cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Overactivity and structural changes in the chronically ischemic bladder

Purpose:: Our aim was to study the effect of chronic ischemia on bladder contraction and detrusor smooth muscle reactivity. The relationship between structural damage and functional changes in the chronically ischemic bladder was also investigated.Material and Methods:: Male New Zealand White rabbits were divided into arterial injury (AI), hypercholesterolemia (Hch) and control groups. The AI group (n = 18) underwent balloon endothelial injury of the iliac arteries and received a 0.5% cholesterol diet. The Hch group (n = 8) received a 0.5% cholesterol diet alone. The control group (n = 8) received a regular diet. After 16 weeks, iliac artery and bladder wall blood flows were recorded. Cystometrograms and arteriography were obtained and bladder tissues were processed for isometric tension measurement in the organ bath and for histological evaluation.Results:: At 16 weeks, blood flow through the iliac arteries was significantly reduced in the AI group compared with the Hch and control groups. In the AI grou...
Reducing pressure in bounded DBT code caches

Dynamic binary translators (DBT) have recently attracted much attention for embedded systems. The effective implementation of DBT in these systems is challenging due to tight constraints on memory and performance. A DBT uses a software-managed code cache to hold blocks of translated code. To minimize overhead, the code cache is usually large so blocks are translated once and never discarded. However, an embedded system may lack the resources for a large code cache. This constraint leads to significant slowdowns due to the retranslation of blocks prematurely discarded from a small code cache. This paper addresses the problem and shows how to impose a tight size bound on the code cache without performance loss. We show that about 70% of the code cache is consumed by instructions that the DBT introduces for its own purposes. Based on this observation, we propose novel techniques that reduce the amount of space required by DBT-injected code, leaving more room for actual application code and improving the miss ratio. We experimentally demonstrate that a bounded code cache can have performance on-par with an unbounded one.
Enzyme nomenclature: Functional or structural?

Altman and colleagues (this issue) call attention to the inability of current standardized enzyme nomenclature to distinguish between enzymatic activities that reside in nonhomologous macromolecules+ This issue is highlighted by the fact that the pre-tRNA 59-maturation activities of bacteria and plant chloroplasts present the first instance (of which I am aware) of two naturally occurring enzymes that cannot be evolutionarily related, but which catalyze an identical reaction+ (In the classic example of convergent evolution between the trypsin family and subtilisin, the enzymes do not have an identical substrate specificity+) Altman and colleagues propose that a single trivial name be used only for members of a family of homologous macromolecules; in other words, that different trivial names be given to enzymes that catalyze the same precursor–product conversion but do so with different catalytic mechanisms, or which are not members of a single family of homologous macromolecules+ I am not convinced that there is a problem needing solution+ The current proposal seems to run counter to the rationale behind current EC nomenclature, and could create more confusion than it would alleviate+ One can distinguish between a function-based nomenclature based on the biochemical reaction catalyzed—the substrate–product conversion—and a structure-based nomenclature based on the physical nature of the catalyst+ For a classical enzymologist, the reaction type being catalyzed is paramount: It is the reaction that one uses to purify the enzyme+ One identifies the enzyme based on its activity,whereas its physical structure may initially be of secondary importance+ The value of function-based nomenclature is precisely that it allows the biochemical reaction (the substrate– product conversion) to be described, specified, and studied concomitant with continuing purification and analysis of the corresponding enzyme+ Further, as more is learned about the enzyme’s structure and catalytic mechanism, it is not necessary to rename it+ Indeed, the utility of function-based nomenclature is exemplified by the history of bacterial RNase P purification and characterization+
A program for sequential allocation of Bernoulli populations

A program for optimizing and analyzing sequential allocation problems involving three Bernoulli populations and a general objective function is described. Previous researchers had considered this problem computationally intractable, and there appears to be no prior exact optimizations for such problems, even for very small sample sizes. This paper contains a description of the program, along with the techniques used to scale it to large sample sizes. The program currently handles problems of size 200 or more by using a modest parallel computer, and problems of size 100 on a workstation. As an illustration, the program is used to create an adaptive sampling procedure that is the optimal solution to a 3-arm bandit problem. The bandit procedure is then compared to two other allocation procedures along various Bayesian and frequentist metrics. Extensions enabling the program to solve a variety of related problems are discussed. c 1999 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.
Remembering Our Roots

Scholars of the Middle East based in social science disciplines—especially my own, political science—are likely to feel a bit more welcome by their colleagues as a result of recent events in the Middle East. Not only will we be informative conversationalists in the hallways for a while because of our regional expertise, but also, far more profoundly, the sorts of things that political scientists study, from voting patterns to regime change, are suddenly interesting subjects in the region. This is not to say that Middle East elections were not studied in the past or that research on political change was not undertaken—far from it. But the questions posed, the terms used, and tools employed were often different from those more prevalent in the discipline. Political scientists focusing on the Middle East are therefore likely to find this a gratifying time, ripe with opportunities for comparative and cross-regional analysis. And those nonregional specialists whose interests lie in a wide variety of topics from voting behavior to revolutions may work harder to incorporate Middle Eastern cases into their own work.
The Role of Interactivity in Human-Machine Conversation for Automatic Word Acquisition

Motivated by the psycholinguistic finding that human eye gaze is tightly linked to speech production, previous work has applied naturally occurring eye gaze for automatic vocabulary acquisition. However, unlike in the typical settings for psycholinguistic studies, eye gaze can serve different functions in human-machine conversation. Some gaze streams do not link to the content of the spoken utterances and thus can be potentially detrimental to word acquisition. To address this problem, this paper investigates the incorporation of interactivity in identifying the close coupling of speech and gaze streams for word acquisition. Our empirical results indicate that automatic identification of closely coupled gaze-speech streams leads to significantly better word acquisition performance.
Venous structures associated with thermoregulation of phocid seal reproductive organs

Backgound: Seal reproductive systems are surrounded by thermogenic muscle and insulating blubber, suggesting elevated temperatures at the gonads and uterus. In the limbs of terrestrial mammals, cooled blood returning from superficial veins is mixed proximally with warm blood returning from deep veins. Thus, mixed cool-superficial and warmdeep venous blood from the hind limbs is returned to the central circulation. Methods: We describe structures observed in salvaged carcasses of harbor (Phoca vitulina), gray (Haliochoerus gryphus), harp (Phoca groendlandica), hooded (Cystophora cristata), and ringed (Phoca hispida) seals. Vessels were identified by dissection of injected and uninjected material. Results: In contrast to terrestrial mammals, phocid seals have anastomoses between the veins of the distal hind limb and the pelvis which allow large volumes of cool blood returning from the skin surface of the flipper to enter the gluteal, pelvic, or pudendo-epigastric veins. This provides a cool-superficial venous return that remains separate from the warm-deep venous return of the femoral veins. The cooled venous blood from the hind flippers supplies venous plexuses lining the inguinal region and the abdominal and pelvic cavities. Conclusions: Cooled blood may prevent hyperthermic insult to seal reproductive systems. © 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
Modeling the Bending Stiffness of Point Bonded Nonwoven Fabrics

A simple method for predicting the bending behavior of point bonded nonwoven fabrics has been developed. Proven theories found in the literature have been combined using elementary geometry and probability to produce a method to calculate the bend ing rigidity of nonwoven fabrics based on the properties of the constituent fibers and the fabric's construction. Pattern-bonded polypropylene and polyester fabrics, both spunbonded and bonded carded web, have been analyzed. The theoretical results agree with experimental values of bending stiffness.
Numerical Studies of Adaptive Finite Element Methods for Two Dimensional Convection-Dominated Problems

In this paper, we study the stability and accuracy of adaptive finite element methods for the convection-dominated convection-diffusion-reaction problem in the two-dimension space. Through various numerical examples on a type of layer-adapted grids (Shishkin grids), we show that the mesh adaptivity driven by accuracy alone cannot stabilize the scheme in all cases. Furthermore the numerical approximation is sensitive to the symmetry of the grid in the region where the solution is smooth. On the basis of these two observations, we develop a multilevel-homotopic-adaptive finite element method (MHAFEM) by combining streamline diffusion finite element method, anisotropic mesh adaptation, and the homotopy of the diffusion coefficient. We use numerical experiments to demonstrate that MHAFEM can efficiently capture boundary or interior layers and produce accurate solutions.
Atherosclerosis: basic mechanisms. Oxidation, inflammation, and genetics.

Abstract The clinical events resulting from atherosclerosis are directly related to the oxidation of lipids in LDLs that become trapped in the extracellular matrix of the subendothelial space. These oxidized lipids activate an NFκB-like transcription factor and induce the expression of genes containing NFκB binding sites. The protein products of these genes initiate an inflammatory response that initially leads to the development of the fatty streak. The progression of the lesion is associated with the activation of genes that induce arterial calcification, which changes the mechanical characteristics of the artery wall and predisposes to plaque rupture at sites of monocytic infiltration. Plaque rupture exposes the flowing blood to tissue factor in the lesion, and this induces thrombosis, which is the proximate cause of the clinical event. There appear to be potent genetically determined systems for preventing lipid oxidation, inactivating biologically important oxidized lipids, and/or modulating the infl...
Order-disorder phase transitions in KNO 2 , CsNO 2 , and TlNO 2 crystals: A molecular dynamics study

The order-disorder phase transitions of ${\mathrm{KNO}}_{2},$ ${\mathrm{CsNO}}_{2},$ and ${\mathrm{TlNO}}_{2}$ have been studied using parameter-free molecular dynamics simulation. It is found that the phase transitions in nitrites investigated are driven by the rotations of the ${\mathrm{NO}}_{2}^{\ensuremath{-}}$ ions about different axes together with displacements of cations and anions. We successfully reproduce the high-temperature phases of these nitrites, i.e., the NaCl-like structure for ${\mathrm{KNO}}_{2}$ and CsCl-like structure for $\mathrm{Cs}(\mathrm{Tl}){\mathrm{NO}}_{2}.$ Based on the investigation of the radial distribution function of the cations and anions, we explain why ${\mathrm{KNO}}_{2}$ and $\mathrm{Cs}(\mathrm{Tl}){\mathrm{NO}}_{2}$ form quite different low-temperature phases.
Bouveret's Syndrome with Severe Esophagitis and a Purulent Fistula

Bouveret's syndrome is a rare variant of gallstone ileus with an overall incidence of 1-3%. It is a rare cause of gastric outlet obstruction resulting from the passage and impaction of a large gallstone through a cholecysto-duodenal fistula. A combination of diagnostic modalities is often required for a diagnosis. Management options include endoscopy and surgery. The most commonly performed procedures are enterolithotomy or gastrostomy, either alone or with cholecystectomy and fistula repair. We describe a unique variant of chronic Bouveret's syndrome with the unusual associations of severe esophagitis and a purulent fistula.
Constrained sliding mode control: Invariant cylinder methodology

This paper focuses on the problem of designing a sliding mode controller in the presence of state and control constraints. Recent theoretical results developed by the author and co-workers introduce invariant sets formed by the intersection of a robust positively-invariant cylinder and the constraint set. Conditions were given for the intersection to become robust positively-invariant itself, leading to the specification of a safe operating set. This paper proposes a methodology to guide the search for a combination of invariant cylinder and switching gain to meet state and control constraints with few iterations and low conservatism. A detailed example is offered using a third-order unstable plant with box constraints.
Genetic Variability among Group A and Group B Respiratory Syncytial Viruses in a Children’s Hospital

Respiratory syncytial (RS) viruses isolated over three epidemic periods in a children's hospital in the United States were analyzed. The viruses (n = 174) were characterized as to major antigenic group (group A or B) by a PCR-based assay. Group A RS viruses were dominant the first 2 years, followed by a year with group B dominance (ratios of group A to group B viruses for epidemic periods, 56/4 for 1993-1994, 42/3 for 1994-1995, and 19/50 for 1995-1996). Genetic variability within the groups was assessed by restriction fragment analysis of PCR products; 79 isolates were also analyzed by nucleotide sequence determination of a variable region of the glycoprotein G gene. Among the group A RS virus isolates, this G-protein variable region had amino acid differences of as great as 38%. The G-protein amino acids of the group A viruses differed by up to 31% from the G-protein amino acids of a prototype (A2) group A virus. Among the group B RS virus G proteins, amino acid differences were as great as 14%. The G-protein amino acids of the group B viruses differed by up to 27% from the G-protein amino acids of a prototype (18537) group B virus. The group A and group B RS viruses demonstrated genetic variability between years and within individual years. Phylogenetic analysis revealed that there were multiple evolutionary lineages among both the group A and group B viruses. Among the recent group B isolates, variability was less than that seen for the group A viruses. However, comparisons to prototype strains revealed that the group B RS viruses may vary more extensively than was observed over the 3 years studied in the present investigation.
Role of ethnicity in overweight and obese patients with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.

The role of ethnicity in determining disease severity in nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) remains unclear. We recruited 152 patients with biopsy-proven NASH, 63% of whom were Hispanic and 37% of whom were Caucasian. Both groups were well matched for age, sex, and total body fat. We measured: (1) liver fat by magnetic resonance imaging and spectroscopy; (2) fasting plasma glucose, fasting plasma insulin (FPI), and free fatty acid (FFA) levels; (3) total body fat by dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DXA); (4) liver and muscle insulin sensitivity (insulin clamp with 3-[3H] glucose); (5) insulin resistance at the level of the liver (fasting endogenous glucose production derived from 3-[3H] glucose infusion × FPI) and adipose tissue (fasting FFA × FPI). Liver fat was slightly, but not significantly, higher in Hispanic vs. Caucasian patients (27 ± 2% vs. 24 ± 2%, p = 0.16). However, this trend did not translate into worse liver steatosis, necroinflammation or fibrosis. Patients with NASH had severe hepatic, adipose tissue and muscle insulin resistance versus healthy subjects without NASH nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, but there were no differences between both ethnic groups on these parameters. However, Hispanics versus Caucasians with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) had a trend for worse hepatic/adipose tissue insulin resistance and fibrosis. Conclusion: When Hispanic and Caucasian patients with NASH are well matched for clinical parameters, particularly for adiposity, slightly higher liver fat content is not associated with worse hepatic insulin resistance or more severe NASH on histology. Hispanic ethnicity does not appear to be a major determinant of disease severity in NASH, although those with diabetes may be at greater risk of fibrosis. Given the higher risk of T2DM in Hispanics, long-term studies are needed to define their risk of disease progression. (HEPATOLOGY 2011;)
The Roles of Compensatory Evolution and Constraint in Aminoacyl tRNA Synthetase Evolution

Mitochondrial protein translation requires interactions between transfer RNAs encoded by the mitochondrial genome (mt-tRNAs) and mitochondrial aminoacyl tRNA synthetase proteins (mt-aaRS) encoded by the nuclear genome. It has been argued that animal mt-tRNAs have higher deleterious substitution rates relative to their nuclear-encoded counterparts, the cytoplasmic tRNAs (cyt-tRNAs). This dynamic predicts elevated rates of compensatory evolution of mt-aaRS that interact with mt-tRNAs, relative to aaRS that interact with cyt-tRNAs (cyt-aaRS). We find that mt-aaRS do evolve at significantly higher rates (exemplified by higher dN and dN/dS) relative to cyt-aaRS, across mammals, birds, and Drosophila. While this pattern supports a model of compensatory evolution, the level at which a gene is expressed is a more general predictor of protein evolutionary rate. We find that gene expression level explains 10-56% of the variance in aaRS dN/dS, and that cyt-aaRS are more highly expressed in addition to having lower dN/dS values relative to mt-aaRS, consistent with more highly expressed genes being more evolutionarily constrained. Furthermore, we find no evidence of positive selection acting on either class of aaRS protein, as would be expected under a model of compensatory evolution. Nevertheless, the signature of faster mt-aaRS evolution persists in mammalian, but not bird or Drosophila, lineages after controlling for gene expression, suggesting some additional effect of compensatory evolution for mammalian mt-aaRS. We conclude that gene expression is the strongest factor governing differential amino acid substitution rates in proteins interacting with mitochondrial versus cytoplasmic factors, with important differences in mt-aaRS molecular evolution among taxonomic groups.
Mammalian Target of Rapamycin is required for phrenic long-term facilitation following severe but not moderate acute intermittent hypoxia

Phrenic long-term facilitation (pLTF) is a persistent increase in phrenic nerve activity after acute intermittent hypoxia (AIH). Distinct cell-signaling cascades give rise to pLTF depending on the ...
Falsification, the Duhem-Quine thesis, and scientific realism: From a phenomenological point of view

Soulignant la non-pertinence de l'analyse phenomenologique au regard des questions logiques de la philosophie des sciences et au regard de la methodologie scientifique, l'A. etudie le debat contemporain autour de la these Duhem-Quine et met en evidence le role crucial de la falsification tant dans le domaine de la phenomenologie que dans celui des sciences. Analysant les notions de realisme scientifique, verite et infirmation, falsification et modification theoriques, l'A. montre qu'il est possible de reconnecter la theorie a l'Etre du phenomene par l'intermediaire du processus theorique de projection-falsification-modification
Inhibitors of Arg-Gly-Asp-Binding Integrins Reduce Development of Pancreatic Fibrosis in Mice

Background & Aims Pancreatic stellate cells (PSCs) regulate the development of chronic pancreatitis (CP) and are activated by the cytokine transforming growth factor β (TGFB). Integrins of the αv family promote TGFB signaling in mice, probably by interacting with the Arg-Gly-Asp (RGD) sequence of the TGFB latency-associated peptide, which frees TGFB to bind its cellular receptors. However, little is known about the role of integrins in the development of CP. We investigated the effects of small-molecule integrin inhibitors in a mouse model of CP. Methods We induced CP in C57BL/6 female mice by repeated cerulein administration. An active RGD peptidomimetic compound (Center for World Health and Medicine [CWHM]-12) was delivered by continuous infusion, starting 3 days before or 5 days after cerulein administration began. Pancreata were collected and parenchymal atrophy, fibrosis, and activation of PSCs were assessed by histologic, gene, and protein expression analyses. We measured CWHM-12 effects on activation of TGFB in co-culture assays in which rat PSC cells (large T immortalized cells [LTC-14]) activate expression of a TGFB-sensitive promoter in reporter cells. Results Pancreatic tissues of mice expressed messenger RNAs encoding subunits of RGD-binding integrins. Cerulein administration increased expression of these integrins, altered pancreatic cell morphology, and induced fibrosis. The integrin inhibitor CWHM-12 decreased acinar cell atrophy and loss, and substantially reduced fibrosis, activation of PSCs, and expression of genes regulated by TGFB. CWHM-12 also reduced established fibrosis in mice and blocked activation of TGFB in cultured cells. Conclusions Based on studies of a mouse model of CP and cultured PSCs, integrins that bind RGD sequences activate PSCs and promote the development of pancreatic fibrogenesis in mice. Small-molecule antagonists of this interaction might be developed for treatment of pancreatic fibrotic diseases.
From the historical a priori to the dispositif: Foucault, the phenomenological legacy, and the problem of transcendental genesis

What philosophical motivations lay behind the emergence of the genealogical method in Foucault’s thought? Pace traditional interpretations, I argue that genealogy is best construed as a supplementary addition to the archaeological mode of investigation. It addresses an issue that arose within the problematic to which the archaeological method responds, but which that method was not designed to solve: the problem of “transcendental genesis” as this issue was defined within the unique parameters set forth by the French phenomenological tradition.
Response to letter to the editor. Antiplatelet therapy and the WEB II device.

Professors Spelle and Liebig are correct to highlight the differences in antiplatelet therapy in the paper by Colla, et al 1. They recommend a regimen of ASA 100 mg/day for 3-5 days without post-procedure antiplatelet therapy unless otherwise warranted for less complex unruptured WEB cases. This is a less intense regimen than the dual antiplatelet therapy recommended for other devices such as the Enterprise, Neuroform, or Pipeline. The recommendation is based on the expectation that the surface interface of the WEB II is no more thrombogenic than standard mass of randomly distributed embolization coils. Their recommendation follows that of Klisch et al. in the initial clinical experience with the WEB II in two patients 2. It is based on Professors Spelle’s and Liebig’s unpublished experience with 49 cases using WEB devices in similar less complex aneurysms. For unruptured complex aneurysms, they recommend pretreatment with double antiplatelet therapy (ASA, 100 mg/day; clopidogrel, 75 mg/day). As noted, this allows for the potential use of adjunctive intraluminal devices if necessary. Since the advent of stent treatment for intracranial aneurysms, attention to preventive therapy for procedural and post-treatment thrombosis has been increasingly necessary. This is particularly important in cases of unruptured aneurysms since preventive treatments need to be safer than the natural history of disease. Nevertheless, little consensus for the ideal antiplatelet regimen currently exists for most endovascular devices. Faught et al. recently surveyed neurointerventional surgeons on antiplatelet practices, finding considerable heterogeneity of practice 3. In addition, as highlighted by Professors Spelle and Liebig, different devices likely have different propensities for formation of thrombus and emboli. Consequently, optimal regimens may well differ for differing devices. Certainly the ideal regimen would be the one with the maximal chance of preventing thrombus formation while minimizing the chance of hemorrhagic complications. If no post procedure thrombotic events occur with WEB II devices in the absence of antiplatelet therapy, this would certainly be ideal. While more peer-reviewed experience is needed with the WEB II device to confirm that post-procedure antiplatelet treatment is unnecessary, the points made by Professors Spelle and Liebig are valuable in providing initial guidance toward minimizing risks associated with the use of this new device.
G38 Parental Decision-Making at the End of Life in Children Dying of Cancer

Background When a child with cancer no longer has a realistic chance of cure, the parents are faced with a range of decisions regarding further treatment options, place of care and place of death. Little is known however, how parents make decisions around end of life care. Better understanding of the parental decision making process could lead to more effective care for families in similar circumstances as well as a better allocation of resources. Method This qualitative study used semi-structured interviews with four bereaved parents and subsequent analysis by IPA to descibe the parental decision making process. Results During curative treatment, the child’s consultant was regarded as the main decision maker. At the end of life however, the responsibility for decision making lies solely with the parents (the children in this study were not informed of their impending death). Importantly, all participants describe disagreements with their partner, especially with regards to medical treatment decisions. In all families, the disputes were resolved by the mother acting as the main decision maker. The most important factor in deciding in favour of further treatment was a belief that further treatment could be successful. The principal argument against further treatment was a concern regarding the quality of life for the child should the treatment succeed. The most important reason to take the child home to die was the parental perception that the child did not like the hospital. However, in deciding the place of death it was very important to ensure continued involvement of family and friends who had been supportive during the treatment. After the death of the child, engagement in altruistic and reciprocal activities was described as most helpful in bereavement. Conclusion This retrospective pilot study allows some insight in the parental decision making process at the end of life of their child and calls for further study.
Population Dynamics of the Onion Phytopathogen Burkholderia cepacia in Organic Soils Cropped to Onion

Previous research has indicated that in soil environments B. cepacia is genetically diverse (6,7). However, little is known about the behavior and population dynamics of B. cepacia in the soil and if there is a correlation between population levels and the incidence of disease caused by the bacterium in onion fields and in postharvest storage bulbs. Recently B. cepacia was implicated as the causal agent of the canker disease originating in the leaf axils of field-grown onion plants in New York (5). Under environmental conditions providing extended periods of water congestion of the infected leaf axil tissue, B. cepacia then invades the bulb tissues of onion plants resulting in the decay disease known as sour skin (5). Sour skin has been responsible in recent years for severe economic losses to the New York onion industry as a disease both in the field and postharvest storage. The combination of genetic adaptability of B. cepacia (3) and its survival capacity in the soil (2) makes control of this soilborne pathogen difficult. More investigation is required in order to understand the population dynamics of B. cepacia in the soil in order to provide a basis for the development of a successful control strategy for this pathogen in commercial onion production.
‘UNBOUNDED VIEWS’: INCOMPLETE EKPHRASIS AND THE VISUAL IMAGINATION IN VIRGIL

Our imagination loves to be filled with an object or to grasp at anything that is too big for its capacity. We are flung into a pleasing astonishment at such unbounded views and feel a delightful stillness and amazement of the soul at the apprehension of them.Joseph Addison, Essay 412
Measuring System Usability during Requirement Engineering: Requirements Engineering

It is extensively acknowledged that Requirements Engineering (RE) has critical implication for overall success of program and project systems development. This research examines and presents a framework that demonstrates how System Usability can be measured to improve decision-making during RE phases as valuable input to feed-follow-on Systems Engineering (SE) activities throughout system development life cycle stages. This paper discusses research for a systematic approach in developing a decision framework based upon four major requirement specification factors: requirement text quality, complexity, completeness and capacity to identify system usability prior to being delivered into system operations per documented requirement specification. The objective of the research is to identify the utility of the defined stakeholder requirements during the earliest stages of system development to measure system usability prior to investing or allocating significant resources to deliver an end-system that satisfies customer expectations. The decision framework is a convergence of multiple fields of research that include requirements text analysis, quality attributes, problem complexity, and requirements metrics as input for decision analysis to assist researchers and practitioners with delivery of end-systems that meet the stakeholder expectations. The operational specification statements within requirement documentation will be analyzed to measure text quality attributes for metrics. The decision framework bridges the gap amongst the stakeholder and system engineer during RE phases to identify issues on the front of the systems engineering process to develop quality end-systems.
Kinetics of droplet formation and Bi incorporation in GaSbBi alloys

Bi incorporation in GaAs and GaSb has exhibited some promising properties allowing for potential new materials operating in the infrared regime. The growth of these materials has proven difficult, often leading to surfaces covered in droplets or nonuniformity in the composition. We propose a new kinetic model to capture the dynamics of incorporation and droplet formation in the growth of these alloys. The model accurately predicts trends found experimentally. Furthermore, the model shows that compositional nonuniformity arises due to a reduction in the incorporation rate of Bi caused by the nucleation of droplets.
The Code of the West: Sexuality, Homosociality, and Wyatt Earp

Wyatt Earp's aloofness from women was part of his idealization as a masculine icon in the 1950s, reflecting a Cold War belief that resistance to Communism required men to resist the weakening effects of feminine domesticity. Yet the 1950s' interpretations of Earp's sexuality also reflected the historical complexities of normative standards of sexual behavior in the nineteenthcentury West.
Clinical Significance of Circulating Ki-67 Protein and Caspase-3 Activity Levels in Chronic Myeloid Leukemia.

Abstract 4249 Ki-67 and caspase-3 are widely accepted as proliferation and apoptosis markers. We recently reported that Ki-67 can be detected as a circulating protein (cKi-67) in the plasma of patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and that higher levels correlated with more aggressive disease. Here we investigated the levels of cKi-67 in patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). We also evaluated the level of apoptosis in CML as determined by plasma levels of caspase-3 activity. The study included 127 CML patients: 81 in chronic phase and 46 in accelerated phase/blast crisis. cKi-67 levels were determined with an electro-chemiluminescence-based immunoassay. Apoptosis was determined by measuring caspase-3 activity (DEVD) in the plasma using a standard enzymatic fluorogenic assay. Patients with CML had significantly (P 354 ng/mL) had significantly longer survival than did those with lower levels (P=0.003); cKi-67 levels were not associated with outcome in accelerated/blast phase CML. Caspase-3 activity did not correlate with outcome in chronic or accelerated/blast phase patients. In conclusion, cell proliferation and apoptosis as determined by plasma cKi-67 level and caspase-3 activity are elevated in CML, but higher levels of cKi-67 unexpectedly correlated with longer survival in chronic phase CML. Although the cause for this is unknown, it is possible that higher levels of cKi-67 reflect that more stem cells are in cell cycle, and this may make them more susceptible to therapy. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.
Decomposing controller synthesis for safety specifications

We present a method to decompose synthesis of controllers for safety specifications into smaller controller synthesis problems. The method applies to systems that we call decomposable, which means that their transition relations can be expressed as the meet of some number of transition relations over disjoint inputs. The method presented here is based on assume-guarantee reasoning and is shown to be correct and complete: a controller enforces the safety specification if and only if it can be obtained by this method.
Closed-loop antenna tuning: Why, what, where

This paper presents a unique solution for adaptive antenna matching applicable to all cellular phones, covering frequency and use case variations in antenna performance. Measured results are included to demonstrate the power of the solution.
The role of behavioral economics and social nudges in sustainable travel behavior

Abstract Individual and household transportation decisions have traditionally been framed as rational choices based on time and cost. A growing body of work now recognizes that while transportation choices may be tied to these rational factors, they also are shaped by social/cultural norms, previous experiences, habit, and situational dynamics. This chapter explores the literature on travel, behavioral economics, mode substitution behavior and financial versus social “nudges.” It discusses the results from two behavioral experiments that indicate that social norms, attitudes, and perceptions can have significant effects on travel preferences and choices and at least in some cases may be more important than monetary incentives or “hard” data. The findings, while based on stated preferences rather than observed behavior, suggest that program designs could be more effective if they account for attitudes and perceptions of the target populations.
Synthesis and Function of Cytochrome P450 4A1-Derived 20-Hydroxyeicosatetraenoic Acid in Rat Renal Arteries

22 20-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (20-HETE) is the principal arachidonic acid metabolite in tubular and vascular structures of the rat kidney. In the tubules it inhibits sodium reabsorption, while in the renal microcirculation it is a vasoconstrictor and a regulator of myogenic tone. 20-HETE synthesis is catalyzed by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 4A isoforms (4A1, 4A2, 4A3 and 4A8). Our studies indicated that despite the high homology, these isoforms display distinct catalytic properties. CYP4A1 is the low Km isoform and thus, by far, the most efficient 20-HETE synthesizing enzyme. Whereas CYP4A1 is solely an ω-hydroxylase, CYP4A2 and CYP4A3 also catalyze arachidonate 11,12-epoxidation. Systemic administration of CYP4A1 antisense oligodeoxynucleotides reduced the level of CYP4A proteins and 20-HETE synthesis in renal vessels by 50%, and decreased blood pressure in SHR from 137±3 to 121±4 mmHg (p 50 = 0.07±0.02 vs 0.37±0.04 μM). The increased constrictor responses to phenylephrine were greatly attenuated by DDMS, a selective inhibitor of 20-HETE synthesis (EC 50 from 0.07±0.01 to 0.74±0.11 μM) and by 20-HEDE, a specific 20-HETE antagonist (to 0.54±0.05 μM) without affecting the maximal response. The inhibitory effect of DDMS was reversed by addition of 20-HETE further substantiating the notion that increased endogenous levels of 20-HETE contributed to the increased vascular reactivity to phenylephrine in vessels expressing the CYP4A1 cDNA. Thus, 20-HETE of vascular origin serves as a stimulatory regulator of vascular responses to phenylephrine.
Exercise and Quality of Life

Exercise is a fundamental intervention for any patient with diabetes or at risk for it. Exercise not only contributes to the control of blood glucose but also reduces the risk of metabolic abnormalities and diabetes-related complications and comorbidities. Despite the growing prevalence of diabetes in the world, most people are not as physically active as guidelines and evidence recommend.
Spaces, Places, and Policies: Contextualizing Student Homelessness:

Students and families experience homelessness and high mobility (HHM) in vastly different ways. Yet, popular media, academic scholars, and practitioners often overlook this diversity. Building on a 2012 special issue of Educational Researcher, I discuss recent research that highlights the heterogeneity of HHM student and families. In particular, I focus on the ways in which residential space (e.g., shelter, doubling up with friends, or living in relatively independent accommodations) and geographic place (e.g., urban, suburban, or rural areas) shape educational opportunities and experiences. In doing so, I attend to various policies that help shape where and how families live and where and how they experience schooling. Future research questions and implications are discussed.
Efficient programming of reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) systems

Reconfigurable radio frequency (RF) system has recently emerged as a promising solution to cope with multiple communication standards and high spectrum density. In this paper, we propose a novel optimization framework to efficiently program a reconfigurable RF system. In particular, two novel techniques, including (i) search space reduction by adaptive resolution and (ii) global polynomial optimization based on branch and bound, are developed. When combined with a relaxation iteration scheme, our proposed method offers superior performance when programming a large-scale reconfigurable RF system designed for the WLAN 802.11g standard.
Pediatric tolerogenic DCs expressing CD4 and immunoglobulin-like transcript receptor (ILT)-4 secrete IL-10 in response to Fc and adenosine.

We characterized a novel population of tolerogenic myeloid dendritic cells (tmDCs) defined as CD11c+ CD11b+ CD14+ CD4+ and immunoglobulin-like transcript receptor (ILT)-4+ that are significantly more abundant in the circulation of infants and young children than in adults. TmDCs secrete the immunosuppressive lymphokine interleukin (IL)-10 when stimulated with the heavy constant region of immunoglobulins (Fc) and express high levels of the adenosine A2A receptor (A2A R), which, when activated by adenosine, inhibits the release of pro-inflammatory cytokines from most immune cells. Here we show that stimulation of the A2A R on tmDCs by regadenoson or N-ethylcarboxamidoadenosine (NECA) rapidly increases cyclic AMP accumulation and enhances IL-10 production under Fc stimulatory conditions. In co-culture experiments, tmDCs inhibit the differentiation of naive T cells to a pro-inflammatory phenotype. In conclusion, although DCs are classically viewed as antigen presenting cells that activate T cells, we show an independent role of tmDCs in pediatric immune regulation that may be important for suppressing T cell responses to neoantigens in infants and young children.
The PTO's Asymmetric Incentives: Pressure to Expand Substantive Patent Law

The development of substantive patent law is principally associated with the United States Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (Federal Circuit). The Patent and Trademark Office (PTO), the central agency in the patent system, is largely thought to play a negligible role in the evolution of substantive patent law standards. This Article challenges this view and argues that the PTO has a considerable effect on the development of substantive standards - one that drives substantive patent law in an expansive direction. It begins by focusing on the PTO’s inevitable need to develop its own views on substantive patent law. It then identifies and explains how key elements of the administrative structure of the agency, as well as its relationship with the Federal Circuit, generally push the PTO’s views on substantive patent law in a patent-protection direction. Significantly, this Article also explores how the PTO’s tendency to expand the patentability standards, in turn, creates pressure on the Federal Circuit to enunciate legal standards that are expansive in nature. Finally, it examines multiple mechanisms which could improve the PTO’s ability to develop substantive patent law.
Multivariate Statistical Methods

Many spectroscopic data sets require analysis by multivariate statistical and pattern recognition approaches. This article provides an overview of the various types of approaches, delineating both unsupervised and supervised methods. The importance of cross-validation of the results is stressed.
Achieving Privacy in Verifiable Computation with Multiple Servers --- Without FHE and without Pre-processing

Cloud services provide a powerful resource to which weak clients may outsource their computation. While tremendously useful, they come with their own security challenges. One of the fundamental issues in cloud computation is: how does a client efficiently verify the correctness of computation performed on an untrusted server? Furthermore, how can the client be assured that the server learns nothing about its private inputs? In recent years, a number of proposals have been made for constructing verifiable computation protocols. Unfortunately, solutions that guarantee privacy of inputs in addition to the correctness of computation rely on the use of fully homomorphic encryption FHE. An unfortunate consequence of this dependence on FHE, is that all hope of making verifiable computation implementable in practice hinges on the challenge of making FHE deployable in practice. This brings us to the following question: do we need fully homomorphic encryption to obtain privacy in verifiable computation protocol which achieves input privacy? Another drawback of existing protocols is that they require the client to run a pre-processing stage, in which the work done by the client is proportional to the function being outsourced and hence the outsourcing benefit is obtained only in an amortized sense. This brings us to our next question: can we build verifiable computation protocols that allow the client to efficiently outsource even a computation that it wishes to execute just once? In this paper, we consider a model in which the client outsources his computation to multiple say ni¾?2 servers. In this model, we construct verifiable computation protocols that do not make use of FHE and that do not have a pre-processing stage. In the two-server setting, we present an extremely practical protocol based only on one-way functions. We also present a solution, based on the DDH assumption, for the multi-server model for any arbitrary n. All these protocols are secure as long as at least one server is honest. Finally, even in the n-server model, we present a solution based solely on one-way functions. This protocol tolerates up to a constant fraction of corrupted servers.
Outcomes among scalp psoriasis patients: Is scalp psoriasis resistant to topical treatment?

Background: Scalp psoriasis is considered notoriously difficult to treat, despite good percutaneous absorption of topical corticosteroids through scalp skin. Poor adherence to treatment is often the cause of poor treatment outcomes. Purpose: Our objective was to gain preliminary assessments of scalp psoriasis treatment outcomes from our patients' perspectives and to assess the feasibility of telephone-based follow-up of scalp psoriasis treatment. Methods: Chart review identified adults seen for scalp psoriasis in the past 3 years. Thirty patients were queried regarding their current disease state, treatment satisfaction, and whether they called the office to report disease progress. Results: Eight-seven percent of the patients reported “doing well” or “moderate improvement;” of these patients, 69% were on only one topical treatment. 90% were on topical treatments alone; of these patients, 93% reported “doing well” or “moderate improvement.” Three of 15 patients who were told to call their provider and report treatment progressfollowed the instruction; those 3 reported “doing well.” Patients given a simple topical corticosteroid treatment regimen and encouraged to report their progress to achieve at least moderate improvement. Conclusions: The dogma that scalp psoriasis treatments are resistant to treatment should be reassessed and larger controlled trials should be done to develop and test adherence interventions to improve scalp psoriasis outcomes.
Ultrasound directed self-assembly processing of nanocomposite materials with ultra-high carbon nanotube weight fraction:

We introduce a new process to manufacture polymer nanocomposite materials reinforced with an ultra-high weight fraction of aligned carbon nanotubes. This process is based on using ultrasound direct...
Reexamining the impact of self-determination theory on learning outcomes in the online learning environment

While various researchers have conducted work supporting the validity of self-determination theory (SDT) in the conventional learning setting, few attempts have been made to explore its application in the online learning context. In a recent study using structural equation modeling (SEM), Chen and Jang (2010) concluded that the SDT-based model was unable to predict the learning outcomes in online programs. After analyzing the model employed in their study, the researchers of the current study identified possible measurement issues and aimed to further examine the SDT-based model after modifications. More than 300 undergraduate students from seven online courses completed the SDT surveys. The results indicated that the satisfaction of basic psychological needs enhanced self-regulated motivation, which was associated with higher perceived knowledge transfer and increased achievement of course objectives in online courses. This study provides empirical evidence for the application of the SDT-based model in the online learning environment.
A Newtonian mechanics formulation for the vibration of translating and rotating elastic continua

In this paper, we present a Newtonian mechanics formulation for modeling the vibration of a convecting elastic continuum, i.e., a system characterized by mean kinematic translation or rotation with...