cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Response to varicocelectomy in oligospermic men with and without defined genetic infertility.

Abstract Objectives. To compare the clinical characteristics of infertile men who have varicocele with and without a genetic anomaly, and report the results of varicocelectomy in these two cohorts of men. Methods. Study subjects included 33 men who underwent genetic counseling and testing for a diagnosis of oligospermia with varicocele. Seven men were diagnosed with coexisting genetic infertility (genetic [+]; abnormal karyotype in 4, Y chromosome microdeletion in 3), and 26 men with varicocele and no genetic abnormality (genetic [−]). Five patients (Y chromosome microdeletions in 2, abnormal karyotype in 3) in the genetic (+) group and 14 patients in the genetic (−) group underwent microsurgical subinguinal varicocelectomy. Semen and hormonal parameters, physical examination findings, as well as the response to varicocele repair were compared between the two groups. Varicocele response was defined as a 50% increase in total motile sperm count in the ejaculate. Results. Mean preoperative seminal and hormonal parameters were not statistically significantly different between the two groups. Significant differences were observed in the volume of the right and left testicles between the two groups (left: P = 0.007; right: P = 0.04). Although 7 of 13 evaluable patients (54%) in the genetic (−) group had a seminal response to varicocelectomy, none of 5 patients in the genetic (+) group showed improvement in semen quality. Conclusions. From this early experience, men with varicocele and genetic lesions appear to have a poorer response to varicocele repair than men without coexisting genetic lesions. These data may have implications for counseling male factor infertility patients contemplating varicocele treatment.
Matrimonial Gifts In Early Islamic Egypt

The mahr or sadāq is the only marriage gift required under Islamic law. But Islamic law did not necessarily determine actual marriage settlements, even in early Muslim societies. In this essay, I compare the early Islamic legal literature with the pattern of matrimonial gifts recorded in marriage contracts and divorce deeds preserved from early Islamic Egypt. In marriage settlements recorded in the papyri, the groom gave a sadāq that was divided into advance and deferred portions, and brides brought to the marriage a counterpart dowry ( jihāz or s hiwār ). These marriage settlements, which were common to Muslims, Copts and Jews, resembled the Egyptian marriage settlements of late antiquity. The Islamic legal literature preserves the objections of contemporary jurists, including Mālik, to these Egyptian practices, which they initially regarded as an objectionable innovation. Eventually, the local traditions were incorporated, albeit with modifications, into the legal discourse.
Using mechanical hardware to simplify process planning

Abstract Process planning is an important and complex task in manufacturing. In this paper we present the view that process planning is difficult to automate because of the state of machining technology today. Many standard practices in machining, like fixturing, are really specific solutions that have evolved over the years for particular problems; modeling this patchwork of technologies, and planning with them is inherently difficult. To show this, we attempt to cast process planning for machining in the form of traditional AI planning problem using predicate calculus. Specifically, we identify a class of interactions, known as global interactions, that make the resulting planning task very difficult. We show how many of these global interactions can be approximated as pairwise ordering constraints that are amenable to well known nonlinear planning techniques. However, some global interactions, particularly those arising from fixturing and rigidity concerns, do not lend themselves to such simplification. To handle these interactions we propose that a paradigm-shift is required in machining technology. We describe a new fixturing technology called reference free part encapsulation (RFPE) that makes it posssible to manufacture almost arbitrarily complex components. RFPE makes it possible to ignore global interactions and therefore justifies the reduction of general process planning to a nonlinear planning problem.
On the upper bound of the number of modes of a multivariate normal mixture

The main result of this article states that one can get as many as D+1 modes from just a two component normal mixture in D dimensions. Multivariate mixture models are widely used for modeling homogeneous populations and for cluster analysis. Either the components directly or modes arising from these components are often used to extract individual clusters. Although in lower dimensions these strategies work well, our results show that high dimensional mixtures are often very complex and researchers should take extra precautions when using mixture models for cluster analysis. Further our analysis shows that the number of modes depends on the component means and eigenvalues of the ratio of the two component covariance matrices, which in turn provides a clear guideline as to when one can use mixture analysis for clustering high dimensional data.
Demagnetizing fields of planar magnetic film structures with one infinite dimension

Structures made of infinitely long planar strips of magnetic film whose infinite dimensions are all parallel are considered, and the field needed to magnetize them to a given extent normal to that dimension is specified. An exact analytic solution is given for partially saturated coplanar films. Some useful analytic approximations and a computer program are described for solving more general structures, including results for a sandwich of a current-carrying conductor between two parallel film strips.
Long-term visual traces of visually presented words*

Long-term recognition memory was measured using test words that were either visually identical with or visually different from the original stimuli. Recognition latencies revealed an interaction consistent with the hypothesis that the visual memory code of a word persists, and can play a direct role in the recognition decision, for several minutes following presentation.
Synthesis of discotic columnar side-chain liquid crystalline polymers by ring-opening metathesis polymerization (ROMP)

Discotic liquid crystalline polymers bearing alkoxy-substituted triphenylene moieties in the side-chain were synthesized by ring-opening metathesis polymerization using a well-defined ruthenium initiator. To elucidate the effect of backbone flexibility on the mesomorphism, norbornene and cyclobutene monomers containing triphenylene moieties were synthesized, which yielded the relatively rigid poly(norbornene)s and the more flexible poly(butadiene)s, respectively, after polymerization. To further increase the backbone flexibility, the poly(butadiene)s were hydrogenated using Crabtree's catalyst to yield triphenylene-substituted poly(butane)s. The mesomorphic behavior of the polymers has been investigated by differential scanning calorimetry (DSC) and powder diffraction X-ray scattering (wide angle X-ray scattering, WAXS). All polymers bearing a 2,3,6,7,19-pentakis(decyloxy)triphenylene-based mesogenic unit exhibit enantiotropic discotic hexagonal mesophases, while the pentoxy analogues do not display liquid crystalline behavior. No effect of backbone rigidity on the mesomorphism could be detected.
MULTIPLE VOICES IN THE TRANSLATION CLASSROOM

MULTIPLE VOICES IN THE TRANSLATION CLASSROOM. Maria Gonzalez Davies . Amsterdam: Benjamins, 2004. Pp. x + 259. $150.00 cloth, $42.95 paper. In recent times, translator education has, in general, tried to stay away from SLA. One of the reasons for this lies in the prescriptivist belief that students should have acquired their languages by the time they start their translation education. Yet the reality is that current translation practice throughout the world includes many cases of incomplete language acquisition, especially in immigrant communities, and that translation into a second language is common (Campbell, 1998; McAlester, 1992; Newmark, 1988). Therefore, this volume is, in principle, a relevant publication for the field of SLA.
A retrospective pilot study comparing the number of therapy visits required to regain functional wrist and forearm range of motion following volar plating of a distal radius fracture.

Abstract Purpose The purpose of this retrospective study was to compare the number of therapy visits and amount of time required to achieve functional motion in patients who underwent open reduction and internal fixation of the distal radius. Methods Fourteen patients started early range of motion (ROM) and nine patients started ROM exercises after six weeks. Group comparisons were performed regarding age, Upper Limb Functional Index scores across time points, forearm and wrist ROM measurements across time points, grip strength, days until goal attainment, and number of visits attended. Results A statistically significant difference (F = 6.48, p Level of Evidence 3.
Comparison between stochastic and deterministic selection-mutation models.

We present a deterministic selection-mutation model with a discrete trait variable. We show that for an irreducible selection-mutation matrix in the birth term the deterministic model has a unique interior equilibrium which is globally stable. Thus all subpopulations coexist. In the pure selection case, the outcome is known to be that of competitive exclusion, where the subpopulation with the largest growth-to-mortality ratio will survive and the remaining subpopulations will go extinct. We show that if the selection-mutation matrix is reducible, then competitive exclusion or coexistence are possible outcomes. We then develop a stochastic population model based on the deterministic one. We show numerically that the mean behavior of the stochastic model in general agrees with the deterministic one. However, unlike the deterministic one, if the differences in the growth-to-mortality ratios are small in the pure selection case, it cannot be determined a priori which subpopulation will have the highest probability of surviving and winning the competition.
Priming of spatial configurations in alcoholic Korsakoff's amnesia.

Abstract To examine priming for novel, nonverbal patterns, a modification of the paradigm used by Gabrieli et al. (1990, Neuropsychologia , 28 , 417–427) was administered to a group of Korsakoff patients, a group of alcoholic controls, and a group of normal controls. Subjects were asked to connect five-dot configurations into the first pattern that came to mind. Priming was than assessed by having the subjects copy experimenter-provided interpretations for each configuration and examining the effect of this manipulation on the subjects' subsequent interpretation of the same configurations. For the Korsakoff patients, the copied prime replaced their initial perceptual interpretation less frequently than it did for normal controls. Instead, the prime had its effect by combining with the baseline percept. These findings suggest that priming for novel, nonverbal material is weaker and less direct for Korsakoff patients than it is for controls.
Phosphorylation of skeletal muscle contractile proteins in vivo.

Summary The phosphorylation of troponin·tropomyosin and the 18,000 dalton light chain of myosin was investigated in white gracilis muscles of rabbits in vivo . Troponin·tropomyosin contained 1 mol phosphate per mol protein in resting muscle. The phosphate content was not altered by the intra-arterial injection of 1 nmol isoproterenol which increased cyclic AMP and phosphorylase a formation. Also tetanic electrical stimulation produced no change in the phosphate content of troponin·tropomyosin. The light chain of myosin contained 0.50 mol phosphate per mol protein in control muscles which increased to 0.90 with tetanic electrical stimulation. These results demonstrate that phosphorylation of myosin, but not troponin can be stimulated in skeletal muscle in vivo in response to contractile activity.
NMDA receptor channel antagonism by dizocilpine (MK-801) impairs performance of rats in aversively motivated complex maze tasks

Abstract To determine the involvement of the N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor in shock-motivated complex maze performance, the drug dizocilpine (DIZO; a.k.a. MK-801) was administered a) to naive, 3-month-old male F-344 rats prior to acquisition (AQ) in the 14-unit T-maze (Experiment 1), and b) to well-trained 11-month-old male F-344 rats prior to testing in a delayed-matching-to-sample (DMTS) task in the detour maze (Experiment 2). For Experiment 1, rats first were pretrained in a straight runway on one-way active avoidance (13/15 correct avoidances) for a maximum of 30 trials. On the following day, either DIZO 0.025 (n=8), 0.05 (n=8), 0.1 (n=8), mg/kg, or saline (SAL; n=15) was administered subcutaneously (SC) 20 min prior to 15 AQ trials in the shock-motivated 14-unit T-maze. The highest dose disrupted all measures of maze performance including errors, alternation errors, runtime, shock duration and frequency, but also produced marked motor ataxia. The 0.05-mg/kg group displayed significant impairment in AQ of this task but only on the cognitive measures, errors and alternation errors, and the 0.025-mg/kg group was impaired on the alternation measure only. One week later, the 15 SAL rats were divided into 2 groups and tested on retention with either SAL or 0.05 mg/kg DIZO. No effects on maze performance were observed. For Experiment 2, after receiving extensive pretraining in the shock-motivated detour maze, 7 rats were exposed to a novel sequence of 4 problems (P) during each of 7 daily sessions. Performance was evaluated 20 min after SC injection of either DIZO—0.025, 0.05, 0.125 mg/kg, or SAL. The 0.125-mg/kg dose caused extreme motor ataxia which precluded testing during that session. The 0.05-mg/kg but not the 0.025-mg/kg dose significantly disrupted performance on both error and trials to criterion measures. Both problem and interaction effects were significant. Disruption was most evident on two specific problems, those involving a side change from the first to second detour. Also, rats had more difficulty switching sides from problem to problem (few errors on P-1 and most on P-4), suggesting proactive interference effects. In sum, DIZO was observed to significantly disrupt performance in both mazes in a dose-related manner similar to effects observed in previous studies following administration of the anticholinergic drug scopolamine. For the 14-unit T-maze, the present results simulate age-related deficits previously found in acquisition of that task.
The relevance of research on statistical process control to the total quality movement

Abstract We review the history of statistical process control research from its origins at Bell Laboratories with Shewhart in 1924 up to the present and integrate it with the history of the larger total quality management movement that emerged from these same statistical process control origins. The original research was very philosophical and very practical and is still implemented today. Our view is that the majority of the enormous research literature after Duncan's 1956 seminal paper on optimal design of control charts has had little practical relevance. The research formulations became more mechanical, less philosophical and less practical. We explore the reasons for this and make suggestions for new research directions. We also propose changes in the supporting industry-university relationships to facilitate a program of more relevant research in statistical process control.
Measurement sampling and scaling for deep montane snow depth data

The resolution of snow depth measurements was scaled from a nominal horizontal resolution of approximately 1·5 m to 3, 5, 10, 20, and 30 m using averaging (AVG) and resampling with a uniform random stratified sampling (RSS) scheme. The raw snow depth values were computed from airborne light detection and ranging data by differencing summer elevation measurements from winter snow surface elevations. Three montane study sites from the NASA Cold Lands Processes Experiment, each covering an 1100 m × 1100 m area, were used. To examine scaling, log–log semi-variograms with 50 log-width bins were created for both of the different subsetting methods, i.e. RSS and AVG. From the raw data, a scale break, going from a structured to a nearly spatially random system, was observed in each of the log–log variograms. For each site, the scale break was still detectable at slightly greater than the resampling resolution for the RSS scheme, but at approximately twice the subsetting resolution for the AVG scheme. The resolution required to identify the scale break was still from 5 to 10 m, depending upon the location and sampling method. Copyright © 2006 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Two-photon optical hysteresis at 1.06 μm in a nonlinear Fabry-Perot etalon containing rhodamine 6G: Methanol solutions

Abstract We report the observation of optical hysteresis in the transmission of pulses at 1.06 μm from a Q-switched Nd : YAG laser through a Fabry-Perot etalon containing rhodamine 6G: methanol solutions. These results, coupled with the transmission results of pure-methanol-filled etalons are the first to show two-photon optical hysteresis in liquid-filled etalons.
Evidenced‐Based Use of Botanicals, Minerals, and Vitamins in the Prophylactic Treatment of Migraines

Purpose To analyze evidence-based information about alternative prophylactic pharmacological migraine treatments utilizing feverfew, butter-bur, magnesium, and riboflavin and to discuss the mechanism of action, dosage recommen-dations, side effects, and contraindications for each treatment. Data Sources Data obtained via electronic databases and professional medical references. Conclusions Current clinical data support the use of feverfew, butterbur, magnesium, and riboflavin in migraine prophylaxis; however, studies are limited but promising regarding the participants’ perceived relief. Studies with rigorous methodologies and larger sample sizes are needed to further support the safe and effective use of these treatments. Implications for Practice With increased patient access to information regarding alternative migraine treatments, nurse practitioners (NPs) and other health care providers must be knowledgeable about evidence-based data regarding these alternative treatments to appropriately offer safe patient care.
Corrigendum to “Timing and duration of North American glacial lake discharges and the Younger Dryas climate reversal” [Quaternary Research 75 (2011) 541–551]

In the above referenced article, the authors regrettably omitted imporical identification. A collagen sample was sent to the National Ocean tant information regarding the Phocid seal bones that were found at the Plattsburgh marina section. The bones were discovered by SUNY Plattsburgh geology students in the Fall of 2009. The specimen was excavated by Drs. David Franzi and Robert Feranec (New York State Museum) and subsequently donated to the New York State Museum. Dr. Feranec prepared the specimen for the radiocarbondating andmade thepaleontolog-
Effect of myopic laser in situ keratomileusis on epithelial and stromal thickness: a confocal microscopy study.

Abstract Purpose To determine changes in central epithelial and stromal thickness in human corneas in vivo after laser in situ keratomileusis (LASIK). Design Prospective, nonrandomized, comparative trial. Participants Eighteen eyes of 12 patients received LASIK (performed using the VISX Star laser [VISX, Santa Ana, CA]) with a planned 180-μm flap (created using an automated Hansatome microkeratome [Bausch & Lomb, Irvine, CA]) to correct refractive errors between −2.0 diopters (D) and −11.0 D. Methods Corneas were examined by using confocal microscopy in vivo before LASIK and at 1 week and 1, 3, 6, and 12 months after LASIK. Epithelial thickness was the distance between images of the surface epithelium and subbasal nerve plexus or, when nerves were not visible, the subbasal peak (if present in the light intensity profile). Total flap thickness was the distance between images of the surface epithelium and interface debris (or peak), and total stromal thickness was the distance between images of the most anterior keratocytes and endothelium. Main outcome measures Corneal epithelial and stromal thickness. Results Epithelial thickness before LASIK was 46 ± 5 μm (mean ± standard deviation) and increased 22% by 1 month after LASIK (56 ± 5 μm; P = 0.01). Thereafter, epithelial thickness did not change, but remained thicker at 12 months after LASIK (54 ± 8 μm) than before LASIK ( P = 0.02). Total flap thickness at 1 month after LASIK was 160 ±28 μm and did not change thereafter. Changes in total stromal thickness between 1 and 12 months after LASIK were not significant. Conclusions The central corneal epithelium was thicker in the first year after LASIK than before LASIK. There was no change in central stromal thickness between 1 month and 12 months after LASIK.
Photoreceptor Cells in Flies and Mammals: Crumby Homology?

Recently, two papers have revealed a new function for the fruit fly epithelial apical membrane protein Crumbs and its mammalian homolog CRB1 in photoreceptor cell morphogenesis. This supports the previous observation that disruption of CRB1 function can cause retinal degeneration in humans.
Communication skills competencies: definitions and a teaching toolbox

BACKGROUND Doctors' interpersonal and communication skills correlate with improved health care outcomes. International medical organisations require competency in communication skills. The Accreditation Council for Graduate Medical Education (ACGME) developed a toolbox for assessing this competency and 5 others, yet none initially for teaching these skills. PURPOSE AND METHODS The original focus in the development of the ACGME competencies was evaluation. This paper represents a significant step toward defining methods for teaching communication skills competencies. A total of 16 medical education leaders from medical schools worldwide, participating in the 2003 Harvard Macy Institute Program for Physician Educators, worked together to: (1) further define the ACGME competency in interpersonal and communication skills; (2) delineate teaching strategies for each level of medical education; and (3) create a teaching toolbox to integrate communication skills competencies into medical curricula. Four subgroups defined subcompetencies, identified teaching strategies for undergraduate, graduate and postgraduate medical training and brought their work to the larger group. The expanded communication competencies and teaching strategies were determined by a consensus of the larger group, presented to 80 Harvard Macy Scholars and Faculty for further discussion, then finalised by consensus. CONCLUSION The teaching toolbox expands the ACGME core communication competencies, adds 20 subcompetencies and connects these competencies to teaching strategies at each level of medical training. It represents the collaboration and consensus of a diverse international group of medical education leaders in a variety of medical specialities and institutions, all involved in teaching communication skills. The toolbox is applicable globally across different settings and specialities, and is sensitive to different definitions of health care.
Optimal Provisioning of Elastic Service Availability

Service availability is one of the most closely scrutinized metrics in offering network services. The network vendor can earn more revenue from the customers by guaranteeing higher service availability at the cost of higher operational expense. It is important to cost-effectively provision a managed and differentiated network with various service availability guarantees under a unified platform. In this paper, we establish the framework of provisioning elastic service availability through network utility maximization, and propose an optimal and distributed solution using differentiated failure recovery schemes. First, we develop a utility function with configurable parameters to represent the satisfaction perceived by a user upon service availability as well as its allowed source rate. Second, adopting quality of protection [1] and shared path protection, we transform optimal provisioning of elastic service availability into a convex optimization problem. The desirable service availability and source rate for each user can be achieved using a price-based distributed algorithm. Finally, we numerically show the tradeoff between the throughput and the service availability obtained by users in various network topologies. Several quantitative observations are made from this investigation. For example, indiscriminately provisioning service availabilities for different kinds of users within one network leads to noteworthy sub-optimality in total network utility. The profile of bandwidth usage also illustrates that provisioning high service availability exclusively for critical applications leads to significant waste in bandwidth resource.
Protocols for production of selenomethionine-labeled proteins in 2-L polyethylene terephthalate bottles using auto-induction medium.

Abstract Protocols have been developed and applied in the high-throughput production of selenomethionine labeled fusion proteins using the conditional Met auxotroph Escherichia coli B834. The large-scale growth and expression uses a chemically defined auto-induction medium containing 125 mg L−1 selenomethionine, salts and trace metals, other amino acids including 10 mg L−1 of methionine, vitamins except vitamin B12, and glucose, glycerol, and α-lactose. A schematic for a shaker rack that can hold up to twenty-four 2-L polyethylene terephthalate beverage bottles in a standard laboratory refrigerated floor shaker is provided. The growth cycle from inoculation of the culture bottle through the growth, induction, and expression was timed to take ∼24 h. Culture growth in the auto-induction medium gave an average final optical density at 600 nm of ∼6 and an average wet cell mass yield of ∼14 g from 2 L of culture in greater than 150 expression trials. A simple method for visual scoring of denaturing electrophoresis gels for total protein expression, solubility, and effectiveness of fusion protein proteolysis was developed and applied. For the favorably scored expression trials, the average yield of purified, selenomethionine-labeled target protein obtained after proteolysis of the fusion protein was ∼30 mg. Analysis by mass spectrometry showed greater than 90% incorporation of selenomethionine over a ∼8-fold range of selenomethionine concentrations in the growth medium, with higher growth rates observed at the lower selenomethionine concentrations. These protein preparations have been utilized to solve X-ray crystal structures by multiwavelength anomalous diffraction phasing.
Genetic analysis of the histidine operon control region of Salmonella typhimurium

Mutants of the histidine operon control region (hisO) include two classes: (1) those completely unable to express the operon (His auxotrophs), and (2) prototrophs that are unable to achieve fully induced levels of operon expression (still His+ but sensitive to the drug amino-triazole). Using new, as well as previously existing hisO mutants, we constructed a fine-structure deletion map of hisO. Mutations that presumably alter the his promoter map at one end of hisO; mutations that alter the his attenuator map at the other end of hisO. Between the promoter and the attenuator lie a number of mutations that affect either the translation of the his leader peptide gene, or the formation and stability of his leader messenger RNA structures. All of the point mutations mapping in this central region revert to His+ at a very high frequency (10−5 to 10−6); this frequency is increased by both base substitution and frameshift-inducing mutagens. Many of the His− mutants are suppressed by informational suppressors; all three types of nonsense mutations have been identified, demonstrating that translation of a region of hisO between the promoter and attenuator is essential for his operon expression. All of the hisO mutations tested are cis-dominant.
Percolation in General Graphs

Abstract We consider a random subgraph Gp of a host graph G formed by retaining each edge of G with probability p. We address the question of determining the critical value p (as a function of G) for which a giant component emerges. Suppose G satisfies some (mild) conditions depending on its spectral gap and higher moments of its degree sequence. We define the second-order average degree to be = Σ v d 2 v /(Σ v d v ), where d v denotes the degree of v. We prove that for any ∊ > 0, if p > (1 + ∊)/, then asymptotically almost surely, the percolated subgraph Gp has a giant component. In the other direction, if p > (1 − ∊)/, then almost surely, the percolated subgraph Gp contains no giant component. An extended abstract of this paper appeared in the WAW 2009 proceedings [Chung et al. 09]. The main theorems are strengthened with much weaker assumptions.
Photooxidation of cell membranes using eosin derivatives that locate in lipid or protein to study the role of diffusible intermediates.

— Eosin derivatives that bind primarily to lipid or protein sites in erythrocyte membranes were studied in solution and as sensitizers of erythrocyte membranes. In 50% ethanol-water mixtures eosin maleimide (EYMA) and 5-N-hexadecanoyl amino eosin (E16) had nearly identical absorption spectra. Higher ethanol concentrations did not change peak absorbances. In the presence of neutral detergent both sensitizers had equivalent absorbance at all ethanol concentrations. In water, EYMA was more effective than E16 at bleaching RNO, probably because of E16 aggregation into micelles, while in ethanol-water mixtures E16 was slightly more effective at bleaching DPBF, indicating equivalent singlet oxygen generation when the sensitizers are in monomeric form. In water with neutral detergent, azide in the 20 µM .ange inhibited the majority of RNO bleaching with both sensitizers; in 50% ethanol-water mixtures azide at 1 mM showed a 50% inhibition of DPBF bleaching with both sensitizers. Iodide in the 30 mM range reduced DPBF bleaching by 50% in 50% ethanol-water mixtures. When matched for amount loaded in erythrocyte membranes these sensitizers were about equally effective at sensitizing induction of cation permeability, assayed as rate of delayed photohemolysis, while E16 was slightly more effective at sensitizing loss of cholinesterase (AchE) activity. The relation of lysis rate to load was somewhat steeper for E16 than EYMA. For both sensitizers lysis rate increased at about the 1.5 power of light dose. Deoxygenation of the reaction media with argon totally blocked detectable photomodification. Ghost membranes made from sensitizer-treated cells were effective generators of singlet oxygen, assayed by RNO bleaching. However, when mixtures of EYMA-treated and untreated cells were illuminated together, only the EYMA-treated cells showed evidence of photomodification. Azide at 5 mM slowed the initial rate of AchE loss by about 75% with E16 and EYMA. Azide partially slowed photohemolysis. Azide decreased RNO bleaching by sensitizer-treated ghosts as it did in water with detergent micelles. A deuterium oxide solvent increased photohemolysis rate with E16 by 41%, but did not increase photohemolysis rate with EYMA. Deuterium oxide had a positive, but statistically insignificant effect on loss of AchE with both sensitizers. Deuterium oxide following illumination slowed lysis sensitized by both sensitizers more than 50%. Iodide exerted a modest inhibition of photohemolysis and loss of AchE sensitized by E16, but had virtually no influence on sensitization by EYMA. The results in solution indicate that EYMA and E16 have nearly identical photochemical properties when in monomeric form and are minimally sensitive to environmental polarity. The membrane photomodification experiments suggest that both sensitizers act via intermediates, possibly singlet oxygen, that reach membrane targets through a diffusion path somewhat shielded from agents in the reaction medium, the access being particularly restricted with EYMA.
Event Correlation: Language and Semantics

Event correlation is a service provided by middleware platforms that allows components in a publish/subscribe architecture to subscribe to patterns of events rather than individual events. Event correlation improves the scalability and performance of distributed systems, increases their analyzability, while reducing their complexity by moving functionality to the middleware. To ensure that event correlation is provided as a standard and reliable service, it must possess well-defined and unambiguous semantics.
ILP versus TLP on SMT

By sharing processor resources among threads at a very fine granularity, a simultaneous multithreading processor (SMT) renders thread-level parallelism (TLP) and instruction-level parallelism (ILP) operationally equivalent. Under what circumstances are they performance equivalent? In this paper, we show that operational equivalence does not imply performance equivalence. Rather, for some codes they perform equally well, for others ILP outperforms TLP, and for yet others, the opposite is true. In this paper, we define the performance characteristics that divide codes into one of these three circumstances. We present evidence from three codes to support the factors involved in the model.
Disclosure—and Lack Thereof—in Individual Supervision

Disclosure is a central component of the supervision process for supervisees and may, at times, also be a vital intervention for supervisors. I review the theoretical and empirical literature on disclosure and nondisclosure in individual clinical supervision, from both supervisees’ and supervisors’ perspectives. The review is focused primarily on supervisee nondisclosure, supervisor disclosure, and supervisor nondisclosure, and concludes with implications and recommendations for practice and research.
PG490-88, a derivative of triptolide, attenuates obliterative airway disease in a mouse heterotopic tracheal allograft model

The current treatment of obliterative bronchiolitis in lung transplant recipients is sub-optimal. Triptolide is a novel immunosuppressant that has a mechanism of action distinct from currently available immunosuppressants, including induction of T-cell apoptosis, blockade of fibroblast proliferation/maturation and inhibition of transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) mRNA production. We hypothesized that triptolide may be helpful in blocking obliterative airway disease in lung transplant recipients. We investigated the effect of PG490-88, a water-soluble derivative of triptolide, in a mouse heterotopic tracheal allograft model of obliterative airway disease. We show that PG490-88 attenuates airway obliteration in this model and inhibits accumulation of inflammatory cells, and therefore may have preventive or therapeutic benefits for patients with obliterative airway disease (OAD) following lung transplantation.
Hybrid decision diagrams. Overcoming the limitations of MTBDDs and BMDs

Functions that map boolean vectors into the integers are important for the design and verification of arithmetic circuits. MTBDDs and BMDs have been proposed for representing this class of functions. We discuss the relationship between these methods and describe a generalization called hybrid decision diagrams which is often much more concise. We show how to implement arithmetic operations efficiently for hybrid decision diagrams. In practice, this is one of the main limitations of BMDs since performing arithmetic operations on functions expressed in this notation can be very expensive. In order to extend symbolic model checking algorithms to handle arithmetic properties, it is essential to be able to compute the BDD for the set of variable assignments that satisfy an arithmetic relation. In our paper, we give an efficient algorithm for this purpose. Moreover, we prove that for the class of linear expressions, the time complexity of our algorithm is linear in the number of variables.
Checklist of the Trichoptera (Insecta) of Brazil I

We present here a list of Trichoptera species recorded in the literature from Brazil as of September 2003. The total number of species recorded for Brazil is 378. The most diverse family is Hydropsychidae with 103 species; the second most diverse is Hydroptilidae with 50 species, followed by Leptoceridae and Philopotamidae with 41 each. Distributions by state and additional literature relevant to Brazilian Trichoptera are also presented.
Childbirth at Home or in the Hospital: a Prospective Study of Decision-Making

This study investigated the decision-making process for birth location. Ten women planning hospital birth were matched with 10 women planning home births with respect to several demographic characteristics. Subjects were interviewed in the third trimester of pregnancy about their choice of birth setting, perception of risk for home and hospital delivery, and attitudes about control during childbirth. Women planning home births emphasized the issue of control and the risks in the hospital in their decision for home birth. Women planning hospital deliveries focused on the issue of safety. Some changes in the care of women during birth were implicated from these results.
Limitations of ultrasound in diagnosing intrauterine growth restriction in severe preeclampsia.

Objective. The objective of this study was to determine test characteristics of ultrasound in detecting intrauterine growth restriction (IUGR) in severe preeclampsia (S-PEC).Study design. We performed a prospective study (2005–2007) to evaluate risk factors for PEC. Women with severe PEC and an ultrasound ≤3 weeks of delivery were enrolled. Chi square analysis determined associations between diagnosis of IUGR and small for gestational age (SGA) birth weight. Multivariable logistic regression was used to control for confounders. Fetal growth rate and test characteristics of ultrasound were calculated.Results. Ninety-three patients were enrolled. There was a significant association between IUGR and SGA, but no association between maternal demographic factors and IUGR. Test characteristics of ultrasound to diagnose IUGR in severe PEC were: sensitivity 56.7%, specificity 93.7%, PPV 81.0%, NPV 81.9%. The positive likelihood ratio (+LR) for ultrasound to detect IUGR in severe PEC was 8.9.Conclusion. Current ult...
Ontogenesis of taurocholate transport by rat ileal brush border membrane vesicles.

Abstract Developmental aspects of taurocholate transport into ileal brush border membrane vesicles were studied in 2-wk-old (suckling), 3-wk-old (weanling), and 6-wk-old (adolescent) rats. Taurocholate uptake (picomoles per milligram protein) into brush border membrane vesicles prepared from 2-wk-old rats was similar under Na+ and K+ gradient conditions (outside greater than inside). By contrast, uptake in 3- and 6-wk-old rats was significantly enhanced at 20 s, and at 1, 2, and 5 min of incubation in the presence of a Na+ gradient when compared with a K+ gradient incubation (P less than 0.05). Under isotope exchange conditions, a plot of active uptake velocity versus taurocholate concentration (0.10-1.0 mM) in 2-wk-old rat membrane vesicles was linear and approached the horizontal axis, suggesting the absence of active transport. However, similar plots in 3- and 6-wk-old rats described a rectangular hyperbola, indicating a Na+-dependent, saturable cotransport system. Woolf-Augustinsson-Hofstee plots of the uptake velocity versus concentration data from 3- and 6-wk-old rat brush border membrane vesicles yielded Vmax values that were not significantly different, 844 and 884 pmol uptake/mg protein per 120 s, respectively. The respective Km values were 0.59 and 0.66 mM taurocholate. The induction of an electrochemical diffusion potential by incubating K+-loaded vesicles with valinomycin did not significantly enhance taurocholate uptake in 2-, 3-, or 6-wk-old rat vesicle preparations. These data indicate that taurocholate transport into rat ileal brush border membrane vesicles is mediated by an electroneutral, sodium-coupled, cotransport system that is incompletely developed in the 2-wk-old suckling rat but fully developed by the time of weaning at 3 wk of age.
Subjects, citizens, or civic learners? Judicial conceptions of childhood and the speech rights of American public school students

This article, based on a qualitative analysis of 81 legal opinions, considers the relationship between judicial conceptions of childhood and the speech rights of American public school students. The author presents six main principles from the opinions and examines the relationship between them and conceptions of childhood. The article shows that the opinions reflect three primary conceptions of childhood: as a period walled off from adulthood in which children are subjects; as a period of becoming in which children are civic learners; and as a period akin to adulthood in which adults and children, as well as their respective rights, are fundamentally the same. The article concludes that judicial conceptions of childhood have helped produce a body of law that reflects and perpetuates society’s inconsistent and ambivalent beliefs regarding childhood.
The properties of poly(tetrafluoroethylene) (PTFE) in tension

Abstract Samples of DuPont 7A and 7C Teflon (PTFE, poly(tetrafluoroethylene)) were tested in tension at strain-rates between 2×10 −4 and 0.1 s −1 and temperatures between −50 and 150 °C. Additionally, using a Hopkinson bar, a temperature series was undertaken in tension between −50 and 23 °C at a strain rate of 800 s −1 . To investigate the small-strain response, strain gauges were used to measure axial and transverse strain allowing the Poisson ratio to be calculated. The effect of crystallinity was investigated using 7C material thermally processed to produce more amorphous material. As expected, the tensile mechanical properties of PTFE are significantly affected by strain-rate and temperature, but only to a limited extent by crystallinity. The Poisson ratio at small strains was found to differ in tension (≈0.36) and compression (≈0.46). Failure behavior and microstructure were correlated to temperature induced phase transitions.
Oak Regeneration Potential Increased by Shelterwood Treatments

In much of the Central Hardwood Forest Region, oak species are not regenerating well, even though large oak trees are common within the existing forests. The shelterwood method has been suggested as a potential tool for establishing and developing advanced regeneration where it is lacking. The 10-yr results from a study of several variants of the shelterwood method show that on good sites in the Missouri Ozarks Region, a heavy understory treatment is most important, while on average sites, reducing the overstory density level is most important. The right combinations of overstory and understory treatments will likely be different for different stands and locations, but the shelterwood method does appear to be a useful silvicultural tool for perpetuating central hardwood oak forests. North. J. Appl. For. 10(4): 149-153.
Genetics and cell biology of lysophosphatidic acid receptor‐mediated signaling during cortical neurogenesis

Lysophosphatidicacid(LPA)isasmalllysophospholipidthatsignalsthroughG-proteincoupledreceptors (GPCRs) to mediate diverse cellular responses. Two LPA receptors, LPA1 and LPA2, show gene expression profiles in mouse embryonic cerebral cortex, suggesting roles for LPA signaling in cerebral cortical development. Here, we review loss-of-function and gain-of-function models that have been used to examine LPA signaling. Genetic deletion of lpa1 or both lpa1 and lpa2 in mice results in 50-65% neonatal lethality, but not obvious cortical phenotypes in survivors, suggesting that compensatory signaling systems exist for regulating cortical development. A gain-of-function model, approached by increasing receptor activation through exogenous delivery of LPA, shows that LPA signaling regulates cerebral cortical growth and anatomy by affecting proliferation, differentiation and cell survival during embryonic
Computer simulation of the carbon diffusivity in austenite

Abstract Tracer carbon diffusion in austenite is formulated in terms of a f.c.c. lattice gas model in which carbon interstitials repel at the distance of nearest neighbors. A Monte Carlo method is used to calculate the tracer carbon diffusivity as a function of composition and interaction energy. The computed diffusivities are discussed in relation to the experimentally determined diffusivities and the results of a model investigated by Parris and McLellan.
Increases in DNA fragmentation and induction of a senescence-specific nuclease are delayed during corolla senescence in ethylene-insensitive (etr1-1) transgenic petunias.

The programmed senescence of flower petals has been shown to involve the fragmentation of nuclear DNA. Nuclear DNA fragmentation, as determined by the TUNEL assay, was detected in Petunia3hybrida corollas during both pollination-induced and age-related senescence. DNA fragmentation was detected late in the lifespan of the flower when corollas were wilting and producing ethylene. The induction of a 43 kDa nuclease (PhNUC1) correlated with increased DNA fragmentation. PhNUC1 is a glycoprotein with activity against DNA and RNA and a pH optimum of 7.5. EDTA was found to inhibit PhNUC1 activity, but the addition of Co 21 restored activity in the presence of the chelating agent. When total protein extracts from senescing petals were fractionated by differential centrifugation, PhNUC1 activity was detected in the nuclear but not the cytoplasmic fraction. Activity of PhNUC1 was induced in non-senescing corollas by treatment with ethylene. Delayed increases in PhNUC1 activity observed in ethylene-insensitive flowers (35S:etr1-1) suggest that ethylene modulates the timing of PhNUC1 induction, but that it is not an absolute requirement for its activation.
Micronutrient bioavailability: Dietary Reference Intakes and a future perspective

This article provides a review of how the challenge of bioavailability was approached in establishing the Dietary Reference Intakes, with a special focus on folic acid, vitamin B-12, β-carotene, iron, selenium, and zinc, the targeted micronutrients for this workshop. In a future perspective, the necessity of having a clear working definition of bioavailability is emphasized. The bioavailability of micronutrients should be considered, with advantage, under subheadings determined by the broad factors that affect bioavailability. Special emphasis is given to giving greater and specific attention to factors involved in the maintenance of homeostasis. These factors, it is argued, are best considered separately from even a broad definition of bioavailability and have the potential to provide new insights into some micronutrient requirements.
Gender Role Ideology, Homophobia and Hate Crime: Linking Attitudes to Macro-Level Anti-Gay and Lesbian Hate Crimes

ABSTRACT The relationship between traditional gender role ideology and homophobia has frequently been suggested in social science literature. Few studies, however, have empirically examined the relationship between these cultural conceptions, and far fewer studies have linked gender roles and homophobia to actual behaviors. This study fills a gap in the existing literature by incorporating attitudinal measures of gender role ideology and homophobia from the General Social Survey with macro level indicators of gender stratification when examining acts of gay and lesbian hate crime victimization. Specifically we estimate whether macro level indicators of attitudes toward gays and lesbians and gender views have direct and indirect effects on incidents of hate crime. We find that homophobia and gender stratification directly influence the incidents of hate crime victimization. Although we also find an empirical relationship between gender role ideology and homophobia, homophobia does not mediate the relations...