cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Wavelength selection in OBS networks using traffic engineering and priority-based concepts

A fundamental assumption underlying most studies of optical burst switched (OBS) networks is that full wavelength conversion is available throughout the network. In practice, however, economic and technical considerations are likely to dictate a more limited and sparse deployment of wavelength converters in the optical network. Therefore, we expect wavelength assignment policies to be an important component of OBS networks. In this paper, we explain why wavelength selection schemes developed for wavelength routed (circuit-switched) networks are not appropriate for OBS. We then develop a suite of adaptive and nonadaptive policies for OBS switches. We also apply traffic engineering techniques to reduce wavelength contention through traffic isolation. Our performance study indicates that, in the absence of full conversion capabilities, intelligent choices in assigning wavelengths to bursts at the source can have a profound effect on the burst drop probability in an OBS network.
THE URINARY PARTICLE SCAN: A TRACER TECHNIQUE FOR DETERMINATION OF BLADDER BACTERIAL RESIDUAL1

SUMMARY Previous techniques used to evalute the efficiency of elimination of bacteria during voiding have involved the indirect measurement of the eliminated bacteria or determinations of fluid residual. We have developed a new technique for directly evaluating this voiding efficiency using external radionuclide scanning of bacteria-like 99 m. technetium sulphur colloid particles. We have studied the bladder clearance of these particles in 15 patients mimicking bacteriostatic conditions, and have mathematically corrected the data to simulate various bacterial growth rates. Routine diagnostic procedures failed to show bladder dysfunction in 11 subjects evaluated with recurring urinary tract infections, however, our study was able to define difficulties in particle (and presumably bacteria) elimination in 5 of these patients.
Absorption of polyethylene glycols by plants and their effects on plant growth

Summary A study was made of polyethylene glycols (PEG) as osmotica to decrease the water potential of culture solutions for studies of higher plant response to water stress. Analysis of possible inorganic impurities in commercial PEG and comparison of the growth of maize in solutions purified by gel filtration or unpurified, suggest that impurities are not responsible for the toxic effects reported. PEG in leaves was estimated by Hyden's method and with [14C]-labelled PEG 4000. Over 90 % of the higher molecular weight PEG was recovered from maize and bean leaves but less from cotton and tulip tree. PEG of 1000 molecular weight or larger entered plants slowly, about 1 mg/g fresh weight of leaf per week, but mechanically damaged roots or those subjected to low water potentials permitted entry. PEG decreased transpiration and water potential and caused the leaves to die. PEG 200 and mannitol entered plants with undamaged roots but the effects on leaves were unlike the higher molecular weight PEGs. Low and high molecular weight PEG and mannitol affected respiration to the same extent and comparison with non-ionic detergents showed that the detergent properties of PEG were not responsible for the toxicity. Autoradiography showed that PEG 4000 accumulated initially in the margins of leaves and became distributed in the mesophyll except along the veins. PEG of higher molecular weight is considered to cause blockage of the pathway of water movement, reducing water absorption and causing desiccation of the plant.
Ocean inherent optical property estimation from irradiances.

A method is evaluated for estimating the absorption coefficient a and the backscattering coefficient bb from measurements of the upward and downward irradiances Eu~z! and Ed~z!. With this method, the reflectance ratio R~z! and the downward diffuse attenuation coefficient Kd~z! obtained from Eu~z! and Ed~z! are used to estimate the inherent optical properties R‘ and K‘ that are the asymptotic values of R~z! and Kd~z!, respectively. For an assumed scattering phase function b ˜ , there are unique correlations between the values of R‘ and K‘ and those of a and bb that can be derived from the radiative transfer equation. Good estimates of a and the Gordon parameter G 5 bby~a 1 bb! can be obtained from R‘ and K‘ if the true scattering phase function is not greatly different from the assumed function. The method works best in deep, homogeneous waters, but can be applied to some cases of stratified waters. To improve performance in shallow waters where bottom effects are important, the deep- and shallowmeasurement reflectance models also are developed. © 1997 Optical Society of America
Genome-Wide Identification of Acinetobacter baumannii Genes Necessary for Persistence in the Lung

ABSTRACT Acinetobacter baumannii is a Gram-negative bacterium that causes diseases such as pneumonia, bacteremia, and soft tissue infections in hospitalized patients. Relatively little is known about how A. baumannii causes these infections. Thus, we used insertion sequencing (INSeq), a combination of transposon mutagenesis and massively parallel next-generation sequencing, to identify novel virulence factors of A. baumannii. To this end, we generated a random transposon mutant library containing 150,000 unique insertions in A. baumannii strain ATCC 17978. The INSeq analysis identified 453 genes required for growth in rich medium. The library was then used in a murine pneumonia model, and the relative levels of abundance of mutants before and after selection in the mouse were compared. When genes required for growth in rich medium were removed from the analysis, 157 genes were identified as necessary for persistence in the mouse lung. Several of these encode known virulence factors of A. baumannii, such as OmpA and ZnuB, which validated our approach. A large number of the genes identified were predicted to be involved in amino acid and nucleotide metabolism and transport. Other genes were predicted to encode an integration host factor, a transmembrane lipoprotein, and proteins involved in stress response and efflux pumps. Very few genes, when disrupted, resulted in an increase in A. baumannii numbers during host infection. The INSeq approach identified a number of novel virulence determinants of A. baumannii, which are candidate targets for therapeutic interventions. IMPORTANCE A. baumannii has emerged as a frequent cause of serious infections in hospitals and community settings. Due to increasing antibiotic resistance, alternative approaches, such as antivirulence strategies, are desperately needed to fight A. baumannii infections. Thorough knowledge of A. baumannii pathogenicity is essential for such approaches but is currently lacking. With the increasingly widespread use of massively parallel sequencing, a class of techniques known as transposon insertion sequencing has been developed to perform comprehensive virulence screens of bacterial genomes in vivo . We have applied one of these approaches (INSeq) to uncover novel virulence factors in A. baumannii. We identified several such factors, including those predicted to encode amino acid and nucleotide metabolism proteins, an integration host factor protein, stress response factors, and efflux pumps. These results greatly expand the number of A. baumannii virulence factors and uncover potential targets for antivirulence treatments.
Increased expression of alternatively spliced dominant-negative isoform of SRF in human failing hearts

Serum response factor (SRF) has been shown to play a key role in cardiac cell growth and muscle gene regulation. To understand the role of SRF in heart failure, we compared its expression pattern b...
Controversies in Antiplatelet Therapy for Patients With Cardiovascular Disease

Case presentation: An asymptomatic man (J.D.) is referred for a cardiovascular evaluation. He has a strong family history of coronary artery disease and has received more than 10 years of treatment for hypertension and dyslipidemia. Past medical history is significant for symptomatic degenerative joint disease. Medications include hydrochlorothiazide, lisinopril, atorvastatin, and celecoxib. How should he be counseled about antiplatelet therapy? Acetylsalicylic acid (aspirin) has been commercially available as an analgesic and antiinflammatory agent for more than a century. In recent years, the demonstrated ability of aspirin to inhibit platelet aggregation and prevent thrombotic cardiovascular events has made it the most important cardiovascular medication from both risk-benefit and cost-benefit standpoints. Aspirin and other nonsteroidal antiinflammatory agents (NSAIDs) inhibit arachidonic acid metabolism by inactivating the cyclooxygenase (COX) enzyme system.1 Normally, arachidonic acid gains access to its catalytic site in the platelet through a hydrophobic channel within COX-1 (Figure 1A) and is ultimately converted to thromboxane A2 (TxA2), which promotes vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation (Figure 2). Aspirin acts by irreversibly acetylating a serine residue at position 530 within the channel, blocking access of arachidonic acid to its catalytic site, and preventing metabolism of arachidonic acid for the lifetime of the platelet (Figure 1B). Other NSAIDs are reversible, competitive inhibitors of the catalytic site, inhibiting platelet aggregation only during part of the dosing interval. No data exist to suggest that NSAIDs, other than aspirin, reduce cardiovascular events. Figure 1. Effect of aspirin alone and ibuprofen plus aspirin on platelet COX-1. A, Arachidonic acid substrate binds to its catalytic site within hydrophobic channel in COX-1 enzyme. B, Aspirin blocks access of arachidonic acid to its catalytic site by irreversibly acetylating serine residue at position 530 (depicted as 529) in COX-1. C, Prior occupancy of catalytic site by ibuprofen prevents aspirin …
Perceived Needs of Grandmothers of Children With Disabilities

This study investigated the perceptions of 20 grandmother caregivers related to their concerns and needs in caring for their grandchildren with disabilities. The research focused on grandmother caregivers who had a grandchild with a disability between the ages of 3 and 12 years. Almost all the grandmothers reported they were involved in the planning or implementation of the grandchild’s Individualized Education Program. Grandmothers responded that they needed information or help with behavior issues such as aggression or skill development in areas such as communication. Grandmothers also talked about how hard and challenging it is to raise a child with disabilities. On the positive side, several grandmothers noted that once they understood what to do, things got easier, and that they’d seen improvement for the child. Several also mentioned their joy in raising the grandchild and hope that they were doing the right thing.
Victimization, substance use, and sexual aggression in male adolescent sexual offenders

Relations among childhood victimization, substance use prior to the commission of a sexual offense, and force used during a sexual offense were examined in a sample of residentially based, male juvenile sex offenders (n = 406; M age = 16.6). Marshall and Marshall's (2000) theory of sex offending proposes that childhood victimization, among other factors, creates a vulnerability to offend, which when paired with disinhibition (e.g., from substance use) may lead to sexual offending. Guided by this theory, we examined whether substance use prior to the commission of a sexual offense mediated the relation between trauma and force used in sexual offending. Six mediation analyses were used to examine subtypes of childhood victimization and the effects of cumulative victimization. RESULTS provided support for partial mediation of substance use prior to a sexual offense on the effects of cumulative victimization on force used during a sexual offense. Theoretical and clinical implications are discussed. Keywords: Juvenile justice Language: en
Positive illusions and coping with adversity.

ABSTRACT We review the literature showing that positive illusions (i.e., self-aggrandizement, unrealistic optimism, and exaggerated perceptions of control) are common and associated with successful adjustment to stressful events, including conditions of extreme adversity. Using theory and recent data, we offer a basis for integrating positive illusions with the constraints of reality. We explicitly contrast the social psychological model of positive illusions with a personality viewpoint that addresses the question “Do higher levels of positive illusions predict higher levels of adjustment?” These issues are explored in the context of people coping with an array of normal stressful events, as well as those coping with more extreme stressful events, including cancer, heart disease, and HIV infection. Life is seldom as unendurable as, to judge by the facts, it ought to be. —Brooks Atkinson Life is seldom as unendurable as, to judge by the facts, it ought to be. Brooks Atkinson
Structural analysis of decision models

Modern organizations rely extensively on computer based mathematical models designed to solve various statistical, optimization, and decision making problems, or to enhance the quality of the decisions made by humans. These models do not exist in isolation, but form complex relationships with each other resulting in organizational model bases. Large model bases require extensive structuring and organization to reduce complexity. Abstraction and decomposition are the two major tools of organization, and are shown to be the basis of macro and micro structure respectively. Both abstraction and decomposition are studied within a framework of model definition based on data models and constraints. >
A 1.2 V bandgap reference based on transimpedance amplifier

For practical implementation of a typical bandgap reference, the minimum supply voltage is usually over 1.8 V mainly due to the limited input common mode range of the opamp used in the bandgap reference. In this paper, a low voltage bandgap reference using a transimpedance amplifier that does not have this limitation is proposed. Based on this technique, a 1.2 V bandgap reference was implemented in a 1.2 /spl mu/m CMOS process (V/sub TN//spl ap/0.53 V and V/sub TP//spl ap/-0.91 V) with bipolar option. The variations of the output voltage over temperature (0/spl deg/C/spl les/T/spl les/100/spl deg/C) were measured to be less than /spl plusmn/1% without resistor trimming.
Evaluation of Arabidopsis thaliana as a Model Host for Xylella fastidiosa

The bacterium Xylella fastidiosa causes a number of plant diseases of significant economic impact. To date, progress determining mechanisms of host-plant susceptibility, tolerance, or resistance has been slow, due in large part to the long generation time and limited available genetic resources for grape, almond, and other known hosts of X. fastidiosa. To overcome many of these limitations, Arabidopsis thaliana has been evaluated as a host for X. fastidiosa. A pin-prick inoculation method has been developed to infect Arabidopsis with X. fastidiosa. Following infection, X. fastidiosa multiplies and can be detected by microscopy, polymerase chain reaction, and isolation. The ecotypes Van-0, LL-0, and Tsu-1 all allow more growth of strain X. fastidiosa Temecula than the reference ecotype Col-0. Affymetrix ATH1 microarray analysis of inoculated vs. noninoculated Tsu-1 reveals gene expression changes that differ greatly from changes seen after infection with apoplast-colonizing bacteria such as Psuedomonas syringae pvs. tomato or syringae. Many genes responsive to oxidative stress are differentially regulated, while classic pathogenesis-related genes are not induced by X. fastidiosa infection.
The Big Tent of U.S. Women's and Gender History: A State of the Field

In October 2010 the journalist and author Susan Faludi incited a major controversy in feminist blogospheres, lecture circuits, and college classrooms with a provocative article in Harper’s Magazine about generational splits among feminists. In Faludi’s rendering, members of a young, tech-savvy generation embrace deconstruction theory, popular culture studies, and analyses of “the body” while celebrating their empowerment through high-heeled shoes and Lady Gaga. These priorities outrage an older generation, which focuses on the persistent structural oppression of women and does not consider blogging a valid form of political organizing. In 2009 this generational struggle came to a head in the highly contentious election for the National Organization for Women’s presidency, which thirty-two-year-old Latifa Lyles lost by a razor-thin margin to Terry O’Neill, who was older by more than two decades. While many commentators have challenged Faludi’s analysis, particularly her suggestion that young feminists are uninterested in questions of inequality and political organizing, most agree that significant tensions exist over the future direction of feminist politics. The field of U.S. women’s and gender history emerged out of the women’s movement in the 1960s and has retained close connections to feminism. Yet in recent years the field has not been visibly riven by generational divides. Many trends in twenty-first-century feminist politics are reflected in women’s history scholarship: growing emphases on cultural representations and “the body” and a broad agenda in which feminists train their lenses on subjects not associated only—or even primarily—with women. At the same time, scholarship on topics that have long been staples of women’s history, such as politics and labor, continues to thrive, pursued by historians from all generations. Despite periodic expressions of concern over possible fragmentation, depoliticization, and lost
Making noise about silence: repression of repeated genes in animals

Repeated copies of genes, whether in tandem or dispersed, are often recognized by the cell and silenced. Tandem repeat silencing is associated with a heterochromatin-like complex. Dispersed gene silencing can be mediated by the repressive Polycomb Group complex or involve post-transcriptional silencing presumably involving double-stranded RNA. The I retrotransposable element in Drosophila appears to be susceptible to dispersed gene silencing, potentially by both post-transcriptional and transcriptional processes. Some mutations that eliminate RNA interference in Caenorhabditis elegans result in the mobilization of many transposons and two of these mutations desilence tandem repeats in the germline. One challenge for the future is to determine the nature of any relationship between post-transcriptionally and transcriptionally based mechanisms. The silencing mechanisms potentially act as a protection against high expression of transposons and viruses.
Oximetry I: Nomenclature, History, Accuracy and Uses

Pulse oximeter reading is designated Spo2. Arterial and venous saturation, Sao2, and Svo2, are 100[O2 content]/[O2 capacity]. O2 capacity is determined by exposing the blood to a bubble of O2, measuring the O2 content by a physical or electrochemical method, and subtracting the dissolved O2 determined by measuring Po2 after bubble equilibration. O2 capacity is not determined by 1.35 times hemoglobin concentration. HbCO and HbMet reduce O2 content and capacity but do not reduce Sao2 at high Po2. The value computed from Po2 and pH with a blood gas apparatus approximates Sao2 but may differ if P50 is abnormal. A bench oximeter (IL, Corning or Radiometer OSM3) reads HbO2% (not Sao2) as a percentage of total Hb (including HbCO and HbMet). Sao2 may be calculated as 100HbO2/(Hb+HbO2). Sao2 is sometimes called functional saturation, and HbO2 fractional saturation.
The Predictability Principle in Personal Jurisdiction Doctrine: A Case Study on the Effects of a Generally Too Broad, but Specifically Too Narrow Aproach to Minimum Contacts

Despite perceptive commentary and Supreme Court precedent indicating that specific and general personal jurisdiction articulate two distinct types of adjudicative authority over a defendant, many state courts persist in differentiating these concepts only quantitatively in relation to the number of the defendant's forum contacts. According to these courts, specific jurisdiction is only proper in cases involving single or isolated contacts, while general jurisdiction applies whenever numerous contacts exist. This article, through a comparative case study, demonstrates that this misunderstanding causes the adoption of narrow categorical criteria for evaluating specific jurisdiction and the simultaneous expansion of general jurisdiction. By limiting the application of specific jurisdiction to cases involving single or isolated contacts, the courts must attempt to provide some benchmark for distinguishing those single, isolated, or sporadic contacts that establish jurisdiction from those that do not. They've accomplished this through mechanical standards that equate, for example, jurisdiction in contract actions with the place of performance and jurisdiction in tortious misrepresentation cases with the locale of reliance. When this unduly restrictive view of specific jurisdiction precludes the defendant's amenability, courts often resort to broadening general jurisdiction, which subsequently dilutes the quantum and quality of activities necessary to support true dispute-blind jurisdiction in other contexts. My thesis is that much of the chaos prevalent in state court personal jurisdiction decisions is traceable to this misunderstanding. Courts must properly distinguish between general and specific jurisdiction if there is any hope of formulating a coherent doctrine.
The Federal Sentencing Guidelines for Organizations: A Decade of Promoting Compliance and Ethics

Under the Sentencing Reform Act of 1984, The United States Sentencing Commission is responsible for the creation and promulgation of the Federal Sentencing Guidelines. In 1991, the Sentencing Commission created a new chapter to the Federal Sentencing Guidelines that applied specifically to organizational offenders. This article provides an overview of the effect of the 1991 organizational Guidelines on corporate behavior. It argues that the purposes and procedures of the Guidelines give organizations an incentive to implement effective compliance policies while focusing on deterrence rather than punishment. Furthermore, the Guidelines have had a significant impact on sentencing, corporate culture, corporate law, and government regulation. Amongst the salutary effects of the Guidelines are the increasing of fine amounts paid by organizational offenders, creating positions responsible for compliance and ethics at many organizations, and expanding corporate liability to shareholders. Because of its demonstrably wide impact, the Guidelines are a positive step toward corporate compliance with government regulation. Furthermore, the Guidelines are an effective mechanism by which to encourage corporations to be compliant, ethical organizations.
Parametric Assessment of Aviation Environmental Goals: Implications on R&D Decision Making

The prospects of the U.S. commercial aviation sector remain positive with a long-term outlook of growth, driven by the U.S. and world economies. The National Airspace System (NAS) is anticipated to become congested and flight delays are likely to propagate throughout the system. This will likely increase the consumption of aviation fuel, and consequently, nitrogen oxide (NOx) and carbon dioxide (CO2) emissions. Several U.S. research initiatives are addressing the sustainability needs of the future NAS. Meanwhile, the International Air Transport Association (IATA) has set system level goals to guide future research and development (R&D) programs. This paper proposes a quantitative approach that bridges the gap between R&D initiatives and IATA’s system level goals. The objective is to provide valuable insight into required contributions from technologies, operations, and bio-fuels to assess the applicability of IATA’s goals.
Formation of gamma particles during zoosporogenesis in Blastocladiella emersonii.

The formation of gamma (γ) particles was examined by electron microscopy of B. emersonii cells that were induced to differentiate zoospores after 15.5 hr (19-hr cycle) and 3 hr of growth (minicycle...
Passive anaphylaxis in the dog; a quantitative study.

Summary(1) Dogs have been passively sensitized by administration of antiserum to bovine serum albumin developed in the rabbit. 21 mg of antibody nitrogen sensitized each of 2 5 dogs. All manifested symptoms of anaphylaxis and 13 of these died; 6 (of 8) following a dose of 17.3 mg of antigen nitrogen, 1 (of 4) after 10.88 mg, 6 (of 12) after 5.4 mg, and 1 following a dose of 4.33 mg of bovine serum albumin nitrogen. (2) Latent periods varied from 3% to 36 hours. No correlation could be shown between latent period and shocking dose. (3) Sensitizing doses of 10.5-16.8 mg antibody nitrogen followed by antigen in amounts of 4.33-13.0 mg of nitrogen produced symptoms of anaphylaxis in 7 dogs but all recovered, (4) An immediate and rapid fall in blood pressure was the one symptom exhibited by all 32 animals.
Development of Intestinal Selective Absorption of Glucose in Newly-Hatched Chicks.∗†

Summary1. Absorption rates of glucose and sorbose, alone and with phlorhizin, were determined in chicks between 0 and 1 days of age. 2. Sorbose fulfilled the expectations of a passively absorbed sugar in that its absorption velocity was uniformly slow and uninfluenced by phlorhizin at all ages. 3. Glucose absorption velocity increased to a level 4 times as rapid as sorbose within 2 days of hatching and was inhibited by phlorhizin in all age groups. 4. These data, in support of earlier findings 1, suggest that the mechanism(s) responsible for the selective absorption of glucose is not fully developed at hatching, but rapidly achieves an adult level of function within 2 days thereafter.
Comparison of Intestinal Lengths and Peyer's Patches in Wild and Domestic Norway and Wild Alexandrine Rats.∗:

Summary1. Alexandrines or roof rats (Rattus rattus) have shorter small intestines and longer large intestines than do Norway rats (Rattus norvegicus). 2. The intestines of Norway rats have about tw...
18 USE OF ANTI-INFLAMMATORY MEDICATIONS IN PATIENTS WITH CHRONIC LUNG DISEASE OF INFANCY.

Treatment of children with a history of bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) often includes the use of anti-inflammatory medications. However, long-term studies examining their long-term use are few. We conducted a retrospective study to determine the effects of an aerosolized corticosteroid (Pulmicort®) and the leukotriene antagonist montelukast (Singular®) in oxygen-dependent infants followed in the BPD Center at Loma Linda University Children9s Hospital. Group A includes 20 infants treated with Pulmicort. Group B includes 13 treated with both Pulmicort and Singular. Group C includes 7 who were not treated with either Singular or Pulmicort. Within these three groups, the following were noted and compared using ANOVA tests: duration of oxygen therapy in days, number of inpatient visits to a hospital, number of ER visits, change in weight in kilograms, and change in height in centimeters. No significant differences were noted in these variables among the three test groups. However, differences in more subjective perimeters such as overall quality of life or control of allergies were not taken into account in this study.
Predictors of Prism Response During Prism Adaptation

Results of the Prism Adaptation Study (PAS) indicate that prism adaptation improves the success rate of strabismus surgery for patients with acquired esotropia. Patients who show a fusion response to the prisms benefit most from this preoperative treatment. This study analyzes the characteristics of those patients who were and were not prism responders in the PAS. Significant factors predicting a prism response included: patients who were older at the time of onset of their esodeviation (P = .007), duration of deviation less than 1 year (P = .04), alternating fixation (P = .003), fusion on the Worth four-dot test at near with prism neutralization (P = .008), and equal vision (P = .009). Demographic characteristics were similar for both responders and nonresponders except that non-Hispanic patients were significantly more likely to respond to prisms than Hispanic patients (P less than .002). No test or characteristic was found which could reliably predict the prism response. Therefore, all patients with acquired esodeviations should be considered candidates for prism adaptation prior to strabismus surgery.
PCM-10PLASMA AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PHARMACOKINETICS OF 5-AZACYTIDINE FOLLOWING INTRAVENOUS, INTRANASAL, AND INTRATHECAL ADMINISTRATION IN A NON-HUMAN PRIMATE MODEL

PCM-10. PLASMA AND CEREBROSPINAL FLUID PHARMACOKINETICS OF 5-AZACYTIDINE FOLLOWING INTRAVENOUS, INTRANASAL, AND INTRATHECAL ADMINISTRATION IN A NON-HUMAN PRIMATE MODEL Cynthia M. Lester McCully, Louis Rodgers, Rafael Cruz, Cody Peer, William D. Figg, Sr., and Katherine E. Warren; National Cancer Institute, Bethesda, MD, USA BACKGROUND: Promoter-associated hypermethylation resulting in transcription silencing has been identified in epigenetic cancer pathways for pediatric high-grade gliomas. The pyrimidine analog, 5-azacytidine (AZA), is a DNA demethylating agent that covalently binds DNA methyltransferases. The resulting hypomethylation may reactivate tumor suppressor genes and generate an antitumor effect. AZA has demonstrated activity in a pre-clinical murine astrocytoma model following systemic administration (Borodovsky, et . To evaluate the CNS exposure of AZA, plasma and CSF pharmacokinetics (PK) were examined in a nonhuman primate model following systemic (intravenous [IV] and intranasal [IN]) and intrathecal (IT) administration. METHODS: AZA was administered to rhesus macaques; IV (n 1⁄4 4), IN (n 1⁄4 1), and IT (n 1⁄4 3). Serial paired plasma and CSF samples were collected. AZA was quantified via an LC-MS/MS assay and PK parameters calculated using noncompartmental methods. RESULTS: IV-One animal was unevaluable. Mean peak plasma concentration (Cmax) was 1.54 ug/ml, half-life 0.21 min, AUC0-1 0.729 hr*ug/ml. No AZA concentrations were quantifiable in the CSF. IN-One plasma sample (0.102 ug/ml) at 5 min and no CSF samples were quantifiable. ITMean plasma Cmax 0.0268 ug/ml, half-life 1.08 hr, AUC0-1 0.0622 hr*ug/ml. Mean CSF values were: Cmax 125.43ug/ ml, half-life 1.16hr, AUC0-1 296.58 ug/ml*hr. A moderate transient pleocytosis in the CSF was noted at 24hr, resolved by 48 hr, and no clinical or neurological toxicity was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Systemic delivery of AZA, following IV or IN administration, does not provide adequate CSF exposure. However, IT delivery was tolerable and resulted in substantial and sustained CSF drug levels without evidence of neurologic toxicity. Neuro-Oncology 18:iii139–iii144, 2016. doi:10.1093/neuonc/now080.10 #The Author(s) 2016. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Society for Neuro-Oncology. All rights reserved. For permissions, please e-mail: journals.permissions@oup.com.
The bladder in boys with posterior urethral valves: a urodynamic assessment.

AbstractUrodyrianiic evaluation was performed on 8 of 62 boys (13 per cent) with persistent voiding difficulties after fulgur ation of posterior urethral valves. All had varying degrees of incontinence when evaluated. The striated muscle component of the ezternal urethral sphincter was intact in each child. Five different types of bladder function were noted in the 8 children. Three boys had had a prior Y-V plasty of the bladder neck to improve upper and lower urinary tract emptying, which may have contributed to the subsequent incontinence. One additional boy had significant bladder neck obstruction requiring a unilateral bladder neck incision to improve voiding. Appropriate treatment plans were instituted based on the urodynamic findings of the bladder, bladder neck and external sphincter areas, and 6 of the 8 children are now completely continent.
Steroid Regulation of the Ovarian Cycle

The inhibitory chronic effects of gonadal secretions on pituitary gonadotropic function were recognized several years before the synthetic steroids became available (cf. Burrows 1949). These negative effects were the basis for the “push-pull” hypothesis of pituitary-gonadal interaction proposed by Moore and Price (1930, 1932). A positive, stimulative effect of gonadal hormones in promoting puberty was noted by Engle (1931), however, and several workers soon reported that the immediate effect of estrogen administration on luteinizing potency of the AP was stimulative (Fevold, Hisaw and Greep 1936; Lane and Hisaw 1934; Lipschutz 1935). More directly, Hohlweg and Chamorro (1937) demonstrated that luteinization could be induced in immature rats by administration of estradiol benzoate. In ewes the induction of ovulation by estrogen therapy was accomplished by Hammond et al. (1942).
A reduced order model for dielectric elastomer actuators over a range of frequencies and prestrains

The actuation strain of an equibiaxially prestrained dielectric elastomer membrane is studied as a function of driving frequency and prestrain. Experimental data are gathered on the membrane's creep and recovery following DC actuation, as well as the steady state amplitude and phase for AC driving voltages ranging from 2 to 40 Hz. The effect of prestretch on steady state actuation was also investigated, using membranes of both 250% and 300% prestretch. A three-element generalized Kelvin-Voigt model is developed to capture the transient and steady-state actuation responses as a function of frequency and prestrain. We show that, despite its relative simplicity, this model captures the relevant timescales for the membrane behavior with good fidelity and can be used to accurately predict the actuation magnitude and phase as a function of time over a range of actuation configurations and driving conditions.
Cost analysis of tuberculin skin test and the QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-tube test for tuberculosis screening in a correctional setting in Dallas, Texas, USA

Tuberculosis (TB) disproportionately affects immigrants, HIV-infected individuals, and those living in crowded settings such as homeless shelters and correctional facilities. Although the majority of jails and prisons use a tuberculin skin test (TST) for latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) screening, limited data exist on the clinical performance and costs of the TST compared to interferon gamma release assays (IGRAs) in this setting. A prospective pilot study comparing cost between TST and an IGRA (QuantiFERON Gold In-tube, QFT-GIT) for the detection of LTBI in a convenience sample of inmates entering the Dallas County Jail (DCJ) was conducted June–October 2014. Participants completed a risk questionnaire, TST placement, QFT-GIT testing, and were offered opt-out HIV-Ab testing. LTBI prevalence based on TST and QFT-GIT results, an evaluation of discordant results and a cost analysis are presented. A total of 529 subjects were enrolled. The majority were male (75 %), and 46 % were Black, 29 % White, and 24 % Hispanic. Most (85 %) had been previously incarcerated. Over 28 % of participants were released prior to TST reading, with paired QFT-GIT and TST results available for 351 subjects. Of these, nine (2.6 %) tested positive by TST and 47 (13.4 %) tested positive by QFT-GIT. It costs $23.27 more per inmate per year to screen with QFT-GIT than TST in this population, though the cost per LTBI case detected was nearly three times higher for TST than QFT-GIT ($1247 v $460). We found a substantially higher rate of QFT-GIT positivity compared to TST in this sample of individuals entering the Dallas County Jail. Although no gold standard exists, this finding may indicate under-recognized LTBI in this setting. QFT-GIT as an initial screening tool was more time-efficient, had four-fold fewer labor costs and provided results on more individuals when compared with the TST. The overall cost of QFT-GIT was $23.27 more per inmate per year, though the cost per LTBI case detected was nearly three times higher for TST than QFT-GIT. Further research is needed to determine the long-term performance of IGRA testing in the correctional setting and the public health implications of pairing QFT-GIT screening with other tests for communicable diseases.
Descending and Thoracoabdominal Aortic Reoperations

Patients with thoracic aortic aneurysms are at significant risk of developing aneurysmal disease in other areas of their aortas [1]. Reoperations on the descending and thoracoabdominal aorta have become more common as both the safety of the initial aneurysm repair has increased and subsequent radiologic surveillance with computed tomography (CT) scanning has improved. Patients with previous repairs are requiring further replacement of untreated aortic segments, underscoring the chronic nature of aortic disease. Reoperations requiring a repeat left thoracotomy or thoracoabdominal incision carry risks similar to primary operations on the same segments of aorta with the added morbidity of significant lung injury and bleeding. This has often led surgeons to delay or decline surgery even when an operation is clearly indicated. Elective surgical repair in patients with aortic disease is the only effective treatment to eradicate the potential risk of rupture. Here, we will review our approach to reoperative repair of descending and thoracoabdominal aneurysms and highlight the literature associated with this surgical practice. We also will highlight endovascular and hybrid techniques for managing certain high-risk patients.
World modeling for CAD based robot programming and simulation

The design of a world modeling system for CAD based robot programming and simulation is presented. The system can support interfaces to actual robot workcell environments allowing for calibration of the workcell model for inaccuracies and its use for robot control. The system models geometrical, spatial, relational and physical properties of the world allowing for geometrical and spatial reasoning as well as reasoning about the mechanics of manipulation. It supports simulation of several sensory functions and multiple arm coordinated control. It also supports representation of assemblies and aggregation of multiple devices. The system design presented is the basis of a world modeling system for model based robot task planning, simulation and control currently under development.
Wafer-to-wafer bonding for hermetic and vacuum packaging of smart sensors

In this presentation, we will review recent advances in the development of low temperature wafer-to-wafer bonding for the fabrication of hermetic and/or vacuum enclosures for sensors that are monolithically integrated with supporting electronic circuitry. The presence of CMOS circuitry with its limited thermal budget and the requirement of low pressures inside the microchamber impose strict requirements on the bonding process. We will describe metal-based approaches that leverage mature deposition and patterning techniques developed for integrated circuits (ICs) and micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS). The ability to produce finely patterned metal seals significantly reduces the real estate required for bonding and therefore lowers the size, weight, and cost of the device. In addition, massively parallel wafer-level processing drastically reduces the cost of the device. Metal-based approaches can be executed at low temperatures compatible with CMOS circuits and can be integrated with various substrate materials and topographies, making them ideal for smart sensors such as microbolometer FPAs.
Spatial and temporal variability in the effects of wildfire and drought on thermal habitat for a desert trout

Abstract We studied how drought and an associated stressor, wildfire, influenced stream flow permanence and thermal regimes in a Great Basin stream network. We quantified these responses by collecting information with a spatially extensive network of data loggers. To understand the effects of wildfire specifically, we used data from 4 additional sites that were installed prior to a 2012 fire that burned nearly the entire watershed. Within the sampled network 73 reaches were classified as perennial, yet only 51 contained surface water during logger installation in 2014. Among the sites with pre-fire temperature data, we observed 2–4 °C increases in maximum daily stream temperature relative to an unburned control in the month following the fire; effects (elevated up to 6.6 °C) appeared to persist for at least one year. When observed August mean temperatures in 2015 (the peak of regionally severe drought) were compared to those predicted by a regional stream temperature model, we observed deviations of −2.1°-3.5°. The model under-predicted and over-predicted August mean by > 1 °C in 54% and 10% of sites, respectively, and deviance from predicted was negatively associated with elevation. Combined drought and post-fire conditions appeared to greatly restrict thermally-suitable habitat for Lahontan cutthroat trout ( Oncorhynchus clarkii henshawi ).
The First Neurointensive Care Units

This chapter reviews the beginnings of intensive care units and the history of neurosciences intensive care units. The physical presence of a neurointensivist in a neurosciences intensive care unit has been a landmark development, and neurocritical care as a specialty has now finally been established.
Moving Forward by Looking Back

A retired professor reflects on his lower socioeconomic origins in considering how he would teach public administration differently were he to return to the classroom full-time. He indicates he wou...
Twin Studies of Behavior

In the age of molecular genetics some commentators have questioned whether twin studies will continue to be a useful tool for studying genetic influences on behavior. Many of us think the answer is yes (Bouchard & Propping, 1993). Work with monozygotic twins reared apart provides an imperfect, but nevertheless powerful window on the direct influence of genes on whole organisms. Extended behavior genetics designs that include twins also provide important information about more complex modes of inheritance that will be very difficult to implement with molecular techniques (Lykken, McGue, Tellegen, & Bouchard, 1992). In this presentation I will attempt to illustrate these points and bring you up-to-date on new findings and new twists on old findings in the field of behavior genetics. In order to illustrate the breath and implications of these findings, first, I will sample the major human individual differences—psychological interests, mental abilities, personality, social attitudes and psychopathology—and illustrate the breath and magnitude of genetic influence in each of these domains. Secondly, I will illustrate the much less well-known fact that measures of the environment that are often purported to be “causal agents” may also be a manifestation of genetic influences rather than causal agents in their own right.
Variety of photopigment genes underlying red-green colour vision

To understand the relationship between colour vision genotype and phenotype one needs experimental approaches that allow accurate determination of both. An important aspect of colour vision genotype is the number and ratio of genes that encode the long- and middle-wave-sensitive cone pigments. It has become standard practice to estimate these by quantitative Southern analysis. This method has many inherent problems that limit its usefulness as a quantitative measure, and its validity in estimating the number and ratio of X-linked pigment genes has never been demonstrated. Recently, a new method to determine accurately and reliably the number of long- and middle-wave genes on the X-chromosome was developed. Genotypes determined by the new method have been confirmed by independent experiments including direct sequence analysis of the genes. These results show that men with normal colour vision often have more than one long-wave gene and that the number of X-linked visual pigment genes in individuals is much greater than was previously suspected. The issue of which of the X-linked visual pigment genes are expressed in the retina is critical to understanding colour vision genotype/phenotype relationships, particularly in light of the new understanding of genotype. Since expression of any one pigment gene, sometimes in a very small number of cones, can have a significant impact on colour vision, it is important to examine levels of pigment gene expression using the most sensitive methods available. We have demonstrated that expression of as many as three or four different X-linked pigment genes in individual male retinas at visually relevant levels is common.
Designing collaborative governance: Insights from the drought contingency planning process for the lower Colorado River basin

Abstract Agriculture, environment, industry, and millions of households in the western US and northern Mexico depend on the Colorado River, which is facing increasing water shortages due to climate change and rising demand. Collaborative governance will likely be key to solving allocation issues and achieving sustainable water use but has recently faced multiple challenges. This research integrates concepts from institutional, adaptive governance, and bargaining theories to analyze barriers and facilitators to collaborative governance in the drought contingency plan (DCP) process for the lower Colorado River basin from an Arizona stakeholder’s perspective. The DCP is ultimately an effort to create a set of rules to prevent and address shortages in the basin. Through a content analysis of public meetings of the Central Arizona Project’s governing board, we find a collective DCP or future related policy may be possible. But barriers to collaborative governance have intensified over time, hindering the process and making an agreement increasingly unlikely. The process is a perfect example of the interplay between rules and norms, and the issues that arise when norms underlying rules are interpreted differently. Our analysis provides insights for the design of collaborative water governance, including that conducting an analysis of power dynamics among the stakeholders would advance the DCP process. We ultimately argue that the Colorado River basin would benefit from a transition towards adaptive governance, and that our recommendations to improve collaboration are an important initial step. Additionally, our results reveal areas that require more empirical research, including understanding how to prepare for policy windows, rapid trust building among stakeholders, and theory building related to equity and marginalization in collaborative governance processes.
TRANSNATIONAL EDUCATION, LANGUAGE AND IDENTITY: A CASE FROM MEXICO

Educating for a future that assumes students will be educated in the country where they were born or that they will remain in the country where they are currently in school does not reflect the reality of the movement of people in an age of globalization. The research presented here examines the case of children and youth in Mexican public schools who have had some or all of their education in the United States, transnational students (TS) with a particular focus on their linguistic situation. Results suggest that TS struggle with the linguistic transition from Spanish as language of the home to Spanish as the language of education. The paper concludes with suggestions for future research and application to other contexts.