cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Regulation of innate immunity by Rho GTPases

Leukocytes are key cellular components of innate immunity. These phagocytic cells respond to bacteria at sites of infection through chemotactic sensing and directed motility regulated by Rho GTPases. The development of sensitive probes of Rho GTPase dynamics has provided insights into the temporal and spatial aspects of GTPase regulation during chemotaxis and subsequent microbial phagocytosis. The resulting destruction of ingested bacteria by means of reactive oxygen species (ROS) depends on a Rac-regulated ‘molecular switch’ that is modulated by antagonistic crosstalk involving Cdc42. Recent studies of leukocytes derived from Rac1- and Rac2-knockout mice have shown that these highly homologous GTPases have unique biological roles. An understanding of the biochemical basis for such distinct activities should provide novel insights into the molecular details of Rho GTPase function and regulation in innate immunity.
Polanyi's “From-To” Knowing and His Contribution to the Phenomenology of Skilled Motor Behavior

Recent articles by Moe and Breivik address the need for sport philosophers to pursue analyses of skilled-motor behavior (2; 4; 5). Relying on literature in the philosophy of mind and phenomenological traditions, these authors urge others to help fill this void. This essay is a modest attempt to do so. Using Michael Polanyi’s work, Meaning (7), I intend to supplement and extend the analyses of skilledmotor behavior presented by Moe and Breivik. From these three perspectives, I will examine kinds of knowing and how our intellect operates at the tacit and focal levels during the learning and performance of complex motor activities. I will begin by highlighting the key ideas in both Moe and Breivik’s writings, including Moe’s focus on Hubert Dreyfus’ and John Searle’s accounts of “background capacities” (4; 5) and Breivik’s critiques of Dreyfus’ understanding of “absorbed coping” (2). I will then introduce the analyses of Michael Polanyi and his framework for understanding skill development. Both his theory of “from-to” knowing—specifically his analyses of focal and subsidiary awareness—and his treatment of tacit dynamics—the casting forth of intentional actions through links between intuition, imagination, and ideas—will be presented (7: pp. 57–61). I will further show how Polanyi’s views of skilled motor activity supplement and clarify Moe’s notion of “background knowledge” as well as extend Breivik’s emphasis on conscious attention in athletic performances. In the final section of this paper, I will use cycling to exemplify this extended analysis of skilled motor behavior in sport. Through this analysis, not only will the depth of the philosophy of motor learning literature be expanded, but hopefully new insight will be gained into the creation of intentional movement in sport.
TH‐A‐BRF‐12: Assessment of 4D‐MRI for Robust Motion and Volume Characterization

Purpose: Precise radiation therapy for abdominal lesions is complicated by respiratory motion and poor soft tissue contrast from 4DCT whereas 4DMRI provides superior tissue discrimination. We evaluated a novel 4D-MRI algorithm for MR-SIM motion management. Methods: Respiratory-triggered, T2-weighted single-shot Turbo Spin Echo 4D-MRI was evaluated for open high-field 1.0T MR-SIM. A programmable platform pulled objects on a trolley ∼2 cm superior-inferior (S-I) for “regular” (sinusoidal, (1-cos{sup 2}), 3-5 second periods) and “irregular” breathing patterns (exaggerated (1-cos{sup 2}) and patient curves), while a respiratory waveform was generated via a pressure sensor device. Coronal 4D-MRIs (2–12;10 phases, TE/TR/α = 35−61/6100 ms/90°, voxel=1×1×4 mm{sup 3}) were acquired for 54 unique phantom cases. Abdominal 4D−MRIs were evaluated for 5 healthy volunteers and 1 liver cancer patient (6–10 phases, TE/TR/α = 30−96/4500−6100 ms/90°, voxel=1×1×5–10 mm{sup 3}) on an IRB-approved protocol. Duty cycle, scan time, and excursion were evaluated between phase acquisitions and compared to coronal cine-MRI (∼1 frame/sec). Maximum intensity projections (MIPs) were analyzed. Results: In phantom, average duty cycle was 42.6 ± 11.4% (range: 23.6–69.1%). Regular, periodic breathing (sinusoidal, (1-cos{sup 2})) yielded higher duty cycles than irregular (48.5% and 35.9%, respectively, p<0.001) and fast periods had higher duty cycles than slow (50.4% for 3smore » and 39.4% for 5s, p<0.001). ∼4-fold acquisition time increase was measured for 10-phase versus 2-phase. MIP renderings revealed that SI object extent was underestimated a maximum of 4% (3mm) and 8% (6mm) for cine and 2-phase 4D-MRI, respectively, with respect to 10-phases. However, this was waveform dependent. A highly irregular breathing volunteer yielded lowest duty cycle (23%) and longest 10-phase scan time (∼14 minutes), although 6-phase acquisition for a liver cancer patient was reasonable (50% and 7.4 minutes, respectively). Conclusion: 4D-MRI offers potential for excursion characterization, although results suggest the use of adequate phases is important. Further application and clinical validation are warranted. Research supported in part by a grant from Philips HealthCare (Best, Netherlands) and an Internal Mentored Grant from Henry Ford Health System.« less
Natural Infrasound as an Atmospheric Probe

Summary For four years continuous recording of infrasonic signals in the frequency range 0.1 to 1 Hz, known as microbaroms, has been conducted at Palisades, New York. The microbaroms we recorded are radiated into the atmosphere by interfering ocean waves in the North Atlantic as far as 2000 km away. A characteristic diurnal variation in the amplitude of the received signal has been noted, independent of any variation in the source. We conclude that the variation is due to variations of the factors affecting atmospheric sound propagation, namely wind and temperature. In winter a semidiurnal variation in signal amplitude is observed, with maximum reception around 11 : 00 and 22; 00 local time. Reference to wind and temperature observations in the literature shows that at these times the lowest level of reflection of the vertically propagating signal occurs between 100 and 110 km due to the presence of strong east winds. At 18 : 00, time of minimum amplitudes, the reflection level rises to about 115 km because of a change in tidal wind phase. Viscous dissipation associated with the changed reflection height can account for the observed signal weakening. A third maximum, a less regular effect, is found to be related to more variable winds between 95 and 105 km. In summer, reflection is found to occur from about 50 km due to the presence of stratospheric easterlies. The summer diurnal variation, different from that of the winter, exhibits only a weak minimum about 20 : 00. This appears to result from a diurnal temperature variation superimposed on a diurnal wind variation. Abnormally high microbaroms were recorded at times that can be related to an atmospheric event known as a stratospheric warming. Microbaroms thus provide a continuously available natural mechanism for probing the upper atmosphere. We conclude that the establishment of microbarom observation systems could give a comprehensive technique for monitoring several upper atmospheric parameters.
A New Approach to Support Point Theory for the Class $$\mathcal{S}$$

In this paper, we introduce a new technique for measuring the hypothetical non-monotonicity of the argument of the vector tracing the omitted arc of a support point of the class \({\cal S}\). It has been previously shown that the number of sign changes of (arg w(t))′ on the omitted arc is finite. Here, we derive upper bounds for that number in terms of both the spherical and Schwarzian derivatives. Thus, our innovative approach identifies an inherently interesting connection between support point theory and these derivatives.
Game theory: for adults only.

Our earliest memories include the games played with friends and parents, sometimes for fun, sometimes for education. Similarly, the roots of decision analysis can be traced to game theory. Game theory is the study of probabilities and outcomes that occur when two or more players interact in a fixed setting. Although not widely applied to health care, an understanding of game theory is fundamental to decision analysis.We have all attempted game theory at an informal level. In a game of chess, players try not only to see which move is best, but also to predict how an opponent will react to the move. In Monopoly, a player might have to decide if it is profitable to buy Boardwalk if he or she does not own Park Place. In the latter situation, the player must estimate the probability that the random role of the dice will enable him or her to land on Park Place before his or her opponents or that an opponent would not elect to buy the property if given the opportunity.
Transcatheter aspiration of atheroma prolapsing through saphenous vein graft stents.

Endoluminal stenting has often become the percutaneous treatment of choice for older vein grafts. We report a case of successful stenting of a degenerated vein graft that was complicated by prolapse of atheroma through the stents leading to ischemia that was successfully reversed by catheter aspiration of the prolapsed atheroma. © 1996 Wiley-Liss, Inc.
HIGH DENSITY LIPOPROTEIN CONCENTRATIONS IN NEWBORN INFANTS

The lipoprotein pattern was analyzed by agarose gel electrophoresis in 19 new born infants of varying gestational age. The HDL concentration was determined by rocket immunoelectrophoresis in another 41 newborn infants. Infants with a gestational age of less than 33 weeks had very low HDL concentrations compared to preterm infants with a gestational age of less than or equal to 33 weeks and term ihfants. In the first 5-10 days after birth the HDL concentration increased markedly in preterm infants (gestational age less than 37 weeks) whereas it remained unchanged in term infants.
Prediction of reoxidation inclusion composition in casting of steel

A model is developed to calculate the composition of reoxidation inclusions that form during pouring of steel castings. The software package Thermo-Calc is used to obtain the inclusion phase fractions and compositions as a function of the temperature and oxygen content of the steel. Oxygen is assumed to be continually absorbed by the steel until the liquidus temperature is reached. Both lever rule and Scheil-type analyses are performed. The model is applied to reoxidation of two carbon steels, one low-alloy steel and one high-alloy steel. The effects of variations in the steel composition and the oxygen absorption rate on the inclusion composition are investigated in a parametric study. The mass fraction of absorbed oxygen is determined by matching predicted with previously measured reoxidation inclusion compositions for the various steels. Good agreement is obtained for most phases present in the inclusions. Interestingly, the agreement in the inclusion compositions occurs for all steel grades when the percentage of absorbed oxygen is equal to 0.9 wt pct. This value is explained using a separate model for the rate of oxygen absorption at the steel-atmosphere interface. Various scenarios are outlined that allow for the 0.9 wt pct of absorbed oxygen to be achieved. The model is then used to calculate the amount of alloy elements consumed and inclusions formed as a function of the oxygen boundary layer thickness in the atmosphere and the integrated free surface area of the liquid steel during pouring. It is found that for unprotected liquid steel transfer operations, such as tapping and ladle filling, the integrated free surface area and exposure time product can reach values of the order of 100 m2s per ton of steel, and that the air-to-steel volume ratio during pouring can be as large as 40. It is concluded that, in order to create a comprehensive tool for simulating reoxidation formation, more detailed models are needed for the external oxygen transfer in the atmosphere, the flow of the liquid steel during pouring, and the internal transport and reactions of chemical species in the steel.
The introduction of date palms into Baja California

Customary accreditation of 1730 as the year of introduction of date palms into Lower California is a literary invention. More acceptable evidence places the event in 1765 or thereabout
MALE NEGOTIATORS: CHIVALRY OR MACHISMO OR BOTH? '

This study investigated the behavior of male negotiators as a function of the sex of their opponents and observers having no stake in the outcomes. Participants were 409 graduate and undergraduate students who engaged in role played negotiation. Analyses were conducted for only the all-male dyads. These males were rated as more dominating and offered to pay more when observed by women (n = 29) than by men (n = 64). Previously, dominating behavior had been interpreted as “chivalry” when male negotiators had stake-holding constituents. Since our observers were disinterested, our results (stated above) suggest that “machismo” might be a better interpretation than “chivalry” for such behavior. Although we found no evidence of obliging behavior by men with female opponents (which could be defined as chivalry), we did find dominating behavior by men with female constituents (which could also be defined as chivalry), but only when these men had female opponents.
Immunocytochemical localization of insulin- and somatostatin-like material in human breast tumors

Four types of human breast lesions and C3H mouse mammary adenocarcinomas (type A) were examined for the immunocytochemical localization of cells containing hormone-like substances. Insulin- or somatostatin-like immunoreactive material was observed in scattered single cells and nests of tumor cells in seven of eight infiltrating duct carcinomas, and in the majority of tumor cells from an anaplastic carcinoma. A few somatostatin-immunoreactive cells were observed in only one of seven fibroadenomas studied. No immunoreactive cells were observed in mouse adenocarcinomas or in human breast dysplasias. These results suggest that cells with hormone-like immunoreactivity may be a common feature in two types of malignant human breast tumors.
A dual-mode weight storage analog neural network platform for on-chip applications

On-chip trainable neural networks show great promise in enabling various desired features of modern integrated circuits (IC), such as Built-In Self-Test (BIST), security and trust monitoring, self-healing, etc. Cost-efficient implementation of these features imposes strict area and power constraints on the circuits dedicated to neural networks, which, however, should not compromise their ability to learn fast and retain functionality throughout their lifecycle. To this end, we have designed and fabricated a reconfigurable analog neural network (ANN) chip which serves as an expertise acquisition platform for various applications requiring on-chip ANN integration. With this platform, we intend to address the key cost-efficiency issues: a fully analog implementation with strict area and power budgets, a learning ability of the proposed architecture, fast dynamic programming of the weight memory during training, and high precision non-volatile storage of weight coefficients during operation or standby. We explore two learning structures: a multilayer perceptron (MLP) and an ontogenic neural network with their corresponding training algorithms. The core circuits are biased in weak inversion and make use of the translinear principle for multiplication and non-linear conversion operations. The chip is mounted on a custom PCB and connected to a computer for chip-in-the-loop training. We present measured results of the core circuits and the dual-mode weight memory. The learning ability is evaluated on a 3-input XOR classification task.
CAMAC Software for the Hot Fuel Examination Facility Real-Time Computer System

Software based on the CAMAC standards has been developed for a real-time data acquisition and process control system. The system is used to control the examination of irradiated fuel elements. Employing CAMAC in software has resulted in the development of a standard method of addressing the acquisition and control hardware. A description of a subroutine that outputs command words to the CAMAC system, checks for transmission errors, and checks for completion of the CAMAC handshake is presented. Use of this subroutine decreases programming time and training time due to system expansion or changes. Modularization of software through the use of subroutines has simplified programming of the software system.
Role of FlgT in Anchoring the Flagellum of Vibrio cholerae

ABSTRACT Flagellar motility has long been regarded as an important virulence factor. In Vibrio cholerae, the single polar flagellum is essential for motility as well as for proper attachment and colonization. In this study, we demonstrate that the novel flagellar protein FlgT is involved in anchoring the flagellum to the V. cholerae cell. A screen for novel colonization factors by use of TnphoA mutagenesis identified flgT. An in-frame deletion of flgT established that FlgT is required for attachment, colonization, and motility. Transmission electron microscopy revealed that while the flgT mutant is capable of assembling a phenotypically normal flagellum, the flgT population is mostly aflagellate compared to the wild-type population. Further analyses indicated that the flagellum of the flgT mutant is released into the culture supernatant from the cell upon completion of assembly. Additionally, hook basal body complexes appear to be released along with the filament. These results indicate that FlgT functions to stabilize the flagellar apparatus at the pole of the cell.
Proximity- and Astigmatism-Tolerant Testsites For Electrical Linewidth Measurement

When some astigmatism is exhibited in the optical imagingsystem, causing the resolution to be worse for the perpen-dicular lines, these lines can be broken and the testsite failswhile the actual line of interest is still intact.Another problem arises when dummy lines are added tothe sides of the active line to simulate line- and -space fea-tures.
DISSIPATIVE POTENTIALS AND THE MOTION OF A CLASSICAL CHARGE

In an earlier paper by the author, examples of the motion of a point charge were found to be consistent with the hypothesis of Abraham that the mass of an electron (or positron) is entirely electromagnetic. Further consequences of this hypothesis are developed. It is shown that the conservation laws of the electromagnetic field and Maxwell's equations require that the total Lorentz force (including the self-force) on the charge should vanish. This result can be expressed as a Lagrangian equation of motion. The canonical four momentum of the charge is the product of the magnitude of the charge by the four potential of the field at the position of the charge. When the dissipative form of the potential for an unconfined point charge is used, the integro-differential equation of motion of the earlier paper is obtained for a particle with zero "bare" mass. A mechanical momentum and mass are defined; these are associated with the singular part of the Green's function for the D'Alembert equation. The rate of change of this mechanical momentum is equal to the sum of the external force, the radiation damping force (with the correct sign obtained by the use of the retarded fields), and the gradient at the position of the charge of its Coulombic self-potential energy. For a particle assumed to follow a continuous trajectory, the integrals in the integro-differential equation of motion are evaluated by a procedure in agreement with, but much simpler than, that of Dirac. The result is the unrenormalized equation of Dirac for a particle whose mass is the divergent Coulombic self-energy. The effective momentum and mass in this equation are reduced to half of the mechanical momentum and mass by the force term arising from the gradient of the Coulombic self-potential energy.
Quantitative Fluoroestradiol Positron Emission Tomography Imaging Predicts Response to Endocrine Treatment in Breast Cancer

Purpose In breast cancer, [18F]fluoroestradiol (FES) positron emission tomography (PET) correlates with estrogen receptors (ER) expression and predicts response to tamoxifen. We tested the ability of FES-PET imaging to predict response to salvage hormonal treatment in heavily pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients, predominantly treated with aromatase inhibitors. Patients and Methods Initial FES uptake measurements in 47 patients with ER-positive tumors were correlated with subsequent tumor response to 6 months of hormonal treatment. Most patients had bone dominant disease and prior tamoxifen exposure. Response was compared to initial FES-PET uptake, measured qualitatively and quantitatively using standardized uptake value (SUV) and estradiol-binding flux. Results Eleven of 47 patients (23%) had an objective response. While no patients with absent FES uptake had a response to treatment, the association between qualitative FES-PET results and response was not significant (P = .14). However, quantitat...
Toward an Integrated Theory Of Strategy

We identify four strategic profiles based on environmental, contextual, and structural conditions and relate them to administrative philosophy or goal orientation. A growth-oriented organization, for example, operates in an interdependent environment, has a vertical structure, and seeks to achieve economies of scale. By integrating administrative philosophy and conditions, analysts can account for more strategic phenomena than is possible using exclusively a business policy or business strategy approach.
Subacute symptoms of sports-related concussion: outpatient management and return to play.

Most concussion symptoms resolve within the first week after injury. Athletes with persistent symptoms may manifest subtle behavioral and cognitive changes. The astute clinician uses various information to determine when these symptoms have cleared before allowing the athlete to return to athletic competition. Language: en
SALL4: finally an answer to the problem of expansion of hematopoietic stem cells?

Hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) are rare cells that have the unique ability to both self-renew and differentiate into cells of all hematopoietic lineages. They have been identified in fetal bone ma...
Aglycone fragmentation accompanies β-glucosidase catalyzed hydrolysis of salicortin, a naturally-occurring phenol glycoside

Abstract Salicortin (1a), upon enzyme-mediated glycosidic hydrolysis, undergoes an unusual and rapid fragmentation-recombination reaction leading to 2 via postulated ortho-quinone methide (3) and enol (4) intermediates.
Predicting treatment outcome of chronic back pain patients in a multidisciplinary pain clinic: methodological issues and treatment implications

Treatment outcome of 72 chronic back pain patients was assessed with 4 standardized measures: the McGill Pain Questionnaire, the Audiovisual Taxonomy of Pain Behavior, the Beck Depression Inventory, and the Profile of Mood States. Patients were also rated by their primary nurse on pain behavior, activity, drug-seeking, and sleep. Variables used to predict scores on outcome measures included patients' demographics and MMPI scores. Multiple regression analyses indicated that patients receiving worker's compensation engaged in more pain behavior and rated their pain as more severe, both upon admission and discharge from the pain program. High scores on the MMPI Hy scale were correlated with high self-ratings of pain and several MMPI scales correlated with negative mood. Even though demographic variables predicted admission and discharge scores on a number of treatment outcome measures, there was no relation between demographics and patients' improvement on treatment outcome measures. Patients with high scores on MMPI Hy and D scales displayed greatest admission to discharge improvement on self-rated pain and mood. Results were integrated with findings from previous studies. It was suggested that by distinguishing between overall scores on treatment outcome measures and improvement on these measures, professionals will be in a better position to devise individualized treatment plans for pain patients.
Detection of hematopoietic stem cells in microscopy images using a bank of ring filters

We present a method for robustly detecting hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) in phase contrast microscopy images. HSCs appear to be easy to detect since they typically appear as round objects. However, when HSCs are touching and overlapping, showing the variations in shape and appearance, standard pattern detection methods, such as Hough transform and correlation, do not perform well. The proposed method exploits the output pattern of a ring filter bank applied to the input image, which consists of a series of matched filters with multiple-radius ring-shaped templates. By modeling the profile of each filter response as a quadratic surface, we explore the variations of peak curvatures and peak values of the filter responses when the ring radius varies. The method is validated on thousands of phase contrast microscopy images with different acquisition settings, achieving 96.5% precision and 94.4% recall.
An Analog Programmable Multidimensional Radial Basis Function Based Classifier

A compact analog programmable multidimensional radial basis function (RBF)-based classifier is demonstrated. The probability distribution of each feature in the templates is modeled by a Gaussian function that is approximately realized by the bell-shaped transfer characteristics of a proposed floating-gate circuit, which we term a floating-gate bump circuit. The maximum likelihood, the mean, and the variance of the distribution are stored in floating-gate transistors and are independently programmable. By cascading these floating-gate bump circuits, the overall transfer characteristics approximate a multivariate Gaussian function with a diagonal covariance matrix. An array of these circuits constitute a compact multidimensional RBF-based classifier that can easily implement a Gaussian mixture model. When followed by a winner-take-all circuit, the RBF-based classifier forms an analog vector quantizer. We use receiver operating characteristic curves and equal error rate to evaluate the performance of our RBF-based classifier as well as a resultant analog vector quantizer. We show that the classifier performance is comparable to that of digital counterparts. The proposed approach can be at least two orders of magnitude more power efficient than the digital microprocessors at the same task.
MORPHOSYS: Efficient Colocation of QoS-Constrained Workloads in the Cloud

In hosting environments such as IaaS clouds, desirable application performance is usually guaranteed through the use of Service Level Agreements (SLAs), which specify minimal fractions of resource capacities that must be allocated for unencumbered use for proper operation. Arbitrary colocation of applications with different SLAs on a single host may result in inefficient utilization of the host's resources. In this paper, we propose that periodic resource allocation and consumption models -- often used to characterize real-time workloads -- be used for a more granular expression of SLAs. Our proposed SLA model has the salient feature that it exposes flexibilities that enable the infrastructure provider to safely transform SLAs from one form to another for the purpose of achieving more efficient colocation. Towards that goal, we present MORPHOSYS: a framework for a service that allows the manipulation of SLAs to enable efficient colocation of arbitrary workloads in a dynamic setting. We present results from extensive trace-driven simulations of colocated Video-on-Demand servers in a cloud setting. These results show that potentially-significant reduction in wasted resources (by as much as 60%) are possible using MORPHOSYS.
Toward the automatic synthesis of process flows for semiconductor devices

In this paper we describe the implementation of a fabrication process flow synthesizer for semiconductor devices. The synthesizer takes a geometrical description of the cross-section of a device as input and outputs all possible planar fabrication processes to construct it. The synthesis problem is solved by representing the device structure as a directed acyclic graph and finding its corresponding set of linear extensions, thus establishing a feasible design space. The synthesizer uses an internal database of processes, etchants, and materials to calculate process parameters such as etchant selection selectivities and diffusion times, and selects the process flow with the maximum yield. >
The Power of Talk: African Americans’ Communication with Family Members about Organ Donation and Its Impact on the Willingness to Donate Organs

Because organ donation does not take place without the consent of next-of-kin and because family discussion is known to be the strongest predictor of consent to donate, transplant advocates have promoted family communication about organ donation, but without much success. Fewer than half of all people who are willing to be organ donors discuss their wishes with family members. Family discussions about donation in the African-American community are especially critical because the need for organs in this ethnic group dramatically outstrips the availability, thus leading to a disproportionate number of deaths among African Americans. This study, grounded in the Organ Donation Model, surveyed 311 African-American adults about their attitudes and behaviors regarding family discussions about organ donation. Logistic and multiple regression analyses revealed that, as hypothesized, family talk attitudes and behaviors were predicted by attitudes, knowledge, and social norms associated with organ donation. In addit...
The Association Between Vitamin D and Cardiometabolic Risk Factors in Children A Systematic Review

The objective of this systematic review was to evaluate the association between serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25OHD) and cardiometabolic risk in children and the effect of vitamin D supplementation on risk. We included 35 clinical trials, cross-sectional studies, case-control studies, and cohort studies that evaluated the relationship between 25OHD and blood pressure, lipid levels, insulin/glucose metabolism, endothelial dysfunction, and arterial stiffness. One randomized clinical trial that randomized adolescents to 2000 or 400 IU/d of vitamin D and found improvement in arterial stiffness in the high-dose group and worsening in the low-dose group. One cross-sectional study found no relationship between 25OHD and endothelial dysfunction. Of 12 cross-sectional studies, 10 found an inverse association between 25OHD and systolic blood pressure, although 2 trials found no relationship. There was no consistent association between 25OHD and lipid levels or insulin/glucose metabolism. Insufficient evidence was available to conclude that vitamin D supplementation yields cardiometabolic benefit.
Two widely-different architectural approaches to computer image generation

Among several systems from the UWGSP (University of Washington Graphics System Processor) series, two recent architectures were designed for imaging and graphics, One of them, UWGSP3, has already been completed and is being used for selected applications, while the other one, UWGSP4, is being implemented now.These two systems use parallel and pipelined architectures for high performance graphics operations. UWGSP3 uses only commercially available of-the-shelf chips, and consists of a TMS34082 graphics system processor and four TMS34082 floating point coprocessor that can be configured into pipelined or SIMD modes depending on the algorithm. UWGSP4, however, uses dedicated ASIC (Application Specific IC) chips for higher performance, and consists of two main computational parts: a parallel vector processor with 16 vector processing units, used mainly for image processing, and a graphics subsystem which utilizes a parallel pipelined architecture for image synthesis.IN this paper, the computer graphics aspects of both UWGSP3 and UWGSP4 will be described.
Fc Receptor-Like A Associates with Intracellular IgG and IgM but Is Dispensable for Antigen-Specific Immune Responses

FcR-like (FcRL) proteins comprise a family of lymphocyte receptors with homology to FcγRI. Among these receptors, FcRLA is uniquely interesting due to its intracellular localization, unusual structural features, and high expression within human germinal center and marginal zone B cells. Our analysis of human cell lines has confirmed that this receptor is not secreted but is maintained as an intracellular protein in B cells where it interacts with Igs, consistent with a possible role in Ab assembly. By generating FcRLA-specific antisera as well as knockout mice, we were able to unequivocally demonstrate that FcRLA protein is expressed exclusively in all mouse B cells. We also found that FcRLA is not required for the generation of Ag-specific humoral immune responses to T-dependent or T-independent Ags. However, given its highly conserved structure and universal expression within B cells, it is probable that FcRLA functions similarly in humans and mice. Cumulatively, our data suggest that FcRLA plays a role in Ig assembly that can be compensated for by other proteins.
Ice Elevation Near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet Divide During the Last Glaciation

[1] Interior ice elevations of the West Antarctic Ice Sheet (WAIS) during the last glaciation, which can serve as benchmarks for ice-sheet models, are largely unconstrained. Here we report past ice elevation data from the Ohio Range, located near the WAIS divide and the onset region of the Mercer Ice Stream. Cosmogenic exposure ages of glacial erratics that record a WAIS highstand 125 m above the present surface date to 11.5 ka. The deglacial chronology prohibits an interior WAIS contribution to meltwater pulse 1A. Our observational data of ice elevation changes compare well with predictions of a thermomechanical icesheet model that incorporates very low basal shear stress downstream of the present day grounding line. We conclude that ice streams in the Ross Sea Embayment had thin, lowslope profiles during the last glaciation and interior WAIS ice elevations during this period were several hundred meters lower than previous reconstructions. Citation: Ackert, R. P., Jr., S. Mukhopadhyay, B. R. Parizek, and H. W. Borns (2007), Ice elevation near the West Antarctic Ice Sheet divide during the Last Glaciation, Geophys. Res. Lett., 34, L21506, doi:10.1029/ 2007GL031412.
The Doctrine of Creation and the Task of Theology

"One is never done with Schleiermacher,"1 Karl Barth once wrote, and those who have read Church Dogmatics know just how true that is. Schleiermacher's work presents a constant task for theology to incorporate fully and critique its sophisticated method; to follow its rigorous passion for ethics; to imitate, if only palely, its synthetic power and breadth; to stand open-eyed before its beauty and elegant simplicity. Barth knew this well. To read his Church Dogmatics carefully is to hear Barth's respect for Schleiermacher on every page. The dispute with Schleiermacher's method and doctrine, far from being dismissed, courses through the Dogmatics, paying tribute to the gift and the burden of Schleiermacher's thought to his descendents.
Defining Appropriate Spine Care for the Patient as well as Society

In this era of constrained resources, spine care professionals are challenged to provide value and justification of resource allocation. For surgeons, this requires demonstration of clinical superiority that is both significant and durable compared with nonsurgical management and/or with other forms of surgical treatment. Value concepts such as the cost per quality-adjusted life year allow for more objective comparisons of treatment both for the same condition and for different conditions across a variety of disciplines. It thus becomes imperative that these concepts are learned and used in the design of future studies in the treatment of spinal disorders.
One-loop radiative corrections to the ρ parameter in the littlest Higgs model

We perform a one-loop analysis of the $\ensuremath{\rho}$ parameter in the littlest Higgs model, including the logarithmically enhanced contributions from both fermion and scalar loops. We find that the one-loop contributions are comparable to the tree level corrections in some regions of parameter space. The fermion loop contribution dominates in the low cutoff scale f region. On the other hand, the scalar loop contribution dominates in the high cutoff scale f region and it grows with the cutoff scale f. This in turn implies an upper bound on the cutoff scale. A low cutoff scale is allowed for a non-zero triplet vacuum expectation value. Constraints on various other parameters in the model are also discussed. The role of triplet scalars in constructing a consistent renormalization scheme is emphasized.
Are all american women making progress online? african--americans and latinas

Although the gender gap online has narrowed in the United States, little research on technology access and use has examined the different experiences of women---particularly the interaction between gender, race/ethnicity, and poverty. Using the most recent comprehensive survey of technology use and access, the 2003 Current Population Survey, we find new evidence of diminishing gender disparities overall, differences between African--American women and Latinas in the factors that influence technology access and use, and some indications that minority women outpace their male peers online. However, substantial disadvantages for minority women remain, driven by inequalities in education and income. We find evidence that while there is virtually no gender gap in technology access between White men and women, there is a gender divide among minority populations, but women are not unilaterally disadvantaged.
BMD at Multiple Sites and Risk of Fracture of Multiple Types: Long-Term Results From the Study of Osteoporotic Fractures

In a large cohort of U.S. women aged 65 and older, we report the relationships of BMD measured at several sites, and subsequent fracture risk at multiple sites over >8 years of follow-up. Although we found almost all fracture types to be related to low BMD, the overall proportion of fractures attributable to low BMD is modest. Introduction: Although several studies have reported the relationship between bone mineral density (BMD) and subsequent fracture risk, most have been limited by short follow-up time, BMD measures at only one or two sites, or availability of data for only select fracture types. Materials and Methods: In the multicenter Study of Osteoporotic Fractures (SOF), we studied the relationship of several different BMD measures to fracture risk of multiple types in 9704 non-black women aged 65 and older. We previously reported on the relationship of peripheral BMD measures to risk of several types of fracture during an average 2.2-year follow-up period. In this expanded analysis, we present results of the relationship of both peripheral and central BMD measures and fractures of multiple types during 10.4 and 8.5 years of follow-up, respectively. We also report population attributable risk (PAR) estimates for osteoporosis and risk of several types of fracture. Results: Our results show that almost all types of fractures have an increased incidence in women with low BMD. However, hip BMD is somewhat more strongly related to most of the fracture types studied than spine or peripheral BMD measures. Nonetheless, the proportion of fractures attributable to osteoporosis (based on a standard definition of osteoporosis) is modest, ranging from <10% to 44% based on the most commonly used definition of osteoporosis (BMD T-score < −2.5). Conclusion: Finding effective prevention strategies for fractures in older women will require additional interventions beside preventions for bone loss, such as prevention of falls and other fracture risk factors.
Preparation and properties of a series of thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters

A series of thermotropic liquid crystalline copolyesters were prepared by melt polymerization using p-hydroxybenzoic acid (HBA) and terephthalic acid (TPA) as mesogenic monomers, poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) to give a flexible linkage, and 1,4-dihydroxynaphthalene (1,4-DHN) as a dissymmetrical monomer. The composition of these monomers was varied as a means of manipulating processing temperature, morphology, and properties. Copolyesters with inherent viscosities near 0.7 that were melt processible in the temperature range of 200–300°C were obtained. The glass transition, thermal degradation, and melting temperatures, and crystal size all increased with increasing mesogenic unit content. The heterogeneous structure consisting of a PET-rich phase and a phase rich in mesogenic units was observed by SEM after chemical etching and by X-ray diffraction analysis. Highly anisotropic melts were observed indicating the presence of a nematic mesophase. The thermotropic LC copolyesters exhibit unusually well developed and highly oriented fibrillar structure at the neck area when injection molded. The orientation developed during processing is very similar to those of short-fiber-filled polymer composites. The LC copolyesters commonly have three relaxations in the temperature range of −100–200°C. By dynamic mechanical thermal analysis at 10 Hz, the relaxation temperatures were found to increase with increasing content of mesogenic units and of 1,4-DHN. For the temperature range of 25–120°C, the storage modulus of one of the members of this series were compared with Vectra (Celanese) and with Eastman PHB80, which have almost the same mesogenic contents. This new copolyester maintained its modulus until 80°C, while the modulus of Vectra decreased in two steps; a small depression at 40°C and then a large reduction at 85°C. PHB80 shows a large single transition at 50°C.
Individualism, subjectivity, and presence: A response to Taylor Carman

This is a reply to an article in the preceding issue. I show that Carman's attempt {Inquiry 37 [1994], pp. 203–23) to meet my critique of Dreyfus's interpretation of Heidegger is itself open to criticism on several important points. He imputes an ‘anti‐individualistic’ attitude to Heidegger and denies that the concept of Dasein is in any sense the concept of a subject; but both these claims are refuted by appealing to express statements by Heidegger. Carman also denies that the concept of presence plays any significant role in Heidegger's early thought; and against this I show that it is centrally involved in several of the lecture series from the period of Being and Time. A number of other criticisms are taken up, among them those having to do with the concept of a clearing (Lichtung), the role of perception in Heidegger's account of Dasein, and the anonymous public kind of selfhood that Heidegger calls Das Man. In the case of this last, I argue that the case for regarding it as a necessary condition of ...
Ali V. Rumsfeld: Challenging the President's Authority to Interpret Customary International Law

Can a federal court override the executive branch's interpretation of customary international law? Ali v. Rumsfeld, the landmark lawsuit brought by the ACLU and Human Rights First against Donald Rumsfeld, squarely presents this important question, which has never been resolved by any court. In this symposium essay, I argue that a judicial determination of Rumsfeld's liability may require a federal court to override the executive branch's interpretation of CIL. Because the executive branch holds the primary responsibility for the interpretation of CIL on behalf of the United States, a judicial determination of Rumsfeld's liability could undermine the Constitution's allocation of foreign affairs powers to the President.
A peer supervision group : put countertransference to work

1. As the nurse-patient relationship evolves through a series of ongoing interactions, both participants become "known" and stir in each other a range of positive and negative emotional reactions. 2. When working with severely psychologically disturbed patients, the nurse's affective and behavioral response can be valuable clues to understanding the patient's early experiences that contribute to the pattern of relatedness and to the formulation of change, enhancing therapeutic interactions. 3. The goals of the countertransference peer supervision group were to recognize unconscious countertransference reactions; unravel the origin and meaning of those countertransference reactions; and collaboratively develop therapeutic nursing interventions.
Juvenile Coloration as a Predictor of Health in Nezara viridula (Heteroptera: Pentatomidae) Rearing

Abstract Field collections of early nymphs of Nezara viridula (L.) revealed that normal change in coloration pattern occurring between the fourth and fifth stadia do not occur in some individuals producing abnormally-colored fifth instars. To determine if abnormal coloration is an indicator of poor health, field-collected fifth instars were grouped in 4 coloration pattern groups: (1) Green, normal coloration pattern; (2) faded, displaying similar patterns as “green” but with paler colors; (3) intermediate black-green; and (4) black, retaining fourth-instar coloration pattern. The fitness of nymphs within coloration pattern groups was measured by recording survival to adulthood and assessment of adult weight, fecundity, and egg viability. Adults originating from each nymphal coloration pattern were grouped to determine if the variability in nymphal coloration was hereditary. Survival from fifth instar to adult was significantly lower in nymphs displaying abnormal coloration patterns showing 21 and 12.5% su...
Who is the Human In International Human Rights Law

This paper explores questions regarding the bearer of rights in international human rights law. Specifically, who is the human in human rights law? What constitutes the self in the concept of self-determination? I argue that the dominant interpretations of human rights in international law are informed by Western ideas of the human and the self as an atomistic individual whose political and civil rights reign supreme over other possible sets of rights. These Eurocentric notions of the individual do not exhaust what it means to be human and fail to capture the social, cultural and environmental dimensions of interdependent human existence. The paper seeks to complement and re-conceptualize visions of the human in international law by examining African legal scholarship on the group-centered individual and the 2007 UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples. This alternative lens not only checks the Eurocentric bias of international law, but also enables us to redefine the individual in relational terms and to articulate perspectives that emphasize social and ecological justice.
Management of infectious waste from hospitals

In October 1980, 80% (120/150) of North Carolina (NC) hospitals responded to a comprehensive solid waste questionnaire intended to identify their solid waste disposal practices. NC hospitals generated an average of 13 lb. of solid waste/patient/day and infectious waste comprised 5% to 11% of the total hospital waste. Most hospitals (greater than 66%) considered blood, isolation, laboratory (including microbiology), pathology, and autopsy waste as infectious, while other sources of solid waste were generally considered non-infectious. The infectious wastes were normally incinerated or steam sterilized before discarding. Nearly all hospitals (95%) used a Class A landfill to dispose of the non-infectious waste. Two-thirds of the NC hospitals are discarding blood, microbiological, pathological, and isolation waste in accordance with the CDC recommendations, while the compliance rates for the JCAH and EPA recommendations for these wastes were 94% and 24%, respectively. If the EPA modified its recommendations to include incineration of microbiological waste, which is practiced by 50 responding NC hospitals, the compliance rate would be 95.5% for these wastes and 61.7% overall.