cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Restricted sine-Gordon theory and the minimal conformal series

We make some observations that lend support to the following hypothesis: for special values of the sine-Gordon coupling constant, a truncation of the Hilbert space that preserves the integrability is possible, and these new theories have renormalization group fixed point behavior of a c<1 minimal conformal model. Our discussion centers on the method of quantum inverse scattering and its associated Yang-Baxter and quantum group structure.
A comparative study of cytoarchitectonics and chemoarchitectonics of the cerebral cortex of the guinea pig

The histochemical distribution of succinic dehydrogenase in the guinea pig's cerebral cortex is compared with the cytoarchitectonics in restained sections. The cytoarchitectonic subdivision of the cortex is paralleled by gradations of enzymic activity which can be substantiated by densitometric measurements. The typical histochemical patterns of several representative regions are described. The histochemical pattern of succinic dehydrogenase may be regarded as a parameter of the general oxidative metabolic rate of a region. A more detailed comparison of chemoarchitectonics and cytoarchitectonics shows that there is no correlation of cell density and enzymic activity since the nerve cell's maximal enzyme supply can be found either in the pericaryon or in the dendrites. These patterns of enzymic distribution are typical for the various laminae of the cortex.
The effects of multiple minimum wages throughout the labor market: The case of Costa Rica

Abstract This paper investigates the effects of legal minimum wages on employment and hours worked among workers covered by minimum wage legislation as well as those for whom it does not apply (the uncovered sector) in Costa Rica. This country's large uncovered sector and complex minimum wage policy, which has for decades set numerous wages throughout the wage distribution, provide a stimulating counterpoint to the U.S. framework for the analysis of the impact of minimum wages. Using 1988–2000 micro data, we find that a 10% increase in minimum wages lowers employment in the covered sector by 1.09% and decreases the average number of hours worked of those who remain in the covered sector by about 0.6%. We do not find a significant impact on hours worked in the uncovered sector. Finally, we show that despite the wide range of minimum wages, the largest impact on the employment of covered sector workers is in the lower half of the skill distribution.
A single-residue mutation destabilizes Vibrio harveyi flavin reductase FRP dimer.

Abstract Our earlier studies have shown that the Vibrio harveyi flavin reductase FRP undergoes a monomer–dimer equilibrium, and luciferase forms a functional complex with the FRP monomer but not significantly with the dimer. This work is aimed at further investigating the nature and regulation of FRP subunit interactions by computation and site-directed mutagenesis approaches. In silico mutations of a number of residues were performed, and energetic analyses led us to target residue E99, which interacts directly with R113 and R225 from the second subunit of the FRP homodimer, for detailed investigation. E99 was found non-essential to the binding of either the FMN cofactor or the substrates. However, in comparison with the native enzyme, the E99K variant was shown to have an enhanced subunit dissociation as evident from a 44-fold higher K d for the monomer–dimer equilibrium. The critical role of E99 in the formation of the FRP dimer has thus been demonstrated.
Rapid signaling mechanisms of estrogens in the developing cerebellum

Abstract The steroid hormone 17β-estradiol regulates the normal function and development of the mammalian nervous system. Many of estradiol's effects are mediated via the nuclear hormone estrogen receptors ERα and ERβ. In addition to regulating estrogen-responsive gene expression, estradiol also acts in an immediate and cell-specific fashion to regulate various intracellular signal transduction pathways. The goal of this review is to develop a contextual framework to understand the generalized function of estrogen during development of brain regions not known to be sexually specialized. However, it is first important to build this framework on the more well-developed foundation of estrogen's gonad-driven sex-specific actions. As a result, a discussion of known and proposed mechanisms of estrogen actions in reproductive and other tissues will be presented. Building upon this information, a review of our research group's recent in vitro and in vivo studies that have focused on elucidating the mechanisms of estrogen actions in neurons of the non-sexually specialized cerebellum will be presented. While the full spectrum of estrogen action during normal cerebellar development remains unresolved, results of recent studies have revealed a pathologic role for estrogen and estrogen receptors in medulloblastoma, common pediatric brain tumors that arise from cerebellar granule cell-like precursors. The potential use of anti-estrogen signaling agents as adjuvant therapy for medulloblastoma is proposed based on those finding.
A search for clustering among the meteoroid impacts detected by the Apollo lunar seismic network

A difference is noted between meteoroids whose masses lie above and below 1 kg in temporal meteoroid-impact clusterings detected by the Apollo lunar seismic network; while the former exhibit little temporal clustering, small ones show strong clusterings identifiable with terrestrial meteor showers. This finding suggests a different type and origin for the two meteoroid sizes; the small may be primarily cometary, while the large may derive from near-earth asteroids and short-period comets. It is speculated that the June, 1975, and January, 1977 swarms of large meteoroids may contain high-density meteoritic objects interpretable as meteorite streams.
Converting a High Performance Application to an Elastic Cloud Application

Over the past decade, high performance applications have embraced parallel programming and computing models. While parallel computing offers advantages such as good utilization of dedicated hardware resources, it also has several drawbacks such as poor fault-tolerance, scalability, and ability to harness available resources during run-time. The advent of cloud computing presents a viable and promising alternative to parallel computing because of its advantages in offering a distributed computing model. In this work, we establish directives that serve as guidelines for the design and implementation or identification of a suitable cloud computing framework to build or convert a high performance application to run in the cloud. We show that following these directives leads to an elastic implementation that has better scalability, run-time resource adaptability, fault tolerance, and portability across cloud computing platforms, while requiring minimal effort and intervention from the user. We illustrate this by converting an MPI implementation of replica exchange, a parallel tempering molecular dynamics application, to an elastic cloud application using the Work Queue framework that adheres to these directive. We observe better scalability and resource adaptability of this elastic application on multiple platforms, including a homogeneous cluster environment (SGE) and heterogeneous cloud computing environments such as Microsoft Azure and Amazon EC2.
Conditions Affecting Retention Test Performance: A Developmental Study.

Abstract Developmental studies of retention have yielded remarkably diverse results: however, it is widely assumed that retention ability increases with age. This study examined this assumption by investigating some of the conditions that might affect retention test performance in third graders and tenth graders. The most important results were the absence of age differences in proportionalized short-term retention, despite substantial differences in the number of items learned, and significant age differences in long-term retention only between groups that had received a different number of learning trials. These and other results suggest that age differences in retention test performance occur only when age is confounded with degree of learning. In short, there do not appear to be any age differences in retention per se.
Risk assessment and security measures in supply chain networks

In the recent past, the management of an extended supply chain network (SCN) in terms of risk and security has become very complex. Recent occurrences of earthquakes, tsunamis, hurricanes and innumerable man-made disruptions such as terrorist attacks, strikes, power blackouts, energy shortages and institutional failures have adversely affected the normal functioning of supply chains world-wide. This paper primarily focuses on the security issues in supply chain networks and is organised in three major sections: security risks, security risk assessment and security measures. These three sections discuss existing issues in supply chain security and present several frameworks for improving the overall security in supply chain networks.
MWIR computed tomographic imaging spectrometer experiments

We report results of experimentation with a new, high- resolution MWIR non-scanning, snapshot imaging spectrometer capable of simultaneously recording spatial and spectral data from a rapidly varying target scene. The instrument is based on computed tomography concepts and operates in a mid-wave infrared band of 3.0 to 5.0 micrometer. High speed spectral imaging was demonstrated by collecting spectro-spatial snapshots of an artificial target in the lab. Raw images were recorded using a 512 X 512 InSb focal plane array in snapshot mode.
The love that takes a toll: exploring race and the pedagogy of fear in researching teachers and teaching

In this paper, I examine how what I call a pedagogy of fear played a role in the sociocultural context of research on teachers and teaching. Drawing from multiple literature on emotions, qualitative research, and race, I examine how a racialized field context framed my subsequent emotional responses and performance as an African-American researcher conducting research with white teacher participants. This examination highlights the ethical challenges researchers of color face when conducting research with white participants that is in the interest of people with whom the researcher identifies.
‘Finally, I had run out of oil...’ Ambroise Paré and the birth of modern trauma surgery:

Ambroise Pare is the perfect example of a self made man. Pare and the statement ‘I dressed his wound and God healed him’ will always be synonymous. It was on the battlefield that Pare advanced his knowledge of surgery and in the process he was to become a pioneer in the field of trauma.
Extracts of kava (Piper methysticum) induce acute anxiolytic-like behavioral changes in mice.

Kava has been used for centuries by Pacific Islanders for its tranquilizing and sedative effects. Recent clinical trials suggest that kava has therapeutic value for the treatment of anxiety. Demonstration of kava's anxiolytic effects in animals under controlled conditions would provide additional support for its clinical potential as an anxiolytic and would facilitate investigation of its mechanism(s) of action. This study systematically characterized the acute dosage-dependent anxiolytic and sedative effects of kava extract in well established quantitative murine behavioral assays and compared kava- and diazepam-induced behavioral changes. Various doses of an ethanolic extract of kava root or diazepam were administered intraperitoneally to BALB/cByJ inbred mice. Behavioral changes were measured in the mirrored chamber avoidance assay and elevated plus-maze assay. Reduced latency to enter and increased time spent in a normally avoided environment operationally defined anxiolysis. Sedation was defined by a significant decrease in locomotor activity in a circular arena. Kava extract produced statistically significant dose-dependent anxiolytic-like behavioral changes in both assays of anxiolysis. ED50 values for kava-induced increases in time spent inside the mirrored chamber and on the open arms of the plus maze were 125 mg/kg and 88 mg/kg, respectively. Kava extract also caused a profound decrease in locomotor activity (ED50 of 172 mg/kg). Flumazenil, a competitive benzodiazepine receptor antagonist, blocked both the anxiolytic and sedative effects of diazepam, but had no effect on kava's behavioral actions. Kava extracts produce significant murine anxiolytic-like behavioral changes and sedation that are not mediated through the benzodiazepine binding site on the GABAA receptor complex.
RGDS tetrapeptide and hippocampal in vitro kindling in rats: evidence for integrin-mediated physiological stability

We have examined a potential role for integrins in an animal model of epileptogenesis termed in vitro kindling. Integrins mediate cell-cell and cell-matrix interactions, and also participate in the transduction of information from the extracellular environment to the intracellular milieu. As many extracellular matrix (ECM) molecules contain the conserved amino acid sequence arg-gly-asp-ser (RGDS) at the integrin recognition site, integrin-ECM binding can be disrupted using RGDS peptides. Hippocampal slices were washed in either RGDS, gly-gly-gly-gly (GGGG), vehicle or artificial cerebral spinal fluid (ACSF) for 1 h prior to in vitro kindling. Baseline electrophysiological responses were unaltered by RGDS peptide. The RGDS-treated slices displayed a significant decrease in the rate of spontaneous bursts, whereas the period of spontaneous bursting increased dramatically. Our results indicate that the competitive peptide, RGDS, changed hippocampal slice excitability over time, indicating that interference with ECM-integrin binding may alter neuronal signaling through an RGDS binding site.
The Past Decade in Pediatric Education: Progress, Concerns, and Questions

The 1990s ended optimistically for the United States and for pediatric education: the country had accumulated a financial surplus, the pediatrics community had come together to deliberate the Future of Pediatric Education II, and medical education had a new paradigm (the Outcome Project). The past decade has been a tumultuous one, and optimism is now tempered by concerns and questions. Any attempt to discuss medical education needs to take into account the societal forces that affect health care, which is the context for medical education. Of the 10 issues addressed in this article, the first 5 are societal factors with implications for education; the last 5 are issues within medical education, with emphasis on pediatric education. The 10 are discussed individually but clearly interact and overlap. The order in which they are discussed is not intended to convey a rank of importance.
Radiative heating rates and some optical properties of the St. Louis aerosol, as inferred from aircraft measurements

Abstract Radiative heating rates were determined from measurements made aboard an aircraft flying within and above the St. Louis boundary layer during the Regional Air Pollution Study (RAPS; 1975–1976). In the mean, heating rates tor both solar and infrared radiation were found to diminish steadily from a maximum near the surface to nearly zero above the mixing layer. Similarly, there was a mean decrease in large particle aerosol concentrations and in extinction coefficient with height to insignificant values above the mixing layer. Over the entire mixing depth, there was an average net solar warming and an average net longwave cooling due to the presence of aerosol. When normalized for a 24 h period the solar warming was found to be very slightly less than the magnitude of the long-wave cooling, although the former somewhat exceeded the latter during midday. Derived values of the asymmetry parameter and single scattered albedo were large, the value for each averaging close to 0.9. The ratio of backscatter to absorption for the aerosol was approximately unity. Thus the arosol was not a strongly absorbing material and. consequently, the aerosol healing or cooling rates were not very large within the St. Louis mixing layer and the total (solar + IR) effect of the temperature changes on the atmospheric motions were likely to have been insignificant.
Women and international assignments: the impact of supervisor-subordinate relationships

Abstract During the past two decades, more and more organizations have been going global, and, as a result, more and more employees are being sent on international assignments. For the most part, though, the percentage of females being sent on these assignments is much lower than the percentage of males. Several recent studies have suggested that the supervisor-subordinate relationship might be a critical determinant of who gets selected for expatriate assignments. To explore this issue in some detail, the leader-member exchange (LMX) model is used to examine the link between supervisor-subordinate relationships and selection for international assignments. Strategies that female employees can use to improve their chances of being sent on international assignments are also suggested.
Incidence of hiatus hernia and its effect on the treatment of patients with erosive esophagitis

Incidence of hiatus hernia and its effect on the treatment of patients with erosive esophagitis
Gene expression in visna virus infection in sheep.

Visna is a slow degenerative disease of the central nervous system (CNS) of sheep caused by a nontumorigenic retrovirus1. During the course of this disease, visna virus establishes a persistent infection of the CNS, lung and haematopoietic system, despite a specific humoral and cellular immune response. We have studied visna virus life cycle at the single-cell level in choroid plexus of experimentally infected animals, using a very sensitive and quantitative in situ hybridization assay2. We report here that although proviral DNA is synthesized in significant amounts, its expression is blocked at the transcriptional level. This restriction of proviral DNA transcription offers an explanation for the slowness of the disease and the persistence of the infection.
The effects of bilateral caudal epidural S2-4 neuromodulation on female sexual function.

This is a pilot study to evaluate the effects of caudal epidural S2–4 neuromodulation on female sexual function in a population of women with voiding dysfunction. We prospectively studied 36 consecutive female patients who underwent caudal epidural sacral neuromodulation. Patients received the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI) questionnaire preoperatively and 6 months postoperatively. Six months after permanent implantation, the overall score on the FSFI improved by 52% (p = 0.05). Results were better in patients who underwent the treatment for voiding dysfunction compared to those who had pain as their primary complaint. In this group, the overall score improved by 157% (p = 0.004). Stimulation of S2–4 by bilateral caudal epidural neuromodulation in this small group of women with voiding dysfunction, retention, and/or pelvic pain resulted in self-reported improvements in sexual function. Further studies are needed to evaluate the potential role of S2–4 sacral stimulation in the treatment of female sexual dysfunction.
Interpretation of atomization rates of the liquid film in gas-liquid annular flow

For vertical gas-liquid annular flow the fraction of the liquid in the gas is controlled by the rate of atomization of the liquid film flowing along the wall and the rate of deposition of droplets entrained in the gas. Measurements of the rate of atomization are interpreted by a Kelvin-Helmholtz mechanism. Small wavelets on the liquid film are visualized to be entrained when wave-induced variations in the gas pressure cannot be counterbalanced by surface tension effects.
Characteristics of patients seeking care from independent dental hygienist practices.

Objectives This study determined demographic characteristics, satisfaction with care, and likelihood of follow-up dentist visits for patients seen in office-based, independent, dental hygienist practices. Methods New patients were surveyed after their initial visits to independent hygienist practices to assess their demographic characteristics and satisfaction with care at both the beginning of practice operations and 18 months after the start of these practices. Follow-up surveys were sent to patients 12 and 24 months after their initial visits to the independently practicing dental hygienists to determine if patients had visited a dentist. Results Most respondents were white, female, had attended some college, and reported high family incomes. Ninety-eight percent of respondents were satisfied with their dental hygiene care. Follow-up questionnaires revealed that over 80 percent of respondents visited the dentist within 12 months of receiving dental hygiene care in independent settings. This level of follow-up care with dentists was found both for respondents who reported having a regular dentist at their initial visits with the hygienists and for those who reported not having a regular dentist. Conclusions Independent practice by dental hygienists provided access to dental hygiene care and encouraged visits to the dentist.
Valence-band density of states and chemical bonding for several non-transition-metal layer compounds: SnSe2, PbI2, BiI3, and GaSe

A theoretical description of the valence-band structure and chemical bonding for a series of non-transition-metal layer compounds is developed which is consistent with calculated charge densities, densities of states, and with the experimental crystal-structure data and photoemission measurements.
Response: if society is our patient, how shall we take its pulse?

A society's health status is not simply the sum of the health of individuals, but an emergent property. While epidemiology has evolved from the study of simple epidemics to the study of the determinants of population health, it is still appropriate to consider the population as the epidemiologist's patient. At the same time, the population is also our study subject—we study populations to identify ways to prevent disease in populations. This article illustrates some of the implications for the prevention of disease that result from treating society as our patient.
Sensitivity of shallow convective precipitation induced by land surface heterogeneities to dynamical and cloud microphysical parameters

To parameterize shallow convective clouds and precipitation induced by land surface processes in large-scale atmospheric models (e.g., global climate models and weather forecast models), it is primordial to identify the atmospheric variables and cloud microphysical parameters which have a predominant impact on the development and formation of this type of clouds. For this purpose a sensitivity analysis of the various parameters and processes involved in the development and formation of this type of clouds and precipitation was performed with the Fourier amplitude sensitivity test (FAST). This test determines the relative contribution of the distribution of individual input parameters, assuming that their exact value is unknown, to the variance of the model output. By simultaneously varying all parameters according to their individual probability density function (PDF), the number of computations needed is very much reduced. Assuming various PDFs of cloud microphysical characteristics under a broad range of atmospheric conditions, this analysis demonstrated that given an appropriate atmospheric water content, vertical velocity and air temperature are the dominant atmospheric factor in shallow convective precipitation. This emphasizes the need to correctly calculate the spatial distribution of land surface heat fluxes, which affect the development of microscale and mesoscale turbulence in the atmospheric planetary boundary layer. The uncertainty in estimating cloud droplet concentration, pristine ice concentration, mass coefficient, collision efficiency, terminal velocity, snow crystals diameter, and aggregates diameter can affect quite significantly, one way or the other, the mixing ratio of the various water particles simulated with the cloud microphysics scheme. The relative importance of some of these parameters is very much dependent upon temperature and vertical velocity.
Final Remarks on the Puente‐Ladron, New Mexico, Aerolite (1068,344)

This note consists of comments on the preceding paper. The conclusion is reached that meteoriticists might much more profitably spend their time in searching in the hospitable and inspiring neighborhood of the Canyon Diablo, Arizona, Crater for additional fragments of the shower of which the 2,789-gram Coon Butte, Arizona, aerolite was a member, than in hunting for companions to the tiny 7.7-gram Puente-Ladron, New Mexico, aerolite, in a hypothetical strewn field situated in a region which outranks even Arntz, Arizona, as a meteoriticists' purgatory.
Cue and context conditioning of defensive behaviors to cat odor stimuli

Exposure of rats to a cat odor block in a previously familiarized situation was followed by three extinction days to the same or a different situation, and with or without an identical but odor-free block, and, testing in the original apparatus with an odor-free block (cue). Initial exposure produced risk assessment (stretch attend), avoidance of the block, and crouch/freeze with sniffing/head movements. Avoidance continued during extinction, but context-only exposed rats showed predominantly crouch/freeze with sniff/head movements, while rats exposed to the context+cue showed higher levels of stretch attend. During the test day, rats exposed to the cue during extinction showed reduced defensive responding compared to those not extinguished with the cue, but context extinction had less effect, possibly due in part to initial familiarization with the situation. These data indicate that both cue and context conditioning to cat odor did occur, and that the type of conditioned stimulus (context-only vs. context+cue) influenced the type of defensive behaviors elicited by this stimulus, although the all animals received the same conditioning protocol. Particular behaviors disappeared at different rates during extinction, with avoidance the most persistent. However, in this context there was no incentive for approach behaviors inconsistent with avoidance, and stretch attend behaviors could and did occur while subjects were located far from the block or the area in which it had been encountered. In addition, immobile crouch/freeze did not occur at higher than control levels, while the crouch/freeze activities that did increase incorporated sensory sampling in a relevant modality (sniffing/head movements). Thus, the behaviors seen to the conditioned stimulus appeared to reflect combinations of different defense strategies, appropriate to the type of conditioned stimulus and responsive to its extinction. Differences between these data and those from studies using fecal predator odorants suggest that the latter may not elicit a complete range of conditioned defenses.
Tectonic and stratigraphic implications of the relative ages of venusian plains and wrinkle ridges

Abstract A major ongoing controversy concerns the style of crustal evolution on Venus. At one extreme is a directional model that proposes a sequence of depositional and deformational events that occur at specific times in the evolution of the crust and that are global in extent. At the other extreme is a model that argues for different ages of these events in different places on the planet. A test of the directional model is here focused on whether wrinkle ridges formed at a single time in the recorded crustal history of Venus. Where sets of wrinkle ridges intersect it commonly is possible to determine that one set is older than the other. Also, the deformation responsible for wrinkle ridges is, in places, clearly progressive with respect to stratigraphic material units. These observations are not consistent with a specific single time for the formation of wrinkle ridges within the stratigraphic sequence. Within an area including about 1 / 3 of the surface of Venus 15% of craters that are younger than regional plains are older than wrinkle ridges, 85% are younger than wrinkle ridges. Taking 750 myr as a reasonable mean age for the regional plains, this implies that the mean age of wrinkle ridges is ∼ 110 myr younger than the mean age of plains. Solomon et al. (1999, Science 286, 87) propose that the emplacement of a large volume of plains lava would lead to a major atmospheric temperature increase. Their model predicts thermal stresses in the lithosphere that, at shallow depth, would reach peak compressive stresses in about 100 myr, a number very similar to the time lag between plains emplacement and wrinkle ridge formation indicated by the crater data. The thermal compressive stresses responsible for wrinkle ridges would be maintained at a level sufficient to deform basalt for at least 100 myr and possibly for as long as 350 myr. These time intervals are not really short compared to the mean age of the plains. Finally, because wrinkle ridges are demonstrably younger than the plains they deform, they cannot be related to the processes that formed the plains and thus should not be used to define a “plains with wrinkle ridges” unit.
Distribution of 11q23 breakpoints within the MLL breakpoint cluster region in de novo acute leukemia and in treatment-related acute myeloid leukemia: correlation with scaffold attachment regions and topoisomerase II consensus binding sites

A major unresolved question for 11q23 translocations involving MLL is the chromosomal mechanism(s) leading to these translocations. We have mapped breakpoints within the 8.3-kb BamHI breakpoint cluster region in 31 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia and acute myeloid leukemia (AML) de novo and in 8 t-AML patients. In 23 of 31 leukemia de novo patients, MLL breakpoints mapped to the centromeric half (4.57 kb) of the breakpoint cluster region, whereas those in eight de novo patients mapped to the telomeric half (3.87 kb). In contrast, only two t-AML breakpoints mapped in the centromeric half, whereas six mapped in the telomeric half. The difference in distribution of the leukemia de novo breakpoints is statistically significant (P = .02). A similar difference in distribution of breakpoints between de novo patients and t-AML patients has been reported by others. We identified a low- or weak-affinity scaffold attachment region (SAR) mapping just centromeric to the breakpoint cluster region, and a high-affinity SAR mapping within the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region. Using high stringency criteria to define in vitro vertebrate topoisomerase II (topo II) consensus sites, one topo II site mapped adjacent to the telomeric SAR, whereas six mapped within the SAR. Therefore, 74% of leukemia de novo and 25% of t-AML breakpoints map to the centromeric half of the breakpoint cluster region map between the two SARs; in contrast, 26% of the leukemia de novo and 75% of the t-AML patient breakpoints map to the telomeric half of the breakpoint cluster region that contains both the telomeric SAR and the topo II sites. Thus, the chromatin structure of the MLL breakpoint cluster region may be important in determining the distribution of the breakpoints. The data suggest that the mechanism(s) leading to translocations may differ in leukemia de novo and in t-AML.
Gonad formation and development requires the abd-A domain of the bithorax complex in Drosophila melanogaster

The abdominal-A (abd-A) gene, a member of the bithorax complex, is required for the correct identity of parasegments (PS) 7 through 13. Mutations in iab-4, one of the cis-regulatory regions of abd-A, transform epidermal structures of PS 9 and also cause loss of gonads in adult flies. Here, we describe a developmental and molecular analysis of the role of iab-4 functions in gonadal development. In flies homozygous for a strong iab-4 allele, gonadogenesis is not initiated in the embryo because the mesodermal cells fail to encapsulate the pole cells. Flies homozygous for weaker iab-4 mutations sometimes form ovaries. The ovary-oviduct junctions are abnormal, however, and egg transfer from the ovary to the uterus is blocked in the adult. To localize the sites that require iab-4 function, we have analyzed animals chimeric for the mutant and wild-type cells. These chimeras were generated by three kinds of transplantation experiments: pole cells, embryonic somatic nuclei or larval ovaries. Our results suggest that iab-4 is required in the somatic cells of the gonadal primordia, but not the germ line. In addition, the formation of functional ovary-oviduct junctions and egg transfer also requires iab-4 functions in the somatic cells of the ovary and in at least one additional somatic tissue.
Regional Assessment of Atrazine Exposure and Incidence of Breast and Ovarian Cancers in Kentucky

The association between breast and ovarian cancers with endogenous estrogen or hormonally related events has led to the hypothesis that exposures to exogenous estrogenic compounds in the environment may increase the risk of these cancers. Atrazine, the most commonly used herbicide in the United States, belongs to this group of compounds and is widely used in corn production. This study is an expansion of a previous investigation conducted in Kentucky. Using secondary data, we derived several indices of environmental exposure to atrazine and examined the association between these measures and the incidence of breast and ovarian cancer in Kentucky over a 5-year period (1993–97). Exposure indices to atrazine were derived based on public water measurements, acres of corn planted, and pounds of atrazine sold. Data on breast and ovarian cancer incidence were obtained from the Kentucky Cancer Registry by county and by the 15 Area Development Districts (ADDs) in which the 120 counties are grouped. Poisson regression analyses adjusted for education and race were conducted separately for each index of exposure and for a combined total exposure score. All exposure measures were divided in quartiles for analysis. A null association was found for breast cancer across all exposure indices, both by county and by ADD. For ovarian cancer, the data suggest an inverse association, with increasing exposure linked to decreasing incidence rates, both at the county and ADD level. The following are the rate ratios (RR) and corresponding 95% confidence intervals, for the summary exposure scores in the three upper quartiles, using the lowest quartile as baseline (RR = 1.0), and the county as the unit of analysis: 1.01 (0.83–1.21), 0.77 (0.66–0.90), and 0.76 (0.65–0.88). Due to the ecologic nature of this study and inherent limitations, it is possible that other factors may be contributing to these findings. Studies using individual-level data are recommended to elucidate the relationships between estrogenic environmental exposures and female reproductive cancers.
Routing strategies for maximizing throughput in LEO satellite networks

This paper develops routing and scheduling algorithms for packet transmission in a low Earth orbit satellite network with a limited number of transmitters and buffer space. We consider a packet switching satellite network, where time is slotted and the transmission time of each packet is fixed and equal to one time slot. Packets arrive at each satellite independently with a some probability during each time slot; their destination satellite is uniformly distributed. With a limited number of transmitters and buffer space on-board each satellite, contention for transmission inevitably occurs as multiple packets arrive at a satellite. First, we establish the stability region of the system in terms of the maximum admissible packet arrival rate that can possibly be supported. We then consider three transmission scheduling schemes for resolving these contentions: random packet win, where the winning packet is chosen at random; oldest packet win, where the packet that has traveled the longest distance wins the contention; and shortest hops win (SHW), where the packet closest to its destination wins the contention. We evaluate the performance of each of the schemes in terms of throughput. For a system without a buffer, the SHW scheme attains the highest throughput. However, when even limited buffer space is available, all three schemes achieve about the same throughput performance. Moreover, even with a buffer size of just a few packets the achieved throughput is close to that of the infinite buffer case.
Lysosomal Physiology in Tetrahymena. II. Effect of Culture Age and Temperature on the Extracellular Release of 3 Acid Hydrolases

SYNOPSIS Tetrahymena cultures were grown from a single inoculum and collected on 3 successive days corresponding to the log, transitional, and early stationary phases of growth. Cells were washed and incubated for 5 hr in a dilute salt solution. Intra- and extracellular activities of acid phosphatase, α-glucosidase, and ribonuclease were assayed, and extracellular activities corrected for proteolytic degradation. A marked increase in the cellular content of acid phosphatase and significant decreases in α-glucosidase and ribonuclease occurred with advancing culture age. The intracellular changes in enzyme activities during incubation were roughly similar for cells of all ages. Protein content did not change appreciably during incubation. Extracellular A255 release, monitored as an indication of the loss of RNA breakdown products, was at a minimum during incubation of transition cells. Significant quantities of all 3 acid hydrolases were released from cells of all ages except for ribonuclease from transition cells. The release of acid phosphatase and α-glucosidase was approximately proportional to the initial cellular content of these enzymes for cells of different ages and in log cells the effect of temperature on the rates of release was described by the Arrhenius equation. Release of ribonuclease, however, was not proportional to its intracellular content nor did it vary with temperature according to the Arrhenius equation. The results suggest that acid phosphatase and α-glucosidase are released via a first-order process.
Evolution of Testing Algorithms at a University Hospital for Detection of Clostridium difficile Infections

We present the evolution of testing algorithms at our institution in which the C. Diff Quik Chek Complete immunochromatographic cartridge assay determines the presence of both glutamate dehydrogenase and Clostridium difficile toxins A and B as a primary screen for C. difficile infection and indeterminate results (glutamate dehydrogenase positive, toxin A and B negative) are confirmed by the GeneXpert C. difficile PCR assay. This two-step algorithm is a cost-effective method for highly sensitive detection of toxigenic C. difficile.
The importance of maternal state of mind regarding attachment and infant age at placement to foster mothers' representations of their foster infants

Previous research has found that foster mother state of mind with respect to attachment and infant age at placement into foster care influence the developing foster mother- foster child relationship (Dozier, Albus, Stovall, & Bates, 2000; Stovall & Dozier, 2000). This study extends prior research by assessing factors related to foster mothers' representations of their foster infants. Participants were 48 foster mother- foster infant dyads in two mid-Atlantic cities. We expected that foster mothers' states of mind and infant age at placement would be associated with foster mothers' acceptance of infants, com- mitment to infants, and belief in their influence on infants' development. Consistent with hypotheses, foster mothers' states of mind interacted with infant age at placement in predicting foster mothers' acceptance of their babies, and the extent to which foster mothers believed they could influence their infants' development. Specifically, autonomous foster mothers of babies placed before 12 months of age were more accepting and more likely to believe they could influence their infants' development compared to autonomous foster mothers of babies placed after 12 months of age, a pattern not seen for nonauton- omous foster mothers. These results converge with other findings suggesting that timing of placement in foster care, and foster mothers' states of mind, are important to the developing foster mother- child relationship.
Management of Bone Loss in Glenohumeral Instability

This review discusses the evaluation and management of bone loss in glenohumeral instability. The glenohumeral joint may experience a dislocation or subluxation associated with traumatic injury or through repetitive atraumatic events. Nearly 62% of cases with recurrent dislocation have both Hill-Sachs and bony Bankart defects. Treatment of unstable bone defects may require soft-tissue repair, bone grafting, or both, depending on the size and nature of the defects. The most common treatment is isolated soft-tissue repair, leaving the bone defects untreated, although emerging evidence supports directly addressing these bony defects.
An efficient method for statistical circuit simulation

The dynamic behavior of a VLSI circuit can be described by a system of differential-algebraic equations. When some circuit elements are affected by process variations, the dynamic behavior of the circuit will deviate from its nominal trajectory. Monte-Carlo-type random sampling methods are widely used to estimate the trajectory deviation. However they can be quite time-consuming when the dimension of the parameter space is large. This paper offers an alternative solution by casting the problem into the theoretic frame work of non-linear non-Gaussian filtering. To estimate the mean and variance of the time-dependent circuit trajectory, we develop a method based on unscented transformation, which is an efficient Bayesian analysis sampling technique. Theoretically the method has linear runtime complexity. Experimental results show that compared to traditional Monte-Carlo methods, the new method can achieve over 10times speedup with less than 2% error.
Application of Fourier transform-second-harmonic generation imaging to the rat cervix.

We present the application of Fourier transform-second-harmonic generation (FT-SHG) imaging to evaluate the arrangement of collagen fibers in five non-pregnant rat cervices. Tissue slices from the mid-cervix and near the external orifice of the cervix were analyzed in both two-dimensions (2D) and three-dimensions (3D). We validate that the cervical microstructure can be quantitatively assessed in three dimensions using FT-SHG imaging, and observe collagen fibers oriented both in and out-of-plane in the outermost and the innermost layers, which cannot be observed using 2D FT-SHG analysis alone. This approach has the potential to be a noninvasive method for measuring progressive changes in collagen organization during cervical remodeling in humans.
Classes of functions and feasibility conditions in nonlinear complementarity problems

Given a mappingF from real Euclideann-space into itself, we investigate the connection between various known classes of functions and the nonlinear complementarity problem: Find anx* such thatFx* ? 0 andx* ? 0 are orthogonal. In particular, we study the extent to which the existence of au ? 0 withFu ? 0 (feasible point) implies the existence of a solution to the nonlinear complementarity problem, and extend, to nonlinear mappings, known results in the linear complementarity problem on P-matrices, diagonally dominant matrices with non-negative diagonal elements, matrices with off-diagonal non-positive entries, and positive semidefinite matrices.
Starlight Nulling Technology at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory

The current interests in extra-solar planet detection and space-based and ground-based interferometry for astronomical observations have led to the development of a number of nulling instruments at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and elsewhere. This paper summarizes briefly JPL's efforts in nulling interferometry to date and consists of illustrations of some key nulling technologies. The basic optical layouts of instruments demonstrating three different nulling techniques are shown. In an effort to narrow the area of discussion, some notable nulling efforts made elsewhere will not be included.
Drosophila and Caenorhabditis elegans as Discovery Platforms for Genes Involved in Human Alcohol Use Disorder

Background Despite the profound clinical significance and strong heritability of alcohol use disorder (AUD), we do not yet have a comprehensive understanding of the naturally occurring genetic variance within the human genome that drives its development. This lack of understanding is likely to be due in part to the large phenotypic and genetic heterogeneities that underlie human AUD. As a complement to genetic studies in humans, many laboratories are using the invertebrate model organisms (iMOs) Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) and Caenorhabditis elegans (nematode worm) to identify genetic mechanisms that influence the effects of alcohol (ethanol) on behavior. While these extremely powerful models have identified many genes that influence the behavioral responses to alcohol, in most cases it has remained unclear whether results from behavioral–genetic studies in iMOs are directly applicable to understanding the genetic basis of human AUD. Methods In this review, we critically evaluate the utility of the fly and worm models for identifying genes that influence AUD in humans. Results Based on results published through early 2015, studies in flies and worms have identified 91 and 50 genes, respectively, that influence 1 or more aspects of behavioral responses to alcohol. Collectively, these fly and worm genes correspond to 293 orthologous genes in humans. Intriguingly, 51 of these 293 human genes have been implicated in AUD by at least 1 study in human populations. Conclusions Our analyses strongly suggest that the Drosophila and C. elegans models have considerable utility for identifying orthologs of genes that influence human AUD.
Power-accuracy tradeoffs in human activity transition detection

Wearable, mobile computing platforms are envisioned to be used in out-patient monitoring and care. These systems continuously perform signal filtering, transformations, and classification, which are quite compute intensive, and quickly drain the system energy. The design space of these human activity sensors is large and includes the choice of sampling frequency, feature detection algorithm, length of the window of transition detection etc., and all these choices fundamentally trade-off power/performance for accuracy of detection. In this work, we explore this design space, and make several interesting conclusions that can be used as rules of thumb for quick, yet power-efficient designs of such systems. For instance, we find that the x-axis of our signal, which was oriented to be parallel to the forearm, is the most important signal to be monitored, for our set of hand activities. Our experimental results show that by carefully choosing system design parameters, there is considerable (5X) scope of improving the performance/power of the system, for minimal (5%) loss in accuracy.
POTENCY FOLLOWING ROBOTIC RADICAL PROSTATECTOMY: A QUESTIONNAIRE BASED ANALYSIS OF OUTCOMES AFTER CONVENTIONAL NERVE SPARING AND PROSTATIC FASCIA SPARING TECHNIQUES

ABSTRACTPurpose: Anatomical nerve sparing radical prostatectomy provides excellent cancer control, although the recovery of sexual function is variable. We recently described a technique to preserve the prostatic fascia (veil of Aphrodite) that appears to enhance the quality of nerve preservation during robotic prostatectomy. In January 2003 we initiated a prospective study comparing patients undergoing prostatic fascia preservation with those undergoing conventional nerve sparing robotic radical prostatectomy. We report results at 12 months of followupMaterials and Methods: From January to August 2003, 58 potent men with a Sexual Health Inventory for Men score (SHIM) of greater than 21 without phosphodiesterase 5 inhibitors underwent Vattikuti Institute prostatectomy, including 35 with preservation of the prostatic fascia (study) and 23 with conventional nerve sparing (control). Potency was assessed with self-administered SHIM questionnaires 12 months after surgery. The primary end point was achievement ...