cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Optimal head rotation for internal jugular vein cannulation when relying on external landmarks.

External anatomic landmarks have traditionally been used to approximate the location of the neck blood vessels to optimize central venous cannulation of the internal jugular vein (IJV) while avoiding the common carotid artery (CCA). Head rotation affects vessel orientation, but most landmark techniques do not specify its optimal degree. We simulated catheter insertion via both an anterior and central approach to the right IJV using an ultrasound probe held in the manner of a syringe and needle in 49 volunteers. Increased head rotation from 0°, 15°, 30°, 45°, and 60° to the left of midline was associated with higher probability of a simulated needle contacting the IJV and the CCA. For both approaches, the risk of CCA contact was 10% for head rotations of 45°. Increased body surface area (BSA) and body mass index (BMI) were associated with more CCA contact at head rotations of 45° or 60°. To optimize IJV contact while reducing the likelihood of inadvertent contact with the CCA, the head should be rotated no more than 30° in patients with high BMI or BSA, but it may be turned to 60° if BMI or BSA is low. (Anesth Analg 2004;99:982–8)
Genesis of primitive, arc-type basalt: Constraints from Re, Os, and Cl on the depth of melting and role of fluids

The general model for arc-type basalt genesis is that subducted plates reach a certain depth and release their fluids in a series of dehydration reactions. The fluid migrates into the overlying mantle wedge and initiatesmelting. High 1 8 7 Os/ 1 8 8 Os ratios in some arc magmas have been attributed to this fluid. Although this interpretation follows logically from the general model for arc-type basalt genesis, it is not supported by experimental data or by Re, Os, or Cl data for arc-type basalt, eclogites, and peridotites. Our new data for basaltic rocks from the Mexican volcanic belt together with data from several other arcs lead us to propose that subduction fluids contain only minimal Re, Os, and Cl, and therefore that 1 8 7 Os/ 1 8 8 Os is not increased significantly in the melts above 0.145. The observed low Re concentrations are best explained by initiation of arc-basalt melting in the garnet stability field. Retention of Re by garnet in the source will deplete arc-type basalts in Re relative to oceanic-island basalt and mid-ocean-ridge basalt. Radiogenic Os measured in many arc-type basalts is most likely due to crustal interaction rather than a subduction fluid with high and radiogenic Os concentrations.
Electron Transfer Dissociation of Photolabeled Peptides. Backbone Cleavages Compete with Diazirine Ring Rearrangements

Gas-phase conformations and electron transfer dissociations of pentapeptide ions containing the photo-Leu residue (L*) were studied. Exhaustive conformational search including molecular dynamics force-field, semi-empirical, ab initio, and density functional theory calculations established that the photo-Leu residue did not alter the gas-phase conformations of (GL*GGK + 2H)2+ and (GL*GGK-NH2 + H)+ ions, which showed the same conformer energy ranking as the unmodified Leu-containing ions. This finding is significant in that it simplifies conformational analysis of photo-labeled peptide ions. Electron transfer dissociation mass spectra of (GL*GGK + 2H)2+, (GL*GGK-NH2 + 2H)2+,(GL*GGKK + 2H)2+, (GL*GLK + 2H)2+, and (GL*LGK + 2H)2+ showed 16 %–21 % fragment ions originating by radical rearrangements and cleavages in the diazirine ring. These side-chain dissociations resulted in eliminations of N2H3, N2H4, [N2H5], and [NH4O] neutral fragments and were particularly abundant in long-lived charge-reduced cation-radicals. Deuterium labeling established that the neutral hydrazine molecules mainly contained two exchangeable and two nonexchangeable hydrogen atoms from the peptide and underwent further H/D exchange in an ion–molecule complex. Electron structure calculations on the charge-reduced ions indicated that the unpaired electron was delocalized between the diazirine and amide π* electronic systems in the low electronic states of the cation-radicals. The diazirine moiety in GL*GGK-NH2was calculated to have an intrinsic electron affinity of 1.5 eV, which was further increased by the Coulomb effect of the peptide positive charge. Mechanisms are proposed for the unusual elimination of hydrazine from the photo-labeled peptide ions.
Application of light sensitive chemicals to probe protein structure and function.

The most powerful aspect of the photoaffinity labeling technique is the ability to generate, through photolysis, an intermediate of such high reactivity that covalent attachment to a ligand binding site can be achieved even when there are not nucleophilic residues at the site. The present work will seek to demonstrate that the extreme reactivity of diradical intermediates generated during photolysis can be used to advantage in allowing conditions such as ph to be varied during photoaffinity labeling experiments. In pursuing these studies, trypsin has been chosen as a model enzyme target. In addition to providing a convenient assay system for reversible and irreversible inactivation studies, the bulk of structural data available for this enzyme has facilitated both the design of effective photoaffinity inhibitors and the interpretation of results relative to documented conformational transitions. Benzamidine has been well characterized as a competitive inhibitor of tryptic proteases and has served as the basis for the synthesis of two photoaffinity inhibitors. In addition to the azidobenzamidines, a more hydrophobic compound, 4-fluoro-3-nitrophenylazide (FNPA), and a five-membered ring nitrogen heterocycle, 3-azido-1,2,4-triazole (3-AT), have been studied. 3-AT is capable of undergoing both protonation and deprotonation; thus, its charge structure can vary drastically within the normal pHmore » range of study.« less
Keeping Current with Mobile Technology Trends

Mobile devices are increasingly ubiquitous and have seen substantial evolution in the utility they offer to medical practitioners, health sciences faculty, instructors, and students. This column discusses the current trends and recent history of mobile computing for the health sciences, focusing on tools and resources for keeping current with the ever-expanding universe of mobile apps and gadgets.
Placental pathology and neonatal thrombocytopenia: lesion type is associated with increased risk

Placental pathology and neonatal thrombocytopenia: lesion type is associated with increased risk
Nipple Waterers for Chick Batteries: Design, Efficiency, and Cost Analysis

Abstract Although no mechanical maintenance and little cost are associated with the trough waterers on chick brooder units, they have many disadvantages. A pressure-regulated nipple unit was designed to replace the trough system on a chick starting battery, and construction and operating costs (maintenance time) of the nipple system were compared with the original trough system. Assessments of water quality and chick performance were also made. A modification of the nipple system was designed to allow water line manipulation and water consumption data collection, although these were not tested. Advantages of the system include reduced labor for cleaning and maintenance, no self-contamination, and easy modification of the lines for water treatments and water consumption data collection. The only disadvantage is cost of the pressure regulators; however, this would be offset within four to seven 3-wk chick trials. For the 3-wk trial conducted in this study with the pressure-regulated nipple-equipped unit and a conventional unit, there were no differences in weight gain, mortality, or feed conversion.
Timolol inhibition of aqueous humor production in the cat

Abstract 1. 1. The effects of timolol maleate, a beta-adrenergic blocking agent, have been studied on the aqueous humor dynamics in both the intact and the enucleated, arterially perfused cat eye. 2. 2. In the anesthetized cat, timolol (10.0 μg/kg, i.v.) produced within 30 min a transient elevation of aqueous humor production. Subsequently, the aqueous inflow decreased gradually to below control levels, with a maximal inhibition noted at approximately 90 min. The maximum mean elevation of inflow was 7.71 μ l min −1 while the subsequent maximum mean inhibition of inflow was 11.92 μ l min −1 . 3. 3. In an in vitro preparation, the administration of timolol after acetylcholine plus eserine (Ach + Es) did not alter the stimulatory effect of these drugs on the inflow rate and IOP. However, prior arterial perfusion of timolol (0.10 μg/ml) markedly depressed both the increased aqueous humor formation and IOP effects of Ach + Es. 4. 4. The delayed response of timolol to reduce inflow in the intact cat, and the ability of timolol to inhibit the responses of acetylcholine plus eserine (in the enucleated eye) raises some questions as to whether timolol action is mediated by specific blockage of beta-adrenergic receptors.
Expression of acetylcholinesterase during visual system development in Drosophila

As in other insects acetylcholine (ACh) and acetylcholinesterase (AChE) function in synaptic transmission in the central nervous system of Drosophila . Studies on flies mutant for AChE indicate that in addition to its synaptic function of inactivating acetylcholine, this neural enzyme is required for normal development of the nervous system ( J. C. Hall, S. N. Alahiotis, D. A. Strumpf, and K. White, 1980 , Genetics 96 , 939–965; R. J. Greenspan, J. A. Finn, and J. C. Hall, 1980, J. Comp. Neurol. 189 , 741–774). In order to understand what role AChE may play in neural development, it is necessary to know, in detail, where and when the enzyme appears. The use of monoclonal antibodies to localize AChE in the developing visual system of wild type Drosophila has yielded the novel observation that AChE appears in photoreceptor (retinula) cells 4–6 hr after they differentiate and 3 to 4 days before they are functional. Three days later the staining in the cell body of these cells is reduced. Because retinula cells have no functional connections at the time when AChE is first detected, AChE can not be performing its standard synaptic function. Subsequent to the reduction of AChE in the retinula cells, midway through the pupal stage, the enzyme accumulates rapidly in the neuropils of the optic lobes of the brain. Thus, there is a biphasic accumulation of AChE in the developing visual system with the enzyme initially being expressed in the retinula cells and accumulating later in the optic lobes.
Depletion of regulatory T cells decreases cardiac parasitosis and inflammation in experimental Chagas disease

Infection with the protozoan parasite Trypanosoma cruzi may lead to a potentially fatal cardiomyopathy known as Chagas heart disease. This disease is characterized by infiltration of the myocardium by mononuclear cells, including CD4+ T cells, together with edema, myofibrillary destruction, and fibrosis. A multifaceted systemic immune response develops that ultimately keeps parasitemia and tissue parasitosis low. T helper 1 and other pro-inflammatory T cell responses are effective at keeping levels of T. cruzi low in tissues and blood, but they may also lead to tissue inflammation when present chronically. The mechanism by which the inflammatory response is regulated in T. cruzi-infected individuals is complex, and the specific roles that Th17 and T regulatory (Treg) cells may play in that regulation are beginning to be elucidated. In this study, we found that depletion of Treg cells in T. cruzi-infected mice leads to reduced cardiac parasitosis and inflammation, accompanied by an augmented Th1 response early in the course of infection. This is followed by a downregulation of the Th1 response and increased Th17 response late in infection. The effect of Treg cell depletion on the Th1 and Th17 cells is not observed in mice immunized with T. cruzi in adjuvant. This suggests that Treg cells specifically regulate Th1 and Th17 cell responses during T. cruzi infection and may also be important for modulating parasite clearance and inflammation in the myocardium of T. cruzi-infected individuals.
Optimizing thread-to-core mapping on manycore platforms with distributed Tag Directories

With the increasing demand for parallel computing power, manycore platforms are attracting more and more attention due to their potential to improve performance and scalability of parallel applications. However, as the core count increases, core-to-core communication becomes expensive. For manycore architectures using directory-based cache coherence protocols, the core-to-core communication latency depends not only on the physical placement on the chip, but also on the location of the distributed cache tag directory. In this paper, we first define the concept of core distance for multicore and manycore architectures. Using a ping-pong spin-lock benchmark, we quantify the core distance on a ring-network platform and propose an approach to optimize thread-to-core mapping in order to minimize on-chip communication overhead. In our experiments, our approach speeds up communication-intensive benchmarks by more than 25% on average over the Linux default mapping strategy.
Absolute vibrational numbering and molecular constants of the Na2 23Πg state

Abstract Five lower vibrational levels of the 1 3 Δ g state of Na 2 have been observed using the perturbation facilitated optical-optical double resonance technique (PFOODR). Absolute vibrational numbering has been established from a comparison of calculated Franck-Condon factors and the resolved fluorescence spectra of the 1 3 Δ g → b 3 Π u system. Molecular constants and a RKR potential energy curve based on these constants are given.
Maximal oxygen uptake relative to plasma volume expansion.

Controversy exists as to whether plasma volume (PV) expansion has the potential to increase maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max). In the present study, VO2max and exercise time to fatigue were measured in nine untrained men when plasma volume (PV) was normal and then again on the next day following two levels of PV expansion. Resting PV was expanded (via intravenous infusion of a 6% dextran solution) by 282 +/- 16 ml (i.e., PVX-1) and then by 624 +/- 26 ml (i.e., PVX-2). PVX-1 increased stroke volume (CO2 rebreathing) during submaximal exercise by 15% (P less than 0.05) above normal levels. VO2max following PVX-1 was increased 4% (P less than 0.05; 3.78 to 3.92 l/min) despite a 4% reduction in hemoglobin concentration. Exercise time to fatigue was also increased (P less than 0.05). PVX-2 resulted in an 11% (P less than 0.05) reduction in hemoglobin concentration during maximal exercise and a return of VO2max and exercise time to normal levels. In summary, we have observed in untrained men that 200-300 ml of PV expansion increases SV, measured during submaximal exercise, yet causes only a small amount of hemodilution. As a result, VO2max is increased slightly and performance is improved. Further PV expansion to levels 500-600 ml above normal results in an excessive hemodilution and a subsequent decline in VO2max and performance to normal levels. There is an optimal PV for eliciting VO2max in untrained men which appears to be approximately 200-300 ml above their normal levels.
Moral Responsibility and Motivational Mechanisms

This paper provides a discussion and defense of a recent formulation of the idea that moral responsibility for actions depends on the capacity to respond to reasons. This formulation appears in several publications by John Martin Fischer and Mark Ravizza, where the authors argue that moral responsibility involves a kind of control over one’s actions which they call “guidance control.” This kind of control does not require an agent’s ability to do something different from what he actually does, but instead requires only that the actual process leading to the action be responsive in some suitable way to the reasons that the agent has for acting. After summarizing this view, I offer the following two innovations to the authors’ view: I argue that the level of control required for moral responsibility (which I call “regular reasons-responsiveness”) is much stronger than what the author’s view allows for; and 2) I give a common-sense account of the kinds of motivational mechanism relevant to moral responsibility. Given these innovations, I show that this kind of view allows us to easily answer some counterexamples that appear in the current literature on moral responsibility.
The role of IL-1β in stress-induced sensitization of proinflammatory cytokine and corticosterone responses

Proinflammatory cytokines often sensitize neuronal, hormonal, and behavioral responses to subsequent challenge. Recently, it was observed that exposure to inescapable tailshock enhances peripheral and central proinflammatory cytokine and corticosterone (CORT) responses to subsequent immune challenge up to 4 days later. Thus, we examined the role of central interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) in stress-induced sensitization of proinflammatory cytokine and CORT responses to a subsequent immune challenge. Rats were administered IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1ra) or vehicle into the intra-cisterna magna 1 h prior to tailshock (100, 1.6 mA 5 s shocks) exposure. Twenty-four hours later, rats were challenged i.p. with 10 microg/kg lipopolysaccharide (LPS) and killed 1 h later. IL-1ra had no effect on basal proinflammatory cytokines, but completely blocked the stress-induced enhancement in central and pituitary IL-1beta and plasma IL-6 release following LPS challenge. IL-1ra had no effect on stress-induced enhancement in CORT responses following LPS challenge. Additional rats were administered i.c.v. hrIL-1beta or vehicle and returned to their home cage. Twenty-four hours later, rats were challenged i.p. with either saline or 10 microg/kg LPS and killed 1 h later. Central hrIL-1beta administration significantly elevated central IL-1beta levels and plasma CORT following LPS challenge compared with vehicle-injected controls. These data demonstrate that elevations in central IL-1beta, whether stress-induced or exogenously administered, are sufficient for sensitizing central IL-1beta and CORT responses to subsequent immune challenge. However, during times of stress, exogenous central IL-1ra administration only blocked sensitization of subsequent central IL-1beta responses, not CORT responses, suggesting other factors during the stress response can sensitize CORT responses.
Molecular cloning of tyrosine kinases in the early Xenopus embryo: identification of Eck-related genes expressed in cranial neural crest cells of the second (hyoid) arch.

Growth factors and their receptors play an important role in controlling cellular proliferation, migration, and differentiation during vertebrate embryogenesis. We have used the reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction to survey the repertoire of receptor tyrosine kinases (TK) expressed during early embryogenesis of Xenopus laevis. Twelve distinct Xenopus TK cDNA classes were identified among a total of 352 cDNAs screened. A single TK cDNA class has been described previously and encodes the fibroblast growth factor receptor FGFR-A1. The remaining 11 TK cDNA classes appear to encode novel genes of the FGFR, platelet-derived growth factor receptor (PDGFR), Eph, Csk, Tyk2, and Klg subfamilies. By RNase protection assays, Xenopus TK mRNAs are rare transcripts (≤107 mRNA mol-ecules/embryo), and are usually found to be expressed also maternally in the embryo. Most Xenopus TK genes examined by whole-mount in situ hybridization were expressed widely in tissues derived from multiple germ layers. Two Eck-related genes, however, were found to be restricted in their expression to neural crest of the second (hyoid) arch. Our findings are consistent with the proposed function of TKs in the regulation of specification and differentiation of embryonic tissues. ©1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
A system for collecting data on observer preferences in the field using personal data assistants

Field tests to compare camouflage patterns rely on collecting data on the preferences of human observers. The director of such tests has been faced with a choice between using pencil-and-paper ballots or using an expensive data collection system based on push buttons wired to personal computers with custom software. In this paper we describe an alternative system that combines the advantages of digital collection with the simplicity of paper ballots. The key ingredients to the system are personal data assistants (PDA's) and database software that runs on a PDA. Specifically, our system makes use of Palm Pilots and the commercial database program thinkDB. Using a stylus, each observer enters his selection of the better camouflage pattern by pushing a radio button on the screen of his Palm Pilot. At the end of the test, the test director uses the Palm HotSync function to transfer the results to a personal computer for analysis.
EFFECTS OF PROLONGED RESIDENCE IN THE ANTARCTICA UPON SOME ORGANIC CONSTITUENTS OF HUMAN PAROTID SALIVA.

Summary1. The parotid salivas of 29 naval personnel have been examined for rate of flow, protein, tyrosine, tryptophan and uric acid before and during assignment to duty at McMurdo Sound, Antarctica. 2. The control parotid salivas contained 125 mg % protein, 5.2 mg % tyrosine, 2.8 mg % tryptophan. On a grouped basis, the saliva during the experimental period contained 157.2 mg % protein, 6.1 mg % tyrosine, and 3.7 mg % tryptophan (P<0.01, <0.05, <0.01, respectively). 3. No differences were observed between control and experimental periods for rate of flow, uric acid content, or for that portion of salivary protein precipitable with 30% TCA. The mean values were 0.8 ml/min, 3,5 mg % and 38,4%, respectively.4. Differences between individuals were highly significant. No significant variations were observed between seasons in Antarctica.
Bandwidth narrowing of the UCSB FEL by injection seeding with a cw laser

Abstract Narrow bandwidth operation of a free electron laser (FEL) at the University of California at Santa Barbara (UCSB) by seed injection from an external continuous wave molecular laser has been demonstrated. The pulse-to-pulse frequency bandwidth was reduced by one order of magnitude, from 1.6 to 0.16 GHz and an order of magnitude reduction of the sideband mode beating was observed in a single pulse together with a 30% reduction in laser startup time. Numerical simulations of the multimode FEL show that in normal operation of the UCSB FEL sideband mode suppression is rather slow underlining the importance of seeding to obtain single-mode operation for the available pulse length.
Market Orientation and Alternative Strategic Orientations: A Longitudinal Assessment of Performance Implications

Abstract Although the merits of maintaining a market orientation have been extensively discussed in the literature, studies examining the empirical link between market orientation and performance have shown mixed results. The authors explore the relative performance effects of various dimensions of market orientation using a longitudinal approach based on letters to shareholders in corporate annual reports. Furthermore, the authors examine the relative effects of alternative strategic orientations that reflect different managerial priorities for the firm. The authors also extend previous work by considering the mediating effects of organizational learning and innovativeness on the orientation-performance relationship. The results show that firms possessing higher levels of competitor orientation, national brand focus, and selling orientation exhibit superior performance.
The relevance of history in accounting education: Some observations

Abstract This paper was commissioned by the Journal of Accounting Education in order to provide our readers with an assessment of the relevance of history in accounting education. Based on over 40 years of accounting experience, the author contends that accounting curricula should be broadened to include the teaching of accounting history. It is suggested that valuable insights can be gained from the study of how accounting has developed and changed in response to environmental changes (economic, political, social). Without such a historical perspective, accounting graduates will not have the necessary background to critically evaluate current accounting practices or be in a position to contribute significantly to our constantly changing profession.
Hiding the electroweak symmetry breaking sector

Abstract It is generally assumed that in elastic W and Z scattering either there will be resonances with masses of less than 1 TeV (as expected, for example, in the weakly coupled one-doublet Higgs model) or the scattering amplitudes will be enhanced, indicating the presence of new strong interactions at or above 1 TeV. In this paper we note that there is another possibility: the electroweak symmetry breaking sector may be strongly coupled at low energies because of the presence of large numbers of particles other than the longitudinal components of the W and Z. In this case the elastic W and Z scattering amplitudes may be small without the appearance of any discernible resonances, while the total scattering cross sections are large. In such a model, at no energy is the number of WW or ZZ events large; discovering the electroweak symmetry breaking sector depends on the observation of other particles and our ability to associate them with symmetry breaking. We illustrate this possibility in the context of an O( N ) linear sigma model solved in the large- N limit.
Effect of Infrared Heat Processing on Rehydration Rate and Cooking of Phaseolus vulgaris (Var. Pinto)

Imbibition studies and cooking tests were conducted to evaluate the effect of infrared (IR)-heating on pinto beans (Phaseolus vulgaris) heated to 99°C and 107°C. IR-heating improved rehydration rate and increased degree of swelling of Pinto beans. Water absorption capacities and imbibition rates were higher for the 99°C than 107°C samples. However, tests showed IR-heating significantly increased cooking time of pinto beans.
Unimolecular decay of photoexcited tetramethyldioxetane probed by picosecond spectroscopy

Abstract The photolysis of tetramethyldioxetane at 264 nm was probed using picosecond spectroscopic techniques. Singlet excited acetone was one of the observed products. The rise time for acetone fluorescence was determined to be less than 10 ps. A mechanism consistent with these results is proposed.
Sonography of focal foveolar hyperplasia causing gastric obstruction in an infant

A young infants is presented with a mass partially obstructing the distal stomach. Sonography demonstrated the superficial origin of the lobulated lesion which proved to be focal foveolar hyperplasia, the most common cause of a gastric polypoid mass in adults but rare in children.
The Use of “Incomplete” Newcastle Disease Virus as an Experimental Vaccine

Abstract NADEL and Eisenstark (1955) observed a stage in the development of Newcastle virus in chick embryos in which the allantoic fluids contained hemagglutination units but were devoid of infective power. The interpretation placed upon this observation was that Newcastle virus, in the maturation cycle, passes through an “incomplete” stage in which the virus possesses some of the properties of the mature form but lacks the property of infectivity. This phenomenon suggests the “incomplete” stage in the maturation of influenza virus reported by numerous investigators (von Magnus, 1953; and Henle, 1953). Von Magnus (1951) demonstrated that the “incomplete” PR-8 influenza virus possessed antigenic properties. Similarly Nadel (1955) showed that “incomplete” California strain 11914 Newcastle virus stimulated antibody production in rabbits, and that these antibodies gave a good hemagglutination-inhibition (HI) test (Cunningham, 1952) when checked against the mature virus form. This suggested the possibility that “incomplete” Newcastle virus might be effective as …
Ornstein-Zernike equation with core condition and direct correlation function of Yukawa form

A detailed explication of the analytic structure of the Ornstein-Zernike equation with a core condition and a direct correlation function of Yukawa form is given. The solution found by Waisman [4] is simplified. The resulting analytic expressions are the basis of the generalized mean spherical results of Stell and Sun [7] for charged spheres and are fundamental to the approximation scheme of Hoye and Stell [8] for polar fluids. Our study of the case of a two-Yukawa c(r) [following article] is also based upon the development given here.
GLUCOSE HOMEOSTASIS IN THE MICROPREMIE

This article evaluates the current knowledge of the kinetics of glucose homeostasis in the micropremie. Glucose production, glucose use, and glucose oxidation are reviewed in detail. This article also evaluates the developmental regulation of glucose homeostasis relative to some of the fundamental differences known to exist in the neonate compared to the adult.
Memory-Efficient Regular Expression Search Using State Merging

Pattern matching is a crucial task in several critical network services such as intrusion detection and policy management. As the complexity of rule-sets increases, traditional string matching engines are being replaced by more sophisticated regular expression engines. To keep up with line rates, deal with denial of service attacks and provide predictable resource provisioning, the design of such engines must allow examining payload traffic at several gigabits per second and provide worst case speed guarantees. While regular expression matching using deterministic finite automata (DFA) is a well studied problem in theory, its implementation either in software or specialized hardware is complicated by prohibitive memory requirements. This is especially true for DFAs representing complex regular expressions present in practical rule-sets. In this paper, we introduce a novel method to drastically reduce the DFA memory requirement and still provide worst-case speed guarantees. Specifically, we merge several "non-equivalent" states in a DFA by introducing labels on their input and output transitions. We then propose a data structure to represent the merged states and the transition labels. We show that, with very few assumptions about the original DFA, such a transformation results in significant compression in the DFA representation. We have implemented a state merging and transition labeling algorithm for DFAs, and show that for Snort and Bro security rule-sets, state merging results in memory reductions of an order of magnitude.
Defect Generation and Suppression During the Impurity Induced Layer Disordering of Quantum Sized GaAs/GalnP Layers

Impurity induced layer disordering (JILD) has been demonstrated as an extremely powerful technique for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices within the AlGaAs alloy system. The success of this technique in this material system is due in large part to the similarity of the lattice parameters between the two binary constituents in this system, AlAs and GaAs. There are many alloy systems in which it would be highly desirable to exploit the fabrication technique of JILD, but within which the binary alloy constituents are not so well matched in lattice parameter. Perhaps the most extensively explored of such systems are the AlGaInP alloy system lattice matched to a GaAs substrate and the InGaAsP alloy system lattice matched to an InP substrate.
Is an International Treaty Needed to Fight Corruption and the Narco-Insurgency in Mexico?:

Mexican government corruption prevents effective law enforcement against drug traffickers and the violence associated with drug trafficking. This article reviews the nature and scope of government corruption, including a first-hand account by a Mexican state police commander, then suggests how and why an international treaty establishing United Nation (UN) inspectors who are empowered to investigate corruption at all levels of government could be effective in deterring corruption and restoring the rule of law in the U.S.–Mexico border region. The article suggests that the Rome Statute provides a model for establishing this type of treaty and a precedent for all of the powers envisioned for UN inspectors, and suggests that government leaders may be compelled by their own citizens to sign and ratify such a treaty if it is posed as a public litmus test of their leaders’ willingness to fight corruption.
Characterizing High School Students’ Written Explanations in Biology Laboratories

The purpose of this qualitative interpretive research study was to examine high school students’ written scientific explanations during biology laboratory investigations. Specifically, we characterized the types of epistemologies and forms of reasoning involved in students’ scientific explanations and students’ perceptions of scientific explanations. Sixteen students from a rural high school in the Southeastern United States were the participants of this research study. The data consisted of students’ laboratory reports and individual interviews. The results indicated that students’ explanations were primarily based on first-hand knowledge gained in the science laboratories and mostly representing procedural recounts. Most students did not give explanations based on a theory or a principle and did not use deductive reasoning in their explanations. The students had difficulties explaining phenomena that involved intricate cause–effect relationships. Students perceived scientific explanation as the final step of a scientific inquiry and as an account of what happened in the inquiry process, and held a constructivist–empiricist view of scientific explanations. Our results imply the need for more explicit guidance to help students construct better scientific explanations and explicit teaching of the explanatory genre with particular focus on theoretical and causal explanations.
Desquamative penile lesion as a manifestation of Behcet's disease.

A 77-year-old black heterosexual married man presented elsewhere with recurring, painful, genital ulcers 2 weeks in duration. The ulcers had been present for 1 month, resolved and then recurred 6 months later. He was referred to us by the internist. The patient had been evaluated 6 months earlier by the rheumatology service. He had eye lesions consistent with uveitis and an aphthous oral lesion on the uvula, which on biopsy revealed marked acute and chronic inflammation with granulation tissue. He had scrotal and penile ulcers as well. A month later a second pharyngeal ulcer developed, which again on biopsy showed acute and chronic inflammation with focal ulceration and granulation tissue. Neither oral biopsies demonstrated giant cells. Diagnosis was Behcet’s disease based on the recurrent aphthous stomatitis, aphthous genital ulceration and the single episode of ocular inflammation. At presentation to us the penile lesions were large, painful and desquamative (see figure). The entire glans penis was covered by a desquamative lesion, as was the scrotum at the midline. There was no urethral discharge. Urinalysis was unremarkable. Biopsy of the lesions was not performed due to the comfort level of the staff with the previous diagnosis of Behcet’s disease. The patient was admitted to the hospital for treatment. At the time of hospital admission he had several mouth ulcers causing odynophagia. Treatment consisted of local wound care, colchicine and 60 mg. prednisone daily. Pain resolved after 48 hours. The penile and scrotal lesions were improving slowly when corticosteroid induced diabetes developed and acute abdomen occurred due to small bowel perforation. Surgery revealed small bowel involvement with a 1.5 3 0.6 cm. mucosal ulceration and 2 perforations secondary to ischemic changes. There was no vasculitis or granulomatous disease. Postoperatively, cavitating Pseudomonas pneumonia developed. The patient was recovering from bowel surgery, prednisone dosage was reduced and methotrexate was added for Behcet’s disease when fever and gastrointestinal bleeding developed. Despite esophagogastroduodenoscopy and colonoscopy, as well as abdominal computerized tomography and 2 separate abdominal angiograms, a bleeding site was not identified. Bleeding was presumed to be from recurrent small bowel ulceration. After 22 units of blood were transfused and renal failure developed, supportive measures were undertaken and the patient died. There was no postmortem examination. DISCUSSION
Intimate Partner Violence Against Married Women in Uganda

This study utilized data from the 2006 Uganda Demographic and Health Survey to examine correlates of the lifetime experience of intimate partner violence (IPV) against married women in Uganda. Guided by an integrated theoretical framework that synthesizes resource and gender theories, five hypotheses are developed and tested concerning three major forms of IPV: (a) physical violence, (b) emotional or psychological violence, and (c) sexual violence. Results from multivariate statistical analyses indicate that although both the resource and gender factors are significant predictors of the lifetime experience of IPV among married Ugandan women, the gender factors appear to be more systematic and robust than the resource factors in predicting IPV in Uganda. Theoretical and policy implications are discussed.
Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation for Sickle Cell Disease: Current Practice and Emerging Trends

Allogeneic HSCT controls sickle cell disease (SCD)-related organ damage and is currently the only curative therapy available. Over the last 2 decades, HSCT has been limited largely to myeloablative matched sibling donor (MSD) procedures that are feasible only in a minority of patients. As the natural history of the disease has evolved, it is clear that subsets of patients with severe disease are at risk for sudden death, devastating CNS and pulmonary complications, and debilitating vasoocclusive crises. For these patients, the benefits of transplantation can outweigh the risks if HSCT can be safely and successfully performed with low early and late toxicities. This review describes advances and ongoing investigation of HSCT for SCD from the perspectives of recipient age and presentation, donor stem cell source, intensity of conditioning, family and medical perspectives, and other variables that influence outcome. Ultimately, HSCT should be viewed as a viable treatment option for SCD on par with other therapies for select patients who can benefit from the procedure.
Does the length of time off-task matter?

We investigate the relationship between a student's time off-task and the amount that he or she learns to see whether or not the relationship between time off-task and learning is a more complex model than the traditional linear model typically studied. The data collected is based off of students' interactions with Cognitive Tutor learning software. Analysis suggested that more complex functions did not fit the data significantly better than a linear function. In addition, there was not evidence that the length of a specific pause matters for predicting learning outcomes; e.g. students who make many short pauses do not appear to learn more or less than students who make a smaller number of long pauses. As such, previous theoretical accounts arguing that off-task behavior primarily reduces learning by reducing the amount of time spent learning remain congruent with the current evidence.
Granular Web Shopping Experts

Finding a product with high quality and reasonable price online is a difficult task due to uncertainty of Web data and queries. In order to handle the uncertainty problem, the granular Web Shopping Expert, a new type-2 fuzzy online decision support system, is proposed. The Web Shopping Expert based on the interval type-2 fuzzy inference system provides reasonable granular decisions for online users. This general framework can be used in other online e- Business applications.
Multilayer Materials for Electrostatic Switches

Metal multilayers are a unique way to manufacture reliable conductive members for MEMS devices. These members are particularly suited for electrostatic switches. Unlike elemental Al, which experiences curvature problems during processing, the residual stress in these beams can be controlled and calibrated during stress measurements to have repeatable shapes and stresses upon release. In this study, curvature experiments were performed to determine the optimal deposition parameters (pressure, thickness) to produce metal multilayer beams with zero average stress and zero bending moment, which can be obtained by alternating tensile and compressive layers within. Resistivity measurements were made to determine the effect of interfaces on resistivity.
Reflections on Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime

Why is it that in the midst of a war, perhaps the reddest of red zones, one can still find some green, some gardens? Wartime gardens are dramatic examples of defiant gardens—gardens created in extreme social, psychological, political, economic, or cultural conditions. The book Defiant Gardens: Making Gardens in Wartime (San Antonio: Trinity University Press 2006) examined gardens of war in the twentieth century—including gardens soldiers built inside and behind the trenches in World War I; gardens built in the Warsaw and other ghettos under the Nazis during World War II; gardens in the Prisoner of War (POW) and civilian internment camps of both world wars; and gardens created by Japanese Americans held at US internment camps during World War II. The commonplace but profound meanings and experience of the garden are magnified in wartime. War gardens domesticate and humanize dehumanized situations. They offer a rejection of suffering and are an inherent affirmation and sign of human perseverance. They assert the dignity of life, human and nonhuman, and celebrate it. Defiant Gardens brought to light a history that has never been studied and moving stories never before told. This chapter includes stories the author encountered since the book’s publication, including gardens made by soldiers in Vietnam, squatters in settlements in Colombia, soldiers and civilians in Iraq and Afghanistan, prisoners in the United States, and the winner of the Bronze Star for gardening during World War II. Defiant Gardens has inspired projects for military families and veterans and by artists, designers and performers, demonstrating the power of greening in the red zone.
Abstract 462: Reductions of ApoB-containing Lipoproteins Prevented the Progression of Established Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms in AngII Infused Mice

Background and Objective: We have demonstrated that increased plasma apolipoprotein B (apoB)-containing lipoproteins augment development of AngII-induced abdominal aortic aneurysms (AAAs) in male mice. The purpose of this study was to determine whether plasma apoB-containing lipoproteins also influenced progression of established AAAs during chronic AngII-infusion. Methods and Results: Male LDL receptor -/- mice fed either a normal (Group 1) or Western (42% calories from saturated fat) diet were infused with AngII (1,000 ng/kg/min) for 28 days to induced AAAs. Maximal luminal diameters of the suprarenal region were compared with baseline after 4 weeks of AngII infusion to determine AAA presence. Mice fed Western diet were stratified by aortic lumen diameter into either a group maintained on Western diet (Group 2) or switched to a normal laboratory diet (Group 3). AngII infusion was continued for another 8 weeks in all 3 groups. Plasma cholesterol concentrations were determined at 4, 6, and 12 weeks of AngII infusion. Mice fed a Western diet for the initial 4 weeks were hypercholesterolemic (260 ± 13 to 1,469 ± 59 mg/dl). Two weeks after Group 3 were returned to normal laboratory diet, plasma cholesterol concentrations were profoundly reduced to 382 ± 22 mg/dl which was maintained for the remaining interval. These reductions were due to decreases in plasma cholesterol concentrations apoB-containing lipoproteins. Luminal diameters of suprarenal aortas were measured at 6 and 12 weeks of AngII infusion by ultrasonography. While luminal expansion progressed in mice fed Western diet, no continuous expansion was detected in mice with established AAAs that were fed normal laboratory diet. Ultrasonic measurements were confirmed at study termination by ex vivo measurements of maximal widths of suprarenal aortas (Group 1 verus 2 versus 3: 1.35 ± 0.04 mm, 3.32 ±0.34 mm, 1.91 ± 0.11 mm, respectively). Conclusions: Plasma apoB-containing lipoproteins contribute to the progressive expansion of established AAAs in AngII-infused mice.
The Modern Author at Work on Madison Avenue

This chapter of a book on modernism and copyright uses the work relationships of creative employees at the J. Walter Thompson advertising agency to explore the roles of the law and legal norms in mediating creation, ownership, attribution, and public recognition as dominant features of twentieth century authorship. In both legal and literary studies, scholars have tended to focus on the relationship between copyright law and an individual, literary model of authorship. This scholarly focus on authors and owners has been incommensurate with the relatively small percentage of twentieth-century creative people whose efforts were rewarded through copyright ownership. Once we realize that much modern creativity is exercised in an employment setting where salaried creators sign away their rights in their work as a condition of hire - sign away, in effect, their very status as authors - we can see that the attribution of work, rather than ownership of the intellectual property represented in it, defines the modern connection between many creators and work of all kinds. The chapter argues that copyright is not the only place, perhaps not even the most important place, to study the role of law in shaping the nature of creative work in modernism. The project I undertake here is to show that modernism did not coincidentally grow at the same time as the corporatization of creativity. Rather, they unfolded in complex relation to each other. In the world of commercial cultural production, authorship has been an unstable blend of individual and collective creation and attribution. What authorship has meant was determined largely outside the purview of copyright law, and often outside any other formal law, bouncing endlessly back and forth between the individual and the corporation.