cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Nonpharmacological treatment of postmenopausal symptoms

Key content Menopause is associated with an increase in vasomotor, genitourinary, and musculoskeletal symptoms as well as sleep and mood disturbance. Menopause is also associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular disease and osteoporosis. While pharmacological agents are available to treat postmenopausal symptoms, many nonpharmacological options are also available. Learning objectives To review the current nonpharmacological agents that are available for the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms. To review nonpharmacological options for prevention of diseases that occur at an increased incidence after menopause. Ethical issues While hormone replacement therapy is highly effective in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms, it is associated with health risks and is not considered first-line treatment. Nonpharmacological therapies, including herbal agents, have emerged as options in the treatment of postmenopausal symptoms and are commonly used by postmenopausal women. However, herbal agents are not regulated in many countries, and therefore the contents of a given product varies from sample to sample.
Critical Limb Ischemia

Critical limb ischemia refers to the clinical state of advanced arterial occlusive disease, placing an extremity at risk for gangrene and limb loss. Critical limb ischemia has 2 broad clinical subcategories that are vital to differentiate: acute limb ischemia and chronic arterial occlusive disease. This article reviews the etiologies, diagnosis, and treatment of critical limb ischemia.
Critical Local-Moment Fluctuations, Anomalous Exponents, and ω/T Scaling in the Kondo Problem with a Pseudogap

Experiments in heavy-fermion metals and related theoretical work suggest that critical local-moment fluctuations can play an important role near a zero-temperature phase transition. We study such fluctuations at the quantum critical point of a Kondo impurity model in which the density of band states vanishes as $|ϵ{|}^{r}$ at the Fermi energy ($ϵ=0$). The local spin response is described by a set of critical exponents that vary continuously with $r$. For $0lrl1$, the dynamical susceptibility at the critical point exhibits $\ensuremath{\omega}/T$ scaling with a fractional exponent, implying that the critical point is interacting.
Forward with people

Abstract I believe that the more dehumanization caused by technology in libraries, the more critical becomes the presence of librarians to provide a gracious human component as we fulfill our responsibility for teaching library concepts and for easing the transition from card catalogs to online catalogs and from printed periodical indexes to CD-ROMs.
Anxiety Indexes in the Draw a Person Test; A Scoring Manual

Summary A scoring manual for anxiety indexes in the Draw A Person Test (DAP) was based, in part, on the work of Hoyt, and of Goldworth, with a number of additions and modifications by the author. Twenty indexes of anxiety were described. Alternative scoring procedures were suggested for some indexes. The scoring was based on both a four-point scale and a two-point scale. Interrated reliabilities ranged from .67 to 1.00.
Shear stress-induced dilation is attenuated in skeletal muscle arterioles of hypertensive rats.

Abstract Hypertension is thought to alter many of the functions of the vascular endothelium. The present study examines whether shear stress–induced endothelium-dependent skeletal muscle arteriolar dilation is compromised in genetically hypertensive rats. Changes in the diameter of isolated, perfused arterioles (approximately 60 μm) from gracilis muscles of 12-week-old normotensive Wistar rats (NWR) and spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) were investigated. At a constant perfusion pressure (80 mm Hg), the active diameter of NWR and SHR arterioles was 57.1±2.0 and 50.9±3.5 μm, respectively (mean±SEM), while the passive diameter (in Ca 2+ -free solution) was 113.2±3.1 and 100.6±2.9 μm, respectively. Increases in wall shear stress (from 0 to 100 dyne/cm 2 ) elicited by increases in perfusate flow (from 0 to 25 μL/min) resulted in marked increases in the diameter of NWR arterioles, but such increases produced substantially smaller dilations in SHR arterioles (43.0 versus 18.9 μm). The prostaglandin synthesis inhibitor indomethacin (10 −5 mol/L) significantly attenuated the shear stress–induced dilations in both strains of rats. In contrast, the nitric oxide synthase inhibitor N ω -nitro-l-arginine (10 −4 mol/L) significantly shifted the shear stress–diameter curve to the right in vessels from NWR (by 50 dyne/cm 2 ) but not in those from SHR. Thus, in gracilis muscle arterioles of SHR, the reduced dilation to increases in shear stress seems to be due to the lack of nitric oxide synthesis and/or release in response to shear stress. The absence of this mechanism could result in elevated shear stress and power dissipation in the peripheral circulation and may promote further pathological changes in the endothelium in hypertension.
Profile of cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate-binding proteins during the conversion of yeasts to hyphate in the fungusMucor

Abstract Cyclic adenosine 3′,5′-monophosphate (cAMP)-binding activity was measured during the aerobically induced development of hyphae from CO2-grown yeasts ofMucor genevensis andM. racemosus. A significant decrease in binding activity occurred during morphogenesis in both species. Soluble binding proteins were covalently labeled with 8-azido-[82P]cAMP and separated by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. All of the binding activity in extracts ofM. genevensis was associated with two proteins having molecular weights of 51,000 and 65,000. Most of the binding activity in extracts ofM. racemosus was also associated with two proteins having these same molecular weights. Two additional proteins, which bound considerably less of the photoaffinity label, were seen in faint bands on each side of the 51,000M protein in preparations fromM. racemosus. These simple profiles of binding proteins did not change qualitatively throughout morphogenesis in either species, but band density on the autoradiograms diminished considerably in every case. Equilibrium dissociation constants were identical for both yeast and hyphal binding proteins, suggesting that a decrease in concentration of binding molecules, not a decrease in binding affinity, was responsible for the diminished band density. Removal of CO2 under conditions which prevented morphogenesis did not prevent the changes in cAMP-binding proteins from occurring.
Telomerase RNA biogenesis involves sequential binding by Sm and Lsm complexes

In most eukaryotes, the progressive loss of chromosome-terminal DNA sequences is counteracted by the enzyme telomerase, a reverse transcriptase that uses part of an RNA subunit as template to synthesize telomeric repeats. Many cancer cells express high telomerase activity, and mutations in telomerase subunits are associated with degenerative syndromes including dyskeratosis congenita and aplastic anaemia. The therapeutic value of altering telomerase activity thus provides ample impetus to study the biogenesis and regulation of this enzyme in human cells and model systems. We have previously identified a precursor of the fission yeast telomerase RNA subunit (TER1) and demonstrated that the mature 3'-end is generated by the spliceosome in a single cleavage reaction akin to the first step of splicing. Directly upstream and partly overlapping with the spliceosomal cleavage site is a putative binding site for Sm proteins. Sm and like-Sm (LSm) proteins belong to an ancient family of RNA-binding proteins represented in all three domains of life. Members of this family form ring complexes on specific sets of target RNAs and have critical roles in their biogenesis, function and turnover. Here we demonstrate that the canonical Sm ring and the Lsm2-8 complex sequentially associate with fission yeast TER1. The Sm ring binds to the TER1 precursor, stimulates spliceosomal cleavage and promotes the hypermethylation of the 5'-cap by Tgs1. Sm proteins are then replaced by the Lsm2-8 complex, which promotes the association with the catalytic subunit and protects the mature 3'-end of TER1 from exonucleolytic degradation. Our findings define the sequence of events that occur during telomerase biogenesis and characterize roles for Sm and Lsm complexes as well as for the methylase Tgs1.
Unusual suppression properties of lysogens containing derivatives of ϕ80 psu3

Nonsense codon suppressing lysogens of E. coli have been made using ϕ80 psu 3 + -A2 and ϕ80 psu oc + -A2, heat-sensitive amber and ochre suppressing derivatives, respectively, of bacteriophage ϕ80. The various lysogens selected differ in strength of suppression as well as in heat sensitivity of suppressor function. Heat-resistant derivatives, some still carrying the A2 mutation, can be selected from the heat sensitive parents. Mapping expreiments indicate that the ϕ80 derivatives integrate at the tyrTV locus, which contains two copies of tRNA 1 Tyr . The origin of the various suppressor phenotypes appears to be related to the great variety of distinctive recombination events possible either between the incoming tRNA 1 Tyr gene and the host copies, or among the three copies of this gene in the lysogens.
Morphometric analysis of the "mucocellular layer" overlying colorectal cancer and normal mucosa: relevance to exfoliation and stool screening.

Characterization of shed cell elements entrapped within the colorectal surface mucus would be valuable to the study of exfoliation and candidate stool screening markers. Yet, surprisingly little is known about the cellular composition of this "mucocellular layer" (MCL). Our aim was to describe and compare the histomorphometry of the MCL that overlies colorectal cancer (CRC) and normal mucosa. From tissue archives, 20 resected CRC specimens yielding perpendicular cuts of both tumor surface and adjacent normal mucosa were consecutively selected. MCL thickness and cell number were determined in triplicate using an ocular micrometer. Cellular elements within the MCL were characterized on paraffin sections by immunohistochemistry. Mean cell density was much greater in the MCL over CRC (2,639 ± 2,178 per mm 2 ) than over normal mucosa (184 ± 395 per mm 2 ), P
Human gephyrin is encompassed within giant functional noncoding yin–yang sequences

Gephyrin is a highly conserved gene that is vital for the organization of proteins at inhibitory receptors, molybdenum cofactor biosynthesis and other diverse functions. Its specific function is intricately regulated and its aberrant activities have been observed for a number of human diseases. Here we report a remarkable yin-yang haplotype pattern encompassing gephyrin. Yin-yang haplotypes arise when a stretch of DNA evolves to present two disparate forms that bear differing states for nucleotide variations along their lengths. The gephyrin yin-yang pair consists of 284 divergent nucleotide states and both variants vary drastically from their mutual ancestral haplotype, suggesting rapid evolution. Several independent lines of evidence indicate strong positive selection on the region and suggest these high-frequency haplotypes represent two distinct functional mechanisms. This discovery holds potential to deepen our understanding of variable human-specific regulation of gephyrin while providing clues for rapid evolutionary events and allelic migrations buried within human history.
The effect of double scattering on critical fluid Rayleigh linewidth measurements

Abstract We apply recent work on the intensity correlation function of light double scattered from a system of brownian diffusing balls to the case of a fluid near the critical point. We evaluate the relative intensities and intensity correlation times of the polarized and depolarized components of the double scattered light as a function of k 0 ξ. We compare these correlation times to those found for single scattering and find that the more intense polarized component of the double scattered light has a correlation time nearly equal to the singly scattered light in the critical region where k 0 ξ ⪆ 8 .
Luminescence sensing of stress in Ti/Al2O3 fiber reinforced composites

Abstract The high temperature processing of fibrous metal matrix composites has been predicted to result in the development of large residual stresses because of a difference between the coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE) of the fibers and matrix. The R1 and R2 optical luminescence line shifts of single crystal α-Al2O3 fibers embedded in a titanium matrix have been measured using a fiber optic method and related to the reinforcing fiber's principal stresses. The fiber's axial stress component has been found to be more than twice that predicted by a concentric cylinder's (CTE difference) model, whilst the fiber's radial (and hoop) direction stresses are smaller than expected. We propose that the stress in these composites is affected by two presently unmodeled effects: an elevation of composite's residual stress due to the large CTE difference between the tooling used for processing of the composite and a relaxation of the transverse stress components by radial matrix cracking. The result has important consequences for the manufacture of metal matrix composites and for efforts to predict their mechanical properties.
Differentiating symptoms of social anxiety and depression in adults with social anxiety disorder

Although studies have suggested a strong overlap between social anxiety disorder and depression, this is the first study to examine the ability of commonly used measures to differentiate symptoms of these disorders in a sample of clients with social anxiety disorder. Structural equation modeling revealed that commonly used measures of social anxiety and depression can differentiate the two constructs, rather than simply reflecting a single construct of overall distress. Logistic regression analyses indicated that scores on depressive symptom measures could predict which socially anxious clients met criteria for a comorbid depressive disorder.
ANGULAR DISTRIBUTIONS OF GAMMA RAYS PRODUCED IN REACTIONS WITH HEAVY IONS.

Abstract Angular distributions of the stretched E2 gamma-ray transitions cascading from rotational or vibrational states, populated by heavy-ion, xn reactions, have been measured. The reactions were induced by 4He, 11B, 14N and 19F ions on targets in the mass range from 159 to 186. In one case the variation of anisotropy with bombarding energy was measured. Large anisotropies were observed indicating the strong alignments of the decaying states. The problems involved in a theoretical calculation of the alignments are discussed. The implications of the strong angular distributions for nuclear structure measurements with these reactions are considered.
Symmetry-breaking bifurcation with on-off intermittency in chaotic dynamical systems.

When a dynamical system possesses certain symmetry, there can be an invariant subspace in the phase space. In the invariant subspace there can be a chaotic attractor. As a parameter changes through a critical value, the chaotic attractor can lose stability with respect to perturbations transverse to the invariant subspace. We show that the loss of the transverse stability can lead to a symmetry-breaking bifurcation characterized by lack of the system symmetry in the asymptotic attractor. An accompanying physical phenomenon is an extreme type of temporally intermittent bursting behavior. The mechanism for this type of symmetry-breaking bifurcation is elucidated. @S1063-651X~96!51505-9#
Pressure algometry and thermal sensitivity for assessing pain sensitivity and effects of flunixin meglumine and sodium salicylate in a transient lameness model in sows

Abstract Sow lameness can result in decreased animal health and productivity, and is a significant animal welfare concern. Swine producers and veterinarians lack objective assessment tools to detect lameness. Objectives of this study were to evaluate pressure algometry (PA) and thermal sensitivity (TS) as objective assessment tools for changes in pain sensitivity associated with lameness and to assess analgesic drugs for mitigating lameness pain. Twelve mixed parity crossbred sows were anesthetized and injected with Amphotericin B in the distal interdigital space of both claws of one hind leg to induce transient lameness. Sows were randomly assigned to one of three analgesic treatment groups: (1) Sodium Salicylate (SS; 35 mg/kg per os q.12 h+0.04 ml/kg IM q.24 h sterile saline), (2) Flunixin meglumine (FM; 2.2 mg/kg IM q.24 h), or (3) Control (C; 0.04 ml/kg IM q.24 h sterile saline). All sows received each treatment over three trials with two-wk wash-out periods between trials. Forty-eight h post-induction, analgesic treatments were administered daily for four consecutive d. Pain sensitivity was assessed with PA and TS on each hind leg on d−1, d+1 and d+6 relative to induction (d0). Proc Glimmix of SAS 9.2 was used to analyze the difference between sound (S) and lame (L) legs on each trial day, with a simple effect comparison used to analyze effect of analgesia treatment on d+6. As predicted, S and L legs did not differ on d−1 (P=0.56) and less pressure was tolerated on L legs on d+1 (P
Accumulation and defective β-oxidation of very long chain fatty acids in Zellweger's syndrome, adrenoleukodystrophy and Refsum's disease variants

The accumulation of very long chain fatty acids in plasma and skin fibroblasts was measured in at least four separate inherited disease states. Both the magnitude and the nature of the fatty acid changes reflected the clinical status of individual patients. In Zellweger's syndrome, and to a lesser extent in infantile Refsum's disease, there was an increase in 24:0, 26:0, 26:1, and a number of even longer chain fatty acids, while in the X-linked form of adrenoleukodystrophy these changes were less pronounced. Zellweger fibroblasts in culture took up lignoceric, phytanic and stearic acids and incorporated them into a variety of lipids in a manner comparable to control fibroblasts. However, these cells were unable to convert phytanic or lignoceric acid to CO2. Infantile Refsum's and X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy fibroblasts showed normal conversion of these acids to CO2. Normal fibroblast homogenates produced radioactive acetate from [1-14C] stearic and [1-14C] lignoceric acids indicating that both substrates were beta-oxidised under these conditions. Homogenates of fibroblasts from all patients patients with biochemical evidence of accumulation of very long chain fatty acids showed normal or near-normal stearic acid beta-oxidation, but were deficient in lignoceric acid beta-oxidation. Residual lignoceric acid beta-oxidation activity varied from approximately 15% in Zellweger syndrome up to 50% in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy. It is postulated that the accumulation of very long chain fatty acids results from defects in peroxisomal beta-oxidation. In Zellweger's syndrome, and possibly in infantile Refsum's disease, it is probable that this defect is secondary to a primary abnormality affecting the structure and/or function of peroxisomes, while the primary defect in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy may be confined to a pathway specific for the oxidation of very long chain fatty acids.
Humor im deutschen Film? Kein Oxymoron in Good Bye Lenin! und Sonnenallee: Vorschläge für den DaF-Unterricht auf der Mittel- und Oberstufe

Ab etwa Mitte der 90er Jahre entstehen erfolg reiche Filmkom?dien in Deutschland, die poli tisch-historische Inhalte mit menschlichen Schw? chen und St?rken verbinden, sie durch Humor ni vellieren und dadurch ein gro?es Publikum ansprechen. Durch die Verbindung des Faktischen mit dem Pers?nlichen werden Impulse transpor tiert, die eine Identifizierung durch Erinnerung und Emotionalisierung herstellen, ohne das Risiko in formativer ?berfrachtungen einzugehen, wie sie leicht durch Dokumentarfilme entstehen k?nnen.2 F?r zwei besonders erfolgreiche Filme dieser von Humor getragenenen Kategorie, Good Bye Le nin!3 und Sonnenallee,4 legen wir didaktische und methodische Hinweise f?r den Einsatz im Unter richt auf der Mittelund Oberstufe vor.5 Beide Fil me wurden auf beiden Stufen erfolgreich einge setzt. Die Arbeitshinweise sind prim?r auf Landes kunde in humorvollen Szenen gerichtet.6 Unsere Erfahrungen im Unterricht zeigten, dass die Ler nenden diese Filme wegen der zahlreichen humor vollen Szenen im "kulturellen" Kontext sehr sch?t zen. Als besonders interessante Themen wurden mehrfach genannt: Junge Leute im Familienund Freundeskreis, Einblick in deren Alltag (Vorund Nachwende) sowie un?bersehbare westliche Ein fl?sse. F?r eine erfolgreiche Pr?sentierung und Dis kussion der Filme erweist sich allerdings die ge
Simulator Evaluation of a Remotely Piloted Vehicle Lateral Landing Task Using a Visual Display

A simulator evaluation of a remotely piloted research vehicle was conducted at NASA Ames Research Center's Dryden Flight Research Facility to determine the utility of a visual display when studying the influence of changes in the lateral stick gearing gains during landing approaches. The test vehicle used in this study was a highly maneuverable aircraft technology (HiMAT) aircraft, which is a 0.44 scale version of an envisioned small, single seat fighter airplane. Handling qualities ratings and comments obtained from pilots using a simulated visual display of a runway scene and a simulated instrument landing system (ILS) display were compared with the results of actual flight tests. The visual display was found to provide an adequate representation of the test vehicle in a visual landing approach, and it improved the roll response cues provided to the pilot. The handling qualities ratings and comments for flight and simulation visual landing approaches correlated well. The ILS simulation results showed reduced correlation compared with the flight results for ILS approaches. Handling qualities criteria for remotely piloted research vehicles are also discussed in this paper.
Identification of asynchronous monaural and dichotic vowel pairs across the adult lifespan.

Temporal onset asynchrony is one cue that listeners use to identify concurrent vowels. Young (N=80; 18–31 years), middle‐age (N=40; 40–55 years), and older (N=150; 60–88 years) adults identified vowel pairs in a temporal‐order paradigm under monaural and dichotic stimulus presentations. Experiments used forced‐choice constant‐stimuli methods to determine the smallest stimulus onset asynchrony (SOA) between brief 70‐ms vowels that enabled identification of the stimulus sequence. Vowels modified from four words (pit, pet, pot, and put) served as stimuli. All listeners identified the vowels in isolation with better than 90% accuracy. Results indicated that older listeners performed significantly poorer on monaural and dichotic temporal‐order identification tasks than young listeners, with middle‐age listeners in between. Correlations of performance with age across the full age span were moderate. For all three groups, SOAs for the dichotic task were significantly longer than those for the monaural task. A significant main effect of vowel pair was observed, indicating that not all vowel pairs were equally identifiable. Patterns of vowel pair identification were similar across all groups for both monaural and dichotic presentations; however, interactions with age group were observed. Effects of vowel order and dominance were also observed. [Work supported, in part, by NIA R01 AG022334.]
Visible light photochemical activity of heterostructured PbTiO3–TiO2 core–shell particles

Heterostructured powders composed of microcrystalline PbTiO3 cores coated with nanostructured TiO2 shells were prepared by a sol–gel method. When exposed to visible light (λ > 420 nm), the heterostructured powder degrades methylene blue at a rate 4.8 times greater than PbTiO3, TiO2, or mechanical mixtures of the phases. The rate at which the heterostructured powder degrades methylene blue depends on the processing temperature; samples annealed at 500 °C are the most reactive, even though they do not have the highest surface area. Enhanced degradation rates were not observed for Pb-doped TiO2, indicating that it is the core–shell architecture and not contamination by lead that increases the reactivity. The improved reactivity of microcrystalline-PbTiO3/nanostructured-TiO2 heterostructures in visible light is attributed to visible light absorption in the PbTiO3 core, charge separation at the buried interface between the ferroelectric PbTiO3 and the dielectric TiO2, and dye degradation on the nanostructured TiO2 shell.
Middleware of real-time object based fault tolerant distributed computing systems: issues and some approaches

At this turn of the century the object-oriented (OO) distributed real-time (RT) programming movement is growing rapidly along with the networked embedded systems market. The motivations are reviewed and then a brief overview is given of the particular programming scheme which this author and his collaborators have been establishing. The scheme is called the time-triggered message triggered object (TMO) programming scheme and it is used to make specific illustrations of the issues and potentials of OO RT programming. Fault tolerance capabilities are required in many distributed RT computing applications. At this time the development of middleware which is capable of supporting reliable fault-tolerant execution of application level RT distributed objects is an important challenge to the research community. Some major issues that need to be resolved and some promising approaches are discussed.
Controlled Field Experiment for Performance Evaluation of Septic Tank Effluent Treatment during Soil Infiltration

Decentralized systems are responsible for treating approximately 25% of the wastewater generated in the United States. The most common decentralized system involves onsite treatment using a septic tank unit followed by dispersal to a subsurface soil infiltration unit where percolation to groundwater occurs. To evaluate the hydraulic and purification processes occurring during soil treatment of septic tank effluent (STE), a field experiment was initiated in the Spring of 2003 with continued operation and monitoring for 2 years. A replicated factorial design ( 22 ) was employed to evaluate three infiltrative surface architectures (ISAs) (open, stone, and synthetic) and two daily hydraulic loading rates (HLRs) (4 and 8 cm∕day ). Pilot-scale test cells were established in native sandy loam soils at the Mines Park Test Site located on the Colorado School of Mines campus in Golden, Colo. STE was obtained from a nearby multifamily apartment building and applied to the test cells daily. Field monitoring included ...
Measurement of non-rigid motion using contour shape descriptors

The problem of measuring the motion of deformable objects from image sequences is addressed. The approach is based upon modeling the overall boundary of the object as a deformable contour and then tracking local segments of the contour through the temporal sequence. Motion computation involves first matching the local segments between pairs of contours by minimizing the deformation between the segments using a measure of bending energy. Results from the match process are incorporated into an optimization functional, along with a general smoothness term, whose local minimum results in a smooth flow field that is consistent with the match data. The computation is performed for all pairs of frames in the temporal sequence, resulting in a composite flow field over the entire sequence. The technique is applied to synthetic contour sequences and the problem of tracking left ventricular (LV) endocardial motion from medical image sequences. >
Space‐charge effects and ion distribution in plasma source mass spectrometry

Space-charge effects appear to be key in understanding ion-transport processes in plasma-source mass spectrometry. Both theoretical calculations and experimental measurements demonstrate that space charge influences ion transport between the plasma source and mass analyzer. In a theoretical analysis, both drift space and accelerating space in the interface have been considered and preliminary conclusions have been drawn concerning space-charge repulsion and ion-beam divergence in those regions. In the experimental work, spatial patterns of sample deposition on the third stage vacuum orifice plate were recorded while using a microwave plasma source. To measure these patterns, a stainless-steel target was used to cover the orifice and both x-ray fluorescence microanalysis and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to examine the sample material deposited on it. The resulting spatial maps show that analyte deposition is somewhat element-dependent in a way that is correlated with analyte atomic mass. These findings can be explained on the basis of space-charge theory.
Performance and Decoding Complexity of Nonbinary LDPC Codes for Magnetic Recording

We consider a group of high-performance q-ary low-density parity-check (LDPC) coded perpendicular magnetic recording channels (PMRCs) with optimized targets and codes over various field sizes. We show that the nonbinary LDPC-coded PMRCs provide 1-dB coding gain over a practical implementation of a good binary LDPC-coded PMRC at user density of 1.22, and evaluate the decoding complexities of these systems in terms of both the number of floating-point (FLP) operations and the computational time. Decoding complexity ratios of nonbinary LDPC-coded PMRCs to the binary LDPC-coded system are presented. After careful analysis, we conclude that the time complexity ratios are always smaller than the ratios obtained by the number of FLP operations, which do not exceed 7.42. Furthermore, experimental results show that the size of the Galois field does not affect the decoding complexity.
Combination of stereotactic ablative body radiation with targeted therapies

Recent advances allow safe and effective delivery of ablative doses of radiation with stereotactic precision to tumours, resulting in very high levels of tumour control. Parallel advances in the understanding of tumour biology enable delivery of systemic drugs that selectively antagonise biological pathways in the tumour and surrounding microenvironment. Data is emerging that these treatments have synergistic effects that might further increase therapeutic efficacy, and they are therefore being increasingly used in combination, primarily in metastatic or recurrent disease. In this Review we summarise the biological rationale and clinical data for both sterotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR) and targeted therapies, and the emerging experience with combination of these treatments. We describe potential pathways of cooperation in both tumour and normal tissue between SABR and targeted drugs, and, because fatal toxicities have been reported, we outline clinical precautions.
Systematic Review of Yoga Interventions for Anxiety Reduction Among Children and Adolescents

Objective Anxiety disorders are the most prevalent psychological disorders among children and youths. There is growing interest in intervention options for anxiety. Yoga is widely used in clinical, school, and community settings, but consolidated sources outlining its effectiveness in reducing anxiety are limited. Method This systematic review examined the evidence base (1990-2014) for yoga interventions addressing anxiety among children and adolescents (ages 3-18 yr). Results We identified 2,147 references and found 80 articles that were eligible for full-text review. The final analysis included 16: 6 randomized controlled trials, 2 nonrandomized preintervention-postintervention control-group designs, 7 uncontrolled preintervention-postintervention studies, and 1 case study. Conclusion Nearly all studies indicated reduced anxiety after a yoga intervention. However, because of the wide variety of study populations, limitations in some study designs, and variable outcome measures, further research is needed to enhance the ability to generalize and apply yoga to reduce anxiety.
Activity budgets of a marked common loon (Gavia immer) nesting population

A newly devised nightlighting technique was used to capture breeding adult common loons (Gavia immer) at the Seney National Wildlife Refuge in northern Michigan in 1989. The behaviors of 6 pairs of known-sex, color-marked common loons were subsequently quantified during the breeding cycle in 1990. Collected observational data indicate that foraging, resting, locomotion, and preening were frequent throughout the breeding cycle. Time spent foraging was greatest during the pre-nesting period (53 to 57%), but declined significantly during the nesting and post-nesting periods (p<0.05). Time spent foraging during the pre-nesting period was similar to that of fall and winter studies. During the pre-nesting period adult loons spent about 15% of the time in locomotion; this was significantly greater than the other time periods (p<0.05) and is attributed to selecting a nest site. During the nesting cycle, almost half of each bird’s time spent was nest-sitting. Sexual differences were negligible during nest-sitting. Resting and chick-rearing were the predominant behaviors during the post-nesting period and were responsible for the biggest difference in parental duties. Time spent preening declined from 8% during the pre-nesting period to 4 to 5% during the post-nesting period. Time spent by nesting pairs to produce chicks is approximately 10% during pre-nesting, 48 to 49% during nesting, and between 38 to 44% during post-nesting. By quantifying and establishing behavioral standards, subtle abnormalities or changes can be detected to better manage for viable common loon populations.
Three-Dimensional Genome Architecture Influences Partner Selection for Chromosomal Translocations in Human Disease

Chromosomal translocations are frequent features of cancer genomes that contribute to disease progression. These rearrangements result from formation and illegitimate repair of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs), a process that requires spatial colocalization of chromosomal breakpoints. The “contact first” hypothesis suggests that translocation partners colocalize in the nuclei of normal cells, prior to rearrangement. It is unclear, however, the extent to which spatial interactions based on three-dimensional genome architecture contribute to chromosomal rearrangements in human disease. Here we intersect Hi-C maps of three-dimensional chromosome conformation with collections of 1,533 chromosomal translocations from cancer and germline genomes. We show that many translocation-prone pairs of regions genome-wide, including the cancer translocation partners BCR-ABL and MYC-IGH, display elevated Hi-C contact frequencies in normal human cells. Considering tissue specificity, we find that translocation breakpoints reported in human hematologic malignancies have higher Hi-C contact frequencies in lymphoid cells than those reported in sarcomas and epithelial tumors. However, translocations from multiple tissue types show significant correlation with Hi-C contact frequencies, suggesting that both tissue-specific and universal features of chromatin structure contribute to chromosomal alterations. Our results demonstrate that three-dimensional genome architecture shapes the landscape of rearrangements directly observed in human disease and establish Hi-C as a key method for dissecting these effects.
Coupling Maxwell's equation time-domain solution with Monte-Carlo technique to simulate ultrafast optically controlled switches

An accurate model for studying transients in semiconductor devices and optical switches is presented. This approach couples a direct solution of Maxwell's equations with an ensemble Monte-Carlo model. This model is capable of simulating very-high-frequency devices and switches on the subpicosecond scale. Optical interaction with semiconductor devices can also be modeled. >
A semi-autonomous decentralized system for controlling street traffic signals

Our work is based on distributed and knowledge-based methodology for real-time control of street and highway ramp signals. After a running prototype system that proved the feasibility of the approach, we have now completed the first part of a complex, two-phase learning program of the traffic control regime. It produces optimum local (intersection) control of signals in steady-state traffic scenarios. With appropriate communication between adjacent intersections, we should obtain an optimum, global, reactive and predictive control regime of the semi-autonomous, decentralized system. >
Cloud Based Content Fetching: Using Cloud Infrastructure to Obfuscate Phishing Scam Analysis

Phishing has become a crippling problem for many of today's internet users. Despite innovations in preventative measures, phishing has evolved to become very hard to detect. Determining whether a particular site is a phishing site or not is difficult, causing many inexperienced users to fall victim. Phishing site operators often actively prevent anti-phishing measures by detecting and blacklisting the IP addresses that try to probe them. In this paper, we propose using a cloud infrastructure to mask our identity from assumed phishing sites through the use of virtual machines spread across many geographic regions. Our system presents different personas and user behavior to the phishing sites by using different IP addresses and different browsing configurations. By running a 10-day probe experiment against real phishing site, we show the effectiveness of this approach in preventing detection and blocking of anti-phishing probes by the phishing site operators.
Control experimentation for undergraduate students

This paper describes automatic control laboratory experiments developed at the Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at the West Virginia University Institute of Technology. Significance is given to unstructured-based instruction. The laboratory course is offered concurrently with an introductory lecture course in automatic control theory. Experiments are designed to give students thorough understanding of basic concepts and phenomenon of control theory.
Charging up Battery Recycling Policies: Extended Producer Responsibility for Single-Use Batteries in the European Union, Canada, and the United States

Extended producer responsibility (EPR) policies have proven effective at raising consumer awareness, expanding waste collection infrastructure, and shifting costs of end-of-life (EOL) management from municipalities to stewardship organizations. Yet, such policies have been less successful in advancing waste management programs that ensure a net environmental benefit. This article analyzes how EPR policies for single-use batteries in the European Union (EU), Canada, and the United States address the environmental costs and benefits of EOL management. Considering these EPR policies is instructive, because single-use batteries have high collection costs and are of relatively low economic value for waste processors. Without deliberate planning, the environmental burdens of collecting and recycling such batteries may exceed the benefits. This article considers how EPR policies for single-use batteries integrate performance requirements such as collection rates, recycling efficiencies, and best available techniques. It argues that for such policies to be effective, they need to be extended to address waste collection practices, the life cycle consequences of EOL management, and the quality of recovered materials. Such strategies are relevant to EPR policies for other products with marginal secondary value, including some textiles, plastics, and other types of electronic waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
Spintronics: Gadolinium makes good spin contacts

Tailoring junctions of ferromagnetic metals and silicon could bring together non-volatile magnetic storage and conventional electronics.
Age-Friendly Community Initiatives: Conceptual Issues and Key Questions

Public policy and programs for older adults traditionally have focused on the delivery of benefits to targeted individuals. Over the past decade, age-friendly community initiatives (AFCIs) have developed as a paradigm shift in contrast to this predominant focus. AFCIs engage stakeholders from multiple sectors within a typically local geographic area to make social and/or physical environments more conducive to older adults' health, well-being, and ability to age in place and in the community. We describe three general categories of AFCIs, including community planning approaches, support-focused approaches, and cross-sector partnership approaches. Following from this conceptual overview, we posit four key policy-relevant questions with implications for the expansion of AFCIs, including what public policy supports are necessary for the implementation of AFCIs across diverse communities, how entities outside of aging can be engaged to collaborate, to what extent advocates for various models can work together, and how the outcomes of these initiatives can be rigorously evaluated. We conclude by discussing how AFCIs are germane to the primary issues highlighted by the 2015 White House Conference on Aging.
Radiographic evaluation of velopharyngeal incompetence in childhood.

A combination of audio-enhanced videofluoroscopy and 105-mm spot films is used; both the radiologist and the speech pathologist are present. This technique has been successful in more than 250 patients with suspected velopharyngeal incompetence
Virus-Like Particle Vaccine Induces Protective Immunity against Homologous and Heterologous Strains of Influenza Virus

Recurrent outbreaks of highly pathogenic avian influenza virus pose the threat of pandemic spread of lethal disease and make it a priority to develop safe and effective vaccines. Influenza virus-like particles (VLPs) have been suggested to be a promising vaccine approach. However, VLP-induced immune responses, and their roles in inducing memory immune responses and cross-protective immunity have not been investigated. In this study, we developed VLPs containing influenza virus A/PR8/34 (H1N1) hemagglutinin (HA) and matrix (M1) proteins and investigated their immunogenicity, long-term cross-protective efficacy, and effects on lung proinflammatory cytokines in mice. Intranasal immunization with VLPs containing HA induced high serum and mucosal antibody titers and neutralizing activity against PR8 and A/WSN/33 (H1N1) viruses. Mice immunized with VLPs containing HA showed little or no proinflammatory lung cytokines and were protected from a lethal challenge with mouse-adapted PR8 or WSN viruses even 5 months postimmunization. Influenza VLPs induced mucosal immunoglobulin G and cellular immune responses, which were reactivated rapidly upon virus challenge. Long-lived antibody-secreting cells were detected in the bone marrow of immunized mice. Immune sera administered intranasally were able to confer 100% protection from a lethal challenge with PR8 or WSN, which provides further evidence that anti-HA antibodies are primarily responsible for preventing infection. Taken together, these results indicate that nonreplicating influenza VLPs represent a promising strategy for the development of a safe and effective vaccine to control the spread of lethal influenza viruses.
Olanzapine for Psychotic and Behavioral Disturbances in Alzheimer Disease

OBJECTIVE:To evaluate the efficacy and safety of olanzapine for the treatment of psychotic and behavioral disturbances in Alzheimer disease.DATA SOURCES:MEDLINE (1966–January 2003) and Science Citation Index searches were performed. Key search terms included olanzapine, Alzheimer(s), and dementia.DATA SYNTHESIS:Four trials of olanzapine and subsequent post hoc analyses were reviewed. Three trials found a benefit associated with olanzapine use, but a fourth trial did not.CONCLUSIONS:Olanzapine appears to be effective in treating psychotic and behavioral disturbances associated with Alzheimer disease. However, the most appropriate dose remains to be determined. The benefit of olanzapine therapy must be weighed against the adverse effect profiles of olanzapine and alternative treatment options.
A Review of the Ecology, Genomics, and Stress Response of Listeria innocua and Listeria monocytogenes

Listeria monocytogenes is a Gram-positive foodborne pathogen responsible for a severe disease occurring in immuno-compromised populations. Foodborne illness caused by L. monocytogenes is a serious public health concern because of the high associated mortality. Study of the closely related, but nonpathogenic Listeria innocua has accounted for a better understanding of the behavior of L. monocytogenes in environments beyond the laboratory. Traditionally, the ecological co-habitation, genomic synteny, and physiological similarity of the two species have supported use of L. innocua for predicting the behavior of L. monocytogenes in farm and food processing environments. However, a careful review of the current literature indicates that in a given situation it may not be prudent to use L. innocua as a surrogate for L. monocytogenes without prior confirmation of their similar phenotypes, as an increasing number of studies have arisen demonstrating differences in L. monocytogenes and L. innocua stress response, ...
Ten Years on: Making Relatives and Making Meaning in the Borderlands

This article utilizes an auto-ethnographic approach to consider some of the tensions inherent in the requirements of sociology as an industry. Short production timelines, high expected output, and classical notions of objectivity continue to organize sociological inquiry, even as critical sociologists continue to question these very relations of ruling. This essay contributes to ongoing critical analyses of sociology’s disciplinary paradigm and offers a consideration of the interstitial spaces potentially produced by ‘slow sociology’ as one possible antidote to these limitations. Productive of a borderlands epistemology, slow sociology resists the ruling relations of sociology and encourages nuanced translation work between cultures of study, cultures of habitation, and cultures of disciplined inquiry, fostering links between public society and academic endeavors.
Is Public Administration a Profession

Public administrators are often said not to constitute a profession for one or more of at least ten reasons, for example, that they are not independent consultants but employees (and therefore lack “professional autonomy”). Yet, many public administrators seem to believe they belong to a profession. This paper argues that they are probably right. Doubts about the professional status of public administration seem to rely on one or another sociological definition having little to recommend it outside sociology. With a better definition, public administration looks very much like a profession. The question remaining is whether public administrators want their occupation to be a profession—and who they want to include in that profession.
Measuring the local electrical conductivity of human brain tissue

The electrical conductivities of freshly excised brain tissues from 24 patients were measured. The diffusion-MRI of the hydrogen nuclei of water molecules from regions that were subsequently excised was also measured. Analysis of these measurements indicates that differences between samples' conductivities are primarily due to differences of their densities of solvated sodium cations. Concomitantly, the sample-to-sample variations of their diffusion constants are relatively small. This finding suggests that non-invasive in-vivo measurements of brain tissues' local sodium-cation density can be utilized to estimate its local electrical conductivity.