cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Cereal fibres and colorectal cancer: a search for mechanisms

The relationship between fibre intake and risk of colorectal cancer has occupied the attention of scientists and physicians for more than two decades. No satisfying, generalized mechanism for the observed effects has yet been formulated, which is not surprising, since fibre is only one component of a varied diet. Currently, the effects of the short-chain fatty acids offer the most interesting and plausible leads.
The value of the college degree for older women graduates

A survey examining the economic benefits of returning to college for older women was conducted in 1986 at the College of Public and Community Service at UMass/Boston, a competency based educational institution for poor and working class adults. The results of the survey show that, while monetary returns are quite limited, the college degree has given older women access to professional and managerial positions. The vast majority of the women believe that the acquisition of the college degree greatly improved their economic opportunities.
The relation between physician-diagnosed sinusitis, asthma, and skin test reactivity to allergens in 8-year-old children.

The purpose of this study was to assess the prevalence of sinusitis in a nonselected sample of children, and the relation of sinusitis to allergic rhinitis (AR), atopy, asthma, and cough in the same population sample. Of 1246 children enrolled at birth in the Tucson Children's Respiratory Study, 835 were studied at a mean age ± SD of 8.6 ± 0.7 years. Questionnaires asking about MD-Sinusitis, MD-AR, MD-Asthma, and cough were completed by parents. Skin tests for seven common aeroallergens in the Tucson area had been performed in 630 of the participating children at the mean age ± SD of 6.3 ± 0.9 years. Prevalence of MD-Sinusitis was 13.1%; 78% of subjects with MD-Sinusitis also had MD-AR. Detailed analysis of the relation between MD-Sinusitis and individual environmental allergens tested for showed that only a response to Bermuda grass pollen was significantly associated with MD-Sinusitis after controlling for MD-AR [adjusted odds ratio 2.3 (95% Cl 1.2–4.3)]. Having MD-Sinusitis was also significantly associated with MD-Asthma and cough [odds ratios 3.0 (95% Cl 1.8–5.2)] and 2.5 (95% Cl 1.6–3.8), [respectively]. However, logistic regression demonstrated that, after controlling for MD-AR and skin test reactivity, MD-Sinusitis was no longer significantly associated with MD-Asthma or cough. We conclude that MD-Sinusitis is a common condition in childhood. The main independent risk factors in our community for MD-Sinusitis were grass pollen and current MD-AR. MD-Sinusitis was not associated with MD-Asthma or with cough after controlling for skin test reactivity and for MD-AR. Pediatr Pulmonol. 1996; 22:141–146. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
The impact of bone loss in women with endometriosis

Low peak adult bone mass in a premenopausal woman puts her at increased risk for osteoporosis postmenopausally. Episodes of hypo-estrogenism premenopausally are associated with loss of bone density. This is seen with gonadotropin-releasing hormone agonist therapy for endometriosis, and thus prolonged or repeated courses of such treatment may increase the future risk of osteoporosis. Danazol and related compounds do not result in any bone loss but may have certain metabolic disadvantages.
Specific Binding of Poly(ADP-ribose) Polymerase-1 to Cruciform Hairpins

Poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-1 (PARP-1) participates in DNA cleavage and rejoining-dependent reactions, such as DNA replication, recombination and repair. PARP-1 is also important in transcriptional regulation, although the determinants for its binding to undamaged genomic DNA have not been defined. Previously, we have shown by low-resolution mapping that PARP-1 may bind to the cruciform-forming regions of its own promoter. Here, using DNase I and nuclease P 1 footprinting and atomic force microscopy, we show that PARP-1 binds to stem/loop boundaries of cruciform hairpins. Cleavage of the cruciform by the junction resolvase T4 endonuclease VII is independent of PARP-1, which indicates that PARP-1 does not bind to the four-arm junctions of the cruciform. Thus, PARP-1 differs from other cruciform-binding proteins by binding to hairpin tips rather than to junctions. Furthermore, our data indicate that PARP-1 can interact with the gene regulatory sequences by binding to the promoter-localized cruciforms.
List Ranking and Graph Algorithms on the Reconfigurable Multiple Bus Machine

The Reconfigurable Multiple Bus Machine (RMBM) is a model of parallel computation based on reconfigurable buses. We present constant time algorithms for list ranking, integer sorting and a number of fundamental graph problems on the RMBM. The algorithms are more efficient in terms of processors than the corresponding PARBS algorithms. The algorithms demonstrate some of the potential for computation available in the ability to manipulate communication paths as a vital part of computation.
Clinical Pharmacology of Estrogens: Cardiovascular Actions and Cardioprotective Benefits of Replacement Therapy in Postmenopausal Women

The use of estrogens in postmenopausal women has been the subject of much controversy regarding hormone formulation, dosage, use in combination with progestins, duration of treatment, and contraindications. Estrogens have been prescribed to relieve menopausal symptoms for more than three decades. The hormones reduce the gynecologic and psychologic changes associated with menopause while inhibiting bone resorption and possibly reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease. Their use however has been complicated by an increased risk of endometrial cancer and possibly breast cancer. The use of estrogens as cardioprotective agents is discussed and the clinical experiences and the possible mechanisms of action are reviewed. The clinical pharmacology of estrogens and the various formulations that are available as monotherapy or in combination with progestins will also be reviewed.
A sensitive assay for the reverse reaction of the first histidine biosynthetic enzyme

Abstract A method capable of specifically detecting low levels of adenosine triphosphate phosphoribosyltransferase (EC 2.4.2.17) is given. It is based on conversion of the usual product of the enzyme, N 1 -(5′-phospho- d -ribosyl)adenosine triphosphate to ATP, which is detected by luciferase luminescence utilizing a liquid scintillation spectrophotometer. The assay is linear in enzyme concentration down to a lower limit of at least 55 pg enzyme/0.2 ml.
Fast strain rates during pluton emplacement: Magmatically folded leucocratic dikes in aureoles of the Mount Stuart Batholith, Washington, and the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite, California

Finite strain analysis and thermal modeling of magmatically folded leucocratic dikes in the Mount Stuart Batholith, Washington and the Tuolumne Intrusive Suite, California, yield strain rates in the range of 10 - 2 to 10 - 1 3 s - 1 . Compared to published regional strain rates (10 - 1 3 to 10 - 1 5 s - 1 ), wall-rock strain rates associated with dike-fed expansion (10 - 7 s - 1 ), and rates resulting from numerical modeling of crystal-plastic creep in aureoles (10 - 1 1 s - 1 ), our fast rates are several orders of magnitude higher. Field and microstructural observations suggest that multiple material transfer processes, including rigid rotation, ductile flow, cracking, and potentially melt-assisted granular flow operated in the aureoles to accommodate emplacement of these two plutons. Calculated durations of pluton construction and bulk shortening in the aureoles indicate that aureole deformation requires only slow, long-term strain rates of 10 - 1 4 s - 1 . Thus our local fast strain rates indicate that aureoles may be characterized by pulsating high strain rate surges. We suggest that magmatically folded dikes in these and other pluton aureoles around the world may be used as evidence for fast host rock strain rates during pluton emplacement.
Constitutive behavior and crack tip fields for materials undergoing creep-constrained grain boundary cavitation

Abstract Based on micro-mechanical considerations, a phenomenological constitutive law is proposed for the steady creep of polycrystalline materials undergoing creep-constrained grain boundary cavitation. Singular stress and strain-rate fields at the tip of a stationary, plane strain crack are obtained revealing the role of cavitation on near-tip behavior.
Measurement of Residual Stresses Around a Circular Patch Weld Using Barkhausen Noise

Welding is a common means of joining and repairing steel structures. In the case of steel tanks, circular patch welds are often used for repairing the structure after removal of a defective area. Unfortunately, the welding process also produces residual stresses which, if not relieved, can impair the integrity of the structure. Measurement of residual stresses produced by welding is needed, for example, to verify the effectiveness of a stress relief heat treatment which is typically used to remove weld-induced stresses.
Berne's adenosine hypothesis of coronary blood flow control

This essay looks at the historical significance of an APS classic paper that is freely available online: Berne RM. Cardiac nucleotides in hypoxia: possible role in regulation of coronary blood flow...
Changing Times in Surgical Management of Bronchopulmonary Carcinoid Tumor

Abstract The bronchopulmonary carcinoid tumor occurs at all levels from trachea to lung periphery. It should be managed by conservatism in airway or lung resection. The long-term survival is excellent: 82% at 10 years in this series of 111 resected patients. The atypical carcinoid tumor (10% of this series) has a more ominous prognosis and requires special surgical attention. Six conceptual changes in the evolution of management of the tumor are presented (the "changing times").
Evaluating the impact of an electronic business system in a complex organizational setting: the case of Central Contractor Registration

Abstract This article describes an evaluation of how an electronic business (eBusiness) system affected the Defense Logistics Agency of the Department of Defense. It is a ‘deep dive’ into the details of one of three similar evaluations that were conducted. A case study approach is used to convey a sense of the interplay among the formal elements of evaluation (e.g. schedules, feedback), and the reality of evaluating organizational consequences of eBusiness systems in complex organizations. The article contains collective lessons learned which emerged from each of the three efforts, and shows how those lessons were applied to a specific eBusiness system.
Responsibility center management and the university library

Responsibility center management (RCM) is a new fiscal management system which has been introduced at several American universities. It seeks to link academic responsibility and budgetary authority and to promote innovation, entrepreneurship, and cost containment. Describes the implementation of RCM at Indiana University with a focus on the impact on and role of academic support units such as the library.
Human pancreatic islet isolation: Part II: purification and culture of human islets.

Management of Type 1 diabetes is burdensome, both to the individual and society, costing over 100 billion dollars annually. Despite the widespread use of glucose monitoring and new insulin formulations, many individuals still develop devastating secondary complications. Pancreatic islet transplantation can restore near normal glucose control in diabetic patients 1, without the risk of serious hypoglycemic episodes that are associated with intensive insulin therapy. Providing sufficient islet mass is important for successful islet transplantation. However, donor characteristics, organ procurement and preservation affect the isolation outcome 2. At University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) we developed a successful isolation protocol with an improved purification gradient 3. The program started in January 2004 and more than 300 isolations were performed up to November 2008. The pancreata were sent in cold preservation solutions (UW, University of Wisconsin or HTK, Histidine-Tryptophan Ketoglutarate) 4-7 to the Cell Isolation Laboratory at UIC for islet isolation. Pancreatic islets were isolated using the UIC method, which is a modified version of the method originally described by Ricordi et al 8. As described in Part I: Digestion and Collection of Pancreatic Tissue, human pancreas was trimmed, cannulated, perfused, and digested. After collection and at least 30 minutes of incubation in UW solution, the tissue was loaded in the cell separator (COBE 2991, Cobe, Lakewood, CO) for purification 3. Following purification, islet yield (expressed as islet equivalents, IEQ), tissue volume, and purity was determined according to standard methods 9. Isolated islets were cultured in CMRL-1066 media (Mediatech, Herndon, VA), supplemented with 1.5% human albumin, 0.1% insulin-transferrin-selenium (ITS), 1 ml of Ciprofloxacin, 5 ml o f 1M HEPES, and 14.5 ml of 7.5% Sodium Bicarbonate in T175 flasks at 37°C overnight culture before islets were transplanted or used for research.
Geographic and bathymetric patterns of mitochondrial 16S rRNA sequence divergence among deep-sea amphipods, Eurythenes gryllus

The physical uniformity of the deep sea suggests a lack of absolute barriers to faunal dispersal, and thus genetic homogeneity in broadly distributed species is expected. The deep-sea amphipod Eurythenes gryllus Lichtenstein (Crustacea: Lysianassoidea) is considered a panoceanic, cold-water stenotherm, with a vertical depth distribution from 184 to 6500 m. We surveyed mtDNA sequence diversity in E. gryllus to assess genetic diversity and population structure in different oceans and across traditionally defined bathyal and abyssal zones. DNA sequences (437 nucleotides length) from the mitochondrial large-subunit ribosomal RNA gene (16S rRNA) of 95 individuals, collected between 1982 and 1990 from 14 locations in the central North Pacific (including multiple samples on the slope of a seamount), castern and western North Atlantic, and the Arctic Ocean, were obtained. Our analysis of DNA sequence diversity indicates (1) genetic homogeneity among sites within the same depth zone at the scale of ocean basins; and (2) genetically divergent, cryptic taxa distributed at different depths, with the greatest diversity in the bathyal zone. These observations suggest that ecological and physical conditions are important isolating mechanisms that may lead to speciation in this group.
RFQ-accelerator-based neutron radiography and tomography system

Transportable accelerator based sources are the only means by which large structures such as aircraft or industrial components can be inspected practically using neutron radiography. Since such sources are generally considerably lower in flux than reactors, the entire system must be designed for high imaging efficiency. We describe an imaging system for accelerator based thermal neutron tomography and radiography based on the use of a radiofrequency quadrupole (RFQ) using a Be target. Fast neutrons, produced through the reaction 9 Be 4 (d,n) 10 B 5 , are moderated with typical thermalized neutron fluence rates of 10 3 to 10 4 n/cm 2 /s, depending on the collimation. The camera system consists of a 1242 by 1152 pixel CCD cooled to -50 degrees C viewing a 20 by 20 cm NE-426 scintillator through an F/0.9 100 mm focal length lends. Our experiments show that neutron statistical noise and not the performance of the CCD system is the dominant limitation in the camera. We have used the system for imaging corrosion in lap joints of KC-135 aircraft and have been able to quantify corrosion within the joint.
Solute embrittlement of SiC

The energies and stresses associated with the decohesion of β-SiC in the presence of mobile Pd and Ag impurities are studied from first principles. Density functional theory calculations are parameterized with a generalized cohesive zone model and are analyzed within a thermodynamic framework that accounts for realistic boundary conditions in the presence of mobile impurities. We find that Pd impurities will embrittle SiC when Pd is in equilibrium with metallic Pd precipitates. Our thermodynamic analysis predicts that Pd embrittles SiC by substantially reducing the maximum stress of decohesion as a result of a phase transition between decohering planes involving an influx of Pd atoms. The methods presented in this work can be applied to study the thermodynamics of decohesion of SiC in other aggressive environments containing oxygen and water, for example, and yield environment dependent cohesive zone models for use in continuum approaches to study crack propagation and fracture.
The hospitalist movement and the future of academic general internal medicine

The field of academic general internal medicine has enjoyed a long and distinguished history of health care, education, and research in the hospital. Increasingly, however, its attention is focused on the outpatient setting. The reasons for this trend correspond roughly to the three legs of the academic stool.1 First, as economic and technological change narrowed the gate to hospitalization over the past decade, we found ourselves caring for more and sicker patients in our outpatient practices. At the same time, many academic medical centers embarked on a strategic path of growing their primary care bases,2 leaving divisions of general internal medicine scurrying to increase their ambulatory clinical capacity. Second, we have recognized that the training of those students and housestaff destined to practice general internal medicine (and many medical specialties) needs to be based primarily on ambulatory care.3 Finally, the research agenda of general internal medicine has increasingly focused on ambulatory disorders and preventive practices long neglected by academia.4 As a result of those forces, many academic divisions of general internal medicine have, to a large extent, changed into divisions of primary care.
Progress and prospects: nuclear import of nonviral vectors.

The nuclear envelope represents a key barrier to successful nonviral transfection and gene therapy both in vitro and in vivo. Although the main purpose of the nuclear envelope is to partition the cell to maintain cytoplasmic components in the cytoplasm and nuclear components, most notably genomic DNA, in the nucleus, this function poses a problem for transfections in which exogenous DNA is delivered into the cytoplasm. After delivery to the cytoplasm, nucleic acids rapidly become complexed with cellular proteins that mediate interactions with the cellular machinery for trafficking. Thus, it is these proteins that, in essence, control the nuclear import of DNA, and we must also understand their activities in cells. In this review, we will discuss the principles of nuclear import of proteins and DNA–protein complexes, as well as the various approaches that investigators have used to improve nuclear targeting of plasmids. These approaches include complexation of plasmids with peptides, native and engineered proteins, ligands and polymers, as well as the inclusion of transcription factor-binding sites for general and cell-specific delivery. Keywords:nonviral gene transfer∣plasmid∣nuclear pore complex∣importin∣nuclear localization signal∣karyopherin.
University of Michigan Project on International Communism

It is surprising, given the recent flourishing of research on individual Commu nist parties and the interest sparked by both the national and international di mensions of Eurocommunism in the 1970s, that we remain so ignorant about the international dimensions of the Communist tradition. This is especially true of the Communist International itself. For a reliable guide to the basic political and organizational history of the Comintern we are still dependent on E.H. Carr's volumes and a handful of more specialized works. This paucity of serious scholarship has partly to do with the difficulties of gaining access to essential sources, because the Comintern archive, where individual Commu nist parties were also supposed to deposit their official Comintern-related documentation, remains closed in Moscow. But research on the various CPs has already turned up an impressive amount of relevant material (either from the parties' own archives, or from private collections, or from government rec ords of surveillance), and it is striking how reluctantly historians have turned from the national back to the international dimensions of Communist history. After a period in the 1950s and 1960s when the cold war and its legacies encouraged a simplistic conspiratorial view of the Comintern as the instrument for imposing Soviet policies on the affiliated CPs, we seem to have gone to an opposite extreme, in which the coherence and constructive contribution of the Comintern has dissolved in the intensive exploration of individual parties' autonomies. Motivated partly by anti-Stalinism, partly by embarrassment over the evidence of Comintern subservience to Soviet foreign policy, particularly after 1928, recent historians have basically conceded the ground to the cold war interpretation and have retreated into the safer refuge of national Com munist party history. The recent emphasis in such research has been on the na tional roots of individual CPs, on the popular legitimacy of their grass-roots
The electrodynamics of torus knots

One of the major drawbacks for application of knot theory to electromagnetics has been the lack of available parameterizations which can be used to mathematically describe knotted curves. This is because knots have traditionally been studies within a topological context where parameterizations for the curves are not generally required. However, in order to successfully characterize the electromagnetic radiation and scattering properties of knots using Maxwell's equations, it is advantageous to develop parameterizations which can be used to geometrically describe the curves of these knots. This paper introduces such parameterizations for a family of knots known as (p,q)-torus knots. These knots reside on the surface of a standard torus, thereby making it possible to readily obtain useful parameterizations to describe them. The well-known trefoil is one important example of a (p,q)-torus knot.
Zinc Finger Targeter (ZiFiT): An Engineered Zinc Finger/Target Site Design Tool

Zinc Finger Targeter (ZiFiT) is a simple and intuitive web-based tool that facilitates the design of zinc finger proteins (ZFPs) that can bind to specific DNA sequences. The current version of ZiFiT is based on a widely employed method of ZFP design, the ‘modular assembly’ approach, in which pre-existing individual zinc fingers are linked together to recognize desired target DNA sequences. Several research groups have described experimentally characterized zinc finger modules that bind many of the 64 possible DNA triplets. ZiFiT leverages the combined capabilities of three of the largest and best characterized module archives by enabling users to select fingers from any of these sets. ZiFiT searches a query DNA sequence for target sites for which a ZFP can be designed using modules available in one or more of the three archives. In addition, ZiFiT output facilitates identification of specific zinc finger modules that are publicly available from the Zinc Finger Consortium. ZiFiT is freely available at http://bindr.gdcb.iastate.edu/ZiFiT/.
A dynamic statistical experiment for atmospheric interactions

Interactions among atmospheric parameters exist at different scales. The pristine approach for observational or model data analysis involves changing the input parameters one at a time (OAT) and studying the effect on the system. Limitations of this approach for atmospheric applications are discussed. A fractional factorial (FF) based study is evolved and a methodology is outlined involving dynamic graphical analysis. Observational data from the FIFE and HAPEX‐MOBILHY experiments are utilized with a vegetation and soil moisture scheme dynamically coupled in a planetary boundary layer model to demonstrate the robustness of this approach. Both low‐resolution and high‐resolution designs are considered. Various aspects of the vegetation‐atmosphere interactions are delineated. Results obtained from the interaction‐based FF approach differ considerably from the earlier OAT‐type studies.
Clinical Experience with Cefamandole for Treatment of Serious Bone and Joint Infections

The safety and efficacy of treatment with cefamandole were evaluated in 30 patients (from 18 institutions) with serious bone and joint infections. Five of the subjects were children. The antibiotic was given intramuscularly or intravenously in doses ranging from 2 to 12 g daily for five to 44 days. Twenty-six of the 30 patients responded satisfactorily. Fourteen of the fifteen infections due to Staphylococcus aureus were among the successful cases. Other pathogens were streptococci, Escherichia coli, Proteus mirabilis, and Bacteroides fragilis. The drug was well tolerated in patients in this series. Studies indicated that cefamandole penetrated the bones and joints. Further investigation of cefmandole in the treatment of bone and joint infections is warranted.
Preservation of the anterior fat pad paradoxically decreases the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation in humans.

Abstract Objectives The goal of this study was to determine if parasympathetic nerves in the anterior fat pad (FP) can be stimulated at the time of coronary artery bypass surgery (CABG), and if dissection of this FP decreases the incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (AF). Background The human anterior epicardial FP contains parasympathetic ganglia and is often dissected during CABG. Changes in parasympathetic tone influence the incidence of AF. Methods Fifty-five patients undergoing CABG were randomized to anterior FP preservation (group A) or dissection (group B). Nerve stimulation was applied to the FP before and after surgery. Sinus cycle length (CL) was measured during stimulation. The incidence of postoperative AF was recorded. Results Of the 55 patients enrolled, 26 patients were randomized to group A, and 29 patients were randomized to group B. In all of the 55 patients, the FP was identified before initiating cardiopulmonary bypass by CL prolongation with stimulation (865.5 ± 147.9 ms vs. 957.9 ± 155.1 ms, baseline vs. stimulation, p Conclusions This is the first study demonstrating that direct stimulation of the human anterior epicardial FP slows sinus CL. This parasympathetic effect is eliminated with FP dissection. Preservation of the human anterior epicardial FP during CABG decreases incidence of postoperative AF.
Heuristics and biases: interactions among numeracy, ability, and reflectiveness predict normative responding.

In Stanovich's (2009a, 2011) dual-process theory, analytic processing occurs in the algorithmic and reflective minds. Thinking dispositions, indexes of reflective mind functioning, are believed to regulate operations at the algorithmic level, indexed by general cognitive ability. General limitations at the algorithmic level impose constraints on, and affect the adequacy of, specific strategies and abilities (e.g., numeracy). In a study of 216 undergraduates, the hypothesis that thinking dispositions and general ability moderate the relationship between numeracy (understanding of mathematical concepts and attention to numerical information) and normative responses on probabilistic heuristics and biases problems was tested. Although all three individual difference measures predicted normative responses, the numeracy-normative response association depended on thinking dispositions and general ability. Specifically, numeracy "directly" affected normative responding only at relatively high levels of thinking dispositions and general ability. At low levels of thinking dispositions, neither general ability nor numeric skills related to normative responses. Discussion focuses on the consistency of these findings with the hypothesis that the implementation of specific skills is constrained by limitations at both the reflective level and the algorithmic level, methodological limitations that prohibit definitive conclusions, and alternative explanations.
Viewing cognitive mechanisms in the context of biology

Cognitive mechanisms are based in organisms’biology, and results from biological studies suggest that there is unlikely to be a single mechanism for reorienting or for combining information across modules or domains. Rather, there are likely to be multiple, partly overlapping systems for accomplishing nearly all cognitive and behavioral goals, as is the case for biological mechanisms more generally.
Miniature Four-Way and Two-Way 24 GHz Wilkinson Power Dividers in 0.13 $\mu$ m CMOS

This letter presents 24 GHz four-way and two-way miniature Wilkinson power dividers (PDs) in a standard CMOS technology. The chip area is significantly reduced using a lumped-element design, and the effective areas of four-way and two-way Wilkinson dividers are 0.33 times 0.33 mm2 and 0.12 times 0.29 mm2, respectively. The four-way Wilkinson divider results in an insertion loss 24.7 dB from 22 to 26 GHz. The two-way Wilkinson divider results in an insertion loss 14.8 dB from 22 to 26 GHz. To the author's knowledge, this is the first demonstration of 24 GHz four-way Wilkinson PD in a standard CMOS technology.
Leveraging a common representation for personalized search and summarization in a medical digital library

Despite the large amount of online medical literature, it can be difficult for clinicians to find relevant information at the point of patient care. In this paper, we present techniques to personalize the results of search, making use of the online patient record as a sophisticated, pre-existing user model. Our work in PERSIVAL, a medical digital library, includes methods for re-ranking the results of search to prioritize those that better match the patient record. It also generates summaries of the re-ranked results which highlight information that is relevant to the patient under the physician's care. We focus on the use of a common representation for the articles returned by search and the patient record which facilitates both the re-ranking and the summarization tasks. This common approach to both tasks has a strong positive effect on the ability to personalize information.
Interchange instability in finite conductivity accelerated plasma arcs

A first-order perturbation expansion of the magnetohydrodynamic equations is used to study the growth of Rayleigh-Taylor or interchange instability in accelerated plasma arcs. The mode equation is fourth order due to the inclusion of finite conductivity. It is solved numerically to yield results that are an improvement over previous work. The growth rates are less than in the infinite conductivity model. As in previous work the growth rates in typical rail launcher situations are large enough to permit full development of the instability. >
Summary of oral abstract session B: innovating to improve care quality.

These abstracts highlight the multidisciplinary nature of the Quality Care Symposium and share common themes such as their emphasis on real-world data and discourse with an aim for quality improvement.
DENNIS TEDLOCK (translator and interpreter), Rabinal Achi: A Mayan drama of war and sacrifice

Dennis Tedlock (translator and interpreter), Rabinal Achi: A Mayan drama of war and sacrifice. New York: Oxford University Press, 2003. vii, 361. Hb $35.00The Rabinal Achi, a colonial text of the K'iche'-speaking Maya of Rabinal, Guatemala, is an unusual document for a number of reasons. For one, it is a lengthy text of a Maya dance drama concerning historical events before the Spanish conquest. The content is almost entirely pre-Hispanic and concerns such themes as courtly elite behavior and the arraignment and execution of a prisoner, the rebellious K'iche' war leader Cawek of the Forest People. For the colonial period, there is no Maya dramatic text of comparable length and complexity. However, as a dance drama, the Rabinal Achi is as much a performance as it is a text. Although early colonial forms must have existed, the earliest known version dates to 1850, the manuscript recorded by Charles Etienne Brasseur de Bourbourg. Brasseur came to Rabinal in 1855, soon after he acquired the famed K'iche' epic Popol Vuh. While temporarily serving as the parish priest in Rabinal, Brasseur learned of the Rabinal Achi drama. Although he did not obtain the manuscript then owned by Bartolo Sis, he was able to transcribe the K'ichean text. In addition, Brasseur helped revive the dramatic performance, which he witnessed in 1856, the first time it had been played in some 30 years. As it turns out, his 1862 publication of the Rabinal Achi in French and the Achi dialect of K'iche' also helped ensure the continuity of the drama in Rabinal, as Brasseur sent a copy of the book to his assistant in Rabinal, Nicolas Lopez. Transcribed versions of the Achi K'iche' text from the Brasseur edition of 1862 have continued to be used by dance masters in Rabinal to this day.
Hedge Fund Crowds and Mispricing

Recent models and the popular press suggest that large groups of hedge funds follow similar strategies resulting in crowded equity positions that destabilize markets. Inconsistent with this assertion, we find that hedge fund equity portfolios are remarkably independent. Moreover, when hedge funds do buy and sell the same stocks, their demand shocks are, on average, positively related to subsequent raw and risk-adjusted returns. Even in periods of extreme market stress, we find no evidence that hedge fund demand shocks are inversely related to subsequent returns. Our results have important implications for the ongoing debate regarding hedge fund regulation.
Wettability, imbibition, and mass change of disinfected low-viscosity impression materials.

Abstract Statement of Problem. There is an ongoing effort by dental manufacturers to create impression materials with improved wetting properties. Disinfection solutions may alter the surface characteristics of these newer materials. Purpose. This study compared wettability, imbibition, and mass change of various recently introduced automixed low-viscosity addition silicone and polyether materials before and after immersion disinfection. Material and Methods. The Wilhelmy technique was used for deriving wetting properties of 5 addition silicone materials (Clinician's Choice Affinity, Clinician's Choice Superhydrophilic [experimental], Kerr's Take One, 3M's Imprint II, and Dentsply's Aquasil LV) and 2 polyether materials (ESPE's Permadyne Garant and Impregum Garant). Conditions included a control with no disinfection (0 hours), as well as½ hour of immersion disinfection in a full-strength solution of 2% acid glutaraldehyde disinfectant (Banicide). Weight changes before and after disinfection and weight loss in air were measured over an 18-hour period to detect imbibition and mass change over time. The data were analyzed with a 1-way analysis of variance at α=0.05, with n=3 for advancing (ACA) and receding (RCA) contact angles and n=2 for imbibition and mass change. Results. Statistical significant differences in wettability ( P Conclusion. Within the limitations of this study, the 2 polyether materials tested exhibited significantly lower ACA's and RCA's compared with the 5 addition silicones tested. Imbibition for the 2 polyether materials was significantly higher ( P
Heart failure with normal systolic function.

Contrary to popular belief, population studies indicate that most elderly patients with heart failure have preserved left ventricular systolic function (i.e., presumed diastolic heart failure). Several normal aging changes may predispose older individuals to diastolic heart failure, including increased hypertrophy and stiffness of the left ventricle, increased vascular stiffness, and decreased cardiovascular reserve. Progress in diastolic heart failure has been hindered by a lack of standard case definition; absence of a readily available, reliable test to quantitate diastolic function; poor understanding of the pathophysiology of heart failure; and lack of data from randomized, controlled, multicenter trials. Typical patients are older women with chronic hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, chronic exercise intolerance, and occasional acute exacerbations (pulmonary edema). Although heart failure is a clinical, bedside diagnosis, echocardiography is helpful in differentiating diastolic from systolic heart failure and in ruling out other disorders. Although optimal pharmacologic therapy has not been clarified, control of blood pressure; exercise conditioning; and a multidisciplinary, case management approach seem beneficial.
Menopause, Age, and Cardiovascular Risk: A Complex Relationship

The incidence and prevalence of coronary heart disease and atherosclerotic diseases in noncoronary beds are higher in post-menopausal than in pre-menopausal women. Whether this higher cardiovascular risk is a function of aging, a consequence of menopause and its associated loss of endogenous
Optimizing energy yields from nutrient recycling using sequential hydrothermal liquefaction with Galdieria sulphuraria

Abstract Hydrothermal liquefaction (HTL) provides a promising option for extracting bio-crude oil from wet algal biomass. One of the byproducts of HTL is an aqueous phase (AP) rich in organic carbon and nutrients. This study evaluated the hypothesis that recycling the AP to the cultivation step could enhance biomass productivity and net energy yield. Since the yields of bio-crude and nutrients post-HTL are functions of HTL reaction temperature, this study evaluated the impact of reaction temperature on net energy yield. Nutrient recycle experiments were conducted with a low-lipid, acidophilic strain, Galdieria sulphuraria, being developed for single-step removal of organic carbon, nitrogen and phosphorus from urban wastewater. G. sulphuraria was cultivated in different dilutions of the AP generated by HTL performed between 180 and 300 °C. Biomass productivity recorded in this study with recycled AP was greater than that in the control by a factor as much as 1.94. Estimates of net energy yields indicate the optimum temperature for the second-stage HTL bio-crude oil extraction from G. sulphuraria to be 280 to 300 °C.
Self-Configuration and Self-Healing in AUTOSAR

State-of-the-art automobiles contain up to 70 microcontrollers. About 35% of all failures are caused by the electronic systems, either hardware or software. Furthermore the stockkeeping of spare parts is a cost intensive issue. On the other hand, microcontrollers evolve so fast that the used microcontrollers cannot be replaced by newer controller generations without any side effects. AUTOSAR [4,5] is a first step to overcome these limitations in the design and maintenance of cars. Based on the AUTOSAR architecture we propose an organic middleware, which adds self-configuration and selfhealing capabilities. We implemented a simulator to evaluate the self-configuration and self-healing and we present the evaluation results for different network sizes and a failure rate of up to 60%. Our results show an excellent performance for the self-configuration in terms of the amount of messages and that the self-healing is able to recover from failures as long as enough resources are available.
Population of 224 realistic human subject-based computational breast phantoms.

Purpose: To create a database of highly realistic and anatomically variable 3D virtual breast phantoms based on dedicated breast computed tomography (bCT) data. Methods: A tissue classification and segmentation algorithm was used to create realistic and detailed 3D computational breast phantoms based on 230 + dedicated bCT datasets from normal human subjects. The breast volume was identified using a coarse three-class fuzzy C-means segmentation algorithm which accounted for and removed motion blur at the breast periphery. Noise in the bCT data was reduced through application of a postreconstruction 3D bilateral filter. A 3D adipose nonuniformity (bias field) correction was then applied followed by glandular segmentation using a 3D bias-corrected fuzzy C-means algorithm. Multiple tissue classes were defined including skin, adipose, and several fractional glandular densities. Following segmentation, a skin mask was produced which preserved the interdigitated skin, adipose, and glandular boundaries of the skin interior. Finally, surface modeling was used to produce digital phantoms with methods complementary to the XCAT suite of digital human phantoms. Results: After rejecting some datasets due to artifacts, 224 virtual breast phantoms were created which emulate the complex breast parenchyma of actual human subjects. The volume breast density (with skin) ranged from 5.5% to 66.3% with a mean value of 25.3% ± 13.2%. Breast volumes ranged from 25.0 to 2099.6 ml with a mean value of 716.3 ± 386.5 ml. Three breast phantoms were selected for imaging with digital compression (using finite element modeling) and simple ray-tracing, and the results show promise in their potential to produce realistic simulated mammograms. Conclusions: This work provides a new population of 224 breast phantoms based on in vivo bCT data for imaging research. Compared to previous studies based on only a few prototype cases, this dataset provides a rich source of new cases spanning a wide range of breast types, volumes, densities, and parenchymal patterns.
Structure of N-formimino-L-glutamate iminohydrolase from Pseudomonas aeruginosa.

N-Formimino-l-glutamate iminohydrolase (HutF), from Pseudomonas aeruginosa with a locus tag of Pa5106 (gi|15600299), is a member of the amidohydrolase superfamily. This enzyme catalyzes the deamination of N-formimino-l-glutamate to N-formyl-l-glutamate and ammonia in the histidine degradation pathway. The crystal structure of Pa5106 was determined in the presence of the inhibitors N-formimino-l-aspartate and N-guanidino-l-glutaric acid at resolutions of 1.9 and 1.4 A, respectively. The structure of an individual subunit is composed of two domains with the larger domain folding as a distorted (β/α)8-barrel. The (β/α)8-barrel domain is composed of eight β-strands flanked by 11 α-helices, whereas the smaller domain is made up of eight β-strands. The active site of Pa5106 contains a single zinc atom that is coordinated by His-56, His-58, His-232, and Asp-320. The nucleophilic solvent water molecule coordinates with the zinc atom at a distance of 2.0 A and is hydrogen bonded to Asp-320 and His-269. The α-carbo...
Analysis of chemical constituents of Lotus leaf by HPLC-TOF/MS

Objective To analyze chemical constituents of Lotus leaf by rapid-resolution(high performance) liquid chromatography-time of flight mass spectrometry(HPLC-TOF/MS).Methods A Agilent Zorbax SB-Aq column(250 mm×4.6mm,5μm) was used to separate.The mobile phase consisted of water containing 1.0 % ethylic acid and acetonitrile was used as gradient elute.The flow rate was 1.0 ml/min.TOF/MS was applied for qualitative analysis under positive ion mode.Results Under LC/MS condition,the major constituents of alkaloids and flavones in Lotus leaf were identified by time of flight mass spectrometry and structure-relevant fragment ions.Conclution The method of HPLC-TOF/MS was established to identify the chemical constituents of Lotus leaf which was simple and reliable.
Friendly Jamming for Secure Localization in Vehicular Transportation

In this paper we explore the prospect of using friendly jamming for the secure localization of vehicles. In friendly jamming confidential information is obscured from eavesdroppers through the use of opportunistic jamming on the part of the parties engaged in communication. We analyze the effectiveness of friendly jamming and compare it to the traditional localization approaches of distance bounding and verifiable trilateration for similar highway infrastructures. We present our results in terms of the probability of spoofing a given position by maliciously-controlled vehicles.
John Amos Comenius’ Cultura universalis – A Challenge for the 21st Century?

Der Begriff der cultura universalis, wie er sich bei Comenius findet, stellt eine Herausforderung fur unsere Zeit dar, weil er uns dazu ermutigt, in kulturellen Differenzen Gelegenheiten zu wechselseitiger Zusammenarbeit und Erganzung zu sehen.
The Caribbean Cruise Ship Business and the Emergence of a Transnational Capitalist Class

This paper will provide an overview of the fundamental changes that the cruise ship business has undergone with the emergence of capitalist globalization and in the context of the Caribbean region. Rising profits and investments in tourism during the later decades of the 20th century and into the 21st century have been an important part of the globalizing economy. This has been a consequence of both the major technological and organizational developments of global capitalism, but also, and most importantly, of the global system’s changing social and class relations. The shifting social relations and productive activities that undergird the cruise ship business have meant gains for some involved, most especially, transnational capitalists, and exploitative and contradictory dynamics for many others. Annually millions of tourists from high consuming sectors worldwide partake in brief holiday escapes aboard cruise ship vessels. At the same time, the cruise ship business has become an oligopoly, controlled by a handful of large companies, that has driven many competitors out of business or acquiried them. Labor in the business has become more flexibilized, with low-wage workers (from a variety of nationalities) whose activities are increasingly standardized, monitored and micro-managed. While moving away from indicative development planning (with an eye to national goals), state policymakers in the Caribbean, for their own social reproduction, increasingly promote the interests of transnational capital such as with the cruise ship business. Importantly, labor and environmental protections have been stymied as the cruise ship companies, adept at public relations and skirting regulations, remain largely unaccountable.