cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Identification of embryonic pancreatic genes using Xenopus DNA microarrays.

The pancreas is both an exocrine and endocrine endodermal organ involved in digestion and glucose homeostasis. During embryogenesis, the anlagen of the pancreas arise from dorsal and ventral evaginations of the foregut that later fuse to form a single organ. To better understand the molecular genetics of early pancreas development, we sought to isolate markers that are uniquely expressed in this tissue. Microarray analysis was performed comparing dissected pancreatic buds, liver buds, and the stomach region of tadpole stage Xenopus embryos. A total of 912 genes were found to be differentially expressed between these organs during early stages of organogenesis. K-means clustering analysis predicted 120 of these genes to be specifically enriched in the pancreas. Of these, we report on the novel expression patterns of 24 genes. Our analyses implicate the involvement of previously unsuspected signaling pathways during early pancreas development. Developmental Dynamics 238:1455–1466, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
ELECTROMAGNETIC INSTABILITY OF COUNTERSTREAMING PLASMAS IN A MAGNETIC FIELD.

Using the Vlasov equation we calculate ${\ensuremath{\sigma}}_{\mathrm{zz}}$ of the conductivity tensor for counterstreaming plasmas in a magnetic field. Using the dispersion relations for ordinary waves, we consider the electromagnetic instability. The spectrum of the instability and its growth rate have been calculated.
Sampling and uncertainty issues in trending reflectance-based vicarious calibration results

The Remote Sensing Group at the University of Arizona has successfully used various vicarious calibration methods for the absolute radiometric calibration of over 14 separate sensors since 2000. The results of this work implies that the absolute radiometric accuracy of the reflectance-based approach has absolute uncertainties of less than 3% in the visible and near infrared. The precision of the method also appears to have similar uncertainties. This work better quantifies these uncertainties through sensitivity analysis of typical inputs for the Ivanpah and Railroad Valley test sites and comparisons of results from the ALI, ASTER, and ETM+ sensors. The number of data sets collected for these sensors also allows for attempts to determine trends in the radiometric calibration of these sensors. The current work examines the difficulties in trending of reflectance-based results due to temporal sampling issues, site-to-site variability, and accuracy of the method. The results indicate that monthly results over a one-year period at the current accuracy levels may not be sufficient for determining trends in radiometric calibration even though the method provides an accurate absolute radiometric calibration.
Test of a High-gradient Low-emittance Electron Gun

A maximum electric field E = 2.65 GV/m with an accelerated electron current of 1 KA has been obtained, for pulse lengths of 130 ps, in an electron gun based on Pulse Power Technology. This is the highest accelerating field ever achieved in the presence of such a large current. Measurements of beam emittance and energy from 0.4 to 2.65 MeV show that the scaling of the invariant emittance with electric field and with beam current is consistent with theoretical predictions. A few applications of high-gradient acceleration are discussed.
The resistivity and mobility functions for a model system of two equal-sized proteins in a lipid bilayer

We have calculated the mobility and resistivity functions for two equal-sized cylinders moving in a thin viscous sheet surrounded by a lower-viscosity fluid. These functions describe the hydrodynamic interactions between proteins embedded in a lipid bilayer surrounded by an aqueous solution. For a protein of radius a embedded in a biological membrane of thickness h and viscosity μ, a key parameter λ = μh/aμ′, which characterizes the viscosity ratio between the bilayer and surounding solution, is O(100). The method of solution for the hydrodynamic interactions differs depending on the separation distance, r, between the cylinders. When r = O(a), the particles are in the near-field regime, and the solution of the Stokes equations is divided between an inner and outer domain based on the asymptotically large value of λ. The inner solution neglects the flow in the lower-viscosity fluid and is solved numerically using a bipolar expansion. The outer solution is based on the fluid flows in all phases, but the cylinders are approximated by net forces. When r [Gt ] O(a), the particles are in the far-field regime, and we use the method of reflections to solve for the hydrodynamic interactions. The uniformly valid approximations, constructed from a combination of the near-field and far-field solutions, agree with the analytic solutions obtained within the lubrication and far-field regimes. Our results show that the hydrodynamic interactions between the cylinders are long range, perarting on a lengthscale of O(λ). The range of the hydrodynamic interactions is much longer than that of non-hydrodynamic interparticle forces, suggesting that hydrodynamic interactions will be significant determinants of the structure and dynamics of biological membranes.
Purpose, Argument Fields, and Theoretical Justification

Twenty-five years ago, field theory was among the most contested issues in argumentation studies. Today, the situation is very different. In fact, field theory has almost disappeared from disciplinary debates, a development which might suggest that the concept is not a useful aspect of argumentation theory. In contrast, I argue that while field studies are rarely useful, field theory provides an essential underpinning to any close analysis of an argumentative controversy. I then argue that the conflicting approaches to argument fields were in fact not inconsistent, but instead reflected different aspects of field practices. A coherent approach to field theory can be developed by considering the way that all aspects of argumentative practice develop based on the purposes of arguers in an argumentative context. I then extend that position to argue that a justifiable theory of argumentation, which makes claims beyond the descriptive, must have at its core an analysis of the way that purpose constrains argumentation practice. In this view, the ultimate justification of principles found in a prescriptive or evaluative theory of argument must be in the way those principles fulfill practical problem-solving purposes related to the epistemic function of argument.
Reinnervation, myelination and organization of iris tissue implanted into the rat midbrain--an ultrastructural study.

Abstract The ultrastructure of autologous irides implanted into the midbrain of mature Sprague-Dawley rats was studied over a time period of 4–14 days. Most features of the normal iris still persisted throughout this time, including typical iris blood vessels and amelanotic melanocytes. At 5-4 days after implantation, the normal innervation of the implanted iris had degenerated, except for the presence of intact Schwann cells and some myeiin debris. Reinnervation, beginning about the seventh day, proceeded rapidly. By the fourteenth day, extensive reinnervation of the implant was evidenced by the presence of numerous small (0.1–0.6 μm) and large (2–4 μm) non-myelinated axons ensheathed in Schwann cell cytoplasm. Axonal varicosities, filled either with dense core or clear core vesicles, formed junctions with axons. These jun characterized by an accentuation of areas of the axonal membrane and pre- or post-junctional thickenings; however, we did not observe typical synaptic complexes. Some large axons within the myelinated iris developed thick myelin sheaths of the peripheral nervous system (PNS) type; we believe this is the first reported instance in which myelination of central axons by Schwann cells within the brain parenchyma has been produced by the implantation of PNS elements.
Television questionnaire techniques in assessing forgetting in long-term memory.

Summary Two experiments were designed to test methodological assumptions basic to the television questionnaire technique in order to analyze its appropriateness in assessing forgetting in long-term memory. After controlling for confounding variables in the technique as it is presently used, a non-linear function of time period of television program on recognition response to that program's title was found. Reported television viewing habits had a significant effect on recognition score. The relevance of these findings in regard to the quantitative study of retrograde amnesia is discussed.
Determination of growth loss of Pinus taeda L. caused by Heterobasidion annosus (Fr.) Bref.

The root system of 350 loblolly pine trees in 14 plots were excavated utilizing a bulldozer and evaluated according to the annosus root rot (Heterobasidion annosus) symptom expression of the roots, i. e. resin soaked and stringy. The annual increments of the healthy (<1% colonized) and diseased (<1% colonized) groups of trees were compared for each of the last five years growth. There was a significant growth difference between healthy and diseased trees for each of these last five years at about 4% per year or about 19% for the five year total.
Generic variability in news stories in Chinese and English: A contrastive discourse study of five days' newspapers

Abstract A recurrent problem in contrastive studies of texts is to determine how much variation between one text and another is sufficient to determine that the two are different texts. This study of five consecutive days of three editions of the same newspaper in its Chinese and English editions, the People's Daily (Overseas and Home editions) and the China Daily, shows that while there is much insignificant variability, on the basis of eight significant features, page placement, headline, textual frame, point of view, tone, quotation, formulas, and vocabulary, it is possible to distinguish five distinct genres of news stories in these newspapers. This clear generic differentiation within a single newspaper organization's three editions indicates much caution must be exercised in making contrastive discourse analyses across newspapers to control for comparing like genres. Further, caution must be exercised in drawing higher level inferences about linguistic, cognitive, or social practices when such generic control is absent.
Glenn Research Center Quantum Communicator Receiver Design and Development

We investigate, design, and develop a prototype real-time synchronous receiver for the second-generation quantum communicator recently developed at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Glenn Research Center. This communication system exploits the temporal coincidences between simultaneously fired low-power laser sources to communicate at power levels several orders of magnitude less than what is currently achievable through classical means, with the ultimate goal of creating ultra-low-power microsize optical communications and sensing devices. The proposed receiver uses a unique adaptation of the early-late gate method for symbol synchronization and a newly identified 31-bit synchronization word for frame synchronization. This receiver, implemented in a field-programmable gate array (FPGA), also provides a number of significant additional features over the existing non-real-time experimental receiver, such as real-time bit error rate (BER) statistics collection and display, and recovery and display of embedded textual information. It also exhibits an indefinite run time and statistics collection.
International criminal justice: Harnessing the information explosion—Coasting down the electronic superhighway

LIBRARIES, INCLUDING THE WORLD CRIMINAL JUSTICE LIBRARY NETWORK; UN WORLDWIDE AND REGIONAL RESEARCH; STATISTICS (INTERPOL, UN); ONLINE SERVICES.
Fabrication of a 3D Nanoscale Crossbar Circuit by Nanotransfer‐Printing Lithography

Nanotransfer-printing lithography simplifies the fabrication of a 3D nanoscale crossbar circuit. Gold nanowires 100 nm in width and with 100 nm spacing are printed onto a polymer layer of electrically switchable, LiClO(4)-doped poly[2-methoxy-5-(2'-ethylhexyloxy)-p-phenylene vinylene] mixed with an epoxy. The transfer process can be repeated to obtain a multilayer nanoscale crossbar structure. This process paves the way toward fabricating 3D circuits with ultrahigh device density and neuromorphic architectures.
Frontier molecular orbital theory and organic reactions

Frontier Orbitals and Organic Chemical Reactions. By Ian Fleming. Pp. vii + 249. (Wiley-Interscience: London and New York, 1976.) £3.95; $8.50.
Kℓ3 form factors and strong superconvergence

We discuss the superconvergence of a certain invariant amplitude and the corrections to the Weinberg sum rules due to nonvanishing pion and kaon masses. New sum rules for spectral functions are obtained. We apply these sum rules to calculate the Kl3 form factors and obtain ξ=−1.54 for λ+=0 and ξ=−1.05 for λ+=0.02. These values of ξ are nearly constant throughout the physical region. These results are in very good agreement with the data of the polarization experiment.
On the establishing and reinforcing effects of termination of demands for destructive behavior maintained by positive and negative reinforcement

The results of functional analyses suggested that the destructive behavior of two individuals was sensitive to escape and attention as reinforcement. In an instructional context, we evaluated the effects of reinforcing compliance with functional reinforcers when destructive behavior produced a break. For one participant we also evaluated the effects of reinforcing compliance with functional reinforcers when destructive behavior produced no differential consequence (escape extinction). We hypothesized that destructive behavior failed to decrease in an instructional context when compliance resulted in a break because presentation of a break evoked attention-maintained destructive behavior. The results of a reinforcer assessment supported this hypothesis by demonstrating that demands functioned as positive reinforcement when no alternative activities were available. These results are discussed in terms of the importance of establishing operations in determining the appetitive or aversive properties of stimuli when destructive behavior is multiply controlled.
Quality improvement in end-of-life care. Small-scale innovations can make a dramatic difference.

(2002). Quality improvement in end-of-life care. Postgraduate Medicine: Vol. 111, No. 3, pp. 21-26.
EFFECT OF INCREASING GLUCOSE CONCENTRATION ALONE ON FETAL GLUCOSE UTILIZATION

Fetal utilization of glucose is related to fetal glucose concentration[G], but previous studies did not separate the effects of ↑ [G] and the accompanying increase in insulin[I]. To study the effects of ↑[G] alone on fetal glucose metabolism, we infused U-14C-glucose, antipyrine (to measure umbilical blood flow, UBF), and somatostatin[S] (to suppress insulin release) in 7 chronically catheterized late gestation fetal lambs, measuring umbilical O2 and glucose uptake (UO2U, UGU) (Fick principle) and fetal glucose utilization and oxidation rates (GUR, GOxR) (tracer methodology) during a control period and after a 3 hr[S] infusion plus 90 minute hyperglycemic clamp.
Single meron configuration in transverse gauge

Abstract The Alfaro-Fubini-Furlan single meron configuration for SU(2) Yang-Mills theory is studied in the transverse gauge. It is shown that, as the euclidean time varies from distant past to distant future, this configuration evolves from the supervacuum to the Gribov vacuum which is the nonsingular vacuum with the topological charge 1 2 .
Skizzle Is a Novel Plasminogen- and Plasmin-binding Protein from Streptococcus agalactiae That Targets Proteins of Human Fibrinolysis to Promote Plasmin Generation

Skizzle (SkzL), secreted by Streptococcus agalactiae, has moderate sequence identity to streptokinase and staphylokinase, bacterial activators of human plasminogen (Pg). SkzL binds [Glu]Pg with low affinity (KD 3–16 μm) and [Lys]Pg and plasmin (Pm) with indistinguishable high affinity (KD 80 and 50 nm, respectively). Binding of SkzL to Pg and Pm is completely lysine-binding site-dependent, as shown by the effect of the lysine analog, 6-aminohexanoic acid. Deletion of the COOH-terminal SkzL Lys415 residue reduces affinity for [Lys]Pg and active site-blocked Pm 30-fold, implicating Lys415 in a lysine-binding site interaction with a Pg/Pm kringle. SkzL binding to active site fluorescein-labeled Pg/Pm analogs demonstrates distinct high and low affinity interactions. High affinity binding is mediated by Lys415, whereas the source of low affinity binding is unknown. SkzL enhances the activation of [Glu]Pg by urokinase (uPA) ∼20-fold, to a maximum rate indistinguishable from that for [Lys]Pg and [Glu]Pg activation in the presence of 6-aminohexanoic acid. SkzL binds preferentially to the partially extended β-conformation of [Glu]Pg, which is in unfavorable equilibrium with the compact α-conformation, thereby converting [Glu]Pg to the fully extended γ-conformation and accelerating the rate of its activation by uPA. SkzL enhances [Lys]Pg and [Glu]Pg activation by single-chain tissue-type Pg activator, ∼42- and ∼650-fold, respectively. SkzL increases the rate of plasma clot lysis by uPA and single-chain tissue-type Pg activator ∼2-fold, confirming its cofactor activity in a physiological model system. The results suggest a role for SkzL in S. agalactiae pathogenesis through fibrinolytic enhancement.
Subjectivity and The Ontology of History

The ontology of history has only become a philosophical problem relatively recently within modern philosophy as a result of the change in the meaning of "ontology" and reflection on the idea of history. The practice of history, the writing of historical documents, is very old and already well developed in ancient Greece, for instance in the writings of the Greek historians such as Thucydides and Hesiod. But philosophical reflection on history only began much later. It is significant that at the beginning of the modern tradition, Descartes still understood history as a fabula mundi, since from his philosophical angle of vision a specific theory of historical knowledge was neither necessary nor possible. As part of the much discussed post-structuralist turn to post modernism, at present numerous writers, most prominently Derrida and Habermas, but also Foucault, and others have become apprentices in the new trade of overcoming metaphysics. For such thinkers, the understanding of "metaphysics" derives mainly and uncritically from Heidegger's view. According to Heidegger, who distinguished between beings, or entities, and their Being, that is the Being of beings, what he calls the Seinsfrage, in his early formulation the question of the meaning of Being, has been forgotten since the Early Greeks. In his view, since the pre-Socratics, certainly as early as Aristotle, another, inauthentic view of metaphysics arose, namely the conception of being as an entity, which has since dominated the discussion. But the original, authentic conception of metaphysics lies hidden behind the continued accretion of the later, false tradition, which must be "destroyed" in order to revive the correct approach.
Manufacture and Development of Multilayer Diffraction Gratings

The OMEGA EP Facility includes two high-energy, short-pulse laser beams that will be focused to high intensity in the OMEGA target chamber, providing backlighting of compressed fusion targets and investigating the fast-ignition concept. To produce 2.6-kJ output energy per beam, developments in grating compressor technology are required. Gold-coated diffraction gratings limit on-target energy because of their low damage fluence. Multilayer dielectric (MLD) gratings have shown promise as high-damage-threshold, high-efficiency diffraction gratings suitable for use in high-energy chirped-pulse amplification [ B. W. Shore et al., J. Opt. Soc. Am. A 14 , 1124 (1997).] Binary 100-mm-diam MLD gratings have been produced at the Laboratory for Laser Energetics (LLE) using large-aperture, holographic exposure and reactive ion-beam etching systems. A diffraction efficiency of greater than 99.5% at 1053 nm has been achieved for gratings with 1740 grooves/mm, with a 1:1 damage threshold of 5.49 J/cm 2 diffracted beam fluence at 10 ps. To demonstrate the ability to scale up to larger substrates, several 100-mm substrates have been distributed over an aperture of 47 × 43 cm and successfully etched, resulting in high efficiency over the full aperture. This paper details the manufacture and development of these gratings, including the specifics of the MLD coating, holographic lithography, reactive ion etching, reactive ion-beam cleaning, and wet chemical cleaning.
Profit-Volume-Exchange-Rate Analysis for Planning International Operations

We extend the conventional Profit-Volume (P-V) analysis to develop a new model of Profit-Exchange-Rate (P-ER) analysis to evaluate how exchange rate fluctuations impact profit. We begin by classifying costs as either “global cost” or “local cost” according to whether or not input prices are exchange-rate sensitive. This classification is analogous to the familiar variable/fixed cost classification based on the cost sensitivity to volume change. Data for the U.S. and Japanese steel industries are used to illustrate the approach. We then combine the conventional Profit-Volume analysis with the Profit-Exchange-Rate analysis to form a composite model, called Profit-Volume-Exchange-Rate (P-VER) analysis, where both volume and exchange rate vary. We show that this composite approach suggests the use of a single rate-volume variable, similar to “person-hours,” as the key planning-control variable for international operations.
Effect of Granulating Method on Particle Size Distribution of Granules and Disintegrated Tablets. I

AbstractThe average particle size and distribution of granules were found to be dependent on the granulating method. The slugging method produced the widest particle size distribution and the largest average particle size, while the microgranulating method produced the narrowest distribution and the smallest average particle size. The average particle size of dexamethasone granules produced by wet granulating, microgranulating and slugging methods, were reduced on compaction by fragmentation. Of the three, the granules prepared by the slugging method, exhibited maximal average size reduction on compaction. On the other hand, the average particle size of sulfadiazine microgranulates and sulfadiazine slugs were enlarged by consolidation during compaction.
SOME OBSERVATIONS ON CRACK EXTENSION DIRECTION IN SINGLE EDGE CRACK SPECIMENS FOR SBR AND NR

To improve the fracture, fatigue and wear resistance of rubber one needs to understand the microscopic as well as macroscopic aspects of rubber fracture. For rubber, the crack tip acts as a stress concentrator, in addition the stress concentration affects the molecular arrangement. This stress induced molecular arrangement in turn changes the mechanical properties near the crack tip region which may be anisotropic in nature. In carbon filled natural rubber (NR), the carbon black reinforcement induces strain crystallization near the crack tip and has anisotropic mechanical properties [ 1]. Another study [2] showed that carbon black expands the crack tip crystallization zone and increases the crystallinity. Reference [3] showed that strain induced crystallinity increases the fracture resistance of carbon black reinforced natural rubber. It appears that the rubber microstructure of virgin material influences the direction of crack propagation.
Implications of Cumulative Impacts to Estuarine and Marine Habitat Quality for Fish and Invertebrate Resources

Nearshore environments are nurseries for estuarine nekton and are preferentially sought out within an estuary. Habitat is the template on which population and community dynamics occur, and many linkages between habitat and nekton production are being altered by development. Thus, we are studying this linkage (function) while it is changing. We reviewed the literature on habitat alteration in nearshore environments, focusing on small-scale changes and their cumulative impacts. On a small scale, bulkheads and levees eliminate or significantly reduce access to intertidal marsh habitat, but these can accumulate to a larger area of impact, fragmenting habitat and reducing connectivity. Cumulative impacts are problematic because they are not immediately noted and build up over time to produce a more substantial impact. The creation of habitat patchiness (non-continuous segments) caused by development has received little attention but contributes to reduced environmental sustainability. Direct or indirect modifi...
Model-Based Control for Diesel Engine Start-Stop Operations With a Belted Starter/Alternator

The coupling of an internal combustion engine with a starter/alternator is one of the most easily realizable hybrid electric vehicle configurations to achieve significant fuel economy savings in urban driving. A successful implementation of the starter alternator technology includes controlling the electric motor to start and stop the engine quickly and smoothly, without compromising the vehicle noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) signature. The issue becomes more critical in the case of Diesel hybrids, as the peak compression torque is much larger than in automotive spark ignition engines. This paper presents a model-based approach in control design for engine start/stop operations with a belted starter/alternator. Starting from previous modeling and experimental results, a nonlinear model of a belted starter/alternator coupled with a Diesel engine is developed for control algorithm development. With the introduction of a feed-forward control action proportional to the instantaneous engine torque, the starter/alternator controller is capable of consistently reducing the large torque fluctuations during the engine start. With this feedforward control action, the engine start control problem can be translated into a simpler disturbance rejection problem, given a prescribed speed trajectory. This facilitates a linearization of the complex nonlinear model to produce a control-oriented model on which feedback control can be designed. Using the control-oriented model thus developed, different linear control designs have been developed and compared. Further, a robustness study is conducted to evaluate the effect of noise and uncertainties common to such systems. The final results are tested on the original nonlinear truth model, demonstrating the capability of starting and stopping the engine with very limited torque and speed fluctuations.© 2007 ASME
The marketing and logistics efficacy of online sales channels

Purpose – The purpose of this study is to investigate key differences between web‐only and multi‐channel retailers in terms of five different measures of web activity and three different forms of outsourcing behavior. Specifically, the research examines the marketing and logistics efficacy between business‐to‐consumer (B2C) retailers who sell exclusively via the web and retailers for whom the web offers one additional channel for sales. Finally, it is suggested that how this study may give rise to future research in this area.Design/methodology/approach – This empirical study using the lens of transaction cost economics (TCE) to examine hypotheses regarding customer buying behavior and the retailers' proclivity to outsource is conducted. Secondary data sources provide key metrics for the more than 250 companies found in the sample.Findings – Several key differences exist between the efficacy of web‐only and multi‐channel retailers, which can be explained with the TCE framework. Both web‐only and multi‐cha...
Preliminary results on the plasma environment of saturn from the pioneer 11 plasma analyzer experiment.

The Ames Research Center Pioneer 11 plasma analyzer experiment provided measurements of the solar wind interaction with Saturn and the character of the plasma environment within Saturn's magnetosphere. It is shown that Saturn has a detached bow shock wave and magnetopause quite similar to those at earth and Jupiter. The scale size of the interaction region for Saturn is roughly one-third that at Jupiter, but Saturn's magnetosphere is equally responsive to changes in the solar wind dynamic pressure. Saturn's outer magnetosphere is inflated, as evidenced by the observation of large fluxes of corotating plasma. It is postulated that Saturn's magnetosphere may undergo a large expansion when the solar wind pressure is greatly diminished by the presence of Jupiter's extended magnetospheric tail when the two planets are approximately aligned along the same solar radial vector.
Pharma's Developing Interest in Stem Cells

Human stem cell biology is driving the promise of novel regenerative therapies into clinical trials. Although the pharmaceutical industry has embraced stem cells as tools in drug discovery, few companies have taken the risk to deliver stem cell-based medicines. Here, we evaluate the various cell-based opportunities and corporate strategies.
Reverse breakdown in GaAs MESFET's

A simple numerical technique for calculating reverse breakdown voltage in GaAs MESFET's is described. The breakdown voltage is determined from an integral over the ionization rate and requires only a small amount of computing time, allowing a variety of structures to be studied. The effects of a gate recess and n+layer, the surface potential, buried channel layers, and AlGaAs spacer layers underneath the gate are investigated.
A light-weight solution to preservation of access pattern privacy in un-trusted clouds

Cloud computing is a new computing paradigm that is gaining increased popularity. More and more sensitive user data are stored in the cloud. The privacy of users' access pattern to the data should be protected to prevent un-trusted cloud servers from inferring users' private information or launching stealthy attacks. Meanwhile, the privacy protection schemes should be efficient as cloud users often use thin client devices to access the cloud. In this paper, we propose a lightweight scheme to protect the privacy of data access pattern. Comparing with existing state-of-the-art solutions, our scheme incurs less communication and computational overhead, requires significantly less storage space at the cloud user, while consuming similar storage space at the cloud server. Rigorous proofs and extensive evaluations have been conducted to demonstrate that the proposed scheme can hide the data access pattern effectively in the long run after a reasonable number of accesses have been made.
Discussion of: The anatomic basis of the internal mammary artery perforator flap: a cadaver study.

The authors are to be complemented on completing a much more thorough anatomic assessment of the IMAP territories than we did in our publication. This study gives us new and important information on the potential territories supplied by these perforators as well as suggestions on how flaps might be designed based on these vessels. Further dissection to mobilize the underlying internal mammary artery greatly increases the arc of rotation of these flaps. The further dissection required to achieve this involves resection of one or more costal cartilages using techniques exactly similar to what we use to access the internal mammary vessels when doing a microvascular breast reconstruction. This manoeuver allows for rotation of these flaps up into the neck with minimal tension. The flap can
The Social Foundations of World Trade: Norms, Community, and Constitution

1. Introduction: reconstructing the world trading system 2. Two frameworks on an international organization 3. The world trade community 4. Norms and discourse: the internal operation of the world trade community 5. The world trade constitution: external relationships of the world trade community 6. Evaluation: the legitimacy of the world trade community 7. Conclusion: building the world trade community.
Cyclic AMP responsive element binding protein phosphorylation and persistent expression of levodopa-induced response alterations in unilateral nigrostriatal 6-OHDA lesioned rats.

Activation of cAMP responsive element binding protein (CREB) has been increasingly implicated in the formation and maintenance of long-term memory. To elucidate molecular mechanisms that underlie the persisting alterations in motor response occurring with levodopa (L-dopa) treatment of parkinsonian patients, we evaluated the time course of these changes in relation to the activation of striatal CREB in 6-hydroxydopamine (6-OHDA) lesioned animals. Three weeks of twice-daily L-dopa treatment reduced the duration of the rotational response to acute L-dopa challenge in hemiparkinsonian rats, which lasted about 5 weeks after withdrawal of chronic L-dopa therapy. This shortened response duration, resembling human wearing-off fluctuations, was associated with a marked increase in Ser-133 phosphorylated CREB (pCREB) immunoreactivity in medium spiny neurons in dorsolateral striatum in response to acute dopaminomimetic challenge. Intermittent treatment with the D1 receptor-preferring agonist SKF 38393, but not the D2 receptor-preferring agonist quinpirole, produced a similar rise in CREB phosphorylation. The time course of changes in CREB phosphorylation correlated with the time course of changes in motor behavior after cessation of chronic L-dopa therapy. Both the altered motor response duration and the degree of CREB phosphorylation were attenuated by the intrastriatal administration of CREB antisense or protein kinase A inhibitor Rp-cAMPS. The results suggest that region-specific Ser-133 CREB phosphorylation in D1 receptor containing spiny neurons contributes to the persistence of the motor response alterations produced by intermittent stimulation of striatal dopaminergic receptors.
Following the Rules? Candidate Strategy in Presidential Primaries*

Objectives. The competitiveness of the 2008 presidential primaries in both the Republican and Democratic parties has prompted a reconsideration of the role of delegate-selection rules in influencing the strategic behavior of presidential candidates. Using advertising and candidate state-visit data from the 2004 and 2008 presidential nominating campaigns, we reexamine the strategies presidential candidates use when competing for the nomination of their party. Methods. Using the Wisconsin Advertising Project Data from 2004 and 2008, we estimate several multiple regressions designed to analyze the factors predicting candidate visits and advertising. Results. We find that, to a large extent, the rules of the game help predict where candidates allocate their political advertising and campaign stops; candidates consider whether a contest is a primary or caucus, they pay attention to how many delegates are at stake, and they consider whether a state’s delegateallocation method is largely proportional or winner take all. Yet we also find some differences in how the rules influence frontrunners and long-shot candidates, and we discover how other factors, including a candidate’s access to financial resources, influence the allocation of ads and visits. Conclusion. Our findings offer some of the first empirical evidence for the idea that a state’s delegate-allocation method influences candidates’ resource-allocation behavior. That these rules matter at all is somewhat of a surprise given that the delegate-allocation methods used by states have become more homogenous within each party.
Off-balance-sheet activities, earnings persistence and stock prices : evidence from operating leases

This paper examines the implications of the off-balance-sheet treatment of operating leases for future earnings and stock returns. The property rights granted by an operating lease contract generate both future benefits (off-balance-sheet capital investment) and future obligations (off-balance-sheet financing liabilities) for the lessee. The change in the off-balance-sheet capital investment can be viewed as a form of growth in net operating assets and also a form of off-balance-sheet accruals. By examining the footnote disclosure on operating leases, this paper shows that, after controlling for current earnings, greater off-balance-sheet operating lease activities lead to lower future earnings. This finding is consistent with diminishing marginal returns to investment in operating lease activities. Additional tests show that investors incorrectly estimate the implications of off-balance-sheet lease activities for future earnings. A long-short investment strategy that exploits this misestimation generates significant future abnormal stock returns. These results suggest that the accrual anomaly documented in prior research extends to off-balance-sheet lease accruals.
Iyengar Yoga for Young Adults with Rheumatoid Arthritis: Results From a Mixed-Methods Pilot Study

Context. Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic disease that often impacts patient’s quality of life. For young people with RA, there is a need for rehabilitative approaches that have been shown to be safe and to lead to improved functioning. Objectives. This pilot study investigated the feasibility of a single-arm, groupadministered, six-week, biweekly Iyengar yoga (IY) program for eight young adults with RA. Methods. IY is known for its use of props, therapeutic sequences designed for patient populations, emphasis on alignment, and a rigorous teacher training. Treatment outcomes were evaluated using a mixed-methods approach that combined quantitative results from standardized questionnaires and qualitative interviews with participants. Results. Initial attrition was 37% (n ¼ 3) after the first week because of scheduling conflicts and a prior non-RA related injury. However, the remaining participants (n ¼ 5) completed between 75% and 100% of treatment sessions (mean ¼ 95%). No adverse events were reported. The quantitative results indicated significant improvements in pain, pain disability, depression, mental health, vitality, and self-efficacy. Interviews demonstrated improvement in RA symptoms and functioning but uncertainty about whether the intervention affected pain. Conclusion. These preliminary findings indicate that IY is a feasible complementary approach for young people with RA, although larger clinical
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome: Evidence for Reduced Sensitivity of the Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone Pulse Generator to Inhibition by Estradiol and Progesterone

Plasma LH is commonly elevated in women with the polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but the underlying mechanisms are uncertain. We tested the hypothesis that the elevated LH in part reflects a reduced sensitivity of the hypothalamic GnRH pulse generator to suppression by estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P). In an initial protocol, normal controls (beginning on cycle days 8–10) and women with PCOS were given E2 transdermally and P by vaginal suppository (three times daily), to achieve plasma concentrations similar to those in the midluteal phase of an ovulatory cycle, for 21 days. Blood was obtained at 10-min intervals for 12 h before and on days 5, 10, 20, and 28 (7 days after E2 and P were discontinued). LH pulse amplitude and LH pulse frequency were suppressed in both PCOS and normal controls, but LH pulse frequency fell more rapidly in controls and was lower by day 10 (P < 0.05). Based on this time course a dose-response study was performed, in which E2 in constant dosage and varying concentrations of ...
Microscopic and Quantitative Investigations on PST Ti-Al / Ti Reaction Diffusion Couples

Interdiffusion in multi-phase diffusion couples of polycrystalline Ti and polysynthetically twinned (PST) Ti-49.3 at.Al, with the diffusion direction parallel to the lamellar planes, is investigated in the temperature range 973 – 1173 K. A reaction zone (RZ) of the a2-Ti3Al phase forms between the end materials and exhibits deeper penetration in the a2 lamellae than in the primary g lamellae. The mass balance and the lamellar thickness across the RZ / PST interface are believed to be the major factors that lead to the different behaviors in the penetration depth of the RZ. Direct measurements of the RZ thickness reveal a parabolic growth of the RZ, indicating a diffusion-controlled growth macroscopically. Concentration profiles from the Ti, through the RZ, into the PST g and a2 lamellae are measured by x-ray spectroscopy in a transmission electron microscope. Deviations from a diffusion-controlled composition profile indicate some extent of interface-controlled growth. Plateaus are seen in the concentration profiles in the RZ adjacent to the RZ/PST interface, extending through most of the deeply penetrated well region. The interfacial energy and strain energy are possible reasons for the plateaus. The interdiffusion coefficients are found to be largely independent of composition with a temperature dependence that obeys the Arrhenius relationship.
Choosing integration methods when solving differential equations

There are two common types of solution methods for solving simple integrals: using integration constants or using limits of integration. We use the resources framework to model student solution methods. Preliminary results indicate both problematic and meaningful intersections of physical meaning and mathematical formalism when solving linked integrals.
A realistic, minimal “middle layer” for neural networks

Abstract To demonstrate some dynamical consequences of making the formal characteristic of neuronal elements and their connectivities more realistic than those of modern neural computer algorithms, we study two multiplicatively coupled logistic maps, each with the quadratic response characteristics of neurons with autoreceptor mechanisms, which iteratively exchange their outputs. The dynamic phenomenology of this two-neuron system, though noninvertible, demonstrates characteristics of both automorphisms of the real line and diffeomorphisms of the plane, with smooth parametric transitions between them. We portray a unified parameter space containing the negative, positive, and mixed-coupled regimes, categorize the phase space structures using characteristic exponent inequalities, explore representative parametric paths, demonstrate generic bifurcation sequences, and report number theoretic ordering in parameter space. We conjecture that most, if not all, “middle-layer-like” brain systems, in contrast to primary sensory and motor information transport systems, are dominated by intrinsic dynamics of the sort demonstrated here. External input serves as a perturbation of these already ongoing complex systems. The intrinsic instabilities of these middle-layer dynamics return the unpredictability required by theoretical studies of real brain function to models of neural networks. We demonstrate a variety of parameter-dependent intrinsically ordered attractor sequences and number theoretic series which emerge from the global dynamics and exemplify the rich dynamical “machine” language potential for specific coding by brain-like information transport and learning algorithms.
The tamma and the dual-administrative structure of the Mongol empire

The Secret History of the Mongols (Yuanchao bishi) tells us that, after the invasion and conquest of Qipchaq and Rus'lands in 1237–40, Qagan Ogodei placed ‘daruγacin and tammacin’ over peoples whose main cities were Ornas, Saḳsīn, Bulgar and Kiev.
Heterozygous N-terminal deletion of IκBα results in functional nuclear factor κB haploinsufficiency, ectodermal dysplasia, and immune deficiency

Background Nuclear factor κB (NF-κB) is a master transcriptional regulator critical for ectodermal development and normal innate and adaptive immune function. Mutations in the IκB kinase γ/NF-κB essential modifier have been described in male subjects with the syndrome of X-linked ectodermal dysplasia with immune deficiency that results from impaired activation of NF-κB. Objectives We sought to determine the genetic cause of ectodermal dysplasia with immune deficiency in a female patient. Methods Toll-like receptor–induced production of the NF-κB–dependent cytokines TNF-α and IFN-α was examined by means of ELISA, the patient's IκBα gene was sequenced, and NF-κB activation was evaluated by means of electrophoretic mobility shift assay and NF-κB–luciferase assays in transfectants. Results Toll-like receptor function was impaired in the patient. Sequencing of the patient's IκBα gene revealed a novel heterozygous mutation at amino acid 11 (W11X). The mutant IκBαW11X protein did not undergo ligand-induced phosphorylation or degradation and retained NF-κB in the cytoplasm. This led to roughly a 50% decrease in NF-κB DNA-binding activity, leading to functional haploinsufficiency of NF-κB activation. Unlike the only other reported IκBα mutant associated with ectodermal dysplasia associated with immune deficiency (ED-ID), S32I, IκBαW11X exerted no dominant-negative effect. Conclusions Functional NF-κB haploinsufficiency was associated with ED-ID, and this strongly suggests that normal ectodermal development and immune function are stringently dependent on NF-κB in that they might require more than half of normal NF-κB activity. Clinical implications Although ED-ID is well described in male subjects, female subjects can present with a similar syndrome of ectodermal dysplasia with immune deficiency resulting from mutations in autosomal genes within the NF-κB pathway.
Postharvest transfer and survival of Salmonella enterica serotype enteritidis on living lettuce.

UNLABELLED The potential for postharvest transfer of Salmonella to 'living lettuce' is not well understood. In this study, the transfer of Salmonella enterica Enteritidis (6 log CFU g(-1) ) from worker hands or contaminated roots to leaves of living lettuce was quantified. Transfer rates of Salmonella from contaminated gloves to sequentially handled lettuce heads ranged from 94% to head 1, 82% to head 2 and 69% to head 3. On average, 2.9 ± 0.1 log CFU g(-1) (64%) Salmonella was transferred from inoculated roots to leaves resulting from typical postharvest handling activities for living lettuce. Salmonella persisted on leaves stored at recommended storage temperatures (4°C) and increased 0.5 log CFU g(-1) when stored at temperature abuse conditions (12°C). Salmonella increased 1.6 log CFU g(-1) on roots after 18-day storage at 12°C, emphasizing the need to maintain temperature control to reduce the risk of human illness. SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY Hydroponically grown lettuce packaged in plastic clamshells with intact roots, marketed as 'living lettuce', is increasing in popularity due to its extended shelf life. This study demonstrates the transfer of Salmonella from contaminated worker hands and contaminated roots to leaves where it persisted at 4°C for 18 day. Temperature abuse (12°C) increased Salmonella on roots and leaves. These findings suggest that failure to maintain temperatures below 12°C can pose a risk for consumers purchasing living lettuce at markets where recommended storage temperatures are not maintained.
Building a dark piconet upon Bluetooth interfaces of computers

In this paper we demonstrate an attack scenario in which Bluetooth enabled computers are remotely controlled by an attacker without any security software detecting the connection. We describe in detail the methods to deliver malware, evade detection, elevate permissions, and transport critical information out of the network via Bluetooth connections. A prototype system using state-of-the-art operating systems and security software is built to show the practicability of the attack. We also study different mitigation strategies along with their downside. Security improvements for similar scenarios are also discussed.