cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
On-the-fly runtime adaptation for efficient execution of parallel multi-algorithm circuit simulation

The past several years have witnessed a significant interest in developing parallel CAD algorithms and implementations that exploit various multi-core and distributed computing hardware. In addition to fundamental parallel algorithm design, the ability in modeling parallel performance and facilitating runtime optimization is indispensable for achieving good efficiency for complex parallel CAD applications. Under the context of a recently developed hierarchical multi-algorithm parallel circuit simulation (HMAPS) framework, we demonstrate a runtime optimization approach that allows for automatic on-the-fly reconfiguration of the parallel simulation code. We show how the runtime information, collected as parallel simulation proceeds, can be combined with static parallel performance models to enable dynamic adaptation of parallel simulation execution for improved performance and robustness. Our results have shown that the proposed approach not only finds the near-optimal code configuration over a large configuration space, it also outperforms multi-algorithm circuit simulation assisted only with static pre-runtime parallel performance modeling.
Influence of Soil-Structure Interaction and Liquefaction on the Isolation Efficiency of a Typical Multispan Continuous Steel Girder Bridge

AbstractIsolation has been identified as a popular retrofit measure for seismically deficient bridges. However, most isolation designs neglect soil-structure interaction (SSI) effects. The feasibility of isolation for bridges with SSI, especially in liquefaction-prone regions, requires further study. This paper investigates effects of SSI and liquefaction on the fragility of both an unretrofitted and an isolated coupled bridge-soil-foundation (CBSF) system. Results of the fragility analyses reveal that the failure probability of the isolated system is less than that of the nonisolated one for both stiff soils and soft soils, whereas SSI tends to simultaneously decrease isolation effectiveness. Results also show that liquefaction provides an effective natural isolation by reducing the curvature demands on the columns, although it increases the isolation bearing displacement and pile curvature. Therefore, SSI should be considered in the design of isolated bridges, as appropriate isolation in conjunction wit...
Amount of luteal tissue required for the maintenance of pregnancy in the rat.

ConclusionsThe albino rat of the Holtz-man strain was used to determine the minimum number of corpora lutea required to maintain pregnancy. It was found 2 corpora will maintain pregnancy from the eighth day of gestation, but one corpus will not, nor will one corpus and part of another. In animals where all corpora but one were removed on the 15th day of pregnancy, two-thirds either had litters of normal fetuses or some of the fetuses were normal while others were being resorbed. All of the fetuses of the other one-third of the animals were being resorbed at the time of autopsy. Pregnancy was maintained in a group of animals in which all but 2 corpora were removed on the eighth day and hypophysectomized on the 12th day of pregnancy.There is no evidence that the placentae are adequate supplementary sources of progesterone in those groups where the corpora were reduced below two at the eighth day, since pregnancy was terminated in all cases. However, when the corpora were reduced to one on the 15th day of pr...
The evaluation of verbal models

This paper proposes an operational method for evaluating verbal models. The method is based on a statistical technique in which the performance of the verbal model is compared to the performance of an alternative simple random choice model. The method is demonstrated by using experimental data to evaluate Yager's model (1978; 1984) of fuzzy probabilities.
Multiple DNA Binding Activities of the Novel Site-specific Recombinase, Piv, from Moraxella lacunata

The recombinase, Piv, is essential for site-specific DNA inversion of the type IV pilin DNA segment inMoraxella lacunata and Moraxella bovis. Piv shows significant homology with the transposases of the IS110/IS492 family of insertion elements, but, surprisingly, Piv contains none of the conserved amino acid motifs of the λ Int or Hin/Res families of site-specific recombinases. Therefore, Piv may mediate site-specific recombination by a novel mechanism. To begin to determine how Piv may assemble a synaptic nucleoprotein structure for DNA cleavage and strand exchange, we have characterized the interaction of Piv with the DNA inversion region ofM. lacunata. Gel shift and nuclease/chemical protection assays, competition and dissociation rate analyses, and cooperativity studies indicate that Piv binds two distinct recognition sequences. One recognition sequence, found at multiple sites within and outside of the invertible segment, is bound by Piv protomers with high affinity. The second recognition sequence is located at the recombination cross-over sites at the ends of the invertible element; Piv interacts with this sequence as an oligomer with apparent low affinity. A model is proposed for the role of the different Piv binding sites of the M. lacunata inversion region in the formation of an active synaptosome.
Divergent responses of exposed and naive Pacific tree frog tadpoles to invasive predatory crayfish

Invasive predators can devastate native species and ecosystems. However, native species may be able to coexist with invasive predators through a variety of mechanisms, such as changes in morphology or behavior due to a plastic response or selection on fixed anti-predator traits. We examined whether exposed and naive populations of Pacific tree frog tadpoles (Pseudacris regilla) display divergent morphological and behavioral traits in response to the invasive predatory red swamp crayfish (Procambarus clarkii). Tadpoles were collected from three study streams with and three without crayfish, in the Santa Monica Mountains of Southern California. We analyzed tadpole morphology and tested anti-predator behavior and survival in the laboratory. Tadpoles from streams with crayfish had shallower, narrower tails than tadpoles from streams without crayfish. Tadpoles from streams with and without crayfish were less active after exposure to crayfish chemical cues. The divergent morphology of naive and exposed tadpoles is consistent with tadpoles exhibiting a plastic response to crayfish or undergoing selection from crayfish predation. In laboratory predation experiments, we found no difference in survival between tadpoles from streams with and without crayfish but tadpoles that survived predation had deeper tail muscles than those that were killed or injured. Our results suggest that deeper tails are advantageous in the presence of crayfish, yet tadpoles from crayfish streams had shallower tails than those from crayfish-free streams. Shallower tails may have an alternative unmeasured advantage or there may be a physiological constraint to developing deeper tails in the wild. These results highlight the ability of a native frog to respond to an invasive predatory crayfish, potentially allowing for coexistence.
On the nature of the molecular heterogeneity of rat parotid amylase

Abstract Amylase was isolated from rat parotid tissue and its multiple forms were studied utilizing analytical, SDS-, and isoelectric focusing polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Investigations on total amylase, and on fractions prepared by preparative polyacrylamide electrophoresis revealed a major amylase isozyme which appears able to convert into two other isoenzyme forms, and a fourth minor isozyme apparently unrelated to the others.
Paul R. Pillar, Intelligence and Foreign Policy: Iraq, 9/11 and Misguided Reform

This fine book is a kind of cri de coeur by a distinguished intelligence analyst who yet labels himself a political scientist at Georgetown, which he now is, after a long CIA career that included s...
Short Selling and Price Pressure Around Merger Announcements

Prior research argues that short selling by merger arbitrageurs adds downward pressure to the stock prices of acquiring firms, particularly for firms that use stock financing. We test this hypothesis by examining daily short sale data surrounding merger announcements. Our initial results show that short selling activity surges in response to merger announcements and that abnormal post-announcement short selling is driven by those mergers that use stock financing. This result is consistent, in part, with the presence of merger arbitrage. However, additional tests show that the negative post-announcement stock returns to acquiring firms are orthogonal to the level of post-announcement short selling activity. These findings extend the current literature by showing that, while post-announcement short selling is abnormally high, this short selling does not put undue pressure on acquiring firms’ stock prices.
High School Dropout and Teen Childbearing.

Abstract Understanding the relationship between high school dropout and teen childbearing is complicated because both are affected by a variety of difficult to control factors. In this paper, I use panel data on aggregate dropout and fertility rates by age for all fifty states to develop insight by instrumenting for dropout using information on state policies on mandatory high school graduation exams. I then make use of these exit exam instruments in tandem with an instrument used previously in the literature to identify the impact of education on various outcomes: Compulsory schooling laws. Because these instruments operate at different margins, comparing effects provides insight into whether local average treatment effects are informative about average treatment effects relevant for a broader population than those complying with either instrument. The findings suggest that the elasticity of teen pregnancy with respect to high school dropout is 0.082 overall, with larger effects for black teens.
Chemosensitizing and cytotoxic effects of 2-deoxy-D-glucose on breast cancer cells

Background: Accelerated glucose uptake for anerobic glycolysis is one of the major metabolic changes found in malignant cells. This property has been exploited for imaging malignancies and as a possible anticancer therapy. The nonmetabolizable glucose analog 2-deoxyglucose (2 DG) interferes with glucose metabolism leading to breast cancer cell death. Aims: To determine whether 2DG can synergize with chemotherapeutic agents commonly used in breast cancer treatment and identify cellular characteristics associated with sensitivity to 2DG. Materials and Methods: SkBr3 breast cancer cells were incubated with varying concentrations of 5-fluorouracil (5FU), doxorubicin, cisplatin, cyclophosphamide, or herceptin with or without 2DG. Cell viability was measured using the MTT (3-(4,5-dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyltetrazolium bromide) assay. Results: Combining 2DG with doxorubicin, 5 FU, cyclophosphamide, and herceptin resulted in enhanced cell death compared with each agent alone, while in combination with cisplatin, the amount of cell death was additive. Mouse embryo fibroblasts (MEF) mutated for p53 (-/-) were 30% more sensitive to the cytotoxic effects of 2DG than the parental cell lines. Cells mutated for Bax/Bac, genes involved in protection from apoptosis, are slightly more sensitive than the parental cell lines. Conclusions: These results indicate that 2DG acts synergistically with specific chemotherapeutic agents in causing cell death and the class of chemicals most sensitive appear to be those which cause DNA damage.
ACCURATE AND HIGHLY EFFICIENT CALCULATION OF THE O(1D)HCl VIBRATIONAL BOUND STATES, USING A COMBINATION OF METHODS

Hypochlorous acid, HOCl, is an important intermediate in the O(1D)HCl reactive system. Due in part to a large number of vibrational bound states (over 800), extremely large direct product basis sets (around 300,000) are required to compute the energy levels just below the dissociation threshold. This situation, combined with a very high density of states, results in difficult convergence for iterative methods — e.g. Lanczos requires 50,000 iterations, and filter diagonalization uses 60,000 iterations. In contrast, using new methodologies, we are able to compute the highest-lying bound states with only 271 iterations, although the CPU cost per iteration is substantially greater. Lower lying states are also computed, for a fraction of the CPU cost of the highest energy calculation.
Surface tension sound in superfluid helium films adsorbed on alumina powder

Sound propagation has been studied in He II films adsorbed on alumina powder grains (Al2O3). Sound velocity and adsorption isotherm data provide evidence that surf ace tension forces can exceed the van der Waals forces as the film thickness increases. A model of capillary condensation at the points where the powder grains touch accounts for many of the qualitative features of the data. The surface tension sound velocity decreases with increasing powder grain size.
The Impact of Discounting Room Rates on In-House Restaurant Sales

This study investigates whether discounting hotel room rates during low seasons of demand influences in-house hotel restaurant sales in a positive way. A linear regression function was utilized to assess the relationship between discounting room rates and the hotel's in-house restaurant sales. The model summary provided results indicating that the discounting of room rates during the low season did not significantly influence in-house restaurant sales. The value of this study lies in the empirical results that may provide guidance to the revenue management practices of hotel managers.
An Intricate Web: Chemokine Receptors, HIV-1 and Hematopoiesis

Cellular infection by the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) requires interaction of the viral envelope protein with CD4 and at least one additional cell surface molecule, termed a “cofactor” or “coreceptor.” Recent discoveries have determined that macrophage-tropic strains of HIV-1 which are largely responsible for sexual transmission require the β-chemokine receptor CCR5 in addition to CD4, while the T cell tropic viruses that emerge later after infection use the α-chemokine receptor CXCR4. Thus, both CD4 and the appropriate chemokine receptor must be expressed on the cell surface in order for HIV-1 to enter the cell and establish an infection. The in vivo importance of CCR5 for HIV-1 is demonstrated by the finding that individuals homozygous for a 32 bp deletion (Δ32) in the CCR5 gene that renders them effectively CCR5-negative are highly resistant to virus infection. In this review, the structure-function correlates of the chemokine receptors that serve as major coreceptors for HIV-1 and simian immunodeficiency virus entry will be reviewed. Since certain chemokines have been implicated as stem cell inhibitory factors, the biological consequences of chemokine receptor expression as it relates to HIV-1-associated hematodyspoiesis will also be discussed.
Development and Evaluation of a Fluorogenic 5′ Nuclease Assay To Detect and Differentiate between Ebola Virus Subtypes Zaire and Sudan

The ability to rapidly recognize Ebola virus infections is critical to quickly limit further spread of the disease. A rapid, sensitive, and specific laboratory diagnostic test is needed to confirm outbreaks of Ebola virus infection and to distinguish it from other diseases that can cause similar clinical symptoms. A one-tube reverse transcription-PCR assay for the identification of Ebola virus subtype Zaire (Ebola Zaire) and Ebola virus subtype Sudan (Ebola Sudan) was developed and evaluated by using the ABI PRISM 7700 sequence detection system. This assay uses one common primer set and two differentially labeled fluorescent probes to simultaneously detect and differentiate these two subtypes of Ebola virus. The sensitivity of the primer set was comparable to that of previously designed primer sets, as determined by limit-of-detection experiments. This assay is unique in its ability to simultaneously detect and differentiate Ebola Zaire and Ebola Sudan. In addition, this assay is compatible with emerging rapid nucleic acid analysis platforms and therefore may prove to be a very useful diagnostic tool for the control and management of future outbreaks.
A Multilayered Design Approach for Efficient Hybrid 3D Photonics Network-on-chip

In Chip Multiprocessors, traditional metallic interconnects will soon reach their bandwidth and energy dissipation limits. Photonic NoC (PNoC) is a promising alternative to renew higher performance in the advent of rising number of cores on chip. Efficient PNoC architectures are needed to reduce laser related energy consumption and maintain high performance. In this work we propose a novel sandwich layered approach to design a 3D PNoC architecture that is able to reduce no of hops, cross over points, and no of laser sources using multiplexing techniques. The 3D hybrid PNoC uses high performance 5X5 photonic routers incorporating mode division multiplexing (MDM) along with wavelength division multiplexing (WDM) and time division multiplexing (TDM). Experimental results demonstrates an increase in aggregated bandwidth up to 4x while reducing average energy consumption per router by 83\% as compared to the recently reported results.
Comparison between Conditional Probability Function and Nonparametric Regression for Fine Particle Source Directions

Abstract The objective of this study is to examine the use of conditional probability function (CPF) and nonparametric regression (NPR) to identify directions of PM2.5 (particulate matter ⩽2.5 μm in aerodynamic diameter) sources using data collected from multiple monitoring sites across the US NPR has been used on cyclohexane data from Houston, TX and correctly showed the direction of the source. In recent source apportionment studies using positive matrix factorization (PMF), ambient PM2.5 compositional data sets from 24-h integrated samples including eight individual carbon fractions collected at four monitoring sites, Atlanta, GA, Washington, DC, Brigantine, NJ, and Seattle, WA, were analyzed identifying 10–11 sources. To analyze local point source impacts from various wind directions, CPF and NPR were calculated using the source contributions estimated from PMF coupled with wind direction measured on site. The comparison between CPF and NPR demonstrated that both methods agreed well with the locations of known local point sources. CPF was simpler and easier to calculate than NPR. In contrast, NPR provided PM2.5 concentrations and associated uncertainties. This study indicates that both methods can be utilized to enhance source apportionment study of ambient PM2.5.
High-intensity bowtie-shaped nano-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser for near-field optics

We report a high-intensity nano-aperture vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) utilizing a bowtie-shaped aperture. A maximum power of 188 μW is achieved from a 180 nm bowtie aperture at a wavelength of 970 nm. The near-field full width at half-maximum intensity spot size 20 nm away from the bowtie aperture is 64 nm×66 nm from simulation, and the peak near-field intensity is estimated to be as high as 47 mW/μm2. This intensity is high enough to realize near-field optical recording, and the small spot size corresponds to storage densities up to 150 Gbits/in2. The bowtie-aperture VCSEL also enables other applications, such as compact high-intensity probes for ultrahigh-resolution near-field imaging and single molecule fluorescence and spectroscopy.
LDPC absorbing sets, the null space of the cycle consistency matrix, and Tanner's constructions

Dolecek et al. introduced the cycle consistency condition, which is a necessary condition for cycles — and thus the absorbing sets that contain them — to be present in separable circulant-based (SCB) LDPC codes. This paper introduces a cycle consistency matrix (CCM) for each possible absorbing set in an SCB LDPC code. The CCM efficiently enforces the cycle consistency condition for all cycles in a specified absorbing set by spanning its associated binary cycle space. Under certain conditions, a CCM not having full column rank is a necessary and sufficient condition for the LDPC code to contain the absorbing set associated with that CCM. This paper uses the CCM approach to carefully analyze LDPC codes based on the Tanner construction for r = 4 rows of sub-matrices (i.e., Tanner-construction LDPC codes with column weight 4).
Spectroscopic measurements of surfaces using vacuum ultraviolet radiation

Recent research on surface properties of materials using X-ray and vacuum ultraviolet radiation suggest some relationships in common to lunar research. New and intense sources of vacuum ultraviolet continuum radiation may offer the possibility of probing the surface properties of lunar materials and may permit some experimental demonstrations of the surface phenomena observed on the Moon.
The effect of a new NPO policy on operating room utilization.

Abstract Study Objectives: To prospectively assess the impact of a liberalized preoperative fasting policy on operating room (OR) utilization. Study Design: Prospective cohort study involving data collection before and after a change in nil per os (NPO) policy. Setting: Academic teaching hospital. Patients: 5,420 consecutive outpatients and AM admissions Interventions: Data collection was done on all adult patients who presented to our OR suite over two 15-week periods. During the first 15-week period, patients were instructed to drink no liquids after midnight (control group, n=2,646). In the second 15-week period, patients were allowed to consume unlimited clear fluids until 2 to 3 hours prior to surgery (study group, n=2,774). Measurements and Main Results: We found no difference between the control and study groups in the number of cases cancelled (0 in each group) or delayed (8 vs. 9; relative risk [RR] = 1.07, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.000 to 1.148) due to noncompliance with fasting guidelines. There was no difference between the groups in the number of cases of aspiration (0 in each group). In the control group, significantly more episodes of regurgitation were noted (12 vs. 9; RR=0.715, 95% CI=0.535 to 0.955) and more rapid-sequence/awake intubations were performed (119 vs. 51; RR=0.409, 95% CI=0.306 to 0.546) than in the study group. Conclusions: Liberalizing a preoperative fasting policy and allowing patients to consume unrestricted clear fluids up until 3 hours before their scheduled time of surgery did not affect their compliance with fasting requirements. No increase in cancellations or delays of surgical procedures due to inappropriate oral intake was observed.
Jumping translocations, a novel finding in chronic lymphocytic leukaemia.

A jumping translocation (JT) is a rare cytogenetic aberration that can occur in haematological malignancy. It involves the translocation of the same fragment of donor chromosome onto two or more recipient chromosomes, typically in different cells. In this study, we describe the first series of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) patients with JTs reported to date. Following a review of 878 CLL patient karyotypes, we identified 26 patients (3%) with 97 JTs. The most commonly occurring breakpoint in these translocations was 17p11.2. Loss of TP53 was identified prior to or at the same time as JT in 23 of 26 patients (88%). All patients eventually developed a complex karyotype. All but one patient has required treatment for CLL, with estimated median time to treatment of 11.5 months. This study establishes JTs as a recurrent abnormality found in CLL patients with aggressive disease. JTs contribute to complex karyotypes and, in many cases, are involved in chromosomal rearrangements that result in loss of the tumour suppressor gene TP53.
Periodontal Emotional Stress Syndrome

Eleven cases are presented which demonstrated severe periodontal bone loss especially in the posterior segments of the mouth in a group of young men, ages 22 to 32, unexplained by other local etiologic factors. The only common denominator in all cases was severe emotional stress associated with active duty in Viet Nam. The name "periodontal emotional stress syndrome (PESS)"is suggested as a possible term to be included in the nomenclature of the classification of periodontal disease.
Maximum likelihood data rectification: Steady-state systems

A maximum likelihood rectification (MLR) technique that poses the data-rectification problem in a probabilistic framework and maximizes the probability of the estimated plant states given the measurements is proposed. This approach does not divide the sensors into “normal” and “gross error” classes, but uses all of the data in the rectification, each sensor being appropriately weighted according to the laws of probability. In this manner, the conventional assumption of no sensor bias is avoided, and both random errors (noise) and systematic errors (gross errors) are removed simultaneously. A novel technique is introduced that utilizes historical plant data to determine a peior probability distribution of the plant states. This type of historical plant information, which contains the physical relationships among the variables (mass balances, energy balances, thermodynamic constraints), as well as statistical correlations among the variables, has been ignored in prior data-rectification schemes. This approach can use the historical plant information to solve a new class of data-rectification problems in which there are no known model constraints. The MLR method is demonstrated on data from a simulated flow network and a simulated heat-exchanger network. The MLR technique provides considerably improved performance over existing data-reconciliation schemes in these examples.
Emergence of potent inhibitors of metastasis in lung cancer via syntheses based on migrastatin

Migrastatin is a biologically active natural product isolated from Streptomyces that has been shown to inhibit tumor cell migration. Upon completion of the first total synthesis of migrastatin, a number of structurally simplified analogs were prepared. Following extensive in vitro screening, a new generation of analogs was identified that demonstrates substantially higher levels of in vitro inhibitory activity, stability and synthetic accessibility when compared to the parent natural product. Herein, we describe two promising ether-derivative analogs, the migrastatin core ether (ME) and the carboxymethyl-ME (CME), which exhibit high efficacy in blocking tumor cell migration and metastasis in lung cancer. These compounds show an in vitro migration inhibition in the micromolar range (IC50: ME 1.5 to 8.2 μM, CME 0.5 to 5 μM). In a human small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) primary xenograft model, ME and CME compounds were found to be highly potent in inhibiting overall metastasis even at the lowest dosage used (degree of inhibition: 96.2% and 99.3%, respectively). Together these very encouraging findings suggest that these analogs have promise as potent antimetastatic agents in lung cancer.
Role of Chlamydia trachomatis in Perinatal Infection

The transmission of Chlamydia trachomatis from the infected cervix of a mother to the eye of an infant, with resultant inclusion conjunctivitis, was documented in humans and in primates 75 years ago by cytologic methods. With modern microbiologic methodology it is possible to quantitate this transmission. It is now known that 2%-24% (usually 7%-12%) of cervices are infected before delivery and that 18%-50% (usually 20%-25%) of infants born to culture-positive mothers develop conjunctivitis. In addition, nasopharyngeal infection occurs in 15%-20% of infants, and 3%-18% develop pneumonia due to C. trachomatis. Bronchiolitis and otitis media are less common infections. The consequence of rectal and vaginal colonization remains unknown, as does the significance of the increase in antibody titers against C. trachomatis throughout early childhood. Early studies suggesting that C. trachomatis was a prominent cause of postpartum endometritis and a cause of premature delivery have not been confirmed in larger prospective studies when mycoplasma species were simultaneously studied. A subset of mothers with active infection, as evidenced by IgM antibody against C. trachomatis, may have earlier delivery, but it is clear that evaluation of the contribution of C. trachomatis to maternal and fetal risk will require larger studies with evaluation of possible concurrent mycoplasmal infection.
Heparin in angiography: current patterns of use

All members and fellows of the Society of Cardiovascular and Interventional Radiology were surveyed to determine current patterns of heparin use in angiography. Five hundred responses (68%) were received. In general, significant differences exist across the United States in the mean heparin dose for angiography, mean dose for angioplasty, heparin concentration in flush solutions, and, especially, frequency with which heparin is mixed with nonionic contrast media. Few respondents routinely use systemic (bolus) heparinization for angiography. Heparin concentration in flush solutions varies from 0 IU/L to 12,000 IU/L. Eleven percent of respondents mix heparin with nonionic contrast agents, at a median dose of 5 IU/mL. Results of this survey reveal patterns of practice but do not represent a standard of practice. Protocols for heparin use should be based on experimental evidence, and heparin dosage must be individualized for each procedure and each patient. Large-scale, prospective studies of the merits of systemic heparinization and of mixing heparin with nonionic contrast agents are needed.
Building Enrollment Through Curriculum Change: The Implementation of a Comprehension‐Based Program in Spanish

This paper describes the implementation of a first-year comprehension-based Spanish language program that has been in operation at New Mexico State University since the summer of 1983. It includes a discussion of the history of the program and of the problems that were encountered in changing a traditional curriculum. It also includes a detailed description of the materials produced for the program, of classroom practice, and of the testing and evaluation component.
CONFESSIONS OF LOSS: Maternal Grief in True Story, 1920- 1985

This article analyzes articles appearing in True Story from 1920 to 1985 that concern women's grief after pregnancy and child loss. They are discussed as a historical link between nineteenth-century consolation literature and current psychological and academic discussions of grief. True Story is a confession magazine marketed for working-class women, whose reproductive losses have generally been minimized or ignored by previous literary and current professional and journalistic treatments of maternal grief. Articles are examined within the constructs of confession literature and within the larger context of women's popular literature. Like working-class women's experiences of reproductive loss, these areas have been largely overlooked, dismissed, or denigrated by literary scholars and sociologists. The moral tone of True Story gives women's first-person narratives about infant death and pregnancy an ambiguous prescriptive quality, in that both self-empowerment and self-blame are recommended. True Story re...
Luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonist inhibits cyclophosphamide-induced ovarian follicular depletion in rhesus monkeys

Several investigators have demonstrated that LHRH agonists (LHRHa) inhibit ovarian follicular depletion induced by chemotherapeutic agents in rodents. It is not clear whether or not the same effects occur in primates. Six adult female rhesus monkeys underwent unilateral ovariectomy and were divided into two groups that received monthly injections of either Lupron depot (LHRHa) or placebo vehicle. Both groups received cyclophosphamide (CTX) injections. Weekly blood samples were assayed for FSH, estradiol and progesterone. Mean serum FSH levels significantly increased in the CTX group and significantly decreased in the LHRHa+CTX group. At the end of treatment, the remaining ovary was removed and serially sectioned, and ovarian follicle number and size were analyzed. CTX resulted in a significant reduction of nonprimordial follicles < 50 microns in diameter. The rate of loss of primordial follicles was expressed as a percentage of the original follicle count. During the treatment period, 64.6 +/- 2.8% of the total primordial follicles were lost in the CTX group compared to only 28.9 +/- 9.1% in the LHRHa+CTX group (p < 0.05). The percentage rate of decline per day was 0.120 +/- 0.012 for the CTX group compared to 0.057 +/- 0.019 (p < 0.05) for the LHRHa+CTX group. The findings indicate that LHRHa can protect the ovary against CTX-induced damage in rhesus monkeys.
Graphs with ∏ 1 0 (K)Y-sections

We prove that a Borel subset of the product of two internal setsX andY all of whoseY-sections are ∏10(K)(∑10(K)) sets is the intersection (union) of a countable sequence of Borel graphs with internalY-sections. As a consequence we prove some standard results about the domains of graphs in the product of two topological spaces all of whose horizontal section are compact (open) sets. A version of classical Vitali-Lusin theorem for those types of graphs is given as well as a new proof (and an extension) of a classical result of Kunugui.
Direct and indirect effects of drought on compensation following herbivory in scarlet gilia

Compensation following herbivory is an important element of plant defense; however, variation in compensation under naturally stressful conditions has yet to be evaluated directly. During Arizona's worst drought on record, we explored compensation following ungulate herbivory in a typically overcompensating population of scarlet gilia (Ipomopsis aggregata) near Flagstaff, Arizona, USA. In a natural survey of browsed and unbrowsed plants, we documented severe undercompensation. We tested two factors that potentially contributed to this atypical pattern: (1) the direct effect of drought stress on the capacity to compensate (following the typical single bout of herbivory) and (2) the indirect effect of drought stress on compensation through increased ungulate browsing. Using a 2 × 2 factorial experiment (with or without supplemental water, with or without clip-simulated herbivory typical of non-drought years), we found that water availability limited compensation (direct effect). In a second experiment examining the indirect effects of drought, we found that ungulates browsed scarlet gilia at unprecedented levels during the drought year, resulting in severe undercompensation. We conclude that, although water was an important limiting factor for compensation during the drought year, the overriding factor determining fitness achieved through compensation was the indirect effect of drought, i.e., drought-year-associated ungulate browsing.
Maximizing the revenues for distributed computing applications over WDM networks

A novel optimization problem of jointly provisioning both network resources and computing resources for distributed computing applications over WDM networks is studied, with the objective being the revenue maximization.
Setup errors in patients treated with intensity-modulated whole pelvic radiation therapy for gynecological malignancies.

Abstract Intensity-modulated whole pelvic radiation therapy (IM-WPRT) has decreased the incidence of gastrointestinal complications by reducing the volume of normal tissue irradiated in gynecologic patients. However, IM-WPRT plans result in steep dose gradients around the target volume, and thus accurate patient setup is essential. To quantify the accuracy of our patient positioning, we examined the weekly portal films of 46 women treated with IM-WPRT at our institution. All patients were positioned using a customized immobilization device that was indexed to the treatment table. Setup errors were evaluated by comparing portal images to simulation images using an algorithm that registers user-defined open curve segments drawn on both sets of film. The setup errors, which were separated into systematic and random components, ranged from 1.9 to 3.7 mm for the translations and 1.3° to 4.4° for the 2 in-plane translations. The systematic errors were all less than the respective random errors, with the largest error in the anterior/posterior direction. In addition, there was no correlation between the magnitude of these errors and patient-specific factors (age, weight, height). In the future, we will investigate the effect of these setup errors on the delivered dose distribution.
Conservation of RNase III Processing Pathways and Specificity in Hemiascomycetes

Rnt1p, the only known Saccharomyces cerevisiae RNase III endonuclease, plays important functions in the processing of precursors of rRNAs (pre-rRNAs) and of a large number of small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs) and small nucleolar RNAs (snoRNAs). While most eukaryotic RNases III, including the Schizosaccharomyces pombe enzyme Pac1p, cleave double-stranded RNA without sequence specificity, Rnt1p cleavage relies on the presence of terminal tetraloop structures that carry the consensus sequence AGNN. To search for the conservation of these processing signals, I have systematically analyzed predicted secondary structures of the 3 external transcribed spacer (ETS) sequences of the pre-rRNAs and of flanking sequences of snRNAs and snoRNAs from sequences available in 13 other Hemiascomycetes species. In most of these species, except in Yarrowia lipolytica, double-stranded RNA regions capped by terminal AGNN tetraloops can be found in the 3 ETS sequences of rRNA, in the 5 -o r 3-end flanking sequences of sn(o)RNAs, or in the intergenic spacers of polycistronic snoRNA transcription units. This analysis shows that RNase III processing signals and RNase III cleavage specificity are conserved in most Hemiascomycetes species but probably not in the evolutionarily more distant species Y. lipolytica.
Accurate and Inaccurate Conceptions about Osmosis That Accompanied Meaningful Problem Solving.

This study focused on the knowledge of six outstanding science students who solved an osmosis problem meaningfully. That is, they used appropriate and substantially accurate conceptual knowledge to generate an answer. Three generated a correct answer; three, an incorrect answer. This paper identifies both the accurate and inaccurate conceptions about osmosis of each correct and incorrect solver. The investigation consisted of a presolving clinical interview, think-aloud solving of the problem, and retrospective report of the solving. Of the 12 accurate conceptions identified here, two were especially important in enabling these solvers to generate a correct answer. Of the 8 inaccurate conceptions, either of 2 blocked a correct answer. Four, however, accompanied (and could therefore be concealed by) a correct answer. Teachers could use this information to make a meaningful solving of this problem accessible to more students and to identify more effectively students' inaccurate conceptions about osmosis.
Perception-Production Asymmetries in Homophone Spelling: The Unique Influence of Aging

Results. Results re vealed an aging asymmetry in production and detection as a function of dominance. Older adults made more errors than young adults when producing dominant homophones but fewer errors in producing subordinate homophones. In contrast, older adults consistently made fewer errors than young adults when detecting homophone errors. Independent of aging, dominance had similar effects on production and detection, with more errors on subordinate homophones. Priming had asymmetric effects different from aging by increasing errors in production but not detection. Discussion. These results suggest aging uniquely dissociates perception and production of homophone spelling and demonstrate circumstances under which aging benefits language processing. K ey Words: Aging—Homophone spelling—Perception-production asymmetry .
Statistics of envelope of high-frequency ultrasonic backscatter from human skin in vivo

The statistics of envelope of high-frequency ultrasonic backscatter signals from in vivo normal human dermis and subcutaneous fat were studied. The capability of six probability distributions (Rayleigh, Rician, K, Nakagami, Weibull, and Generalized Gamma) to model empirical envelope data was studied using the Kolmogorov-Smirnov (KS) goodness of fit statistic. The parameters of all the distributions were obtained using the maximum likelihood method. It was found that the Generalized Gamma distribution with two shape parameters provided the best fit among all the distributions in terms of the KS goodness of fit. The K and Weibull distributions also modeled the envelope statistics well. The Rayleigh and Rician distributions provided poorer fits. The parameters of the Generalized Gamma distribution, however, showed a larger variability than those of the other distributions. The intersubject variability in the estimated parameters of all the distributions was found to be comparable to the intrasubject variability. Fat was seen to exhibit significantly more pre-Rayleigh behavior compared to the dermis. The parameters of the Generalized Gamma distribution also showed significant differences between the dermis at the forearm and fingertip regions.
Federal deficits and short-term interest rates

Abstract This paper analyses empirically, using multivariate Granger-causality tests, the effects of federal deficits on short-term interest rates. Four deficit measures—the national income accounts measure, a flow-of-funds measure, the cyclically-adjusted deficit, and the change in the market value of privately held federal debt—are separately considered. Additional variables suggested by theory as important determinants of interest rates are considered along with the deficit measures. Quarterly data for the period 1957–1984 are employed in the tests. The multivariate tests suggest that none of the deficit measures Granger-cause the interest rate.
Exploring the success of information technology enabled business process reengineering

In the face of intense competition and economic pressures, corporations are shifting their fundamental unit of analysis from the business function to the business process. Business process reengineering (BPR) involves the radical change of age-old processes in the quest for significant improvement in performance. Information technologies are important enablers of this change. Results of an exploratory study of 59 executives are presented in an attempt to examine two basic questions: (1) are corporations undertaking IT-enabled BPR projects perceived to be successful, and (2) can the success be explained by an integration of IS with strategy. The claim tested in this paper is that any radical change must be directed from the top of the organization to be successful. The results provide early optimism for this growing phenomenon, indicating that this is indeed true for most major IT-enabled BPR efforts. >
An efficient approach for computing the geometrical optics field reflected from a numerically specified surface

In the conventional geometrical optical analysis of smooth surfaces it is customary, to search for a specular point on the surface of the scatterer for each given combination of source and observation points. In many situations only a numerical description of the surface is available rather than an analytical expression which lends itself more readily to a determination of the specular point. The numerically prescribed form for the surface may be locally interpolated each time a specular point is to be calculated. An alternative approach is investigated that circumvents the step of deriving the specular point and obtains the scattered field in a more direct manner. Basically, the method begins by computing the reflected rays off the surface at the points where their coordinates, as well as the partial derivatives (or equivalently, the direction of the normal), are numerically specified. Next, a cluster of three adjacent rays are chosen to define a "mean ray" and the divergence factor associated with this mean ray. Finally, the amplitude, phase, and vector direction of the reflected field at a given observation point are derived by associating this point with the nearest mean ray and determining its position relative to such a ray.
Risks and benefits of social media for children and adolescents.

FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND YouTube bring benefits to children and teenagers, including enhancing communication, broadening social connections, and learning technical skills, but can also expose them to risks, such as cyberbullying, “Facebook depression,” and “sexting,” according to a new report by the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP; O'Keeffe, Clarke-Pearson, & Council on Communications and Media, 2011). The new report outlines the latest research on one of the most common activities among today's children and teenagers and describes how health care providers can help families understand these sites and encourage their healthy use. The report considers any site that allows social interaction as a social media site, including social networking sites such as Facebook, MySpace, and Twitter; gaming sites and virtual worlds such as Club Penguin, Second Life, and the Sims; video sites such as YouTube; and blogs. The abundance of these sites has grown exponentially in recent years. According to a poll cited in the report, more than half of American teenagers log onto their favorite social media site at least once a day, whereas 22% do so at least 10 times a day; 75% of teenagers now own cell phones, with 54% of them using them for texting, 24% for instant messaging, and 25% for social media access. According to the authors of the new report, increase in social media has been so rapid and their presence in children's everyday life is now so pervasive that, for some teens, social media is the primary way they interact socially, and a large part of this generation's social and emotional development is occurring while on the Internet and on cell phones. Because of their limited capacity for self-regulation and susceptibility to peer pressure, children and adolescents are at risk as they navigate and experiment with social media. The report indicates that there are frequent online expressions of offline behaviors, such as bullying, clique forming, and sexual experimentation, and have introduced problems such as cyberbullying, privacy issues, and sexting. Other problems that merit awareness include Internet addiction and concur