activation of Syk kinases and erk2. However, NF-kappaB activation by pV(phen) was markedly enhanced in lymphocytes pretreated with PDTC, and another antioxidant, N-acetylcysteine, did not prevent the activation of NF-kappaB by BMOV. These results indicate a role for oxidative stress in the biological effects of some PTP inhibitors, whereas NF-kappaB activation by PTP inhibitors is mediated by mechanisms independent of intracellular redox status.
A Numerically Efficient Augmented Subspace Identification Algorithm for Instrumental Variable Approaches

In this paper, a rank decreasing problem inherent to the application of a classical instrumental variable subspace identification (SIVID) approach will be discussed and an augmented identification approach will be proposed to address it. Simulations will demonstrate the validity of the proposed algorithm and its improved computational efficiency.Copyright © 2005 by ASME
Perception of the English /s/-/∫/ distinction relies on fricative noises and transitions, not on brief spectral slices

A series of experiments compared two approaches to fricative identification, spectral template matching and articulatory dynamics. Natural‐speech /s/ and /1/ noises from fricative‐vowel or vowel‐fricative syllables were cross spliced so that ‘‘hybrid’’ noises started out as either /s/ or /1/ and ended up with the other fricative noise in varying proportions. With both initial and final fricatives, listener judgments most often agreed with the longer part of the noise even when spectral templates would predict the other category. Also, the vocalic formant transitions contributed to the judgment. In another experiment, open transcriptions by four expert listeners similarly showed that all the cues were used; there were also some instances of nonspeech percepts that would be predicted by gestural models. One further experiment had subjects identify two fricatives from hybrid noises between two vocalic segments. When the order of the noises differed from the order of the transitions, the perceived ordering of the fricatives was often the reverse of the order of the noise segments. Taken together with previous results, these experiments indicate that listeners take the whole fricative noise, as well as the transitions, into account in fricative identification.
Polygyny in the Neotropical termite Nasutitermes corniger: life history consequences of queen mutualism

ecological aspects of monogyny and polygyny in social insect colonies are important in comparing individual queen reproductive success. Inseminated, fecund, multiple foundresses are common in some groups of ants and eusocial wasps, but true polygyny in termites has not previously been studied. One third of Nasutitermes corniger (Isoptera: Termitidae) colonies sampled in areas of young second growth in Panama contained from 2–33 primary queens (not supplementary or neotenic reproductives). All queens in polygynous associations were fully pigmented, physogastric egg layers within a single royal cell. Multiple kings were found less frequently; true polyandry is apparently restricted to immature polygynous colonies.
FGF-23 regulates CYP27B1 transcription in the kidney and in extra-renal tissues

The mitochondrial enzyme 25-hydroxyvitamin D 1α-hydroxylase, which is encoded by the CYP27B1 gene, converts 25OHD to the biological active form of vitamin D, 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D (1,25(OH)2D). Renal 1α-hydroxylase activity is the principal determinant of the circulating 1,25(OH)2D concentration and enzyme activity is tightly regulated by several factors. Fibroblast growth factor-23 (FGF-23) decreases serum 1,25(OH)2D concentrations by suppressing CYP27B1 mRNA abundance in mice. In extra-renal tissues, 1α-hydroxylase is responsible for local 1,25(OH)2D synthesis, which has important paracrine actions, but whether FGF-23 regulates CYP27B1 gene expression in extra-renal tissues is unknown. We sought to determine whether FGF-23 regulates CYP27B1 transcription in the kidney and whether extra-renal tissues are target sites for FGF-23-induced suppression of CYP27B1. In HEK293 cells transfected with the human CYP27B1 promoter, FGF-23 suppressed promoter activity by 70%, and the suppressive effect was blocked by CI-1040, a specific inhibitor of extracellular signal regulated kinase 1/2. To examine CYP27B1 transcriptional activity in vivo, we crossed fgf-23 null mice with mice bearing the CYP27B1 promoter-driven luciferase transgene (1α-Luc). In the kidney of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity was increased by 3-fold compared to that in wild-type/1α-Luc mice. Intraperitoneal injection of FGF-23 suppressed renal CYP27B1 promoter activity and protein expression by 26% and 60% respectively, and the suppressive effect was blocked by PD0325901, an ERK1/2 inhibitor. These findings provide evidence that FGF-23 suppresses CYP27B1 transcription in the kidney. Furthermore, we demonstrate that in FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity and mRNA abundance are increased in several extra-renal sites. In the heart of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice, CYP27B1 promoter activity and mRNA were 2- and 5-fold higher, respectively, than in control mice. We also observed a 3- to 10-fold increase in CYP27B1 mRNA abundance in the lung, spleen, aorta and testis of FGF-23 null/1α-Luc mice. Thus, we have identified novel extra-renal target sites for FGF-23-mediated regulation of CYP27B1.
Modeling of Branched Needle Microstructures at the Edge of a Martensite Laminate

We present models of the microstructure of martensite that occurs when twinned layers of martensite meet a pure variant. This microstructure often occurs below the A s temperature, with loading that favors the passage from one pure variant of martensite to another. This microstructure gives a mechanism for variant rearrangement. In this microstructure, the layers are observed to pinch down to sharply pointed needles. If the laminate is sufficiently long, branching of the needles is observed. In materials with a reasonably large transformation strain, the needles exhibit a characteristic bent shape ; the bending is in the opposite sense as might be expected from the overall shear. Our analytical and numerical results imply that this microstructure forms as a result of energy minimization in the transition layer between the martensite laminate and the pure variant. The bending of the needles plays a key role in lowering the energy of this transition layer.
Pharmacokinetic Interaction between Finasteride and Terazosin, but not Finasteride and Doxazosin

The alpha 1-adrenoceptor antagonists doxazosin and terazosin and the 5 alpha-reductase inhibitor finasteride are used in the treatment of benign prostatic hyperplasia. The aim of this study was to assess the potential pharmacokinetic interaction of doxazosin or terazosin when coadministered with finasteride. This was a randomized, placebo-controlled, multi-center study. Ninety healthy men were assigned to one of six treatment groups: doxazosin; doxazosin plus finasteride; terazosin; terazosin plus finasteride; placebo; and placebo plus finasteride. Plasma concentrations, maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), time to maximum concentration (tmax), and area under the plasma concentration-time curve from 0 to 24 hours (AUC0-24) of doxazosin, terazosin, and finasteride were determined. Ratios of Cmax and AUC for doxazosin and terazosin were not significantly altered by coadministration with finasteride. The Cmax and AUC0-24 of finasteride were not significantly altered by coadministration with doxazosin. However, Cmax and AUC0-24 of finasteride were significantly higher after coadministration with terazosin. There is no statistically significant pharmacokinetic interaction between finasteride and doxazosin; however, there is a statistically significant interaction between finasteride and terazosin, which affects the pharmacokinetics of finasteride but not those of terazosin. The clinical significance of this interaction remains to be determined.
"MR cholangiopancreatography using HASTE (half-Fourier acquisition single-shot turbo spin-echo) sequences"--a commentary.

Each month the American Journal of Roentgenology will republish online one of the 100 most-cited articles from its first century. A corresponding commentary in the print journal by a contemporary radiologist will provide a current perspective. For a full list of these articles, see page 3 of the January 2006 issue of the AJR or go to www.ajronline.org. Centennial article series Guest Editor: Liem T. Bui-Mansfield, ARRS Figley Fellow 2004.
The effect of a non-ionic detergent on the detergency of alkylaryl sulfonates and soap in hard water

A non-ionic detergent, Renex, has been shown to improve markedly the detergency of alkylaryl sulfonates in the washing of synthetically soiled cotton. This improvement was found to exist also when the alkylaryl sulfonates were built with CMC, salts, and alkalies.
Effects of occupational solvent exposure on reproductive hormone concentrations and fecundability in men.

Author(s): Luderer, Ulrike; Bushley, Abigail; Stover, Bert D; Bremner, William J; Faustman, Elaine M; Takaro, Timothy K; Checkoway, Harvey; Brodkin, Carl Andrew | Abstract: BackgroundLittle is known about the effects of organic solvents on male reproductive health. To assess fertility and reproductive endocrine function in solvent-exposed men, we investigated time-to-pregnancy using a retrospective cohort design and cross-sectionally measured reproductive hormone concentrations in painters and millwrights compared to a reference group of carpenters.MethodsDetailed occupational, exposure, medical, and time-to-pregnancy histories were obtained by telephone interview. Plasma luteinizing hormone (LH), follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), and testosterone concentrations were determined by immunoassay. Exposure indices, which summarized working life exposure to total solvents, chlorinated solvents, aromatic solvents, and thinners, degreasers, varnishes, and adhesives as a category were calculated from exposure histories.ResultsFSH concentrations increased significantly with increasing exposure indices for all solvents and for chlorinated solvents. There were no significant associations of solvent exposure indices with LH or testosterone levels. LH, FSH, and testosterone concentrations also did not differ by job title. Using Cox regression, time-to-pregnancy was non-significantly longer in the painters and millwrights than the carpenters. There was no significant association between time-to-pregnancy and any of the solvent exposure indices; however, it should be noted that some of the pregnancies occurred more than 20 years previously, potentially reducing the reliability of the retrospectively collected pregnancy and exposure data.ConclusionsThe significant associations between FSH levels and solvent exposure indices suggest the potential for adverse effects of solvent exposures on reproductive function in men.
Crystallography of the B2 → R → B19′ phase transformations in NiTi

Abstract The crystallography of B2 to R-phase and the subsequent R-phase to B19′ martensite transitions was analysed in NiTi alloys. Using the energy minimization theory of martensitic transformations, the habit plane and twin plane normals were established for the R-phase, B19′ martensite variants as a function of rhombohedral angle α. Two types of twins, classified as {1 0 0}〈0 1 1〉 and {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 compound twins could form in the R-phase. There are 12 R-phase variants with {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 compound twins when α α >90° there are 24 R-phase variants with {1 0 0}〈0 1 1〉 compound twins and 12 variants with {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 compound twins, respectively. In total, eight possible twins can be formed in B19′ martensite. In the single step B2 to B19′ martensitic transformation, only four twin types are qualified as lattice invariant shear (LIS); while all the eight twin types are qualified as LIS in R-phase to B19′ transition the {1 0 0}〈0 1 1〉 compound, {1 1 0}〈0 0 1〉 compound and {1 1 0} 〈1 1 2.7008〉 Type I twins have been observed in the experiments. The results indicate that the premartensitic R-phase transition plays an important role in understanding the phase transformations in NiTi shape memory alloys.
Improved compliance with universal precautions in the operating room following an educational intervention

Observation of surgical personnel in four specialties (cardiothoracic, general, gynecologic, and orthopedic) in the operating room was performed prior to implementation of an educational intervention designed to improve compliance with Universal Precautions and at 1- and 2-years post-intervention. Use of protective eyewear and double gloving increased following the intervention, whereas the incidence of documented blood and body fluid exposures decreased.
Design, Fabrication and Characterization of Si3N4 Photonic Crystal Nanocavities for Diamond-based Quantum Information Processing Applications

In order to improve the efficiency of quantum emitters, in particular nitrogen-vacancy (NV) color centers in diamond nanocrystals (NCs), it is important to enhance their photon production rate as well as the collection efficiency of the emitted photons. This can be achieved by embedding the emitters within optical cavities. Here we describe the design and fabrication of 1-D photonic crystal nanocavities in an air-bridge silicon nitride (SiN x ) structure. In spite of the low index of silicon nitride (n˜2), we were able to design optical nanocavities with Quality factors as high as Q˜1 × 10 6 . These nanocavities were designed to operate near 637 nm in order to strongly enhance the zero-phonon line (ZPL) emission of an NV center in a diamond NC while suppressing the in-plane emission into the phonon side-band. Simulation results show that a NV center placed near the top of the cavity would experience a reduction of radiative lifetime from ˜15ns to ˜2ps (Purcell factor ˜7000), thus significantly improving the photon production rate. Experimental results show a cavity resonance at ˜630nm, with a linewidth corresponding to Q˜1250, limited by the spectrometer resolution. The presented work is an important step towards the realization of diamond-based single photon devices, including switches.
Source level debugger for the Sea Cucumber synthesizing compiler

With the growing popularity of using high-level synthesis tools to map programs written in general-purpose programming languages to FPGA (field programmable gate array) hardware, it has become necessary to provide comprehensive, intuitive debugging tools in order to verify the correctness of the synthesized hardware. The difficulty in creating these tools lies in the fact that typical synthesizing compilers provide no information about how the source code is mapped to hardware. This paper discusses the creation of a debugger for the Sea Cucumber synthesizing compiler used to explore the issues associated with providing information about a circuit in the context of the original source code, thus making the debugging process more intuitive.
3D Self Magnetic Field Calculation in the Finite-Element Gun Code Michelle

Summary form only given. Self-consistent three-dimensional (3D) self magnetic fields are desired for devices with relativistic beams or a 3D geometry, the latter including multiple beam guns and sheet beam guns. We have recently implemented a prototype 3D self magnetic field solver in the 2D/3D finite-element gun code MICHELLE. The implementation follows the proposal presented last year. We are still testing and developing the solver, but so far on a variety of tests it has met or exceeded our expectations, save one. The positive experience to date encourages us to continue developing the 3D solver and also to formulate and implement a 2D version of the solver. The solver employs the curl-curl formulation for the magnetic vector potential A using edge basis functions. The new current accumulation algorithm combined with MlCHELLE's unique particle tracker for unstructured grids is efficient and accurate. The conjugate gradient (CG) matrix solver works well because the source vector is compatible with the singular finite-element matrix. Boundary conditions are important for compatibility. Our solver requires the tangential component of A to be zero on the boundary, a condition equivalent to perfectly conducting walls. This is appropriate for short pulsed beams inside conducting drift tubes. The model must also be well posed: the boundary must be connected to provide a return path for current. Otherwise, the source vector may be incompatible. Numerical integration errors can also make the source vector incompatible, but compatibility is guaranteed with a modest number of integration points, as indicated by a theory that also applies to charge-conserving current accumulation in electromagnetic particle-in-cell codes
Fostering Community: Explicating Commonalities Between Counseling Psychology and Humanistic Psychology

Humanistic psychology and counseling psychology share many of the same core values. This article focuses on three specific common characteristics: strength-based approaches, qualitative methodology...
A Q, L factorization of Norm-Optimal Iterative Learning Control

In this paper we consider the norm-optimal iterative learning control (ILC) problem for discrete-time linear multiinput, multioutput systems. The solution to this problem is well known and naturally factors into a form with a filter on the previous control, Lu and a filter on the previous error, Le. We show that this solution can always be factored into a Q,L form where Q filters the previous control and QL filters the previous error. This latter form is popularized with frequency domain ILC designs, and this common factorization suggests some general relationships between norm-optimal and frequency domain design, which are explored. Although the Q,L factorization is well known for some special cases, the results here are general and include differently dimensioned control and observation windows.
Systematic Codebook Designs for Quantized Beamforming in Correlated MIMO Channels

The full diversity gain provided by a multi-antenna channel can be achieved by transmit beamforming and receive combining. This requires the knowledge of channel state information (CSI) at the transmitter which is difficult to obtain in practice. Quantized beamforming where fixed codebooks known at both the transmitter and the receiver are used to quantize the CSI has been proposed to solve this problem. Most recent works focus attention on limited feedback codebook design for the uncorrelated Rayleigh fading channel. Such designs are sub-optimal when used in correlated channels. In this paper, we propose systematic codebook design for correlated channels when channel statistical information is known at the transmitter. This design is motivated by studying the performance of pure statistical beamforming in correlated channels and is implemented by maps that can rotate and scale spherical caps on the Grassmannian manifold. Based on this study, we show that even statistical beamforming is near-optimal if the transmitter covariance matrix is ill-conditioned and receiver covariance matrix is well-conditioned. This leads to a partitioning of the transmit and receive covariance spaces based on their conditioning with variable feedback requirements to achieve an operational performance level in the different partitions. When channel statistics are difficult to obtain at the transmitter, we propose a universal codebook design (also implemented by the rotation-scaling maps) that is robust to channel statistics. Numerical studies show that even few bits of feedback, when applied with our designs, lead to near perfect CSI performance in a variety of correlated channel conditions.
Pore induction in human epidermal membrane during low to moderate voltage iontophoresis: A study using AC iontophoresis

Abstract The present study aimed to investigate new pore induction as a flux-enhancing mechanism in human epidermal membrane (HEM) with low to moderate voltage electric fields. The extent of pore induction and the effective pore sizes of these induced pores were to be assessed using a low frequency (12.5 Hz) low to moderate voltage (2.0 to 4.0 V) square-wave alternating current (ac) “passive” permeation method (ac iontophoresis). This ac approach was to allow for inducing and sustaining a state of pore induction in HEM while permitting no significant transport enhancement via electroosmosis; thus, transport enhancement entirely due to new pore induction (enhanced passive permeation) was to be assessed without any contributions from electroosmosis. Good proportionality between the increase in HEM permeability and its electrical conductance was found with the “passive” transport data obtained during square-wave ac iontophoresis using urea as the model permeant. Typically, at 3.0 to 4.0 V, HEM conductance increases (and permeability increases) ranged from around 3- to 30-fold. These results appear to be the first direct evidence that new pore induction in HEM is a significant flux enhancing mechanism under moderate voltage conditions. The extents of pore induction in HEM under low frequency moderate voltage (2.0 to 3.0 V) ac, pulsed direct current (dc), and continuous dc were also compared. The extents of pore induction from square-wave ac and pulsed dc were generally of the same order of magnitude but somewhat less than that observed during continuous dc iontophoresis at the same applied voltage and duration, suggesting less extent of pore induction with reversing polarity or when a brief delay is provided between pulses to allow for membrane depolarization. The average effective pore sizes calculated for the induced pores from the experimental data with urea and mannitol as probe permeants and the hindered transport theory were 12 ± 2 A, which are of the same order of magnitude as those of preexisting pores determined from conventional passive diffusion experiments.