cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Verilog (Part 2)

In Chap. 5, Verilog was presented as a way to describe the behavior of concurrent systems. The modeling techniques presented were appropriate for combinational logic because these types of circuits have outputs dependent only on the current values of their inputs. This means a model that continuously performs signal assignments provides an accurate model of this circuit behavior. In Chap. 7, sequential logic storage devices were presented that did not continuously update their outputs based on the instantaneous values of their inputs. Instead, sequential storage devices only update their outputs based upon an event, most often the edge of a clock signal. The modeling techniques presented in Chap. 5 are unable to accurately describe this type of behavior. In this chapter, we describe the Verilog constructs to model signal assignments that are triggered by an event in order to accurately model sequential logic. We can then use these techniques to describe more complex sequential logic circuits such as finite state machines and register transfer level systems. This chapter will also present how to create test benches and look at more advanced features that are commonly used in Verilog to model modern systems. The goal of this chapter is to give an understanding of the full capability of hardware description languages.
Pollen analysis of honey samples from the Peruvian Amazon

Melissopalynological studies are useful to determine the floral contents and geographical origin of honey samples. The great botanical diversity in the Amazon allows bees to produce honey that is h...
Spectral analysis of water samples using modulated resonance features for monitoring of public water resources

Hyperspectral analysis of water samples taken from public water resources in the New York City metro area has demonstrated the potential application of this type of analysis for water monitoring, treatment and evaluation prior to filtration. Hyperspectral monitoring of contaminants with respect to types and relative concentrations requires tracking statistical profiles of water contaminants in terms of spatial-temporal distributions of electromagnetic absorption spectra ranging from the ultraviolet to infrared, which are associated with specific water resources. To achieve this, it is necessary to establish correlation between hyperspectral signatures and types of contaminants to be found within specific water resources. Correlation between absorption spectra and changes in chemical and physical characteristics of contaminants requires sufficient sensitivity. The present study examines the sensitivity of modulated resonance features with respect to characteristics of water contaminants for hyperspectral analysis of water samples.
A Dialogue on Preventing Sexual Harassment in Nonprofits

Sexual harassment has recently garnered renewed attention with a wave of allegations against high profile men, including nonprofit executives. Given the legal, organizational and ethical implicatio...
Unusual Cause for Continuous Renal Replacement Therapy Filter Clotting

### Case Answer A 54-year-old woman presented with massive pulmonary thromboembolism. Catheter-directed thrombolysis was unsuccessful. Subsequent mechanical thrombectomy was complicated by cardiac arrest, and the patient required vasopressor and extracorporeal membrane oxygenation support. Given anuric kidney injury, continuous RRT (CRRT) was initiated. She had prolonged sedation with propofol, and on hospital day 15, she developed recurrent clotting on CRRT despite the use of adequate regional citrate anticoagulation. A lipoid substance in the tubing was noted as clogging the CRRT …
Temporal B-Coming: Passage Without Presentness

It is taken as obvious that there is a conflict between objective temporal passage and relativistic physics. The traditional formulation of temporal passage is the movement of a universe-wide set o...
Heavy and light chain (AHL)-type cardiac amyloidosis: first histopathologic-proven case illustrating involvement of the heart

Cardiac amyloidosis is most commonly comprised of either a monoclonal immunoglobulin or transthyretin; however, in practice, detailing of the former beyond light chain restriction is not typically performed. We present briefly the case of an 80-year-old man with concern for cardiac amyloidosis and a subsequent endomyocardial biopsy revealing significant deposition of amorphous Congo red-positive material. By immunofluorescence microscopy, the amyloidogenic material showed positive expression for IgG heavy chain and kappa light chain, with negative staining for IgM and IgA heavy chains and lambda light chain supporting a diagnosis of heavy and light chain (AHL)-type amyloidosis. Immunofluorescence staining for the IgG heavy chain subclasses supported and further classified the patient's AHL-type cardiac amyloidosis as being IgG4/kappa restricted. The presented case is the first to illustrate AHL-type cardiac amyloidosis via sampling of heart tissue.
Chiral metal surfaces for enantioselective processes.

Chiral surfaces are critical components of enantioselective heterogeneous processes such as those used to prepare enantiomerically pure pharmaceuticals. While the majority of chiral surfaces in practical use are based on achiral materials whose surfaces have been modified with enantiomerically pure chiral adsorbates, there are many inorganic materials with valuable surface properties that could be rendered enantiospecific, if their surfaces were intrinsically chiral. This Perspective discusses recent developments in the fabrication of intrinsically chiral surfaces exhibiting enantiospecific adsorption, surface chemistry and electron emission. We propose possible paths to the scalable fabrication of high-surface-area, enantiomerically pure surfaces and discuss opportunities for future progress. Chiral surfaces are fundamental materials for the preparation of enantiomerically pure pharmaceuticals. This Perspective discusses the recent advances in the fabrication of chiral surfaces and the progress towards scalable, high-surface-area, enantiomerically pure surfaces.
Damage Accumulation in Printed Interconnects on Flex Under Combinations of Bending and Tension with Different Amplitudes

The life of a flexible hybrid electronics (FHE) product under realistic use conditions may often be limited by fatigue of the interconnects between components. This is especially true for printed traces on flex. Even if the product is only intended for use for a short time, so that accelerated testing is not required, common test protocols tend to miss critical interactions between sequential strain amplitudes, strain rates and dwells, and/or between different loading modes. Indications are that this may lead the ‘worst-case’ life to be less than anticipated by an order of magnitude or more.A comprehensive ongoing study is characterizing the behavior of different screen printed inks on TPU, PET and Kapton with and without encapsulants, as well as laser and thermally sintered aerosol jet printed nano-Ag and nano-Cu traces on Upilex and Kapton. While many details are unique to a particular combination of trace and substrate a generic picture is emerging.
COVID-19 and Health Code: How Digital Platforms Tackle the Pandemic in China

As COVID-19 is rapidly spreading around the world, some countries have launched or plan to implement contact-tracing apps to detect exposure risks. In China, the government relies on Health Code, d...
Laparoskopische roboterassistierte Rekonstruktion vesikovaginaler Fisteln: standardisierte Technik und klinisches Outcome

Vesikovaginale Fisteln (VVF) treten in der westlichen Welt insbesondere als Komplikation nach operativen Eingriffen im weiblichen Becken oder nach pelviner Radiotherapie auf und stellen eine hohe Einschrankung der Lebensqualitat fur die betroffenen Patientinnen dar. In diesem Artikel prasentieren wir unsere minimal-invasive Technik und das Outcome bezuglich der Rekonstruktion vesikovaginaler Fisteln mit Peritoneallappeninterponat.
Filmando Interacciones Para Nutrir El Desarrollo: A Randomized Pilot of A Strength-Based Video Coaching Program with Mexican American Fathers

Research Finding: Traditional fathering programs have missed an opportunity to reflect the unique family patterns and service needs of Hispanic and Latino fathers. In addition, family engagement st...
Channels in the Junctions between Cells

Publisher Summary Cells in organized tissues are commonly interconnected at their junctions. The junctional elements are large membrane channels through which a range of hydrophilic cellular molecules can flow directly from one cell interior to another. This chapter discusses the permeability of the channel and its formation, and related structural aspects. The knowledge of the permeability properties of the cell-to-cell channel comes mainly from probings with four kinds of fluorescent-labeled molecules. The channels in junctions between cells of one type are generally symmetrically permeable within the resolution of the methods. In moderate electrical fields, the electrolyte conductances are similar and rather linear in both directions across junctions of many kinds, and there are also no major deviations from symmetry in the permeabilities to larger molecules. This was, in fact, one of the reasons why the channel was originally conceived as made of symmetric elements. Knowledge about the cell-to-cell channel came through transport studies long before intelligence about its structure or even its whereabouts in cell junctions. It is widely thought that the channel is embodied by the intrarnembrane particles seen electron microscopically in clusters called the gap junction or nexus.
Random networks of single-wall carbon nanotubes: electronic and sensor applications

In this paper, we present an alternative approach to realizing SWCNT electronic applications that circumvents the two problems cited above. Our solution is to use random networks of SWCNTs. Devices fabricated from such networks circumvent the requirement of position and structural control because the device properties are determined by the averaged properties of the individual SWCNTs. We describe electronic devices and chemical and biological sensors that use random networks of SWCNTs as the active electronic material.
Delitto perfetto targeted mutagenesis in yeast with oligonucleotides.

Now that the genomes of many organisms have been completely sequenced, opportunities to examine functions of specific genes and to investigate genome organization have been greatly increased. Gene targeting and site-directed mutagenesis have been instrumental in dissecting genetic pathways, studying gene regulation and analyzing protein structure-function relationships. Stable modifications of chromosomal DNA are preferable to the addition of unstable vectors containing a modified version of a gene or DNA of interest. Moreoverin situgene engineering allows physiological expression of the targeted DNA sequence, since it remains under control of natural regulatory regions. Approaches directed at modifying genomes should provide for rapid, accurate and multiple changes without the introduction of unwanted or heterologous DNA, such as vector DNA or sequences from selectable markers. In fact, one of the concerns in genetic engineering is the possibility that foreign DNA could be expressed in the genome of the genetically altered organism.
Tourism destination image modification process: Marketing implications

Abstract This article, using the traveller behaviour model presented by Gunn 1 in conjunction with an empirical analysis of American tourists travelling overseas, examines how the tourist destination image and tourist perceptions are modified and enhanced through travel to that destination. A survey questionnaire of first-time travellers to South Korea revealed a positive change in attitude to factors such as safety and scenery, as a result of the touristic experience. Marketing implications for South Korea are drawn.
Modulation of adrenal cell functions by cadmium salts. 5. Cadmium acetate and sulfate effects on basal and ACTH-stimulated steroidogenesis

In vitro and in vivo cadmium toxicity studies focus almost exclusively on CdCl2 effects. Only a few studies have used adrenocortical cells and tissue to determine cadmium salt effects during stress of adrenocorticotropin stimulation. Because several biologically relevant water-soluble cadmium salts exist, this study extended work with CdCl2 to evaluate the acute adrenocortical cell steroid secretory responses to non-lethal cadmium acetate (CdAc2) and CdSO44 concentrations. Control or ACTH-stimulated cultured Y-1 mouse adrenal tumor cells (ATCC) which secrete 20α-dihydroprogesterone (20-DHP) were incubated for 0.5 h in serum-free medium (FMEM) with or without 0.5, 1.0, 5.0, 10.0, 50.0, 100.0, 500.0 and 1000.0 µg CdAc2 or CdSO4/ml FMEM (1.9, 3.8, 19.0, 38.0, 190.0, 380.0 and 1900.0 µmol/L, respectively). For each salt, cell viability was measured at the end of the incubation using live cell trypan blue exclusion. In addition, cumulative CdAc2 effects during 4 h incubations and effect reversibility were determined for control and stimulated cells. After each experimental incubation, the 20-DHP secreted into the medium was determined by radioimmunoassay. Over 80% of all control or ACTH-stimulated cells were viable after incubation in the presence or absence of various CdAc2 or CdSO4 concentrations. Cadmium acetate and sulfate inhibited basal and ACTH-stimulated steroid secretion in a dose-dependent manner. For basal steroid secretion the CdAc2 concentration that first significantly inhibited was 0.5 µg/ml medium (1.9 µmol/L); stimulated secretion was significantly inhibited beginning at 5.0 µg/ml (19.0 µmol/L) and the concentration reducing stimulated 20-DHP secretion by 50% (IC50) was 5.6 µg/ml (21.3 µmol/L). Similarly, the first CdSO4 concentration to significantly inhibit basal and ACTH-stimulated steroid secretion was 10.0 µg/ml medium (39.0 µmol/L); the IC50 was 7.8 µg/ml (29.8 µmol/L). Except that basally secreting Cd2+2+-treated cells almost doubled 20-DHP secretion after Cd2+ removal and subsequent incubation with ACTH, all basal and ACTH-stimulated steroid secretion was irreversibly inhibited by every CdAc2 concentration. All CdAc2 concentrations initiated and maintained cumulative inhibitory effects on basal and ACTH-stimulated steroid secretion over a 4 h period. Reversibility and cumulative CdSO4 treatment studies were not conducted. Based on the results from the present studies, both CdAc2 and CdSO4 appeared to incrementally inhibit control and ACTH-stimulated steroidogenesis without affecting cell viability and to be more potent inhibitors of adrenocortical cell steroid secretion than CdCl2. Finally, CdAc2 effects on control and stimulated cells were cumulative and irreversible.
Ethics and psychiatry

Psychiatry is a profession defined and guided by well-established norms dating back to the Hippocratic Oath and carefully delineated by the standards of modern biomedical ethics and professionalism. Key principles, such as beneficence (confidentiality), autonomy (informed consent), nonmaleficence, and justice provide bases for clinical judgment in specific contexts. Commercialism in health care introduces potential conflicts for the professional, whose primary allegiances are to the patient and those served. Several new challenges are faced by psychiatrists and other professionals in the twenty-first century. These include telemedicine, electronic health records, and social networks/social media.
Esophageal stem cells and 3D-cell culture models

The following on esophageal stem cells and 3D-cell culture models contains commentaries on metaplasia through transdifferentiation and through stem cells; transcription factors that may determine an intestinal-like phenotype; the in vitro, organotypic cell culture models; and the role of stem cells in Barrett's esophagus and its dysplastic progression.
The effectiveness of acetic acid wash protocol and the interpretation patterns of blood contaminated cervical cytology ThinPrep(®) specimens.

Background: ThinPrep® (TP) cervical cytology, as a liquid-based method, has many benefits but also a relatively high unsatisfactory rate due to debris/lubricant contamination and the presence of blood. These contaminants clog the TP filter and prevent the deposition of adequate diagnostic cells on the slide. An acetic acid wash (AAW) protocol is often used to lyse red blood cells, before preparing the TP slides. Design: From 23,291 TP cervical cytology specimens over a 4-month period, 2739 underwent AAW protocol due to initial unsatisfactory smear (UNS) with scant cellularity due to blood or being grossly bloody. Randomly selected 2739 cervical cytology specimens which did not undergo AAW from the same time period formed the control (non-AAW) group. Cytopathologic interpretations of AAW and non-AAW groups were compared using the Chi-square test. Results: About 94.2% of the 2739 cases which underwent AAW were subsequently satisfactory for evaluation with interpretations of atypical squamous cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) 4.9% (135), low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (LSIL) 3.7% (102), and high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) 1% (28). From the 2739 control cases, 96.3% were satisfactory with ASCUS 5.5% (151), LSIL 5.1% (139), and HSIL 0.7% (19). The prevalence of ASCUS interpretations was similar (P = 0.33). Although there were 32% more HSIL interpretations in the AAW group (28 in AAW vs. 19 in non-AAW), the difference was statistically insignificant (P = 0.18). AAW category; however, had significantly fewer LSIL interpretations (P = 0.02). The percentage of UNS cases remained higher in the AAW group with statistical significance (P < 0.01). Conclusions: While AAW had a significantly higher percent of UNS interpretations, the protocol was effective in rescuing 94.2% of specimens which otherwise may have been reported unsatisfactory. This improved patient care by avoiding a repeat test. The prevalence of ASCUS and HSIL interpretations between AAW and non-AAW groups were comparable. Though not statistically significant, HSIL interpretations were relatively higher in the AAW group. LSIL interpretations showed lower prevalence in AAW group.
Cation segregation to yttrium aluminum garnet (111) surfaces

Abstract Single crystals of yttrium aluminum garnet doped with various cations were annealed in air at different temperatures for varying amounts of time. Dopants were chosen to probe the effects of size, charge and site occupancy on surface segregation. Of a number of dopants (Ca, Nd, Cr, Si, Sr) Ca was the only dopant observed to consistently segregate upon annealing in air. Ca enrichment at the (111) surface was measured with Auger electron spectroscopy and the segregation enthalpy was determined as Δ H seg =−32.33 kJ mol −1 . Since variation in size did not cause segregation while variations in valence did, it is suggested that surface segregation is electrostatically driven. Theoretical calculations explain the noted lack of Si segregation in co-doped samples in terms of the vacancy formation energy dependence of the isoelectric point. It is predicted that an excess of negative charge, on the order of 600 ppm, is required to observe a compositional isoelectric point.
Reliable, high-frequency miniature valves for smart material electrohydraulic actuators

A key element in developing high-performance smart material electrohydraulic actuators is the design of improved check valves for high-frequency fluid rectification. One method to create valves with fast frequency response is to replace the single-reed valves typically used in these systems with an array of miniature-reed valves. A robust miniature-reed design is presented to overcome the fatigue and fabrication limitations observed in previous approaches. The fluid–structure interaction between an individual valve and hydraulic fluid is modeled using the multiphysics software COMSOL; the results are validated with experimental testing on an array of miniature reeds. The performance of this array in a smart material actuator is compared with a larger, single-reed valve design. The miniature-reed array is shown to reliably rectify flow in the high-pressure and high-frequency environment of a smart material pump.
Achievability results for learning under communication constraints

The problem of statistical learning is to construct an accurate predictor of a random variable as a function of a correlated random variable on the basis of an i.i.d. training sample from their joint distribution. Allowable predictors are constrained to lie in some specified class, and the goal is to approach asymptotically the performance of the best predictor in the class. We consider two settings in which the learning agent only has access to rate-limited descriptions of the training data, and present information-theoretic bounds on the predictor performance achievable in the presence of these communication constraints. Our proofs do not assume any separation structure between compression and learning and rely on a new class of operational criteria specifically tailored to joint design of encoders and learning algorithms in rate-constrained settings. These operational criteria naturally lead to a learning-theoretic generalization of the rate-distortion function introduced recently by Kramer and Savari in the context of rate-constrained communication of probability distributions.
Analysis of Oxygen Gettering and Dislocation Locking in Silicon

The motion under an applied stress of dislocations in silicon crystals is slowed and stopped by the presence of oxygen inthe material. A model is presented that quantitatively describes the inhibition of dislocation motion by accounting for the oxygen gettering to dislocations caused by diffusion and stress-enhanced migration. Drag on the dislocation motion ismodelled using the elastic interactions between the interstitial oxygen and the dislocation and the energy needed to breakbonds formed between silicon and aggregated oxygen atoms within the dislocation core. The predictions of the model agree quantitatively with the experimental data of Imai and Sumino.
Posttraumatic stress symptoms and tobacco abstinence effects in a non-clinical sample: Evaluating the mediating role of negative affect reduction smoking expectancies

The relation between posttraumatic stress symptoms and smoking is well documented but poorly understood. The present investigation sought to evaluate the impact of posttraumatic stress symptoms on subjective and behavioral tobacco abstinence effects both directly and indirectly through negative affect reduction smoking outcome expectancies. Participants included 275 (68.7% male; Mage=43.9, 10+ cig/day) adult non-treatment seeking smokers, who attended two counterbalanced laboratory sessions (16 h of smoking deprivation vs ad libitum smoking), during which they completed self-report measures of withdrawal symptoms and mood followed by a smoking lapse task in which they could earn money for delaying smoking and purchase cigarettes to smoke. Results supported a mediational pathway whereby higher baseline symptoms of posttraumatic stress predicted greater endorsement of expectancies that smoking will effectively reduce negative affect, which in turn predicted greater abstinence-provoked exacerbations in nicot...
Discovery and Optimization of Heterogeneous Catalysts by Using Combinatorial Chemistry

A novel ceramic array microreactor system has been designed and, in conjunction with resonance-enhanced multiphoton ionization (REMPI), used for the discovery of an optimum ternary catalyst composition for the dehydrogenation of cyclohexane to benzene. The catalyst library consisted of 66 ternary combinations of Pt, Pd, and In loaded on γ-Al2 O3 pellets. The optimum catalyst for the production of benzene had the composition 0.8 % Pt, 0.1 % Pd, and 0.1 % In (see diagram). The preparation and screening of the library of 66 catalysts took about 2.5 days to complete-with conventional methods this would have taken several months!
A BRIEF CI COMPLIANCE MANUAL

Ignorance of the laws that bind the practice of competitive intelligence is no excuse. In this extensively researched overview, the author examines US and international laws regarding trade secrets, breach of confidence, fraud, and privacy. His survey includes statutes and case histories pertaining to a variety of wrongful conduct, such as illicit access, wiretapping, hacking, and bribery. General principles of international jurisdiction are also discussed. © 1998 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.
Dimensions of biodata items and their relationships to item validity

Building on the work of Mael (1991), Gandy, Outerbridge, Sharf & Dye (1989) and Asher (1972), 10 attributes or dimensions of biodata items were defined operationally. The 160 items of a biodata form undergoing validation were then rated reliably on the 10 item attributes. Biodata responses and supervisory ratings were obtained for a sample of 528 clerical workers, and an empirical scoring key was developed using an option-keying method. Degree of item validity was associated with items that were Indirect (opinions of others about the respondent) and-to a lesser degree-Verifiable and Job Relevant. Five of the seven indirect items concerned putative or projected assessments of personality attributes by the respondents' supervisors. Items representing Non-controllable events at first also seemed related significantly to valid prediction; however, that was owing to the strong association between Controllability and Directness. The other six dimensions were not related to itetn validity, including the degree to which an item was Historical in nature, which has in the past virtually defined what is meant by a biodata item. The factor structure of dimensions for valid items was different from that of non-valid items. Implications for the construction of biodata forms and the limitations of the study are discussed.
Cerebral microvascular responses to endothelins: the role of ETA receptors

The regulatory role of endothelins in cerebral microvessels was investigated in a recently developed model system which allows the study of small cerebral vessels in their normal microenvironment. Using brain slices of the rat neocortex, it was shown that the isopeptide endothelin-3 (ET-3) had no effect on cerebral microvessels, while the isopeptide endothelin-1 (ET-1) produced a potent, dose-dependent vasoconstriction. When a recently developed antagonist of ETA receptors (cyclo-[D-Asp-L-Pro-D-Val-L-Leu-D-Trp]; ETant) was administered prior to treatment with ET-1, the vasoconstrictor response to ET-1 was inhibited in a dose-dependent manner. When ETant was administered after the establishment of a constriction by ET-1, the constrictor response to ET-1 was partially reversed, and this effect was weaker than that seen in the pre-treatment paradigm. These findings indicate that constrictor responses to ET-1 in cerebral microvessels are mediated by ETA receptors. Inasmuch as endothelins have been implicated in pathological forms of vasoconstriction in the CNS, the present findings also suggest that endothelin antagonists may be useful in the treatment of cerebral ischemia.
Urethral melanoma in an elderly woman

Our patient is an 87-year-old woman who had suffered from vaginal bleeding over 4 months. She denied stranguria, frank hematuria, or unexplained weight loss. She had undergone a total abdominal hysterectomy for menorrhagia at the age of 45 and had no known family history of urological or gynecological malignancies. Examination revealed a 5-×5-cm friable purple mass emanating from the urethral meatus (Figs. 1, 2). There was no palpable inguinal lymphadenopathy. Cystoscopy did not reveal the extension of the mass into the bladder. She underwent wide local excision of the mass with grossly negative margins. Pathology returned primary urethral malignant melanoma (Figs. 3, 4). She was referred to medical oncology for adjuvant treatment recommendations, but developed urethral recurrence 4 weeks later. She expired 3 months postoperatively from unknown causes and an autopsy was not performed as per family request.
Comparison of daily megavoltage electronic portal imaging or kilovoltage imaging with marker seeds to ultrasound imaging or skin marks for prostate localization and treatment positioning in patients with prostate cancer.

Purpose: To compare the accuracy of imaging modalities, immobilization, localization, and positioning techniques in patients with prostate cancer. Methods and Materials: Thirty-five patients with prostate cancer had gold marker seeds implanted transrectally and were treated with fractionated radiotherapy. Twenty of the 35 patients had limited immobilization; the remaining had a vacuum-based immobilization. Patient positioning consisted of alignment with lasers to skin marks, ultrasound or kilovoltage X-ray imaging, optical guidance using infrared reflectors, and megavoltage electronic portal imaging (EPI). The variance of each positioning technique was compared to the patient position determined from the pretreatment EPI. Results: With limited immobilization, the average difference between the skin marks’ laser position and EPI pretreatment position is 9.1 ± 5.3 mm, the average difference between the skin marks’ infrared position and EPI pretreatment position is 11.8 ± 7.2 mm, the average difference between the ultrasound position and EPI pretreatment position is 7.0 ± 4.6 mm, the average difference between kV imaging and EPI pretreatment position is 3.5 ± 3.1 mm, and the average intrafraction movement during treatment is 3.4 ± 2.7 mm. For the patients with the vacuum-style immobilization, the average difference between the skin marks’ laser position and EPI pretreatment position is 10.7 ± 4.6 mm, the average difference between kV imaging and EPI pretreatment position is 1.9 ± 1.5 mm, and the average intrafraction movement during treatment is 2.1 ± 1.5 mm. Conclusions: Compared with use of skin marks, ultrasound imaging for positioning provides an increased degree of agreement to EPI-based positioning, though not as favorable as kV imaging fiducial seeds. Intrafraction movement during treatment decreases with improved immobilization.
276 ANDROGEN REGULATES SUBMANDIBULAR GLAND (SMG) RENIN SYNTHESIS AND SECRETICN AT MULTIPLE SITES

Mouse SMG renin expression exhibits sexual dimorphism. In the mature male, renin is synthesized under androgen influence, as prorenin which is converted intracellularly to intermediate single chain polypeptide (1-C renin) and subsequently processed to mature enzyme consisting of two polypeptide chains (2-C renin). 2-C renin is secreted from storage granules while 1-C renin is secreted predominantly via a constitutive pathway. Previous studies in this laboratory documented increases in SMG renin mRNA in male mice at puberty, as androgen rises. In this study we examined androgen effect on post-translational processing of renin during ontogeny. SMS from male CD-1 mice (ages 18-45 days) were incubated in RPMI 1640 media at 37°C for various time periods. Secretion rates as well as tissue renin levels increased with age (<1 ng Al/h/mg protein at day 18 to 5×104 ng AI/h/mg protein at day 45 in media and <100 ng AI/h/mg protein at day 18 to 3×106 ng AI/h/mg protein at day 45 in tissue). Western blot analysis of tissue and secreted renins from pre-pubescent mice showed that both storage and secreted forms contained 1-C:2-C renin in a 1:1 ratio. With puberty, both the storage and secreted renins were primarily of 2-C form. These data suggest that androgen influences renin transcriptional rates as well as post-translational processing and secretion.
Primary Cilia Are Not Required for Normal Canonical Wnt Signaling in the Mouse Embryo

Background Sonic hedgehog (Shh) signaling in the mouse requires the microtubule-based organelle, the primary cilium. The primary cilium is assembled and maintained through the process of intraflagellar transport (IFT) and the response to Shh is blocked in mouse mutants that lack proteins required for IFT. Although the phenotypes of mouse IFT mutants do not overlap with phenotypes of known Wnt pathway mutants, recent studies report data suggesting that the primary cilium modulates responses to Wnt signals. Methodology/Principal Findings We therefore carried out a systematic analysis of canonical Wnt signaling in mutant embryos and cells that lack primary cilia because of loss of the anterograde IFT kinesin-II motor (Kif3a) or IFT complex B proteins (Ift172 or Ift88). We also analyzed mutant embryos with abnormal primary cilia due to defects in retrograde IFT (Dync2h1). The mouse IFT mutants express the canonical Wnt target Axin2 and activate a transgenic canonical Wnt reporter, BAT-gal, in the normal spatial pattern and to the same quantitative level as wild type littermates. Similarly, mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) derived from IFT mutants respond normally to added Wnt3a. The switch from canonical to non-canonical Wnt also appears normal in IFT mutant MEFs, as both wild-type and mutant cells do not activate the canonical Wnt reporter in the presence of both Wnt3a and Wnt5a. Conclusions We conclude that loss of primary cilia or defects in retrograde IFT do not affect the response of the midgestation embryo or embryo-derived fibroblasts to Wnt ligands.
Improving rigid fiberoptic intubation: a comparison of the Bonfils Intubating Fiberscope™ with a novel modification

Background: The Bonfils intubating fiberscope has a limited upward tip angle of 40° and requires retromolar entry into the hypopharynx. These factors may make its use less desirable when managing the difficult airway because most anesthesia providers are well versed in midline oral intubation rather than the lateral retromolar approach. The Center for Advanced Technology and Telemedicine at the University of Nebraska Medical Center has developed a novel fiberscope with a more anterior 60° curve to allow for easier midline insertion and intubation. The objective of this work was to evaluate the novel fiberscope, in comparison to the Bonfils intubating fiberscope, in terms of use and function in difficult airway intubation. Methods: Twenty-two anesthesia providers participated in simulated intubations of a difficult airway mannequin to compare the Bonfils intubating fiberscope with the novel curved Boedeker intubating fiberscope. The intubations were assessed based upon the following variables: recorded Cormack Lehane airway scores, requests for cricoid pressure, time to intubation, number of intubation attempts and success or failure of the procedure. Results: Participants using the Bonfils fiberscope recorded an average Cormack Lehane (CL) airway score of 1.67 ± 1.02 (median = 1); with the novel fiberscope, the recorded average airway grade improved to 1.18 ± 0.50 (median = 1). The difference in airway scores was not statistically significant (p = 0.34; Fishers Exact Test comparing CL grades 1&2 vs. 3&4). There was, however, a statistically significant difference in intubation success rates between the two devices. With the Bonfils fiberscope, 68% (15/22) of participants were successful in intubation compared to a 100% success rate in intubation with the novel fiberscope (22/22) (p = 0.008). After the intubation trial, the majority of participants (95%) indicated a preference for the novel fiberscope (n = 20). Conclusions: With this data, we can infer that the novel fiberscope curvature appears to improve or maintain the quality of an intubation attempt (airway score, cricoid pressure requirement, intubation time, number of attempts, placement success). The data indicate that the novel fiberscope offers a superior intubation experience to currently available best practices. The instrument was well received and would be welcomed by most study participants should the device become clinically available in the future.
Effect of electrical stimulation or presence of a bull on puberty in beef heifers

Abstract Three experiments were conducted to determine if electrical stimulation or the presence of a bull would hasten puberty in Angus and Hereford heifers. In experiment I, electrical stimulation of the genital tract per rectum given once on day 0 of the experiment failed to hasten puberty and did not alter the size of large follicles. The presence of a teaser bull, for a period of three weeks, did not hasten puberty in a group of prepuberal heifers in experiment II. Experiment III was designed to determine whether a response to bulls could be discerned if heifers were treated with 12 mg progesterone daily for nine days. Introduction of teaser bulls to progesterone-treated heifers did not influence the percentage of heifers that reached puberty in either of two 30-day trials of this experiment. Progesterone alone did not significantly increase the percentage of heifers that reached puberty, but it appeared to synchronize estrus in heifers that reached puberty after treatment.
Tabu search for covering arrays using permutation vectors

Abstract A covering array CA ( N ; t , k , v ) is an N × k array, in which in every N × t subarray, each of the v t possible t-tuples over v symbols occurs at least once. The parameter t is the strength of the array. Covering arrays have a wide range of applications for experimental screening designs, particularly for software interaction testing. A compact representation of certain covering arrays employs “permutation vectors” to encode v t × 1 subarrays of the covering array so that a covering perfect hash family whose entries correspond to permutation vectors yields a covering array. We introduce a method for effective search for covering arrays of this type using tabu search. Using this technique, improved covering arrays of strength 3, 4 and 5 have been found, as well as the first arrays of strength 6 and 7 found by computational search.
Helix parameters and protein structure using quaternions

Abstract The mathematics of helices is important for understanding protein secondary and super-secondary structure, since every regular protein backbone structure can be considered as a helix. This paper presents a mathematical approach to helices using geometric algebra in the form of quaternions. The motivation is to make it more convienient to compute a solid-state NMR picture of the protein using orientational constraints. In terms of two parameters specifying a helix, formulas are given for the various helical parameters of interest in considering protein structure: residues per turn, pitch, radius and helix axis direction. Helices with period more than one residue are also considered, depending on more parameters and giving more complicated formulas. Applications to determining protein structure using solid-state NMR are considered.
Commentary & analysis: the Draft Act Governing Hospitalization of the Mentally Ill: its genesis and its legacy.

Editor's Note: As a follow-up to the preceding article first published in the February 1953 issue, Paul Appelbaum, M.D., offers a commentary and analysis on the revised Draft Act Governing Hospitalization of the Mentally Ill. He includes its psychiatric context in the five-year period between 1951 and 1955 and later developments related to involuntary commitment.
Phagocytosis of senescent erythrocytes by autologous monocytes: Requirement of membrane-specific autologous IgG for immune elimination of aging red blood cells

Abstract The role of membrane-bound IgG present on the membrane of senescent erythrocytes in immune eliminations of aging red cells was investigated. Phagocytosis of populations of red blood cells (RBC) of different ages by autologous monocytes was assessed both by direct phagocytosis and by induction of microsomal heme oxygenase. Removal of IgG from older RBCs inhibited their phagocytosis; in contrast, preincubation of neuraminidase-treated young or in vitro aged RBCs with IgG eluted from old cells led to phagocytosis of RBCs treated by autologous monocytes. It was also found that the Fc portion of membrane-bound IgG is essential for the elimination of senescent cells; less than 15% of old heat-inactivated RBCs coated with F(ab′)2 fragment of membrane-bound IgG were phagocytosed. In contrast, more than 50% of old heat-inactivated RBCs coated with heat-eluted IgG were phagocytosed by autologous monocytes. A possible mechanism of elimination of aged cells is discussed.
Some statistical properties of the bispectrum of one-dimensional infrared astronomical speckle data

Integral representations of the average bispectrum, the bispectrum variance, and the bispectrum covariance are developed for onedimensional infrared speckle data. The integrals are evaluated by Monte Carlo integration for a particular case. The results are compared to the corresponding sample quantities computed from simulated data.© (1990) COPYRIGHT SPIE--The International Society for Optical Engineering. Downloading of the abstract is permitted for personal use only.
Dipolar Bose-Einstein condensates at finite temperature

We study a Bose-Einstein condensate of a dilute gas with dipolar interactions, at finite temperature, using the Hartree-Fock-Bogoliubov theory within the Popov approximation. An additional approximation involving the dipolar exchange interaction is made to facilitate the computation. We calculate the temperature dependence of the condensate fraction of a condensate confined in a cylindrically symmetric harmonic trap. We show that the biconcave-shaped condensates found in [Ronen et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 98, 30406 (2007)] in certain pancake traps at zero temperature are also stable at finite temperature. Surprisingly, the dip in the central density of these structured condensates is actually enhanced at low finite temperatures. We explain this effect.
UNCERTAINTY AND ECONOMIC SELF-SUFFICIENCY

Existing formal analysis of international trade under uncertainty has established that it is never optimal to forgo completely the opportunity of trade. This paper uses some simple trade models to derive conditions under which zero trade or complete self-sufficiency is optimal when uncertainty is present. The paper does not advocate extreme policies against international trade and specialization. Its purpose is to show that under certain circumstances involving uncertainty economic self-sufficiency in some goods may be desirable.
North American paragonimiasis: epidemiology and diagnostic strategies

Paragonimiasis is a zoonotic, food-borne trematode infection that affects around 23 million people in Asia, Africa and the Americas. North American paragonimiasis, caused by Paragonimus kellicotti, is a common infection of crustacean-feeding mammals in parts of the USA and Canada. Although infection rates in crayfish are very high in some areas, human infections are rare and depend on the consumption of raw or undercooked crayfish. Human infections can be easily prevented and treated, but proper diagnosis of paragonimiasis is a problem. Paragonimus lung flukes often cause serious disease symptoms before they produce eggs that may be detectable in sputum, bronchoalveolar lavage, stool or histological sections by microscopy or PCR. Antibodies against selected Paragonimus proteins are detectable as early as 2-3 weeks after infection. Therefore, antibody serology is the most promising diagnostic approach for paragonimiasis in North America and elsewhere.
Distributed musical performances: Architecture and stream management

An increasing number of novel applications produce a rich set of different data types that need to be managed efficiently and coherently. In this article we present our experience with designing and implementing a data management infrastructure for a distributed immersive performance (DIP) application. The DIP project investigates a versatile framework for the capture, recording, and replay of video, audio, and MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface) streams in an interactive environment for collaborative music performance. We are focusing on two classes of data streams that are generated within this environment. The first category consists of high-resolution isochronous media streams, namely audio and video. The second class comprises MIDI data produced by electronic instruments. MIDI event sequences are alphanumeric in nature and fall into the category of the data streams that have been of interest to data management researchers in recent years.We present our data management architecture, which provides a repository for all DIP data. Streams of both categories need to be acquired, transmitted, stored, and replayed in real time. Data items are correlated across different streams with temporal indices. The audio and video streams are managed in our own High-performance Data Recording Architecture (HYDRA), which integrates multistream recording and retrieval in a consistent manner. This paper reports on the practical issues and challenges that we encountered during the design, implementation and experimental phases of our prototype. We also present some analysis results and discuss future extensions for the architecture.
Pixel accurate document image content extraction

Versatile algorithms for document image content extraction (DICE) were investigated in [1, 2, 3, 4]. That is, to extract the image layers that contain the contents of interests, such as handwriting, machine-print text, photographs and blank, etc. The DICE classifier based on tight ground truth data can delimit the regions of interests approximately. In this paper, taking the result of DICE classifier as the input, we extended the work by trying to completely separate the pixels of characters from the background and the other contents using image post-processing techniques and pattern recognition methods. First of all, we applied the color space analysis on the detected text regions. Then we segmented the image into regions (connected components) that contain pixels of similar colors and content labels, and generated patches containing multiple connected components that are within a selected distance to their neighbors. Finally we classified the generated patches using the structure features and DICE labels. The preliminary experiment results of the proposed model are promising.
A test of the AM1 model for calculating energies and structural properties of benzene, toluene, naphthalene, 1-methyl and 2-methylnaphthalene

Abstract AM1 results are compared with those obtained for benzene and toluene using the 6-31G and 6-31G ∗ (5D) basis sets, and those for naphthalene, 1-methylnaphthalene and 2-methylnaphthalene using the 6-31G basis set. There is good agreement both with regard to the relative stability of the various rotamers and many geometrical features. This new parametric quantum mechanical model is thus well-suited tor calculations designed to explore the origin of the specific effects of methyl group substitution on the carcinogenic activity of PAHs.
Perceptions of changes in weight among African American breast cancer survivors.

Back ground: Although African American breast cancer survivors are most likely to gain weight following diagnosis and treatment compared to women from other ethnic groups, limited information is available on psychological and behavioral reactions to weight change in this population. Objectives: To explore perceptions and reactions to weight change in African American breast cancer survivors. Methodology: A parallel mixed methods approach was used to explore experiences with and reactions to weight change following breast cancer diagnosis and treatment. Participants were 16 short- and long-term African American breast cancer survivors. Results: Nine out of 16 participants gained weight following diagnosis and treatment and most participants were concerned about these changes. Most participants were also interested in diet and exercise programs; however, a holistic and common sense approach to diet and physical activity emerged as key themes. Conclusions: Although prior reports have found that African American women in the general population report a greater tolerance for larger body sizes, most participants in this study were concerned about changes in their weight and were actively trying to minimize weight gain. Several themes emerged regarding physical activity and dietary behaviors; overall, participants described a holistic and practical approach to these behaviors. Copyright © 2005 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.