cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
An algorithm for computing customized 3D printed implants with curvature constrained channels for enhancing intracavitary brachytherapy radiation delivery

Brachytherapy is a widely-used treatment modality for cancer in many sites in the body. In brachytherapy, small radioactive sources are positioned proximal to cancerous tumors. An ongoing challenge is to accurately place sources on a set of dwell positions to sufficiently irradiate the tumors while limiting radiation damage to healthy organs and tissues. In current practice, standardized applicators with internal channels are inserted into body cavities to guide the sources. These standardized implants are one-size-fits-all and are prone to shifting inside the body, resulting in suboptimal dosages. We propose a new approach that builds on recent results in 3D printing and steerable needle motion planning to create customized implants containing customized curvature-constrained internal channels that fit securely, minimize air gaps, and precisely guide radioactive sources through printed channels. When compared with standardized implants, customized implants also have the potential to provide better coverage: more potential source dwell positions proximal to tumors. We present an algorithm for computing curvature-constrained channels based on rapidly-expanding randomized trees (RRT). We consider a prototypical case of OB/GYN cervical and vaginal cancer with three treatment options: standardized ring implant (current practice), customized implant with linear channels, and customized implant with curved channels. Results with a two-parameter coverage metric suggest that customized implants with curved channels can offer significant improvement over current practice.
Unmasking masked hypertension: prevalence, clinical implications, diagnosis, correlates and future directions

'Masked hypertension' is defined as having non-elevated clinic blood pressure (BP) with elevated out-of-clinic average BP, typically determined by ambulatory BP monitoring. Approximately 15-30% of adults with non-elevated clinic BP have masked hypertension. Masked hypertension is associated with increased risks of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality compared with sustained normotension (non-elevated clinic and ambulatory BP), which is similar to or approaching the risk associated with sustained hypertension (elevated clinic and ambulatory BP). The confluence of increased cardiovascular risk and a failure to be diagnosed by the conventional approach of clinic BP measurement makes masked hypertension a significant public health concern. However, many important questions remain. First, the definition of masked hypertension varies across studies. Further, the best approach in the clinical setting to exclude masked hypertension also remains unknown. It is unclear whether home BP monitoring is an adequate substitute for ambulatory BP monitoring in identifying masked hypertension. Few studies have examined the mechanistic pathways that may explain masked hypertension. Finally, scarce data are available on the best approach to treating individuals with masked hypertension. Herein, we review the current literature on masked hypertension including definition, prevalence, clinical implications, special patient populations, correlates, issues related to diagnosis, treatment and areas for future research.
Dynamics of Poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate): Neat and in Blends with Poly(α-methylstyrene)

Pressure−volume−temperature measurements, calorimetry, and dielectric spectroscopy at ambient and elevated pressures were carried out on poly(cyclohexyl methacrylate) (PCHMA) and its blend with poly(α-methylstyrene) (PaMS). Both the glass transition temperature and local segmental relaxation times, τα, go through a maximum as a function of blend composition, plausibly due to a negative excess volume. Using a nonlinear function for the composition dependence of Tg, a value of the self-concentration parameter of the Lodge−McLeish model is determined, which is close to that calculated from the PCHMA chain statistics. For both neat PCHMA and the blend, the τα superpose as a function of TVγ. Since the breadth of the local segmental relaxation dispersion is a unique function of τα, this means that the parameter γ defines both the magnitude and distribution of relaxation times. The thermodynamic scaling for the blend was corroborated by calculating the exponent γ from the isochronal thermal expansion coefficient...
Hyperspectral image segmentation using active contours

Multispectral or hyperspectral image processing has been studied as a possible approach to automatic target recognition (ATR). Hundreds of spectral bands may provide high data redundancy, compensating the low contrast in medium wavelength infrared (MWIR) and long wavelength infrared (LWIR) images. Thus, the combination of spectral (image intensity) and spatial (geometric feature) information analysis could produce a substantial improvement. Active contours provide segments with continuous boundaries, while edge detectors based on local filtering often provide discontinuous boundaries. The segmentation by active contours depends on geometric feature of the object as well as image intensity. However, the application of active contours to multispectral images has been limited to the cases of simply textured images with low number of frames. This paper presents a supervised active contour model, which is applicable to vector-valued images with non-homogeneous regions and high number of frames. In the training stage, histogram models of target classes are estimated from sample vector-pixels. In the test stage, contours are evolved based on two different metrics: the histogram models of the corresponding segments and the histogram models estimated from sample target vector-pixels. The proposed segmentation method integrates segmentation and model-based pattern matching using supervised segmentation and multi-phase active contour model, while traditional methods apply pattern matching only after the segmentation. The proposed algorithm is implemented with both synthetic and real multispectral images, and shows desirable segmentation and classification results even in images with non-homogeneous regions.
Ecology and Reproduction of Anolis capito in Rain Forest of Southeastern Nicaragua

Abstract We studied the ecology of Anolis capito in the rain forest of southeastern Nicaragua during late dry season of 1993. These cryptic anoles live low on trunks in shaded rain forest and are active throughout the day but appear to spend most of their time in shade. Body temperatures averaged 28.8 ± 0.5°C, which is 1.3°C higher than substrate temperatures and 1.7°C higher than air temperatures. Females were larger and reach sexual maturity at a larger SVL than males. Females in late dry season often contain two oviductal eggs that differed in shell condition indicating that they were not ovulated simultaneously. Females had evidence of as many as four clutches (two oviductal eggs and two different-sized enlarged vitellogenic follicles) suggesting rapid clutch production. The diet consists of a variety of invertebrates, with grasshoppers, homopterans, insect larvae, and roaches dominating volumetrically. On average, these lizards contained 1.6 ± 0.1 prey items. Prey size varied with lizard size, but no...
Towards nano-physiology of insects with atomic force microscopy.

Abstract Little study of insects with modern nanotechnology tools has been done so far. Here we use one of such tool, atomic force microscopy (AFM) to study surface oscillations of the ladybird beetles ( Hippodamia convergens ) measured in different parts of the insect at picometer level. This allows us to record a much broader spectral range of possible surface vibrations (up to several kHz) than the previously studied oscillations due to breathing, heartbeat cycles, coelopulses, etc. (up to 5–10 Hz). Here we demonstrate three different ways with which one can identify the origins of the observed peaks – by physical positioning the probe near a specific organ, and by using biological or chemical stimuli. We report on identification of high frequency peaks associated with H. convergens heart, spiracular closer muscles, and oscillations associated with muscles activated while drinking. The method, being a relatively non-invasive technique providing a new type of information, may be useful in developing “nanophysiology” of insects.
Septic Shock and Toxic Shock: Do Adjunctive Therapies Improve Outcome?

Sepsis develops in more than 500,000 persons in the United States yearly. Patients with sepsis present with evidence of infection and clinical manifestations of inflammation. Severe sepsis is the development of hypoperfusion with organ dysfuntion in a septic patient and septic shock is defined as hypoperfusion and persistent hypotension in a septic patient [1]. The more advanced the syndrome, the greater the likelihood of poor outcome, with mortality rates ranging from 16% in patients with sepsis, to 40% to 60% in patients with septic shock [2], and up to 81% in those with streptococcal toxic shock syndrome [3]. Although death rates in some subgroups of patients with sepsis-induced organ failure have decreased in recent years, outcome has generally remained unchanged despite improvements in antimicrobial therapy and critical car techniques. Use of appropriate antimicrobial therapy (based on the proven or likely site of infection) is critical in the approach to the septic patient [4], although paradoxically may precipitate septic changes by liberating microbial products that trigger the inflammatory cascade. Newer therapeutic strategies in patients with sepsis are aimed at the selective amplification or attenuation of host responses to the invading pathogen and its pathogenic products. Updates of the use of adjunctive therapies in septic shock and streptococcal toxic shock are reviewed elsewhere in this issue. Here, I will review two recent studies that have looked at use of adjunctive therapies to improve outcome in gram-negative septic shock and the streptococcal toxic shock syndrome
The synthesis of antiinflammatory α-(trifluoromethyl) arylacetic acids

Abstract Several novel α-trifluoromethylarylacetic acids were synthesized, utilizing chloropentafluoroacetone as the source of the trifluoromethyl group. One of these new acids, the trifluoro- analog (30) of ibuprofen, showed antiinflammatory, analgesic, and ulcerogenic properties similar to ibuprofen.
A course in the mathematics of design

Abstract A project-oriented course on the Mathematics of Design taught for the past six years to freshman architecture students at the New Jersey Institute of Technology is described. The course uses mathematics as the organizing force linking scientific, artistic and cultural subject areas together. The sequence of topics is graph theory with application to planning a floor plan; polyhedra applied to Platonic solids; tilings of the plane with application to lattice designs; tiling of three-dimensional space and space-filling polyhedra; similarity, proportion and the golden mean with application to architectural design; transformations; mirrors and symmetry; and vectors applied to analysis of polyhedra and ruled surfaces. The mathematical elements of each topic lead students to carry out a two- or three-dimensional construction. Students are helped to focus on the ideas behind their work by writing a series of essays.
Magnetic fabrics of the Douglas Till of the Superior lobe: exploring bed-deformation kinematics

Abstract The Superior lobe of the Laurentide ice sheet, during its last advance into northwestern Wisconsin, may have moved and transported sediment primarily through deep, widespread shear of its bed to high strains (>100). To study the kinematics of this deformation, we measured the anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility of 3750 intact samples of its basal till—the Douglas member of the Miller Creek formation—collected from eight profiles at 0.2 m depth increments. A benchmark for interpretations was provided by results of ring-shear experiments conducted on the Douglas Till, which provided fabric characteristics for the case of horizontal simple shear. Orientations of maximum susceptibility (k1) were controlled by preferred orientations of silt-sized magnetite grains and were similar to sand-grain orientations measured in thin sections. Strengths of fabrics formed by orientations of k1 indicate that most of the till sampled was deformed but to variable strains. Deformation averaged over the 20 km spanned by the study approximated horizontal simple shear. However, large differences in k1 fabric azimuths (>45°) over lateral distances of meters to tens of meters indicate highly heterogeneous bed deformation, perhaps focused in anastomosing zones with associated divergent and convergent till shear. This interpretation is supported by orientations of principal susceptibilities that imply, in many cases, either that shear planes were steeply dipping, particularly transverse to the shearing direction, or that there were major components of pure shear. Variations in k1 fabric azimuth with depth indicate that most of the till thickness did not shear simultaneously; rather, till accumulated at the bed as shear direction changed in response to temporally shifting zones of shallow deformation (
Modifications of pyrrolizidine alkaloid intoxication resulting from altered hepatic microsomal enzymes.

Abstract Levels of hepatic microsomal activity are instrumental in determining the toxicity of the pyrrolizidine alkaloid, monocrotaline. Following the stimulation of microsomal enzymes with phenobarbital prior to the administration of monocrotaline, rats gained less weight, developed more severe lung lesions at an earlier time, and died more rapidly than those that received only monocrotaline. However, in rats pretreated with the enzyme inhibitor chloramphenicol, there was an absence of mortality, the growth rate was unaffected and the lesions were less severe than in rats given monocrotaline or in those pretreated with phenobarbital and subsequently given monocrotaline. The acute toxic effects produced by the metabolic pyrroles may be suppressed by the use of inhibiting agents such as chloramphenicol, thereby permitting the development of more chronic lesions such as megalohepatocytosis in monocrotaline-intoxicated animals.
Neutralized differential amplifiers using mixed-mode S-parameters

Distributed amplifiers offer very broadband operation, with the promise of a single all-band wireless solution. However, there are a number of distributed amplifier specific issues that have blocked practical implementation in a portable product. One of these is potential instability exacerbated by 20:1 antenna load impedance variation over a very broad frequency range of interest. This paper provides a neutralized differential amplifier implementation supported by mixed-mode S-parameters technology that offers a broadband stability solution for distributed amplifier application. Measurement results of a single section differential amplifier are included using Motorola's CDR1 BiCMOS technology.
The additive and logical complexities of linear and bilinear arithmetic algorithms

Abstract Let CA(±) be the additive complexity of a (bi)linear algorithm A for a given problem; D(A) and D (A) are two acyclic diagraphs that represent A, each of them is obtained from another one by reversing directions of all edges; ir(D) and do(D) are two numbers that are introduced to measure the structural deficiencies of an acyclic digraph D. K and Q are the numbers of outputs and input-variables. do( D (A)) , do(D(A)), and ir(D(A)) characterize the logical complexity of A. It is shown that CA(±) + do(D(A)) + ir(D(A)) = ω(K + Q)log(K + Q) and C A (±) + do( D (A)) = ω(K + Q) log (K + Q) in the cases of DFT, vector convolution, and matrix multiplication. Also lower bounds on CA(±) + do(D(A)) and on CA(±) are expressed in terms of algebraic quantities such as the ranks of matrices and of multidimensional tensors associated with the problems.
Dynamics of Superparamagnetic and Ferromagnetic Nano-Objects in Continuous-Flow Microfluidic Devices

We present a numerical study on the dynamics of magnetic micro- and nano-objects subjected to magnetic field gradients in conventional continuous-flow microfluidic devices. By a mixed finite-element/discrete-element approach we solve the equations of the field driven motion for magnetic nano-objects floating in liquids at very low Reynolds numbers and compare the magnetic trapping efficiency of commercially available superparamagnetic microbeads to that of ferromagnetic nanowires. The drag force and the remanent magnetization of ferromagnetic nanowires are found to be responsible for the huge increase of their magnetic trappability whereas the slip-length associated with the Navier boundary condition at the transition to the nanoscale regime is found to be a much less important parameter
Cyclization of fungal nonribosomal peptides by a terminal condensation-like domain

Cyclization of linear peptidyl precursors produced by nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs) is an important step in the biosynthesis of bioactive cyclic peptides. Whereas bacterial NRPSs use thioesterase (TE) domains to perform the cyclization, fungal NRPSs have apparently evolved to use a different enzymatic route. In verified fungal NRPSs that produce macrocyclic peptides, each megasynthetase terminates with a condensation-like (CT) domain that may perform the macrocyclization reaction. To probe the role of such a CT domain, we reconstituted the activities of the Penicillium aethiopicum trimodular NPRS TqaA in Saccharomyces cerevisiae and in vitro. Together with a reconstituted bimodular NRPS AnaPS, we dissected the cyclization steps of TqaA in transforming the linear anthranilate-D-tryptophan-L-alanyl tripeptide into fumiquinazoline F. Extensive biochemical and mutational studies confirmed the essential role of the CT domain in catalyzing cyclization in a thiolation domain-dependent fashion. Our work provided evidence of a likely universal macrocyclization strategy employed by fungal NRPSs.
Trade Politics and Native Polities in Iroquoia and Asante

The expansion of Western influence during and after the fifteenth century was a pervasive phenomenon. European seamen, traders, and settlers set off one of the most widespread and complex processes of cultural contact and transfer in human history. Students of acculturation are thus presented with a unique opportunity for controlled observation, that of keeping one variable-the culture of Western Europe-relatively constant while allowing others to range widely. European traders carried much the same cultural baggage, material and conceptual, whether they travelled to the Americas, Asia, or the East Indies, but the cultures they encountered and with which they interacted covered a wide spectrum of human conditions. The traders were among the earliest groups to participate in these contacts between cultures, often initiating them. The goods they brought served both as means of communication and of coercion. European goods could be eminently acceptable and unsuspectedly addicting. Reaction to the influx of exotic items brought change not only in the material culture of the recipients, but also in their technology, social structure, and ideology, until in many cases the entire way of life was altered beyond recall. Nor was any group ever solely affected, for its relations with its neighbors reflected its transition. In numerous instances, local politics became heavily involved with the politics of trade, concerned no longer merely with the single region but drawn into a
Identification of contaminant sources in enclosed environments by inverse CFD modeling

In case contaminants are found in enclosed environments such as aircraft cabins or buildings, it is useful to find the contaminant sources. One method to locate contaminant sources is by inverse computational fluid dynamics (CFD) modeling. Since the inverse CFD modeling is ill-posed, this paper has proposed to solve a quasi-reversibility (QR) equation for contaminant transport. The equation improves the numerical stability by replacing the second-order diffusion term with a fourth-order stabilization term in the governing equation of contaminant transport. In addition, a numerical scheme for solving the QR equation in unstructured meshes has been developed. This paper demonstrates how to use the inverse CFD model with the QR equation and numerical scheme to identify gaseous contaminant sources in a two-dimensional aircraft cabin and in a three-dimensional office. The inverse CFD model could identify the contaminant source locations but not very accurate contaminant source strength due to the dispersive property of the QR equation. The results also show that this method works better for convection dominant flows than the flows that convection is not so important.
The Politics of Poverty Deconcentration and Housing Demolition

Concentrated poverty is the organizing framework for much housing policy at the federal and local levels. This article examines the effect of concentrated poverty on the politics of housing and com...
Heat-sink temperature distribution of the annular solid-state microwave diode

It is shown that the heat-sink thermal conductance for an annular diode is more than twice that of a circular diode with equal area. Moreover, the annular diode radial temperature distribution at the diode/heat-sink interface is found to be considerably more uniform.
Ear Temperature Measurements in Healthy Children Using the Arterial Heat Balance Method

This study was undertaken to determine the upper limit of normal ear temperatures, defined as the 95th percentile for infants, children, and adolescents, using the arterial heat balance method for measuring ear temperatures. Ear temperatures were measured in 62 infants, 0-2 months of age; 346 children, 3-47 months; 226 children, 48-119 months; and 172 adolescents, 120-227 months using the Ligh Touch Pedi-Q (Exergen Corp, Watertown, MA) ear thermometer. The 95th percentiles for the four age groups were 100.1°F (37.8°C), 100.3°F (37.9°C), 99.8°F (37.7°C), and 99.8°F (37.7°C), respectively. Temperatures above 100.0°F (37.8°C) using the Ligh Touch Pedi-Q ear thermometer should be considered elevated.
Dividend Payouts and Corporate Governance Quality: An Empirical Investigation

Motivated by agency theory, we investigate how a firm's overall quality of corporate governance affects its dividend policy. Using a large sample of firms with governance data from The Institutional Shareholder Services, we find that firms with stronger governance exhibit a higher propensity to pay dividends, and, similarly, dividend payers tend to pay larger dividends. The results are consistent with the notion that shareholders of firms with better governance quality are able to force managers to disgorge more cash through dividends, thereby reducing what is left for expropriation by opportunistic managers. We employ the two-stage least squares approach to cope with possible endogeneity and still obtain consistent results. Our results are important as they show that corporate governance quality does have a palpable impact on critical corporate decisions such as dividend policy.
Widely-Tunable Nanostructured Leaky-Mode Resonant Pixels for the Visible Spectral Region

A tunable leaky-mode reflection device operating in the visible region is introduced. This element demonstrates ~100 nm tuning range with potential uses in tunable compact pixel structures for display systems.
Surgical reconstruction of cloacal malformation can alter bladder function: a comparative study with anorectal anomalies.

ABSTRACTPurpose: Patients with cloacal anomalies often suffer bladder dysfunction with recurrent urinary infections and incontinence. We examined the effect of surgical reconstruction by posterior sagittal approach and total urogenital mobilization in either causing or worsening bladder dysfunction.Materials and Methods: Between August 2000 and December 2002 all new patients with cloacal anomalies were prospectively studied to assess the effect of surgical reconstruction by posterior sagittal approach and total urogenital mobilization on bladder function. A comparable group of patients with anorectal malformation (ARM) were studied as comparative controls to assess the effect of posterior sagittal approach without urogenital surgery. Structural anatomy was defined by radiology. Natural filling urodynamics via suprapubic catheter were performed in all infants at 0.2 to 9 months (mean 3) before surgical reconstruction. This assessment was repeated 6 to 24 months (mean 14.8) after surgery, and changes in bla...
The jury and the law of evidence: real and imagined interconnections

Among both legal practitioners and legal scholars, the view prevails that Anglo-American rules of evidence should be relaxed in trials where judges sit alone. The most frequently invoked reason for this view is that Anglo-American rules of evidence are called forth because of the cognitive weaknesses of lay adjudicators. Professional judges are supposed to be free of these weaknesses so that in juryless trials, much of the law of evidence loses its raison d'etre. However, since modern research has shown that professional and amateur adjudicators are both prone to over- or underestimate certain classes of information, the view has emerged that a uniform evidentiary regime is mandated for both lay and professional adjudicators. Both classes of adjudicators should be bound by strict rules of evidence. The article questions the wisdom of the uniform fact-finding regime. The main reason for scepticism is the difference in the institutional context of jury and juryless trials. When judges sit without the jury, they must decide not only on the admissibility of evidence but also on the ultimate disposition of the case. Thus, if an inadmissible item of information appears to them as persuasive, they are expected to switch to a third person's viewpoint and attempt to arrive at a decision by hypothesizing what outcome another adjudicator would reach who was uncontaminated by the forbidden information. In the author's opinion, the demand for such an impersonal mode of decision making is on several grounds undesirable. The author is also critical of the view that juryless systems failed to develop a comprehensive law of evidence. He argues that there are many sources of complex evidentiary arrangements, besides those related to lay participation in the administration of justice. As far as the European continent is concerned, this is best exemplified by the juryless Roman-canon procedure of the ancien regime, which developed a very comprehensive law of proof. Moreover, contrary to what is often believed by lawyers in the common law world, even contemporary continental procedures, dominated by professional judges, tend to generate a lot of evidence law although this law is for several reasons not clear in view of outside observers.
The Uses of Psychiatry in the War on Terror

This article examines contestations over psychiatric knowledge during the legal proceedings of Guantanamo detainees. First, the US government's use of mental health professionals to introduce reconfigured definitions of torture is probed. Next, the government's concerns around ascertaining competency to stand trial is reviewed. The article then examines debates over the appropriateness of the death penalty in the cases of five Guantanamo detainees, all suspected of masterminding the 9/11 attacks. The article concludes by exploring how critical anthropology can help elucidate the state's exercise of power over people and their bodies (“biopower”) – an exercise governed in part by legal institutions. Throughout the article, psychiatry is viewed as a discourse that bridges US medical and legal understandings of the body while recognizing that conceptions of the body, life, and death that vary across cultures.
Cloning and characterization of putative P-glycoprotein (P-GP) splice variants from human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCS)

P-gp is a xenobiotic efflux transporter encoded by MDR1 that plays an important role in drug absorption and distribution. The 170 kDa protein is expressed in excretory and protective tissues, such as the liver, gut, and blood-brain barrier. P-gp in PBMCs is assumed to be identical to P-gp in other tissues, and is therefore used as an easily accessible marker for P-gp phenotype. Recent studies have shown immunoreactive differences between classic P-gp and P-gp in PBMCs. Western blots probed with P-gp antibodies have demonstrated the absence of the classic 170 kDa P-gp in PBMC lysates. However, an 80 kDa protein is detected with the C494 antibody. The aim of this study was to clone and characterize putative MDR1 splice variants from human PBMCs that could account for the 80kDa immunoreactive protein. Ten splice variants were isolated, four of which were half the size of full length MDR1 mRNA. Secondary structure analyses identified three transcripts predicted to encode six transmembrane domains and a single nucleotide binding domain that includes the Walker A, Walker B, and signature motifs conserved within the ABC family of transporters. Studies are ongoing to test the hypothesis that the proteins encoded by MDR1 splice variants may form homodimers that function similarly to classic P-gp. The contribution of these “mini P-gps” to PBMC transport function is of interest since they are detected in all samples analyzed to date. Clinical Pharmacology & Therapeutics (2004) 75, P52–P52; doi: 10.1016/j.clpt.2003.11.196
Alternative Formulations for Optimization-Based Human Gait Planning

*† ‡ § Simulating human motion is a complex problem due to redundancy of the human musculoskeletal system. The concept of task-based dynamic motion prediction using singleor multi-objective optimization techniques provides a viable approach for predicting dynamic gait motions of digital humans, subjected to basic physical and kinematical constraints. The task-based motion prediction is in fact a numerical optimal control problem. Alternative formulations for simulation of human gait motion are possible and can be solved by modern nonlinear optimization methods. Different ways to discretize the equations of motion are presented, namely finite difference, and Hermite and B-spline interpolations. The advantages and disadvantages of different formulations are discussed. Since the human gait simulation utilizes gradient-based optimization techniques, analytical gradients of objective and constraint functions are provided. A skeletal model for the lower body having 18 degrees of freedom is used to demonstrate the formulations, and is solved by a large-scale sparse nonlinear programming solver.
A High-Performance Event Service for HPC Applications

Event services based on publish-subscribe architectures are well established components of distributed computing applications. Recently, an event service has been proposed as part of the common component architecture (CCA) for high-performance computing applications. In this paper we describe our experiences investigating implementation options for the CCA event service that exploit interprocess communications mechanisms commonly used on HPC platforms. The aim of our work is to create an event service that supports the well-known software engineering advantages of publish-subscribe architectures, and provides performance levels approaching those achievable using more primitive message-passing mechanisms such as MPI.
California's Rangeland Water Quality Management Plan: An Update

In late 1989, California’s Range Management Advisory Committee, made up of livestock industry and public members, identifi ed water quality as a priority issue. In 1990, California’s range livestock industry began to develop a program of voluntary compliance with the Federal Clean Water Act, federal and state coastal zone regulations, and California’s Porter-Cologne Act, which provides for regulation of water quality by the State Water Resources Control Board (SWRCB) and nine Regional Water Quality Control Boards.1 This livestock industry initiative led to development of the California Rangeland Water Quality Management Plan (CRWQMP) for nonfederal rangelands, which was approved by the SWRCB in 1995.2 The objectives of the CRWQMP were to conduct management activities that would prevent sediment, nutrients, pathogens, and water temperature from exceeding prescribed standards established by California’s Regional Water Quality Control Boards (RWQCB). The CRWQMP proposed that nonfederal rangeland owners and managers voluntarily develop a management strategy at the ranch and watershed level that would 1) determine impairment to benefi cial uses of water bodies in the ranch’s watershed and 2) assess the causes of impairments. The CRWQMP, developed in collaboration with regulatory agencies, state advisory committees, private consultants, the US Department of Agriculture Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), and University of California Cooperative Extension (UCCE), provided for development and implementation of ranch water quality plans that address these two objectives on a voluntary basis.
Luminal and basolateral surface membranes of secretory acinar cells: electrophysiological comparison of cationic sensitivities

Cation sensitivities (K+, Na+, and Ca2+) of luminal and basolateral membrane surfaces of secretory acinar cells were compared using a luminally perfused and externally superfused salivary gland from the aquatic snail, Helisoma trivolvis. Tight junctions delimiting the two membrane surfaces were observed near the acinar lumen suggesting that the total membrane area exposed to the superfusion solution exceeded that in contact with the luminal perfusion solution. The resting membrane potential of acinar cells was found to be dependent upon the K+ concentration in both the external superfusion and the luminal perfusion solutions. Unilateral K+ elevation at either membrane surface produced a rapid and sustained depolarization of the acinar cell. For a given K+ concentration, the level of depolarization produced by K+ elevation at the basolateral surface was significantly higher than at the luminal surface. The highest level of membrane depolarization was observed following simultaneous K+ elevation at both membrane surfaces. The ability of acinar cells to generate overshooting action potentials in response to electrical field stimulation was dependent upon both Na+ and Ca2+. Complete blockade invariably occurred following bilateral removal of either cation. The effects of unilateral removal of either Na+ or Ca2+ proved to be somewhat variable. In general, unilateral removal of Na+ was more effective in reducing the regenerative response than Ca2+ while removal of either cation from the basolateral surface was more effective in reducing the regenerative response than its removal from the luminal surface. Electrically evoked action potentials in acinar cells could also be blocked with unilateral application of the Ca2+ antagonist, cadmium (Cd2+), at either membrane surface. However, higher Cd2+ concentrations were required to achieve complete blockade when applied to the luminal than to the basolateral gland surface. This result fails to support a hypothesis of voltage-sensitive Ca2+ channels being spatially restricted to the luminal cell surface in this preparation.
Response to Historical Perspective A Developmental Language Perspective

The strength of Richardson's historical perspective of dyslexia is that it illuminates some historical antecedents of dyslexia that may be unfamiliar to readers. Its weakness is that it fails to address the definitional issues associated with dyslexia. These issues are addressed in the present article. A definition of dyslexia is offered that considers the nature of the processing limitation that underlies the disorder as well as the developmental changes that occur in the manifestation of the disorder.
Akt/Protein Kinase B Inhibits Cell Death by Preventing the Release of Cytochrome c from Mitochondria

Growth factors signaling through the phosphoinositide 3-kinase/Akt pathway promote cell survival. The mechanism by which the serine/threonine kinase Akt prevents cell death remains unclear. We have previously shown that Akt inhibits the activity of DEVD-targeted caspases without changing the steady-state levels of Bcl-2 and Bcl-x(L). Here we show that Akt inhibits apoptosis and the processing of procaspases to their active forms by delaying mitochondrial changes in a caspase-independent manner. Akt activation is sufficient to inhibit the release of cytochrome c from mitochondria and the alterations in the inner mitochondrial membrane potential. However, Akt cannot inhibit apoptosis induced by microinjection of cytochrome c. We also demonstrated that Akt inhibits apoptosis and cytochrome c release induced by several proapoptotic Bcl-2 family members. Taken together, our results show that Akt promotes cell survival by intervening in the apoptosis cascade before cytochrome c release and caspase activation via a mechanism that is distinct from Bad phosphorylation.
Effect of Root Extracts of Mexican Marigold, Tagetes minuta (Asterales: Asteraceae), on Six Nontarget Aquatic Macroinvertebrates

Abstract Water-soluble root extracts of the Mexican marigold, Tagetes minuta L., composed mainly of the compounds alpha-gurjunene, 5-(But-3-ene-1-inyl)-2,2′-bithiophene, palmitic acid, alpha-terthienyl, and 5-(4-Acetoxy-1-butenyl)-2,2′-bithiophene, were assessed to determine their impact on six species of nontarget aquatic invertebrates. Test organisms were collected from a polluted stream—Gammarus lacustris Sars (Amphipoda)—as well as from a local nearly pristine stream—Lepidostoma pluviale (Milne) (Trichoptera), Drunella grandis (McDunnough) (Ephemeroptera), Baetis tricaudatis (Dodds) (Ephemeroptera), Rhithrogena morrisoni (Banks) (Ephemeroptera) and Hydropsyche cockerelli (Banks) (Trichoptera). Root extract of T. minuta, formulated with a commercial combination of petroleum solvents and surfactants, caused mortality to some of the organisms tested. Some mortality was attributable to presence of the inert, surfactant/petroleum-based solvent. For example, with L. pluviale, the LT50 for 4 ppm marigold roo...
Brief unstructured interaction with a dog reduces distress.

ABSTRACTIn 2013, 11% of the US population experienced serious psychological distress. This problem of psychological distress is exacerbated in colleges and universities, where more than half of students report experiencing moderate to severe depression. In spite of the prevalence of this psychological distress, the vast majority of these students do not receive treatment. To address the problem of psychological distress among students, many universities have instituted animal visitation programs (AVPs). These popular programs provide opportunities for participants to interact with animals (usually dogs), with the goal of alleviating distress. However, empirical evidence for the effectiveness of these programs is lacking. We therefore conducted a randomized controlled trial to evaluate the influence of a single, brief interaction with a dog on the subjective experience of anxiety and mood in a sample of students and medical residents (n=67). We compared the impact of interactions with a dog to the effects ...
Minimum energy consumption for rate monotonic scheduled tasks

Limited battery power is a typical constraint in stand-alone embedded systems. One way to extend the battery lifetime is by reducing CPU power consumption. Because of the quadratic relationship between power consumption in CMOS circuits and CPU voltage, power reduction can be obtained by scaling down supply voltage, or dynamic voltage scaling. However, reducing supply voltage slows down CPU speed since supply voltage has a proportional relationship with CPU frequency. On the other hand, in any real-time embedded environment (especially hard real-time), timing constraints are critical. In this paper, we focus on dynamic energy reduction of tasks scheduled by rate monotonic (RM) algorithm in a hard real-time embedded environment. The RM algorithm preemptively schedules any set of periodic tasks by assigning higher priorities to frequent tasks. For any periodic task set that satisfies the CPU utilization bound, we determine the provably optimal scaling of the worst-case execution time of each task that consumes minimum dynamic energy while satisfying the utilization bound. As RM algorithm is widely used, we expect this work can lead to better energy reduction management and expectations.
TPP1 Blocks an ATR-Mediated Resection Mechanism at Telomeres

The regulation of 5' end resection at DSBs and telomeres prevents genome instability. DSB resection is positively and negatively regulated by ATM signaling through CtIP/MRN and 53BP1-bound Rif1, respectively. Similarly, telomeres lacking TRF2 undergo ATM-controlled CtIP-dependent hyper-resection when the repression by 53BP1/Rif1 is alleviated. However, telomere resection in the absence of 53BP1/Rif1 is more extensive upon complete removal of shelterin, indicating additional protection against resection by shelterin. Here we show that TPP1 and POT1a/b in shelterin block a resection pathway distinct from that repressed by TRF2. This second pathway is regulated by ATR signaling, involves Exo1 and BLM, and is inhibited by 53BP1/Rif1. Thus, mammalian cells have two distinct 5' end-resection pathways that are regulated by DNA damage signaling, in part through Rif1-mediated inhibition. The data show that telomeres are protected from hyper-resection through the repression of the ATM and ATR kinases by TRF2 and TPP1-bound POT1a/b, respectively.
Rocking the Rank and File: Gender Issues and Community Policing

Paramilitary “masculine” police organizations are often viewed as a site for socially constructed gendered action. Policing emphasizes gendered divisions of labor and the construction of different police images for male and female officers. The female voice of justice, however, stresses the values of care, connection, and relational concerns. Similar values have been used to characterize recent police reforms that adopt a more community-oriented role for police. This conceptual article explores the contradictions inherent in the conflict between traditional policing styles and beliefs and alternative policing strategies, such as community policing. Also discussed are the strategies used in community policing to personalize law enforcement and the implications for these alternative philosophies and practices in light of gendered action.
"Institutional Shifts, Scientific Professionals, and the Direction of Technical Activity"

With increasing R&D linkages across organizational and institutional boundaries (Powell and Grodal 20013), understanding communities of scientific professionals and what drives the direction of tec...
Does lower systemic temperature enhance cardioplegic myocardial protection

This study was performed to determine if systemic temperature affects the rate of cooling and rewarming of the myocardium between infusions of cold potassium cardioplegic solution and if it alters the degree of myocardial protection. Twenty-one dogs underwent cardiopulmonary bypass and 3 hours of ischemic arrest produced by infusing 0 degrees to 4 degrees C potassium cardioplegic solution every 20 minutes. The animals were perfused at different systemic temperatures--Group A, 23 degrees C; Group B, 30 degrees, C; and Group C, 37 degrees C. Myocardial temperature decreased to 11 degrees C in Groups A and B as compared with 13 degrees C in Group C immediately after infusion of the potassium cardioplegic solution (p < 0.0007). Myocardial temperature increased to 19 degrees, 21 degrees, and 26 degrees C in Groups A, B, and C (p < 0.000005) 20 minutes after infusion. Myocardial adenosine triphosphate (ATP) concentration significantly decreased, from 6.69 to 3.56 mumoles/gm (p < 0.0003) in Group B and from 4.99 to 2.80 (p < 0.005) in Group C at the end of 3 hours of cardioplegic arrest. Myocardial glycogen levels also significantly decreased, from 1.156 to 446 mg% (p < 0.003) in Group B and from 811 to 439 mg% (p < 0.04) in Group C. Myocardial ATP and glycogen did not decrease significantly in Group A during the period of arrest. Myocardial lactate values increased more in Groups B and C during the arrest period than in Group A. 12.6 versus 6.5 mumoles/gm (p < 0.03). Moderate systemic hypothermia, therefore, appears to enhance the myocardial protection of potassium cardioplegia.
Application of Geometrical Acoustics to Propagation of High Frequency Jet Noise

High frequency geometrical acoustics based on ray-tracing methods is used to compute the spherical directivity of noise radiated from a convecting quadrupole source. The source is placed at an arbitrary position within a spreading jet. The propagation equations are solved in their general form in a rectangular coordinate system. The directivity pattern for an observer in the far field is obtained by applying an iteration scheme that finds the particular ray that connects the source point to the observer. Factors influencing the zone of silence are discussed. The formation of caustic as a result of reduction in ray tube area and the exact location where it appears is demonstrated. Finally the noise directivity due to a ring source convecting along an axisymmetric jet is obtained by a simple integration on the azimuthal directivity of compact quadrupole sources distributed on the ring.
Script as a Factor in Translation

Translators usually pay little or no heed to the script embodying the meaning of a text, yet at times the script itself makes a significant contribution to a text’s meaning, aesthetics or ideology, for instance. In such cases translators need to consider the writer’s orthographical choices, as well as if and how these can or should be reflected in the target text. This presents particular challenges when the two languages use different scripts. With its four scripts, Japanese offers an emblematic instance of the role of script in writing and translation. Focusing on this striking case can raise awareness of instances where script plays a role even in alphabetic languages, although to a lesser degree, and it also suggests some techniques that can be used for handling script issues in translation.
Untangling the maze of pedagogical strategies for introductory programming: panel discussion

Many Computer Science Departments are continually searching for the ideal way to introduce programming to novices: C++, Java, Python, Alice, Greenfoot, BlueJ, objects first, objects last, objects never, and so on. By varying the language and the approach, faculty seek the right combination to teach problem solving skills using techniques that capture the students' attention, form the basis for future instruction and encourage continuation in the major. The purpose of this panel will be to explore strategies that have been implemented at three institutions in introductory programming courses. Panelists will discuss the pros/cons of different techniques, offer their advice and assessment of the techniques, and present a comparison of the different strategies. Panelists will encourage participation from the audience, thus providing a forum for sharing ideas and experiences in introductory programming.
Activity-Regulated Genes and Synaptic Plasticity

During development, neuronal activity sculpts maturing brain circuits. Synapses and arbors are dynamically refined through an activity-dependent process of synaptic weakening and subsequent pruning, as well as synaptic strengthening and stabilization. Intracellular signaling pathways mediate between neuronal activity and structural remodeling by integrating input activity and initiating transcription of activity-regulated genes. Activity-regulated gene products then utilize multiple mechanisms to modulate synaptic strength, number, and arbor morphology.