cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Envenomation by the brown recluse spider (Aranae, Scytodidae) and related species. A public health problem in the United States.

(1971). Envenomation by the Brown Recluse Spider (Aranae, Scytodidae) and Related Species. A Public Health Problem in the United States. Clinical Toxicology: Vol. 4, No. 4, pp. 515-524.
Carts, horses, and evidence.

are cardiopulmonary resuscitation for cardiac arrest or dialysis for end-stage renal disease. For the vast majority of disease processes, the outcome is not so well-defined, so the efficacy of any intervention is best determined by undertaking a randomized controlled trial (RCT) comparing its use to its nonuse. It is generally accepted that we use evidence as the basis of clinical decision making. The RCT is considered to be the standard of evidence regarding therapeutic interventions. More recently, a carefully done systematic review of RCTs has become accepted as an even higher standard. Systematic reviews should be differentiated from the typical narrative review. In the latter, an expert is asked to write an article discussing and summarizing the important literature about a given topic. The expert is left to his or her own devices and such efforts often become reflections of that individual’s bias. The systematic review is more analogous to a research project. The first step is the creation of the question to which the answer will be sought in the medical literature. A formal protocol is then developed, detailing what type of literature will be sought (typically RCTs for therapeutic questions), how the pertinent articles will be found (search strategy), what the inclusion and exclusion criteria are for any study that is identified, the particular outcomes to be sought from each study, and a decision to combine or not to combine the data from the studies. Data combination (such as meta-analysis) offers advantages (increasing the numbers to reduce the chance of a type II error and more precisely defining any effect that is identified) and disadvantages (combining trials that are inherently different). The search is then undertaken, the identified studies are abstracted for the outcomes of interest, and (with or without combination) conclusions drawn based on the data that are found. It is the evidence that has created the cart and horse problem for artificial nutrition. RCTs comparing PN or EN to no nutrition support have been conducted since the 1970s. By the 1980s, it was clear that the vast majority of those studies were not able to prove that either form of artificial nutrition favorably altered clinical outcome. Sentence first, verdict afterward.
Quantitative comparison of the efficacy of various compounds in lowering intracellular cholesterol levels in Niemann-Pick type C fibroblasts.

Niemann-Pick Type C disease (NPC) is a lethal, autosomal recessive disorder caused by mutations in the NPC1 and NPC2 cholesterol transport proteins. NPC’s hallmark symptoms include an accumulation of unesterified cholesterol and other lipids in the late endosomal and lysosomal cellular compartments, causing progressive neurodegeneration and death. Although the age of onset may vary in those affected, NPC most often manifests in juveniles, and is usually fatal before adolescence. In this study, we investigated the effects of various drugs, many of which modify the epigenetic control of NPC1/NPC2 gene expression, in lowering the otherwise harmful elevated intracellular cholesterol levels in NPC cells. Our studies utilized a previously described image analysis technique, which allowed us to make quantitative comparisons of the efficacy of these drugs in lowering cholesterol levels in a common NPC1 mutant model. Of the drugs analyzed, several that have been previously studied (vorinostat, panobinostat, and β-cyclodextrin) significantly lowered the relative amount of unesterified cellular cholesterol, consistent with earlier observations. In addition, a novel potential treatment, rapamycin, likewise alleviated the NPC phenotype. We also studied combinations of effective compounds with β-cyclodextrin; the addition of β-cyclodextrin significantly enhanced the cholesterol-lowering activity of vorinostat and panobinostat, but had mixed effects with rapamycin. Collectively, these results may provide a basis for the eventual development of improved NPC therapies.
Effects of mercury vapor inhalation on reactive oxygen species and antioxidant enzymes in rat brain and kidney are minimal

Metals are known to induce the formation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) that initiate oxidative stress, an important mechanism of cell injury. The brain is particularly sensitive to oxidative attack because of its high level of unsaturated lipids and high rate of oxidative metabolism. The objective of this study was to determine if elemental mercury (Hg(0)) vapor inhalation increases ROS production and affects activities or levels of antioxidant-related biomolecules in the rat brain and kidney. Adult female Sprague-Dawley rats were exposed for 2 h per day for 11 consecutive days to Hg(0) vapor (1, 2, and 4 mg Hg(0) m(-3)). Brain regions (frontal cortex, cerebellum, brain stem) and kidney were assayed for total Hg, ROS and glutathione (GSH) levels, and for enzyme activities of glutathione peroxidase (GPx) and superoxide dismutase (SOD). Marked exposure-related increases (2500-5600-fold) in total Hg were detected in the brain regions and in kidney. A statistically significant increase in ROS production (ca. 30% above controls) was observed only in the cortex of rats exposed to 1 mg m(-3) Hg vapor, but no significant changes were apparent at other exposures. Although a trend towards increasing ROS production was observed in the kidney, these effects were not statistically significant. Mercury vapor exposure had no significant effects on GSH levels or GPx activity in the three brain regions, however, statistically significant decreases in GSH and GPx activity were detected in the kidneys of rats exposed to 2 mg m(-3). Mercury exposure did not cause significant effects on SOD activity in the brain or kidney. The data indicate that oxidative stress and changes in GSH and activities of antioxidant enzymes do not play a major role in Hg(0) vapor toxicity in brain and kidney.
Calculation of incompressible rough-wall boundary-layer flows

The algebraic eddy viscosity model of Cebeci and Smith has been modified to account for wall roughness by incorporating a suggestion of Rotta. The boundary-layer equations are solved, with this model, by the accurate and efficient Keller Box scheme for a wide variety of experimental configurations. These include adverse, zero, and favorable pressure gradients, and roughness elements that approach the upper limits of Rotta's model. Comparison of calculated and measured values of skin friction and integral thickness confirms the applicability of the procedure for all cases presented.
Molecular and structural information from variable-angle spinning NMR dipolar spectra of 13C-14N systems

Abstract A sample-spinning solid-state NMR study of a spin - 1 2 nucleus coupled to a quadrupolar nucleus is presented. Using a simple approach, the quadrupolar effect is expanded in terms of irreducible spherical tensor components up to l = 4. Information on the electric field gradient tensor orientation, dipolar coupling, and chemical-shielding tensor for the 13C-14N system can be obtained experimentally from the magic-angle and the off-magic-angle sample-spinning spectra. Satisfactory results are obtained by comparing the simulations with the experimental spectra of tetramethylpyrazine, dimethylglyoxime, and triethylenediamine.
The Status of Ultrasound and Color Doppler Imaging for the Early Detection of Ovarian Carcinoma

Noninvasive imaging techniques such as ultrasound and color doppler imaging have been evaluated during the last decdefor their ability to detect organ-confined curable ovarian cancer. While sensitivities approaching 100% can be achieved by these techniques, their specificities and the frequent invasive procedures required to confirm the abnormal sonographic findings have led to caution regarding the widespread use of ultrasound screening for ovarian cancer. These data are reviewed, as well as the NIH Consensus Panel on ovarian cancer's recommendation that routine screening for ovarian carcinoma should not be carried out at this time. Hereditary ovarian cancer syndromes account for approximately 5-10% of the cases. Many of the genes responsible for these syndromes have recently been elucidated. Due to the significant increase in the risk of ovarian cancer in these families, many screening studies have focused on this patient population. Findings from these trials, as well as studies on the psychological im...
Fiber Fourier optics

The Fourier transform of a coherent optical image can be evaluated physically by use of a single lens plus free-space propagation, thereby providing the basis for the field of Fourier optics. I point out that one can similarly evaluate the discrete Fourier transform of a sampled or pixelated optical array physically by passing the discrete array amplitudes through a network of single-mode fibers or optical waveguides. A passive optical network that evaluates the fast Fourier transform of a coherent array can be fabricated by use of N/2log2N optical 3-dB couplers plus small added phase shifts. Implementing such networks in fiber or integrated optical form could provide the basis for a possible technology of fiber Fourier optics.
A Collective Accelerator for Electron Colliders

A recent concept for collective acceleration and focusing of a high energy electron bunch is discussed,1 in the context of its possible applicability to large linear colliders in the TEV range. The scheme can be considered to be a member of the general class of two-beam accelerators, where a high current, low voltage beam produces the acceleration fields for a trailing high energy bunch.
Brain stem control of masseteric reflex activity during sleep and wakefulness: mesencephalon and pons.

Abstract Previous studies from our laboratories showed that stimulation of the pontomesencephalic reticular formation resulted in two distinct changes in masseteric reflex excitability which were dependent on the behavioral state of the animal (Chase, M. H., and M. Babb. 1973. Brain Res. 59: 421–426). During wakefulness and quiet sleep, reticular stimulation resulted in an increase in reflex excitability. However, during active sleep, the identical stimulus delivered to the same reticular site led to profound reflex suppression. This phenomenon was termed “response-reversal.” The present study was designed to explore the presence of state-dependent control of motor excitability at rostral mesencephalic and pontine levels of the brain stem in chronic freely moving cats during sleep and wakefulness. Conditioning stimulation of mesodiencephalic sites induced only slight reflex facilitation or was without effect during wakefulness and quiet sleep; however, a dramatic suppression of reflex excitability was evoked with the identical stimulus during active sleep. At the level of the pontomesencephalic junction an effective region for “response-reversal” was found to coincide with the nuclei reticularis mesencephali and pontis oralis. The major effect resulting from stimulation of sites surrounding this region occurred exclusively during active sleep and consisted of reflex suppression. During active sleep, from all sites at both levels of the brain stem, only reflex suppression was obtained in conjunction with conditioning stimulation. These findings are discussed in terms of a model of state-dependent regulation of motor activity which accounts for the emergent capability of widespread regions of the brain stem to suppress reflex excitability solely during active sleep.
Finite Difference Solution for Plate on Elastic Solid

A new adaptation of an existing finite difference solution to the problem of a plate resting on an elastic solid foundation is introduced (program FIDIES). Square elements are employed throughout the slab, and external distributed loads are converted to point forces applied at the center of corresponding grid squares. Responses are calculated at the center of each plate element. Numerous convergence studies establish user guidelines with respect to required grid fineness. The accuracy of FIDIES is confirmed by comparison with closed‐form solutions, when available, an earlier finite difference solution, as well as these convergence studies. The effect of slab size is investigated for each of the three fundamental loading conditions, i.e., interior, edge, and corner. Predictive equations are derived for the latter two cases. These formulas, which were previously unavailable, highlight differences in behavior exhibited by the elastic solid and dense liquid subgrade idealizations.
Remote sensing techniques for population estimation of colonias in the lower Rio Grande Valley of Texas

Abstract Colonias are rural, “squatter‐like” settlements of mostly substandard housing that develop along the U.S. border with Mexico. In Texas there are two major concentrations of colonias; one near El Paso in west Texas and the second along the Lower Rio Grande Valley, from McAllen to Brownsville in South Texas. This study develops remote sensing techniques for estimating the population of colonias in the Lower Rio Grande Valley. The house count method is used in this study as it works best on small settlements and housing clustered on the rural landscape, places for which it is often difficult to gather accurate population data.The technique employs relatively large scale air photographs of individual colonias as a base for counting dwelling units. The number of dwelling units is then multiplied by the average number of residents per dwelling unit to provide an estimated total population for the colonia. The average number of residents per dwelling unit was determined by field interviews. The techniqu...
Effects of solvent composition and temperature on the normal phase liquid chromatographic separation of substituted phenols

Abstract Temperature-dependent measurements of the capacity factors for the liquid chromatographic separations of position isomers of cresol and chlorophenol have been made at various concentrations of 2-propanol in n-heptane using an amino bonded phase column. Extra-thermodynamic relationships, i.e. linear free energy relationship and linear ΔH-pKa relationships are applied to demonstrate that the basic interaction mode does not vary with the solvent composition, consistent with an earlier report by Scott and Kucera. Hydrogen bonding interaction at the molecular level is proposed.
Effects of narcotics on the giant axon of the squid.

—Levorphanol (10-3 M) reversibly blocked conduction in the giant axon of the squid and axons from the walking legs of spider crab and lobster. Similar concentrations of levallorphan and dextrorphan blocked conduction in the squid giant axon. Under the same experimental condition morphine caused an approximately 40 per cent decrease in spike height. Levorphanol did not affect the resting potential or resistance of the squid axon. Spermidine, spermine and dinitrophenol had little or no direct effect on the action potential nor did they alter the potency of levorphanol. Concentrations of levorphanol as low as 5 × 10-5 M blocked repetitive or spontaneous activity in the squid axon induced by decreasing the divalent cations in the medium. After exposure to tritiated levorphanol, the axoplasm and envelope of the squid axon accumulated up to 500 per cent of the concentration of tritium found in the external medium, dependent on time of exposure, and other variables. At pH 6 the levels of penetration were 33-50% of those found at pH 8, which correlates with our observation that levorphanol is about 33 % as potent in blocking the action potential at pH 6. The penetrability of levorphanol was not affected by spermidine, dinitrophenol or cottonmouth moccasin venom. Levorphanol did not alter the penetration of [C14]acetylcholine nor did it render the squid axon sensitive to it. The block of axonal conduction by compounds of the morphine series is discussed both as to possible mechanisms and significance.
The French Revolution and the Politics of Government Finance, 1770–1815

Although largely neglected in most histories of the French Revolution, the central government’s persistent budget deficit was a factor of paramount importance. The fiscal crisis inherited from the monarchy defied solution because of the war of attrition fought by economic interest groups. The struggle produced radical changes in macroeconomic policy to shift the burden of adjustment, altering the course of and prolonging the Revolution.
‘Mulato entre negros’(y blancos): Writing, Race, the Antislavery Question, and Juan Francisco Manzano’s Autobiografía

This article studies the inscription of a mulato racial persona in Juan Francisco Manzano’s slave autobiography. It highlights both the strategic need for the writer to please his immediate and distant benefactors, and the broader assimilationist pressures of colonial Latin America, as determinants in Manzano’s negotiation of race in his memoir. Manzano’s autobiography and his freedom are intimately tied in with the canonization of Cuban antislavery literature, and the iconization of Domingo del Monte, nineteenth-century patrician and man of letters. The paper questions the abolitionist altruism attributed to del Monte by a generally laudatory critical tradition.
Advanced infrared optically black baffle materials

Infrared optically black baffle surfaces are an essential component of many advanced optical systems. All internal surfaces in advanced infrared optical sensors that require stray light management to achieve resolution are of primary concern in baffle design. Current industrial materials need improvements to meet advanced optical sensor systems requirements for optical, survivability, and endurability. Baffles are required to survive and operate in potentially severe environments. Robust diffuse-absorptive black surfaces, which are (1) thermally and mechanically stable to threats of X-ray, launch, and in-flight maneuver conditions, with specific densities to allow an acceptable weight load, (2) handleable during assembly, (3) cleanable, and (4) adaptive to affordable manufacturing, are required as optical baffle materials. An overview of recently developed advanced infrared optical baffle materials, requirements, manufacturing strategies, and the Optics MODIL (Manufacturing Operations Development and Integration Laboratory) Advanced Baffle Program is discussed.
Experimental chemical hepatocarcinogenesis: Early membrane changes of significance for drug resistance

Male Fischer F344 rats (180-220 g) were fed either a basal diet, a diet supplemented with 2-acetylaminofluorene (AAF) 0.02% (w/w) for up to 3 months or dietary tumor promoters. Normal or AAF-altered hepatic microsomes were compared with respect to drug-induced lipid perioxidation. A three-fold decrease was found in the ability of adriamycin to induce lipid perioxidation on AAF-altered and promoter-altered microsomes, compared to normal microsomes. A similar decrease was found when using a direct acting organic peroxidant. The microsomal hepatic lipid was extracted, and AAF-altered lipid was found to be a poorer substrate for adriamycin-mediated lipid peroxidation compared to normal microsomal lipid. Similar results were obtained with purified phosphatidylcholine from AAF-altered compared to normal microsomes. It was concluded that carcinogen treatment causes alterations in the microsomal phospholipids that render them less susceptible to lipid peroxidation, which is probably due to a carcinogen-induced decrease in the level of fatty acid saturation.
Subband coding of images using transform vector quantization

A subband coding scheme (SBC-TVQ) for image coding in which vector quantization (VQ) is implemented in the discrete cosine transform (DCT) domain is presented. SBC-TVQ exploits the correlation in large image blocks by taking advantage of the compaction of the energy along certain directions in the transform domain of the high-frequency subbands. In this method, the spectrum of the input image is decomposed nonuniformly into seven bands using a quadrature mirror filter (QMF) bank. For each of the three high-frequency subbands, the transformed blocks are classified and adaptively partitioned into smaller subvectors with different dimensions. The obtained subvectors are quantized using VQ. The low-frequency subband is coded with higher precision using the classical adaptive DCT coder. Reasonably good reconstructed images are obtained at a rate around 0.4 bit per pixel. >
Image Analysis Protocol for Detecting and Counting Viable and Inviable Pollen Grains

Estimating total pollen number and viability is labor intensive and time consuming. Nevertheless the information is crucial for a range of plant biologists from plant breeders to evolutionary biologists. Viability is determined by dye staining and counting colored (viable) and transparent (inviable) grains under a compound microscope. Existing protocols have been standardized to speed up total pollen counts but their success in determining viability is rather limited because they do not incorporate staining techniques. Some of the published protocols that determine viability do so based on statistical methods but focus on just one parameter such as pollen diameter requiring manual standardization to generate two distinct size distributions for viable and inviable pollen. We demonstrate a digital image processing protocol that can count viable and inviable pollen by distinguishing colored and transparent objects in the image space, saving valuable labor and time. Using pollen grains from two plants, Collinsia heterophylla and Brassica napus, we show that differences between viable and inviable pollen are best described by a complex measure, the grain shape. By measuring several parameters such as area, length, width, circularity and elongation, while retaining all the advantages of traditional staining process, our procedure increases the accuracy of viability estimates. The only drawback of our protocol is that it uses the NIS elements a software specific to Nikon instruments.
Asymmetrical current conduction across a 50 Å thick aluminium gallium nitride polarisation barrier

Rectification by a 50 A (5 nm) thick aluminium gallium nitride (AlGaN) polarisation barrier with maximum voltage swing of 27 V is demonstrated. In order to achieve a large voltage swing, the device is constructed with a 3000 A (300 nm) thick undoped gallium nitride (GaN) space charge layer adjacent to the barrier to enable a large voltage drop before the advent of impact ionisation breakdown. The spontaneous and piezoelectric polarisation discontinuities at the AlGaN/GaN interfaces determine the band profiles and the thermally assisted tunneling flux of electrons through the barrier. The 3.24 MV cm−1 electric field across the 50 A thick barrier at low bias enables efficient tunneling of electrons, despite the large effective electron mass of 0.19. The effective barrier seen by electrons changes from triangular to trapezoidal for one direction of bias and enhances the asymmetry effect. The demonstrated device characteristics show that wide band-gap polarisation barriers can potentially be used as the basic components of high-power microwave limiters.
TSG-6 expression in human articular chondrocytes: Possible implications in joint inflammation and cartilage degradation

Objective The hyaluronan-binding protein TSG-6 (tumor necrosis factor-stimulated gene 6) forms a stable complex with the serine protease inhibitor, inter-alpha-inhibitor, potentiates the inhibition of plasmin activity, and has antiinflammatory effects in vivo. This study examines the expression of TSG-6 in human articular chondrocytes and cartilage. Methods Human articular chondrocytes and cartilage explants were stimulated with cytokines, growth factors, and other agents. TSG-6 expression was analyzed by imaging-assisted Northern and Western blotting. Result TSG-6 messenger RNA (mRNA) expression was upregulated by cytokines and growth factors, predominantly interleukin-1 beta (IL-1 beta), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha), platelet-derived growth factor AA (PDGF-AA), and transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF beta 1). TSG-6 mRNA induction by TGF beta 1 was delayed as compared with IL-1beta. Treatment of the cells with the glucocorticoid dexamethasone neither induced TSG-6 mRNA nor did it affect IL-1 beta-induced transcript levels. TSG-6 mRNA induction may involve several signal transduction pathways. The strong transcriptional stimulation by phorbol myristate acetate suggests protein kinase C (PKC)-mediated signaling. In contrast, PKA- and Ca- dependent signals are only marginally involved as messengers leading to increased TSG-6 levels after IL-1beta and TNF alpha treatment. In chondrocyte and cartilage organ cultures, both free TSG-6 (35 kd) and the complex with inter-alpha-inhibitor (120 kd) were present and upregulated by IL-1 beta, TNF alpha, or TGF beta 1. Conclusion Chondrocytes are a source of TSG-6 which may play a role in cartilage remodeling and joint inflammation.
The Levinthal paradox: yesterday and today

A change in the perception of the protein folding problem has taken place recently. The nature of the change is outlined and the reasons for it are presented. An essential element is the recognition that a bias toward the native state over much of the effective energy surface may govern the folding process. This has replaced the random search paradigm of Levinthal and suggests that there are many ways of reaching the native state in a reasonable time so that a specific pathway does not have to be postulated. The change in perception is due primarily to the application of statistical mechanical models and lattice simulations to protein folding. Examples of lattice model results on protein folding are presented. It is pointed out that the new optimism about the protein folding problem must be complemented by more detailed studies to determine the structural and energetic factors that introduce the biases which make possible the folding of real proteins.
Physiological condition of juvenile wading birds in relation to multiple landscape stressors in the Florida Everglades: effects of hydrology, prey availability, and mercury bioaccumulation.

The physiological condition of juvenile birds can be influenced by multiple ecological stressors, and few studies have concurrently considered the effects of environmental contaminants in combination with ecological attributes that can influence foraging conditions and prey availability. Using three temporally distinct indices of physiological condition, we compared the physiological response of nestling great egrets (Ardea alba) and white ibises (Eudocimus albus) to changing prey availability, hydrology (water depth, recession rate), and mercury exposure in the Florida Everglades. We found that the physiological response of chicks varied between species and among environmental variables. Chick body condition (shortterm index) and fecal corticosterone levels (medium-term) were influenced by wetland water depth, prey availability, region, and age, but not by mercury contamination. However, mercury exposure did influence heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) in egret chicks, indicating a longer-term physiological response to contamination. Our results indicate that the physiological condition of egret and ibis chicks were influenced by several environmental stressors, and the time frame of the effect may depend on the specialized foraging behavior of the adults provisioning the chicks.
Fecundity and oviposition of Eucelatoria bryani, a gregarious parasitoid of Helicoverpa zea and Heliothis virescens

We examined longevity, fecundity, and oviposition strategies of Eucelatoria bryani Sabrosky (Diptera: Tachinidae), a gregarious endoparasitoid of Helicoverpa zea (Boddie) and Heliothis virescens (E) (Lepidoptera: Noctuidae). Longevity of adult female E. bryani was not related to body size. In contrast to longevity, larger E. bryani females had greater potential fecundity than smaller females, as determined by the number of embryonated eggs present in the common oviduct. However, female parasitoid size did not affect primary clutch size (number of eggs deposited in a host). Because embryos in eggs located in the ovisac were larger than those located elsewhere in the common oviduct, maximum primary clutch size may be physiologically limited by the number of fully mature eggs a female has available at one time. E. bryani females adjusted primary clutch size in response to host size, for both H. zea and H. virescens. This adjustment appears to be adaptive because females did not overexploit hosts by depositing more larvae than a host could support. Adult emergence was not related to host size. Although host weight positively influenced E. bryani progeny weight, increases in progeny size with host size were counterbalanced by increases in primary clutch size with host size.
Recent Advances in the Treatment of Malignant Astrocytoma

Malignant gliomas, including the most common subtype, glioblastoma multiforme (GBM), are among the most devastating of neoplasms. Their aggressive infiltration in the CNS typically produces progressive and profound disability—ultimately leading to death in nearly all cases. Improvement in outcome has been elusive despite decades of intensive clinical and laboratory research. Surgery and radiotherapy, the traditional cornerstones of therapy, provide palliative benefit, while the value of chemotherapy has been marginal and controversial. Limited delivery and tumor heterogeneity are two fundamental factors that have critically hindered therapeutic progress. A novel chemoradiotherapy approach, consisting of temozolomide administered concurrently during radiotherapy followed by adjuvant systemic temozolomide, has recently demonstrated a meaningful, albeit modest, improvement in overall survival for newly diagnosed GBM patients. As cell-signaling alterations linked to the development and progression of gliomas are being increasingly elucidated, targeted therapies have rapidly entered preclinical and clinical evaluation. Responses to therapies that function via DNA damage have been associated with specific mediators of resistance that may also be subject to targeted therapies. Other approaches include novel locoregional delivery techniques to overcome barriers of delivery. The simultaneous development of multiple advanced therapies based on specific tumor biology may finally offer glioma patients improved survival. J Clin Oncol 24:1253-1265. © 2006 by American Society of Clinical Oncology
Diversity in the software development process

Various methods have been proposed for building fault-tolerant software in an effort to provide substantial improvements in software reliability for critical applications, such as flight control, air-traffic control, patient monitoring or power plant monitoring. The two best-known methods of building fault-tolerant software are n-version programming and recovery blocks. To tolerate faults, both of these techniques rely on design diversity, i.e. the availability of multiple implementations of a specification. Software engineers assume that the different implementations use different designs and, thereby, it is hoped, contain different faults. Our study uses a novel method of incorporating diversity in the development of one version of the software. We term this approach the pipeline method of software development. Its purpose is to eliminate as many software faults as possible before the testing phase. The method was applied to the specification of a real, automatic airplane-landing problem. The results of the pipeline development method are presented.
Capital market efficiency and the predictability of daily returns

Studies of the weak form of the capital market efficiency theorem infer that there are no predictable properties of the time series of prices of traded securities on organized markets. We examine the weak form of the efficient markets hypothesis with respect to daily closing prices to indicate evidence that daily closing prices have predictable properties. Furthermore, this study of individual securities prices of traded securities on organized markets corroborates previous findings of studies of stock market indexes both in the United States and in other nations’ bourses or stock exchanges. Often, these studies indicated that daily patterns are present in the times series of securities prices. The purpose of this paper is to clarify the existence of time series characteristics of daily stock prices of securities traded on organized exchanges. This study differs from previous studies where the focus was on index numbers of daily stock market prices rather than the actual prices of traded securities in the...
On Learning Rotations

An algorithm is presented for online learning of rotations. The proposed algorithm involves matrix exponentiated gradient updates and is motivated by the von Neumann divergence. The multiplicative updates are exponentiated skew-symmetric matrices which comprise the Lie algebra of the rotation group. The orthonormality and unit determinant of the matrix parameter are preserved using matrix logarithms and exponentials and the algorithm lends itself to intuitive interpretation in terms of the differential geometry of the manifold associated with the rotation group. A complexity reduction result is presented that exploits the eigenstructure of the matrix updates to simplify matrix exponentiation to a quadratic form.
Responses to alternative forms of efficacy descriptions in direct-to-consumer pharmaceutical communications

Pharmaceutical advertisers have considerable latitude in how they communicate their drug’s efficacy. Efficacy descriptions can range from a complete absence of quantitative information (i.e. ‘‘[Drug] helps people fall asleep faster and stay asleep longer’’) to complete quantitative information (i.e. ‘‘Individuals taking [Drug] fell asleep faster than those taking a sugar pill, in 30 minutes versus 45 minutes, and stayed asleep longer, sleeping for 6 ¼ hours versus 5 g hours’’). Two studies, conducted in the United States, explored consumers’ response to four different forms of efficacy descriptions in direct to consumer pharmaceutical communications. All statements mirrored those used in both print and broadcast direct to consumer pharmaceutical communications and were presented in print format. Study One demonstrated that consumers’ perceptions of drug efficacy and appeal are increased in all situations where there is an absence of complete quantitative information. Study Two helped to explain this outcome, where it was found that few consumers are able to accurately predict levels of drug and placebo efficacy and that most consumers overestimated the relative difference between drug and placebo group effects. Implications for the regulation of direct to consumer communications are discussed.
Acylation of Starch using Trifluoroacetic Anhydride Promoter

The use of trifluoroacetic anhydride as a promoter for the acylation of granular starch is reported. Efficient acylation in a homogeneous solution is attained when the carboxylic acid of interest and trifluoroacetic anhydride are added, the latter in at least twice molar excess to the hydroxyl groups of the anhydroglucose residues. The reaction necessitates prior heating of granular starch in acetic acid before the acylation reagent is added. The product is an acylated starch with degrees of substitution (DS) of 2 to 3, as analyzed by gas-liquid chromatography or high-pressure liquid chromatography. Lower molar ratios of trifluoroacetic anhydride to the anhydroglucose residue gave lower degree of substitution. Additionally, starch acetates with different degree of substitution are prepared by addition of limited amounts of the acylation reagent or by partial de-acetylation of starch triacetate with sodium methoxide. Starch esters are prepared from acetic, butanoic, hexanoic, octanoic, palmitic and benzoic acids.
INTRA-ASIAN TRADE AND THE BAKUMATSU CRISIS: RECONSIDERING TOKUGAWA COMMERCIAL POLICIES IN LATE EDO PERIOD JAPAN

By moving away from locating the significance of late Edo period Japanese foreign trade within the context of industrialization, this essay offers an alternative interpretation of the weakness of the Tokugawa regime and contrasting success of the Satsuma domain during the bakumatsu period crisis of the mid-nineteenth century. It argues that the marine product export trade to China provides a useful tool to understand the Tokugawa commercial strategy that focused not on “capital accumulation,” so important in the Western experience, but on supporting the economy of Nagasaki and the port's key role in the system of foreign relations. In turn it shows how Satsuma, not fettered with the same “national” goals, developed a more flexible strategy that used marine product exports to build a broad domestic and foreign trade network. With its commercial enterprises, Satsuma challenged Tokugawa commercial dominance and by implication, political authority, contributing to the larger political divisions that helped to define the bakumatsu crisis.
Electronically tunable monopole antenna

In conclusion, wider operating bandwidths can be realized with 3lambda/8 monopole antenna elements and a switch-able capacitive load circuit. This paper recognizes that a single monopole antenna has a bandwidth limitation and provides an electronic method to address the limitation. Typical applications that can benefit from this proposed configuration are portable radio whip antennas, fixed and mobile radio antennas particularly at the VHF and UHF public safety bands.
Assessing the unmet information, support and care delivery needs of men with prostate cancer

This study identified the key Unmet Needs of men with localized prostate cancer. A series of Nominal Groups were used to identify needs, from which a 135-item survey was developed to assess both the Importance and Unmet Need of each item. An Importance-Weighted Unmet Need score was calculated for each item, incorporating both the Importance and the degree to which the need was unmet. Surveys (n=500) were distributed in four geographically distinct areas, with a response rate of 46%. Respondents were 90% Caucasian, 80% married, with a mean age of 66 years, and mean education of 14 years. Care delivery needs were most important and least unmet, while Support needs were least important and most unmet. However, when degree to which needs were unmet was weighted by Importance, information needs had the highest Importance-Weighted Unmet Need scores. The greatest Unmet Needs for information were in knowledge of recurrence issues and in side effects of the illness and its treatment.
A Resource-Based Framework of Innovation Strategy

In this paper we develop an integrative resource-based framework of innovation strategy.We suggest that firm resources (i.e., innovativeresources, complementary resources, and combinative capabilities are key elements in the innovative process of firms.
Stereochemical Control in the Still-Wittig Rearrangement Synthesis of Cyclohexyl (Z)-Alkene Inhibitors of Pin1.

Three stereoisomeric inhibitors of Pin1: (2R,5S)-, (2S,5R)- and (2S,5S)-Ac–pSer–Ψ[(Z)CH = C]–pipecolyl(Pip)–2-(2-naphthyl)ethylamine 1, that mimic L-pSer–D-Pro, D-pSer–L-Pro, and D-pSer–D-Pro amides respectively, were synthesized by a 13-step route. The newly formed stereogenic centers in the pipecolyl ring were introduced by Luche reduction, followed by stereospecific [2,3]-Still-Wittig rearrangement. The (Z)- to (E)-alkene ratio in the rearrangements were consistently 5.5 to 1. The stereochemistry at the original Ser α-carbon controlled the stereochemistry of the Luche reduction, but it did not affect the stereochemical outcome of the rearrangement, which consistently gave the (Z)-alkene. The epimerized by-product, (2S,5S)-10, resulting from the work-up after Na/NH3 debenzylation of (2S,5R)-9, was carried on to the (2S,5S)-1 isomer. Compound (2S,5S)-10 was resynthesized from the Luche reduction by-product, (2R,3R)-3, and the stereochemistry was confirmed by comparison of the optical rotations. The IC50 values for (2R,5S)-1, (2S,5R)-1 and (2S,5S)-1 Pin1 inhibition were: 52, 85, and 140 μM, respectively.
Techniques for Studying Brain Structure and Function

Recent years have seen rapid improvement in neuroscience techniques for studying brain structure and function in humans and our primate relatives. These techniques offer new routes of inquiry into our evolutionary history. This chapter offers an overview of a collection of these methods, including discussion of each technique's strengths, weaknesses, and relevance to neuroarchaeology.
Developmental Continuity in the Link Between Sensitivity to Numerosity and Physical Size

Converging evidence suggests that representations of number, space, and other dimensions depend on a general representation of magnitude. However, it is unclear whether there exists a privileged relation between certain magnitude dimensions or if all continuous magnitudes are equivalently related. Four-year-old children and adults were tested with three magnitude comparison tasks – nonsymbolic number, line length, and luminance – to determine whether individual differences in sensitivity are stable across dimensions. A Weber fraction (w) was calculated for each participant in each stimulus dimension. For both children and adults, accuracy and w values for number and line length comparison were significantly correlated, whereas neither accuracy nor w was correlated for number and luminance comparison. However, although line length and luminance comparison performance were not correlated in children, there was a significant relation in adults. These results suggest that there is a privileged relation between number and line length that emerges early in development and that relations between other magnitude dimensions may be later constructed over the course of development.
Ally McBeal and Subjective Narration

In discussing popular culture products, it is important to distinguish between story (or “narrative”) and storytelling (or “narration”). In the lawyer genre in film and television, the conventions call for objective narration. This means that relatively little is disclosed about the characters’ inner lives. Stories strive for verisimilitude and the emphasis is on what the characters do and their motivations for doing it, but without delving into their personal lives or emotions. Perry Mason, the prototypical television lawyer, had no personal life and no emotions other than wanting to find the real killer and free his always-innocent clients. Ally McBeal was a true genre buster because it involved subjective rather than objective narration. There was no effort to simulate verisimilitude. The stories foregrounded Ally’s personal feelings and her frustrated love life. The legal cases she worked on were silly and basically extensions of her personal problems. The subjective storytelling was intensified by innovative uses of music and by computer graphics such as the notorious dancing baby, symbolizing Ally’s concern over her biological clock. In addition, Ally McBeal episodes departed from the genre in matters of narration since the stories dealt with a great variety of gender and sexuality issues to the near exclusion of legalistic material.
Dynamically feasible, energy efficient motion planning for skid-steered vehicles

Recent research has developed experimentally verified dynamic models for skid-steered wheeled vehicles and used these results to derive a power model for this important class of all-terrain vehicles. As presented in this paper, based on the torque limitations of the vehicle motors, the dynamic model can be used to develop payload and terrain-dependent minimum turn radius constraints and the power model can be used to predict the energy consumption of a given trajectory. This paper uses these results along with sampling based model predictive optimization to develop an effective methodology for generating dynamically feasible, energy efficient trajectories for skid-steered autonomous ground vehicles (AGVs) and compares the resultant trajectories with those based on the standard distance optimal trajectories. The simulated and experimental results consider an AGV moving at a constant forward velocity on both wood and asphalt surfaces under various payloads. The results show that a small increase in the distance of a trajectory over the distance optimal trajectory can result in a dramatic savings in the AGV's energy consumption. They also show that distance optimal planning can often produce trajectories that violate the motor torque constraints for skid-steered AGVs, which can result in poor navigation performance.
The McDougal-Lasswell Proposal to Build a World Public Order

The January 1959 issue of this Journal carried the famous proposal by Myres S. McDougal and Harold D. Lasswell to build a world public order based on human dignity that would save the world from nuclear Armageddon and protect democratic values. The authors expressed the belief that the democratic countries were responding ineffectively to Marxist-Leninist expansionism because they appealed to international law rules and principles that were asserted or assumed to be universal but, in fact, did not have universal effectiveness. Two dangers existed, therefore: the universal triumph of totalitarianism or nuclear war between blocs led by the United States and the Soviet Union. The proposed world public order would make it possible to escape this horrendous dilemma.
Chromosomal Alteration with Low Temperature Preservation of Tissue Fragments for Cultures.

SummaryTissue fragments frozen and stored at —90°C for 15 months were capable of initiating growth in culture. Chromosomal analysis revealed that such cells had a high incidence of tetraploidy and endoredupld-cation.
Expression of Stat3,Bcl-2 and cyclinD1 in process of malignant change of oral premalignant lesions

Objective:To study the expression of Stat3,Bcl-2 and cyclinD1 in process of malignant change of oral premalignant lesions.Methods: Expression of Stat3 and cyclinD1 were detected in normal oral epithelia,simple hyperplasia epithelia,dysplasia epithelia and oral squamous cell carcinoma(OSCC) by immunohistochemical assay.Results: From normal mucosa,hyperplasia epithelia,dysplasia epithelia to OSCC,the value of IOD increased stepwise.There were statistical significances of Stat3 expression between every two groups in all groups except for between normal mucosa and hyperplasia epithelia groups,as well as expressions of Bcl-2 and cyclinD1.The expression of Stat3 was linear positively correlated to that of Bcl-2 and cyclinD1.No relationship was found between Bcl-2 and cyclinD1.Conclusion: The relationships among Stat3,Bcl-2 and cyclinD1 indicate that more than one genes participate in the process of malignant change of oral premalignant lesions.
Povidone-Iodine Bladder Injury in Rats and Protection with Heparin

AbstractPovidone-iodine (BetadineR) has been proposed for clinical use in controlling bacterial infections by intravesical instillation in concentrations ranging from 0.1 to 1 per cent. The effects, however, of povidone-iodine on the urothelium of the bladder have not been well studied. We performed experiments to see if injury to the urothelium occurred from intravesical instillation in female rats. Injury was indeed found with concentrations of 0.3 per cent and 1 per cent povidone-iodine, as judged by the observations of increased bladder weight due to edema, histological examination, in vivo bladder staining, crystal adhesion and bacterial adhesion upon the bladder mucosa after povidone-iodine injury. Further study showed that the urothelium recovered in 6 to 7 days after povidone-iodine injury, while a 3rd experiment demonstrated at least partial protection from bacterial and crystal adhesion to povidone-iodine injured urothelium by immediate treatment with heparin instillation in the bladder.