cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Transracial Adoption by Lesbian, Gay, and Heterosexual Couples: Who Completes Transracial Adoptions and With What Results?

Who completes transracial adoptions and with what results? This study explored pathways to and outcomes of transracial adoption among 106 families headed by lesbian (n = 27), gay (n = 29), and heterosexual (n = 50) couples. Transracial adoptions occurred more often among lesbian and gay than among heterosexual couples, and they occurred more often among interracial than among same-race couples. Lesbian and gay couples were more likely than heterosexual couples to be interracial. Transracial adoptions were also more common among those who gave child-centered reasons as compared to adult-centered reasons for adoption. There were, however, no differences in adjustment between transracial and inracial adoptive families. Implications for child welfare agencies and for legal and policy debates are discussed.
Signals mediating ion channel clustering at the neuromuscular junction

High densities of acetylcholine receptors and sodium channels in the crests and troughs of the postsynaptic folds, respectively, ensure reliable neuromuscular signalling. Clustering of both ion channels is mediated by agrin. In the case of acetylcholine receptors, agrin activates the tyrosine kinase receptor muscle-specific kinase (MuSK), initiating a process requiring rapsyn and possibly also receptor phosphorylation. In many respects, the interactions between agrin and MuSK and their downstream effectors are atypical of conventional receptor tyrosine kinase signalling systems. A new understanding of the structural features of rapsyn involved in receptor clustering, as well as syntrophin's role in sodium channel targeting, has recently been revealed. Perhaps the most surprising result of the past year with regard to synaptogenesis is a negative one--mice lacking both dystrophin and utrophin have nearly normal neuromuscular junctions.
Efficacy of EGFR inhibition is modulated by model, sex, genetic background and diet: implications for preclinical cancer prevention and therapy trials.

Molecule-targeted therapies are being widely developed and deployed, but they are frequently less effective in clinical trials than predicted based upon preclinical studies. Frequently, only a single model or genetic background is utilized using diets that are not relevant to that consumed by most cancer patients, which may contribute to the lack of predictability of many preclinical therapeutic studies. Inhibition of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in colorectal cancer was used to investigate potential causes for low predictive values of many preclinical studies. The efficacy of the small molecule EGFR inhibitor AG1478 was evaluated using two mouse models, ApcMin/+ and azoxymethane (AOM), both sexes on three genetic backgrounds, C57BL/6J (B6) and A/J (A) inbred strains and AB6F1 hybrids, and two diets, standard chow (STD) or Western-style diet (WD). AG1478 has significant anti-tumor activity in the B6-ApcMin/+ model with STD but only moderately on the WD and in the AOM model on an A background with a WD but not STD. On the F1 hybrid background AG1478 is effective in the ApcMin/+ model with either STD or WD, but has only moderate efficacy in the AOM model with either diet. Sex differences were also observed. Unexpectedly, the level of liver EGFR phosphorylation inhibition by AG1478 was not positively correlated with inhibition of tumor growth in the AOM model. Model-dependent interactions between genetic background and diet can dramatically impact preclinical results, and indicate that low predictive values of preclinical studies can be attributed to study designs that do not account for the heterogeneous patient population or the diets they consume. Better-designed preclinical studies should lead to more accurate predictions of therapeutic response in the clinic.
Factors involved in the rapid elimination of avoidance behavior.

Abstract To assess the factors by which a forced exposure treatment produces the extinction of a well-trained signaled avoidance response, a 2 × 2 experimental design was employed with length of CS exposures and blocking of the response as the two independent variables. In addition to the four experimental groups, two control groups were also included, one receiving no CS exposure during treatment and the other receiving presentations where the termination of the CS was always controlled by the animal. Results from the six groups of ten rats suggested that, during the forced exposure treatment, preventing the response was more effective in weakening the avoidance behavior than allowing the response to occur; and, similarly, a series of short exposures to the CS was more effective than a single massed presentation. The behavior of the response-termination control indicated; (i) that contrary to previous assertions, the elimination of response-contingent CS termination is not a necessary condition for extinction; and (ii) that this type of control is essential for evaluating the efficacy of any forced exposure treatment.
Effects of uninephrectomy and high protein feeding in cyclosporine nephropathy.

Effects of uninephrectomy and high protein feeding in cyclosporine nephropathy. Using a recently described rodent model of chronic cyclosporine nephropathy (CCN), the effects of uninephrectomy (UNx) and high protein feeding on the development of CCN were studied. After 28 days of i.p. cyclosporine (Cs; 25 mg/kg/day) in UNx and sham nephrectomized (SNx) rats, the single kidney GFR was higher in UNx animals (0.55 ± 0.09 vs. 0.29 ± 0.05 ml/min, P
The use of temperature-composition combinatorial libraries to study the effects of biodegradable polymer blend surfaces on vascular cells.

Abstract Controlling cellular and physiological responses such as adhesion, proliferation and migration is a highly desirable feature of engineered scaffolds. One important application would be the design of tissue engineered vascular grafts that regulate cell adhesion and growth. We utilized temperature–composition combinatorial polymer libraries to investigate the effects of surfaces of blended poly( d , l -lactic- co -glycolic acid) (PLGA) and poly( e -caprolactone) (PCL) on murine vascular smooth muscle cells (SMC). In this manner, SMCs were exposed to ∼1000 distinguishable surfaces in a single experiment, allowing the discovery of optimal polymer compositions and processing conditions. SMC adhesion, aggregation, proliferation, and protein production were highest in regions with mid- to high-PCL concentrations and high annealing temperatures. These regions exhibited increased surface roughness, increased microscale PLGA-rich matrix stiffness, and significant change of bulk PCL-rich crystallinity relative to other library regions. This study revealed a previously unknown processing temperature and blending composition for two well-known polymers that optimized SMC interactions.
Academic Training in a Child and Adolescent Psychiatry Fellowship: A Curriculum Based on Leadership Experience

The authors describe how one child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship program responded to emerging trends in clinical practice which increasingly demand that child and adolescent psychiatrists lead their colleagues through instruction and supervision. Data from surveys of recent graduates of child and adolescent training programs were reviewed and the trends were identified. The authors describe the Academic Chief Fellow rotation, which was designed for the fellows to enhance their academic skills by teaching, guiding, and supervising their junior colleagues. The authors describe the implementation of the new rotation and discuss the fellows’ response. They also detail the responses of the medical students and residents who rotated on the child and adolescent psychiatry service under the Academic Chief Fellow. Greater experience in teaching and supervising others can be meaningfully integrated into existing child and adolescent psychiatry fellowship curricula. Other outcomes may include greater medical student and general psychiatry resident satisfaction with their child and adolescent psychiatry rotation and greater interest among medical students in child and adolescent psychiatry as a career.
In-Plane Lateral Cyclic Behavior of Insulated Concrete Form Grid Walls

The in-plane lateral behavior of insulated concrete form grid walls consisting of prefabricated stay-in-place form blocks made of recycled expanded polystyrene and evenly spaced horizontal and vertical reinforced concrete cores was experimentally investigated. Incrementally increasing reversed cyclic drifts were imposed on sets of full-scale walls of two different aspect ratios and on two different vertical loading conditions. The results of the 13 experiments indicated that a consistent wall failure mode stemmed from fracture of the individual vertical cores. Additional vertical load was found to increase the strength and effective stiffness of the walls, but the effect on drift capacity and ductility depended on the wall aspect ratio. The residual stiffness and energy dissipation severely degraded within cycles of 1% drift for all aspect geometries and loading conditions. The stay-in-place form blocks had a significant positive influence on the behavior despite the material’s relatively low strength.
Aerodynamics of high-lift, low-aspect-ratio unswept wings

It is presently demonstrated that highly cambered, low aspect ratio airfoil configurations can be neither experimentally nor numerically developed on the basis of two-dimensional methods; the strong dependency of airfoil shape on aspect ratio requires the definition of a planform to be conducted first, in order to serve as input for three-dimensional optimization methods. It is found that even the simplified three-dimensional computational method presently employed can accelerate a multielement-airfoil wing development.
Tissue reactivity of anti-Leu19

Monoclonal antibody anti-Leu19, is a marker of natural killer cells. Since reactivity between anti-Leu7, another natural killer cell marker, and small cell neuroendocrine carcinomas has been described, we evaluated the reactivity of anti-Leu19 in 92 neuroendocrine tumours. Frozen sections in each case were immunostained using the avidin-biotin-peroxidase complex method with monoclonal anti-Leu19. We found Leu19 expression in 93% of the cases. We also evaluated 149 other tumours, including adenocarcinomas, undifferentiated large cell carcinomas, lymphomas, melanomas and soft tissue tumours. We found Leu19 expression in 36% (by liberal interpretative criteria), or 29% (by conservative interpretative criteria) of these cases. Thus, while anti-Leu19 appears to be a sensitive marker for neuroendocrine tumours, a lack of specificity limits its practical application in diagnostic histopathology.
The physics of ghost imaging: nonlocal interference or local intensity fluctuation correlation?

In this special Volume on Quantum Imaging, Shapiro and Boyd present a review on The Physics of Ghost Imaging. Here I argue that their Review is incomplete, as it overlooks a form of ghost imaging that requires quantum mechanical nonlocal effects for their understanding. From the very beginning, Klyshko brought attention to the nonlocal nature of biphoton interference and biphoton imaging by introducing his “advanced wave” theory [1]. His “advanced wave” propagates backward in time from a photodetector to the source and then propagates forward in time from the source to another distant photodetector. The “advanced wave” connects the object-arm and the image-arm, as well as two independent photodetection events, in his biphoton interference and imaging model. Strekalov et al. and Pittman et al. realized nonlocal biphoton interference [2] and biphoton imaging [3] experimentally. The physics community immediately named these two experiments “ghost interference” and “ghost imaging”. Simultaneously with the experimental realization, we found that Klyshko’s advanced wave theory can be replaced by a standard quantum theory of second-order coherence in which a nonlocal biphoton wavepacket is introduced to connect the two arms and two photodetection events [4]. Soon after that, we realized that nonlocal interference and imaging are not restricted to entangled biphoton systems: it also happens in thermal radiation. Ghost imaging can be observed from thermal light in the Fresnel near-field zone in a lensless configuration [5–7]. Although nonlocality is a feature of quantum mechanics [8], this concept is not part of classical physics. In the classical theory of light, ghost imaging, especially thermal light ghost imaging, is a result of locally measured intensity fluctuation correlations. So this brings us to ask, is ghost imaging a nonlocal interference phenomenon (and hence quantum) or is it a result of local intensity fluctuation
Clauses are perceptual units for young infants

Abstract Most theories of language acquisition implicitly assume that the language learner is able to arrive at a segmentation of speech into clausal units. The present studies employed a preference procedure to examine the sensitivity of 7-10-month-old infants to acoustic correlates of clausal units in English. From a recording of a mother speaking to her child, matched samples were constructed by inserting pauses either at clause boundaries or at within-clause locations. The infants oriented longer to the samples segmented at the clause boundary. A second experiment confirmed that these preferences depended on where the pauses were inserted in the samples. These findings have important implications for understanding how language is learnable. The prelinguistic infant apparently possesses the means to detect important units such as clauses, within which grammatical rules apply.
High resolution far-infrared interferometer.

A high resolution interferometer in the Michelson configuration has been designed and constructed for the purpose of studying the optical properties of gases in either the symmetric or asymmetric mode of operation. The performance of this instrument in the 20-220 cm(-1) spectral region is demonstrated by measurements on a few simple molecules. A working resolution of 0.05 cm(-1) is verified by observation of the isotopic splitting in HC1 and by the resolution of several doublets in the H(2)O spectrum. Applications of the asymmetric mode to line strength measurements and to determination of partial pressures of absorbing constituents in gas mixtures are discussed.
Intraperitoneal cisplatin and regional hyperthermia for ovarian carcinoma

Abstract Purpose: To review the theoretical basis and results of a Phase I study of concurrent intraperitoneal cisplatin and hyperthermia in the treatment of ovarian carcinoma. Methods and Materials: Previously treated patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma received intraperitoneal instillation of cisplatin and 60 minutes of regional hyperthermia, with a goal temperature of 41.5°C. Cisplatin dose started at 20 mg/m 2 with escalation to the maximally tolerated dose. Six such cycles given every 3 weeks were planned. Pharmacokinetic studies with and without hyperthermia were performed. Results: Fifteen patients receiving 17 courses of treatment were evaluable. The maximally tolerated dose of cisplatin was between 80 and 120 mg/m 2 . The dose limiting toxicity was nephrotoxicity in all but one course. The median intraperitoneal temperature was 40.7°C; the majority of treatments in which the goal temperature was not reached had power limited by patient discomfort. No major toxicities attributable to hyperthermia were noted. Pharmacokinetic studies noted no significant differences between treatments with vs. without hyperthermia, with intraperitoneal to plasma area under the curve ratios being 30–35. Ten patients had a decline in their CA-125 count during treatment, although in only two patients did this response persist beyond their course of treatment. Conclusion: Intraperitoneal cisplatin and regional hyperthermia can be performed with reasonable toxicity. The maximally tolerated dose of 80–120 mg/m 2 in pretreated patients (which is similar to those reported with cisplatin alone) and median intraperitoneal temperatures of 40.7°C, however, are felt to be too low to be efficacious in a significant percentage of women with bulky recurrent disease. Further study using intravenous thiosulfate and controlled analgesia is being performed.
5-HT1A receptor blockade and the motivational profile of ethanol

Although several serotonin (5-HT) receptor subtypes influence ethanol consumption, the motivational mechanisms underlying these changes remain unclear. The present experiments characterized the rewarding, aversive and stimulant effects of ethanol in combination with a specific 5-HT1A receptor antagonist (pindobind-5HT1A). In a place conditioning study, adult male Swiss-Webster mice received 6 parings of a distinctive tactile stimulus with either 2 g/kg ethanol, 2.5 mg/kg pindobind-5HT1A, or both drugs in combination. Ethanol-conditioned preference for the tactile cue was enhanced in mice also receiving pindobind-5HT1A, which did not produce cue preference in the absence of ethanol. In a taste conditioning study, Swiss-Webster mice received 4 trials consisting of access to a distinctive NaCl flavor followed by either 4 g/kg ethanol, 2.5 mg/kg pindobind-5HT1A, or both drugs. As expected, ethanol produced avoidance of the flavor. Pindobind-5HT1A did not reduce or enhance ethanol-conditioned flavor aversion. In a study characterizing locomotor activity, 2 g/kg ethanol produced stimulation, which was enhanced after 10 daily treatments. Locomotor sensitization was not altered by co-treatment with pindobind-5HT1A. Overall, the present results show specific effects of 5-HT1A blockade on ethanol reward.
External beam radiation followed by planned neck dissection and brachytherapy for base of tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Background Surgical resection of tongue base cancer can leave the patient with significant functional deficits. Other therapies, such as external beam radiation followed by neck dissection and radiation implants, have shown equal tumor control with good functional outcome. Methods Between March 1991 and July 1999, 12 patients at Oregon Health Sciences University, the Portland Veterans Administration Medical Center and West Virginia University School of Medicine Hospital were treated with external beam radiation followed by neck dissection and Ir192 implants. Two patients had T1 disease, two had T2, five patients had T3 tumors, and three had T4 tumors. Six had N2a necks, three had N2b necks, and three had N2c. Follow-up ranged from 13 months to 8 years. Results After external beam radiation, five patients had complete response and seven had partial response in the neck without complications. One patient underwent a unilateral radical neck dissection, eight had unilateral selective neck dissections involving levels I to IV, and three had dissections involving levels I to III. One of the five patients who had a complete clinical response in the neck had pathologically positive nodes. One patient had a pulmonary embolus that was treated and had no permanent sequelae. There were three complications from brachytherapy. Two patients had soft tissue necrosis at the primary site and one patient had radionecrosis of the mandible. All healed without further therapy. One patient had persistent disease and underwent a partial glossectomy but died of local disease. Distant metastasis developed in two patients. All others show no evidence of disease and are able to eat a normal diet by mouth. Conclusion This combination of therapies should be considered when treating tongue base cancer.
The importance of a community response to violence

Abstract Children need adult attention that can be given after problems arise or early on, in a loving, preventive way. How can adults and professionals charged with serving young people build healthy communities around all children? This article provides a public health framework to conceptualize youth violence and urges people to examine biases and prejudices that inhibit their ability to work collaboratively with others.
A positron lifetime study of the electron-beam-induced polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate

Positron lifetime measurements have been used to characterize the electron-beam-induced polymerization of 1,6-hexanediol diacrylate (HDODA). Lifetimes were measured as a function of radiation dose over a range of 0.5–7.0 Mrad and analyzed into three components. All three components exhibited some variation with radiation dose. Variations in the longest lifetime component have been interpreted in terms of changes in free volume. These data have been compared with polymer fraction data for electron-irradiated HDODA obtained by gel extraction and by NMR measurements. The positron lifetime parameter that correlates most closely with polymerization as measured by those techniques is the intensity of the longest lived component.
The foundations of planetary agrarianism. Thomas Berry and Liberty Hyde Bailey

The challenge of pursuing sustainability in agriculture is often viewed as mainly or wholly technical in nature, requiring the reform of farming methods and the development and adoption of alternative technologies. Likewise, the purpose of sustainability is frequently cast in utilitarian terms, as a means of protecting a valuable resource (i.e., soil) and of satisfying market demands for healthy, tasty food. Paul B. Thompson has argued that the embrace of these views by many in the consumer/environmental movement enables easy co-optation by agribusiness. It also reflects a critical weakness in this movement: a lack of commitment to philosophical principles that depart from the utilitarian premises of the industrial model of agriculture. This paper draws on the writings of Thomas Berry and Liberty Hyde Bailey to identify the philosophical principles of what we call planetary agrarianism. From the perspective of planetary agrarianism, the pursuit of sustainability is a broad and challenging moral, educational, and political task. Berry helps us see that it is fundamentally a project of worldview transition, which requires a new cultural narrative that must rival, in form and appeal, the mythic power of the utilitarian industrial vision. Liberty Hyde Bailey, author of The Holy Earth (1915) and a leader in the land-grant education and nature-study movements, took up the project of worldview transition in his life work. While in some ways dated and flawed, Bailey’s writings are a valuable source of guidance for developing and pursuing a viable philosophy of agriculture for the 21st century.
The critical specific heat of a glassy ferromagnet

Abstract Using standard ac calorimetry, we have measured the specific heat of the amorphous ferromagnet Fe75P15C10 in the neighborhood of its Curie temperature TC ≅ 600 K. Even though this material is structurally disordered, a sharp lambda-like cusp was observed, typical of a pure crystalline substance. We report the first determination of the critical specific heat exponent α = δ′ = -.18 ± .04 and the amplitude ratio A+/A- = 1.2 ± .3 for an amorphous ferromagnet and find that these values are typical of a Heisenberg system. Our results are in agreement with recent renormalization group calculations which indicate that the fixed point which characterizes the critical behavior will be stable against the addition of disorder to the ordered system if α
Protein kinase C α modulates growth and differentiation in Caco-2 cells

Abstract Background & Aims: Caco-2 cells have been used extensively to elucidate events involved in intestinal cell proliferation and differentiation. Because individual isoforms of protein kinase C (PKC) and p21 waf1 , a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, may regulate these processes, their role(s) on the growth and differentiation of Caco-2 cells were assessed. Methods: Protein abundance and subcellular distribution of several PKC isoforms, as well as the expression of p21 waf1 , were examined in preconfluent and postconfluent cells. Results: In cells at confluence (~7 days postplating) and during their postconfluent phase (up to 20 days postplating), both total protein expression of PKC-α and its particulate distribution increased compared with their 3-day postplated counterparts. These findings were in agreement with those obtained by immunocytochemistry of PKC-α. In contrast, neither the total expression nor the subcellular distribution of PKC-βI, -βII, -δ, or -ζ changed significantly during these time periods. In addition, the expression of p21 waf1 , which can be induced by PKC-α, increased in postconfluent cells. Conclusions: PKC-α, but not other isoforms of PKC, may modulate the proliferation and differentiation of Caco-2 cells. This regulation appears to be mediated, at least in part, via a mechanism involving p21 waf1 . GASTROENTEROLOGY 1998;114:503-509
On the significance of incorporating shoreline changes for evaluating coastal hydrodynamics under sea level rise scenarios

The influence of including the dynamic effects of future shoreline changes associated with sea level rise into hydrodynamic modeling is evaluated for the coast of the Northern Gulf of Mexico from Mobile Bay, AL to St. Andrew Bay, FL. A two-dimensional, depth-integrated hydrodynamic model forced by astronomic tides and hurricane winds and pressures representative of Hurricanes Ivan (2004), Dennis (2005) and Katrina (2005) is used to simulate present conditions, 2050 projected sea level (0.46 m rise) with present-day shorelines, and 2050 sea level with projected 2050 shorelines. The 2050 shoreline and nearshore morphology are projected using Coastal Vulnerability Index shoreline change rates to determine the position of the new Gulf and bay shorelines, while the active beach profile is shifted horizontally according to the amount of erosion or accretion, and vertically to keep pace with rising seas. Hydrodynamic model results show that taking a dynamic approach to modeling sea level rise (as opposed to a static, or “bathtub” approach) increases tidal ranges and tidal prisms within the bay systems. Incorporating the projected shoreline changes does not alter tidal ranges, but some bays experience changes in tidal prisms depending on whether the planform area of the bay increases or decreases with the projected erosion or accretion. Barrier islands with projected erosion are vulnerable to increased overtopping from storm surge inundation, which impels more water into the back-bays and increases the inland inundation extent and magnitude. Inundation along barrier islands with projected accretion remains relatively the same as inundation under present-day shorelines, which prevents additional overtopping and limits more water from entering back-bays. Results demonstrate that although modeling sea level rise as a dynamic process is necessary, the incorporation of shoreline changes has variable impacts when evaluating future hydrodynamics and the response of the coastal system to sea level rise.
Instrumental cross-contamination in the Cameca IMS-3F secondary ion microscope

Abstract Optimum detection sensitivities in secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS) require the use of efficient secondary ion extraction optics placed within a few millimeters of the target. Removal of previously deposited materials form the mechanical structure of the extraction optics are shown to introduce a background which can degrade the limit of detection. The sputtering of GaAs prior to the analysis of As in silicon results in a detectable As background of up to 2.2×10 18 atoms/cm 3 . Similarly, the sputtering of silicon will result in a detectable background of Si in GaAs reaching into the low 10 16 atoms/cm 3 range.
Leray-α LES of magnetohydrodynamic turbulence at low magnetic Reynolds number

A series of large eddy simulations is performed for decaying homogeneous magnetohydrodynamic (MHD) turbulence at low magnetic Reynolds number (Rem <<1) with different strengths of magnetic field. The initial isotropic turbulence problem has the Taylor scale Reynolds number (Re λ) of 120. The regularization-based Leray-α model is used for sub-grid scale (SGS) closure for the first time and comparisons are made with our own direct numerical simulation (DNS) calculations conducted as part of this study. Analyses of turbulent kinetic energy decay rates, energy spectra, and vorticity fields are made between the varying magnetic field cases. The SGS model assessments are also made between the Leray-α model and the classic non-dynamic Smagorinsky with several model coefficients. Overall, the Leray-α model was unable to capture the anisotropy associated with MHD flows as well as the non-dynamic Smagorinsky model in this study or even the dynamic Smagorinsky model in previous studies.
Maternal cocaine addiction. II: An animal model for the study of brainstem mechanisms operative in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome

Abstract Respiratory control abnormalities are mechanistic in Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). In particular, arousal from sleep is an important component of respiratory regulation. Cocaine alters central neurotransmitter metabolism, particularly the monoamines. The locus coeruleus, the major Norepinephrine (NE) neuronal system, is involved in arousal from sleep related apnea and has extensive forebrain and brainstem projections. Thus, it is plausible that in utero cocaine exposure disrupts the normal maturation of transmitters and/or brain structures essential to sleep related respiratory regulation. Infants exposed to cocaine in utero may have an increased incidence of SIDS. We propose that cocaine use in pregnancy alters the normal maturation of centers and/or neurotransmitters involved in respiratory regulation thereby altering postnatal respiratory control. We hypothesize that the increased incidence of SIDS in cocaine exposed infants may be secondary to deficits in arousal. The study of prenatal brain development and of postnatal respiratory control in rabbit pups exposed to cocaine in utero will provide a useful model for the study of mechanisms operative in SIDS.
A design flow based on modular refinement

We propose a practical methodology based on modular refinement to design complex systems. The methodology relies on modules with latency-insensitive interfaces so that the refinements can change the timing contract of a module without affecting the overall functional correctness of the system. Such refinements can exacerbate the unit testing problem for modules whose specifications admit a set of output behaviors for the same input (non-determinism), or modules whose input behavior may be affected by past outputs (feedback). We avoid the difficult problem of generating appropriate unit tests for such modules by using system-level tests as unit tests to verify the correctness of refined modules. We illustrate our methodology by showing how one might develop a microprocessor with an in-order pipeline. We then develop a superscalar pipeline using the in-order pipeline as the starting point. Our methodology leverages the effort of design exploration to reduce the effort of specifying interface contracts and unit testing.
Recruited renin-containing renal microvascular cells demonstrate the calcium paradox regulatory phenotype

Renin is the critical regulatory enzyme for production of angiotensin (Ang)-II, a potent vasoconstrictor involved in regulating blood pressure and in the pathogenesis of hypertension. Chronic sodium deprivation enhances renin secretion from the kidney, due to recruitment of additional cells from the afferent renal microvasculature to become renin-producing rather than just increasing release from existing juxtaglomerular (JG) cells. JG cells secrete renin inversely proportional to extra- and intracellular calcium, a unique phenomenon characteristic of the JG regulatory phenotype known as the “calcium paradox.” It is not known if renin secreted from recruited renin-containing cells is regulated similarly to native JG cells, and therefore acquires this JG cell phenotype. We hypothesized that non-JG cells in renal microvessels recruited to produce renin in response to chronic dietary sodium restriction would demonstrate the calcium paradox, characteristic of the JG cell phenotype. Histology showed recruitment of upstream arteriolar renin in response to sodium restriction compared to normal-diet rats. Renin fluorescence intensity increased 53% in cortices of sodium-restricted rats (P<0.001). We measured renin release from rat afferent microvessels, isolated using iron oxide nanopowder and incubated in either normal or low-calcium media. Basal renin release from normal sodium-diet rat microvessels in normal calcium media was 298.1±44.6 ng AngI/mL/hour/mg protein, and in low-calcium media increased 39% to 415.9±71.4 ng AngI/mL/hour/mg protein (P<0.025). Renin released from sodium-restricted rat microvessels increased 50% compared to samples from normal-diet rats (P<0.04). Renin release in normal calcium media was 447.0±54.3 ng AngI/mL/hour/mg protein, and in low-calcium media increased 36% to 607.6±96.1 ng AngI/mL/hour/mg protein (P<0.05). Thus, renin-containing cells recruited in the afferent microvasculature not only express and secrete renin but demonstrate the calcium paradox, suggesting renin secretion from recruited renin-containing cells share the JG phenotype for regulating renin secretion.
Long-term Results of Extracorporeal Shockwave Treatment for Plantar Fasciitis:

Background: Extracorporeal shockwave treatment has shown mixed short-term results for plantar fasciitis. However, the long-term results are not available.Hypothesis: Long-term results of shockwave treatment are comparable with short-term results.Study Design: Randomized controlled clinical trial; Level of evidence, 1.Methods: This prospective study consisted of 149 patients (168 heels) with an established diagnosis of chronic plantar fasciitis, including 79 patients (85 heels) in the shockwave treatment group and 70 patients (83 heels) in the control group. In the shockwave group, patients received 1500 impulses of shockwaves at 16 kV to the affected heel in a single session. Patients in the control group received conservative treatment consisting of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, orthotics, physical therapy, an exercise program, and/or a local cortisone injection. Patients were evaluated at 60 to 72 months (shockwave group) or 34 to 64 months (control group) with a 100-point scoring system includi...
On the Applicability of GPCR Homology Models to Computer-Aided Drug Discovery: A Comparison between In Silico and Crystal Structures of the β2-Adrenergic Receptor

The publication of the crystal structure of the β2-adrenergic receptor (β2-AR) proved that G protein-coupled receptors (GPCRs) share a structurally conserved rhodopsin-like 7TM core. Here, to probe to which extent realistic GPCR structures can be recreated through modeling, carazolol was docked at two rhodopsin-based homology models of the human β2-AR. The first featured a rhodopsin-like second extracellular loop, which interfered with ligand docking and with the orientation of several residues in the binding pocket. The second featured a second extracellular loop built completely de novo, which afforded a more accurate model of the binding pocket and a better docking of the ligand. Furthermore, incorporating available biochemical and computational data to the model by correcting the conformation of a single residue lining the binding pocket —Phe290(6.52)—, resulted in significantly improved docking poses. These results support the applicability of GPCR modeling to the design of site-directed mutagenesis ...
The Structure and Dynamics of Molecular Excitons

The photophysical behavior of organic semiconductors is governed by their excitonic states. In this review, I classify the three different exciton types (Frenkel singlet, Frenkel triplet, and charge transfer) typically encountered in organic semiconductors. Experimental challenges that arise in the study of solid-state organic systems are discussed. The steady-state spectroscopy of intermolecular delocalized Frenkel excitons is described, using crystalline tetracene as an example. I consider the problem of a localized exciton diffusing in a disordered matrix in detail, and experimental results on conjugated polymers and model systems suggest that energetic disorder leads to subdiffusive motion. Multiexciton processes such as singlet fission and triplet fusion are described, emphasizing the role of spin state coherence and magnetic fields in studying singlet ↔ triplet pair interconversion. Singlet fission provides an example of how all three types of excitons (triplet, singlet, and charge transfer) may interact to produce useful phenomena for applications such as solar energy conversion.
Psychometric evaluation of the Energy Conservation Strategies Survey

Objective: To examine the internal consistency and test-retest reliability of the Energy Conservation Strategies Survey (ECSS), a tool that was specifically designed to determine if people with multiple sclerosis who attended the six-week energy conservation course actually implemented the strategies taught to them.Design: The instrument ECSS was administered at six weeks and seven weeks post intervention to evaluate the test-retest reliability, while data from six weeks post intervention were utilized to assess the internal consistency of the ECSS.Setting: Community locations in Illinois and Minnesota, USA.Subjects: Data from 53 participants with multiple sclerosis living in the community were utilized for the psychometric study.Measures: Energy Conservation Strategies Survey.Results: The internal consistency of 0.92 reveals that all the items are consistent with each other and measure a single construct. Inferential analyses using intraclass correlation coefficient indicates good test-retest reliability...
Multilevel secure database design: a practical application

The Second Rome Air Development Center (RADC) Database Security Workshop held in May 1989, featured a 'Homework Problem'. The Homework Problem was a 22 page specification for a multilevel secure (MLS) database. Solutions to the Homework Problem were provided by many of the major research and development efforts in MLS database systems. The author describes the requirements of the Homework Problem and summarizes the database design approaches taken to meet those requirements. >
Business History: Present Status and Future Needs

Professor Hidy considers many recent contributions to business history and suggests some fruitful areas for future research.
iTree: Fast and accurate image registration based on the combinative and incremental tree

In this paper, a novel tree-based registration framework is proposed for achieving fast and accurate registration by providing a more appropriate initial deformation field for the image under registration. Specifically, in the training stage, all training real images and a selected portion of simulated images are organized into a combinative tree with the template as the root, and then each training image is registered to the template with the guidance from the intermediate images on its path to the template. In the testing stage, for a given new image, we first attach it as a child node of its most similar image on the tree, and then use the respective deformation field of this image to initialize the registration. In this way, the residual deformation of the new image to the template can be fast and robustly estimated. In the other case, to register a set of new images, we attach them to the tree one by one by allowing similar test images to help each other during the registration. Importantly, after registration of all new images, a new tree is built which is more capable of representing population distribution and thus allowing for better and faster registration for new future images. This method has been evaluated on the real brain MR image datasets, showing that it can achieve better accuracy within less time than both the statistical model based registration method and the tree-based registration method.
Paraprofessionals’ perceptions on delivering infant feeding lessons to disadvantaged mothers via a self-directed computer-supported method

Objective:To ascertain paraprofessionals’ perceptions regarding a self-directed computer-supported nutrition educational intervention to disadvantaged mothers of infants.Design:Qualitative focus group study.Setting:Three county extension programs in a Midwestern state, which serve disadvantaged families.Method:Sixteen paraprofessional nutrition educators, affiliated with Extended Food and Nutrition Programs (EFNEP), took part in three focus groups led by a facilitator following a semi-structured questioning route.Results:Three themes emerged: (1) paraprofessionals’ perceptions of personal connections with learners; (2) paraprofessionals’ perceptions of lesson plans; and (3) paraprofessionals’ perceptions of self-directed lessons.Conclusions:Data provided exemplars of paraprofessional teaching strategies used with the disadvantaged populations they service, a recommendation to develop a blended curriculum, and insight regarding technology. A preventive nutrition education program, focusing on the reduction...
Influence of water on the tracer diffusion of sodium in glasses

Experimental results for the diffusion of the radioactive tracer Na-22 in Corning Code 1737 glass (an alkaline-earth aluminoborosilicate glass), in type I silica glass (Infrasil 302) and in model glasses of the type (CaO·Al2O3)x(2SiO2)1−x are reviewed. In addition, data for the incorporation of water into these glasses and for the influence of this water on the diffusion of sodium are considered. It was observed by FTIR spectroscopy that the overall concentration of water incorporated into glass in the form of OH groups as a function of the water uptake time follows a parabolic rate law. The water uptake leads to a very significant decrease in the sodium diffusivity in the near-surface region of the glass. The width of the near-surface region with a reduced sodium mobility as a function of the water uptake time follows a parabolic rate law. The decrease in the sodium tracer diffusion coefficient in the near-surface region is on the order of 100 to 1000, depending on the glass considered, the temperature, and, possibly to a small extent, the amount of OH groups generated. The observed decrease in the sodium diffusivity in the near-surface region is attributed to a structural relaxation that is enabled by the OH groups generated upon the uptake of water.
The association of ASAP1, an ADP ribosylation factor-GTPase activating protein, with focal adhesion kinase contributes to the process of focal adhesion assembly.

ASAP1 (ADP ribosylation factor [ARF]- GTPase-activating protein [GAP] containing SH3, ANK repeats, and PH domain) is a phospholipid-dependent ARF-GAP that binds to and is phosphorylated by pp60Src. Using affinity chromatography and yeast two-hybrid interaction screens, we identified ASAP1 as a major binding partner of protein tyrosine kinase focal adhesion kinase (FAK). Glutathione S-transferase pull-down and coimmunoprecipitation assays showed the binding of ASAP1 to FAK is mediated by an interaction between the C-terminal SH3 domain of ASAP1 with the second proline-rich motif in the C-terminal region of FAK. Transient overexpression of wild-type ASAP1 significantly retarded the spreading of REF52 cells plated on fibronectin. In contrast, overexpression of a truncated variant of ASAP1 that failed to bind FAK or a catalytically inactive variant of ASAP1 lacking GAP activity resulted in a less pronounced inhibition of cell spreading. Transient overexpression of wild-type ASAP1 prevented the efficient organization of paxillin and FAK in focal adhesions during cell spreading, while failing to significantly alter vinculin localization and organization. We conclude from these studies that modulation of ARF activity by ASAP1 is important for the regulation of focal adhesion assembly and/or organization by influencing the mechanisms responsible for the recruitment and organization of selected focal adhesion proteins such as paxillin and FAK.
Space-time processing for wireless communications

This paper reviews space-time signal processing in mobile wireless communications. Space-time processing refers to the signal processing performed in the spatial and temporal domain on signals received at or transmitted from an antenna array, in order to improve performance of wireless networks. We focus on antenna arrays deployed at the base stations since such applications are of current practical interest.
Limited value of arthroscopic evaluation and treatment of painful knee prostheses: a retrospective study of 27 cases

Twenty-seven painful knee replacements were evaluated arthroscopically. The diagnostic and therapeutic value of these arthroscopic procedures was studied retrospectively. In 5 of the 27 cases, the arthroscopy revealed no diagnosis for the pain. Some form of arthroscopic treatment was performed in 20 cases; in 6 of these 20 cases, however, the treatment did not reduce the pain. Based on these findings, we conclude that the indications for arthroscopic evaluation and treatment of painful knee prostheses are limited.
Assessing Biochemical Fitness of Predator Podisus maculiventris (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) in Relation to Food Quality: Effects of Five Species of Prey

Preferences of female predators for various species of prey may not correlate with nutritional value of the prey, notably with regard to resulting rates of reproduction in the female predator. This study assessed the biochemical status of adult female Podisus maculiventris (Say) as affected by prey species. Colony-reared females were fed one of five species of natural or factitious prey: beet armyworm, Spodoptera exigua (Hubner); fall armyworm, Spodoptera frugiperda (J.E. Smith); cabbage looper, Trichoplusia ni (Hubner); wax moth, Galleria mellonella (L.); or yellow mealworm, Tenebrio molitor (L.). Fresh weights and contents of lipid, protein, and yolk protein were compared over periods of 7, 15, and 22 d. Fresh weights and protein showed no significant differences by trial length or by prey species. Total lipid content was the most significant parameter in relation to time and species of prey, ranging from 5.3 to 15.5% of mean fresh weight. Female P. maculiventris varied significantly in total lipid content by prey species at 15 and 22 d, and by week only when fed fall armyworm. Highest lipid contents were observed in females fed yellow mealworm, and lowest lipid contents were observed in females fed cabbage looper and beet armyworm. Yolk protein content did not correlate with cumulative oviposition, but it did vary with time in those females fed on the beet armyworm or the wax moth. Lipid content in female predators may vary inversely with reproductive potential or egg load and offers a quantitative measure of food quality.
Advancing the Understanding of Sociospatial Dependencies in Terrorist Networks

Terrorist networks operate in hybrid space where activities in social and geographic spaces are necessary for logistics and security. The Islamist terrorist network is analyzed as a sociospatial system using social network analysis, Geographic Information Science (GISc), and novel techniques designed for hybrid space analyses. This research focuses on identifying distance and sociospatial dependencies within the terrorist network. A methodology for analyzing sociospatial systems is developed and results lead to a greater understanding of terrorist network structures and activities. Distance and sociospatial dependencies are shown to exist for the Islamist terrorist network structure. These findings are discordant with recent literature that focuses on terrorist network tendencies toward decentralization in the information age. In this research, the Islamist terrorist network is theorized to use multiple structures of hierarchical and decentralized organization for effectiveness, efficiency, and resilience. Implications for counterterrorism policy and strategies are given.