cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Suppression of preadipocyte differentiation and promotion of adipocyte death by HIV protease inhibitors.

Many human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients taking combination antiretroviral therapy that includes HIV protease inhibitors experience atrophy of peripheral subcutaneous adipose tissue. We investigated the effects of HIV protease inhibitors on adipogenesis and adipocyte survival using the 3T3-L1 preadipocyte cell line. Several HIV protease inhibitors were found either to inhibit preadipocyte differentiation or to promote adipocyte cell death. One protease inhibitor, nelfinavir, elicited both of these effects strongly. When induced to differentiate in the presence of nelfinavir, 3T3-L1 preadipocytes failed to accumulate cytoplasmic triacylglycerol and failed to express normal levels of the adipogenic transcription factors CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein α and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ. The level of the proteolytically processed, active 68-kDa form of sterol regulatory element-binding protein-1, a transcription factor known to promote lipogenic gene expression, also was reduced markedly in nelfinavir-treated cells, whereas the level of the 125-kDa precursor form of this protein was unaffected. The inhibitory effect of nelfinavir occurred subsequent to critical early events in preadipocyte differentiation, expression of CCAAT/enhancer-binding protein β and completion of the mitotic clonal expansion phase, because these events were unaffected by nelfinavir treatment. In addition, nelfinavir treatment of fully differentiated 3T3-L1 adipocytes resulted in DNA strand cleavage and severe loss of cell viability. In contrast, cell proliferation and viability of preadipocytes were unaffected by nelfinavir treatment. Thus, molecular or cellular changes that occur during acquisition of the adipocyte phenotype promote susceptibility to nelfinavir-induced cell death. When considered together, these results suggest that nelfinavir may promote adipose tissue atrophy by compromising adipocyte viability and preventing replacement of lost adipocytes by inhibiting preadipocyte differentiation.
THE USE AND EFFECTS OF FINANCIAL PENALTIES IN MUNICIPAL COURTS

With prison, jail, and probation caseloads overloaded, financial penalties appeal as alternative sanctions. Using probation data for cases sentenced in municipal courts, this paper presents regression analyses suggesting that judges tended to employ rational discretion in imposing economic sanctions, for monetary assessments without jail were most likely to be given to low-risk offenders and assignment of probation alone and jail terms was most strongly influenced by offense. The amount of the financial sanction was also significantly related to the type of crime. Controlling for individual attributes and offense, the odds of subsequent arrest and incarceration were significantly less for those given a financial penalty than for those receiving a jail sentence.
Tajikistan: authoritarian reaction in a postwar state

Why and how has Tajikistan responded to the threat of democratic revolution? In this article, I argue that state failure and civil war in Tajikistan have imposed limitations on the country's emergent path of authoritarian development. Scarce resources and limited rent-seeking opportunities in postwar Tajikistan weakened the informal bases of presidential power and fragmented the country's state security institutions. As a consequence of its weakened presidential power and fragmented coercive capacity, Tajikistan's leadership has taken a moderated response to the threat of democratic revolution and pursued a slow, graduated strengthening of authoritarian rule. While electoral reforms were reversed, restrictions imposed on the media and on non-governmental organizations were selective and temporary and the use of force has been relatively circumscribed.
Confinement Effects of Silica Nanoparticles with Radii Smaller and Larger than Rg of Adsorbed Poly(ethylene oxide)

The properties of polymers on nanoparticles are different than those of the bulk, so that the interphase region becomes more important as the surface/volume ratio of the nanoparticles increases. Kn...
The Black Box Multigrid Numerical Homogenization Algorithm

In mathematical models of flow through porous media, the coefficients typically exhibit severe variations in two or more significantly different length scales. Consequently, the numerical treatment of these problems relies on ahomogenizationorupscalingprocedure to define an approximate coarse-scale problem that adequately captures the influence of the fine-scale structure. Inherent in such a procedure is a compromise between its computational cost and the accuracy of the resulting coarse-scale solution. Although techniques that balance the conflicting demands of accuracy and efficiency exist for a few specific classes of fine-scale structure (e.g., fine-scale periodic), this is not the case in general. In this paper we propose a new, efficient, numerical approach for thehomogenizationof the permeability in models of single-phase saturated flow. Our approach is motivated by the observation that multiple length scales are captured automatically by robust multilevel iterative solvers, such as Dendy'sblack box multigrid. In particular, the operator-induced variational coarsening in black box multigrid produces coarse-grid operators that capture the essential coarse-scale influence of the medium's fine-scale structure. We derive an explicit local, cell-based, approximate expression for the symmetric, 2×2 homogenized permeability tensor that is defined implicitly by the black box coarse-grid operator. The effectiveness of this black box multigrid numerical homogenization method is demonstrated through numerical examples.
Spatially Averaged Local Strains in Textile Composites Via the Binary Model Formulation

A previously published computational model of textile composites known as the Binary Model is generalized to allow systematic study of the effects of mesh refinement. Calculations using different meshing orders show that predictions of local strains are mesh independent when the strains are averaged over gauge volumes whose dimensions are greater than or equal to approximately half the width dimensions of a single tow. Strains averaged over such gauges are favored for use in failure criteria for predicting various mechanisms of failure in a textile composite, including transverse cracking within tows, kink band failure in compression, tensile tow rupture, and shear failure. For the highest order representations (infinitely dense meshes), the generalized formulation of the Binary Model necessarily approaches conventional finite element meshing strategies for textile composites in its predictions. However, the work reported here implies that usefully accurate predictions of spatially averaged strains can be obtained even at the lowest level of mesh refinement. This preserves great simplicity in the model set-up and rapid computation for relatively large features of structural components. Calculations for some textile structures provide insight into the strength or relative absence of textile effects in local strains for different loading configurations.@DOI: 10.1115/1.1605117#
Distribution of Sorangium cellulosum

The myxobacterium Sorangium cellulosum exists and plays an important role in soil ecology by its ability to degrade cellulosic materials; it was found to be widely distributed in North American soils.
Evaluating Critical Thinking in Class and Online Comparison of the Newman Method and the Facione Rubric

Many schools across the nation are working to include online learning as a fundamental part of the collection of teaching strategies. In 2000, approximately 98% of the public schools in the United ...
Metabolism and methane flux of dominant macrophyte communities in created riverine wetlands using open system flow through chambers

Abstract Estimating net primary productivity of macrophytes is a common practice in wetland research, but much less is done regarding gross primary productivity (GPP) and respiration (R) of wetland macrophyte communities. The purpose of this project was to estimate metabolism (GPP and R) and greenhouse gas emissions (methane) of wetland macrophyte communities using an open system flow-through chamber to determine the gaseous carbon budget. Large (0.5 m2, 1.6 and 2.6 m tall) flow-through chambers were placed over dominant macrophytes communities (2010: Typha spp., Scirpus fluviatilis, Sparganium eurycarpum, and Phragmites australis; 2011: Typha spp., S. fluviatilis, P. australis, and open water) in two wetlands in central Ohio, USA. Gas samples were collected over a 48-h period monthly from April through September. Samples were collected using a vial and syringe method from the chambers every odd hour between sunrise and sunset to estimate photosynthesis, and twice nightly to estimate respiration. Overall metabolism measurements were similar in the two years: 2010, GPP = 13.9 ± 1.2 g CO2-C m−2 day−1; R = 12.1 ± 1.0 g CO2-C m−2 day−1; 2011, GPP = 13.9 ± 1.1 g CO2-C m−2 day−1; R = 12.9 ± 0.6 g CO2-C m−2 day−1. GPP peaked in June 2010 and in July 2011 and overall was approximately 3.7% of solar radiation. GPP differed by both month sampled and plant community (p
Experimental observations on the structure and function of mitochondrial complex III that are unresolved by the protonmotive ubiquinone-cycle hypothesis.

The current model of the protonmotive ubiquinone cycle as applied to mitochondrial ubiquinol-cytochromec reductase complex (Complex III) is able to explain a number of previously puzzling observations concerning electron-transfer and proton translocating functions of the complex. However, a number of pertinent experimental observations concerning the structure and function of this complex cannot as yet be incorporated into the present version of the ubiquinone cycle. The yet unresolved problems of electron transfer uncovered by these observations include some kinetic and thermodynamic problems, uncertainties in the binding site(s) and mode of binding of ubiquinol and inhibitors, the observed multiple spectroscopic, electrochemical, and kinetic forms of cytochromesb, iron-sulfur protein, and cytochromec 1, the multiple and overlapping effects of inhibitors, and the functional role of conformational changes in the complex. It is concluded that although the Q cycle is a valuable base for the design of future experiments, its mechanism must be reconciled with the above uncertainties as well as with the accumulated evidence that Complex III can exist in two or more interchangeable forms, exhibiting different properties with respect to electron-transfer pathways, inhibitor binding, and spectral and electrochemical properties of the electron-carrier subunits.
Optimal Diffusion MRI Acquisition for Fiber Orientation Density Estimation: An Analytic Approach

An important challenge in the design of diffusion MRI experiments is how to optimize statistical efficiency, i.e., the accuracy with which parameters can be estimated from the diffusion data in a given amount of imaging time. In model-based spherical deconvolution analysis, the quantity of interest is the fiber orientation density (FOD). Here, we demonstrate how the spherical harmonics (SH) can be used to form an explicit analytic expression for the efficiency of the minimum variance (maximally efficient) linear unbiased estimator of the FOD. Using this expression, we calculate optimal b-values for maximum FOD estimation efficiency with SH expansion orders of L = 2, 4, 6, and 8 to be approximately b = 1,500, 3,000, 4,600, and 6,200 s/mm(2), respectively. However, the arrangement of diffusion directions and scanner-specific hardware limitations also play a role in determining the realizable efficiency of the FOD estimator that can be achieved in practice. We show how some commonly used methods for selecting diffusion directions are sometimes inefficient, and propose a new method for selecting diffusion directions in MRI based on maximizing the statistical efficiency. We further demonstrate how scanner-specific hardware limitations generally lead to optimal b-values that are slightly lower than the ideal b-values. In summary, the analytic expression for the statistical efficiency of the unbiased FOD estimator provides important insight into the fundamental tradeoff between angular resolution, b-value, and FOD estimation accuracy.
Silicon-Rich Si-Ge Alloys For Infrared Detectors - Material Properties

Electrical and optical measurements were used to characterize silicon-rich Si-Ge alloys up to 11.3% Ge content. Both high-resistivity p-type material, for use as p-i-n detectors for 1.06-μm radiation, and In-doped material, for use as an extrinsic IR detector beyond 8 μm, were studied. The measurement techniques include Hall-effect measurements versus temperature and photoresponse, photoconductivity, and absorption spectra. A major result is that multiple energy levels were found for acceptors. These energy levels arise from the interaction of the acceptor with its nearest-neighbor shell, and each level corresponds to a different number of Ge atoms in this shell. The concentration of acceptors having a given level corresponds to the probability of the nearest-neighbor shell having the corresponding number of Ge atoms; the probability of a Ge atom occupying a lattice site in the nearest-neighbor shell is from 0.5 to 1.0 times the probability of occupying a random lattice site. These results strongly affect the use of this material for extrinsic IR detectors because an extended response to long wavelengths results. We will also discuss the effects of the disorder in these materials on mobility and on spectral response and diffusion length measurements made on p-i-n detectors fabricated from these materials.© (1981) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Effects of Electron-Electron Interactions on Cyclotron Resonances in Gaseous Plasmas

BS>The effect of mutual interactions between electrons on the cyclotron resonance of a gaseous discharge plasma has been studied. From the Boltzmam- FokkerPlanck equation in cylindrical coordinates, a set of simultaneous integro- differential equations is obtained and solved numerically on a digital computer for various values of magnetic field and electron density. The results indicate that the real part of the electrical conductivity of the plasma, and hence its power absorption, are reduced by the electron-electron interactions at the peak of the resonance, and that the width of the resonance is increased. The broadening of the resonance width becomes increasingly pronounced at higher charge concentrations. It is also found that, with the magnetic field equal to zero, the high-frequency conductivity of the plasma is practically unaltered by the electronelectron interactions. Thus the usual expression for the electrical conductivity of a Lorentzian gas cannot be used without discretion for high- density plasmas, where mutual electronic encounters cannot be ignored. (auth)
Phloxine-methylene blue staining of formalin-fixed tissue.

It is at present difficult to obtain a good phloxine-metbylene blue stain on formalin-fixed tissue. When phloxine has been used, it is washed out in the process of staining with methylene blue and differentiating with colophony (rosin). In the original technic of Mallory, Zenker's fixation is used. The tissue is first stained with a 2.5% aqueous solution of phloxine, then with a solution of 1% methylene blue plus 1% azure II and differentiated in colophony.1
ArF resist for contact hole application

In building the cyclic olefin addition polymer as a potential platform for 193nm contact hole application, we have encountered an unusual bottlenecking or lipping profile. We have investigated the causes and possible cures of this lipping profile in contact hole printing. The lipping was found to be tool dependent, mask dependent as well as duty cycle dependent. Several treatments were evaluated in terms of their ability to reduce or eliminate the lipping profile. These included various flood exposures, pre wet during development, the use of additives in the resist formulation and various surfactants added to TMAH developer. Among them, the most effective way to eliminate the lip profile was found to be modification of the developer by the addition of surfactants. A proper surfactant was selected to provide better wetting for the resist which resulted in the elimination of the lip profile. In addition, resist formulation changes were also beneficial in reducing the lipping profile. This study will present the results of designed experiments which investigated several different treatments and the resultant impact on profile quality.
An a Posteriori Investigation of Standard MMPI Validity Scales

This study investigated the standard MMPI validity scales alone and in combination, i.e., F—K, L+K, in discriminating subjects who deny faking good from those who report faking good. The design of the study was unique in that determination of faking was made after the test was administered. The validity scales and the F—K index in particular do not differentiate effectively between subjects who dissimulate and others. These results are interpreted in light of previous research.
AceView: a comprehensive cDNA-supported gene and transcripts annotation

Regions covering one percent of the genome, selected by ENCODE for extensive analysis, were annotated by the HAVANA/Gencode group with high quality transcripts, thus defining a benchmark. The ENCODE Genome Annotation Assessment Project (EGASP) competition aimed at reproducing Gencode and finding new genes. The organizers evaluated the protein predictions in depth. We present a complementary analysis of the mRNAs, including alternative transcript variants. We evaluate 25 gene tracks from the University of California Santa Cruz (UCSC) genome browser. We either distinguish or collapse the alternative splice variants, and compare the genomic coordinates of exons, introns and nucleotides. Whole mRNA models, seen as chains of introns, are sorted to find the best matching pairs, and compared so that each mRNA is used only once. At the mRNA level, AceView is by far the closest to Gencode: the vast majority of transcripts of the two methods, including alternative variants, are identical. At the protein level, however, due to a lack of experimental data, our predictions differ: Gencode annotates proteins in only 41% of the mRNAs whereas AceView does so in virtually all. We describe the driving principles of AceView, and how, by performing hand-supervised automatic annotation, we solve the combinatorial splicing problem and summarize all of GenBank, dbEST and RefSeq into a genome-wide non-redundant but comprehensive cDNA-supported transcriptome. AceView accuracy is now validated by Gencode. Relative to a consensus mRNA catalog constructed from all evidence-based annotations, Gencode and AceView have 81% and 84% sensitivity, and 74% and 73% specificity, respectively. This close agreement validates a richer view of the human transcriptome, with three to five times more transcripts than in UCSC Known Genes (sensitivity 28%), RefSeq (sensitivity 21%) or Ensembl (sensitivity 19%).
Current and Future Family Help with Long-Term Care Needs of the Elderly

An accurate perspective of the variation in current mixes of familial/public sector support for older individuals with health-related needs requires a careful assessment of the huge diversity -in the sociodemographic composition of the older population as well as in the availability and type of family caregiving resources. This analysis of a sample of individuals 60 years of age and older from the National Survey of Families and Households attempts to provide an in-depth assessment of the sociodemographic composition of the older population and variation in primary kin support for this population by determining (a) the proportions of various age/race/gender population segments of the elderly that have one or more potential primary kin caregivers; (b) the number and proportions of these population segments who are in need of family support due to health status; and (c) who within these population segments receives familial assistance and who does not, given a consideration of both the potential family supp...
Chromatin of the Barr body: histone and non-histone proteins associated with or excluded from the inactive X chromosome

The Barr body has long been recognized as the cytological manifestation of the inactive X chromosome (Xi) in interphase nuclei. Despite being known for over 50 years, relatively few components of the Barr body have been identified. In this study, we have screened over 30 histone variants, modified histones and non-histone proteins for their association with or exclusion from the Barr body. We demonstrate that, similar to the histone variant macroH2A, heterochromatin protein-1 (HP1), histone H1 and the high mobility group protein HMG-I/Y are elevated at the territory of the Xi in interphase in human cell lines, but only when the Xi chromatin is heteropycnotic, implicating each as a component of the Barr body. Surprisingly, however, virtually all other candidate proteins involved in establishing heterochromatin and gene silencing are notably absent from the Barr body despite being localized generally elsewhere throughout the nucleus, indicating that the Barr body represents a discrete subnuclear compartment that is not freely accessible to most chromatin proteins. A similar dichotomous pattern of association or exclusion describes the spatial relationship of a number of specific histone methylation patterns in relation to the Barr body. Notably, though, several methylated forms of histone H3 that are deficient in Xi chromatin generally are present at a region near the macrosatellite repeat DXZ4, as are the chromatin proteins CTCF and SAP30, indicating a distinctive chromatin state in this region of the Xi. Taken together, our data imply that the Xi adopts a distinct chromatin configuration in interphase nuclei and are consistent with a mechanism by which HP1, through histone H3 lysine-9 methylation, recognizes and assists in maintaining heterochromatin and gene silencing at the human Xi.
The Use of Orthotopic Models to Validate Antivascular Therapies for Cancer

The growth and survival of malignant tumors are dependent on an adequate vascular supply. A growing body of preclinical evidence suggests that therapeutic targeting of tumor-associated blood vessels may be an effective means to control tumor growth and limit metastatic spread. Unfortunately, the success of vascular targeting approaches for the treatment of human cancer has been less than remarkable. One likely explanation for the discrepancy between the preclinical findings and results observed in patients is related to the tumor models utilized in preclinical studies. Indeed, most reports seeking to validate the use of antivascular agents for the treatment of cancer have drawn conclusions from tumors implanted into the subcutaneous space and thus have neglected to account for the impact of the specific organ microenvironment on the regulation of tumor growth. While it is difficult to replicate several facets of human tumor growth using animal models, microenvironmental concerns may be easily addressed through the use of orthotopically implanted tumors. Differences between orthotopic and ectopic models are considered, and advances in antivascular therapy for cancer are discussed.
Right Ventricular Structure Is Associated With the Risk of Heart Failure and Cardiovascular Death The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA)-Right Ventricle Study

Background—Changes in right ventricular (RV) morphology are associated with morbidity and mortality in heart and lung disease. We examined the association of abnormal RV structure and function with the risk of heart failure or cardiovascular death in a population-based multiethnic sample free of clinical cardiovascular disease at baseline. Methods and Results—The Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA) performed cardiac magnetic resonance imaging on 5098 participants between 2000 and 2002 with follow-up for incident heart failure and cardiovascular death (“death”) until January 2008. RV volumes and mass were available for 4204 participants. The study sample (n=4144) was 61.4±10.1 years old and 47.6% male. The presence of RV hypertrophy (increased RV mass) was associated with more than twice the risk of heart failure or death after adjustment for demographics, body mass index, education, C-reactive protein level, hypertension, and smoking status (hazard ratio, 2.52; 95% confidence interval, 1.55–4.10;...
Channel estimation and interference suppression for space—time coded systems in frequency-selective fading channels

Summary It is of great interest to provide high data rate services in wireless communication systems. In order to support such services, it is desirable to extend space-time (ST) coding, originally proposed for known, frequency-nonselective fading channels, to unknown, multipath channels. In this paper, we consider the problem of interference suppression for wireless TDMA (time division multiple access) systems equipped with multiple transmit antennas and receive antennas in frequency-selective fading channels. A novel scheme with space-time block coding based transmit diversity (STTD) is presented to estimate the multipath channel, coherently demodulate information symbols, and meanwhile suppress radio interference. The proposed scheme is simple to implement and able to mitigate interference of various origins, including intersymbol interference (ISI), cochannel interference (CCI), and others. Numerical examples are presented to illustrate the performance of the proposed estimator and detector in multipath Rayleigh-fading channels. Copyright  2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.
Teaching Listening: Some Thoughts on Behavioral Approaches:

This paper provides an overview of the issues involved in providing listening instruction to those who work or who are preparing to work in organizations. Questions are posed regarding the nature o...
Work-home conflicts have a substantial impact on career decisions that affect the adequacy of the surgical workforce

Objective To evaluate factors associated with work-home conflicts (W-HCs) of US surgeons and their potential personal and professional consequences. Design Cross-sectional study. Participants Members of the American College of Surgeons. Main Outcome Measures Burnout, depression, quality of life, alcohol use, career satisfaction, and career decisions (ie, reduce work hours or leave current practice). Results Of 7197 participating surgeons, 3754 (52.5%) had experienced a W-HC in the previous 3 weeks. On multivariate analysis, hours worked per week, having children, sex, and work location (Veterans Administration or academic center) were independently associated with an increased risk for W-HC (all P Conclusions Integrating personal and professional lives is a substantial challenge for US surgeons. Conflict in this balance appears to be a major factor in their decision to reduce work hours and/or move to a new practice, with potential substantive manpower implications for the surgical workforce.
Contamination of eggs by Salmonella Enteritidis in experimentally infected laying hens housed in conventional or enriched cages

Both epidemiologic analyses and active disease surveillance confirm an ongoing strong association between human salmonellosis and the prevalence of Salmonella enterica subspecies enterica serovar Enteritidis in commercial egg flocks. The majority of human illnesses caused by this pathogen are attributed to the consumption of contaminated eggs. Animal welfare concerns have increasingly influenced commercial poultry production practices in recent years, but the food safety implications of different housing systems for egg-laying hens are not definitively understood. The present study assessed the effects of 2 different housing systems (conventional cages and colony cages enriched with perching and nesting areas) on the frequency of Salmonella Enteritidis contamination inside eggs laid by experimentally infected laying hens. In each of 2 trials, groups of laying hens housed in each cage system were orally inoculated with doses of 1.0 × 10(8) cfu of Salmonella Enteritidis. All eggs laid between 5 and 25 d postinoculation were collected and cultured to detect internal contamination with Salmonella Enteritidis. For both trials combined, Salmonella Enteritidis was recovered from 3.97% of eggs laid by hens in conventional cages and 3.58% of eggs laid by hens in enriched cages. No significant differences (P > 0.05) in the frequency of egg contamination were observed between the 2 housing systems.
Efferent and Afferent Connections of Mouse Sensory-Motor Cortex Following Cholinergic Deafferentation at Birth

The present study investigates the effect of cholinergic basal forebrain lesions at birth on cortical connectivity in adulthood. We have previously shown that such neonatal lesions result in extensive cortical cholinergic deafferentation during early postnatal development, which is accompanied by abnormal morphogenesis of cortical cytoarchitecture (Hohmann at al., 1988). Here, we have used WGA-HRP to label anterogradely and retrogradely afferent and efferent projections of dorsal neocortex. Our results show an altered projection pattern from dorsal thalamus to layer IV of sensory-motor cortex following lesions among the cholinergic basal forebrain neurons (nBM), while corticothalamic projections from layer VI appear normal. In addition, corticofugal projections from layer V, labeled by striatal injection, appear to be expanded following the lesion. This indicates that cortical layers undergoing differentiation after the newborn nBM lesion present with long-term abnormalities in connectivity. The present results are compatible with the hypothesis that cholinergic afferents are instrumental in the regulation of cortical morphogenesis. Furthermore, our data show that ontogenetic disturbances can lead to structural abnormalities that persist long after the initial deficiency has abated. We discuss the significance of these results in relationship to human neurological disorders.
Evaluation of the impact of fibromyalgia on patients' sleep and the content validity of two sleep scales

Background: Disturbed sleep is commonly reported in fibromyalgia (FM). Both the Sleep Quality Numeric Rating Scale (NRS) and the Medical Outcomes Study Sleep Scale (MOS-Sleep) have demonstrated positive psychometric properties in patients with FM. However, these assessments were developed prior to the current recommendation to include patient input during the concept elicitation or item generation phases. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the impact of FM on participants, including their sleep, and to test the content validity of these two sleep measures in FM patients. Methods: Qualitative interviews were conducted in Raleigh, North Carolina and Detroit, Michigan with 20 adults who reported a physician diagnosis of FM. Sixteen participants were female, 13 were white, and the average age was 50 years. Two researchers conducted all interviews using a structured guide. Results: Participants consistently reported that FM had a debilitating impact on their lives and their sleep, particularly getting to sleep and staying asleep. Participants responded positively to the Sleep Quality NRS as an assessment of their sleep. The majority of participants stated that they would not change the response numbering or wording of the item's anchors. Participants also responded positively to the 24-hour recall period of the Sleep Quality NRS. Participants found the 12-item MOS-Sleep to be appropriate and relevant; 19 participants indicated the measure captured all of their sleep-related symptoms. However, areas for potential modification were identified, such as the need to separate the item regarding awakening short of breath and awakening with a headache into two separate questions. Participants also questioned the relevance of the snoring and awakening short of breath items to FM. Half of participants expressed a preference for a daily rather than a weekly recall period. Conclusion: This study demonstrates the significant impact that FM has on patients' lives, particularly sleep. While patients with FM were not part of the development of the generic sleep assessments that were evaluated, this study provides evidence of their content validity, supporting their use in FM studies. Modifications to the MOS-Sleep may improve the psychometric properties and relevance to patients with FM.
Less is More: Significance-Based N-gram Selection for Smaller, Better Language Models

The recent availability of large corpora for training N-gram language models has shown the utility of models of higher order than just trigrams. In this paper, we investigate methods to control the increase in model size resulting from applying standard methods at higher orders. We introduce significance-based N-gram selection, which not only reduces model size, but also improves perplexity for several smoothing methods, including Katz backoff and absolute discounting. We also show that, when combined with a new smoothing method and a novel variant of weighted-difference pruning, our selection method performs better in the trade-off between model size and perplexity than the best pruning method we found for modified Kneser-Ney smoothing.
Maximizing Service Reliability in Distributed Computing Systems with Random Node Failures: Theory and Implementation

In distributed computing systems (DCSs) where server nodes can fail permanently with nonzero probability, the system performance can be assessed by means of the service reliability, defined as the probability of serving all the tasks queued in the DCS before all the nodes fail. This paper presents a rigorous probabilistic framework to analytically characterize the service reliability of a DCS in the presence of communication uncertainties and stochastic topological changes due to node deletions. The framework considers a system composed of heterogeneous nodes with stochastic service and failure times and a communication network imposing random tangible delays. The framework also permits arbitrarily specified, distributed load-balancing actions to be taken by the individual nodes in order to improve the service reliability. The presented analysis is based upon a novel use of the concept of stochastic regeneration, which is exploited to derive a system of difference-differential equations characterizing the service reliability. The theory is further utilized to optimize certain load-balancing policies for maximal service reliability; the optimization is carried out by means of an algorithm that scales linearly with the number of nodes in the system. The analytical model is validated using both Monte Carlo simulations and experimental data collected from a DCS testbed.
Factors Associated with the Duration of Gestation in Dairy Cattle

The duration of gestation in dairy cows is of importance to the dairy husbandman from a management standpoint, for it is desirable that dairy cows be in a no~l-lactating state during the last 6 to 8 wk. of each pregnancy. Thus, it is possible to prepare the cow physically for parturit ion and her next lactation. Dairy cattle breed associations also require that a living calf be produced within a maximum time limit after the completion of certain types of official production records. The purpose of this requirement is to assist in verifying the duration of pregnancy during the Official testing period. Recently the Brown Swiss Cattle Breeders' Association has extended the calving requirements following the completion of an official record to conform with the abnormally long gestation period found to exist in the Brown Swiss breed. Likewise, the Holstein-Friesian Association has reduced the gestation length used in the verification of applications for registration. This decision was based on the preliminary results of this study and data from similar investigations. In addition to these very practical applications, the possibility of various environmental and genetic factors influencing the duration of gestation is intriguing and may lead to fundamentally important discoveries. The commonly accepted opinion at the beginning of the nineteenth century was that normal gestations for dairy cattle averaged 270 days (33). Systematic investigations soon revealed this figure to be less than that normally observed. In 1817, Tessier (8) is reported to have found that 575 gestations averaged 282.2 days. Then, in 1840, the Earl of Spencer (33) is reported to have made ade tailed study of Durham gestatimm. His results showed the average length of 764 gestations to be 283.3 days. The range for calves born alive, reported by Spencer, was from 220 to 313 days. However, no calves born earlier than 242 days lived. Over half a century ago, Fleming-(18) reported the average gestation of cattle to be 283 days. Of the 1,062 observations included in his summary, 15 gestations were less than 241 days and 32 greater than 301 days.
Sequential Principal Component Analysis - A Hardware-Implementable Transform for Image Compression

This paper presents the JPL-developed Sequential Principal Component Analysis (SPCA) algorithm for feature extraction / image compression, based on “dominant-term selection” unsupervised learning technique that requires an order-of-magnitude lesser computation and has simpler architecture compared to the state of the art gradient-descent techniques. This algorithm is inherently amenable to a compact, low power and high speed VLSI hardware embodiment. The paper compares the lossless image compression performance of the JPL’s SPCA algorithm with the state of the art JPEG2000, widely used due to its simplified hardware implementability. JPEG2000 is not an optimal data compression technique because of its fixed transform characteristics, regardless of its data structure. On the other hand, conventional Principal Component Analysis based transform (PCA-transform) is a data-dependent-structure transform. However, it is not easy to implement the PCA in compact VLSI hardware, due to its highly computational and architectural complexity. In contrast, the JPL’s “dominant-term selection” SPCA algorithm allows, for the first time, a compact, low-power hardware implementation of the powerful PCA algorithm. This paper presents a direct comparison of the JPL’s SPCA versus JPEG2000, incorporating the Huffman and arithmetic coding for completeness of the data compression operation. The simulation results show that JPL’s SPCA algorithm is superior as an optimal data-dependent-transform over the state of the art JPEG2000. When implemented in hardware, this technique is projected to be ideally suited to future NASA missions for autonomous on-board image data processing to improve the bandwidth of communication.
Comparing Client Outcomes for Two Evidence-Based Treatment Consultation Strategies

Posttraining expert case consultation is a key component of transporting and scaling up evidence-based treatments, and hopefully retaining their efficacy. Live practice observation and in vivo coaching is a strategy used in academic training environments, but is rarely feasible in field settings. Post hoc telephone consultation is a substitute strategy but does not approximate many aspects of live coaching. Live video technology offers a closer approximation but has not yet been sufficiently tested. Using a roll-out experimental design, this study compared client outcomes across doses of two posttraining expert consultation strategies-standard telephone consultation and live video coaching. The study was conducted during a two-state, 30-agency implementation involving 80 therapists and 330 cases receiving Parent-Child Interaction Therapy (PCIT). Child behavior problems fell from well above to below clinical cutoff values, with about a 1 standard deviation improvement in 14 sessions, which is within the range reported in laboratory efficacy trials. Symptom improvement was augmented by increased therapist dose of live video consultations. Phone consultation dose had no association with client level outcomes. PCIT benefits appear to be retained when the model is transported at scale into the field, and live video consultation appeared to offer small but significant advantages over telephone consultation as one element of an overall transport strategy.
Manipulation of volume and graphics objects for the visualization of medical data under OpenGL

Combined rendering of volume data and geometric objects (graphics objects) is important in a number of medical applications. Efficient generation of such rendering is required to support user interactions at a level that are useful in clinical applications. In this study, we describe the manipulation of graphics objects with volume data utilizing a widely used graphics API standard, OpenGL. >
Treatment of recurrent eczema herpeticum in pregnancy with acyclovir.

Background: Eczema herpeticum is an uncommon manifestation of an infection with herpes simplex virus (HSV). The disease is primarily seen in patients with histories of atopic eczema. Eczema herpeticum may be a life-threatening illness, but the mortality is felt to be <10% with modern antiviral and antibacterial agents. The use of acyclovir for other viral infections secondary to herpesvirus in pregnancy has been well documented. The authors now present a case report of eczema herpeticum treated with acyclovir during pregnancy.
Motion Analysis: Past, Present and Future

The subject of motion has been the center of interdisciplinary studies since the time when Zeno posed his paradox circa 500BC. However, computer vision, the use of a camera and a computer to recognize objects, people and/or events automatically, is a relatively young field of research. Its development began in the early 1960s; however, it has matured fairly quickly. Today, it is contributing to the solutions of some of the most serious societal problems. Motion analysis of a sequence of images is an important part of computer vision. This chapter briefly presents the contributions to motion analysis from other fields followed by the computer vision-based analysis of motion from a sequence of images. Analysis and understanding of images based on both feature tracking and optical flow estimation are presented. Early works focused on the computation of structure from motion of objects from a sequence of images via point features. This was followed by the computation of optical flow to characterize motion. Applications today focus on the monitoring of traffic, providing guidance to a motorist in terms of his/her position relative to traffic lanes and traffic ahead, and inspection of complicated three-dimensional industrial parts, to mention a few. Research focus has shifted from inanimate objects to people, for example monitoring people and their activities in public places or monitoring activities from an unmanned aerial vehicle. These applications are dominating the research scene through the belief that computer vision/motion analysis can contribute to the solution of societal surveillance and biometric problems. The chapter ends with a discussion of the future directions of research in motion analysis and possible applications.
"Only skin deep": health, resilience, and craniofacial care.

The literature on psychological and social responses to cleft palate and craniofacial conditions focuses on the challenges and limitations posed by biological factors, cognitive status, and social stigma. In spite of the various challenges experienced by persons with these conditions, many individuals have rich and satisfying lives. This paper develops a theoretical perspective to elucidate factors that account for health, life success, and resiliency in persons with craniofacial conditions. Three steps are proposed to change how craniofacial conditions are envisioned by clinicians and researchers: (1) creating optimism and positivity around the time of birth and diagnosis, (2) asking children and parents new and different questions, and (3) launching a new craniofacial social science model for research built around understanding resilience and health.
Soybots: Mobile Micro-Gardens

Abstract Gardens express ideas and social relations; some are sites where art and technology produce material realities, construct social narratives and visualize politics. Soybots: Mobile Micro-Gardens unite code, robotics and soybean plants (robotanics) to create a speculative responsive installation that suggests questions about climate, place and agriculture implicated in contemporary practices and values. Soybots utilize light sensors to track sunlight intensity or to locate LED grow lights. As self-pollinating organisms in combination with a light-seeking mobile robotic platform, soybean plants metaphorically address the continually evolving interdependence between humans and cultivated crops, as well as the underlying political nature of photosynthesis.
Effects of Sexually Explicit Textbook Drawings on Enrollment and Family Communication

University students were asked to rate their emotional responses and attitudes toward typical sex education textbook drawings of people engaged in sexual behaviors. Mean self-ratings for sexual arousal, anxiety, disgust, and anger were low for all groups. Fourteen percent of students who did not plan to take sex education indicated that they would be even less likely to do so if a textbook contained the drawings. However, of the 848 students enrolled in sex education during a semester when their own textbooks did not contain such drawings, only 11 (1.3%) indicated that the inclusion of the drawings would have negatively affected their decision to take the course. Although most of the students enrolled in sex education felt that the drawings should be included, a large number of them would not show a book with sexually explicit drawings to their parents or 15-year-old brother, sister, son, or daughter. Behaviorally matched photographs superimposed on the same textbook pages evoked even stronger negative re...
Heterosexual Anal Sex Among Men and Women in Substance Abuse Treatment: Secondary Analysis of Two Gender-Specific HIV-Prevention Trials

Receptive anal sex has high human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) transmission risk, and heterosexual substance-abusing individuals report higher anal sex rates compared to their counterparts in the general population. This secondary analysis evaluated the effectiveness of two gender-specific, evidence-based HIV-prevention interventions (Real Men Are Safe, or REMAS, for men; Safer Sex Skill Building, or SSSB, for women) against an HIV education (HIV-Ed) control condition on decreasing unprotected heterosexual anal sex (HAS) among substance abuse treatment-seeking men (n = 171) and women (n = 105). Two variables, engagement in any HAS and engagement in unprotected HAS, were assessed at baseline and three months postintervention. Compared to the control group, women in the gender-specific intervention did not differ on rates of any HAS at follow-up but significantly decreased their rates of unprotected HAS. Men in both the gender-specific and the control interventions reported less HAS and unprotected HAS at three-month follow-up compared to baseline, with no treatment condition effect. The mechanism of action for SSSB compared to REMAS in decreasing unprotected HAS is unclear. More attention to HAS in HIV-prevention interventions for heterosexual men and women in substance abuse treatment is warranted.
Parity-Time Symmetry Breaking Laser

Exploration of the interplay between gain and loss in optical metamaterials can lead to novel device functionalities. Here we demonstrate a single-mode laser with unique cavity mode manipulation capability based on thresholdless parity-time symmetry breaking.
SELECTION OF COMMUNICATION NETWORK AND PROTOCOL FOR SUBSTATION AUTOMATION SYSTEM

Different kinds of substations have different requirements to communication networks for automation systems. The selection of data communication networks and protocols is analyzed in the implementation of substation automation system. The developing trend of substation automation system is preliminarily researched.