cssi/SciSciGPT-SciSciNet huggingface dataset:
Arsenic in Drinking Water and Stroke Hospitalizations in Michigan

Background and Purpose—Mechanistic and human studies suggest a role for arsenic in ischemic stroke; however, risks from chronic, low-level exposures are uncertain and US studies are lacking. The objective was to investigate the association between low-level arsenic exposure in drinking water and ischemic stroke hospital admissions in Michigan. Methods—Ischemic stroke hospital admissions among those aged ≥45 years were identified (1994 to 2006). Population-weighted average arsenic concentrations were estimated for each Michigan county (n=83) and for zip codes in Genesee County (n=27) where there is greater variation in arsenic concentrations. US Census data provided age- and sex-specific population counts and other county- and zip code-level variables (race, income), which were adjusted for in multilevel negative binomial regression models of arsenic and stroke admissions. Hospital admissions for duodenal ulcer and hernia, not hypothesized to be associated with arsenic, were also evaluated. Results—Adjuste...
Making Our Society Even Better

During this year, the IEEE Computer Society will focus on two topics: improving its financial future and developing an outreach to underserved and underrepresented IT communities worldwide.
Variability of the δ13C of dissolved inorganic carbon at a site in the north Pacific Ocean

Abstract We present a depth profile of δ13C-DIC (dissolved inorganic carbon) and a time-series of surface water δ13C-DIC from seawater samples collected at a single site during the Eve cruise in the North Pacific in June of 1987. Our deep water results confirm those reported by Kroopnick (1985) for GEOSECS Station 213 (10° west of Eve site). We observed a small but significant decrease in the δ13C of DIC in the upper 500 m of the water column over 13 years since the GEOSECS survey. This is likely due, at least in part, to the input of additional fossil fuel-derived CO2 to the upper ocean. We observed a significant change in surface water δ13C over a short time period (2 days) that was the result of a change in the shallow surface water mass. This change emphasizes the need for caution when conducting seasonal studies.
A New Class of Pentacoordinate Ribonuclease Inhibitors: Synthesis, Characterization, and Inhibition Studies of Ribonucleoside and Anhydropentofuranose Oxorhenium(V) Complexes

This article describes the synthesis, characterization, and kinetic studies of a new class of stable ribonuclease (RNase) inhibitors. Herein the first synthesis of oxorhenium(V) complexes of diaminonucleosides and diaminoaldopentofuranoses is reported. Stability studies have shown that the complexes are stable between pH 3 and 13 at temperatures of 25−80 °C for 24 h with no occurrence of ligand exchange or epimerization at the ReO core. Kinetic studies show that both the syn (1a) and anti (1b) diastereoisomers of oxorhenium(V) complexes of 9-(2‘,3‘-diamino-2‘,3‘-dideoxy-β-d-ribofuranosyl)adenine (13) are excellent inhibitors of the purine specific ribonuclease, RNase U2. Dixon and Lineweaver−Burke analyses suggest that the inhibition is competitive, with inhibitory constants (Kis) of 15 and 93 μM, respectively. These complexes are of equivalent inhibitory potency to previously reported nucleoside vanadium alkoxide inhibitors with the added advantage of being completely stable in aqueous solution. The oxor...
Kinetics of the sequential dechlorination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol by an anaerobic microbial population

A mathematical model was developed to describe the sequential dechlorination of 2,4,6-trichlorophenol to 2,4-dichlorophenol, 4-chlorophenol and phenol. Each compound was assumed to be degraded according a Michaelis-Menten expression. Experimental data were used to obtain the model kinetic constants and to test its validity. Good agreement between the model predictions and the experimental data was obtained.
Predictors of calcium intake patterns: a longitudinal analysis.

Objective: The study was guided by the precaution adoption process model; the author examined factors associated with (a) stage of change with respect to calcium intake at 4 time points and (b) calcium intake patterns across time. Design: Data were collected by mailed questionnaire at baseline and at 3 follow-up assessments over 1 year. Main Outcome Measures: The primary outcome measures were calcium intake, stage of change with respect to calcium intake, and pattern of calcium intake across follow-up. Three patterns were identified: successful maintenance (adequate calcium intake at all 3 follow-ups), vacillation (adequate calcium consumption at 1 or 2 follow-ups), and inertia (inadequate calcium consumption at all 3 follow-ups). Results: Five hundred six women completed baseline questionnaires, and 346 completed 3 follow-up assessments. Even after baseline stage of change was controlled for, longitudinal analyses revealed 3 variables that predicted different patterns of behavior across time. Isolated instances of adequate calcium intake were predicted by higher levels of knowledge and perceived benefits, whereas long-term maintenance was predicted by lower levels of perceived difficulty. Conclusion: These findings provide support for a central premise of the model, that different factors are important at different points in the behavior change process.
How to Spot a Careerist Early On: Psychopathy and Exchange Ideology as Predictors of Careerism

Careerism refers to an individual’s propensity to achieve their personal and career goals through nonperformance-based activities (Feldman, The Indus Org Psychol 39–44, 1985). We investigated the role of several dispositional predictors of careerism, including Five-factor model (FFM) personality traits, primary psychopathy, and exchange ideology. Based on data from 131 respondents, as expected, we observed that emotional stability was negatively correlated with careerism. Primary psychopathy and exchange ideology explained additional variance in careerism after accounting for FFM traits. Relative importance analyses indicated that psychopathy (relative weight percentage of explained variance = 42.1 %) and exchange ideology (relative weight percentage = 44.1 %) were equally important in predicting careerism. We highlight the need for future research efforts investigating the combined effects of contextual factors—particularly, human resource practices—and individual differences to understand careerism in the workplace.
Dirichlet topological defects

We propose a class of field theories featuring solitonic solutions in which topological defects can end when they intersect other defects of equal or higher dimensionality. Such configurations may be termed {open_quotes}Dirichlet topological defects,{close_quotes} in analogy with the D-branes of string theory. Our discussion focuses on defects in scalar field theories with either gauge or global symmetries, in 3+1 dimensions; the types of defects considered include walls ending on walls, strings on walls, and strings on strings. {copyright} {ital 1998} {ital The American Physical Society}
THE EXTENDED CARE FACILITY AT MOUNT SINAI CITY HOSPITAL CENTER, ELMHURST, NEW YORK: THREE-YEAR EXPERIENCE*

Extended care facilities are much discussed but too little supported. The ECF should be quite different from a nursing home or a home for the elderly. It is best located in or near a general hospital where it may serve as an excellent center for teaching and research in the problems (medical, social or psychiatric) of the older ill patient. More importantly, it provides a final opportunity for many borderline patients to recover enough mental and physical strength to return to comunity life and thus avoid unnecessary lifelong confinement in an institution. The ECF should be a lifeline for the older patient, and a control center for the medical-care system in helping to determine how the patient is to spend his remaining years.
Role of the Neurogranin Concentrated in Spines in the Induction of Long-Term Potentiation

Synaptic plasticity in CA1 hippocampal neurons depends on Ca2+ elevation and the resulting activation of calmodulin-dependent enzymes. Induction of long-term depression (LTD) depends on calcineurin, whereas long-term potentiation (LTP) depends on Ca2+/calmodulin-dependent protein kinase II (CaMKII). The concentration of calmodulin in neurons is considerably less than the total concentration of the apocalmodulin-binding proteins neurogranin and GAP-43, resulting in a low level of free calmodulin in the resting state. Neurogranin is highly concentrated in dendritic spines. To elucidate the role of neurogranin in synaptic plasticity, we constructed a computational model with emphasis on the interaction of calmodulin with neurogranin, calcineurin, and CaMKII. The model shows how the Ca2+ transients that occur during LTD or LTP induction affect calmodulin and how the resulting activation of calcineurin and CaMKII affects AMPA receptor-mediated transmission. In the model, knockout of neurogranin strongly diminishes the LTP induced by a single 100 Hz, 1 s tetanus and slightly enhances LTD, in accord with experimental data. Our simulations show that exchange of calmodulin between a spine and its parent dendrite is limited. Therefore, inducing LTP with a short tetanus requires calmodulin stored in spines in the form of rapidly dissociating calmodulin–neurogranin complexes.
Focused Product Family Improvement

Manufacturers in various industries are seeking to redesign their existing product families to better satisfy their diverse customer needs while maintaining competitive cost structures. Failure to carefully balance the commonality/variety tradeoff during product family redesign will catastrophically hamper the widely sought benefits of both appropriate commonality and variety. Existing product family redesign approaches often focus on increasing the degree of commonality or variety unilaterally and to their utmost, without considering the appropriate commonality/variety tradeoff based on both marketing and engineering resource concerns. The result is redesigned product families that are unachievable or much delayed. In this paper, the Focused Product Family Improvement Method (FPFIM) is proposed to help manufacturers utilize their limited engineering efforts to efficiently respond to market needs using their own competitive focus and commonality/variety tradeoff analysis. This method uses a graphical evaluation tool, the Product Family Evaluation Graph, to determine the necessary direction of improvement for product family redesign — either increasing appropriate commonality or increasing appropriate variety. A set of indices, the Commonality Diversity Index for commonality and variety, support the FPFIM in identifying components with undesirable commonality or undesirable variety, prime targets of redesign to satisfy the redesign intent. To illustrate the proposed method, an example application with four single-use camera families is presented.Copyright © 2008 by ASME
A theory regarding the role of insect saliva in filarial periodicity

Abstract The hypothesis is presented that there is a positive specific chemiotaxis acting on microfilaria; to cause them to migrate toward the saliva of the insect host, and that this same substance may furnish the stimulus for cyclical parturition of the adult filaria. The bite of a hyperfilariated Culex fatigans may be a factor in initiating certain attacks of lymphangitis in Porto Rico showing a lunar periodicity.
Relation of preservation of nitric oxide-dependent coronary vasomotor function to plasma vitamin C concentrations in cardiac transplant recipients.

tion confirmed by enzymes were reassigned to the group without widely patent arteries, the sensitivity and specificity of the electrocardiogram increased to 90% (95% CI 0.79 to 1.00) and 98% (95% CI 0.94 to 1.00), respectively. The absence of dynamic ECG changes with chest pain was a powerful predictor of a widely patent stent. There was only 1 occluded stent in patients without dynamic ECG changes. This was in a stent placed in a vein graft to the circumflex, an area of the heart where ECG changes are more difficult to detect. Typical chest pain did not correlate with stent patency. A previous study reported a relation between typical chest pain and subacute stent thrombosis; however, unlike the present study, reviewers with knowledge of stent patency evaluated chest pain.1 In our patients, there was no difference in the use of narcotics, intravenous nitrates, and heparin between patients with patent and without widely patent stents. The time to chest pain and angiography after stenting was different between the 2 groups. Patients with stent occlusion presented early, correlating with other studies in patients treated with combined antiplatelet therapy.4–6 This retrospective study evaluated patients presenting within 1 month of coronary stenting. The presence or absence of dynamic ECG changes proved to be highly predictive of the patency status of the stented vessel.
Prolonged gestation and cerebellar development in the rat

Abstract The effect of prolonged gestation on the temporal sequence of cerebellar morphogenesis was studied in rat. Pregnant Holtzman albino rats received daily intramuscular injections of 5 mg progesterone dissolved in sesame oil beginning 1 day before birth (day 21). A second group of pregnant animals received injections of sesame oil, while a third group was untreated. Examination of gross specimens and midsagittal sections of day 25 cerebella (prolonged gestation) from fetuses of progesterone-treated females revealed that folial and fissure development proceeded in a normal fashion when compared to 3 day postpartum controls (groups 2 and 3). Examination of histological sections showed equivalent development with proliferation of external germinal cells, differentiation of basket and internal granule cells, migration of granule cells, elaboration and definition of the molecular layer, and the topographic positioning and growth of Purkinje cells. These results indicate that the temporal sequence involved in the postnatal portion of cerebellar neurogenesis, particularly production of microneurons (granule, basket, stellate), is not triggered by birth. In addition, morphogenetic processes such as cellular proliferation and differentiation, migration of neurons, and the organization as stratification of cerebellar components follows a defined schedule which appears to be independent of the changes accompanying parturition.
An Analytical Study of the Dependence of Orientation and Propagation of the Arabian Sea Convection Bands on Wind Shear, Static Stability, and Preexisting Convection

Abstract Organization of convection into bands over the Arabian Sea during a monsoon onset was studied analytically. Observed vertical profiles of temperature, moisture, and wind velocity were used as base states by a linear model of convection to deduce the most unstable mode in the mesoscale. The analytical characteristics of bands such as width, length, and orientation were then compared with in situ aircraft observations and satellite imagery. A unique feature of this study is the estimation of latent heating through a cloud model and the employment of such heating by a linear model to find the most favored bands. The cloud model computed the depth of the cloud and allowed variations of its radius and supplied a diffusion coefficient to the linear model. The cloud model showed the dependence of cloud growth on the conditionally unstable stratification, while the linear model showed the sensitivity of the band orientation to the wind profile. The linear model further scrutinized the impact of moisture ...
Congenital subclavian steal: Report of a case occurring in a neonate and review of the literature

Abstract This report is a reminder that the congenital subclavian steal can occur in the newborn and can be diagnosed clinically. Increased awareness of the phenomenon has been partially responsible for the recognition of 26 cases since the first described in 1960. This would indicate that the entity is not as rare as previously thought. Careful palpation of both brachial pulses as well as the femorals should be performed in all newborns, especially in infants with a right aortic arch or coarctation of the aorta. A discernible brachial pulse discrepancy should alert the clinician to the possibility of a subclavian steal. While associated cardiovascular lesions are not uncommon, neurologic symptoms are infrequently seen in early childhood. Extensive extracranial collaterals and the absence of atherosclerosis are thought to be the main reasons for the lack of symptoms in childhood. Elective surgical intervention is, therefore, not usually necessary before the second decade.
Generation-recombination characteristic behavior of silicon diodes

A series of successively improved approximations to the generation-recombination current in a silicon diiode is dscussed. It is then shown that the most accurate of these, due to Sah, Noyce, and Shockley, predicts slopes in the characteristic curves of diodes which are not verified experimentally. A new expression for the generation-recombination current is given which agrees with measured results. Specifically, the slopes can have constant values but over a wide range, and these values depend on the trap position. Eine Serie von sukzessive verbesserten Naherungen des Ausdruckes fur den Generations-Rekombinations-Strom in einer Siliziumdiode wird diskutiert. Es wird gezeigt, das die genaueste von diesen, die auf Sah, Noyce und Shockley zuruckgeht, Steilheiten der Charakteristiken der Dioden vorhersagt, die experimentell nicht verifiziert werden. Ein neuer Ausdruck fur den Generations-Rekombinations-Strom wird angegeben, der mit gemessenen Ergebnissen ubereinstimmt. Insbesondere konnen die Steigungen konstante Werte in einem weiten Bereich haben, wobei diese Werte von der Traptiefe abhangen.
Phylogenetic Relationships Within Nyctaginaceae Tribe Nyctagineae: Evidence from Nuclear and Chloroplast Genomes

Abstract Nyctaginaceae are a small family of mainly New World tropical and subtropical trees, shrubs, and herbs. To date phylogenetic relationships within the family have not been examined. This study provides the first phylogenetic hypothesis of relationships within Nyctaginaceae tribe Nyctagineae based on sequence data from both nuclear (ITS) and chloroplast (accD 5‘coding region and intergenic region between the rbcL and accD genes). Morphological characters are also discussed as they relate to the phylogeny inferred using molecular data. Results suggest that neither Acleisanthes nor Selinocarpus is monophyletic but that together they comprise a monophyletic lineage. The genus Mirabilis is strongly supported as monophyletic, but the monophyly of two of its sections is suspect. Morphology generally agrees with the molecular data and in some instances reinforces clades weakly supported by nuclear and chloroplast data. Further sampling will help clarify relationships of these genera within Nyctaginaceae. ...
Stepping-Stone Intrusion Detection Using Neural Networks Approach

-Attackers on the Internet typically launch network intrusions indirectly by creating a long connection via intermediary hosts, called stepping-stones. One way to detect such intrusion is to check the number of intermediary hosts. Neural networks provide the potential to identify and classify network activity. In this paper, we propose an approach to stepping-stone intrusion detection that utilizes the analytical strengths of neural networks. An improved scheme was developed for neural network investigation. This method clustered a sequence of consecutive Round-Trip Times (RTTs). It was found that neural networks were able to predict the number of stepping-stones for incoming packets by the proposed method without monitoring a connection chain all the time.
A comparison of systems engineering programs in the United States

Given the length of time systems engineering has been taught in the US, it is now appropriate to examine the types of programs being offered and to compare and contrast these programs. The paper provides this comparison with a view toward the future of systems engineering education in the US. In particular, we first examine the US undergraduate and graduate programs in systems engineering in order to understand what is taught and how it is taught. Using cluster analysis, we identify four distinct types of systems engineering undergraduate programs, and an informal analysis examines the directions in the systems engineering graduate programs. Next we look at issues in systems engineering education, which have shaped the development of the curricula over the last thirty years. These include the definition of systems engineering, associated professional societies, similar degree types, the role of an undergraduate systems engineering degree, and the role of information technology in systems engineering. We conclude with opportunities for systems engineering education within the US with regard to curricula directions and job opportunities.
Endogenous Gibberellins in Floating Plants and Turions of Wolffiella floridana

Endogenous gibberellins from floating plants and in vitro induced turions of Wolffiella floridana (Lemnaceae) were extracted and partially purified. Gibberellin-like activity was detected in two zones of the chromatogram corresponding to Rf 0-0.1 and Rf 0.4-0.5 by dwarf pea bioassay. The active compounds in the two zones have been referred to in this paper as factor I and factor II respectively. There were quantitative differences in the gibberellin-like substances of floating plants and turions. The floating plants contained more of factor I but less of factor II as compared to the turions. The chromatographic behavior of factor I was similar to either gibberellin A1 and A3 while the identity of factor II was uncertain.
Applications of electromagnetic band-gap (EBG) structures in microwave antenna designs

A mushroom-like EBG structure is utilized to design low profile circularly polarized curl antennas and microstrip antennas with suppressed surface waves. Experiments have demonstrated the validity of these designs. The EBG structure shows unique features for various wireless communication applications.
LC-MS and GC-MS based metabolomics platform for cancer research

We present here a LC-MS and GC-MS based analytical platform for the comprehensive analysis of cellular metabolites, including water-soluble metabolites, and waterinsoluble fatty acids, and phospholipids. The entire workflow consists of metabolic extraction, LC-MS and GC-MS runs, data analysis and interpretation. Standard operation procedures have been developed for the metabolite extraction from cell culture, tissue and serum/ plasma, which involve liquid extraction using appropriate extraction solvents. Metabolites were analyzed using multiple analytical methods on multiple dedicated instruments. Cationic water-soluble metabolites were analyzed on a triple quadrupole instrument using hydrophilic interaction chromatography [1]. Anionic water-soluble metabolites were analyzed using high resolution ‘Exactive’ Orbitrap mass spectrometer coupled to reversed phase ion pairing chromatography [2]. Fatty acids and phospholipids were analyzed using Agilent Q-TOF instrument coupled to reversed phase chromatography [3]. Data analyses were performed using MAVEN program which converts the raw data into a validated table of metabolite-specific signals [4]. Examples will be provided to demonstrate our capability to analyze a broad range of metabolites from real biological samples, as well as to probe the metabolic fluxes using stable isotope tracers.
Ultraviolet Treatment and Biodegradation of Dibenzothiophene: Identification and Toxicity of Products

Biodegradation of pollutants often results in incomplete mineralization and formation of degradation products with unknown chemical and toxicological characteristics. Ultraviolet (UV) irradiation, a common technology used in water and wastewater treatment, may help reduce aqueous concentrations of degradation products produced during biological treatment and their associated hazards. Combined biological and UV transformations may be important in natural systems as well. We investigated the effects of UV irradiation (254 nm) on dibenzothiophene (DBT), a sulfur-containing polyaromatic hydrocarbon, in artificial seawater, and its effects on biodegradation products produced from mixed-community microbial transformations of DBT, including DBT sulfone, DBT sulfoxide, hydroxylated and carboxylated benzothiophenes, thiosalicylic acid, and others. Toxicity of solutions after UV exposure was monitored using bioluminescent bacteria (Vibrio fischeri) and by evaluating cardiac deformities in Fundulus heteroclitus embryos. The highest UV fluence reduced DBT concentration by 28% when DBT was present as the sole organic solute. In postbiodegradation solution, the same fluence reduced the initial concentration of DBT by 81%, and 11 DBT biodegradation products to trace levels. Regardless of UV fluence, DBT by itself produced minimal effects in Fundulus embryos but was moderately toxic to V. fischeri. Postbiodegradation solutions were highly toxic to both test organisms. The highest UV fluence slightly reduced toxicity of postbiodegradation solution to V. fischeri but exacerbated cardiac deformities in Fundulus embryos. Toxicity could not be attributed to specific products and was likely a result of mixture effects. These results emphasize that toxicity can increase during remediation and that multiple assays may be necessary for evaluation. The novel approach of combined biodegradation/UV treatment is promising, although further research is needed to reduce toxicity in the case of DBT.
Template‐based protein structure modeling using TASSERVMT

Template-based protein structure modeling is commonly used for protein structure prediction. Based on the observation that multiple template-based methods often perform better than single template-based methods, we further explore the use of a variable number of multiple templates for a given target in the latest variant of TASSER, TASSER(VMT) . We first develop an algorithm that improves the target-template alignment for a given template. The improved alignment, called the SP(3) alternative alignment, is generated by a parametric alignment method coupled with short TASSER refinement on models selected using knowledge-based scores. The refined top model is then structurally aligned to the template to produce the SP(3) alternative alignment. Templates identified using SP(3) threading are combined with the SP(3) alternative and HHEARCH alignments to provide target alignments to each template. These template models are then grouped into sets containing a variable number of template/alignment combinations. For each set, we run short TASSER simulations to build full-length models. Then, the models from all sets of templates are pooled, and the top 20-50 models selected using FTCOM ranking method. These models are then subjected to a single longer TASSER refinement run for final prediction. We benchmarked our method by comparison with our previously developed approach, pro-sp(3) -TASSER, on a set with 874 easy and 318 hard targets. The average GDT-TS score improvements for the first model are 3.5 and 4.3% for easy and hard targets, respectively. When tested on the 112 CASP9 targets, our method improves the average GDT-TS scores as compared to pro-sp3-TASSER by 8.2 and 9.3% for the 80 easy and 32 hard targets, respectively. It also shows slightly better results than the top ranked CASP9 Zhang-Server, QUARK and HHpredA methods. The program is available for download at http://cssb.biology.gatech.edu/.
Comparison of the Broth Microdilution Methods of the European Committee on Antimicrobial Susceptibility Testing and the Clinical and Laboratory Standards Institute for Testing Itraconazole, Posaconazole, and Voriconazole against Aspergillus Isolates

ABSTRACT We compared EUCAST and CLSI antifungal susceptibility testing methods for itraconazole, posaconazole, and voriconazole by testing 245 Aspergillus clinical isolates. The essential agreement (EA) between methods was excellent: 100% (itraconazole), 98.4% (posaconazole), and 99.6% (voriconazole) assessing EA at ±2 dilutions and 99.6% (itraconazole), 87.7% (posaconazole), and 96.3% (voriconazole) at ±1 dilution.
The tmRNA System for Translational Surveillance and Ribosome Rescue

AbstractThe tmRNA system performs translational surveillance and ribosome rescue in all eubacteria and some eukaryotic organelles. This system intervenes when ribosomes read to the 3′ end of an mRNA or pause at internal codons with subsequent mRNA cleavage. A complex of alanyl-tmRNA (which functions as a tRNA and mRNA), SmpB protein, and EF-Tu•GTP binds stalled ribosomes, the nascent polypeptide is transferred to the alanine on tmRNA, and translation switches from the original message to a short tmRNA open reading frame (ORF) that encodes a degradation tag. Translation of the ORF and normal termination releases the tagged polypeptide for degradation and permits disassembly and recycling of ribosomal subunits for new rounds of protein synthesis. Structural and biochemical studies suggest mechanisms that keep tmRNA from interrupting normal translation and target ribosomes stalled with very short 3′ mRNA extensions. Additional biological roles of tmRNA include stress management and the regulation of transcri...
Use of a Pharmacokinetic Model to Assess Chlorpyrifos Exposure and Dose in Children, Based on Urinary Biomarker Measurements

Chlorpyrifos is a common agricultural insecticide and has been used residentially in the United States until the year 2000 when this use was restricted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA). A chlorpyrifos metabolite, 3,5,6-trichloro-2pyridinol (TCPy) has been found in urine samples collected during exposure field studies. In this work, we use urinary biomarker data and the inverse solution of a simple pharmacokinetic (PK) model for chlorpyrifos to estimate the magnitude and timing of doses. Three urine samples were collected on separate days from each of 15 children (ages 3‐12) who were participants in the Minnesota Children’s Pesticide Exposure Study (MNCPES). The total volume of urine was noted and samples analyzed for TCPy. The urinary data was used along with constraints imposed on dose timing, based on responses of the individuals to pesticide-use surveys. We predicted the time and magnitude of multiple “event” exposures characterized by short-term, relatively high doses superimposed over a continuous background exposure. The average dose of chlorpyrifos predicted by the model was 1.61 mg/kg per reported event. Average background dose rate for these children that reported exposure events was 0.0062 mg/kg/h, or 0.15 mg/kg/ day. In addition to predicting the total dose of chlorpyrifos received by an individual from urinary biomarker measurements, the model can then be run in a forward manner once the exposure regime is determined. This will allow the prediction of the total amount of TCPy eliminated in the urine over any time period of interest.
Using DVFS to optimize time warp simulations

Some emerging high performance many-core chips have support to enable software control of an individual core's operating frequency (and voltage). These controls can potentially be used to optimize execution for either performance (accelerating the critical path) or power savings (green computing). In Time Warp parallel simulators using the Virtual Time synchronization paradigm, some cores may be executing events that are well off the critical path and likely to be undone. In this work, we explore the adjustment of operating frequencies of cores executing on and off the critical path to reduce rollback and power consumption, while maintaining or, in some cases, enhancing performance.
From Epistemology to Democracy Pragmatism and the Reorientation of Disability Research

For three decades, special education researchers have sought a solid epistemological foundation for their disability research. Following the lead of the philosophical tradition of American pragmatism, this article sets aside the search for epistemological foundations to conduct research of practical utility and democratic purpose. This article proposes a practical and democratic reorientation of special education research based on an antifoundational concept of truth, an antirepresentational view of language, and a wager on liberal democracy.
The Signal Processing Information Base project: the present and the future

The Signal Processing Information Base (SPIB) represents an attempt by the Signal Processing Society to make generally available information-data, papers, software, and bibliographies-necessary for state-of-the-art research and development. Access to the repository relies on the Internet, which makes SPIB available to students, researchers, and developers around the world. The variety of information, changing information transfer techniques, and persistent changes in user computational platforms cause difficulties in creating uniform accessibility for the information base's user population. As SPIB evolves, in concert with similar projects in a wide variety of disciplines, into a seamless, cross-linked, indexed, computer network that makes information available rapidly, these difficulties will intensify unless software environments are created that can support high-speed networks and platforms, and publication policies change to facilitate rapid dissemination. >
Navigation of autonomous robots using genetic algorithms

Optimal motion planning is critical for the successful operation of an autonomous mobile robot. Many proposed approaches use either fuzzy logic or genetic algorithms (GAs), however, most approaches offer only path planning or only trajectory planning, but not both. In addition, few approaches attempt to address the impact of varying terrain conditions on the optimal path. This paper presents a fuzzy-genetic approach that provides both path and trajectory planning, and has the advantage of considering diverse terrain conditions when determining the optimal path. The terrain conditions are modeled using fuzzy linguistic variables to allow for the imprecision and uncertainty of the terrain data. Although a number of methods have been proposed using GAs, few are appropriate for a dynamic environment or provide response in real-time. The method proposed in this paper is robust, allowing the robot to adapt to dynamic conditions in the environment.
Hybrid Hall microsystem for high dynamic range/large bandwidth magnetometry applications

We have developed a hybrid magnetometer combining a high performance III-V semiconductor based Hall sensor with a purposely developed specific IC using a mixed-mode 0.35 mum CMOS process. The ASIC fulfills several functions: analog signal processing (4-phase spinning current modulation) providing an efficient low-frequency noise reduction, reference voltage generation, Sigma-Delta based AD conversion and demodulation, digital filter blocks and serial output management. The signal bandwidth can be set between 1 and 1500 Hz. The equivalent input noise is practically flat (i.e. free from 1/f noise) in the 0.1 Hz-1.5 kHz frequency range, and amounts to 100-150 nT/radicHz. A large dynamic has been demonstrated, the total error being less than 0.2% of the measured value in 3.5 decades of signal amplitude. This study exemplifies the interest of hybrid technology for sensing in general, featuring integrated functionalities in standard low cost CMOS IC with high performance non silicon sensors.
Manipulation of cavity Q and critical coupling in microring resonator through integration of a semiconductor optical amplifier

We report the control of quality factor and critical coupling in an InP/InGaAsP microring resonator by altering the internal loss in the ring using an integrated semiconductor optical amplifier.
Postrepression Activation of NF-κB Requires the Amino-Terminal Nuclear Export Signal Specific to IκBα

One of the most prominent NF-κB target genes in mammalian cells is the gene encoding one of its inhibitor proteins, IκBα. The increased synthesis of IκBα leads to postinduction repression of nuclear NF-κB activity. However, it is unknown why IκBα, among multiple IκB family members, is involved in this process and what significance this feedback regulation has beyond terminating NF-κB activity. Herein, we report an important IκBα-specific function dictated by its amino-terminal nuclear export sequence (N-NES). The IκBα N-NES is necessary for the postinduction export of nuclear NF-κB, which is a critical event in reestablishing a permissive condition for NF-κB to be rapidly reactivated. We show that although IκBα and another IκB member, IκBβ, can enter the nucleus and repress NF-κB DNA-binding activity during the postinduction phase, only IκBα allows the efficient export of nuclear NF-κB. Moreover, swapping the N-terminal region of IκBβ for the corresponding IκBα sequence is sufficient for the IκB chimera protein to export NF-κB similarly to IκBα during the postinduction state. Our findings provide a mechanistic explanation of why IκBα but not other IκB members is crucial for postrepression activation of NF-κB. We propose that this IκBα-specific function is important for certain physiological and pathological conditions where NF-κB needs to be rapidly reactivated.
Introducing the non-B DNA Motif Search Tool (nBMST)

DNA sequence motifs with the ability to form non-B (non-canonical) structures have been linked to a variety of regulatory and pathological processes. Although the exact mechanism is unknown, recent work has provided significant evidence that non-B DNA structures may play a role in DNA instability and mutagenesis, leading to both DNA rearrangements and increased mutational rates, which are hallmarks of cancer. We have developed algorithms to identify a wide variety of non-B-DNA-forming motifs, including G-quadruplex-forming repeats, direct repeats and slipped motifs, inverted repeats and cruciform motifs, mirror repeats and triplex motifs, and A-phased repeats. After identifying these motifs in the mammalian reference genomes of human, mouse, chimpanzee, macaque, cow, dog, rat and platypus, the data were made publicly available in non-B DB [1]. However, it soon became apparent that it was not feasible to annotate the ever-growing list of genomic data and that it would be more effective to provide researchers with a systematic tool to predict these motifs in their own genomic data. Thus, the non-B DNA Motif Search Tool (nBMST) was created, and it is freely available online [2]. nBMST is a web interface that enables researchers to interactively submit any DNA sequence for searching for non-B DNA motifs. Once a user submits one or more DNA sequences in FASTA format, nBMST returns a comprehensive results page that contains the following: downloadable files in both a tab-delimited format and a generic feature format (GFF); a visualization, including PNG images; and a dynamic genome browser created using the Generic Genome Browser (GBrowse) [3] (version 2.0). Currently, nBMST allows file sizes of up to 20 MB of DNA sequence to be uploaded and stores the results for registered users for up to six months. In summary, the purpose of nBMST is to help provide insight into the involvement of alternative DNA conformations in cancer and other diseases, as well as into other potential biological functions.
The dynamics of Dictyostelium development

Abstract The process whereby Dictyostelium amoebae change from a unicellular to multicellular mode of living offers substantial challenges for attempts at understanding how nonequilibrium physics enters into developmental biology. In this mini review, I describe recent attempts to use analytical and computational approaches to get at the fundamental mechanisms behind several stages of the aforementioned developmental process. These stages include the formation of a signaling wavefield often dominated by rotating spirals, the breakup of the cell density into aggregation streams, and the morphogenesis of the aggregate into a mound which then spontaneously forms a tip.
Adult plum curculio (Coleoptera: Curculionidae) attraction to fruit and conspecific odors.

We evaluated olfactory attraction of overwintered male and female plum curculio, Conotrachelus nenuphar (Herbst), adults to volatiles released from same or opposite sex conspecifics alone, synthetic male-produced pheromone (grandisoic acid) alone, wild plums alone, or combinations of live single-sex conspecifics or grandisoic acid with plums in large still-air arenas. Male plum curculios were most strongly attracted to volatiles released from females feeding on plums and to volatiles from mechanically punctured plums, which induced male copulations. Males were not attracted to volatiles from grouped males alone or a single male alone or synthetic grandisoic acid alone, and were just as attracted to odor of plums alone as to any of these stimuli in combination with plums, indicating either lack of enhancement of attraction to host plum odor by male-produced odors or synthetic grandisoic acid or lack of production or release of male-produced odors or problematic release of synthetic grandisoic acid. Females were attracted to odor of females alone, males alone, and synthetic grandisoic acid alone, but these attraction responses were not evident when plum odor was present (especially volatiles released from punctured plums), indicating the primary importance of host plum odor and potential influence of amount of male-produced odor in attraction of females. We concluded that female plum curculios may produce an odor attractive to male plum curculios, and both sexes produce an odor attractive to female plum curculios but in general, both male and female plum curculios were strongly attracted to host plum volatiles and only mildly attracted to conspecific odors or synthetic grandisoic acid under the conditions of our tests. We believe that attractive volatiles released from punctured plums should be used as source material to identify potential attractants for plum curculios.
Supervised scoring with monotone multidimensional splines

Scoring involves the compression of a number of quantitative attributes into a single meaningful value. We consider the problem of how to generate scores in a setting where they should be weakly monotone (either non-increasing or non-decreasing) in their dimensions. Our approach allows an expert to score an arbitrary set of points to produce meaningful, continuous, monotone scores over the entire domain, while exactly interpolating through those inputs. In contrast, existing monotone interpolating methods only work in two dimensions and typically require exhaustive grid input. Our technique significantly lowers the bar to score creation, allowing domain experts to develop mathematically coherent scores. The method is used in practice to create the LEED Performance scores that gauge building sustainability.
A right colonic volvulus requiring extensive colectomy in an infant with trisomy 13

Abstract Colonic volvulus is a rare surgical emergency condition in children. Only approximately 40 children with cecal volvulus have been reported in English literature in the past 50 years. Among these, a right colonic volvulus involving the long segment from the ileal end to the transverse colon, as in our case, is limited to a few reports. Neurodevelopmental delay and a history of chronic constipation have been reported as common associated disorders. This is the first report about a case of right colonic volvulus in an infant with trisomy 13 who required extensive colectomy during an emergency laparotomy.
Protective action of oral N-acetylcysteine against gastric injury: role of hypertonic sodium

N-acetylcysteine (NAC), when administered orally as a 20% solution, is a potent protective agent against gastric injury in the rat stomach induced by absolute ethanol. The present study was undertaken to define the means by which this protection is mediated. The notion that NAC acts as a glutathione precursor was excluded when N-acetylserine (NAS) was noted to be equally protective against alcohol injury. The NAS molecule contains a hydroxyl moiety at the site where NAC contains a sulfhydryl. To orally administer 20% NAC at a neutral pH, NaOH is added to the free acid form to keep NAC in solution. We determined by titration that a sodium concentration of 1.2 M results. Thus it became apparent that the protective effect of NAC might be mediated through the sodium employed to titrate NAC. Accordingly, we examined various sodium salts and assessed their relative protective effects against alcohol injury. Both sodium acetate and sodium chloride in 1 M solutions were found to be equally effective in preventing alcohol injury with the same efficiency as 1 M sodium solutions of NAC and NAS, excluding the acetate portion of NAC and NAS as being of primary importance for protection to occur. Further study, using different concentrations of sodium chloride (i.e., 150-1,000 mM) revealed that the 1 M solution was most optimal in preventing alcohol injury. One molar sodium by itself and when administered as part of the NAC solution also prevented gastric injury by concentrated acid and base.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Robotic revelation ☆: laparoscopic radical prostatectomy by a nonlaparoscopic surgeon

In most areas of surgery, minimally invasive procedures have made significant inroads because of major advances in the realm of laparoscopy. But laparoscopic surgery is an entirely new skill to be learned by the well-trained open surgeon. For the classically trained open surgeon, the drawbacks to laparoscopy are many: twodimensional view, disjunction between the actual surgical field and the view of the surgeon (ie, the television screen is not aligned with the actual surgical field), poor haptic feedback, inability of the surgeon to physically control the view of the surgical field, and the need for continual counterintuitive movement of instruments in order to access the surgical site. Given these substantial hurdles, many urologic surgeons have elected to shun laparoscopic surgery, awaiting further proof of benefit or a less rigorous alternative. Recently, two three-armed robotic systems have become available that provide the surgeon with both control of the camera and the two working ports. One of these, the da Vinci system (Intuitive Surgical Inc) has end effectors that provide six degrees of freedom similar to the human wrist. The instrumentation provides a three-dimensional view of the surgical field at 10 to 12 magnification and intuitive movement of the instruments. In addition, the controls have 1:5 motion scaling and insensitivity to intention tremor. The ergonomic robotic console is separate from the table, allowing the surgeon to sit comfortably while viewing the surgical field. The surgeon neither scrubs nor gowns, but a tableside surgical assistant is required to aid in tissue retraction, suction, instrument exchanges, and the introduction and removal of suture material. The presumption has been that in order to perform robotic laparoscopic surgery, intense training and mastery of basic and advanced laparoscopic skills are necessary. But the current model of the da Vinci robot truly mimics the movements made during standard open surgery, raising the question: Using the da Vinci robot as an interface, does an accomplished open surgeon still require intense training in laparoscopy in order to perform a complex laparoscopic procedure? Herein we report the successful completion of a robotic laparoscopic prostatectomy by an experienced open surgeon with no formal basic or standard laparoscopic training.